You clenched a trembling fist and grit your teeth. All you could do was recall the crippling fear their leader had invoked on you. That weakness that leeched your strength away. At least then you were able to somewhat fight back. But now you were injured.
"What the hell are they doing here?" You whispered. "You'd think being blasted to hell would scare you away from crime for good."
"EVERYONE MOVE!!!" One of the men ordered. It was the numbing quirk. "THIS WILL BE EASY IF YOU COOPERATE."
You tried to focus on the table in front of you, but your head swam. Bakugou seemed conflicted across from you, his eyes darting back and forth between the villains and you. It was rare he hesitated, and that worried you even more.
Loud thumps echoed in your ears. Heavy footsteps neared and you could almost feel the ape-ish breath as one of the villains stood in front of you. You didn't look up. Bakugou didn't move either. "Are you two deaf?! Get your asses moving!" He grabbed your arm roughly and you yelped in pain.
Everything threw into motion as instantly fire consumed one half of your assailant. His grip left your arm but Bakugou had launched himself toward the brute. The other two looked your way and you froze. You felt powerless without your quirk. You waited for the fear but it didn't come. You wrapped your hands over your head as the leader approached you. His tone was lulling as he laughed slowly. "Oh how ironic is this?" He teased. "I recognize this little bitch!"
You flinched, fearful of opening your eyes. "How can you tell boss?" The other brute asked.
You heard Bakugou cry out, a horrifying shriek. Your eyes flew open and you looked at him, but it was a trap. Bakugou was ensnared by the leader's quirk, deaf to reason and reality. The leader took your chin and forced you to look at him. His grin was cruel and familiar. "Never thought a weak girl like you would take out any villains."
"Leave him alone." You ordered, voice however shaking. "He has nothing to do with this."
"Sure he does. He is a hostage after all." Bakugou began to pant heavily, his breath frighteningly fast. You kept looked at him as the leader cackled. For someone so frail, he was dangerous.
"Please! Just stop!" You begged.
"Make me!" He retorted fiercely, challenging you bluntly.
The other hostages watched you with fading hope. Cool sweat dripped down your brow as you tried to use your quirk, but even the thought sent pain rippling through you. You cried out in pain, not even a single plate of iron appearing. The villain cocked his head to the side and grinned. "What? Is little miss hero having trouble with her quirk?"
"Please let them go." You pled through the pain. "These people haven't done anything."
"I don't care if they have or not. I've gotta make a living somehow." He said.
Bakugou screamed again and you flinched away. The man started to laugh once more before stopping abruptly at your will. You couldn't use your quirk, but a few injuries wasn't going to stop you from fighting him physically. "Stop!" You ordered.
He coughed as you drove your shoulder into his abdomen and tackled him to the ground. As he laid in a daze you took advantage and wrapped around his back, locking your legs around his neck in a strong chokehold. His hands clawed at your legs as his brutes rushed towards you. Bakugou silenced and you released a held breath. You'd distracted him enough to nullify his quirk, even if just for a moment.
The two brutes both took hold you, trying to pry you away. "Get out of here!" You yelled at the stunned customers. "The heroes are on the way."
They startled to scramble away and the leader try to gasp an order but you held his breath captive. "Let go you crazy brat!" Numby yelled as he took your hair in two fistfuls. You winced as chunks of hair ripped from your skull in knots but you didn't let go. Bakugou was still a few feet away, not yet conscious of the situation.
"BAKUGOU! RUN AWAY!!!" You screamed.
His wide, red eyes blinked a few times as his head swiveled towards you. In a flash his features became ghoulish and demonic, spiked hair curling into horns and teeth filing into jagged points. Your hands shook and your grip loosened, your captive escaping. His eyes peered down at you and you felt the overwhelming fear, but you didn't falter. Your movement was slow and trembling, but you still swung weak throws at the adversaries. "Run... run away..." You squeaked.
"You're going to pay." He roared before swinging his foot towards you. It struck at your fractures ribs and you screamed. Both of your arms were pinned down as the ringleader placed his foot on your head and slowly applied pressure. His foot was right over your scar.
"What an ugly face! Maybe I can fix that?" He cooed before shoving his heel into your nose. You roared in pain and blood gushed from your nose and newly busted lip. He continued to press your mangled face as tears and sobs wracked you. "Run away..." You echoed, praying that everyone else had already made it out. The heroes should be here soon. I just have to last that long.
Incredible heat ripped over your body, singeing your skin, but more importantly, throwing off your enemies. The nightmare flickered, but remained in place as you felt your body lift. You coughed ruby liquid over the floor as your one angel propped you up against a wall. "Get the fuck away from her!" He roared, sparks of flame encompassing his fist.
His features were still gnarled, but it made you happy to see him. The quirk flickered again and you saw Bakugou as he was. Him, then his nightmarish form, back and forth. Maybe he was more of a devil than an angel, but he was yours none the less.
He hovered over you, his eyes constantly glimpsing back. "Are you okay?" He muttered, too much concern in his voice to be your average Bakugou Katsuki.
"I'm breathing." You wheezed, attempting to smile buy only splitting your lip more. "Be careful, one of them, they use numbing..."
