Katsuki felt odd. He woke up in the dorms with a sudden tick in the back of his head warning him that today was not going to be good. He saw the signs as the school day passed, nothing was out of the ordinary but as he lingered about the buildings going through the daily grind to become a hero, there was a primal chill keeping him on edge. His classmates noticed the tenseness in his body and tried to address it but none of them could figure out why such a dreadful feeling overcame him. It was as if an otherworldly spector had latched onto his soul. Being the stubborn bastard that he usually acted like however, he pushed the emotion down and tried in vain to focus on his studies. A slip of fear caused him to jolt up when the final bell rang, surprising him with the sudden eruption of noise in the quiet classroom. This little charade made Katsuki blush ever so slightly when he noticed Shitty Hair and Squid Boy poking fun at him.
That became the least of his problems when he got back to the dorms. Round Face had texted him saying that she was at her parents house and needed his help with something, which brought back that chill in his bones for a reason he couldn't place. She had spent a night at her parent's place with Midnight acting as her bodyguard but despite Nezu allowing her to return home, Katsuki still felt uneasy about letting any of these extras get out of his sight after what happened to Deku. This time it bore a tremor in his body as he tried to steady himself to go. Thankfully his classmates agreed to roll deep with him to make damn sure those villainous motherfuckers didn't stand a chance.
Shitty Hair, Icyhot, Pony Tail and Four Eyes traveled with him to the place she wanted to meet up at and he was tense the entire time. It was a public center outside a small local mall that was a few blocks from her house, plenty of witnesses if things go down and enough cameras dotting the walls to record any crimes but Katsuki still didn't relax. Round Face was sitting by a bench in the center of the crowd with three bags worth of food stuff, rice being the most prominent out of the bunch. She waved a hand at them as they walked over to her, the bags dragging her arms down by the weight of the items inside.
"Hey guys, sorry to call on my day off but I saw this huge deal on veggies that I couldn't miss. Which means I may have bought more than I can carry by myself. So I figured we can catch up on the way."
There was a twinge in her voice when she spoke, one that sounded almost too high pitched but Katsuki ignored it when the conversation began.
"So remind me, what's our latest lead with finding Deku?"
The sudden announcement of the one topic they never spoke of outside of a now weekly meeting that brought out the most dedicated parts of the heroes in training earned Uraraka a glare from her peers. Momo abided by her request despite the admittedly strange behavior.
"We've eliminated thirteen wards out of the remaining twenty and given how the League would try to stay away from a location with too much crime in order to avoid any hero or law enforcement, leaving us with either Kamino or Hakata but even then villains never linger too long in one place."
An enthusiastic nod was Round Face's only response before she started talking about random things without noticing the glare Four Eyes was giving her from the back of the group.
"Ochaco, if I may ask, why hasn't Midnight accompanied you here? Principal Nezu gave us strict orders to never go anywhere alone when in public, and yet here you are."
Everyone turned to face the pink cheeked girl, suspicion now firmly rooted in their eyes. Uraraka shrugged at the unspoken accusations as if none of it mattered to her.
"My parents wouldn't stop chatting with her and this deal ended at four so I took the initiative and got what I needed to get."
The five students shifted their gaze to each other, something wasn't right about this.
"Well if that's the case then it wouldn't be a problem to let us pay them a visit, right?"
Momo asked with a strain on her voice as she tried to not over react.
"Sure I'll bring ya to them if that's what you want."
Uraraka said nonchalantly as she struggled to carry the bags of food. Katsuki and the rest went along with their classmate's route but he quickly noticed something as they passed buildings and crowds that didn't belong with the suburban apartments her family lived in. They were being led deeper into the city.
"Hey Round Face where the fuck are you taking us? We passed your parent's place three blocks ago."
Uraraka turned back to the now beleaguered group of heroes and clasped her hands together apologicly.
"Oh darn you're right Bakugou, my bad it's just been a while since I went this way and forgot to take a right a few streets back."
Katsuki eyed her hands as a crowd of people began to go pass them in a mob of bodies that bumped and shoved as it went.
Why wasn't she floating?
Suddenly he lurched forward when she grabbed his wrist and pulled him deeper into the mob when it reached the height of disorder as thousands of heads bobbed to and fro. The groceries were left splayed over the asphalt as she took him across the street, her nails digging into his skin with uncomfortable pressure. Katsuki was too disorientated from what just happened to act. He may have been able to blast himself back to his classmates or pull away, but his mind was still trying to understand what to do in the few seconds it took Uraraka to lead him into one way dead end behind the buildings. He eventually did regain his footing and yanked himself free.
"What the hell Pink Cheeks!?"
Katsuki stepped away with his quirk popping in small, rapid explosions as he saw his fellow hero in training turn to face him. He flinched when Uraraka's expression transformed from the lively, friendly comfort she always radiated into a blank slate free of any emotion. A sharp sensation attacked his neck in a flash of motion as Uraraka moved with her arm pulled back. That was the last thing he knew before the world turned black.
Pain came first with every wheezing breath his body made. Then something cold constricting his chest as he tried to wake up. He felt heavy weights on his arms that he couldn't lift, and heard voices whispered around him as he stirred.
"Goddamn it, you should have stopped her."
The first voice was followed by one that sounded raspy and deep, like the person talking wasn't used to it.
"I had no idea that she'd do this, I didn't even know she planned it out."
A nasally tone interrupted the two verbal combatants with it's own distinct outrage.
"It doesn't fucking matter, right now we need to make su-"
A forth voice cut in, deep and powerful danger coming from every word despite the underwhelmingly high pitch it had.
"Silence, he's awakening."
