"She's not wearing her chains." Bakugo's mind raced as he surveyed the lifeless figure before him. He reached out, his fingers trembling, and touched her sleeves, feeling the absence of her usual bracelets. "She's missing most of her jewelry." He swallowed hard, trying to steady his racing heart. "I don't ..." His voice faltered as he looked back into her hollow eyes. A surge of heat exploded through his face and chest, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. "No ..." He shook his head, desperation clawing at him. "It's not her." He failed to notice the small scar by her eye, his focus solely on the discrepancies in her appearance. His nostrils flared slightly as he continued, "She wears more jewelry—"
"It could have broken off," Officer Tanaka interjected, annoyance creeping into his voice. "Some could have taken it off—"
"She has a scar under her eye," Bakugo insisted, poking at the dead body's face with a mix of anger and disbelief. "And her features are placed wrong." He shook his head, frustration evident in his movements. "Her bottom eyelashes curl down more." He sat back slightly, his gaze fixed on the fake, his breath beginning to steady as he tried to comprehend the situation. "Her eyebrows are too trimmed; she doesn't do them regularly." Pointing at her top lip, he added, "Her lip has a small cut too." He looked up at the officer, conviction hardening his voice. "This isn't her."
"It's a fake?" Tsukauchi asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"It could be a Nomu," AllMight offered thoughtfully. "Maybe they know we're looking for her."
Bakugo stood abruptly over the dead body, his fists clenching at his sides. "That means we're close." His voice was laced with determination and frustration. "They wouldn't try something this drastic unless they were trying to make us give up." He crossed his arms defensively. "This phony ass body double." His eyes swept over her chest and hips, noticing further inconsistencies. "That's not her body." Straining his eyes to focus on her neck, he added, "It's so close though ... for a second there." He swallowed hard, the reality of the moment sinking in. "I really thought she was dead."
"How did you come across this body?" Tsukauchi asked, his tone probing.
"I was patrolling," Bakugo replied, pointing down the street. "I heard someone running, so naturally, being past curfew, I chased after them to ask for ID." He furrowed his brows, frustration evident in his stance. "Also, who the hell runs that fast through a dark alley at 3:30 in the damn morning?"
"It's 6."
Bakugo glared at Officer Tanaka, his anger barely contained. "Whatever." He sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Then I took a right. Most people tend to turn right when running, so I guessed. Then there it was ... right there." Bakugo shrugged, trying to mask his frustration. "That means we've narrowed down the location." He stretched his arm over his chest, the tension in his muscles visible. "That really ..." He pulled his leg back and kicked the dead body, the impact reverberating through the room. "Pissed me off."
"HEY!" Tsukauchi yelled, urgency in his voice. "This is still evidence to the case—"
"Huh?" Bakugo scoffed, turning his gaze back to the body. "It's a fake." He looked down and stumbled back, frustration boiling over. "WHAT THE CRAP!" He pointed at the body, which began to contort unnaturally. The botched version of Tsuki's face morphed into a beak-like head, brain matter protruding where hair should lie.
"It's a Nomu." Bakugo realized, his thoughts a mix of shock and determination. "It's actually a Nomu."
He jumped back instinctively, but in a split second, a loud thud echoed through the street. The building nearby crumbled, debris raining down around him. Bakugo turned his head slowly to the left, witnessing Officer Tanaka's body explode into a grotesque mess of blood and bits, brain matter squishing into the crevices of the caved-in structure. Blood splattered across the ground and rubble, the scene now more horrific than ever. Bakugo grabbed his stomach, feeling a pang of pain mixed with disbelief.
"TANAKA!" Tsukauchi yelled, extending his arm in a desperate attempt to help.
"YOUNG BAKUGO!"
"WATCH OUT!" Bakugo yelled back, noticing a fully formed Nomu pulling back its fist. Without hesitation, Bakugo leaped forward with blinding speed, his boots scraping the concrete as he closed the distance in a heartbeat. He collided with Tsukauchi, propelling him forward before landing a solid punch onto the ground, sending Tsukauchi sprawling.
"Get the hell outta here," Bakugo muttered fiercely. "Get an evacuation started." He looked over at AllMight, who was already gathering nearby people, "Call for actual help." His eyes scanned the mutilated body parts of Officer Tanaka. "People who can actually fight."
Tsukauchi mumbled a response, his hands fumbling with his tie as he tried to regain composure. The Nomu lunged at a speed rivaling Tsuki's, its fist aimed directly at Bakugo. Without a second thought, Bakugo jumped in front of the Nomu's flying fist, his body curled inward, light body fluid shooting out of his throat. His body flew against a sign; the metal bent, scratching at his body. He gathered himself to his feet, coughing out blood.
"Holy crap—" Bakugo's voice cut through the tense silence as he struggled to stand up straighter. His eyes twitched involuntarily, and before he could react, the Nomu lunged toward him with alarming speed. "That's right." Bakugo couldn't help but smirk, a surge of adrenaline fueling his confidence. "Ignore Tsukauchi and AllMight." He flexed his stomach, muscles taut and ready, as the Nomu swung a second punch directly at his chest.
The impact was jarring. Bakugo felt a sharp crack in his ribs, the force of the blow reverberating through his body. "What the hell is this Nomu? " he growled to himself, frustration and disbelief mingling in his brain. He wiped the sweat and a trickle of blood smearing across his face with his forearm, the metallic scent filling his nostrils.
"COME AT ME YOU, BRAIN DEAD BASTARD!" Bakugo roared, throwing his arms up defiantly. Without hesitation, he ran forward. "AP SHOT!" he bellowed. Explosions of intense heat and power shot toward the Nomu. The fiery blasts illuminated the dark alley, casting long, flickering shadows on the surrounding walls. He planted one hand firmly facing the ground; he shot an explosion propelling himself upward and swiftly maneuvering around the Nomu's line of sight. With a swift motion, he compressed another shot, his bicep flexing powerfully as a reinforced explosion erupted from his back. "DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEYUH!" His voice angrily echoed, bouncing off the brick walls of nearby buildings. The Nomu was sent flying off the ground, crashing violently into a nearby building with a thunderous impact that echoed through the quiet streets.
Bakugo's nerves shot, a mix of exhilaration and anxiety coursing through him. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest, each beat a reminder of the stakes involved. "Crap," he muttered under his breath, feeling a nerve shoot down his spine. "I need to get this fight out of here." His breaths came in rapid, shallow gasps as his heart continued to race. "I need to get away from all these people."
He stepped away. Bakugo's mind raced. His body ached from the confrontation, muscles burning with exertion, yet his determination only grew stronger. "I can feel it." He thought with a smile, "My senses." He looked down at his palms for a moment—the lingering scent of blood, the echo of his own footsteps, the distant sounds of the city, the light screaming of bystanders and wailing children—all contributing to his heightened state of alertness. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes darting to the remnants of the fight area. The twisted metal and shattered glass of the nearby building stood as silent witnesses to the chaos. Bakugo's fists remained clenched at his sides as the Nomu got up using its heels, its body bending backward, unnaturally standing up. The adrenaline was coursing through him, keeping his exhaustion far from his mind and bones.
...
Authors note: The old me woulda killed her off. Sigh.
