Set Me Free

Chapter 14. The Phantom Thief

A/N: A fast chapter courtesy of @KiriBeanIsBestBean for reviewing!

---I-AM-A-LINE---

"If Karma doesn't come for you, I will."

---I-AM-A-LINE---

Rapid knocking at the door was never Bakugou's favourite wake-up call and especially since it was the first truly deep sleep he had had in weeks. It had better not be Kaminari or Sero because he would blast them at the city border; he didn't care if they were excitable. Everyone knew what to expect if they woke him.

The blonde met resistance when he tried to move and barely contained his usual response when he saw the familiar tuft of red. Jesus Christ, he nearly made ashes of her.

"Tch, get off." The blonde sat up, but to his annoyance, not alone. Kirishima's arms remained tightly encircled around his abdomen with her cheek smooshed against his chest "Oi," his only response was the red-headed female's whine as she burrowed her head into him further. Not that that should have been possible.

Bakugou's cheeks flared, the knocking grew more insistent and he could have sworn Kirishima's hold grew tighter. Curse her draconian strength. He unwound himself and replaced her hold with a pillow, rolling his eyes as she death gripped it in his sted.

Barely pulling on his boots, the blonde jerked open the door, catching the raised fist. "S-sorry, Izuku said to come and get you. He said it was urgent." She had barely gotten the words out before the blonde marched past her and jumped the railing, setting a warpath back down the alley.

Bakugou grinned with an almost sinister look in his eyes, palms already crackling. That was faster than he had expected. Turns out that that traitorous bastard was also back in town and he had told Deku to send for him the second he showed his face.

The brunette stood in shock. Not from the blonde man's actions. That was normal. What wasn't normal was the familiar red-headed woman's dozing figure in Bakugou's bed. She glanced inside and back down the alley once more before shaking her head with a rapidly rising blush.

Feeling like she was intruding, the brunette closed the door and followed the blonde.

---I-AM-A-LINE---

Something was up, that much he knew what exactly he did not know. Neito Monoma was many things, but he didn't fancy himself an idiot. So when he walked into the guildhall that morning, he had a feeling it would be a good idea to make himself scarce.

As he turned to leave, a hand landed on his shoulder. "That's far enough,"

He knew that tone. Ah yes, he knew it very well. He wasn't sure how, but at that moment, he knew the jig was up. The question was, what had given him away? Monoma mused to himself for a moment. What indeed?

He had stolen and sold secrets and information or his personal favourite; bringing down Bakugou Katsuki. That last one was among his greatest of accomplishments. How many tens of hundreds had tried before himself and how many had he outshone by doing what they could only dream of? The thought sent a shrill of excitement through his body. The best of the best, huh?

What a joke that was. All it had taken was a hot night, and a drugged tanker of ale and the deed was done. He took his money and didn't look back like he had done countless times before and as he would do countless more.

Monoma eyed the imposing limb before meeting the eyes of their own Shoto Todoroki giving him his well-closed eye smile. "What seems to be the matter? I can't recall anything that would make you look at me like that."