❝ 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 . ❞ [ Katsuki Bakugo x reader ]

04

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁,

𝚂𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳-𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽 𝙿𝙾𝙸𝙽𝚃 𝙾𝙵 𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆.

"You should settle in for the night," You told the boy after you locked the motel door. The duffle bag was tossed onto one of the old beds in the small room. Although you wondered what has gone down in this poorly kept building, given your position you could not ask for much better. Drug deals, murders, prostitution--you decided to push the thoughts away. You and Bakugo needed a place to stay and this was that.

The walls were lined with ugly wallpaper that had long since gone out of fashion. The beds looked to be made of mostly springs, and the carpet had probably not been clean since the day it was nailed down. Desperate times called for desperate measures, but you would think by the way the sink was stained with a deep orange color this was a little more than desperate. Part of you wondered if the locks on the doors even worked.

In an attempt to ignore those lingering grotesque images, you pulled out your phone. You very easily disconnected it and powered it off. Serious precautions had been taken to ensure your cell phone could not get wire-tapped by the police. Yet, you were still nervous about The League somehow using it to track you. Of course, there was no way to rule out anything when dealing with criminals.

"You don't have a cell phone on you, right?" You asked, your eyes darting up for just a moment to catch Bakugo shaking his head. He sat down on the second bed in the room. As the room got deathly quiet, you began to hear doubtful whispers in the back of your head. The adrenaline of escaping the villains and being on the run was beginning to wear off. 

You glanced once again at Bakugo. His expression was vacant, distant, or even dissociated. You knew that look all too well. It was one you dawned in hopes of disconnecting from the trauma you were victim to.

What have I done? What living hell have I brought upon myself? And for what, a kid I don't even know? Because it was "the right thing to do"? Somehow your line logic was getting extremely hard to justify. For the past twelve years, you had only managed to survive by not being a major player in anyone's game. 

But this move just tossed you right into the biggest game being played. What were you thinking? To put it simply, you were not thinking.

"So... " You started, looking for any shred of hope that could dismiss your doubts, "how attached are you to your appearance?" The boy looked at you, his expression was both hostile and confused.

"What?" He asked, clearly thrown off by your question.

"Well, you might need to dye your hair to avoid suspicion," You explained very casually with a shrug. "Or, you could just cut it off. Who knows, maybe some new scars would help too." You looked at him, maintaining eye contact. Bakugo blinked a few times. Your statement unsettled him. Was that last bit insinuating that you were going to stab him?

"I'm kidding," You burst out in laughter upon seeing his scared expression. "It was a joke, but if it'll make you feel safer I'll help you." Bakugo almost chuckled, but it came out more like a scoff. You smiled, tossing your phone into the duffle bag. 

Suddenly, there was a strange sound coming from where Bakugo sat. He tensed up, a light pink color on his cheeks. His stomach was growling.

"I guess we should probably get something to eat," You muttered while placing your hands on your hips. "Don't open the door for anyone while I'm gone." You slipped the room key into your pocket and headed for the door. "And if housekeeping comes, hide in the closet." Though, you seriously doubted such an establishment would offer that kind of service. You locked the door behind you.

Across the street, you noticed a small shop that was advertising take-out. You briefly ordered enough for two and waited near a corner of the building. There were no other customers. You looked at your watch to see it was nearing two in the morning. A sigh escaped your lips.

There was an outdated television set up on a shelf by where you ordered. You caught a glimpse of the news program the TV was displaying. The headline posted on the bottom of the screen made your stomach drop. You felt as though your heart had misstepped, causing it to ruin its preestablished rhythm.

The broadcaster detailed the story of a UA High student who went missing three days prior. They went missing after a villain attack on a school summer camp. There was a picture of the missing student in the pixilated upper right-hand corner. Low and behold, the missing student shared the name and face of the boy hungrily awaiting your return.

So that was why The League of Villains kidnapped him.

"Fuck's sake," You cursed under your breath. If he was a hero in training, not only would the villains be hunting you down, but so too would the heroes. Regret was not what filled you. No, that would imply a mistake. Every doubt you felt prior instantly vanished. You were now resolved in your mission. That boy needed to be protected, but if this story was on the news, you had to be twice as careful.

Bakugo was a student at UA, a hero in training, just like you had been all those years ago.

𝚃𝙾 𝙱𝙴 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙸𝙽𝚄𝙴𝙳...