Freeze Frame

Chapter 121

Third person pov

There was something terrifying about knowing you were being pursued. Tsukauchi's heart was thundering loud in his ears as he dashed through a maze of alleyways. At first, he wasn't sure he was being followed. He thought maybe he'd managed to get away. It was beginning to get dark out, so him slipping away unseen would make some amount of sense. But then he'd heard murmuring voices behind him-- talking about a detective in a trenchcoat, and catching him before he could warn anyone that Chad and All Might had gone missing. Tsukauchi's throat had tightened, and he'd found himself moving faster.

He wasn't sure where his phone was, or his hat. He'd abandoned his tattered jacket ages ago in a dumpster, hoping it wouldn't add to his trail. He knew he was dripping blood on the ground. Though he was generally unharmed, he still had enough scrapes and bruises to slow him down at least somewhat. That added to the fact that he was almost an hours drive away from UA made for a pretty terrifying scenario. He was alone, in the dark, injured. And the Yakuza were right on his tail. 

What would Chad do in this situation? Was that a good question to ask considering he'd probably whip around and stand his ground? Tsukauchi didn't know. All he knew was that he was pretty much fucked, and the Yakuza now had not only Chad, but the Number One Hero too. Well-- he guessed All Might technically had retired, but everyone knew the truth. All Might was the true Number One, and he probably always would be. His rise in the ranks had simply been that influential on society. 

He had to figure out where he was first. It was late, so businesses were beginning to close down, leaving Tsukauchi with very few options. The Yakuza were too close for him to stop for long. Especially with how slow he seemed to be going due to his injuries. However, if he could figure out where he was, maybe he could find a police station. Most weren't open 24/7 in more rural areas, but Tsukauchi would know where to find one that was if he could just find out what prefecture he was in. The only thing he was against right now was looping back for any reason. He had to keep moving forward. If he was caught, it was all over.

So, that's what Tsukauchi did. He kept moving, slipping through alleys and backstreets. He did this all whilst trying to figure out where the fuck he was. He had a general idea. He knew what direction UA was in, anyway. He was concussed, but luckily not that concussed. He was just glad he wasn't complete shit with directions. If he were, he'd be screwed six ways to Sunday. The Yakuza would catch him in seconds. And honestly, he wasn't worth much. They had a reason to keep Toshinori alive, and they probably wanted Chad alive. Him, though? He was easily disposable. 

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Tsukauchi muttered to himself, shuffling down a dimly lit street. How long had he been walking? Everything hurt. He'd seen a few people who he'd considered asking to borrow a phone from, but it all seemed so risky. He could no longer hear the Yakuza following him. That was a good thing, sure, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that they were still on his tail. He'd learned a long time ago to always trust his gut. He wasn't about to stop now.

The streets were eerily quiet at night. Tsukauchi had never noticed until now just how creepy things were. Flickering lights and faint voices seeping out from darkened alleys and shabby buildings. Distant bangs and scuffling noises echoing between brick walls. It was all enough to make the detective shiver. Without his coat, gun, and badge, he'd never felt so vulnerable. His visible bruises and cuts made him an easy target. 

There was a sound behind him. A faint click that made his heart stop and his entire body go rigid. He shoved himself behind the nearest corner, peeking out carefully to see who or what was behind him. Tsukauchi didn't even realize that he'd stopped breathing. He watched tensely as two shadowed figures with beaked leather masks melted out of the darkness. They came out of seemingly nowhere, cloaked and standing perfectly side by side. If that wasn't the most unsettling thing Tsukauchi had ever seen in his life, he wasn't sure what was. He was going to have nightmares about this later.