Fire, Ice, and Desire (Endeavor/Enji Todoroki)

Chapter 13: Despair

*Enji*

The planning was complete. Angel changed in the women's restroom. She came out looking fierce, prepared for war. This was different than any battle I'd seen her in before. This was personal somehow.

I couldn't help the horrid feeling I had, like something awful was coming. I wanted to lock her in my arms, keep her safe. Shoto hadn't answered any of my calls, which said he was either studying or doing something he shouldn't.

All Might approached me after the raid team left, before we left for the hideout. "I need to tell you about the night Angel's parents died." I nodded, thinking I was ready. I wasn't.

"Do you remember when the the power couple from America died? The story was a villain group attacked their home and kidnapped their daughter?" I nodded again, "That was her parents. This man, the same man who wounded me in the battle five years ago, had her parents killed. They were getting too powerful and helping train me. Lilac, she was everything. She was my very best friend outside of Angel. They were inseparable." He grimaced.

"The night they were attacked, she had gone to the doctor, a yearly obstetrics visit. She hates those now, always convinced someone is going to die after." That explained the trembling yesterday, "They came home and her father had already been captured. He was a healer, not a fighter. For fear of them harming her husband or children, their mother gave in. Angel and Lilac were both grabbed. There was an order to take them both, but a boss needed Angel for something first. They used some sort of quirk-stopping alloy in the handcuffs. She was taken to their kitchen table, in front of her parents, and raped. There was a man with a fertility quirk. Still not on record, we haven't found him. He told her his boss said she was the perfect vessel and he would return for his prize in 9 months. They proceeded to kill her parents and leave her there, wanting to die." I was seeing red. This man All Might is afraid of... he had to die.

"Why? Why would they want to use her like that? Why would anyone want to hurt her? Where's her sister now?" I was firing questions faster than I could think of them.

He set a hand on my shoulder, wincing as I unintentionally burned him. "Todoroki, listen. She trusts you. You need to remain calm for her. She can't handle people freaking out right now. I think All for One still has Lilac. We never found a body. I don't understand it either. She's too pure, too kind. I can only assume it was to combine her quirk with someone else's." His face was pained, the thought hurt him.

"If you find any of them who hurt her, they die at my hand. Understood?" I knew that was all I could ask at this point. He nodded and our team headed out. The press conference was starting.

We arrived and everything seemed like it was going well. I was tired of standing around with the useless police. I was a hard hitter, not a bench warmer.

******* Angel ********

We arrived at the warehouse, the pit in my stomach growing. Mt. Lady used a truck to knock into the building. We got to work, removing Nomu and searching. The building was trashed. It was clearly some sort of factory meant to make these creatures. It seemed too easy.

Tiger found the lost PussyCat. She looked like she'd had a lobotomy, her eyes were blank. Gang Orca told us she was breathing, which was a relief. No Lilac, not that I saw.

"Rag doll! Wake up for me!" Tiger and Gang Orca crowded the injured woman. The sound of footsteps started, and my chest tightened. The chill that ran down my spine told me what I needed to know. Toshinori was wrong.

"I'm sorry Tiger, but Ragdoll's quirk was so useful, I just had to take it." The voice was bone chilling. "How could I not?"

They asked questions as I sat frozen. If he recognized me, I may never see Enji or Toshinori again. He continued his approach; Gang Orca told him to stop. Jeanist immediately attacked, restraining him as best he could. I moved to cry out for him to stop, to pull back. For everyone to run. I was too late.