Rated M for cursing, trauma, adult themes, and language.
…Seriously, I'm not kidding; this chapter really does get dark…
My Hero Academia: Katsuki's Secret
Chapter 7
"Nerd, what do you know about Chimera Corp?" Bakugo tossed the now empty briefcase over his shoulder without breaking stride, now decked in his hero costume composed of green, off-white, and black material with near tiger orange accents. It allowed him far more movement compared to the uniform of UA High so now his speed had increased a bit yet the freckled teen had managed to keep beside him. "Haven't got all day!"
Deku wracked his mind, searching for everything and anything that would be helpful as he deftly dodged a cluster of trees that had appeared ahead of them. "Chimera Corp was founded two decades ago by two doctors to researching Quirk Origination and genetic altercations to help those whose quirk affected their outward appearances so that society accepts them easier." His hand rose to stroke his chin in deep thought as they came to a stop thanks to the pro heroes who had called for them to wait. "If that's really the case, then why would Ezekiel mention them? Unless that group and Black Trident are tied together, then I could understand…"
"You're mumbling again, nerd, just get to the point." The blonde huffed, leaning against a tree with arms crossed and one foot tapping fervently that was testimony to his dwindling patience for an answer.
"I've heard that they've helped a lot of people with their quirks, they've even been globally recognized for their success. What Ezekiel can't be ignored though. It may very well be a trap but what happened-" The forest haired teen's words halted as an impact sounded, finding his comrade's fist buried within one of the tree trunks that was within his reach, the shadow of blonde hair preventing Deku from seeing Bakugo's gaze. His voice dropped until it was just a few levels above a whisper. "We're still going, no matter what."
No answer came from between his lips but the explosion that rendered the tree to mere splintered was more than enough to portray that Katsuki Bakugo was not going to stop here even if she wasn't within Chimera Corp.
"Easy, Bakubro, we got this." Kirishima nudged him with his elbow when coming to a stop beside the silently fuming blonde.
"Why did we stop anyway?!"
Aizawa shot Bakugo a searing glare as the rest of their team caught up, canceling his quirk completely. "Shut up and listen. There's been a development recently that we might have to change our strategy."
Ruby hued eyes narrowed. "Doubt it."
"Someone, and by that I mean one of the coroners, took one of Ezekiel's eyes when no one was looking." Midnight pipped up from where she was perched above their heads on a tree branch. "They have no memory of stealing it either."
Bakugo and Deku's gaze met with a snap of their necks. They both listened intently as the pro hero gave a full recount; the coroner assistant was seen on the cameras returning to the vault where they had stored the body once it had been returned to its natural state, tools and bare fingers were used to remove the left eye completely from its socket, then following their trail spotted them walking through the gates of the UA only to return less than a minute later looking confused by the blood on their hands and stain on their clothes.
"Damnit all," he nearly hissed while raking a hand through his hair. "Looks like I'm right."
All looked to the blonde with curious gazes and expressions.
"I thought it was fishy how Ezekiel's body was moving on its own and I've been having these nightmares where Black Trident's using her to attack UA when she didn't want to." He bristled when feeling the sympathetic looks of his fellow classmates but bit back the retort that rose up his throat. "I think he might have a quirk capable of taking over a person completely but not in the brainwashing way that one dude can. This is something on a more dangerous level since he can control their bodies and minds."
"That's impossible." Midnight jumped down to land beside Aizawa. "No one in the world has a quirk that powerful and even if they did-"
"Then how do you explain what happened to that guy, huh?! His spine just snapped itself in half like a fucking pretzel stick just because he wanted to?! You're saying he wanted to die in the hands of some teenager who sent his kid to the hospital?!" Bakugo's eyes flashed brightly when meeting hers. "I know what I saw, how it felt when his bones moved against what is supposed to be possible, he didn't do that to himself!"
She shared a glance with Aizawa, seeing that the pro hero's quirk was still preventing the young blonde's from activating, then faced him fully. "Say that he's right. Would you be capable of cancelling it?"
The connection was broken with a blink as he placed a few moisture droplets within each eye to relieve himself of the uncomfortable feeling that always built up when he stared for too long. "I can't for two people at once, if that's what you're asking, so we better decide whose I'm supposed to be focusing on now while we have the chance to talk."
