Everyone, thank you so much for all your positive feedback on last chapter. I seriously was not expecting it. All your love blew me away! Thank you!

Also, thank you to my awesome betas: FlourChildWrites & C's Melody!

Mihairu7 - I know. D: At his core, Todo is a good guy and, curse or no curse, he doesn't want Momo to feel threatened by him.

Aww thanks! I'm glad you liked the pirates asking Shouto for advice. I thought that was a nice lighter touch. Todo is so good looking (even in canon) probably ppl who don't know him think he's got all the moves. Hahaha.

Fencer29 – Lol, was his name really mispronounced as in Vigilantes? I've never actually read it so took some liberties with his portrayal. haha. Reply: There are locals who've known who the Crawler is since the start of his vigilante career, yet still argue over whether his name is "Kruller" or "Hauler" or "Howler". Even Detective Tsukauchi once got it wrong (although that was probably intentional on his part, since he phrased the question in a manner which allowed Kouchi to answer truthfully without revealing his secret identity).

Nejitenfan – Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed. :)

KeroKeroNyao - It does sound like fire now that you mention it, but whether it is his powers returning or not you'll have to wait and see. Haha.

Yay! I'm glad it caught you off guard. That's exactly what I was going for. :D I wanted it to feel as sudden for readers as Todo and the characters of Ashes felt.

I love the sun and earth soul mate myth too! It's so romantic. T_T Ooo! Those are really good theories.

Guest Caro– Aww! Thank you so much for such a kind review! I can't believe you are reading this in English when it's not your first language. That is amazing! And I'm so happy I got you interested in Greek Mythology because of this! That is seriously awesome and is one of the best compliments. :D

So, I got inspired to write this story because I wanted to say 'thank you' to one of my betas, and she had requested an ancient Greek story. I then was trying to think of the plot and, since I've always loved Greek mythology, I wanted the story to have some of the elements of the Greek myths like monsters and vengeful gods.

I'm trying to update every three weeks, but no promises. :P And the story will probably be around 25 chapters. There are 3-4 more chapters of this arc. Then basically one more arc after this which will probably be 8 chapters long.

Hope you stay healthy too! And thank you so much for the review!

Snowflake100 – Awww Thank you so much! You are too kind. :D

Nap-Tyme – Thank you so much girl! Lol, if Todo went Super Saiyan and obliterated the stympahlian in one go, then that would be super convenient but would be violating one of Pixar's rules on storytelling. :P Aww. I'm so glad you love Eri in this. I am writing so many of these characters for the first time so it makes me so happy to know that people like how I am portraying them.

OMG I was laughing so hard at your comment that Tokoyami "was just a little jealous bird." Hahaha.

Ah! I'm so glad you like the notes. I find they always help me too. I actually love author's notes and always read every stories' note section. Thank you so much!

Chapter 12: We Can (Not) Be Strong

Momo froze as if petrified by Medusa's stare.

The stymphalian bird was close. Too close. She had jumped to catch Eri without thinking and now was out in the open weaponless.

She needed to get away.

The gravel bit into her flesh as Momo scrambled to her feet, but she wasn't fast enough. The stymphalian was almost on her.

10 meters.

5 meters.

Terror welled up inside her chest as she realized she wouldn't be able to dodge.

It was only a few meters away. There was no time to think.

Momo twisted sharply, using her body to shield Eri. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the searing pain of steel shredding through her skin. Her pulse thudded feverishly in her throat.

CRACK.

She flinched. The sudden sound vibrated down her spine. Then, there was a heavy thud and silence. Momo did a quick internal assessment, and her body nearly collapsed with relief. She was uninjured. But it had been so close. So very close. Her heart beat furiously in her chest.

Tentatively, Momo cracked her eyes open and turned around. She gasped and stared in disbelief.

Shadows had surrounded her. They had risen up from the ground like an impenetrable wall of black velour.

Tokoyami.

He was protecting her. Her mouth went dry, and her legs wobbled at the realization.

Then there was a hiss. The darkness curled, and Momo's breath caught in her throat as it plunged towards the ground, like a black waterfall collapsing. On the other side, the shape of a man came into view.

Tokoyami?

No. It wasn't him.

She drew in a sharp breath; her eyes widened as the last of the shadows disappeared. Across the courtyard, Todoroki stood with the stymphalian at his feet. Its head lay contorted, as if its neck had been snapped, but... that couldn't be. No mortal was strong enough to kill a stymphalian with their bare hands — only a god.

