Chapter Text
Katsuki was at his wits end. Just earlier, the police came after Mitsuki had called them over only to end up telling them that they couldn’t file a missing person’s report just yet as Izuku hadn’t been gone for 24 hours. And although they tried not to show it, Katsuki knew the officers found the idea of a boy accidentally killing a snake and being abducted by its owner utterly ridiculous.
It was taking everything in him not to kick those idiots out the door and politely ask them to let anyone in the family know in case a boy matching Izuku’s profile came to the police station.
But having said that, it didn’t mean the blonde intended to just sit and wait. If what Momo said was true, then Deku was in danger and time was of the essence. He was currently at the barn, packing whatever could be of help to his search—and also for protection. He wasn’t sure just how crazy Himiko was but if she could go as far as to abduct someone, then she was indeed dangerous.
“Kat.” Momo called as she barged in, her eyes blowing wide at the sight of him getting ready. “You’re not seriously gonna look for them yourself, are you? Kat, it’s danger-”
“You think I don’t know that?” Katsuki hissed, only momentarily looking away from his task at hand to shoot a glare at the young woman. “And don’t try to tuck me out of it. Just because you’re helping us with this doesn’t mean I forgive you.” Once he had everything, the blonde pulled the string of his knapsack and swung it over his back. He then marched towards the door, walking past Momo but briefly pausing once he was at the doorstep and telling her in a cold yet frightened voice, “Pray that your friend is just pulling a stupid prank because if something bad happens to Deku…I’ll never forgive you, Momo. Remember that.”
As soon as she heard the door close, Momo’s knees gave out and she embraced herself with tears rolling down her cheeks. What had she done? She had become so despicable.
Kiri joined Katsuki’s search and while the latter was behind the wheel, the redhead gave him directions. “It should be here somewhere. According to Momo, Himiko’s family’s hidden estate is in this area.” But after mentioning those two rather recklessly, Kiri slowly turned to Bakugo and saw him clenching his jaw and gripping the steering wheel just a little too tightly. “Hey.” Kirishima called his friend’s attention gently. “We’ll find him. Izuku’s resilient; I’m sure he knows we’re coming for him and he’s doing something to protect himself for the time being.”
Hearing this, Katsuki loosened up a little bit. He took a deep breath and when he let it out, he let go of his harrowing thoughts along with it. “Okay, let’s find this stupid secret hideaway.”
“Aye, aye, captain!” Kiri said with a salute and went straight back to trying to decipher the map.
Katsuki put up a strong front but in his mind, he’s begging, “Please be okay, Deku. Please be alive.”
Alive, yes…but barely. Hours passed and with nothing to do and nowhere to go and especially with the presence of his uncle triggering unpleasant yet hazy memories, Izuku found himself falling in and out of sleep. And when he regained consciousness, his clothes were clinging onto his skin but it was no longer because of the water he was splashed with earlier, no. This time, he was dripping in his own sweat, feeling breathless and parched.
He instantly shut his eyes seconds after forcing them open due to the large spotlight that was directed at his cage, its harsh brightness making it impossible to see and insufferably hot.
Izuku couldn’t breathe and he was desperate for something. “Water.” He rasped, his lips cracked and bleeding.
“What was that, little Izuku? Did you want something?” Shigaraki asked, holding up a shallow bowl of fresh water which Izuku caught a glimpse of in between occasionally opening and closing his eyes.
“Wa…ter.” Izuku begged. His uncle in the flesh still sent shivers down his spine but it was his raging thirst that was taking over him. The light, it was so close and made him sweat buckets in that short amount of time. Izuku needed water if he wanted to live and he so badly wanted to live. “Water…please, uncle.”
But the older man was not moved nor was he nudged by his own conscience. In fact, this was what he intended, for Izuku to feel utterly powerless. He came closer with the bowl of water and asked, “Is this what you want?” And once the boy confirmed it with a weak nod, his cruel uncle threw the water in a steady stream onto the floor outside the cage where Izuku couldn’t even lick it off the floor.
With a flick of his tongue, Izuku tasted blood and felt the rough surface of his lips. And in that moment, tears streamed down the side of his face as memories of Katsuki filled his mind; the times when he wrapped his own jacket on Izuku to make sure he was warm, when he laid out a bed so Izuku could stretch out his legs when he sleeps and when the blonde filled his plate with clean water and made sure Izuku drank.
That time felt so distant now.
“Ka…cchan.” Izuku mouthed but no sound came.
