Notes: I didn't know where I was going with this chapter until about halfway through. Ten chapters in, I figured it was high time for my boy to come into the picture. I didn't know fully what I was doing with him until I started writing him as well. Detailed and well thought-out plot, this is not. Weh, plot stuff!

"I can't believe they're threatening to take the case from you two," Kirishima huffed as he dropped their drinks down on the table. Beer sloshed over the rim, making Bakugou scowl, but Deku used a handful of napkins to clean it up before a spat could happen. "It fucking sucks."

Deku set the wet napkins aside. "It's standard procedure. Not only has Uraraka become involved in the case, but we didn't exactly follow direct orders last night."

"Yeah, you were protecting Bakugou!" Kirishima exclaimed, plopping on the stool next to Deku. "Protecting people is a part of your job as a cop too, isn't it?"

"So is following orders," Deku replied with a mirthless smile.

Uraraka couldn't blame his down mood. She understood his frustration because she felt it too. When he glanced at her, his smile softened and he nodded his head. It didn't loosen the tension in her chest, even if he was telling her that he didn't blame her for what she'd done. Had she not flown off the handle to find Bakugou, they might not be in such hot water, but then Deku had played a part as well. He'd covered for her, argued with colleagues, and even had the nerve to get into it with the two detectives who she'd left on the scene.

Trouble might have followed her, but he had sought it out in this case.

"It's not fair," Kirishima mumbled.

Deku pat his hand. "It's also not over yet. There's a chance the case will remain in our hands. IA is just doing their job too. We might not like it, but it's a necessary part to ensure abuse of power is kept in check." Bakugou snorted in his drink and then took a large gulp. Deku sighed. "Well, kept to a minimum, at least. It's unfortunate but true."

"The officers that took part in the mob didn't even get a slap on the wrist," Uraraka ground out furiously. She had picked out the ones she had seen and Aizawa had spoken with their captain, but nothing was to be done. There was no real proof that they were involved except for Uraraka's eyewitness account and, according to them, witches were known to be conniving. It was a small town mostly made up of humans with no love of magic. Of course.

"It happens all the time," Bakugou told her. "Don't bother losing sleep over it."

"I'm just glad Captain Aizawa released you," Deku said brightly in an attempt to power through the dark mood. He was always so good at that. It was like his own bit of magic. "After Kaminari found your photo on that bridge and CSI determined that illusion magic had been used on the doorman, there wasn't anything capable of holding you."

Bakugou didn't even blink when he replied, "I thought me being a werewolf was good enough cause for cops."

Unfortunately for him, Deku wasn't the type to back down either. "Luckily for you, our captain doesn't care about such things. It wasn't long ago when zombies were considered below werewolves. He fought hard to get where he is today and he isn't going to let someone else marginalized get persecuted and dragged through the mud."

They were lucky to have a captain like Aizawa. She knew that Deku had started off under him, but she had transferred to his station after being a cop in the country for a year. Grouchy and not warm at all, lack of a pumping heart notwithstanding, she hadn't expected much. She'd heard a lot of things about the city growing up, but one thing her parents had warned her about was that witches' standings were different there. They didn't group together like they did outside of cities. She would be looked at strangely and maybe not even treated seriously. Aizawa hadn't cared about what she was except for what she could do.

"It doesn't matter if they pull us off the case or not," Uraraka proclaimed, halfway to herself. The other three gave her a curious look. Sighing, she lifted her satchel onto the table, opened it up, and began to pull file after file out of it. Not as used to her magic, Kirishima gawked as she stacked enough paperwork until it resembled a tower and then poked the bag like it might give him an answer. "That's only half of it."

"Couldn't you have just copied it to a hard drive or something?" Bakugou complained.

"I did, but they took that too," Uraraka said.

Kirishima scratched his head. "So you just printed out copies of everything?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Uraraka began to tuck them back into her bag, which only seemed to confuse Kirishima even more when it didn't bulge with all the files. "I used a simple copying spell."

"There's magic for everything," Bakugou said dryly.

Deku gave her a worried look, although he didn't look surprised. "You could get in serious trouble if they find out you're investigating this on your own if we get taken off."

"So what?" Uraraka demanded. "You're just going to let it go after all the work we've put into it?"

