Thank you everyone for all your support with this story! It means so much to me. And shout out to everyone who took the time to comment.

Nejitenfan – I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thank you so much for reading. : ) And I don't know, is always weird with notifications.

Fencer29 – Definitely the calm before the storm. And Todoroki is not the only one who needs to rest. Everyone is running low on sleep and that is making them a little more on edge and cranky.

Mihairu7 – Indeed. Todo is trying his best to figure out what is going on, but the pieces don't make sense and his continued questions on his own feelings for Momo are just making everything more complicated. And you're totally right, his feelings for Momo are a double edged sword, they can push him to be stronger, like how he cracked the stymphalian's neck when Momo was in danger or they could give him tunnel vision and could end up jeopardizing the operation. Even if Todoroki doesn't say it specifically, he recognizes the danger of his feelings for Momo.

I'm glad you liked Fukukado's addition! I loved Ms. Joke and wanted to add more about her, especially since I don't see Todo having a heart to heart with Aizawa.

KeroKeroNyao – I know. : ( Tokoyami is definitely being difficult, I expand on it a little more below but his thoughts are coming from a good place. He does care for Momo, but his protective big brother attitude and his refusal to be over the war is hampering their relationship.

Lol! I love the idea of Aizawa and Fukukado placing bets on Todo, unfortunately, Aizawa has too much on his plate to be concerned with Todo at the moment.

Guest – Thank you so much for reading! And I know T_T They're always at odds, but I have some details below on what is driving Tokoyami's attitude and stubbornness. And more fluff will come! Just got to make the characters suffer a bit so that the fluff will be worth it.

Some added notes to the last couple of chapters before getting going, I know I'm making Tokoyami out to be a controlling big brother type figure, but I want to point out that in this timeline the Trojan war only ended a little more than a month ago. And after 10 years of fighting and hating the Greeks, everyone moves on at their own pace. To that point, it's also extra difficult for Tokoyami as a half-human. He's been looked down on all his life by regular people and will never be able to live normally in the outside world. So although I don't focus on the discrimination he has faced, it's something that simmers in the background of his character and influences some of his stubbornness and resistance to change.

Anyways, I'm so excited for this chapter! I've had this planned for a long time so hope you all enjoy. :D

As always, thank you so much to my awesome betas C's Melody and FlourChildWrites.

Chapter 15: We Can (Not) be Tricked

50 days post the fall of Troy (Morning after the attack)

The next day, fog covered the mountaintop in a heavy gray that seemed to match the mood within the orphanage. Silent and bloodless, the humid mist rolled off the sea and breached the orphanage's walls like a harbinger of the danger surrounding them all.

The men that had escaped the stympahlian's attack unharmed trudged silently around the quarters, fixing what they could or preparing for that night's battle. No one had slept.

There was an anxious tension in the air. Momo had caught a few of Fukukado's men siphoning alcohol from the orphanage's last wine barrel but hadn't stopped them. All anyone could do was try to keep their mind off of the upcoming battle.

Momo grabbed a jar of honey and fresh bandages from their dwindling supplies and then hurried back into the makeshift infirmary. She was the only one on duty at the moment. Aizawa and Asui were busy bringing the unhurt children and the few injured pirates that could still walk down to the ship.

She went over to the nearest man's pallet and sat down next to him. The pirate was feverish and shaking. A stymphalian had sliced through his arm, down to the bone. Long gashes along his back were already starting to fester. She helped him sip from a flask of wine, laid the man back down, and began redressing his bandages.

Her shoulder throbbed at the movement, but Momo ignored the pain. The work and sting were a welcome distraction. If she stopped, if she paused, she'd think about Tokoyami. And then she'd just be upset.

He had come by her room that morning before departing for his patrol. Momo had known the sound of his footsteps as he stopped in front of her door, but he hadn't knocked and, after a few moments, had left without saying anything even though he had said he wanted to speak to her.

