Chapter 2
Stronger
August 15th, Friday, 11:30 PM
A chorus of drunken cheers echoed in the animated space, mixing with the powerful scents of beer, smoke and sweat. Bodies bumped into each other, yells and insults exchanged, money passing from hand to hand.
There were two people in the fenced in square, waiting for the ref to escape before exchanging blows. One of them wore a bright red hoodie with the hood up, shadowing their face. Their hands were black as night, and didn't look like they were wearing gloves.
The other person was almost a foot taller, with scaley skin and yellow eyes with slits for pupils. Their forked tongue slithered and flicked at their opponent, who was significantly smaller. Unlike the hoodie guy, he wore no shirt, showing off his impressive abs and chest. He wore low hanging jeans with chains draping from his studded belt.
Katsuki moved silently through the crowd, his red eyes wide in excitement. It had been too long since he came to one of these fights. The manly scents, the stupid drunken banter, the unadulterated fights between scrawny and weak people.
They let anyone fight, regardless of their skill level. Every once in a while, some skinny, drunk, moron would go on stage and challenge someone. Usually, they were pretty nice and let them live, only needing to land a single punch to knock them out.
Fights here rarely resulted in death, but he'd seen people beaten so badly they should have died. Some of the fighters here were brutal; and he loved it.
Katsuki watched the fight with intrigue, sometimes having to move in order to see better. The snake guy was strong, definitely, but the hoodie guy was, too. The hoodie guy landed hit after hit, going around the snake guy's arms, and he looked to be dealing some heavy damage. Judging by the amount of force he had for such a small person, he guessed that a quirk was involved.
Technically, quirks were allowed here, and sometimes weapons, but people usually used neither. Or, at least, not openly. If a fighter relies too heavily on their quirk, the ref will usually ask them to tone it down.
Another risk was that using a quirk made you easier to locate. If they ever raided this place, or if the police were investigating something, the people here could point fingers and name the unique quirk they saw.
The hoodie guy didn't show off too much, sticking to basic punches, until the snake guy fell to his knees. Then, he landed a heavier hit to their jaw, sending them falling to the ground, groaning in pain.
The ref came in and grabbed his arm, announcing that he was the winner.
Curses and cheers echoed around the room, more money being passed along.
"Who would like to challenge the Panther next?" The ref asked, looking around the room.
Katsuki raised his hand, and the ref saw him, grinning when he recognized him.
"Explosion King has returned!" The ref yelled, and Katsuki smirked as he made his way to the cage. Around him, there were cheers of excitement, and bets were being made. On his way to the cage entrance, he heard a lot of people betting money on him.
As he stepped up, he pulled his jacket off, and hung it on a loose nail next to the doorway. In order to keep people from recognizing him, he always wore the same scarf over the lower half of his face. He wore a black tanktop and cargo pants that night, and stepped onto the platform, staring down his opponent.
I might be fighting you again someday, when I'm a pro hero. Katsuki thought with a smirk. He had no doubt that a lot of fighters here either were, or would someday be, criminals. Technically, this was an illegal activity, making all of them criminals.
But, if it helped him train to catch the really bad criminals in the future, then it didn't count, right?
"Place your bets! Explosion King will be fighting Panther! Both of them have a history of good fights, but Panther has been unstoppable this summer! Explosion King hasn't been here a while, so he might be a bit rusty!" The ref announced, and Katsuki sent him a glare, causing the asshole to simply smirk.
"Explosion King, huh? Why do they call you that?" The other fighter asked. Katsuki narrowed his eyes at him, trying to see under the hood, but there was only darkness.
"He has an explosive temper. Be careful with him." The ref told him, leaning away from the mic, and looked out at the audience again. Once he felt like all the bets were done, he left the cage, and closed the door. "Alright, the fight is on! Who will win? Explosion King, or Panther?"
The Panther guy seemed cautious as he stood there, studying him, and Katsuki smirked at the hesitation. He ran forward, planning to tackle him into the wall, but he managed to dodge. Katsuki turned, going after him, and dodged a hit at his face. He's fast.
Katsuki grabbed his wrist and hit his exposed side, but when his fist landed, he didn't feel bones or flesh. His skin was more like some kind of hardened shell.
The hero in training jumped back, getting out of range, and smirked at him. "That's a pretty handy shell you got there. Too bad I'll have to break it."
Katsuki charged at him again, and they started a series of punches, blocks, and dodges. Panther attempted to sweep the leg, but Katsuki dodged it in time, and tried to kick his head, but Panther grabbed his foot. Before he could kick him with the other foot, Panther pushed him away, sending Katsuki flying at the fencing and falling to his knees. He quickly got back up to his feet.
He was already sweating.
A smirk tugged at his lips. He liked a challenge.
Katsuki ran at him again, unrelenting in his attacks, and managed to get Panther on defense. All he could do was block and dodge Katsuki's barrage of attacks. For some of the hits, he added a little extra spark, not enough for people to notice but enough to cause damage.
They went on for a while, until, Panther managed to land a hit. The punch was hard, sending him back a few inches, and Katsuki was temporarily dazed. Panther took the opportunity to wrangle his arm behind his back and get him to the floor, pinned. Katsuki tried to wiggle free, but Panther kept bending his hand at a painful angle, and Katsuki couldn't openly use his quirk.
"And we have a winner! Panther wins!" The ref announced, and Katsuki grit his teeth, relaxing his muscles. He nodded to Panther, who let go and stood back, and put a friendly hand out to help him up. Katsuki ignored it, getting up on his own, and walked out, grabbing his jacket along the way.
Although he didn't like losing here, he rarely held a grudge. Usually, after watching someone fight enough times, he could figure out a way to win.
As he stood in the crowd again, his jacket open and hands in his pockets, he stared at Panther. His hoodie was damaged in their fight, with the forearm ripped/burned along with a section of his midsection.
