Cigarettes and Smoke - Tododeku A.U

Chapter 18

~Shoto~

I struggled to stay conscious, but I wasn't about to pass out in a situation like this. To try and stay conscious I strained my ears, listening to everything going on. The floors must be thin here since I could hear the conversations going on above me. Apparently, they're from a branch of the Japanese Mafia that my father contacted to have me captured so he could bring me back home. 

The conversation began to get boring, then suddenly stopped. I could hear whispering, but couldn't make out what was being said. Then the whispering stopped, and footsteps began to get louder. The lock on the door clicked and it flew open. Katsuki practically ran to me, grabbing my face and roughly pulling it up to his. "What did you do? How did that damn Deku find you!" he growled.

"I-I don't know." I said. He grabbed my face tighter and repeated the question. I repeated my answer and he let my face go. I fell back against the pipe, hitting my head. Katsuki began to pat me down, but I'm not sure what he was looking for. He checked my wrists, taking my watch.

"Is there something in this?" he asked. "A tracker?"

"I don't know! Honestly!" I exclaimed. Katsuki began to take the watch apart, dropping things to the ground. He dug something out of the back, dropping everything else. The face of the watch cracked and everything fell out of the back. 

"Damnit," Katsuki muttered, crushing something under his shoe. He unlocked one of the cuffs and roughly pulled me to my feet. I stumbled slightly, but stayed upright. I felt the barrel of a gun dig into my back. "Move. And don't try anything. I won't hesitate to shoot you."

I was too weak to even ask where we were going, but I didn't have the strength to resist.

~Izuku~ 

Normally when I go in for a rescue (which isn't often), I have more than one gun on me and multiple people, but today I had neither. I would just have to hope that backup would arrive in time. There was no time to wait for anyone. 

I kicked the door in, not even bothering to see if it was unlocked. My heart was racing in my ears as I searched the first floor. Every corner I turned I expected to see someone, but I didn't. Where is everyone?  I thought, Are they hiding? Waiting for something?  I was about to reach for a door when it opened, revealing Mina and Hanta. Neither of them was raising their guns. "Why are you here? I thought you didn't care about him." Mina asked.

"We had a misunderstanding." I said, not lowering my gun, "I want Shoto back."

"That won't be happening." A familiar voice snarled. Kacchan. I spun towards the stairs to see Kacchan holding a gun to Shoto's head. "We have to much money depending on this. If you turn around now, I'll forget this ever happened and there won't be war."

"I can't do that." I said, trying to stay calm. There was blood on Shoto's face and one wrist was bright red and bleeding slightly. He's hurt, but he's alive. "Shoto, I'm so sorry. I-I should have never let them have you. I should have just-"

"Do you hear that? He let us have you. Like he owns you." Kacchan taunted, tightening his grip on Shoto. "He didn't care about you then, so why would he care about you now?" He's trying to get him to turn against me.

"Shoto, please! I should have stayed and let you explain yourself. I was hurt and I didn't stop to think about what you were feeling." I begged, but all Shoto did was look at me. "Please, say something!" 

"You came for me?" he whispered. "You cared enough to come in here alone to try and save me?" He began to cough violently, splattering blood on the floor. My vision turned red. What have they done to him? 

"Of course I came for you." I said, struggling to control the shake in my voice. "I know I didn't do things right. I should have told you how I felt instead of doing... what I did. I should have talked to you. It's not like you could have known what those gifts meant without some explanation." Try and stall as long as you can. You'll need help if they try attacking you. "My mom told me what you said to her. You really want to try again?"

Shoto opened his mouth to speak, but gagged and spat out blood. "Don't get it on my shoes you idiot!" Kacchan shouted, roughly pushing Shoto. In retaliation he slammed his foot down on top of Kacchan's, which only made Kacchan angry - well, angrier than he was. He pulled his arm tight around Shoto's neck and growled, "Do that again and see what happens." He still kept a tight hold on Shoto's neck and his face started to go red. He's cutting off his air.

"Katsuki, let him go! He can't breathe!" Eijiro exclaimed.

"Seriously, the poor thing has already been through enough! Stop it!" Mina added. Kacchan loosened his hold and Shoto began to gasp for air. He finally began to breathe normally and tried to speak again.

"I do. I'm not sure what my feelings are... but I want to give this - give us a chance. I just don't want to go back to him." Shoto begged, tears forming in his eyes. "Save me. Please." 

Laughter echoed through the empty warehouse. I looked to see who was laughing, but no one seemed to be laughing. "As amusing as this is to watch, we have a flight waiting for us." A deep voice rumbled. The voice seemed to be coming from above, and sure enough, there was someone standing on the stairs, near the second floor. The man was tall, his hair was the exact same shade of crimson as Shoto's. That must be his dad.  "If you come with me now, Shoto, maybe I'll consider a less harsh punishment." 

"Father." He breathed, looking up at his dad. "How did you find me in the first place?"

"I was going to hire someone to try and find you, but I realized that one of your siblings would do just fine." His dad explained. Shoto's eyes widened, and tears began to fall down his face. He must know who. Then it hit me. His sister came to visit him "Fuyumi seemed so worried about you, and I knew that she would be perfect. She always has had a soft spot for you. It didn't take much, and she agreed to contact you and find out where you were. Of course, when she returned she refused at first. Once I made her realize that I am her father, she told me everything. It was almost laughable at how distraught she was." 

"What did you do to her?" Shoto asked through gritted teeth.

"I really am tired of this pointless conversation." His dad sighed. "If you won't come with me, then I'll just get rid of the thing that's preventing me from getting you back." He reached behind his back, pulling out a gun.

"Where did you get that?" Kacchan asked. "I don't recall you having a gun on you."

"I got it from the purple-eyed brat." Shoto's dad said, cocking the gun. 

"Hitoshi." Denki whispered in horror. Shoto's dad quickly looked over the gun then aimed it directly at me. 

Everyone seemed to move at once as four shots fired. There was no way I could change my aim in time, and I doubt I could move in time. Instead, I closed my eyes, waiting for the familiar sensation of being shot. Since when did you give up so easily?  I questioned. Maybe because you know this situation is hopeless. 

Why is there no pain? I thought, Am I dead? No, I'm still breathing. So why am I unharmed?  Something- No, someone slumped against me. I caught the person and opened my eyes. The face that was across from mine was one I had memorized, from the different colored eyes to the scar on the side of his face.

Shoto. Shoto had taken the bullets for me.