Chapter Text
He was not looking forward to work today. Then again, Shouto never looked forward to work. So he dressed with his usual speed, drank a liquid supplement for breakfast, and was more than willing to rush to his fate.
Fuyumi blocked him at the door. “Let me re-apply the burn cream.”
“It’s fine,” Shouto said. If he was late for the interrogation he’d just end up with more burns for her to deal with.
She held her ground. “It’s not fine. They’ll get infected.”
Their father walked into the foyer and they both stiffened. “Let her do it,” Father said. “Infections are an unnecessary impediment.”
Frowning at Fuyumi, he added, “But be quick about it.”
“Yes, father.”
When he’d left they were able to relax. Shouto took his shirt off and sat down, allowing his sister to undo his bandages and apply the cream.
“Is something happening today?” she said, gently smoothing into the affected areas.
“Stain is in police custody.”
“That’s great!” Fuyumi said. “The Hero Killer, that’s a big one. Which heroes caught him?”
“Apparently he was a Kira victim,” Shouto said. “He survived somehow.”
“Oh my,” she said. But she knew better than to dawdle. In no time Fuyumi had re-wrapped his bandages and Shouto was able to put his shirt back on.
“Have a good day,” Fuyumi said. “Don’t pick any more fights, okay?”
She meant with their father, of course. Because this is where that got him.
“I’ll do my best,” he said.
But he was losing patience. He didn’t know how much longer he could live like this. The only reason he stuck around at all was for her. Why couldn’t they leave together?
Shouto would bring it up again. Soon.
But first he had a serial killer to interrogate
“Tell me, heroes. Is the death penalty really that diff-”
“I don’t have time to argue philosophy, asshole!” Bakugo bared his teeth as he leaned over the table to get in Stain’s face. The villain tried to take advantage as the idiot inched closer to where his hands were chained in place.
Shouto froze them.
“I have no reason to cooperate,” Stain said, hissing at the cold. “As far as I’m concerned, Kira is doing good work-”
“He left you alive on purpose, then?” Shouto said. He noted the way the villain’s eyebrow twitched, but otherwise he gave nothing away and chose not to respond.
Bakugo slammed a fist down on Stain’s frozen hands, breaking the ice apart with the impact. Shouto admired the way he implemented just one tiny little explosion to get it to crack apart without damaging the man’s hands.
His father had never been capable of that sort of finesse. Intimidation without injury.
“He asked you a question, dickwad.” More tiny explosions. Bakugo held a hand near Stain’s face, close enough for him to feel the heat. But it was an empty threat.
“When Kira wants someone dead, they die.” Stain smirked. “Simple as that.”
“Doesn’t it bother you that he threw you to the wolves?” Bakugo said. “He left you gift wrapped. You gonna let that go? You gonna help him?”
Again Stain did not reply.
“We already know he wears a helmet with rabbit ears,” Shouto said. “He uses chemicals and an ice quirk to kill his victims-”
Stain giggled.
“What’s so fucking funny?!” Bakugo said.
“I almost forgot,” Stain said. “He doesn’t like his name.”
“Alright,” Shouto said. “It’s a nickname the media came up with. Did he give you a different name?”
“Deku.”
“Like a puppet?” Puzzled over the random word, Shouto glanced at Bakugo to ask for an opinion, but the expression on the man’s face stopped him in his tracks.
He was ashen. As if someone had just killed a dog in front of him.
“You’re a filthy fucking liar,” Bakugo murmured. “Who the fuck would want to be called that?”
It was strange, to hear him speak so quietly. But he had a point. The literal word meant puppet, or wooden doll, but Shouto recalled it’s more modern meaning. Someone who is boring? Or a useless person.
“I don’t know his reasoning,” Stain said. “But that’s the name he prefers.”
Bakugo slammed the villain’s head into the table so hard the man’s nose was crushed. Shouto flinched at the impact. There was only a small trickle of blood from Stain’s nose.
“What does he look like ,” Bakugo hissed. “Describe him!”
Stain spat in his face and Bakugo roared. “DESCRIBE HIM!”
Shouto wondered whether or not he should intervene.
“He’s average,” Stain said. “Average height, average build, nothing stands out besides the helmet.”
“What was he wearing. ” The vein popping on Bakugo’s forehead was familiar. Though Shouto hadn’t seen him lose control like this since they were in high school.
“A black turtleneck, black pants, he was just wearing black!”
“There had to be more than that,” Bakugo said. “Did you see his face? Freckles? What color are his eyes?” He still had a firm hold on the back of Stain’s head, he released another little pop from his quirk.
Shouto smelt burnt skin and Stain groaned. “I didn’t see his face!”
He pulled Bakugo back. Unexpectedly, Bakugo allowed it. When Shouto let go he spun away and punched a wall, cursing. Ground Zero was not like Endeavor. Though they were often compared, this kind of behavior… it was unusual for him. Shouto liked to think he regretted it.
“Did he have any distinctive weapons?” Shouto said. “The chemical, did you see him use it?”
Stain scowled.
With a sigh Shouto grabbed a bottle of burn cream from his utility belt. He knocked on the door to the room and asked an officer to bring a wash cloth and bandages.
They waited for the man to come back in silence. Bakugo paced and Stain tracked him with his eyes, glaring.
Shouto tried not to fidget.
Then, when the officer returned Shouto wiped at the blood on Stain’s face. There wasn’t much he could do for the man’s nose, he’d need to be seen by a professional, but Shouto cleaned the burn and treated it with the cream. He thought of Fuyumi. How many times had she done this? How many more times would she have to?
“He’s got gloves,” Stain muttered.
“Alright,” Shouto said. “They match his helmet?”
“Yeah. Dark green. The helmet, the gloves,” Stain sighed. “He had a green belt too. Boots. They’re really bulky, those boots and gloves.”
“Thank you,” Shouto said.
Stain huffed.
They walked back to the agency in silence. But in the elevator Shouto couldn’t help himself. “What did he do to piss you off?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Bakugo said. He kept his chin up and glared at the ceiling.
“You asked him if Kira has freckles,” Shouto said. “Did you have someone in mind?”
Bakugo shook his head. “It was stupid.”
“But-”
“That bastard was giggling at us.” When they reached their floor Bakugo made no move to get off the elevator. The doors opened and then closed. The elevator would not move until someone called it.
Shouto moved to press the Open Doors button, but Bakugo grabbed his wrist. “What did you say that made him laugh? You were listing facts, right?”
“I was talking about the chemicals? But I didn’t get into detail.”
“No, something else.”
“The ice quirk.”
“The fucking ice quirk!” And just like that Bakugo slammed into the Open Doors button. He stormed out of the elevator.
With a sigh Shouto followed.
“That fucker knows something we don’t,” Bakugo said. “It’s about the ice quirk. I bet we got it wrong. Kira doesn’t have an ice quirk at all.”
Then, so low Shouto almost didn’t catch it, he said. “He could even be quirkless.”
“That’s quite a leap.”
“Fuck off.” Bakugo stomped towards the locker rooms. “Tell your daddy I’m clocking out early.”
“But we have to write the report-”
“I’ll do it from home.”
Whatever. It’s not like Shouto was his babysitter. They went their separate ways and Shouto was more than happy to be alone with his thoughts.
Alone with his plans.
Because he would get out of here someday. And take Fuyumi with him.