◆ Part 2: Chapter 22 ◆
A Coward's Son
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Shoto Todoroki
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Todoroki glares at the man before him, taking in his appearance but staying quiet. He refuses to give the League the pleasure of seeing him scared.
He's got black hair, a red headband plastered to his forehead with sweat. His eyes hold a sort of murderous hatred, a grin glued to his face. Ragged clothes and two swords, the stranger steps towards Shoto.
"You don't know who I am, do you?" He whispers, his voice sharper than the weapons in his hands. Shoto only shakes his head; he doesn't recall seeing him before, especially with the League.
"Some call me the problem fixer, Stain," The man sighs, "but you probably know me as the King Killer."
Shoto's eyes widen.
The King Killer; he's the person who killed former King Mizuki.
He's a king, isn't he? This can't be good.
As Stain babbles, Todoroki assesses the situation, eyes darting around the room. It's dark, as most villains like it, but he still thinks he's in the castle. It looks like the dungeon, but he can't be sure.
When the lights went out during the party, he was swept away and paralyzed. He wonders if his wife looked for him. He hopes she's okay, but to make sure, he has to free himself from the binds on his wrists. He has to find her.
Stain babbles on about his big plan, but Shoto's head snaps up when he hears five words.
"Three birds with one stone?" He mutters. "What . . . ?"
"You're not so special that you're my only target, Your Majesty," Stain growls, "You're just the coward's son."
Todoroki grimaces. The Coward's Son.
What a nickname.
Despite that, he can't get his wife out of his head. His child that she's carrying.
"Who else?" He whispers, hanging his head down, "Who else are you after?"
"The Arrogant Prince and The Dead King's Heir," Stain smiles, "a little poem I thought of myself."
Shoto shakes his head. This guy's crazy, but at least he got some information. Who he's after.
The dead king's heir. That must be Hiro.
The arrogant prince. Probably Bakugou.
And the third? The coward's son.
That's him.
He clenches his fists, bound together by a piece of thin rope. He could burn through it easily, but he's sure Stain knows that. The King Killer must have backup, or at least a backup plan.
It won't be easy to escape, but it's not impossible. He just needs to think this through.
As far as he knows, Stain works alone. He has to rely on that information to make this work. All Shoto needs is a simple movement that no villain would consider a threat. Something subtle.
He lifts his head up to look at Stain, smiling. "So you're quite the fighter, huh? You killed that beast King Mizuki."
Just a simple distraction. Please fall for it.
"Beast?" Stain laughs, "Sounds like you'd never met the guy."
As Stain starts on his story about how much of a tyrant Mizuki was, Shoto slowly burns through the rope, careful not to make any movements.
"So what are you waiting for?" He mutters. "Aren't you going to kill me?"
Stain's gaze hardens.
"Not until we have all three of you. I want you to die together, all looking at me and begging for forgiveness."
The rope is gone now, only ashes on the floor. Shoto doesn't move. "Oh? I suppose you're playing god now?"
Stain's eyes shake, alight with a hatred brighter than the sun. "I'm not playing god. I'm doing what no god decided to do for himself. I am bringing justice to this world. I am shining light on the dishonest monarchy, infected by people like y—"
Ice brings his sentence to a close, fading away into a shrill scream. Shoto stands up, holding a hand out and freezing to the man's neck. He leaves his head, but only so he can hear one last time.
"You are nothing," Todoroki growls, "but a man playing god."
Stain is frozen, still, and quiet. He can't scream or call for help. Todoroki leaves him, storming up the stairs to the main floor of the palace.
It's quiet. Too quiet.
It's empty.
No one wanders the halls. No one rushes to the king's side.
Now, he has to find his wife. He goes to their room first, where they've shared many moments and where he's loved her many times.
The silence in the castle sends a shiver up his spine.
Opening the door to the royal couple's bedroom, his eyes land on a figure, passed out and bound on the floor.
It's . . . him?
His eyes widen. An imposter? Then . . . what of his love and his child?
He runs out of the room, dashing through the hallways and to the front gates.
Where is she?
Where is she?
Where is she?
His heart pounds in his chest at the thought of her being alone. She's pregnant, and who knows how many villains could be roaming the castle.
In a frantic search for her, he comes to the gates. Everyone is gone; maybe she left with them. Maybe they're outside the castle, safe from the invaders.
But then, he sees her, standing at the entrance.
"Shoto!" She cries, running towards him.
But a few feet away, she stops. "Wait . . . " she mutters, "who are you? Are—Are you . . . ?"
She covers her mouth, backing away slowly.
Shoto holds out his hands. "What's wrong? What happened to you?"
Her dress is torn, exposing a large cut on her chest. He desperately wants to run up and embrace her, but she looks like she's going to stab him.
But before he can say anything else, she falls to the ground.
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