Dim lights confronted Katsuki as his eyes slowly opened. The glow was all he could see while a headache left him unable to identify anything. Then all at once his mind cleared to where he was. A bar room scented with coffee, alcohol and what had to be blood encompassed this new location. Katsuki felt his heart stop for a moment when he saw the other occupants of this hole in the wall. Villains surrounded him on every side, staring silently at him with a mixture of contempt and annoyance but he felt a seething flood of murderous rage as he zeroed in on the person sitting only a few feet away on a bar stool.
It was Shigaraki.
A tremor coursed through him, eroding any confusion away in the sea of red that overtook his vision. He lunged towards the villain intent on delivering the justice that made up his nightly oath to redeem himself, but something held him in place. Katsuki continued to reach the man who dared to harm his oldest friend despite the chill of the steel chains and the heft of the concrete blocks around his arms keeping him still, save for a bit of thrashing. If the violent act had any effect on the red eyed criminal it remained to be seen as Shigaraki stared back apathetically in the face of his captive's attempts to break free.
Footsteps came from up above the stairs to the side of the lobby that stole Katsuki's attention when the reason for the comotion moved down to meet those assembled below. What came to greet him was the one thing that could have stopped his rampage by the sheer shock it caused him. Deku was standing at the base of the steps with the cat fanged villainess covering his eyes with her hands.
"Ok Izu-kun, are you ready for your surprise?"
Izuku seemed unafraid or ashamed by the proximity of the murderous blonde, his arms crossed in mild annoyance.
"Fine Himiko, show this big surprise you keep talking about."
A broad smile split the girl's face in half as she slowly removed her hands from Izuku's face and exposed the room to the green haired youth. Katsuki froze when Izuku met his gaze while the same expression of all consuming shock filled the emerald orbs looking back at him. Time ceased to exist in the few eternity spanning seconds that passed between them until Izuku turned away, his body alight with a visible rage that bubbled below the surface of his skin. The villainess flinched under the tempered emotion sent her way as Izuku gestured to the stairs with a single finger stretched to the top.
"Get my suit, now."
The words had a weight to them that Katsuki couldn't place, but evidently the villains did as they turned their gaze from the now enraged Izuku. All save for Shigaraki who evenly met the anger directed towards him. A tension formed in the air that only grew as the dispossessed student approached with his hand resting upon a partially corroded pipe chained to his hip.
"Did you-"
Not a second passed before Shigaraki responded stoically and without any of the whining or childish antics that usually colored his behavior.
"No, I had nothing to do with this and if you don't believe me then consider why would I bring a UA student here, a former classmate of yours no less, when we have more than enough places to hide this asshole far away from you or any other prying eyes."
Katsuki watched in amazement as this two bit villain who couldn't keep his temper in check created an actual argument and somehow lessen the blatant anger on Izuku's face because of it. Yet the emotion was still there in smaller degrees as he clenched and unclenched the pipe on his waist while he spoke.
"Then I don't give a fuck, just tell me why he's here and what the hell the reason behind this was."
The blonde remained next to Izuku, silent to the show taking root in front of her while remaining as motionless and unbreathing as a statue until her voice chipped against the thick wall of tension.
"I...I brought him here so that you can finally get over all the bullshit he put you through and move forward without having him or any of those other fakes holding you back."
A moment passed with Izuku staring back at the girl, his eyes no longer harboring the white hot fire they once did. He inhaled for a brief second before putting a hand on her shoulder.
"...Himiko, please get my suit. I need to...talk to Kacchan in private."
Her eyes shined at the statement with something that may have been idolization if it wasn't for the way her lips parted to reveal the fangs underneath in a horrifying display of savagery dancing alone a razor thin line of self control as she continued to gaze up at Izuku like he was something out of a myth while stealing glances to the bound Katsuki, the eagerness for violence becoming more apparent in the way she made him sweat instinctually every time they made eye contact. For all the seeming normality of this girl there was clearly something very wrong with her the longer he looked into those golden pits that wanted nothing more than to see him ripped apart.
He held in a sigh of relief when that demon girl hurried up the stairs and away from him. Katsuki moved his sight back toward Izuku, who had shifted himself across the bar and situated himself right next to Shigaraki, no fear or hesitation lingered in his actions as he was less than an arm's length away from the villain that could reduce him into nothing but dust with a wave of his hand. The room was silent while the two childhood friends stared at one another, none of the criminals moved to intervene or speak during this battle of wills. Izuku locked his vision on Katsuki while the prisoner did the same, neither of them saying a word as the gravity of this event hit home. No one knew for certain much time had passed before the first word was said but inevitably the force keeping them in place broke when Izuku turned to the assembled horde of villains.
"Who has the keys?"
The single, relatively innocent question brought a collective dismay upon the group as the reptilian mutant reluctantly pulled a pair of small steel keys from his pocket, intent on avoiding Izuku's gaze in what Katsuki would have believed to be fear? Yet the manner in which his head was held low dictated something else, was it shame? How was it that these creatures seemed to be acting out of...such unusual emotions for those so violent and bloodthirsty towards Deku of all people? A flash of light reflected off the small object when Izuku daggled the only thing which could free his classmate from his confines in front of the bound and gagged Katsuki.
"I'm going to let you out of this shitty bondage chair but Kacchan, please listen to me when I say this, do not act like a fool once you can stand up because I can say from experience that this isn't a place where you just get a slap on the wrist for causing trouble. Do you understand?"
Katsuki slowly nodded as the chains dug deeper into his flesh. Pain played along his limbs once blood flowed back in full force to his arms and legs when Izuku removed the constraints. He moved a hand to his face and flexed his fingers, pleased to see that everything still functioned properly. Emotions began to swirl around like a storm while he looked back at Izuku's scarred visage. Freed from the chains that held him back, Katsuki allowed his hands to ball into tight, rugged fists and let his urges take control. Nothing felt quite as satisfying as when his knuckles connected to Deku's jaw, sending the former hero reeling back a few steps with blood seeping from his now rattled teeth but to his surprise his attack did little, if anything to him.