Several people began talking all at once, voicing which they thought he should target, but Deku and the other classmates of 1-A were solely looking to Bakugo who leaned against the tree trunk behind him with arms crossed. He'd been the leader of their training being as he personally had seen both Black Trident and the girl in question, each growing under his surprisingly thorough yet rough leadership style, each making the decision ahead of time that they would follow his lead. Each nodded when his gaze met theirs in turn.
"Would you all pipe down already before I punish you all for speaking over me when I'm talking?!" The crack of Midnight's whip earned silence, her devious smirk becoming dark and sinister when a few attempted to interject. "Do that again and I'll really give you something to shout about." They held up their hands, a sign that they would stand down. "Good."
"Now that everyone had quieted down, in an orderly fashion amongst yourselves come up with a consecutive decision-"
She took hold of his scarf. "Oh no you don't! This isn't some classroom where you can shrug off your teacher duties to take a nap!"
Aizawa blinked while looking around those who looked upon his with a mixture of amusement and doubt. "Hold on. Where did 1-A run off?"
. . . .
A figure lounging within a deep seated couch sipped from the glass in his gloved hand, icy gaze locked upon the screen before him that showed a writhing figure whose mouth was open in a scream none could hear. Mute wasn't on, the volume was up to a decent level, but neither were the reason why it couldn't be heard. The dark room was void of any other furniture but the chair he was in, bare tiled floor with equally bare white walls, a single black light bulb within the ceiling that cast all within an eerie glow. He wore a button up with gray stitching just light enough for it to appear against the darkness that was his attire, open suite jacket and pleated pants tailored to fit his being almost like a second skin. Polished leather shoes lightly tapping against the chair's right side was the only sound within the space besides his breathing. "One of my favorite things about you is that you have no voice yet you've found other ways of communicating with others. Almost as if you have telepathy but your quirk is something far more special than something as measly as that." His lips rose into a smirk while raising the glass as if toasting to the person within the footage. "Silence truly is golden, wouldn't you say so?"
A door opened, allowing outside light to nearly blind him for a moment before it closed with a click, closely followed by the sound of heels that made their way to come to a stop behind his chair. "Darling, you said you would spend time with me today."
The expression of annoyance from the exposure to the harsh light evaporated from his features, becoming one of subdued anger as slender arms appeared from behind that wrapped themselves around his neck. He'd completely forgotten about giving the order for one of the female subjects to come to him at this time for some "personal stress relief".
"I even wore your favorite: black teddy with golden ribbons and crimson garters with black heels covered in gems."
Just the mental image of what was behind him made the man almost gag by reflex. "I said I would once this is done. Now be a good pet and wait until your master is ready." The anger he felt tainted his voice when the hands wandered across the planes of his chest overtop of the clothing he wore instead of withdrawing. "Enough!"
His other hand that wasn't holding the glass lashed out to catch the woman standing behind him across the cheeks and sending her crashing to the floor in a heap, the telltale crack signaling the force was enough to completely snap her neck.
"See? Now look at what you've made me do. I know I told you to seek me out today and to call me 'darling' but frankly I've grown tired of women like you who are easily manipulated." A glint entered his gaze as it raked across the scantily clothed figure now spread eagled across the ground. "You were fun for a while, but I've got a new plaything that will bring me much more satisfaction than you or any other pet could ever hope to provide me."
A bing sounded from the nearby speaker that caused him to instantly brighten then practically press the entirely of his face against the screen. She had stopped flailing, her mouth was still open with drool seeping from the corners, eyes wide but unseeing in the locked position upwards. Sweat caused the black hospital gown to stick her being, revealing her shapely figure to his hungry eyes as they combed across her twitching being, a few of his fingers trailing across the screen's surface as if he could reach through it to touch her.
Staff members he'd personally selected to care for her entered the room once he gave the approval. Her bound limbs were released then carefully placed upon the sweat soaked bed that would be changed later at her sides while others closed her eyes then wrapped them so that when she regained consciousness there would be no danger of activation when meeting the gaze of another. They were careful not to touch her bare skin with their own as per his instructions then departed within minutes once ensuring that her vitals that were on the surrounding machines were stable and a light of sedative was administered for the pain she would surely experience once awakening.
"There, there," he cooed softly after pressing the intercom button that would allow his voice to fill the room. "You'll be getting a nice treat this time around, you have my promise." His lips lifted into a wide smile as her breathing hitched, arms rising to cross over her chest while sitting up then shifting backwards until the headboard met her back so as not to put strain upon the tubes and wires connected to her being. "What a good girl to do that without my asking!"
