Contrary to his dreadful beliefs, the following days had been mostly normal after the unexpected episodes the past week. Not totally peaceful, but normal. He spent the time scribbling and filling his notebooks with endless pencil strokes. He sat at his usual place in the red couch, making himself oblivious to his surrounding with the intent to ignore the company in the bar and focus solely on his task.

He came to make it a habit lately. Having nothing to do with their evil scheming, Izuku just blocked all the sound around him and did his best not to respond to Dabi or Shigaraki's taunts. Something quite tough most of the time but he managed all the same. The chain circling the tender neck grew lighter and lighter as the days passed and Izuku couldn't decide what to make of this fact.

One, he was adapting to the collar and his place as a friggin pet, and was potentially bound to accept all of this sooner or later.

Two, he gave up the idea of being rescued and only waited for things to happen.

Or three, he was silently waiting for a miracle that would make everything start all over again. No villains, no abduction, no more shame falling upon his existence every time he interacted with one of them.

But of course, such a thing was not going to happen any time soon. Fate would not be that nice, being the infinite shithead it is, would it?

Midoriya sighed, stopping his wrist as he finished writing about a second-rate villain he met two days ago.

Writing was all Midoriya did these past few days.

After they retrieved his stuff at the orphanage along with his acceptation letter from U.A., the boy contented himself with the pleasure of his favorite hobby. The letter has been the tiny hope he was obliviously waiting for, as it had implant in him the spark of determination to get out of this place at first. There were people waiting for him outside. People who will notice his absence and eventually conduct an investigation. But the constant thirst he'd been exposed to since after the last experiment had him neglecting his positive thoughts.

It swept his hopes away with a thick veil of insecurity along with a fierce mental dispersal. Keeping his mind occupied was the only remedy to Midoriya's inner struggle. So he scribbled. And scribbled. And scribbled to the point of exhaustion.

Another pang of pain surged up his throat at the thought of blood. "Ugh..!"

'Don't think! Don't think. Just keep writing. Clear your mind.'

Forcing the mantra through his head became more and more meaningless. His vampire instinct grew more unstable as he kept denying what it wanted.

Reopening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of two perfectly cut triangle sandwiches presented on a plate before his eyes. Kurogiri stood next to him, as calm as always like the perfect bartender he pretended to be.

"Eat, boy. You need it."

"I'm not hungry," moaned Izuku, but not without eyeing the food with a small beam in his gaze.

"No, you're not. But this might help quench your thirst for the time being." Midoriya suppressed a groan at the remark. He knew he was not entirely subtle about his little problem; he looked paler than usual and he noticed the growing irritation that has been constantly driving him on edge lately– and it was not Shigaraki's doing for once.

"You had no other test to do for some time, and you expressly refused our generosity to feed you properly concerning your particular nature. You must be desperate now."

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you," he lied through his teeth. He really wasn't. But it didn't mean he would accept their 'help.'

"Leave him be Kurogiri, he's been depressed since he got his precious letter."

Midoriya sent an angry glare to the dark haired young man who sat on the bar stool, facing them while holding a glass of whiskey. "Isn't it right, Kitten? Ever since you realized you wouldn't set foot in the school of your dreams you've been moping and whining all days."

A burning flame arose in his chest. The boy's fist clenched around the pen. "I've been trying to put up with your incessant mockery about my current inability to attend U.A. because of you." And he was especially trying to forget what Shigaraki had done to him just before Dabi and Toga's arrival last time.

Even though the man hadn't attempted another stunt like this on Midoriya, the teen had goosebumps every time the man was near him– that is, every. single. minute.

"Doesn't change the fact you're sulking."

While Dabi continued being himself, Kurogiri put a glass of water next to the plate. The sight of liquid didn't bode well with his current problem right now. All he wanted was for the water to turn into dark red and be done with the persistent itching. "I really don't–"

"I insist."

"I..! It won't get better just with food and water you know."

"Just like it won't get better until you feed properly." With that, Kurogiri won the argument and waited until the teen decided to reach for a sandwich. Which he did after an agonizing minute of hesitation.

Kurogiri's sandwiches were very good, Izuku could not deny it even if he wanted to. It changed from the disgusting expired biscuits Shigaraki kept offering him. Although once in a while he was given the opportunity to have a real lunch or dinner. As he ate slowly, Midoriya's eyes lingered towards the black screen near the entrance.

