Chapter Thirteen
When he found out Levi had been squirreling away things she stole from Todoroki in his room, he didn't say anything.
When Levi stole all of Kat's clothes and hid them in his room, he didn't say anything.
When Kat spoiled the score for a soccer game Levi couldn't watch because it conflicted with her training time with him and she raged for hours, he didn't say anything.
When Kat swapped out all of Levi's modest, somewhat baggy workout clothes with tight spandex, he stayed quiet because he enjoyed looking at her.
He didn't even say anything when Todoroki walked out of the shower with the white half of his hair dyed green because Levi had switched his shampoo with temporary green dye. He laughed harder than he'd ever laughed before, maybe, but he didn't say anything.
But when Kat sent Katsuki a text message asking if he would meet her at the courtyard while Levi was talking with Present Mic about one of their English assignments, he had a feeling this was something he probably wouldn't be able to stay quiet about.
Kat stood waiting for him wearing a yellow peasant blouse with pink flowers stitched into the collar and a pair of yellow plaid skinny jeans, yellow leather flats, and a yellow hooded jacket when Katsuki found her. He had to admit, that one was a good prank. Yellow definitely wasn't Kat's color. He still hadn't gotten over being surprised to see her wearing anything except black. He walked up to her with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face.
"Hey Bakugo," She said. He was taken aback by her seriousness.
"Uh, hey Kat." This was weird. They never talked without Levi present. Kat was so delicate it made him uncomfortable, and he had a sneaking suspicion that he scared her when he started yelling. They were the kind of people who only really interacted when they had someone in common. "Whats up? What'd you call me out here for? It better be good."
"I assure you, it is." She stepped forward toward him. "You might have noticed Levi and I are in a war."
"Uh, yeah, I noticed somewhere around this." He pointed at Kat's outfit. "And around the time Icy Hot turned into a Christmas tree." He snorted. "That was a good one."
"Yes, well, the green dye was the last straw. Levi wants to go nuclear? I'm gonna go nuclear."
Katsuki's eyes widened. "What are you going to do to me?"
That had to have been it. Why else would she have invited him out alone, with no witnesses? It wouldn't have been off-limits. Todoroki had been turned into a casualty of this stupid war, why wouldn't Katsuki be next? Oh God, she wasn't going to try and dye his hair green was she? Luckily he'd be able to blow her away with his quirk before she even got close-
With a sigh, Kat pulled her phone out of the yellow wicker bag she carried on her shoulder. She tapped a few keys. "When Levi finds out, make sure you tell her this hurts me as much as it hurts her. I gave her every opportunity to be the bigger person."
She walked over to him and showed him her phone screen.
Before him he saw Levi, sixteen years old, wearing a Sailor Jupiter costume much too short and revealing for a fourteen-year-old. Bottles of liquor lay scattered about a bedroom he didn't recognize while she sang some song from a boy band. What's worse, she hit all the right notes and said all the right words without missing a beat. She knew the song.
He brought his hand up to his mouth and snorted.
"The costume was a dare," Kat explained as she pushed pause on the video. "Levi is incapable of not accepting a dare. She has no concept of personal safety. And it was her bright idea to break into her parents' liquor cabinet. I didn't drink anything, but she drank enough for the both of us, and when she started doing this I knew I had to film it for later blackmail. She doesn't know I have it."
"Oh my God, are you serious? What the fuck band even is that?"
"The Jonas Brothers." She sighed. "One of Levi's secret favorites."
"Are you fucking serious?"
"Bakugo, I've never been more serious about anything in my life. She signed her death warrant the moment she messed with Shoto's hair. Give me your phone."
He did, unsure of where she was going with this. She had him unlock it, and once he did she set to work sending him the video. He sighed and looked away. "She's doing it for you, you know."
"I know."
"You know?"
"She told me when it all started when I found out she stole Shoto's stuff." She looked at him with more seriousness than Katsuki ever thought possible for her. "But I don't need her to watch out for me. I'm not as helpless as everyone thinks I am. Besides, it's a moot point. Shoto is just my friend." She dropped her gaze. "He doesn't even like me like that."
Katsuki snorted. "Yeah, okay."
"What?" Kat handed him back his phone.
Grinning, Katsuki took his phone back and put it back in his pocket. "Are you really this stupid or is it just the persona you put in front of everyone?" When she raised her eyebrow, he sighed. "Oh God, you really are this stupid."
"You know, I'm starting to see why I don't hang out with you a lot on my own."
"Ditto, Princess. But look, I'll be nice and give you something to think about: I've known Scarface since I started at U.A. and there's no way in Hell he would've put up with all of this if you weren't special to him." He paused, then hunched his shoulders. "Fuck, I guess Levi's plan worked after all."
"Wait, wait, Bakugo-!"
But instead of lingering around, Bakugo walked past her. He lifted a hand in a goodbye gesture. "See ya later, Princess."
"No wait!"
