Chapter Text
“Where the hell is she?”
Midoriya shook his head, checking over each shoulder as the dust from the collapsing building engulfed them. “I don’t know,” he shouted. “She-“ He turned, starting at the destruction is awe. “She said she heard someone, so she went back in.”
“No.” She wasn’t that stupid. “What the hell do you mean she went back in?”
“She said she heard someone screaming,” Midoriya sputtered, cement and drywall crunching underneath his boots. “Kacchan,” he shook his head, looking at the broken bricks and dust at his feet. Everyone, heroes and civilians alike, was covered in dust, blood, scrapes, and bruises. “Uraraka was right behind me. She went back, but,” he looked at where the building once was. “I swear- I saw her, she-“
“You let her?!” Bakugo screamed, grabbing the teen by his suit.
Midoriya’s eyes wide, his own panic slowly rising. “What was I supposed to do?!”
People around him were screaming, crying out in agony from injuries and panic as Bakugo fought for control. He felt the sting of tears gathering at the corners of his eyes as he fought to breathe, “You weren’t supposed to leave her alone in there!”
“I didn’t!” Midoriya yelled, yanking himself out of Bakugo’s grasp. “She was right behind me!”
“Then where is she?!” Bakugo shouted, looking around them as the dust began to settle around them.
Midoriya looked around him. Dust covered bodies moved like ghosts wandering in the afterlife, eyes hollow and traumatized as police, firefighters, and heroes worked on rescue and recovery.
They could see women screaming for their children.
Children covered in dust and blood wailing for comfort.
Wives and husbands embracing each other, while others screamed.
“I don’t know,” Midoriya whispered shaking his head. “She-“
“I swear to god Deku if sh-“ He couldn’t finish that sentence. “Uravity!” He screamed running toward the center of the damage. The pit of his elbow covered his mouth as be battled through the dust. “Uravity!” He screamed, frantically looking around him. “Uraraka!” He weaved in between bodies, quickly checking each person to make sure they weren’t her. Bakugo circled around the rubble, chest heaving. She couldn’t be underneath the slabs of broken concrete, steel, and drywall.
Uraraka knew better.
“Ochako!”
She’d know to get as far out as she could to increase her chances of being found underneath the rubble, rather than being in the center of the building during the collapse. Even then, she couldn’t be pinned.
He trusted that she’d float herself out of the damage. She had to have.
Bakugo stopped, breathing heavily as his eyes scanned the area. Several bodies were strewn out around the area, a black tag dangling from their wrists marked their fate.
Dead on scene.
“Fuck,” he whispered, wheezing at the sight of a slender wrist and matted chestnut brown hair peeking out from under a large concrete slab. Bright red pooled around the body, staining the asphalt.
That wasn’t her.
He collapsed down, hands bunching on his knees as he felt panic throb through his chest and his stomach turn. “Ochako!” He screamed as loud as his voice could carry, tears squeezing from his eyes as he heaved.
That wasn’t her.
His hands dug into knees, jaw clenching as he fought the urge to scream.
“That’s not her,” he whispered as he hung down. “That’s not her.”
That body had a black sleeve like her suit.
“Damn it,” he whimpered, legs feel nearly buckling.
She’d taken her bracelets off before the the mission, afraid they’d get caught on something during the rescue effort.
It could be her.
Soaked palms slowly lowered to the ground as Bakugo’s knees finally gave out. Heavy tears clung to his eyelashes as he struggled for air, trying to get his brain to cling to reason.
She could have escaped.
Just because she hadn’t exited directly behind Midoriya didn’t mean she hadn’t gotten out safely. The perimeter of this building was huge. Uraraka could be on the other side.
Alive.
Not pinned beneath a piece of rubble with a black tag tied to her.
Bakugo wasn’t going to be able to focus until he found her. “Ochako,” he whispered, biting down on his lip. His eyes screwed shut. He swallowed a bitter lump of anguish as he focused on blocking out the noise around him.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Bakugo knew death was a likely outcome in their profession. Whether they battled adversaries or the elements, their jobs were dangerous. Each time any of them answered the call to protect, they recognized it could potentially be their last time.
He just didn’t think it would be this soon.
The two of them were supposed to have more time together. They were supposed to graduate, become pros, get married, have kids, have a future, and bicker over places to eat.
She wouldn’t do this to him.
He had to keep moving. If she was pinned beneath the rubble, Bakugo knew he had minutes to get her out.
She could be somewhere on scene helping to dig bodies out from the rubble.
“It’s Ground Zero!”
Soft uneven footsteps echoed in Bakugo’s ears. “It is,” a breathy voice answered in front of him.
Bakugo’s head snapped up, feeling air crush from his lungs. “Ochako…” He panted, watching her appear from the dust.
Uraraka limped toward him, covered from head to toe in dust and debris. Her suit was ripped and brown hair matted with blood as she cradled a child against her chest. One of her boots was missing and the other was broken and barely hanging on her foot.
“I need a medic!” Bakugo roared running over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he helped her walk.