Deku merely stood back to his feet, ran a thumb over the bleeding part of his lip and tasted it. Katsuki suppressed a shudder of disgust when he noticed the excitement in Izuku's eyes as he smiled with red stained teeth. It was almost like the sight of his own blood brought a deep joy to the once innocent hero.
"Glad to see you still have that famous right hook Kacchan."
Sounds played out behind him, causing Katsuki to turn around to see the villains baring weapons and quirks in his direction. His heart slowed when he saw a gun pointed at his chest while the lizard pulled a sword free and the fucked up looking one's hands were aflame with blue fire.
"Izuku, do you mind if we save you the trouble and just kill this pest?"
The short one dressed in military fatigues with a strange helmet spoke out with a pistol in his hand, seeming intent on using it by the barely controlled hate in his voice. Izuku stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Katsuki's neck grinning like this was a normal occurrence.
"Come on Mustard, give Kacchan a little slack. Getting kidnapped is stressful enough, we don't need to complicate things by threatening to shoot him. So do me a favor and put away your iron before things get out of hand."
The one called Mustard obeyed reluctantly while grumbling under his breath but the other two were far less cooperative.
"You can't be fucking serious! This is the same fake that tormented you since you were four years old and you're just going to let him walk after everything he did to you!? I can't allow someone who spits in the face of everything we stand for to live, especially after he had the audacity to punch you in the fucking face when you freed him!"
Izuku shot a look at the disfigured villain that caused the taller man to slightly lower his arms.
"Ok Dabi, you can kill him as soon as we get to handling that "other" asshole that we keep talking about but never do anything to stop."
Whatever and whoever was the topic of this proposal made the fire user grind his teeth before extinguishing his quirk, disregarding the concern thrown his way by the other criminals as he moved to the back of the room with his gaze still fixed on Katsuki. The mutant was the final one defiante to Izuku's request, his human eyes burning with contempt both personal and professional. He took a step to the pair with light gleaming off the edge of his well used katana that was leveled at the blond's throat.
"This wretch is the example of everything wrong with this backwards culture and yet you stand there asking me to step aside when the time to strike is upon us? Izuku, I'm sorry but I must end the life of this fake or my honor as a man will be forever lost. Now please move before I end up hurting you in the process."
The sword was pressed below Katsuki's windpipe at alarming speed with the mutant moving faster then he could react. Blood trickled down his neck as his eyes grew to the size of saucers when the sharp kiss of steel pierced the skin. The first thought that came to him was that he died, but he looked down at his neck and saw a sight he wouldn't have considered possible unless he witnessed it first hand. Deku's hand was wrapped around the blade with blood dripping between his fingers while he kept an arm on Katsuki's neck. The mutant glared at the green haired teen in obvious annoyance, not even shocked by Izuku's inhuman reflexes.
"Spinner, I know how much your ideals matter to you but I'm asking that you trust me here."
Katsuki watched in horror as Izuku released the monster's sword despite the still apparent desire to strike him down. However the mutant maintained a civility that made the explosive hero uneasy with the sudden shift in tone between Deku and this thing while blood freely dripped from both the cut hand and the weapon.
"I do trust you, but this sham is beyond any redemption after reaping the rewards granted to him in spite of the fact that he dared to torment another human being for the sin of simply being born different then himself. This man is a fake and I shall not allow the weak to suffer under his boot heels while I have the power to prevent it."
Izuku sighed as he gestured to the captive in his arms.
"I know Kacchan is...difficult to get along with but I planned for this day, granted I didn't expect for it to come out of nowhere. Spinner you're correct when you say he's a sham and everything else yet let me remind you that the only reason I'm standing here is because people can change."
The Mutant's fury dimmed with his sword falling to his side, blood trailing on the edge before dripping off the well maintained tip of the weapon. However the villain was not quite done speaking.
"...That is true...people can change for the better, but only if there is goodness slumbering in their souls. This mockery of the human spirit is little more than a husk surviving off of ego and narcissism that even someone as amazing as yourself could not bring out any kindness or virtue. Izuku, I despise this man with all my being and my only wish is to see him dead by my hands so that none may suffer as you have in the past, but I shall withhold my vengeance for your sake, however-"
Spinner walked to Katsuki until they were inches apart with murder lurking below his eyes, the height of the lizard towered over the teen while his still wet sword was held in a relaxed yet firm grip as he leaned in close, maintaining direct eye contact with the fake so that his words could not be misunderstood.
"If this bastard lays a finger on you or anyone else here, I shall personally run him through until he is little more than a mewling animal begging for death as his intestines leak out from his stomach."
Katsuki felt his bowels threaten to give way as he gazed back at this monster who meant everything he said. Izuku smiled at his now silently angry comrade as the blood was wiped off Spinner's sword and sheathed before he lifted his now lightly bleeding hand above his head to allow some of the blood to land in his mouth.
"Thanks Spinner, you won't regret this. I can swear to you on that."
The sound of shoes smacking against hardwood filled in the silence left by the latest confrontation as Himiko returned with a plethora of items in her arms. She turned to survey the area and dropped the assorted things on the floor when she saw Izuku's condition, paying no mind to the gear she brought or the crowd around her as she all but ran over to him. She placed a hand on the side of his face gazing at the damage in legitimate fear while slowly caressing the bruised skin. Her eyes were filled with worry as Izuku gently grabbed her wrist, then as if on a switch her caring visage transformed into a mask of pure murderous intention that made Spinner's oath seem childish once she locked her vision on Katsuki.
He tried to step away from this girl as her soul became full of hateful malice but Izuku still held him hostage by the hidden strength of his upper body. The only thing which saved him was a single hand placed on the top of her ordered mess of a hairdo while her partner smiled warmly at the show of protective anger.