Not that Momo wanted to talk. She didn't even know what they'd say to one another. Yesterday, she had been so incredibly furious. But now, whenever she thought of Tokoyami, she just felt hollow.

Tokoyami was her oldest friend. He had been her confidant, had protected and guided her throughout the war and politics of Apollo's temple. But Momo had taken his companionship for granted.

And now it felt too late.

The harder she fought to hold onto their friendship, the more it broke. All that was left were chipped pieces of glass that cut her every time she touched them.

The most painful part was that Momo was coming to the realization that no matter how the night played out, their friendship would never go back to how it was.

She finished dressing the patient's wounds. Then she left the makeshift hospital wing and paused, sniffing the air.

There was a strange smell laced in the wind. It was hard to tell over the dark magic-infused fog, but it almost smelled like smoke.

Momo walked back to the kitchen and paused. Todoroki was standing there, looking out the window. He didn't appear to have seen her, and Momo debated if she should leave him alone.

He was another factor in her life that was difficult to think about. But at least he talked to her.

Momo stepped into the room. "Todoroki."

He didn't respond, and she moved closer. She looked up, following his gaze. In the distance, through the fog, there was a faint red-orangish tinge. It looked like a fire flickered on the far south side of the island.

Momo's eyebrows drew together. It was an unusually hot summer. There had been two small fires that month already, but this felt different. It felt bigger.

A shiver ran down her spine.

If it was a fire, who'd lit it? Had Tokoyami done it? No. He should still be on the other side of the island and wouldn't have been able to see the flames from where he was.

She turned towards Todoroki and found him still staring at the red tinge in the distance, his eyes unfocused. His index finger absently tapped against the hilt of his sword, but otherwise, he hadn't moved since she had arrived.

Momo frowned. She reached out to lightly touch his arm.

Todoroki flinched and looked up sharply. His expression immediately relaxed. "Yaoyorozu."

Momo searched his face. His reaction was odd, but she brushed it off. There were more important things to think about. "What do you think? This fog isn't normal. Could the magic in the air have created it?"

Todoroki glanced back out the window. "Maybe," he said after a moment. "I don't know. We'll have to check it out once Aizawa gets back."

Momo's lips thinned. If they could see the flames' flickers from the orphanage, it was a lot bigger than a simple brush fire.

"Do you think it's…" She couldn't finish the thought.

Todoroki's jaw tightened. "With how strange the stymphalian were acting yesterday, we can't discard the possibility that they're behind this."

Momo's stomach sank, but before she could respond, footsteps sounded from the hallway. Momo turned around as Aizawa appeared in the kitchen doorway, his expression hard.

He looked at Todoroki. "Good. You've already seen the fire. I need you to go check out if it's anything we need to be concerned about."

Todoroki nodded and moved towards the door.

Momo stepped forward. "Wait."

Aizawa and Todoroki paused and looked back at her. Momo swallowed and brought a hand up to clench in front of her chest. "Should I go find Tokoyami?"

Aizawa looked at her, considering.

"No," he said finally, his tone calm, but brokering no room for argument. Momo cringed internally. "We'll wait for now, at least until Todoroki has confirmed how bad the fire is. We don't want to stretch ourselves too thinly."

Momo felt sick as she watched Todoroki disappear into the fog from the kitchen's window. First the attack last night, then the fire this morning. There were too many coincidences that made her uncomfortable.

She wrapped her arms around herself. At least Aizawa seemed to be as wary as she felt. It wasn't that he was brushing off her concerns; he was just trying to keep everyone calm. They needed to stay unified if they were going to win.

She drew in a shaky breath. Aizawa was a seasoned warrior, and she trusted his judgment. She shouldn't be feeling so unsure. The fire may be nothing.

Behind her, there was the sound of the door opening. Momo looked over her shoulder.

Asui walked in carrying soiled bandages for cleaning. She dropped the bandages onto the floor, next to the wash bin, and brushed her hands off, giving Momo a small smile.

