Solstice and Eclipse: Part IV

Chapter XV: Enkindled

It was almost one o'clock in the morning, yet Eijiro Kirishima had yet to go to bed. He'd struggled with anxiety long enough that sleepless nights had become a familiarity to him. The quiet, however, was a foreign feeling. Usually he was kept awake by nagging doubts and overlapped voices that had his mind racing. But tonight, there were no voices, no intrusive thoughts. Tonight, there was only silence.

After his shower, Kirshima had pressed his forehead against his heavy bag and fell into a rhythm of throwing listless punches. As his knuckles grazed the bag, he couldn't help but wonder how Bakugou and Midorya did it. How they were always so assured of their victory. Confidence and optimism only go so far.

Placing his palm on the heavy bag, he let loose a sigh and turned toward his desk to look at his phone. The light from the screen caught him off guard and he squinted painfully, quickly looking away. Dimming the brightness, he saw the clock read '1:01 AM'. He realized with surprise that three hours had passed, and that somehow, he hadn't even noticed.

Unlocking his phone, he scrolled through his texts and emails to check for new messages, even though there had been no new updates on his lock screen. Growling in frustration, Kirishima tossed his phone back on his desk and turned once again to the heavy bag. He knew it had only been two days, but with the number of heroes working the case, he genuinely thought they'd have more news by now.

He was about to hit his head against his punching bag again when his phone buzzed. He nearly tripped over his feet as he dived for his phone. His heart started pounding when he saw the notification icon on his screen.

Fat Gum: 1 New Message

There was a location, a time, and two words: Be ready.

Throwing open his door, he raced quietly for the elevator. They'd all agreed earlier to meet up if they got any news. Waiting for the others at the east windows, it wasn't long before Uraraka and Tsu stepped off the girl's elevator, followed shortly by Midorya.

"All right. You too?" Kirishima asked as they ran up to him.

"We got it." Tsu said as Uraraka nodded resolutely.

Midorya looked down at the message again with a steely look in his eyes. "It's happening." His grip on his phone unconsciously tightened and his free hand clenched into a fist.

"Don't worry, Deku." Uraraka placed a comforting hand on Midorya's shoulder. "We'll save Eri this time. I know we will."

"That's right." Tsu croaked. "Remember what Sir Nighteye said? Rescuing Eri is the mission's top priority."

"Yeah, the police and the pros aren't gonna rest until she's safe!" Kirishima made a fist and held it up encouragingly. "And neither are we!"

"Thanks guys." Midorya smiled. Looking at the three people surrounding him, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The guilt of not being able to save Eri when he'd had the chance had been eating away at him ever since, and her safety felt like a responsibility he had to carry on his own. But his friends were right. He wasn't the only one who wanted to save her.

"Relax man, we've got your back." Kirishima punched him in the shoulder. "Besides, there are over two dozen pros on the case. We've got nothing to worry about."

"If that's what you really think, you'd be better off staying behind."

The four of them turned to see (L/N) approaching from the door that led to the basement.

"That kind of mindset is what gets people killed." He said as he came to a stop a short distance away from them.

"(L/N)." Midorya took a step back to create an opening for him to join them. "You got the call, too?"