I'm Not a Villain

Chapter 2 - Masks

Katsuki didn't know how long he had spent in the darkness. The eerily silence was deafening. The thumping of his heart and the whistle of his breath became painfully aware to himself in that time.

The light flickered to blinding life, making Katsuki screw his eyes up in focus. The door opened up a moment later. The man walked in and up to the bars, a brown paper bag in his hand. "I missed you, Kacchan!"

"I told you not to call me that!" He snapped, though his voice was remarkably lower.

Completely ignoring him, his captor said, "I'm going to ask you some questions and I'd like you to answer honestly." Holding up the bag, he continued. "I have a nice warm grilled cheese sandwich with your name on it. If you answer my questions, it's all yours."

"Questions? What questions? I'm not tellin you shit!" Katsuki growled leaning his head back in disgust.

His captor sighed, "I was afraid you'd say that." Putting the bag down and walking to the metal door, he pulled out a key and opened it. Strolling over to Katsuki and crouching in front of him, he said, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Kacchan. Which is it gonna be?"

Katsuki spat onto his captor's mask, growling, "Fuck you!"

His captor reached into his vest and drew out a knife. "Just know that I don't want to hurt you, Love." Starting off, he asked, "Now, who is this 'him' you were speaking of earlier? I want you to say his name." With a snicker, he added, "I'm dying to know, my heart is just jumping in anticipation."

"I'M NOT TELLIN YOU SHIT!" He yelled in his captor's face.

Shaking his head with a disappointed look, he sighed, "Wrong answer, Love." He plunged the knife down into Katsuki's thigh, twisting the knife into him.

Screaming and thrashing in agony, Katsuki did everything he could to fight back. His captor locked his hand around Katsuki's throat, pushing him into the wall. Katsuki's hand was trapped under his captor's foot. His other hand flew to the one squeezing his throat.

Katsuki clawed at the hand desperately.

His heart pounded.

Blood roared in his ears.

Tears pricked at his eyes.

Breath was leaving him but it wasn't being replaced.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't think.

Terror racked his body.

"Deku!" He hoarsely whispered out with one of his few breaths left.

Air rushed back into his lungs, making him inhale loudly. The hand around his throat had fallen to rest casually on his knee.

"That's only a nickname but I'll let it slide for now." The man sounded dissatisfied. Yanking the knife out, the man took a roll of gauze out from his pocket and wrapped up the wound.

Sitting almost on top of Katsuki with the knife dancing dangerously on his fingers, he asked, "Now tell me what you did to Deku."

Katsuki muttered out something, casting his eyes down in fear his captor would choke him again.

The man grasped Katsuki's chin roughly and tilted his head up. "Speak up," he commanded.

Katsuki's gaze hardened and he snarled out, "I killed him."

Tilting his head to the side, the man asked, "And do you regret that?"

He glared at him, silent. The man raised his hand, loosely resting it around Katsuki's throat. His breath hitching, he answered, "Yeah."

The man gently brushed his hand against Katsuki's cheek. "Good boy," he praised, then asked, "why did you kill him?"

"It's not like I was tryin' to," he replied quietly, feeling his heartbeat come back down to a steady pace.

His captor tightened his grip in warning, leaning in to ask, "Did you really mean everything you just told me? Don't lie to me, Kacchan."

Relaxing, he nodded. "Yes."

The man considered this then quickly wrapped up Kacchan in his arms, hugging him closely. "I knew you didn't mean it!" Nuzzling his head into the crook of Katsuki's neck, he whispered giddily, "I knew you loved me back!"

Katsuki leaned as far as he could away from his captor. "Who the hell are you?"

The man unhooked himself from Katsuki, sitting on Katsuki's legs. "Well, it seems kinda silly to have this thing on now. I mean, you should've figured it out by now." Katsuki furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. What was he supposed to figure out?

Withdrawing his hands, he brought them up to his head. Slowly, the man behind the mask was revealed.

Katsuki should've known.

Everything about this man was familiar.

How could he not recognize him?

Those green curls and freckled cheeks.

Those expressive eyes.

All he could wonder was, why behind the mask, was it his dead friend, Izuku Midoriya?