"Ow! Kacchan, that hurts!"
Izuku pulled away from Kacchan's rough handling as he attempted to help in pulling out the splinters of wood that were still lodged throughout his body.
"Don't be such a Deku." Kacchan grumbled.
Izuku flinched as he used the small, cheap, quality tweezers to yank out another splinter from his torso. The sudden jerk only made his ribs ache in protest.
The blonde looked rather pale as well. Kacchan's shoulder was still bleeding, a sluggish pool of red dampening the last of the gauze. Izuku considered returning to the pharmacy to restock now that they had won.
Some part of him protest it wasn't a rather heroic act to steal from them after they had killed some of Hachiro's men, but Izuku brushed the thought aside since they had attacked them first. He didn't have time to be mulling over the moral good or bad of stealing from their enemies.
"Can you still not move your arm?" Izuku asked.
"No, it's pretty useless, hurts like a bitch, not that I'm complaining like a certain crybaby."
Kacchan made a point of attempting to move his arm, but he couldn't do more than clench his fingers into a weak fist.
This worried Izuku.
If Kacchan's wound was serious enough that it damaged the nerves, then his quirk may not work properly anymore. That would put the entire group at a disadvantage if their strongest fighter was out of commission.
"Don't be mean." Chieko said.
Izuku and Kacchan both turned at the same time to look over at Chieko, who was lingering over by the door. She looked better than she had been earlier when they first found her, so that was one good thing to be relieved about.
"Hey." Izuku whispered.
Chieko didn't smile.
Her lower lip jutted out in a worried pout as she eyed their wounds. Izuku said nothing, knowing she was struggling with the fear of using her quirk over helping with their injuring and Izuku would be lying if he said he didn't want to ask her to help them. Logically, it was the better option since her healing quirk would heal her at a faster rate. It could keep Kacchan from having any permanent damage, since her shoulder would recover easily from the injury.
Logically, it was the best option.
The flashing image of Chieko in the hospital room sitting alone in that wheel chair lifeless and covered in bandages came to mind.
Izuku analyzed everyone's quirk this way. Their advantages, their disadvantages. It was second nature to him and was the best thing for their group to survive, but every time he tried to consider the benefits of Chieko's quirk.
That image would come to mind, and Izuku would stop in his tracks. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. So, Izuku would rather deal with the pain than to give in and ask Chieko to take it upon herself.
"Hey.." Chieko said.
"Don't linger over their like a creeper, just come in already." Kacchan said.
Kacchan's face didn't show it, but Izuku could hear what he was trying to hide. Kacchan's voice was harsh, but there was a slight twinge of worry to his words that Izuku wasn't sure if anyone would have picked up unless they knew Kacchan as long as he did.
Chieko lingered another few seconds before she hung her head resigned and moved to sit down next to Kacchan. Her fingers pulled at the end of her new hoodie as she bit into her lip.
"Baku can't use his arm anymore?" she asked.
Kacchan went back to focusing on the splinters in Izuku's side, not even glancing at her as if not bothered at all by his injured arm.
"Don't worry about it." Kacchan said.
"I could.." Chieko said.
She didn't finish her words as if she was forcing herself to even get out that much. Even now their was a small shaking to her form as her fingers tightened around the fabric she had been slowly deforming as she twisted and stretched the material. It was obvious how much she still feared it. For all her insistence the other day when faced with the reality of taking in pain, especially something as serious as Kacchan's injury.
Izuku couldn't blame her for hesitating.
The silence lingered around the room and Izuku did nothing to break it as he watching to see what Kacchan would say. He had decided that letting Kacchan take the lead with this was the best course since he was the one worst off out of the group.
Chieko's gaze finally shifted over to Kacchan's injured shoulder as they fixated on the dark red stain that was flourishing. Her fingers twitched in response, but she didn't move any closer.
"If you can't, then you can't. I ain't forcing you to do anything you don't want to do. So stop waiting for me to choose for you." Kacchan said.
Izuku hadn't even considered that thought process. The way Chieko flinched at the accusation only made it more obvious of the fear she had about using her quirk.
"I wasn't!" Chieko cried.
Kacchan gave her a knowing look, his right brow raised as if daring her to try denying it again. The way her eyes shifted away, unable to hold eye contact, gave her intentions away, and Izuku sighed at the realization.
Not that Izuku didn't want to chime in with his own two cents. Fact of the matter was, Kacchan's wound was still bleeding, and the risk of infection as well as permanent paralysis was high at this point.
Even if it left him with a bitter taste in his mouth, Izuku had to admit that Chieko's quirk would be the better option, but he knew if he even opened his mouth, Kacchan would throw a fit for Izuku saying anything.
