Chapter 41 - Stone

"Good morning Ground Zero!" A perky young lady bounced into view, one of Endeavor's many sidekicks. Her hair nearly appeared to be on fire, with long yellow-green bangs hanging past her eyes. Bakugou growled.

"And who do you have with you?" She scanned you up and down, taking in your dark suit, hood and mask. Your [e/c] eyes shone through and the tip of your [h/c] braid fell to your shoulder. She didn't wait for Bakugou to answer and grabbed your hands. "I'm Burnin'! Welcome to the Endeavor Hero Agency!"

"Um... thanks. I'm Cinder," you replied, quirking an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. You peeked over at Bakugou who rolled his eyes. You pulled your hands from her grasp and rubbed them on your pants, then removed your mask, clipping it to your belt.

"Ooh! A fire name? Ground Zero, did you actually bring us someone useful?"

"Cinder won the goddamn Sports Festival and orchestrated a hostage rescue! She's more than useful!" Your lips quirked up at his words. Only Bakugou Katsuki could shout compliments in such an aggressive manner.

"The Sports Festival?" Burnin's eyes went wide as she looked you over again. "I didn't recognize you with the costume! Definitely a good pull then GZ."

"GZ?"

"Ground Zero. This'll be your third time with us right GZ?" She stopped eyeing you and turned to see Bakugou's irritated form. You tried not to laugh and mouthed 'GZ?' over her shoulder. He gave you a look that read 'don't you dare fucking call me that' which just made your smirk grow.

"Why'd you call us in?" he said brusquely.

"Well, you did such a good job with patrols this summer we wanted you back! There's been a lot going on. It's even kept all 30 of us sidekicks going non-stop. Besides, you're so much more useful in the summer!" She turned around and headed toward a desk and pulled up a roster. Bakugou's first internship had been in the winter, when it took a longer time for him to produce enough sweat to release his explosions. He didn't like being reminded of his weaknesses. You saw the blond's palms pop twice in anger and subtly touched his shoulder, indicating he should calm down. He exhaled in a huff and tightened his hands into fists.

"You'll be in charge of the northwest side of town near Shinjuku park. It's mostly quiet suburban neighborhoods and Keio University." Burnin' scanned her fingertips along the roster. "Sorry it's not more adventurous for your first rodeo with us Cinder." She smiled at you, toothy and wide.

"Any patrol is fine." You gazed around the large open office building, your tone aloof.

"That's the spirit!" She thrust a pager and com into each of your hands. "These are for you. Endeavor Agency approved. Use channel 31 on the com to reach headquarters, 4 to reach the police, and 15 for emergency services. Teams will choose their own channels for raids. If we need to get in touch with you for non-emergency business, we'll send you a page," she spoke quickly.

You stared at the devices in your hand. A slight chill ran up your spine. Your thoughts flashed to the news clip of Saito-san as a pillar or stone. You quickly shoved them into your pocket.

"... and you'll end around 5 p.m." You missed what she'd said. You bit your lip and nodded anyway, hoping Bakugou would tell you what you'd zoned out on later.

***

Getting through Shinjuku Station took less time than you'd imagined. While you had to find your way to an appropriate exit to get to the park, people parted as you and Bakugou walked through the myriad of tunnels. With his explosive costume and giant grenade gauntlets it wasn't really surprising. But then you began noticing children smiling and pointing, middle schoolers taking pictures.

You saw one young girl with long blue pigtails try to take a selfie discretely with you in the background. You threw up a peace sign and wink and chuckled when she turned around and blushed, but then stepped forward.

"Can... can I get a picture with you?" she asked timidly. Bakugou growled, grabbing your wrist to pull you away, but you shrugged him off. The girl took a step back, nervous she'd angered your fellow hero.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's just grumpy." You waved him away. "And of course you can." She beamed up at you and took her phone out once more. Your arms were longer, so you held the phone in front of you. "Say hero!" You clicked the button.

"Thanks! I'm Mia. What's your name?" The sweetness in her expression melted your heart. You'd never had anyone look up at you that way. When you'd been patrolling with Kirishima, you'd mainly been in a commercial district, adults busily walking to and from work or eateries. And you hadn't even made time to notice in Kyoto with everything that occurred at Gorgon.

"I'm Cinder. It's nice to meet you Mia. But you know who you should really meet?" You pointed toward Bakugou. He was still frowning, bored. "This is Ground Zero. He's going to be the number one hero someday," you whispered.

