The Realist(Shoto Todoroki x reader- Bakugo's twin sister)

Chapter 59

My fist clenched tight under the table as the voice echoed in my head, Ophelia's single word still vibrating against my skull like a struck bell. The meeting trudged forward, each revelation heavier than the last, and somehow- somehow- it got worse.

Everyone froze, faces shifting between anger and fear, when Nighteye confirmed what we were all thinking. Overhaul's quirk had been used to make the bullets. And Eri was tied to all of it.

The air turned to stone. Even the pro heroes, the ones who'd seen everything, had trouble hiding their unease.

And of course, he spoke up again- the guy I'd clocked earlier, his voice still dripping with condescension as he questioned why we high schoolers were even here. Even after everything I'd said. Even after reality had smacked him in the face.

I turned my head slowly, fixing him with a stare sharp enough to cut glass. "Pardon my French, but what the fuck do you want from me? You're constantly hopping on it and I'd like to know why."

A collective gasp rippled across the table. His eyes narrowed, the glare he sent me promising a grudge.

"Bakugo!" Aizawa's voice came through gritted teeth, his warning sharp enough to slice.

I ignored him. My mouth was already moving, my temper a runaway train.

"Honestly, how do you expect me to save a little girl when this idiot can't close his mouth?" I jabbed a finger toward Deku, who flinched like I'd physically shoved him. His wide eyes blinked, startled and confused. "And do you really think if we'd got that little girl then, that there wouldn't have been a huge fight?"

I raised both hands in mock surrender and let a scoff slip free. "I'm all in for a good fight and saving children, but it wasn't the time nor place. As much as I'd hate to say it, but we didn't have enough evidence to take her."

I dropped my hands, letting my eyes go hard as steel as they locked on the man again. "So if you'd like to bitch again about how we didn't get the girl in time, then you'd be asking what wood you'd want for your casket."

My hands clenched as I felt an orb trying to be lifted to it. "Or in this case, what vase do you want your earn in?"

The room went quiet.

The man's jaw flexed, teeth clenched, and his glare could've burned a hole through titanium- but I'd lived with my mom and Katsuki. This guy? Please. He was nothing compared to that kind of fire.

Two idiots rose from their chairs at once- Deku and Mirio-. Their expressions were tight with determination, maybe even guilt. "We'll get Eri away from him next time...And we'll protect her!" they declared together, voices overlapping in earnest conviction.

I nodded despite how cringe-worthy their delivery was. At least they meant it.

Nighteye's cool gaze swept over us all as he inclined his head. "Indeed. That's precisely what we've come here to discuss."

One of the heroes- a tall, broad-shouldered woman whose face was pinched with worry- spoke up next. She speculated that Eri was likely being held in one of the Hassaikai's drug houses, guarded by Overhaul's goons, and that the villain himself would have her under an even closer watch after her attempted escape and run-in with heroes.

The weight of her words pressed on the room like a stormcloud. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, the unspoken understanding hanging heavy. One wrong move, and a little girl would pay the price.

Nighteye nodded once, decisively, then stepped forward. His hand tapped the edge of the table. "Since we don't currently know how far they've taken their plans, the success of our initial strike is crucial. To that end, we've made a thorough list of groups with connections to Hassaikai, as well as properties owned by the organization. This is our starting point. I would like you all to investigate each coordinate on this map. It is the most logical way to narrow down our targets."