Hesci! I'm sorry it took so long to update. It's been stressful these past few months with everything going on in the world. I felt that I had to take a break to focus on my mental health before updating. Especially since the serious and darker tones in later chapters actually mirror current events in the real world. Unfortunately, this break has made my writing skills a little rusty. While I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter, I figured I made you all wait long enough. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it!
Kyo P. O. V.
The first thing the copper-haired shinobi noticed as he gradually clawed his way back to consciousness was that he was unbearably hot. Even through his fever-induced haze, he could feel the faint traces of wetness collected on his body. Felt the gentle movement that the droplets of perspiration made as they periodically traced along his tanned skin. There was a weak flick of his ear accompanied by a slight twitch of the shinobi's slim fingers, as he stubbornly forced himself to join the waking world. With an immense amount of effort, Kyo finally managed to pry his eyelids open. Pausing briefly to blink the stream of blinding light that immediately assaulted his vision. The teen's blurry crimson eyes eventually landed on a familiar spiky head of ash-blonde hair.
"Back from the dead?" grunted a gruff voice beside him, followed by the light fluttering of a page being flipped.
A long drawn out groan answered the hero's question. Pain instantly flared through Kyo's skull. His already splitting migraine intensified tenfold when he attempted to face his irritable friend, which caused the feeble remains of a mostly evaporated ice pack to slip off his forehead with a soft flop. The explosive shinobi's hands then clumsily rubbed at his damp face in a desperate attempt to ward off the droning pressure behind his eyes. During his sleepy fumbling, the back of his hand lightly brushed against something furry, which caused him to freeze on a dime.
Oh no…
With trembling fingers, the world traveler slowly reached for the top of his head. Where an imposing sense of dread immediately enveloped him as he felt the all too recognizable cat ears of his demonic form.
No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening….
The explosive teen frantically tried to think back to what had happened before he woke up, but his mind was jumbled beyond salvaging. Fragmented memories returned to him at an unbearably sluggish pace. But one thing was absolutely certain. Without Tohru present, the shinobi could not use her fickle abilities as an excuse for his unholy appearance.
Shit… Brother's gonna kill me.
Another groan escaped Kyo's lips as he unwisely tried to push himself up into a sitting position. Barely stopping himself from puking over the edge as the sudden movement made his world tilt violently in an unexpected bout of motion sickness. A clawed hand desperately clung to his copper locks to stabilize himself as the room spun wildly. A pitiful chorus of wheezing accompanied his efforts, which echoed erratically through space as the shinobi's chest heaved in as much oxygen as they could force down into his damaged lungs.
What the hell happened to me? The shinobi silently wondered as he tried to regain his bearings. Well aware, Bakugou continued to regard him curiously behind the safety of a dust-covered book. Kyo's eyebrows scrunched together then to create a confused expression.
Wait, a book? Did that mean we found what we were looking for? The world traveler couldn't recall. In fact, all his memories after leaving campus were too distorted for him to make heads or tails of.
"W-what...hap-pened..?" the copper-haired teen finally managed to ask in between pants.
The explosive hero shrugged his stiff shoulders in an overly passive-aggressive gesture. "Nothing too monumental," Bakugou muttered in an unsettling neutral tone while underlying anger glinted behind his fiery gaze. The blonde's attention was fixed on reading the manga in front of him instead of making direct eye contact. An action that furthered instilled a sense of dread in Kyo's mind.
Bakugou's not stupid. So why isn't he phased my appearance?
With an impatient flip of the page, the ash-blonde continued, "I only discovered that our moms were 'besties' back in the day." Bakugou remarked in with a sarcastic tone.
"They what?!" Kyo stammered in disbelief. Hastily wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand before it had the opportunity to drip into his eyes.
There was an affirming grunt to his right, followed closely by the bed creaking as the ash-blonde turned to face him. The comic closed abruptly within Bakugou's grip, and after a brief pause of deliberation, it was then tossed somewhere behind the hero's back for safekeeping.
"You think I would make that shit up?" Bakugou remarked coolly as his eyes darted back to him in a predatory fashion.
The cat-eared teen offered the other a weak shake of the head.
"She filled me in about how you travelers operate. And about you and your brother's unique lineage," the hero-in-training continued cautiously—his crimson stare meticulously tracking the subtle movement of Kyo's feline ears as they laid back meekly.
"I see…so you know about that?" the shinobi mumbled awkwardly.
With a long-winded sigh, Kyo carefully repositioned himself on the mattress until he sat in a crossed-legged position while stubbornly forcing his ears to stand at attention. As he did this, the shinobi's agile tail calmly untucked itself from where it had instinctively hidden within his sweater. The bright orange appendage tentatively stretched out to its full length before it settled into a casual rhythm behind Kyo's back now that the shinobi no longer saw the need to hide its existence from his hot-tempered friend. With the cat out of the bag, so to speak, there really wasn't any point in pretending he was anything less than human. No amount of poorly crafted excuses or explanations was ever going to change his situation now.
"So, where do we go from here?"
Kyo regarded Bakugou warily as the silence between them dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. With his true form exposed to the suspicious hero, the shinobi was ready to defend himself against the sudden barrage of explosions that were sure to be hurled at him. The copper-haired teen was well acquainted with the blonde's insatiable temper after experiencing his attack-first-and-ask-questions-later mentality first hand.
Kyo fought the urge to roll his right shoulder, which still ached something fierce after Bakugou had viciously elbowed it with all his strength the night before. An injury that had left a lingering taste of blood in the traveler's mouth after it had aggravated some of his internal wounds. And all that was inflicted before the hero discovered his demonic ties. Any second now, the shinobi was convinced he would be under siege by an array of deadly swift attacks or a flurry of accusations like the time prior.
There was an annoyed "Tch" from Bakugou as the blonde roughly angled his body to face his nonchalant classmate. One of his legs came up onto the mattress in a crossed position while the other remained draped over the mattress's edge.
Here it comes. Kyo thought glumly as his muscles tensed in preparation. But rather than being assaulted by a devastating barrage of explosions, the world traveler was met with the most deadpan expression he had ever seen.
"You can get off my bed for starters," Bakugou stated in an exceptionally bored tone. His face was so close to the shinobi that he could feel a hint of the hero's breath after each word. "You look like absolute shit."
Taken back, the copper-haired teen could only gawk stupidly at the unexpectedly tame response from the notorious explosive-tempered hero. "Huh?"
"Did I fucking stutter?" quipped the ash-blonde much to his classmate's irritation. "Now move it or lose it, salmon-breath."
"That's it? We're not even going to talk about-"
Kyo didn't have time to complete his sentence, for his world was violently pulled out from underneath him. His battered body crashed to the floor in an uncoordinated tangle of gangly limbs. A furious hiss erupted from his jowls while his feline features lashed angrily in response to the rough treatment. Glowing slitted eyes narrowed dangerously at the explosive hero above him as Bakugou released his hold on his jet black blanket that had forcibly removed Kyo from the blonde's bed.
"Serves you right," Bakugou smirked down at him. Immediately reclaiming his spot on the mattress by lying back onto it and stretching out with the same level of confidence he portrayed in everything he did. His nose momentarily scrunched up like a foul smell still lingered in the air from the shinobi's unwelcome stay on the cot. As if it was just another day in the dorm's, a crimson eye cracked open to hurl a few more insults in the copper-haired teen's direction. "I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed that your pansy-ass got taken out so easily by a picture book. You're kind of a sorry excuse for a yokai, aren't you?"
Despite the seemingly unpleasant words, Kyo couldn't sense any malice behind the hero's statement. It almost seemed like the blonde was trying to convey that he didn't mind the shinobi's demonic side in the least. In true Bakugou fashion, the only way he could express any sort of fondness for another person was by insulting the ever-loving crap out of them.
Well, two could play at that game.
