A/N: A fast chapter courtesy of KiriBeanIsBestBean for reviewing!
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"If Karma doesn't come for you, I will."
-I-AM-A-LINE-
Rapid knocking at the door was never Bakugou's favourite wake-up call and especially since it was the first truly deep sleep he had had in weeks. It had better not be Kaminari or Sero because he would blast them at the city border; he didn't care if they were excitable. Everyone knew what to expect if they woke him.
The blonde met resistance when he tried to move and barely contained his usual response when he saw the familiar tuft of red. Jesus Christ, he nearly made ashes of her.
"Tch, get off." The blonde sat up, but to his annoyance, not alone. Kirishima's arms remained tightly encircled around his abdomen with her cheek smooshed against his chest "Oi," his only response was the red-headed female's whine as she burrowed her head into him further. Not that that should have been possible.
Bakugou's cheeks flared, the knocking grew more insistent and he could have sworn Kirishima's hold grew tighter. Curse her draconian strength. He unwound himself and replaced her hold with a pillow, rolling his eyes as she death gripped it in his sted.
Barely pulling on his boots, the blonde jerked open the door, catching the raised fist. "S-sorry, Izuku said to come and get you. He said it was urgent." She had barely gotten the words out before the blonde marched past her and jumped the railing, setting a warpath back down the alley.
Bakugou grinned with an almost sinister look in his eyes, palms already crackling. That was faster than he had expected. Turns out that that traitorous bastard was also back in town and he had told Deku to send for him the second he showed his face.
The brunette stood in shock. Not from the blonde man's actions. That was normal. What wasn't normal was the familiar red-headed woman's dozing figure in Bakugou's bed. She glanced inside and back down the alley once more before shaking her head with a rapidly rising blush.
Feeling like she was intruding, the brunette closed the door and followed the blonde.
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Something was up, that much he knew what exactly he did not know. Neito Monoma was many things, but he didn't fancy himself an idiot. So when he walked into the guildhall that morning, he had a feeling it would be a good idea to make himself scarce.
As he turned to leave, a hand landed on his shoulder. "That's far enough,"
He knew that tone. Ah yes, he knew it very well. He wasn't sure how, but at that moment, he knew the jig was up. The question was, what had given him away? Monoma mused to himself for a moment. What indeed?
He had stolen and sold secrets and information or his personal favourite; bringing down Bakugou Katsuki. That last one was among his greatest of accomplishments. How many tens of hundreds had tried before himself and how many had he outshone by doing what they could only dream of? The thought sent a shrill of excitement through his body. The best of the best, huh?
What a joke that was. All it had taken was a hot night, and a drugged tanker of ale and the deed was done. He took his money and didn't look back like he had done countless times before and as he would do countless more.
Monoma eyed the imposing limb before meeting the eyes of their own Shoto Todoroki giving him his well-closed eye smile. "What seems to be the matter? I can't recall anything that would make you look at me like that."
"That so?"
Monoma glimpsed movement in the corner of his eye. What a shame. He had so much more to do in this town before he marked it off his list. Oh well, better to cut his losses and move on. There were many more fools he had left to sink his teeth into, money to be made and stories to spin. This would not be his end.
"Well now," Monoma took hold of the bi-coloured man's arm and opened his eyes, "one would think you have other problems at the moment, don't you think, little prince?"
From there, it happened fast.
Todoroki felt it before he saw it, the flames, his flames, and then everything went to hell. The few that were present that early in the morning leapt to their feet as the flames shot forward and took hold of whatever they could touch.
As if it had channelled the wielder's spite, the fire was ferocious and unruly. Had their efforts have been even the slightest bit lacking or attention divided, the guildhall would have been reduced to a pile of ash.
When it had all died down, Monoma was nowhere to be seen. Like a thief in the night, he had come and gone.
Todoroki crushed Monoma's cape, the one thing that hadn't gotten away, and turned to his glutamates. "Shoji and Jiro, see what you can do to track him. Koda, you see if any animals saw anything. Everyone else is on foot and covers as much distance as possible. He can't have gone far!" The bi-coloured man set off with the team on foot.
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"What the shit is this?" Bakugou caught Deku as he made to run past.
The said man nearly leapt out of his skin, "Kacchan. oh u-um!" the green-haired male spluttered.
"Spit it out." The blonde man was getting agitated.
"Monoma- h-he... got away."
