Chapter 41: Operation Lioness' Cub Rescue
Kaina stared at the map of Deika University's campus. "Ok one last run through."
"I think we all understand the plan Kaina." Hisashi sighed as he looked at the other members of their team. "We've gone over it three times already."
"The old man is right." Kazuho laughed as Hisashi raised an eyebrow at her. "We can go over this plan again and again but it doesn't change the fact that this is a simple extraction mission."
"And we've done plenty of those." Koichi added with a smirk. "Trust us, we can get your daughter out."
"Just let her run through it one last time." Inko, ever the peacemaker, gave them all her best look of motherly disapproval.
Hisashi held up his hands in surrender before turning to look at Kaina. "Alright. One last run through."
"Thank you." Kaina nodded at Inko as she motioned toward the map. "To start, Deika University is almost as guarded as U.A. and that limits our extraction points." She tapped the map, indicating two gaps along the border wall. "These are our best options for getting Akina and her lion out safely." She looked up and over at Koichi and Kazuho. "Both of you will use your Quirks to get in undetected. Crawler is to stay in the air while Pop Step is going to open the door so that I can join them on the inside."
"As for Wildfire and Medic…" Kaina couldn't help but smirk at the confused looks Kazuho and Koichi were giving both her and the Midoriyas. "I want the two of you on overwatch. Wildfire gets the shot while Medic handles the lookout."
"Yes'm." Hisashi smirked as he gave Kaina a sharp salute, earning a jab to the ribs from Inko in the process.
"We'll cover you." Inko added helpfully. "I might be out of practice shooting but I know I can still spot anything out of the ordinary."
"I know you can." Kaina chuckled as she pointed at the tallest building across from the campus. "I want you two to set up your nest here. It will provide plenty of sight lines for the campus as a whole but more importantly it overlooks the courtyard that we should be meeting Akina in."
"How's she going to know to be there?" Kazuho asked as she stared down at the map. "You've mentioned that she will be but not how."
"Nezu supplied me with her number and I have a text message set to be sent to her in a half hour." Kaina's eyes shifted to the side as she looked toward the door to the room. "I can't guarantee that she will respond to it but I included just enough information that she should want answers and would be willing to show up to get them."
"It helps to have a giant lion at your side." Koichi muttered, earning a laugh from Hisashi in the process.
"If he's still how I remember him you're more right than you know." Hisashi shook his head. "Damn beast is literally indestructible."
"His durability shouldn't matter since we're not going to get into a fight with him in the first place." Kaina cut them off with a glare. "Now everyone head to their positions. I want check-in via radio as soon as you are ready."
++++++++++++++++++++
"You know I can't remember the last time we were on a mission together."
Inko didn't try to hide her eye roll as she lowered her rangefinder to stare at Hisashi. "You don't remember huh? And here I thought what we did in Singapore was special."
"That was after the mission so it doesn't count." Hisashi countered with a smirk as he looked up at Inko, having laid down to use his rifle at a moment's notice.
Inko raised an eyebrow at him. "I remember fixing you up during that mission."
"That was you?" Hisashi's smirk was downright devilish as he stared at his wife. "I just remember an angel patching me up."
"Sweettalker." Inko muttered as she resumed her watch, her lips having curled up into a smile. "You know I honestly thought we had left this behind us."
"So did I." Hisashi sighed as he scanned the area with his scope. "But we're doing the right thing."
"I know that dear. But we both know that we would do anything for our friends."
"And to think I ever wondered where Izuku got his desire to be a hero from." Hisashi softly chuckled. "How do you think he's doing?"
"It's not even been a day yet. I'm sure he's fine." Inko answered automatically before pausing for a moment to think. "I'm proud of him but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been hoping that he would stay away from heroics."
"She says from the comfort of a sniper's nest on an unsanctioned mission to essentially kidnap a woman." Hisashi replied. "Face it, being a hero might as well be in his DNA."
"Maybe…" Inko sighed as she continued scanning the area. "But it's not like he knows our past."
"No, but he's smart enough to know that the stories we tell him are missing something." Hisashi shook his head. "It might be best to come clean to him soon. Explain why… explain why I wasn't around. Why our family is just the three of us…"
Inko turned away once more to look down at her husband. "Hisashi it's not your fault we only had Izuku. We're both to blame."
"You weren't the one running around the globe with only a yearly visit and the occasional call home." Hisashi's tone turned bitter as he continued to stare down the scope of his rifle, refusing to meet Inko's eye.
"And I could have pushed the issue more instead of just letting it go. Instead of worrying that we would have another child who was…" Inko trailed off before shaking her head and picking up her rangefinder. "We need to focus."
"You know I love him. That I didn't stay away because…" Hisashi gently whispered.
"I know." Inko cut Hisashi before he could finish the thought. "I feel the same way but with the world we live in." A tear slowly ran down her cheek. "Who knew it would take going on a black ops mission for us to finally talk about this."
"I guess we should have planned a kidnapping years ago then." Hisashi teased before his shoulders tensed up and his body went rigid. "Medic, confirm target in the central courtyard."
Snapping into attention at the use of her callsign, Inko turned her rangefinder toward where Hisashi had indicated. It took less than half a second for the black clad figure wearing a white skull mask to come into focus.
"Shit."
That was all the confirmation that Hisashi needed. "We have a hostile target at the meeting area. CRC member from the looks of it."
"I see him." Came Koichi's response. "Should I engage?"
Kaina's voice was cold enough that every member of the squad felt a chill run down their spine.
"Engage."
++++++++++++++++++++
"Copy." Koichi narrowed his eyes as he glided through the air, his specialized suit helping to keep him aloft, before he tucked his arms into his side and dove. Wind whistled past his ears as he narrowed his profile as much as possible until at the last moment he spread his arms wide and let the webbing there slow his descent.
His target only had a second of warning before Koichi's heels slammed into his side, sending them tumbling to the ground.