Momo swallowed over a tight throat as Todoroki slowly raised his head. He was breathing raggedly. Black blood speckled his neck and jaw. And his expression was icy, but his heterochromatic eyes were ethereally bright. They shone like a pair of silver daggers and turquoise flames in the fading light as they met hers.

Time seemed to stop.

Her hands clenched tighter around Eri's small form. Todoroki was dangerous.

She'd always known that, but over the last weeks she'd also forgotten how truly terrifying he was. But... he hadn't hurt her. And a part of her whispered that, no matter what Tokoyami said, he never would. It didn't make sense, but at that moment, Momo didn't care. She drew in a deep breath and lifted her chin as she forced herself not to shrink away.

His eyes glittered, and he stepped over the stymphalian towards her.

"Yaoyorozu!"

The sudden voice jolted her. Momo tore her eyes away as Tokoyami appeared at her side. Panic shone in his bird-like eyes; his feathers were ruffled from the fight. He grabbed her roughly, his fingers dug forcefully into her shoulders as he turned her to face him. Momo hissed through her teeth as a sharp pain shot through her right side.

"Yaoyorozu!" Tokoyami promptly released her. His eyes were wide and scared as he looked her over, glancing over the tears in her chiton and the black blood that mated on her skin. Tokoyami hesitated; his feathers rustled in the humid breeze, now laced with the sickening tang of blood.

Momo took a deep breath to steady her still rapidly beating heart and gave him a shaky smile. "I'm okay. We're okay. Thank you." She tightened her hold on Eri, then froze. She looked down in horror. "Eri!"

The young girl wasn't moving. Perspiration dotted her forehead, and her breathing was ragged.

Momo scanned her body quickly. The puncture wounds on her shoulders were deep. She was bleeding heavily from where the stymphalian's claws had grabbed her, but she shouldn't have lost consciousness from that. These weren't the symptoms of a regular puncture wound.

A cold terror swept over her. Momo's chest constricted. Blood ran down Eri's front and over Momo's hands. It wasn't stopping.

"Eri!" Aizawa shouted as he vaulted down the stairs towards them. Tokoyami stepped aside as Aizawa hurried closer and pulled Eri from Momo's arms. Her shoulder twinged at the movement, but she pushed the pain away as she watched Aizawa hold the child close.

She curled her hand over her heart. What had happened? Momo was sure she had caught her before hitting the ground, but her memories fused together in a continuous blur of movement and fear. Was this her fault? Had she done something to hurt Eri? Her heart was frozen in her chest.

"It's okay. You were brave. I got you," Aizawa whispered, kissing Eri's forehead. Eri moaned for the first time, and Aizawa looked down, his lips twisting into a frown as he studied the talon wounds.

Asui appeared next to Momo. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, her normally steady voice quivering with emotion.

Momo shook her head fervently. "I don't know." Her voice sounded almost shrill. "She has a fever, and the wounds on her shoulders aren't congealing."

Her stomach twisted almost painfully, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She felt sick with guilt.

Suddenly, a hand pressed against the small of her back. Momo stilled at the contact and looked up sharply. Todoroki stood stoically behind her, watching the scene.

He looked down and met her gaze. The strange light that had shone in his eyes a moment ago was gone as if it had only been her imagination. Then his hand pressed more firmly into her back.

Momo swallowed. She didn't know why, but it felt like he was anchoring her, tethering her to shore so that she couldn't be swept out to sea with her emotions. Focusing on the heat of his palm, Momo turned back towards Aizawa. She felt her heart rate slow.

She didn't know what Todoroki had done, but whatever it was, it had calmed her.

When had she become so fragile? Momo drew in a deep breath. She could think about it later; for now, she tried to stay calm. Aizawa and Eri needed her. Momo pushed her worry and guilt away, sealing it behind a wall in the back of her mind as she had routinely done during the war.

She turned her attention towards Aizawa as he looked up and met her gaze. "The stymphalian must have poisoned their talons." His expression was stony. "Go get the antidote sitting on the top shelf of my room and the surgery materials."

Momo nodded sharply and pulled away from Todoroki. Her heart twinged at the loss of contact, but she pushed the feeling away. She could evaluate Todoroki's actions later.

"Aizawa!" The desperate voice of the pirate captain made her freeze.

Momo looked up as Fukukado hurried over. She was pale, and cradled her left arm against her chest. Blood dripped through her fingers and onto the ground.