"Can I watch the TV?" he asked, remembering the last time they exceptionally turned it on to watch the news.

"Hoping to see something there?" Dabi looked at him knowingly, smirking. Midoriya glared. "Don't worry, your name doesn't appear anywhere on the news. You're still an unknown little brat who probably ran away because some kids stole his favorite All Might figurine.

"I'm just bored." He appeared unperturbed, despite the slight tightening of his jaw.

Something gleamed in the young man's eyes as he replied, "I know just the way to have fun." Midoriya tried hard not to roll his eyes– but failed anyway. Favoring silence rather than fueling Dabi's inappropriate boldness, the boy resumed eating his sandwiches. However, Kurogiri surprised him when the man stood up for him.

"Can you, for once, keep yourself from referring indecorous behavior in front of the boy? I'd have thought you had more dignity than this."

That earned him a blink from Dabi. "Why should I? It's not like we were hiding our obvious intentions for Kitten. He is not a little boy crying for his mommy anymore. And Shigaraki doesn't bother with manners either."

The mention of his mother stung him uncomfortably in the chest. He quickly shook it off.

"He's fifteen."

"Old enough for me."

An angry blush crept up Midoriya's cheeks at Dabi's impudent answer. Piercing green orbs sent daggers in the blue-eyed male's direction. Surprisingly, Kurogiri spoke before the boy could scream at Dabi to fuck off. "Shigaraki will not hesitate to kill you if he were to learn you touched his possession."

Albeit utterly outraged by those words, Midoriya was confused about the foggy man's persistence to get him out of Dabi's clutch. Was this solely out of pure loyalty or was Kurogiri repulsed by their indecent behavior towards a minor? It was kind of reassuring, even though the villain had a big role in his kidnapping to begin with.

Before Dabi could form another vicious remark, he was interrupted by the sound of the entrance door opening. Speak of the devil… Izuku's muscles tensed when he spotted the man with light blue hair entering the bar nonchalantly. Shigaraki ignored Dabi's mocked salute and went to grab the glass of yellowish juice Kurogiri handed him before going straight to Izuku's table.

"How did it go?" the bartender asked in a form of a greeting.

"The project is almost done," Tomura said as he pulled his captive by the chain to his lap. It was useless to struggle. This fact didn't stop Izuku from cursing him though. Tomura immediately brushed off the subject to give Midoriya all his attention.

"Hello Pet. Did you behave?"

The sudden proximity sent a wave of enticing smell coming from the villain's veins. His muscles tightened even more while a part of him tried not to blush violently when his brain assimilated their current closeness with some images he didn't want to recall right now.

"Don't talk to me."

His rejection did nothing to offset the other.

"Aaw. Is Pet still angry about the trash he received last week?"

Izuku pretended not to hear him, earning a raising eyebrow from the League's leader. Dabi answered in his stead, "It seems he's bored. And apparently thirsty as well."

His principal abductor looked genuinely surprised. "Bored? I thought you were happy to have your books back. I never saw you look up from your notebooks all week when I was here."

"Because he was ignoring you," Dabi deadpanned.

"What more do you want?" Shigaraki went on without paying the other any heed. "Some coloring? A card game? A Nintendo DS? Kurogiri, it seems like our little kitten needs to be simulated. What would you suggest for Izu-chan so that he can stop sulking and enjoy our company a little more?"

"I don't sulk. And don't even think there will ever be a day I'll put up with your presence."

Seriously, enduring the company of one –two– childish grown-ups while making sure you keep your own maturity was mentally draining. Added to that Izuku's mental state as he was suffering the lack of blood in his system, there was a good chance he'd end up losing it.

"Let's hear what he has to say first," Kurogiri proposed and that one sentence brought three pairs of eyes directly to the boy in question.

There was many things Izuku wanted right now. Starting with a long bath and to be finally free from their clutch once and for all. He could also ask for small privileges like a dinner worthy of a five-stars restaurant, or the opportunity to retrieve his phone. But the problem was here: would Shigaraki ever accept one of these requests?

His eyes drifted towards the exit. The door seemed far away despite only ten or so meters separating them. The metallic frame stood there, silent and mocking him when his only hope was just behind it.