Katsuki was pretty sure that he didn't so much as crack that exterior, and although that should have annoyed him, that just made him want to fight him somewhere less public. He wanted to see how their quirks compared.
Someone clapped his shoulder, and he turned his head, expecting to tell them to fuck off, but was surprised to see Eijirou's sparkling red eyes and bright red hair.
"Hey! I'm surprised you're here! Did your internship end early, too!?" Eijirou yelled over the chaos.
"Obviously." Katsuki replied, and Eijirou laughed. "Did you see the fight?"
"Yeah. I've been asking around, and Panther is a tough guy to beat. He's only lost a couple of times, and people are pretty sure that he was bribed those times." Eijirou told him, and Katsuki nodded, turning back to Panther. Winning every time was sometimes a death sentence; if people thought you were unbeatable, they'd test it. "That was a good fight, though. You did good."
"Of course I did." Katsuki scoffed.
"I'm thinking of fighting him after this next fight." Eijirou said, and they watched as the next fighter walked into the ring. He was big, like the scaley guy, but he had a lot of piercing across his body, and metal gleamed from his knuckles.
I wonder how that skin fairs against weapons? Katsuki wondered.
"Who do you think is going to win?" Eijirou asked him, and Katsuki shrugged. "I'm not going to bet this round, but I'd guess Panther. If he's tough enough to beat you, he should stand a chance against this next guy."
"We'll see." Katsuki spoke, but his words were lost in the crowd of cheers as the ref announced the next match. Judging by all the excitement, Katsuki guessed that Panther would get a fair amount for the fight, even if he loses. So long as people put up a fight and income is good, management will give losers some cash.
When the fight started, Katsuki tried to watch, but some guys in front of him kept blocking his view. When he could finally see again, there was an echoing "ooooh" around the room, and blood sprayed across the floor. Panther was on the ground, on his hands and knees, and quickly stood up and got distance between himself and his opponent.
His hands were up, and the fabric around his abdomen, where he'd hit, was wet. Katsuki guessed that that's where the hit was, or at least one of them.
Just before Panther ran at him, the guy in front of Katsuki got in his way again, and he shifted to see. Katsuki only saw just in time to see the bigger guy land another hit to his abdomen, and then, land a solid punch to his face, sending him flying back. Blood sprayed on the crowd, on the other side of the room, and they cheered excitedly.
The ref went over to Panther on the ground, to check if he was okay. Panther coughed up some blood, wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, and got back up.
From what Katsuki could see, Panther landed quite a few hits; unfortunately, he seemed to also have thick skin, or maybe his muscle mass was just too dense, so none of his hits did any damage. The other guy would let Panther hit him, grab his arm, and then punched his face again, sending blood and saliva spraying again.
With that hit, Panther went limp, and skin turned to a light, fleshy color. The hood stayed up, though.
The ref quickly came in, announcing the winner, and Panther was dropped to the ground. Blood smeared the ground, and Tiger Shark cheered with his fists in the air, his opponents blood on his hands.
After a few seconds, Panther was dragged off, and seemed to wake up in the process. His hands turned dark again, and as he stepped out of the cage, he gripped the fence, seeming to reorient himself.
"Damn. So much for fighting him." Eijirou yelled over the yells and cheers.
"I'm sure he'll come back." Katsuki yelled.
For the next hour or so, Katsuki and Eijirou watched the fights, deciding not to participate in the following matches. That night, for whatever reason, they were much bloodier than usual. Katsuki and Eijirou went for the fist fights, not death matches.
When the fighting got a little too gorey for their tastes, they headed out. As they left, the heavy metal door thudded shut behind them, and they breathed in the fresh air. The cool night air was soft on their skin, and Katsuki put his jacket back on, but didn't zip it.
They walked out of the alleyway, and looked up and down the street. They weren't exactly in a nice neighborhood, so they had to watch themselves as they left, in case anyone was lingering to jump them.
"Hey, look," Eijirou said as he nudged Katsuki's arm, and nodded across the street. Panther, still in his bloody hoodie, was leaning against a building wall and dry heaving. "Looks like he's alone. He's going to get jumped if he doesn't pull his shit together."
Down the street, there was a small group eyeing him, looking like they were planning just that. Eijirou seemed to notice them, too. In Panther's current state, there was no way that he'd stand a chance. There were at least five guys in the group, and they wore matching tattoos, indicating that they were probably in a gang.
"Hey, buddy!" Eijirou yelled as he crossed the street, and Katsuki cursed. You just have to be a nice guy. Asshole.
Panther looked up, hand on the wall, and straightened his posture. He wiped his mouth again, his face shadowed by the deep hood, and his hand just as dark as the shadows in his face.
"You ran off so fast, bud! Did you forget that we're getting drinks?" Eijirou asked loudly and roughly clapped Panther on the back. Then, he leaned in closer and spoke in a lower voice, "those guys will jump you if they see you're alone and injured."
Panther seemed to stare at them for a second, as if deciding whether or not to trust them. As the group of guys walked past them, Katsuki purposely ignored them, careful to not make eye contact.
"How about we walk as a group over to that Burger King a couple blocks away, and then go our separate ways? We're less likely to get attacked that way." Eijirou suggested.
"... fine." The person said, and then coughed into their sleeve.
"That shark guy really roughed you up. I haven't seen the fighters here get that brutal in a while. Will you be okay?" Eijirou asked, and Katsuki rolled his eyes.
"I'll be fine." Panther said, and started walking. Katsuki and Eijirou fell into step; Eijirou kept sending worried glances Panther's way, eyeing the injuries.
Why are you being so sympathetic to him, shitty hair? Katsuki wondered in annoyance, but then scolded himself, knowing that he should know better. Eijirou was training to become a hero for a reason, and had a heart of gold. He fought to protect people, not to hurt them, and wasn't like Katsuki.
Katsuki came to these things to fight.