"Of course not," Deku replied. "I kept my copy of the files hidden in my safe at home, not in my desk at work."

Uraraka smiled a little. Now that was her partner. He wasn't capable of letting anything go. Once he got his mind stuck on something, he was relentless. It was why he had one of the highest closed case rates in the station. He was smart with natural intuition and the determination to never give up. It was his credibility that had landed them these murders in the first place and now it was her flightiness that might get them taken off. No, it wasn't fair. She'd put her heart into this case as well.

Light poured into the dim bar when the door behind them opened. Judging from the way Bakugou's eyes narrowed into a glare, Uraraka knew exactly who it was without turning around. He glared at nearly everyone he came across, even his closest friends, but no one made him as prickly as one specific person. There had to be a reason for it, but neither one of them talked about it and she didn't ask.

"Sorry I'm late," Todoroki said by way of greeting as he sat in the empty stool between Deku and Uraraka.

"Sure this place isn't too grimy for a rich bastard like you?" Bakugou snarked.

Todoroki unraveled his scarf from his neck and folded it onto his lap. "I can handle mingling with the lesser folk for a bit." His voice was completely even and near-monotone, but Uraraka recognized it as a joke right away. Bakugou did as well, but it didn't make him scowl any less. "I got stuck in a meeting."

"Life is one big meeting when your father is running for office at the Magisterium," Deku pointed out. "He's causing quite the stir. Some elves and humans aren't happy."

"Like that has anything to do with me," Todoroki sighed. As the youngest son in a family renowned for many different reasons, it was natural that he was in the public eye often. Uraraka had heard of him before she'd ever met him. It was impossible to live in this city and not know the Todoroki family name. Not only were they the second wealthiest family, but they were also the oldest - and they were dragons. Well, shape-shifting dragons to be precise. She had nearly had a heart attack when Deku had told her after they'd presented their case to the young ADA.

Dragons. In the city. There were very few left and all of them came from very old families. It was said that many of them had died out because of wars between each other. Uraraka was endlessly curious about it, but Todoroki was the most closed off person she had met. The idea that there was a dragon as an ADA and then finding out that his father was the General Attorney… Well then. That was something indeed. Todoroki was their connection to the judicial system with this case, but they hadn't been able to provide him with any evidence to take it to court.

How frustrated he must have been. This was the kind of case that would shoot him to the top of all the other ADAs.

Still, the idea that a dragon was a measly lawyer…

"Do you still have those pictures?" Todoroki abruptly asked as he turned to face her.

As evidenced by what she'd just put on the table, she did. "Of what?"

"The last crime scene," Todoroki said. "I've been thinking about it. The fires… There's something not right with them."

Uraraka huffed as she dug through her satchel again. "I know that."

"No, it's...something different," Todoroki replied, his brow furrowed.

She picked out the file in question and pulled it out to set on the table. He took it from her and began to flip through it. The other three at the table stared it down, like they might be able to figure out what he wanted to find. Finally, he stopped when he reached the pictures of the damage done by fire. That was one of the main sources of their problems. The fire was so destructive and powerful it ruined every bit of evidence available. She still didn't know what spell was being used to do it. There was so much magic surrounding each murder she couldn't pick it apart.

Todoroki snagged one of the pictures and pulled it towards him, staring down at it with so much intensity that she felt the urge to back off. "This. I kept coming back to this."

"What are you talking about?" Uraraka asked.

"The ashes." Todoroki pushed the picture to her. It was of a pile of ashes assumed to be the murder weapon. The fire had taken away everything from them. "That wasn't done by the fire."

Deku snatched the picture and stared it down. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Todoroki said carefully, "I've seen a lot of things reduced to ash by fire but none in that way."

Everyone at the table flinched away from the picture, except for Todoroki, who stared it down. Even Deku lifted his fingers from it. Uraraka leaned forward to pull it to her and gave it a closer look. For so long, she had been trying to find the right fire spells and the people capable of them, but if this particularly destruction hadn't been done by fire, then she had been looking at it all wrong. What had she been missing?

It hit her like a punch to the gut and horror fell over Uraraka. "A decay spell?"

"They're very rare, aren't they?" Todoroki replied in a solemn voice.

