The timing of my next few uploads might be a little off because I'm going on vacation and I'll be in a different time zone. But it will still be on Mondays and Fridays (for me, anyway). I hope you enjoy my latest chapter!

Chapter 26

Something was wrong. Very wrong. Shinso could feel it, down to his very core. It had woken him in the dead of night. He sat bolt upright in his bed, listening. The rumble of thunder and steady drone of rain were the only sounds throughout the quiet village. But deep down he knew something was out of place. That was when the Chief's voice cut through the night, shouting his name. He had never seen Chief Deku look so panicked. He didn't even wait for him before the elk bolted off into the forest. It hadn't taken long for him to rouse the warriors and set off after him. But those few moments, though short, had been too long. They reached the clearing, just in time to see Deku and the Dragon King surrounded by a group of villains. In an instant, they all had vanished. Gone. Shinso sent the warriors in groups of four, searching for Deku. But there was no trace of him. No way to know where he had disappeared to. He was just about to increase the search are when Shinso heard the clop of hoofbeats drawing closer. He spotted a red elk galloping toward them. But it wasn't just any red elk, it was Deku's elk, Yakul.

Dread clawed at his insides. Rushing forward, Shinso tried to shush the animal. In the chaos he must have been accidentally transported away with the Chief. It was pacing nervously, tossing its head. Snatching Yakul's reins he tried his best to calm the elk.

"Yakul, please!" Even though Yakul never let anyone else ride him, he seemed to sense the urgency in Shinso's voice. "Where is Chief Deku?"

The red elk snorted, stamping its cloven hoof impatiently.

"Can you take me to him?"

Yakul considered him for a moment before lowering his head slightly. The elk would never let anyone else ride him unless something was horribly wrong. Shinso climbed onto his back and the elk bolted off into the forest. It was so dark, Shinso could hardly see. But he could tell that they were headed for the southern part of the forest—where the foothills of the mountains marked the border with Kasai. Yakul grew more agitated as they drew closer to a small clearing. Several trees had been knocked down, the wood splintered as if something heavy had ripped through them. There were large claw marks in the ground. Something in the mud caught Shinso's attention. Sliding from the elk's back, he approached the dark lump. It was a jade pendant, the leather strand broken and discarded in a pool of blood.

The air around him seemed to waver, as if a thin veil was being torn. He could feel the faint tingle of magic slowly fading. One For All…it was failing! Deku was in danger. Was he dying? But…where was he? Without the Chief's magic, the village would be left practically defenseless and who knew what would fall upon their forest. Thieves after the Stellanium? Kings seeking to expand their territory? The worst possible outcomes flashed through his mind all at once.

"Dear spirits," he muttered, clutching the necklace tightly. "Gods help us."

V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V.V

"Bakugou!" Kirishima shouted, banging the doors open.

"Don't shout!" Bakugou barked back.

"Both of you, please," the doctor interjected. "There is a patient sleeping. Keep your voices down."

"Sorry," Kirishima muttered. "I just heard Kaminari and Ashido talking about what happened."

It had been two days since Bakugou had brought Deku back with him, the boy practically at death's door. During that time, he was in and out of fleeting moments consciousness, delirious with fever. He seemed unaware of anything that was happening around him, only the pain. He kept muttering incoherently, making Bakugou wonder if he was dreaming or seeing a vision as he slept. Once the worst had passed, the doctor managed to take care of the Chief's collapsed lung. And now that he was able to breathe properly, it finally seemed like he was resting comfortably. But he had not regained consciousness since. The doctor lifted his limp hand, checking his pulse. After a few moments, he lowered it back down again.

"Well?" Bakugou demanded.

"His condition is improving. After the shock his body has endured, I'm surprised he's doing as well as he is."

"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" he pressed him.

"Sire, he lost quite a bit of blood and, once lost, is hard to replace. When he does wake up, he will undoubtedly be very weak. We should be thankful for his current condition. It's a miracle he's even alive."

Bakugou nodded. He sent the doctor away with a brief word. He walked around the side of the bed, sitting in the chair the old man had just vacated. Deku's freckled cheeks were pale. He brushed a strand of green hair out of his face, lingering a bit longer than necessary; his fingers traced the contours of the Chief's cheek. Deku's skin was warm with fever. Bakugou wished he would wake up soon.

"What happened?" Kirishima asked.

"I had questions that needed answering," he said simply. "But there was an ambush waiting. And that Dabi bastard was there."

"He was?"

"It was like they knew we were coming. Those fuckers!" Just thinking about it made his temper flare. "They said they wanted to take something from him—some kind of weird power. And then I suddenly fell through this weird vortex and we were separated. When I found him, there was a spear lodged in his chest. Those bastards…I'll fucking kill them! I don't know what the hell gave them the idea they could pull a stunt like this and get away with it, but they'll regret it! I'll hunt them all down and kill them!"

"Bakugou, about Dabi…."

He sighed, trying to regain his composure. He took a deep breath. "What about him?"

"There was something off about him, you know? Like he knew too much about what was going on in our country. So I started tracking down all the people with grudges against you."

"That's a long list," Bakugou muttered.

"Well I remembered something from the night you took the throne, when the assassin tried to kill you. You remember the fat noblemen who hired him?"

Bakugou nodded.

"I found his wife."

"And?"

"She had a son. And he went missing not long after you sent them to the mines. I couldn't make much progress when I asked her questions, her mind was pretty broken. But she showed me a picture."

He pulled a photograph out of his vest pocket and handed it to the King. Bakugou took it, his eyes widening when he realized who it was. The boy was pale with messy light blue hair. It was Shigaraki.

"That's him," Bakugou whispered, horrified. Suddenly all the pieces started to fall into place. By banishing him and his family, he had created the very villain that had nearly taken Deku's life. It was all his fault. "I need to know more about this fucker…you said the old woman is still alive?"

"Shall I send word to have the woman brought here?"

"Immediately."

"Right away, sir." Kirishima bowed. He glanced down at the boy lying unconscious in the King's bed. "And what about him?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out."

Deku couldn't stay forever. He had his own people to lead, people that loved and needed him. He wondered how the little village was faring without their Chief. No doubt they were wondering what had happened to him, where he had disappeared to. At the time he didn't have time to think of the consequences. All he thought about was saving Deku's life. But now that he really thought about it, maybe suddenly taking Deku away wasn't the best idea. He just hoped that there wouldn't be any negative consequences.

Remember to leave a review and check back on Monday for Chapter 27!