Now or Never

Deal

"There's still no signs of Nazumi Mizuko's whereabouts, Aizawa." All Might grumbles from his hospital bed grimly.

"She wasn't in the same area as Bakugo?" The shaggy teacher asks, shifting in the uncomfortable chair that sat beside the hospital bed.

It reeked of sterile supplies and air, and it was beginning to get to Aizawa's head. And the hard chair he was trying to rest in only gave him more of a reason to be mad.

All Might barely lifts his head up to glance over at his co-worker. "No. They searched the entire area but found to traces of her even being there. It's like she was wiped off the earth."

Grief and guilt soaked in him like honey filling a jar. It was so strong, it got to the point he doubled over and started to gag. Aizawa awkwardly pats him on his back a few times before leaning back in the squeaky chair. "Has anyone talked to Bakugo about this? Did he say anything about her being there with him?"

"Yeah, he did. But he said it went silent after she yelled at the suspect. He called out times and times after that but never got any sort of response." He clasps his hands together and tightly squeezes, as if it'd squeeze away the pain in his chest. "He's mortified at the fact that we haven't found her yet. And I'm sure the kid's probably thinking the worst."

Aizawa sighs, running his hand through his messy hair, "I'm sure everyone is thinking the worst right about now."

The typically uninterested teacher was stuck rethinking the same question, though. It bothered him.

How was someone of her caliber not able to get away?

*_*_*_*

"Hey, brat, open the door." Mitsuki wiggles the doorknob but gets the same silent treatment she's been getting anytime she tried to confront Katsuki.

She rests her forehead on the door and sighs, "Sitting in there without eating or showering isn't healthy. Come out, I made dinner."

She's responded with more silence. She tries to wiggle the knob open once more, to see if he's changed his mind, but her hope prevails. Taking a step back, motioning for Masaru to follow her down stairs, his parents leave him alone for he fifth time today.

Katsuki lays on his bed staring at the ceiling with a blank expression. He didn't know what to feel or what to think. Nazumi still hasn't been found. It's been nearly a week and he hasn't heard her voice, touched her skin, known that she's safe... It was killing him.

He rolls over to his side and sinks his head into his pillow, his throat tightening up, making it hard to breathe. His vision blurs as fresh tears slip past his eyes.

She's disappeared before. She'll come back like she did last time, right? She has to... she fucking has to.

"Where the fuck are you, Nazumi?" He croaks out, covering his eyes as if it were exposed to the world.

He's never felt so utterly useless. She was there with him— in the same building. Yet, when he finally managed to break free from the villain's grasp, she was no where to be found. If he'd only broken free faster would she be with him now?

I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't fast enough. I wasn't enough. I'm pathetic.

His grief slowly turned into guilt and his guilt turned into rage.

He found himself picking up anything he could possibly throw and smashing it against anything he could. His throat burns from screaming so loudly and he didn't stop until he felt arms wrap around him to pause his fit. Hesitantly turning his head to look at who was holding him back from destroying the house, he's face to face with his parents— a worried look clearly sketched on their faces.