Chapter 13

Her breath cascaded against his lips, skin so close he could feel his brush her warmth. She was doing more than just tantalizing him. His mind was berating him and begging him to ignore the world for a while, but he knew he would want more and more. Seconds would become hours and if he let her take him away now he wouldn't be able to stop himself. She was pulling him in, he could feel her lips brush the edge of his teeth, like a toxin-until the explosion shook the floor causing her to pull away, muscles already tensing for action.

He was going to do more than smash someone's face in. He was almost drawn back by the disappointment he could feel in her hand as she pulled away, until she was the first up the stairs, fire in her eyes blazing, heels launched over her shoulder.

The inferno in her eyes made the organ in his chest pound, a wild smile escalating on his face as he followed siege. He could feel the heat blasting its way out into the hallway where he had lost sight of her just above the stairwell. Katsuki felt his teeth bare, exposing themselves to the world in a wild smile. He was going to have fun with whatever intruder thought it'd be a good idea to wreck the party when he just started having fun.

He pressed a foot to the top of the staircase-his mind throwing him back to several months ago. He slammed into a brick wall, removing the blood running down his chin as he glared around the alleyway. He had been surrounded, it wasn't an unusual situations for the villains to try to get the jump on him there were too many for this not to be planned. Katsuki glanced towards the other end of the alleyway, Red Riot was chasing his sidekick, too excited to impress, not quick enough to listen. This wasn't an unusual situation, it had occurred on more occasions than he could count. He wouldn't want to take him down? Heck, if he was a villain he would try to take him down. He was a powerhouse that would make a name for himself. Punch after punch he was sure the villains would back down soon, it was getting too hot for their nonsense. Kirisihima's scream made the ninety-five degree fahrenheit day feel as if it was high-winter in the mountains. Fire reigned over the alley as the villains began coughing, pressing their hands to their neck as his new power was beginning to emerge. He darted around the corner to find Kirishima losing his mind, sidekick pressed to his chest begging for anyone that could to help. It was up to him to wrestle the body from Kirishima's hands, as his best friend he had to be the one, he let his friend mourn. And when the police finally arrived he insisted to be the one to handle the situation.

The body still felt warm, when he held it up against his chest, he would've thought the kid was still alive if it weren't for the gaping hole in his chest the size of his fist.

Katsuki felt his arms wrap around that warmth once again, pulling it against himself, as he leaned against the railing extending an arm a full-flare blast forcing its way out, veins making an appearance to beg for mercy, "I'll kill you if you hurt Raiz!" He snapped, venom running through his voice as he began preparing another large blast-ice running up his arm as he glanced around he had been encased in an igloo. "Who?" He felt his chest pound, he knew where he was, but he wasn't quite ready to face the truth.

"Was Raiz that kid's name?" Todoroki's eyes echoed with sadness, as Katsuki felt his hands tighten around the boy was sent flying by the villain. "That's not Raiz-"

Tiny hands grasped his shirt, tightening around it until they got his attention, Todoroki's crystal clear eyes stared back at him as though they were moving around in his very soul. "Uncle Kaachan, I'm scared. Please let me go."

Katsuki glanced around, fire still raining around the mansion, glowing as it pounded against the igloo, Uraraka trusting that Todoroki had made it sturdy enough running along it and bouncing back each time the invader threw her. Todoroki sighed, removing gloves from his pocket as he slipped them on, "El, come here." The child slipped from his hands rushing towards his father. Katsuki glanced towards the ice running down his arm, "You were over using it, besides probably would've killed that guy over there."

He glanced towards the villain Uraraka was fighting. It looked like she was struggling, but he knew the truth, she was holding back to make sure not to injure the villain who didn't know they were fighting one of the most badass heroes out there.

It took only a few minutes to wrap up the business with the party and police arrived shortly after. Todoroki sorted out the usual information before turning inside where Momo was moving her guest outside saying that she was prepared for something to happen as a way to get everyone out of the way as she returned the house to normal.

Todoroki glanced around the house looking at the destroyed curtains as he carried El to the first floor, the place was in tatters. "Don't out do yourself."

"I'll just repair what's broken." Momo smiled triumphantly before getting to work.

"What a useful quirk." Uraraka laughed from the top floor before launching herself down.

Katsuki felt his eyes-widen, even with knowledge of her quirk he felt his arms reach out to catch her. She laughed floating into his arms, "You know you didn't have to."

"I saw someone jump, what'd you expect me to do. Besides, don't do that in front of the children." He scolded glancing towards the floor in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. He was positive she could feel his arms shaking as her smile melted.

"Kaachan, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing." He snapped pulling away from her. She knew that jump hadn't scared him and it wasn't something that could make him shake like that. He needed space. And food. He stomped to the kitchen deciding to help himself to the leftover snacks where he could see Todoroki sorting away food and pulling out extras, presumably for Momo after she recreated what they had lost.

"What is it Elyon?"

"Is...is Uncle Katsuki okay?"

Todoroki paused before moving to another cabinet, "You know how you can see the scar on my face?" El nodded. "Well, sometimes there's damage on the inside, it's not always easy to see. It's more painful than if were just the outside."

"I know." El glanced towards the kitchen floor as Todoroki set a box of cereal he had been moving aside down, his hair falling in front of his face as he stared at the counter.

"El, I-"

"It's okay. I'm going to go see if mom wants cake with all of this." El stood up charging out of the room. Katsuki glanced back in, Todoroki was staring at his gloves.

"So, icy-hot the two of you have been very quiet about that kid's quirk."

