Preydator || Todoroki x OC

•35: Small World•

My eyes widen and my heart drops as I stare at the woman's face.
Midoriya's voice chimes into the earpiece as soon as the realization dawns on me.
"Isn't that Mirroress?"

-----

I freeze like a deer in headlights. The sounds of the banquet fading into a jumbled up puddle of noise my brain can't process. I can't seem to tear my eyes away from my mother who wears the same, cold expression she revealed the day she tried to murder me. Images of that night flash through my head like a camera roll going by too quickly. The shock that paralyzed my body is replaced with a great fear as I begin to tremble. My breathing becomes unsteady and my hands begin to tremble uncontrollably as I become brutally aware of just how unready I am to face her. In my desperation of wanting answers and chasing after my mom, I hadn't healed at all. My chest feels far too heavy for my lungs to efficiently work as my breath escapes me. After all this time chasing after her, here she is, in front of my very eyes. Yet, I can't bring myself to move, say, or do anything. I feel just as powerless as I did the last time I saw her.

My knees buckle under me as I fail to keep my balance. Shoto catches me quickly before I can hit the ground. "Rin, are you okay? We need to leave, now." His voice is muffled and I can barely bring myself to focus on his words. "Hurry, they're starting the test."

My eyes widen in alarm as I come back to my senses. Dabi had explicitely said the test would be dangerous. 'We need to go right now! Stand up!' I yell at myself as I grip onto the sleeves of Shoto's blazer, pulling myself up. He grasps my hand and we bolt towards the front doors.

Shoto reach out for the handle when we both let out a gasp. A familiar, dark, purple mist appears in front of us. 'The portal quirk we saw at USJ!' I think as it sucks his arm in. Shouts of surprise fill the banquet hall as the mist begins to engulf the other guests.

"Shoto!" I cry out as I grab his other wrist. The mist quickly envelopes Shoto's body and wraps around me as well, swallowing us both in the darkness.

I don't dare let go of Shoto's wrist as the mist fades away. I open my eyes to see we're in a dusty, dimly lit room. I glance around to see racks full of wine bottles and barrels lined up next to me in rows like isles.

"Where are we?" I ask out loud as I look around for a door or window.

"It looks like we're in a wine cellar." Shoto replies. "We're likely underground."

"Do you think we're far from the banquet hall?" I ask as we walk around the first row of wine barrels to see this room continues down like a long hallway.

"If it's anything like what happened at USJ, we can't be too far away." Shoto replies. "Plus, this test is still part of the banquet plans it seems."

"What perfume are you wearing?" Midoriya's voice chimes in the earpiece as he says the emergency phrase. 

"Midoriya? What's happening?" Aizawa asks.

Noises of things falling over and banging sound from Midoriya's end. "Lounge-" His voice cuts out.

"Midoriya?" Midnight asks, but there is no response.

"The villain that seperated us at USJ is here." Aizawa explains.

"How many of you made it out?" Midnight's concerned voice asks.

"There's 17 students out here. We're missing Todoroki, Midoriya, Hagakure, and Utano." Present Mic states.

"Hey! I'm right here." Toru's voice chimes in. "Just because I'm invisible, doesn't mean you can't see me!"

"It kinda does..." Kaminari whispers.