Some of you were pretty mad at Momo in the last chapter (honestly, the comments made me laugh). I don't know if I've said this before, but I've always seen Momo as being really similar to Midoriya. Neither can ignore someone in trouble. So, perhaps Momo's decision to fight all the slavers by herself wasn't the best decision, but if she went to get Kendo and Tetsu-Tetsu then Hagakure would have been raped. And once she started fighting it wasn't as if Momo would turn her back on the other slaves. Not Momo's best decision. But there weren't many options, and with her thoughts still all messed up from her earlier breakdown over Shouto not coming back on time, Momo wasn't in the mindset to make a different decision.

Anyways, to reward you all for your waiting for more TodoMomo interactions, I'm gifting you all two chapters! And with something super special in the second one. ;)

BIG shout out to my betas! Thank you both for getting through 2 chapters so quickly! Say thank you to FlourChildWrites and AOwinterOA.

Chapter 22: We Can (Not) Make a Deal

Shouto grabbed the front of Kaminari's chiton and slammed the god against the stone wall behind him. There was a sharp crack, and the wall shuddered.

"Hey!" Kaminari yelped. "I know you are an incy, wincy bit angry, but isn't this a bit excessive for friends?" Kaminari's voice rose in alarm.

"I'm not your fucking friend," Shouto hissed, his lips pulled up baring his teeth. Flames and ice erupted from his arms.

Kaminari yelped and shrunk back in alarm.

An abrupt image of Enji's rage flashed through Shouto's mind. His stomach twisted. He canceled his magic, taken aback by his reaction that was so close to his father's.

Shouto's fingers shook as they dug into Kaminari's chiton. He didn't know where this anger was coming from. The fury was overwhelming. Shouto had anticipated anger, but the rage at seeing Kaminari again was unexpected. It felt as if his blood had turned to molten lava, scorching in Shouto's veins and threatening to burn him whole.

His fingers twitched. He wanted to punch the god, slice Endeavor across the erotes' stomach, and watch him squeal in pain.

He didn't even fully understand why he was so enraged. Certainly, the fact that Kaminari cursed him played a part, but the depths of his anger felt unjustified for it to be just that.

Shouto stood, breathing heavily as he tried to control himself. He promised himself never to be like his old man. Still, the fury continued to wash over him, attempting to bury him under its wrath.

Selene's moon shifted, throwing shadows across Shouto's face and casting him in darkness.

He glared at the erotes. His fingers twitched. His hand dropped to his side, and Shouto stepped back unsheathing Endeavor. Malice burned, cold and brilliant, in Shouto's narrowed gaze.

Kaminari's eyes widened. His pupils shook, but a smile was still plastered across his mouth, fueling the fury in Shouto's gut.

The god held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Wait! I get it, okay? Hey-!"

His voice broke as Shouto pointed Endeavor at his neck. The tip of the blade pressed into the god's smooth skin. A thin rivulet of silver ichor ran down Kaminari's throat.

"You can't die, but I can still make you feel unimaginable pain," Shouto snarled; his hands tightened around Endeavor's hilt until his knuckles turned white. "Now tell me what you're doing here. What gave you the nerve to appear before me again?"

Kaminari swallowed. "Well, you see…" He trailed off, eyes darted down to Endeavor's tip pointed at his throat. Kaminari's throat bobbed underneath the steel before his golden eyes raised back up to meet Shouto's gaze. He gave a timid laugh.

Shouto growled and dug Endeavor deeper into Kaminari's throat.

"Okay! okay!" Kaminari said hurriedly. Then his expression flickered, and the bumbling idiot was gone as the god stared at Shouto seriously. "I have a favor to ask."

"What?" Shouto asked, taken aback.

"It's like a quest," Kaminari continued before Shouto could fully process the information. "You know how we gods can't actively deal with humans unless we go through demigods? Well, I need help. A human has captured one of Aphrodite's nymphs, and I need a demigod to go rescue her."

Shouto's eyebrows furrowed. Midoriya's voice recounting that Kaminari was on a mission rose to the forefront of Shouto's thoughts. His heartbeat quickened. A sudden sense of foreboding surged inside of him.

