Chapter 14

When Uraraka woke up in the morning, she least expected to find an unfamiliar woman, standing in a towel, making herself breakfast. The woman smiled, glancing at her, "Almost done, be a dear and hand me some plates?" She paused, seeming to realize that no one had told Uraraka she was in the house.

"Sorry, I was invited over last night, Shouto-dear needed a favor." Her lips twitched into what she could almost call a smile. She was being teased. This woman was teasing her. Her now-blonde hair swished to the other side of her shoulder, "Do you know where he keeps the spare clothes? I haven't been able to make it back to my cabin in a couple of days-oh, right, my old ones got burned. Took the liberty of taking a shower while I was at it. I'm sure you know the drill." She smiled, her hand twirling in the air as she dragged plates steadily towards her.

A small burst of warmth ran through Uraraka's chest, anyone else less rational wouldn't have bothered to think the words over. Likely, each excuses. Uraraka swallowed, she didn't have time for jealousy, it wasn't as though they were an item either. "I'll get you some of mine." She whispered moving back to her room quickly. She didn't have time for jealousy. That was the witch of the forest, only the fog of sleep clouding her memory. The witch of the forest had looked a lot younger the night that they had met, but now she looked mature, older, calmer. But Uraraka knew she would have to remember that in what constituted what they could call their backyard she kept her ex-boyfriend. Sure, she had her reasonings, but that didn't mean she could ignore the vast amount of power this woman was capable of. Uraraka rummaged through her drawers, pulling out what she finally thought would suit the witch before returning to the kitchen, where an argument between the witch and Katsuki was steadily unveiling.

"Who told you, you could touch those?" Katsuki snapped.

"And who forgot that I own this place?" The witch of the forest snapped at him, dragging the dishes back through the air.

The clothes lowered in Uraraka's arms watching the witch steadily and fluidly control the motions of the cutlery through the air, temptation to take the bracelet off buzzing around her wrist. Oh, how she wanted to drag the cutlery around the house with little to no thought, the dishes swinging in the air as a form of a dance. Her eyes moving to Katuski, "Am I a witch? Can I do that?" The target of the jealousy swirling around in her chest.

The witch of the forest laughed, "Typically, witches don't get sick from their own magic. But I rely on the moon. Unfortunately, the new moon is really soon, so I'm hoping y'all will let me kick it at the home I own tonight."

Katsuki scoffed, "Scared witch?"

"I'm just hoping you don't think of making a blood mess in the home you live in." The witch laughed.

Katsuki caught the pot that flew back at him, "Don't make a blood mess in my home and we'll be even." He snapped, annoyance already raging in his eyes. The rubies shifting to Uraraka in the doorway, "Uraraka, meet the witch of the forest, last night's stowaway."

The witch scoffed, "Typically, when you ask someone for a favor you at least offer them a place to stay."

Uraraka nodded moving closer to her, "I brought you back some clothes, they'll probably fit you."

"My name is Seraphina, at your leisure, thanks for the clothes, I'll be right back." She smiled before disappearing into the other room. Uraraka found herself at the table seated across from Katsuki, plates in front of both of them and two spare plates on the table.

"She seems pleasant."

Katsuki scoffed, staring down at the food sitting in front of him, "Pleasant people don't trap serial killers in our backyard."

Soft feet padded behind her, Todoroki sliding in the chair between them, his eyes glazed over as he stared at the pancake on the plate, "Thanks." A soft mumble rumbled from him as he shuffled around for the fork that wasn't on the table.

"Don't eat anything yet."

Uraraka glanced between the two, waiting for someone to say something about Seraphina. Or why she was in the household.

"Oh, y'all haven't started without me, how polite." Seraphina dragged the chair, placing the utensils onto the table, before glancing towards Uraraka, "I won't be around often, but you know, just for the full moon. Let's work on your magic when I am here."

Uraraka smiled, someone was actually offering her to work on her magic instead of stuffing it away and acting like it didn't exist. She glanced at her bracelet, a tinge of guilt. There was a reason for it. They were protecting her. She attempted to keep her eyes from sliding towards Todoroki. It was protecting her from Todoroki's aura suffocating her. But-her mind was going through the pros and cons, she wanted to be able to protect herself. She needed to know what she could do with it. This was a part of her.

