***(Y/N POV***

FUCK.

My hind legs kicked and clawed against the bank of the bog I had stumped upon; or rather into, the thick, gooey contents clinging to my fur like glue. As my paws failed over and over again to gain any traction to pull myself up, I decided it was time for a breather, disabling my quirk and using my real hands to drag myself out of the muck.

It had already been six days since I had ventured out to locate the communication device, and that was the only instance where I had reverted back to my true form. I hadn't eaten since leaving, and the only water sources I had come across so far had been murky and riddled with unsuccessful mosquito larvae from the warmer months prior.

"Ugh..." I cringed as I began to scrub and wipe the excess muck from my body with my hands, flinging it away. "...this is bullshit..!" The only good that had come from the mission had been the new creatures I had managed to find for my quirk. A tanuki, a sable and some strange species of water shrew that even I didn't know the name of. Nothing particularly useful, but they were something.

There had been multiple instances over the course of the day when I had been positive I had smelled the scent Kurogiri had provided me with. A cocktail of chemicals and copper, but each time I had lost the trail. It didn't help that I was starving. Each animal I came close to made my guts churn and rumble, and it took basically all of the humanity left in me to keep myself from having them as a meal.

I didn't stay as a human for long. In no time I was back to it, another few hours passing with no luck, and the sun eventually began to set. I found myself sticking to a particular scent trail, but it wasn't what I was meant to be tracking. As it grew stronger, I lowered myself in the taller grass, my sharp, (E/C) sights falling upon what I had been following for a good half hour.

The serow calf was bow legged and scrawny, hobbling around without any sense of danger. The predatory instincts of my quirk kicked in, and I began to stalk closer. The mother was nowhere in sight, and from the look of the pathetic creature it wouldn't have shocked me if it had been abandoned.

It's just gonna die anyway...and I'm so hungry...It'll be so easy...

I wasn't sure where along the line my voice of reason had become a mere whisper in the back of my mind, but I was beyond caring. The only two things on my mind were carrying out my orders and filling my stomach.

Closer and closer, the orange hues of the late afternoon sky filtered down through the thinning canopy, highlighting what I considered my prey. The whiskers protruding from my muzzle vibrated with each step it took, and I could feel myself salivating at the thought of fresh meat.

Even if it notices me, there's no way a gangly calf like that could outrun me...All I need to do it bite it once...Bite it...Bite it..!

A chill ran down my spine, and it felt like something was physically trying to hold me back, but my new mindset was superior. It blew every other shred of my honest self away the moment that autumn leaf crunched beneath my paw, and the calf's head whipped around, almond eyes wide and alert.

Everything moved far too quickly. The bovidae didn't even have the chance to make a break for it before my greater mass was on top of it, jaws set to bite down. That was my problem. They wouldn't close and finish it off.

It's a baby...

It's food!

It has a mother...

It's neck will snap so easily!

I can't do this...

Do it!

The frantic bleating of the calf died out along with that sickening crack, and so did my mind. I was frozen as the rich, warm blood oozed between my teeth and down my throat, momentarily completely aware of what I had just done.

I had always been an advocate for animal welfare, ever since I could talk. Hunting was natural in the animal kingdom, but I wasn't an animal. At least, I never thought I was until that moment. All was quiet, so the thud the lifeless body made when falling from my jaws seemed so much louder in my ears.

The worst part was that it tasted so good, and my saliva was dripping from my mouth, tinged pink. It was already dead, so it would be a waste to leave it, right? If I wanted to complete the mission I needed to eat, otherwise I would end up collapsing somewhere, succumbing to the elements.

Having never consumed fresh kill before, it took me longer than I wanted to tear the flesh from its haunches, the fur washing down my throat along with warm, sticky blood. I wasn't at all conflicted anymore, hunger consuming me just like I was consuming the calf.

I didn't eat much. I didn't have the time to waste. A few mouthfuls were all that I allowed myself, but I still couldn't help but stare at the decimated life form, the earth around it soggy and stained red. I didn't feel a damn thing apart from pride. Even when I looked up to meet dark eyes and a coat similarly coloured to the one I had just torn apart.

Oh, that must be the mother...