He could almost hear the life outside. Cars, people, the ravens roaming around the streets. He could see the black birds on the sidewalks, in alleyways, on electrical wires. He could taste the fried chickens in the food stalls, the fresh paint from the newly constructed buildings, the rubber from the tires of the parked cars, the warm air and humidity brought in from the river flowing across the capital, and all that just by the smell he could easily imagine outside these depressing walls.

"I would like to go outside–" the following word stayed stuck for a while, heavy and burning on his tongue, "–Please."

There. He said it. His dignity hurt like hell but he wasn't going to spit on the chance to set foot out of this place for the first time in weeks.

"Outside..." Shigaraki looked like he was deliberating on his plea, the man's expression immensely pleased and curious at the same time. He gently grabbed the boy by the hair without the inch to prevent any disastrous accident, and leaned over his captive. "Kitten wants to take a walk out of his cage. What should I do..."

"He said please," Dabi jeered before emptying his glass in one gulp.

"Kurogiri."

Midoriya heard the bartender sigh in a corner.

"While it remains risky to let the boy roam free for a few hours… Fresh air will do him good. Maybe you should grant him this one request for once. He looks paler than usual."

Wow. Kurogiri took his defense twice in a day now. Izuku didn't know what to think of it anymore. Was the villain on his side, was he in conflict with his moral conscious or does the man choose his answers based on how Shigaraki was supposed to react?

Fingers calmly twirled around the chain, playing with the holes as the metal wrapped around Tomura's forearm. "Mmm~"

Then, he stopped. Before Midoriya could look up with surprise, the grip on the chain suddenly hauled him and the boy found himself centimeters away from the handless face that used to mock him everyday for nearly a month. "I could grant you that, yes. But you will have to follow the rules if you ever want to see the sky another time."

"What do you want me to do?" Izuku simply said, trying not to appear nervous about their sudden proximity.

"Simple," he raised one finger up, "Firstly, you will go with an escort of my choosing and you will not complain."

Anyone but Dabi, he prayed in silence before nodding. "Secondly, you will have to constantly stay in physical contact with them without any exception. When I say constantly, I mean wherever you go, be it to the bathroom or anywhere else. Is that clear?"

Another nod.

"Then third and lastly..." His expression closed off for a moment as he was intensely thinking about the last requirement. It took Shigaraki one long minute to come up with an idea, crimson eyes abruptly taking a fervent look at Midoriya's tense form. The man appeared like he just found the greatest treasure of all times. Midoriya already found it creepy enough when the villain eyed him like a delicious piece of meat, but this time the piercing gaze had something alarming that told the boy to get the hell away from the psycho.

A smirk came to life on the man's dry lips, full of malevolence and dark promises Izuku wouldn't doubt Shigaraki would surely keep in the future. He almost fought to break free when the other finally spoke up.

"… You will use a disguise."

Something in his voice and eyes was immediately suspicious. However the teen didn't really had a choice here if he wanted to see the outside world again. His reluctance hadn't taken more than a few seconds as he nodded again, cautious not to brush the other's face by doing that.

"Deal."

If possible, Shigaraki's smile widened even more. A coil of unease slithered inside his gut at the sight. Something was wrong. Izuku didn't know how, but he knew he would come to regret the request at the end of his little outing.

Alright.

He was going to kill him. Oh, Shigaraki was going to pay when he gets back. The bastard must've a fucking death wish, there was no other explanation. It was embarrassing. Humiliating! He thought he'd never go lower than he already did, but this– This… thing! Was the most outrageous torture he'd ever endured!

"Izu-kun! Look at this! This plush is so fluffy."

"Toga-chan don't wander around, we're here to make our little Izu-chan the cutest kitten in the world. We have to go to the thrift store quickly before the discounts are over!"

"Yes! Yes! Let's go, let's go!"

"Idiots. Who said we had to buy the brat stuff?" Dabi groaned, reluctantly following the only two female villains of the League while he dragged Izuku by the neck. "Shigaraki didn't send us to play around like prepubescent high school girls."

"Dabi, you brainless scarhead!"

"Ah-?"

The blond girl suddenly turned around and went straight to the villain, took his collar in her fist and pulled.

