Unveiled Winds || Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Chapter 31 - Shatterd Storm

Moments earlier...

Bakugou leaned against the cracked stone wall, keeping one eye on the hallway ahead, the other on his surroundings.

They'd agreed to regroup here after he'd caused the distraction, scattering the guards and clearing the way for you and Camie to slip through undetected. He checked his watch, a low growl of irritation escaping him.

"Tch. How long does it take to grab some intel?" he muttered, tapping his fingers against his arm. Both of you should have been back by now. The hallways were too quiet, too empty, the lingering tension creeping in like a warning.

He scanned his surroundings again, and something nagged at him. The guards he'd seen on his way in—the ones meant to be covering the exits—were nowhere in sight. His brows knitted together, irritation giving way to suspicion.

Reaching up to his ear, he pressed the communicator. "Oi, somethin' wrong over there?" he started, waiting for a response.

Silence.

He adjusted his grip on the communicator. "Hey, repeat, we need to regroup." The only response was a faint crackling static, and his expression darkened.

"Shit," he hissed, clenching his fist. The silence was heavy, and the sense that something had gone sideways tightened in his chest. Taking a breath, he made a decision. If they weren't coming to him, he'd go to them.

Bakugou didn't wait another second. His instincts kicked in, guiding him through the dimly lit halls as he retraced his steps.

Bakugou moved quickly, each step echoing down the abandoned halls. His mind raced as he replayed the plan, trying to figure out where things might have gone wrong.

He scanned every shadow, every corner, his senses on high alert. Something was off, something he couldn't put his finger on, and it gnawed at him. His gut told him you were in trouble, but he hated feeling this blind and out of the loop.

As he rounded a corner, Bakugou slowed, his eyes narrowing at the sight of a faintly open door at the end of the hall. He crept closer, fists clenched, preparing for whatever might jump out. He was almost at the door when a soft, hurried shuffling came from around the next corner.

He snapped around, ready to strike, only to come face-to-face with Camie, who was stumbling forward, clutching her side and breathing heavily. Her normally laid-back expression was twisted with worry and exhaustion.

"Camie?" he barked, rushing forward to steady her. "The hell happened? Where's Y/N?"

Camie gasped, her breath shaky as she looked at Bakugou. "Bakugou! We—We got separated," she said, still struggling to catch her breath. "That guy, Eclipse...he ambushed us. Y/N told me to run, said she'd hold him off."

Her voice wavered, the usual confidence she carried slipping in the wake of her panic. "She's still back there."

Bakugou's eyes widened at the mention of Eclipse. His heart skipped a beat. "Did you say Eclipse?" His tone dropped to a growl. "He's really here, and he's alone with Y/N?"

Camie nodded, her face pale. "I couldn't—she wouldn't let me help, Bakugou. She told me to go, said she'd handle it, but she was struggling. I—" Her voice cracked, and she swallowed, a sense of dread creeping in. "I couldn't stop her."

Bakugou's mind raced, his usual anger and irritation now overridden by something darker. Eclipse. The last person he'd ever want Y/N to face alone, let alone with his mind games.

His thoughts spun for a moment before he snapped back to reality, his eyes narrowing as he refocused on the mission at hand.

"Communications are down," he muttered under his breath, tapping his ear piece in frustration. "We're cut off. I need you to seal the exits, now. Eclipse is no joke. We're gonna need backup, and we'll need to keep our escape routes covered." His hands balled into fists as his frustration started to boil over. "Get it done, Camie. Now."