"She's gotten sick from using her powers."

"Yeah, that's cuz she doesn't have anything to rely on to manifest those powers. She's using her brain. And let me tell you, that hurts. Surprised you two didn't try to take her to the hospital the first time she used her powers."

Katsuki opened his mouth only to receive an eye roll from the witch of the forest.

"You know I'm one of the most powerful witches of my generation. I don't need to explain that to you, but that's because I rely on the moon for power. She is an entity of magic."

Uraraka glanced towards her, "Why not the sun?"

Seraphina shrugged, "aesthetic?"

"It's too much power for a mortal body, essentially a witch's body is still human," Todoroki explained as Uraraka nodded, waiting for them to explain what she was doing there other than she owned the house. His eyes darted down to the table, likely recognizing that she was now wearing Uraraka's clothes. "I asked her for a favor," Todoroki whispered, his head seeming as if it was the heaviest thing in the world.

Seraphina nodded, "You actually might be able to get away from not wearing the bracelet for now, I used a lot of his own power to fix the problem."

Uraraka nodded. That made sense. They were hiding what she was doing there because it was her fault in the first place. "Ah, that makes sense. So, the clothes. Yeah." Uraraka shuffled, pushing the remnants of food into a Tupperware container and washing the dish. "I have classes," She glanced towards Todoroki, seeming as though a college student on finals week. Exhausted. "I'll walk myself home tonight."

Katsuki glanced towards her, "I-"

"It's okay. Work on what you need to." She smiled before returning to her room. No one had dared to even approach them since the mall incident. And that seemed as though it was forever ago. Uraraka moved shuffling her books into her bag, hoping that her partners had gotten essentially the same amount she had gotten done on the weekend. She charged down the stairs and out the door before anyone was able to stop her, she had managed to make it down the mountain. Uraraka let out a breath, hopefully the most she could do for Todoroki was relieve the amount of demons swirling around the atmosphere in his territory.

Uraraka glanced at the crowd as she approached the sidewalk nearing the city, it was unusual for so many people to be gathered so close to Todoroki's territory, and on top of that they were still pretty far from where other hordes of people were supposed to start appearing. She glanced towards the ruckus of what was the surrounding, police beginning to dart in to shoo on-lookers away. Uraraka took a breath, holding her tongue hoping the scent wouldn't follow her back to Todoroki's place. Dried blood caked the walls, blood laid across the ground like a freshly cut carpet in a new home. Uraraka swallowed, turning and rushing from the scene. Whoever was around was likely still looking over the evidence, watching the police destroy their idea of "artwork" from the distance. And she wasn't going to find out who they were. One murderer at a time.

It didn't take long before Uraraka slid herself into her seat still panting as Tsuyu gave her a questioning look, sliding into her chair next to her. She shrugged, "Got up late, didn't want to be late."

Tsuyu shuffled pulling books and utensils out of her bag, "You know if you asked Todoroki, I'm sure he would've been more than willing to bring you here. Especially since they never caught that mall thief."

Uraraka nodded, "I actually….I don't think the mall thief will be a problem anymore."

Tsuyu raised an eyebrow.

"So, Todoroki's family is in charge of you know-" Emily slid into her desk across from Tsuyu, "that section, and he was a bit…like Katsuki. But not. Worse. So, I think the problems been taken care of. But they'll never tell me. You know how they like their confidentiality."

Tsuyu's hand tightened around her notebook before she flipped the pages open, "I see." Her eyes lingering down towards the notebooks. As far as she knew that meant she was living with two serial killers. But vigilante serial killers with a purpose. And Tsuyu wanted to be a cop instead of following her parents' trail of supernatural killers. Tsuyu was pure, she was sure she was already working on a plan to get legal rights for supernatural creatures and protections and laws, even with beginning to understand. Even though she knew it was going to be a nearly impossible task in her lifetime.

Emily shuffled, sliding her laptop onto the desk, "So how are we all doing on this project?"

