Firework | A Tragic Tale of Two Siblings

34 | Cat and Mouse

Tall gray towers jutted from the empty streets and flat rooftops like needles, cement bridges connecting the many buildings like a spider's web. There were tunnels that burrowed into the sides of the buildings and slithered underground like ginormous rabbit holes. Several of the buildings had open windows, scattered and in full rows. Ground Beta was morphed into an elaborate labyrinth, vastly different from the entrance exams.

It was an entirely new playground for the mice to run around and the fox play.

And Katsuki hated the idea of being prey.

"Hey man, can you slow down?" Kaminari whined, out of breath. "Since we don't know what or where Cherry Bomb is hiding. Why don't we pause for a minute and think things through?"

"Hell no!" Katsuki snarled. "Sachi's got something up her sleeve and I'm not going to be hunted down like some weak ass rabbit!"

Kirishima raised a brow and sped up his pace enough to be beside his friend. "I thought Cherry Bomb wasn't the combative type."

"Didn't you watch the News during the Octopus Villain attack?" Sero voiced pointedly. "I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to ambush us."

Kaminari looked around wildly when Sero finished and Katsuki growled. "She'd pick us off one by one, depending on who she judges whose most annoying."

"She's probably gonna get you out first then," Kirishima snickered, getting a harsh "SHUT UP!!" from his friend. About forty-five minutes passed and it was completely silent. The group of four wove through main streets and the occasional cement bridge, but still no sign of Katsuki's little sister. By this point the blond boy was growing irritated, rushing through open areas and letting out the frequent outcry of frustration.

"Dude, seriously, calm down!" Kirishima placed a hand on Katsuki's shoulder but was quickly shoved off. "She's one girl in a giant fake city filled with hundreds of buildings. It shouldn't be a surprise that everything's so quiet."

"Yeah, but don't you think it's too quiet? Somebody who's spotted her should've at least called out that they've found her." Sero pointed out, leaning out of the alley and looked around.

"This would've been so much easier if we had earpieces," Kaminari whined, leaning against the alley wall.

Katsuki was about to say something vulgar but Sero was right. If Todoroki or Izuku found her, they would've made their location known. Also, if Sachi was defending herself, wouldn't her fireworks have gone off by now?

Something wasn't right.

It was silent for the next few minutes, them pondering on what's their next move. Then, just as Katsuki was about to start moving, he heard the distant sound of clacking from further down the alley. He didn't give a warning to his classmates and he bolted for the noise, not caring if he left his team in the dust. The footsteps were coming closer with every second and a large grin grew on his face when he saw her.

Sachi skidded around the corner and ran in his direction but frantically scrambled the other way when she noticed him. She was winded, the look of thrill and anxiety written clear in her features, and she showed more anxiety as she turned around and sprinted the other direction. Katsuki laughed loudly and launched himself forward, the wind whipping his hair back as he closed in on his sister with back-breaking speed. 

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW, SACH— OOF!!"

Katsuki suddenly collided with somebody and was slammed into the wall next to him, his back popping with the amount of force whoever ran into him. He and the other person tumbled to the ground as Sachi kept running. She shot her arm up and she was lifted off the ground, flying up and disappeared into a building through an open window.