"Really?!" The girl's eyes widened as she beamed at Bakugou. His eyes soften. "Can I get a picture with you too Ground Zero?!" You heard his familiar 'tsk' but Bakugou dropped a knee to the ground, resting at a similar height to the girl. She handed him her phone and bravely hopped onto his bent knee. You chuckled at his bewilderment.

"Get in here Cinder," he said, shaking the surprise from his expression. You pointed to your chest and the girl nodded greedily. You squatted slightly and Bakugou raised the phone. He couldn't help himself and threw out a 'rock on' sign and stuck out his tongue. What a fucking punk. "Say villains suck!"

"Villains suck!" the young girl shouted out then giggled at the naughty word. Bakugou lifted her from his knee and placed her down, handing her back the phone. He stood and scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed at her awe. "Thanks heroes!" she squeaked and ran off to a newsstand where she began tugging on her mother's pocketbook and holding up the phone.

"She'll be the president of your fan club one day." You fell in step as Bakugou started walking through the station tunnels once again.

***

"Oh my God, it's so hot." You pulled your hood back and zipped off your black jacket, tying the sleeves around your waist. It wasn't flattering, but it was better than melting. "No wonder they put work-study saps on the summer midday shift in a park with no shade." Apparently Burnin' had said you'd be running the noon to 5 p.m. shift. You stopped walking and hid under the smallest of shadows beneath a tree.

"I thought 'any patrol is fine'," Bakugou mocked, sweat dotting his own forehead. He pressed one hand up against the tree, leaning toward you.

"I can't even tell if you're trying to flirt or you're just trying to steal my tiny shaded respite," you deadpanned.

"Definitely steal." He smirked. "Let's get out of this park and head to the streets, maybe they'll be some awnings near the shops." You hesitated before stepped out into the blazing sun once again, immediately regretting your lack of foresight to wear sunblock.

You patrolled your area for the next three hours before returning to the agency building, sweaty and exhausted.

***

It continued like that for the next two weeks. You thanked God when it was cloudy, or even better yet, rained a bit. When it didn't feel like the surface of the sun, Shinjuku park was truly beautiful. With your many strolling hours you and Bakugou explored nearly every inch of the park – the different styled gardens, the gorgeous bridges that spanned over the winding river, and the greenhouse. From the quiet of the park you felt like you were in your own little oasis, tucked away from the noise and bustle of the city all around you.

You attended morning classes, sometimes streamed via video (Present Mic was very pro e-learning and had set up cameras in each classroom), and then patrolled in the afternoons, skipping out on some hero trainings.

To be fair, it hardly seemed to matter as Bakugou still pushed you in training every morning on campus and every evening at the agency. The Endeavor agency had plenty of quirk-approved gyms, all designed to handle even the most deadly of fire-type quirks, which allowed you to finally face off against Bakugou again.

"I think that's five for me and one for you GZ," you gloated, your fingers gripping around the back of Bakugou's neck, having jumped across the room on your smoke. A growl reverberated through his neck. He had a love-hate relationship with quirk training with you. It made him stronger and faster, but at the same time, he could legitimately lose.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!" Bakugou spun on his heel and swung a sparking palm to your shoulder, bracing as your fingertips lit and stung his skin. The sudden blast knocked you sideways, but you didn't topple to the ground.

Your eyes went red and your pushed flame down your arms. Bakugou jumped back, landing in a crouch. He cupped his hands together and sent a blast toward you. You shot smoke from your shoes and swiftly jumped out of the line of the explosion, at the same time releasing flame covered tendrils at the boy. He blasted himself into the air, your whips missing him by inches. You called them back.

The gym was filled with smoke. You could jump anywhere you wanted. You crouched. I want to be behind him. You opened your eyes and saw shins in front of you. This isn't behind him!

Your eyes went wide as he bent down and forcibly grabbed your throat. He used his weight advantage and shoved you to sitting, knocking your feet out from under you. You lit your shoulders and torso, but he didn't seem to care. With another powerful shove your back hit the mat. His crimson eyes bore into yours, his hair dripping in sweat above you.

"How did you know you kinky bastard?" you croaked out.

"You always go for the back." He let go of your neck. You sat up and rubbed it delicately, taking in his words. "The score is 2-4 Ashtray. Let's go again." You chuckled as you pushed yourself off the ground. His gaze followed your walk to the far side of the mat. You exhaled deeply, getting ready for another round.

"Try a little harder this time, would you?" you quipped as you set your feet.

"You're so fucking dead." He smirked. The exhaustion left your body and you smiled.

***

It was a perfect September day. The park was full of locals and tourists enjoying the nice weather. Large puffy white clouds littered the sky, making you wish you could just lay on the grass and call out shapes. Small children played by the water's edge, splashing one another.