"Yeah, well, you're no picnic either, you sweaty-palmed pyromaniac," the shinobi snickered with a renewed mischievous glint in his eyes.
The hot-tempered teen in question pounced on him instantly. "YOU WANT TO RUN THAT BY ME AGAIN, FURBALL?!" Bakugou roared, leaning precariously over the bed's side until their faces were a mere few inches apart. His usually sparkling hands balled around fistfuls of his comforter to keep himself steady with surprising grace. Kyo absently wondered if the other teen refrained from using his quirk to prove a point or if it was some sort of rule within the Bakugou household as he braced himself for the next volley of taunts already spewing off the other's tongue. "I DON'T CARE IF YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE ONE FOOT IN THE FUCKING GRAVE. I'LL TAKE YOU ON ANYTIME YOU PUSSY-ASSED-BASTARD!"
The world traveler was tempted to detonate a small explosion underneath the blonde to send him crashing to the ground as payback for what he'd done to him did earlier, but decided against it. Kyo honestly didn't have the energy to do so or deal with the consequences immediately after. He could already feel his eyelids growing heavier the longer he sat there, thanks to the much-hated side-effect of his abilities. Instead, the half-demon bared his fangs for one final hiss before begrudgingly accepting his lot of sleeping on the floor. All the while trying to ignore the cocky grin, Bakugou shot down at him.
Sorry excuse for a yokai indeed…
"I take it we're fine now?" Kyo asked while fighting back a yawn.
"Ehh?!" hollered Bakugou rudely. Too busy rearranging the bunk to his liking after the shinobi was forcibly ejected from the space to pay Kyo much attention.
"You and me?" the copper-haired teen clarified carefully. Following the hero's example, the shinobi laid onto his back with arms crossed behind his head, and one of his legs propped up. With his vulnerable belly widely exposed and his hands otherwise occupied, it was the most submissive Kyo ever allowed himself to be in this form, other than with his trusted comrades. A notion that was easily communicated with the occasional anxious twitch of his tail. "I take it you're not bothered by what I am at least?"
"Why would I?" Bakugou grunted coolly. Rolling over onto his side in one fluid movement. His grumpy face propped casually on one palm while his other arm laid relaxed on the mattress between them. It was a relaxed position, but it could easily blast the shinobi into oblivion if the notion fancied Bakugou.
Kyo couldn't help but grin fondly at the hero's not so subtle show of faith in his abilities in everything he did. "You can drop the tough guy act Bakugou," the copper-haired teen teased mischievously. Trying his best to make himself comfortable on the hard wooden floor. Craning his neck so he could get a better view of his hot-tempered classmate, the traveler added, "I get the feeling that if you actually felt threatened by me, you wouldn't have allowed me to stay unbound when I woke up...if I even woke up at all."
A pillow instantly smashed into the shinobi's face with enough velocity that it actually forced his head to snap back to the ground with a loud thunk! The impact sent a sharp spasm from Kyo's head down to the tip of his tail. A lingering pain that left him momentarily stunned on the ground as the jolt caused his old injuries to ache something awful.
"Like I'd ever feel threatened by some fluffy good-for-nothing-pussycat," he heard Bakugou scoffed above him as Kyo struggled to pull the pillow from his eyes. If the blonde had noticed the full extent his playful attack had done, he kept it from showing on his face. In fact, it was hard to see much of his expression for a dark shadow obscured most of his face from view.
With a hardened glare, Bakugou added, "Besides, I'm not a killer." The words practically spat out as if it were great taboo to even imply such a villainous deed.
"R-right," Kyo muttered under his breath. Deciding it was best not to push the topic further, the shinobi took advantage of the cushion his friend had hurled at him to further pad his sleeping quarters.
"Anyways, thanks for trusting me."
"Why wouldn't I?" Bakugou challenged. His sour mood made his words sound harsher than usual. His eyes slowly narrowing in suspicion. "You have something to own up to?"
The world traveler's arms immediately shot up in front of them in surrender. "Of course not! It's just..." Kyo trailed off quietly. Not sure if dredging this topic up would jinx the good fortune the ash-blonde had previously blessed him with. "Most people are a little put off when they discover what we actually are is all…"
There was a dismissive grunt followed by an irritable, "Don't lump me into the same category as those pathetic extras," the hero chided.
I guess I should have expected that kind of self-assured response from him. He was about to leave it at that when the ash-blonde surprised him by continuing.
"You'd have to be a complete idiot not to realize that there are different types of demons," Bakugou quipped with an annoyed scowl. There was a creak of the bed as he shifted to make himself more comfortable. "The ones I'm familiar with only go after people that actually deserve it, i. . That might not be the case in the other places, but the fact that you're part demon actually helps convince me that you're not gonna screw over my whole fucking class."
The copper-haired teen could only blink dumbly at the hero's unconventional way of thinking, before bursting into an uncontrollable fit of laughter at the blonde's expense. Bakugou was nothing, if not incredibly unpredictable. To basically say that being a spawn of hell made him a hero in his own right.
Was he for real?
"Man, Bakugou, are you sure you're not part demon too? Because no normal person should ever come to a conclusion as crazy as that!" Kyo laughed so hard that he barely registered when something substantial grabbed hold of the collar of his sweater and effortlessly hoisted him from his seat on the ground.
"Shut your shitty mouth Carrottop, before I rethink my position of putting you out of your misery!" the explosive hero yelled right into his overly sensitive ears. Giving his body a rough shake with each word.
Not willing to test if Bakugou was bluffing or not, the shinobi reluctantly quelled his laughter. "Alright, alright," The copper-haired teen chuckled softly under his breath with his hands held up once again in surrender.
With a mischievous grin, the copper-haired teen couldn't help but add, "Damn Bakugou, threatening a defenseless foreigner? It's not very becoming of the future Number One Hero. "
A chaotic glint gleamed off Bakugou's crimson eyes as he smirked back, "Quit playing the victim; we both know you're far from defenseless." The hero's grin broadened even further, and with another shake of the other teen's collar, he added, "Just fucking watch, I'll be so famous you'll hear all about my greatness no matter which world you travel to."
"Ha, I'll look forward to it," Kyo chuckled in agreement.
The two explosive teens spent the next hour chatting with one another. Most of the conversation consisted of Bakugou filling Kyo in on what his mother had shared with him. Everything to how the two women had met, to the dangers the mangas potentially posed should they continue to read them with their strengthened bond with one another. However, that didn't stop the shinobi from trying to read them anyways.
After impatiently sitting through the ash-blonde's retelling, the ever impulsive feline immediately reached for the volume lying beside his classmate. Only for it to instantly be pulled out of his reach.
"Fuck off, Salmon-breath. You're not reading them," Bakugou declared through grit teeth. Holding the comic high into the air with an expression that dared the other teen to try to fight him on his decision. "If you're going to faint every time you touch one about your mom, what do you think's going to happen when you read about yourself? Haven't you heard the expression, 'curiosity killed the cat?'"
Truth be told, the shinobi hadn't thought that far ahead. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying his darndest to get his way.
"Yeah, and if I remember correctly, it was 'satisfaction that brought him back,'" Kyo countered, reciting the second part of the famous phrase with a mischievous grin and expectant outstretched hands. However, the ash-blonde didn't care for his playful remark and stubbornly continued to hold onto his stance.
"Well, if they're so dangerous, why were you reading them?"
"They don't affect me the same way," retorted the blonde matter of fact. But even Kyo could tell that was a thinly veiled excuse.
Annoyed, the copper-haired teen made a half-hearted lunge for the book, but it was easily hoisted further out of his reach. With Kyo in no condition to fight, he eventually had to accept that forcing the blonde's hand was simply out of the question at the moment.
"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" the shinobi grumbled under his breath.
