Thank you so much to everyone who has left kudos, comments, subscribed, and otherwise showed love and appreciation for this story! I am flattered and pleased to know people are out there enjoying what I've written. Thank you for your time and attention. I'm so excited to share my story with you, and I hope I'm living up to expectations.

As always, I hope you're in a good place, I hope you have supportive people around you, and I hope you enjoy this next update!

Chapter 5: To Battle

"How does that feel?"

"Fine."

"You can't say fine to everything, Bakugou," Shouto snapped. "Start being honest or I'm going to stop."

"…It's a little weird."

"Any pain?" Shouto felt Bakugou's muscles shifting under his palms.

"A little, but not bad. Maybe a four?"

"Level five pain isn't that bad for your first time."

"I said four, dumbass! And I've done this plenty of times!"

"You think I don't know when you're lying? And I meant for the first time since your accident."

"I'm not fucking—" Bakugou flinched, and Shouto's hands stilled.

"Take a breath, think about it, and tell me again what your pain level is."

"…yeah, okay. It might be a five, but don't stop."

"Physical therapy is going to be part of your recovery. It will hurt; that doesn't mean we'll stop. But we don't want to injure you either. This isn't a competition. You're doing fine."

"Tch. Sitting up is not physical therapy."

"It can be, under the right circumstances. I'm going to start taking my arms away now. If the pain spikes or you feel unsteady you've got to tell us."

Red irises rolled in their sockets. "I know."

"Bakugou, I will tie you to this bed if you make me."

"Jeez, Icy Hot. I'll tell you how I feel. Okay?!"

"Stop fighting, both of you." Midoriya's soft chuckle brushed against the fine hair on Shouto's neck, creating goosebumps. He should be used to it by now…

Shouto glanced over his shoulder. "Ease back with me, Midoriya."

Green hair bobbed in a nod. "Right."

Shouto leaned back, slowly dropping his arms from Bakugou's shoulders. When his hands reached Bakugou's hips he expected Midoriya, who had been assisting Shouto as they lifted Bakugou, to pull away completely, but he let his hands rest limply under Shouto's without any indication that he'd even thought of pulling away. "How do you feel now, Kacchan?"

Bakugou shifted his shoulders, testing his balance from a seated position. "A little stiff, but it feels good not to be just lying here."

Maybe it was awkward because Shouto hadn't moved his hands away? He wouldn't normally move his hands until he was sure a patient was stable, but Midoriya was Bakugou's husband, and a full-time pro hero. Shouto lifted his hands off Midoriya's and drew them into his lap.

"That's great, Kacchan! You'll be back on your feet in no time."

"He'll be back on his feet tomorrow," Shouto countered.

A grin started to curl across Bakugou's lips.

"With supervision." Shouto prodded Bakugou's chest for emphasis. Bakugou snapped his teeth together like he would bite Shouto's finger, even if he wasn't anywhere near it. Shouto prodded Bakugou's chest again, but he didn't flop back onto the elevated mattress. Good. He was recovering quickly.

"It's not like I could run away on you."

Given the athleticism required for full-time pro hero work, Bakugou probably could run if he tried, but Shouto wasn't about to encourage him. Yet. "I'd catch you if you tried."

The corner of Bakugou's mouth kicked up, flashing his teeth at the room. "I dunno about that, Icy Hot. I've been keeping up some muscle tone with those exercises your mom showed me."

"Don't, Kacchan, for my sake. Please." Midoriya was smiling, but a slight tremor ran through his voice.

Bakugou frowned at his husband. "Deku, what's wrong?" He cupped Midoriya's cheek with one hand and Shouto took his cue to stand and check Bakugou's IV bags.

"The police chief called this morning. He'd like me back on patrol tomorrow."

"And? That's a good thing, Deku." Bakugou's second hand bracketed the other side of Midoriya's face. "You're the number one hero. You need to be out there fighting villains not in here with me."

Midoriya shrugged. "I knew I'd be back on patrol before you, but I still don't like leaving you here alone."

Calloused thumbs brushed over freckled cheeks and Shouto started to edge towards the door. This wasn't a conversation he was meant to have any part of. He really needed to stop staring.

"I'll be fine, Deku. You know I'll catch up. I've still gotta take the number one spot from you, yeah?"

Short, shuddery breath hissed in bursts between Midoriya's teeth. It was a chuckle that was almost a sob. The cold metal door handle was rough and scratched under Shouto's fingertips.

"Hey, Todoroki," Bakugou summoned him closer with a beckoning gesture. "Come here for a minute."

It was only three strides to the bed. Was the door really that close? Inko-san had outmaneuvered Shouto at every turn, but Bakugou crooked his finger once and Shouto didn't even think about disobeying. What was wrong with him?

"What do you know about the Villain that attacked me?"

Shouto blinked. "You would know more about him than I do. I follow medical journals more than villain news these days."