"Target down." Koichi muttered into his microphone as he stalked toward his downed opponent. Reaching down he grabbed them by the back of their dark cloak and started to drag them away from the central courtyard. "Moving them to a secluded location.
"There's a small grove of trees about three meters to your right." Hisashi's voice cut in, causing Koichi to turn in the indicated direction.
"I see it. Keep an eye out for more, eh Wildfire?"
"Copy." Despite only having met Hisashi twice it was obvious to Koichi that the easy-going man he knew was gone and someone else was in his place. How did he earn the name Wildfire? There has to be a-
He was torn from his thoughts as his captive started to struggle in his grasp. "Enough of that." Koichi snarled as he maneuvered the CRC member into a chokehold, knocking them unconscious, as he entered the small grove of trees that Hisashi had indicated.
"In position."
"Inbound, eta one minute." Came Kazuho's panted reply. "Nagant says to keep our guest company until she arrives, she's going to be behind me."
"Copy." Koichi dropped his captive before quickly tying their arms behind his back and hobbling their legs. He was just finishing the last knot as Kazuho crashed through the canopy above, landing next to him.
"So they're one of them?" She asked as she leaned down to get a better look at their outfit.
"Mask and robes just like the others described." Koichi answered as he leaned against a nearby tree. "I'm more worried about why he's here."
"A scout?" Kazuho offered as she stood upright. "Could be trying to get a layout of the campus before they move in on Akina."
"Sure but if he was just scouting, where is she?" Koichi countered as he looked over his shoulder and toward the central courtyard. "She should have received that message and been here by now. So then why was this guy here instead."
"Because they have her." Kaina's voice was arctic as she strode purposefully into the grove, her eyes immediately locking onto the prone CRC member. "Lady Brava says she spotted Akina leaving the dorms about an hour ago. She's currently trying to figure out where Akina went."
"In the meantime…" Kaina growled as she reached down and forcefully tore the skull-like mask from the CRC member's body. "Let's see what we're dealing with." She brought back a hand and slapped the man as hard as she could, shocking them awake.
"Wha-"
"Where's my daughter?" Kaina triggered Rifle, placing the newly formed barrel right between her captive's eyes. "Tell me you scum."
The man slowly stopped being cross eyed as he focused down the barrel and at Kaina's face. "She will serve her purpose and we will free her of the taint that was forced upon her. She's the key to the separation and we will have it." The man gave Kaina a laugh before clenching his jaw shut, the sound of something breaking cutting through the laughter.
"Shit!" Kazuho shouted as she and Kaina jumped back as the man began to writhe on the floor, a thick black foam pouring out of his mouth until it covered his face and the man stilled. "The fuck is that?"
"A failsafe." Kaina emotionlessly replied before she tossed the skull mask down next to the already cooling corpse. Reaching up she pinged her com. "Wildfire, Medic. Our captive took his own life. He had a purge capsule in his mouth."
"Copy." Inko answered as Hisashi simply clicked his mic twice in acknowledgment.
"You've seen this before?" Kazuho asked as she alternated between looking at Kaina and the body.
"Yes." Kaina answered as she kneeled down and reached into the pockets on the robe. "The CRC gives any field operative a purge capsule before they are deployed. We're not sure what they're made of, but any time it's used the body and anything they're wearing is a puddle of sludge in minutes." Her hands kept digging around the man's pockets as she spoke, coming up empty save for a single receipt. Stepping back she gave the quickly dissolving corpse one last glare before walking away, leaving Kazuho and Koichi to scramble to keep up.
Ignoring her companions, Kaina tapped her earpiece three times. "Lady Brava I have a receipt here for a Dex's Delivery."
"Already on it. Looks like it's a ramen shop north of the city, to-go orders only." Manami's voice answered on all coms. "I managed to hack into the city's camera system, it's shockingly advanced by the way, and I was able to locate a large van leaving the campus and heading north."
"Large enough for multiple people and a lion?" Koichi offered as he glanced over at Kazuho, earning a sympathetic smile in the process.
"It's a cargo van so it's possible that it would work." Manami paused for a moment. "Ok yes it's the van we want. Found campus footage of them loading the lion into the back of it." There was a slight hesitation in her voice before she continued. "They also had someone who matches Akina's description with them."
The group stilled as Kazuho and Koichi turned to look at Kaina, waiting for her reaction, on the other end of the line Manami, Hisashi and Inko all waited for her as well.
Kaina's eyes clouded with emotion for a moment before with a voice as sharp as steel she asked. "Where are they now?"
"Using the ramen shop in conjunction with the direction the van was traveling, I was able to pinpoint a compound about a half hour north of the city at the base of some nearby mountains. It's both remote and large enough to house about thirty people." Manami answered, the sound of her typing on a keyboard punctuating her words. "Sending directions to Wildfire now."
Kaina nodded to herself before she tapped her com once more. "Wildfire and Medic head to the evac vehicle and get that address entered. Pop Step, Crawler and I are on our way to meet you. I want us ready to move out the second we get there."
"Copy. Wildfire and Medic on route to the evac now."
Kaina looked over her shoulder at Koichi and Kazuho. "Let's go."
++++++++++++++++++++
"Shouldn't she be waking up any second now?"
"She should." The voice hesitated for a moment. "But we did have to drug her twice."
"Doc is still trying to figure out how she burned through the tranquilizer so quickly."
Akina felt the world spin around her as she slowly regained consciousness, her attention drawn to the flaring pain at her wrists and ankles.
"What's the plan once she wakes up?"
"Interrogate her then sedate and move."
"To base?"
"Don't know. But I hope that the boss has a few ideas on how to subdue that fucking lion."
"I thought that the gas worked."
The voice snorted. "It worked for a grand total of five minutes. We've got it chained up in the next room for now."
"Well I hope the boss figures it out."
"I'm sure he will and I get the feeling he wants that damn cat's skin as a rug."