Bakugou smirked with triumph. Decidedly wearing the expletive like a badge of honor. "You're one to talk, Copycat," countered the young hero. After a brief, solemn silence, the hero added, "Hey, Idiot, if you want to learn about your mom so bad, why don't you speak with mine? It sounded like she knew her well, and it's gotta be better than reading about her, right?" Bakugou offered in a bored tone as he cracked open the comic once more.
"That's a great idea!" Kyo exclaimed cheerfully. His expression instantly brightened at the prospect of hearing about her from someone who actually knew her. "Where is she?"
The hothead snorted at his proclamation. "Of course it was," he muttered like it was a given. "Last, I heard she was still downstairs. Now hurry up and get out of here, and don't let the door crush your tail on the way out," Bakugou growled impatiently. His nose was buried deep in the manga before he had even finished speaking.
Kyo studied the teen for a few moments. Passively wondering if the young hero would be alright reading such a dangerous material without him. He'll be fine, the shinobi ultimately decided before vacating the room in search of Mrs. Bakugou. Unaware that pair of curious crimson orbs trailed after him.
Meanwhile, at the U.A. Dorms….
Kirishima P. O. V.
The U.A. dorms were filled with rockin' music and pleasant chit-chat as the weekly Class A movie night ended surprisingly early once both the class president and vice-president deemed Kaminari's movie choice of Tenacious D, too inappropriate for children and prospective heroes alike. Those poor, sheltered rich kids were far too trusting for their own good when the lightning and tape users repeatedly assured them it was a classic American musical. However, the opening lyric of "A long-ass fucking time ago, in a town called Kickapoo," should have tipped them off to what was to come, but they had unwisely decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately for everyone in attendance, the movie only got worse from then on. Especially when Aizawa and Eri entered the common room just as the highly obscene chorus started up at max volume.
The murderous glare their teacher shot at each of them was enough to send an icy shiver down everyone's spines. Well, almost everyone. Standing a little off to the side, Mina immediately erupted into an uncontrollable fit of laughter at Kaminari and Sero's expense, only to earn a nonrefundable ticket on the punishment train herself. The "idiot trio," as Bakugou frequently dubbed them, were then unceremoniously ushered back to their rooms for the remainder of the night, with a 5-page essay on "How A Hero Should Act In The Presence Of A Child," due in Aizawa's inbox first thing in the morning.
The only thing sparing Kirishima of the same fate was the very obvious signs of sweat on his face as he struggled to keep Shoji's multiple hands at bay during an impromptu hand wrestling tournament in the corner, which all but omitted him from any involvement in his friends' clearly planned shenanigans. With the troublemakers banished to their rooms-yet again- the rest of the class dispersed into smaller groups for the evening. Everyone agreeing to postpone the class bonding-in the form of various games-until the following night when everyone could participate.
As awkward laughter eventually lulled itself to a pleasant chatter, everyone's favorite shark-toothed teen silently watched over the highly anticipated climax of the boy's hand wrestling tournament. Any other day, Kirishima would have easily made it into the finals. However, with memories of his therapy session still fresh in his mind, he found it difficult to concentrate on anything for an extended period. When it wandered for too long, he accidentally misjudged the strength of his hardening quirk, which effortlessly cut into one of Shoji's duplicate hands.
The injury itself was so minimal that the tentacle hero hadn't even noticed it initially, but it didn't matter. The second Kirishima saw the few drops of blood trickling from the wound, he nullified his quirk's effects. Instantly losing the redhead, the match a second later as his unhardened had slammed against the wooden table with a deafening Crack.
It took a few moments for onlookers to comprehend what had occurred—confused gazes looked between an apologetic Shoji and a crestfallen Kirishima. Of course, when they figured it out, they tried their best to disarm the situation, but it was too late. There was no stopping the burning shame Kirishima felt from hurting a friend as his cheeks turned red for the whole world to see. Despite everyone assuring him, including Shoji, that it was alright and understood it was an accident, the redhead could not be persuaded to partake in a do-over upon everyone's request. Instead, he flashed a forced smile and resolved himself to cheer on the rest of his classmates on the sidelines—a humiliated clenched fist hidden away in his pocket, which aggravated his still tender wound.
Kirishima casually watched the rest of the contest with lackluster vigor. Doing his best to be supportive regardless of his soured mood, by throwing in an encouraging yell here and there when the opportunity warranted it. However, as the matches carried on without him, the ball of sunshine steadily lost interest. His eyes eventually began to wander around the room. Kirishima's gaze ultimately landed on the kunoichi through the midst of excited shouts of his peers.
At first glance, Tohru appeared to be the epitome of happiness itself as she stood alongside the remaining female students of their class. Giggling at a comment, one of the other girls had said, while she fumbled with the imitation keyboard of the band simulator video game. But for some reason, her usually blinding smile didn't quite reach her dazzling sapphire eyes.
With the action-packed matchup between Shoji and Darkshadow long forgotten, the redhead continued to watch his new friend hum cheerfully to the music. Her ever-thoughtful personality pushed to the limits as she tended to everyone's needs by refilling drinks, providing snacks, and even tidying up messes when they inevitably occurred before anyone could even voice a protest.
Even though she carried herself like she usually did, it was clear-to Kirishima at least-that something held the brunette back from thoroughly enjoying herself. It was as if Tohru distracted herself by keeping her hands busy attending to everyone else's happiness. Perhaps this shared personality trait was why he could discern her hidden anxieties, considering the hero was guilty of doing the same when he felt depressed but didn't want to trouble his friends with his problems.
Could she be missing her own explosive-tempered friend?
Thinking of the copper-haired shinobi brought back a conversation from that first week. "While she's skilled in the use of her quirk, it only takes a split second to accidentally think something that can never be taken back…"
The shinobi's mischievous voice had been uncharacteristically low and dangerous hiss as Kyo glared at their entire class in warning. The sudden change in his demeanor had been so jolting, Kirishima had subconsciously blocked it out of his memory. But unbeknownst to the redhead, the shinobi's warning remained safely tucked in the back of Kirishima's mind. "Tohru goes to great measures to stay positive to avoid thinking about anything dangerous. So do yourselves a favor and don't ask her to imagine anything like that ever again. It's for your own safety..."
For our own safety… the shark-toothed teen repeated to himself.
It was easy to overlook how incredibly dangerous her Transformation quirk actually was when it was mainly used for support or making people laugh in endearing animal forms. In reality, it required careful forethought, an extensive understanding of anatomy, and constant mental stability to wield safely.
Sounds exhausting to force yourself to stay positive all the time to prevent harming people with your quirk. Never allowing yourself to even entertain a depressing thought on the off chance it somehow comes true.
Kirishima glanced across the room where Tsubasa gathered with Midoriya, Todoroki, and Shinso. The shinobi was shirtless and stood off to the side with his massive wings fully outstretched for everyone to see. They seemed to be in the middle of some sort of experiment from how furiously the green-haired boy scribbled down notes as he zipped haphazardly around the other teen while the other two watched with bored amusement. Tsubasa's patience with Midoriya's endless questions was admirable, to say the least.
The wind user's back was to the redhead, so it was impossible to gauge his expression, but Tsubasa occasionally stole glimpses at his teammate through the ordeal. Presumably noticing Tohru wasn't as cheerful as she was pretending to be. If the shinobi weren't currently pinned down by the freckled teen's questionable research, he would probably attempt to cheer her up in his brother's stead.
A determined shark-toothed grin spread across the redhead's face then. Looks like it's up to me to brighten her spirits!
Not bothering to excuse himself from the group, the ball of sunshine strolled up to where the girls gathered across the room. As luck would have it, they were currently on break as a few branched off to grab drinks or change into more comfortable clothing. Leaving only Tohru to watch over a slumbering Eri who nestled in a fluffy cocoon of brightly colored blankets on the couch.
Perfect.