Meanwhile, Katsuki and Kirishima have been scouring the area for sometime but to no avail. The forest was thick and unkempt with weeds growing tall everywhere and it wasn’t helping that it had gotten dark and the two boys had no other source of light other than a flashlight.
“Where the hell are we?” Kiri whispered with a shiver as cold wind blew on his face. “It’s like there’s nothing here but trees. Do you think…Momo tricked us? She wouldn’t, right?”
Katsuki bit his lower lip, forcing down the feelings of hopelessness that was creeping up on him. It just didn’t make any sense. Where could they have possibly taken Izuku and was there no way to find it? What would Izuku have done in this situation?
Then…Katsuki had a bit of a wild idea. Without saying anything to the other boy, Katsuki closed his eyes and began trying to take in anything and everything that wasn’t simply what he could see in plain sight. After all, it was pitch black outside and they’ve been looking but not seeing anything for quite sometime.
He listened; he could hear the whistling of the wind, the brushing of leaves and sounds of crickets along with the occasional flapping of birds’ wings. He tried feeling his surroundings; cold, moist air. Lastly, he heightened his sense of smell, breathing in the scents around him and inadvertently getting reminded of Izuku as he did. The boy loved to sniff things and even Katsuki himself. Izuku always recognized his scent and associated it with safety and comfort.
Fuck! Katsuki was getting distracted with thoughts that made his chest hurt. Focus! He yelled at himself in his head and focused on scents once again. Grass, the smell of rainwater and wet mud and…decay?
“What the-” Katsuki muttered to himself. But he gave his nose the benefit of the doubt and sniffed again…and he wished he didn’t. Katsuki slapped a hand over his nose as his eyelids flew open and he gagged involuntarily.
“Bakubro, what’s wrong?” Kiri asked, running over to his side and sniffing the air after seeing Katsuki covering his nose. And almost instantly, his stomach turned and he had to hold back from throwing up. The smell was easy to miss at first because there was a lot of scents wafting in the air and after a brief rain shower, the forest smelled musky and wet. But once they were made aware, the smell was impossible to ignore.
But repulsed as he was, Katsuki had an urge to find the source. He ran further into the direction of the odor to which Kiri called out to him, “Wha- where’re you going?” He had to cover the whole lower half of his face again before following suit.
And just as Katsuki suspected, he found bodies of dead animals at an advance stage of decomposition all thrown into a shallow pit. But they weren’t just any kind of animal. “They’re dogs.” Katsuki said, eyeing the all too familiar shock collars around the poor creatures’ necks. When Kiri saw the bodies, they thought of the exact same thing. “Then…Izuku must be close.” He said, not sounding the least bit relieved because how could they when things were looking more and more sinister?
It was up the hill, deeper into the woods and past broken wrought iron gates; an old, hardly noticeable house was camouflaged by the weeds that had climbed up its walls. Once they finally found it, Katsuki’s heart leaped but sank at the same time. They would finally find Izuku but…would they find him just in time? Or were they too-
Katsuki shook it off and cursed himself for even having such thoughts. He’s alive. Izuku is alive. He chanted in his head like a mantra.
Not wasting another second, the blonde signaled to Kirishima to stay low as they charged towards the residence. It was fairly easy getting inside—or so they thought. The moment they passed the gates, Kirishima’s left foot was caught by a coyote trap, its jaws snapping close around the redhead’s ankle. He instantly fell over, opening his mouth wide as if to scream but stopping himself from making a sound.
He writhed in place with tears on the corners of his eyes. The pain was excruciating but he knew that if he gave away their position, it could mean life or death for Izuku. Katsuki was at his side in a matter of seconds and his face twisted at the sight of Kirishima’s leg covered in blood.
He crouched down beside his injured friend and communicating only with their eyes, Katsuki told him he would remove the trap and albeit dreadfully, Kiri nodded. The pain of removing it was almost just as bad as when he had stepped on it but Kiri did everything not to scream and albeit not saying it out loud, Katsuki was beyond grateful to him for thinking of Izuku even in his situation.
The blonde quickly tore his own shirt and wrapped the piece of cloth tightly around Kiri’s ankle, practically cutting off the blood circulation so as to stop the bleeding. He then said, “Get on my back.” And he made a move to help the redhead climb his back but Kiri shook his head and rasped, “I’ll slow you down. Go find Izuku.”
“What are you talking about?” The blonde hissed. “We don’t know what else is out here.”
