It'd taken him over a year, but he'd finally done it. He convinced his parents to get him a puppy. Every time he asked, well begged, they would respond with something along the lines of 'We're not taking care of a puppy for you' or 'Dogs are expensive Katsuki and a lot of work.' It was annoying, but he kept pushing.

They must have gotten annoyed with his 'whining' because on his seventh birthday his parents brought home the biggest dog he'd ever seen! His mother had refused to buy him a puppy, the rugs and furniture too expensive to have a puppy around, so she brought home an older dog from the nearby pound.

It was a giant German Shepard, about five years old already, with the most beautiful coat- a mix of golden honey and the darkest of coal. And if the sun hit it just right, it looked almost as if it glowed. Katsuki decided to name her Moonie, after the moon and stars. She was the sweetest thing, a gentle spirit but with a fierce protective streak. Several times she saved Katsuki from falling down the stairs or in the yard.

The two of them were practically inseparable, glued to the hip. They played together for hours, Moonie wearing a blue cape and Katsuki a red one. Together they were a hero duo fighting invisible monsters and villains in the backyard or park. She was his best friend, his companion, his savior in some cases.

And she was wonderful.

As Katsuki grew older his family became less and less involved in his daily life. They worked long hours and weren't home until after dark. Occasionally they'd bring Auntie Inko over to babysit, but not once did they ever hire a nanny. But that was alright, he had Moonie.

By the time he was eight years old he was going to the park and the nearest conbini all by himself- well not really, he had Moonie with him after all. Sometimes he'd even go hiking or down to Dogabah Beach and the two of them would play heroes. But after a few too many strangers asking about his parents, Katsuki found the best place to play was where there weren't any adults.

Which is what brought him to the abandoned alleyways near his school. His parents had warned him multiple times not to play there because they didn't want him to 'bring something home.' But well, he was far past listening to his parents nowadays. The alleyways were always empty anyway, he didn't know why his mother was so worried. They weren't even that dirty! They were the perfect place to play, no one ever bothered him and he could stay as long as he wanted.

He was running up and down the alleyway, his cherry red cape billowing in the wind, with Moonie chasing after him. Katsuki giggles when Moonie catches up behind him and nuzzles her nose to hind legs. Her wet nose sent shivers down his spine. She bumps her head against him again, a soft whine filling the alleyway.

"Hehe quit it Moonie. It's hero time!" Katsuki laughs softly and tries pushing her nose away, but she won't budge. "Come on girl quit it!"

A raspy chuckle overtook Katsuki's own, except it wasn't his voice. Katsuki spins around to see a dark figure walking from around the alley's wall.

"Hero time?" In the light, the man's sunken eyes glow an odd green. The man shuffles his way down the alleyway, a cigarette in hand- the smoke filling the alley with a heavy musk.

Katsui knew he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, his mother has warned him many times, but there was something about this man that pulled him in.

"Y-yeah, we're playing heroes." Katsuki eases with as much casualness as he can muster behind Moonie, his hands fidgeting his cape.

"Heroes hmm? Do you wanna be a hero too?" The man slumps down on his knees until the two of them were eye to eye. Moonie places herself between the two but doesn't bark or growl. She too under the man's magnetic gaze.

"Yeah! I'm gonna be the best fucking hero out there!" Katsuki eases a little under the man's gaze, something about his strangely green eyes pulling him in- leaving him undefended.

"Heh, quite the tongue on ya' brat." The man reaches out and ruffles Katsuki's hair, he was close enough now that the stink of the cigarette was burning his lungs. It shouldn't bother him as much as it does, his quirk creating enough smoke from his explosions that he should be used to it by now.

"Hey kid, can you do something for me?" The man slowly caresses his face, the palm of his hand felt as dry as a rock.

"Hmm?" Katsuki tilts his head upwards, but the man isn't looking at him, but something behind him.

"Hold real fucking still."

"Wh-, Ehrmph!" A blindfold is pulled over his eyes and he's swept off his feet. He can hear Moonie barking and growling at the man and a raspy laugh from behind him.

