~BNHA~ Everything That I Am

Chapter 44

The wind curled around the shattered edge of the wall like breath held too long—cold, still, heavy with the scent of damp concrete and rusting metal.

Izuku crouched low behind the ridge of broken stone, fingers pressed to gravel for grounding, heart pounding louder than it had any right to be.

Katsuki was next to him, barely a meter away, crouched with his back against the same slab of ruined fence. His eyes tracked the compound's front gate with restless irritation, gauntlets already prepped. "Tch. If he doesn't take the bait soon, I'm gonna start blowing holes in this place just for something to do."

"Hold," Izuku murmured, voice low, controlled. "You know the timing matters."

Katsuki didn't answer, but the twitch in his fingers said enough.

Behind them, Momo checked her signal dampener one last time, lips pressed tight in concentration. Her tech case shimmered faintly in the dark.

Shoto stood watch at the edge of the formation, breath ghosting in the cold. Frost curled at his collar—the only proof he hadn't turned to stone.

They were all still. Focused. Waiting.

A flick of static buzzed softly in Izuku's earpiece—then Jiro's voice came in, calm but clipped:

"Convoy's moving. Visual confirmed."

Pause

"Target's in Aizawa's range. You're clear."

Izuku exhaled, just once. "Copy," he whispered.

There was a quiet shift as Momo nodded, securing her gear. Katsuki rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles, a grin twitching at the corner of his mouth. "Finally," he muttered.

"You're good to go," Jiro added. "We'll keep watch from here. Denki's scanning for thermal pings. Chieko's prepped with Iida in case anything goes wrong."

Izuku's grip loosened against the gravel. Not fear—readiness.

"Move in."

They rose in near-perfect sync, trained muscle memory guiding each motion.

Black Whip stirred faintly beneath Izuku's gloves—not summoned. Not yet. Just ready.

They darted from cover, shadows slipping across broken alleyways and moss-covered stone.

Momo led them to the compound's eastern wing, where the overgrown ruins of a supply station left a narrow crawlspace untouched.

Shoto iced the sensor in seconds—no sound, just a pulse of frost that dulled the light.

Katsuki stepped up next, adjusting a dial on his gauntlet before pressing it to the lock.

The metal heated—clicked. Open.

Momo slid a flat disc from her belt and pressed it against the nearest camera node. The red light blinked out.

The door groaned softly as it slid open—sterile hallway on the other side. Too quiet. Too clean.

Izuku swallowed.

A memory rose, unbidden. Hospital tiles. The air smelled like bleach and something sharp underneath—copper.

Izuku was glad that Chieko wasn't with them.

He gave the signal with two fingers, held close to his chest. They moved single file. No talking. No second thoughts.

As he stepped through the threshold, Izuku glanced back once, just once, toward the darkness where Jiro and Denki waited in silence with Chieko—holding the line, holding the risk.