"I know that dumbass! I want to know what you know, so Deku won't have to waste his breath explaining the case."

What?

"We've been working with the top profiler in the field, trying to predict his next move." Deku sighed and squeezed Bakugou's fingers in his own. "I need to get my head back in the game." He glanced up at Shouto. "I-if you don't mind going over the case, that is. I don't want to keep you from your other patients."

"I don't mind."

No, I'm just a glutton for punishment.

"So tell us what you know already!" Bakugou grumbled. Shouto doubted he was half as angry as he sounded; yelling had been a key component of Bakugou's communication style since UA, probably even longer.

"He has a gasoline quirk," Shouto began.

"Everyone knows that."

"Kacchan! Don't interrupt!"

"Sorry, Deku." He said it with a smile and Shouto understood. Midoriya's fingers weren't shaking the way they'd started to a few minutes ago.

"He goes by the name Wrench, but his birth name is…Hitomu Shoji."

"That's right," Midoriya nodded.

"They think his attacks have been deliberate targets, bankers, CEO's, people in power, but he never robs them. They think there's a vengeance angle, right?"

"Is that all you got?" Bakugou smirked and lifted his eyebrows. It was a challenge and it wasn't supposed to be endearing.

"His costume has claws built into his fingers. He pours gasoline into his victims wounds." Shouto dropped his gaze to Bakugou's bandages. "They've known this for weeks... Why did you try to explode him?"

Bakugou's lips pinched together. "I didn't realize he'd cut me."

"That was still a reckless thing to do," Shouto countered. "Adrenaline can make lots of injuries hard to feel."

"He had us backed into a corner!" Bakugou was growling now. Shouto's eyes flickered to Midoriya. It had never occurred to him that Bakugou had stepped between Midoriya and harm, but it should have. They had a long history of doing that for each other whenever they fought a villain together.

"That's no excuse to be reckless Kacchan," Midoriya chided.

"Says the hero who broke his arms within an inch of their life."

"That was years ago! I learned."

"That's what we're doing now. Putting together everything we've learned about this asshole, so we can take him down."

Midoriya's hand smoothed through Bakugou's disordered spikes of hair, and his smile was fond.

"That's, uh, everything I know," Shouto finished, shifting his weight slowly from foot to foot. They didn't really need him here, specifically, but Midoriya—no—they both could definitely use a distraction from the hospital.

"The idiot profiler thought it was an open and shut narcissistic villain," Bakugou said, "but Deku knew better."

"I told Kacchan something didn't feel right when we fought and when the team reviewed the footage of encounters with Wrench," Midoriya added. "What Wrench said and didn't say felt so…calculated. Like we were playing right into his hand, even though we rescued so many of the people he attacked."

"And the profiler told you it was just part of Wrench's narcissism? A psychological game?"

Midoriya nodded. His eyes snapped up to Shouto's for a second, bright and focused, then fell back down into a more thoughtful gaze. "I still don't know why I feel this way. I must have noticed something on some level, some detail that will give us what we're missing. I haven't fought a villain like him since Stain.

"Stain had a strong ideology that he lived by. Wrench might have something similar," Shouto offered. "He's consistently attacking people who hold some kind of power."

"He's got a backstory that fits," Bakugou added. "He was accepted into prestigious schools, worked for powerful companies. He did well, but he was never the top student or the best employee."

Shouto leaned one hip against the hospital bed, not quite sitting on it. "It's possible he's trying to get something intangible. Respect, power of his own, acclaim of some kind."

Midoriya's fingers twitched like he was holding a pen. Shouto wondered for a moment if he still kept notebooks to help himself organize his thoughts. "I'm starting to think something was going on in his family life," Midoriya's voice was low, almost a whisper, "maybe when he was a child something happened that we don't know about."

It wasn't an unusual assumption; most things could be traced back to someone's formative years. "Is there something specific that makes you think that?" Shouto asked.

Midoriya and Bakugou shared a brief but intense glance. Something about that moment of eye contact changed the energy in the room.

"The night Kacchan was hurt, Wrench had a kid with him."

"Do you mean a hostage?"

"We thought so at first, but…" Midoriya's hand crept up his neck, and his nails pressed half crescents into the tender flesh just below his ear.

"The kid was working with Wrench."

Midoriya's lips pulled into a thin line and a small, half aborted noise escaped his throat. "We tried to separate them, but the kid wouldn't leave. He never ran in a direction that would let us pull him out, and he didn't look panicked…"

"How old is he?"

"I thought he was about thirteen," Bakugou replied.

Midoriya's frown deepened. "He's almost seventeen, actually."

Crimson eyes scanned Midoriya's freckles. "The new reports came in?"

"They've been coming in. I read them last night and this morning after I heard from the police chief."

"Shit, Deku. I should've asked you about them sooner."

