Chapter Thirty-Six

**DISCLAIMER : TW - Blood, violence, gore.

Shiori's rescue group is comprised of me, Shinsou, Deku, Bakugo, Shoto, Endeavor, the pro hero known as Hawks, Mr. Aizawa and a few other pro heroes that I've hardly gotten to know in the time that I've been here. It's a rag tag team and there wasn't a lot of time to put it together, but Endeavor's and Hawks' agencies were two of the front runners in the masked villain investigation and that put my team at an enormous advantage.

"Be wary. Juro sent us the location where Shiori's being held for a reason and I can assure you, it wasn't a show of good faith" Aizawa warns, dropping his yellow head piece down over his eyes. I haven't been able to wipe the intense scowl off of my face since we left the school, but I nod.

"It's likely a trap for anyone that walks inside. We need to be vigilant" Endeavor agrees. I clench my fists, ready to go inside already. Juro apparently reached out to Hawks' agency after he captured Shiori with a location and a letter of warning issued. The tip off lead us into an industrial park with several tall buildings under construction and plenty of places to hide. He's playing games.

"You five stay out here while we scout the first building. We'll find her" Aizawa swears, mostly looking at me. I glare at him, gritting my teeth. He won't let me follow him... but part of me knows I won't have to. The five of us let them go and my teammates each seem satisfied with staying on alert, searching for any obvious signs of activity, but Shinsou and I both are crawling out of our skin.

"We're just going to sit here?" he snaps, casting an accusing glare at me. I glower back, the ferocity of the gaze surprising even to me.

"Of course not" I bark back, earning an expectant look.

"K-Kaida...? I know you want to find her. I know the feeling, but... we can't go in there without a plan" Deku says, expression serious. I glare back at him. He says he understands...but how could he? What could he know? About this?

"I won't lose her" I growl. He swallows, unsure how to approach this version of me.

"We'll get her back. But what's your plan, dumbass? Go in there and start blowing apart the building? What if you get her hurt?" Bakugo demands, eyeing me like I'm a petulant child. I glare even harder at him, mad that he's not even close to phased by it.

"I don't-"

"Look..." Shoto says, interrupting my argument. When I look up, I see a piece of paper fluttering down from the sky. I reach for it instinctively and when I catch it, the words scrawled over the front of it make my stomach drop.

Top floor. Building three.

My eyes widen and I know for certain that this is Juro's doing. That he wants me to come for her. I clench my teeth, immediately zeroing in on the third building and crushing the paper in my fist.

"What is it?" Shoto asks, but I keep staring.

"We're going" I say, my voice hard and cold. Juro might be the immortal villain... but I'll kill him if it's the last thing I ever do. I start forward and my team follows, no one pausing to question me. Smart of them.

The bottom floor of the building we enter is desolate and empty, the floors coated with sawdust and grime that crunches under our feet as we walk. We're all on high alert, my teammates acting as my eyes and ears in all of my blind spots.

"We should split up" I say quietly and all heads swivel towards me in surprise. I don't budge.

"We don't know how many of his friends are here or what they'll be able to accomplish if they back us all into a corner. Our best shot at getting Shiori out of here alive is making sure their attention is divided" I explain. Even to me, it sounds a bit sloppy, but I know what needs to be done. Shoto's the one who nods.

"That's not a bad plan" he concedes, sharing a look with everyone else. I nod back.

"Shinsou and I will take the top floor. Bakugo and Shoto, take the one beneath it, and Deku can stay on this level" I say. This time Bakugo makes a face, his own fury getting the best of him.

"You're honestly gonna go off alone? With him as backup?" he demands, that same look in his eyes from the day after the attack. I don't have any sympathy now though, not where Shiori's concerned. I give him a hard stare, feeling suddenly cold as ice.

"There's only one person here who needs Shiori back as badly as I do and it's him, Katsuki. He's coming with me" I snap coolly, leaving no room for argument. His eyes widen, a sort of pissed off disbelief coloring his gaze. It's almost like he doesn't recognize me, but this is who I am. This is the monster in me. There's only one thing I've ever loved through everything. One thing I've ever cared about. And I'll be the monster for her every time.

"Let's go..." Deku says, if not to get started, then to at least diffuse the tension. It works to an extent and the five of us split up, Shinsou and I taking to the stairs and climbing them as quickly and quietly as possible. Being alone with him is as tense as should be expected, but for the first time, I feel a common goal with him. Shiori. I realize that while he and I may never be best friends, there's one thing we do have in common and it's her. I can see it in his face... in the anger and panic in his eyes... he'd die for her. I have no choice but to respect that.

"Where are you?" he growls under his breath, voice tense. Shinsou's desperation is audible and I know I'm the only one who can relate.

"We'll find her, Shinsou" I promise him, so much conviction in my voice that I can't help but to believe it. Shinsou nods, a strange sort of trust in his gaze, but I can't blame him for that. When it comes to my sister, I'll never fail again.

