It was supposed to be a calm weekend.
But then again, Natsu existed.
"Where are we going again?" Natsu asked for the fifth time, trailing behind Endeavor with his hands stuffed deep into the pouch of his oversized hoodie. His "new" trademark scarf, a thick, slightly frayed white one bounced lightly against his chest with each lazy step. He kicked at a pebble along the sidewalk, dragging his feet more out of protest than fatigue. "This smells like a trap. A boring, adult trap."
Endeavor didn't turn around. "To my hero agency. You and Haise need more discipline. Shoto, this is an opportunity for you to observe what's expected of a future pro hero."
Shoto huffed. "You've brought me before."
Natsu perked up. "You've been here before?"
Shoto nodded, brushing his bangs from his eyes. "Yes. A few times."
"Why am I being compared to this flamebrain? I didn't get in trouble…" Gray murmured to himself.
Endeavor looked at him, hearing everything. "Just because you got good grades doesn't mean you were fine. There were multiple instances of you being tardy and spacing out in class."
Gray just rolled his eyes, adjusting his jacket collar, preparing to take it off.
Endeavor immediately grabbed his hand. "No stripping!"
"Oh shit, I didn't realize." Gray said as let go of his collar.
Endeavor grunted and led them forward.
The endeavor agency was a luxurious skyscraper type building with various floors. The front entrance is decorated with a stylized flaming "E" for Endeavor.
Gray whistled as looked up at the structure.
Natsu was also stunned as he looked at the massive building. Even though he's seen the large buildings before, he was still stunned at the architecture of this modern world.
'Wonder how much trouble I would get into if I accidentally destroyed it.'
Endeavor smiled as he saw their stunned expressions.
They entered through the towering glass doors of the Endeavor Hero Agency. Inside, there was a large office space with several desks and computers. Over thirty people were walking around, carrying paperwork or just chatting with each other. Some were seated and working on the computer screens.
A green flame bobbed into view like a floating candle and attached to it was a grinning young woman with wild eyes.
"Yo!" she waved enthusiastically. "Shoto! Haven't seen you in a while!"
Natsu froze. His eyes locked on her hair. Not her face. Not her cheerful demeanor. Just the hair. The burning, flickering, green fire.
"...Is that edible?" he whispered.
Gray, standing beside him, raised a brow. "What?"
Burnin turned to them and offered a wink. "You must be his brothers! Nice to meet ya! Name's Moe Kamiji. But most people call me Burnin. Its my hero name!"
Shoto gave a nod. "She's an intern here. Dad says she's promising."
Burnin elbowed Shoto playfully. "Pfft, flattery from the Todoroki kid? It must be my lucky day."
Natsu leaned in closer.
His nose twitched. "Smells... minty?"
Shoto looked stunned. He leaned over to Natsu and whispered.
"Hey." Shoto narrowed his eyes on him. "Why are you staring like that?"
Gray teased. "Wait a second. Natsu... do you have a crush on her?"
Natsu blinked, confused. "What? No, I don't want to crush her. Her hair looks delicious. I'ver never seen green fire like that. I wonder what it tastes like".
Dead silence.
Gray's jaw slackened.
"Don't even think about it."
Shoto took a full step back.
"What? " Natsu whined. "But it's fire! But green! Like mint ice cream! He said, mouth almost salivating.
Shoto grabbed his collar and yanked him away just as he started inching closer again. "We are guests here. You can't just eat people's quirks!" He whispered into Natsu's ear.
Burnin tilted her head, amused and confused. "Is this... normal?"
"It is when he skips breakfast," Gray muttered, watching as Natsu struggled in Shoto's grip like a dog trying to get a treat.
Endeavor finally turned, catching the tail end of the chaos. "...What's going on back there?"
Shoto deadpanned. "Natsu is trying to eat your intern."
Endeavor stared blankly, then anger filled his face. "Control him."
"Trying!" Shoto growled, still dragging his brother by the hood.
"Enough foolishness," Endeavor barked. "You're here because of your recent behavior. Reckless, uncoordinated, undisciplined. This is what happens when you abuse your quirks. There are consequences."