Midoriya's fingers tightened around Bakugou's hand. "We're not the only heroes out there Kacchan. I want to be the best, but I need to be there for you."

"You're going soft." It was an accusatory statement, but Bakugou's tone was affectionate.

Midoriya leaned forward and kissed his husband's temple. He whispered something that Shouto deliberately did not listen to.

"Don't get distracted, Deku. What else did the report say?"

"His name is Kazue Usui. His quirk is strong; he's an empath. Not only can he sense emotions… he can manipulate them."

"Fuck." Bakugou winced and Shouto reached for his injury, quirk already active. Bakugou's eyes narrowed, but he allowed the touch without comment.

"That must have made it difficult for him in school." Shouto shifted so that he was sitting firmly on the bed, his hip nestled close beside Bakugou's.

"His family didn't talk about it," Midoriya continued, "The team at the police station only uncovered that this morning."

"No shit they didn't talk about it." Bakugou's voice was low and gravelly again. "God people are such fucking idiots. He's probably been called a damn villain his whole life."

"That's what it looks like." Midoriya's words were breathy, released on a long sigh. "I wish that was the worst of it." His eyes glistened with something that was recognizably pain. Shouto didn't like the way that pain seemed to cloud Midoriya's usually vibrant green eyes.

"What else was in the report?"

Fingers squeezed Shouto's left hand. When he looked down pale, scarred fingers were wrapped around his palm. Had Midoriya reached for him? Or had he reached for Midoriya?

"Kazue-san's parents were victims in Wrench's attack on Norinchukin Bank."

Shouto's head jerked up, but Midoriya's eyes had shifted to his husband's face.

The muscles of Bakugou's abdomen quivered under Shouto's hand. "That attack was two fucking months ago."

Midoriya nodded, and his gaze fell back into his lap.

"Was Kazue-san on-site when Wrench attacked? Was he taken hostage?"

"No." The lines around Midoriya's eyes tightened. "Kazue-san was in school when the attack happened. His teachers and security footage confirms it."

"So this fucker got to Kazue-san at home. Alone."

Midoriya nodded in short jerky movements. "I think so, yes."

"Goddamn it!"

"Bakugou, you need to slow down your breathing," Shouto warned.

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down Icy Hot!"

"I'm telling you not to aggravate your injury."

Bakugou huffed, but his next breath was more even.

"The department is divided on whether it's Stockholm Syndrome or if Kazue-san is an accomplice.

"Fucking brilliant."

"It fits the revenge angle," Shouto observed. Both sets of eyes landed heavily on him. "If Wrench is seeking revenge he might be using and recruiting Kazue-san for a reason. Has anyone looked for a connection between Hitomu's family and Kazue-san's?"

"They've started digging," Midoriya replied, "but nothing yet."

"You're going to have to bring Kazue-san in if you find him."

Midoriya rubbed his palm across his face, letting it linger across his mouth. "It's going to be so hard to keep him safe if he fights me."

"It's a good thing you're going back on patrol, then." Bakugou covered Midoriya's hand with his own and pulled their joined hands to his chest. "I've never seen anyone better at saving people than you, Deku."

Midoriya leaned forward until his forehead was resting against Bakugou's. "Thank you."

"Just make sure you come back in one piece, yeah?" Bakugou pressed a kiss to Midoriya's temple. "You don't need to break yourself to save someone else."

Shouto's left eye twitched, but he couldn't raise a hand to sooth it. His right hand was still focused on Bakugou's wound and Midoriya hadn't released his other one. He had no place here, but they were all connected, linked.

A guttural wailing and rhythmic vibrations reverberated around the room. At first, Shouto thought it was Midoriya's phone, then he felt the buzzing in his pocket. The drawer in the table near the bed rattled in place with the force of the alarm on Bakugou's phone. Midoriya fumbled for his phone, then Bakugou's. Both their phones' flashlights were strobing violently, and in his hurry Midoriya shone the lights directly in his eyes, complicating the process of disarming the alarm.

Shouto reached into his pocket to disable the alarm without pulling his phone out. He didn't need to check the alerts. That cacophonous warning could only mean one thing.

It was the universal hero alarm. The notification police sent out when they needed all hands on deck. It was the kind of alarm Shouto normally responded to, even when he was at the hospital, but… He looked to Bakugou, then to Midoriya who was bent over his and his husband's phone.

"It's Wrench." Midoriya's knuckles were white around the plastic of the phone. "He set a bomb off in the financial district."

Bakugou's fingers curled around Midoriya's arm. "You have to go."

"I know." Midoriya set the phones down and looked at his husband. "Stay safe for me."

"I'm in a fucking hospital, dumbass. How much safer do you think I can get?"

