in the shadows - Bakugou x reader

8 - routine

Katsuki's POV
Since running into Shadow had become a regular occurrence, my assistant was bugging me with all sorts of requests to either work alongside or provide information to other pros.

"Sir, I have another call on hold-"

"Tell them to fuck off."

She sighed, "sir, this one is from Deku's agency."

I glared at her, "are you deaf? I said 'tell them to fuck off'"

"But, sir-"

"I don't care."

She sighed before rushing back into her office to probably politely decline whatever Deku's assistant was offering.

Things were starting to look bad- really bad.

Every time I had run into Shadow, it was in the public eye- it was almost like she was taunting me, trying to make me look incompetent.

I had other pro agencies calling mine, trying to offer their assistance or take matters into their own hands using the information I had gathered on Shadow- tch. As if I'd let them.

It was evident that Shadow didn't have one of the quirks on the list, and after running a check on the footage we had on her friend who always appears to help her escape, we found out that he went by the name, 'Lightning', though that was all we knew about him.

None of the girls on the list seemed to have any ties that led back to him, so that ended up being a dead end.

—

I had come to the conclusion that Shadow had some sort of healing quirk, it didn't necessarily explain her reflexes, but every time I saw her, she was already perfectly healed from the last time we fought.

It had become a part of my routine to run into Shadow on every patrol, like she was waiting for me.

"Good afternoon, Katsuki! I'm sure you finish your shift soon... any plans after work?"

I knew that she'd always casually approach me with a stupid conversation starter, aware that I was just going to ignore her.

I just let out a yell of frustration and sent an explosion directly behind me, but unsurprisingly, she dodged it.

"Going out for the evening? Binging a new show? Hot date?"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU IDIOT!"

She dodged that attack before pulling her knife out and running straight at me; I wouldn't let her get close easily and sent several explosions at her, forcing her to avoid them.

Eventually, though, she did get close enough to me and landed a scratch on my chest and underneath my cheek bone, but in retaliation, I sent an explosion that sent her crashing so hard into the ground that I didn't expect her to pull herself back up.

And for a few moments, she didn't.

"GET YOUR ASS BACK UP, YOU SHITTY VILLAIN! WE'RE NOT FINISHED HERE!"

She was clearly struggling to stand, but a smirk still played at her lips as she chuckled, "I take it back; I doubt you'd be able to secure yourself a hot date with a temper like that."

When she finally pulled herself back up, her legs were shaking and she was obviously in pain, but still, she looked up into my eyes with the same level of fiery passion that she always had, "don't tell me that's all you've got, hero."

I paced towards her, readying an explosion in my hand when I was interrupted by a yell from above, "that's enough!"

Before I was able to fathom what was going on, Shadow was gone.

No.

No.

I was so close.

I slammed my fist into the wall, letting off an explosion as I yelled, "AGH! FUCK YOU, LIGHTNING, FUCK YOU, SHADOW- FUCKING COWARDS!"

—

When I saw her the next day, she was skipping around my attacks like nothing had happened the day before.

"Katsuki, I do wonder, how is it that you have an agency? I couldn't imagine any employee putting up with your shit."

She knew I wasn't going to respond to her question, I just sent an even larger explosion at her, which she casually dodged and continued, "it's honestly no wonder that the predictions online look like Shoto Todoroki will take your spot in the Billboard Chart."

"SHUT IT, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU SHITTY VILLAIN!"

—

Over time, though, I became more accustomed to her mockery.

"Morning, Katsuki! Still ranked second to Deku?"

I glared over at her, "Still so shit that you're ranked second to a villain that's never even shown his face?"

She raised an eyebrow at me and chuckled, "that's because you heroes don't know a real threat when you see one."

"A threat? Tch. You've been after me for months, yet here I am."

"All in good time... you see, Katsuki, I'm not done toying with you yet. I've not had this much fun in a long time."

—

I didn't realise that I had actually looked forward to the fights I shared with Shadow until she stopped turning up for a few days and I was stuck doing boring patrols that lacked anything noteworthy.

"Oh, Katsuki! Did you miss me?"

"You been hiding like the coward you are?"

She innocently smiled at me, "not at all! I've just been busy with some stuff... you'll find out eventually!"

She was close enough that I could reach out and touch her, but as I finally shifted my attention to her face, it seemed that there was something different.

A scar.

"What's that shit on your face?"

Her expression slightly dropped as she traced her hand over the scar that started on her jaw and made it's way up to her cheekbone; it took the shape of a burn mark but the colouring of a regular scar.

But she quickly curled her lips back into her stupid smirk that she always did, "aw, are you concerned about me?"

She mockingly reached forward and tapped my nose playfully, but as soon as she did, I released an explosion from my palm that sent her flying backwards.

"I don't give a fuck about you, shitty villain."

She chuckled as she pulled herself up, "I'm flattered, I know the list of people that you care about it limited."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT-"

"Anyway, I only stopped by because I was in the neighbourhood, see you soon, hero."