She opens her green eyes to see the same bright, white room greet her again. Her gaze darts to various, functional pieces of furniture that equip her— the room. Aizawa, the ever tired-looking man, previously explained to her that the devices are meant to help her ease into the new surroundings, to make her feel comfortable.
A television she doesn't watch. An air conditioner she doesn't turn on. A window she can't open, because there's a safety lock and metal bars installed on it since yesterday. A large wall mirror near the door she feels suspicious about.
As if she would believe him. She doesn't need this illusion of comfort. Although it is an upgrade from where she used to live, a cage is a cage. She knows they will not let her take even a step out of this room.
Is this my fate, going out of one prison just to end up in another? What was the point of escaping?
Her hands tighten their grip on the bedsheets, the fabric a poor substitute for the comfort she craves. The sharp throbbing in her abdomen serves as a bitter reminder of the playground incident—a testament to her futile attempt at heroism.
Right, she thinks bitterly. What was she thinking, trying to save a kid? Using this damned quirk of hers for a good cause is just wishful thinking. Her intervention did nothing to stop the kidnapping, except to get herself in this trouble.
That crimson-haired boy shouldn't have bothered to save her life. It's not that she isn't grateful. But, if she knew this was how her life would play out, she would have rather bled out. It would have been an easy escape, easier than being stuck in the same place for years.
Or even worse, I may get dragged back, her psyche involuntarily whispers. In an instant, an image of the white-haired boy from yesterday crosses her mind. A cold shiver runs down her spine without warning.
Was he here to take me back? Did they manage to track me that easily?
If yes, unless she does something, she will have to kiss peace goodbye soon enough. She rolls on the bed anxiously, crippling fear coursing through her veins.
"Isn't it only two days since you last visited?" a police officer asks, sitting straighter on a chair near the entrance of the hallway once he spots Todoroki. "You'd better invest your time in your own best interests, like studying for school or your quirk training. Both you and that pro hero shouldn't waste your time on her, hee-haw."
"Hee-haw"? Todoroki's grey-cyan eyes flick to the man, appraising the short, dark brown mane running from his head to the back of his neck and the large, pointed ears standing on the top of his head.
His long face reminds Todoroki of a horse... or a donkey? He is a biped, with his hooves galloping lightly against the floor, unadorned with horseshoes. Strange how a mutant quirk changes people's appearance, isn't it? However, he supposes it isn't important right now.
"Where's Aizawa-sensei?" Todoroki brushes off the policeman's comment. His teacher is unusually missing from his spot in front of the girl's room.
"Eraser Head just now went out." the officer points to a direction with his thumb. "Says there's an important call with U.A."
"Thanks." Todoroki turns to walk down the hallway.
"Be careful when you visit Hanakiri's daughter. She's dangerous," the man says, making Todoroki stop in his track. "Don't get attached and stay on your toes. Keep in mind that she can turn on you at any second. And inform me once she does anything suspicious."
Todoroki narrows his eyes in curiosity. "Have the police finally found evidence?" Because, if yes, then Aizawa hasn't updated him on it.
"Not yet, but eventually we will." the officer pops his knuckles with a strange, dark gleam dancing in his gaze. "From my time in the police force, apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Like mother, like daughter. To me, it's clear enough from that fact, hee-haw!"
"Scientifically, villainy is confirmed to be not hereditary," Todoroki replies with a clipped tone. "It's unreasonable to think of her as dangerous based on that sole premise. You shouldn't believe it."
"You think that's the only reason?" the donkey-mutant cop doubles over and lets out a loud guffaw, one hand over his own stomach and his voice strangely hollow. "Of course not. It would have taken a bloody lot more than that to convince me, wouldn't it?"
Why is he laughing? Todoroki throws him a confused look, not getting his point. There is nothing funny in his previous words. "I don't understand. Your opinion is biased."
"Biased, eh? Suit yourself." the officer shrugs his shoulders. "Just don't say I didn't warn you if something really happens."
Todoroki doesn't waste another second there. He heads straight to the girl's room. Before entering, a part of him questions his decision. Isn't it better to wait for Aizawa? But, he sets it aside. What is he worrying about? Nothing will happen as long as he keeps a safe distance.
The girl is sitting on the bed, facing the entryway when he comes in. At the glimpse of him, she quickly dips her head. Todoroki notices her grip on the glass she's holding tightens.
"Hey," he says awkwardly, trying to greet her.
The girl doesn't answer, shrinking away from his stare instead. The tremors racking her body are barely visible.
