Chapter 8

                                    

                                          
Everyone saw Todoroki clench his eyes shut and turn away when that gun shot was heard. And then they heard Katsuki's manically laughter. 
                          
"You're one fucked up guy, halfie." He said, his taunt evident as he pulled Izuku to stand, unharmed. "Filled the gun with blanks because I had a feeling you'd throw him to the wolves." Katsuki explained. 
                          
Todoroki stood in disbelief, taking deep relieved breaths at the sight of Izuku still alive and well. 
                          
The blond, on the other hand, didn't stop his words. "Not that you've seen how quickly he's willing to toss you aside to save his own ass, want to return the favor? Tell us what you were really doing at our offices." Katsuki demanded, his grip tightening on his arm. "Tell us the truth and we let you walk out of here unscathed. My fight isn't with some poor, love sick puppy." He spat. 
                          
Izuku was visibly shaking, trying to comprehend the fact that he didn't just die. He had been, so, so sure his time was up, yet here he was. 
                          
"I know you're freaked, but we don't have all damn day." Katsuki said with a sigh. 
                          
The green haired boy shook his head again. "I told you, Shoto and I broke it off months ago. I haven't talked to him since. I really did just want a job." He lied again, but this time it seemed that they actually believed it. 
                          
Katsuki tossed him in front of them, watching with an amused smirk as Shoto and the purple haired man next to him, rushed for the smaller male. "Fine, go on back with lover boy then. Don't even so much as look our way unless you want a bullet in your head for real." He said, turning and walking out of the alley with his group in toe. 
                          
Once they were far enough away from the area to not be over heard, Mina scooted closer to her boss so he could hear her whispers. "What did we exactly gain from that?" She asked, voicing the whole teams concerns. 
                          
"We found his weak spot." Katsuki said back, keeping his eyes straight ahead. 
                          
"But you gave Midoriya right back." Jirou pointed out. She was just as lost as the others, which was saying something seeing as her and Katsuki always seemed to be on the same page. 
                          
"I gave him back to the guy that just sat by and watched while he thought he was going to get shot. I don't care who you are, you're not digging yourself out of that whole." Katsuki explained. "I don't buy for a second that they broke it off, but I have a good feeling it'll be over now, and once it is, Todoroki's gonna crumble. It'll be fun to watch him fall apart slowly." He said, getting the same sick and twisted smile from before. 
                          
"Y'know, you scare me  sometimes." Sero commented, noting the smile his boss wore. 
                          
"He should scare you all the time." Tokoyami mumbled, eyeing the blond with caution. 
                          
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"You were- You were just going to let him shoot me!" Izuku exclaimed, pushing both Todoroki and Shinso away from him. Shinso might not have had the final say like his ex did, but he still stood by and watched. 
                          
"Izu, baby please listen to me-" Todoroki tried to talk, but Izuku cut him off instantly. 
                          
"Oh don't you 'Izu baby' me! You stood there while he held a gun to my head and said you had never seen me before in your life! You listened to me beg you! Shoto, you just- How could you?" He asked, sounding more broken in that moment than Shoto had ever heard him before, even after the countless heart breaks he had put Izuku through. This was a new low, even for him. 
                          
And he wasn't done hurting and manipulating him. Not yet at least. 
                          
"Izu, please just listen to me. I knew, okay? I knew they were blanks, you have to believe me! I never would have let it go on if I thought any different. C'mon baby, you know me. I do some risky things, but when have I ever tried to sacrifice your life?" Todoroki pleaded, knowing that no matter how badly he fucked up, Izuku would always forgive him. 
                          
The smaller boy was in love, and he looks past everything for those he loves. 
                          
"You... you knew?" Izuku asked softly, wiping away some of his tears as he burned his gaze into the blue and grey eyes in front of him. 
                          
"Of course I did. Izuku, I would never risk you like that and you know it." Todoroki said, gently helping Izuku back to his feet. 
                          
The shaken male turned his gaze to Shinso, having more trust in the purple haired man than the one holding onto him at the moment. "Is it true? Did you know about the blanks?" He asked accusingly. 
                          
Without a second of hesitantly, Shinso went along with the lie, no matter how sick it made him feel. Todoroki was still his boss and still a very feared criminal. If he wanted to stay alive, he'd go along with whatever the half and half man said. "Yeah, we both knew." He confirmed. 
                          
Izuku let out a sigh of relief as he let himself sink into Todoroki's arms. The taller of the two instantly supported his full weight, even picking him up bridal style to carry him back to his place. "You scared me and I hate you." Izuku mumbled to him, wrapping his arms around his neck and tiredly laying his head on Todoroki's shoulder. 
                          
He softly chuckled at the words, knowing that the second part wasn't true. "I know." He said back softly, placing a kiss on his forehead as he walked. 
                          
Once they were back to Todoroki's mansion, he laid the green haired man down on his bed and quietly left the room to have a chat with Shinso. 
                          
"If you speak a word to him about not knowing about the blanks, you're dead, got it?" He threated as soon as he sat down in his office chair. 
                          
Shinso nodded once, signaling that he understood. "Is there a reason you're lying to him?" He asked. 
                          
Todoroki sighed and dropped his head into his hands. "I need him to go back to the newspaper building. He's going to have to lie about tonight of course, say that we fought, he left me and now he has nowhere else to go for work. There would be one of the only safe places in the city for him if that were true. If I read Bakugou correctly tonight, he should take Izuku back quickly. If not, he ends up dead." He explained, looking a little too okay with the second possibility. 
                          
Shinso gaped at him. "How are you just going to let him go back, knowing the threat he has over his head now? Why do you not seem to care that he was almost dead tonight and could very well be tomorrow?" He asked, standing up and leaning on the desk separating the two. "I thought you loved him." 
                          
Todoroki shook his head, letting his hands fall to the arm rests on the chair. "I don't love anyone, Shinso. You can't in this line of work or you'll be crushed. Izuku was a temporary distraction, and now I need to either put him to use, or get rid of him."