The top floor is a hike, but when we finally get there, I feel a sense of accomplishment... Shiori's here somewhere. Shinsou and I walk down the hallway, both of us wary of our surroundings and careful not to step on or trip over any of the spare pieces of unused building materials.

"Hello" a small voice says. Reverti pokes her head out of one of the rooms, a lollipop hanging out of her mouth and big eyes wide. I put a hand in front of Shinsou, stopping him.

"Wait" I breathe, heart racing. I can't get caught in her trap again. Not this close to Shiori.

"What's wrong? Who is she?" he demands, regarding the girl with skepticism. I open my mouth to tell him, ready to blast her away at a moment's notice when I hear Shiori's voice echoing down the hall. My eyes widen and I instinctively clutch my hands to my ears. Shinsou follows suit, both of us wincing against the sound of her quirk thundering through the halls like an earthquake. Shinsou drops to one knee and I gasp, hunching over. Shit... I'm barely able to hold it together, but as Reverti drops unexpectedly, the double doors at the end of the hall burst open, revealing Shiori in her uniform, bits of it torn and tattered. I drop my hands, staring at her wide eyed as she stumbles into the hall, hair matted and body bruised, battered and bloodied. Worry and rage swim through me with equal force.

"Shiori..." I breathe, heart beating so hard and fast that I feel like it'll rip its way out of my chest. Shiori sees me and her own eyes widen, fear and relief written all over her face.

"Kaida... Kaida!" she all but screams, her voice hoarse. I start towards her immediately, catching her as she limps towards me and collapses, body shaking.

"Hey, hey, I'm here. I'm here, it's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here" I swear, sinking to the floor under her weight. The two of us face each other in bewilderment, both of us seeming to be shocked that the other is here.

"Shiori!" Shinsou recovers a bit slower than I do, but as soon as he does, he races across the floor, stealing Shiori from my arms and wrapping her in his own, cradling her head against him and burying his face in her hair. I swallow, both relieved and scared for her and I stand up again, letting them get reacquainted for a moment while I assess the danger. This seems... too easy.

"Shiori... how many did you take out?" I ask, turning back to see the two of them pulling away from what looked like an intense kiss. Shiori's whole face is red beneath her injuries and her eyes betray a million emotions. I try not to point it out.

"A shorter guy... Razor? I think... the girl here... and... I didn't see anyone else" she tells me. My blood runs cold. That means... as soon as I think it, the windows on our side of the building all explode inward towards us. Shinsou throws himself over my sister and I turn my back to the blast, growling with the pain as shards of glass drive like nails into me. Damn it!

"Shinsou!" Shiori screams. I turn to face them and see Shinsou gasping, body littered with stray glass shards. He's in pain... but none of the pieces are big enough to kill him. I turn my attention to the figure outside the window instead, smirking. Hiroto. I glower at her, ready to destroy her this time. I'll kill you, you bird bitch. I start towards her, but Shinsou holds out his hand, giving me a meaningful stare. Shiori stares between the two of us, horrified.

"I'll take care of her. Get Shiori out of here" Shinsou insists. He looks tired and I can tell the glass isn't doing him any favors, but he's completely serious. I look between him and Hiroto, wondering if he knows what he's getting himself into. He gets up almost on cue, turning to face the villain.

"Is that all?" he shouts. It seems like a long shot, but I decide to put my faith in him, picking Shiori up from the ground even as she protests.

"No! Let me go! Get off of me!" she pleads, almost as desperate as Shinsou was when we were trying to find her. I yank her in front of me, grabbing her by her upper arms and forcing her to meet my eyes.

"He needs me to save you! Don't you dare let this go to waste. Don't you dare insult him by not trusting him with this! He risked his life to come here for you! Let him do this!" I order and her eyes widen. Shiori stares at me for the first time like she has no idea what to do. For the first time in our lives, I feel like I'm the one with all the answers. In her hesitation, I steer her away from the scene, half dragging and half supporting her as we race down the hallway.

"You little brat!" I hear Hiroto shriek and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. He got her. For a moment I start to think we can do it... that we can really break free... I almost scream with victory when we reach the stairs, throwing open the door and starting down, but the moment is short lived. As we get to the first stair, Shiori's arm over my shoulders, I feel a heavy boot at my back and I gasp, stomach dropping as we fly forwards, the two of us crashing down the stairs. Shiori's already weak body barely puts up a fight and as I try to stop her from falling, my head cracks against one of the stairs with an audible thwack. Moments later, everything goes dark.

_____________

I come to in another room, cheek pressed to a dirty floor and head throbbing. I wince as I force myself up. Damn it... when I look around, I see Shiori out cold, body limp and dirty.