Compared to her abysmal reaction at their first encounter, this can be considered an improvement, right? She doesn't even scream today. Was she just shocked yesterday? Todoroki takes a step forward, misreading her body language.
It is then his eyes land on the small splatters of blood on the upper abdomen area of her hospital gown. He immediately throws caution to the wind and approaches her in alarm. "Why are you bleeding? Did your cauterization wound reopen?"
He is about a couple of steps away from her when she dumps the entire content of her glass onto his face. Water splashes his face all of a sudden, and even though it isn't hot and there is no sound of a boiling kettle ringing in the room, he can't help but recoil in surprise.
The water isn't hot, but it burns his skin, and his gut twists on instinct. Something inside him snaps as the not-hot droplets splatter on his face, dripping together with the last bits of his composure, his mother's voice echoing in his ears.
"— Shoto's... That child's left side sometimes looks very unsightly to me—"
Scalded face as painful as a thousand needles. Ice so cold it poured pure agony over the burn. The feeling of his skin tissues dying under both extremes.
"AAAHH! Shoto!! I'm so sorry, Shoto! What have I done!? What have I done!?"
His shock doesn't last long, but it is enough to give the girl a chance to throw a blanket over his head. In a momentary blindness, a hard kick lands on his torso, sending him crashing to the floor. He swats his hands, trying to grab something to stop his fall, but only manages to topple the chair beside her bed with a loud clatter.
She wastes no time. Hopping off the bed, she makes a desperate dash for the door. Todoroki yanks the fabric over his head just as she passes him. Before she manages to reach the entryway, he snatches her ankle. With a swift pull, he brings her down, forcing her to slam against the cold, hard ceramic tiles.
"Not so fast," Todoroki growls through gritted teeth. Aggravation starts seeping into his core. This girl has taken advantage of his concern and wielded it against him. "How dare you—! Ugh!"
"Let me go!" she screams, trying to kick his right hand away. The desperation in her voice rings hollowly in the room. "Get away from me!"
"You're not going anywhere," he snaps as he roughly seizes her other ankle, anchoring her legs down with his weight. His fingers dig into her skin with a vice-like hold. "Stop struggling!"
"Like hell I will! You're going to kill me!"
"Shut up! You don't know a thing about me!"
I'm not my father, Todoroki's jaw clenches. I don't—I can't*—instill fear in people like him! Especially not in those whom I've helped.*
In the blink of an eye, ice shoots out from his right hand, caging her body to the floor. Upon the coldness on her skin, her bright green eyes widen in fear. Panic and dread wash her entire being as his ice creeps up her body.
"P— Please let me go..." Her voice immediately falls into a quivering, distraught whimper. Her gaze averts, looking everywhere but him. "Please... any— anything but this..."
If he wasn't so angry, probably he would notice the genuine plea in her voice. However, it isn't the case for now. Todoroki gets back to his feet and stands in front of her. In a swift movement, he extends his hand to her face.
As his left hand enters her vision, she winces instinctively, squirming even smaller under his frozen prison. However, it doesn't come in contact with her skin. Fire comes bursting from Todoroki's left palm, blazing centimeters from her face.
The next second, a fire alarm shrieks to life, blaring loudly down the hall outside the room. The sprinkler above them detects the fire and activates, spraying them with water. Yet, despite the artificial rain, the flame persists, still dancing on his palm.
"Look clearly," he snarls, shoving the crackling flame in front of her face. "If I wanted to kill you, I would've let you bleed out in the playground. What do you even know about me?"
Look at me. What makes you so terrified? Am I so terrifying that you're scared to death?
The burning fire illuminates his left half's features. Crimson hair, burn scar, and cyan eye become prominent in an instant.
Her pupils dilate in recognition. Then, her gaze quickly flits to his face. Fire quirk. Crimson hair. "You— You... How?" she stutters in shock, unable to grasp the situation.
Todoroki isn't able to answer, because the next moment, the door slams open, revealing the donkey-mutant police officer from earlier.
The police officer pulls out a handheld radio in an instant, his other hand in the vest pocket, ready to act once needed. "Requesting a back-up unit in the south wing, hee-haw. Station them around Hanakiri's daughter's room, raise the security level, and stay alert." he meets Todoroki's gaze with a knowing glint in his eyes, as if to say, "See? Dangerous. I was right."
Behind him, a very annoyed Aizawa catches up. "What just happened here?" Aizawa growls, his dark eyes swiftly scanning the mess. The moment his gaze lands on the ice cage and the trembling girl trapped in it, Aizawa barks at Todoroki, "You, out. Right now."