"They got two of my men, Haimawari and Hiryu." Her voice had a slight edge of barely contained fury to it. "They're alive. We got to go after them!"

Aizawa's head jerked up, and he stared at the pirate angrily. "No," he snapped. Then swallowed and softer added. "We need a strategy. The Teppodama Hassaishu haven't shown themselves yet. It's too risky to go after them without a plan."

"But –" Fukukado opened and closed her mouth, as if struggling to find an argument against Aizawa. Then hissed between her teeth and looked away, her eyes were shimmering with what were probably tears of frustration and anger.

"Then what do we do?" Tokoyami asked.

Aizawa was silent for a moment. Then his mouth twisted. "We'll move up the plan to attack." A ripple ran through the group. "Meet me in my chambers after you've tended to the wounded," he said. "Asui, go with Yaoyorozu and grab as many vials of Eri's medicine as you need from the stockroom."

Tokoyami stepped forward before Aizawa could turn away. "What about the stymphalian that got away?"

Aizawa paused and glanced at the courtyard, filled with the dead and dying. "They won't be back tonight," he said after a moment.

The group dispersed. Aizawa swept away, carrying Eri to her room.

There was nothing left.

Momo felt her legs buckle under her.

"It's all gone! I don't under - When did this -" Asui shook her head in disbelief. "How?"

Aizawa's medical room was a disaster. It looked like a whirlwind had blown through the storeroom, upturning shelves and ripping apart anything in its path. The table had been shredded into tiny pieces of wood, lying like sharp needles on the ground and mixing with the smashed tinctures of Eri's potion.

"They shouldn't have known. It - it doesn't make sense." Momo swallowed, then looked sharply at Asui. "Go tell Aizawa!"

Asui nodded and rushed out.

Momo squeezed her eyes shut, drew in a ragged breath to steady herself, and began looking for anything salvageable. She nearly gasped in relief as she found the wicker basket of surgical tools lying scattered in the far corner of the room, but still intact.

She collected everything as quickly as possible and then hurried over to the shelves that held the stymphalian antidote.

The top shelf was intact, the sealed elixirs untouched. It must have been high enough that the stymphalian destruction hadn't been able to reach it.

Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up to the jars and paused. There were only four jars instead of five.

Momo's lips thinned. She counted the bottles again, studying the painted labels, but she couldn't remember which of the jars was missing.

She didn't have time.

Momo tried to quell the feeling of unease as she grabbed the painted jar of stymphalian antidote. Pain throbbed in her shoulder as she pulled it from the shelf.

It felt like a tweak. Worse case, a sprain.

She grit her teeth. There was nothing she could do about it right now. Momo straightened up as she pushed the pain away and stuffed the jar into the basket. She hurried upstairs to join Aizawa in Eri's room.

Eri was pale and feverish. Momo pulled out the antidote and handed the basket to Aizawa to ready the surgical instruments. Moving to Eri's side, she tipped Eri's head back, pouring the healing serum down her throat. The little girl moaned faintly, then fell quiet again.

Momo's chest tightened. There was little they could do. Eri's power was a double-edged sword. She could heal the most devastating injuries on anyone but herself. They would have to wait for her to heal naturally. Momo sent up a small prayer to Apollo as Aizawa began sewing up her shoulders.

They didn't speak until he finished tying the end of the flax.

"Alright," Aizawa said at last. "I'm done." He sighed in relief as he leaned back in his chair and threw the scissors into the basket at his feet. His face was ashen, and there were prominent dark circles under his eyes. He looked older and more tired than she had ever seen him.

Momo felt a pang in her chest as she handed him a wet towel. She watched him wipe down his hands. Despite his severe attitude, Aizawa cared deeply for each of the children he fostered. And seeing Eri like this, in pain and unable to ease her suffering, ate at him.

Aizawa finished wiping his hands and scrunched the towel into a ball. Then, he paused and stared down at the cloth for several moments. Momo could see the muscles of his jaw working as he kept clenching and releasing it.

"Asui said my medicine closet was destroyed," he finally said. His voice was wooden, almost hollow, and trembled almost imperceptibly.

Momo bit her bottom lip. She nodded faintly. "Yes…"

Aizawa let out a low, deep breath. He leaned forward and dropped his head to stare at the floorboards between his feet. "Nothing?"

"I - I don't know… Asui is looking now." Momo swallowed and looked away.

The stymphalian had never attacked like that before. Although the Teppodama Hassaishu still hadn't shown up, the stymphalian sent this time had been stronger and smarter than anything they had fought before. But why? What had changed?