One of her hands separated from her being, the middle finger rising above the others while pointing in the direction from where his voice would have come from.
"Feisty today, are we? How precious."A ring of white appeared around his pupils that signaled the activation of his quirk.
The girl on the bed stiffened, hand rising to cling to her head as if suddenly plagued with a migraine. Navy hair that had been combed by an assistant became tangled as she thrashed like a fish out of water despite the hands falling to cling to the bed's mattress as though it were an anchor to prevent herself from falling to the floor. It was clear that she was ferociously bitting her lips shut to prevent them from parting but the rigidness of limbs and thundering pulse visible in the vein of her neck portrayed that she was experiencing something agonizing.
"You only live because I will it." His voice deepened, almost hitting bass level as the rings in his eyes intensified, lips rising into a sick smirk as her consciousness attempted to fight off his off. "You are mine, Aurora, your life is mine to do with as I please." A tongue slipped out to moisten his suddenly dry lips as his Adam's apple bobbed in a swallow.
This was why he favored her so much. She was unlike all the rest in this way: her fighting spirit. No matter how any times he tore down her mental defenses they would always pop back up to be knocked down again once he returned her mind. It was like a game for him; each new day provided him another new level to test his skills against. The result? His quirk had grown exponentially and he had yet to come across any other who was capable of fighting off his "Enslavement" besides the girl.
"You."
Beneath the bandage around her head it was clear to see the shifting of her eyeballs as they sporadically moved in each direction in response to the pressure he was putting on her.
"Belong."
The hands clinging to the bed rose to instead claw at herself, causing scratches and deep cuts to appear within her skin that slowly beaded with blood.
"To."
Her being rose high off the bed in an arch then fell to lay flat like a puppet with its strings cut as the final wall of her defenses crumbled to mental dust.
"Me."
The feeling of his consciousness spreading to fill every corner of her consciousness caused surges of pleasure to fill his veins as the defiance an strong will faded away until the only thing left was a blank canvas that surrendered itself to be his muse. Not even a twitch or hair fell out of place as he used his quirk to have her sit upright to comb out the tangles with her fingers as his being trembled from the rush.
"Good girl…" His quirk lessened to the point where he'd found to be the perfect level to control her from a distance without having lasting affects. The ring remained around his pupils though it was much smaller in comparison to how it had nearly overtaken his eyes completely. "Such a good girl."
A curse slipped from between his lips as alarms began to blare, giving her the quick instruction to dress in case he called for her and the screen shut off with a wave of his hand. "Sir, sir!" An assistant came barreling through the door. "We have a situation!"
"Well don't just stand there, you idiot, hurry up and tell me before I wrangle it out of you myself!"
They cowered as his burning gaze locked on them. "S-sir, it appears that someone had gotten past the base's security!"
"Then deal with it." He nudged the fallen woman in their direction. "While you're at it, take this trash out. It's stinking up the whole ward."
"But, sir-" They yelped as the glass he'd been holding collided with the side of their face. Shards of glass and droplets of dry red wine began to stain across their gray scrubs.
He appeared inches from their being, towering over them in height and the livid energy surrounding him causing the man to want nothing more than flee the room. The infernos within his gaze threatened to burn any who dared to look into them when his temper reached the boiling it was dangerously nearing. "I have given you my instructions. Unless you are incompetent, I suggest you stop wasting my time and do as I have said."
"The intruders, sir, they are beyond what we are capable of handling!"
The heart in his chest froze. "Explain."
"T-t-they're dressed in costumes and wield powers we've never seen-"
His hand latched itself around the assistant's throat with a roar that cutoff the man's sentence, forcing them to walk backwards until they collided with the wall, and raised them until their flailing feet could no longer touch the ground. "Are you saying that heroes are here?! Why the fuck didn't you say so sooner?!" A bent knee to impact with his center as he released the informant, earning a crack as the man's nose collided with the bone of his kneecap, and stormed away as the assistant howled with pain while nursing his face. "It's clear that I've gotta do everything myself around here."
At the end of the hallway that echoed with his heavy footfalls was a single door with a palm scanner. A voice prompted for a sample, which he provided along with a quick password key, then was allowed entrance. Everything within the office space that he stepped into was black; carpet, walls, curtains, even the furniture was black as he marched across its length to slam a clenched fist against the secret button he built into the side of a bookcase. It split in half down the center and parted to reveal a clear glass case illuminated by a single bulb of light built into the top.
