Chapter 3 They Know Too Much
The day after, Shoto and Kaminari attempted to train their brains to recollect the past, but all hope was lost.
"Come on" urged Shoto "What was that song called?"
"It's already slipping away" groaned Kaminari.
"Dammit" he growled.
"Hey, man. Maybe you're forcing it too much. Just relax and something will come to you"
"How can I relax?" he felt unwelcomed tears prickle in his eyes "I'm so frustrated, I hate this place"
"Come on, you have me and Katsuki. There's gotta be good stuff"
"I haven't seen Katsuki in ages, have you?"
"No, not since… wait"
Kaminari looked around the Hall for their unruly friend "Shit! He's not here, why didn't we realise earlier?"
"Was he in the moral lessons test?" quickly demanded Shoto.
"Definitely at the start because he said something weird to me before class. I didn't see him after class, though. He couldn't have left, could he?"
"What did he say before class?"
"Something like 'This place is bonkers, and we need to leave soon. Speak to me after class and get Shoto' I don't understand what he meant though"
"Why didn't you say earlier?" Shoto irritably snapped.
"Because he wasn't there!"
"I guess. That's two missing: Kendo and Katsuki. Where's that Uraraka girl?"
"Who's that?" bluntly questioned Kaminari.
"You know! The one who asked about Kendo during class"
"Oh, yeah" Kaminari looked around and nodded to the left of them "There"
Swiftly, he turned to the bubbly girl. Only, she wasn't bubbly; more like pale and trembling. There were other subjects next to her but were ignoring her and chattering to others.
"She doesn't look so good" murmured Kaminari.
"I'm gonna talk to her before class" decided Shoto instantly.
"I'm coming!" insisted Kaminari.
A bell drilled to indicate the start of lessons and all the children stood up and tucked in their chairs.
"Perfect timing" and Shoto dashed to catch up to Uraraka with Kaminari close behind him.
"Uraraka!" called out Kaminari and the girl stopped like a deer in the headlights.
"We have to talk to you" huffed Shoto.
"What is it?" sweat dripped down her forehead and her voice trembled unevenly.
"What do you know?" no beating round the bush for Shoto.
"I don't understand what you mean" she tried to push past Shoto but Kaminari stood in her way.
"Look," Shoto bent his face close to hers and Uraraka's eyes widened in confused terror "You know something either about Kendo or Katsuki, we need to know if it's about Katsuki"
"Bakugo, you mean?"
"Yep, him"
"Y-yeah, something's happened" her voice wobbled further.
"Can you tell us?" asked Kaminari.
"W-well, I was in class. Bakugo looked up and ripped his paper whilst staring at the teacher angrily, I don't know what was up with him, though. Then, some strong-looking people came into the room and took him away. They covered his mouth up and cuffed him, but he didn't retaliate, only cried a bit. Then they injected him within a couple of seconds of entering the room and he fell asleep"
"Took him?" started Kaminari but Shoto interrupted.
"How did no one see or hear this?"
"I don't know, I was so confused. Only I saw but they don't know I saw. They were silent, though. No one made a noise"
"Where did they take Katsuki?" whined Kaminari.
"Shit… we can't talk here" Shoto was rapidly filled with consternation "They're listening. Denki, we shouldn't have found that out. Uraraka shouldn't have seen Katsuki being abducted or told us"
"Why are you so freaked out?" asked Kaminari and they both stared at Shoto.
"These guys are dangerous" his voice cracked with despair "And we can be next"
"Why?" demanded Kaminari who was still confused but Uraraka inhaled sharply,
"Oh, they wanted to keep Katsuki's disappearance hushed up, but I just told you two!"
"Exactly. If one of us disappears within the next three days, then that's why. We know stuff they don't want us to know and they might seek revenge, in a way"
"What do we do when one of us goes?" asked Uraraka discreetly.
"I'll talk to Izuku and we can know why they've gone" promised Shoto.