"Aizawa is getting ready to move Eri as well as some of the injured from the infirmary down to the boat..." She paused, giving Momo a long look. "Are you okay? You look tired. Have you rested yet, kero?"

Momo reached up and rubbed her injured shoulder. "No, I can't sleep. There's too much to do."

Asui nodded and moved closer to look out the window. Her expression was unreadable. "Don't worry about Todoroki and Tokoyami," she said after a moment. "They'll be okay, kero."

Momo forced a small smile. "I know. But I can't help but worry."

Asui nodded. "I know. That's because they're important to you."

Momo opened her mouth. The rehearsed lines denying that Todoroki was someone important to her were on the tip of her tongue, but she suddenly realized she didn't know if they were true anymore.

Her feelings towards Todoroki were... complicated.

At first, it was only a sense of obligation and responsibility to repay her debt that kept her bound to him, but now she didn't know.

Momo had realized that she couldn't hate him. No matter what Tokoyami said, Todoroki had never done anything to earn Momo's distrust. She may not understand what he was after. His actions and words may confuse her, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her. And then, last night, when she had held Todoroki's hand between her own as she treated him, it had felt like she had finally seen the real him.

And he was sad. And lonely.

She got the sense that Todoroki was afraid of letting people get too close. Momo didn't even know if he had any friends. Perhaps Prince Bakugou but his relationship with the monarch had seemed more like mutual respect than a close friendship. And he had never mentioned if there was a lover waiting for him back home in Sparta either. The only relation he had spoken of was his sister, but it had been over ten years since he had seen her.

In a cruel sense, Todoroki seemed to be as alone as she felt. The thought made her chest tighten.

"It's not really my place to say anything," Asui began, snapping Momo out of her thoughts. She started and stared at the nereid. "But I don't think Tokoyami meant to hurt you yesterday. He meant well, even if he should have gone about it differently. He's worried about you. He doesn't want to lose you."

Momo pressed her lips into a thin line. Her fingers fidgeted with her chiton. "I know," she said stiffly. "I just–" Her voice cracked.

Her chest ached. Momo didn't know if she could tell the nereid about her and Tokoyami's strained friendship. It was obvious she knew.

Everyone knew.

She just hadn't spoken about it with anyone.

They had been on Aretias for over a month, but she wasn't close with the nereid. They roomed together and were on friendly terms, but she still felt like there was a rift between them. Momo rarely ever spent time with Asui alone. The nereid was always with Tokoyami. She'd probably even report everything Momo said back to him, but-

Momo was so tired of holding it all in. Tired of shouldering everything by herself. She wanted someone to understand. Someone to talk to.

She drew in a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "Everything...it just feels like it's all changing between us. Ever since we came here, everything has fallen apart between Tokoyami and me."

Asui didn't say anything.

Momo swallowed thickly. "He's always angry at me these days. I know it's not all his fault. I'm to blame too. I haven't listened to him, but...but it feels like, even if I try to be better, even if I stay here, we'll never go back to how it was in Troy. Nothing will ever be the same again."

Her lips trembled. Momo hadn't realized how painful it would be to say the words out loud.

She reached up and brushed her bangs behind her ear, blinking to stop herself from crying. She was so sick of crying.

Asui was silent for a moment.

"Perhaps so," she said slowly. Her large dark eyes seemed almost sympathetic. She reached out and took Momo's hand. "Tokoyami doesn't mean to be harsh. He's having a hard time moving on from the war. He needs time. But maybe that's how it has to be?"

Momo didn't say anything. Asui dropped her head to stare at their hands.

"War is horrible. You know that better than I ever will. There is no such thing as a war without casualties, even for those not physically injured. It touches everything and takes and takes and takes, forcing you to mold yourself into a person you may not have chosen to be. The only way to survive — to stay sane — is to form bonds and adapt. So for ten years, you and Tokoyami had to rely on each other to survive. But, now that the war is over, maybe you're just finding out who you were always meant to be, kero?"