"Shiori!" I exclaim, scrambling towards her and gently tapping her face, trying to wake her. She doesn't budge, but when I check her pulse, I sigh in relief. She's still alive... I look around. We're in a small unfinished room, no windows and only one door. There's no furniture in the room either, but if I just use my quirk against the door... we can probably get out of here. I start towards it, wondering what floor we're on or who might be watching, but when I'm halfway there, the door knob turns. My eyes widen and I step back, standing protectively in front of my sister.

"Kaida, you're awake" Juro smiles as he enters, green eyes glimmering menacingly. I glower at him, sudden hate surging through me.

"You bastard" I spit, voice shaking with my rage. He did this.

"Oh don't be so unkind" he admonishes, pacing the room. I have no more room for fear... no. Now, all I feel is fury.

"Screw you!" I snarl, lashing out with everything I have. My entire body screams with the pain from my fall but energy whips out of me at top speed, whipping around the room uncontrollably and snapping out at him. Juro's eyes widen, but the concern seems almost staged. I push harder, forcing more and more energy out of me and praying that it affects him somehow. I squeeze my eyes shut as pieces of the building begin to tear away and fly around the room, crashing into each other and I gasp as the last of the blast pours out of me, sending me to my knees, heaving and sucking in desperate breaths. My whole body shakes, but when I look up, Juro is staring at me with surprise, blood spilling out of his mouth.

"Y-you..." he rasps and my eyes widen, heart stalling in my chest. A large pole, maybe half the size of Juro himself, is sticking out of his chest, slicing through his body as if he were skewered by a giant. The urge to vomit rolls through me and my whole body aches with the sight. Juro grabs the pole from the front, a crazed look in his eyes as he begins to laugh. Terror has me almost completely frozen, but I still manage to back up into Shiori, pulling her body close to me.

"You thought... you could kill me..." he laughs, a sickeningly wet sound coming out of his lungs. I roll into a crouch, still keeping Shiori beside me. What the hell is wrong with this guy? 

"Nothing... can kill me..." he rasps dispassionately, sliding the pole out of his chest with a disgusting spray of blood and watching it clatter to the floor. He limps a step closer, but he doesn't seem phased in the slightest by his injury. My eyes widen even more, fear ripping through me as I try to get Shiori up. Shit... shit, shit, shit! She's not moving. She's not moving. How did I let this happen? How did we get trapped here with him? How are we alone? Come on, Shiori... please... I beg her silently. If we could just run now... just get out of here... but Juro takes another step.

"But you... Kaida... you've been so interesting this whole time... with all of your... untapped potential" he chokes out a sound that might be a chuckle, but I can't tell behind the sounds of his wound healing.

"Don't come any closer!" I command, trying to come up with something... anything... if Mr. Aizawa was here, we might have a chance, but as we speak, I can see Juro's wound closing, oozing blood all over the front of him and the floor at his feet. What the hell is he?

"Have you ever wondered... what great heights you could reach... if you didn't have so many people weighing you down?" he muses, taking yet another step. I yank Shiori back, fear making my heart race. I've never felt so helpless before, but with Shiori knocked out cold and my head throbbing the way it is... I can't see a good outcome here.

"Your mother... was proof of that" he half whispers and I freeze, body running cold. My... mom...?

"What?" I breathe, fury and disbelief swirling through me. What could he possibly know? How dare he bring her up here? I feel sick.

"Your mother was a beautiful woman... and talented beyond belief. With your sister's discipline... and your unparalleled strength..." he shakes his head, sucking in a breath through his teeth.

"What a waste" he muses, smiling at me sadistically, his grin looking like all teeth and glittering animal eyes. My whole body feels twisted and struck with sudden realization and terror. No... NO.

"It was such as shame really... when I had to kill her" he tells me, watching me so closely that I want to explode. My skin feels hot and cold, my heart thundering in my chest and my muscles shaking with anger, hate, and pain. I can hear the blood rushing in my ears and feel the energy coursing through me. He... he killed my mom... the ground beneath my feet begins to shiver and shake, the sound of tiles cracking making my ears prick. Energy rolls off of me in waves and I hold Shiori closer than ever. I glare at Juro, my eyes daggers and my hatred directed solely at him. As if fueled by it, my quirk seems to pulse out of me all on its own, the building groaning in response. My heart speeds up rapidly and my pulse spirals out in uncontrollable vines of twisting energy.

"My, my..." Juro hums, eyes lighting up at the sight of me. I gently lay my sister down at my feet, taking a stance before her.

"I want to see, Juro..." I begin, my voice so dark and gravelly that I hardly even recognize myself.

"I want to see if you can live... with your body ripped in half" I snarl, eyes sharp on his. Energy bursts out of me, nearly cracking my body in down the center with the intensity of it and Juro stares right back at me a dangerous glint in his gaze.

"Be my guest" he murmurs, a slow smile spreading over his face. Fury like I've never known it flows through me as I clench my jaw and prepare myself for the fight of my life. I've never known what it is to kill a man but I will kill him today. There's no doubt in my mind.