"Why should that be any of my concern?" Shouto forced himself to ask.

"Because of the reward." Kaminari reached up and slowly pushed Endeavor away from his throat. He straightened and lifted his head to meet Shouto's gaze; his golden eyes shone like twin suns.

"If you agree to take on the quest, I'll grant you one wish. Any wish."

A wish…

Shouto's heart stuttered. He took a step back and lowered Endeavor.

Any wish.

He swallowed over a dry throat. The anger of a moment ago was dissipating, replaced with a mixture of conflicting feelings: dread and fear and something else he didn't want to name.

"Why should I believe you?" Shouto asked after a moment.

"Come on, man," Kaminari whined. He extended his arms out as if to show the world he had nothing to hide. "I was in a pickle back in Troy and couldn't get involved myself. But I'm not that unreliable, am I? Wait! Don't answer that," Kaminari said quickly. Then he held up a finger. "Anyway, one wish — any wish — for a quest."

Shouto gritted his teeth. It was a bad idea. Quest for the gods never ended in one's own favor.

He opened his mouth about to vehemently refuse Kaminari when his voice faltered. The words stuck in his throat. For a moment, Shouto's heart shook. And an impossible desire, one that he had been trying to ignore, formed. Like roots taking hold of the earth, the thought could not be undone.

Could he ask the god for Yaoyorozu's love?

Shouto felt like he'd been stabbed. His legs felt weak. And Shouto was both shocked and frightened at his own thoughts.

Swiftly he shoved the idea away.

What was he thinking?

He must have gone mad, Shouto reasoned. Kaminari's magic had clearly been in effect for far too long.

His fingers shook around Endeavor's hilt. He raised his head and stared at Kaminari. His tongue felt swollen, and it took two tries before Shouto was able to speak.

"Break the spell you cast on me."

Kaminari blinked. His mouth opened and eyes widened as if taken aback. As if he were innocent.

Shouto's jaw twitched. "That's the only way I'll consider taking the job is if you break the spell." Shouto's voice was tight as he forced the words out.

Kaminari opened and closed his mouth like a fish. Then nodded jerkily. "Yeah yeah," he agreed quickly. "Whatever you want."

Shouto's swallowed again. He had a feeling he was going to regret whatever this was. "So, where is the nymph?" He asked cautiously.

The question appeared to snap Kaminari out of a stupor. The god jerked, and then a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as if Shouto had caught him sleeping on the job.

"Well... that's part of the problem." Kaminari scratched the back of his neck. "We know a human took her, but he must be using some sort of magical item to block our sight. All I know is that she is somewhere in this city."

Shouto sighed. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy.

"So all I have to do is rescue this nymph? And then you'll grant a wish?"

"Yep! That's it! Rescue her, bring her outside the city, and then I'll grant you any wish. So is it a deal?"

Kaminari wiggled his blonde eyebrows, and Shouto had to fight back the urge to cut the god's annoying head off right there.

Shouto let out a deep breath and resheathed Endeavor. "Fine," he said at last.

"Thank you, Todoroki! I owe you big!"

Kaminari clapped his hands together and disappeared with a soft pop, leaving Shouto behind in the alleyway.

Sighing again, Shouto ran a hand through his hair and tilted his head back. What was he going to do now?

Up above, Selene's moon sat high in a dark sky sprinkled with stars. Dark clouds scudded across the heavens casting shadows over the city.

Shouto frowned. He'd been gone from the inn a lot longer than anticipated. Yaoyorozu must have grown worried.

Yaoyorozu…

Shouto's chest tightened. He stepped forward and leaned against the stone wall where the erotes had just been, resting his head against his arm.

What had he been thinking?

The shame of his own wish burned in Shouto's stomach like poison.

It was the curse that made him imagine a life with Yaoyorozu, not his own thoughts, Shouto reminded himself. But, despite his protests, Shouto couldn't stop the image from forming of taking Yaoyorozu back to Sparta, of showing her his home and the glories his city had to offer.