Tsuyu glanced towards her, reaching for a folder, "I managed to secure a couple of forensic files and the information from the last time the project was assigned, the last group struggled hardcore with this assignment. But one was a hoarder, so we at least have a starting point of where the murder started. After that, they narrowed down the time and I narrowed it down further. One would assume that the murder was quick, but I think it was a dragged-out fight that I eventually turned into the murderer realizing they couldn't drag it out anymore. The murder was in more than one place."

Emily nodded, "what does that mean?"

"We see if we can get two blood samples from the fight. There's no way he produced that much blood on his own." Tsuyu glanced down, glancing towards Uraraka, "he was definitely a fighter."

Uraraka nodded, "I've secured an interview with the officer who handled the investigation, hopefully, they'll give me permission to handle the files for this case. It shouldn't be too bad since the case is considered closed."

Emily sighed glancing towards the table, "Jasper knew a guy who was able to get him some evidence collections so he could sample near the scene and was working on getting a couple interviews gathered on who knew our victim. He was planning on doing leg work near the location of the murder after, but I haven't heard from him since yesterday. He's probably just still asleep," She ran a hand through her hair, "I'm sorry, I know he'll help out soon. You two are the best partners in a group project we've ever had so far."

Uraraka smiled, "It'll be okay, besides he's probably tired from doing all that leg work yesterday while the rest of us were enjoying our break."

Emily smiled, an appreciation for the understanding in her eyes, she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear before spinning the laptop, "So, I was thinking to start our presentation we can give a rough explanation and a warning, then there's how we got to that information, our back-up evidence, and then any other similar murder circumstances we can list than pinpoint that if the murderers still in the area a general location or hunting ground."

They spent the rest of the class chattering over how the project would go down, finishing the deviation of who was going to do what, as they each glanced up most of the class gone by now due to the lacking of their professor the class nearly over as the professor slid his way in, shoulder bag still over his arm as though he hadn't had a chance to run to his office yet. "I apologize for those waiting for me and praise those who began their projects. We will not have class for the next two days as I'm in the middle of a murder investigation as of this morning," a hushed wave and small whispers echoed through the class, "Do not panic, it was not necessarily close to here, but the school has decided to keep most of this under wraps. Please be wary about altering your peers and walk home carefully tonight. The college has decided to also continue classes. That is all. Miss Emily? Please come to my office with me."

They glanced towards her as Emily heated shuffling to pack up her things, "I-"

The professor gave her a soft look before beckoning her to follow him quickly. Emily sent a quick look of apology of her shoulder before hurrying behind the professor. Uraraka glanced towards Tsuyu, her phone already blowing up, Tusyu glanced towards Uraraka, "They want me to help with the latest case." Her hand tightened on the phone, "They've been so nice to you, I don't think…if they asked…that I could kill someone like them."

Uraraka took a breath, landing on Tsuyu's shoulder, "You're not killing them. Also, they would be mad if you didn't fight to survive for yourself. Just don't hunt someone like prey." The words were unnecessary she knew that Tsuyu would never do that to anyone. She nodded. Tsuyu slid her phone back into her pocket, a frown still on her face, "Is Todoroki coming to get you later?"

A hand slid to her arm, "I-he's weak right now. It's my fault. My parents didn't take well to him being a half-demon."

Tsuyu raised an eyebrow, her mouth slightly agape, "You told them?"

"They just knew?" Uraraka shrugged, still not ready to call her parents and ask them how they knew. Or what they hadn't told her yet. Or if they knew about her too. Clearly, they didn't know exactly what to do in the supernatural community. But they knew what Todoroki was. And who to call that did enough damage that they needed to call a witch in to save his life.

Tsuyu nodded, "Take this opportunity and just go home."

"I'll be fine. Go join your parents." Uraraka smiled, before Tsuyu left her side, a berating of the fact that she better call her later to make sure she made it home safely. And that the college's expense would never equal out the cost of her life. Or the disaster those two would make of the town if anything were to happen to her, a slight teasing smile playing on Tsuyu's lips before she was gone.

