Barriers Down: Todoroki x OC

Chapter 8: Periwinkle

hope
/hōp/

noun
1.
a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

"Look at what we have here. Well if it isn't Eden Rose? I've heard so much about you..."

The feeling starts at my fingertips, blood rushing toward my racing heart.

Who is he?

It moves into my arms, fists clenched to try and cover up the shaking.

What does he want?

My breathing speeds up until it feels like I've just run a marathon, my head spinning from a lack of oxygen.

The man walks closer until he's standing at the head of the group, looking me dead in the eyes.

I can see his grin expanding ever wider, an insane quality covering his face more with each passing second.

How does he know my name?

I notice nothing else, feel nothing else, hear nothing else.

All I can see, all I can hear, all I can feel, is him.

Until a sharping, piercing cold rushes through my forearm, breaking whatever trance the man held me in.

I force my gaze away from the man and towards Todoroki, whose eyes reflect intensity and anger reserved not for me, but for the villains who stand before us.

It is only then that I realize that we stand almost completely alone, most of the class already moving toward the exit, trying to reach safety. The only people near us are Midoriya and Aizawa, the latter racing into the throng of villains below.

Watching Aizawa in action, it is truly incredible how he can do so much with so little.

Hordes of criminals surround him, yet it takes him very little effort to knock them out, rendering them useless.

However, as I stare at the battle taking place beneath me, it is hard to feel optimistic given the current circumstances.

My attention is drawn back to Todoroki as he tugs at my forearm, body facing the exit.

"Let's go. Everyone else is waiting for us."

Instead of following the heterochrome boy, I rip my arm out of his grasp before making my way over to Midoriya, whose eyes are glued to Aizawa.

"Midoriya, please. Let him do his job. We have to go."

Midoriya turns toward me, surprise written over his face at my words.

I know we haven't spoken much, but I can't just leave you here.

After a moment of hesitation, Midoriya nods, moving to follow Todoroki and me as we race toward the entrance.

We reach Thirteen and the rest of the class quickly, just in front of the doors to the USJ. They were waiting for us.

However, before the doors can even be touched, a black and purple mass appears in front of us, deep neon yellow eyes beaming down at the crowd of students.

"You didn't think you would be able to get away, did you?"

Yellow eyes bore into mine, burrowing so deep that I fear they can see even the deepest parts of my soul.

No emotion hides behind what can only loosely be called a face. Only eyes frame a head-like shape, purple and black mist fading in and out of view.

"It is so nice to finally meet you, Eden Rose. There is much to discuss, but alas, that will have to wait. Much of it is quite sensitive and inappropriate to talk about in front of your classmates.