We're heading into the next big arc of this A.U. This chapter's conclusion might come as a no-brainer to a few of you, and to some, it might not. All I have to say is that I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. But, before we begin…

I have a P-Atr-Eon. Please check it out! The links are all in my bios on Wattpad, FF Dot Net, Ao3, and Qoutev. Just in case, here is the link: gobblegum2?fan_landing=true&view_as=public

[Note: The first tier on Pat-re-On has been changed from $1.75 to $1.50. I know it's not much, but it's the lowest the site is allowing me to do, believe me, I tried. That's all]

And with that being said, one more thing….

WARNING! THIS STORY CONTAINS SCENES/MENTIONS/IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOLLOWING: CANNIBALISM, EXTREME GORE, BULLYING, ABUSE, BRUTAL DEATH, HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION, AND HEAVY BLOODSHED.

IF ANY OF THESE THINGS BOTHER YOU, TURN BACK NOW!

IF THE WARNING DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU...

THIS STORY IS A FAN-BASED FICTION

I OWN NEITHER MY HERO ACADEMIA NOR DEMON SLAYER/KIMETSU NO YAIBA

ALL I OWN ARE MY OCS

[Vol 2 – 5: Moving Forward – Part 1]

In all her years of being married to Masaru, Mitsuki could garner one thing from their current affairs, that being that a complete role reversal had happened. Now, it wasn't Masaru breaking up fights between Katsuki and herself, it was her breaking up fights between Masaru and Katsuki. Mitsuki also noticed, no, rather experienced, that Masaru was becoming more and more addicted to those shotty cans of beer that he bought every other day.

To make matters worse, she was also aware that he was overworking himself, rarely ever coming home, and when he did, it was to yell and berate her for "being a failure of a mother and a wife" all the while slurring his words after getting 7 cans deep into those stupid beer cans of his. He would never share a bed with her anymore, electing to sleep on the couch.

It was painful to watch her husbands decline into the drunken mess that he had become. It was like watching a trainwreck; one simply couldn't look away, even if it was disturbing to know that within the wreckage lay a broken, damaged man who was once someone to be respected.

But that's not where the troubles ended in the Bakugo household. Those were only the surface-level issues that everyone in the neighbourhood was aware of, at least, to some degree. What went behind closed doors was a completely different affair.

Even when sober, Masaru never kissed her anymore, never made love to her, and never did really anything with her anymore. He would wake up, have a cup of coffee, then walk out the door, did his job, probably did some overtime work, then came home and hurled his abusive insults toward her. He would even get into physical altercations, even sometimes using his Quirk on her by slinging his acidic sweat around, resulting in small burns appearing on her skin, though by then he was already drunk and out of his mind.

Yet, she never reported a thing. Not to the cops, not the local hero patrols, not to anybody. Masaru was their only source of stable income. Sure, she worked at a design agency for hero costumes, but she was only paid for the commission, and the brand she worked with was an upstart, meaning there were next-to-no costumers. By herself, she barely made any money at all, whatsoever. Masaru was the only one who made a stable enough living, so, she allowed him to say and do whatever he wanted.

It was completely out of character for her to do that. In the beginning, she fought back. But over the years, she lost her fire, lost her passion, and was completely drained because of it. She was completely submissive and often found herself crying a whole lot more than she used to.

And while she lost that edge, Masaru gained it with a fierceness that she had never seen from the docile man before. There was a saying that she heard from someone on the streets before and that saying was "to be wary of the quiet ones. Often times they have the most fight in 'em, and get really rough when it's needed."

And while she heard that from a hooker teaching a newbie how it's done, those words couldn't have matched Masaru to a tee more. Now more than ever. Even so, it wasn't as if she resented Masaru. Far from it. He was hurting, deeply so, and while his avenue of grieving was wrong, and it was clear he needed to see a therapist, he refused to do so. It was profoundly stupid of him, and she was pretty sure he was aware of that. But, just like she had been, he had become increasingly stubborn; though at least he was willing to admit his faults in some instances, it wasn't enough.

She wanted to yell at him, to tell him to wise up and get a grip, but she knew it would only make things worse in the long run. All it would do was cause Masaru to spiral harder, and eventually do something he would regret later down the line. Mitsuki didn't want to risk that, nor did she want to risk the damage that would bring to Katsuki.