The threat to Kaishin caused Akina's eyes to fly open as she glared in the direction of the two voices, the pain she was feeling quickly vanished under the flood of adrenaline that shot through her. It only took a second for her to take in the plain concrete room, the cage she was trapped in and, more importantly, the two people wearing black robes and skull masks.
The sudden movement caused Akian's handcuffs to rattle, drawing two sets of eyes to her.
"Ah it appears our guest has decided to join us." The taller of the two robed figures slowly approached her cage. "Welcome back. We have a few questions for you."
"Fuck you." Akina snarled as she bared her teeth at her captor.
"Too much of that wild animal in her it seems." The second, and distinctly more feminine, voice answered as they too approached the cage. "You may look human but how much of that lion is infecting you?"
Akina glared at her in lieu of an answer.
The man ignored them both as he continued in a calming voice. "We're on your side here. We just want what's best for you."
"I wasn't aware that being kidnapped, caged and tied to a chair counted as being what's best for me." Akina snapped as she turned her glare toward the man. "Where's Kai?"
"Kai?" The man tilted his head to the side slightly before snapping his fingers. "Ah you mean the beast." He waved toward a wall behind them. "We have him chained up like a good pet should be."
"He's not too far though." There was a definite smirk in the woman's voice as she chimed in. "We figured out kinda quickly that if you two are separated you both hurt and well…" Her voice lowered as it began to drip with almost visible malice. "...we need you to be sane for our plans."
A shiver ran down Akina's spine at the words. I do NOT want to know what those plans are. She looked past her captors and toward the door behind them. "What do you want from me?"
"To free you from your curse of course." The man calmly answered as he stood upright and stepped away from the cage. "You are both human and monster but not fused as one. A perfect starting point for our experiments. With you we can move one step closer to curing the world of mutants and return humanity to God's chosen path." An audible sneer entered his voice. "And if they can't be cured then they shall be purged."
Wide eyed, Akina stared at the man. "God's chosen path? Are you crazy? People have Quirks and it doesn't matter if they're a heteromorph or not, they're still a person."
The man made a tutting noise while the woman scoffed. "Oh you poor naive child they are beasts but we will purge the world of them." The pair turned their back to Akina as they started toward the door. "But that's not your concern. Soon we will be back at base and you will see the light." He looked over his shoulder. "Or you will die."
++++++++++++++++++++
"This is why we need proper recon." Inko hissed as she stared down at the sprawling compound below them. Long abandoned, more than twenty of the buildings had some variation of vegetation growing out of them, thick tree trunks standing sentry over ruins.
"Because we knew we would be here?" Kazuho countered as she looked skyward and at Koichi's small form. "Crawler is scouting the air and we're covering what we can."
"We don't have the leisure of waiting for the right amount of time." Kaina lowered the organic scope from her eye. "Lady Brava said there are at least fifteen people in the compound."
"Given the size of the buildings and the general state of construction I'm guessing between fifteen and twenty." Hisashi pointed toward three buildings along the western side of the area. "Those three buildings were recently refurbished." He shifted his finger toward the eastern side. "Whereas those two larger ones still have their roofs caved in." Finally he nodded at the large building in the middle. "I'd wager that they're holding Akina in that central building."
"Defensible location, perfect sightlines, newer concrete, new fence…" Inko trailed off as she continued to assess their new target with her range finder. Reaching up she tapped her com three times. "Lady Brava, was this a pre-Quirk military site?"
"Yes." Manami immediately responded, the faint clacking of a keyboard filling the space around the word. "Abandoned in the Quirk Surge after a child with a nature Quirk accidentally overgrew the place in a tantrum."
"Some Quirk." Koichi muttered under his breath into the com. "I can see from up here where that happened. Looks like a crater impact but made of trees."
"Regardless." Inko cut in as she scanned the buildings once more. "The repaired buildings would have been barracks while the central building was the command structure. I expect that the top floors are still abandoned as the building itself would have had a complex underground basement system." She paused before letting out a soft hum. "Not entity abandoned it seems. Looks like there's a scout on the third flood."
Kaina nodded a few times. "Wildfire give Medic the rifle, she's going to be our overwatch. Ideally we'd keep a spotter with her but I need you, Pop Step and Crawler watching my back when we go in. Tight corridors means a fire fight and I want as many people on it as possible."
"Yes'm." Hisashi responded as he slid his sniper rifle toward Inko. "You got this?"
Inko blankly stared Hisashi in the eye as she pulled back the bolt handle, readying the rifle to be loaded. "I might not be in shape but I can still shoot a gun."
"I thought she was a medic?" Kazuho whispered wide-eyed as she watched Inko casually ready both herself and the rifle.
"Combat Medic." Inko answered as she placed the third floor sentry in her sights.
++++++++++++++++++++
"I didn't see anyone else." Koichi said as he came to a soft landing next to Hisashi, Kaina and Kazuho behind the destroyed building.
"Good." Kaina craned her neck up toward where she knew Inko was lying in wait. "They're overconfident."
"Religious fanatics tend to be." Hisashi muttered as he pulled out a pair of pistols, offering one to each of the vigilanties.
"Um…" Kazuho and Koichi shared a mixed look of confusion and horror.
"Take them damn it." Hisashi hissed as he shoved the pistols into the younger couple's hands. "You do know how to use a gun, right?"
"I mean…" Kazuho looked at Koichi, desperate for backup, which after a moment of silence he provided.
"I'm sure we understand the mechanics of how; aim, pull the trigger, and shoot, it's just we've never had to use one." Koichi gave Hisashi a worried grimace. "Are you really going to shoot people?"
Hisashi stared at Koichi for a second that dragged into eternity before he sighed and carefully reclaimed the pistols from the pair. "Right." He gave Kaina a look. "New plan. You and I are going in while these two play cleanup and backup."