He was going to become a hero, to fight.
"So, do you usually come to these fights alone? Do you not have anyone to watch your back when you leave?" Eijirou asked.
"Don't need one." Panther replied in a dead tone, clearly not wanting to talk while they walk.
"Sometimes people who lose aren't too happy about it, and will come after you outside of the building. Sometimes they'll bring friends. I get wanting to fight and everything, I used to come here a lot more often, but it can be dangerous." Eijirou explained, and Katsuki rolled his eyes again.
"He doesn't give a shit, hair for brains." Katsuki told him.
"I'm just trying to help." Eijirou replied with a glare.
"Thanks for the help. I'll be fine." Panther told him.
"Look, I can give you my number. If we happen to plan to be here on the same night, we can walk out together. That way, there's less of a chance you'll get jumped. I've known people who died that way." Eijirou said. They once came across a body on their way out of there. One of the fighters went a little too far and pissed off a lot of people.
Seeing the dead person had affected Eijirou a lot more than Katsuki, but they were more cautious after that. When there was money involved, there was risk.
"No thanks." Panther said.
"And what happens when you're beat so bad you can't walk out? Do you have a back up plan, at least?" Eijrou asked.
"Fuck off." Panther said, and walked faster.
Eijirou's shoulders fell as the man walked off. They were pretty close to the burger place, anyway, and out of the worst part of town.
"I wonder if he's doing it for money, or something else." Eijirou spoke.
"He probably gets a kick out of it. Otherwise, he would have stayed down." Katsuki pointed out, and Eijirou nodded in agreement.
"That makes it worse." Eijirou frowned behind his mask.
"Forget about him. He can handle himself." Katsuki told him, and Eijirou let out a tired sigh.
"I wish I'd gotten to fight him before the other guy knocked him down so hard. It looked like he and I have similar quirks." Eijirou said, and Katsuki huffed out a laugh.
1.
August 16th, Saturday, 9:30 AM
Since he had no classes and his internship was done for the summer, Katsuki slept in a little.
His sheets were warm, and as he shifted, winced from the pain in his cheek. Then, he got out of bed, and took a quick shower, starting his morning routine.
After his morning exercises, he went down to the main kitchen, and grunted in greeting to Eijirou. His back was too him, wearing the dumb pink apron that Mina got him as a joke gift, and seemed to be making pancakes. His hair was the usual red mess, and he turned to Katsuki with the usual grin, greeting him warmly.
"I'm making pancakes. You want some?" Eijirou asked.
"Sure." Katsuki grumbled, and as Eijirou worked, he went to the fridge. He got out a container of orange juice, and poured some into a glass.
Someone else came into the room, and he looked up, surprised when he didn't instantly recognize them. The white cat ears looked familiar, but the dark eyes and short hair eluded him, and he couldn't place a name to their face. He was naturally terrible at names, but he'd gotten better at recognizing faces, at least.
She didn't look at all familiar.
As she went to the fridge, she seemed to notice his staring, and looked his direction.
"Haru!" Eijirou exclaimed. "I haven't heard from you all summer! How have you been? Do you want pancakes?"
"... no, thanks." Haru said, and looked back to the fridge. Then, she pulled out a container of half and half, and went over to the coffee maker.
"How was your summer? What did you do?" Eijirou asked.
"Training, mostly." Haru replied.
"Oh? What kind of training? Where was your internship?" Eijirou asked.
"I didn't do an internship. I did mostly strength and combat training." Haru replied, sounding completely disinterested in conversation with him.
"Eh? Did you not get any offers, or did you just want to work on training?" Eijirou asked.
"Both. The only offer I got was for the agency that got my sister killed. I plan to do better at the sports festival this year and get better offers." Haru explained.
Oh! She's the chick whose sister died. Katsuki recalled.
"How have you been coping with that? Your sister, that is." Eijirou asked.
"I've been fine. My parents would disagree, but that's okay." Haru replied, getting her coffee going.
"What do you mean?" Eijirou asked.
"They think I'm ruining my life by cutting my hair and acting more masculine. As if wearing pants is going to be the end of the world." Haru said.
"I like your new hair. It looks nice." Eijirou told her with a grin, and leaned against the counter. "I'll bet that it helps with physical training, too, to not have all the extra hair. Have you been training with anyone?"
"I've been doing a mix of training at the school and some other places for variety. Most of our classmates have been off on internships, so I haven't had anyone to train with." Haru answered.
"Maybe you could join us at the gym sometime. The more the merrier." Eijirou offered.
"Sure, sounds fun." Haru replied with a smile, and Eijirou seemed thrilled to finally get some kind of emotion out of her.
Katsuki rolled his eyes as he turned back to his juice. Eijirou was too nice to people.
"What are your plans for tonight?" Eijirou asked her.
"I've got plans." Haru replied.
"Ah. Hey, Katsuki, are we doing the thing tonight?" Eijirou asked him.
"Yeah." Katsuki nodded.
2.
August 16th, Saturday, 11:30 PM
That night, it went back to the usual fist fights, and most of the blood from the previous night had been cleaned up.
As Katsuki and Eijirou arrived, standing in the crowd of spectators, Katsuki noticed that Eijirou was looking around, as if searching for someone. Immediately, Katsuki realized who he was looking for, and rolled his eyes. He probably wants to walk him home, like he's some kind of girl.
The fight taking place was nothing spectacular. They were just two guys beating the shit out of each other, with limited fighting experience. They were both bloody, raw, and on the verge of collapsing, landing one weak hit after another. Chances were, they'd both bail after this fight.
When Katsuki was about to say something to Eijirou, he realized that the red head was gone. He managed to find the plume of red hair not too far away, talking to, who he guessed, Panther. They wore a different hoodie that day, this time dark green, and their face was shadowed by the hood again. Just like last night, Panther seemed indifferent to him, but judging by the way Eijirou's body perked up in excitement, he'd accepted a challenge.
