Sounds crept all around Katsuki. Five minutes had finally lapsed, so audible commotion commenced downstairs upon the arrival of the other heroes. Shouting, crashing, and other such indications of violence created a faint, discordant melody that seeped through the floor to reach them. The stifled cries of the ten children added to the cacophony as Katsuki released the wrists of a child with a broken leg and picked him up.
Suddenly, the walkie-talkie dropped by one of the kidnappers crackled to life. Their heads turned to look at the item left in the hallway.
"Morinaga!" a woman on the other end of the line barked. "Hide your asses, there're heroes here—"
The transmission abruptly cut out, rendering short a message this Morinaga person wasn't even awake to receive. Katsuki looked back at his teammates, who took the woman's order as a cue to round up all the children.
"We need to get out of here," Deku urged, scooping up the remaining two injured children who refused to walk.
Katsuki helped another kid to her feet while Shoto coaxed the children crowded around Kuri to action. He herded four kids to the door and whispered promises they would be safe. Katsuki kept his eyes on Kuri as everyone else headed out.
Kuri stiffly got to her feet and placed her hands on the backs of the last two children, who looked up at her nervously. She turned around and pressed the kids forward, her eyes downcast and glazed over.
Katsuki furrowed his brow worriedly before looking away from his girlfriend and back toward the hallway. There was no time to talk to her about the undeniable pain in her expression until everyone was safe.
The fourteen of them hurriedly bypassed the bodies of the kidnappers and made for the stairwell. Katsuki noticed Shoto had encased the last conscious kidnapper in ice—with a little breathing hole to prevent asphyxiation. He tried to shield the children's eyes as he led them to the stairs, but they looked anyway.
Just as Katsuki stepped a foot over the threshold, he heard rapid footsteps ascending the stairs, and he threw an arm out to keep the others from going any further. Katsuki passed the child he was holding to Shoto just as a person stumbled into view.
The gaunt man threw out a hand, and Katsuki put up an arm to deflect a barrage of needle-like projectiles aimed at his face just as Deku ushered everyone to duck behind the wall. Katsuki felt a few of the sharp objects sink into his flesh, and he winced before jumping back to hide with them for a second. He hoped those needles didn't have poison on them.
"Everyone, cover your ears!" Katsuki shouted for the benefit of the already startled kids, giving them a second to follow his command before thrusting an arm back through the doorway at the man running over, and firing off a medium-sized blast.
The explosion shook the building and frightened the kids, but the force knocked the man straight into the wall one flight below. Through the dust and debris, Katsuki saw that the impact of the man's body against the concrete had cracked it and his skull. Whether or not he was dead, Katsuki didn't know, but the man was no longer a threat to the kids.
The others quickly rushed in behind him, and Deku jumped and grabbed the frame of the rooftop door, pulling himself through the hole quickly before settling in a kneeling position at the opening and directing Katsuki and the other two to hand him the kids.
The four of them made quick work, knowing another stray kidnapper could weasel away from the pro heroes to come check on them at any second. They sent up the most injured children first, then the ones drawing the most attention by crying loudly. Katsuki and Shoto did most of the lifting while Kuri designated the next child to be sent out, due to their height difference.
Katsuki tried his best to comfort the kids, muttering to each that passed through his hands that they were safe and would be home soon. He hoped that Kuri caught some of his words and let them settle in her heart because her hands urging the kids to move had quickened, her breathing turned erratic, but her eyes were still vacant. Kuri's emotional state was far more severe than his or their teammates, but there was no time to spare to talk her out of her disturbed state. He could only hope for her to make it through the mission and be ready to rescue her if things got dire.
Once they had five kids on the roof, Shoto hoisted himself up to help Deku supervise while Katsuki continued transferring them. He and Kuri picked up their already rapid pace, and Katsuki's hopes for success increased for each child they safely moved. He had just propped up the ninth child for Deku to receive when some fuckhead tried to get in their way.
Thunderous metal clanging sounds came from below as another abductor rushed up the steel stairs and appeared in their sight before Katsuki could get his hands on the last kid. He heard Deku gasp as the large man lunged toward the little girl, who screamed and stumbled back just as Kuri threw herself between them and swung her leg up, striking the underside of the man's chin with the toe of her boot.
To everyone's surprise, the tip of Kuri's foot stuck to the man's face as he began to ooze a thin film of purple slime, and she couldn't immediately free herself. At the same time, Katsuki dived to grab the frightened girl and stuck a hand out to catch Kuri in case she fell back from surprise. However, Kuri steadied herself by hastily grabbing the railing beside her and used her free leg to kick the man on his clothed stomach. His slime hadn't seeped through his shirt, so Kuri's foot didn't stick, and the force of her kick was enough to unstick the toe of her boot from the man's jaw.