Midoriya pressed a knee into the blankets by Bakugou's hip, dipping the mattress towards him. Shouto felt the pull of gravity and eased off the bed. Midoriya's arms were already snaking around Bakugou's chest. "Just because you're not going out with me, doesn't mean I'm going to break tradition."

Bakugou lifted his chin—because of his position on the bed Midoriya's head was taller than his—and tangled his fingers in Midoriya's shirt.

Shouto wasn't prepared for the soft press of lips to lips, the mingling of breath, and the barest slip of tongue. He'd expected something short, sharp, and of course affectionate. It was a brief touch, it couldn't be long, but it was a soft, encompassing embrace. Fingers tangled with fingers that held on until Midoriya moved too far from the bed to maintain contact.

"I'll stay safe," Bakugou promised. "You go kick some ass."

Midoriya nodded once, his body was already turning towards the door. "I love you, Kacchan."

"I love you too, Izuku."

Green eyes crinkled with joy and determination.

Fingers tightened over Shouto's shoulder, even though Midoriya hadn't broken eye contact with his husband. "You stay safe too, Todoroki. Look after Kacchan for me. I'll be back when I can."

Bakugou didn't look away until the door to the stairs banged shut after Midoriya's hurried footsteps. Tension radiated off every line in his body, but in a way that was entirely different from the pained tension Shouto was used to.

"He's going to be fine."

"Of course he fucking is!"

"He held his own against you for years; he'll do fine on patrol even if you can't back him up."

Bakugou crossed his arms across his chest with a vehemence that almost knocked him back against the raised back of the hospital bed. "Just turn on the goddamn news."

Shouto lifted the remote and the screen came to life. A young news anchor was addressing the camera directly. A small square segment of the screen depicted footage of the financial district from above. Civilians were streaming away from the smoking, decimated buildings, guided by police and support hero teams.

"Evacuations of the financial district are nearly complete," the young anchor said. "It has been fifteen minutes since the initial explosion and the authorities have been unable to make contact with Wrench." The news anchor lifted a delicate, long-fingered hand and lightly brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. She kept her voice low and modulated; it was probably a tactic to ease the anxiety of her audience.

The video box on the screen switched to grainer footage. "Closed-circuit security camera footage confirms that Wrench did enter the financial district eight minutes prior to the first explosion," the news anchor continued. "It is unclear at this time if he is working alone or if he has allied himself with another villain or villains. Authorities encourage everyone who is mobile to make their way to the nearest evacuation site. First responders and support heroes are working to assist evacuations and coordinate rescue efforts."

"This isn't like him," Bakugou muttered. Shouto could hear the gravelly unease laced through Bakugou's tone. "His attacks are usually very chaotic. He likes the drama." A vein pulsed ominously in Bakugou's temple. "And the terror."

Shouto sat against the edge of the bed. Bakugou didn't so much as glance his way when they brushed shoulders. Was he that used to Shouto's presence already? "Unclench your jaw or I'm turning it off."

That got Bakugou's attention. "Like hell you will!"

"This kind of strain," Shouto gestured up and down Bakugou's torso with his finger, "Isn't good for your injury. I'm not going to tell Midoriya that I let you set back your own recovery."

Bakugou bared his teeth and a growl of frustration rumbled from his throat.

"I'm not asking you to be calm," Shouto clarified. "I'm asking you to relax your muscles a bit more to prevent injury. That is the single best thing you can do to help Midoriya right now. You don't want him distracted when he goes on patrol because he's worried about you."

Bakugou slumped against the raised back of the hospital bed. He was still nearly sitting up, and had an excellent view of the television. "You play dirty," he hissed.

"May I check your wound?" Shouto asked. He wasn't about to get into a power struggle with a fully grown adult. Bakugou could pout all he liked.

"Fine, whatever."

Shouto moved Bakugou's hospital gown aside and pressed his right hand over the edge of the wound. It was much improved since he'd first accompanied Bakugou out of surgery. It would leave a dramatic scar, but odds of a full recovery increased every day. Shouto almost felt confident to make a promise that Bakugou would be able to return to full hero duty…almost.

Using a steady breath to ground himself, Shouto activated his quirk and focused on healing. Normally he would be out there responding to a call like this, but Midoriya had asked him to stay. He needed to focus on the only thing he could do now.

In a day or two Shouto might be using his quirk to ease the pain of renewed muscle movement as Bakugou began to walk again. In less than two weeks Bakugou may be able to discharge home. He'd be a biweekly patient for three or four weeks after that, then weekly. He'd drift away back to his life and his marriage, and he'd take Midoriya with him. Breathe in, breath out. Focus on healing. Let Bakugou watch the news. Shouto had a job to do.

The murmur of the news anchor was almost pleasant background noise, until her calm façade broke into high pitched panic.

"A section of damaged building has broken away! It's falling right for the civilians!"