"Knock him out." The strange man's voice came closer as Katsuki tried to wiggle himself out of the other's grasp. He tries firing off his explosions, but something clamps down around his wrists- a strange emptiness filling his bones. His quirk- it won't work!

"Moonie! Moonie! Bite him!" Katsuki calls out, the man sighs and a harsh whine fills the alleyway. He can't see what's happening but Moonie growls below him.

"Ow! You sonuvabitch!" The man yelps out in pain. There's a loud thud and more whining from below him.

"Moonie! Moonie Where are you! Get off me Asshole!" Bakugou thrashes about in the other's arms.

"Just knock him out already!" The other grunts in his ear and something heavy slams down on the back of his head. His head spins and he feels as though he'll throw up. The last thing he remembers is the pain and the musty smell of old cigarettes.

His bones feel heavy and his skin clammy with sweat. He tries to move but something cold digs into his back, something heavy? Metal maybe? He's not sure. His hands are clasped behind his back, the restraints scratching against his wrists. His mind feels foggy and he can't see anything. He's still blindfolded, the fabric tight around his head. Katsuki tries to move again, but he hits the other side of the- whatever it is.

A click of a lock draws him from his mind. Soft footsteps creep closer to him, he tries moving backward but he hits something against his back. A rattling noise fills the room, definitely something metal.

"Good morning little puppy. Did you have a nice nap?" His mind is still foggy, but the rasp filled voice is the same from the alleyway.

This asshole! What the fuck does he think he's doing! Oh, shit-

Moonie!

"M-moonie? Where are you girl?" He barely rasps out, his throat feels dry as a bone.

"Tch." Something grabs at his hair and pulls him against the metal bars. Is he in a cage? "Bad dog, you should know better than to bark like that."

"I'm not a dog you creep!" What the hell is this guy's deal?

"Quiet!" The man slams his head into the cage, the metal bars pressing into his forehead. Bakugou nearly whimpers at the sudden slam but keeps his resolve.

"Now, if you behave like a good puppy I'll take the blindfold off. Do you promise to be good?" Bakugou nods silently, but this only seems to anger the man further. "SAY IT!" The man screams into his ear, his stale breath leaving a foul taste in his mouth.

Promising anything is an attack on his pride, but he'd much rather be able to see so he could beat this guy's ass.

"Promise to what? Say it Moonie."

He hesitates before biting his tongue and jerking away. "I-I promise to be good."

"Good dog." The man has the gull to reach in and pet his head. Slowly the man reaches behind him and pulls the blindfold loose. The light was blinding against his eyes.

He glanced around the room-bare except for the several dog crates and mats. There was a bowl in the corner if he squinted he could just barely make out the name- "Moonie."

What the hell?

Moonie where are you?

Mom?

Dad?

...Fuck.

He wakes up to the sound of a lock opening, his cage door opened for the first time since he'd been here. With nothing to track the time it was hard to tell how long he'd been here., But he'd wager at least two days judging by the state of his stomach.

"Eat." The strange man throws a bowl on the ground, the same one he'd seen in the corner earlier, it clunks against the floor- spilling half the content on the floor. A putrid smell permeates the air, something akin to dead fish. His stomach lurches and he tries turning away, but the smell was still just as strong.

Dog food? He really expects me to eat this shit?

The man bends down and unlocks the crate, the lock clanking on the ground. A sharp tug pulls at his scalp as the man fists his hair and yanks out. He thrusts his head down near the food, the smell so strong he could taste it.

"I'm not eating this shit!"

The creep pulls his head upwards by his hair and half whispers into his ear. "I said eat."

Katsuki spits at the man's boot and snarls in defiance. His face is shoved into the wet mess of dog food and smeared around until it fills his nostrils and mouth.

"You like dogs so much, how about you eat like one. Do it, eat it with your mouth like the dog you are." The man kept his head pressed against the pile of dog food, it feels like slime sliding down his nose and into his mouth- a wet and cold ichor that smelled of rotten fish and old grain.

"'M nah a dog." He mumbles through the food, little chunks filling his mouth. It tastes as mad as it smells, if not worse.

The stranger yanks his head from the pile, little bits sliding off his face onto the floor. "What was that?" The man growls in his ear, the smell of his cigarettes meshing with the rancid puppy chow.

