Bakugo's eyes widened slightly as he struggled to sit up, propping himself on one elbow. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his side, forcing a grimace and a muffled groan. "Where ..." he rasped, his voice rough and uneven. His brows furrowed, his confusion edged with fear. "Where is she?"
"We've located her," Tsukauchi said firmly, settling into the nurse's chair opposite Bakugo. His demeanor was calm, but the weight of the situation pressed in the air. "Using the information you gave us about Tsuki's curse, we narrowed it down to three strongholds. One of them has an open chamber exposed to moonlight."
Bakugo's heart pounded, the words lodging in his throat. A cold sweat broke across his brow, and he swallowed hard, his voice barely audible. "Is she ... is she okay?"
AllMight's deep inhale was telling, his expression heavy with sorrow. "She looked like she'd been tortured."
The room seemed to tilt. Bakugo's stomach sank like a lead weight, and his fists clenched the sterile, wrinkled sheets beneath him. His voice broke, hoarse with fury and pain. "YOU DIDN'T SAVE HER?" His shout rattled through the room, the heart monitor's rhythmic beeping turning erratic. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright despite the agony tearing through his ribs. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL DOING?"
"Young Bakugo," AllMight interjected gently but firmly, raising a hand to steady him. "Not now."
"Listen," Tsukauchi cut in, his tone sharp enough to slice through Bakugo's outburst. He flipped a paper on his clipboard with deliberate motion. "We don't have time for tantrums. Not only has she been tortured, but they're forcing her to use her curse."
The words hit like a blow to the chest. Bakugo froze, his breath catching as horror rippled through him. "What?" he whispered, disbelief clouding his voice. "They're using her? How?" His eyes burned with intensity, desperation creeping into his voice. "What the hell are they doing to her?"
"We're not sure yet," Tsukauchi admitted, his face grim as he scanned his notes. "But witnesses reported seeing her in chains, covered in blood."
Bakugo's throat tightened, strangling his words. "Chains?" he finally managed, his voice cracking. "I don't—she's—"
"Strong, yes," AllMight interrupted softly, his gaze distant and pained. "But she's still a kid. And they know that. They're probably threatening her ... using the people she cares about."
The suggestion hit like a punch, and Bakugo flinched. He shook his head vehemently. "No. That wouldn't work," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. "She's not stupid. She wouldn't let them control her like that."
"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Tsukauchi pressed, his voice calm but urgent. "Anything that might give us a better idea of their leverage? How could they target her specifically?"
Bakugo's chest heaved as he fought for composure. "I don't know!" he snapped, wincing as the movement sent another lance of pain through his torso. His arm instinctively curled around his side, his voice dropping to a mutter. "She doesn't have loved ones. There's no one ..."
His words trailed off as a thought struck him. He glanced at AllMight, his face flushing faintly. "Unless they know about ..." He hesitated, his pride warring with his fear. "But as if they'd threaten to use me as a damn hostage. That's insane." He scoffed bitterly, rubbing his throat. "It wouldn't work. She's not an idiot."
AllMight studied him carefully, his brows knitting together. "Still, manipulation doesn't always rely on logic. Do you think they could've ..." He hesitated. "Twisted her mind somehow? Gaslit her?"
"Gaslit her?" Bakugo's lip curled in disdain. "She's a crybaby, yeah, but she's strong. You think she'd fall for some cheap manipulation crap? Like she'd let that talking ball sack order her around?" His voice steadied, his confidence in her unshakable despite his fear.
Tsukauchi cleared his throat, steering the conversation back to the immediate issue. "We can't wait any longer. We're moving in tonight."
Bakugo's breath hitched. "Tonight?" The word echoed in his mind, dread intertwining with determination. "I—" He gritted his teeth, the fire in his eyes reigniting. "Crap. I need to fight." He looked up at AllMight, his jaw tight with resolve. "Get me another round with Recovery Girl."
"Young man," AllMight began, his voice low and pleading, "you're in no condition to—"
"Shut up," Bakugo snarled, his fierce glare cutting through the room. "Like I'd let you bastards take all the credit." He jabbed a thumb at his chest, the motion brimming with defiance. "This is my fight. I'm finishing the damn job."
...
Bakugo fitted his costume over his head; he tightened his belt along his waist. He shut one of his eyes in pain. "Crap." He rubbed his ribs. "Even though my body's healed ..." He clenched his teeth hard, "I can still feel my punctured lung." His fingers clenched his shirt. He stepped back and left the room. He pushed open the door of his hospital room. He quietly snuck out of the room, hurrying down the hall. His fingers slid against the wall as he ran around the corner; his heavy-set boots thumped against the floor.
"She's okay ... right? " His throat tightened, and his breath came in short, uneven gasps. "No way, right? " he asked himself, trying to steady the whirlwind in his head; his body not rested enough from the sudden movement. "She's stronger than that. She wouldn't break. She wouldn't—But what if she didn't have a choice? What if they'd chained her, forced her hand, used her curse to kill in ways she could never forgive herself for?"
The image was too vivid—Tsuki standing amidst a battlefield of bodies, her face pale, her eyes hollowed by guilt. Bakugo squeezed his fists shut, hurrying down a flight of stairs, his ripped glove sliding down the railing. He could see it clearly; blood dripping from her arms, her voice shaking, her cursed tears swelling from her eyes as she whimpered, "I'm so sorry ..."
A shiver ran through him, the weight of the thought threatening to crush him.
...
Authors note: Sorry short chapter; I have the recovery part of stories they're so hard to write after writing intense scenes.