Speaking of her son, there were times when Katsuki asked if she was alright. The visible pain on his face when she said that she was alright and that nothing bad was happening, made her heart crack. She knew that all she would have to do is give the word, to tell him that everything wasn't all right and that Katsuki would go to the ends of the earth to snap Masaru out of it. Or, at the very least, warn him, or do something, anything.

But she lied. She lied to keep the peace.

Peace…. That ended when Inko died. It hit Masaru like a truck. The two knew each other back in high school, and along with her, himself, and Inko, they were inseparable. When Inko met Hisashi, Masaru was happy for her. When Hisashi practically abandoned Inko and Izuku when the boy was no older than 3 years old, Masaru was always there for her, calling her to make sure she was okay.

So, it came as no surprise that when Inko died, he spiralled. At that point, everything was still okay. He didn't drink, but he did say and do less at the house. Around a year after she died, he started drinking, and that was when the problems started. What was worse was that Izuku was missing, and presumed dead by police. They suspected him of being the reason behind Inko's death a while ago, especially seeing as he had a record for 2nd-degree manslaughter at the age of 11.

But, when he completely dropped off the edge of the earth, they declared him missing, and presumed him dead. At that point, Mitsuki gave up hope that she'd ever get an answer as to what happened to Inko because chances were that Izuku had the answers. But if he was missing, or worse, dead, then there was no getting closer.

And so, as she sat on the couch, still mourning her best-friends death, flipping through T.V. channels absentmindedly, Mitsuki closed her eyes and prayed silently that something, anything, would help to come and turn things around. To show her a sign that life would get any easier.

And, like magic, a knock came on the door. Her eyebrow raised and glanced over at the wooden door with a hint of curiosity. If it had been Katsuki or Masaru, they would've opened the door and walked in. Neither would've bothered to knock so that in of itself was rather curious.

"Who's there?" Mitsuki called out, earning no reply. Slowly, she stood up, walking toward the door to check through the peephole. Standing up close to the door was a suited individual, though she couldn't make out any exact features, other than that they were male. Reaching for the lock, Mitsuki unlocked the door but kept the chain in place as she slowly opened the door.

Peeking out of the crack, she looked up to see the face of the person who stood on her front step, and what she saw caused whatever cautious expression that had been on her face to drop instantly, being replaced with what could only be described as confusion, joy, and sorrow.

The person in question had greenish-black hair, crimson-red eyes, and pale skin with a few freckles dotting around the cheeks. He wore a black and white fedora and a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath. For legwear, he wore a pair of black jeans, and for footwear, he wore a pair of black dress shoes.

"Am I interrupting something, Bakugo-san? Or perhaps, I came at a bad time?" The mystery boy asked as Mitsuki, who still lurked behind the chained door, felt so many different emotions in that one small sentence. She hadn't even realized that she unhooked the lock on the door, as the boy let himself in, his red, cat-like eyes glancing over her as he entered the home. Taking off his suit jacket and placing it on the coat hanger, the boy faced Mitsuki, a small smile on his face.

"I… Izuku… is that, really you?" Mitsuki whispered her tone one of disbelief. He was nearly as tall as her now, maybe the same height as Katsuki now. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and his smile became more benevolent.

"It's been a while, Auntie. How about we have a nice cup of coffee, and catch up? I'm sure you want answers…. And, I'll try and give them to the best of my ability," Izuku replied as the two looked at one another. It was so… surreal. Seeing Izuku alive was just so… strange. Not in the bad kind of strange, far from it, but definitely strange. She believed the boy to be dead for the last 4 years, and now here he was, 15 years old, standing in front of her with a smile on his face as if nothing was wrong.

A part of Mitsuki felt bitter, and a little entitled. It had been so long, and he had been alive this entire time. Why hadn't he come forward sooner? Why hadn't he shown up at all? Where was he this whole time? What had he been doing that he considered more important than checking up on family and friends? Where was he at Inko's Funeral? So many questions, with very few answers, some of which would be heartbreaking. Some of those questions she wouldn't bother to ask, namely the funeral one. Chances were that he didn't want to go because of some reason or another. It wasn't her place to ask, but she did want to know the other answers to those other questions she had.