"Easy now Golden Eyes, don't you remember that you brought kacchan here so I could handle him? I know he's being an ass right now but if I recall correctly you and me didn't get off to the best start either when we first met, so I guess he gets a pass for slugging me after we kidnapped him and all."
Himiko stared back with her gaze still harbored much of the cold murderlust as she spoke.
"If he just hit you, then how in the hell did your hand get sliced open?"
Izuku shrugged at the danger in his sidekick's voice.
"Spinner overstepped and tried to shank him, so I put a stop to that."
Himiko's gaze softened slightly once she shifted to the lizard who uncharacteristically held her gaze and allowed the contempt to show as he tried to burn a hole through the back of the teen's skull with his anger alone, completely disregarding the normally terrifying girl for the silently sweating hero.
Izuku moved from his old friend to recover his gear, erasing Katsuki's fear when he took off the black shirt concealing his torso. Scars, bruises and bite marks made up the once healthy skin of the green eyed hero to be. Yet the shock only grew when he saw what Izuku strapped to his chest.
It was a revolver.
Why did Deku have a gun? What the fuck was going on, why the fuck was he here, what did they plan to do with him? Katsuki clutched at his chest when he felt something constrict around his heart, it wouldn't stop beating out of control and he started breathing rapidly but no matter how much air he took in his heart still threatened to burst and his lungs still felt empty. He started breathing heavier and heavier until his legs gave way and he fell to the floor, hand still to his chest.
The world shrank to a blurry pin hole while he fought to breathe. Nothing he did stopped the onslaught against his being until he felt something rough brush across his cheeks.
"It's ok Kacchan, I'm here for you, just breathe alright?"
He tried to mutter something but all he could focus on were the emerald eyes looking back in pure kindness as what may have been death clawed at his psyche. Katsuki did as he was told and eventually the paralysis left him to fully take in what he saw. Deku was dressed in a black trench coat that partially concealed his body, save for the black plate of steel peeking out from the opened portion of the garment while metal plated gloves covered his hands. Yet all that pale in comparison to what rested below the young man's chin.
A golden mask inlaid with curving red fang contorted into an uncanny smile that went from ear to ear dangled from Izuku's neck as he reached out and helped Katsuki to his feet. A portal appeared at the end of the bar once the hero regained his senses but when Izuku moved towards it Shigaraki stood from his seat, the same apathetic expression resting on his bare face.
"Before you wander off with this...guest of ours, I need to have a talk in private with him."
Izuku raised an eyebrow at his expressionless superior while stepping between Katsuki and him.
"He's in no shape to deal with more stress and I know damn well that whatever you wanna chat about isn't going to help."
Shigaraki kept his red eyes on Izuku, unreadable to anyone as he spoke.
"I need to set some things straight before you get started on this little solo quest, but I give you my word that we won't hurt him."
Izuku remained as he was, not moving an inch from Katsuki while gauging what the older villain said. Shigaraki saw this hesitation and cut into the screaming silence.
"I'm asking a lot but it will only take a few minutes at most, besides Izuku if I wanted this little mob dead you know he wouldn't be standing there shitting himself right now."
Green met decaying red in a speechless conversation while Izuku stole a glance back to his guest, when a shadow detached itself from the furthest corner of the room. Black leather glided across the distance with all the sound of the dead when the giant finally made his way to the three young men. Katsuki's jaw clenched at the abomination standing in front of him. It was the freaky villain he and Bird Boy fought back at the training camp, only this time it's arms were unbound in that creepy fetish suit and he could see the pitch black of the monster's eyes.
The gimp wasn't looking at him however, instead it was fixated on Deku who looked disturbingly...relieved by the villain's presence.
"I shall watch over him in your stead Izuku, he'll be fine with me."
Disgust nested in Katsuki's stomach when he noticed how Deku smiled at this...thing like it was a friend. His disgust grew when he saw the villain return the gesture with the hooks in its jaws exaggerating the expression into a genuinely terrifying sight as the gums peeled away to show the crooked, yellow teeth under the pale skin. Something was going on between these two and Katsuki knew it wasn't good in any shape or form.
A second voice came from the back of the bar to supplement the first. A broad chested villain with thick pink lips stepped forward to apparently shield Katsuki from the cannibal's prying eyes.
"You can count on me to keep this snot nosed brat kicking little bro, you just go off and relax. I'm positive this is going to be a stressful day for everyone, you in particular."
Izuku grinned at the pair of killers warmly before shifting back to Katsuki, then to Shigaraki. Uncertainty still played out on his features as he placed a hand into his coat and pulled something out. It was the revolver. The metal object caught Katsuki's attention immediately when Deku grabbed the barrel of the gun and held out the grip to him. For the first time since getting thrown down this rabbithole into hell Katsuki found his mental faculties when he saw the offer.
A thousand thoughts and ideas drowned him in his own mind but the one thing that pulled him back to the surface was the fact that his beloved, gentle and soft childhood punching bag who wouldn't hurt a fly, just offered him a loaded gun with full intent on him using it if he so wished. Never in his worst nightmares or strangest dreams would he ever imagine the situation happening right now. Katsuki stared at the plastic handle of the pistol, noticing the warped color and finger dents worn into it. This had been used. Many times. Just what the fuck was going on in this place? Did Deku… no, even at his worst Katsuki could never see someone so heroic ending another person's life. It must have been someone else who eventually imprinted on that weapon.
He knew deep down that touching that thing was a bad idea with the strange vibe he got off it. This gun didn't lead to anything pleasant and Katsuki needed no special quirk to understand that. Instead he met Deku's gaze who was practically begging him to take it with the worry on his face and shook his head. Izuku was beyond frightened at this but he still complied with Shigaraki's request and stepped through the portal, leaving his classmate with a horde of killers.
