Trouble (SeroDeku)

Chapter 12

Izuku was dressed in what Toga had dubbed his 'villain outfit'. He thought the title was stupid, considering it was just a black hoodie and face mask, but she'd been insistent about it since they were fifteen. 

To his surprise, Shigaraki and Chisaki hadn't wanted him to act as a distraction, instead, he was filling his familiar guard dog role.  The villains hoped that the heroes would still be reeling from his attack earlier in the day, allowing them to do a high-profile deal with little resistance. Izuku's primary function wasn't to hold off pros, but rather as backup in case their client got... pushy. 

"Do I get to know who this client is? I'll be more useful if I'm prepared," Izuku muttered as they reached the building where the deal would happen. It wasn't a structure he recognized, just a generic office building that probably got rented out to different companies. 

Chisaki looked up at the building's top floors before sparing a glance at Izuku. "You've heard of the Todoroki family, yes?" 

That made Izuku pause. What the hell did this have to do with Todorokis? Obviously, he knew of Endeavor and the legal trouble he'd gotten into (Izuku had watched the child abuse trail from the comfort of his living room like it was a sports match, cheering with Toga when he'd been found guilty), as well as the youngest Todoroki, who's life he'd saved during the Stain incident. Then there was Dabi, of course, but Izuku doubted it had anything to do with him.  

"Endeavor's expressed interest in our quirk-canceling bullets and is willing to pay a very pretty penny for them," Chisaki explained, brushing invisible dust from his shoulder. 

Izuku readjusted his mask, making sure it covered most of his face. "Didn't know you took 'fighting fire with fire' so seriously," he mumbled as they entered from the back. 

They took a service elevator up to the top level, where they exited and started down the hall. Izuku had no idea where they were going and just followed after Shigaraki and Chisaki. They eventually entered a meeting room with a large oval-shaped table. 

Enji Todoroki was already there, staring out over the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows. He turned his head when they entered, a scowl already secured in place. "You're late." 

"Apologies," Chisaki said in a diplomatic tone, ever the peacekeeper. "We had to wait for Deku to return from his attack." 

Endeavor's attention snapped to Izuku, sizing him up with his eyes. The ex-hero pushed his shoulders back, trying to intimidate him to no avail. "I've seen you fight. You have a fire quirk." 

Izuku shrugged one shoulder because the statement was only half true. "Better than yours, old man." 

The fire Endeavor loved to play off as facial hair flared brighter, a physical sign of Izuku getting under his skin. 

"Bad dog," Shigaraki hissed, smiling when he saw how irritated Izuku became. "It's not nice to insult our customers." 

Izuku kept his lips sealed. The last thing he needed was to piss Shigaraki off any more than he already had. He had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't about him anymore, but the girls. He was doing this for them. He could do it for them. 

Endeavor wore a pleased smile when Izuku didn't snap again. "So, am I correct to assume that you two hold his leash then?" 

Sweat started to bead on Izuku's forehead, his internal temperature was already starting to rise. His fire might willingly take the shape of a wolf, but that didn't mean they liked it when Izuku was treated like some dog. They were fiercely loyal and played off his own emotions. They were ready to set the whole building ablaze.