Eijirou loved fighting against people with similar quirks to him. He loved it so much that Katsuki joked that he got off on it, and unfortunately, he was pretty sure it was less of a joke than he wanted it to be.
He was pretty sure that Eijirou was bisexual. Katsuki didn't necessarily give a shit who he fucked, but it was weird sometimes, especially at places like this. Every once in a while they'd chat with another fighter, congratulating each other or giving each other tips, whatever, and Eijirou would be a little too excited about talking to them.
One night in particular, he seemed to blush around one of the guys, and they just acted weird around each other.
Oh, maybe he's trying to get laid. Katsuki wondered, but guessed that although that might be a bonus, that wasn't his goal. Eijirou was too kind-hearted for that.
When it came to dating, Katsuki didn't care. He was going to become the number one hero, and if dating distracted him from that goal, he didn't want it.
Eventually, one of the bloody messes in the cage was declared a winner, and Eijirou and Panther went in.
Like Katsuki, Eijirou hung his jacket on the hook, and walked inside. He was a bit bigger than Katsuki in size, having more hard muscle than lean muscle, and his arms were pretty big. He had a mask over his mouth with a dragon design on it.
As he waited for the match to start, he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. Eijirou was a bit taller than Panther, but they were probably similar in strength. Katsuki looked forward to seeing who would win.
When the fight started, Eijirou started on defense. Panther landed some solid hits, and Eijirou put his arms up, only using his hardening quirk on the places that Panther hit. For a while, Eijirou let Panther hit him, getting a feel for his strength, before clocking him in the face and knocking him down. Experience and weight proved in Eijirou's favor as he managed to keep Panther down, and be declared the winner.
Afterwards, Eijirou stepped back, and extended a hand towards him. Panther accepted the help to stand, and they both walked off. Panther went to a different part of the room to watch the fights, and Eijirou went back to Katsuki, no doubt smiling behind his mask.
"That was fun." Eijirou said.
"Looked like it." Katsuki replied.
"Are you going to fight him again tonight?" Eijirou asked.
"Not yet. He's still injured from his other fight." Katsuki replied.
"Yeah, I caught that. He was a bit slower this time around." Eijirou commented.
As the night progressed, they watched the fights and participated in some, having a good time. They never drank at these events, always absorbing all the worthwhile information, and sometimes Eijirou would introduce himself to some fighters and get more information.
On their way out, they did the usual checks, and headed east. They would go a round about way to a fast food place, change into different clothes, and then go to a bus station to head back to campus.
While they were walking, however, they heard a fight taking place. Unfortunately, Eijirou stopped, and grabbed Katsuki's arm.
"It's Panther." Eijirou said, and Katsuki looked over, finding that, surprise, Panther was being mugged. There were four guys around him, wielding knives and metal knuckles, and Panther was doubled over on the ground. One of the other guys kicked him hard, sending him falling onto his side.
"OI!" Eijirou yelled, causing the group to look up in alarm. Lucky for Panther, that seemed enough to get them running. Judging by the few words he heard, they were beating him up for entertainment, not a specific reason.
Eijirou quickly ran forward and knelt by him, and Katsuki jogged to catch up, looking up and down the alley.
"Hey, are you okay?" Eijirou asked, and then Panther dry heaved, coughing up some saliva and probably blood. His breath was hitched, and it sounded like he had some fractured ribs, at least. "Can you stand?"
"Just give him a minute, shitty hair." Katsuki told him, continuing to look up and down the alleyway, in case that group came back with other friends. "We should leave."
"Come on, it's not safe here." Eijirou said, and tried to help Panther stand. He put an arm around him, lifting him up, and Panther hung awkwardly. "They really did a number on you."
He coughed again, likely unable to stand on his own, and almost fell down.
"They might come back. We need to leave." Eijirou warned, and started to move. They went down a couple of blocks, to the 24/7 burger place, and went inside. They went to the men's bathroom, and Eijirou sat the man down in the extra seat inside.
Panther was heavy as he sat down, his breathing shallow and ragged, and his hood was still over his face.
"Were you stabbed?" Eijirou asked as he knelt down in front of him, going to eye level.
Katsuki leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.
"No. I'll be fine." Panther said in a weak voice.
"Do you have someone we can call?" Eijirou asked.
"O-once I get cleaned up, I have somewhere to go. If I can get cleaned up and to the bus, I'll be fine." Panther replied, and coughed into his hand again, hunched over.
"How good are they? Are they a doctor?" Eijirou asked.
"Yeah." Panther said.
"... alright, let's get you cleaned up." Eijirou said, and stood up to grab a paper towel. His right arm, hands, and most of his side was covered in blood.
The two UA students exchanged a look. This guy doesn't have a doctor friend. You're wasting your time.
"I would have been fine if you hadn't interfered." Panther said, and when Eijirou turned around to start wiping off the blood from his face, Panther took the paper towel from him, and started to do it himself.
"You'd be dead in that alley if we hadn't been walking by. You're a fucking moron." Katsuki told him.
"You should have kept walking, asshole." Panther replied, and even though he was an idiot, Katsuki suddenly liked him a little more.
"Do you have a deathwish?" Eijirou asked Panther, taking a step back as the man wiped his shadowed face of blood. He reached over to the counter and grabbed more, and tried to wipe off the rest. "Seriously, you're going to get yourself killed. You need to have a buddy when you go."
"I never had any problems until tonight. Maybe you brought bad luck." Panther commented.
"Nah, you've been jumped before, you've just never been jumped while you were hurt so bad." Katsuki stated.
"Fuck off." Panther replied.
3.
August 17th, Sunday, 2:30 AM
Haru coughed up more blood in the bathroom.
Losing Eijirou and Bakugou had been a pain in her ass.