Katsuki opened his palms in preparation of any attacks that came his way. The only thing that occured was Shigaraki openly glaring at him for a few moments until the manchild's raspy voice came forth.
"Look I don't have a lot of time so I'll keep it simple, we're going to let you live on the condition that you leave us the fuck alone."
Katsuki blinked at what he heard, not quite buying into the statement.
"What the fuck? You cunts were the ones who started this whole mess when you broke into our training camp and took one us. By any goddamn metric I have all the rights in the world to blast you villainous fuckers to hell and bring Deku back home."
A twitch started in Shigaraki's eyes that he quickly vanquished by breathing slowly and regaining his composure.
"Yeah I'm telling you right now that it isn't going to play out that way Kacchan."
Katsuki grinned as more sweat covered him, all he needed was a little more…
"Don't call me that you fuck head, I'll tell you exactly what the fuck is going down. I kill you, beat the shit of every freak here and take him home, far away from whatever bullshit you pumped into his brain but not before I make damn sure to make an example of what the hell happens when criminals fuck with good people."
Shigaraki was unfazed by the threat as he came closer to the now overly confident hero, his face still emotionless to the world.
"You're lucky Izuku likes you, otherwise I would have crumbled you for that. Tell you what, if you can land a single hit on me, you can walk right out that door with him and you'll never see us again, deal?"
A feral grin was all Shigaraki received before Katsuki swung at him, letting off a massive blast in the direction his enemy was standing, but he missed. Shigaraki ran low to the left side, avoiding the twenty foot radius of the attack. He pulled the knife strapped to his belt free, a blade no longer then his hand while he took Katsuki down with an iron toed boot to the knee. The two tumbled with Shigaraki landing on top with his knife held in an icepick grip teasing the hero's carotid arteries as sharpened steel nearly opened the skin.
"Game over Kacchan."
The knife was pressed deeply into his neck with Shigaraki regaining some of the aggression that colored his personality as he put a hand on the hero's head and yanked it into the blade by the hair, the leather gloves keeping his quirk from disintegrating the annoying bully.
"I already told you how things were going to play out and this time you're going to listen because otherwise, I'll make damn sure to hurt you in all the ways I can without pissing off that smiling dumbass."
He looked Katsuki in the eye, his weapon tugging against the fragile body in an almost overwhelming hunger to cut the mob open and maybe, just maybe set things right for once instead of making it worse.
"You are going to go with him, listen to whatever he has to say and then leave. By yourself. No death, no fighting, none of that. Just talk to him politely if you can manage that little bit and then you can forget about this like a bad dream, got it?"
The knife shifted to rest right above Katsuki's right eye with Shigaraki glaring murderously at him.
"Now, I can't do shit to you because of my promise to Izuku but if you or any of those cape wearing fuckwits take him from us-"
A thin pressure lingered as the point slowly encroached on his vision.
"I will personally make my mission in life to hunt you down and bring him back, but not before I take your arms, then your legs, your tongue and finally your eyes right as that fucking building you love so much is reduced to little more then dust as I cleanse the world of your rot. Do I make myself clear, Kacchan?"
Confusion and fear consumed the young hero once his opponent released him and returned to his seat. The remaining villains looked on in dark satisfaction when Katsuki stood dumbfounded at the threat.
"Why in the hell would you give a shit about Deku when all he's done is mess up your goddamn plans?"
Shigaraki's face filled with bemusement at the question posed by his guest.
"Simple, he's helped me win this game more times then I can count so it'd be in my best interest to keep him around. That and I rather enjoy watching you heroic fuckers squirm at the thought of what he's done."
Katsuki balled his fists but remained civil as yet another, burning question left his mouth.
"Tell me why you took him, what in the fuck possessed you to take someone like Deku? Was it because of that conversation you two had back at the mall or did you plan this shit out from the start?"
The villain grinned at the anger lingering in the hero's voice as he leaned forward.
"Oh you knew about that? I guess Pink Cheeks remembers me after I left Izuku to consider some things, but to answer your question, no I didn't intend for this to happen. My original plan was to get your sorry ass but I decided to dig into Izuku's bio after our little chat and boy did I see some interesting things. No father, a mom who works all day and a lifetime of abuse that only got better less then a year ago by then. Perfect villain material lurking next to a bunch of dumbasses who never stopped to wonder why he smiled all the time despite breaking his bones on a nearly daily basis. I would have been stupid to not grab him when the chances of him turning away were so slim, especially with that gift he has for understanding quirks saving us a fuck load of trouble."
Katsuki bared his teeth as a vein pulsed on his forehead when the bastard's grin became smug.
"Honestly, I owe this whole thing to you Kacchan because without all the pain you put him through my plan would have died before it even started."
He lunged, fully prepared to end this problem once and for all when a hand pulled him back.
"Hold it baby boy, Izuku wouldn't want you and Handman getting into a brawl so how about you just head on out before things go to a point nobody wants?"
Katsuki snarled at the muscle bound villain but felt the murderous pressure of the room, causing him to silently retreat to the still open rip in reality while never letting Shigaraki out of his sight until darkness swallowed everything. A moment of complete stillness passed before he stepped out in the blindingly bright mid afternoon sun. Deku was stationed by a wall with his expression changing from a bored passivity to a heavy concern the instance he appeared.
"What the hell took so long? I was about to bust back in there to get you."
Birds sang above on the rooftops of the concrete buildings surrounding the winding alleys they stood in. No response came from the blond, only staring at his missing classmate for the brief seconds it took to gather his jumbled thoughts.
"Deku...what the fuck is going on?"
Izuku put a hand on his chin as he recalled the day's events.
"Well, you got knocked out and-"
A small pop came from the hero's hands that cut off the ridiculous words with a sound like firecrackers bouncing off the enclosed walls.
