Unveiled Winds || Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Chapter 47 - Borrowed Voices

The living room lights were low, but the mood was sharper than the hour suggested.

You stood in full hero gear, suit zipped, gloves on.

The others had gathered quickly after your call. Kirishima, Mina, Kaminari, and Sero, all still half in lounge clothes, all watching you with varying degrees of concern and curiosity.

"...So you're sure it was Eclipse?" Kirishima asked, voice low but serious.

Bakugou nodded. "Quirk signature matched. Shadow Requiem dropped a signal right after. Name-dropped Tempest."

All eyes flicked to you.

You crossed your arms, weight shifting slightly. "We're heading to the blackout zone now. It's controlled for the moment, but we'll be coordinating with Hiro's team once we're on-site."

Kirishima stepped forward, jaw tight. "You sure you don't want us to come with you? Could be a setup."

You offered a small, grateful smile. "Appreciate it, really. But we need to move fast, and quiet. Too many bodies might spook whoever's still watching the scene."

"We've got it," Bakugou added, voice like flint.

There was a beat of silence.

Then Mina surged forward and wrapped her arms around you before you could brace for it. "Just stay safe, okay?"

You blinked but returned the hug, touched by the sudden squeeze of warmth.

But then, just as she started to pull away, Mina leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper right at your ear.

"You better want to cover up those marks on your neck, babe," she said with a teasing smirk. "You're not sneaky."

You stiffened.

She pulled back, still smiling sweetly like nothing had happened, and added, loud enough for everyone to hear. "

"Okay, go kick some ass!"

Bakugou glanced sideways at you, brow twitching ever so slightly.

You cleared your throat. "Right. Time to move."

He didn't say anything.

But you swore you could feel the heat crawling up your neck all over again.

You didn't say much on the way there.

The city passed in streaks of silver and black outside the windows, shadows moving fast across Bakugou's dashboard as he drove.

His hand stayed firm on the wheel, jaw tight, eyes never leaving the road. You sat beside him, half-lit by passing streetlights, your gaze flicking between the emergency updates scrolling on your phone and the dark skyline ahead.

The silence between you wasn't uncomfortable, but it was charged. Every so often, you caught Bakugou glancing at the faint mark on your neck in the rearview mirror, like he couldn't stop himself. You ignored it.

Mostly.

By the time you pulled into the edge of Ward 3, the air had shifted completely.

Gone were the familiar hums of the city. The power outage had swallowed the area whole, leaving it eerily quiet. Streetlights were dead. Intersections dark. The only illumination came from emergency trucks and a few flickering LED lanterns strung up hastily by first responders.

You stepped out of the car, boots hitting pavement still slick from the late evening humidity. The buildings loomed in partial shadow, windows dark, the scent of scorched wiring still faint in the air.