Protecting You (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

Chapter 1- Welcome to UA

Please read the content warnings before starting the book.

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This chapter was edited 9/20/22.

Years ago, the human body surpassed its limits and began to develop supernatural powers unique to each individual. These powers were called quirks. Eventually, society adapted to fit the abundant occurrence of quirks by generating two new factions of people: heroes and villains. It seemed as so the world was black and white, that there was only good and only evil. Everyone seemed to forget that the throes of humanity were painted in various shades of gray.

You are the embodiment of that gray. You are a hero mercenary: a hero that kills the worst of the villains.

~~

Hero HQ in the center of Tokyo controlled most, if not all, of the hero activity in the various agencies across Japan. There is not a single hero in the world that they do not have record of.

Well except for you, if you even counted.

You did the dirty work for nine years, ever since you were eight years old. It was because of the unique versatility of your quirk that it made you a formidable opponent, but you refused to abide by rules some rich bureaucrat or mortally ambiguous gangster set for you.

The joys of being a mercenary meant you walked your own path, set your own rules, and of course made a fucking fortune doing so. Why be a hero when you could have it all?

Today was a bit complicated, however, due to the fact the person that hired you was from Hero HQ.

You went to retrieve your next target via the Hunter's Bureau below the Hero HQ. The only two people who knew of the Hunter's Bureau aside from the other mercenaries were the President of the Hero Association and the Minister of National Defense. You were especially surprised to see both of those men sitting at the conference table in the Hunt Retrieval Room.

"Mr. President...Mr. Hanzo...what do I owe this pleasure?" You asked through your mask. It was nothing special, just a generic festival mask you picked up at a convenience store years ago, but that meant there were thousands of others just like it. No client could pick you out from a crowd and no victim would ever see you coming.

The two burly men you spoke to looked worried and heavy, as if a great burden was placed on their backs. You weren't entirely sure what was troubling them so, and you were especially concerned that there were no other mercenaries in the room either. They were waiting for you, and you alone.

"Shinobi, we have troubling news to discuss and we feel that you are the only one capable of handling this mission," the Minister spoke first, using your 'merc name'. You raised an eyebrow under your mask, preparing to absorb the outline of your newest mission.

"Okay then, go on," you spoke as you sat down in a chair across from the two men.

"We have reports of something called a 'League of Villains' that is targeting the hero school UA. They broke through the defensive barrier once and nearly killed All Might and Eraserhead. These are terrifying villains and if they are able to get to the students, the next generation of pro-heroes will be wiped out entirely. You are young and have the skill, knowledge, and experience of the pro-heroes which is why we need you," the President spoke in his deep voice.

"What exactly do you want me to do? Find the group, take them out, be over and done with it? You realize how much that will cost you right?" You were shocked that they would propose so many targets at once. That would give you enough money to rely on for years. Decades even.