Bakugou leaned forward and Shouto's attention flashed back to the screen. The camera panned across a large cross-segment of wall, complete with broken windows, that was plummeting to the ground. Shouto fought the urge to bolt to his feet, but he couldn't take his eyes off the hurtling mass of metal and concrete.

The camera, probably mounted on a helicopter, swung low, and the microphone picked up a keening wail from the crowd. They shouldn't be televising this, it was horrific and, from what Bakugou said, gave Wrench exactly what he wanted.

Civilians were scrambling to get out of the way, stampeding over each other in blind terror. Shouto squinted and almost looked away until he caught a green streak moving through the crowd. The footage of the financial district had taken over the entire screen now.

"There he is!" Bakugou slapped his hand against Shouto's thigh in his exuberance, making him jump. "Do you see him?"

The camera zoomed and the green blur sharpened into hero Deku charging through the crowd, carrying several civilians and herding the rest out of danger moments before the chunk of building impacted the ground.

Smoke and debris plumed into the air, obscuring Deku from view, but Bakugou's intense gaze never wavered. The moment Deku's distinctive profile emerged from the gray haze Bakugou let out a short sharp cheer. "He's got the civilians!"

Deku was at the back of a cluster of civilians, carrying four or five children on his shoulders and back. Shouto frowned, worrying about the strain on Deku's arms… He'd have to check him when he returned.

Color flushed across Bakugou's cheeks and he leaned towards the screen. "Wrench is in for it, now!"

Shouto moved his hand away from Bakugou's wound and rubbed at the palm with his left hand. It was probably risky to do any more healing with his patient so worked up.

The screen showed first responders and other heroes running to meet the crowd of civilians. Red Riot picked his way though the crowd to get to Deku, and took several unconscious civilians from him.

"Good, Kiri's there."

Bakugou's features radiated intense concentration. Crimson eyes darted across the screen, and Shouto could almost see tactical calculations in real time. Bakugou didn't react when Shouto's hand pressed into his forearm.

"Midoriya will be okay."

"Tch, of course he will." Bakugou nudged his shoulder against Shouto, jostling them both. "Don't be stupid, Icy Hot." Bakugou's lip curled in something that might have been a sneer or a smile. Knowing Bakugou it was probably both. Shouto kept his fingers curled lightly over Bakugou's arm as they turned back to the screen.

Deku was running back towards the thick curls of smoke and ash that billowed though the streets of the financial district. He reached his hands out towards the acrid cinder cloud and Shouto squinted at the screen, trying to see what he saw.

Figures seemed to ripple in the darkness, then a smudged hand broke through, straining towards Deku. Trembling fingers brushed the gloves of Deku's hero costume then jerked away, retreating into the roiling smoke.

"What's this?" The news anchor's voice cut in. "Is Wrench taking hostages from the survivors?"

"Doubt it." Bakugou grunted.

Shouto shook his head. "No."

They'd spoken at the same time, and shared a glance before turning their attention back to the screen. Deku was charging into the wreckage of the financial district sidestepping and skidding around debris he probably couldn't see until he nearly tripped over them. The person that had just been reaching for him leapt and scrambled like they were running for their lives. There was no finesse in their movements. It wasn't long before their sandal caught on a broken concrete block and they stumbled. The torn skirt of their flower-print sundress trailed over the uneven ground like a broken parachute.

The camera swung low and began to pick up some of Deku's words. "Hey, it's okay. You don't need to run." He held his arms out in a pacifying gesture and approached slowly. The person who'd been running from him whirled around and stared at him with wide eyes.

"No! Please, no!" Their long hair fell across their shoulder, a spiderweb of tangles, as they jerkily crab crawled backwards.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Deku's voice was low and probably meant to be soothing.

The person crawling away from him jerked an arm across their face and screamed, but Deku never flinched.

"I want to take you to the first responders. They can treat your wounds and connect you with anyone who might be worried about you." Deku stretched on hand forward, palm up. "Will you come with me? I know it's scary, but we can walk together. I'll get you out safe."

Shouto saw the flash of movement seconds before impact. A much larger person ramming into Deku, knocking him off his feet. The surprised jolt of Deku's features was brief. He jumped to his feet and dove out of the way of another charge. The person charging him had close-cropped hair and a three-piece suit that strained to cover their massive shoulders. They could be another villain, but they looked more like a business worker from the financial district. A business worker who also lifted weights.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" The worker in the suit roared, rounding on Deku and pushing him back into the maze of debris.

"I'm not trying to hurt her!" Deku protested, giving ground instead of fighting back. He'd never liked the idea of collateral damage. "Please I just want to get everyone out of here safely! Ah!"

Deku pitched to the side and landed in a wriggling tangle of arms and legs. "Hey, Hero," a deep voice purred. "Why don't you stay awhile?"