“Then just take me to a safer spot…and then go. I won’t forgive myself if I’m the reason we’re too late to save Izu.”
It occurred to Katsuki that this whole time, Kiri must’ve been just as worried and distressed. After all, he and Izuku were pretty close too.
Katsuki hated to admit it but Kiri was right; he would no longer be much help in his situation and would only hold the blonde back. Katsuki ground his teeth, feeling so angry at the people who did this—at the person who caused all this. They already hurt Izuku and even took him captive and now, Kirishima too. Fuck!
But he had no choice.
Katsuki carried Kiri to a small storage shed, flicking on the light and checking to make sure there weren’t any more booby traps. The boy was sweating beads and had lost a significant amount of blood yet he still grinned toothily and told the other, “I’ll be fine in here. Hurry up and save Izu…and then come back for me too, alright?”
“Tsk! That’s a given.” Katsuki said grumpily but that was how Kiri knew he meant it. Once Katsuki was certain Kiri would be safe, he finally and begrudgingly left him to finish what they started and he was even more determined than before.
”Who cares if she’s a girl? Himiko, you fucking psycho!”
But in that moment, Katsuki had a fleeting thought. How was a young girl doing all of this by herself? And…the dogs, the shock collars; how did she know about those intimate details of Izuku’s wretched past? But as he arrived at a broken window which would serve as his entry point into the house, he pushed the questions to the back of his mind and refocused.
Izuku wasn’t unconscious but he wasn’t fully awake either. It was honestly a cruel state to be in and part of him wished he would just fall asleep again but if he did, he was scared he might not wake up from it. His uncle, at the very least, had turned off the spotlight and was now sitting on a steel chair outside the cage with his arms and legs crossed.
He was clearly delighted, watching Izuku wither away. But he wasn’t quite satisfied. “I feel sad, Izuku. It’s like…I don’t even recognize you anymore.”
At this, Izuku’s lips curled up into a snarl which made the grey haired male bark out a laugh. “There, that’s more like the old you—the real you. You shouldn’t hurt yourself trying so hard to be what you’re not.”
“I-I’m h-hum…man.” Izuku uttered despite himself but his uncle begged to disagree. “Really? I think not. Should we check whether your DNA is that of a man or a beast? Himiko.”
Himiko appeared on cue; Izuku wasn’t even sure when she had left but when she came back, she carried a portable contraption that simply looked like bad news. “W-wha-what are y-you gon-na do?” Izuku sputtered, gathering his last bits of strength to sit up and drag himself to a corner.
“Oh, you’ll find out.” Himiko singsonged with a demonic smile on her lips.
A piercing wail echoed against the near-crumbling walls of the house, making Katsuki stop dead in his tracks—his heart dropping at the instant realization. “Izuku.” His voice trembled as he said his name and so did his hands and knees. But if he, Bakugo Katsuki, was feeling like this, what more Izuku? So he took a shaky step and another and another until eventually, the feeling returned to his legs and he was able to sprint towards the direction of Izuku’s cries.
“Hang on, Deku. Kacchan’s coming.”
Izuku continued to whimper because he was too weak now to even cry out despite the pain. On his leg, Himiko had stabbed him with the contraption that was mechanically extracting his blood—quite literally bleeding him dry. She hummed like an absolute freak as she watched the red substance pass through the transparent tubes, flicking her tongue as though she found it appetizing.
“That’s enough.” Shigaraki said after sometime and to this, the young girl protested. “But-”
“He’ll die if you keep this up…and that’s too easy a way to go.” The cold man stated, looking down at the boy who resembled a wilted plant. “Do you want uncle to make it stop, Izuku?”
At first, nothing and then, the boy very weakly nodded. Shigaraki grinned from ear to ear and asked in a voice one would use when talking to children or to one’s pet, “Are you gonna be a good boy?”
A good boy? Why did that sound so familiar yet so different? He didn’t know. He didn’t know anything anymore. And so, Izuku nodded again.
“That’s a good boy.” Shigaraki cooed after which he noticed the young girl beside him frowning. At this, he rolled his eyes and said, “Oh, c’mon. Don’t sulk.” He looked down on his phone where a live feed of the house’s security footage played on the screen and in one of those damned videos was Katsuki making his way to the basement where the three of them currently were.
“I have a bigger fish I’d like you to catch.” He told Himiko who then smiled widely with murderous glee.