My lip curled back, bloodied teeth baring in warning. It wasn't a match for me, but I was well aware that mothers were capable of outrageous things when their children were involved. I hazily recalled my own mother; a gentle soul, sprinting up to a man who had started walking off with me at the convenience store, and sucker punching him in the back of the head. It had turned out that it was just my dad; coincidently on a break from work in the same place, in a hoodie, but it had still been an extreme turn of events.

Wait...Parents..?

Shaking my head of the intrusive thought, I slowly backed away, making sure not to take my eyes off the mother. Despite the difference in strength, those horns could easily cause some damage before taking it down, so I wasn't going to risk it. I only turned away once it was out of sight, tuning out the distressed bleating wails that echoed through the dimming evening.

I didn't give it another thought after that. Another several hours passed by, and my irritation grew. I hadn't slept for two days straight, and I was desperate for a lead, at least.

I can't let Tomura down...

It didn't even seem abnormal to me anymore, wanting to please him. In my mind, I was beginning to see him as a master, which left me confused about the dreadful feeling in my guts. Dabi was also swimming around in my head, but the vision of him was warped. I just wanted to locate that god forsaken radio.

Wait...

I could smell something that didn't fit in with the pungent aroma of the forest. It was akin to the scent of a hospital, and I had smelled it before. It matched what Kurogiri had waved under my nose before we both departed, travelling barely ten minutes together before parting ways.

It wasn't exactly close, but if I could sniff it out already it had to be within a mile or two. Internally smiling to myself, I set off, ramming my way through the undergrowth without a second thought. It would have been much easier if I had used my quirk to transform into something quicker, but that didn't occur to me.

Find it find it find it find it..!

By the time I was on top of the scent I was covered in rotting leaves and spider webs. The reek of the device was offensive, to say the least, and it gave me utter chills. Thanks to the dark, I had to root around a bit in search, but I eventually found it. A portable ham radio.

Relief set in, and I sat down with a snort, just staring at the cause for my week long suffering. It didn't seem very valuable to me, but if Shigaraki had seen its importance then I had no doubt in my mind. Reverting to my human form felt foreign and uncomfortable, but I knew there would be no way for me to lug that thing back as a lupine, or any animal suited to such a landscape that I had tucked under my belt.

I was hesitant in grabbing the radio, the cool metal and plastic almost seeming to sting my skin upon initial contact. It definitely smelled like a hospital, but not just any old one. To me, the scent created a ghastly picture in my mind of those creepy, abandoned hospitals in horror films, filling me with wavering uncertainty.

No, Tomura needs this. It's my job. He told me to do this. We all need this.

Holding it tightly, I returned to my previous state as a wolf dog, incredibly glad to have such a great addition to my quirk. Just like my school bag and my snacks, the radio transformed with me, the only sign telling me it was still in my possession being the additional weight I felt in my forelegs.

It was late, and I hadn't the slightest clue of where I was. I easily could have been fifty miles away, for all I knew. If I hadn't been so utterly exhausted I likely would have started to figure it out, but all I longed for was sleep. Even if I could catch an hour or two, it could tide me over until I made it back. So, pacing a tight circle three times over, I curled up by the rocks where I had found the radio.

More rocks around here...and I can smell more dirt than before. I'm probably at the eastern edge of the forest. I need to head west. That's where I need to take this stupid box...

Closing my eyes, my imagination never activated like it usually would. It was beyond foolish of me to keep my quirk going around the clock, but I didn't have much of a choice. The air was cold, and my human body wasn't resilient enough to handle that for such a lengthy amount of time.

Besides...this could be good for me...Tomura said so...

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***I regret (Y/N)'s quirk because I hate writing her in animal form and shes basically an angsty furry...but whatchagonnado?

I despise this chapter, and I planned on souly focusing on Dabi/Mustard/Shigaraki for the next two or so chapters, but eh. Just...eh. Also, as you manga readers would have realised, I'm straying from the original plot for this arc something chronic. I wanted a reason for (Y/N) to be forced into an even longer predatory stint and this was all I could come up with.

The sweetie in the header photo is Shade, a wolf dog from Wolf Connection, a sanctuary in California***