"It's been ages since I've had so much fun! And surely we won't get another opportunity to be with Izu-kun next time, so I absolutely won't waste the chance while we're here!"

Totally undeterred, Dabi glanced tauntingly at the boy with his usual smirk in place. "You heard that Kitten? They intend to make a doll out of you."

"Shut up," Midoriya spat.

He felt cheated. It was a real pleasure to breathe somewhere else than that bar even if the place was regularly cleaned by Kurogiri's great care. He never thought there would be a day when he would miss the polluted and crowded streets so much. Rediscovering the outside world turned out to be more exhilarating than he thought. However, walking in woman clothes and wearing a skirt was not part of the plan. At all. Especially when they discovered it suited him wonderfully and that this was a very convenient dress up for future businesses…

His thighs shuddered at the sudden breeze brushing over the skin, the tip of the skirt lifting up briefly. He quickly grabbed the garment down under the laugh of the other male. He was quite glad his long pink hair hid most of his blushing face.

Yes, this was the disguise Shigaraki was talking about a day prior this little excursion. A girl. He was dressed up as a girl. With a heavy wig on his head and the feminine attire provided by Magne's care with the help of the second female villain, currently drooling over the demonic stuffed animals in the booths of the huge shopping mall.

Of course they had to remove the chains. But the collar remained around his neck, discrete, continuously programmed to prevent the boy from using his Quirk.

If Kacchan were to see him… oh Lord.

"Don't forget the lingerie. He needs nice laces that would color well with his fair skin. I'd say green will match his stunning eyes, what do you think?" Dabi asked.

Magne squealed in delight. Midoriya stepped on his foot in retaliation, only earning him another chuckle from the taller man. "Do you think this is funny?"

"Of course."

Midoriya didn't have the patience to deal with him right now. Besides his physical and psychological state due to the lack of hemoglobin, he had to endure the curious glances he got from the bystanders, along with the perpetual devious smirk sent his way by the second most despicable man at his side.

"I hope you get hit by a truck and die."

"You call that a death threat?" Dabi scoffed.

"I call it a prayer."

The other chuckled. "Oh, so now that you've given up the idea of being rescued by your favorite heroes, you turn to a god who is even less likely to lift a finger for his faithful followers. Way to go, brat."

Izuku was ready to hiss a snappy answer when blond hair blocked his view without warning. Shining eyes leveled his, and Toga plucked the boy out of Dabi's clutches.

"Izu-kun, come with me!"

"What?"

She dragged him inside a thrift shop and immediately led him to the changing room. Magne was waiting for them. He stuck his heels in the ground when he saw the clothes she was holding. "What are you doing?!"

"You have to try this."

He disgustingly stared the white, glittery dress Magne presented him. Ivory wings were clipped on the back. "No way." The joke was going too far. "I'm not wearing it."

Too late. Toga pulled him by the wrist as Magne led them both toward an empty cabin. The absurdity of the situation was such that he managed to muster what little strength he had left to ran. Struggling violently, he managed to free himself from the blonde's grip and leaped on his legs to put some distance between him and the women. "Catch him Toga-chan!"

Giggling, the smaller girl ran after Izuku. He slid under a clothing rack while keeping an eye further on the exit. Nearly bumping into some customers, he zigzagged through the shop while Toga remained close behind. "Come back Izu-kun! You will look perfect as a beautiful angel, I promise." She jumped from the top of a shelf. Because Izuku threw himself to the side, Toga landed on a pile of new sneakers scattering all over the floor.

It was totally ridiculous. Being treated like a stupid pet was humiliating enough, and now these degenerate psychos wanted to turn him into a doll. He'd die before they manage to make him any more miserable.

"I'm a guy!" he tried to reasoned.

"So what?"

"So men don't wear dresses or skirts or anything else that belongs to the female gender!"

"Says who?"

Of course, the words fell into deaf ears. It was clear the girl enjoyed chasing people, he saw her do it a couple of times before during the meeting in the abandoned factory. Midoriya was just lucky Toga didn't drew her knives out, because the teen didn't know if he'd have made it out alive considering the state he was in.

