Momo and Todoroki whipped around, braced to race away in the wake of Bakugou, Iida and Kirishima's escape. Katsuki was safe and they were away form the villains.
Time to go.
Momo took off, scattering gravel behind her and probably ripping her tight new dress. Todoroki moved to follow her.
Until a hand fastened itself around his elbow, warm and rough through his thin new shirt and the person's equally callused palm whipped over his mouth, effectively cutting off any scream to Momo for help.
Great. Now he couldn't ask Momo for help. He was effectively trapped and helpless, at the mercy of this unseen villain.
"Shh." His voice was gravelly, low and strangely familiar. "I just want to talk. I am not going to kidnap you."
Yeah, that was believable. A villain who had just lost his previous hostage not looking to kidnap him? As if. Todoroki struggled against the man's strong grip a little, not quite ready to resort to using his quirk and giving away his predicament to the other villains. One he could deal with but 7 or so? No.
"I won't even make you come back with us. I promise." The villain paused, as if unsure. Which was strange, considering he was pretty sure when he captured Todoroki. "I just want to talk. Hear me out."
The man, whoever he was, slowly lowered his hand from Todoroki's mouth. For a fractional moment, Shouto considered calling out to Momo. But she was likely to far away to help. It would only attract the attention of the villains.
Curiosity got the better of him and he kept silent under his mystery attackers grip.
"You are the son of Enji Todoroki, right?"
Unsure of the man's intentions, he hesitated. He didn't want to give away anything that was a liability. The last thing he wanted to give this villain was something to torture him with when they inevitably used him as a bargaining chip.
Finally, he simply nodded, still unsure of whether or not to speak. After all words gave away more than just the vocabulary used would suggest. He didn't want to betray so much of an inkling of his feelings towards his father to this stranger.
This oddly familiar stranger.
"Relax, like I said I just want to talk. I don't want to hurt you or your family." The villain paused, although whether or not it was to collect his thoughts or for dramatic impact, Todoroki wasn't sure. "I am just genuinely curious why you would follow in the footsteps of the man who drove your mother to insanity, abused you for all of your young life and sent your other parents to a mental hospital, all to further his own ambition."
A shock of strange electricity (or possibly just fear) raced through Todoroki's bones, jerking him to full wariness. "How the hell do you know anything about me?!" What was meant as a venomous statement came out just as wary and afraid as he felt.
The man placed his hands on Todoroki's shoulders, spinning him around and looking deep into his eyes, fiery blue on aqua and slate. The deep maroon scars marring his face and hands marked him as Dabi, one of the villains from the group that had kidnapped Bakugou.
His grin was a little less reassuring, in comparison with his almost gentle tone from a moment ago. "Wouldn't you like to know, little hero?"
Todoroki, scared as he was, was in no mood to be taunted by some burnt chicken nugget looking hero with emo hair. "Yeah, I would. That's literally why I asked."
Nice to know that his coldness was present even in what might be one of the most dangerous situations of his short lifetime.
The villain only smirked at this, amazing Todoroki with the face that his deep fried face could even move to make a smile. "Spicy. Fine, you answer my question and I will answer yours."