. . . .
"Much better!" Bakugo crowed from where he was standing upon one of the security bots, a wide grin on his face. His hands were sparking wildly as more appeared from the nearby buildings. "Never liked all that overthinking shit. Better to just go in with guns blazing and figure all that other stuff as you go!"
"Kaachan, I don't think it was the greatest idea to go sneaking off without the pro heroes!"
A twitch appeared within a blonde brow as he utterly destroyed two more of the robots. "Shut up, Deku, no one asked or forced you to come along!" His head snapped to the side as the freckled teen made to comment. "They'll catch up on their own and their adults! They can take care of themselves, damnit, they don't need us and we don't need them!" Each classmate within earshot turned their heads as he gave a shout for their attention. "I'm going on ahead! You know who you are, you're coming with me! The rest of you side characters know the drill: spread out, distract, and don't get killed!"
"Right!" They chorused.
He launched himself like a human rocket off the bot's head, leading the way towards the farthest building in the distance. Each security robot that crossed his path was sent to meet the scrap metal pile until the front door of the building was before him. A curse slipped from between his lips as through the frosted glass doors he spotted several gray scrub dressed assistants scrambling for the closest exits in hopes that they would not have to face the coming destruction. His hand rose while stepping through, pointing finger drifting across the fleeing mass of people without breaking stride as he headed for the elevator. "Eenie…meenie…minie…"
A man with dirty blonde hair nursing what looked to be a broken nose appeared from the side attempting to escape with the help of another.
"Mo." Bakugo's hand snagged the assistant's collar, earning a choke as he hoisted him back through the now open doorway, and smirked devilishly. "Looks like you're it."
"No, please!"
Deku sympathetically tilted his head when the man began to sob. "Calm down, mister, it's not as we are here to hurt you or anything. Looks like you might need some help with that broken nose though. I could pop that back in for you if you are willing to help us."
His pastel hazel eyes widened. "Pop it- You're not serious! Why would I ever let one of you people even touch me?!"
"Already am, dumbass!" The blonde chuckled while shoving the man to stand before the elevator that had a keycard panel beside it, giving him a shake when the man older by at least twenty years began to sob harder. "Shut up already and get me to Basement 3 then you can run away like your pathetic little buddies!"
It was clear that they had the right building the moment the man became silent and reserved.
"Y-you're going to have to find someone else to take you there." He held up his hands when Bakugo's hand that still had a tight hold on his collar gave it a shake. "I don't have clearance! Even if you stole my card it wouldn't work!"
Uraraka peeked out from around the blonde's shoulder. "So you're saying we need to find someone with the right keycard, right? Probably a supervisor or boss?"
He nodded vigorously. "Mine only gets to B1 so even if you took my credentials there's several other security passage clearances that would have to be performed-" The rest of his sentence was lost in a near pig-like squeal as blazing ruby red eyes bore into his own. "I'm sorry!"
"Fine. Get lost, useless." Bakugo released his hold once putting enough force behind a shove to send the man reeling to the side but not enough to floor the guy, gaze locking upon the elevator. "This is what I get for trying to be sneaky-sneak, I guess. Why fix or change something when it works perfectly fine already?" An excited grin lifted his lips as a roll of his shoulders earned a few cracks when a telltale ding sounded of an elevator about to open.
The classmates of 1-A quickly put distance between themselves and the blonde as he readied but they hurried to pull him back as the metal warped from inside.
Almost as if the steel was butter, it melted then dripped down to the floor when touched by the weapon as its wielder stepped through to stand before the group. With blacker than night skin, spiked tri colored hair that began as black at the roots that gave way to indigo then icy blue at the tips that made it appear as though his head itself was on fire. The obsidian trident he wielded was dual ended, forked on each, appearing inches from Bakugo's nose as an expression of amusement filled the icy eyes that stared down on him from behind the black masquerade mask that looked modeled after a black swan. "Seriously?" A chuckle filled the air as he regarded each in turn and finding the lobby completely vacant. "All this ruckus over a mismatched gang of kids?" Black Trident himself seemed disappointed while casting one last look around. He blinked, peering closely into Bakugo's face intently. "Hold on you look familiar-"
Deku was possibly the only one who saw Bakugo move but a collective flinch rose from each at the sound of bones meeting.