She groaned, gripping the dirty sink counter, and looked up at her blood smeared face. Her shadow form, effectively, made her a lot more resistant to hits and the "shadow" acted as a kind of layer above her normal skin.
Like Bakugou observed, she'd never been jumped after a particularly bad fight before. She also couldn't accept Eijirou's number because if she texted him, he would know who she was. He already had her fucking number.
Blood spotted the moldy sink below her, and she reached for a towel, wiping the excess blood from the side of her mouth. Then, she reached over to the door, and locked it.
Slowly, she pulled her hoodie over her head, taking her shirt underneath it off, too. The movement hurt, and made her cough again.
Her bandages from last night had opened up. The shark guy had sharp studs on his knuckles, which effectively pierced her shadow form and stabbed her. Although the wounds weren't severe enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, she probably shouldn't have gone out again tonight.
When she looked in the mirror again, she glared at her pale, clammy complexion. If she saw Eijirou and Bakugou on her way back, they'd know who she was instantly.
Damn it, Eijirou.
There were bruises all along her midsection, and on her forearm, was still the bruise and light burn from her fight with Bakugou. Her face was also bruised more now, too, which would be slightly harder to hide.
She reached for the bag next to her, and went for the water bottle to hydrate. She couldn't afford to pass out.
Then, she got started cleaning herself off. She used an entire container of baby wipes to get all the blood and grime off of her, and even then, she had to use paper towels for the last of it.
Once most of the blood was gone, she applied hydrogen peroxide to the flesh wounds, and then wrapped them up. She wasn't the best at it, but it would do for now, until she got to Recovery Girl.
One of the great things about UA was that they cared about the students getting medical help when they needed it. They had a 'no questions' policy, in which students could go to Recovery Girl for just about any injury, and she wouldn't report it. Not officially, at least. There would be a small note in their medical file, but nothing more than that.
After getting bandaged up, she went back to her bag, and pulled out the shirt that she'd bought at the dingy store. It would be a little big on her, but it would do. Unfortunately, her hoodie was too bloody to keep, and she'd probably throw out these pants when she got home, too.
4.
August 17th, Sunday, 10:30 AM
As Katsuki reached the kitchen, he found Eijirou making breakfast again. This time, he didn't greet Katsuki upon his arrival, though. His attention stayed on the pile of pancakes that he was making.
"Yo." Katsuki spoke, alerting him to his presence. Eijirou turned slightly, showing the lines under his eyes and concern in those red orbs. "Did you get any sleep last night?"
"... not really." Eijirou admitted.
"He's just some random dude." Katsuki pointed out.
"He's a person." Eijirou pointed out.
"He's a dumb person with a death wish." Katsuki shrugged.
"We're supposed to be training to be heroes, dude. We have to be better than that." Eijirou said exasperatedly.
Before Katsuki could retort, they heard bubbly, feminine voices approach. Eijirou quickly smoothed out his shirt and tried to act natural as he leaned against the counter with a smile, and Katsuki gave him an incredulous look. It's all concern for the random dumb asshole until some girls come along, hah?
With a roll of his eyes, Katsuki made his way to the fridge, pulling out the juice container.
"EIJI!" Mina shouted upon arrival, and jumped on Eijirou in a hug. "You're back early too!? How was your summer!?"
"It was pretty good! I got a lot stronger." Eijirou answered, his face going red at the pink-haired girl's proximity.
"Same!" Mina exclaimed excitedly.
"How was your summer, Bakugou?" Ochaco asked politely nearby. Katsuki turned to her, and in a single look, she looked terrified of him. Nearby, he saw the back of someone as they were making coffee. Judging by their dumb cat ears, it was the same chick from yesterday.
"Do you girls want breakfast? I was making pancakes." Eijirou offered with his signature grin.
"Yeah!" Mina exclaimed.
"Sure, but do you want help?" Ochaco asked with wide doe eyes.
"If you want to get plates out, that would be cool. Do you want some, Haru?" Eijirou asked.
"Haru turned into a party girl this summer. Apparently she got black out drunk last night." Mina stated in a disapproving tone.
"Eh? You party now, Haru?" Eijirou asked.
"Sometimes." Haru answered, and coughed loudly into her hand. She didn't sound very good.
"Hey, how about we all watch a movie in the commons together? I heard that Deku is coming back in a few hours." Mina suggested, and for whatever reason, Ochaco started to blush at that.
"Sure, that sounds fun." Eijirou replied with an impossibly wide grin. Why are men such idiots around girls? "Haru, you didn't answer my question about the pancakes."
"No pancakes. Just coffee." Haru replied, now slouched over the counter in front of the coffee machine. Her tail was even limp against her back, the tip disappearing in the nook of her neck. She was in a bright orange hoodie with loose shorts that day, both of which looked worn from wear.
"Are you sure?" Eijirou asked.
"She'll probably be hungry later. That's what happens when you DRINK to black out drunk and vomit all morning!" Mina yelled at her, and Haru reached up to her ears, flattening them with her hands.
"You're one to talk. Didn't you get pretty drunk at the last big dorm party?" Eijirou asked her.
"Yeah, but I was safe, with friends, on campus. This idiot has been partying off campus." Mina explained.
"Was the party fun, at least, Haru?" Eijirou asked, and Haru grunted.
"She fell over and busted her cheek on the concrete from vomiting on the street." Mina added.
"Come on, you don't need to tell people about that." Haru whined, and when the coffee pot stopped making sounds, she turned to it, immediately pouring the liquid into her prepared cup.
"Well, if I shame you, maybe you'll pick up better habits." Mina said, and stuck her tongue out at her.
"Or it'll piss me off and I'll want to do it more." Haru replied, and Mina pouted angrily at her. The cat girl got her mug and quickly left, not bothering with a wave or goodbye to the group.
"Maybe you should be nicer to her, Mina. Her sister did die." Ochaco pointed out.