The enraged businessman thundered through the rubble again and Deku rolled to the side. The limbs that had wrapped themselves around his torso came with him, and when the smoke cleared Shouto could make out two separate people, and not one person with a multiple limbs quirk, were attempting to fuse themselves with Deku's hero costume.

Deku squirmed to his feet, trying to remove the clinging limbs wrapped around him. "Listen, it's not safe here!" Deku peeled two arms away, and two more encircled his chest. One of the people clinging to him tried to lick his neck. Deku pressed against their solar plexus, easing them back. "We really need to leave!"

Cackling laughter echoed to them through the damaged building, a high-pitched, hysterical gasping laugh that jangled in the air. Deku staggered forward, impeded by the two civilians that seemed determined to crawl all over him. "I don't know what's going on," Deku muttered. "I think there's something in the air that's affecting you."

The angry person in the suit rushed forward again, forcing Deku to move himself and the hangers-on back behind a pillar.

"You never know who you can trust…" Another voice murmured through the murky light.

Bakugou stiffened and winced. "That's Wrench's voice…"

"Easy," Shouto reminded him.

Bakugou frowned, but appeared to make an effort to drop his shoulders.

The slippery baritone rumbled through the screen again. "People wear layers of deception every day, a new veneer for every occasion."

The angry civilian rounded on Deku, who fell back and flipped them over, wincing when they hit the ground and cried out in pain.

Breath rasped between tight lips, it almost sounded like Wrench was speaking directly into the microphone of the camera. "They dig themselves so deep there's nothing left but masks."

Deku was still trying to peel the two civilians off him. At the same time he leaned towards the larger civilian he'd been forced to throw, probably trying to check if they were alright. Deku's eyes darted this way and that, trying to find the source of the voice that taunted him. "Wrench? Are you doing this?" He leaned away from an overly amorous advance of the clingy civilians. "Let them go!"

Wrench chuckled low and deep, entirely different from the high-pitched breathless laughter that had echoed through the rubble just before his appearance. Had that even been him laughing? "Is that really what you think?"

Wind twisted through the broken spaces of the financial district, peeling smoke away from a ruined staircase that used to lead up into the skyscraper behind it. A line of people stood together with arms locked at the elbow, a human chain of grim determined faces shielding someone from Deku.

Deku's normally friendly gaze narrowed and hardened. "Stop it!" He strode forward, arms in a constant struggle to remove the two civilians fused to his back and side. "You can't just use people like this!"

The civilian that had been angrily charging Deku groaned and started to get to his feet.

"Can't I?" The person behind the human shield, they had to be Wrench, stepped forward. His black bodysuit completely covered his features, but he'd still be hard to miss in a crowd. Long ebony claws, probably some kind of modified glove, extended from his fingernails, and the dark fabric of his bodysuit was littered with jagged slashes of red. It was probably intentional, meant to be jarring. Wrench tilted his head as if studying the hero in front of him. "People use each other every day without any thought about the cruelty or the consequences…"

A figure, clad in long dark jeans and a hoodie pulled completely over their head, began darting through the crowd that was presumably under Wrench's control. In their wake civilians screamed and writhed as if they'd been burned. Deku tried to reach for them, but was constantly pulled back by the two civilians wrapped around him.

The wall of people crumbled at the heels of the dark hooded figure as they rushed past. Some people started tearing at their own skin, others reached for chunks of rock and cement in the rubble.

Deku jerked forward and snatched the rock out of the hands of a civilian that appeared to be about to throw it at another civilian. "Don't! Stop! Ah!" He jerked his arm away, pulling it from the teeth of the civilian he'd just tried to help. They didn't look like they'd held back. Hopefully, Deku's hero costume and arm braces shielded him from the bite.

"Looks like you need some help, dude!" Red Riot hopped up over a fallen piece of rubble and jumped down beside Deku. "I brought reinforcements!"

A flurry of first responders, heroes, and sidekicks swept in to engage the crowd of civilians. They all seemed to be armed with some kind of stabbing weapon. It was effective too, the civilians started dropping like puppets with cut strings.

"Sorry it took us so long!" Ret Riot jabbed something into the civilians clinging to Deku and eased them to the ground as they went limp. "Another explosion went off at the mouth of the evacuation zone. Took us a minute to stabilize it."

Deku glanced nervously between the limp civilians at their feet and the large angry civilian who was flinging off the first responders that had tried to surround him.

"They're just sedatives," Red Riot explained, brandishing an epi-pen like syringe and handing some to Deku. "So that we can get people out safely and figure out how to help them later."

"Smart plan." Deku slipped a pair of syringes into his utility belt, just as the angry civilian spotted him in the crowed. They roared and surged forward, but Red Riot was on them first.

"Easy there, big fella!" Red Riot jammed the syringe into a bulging bicep and the hulking angry civilian sagged against him ten seconds later. "We'll handle the crowd, Deku!" Red Riot called over his shoulder. "You go get the kid!"

