Can We Be Heroes?

Chapter 14. Job gone Wrong

Izuku sprinted, his breaths ragged and uneven with the sound of heavy, thunderous footsteps behind him sending chills down his spine. Replaying the events that had led to this moment,he was now regretting his actions. Deeply regretting it!

It was supposed to be a simple job—steal the files, make the trade, and collect the payment. But no one had warned him about the literal furry human bulldozer guarding the place.

How was he supposed to know that the law firm’s laughably weak digital security wasn’t due to negligence but because their physical security was a hulking, quirk-crazed dog-man with a taste for blood? His blood.

Now it all made sense—the flimsy firewalls, the outdated protocols. They didn’t need state-of-the-art tech when they had him.

"Lesson learned," Izuku muttered under his breath, narrowly dodging a metal trash can hurdled his way as he bolted further. "Do better recon next time."

Behind him, the dog-man growled, massive paws pounding against the pavement with his red eyes glowing and his sharp, jagged teeth glistening as he let out a guttural snarl. "You can’t run forever, kid!" he bellowed, deep and gravelly. "You think you can just walk into our building and take what’s ours? You’re dead meat!"

Izuku’s heart raced as he glanced back, the distance between them shrinking with every second. "Why is it always the muscle-bound lunatics I end up with. First Mascular and now this guy?" he muttered, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Why can’t it ever be some bored guy in a suit?"

He skidded around a corner, his shoes scraping against the wet pavement. The bag slung over his shoulder bounced with each step, the stolen files inside rustling like a mocking reminder of why he was in this mess in the first place. He didn’t even have time to think about what was in them—all he knew was that the person who hired him wanted them badly enough to pay a small fortune.

"Focus, Izuku," he muttered to himself, his green eyes scanning the alley ahead for an escape route. "Get out of this alive first, worry about the money later."

A loud crash behind him made him wince. The dog-man had plowed through a stack of crates, sending splinters flying in every direction. "You’re only making this worse for yourself!" the beast roared, his claws scraping against the brick walls as he charged forward.

Izuku’s brain went into overdrive. He needed a plan, and he needed it fast. Running wasn’t going to cut it; the dog-man was faster, stronger, and clearly not tiring anytime soon. Was he sniffing him out. It has to be. He was tracking him using scent.

Izuku's gaze flicked to the fire escapes lining the buildings on either side of the alley. Too risky, he thought. The man would catch him before he could climb high enough. His eyes then caught sight of a narrow gap between two buildings, barely wide enough for a person to slip through. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Without hesitation, Izuku darted toward the gap, his body twisting sideways as he slid into the tight space. The rough brick scraped against his shoulders, but he pushed through, ignoring the sting. Behind him, the dog-man skidded to a halt, his massive frame too large to fit.

Izuku allowed himself a brief moment of relief as he pressed deeper into the narrow passage. But the reprieve was short-lived. The dog-man’s growl echoed in the tight space, his claws raking against the edges of the wall,a few inches away from Hex as he tried to force his way through.

"You think you’re smart, huh?" the beast snarled, his mouth dripping with spittle. "I’ll tear this whole building down if I have to but you are not going anywhere!"

Izuku’s pulse quickened. "Great," he muttered. "He’s got persistence. Just my luck."

The passage opened up into another alley on the other side, and Izuku wasted no time squeezing through. Once free, he bolted again, his mind racing for a way to lose his pursuer for good. He rounded another corner and spotted a stack of wooden pallets leaning against the side of a building. An idea sparked in his mind.