Momo bit her lip. Her chest hurt. She shrugged half-heartedly and sniffed.

"Maybe," she repeated. Her throat felt tight. "It's not like I didn't know there would be changes once we left Troy. I thought I had prepared myself for it, but I-I just didn't expect us to fight this much. Even after tonight…I just don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore." Her voice quivered slightly.

Asui stared at her. "What do you want to do?"

Momo smiled bitterly. "Tokoyami thinks that I should stay here."

Asui shook her head. "If your decision is to go with Todoroki or Fukukado, Tokoyami will be okay with it. And if he isn't, he'll need to be. It's not his decision. He just doesn't want you to make a decision based on a feeling of obligation or sense of duty. He wants you to be happy." She squeezed Momo's hand.

Momo looked down at their hands, and her lips thinned. She had always thought she'd stay with Tokoyami, here, but after everything that had happened...

"What do you want? Do you want to go with Todoroki?"

Momo didn't know.

She left Asui to go prepare Eri for the journey down the mountain.

Momo picked up the surgery basket from the infirmary and headed towards the courtyard.

The men she'd caught stealing wine earlier in the day were sleeping, slumped against the wall. Drool hung from the sides of some of their drunken mouths. Their breath reeked of stolen spirits. Momo wrinkled her nose but left them alone as she hurried along, up the stairs and to the children's room.

Eri was still feverish. Momo changed the cloth on her forehead and swaddled her in her blanket. She looked so tiny that Momo wanted to hug her. Instead she sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.

If she left the orphanage, she'd miss the children. And Aizawa and Tokoyami and Asui, probably.

Her chest tightened, and she reached over to brush back Eri's white hair.

She didn't know what she wanted anymore.

Aizawa had become her mentor of sorts, and she loved the children dearly. She had never been close to Asui, but maybe she could be if she stayed? Momo liked the thought of that.

She smiled faintly, then let it fall.

If she stayed here, would she be happy? Could she be happy?

Momo had always assumed that someone else would decide what would happen after the stymphalian were defeated. She had never even considered what she might want.

She liked being with Aizawa, Asui, and the children. She was comfortable here. But there was nothing on the island. Her life would be confined to working with Aizawa, making potions, and domestic chores. She'd have Tokoyami...if he ever forgave her, but there were no other people for her to connect with beside the occasional visits from the pirates.

This would be it.

Was that what she wanted?

Momo got up. She walked over to the window and looked out towards the fire in the distance, then paused. Her stomach twisted viciously. The fog had grown so thick and dark that she couldn't even see over the ridge anymore.

It was like night had fallen.

A guttural scream abruptly cracked through the air. She turned and grabbed the first sharp object she could find — a surgery knife. Then she rushed out the door.

The courtyard was in chaos.

Stymphalian were climbing the walls and mounting the roof. The pirates were fighting as best they could, but they were outnumbered.

Dread filled Momo's heart as she watched a man attempt to attack one of the creatures, but his movements were slow and sluggish.

Like he was drugged.

Momo's eyes widened, and she looked around quickly. Her eyes landed on the men she had passed on her way up the stairs. They were still slumped over in the same position she had seen them earlier. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, and it felt like the floor had dropped from under her as a realization struck her.

The wine.

It had been poisoned.

Guilt slammed into her like a tornado.

Momo stumbled back. She should have known. How could she have forgotten? The missing jar from Aizawa's storage room was belladonna, a highly toxic and untraceable poison. Aizawa had taught her how to extract the poison from the purple berries himself. How could she have forgotten? And she had given some to the men in the infirmary too.

Momo bit down on her lip until she tasted blood. Her fingers shook around the knife clutched in her hand. This was all her fault. If only she had remembered. If only she had-

"Yaoyorozu!"

Asui's sudden scream broke Momo out of her despair. She jerked back sharply just as a feather grazed her cheek.

She hissed between her teeth at the sharp sting. It was a shallow cut; she had been lucky. But she didn't have time to brush the blood off her face as a shadow appeared above her.

