Cold Storage

The loading bay smelled like rust, ammonia, and old blood. Deku’s boots scraped against the gritty concrete as he pressed himself against the wall beside Bakugo, who was already scanning the room with narrowed eyes. A single emergency light buzzed overhead, casting everything in a sickly orange pallor. The space was vast—stacked pallets of corroded machinery lined the walls, and at the far end, a steel door hung slightly ajar, a faint blue glow pulsing from the gap. “Quirk signature,” Deku whispered, pulling out his notebook without thinking. “That’s not standard lighting. It’s regulated, like a containment field.” Bakugo clicked his teeth. “Don’t need a damn essay. Let’s move.” They crept forward, using the pallets for cover. The cold bit through Deku’s patrol jacket, and he could see his breath misting. Bakugo’s palms crackled with faint sparks, ready to ignite. The blue glow intensified as they reached the steel door. Through the gap, Deku could see a small room, almost like a laboratory. In the center, a metal table held a glass cylinder filled with swirling violet energy—a stolen quirk. Next to it, a computer terminal displayed waveforms and data logs. “There,” Deku breathed. “That’s it. One of the stolen quirks.” Bakugo shoved the door open wider, stepping inside. The room was cold, the air humming with the contained power. “One quirk? The ring’s got more. This is just a stash house.” Deku moved to the terminal, fingers hovering over the keyboard. “I can try to pull the data. See where they’re taking them.” Before he could type, a clang echoed from the loading bay behind them. Heavy footsteps. Voices. “—check the new shipment. The boss wants it moved by midnight.” Deku froze. Bakugo’s eyes locked with his. No time to call for backup. Bakugo jerked his head toward a shadowed corner behind a shelving unit. They slid into the darkness just as two men entered—one tall with a reptilian quirk, scales glinting under the light, the other short and wiry, a device attached to his wrist that crackled with electricity. “Is that the volatility enhancer?” the reptilian asked, nodding at the cylinder. “Yeah. Stole it from a support course kid at Ketsubutsu. Volatile as hell—boss wants it stabilized before transport.” The wiry man approached the terminal, typing. Deku’s heart pounded. If they accessed the logs, they’d see his attempted login. He had to act. He tapped Bakugo’s arm and mimed a plan: he’d create a distraction by shoving a nearby stack of crates, and while the men turned, Bakugo would disable them silently. Bakugo gave a curt nod. No words needed. Deku counted to three, then lunged, shoving the pallet. Crates crashed to the floor, and the men spun. The electric quirk user started raising his arm, but Bakugo was already airborne, a tiny controlled explosion launching him forward. His palm connected with the reptilian’s jaw—a precise blast, not lethal but enough to send him crumpling. The wiry man managed to fire a bolt of lightning, but it missed Bakugo and struck the shelving unit, sending sparks showering. Deku charged, using One For All at five percent to close the distance. He grabbed the man’s wrist, twisted, and slammed it against the wall. The device crackled and died. The man gasped, then went limp as Deku applied a pressure point. Silence. The blue glow from the cylinder pulsed steadily. Bakugo wiped a smear of blood from his lip. “That was too close. We need to call Eraserhead. Now.” Deku nodded, pulling out his communicator. But as he raised it to his mouth, a new sound cut through—a deep hum, coming from beneath their feet. The floor vibrated. The violet quirk in the cylinder flared bright, then stabilized. “What the hell was that?” Bakugo growled. Deku looked at the computer terminal. The screen had changed, displaying a single line: > Containment breach imminent. Evacuate facility in 5 minutes. “They rigged it,” Deku said, voice tight. “If we don’t get that quirk out safely, the whole building could go up.” Bakugo stared at the cylinder. “Then we carry it. Now.” He grabbed the metal clamps on the cylinder’s base, and Deku took the other side. Together, they lifted the heavy glass case. The emergency lights flickered once, twice, then died. Red strobes began to flash, and a distant alarm wailed. They ran.