"Aww, she tuckered herself out, huh?" Kirishima cooed as he gazed down at the adorable horned girl. Her favorite black cat plush was held in a death grip in her arms. The stuffed animal had been a gift from Aizawa when she was discharged from the hospital. The extremely shaggy and familiar-looking cat continually following her around like a shadow. As time went on, she started to gather accessories to make it look like the eraser hero, which resulted in the handmade goggles and scarf around its neck.
"Sure did~" Tohru answered in her chipper sing-song voice. "Was just about to take her room. Wouldn't want the noise to wake her up~"
"If she's able to sleep through Bakugou's explosions without stirring, I think Eri can sleep through anything at this point," the redhead assured her with a chuckle.
This response coaxed a giggle from the kunoichi. "Yeah, you're probably right. But I'll take Eri to her room regardless~" the brunette replied as she kneeled beside the couch to pick her up.
"Why don't you let me carry her for you?" Kirishima offered cheerfully, though he was already carefully bundling the sleeping princess in his arms before Tohru had the chance to decline his request.
Leaving the poor girl left with no other choice but to stamper a flustered "s-sure thing~" as she hastily followed after the hero, who had somehow already made it halfway to the stairwell.
First stage cleared, Kirishima thought to himself proudly as his plan to lead his overtaxed friend from prying eyes went off without a hitch. The adorable bundle cradled in his arms served as the perfect excuse to leave early while simultaneously dissuading others from joining them.
Even though it was a safe bet that nothing they did could possibly wake the heavy sleeper, they passed the walk up to the fifth floor in relative silence just to be safe. Only to be broken by the occasional soft snore.
After taking a few minutes to tuck sweet little Eri into bed, Kirishima kindly invited Tohru the opportunity to decompress away from everyone in his room for a bit. There was a brief instance where he swore he saw her eyes dull slightly at the thought of more socialization, but the expression disappeared too quickly to be absolutely sure. But eventually, he heard the words he longed to hear.
"Sure, lead the way~" the brunette answered with a smile.
Ever the chivalrous hero, the redhead smiled back at her. "You won't be disappointed!" the shark-toothed teen promised with a satisfied grin. Taking her gently by the hand, the hero-in-training proceeded to guide her down a floor to his room.
With the rest of the Bakusquad detained in their dorms or off-campus, there was little chance anyone would come searching for them if they didn't return downstairs. Though that didn't stop him from quickly ushering her into the room before anyone could see. If anyone caught two members of the opposite sex alone together at night, there would be all kinds of hell to pay. From their homeroom teacher and the rest of the class as well. It didn't matter if the relationship was completely platonic or not. Kirishima didn't even want to imagine how Kyo would react if he knew his girlfriend was alone in his room.
Shaking the frightening thought aside, the redhead called "Make yourself at home!" over his shoulder as he hastily tidied up a spot for Tohru to sit in his notoriously messy room.
While he did so, he watched the brunette fondly study the various photos of him and his friends decorating the walls from his peripheral. Most of the images haphazardly hung without any regard to rhyme or reason were clearly taken on a cheap polaroid camera that Bakugou had gifted the group to keep them from touching his more expensive equipment. A desperate ploy that only worked half of the time. Mixed in with the array slightly blurry and over/underexposed pictures were the occasional works of art that portrayed members of their group in crisp, true to self-portraits and moments in time expertly printed on actual photo paper. Even a short-circuited Kaminari could quickly tell who was responsible for them by seeing who was absent in all of those shots.
Bakugou really was amazing.
The hopelessly smitten hero felt his cheeks warm as he caught a glimpse of Tohru taking a liking to the sizeable landscape hanging over the bed. It was one of the many starry photos taken on his summer camping trip with the explosive teen.
"Here you go, Tohru, take this," The ball of sunshine announced, breaking the silence. He held out a thick green encyclopedia for her to take from him. Displayed on the cover was an assortment of various beasts from every biome imaginable.
Her sapphire orbs blinked cutely as she regarded the item offered to her. "A book?~" Tohru mused to herself, gently taking from her friend's hand. The kunoichi's nimble fingers turned the volume over in her grip to inspect it further.
The shark-toothed teen nodded. "Yeah, I figured we could both benefit from some relaxing quiet time while still enjoying each other's company. And since I noticed you always picked an animal book to read to Eri, I thought maybe you'd enjoy reading them in your downtime too," Kirishima explained in a long-winded breath. A self-conscious finger scratched his chin as he fought and failed to keep the embarrassed blush from coloring his cheeks.
He hastily gestured to where more books waited on a small bookshelf by his bed, which also doubled as a rickety nightstand. "I've had most of these ever since I was little, so some might be outdated, but the one in your hand shows animal anatomy and unusual facts about each animal. I thought, at the very least, it could give you some inspiration with your transformations."
Did I explain that, alright? Was my idea stupid? Will she hate it?
Though Kirishima's doubts were short-lived as the blinding smile, Tohru produced brightened the whole room. "Thank you so much, Kiri, I promise to treat them with care~" she smiled, practically tearing up from his selfless act of kindness.
The sturdy hero let out a sigh of relief. "Don't mention it. Just glad they came to some use," he chuckled while scratching the back of his head anxiously.
Together the two balls of sunshine read over the books in comfortable silence. Tohru politely sat on the edge of the redhead's bed after much insisting on the hero's part, while Kirishima chivalrously laid on his belly on the floor. A hardened finger absently poked holes into the hardwood as he read up on various creatures that could be used for possible transformations. After a while, Tohru finally broke the silence.
"Kiri?" she called in a hesitant tone. The book in her lap mostly closed with only a finger holding her place within it. When his curious eyes met hers, the brunette continued with her train of thought. "How does your hardening quirk work?"
"How does it work?" Kiri repeated on instinct. To be honest, he never really thought about how he activated his quirk. Whenever the teen wanted to harden his skin, it would just happen, just like that. No specific thought or visualization was needed to get it to function. If anything, keeping his quirk from activating was what he struggled with the most.
"I dunno, it just happens naturally, I guess," he admitted with a regrettable shrug. The hero wished he could have provided more insight, but he simply didn't have a better answer for her. "Why do you want to know?"
One of the brunette's petite knuckles was pressed against her lip as she processed his response. "Well, I was reading about these reptiles hardened scales and was wondering if maybe studying them could help improve your technique a little~"
The thoughtfulness of her statement pulled the corners of his mouth upward into a grin. And here I thought I was doing her a favor.
"Not a bad idea," Kirishima commended with upturned eyes. "Perhaps studying them will be the missing link to perfecting my unbreakable form."
Her sapphire eyes widened with renewed vigor at his words. "Can you show me?~"
"Ugh.. sure thing."
After pushing various articles of discarded clothing and other objects further away to avoid being damaged, Kirishima demonstrated his most substantial super move for his classmate. As he did so, Tohru carefully circled him. Studying his hardened skin as closely as she could without putting herself in harm's way. Once the brunette was finished, she picked up the book she had been reading earlier and flipped it over, so it faced the shark-toothed teen.
"Here, check out the pattern of these scales on the Komodo dragon~" Tohru directed in an increasingly excited tone. Her finger tapping the less than impressive image in an endearing childlike manner. "Not only are the tough scales highly condensed, but there's a second layer of bone underneath that further reinforces the overall integrity by acting as a form of natural chainmail~"
The sturdy hero released the effects of his quirk just as he brought a fist down onto his open palm in a moment of shocked realization. "I see, so instead of focusing on just hardening the top layer of skin, I could potentially strengthen my durability by stacking layers on top of one another!" Kirishima exclaimed, followed closely by an enthusiastic nod beside him.
Wasting no time, the redhead brought an arm out in front of him, with the kunoichi looking over his shoulder eagerly. His quirk instinctively flared to life, covering the surface of his arm all the way up to the elbow in a matter of seconds. Next came the hard part. Kirishima tried to visualize a second, more condensed layer with narrowed eyes, forming over the top to increase its vitality. Perhaps the more condensed layer should be farthest from the surface, but he wanted to be able to witness for himself if he was genuinely able to manipulate his power in such a precise fashion.