He nodded, but to your surprise, didn't rush to face them. You were confused as you looked at him. "What are you doing?" You asked.
"As much as I want to kick their asses." He said, "It's more important that I protect you."
Your face reddened, outside of the blood, and Bakugou turned back to the others. He clenched a fist and thrust it forward toward them. A symphony of sparks crackled over his arm them flung towards them. They flew backwards into a booth and almost through the glass windows. Blue and red lights swirled outside but the villains ignored it. "Big mistake kid!" The second brute cried, almost as if he were about to break into tears. It was almost funny.
Bakugou crossed his arms over his face as explosions rolled off of him and blew off some of the momentum. All you saw was fire, then nothing happened. As the heat died away, you were relieved to see a familiar, smiling hero holding the villain by the elbow. He looked back slowly before crumbling to fear. The other two were being held down by another hero you didn't remember the name off.
Izuku poked his head into the store before running towards you and Kacchan. "(Y/N)! Kacchan! Are you guys alright?!" He asked worriedly.
You opened your mouth to give a sarcastic 'Yeah! Just dandy' but Bakugou cut you off promptly. "Did Recovery girl come with you guys?" He asked bluntly, catching Izuku off guard.
"What? Oh, she's a few minutes behind, but she should be here any second." Izuku informed.
Bakugou whipped around suddenly making you jump as he scooped you up and brought you outside. All Might dealt with the villains as Bakugou towed you outside where a crowd of people waited. Your face was consumed in red as thousands of pictures captured Bakugou cradling you in his arms. "What are you doing?" You asked, pushing at him weakly.
"I'm gonna get you to Recovery girl." He said stubbornly.
"She'll be here any moment. It's not like I'm dying you idiot."
He grunted in response, hesitating a moment as his eyes locked on the distance and refocused. "Hold on." He warned briefly, then launching himself via explosion. The buildings blew past you in a rush as explosion propelled him by the foot. You knotted your fingers into his jacket and held on for dear life as you flew over a mile in mere seconds. As he landed, using his quirk to soften the blow, you opened your eyes and saw Recovery Girl hobbling her way towards the site of the incident. "Oh! Hello again Ms. (L/N). I see you've gotten yourself into trouble yet again." She said calmly.
Bakugou seemed irritated as you smiled at the cute old lady and nodded. "I seem to attract it." You joked.
"Or at least your boyfriend does." She poked, gesturing to the ever impatient Bakugou.
You laughed quietly, cutting it short with a wince, then shook your head. "We're not an item." You explained.
"At least not yet..." she teased inaudibly before looking to Bakugou. "Young man, where exactly was she injured?"
Bakugou didn't hesitate to explain everything in detail as you waited patiently, cradling your sore sides and pounding headache. Recovery Girl nodded as he explained and then turned to you, planting fat, puckered lips that sent waves of energy through you. Your face shifted to normal, sans the scar, and a temporary relief passed through your sides. "Those ribs of yours will still need to heal, but this should set you to walk." She offered. Out of a small bag at her side, she summoned a pack of anti-bacterial wiped and offered them to you. "Do yourself a favor and clean the blood off yourself before you give your mother a heart attack."
You snickered and nodded. Recovery Girl went on towards the seen where reporters questioned the hero that stopped the crime, All Might, and forgot all about the two that fled minutes before. "It's not fair that he gets all the credit." Bakugou muttered, helping you up as you rubbed the moist towelettes over your face.
"Bakugou, even if you get the credit you deserve, you'll just be called a sidekick, or another UA student. It's better to let the heroes have as much as they can before they get old and wither away."
You looked down at the wad of bloody towelettes in your hand and tossed them down an alley before looking at your bloodied clothes. "Dammit... if mom isn't watching the news this sure as hell will be a giveaway." You pouted.
"Why don't you just sneak in?" Bakugou asked.
"My place is small remember? Sneaking in is almost impossible. Especially when I'm in recovery." You argued.
You began to walk down the street, accepting the lecture you would receive for being reckless when Bakugou stopped you. You opened your mouth to ask his intentions but you felt a weight thud over your shoulders.
You looked at the new weight and blushed as you looked at the now jacket-less Bakugou. "What's this for?" You asked, though already knowing the answer.
"Since we got interrupted, why don't we just take this back to your place for a bit? You can change and I'll get my jacket and leave."
You wanted to argue, but the plan was sound. You nodded and let Bakugou catch up, his hand still clasped to yours.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
P.o.V. ~~~
"Yes! Yes my little vermin! Bring it to me my little babies! Mommy has been lusting after this for so long she can taste it!"
A horde of mismatched rats scowered throughout the alley, chirping and fiddling through the heeps until finally finding their target, a dense clump of bloodied towelettes.
"Yes! That's it! Bring it to mommy my sweetums!"
The shadow cooed, hidden in a blanket of dark as the blackest of the whiskered fiends delivered the small garbage to its master. The villain giggled in delight, tucking the tissues in a small leather pouch before dissolving into the network of thin alleys. "Just what the doctor ordered~" She hummed.