In The Arms Of The Beasts

Lifelessly Alive

A few moments later

It was time to send in the heavy cavalry. The boys didn't waste any time before throwing open the doors to the mansion dramatically. Bakugo was first in with his cape flowing in the wind followed by Kirishima looking like he wanted more of a verbal discussion than a physical one, he was such a sweetheart.

Bakugo's POV
There was no way I was letting this go on for one second longer, she needed her freedom and she needed it now! I could only see the back of the guy but from what I could tell, it wouldn't be much to scare him into submission.

"You're the bastard that's keeping our spymaster here, right?!" He didn't even look at us, he just kept painting. That's when I noticed all the paintings, they were of Arisu in different fancy outfits. And here I thought she wouldn't be caught dead wearing that stuff? I kinda wanted to make her my queen but then it wouldn't be fair on Kirishima.

"I can tell by your manner, that you two gentlemen are no catfolk. You speak of the black feline Arisu, correct?" That's when he spun aroun revealing his masterpiece. He was painting her nude?! "Don't concern yourself with that one. She refused to model nude for me, but that doesn't mean she's completely useless"

The idiot stood putting his paints down to start a full conversation with us "then what do you need her for?!" The bastard took a deep breathe before continuing his pointless statement

"Do you gentlemen know how much of a risk let alone black mark it was to claim ownership over such a wild beast, and yet I had no choice," his hand gestured to the walls around him with a proud expression.

"As you can see, I've been painting the girl ever since she was an infant, her beauty intrigues me! Her bone structure and complexion is nothing like I've ever seen before. And I don't plan to keep it to myself, I plan to share her exquisite design with the world!"

I'm starting to see why the dumbass hated this idiot so much. He never shuts up! And when he talks, it's a load of crap! "And you didn't think to help her?!" He shrugged "why should I waste my time with someone who just throws it all away to 'help' others?"

Kirishima stepped forward "because it's the right thing to do! And whether you like it or not, she's coming home with us!" His covered his mouth to stop the laughter from being heard "I wouldn't be so sure, you see - I've arranged for her to be 'boxed', she's no longer useful to me or herself, the poor dear. She really let herself go"

I was so confused "but you just said she was useful?!" He nodded "she's useful but not in the ways I need her to be useful, so I'm having her put out of her misery"

He brushed his hands "What?!" At that moment, the traveller burst through the door bleeding "I'm sorry my lord, they came out of nowhere! They took her!" I grabbed the supervisor by the neck digging my claws in deep "if she dies, you die!"

Then we raced out the door and down the street. Several meowing boxes were lined up against the wall "it's gonna take forever to find her!" We'd only just started ripping lids off boxes, that's when we saw it. Folks down the line had started tossing the hostages into the water but one box had a skinny pale arm poking out the side with the hand holding up its middle finger.

"That's her!" The traveller stayed to free everyone else as both Kirishima and I dove into the body of water trailing the wooden crate until it hit the bottom in a dusty cloud. The arm fell limp dangling out the side hole, but this crate was different! No matter what we tried, the top panel wouldn't come off!

We were pressed for time while she was stuck in there mostly likely drowning with no way out. This was probably her worst nightmare and we couldn't help her, damn it! People here obviously didn't care about her the way we did.

It was about 10 minutes before we decided to haul the crate itself up on the riverbank "c'mon baby, be okay for us!" The traveller rushed over with a metal bar wrenching off the top like it was nothing. We wasted no time pulling out of there and turning her on her side praying for her to breathe.

"Just do it, brat! Don't leave us like this! We love you! I love you! Just breathe!" I shook her body harshly "hey man, don't do that! Let's just try and get her home?" The traveller said he'd bring her stuff in a couple days while getting someone to steal all the paintings that guy had to make sure he didn't cling to her.

Kirishima took his dragon form just after she started coughing up water "that's it! C'mon!" It was all looking good until she flopped back onto her spine and didn't move "dumbass? Say something?!" I grabbed her and climbed onto Kirishima's back rocking her body "you better be okay!"

The second we got home, we shoved her under the covers after the servants changed her clothes and watched her intensely for any signs of life, but it must've been about two hours before she even moved on her own turning towards Kirishima because he had more body heat from flying so far.