Kiss of Life | K. Bakugo

Chapter Six

Upon tearing my eyes away from the news crews desperately trying to get my attention, I saw a medical tent set up off to the side of the building, away from the action. I ran over to help, ignoring the sinking feeling in my gut not only from the reporters, but from the entire state of the scene.

The building was in shambles, large sections of outer walls having been torn off or blown up, I couldn't quite tell. There were sounds of fighting erupting from inside the building. Yells, explosions, at this point I had no idea what was going on.

Instead, I tried to focus on the task at hand. I started providing first aid services to victims in the tent. Luckily no one seemed too hurt, which made me feel less guilty about not being able to use my quirk. Rescue heroes continued to bring a steady stream of patients to me.

After some time the fighting got louder, and I internally worried about the proximity of the first aid tent to the building. At first it seemed like we were far enough away, but it looked like the action was growing closer.

My only source of comfort was the fact that Hitoshi wasn't one of the patients in the tent. But then again, that meant he was probably still inside fighting.

Eventually some of the heroes make their way outside. I could hear them talking about the state of the mission. The villains had gotten away, likely escaping to another location nearby. They were lacking intel on the second location, and were debating following them now or regrouping later on once they had more information.

At this moment, I saw Hitoshi was among those arguing about what to do. I could see he was agitated, antsy even. We locked eyes and he practically sprinted toward me.

"Boost me," he ordered without bite, trying to get to the point quickly and lacking the time for pleasantries.

"I-I'm sorry... I can't," I said, eyes wide, not knowing what to say to explain the situation and knowing now wasn't the time.

Hitoshi and I had messed with boosting his quirk in the past. It allowed him to control a lot more people at a time. Like a lot, a lot. Maybe 30 or 40. I couldn't tell what his plan was, but by his body language and request, it seemed like he was among the group that wanted to go after the villains now. Controlling that many people would certainly be a big help.

"What do you mean you can't?" he asked, with shock and confusion in his voice.

"I can't... I'm not allowed. I can only boost or heal Shoto right now," I responded quietly, looking back down at the wound I was suturing. Based on the groan coming from below me, my patient did not appreciate the interruption.

"That's bullshit! I need to get back in there, they're getting away!" His voice was somewhat louder, starting to draw attention from the patients and healers around us.

I handed off my patient to another field tech and grabbed Hitoshi's arm, pulling him around the side of the tent for privacy.

"You're making a scene. There's nothing I can do about it. It's my first day out in the field, I'm just following orders," I said curtly, frustrated that I needed to defend myself to him.

Hitoshi's eyes thinned at me, debating whether or not he was going to push the issue. Anger, disappointment, and exhaustion all painted his hardened features. Finally he turned away from me wordlessly, heading back to the group.

I stood there for a moment, watching him leave. He was pissed, and I get it. But honestly would it have even been a good idea for him to chase after them? There were so many injuries, and the mission had clearly not gone as planned. Maybe taking some time to regroup and gather intel really was the best call.