Cat's Rule the world.... since when?!

A Mafia Boss with Cat Ears? Seriously?

Okay, just breathe. 

You're following Bakugo into a mansion. 

A huge mansion. 

No big deal, right?

I walked a few paces behind him, trying to keep my mind from spiraling out of control again. The massive structure in front of me looked more like a castle than a house, with towering spires and walls that stretched as far as I could see. It felt intimidating, like it had its own kind of gravity, pulling me in even though every instinct was telling me to run the other way.

Bakugo, of course, didn't seem fazed. He just strolled right up to the front entrance like he owned the place. Which, for all I knew, he did. My bloodstained clothes stuck to me uncomfortably as I trudged after him. Even though I wasn't hurt, the blood still made me feel gross and sticky. I couldn't shake the sensation, or the fact that I was somehow fine despite everything.

We walked through the massive front doors, and I was immediately hit by the sterile, chemical smell of antiseptics. My nose wrinkled.

Oh no.

Nope. 

I hate that smell.

Bakugo kept walking, but I stopped right at the door. My feet froze, and my body was suddenly screaming at me to turn around. I didn't know why, but the scent made my skin crawl. It was like some instinctual alarm going off in my head.

"Get in here, Deku," Bakugo growled, looking over his shoulder when he realized I wasn't following. "You're not dying or anything. It's just a damn room."

"I'm not going in there," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "What is this place? Why does it smell like a hospital?"

Bakugo let out an irritated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "It's just the infirmary, dumbass. You're covered in blood; you need to get cleaned up."

Oh, great. 

That explains the smell.

"I'm fine," I muttered, even though I knew that was a blatant lie. I mean, physically, sure. But mentally? No. I was not fine.

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "You look like you crawled out of a damn horror movie. Just get in here."

Not happening.

Instead of moving, I crossed my arms and stayed glued to my spot by the door, stubbornly refusing to step foot into the antiseptic-scented room. Bakugo groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose like he was trying to keep from exploding.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth, "we'll do this the hard way."

He stomped back toward me, and for a second, I thought he was going to drag me in by force. But instead, he stopped just in front of me and lowered his voice, like he was trying to reason with me. Which was... weird. Since when did Bakugo try to reason with anyone?

"You wanna know what's going on?" he asked. "Then let me explain it to you. But first, you need to calm down and clean up. You're freaking everyone out."

I didn't miss the way his eyes darted to the blood covering my shirt. Or the way the others—Denki, Mina, Sero—were still hovering nearby, watching me like I was about to snap.

Okay, maybe I'm freaking myself out too.

With a reluctant sigh, I took a small step back but stayed out of the room. "Fine. Explain."

Bakugo let out a breath, as if relieved I wasn't going to bolt again. "This world... it's not like yours. Cats rule here. We're the ones who know how to get between the human world and this one."

I blinked. "Cats?"

"Yeah, cats." He gestured to his own ears and tail as if that wasn't obvious enough. "We're the only ones who know the way between worlds. Humans sometimes wander over, but... well, they don't usually make it far."

I frowned, crossing my arms tighter around myself. "What do you mean they don't make it far?"

Bakugo's eyes flicked to the side, like he didn't want to answer that directly. "Humans are... pets here. They don't really have much of a place in our society. Most of them end up being owned by cats."

I stared at him, trying to process what he was saying. "Owned? Like... like pets?"

He nodded, not looking thrilled about it. "Yeah. Pets."

Oh great.

So I'm in a world where humans are like... house cats?

"And you," I said slowly, my mind still reeling, "you're... in charge of all this?"

Bakugo's expression shifted, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah. I run things around here. I lead one of the biggest organizations in the borderlands. I'm also from noble blood."

I blinked again.

And then I laughed.

It started as a snort, but soon enough, I couldn't hold it back. I clutched my stomach, doubling over as the laughter burst out of me. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I tried to stop, but I couldn't help it. The idea of Kacchan—the explosive, angry, yelling Bakugo I'd grown up with—being some sort of noble mafia boss with cat ears and a tail? It was too much. It was ridiculous.

Bakugo's scowl deepened, his ears flattening against his head. "What the hell are you laughing at?"

I wheezed, trying to catch my breath. "You? A mafia boss? Noble blood? That's... that's hilarious."

He growled, his tail flicking angrily behind him. "Shut up, Deku, before I knock your stupid face in."

I wiped my eyes, still grinning. "Sorry, sorry. It's just... it's hard to take you seriously when you're standing there with cat ears."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he didn't hit me. Instead, he crossed his arms and glared at me, waiting for my laughter to die down.

Okay, focus. 

There's still a lot I don't get.

Once I managed to stop laughing, I took a deep breath and looked at him more seriously. "So... humans are pets here. And cats rule. Where do I fit into all this? Why am I here?"

Bakugo's smirk faded, and he looked at me with a more serious expression. "That's what we're trying to figure out. You weren't supposed to end up here, Deku. But now that you are... you're stuck."

Stuck.

I swallowed hard. The weight of his words finally sinking in.

"So... I can't go back?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

Bakugo shrugged. "Not unless you want to be someone's pet."

I shivered at the thought. Being stuck here, treated like some kind of animal, while Bakugo ran this mafia-cat world? No thanks. But what choice did I have?

I need to find a way out of this.