And so, she agreed to have a cup of coffee with the boy. It was a good idea, and besides, it had been a while since she had a cup of coffee with… well, anyone.

The two walked into the kitchen and fixed themselves two cups. Izuku didn't put anything in his, leaving it black. He didn't seem perturbed by it either, which was an interesting development. Then again, from what she remembered about the boy, it was that his taste buds never really worked, so perhaps he didn't see the need to add anything to his coffee. Personally, she liked it with 2 cream and 2 sugar. But that was neither here nor there.

The two sat down at the kitchen table, and when they did, Izuku clasped his hands together. "Well, I'm willing to answer any question you want. However, I must advise you that any answer I give to you will be between the two of us. No one else. Got it? Otherwise, I will not be answering any questions," Izuku said, his eyes narrowed, which gave off this almost commanding aura from the teen, almost intimidating her.

It didn't feel right. And the strange part about it was that it worked. For a split second, she was afraid of Izuku. Afraid of what he might do if he found out that she said anything to anyone else after their conversation. But why? Why was she afraid? There was nothing to be afraid of, right? It wasn't as if he was a bad person or anything. He was still the same old Izuku Midoriya from before, he even looked the same, just with a little bit more muscle to his body. That was it.

She let out a nervous chuckle, before nodding. "I understand, Izuku," Mitsuki replied as the green-and-black-haired teen nodded, dropping the serious expression and narrowed eyes for a more relaxed look. The two sat in silence, taking sips from their coffees every so often, before finally, a question came to Mitsuki's mind. One that she had been wondering about for years.

"What… happened to Inko, Izuku?" Mitsuki asked, as Izuku seemingly froze. His shoulders tensed, and his eyes took on an almost shocked gleam. Like he wasn't expecting her to ask that. Which… made no sense? Why wouldn't he expect her to ask that? Regardless, she continued. "When they found her body… when I found her body, it looked like she had been partially eaten. Like someone came into the house and tore her apart. The police couldn't find your body, even though they were looking for it, because they had suspected you to be dead. When they couldn't find a body, you were seen as a suspect. Then you never showed up, and a year later, you were declared missing and presumed dead, though with possible connections to the crime scene. If you know anything, Izuku… please, tell me," Mitsuki said, her tone pleading.

She was desperate for answers as to what happened to Inko. Of who did it. And Izuku might have known. That might have been the reason why he ran away, because he was afraid to say anything. Maybe it was a criminal gang that threatened him into silence? Henceforth why he ran away? She needed to know, and she needed to know today. For her peace of mind.

Izuku let out a shaky sigh, taking another sip of his coffee. When he put his mug down, a haunted look appeared in his eyes, as he clasped his lips together. She could tell he was clenching his teeth by the way his jaw hardened, and by the way his eyebrows furrowed.

And then, he spoke.

"Auntie…. Never ask me that question again. I don't want to re-live that night… it traumatized me. All you need to know is that what happened that night… was never supposed to happen. I could've stopped it, but I was too scared to… too scared to face the consequences of what would've happened if I attempted to stop it…." Izuku explained, looking over at Mitsuki with a hardened glare. "I saw it all go down… my mother was cannibalized… but that's all I can say. I can't say who, because I never got to see their face. I can't say how they left, because I hid after she fell… all I know is that they're still out there and that I've been searching for them ever since."

Mitsuki lowered her head to look at the ground. "He's just as much in the dark about all of it as me… damnit…." The blonde thought, sighing, before looking back at Izuku with a small smile. "I'm sorry, Izuku…. I knew I shouldn't have asked that question, but… I just thought you might've known something…."

Mitsuki was shocked to see a small smile on his face after that response. She half expected him to get mad… but he didn't. "It's alright…. You thought I knew something, so you asked. I was at the scene of the crime, so I was bound to have some form of information. Just not the kind you're looking for," Izuku replied as he took another sip of coffee. "Any other questions?"

Mitsuki tapped her chin, trying to think of something to say, anything, but found herself at a loss. It was only then that she thought of something. "Oh! Uh… where do you live now, anyway? You clearly don't live in that old apartment complex in downtown Musutafu, so where are you now?"

