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ﾟ˚✧₊⁎( 𝒅i𝒔t𝒂n𝒕 )˚✧₊⁎ ｡
𝓣𝓱𝓮 heavy woods were silent as per usual. Until a tumbling of steps started getting louder and louder. A teen scrambling past the trees as his momentum made them shuffle with greed.
A young boy was in his arms moderately asleep as the teen kept peddling faster and faster. His breaths were shallow as he kept pushing his head and eyes back to concentrate on the light far away from them.
But it was beginning to catch up.
Halting at an opening in the timbers, he placed the kid on the ground. The toddler wiping his eyes as the boy kneeled to confront one another with eye contact.
"Hey, hey. There's an opening just behind those bushes. They won't check, I promise you. Just run straight into those bushes and keep going until you hit the road, ok? There will be cars so just wave your arms frantically. Someone will pick you up, ok?"
The toddler nodded, staring at the teen that was glancing back with concern. "Ok, go now."
Attending to his commands, he immediately bolted into the bushes. His body disappearing behind the feeble green leaves as the blonde stood from the floor.
"Did you find that little twerp?"
Katsuki turned around, out of breath and with exhaustion in his sights. "No...I think he went that way." Katsuki pointed his finger in the opposite direction, two out of the five guys pursuing where Katsuki suggested to.
The ringleader stepped forward, snatching onto Katsuki's dirt-covered arm. "Come on."
Bouncing his head, Katsuki permitted the man to jerk him ahead as the two others followed behind them. Their flashlights glared in his face, but Katsuki was appreciative he got another boy away from this nightmare.
|~~~|
Nicotine and laughter fiddled like a stuck melody in the cottage. The men all playing a session of poker while smoking cigars. Katsuki and a slightly younger boy scrubbing dishes and positioning them in the cupboards.
Just as Katsuki went to put a container away, he heard a shattering from behind. All the emphasis was on the brunette teen, trembling as he stared down at the shattered pieces of the glass plate.
"What the hell did you do, boy?!" one of the men got up with a whip in his hand, ready to slam it down on the preteen.
"W-Wait!"
The man glared at Katsuki as he trudged forward. "I'll take it. Where do you want it to be?"
Swerving to face the leader, the black-haired individual snickered. "Katsuki was out there trying to find the boy with us. He gets three hard slaps on his wrist."
Crouching onto the floor, Katsuki parked his wrist on the counter. Bawling his fist into his apron while his focus was on the marble flooring.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
"The hell did I tell you? I said three, dip shit." Katsuki let go of his bottom lip. His teeth mark indented onto his lip.
Gradually getting up from the floor, he faced the committee of men as he glanced over at his oozing hand. The commander rolled his eyes. "Go to the shed. Both of you. He'll finish your chores."
"Yes, sir. Thank you." Katsuki clasped the preteen's wrist and steered him out of the house.
Into the grass terrain.
Steeping over some of the traps, the other looked down at Katsuki's wrist. "I-I'm sorry. I'm still kinda new and—"
"It's fine. I usually take the punishments so the others don't get as hurt." Katsuki retorted back, emerging towards the shed door. The duo loitered around for a while until the captain came back out.
Shoving the keys into the lock, the door creaked open. Katsuki lightly shoved the new member inside, as the man looming above him smirked down.
"You know, I haven't touched you in a while." Eito draped his arm around Katsuki's abdomen. The teen completely uncomfortable but standing his ground.
"What do I get if you do touch me?" Katsuki implored, knowing how to take advantage of the game appropriately. Eito chuckled.
"No chores for a week, I'll upgrade your bed, or you take all of their chores for the week. How does that sound?" Katsuki thought about it for a moment.
"If I upgrade, can I share it?"
Eito snarled. "Don't push it—"
"I'll blow and ride you if you upgrade their's too." Katsuki was disgusted by the terms he had to say. But, he was Eito's beloved after all.
The man snickered. "Deal. Get in there."
Katsuki wandered into the shed, as the door shut closed behind him. The ridiculous flickering light bulbs their only reference of light. "Hey."
"Hello." the other fifteen boys welcomed Katsuki as he sat down on his "bed." Another lad Katsuki's age sat down beside him.
"You didn't have to do that, man."
"The weather's going to get cold like it does every year. If I didn't choose that upgrade, then we might freeze. Maybe if I'm lucky, he'll get us a heater." Katsuki hissed at his whip mark, forgetting that he had sustained that injury.
"Chibi, Katsuki needs the first aid kit again." a thirteen-year-old passed it over to Denji, the teen unlocking it up and starting to sterilize the injury.