Momo's eyes drifted back to Eri. She was sleeping, but her breathing was still labored. Yet, the effects of the antidote seemed to be working, and her temperature had gone down. Momo's stomach curled as the realization hit her.

"The attack just now… it was to kidnap her, wasn't it?" she asked softly.

Aizawa stiffened. She could see his lips press into a thin line. Then his shoulders slumped, and he let out a low, tired sigh. "Yes."

It felt like she had been slapped. Momo squeezed her eyes shut as a sickening wave of dysphoria churned in her stomach. She should have been prepared; if she had only known, she could have done more. How could any creature deliberately target a child? Then again, the world they lived in had little love for half-blood monsters. Even the gods scorned them. The world was cruel, she should know that. Aizawa's orphanage was an exception, not the rule.

Momo swallowed thickly and opened her eyes to stare at Aizawa. "Why?" Her voice shook on the word.

Aizawa turned his hands over, studying the blood that the towel hadn't absorbed.

The silence stretched. Momo had assumed he wouldn't answer by the time he finally spoke again. "The stymphalian have heard that they can turn back into humans if they eat the blood of a special half-monster child…"

"I want Master Aizawa," Eri had mumbled into her shoulder only a few weeks ago as she woke plagued by terrors.

Momo's stomach plummeted at the memory. All those nightmares about being eaten and torn apart — they weren't just a child's imagination. The fear was real, and Momo had dismissed it.

She brought a hand up to touch her throat. "And they think that child is Eri?" she forced out. It felt like a boulder had pressed down on her chest.

Aizawa nodded faintly and turned to look at her. "It's not true," he said firmly. His eyes flashed. "There is no way for them to return to normal, but someone has tricked them, and they've been attacking us ever since."

"Do you have any ideas why? Who would trick them like that? It's so cruel."

Aizawa shook his head and looked back at Eri. "I have some ideas... but can't prove it. At least not yet."

Momo swallowed and stared at him as silence descended upon them. She didn't know what to think. To learn that they had been attacking the orphanage almost constantly for a month to obtain Eri shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was. And, with the addition of someone else directing the stymphalian, there was too much to think about.

"I can take care of Eri for now. You should go check on everyone else," she finally said.

Aizawa turned to face Momo. She breathed deeply and folded her hands in front of her. "The other children will be worried, and the men are hurt. They need you." She tried to force herself to smile.

Aizawa closed his eyes and sighed heavily, like someone admitting defeat. He ran a hand down his face, then looked at her. "Come to my room with the others when you are done. We can go over the new plan."

Momo nodded. Aizawa stood up and straightened his clothes. Then he gave her a hard look. "And don't work yourself too hard, Yaoyorozu. We can't afford to lose anyone else," Aizawa said, moving past her to the door.

Momo stiffened at his words. It almost sounded like a reproach, as if he didn't trust her. Momo bit her bottom lip and listened to the door open behind her. Aizawa's footsteps were heavy, like the weight of his task was too heavy for him.

She shook her head; she was being ridiculous. He knew what she was capable of — his words had been a general statement, she reminded herself. It wasn't that he blamed her for Eri being hurt or for her earlier slip in composure. He was just as shaken from the night as she was.

Her hands trembled, and she curled them into fists. After a deep breath, she turned back around to grab the jar of honey from the basket. Taking Aizawa's place by Eri's side, she unscrewed the top and scooped a generous portion onto a clean cloth.

Gently, Momo applied the thick substance onto Eri's wounds to keep bacteria out. The skin around her sutures was angry and inflamed. She'd have to keep a close eye on them for the next couple of days to make sure Eri's body didn't reject the sutures.

She closed the jar and put it back into the basket, then paused, looking down at Eri. She had stopped sweating, and her breathing had evened out.

As Momo watched her, suddenly, the emotional whiplash from that evening hit her. Momo's hands began to tremble and her heart raced. So many people had died that night. The courtyard was filled with the hurt and dying. She could smell the stench of their blood and decaying bodies in the summer heat hanging around the house like a thick fog.

And she could have been one of them.

A choked sob built up in her chest, and she swallowed it, pressing the back of her hand over her mouth.

Where had this weak person come from? Momo had dealt with death everyday — for 10 years — and now, all of a sudden, a month after the war, she was shaking and acting like it was her first time in this situation.

She was pathetic. And to make it worse, the general sense of guilt over Eri and foreboding that sat in the center of her chest at Aizawa's words pulled at her. She felt alone and so very, very cold.