Uraraka sighed, knowing full well that Tsuyu would be mad that she had ignored the advice. But this place was expensive. Uraraka had full-well known the dangers of the city before she came and had decided to live on the streets. It wasn't any more dangerous now that she knew the truths that she hadn't known before. The danger level was the same, she just knew more about the city now. The classes passed quickly, even her favorite classes buzzed in her ears. She wanted to go to space, but her mind found itself preoccupied wandering through the filed of supernatural questions and murders. Maybe it wasn't space she wanted, but adventure. The amount her mind was buzzing on this investigation was enough to make her consider changing majors. Her eyes slid to the astronomy window as the teacher dragged the lesson on as though they couldn't fathom why students would want to take their class.

A familiar green outfit catching her eyes. In the parking lot stood Emily, surrounded by family, from the distance the only clue that tears were pouring down was that she kept wiping her face with her sleeve. Something had gone wrong. Uraraka swallowed, feeling herself pulse. The murder she had run by this morning. The buzzing in her fingertips that had told her to stop. Emily being called out of class. The professor attempting to hide the sadness lingering in his eyes and ushering the students to safely get home even though the college had told them to keep it under wraps. Jasper. Jasper was dead. Uraraka screeched her seat backward.

"Is there something wrong?" The professor sighed, clearly exasperated with even being there.

"I'm sorry I'm not feeling too hot." She mumbled, shuffling her things away quickly and quietly as she could. If it wasn't for the professor's attention, she would've been able to quietly move out of the classroom without the entire class staring at her as though they were in junior high. Her face heating would at least hopefully make some of them assume that she was coming down with a rapid fever. The shoes of her feet clicked down the halls, throwing the doors open, Uraraka darted out to the parking lot. She needed to know. She couldn't-Emily and her family were already gone. Uraraka swallowed watching the sunset, the professor's words lingering in her head. She swallowed; the sun would be long set by the time she got halfway there. The metal of the knife felt hot against the cool air, clinging just under her pant leg. Her bracelet jangled in the air.

She couldn't rely on them for everything, but maybe just this once. Uraraka glanced towards the sky, Todoroki was too weak tonight, but the new moon. Her grip tightened on her phone, dialing Katsuki's number in trying not to feel guilty about it. Jasper had been murdered in the same way that he had been, would it be cruel to ask him to come get her? As she began sliding the phone back, Katsuki's number lit up the screen.

"Hey,-"

"Did you want me to come get you?"

She was quiet, pondering it over, she didn't want to bother him on his day off.

"If you want something, just say it."

"Please. I'll meet you half-way." Uraraka smiled, as much as they yelled at each other it was clear that they cared more than they were capable of verbally admitting to each other. It shouldn't have felt like a long trip to the halfway point, but it felt as though Uraraka found herself walking forever, the walk seemed to continue, only getting darker with each passing minute. And her thoughts along with it. How Jasper was out doing the legwork by himself the day before, he was looking for Katsuki's murderer. And he had found him. Her eyes lingered towards the alley. Her eyes lingering up towards the metal balcony that the unfortunate tenant that had to live near a serial killers' hunting ground. She sighed, pushing forwards it was already cruel that she was asking Katsuki to meet her near here. She couldn't have him meet her any closer. She was sure the reason he was still here was between Todoroki trying to find a way to help, he was still hunting his murderer down.

Uraraka swallowed, glancing towards where Jasper had likely perished this morning, she hadn't known him well, but the tears were starting to build as she considered the alley. He was so close. If Todoroki wasn't injured, he might've heard him and been able to save him. At the end of this, it was her fault again, if either of them had heard the problem, Jasper fighting for his life they wouldn't have been able to stop her from running to him. Even before she knew who he was. Her brain was wracking with ways that she should've been able to help him. Uraraka took a breath, moving passed the alley Jasper died in, it would be cruel to ask Katsuki to meet her here, where Jasper had died in such similar circumstances. He was a warning. And she knew what that warning was. There was a reason their professor had been called out to investigate. And there was a reason she needed to rush past this alley, but her feet drew her to the alley. Luring her, it was calling her. The same way Todoroki's house radiated on the first day. Pulsing through her panic. But in the reverse. She didn't feel comfort as she was drawn this way, she felt panic, but her feet drew her into the alley. She turned feeling her eyes glaze over as she began walking towards the alley.

