//The Crown Thief//

//chapter sixteen//

Kaminari's legs carried him up the marble stairs, climbing 2 at a time as his hand gripped the railing. Fingertips brushed against wood, the clacking of boots echoing up the cylinder corridor. Pain and fear pulsed through his veins, egging him on. With each heartbeat, each rise and fall of his cheat, his heartbreak only grew more painful within him. Why had he done that? He could be safe with the others right now but..part of his head kept telling himself that he needed to do what they came here for.
They needed to get the thing that would bring the todoroki kingdom to it's knees. He pushed off the top step and flew down the hallway, head whipping down each and every hallway to look for the crown room. Golden hair Swished as he ran down the hall, sliding to a stop before running down a hall to the right. He gripped onto a marble column and slid around it into the crown room. His breath hitched at the mere sight of the golden and white marble room, eyes darting everywhere as they tried to take everything in, from the golden designs on the ceiling displaying scenes of past wars, silk curtains brushing the tile floor, and the sheer chill of the room crushing him under it.
Then something caught Kaminari's eye, a glint of blue light. He turned and was immediately awe struck. Before him stood the ice scepter, the very thing that provided some members of the kingdom the ability to manipulate ice. It was a golden rod, encrusted with small snowflakes. The top of it split into two-parts that curled over the crystal blue jewel that covered in the center. Kaminari shuddered, this thing giving off extreme cold power.
His eyes flicked between it and the fire scepter, which had a similar design only flames were encrusted into the golden surface, and the jewel was deep red. It gave off extreme heat, the air around it humid and muggy. The scpetors sat on small hooks, small white circles underneath them. The hovered above the circles, a soft buzz coming off them. He took a step to grab the ice scepter, remembering what bakugo had told him.

"all you have to do is smash it." he said, looking down at Kaminari in the boat. Kaminari rose a brow, doubtful. "thats all? All I have to do to cut off a good portion of the kingdom's power is to smash the jewel? Doesn't that seem- erm- simple for an all powerful weapon?" Bakugo moves against the ropes in an attempt to get more comfortable. "You goin to believe me or not asshole!? I'm the one who read the book of the todoroki kingdom's history- besides, can you even read?" The pirate scoffed. "Ouch! Of course I can read..." "well, according to the book, or what I can make of it, If you smash both scepters it will leave the todoroki's completely defenseless." kaminari nodded. "Sounds like a plan then."

Kaminari snapped of his little flashback, moving to grab the scepter when a sharp, cold pain pierced his left calf. He fell foreword, forehead hitting the tile with a loud thud. He groaned in pain, shifting to look behind him as he lay there, propped up on his forearms. Before him stood shoto todoroki, thick mist oozing from his right side. He looked at kaminari with an intense hatred, nothing like the boy kaminari studied with when he was younger. Kaminari sat up a little, looking up to todoroki as he spoke.
"What...what happened to you shoto..?"
The prince only balled his fists, scowling.
"what do you mean by that? Nothing's changed you imbecile." Kaminari only shook his head in denial. "no..what happened to the friend I had? That calm collected one the didn't look like he wants to kill me-" Kaminari was cut off by his own arranged scream and todoroki shot another icicle into his leg, this time it was his right thigh. "you don't understand Kaminari..how hard it is to live with that-" he squeezed his fists tighter, shaking. "monster." he moved, starting to pace around as Kaminari looked down to the icicles that we're starting to melt, the water mixing with his blood.

"the constant abuse..it needed to stop. In order for me to become the next heir.." Kaminari winced at his words as shoto stopped, turning back to Kaminari. "all I had to do was mold myself into the perfect son."
"but that's not you dude!" Kaminari desperately yelled, standing up. shoto moved to Kaminari, grabbing him by the hair and twisting him to face the marble bench in front of the huge stage that displayed the scepters. He brought the smaller bit to his knees with an annoyed yell.

"you don't know who I am!" shoto slammed the pirate's face into the marble, pulling him back. Kaminari coughed, moving his head to fight against his grip as todoroki held him there. "Don't you understand how hard I've worked to get this far?! I won't let you destroy everything I've worked for.." todoroki slammed him back into the bench, Scarlett blood starting to trickle down from kaminari's nose. It slid down to his lips, sliding down his chin and dripping to the floor. Todoroki finally stopped slamming kaminari into the marble, panting front sheer rage. He let him go, letting kaminari's body hit the floor. He turned, brushing his hands off as kaminari grabbed onto the bench, trying to pick himself up.
"Todoroki..you don't know what you're doing to yourself! You need to stop!" Todoroki called for guards, and when they got there, he turned to kaminari. "I need to stop? Why? Why stop when I'm so close.." the guards rushed over to grab kaminari who was weakly fighting back. They dragged him over to todoroki, who smirked and leaned forward into his face, his hands held properly behind his back. "You want me to stop?" He whispered to him, malicious intent lining his voice.

"oh Denki...ive only just begun.."

Kaminari bowed his head in defeat as he was dragged away by the guards, the sound of clanking armor echoing down the halls as they made their way to the dungeons that lay deep below the castle. Todoroki watched the guards leave, standing with proper posture. His heteroaromatic eyes gleamed in the candle light, some of kaminari's blood on his hands which he held behind his back. He looked to the bench, glaring at the puddle of blood that glistened there, dripping from the bench to the floor, leaning the white feather on the pirate's hat stained with his own ruby yes blood. As the guards walked out of sight todoroki moved, walking out of the room and down the opposite stairwell, his knight soon appearing at his side. "Hello your highness.." iida said, clearing his throat. Todoroki stopped, staring straight forward.
"i thought I told you to kill them at the borderline of the castle. Or does my memory deceive me?." "well yes, you did-" todoroki quickly cut him off. "then why aren't they dead? Why did I see them running around my castle tonight Sir iida? Explain that to me." Iida opened his mouth, trying to get something, anything out. He found himself speechless under the prince's fury. Shoto let a dry, humorless, laugh pass his lips. "youre just as useless as the rest of this kingdom." he flicked his wrist, one of the guards in the hallway grabbing iida.
The blue-haired man let out a surprised yell. "take him to the dungeons. Teach him what happens when someone disobeys my direct orders." there was a short pause before the knight spoke. "yes your highness." with that iida was rugged away, a horrified expression on his face.