Fresh Flesh (Bkdk, Dkbk)

- 25: I Bite At The Hand That Feeds Me -

The voice demands in his head. A singular voice. The voice of the teenager that he hears from the creature occasionally, when it's not just the hundreds of different— People?— saying things to him. It's only then that he realizes that he hasn't seen it since he got out of the car. 

It would make sense if it was the creature who made that sound. But its footsteps sound wrong. Izuku's whole body feels like it's just itching to find out the reason. Before he knows it, he's going past the group, who are all too busy trying to get the perfect picture, and deeper into the trees. 

The sound of his friends talking slowly dwindle, his footsteps crunching on the ground and vegetation under his shoes. The flashlight is less of a good thing now that he's alone. What if something bad can see him, but he can't see them? He's just creeping himself out! 

Besides, there is nothing worse here than the thing that's been attached to him. Despite him trying to reason with himself, he still takes time every couple of steps to scan his flashlight in every direction around himself. 

"Why are you so fucking scared Deku?" 

Izuku jumps and comes to a complete stop. The voice isn't in his head anymore. That is something he never thought he would even say, let alone be so scared about. The creature's muffled voice is somewhere far away, but close enough that just the silence of the forest is able to carry it all the way back to Izuku. 

He takes a shaky breath before continuing in the direction he thinks the voice is coming from. 

"I'm not scared." 

The taunting laughter that comes from the creature only helps Izuku confirm that he's going the right way. 

"Really? Because you sound like you're shitting yourself."

 Izuku feels a stab of annoyance break through the fear. 

"I'm still ignoring you." 

It stays silent for a moment before snarling out, 

"Yeah, you're doing such a good fucking job." 

The sarcasm in its voice is clear. 

"Why isn't your voice inside my head anymore?" 

The creature scoffs, the sound even closer now. 

"It isn't just my voice in your head, but whatever. It's because I'm not in my usual form, Deku." 

The creature's voice is back in his head. Izuku does not find the weighted presence of it in his mind unfamiliar anymore. He hears a twig snap and walks faster. The first thought that comes to his mind the moment he hears that the creature has changed forms is if it's going to eat his friends. He doesn't have to voice his concerns. 

"No, Deku, I'm not going to eat your friends unless I fucking have to. I bet they taste like ass anyway." 

Izuku grimaces. 

"Don't say that, it sounds gross. What do humans even taste like?" 

The creature drags out a long 'uh' before answering. 

"Meat, rotting or fresh, but that's only a small part of it. I can taste their shitty souls too. Thats the best fucking part." 

He doesn't have to see it to know that it is grinning. The exact image comes to his mind. 

"So you eat souls to survive?" 

Izuku stops to listen. He's so close, he can practically see it. 

"It's the gross ass meat I need. The souls are an added bonus." 

It says, right behind him. He couldn't have turned around fast enough.