The Lost Continent

Chapter 26

The rain drizzles on for days, and then downpours. The waves are choppy but it's hardly a storm, so it annoys Kirishima more than anything. He can't remember what it feels like to be dry. He knows Bakugou hates it, too, because the rain dulls the firepower of the Crepitus , and it's difficult to keep the gunpowder totally dry when the water leaks through the boards of the ship- no matter how skilled a craftsman Sero is.

When the rain does clear the mist settles in, and it runs a chill deep into his bones. He can't shake the shiver, but his nights are always warm by Bakugou's side. He's thinking about how he'd much rather still be in bed beside him when Hatsume calls down from the lookout.

"Ship!"

Kirishima looks up to her post to see where she's pointing, and follows her finger out to the sea. He can't see a thing, but her eye is sharp, and he trusts her judgement.

"More!" she calls.

Kirishima squints his eyes hard.

"Where are they?" Bakugou shouts up. "Canons at the ready."

Kirishima hurries to hoist the sails high in case they needed to flee.

"All on the starboard." She calls down.

"Can you see their colors?" Bakugou shouts up. Kirishima can see his expression from where he stands- his brow slowly furrowing.

"Too much fog." Hagakure yells. "Mina! What's to the bow?"

Kirishima can't make out Mina's answer, but on his own port side, he sees another ship.

"A-Another!" he shouts.

"ALL CANONS AT THE READY!" Bakugou shouts. "EVERY DAMN ONE."

Kirishima hears the running crew and the heavy pull of canons below the ship as they sit dormant on the sea, the water splashing against the softly rocking ship. He hears Tokoyami's caw, jagged through the air like a wet rag on copper, but there's a pressing silence as ship after ship breaks through his field of vision.

"Captain-" Kirishima says, worried, but he cuts himself off when he sees a familiar ship appear through the fog. Too familiar. Plain brown sails that match the earthy jackets, save for the deep red mainsails, a shock of colour through the dampened daylight. Kirishima's blood has been cold for days, but he thinks now it's frozen, because he can't move, can't breath, for all he sees is the ship he saw sail far, far away, many months ago.

"Iwa." he breathes out, in a rush. He feels the crews eyes on him, sudden, and he turns, panicked, looking into Shouji's uncertain eyes, to Sero's, Ojirou's, Mina's, and then to Bakugou. What does he do? Hide? Why were they here? Did they know Kirishima was here?

"Captain!" Kirishima says again, at a loss.

"Hold." Bakugou commands his crew. "At my signal, if need be."

The ship steers along side the Crepitus.

"Captain!"

It's a different Kirishima that calls out this time. Kirishima recognizes his father's voice cutting through the mist as his ship steers near flush to the port side.

"I believe you have something of mine."

Kirishima blinks fast, looking for his father's face. He came back? With... with a fleet? Was he here to... to take him back again? His heart pounds so fast in his chest it makes his vision pulse.

"If I recall, you gave him to me." Bakugou shouts back. "Not a fair trade, though. He turned out to be worth a thousand of every one of your men's lives."