"Not that dipshit, tell me what the fuck happened to you."
Force came from the request that caught the young man off guard.
"You're gonna have to be a lot more specific."
A fist slammed into the wall next to Izuku's head, not fazing him in the slightest despite the rage emanating from his friend.
"Why the fuck did you run from me!? I looked right at you, I offered to help you but all I got was a stupid smile!"
The wall formed a bloody dent where Katsuki's fist retracted away from it, his face now twitching with emotions running free.
"...You all looked so happy and I didn't want to ruin it."
Izuku blocked a slap aimed at him from the blond's heaving body.
"Don't give me that self-pity bullshit! You've been gone for over a year and the first thing you do when a chance to go back to UA is right in front of you is run the fuck away without even saying a word!? Tell me what those fucks did to you, Deku! Tell me what happened so I can fucking help!"
The former hero pursed his lips for a moment before speaking.
"...It's really complicated but…baring all the interpersonal things, the short answer is that...my quirk is gone."
Anger left Katsuki when what was said hit him like a cannon shot. He took a step away from the now ashamed Izuku, who planted his eyes on the hard ground while darting back to his interrogator.
"What...how...how the fuck is that even possible!?"
Izuku did not flinch but an unpleasant pain showed in how he fought the urge to recoil.
"All For One took it the day I got captured. I'm not sure how but ever since then I can't call on it and he… threatened to kill my mom and turn me into a Nomu if I didn't join up. That's one of the reasons I couldn't go back with you Kacchan. I'd be useless as a hero and it'd just endanger everyone at UA if I did."
His hands raised up suddenly to catch a punch thrown directly at him.
"I said don't give me that pity party bullshit! Deku, a quirk doesn't mean shit when you have the balls to get back up after everything this fucked up world slammed down your throat, I know I did some unforgivable things in the past and nothing can ever give you a better childhood but goddamn it I'm going to help you and I'll fight tooth and fucking naill to keep you in that hero course when we get back. All Might can rush your mom somewhere safe then we can take these bastards down together!"
Izuku retained his grip on Katsuki's wrist as his face became disturbingly blank.
"Kacchan...I don't want to go back."
Shock battled rage when the revelation struck him with force.
"Why the fuck would you want to stay with those creeps!? Don't you-"
A hand was held up to his face, cutting him off before his rant could continue.
"Think of it like this, I have a huge amount of sway with them now after gaining their trust and therefore I can direct the League away from hurting innocent people while giving other villains trouble. I can literally fight crime with criminals."
Chain links clanked under Izuku's long coat as he moved to clutch at the corroded pipe on his hip, the light slowly vanishing from him with each gloved finger caressing the instrument in an almost neurotic fashion.
"Besides, I belong with them now, they're my family… I've done too much to go back to that life, Kacchan. Too many evil things have been committed by my hands."
Katsuki watched on, completely unsure of what to do when his classmate's eyes looked a thousand miles away, but thankfully the green idiot snapped out of it by himself.
"How about we just go on a walk for a bit to try and sort this out like reasonable people?"
Once again Izuku made the blond's choice for him by moving away from the scene of what was sure to be the first of many uncomfortable conversations. Katsuki followed down the twisting roads of rotting asphalt and stone, his gaze never leaving the person in the front. Many minutes passed before he recovered from the first verbal engagement between them but he needed to press on and understand the extent of the damage. The idea of asking more about the "evil deeds" was beyond compelling yet the reaction given when they came up made that a very unwise choice to make unless he wished to deal with a muttering stone, which left him with only one nearly as important question.
"What's with the gun, Deku?"
If any surprise or shame came to the somehow quirkless teen, it did not show in how he continued to walk in spite of the hard look thrown his way.
"I needed some protection and I got it, what's wrong with that?"
A twitch attacked Katsuki's brows as he controlled his urge to shout for a better answer.
"I mean why the fuck do you have it and how did you get it?"
Izuku paused, gathering his memories from so long ago while fighting to not chuckle at ancient history.
"Mustard was being an asshole so I beat the shit out of him and took it, granted I gave him a Colt .45 in return when I calmed down."
The casual admittance of something so violent made Katsuki flinch.
"You attacked a villain, stole his gun and nobody had any issue with that?"
Izuku shrugged in response.
"Of course not, who the hell yells at a guy with a loaded gun? They knew I wasn't going to do anything with it since my mom's life was on the line but even still this little pea shooter made me sleep easy."
Relief replaced anger with the passing of Katsuki's fear. Maybe Deku hadn't used the weapon.
"So, you've never shot the damn thing?"
The relaxed posture went rigid and tight at the question. Izuku ceased walking as he clasped the bludgeon compulsively, his fingers running across the metal with his eyes transporting to somewhere Katsuki could only guess. All was quiet save for the chatter of birds and the scurrying of rats. This show of psychosis rendered the once lively boy into little more than a breathing statue for all the time it took to recover from the latest episode of whatever went on inside his head. Eventually sense returned to him, bringing Katsuki to openly worry for his classmate when he continued to walk, completely indifferent to what happened mere moments ago. Building upon building surrounded them down the impossible length of the decrepit backways that stretched on forever like a parallel reality to the normality of the everyday with the glint of hidden eyes both animal and man peeking out from the spaces from within the walls and around corners. Yet in spite of this Izuku marched forward, not paying the dangers heed as they fled from him.
It brought a shiver to Katsuki when he noticed how at home Izuku acted in this place, as if he ruled this little section of hell and it only became worse the further they traveled. Eventually the silence was destroyed when a question was made by the leader of this band of two.
"Hey Kacchan, can I ask you something a little...weird?"
The blond was wary of the way Izuku looked at him but nodded nonetheless.
"Did you get...turned on when you hit me?"
Of all the disturbing things he expected to hear today with all the insanity going on, this was far from one of them. His hands pushed away in an attempt to gain space from the unashamed teen.