Bakugou stepped in when a young boy took a tumble off a slippery rock. The boy sat on the bank and cried, more from fear and shock than the small scrapes on his knee and palm.

"Hey kid. You want to know a secret hero trick?" You watched as Bakugou knelt to the boy, unfazed by his tears. The boy nodded while wiping his eyes, waterworks still flowing. "If that girl covers your scrapes with her super hero smoke, you'll feel better." He pointed at you and the boy's eyes followed his gesture. "You want to give it a try?" The boy nodded once more.

Bakugou stood and grabbed your hand, pulling you to sit in front of the boy. He held out his scuffed palm. You lit your fingertips and his eyes widened. "You ready kid?" Bakugou asked from over your shoulder, his warm breath tickling your neck. The little boy gulped but didn't pull away.

You released the small amount of smoke from your fingers. It danced around the boy's palm, wrapping in long ribbons. You tied a delicate bow before letting it dissolve away. "There. Feel better?" you cooed.

"You're really pretty," were the first words he spoke. They took you by surprise and you heard a light chuckle behind you.

"Thank you," you said after a startled pause.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" A louder chuckle.

"As much as I would love to, I think you're a little too young for me," you said patting his head gently.

"But I'm five!" He held up the scuffed palm, extending each finger, completely over his fall.

"Five! Well then kid, do you know what you quirk is yet?" Bakugou said as he knelt again, his knee brushing yours.

"Can I show you?!" The enthusiasm in his tone was adorable. You looked past him to a man watching your exchange, his father no doubt. He gave you a smile and nod.

"Sure. What can you do?"

"I'll do it to him. I don't want to hurt my girlfriend." You looked as Bakugou questioningly, wondering how he would be injured by a five-year-old.

The little boy stood from the ground and walked up to Bakugou, rubbed his hands together for a few seconds and pressed a single finger against his nose. Bakugou looked at you from the corner of his eye, suspicious. Then you saw him flinch and scrunch his nose sharply.

"Kid zapped me," he huffed rubbing the spot. You could tell he'd held back a curse.

"I'm going to be a hero when I get big and zap bad guys! My hero name is going to be Static Shock!" the boy said excitedly. You smiled at him.

"You know, we have a friend who has electricity powers too. His hero name is Chargebolt."

"COOL!" The boy turned around and immediately ran toward his father. "DAD! DAD! MY NEW FAVORITE HERO IS CHARGEBOLT! CAN WE FIND HIM!?" You giggled at the thought of Kaminari having a miniature super-fan.

Bakugou scrunched his nose once more and helped you to your feet. You waved goodbye to the little boy and his father before continuing your lap around the park.

"I think I just got dumped for Denki," you joked.

"Good. I didn't want to fight that little brat for your affection anyway," Bakugou snarled with no conviction. You smiled.

"I didn't peg you to be such a softie around kids," you said as you crossed a bridge.

"It's easier to be Number One if you're well liked," he said flatly.

"Oh, c'mon it's not about future rankings. I know you actually like it. You wouldn't have told him about the 'secret hero trick' if you didn't. And that girl at the station the other day with the pictures?" You nudged into him with your shoulder. A small smile crossed his lips and your heart swelled. You remembered back to seeing his childhood bedroom. Would these encounters make the wall?

Even though you were on patrol, you found your fingers entwining with his as you strolled around the park and into the suburban streets.

"sssshhhh... calling all patrol units near the Sendagaya or Shinanomachi Stations." You dropped Bakugou's hand and pressed your finger to your ear, better to hear the announcement.

"ssshhh... we received a call from Keio University Hospital. Four assailants have stolen several million yen's worth of pharmaceuticals. Assailants in dark non-business clothing. One with large scar on face, one with neon blue hair... ssshhh... Request backup. Unknown quirks. Approach with caution."

You looked at each other for only a second before sprinting toward the hospital. Your route passed Sendagaya Station so if they were headed there, you'd surely spot them. Bakugou's head swept side to side, checking every car on the road, every side alley.

"Spotted," a deep voice came over the com. Endeavor? "Suspects entered the Keio Science building. Sending coordinates." Your pager beeped barely a second later. It was only five blocks away. You forced your legs to pump harder to match Bakugou's aggressive stride.

You turned a corner and the Keio Science Building stood in front of you. The wail of police sirens was close by. Bakugou touched his com.

"Ground Zero and Cinder on site!" he panted. No response came. You couldn't even be sure you'd heard it through your own headset. He pressed the button again, frustration reddening his already winded face.

You press your own com. "Ground Zero and Cinder at the building."