His gaze bore directly into Natsu.
Natsu yawned.
Gray snorted into his hand.
"I will teach you what responsibility looks like," Endeavor continued. "What structure looks like. What punishment-"
Suddenly, a sharp ping echoed from his comm-link.
Endeavor frowned, pressing the device on his wrist. After a tense moment, he turned toward Burnin.
"A villain is attacking near Taito Ward. Kido, Onima, and I will respond. Burnin, you're in charge. Show them around. Don't let them touch anything."
Burnin saluted. "Got it, boss!"
Endeavor shot a final warning glare at the trio, mostly Natsu, before disappearing in a blast of fire, Kido and Onima not far behind.
Natsu waved dramatically. "Bye! Don't die!"
The moment the flames disappeared, Natsu perked up. "Sooo... what's next." He asked but continued staring at Burnin's hair.
Burnin turned with a grin. "Come on, hotheads. Let me show you the gym."
The gym was massive, all reinforced steel and training gear built to withstand everything from ice quakes to fireballs. It echoed with old sparring matches, scorch marks still evident along the walls.
"This place is so cool," Natsu said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I bet I could totally blow up that wall."
"No, you may not," Burnin replied with a chuckle.
"But what if I melted the floor just a little?"
"No melting," Shoto warned.
"No lighting things on fire," Gray added.
"No fun…" Natsu muttered.
Burnin laughed. "Alright, rulebreakers. You can look, but don't touch. This room is for real training."
Natsu slowly inched closer to her, sniffing again. "Just one bite... just a little nibble..."
"Stop talking like a weirdo." Gray whispered, elbowing him.
Burnin glanced over her shoulder. "Seriously, kid, why are you looking at me like I'm a snack?"
"Because you are…" Natsu mumbled.
Shoto groaned. "We need to get you fed. Regular food. Like a human being."
Gray pulled a granola bar from his pocket and shoved it into Natsu's mouth. "Here. Chew this before you get us banned."
Burnin blinked. "...Y'know, I really hope this isn't a genetic trait."
Natsu, mouth full, pointed dramatically. "Don't worry! One day, I'll grow strong and eat... I mean, fight by your side!"
Shoto sighed. Gray snickered. Burnin raised an eyebrow.
"Sure, kid. Let's keep the 'eating me' part theoretical though."
—
Endeavor returned to the agency three hours later. His boots hit the ground with a heavy thud as the fire beneath his feat dissipated. He gazed upon the entrance of his agency, taking it in.
"One day…this will be the number one-"
CRASH.
A chair flew out of the fifth story window.
"…No." Endeavor's eye twitched.
He rushed through the entrance to see the main floor of the agency was in absolute shambles. Desks overturned. Papers in the air. A water cooler knocked over with the water inside completely frozen. A blur of flames zoomed past one of the fallen desks into a hallway as several sidekicks chased after it.
"YAKUTO! GET BACK HERE!"
Endeavor ran into the hallway and shoved open the doors to the training room just in time to see Burnin slide into view, looking more singed than usual and visibly panicked.
"Where is he?!" Endeavor roared.
Burnin flinched. "Which one?!"
"The one causing this mess!"
Burnin threw her arms in the air. "You mean BOTH of them?!"
From around the corner, a different disaster emerged.
Gray.
Completely and unapologetically naked, sprinting at full speed. Three sidekicks, two rookies and one unfortunate veteran, chased after him with blankets, jackets, and what looked like an emergency towel from the locker room.
"I'm not wearing your lame outfits! Get me my own set of clothes dammit!" Gray shouted as he turned parts of the floor in front of him into ice, sliding away from the sidekicks. A few of them trying to follow him slipped and fell in the process.
"Haise!" Endeavor's voice exploded like a grenade.
"Natsu burned my clothes off! I'm not wearing the crap your sidekicks keep giving me!"
The veteran sidekick yelled in frustration.
"We've been trying for twenty minutes! Every time we get near him, he freezes the ground and gets away!"