"I'm. Not. A. Dog." He tries speaking through shaky breaths but accidentally inhales more food.

A jolt of pain reverberates through his skull as the man sends him to the ground, his head hitting the hard wooden tiles. "Say it again and I'll muzzle you, got it?"

Without the use of his hands, Katsuki struggles to pull himself upright but eventually manages to lift his body off the ground.

"There, now be a good dog and eat." The man turns away and drags a chair across the floor, the shrill scratching of the chair piercing his ears.

He- he wants to watch.

His stomach growls angrily, whether out of pain or hunger he's not sure. Katsuki eyes the pile, his eyes stinging with unused tears, and scoots his body closer. The man gestures to the pile as if to say 'Go on. Try it.' Katsuki's shoulders droop as he lets out a shaky breath.

Fuck.

Slowly he lowers his mouth towards the bowl, he refuses to eat what was on the floor, the smell alone makes his eyes water. The man leans down a soft smirk upon his lips.

He opens his mouth and hesitantly teethes at a small portion, the feeling of dog food filling the gaps between his teeth made his stomach lurch, but fuck- he was so hungry. And he can't escape if he dies of hunger.

He finished the whole bowl- and more.

At least he's no longer hungry.

Izuku rocks on his heels and fidgets with his hands. Class was about to begin and Kacchan still hadn't turned up. He was almost never sick, and he'd never once been late. Worry pulled deep in Izuku's gut. Izuku glanced at the clock on the wall, two minutes till class started.

Maybe he came down with a cold? Or the train ran late?

Maybe- maybe he was hurt. Izuku shook the thought from his mind- no Kacchan was super strong, there's no way he'd gotten hurt.

So then where was he?

He waited for him at lunch, they didn't often sit together anymore but Kacchan's distinctly blonde spiky hair was hard to miss. But as he scanned the cafeteria Kacchan was nowhere in sight.

Again Izuku waited, this time on the school's front steps for his mother to pick him up. Kacchan lived nearby so Izuku's mother would often walk them home, even if the other grumbled the whole way back.

But as Izuku waited for his mother, he scanned the area looking for the familiar tuft of blond. It was a little silly to think he'd see him at all, if he wasn't in any of his classes then why would he be on the front steps- but well, Izuku had been hopeful.

A fluttery feeling had settled in his stomach since homeroom, like something bad was going to happen- or had already begun. Kacchan said it was a 'hero's sense' once, back before Izuku was diagnosed as quirkless.

The strange nervous dread only grew stronger as the day went on, he couldn't even finish his lunch. And now as he sat on the steps, the feeling had reached his peak. He wasn't..scared per se, but there was this overwhelming sense of 'wrongness.'

His mother had finally walked up, he half expected Kacchan to be with her already, but she was alone. She smiled sweetly at him, a mother's smile. It always made him feel better, even on the worst of days- but now...now it made him want to cry.

Something was wrong.

HIs mother almost immediately sensed something was amiss, and went to her knees to cup her son's dimpled cheeks. "Honey? What's wrong- oh baby you're so pale, are you feeling alright?" She pressed her cheek against her son's forehead, but found no sign of sickness. Frowning slightly, she held her hand out for her son and helped him up off the steps.

"Mama?" Izuku looked up at his mother, his eyes stung as tears graced his cheeks.

"What is it baby?" His mother drooped down once more and cupped her son's wet cheeks, smoothing over them with her soft hands.

He stumbles over his words, lip quivering harshly and tears pooling near his mouth. "I...I can't find him." Crocodile tears fall down his face in full force now, the weight of the day catching up to him.

"Who sweetheart?" Concern falling from her tongue as she took in the full weight of his words.

"K-Kacchan. I can't find him Mama! He's not here!" He cries up at his mother, the worry on her face melts away into a soft smile as she reassures her sobbing son.

"Oh honey, I'm sure he's fine. He probably just caught a cold. Come on, let's go home and eat some ice cream."

And if Izuku burst into sobs and half screams on the way home when a little red cape with a bright yellow explosion embroidered on the front floated down the alleyway, and the smell of death littered the air-

-well.