Chapter Text
It’s a bloody, fiery scene.
People running amok as his warriors are finally getting a taste of vengeance, wreaking havoc on the pirate settlement.
After weeks of tracking and planning, Bakugou and his men had finally found the whereabouts of the pirates that had the nerve to go into his waters; pillaging, looting, raping, and murdering - they had hurt one too many of his port towns.
Now, as he breathed in the smoke and iron, he had a maniacal grin stretched wide across his face. He took in the scene as these low lives finally got what they deserved.
Above, Kirishima was in his dragon form, setting the wooden cabins alight with flames hot enough to melt metal. On ground, the pirates were being dragged out if they hadn’t already tried to run, to be beaten and tortured, just as they’d done to his, and possibly to many other groups.
These pirates had no mercy; stealing and looting their way through life.
Bakugou had had enough of their streak, and teamed up with the Todoroki kingdom to finally bring them down. They had sat around long enough, letting a decade fly by as their parents had failed to capture these villains. Now, as the half white and white red prince commandeered the waters before they could take off on their giant ships, Bakugou’s group was responsible for the land.
The heat was starting to become unbearable for the average human, but as a dragonborn, he had no issue, simply wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He let out a few smaller explosions from the palm of his hand, burning off some of the excess nitroglycerin.
He stalked forward, his armor thick and heavy, claw and fanged chains dangling from his neck. There was violence all around him, and he fucking loved it.
He took in the beauty, the glory - just as he deserved.
In all the screams and bloodshed, he found ultimate peace within himself.
He wanted this moment to last before, but the gods themselves always had to throw something his way.
Kaminari, one of his best friends and better fighters, came running with an unreadable expression on his face. He was shouting the name of the dragonborn prince, full title and everything - something that he doesn’t do unless they’re in the presence of other kingdoms, or in dire situations.
“What?” Bakugou’s red eyes snapped to the electric blonde. He could see the watts sparking off of him, a foreboding reaction coming from such a happy man.
“W-we,” he gestured backwards from the direction he had just come from. “Girl- locked up! I-In the leader’s quarters. I-I, we didn’t- you gotta see this!”
Narrowing his eyes, Bakugou didn’t even bother trying to get more information out of him. He was clearly too spooked to speak properly. He motioned with his hand, letting Kaminari lead the way, and the two ran off.
They passed through several houses, dozens of bodies laying on the ground, through more fights and weapons, until they reached a larger cabin that he presumed to be the pirate king’s temporary home. To avoid getting caught, the pirates preferred to move from settlement to settlement when they weren’t out on the seas.
He stepped on a few lifeless bodies, making his way over to the entryway where the door had already been ripped off.
The house was dark and damp, almost smelling like a cave with mold. Food and piles of treasures lay all around. There was a large bed with two dead women laying on them, one of them looking like she’d been flung across, her neck twisted in a strange angle.
“Over here!”
Kaminari takes him back around a wall, a rather skinny opening that could have been created for a servant’s quarters. This area is smaller, not furnished, aside from a single metal cage at the end of the narrow room. Bakugou grows confused, eyes squinting into the dark, but Kaminari helps him, setting a low voltage that allows him to light up the area.
Behind the metal bars, he spots a body, crouched in the corner.
He slowly walks closer, eyes growing wider as they trail up your naked form, skin littered with bruises and patches of bloody scales. He can tell from how patchy they are, that they must’ve been forcibly ripped off.
You’re shivering, breathing heavily with eyes blacked out at the sight of them. You scramble up against the wall, but you’re unable to properly move because of the heavy muzzle strapped to your face and the handcuffs that chain you to the walls.
“She’s… I mean, she is, isn’t she?” Kaminari’s head swivels back and forth between his best friend and you. “She’s got the scales. I don’t know how she got here but-”
“Those fuckers,” Bakugou exhales.
All he sees is red. In your bruises, blood, fear, and restraints.
He can’t believe that the pirates had gone around behind his back, kidnapped one of his kind, and kept you here like a pet. His nails dig so hard into his palms, they’re spilling blood.
“GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!”
He needs to release; so he lets out multiple explosions that ring out into the night, louder than any of the screams or battles that are happening. They’re great enough to bring down the wooden house, catch the attention of everybody nearby, and even alarm Kirishima who swoops down, blending into his human form as he’s barreling in to check on his lover.
Bakugou’s screaming his throat hoarse, piling on the curses and threats to the damned pirates that had the audacity to do such a horrid thing.