In the center of the alley stood a man. Curling and uncurling his hand, not bothering to glance towards her as he stood in the middle of a blood puddle. Jasper's blood puddle. The bracelet jangled at her wrist as Uraraka took a breath. Uraraka took several steps back from the officer. It was Officer Jenkins. Who she was supposed to be interviewing in two days. Who was standing in the spot where Jasper's body was removed this morning. Uraraka swallowed, hoping he wouldn't notice her, at least not while she was alone. He had lured her down this alley for a reason. Officer Jenkins was a supernatural. And not the kind anyone wanted to bump into in a dark alley. Uraraka's hand moved to the bracelet, hand hooking through it. She'd break it if she had to, she would be ashamed giving it to Todoroki to fix. But at least she'd be able to give it to Todoroki.

He had the presence of a murderer. His eyes glanced towards her, the afterglow of red charging towards her before it was sent flying back, "Oi, watch where you're aiming." Katsuki shouted, pushing his way up from the ground, glaring back at what had charged towards her.

"Give me the girl."

"Don't fricken' touch her."

A smile spread through the officer's face the way a predator found it's new toy's smile. Uraraka swallowed, reaching to unclasp the bracelet, Katsuki's hand around her wrist. "I've got it." He growled, softly to her, pushing both of them out of the alley.

"Trying to play the hero?" Jenkins moved to the wall, leaning against it, "How many times? How many times do you leave tasty morsels before me and expect to play the hero before you realize you're just going to lose?" Jenkins laughed.

Within moments Uraraka found herself at the other end of the alley, held up by her neck, her feet kicking to find the ground once again as her hands grabbed for the man's hands, the other attempting lessen the pressure by pushing pressure onto the joint near the elbow. A sparkle in Jenkins' eyes-he loved to kill, this was a game. His hair followed his movement glancing towards Katsuki. He was teasing him. "Didn't you ever wonder what happened to the last one the little green-haired one you tried protecting?" He scoffed, "I honestly, thought about grabbing that green-haired girl off the streets, I thought it'd be fun to do it all over again with similar circumstances. You know do the whole nine yards again since you haven't come begging to me for help yet. Can you imagine my surprise when I found out you were alive?"

Katsuki's eyes shifted between her and Jenkins, his foot moving closer slightly.

"Maybe, we'll do something a little different since the circumstances are different this time. Jenkins glanced towards her, "I'm surprised that you've gotten so close to the answers, killed little Jasper this morning. Had to sit there with him to make sure he was actually dead. Oof, big mess making sure he was in little pieces, but you? You're smart." Jenkins paused, "What do you think about her joining us?"

Before Katsuki move, Jenkins was pulling at her collar, his breath on her neck. The bracelet snapped, as she pushed him back against the other wall, Katsuki between the two of them, wearing a smirk of pride on his face and concern pushed back in his eyes. Katsuki spit at his feet, "You're on lousy vampire-maker, do everyone a favor and never bother with it again."

Uraraka glanced towards the bracelet, already in pieces. Katsuki was already at the officer's throat, "And one last thing, the fuck did you do to me?"

The officer shrugged, almost seeming proud that his game of cat and mouse had gone to an end in such a way, "The fuck did you manage to survive?"

Rage bloomed in Katsuki's eyes, before it quelled and he threw the officer aside, glancing over his shoulder, a hiss escaping his teeth, "If I ever see you again, I'll rip your heart out."

Jenkins struggled, pushing himself to his feet, secrets hidden in his eyes that only Katsuki could understand at this point, "I can't wait to see the day."

Katsuki moved to her side, pulling them back towards the sidewalk as he pressed ever-so-slightly against her, "I can defend myself" she whispered, slightly half-assed, but she wasn't doing so bad for herself.

Katsuki looked down a brief second of a soft look, something that one wouldn't notice unless they were really paying attention, "I know….but he murdered me. I-I just….just let me feel your warmth for a while." His grip tightened before letting go. Uraraka knew as much as it was for the show of protecting her, it was for him. She wrapped her arm around him. It wasn't easy for him to say he needed a friend to lean on, but she would be there when he needed someone.

"Katsuki?"

Uraraka glanced back towards her professor's bewildered expression as he glanced at the scene, Officer Jenkins long gone, but mostly his eyes were wide looking at Katsuki as though he would disappear if he dared to blink.

Katsuki's voice cracked, "Hi, dad"