Bakugou glanced past the entrance at the singed interior and could already tell what had happened. Fools should have waited. Damn it all to hell. "How long ago did this happen?"
"Only a few minutes. I was just going to help!" Izuku rubbed the back of his head.
Bakugou caught sight of something glittered in the hall's doorway and waved the green-haired man away to join the search before marching up to the familiar white cloth. Picking it up, the blonde smirked.
This was far from over.
The blonde ran back down the alley for the third time in the last few hours, passing a confused and slightly red brunette. "E-eh?! Why are you going back now!?" Exasperated, Uraraka kept running, hoping to find her boyfriend. Perhaps he had some answers for her.
Bakugou practically tore the door off its hinges, the sudden commotion making the redhead almost leap through the ceiling.
"What in the-!?" Kirishima shielded her eyes as light cascaded through the door and barely registered as the blonde marched forward and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Whoa!" The redhead held on to the shirt of his back for dear life as her suddenly energetic companion blasted his way to the guildhall.
It was a different sensation to be practically flying without her wings, and she wasn't all that sure if she liked this new form of transportation. No, she didn't like it. Maybe if she wasn't being carried like luggage, then it would have been a different story.
"What's going on?" Kirishima pushed herself up to look over her shoulder, well, as much as she could.
"I need your nose," Bakugou passed her the crumpled-up white cloth "Can you do it?"
Kirishima didn't hesitate to press the cloth to her nose and nodded. This was the first time he had asked something of her and despite how sudden it was, she didn't miss a beat. Bakugou placed her on her feet and the redhead took off in a run with the blonde hot on her heels. While she didn't know who she was tracking, they knew what they were doing.
The human male she was tracking was leading them on quite the chase. Back alleys, long-winded paths and even across roofs, they spent far more time and crossed more distance than either would have liked, but eventually; the scent became stronger.
"He's here," Kirishima came to a stop "and close." Their hunt had taken them to the outskirts of the city's outer wall, a less-than-savoury area. Fitting for a rat to scurry off to.
The blonde glanced at Kirishima as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Despite her words, there was no one else there. However, he didn't doubt her words. He merely waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
The red-headed woman spun in his direction and the blonde saw something almost ferocious in her crimson depths. Despite the sudden hostility, something in him knew it wasn't aimed at him and perhaps that was why, even as her fist flew past his head, he didn't move an inch.
"Argh, you bitch-!" A sudden yell followed by a string of profanities hung in the air, seemingly out of nothing, before a form materialized on the ground.
Realizing what had happened, Bakugou swore under his breath, "Hagakure. You copied her spell. Should have known a rat like you would have something up your sleeve." He eyed the knife at his feet and felt disgusted; typical of vermin to come after him when his back was turned.
"You're one to talk. You're like a cockroach. Stay dead this time!" Monoma reached for his discarded dagger, yelling out as a boot slammed into his hand and a fist into his face. He was out cold.
This wasn't the time or place to get even. No, he would have to set a stage, not to mention he needed to assess the full extent of the damage he had done. Bakugou got the feeling there was much more than just his ordeal Monoma had to pay for.
It didn't take long for the blonde to hail over another guild member to drag Monoma away to the guildhall's lockup. They would deal with him later in the day when he regained consciousness.
But for now...
-I-AM-A-LINE-
Kirishima watched as Bakugou knelt in front of her with his back to her. She tilted her head in confusion. What was he doing?
"Get on," The blonde kept his face turned away from her and remained in that position... for a few awkward seconds because Kirishima had no idea what the hell was going on.
"Tch, I said fucking get on," Bakugou snapped at her over his shoulder "Or do you want to walk back like that?" he turned his face away once again, still in that same position.
Kirishima looked down at her feet and for the first time noticed the cuts and scrapes that covered them. She hadn't spared them a thought, and the redhead wasn't exactly able to put on her boots after the hasty departure.
Warily, she placed her hands on his shoulders and eased herself against him until her chest was pressed up against his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She let out a small squeak when his hands reached back and tucked under her legs before he stood up abruptly. Kirishima tightened her grip around his neck, though careful not to choke him.
From this angle, she could see the small wisps of hair at the nape of his neck and despite herself pressed her cheek against it, smiling as the hair tickled her skin. Breathing deeply, she relished in his scent as she fought to keep her eyes open. Bakugou tensed once again at the action before letting the tension leave his shoulders and focusing on walking.
Though he would never admit it, he walked slower than necessary.
-I-AM-A-LINE-
