A/N: Transitional chapter.

The sun is rising.

Katsuki can't quite tell how long he's been sitting there, bone cold and soaked from the rain where he's tucked himself away in a corner that's easily blocked from view by living room furniture. He's got no clue of where he is---or more like who's house he's in---but he does know that it's been hours since he and Hitoshi separated.

What if he's dead?

What if those guys know where he is?

He'd call Izuku or...or Shouto---fuck, he'll even call Kaminari but his phone is dead and he's much too afraid to leave his hiding spot and look for an outlet.

Not a moment later does the door swing open, slamming against the wall behind it as muddy boots come into view. Katsuki puts a hand over his mouth to stifle his startled yelp, curling in on himself as some comes walking in. They don't bother taking off their shoes, just shutting the door behind them. Katsuki feels his trembling intensify and he mutely wonders if they could hear him at all.

"Katsuki?"

It's Hitoshi and he sounds like he's about to drop dead right on the living room carpet. The booted feet drag against the floor a bit, pausing just at the coffee table.

"You can come out. It's just me."

Katsuki squeezes his eyes closed with a shake of his head. He doesn't want to see. Doesn't want to have to look at what they did to Hitoshi. The older man is practically wheezing with every breath. There's no way in hell they went easy on him.

"You gotta, cause we gotta move. We can't stay here long, baby, they'll find us. We have to leave. I won't hurt you. You know I won't hurt you."

He does know that---or, really, he doesn't know for sure but it doesn't feel like Hitoshi would hurt him. It could just be those mind games that he plays---luring him into a false sense of security but Hitoshi just killed someone for him.

Hitoshi just nearly died for him.

The entirety of it all is so incredibly overwhelming that he feels his stomach lurching all over again, dry heaving behind blood stained fingers. He swallows it down with a sob.

"Toshi, I-I'm scared---"

"I know, Kats, I know. I'm sorry you got pulled into all of this."

Hitoshi let's out a wet cough and Katsuki sees blood splatter onto the carpet, only confirming the idea that Hitoshi is in seriously rough shape. He's feet drag forward a bit more and Katsuki can hear the sound of Hitoshi's hands slapping against the coffee table as he uses it to steady himself.

"You were never supposed to know or get involved. Midoriya  made sure of that and I was here to fuckin' enforce it but I got too comfortable."

Deku?

"W-What are you saying?! Are you trying to say that Deku is one of them?!"

"Not one of them, no. He's scarier than any of those fucks could ever be. Well, to the average guy, anyway. He doesn't do much for those of us who ain't got a damn thing to lose."

A lighter flickers. Katsuki can make out the distinctive noise of an inhale as the air permeates with cigarette smoke. He's seriously taking a smoke break at a time like this?

A loud crash sounds from outside---car doors slamming and someone yelling orders. Hitoshi curses underneath his breath.

"Katsuki, we have to leave now, baby. I'm not leaving you here so get up or we both die."

The purple-haired doesn't wait this time, just shuffles around the table and pulls Katsuki up from the floor with his good arm.

The other is limp and bruised at his side. One of those fucks got him good. 

He's bleeding from somewhere at the top of his head but it's much too hard to tell exactly where with all of that blood matting his hair down. Not to mention the ugly gash beneath his eye.

"Fucking hell, Hitoshi---"

"I'm okay, Katsuki, okay? Just stay close to me and we're gonna be just fine. You have my keys, baby? Yeah?"

Katsuki tries to steel himself, offering a shaky nod. Hitoshi holds out his hand and Katsuki scrambles to dig through the pockets of the coat still wrapped around his shaking frame. The keys jingle as he slaps them into the older man's palm and Hitoshi takes his free hand to lace his and Katsuki's fingers together.

"Stay behind me. Don't take your eyes off me for even a second. No matter what you hear---no matter what's happening around you---you keep your eyes on me, you hear me?"

Another nod. Katsuki's hand tightens around Hitoshi's.

The tattooed man steadies himself with a deep breath before he begins to navigate them through the apartment. He pauses in one of the bedrooms, very briefly digging through one of the several drawers before finding and throwing a black sweatshirt at Katsuki's head. The blonde doesn't need to to told to put it on---or to do it quickly. He follows suit with the pair of sweats thrown his way soon after. The clothes nearly swallow him but they're dry, warm, and won't get in the way while they're running.

"I don't have any shoes you could fit right now. Can you run without them, Kats?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so."

"Good, good boy. We're gonna go out the back way---through the fire escape. They don't know that I'm here yet so they're coming through the front but some of these dumb bastards are pretty cunning so I'm not taking any chances." He doesn't stop moving as he talks, digging further into the drawer. When he comes back up again, there's a knife in his hand. He takes Katsuki by the wrist and uncurls his fingers, forcing the knife in his palm. Katsuki looks confused---scared even.

