STRINGS // KATSUKI BAKUGO [2]

Chapter 59 // Tethered

You opened your eyes, expecting to see the white ceiling of Bakugo's dorm room. Instead, you saw infinite darkness.

"Finally," a voice spoke. "I was beginning to think master's proposition was false."

You slowly turned around, following the direction of the voice until your eyes settled upon an awfully familiar face that made your snarl.

"Shigaraki," you stated, the grit in your tone making the villain smirk within the darkness encasing the both of you.

"Hello, [L/N]," he greeted, "or should I say Bakugo?"

"[Y/N]," you corrected. "I don't care if that's my name now. You have no right to say it, especially when it still belongs to him."

"Still a spitfire despite your tragedy," he replied with a small hum, "and, since we're now on the topic of your scattered little brain, I'd like to ask you what you think is happening here."

You looked around, your eyes still finding nothing but endless darkness. Shigaraki was the only being.

"I'm dreaming."

"Wrong."

You narrowed your eyes in suspicion, confused as to what else you could've been experiencing. Was it a stream-of-consciousness moment?

"What is that supposed to mean?" you questioned. "What else happens when someone's asleep?"

"You're not just someone," Shigaraki began, steps heavy and echoing as he approached you. "You're [Y/N]."

You leaned back as Shigaraki surged forward from his stance mere inches in front of you, his blood red eyes boring into yours, his lips curled back into an ugly grin.

"You see, I've been thinking a lot recently," he continued, "thinking about why my attempt to steal One For All was a failure. I came to the conclusion of three reasons."

He raised a hand, and, for a moment, you froze in fear. Then, you remembered none of this was technically real. His quirk wouldn't work. It shouldn't work.

"One," he held up the appropriate number of fingers, "I am not strong enough. I don't have enough of my master's power. Two," he held up another finger, "that god forsaken power is too bonded to that little twerp to leave no matter my strength, and, three," he flicked up his ring finger, "you were in the way."

Your brows knitted together as further confusion overcame you. How could you have been in the way? You didn't hold One For All, not truly.

"I see you're having trouble processing that last bit," Shigaraki noted, "so allow me to elaborate."

He leaned away, arms folding behind his back as he began to pace back and forth in front of you.

"When I tried to withdraw One For All from Midoriya, the power was, at the moment, being shared, split between the both of you," he explained. "There was a tether between the two of you, a tether that kept One For All locked down. It was two against one. Then the explosion happened."

He stopped, falling silent as he lifted a hand to scratch at his neck before he proceeded with his story.

"That explosion severed the tether between you and Midoriya and created a new one, one between us," he stated, nearing you once more. "Those users thought your powers were the reason One For All was teetering on the edge," he grinned, flashing his hungry teeth, "but Overhaul built your body to avoid such things."

He straightened his posture, lips falling into a pursed line. His eyes were unblinking, haunting.

"You were killing me..." you realized through a breathy exhale. "You're the reason I'm dying quicker."

"Correct," his malicious smile returned. "You and I, [Y/N], were connected. I'm in your head."

You were connected to Shigaraki, the man who had taken everything from you, who killed your mother.

You and Tomura Shigaraki were tethered through a bond that was killing you and evolving him.

"There's an invisible string you can't sever, [Y/N]," the villain continued. "I'll be with you until the day you die."

Your face hardened. You were determined not to let his antics get to you any more than they had already.

"I'm not just tethered to you," you spat. "You're tethered to me. This is a two-way connection."

"Yes," he agreed, "but how much damage can you actually do as a ghost."

"I'm not dead yet," you argued.

"Yet," he pointed out, stepping back as his body began to merge with the darkness. "It's always "yet", isn't it?"

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You were startled awake, shooting up into a sitting position only to smack your head against something hovering above you.

"Ow—motherfucker!"

When your buzzing vision calmed, yours eye settled upon Bakugo, who was now awake as well and rubbing the palm of his hand against his forehead.

"Jeez, first a kick, now a head-butt," he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The hell did I do to you?"

"Sorry..." you apologized through a mutter.

You threw the covers off your body, swinging your legs over the side of Bakugo's bed as you moved to stand.

"I need to talk to Aizawa," you continued, standing in a sway, causing Bakugo to scramble off his bed and onto his feet in order to steady you. "Actually, I need to talk to everyone."

"Alright, calm down for a sec," Bakugo rushed out, hands placed firmly on your shoulders as he scanned over your scrunched and tired features. "What's goin' on?"

"It's Shigaraki," you replied, "so, naturally, it's nothing good."

[EDITED]