𝓝𝓸𝓽 𝓗𝓸𝔀 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂 𝓖𝓸𝓮𝓼 | Katsuki Bakugou x Male reader

Chapter 26

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The anthem began, but there were no faces in the sky that night. The audience would be restless, thirsting for blood. Tenya's trap held enough promise, though, that the Gamemakers hadn't sent in other attacks. Perhaps they were simply curious to see if it would work.

At what Denki and (M/N) judged to be about nine, they left their shell-strewn camp, crossed to the twelve o'clock beach, and began to quietly hike up to the lightning tree in the light of the moon. Their full stomachs made them more uncomfortable and breathless than they were on the morning's climb. (M/N) began to regret those last dozen oysters.

Tenya asked Denki to assist him, and the rest of them stood guard. Before he even attached any wire to the tree, Tenya unrolled metres and metres of the stuff. He had Denki secure it tightly around a broken branch and laid it on the ground. Then they stood on either side of the tree, passing the spool back and forth as they wrapped the wire around and around the trunk. At first it seemed arbitrary, then (M/N) saw a pattern, like an intricate maze, appearing in the moonlight on Tenya's side. (M/N) wondered if it made any difference how the wire was placed, or if this was merely to add to the speculation of the audience. He could bet most of them knew as much about electricity as he did.

The work on the trunk was completed just as they heard the wave begin. (M/N) never really worked out at what point in the ten o'clock hour it erupted. There had to be some build up, then the wave itself, then the aftermath of the flooding. But the sky told him ten-thirty.

That was when Tenya revealed the rest of the plan. Since they moved most swiftly through the trees, he wanted Neito and (M/N) to take the coil down through the jungle, unwinding the wire as they went. They were to lay it across the twelve o'clock beach and drop the metal spool, with whatever was left, deep into the water, making sure it sank. Then run for the jungle. If they left right now, they should be able to make it to safety.

"I want to go with them as a guard," Katsuki said immediately. After the moment with the pearl. (M/N) knew he was less willing than ever to leave his side.

"You're too slow. Besides, I'll need you on this end. (M/N) will guard," Tenya said. "There's no time to debate this. I'm sorry. If they are to get out of there alive, they need to move now." He handed the coil to Neito.

(M/N) didn't like the plan anymore than Katsuki did. How could he protect the blonde at a distance? But Tenya was right. Katsuki just wasn't as fast and nimble as (M/N) and Neito when it came to the jungle. (M/N) couldn't think of any alternative. And if he trusted anyone here besides Katsuki, it was Tenya.

"It's ok," (M/N) told Katsuki. "We'll just drop the coil and come straight back up."

"Not into the lightning zone," Tenya reminded him. "Head for the tree in the one-to-two-o'clock sector. If you find you're running out of time, move over one more. Don't even think about going back to the beach, though, until I can assess the damage."

(M/N) took Katsuki's face in his hands. "Don't worry. I'll see you at midnight." (M/N) gave him a kiss and, before he could object any further, let go and turned to Neito. "Ready?"

"Why not?" Neito said with a shrug. He was clearly no happier about being teamed up than (M/N) was. But they were all caught up in Tenya's trap. "You guard, I'll unwind. We can trade off later."

Without further discussion, they headed down the slope. In fact there was very little discussion between them at all. They moved at a pretty good pace. One person manning the coil and the other keeping watch. About halfway down, they heard the clicking beginning to rise, indicating it was after eleven.

"Better hurry," Neito said. "I want to put a lot of distance between me and that water before the lightning hits. Just in case Volts miscalculated something."