"The two of us can't storm in there on our own." Kaina answered as she looked past Hisashi and at Kazuho and Koichi. "I know the court doesn't condone killing but we can't rule it out with what we're about to do." She nodded at Hisashi. "We won't force you to kill anyone but stay out of the way if we need to."
"Do you really need to kill them? Can't you just shoot them in the leg or something?" Kazuho offered.
"Kid this is a fanatical cult that wants nothing more than to kill off a large portion of the population because they were born different." Hisashi spat onto the ground. "We thought we rooted them out years ago and yet they're back and I don't intend on giving them another chance."
Kaina placed a placating hand onto Hisashi's shoulder. "You saw what one of their members was willing to do when they thought they were caught." She hesitated a moment as both Koichi and Kazuho turned a little green at the memory. "That's the type of fanaticism we're dealing with. A bullet to the arm or leg isn't going to stop them."
Inko's voice cut in before either of the two vigilanties had a chance to respond.
"Sentry is starting toward the opposite side of the building. Be ready to move on my signal."
Kaina stared at the couple. "Are you in or out?"
Kazuho and Koichi shared a look once more before they both nodded.
"We're in."
"But no guns for us." Koichi quickly added.
"Agreed." Kaina stuck her hand out toward Hisashi, only for him to place a pistol in it. "Thanks." She quickly adjusted her grip on the weapon before twisting on the suppressor that Hisashi offered her and sliding the extra clip into her belt. "Subsonic rounds?"
"Of course." Hisashi answered as he mirrored Kaina's action before turning to look toward the building. "Nagant you take point, Pop and Crawler will be in the middle and I'll cover our backs."
"Go." Inko cut in once more.
Kaina gave Hisashi a nod as she cocked her pistol and took a step toward the compound.
++++++++++++++++++++
"So when do you think the big move is?" The first CRC member asked as he walked around the corner.
"Nah. But the boss isn't about to tell someone like me that." The second member scoffed. "I just attend when I can."
"Ah." The first member shook his head. "Are you going to be moving as well then?"
"No, they wanted someone as a local contact." The second member's smile was obvious in his tone. "They trust me to keep tabs on anything and anyone going in and out of Deika University."
The first member chuckled. "Ah I see so that wa-"
Crack
"Wha-"
Crack
Half a second apart the bodies of the two CRC members slumped to the floor as the subsonic rounds bounced around in their skulls, turning their brains to mush.
"Targets down." Kaina coldly spoke into her com as she fully stepped around the corner, her pistol sweeping from side to side. "Clear." Stalking forward she stepped around and over the two corpses before coming to a stop at the next bend.
"We're lucky they're morons." Hisashi grumbled as he, Kazuho and Koichi came up behind her, the latter pair looking anywhere but the floor. "With halls like this we should be walking into kill box after kill box."
"They're not expecting anyone to know they're here." Kaina answered as she extended Rifle's partially formed scope around the corner. "Two more in the hall. Looks like they're guarding a door."
"I can knock them out." Koichi offered as he looked between Hisashi and Kaina.
"Anyone in the room would hear the scuffle." Kaina countered with a shake of her head. "No, Hisashi and I will each take out one and then we move on the door." She turned to look at her squad. "Pop Step use Leap on the door to kick it open, Crawler you glide along the ceiling to enter while Wildfire and I crouch and cover you from the doorway. Once the room is clear we move in."
"And if there's nobody there?" Kazuho asked in a whisper.
"Then we keep moving. They have Akina and her lion in here somewhere." Kaina answered as she poked her scope back around the corner. "Wildfire I'll take the far target you get the closer of the two."
"Copy." Hisashi grunted as he readied himself to pop around the corner and shoot.
"Go."
Crack
Crack
Two more bodies collapsed to the floor not unlike a pair of puppets whose strings had been cut. Kaina stared at them for a long second before nodding toward the door they had been guarding.
"Move to the room."
Side by side Hisashi and Kaina stalked forward until they stood on either side of what appeared to be a heavily reinforced metal door.
"I'm getting the feeling that they're keeping something in here." Hisashi muttered as he motioned for Kazuho to get into position.
"Or someone." Kaina responded as she cocked her gun. "Crawler, are you ready?"
"Ready." Koichi responded as he glided along the ceiling until he reached the door.
"On my mark." Kaina held up her free hand.
"Wait."
The panic in Kazuho's voice caused her three companions to freeze in place before all of them turned to look at her.
"I can't use Leap on this." Kazuho motioned toward the door. "Given how thick it is I'd need way more space for when I push off." She stared at Kaina. "Equal and opposite reactions and all that."
"Shit." Kaina's face fell before she glanced over at Hisashi. "Do you think you could?"
"It won't be subtle." Hisashi answered as he stood from his crouch and moved in front of the door. He looked over his shoulder toward the others. "You might want to take a step back."
Hisashi watched as his companions took a large step, or a glide in Koichi's case, away from him and the door. Been awhile since I've had to do this. His gaze fixed onto the locking mechanism, Hisashi began to take deep bellow-like breaths. Thin trails of smoke streamed out of his nose and toward the ceiling before with one final breath he triggered his Quirk.
The hallway instantly jumped in temperature as Hisashi's Fire Breathing sent a white hot stream blazing toward the lock, turning it to a molten slag in seconds. He maintained the stream as he turned his head toward the hinges, leaving a thick line of dripping metal in the process.
"Kick it." Hisashi coughed, smoke streaming from his mouth and nose, as he took a step away from the door, his pistol still ready.
"Three. Two. One."
Kaina gave Hisashi a concerned look before she turned back toward the door and, bracing a foot away from the molten portion, she kicked.
"Mark."
Weakened by the flame and lacking its hinges, the door only fought against Kaina's kick for half a second before it fell into the room with a clang. Kaina was already moving before it even finished that short journey, ducking into the room and pivoting to the right.
