Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 9 ~ Part 2||

"She's out front right now." Asui paused and looked him up and down. "And you should put on your chiton, kero," she added, her slightly croaking voice teasing.

Shouto raised a brow questioningly, but Asui just smiled up at him, pressing her index finger to her lips as if she was letting him in on some sort of secret that he wasn't understanding. Shouto didn't dwell on it as he slipped on his clothes before going to find Aizawa and the aurai. As he passed, he glanced back at Yaoyorozu, but Tokoyami stepped in front of her. His eyes were narrowed in disdain.

Shouto's hands curled into fists at his sides, but he forced himself to keep moving. He couldn't miss this chance.

He stepped out into the fading sunlight. The smell of magic abruptly intensified. It smelled sweet and fresh, like myrtle, and he looked up. Aizawa was standing by the statue of Hephaestus, talking to a woman who was floating in the air. She had long flowing hair that fell past her knees and gleamed lilac in the fading sunlight.

Shouto moved closer.

"They said they're on their way," the woman said with a giggle.

He could see Aizawa nod. "Good."

The woman looked up, spotting him. Her eyes went wide, and she hurried closer until her face was centimeters from his. "Oh! Who are you? You're so handsome. But that scar!" she said, circling him with child-like curiosity.

Shouto scowled and threw her a sharp look that she ignored.

"Todoroki," Aizawa said, turning. "This is Hado Nejire."

"Hello! Hello!"

Shouto nodded stiffly in greeting.

"Nejire can take the message for you," Aizawa said, his voice dull.

The woman twirled in the air, unperturbed. "Of course! Leave it to me," she said, giving him a mock salute.

Shouto sighed to himself, the sound barely audible. He hated dealing with aurais. He rolled his jaw and looked back at the sky nymph. "I need you to deliver a message to Midoriya, one of the princes of Sparta."

Nejire nodded eagerly.

Shouto paused. The aurai had poor memories, so it wasn't likely that she'd remember anything complicated. "Tell him that I'm okay and heading home. If everything goes as expected, I should be home before winter."

He paused, his eyes sliding to the side to look discreetly at Aizawa. Shouto didn't want to let the old man know more than he needed to, but the sinking feeling in his stomach said that Aizawa already knew.

The older man was far too smart for Shouto's liking.

He brought his hand to rest upon Endeavor's hilt as his gaze flickered back to the aurai. "And ask him how much he knows about Kaminari and his powers."

"Kaminari?" Nejire asked, blinking in surprise. "Hmm. I don't get it." She tapped her lip with her pointer finger. Then she smiled at him.

"But okay!" she said gleefully, almost bouncing. "Anything else?"

"No." His tone was clipped.

"Okay! I'll be off then!" She spun and gave Aizawa another mock salute. "Bye bye!" she half-sang as her body shimmered and then disappeared with a soft pop.

Shouto watched the space where the nymph had been for a moment longer before turning towards Aizawa.

The older man was staring at him, his expression closed but eyes calculating. Shouto stiffened. It felt like a lump of dread had formed in his throat. If it wasn't clear how much Aizawa knew before, it was now. He swallowed hard.

"I'm taking Asui and Tokoyami for the first watch. You and Yaoyorozu have the second shift," Aizawa said, abruptly changing the topic.

Shouto felt his shoulders relax slightly, and he nodded. "Something has changed." There was an unspoken question in his tone.

Aizawa looked out towards the ocean. "Nothing for now," he said at length. "But, I have a bad feeling. Ever since you all arrived, the stymphalian have been acting strangely. They've only been sending the omegas and gammas of their flock to attack. It doesn't make sense. It's almost like they are waiting for something, but I don't know what."

"Do you think they are testing us?"

"Possibly." Aizawa tilted his head back, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "They could be wary and trying to determine how strong you three are."

"Perhaps," Shouto agreed as he turned to look fully at him. "It hasn't always been like this, has it?"

Aizawa didn't look at him, and Shouto's eyes narrowed. "What's changed?"

Aizawa didn't say anything.

Shouto studied him silently. He debated pushing Aizawa for more information. The older man was entirely too secretive for his liking, but Shouto knew he wouldn't say anything unless he wanted to.

He scowled. Shouto hated people like Aizawa. He couldn't read the older man at all. He was better with straightforward people like Bakugo. At least he always knew where he stood and what Bakugo wanted.

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention as Asui and Tokoyami emerged from the house.

"We're heading out." Aizawa looked back at him, breaking the silence. "Do a full sweep of the grounds. We need to be extra vigilant until we figure out what is going on."

Shouto nodded and watched the three disappear over the ridge before he turned to go check the perimeter of the house.

XXXXXXX

It was getting late, and the moon was shining brightly by the time Shouto finished checking the grounds. There had been faint traces of something in the bushes surrounding the house.

Someone had been watching them.

Yet, it was too dark for him to be able to track down whatever it was until morning. He'd have to bring it up to Aizawa when he returned.

Shouto's jaw twitched as he returned to the house. The place was silent. Yaoyorozu must have retired after putting the children to bed.

It would be another four or five hours until Aizawa and the others returned. He might as well try to sleep as well. The night prior, he had only slept for two hours before he became restless. And the night before that, Shouto slept even less.

He made his way towards the courtyard and paused.

Yaoyorozu was standing under the veranda. The moonlight caught in her dark hair and cast her profile in silver. She was staring up at the cloudless night sky.

She looked ethereal, and Shouto could feel his heartbeat stutter as he gazed at her silently for several seconds before stepping out of the house. "Yaoyorozu."