A wave of pain surged into his body, forcing Midoriya to stop. He felt himself burning from inside. His vision turned suddenly red and succinct throbs pulsed through his veins and teeth. His knees buckled under him before the boy found himself on the floor, hands on his aching throat. Drink. He had to drink. He breathed air soaked with the smell of blood from every part of the shop when he could only smell the scent of chemicals and rubbery just a moment ago.

Veins pulsing. Hearts beating. Warm bodies. He could absorb every single detail from everyone present in the shop as the shock sent a distress signal to his brain, which began to take control of the boy's senses to satisfy its vital need. He was aware of her sweet aroma before her weight as Toga landed on his back, tackling her prey to the ground.

"Gotcha!~"

"Haa… haa.."

"Tired, already? You should've stay still from the beginning Izu-kun. You know you won't be able to esca–"

She felt the boy under her vanish for a second and before she realized what was happening, Midoriya had moved fast and found himself on top of the girl, pinning her to the floor, their position now switched. Bright yellow irises looked up at the sharp fangs slowly drawing near her jugular. Toga's breath got stuck in her chest.

So wild. So dangerous. So beautiful. Her Izu-kun was perfect when totally overwhelmed by the vampire side of his. She already knew it, but looking at the proof just before her eyes right now was literally breathtaking. She had hard time containing her pleasure. Smiling, the blond spread her arms open and then left her throat at his disposal to encourage him to drink.

"Here, take it." Her voice echoed somewhere in his mind. Something stirred inside Midoriya as the teen slowly regained control of his limbs. "I know you want it. Take all the blood you need Izu-kun."

It was the trigger of his sudden descent into reality. Green replaced the crimson in his eyes while utter shock covered the previous thirst that almost made him lose it. He suddenly became aware of the person above whom he was leaning. Reacting like he'd just been burned, he removed himself from the girl and stood up.

"What… What happened?!"

"You went nuts," Dabi's voice rose from behind. "What do you think you two were doing? You're getting too much attention. Let's get out of here before they call the authorities."

Without warning he pulled Izuku with him towards the exit. Still shaken by the horror he almost committed earlier, Midoriya obediently let the man drag him out of the shop. "Hey," Dabi called when he noticed Izuku's strange behavior. "You better not lose control here of all places. It's going to be too much responsibilities if you were to get loose among thousand of civilians. And Shigaraki and the big boss will have my head after that."

"You think I'd want to hurt innocent people willingly?! It's not my fault my mind decided to go blank in the middle of a store!"

"No, but it would've never happened if you'd finally made up your mind to feed yourself properly," he retorted without batting an eyelid and succeeding in shutting him up.

Midoriya would rather have his tongue cut off than admit the villain was right. He was a vampire now. Whether he wanted it or not he had to drink blood to prevent this kind of accident in the future. More importantly, he needed blood to get his strength back and finally get away from them.

Now that he managed to convince them to let him out, Midoriya had an opportunity to plan his escape. There was no way to tell the next time he'd be allowed outside, so he had to act quickly.

Each time he tried to establish some kind of plan, something came to smash his mental work up as efficiently as a bowling ball. He was interrupted either by an overexcited Toga who found something interesting to buy, or Magne who wanted him to try on more clothes than he had ever seen in his life, or Dabi who wanted to make sure Midoriya wasn't going to lose it again.

He eventually found one idea between two hug attacks from Toga. His plan had almost mapped itself from the moment he saw a police patrol near the sporting goods store. He had to find a way to make some sort of contact with the officer and very subtly ask him for help. He automatically thought about a written message he could somehow pass to adult without the villains noticing.

He felt his mind running wild and his head getting hot with anticipation. When the group passed by a souvenir shop, Midoriya knew he had to act now. Detaching himself from Dabi, he faked an expression of surprise.

"Oh my god!"

"Hey–"

He ran inside the shop before Dabi could grab him. He managed to pass through two shelves of picture frames and decorated mugs before arriving in front of what he was looking for. His hand snatched something from the shelf and quickly hid the stolen item between the hip and the hem of the skirt.

"What are you playing at?" A solid hand clasped around his wrist before forcefully pulling him backward.

"S-Sorry. I thought I saw one of All Might's poster collections and I… I couldn't help myself."

"Damn brat," Dabi seethed and quickly get them out of the shop. "Can't you stay still for five minutes?"

"Sorry."