"HE LOCKED ME IN A SUPPLY CLOSET AND FROZE THE HANDLE SHUT!" screamed one of the rookies.
Burnin clutched her head. "I tried to keep them occupied! I really did! But then…they started arguing about some stupid pillow fight, Haise got naked and Yakuto burned his clothes. And then…while the other sidekicks tried to catch Haise…Yakuto started sniffing me again!"
"Because your hair still smells good!" Natsu shouted, bursting out from under a desk. His scarf was wrapped around his head like a ninja hood and his face absolutely coated in soot.
Burnin's green fire flickered. Endeavor's eyes widened as he saw a noticeable bald spot.
"It's gonna take a week for this to grow back!" Burnin said, tears starting to form in her eyes.
Endeavor turned slowly. "You ate her hair?!"
Natsu shrugged, unbothered. "I figured it'd grow back."
"It was my quirk!" Burnin cried.
Natsu smiled proudly.
"Tasted like mint cotton candy."
Burnin was visibly vibrating with rage. Endeavor's fire spiked along his shoulders. And then, there was Shoto.
Sitting cross legged on top of a rolled up gym mat, calmly sipping from a juice box.
"…Shoto." Endeavor pointed.
Shoto glanced up, utterly relaxed and unfazed. "I didn't do anything."
"Exactly. WHY?!"
"I was observing," he said dryly. "Like you told me to."
"You're watching your brothers turn my agency into a war zone!"
Shoto gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Honestly, it was kind of impressive."
Gray's voice echoed from a nearby hallway.
"Ice make: Floor!"
A loud thud echoed through the hallway. A sidekick slid into a wall.
Natsu somersaulted over a desk, his scarf still over his face.
"Nin-Nin!"
Endeavor exhaled. Long. Slow. Flames licked around his jaw like a storm cloud on the verge of snapping. Endeavor turned to Burnin.
"Fix this. I'm going to meditate before I incinerate something."
Burnin groaned. "Boss, are you just gonna leave me here?!"
But he was already gone. Disappearing into a fire-lined hallway with steam rising off his shoulders and a faint, muttered "Why did it have to be triplets…" trailing in his wake.
Back on the training floor, Natsu was perched atop a wheeled chair, spinning wildly as Gray froze the floor to create a makeshift ice rink. Shoto sipped his juice box and gave a small, approving nod.
Burnin fell to her knees as she tried to take in the situation. To her surprise, Natsu appeared calmly right in front of her.
"What?" She groaned. For some reason Natsu's mischievous demeanor had changed and he seemed more determined than ever.
"Warm up is over. I'm all fired up now!" Natsu cracked his knuckles and pointed at Burnin. "Now I challenge every sidekick in the building to a fight!"
—
Endeavor returned a few minutes later. To his surprise, the halls were completely silent apart from his footsteps as he walked down them. He arrived in the main office to see Natsu had been tied up in fireproof straps and gagged. Gray was finally wearing clothes, albeit they were way too big for him, and Shoto sat at one of the few remaining intact office desks talking to a bear-like sidekick.
A few sidekicks groaned as they slumped against the wall covered in bruises. One was actually unconscious. They immediately perked up as Endeavor entered the scene.
"Boss!" All of them yelled.
"What happened here?" Endeavor asked. He looked at Burnin and saw most of her hair was now gone and she was covered in bruises.
"Boss, your kids are crazy strong. I don't think I've ever met an eight year old who could give me this much trouble." She said looking at Natsu who passed out. "Sorry I had to get a little rough with him."
Endeavor remained quiet and Burnin's eyes widened as she looked at him. Right there, she could have sworn she saw the faintest, smallest smile on Endeavor's face for an instant.
"You did well. Call the custodial services to clean up this mess tonight." Endeavor walked to Natsu and Gray, grabbing them and slinging them over his shoulders. He gestured for Shoto to follow him.
The room was silent. Endeavor sat behind his massive desk, his broad shoulders were rigid and the veins in his forehead barely contained beneath his flaming brow. His eyes narrowed at the reports in front of him, but he wasn't reading them.