She wished Tokoyami was here, but he wasn't. He was helping everyone downstairs. And she shouldn't be so selfish to call him for something that she should know how to deal with herself.

Momo dropped her hands and closed her eyes as she forced herself to concentrate on her breathing. There was no room for this kind of behavior. She needed to focus on the situation and what was going on.

The stymphalian were smart, but not this smart. It was easy to write off their actions that night — stealing two of the pirates and trying to take Eri — as carnivorous creatures looking for a meal. And, to the regular person, that would be what it looked like. But the attack had been too complex, too coordinated to be designed by them. And Aizawa's earlier statement had confirmed it.

The stymphalian wanted Eri for her powers, and someone was pulling the strings, but who?

Could a witch be involved?

Or a god?

Dread curled in her stomach at the thought. Their last encounter with a god hadn't ended well.

"How's she doing?"

Momo opened her eyes and turned to look towards the door. Todoroki was leaning against the doorframe, watching her. His eyes shone faintly in the flickering candlelight as they met hers.

Her heart stuttered slightly at his presence. She had hoped to have more time to reflect on the feelings his earlier actions had elicited, but with everything else, she hadn't had a chance to think.

She drew a deep breath and looked back at Eri. "She's stabilized. Her fever has gone down, and she's resting as best she can now." Momo leaned forward and reached over to brush pieces of white hair out of Eri's face. Then she sat back on her chair and straightened, turning her attention back to Todoroki. "Aizawa said it could be a few days before her body can neutralize the poison."

Todoroki nodded faintly and then straightened. His expression rippled and then softened as his gaze traced her figure, her mussed hair and the state of her chiton. Even now, despite the confusion and worry burrowing in Momo's chest, a piece of her took note and cared that he took the time to notice her.

His eyes narrowed, as if studying her. "And you? How are you feeling? How's your shoulder?"

Momo blinked, startled. She hadn't realized he had noticed that. She reached up to massage the juncture of her neck and looked away. "It's fine. I tweaked it earlier when I landed, but it isn't anything serious."

"You should treat it."

Momo shook her head, dropping her hand. "There's nothing that will treat a sprained shoulder," she said, looking back at him. She frowned. "Besides, even if there were, the wounded would need it more than me. The stymphalian destroyed the medicine closet during their attack. There's - there's hardly anything left."

He looked at her sharply. "What?"

Momo's hands curled into fists on her lap as she avoided his gaze. "They destroyed everything. Somehow they knew about the potions Aizawa has been making. I don't know how, but they did."

Todoroki was silent. Momo watched him. His expression hardened, and he stared intently at an invisible spot on the floor.

Momo took a moment to look him over. His clothing was torn and dirtied like her own, but he had cleaned the blood off his face and neck. Her eyes lowered, and she stiffened as she watched blood drip down Todoroki's arm and patter silently onto the floor.

"You're hurt," she said, her mouth twisting as she stood up.

Todoroki's jaw twitched, and his fingers curled into a fist as he pulled his arm behind his back. "It's nothing serious," he said, not looking at her.

Momo stepped closer. "It's not nothing," she said firmly.

He looked back at her, and his eyes smoldered with an emotion she didn't recognize. "And your shoulder isn't nothing either."

Momo frowned. "I told you, I can't do anything for my shoulder besides rest it. But I can heal your arm." She reached out to him, and he pulled away. Momo felt her stomach drop, but she ignored it as she stared up at him. "Please let me look at it. The stymphalian poisoned their talons, I have to make sure your wound isn't infected."

"No."

Anger flickered through her. "Why not?"

"Not unless you promise to rest your shoulder," he said firmly.

Why was he being difficult? "I'm fine. Please let me look." She reached for him again, but he pulled away.

"Stop putting others before yourself." His voice was hard. Momo froze, and she looked up at Todoroki's face, bewildered. He rolled his jaw and dropped his gaze. "You have a tendency to work yourself too hard. I don't want you to forget to take care of yourself," he said more softly.

Momo's stomach twisted almost painfully. Did he believe that she was too weak to help him? After she had defended herself against the Athenians, pulled him through the ocean on a piece of wood, after he had even encouraged her to work with Aizawa, did he still doubt her capabilities?

She swallowed hard before she finally spoke. "Is that an order?" she asked softly.

Another unreadable emotion flashed behind his eyes. He shifted. "No," he said, avoiding her gaze.