"I thought Izu-kun wanted another round of game of tag," Himiko pouted and Izuku suppressed a grimace. He would never see the end of the day with those imbeciles.

The next step was to find a piece of paper, preferably without one of them around. There is only one place where Midoriya could be temporary left alone. He looked up on time to see the officer disappear near what seemed to be a restaurant.

Midoriya grew stiff when he felt the hand encircling his neck dangerously constrict.

"You look tense, kitten. Something wrong?"

Damn it. He forgot how perceptive this man could be when he wanted to. The boy tried to scowl, "I wouldn't be if I hadn't been forced to disguise as a freaking girl in public!" Yes, this could work. And indeed the grip loosened on his skin and Midoriya almost let a breath out in relief.

"You've accepted the deal, remember?" the villain looked smug.

"Of course I did, otherwise I would not be able to go outside for another several weeks I bet. It's not like I had a choice in the matter!"

"Izu-chan is very cute. Maybe you should let you hair grow someday, I'm sure you'll look lovely as well," Magne added.

"Never."

"Less talking, more shopping!" the blond sang and entered another store, skipping.

"Oï, you better hurry. We've got half an hour before going back."

Half an hour. Midoriya must find an excuse to be alone for a little while, quickly. His eyes scanned the place in hope of finding a solution that would help putting his plan into action. Blessed with some unrealistic miracle, his gaze fell on a blue plate above an entrance of a small building a few meters away. Bingo.

"I need to use the toilets," announced the teen.

Taking advantage of Dabi's loosened grip, Midoriya walked towards the structure, the letters WC engraved in the shiny plate like a sign of salvation. He could almost hear the angels trumpets far away at the sight.

"Oh yeah? Then let's go."

"Eh?" Midoriya startled when the man began to follow. "What are you doing?"

"Going with you. Why, surely you don't think I will leave you alone and let the sneaky brat you are running away in my back. Shigaraki would have my head."

No no no, he couldn't come. "I… It may take some time. I didn't have the chance to go to the bathroom today."

"What, need to take a dump?"

Refusing to be ashamed, the green-eyed boy just nodded. A frown darkened Dabi's face.

"This is awfully suspicious. What are you up to, kitten?"

"Nothing at all! You asked why I'm tense today. Well, that's why! Not that the other reason was untrue of course. I didn't want to ask because I knew you would make fun of me."

"True."

"So… Can I go now?"

"You're free to go wherever you want, as long as I don't take my eyes off you."

"You mean… you're going to follow me, even in the toilet cabin?!"

"Shigaraki's orders," Dabi shrugged like it was not a big deal. Of course he would not be troubled in this awkward situation. It would not be the first time he accompanied him to the toilets, like at the bar's.

"This is insane!"

There was just no way he would let the man near him in such a small space. Midoriya didn't miss the lecherous looks from the villain he got whenever Dabi was around and bored. He may not have crossed the line as Shigaraki did, but it didn't mean he was not able to.

"Give my five minutes. I swear I wont run away."

"You want me to believe that?"

Midoriya heaved a breath. He didn't have time to argue with him right now. He didn't know when another chance like this will happen in the future, it was the unique opportunity to try something before Shigaraki gets him back into his cage forever.

"Please."

Dabi sighed. "Begging may have worked with Shigaraki but it won't get you anywhere with me. You know I can't–"

"I will do anything."

Midoriya almost regretted his words when he saw something dangerous shine into icy orbs solely focused on him. It was not the brightest idea Midoriya came with, but surely the most needed at the current time.

"Anything?" Dabi drawled.

"Anything," Izuku promised, maintaining his emotionless expression while a bad feeling about this deal made his stomach twist. With a sudden pull, the teen found himself face to face with the villain whose gaze literally burned. Dabi pulled him even closer. Their noses touched.

"I give you ten minutes. Make it more and next time you beg I'll make sure it's for death."

Midoriya didn't hesitate at all. Pulling away from Dabi and the delicious smell he gave off by their proximity, he ran to the toilets and slammed the door behind. He stood with his back against the door for a moment, his heart beating like crazy in his chest. There were three cabins in the room, all available. Or it was what he thought until a flushing sound broke the silence and a man came out of a toilet stall.

He froze when he saw Midoriya, and the teen furiously blushed as he realized he was dressed up as a girl in a men's restrooms. "Wo… women's are full!" he stuttered and rushed into a cabin before the other can come out of his shock.