"That's why I'm being harsh. I don't want her to flunk out because of her sister." Mina replied, relaxing slightly. She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a sigh. "Plus, you saw her face. That's going to scar."
"How often does she drink now?" Eijirou asked.
"I don't know." Mina answered.
"Maybe we can ask one of the counselors for advice." Eijirou suggested.
5.
August 20th, Wednesday, 11:30 PM
A few days went by until Katsuki went back to the fighting ring. The place wasn't as busy on the weekdays, but without internships and classes, Katsuki was bored.
As he stood in the crowd, watching fighter after fighter go in, he kept a loose eye out for the Panther guy. Eijirou would be thrilled if it turns out the idiot isn't dead.
Then, to his surprise, he watched a hooded figure walk into the ring. Their features were shrouded in darkness, hands in the large pocket in the front, and build identical to Panther's.
"Panther has come back for a fight!"
Katsuki watched, looking for any tells that the guy was still injured. There were small, subtle indications that he still had minor injuries, that they hadn't completely healed, but they weren't too bad. Must know someone with a healing quirk.
Beating the other guy was easy enough. Once they were looking for new challengers, Katsuki raised his hand and went in.
He took his jacket off, hanging in on the nail, and walked in. The ground was a little slick, probably from sweat. They would need to break and clean up, soon.
Once the ref announced they could start, Katsuki charged. Unlike last time, he wasn't going in blind. He knew the guy's weak spots, his blind spots, and in the end, managed to wrangle him to the ground.
"Explosion King wins!"
Katsuki got up, and walked out without looking back. No one else looked interesting to fight that night, and with his fight with Panther over, he was tempted to go home.
He ended up staying for a little while longer. Watched a few more fights, participated in one more, and then started to leave. On his way out, Panther approached him, though.
"Want to walk out together?" Panther asked him.
"Afraid of getting jumped again?" Katsuki asked with a smirk.
"I was worried about you. Pretty little blond boy walking around alone? Someone is bound to get a little interested." Panther said, and Katsuki scoffed.
"As if I'd let anyone get that close." Katsuki replied, and indicated for the bouncer to open the door. As the door opened, Panther followed him out, stepping with him into the alley.
"So after all the shit your friend gave me for coming here alone, you show up alone?" Panther asked as they walked.
"I do what I want." Katsuki said indifferently.
"Walk to the burger place and then separate?" Panther asked, and Katsuki gave a short nod as they started to walk. "You were really good back there. You have training, or some shit?"
"Or some shit." Katsuki replied, not looking at him.
"Just wondering if I can get that strong fighting in a place like that." Panther said.
"You'll never get as strong as me." Katsuki told him with a serious expression. "You should study boxing, though. You're a bit heavy on your feet."
"Eh?" Panther replied, sounding surprised.
"Yeah. You need to move more. That's how Red and I beat you: you were a standing target." Katsuki explained.
"Ah… I suppose that makes sense. Since I don't have to dodge most hits, I usually don't." Panther said.
"Why do you want to get stronger? You piss someone off?" Katsuki asked.
"Not yet. I suspect I'll be pissing off a lot of assholes in the coming years, though. Fucking pigs." Panther replied.
"What kind of people will you be pissing off?" Katsuki asked.
"Everyone, probably. I'm so tired of everyone's bullshit." Panther replied, and Katsuki chuckled. I'm probably going to be fighting you in a few years, from the sound of it.
They chatted a bit more, and when they reached their parting point, didn't even pay each other a glance or wave.
6.
August 21st, Thursday, 11:30 PM
The next night, Katsuki came back. There was nothing better to do at the dorms.
Eijirou was busy on a date with Mina.
As Katsuki came in, being engulfed in the usual unseemly scents, he made his way inside, and found Panther fighting yet again. He was going nuts against his opponent; he hit him left and right, not giving him enough time to recover. The guy tumbled to the ground, black and blue, and coughed up blood. He seemed to lose a tooth in the fight, too.
Looks like he's here for blood.
Katsuki meandered until he found a decent spot, and went back to watching Panther fight. He wasn't bad, but he did rely on his quirk too much, letting his opponents get too many hits in. In these kinds of fights, letting opponents land a hit was a risky move. Not all fighters played fair.
As another bloody man tumbled to the ground, Panther was soon pronounced the winner.
He's getting cocky. Katsuki thought with a smirk. The cocky ones were always the most fun to beat.
That night, they fought a few times, but spent a lot of time observing and commenting on the fights. Since the fights seemed to dwindle in quality and it was still too early to head back, they went out for drinks.
7.
August 22nd, Friday, 11:30 AM
The following morning, Katsuki lounged in the commons with his laptop and tea, quietly riding out his small hangover. There was a group nearby that occasionally erupted into laughter, which annoyed him, but he tolerated. For that group, they weren't that bad that day.
"So what's with you today?" Eijirou asked in a low voice, as the others chatted about something unrelated.
"Went drinking with Panther last night. Did a few shots." Katsuki answered, and Eijirou blinked in surprise.
"Panther? I thought you didn't like him?" Eijirou asked.
"It was just drinks. We spent a lot of the time bitching about people." Katsuki said indifferently.
"Are you two friends, now?" Eijirou asked, a smile beginning to creep along his features.
"No." Katsuki replied, and glared at the red head's grin.
"You made a friend. That's great, Bakugou." Eijirou said.
"Fuck off." Katsuki barked, and felt his phone vibrate. He pulled out his phone, finding a new text from Panther.
Panther: how the fuck did I let u convince me to take so many shots? Fuck you to the bowels of hell.
Katsuki grinned sadistically. Panther was a fucking lightweight.
Me: not my fault you're a fucking lightweight.
Katsuki didn't have a big tolerance, either, but Panther didn't know that. So long as Panther was ahead of him in drinking, he didn't notice.
"You two are texting, now? That's pretty serious." Eijirou teased, and Katsuki glared at him.