Yaoyorozu could practice her swordplay openly, and no one would look down on her again. She would be free. And Yaoyorozu could stay with him. Shouto's home was big enough, he could take care of her. In the evenings, they could take their meals together. She would wait for him and smile when he returned home like she was glad to see him.

For some reason, the more the image built, the tighter his heart became.

As if Shouto just 'wished' for that life.

Shouto's hand tightened into a fist against the wall. It was an impossible dream, he knew that. Yaoyorozu would never act like that towards him. That was the curse of unrequited love.

Even if she liked him well enough, she might decide to live with him for a while, but then she'd move on. And it would be for the better.

He reached into his chiton and touched the ribbon he bought for her at the market.

Their relationship was fleeting. It was like a pleasant dream that couldn't be. And Shouto had been having fun, pretending that their relationship could stay the same. But Kaminari's appearance woke him. This couldn't be anything more. Shouto was a soldier; he shouldn't fall in love.

He withdrew his hand and straightened. It was better to break the enchantment now, for the both of them.

It was the right choice.

Shouto turned to head back to the inn.

It was time to tell Yaoyorozu the truth. He had been postponing the conversation since Troy, and Shouto admitted that part of him had debated never telling her. However, if it were true and Kaminari would break the curse after he completed the quest, Shouto couldn't forgo the conversation any longer.

The first floor of the inn was empty when Shouto returned. The patrons and regular customers appeared to have returned home for the night. Shouto nodded to the owner as he wiped down tables and then went upstairs.

As he walked down the hallway, Shouto's heart began to beat faster. Now that Kaminari had appeared, it was time for Shouto to reveal what had happened in Troy and why'd he saved Yaoyorozu in the first place.

What would she think? Would she fear him then? Hate him? And what about himself? How would he act? Shouto couldn't imagine ever treating Yaoyorozu cruelly, but what if the curse was lifted and he suddenly wanted nothing to do with her?

His heart trembled. The ribbon inside of Shouto's chiton had turned into a weight that grew heavier with each footstep towards their room.

He rubbed the back of his neck. His throat was tight, and his hands were unreasonably moist for the task at hand.

It was only a talk, not like he was going to trespass into the underworld.

Shouto laughed under his breath. He had fought monsters and gods and had never felt fear, but the mere thought of these fake feelings suddenly being gone made his heart shake. It was the fear of the unknown, Shouto tried to reason with himself unsuccessfully.

Shouto cleared his throat and raised his hand. He curled his moist fingers into a fist and knocked against the door.

"Yaoyorozu?"

There was no answer.

Shouto knocked again, but there were no sounds from the other side. His eyebrows pulled together, and he opened the door and paused.

The room was empty. The candle on the wall had burned down to the end of the wick.

Shouto entered the room, surveying the interior. Yaoyorozu's spear was gone as well as the pouch of drachma he had left her. Had she gone out? Had she run away?

A sense of unease twisted in Shouto's stomach. Something felt wrong.

Shouto knew he was late, but Yaoyorozu wasn't the type to leave without notice.

There was a light indention on the bed as if someone had sat there. Shouto ran a hand over the cover. The sheets were cold.

Had Kaminari done something? No. He couldn't. Kaminari said so himself that gods couldn't directly interfere with regular mortals. And, as far as gods went, it wasn't as if Kaminari was the smartest of the bunch. Shouto couldn't imagine him devising a plan to have Yaoyorozu captured, especially after Shouto had already agreed to help out. So, where could Yaoyorozu be?

Shouto's hand shook as he ran his fingers through his hair. He turned sharply and returned downstairs. The innkeeper was hunched over a table, wiping it clean.

"Have you seen my companion?"

"The lovely lady with you?" the innkeeper asked, scratching his chin. "No, not for a while. She came down earlier and headed out. I haven't seen her since."

Shouto's mouth twitched, and he struggled to find the words to his next question. "She didn't say anything?"

The innkeeper frowned, shaking his head. "Sorry. But she looked like she was in a hurry."

Where would she have gone? Did something happen?

Outside, a bell began ringing. It pierced through the still night in tocsin.

