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Tick……tick……tick…
Hizashi was having a bad day.
…or at least he thinks it's still the same day? It may have been a bad COUPLE of days depending on how long he was unconscious.
It's hard to tell when the warehouse he's in had no windows or skylights and he's not even sure how long it's been since anyone's come through the door that Hizashi can just barely see in his peripheral vision if he strains his neck far to the left.
Not that he wants those particular people to come back. They weren't pleasant at all- not from the very first moment Hizashi met them this morning… or yesterday? He's still not sure what time it is. The splitting headache that pounded through his skull didn't help either.
Tick……tick……tick
Anyways.
It was supposed to be a relaxing Sunday spent doing almost nothing. Hizashi was able to sleep for a few hours after his overnight broadcasting shift at the studio. Shouta would be back from his overnight patrol in a few hours and Hizashi always liked to have breakfast ready for him when he got back. Something quick they can eat and then the best part of their Sunday ritual:
They go back to bed. Only getting up once one or both of them are hungry enough to justify leaving the comfort of their nest of blankets and cats.
Hizashi had been looking forward to it all week. It had been a rough week for both of them. Between the children acting up more than usual in their classes and patrols being rougher due to a sudden uptick in villains in their region. Nothing sounded better than finally getting to curl up in bed with his husband and not having to interact with the world for the rest of the day.
But while Hizashi was prepping everything for breakfast, he shook the empty can of coffee that sat next to the coffee maker and with a frown realized that he'd forgotten to pick more up yesterday between his patrol and the studio. For a brief moment, Hizashi debated texting Shouta to grab some on his way back. But… Shouta had been out working even later than him. At least he'd been able to get a couple of hours of sleep before getting up again.
Mind made up, Hizashi glumly got himself presentable enough to run to the convenience store a few blocks down. It was less than a 10 minute walk away- he'd be back with plenty of time to finish breakfast.
Tick……tick……tick…
Or so he'd thought. It was the oldest trick in the book. Hizashi would never hear the end of it from Shou once he got himself out of this mess. Or once his sleepy knight in shining armor saved him, whichever happened first.
Hizashi had been walking past an alley when his hearing aids had picked up the sound of a scuffle and… what sounded like a woman crying? He scanned his surroundings for a brief moment and nothing caught his eye. There wasn't anyone else out on the street this early on a Sunday morning. He didn't hesitate before striding down the alleyway. Once he turned the corner, the alley opened into a slider wider space containing a dumpster, miscellaneous trash, and what appeared to be three people.
A young woman was slumped against the wall beside the dumpster. Her small frame shaking as she sobbed and curled into herself. The two others in the alley, two men with no obvious quirks, leered down at her and laughed. Hizashi grimaced and his pace quickened as he approached the group.
Hizashi inhaled, filling his lungs to the brim before he addressed the group. Even without his directional speaker, Hizashi has a decent amount of control with his quirk.
“YOOO HOW ABOUT WE TAKE A STEP BACK NOW” Hizashi called, throwing his quirk into it just enough to knock the two men away from the woman.
The men hit the stone with a thud and a grunt as the soundwaves ricochet off the walls of the narrow area, causing a small feedback in Hizashi ears. He was wearing his civilian hearing aids instead of the heavy duty ones he would normally wear during his patrols. While the ones he wore now could hold up to a small amount of his quirk, they certainly wouldn't last if he needed to use his quirk to the full. He doubted he would need to though- these two seemed like small time thugs.
Putting on his Present Mic hero persona despite his lack of costume, Hizashi had strolled leisurely to stand between where the men had fallen and the woman was still huddled against the wall by the dumpster. At least she didn't seem to be crying anymore.
“Now now.. you two don't seem be catching on, but the young lady isn't impressed by this little show of yours, ya dig?” Hizashi humms as he speak, vibrating the air in a vaguely threatening manner with his quirk as the men stand back up. “In fact I think it'd be best if you have a seat and wait politely for the police to get here to save at least a lil bit of face.”
Despite his request, the men continued to stand as they begin to square off with Hizashi. It's cute that they think standing a few feet apart will keep one of them out of his radius. He's about to say as much when he feel cold fingers brush the back of his neck.
His neck that was completely unguarded without the comforting weight of his speakers.