Deku nodded once and leaped deeper into the bombed-out area of the financial district. "Kazue-san!" He lifted both hands to cup his mouth, turning his head back and forth as he shouted into the smokey gloom. "Kazue-san, please! You don't need to run!"

Several of the highest-ranking heroes and their sidekicks were trying to converge on Wrench. The crazed civilians threw themselves at the Heroes and Wrench danced out of their reach with light footsteps and a sickening laugh.

"You can't save them all hero!" Wrench's head twisted at an unnatural angle. Even as he evaded engaging with the heroes closest to him, he seemed to still be talking to Deku. "You're going to have to choose!"

A spray of liquid erupted from Wrench's clawed fingertips and onto the crowd of civilians and heroes.

"Gasoline," Bakugou grumbled. His mouth pressed into a tight, unhappy line.

Sparks danced menacingly from Wrench's palms, probably another modification to his suit. Flames danced across the ground, searing towards the gasoline-soaked spectators. Firefighters and rescue heroes surged forward, beating back the worst of the flames.

Deku's face looked pinched behind his mask. His head swiveled and bobbed on his shoulders. He was looking for Kazue-san, but Shouto knew he was conflicted. He could feel the same weight settling in his own gut. Only the sound of Bakugou's ragged breathing and his earlier promise kept him in place.

Deku shifted his weight, started moving back towards Wrench, when a form materialized from the shadows and brushed against him.

"He's right you know…" The voice was a little higher than Wrench's and much tighter. Glowing blue eyes glared at Deku from under the dark rim of the hoodie. "You can't save everyone!"

"I'll never stop trying!" Deku countered. He stretched his arms out towards Kazue-san. "Please, come with me. It's not safe with Wrench!"

"Like it's any safer with you?!" Kazue-san darted forward and ripped Deku's gloves off. Deku's fingers flexed but he kept his arms outstretched, still beckoning to Kazue-san.

"I don't know what hurt you, but we can talk about it, please." Deku's voice was a little softer now. He was probably trying to reassure Kazue-san as he'd tried with the frightened civilian from earlier.

Deku glanced between Wrench and Kazue-san several times. It made sense to monitor the situation, but Deku was starting to look jumpy. His hands… Shouto leaned forward slightly. The video quality made it hard to tell, but it looked like Deku's hands were shaking.

"It's not safe here," Deku pressed, "and I-I don't want you to get hurt."

A bitter sneer flashed beneath Kazue-san's hood and the glow of his eyes intensified. "Fuck you!"

"It's not s-safe here, Kazue-san," Deku repeated. "We need to leave. I'd like to h-help you."

Kazue-san sprinted forward and dug his fingers into Deku's forearm with a ferocity that would surely leave bruises, if it didn't break the skin. "Why aren't you fucking scared?!"

Deku was definitely shaking now. A full-body tremble raced up his back and down all four limbs. His fingers locked around Kazue-san's arms like he was fighting for balance. "I-I'm a-always s-scared." Deku's trademark smile shuddered into place. "I'm sc-scared of v-villains. I-I'm scared-d I-I won't b-be a-able to s-save everyone. B-but I h-have to t-try." Deku's head was wobbling, and even his teeth sounded like that were clacking together, but he drew his smile wider. Kazue-sam jerked against Deku's hold and they stumbled sideways. "E-everyo-one de-des-serves a-a he-hero whe-when th-they n-need o-one."

Kazue-san's glowing eyes narrowed and he snarled, "You're a big fucking hero when the cameras are on, but not when in counts!" A growl rumbled deep from Kazue-san's chest and he yanked Deku forwards, making him stumble. "No one was fucking there for me when I needed them! No one believed me! I wasn't worth the effort!"

"I-I'm sorry he-heroes f-failed y-you." Deku looked like he was about to shake himself off his feet. "Y-You de-deserve to-o fe-feel s-safe!"

Kazue-san adjusted his grip on Deku's arms and twisted, refusing to be moved back towards the first responders. His eyes narrowed to silvery blue slits of light and he tilted his head. Color flushed across Deku's neck and cheeks. Deku's smile twisted into a cruel tilt for a moment. He pulled at Kazue-san's grip, but didn't break free.

"That kid's using his quirk on Deku," Bakugou growled. "Why isn't anyone helping?!"

"They're too busy with the civilians." Shouto wasn't sure when Bakugou's hand had slid into his, but since it was there he squeezed it. "Wrench made sure of that, and Deku doesn't want to let Kazue get away in case this is his only chance."

Bakugou squeezed Shouto's hand back. "Dumbass."

Kazue-san jerked away, reaching for the nearest civilian. Deku's shaking fingers fumbled with his utility belt.

"Please- ah!" Deku's hands still twitched ineffectually at the clasps on his utility belt, but he'd moved his body between Kazue-san and the civilian, taking the brunt of Kazue-san's empathic attack.