More confusing statements. Did no one think she could handle herself? She took a step back, shaking her head. Her insides felt cold. This was because of her. He had seen her fall apart earlier and didn't trust her anymore. She was unreliable. "I - I assure you I won't be a burden to you."

He looked up sharply. Her emotions must have been clear on her face, because something shifted in his expression, and he took a step closer, raising a hand, almost as if he were reaching for her.

"It's not about you being a burden," Todoroki said stiffly. "You're not a burden, obviously. I'm trying to think about you… your shoulder, I mean. What I'm trying to say is that my injuries are not as important here. You're not a burden. I just... You understand, right?"

Momo's eyebrows furrowed as she considered his jaw clench in a strained expression. She did not understand, and he seemed to be struggling. He dropped his hand and looked away. Blood was running down his arm and pooling in droplets on the floor. Shouto sighed deeply. "I'll let you look at my arm, but… promise me you'll rest soon?"

Momo hesitated, then nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Okay." In his own way, maybe he really was trying to be considerate.

This response seemed to be enough for Todoroki. His posture relaxed. He moved towards the bed and took a seat on the edge, careful of Eri. He extended his arm.

Momo sat back down in the chair and carefully took it, assessing the puncture wounds. They were clean. It appeared that the stymphalian had only poisoned their talons. Relief flooded her. She picked up ointment from the basket.

"Sorry, this might sting," she said softly, lightly dabbing the medicine onto his arm.

Todoroki twitched but didn't make a sound. She pulled out a cloth and began wrapping his wound.

He had saved her earlier, and she still needed to thank him.

Her eyes drifted down to his hand. Had he really killed the stymphalian with his bare hands? They looked so similar to her own. They were larger, of course, but he had callouses in similar places as she did. She remembered the feel of his hand on her lower back and how it had calmed her.

Momo knotted the bandage and sat back, looking back up at Todoroki. His expression was drawn, but there was a sadness in his eyes. It was the same look he had worn earlier, when she had left him in the courtyard. Momo swallowed.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. "And I don't just mean your arm. How are you holding up?"

Todoroki's eyes flickered back to her, then away again. "I met them today." His jaw twitched. Momo's eyebrows drew together in concern. His fingers were visibly shaking. She watched quietly as Todoroki's free hand moved to his sword's hilt, and he wrapped his fingers around the red hilt as he continued. "The two pirates who were taken. I helped them unload crates."

He swallowed. "When the stymphalian attacked, they stepped in to take the ones in the house… I should have stayed with them, but instead, I left and now they are dead or going to be soon." His voice was tight with emotion she had never seen in him before.

It made her chest ache. Gently, she slid her hand down his arm to take his hand. Todoroki's eyes widened, and he looked at her sharply. Momo paused, waiting for him to react, but when he didn't say anything or pull away, she bundled her courage and gave his hand a tentative squeeze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her throat felt swollen, and she blinked back the sudden moisture accumulating in her eyes. "But — you saved me, so thank you."

Todoroki looked down at her hand curled in his. "Of course." His voice was thick. He squeezed softly. "I don't want to lose you."

Momo's breath caught. He was doing it again. Saying things that didn't make sense, but made her heart speed up. All his actions were so confusing. But, when she was with him, she felt in control and not quite as alone. She didn't know what to think of that.

Momo looked up, and her breath caught as her gaze met his. She hadn't realized how close they were sitting. There was a brief moment of stillness between them. They were close enough for their breaths to ghost over each other's faces. And every time he blinked, she could see his long lashes flutter against his cheeks. They were the same color as his hair.

Her eyes traced along his scar and slowly moved back to meet his eyes. They were watching her intently.

Momo felt heat spread up her neck and dropped her gaze to stare at their hands. She could feel the calluses along his palm. His hand was warm and hers fit so nicely in his.

There was a sharp knock on the door.

Momo withdrew her hand from Todoroki's and turned to see Tokoyami in the doorway. His eyes flickered between them, then he straightened.

"Aizawa wishes to speak to us downstairs. All of us."

Action is starting to intensify! There's about 3-4 more chapters of this arc. Hope you all enjoy and thank you so much for sticking with this.

All comments and feedback are welcome.

Notes:

Teppodama Hassaishu - otherwise known as the 'Eight Bullets' in English, these men are Overhaul's top guards. In this story they are the leaders of the Stymphalian birds.

Stymphalian - were a group of monstrous birds in Greek mythology. They devoured humans, and had beaks made of bronze. Their feathers were sharp and metallic and could be thrown against their prey.