Izuku chuckled, rubbing at the back of his head. "I'm Homeless. I just hop around hotel to hotel with whatever money I can scrounge up," Izuku said, a small smile on his face. "It's not the best, but fast food doesn't pay all too well. I have just enough to eat and get clothes from the Salvation Army. I lucked out with this suit, it only cost me 1,250 yen! Sure, it had to be washed a bit, but it came out nice enough!" Izuku finished as he leaned back in his chair.

"I know it's not what you expected, but… it's just how my life is. I got dealt a bad hand, but I'm taking it in stride," Izuku said, sighing. "Anything else? I'm kinda busy, and I have things I need to do. My manager is gonna kill me if I'm late to work today, I'm supposed to take a double shift from 5 to 9 then 9 to 12. I'm already late enough as it is, but if I'm any later…."

Mitsuki frowned but understood what he was getting at. He had his priorities, and she wasn't going to keep him for too long. "Well… I… I have one more question, Izuku…." Mitsuki started as Izuku raised an eyebrow, signalling for her to continue. "… I was wondering if you could stay for dinner tonight…. I'm sure everyone would want to see you again, and… even if it's only once. I feel like I owe this to your mother in some regard…."

Izuku once again clamped his jaw shut. He seemed conflicted, but after a few seconds, he sagged in his chair before sighing. "I don't see the issue… I guess I can take the verbal lashing from my manager…. Alright, I'll stay for dinner. But after dinner, I have to leave, okay?" Izuku replied, a sense of… worry in his voice.

Why worry? What was he so worried about? Did he fear his manager that much? If so, then why even work in that environment? Mitsuki nodded, a little concerned for Izuku, but otherwise happy that he was willing to stay for dinner. The blonde-haired woman stood up from her chair and got straight to work preparing dinner. Getting out the cutting board and a few vegetables, and some chicken breasts, with a few cups of rice, Mitsuki decided that tonight she'd make stirfry.

Stirfry wasn't exactly one of her favourite meals, but it was one of Katsuki's. Granted, that was only when she put some Jalapenos in it, as well as some habaneros, which she was doing, but otherwise, it was one of his favourites. She looked over her shoulder from time to time to see Izuku sitting at the table, scratching at his hand as his fingers drummed against the table in a rhythmic pattern.

He seemed… anxious. Why? Why was he anxious? Maybe he was anxious about seeing Katsuki again. It was possible. "Speaking of Katsuki… where is that boy?" Mitsuki thought as the sound of the front door opening and closing reverberated throughout the house.

"Oi! Hag! I'm home!" Katsuki's booming voice ripped throughout the house like a shockwave, catching Mitsuki's attention. She was about to call out to him, but Izuku shook his head. Mitsuki raised an eyebrow but understood what he was getting at. He wanted to surprise Katsuki, which at first confused her, but she assumed that it was his way of pranking him. So, she said nothing, going along with whatever Izuku might've had in mind.

Footsteps drew closer to the kitchen, as Katsuki spoke up again. "Oi, Hag! I said I'm home!" Katsuki stated as he stepped into the kitchen. When he did, his eyes widened at seeing Izuku, who smiled at him.

"Why, Hello there, Kacchan! It's been a while…. I guess I have some explaining to do!" Izuku said, his tone of voice slightly cheery. Katsuki stood there, blinking a few times, before he went pale in the face, and started to fall backwards. Mitsuki dropped everything that she was doing to go catch the boy before he hit his head against the counter corner, only for something to snap past her.

She only saw it for a second, but when something wrapped around Katsuki like a vine, her eyes followed the black string-like wire from where it wrapped up Katsuki's torso to keep him from falling further, all the way to Izuku, who had four of those strange bungee cord things protruding from his back. His face had a neutral expression written on it, as he stood up.

"I'll go lay him down on the couch. When he wakes up, I'll answer whatever questions he might have… so long as I can answer them. You focus on making dinner, do not worry about your son," Izuku said in a monotone voice, his expression completely blank with the exception of a soul-piercing gaze, before walking Katsuki—who was still wrapped up in that strange binding—over to the living room couch. Mitsuki felt a tad uncomfortable but went with it.

So many questions shot through her mind all at once. Had Izuku's Quirk… changed since the last time they saw each other? What were that blank thousand-yard stare and the monotone voice for? Just what had happened for the otherwise cheery Izuku to turn into such a… shell of his former self? She assumed that part of it had to do with Inko's death, and perhaps that Natsumi girl's passing, but there had to have been something else….

