So here I am with a new chapter for a new week! I'd like to express my gratitude to those who left a review and for the new followers! Welcome and I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it! So here it goes.


The Contract

Dinner was… well… a battlefield. After they arrived at the cabin, Katsuki entered on his own and started to borrow the kitchen, annoyingly, never failing to mention a complaint he finds in every corner of the cabin Izuku and Shouto shared.

It was either "What a shabby place this is." Or "Is this all you have?", "What is this even?", "Do you even have a good pan somewhere?", "How do you cook in a kitchen like this?" and so on and so forth. Too many to mention.

"You brat! If you want to borrow the kitchen then use what's there and quit complaining!" Izuku reprimanded him with a smack to the head before she unloaded the groceries they shopped earlier. She noticed Shouto come back down from placing her books in her room and saw him shift his gaze from her to Katsuki, who was busy doing his thing in the kitchen, and walked closer to him.

Izuku had this foreboding feeling but decided to ignore it with a shrug of her shoulders and returned to unloading the groceries before an explosion and a sudden gust of cold wind filled the whole cabin. Katsuki's roar of profanities and curses soon followed suit before Shouto's calm and yet with a dangerous edge to his voice answered him. Izuku took a peek at the kitchen and found them activating their quirks as they squared with each other.

"Hey! Hey! What's wrong with the both of you? Why're you fighting?" Izuku meddled and stepped in between the both of them before any damage be dealt on them.

"YOUR DAMN ZOMBIE KID CAME IN HERE AND FUCKING TOLD ME TO GO AWAY!" Katsuki screamed and pointed an accusing finger towards Shouto. The latter only turned away and remained silent. He wasn't trying to defend himself so it must be true.

"Why did you do that Shouto?" Izuku asked, trying to be neutral and mediate them peacefully. Quite unlike a villain, I tell you. Normally, she would not care about it and let them sort it out themselves but they were special—these kids are.

"I knew what Izuku-san liked better." Shouto started and gave the blonde kid a cold glare before once again turning puppy-like when facing Izuku. "and I knew you didn't like spicy things so I was going to make you your dinner."

Shouto's gesture squeezed Izuku's heart—if she had one—and gave the heterochromatic haired kid a hug to show her gratitude and fondness of his demeanor. She proceeded to patting his head before giving him a smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Shouto, but I'll be fine. I mean, what's a little spice, right?" Izuku conceded with letting Katsuki make their dinner that evening. Well, it should be fine since he offered—not really—to do it himself right? I mean the moment he borrowed the kitchen, that must've been what he wanted, right?

Although, Izuku quickly regretted her decision when he finished making dinner and the soup was… bloody-looking. It was filled with spices all the way to the brim!

"Uh… Ka-Kacchan?" Izuku called Katsuki's attention with an unsure voice. Does she tell him that she cannot eat what he'd made? Or does she endure it and just gulp it down without letting the spice rest on her mouth? Well, that'll burn the heck out of her throat but it should be fine, right?

"What?" he asked calmly but still with a stern gaze, waiting for her to take a bite. His eyes were so full of a child's genuine anticipation that Izuku couldn't make herself say that she did not want it. Steeling herself, Izuku took a spoonful and shoved it fast into her mouth. "How was it?"

"It's… ugh… go-good." Izuku replied and gave Katsuki a thumbs up, while trying real hard to keep herself from barfing. Katsuki smiled happily and proudly like the dinner he made was one culinary masterpiece and it was such a great achievement, and Izuku couldn't have done much better.

Shouto looked at Izuku worriedly before he also turned to his share and took a spoonful. He cannot allow Izuku to be the only one suffering. Closing his eyes, he was about to place it in his mouth when Izuku grabbed his arm. "Sho… Shouto… you must not." whispered Izuku.

"Bu-But… Izuku-san." Shouto whispered back, looking frantic. Izuku suddenly froze for a second, like she was physically there yet mentally not.

"Shouto? Will you please take Kacchan to the convenience store for an ice cream? I'm kind of craving for one now." Izuku tried to smile as sweetly as she could to somehow reassure Shouto that she was fine. The latter, despite not wanting to leave her all alone on the cabin, he also did not want to disobey her so he stood and grabbed Katsuki by his collar saying "Let's go get ice cream since Izuku-san wants one."

Izuku remained on her seat as she watched them walk out of the kitchen and waited for them to be entirely out of the cabin before she stood up from the table while saying "I guess I should go."