~~~
As he went further down into the basement, his surroundings grew darker and darker. Kastuki switched on his flashlight and took very cautious steps, glancing left and right. He knew someone had to be in here—holding Izuku prisoner—but what he didn’t expect at all was Himiko coming up from behind him and using her heavy boot to kick Katsuki on the back and cause him to tumble down the remaining steps.
“Argh.” Katsuki groaned, knowing for certain that he had broken a rib. The flashlight that was now on the floor faced the stairs and lit Himiko in an almost ominous manner as she came down, cackling. “Looky, looky! It’s that stupid dog-boy’s trainer. Did you come to take your pet home?”
“Fuck you!” Katsuki cursed. “Where’s Izuku? Give him back to me before I really forget that you’re a girl!”
“Why? Whacha gonna do?” Himiko pretended to look scared for only a minute then cackled hysterically again. While she drove herself into a frenzy, Katsuki glanced around what little he could see and observe. Based on the echoes of their voices, he could tell this was a large space and there were all sorts of things around like tables and golf clubs. It was like a spacious storage. Was Izuku there? Could he hear him?
Just as he flicked his attention back to the girl, she pounced on him with the same contraption she had used on Izuku in hand. Katsuki moved out of the way just in time thanks to his quick reflexes but it was a close call. He winced from the pain in his mid-section but he had no time to nurse it as Himiko came at him again. As Katsuki was busy dodging her attacks, a distinct buzzing sound from an electrical discharge was heard followed by whimpering noises and it was then that the blonde got distracted. “Deku?”
And in that split second, Himiko found an opening and stabbed Katsuki on the shoulder, making him cry out in pain. He collapsed on the cold cemented floor and instantly felt light-headed. Shortly after, he registered a gurgling noise and when he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widened upon realizing what the contraption was doing—drinking his blood.
In an adrenaline fueled response, he grabbed the large needle inserted into his shoulder and ripped it out. A stream of blood gushed out from where it had been and the site burned but Katsuki couldn’t even focus on that anymore. All he could think of was Izuku was in the same room and he must be hurt. He needed to get Himiko out of the way to save Deku but…how?
The girl didn’t give him much time to think as she lunged forward again, holding the large needle high over her head before swinging it with extreme force. Much to her pleasure, Katsuki raised his hand to protect his body and the needle was buried into his forearm. He winced and dug his teeth into his lower lip as sharp pain shot through the rest of his arm but he steadied himself on his feet and tried creating some distance between himself and the crazed young girl.
However, she was quick and it wasn’t helping that this contraption was draining Katsuki’s blood supply and dulling his reflexes. Himiko was behind him in no time, taking the tubes attached to the needle and using it to strangle the blonde. Katsuki writhed, choking as he tried freeing himself. Himiko smiled devilishly wide as his face slowly turned a shade of blue and she waited with baited breath for his eyes to roll to the back of his head and for Katsuki to drop dead.
But it was then that Katsuki used a weapon that Himiko herself unknowingly handed to him. With all the strength he had left, Katsuki ripped the needle out of his arm and stabbed Himiko on her side, under her breast. He immediately felt the noose around his neck loosen as the girl staggered backwards—scarlet spreading on her pristine white shirt and into the tubes of her machine.
Katsuki leaned back onto the wall as he regained his bearings and he watched with great disturbance as Himiko’s face filled with unparalleled joy at the sight of her very own blood. She truly was insane and although she could’ve saved herself—she chose not to.
Katsuki looked away as she collapsed on the floor, telling himself not to fall apart and reminding himself what he was here to do. “Deku?” He called out in the dark. He turned around to pick up the flashlight but just before he could, a hanging overhead lamp flicked on and the sound of slow applause echoed throughout the room.
Katsuki turned on his heel, his eyes narrowing at the unfamiliar man standing before him.
“I must say…” Shigaraki said, glancing at Himiko’s limp body. “For a second there, I was sure that you would get killed. Impressive.”
Katsuki was momentarily stunned, finally getting his answer as to how Himiko did all this alone—it was because she wasn’t. This man was conspiring with her but then, what? He just sneered and applauded her demise? “Who the fuck are you?” The blonde questioned.
“Oh, how rude of me.” Shigaraki stood from his seat. He was the personification of what nightmares were made of; unusually tall, an abnormally lean build—almost skin and bones—and a face that looked deprived of decades of sleep. He was like an actual zombie! “I am someone very close to the boy you like to call Deku. I’m Tomura Shigaraki, his uncle.”