Momo spun out of the way as a stymphalian landed, shaking the wooden veranda. She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart, as she straightened and held up her knife.

It was hardly a useful weapon, but it was all she had. The spear that Aizawa had lent her was still in her room behind the creature.

She needed to think of some way to get around it. A winning strategy.

It was just one creature.

The monster lunged. Momo braced herself for the impact, but before the stymphalian's claws were within reach, there was a sharp crack as a green blur slammed into the creature.

Asui stumbled forward as she landed before catching herself. A feather had sliced across her leg, and she was panting heavily.

Momo ran towards her. "Asui!"

"I'm fine, kero." Blood was running down her leg.

Momo reached down to tear her chiton to act as a bandage, but Asui stopped her. The nereid raised her head. Her eyes hardened as they met Momo's. "I'll cover for you. Go! Go get Todoroki. We need him."

Momo's stomach felt like it had a weight in it, and she nodded jerkingly. She stepped back and then turned, bolting down the stairs and through the house out the front door. She felt lightheaded. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she might be sick as she pushed herself forward.

There was a loud, pained shriek behind her, but she didn't stop to see if it was a stymphalian or someone she knew.

When she was out of the orphanage, she paused momentarily to stuff the knife into her chiton. She wouldn't be any help if she fell and impaled herself.

She took a deep breath, staggered forward, and then she was running, over the cliff and down towards the south side of the island.

It was a trap.

It was a trap.

Everything had been a trap. The attack last night, the wine, the fire...it had all been planned.

Momo wanted to scream as she bolted down the path but forced her anger back down. She needed to find Todoroki and then Tokoyami. She had to get them back to the orphanage.

The smell of smoke grew stronger as she raced down the path. Momo thought there was also a faintly sweet smell that swirled through the air too but didn't have time to think about it.

The heat suddenly hit her. Hot and suffocating. Momo coughed and tried to look for movement through the fog and smoke.

"Todoroki!" she screamed.

She spotted something move ahead of her, and she dashed down the hill and through the smoke.

Her heart almost leapt as Todoroki came into view. Then her gaze landed on the two things he was carrying.

They were Fukukado's men.

They were slightly burned but appeared to still be alive. Momo's heart hammered against her ribs.

Todoroki laid the men down on the ground gently and then looked up. His eyes widened.

She didn't have time to stop as her momentum slammed her into his chest. He reached out and caught her.

"Yaoyorozu," he said, surprised.

Momo grasped his arm for support as she gasped for breath. Her chiton was ripped from the bushes as she had run down the mountain. And there was a stabbing pain in her side; her lungs felt like the fire from the brush had moved into her chest.

Todoroki's eyes darkened. "You're bleeding," he said, lifting his hand to touch her cheek.

Momo started and pulled back. "Don't worry. It's just a scratch," she said quickly, wiping at her cheek with the back of her hand.

Something rippled across Todoroki's face. He dropped his hand and then stared at her. "Yaoyorozu, what are you doing here?"

"You need to go back. Now!"

"What?"

"It's a trap! The stymphalian set the fire to lure you away. You need to go back and help. I'll go get Tokoyami."

Todoroki's eyes widened. "I'll go with you."

"No." Momo shook her head. "Aizawa and Asui are fighting. They need you."

She tried to pull away, but his grip was firm on her wrist. "No. I'm not letting you go by yourself, weaponless."

Momo's stomach curled. She swallowed and nodded. She was suddenly tired and didn't have the energy to argue with him. The faster they found Tokoyami, the faster they could get back to the orphanage. He couldn't be too far away right now.

Satisfied with her response, Todoroki's expression softened. "Okay. Let's go. He's probably around the southeast side," he said, picking the men up and moving past her.

Momo turned to follow and stumbled slightly before catching herself. She straightened and shook her head to clear her mind.

Todoroki looked back at her. Then, his eyes abruptly widened, and he practically dropped the men as his hand flew to his sword.