As Katsuki looked around the room, he sighted a small pupil in the corner. One he didn't recognize out of the bunch. "Hey,"
Everyone pursued Katsuki's gaze as the corner child glanced over at him. The blonde gestured for him to come by them. With slightly wobbling legs, he heeded.
Standing up and sitting down in front of Katsuki. "You new?"
"Yeah...what is this?" everyone was speechless. Katsuki slightly sniffling.
"The closest thing you'll ever get to hell. At least you're new. For the time being, they'll go easy on you. Do you have a family? A girlfriend or something? You look of the age." Katsuki asserted while nibbling on his lip to avoid screaming from the irritation.
"Mhm. They took me from my school when I was walking home...can I ask a question?" Katsuki nodded.
"How long have you all been here for?"
Some people mumbled with one another as Denji snarled at their behavior. "Shut your asses up. You're mumbling all this shit yet you've been here for two to four weeks. You haven't even gotten to the worst. You're in mild territory right now,"
The whispering unexpectedly stopped. Denji swiveling to face the boy. "Katsuki and I are the first. We've been here for three years. Some others have been here for two, and a few have been here a year or so."
"Oh. Does-Does your family looks for you?"
Denji shrugged. "Dunno. We can't leave the shed unless we have chores or they want us for our bodies. Katsuki is the leader's favorite, so he helps us get stuff and help us upgrade the shed. He also updates us on the missing list at the grocery store the leader always takes him to."
Katsuki softly pouted at the new preteen. "Some gave up, others are still looking. And...some of these kids have died here. Probably...over ten."
"Which reminds me," Denji finished fastening Katsuki's wound as he stood up from the floor. The shed squeaking with his weight.
"Listen up. I and Katsuki are doing another escape tonight. We're taking five people this time, slightly more than last time. This time, we're taking two teens and a few children. Those are the ones that need to get out the most while they are in the honeymoon phase. So you all better chatter and decide."
"Yes, sir!"
The preteen was shocked by the leadership both boys appeared to take. "Hey,"
Katsuki looked back over at the kid. "Do you guys have a family? You said you've been here the longest."
Denji blankly looked at him. "My mom and dad never gave up. My mom died from basically heartbreak and my dad is god knows where. So...I've been forgotten."
Katsuki sniffled at the memories. "I wanted to be a hero. I went to UA, and I had a boyfriend. They took me when I was walking home from his house one night,
"My mom and dad never really loved me, but he's still looking for me. I sometimes see him at the store. He's an upcoming hero. And he's doing so well for himself. And yet he's still looking for me."
Denji nuzzled Katsuki in his arms, understanding the blonde desired support when discussing such a sensitive subject. The preteen watched the encounter with sorrow in his eyes. "So...there's hope? And-And kids have escaped?"
"Yeah. Katsuki and I sneak kids out and Katsuki "snitches" as I'm already half near the road. We let them get through these bushes the others don't know about it. We've been doing it for two years."
"T-Then why hasn't no one...come to your rescue? Shouldn't they recognize their faces?"
"We don't understand it either. We believe it's probably their quirks at work. All we know is, once we get them out of here, they're safe." Denji finished the explanation as one of the kids came and whispered in his ear.
Denji whispered in Katsuki's ear and the blonde nodded. "Alright, here are the people we are taking. Kin, Chika, Aki, Sota, and Ren. We'll leave at two in the morning, so you better get your rest."
"Yes, sir!"
Katsuki sat back down, the preteen was trickling with awe. "Do you want to escape?"
"Yeah. But neither of us can. Not until we get either everyone out of here or we alert someone. I've tried alerting people in stores and such but we get a horrible punishment." Katsuki said with a shrug.
"Just an FYI," the kid glimpsed over at Denji. "Try not to scream when they hurt you. They'll put a bullet through your head."
|~~~|
The shed was peaceful like conventional at this time. The faction of children taking a nap. Until the door was kicked open and the light was turned on. Not providing them a possibility to adjust themselves.
Instantly, Katsuki was hauled out of the shed by Eito. He knew it was coming, but he didn't think it'd be this soon. Katsuki pursued close behind, soon entering the house and directing himself to the compartment.
With his usual routine kicking in place, he folded his clothes onto the dresser before reclining on the bed. A few clatters of beer glasses made Katsuki realize how drastic this night was gonna be.
As Eito penetrated the room, the man brought out his phone. Coming towards Katsuki, he snaked a hand under his chin. Urging him to look at the phone with glossed eyes.
A redhead was holding hands with a familiar lighting bolt male as some recognizable faces flocked the picture. The group was cheerfully laughing with themselves as the couple shared a blissful kiss.
"I just thought that I'd snap this picture. I knew you'd love to see it. And you thought he was still looking for you? What, like he would give up his whole life just to spend it looking on a kid who was assumed dead a year ago. Not a chance."