Shouto's grip on Bakugou's hand tightened, but his patient didn't complain. Whatever emotion Kazue-san was stirring inside Deku, the constant surge of adrenaline that came with it wasn't good for Deku's heart.

"You think you're such a big goddamn hero, but you're fucking lying!" Kazue-san spat.

A deep chuckle resonated through the gloom and Wrench dropped down beside Kazue-san. "I still can't believe you're Japan's number one hero…" His voice tumbled low and mocking.

Shouto felt Bakugou suck in a breath as he gritted his teeth. The first responders, heroes, and civilians were almost out of sight now. Kazue-san's struggling had pulled Deku into a dangerous location.

"When you're so easily manipulated!"

Concussive blasts kicked up a sudden violent wind and spread the smoke that had been billowing across the three figures on camera. Kazue contorted in Deku's grip at the same time that he kicked Deku hard just under his ribs. The movement was enough to break Deku's hold and Kazue began retreating with Wrench. Deku staggered forward for a moment before a sharp wailing from the civilians made him whip his head back around. The movement was so abrupt that he fell to the ground.

The camera pulled back just in time to frame the slow sideways collapse of another building. Shouto's heart thudded in his ears, his hand tingled from Bakugou's tight grip. Deku was directly in the path of the falling building and there was nothing he could do, nothing either of them could do, but watch.

The camera reeled and the sound cut out. The force of the shockwave might have blown the speakers and for one guilty moment Shouto prayed it wouldn't take out the camera too. He should have been hoping for the safety of the crew manning the helicopter that the camera had to be mounted to, but his mind and heart reached out for Deku…for Midoriya. Izuku.

The image on the screen shook and fizzed out of focus, then righted itself and adjusted. Shouto craned his head as if that would somehow help him see what he needed to see. The camera turned, panning over a large plume of ash and debris. The wrecked outline of the building on it's side was only barely visible through the carnage.

Shouto's lungs burned for air that he couldn't give them. Midoriya had to be alright. He couldn't be dead, he couldn't. Shouto's mind reeled and in desperation he reached for the wild, wounded animal in his chest, the soulmate bond he tried so hard to pretend didn't exist. The electric barbed cords that tied him to Midoriya were still there. It beat a feral rhythm inside him, battering his wounded heart, but the bond was still there.

Bakugou was stock still beside him while they both stared at the smoke, willing their quirkless eyes to see through the particulate matter to the one man they both needed to be alive.

Shouto couldn't count the seconds or minutes he sat with Bakugou, squeezing tiny sips of air into his lungs, just enough to stay conscious. Their eyes tracked the roiling smoke and so many times he, or Bakugou, or both jolted, thinking they saw movement.

When the sooty splash of green finally registered on the screen Shouto felt himself start shaking. His breath beat a staccato rhythm in his lungs and he strained forward, willing the figure he thought he saw into focus. Smoke billowed across the camera, cutting off their view. Someone, Shouto never figured out who, whined in protest. Another gust of wind cleared the worst of the smoke, and then they could see him.

It was Deku. Midoriya was alive.

Bakugou and Shouto sagged against each other, gasping and almost hugging, in relief.

"He made it out." Bakugou rasped.

Shouto nodded. The muscles in his throat spasmed and clenched too tightly to allow consistent air, speech was beyond him.

Bakugou's shoulder rolled under Shouto, nudging him back into a sitting position. "Look, he's carrying some of the civilians."

Shouto made himself look. He counted three people. Three lives Deku had salvaged from the wreckage of this latest collapse. As soon as first responders took the civilians from him Deku turned and looked back into the choking mist. He leaned back towards the building, but someone… Red Riot stopped him, and handed him a respirator. Deku nodded and pulled it over his face.

"It looks like Wrench got away," Bakugou said. "That sucks, but Deku has more support now. Ng!"

The wince caught Shouto's attention and he turned to help Bakugou settle back against the bed.

"Sorry," Bakugou muttered. "And thanks. You said not to pull anything."

"I don't think you did," Shouto pressed his hand over Bakugou's abdomen and activated his quirk. "Nothing too serious, anyway."

Bakugou sighed, the familiar ease of air through his lungs as, Shouto suspected, the pain in his side began to dim. "I can't stay here long," Shouto murmured. "Maybe fifteen minutes."

Questioning crimson eyes locked with his and Shouto continued. "They'll need me in the emergency room…" He glanced over his shoulder and felt a fresh tingly wave of relief as the camera tracked Midoriya picking his way through the ruined buildings. "This is going to overwhelm the hospitals…"

If you've made it this far, I hope I haven't left you on too much of a cliff hanger. Thank you for spending some time with my story, and I hope you enjoyed. If you're eager for more you won't have to wait long. I update every Friday afternoon/evening PST. See you next week!