It took some time, but eventually, his quirk bent to his will. His lightly tanned skin sluggishly rippled as it tried to emulate a scaled design. Kirishima only managed to create a handful of makeshift plates of hardened skin before his stamina was fully depleted. Leaving the hero's lungs heaving for breath as sweat dripped down his face.
"M-man, that sure takes a lot of effort, but it's not impossible," the shark-toothed teen panted with his hands resting heavily on his knees. With some effort, he lifted his head to meet his friend's worried gaze. "I think once I get the hang of it, this new approach will strengthen my Unbreakable form a great deal. Thanks for the tip Tohru."
His positive praise caused the brunette's face to flush a lovely shade of pink. "I-it was nothing really. I just wanted to pay you back for your kindness earlier!~" she assured in her usual flustered cadence. Both index fingers tapping each other in front of her in an anxious fashion as she squirmed a little where she stood. With timid eyes, she then proposed, "I think it might be beneficial for you to closely study it for yourself. Do you mind if I try to replicate it with my transformation quirk?"
"Sure, go right ahead."
With a deep breath, Tohru calmly traced her left hand over the exposed skin of her right arm. His eyes wholly mesmerized, trailing after her fingers as they climbed up the length of her limb. Slightly behind the motion, hundreds of scarlet scales stitched themselves together. By the end of the action, an impressive reptilian appendage had replaced the otherwise standard human arm that had once occupied the space.
The bubbly girl held up her altered limb for Kirishima to further observe. Upon closer inspection, he was able to fully appreciate the innate beauty of her reconstruction. From the individual scales' concentrated placement, the long curved talons that had previously been her fingers, to the glittering specks of gold-infused within the scarlet coloring.
Wow, I didn't think something like this could be so pretty.
Reassured by the sleek surface, Kirishima lightly skimmed the exterior of the natural armor with his finger. Surprised by the warmth that radiated from her arm and the soft thrum reverberating off the plates as he did so. It was definitely extraordinary, but doubted how something so elegant looking would stack up against brute force.
As if reading his thoughts, the kunoichi simply chirped, "Would you test your quirk against it for me?"
"You sure?" the hero insisted hesitantly. He knew there would be hell to pay if he accidentally injured her. From Kyo and the rest of their classmates as well. But she just nodded in response, so with a heavy sigh, his hand hardened at his side. "Alright, here goes nothing."
Rock like fingers rested on top of the extended arm cautiously at first. Sharpened phalanges gently scratched along the exterior a couple times without any noticeable effect. Fascinated, he curled his fingers inward until they resembled claws and attempted to pry in between the individual sections. Gradually increasing the pressure, though, they continue to hold firm against his assaults. Even going so far as to hurt him a little with their firmness.
"Damn, what kind of scales are those?" the sturdy hero asked, completely winded a few minutes later. Double-checking to see if his quirk was entirely nullified before allowing himself to wipe the sweat from his face.
"Dragon scales~" Tohru replied, so matter of fact. Then immediately covered her mouth with both of her hands.
She's gotta be kidding.
"Haha, good one, Tohru. I'm not a kid, I know dragons aren't real," he dismissed with a wave of his hand and an exaggerated laugh that exposed his sharp canines.
Still laughing, Kirishima crossed the room to retrieve a headband off his messy desk and swiftly secured it around his forehead to keep the wet hair out of his face. However, when he looked back to his friend, she remained rooted exactly where he had left her, which gave him pause.
"They aren't real, right?"
This question kicked Tohru's mouth into hyperdrive. "Of course they aren't~" she instantly agreed in a suspiciously anxious manner. Sensing he didn't quite believe her, the brunette continued to ramble incoherent sentences. This, of course, caused her fickle transformation quirk to create more scales along her body, which crawled up her arm and even part of her neck as she spoke.
"It's just… I guess if I imagine dragons are real, I can get away with it? Since I can't know the actual substances used to make a mythical creature's scales, I kinda used my knowledge of existing species. I just added my knowledge of harder substances like steel and diamonds infused into them to create the finished product. Seemed to do the trick hahaha~" Her word vomit came to an abrupt end when she finally ran out of air to continue nonsensical babbling.
Doesn't make much sense to me, but it worked, so whatever. Kirishima mused with a mental shrug. I mean, what other possible explanation was there?
"You're so amazing, Tohru," the redhead praised with a marginally forced shark-toothed grin. Actively choosing to ignore her apparent sigh of relief when he neglected to push the topic further.
The hero motioned for the kunoichi to take a seat beside him on the bed. Hoping to distract himself from the nagging doubts in his mind, Kirishima grabbed a smaller book off of his nightstand for them to peruse together. This leather-bound book was the same shade of red as his hair, with a few intricate designs cut into the cover. It had been a birthday gift from Bakugou, and inside covered all sorts of mythical beasts from cryptids to yokai. If it were truly possible to bring fictional entities to life just by Tohru imagining it, this book could also prove useful.
The sound of flittering pages was followed quickly by a good-natured comment, suggestion, or laugh soon filled the room as they took turns flipping through the pages. Beautifully hand-drawn illustrations fluttered by as they went through every creature someone could possibly imagine. However, Tohru's serene sapphire eyes suddenly lit up when she spotted a stunning depiction of a rising phoenix.
"I take it you're a fan of phoenix's?" Kirishima commented. Somewhat stumbling over the plural term for the mythical bird.
"Mm, they're my favorite!~" the brunette replied with a smile. Then, just like an overly excited child, she began to list everything she loved about the imaginary being in such a way, it almost suggested they were real.
Not that Kiri minded in the least. It was refreshing for Tohru to talk about her likes and dislikes since she dedicated most of her time tending to others. Besides, he absolutely adored her childlike personality, which was contradicted the powerful shinobi she was.
So the redhead eagerly ate up every word of her spiel. His scarlet eyes were wide with a childlike wonder.
"...And even though they have flames covering their entire bodies, their fire doesn't actually burn when it touches your skin. You see, a phoenix's flames can judge a person's heart, so as long as you don't harbor any intention to harm them, their flames will have no effect against you. Instead, you'll feel a soothing stream of warm energy as you relive your happiest memories in vivid detail," Tohru explained, pausing briefly to take a much-needed breath of fresh air. Before continuing, she let out a reminiscent sigh, "Definitely had to be one of the most lovely experiences of my life so far."
Unfortunately for her, this revelation immediately snapped Kirishima to attention. "Wait. You've actually touched one? So they're real?"
Tohru doesn't answer him. In fact, she doesn't make an effort to move at all. Seemingly frozen in place with dread for what she had carelessly uttered aloud. It would almost be comical how she froze up if the hero-in-training wasn't worried he had unintentionally broken her mind in the process.
"Tohru? You okay?" he asked cautiously. Hesitantly poking her a few times to reboot her.
Nothing.
Beads of Anxious sweat dripped down the side of his face with her lack of response. Throwing caution to the wind, he began to shake her roughly by the shoulder. "Was it a secret? I won't tell anyone. I swear!" the sturdy hero urged with his pinky extended toward her.
This seems to bring her back to her senses a little. "Really? You really mean it?" she insisted with conflicted eyes after mustering the courage to meet Kirishima's gaze. She studied his expression for a long moment before she brought her own trembling pinky up to meet his. Though Tohru continued to withhold her's a few inches away from his. "I'll tell you, but please, you have to promise not to tell anyone else, alright?"
Bakugou would no doubt have a long rant of unsavory words berating Kirishima for even considering going through with such a stupid promise after catching an already suspicious person in a lie, but that's what differentiated the redhead from the explosive hero. The redhead didn't want to go through life doubting people's motives. He wanted to remain his trustful self for as long as he could. If that made him dangerously naive, then so be it.
