Endless Bounds

Chapter 13 (Bakugou)

All his life, one person has been stuck to his side like a thorn. One person wedged deep under his skin that he could never be free of no matter how hard he scraped, poked, and prodded. From the time they could walk, that annoying kid was always there. He could never seem to apply the right amount of pressure.

And after everything, after every shove in the dirt, every foul name, every hit and bruise, that same idiot, mumbling nerd still looked up to him like a hero. Like some inspiration in one of those ridiculous comics.

What did he do? He relished in it. Thought of himself as something great. Something strong. He let the fear of proving them wrong do so much damage.

Now that damage is back to repay him.

Bakugou, unable to tear his eyes away from the video on the screen, finally speaks. "I'm going in."

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen," Tsukauchi proclaims.

"Like hell it won't!" Bakugou snaps, fists bunched, eyes peering through his hair at the screen. "I'm going to talk to him. You can't stop me."

"I can and I will. By force if I need to."

Bakugou finally meets the officer's eyes with glassy red ones of his own. "Try me," he says through grit teeth.

"He's right young Bakugou," All Might says. "You can't see him, not in this state. It will only make matters worse for you both."

"I don't care. I have some questions I need answered and things to clear up. I'm going to talk to him." Bakugou makes for the door, but All Might steps in front of him. "Move," Bakugou says curtly, eyes like daggers.

"Either stay here and listen, or go home. It's your choice."

Bakugou stares them down then scoffs. "Fine." He says, accepting there was no way around them—yet. He turns around with a scowl and sets his eyes back on the screen.

Deku. . . he's just sitting there. Calm and serine. Without a care in the world. It doesn't matter to him that his in the most secure place. And all those crimes. All those crimes laid out like that, and he didn't flinch. He didn't even blink at those grueling photos.

All those crimes, bloody and cruel and heartless. All those murders. Deku did all of them?

If Bakugou hadn't witnessed what he did at the festival, he would never have believed it. But that look in his eyes when he came crashing down in the middle of the stadium, that smile on his face. . . and he acted as if he didn't just blow up a big crowd.

"Fine," He concedes, "But at least let me go to the bathroom." When All Might doesn't move, Bakugou frowns, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "What? You've got a bucket in here or something then? I'll come right back."

All Might finally moves with a sigh then nods at the officer. "Go with him and keep him out of trouble."

"Yes sir."

Bakugou grumbles and shoves open the door, driven by determination.

"And Tsukauchi," All Might adds before the door is closed. "Don't let him out of your sight."

Bakugou trudges down the hallway, Tsukauchi on his tail the whole way.
He makes a snide remark before slamming the door behind him. Behind closed doors, his fists shake and his lip quivers, breath shaky. Then before he knows it, his eyes fill and tears slide down his cheeks. He angrily wipes his tears and storms across the room.

Hot water running through his hands, Bakugou stares blankly in the mirror

Was that really Deku?

Anger boils through Bakugou as a flash of the innocent Deku of his childhood is burned away and replaced with who he is now. Bakugou clenches his fists and jaw, then goes to punch his reflection.

"Hurry up." Bakugou freezes, his fist an inch from the glass. Tsukauchi pounds on the door. "Come on, let's go kid."

"Shut up," Bakugou mutters, quiet enough so that he wouldn't be heard. "Shut up. Shut up shut up shut up."

Tsukauchi continues to pound relentlessly on door. "Let's go. I don't have all night."

Was it really that late? It was midday when they first let him in. Bakugou growls, splashes his face with water, and opens the door. "What?" He asks with a glare.

"What was taking you so long?"

"Nothing." When Tsukauchi meets Bakugou's gaze with his brow raised, Bakugou looks away and scoffs. "I'm going home."

"I'll take you."

"I don't need you to babysit me! I'm not a little kid," Bakugou barks.

"No but I know what you're thinking and it's not going to happen."

"I'm tired so I'm going home. There's nothing else to it."

"Then you'll have no problem with me taking you. I have orders to not take my eyes off you."

Damn All Might. "Fine," Bakugou grumbles.

The officer escorts him outside and to his car, insisting on giving a ride. Unable to shake him, Bakugou gets in.

He sits quietly in the back seat, waiting patiently as the city view rushes by and his home comes in to view.

"Thanks for the ride," Bakugou says as he slams the door shut. He trudges up to his door where his mother waits impatiently. If she had been worried, she doesn't show it.

"How many more times are you going to be getting into trouble young man? Between the reporters and police, the pro heroes tearing apart our house. But never mind that, why does that boy from the festival look like--"

"It's none of your damn business!" Bakugou shouts. Of course they would try to keep Deku's identity away from reporters and the news. They don't know what's happening. What has happened. They can't let civilians and their theories and claims get in the way of their investigations. Not when there's a missing student's life on the line.

"Excuse me?"

Bakugou rolls his eyes, grits his teeth and balls his fists, resisting the urge to blow everything to pieces. Instead, he pushes past his mother and goes into the house, away from the eyes of Tsukauchi and into his room.

He turns off the light and shields himself from Tsukauchi's gaze as he watches Bakugou's house from his squad car.

Bakugou paces back and forth behind closed curtains in the dark, counting the minutes. After several hours, Bakugou finally pears through the curtains and out on to the street. Seeing it empty, he quickly locks his door and scales down his window.

Running through the city, cutting through parks and jumping over fences to keep off streets and lose anyone who might be following, Bakugou goes back to the precinct where Deku is being held. He keeps his head down, following closely behind someone to enter the building. Then dips away, casually making his way to the far end of the room, stopping every now and then as if he was there for the same reason as the other civilians.

He waits for an officer to open the door to the back to slip in, and heads back down the maze of hallways and doors to the room holding Deku. There, two officers guard his door. With a few small explosions and punches they are knocked out on the ground and the lock pad is destroyed.

Bakugou doesn't hesitate. He pushes open the door and steps through.