As the man stumbled backward, Kuri used her newly freed foot to kick the man in the gut again, but he used the same trick as Kuri and caught his balance using the handrail.
While Kuri continued to fight with the slimy man, Katsuki rushed back to the square door on the ceiling and shoved the remaining kid into Deku's arms. He gave Deku and Shoto a firm look.
"Get the fuck away right now," Katsuki ordered, intending for them to go to their safe spot in the trees before turning around to help his girlfriend.
Kuri fluidly dodged a punch from the man and struck back with a blow to the knees, making him fall briefly. In that second, when Kuri decided on her next attack and Katsuki looked for an opening in that cramped fighting space, he noticed the look in Kuri's eyes was eerily reminiscent of how she looked when they fought Nana. Bloodlust and mania resided in her glistening hazel eyes, and that irked Katsuki.
Just when Katsuki planned to spring in to blast the guy, Kuri yelled fiercely and jumped with a leg bent at her side that shot out to kick the man in the throat. Though her shoe got stuck again, and the man grabbed a slime-covered hand onto Kuri's leg, he went down this time. Katsuki rushed to grab Kuri's hand before she fell with the guy, and she used her other foot to push against the man's shoulder to free herself from the stickiness. The man's thick head hit the corner of the stairs and was out cold.
Katsuki and Kuri stood there momentarily, his hand on her wrist and the guy sprawled in front of them on the floor with the thin man behind him. Kuri abruptly stepped forward, her glaring eyes still violent and ready for revenge, and she tugged against Katsuki's grip on her.
"Let me go," Kuri mumbled, trying to shake him off.
"Bunny, our job is done," Katsuki asserted, knowing Kuri was in a bad headspace and would do something regrettable if he didn't stop her. "The kids are out, let's leave."
"But I need to—" Kuri caught her tongue and blinked confusedly at her own words. Her expression didn't fully ease, given their situation, but she seemed to come back to her senses. She squeezed Katsuki's hand tightly, and she looked as if about to cry, but her eyes remained dry. "Those little kids…"
Katsuki's heart broke at her shakily uttered words, empathy for her and the children welling inside him.
"I know," Katsuki whispered, wrapping his arm around Kuri's shoulders in a quick hug, making sure to use the side of his body that didn't have stray needles half-buried in his skin. She was silent and stiff beneath his embrace, so Katsuki pulled away to smooth her hair instead. "Let's go outside and help them."
Kuri nodded and rubbed at her eyesockets before letting go of his hand. She exited through the door in the ceiling without help, and Katsuki followed her.
As they ran back into the forest, leaving the rest of the mission to the adults, Katsuki couldn't stop thinking about the last kidnapper they had encountered. Several months had passed since the last time Kuri discussed her kidnapping with Katsuki. Their conversation was brief and mostly regarded her tattoo, but he recollected Kuri's remarks about her kidnapper as he and Kuri searched for where the others had sheltered themselves. Kuri had given him a general description of the man's physical appearance, and by unnerving chance, that slime quirk man bore a resemblance to the man who abducted her.
A hundred meters from the abandoned building, Kuri crouched beside a fern and tended to the children with her teammates. She pulled antiseptic wipes and bandages out of her pockets one after the other, swabbing down each kindergartener's appendages and winding gauze around their cuts and bruises. Kuri joylessly applied ointment to their wrists, rubbed raw by the ropes by which they were bound. After receiving first aid, the kids returned to shivering and huddling together as they cried in relief and horror.
Kuri's heart broke at the chorus of wails, and she wished she had kept her jacket to offer them as a blanket against the chilly morning air. With nothing else to do except look at the distressed faces of the ten crying children before her, Kuri pulled down the hem of her sleeve and used it to gently dry the tears of the nearest kid. He leaned his head against her arm and clung tightly to it with his tiny hands.
Wordlessly, Kuri beckoned a pair of girls holding each other to come to her. When they crawled over, Kuri placed her arm around them in a soft hug. Kuri closed her eyes while the three kids' cries slowly stifled, and she heard the other children go to her teammates for support.
Then, Kuri felt a small hand grasp the fabric on the back of her shirt. She turned her head to see the girl they had evacuated last, gazing at Kuri with wide, shy eyes. Kuri lifted her elbow to indicate the girl was welcome to cling to her like the boy soaking Kuri's sleeve with tears. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Kuri and pressed her warm cheek against her shoulder. The little girl didn't make a sound; she just froze in that position while Kuri looked down at the other three children before her and began to cry.
