From Distant Lands - Juro's Return

Chapter Twenty-Four

Shoto's ice blasts across the ground, freezing the villain's legs to the floor and Deku flies through the air, body sparking with power. I lash out with my energy, wrapping thick bands of it around the woman's arms as she tries to protect herself and Deku delivers the finishing blow, caving in the floor beneath her and sending Shoto and me flying back. I gasp, trying to dig the soles of my boots into the floor, but Shoto catches my arm at the last second, pulling me against him and the protective ice wall behind him. It's been maybe fifteen minutes since the beginning of this fight, but it's felt like years and now, as I shield my eyes against the sheer air force of Deku's strength, I finally feel like we have a leg up.

"Deku!" I call out, turning to see him standing at the edge of his own destruction. He turns back, smiling his usual sheepish grin.

"Let's go" he starts to say, but as he does, thick smoky black tendrils reach out of the hole in the floor and wrap around him tightly. His eyes widen, hand reaching out instinctively.

"Deku!" I scream.

"Midoriya!" Shoto shouts at the same time and the two of us start towards him as he's yanked into the darkness. Shoto races after him and I suddenly realize what has to happen... what they're trying to do... it needs to be you.

"Go, Shoto! Get him back!" I say, starting down the hall again.

"Kaida! You can't go alone!" Shoto snaps, torn between me and Deku. I can see it in his eyes, the panic of losing me and the raging need to rescue his friend. I give him the fiercest look I can, knowing he doesn't have long to make the decision.

"You have to go after him! It's the only way" I insist urgently, heart racing. I don't know who has Deku, but I know what decision Shoto needs to make here. No matter how he feels about me... and I know he knows it too. I rush towards him, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him against me for only a second, kissing him as deeply as I can before pooling my pulse into the center of my hand. In moments my heart thunders against my ribcage and to the same rhythm, energy pulses out of my palm, shoving him off the edge and after Deku. Shoto's eyes widen as he falls, hair whipping around his face before he disappears into the darkness. I ignore the way my heart screams out for him and the way my body shakes. Right now isn't the time to go after him... right now, it's time to do what I came here for.

I leap over the hole in the floor and race down the hall, the sound of my boots slapping against the linoleum following me the whole way, and when I finally break through the double doors at the end, my vision is flooded with light. I wince, shielding my eyes as I try to gather my bearings. What the hell?

"Kaida... you're late" Juro says cheerfully and though my heart races at the sound of his voice, I refuse to show weakness. I shake my head, forcing my eyes open and glaring at him across the room. When I can finally see, I see that we're standing in a circular room, windows lining the walls all the way around and letting in the sunlight. It looks like it might've been a dining hall at some point or even a ballroom with littered tables, decaying chairs, and haphazard decorative lights hanging from a shoddy ceiling. Juro stands at the front of the room, poised on what looks like it used to be some kind of small stage, and next to him is Bakugo, standing completely still and staring at me with what can only be described as contempt. I swallow, stomach churning at the sight of it. He's here... Bakugo's here...

"Sorry, I got lost on the way" I reply tightly, looking between the two of them and wondering why they're the only ones here. I figured if this were a trap, Juro would've done... more. As if sensing my thoughts, Juro smirks.

"You seem disappointed, little dragon" he notes, eyeing me with a certain fire in his eyes. I grit my teeth.

"Somehow... I expected more" I tell him and the fire only grows. He claps his hands together, a disgustingly pleased look on his face.