Shouto jerked his head up, his stomach tightening at the clanging alarm.

Something had happened.

The innkeeper's eyebrows furrowed down in confusion, and he got up. Shouto followed him outside.

People were gathering in the street. Hushed voices murmured together as one collective droning tone, as the civilians contemplated what had happened.

A group of men swarmed around a city guard who was shouting for volunteers and able-bodied men.

Shouto drifted closer to the men assembling.

"What's going on, Mick?" The innkeeper asked a tall, muscular man with blond close-cropped hair and a beard who had been listening to the guard shout orders.

Mick continued staring at the city guard as he answered from the side of his mouth. "Someone released all of Trumpet's slaves."

"Zeus almighty!" The innkeeper breathed out in alarm. "Who would do something like that?"

Shouto's heart felt as if it dropped into his stomach. Yaoyorozu…

Before the man could answer, a young boy pushed through the crowd.

"Bigshot! Bigshot!"

The innkeeper's eyes widened. "What is it, boy? What are you doing here? Where's Sensoji?"

The boy bent over, holding his knees. He jerked his head up and met the innkeeper's gaze. "Mister's in trouble!"

"What?" The innkeeper, Bigshot, squatted down on the ground and grabbed the boy's shoulders. The boy winced slightly but didn't pull away.

"What do you mean? What happened to my brother?" The innkeeper asked, his eyes widening in panic.

"He was trying to make a deal with Trumpet. He needed the money, and he had me..." The boy swallowed thickly. And then, in a softer voice, so only the innkeeper, Shouto and Mick could hear, he continued. "Mister had me drug a nymph for Trumpet, but something happened. A woman attacked all of Trumpet's men and released his slaves. Trumpet thinks it's mister who hired the woman that's attacking his warehouse and men."

"Oh no…" The innkeeper let go of the boy's shoulders and stood, swaying. Mick caught his arm, steadying him. "Sensoji, how could you?"

"What woman?" Shouto demanded, cutting in.

The boy jerked his head up and stared at Shouto for a moment. Then his face morphed in realization. "The one who was with you!"

"Yaoyorozu." Shouto's heart pounded. He met the boy's eyes. "Where?"

"Western harbor!"

The boy's face paled. His eyes widened. His pupils shook as he stared at Shouto. "She's-she's fighting Muscular! He's Trumpet's head slaver. She's going to lose. He's been given divine strength by Kratos."

Shouto's heart trembled. He turned sharply. The city guard was leading a group of armed men towards the harbor.

It felt like he was suffocating. Shouto swayed. His hand darted down to Endeavor's hilt as he took off running in the direction of the western harbor, overtaking the city guard.

The head guard shouted after him, but Shouto ignored the command. He had to make it. He couldn't let Yaoyorozu fight by herself.

Shouto's stomach twisted into a knot that grew tighter with every step.

'Yaoyorozu.'

Please let him not be too late.

'Yaoyorozu. Hold on. I'm coming for you.'

For those of you waiting for the TodoMomo interactions I'm so sorry! I didn't expect they'd be split up for this long when I was initially planning the chapters. But, I promise, they'll meet back up in the next one. 3

Notes:

Kratos - is the divine personification of strength in Greek mythology. Kratos is characterized as brutal and merciless.

Bigshot - A character of the spin-off My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. He is a Pro Hero and a sidekick of Ingenium. Bigshot is a big, stout and quite overweight man. He has a rounded head and some small stubble. I decided in Ashes that Bigshot is the innkeeper.

Sensoji - also known as Mister Blaster, was a former student at U.A. High School in Class 2-B from My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Sensoji is a large, bulky boy, possessing defined muscles and wide shoulders. He has sharp eyes and no eyebrows, a pointy nose, as well as a prominently large, square jaw. In Ashes, Sensoji is the tavern owner who made questionable decisions to make money. He and Bigshot are related in Ashes.

Mick - is a Hero and the sidekick of the Pro Hero Selkie USA a member of the Oki Mariner Crew. In MHA, Tsuyu Asui interned as part of the team. For Ashes, he is a cousin to Sensoji and Bigshot.