"Who the heck's Izuku?" Shoto looked at Kaminari.
"Don't be stupid, the nurse we get for Daily Health Checks"
"I don't know anyone called Izuku"
"Guys" suddenly spoke Uraraka, "Don't want to ruin this discussion, but we're really late for class"
In a trio, they ran to class but the whole way, Shoto just wanted to forget. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, Katsuki filling his head and salty tears running down his cheeks. His ash-blond friend snarled and snapped at everyone like a terrier, but sometimes showed his soft, thoughtful side.
"Shoto!" shrilled Uraraka but Shoto opened his eyes to tumble into a figure in front of him.
"Ah, I'm so sorry" Shoto's eyes focused and he saw the scene in front of him.
He was laying down, but underneath him was a skinny man with large, thick-rimmed glasses and mass of curly, jade hair. The man was looking uncomfortably and blushed awkwardly whilst saying:
"Shoto, you can get off now"
He yelped and jumped off Izuku, muttering whilst scooping up a large pile of papers that had scattered onto the floor.
"It's okay" Izuku said. Then, he waved at Shoto's two classmates and said "You two, get to class. Shoto will be there soon"
The pair hurried off and Shoto wiped the beads of salty water off his face with the cuff of his sleeve whilst kneeling on the floor.
"You're crying" stated Izuku and he kneeled opposite Shoto.
"My friend's gone, and I didn't even realise. I want him back"
"He'll be back soon" soothed Izuku.
"How do you know?" sobbed Shoto "He was taken by some strong guards, apparently. Uraraka told me and Denki, but I didn't even see or realise so I feel so angry. He could be dead or tortured or something evil like that. I didn't get to show him how much I care"
"I don't know about your friend, Shoto. All I know is that you really should get to class now. And, he probably knows you care about him"
"Yeah" sniffed Shoto and he felt arms embrace him.
The warmth of Izuku's slender but sturdy arms calmed Shoto and he took some deep breaths. Izuku pulled away and then said,
"Go, now"
Shoto hurried to class and Izuku watched him go. He then pulled out a walkie-talkie and hissed into it:
"There's a girl with short, brown and a boy with blonde hair walking together down either corridor 36 or 37, take them. They know too much. But, don't touch the white- and red-haired kid. He's mine."
Izuku then tucked the device back into his pocket and started humming the same song Kaminari remembered whilst sauntering down the hallway.
Slamming the door open, Shoto breezed inside, panting.
"I am so sorry I'm late!" he blurted to his teacher.
"Get a seat, 43"
He started walking towards the seat and looked towards Kaminari. Only he wasn't there. Shoto stared at the empty seat, praying Kaminari would marvellously appear. Fearing the worst, Shoto looked at Uraraka's seat and discovered that was empty as well.
"Is there a problem?" retorted the teacher.
"Yeah" Shoto spoke in an almost inaudible whisper "Where's Kaminari and Uraraka?"
"They never turned up" shortly replied the teacher.
Shoto's breath hitched in his throat and he started backing out of the classroom.
"Where do you think you're going?" the teacher started towards him but Shoto turned on his heel and fled out of the classroom. Well, as fast as he could with loose chains round his ankles.
They say if you're lost, just turn towards the shining Sun.
Keep walking.
And you'll find your place.
Only, Shoto couldn't see a Sun as he was trapped in a bleak building. He continued blindly running further and further, hearing drones whir behind him and feet stomping after his translucent presence.
Solid, forceful hands grabbed his wrists and pinned him up against the wall and he heard multiple shouts which blended into meaningless words amongst indecipherable noise. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling heavy handcuffs lock round his wrists but he couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't act.
He was finished, it was all over. No luck for Shoto Todoroki; the last thing he remembered was something being injected into his neck and a haziness swarm over him.
"You've crossed the line" spoke a familiar voice into his ear.
Then, the cold, sweet darkness took him away.