"Nope, sorry. It's not my job to tell you guys stuff you should be able to see for yourselves."
"Hold on a minute!" Kat chased after him. She grabbed hold of his arm but was so light that no matter how hard she tried to pull him to a stop it was him who ended up pulling her along. "You're so mean! I give me your phone! I'm taking my video back!"
"Nope, you made your choice. Now get off me."
"You can't just drop a bomb like that and leave!"
"That's kinda my thing if you haven't noticed. GET THE HELL OFF ME!"
"Noooooooo! Not until you tellllllll meeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
"Fine! I'll tell you!" They both stopped and she let his arm go. He sighed. "Frankly, there's a lot about you that I never thought Half and Half would be into. You're loud-you're annoying-you're somehow a crybaby and are super bubbly at the same time which is totally weird-"
Kat rolled her eyes. "Wow Bakugo, calm down. I don't know if Levi would approve of you talking so dirty to me."
"SHUT UP!" He grumbled and scratched the back of his head, looking away. "What I'm saying is that for some reason, with you, he's into it."
She blushed. "He . . . he is?"
"Um, duh? Why else would he be hanging around you so much? And this stupid war just proves it, cause Todoroki doesn't do shit like this. Anyone else he would've told them to leave him out of it or something. So, there. You happy now? I'm leaving."
And that time, Kat didn't stop him.
Alone in his room, Katsuki opened up the message Kat sent him. He nearly pushed play, then at the last minute decided to get up and lock the door first. Last thing he needed was to have someone from that stupid gaggle downstairs decide to come traipsing into his room at the worst possible time. Especially Levi, since he wasn't quite sure yet if he wanted her to know about the video.
Katsuki plugged his earbuds into his phone, sat on his bed, and pushed play.
A peel of laughter filled his ears as he was transported to a time before he knew Levi. She stood on an unmade bed in the skimpy Sailor Jupiter costume-she, apparently, had always been busty-the skirt of which grazed along the absolute upper part of her thigh. He wanted to say it was shorter than he remembered from seeing Sailor Moon fucking everywhere . . . but Kat still sported Sailor Moon merch and nope, that was exactly as short as the skirts were.
"Kat! Kat Kat Kat are you getting this? This'll be my audition tape!"
He raised an eyebrow. But Kat said she didn't know about the video . . .
Maybe she was too drunk to remember asking Kat to film it. He smiled a little.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting it!"
Levi stumbled to grab a hairbrush off her nightstand and flopped around trying to stand up again. Katsuki had to bite his knuckles to keep from erupting in peels of laughter. She stood semi-straight again, put her hand on her hip, and started singing into her hairbrush.
We go together
Better than birds of a feather, you and me
We change the weather, yeah
I'm feeling heat in December when you're 'round me
I've been dancing on top of cars and stumbling out of bars
I follow you through the dark, can't get enough
You're the medicine and the pain, the tattoo inside my brain
And, baby, you know it's obvious
I'm a sucker for you
You say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly
I'm a sucker for you, yeah
Any road you take, you know that you'll find me
I'm a sucker for all the subliminal things
No one knows about you (about you) about you (about you)
And you're making the typical me break my typical rules
It's true, I'm a sucker for you, yeah
Katsuki smiled. Levi looked ridiculous, her singing was terrible, it was a shock and a half to find out that she actually liked this band, but she was cute. Even though she was intoxicated he couldn't deny the wide smile on her face and the way her hair bounced around her face. It was enough to make him want to go downstairs and kiss her in front of everyone. To just say fuck it and take her, because she was fun and strong and beautiful and exactly what he wanted in his life.
That day when she showed up and announced her intention to be the number one hero, he'd been so flustered and angry to have another rival. She'd been silent, stoic, and disengaged with the world around her while her tiny best friend seemed to absorb energy from the air. Then, as he got to know her, a completely different Levi had come out. Someone bright who liked to smile and joke-who didn't get hurt when she got teased but instead gave it back ten times better. Who knew what she wanted and went for it. Who had the strongest convictions of anyone he'd ever met. Who got stronger every day and who in turn helped him get stronger too.
Also, he found himself wondering what she would look like in a Sailor Jupiter costume now . . .
Don't complicate it (yeah)
'Cause I know you and you know everything about me
I can't remember
All of the nights I don't remember
When you're 'round me (oh, yeah yeah)
I've been dancing on top of cars and stumbling out of bars
I follow you through the dark, can't get enough
You're the medicine and the pain, the tattoo inside my brain
And, baby, you know it's obvious
I'm a sucker for you
You say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly
I'm a sucker for you, yeah
Any road you take, you know that you'll find me
I'm a sucker for all the subliminal things
No one knows about you (about you) about you (about you)
And you're making the typical me break my typical rules
It's true, I'm a sucker for you, yeah
The video was supposed to embarrass her, and he was sure that if she ever found out about it she would be absolutely mortified, but instead, all it did was make Katsuki smile and fight to swallow his laughter. Despite all the bullshit, he's been put through because of her there had also been a lot more fun than he otherwise would've let happen. She forced it on him, dragged him into the mire of her bullshit, and yet he didn't feel bothered. It was worth it.