"Lobby," the voice spoke low in your ear. Bakugou didn't seem to react. You waved the explosive blond toward the doors.

"THIS THING IS A PIECE OF SHIT!" He ripped the earpiece from his ear and marched next to you. "Just tell me what they're fucking saying."

"Lobby," you whispered, pressing your mask to your face and pushing the door open. Endeavor's large form was pressed against a bulletin board, littered with posters for upcoming dance recitals and club sign-ups. A sign for a missing cat was tacked just behind his ear. Another hero, a sidekick was across the hall, his back to a water fountain.

You and Bakugou crept toward Endeavor's side and noticed a deep gash along his middle. The wound had already been cauterized, no doubt by Endeavor's flame, but cauterization couldn't fix the cut itself. For a moment you secretly wished your smoke did have super healing powers.

Endeavor caught you staring at his side. "It's not deep. Don't worry about it." You snapped your gaze up to his face. His beard was alight with his fire, his cyan eyes determined. "They split up when we came in. Two went down, two went up. The black-haired one can sharpen bits of his body. He went up."

"Where did the drugs go?" Bakugou hissed.

"Also up. They'll guard those. Pompei and I will go after them if you can round up the ones downstairs." You nodded and made your way quietly to the basement stairs. Endeavor and Pompei peeled themselves off the walls and headed up.

Before you opened the door, you saw a plaque indicating the departments on each floor.

B – Biology

G – Lecture halls

1 – Chemistry

2 – Physics

You said a little prayer and pried the thick door open, hoping there wasn't anything too explosive in the all the classrooms. Bakugou stepped in front of you, leading the way down the stairs, a palm facing out.

You lit your whole torso and sucked in as much smoke as you could in your short descent to the basement. Before you opened the next door, you extinguished yourself, not wanted to give away your position with such light.

Through your headset police began to talk. The perimeter was secure, and no suspects had shown themselves. Endeavor gave short clipped details of the first and second floors, describing the layout and calling off cleared rooms.

Bakugou's hand grabbed yours for a short squeeze.

"Ready?" he whispered. Your nerves dampened, but your heart still raced. If you were with him, you could do anything.

"I lo-" Not the fucking time [y/n]! Bakugou turned to face you, his crimson eyes sparkling behind his mask. "I'll go first." You tried to move but Bakugou held you back.

"No. Be my cover."

Bakugou opened the door slowly, expecting an ambush but none came. He motioned for you both to walk the left hall first. You nodded and followed, keeping your footsteps quiet as you continued to pull in smoke, now only from your fingertips. Your arms up to your elbows were black.

There were small windows on each of the doors lining the hallway, no bigger than a cereal box. Bakugou peered into each one, searching for any sign of movement but they were all dark. As he moved on down the hall, you released thin tendrils to each of the doorknobs, picking the locks.

BOOM!! Your head snapped to Bakugou, but he simply stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, suddenly guarded. It had come from above. Something on the chemistry floor must have ignited.

In your momentary distraction you almost missed movement down the right side of the hall. The assailants were headed toward the stairs, one with striking blue hair, the other white.

"I THINK NOT!" you screamed as you released thick dark tendrils at the men. They sprinted toward the exit, but your ropes caught them on the ankles, and they toppled one atop the other.

"God, you're hot," Bakugou said as he brushed past you, excited to use his quirk on a villain for the first time in a long while. "The cops have you fuckers surrounded. I'd stay down if I were-" Bakugou was cut short as a bird-like talon grazed past his head.

The blue-haired man rose to his knees and swiped his hands once again, each time a physical claw, ten times the size of a normal paw, appeared in midair, an impressive ranged quirk. In Bakugou's moment of hesitation his partner managed to kick the ropes from his ankles and stand.

You released your smoke. It wasn't doing any good now and instead lit your torso. "GROUND ZERO, DOWN!" you shouted, sending your flame covered whips at the men. You had counted on Bakugou's reflexes being as fast as they were, and he rolled out of the way before your fire had even reached the villains.

A hiss. The white-haired man played his hand. A wall of water blocked your fire.

Fine. Let's see you dodge –

***

Bakugou watched as the wall of water dropped to the floor, creating a puddle on the vinyl tiles. "Jump Cinder. I'll take them from the front." When you didn't begin filling the space with smoke to ensure your jump, he turned to face you. His eyes widened in horror.

Your hands were in front of you, fingertips raised toward the sky, ready to release your smoke and fire. Your legs were split just slightly, a subtle fighting stance so you couldn't be pushed over. Your hood concealed your [e/c] eyes and your mask hid your lips and nose.

All captured in perfect stone.