Katsuki’s eyes blew wide but he still couldn’t believe it. Last he heard, Izuku’s uncle had left the country to dodge authorities. How could he still be around and roaming freely? “How?” Katsuki asked through clenched teeth. If this was truly Izuku’s uncle, then he was currently looking at the man who subjected the boy to years of inhumane treatment and abuse.
A part of Katsuki hoped it wasn’t him—because he might just see red.
“I take it you don’t believe me.” The grey haired man chuckled. “Then perhaps…I can show you better than I can tell you.”
He switched on the large spotlight, making Katsuki squint at the glare, and when he turned it sideways, it shed light on a cage and inside it…
Katsuki’s eyes widened the size of saucers, his pupils quivering at the sight before him. “D-deku?” It came out like a question because he was almost unrecognizable. Wait, correction, he was recognizable; he resembled the old Deku that first came to their barn—filthy and beast-like.
Izuku was cowered in one corner of the cage and as soon as the light came on, he began whimpering and trying to back up further even when his back was already against the wall. His clothes clung to his skin. There were traces of blood on his clothes where Himiko had stabbed him earlier. And most of all, the light in his eyes had died; all there was to find in those green orbs were fear.
“See?” Shigaraki boomed. “You spent months making him human-like but after just one day with me…he’s back to his old self—his true self.”
The blonde trembled with rage as he forced his eyes to look at that monster, and no, he didn’t mean Izuku. No amount of grime or dog-like behavior could make Izuku look any less human in Katsuki’s eyes but on the other hand, no matter how human Shigaraki may have seemed on the surface, he could never hide his hideous self.
“Do you think you can get away with this?” He questioned the madman. “You should’ve just stayed hidden because I’m going to make sure you never get another chance to hurt Izuku.”
Shigaraki broke into a fit of uncontrollable laughter at this, the loud noise making Izuku feel visibly distraught. Once he finally recollected himself, Shigaraki asked the young man, “And how do you plan on doing that? Look at yourself; you can barely stand!”
He did have a point and Katsuki knew this. Finding this hideout then fighting Himiko had all taken a toll on him but he still had hope thanks to one thing. The blonde smirked and asked the older male, “Do you know the biggest difference between you and Deku?” Of course, he wasn’t actually looking for an answer and provided it himself. “It’s that Deku is loved and he’s loved by many—not just me.”
Katsuki intentionally made it obvious as he glanced at the small window that showed a glimpse of the skies outside. “It’s getting bright out.” He stated, a grumble-like laughter escaping his chest. “Once the 24-hour period passes, they will be sending cops here to put you away for good. And I’m gonna make fucking sure you don’t leave this place before that happens.”
The manchild’s demeanor completely changed, the reality that his crimes wouldn’t go unpunished slowly but steadily dawning on him. Then his lips curled up into a snarl before morphing into a twisted smile. “Not if I kill you and Izuku first.” He said, seemingly talking to himself more than the other boy. “Then I would get away with the perfect crime twice.” His pupils dilated from excitement and he drove himself into a frenzy just imagining it.
Watching him, Katsuki couldn’t deny he was up against a total lunatic. He could only hope he still had enough strength to hold him off until help arrived.
And just then, the older male’s gaze became fierce and atrocious. He picked out an item from his toys, a sickle which he thought best fitted this scene from the story he had created in his mind. It was where the naive yet courageous hero meets his end—a dramatic and gruesome death.
Katsuki felt his chest drum; he mustn’t die if he were to save Izuku. He kept his eyes wide open and caught the other shift his weight and suddenly charge towards him. Katsuki dodged his strike but practically heard the wind getting sliced next to him. But with one quick flick of his wrist, Shigaraki turned the sickle around and swung it at the boy—managing to get a bit of flesh and blood from Katsuki’s thigh.
He yelped, staggered then fell. But he did not stay down for long; he quickly pushed himself up with a labored groan because he knew if he lay or sat down much longer, he could lose consciousness in his current state.
Shigaraki watched almost in horror but with a hint of amusement. He glanced at Izuku then back to Katsuki and mused, “All that for that…thing?”
Katsuki twisted his lips then exclaimed, “Deku’s a person, you halfwit! You’re the one whose not even human!” But Shigaraki only laughed at this declaration and went on to prove his point by approaching the boy in captivity. “Izuku…” He called him in that honeyed voice. “Izuku…are you thirsty?”
