Rising Ashes

I'll Pound 𝑌𝑜𝑢 Into The Wall

Bakugou decides after a day and night of imprisonment he's most likely to die of boredom than anything else. His only company are lying thieves, criminals, and plain old annoyances. They tease him day and night. About being muzzled like some mangy bitch, about being marched back into his cell by a woman (a woman that could probably take them all out with less effort, might Bakugou add), and about being so young. A stupid, impatient little boy, they call him. It takes everything he has not to fly at the bars. He's saving his energy for his next daring endeavor, which he plans on performing the first chance he gets. Then his idiotic "roommates" will be begging for him to free them. Behind the muzzle, the ash blond smirks. Gods, how he loves karma.

There's literally nothing for Bakugou to do. All he can do is remain trapped in thoughts. Well, that's not true. He can exercise. His legs are still a bit sore from running for a goddamn hour from the ugly King's Guard, but that doesn't mean he can't do push-ups.

Then again, the other part of his brain chimes, he can just stay lying on the uncomfortable cot and keep conversing his energy to beat the shit out of every and any knight he possible can. That trumps his previous thoughts by a landslide; the ash blond has always been ridiculously pugnacious, especially when it comes to annoyances. It's always personal for the Barbarian King.

The door to the dungeons freaks creaks open. He immediately flies up, nerves on edge. This might be his chance.

"Lunch time!" calls a female knight. But it isn't the one that can paralyze with an outstretched hand. Bakugou gets off the cot and walks to the bars. "You're getting fed last, Barbarian. Those restraints take some time." The knight has long orange hair tied up in a side ponytail. When his sharp carmine irises meet her own turquoise orbs, she looks away almost immediately and makes her rounds to each cell, sliding trays under the slots. Is she afraid? A tall, silver-haired knight holds them for her to move. He keeps glancing back at Bakugou, his equally silver eyes outlined with stupid, useless, big eyelashes.

Finally, they come to Bakugou. He stands still as the orange-haired knight takes a tray from her partner's arms and unlocks the cell, quickly stepping in. The latter stands guard in the entranceway. She sets down his tray on the ground next to her feet.

The female knight starts with the muzzle, reaching behind Bakugou's neck to unclasp the Gods-awful metal band. Once she does, he stretches out his jaw by opening his mouth open wide and closing it multiple times. The female knight goes to work on the blocks of metal.

"Move one muscle towards her and I'll pound you into the wall," deadpans the silver-haired knight. Bakugou barks a mirthless laugh.

"Go ahead and try it, Lashes." He blinks in surprise. "You look like a big, slow, brainless lug. You wouldn't stand a chance against me," the ash blond sneers. Oh, how he's missed insulting people left and right.

The orange-haired knight finally unlocks the metal restraints, quickly moving backwards to join her partner on the other side of the bars. But not quickly enough. Bakugou lunges for her, wrapping one arm around her throat and splaying his hand out on her cheek, warning explosions dancing across his palm.

"Kendou!" Lashes the Knight gasps. He takes a step forward, arm rippling into what looks like steel, but Bakugou shoots him a heated glare and moves his palm closer to "Kendou's" face. He swallows hard, but makes no move to approach them.

"Ever had an explosion to your face?" he hisses to her. "Spoiler alert: it ain't fun. Use whatever power you have and you'll feel it for yourself."

"You don't want to do this," warms Kendou. "You won't be fed if you threaten every knight that comes to feed you. Do you really want to starve? You, the Barbarian King, want to go out by missing food?" Bakugou isn't impressed. "Don't all brave warriors want to die on the battlefield surrounded by enemies they managed to hold back so far?"

"That's enough of that, Kendou," Bakugou snaps. He redirects his attention to the silver-haired knight. "I'm going to blast her ass to kingdom come if you don't get out of the way," he warns.

Lashes the Knight puts his hands up in surrender, taking a few steps back. Bakugou slowly inches out of the cell, never once flicking his eyes off of the knight. His warming hand never wavers from Kendou's face, either. He knows the second he lets down his guard they're going to retaliate.

"Step into the cell," the ash blond commands with a jerk of his head. Lashes hesitates, meeting Kendou's eyes for a second. He holds his palm just past her face and detonates an explosion. "Into the cell, Lashes!" He does so. Bakugou kicks it shut with his foot. "Good. Give me the key, Orange." Kendou doesn't move an inch.

"No," she says.

"Do you want to die?!" he snarls. "Hand over the keys before I blast you into the wall and take 'em from you myself!"

"Do it then. I won't hurt the throne by aiding a criminal."

"You're fucking kidding me. That king of yours is an abusive asshole! You're blinded by your shitty delusions of grandeur or something if you believe he's even a little bit of a good leader!"

Bakugou shoves her back against the wall, one hand positioned over her face. His blood boils. He hates Endeavor with a flaming passion—more than he hates most things, even. And that's saying something. The ash blond yanks the key ring off her belt. Then he shoves her into the cell with the silver-haired knight. He goes to shut the door again when an explosion detonates against his back.

The Barbarian slams the door shut regardless of the pain or whoever did that, locking it in a second before whirling around to see the assailant.

"Gods above," he hisses under his breath, "you've got to be shitting me."

Monoma Neito smirks. "Miss me?" coos the blond with an over-exaggerated flourish. "I did miss your power, to be honest. It sure is strong."

Bakugou grits his teeth and charges at the copy-catting knight, before abruptly veering to the side and throwing his fist into Monoma's side. The former smirks at the gasp that flies from the latter's lips. He kicks the blond knight square in the chest.

The ash blond quickly puts him in a chokehold. "I sure as hell missed this," he snarls into his ear. To elaborate, he adds, "Kicking your ass."

Suddenly, Monoma's skin turns into metal. He jerks his head up, the impact breaking Bakugou's nose with a horrifying crunch. He stumbles backwards, hand cupping his nose. He's really fucking sick of breaking his nose. When he looks up, he sees the silver-haired knight retract his hand back into the cell. Bakugou grits his teeth.

"You can't even beat me with your own power, Copycat Bitch!?" Bakugou yells as he ducks under a steel-fisted punch, only for another one to slam into his side. He jumps away and holds his palms out in front of him, the skin flashing brilliant orange before he releases a powerful explosion strong enough to strip some of the stone from the walls.

When the smoke clears, Monoma is lying down, slumped against the wall. Bakugou rubs his arms with a venomous glower. The blond copied his explosions before copying the silver-haired knight's steel, which gave him a smaller time limit than usual.

Without looking back at the three knights or the prisoners pleading for him to come back (take that, you unbathed fuckers!), Bakugou races out of the dungeons for the second time. There must be a magnet imbedded in Bakugou's face, or something, because he slams directly into another armor-clad chest.