"I promise," Kirishima agreed. Immediately closing the distance to entwine her finger with his before she could change her mind. Joyfully bouncing their joined pinkies three times before releasing them with a giant grin on his face. "So spill already, did you guys keep a pet phoenix at Binoshi or something?"
A visible weight could be seen falling from her shoulders as the brunette laughed at the hero's ridiculous idea. "No, no, nothing like that. I would hate to keep such a noble creature as a pet. They deserve to be free."
His grin spread even further, seeing how his jest helped put her at ease. "So where did you see one? I thought you guys were raised at Binoshi your whole lives?"
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat again. "That's not true. We've traveled all over the place...for missions and stuff," the kunoichi answered carefully.
Kirishima knit his eyebrows in confusion. "Like where?" he prodded curiously.
I understand that this is a big secret and all, but damn, the suspense is killing me! He whined to himself. I already know part of it, so you'd think it would be easier to rip the bandaid off and get it over with at this point.
Though, had he known what Torhu would utter next, perhaps he would have been more empathetic of her inner turmoil.
"You know… like to different worlds and stuff…"
The shark-toothed teen blinked dumbly at her for a few moments.
Huh...?
"COME AGAIN?!" Kirishima found himself exclaiming at the top of his lungs.
A clumsy hand instantly slapped over his mouth, quite abrasively, in its haste to keep him from alerting the whole dorms. "Shhh Kiri!~" pleaded the poor girl in a distressed tone into his ear. Flustered tears threatening to fall down her pink shaded cheeks. "I can explain!~"
And then, just like that, a flurry of words rushed from her mouth as she described how her, and her friends, traveled to different worlds offering aid to people in dire need of it.
Kirishima would be lying if he said he understood even a fraction of what spewed from her mouth as she recounted their way of life to him. Despite it being a lot of information to take in, the redhead did his best to listen to her explanation without interrupting with random questions every few sentences. By the end of it, he could really sympathize with his electric friend, for his own brain felt like it had been reduced to jelly.
"I don't really get it..." the hero answered truthfully, with his arms crossed loosely across his chest. Scarlet orbs previously cast downward suddenly met the kunoichis with such fierce determination burning within their depths that it made Tohru jump. A sharpened smirk broadened along his features. "But from what I understood, you guys are here to help us out. So for that, I'll put all my trust into you."
"Umm, you will?" Tohru mumbled in a semi unbelieving tone. She honestly hadn't expected such a tame response. Typically people refused to believe them, got irrationally angry, demanded proof of such inconceivable claims, or immediately accused them of all sorts of treachery. To think someone would instantly trust them at face value was unthinkable.
He shrugged. "Yeah, why not?" the ball of sunshine answered simply. Tohru didn't seem like the kind of person to make something like this up. However, she did appear to be the type that would lie to protect others, which he couldn't fault since he was guilty of doing the same.
With no more doubts clouding his mind, Kirishima's one-track mind immediately went into overdrive. "Now that we've got that squared away. I want to hear all about all the different worlds you've visited!" the hero pleaded with sparkling eyes. Holding the book of mythical creatures up to her, he immediately pointed to random beings with barely contained excitement. "Does this mean you've really seen a dragon? How about giants? Griffins? Werewolves and vampires?Ghosts? What about Loch Ness and Bigfoot?"
Initially, only stunned silence met his overly enthusiastic questions, but a chorus of relieved laughter rang through the room before long.
"Slow down Kiri, I can't keep up!~" Tohru begged as she wiped some of the tears falling down her face as she struggled to breathe. "I promise to all your questions even if it takes all night~"
"I'm holding you too that," smiled the hero as he scooted over for her to join them on the bed.
The brunette accepted the invitation. Nestled close to the other teen while their shoulders touched as they both laid on the stomachs. The leather book resting on the mattress between them. Together they read about these other-worldly beasts well into the night. Swapping stories and sharing laughs as the bond between them grew ever stronger. A smile never left either of their faces for even a moment.
Bakugou P. O. V.
If someone had informed Bakugou that within 24 hours, he would discover other worlds' existence, learn his mother harbored expert knowledge of the phenomenon. Or that he would unknowingly uncover Kyo's demonic lineage; the hero would have blasted said person to kingdom come for daring to treat him like a goddamn idiot. Unfortunately for him, every single one of those claims would end up being true. It was precisely that type of protagonist level bullshit that prompted the explosive hero to sneak after the weary shinobi and shamelessly eavesdrop on their conversation with his mother.
However, as the topics became increasingly personal in nature, his gut's growing pit made it challenging to continue listening. The teen's maturing conscience berated him with unwarranted opinions of right and wrong. It didn't help that the rest of his body was starting to shut down with fatigue due to the late hour. With a final silent clench of his canines, he was eventually chased back to the solitude of his room.
Suddenly finding himself alone in his room, with nothing but the day's memories and his own thoughts to keep him company, the ash-blonde collapsed onto his bed in an exhausted heap. As he drifted off to sleep, the image of Kyo's demonic form lingered in his mind.
Those ears…
...Those fucking ears…
That fucker just had to be a cat….
And with that final thought, Bakugou fell into a restless slumber. Where he was greeted by a memory better left forgotten.
Dream
The world was an illuminant shade of turquoise as the blonde was left suspended in a thick, cumbersome substance that burned every inch of his skin. All the while, the molten liquid mercilessly flooded down Bakugou's gaping throat in its rush to fill every inch of his convulsing lungs. Though before the sheer panic of drowning could adequately take hold of his mind, he suddenly plummeted back into darkness.
Everything from that point seemed to move in slow motion.
Bakugou wasn't sure if it was the rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins or just dumb luck. But, somehow, through the blinding blue fire and billowing smoke around him, his trembling crimson eyes singled out a desperate-looking Deku sprinting towards him at full speed. Irrationally, disregarding the terrible broken state of his own body to come to Bakugou's aid in that same infuriating way he'd always done since they were small children.
A charred hand immediately clutched the back of his throat in an inescapable death grip. "Checkmate," announced a deep satisfied voice right into his ear as it leisurely began to pull the hero back with him through the notorious warp gate from the USJ incident.
Worst yet was the frigid numbing sensation that crept over Bakugou's body as more of himself steadily drifted through the dark shifting threshold. Cut off from his beloved quirk, the young hero could do nothing to save himself from the hopeless situation that surely awaited him on the other side. Even still, that damn naive nerd continued to race toward him in his serious condition.
"Kacchan!" Deku screamed over the raging forest fire around them. Both of his broken arms dangling uselessly behind him as he charged forward.
Was he fucking stupid?
What did he actually hope to accomplish in his sorry state? Even if Deku was another of the League's targets-which the blonde seriously doubted given his terrible condition-offering yourself up to the villains as another hostage was an insanely reckless decision. It would only provide them with more leverage over the heroes, which, in a pinch, could cost the other person their lives if handled poorly. And that was considering events transpired halfway decently. Worst case, the idiot would be slaughtered the moment he passed through the portal.
"Kacchan!" the nerd practically screeched. His quirked foot kicking off the ground in a last-ditch effort to reach him in time.
Nope, fuck that.
As the warp gate forcibly darkened his vision, the explosive hero barely managed to choke out a final warning to the other. "Stay back...Deku" ordered the ash-blonde. Scarcely able to choke the words out of his constricted windpipe.
And then, the scene before him shifted. Instead of being in a burning forest, he now stood in a musty old bar.
"Now be a good little hostage and—"began the cocky villain holding him prisoner. Though his words abruptly vacated his mouth along with a vicious gush of air.
Without warning, Bakugou had instinctively whirled around to sweep the legs out from under his captor. His highly tuned battle instincts flaring to life, the second feeling returned to his previously stunned body. However, his counterattack's execution was less than desired as the grip on him held firm, and the accelerated momentum threw the hero to the ground on top of his attacker.
