What the hell have I gotten myself into?

I can still feel Bakugo's gaze on me, even though I'm a good mile away from his mansion by now. The rooftops had been my safe space, my playground, but the second I hit the streets again, the adrenaline rush of my escape turned sour. Something feels off. My instincts are screaming at me, the same instincts that have kept me alive this long.

Shouldn't have gone to Bakugo. 

Shouldn't have stolen that box. 

Should've just stuck to tagging walls and parkour stunts.

But, of course, I didn't. And now I'm neck-deep in this mess with a mafia boss on one side, and a mystery client who apparently wants me dead on the other.

As if on cue, a car screeches around the corner, headlights blinding me for a split second. The street is too quiet, too empty for this time of night. I don't like it. My stomach twists, and without thinking, I dive behind a stack of crates near the alley.

Stay calm, Izuku. 

Stay calm.

The sound of tires screeching and car doors slamming fills the air. Shadows loom across the alley, and the familiar dread creeps up my spine. I press myself against the wall, barely daring to breathe.

"You really thought you could run forever, huh?"

The voice is cold, calculated, and absolutely terrifying. I don't have to peek to know who it belongs to—the client. Or, more specifically, the goons who work for him. Tomura Shigaraki. That's the name I've heard whispered around the streets, and not in a good way. Until now I never had a picture to the voice of my client... now I had...... If Bakugo's mafia is dangerous, Shigaraki's clan is lethal in ways you don't even want to imagine.

Damn it. 

How do they know where I am?

I glance up, searching for an escape route. There's a fire escape a few meters to my left, just out of reach. If I could make a break for it, get up to the rooftops again, I might stand a chance. But I don't get the chance to move.

Footsteps. 

Too close.

"You know too much, kid," the guy says, his voice gravelly and sick with amusement. "You had to go and steal from Bakugo, huh? Not too bright for a street rat."

My heart pounds. 

They know. 

Of course, they know.

Suddenly, they're on me. One of them grabs me by the collar and slams me against the wall. The impact knocks the air out of my lungs, and I choke, struggling to regain my breath.

"We got orders. Bakugo's not the one who wants you dead—it's us," the thug sneers, his fingers tightening around my throat. "Boss doesn't like loose ends, and you? You're a real big one."

This is bad. 

Really bad.

I claw at the guy's arm, my vision starting to blur as he squeezes harder. I try to focus, try to plan an escape, but it's like my brain is shutting down. 

I can't die here. 

Not like this.

But just as everything starts to go dark, I hear it.

The sound of footsteps. 

Fast, heavy footsteps.

"Let him go!"

The grip on my throat disappears, and I collapse to the ground, gasping for air. I can barely make out the figures moving around me, but the voice is familiar.

Kirishima: Dude, you okay?!

Bakugo's men....

I cough, struggling to catch my breath. 

What are they doing here?

I don't have time to process it because the thugs start fighting back. I hear the crack of fists hitting bone, grunts of pain, and the sound of a body hitting the ground hard.

Kaminari: We gotta get him out of here—Tomura's gang isn't messing around.

Sero: He's hurt—can you stand?

Stand? 

Right now, I'm just trying to breathe.

But somehow, I manage to push myself up, leaning on the wall for support. My whole body is trembling, adrenaline still flooding my system. The thugs are either knocked out or fleeing, and Bakugo's men are gathering around me, like some kind of protective wall.

Kirishima: We need to report back to Bakugo. He's gonna wanna know about this.

Great. 

Just what I need. 

More time with Bakugo.

And... he surely is gonna find out about the secret....

Bakugo's POV

I've had eyes on him since he left. Thought the idiot might try something like this, bolting out of my mansion like it was a damn burning building. And sure enough, he ran straight into the lion's den.

Deku, you absolute moron.

I'm pacing in my office, phone pressed to my ear as Kirishima's voice crackles through the line. The second he tells me they've found him being attacked, my blood runs cold. And it's not just any attack. It's Tomura's gang.

Kirishima: We got him. But, uh, boss, you're not gonna like this. It was Shigaraki's guys. They knew he was with us.

Shigaraki. That slimy, corpse-faced bastard. He's been sniffing around our territory for months, trying to stir up trouble. But going after Deku? That's a new low, even for him.

Me: Where are you now?

Kirishima: We're bringing him back. He's pretty banged up, though.

I grit my teeth, clenching the phone so hard I might break it. The thought of Deku—of Izuku—getting hurt because of some turf war makes me see red. And the fact that he doesn't even remember me, doesn't know why I'm so damn protective of him, only makes it worse.

Doesn't matter. 

I'll kill anyone who touches him.

I hang up and slam my fist against the desk, trying to calm the rage boiling under my skin. Deku. He doesn't even realize the mess he's in. The kid's been running for so long, I bet he doesn't even know how to stop.

But I'll be damned if I let Shigaraki or anyone else get their hands on him. He's mine to protect, whether he remembers it or not.

Izuku's POV

By the time I'm shoved into the back of their car, my body's a mess of bruises, and my head is spinning. 

Great. 

Just another day in paradise.

Kirishima: Bakugo's gonna be pissed when he sees you like this.

I groan, leaning back in the seat. 

Me: Yeah, well... it's not exactly my idea of a fun night either.

But deep down, I know. The trouble I've been running from just caught up with me. And Bakugo? He's the only thing standing between me and a bullet with my name on it.