His Reasons (Todoroki X OC)

S5 Chapter 23

Content Warning:

This chapter contains mature themes. Doesn't go further then past chapters in terms of previous themes but be aware as it still may be triggering to some.

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All for One's words continued to fill her mind after he gave his conditions to Todoroki's safely. Although Amari couldn't even begin to fully process them. This was just a horrible nightmare. That's all it had to be, right?

There was no way her one light, her one love was ripped away from her so quickly, so instantly and without mercy. Not him, anyone but him. She couldn't even begin to bear the idea of that boy being corrupted as she once was, having his mind twisted into something so broken and unrecognizable with no hope of saving.

Any minute now. Yes, that's right, any minute now and Todoroki would come through that door and apologize for being late at the bakery. Then he would hug her and hold her like he always did, chasing away these nightmares and terrible thoughts until they were only a vivid dream.

Although after a couple devastating moments of silence, Amari fully knew the truth. He wasn't coming back, and it was all because of her.

The only reason All for One had taken him in the first place was because of her selfish desire to keep him close, to want to feel normal and loved. How terrible, how cruel of her to want such things from someone so innocent and pure. Now he would have to suffer for her.

She willed any semblance of words to her lips but only came up dry before the villain continued his horrible mental torture through her ears. "I will take your silence as understanding Little One. It's a pity the boy will have to suffer in the meantime though. You see, for your punishment of being disobedient, I'll make sure to give him a warm welcome while you make your choice.."

Widening her eyes in utter horror, flashes of terrible memories and the past suddenly reached her eyes as her mind replaced them with Todoroki's face instead. His screaming, crying and pleading face plastered with tears. No, please no...

Bakugo could feel her hands start to lose feeling as the pressure itself almost broke the phone in two. She had to say something, something to save him. "D-Don't...he's innocent. I'm the one you want, not him.."

Finally hearing her voice again, the man hummed in response. "You're correct, and that's why I'm being so kind. If you come back to me without any resistance then the boy can go free. Haven't you made him suffer enough, haven't you hurt him enough? Do him a kindness and set him free Bakugo, you know I'm right..."

Amari felt her lips screw shut before shaking her head in devastation. Somewhere in her heart she knew he was right. Even back at the sports festival she knew that getting close to Todoroki may have ruined him, but she didn't care. She still lived in that delusion of a normal life. How foolish that seemed now.

Feeling tears cloud her eyes, Bakugo's response turned into a shaky breath as All for One fully knew that he had ruined her, that he had broken his little pet so easily. "Whatever you decide, don't think about it for too long. The longer you wait, the more Todoroki will have to pay for it.."

His cruel words danced off his tongue before the line went dead, causing Amari to stare blankly ahead as she tried to process his demands word by word before a terrible realization hit.

Thinking back to Sir Nighteye's prediction, Amari still had that small glimmer of hope in her chest that she could cheat the system. That if she just didn't face All for One then her life would be saved. That was the plan, the plan that had fallen apart so easily.