Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 37 ~ Part 3||

He sensed that he had done something to upset her, but Shouto didn't know what. He pulled on the new chiton and was about to grab Endeavor to leave, when the flap to the tent fluttered open. Midoriya and Bakugou entered.

Bakugou raised an eyebrow. "Going somewhere?"

Shouto made to walk past him. "To check on Yaoyorozu. I think something happened. I need to make sure her power isn't causing her harm."

Bakugou snorted and raised an arm, stopping Shouto from passing. "Ponytail's fine. Give her space," he said in a stern voice, leaving no room for argument. "Sit."

Shouto opened his mouth to argue, but Midoriya jumped in.

"We'll only be a moment." He motioned to the rug, indicating that Shouto should take a seat. "We just have a few questions to ask you."

Shouto didn't move.

Bakugou rolled his eyes. "Ponytail is fine," he stressed. "Her magic doesn't have anything to do with why she left. It's your dumbass that she needed space from. Now sit."

Shouto scowled. As much as Shouto would like to snap back at the prince, he didn't have any proof to disprove the prince's words. And Bakugou had always been more perspective than him.

He sighed. Reluctantly, Shouto slid back down onto the bed. "Didn't Yaoyorozu tell you what happened?"

Midoriya took a seat in front of him. Bakugou stalked over to the wooden chest. Dropping down onto the box, he rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.

"She did," Midoriya agreed, sliding his legs under him. "But she wasn't there for the whole fight and..." He hesitated for a moment. His green eyes darkened, and his eyebrows furrowed in an expression of concern.

Bakugou cut in. His teeth poked out in a snarl. "When we went back, the extras were gone."

"What?" Shouto's head jerked up. A chill ran down his spine.

Midoriya's expression pinched in indecision, apparently deciding how to continue before he seemingly came to a conclusion. His jaw tightened. He looked up and leveled Shouto with a hard stare.

"Shigaraki must have come back and recovered his human comrades." Midoirya's mouth pressed into a thin line. He leaned forward. "I know you just woke up, but we need you to do your best and remember. Is there anything that Shigaraki said or did that we need to be concerned about? Anything that we need to be aware of on our return to Sparta?"

"We don't want any surprises, Half-n-Half." Bakugou's voice held a hint of warning.

Shouto's gaze drifted away from Bakugou to the walls of the tent as he tried to think. Shadows moved across the hemp walls. Men could be heard disassembling the camp, laughing, and trading stories.

Shouto frowned, tuning out the voices. His eyebrows drew together, and he reluctantly returned to the memory of the night.

'You hurt our friend!' the merchant's deep voice broke.

The magi's expression twisted with rage. 'I had spent twenty years building the business, offering the highest quality goods, and it was all ruined.'

'So we will call this multi-purposed revenge,' Shigaraki continued in a playful voice that contrasted with his words, 'for my brother, Dabi, and for my follower's livelihood.'

No, Shouto thought, remembering the villains' words, revenge wasn't anything special. Yaoyorozu would have likely told Midoriya and Bakugou about that anyways. And, if Shouto thought about the question, that wasn't what the princes were asking. They wanted to know about Shigaraki and his followers' powers. If there was any magic that would surprise them or could weaken their soldiers if they were caught in a battle with Shigaraki again.