"What happened to Kurisu?!" Shoto shouted as they hurried down the hall, the opposite direction she had just come from.
"He'll be fine!" she called, tripping over the thundering in her chest. "I... had to break a couple of bones to stop him but it's nothing that he won't easily heal from! God, I can't believe I fucking hurt someone... and you know, I truly think he wasn't going to hurt us and didn't want to?! And then I just... to think I have the power to..." More of those pesky tears blurred her vision. She raised her still restrained wrists to wipe at her eyes, having to leap over the length of the links and slowing her pace. Shoto slowed, concerned about how she was struggling to keep up when she was usually just slightly faster than him.
"You did what you had to do to get out of their alive and save me. You made sure to only hurt him just enough to get away, but not enough that it would permanently damage him. That's exactly what you need to do. If it can be avoided, don't harm anyone. If harm is necessary, do the minimum necessary. And even that sometimes is hard to do. You did exactly what you needed to do, what a hero needs to do Kairi! I'm proud of you, and I'm certain your dad is too!" The words pumped through her, releasing another wave of heat across her face. She smiled lightly, but shook her head, skidding around the corner.
"No... he wouldn't... not after I'm the reason we're in this mess..." she whispered quietly. Her speeding foot caught the end of one of the links and she stumbled. Shoulder fell first, smashing against the cool wall. Kairi coughed as the jolt shot through her, and then followed it with a hiss. Shoto didn't hesitate in stopping. Warmth licked her wrists when he turned them over in his hands, her spirit dancing at the feel of his touch. When a thumb grazed over the small wound left by the clamps, more pain spiked in her arm and sense ripped her hands away from him.
"Sorry," he whispered. "I need you to trust me, okay? I... can't completely remove the cuffs without seriously hurting you... but I can remove the chain so you can move a little freer." She met with his eyes. It was ridiculous of him to suggest she wouldn't trust him. He could drop her from the top of Mount Fiji and she would remain completely calm, trusting his decision. A dangerous decision, she knew, to allow any man to have such an influence over her... but she knew Shoto would never do anything that would put her in danger. Feeling completely calmed by his presence and words, she nodded and held out her chained wrists.
Shoto placed his left hand over the center of the cuffs, where the long length of chain met with the center of the cuffs. Concentrating, a glow appeared under his hand. Kairi turned her fingers away, sweat forming on her skin from the heated breeze that radiated from the space between her hands. A small ember licked at the chain, just under his palm. He held it for a moment, staring at the cuffs vilely. In moments, the metal grew to deep red, becoming white in seconds after. Shoto removed his hand, revealing the crux of the chains to be a perfect white.
"Do not move," he warned slowly. She nodded and didn't draw a breath. She didn't pull her hands away and stood, still as she could make herself.
Shoto spun quickly, slamming a heavily booted foot against the white hot center. Effortlessly, the chain clattered against the floor. The cuffs fell apart and the long trail of links fell to the floor. Before she could make a move, Shoto held the remaining links swaying from her in his right hand, wincing for just a moment before steam poured from the creases in his hands. Quickly, he dropped the ends. As they fell against her wrists once more, she chilled at their coolness. He had quickly thought to zap them with a little bit of ice so their fragments would not burn her. Her cheeks colored once more as she turned her eyes.
"Thanks," she whispered, scuffling a foot against the floor.
"Let's get out of here," he said. His hand shot back towards her and linked with her fingers. Urgency pulled him along and guided Kairi's rushing feet, but her attention was on the feel of his palm pressed against hers. He was only trying to assure they didn't get separated and moved at the same pace. That was all. Of course there was no other meaning behind the clasp of their hands. It didn't change how wildly her heart moved and how her blood sang victoriously at the feel of his simple gesture. As serious as their situation was, a smile broke.
Then an enraged cried shook the corridor they were in. Shoto skidded to stop, causing Kairi to collapse against him.
"Sorry," he apologized quickly.
"That was Bakugo!" she said, turning her head. The cry echoed again. She bounded towards it, still holding onto Shoto tightly. "It came from this corner!" The two of them pounded down around the corner. Shoto used his ice talents to shoot a spike through the windowed doors. The glass fell away and allowed them to peer into an empty room, full of supplies. Shoto swore and moved down to the next door. More glass shattered as thick ice spikes whipped through the window. A smaller room, with several abandoned computers. The next room revealed itself to be some lab with various beakers and cylinders. Kairi cringed.