The girl. He'd completely taken his eyes off of her to stare down these two buffoons. Before Hizashi could even begin to turn or react in any way, his body seized and his vision whited out. He's vaguely aware of a high pitch noise and a pop and then he couldn't hear anything at all. He felt weightless for a moment, numb.
His vision came back briefly, but his perspective had changed. He seemed to be laying on the ground in the alley. Rough hands grabbed at him yet he was still completely unable to move as some sort of paralysis plagued his body. His vision was blurry and the vertigo was making him a little queasy. One last thought filled his head as some sort of rough fabric was pulled over his head.
Shouta is going to be so mad.
—
Tick……tick……tick…
When Hizashi began to stir again he knew he'd fucked up. His head was pounding and he was horribly lightheaded even with the fabric still pulled over his head. His location had definitely changed though. He could tell he was propped up in some sort of metal chair, bound to it around the chest and at his legs. His arms were bound together in front of him by what felt like handcuffs and by the weight pulling on them and the lack of give, they must be chained down to the floor or attached to the chair in some way.
The worst part about this situation? He still couldn't hear anything. He could tell there were people around or nearby him. He could feel the vibrations in the chair as people moved to and fro. He could even feel the vibrations as conversations were held, unable to make out the words but still able to decipher that the vibrations were talking nonetheless. He'd always been more sensitive to vibrations than others. Hes always assumed it must be related to his quirk.
As his senses come back to him he tries to remain as limp as possible, hopefully giving the illusion of unconsciousness for at least a little longer. He gingerly tested his limbs. He muscles felt weaker than usual, fatiqued, and he was lacking his usual dexterity in his hands. Probably a residual effect of the woman's quirk. His jaw ached too but as he went to stretch his jaw he realized the pressure on his skull wasn't just from his headache. He froze momentarily.
Unforgiving metal wraps around the entirety of his lower face, shaped in such a way to not allow Hizashi to move or open his mouth at all.
Maaan, this again?
For some reason, villains seem to assume that Hizashi's quirk requires him to be able to open his mouth and speak words. Because of this, this is actually not the first time he's woken up with a muzzle around his mouth put there by villains who thought they were smarter than they actually are.
It's a fundamental misunderstanding, though one he's not terribly interested in correcting as it tends to work out in his favor to leave it. See, as long as Hizashi can breathe, he is capable starting a high pitch vibration low in his throat to activate his quirk. Shouta once compared it to a cats purr.
Though, this technique is unfortunately short ranged compared to his usual screams, it is certainly capable of doing damage to anything within a close radius. In previous scenarios, this has been a very successful method to self-rescue himself from nabbings’. Unfortunately, there seems to be far more people involved in this situation than previous ones. Hizashi doubted he would be lucky enough to catch them all in one blast and it would be a hard maneuver while blind and deaf. He decides to hold onto this trump card for now.
Around him, the vibrations of conversation begin to slow. Most movement seems to shift away from him before two sets of vibrations approach him. Hizashi felt a hand reach under the back of the fabric to fist into his hair and he flinched as pain shot through his head. Without further ado, the fabric is removed from his face with a flourish that Hizashi would almost be impressed with if he wasn't suddenly blinded by the bright lights pointed at his face.
Hizashi blinks owlishly to clear to spots in his vision. The hand in his hair holds him painfully upright and Hizashi can feel strands of his hair separating painfully from his scalp at the rough handling. Hizashi focused in on the man standing in front of him. Though the man is clearly talking, apparent by the gesturing he's doing with his hands, he's not addressing Hizashi at all. Instead the man is looking off towards the light with his back towards him.
The man was wearing a high quality suit and had dark hair that curled slightly in the back. That was all Hizashi could see from this angle. He tries to turn slightly to look at the person behind him but the hand in his hair pulled harshly to keep him looking forward.
Rude.
Anyways. Hizashi wondered who the man was talking to. If only he'd turn a little bit so that he could see his face, Hizashi would be able to read his lips enough to understand the gist of the conversation. The man sways casually to the right as he takes a few steps to the side and gestures toward Hizashi. He blinks to focus his eyes against the harsh light.
Aw shit.