Cursing Shigaraki and his fucking perversion, he quickly took out the stolen pen he got from the gift store and grabbed several paper sheets next to the toilet bowl. Wasting no time, Izuku placed the sheets against the wall and started writing. He didn't have enough space to describe everything, therefore the most essential details will do for now.

He folded the papers and hid it in the same place than the pen. Exiting the stall, he scanned the rest of the washroom. There was a small window by the corner near the line of sinks. There was a handle to turn upward in order to open it. He was more than fortunate that the window could opened from inside, or his plan would've completely fallen apart.

Placing a foot onto the ceramic surface, Midoriya managed to reach the glass and pulled the handle upward. A light breeze passed through the gap as soon as he swung open the rectangular frame.

Luckily, he had the perfect shoulder width to pass through the opening. Being small also had its perks sometimes. Though he would never admit it out loud. The teen easily sneaked out of the washroom and relief overcame his fears when he saw no Dabi waiting for him on the other side. Good. Next was the police patrol he saw around ten minutes ago. He couldn't have gone far. Seconds quickly became minutes, and Midoriya's stress increased as the invisible countdown approached zero.

The image of Dabi catching him red-handed sent a jolt of dread coursing through his veins. The long hair were obstructing his sight as he zigzagged in the crowd as fast as he could. The collar preventing his quirk still kept the vampire genes in him functioning. He was not as strong as he should be, but his physical power still surpassed that of normal people.

He thought he catch a glimpse of the man he was searching for. Speeding up the pace, he followed the officer away from the main square, frowning a little when he found himself in a secluded alleyway. What did an officer had to do in this sort of place?

Unaware of the alarm ringing in his mind, he quickly joined the adult who had just stopped in the middle of the alley. "Sir! Sir, please!" Midoriya called as he reached the man just in time to see the latter exchange something with another figure in front of him.

"I need your help for–"

He stopped. Taking a look at the other stranger, Midoriya saw not one, but several other men who looked like anything but ordinary, innocent citizens. What did they just trade…?

"Who is the brat?" asked the leader-looking person.

When the policeman turned to Izuku, the boy knew something was absolutely wrong. His eyes were not the kind normally addressed to citizens in need. No, these ones were threatening, devoid of any gentleness people of his profession were supposed to possess. "I think he followed me all the way here. I didn't expect this kind of problem."

"… Sir?"

Midoriya seemed lost. The bigger of the two men took a step forward. "Listen, girl," he started, his tone low and menacing, "You didn't see anything. Go back to your parents and I advise you not to tell a soul of what you think you saw here. Got it?"

But Izuku's eyes remained focused on the policeman. "How can you…?" He shook his head, still unable to accept the situation. He didn't want to believe it. "This is not right."

"Hey, brat–"

He didn't listen. He could not ignore the feeling of betrayal toward the man he once thought he would become one day. Unable to follow the path of heroes, he had resolved to continue to admire all those who had given themselves the means to help people in their own way.

Like this man.

"You can't do that. Your role is to protect, not doing business with the ones you're supposed to arrest. How can you just take advantage of people's faith?"

A sigh escaped the officer.

"Damn, my day was ending well. It's no use, guys. Just deal with her and let's get it over with."

There were five in total. They didn't appear to have particularly strong quirks, he could finish them in no time. But the sudden rise of anger flowing in his chest was not something he seemed able to control. In a swift movement, he grabbed the arm of the first opponent coming for him and pulled it forward with the momentum of his weight and strength. The more he fought them, the more his rage increased.

This bastard proved Shigaraki and his entire gang right by turning away from his duty by allying himself with hooligans of their kind. The mere thought that this man's actions may have tarnished the values of true heroes like All Might filled him with bitterness.

The second had no time to comprehend what was happening to him. In a speed that no eye could follow, his fist hit him right in the nose, with full power that he did not regulate at all in his anger. Blood spurted out of the nostrils, splattering on Midoriya's knuckles. The scent triggered the total loss of self-control.

From this moment on, everything became blurry all around the boy. For what seemed like an eternity, Midoriya felt as if he was being confined somewhere in the depths of his mind. He heard voices, screams, and the only thing keeping him awake in that thick, cotton mist was that delicious smell permeating all his senses, filling him from within and making his veins boil with euphoric excitement.