Tears glided down her cheeks in warm trails, but Kuri had no free hands to wipe them away. She closed her eyes and let her muscles slack as her exhaustion caught up to her. Kuri's mind had disengaged several minutes ago and begun guiding her movements almost as if without her doing, leaving everything since she first saw the kids as a blurry, hazy memory. The fear Kuri carried with her since her kidnapping ballooned with each step around that awful building. When she saw her fourteen-year-old self reflected in the faces of the children, Kuri thought she would pop. Instead, she dissociated.
Even while sitting in the woods where she was out of harm's way, Kuri's heart had only marginally relented its pace. She felt full to the brim with panic that only eased with every tear and slow breath she released.
Crying alongside children ten years her junior brought a thought to mind: she was a mere child defending other children. Kuri's immaturity, haunting past, and superficial strength made her an inadequate person to save others. She wasn't only displeased with her position; Kuri was undeserving.
After what felt like hours but was, in reality, only a few minutes, Izuku broke the stillness that had only been marked by crying to say that the adults seemed to have finished the job. Kuri glanced over to see heroes in the distance dragging the handcuffed kidnappers out of the building as several police vehicles rolled onto the lot. The mission was finally over after only about twenty minutes. Kuri would've raised an eyebrow at Endeavor previously calling it "a difficult operation" if she were not presently a wreck.
Kuri coughed away some congestion her crying had accrued in her throat and quietly asked the children in her arms to get to their feet so they could all walk to the police cars. It took quite a bit of convincing—and a sidekick coming over to assist them—to get the kids to move back toward the building.
Eventually, they found the officers who would give the kids rides back to the city, where they could receive further medical treatment and reunite with their families. Kuri and her teammates helped strap the kids into their seats, their whispered goodbyes harmonizing with the click of seat belt buckles, promising they all would be safe and home soon.
About half of the kids were nodding off, their bodies and minds finally relaxing with the knowledge they were protected. The little girl who had hugged her back held Kuri's hand firmly as she strapped her into the car seat. On the other side of the car, Katsuki buckled in another child, who suddenly hugged his arm.
"Thank you for saving us," the little boy mumbled. Katsuki froze with his arm in the child's grasp before glancing at Kuri with a surprised look. She blinked at him, unable to contort her face into any sentimental expression. Kuri just tilted her head as if to tell him he should say something back to the boy, then looked down at the girl still holding her hand. She heard Katsuki mutter a "no problem" before the little boy pulled away, and Katsuki closed the van door.
The little, wide-eyed girl peered at Kuri and nodded solemnly at her. Neither had words for the other, so Kuri just nodded back. She could tell the girl was thankful, and the girl knew Kuri was glad. That little hand gripping hers like it was the only sure thing in the world finally let go, and Kuri closed the other van door with a small smile.
Glad...
Right, despite her resurfacing trauma and the twistedness of the crime, Kuri was glad she was there. Those children hadn't been left to fend for themselves—heroes had arrived to rescue them. Kuri saved them just like she saved herself on that fateful day. She was happy to defend others because no one had come to protect her.
Kuri and the three boys waved goodbye as the police vans pulled away, embarking on their journey back to the city. She furrowed her brow as she slowly clenched her hand into a fist and brought it down to her side.
Kuri always felt like she was alone. Her whole young life, she spent every day in lessons for whatever her parents insisted would make her well-rounded, allowing her little time for playing with peers. It was always practice, practice, practice. In middle school, her envious classmates ostracized her, and Kuri had few friends. Then, at fourteen, she had no one to count on when she fought a man for her life in a dark room. Kuri even had to go outside and call the police for herself. Only at UA had she found community and comfort, but her past kept reviving to drag her into an empty grave and remind her that she might not be lucky next time. There would be a point when she couldn't save herself, and Kuri lived in fear of that day.
With the mission complete and the criminals loaded into vans headed for the precinct, Kuri and the other heroes took the long trek back to their cars. Shoto and Izuku chatted to each other about the kids, but Kuri and Katsuki were silent.
It took about five minutes until Kuri reached out to grab Katsuki's hand. He gave hers a big squeeze as soon as she did and pulled closer to her.
"Are you doing alright?" Kuri asked to start a quiet conversation. Katsuki didn't quite show it, but she knew the sorry state of the kids had upset him. Plus, those needle injuries probably hurt, even if they were small.