It turned out to be the right call as the space she had occupied was suddenly filled by a wall of spears, causing both Hisashi and Koichi to dodge to the side and out of the fight.
Alone, Kaina refused to hesitate as she scanned the room, bringing her pistol to bear on the three human occupants she found waiting for her. Her mind briefly registered Kaishin chained to the floor of a cage behind them but quickly dismissed him from her active thoughts.
She had a fight to win.
Her pistol blazed as she spotted the furthest member of the trio reaching for a radio only to scream at the sudden loss of the device, and his fingers along with it.
"You bitch!" The closest CRC member shouted as they brought back their hand, a spear forming in their grasp.
Eyeing her opponent, Kaina readied herself to dodge to the side as she brought her weapon to bare once more. Unfortunately her years in prison caught up to her all at once as she failed to notice a CRC member appear through the wall behind her until their arm wrapped around her throat.
"My my what a pitiful attempt at a rescue." Her captor sneered into her ear. "I think I'll-"
Whatever their plan was Kaina would never know because at the same moment they were bragging the other CRC member seized their advantage and threw their created spear at Kaina's chest. Seeing the attack coming, she wretched her body to the side, twisting the CRC member holding her into the spot she had been occupying.
And directly into the path of the oncoming spear.
The sickening noise of metal parting flesh filled the air a millisecond before the now wounded fanatic screamed at the top of their lungs. Wincing, Kaina pushed herself away from her captor, making sure to shove them toward their kin, before she spun into a crouch and fired off a trio of shots toward the spear creator.
Unfortunately for Kaina her current misfortune held true as the spear creator had created a followup weapon and had already sent it on its way, the weapon grazing against her right shoulder.
Fortunately for Kaina her aim was true and that was the last spear they would ever create as a tight spread of three bullets punched into the CRC member's chest, killing him instantly.
A hiss of pain escaped Kaina as she looked around the room to find her final target, only to realize that she didn't need to as Koichi stood over their prone form.
Hearing Kaina, Koichi looked up from his downed opponent and gave her a worried grin. "You ok?"
"Yeah." Kaina sighed as she stared down at the CRC member at her feet, the spear sticking clean through them. "How did you get in?"
"Wildfire melted the top of the spears." Koichi nodded toward the door where the created weapons were glowing. Sure enough the tops had already melted away, leaving just enough space for someone of Koichi's build to slip past.
"Ah." Kaina turned away from the soon to be molten mess and started toward Kaishin. The guardian lion was glaring out at the pair from behind the bars of his cage. A muzzle was firmly clamped around his face while thick chains held his body and paws to the wall.
"Damn they chained him up good." Koichi whistled as he deliberately ignored the bodies around the room, choosing instead to focus on Kaishin. "How're we getting him out?"
"Wildfire should be able to handle it." Kaina replied before noticing how Kaishin's eyes narrowed even further as she spoke. "As soon as he gets in the room of course."
"What am I doing as soon as I get in the room?" Hisashi asked as he and Kazuho gingerly stepped over the molten slag he had created and into the room proper. "Holy shit he got big." Hisashi muttered as he made his way forward toward Kaishin.
"He did." Kaina replied as he joined her next to the cage. "What happened to the cub I could hold in the palm of my hand?"
They all watched as Kaishin's body stiffened at the sound of Kaina's voice.
"Um, I think he recognized your voice." Kazuho commented as the quartet stared at the caged lion.
"H-how?" Kaina whispered as she stared at Kaishin. "I-I was…"
"We can ask Akina when we get her." Hisashi answered as he stepped in front of Kaina and glared at the lock. "Gods I'm going to have to brush my teeth something fierce after tonight." Pursing his lips, a thin streak of fire hit the locking mechanism on the door.
Kaina pushed the door open the moment Hisashi was done, falling to a knee as she quickly removed the muzzle from Kaishin, rubbing her hands through his mane to calm him. "There you go. Now just trust us we're here to-"
"Mom?"
The room suddenly froze as all eyes turned to Kaishin.
"Y-you can talk?" Kaina stuttered out as she fully sank to her knees, her hands stilling in Kaishin's mane. "You… You couldn't when I…"
"Mom I…" Kaishin trailed off as he stared wide eyed at Kaina, clearly not believing what he was seeing. "...we thought that…"
"Nagant we don't have time for this." Hisashi gently whispered as he moved next to Kaina, eyeing the chains and locks that held Kaishin down. "We need to find Akina and get out before they notice the missing guards."
"I know your voice too." Kaishin grumbled as he turned his head to look at Hisashi. "Who are you?"
"A friend of your mothers." Hisashi bluntly responded as he whistled at the locks holding Kaishin in place, melting them. "We watched you and Akina when you were little but we don't have time to catch up." He melted another lock before with a surge of muscle Kaishin stretched and shattered the remaining two.
"Where's Akina?" Kaina asked the now standing guardian lion.
"I'm not in pain so she has to be within five meters of here." Kaishin looked around the room, his ruby red eyes locking onto Koichi and Kazuho. "Are you here to help as well?"
"Yeah you could say that." Koichi responded in the most casual voice he could manage.
Kaishin let out a deep rumble as he started toward the door, his claws fully extending and a snarl pulling back his lips. "Good. The little one needs help." The four rescuers could only watch as Kaishin brushed past them and out the door before hearing his claws clank as he took off down the hallway.
Their stunned silence only lasted a moment before Kazuho turned to look at the others. "I guess we follow the lion?"
While Hisashi nodded, Kaina muttered under her breath. "This is going to be a bloodbath…"
++++++++++++++++++++
Akina's jaw clenched as she watched a dozen robed people enter the room she was trapped in. Their voices echoed around the empty concrete space overlapping with one another, creating a confusing mixture of sound. It all came to a stop though as every radio in the room clicked twice.
"Knight one ten to the Bishop. W-we don't know who's here but s-someone is trying to get into the room."