"Wonder if this is where they create those gases they seem to be so fond of?" she snarled. Shoto shrugged. The next two rooms had no window – but their signs clearly indicated their usage. Bathrooms, one for those who identified as women, and one for those who identified as men. Shoto smirked and held up the door to the women's restroom.
"Still need to use it?" he teased. She groaned and slapped her face with her free hand.
"You're ridiculous..." she moaned. A smile found her. "Clearly, I have no need of such facilities. I only use funnels now."
He released a loud, boisterous cackle before letting the door fall shut and running towards a much louder cry. He broke the window of the next door – and there was Bakugo, strapped to a table like the ones they were attached to. The clatter of glass caused him to arch his neck. Anger reddened his face at the sight of his rescuers.
"Where the hell have you been?!" he screamed, his hair as wild as his attitude. "Took your damn time getting to me, didn't you?" Shoto reached his arm around, mindful of the jagged pieces surrounding the window frame. Unlocking the door, he pushed the door open. The two of them instinctively split their hand hold and ran to either side of the table Bakugo was strapped to.
"Stop thrashing you're only making it worse, you idiot!" Kairi screamed, noting how he already had blood laced around his wrists – just like her. She blinked her wide eyes, trying not to focus on the possibility she and Bakugo might have some similarities.
"You're the ones who told me to come to this place!" he bellowed as the two worked the locks on the clamps. Kairi finished first and he flung one hand free. She moved round the table to where his feet where and began to pull at the straps holding down the metal bar. "Did you see that bastard who called himself a doctor? He was asking me for my damn quirk! Ha! As if I would give that away so easily..."
"Yeah, he's trying to 'cure' the quirkless by giving them quirks. And he sees nothing wrong with taking them from others without their consent," Kairi explained.
"That's fucking diabolical," Bakugo hissed, sitting up once his other arm was free. He swayed as Shoto helped Kairi with the metal bar.
"Take a moment to get your balance," Shoto said. "We have to get out of here and soon."
"I know, I know!" Bakugo barked, slowly swinging his legs off the table. "How do we get out of this damn place?!"
"We're working on that!" Kairi spun around, seeking anything in the room that might give them some sort of the clue. But the simple cabinets that and tray of surgical tools was much too similar to their previous room, and that lent them nothing. "We'll just have to keep on running til we find something."
"Is this supposed to be some twisted hospital?!" Bakugo said, cringing angrily at the sights around him.
"He claimed to want to try to help people here but this seems more like torture facility that's been thoroughly sterilized," Shoto observed. "It wouldn't surprise me if illegal operations are performed here."
They turned at the sound of a heavy rush of footfalls coming down their path. Kairi reached back for Shoto's hand again, pulling him along. Bakugo remained close behind, running back down the hall they just came from and past the turn off they had just been down. Bakugo bringing up the rear, he caught a small glimpse down the hall they passed – seeing a group of intimidating characters running right towards them.
"Hey, we got company after us!" he screamed. "They know where we are now!" Shoto broke away from Kairi and allowed Bakugo to run past him. He paused and raised his arm. Ice flourished out from his palm and expanding into a high wall, sealing off the hallway.
But the wall only remained still for a moment. Whoever had been chasing them, their shadows appeared beyond the length of ice before them. Mutters and grumbles could be heard indistinctively and then... a hiss. A sizzle. The ice in the center was thinning rapidly, growing clearer in its translucency. Strange foaming bubbles appeared, small at first. Then the bubbles grew while the hissing grew louder.
"What are we doing standing here?!" Bakugo shouted. "If you want to stare at bubbles, go fill your bathtub with soap! Let's get out of here!"
"That's probably a good idea!" Kairi shouted. She awkwardly scrambled up the steps, Shoto gesturing for her to go in front of him, Bakugo taking the lead. The three of them hurried up the stairs, reaching the top just as the ice could be heard shattering and boots clamored against the ground. They hurried into a wide hall that was brightly lit, but the floor was that dull grey carpet. This stretch of hallway held more doors, but they had smaller windows and looked much more like generic classroom doors.
"Kids... calm down! We just want to have a conversation!" came a gentler voice. It sounded low and young. And familiar. Like that man who was that the desk, maybe... Tsushima, was that his name?
"We're past having a conversation!" The voice was angry, but much higher than the first. "You saw what they did Arinori! These kids aren't harmless!"