"Why the fuck are you so chipper?" Katsuki asked.
"My date with Mina went really well. Really, really well." Eijirou emphasized exaggeratedly.
"So you fucked." Katsuki said with a deadpan expression, and Eijirou's grin widened, miraculously. Katsuki rolled his eyes and looked back at his phone, finding that Panther had sent a few more angry messages.
"Did you guys hear that Kitten has been drinking a lot?" Hanta asked them.
"You know she doesn't like that nickname anymore." Eijirou reminded him.
"Right, right. But still. Her sister's death has been hitting her pretty hard." Hanta said, and Katsuki ignored them as he focused on his texts.
Me: stop being such a baby. Man the fuck up.
Panther: …
Panther: whatever u say, blondie.
Me: wow, great comeback, moron.
"What do you think of Haru, Bakugou? Would you go out with her?" Hanta asked him, and Katsuki reluctantly looked up at him.
"She can't fight for shit. Why the hell would I spend time with her?" Katsuki asked.
"Not even to fuck?" Hanta asked.
"I don't give a shit about that crap. Fuck off." Katsuki snapped.
"If you had the opportunity to sleep with a real cat girl, you wouldn't take it?" Mineta asked in shock.
"Bakugou is celibate. It helps him fight." Eijirou said.
"What, seriously?" Hanta asked.
"He does that on purpose?!" Mineta blanched. "Is that why you're so aggressive in fights? Because you're constantly frustrated?! Do you even masterbate!?"
"What I do with my dick is none of your fucking business." Katsuki snapped.
"Hey, Haru!" Eijirou greeted loudly, causing the group to turn towards cat girl. She was in a pair of loose green pants and the same bright orange hoodie from yesterday. On the front was a chibi cat listening to headphones, looking much, much more cheerful than the owner. Her skin was pretty pale, hair a mess, and she overall looked pretty tired.
"Where are you headed to, Haru?" Hanta asked cheerily.
"Gym." Haru answered.
"Eh? The gym? I thought you and the other girls avoided the gym?" Hanta asked.
"I can't kick your ass if I don't work out." Haru replied, and walked out the main entrance, leaving Hanta and the others looking stunned.
Then, the group roared into laughter at Hanta's expense.
"You better watch out, Hanta. Haru might be coming after you." Mineta laughed.
"I hope so." Hanta laughed.
8.
August 30th, Saturday, 2:30 AM
Katsuki was spending most of his nights with Panther, now, since Eijirou was becoming occupied with Mina.
After fighting a bit, getting some drinks, and walking around, they settled at a park. Katsuki wanted to show him a new move he was trying to learn, that he'd seen online.
He set his drink on the picnic table nearby, and Panther took another swig of his drink before setting it down next to his. They were in a secluded area with little light, surrounded by trees and overgrown bushes for cover.
"It's a wrestling move." Katsuki slurred. "Get on your knees."
"What?" Panther asked; Katsuki's sluggish brain took a little longer than normal to realize the implications in his words, and his cheeks blazed in embarrassment.
"Not like- you're a fucking moron, it's a wrestling thing! Fuck, have you never done fucking wrestling before?" Katsuki cursed at him.
"Not really." Panther replied. "And I'm not going to get on my fucking knees, so fuck you."
Katsuki grit his teeth in irritation. "What kind of man has never wrestled?"
"A man that doesn't get half naked and caress other half naked men. No homo." Panther replied, and Katsuki growled low. He moved forward, trying to grab Panther's arm, but he moved out of reach and snickered. "Someone can't hold their liquor."
"Shut up, asshole! Come here!" Katsuki yelled as he lunged, and this time managed to grab them. Unfortunately, they stumbled onto the ground, with Katsuki on top of him. When Panther tried to push him back, Katsuki's grabbed him, burning his wrist, and pushed it down onto the grass.
"Get off!" Panther struggled, but Katsuki simply smirked and grabbed the other wrist, using the same technique to get past his shadow armor. With both arms pinned, Katsuki had the upper hand, and smirk widened as Panther squirmed below him. Having him struggle made him feel surprisingly good, and Katsuki relished the power over another person, especially one so close in strength.
Then, Panther froze, tensing under him.
At first, Katsuki didn't pay much mind, simply staring at those red eyes, but then he shifted, and Katsuki's eyes went wide at the realization.
… oh.
It wasn't exactly the first time he'd had an awkward situation like this with another guy; things happened, especially with fighting, and you just had to walk it off. Except, this time, he didn't have that inclination to leave.
He wanted to fuck this guy raw.
Katsuki shifted his hands so that his right one was holding both of Panther's, and then reached down with his other hand to his crotch. He'd expected to find a dick there, but to his further surprise, that particular organ was absent.
"... that makes things easier." Katsuki said.
"M-makes what easier?" Panther asked.
"Fucking you." Katsuki stated, and before Panther could make any arguments, slid his hand under the waistband, to touch that clit. To his surprise, he was wet, and that brought another sadistic smirk to his lips. "You're already so fucking wet, pervert."
"Y-you're one to talk, asshole." Panther squirmed as he explored the small area, caressing and touching the labia area. When he touched a specific part, the body beneath him let out a breathy moan. Katsuki slid a finger into them, causing them to tense and arch against him.
"You're so fucking wet, dude. How long have you been wanting this, huh?" Katsuki asked, and groaned when there was friction along his crotch. "Now, when I tell you to get onto your hands and knees, you fucking do it."
"Fuck you." Panther spat, and Katsuki added more pressure, causing Panther to hiss. "Damn it."
"Do you want to fuck, or not?" Katsuki asked curtly. He wasn't a fucking rapist.
"Yes, fuck me." Panther moaned below him, and Katsuki's eyes sparkled dangerously. He got up, and unceremoniously flipped the other person over, pulling down his pants and boxers. "Fuck, it's so dirty here."