It is not a physical person the man has been chattering away to the last few minutes. It's a camera. Suddenly Hizashi understands exactly what had been going on here. He was being used as a ransom. For what? He had no clue. Definitely missing some context in this situation. He really wished he had functional hearing aids right now.
His brief panic subsided a bit as the man continued his dramatic gesturing. His situation here certainly sucks, but at the moment there's not really much he can do about it. Hizashi turns his attention back to the man. From this angle, he can see that the man has some sort of porcelain mask covering his face which unfortunately means he's still unable to tell what he was saying and/or asking for. But it looks like… oh yep here it comes.
The man throws his arms out dramatically and raises his head towards the roof. His shoulders shake and Hizashi can tell that this guy was doing the cheesy super villain cackle.
Hizashi knows exactly who is watching on the other side of that camera. Or at least knows that he's one of the people watching.
Hizashi makes direct eye contact with the camera and rolls his eyes with as much disdain as he can convey with just his eyes. He imagines Shouta would get a giggle out of that.
The lightheadedness starts to creep in again and Hizashi zones out for a bit. Not that he was actually involved in the conversation in the first place anyways. He's nearly dozing in place when he's snapped out of it by a fist connecting with the side of his head.
He hissed pitifully against the muzzle as stars floated across his vision and black creeps in around the edges. He tried to curl down against his middle protectively but the hand in his hair yanked him back upright again. As Hizashi blinked frantically, the man began to come into focus again in front of him. He's talking toward the camera again as he shows off the glinting metal across his hands. Brass knuckles, Hizashi noted to himself. That must have been why it hurt so badly. Then the man turns back to Hizashi.
Oh man. This is REALLY going to suck.
—
Hizashi's not exactly sure how long the beating lasted. He's absolutely sure he blacked out for a few moments here or there though. Whenever he was able, Hizashi would stubbornly raise his head to stare the man down. It's silly, but it felt like that was his only way to retaliate in this situation. To show that man that he's not that easily broken. It wasn't just for him either though.
Hizashi knew who was watching on the other side of the camera.
He kept his head held high in defiance, stubbornly taking the beating the best he could. A punch to his stomach had him curling down into himself as he tried to get air back into his lungs despite the muzzle restricting his breathing. He had laid slumped for a moment, watching through his curtain of hair as the man's shoes retreated as he approached the camera.
He can feel the vibrations as the man walks away. Just like he can feel the vibrations of the other man behind him leaning forward over the back of the chair to reach for him again. Hizashi grins to himself.
He's already getting his ass kick. What's the worst that can happen?
Hizashi slams his head back as hard as he can. The metal back of the muzzle connects solidly with the man's face where he had carelessly leaned too close to close to him. Hizashi was extremely satisfied as he felt the man fall backwards, hit the ground, and not get back up.
He has about 10 seconds to celebrate internally before he feels something press against his side. He had about another second, which is just enough time to realize it's a taser, before it turns on. Hizashi's body locks up as his muscles seize and his vision whited out again. He wasn't sure how long it was held against his skin, but when the taser was finally removed Hizashi slumped, unable to find the strength to hold himself up. Black crept into the edges of his vision again.
Totally worth it though.
Movement has started around them again. It's hard for his muddled brain to figure out what was going on in the rest of the warehouse. He vaguely took note as something heavy was set down about ten feet in front of him. He squinted through his hair again and could see some sort of table was being set up. Two people wearing dark colored jumpsuits and matching masks quickly but carefully set a large rectangular box across the top of the table as the man watched on. Once finished, the two henchmen quickly exited stage left as the man stepped up to the table facing the camera.
Without further ado, the man pressed a button on the box and the display lit up. Red numbers appeared on the screen.
2:00:00
Tick…
1:59:59
Tick…
1:59:58
Tick…
Hizashi could feel the vibration as the numbers changed. It was weirdly soothing, he thought to himself as his eyes drifted closed. Just for a moment, just to rest his eyes.
Tick……tick……tick….
—
Hizashi woke up with a jolt. His head still pounded, his whole body ached, and he was certain something was wrong with his right arm too now that he had a brief moment to mentally catalog his injuries. But that wasn't the most concerning thing to him right now.
The room was now almost entirely empty. No camera, no henchmen, no harsh spotlights. Not even the douchebag in the fancy suit. The room was empty…or almost empty.