"Yes," Uraraka damn near breathed, shivering involuntarily. "They're volatile spells. Dark magic. Not all Dark magic is bad. I've used it before." Deku didn't blink and Todoroki remained unaffected, but she tried to ignore the way Bakugou eyed her and how Kirishima looked into his drink. "But some… Decay spells turn on their casters eventually. Oh, they're strong, but after a while…" She couldn't imagine anyone using a decay spell. She had always been taught how dangerous they are. And now? Well, it made sense. Whoever was committing these murders was capable of magic and they weren't in their right minds. "We'd see signs of the magic in the people we questioned."

Even worse, decay spells were much harder to detect. They lived up to their name, rotting and coming apart at the seems until they no longer existed. It was a chilling discovery, one that unsettled her a lot more than she wanted to admit. She had been taught from an early age that most magic was good, but there was some that were beyond bad. It was twisted and disgusting. Such magic left its mark on the user, transforming them into something monstrous.

"What kind of signs?" Deku finally asked.

"It's hard to describe," Uraraka said, "but you would know there's something not right with them immediately. Magic like this corrupts the mind, body, and soul. It's impossible to hide." She frowned and held out her hands palms up. "It can look like a person is rotting from the inside out. They'd have to use some heavy duty glamour or illusion charms to be able to hide it."

Bakugou gulped down the rest of his beer and pushed the glass aside. "Like the one used to trick my doorman into thinking that I'd come back to my apartment."

Uraraka nodded. "Exactly."

While Todoroki flipped through a few more pictures done by fire, the rest of them sat back in thought. Eventually, Bakugou stood up to order them another round. Uraraka idly slipped a fingertip around the rim of her drink, staring down at the pink liquid like it might find some answers in the reflection. She knew of witches who could do such things, but fortune telling had never been her forte. If she had been any good at tarot readings, they would've been a lot further in this investigation instead of a tail behind.

Catching the still-troubled look on Todoroki's face - the slight furrow of his brow, the dark intensity in his eyes, the downward turn of his lips - Uraraka dragged her attention away from her drink and back to him. "Is there something else bothering you?"

"It's just…" Todoroki frowned further and squirmed in his seat to get more comfortable. "The fire. At first, I was focused on how wrong it was. You know, the destruction didn't fit, which is why when the idea of other magic at play came to mind, I thought that would put any concerns to rest, but there's something…"

"Odd?" Deku suggested.

" Familiar ," Todoroki concluded, his voice distant.

That caught Uraraka off guard. The fire department had been the first responders on the scene to the first murder. It hadn't been until the fire had been safely put out did they even find the body burnt to a crisp. Back in the beginning, they had assumed that the fires were naturally done because of the use of an accelerant. The fire easily spread past the gasoline or lighter fluid that was used.

Uraraka agreed with Todoroki in that it was off. It was why she'd decided to look into fire spells and asked him to personally take a closer look at the pictures since he was most familiar with fire out of all of them. It was too strong for magic to not be involved. By the time Deku and Uraraka had been brought onto the case, the police had determined the fires were being used to cover up the crimes, but beyond thinking it was a werewolf who came back to cover their tracks the morning after, there was very little evidence. The fire was destructive enough to destroy a timeline and most of the evidence, but the wounds were deep enough to still be seen even after being burned.

Not long after they figured out that it was an elf involved in the murders and not a werewolf, they stopped burning the body or trying to destroy it, leaving it preserved as if to mock them. Fire was still used to destroy evidence, but the besides the mortal-inflicted wounds, the bodies were left untouched. That was what really sealed the deal for other people who hadn't believed that magic was being used for the fires. No natural fire could be so precise.

"Fire isn't as - well, it's not like a fingerprint," Todoroki explained carefully. "I mean, once you're trained in spotting the differences and use the appropriate tests, you can tell how certain fires are started. Using accelerant and what kind. The temperature of the fires. Whether magic, matches, or a lighter was used to start it."

He lifted his left hand over the table. As he unfurled his hand, a flame rippled to life above his palm. It was beautiful, the orange glow casting an eerie light over their faces. Even though she was fully capable of fire spells, she wasn't overly fond of them. They were powerful stuff and took on a life of their own. Although they were very easy to cast and some of the first spells that any witch or wizard learned, they were notoriously difficult to control.

