2 Chapter 2: The White Streak

In the solitude of his room, Toya conjured small spheres of blue flame. They danced in his palms, casting an ethereal glow across his face. He observed them with a focused gaze, his mind working through the possibilities of his newfound power. After a few moments of contemplation, he extinguished the flames with a flick of his wrist.

"The heat... it's intense. If I'm not careful, I could end up looking like Dabi, all scarred and burnt. But I rather like my face as it is. I'd wager I'm quite handsome," Toya mused aloud, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Controlling the temperature of the flames without injuring myself... that's the challenge here," he concluded.

He summoned another wisp of blue flame, letting it materialize within his palm. The heat radiated against his skin, but instead of causing pain, it was absorbed harmlessly.

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't seem to lower the temperature further.

"It's about as hot as a typical lighter flame. It's easy enough to lower it to this point, but any further and the flame just extinguishes," he remarked, watching as the flame disappeared from his hand.

"Since when did this world start adhering to the laws of science?" Toya sighed, realizing he would need to learn more about the nature of fire.

Just as he was about to delve deeper into his thoughts, a soft knock echoed through his room. The door creaked open to reveal Fuyumi, clutching her teddy bear.

"Onii-chan, I can't sleep. Can you sleep with me?" Fuyumi asked, her voice a soft whisper.

"Come here," Toya replied, patting the space next to him on the bed.

Fuyumi scampered over, her small arms wrapping around her brother in a tight hug. As she drifted off to sleep, she murmured, "I love you, Onii-chan."

"I love you too," Toya replied, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before succumbing to sleep himself.

....

The following morning, Toya awoke with a stretch, his muscles protesting the early hour. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand - it was only 6:45 AM.

'Too early. I should go back to sleep. But, I have to train my Quirk... Maybe just a little,' he thought to himself.

With that, he summoned a small stick of blue flame. He focused on making it solid. It began to solidify, but as he strained his will, he tired and the construct reverted to its original form.

"I'm sweating bullets. Quirks are such a crapshoot, depending entirely on genetic luck. It's unfair for some people," Toya sighed, wiping the sweat off his brow.

After a quick shower and change into his school uniform, he waited for his father. Enji had insisted on driving him to school today.

The car ride was filled with an uncomfortable silence until Enji finally broke it. "Toya, why didn't you tell me that your Quirk had awakened early?"

"Why would I? And what would I gain from telling you, Otou-san?" Toya replied, his tone nonchalant.

"Do you hate me as a father, Toya?" Enji asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Nah," Toya replied, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery.

They arrived at the kindergarten in silence. "Have fun, Toya," Enji said, still sitting in the car.

"Yeah, Otou-san. You too," Toya replied, stepping out of the car and heading into the kindergarten.

As soon as Enji left, Toya did what he did best - he faded into the background, avoiding attention. He was grateful that the other kids didn't know about his father's identity. It would only complicate things.

He took his usual seat in the classroom, a quiet spot by the window in the fourth row. Despite his best efforts to keep a low profile, there was one kid who always ended up close to him - Shinkei Kei, who sat right in front of him.

"Did you get your check-up yet?" Toya asked.

"Yeah, I did. Turns out I can touch someone and temporarily paralyze them. The doctor said something about disabling other people's nerves. I don't remember all the details, but he warned me not to overuse it or I could faint," Kei explained. "Why do you ask? Did you get your check-up too?"

"Someone snitched on me," Toya replied, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Who?" Kei asked.

"The maid that cleans our house. She found me using my Quirk one day, and the rest is history," Toya said.

"That sucks," Kei said. "Are we still on for football this evening?"

"Doesn't look like it. My father wants to train my Quirk," Toya replied.

"Ah, that's too bad," Kei responded, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

The day went on as usual, with the teacher delivering lessons and the students listening attentively, save for the occasional disruptions.

During recess, Toya and Kei found a quiet corner to enjoy their lunch, munching on simple cream-filled buns they'd bought from the cafeteria.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Toya asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"A detective," Kei answered without hesitation.

"You think it's cool, don't you?" Toya teased, knowing him

"Of course," Kei said with a grin. "What about you?"

"I don't know, maybe make some money and live a good life," Toya said with a shrug.

"That's a good plan," Kei said, leaning in closer to whisper, "But do you think your dad will let you? He is the number two hero, after all."

"I guess we'll have to see," Toya replied, a thoughtful look on his face.

....

'Why am I stuck in this dojo? I don't want to train using your regimen. You're terrible at this,' Toya thought, glaring at his father. 'I just got home from school, and before I can spend time with my cute little sister, you drag me to the dojo.'

Enji stood before him, his Quirk activated, a forced smile on his face seeing Toya's annoyed expression.

"Let's get this over with," Toya said, standing up.

"Why aren't you excited to train with your Quirk? You always criticize heroes for their poor decisions. Are you planning on making the same mistakes?" Enji asked.

'Ah, the old reverse psychology trick. That's not going to work on me,' Toya thought, smirking. "Well, firstly, they're heroes. And secondly, I've already done my training alone. Plus, I'm pretty sure your training is a bit too intense for a four-year-old. Am I right?"

"I've toned it down, don't worry, Toya. Trust your Otou-san," Enji said, thumping his chest with his fist.

"I stopped trusting you when you snitched on me to Okaa-san. How could you do that to me?" Toya retorted.

"Son, you know what you did was wrong, right?" Enji said.

"That's beside the point. You should've kept it to yourself," Toya shot back.

Enji sighed, rubbing his temples. But then, he noticed something unusual about Toya's hair. "Toya, your hair... there's a white streak on the left side of your head."

"What?" Toya touched his hair, then walked over to a nearby mirror. His reflection confirmed his father's observation. "Aha."

'It's already starting,' Toya thought to himself. 'Either way, I look cool. I'll be like the Sparda family with white hair.'