Encroachment

Chapter 14: Hunt

Katsuki listened to the repetitive thundering of his feet. A light drizzle of rain misted the air. The hairs on his arms were speckled in tiny, glittering water droplets. A dark grey sky hung above the busy city. Cars crawled by, their cues backing up for miles. The street lights cast a powerful yellowed light on the pavement and out onto the street. Warm sweat beaded his brow. He found himself dodging and sidestepping pedestrians. With his lungs aching and heart racing, he knew he was nearing his limit. A cold breeze brushed over his flushed skin. A queasy feeling stirred in his stomach. He needed to get into better shape. The summer training camp was in a few days. If he was going to make the most of his time there, he needed to be in peak condition. A dull throb harassed his body.

Katsuki hissed in anger as he had to manoeuvre around a woman pushing an unnecessarily large pram. When he reflected on it, the past few months had flown in quickly. Katsuki knew he was succeeding in the hero course. Even in the academics he was one of the highest scoring pupils. Yet something felt amiss. For some reason he could not place, he had a sickening sense of dread in his stomach that weighted every step he took. The perfectionist in him screamed for release, only he didn't know what needed fixed. Katsuki's ankle landed on a loose rock, making him stagger to a halt.

Bakugo loudly cursed out the rock before bending over and placing his hands on his knees. Cold rain cooled him and coated his skin. Calming his breath, he found his heart rate dropped and muscle fatigue faded. Swallowing hard he stood upright. The boy glanced around. Surprise dawned his features. Katsuki was no longer on the busy Main Street he had been moments ago. Instead he was standing in front of a boxy, large school. Nobody else was in sight. A slight crack of thunder sounded through the humid air. Katsuki gently ran his fingers over the green gate that surrounded the school grounds. It came up no higher than his waist. The last time he had been there, he had to climb up it to peer over the top. A lopsided smile claimed his features for a fraction of a second before he quickly subdued it. A small sandy area was cornered off just beside the school with slides, swings and climbing frames alike. Katsuki scrunched up his nose, they were all in the same place he remembered, but significantly smaller.

Bakugo's eyes locked on to something. A strange silhouette sitting on a lone swing. The figure was slumped over and long hair hung in front of her face. His breath caught in his throat. From where he was he could make out the slight greenish hue to her hair. Wiping beads of water from his eyes, he vaulted over the fence and hesitantly made his way to the figure. Body groaning from the movement, he pushed through the pain.

Katsuki kept his steps light as he approached the haunched over woman. Vapoury clouds of breath rose around his cheeks. The boy weaved through the numerous metal frames and colourful play items that littered the playground. Once he reached within a few meters of her, he ground to a halt. The woman's head snapped up towards him sending a spray of water in its wake. Long strings of wet hair clung to her neck and face. Large, rounded dark eyes stared at him and her mouth hung slightly ajar. Katsuki froze. She was a lot skinnier than he remembered, unhealthily so. Her hair was beginning to grey at the sides and her eyes were deeper and dull. Even her skin had adopted a grey hue. The dim lighting only emphasised the dark and dramatic bags beneath her eyes. "Mrs Midoriya, staying out in this fucking shitty rain too long will make you fucking sick." Katsuki's voice was a lot softer than he was used to, his ears almost didn't detect it.

The woman stared at him owlishly. Her mouth twitched to respond, but she clamped it tightly shut. For only a moment her eyes narrowed and lips curved downward. It happened so fast he wasn't sure he even really saw it. Mrs Midoriya quickly slapped on a tight lipped smile and rose from the squeaking swing seat that no healthy adult should have been able to sit on. "Of course Katsuki," she let out a short and chuckle. The woman dipped her head, "I'm very sorry I was just being sentimental."

The teen waved her off, "I didn't see nothing." He replied sharply.

Mrs Midoriya paused, the corners of her lips curved upwards and the small wrinkles around her eyes deepened. "Neither did I." She commented before turning heel and disappearing into the thick mist of rain. Katsuki watched her shadow vanish around a corner. The boy clenched and unclenched his hands before casting an eye around the area. Bakugo's gaze rested on a small segmented roundabout. It's red paint was peeling and rust leaked from the exposed metal beneath. He could see two toddlers, one with a mess of green curly hair and the other with a spiked mass of blonde hair. Together they sat on the roundabout, gripping on for dear life as other small shapes and silhouettes spun them rapidly. Katsuki made no attempt to suppress the meek smile that made its way to his face.

Another crack of thunder sounded. The hairs on his body stood on end and the air tasted of electricity. He could see the small green haired boy screaming and begging to be let off. Tears pricked his clenched eyes. The blonde boy cackled uncontrollably and called the green haired boy a wuss and a wimp. The sound of Deku's terrified cries were drowned out by Katsuki's own delighted squeals.

Katsuki hissed through his teeth and tore his gaze from the roundabout. "Fucking cowardly Deku." He snapped and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Everywhere he looked he could see the children. The green haired one was crying and being pushed around by the blonde who simply called him weak. Katsuki's breath sharpened. Warmth spread to his eyes. There he was, the infant Deku staring up at Bakugo. Brilliant green orbs froze him to the spot as his young eyes glittered. 'Wow Ka-chan, you're amazing,' Bakugo could hear the boy's phantom words.

Katsuki let out a soft whimper and sniffed hard. Turning on his heel, he broke into a sprint and tore through the school grounds, keeping his eyes trained on the tarmac below him. With every object he dodged he could see the blonde boy pointing fingers and laughing. The green haired boy was crying or whispering compliments. Katsuki cleared the gate in one leap and tore down the road. Blinking back the liquid that had collected in his eyes, he pushed himself to go even faster.