The sky darkened as we followed the latest lead—another informant who swore they'd seen Tsuyu lurking near an abandoned dockyard. We'd been chasing her trail for days, and each dead end was like a noose tightening around my neck.
The warehouse district was a ghost town, the air thick with rust and silence. Shoto led the way, eyes sharp, Ura at his side with the same tense focus. Katsuki followed behind me like a shadow. I couldn't see him, but I could feel him—his presence, like an ember always glowing hot at my back.
Another lead, another chance for things to go wrong.
But this time, something felt different. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were walking straight into something we weren't ready for.
As we moved deeper into the maze of shipping containers and towering buildings, I caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye—just a shadow slipping between the crates, but enough to set my heart racing.
I signalled the others to stop.
I turned and followed my sight seeming more keen in the darkness then previously.
Another effect of the tattoo I guess.
I followed the figure to a dead end signalling the others to stop once again.
We had cornered her this time—Tsuyu.
The traitor.
My body ached with the weight of it all, but my focus was unwavering. We couldn't afford to lose her again.
Shoto and Ura were flanking me, their eyes sharp with the same determination that gnawed at me from the inside. Katsuki followed closely behind, silent, there was an intensity to him that I couldn't shake, but for now, my attention was locked on Tsuyu.
She was waiting for us, just standing there in the middle of the clearing, her lips curled into a knowing smirk.
That smirk only made the anger boil hotter in my veins.
"Finally," Tsuyu said, her voice cool as if she hadn't just led us on a wild chase through half the city. "I was starting to think you'd never catch up."
I felt Shoto tense beside me, his hand twitching toward his weapon.
"Tsuyu," he growled, "it's over."
Tsuyu's eyes flicked to him, her smirk widening.
"You're funny, Todoroki. But I think you know as well as I do that this is just the beginning."
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, Tsuyu was moving, faster than I had ever seen her move before.
Her blade flashed in the dim light, and I barely had time to dodge before the cold metal swiped dangerously close to my side.
Shoto and Ura jumped in immediately, their strikes coordinated, but Tsuyu was fast—too fast.
She danced between our attacks, her movements fluid and graceful, like a predator toying with its prey.
But something was wrong.
I could feel it.
There was a strange energy surrounding her, an almost suffocating aura that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
And then I saw it—a dark mark, just barely visible beneath the sleeve of her jacket.
It looked almost identical to the one on my arm.
The same mark as mine... and Katsuki's.
Before I could process what that meant, Tsuyu's blade came down hard.
I twisted out of the way, but she was relentless, driving me back, her smile growing more sinister with every step.
Then, Katsuki was there.
He grabbed me, yanking me out of the way with a force that nearly knocked me off my feet.
"Deku," he barked, his voice sharp. "Fall back!"
I blinked, trying to catch my breath as I stumbled back.
Katsuki stepped forward, positioning himself between me and Tsuyu.
His eyes were glowing faintly, that strange intensity I had seen before now burning even brighter.
But it wasn't just Tsuyu he was watching.
His gaze had locked onto something else—something that made his entire demeanour shift.
"Katsuki?" I asked.
Katsuki didn't answer.
His attention was fixed on Tsuyu's arm, where the mark lay hidden beneath her sleeve.
I saw the way his eyes narrowed, the tension in his jaw tightening. It was the same look he had given me when I first woke up with that damned tattoo on my arm.
"Katsuki," Ura called out, her tone sharp, "what are you doing? We've got her!"
"No," Katsuki said, his voice low, dangerous. "Not yet."
Shoto, Ura, exchanged confused glances, but before they could question him, Tsuyu's eyes flickered with amusement.
She raised her arm, slowly pulling back her sleeve to reveal the mark in full—a twisted, dark sigil etched into her skin.
The same mark.
Another demon.
My blood ran cold.
Katsuki's eyes flared with recognition, his hands balling into fists. "You're marked."
Tsuyu's smile grew wider, more sinister.
"Oh, you noticed, did you? Looks like I'm not the only one with a bond."
Shoto stepped forward, his expression fierce. "What the hell is going on? What bond?"
"Not here," Katsuki interrupted, his voice a growl. "We need to leave. Now."
"What?!" Ura snapped, her frustration boiling over. "We're not running! We've got her right—"
"Leave. Now," Katsuki cut in, his voice ice-cold.
There was something in his tone that sent a shiver down my spine, something that told me this was not a fight we could win—not like this.
I hesitated, my eyes locking with Tsuyu's.
Her smirk was still there, as if she knew something we didn't.
And maybe she did.
She had been one step ahead of us this whole time, and now it was clear she wasn't just a traitor—she was bound to something else.
Something darker. Just like me.
Shoto clenched his fists, his frustration evident, but he didn't move. Ura looked ready to fight, her glare locked on Katsuki.
"You better explain this," she growled, but despite her anger, she didn't press forward.
I could feel the tension rising, the questions that hung between us like a heavy fog.
But now wasn't the time.
Katsuki was already turning, pulling me with him as he started to retreat.
For a moment, I resisted, my eyes still on Tsuyu.
But then, I caught a glimpse of something in her eyes—something dark, something that promised more than just betrayal.
And in that moment, I knew Katsuki was right
We weren't ready for this.
As we retreated into the shadows, Tsuyu's laughter echoed behind us, haunting and triumphant.