"Any of those fuckers gets close enough to grab, fucking stab them. To kill. They don't need mercy and you can't afford it, you understand?"

Katsuki's trembling hand tightens around the knife.

"I understand."

"Stay close."

And he takes his hand again, quickly staggering out to the fire escape and making quick work of the steps. Katsuki is careful not to miss any; he can't afford to be a burden right now by slipping and breaking an ankle or leg. He's grateful that the rain had stopped or it would be much more difficult to navigate.

And his change of wardrobe would have ultimately been for not.

They're within eyeshot of where Hitoshi's car is parked haphazardly on the curb but Hitoshi still has them duck behind a dumpster, peering out and looking both ways to make sure the coast is clear.

The jarring noise of a bullet ricocheting off of the metal trashcan next to them nearly gives Katsuki a heart attack.

Hitoshi curses under his breath and pulls Katsuki in front of him as another comes down. It would seem that those thugs have made it into the apartment and figured out where they were.

"Don't make this difficult, Kid." Someone says to him in a bored tone but the moment Katsuki raises his head to look he's pushed back down again.

"You've got a lot fuckin' nerve, Kai. If you think the old man's gonna let you slide with the shit you and your fuckhead posse tried to pull tonight then you're outta goddamn head!" Hitoshi counters and Katsuki registers that Hitoshi still has a gun when he begins to fire back.

Within that split second, he's shoving Katsuki along and the blonde is so short of breath that he feels he might faint. He barrels into the backseat and Hitoshi is pulling away from the curb before his door even closes, tires screeching all the while.

#

They've been driving for almost an hour now, but Hitoshi can't help but note that Katsuki still hasn't said anything. Its a deafening silence, only interrupted by the light aound of raindrops hitting the windsheild and the wipers taking them off again. His first thought was that the blonde had fallen asleep but he knows better. He's in shock, unsure of how to process having his entire life uprooted in just the blink of an eye.

He adjusts the rear view mirror and sure enough, Katsuki's dull eyed expression is staring back at him.

"...you're not hurt are you?"

An empty shake of his head.

"Are you cold?"

Nothing. Not even a flicker of his eyes. Hitoshi sighs, gripping the steering wheel with the only hand he has that isn't broken.

"I know you're confused, Katsuki, and I'm sorry. I'll answer as many questions as I can but I need you to cooperate with me to keep you safe, alright?"

"...why?"

It's barely even a whisper. Hitoshi raises a brow.

"Why? As in why I need you to work with me to keep you safe?"

"Why are you even helping me at all? Is it for Deku? No...no, you said yourself you wouldn't do him any favors. So then are you gonna take me and s-sell me to the highest bidder? Keep the profit to yourself? Is this some sort of gang mutiny?"

"You're coming it hot, there, kitty and I need you to slow down a sec. You've got this whole thing all wrong---"

"Then tell me, Hitoshi, cause I'm about to lose my shit, here!" Katsuki's voice wavers and his breath catches in his throat as he realizes that he's getting himself worked up all over again. Hitoshi allows him a moment of silence.

"Alright. Okay. I guess I don't need to tell you by now that I'm into some shady business---"

"Yeah, no fuckin' shit! You're a human trafficker; you're a horrible fuckin' person and just looking at you makes me want to vomit! Because we're strippers, it's okay to kidnap and murder us?!"

His breathing is heavy and unsurprisingly enough, his insults do nothing to change Hitoshi's mood. Does nothing to pull a reaction.

"You're right about one thing. I am a horrible fuckin' person. But I'm not into the whole black market body selling trend. I have morals."

"Then what are you doing? What the hell have you been doing this entire time?!"

"Honestly? Moving drugs and contracted jobs."

"Contracted...?"

Hitoshi sighs.

"I get paid to murder people."

Katsuki's eyes bulge out of his head.

"You're a mercenary..."

"Well, when you say it that way you make it sound so much more glamorous than what it is. But I'm not one to move in groups and I don't care much for the 'Happy Tree Friends' back there."

Nothing is making sense...but at the same time, the more Katsuki thinks about it, it all adds up.

"They know you. Said something about a deal---"

"A deal made between the Shie Hassaikai and The League. The deal was that the Hassaikai could move weight on the League's territory and run a couple of tricks using the club as cover. Nothing in the deal was about organ and sex trafficking."

"...and you're...you're in this league?"

"Didn't you just hear me say I don't do groups?"

"Then why are you here?"

