Glass Heart

Glass Heart - Chapter Forty-Two

Izuku leaned his head back slightly, trying to get a look at his attacker. The knife quickly pressed harder onto his neck, and Izuku's breath hitched in his throat, stilling all his movements.

As he moved, a small lock of blonde hair hung loosely just in his line of sight.

His eyes slowly, carefully, shifted upwards to lock with Shouta. "D... Dad?" He whispered, fear enveloping his entire being. He... might die here. He hadn't felt this afraid... since his father...

He felt shiver run up his spine, as this mystery assailant ran their finger along his back.

"So you're Izuku, huh...?" A female voice whispered in his ear. "You know, you're quite cute-"

A sudden bolt of ice curved around Izuku, being careful not to touch him, and he felt the hands on him - one on his spine and the other on his neck - suddenly stop. Tears of relief flew to his eyes, and he shakily tried to pry the knife away from the hand on his neck, Shouta releasing his quirk on the girl, and rushing to help him, along with Hizashi, Hitoshi and Shoto.

The knife eventually clattered on the ground and Izuku broke away from the intruder's hold. He glanced around in a panic, before realising she seemed to be the only intruder there.

"Sh... Sho..." Izuku muttered and collapsed into Shoto's chest. Shoto's arms curled around him as he sobbed, the relief he felt flooding through his veins. Hitoshi - knowing it really wasn't the right time - ignored it, and allowed the two to have their privacy, while Hizashi left to scout the rest of the house, and Shouta turned to the girl in the room.

"Himiko Toga..." Shouta muttered, and Hitoshi could see the girl's eyes flicker over to him, slightly fearful. "I don't know her quirk... but it has something to do with blood, I've been told."

"Well considering she looked exactly like Todoroki," Hitoshi pointed sharply at Shoto in concern, "She probably is able to disguise herself."

Shouta nodded. "If that's the case then we don't have to worry, but I still wouldn't release her from her hold quite yet." Shoto nodded to Shouta, which gave Shouta a small sense of security - although coming from a thirteen year old isn't entirely appealing.

He turned to Hitoshi. "I've got quirk suppressant cuffs in my room. I need to keep an eye on her and Izuku - can I trust you to grab them for me?" Hitoshi nodded, and ran back upstairs.

"Kid." Shouta turned to Izuku, who had now stopped crying, but had not yet stopped shaking. "Kid. It's over. It's okay..."

As Shouta and Shoto glanced at each other, and Izuku shook, clenching Shoto's top as if a matter of life and death, a strange sound began to emerge from the block of ice.

Laughter.

Izuku froze back up again, and Shoto cradled him close, Shouta moving to stand back in front of them. Hitoshi, in the middle of running down the stairs, paused at the bottom after seeing the serious expressions on his family's faces. Shouta noticed him, and quietly motioned for him to come closer, his eyes never leaving Toga's.

As Hitoshi crept closer, he subtly passed Shouta the cuffs. Shouta's grip tightened on them. "Thank you Hitoshi. Now we just have to find a way to safely melt a specific area of the ice..."

"I - I can. I can... do it." Shoto muttered, turning his head to look at Toga, pulling one hand away from Izuku, and igniting it. He flinched away from his flame, and his eyes landed on Izuku's shaking form. Izuku quietly started to quiet down, and his head turned to stare at the flame.

"Sho... your flame... it's so pretty..." Izuku smiled slightly, and Shoto's heart warmed, even brighter than his own flame. He carefully aimed the direction of his flames, and melted Toga's hands, up to her elbows, as well as part of her face, so she could speak. She wisely kept quiet, besides the occasional chuckle.

Shouta wasted no time walking angrily up to her and yanking her arms close together, cuffing them. He growled slightly and suppressed the urge to punch her. She was, after all, a child. An adult couldn't go around punching children...

... but as Hitoshi ran up to her and punched her in the face, he couldn't supress his small smirk.

Shoto released his flames, but when Izuku started to shake again, Shoto lit a small flame on his finger, sitting on the floor. Izuku leaned onto Shoto's shoulder, sitting down also. A small flicker of guilt formed in Izuku's chest, at how weak he's feeling. But this feeling... he felt like he was nine all over again...

He shivered and Shoto brought him in closer.

"Dad." Hitoshi growled. "Please grant me permission to use my quirk." Shouta nodded, and Hitoshi turned back to Toga. "Toga."

"Yes, little-"

"Tell me why you're laughing."

"Because Dabi and Shiggy will be coming to saaaaaave meeee!" She sung, before returning to peals of laughter. Hitoshi and Shouta looked at each other in shock.

... shit.

Hi everyone!

So I have work tomorrow - as always - which may mean I don't update tomorrow, or at least until late tomorrow night. I hope you guys don't mind, and I'll do my best to update ASAP.

That being said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Izuku is only 12 - 13 in a couple months lol, but either way. When faced with the fear of death - which in that moment Izuku had the worst of, it's only natural for him to go into a state of shock afterwards.

Anyways, next chapter should start with Shoto's perspective on that afternoon, followed by the other villain's appearance. Hopefully this small diversion of plot isn't too annoying, but this concept was one that I wanted to write about...

I'll see you guys again soon!

But for now...

Peachy out! 😊