The boy did not respond, only cowered and trembled. But his demeanor changed when his cruel uncle brought out a glass of water. His eyes followed the glass with wild excitement and desperation. His tongue flicked across his shriveled lips, not minding the taste of blood and flakes that fell from its surface like dandruff.
“You want this?” Shigaraki asked again to which the boy bobbed his head vigorously and whined. And the sadistic older male looked at Katsuki with a mean smile as if to say ‘see that’. He kept his eyes on the blonde as he stretched out his lanky arm and poured the water on the floor inside of the cage. Izuku instantly lapped it up, even making grumbling noises as he did.
Katsuki would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt to see that. And although it would seem Izuku had shut his mind off in order to cope with the mental and physical torture, a part of him remained aware; aware of his surroundings, his own behavior and the eyes that watched him sorrowfully. And this made the boy unconsciously shed tears as he continued to quench his raging thirst.
Katsuki noted this and told the boy, “Deku, don’t cry. Don’t cry, Deku. It’s okay.” He himself cried as he prayed that his words could get through. “It’s okay. You’ve gotten better before. You can do it again. Don’t cry, Deku.”
Something about this situation rubbed the manchild, Shigaraki, the wrong way. He began aggressively scratching the back of his neck and talking to himself. “Why does everyone like him so much? Even my brother, Hisashi, didn’t want me anywhere near his son. He said I’m a monster. That’s why, that’s why I burned him alive and I turned his son into a beast.” He started biting his nails and laughing to himself.
“You…killed Deku’s parents?” Katsuki questioned, the pieces coming together in his head. From what he heard, Shigaraki was Deku’s dad’s half brother and for the longest time, he leeched off of Hisashi Midoriya after their mother and his own father passed away. But when Izuku was born, Hisashi must’ve wanted his son to have nothing to do with his twisted half brother and this sent the manchild into a fit.
From what Katsuki could see, Shigaraki was intelligent but he was impulsive. He must’ve killed his brother and his wife in a fit of rage and burned their house to eliminate evidence. Izuku surviving must not have been part of his plan but when he was awarded custody of the boy, he gained two things—money and control over Izuku’s fate.
And he used that power to prove a point to his late brother—that monsters were made, not born. He made Izuku less than human and made his pockets thick in the process. But even then, at the very bottom of his vile heart was guilt that further ate away at his sanity.
“It wasn’t my fault.” He told no one in particular. “It wasn’t me. It was you!” Shigaraki growled at the boy who dragged himself back to a corner. “You killed them! Your birth was the death of your parents!”
“No. No.” Izuku said in garbled speech.
“Stop it!” Katsuki told the man who continued screaming at the boy, “You killed them!”
At this, the blonde pushed himself off the wall and tackled Shigaraki by the waist, sending them both crashing onto the concrete. It took everything in Katsuki just to do this much but at the very least, he had caused Shigaraki to lose his weapon. The older man grumbled angrily at the sudden interruption and tried pushing Katsuki off of him but the boy held on, not letting him get up.
“Stupid, stupid boy!” Shigaraki exclaimed as he pounded bony fists onto Katsuki’s back and the latter grunted in pain but refused to loosen his grip. Shigaraki bellowed a sound that could well have been from the depths of hell and he buried an elbow into Katsuki’s back which was followed by a loud crack.
“Argh!” Katsuki screamed in pain, rolling over and curling in on himself. And as a result, Izuku whined even more with his hands covering his ears.
He had been the one to agitate the boy to begin with but now, Shigaraki was getting sick of Izuku’s cries like a mean nanny getting furious with a child. He got up on his feet and stomped his heavy boots towards the cage but felt something tug at his ankle and when he turned to look at it, it was still Katsuki. Somehow, someway, he still had some fight in him even though all he could do was grab the older male’s leg.
The grey haired man gritted his teeth in frustration. The boy was like a cockroach that just wouldn’t die and it was becoming evident to the manchild how difficult it was to commit premeditated murder. All this time, he believed that if he did this and that, then they’d all just drop dead before his eyes.
A stream of faint sunlight entered the room through the window and Shigaraki grew desperate. He picked up his free leg and used it to stomp on the already injured young man, screaming all the while, “Just die already!” And once Katsuki lay limp on the floor, barely holding onto the hem of Shigaraki’s pant leg, the twisted man felt a rush of pleasure which he decided to savor for a while. He stepped on Katsuki’s head, slowly applying more pressure. “Tell me, young man. Is it worth it? Is that beast of a boy worth dying for?”