The room came to a standstill as all every head turned to look at a single member of the group. Joining them, Akina eyed the person in question carefully, quickly noting that the only difference between them and the others was a faint silver trim along the edges of their robes.
The CRC member called the Bishop pulled out their radio. "Knight one ten you are to hold position. Delay whomever this is for as long as possible but do not let that lion get out."
"Y-yes sir." There was an audible click of a radio call ending as everyone continued to watch the Bishop. There was only a moment's hesitation before he turned his skull mask toward Akina.
"I guess someone came for our test subject after all." The Bishop snorted as he turned his back to her to address his companions. "Radio the others. I want everyone in this room as soon as possible. Have them avoid the western halls as whomever is enacting this rescue attempt will be there and they may free the beast." He spread his arms wide. "We are the chosen people of God to lead humanity back to the correct path. We can not lose. We can not be killed! Ready yourselves my congregation for as soon as we dispatch with these blasphemers we will be moving to the Holy City!"
A shocked silence greeted the Bishop's proclamation before in a bust of noise the assembled CRC members let out a resounding cheer. Half the group quickly grabbed their radios and sent out the call while the other half began to ready themselves for a fight.
Ignoring them, the Bishop calmly approached Akina's cage. "Do you know who's come to save you?"
"If I did, why would I tell you?" Akina bitterly answered. "You kidnapped me, separated me from my Quirk and don't think I haven't heard what some of your 'congregation' has been whispering about."
"Still deluded by the beast I see." The Bishop sadly shook his head. "But tell me, my lost lamb, what whispers were you hearing?"
Akina's eyes narrowed as she glared at the covered eyes of the man's mask. "Oh just the usual things perverts talk about when they have a woman chained up. At least I imagine it's the usual things since this is my first kidnapping."
"I see…" The man slowly responded before he turned around and walked away, coming to a stop next to one of his members.
The person in question turned to address his superior as he approached. "Bishop?"
"Tell me Crusader fifteen were you on guard alone earlier?" The harshness of the Bishop's question caused all eyes to turn to him once more.
"Of course. I was assigned to watch over the prisoner." The man's voice wavered slightly as he spoke. "Did you need anything else?"
"Yes." The Bishop bluntly responded before he placed a palm to the other man's chest. "Tell me," He leaned in until their masks were almost touching. "Did you threaten bodily harm to our guest?"
"I-I didn't." The abject panic in the man's voice was not missed by anyone.
"You dare to add lying to your list of sins?" The Bishop hissed as his fingers curled into the robe the man was wearing. "Tell me the truth. Did you threaten our guest?"
The man, still as a statue, stumbled over his words for a moment before squeaking out. "Y-y-yes."
"And were these threats lustful in nature?" Despite his calm tone the Bishop's voice clearly conveyed a barely suppressed rage.
This time all the other man could do was dip his head into a short nod.
"I feared as much." The Bishop sighed. "I pray that God forgives your sins." Before the other man could say anything there was a loud cracking noise as his sternum collapsed like a crushed soda can.
Bile formed in the back of Akina's throat as she watched what was once a person fall to the ground. Her continued efforts to suppress the urge to revisit her dinner caused her to nearly miss the Bishop's next words.
"We are the children of God. We guide the world and seek redemption." The man's mask panned around the room. "We do not engage in sins or give into the temptations that haunt us." He turned toward the cooling corpse that was once one of his members. "Let this be a lesson to all of you. I am leaving now for the Holy City. Take care of our intruders and bring our guests there once you are done."
The Bishop turned toward Akina one last time. "We shall save you." With that he turned and strode from the room, disappearing from sight as he entered the halls.
Silence dominated the room until the man who had interrogated Akina earlier spoke. "You heard the Bishop. Ready yourselves for a fight."
++++++++++++++++++++
"Wrong way." Kaishin growled as he felt a flicker of pain as he attempted to take a right turn. Turning left instead he heard the footsteps of his new companions following him, desperately trying to keep up.
Mom isn't dead… Mother said that she was but she's here. She came for us. Came back for us! Kaishin shook his head in a futile effort to dislodge the threads of hope he found settling there. But if she wasn't dead then she abandoned us. She left us.
A snarl threatened to escape him before one final thought ran through his mind.
And yet she's here and mother isn't.
He didn't have time for further thoughts as the moment he took the next turn he came face to muzzle with a person in a skull mask and robe.
"FU-"
The CRC member didn't get any further as Kaishin's teeth flashed and he tore out their throat.
Blood dripped from Kaishin's muzzle as he stood over the recently created corpse. I just… He shook his head. No time for that, the little one needs me. Resuming his breakneck pace he tore down the halls, the feeling of their bond growing stronger with each bounding step.
Eventually he came to a stop, an intimidating metal door barring his way.
A frustrated roar rumbled down the hall as Kaishin glared at the final barrier. He raised a paw and pressed it against the door. "I can't break this." His tail whipped back and forth as he glared at the door, the final barrier stopping him from reaching Akina.
The sound of footsteps fast approaching caused Kaishin to whip around, teeth bared and claws extended, only to stop as he saw who it was.
"She's behind this door."
Kaina stared at the blood that had started to dry in Kaishin's fur before she turned to look at Hisashi. "Do you think you can…"
"Again?" Hisashi huffed as he glared at Kaina and then the door. "Medic is going to kill me for using my Quirk this much. I'm going to smell like a foundry for the next week." He settled into a crouch in front of the door, his mouth level with the lock. Mirroring the process from earlier, his chest heaved as he readied himself to burn through the lock. It only took a moment before the stream of white-hot fire ate into the door, melting the lock and the area around it.
Kaishin watched Hisashi carefully, intending to be the first through once the door was done, only to hear a scream from inside the room as Hisashi started to move toward the hinges.
