{Discontinued} 𝙀𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨

- E I G H T -

It was a peculiar experience to feel absolutely nothing while simultaneously feeling too much at once. Though physical sensation had vanished, mental activity had been so stubborn as to refuse imitation.

The raging tornado encircling Todoroki from the inside was tightening its coils. Every passing minute without relief intensified the unbearable constriction of his lungs. It seemed his vital organs were unaffected by the injection. Nonetheless, there was no guarantee he'd walk away from it alright or that he'd even walk at all.

Through the watery veil that had compromised his vision, he could see his attempts to twitch had repeatedly failed, steadily chipping away at his stability. The remnants of his fighting spirit were being stifled by panic. His breathing was labored. He could've sworn he was suffocating.

It was impossible to focus, his mind jumping back and forth between concerns. As pressing as his own immediate danger was, you held priority. He wanted nothing more than for you to be safe no matter where you were. He, of course, hoped you'd been able to escape, but a part of him wished he could see you, indulge in your secure presence.

However, trepidation and yearning were not lonely under the thought of your name. Beside them was an open wound so incapacitating, so afflictive it nearly materialized on his skin. He couldn't deny the harsh and bitter fact that you'd forsook him.

The initial shock, having worn, made way for the sting of betrayal. At first, he'd trusted you'd had a righteous reason, pure intentions. You must have. But without reassurance from anything other than himself, the cracks in that presumption began to show.

There were many plausible explanations for why you'd chosen to leave, but the one that made his heart ache was that you'd simply decided you'd be better off without him, perhaps that you'd never really cared about him at all. It was a stark conclusion, but he found it justifiable.

Shoto was a witness to his brother's fate as a reject. Once it had become clear Touya couldn't meet Enji's expectations, he'd been cast aside. As a malleable child, Shoto had accepted that performance was directly connected to intrinsic value. From then on, performing was both his purpose and his biggest fear.

After he'd realized how poor a partner he'd been for you, his insecurity had activated. The threat of being given up on had slapped him into reality. He now believed he hadn't had enough time to convince you of his potential before being caught by your kidnappers, leading you to write him off.

Why wouldn't she have? I've been a mess since we got here. Overemotional, impulsive, weak... I would've left me too.

He couldn't bring himself to be upset with you. Rather, all the blame fell onto him. He considered himself naive for thinking anyone would look past what a failure he'd proved to be and still want to stick by his side. Finding out he'd been mistaken yet again came with lasting poignancy. He deemed himself unworthy of such an act, but that didn't stop him from craving it more than anything else.

~~~

Miraculously, you'd been managing to sneak through hallways while avoiding detection. The layer of sweat coating your body overcame the cold temperature of the building. You concentrated on muting your unsteady breathing. Your heartbeat pounded relentlessly in your ears, never having slowed since...

You remembered.

Those eyes, they were branded into your memory, so disbelieving, so accusatory. They pierced into your flesh, driving past your deepest layers. Your throat stung, perhaps from guilt or from holding down nausea.

You couldn't afford to process now. Instead, you would rely on adrenaline to cloud out emotional influence. To give yourself the best chance of successfully rescuing Todoroki, you'd have to remain in control. That meant temporarily forcing away all thoughts except for those having to do with your collective survival. Your fists tightened, clenching as if your grip was what kept you together.