"You really think they would see all that equipment and not assume they're about to be murdered?!" shouted a voice that sounded a little more feminine from behind them. "If he didn't get a chance to explain to them... I would probably break his leg too!"
"They're going to ruin everything we've established here!" growled the second man. Literally growled, almost as if it was... the lion man? "Arinori's been working for years to establish this! His life's work!" Try as she might, she couldn't prevent the tinge of the tug the words left. But his life's work had to be dangerous – therefore it shouldn't matter they were upsetting everything they tried to establish. It was evil, she was convinced, and needed to be toppled. Hands flew in front of her face, pushing away the trace of emotion she was feeling. God, why was she feeling so remorseful for something so... atrocious? When he clearly had no care about other people's agency and their own input.
"Stop!" shouted another familiar voice, as a uniformed woman slid in from the corner hallway. That security guard held a stick in one hand above her head. She had other items about her waist, far more dangerous. But she made no move to grab any of them. Likely, she had no desire to face any of them against children.
"My turn, losers!" Bakugo cackled. He shook his arm, flecks of sweat flying onto the ground and aimed a single finger at the spot he had just drenched. Shoto grabbed Kairi just before he blasted fire into the ground. The air blackened with smoke, creating a perfect cover for Bakugo to jump down first. Shoto slipped in through the hole and rolled onto the linoleum floor below them. Coughing from the wafting smoke, Kairi leapt from the unsteady edge and didn't pause before launching herself after them. Shoto clasped his arms around her just before she hit the ground, coughing on the trail of smoke she pulled with her.
"You okay?" he asked. She nodded, ignoring the flourish on her face.
"Wait a second, I got something for this..." came from overhead. They heard a whistling sound from up above. The drifting blackness in the air quickly sped away and the hole cleared, showing the faces of the lion-man, Tsushima, a middle-aged woman with clawed hands, and the female cop security guard. All except the woman with the claws, seeming to be wearing some sort of high tech mouth mask around their necks.
"Usagi, put them out," said the lion. The clawed woman nodded and patted at the pockets around her wide coat.
"What?!" Kairi said.
"Don't worry, I can take them!" Bakugo laughed. "Get out of here, you nerds! I got them!"
"We're not just going to leave you to take care of them alone, are you nuts?!" Kairi hissed. They watched the Usagi woman up above as she pulled clenched fists from her pockets and threw some particles into her mouth. She swallowed and puffed her cheeks. Tsushima leapt through the damaged hole and rolled into the debris. Bakugo held up an arm, gleaming with a sheen of sweat.
"Don't come any closer, old man!" he warned.
"I'm in my thirties..." scoffed Tsushima. "Listen we're just..."
"Yeah, yeah!" Shoto stood back, holding an arm to keep Kairi at back. Her eyes wandered around their surroundings. It was just an empty hallway with a stretch of doors but there was a sturdy looking pipe hanging overhead...
The lion tumbled through the hole, Usagi holding onto his back. She looked... pale. Almost grey, and her eyes were not present. The officer jumped down to join them. Curiously, they all put up their masks that hung around their necks.
"Ugh... I hate this part..." she said. She slid off the lion's back and then fell to her knees. A vile, rasping sound emitted from her mouth as she retched. However, what she emitted was not what one would expect someone to throw up. A strange, shimmering blue mist seeped out of her mouth. It drifted almost gracefully in front of them, hitting Bakugo first. His shoulders fell and only the smallest of sparks left his hands. Eyes shut just before he swayed and them slumped onto the floor.
"Bakugo!" Kairi screamed, drawing her eyes back to him. Shoto walked backwards, avoiding the strange blue mist that was spiraling their way.
"He's just asleep..." Tsushima explained dully while Usagi struggled to find her footing again. "It doesn't hurt, I promise. We're just looking to sedate you a little."
"Yeah, I don't have faith you won't hurt us later!" Kairi screeched, looking back up at the pipe weaving overhead and seeing it disappear. She couldn't do much... but she could get herself out of harm's way enough to think...
Shoto drew his hand again, wanting to use the ice to shield them off but then he looked over at Bakugo, noticing he would then be cut off from them. He switched arms, ready to use the fire –
"You'll hit Bakugo!" she said. The mist was inching closer. It might have been from the exertion, but her muscles were becoming weak. Shoto's steps were slower. It was funny, the mist seemed too dense to float much higher than their heads... Kairi reached behind her head, pulling at the fabric of her hoodie as much as she could. With a little force, the hood tore away from her sweatshirt and she passed it over to Shoto, it's little panda ears flopping around sadly. He questioned her with her eyes. Annoyance prevented her from answering and she simply shoved the fabric against his nose and mouth.