Katsuki’s glazed eyes traveled to the boy inside the cage and quivering green orbs met his gaze. The blonde wasn’t sure whether Deku could understand him or not in his current state but he wanted to tell him anyway, “I’ll…save you, Deku.” He rasped, grimacing in pain with each word. “At all cost…even if it kills me.”
Something shifted in those eyes at that very moment; something awakened. He knew that boy; he knew that voice. “Kacchan…” He mouthed yet it was faint, drowned out by his uncle’s roaring laughter. “If that’s what you want, then your wish is my command.” He sneered, kicking away Katsuki’s hand and walking over to the sickle that he lost earlier.
He picked it up adoringly like a magical item in a role-playing game and walked back leisurely to finish what he started. Izuku felt a rumble in his chest and he recognized the all too familiar feeling of fear but for once, it was not for himself or his safety but for Kacchan who was in danger. But although his mind was alert, his body was unresponsive. His knees were weak and his limbs ached. He hated himself for being so useless.
But then, he recalled all those times Katsuki helped him stand, helped him walk, speak and learn everything from zero. And even when he clawed and drew blood, Katsuki didn’t give up on him.
Izuku’s hands trembled as he reached for the leather band around his neck, reminding himself how it had also been Kacchan who had freed him from the one he had on before and how liberating it felt to see it hit the dirt—to realize that it was nothing more than a lifeless object. Izuku had long been a prisoner of the pain that had been inflicted on his tiny body and the fear engraved in his mind as a child but now, he was determined to reclaim his power.
He bit his lip and shakily began undoing the collar, his breath hitching at the sound of the clasp unlocking. By then, Shigaraki was standing over Katsuki’s near-lifeless body and humming a tune—the musical piece for the grand finale. He then held the sickle over his head, gearing up to strike and realize his bloody fanatasy. But before he could strike, Izuku came up from behind him—completely catching him off guard—and jumped onto his back, locking his arm around his uncle’s neck and cutting off his airway.
Shigaraki reacted wildly as he did with each unexpected turn of events, trashing and moving in different directions, trying to literally shake off his nephew. “K-Kacchan.” Izuku called and as though he had been given an epinephrine shot, Katsuki came back to life, raising his head to see if it had really been him. “Deku?”
His eyes widened after seeing Izuku hanging on for dear life. Shigaraki’s face was turning blue and he was getting desperate. He ran backwards and smashed Izuku against the wall, the boy’s headlock on him instantly slacking and both collapsing on the floor; Izuku writhed in pain whilst Shigaraki wheezed. Katsuki had managed to stand but his legs wobbled and his midsection had crumbled, making it almost impossible to move.
But then, Izuku took advantage of the fact that Shigaraki was still weakened and held the collar around his uncle’s neck, the latter once again going into a wild panic. “Kacchan!” Izuku cried out and Katsuki realized what he needed to do. Running fully on mental strength, he dragged himself towards the table where the remote was and he pushed the button and heard the collar fizz and crackle loudly.
Shigaraki’s eyes instantly rolled to the back of his head and his body jerked uncontrollably. However, Izuku, who had been holding the collar in place, also got a taste of the shock and fell unconscious beside the other male. Panic bloomed in Katsuki’s chest. “Fuck!” He cursed and limped towards the boy and practically threw himself on Izuku’s side as his body was far too damaged to control.
“Deku. Deku!” He cried out, shaking Izuku’s limp body. And it was then that the boy weakly uttered, “Kacchan?”
Katsuki sighed in relief, placing his forehead on Izuku’s chest. “Thank god.”
Izuku gently brought his hand up and patted the back of the blonde’s head as if to say ‘I’m okay’ and ‘you did good’. Izuku was too weak at that moment but, in his heart, he couldn’t express enough how grateful he was to this boy who never once gave up on him. For a moment, they lay there with their eyes closed, just trying to catch their breaths. But when Izuku opened his, they widened in horror as his uncle rose from behind Katsuki, still holding that damned sickle and drawing his arm all the way to his back in preparation to strike.
“Kacchan!” Izuku cried out and for a split second, Katsuki looked over his shoulder and saw what was coming. But instead of moving out of the way to save himself, he covered Izuku with his whole body. The latter could only screw his eyes shut while holding his Kacchan with both arms—his futile attempt at shielding him. Both no longer had a choice but to give in to their fate but at least, they were together and fought a good fight.
