A Dragon's Heart // Shoto Todoroki x Reader

Chapter 38: Hell Repeats

I tugged at the heavy, black scarf that I wore around my neck. Cold air whirled around, wrapping me in a crescendo of torment. A reminder that my fire does not burn within me and that I had to warm myself up like any normal person. We as a class stood outside the main school building, trying to figure out what we wanted to do as our School Festival project.

Todoroki still hasn't spoken to me since I got back, but seemed to have no issue being intimate with me. 

It was very awkward when my father horridly paired us up to hang up posters about our class. Our class was struggling to decide what to do for the festival, but it didn't matter to me. Shouta made it clear that I was not allowed to participate in anyway. Which I was okay with, I didn't want to be around people.

I held the gaunt, dull flyers within my unsteady hands, Todoroki and I walked in a heavy and awkward silence. When we came across a bare spot along a wall for a poster we paused. Todoroki would silently hold his hand out for me without making eye contact, for me to give him a flyer. This continued as we travelled soundlessly within the complex web of the school's hallways.

"Oh, I guess we've ran out of thumbtacks." I spoke up for the first time as I eyed his empty hands. "I guess that means we're done for now."

Todoroki nodded; his eyes glued to the floor beneath us. "It's nice having you back." He finally spoke, the music of his voice lit up imaginary Christmas lights within my brain. "I missed you." My heart continued to freeze; chills reverberated down my spine; I yearned for his voice the entirety I was away. "You just seem so different." He informed me.

"I went through a lot when I was gone and since I've been back. The biggest being losing my quirks and losing my friendships." I sighed. "I'm just an ordinary and boring person now."

"Oh Amara, you are anything but ordinary." He said softly, not daring to make eye contact with me still. "You'll have to tell me about it when your ready."

"Okay." I wrapped my arms around my chest to comfort myself. This was the first conversation we have had since I've been back, my mind scrambled and I forgot how to function.

"Why did you break up with me? Especially after we..." His masculine voice trailed off, taking my mind back to the last night we spent together. When we both lost or virginity, the memory stirred residual feelings for him that I had left. Until I realised I hadn't had my period in a while, I felt the color drain from my face as my mind flickered through the weeks I was gone. My period hasn't come since the night we slept together.

"Shit." I spat. "I need to go." I exclaimed before bolting down the hallway and out of the school. I needed to get a pregnancy test asap! I couldn't deal with having a child right now when I could barely deal with my own existence. My heart thundered within my ears, at least training with Dabi also helped increase my stamina so running was less painful for me now.

I made it past the school gates, knowing full well I was going to get into a lot of shit for this. But it was an emergency. I zoomed as fast as my little legs could carry me until I made it into the centre of the city. My charcoal orbs found the pharmacy and before my body could inch towards it I felt a strong grip pull my shoulder backwards. Soon my eyes had been covered by clammy, sweaty palms that obscured my vision.

They dragged me for what felt like an eternity. My numbed mind frantically tried to figure out how I could escape, without my quirks I was useless. The attacker finally tore his greasy hands from my face and threw me against what felt like a brick wall. My back ached already, but my eyes shot up to see who the attacker was. A sense of dread washed over me when I realised who he was. His grotesque smile grinned at me. The scent of mould and mildew floated into my nostrils, the dark alley way we was in was frozen, far away from civilisation.

The attacker was one of the villains I let live during my reign. I didn't bother to remember his name, perhaps another reason why he hated me so much. His quirk however was a painful one, something I couldn't forget. He was able to create an array of weaponry with the cells of his body'; the perfect torturer. Similar to Yaoyorozu's quirk.

"Oh hello. Its nice to see you again, how did your wound heal up?" I asked coyly. I remembered the fight we had, be brutally lost and well, because of me he lost most of his leg. He must've gotten a prosthetic one, somehow. The villain growled manically at me.

"You bitch, I heard you don't have quirks anymore so I thought I'd come pay my condolences." His wretched voice was layered thick with venom.

"You're so kind. The only time you can take me on is when I'm powerless – makes sense." I spat. If there was ever a time I needed my quirks back, the time was now. He had me cornered within the mouldy alleyway, no room to run. The sinister look he gave me told me all I needed to know; he was going to kill me.

The villain's fist planted a hard punch into my abdomen, I felt the air leave my lungs as I hunched over. Clutching my aching stomach, I felt a manic adorn my face. "You punch like a girl." I choked out.

My words angered the villain, causing him to snap. He began to punch and kick me relentlessly, steaming tears rolled down my bloodied face, at least the pain he inflicted kept me from feeling my emotional anguish anymore. This was the least I deserved, an atonement for my sins.

I was a matted mass of pale flesh and blood that clumped to the rotting floor but I knew he was just warming up. My chest heaved as my body fought to stay alive, but my mind had given up. I saw the devilish glint of steel before I felt the villain slam the knife into my thigh. I had been screaming so much my throat ached, it bled with every hitched breath.

"I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance." My dead voice croaked, carrying with it the malice I felt.

"You're fucked now sweet heart." His voice guttural, laced with venom.

The pain inflicted by the angry creature kept me from passing out, I was aware of every laceration, every contusion he planted on my body. However the pain of losing my fingers one-by-one was enough to send me over the edge. My heart seemed to stop beating, a sense of coldness writhed within my veins as my consciousness flailed like dying light. I deserved a death like this.