Tick……tick……tick…
Other than Hizashi, the only thing that remained in the room was the table with the rectangular box. The numbers depicted were much lower now though.
01:02:45
01:02:44
01:02:43
He'd been asleep for almost an hour. And going by the fact that everyone else had vacated the premises once the numbers had begun counting down, it was not a huge assumption to assume something unpleasant would happen when the numbers finally reached zero.
Hizashi hated to think about what this time incentive is being used to barter for. Is it money they want? Information on other pro heroes? Or worse, information on the students or UA in general? He does take a slight comfort in knowing that if that's the case, there's no way that any of the other staff at UA would hand over any of it. Not even Shouta. Not even to save his life if it came down to it. He would know that Hizashi would never forgive him if he did.
Though, that does bring up another question. Do any of the other heroes have any information on this group? Is it feasible that Hizashi could be rescued in the time frame put in place by whatever that device is on the table?
00:58:23
00:58:22
00:58:21
Hizashi makes a decision. He'll give it until the counter reaches 30 minutes for someone to rescue him. He knows that sometimes, it really is better to wait for help to come. Rescue missions can only succeed if that person that's being saved doesn't manage to get themself killed before they get there.
But Hizashi also has to consider the possibility that there isn't enough information or clues for someone to find him in time. Heroes aren't perfect. They aren't omnipotent and can't just magically find him using the power of friendship. In that case, he's confident that he can get himself out of these bindings and to that door in far less than 30 minutes. So he waits. Even though that is DEFINITELY not his strong suit.
tick……tick……tick…
00:52:18
00:52:17
00:52:16
Tick……tick……tick…
00:46:34
00:46:33
00:46:32
Tick……tick……tick…
00:38:25
00:38:24
00:38:23
Tick……tick…..tick…
00:30:03
Tick…
Well, the cavalry has yet to appear.
00:30:02
Tick…
No matter how much Hizashi had hoped that the door would fly open and Shouta would come running in, it didn't happen.
00:30:01
Guess it's time for this princess to save himself.
00:30:00
Tick…
Hizashi eyed the device on the table cautiously. He assumed that it was most likely some sort of explosive device, going by the size and shape of it. He's certain he's heard somewhere, probably from Shouta or one of their previous hero courses, that cell phones and radios can accidentally detonate explosive devices due to the frequencies that they use to function. He'll have to be careful using his quirk around it just in case.
Hizashi leaned forward and put his muzzled face as close to the handcuffs binding his hands as he could by straining against the rope that restrained him. He began to hum, testing the frequency before beginning to quickly increase the pitch and activating his quirk.
The handcuffs began to rattle slightly at first, shaking faster as he increased the amount of power behind the hum steadily. Within moments, the handcuffs were vibrating so fast that it was hard for his dizzy eyes to track. Finally, after a few minutes of the abuse, something in the mechanism failed and the cuffs fell to the ground with a thud. With his hands free, it didn't take long for him to untie the ropes binding his torso and legs.
Unfortunately, the muzzle was not so easy to remove. With his good arm, Hizashi can feel some sort of mechanism at the back but no amount of prodding has managed to undo it. It will have to stay on for a little while longer. Hizashi stumbled as he got his feet underneath himself and the vertigo nearly brought him right back down again. After swaying precariously for a few moments, he managed to stay upright long enough for the spinning sensation to subside to a manageable level.
He turned towards the table once more.
00:20.54
Twenty minutes. Hizashi can make that work.
The room was dimly lit by some small light fixtures hanging from the high ceiling. Hizashi watched his steps carefully as he began to make his way towards the door. There didn't appear to be any sort of traps or sensors, but he wasn't going to be taking any chances. The door looked normal- no wires or anything obvious to indicate that it was rigged in any sort of way.
Hizashi brought his hand to the knob and slowly pushed down on the handle. It seemed to be unlocked. He slowly, very slowly, pushed on the door. It began to open outward but stopped when there was only a sliver of early morning light visible through the gap. Hizashi peeked through.
A chain was attached to the exterior handle. He followed the length of it to the side where he could barely make out the end of it attached to the metal bannister beside the door. While it looked sturdy, Hizashi was sure that he could manage to break the chain if he tried. The only thing that stopped him from trying was what he saw past the exit.