"What the fuck is wrong with you!?"
Izuku appeared amused as he grinned mischievously at his friend.
"A lot of things, but I'm serious Kacchan, do you get a kick out of seeing people bruised and bloody? Not that I'm asking to try of course, I'm spoken for and guys aren't my type."
The smile grew as disgust formed on Katsuki's face.
"Don't be like that, I know how good it feels to slam a fist into someone's gut and watch them squirm around trying to catch their breath. It makes you feel so strong but the only thing better is when they fight back and give you what you gave them, and make your body twist in pleasure as the mind tries to focus what feels good to escape the pain, making it so much better with the intensity while your skin gets pierced by their teeth so you bite back, blood filling up your mouth with it's sweet coppery taste until they let go and you both start acting like-"
Mild disgust transformed into horror as the gory retelling of what left Izuku's mouth made vomit bubble up Katsuki's throat, the only saving grace that stopped him from voiding his stomach was Izuku finally realising what he was saying and ceased spouting about his experience with the fairer sex. A mutual silence entered between them as neither dared to make eye contact. So many horrible images bore deeply into the psyche of the boy that it all made too much sense now that he had those awful pictures in his head. The scars, the blood drinking, every little disturbing detail laid out in Deku's speech. That Cat Eyed bitch made him like this and it brought a pure hatred to Katsuki. He knew death was the only thing those animals deserved because prison would just be a waiting block before they escaped to do more harm to innocent people.
He tried to reach for Izuku's jacket to gain some sort of control over the person he vowed to save when suddenly and without warning a wall slammed against his back. Katsuki looked to Izuku, who wore a decidedly more serious expression as he pulled them close to the side of a building while peeking around a corner. It took a moment to realise what the source of the change was, then all at once he saw them. Three rough individuals lingered around what may have been a suitcase with the warped fabric encompassing the bulging interior. Each had a scar in the shape of an x on their left shoulder that was clearly visible as they crowded the container. Motion drew his eye to his right as Izuku pulled his mask up to his face and tightened the straps.
A cold stone set over Katsuki's heart when he saw the pipe clink into place under Deku's wrist as there was a russling on the side of the black trench coat. Something glinted off the sunlight in his hand. It was the revolver.
Time froze for the few seconds it took for the whole world to turn into a nightmare parody of what should have been. He watched Izuku raise the pistol and take aim, then before he could move to stop him an ear splitting BOOM echoed off the canyon of concrete. One of the thugs fell on the suitcase with a finger sized hole blasted into his skull while blood leaked out onto the ground. The two others stared stupidly at the body of their comrade, unsure of what happened for long enough for a heavy pipe to bash into the back of another man's head. The final victim had the muscle memory to pull a blade from his waistband but his attacker went low and drove the hexagonal crown into the fragile kneecap, dislocating it with a sickening crunch as bone shifted unnaturally against flesh and sinew. All this death and pain was created and ended in a blink of an eye that left Katsuki unable to move from where he stood.
Then without any call to action, he launched himself at his classmate. Izuku coldly turned to the sound and moved out of the way as easily as he might have dodged a slow moving car. A glass globe was taken out from his coat pocket, the black liquid housed inside staining the clear interior while it rolled through the air towards the hero. Katsuki lifted an arm up to block the projectile but to his dismay it shattered on his skin, drenching him from the head down in what could have only been gasoline. He paused when the barrel of the pistol was pointed directly at him, the humor and kindness gone from its owner's now partially concealed face.
Izuku placed a hand into the side of his coat and threw something on the ground in front of Katsuki. It was a small pocket knife with a blue chromed blade.
"Pick it up."
The voice that came from the mask was electronically deep, giving it an almost demonic tinge to the words. Katsuki froze when the hammer of the gun was cocked back, preventing him from creating another blast.
"I said pick it up Kacchan. Pick up that knife and kill this fucking worm so we can go home."
His lips opened as he spoke as gently as he could given the situation.
"De-"
Another deafening BOOM came from the gun that missed the blond and dug a hole into the side of a building directly behind him.
"No, for once in your damn life you are going to listen to me. I know how scary it is to accept all this but I will not let you be a slave like I was until Tomura freed me from that sham of an existence. I have to do my duty as a hero Kacchan and save you from this lie we've all been fed since birth, now pick up the knife."
Anger returned in proper force when Katsuki gritted his teeth.
"What the flying fuck are you saying!? Don't you remember that bastard being the whole reason for you losing your quirk and being taken from your home!? Doesn't any of that ring a fucking bell!?"
The hammer was cocked again as the coldness remained in Izuku's eyes.
"That was all a lie. Every single thing that happened before then was because I was valued for my quirk and that was it. No one cared before I got it and even then I had to shatter my arms to get recognized while all my other achievements didn't mean shit to them. I was expected to keep up or get tossed away when I couldn't be used as a weapon anymore while I kept smiling to hide the pain. None of that was mine Kacchan, not my success, not my popularlarity, nothing but my pain was real. All because of a power that wasn't even mine to begin with."
Veins thrashed violently on his forehead as he lashed out in frustration.
"So that makes it ok for you to kill people in cold blood!? Yeah shit was bad but that doesn't-"
A chuckle came from the mask, stopping Katsuki with it's synthetic boom.
"You consider trash like this people? This bastard is part of a gang who beat an old couple to death for not paying their protection fees. See that mark on his arm? That's the tag of the Headhunters, a group of greedy crooks who don't care about anything other than power and profit. The perfect example of what's wrong with this world and you are going to help me cleanse the world of this filth, or I'll do it for you."
The gun switched targets to the terrified man on the ground, who managed to choke out a sentence.
"I-I...Oh my god...it's you...I-I please don-"
A bullet punched the concrete next to the gangster's head, silencing him with the show of deadly force.