He could almost feel his Quirk pulsing through him, blocked by this cursed collar that prevented him from totally unleashing his wildness.

Smelling was not enough anymore. He had to taste, take the scent on his tongue and soothe his throat with the intense liquid his system had been demanding for days. He wanted it. He needed it.

Blood… blodd-bloodbloodblood—

Then, something in him snapped. The sudden regaining of control hit him as if he had just crashed. Eyes wide open, the abrupt consciousness made him look confused for a second, until awareness shook the last remaining of daze out of him. His mouth was only a few millimeters away from his victim lying on the ground. Horrified, he loosened his grip by jumping backwards, immediately backing out.

"W….what?"

All of them were beaten and completely out of it. By his doing. Still breathless because of the shock as well as the fight of which he had no memory, Midoriya got up at once. Shit, shit shit! What time was it? Was Dabi waiting for him at the washroom? What could he do about those guys? Calling the police would take too much time. He needed to go back now or what would happen to these guys would be the last thing he would care about.

After one last look at the five unconscious men, the teen turned his heels and rushed to where he came from without paying attention to the curious glances of passers-by. Arriving at the back of the toilet building, Midoriya hurriedly stepped over the window and heavily falls on the washroom's floor in his haste.

The buzzing inside his head had yet to go away as the teen was not prepared to face the villains right now. If only he could–

"Wow, right on time. Twenty more seconds and you would've been sorry."

Midoriya froze. Any pain and shock faded out at the sound of this voice. Dabi was standing against one of the washbasins, hands in the jeans pockets. "Did you have fun?"

Getting up on his feet, Midoriya watched in horror as Dabi walked away from the sink to move toward his trembling form.

"Wait!" he tried to make Dabi come to a standstill but the villain already was on him, pinning his body flushed against his own. Izuku just came out of his trance due to the sudden blood lust minutes ago. He was not sure he could prevent another fit this time.

He felt his fang lengthening again. "Not so… close…! Please, wait-"

"I would've gladly join you, were I to know your little trip was going to be this fun." Icy-blue eyes lowered to Midoriya's untidy shirt where several red stains appeared on the light-colored fabric.

He pressed his body even closer, enjoying the panic lodging into those bright, reddish green orbs. Dabi was well aware of the aching thirst with which the teen was afflicted right at this moment. The scent of blood became more unbearable as the villain deliberately leaned over his face slowly and the boy gasped when a hot breath brushed against his ear.

"You owe me a favor," the man whispered, and Midoriya thought he was going to lose control again.

Before he knew it, Dabi's warmth disappeared and the teen is violently dragged toward the exit.

Meanwhile, a shadow lurked in a corner of the alley where the officer and the remaining thugs were still laying on the ground. They stepped forward, drawing light on their plain dark attires. Yellow googles hanging around his neck, the man crouched next to the blond policeman he had been following for the past two days. His gaze lingered on the rest of the group, the images of the previous fight still fresh in his memory, before he took a phone out of this pocket.

While the call was ringing, his piercing eyes saw a white shape on the ground next to the policeman's feet. A piece of paper.

Normally he would have completely overlooked this detail, except that the paper was carefully folded in four. Weird. He reached out to retrieve it at the same time a voice answered the phone. Scanning the clumsy handwriting on what was clearly low-cost toilet paper, he began, "It's me. Takeuchi Fuwa had been taken care of. Our doubts have been confirmed."

While talking, he handcuffed the now former policeman. "I didn't do anything," he replied when the voice started to grew ecstatic. "Long story. I'm calling the police to arrest them and I'll meet you directly at the office. And please, ask someone else next time. I know you are understaffed these days but I already have a class of idiots to take care of this year, I don't have time for this nonsense."

Something his interlocutor said made the man twitch in annoyance.

"No, I didn't expel anyone this time. Well, only one. Yeah, right. I'm hanging up."

Sighing, the underground hero reread the message a second time, sliding his gaze in the direction of where he had last seen the cross-dressing young man.

"Abducted by villains.
Underground bar in Tokyo(?)
Midoriya Izuku"

This new case strongly smelled like trouble and overtime work from miles away.

"What a pain."