Chieko's brows pinched together, clearly frustrated with herself she looked like she was ready to run the way she kept glancing back at the door so Izuku wasn't expecting it when her hand shot out to latch onto Kacchan's arm before she could hesitate again.
Kacchan jerked back in surprise, but her grip was firm as a low groan escaped soon after, making it obvious the pain she was inflicting on herself.
Chieko bit down harder on her lip, breaking the thin chapped skin to keep any other noise from coming through.
The same red stain appeared on her chest, ruining her new hoodie as the red coloring grew in size. The bleeding was spreading at an alarming rate, so Izuku's hands reached out, flustered at what to do to stop it.
He wasn't sure if her quirk would start healing immediately, or would she lose too much blood in the meantime? If that was the case, they needed to slow it down in the meantime.
"Kacchan the bleeding!" Izuku cried.
Izuku considered grabbing his discarded shirt, but he worried the dirt and grime would irritate the wound, but it was probably better than nothing, so he leaned over to grab it.
Chieko's hand met his mid reach. Her hands were so small, her finger tips unable to even meet on the other end as her fingers curled around his wrist.
"Wait, Chieko!" Izuku said.
Izuku's eyes met Chieko's watery gaze, but she said nothing this time, as a warmth spread through Izuku's body as it snatched every ache and pain. The setting of his ribs didn't even hurt, the aches in his arms and legs from using One for All eased into nothing as Chieko took it all away, sliding it down Izuku's arms and into her grasp.
She turned a pasty white as sweat dripped down the side of her face, but Chieko still gave him a pained smile.
"See….. I… I can be useful…. too." Chieko said.
Kacchan's pained face looked most likely mirrored in Izuku's own as they pulled away from her touch.
He felt no discomfort physically, his ribs fully healed, but his chest still felt tight, as if he couldn't yet breathe as he looked at her.
Why did she insist on talking that way about herself?
Why couldn't she understand they didn't see her in that way?
"Are you okay?" Izuku asked.
Chieko nodded, although her body was tilted to the side as she leaned into Kacchan to stay upright. She was trying to catch her breath, but every exhale came out in the same wheezing way that Izuku had heard from his own breaths earlier.
Her hand moved up to cover her shoulder, not quit touching the dampness of her hoodie.
"We should find something to wrap her shoulder." Izuku said.
Chieko shook her head, her hand dropping like dead weight onto her lap. She was doing her best to stay perfectly still, which could have been because of the broken ribs. Izuku now knew firsthand how little movement it needed to feel pain.
"Don't bother wasting supplies. It will stop on its own soon." Chieko said.
"Hello, hello how are our patients doing?"
Hatsume's voice prevented Izuku from saying anything more about treating Chieko's fresh injuries as a head of pink locks peaked through the door.
"Chieko was a big help." Izuku said.
Izuku did his best to reel back on his worry as he smiled and patted Chieko's leg in thanks. She gave him another smile, but she looked satisfied with herself.
"How's everything going downstairs? Are they awake yet?" Kacchan asked.
"Hachiro is, but Denki and I came up with a good setup involving some chains I had stashed away. If any of them even think of moving an inch, Denki is ready to put them back out of commission." Hatsume explained.
"Good." Kacchan said.
"We should start heading downstairs to join the others. Chieko, why don't you stay here to rest?" Izuku suggested.
"No!… No, I'll be fine soon. We still have things to do." Chieko said.
Chieko stood back up with Izuku's help and she stumbled a bit before standing straight and moving over to Hatsume, who was waiting for them by the door.
Izuku got up as well with Kacchan, who was rolling his newly healed shoulder in a slow circle to check it.
"Is it all good now?" Izuku asked.
Small crackles popped in repetition as Kacchan tested his quirk and smirked as he clenched his hand into a tight fist.
"Good as new."
Izuku let out a sigh of relief as he smiled at the blonde. This was good news. As much as he hated Chieko having to suffer, the fact of the matter was their odds were better with Kacchan at his best to help keep the group safe.
He wondered if this was the line of thought that Inazuma had gone down to justify forcing Chieko at the hospital. Izuku shook his head to push the thought away. They were nothing like Inazuma.
Chieko had used her quirk on her own terms, but even as he told himself that, the heaviness in his chest lingered.
A gasp caught Izuku's attention, and he turned, startled to see Hatsume staring at Chieko's outstretched arm. He frowned at the brief look of fear that crossed Hatsume's face before she concealed it behind a nervous smile.
"Ah! Sorry, you startled me there for a second. I guess I'm still jittery from the earlier fight." Hatsume stuttered out.
Chieko didn't respond, but her face cooled into a blank stare towards Hatsume before raising her hand out cautiously with enough time for Hatsume to pull away and grazed her fingers lightly against the side of the other girl's head. Chieko's fingers contrasted against Hatsume's tanned skin.