About 100 yards out from the door, Hizashi could see what looked like six… no seven individuals dressed in the same getup as the henchmen from earlier with guns slung over their shoulders. Hizashi closed his eyes and focused on the vibrations around him. There were even more henchmen outside his line of sight. He could feel the vibrations of their steps as they shuffled back and forth in the cold morning air. In total, there had to be more than a dozen people blocking this escape route.
While Hizashi COULD get this door open, it was definitely not going to be discreet in any way and he doubted that the odds would be in his favor muzzled and injured. He carefully closed the door with a quiet click and turned back to the empty warehouse.
Other than the table with the box (00:13:54, he noted absently), the warehouse was completely empty. No other doors along the walls, no windows or ladders. The only other thing in the room was…. Oh that could work.
Hizashi limped his way towards the back of the wide room. On the ground covered by dust and grime was a single manhole cover. It was narrow, maybe a little over a foot and a half wide but while Hizashi is quite tall, he's also very slim and flexible. He could probably fit through. Probably.
He felt around the narrow groove surrounding the cover with his good hand. Once he had as good of a grip as he was going to be able to get, he pulled. The cover was heavy and with only one good hand and a bad angle, it was a bit of a struggle to get it moved but he eventually succeeded.
With the cover placed to the side, Hizashi could now see down into the tunnel. The light from the warehouse filtered into the darkness and the space below seemed to open up decently enough inside. Hizashi peeked his head through and peered down the tunnel. It seemed to be some sort of storm drain. Luckily, it hadn't rained recently and there was only a small amount of water in the space. Peering further, Hizashi could barely make out a source of light far down the tunnel, vaguely in the direction of where the henchmen were.
Hizashi took one more look back at the table.
00:08:13
Well, sketchy tunnel it is.
Hizashi slipped his legs through the opening and scooted until he was sitting right on the edge. It wasn't much of a drop to the floor below but he also wouldn't be able to use one of his arms to catch himself. He held onto the edge with his good arm and lowered himself down as far as he could. With his feet only a few feet above the ground, Hizashi let go and dropped down into the small space.
His feet landed successfully underneath him, but between his unsteadiness and the algae covered concrete he still managed to end up sitting in the water. Hizashi took a moment to catch his breath before remembering his limited time frame and climbing to his feet once more with a grunt.
The visibility was very poor in the tunnel, but the literal light at the end of it worked well enough to give him a direction to start walking towards. Hizashi was slower moving than he would have liked, but the adrenaline that had been keeping him moving was beginning to wear off and his injuries were starting to catch up with him.
Hizashi couldn't even begin to guess how long it took him as he finally approached the source of light. To his disdain, it wasn't quite the exit that he had been hoping for. The light was filtered through the bars of a storm drain cover. Without a ladder to assist him it wasn't likely that he would be able to make it out this way. It also seemed to still be too close to the location that the henchmen were lingering. Hizashi could feel the vibrations of movement above, though currently the movements seemed more frantic than before. Almost as if there were a fight happening above him.
Luckily though, the tunnel seemed to continue further in the direction he'd been heading. With a huff through his nose, Hizashi reluctantly continued onwards into the dark.
It couldn't have been more than a couple hundred feet further down that his salvation finally came into sight. Hizashi could barely make out the shape of a dinghy metal ladder attached to the side of the tunnel. Hizashi quickened his pace the best he could. He knew it must be getting close to zero on the countdown.
His feet kicked up water as he hobbled his way towards the ladder. His thoughts drifted briefly as he moved. Could there be leeches in the water he's walking through? Or… what about spiders? Oh that's stupid, there's definitely spiders down here. Hizashi shivered as his mind started to imagine the feeling of bugs crawling over his skin.
Tick…
His wandering thoughts distracted him briefly as he reached the ladder. Of course, that was the exact moment the countdown hit zero.
The explosion was big enough that the tunnel shook harshly. Dust and rocks showered down on top of Hizashi, and nearly scorching hot air burned his face as it blew down the tunnel and knocked him to the ground. It felt like the moment lasted forever, though in reality it was likely closer to a few seconds before the dizzying vibrations began to dissipate and he could begin to get his bearings.