For Todoroki, it was different. Fire was a part of him, although it was still considered magic. Even in his human form, creating flames was as natural as breathing. He didn't necessarily use magic in order to create fire; it was more like he was magic. Dragons were considered some of the oldest beings on the planet. There was even tales of them being involved in the creation of magic, a cornerstone for both fire and ice, although not everyone believed in such things. They were certainly old.

"You said it looked familiar," Uraraka prompted.

"Well, it's hard for me to tell just from a picture," Todoroki said as he pulled out a picture of Uraraka's apartment building up in flames. It was the only photos they had of the actual flames and not just the aftermath. The fire department had decided only two days ago that the murders and the arson were connected. "But when I saw the news of the fire, I couldn't help but be reminded of my flames - or maybe more of my father's. I don't use mine very much, after all, so maybe that was why I didn't notice it before. Plus, mine is strong, but it can't destroy that much, which was why the decay spell threw me off."

The comparison was unsettling. "Are you saying that you think another dragon is involved?"

Todoroki looked uncomfortable. "I'm just saying the fire looked familiar. I watched the recordings of your apartment burning multiple times. Once I started looking at it that way, it made more sense. The fire was very controlled. We all assumed there was a barrier spell, but I can make a barrier ring with my own fire. It's difficult on a grand scale like that, but not impossible. Plus, dragons can use magic as well. Both my mother and sister are gifted in it."

He didn't like what he was saying, but it had clearly been resting on his mind. He didn't look any happier to have gotten it off his chest. There weren't many dragons around anymore, especially in these parts. Todoroki's family was the most prominent in the area. Of course there were others, but they weren't nearly as known and they didn't stay for very long. If there was another dragon around from a different clan or area, then they could be a direct threat to his family and his father's standing. As much as he didn't like getting involved in things, a dragon being involved could potentially drag Todoroki down with Uraraka and Deku and get him kicked off the case.

Deku tapped his chin thoughtfully. "The fire wasn't just used to conceal evidence of the crime; it also concealed evidence of the cover-up, the decay spell." He was beginning to mutter to himself again, a habit he fell into whenever his mind started to work faster than the rest of him. "Fire is a more general magic, but we'd know what to look for if we knew what specific types of spells were being used."

Kirishima whistled and scratched the back of his head. "All this talk is giving me a headache." He slugged back the rest of his drink, which Uraraka was certain was the actual cause of his headache. That brew was dark and sludgy, but it was a favorite of orcs because of how potent it was. They had to drink something a little stronger than the rest of them. She was fine with her fruity drinks. "It's a lot of magic for one murder."

"Any magic is too much magic," Bakugou put in as he sat back down and shoved their drinks at them. He had even bought one for Todoroki, which was kind of him considering how they usually got along. Maybe he was feeling generous after being trusted and believed. Uraraka didn't flinch at his disdain toward magic. She was too used to it by now. Besides, she knew he didn't mean it personally.

It did, however, make her think. "It is a lot of magic."

"Fire, decay, illusion, and maybe a few others," Deku listed off.

"Those are usually specialty magic," Uraraka added. She and Deku connected eyes, realization blooming in them at the same time. "We're not dealing with just one killer."

"That would explain how Sero was overpowered," Kirishima pointed quietly. Judging from the way they went silent, all of them had been thinking about that fact. It was so obvious now that she looked back on it. More than one person had attacked him that night. Had he even stood a chance?

If the thought of someone using seriously dark, dark magic was bad enough, the idea that multiple people were working together in these killings was sickening. What kind of people got together as a group to commit murder? And for what purpose? To what end? Had she been targeted because of her involvement in the case? Had Bakugou? She rather thought that he'd been a convenient way to get to her. Even though he had an established alibi for Sero's death and Aizawa had let him go after questioning all of them, people had still turned against him. He kept tugging on his hood to hide his ears, anxious at being called out.

The pictures from the other night remained in a separate folder out of their sight. She didn't want to upset Bakugou or Kirishima any further than they already were. She'd had to do some digging in order to get them. It had been thanks to Officer Shinsou she had been able to get a hold of them at all. She didn't have access to file, but being the first responder on the scene, he did. To be honest, she wouldn't have thought to ask him for his help, not after the way he and his partner had treated her, but he had come to apologize for their behavior. Words meant very little to her - she'd learned a lot time ago that spells required both action and words - and so she had asked a favor of him instead.

