𝓐 𝓜𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓷 𝓔𝓷𝓭 | Katsuki Bakugou x Male Reader

Chapter 24

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A chill ran through (M/N). Was he really that cold and calculating? Shoto didn't say, "(M/N) will pick whoever it will break his heart to give up," or even "whoever he can't live without." Those would have implied he was motivated by a kind of passion. But his best friend predicted he would choose the person he thought he "can't survive without." There was not the least indication that love, or desire, or even compatibility would sway him. He would just conduct an unfeeling assessment of what his potential mates could offer him. As if in the end, it would be the question of whether a baker or a hunter would extend his longevity the most. It was a horrible thing for Shoto to say, for Katsuki not to refute. Especially when every emotion he possessed had been exploited by the Capitol or the rebels. At the moment, the choice would be simple. He could survive just fine without either of them.

In the morning, (M/N) had no time or energy to nurse wounded feelings. During a predawn breakfast, they gathered around Kinoko's television for one of Tenya's break-ins. There had been a new development in the war. Apparently inspired by the black wave, some enterprising rebel commander came up with the idea of confiscating people's abandoned automobiles and sending them unmanned down the streets. The cars didn't trigger every pod, but they certainly got the majority. At around four in the morning, the rebels began carving three separate paths - simply referred to as the A, B and C lines - to the Capitol's heart. As a result, they had secured block after block with very few casualties.

"This can't last," Shoto said. "In fact I'm surprised they've kept it going for so long. The Capitol will adjust by deactivating specific pods and then manually triggering them when their targets come in range." Almost within minutes of his prediction, they saw that very thing happen on-screen. A squad sent a car down a block, setting off four pods. All seemed well. Three scouts followed and made it safely to the end of the street. But when a group of twenty revel soldiers followed them, they were blown to bits by a row of potted rose bushes in front of a flower shop.

Tenya gave the broadcast back to the Capitol, where a grim-faced reporter announced the blocks that civilians were to evacuate. Between her update and the previous story, (M/N) was able to mark his paper map to show the relative positions of the opposing armies.

He heard scuffling out on the street, moved to the windows, and peeked out a crack in the shutters. In the early morning light, he saw a bizarre spectacle. Refugees from the now occupied blocks were streaming towards the Capitol's centre. The most panicked were wearing nothing but nightgowns and slippers, while the more prepared were heavily bundled in layers of clothes. They carried everything from lap dogs to jewellery boxes to potted plants. Confused, sleepy children stumbled along after their parents, most either too stunned or too baffled to cry.

Kinoko offered to be their spy for the day since she was the only one of them without a bounty on her head. After securing them downstairs, she went out into the Capitol to pick up any helpful information.

Down in the cellar (M/N) paced back and forth, driving the others crazy. Something told him that not taking advantage of the flood of refugees was a mistake. What better cover could they have? On the other hand, every displaced person milling about on the streets meant another pair of eyes looking for the five rebels on the loose. Then again, what did they gain by staying here? All they were really doing was depleting their small cache of food and waiting for... what? The rebels to take the Capitol? It could be weeks before that happened, and (M/N) wasn't so sure what he would do if they did. Not run out and greet them. Kaina would have him whisked back to 13 before he could say "nightlock, nightlock, nightlock." He did not come all this way, and lose all those people, to turn himself over to that woman. I kill Nezu. Besides, there would be an awful lot of things he couldn't easily explain about the last few days. Several of which, if they came to light, would probably blow his deal for the victors' immunity right out of the water.