There was something he wasn't telling her. However, she reasoned with herself that he was probably doing it on purpose. Izuku was smart, scarily so. If he didn't want to speak about something, he wasn't going to. No amount of goading would work, and she knew that. And seeing as it would've been fruitless to try and argue with him about something he seemed deadset on doing, she did as she was asked, and continued to prepare the stirfry.

xxXXxxXXxx

To say Izuku had dodged a bullet was a complete overstatement. He had debated about showing his face to the Bakugo family for a long time, and ever since he began his stint as The Hero Cannibal, he believed that going out of his way to see them would've been wasted. After all, he only had one shot in life, one appearance, and if he threw it away to clean up loose ends, then it would've been all for nothing.

Then, he found out about his shapeshifting abilities thanks to his predecessor, and after that, he knew he had to take his chance, or else risk having someone connect the dots as to who his identity would be as The Hero Cannibal.

His plan was simple. Approach the home of the Bakugos as a completely different person, his Izumi Sugiyama appearance, then morph when no one was looking, enter the household, then kill them all in one fell swoop. There was only one small hiccup. Well, two actually.

One: He hadn't really eaten anything today, and his freezer back at his house was now empty, meaning he'd have to refill it by taking a vagrant off the street or finding another pedophile in his complex, which wasn't all too hard, as sad as that sounded. He knew he was reaching his hunger limit, and if he didn't eat something by 6:30 PM, he was going to snap and eat someone innocent—something he vowed to never do again after he killed and devoured his mother that fateful spring night.

Two: Only Mitsuki was home. Katsuki was nowhere to be seen, and Uncle Masaru's car wasn't in the driveway. This led to two possible outcomes. Katsuki wasn't home because he was at the arcade, and Masaru was still at work. Or, the second option, aka the more nonsensical one. Katsuki was dead somehow, and Mitsuki and Masaru were divorced. As far as he was concerned, while the second option was more favourable for his current situation, it seemed too unrealistic. The only way he could ever see Katsuki dying was either by his hands or by some other villains. That, and the idea of Mitsuki and Masaru having a divorce made no sense to Izuku. After all, they were meant for each other. Why would they divorce?

But, outside of those two issues, everything seemed fine. Everything was going to go exactly according to plan. Once Masaru and Katsuki got home, he would enact his plan, and go home as if nothing ever happened.

And then he saw the faint bruises on Mitsuki's face and arms through the poorly concealed makeup. He saw the joy in her eyes upon seeing him, as well as the sadness. He saw the pain and sadness when he denied her the information about what really happened to his mother. And that was when his plan fell to pieces.

He couldn't kill her. Hell, his other idea of turning her into a Demon was also something he refused to do. Aunt Mitsuki was just that, his aunt. He wasn't going to turn her into a flesh-eating monster. He wasn't going to kill her either. He was a monster, a Demon, yes, and he'd kill anyone who stood in his way, no matter who they were so long as their death wasn't meaningless.

He was not, nor would he ever be, a cold, heartless, vile monster that killed others for the sake of killing them. Not unless things took a drastic turn. He saw no reason to kill Mitsuki, or the Bakugos, for that matter. A part of him was disgusted that he even thought of that idea in the first place. Their deaths would've been meaningless.

All save for potentially one.

Katsuki's.

As far as Izuku was concerned, Katsuki could very well turn out to be a threat. His Quirk, Explosion, wasn't exactly a threat to him, per se, but it was his actions, his words, and his intellect that scared him. Katsuki was more than just a brute with a powerful Quirk. Izuku knew that and then some. Katsuki was intelligent. Katsuki was strong. And Katsuki, when he wanted to be, which was usually most of the time, was scary.

His actions, his goals, and his ambitions were something to fear, as they directly opposed his own goals. Katsuki wanted to be The Number One Hero. Katsuki wanted to use the commercialization of heroics to become a celebrity, for people to cheer his name and to be seen as the strongest hero, even stronger than All Might!

Izuku wanted to be the Greatest Villain Japan had ever known. He wanted Japan to rue the day it made Heroics commercialized and mainstream, to forever root out fake heroes who used the title of "hero" to cover up their horrendous acts.

Katsuki was loud and in your face about everything he did, and did everything on the fly rather than take hours to make an elaborate plan because he was good at thinking on his feet, and issuing orders.