Singed fingers repositioned over the front of his jugular tightly curled inwards until dark spots dotted Bakugou's vision. "You're gonna regret that brat," growled the man, as his smoldering form attempted to wrestle the ash-blonde into a restraining headlock, but the hero's tenacious nature continued to fight him tooth and nail.
"Stole my fucking line, Ashtray," the hero spat back with venom. A chaotic sneer twisting his features as he pulled an arm back in preparation to attack. A proud glint reflected in his eye when he noticed the surprised expression of his soon-to-be-victim. As he aimed a nitroglycerin soaked palm at his attacker at point-blank range, Bakugou yelled, "Now die already!"
However, the powerful blast he intended to tear through his opponent with a deafening boom never came. There was only humiliating silence, and the cold detachment he felt as miniature portals enveloped his hands-rendering the blonde absolutely useless. A few intermittent drops of water splattering against his unseen palms revealed that his devastating explosion had instead harmlessly detonated in a rainy climate somewhere in the world.
The next thing Bakugou knew, he was roughly being shoved to the ground by multiple attackers. A cheek scraping painfully against the dirty wooden floor as he was yanked every which way by numerous hands grappling his now quirkless arms into the all too familiar villain restraints. It was indeed a no-win situation, but that didn't stop the explosive hero from trying his damnedest regardless.
All decency was instantly flung out the fucking window as an unabashed Bakugou shamelessly elbowed, kicked, kneed, headbutted, or bit down on anything slow or dumb enough to come into his range. Barely faltering when the occasional deterring blow landed across his face or ribs. By the end, the hothead lost count how many hits he'd managed to inflict or even how many he'd endured. Though the ragged appearances of his adversaries brought a satisfied smirk to his marginally bruised lips.
"Is that all you got motherfuckers?" Bakugou challenged in between pants. Sweat caused his ash-blond bangs to stick to his face at an angle as he laid awkwardly on his side with an imposing cuff securing his arms together. If the villains thought he'd give up the fight just because they succeeded in trapping his hands, he had disappointing news for them. They haven't won jack-shit until they managed to put him down for good because as long as he had a way to fucking fight, Bakugou would continue to do so even if it destroyed him.
Because that's exactly what All Might would do.
"Come on, I'm ready for round two!" the hero-in-training taunted over his nerves.
A heavy boot swiftly kicked him in the gut, toppling him onto his back. "Can we please gag him?" muttered the dark-haired man, while he painfully ground his heel into the younger teen's bruised abdomen.
"Why you.." Bakugou hissed breathlessly until another kick managed to silence him temporarily.
"What do you mean? He hasn't said a single thing since we got here," childishly remarked the one in a black and white unitard. The villain's body unexpectedly went rigid and, in a more resonant voice than before, stated, "Slice his throat and be done with it."
What the actual fuck?
Before the blonde had a chance to process the villain's contradicting statements, a female voice cut in. "Tomura said to treat him as an honored guest, so we probably shouldn't," she replied in a creepily cheerful voice. While her words seemed normal enough, her slitted golden eyes and twirling knife screamed that she was just itching to split him open.
"Fine, but someone else has to babysit him. At the rate of him running his mouth, I'm going got incinerate him long before this Shigaraki guy gets here."
A deep, menacing growl rumbled deep in Bakugou's chest as he glared daggers at the villain pinning him to the ground. What he wouldn't give for just 5 seconds with his explosion quirk. He'd show that cocky bastard what real firepower looked like.
Movement in the corner of the room immediately stole Bakugou's attention. The idiots were too distracted by their own bickering that they Somehow missed someone wrestled themselves free of the large green Nomu stationed in the corner of the room. It wasn't until the burnt villain was violently thrown backward, and a shadowed figure took a protective stance over the young hero that the rest of the group realized their mistake.
"Stay away from him!" warned a disheveled green-haired woman, as she half-crouched, half-stumbled over Bakugou. Barely catching herself before she collapsed on top of him with how wounded she was. Quickly regaining her composure, she once again held up a single clawed paw toward the villains.
"The fuck? Get off!" Bakugou roared, trying his best to scooch out from under her, but her limbs on either side of him kept him rooted in place. He didn't understand what was happening. Why was this woman, who he probably towered over by a few good inches, risking her life to help him? Did she actually think she stood a better chance then he did in her weakened condition? Where did she even come from?
Who the hell was she?
"Dabi, why didn't you instruct that monster to restrain her?" the masked thug criticized with an accusatory finger. A gesture that immediately morphed into a stoic thumbs up. "I commend your extraordinary leadership skills!"
"Take it up with the boss. He'd only given the monster orders to bring her here alive," Dabi answered his teammates' contradicting outbursts. His intense turquoise eyes locked onto his prey as he stalked closer toward the two downed heroes with an imposing hand hung over them.
The mystery woman's body instinctively lowered her crouch to cover more of her charge from view in a way that seemed almost feral. "Don't touch him!" she hissed fiercely. The drastic change in her demeanor catching everyone off guard.
Glancing over her shoulder, her expression softened to shoot the ash-blonde a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Bakugou, we're definitely going to get you out of this," promised the green-haired girl.
Crimson eyes blinked in confusion after hearing his name echo off her lips. Bakugou had definitely encountered that voice before, though it sounded more urgent than he recalled. It took the hero a bit to finally recognize the badly battered woman crouched protectively over him as one of the pro heroes from the training camp. Her name, however, continued to elude him.
The something, something pussy cats?
In the short time since he'd last seen her in the forest, her hero costume had been reduced to the yellow spandex underneath. And even that was in tatters. She'd also lost her cat-eared headphones, most of her ridiculous themed makeup, leaving only a small trace still smeared across her face, among other things...
There was so much blood...
So much so that it was difficult to make out the original color of her outfit. It was honestly a miracle she was still conscious of how much she already lost and continued to lose. While it appeared to have been hastily treated to keep her alive, it occasionally oozed from the makeshift bandage on her side. Where it would eventually drip onto Bakugou. An uncomfortably warm reminder that she wouldn't be able to keep up this futile charade for long.
So when she said "we," she had meant the other heroes. Does she intend to fend them off until they arrive? Wondered the hero-in-training. A sense of impending dread filled him with the realization that the heroes, good as they might be, had absolutely no idea where to even start looking for them.
"I said, stay away from him!" the pro hero repeated more forcefully when the villains started to close the distance between them. Her arm shaking with the strain of keeping her arm elevated in a defensive stance.
"Here kitty kitty kitty," the fanged villain cooed playfully. A deadly calmness wafted off her person as she circled to the right of them. Her deranged golden eyes waiting for the optimal moment to sink her dagger into one of them. Judging by her gleeful expression, it didn't really matter which one of them it ended up being. "You look so pretty covered in blood. Please retract your claws so I can have a taste, 'kay?"
A swift swipe directed at the psycho's face managed to push her back for a moment. Only to be quickly replaced by another figure advancing from the left. The green-haired woman moved to take another swipe, but someone yanking her ankle back knocked her attack off-target. Of course, the female villain instantly swooped in to take full advantage of the opening created by her colleague. Her knife inches from slicing the hero's neck before Bakugou managed to block the blade with his cuffs at the last second.
A smirk tugged at his lips when she couldn't free her weapon from the leather straps. "Ha, Damn, things are actually worth something after all," Bakugou muttered to himself.
The Pro hero continued to fend off enemy attacks with the aid of her powerful search quirk. Her ability to continually assess their assailants' weaknesses was the sole reason they had lasted as long as they did. It wasn't much, but it proved annoying enough to keep the villains at bay.
But eventually, the other shoe had to drop.
A substantial backhand flung the cat hero's head to the side with a sickening crack. Her small frame instantly crumpling heavily over the top of him in such a manner he was sure they'd just murdered her. It wasn't until his crimson eyes processed her motionless body lying awkwardly on his chest that her name suddenly sprang to mind.
Ragdoll...
"Finally," muttered Dabi. Shaking some of the gore off of scarred knuckles in an unconcerned manner. "Someone take her."