"Yaoyorozu!"

Before Momo could react, an arm slipped around her waist, and she was yanked backwards. A dry, rough tongue slid across her cheek.

She gasped in shock. A shiver ran down her spine. It was like she had suddenly been plunged into a freezing, cold lake.

Momo tried to scream, but her voice caught in her throat.

Something was wrong. She inhaled a quick, sharp breath, but her voice wouldn't work. It felt like her lungs were shriveling inside of her.

Instinctually, her eyes darted to Todoroki.

He was pale and stone-faced as he glared at the one behind her. "Let her go, and I'll spare you," Todoroki said slowly, his voice vibrating.

The one holding her barked a dry, guttural sound that was as cold and rough as his tongue had been.

"Like you spared all those Trojans?" the man snarled mockingly.

Momo's heart dropped into her stomach.

"I think not, Shouto Todoroki. My sponsor wants you to suffer."

Todoroki's grip tightened around Endeavor's hilt until his knuckles whitened. Then he lunged forward. Steel feathers shot out from the foliage, and he jumped back, raising his arm as they sliced into his skin like knives.

He hissed, his eyes flashing in rage, and pulled the feathers from his arm. Blood splattered onto the ground.

Momo watched in increasing terror as eight stymphalian materialized from the fog. They were bigger than any stymphalian she had seen before and more human-looking.

Todoroki slid into a fighting stance as the monsters surrounded him.

She needed to get away. Todoroki was at a significant disadvantage with her as a hostage. Momo tried to wrench away from the man but just trembled and couldn't. The pounding of her heart against her ribs increased, and her eyes widened as a sense of terror overtook her.

The stymphalian screamed and closed in on Todoroki. He turned and blocked one of the creature's talons. Then he jumped back, though not fast enough, as black magic clipped his arm.

He rolled his jaw, and his eyes flashed. He lunged for the closest monster, but it was like his whole body had suddenly grown slower. And he missed.

Momo swallowed thickly.

He couldn't take on all ten of the stymphalian with only a sword. He would be killed.

The arm around her waist tightened, like a steel band that pulled her tightly into her captor's chest. "This, Shouto Todoroki, is your punishment for all the blood you've spilled. The pain you've caused. My sponsor will take what you desire most."

Suddenly, she was lifted into the air.

Todoroki raised his head sharply. His gaze was fierce as he met her eyes. "Yaoyorozu! Hold on, I'll come for you!" he yelled, blocking another attack.

The man carrying her laughed. "Try your best, hero. Struggle, fight, rage," he rasped as he descended the cliffs into the fog. "Fakes like you are undeserving of being called heroes. Undeserving of happiness."

"Yaoyorozu!" Todoroki's voice was already faint as her kidnapper jumped through the shrubs, carrying her down the mountain.

The world moved past her eyes at a frightening speed. Blood roared through Momo's ears as the ground seemed to blur. Her captor was agile, jumping from rock to rock with almost inhuman speed.

She needed to think of something, but the jerky movements were disorienting, and her mind lagged.

The smell of the sea grew stronger. Suddenly, her stomach jolted as she was dropped onto a hard wooden surface. The floor rocked.

From the side of her eye, she could make out that they were on a small fishing boat.

She tried to push herself up, but her body refused to move. Panic tightened in her chest as Momo lay there frozen.

There was a scraping sound, and the boat rocked again, but Momo couldn't move to steady herself. A shadow moved over her, and Momo's eyes widened in terror as a man looked down at her.

He had no nose.

It was as if it had been cut off of his face, leaving only a gaping hole.

A scream bubbled through her, but her mouth refused to open. The man leaned closer. His long black hair tickled against her sternum.

There was a mad glint in his small, blood-red eyes that glowed as he studied her. "Mandrake fumes," he said after a moment. "They paralyze anyone who smells them."

She tried to push herself further back into the wood, but nothing. She couldn't control her body at all.