They waited for the sound of the sickle cutting through wind and flesh, Shigaraki’s menacing laughter and for their bodies to feel excruciating pain before going completely numb—all of which never came. But what echoed through the room was the sound of a gunshot which made the two boys jump and yet they didn’t let go of each other.
Only when they heard a thud of a body followed by the sickle hitting the hard concrete did Izuku dare to peek and found his uncle lying open eyed on the floor beside them while blood pooled underneath him. “K-Kacchan.” He tapped the other who could only lift his head weakly to find police officers entering the room with his parents appearing shortly after.
“Katsuki! Izuku!” Mitsuki cried, a rare sight of her being vulnerable and terrified. Medics prevented them from approaching the visibly injured boys but Katsuki gave them a reassuring nod, letting them know everything’s okay now—that the worst was over.
The boys including Kirishima, who was rescued in the shed, were taken away in ambulances. And Katsuki and Izuku kept their eyes on each other at the hospital until the last moment before the sedative took effect and they were both brought in for emergency surgery.
Izuku woke up first and thank god because when Katsuki opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was practically an angel—an angel with emerald eyes and the brightest smile. “Kacchan?” He spoke softly to which the blonde reached out his hand—possibly the only body part he could move—and touched Izuku’s face. “Deku.”
“I’m here too in case anyone’s wondering.” Kirishima kidded, his leg in a cast and walking with the help of a crutch. Katsuki shot him a dirty look for almost making him laugh and agitate his stitches. Izuku giggled at the sight of the brothers’ usual banter and they all knew then that they’d be okay. They still have a long way to go on the road of recovery but they have each other.
~~~
After what happened at the barn, Izuku thought he’d never be able to step foot in there again. But what do you know, his memories with Katsuki and the rest of his family; the Bakugo couple, Kirishima and Ochako, were still far more superior than whatever nightmare took place there at one point.
As he lay in bed with the blonde, surrounded with the familiar scent of hay, he snuggled up to Katsuki contently with his eyes closed. “Happy, Deku?” The latter inquired and big green eyes flicked up to him and the boy bobbed his head with a giggle.
At this, Katsuki smiled—a genuine one and not one of his devilishly handsome smirks but Izuku wouldn’t have minded either one.
“Kacchan…whatever happened to Momo?” Izuku then asked, his grip on the blonde’s black tank top tightening slightly. Katsuki held him closer, knowing a part of Izuku still hadn’t—and may never—fully move on from the trauma. But that was a given plus Katsuki was right there to comfort him.
“She left for the States.” He told the boy who seemed to relax at this discovery. “She wanted to apologize to you but I was against it. I told her it’s enough that she felt remorseful and she did contribute to finding you. Deku, are you upset that we didn’t press charges?”
Izuku gave it some serious thought then shook his head. “I don’t think she meant for things to go that far. It’s okay, Kacchan. Besides, I think living with her guilt is enough punishment.”
Katsuki shifted on his side facing Izuku and looked at him as though he was an entirely different person. “Deku, you’ve gotten so eloquent.” He teased but Izuku took it as a compliment because, in fact, it was. “It’s all thanks to you, Kacchan. You thought me everything I know.”
Katsuki pretended to twist his mouth to one side and mutter, “That wasn’t for free. How do you plan on repaying me, Mr. Midoriya?”
Izuku played along and feigned distress. “Oh no, I don’t have much to offer.” Then a mischievous smile tugged on his pretty lips and he said, “What about this?” He propped his hands up on Katsuki’s shoulders and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
The blonde was only mildly taken aback but then, he grinned predatorily and whispered, “I guess I’ll take it.” He leaned forward, looming over the boy who now lay flat on his back, and Katsuki gazed into those green eyes as though it were the first time all over again.
And when he captured the boy’s lips, it was soft and tender. Once they pulled away, Izuku looked up at the blonde and spoke softly, “Kacchan…thank you.” To which Katsuki quirked a brow curiously and inquired, “For what?”
“For seeing the human in me.” Izuku replied, his eyes filled with gratitude and love and overwhelming feelings of joy. “And for making me who I am now.”
But to this, Katsuki shook his head, planting a quick peck on the boy’s forehead before letting him know, “Deku, I only helped bring out your true self. You always had it in you. I love you…Izuku.”
Izuku beamed but at the same time, looked shy and giddy as he uttered the following, “I love you too…Katsuki.”
And that was the story of the boy who lived as a dog and was turned back into human by the power of love.
~THE END~