"LITTLE ONE!" Kaishin roared as he tackled the door, shoving Hisashi out of the way in the process. Three hundred kilograms of muscle, fur and fury slammed into the weakened structure with all the strength that the Guardian Lion could bring to bear. The metal shuttered under the impact, holding for just a moment, before the hinges gave way and the door collapsed into the room. Going down with the door, Kaishin landed in a crouch as he processed what was waiting for him.
Two dozen men and women standing in a semi-circle facing the door with one final member holding a serrated sword to Akina's throat from inside an iron cage.
"Take another step, beast, and we kill her." The man holding the sword growled as the other members tensed, ready to react at a moment's notice. His body blocking the door, Kaishin heard the others go quiet as they too readied themselves.
"Kai!" Akina croaked before stopping as the blade began to dig into her throat.
"Silence." The man hissed before he returned his glare to Kaishin. "Surrender beast."
"Little one." Kaishin rumbled as he stared across the space and toward Akina, desperately trying to convey without words what he wanted her to do.
Akina's eyes blew wide as she stared at Kaishin. If there's ever a time for this to work… A prickling sensation filled her gut as she reached out toward the bond that she and Kaishin shared. She found herself following it until a sense of barely contained rage washed over her and with it an overwhelming need to keep herself and others safe.
The mental connection only lasted a millisecond but it was enough and theory became reality as, like a werewolf of legend, Akina's body started to change.
"What the-" The man holding her captive brought his blade to bare as he attempted to slit Akina's throat.
Only to find her skin now covered in an impenetrable fur.
"Finally!" Akina growled, her voice layered with something deep and primal, as her newly clawed hands reached down and buried themselves into her captor's thighs, causing him to scream and drop her. It was the last thing he would do as Akina twisted around and gouged out the man's throat.
She wasn't alone on the attack as Kaishin, not wasting any time, let out a thunderous roar before he became a whirlwind of fang and claw. From member to member he lept, his jaws tearing chunks from his opponents all while his claws gutted them. So close to Akina he felt nothing as the multitude of Quirks bounced off him as the desperate CRC members threw everything and anything they had at the now rampaging Quirk.
In seconds the room was filled with scattered limbs and pools of blood, Kaishin looking more like the savage beast that the cult had accused him of being as he towered over his kills. Ruby red eyes flashed as he scanned the room for any additional target that dared to threaten Akina.
His bloodlust and rage dissipated only to be replaced by concern as he spotted Akina in her regular form and on her knees, still inside the cage and shivering.
Gingerly he padded over, his front half entering the cage, before he gave Akina a tender lick along her cheek. "Little one?"
"I-is that how you always feel?" Akina whispered as she refused to look at Kaishin. "Th-that rage? That bloodlust?"
"Yes." Kaishin whispered as he began to pull his head away from her. "It's always there. Always ready to surface."
"Oh Kai!" Akina cried as she leapt forward and pulled his head into her chest, ignoring the mess she was making in the process. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I-I thought you might hate me. See me as a monster." Kaishin whispered as he leaned into Akina's minstations. "I want to be more than a bloodthirsty beast."
"You are. Of course you are." Akina answered as she continued to scratch her Quirk's mane. "How did you get out?"
"I had some help." Kaishin rumbled in response as he turned his head toward the door where a stunned Kaina and Hisashi were entering the room. The former took a stumbling step forward while the latter turned around and ordered the couple behind him to stay out.
Akina felt her heart soar and sink at the same time as she watched a woman that she only knew from photographs and stolen stories walk toward her.
"M-mom?"
Kaina gave her daughter a sad, tentative, smile. "Hey peanut."
"B-but you… you died! Mother said you died!" Akina surged to her feet before stumbling and leaning against Kaishin to remain upright. "H-h-how are you…"
"Haruki lied." Kaina's answer was both soft and blunt at the same time. "I was sent to Tartarus."
"Tartarus?" Kaishin growled as he started to move between Akina and Kaina.
"It's not what-" Kaina started to defend herself only to be cut off by Hisashi.
"Look there's a lot we need to catch up on but we need to get out of here." He glanced around the room once more his gaze settled on Akina. "Are you going to be able to walk?"
"Y-yeah." Akina answered as she stared past Kaina and toward Hisashi. "How do we get out of here?"
"We have a van waiting for us." Hisashi answered as he turned to address Kaishin. "We made sure that you'd fit as well."
"Thank you." Kaishin nodded before he started forward, Akina still leaning against him, her eyes locked onto the ceiling.
"Is it just the two of you?" Akina asked as she let Kaishin lead her out of the cage and toward the door.
"There are three others with us. Two are outside the door and the third is waiting outside." Kaina replied as she spared the room one last glance. "Come on, let's get out of this hell hole."
++++++++++++++++++++
"So I take it that everything didn't go exactly to plan." Inko whispered as she twisted around in the passenger seat to look back at Kaishin's blood covered form.
"No." Hisashi answered in just a quiet voice, though he kept his eyes on the road. "We guessed wrong there were closer to forty people in there."
"Hisashi!" Inko started to protest before she was cut off by a wave of her husband's hand.
"Kaishin took care of the majority of them." Hisashi glanced in his rear-view mirror and back toward the slumbering lion wrapped around an unconscious Akina. "Akina did something as well but I'm not sure what."
"The poor girl looks like she could sleep for a week." Inko sighed. "I wish I'd gone down with you."
"We had more than enough people." Kaina chimed in, saving Hisashi from having to answer. "We didn't know that the sentry would be recalled."
"And I prefer to have an overwatch just to be safe." Hisashi added as he turned their van to take a side road. "We couldn't be sure that outside members wouldn't appear."
"I still should have been there." Inko growled in annoyance before she let out a tired sigh. "But I'm not exactly in the best of shape."
"We can start running together if that will make you feel better." Hisashi offered as he took another turn. "Though I hope we don't have to dig up the old uniforms again."
