Fire Heart {Shoto Todoroki x Female Reader}

Chapter 18: Phobos

Upon leaving the agency, you realized what was wrong. The people were crippling in fear. Their wails filled the streets. It grabbed you with fear ever so firmly, like you could never escape it. The grip was so strong that it wanted your knees to buckle under you. This... this was not normal.

"(y/n)!"

You turned to see him weakly, seeing him staring intensely at you. You tried to shout at him again, but the fear... the fear began to overwhelm you. Their wails... their constant wails of fear. Who caused this? You wonder. This had to be someone's Quirk. A powerful one at that.

"(y/n)!" Once more, you hear Todoroki's voice calling you out. He quickly catches you as your knees buckled. "Crap... I couldn't help myself but call you by your real name... sorry..."

You waved it off, trying to breathe from this heavy veil of fear. "I-It's fine... the people though... I think they're worrying more of themselves rather than busting my identity."

Todoroki nodded, helping you to your feet. He scans the field, seeing what you felt. His scowl became deadly as he tried to find the source. "This is someone's Quirk... putting people into fear. This isn't good. As much as I want to tell you to get inside and stay safe, it's not possible, is it?"

"No..."

"Ugh..." Todoroki scoffs. "Let's get this person. That way I can beat up the person who made you feel like that. Makes me sick to know that there's someone out there who would hurt you. (y/n)- I mean... Blaze. Stay close to me. We don't know how this guy's crippling people in fear."

Smaller heroes were already rescuing the people that were overwhelmed with fear. One shouted to the both of you to follow Endeavor. Taking in this new order, you both ran over to the Flame Hero.

By the time you both reached to Endeavor, he was already engaged in a fight with 6 other villains. "Weaklings..." Todoroki says coldly, looking around cautiously. "They aren't responsible for the crippling fear. There's someone else. He's affecting my father terribly."

"With that, you are correct, Shoto." That dark, creepy voice crawled up your neck. Chilling, most people would say. Jumping back, Todoroki held you from falling down on your knees. That warmth from him ensured that you wouldn't be left alone, for Todoroki will always be there. "Ah... how surprising... I got Endeavor here... and now I got his son." His gaze swarmed towards you, and his grin just grew. "Ahh... a new hero... such inexperienced souls..."

Todoroki stood protectively in front of you, letting an aggressive growl through. "Leave her alone."

"Ahh... I see... Shoto's got a girlfriend. You can't hide such a relationship from me. I can feel the fear for her. The fear something might happen to her." Todoroki shrinks back, pulling you closer to him. "The beauty of true love... sadly... you can't have it."

With a strong heart, Todoroki stepped forward, ensuring he was in front of you. "You have to go through me. And I know that she's strong. So no matter what you do to me, she'll be strong. And whatever I do, it's to ensure she's safe." He then turns to you with a gentle smile. "Your Quirk grew... so get ready... alright?"

You nodded, knowing what he was referencing to. 

At this point of time, your Quirk of the fiery barriers can be extended so it wouldn't just be contained on your body. A part of a barrier can be attached onto someone else, and you can control the fiery barriers that lay on their body by extending it across their whole body. Though it's a great barrier to be protected from multiple attacks, the downside was that the person being protected would still feel the pain. Otherwise, they'll leave unscathed. 

Todoroki held out his hand, and in your left hand, your hand shimmered gently with golden flames. Once your hand had touched Todoroki's, his palm began to shimmer golden with the flames. Your mind then concentrated on that specific piece, letting it grow all over Todoroki's body. 

A single distraction could remove that barrier from Todoroki. Almost like he would shed it.

"Good luck, Shoto." You say to him, smiling gently.

"Be safe- hide somewhere."

"I'm not hiding. I'm staying with you."

Todoroki opened his mouth to oppose you, but he nodded his head. He turned around, slightly shimmering gold. "Just you and me."

"Try to contain yourself, Shoto. My Quirk puts people in fear. Or more specifically, it enhances someone's fear. So I am fear itself." He raises his hands and gives a haunting grin. "You won't be standing in a due's time, my little hero."

"Bring it."

The fight was soon composed of ice to push the villain back- making him trip and fall. His hands were the one things he kept on himself. Almost like he could only enhance someone's fear by touch. You kept thinking that because of that barrier, the villain can't physically touch him. The power to put Todoroki in fear would be dismissed fairly quickly.

But the villain would soon notice that it was your Quirk protecting Todoroki. So he would turn his attention on you. To choose between his safety and yours... what would you chose in the meantime? 

You began to lose concentration about thinking of the different things that could happen, it was Todoroki's voice that snapped you back to reality- back to the fight.

"I'll stop you..." Todoroki says, looking towards you with a fire of passion growing in his eyes. "I don't care if I'm hurt. I don't care if I'm put in fear. I will protect her."

The villain chuckles nervously, looking away. "Fear cannot be contained. It will always be buried inside of you. Only one way to end this... to go to the source of the fear. I am, of course, Phobos. I am fear. You can't stop me."

Phobos began to walk towards you, but you didn't move a muscle. This heavy veil of fear was lingering so heavily... you wanted to fall to the ground. There was no protecting against this aura that he had. Nothing, for all your energy was towards Todoroki's shield.

"Come here, my dear. Fall to me. Bow to me."

Fire began to surround you, and Todoroki was there. "Get through me first, coward!"

"Coward? I'm the coward?" Phobos laughs manically with his back twisted a bit. "How am I the coward when others fall before me? One little touch, everyone begins to fear me. The ones who are cowards are the ones who would not admit that they are afraid of me."

"No... that's a lie." Todoroki began to walk towards the villain, breathing so heavily that his breath was just white mist. Fire began to crawl on his hand as he held an icy spear. "You can't fight someone in a proper fight. Prove to me that you're not a coward."

"Fool."

As the villain lunges to Todoroki, you tried to open your mouth to cry for him- but you immediately shut it. Any other distraction... that shield would fail. Keep focused. Keep focused. That became a repetitive phrase in your head nowadays. 

"(y/n), it's alright now." You gasped, jumping back to reality. Todoroki held you in his arms, smiling down to you. "You can stop focusing now."

"B-But-"

He rose a finger to his lips, giving a slight smile. "The villain's taken down now. If it wasn't for your protective Quirk and your ability to focus... I doubt I could ever withstand such a powerful blow. Yeah... it felt like I broke some ribs... but there's no scratch. No broken bones. Thank you, (y/n)."

You blushed as he allowed you to fall onto him. Endeavor walked up, scratched and beaten up. "Let's get you back to U.A. Good work out there, Shoto, (y/n). I'm expecting that you both would be a great team in the future."