"Stop complaining." Katsuki said roughly as he undid their pants, and quickly lined himself up. He wasted no time in sinking into him, his eyes rolling to the back of his head, and instantly, he realized why the other guys talked about this so much.
Panther cried out, in pain or pleasure, he wasn't sure. He started to fuck him, though, unrelenting as he went in over and over again. Katsuki gripped his hips, growling low, and didn't hold back in his thrusts.
Not much later, he came. His body shuddered in orgasm, sheathing himself one last time, and his head fell back. His breathing was ragged, chest rising and falling with each breath.
9.
August 30th, Saturday, 9:30 AM
There was no way, in a million years, that she could ever explain this if someone saw.
Haru looked at herself in the mirror, frowning, and looking at the burn marks Katsuki had left on her hips. They were distinct hand prints, formed by excessive burns and bruises.
Bruises decorated most of her body, but that was by far the worst of her injuries. Her legs were still weak from the, albeit quick, sex with Bakugou, and the memory brought a blush to her cheeks. Maybe, if they didn't know each other in real life it would be less awkward, but… they did.
Or, at least, she knew, and she knew that if he ever found out who she really was, he wouldn't look at her the same way. He might not look at me the same way now.
I wonder if that was his first time, too? Haru wondered, but guessed not. Why would he choose her, of all people, to have sex with for the first time in a park with no protection?
Then again, he is impulsive.
A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and she looked back to her face, the biggest problem. Ever since the other students started coming back, her life became increasingly more difficult. Instead of being able to work out at the school gym, local city gym in her shadow form, and then fight at night, she had to make up excuses and lie about a drinking problem she didn't have.
Or maybe I do, since I let Bakugou take things too far last night.
Her only solace was that she was going to stop going to the fights soon, anyway. Once fall term starts up again, security would be more strict, and curfews would be put into place. She wouldn't be able to hang out with Bakugou as Panther anymore.
Her shoulders fell slightly.
She liked being perceived as a guy; a strong one, at that. People didn't treat her that way in the daytime; when people interacted with her, she was just a girl. Someone to talk down to. There were a lot of subtle ways that people treated her differently as a dude; even their pitch was different.
They'll probably figure out who I am when they see my shadow quirk in class. Haru realized, and groaned. Why did they have to show up that night?
10.
August 30th, Saturday, 9:30 AM
"Shut up." Katsuki grumbled, glowering at the guys around him. He should have bailed. He didn't have any patience for their bullshit that day.
"Go out drinking again?" Hanta asked with a smirk.
"Fuck off." Katsuki groaned, and sat on the ground. He was waiting for one of the machines, anyway.
"Go out with that guy again?" Eijirou asked with a smirk.
"What part of 'fuck off' don't you understand?" Katsuki growled, but Eijirou kept smirking, as if he somehow knew what happened last night.
"So who's this guy you've been hanging out with? Does he go to this school?" Hanta asked.
"Nah. Bakugou and I met him while we were sparring at a park. We all sparred for a bit, and now he and Bakugou are best friends." Eijirou explained, and Katsuki grunted angrily.
"Why do you have to make it fucking weird?" Katsuki snapped.
"I think it's great that you have a new 'friend', and I fully support you." Eijirou said, saying 'friend' in a weird way.
"Fuck off or I'll beat your face in, you freak." Katsuki threatened, but Eijirou merely smirked, not intimidated in the slightest.
"Hey, there's Haru." Hanta whispered loudly, and getting everyone's attention. She was busy with a punching bag, headphones in, and ignoring the world around her. Her punches seemed to be pretty good, for someone of her skill level. "Should I go ask her out?"
"Do it!" Mineta encouraged.
"It looks like she might want to just work out on her own. She's got the earbuds in." Eijirou pointed out.
"She did threaten to kick your ass." Katsuki reminded him.
"Someone else beat you to her!" Mineta announced, and the group eagerly looked back at her, discovering that someone was approaching her. They looked like a senior, wearing a muscle shirt and sweatpants with the school logo.
He tapped on Haru's shoulder, getting her attention, and she pulled out her ear bud. They were too far away for anyone in the group to make out their conversation.
But then, Haru kicked the guy as hard as she could in the groin, and shoved him away, knocking him over. Then, she put her ear bud back in and returned to her previous rhythm.
"She's turned scary." Mineta cried, holding his crotch and staring sympathetically at the guy on the ground.
"Still want to ask her out, shit head?" Katsuki asked.
"... I'll ask her later…." Hanta said with a frown, and Katsuki laughed at his expense.
11.
August 30th, Saturday, 3:30 PM
Haru stood near Aizawa by the track field, feeling nervous as she watched him scribble down numbers.
Before starting fall term, everyone was required to meet up with Aizawa and redo the same skill testing they did on their first day of class last year. Throwing, running, jumping… all of them. She knew that she did better than her first time around, but whether that improvement was enough, she wasn't sure.
"... you've improved a lot." Aizawa spoke after a while. "I'm guessing that you've learned how to discreetly use your cat and shadow quirks at the same time."
"It's a mix and match." Haru said anxiously, watching him continue to look at the clipboard in front of him. "... how did I do?"
"Well, compared to your fellow students, the ones I've tested at least, I would say that you're second to Midoria. You even did better than Bakugou." Aizawa said, and her face broke out into a grin. "You'll be behind the other students in terms of experience, since you didn't do an internship this summer, but assuming you work hard at the sports festival, that should change."
"So I can stay in the class?" Haru asked.
"Yes." Aizawa said, and she grinned, trying not to jump for joy. "But you can't slack off, just because of this. You need to give it your all in each class session."
"Yeah, of course." Haru nodded.
"You're going to catch some of your classmates off guard with your quirk." Aizawa pointed out, and she nodded.
"I'm aware. They won't know what hit them." Haru replied, and Aizawa nodded, going back to his clipboard.