Izuku liked to plan things out ahead of time, learn about his enemies, get inside their heads, and destroy them from within before ultimately killing and eating them.

In other words, Katsuki was the complete antithesis of Izuku, and it was in that which Izuku wanted him dead. If he was dead, he wouldn't have to worry about him in future.

Or so… he thought.

Because when Katsuki saw him in the kitchen after he gave the boy a rather taunting greeting, rather than lunge at him and attack him, shouting at him for being gone for so long and demanding answers. Katsuki… fainted. Katsuki Bakugo fainted. He passed out. He showed weakness. There was no second wind, there was no spunky way of brushing it off… he just… passed out. He fainted.

Something had changed. Katsuki had changed. A sentence, nor thought, that Izuku ever would've believed possible. It was why he entered a somewhat monotone state. It made no sense to Izuku. The bombastic bully Katsuki Bakugo, Kacchan, whatever his name was to Izuku now, no longer had the same spunk he used to have in him. But that made no sense. How did Izuku see that? Simple. He saw it in his eyes for the split second that he wasn't reacting to his appearance.

His eyes were devoid of that spark. His eyes reeked of depression. Of loneliness. Of being lost. Katsuki was a shell of his former self. Or, better put, the Katsuki Bakugo Izuku Midoriya knew back in Aldera Junior High was dead, and whoever this guy was who shared the face and name of Katsuki Bakugo took his place.

It seemed so… outlandish. So… unbelievable, that it threw everything he knew about the Bakugos through a loop. His plan had been utterly dismantled, and his goals for tonight were in tatters. And now he had to survive dinner with them without going feral and devouring them because now he believed that their deaths would serve no purpose to him.

Sure, they knew he was alive. Sure, they knew his face. But none of them knew he was The Hero Cannibal or a Demon. They didn't know his current life, they didn't know his new name of Muzan Kibutsuji, they knew nothing of his other alter ego of Izumi Sugiyama who he created on the spot for Ochako Uraraka's initial transformation into a Demon, one that he was now going to use as The Hero Cannibal from here on out. In other words, killing them would do nothing for him in the long run.

Of course, then there was Masaru, who he hadn't seen yet. He knew Katsuki would never lay a hand on his mother for any reason, no matter how annoying he thought her to be. That meant that Uncle Masaru had a fall from grace. If there was anyone within the Bakugo family he would kill, it would most likely be Masaru; though that depends if he raises a hand to Mitsuki in his line of sight. He didn't want to assume anything. After all, assuming things led to conflicts and complications later down the road.

And the last thing he needed was complications. It was why he had sprung forth his original plan, to begin with. But now that it was null and void, he now had to play a dangerous game of biding his time.

Which led him to now, sitting across from Bakugo's unconscious form, his face rigid and contemplative. It was 5:45 PM right now, meaning he had about another 45 minutes to leave before something bad happened. He could already feel his fingers twitch, and his hunger wash over him, as dull as it might've been.

He had been sitting there for what felt like 5 minutes, and Katsuki had yet to awaken. Naturally, Izuku was starting to get annoyed, and so, he did the only thing that seemed reasonable at that moment in time—slap him across the face to wake him up.

Needless to say, one slap to the cheek and a jolt of energy later, Katsuki was sitting up, blinking rapidly and looking around the room. When crimson red eyes landed on Izuku, they immediately widened, before narrowing into angry slants. "Cat eyes… you're… alive?"

Izuku shrugged. "Well, considering I'm in front of you, breathing, I'd have to assume that means I am alive," Izuku quipped, sarcasm dripping from his tone. Katsuki looked away, unable to make eye contact with him. Izuku smirked, crossing his arms as he reclined in his chair, one leg over the other as he sighed. "I know you must have questions, seeing as you thought me dead until recently. So, in light of that, I will answer any question you have to the best of my ability… so long as it has nothing to do with my mother. I do not wish to re-live that memory…."

Izuku shivered for added effect. Truth be told, he really didn't want to re-live that memory. But, he knew that if he said anything about it, it would draw suspicion from Katsuki. Bless Aunt Mitsuki's soul, but she was a bit naïve when it came to him. Katsuki, on the other hand, would poke holes in the story that he told Mitsuki, so relaying that to him would only make him question the truth. Denying the option for him to ask about that day would not only save him from a headache but also make it so he didn't have to force himself to kill them.