He was brooding. A tremor of fear passed through the sidekick stationed outside his office.
"I-It's getting worse," the poor soul whispered to a colleague. "He's been like that for ten minutes. He hasn't even yelled at anyone yet."
Inside, Endeavor took a slow, pained breath. He didn't sigh. But a low guttural growl escaped as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
And then-
BANG!
The door burst open.
"Sir! I got the meds! Fast-acting migraine relief, extra strength! You said extra strength, right?! Please don't incinerate me!"
The poor sidekick, Kojima hurled the small pharmacy bag onto the desk and backed away like he was defusing a bomb.
Endeavor grunted. He took the pill bottle, unscrewed the cap and dry-swallowed two tablets and silence returned.
Then… he exhaled. Deeply. For real this time.
The flames on his face dimmed slightly.
It had started so normally. A simple visit to the agency. A chance for the boys to learn something useful. And then Yakuto tried to eat Burnin's hair. Haise made the floor slippery while he was running. Shoto quietly tried to walk out of the building. Just walked out. No expression. As if this were beneath him.
And that was just the first day he brought them. He would be impressed if he wasn't so mad. Burnin had texted him, begging for time off. She needed her hair to grow back.
He just sighed and read the damage report. He hadn't even read the part about the gym incident yet. He wasn't sure he wanted to.
Endeavor sat back in his chair, pressing his knuckles to his temples as the medicine started to kick in. He stared at the ceiling with a blank look.
Endeavors headache grew.
—
"…and then Yakuto set the punching dummy on fire again, and Haise froze the ground, and someone slipped, I think it was the guy with the sticky boots, and I just left," Shoto finished, sipping his juice box with a deadpan expression. And then....
Rei sat at the dinner table, her hands folded. Her smile was perfect as she listened to Shoto go on and on about the events of the day.
A twitch in her brow betrayed the truth. She didn't even look at Shoto as she spoke.
"Oh, really?" she said sweetly.
"How interesting."
Natsu and Gray sat side by side on the couch, backs straight, eyes fixed on the ceiling. They felt a chill in their backs. They started whistling.
Badly.
Gray's foot tapped. Natsu's fingers fidgeted. Neither dared meet Rei's eyes, which had gone full death glare over her tight-lipped smile.
"Hmm…" she continued, tone dangerously cheerful. "And how exactly do three little boys turn an elite hero agency into a disaster zone in less than three hours?"
"Talent," Natsu said under his breath.
Gray elbowed him and whispered " be quiet you idiot."
"What was that, dear?" Rei asked, her voice clipped, now holding a dish towel just a little too tightly.
"Nothing, Mom," they both chirped at once.
Suddenly the front door opened.
In stepped the man himself. Endeavor looked clean and polished but his eyes betrayed his perfect appearance..
Endeavo's eyes looked like they were tired, beaten, dead behind the eyes. He didn't even take his boots off. Just walked through the house ignoring everyone as he made it to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed a cold water bottle before slumping into the couch.
And then slowly his head turned to them.
Natsu immediately stopped whistling. Gray suddenly found the floor very interesting. Shoto took another sip of his juice.
He glared at the twins. "One more incident. Just one. And I'm quarantining both of you at home."
Natsu raised a brow. "Quarantine?"
"You'll go to school. You'll come straight back. No training. No agency. No gym. No more 'burn down the hero compound for fun' excursions."
"But I didn't even-" Natsu started.
Rei put a hand up. "They'll behave."
Gray nodded. "We'll behave."
Natsu rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll behave."
"You'll both behave," Rei said, giving them another look. "Or next time, I'm going down there. Personally."
Even Endeavor looked up at her with something between concern and respect.
"…Understood," he mumbled.
There was another pause.
Then Natsu muttered, "That green fire was worth it."
Endeavor groaned and covered his face with his hand.
Shoto slid the juice box away from his mouth. "If they get quarantined, can I get their stuff?"
"No," Rei and Endeavor said at the same time.