"It was bad enough when you all figured out that an elf was involved in this." Todoroki sighed, pressing a finger against his temple. "I'll have to ask my father if he's heard anything from other dragon clans, but he won't like it." With a surname like Todoroki, it was impossible for him to not be associated with his father, who was one of the most important and influential people even outside of the city. He didn't like it though. Everyone assumed that he had political aspirations as well, which his father would've liked. "What's next? A warlock? You know how high and mighty they are."

Uraraka snorted. "Don't remind me."

"Merlin, this is a mess," Todoroki grumbled, taking the drink that Bakugou had bought him. He took a sip of it and made a face, but kept drinking without complaint.

Bakugou clenched a fist around his mug. "We're going to get to the bottom of this and take out those bastards."

His simmering fury made Uraraka uneasy. Normally he spent time cooling down after the full moon, but his hackles were raised and he was ready for a throwdown. "We?"

"They fucking made this personal," Bakugou snarled, clenching his glass so tight she was worried it would shatter in his hand. "I'm not resting until whoever is behind Sero's murder is taken care of."

"You mean arrested and convicted," Deku said in a tone the suggested he already knew what Bakugou meant.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Bakugou replied dismissively.

Deku sighed and glanced at Kirishima, who could only shake his head. Uraraka looked worriedly to Todoroki, whose level gaze was focused on Bakugou. It was hard to tell what they were all thinking, but she could feel the wary tension hanging between all of them. There couldn't have been a more diverse group of magical creatures in a bar - except for, perhaps, the group that had been committing these crimes.

She looked around the room, but no one stood out. It was easier to blend in than people realized. Considering that he didn't look like most elves, all Deku really needed was a hat in order to hide his identity. Uraraka could pass as a plain human as long as she didn't use magic or wear any defining, stereotypical clothes. Bakugou could hide his tail and ears with the right clothes. Todoroki was able to easily pass as human as well when he wanted. Now that she thought about it, she'd never seen him outside of his human form. Only Kirishima had too many physical aspects to hide his orc blood.

If a glamor spell was being used to hide the telltale signs of the dark decay magic, then it could conceivably be anyone. The right illusion charm could even hide the fact that magic was currently being used by inverted the spells, although that would linger after the fact. No elf in their right mind would use such magic though, would they? Not that she liked to stereotype, especially considering her partner was an elf, but they tended to be, well, vain and considered such magic beneath them. They'd already been going about this investigation the wrong way by looking for only one suspect. How much more were they wrong about?

"Should we tell someone about our suspicions?" Uraraka asked.

Deku gave a helpless shrug and looked even more bewildered. "I honestly don't know if they'll listen right now or if we'll just get in trouble more for continuing to dig." He tapped the tap with a finger. "I don't think we should keep this to ourselves though. It's our case, but I don't care who solves it as long as the murders are stopped."

"I care," Bakugou mumbled, glaring at his drink as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Well, you two might be in limbo, but I'm not," Todoroki said decisively, ignoring Bakugou's words. They all did. "I can go own to the station and let Aizawa know about my concerns. I did ask you to meet me, after all."

"He'll know we're involved," Deku pointed out. "He always does."

"It's a risk we'll have to take," Uraraka said. "He's helped us before."

Honestly, Uraraka didn't know where she would be had she not been able to transfer to Aizawa's unit. Under another captain, she might not have been allowed to flourish. Other cops had balked at her overt use of magic at crime scenes, chasing down suspects, and more. Aizawa might've blinked a few times, not familiar with the concept at all, but he hadn't told her to stop either. That alone spurred her forward every day. She had to hope he would continue to trust them.

Bakugou was right. This was personal. The use of magic had bothered her before, but now she was furious. She felt like she should've burned hot with it, like Bakugou, but all she felt was cold. Magic was such a deeply ingrained part of it. Seeing it used like this made her think of all the frightening tales her parents had told her as a child to warn her away from abusing her power. These people must have heard these same stories - and they were living them.