Chieko wobbled forward a bit and Kacchan reaches out to steady her, keeping her against his side to make sure she didn't fall over.
"Hey take it easy with the healing, don't overdo it." Kacchan chastised.
"She… she had a concussion. I'm already on a roll, so I figured one more wouldn't be too much to deal with." Chieko said.
Hatsume touched the side of her temple, her face a light blush as she looked down and away from Chieko.
"Thank you."
Hatsume switched gears after a moment as she turned back to Izuku, as if none of that had transpired. A bright smile stretched wide against her face.
"I got a hold of Inasa. He's going to send a small group that will take care of the jerks downstairs. So if we keep them fairly secured, we can leave them here until they're picked up." Hatsume said.
"Sounds good. The sooner we leave, the better." Izuku said.
They made their way downstairs, although at a slower pace for Kacchan and Chieko, who were lagging.
"When we get downstairs, you're going to rest, you hear me? I'll see what I can make you to eat." Kacchan fussed.
Izuku grinned, amused by Chieko's protesting groan.
Soon as they made the landing, Denki gave them a nod from the living room. Shinso stood nearby, keeping a watchful eye on everyone. Denki looked rather relaxed for someone standing so close to the men who tried to kill them. There was a wide smirk on his face as he stood over Hachiro and two of his men that were bound to him in a semicircle.
Each hand had a hold of heavy metal chains that moved down to wrap around their captives bodies and around their throats. Denki seemed a bit power drunk with the way he leered over them, almost waiting for them to make the wrong move so he could put them down.
The mirror guy was missing from the group, though Izuku guessed they still had him contained in Hatsume's trap box, which was sitting inconspicuously on the table next to the familiar jar that housed the rodent quirked one.
The man, still in his animal form, looked rather cramped int the small jar, barely able to lie down at the bottom. His mom had been nice enough to poke a few holes into the lid to make sure he could breathe.
When Chieko tried to move away to reach for their bags, Kacchan picked her up and ignored out surprised out cry as he moved over to one of the last good chairs they had and sat her down rather gently so as not to jostle her too much.
"I said stay put!" Kacchan yelled.
"Baku, come on, I'll heal within a day. I can still do small things at least!" Chieko yelled back.
"Chieko, please do as Kacchan said. We don't want to worry about you hurting yourself further." Izuku said.
She glanced over at him mid argument and with a defeated sigh she sat back, letting the exhaustion she had tried to cover up come through as she closed her eyes to rest as told.
His mom came over from the kitchen already checking on Chieko, so Izuku could leave her to worry about Chieko for now as he turned back to Hachiro and his men.
The man looked much less intimidating, chained and gagged, but the murderous glare he was giving Izuku was enough to brush away any sympathy Izuku may have had for him. If he was honest, it was just the guilt of his group having to take a life that made Izuku even feel this way in the first place, but he refused to feel bad for the person who had threatened his family.
Izuku kept his voice monotone, not allowing himself to show any emotion of anger or sympathy to mingle in his words as he stared down at the older man down. He let his earlier anger stay strong in his chest as a reminder of why he couldn't be soft on someone like Hachiro.
This was not a person to put his guard down around. If given the chance, Hachiro wouldn't hesitate to attack them, of that Izuku knew.
"You'll stay here, but don't worry, we have friends that will come to take you with them to a safer location. They know what you did so I'm sorry to say that they won't be letting you free." Izuku said.
Hachiro didn't move or say anything, but somehow Izuku knew he was seething even further at the news. Denki tightened his grip on the chains, just in case.
"Hatsume, do you have a time frame on when they should be here by?" Izuku asked.
"About a half a day away, so they'll be stuck here through the night and should be here by midday at the latest." Hatsume said.
"Be lucky we're even going so far. If it was up to me we'd leave you here to die." Kacchan grumbled.
Izuku didn't reprimand Kacchan as he kept his eyes locked on Hachiro. The man should know this was a courtesy that they were allowing them to be saved.
"We'll be leaving in thirty minutes. Hatsume, do you have something to keep them from escaping until then?" Izuku asked.
"Already on it, boss. They won't be moving an inch when we leave." Hatsume grinned.
Author's note:
So I just wanted to let everyone know that it may be a bit before I update the next chapter, but only because I want to make sure I have the next arc fully worked out on how I want it to go. I've dubbed it U.A. Arc lol. So hopefully everyone can be patient with me and I'll do my best to come back with more soon!
I also have a new story that I will be working on as well called "Burning Hunger Within" So if you're interested in a Romance Crime Thriller with no quirks, currently the Prologue is out with the First chapter on its way, so please check it out!
Thank you!