Katsuki's shoulders plunged as he peered at the picture with grief. "Answer me."
"Mhm...I should have known. Sorry...Do you want me to start with the preparation?"
Eito's smile thrived at Katsuki's silent tears. "Yeah. Hurry up and maybe I'll get those upgrades faster."
The boy nodded, his arms wobbly and shaky but he bared.
|~~~|
Hours had passed, and the group was thankful. No longer hearing the cries and shouts of one of their beloved being raped only a cabin away. Eventually, the shed door was burst open.
Katsuki being shoved inside as the door slammed behind him. Rather than dwelling on the ground, or crawling to his usual spot, he got himself up from the floor.
The group was surprised by his encouragement. "Denji, we're taking them all tonight."
"Katsuki-! Are you insane?! Well-What-How—"
"We need to get them all out of here. It's best if we do it tonight. More people will die here, come on!" reluctance easily flowed throughout the teen's body.
But with vigilance, he agreed to a grateful Katsuki. Swiveling his attention to the remainder of the group, he sighed. "Get anything you want to bring. Denji, you, Chibi, and a few others lead them to the bush. Five minutes later, I'm going to snitch. Got it?"
"Roger. Everyone load up!"
In merely a few short minutes, the shed was empty. With only indications of the group that could hardly be pinpointed to a certain location. Fleeing the shed, Katsuki scrambled into the cabin.
Much to the hatred and resentment of the men. Utilizing his acting skills, Katsuki gave them a petrified expression. "T-They're gone! All of them!"
Hearing that the captures had all escaped, Eito was the first to get pissed. Glaring at Katsuki, he waved an arm. "Go out there and find them, damnit! Go!"
Bouncing his head, Katsuki didn't even think as to stay a second. Booking his way down the route he knew all too well, he could sight Denji up in the distance.
The teen was stunned yet delighted to see Katsuki catch up to them in only a few short seconds. "Watch out for traps."
"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill."
As Denji got closer to the bushes, with still a majority of kids with him, Katsuki was quick to gasp. "Huh? Katsuki, what's—"
"Holy shit, they caught up so fast! Keep running! I think they could catch us in—"
Katsuki collapsed onto the ground; Denji got to his knees as he assessed what transpired. His heart sunk when he saw Katsuki's ankle mutilated in a bear trap.
Katsuki grunted in pain. Discerning how Denji was trying to pry him loose, the blonde sighed. "Fucking go, idiot." Denji was quick to rebuttal.
"No! Y-You were the first in this kidnapping spree! Y-You of all people deserves to escape! Don't you want to see Eijiro again?! Katsuki don't!—"
"He's with someone else. A friend of mine. Eito showed me proof. He's happy, ok? He's happy. So leave it be. Go. Run. If you start running now, you'll make it in the nick of time. Just—fucking go, ok?"
"Katsuki..."
"Denji—Go! Go, idiot! Go!" shoving Denji away, the brunette unhurriedly got up from the floor. Droplets were powering down his face, as he took the rest of the group and ran in the opposing direction.
Katsuki watched as the silhouettes disappear, and the light behind him grow. Before he knew it, he could feel an aggravated pressure on his injured ankle.
"I knew you were always a fucking traitor." Eito yanked Katsuki up to his feet by his hair.
The ringleader forced the teen to look at him, the rage boiling in his eyes made Katsuki stiffen. Although, he didn't let it show. Instead, he glared back.
"How many did you save, huh?"
Eito slammed his gun into the back of Katsuki's head. The teen plunging onto the ground as he could feel the muzzle of the gun in the back of his head.
"Get your ass up." Katsuki obeyed orders. Eito thrusting him around as the group slowly started walking back to the cabin.
"You know that they can't save you. That no one will be able to even recognize us with the help of my quirk. Do you realize that you set yourself up?"
Katsuki twitched his eye in anger. "I don't care. If it means the safety for others, so be it, asshole."
A flame lit in the commander of this hellhole. "So be it."
ﾟ˚✧₊⁎( 𝒅i𝒔t𝒂n𝒕 )˚✧₊⁎ ｡
i've seen the devil
yeah i met him last night
words: 2766
between 244,000 and 325,000 American teens are considered "at-risk" for sexual exploitation, and an estimated 199,000 incidents of sexual exploitation of minors occur each year in the US. each year, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States. the number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country each year is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for trafficking into the sex industry. california consistently has the highest human trafficking rates in the United States, with 1,507 cases reported in 2019. nearly 2,000 children are reported missing or abducted in the United States each day. reports indicate that teenagers are the most frequent victims of both non-family abductions and stereotypical kidnappings-81% were children 12 or older.