Undead Revolution (⛔☁️)

S7 - 2. [Deadweight]

Okay so like,, ao3 is complete cuz I post faster there. Do if you're impatient, it's there.

Katsuki sheathed his sword with a practiced ease and looked down at Cipher's motionless form. The guy was completely out; didn't even stir during the entire massacre.

"Pathetic" Katsuki muttered to himself, shaking his head. How could such a pansy be allowed to do field work?

He knelt beside Cipher and gave him a rough shake. No response. Katsuki wasn't about to carry him out of here like a damsel in distress, but he couldn't leave him behind, either. Nezu would definitely give him hell for that, and as much as he hated dealing with the rodent, a deal was a deal.

Standing up, Katsuki scanned the hallway one last time. The bodies were scattered around him, some still twitching, their blood pooling in dark, sticky puddles. He felt a momentary pang of satisfaction, but there was no time to savor it. They needed to get out before any more reinforcements arrived.

Katsuki bent down and grabbed Cipher by the collar, hoisting him up with ease. Cipher groaned faintly, still unconscious, his head lolling to the side as Katsuki began to drag the hero.

"Dead weight" Katsuki muttered, adjusting his hold on Cipher's limp body.

He made his way back down the corridor, stepping over the bodies of the guards without a second thought.

Cipher's clothing was fully ruined by now, sopping wet and unrecognizable. Katsuki had no problem with dragging the hero through the puddles of blood, simply grinning as he swerved to pull the hero's unconscious form through a particularly grotesque puddle.

The smell of blood and gunpowder clung to the air, and the faint buzz of electricity hummed in the walls, but the facility was eerily quiet now. Too quiet.

Katsuki's senses were on high alert. Something felt off. There's no way he defeated everyone in the place, right?

Just as he reached the stairwell, a soft click echoed through the hallway. Katsuki's eyes snapped up, his body tensing. He recognized that sound. It was the unmistakable click of a trigger being pulled.

Without hesitation, Katsuki launched himself forward, diving into the stairwell just as the explosion ripped through the corridor behind him. The shockwave hit him like a freight train, slamming him into the wall. He grunted in pain, shielding Cipher's body as debris rained down around them.

The smoke and dust clouded his vision, but Katsuki's instincts kicked in. He pushed himself up, his ears ringing from the blast, and stumbled to his feet, dragging Cipher with him.

"Dammit" Katsuki growled under his breath, coughing as the smoke cleared. "They had a backup plan"

He glanced back at the wreckage, the corridor now a smoking ruin. Whoever was left alive had been taken out by the explosion. But Katsuki wasn't stupid; there were probably more traps ahead.

He tightened his grip on Cipher and started back up the stairwell, his movements quick and calculated. The high from the fight had started to fade, replaced by a cold, sharp focus. Getting out was now the priority, and he didn't have time to deal with any more surprises. Especially since he had this dead-weight with him.

They reached the ground level of the facility, the stairwell leading into what looked like an old factory. Creepy, clearly untouched machinery sat in front of him, creating a maze of dusty conveyor belts and rusty machines. The dim lights flickered overhead, casting long, eerie shadows along the floor. It was damp, cold, and smelled faintly of mildew.

"Great" Katsuki muttered sarcastically, adjusting his grip on Cipher's limp body again. "Now I have to deal with a fucking horror movie set"

He was about to step forward when he heard movement ahead, a faint shuffling sound, like someone trying to move quietly but failing. Katsuki's eyes narrowed, and he shifted his stance, readying himself for another fight.

Whoever it was, they weren't going to get the jump on him. He was smarter than those moronic mortals.

He once again shifted his hold on Cipher, freeing a hand so he could grip one of his guns. He held it put in front of himself, steady and ready to fire.

The shuffling grew louder, accompanied by the soft clang of metal brushing against metal. Katsuki's breath steadied, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the maze of rusted machinery ahead. Conveyor belts, long dormant, stood like ancient relics in the darkness, casting jagged shadows across the floor.

His grip on Cipher shifted again as he crouched low, moving silently between two towering machines. The faint hum of electricity buzzed in the air, the flickering overhead lights struggling to stay alive. Every shadow seemed to twitch, every creak of the rusted factory sending Katsuki's instincts into overdrive.

Another noise, closer this time.

Katsuki's finger hovered above the trigger. He'd had enough of this cat-and-mouse bullshit. Whoever was stalking him would regret it soon enough.

A figure suddenly darted between the rows of machinery, their form nearly invisible in the dim light. Katsuki's eyes locked on the movement instantly, his gun aimed at the source before they could get another step.

Bang!

The gunshot rang through the empty factory, echoing off the metal walls. A sharp grunt of pain followed, and the shadowy figure stumbled, collapsing behind one of the conveyor belts.

"Gotcha" Katsuki muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. He didn't bother checking to see if they were dead. If they weren't, they wouldn't be getting up any time soon.

「A mistake on his part.」

But just as he moved forward, another sound cut through the silence, a soft clicking, almost imperceptible but unmistakable. His eyes darted to the right, catching the briefest glint of metal near the ceiling.

Another trap.

Katsuki leaped back just as the ceiling overhead groaned, and suddenly, large steel chains shot down from above, whipping across the room and wrapping around several of the rusted machines. The machinery rattled violently, creating an ear-splitting screech as the chains pulled them closer together, turning the factory floor into a twisted, shifting maze.

The already narrow path between the machines was shrinking by the second.

"Motherfucker!"

Katsuki fired a shot at one of the chains, but the metal was too thick, too unnatural. It was from a quirk, most definitely. The bullet ricocheted off with a high-pitched 'ping', doing little more than sending sparks flying into the air. The chains clanked louder as they pulled tighter, drawing the conveyor belts and machinery into an impenetrable wall.

Katsuki cursed under his breath, his mind racing. This was no ordinary factory. Whoever had rigged this place was serious about keeping people out.

Or in.

As the final clang of metal echoed through the air, the room settled into an eerie silence. Katsuki's path was now completely blocked by a wall of rusted machines, chains crisscrossing them like a makeshift cage. He glanced over his shoulder, the way they'd come in was closing off as well.

Trapped. They were boxed in.

He set Cipher down against one of the rusted machines, making sure the guy was positioned where he wouldn't get crushed if the room decided to collapse on them further. Katsuki's grip on his gun tightened, his eyes scanning for any other traps.

"Well, that's just perfect" He muttered, moving cautiously through the shrinking space.

Word Count: 1236