Izuku went out through the back door and walked into the forest. She felt this incredible presence lurking on the shadows of the forest as it tailed her. Izuku didn't care. It was perfect that it was following her so she'd be able to lead it away from the cabin, in case Shouto and Katsuki came back early.

"So? What do you want?"

"Hoo~? Nothing less from you, your highness. I had a hard time finding your place since I thought I'd be searching for a palace and not a snuggly little rundown cabin you got here for yourself." A creepy voice replied her before she felt movement come from somewhere behind her and it walked closer to her.

"And? What's it to you? Is it Shigaraki again?" Izuku asked with a huff of annoyance and planted her palms on her hips and turned to Shigaraki's new messenger.

"Well, Master was very much taken in by you that he instructed me specifically to tell you that 'He absolutely must have you' and I cannot agree more to him. I didn't know you were so beautiful, Witch Queen." The messenger said before looking Izuku from head to toe. Izuku, however, suddenly laughed heartily that confused the messenger. It took her a few good seconds to finally reel in her mirth and looked at the messenger as if he was such an insult to her eyes.

"Oh sorry for that little outburst. Thing is, I am not this Witch Queen you speak of." Izuku said and wiped a stray tear, from laughing too much.

"Oh, but I am sure I have it right, Midoriya Izuku-sama."

"I was never the Witch Queen. It is just something foolish people decided to call me so do not bother me any further or I will have to dispose of you too." Izuku said and suddenly turned deadly serious, gone was the playfulness dancing in her emerald eyes. Now, only death could be seen in them as she released bits of her restraints and let her power course through her body.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It'd be bad if you kill in front of them, right?" the messenger, who managed to stand his ground and still act haughtily despite his growing fear of the large presence of the witch before him, looked past Izuku's shoulder.

Izuku, curious as to what the intruder was looking at, craned her head and looked behind her to find Shouto and Katsuki standing, watching and gawking at her partly unrestricted power in view.

"Sho-Shouto? Ka-Kacchan? What're you doing here?"

"You… You weren't yourself so I… I got worried and returned back." Shouto first replied and stopped as if at a loss of what to say to her.

"And you weren't in the fucking cabin you hag! What's the meaning of this?! What's that form? What's that power?" Katsuki rained question after question. They did not understand anything. She was in a form different from what she usually was. There were scarlet glowing lines running across her body. Overwhelming power, to the point that it's making it hard to breath, gushed out of her. She was not normaljust like them.

"Was this… the reason you took me in?" Shouto suddenly asked.

"Yes, Shouto." Izuku answered, coldly, unlike her usual smiles, cheekiness and kindness. This was the real Izuku. The Witch Izuku. "It was nice to live with you but now that I realize you've got no real use and value to me. Can you please leave?"

This surprised and hurt Shouto. He couldn't believe that Izuku was just using him for her own convenience and if she was, he can't possibly of no value to her anymore. Well, who would cook her meals? Clean her room? Help her do laundry? Who will help her shop? Who will be there for her?

"What a bitch!" Katsuki sneered and clicked his tongue before grabbing Shouto and pulled him with him to leave. Shouto, who was still shocked with Izuku's words, dragged his feet with him.

"Yes. Thank you, Kacchan." Izuku whispered with a sad smile and turned back to the messenger, contemplating on what to do with him before she suddenly felt little arms hug her from behind.

"No! I won't leave you! You promised you wouldn't leave me so I will swear to you now that I, Todoroki Shouto, will remain by your side till the end of my days!" Shouto exclaimed and before Izuku could make him stop from completing his pledge, a sharp pain struck her chest and spread throughout her body like wildfire, engulfing every part of her, that lasted a good full minute or two.

"You just had to go and pledge your life to me." Izuku muttered as she collected herself and sat up to face Shouto. She cupped his crying face and smiled gently. It was a wonder how a sweet and innocent thing got attached to her, a dark, evil and malicious being, and how she got attached to him. "You can't leave me now, Shouto. You can never go back to your family ever. You're bound to me for the rest of your life, Shouto. Do you understand the heaviness of your words?"

"Even then, I still want to be with you Izuku-san. So please don't tell me to go away when you don't even mean it." Shouto, now letting his emotions run wild, sobbed while trying to wipe the tears that didn't seem to want to stop. Izuku's now beating heart—shocked back to life with Shouto's pledge—squeezed at the display of raw emotions.

"How did you even know I didn't mean it?" Izuku asked before engulfing the still crying child in her arms. It was the first time, after weeks of being with him, she saw him crying. Even after he was beaten senseless by his Father, he never shed a tear. When she took him from his home, he never, too, shed a tear. So it was a bit reassuring that Shouto indeed was still a child after all.