“I’m fine,” Uraraka breathed heavily as she leaned against him. “We’re,” she pushed a smile on her face as ignored the pain radiating through her body. Uraraka looked down at the boy in her arms. “Going to help you find your parents, okay buddy?”
The little boy looked up at her. Eyes wide and wet with tears as he gave her a little nod.
“We’re getting you to a hospital,” Bakugo insisted, tentatively placing a hand on top of her hand. He pulled his hand back seeing his palm covered in blood. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s,” Uraraka wheezed, shaking her head to chase away the darkness. “Just a scratch. I’m fine.”
“You-“
“We have to help Hiroshi find his mom.” Her pace slowed as she felt the effects of adrenaline fade from her system.
“Give me the kid,” Bakugo commanded gently, stopping them. He gently lifted the boy from her arms carrying him on his hip and tucking his other arm securely next to her.
“I’m-“
“We need to get you to a medic,” he tugged her, feeling her steps get heavy. “Now.”
“I-“ She gasped, feeling the adrenaline fade. The sudden searing in her side caused her chest to clench. Air rushed out of her lungs as Uraraka found it hard to take in another breath. “Katsu-“
“Shit!” Bakugo yelled as her knees buckled.
Uraraka fell forward, hands barely catching her fall as she landed on her side. Blood spilled around her.
Why hadn’t he seen she was bleeding? Where was all that blood coming from?
“Shit, shit, shit…” Bakugo murmured placing the kid on the ground. “Hey kid!” He firmly held Hiroshi’s shoulders. “I need you to run and get help for us, okay?”
Hiroshi stared at the fallen hero eyes wide and scared as he watched the ground around her turn bright red.
“Kid!” Fuck, what had she called the kid? “Hiroshi!” Bakugo barked, quickly exhaling as he tried to calm himself. If he scared the kid, he wouldn’t be able to help. “Uravity is going to be fine, but we need you to get someone. She needs help, understand?”
The child nodded slowly. “Okay,” Hiroshi whispered his eyes wide with fear.
“Go get help,” Bakugo repeated. He gave the child a gentle push as he crawled over to Uraraka. “Ochako, what hurts? I need you to talk to me.” His hands trembled as he gently rolled her to her back.
Uraraka’s hands pressed against her side she looked down noticing a jagged piece of metal sticking out.
“Shit, why didn’t you say anything?” He murmured, pressing around the metal penetrating her skin. The best case scenario would be a superficial wound, but her irregular breathing and blood loss let him know that this wasn’t the best case scenario.
“Didn’t hurt,” she gasped, eyes fluttering closed. The kid pressed against her side must have steadied the metal penetrating her side.
“Hey you, don’t close your eyes!” Bakugo yelled. He moved a hand off her side and gently tapped the side of her face. “Keep talking to me. What day is it?” In all of the first-aid classes, they’d stressed the importance to keeping someone in critical condition conscious as long as possible.
“Um,” Uraraka frowned, swallowing heavily as she tried to think through the pain rolling through her body. “Tuesday?”
“It’s Thursday.” To be fair, she never knew what day it was. “Who am I?”
A dry laugh crackled from her chest as she licked her lips. “Deku?”
“You’re not funny,” he chuckled, ignoring the fear bubbling in his chest. Her skin was slowly blending in with the ash caked against her skin. “My name?”
“Katsuki,” she exhaled slowly feeling her body become weightless.
“What did you eat for breakfast this morning?”
Uraraka closed her eyes, the world feeling unsteady around around her, “I’m tired.”
“Eyes open!” He barked. His palms slipped against her blood soaked skin. “Don’t you start that shit.”
She opened her eyes slowly smiling at him. Her fingers wrapped around his hands. “It’s okay.”
“You better not close your eyes!”
“I just need to sleep,” her chest rattled as she inhaled sharply. “Just a few minutes. I promise.”
“No!” He yelled. Bakugo dropped her hands, returning them around the penetrating wound at her side as he held pressure. “What did you eat this morning?”
“Um,” she whispered, her eyes fell closed for a moment. “I’m so tired.” She couldn’t remember.
He dropped his forehead to her’s. “You ate those frosted little animal cookies this morning, remember?”
Tears leaked from her eyes as a small smile appeared on her face. “Yeah?” She whispered, feeling the pain leave her body.
“Yeah,” he nodded, swallowing back emotion.
Bakugo decided he wouldn’t break in front of her.
If these were her last moments, he was going to make sure Uraraka left feeling comforted and unafraid. “You ate half the box before I told you to put them down,” he chuckled tightly as he felt tears cloud his vision.
Her eyes opened, looking at him with sorrow as the light faded, “I’m sorry.”
“No,” he shook his head. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.”
“Yeah?”
“There! Over there!”
Help was coming, but he couldn’t look away from her. “Of course not, Koko,” he watched as her eyes grow heavy.
A smile flashed on her face at the sound of her nickname. “I love you,” Uraraka whispered in a long exhale.
“You can have as many as you want we get home.” I love you more.