Stained Red

Katsuki Bakugo growled at the nuisance nervously chattering his ear off as he ran.

How the damn nerd had caught up to him, he had no fucking clue. Hell, he was even keeping pace with him as he blasted forward in between checking his phone. But if the fact the guy's legs were crackling with lightning-like power had anything to do with it, Katsuki was going to kill someone.

"I saw it on TV though, Kacchan! They had some stats about the Hero Killer, and most of his victims were found where there weren't many people! Her location ping narrows it down, but not enough! In order to find her, we need to get further away from the panic, and move through the back alleys of Hosu-"

"I said SHUT IT!" Katsuki growled. He hesitated though, and turned into the alleyway, ignoring the irritation flooding through him.

As much as he hated the damn nerd, analyzing was what he was annoyingly good at. And if it meant finding Red faster, then he wasn't going to let his hatred get in the way. It's not like he had to admit out loud he-

Deku's gasp was the only thing he heard before the view in front of him was taken over completely.

-The Hero Killer chuckled as the tears fell steadily down her face.-

Katsuki felt something foreign and cold infect his veins as he saw the scene through her eyes. It felt like when the villains came out of the portal at the USJ, but worse. The wall of pain he was slammed with made it feel like his breath was leaking out of his (her?) wounds faster than he could replenish it.

Deku stumbled in his movements as well before shouting. "That's near the smoothie shop! I can get there faster, Kacchan-"

-"I guess your colors were true after all." He pulled the blade out of her shoulder, and a soft whimper left her throat.-

"GO THEN, FUCK!" Katsuki roared, the vision flashing as it started to falter, taking the pain with it. When he temporarily got his vision back again the ice in his veins hadn't gone away, and he realized that the feeling of dread wasn't in her head, but in his own. Only a streak of light showed that Deku had been there seconds prior, and Katsuki let off a blast after him as he sent the message and shoved his phone in his pocket.

-"What a waste this will be then… but you see… If I kill the daughter he didn't throw away… He'll have to come here… And I'll be waiting."-

He forced his explosions to go faster as the vision faltered out completely this time, fearing the worst. He was less than a minute away, he needed to make it. The Hero Killer had found her. He shouldn't have agreed to patrol with Hawks. Where the fuck was Endeavor? What kind of number two hero leaves the person they're protecting for even a second?!

If there's anything he'll be thankful to that Deku for, it'll be if he can keep the bastard villain stalled just long enough until he reaches them. He had to reach them in time. He wouldn't know what to do if he didn't-

"5% Detroit Smash!"

He heard Deku's shout in the distance, and headed towards the direction. He was almost there, just a few damn seconds-

He didn't have time to think about why Deku was frozen on the ground. He didn't have time to think about the Pro Hero slumped against the wall. The dagger glinted as it fell, and the piercing scream that filled the air filled him with a white hot rage he didn't know was possible. As something hotter than fire replaced the ice in his veins, all he could think about was saving the freckled menace that had drank her way into his life. Pulling the pin on his gauntlet, he flew forward.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER, DAMN OFF-BRAND MUMMY!" He roared, the echo in the alley adding fuel to the noise.

And then it went off.

The explosion was unlike anything Katsuki had felt before. The recoil jerked his arm back violently, and he felt something snap.

The killer tried to leap above it, but instead took the brunt of the attack. Red's hair whipped around her face as if to join the column of fire above her before falling back down around her in swirls as the explosion faded.

The adrenaline pushed him forward towards her as his feet moved on their own, the villain now collapsed on the other side of the alley. He stepped in front of Red, putting himself between her and the villain as he crouched down next to her. His anger caught in his throat, and his whole body chilled as he finally looked at her.

She was absolutely… covered in blood. It was soaking through her tank top and through one side of her pants, as well as covering her arm. It seemed to be pooling around her upper body faster than it should be, meaning there was a wound there too.

If he thought he had felt nauseous at the USJ, then he didn't know how to describe what he was feeling now. If she was dead…

His arm trembled slightly as he reached to touch her unblushing, grime covered freckled cheek. Unsure if his arm was shaking from overexertion, or from the sight before him. As his hand cupped her face and wiped where a streak stood out from a tear, she breathed in deeply, sky blue eyes fluttering open.

He let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. She was alive.

"Katsuki…" She breathed in awe, eyes wide in amazement. He decided right then and there that that was the best way anyone had ever looked at him before.

"Kacchan, watch out!" Deku cried, and Katsuki turned just in time to see a brilliant burst of flames intercept the Hero Killer from reaching him.

He let out a 'tch' when he spotted the man who protected them, annoyed at having to have been saved while he was caught up in the woman at his knees. "About damn time, ya Icyhot bastard."

"It's not like you sent an exact address, Bakugo. 'That one smoothie shop she likes' wasn't much help." Todoroki deadpanned, holding up his phone with Red's location pinging.

"You're lucky I had the picture of you arguing. The name was on the cup."

Bakugo huffed in response, carefully putting his arms under Red as he picked her up to move her. She let out a groan in pain, and this time he didn't miss the blood soaking his hero costume.

"I sent the shop's address and name to my old man. The Pro's will be here any minute." Icyhot continued, preparing to fight.

As Katsuki walked over to set Freckles down behind Icyhot and himself, ice crept through the alleyway. The Hero Killer had to jump as the ice also created a slope that brought the frozen student and Pro back to Icyhot's side safely.

"He thinks the time will be up for one of us soon." Red breathed. Before Katsuki could ask what she meant, her eyes snapped to Icyhot, who tilted his head.

She responded without anyone talking out loud. "Bloodcurdle, it lets him paralyze his opponent by tasting their blood. The time spent paralyzed depends on your blood type. The longest being B at eight minutes, and the shortest being O at one or two minutes. He keeps track with the watch on his wrist."

Katsuki tried not to let it bother him that she appeared used to conversing with Icyhot in his head, and focused on the Hero Killer in front of them. "What's your damn blood type then?"

"Native's is B, he has 3 more minutes left. I'm AB, I have 4 left, but…"

She didn't have to say it outloud. She wouldn't be able to do much once she was free. The chances of her bleeding out were already too high, making Katsuki clench his teeth.

"Todoroki and Midoriya are O, and you're A... So don't you dare get hit, Katsuki." Red warned, putting on a strong face. But he could hear the anxiety in her voice when she reached his type.

He looked back at her, meeting her worried eyes. He tried not to let the blood smeared on the ground around her distract him, but found himself doing a mental once over and categorizing her injuries anyway.

The villain's voice raised above their conversation, drawing Katsuki's eyes back to him.

"So you have a mental quirk like your father's. Should've known it wasn't just illusions. Now I see why he altered your brain. What a troublesome quirk for a child to have when you're trying to make them forget. He probably had to alter everyone because of you."

Red breathed in at the words, before her eyes widened. "Slushie, move!"

Icyhot moved just in time to miss the throwing knife heading towards his face.

Stain's eyes narrowed, before he chuckled menacingly. "You have good friends, Star Skyline. Too bad they'll have to die as well."