"Quiet runt, I don't care what name your shitty group gave me, I've heard plenty of them, now face your punishment like a man."
Something finally clicked in Katsuki's mind when he saw the broken bodies of the dead criminals combined with the mask on Deku's face. He was…
"You're the Grinning Slasher."
Izuku turned his attention back to Katsuki, who looked completely shell shocked.
"Is that what they call me? I've had so many nicknames that I kinda gave up on that, but yes Kacchan I'm the one who put a bullet through Native's head and he was just the first of many criminals in disguise that I've put down. See, I found out the truth about this system of ours, these people who wear the capes are still human and as such they aren't perfect, some more then others but a few rare assholes do things so fucking evil that they need to be removed. Like Native, the bastard was helping traffic people all so he could get enough petty crime to coast to retirement, on top of all the sick shit we found at his apartment."
A smile formed behind the mask as Izuku's eyes showed how pleased he was.
"This system isn't bad on paper but let me ask you something, who the fuck keeps the heroes in line if they go too far? Certainly not their peers and not the fucking media or the public. They get to run wild while the criminals leech away at the foundations of society because nobody is willing to do what needs to be done. Look at Endeavor and how much shit he got away with, there's dozens of others just like him or worse hiding behind good people like All Might and Grand Torino while innocent people suffer. When All Might dies the only things left will be weak men laid low by the wicked with nobody will stand against them. So please Kacchan listen to me just this once and do the right thing."
Katsuki balled his fists as he regained his mental footing. His vision centered on the knife, consuming the world until all he could focus on was the weapon. He stared at it for how long he did not know until his mind was cleared. He would do the right thing.
An explosion blew Izuku across the hard stone with a crackling snap coming from Katsuki as smoke mixed with the stink of cooking flesh to create a choking mist that blocked the villain's sight until it cleared to reveal the hero standing defensively over the fallen man.
"I won't follow you down this path Deku, I'll stay true to my ideals and to All Might because I made a vow to save you and I'll be damned if I fail."
The nobleness of the vow failed to reach its target as green eyes went wide in terror.
"Kacchan, your arms!"
The skin from the elbow down hand been cooked to a crispy black but Katsuki moved on regardless of the pain, he had to in order to end this madness once and for all but he pulled away as he was about to tackle Izuku when yellow spears of bone landed right were he was.
A figure leaped down from the rooftops with light reflecting off the leather of his suit. Moonfish stood between the two teens, his face hidden by the covering hooked into his gums. He looked to Izuku's form which still laid on his back as a chuck of his armor was melted off and his mask was stained slightly into a darker hue of gold, then locked eyes with Katsuki.
"Go, you have served your purpose here, boy. We shall not bother you again."
The cannibal's words caused a great burning distress in his caretaker who tried to stand on his damaged legs.
"What are you doing Moonfish!? Grab him before he gets away!"
Tears began to flow down the murderer's mask as he fell again and again in his hopeless attempts to reach the only piece of his peaceful life left. Katsuki watched with guilt tugging at his soul when Izuku's crying visage reminded him of all the times in their youth he abused his friend, but after a moment, he turned away with a heavy heart and scooped up the criminal who was still living and left Izuku to sob with a final plea riding behind him on the wind.
"You don't get to abandon me again!"
Blood soaked everything that night when Izuku returned to the hideout. He tried again and again to convince Katsuki to join until he had murdered so many clones that their grey goo mixed into the very fabric of the training room with blood trailing into the disgusting scene. It was late into the night when a knock came from the only door in the large space, interrupting his 400th attempt as he brought his pipe down on the copy. He looked back at Twice, who was unusually quiet but that may have been because he had fallen asleep from quirk exhaustion after this latest clone. He marched over to the door and opened it to reveal Himiko standing on the other side.
"You okay Izu-kun?"
She was dressed in her night clothes with her hair down, a sight that would normally fill him with joy brought only a numbness to his soul as he immediately turned around, only to have her grab his wrist before he could shut the door.
"Please don't push me away this time, I know I messed up big today but...I can't stand to see you like this. After all we've been through can you just tell me what I can do to help?"
The teen sighed as he ushered her inside and shut the door behind her. His back slumped against a nearby wall with the fight gone from him, not even did he react when Himiko held him tightly in her arms.
"I get what you're feeling Izuku, you try and help someone you considered family but the second they get the offer, the meanies leave you for dead. It hurts I know, but that doesn't matter. Not as long as I'm around. After all we made an oath."
She held up the scar crossing her hand as she traced the one on Izuku's. He remained silent while his expression earned back some of the typical emotion while Himiko felt him pull her close.
"It's you and me against this fucked up world Izu-kun. We have a group to belong to and people to die for but right now, someone left you sobbing. I never wanna see you like that again so I promise you that I'll do everything in my power to make you happy."
Her hands ran between his green curls while she leaned in, breathing into his ear.
"So let's forget about that fake and go have a bit of fun, shall we?"
Neither of them needed much persuasion to leave this damp picture of failure. Izuku smiled as Himiko led him into the bar after convincing a very tired Kurogiri to warp them back. He needed this and he welcomed it, pain and all to forget his troubles. However they both stopped in the center of the lobby when a force came over them, nailing them to the spot as the power stopped them with the danger it radiated. The furthest most wall of the room contorted into a funnel right before their eyes as physics were broken into a display of raw chaos that could bend the stuff of reality on a whim, but what or rather who stepped out of this bubble of the impossible truly demonstrated just how insignificant they were with nothing more then it's merest presence bring images of death and horrible suffering that rendered their defiance into nothing.
Standing over the pair was the Symbol Of Evil, All For One. His eyeless face spread out into a sinister grin as he watched the two through some unfathomable means.
"Hello Young Midoriya, I was hoping we could chat for a spell."