Dust and rocks fell from his back as he sat upright. He'd definitely be feeling it tomorrow, but it appeared that he was still mostly unharmed. Or at least, no more injured than he was before the explosion at least.
He pushed himself upright, using the side of the tunnel to support himself as he rose and glanced back the way he'd come. It appeared that the tunnel had caved in just past the light about in the spot he had been standing a minute prior. Well, certainly no turning back now.
Ready for the whole ordeal to be over with, Hizashi grabbed the first rung of the ladder with his good arm and began to pull himself up. It was difficult to maneuver but when he reached the top, he could see that the same type of manhole cover sealed this portion as well. Hizashi knew he wouldn't be able to use his hand for this one while holding on to the ladder, so instead he climbed as high as he could and used his back to push against it.
It took a bit longer and more effort, but eventually the cover gave way and he quickly shoved it out and to the side. Hizashi was a little more cautious with his own exit. He carefully lifted his head above the edge and looked around. After being in dimly lit spaces for so long, even the early morning light still felt nearly blinding. Hizashi had to blink his eyes rapidly to get them to focus on the chaos around him.
Hizashi had come up beside a neighboring building a decent distance away and was now looking at the warehouse he'd been held in from another perspective now. Or at least, what was left of the warehouse. It really was just a burning pile of concrete and metal now. There were also people all over the place, he noted.
It looked like a fight had been ending as the building had blown. He could see many of the henchmen scattered around on the ground. Standing by the downed forms of the villains were various heroes, many of which Hizashi recognized.
Awww, so they had come to save him. That's nice.
He stood gingerly and started to limp his way towards the group. The closer he got though, he realized that the heroes were all still focused on the still burning building. Or really, two people standing in front of the rubble. Hizashi's curiosity was piqued as he continued forward.
Oh! He knows those people! He'd be able to recognize his husband's hero getup from a mile away and Nemuri's costume was… distinct enough as well, to say the least. Hizashi's heart soared as he continued to make his way towards the group. He wished more than anything that he could call out and get their attention, but the muzzle remained firmly over his jaw.
As he neared the group though, he could tell something was wrong. Shouta was on his knees facing the rubble, just barely outside the reach of the scorch marks that the explosion must have left. Nemuri's hand was on his shoulder as if she had pulled him to a stop, though she continued to stare blankly into the flames. Turning his attention back to Shouta, it looked like there were tears streaming down his face. Why were they upset? It's just a building. It's not like Hizashi was still inside it.
Oh wait… Hizashi realized with a jolt. They don't know that yet.
Maybe his head injury was worse than he had thought. Thinking was getting harder and harder with every step he took. He hadn't even realized that the vibrations he had begun to feel were from his own throat until Nemuri's head turned towards him sharply. Her eyes immediately widened and she shoved harshly at Shouta's shoulder. When he didn't react, she grabbed his shoulders and physically turned him until he was facing Hizashi.
Hizashi could feel the moment that his husband's eyes finally focused on him. There was a couple of seconds of frozen eye contact and then Shouta was scrambling up and sprinting towards him in a far less graceful manner than usual. Hizashi could see his mouth shaping words as he ran but his addled brain wasn't willing to focus enough to read his lips. Instead, he quickened his pace as much as he could to meet Shouta halfway.
It hurt when Shouta collided with him and wrapped his arms tightly around his body but Hizashi couldn't bring himself to care as they spun slightly before settling to the ground next to each other. Shouta still had tears running down his face, but instead of grief like before, relief was visible in his eyes and the soft smile on his lips. Speaking of those lips, Hizashi wanted to kiss them so badly but unfortunately the muzzle was still in the way.
Shouta's eyes narrowed as they focused on the contraption on his face too. He glared at it for another moment before making eye contact with Hizashi again.
Take it off? He signed and pointed at the hunk of metal.
Please, Hizashi signed back as he let his face drop against his husband's shoulder.
He could feel Shouta's nimble hands prodding at the mechanism on the back of the device. While he waited, Hizashi closed his eyes and felt his muscles begin to relax for the first time since this whole ordeal began. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was until he began to drift into unconsciousness .
He was in good hands now. He'll let them handle the rest.