Bakugou braced himself for their approach. He had just finished carefully shuffling the woman behind him when she began to stir. With a pitiful whine, the pro hero groggily took in her surroundings with disoriented golden eyes. As they landed on the teen's grime-covered face, some life rekindled in their depths.
"Bakugou!" Ragdoll exclaimed urgently, which caused her to wince severely from the effort. The cat hero had far exceeded her limit ages ago. Now that her abused body was no longer able to support her own weight, there was only one possible option left for her.
In a last-ditch effort, Ragdoll fiercely switched their positions until she straddled his hips. Ignoring the extended stream of curses, he hurled at her by focusing all her remaining energy into clutching the teen tightly to her chest. With her pride as a pro hero on the line, Ragdoll resolved herself to shield him with her own body. Refusing to let go for as long as she could manage. It was the classic, "I'll die protecting him," mentality that the explosive hero wanted absolutely no part in.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Bakugou screamed himself raw. His handsfuriously trying to pry himself free of the secure but gentle arms cradling his head and torso as the enemy closed in on them. The sensation of her chest hyperventilating as she cried, "Everything will be okay," over and over into his shoulder. All the while, a bizarre mixture of frustrated tears and blood accumulating in the crook of his neck was enough to make him lose his goddamn mind. "Don't count me out just because you haven't got any fight left!"
"I've had enough of this," Dabi announced, grabbing a fistful of long green hair. Yanking her upwards with enough strength that it also lifted Bakugou a few inches from the ground. Ragdoll refused to leave his side for even a moment. "It would have been better if you just cooperated; it's no significant loss if you kick the bucket," declared the villain in a cold tone. A raised arm prepped to deliver a finishing blow.
Before Bakugou could yell a single protest, he was interrupted by a sudden booming voice.
"I stand to disagree," a commanding voice stated over the subtle static of the small television in the corner. The overwhelming authoritative presence freezing everyone in place. While the tone sounded friendly, there was underlining iciness to the words that unnerved the ash-blonde to his core.
"Yeah, I thought I made it clear to you lackeys that she was to be kept alive?" chimed a less compelling voice from the doorway. This one, Bakugou recognized, belonged to the childish ringleader from the USJ incident.
About time the coward showed himself.
Shigaraki glared through the pale fingers framing his eyes. "Or do you still doubt my right to govern over this hopeless lot?"
With a rebellious roll of his eyes, Dabi retorted, "Not at all fearless leader." With a smug smirk, he added", while I don't much care if I offended thee, I'll do what the big boss wants and do as you say," however his fiery blue eyes weren't regarding Mr. Handjob. Instead, they focused on the small screen behind the bar. Their turquoise depths glinting with a level of respect the supposed leader of the League of villains had never once received.
A disgruntled "tsk," clicked off of Shigaraki's tongue before he turned his attention back to the heroes. With a slight pout, the man child turned to the green abomination. "Nomu, retrieve that woman without hurting her too much. It would be a shame if she ended up perishing before getting an audience with Master. Someone else, I don't really care who, please lock our guest in the other room," he ordered with a wave of his hand before sulking off down a darkened hallway.
Shit, shit, shit shit!
Bakugou silently cursed as he unsuccessfully attempted to wretch himself free of his restraints. Grotesque purple bruises no doubt covered the full length of his wrists with how emphatically he tried to tear them loose. Snarling viciously through the searing pain as his skin rubbed itself absolutely raw under the various layers of metal and leather. Blatantly ignoring the wetness steadily accumulating inside. Because if there was ever a time to prove himself as a hero, it would be right fucking then...
Come on! Bakugou silently berated his useless body. His joints popping painfully from the exertion. If that crazy cat lady was going to put herself through the wringer for my sake, the least I could fucking do was try my absolute damnedest not to be more of a fucking burden than I already am!
His sharp canines clamped down on the muscular green arm, wedging itself in-between the heroes to no effect.
But it was no use.
"No! no! no! no! no!" Ragdoll screamed bloody murder when she was finally ripped from the ash-blonde's side by the two monstrous arms hooked underneath her armpits. Hoisting her up in such a way that her tiny fame had no hope of reaching the ground to stabilize herself. Frenzied arms clawed the air erratically while her feet kicked uselessly at the Nomu in her desperate need to return to her sanction.
"Bakugou! Bakugou! Bakugou!" she repeatedly yowled as she was lead away.
Stunned, Bakugou could only watch as she was dragged off of him as a group of hands pulled him in the opposite direction. A soft residual warmth still pressed up against him despite her absence. In an instance of dissociative clarity, the hotheaded hero recalled how he had initially scoffed at the cat personas that the members of the Wild, Wild Pussycats, chose to adopt. He regretfully reflected how he found them to be stupid, gimmicky and degrading to the rest of the heroes trying to make a name for themselves.
But as he watched her now, kicking, biting, hissing, and screaming his name over and order. The young hero couldn't help but perceiver her as a mother cat furiously trying to protect her kit. Sacrificing her own severely injured body to save him from these villains.
All that for some stranger who openly mocked her a few hours prior, Bakugou thought bitterly. Almost gagging at the realization of pungent copper stench and the sticky consistency seeped into his clothes was her tepid blood.
Over her cries, the commanding voice called out, "Yes, bring her to me. I'll take care of that meddlesome quirk myself."
The gleeful tone in which this mysterious person spoke sparked a small glimmer of lucidness within the blonde. "take..." Bakugou repeated, visibly confused. Subconsciously mulling over the word embedded in his mind like a bothersome thorn. "...take... quirk?"
Crimson eyes instantly widened. "This is a dream," the explosive hero muttered under his breath. A blinding pain flashed through his brain as the scene in front of him glitched slightly with the vocalized declaration. Grunting through the splitting headache that assaulted him, the closer he got to the truth. "All this has already happened. All for One is about to steal Ragdoll's quirk. And then-"
And just like that, the dam holding back his traumatic memories crumbled to nothingness. Everything from the torture he would soon suffer at the hands of the Compress, to the latent guilt he felt toward All Might's early retirement, even the confirmation that Deku's quirk once belonged to Bakugou's childhood hero. It crashed into him like an overwhelming wave that threatened to trap him in an inescapable current of anguish.
In the background, Bakugou continued to hear the pro hero shout his name and the low growl of some sort of beast, but he could be bothered to pay her much attention. Sheer panic had instantly robbed him of oxygen as his body seemingly forgot how to breathe. While the world shook violently around him, the cool air caused goosebumps to appear across his skin while simultaneously producing sweat as his internal temperature reached dangerous levels. A feeble choking sound forcibly escaped the confines of his clamped lips while dark spots began to dot his vison.
Vague disembodied hands emerge from his darkening vision, seizing him all over as he weakly flailed to free himself. The lack of oxygen robbing his attacks of their usual vitality and only served to hurt himself as he lacked the strength to brace himself for the impact of his attacks if the sharp pain in his shin was anything to go by. Ever the stubborn hero, Bakugou focuses himself on a single target. The heavy weight pushing him further into the abyss. Concentrating all his remaining strength, he squeezed his now freed hands around a faceless person's throat as they kneeled overtop him.
If I'm going to die, then I'm taking one of you bastards with me! Bakugou resolved fiercely. His twitching fingers digging deeper into his victim's windpipe with every distant wail of his name.
"Bakugou!"
Squeeze
"Bakugou!"
Squeeze
"BAKUGOU!"
Squeeze
"...kat...su...ki..."
...
Thanks for being patient with my slow updates. I'm going to try to keep to a consistent update schedule form here on. I'd love to hear your feedback and what you've enjoyed so far, or what I could cut down on.
P.S. If there are any Fruit Basket fans out there, could you please let me know if my OC's have strayed from their influenced counterparts enough that I should stop considering this a crossover? It would help me out a bunch because I keep wavering back and forth.