The blow caused Black Trident to stumble backwards, a bright red mark blooming along his chin from where he'd been hit, but was too slow to recover as the blonde made for the elevator. "Trying to bypass the main boss? Sorry, not happening." A maniacal smirk lifted his lips when the explosionist was forced to retreat the steps he'd just taken due to the emergence of a second figure who appeared from the elevator.
A pair of slim legs covered in shiny tights disappeared beneath a sleeveless black dress coat decorated with metallic stitched patterns that looked like they'd been splashed with oil that came to a belt that was wrapped around a curved waist, a pair of mounds that looked to be straining against the tightness of the upper portion held together by a zipper. Olive undertone skin was visible between its collar and the bandages covering the upper half of her face, doing little to keep back the long navy hair that reached her elbow, the click of her boots echoing loudly as she stepped out into the lobby.
Anger unlike any he's felt before flooded his being when he spotted the fresh scratches and signs of dried blood on her bare arms. Sparks danced in the air around him as his hands clenched into fists. "Damnit, I knew we took too long. If we'd gotten here sooner you wouldn't even have those." His voice, though barely above a whisper, earned him surprised glances from the classmates behind him, some sympathetic as he visibly trembled. "Better late than never, huh?" Bakugo's eyes gradually widened as the girl gave no indication of hearing him or reaction that he was standing there. "Give me some sort of sign that you're in there!"
Not even a twitch.
"Aurora!"
Silence fell like a heavy blanket over them that was shattered by a gruff laugh. "Ah, so you are that blonde brat from before. Who would have guessed that you would come to me like a pig to slaughter." A swipe of his glove wiped the trial of blood from his mouth clean. "this will be greatly entertaining." Rising to his full height, rings around his pupils flared with light. "I think it's time to test that new quirk of yours, my dear."
Kirishima and Deku moved forward as she began untying that which concealed her gaze; the forest haired teen knocked away her hands while the other collected them in a firm hold while hardening his own so as to prevent her from anymore actions. So long as the bandages were concealing her eyes, her "Maximize" quirk would be prevents from activating and the "Minimize" that was possible would be as well.
That was the hope but they were too slow.
Enough had been loosened to the point where it slowly fell to pool around her neck as if it were a scarf. Lashes rose like curtain, revealing glazed sapphire and chocolate that fell to rest on Bakugo who had remained rooted to the spot since her appearance. Though his lips moved no sound came from them as she took a step towards him. Her face was slack, as if she were nothing more than a doll sculpted to have a indifferent expression, but it was in the moment that a hand rose to tap a finger against the blonde's chin that the brown eye turned hazel.
Cracking filled the air, clothing stretching then shrugged off, until a second Katsuki Bakugo with duo colored eyes was staring back at them.
He chuckled but all were capable of hearing the undertone of uncertainty as he was unable to tear his gaze away from his doppelgänger. "Ezekiel transformed into animals, not people, so how the fuck-" Realization dawned on him as Black Trident's eyes glittered with success. "You had that coroner assistant steal that guy's eye then made her fucking eat it after altering the thing?!" Bakugo roared with fury as his quirk began to built, forming bubbles and sparks across his body. "It wasn't fucking enough that you kidnapped her parents, took them away from her, practically tortured them both to death that you have to go and turn her into a plaything?!" Saliva was spraying by this point but he was far too furious to even spare a moment for it. "Look at her! She bleeds when cut, needs food to live, water to drink! She's a human being, not a doll!"
"It is you who does not understand." Black Trident smirked while moving to stand behind her, causing the blonde to bristle as the villain's hands cupped her cheek, giving the silent command that her natural facial features could return so as to spur the young teen before them. "You and her parents were both fools for not realizing this girl's potential. It was only my guidance that allowed her to accomplish such feats, you should honestly be thanking me."
"Fuck off, you psychopath!"
Icy eyes widened as he was shown the blonde's middle finger. The little brat that had played with his precious toy back in the park all those years ago…was standing before him right now! Glee and excitement pounding loudly through his veins as he bent his head until their cheeks brushed.
An audible snap was heard from Bakugo as he trembled and radiated with heat. "Get your fucking filthy hands off of her!"
"Aurora, the first person you saw when removing those bandages…who was it?"
Her hand slowly rose to point at Bakugo.
"Good girl. I want you to take him out."
Ruby eyes widened as feminine features morphed to mirror his own while she dropped into a ready stance, hands sparking with loud pops. 'Oh, shit-" He braced just in time to receive the blow that sent them both flying backwards and through the lobby's far wall.
See you next time!