"Agreed." Inko shook her head. "Though now that we've worked alongside the court…"
"The Gentle King won't press you into service or anything." Kaina calmly replied, her eyes never leaving her sleeping daughter or her Quirk. "At most he may offer you a place in his court but he will not force you to work with him or for him."
"But we know who Pop Step and Crawler are." Inko countered with a raised eyebrow. "Shouldn't he be worried about us turning them in?"
"And admit that we were party to a raid on a secure compound that saw close to forty people die?" Hisashi snorted. "Inko, love, what we have on them is close to what they have on us."
"But…" Inko trailed off as she considered Hisashi's words. "...but we were trained for this."
"And we retired." Hisashi tilted his head to the side. "How do you think the government will feel if they find out about tonight's activities?"
"They'd be pissed." Inko muttered as she crossed her arms. "It was the CRC though."
"And without mission clearance we can't act as judge, jury and executioner." Hisashi shook his head as he saw Inko start to respond. "Even for a registered terrorist organization."
" Technically we could but we'd be fighting one hell of an uphill battle." Kaina chimed in with a smirk.
"You technically can't do anything, miss 'my ass is still technically in prison'." Hisashi snarked as he started the van up a steep hill.
The trio fell silent for a long moment before Inko twisted around to look at Kaina once more. "Are you going to be able to visit us?"
"Possibly." Kaina answered as she tore her gaze from Akina and Kaishin to look at Inko. "I'd have to get approval from Nezu but I doubt he'd see any issues with it."
Inko smiled at Kaina. "It'd be nice for Izuku to meet the woman who would have been his honorary aunt."
"Well if Nezu keeps his word he's going to soon meet his honorary cousin." Kaina chuckled as she glanced back toward Akina.
"Oh Izuku's going to have a field day with her and Kaishin." Hisashi chuckled as he pulled the van to a stop outside an imposing but familiar looking wall. "We're here."
"I'll wake them." Kaina answered as she unbuckled and moved toward Akina and Kaishin.
++++++++++++++++++++
"That will be all for the night." Nezu smiled across his desk at his intern. "You did well tonight."
"Thank you." Himiko smirked at Nezu's praise. "I just wish I could try using Dark Shadow."
Nezu couldn't help but cackle. "While I admire your desire to learn what you can and can't do if Tokoyami struggles to control Dark Shadow's emotions at midnight I don't think you will fare much better."
"I still want to try." Himiko muttered as her lower lip pulled into a pout.
"Maybe during the camps this summer." Nezu replied in a placating tone before he stole a glance at the clock on his wall. "But it is well past the time we were meant to end so we shall call it here."
"Trying to get rid of me?" Himiko teased with a grin only to wince at Nezu's reply.
"Yes."
The mammalian dean of unknown origin pushed his chair back and motioned for Himiko to follow him out of his office. Confused, Himiko couldn't help but comply.
"I am needed elsewhere tonight and you need rest." Nezu waited until Himiko had left his office before he stepped out and closed the door behind them. "Now run along and I shall see you in the morning."
"Yes sir." Himiko threw Nezu a quick mock salute before she turned on her heel and marched away from his office and toward the dorms. Not a bad first day. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. She hesitated a moment. Wait, the rat left his office… Her eyes narrowed as she turned around once more. I've never really had a chance to sneak around his office before…
Himiko suppressed her fear of Nezu by focusing on her overwhelming curiosity as to what she could find in his office. Thinking quickly, she stalked back the way she had come. If only I had some of his blood. I'm sure that he has it wired with biometrics.
She quickly made her way over to the door, coming to a stop as it didn't open for her automatically. Well if I needed any confirmation that Nezu isn't in there. She cast an appraising eye over the entire surface of the door as she looked for any indicator to the security measures Nezu had in place.
Seeing none, a crazy idea struck her. "Well when in doubt…" Himiko muttered as she reached for the door handle and pulled it down. Expecting nothing she couldn't help but jump back in shock as the handle moved and the door slowly swung open.
"What…" Himiko's eyes narrowed as she stared at the now open doorway. "There's no way that this isn't a trap." Right? She leaned forward to stare at the door frame, only to still find nothing.
Fortune favors the bold. Himiko mentally shrugged before tentatively taking a step over the threshold and into Nezu's office, her body ready to spring back the moment something happened.
Nothing happened.
"Huh." Glancing around, and throwing caution to the wind, Himiko fully stepped into the deserted room before closing the door behind her. "Now time to ferret out all of Nezu's secrets." Himiko cackled as she started to stalk her way around the office. She'd only made it a few steps before movement on one of the monitors caught her eye.
Walking around Nezu's desk, Himiko found herself standing in front of his infamous monitoring wall, her eyes drawn to a screen just off center as her brain scrambled to figure out what she was seeing.
What the fuck… Himiko felt her heart hammering in her chest as she recognized both Hisashi and Inko standing next to Nezu, the couple dressed in a manner that she had never seen before. Dark padded military fatigues covered their bodies while a multitude of weapons could be seen sticking out of various holsters and sheaths.
She didn't have long to contemplate the scene as yet another familiar face joined the trio, the two-toned hair giving away Kaina instantly. Dressed in the same fashion as her best friend's parents, her mind flooded with questions only to go blank as she watched the back of a van open and a massive bloodsoaked feline stalk out.
Its golden-orange fur peaked out from beneath the dried blood that coated the creature all while its ruby red eyes stared down Nezu with an intelligence that was conveyed even through a camera.
So focused on the creature, Himiko missed the final member joining the group until they were limping away from them, her body being supported by the giant cat. The woman's lithe build combined with her own version Kaina's two-toned hair gave away who she was in an instant.
And just like her feline companion's fur her woman's clothes were stained by blood.
"The fuck is going on?!?" Himiko whispered as she forced herself to move away from the screens and out of the office. What was that? Who was that? Does Izuku know? No, he wouldn't know.
A mixed feeling of dread and humor washed over her.
Shit not this again…