"Sure. Are you?" Katsuki asked with a raised eyebrow.
Kuri chuckled humorlessly and shook her head.
"I'm ready to go home and shower," she answered.
"Good thing we're excused from school today," Katsuki said. He paused, and Kuri felt his eyes on her even though she was staring at her feet traversing the forest floor. "We could do something fun to take your mind off today. Watch a movie or something…?"
Kuri appreciated his offer, and she wanted nothing more than to just be happy and hang out with Katsuki, but she wasn't in the mood.
"I think I'm just going to catch up on sleep today," Kuri said. "I didn't get much last night."
Katsuki nodded understandingly, but he seemed disappointed. Kuri didn't feel good upsetting him, but she also didn't feel good about anything else. She didn't say much for the rest of the day, keeping to her room once they got home and only emerging to eat.
Her friends reached out with smiles and open arms, knowing Kuri needed comfort, but she left them hanging at every turn. It hurt to be alone, but at least she wouldn't bore anyone with the sob story they had heard before. Even if this way of living left Kuri with constant dread, she had to admit she was good at not being a burden.
Time had come full circle. Another upsetting mission had occurred right before finals, leaving Kuri depressed and reserved and Katsuki anxious to make her feel better. Last time, he was merely her friend and not in a position to do anything besides act lighthearted with her. Not to mention, Katsuki was incredibly awkward back then. He watched in anguish as Kuri faked smiles and refused to open up to her friends until a few weeks later.
Katsuki didn't want to fail in the same way as before. He hated the idea of seeing Kuri unhappy and closed off again when he was her boyfriend, there to support her through anything.
But Katsuki failed to realize that Kuri was quite effective at dodging topics regarding anything that wasn't trivial. She also had a great excuse not to talk to anyone: the upcoming week of testing in store for them. Well, not that Kuri went radio silent for a week. She spent hours in group study sessions but weaseled out of one-on-one conversations—even with Katsuki.
He had to admit that it hurt when Kuri avoided him. Katsuki had tried starting conversations about the mission, telling her on a walk home that he found out the rescued kids were doing okay. After having their physical injuries cared for, they also received psychological evaluations to treat any lasting mental trauma from the incident. Kuri was happy to hear good news about the children, but she didn't seem interested in discussing her own mental health.
Katsuki didn't want to push her to open up, so he had only been able to add, "I'm here if you need to talk, by the way," before he left her to study on Wednesday. She returned his statement with a small smile and two words: "I know."
Despite knowing that Katsuki was ready and waiting to discuss Kuri's past with her, she had yet to reach out to him, and the week of studying had concluded. He'd even researched mental health issues to better understand her state—Katsuki still wasn't super confident in his knowledge, considering her condition was likely more complex than he perceived—and hopefully, he could offer some half-decent advice. Whenever that time came.
Since Kuri was adamant about pretending everything was fine, Katsuki resolved to stay by her side and wait for her to turn to him and ask for help. Or for her to turn to someone else for help. Really, he didn't care who she talked to as long as she didn't continue pushing her feelings down like she had a year ago.
Katsuki went to bed on Friday night with high hopes. After all, Kuri had talked about her past before—just not much since then. He had no doubt that soon, she would bring up the thoughts weighing on her for weeks upon months upon years. Perhaps with his help, he could lessen some of her burdens, and his girlfriend would be less distraught…
Katsuki's eyes blinked open to the darkness of his room and a stilted knocking at the door. The raps came in short bursts, neither loud nor quiet, repeating every few seconds as if anxious for him to answer but reserved enough to not hit the door incessantly.
He rose from his bed, groggily glancing at the clock that indicated it was just past one in the morning, and hurried to the door. He knew who was on the other side as soon as he had awoken. Who would he be if he hadn't known?
Katsuki swung the door open and peered down at Kuri, rubbing his bleary eyes as he greeted her.
"'Sup, Bunny? You can't sleep?"
"I had a nightmare," Kuri answered quickly, and Katsuki noticed how freaked out she was. Kuri's hands gripped her elbows, and she was clearly fighting to keep her breathing steady. "Can I talk to you for a bit?"
"Yeah, of course," Katsuki said without hesitation, welcoming Kuri into his room. She walked in and sat on the floor beside his bed, quickly making herself comfortable.
Katsuki closed the door with a soft click and gazed at Kuri with a small smile.
Though it didn't matter who she opened up to first, Katsuki felt a twinge of happiness that Kuri chose him. Because he would always choose her. Through thick and thin, Katsuki would work toward her happiness.