The man continued. "Unfortunately, they don't work as well on demi-gods, but on mortals, they are known to be quite effective." He pulled away and sat back on his heels. "I got lucky you had already breathed in enough, all I had to do was apply a little more of the paste to your cheek for it to have the intended effect," he continued conversationally as if he were speaking of the weather. Then he looked at her, and his face rippled.

"It's truly unfortunate that you must be involved in this punishment. As a fellow Trojan, I dislike the idea of having to involve you, but Todoroki must be punished, and my sponsor has specifically asked that you be part of that." The man's thin lips twitched and he looked away, his stare becoming distant. "Todoroki was given the name of hero, but we both know he is a hero in title only. I need to make him suffer for destroying our home. Even if it means your death."

Momo couldn't move. Couldn't even scream.

He was crazy. She wasn't anyone special. Why would her death affect Todoroki?

The man looked back at her, and his stare grew cold. "He killed our citizens. He's a murderer. Surely you understand?"

The boat bobbed on the waves. She needed to get away. She needed to think of something, but she couldn't even move her body. She felt tears prick at the edges of her eyes and tried to force them back, but even her control over that was gone, and she felt the liquid run down her cheeks.

It wasn't enough. She wasn't enough. Her chest constricted at the thought. If only she were stronger, none of this would have happened.

"It is unfortunate." The noseless man leaned forward and ran his thumb along her cheek, catching the tears. "But this is for the greater good," he said, flicking the tears from his finger. "My sponsor will be here any moment."

As if on cue, from the corner of her eye there was a bright flash and the boat suddenly rocked violently. The sweet smell from the mandrake fumes intensified.

The man hovering over her pulled away quickly, moving out of her vision.

"Overhaul," the noseless man said in greeting.

"I see you've brought me what I asked." The voice that responded to the noseless man was honeyed and sticky but slightly muffled as if he were covering his mouth.

"As promised, the woman in exchange for Todoroki's life."

"Of course. You may go now to get your revenge."

She could practically feel the noseless man's glee. The boat dipped, and Momo could sense him leave. She tried to wiggle to look at the god, but her body was still frozen.

She couldn't move. Couldn't even scream or cry. Tokoyami didn't know she had been taken, and Todoroki would never be able to get to her in time. She was only a replaceable slave. She couldn't fight well, could barely cook a decent meal. There was no reason he'd come for her, especially against a god.

Sandals clicked against the wood and a figure moved into her vision. A handsome man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties with short, dark brown hair and piercing gold eyes. A long gold-tipped beak covered his mouth.

Momo felt a cold dread curl within her.

Overhaul. The god of nightmares.

"Momo Yaoyorozu." The god said her name slowly as if he were tasting each syllable. "Thank you for your cooperation."

His gold eyes stared at her unblinking. Her body broke out in a cold sweat. His eyes were cold and filled with a thinly veiled cruelty. Momo had to remind herself to breathe as they lingered on her.

Suddenly, the god tilted his head as if something had just struck him. "Ah, I see the mandrake fumes are still in effect." His voice sounded almost amused. "No worries, they should wear off soon. We can't have you sitting out during the main event. "

Momo stared at him, a cold dread pouring over her. Her heart pounded in her chest so fiercely she thought it might stop as his words sunk in.

What was he going to do?

As if he could read her mind — and perhaps he could — the god chuckled before saying, "The son of Ares will be here sooner or later." His eyes burned with promise. "But, until then, we should prepare."

The god knelt down next to her. He reached out with a gloved hand and brought two fingers to her temple. "Let's make the Spartan suffer some. See how well he can fight when he sees the woman he wants drowning in her dreams."

Her world spun violently, then turned dark.

AHHH! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it!

Anyways two more chapters to go for this arc! As always comments, favorites, and likes are always appreciated and really help motivate me to keep writing.

Side notes:

Yeah, I know Stain is major ooc but needed him to fit the role. Don't hate.

And did you catch it?! The jar missing from Aizawa's stockroom? It came back!