"Well, that's cause you're a fucking terrible liar, you hag!" Katsuki exclaimed and walked closer to them with his hands on his hips, looking so proud and mighty.

"Eh? But I thought Kacchan believed me?" Izuku asked, showing her unmasked confusion. Well, she really did believe Katsuki believed her when she asked them to leave.

"You know? All this mushiness is driving me crazy. I was willing to wait for you to drive them away like what you said but that little boy just went ahead and made a contract with you. So, let me help you sever the contract then?" the messenger, who politely waited for them by keeping quiet through all those drama, finally spoke up and brought unto his hands a ball of compressed wind—not just any normal wind.

Izuku shifted her attention to the entity that was supposed to take her away—she was supposed to dispose of, really—and stood up while telling the kids to move out of the way. She smirked and looked at the messenger like he was an insignificant vermin before also focusing her power on her fingers.

"For someone like you, a finger would just be enough." Izuku threw an insult and prepared to defend his attack and counterattack immediately.

"You know? You really shouldn't underestimate people like me, Witch Queen. Cause while you were celebrated as the strongest witch in villainy, I know you cannot hurt children." The messenger said as he jumped to attack but not towards Izuku—towards the children who watched them fight!

"Shit! Shouto! Kacchan!" Izuku screamed, throwing her body in the way to shield them and taking the full brunt of the attack without any defenses.

Shouto and Katsuki watched in horror as Izuku coughed blood in front of them with her hands outstretched to protect them. She was barely standing with her knees about to give up on her.

"I… Izuku-san…"

"He-Hey… you hag…"

Izuku coughed more blood before smiling at them, who seemed unhurt, and released a sigh of relief before happily saying "I'm glad you're not hurt."

Suddenly, a manic laugh reverberated from behind Izuku and they turned to the messenger who was happily dancing and turning by himself. He was celebrating.

"To think, that the cold Witch Queen found something she wants to protect even at the cost of her safety? DON'T SCREW WITH ME! A villain of your caliber has no job protecting those who cannot protect themselves! You're no hero, Witch Queen!"

"Well… ugh… you're right on that note. I'm no hero. But! If I can be theirs, then it doesn't sound all that bad." Izuku said before standing up and raising her hand to take aim and shot him a wind pressure from her fingers that, unfortunately, only took the arm of her opponent since he was able to react fast enough cause of her a peg slower than before.

Izuku clicked her tongue and was about to shoot another one before the messenger leapt away while saying "I'm not yet done with you, Witch Queen! Lord Shigaraki will have you! We will have you! Prepare yourself!"

Izuku wanted to go after him, if not for the injury she suffered while protecting the children, and she dropped to her knees. Finally feeling the fatigue and pain mix together that all she wanted was to sleep the pain away.

"I-Izuku-san!" "Old hag!" the both of them exclaimed and rushed to her side when she finally laid her tired body on the grass. She was really, really sleepy.

"Wha-What's wrong? Please don't leave me! You… You promised, right? I… I pledged too! So you cannot leave—"

"Shouto? I'm just sleeping. Don't cry." Izuku giggled before peeling her eyes open and looking at the really worried boy, already crying his eyes out again. Even Katsuki this time was crying too. "You too, Kacchan. Don't cry."

"Wh-Who said I was crying?! DROP DEAD FOR ALL I CARE YOU HAG!" Katsuki screamed in embarrassment and turned away from the lady.

"I'm sorry but I won't be able to move for awhile. I'm too tired." Izuku said before once again closing her eyes.

"Ah! Izuku-san!" Shouto's worried voice once again made Izuku open her eyes.

"Shouto, I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Izuku said with a smile before petting Shouto on the head like the time she asked him to go with her and she slept.

"Please… don't leave Shouto. Don't leave me. Stay. Stay with me."

Shouto remembered what he heard after Izuku told them to go away. He wondered why Izuku asked him how he knew when she was the one who said it herself. Well, one way or another, it spurred him to make the one pledge in his life he'll never ever forget. The pledge that bound him to Izuku forever.

Well, as for how they got Izuku back to the cabin to be nursed, let's just say Katsuki and Shouto, for once, were on the same page.

It was then that Shouto and Katsuki promised to themselves that they were going to be the best hero for the greatest witch in their rotten world to the point where she won't have to protect them ever again. Never will they make her suffer for their insufficiency again.

Just watch.