He wasn't here to cause harm to the Bakugos, not anymore at least.

"…whatever. That's all I wanted to know about. Since you're not gonna talk about that, I'm gonna head to my room, don't waste my time, Cat eyes," Katsuki spat, standing up from the couch, and leaving the room altogether. Izuku blinked, a tad bit shocked. He had expected Katsuki to have more than just that to ask. But if that was all he cared about….

"That makes my life easier," Izuku thought, sighing out of relief. When he did, however, Katsuki turned around and glared at him.

"But I want to know one thing. Why'd you kill those villains?" Katsuki asked, making Izuku freeze in place.

"What villains?" Izuku asked, his voice cautious as Katsuki narrowed his eyes.

"The ones that killed that cat girl. Why'd you do it? Why didn't you just let the heroes handle it? Why would you throw away your future for some girl you barely even knew?" Katsuki stated, his voice cold, yet curious. Izuku felt his shoulders tense, before huffing out hot air.

"I knew her for a year, Bakugo. She was my friend. My friend was being actively murdered in that alleyway for some dumb reason or another, and two heroes were standing around doing nothing, letting it happen. I stepped in and saved my friend…. Until I didn't. If I had been just a few minutes sooner… if I had been quicker in my actions… if I hadn't run away from her in the first place, then maybe she'd still be alive," Izuku lamented, turning to face Katsuki with a glare.

Katsuki, for his part, shrank in the glare that Izuku sent his way. This caught Izuku off guard but shrugged it off nonetheless. "In short, Bakugo…. They deserved it. I did the heroes' jobs for them. Those bastards knew what was coming for them. I might have a criminal record, but I don't regret it for even a moment. And if I had to do it again, I would, a million times over if I had to."

Katsuki clicked his tongue against his teeth, before leaving the living room and heading up the set of stairs that led to his bedroom. Mitsuki, who stood in the doorway of the kitchen, had a small sombre smile on her face. She didn't say a word, only retreating back into the kitchen. Izuku's stomach grumbled as he paled.

He was getting hungry.

Now, scratch that… he was hungry.

He could feel saliva drip down from the corners of his mouth, as his eyes shrunk into smaller slits. Clamping a hand over his jaw, he glanced over to the kitchen, then spoke.

"Aunt Mitsuki…. I will return in a moment. I must… deal with something. My manager texted me, saying that I need to be back at the location immediately," Izuku lied as Mitsuki called out from the kitchen with an 'okay'.

That was all Izuku needed, confirmation to leave. Slipping on his shoes, he ran for the front door and ducked out of it faster than he had any right to. Unbeknownst to him, Katsuki watched him leave through his bedroom window, his eyebrow arched the whole time. The blond bomber opened his window, and dangled his legs out of it, before propelling himself out of the window, softening the landing with a pair of small explosions, before then following Izuku.

As for Izuku, he ducked into an alleyway and transformed into Izumi Sugiyama. When she did, her body began to go through the same metamorphosis as it did the last time. Shivering at the change once again, Izumi frowned, looking down at her body again. "I will never get used to this…." Izumi whispered, exiting the alleyway as she patted down her pants.

She had to find someone to eat, and fast, otherwise, she was going to lash out at a random passerby. And so, the hunt began. All the while Katsuki was right on her tail, eyes widened as he watched Cat-eyes, who had entered the alleyway as a dude, only to come out of it a woman. He knew it was him based on the hair colour and the same eyes. That, and the outfit was the exact same, so there was also that.

"Did… did Cat-eyes just… change genders? What the hell is going on?!" Katsuki thought, a headache coming on stronger than he had been anticipating. But, one thing was for certain.

Katsuki was going to get to the bottom of this, and he was going to get to the bottom of this now. Just what the hell had happened to Cat-eyes over the last four years, and how the hell could he change his appearance at the drop of a hat like that? So many questions, and the only person who could answer those questions, was the person that he just watched walk out of the alleyway. And if there was one thing he knew about Cat-eyes, it was that he was tight-lipped when it came to secrets—especially when they revolved around himself.

All he had to do was get his answers, and leave. What could possibly go wrong?

-To Be Continued-