Boku No Hero Academia One Shots [Book 2]

Katsuki Bakugou {Monster AU/Skinwalker}

The whimsical woods were swimming in sounds and pleasant ambiance. They shuddered slightly in the wolf-huff breeze, branches swaying and cracking gently. Such things were commonplace and caused precious little disturbance, save for a few smaller creatures hurriedly darting away. The natural echoes of life were not the only danger, however, because something that defied even the most brilliant scholar's logic lurked in the shadowy depths, out of both sight and mind, unless one were to wander too close. Occasionally, the elusive entity forged its own pathway into the realm of humans, skulking behind great oak trees and casting a dim light on its unsuspecting victim with flashes of the most abysmal red. The flesh around the eyes appeared hollow, sunken and decaying, like a reanimated corpse. Fragments of bone protruded from within a human-hide, giving the impression of a nightmarish, god-forsaken wight, abandoned by time and light. It walked unsteadily, propped up on four legs. The beast mimicked cries and murmurs, but not quite good enough. Its prey sometimes lived, often died. As one final, defiant scream tore apart their lungs, releasing all the air from within, their vision was obscured by those flashing crimson eyes, and bared teeth - human teeth, the edges of its lips crudely twisted upwards, as it attempted to grin. A primal fear flooded over them, and then they slipped between the earth.

Blackened blood dripped from the fiend on all fours, collecting ominously on the ground below. Reflected in the newly-forming pond, was an almost-human face, with slightly rounded, rotting features and clumps of spiky blonde hair clinging to its head. It resembled a decaying corpse, except that it was clearly mobile. You stood like an icicle, frozen and trying to ward off the cold chill crawling down your back. The thing didn't appear to have noticed your presence as of yet, but you figured it would only be a matter of moments. You needed an escape plan, or at the very least, something with which to protect yourself, and a good head-start.

However, in a very comical, yet horrifying twist, ripped straight from every generic horror movie ever made, you shuffled backwards, stepping on a fragile twig. Terrified, you exhaled a short gasp, only just managing to clamp a hand over your mouth. It felt as though every single fibre of your body was being torn out, individually, slowly. The creature, with its dread-inducing features, turned towards you. Now, your small world was being suffocated by a most putrid stench. You tried desperately to clog your nose, to somehow stifle the scent, but nothing worked - it was far too overpowering. Gravity brought it down, on to your head, forcing one eye to clamp shut in retaliation. The thing you now bestowed a half-gaze upon had almost claimed two of your senses: sight and smell. You could not afford to give it any more control.

As it bared its teeth, you suddenly remembered how to move. Blood streamed down its chin as it dropped its prey, opting instead to focus on you. A heightened sense of panic flooded your system; that smile was incredibly familiar! In fact, the closer you examined the beast, the more you began to recognise - those vivid red orbs, which held a strange determination deep within, and matted blonde hair, standing on end (as if powered by outrageous amounts of anger). These spectral shapeshifters were more dead than alive, lending to their native name. You panicked then, wondering how on Earth something managed to mimic a classmate of yours, so perfectly, despite being miles away from the school, in a secluded neck of the woods. Had it been waiting for you? Did it sense your vibrations, the minute you stepped into its territory?

It planted one limb down, laughing in an inhuman tone. It sounded almost...mocking? This was definitely a bad omen. The noise was distorted, like tv static, but it still somewhat simulated Bakugou's voice. When the thing spoke, another chill surged down your back.

"Shut up!" It crackled like a fire. "I'll handle this thing!"

To say you were officially shaking in terror would have been an understatement. In great contrast to the frost you once felt, there was now the aching sensation of red-hot pokers or claws digging into your flesh. If you concealed a weapon on your person, like your mother had advised you, the threat would have been slightly diminished. Alas, you didn't concern yourself with things of that nature - naivety had wormed its way into your brain; nothing could ever possibly happen to you, to constitute needing a blade or gun.

A wide, Cheshire-style grin split the creature's face, as it began again, in that incredibly disturbing voice. 

"Shut up! I'll handle this thing!"

That certainly sounded like Bakugou.

[Word Count: 799]