Kirishima can only watch, frozen in place as he takes in the scene. He could stop the blonde if he wanted to (he’s the only person that ever could), but he allows him the time. At first, he’d assumed Bakugou or one of their friends had gotten hurt, but when he doesn’t see any imminent danger, he just stops in his steps, a few feet away, ready to help when asked to.
Because in these situations, Bakugou, the crowned prince of the dragonborns, has ultimate say.
“Kill them!” Bakugou roars, eyes pitched black with rage. “Kill all the fucking pirates, damn it! I don’t fucking care about no hostages. Give them hell!”
Those who were in vicinity of the order yelled their battle cries and set out with a new fervor, one to match their bloodthirsty leader’s wrath.
“Bakugou, what’s going-”
“Kirishima,” Bakugou doesn’t even bother turning to look at him. “Open your fucking eyes and see what those pigs did.”
Kirishima follows the outstretched hand, pointing to the metal cage that had managed to withstand the explosions. Amidst all the rubble, he finally sees your tiny naked body.
It takes him a moment, wondering why his mate had been so distraught over a slave, but then the mottled fragments of scales and scabs are visible.
Kirishima lets out a breath. It feels like the Todoroki prince had just shot him with some of his ice.
“No, god no…” He breathes. He stumbles forward, face on the verge of breaking down as his hands cling onto the metal bars, and he unabashedly looks right at you. The muzzle on your face must be keeping you from speaking, but the way you’re trembling tells him enough. “But- how?”
“Those insolent little shits must’ve kidnapped her when they ransacked one of our villages.”
“No…” Kirishima had such a pained expression on his face. He wanted you to hear how anguished and sorry he was, but you didn’t capture any of it, too swept up in fear - possibly from days or months or years of being captured.
“What do you want us to do?” Kaminari asks quietly. “We could ask Tetsutetsu to move the entire cage to the ship? There should be room on Sero’s.”
Bakugou contemplates the move. Ideally, yes that is the safest way. You need immediate medical attention, but he’s not sure of how you’d react if they were to remove the restraints.
“We’re not moving her like a pet!” Kirishima snarls, catching both blondes off guard. Kaminari visibly jumps more than Bakugou who just raises an eyebrow.
“Kirishima, she could be sick. We can’t just-”
“No!” He shouts once more, head hanging as tears begin to fall. “We’re breaking her out.”
“But-”
“Let ‘im do it, Kami,” Bakugou crosses his arms. He stares at his broad back. “Go ahead, Red. Go in and get her.”
That’s all Kirishima needs. His muscles tighten as his hands harden, prying open the metal bars wide until he can fit in. The metal creaks with his strength, and you kick your legs even more as you try to scramble and escape.
Kirishima steps right in, eyes softening at the poor sight of you.
“Hey…” He crouches down, trying to make himself seem less intimidating. He knows how his big stature can be to most. “We won’t hurt you, I promise.” He extends an arm out, hoping you grasp the similar red scales he’s got on himself. “We’re just like you.”
The words don’t seem to work. You’re not listening to any of it, resorting to folding yourself up in the corner of the cage. Your arm that’s attached to that side is able to slip out from the bars, but the rest of you, and the restraints, can’t get out.
“Come on, little pebble,” Kirishima says softly, slowly making his way closer. He’s worried that you might black out, but maybe that would be better - he could just carry you to the ship, get you in something warm, and try to coax you to relax when you’re awake.
Several attempts until he’s right in front of you, brows pinched together and wondering why you’re not responding at all to any of his words. Do you not speak the same language? Can you not hear him?
“How about we get this off?” He says gently. His hands come up to the side of your face. Luckily, you don’t try to shake him off as he slips his fingers to the bindings. They’re so tight, he can’t even wiggle a finger in; his heart hurts at how much pain you must be in. As he’s finally got his hands on you, Bakugou’s crept into the cage as well, just keeping a wary eye to make sure you don’t accidentally freak out or attack his mate.
At last, he’s able to pry the metal gear off. The portion that’d been crammed into your mouth comes out with some spit and blood. Your tiny face has got deep marks from where it’d been cutting into your face.
“There, that’s better, right?” Kirishima tries again. You’re staring at him with wide eyes. Something about how dark they are is enticing. He swears he could almost see something twinkling back at him. “Okay, I’m going to help you get these off, alright?” He grabs hold of your forearms. “Please, please, please. Whatever you do; do not hurt me, okay? I’m trying to help you. We’re going to get you out of here, little pebble.”