"Your boy Midoriya hired me to take out the Hassaikai's head. Shit was harder than I thought it would be since the fucker never shows his face but he came after us today because I specifically have something he wants...which, in this case, is you."

Him?!

Katsuki's never met these people a day in his life! What has he done to someone that they'd want to harm him? Sure, he's said some brash words to a good few people in his life but nothing worthy of this! And what's Izuku got to do with any of this?

"He's about to be even more pissed once I've finished completely fucking up his plans. He'll come find me for sure after that but I plan to have delivered you and the package to The League by then. For your own protection. I don't need---"

"Delivering me to who?! Hitoshi, you can't just abandon me with a bunch of criminals that I don't know!"

"You won't be with strangers. Izuku and Kaminari will be there to make sure you're safe."

Kaminari, too?

"What does Deku have to do with all this? And what package are you talking about?"

Hitoshi doesn't take his eyes off of the road, almost as if Katsuki isn't even talking to him. The blonde is extremely close to punching him in the back of the head by the time he finally decides to answer him.

"I can't disclose to you the details of this specific job. And I don't think I should be the one to tell you about Izuku. I may not be too fond of the guy, but I'll have that much respect for your relationship. I will say this. He loves you more than anything. And everything he's doing is to protect you."

And Katsuki, if nothing else, believes that for sure. He understands now why the freckled man wanted him to steer clear of Hitoshi in the first place.

"So that story about how you and Deku knew each other. Was that even real?"

"Not even close."

Figures.

"I guess protecting me was just a part of your job, huh? Is that why you're saving me?"

And Hitoshi snorts out a cynical laugh at that. The way he actually turns to look at Katsuki---such an incredulous expression on his face---would be comical if not for the extremely grim circumstances.

"You're fucking with me, right? There's no way in hell you honestly believe that any amount of money would be worth me getting jumped and stabbed up by a bunch of drunken crackheads? I don't do white horses and shining armor, kitten, so don't worry that pretty head."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Cause I wanted to. Because...ah, fuck, because I like you, alright? And I don't wanna hear any shit out of you about so just take it and shut up." Hitoshi says, more embarrassed that's he's had to admit it than he is upset about the question. Katsuki is unsure of how to respond to something like that, so he says nothing.

"...where are we going now?"

"Shikoku. But for tonight, we're headed to one of the League's safehouses. Chisaki's a shadow, and he knows that his little goonies won't be able to overpower the league now that I've taken out three of his strongest pillars...temporarily, at least."

"You do your research on these assholes, huh?"

"I'd be dead if I didn't. Every successful hitman knows to read up on their targets." Hitoshi says with a shake of his head. His gaze flickers over to Katsuki as the flaxen teen climbs over the middle console to seat himself in the passenger's seat. He doesn't say anything as he buckles the seat belt over him, not until he notices Hitoshi eyeing him with that odd expression.

"What?"

"Nothin, just...you came to sit up here."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Cause I wanna."

And Hitoshi actually chuckles at that.

"Alright, alright. Fair."

He winces as Katsuki playfully shoves his arm and dancer grimaces as he remembers that Hitoshi is, in fact, injured.

"Shouldn't we get you to a hospital?"

"Nah. They'll patch me up good as new when we get there, don't sweat it. Get you checked out too, just to make sure you're not hurt."

He's not, but he doesn't feel the need to make an argument so he just nods.

Before long, they're slowly making their way through a rock paved driveway.

Katsuki wouldn't have even known it was there if they hadn't turned onto it, covered and well-hidden behind thick brush and tree limbs.

When Hitoshi had said 'safehouse', Katsuki was expected some small, shack-like building or a warehouse like in the movies. But this?

"Who's fuckin' mansion is this?!"

Hitoshi grunts distastefully.

"They call him Stain. He's a real weird fucker, but not a bad guy. We'll be safe here for tonight." He says, nodding to security as he drives past them. He parks the car around back with a tired huff.

"Let's get some rules set out. When we go inside, you speak to no one. You stay by my side at all times and you don't go anywhere in this house alone---not even to take a piss. Clear?"

"Crystal, fucking slave-driver. Not like I had any intentions on wasting my time to talk to criminals anyway."

"Watch it, smartass." Hitoshi warns him as he unbuckles and steps outside. He waits for Katsuki, taking him by the hand as they approach security at the back entrance. They greet him with a nod and allow them inside.

Katsuki can't help but notice how big their guns are. What the hell are they preparing to fight?

"Master Shinsou. Master Stain was expecting you. Your rooming accommodations for the night have been set. Please feel free to use facilities as you please." Some graying man in a tailed tux says to Hitoshi as they walk past him.

"Thanks. Send some grub up in about thirty minutes if you don't mind."

"Of course."

And with that they make their way upstairs.