Aero (a BNHA OC story)

Chapter 18

...

Kenzo awoke, disoriented and isolated. Bound to a chair in the centre of a dark grimy room, he couldn't stretch or alleviate the ache in his muscles. The passage of time since his capture eluded him. Concern and guilt flooded his thoughts as he imagined Bakugo, his student, also taken captive.

Every movement was agony. Blinking, breathing, merely existing—each action was accompanied by pain. Kenzo was certain his bones remained broken, and he marvelled at the fact that his lungs hadn't been punctured. Leaning his head backward, his blonde hair hung loosely, drenched in blood, much like the rest of his battered body.

As Kenzo strained against the chair's restraints, the creaking door swung open, revealing a familiar ominous silhouette. Shigaraki's wicked grin adorned his lips as he entered the dimly lit room, his footsteps resonating off the walls. Kenzo hadn't encountered him since the threat at the fight club, and the sight of Shigaraki did nothing to improve his mood.

"Well, well, look who's finally awake," Shigaraki smirked, eyes glinting with malevolent delight. He circled Kenzo like a predator closing in on its prey, taking in the bruises and bloodstains that now marked the once-resilient hero.

Kenzo gritted his teeth, summoning every ounce of strength to meet Shigaraki's unsettling gaze. "Where's Bakugo. What do you want from us?" he spat out, his voice strained but defiant.

Shigaraki chuckled, a cold and unsettling sound that sent shivers down Kenzo's spine. His blue hair appeared longer than before, and his grin more malicious. "You'll find out soon enough. For now, I'm just enjoying the show. You heroes always put on a good one, especially when you're at your most vulnerable."

The villain leaned in, his face inches away from Kenzo's. "It's a shame you're already a hero at such a young age. We could use someone like you on our side."

"Never." 

Shigaraki withdrew his face from Kenzo's in mock thought. "Hmm. Then there's always your little friend. He would make a very good Nomu."

Kenzo glared at Shigaraki, rage consuming his mind. "I'll kill you."

Shigaraki tilted his head mockingly. "Ah, that didn't sound very heroic, did it?" 

Kenzo gritted his teeth as the villain leaned against the wall opposite him, hands in his pockets.

"You're not very hero-like Ikari. First you drop out of your hero school and join an illegal underground fighting club, then you fail to save your student from his impending death,  and then you threaten to kill me. Are you sure you've chosen the right path?"

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but that was quickly replaced with anger.

"You don't know anything about me."

"Maybe not. But I've got news for you, Aero. This time, you either join us, or you stay here and die. You'll be dead soon with those injuries."

With a final smirk, Shigaraki sauntered toward the exit, leaving Kenzo bound and battered in the cold silence of the room.

With his hands securely bound behind his back and his ankles tethered to the chair legs, Kenzo found himself immobile, unable to utilize his quirk. Not that he had any intention of doing so. Every inch of his body throbbed with pain.

As about five minutes crawled by, the relentless agony took its toll, and Kenzo succumbed to unconsciousness. His blonde head hung limply, a stark contrast to the earlier struggle and defiance that had defined his presence in the dimly lit room.

...

Hours later, the oppressive silence of the room was broken by the creak of the door once more. Toga Himiko entered with her usual cheerful demeanour, eyes gleaming with fascination at the sight of Kenzo's battered form. She approached him with an almost childlike curiosity, her excitement palpable.