Chapter 6

(A/N Graphic scene ahead, ACHTUNG!)

Tuesday went on in the most normal way it could with everything that was going on. Shoto didn't know what Bakugou had suddenly left for, but whatever it was had put him on edge, so Shoto decided not to ask.

Wednesday was when things started to go downhill.

He'd gotten up early again, this time hurrying more than the previous day. He didn't want to risk having a meltdown in front of anybody again.

As he walked towards the main entrance area, there was a huge crowd. He didn't think anything of it and pushed his way through the commotion, but what he saw next stopped him dead in his tracks. Literally.

It was one of his classmates.

Minoru Mineta.

His naked body was strewn across a comically large cross, each limb nailed clean through into the wood. Upon closer inspection, each of his fingers was nailed as well and each of his fingernails plucked off.

Shoto had watched a lot of Forensic Files growing up, and could conclude based on the amount of blood that these injuries were all inflicted before Mineta died.

He also noticed that every single one of Mineta's teeth had been plucked out, his tongue cut off, and his eyes scooped out his head.

Since Mineta was naked, he could also see that somebody performed an Orchiectomy on him.

Shoto shivered at the thought.

Before Shoto could examine the gruesome scene more, he noticed the teachers forcing the students to disperse.

He tried to leave with them until somebody grabbed him by the arm, it was a police officer.

"Are you Shoto Todoroki?" The police officer asked.

Shoto was confused as to why the officer wanted him, but stopped to reply nonetheless.

"Yes, I am."

"You're under arrest for the suspected murder of Minoru Mineta." The officer grabbed Shoto's forearm and forcibly handcuffed him.

Shoto had been sitting in the interrogation room for the past two hours. He was completely at a loss as to why the officers thought it was him. As though on command, one of the detectives entered the room and sat down.

"So, how was your morning?" The officer asked, straightening his papers against the desk.

"Is this a trick question?" Shoto asked in all seriousness, looking the officer in the eyes.

"Well, I imagine your morning was pretty awful, but maybe stumbling upon your classmate like that brought joy. You never know." The officer shrugged.

Shoto thought back to all the times Mineta had made crude comments about the girls and a few of the boys, like himself.

Yet, Shoto couldn't think of any other reason to hate Mineta than that.

"I'm going to be honest," Shoto started.

"I'd hope." The officer chuckled.

"He sexualized me and my best friend sometimes, making remarks on how we'd be prettier as girls. Yet anyway, I didn't dislike him, but I didn't like him either." Shoto concluded.

The officer made some notes before looking back at Shoto, "Has he done anything recently that made you angry with him?"

Shoto tilted his head in confusion. The officer is implying that Mineta had done something he was not aware of.

"Maybe? I've been really stressed lately, so I can't recall." Shoto answered in half-truth.

"You were recently outed as gay to your school against your wishes. Do you remember who did it?" The officer asked, fiddling with his pen.

Shoto thought back to his conversation with Bakugou, but he couldn't remember who he'd blamed.

"Well, I remember Bakugou telling me that the school knew. I didn't know that anybody knew, so it was news to me. I can't remember who he'd said it was though. Gonpachiro-?" Shoto looked up in thought.

"There's nobody named Gonpachiro at your school."

Shoto slightly furrowed his brow, "Bakugou uses nicknames for everybody, all I remember is it started with a 'guh' sound."

"What was Mineta's nickname?" The officer queried, slightly swiveling in his chair.

Shoto's eyes widened when he connected the dots, "Mineta's nickname is 'Grape'."

The officer jotted some things down, "So it was Mineta who outed you?"

Shoto pouted and looked down at his thighs, "I guess so."

The officer sighed, "While that isn't exactly motive for murder, it does paint you as the prime suspect."

Shoto only lowered his head more at the officer's words.

He was suspected of murder.