The handcuffs are harder to take off. He actually has to pry them open, and he feels sorry in doing so because it forces him to touch on your raw skin and scales that seem to be marred from the metal. As soon as he gets the first one off though, your hand snaps back against your body. It’s such a quick movement, he has to blink. Even behind him, Bakugou’s raising an eye at the movement; but he lets it go. It seems you’re more on self-preservation right now, not looking to attack or fight.
His hand comes down to grip his sword as the last restraint is removed. Aside from your trembling and return of your sore arm to your body though, you don’t leap or move like one would expect. You’re just staring back at them with such fear.
“My name’s Kirishima Eijirou,” he plants a hand on his chest. “And this is Bakugou Katsuki, the crowned prince of the dragonborns. We’re just like you. I’m sure we came from the same lands.”
No response.
“We’re going to get you back home, okay?” He tries again. “Can you get up, sweetheart? We’ve got boats. We just need to get you to the boat, and then you can rest. You can rest the whole way there and none of us will bother you. And we’ll get you home, figure out what village you’re from, uh, yeah - you’ll be back with family. How does that sound?”
Nothing he says seems to come across. He frowns, hands reaching out for a more direct approach, but then you’re darting around him and Bakugou. A black mass, you escape out of the cage, hobbling and struggling with the sleek, slender, dark dragon form that leaves the two of them gaping.
Outside, Kaminari tries to stop you. He gets in front, arms outstretched with a nervous look on his face. He’s never seen a dragon like you before, and he’s not sure of what elements you may have under your belt.
“Wh-what the hell?!” He exclaims. He wants to look to his friends for directions, but he’s too scared to look away from you. “A full shapeshifter?!”
“Not just any shapeshifter,” Kirishima exhales. “A NightTail.”
Bakugou can’t lose this opportunity. He’s ducking out from under the cage, skidding to a stop with his teeth bared as he approaches you. The action is enough to keep you frozen in your spot.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been away from dragonborns for too long, hierarchy will always be in your blood. He lets out a nasty snarl, and it’s all he needs to do before you’re popping back into your human form, hands clenched into the dirt as you cower at him.
“Easy,” he narrows his eyes and crouches down on the balls of his feet. His clothes and armor clank, and just as you’re about to transform again, he forcefully grabs the back of your head, fingers digging into your grimey hair. He tilts his head to the side, exposing the scent glands on his neck and shoves you right into it.
He’s not worried about you biting or hurting him.
At first, you try to push away but then you’re inhaling his pheromones. Being out here, and with no claiming scars on your neck, you’ve got to be unmated. He uses this intimate gesture to his advantage, calming you down until you’re a dozy pile of softness. “There we go,” he looks over to check on his mate, who surprisingly is not as upset as Bakugou thought he’d be. That move is normally something you reserve for your mate. “Tch,” he rolls his eyes and moves to scoop your tiny body in his arms.
Your hands come up, in search of that scent and feeling once more. “Alright, alright, can’t get drunk off me now,” he grunts. “Red, you take her back.”
“C’mere pebble,” he coos as you’re passed into his arms. “How about a little dose of me instead, huh?”
He ignores how dirty you are and rubs his nose into your cheek. Through all the sweat and dust, he recognizes for the first time just how sweet you are. He pauses, pupils dilating at the phenomenon. His jaw drops open, and he’s looking back at Bakugou like he’s discovered a flying pig.
“Ei, no.”
Kirishima shifts you better so you can get closer to his shoulder. “Katsuki, we gotta.”
“We just found her.” Bakugou groans, hands coming to slap over his face. He should’ve known this would happen. When he’d pulled you close into him, he’d detected your scent and knew something was special, but he decided to ignore it due to the very horrible circumstances. “She’s been tortured and traumatized for who knows how long. We are not claiming her.”
“Okay, how about after?”
“She’s a fucking NightTail! We don’t even know what the council will want to do! What if she’s the last of her kind?”
“Well, then we gotta find her a mate and get her knocked up, right?” You’re blissfully unaware of the entire conversation, fast asleep now in the comfort of the gentle giant’s arms. “Gotta start soon if we want more little NightTails running around the country and-”
“Will you just shut the fuck up and get her back to the ship?” Bakugou snaps, pointing over to Kaminari’s direction. “Take Dunce Face with you. I’ll clean up here.”
“Right, sure,” Kirishima nods. Now that Bakugou’s back to the ridiculous nicknames, that means things are cooler now. “I’ll bring her to our quarters.”
“No! Take her to Tape Face’s ship! They have room!” Bakugou calls out, knowing fully well that his partner is just going to ignore him.