Todoroki glanced towards him then back to the gloves, "You already know that Momo's been a target quite a few times because of her quirk. You could say the same for El. He didn't exactly get either of our quirks."

Katsuki grabbed a bag of chips off of the counter, beginning to munch away with a glance at the clock waiting for the party to end, "so what is it?"

"El's an empath."

"Shit."

"It's okay, just skin contact. I'm surprised he's acting so normal. He always get's uncomfortable with the ability. But I'm thinking he's hiding something." Todoroki gave him an accusatory look, waiting for an answer. What kind of information did he give his son? What had he unintentionally done to bother Elyon?

"What that kid saw isn't pretty." Katsuki crossed his arms leaning against the counter as he glanced towards Elyon move from party guest to party guest pretending he hadn't just seen slaughter thrown unexpectedly in front of him. Todoroki inhaled longer than necessary before letting the breath out, gloved hands moving sorting food without words. "I noticed you two, especially Creati whose quirk destroys clothes, are wearing more than normal. You can't protect the kid forever."

"But this is his home and we want him to dress how he wants without worrying about subjecting him to something that we placed far away from the reaches of our minds."

"That kids going to grow up quick."

"I know. And I'm trying my best to give him the longest childhood this world will possibly allow." Todoroki glanced towards the roof.

"That person that just attacked wasn't after Elyon. They would've grabbed Elyon and ran instead of sending him flying. He was likely after either you or Momo."

"Me?" Todoroki raised an eyebrow. Neither of his double-quirks were uncommon, powerful but not uncommon. "It's been years since anyone dared try to get in this home to come after me." A smile traced the edges of his lips, "You would've think it was me they found."

Katsuki raised an eyebrow waiting for Todoroki to keep talking. "Elyon was just born and they broke straight into his room, well Momo feared for the worst and chased them out. They had peed their pants and were covered in sweat by the time they found me at the exit. They went and begged me, their target, for mercy and to save them from the mad-woman inside."

Todoroki explained throwing a cake in the oven as he progressed around the room. Doubling the food they had originally intended for the party.

Katsuki such the door, Todoroki sent him a glance pausing what he was doing. "We're being targeted."

"We're as in who?"

"The whole class of 1-A, I'm not sure who's doing it, but I was given paperwork after visiting Kirishima the other day, then someone swerved to hit Uraraka, now this. These were all spur of the moment decisions. Most of us had decided at last second to do most of these things."

"Shouldn't you tell the police?"

"How are they going to help us? They're a lot weaker than us. It'll only put them in danger."

"You know the law. It-"

"I know the damn law. And I know exactly what's it's done for me. Not a goddamn thing." Katsuki grabbed the handle of the kitchen door doing his best not to burn it, but knowing that he was getting sweat on the doorknob anyway. He could hear it sizzle.

"Ka-"

"Don't you kaachan-me you're not Deku, and I'm not in the mood for this shit. I probably would've left already if it weren't for Deku and Uraraka."

Todoroki set the utensils he had pulled out for the cake down on the counter, "It's okay. If you don't want to we won't. But remember we're going to have to be snappy about it."

He found himself startled on how fast Todoroki had given in, actually finding himself dumbstruck on something to say for once. "You-"

"This year hasn't been your year. For one who upholds the law it hasn't really been fair to you this year. It wouldn't be fair of me to ask you to trust something that keeps letting you down." Todoroki slid the makeshift cake into the oven.

"I only told you this because you need to protect Elyon and Momo."

"Momo is plenty capable of taking care of herself. Elyon is highly intuitive. They'll be fine."

"Intuitive and Empath, are you sure he doesn't have a rearrangement of psychic powers?"

Todoroki glanced between his hands, "It's a high possibility. If that happens it'll make it easier to hide the empathy, but I'm worried about him having more than he could handle."

"He'll figure it out. We did, didn't we?"

Todoroki nodded in response.

"I'll go talk to him. What he saw wasn't pretty."

"What did he see?"

"Just make your cake." He shut the kitchen door behind him, watching Elyon scurry from party guest to party guest outside. Either the kid was trying to busy himself as a distraction or hide from him, it was likely both. Katsuki set his feet down purposely with sound waiting as the kid slowly turned around, red acrossed their face.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to." The kid waved their hands as he lowered himself to their height, "I'm sorry-" Tears displayed at the edges of his lashes.

Katsuki racked his brain trying to figure out the most beautiful thing he ever saw that he could display to the kid, taking a breath he reached over, patting the kid on his head. Elyon's eyes widened as a display of colors assaulted his vision, Katsuki could see the kid visibly looking around as though he had seen the clear lights of the north from a helicopter, the sky painting itself various hues and the ocean reflecting below it in an assault over colors in what would've been considered a wasteland of white instead filled with more colors than an artist's smock.

"Your power isn't all bad. You'll get used to it." Katsuki pulled away watching Elyon still gasping as though he could clearly see the images still displayed in front of him.

The kid smiled glancing at the ground, "You know, once this power awakened. I asked dad why he fought when I could tell he was scared. And he said it's okay to be scared." Katsuki glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he would've barked at his colleagues for making such a suggestion. "I guess with your job comes really beautiful things too." Elyon nodded before scurrying off to his mother.

Katsuki returned to Deku and Uraraka, scurrying around trying to find her shoes. "I've got them. Let's go." He smiled handing her the shoes.

"You were so gentle with Elyon, I wouldn't be surprised if they asked you to babysit."

Katsuki shook his head unsure if he would be able to handle such a request. He shut the car door a mixture of worry and relief filling his chest.