"Crouch!" she shouted. He nodded, holding the fabric against his face and lowered his body. Kairi stepped her foot against his back and used the leverage to push up. She threw herself up, launching herself just high enough that she caught three fingers on the edge of the pipe. Her body tensed, and panic tried to become her companion. Her mind screamed to her the importance of this situation, and how she needed to save her classmates. It pumped against her, a mantra. She needed to do this. She needed to save them. She was a rescuer. She needed to rescue.
It was enough for her to find the will. Kairi centered herself and breathed, swinging her limbs around. With effort, she clasped her arms and legs around the pipe, dangling overhead.
Okay... I need something. I need an emotion to stall them. That woman is already feeling sick, if I just made everyone else feel sick... Her mind continued, planning out what she could. She had no scent tubes to rely on and instead was forced to conjure up her own plan for illness. Burnt toast, she thought about that smelled. And how she felt so bad about it, she still tried to eat it with some peanut butter. The sensation it caused, churning in her gut. They paused and looked off, but it wasn't enough. She sputtered, and closed her eyes. She remembered how she felt just after she revived Shoto again, how much she wanted to throw up. Her stomach knotted and challenged her esophagus, daring it to go against her. Her body had grown so weak then, emotions so heavy she could no longer keep herself composed. Every organ in her wanted to give up and splay itself out for all to see. Her nose wrinkled, feeling that same guilt again. It was still fresh, even though it had been months by this point. The lion man had to steady himself against the wall. The security guard was walking in a rather wonky direction. Usagi had completely succumbed to collapsing against the wall. Tsushima fell to his knees and breathed deeply, waiting for any sensation to pass. Kairi breathed deeply, assessing the scene before her. That mist still waited, but it wasn't touching the ceiling. If she positioned herself right over Bakugo, she could drop onto him, grab a hold of him, and sweep him out of there just in time for Shoto to grab him and help put him away. It was risky, and she would have to force herself to move at her highest speed. Like when she pulled Shoto from that creak.
Kairi pulled herself along the pipe. For now, the mist seemed to be slowing – it seemed there was a limit to how far that quirk could go. Kairi continued to scale, pulling herself on the length. There, just above Bakugo. The girl shut her eyes... and then released all her limbs. Fingers were already reached out when she plopped onto Bakugo's back.
She took in a deep breath and held it before she snatched the cloth on Bakugo's shirt. GOD, he was so heavy! The kid needed to stop building so much muscle. Adrenaline fueling her minor strength, Kairi pulled him aside, dragging the sleepy kid out of the mist. Seeing their captors were still trying to recover from the spontaneous sickness, he leapt to her side. Shoto pulled Bakugo up from under his arm, Kairi grabbing his other arm. Though their run was slow, they found they were able to keep a pace together, and slowly ran around the corner once again. A door awaited them and to their surprise it opened... right into the lobby.
"Hurry, we're almost there!" Shoto called, pushing his feet to move faster as the two of them dragged Bakugo.
"Then we have to find a way out of here!" Kairi reminded with a shout. Her words were almost cut off by the scratching and bang of doors opening wide. Several familiar characters greeted them, as they burst through the entry. "Izuku!"
The boy flew into the room, barely stopping into wave as he plowed through the room, Momo just behind him and Tsu as well. Shoto grinned along with her, until more familiar faces turned up – Aizawa - Eraserhead, taking a quick moment to glare at them, and the vibrant beacon of flames himself, Endeavor – Enji Todoroki. Shoto's face turned the same color of the bland walls around them.
Knowing they would have it figured out, and they had a sleepy Bakugo to get out of harm's way, they ran as much as they could out the front entrance. Its doors were barely hanging on the hinges, thanks to the impact of whatever it was Midoriya likely did to it. Outside, glows of red and blue flitted anxiously in front of them. Kairi winced at the obnoxious lights trailing over them, highlighting the four police cars and two civilians vehicles that awaited just before them. In the back, there was a larger vehicle, three people dressed in white standing around it. Kairi's spirit flipped worriedly. An ambulance too. They really fucking did it this time. She did it this time.