Maybe I do get why Todoroki likes Kat after all. Levi is the same, but . . . in her own way.
He saved the video on his phone just in case he deleted the text. In the darkness of his room, with only his phone to make any light, Katsuki started the video again. He watched, smiled, and realized with a sudden clench of his stomach that he'd accidentally fallen in love with her.
Damn it.
They all stood in two groups in Gym Gamma with all the teachers present on the edge of the arena. Mr. Aizawa radiated with pure rage as he stood next to Midnight, who was nervous to be near him in this state. Mr. Cementoss had created the arena to benefit the two teams but also created obstacles for them. Katsuki, in his hero costume, eyed everyone on the other side of the board and wondered with exasperation how he'd been the voice of reason and yet still ended up in this bullshit game?
"Because you all insisted on partaking in this stupid game concocted by these two numbskulls-" no one had to ask who Mr. Aizawa meant when he said that. Kat and Levi grinned at each other, though Kat looked a lot more apologetic than Levi. "And using your quirks for pranks, we're going to settle this right here, right now. You want to screw around when you're supposed to be learning to be pro heroes? Then use your quirks. You've all been fitted with two colored streamers. Lose both, and you're considered dead. Whichever side has more people standing by the end wins-and that will be the end of it. Is that understood?"
A cloud of "Yes Mr. Aizawa" floated over the two groups as everyone spoke in unison.
With a sigh, Katsuki berated himself for not trying harder to end this before it began. The moment he saw her pulling the stuff she stole from Todoroki out of his closet he should've told Levi the whole thing was over. Should've made Kat hand over the hair shit she took. But he didn't and now . . .
It all started when Kat had the bright idea to turn the classroom into a minefield for Levi. Her plan with the video had backfired since Katsuki didn't show it to Levi, and without her seeing it the whole thing was moot. Kat got to class early with her gaggle of followers-by then the entire class had divided up into teams and were actively part of this stupid war, though Katsuki couldn't for the life of him understand why they would want to. No one had anything to gain from this. Even Kat and Levi seemed to have lost the origin of this war. All that mattered were the battles.
Though he had to give them credit. He admired their competitive spirits.
"So here's my plan," Kat said, grinning. She'd sent text messages to everyone in her army telling them to show up early. Katsuki, up early for breakfast, had noticed them leaving and decided to go watch the train wreck. Denki went with it despite having helped on Levi's side too. He couldn't pick a side, and really just did his best to get them to stop fighting. But he was an idiot with Wii music playing on a loop in his brain so of course, it didn't work. When Kat saw him she made him vow not to text Levi or anyone on her side. To which he replied that he didn't care enough to bother. She accepted that. "Shoto, you make some ice here." She pointed to the floor right in front of the door and a little bit outside. "Real thin, like you did that one time. She'll slip here, and then Sero-" she made a zig-zag motion in the doorway. "Put some clear tape here. When Levi slips she'll fall right into the tape and, hopefully, keep falling and ball up in the tape! It's brilliant!"
She laughed loud and hard, hands on her hips, like a supervillain.
"You don't think it's kinda dangerous?" Hagakure asked. Katsuki guessed she must've been wringing her hands but he couldn't tell for sure. "What if she slips on the ice and gets hurt?"
"Don't worry Toru! Levi's skull is practically made out of titanium!"
Katsuki raised his hand. "I can vouch for that."
With a grin, Kat gestured over her shoulder at Katsuki without turning to look at him. "See? On with the plan!"
Of course, Todoroki worked without question. He made a thin, nearly invisible sheet of ice on the floor and got back in before Sero did his part with the tape. Even Katsuki, who was on neither side but guessed he might have been put on Levi's by association, had to admit it was devious.
Kat whipped out her phone. "Okay, now to get Levi here. Let me just-"
A collective gasp filled the room as not Levi, but Mr. Aizawa slipped on the ice and enacted Kat's plan. She dropped her phone and covered her mouth with her hands.
Rage filled Mr. Aizawa's face immediately. His scarves cut him out of the tape and he stood like an executioner over the students before him. "What. The. Hell. Was. That?"
Eyes glowing red and hair lifting around him from the power of his undistilled rage, the group panicked and ran to hide behind Kat, who had Todoroki to stand half a step in front of her. Seriously, how did she not see that he had a crush on her? What an idiot.
"It-it was just a prank, Mr. Aizawa. It wasn't meant for you," Todoroki said. "That was an accident."
"Then who was it for?"
No one could lie at that point. Especially not Denki, who broke down in comical tears and recounted the war to Mr. Aizawa. No one blamed him for it-any of them would've done the same, except Todoroki maybe, he just beat them to it.
Mr. Aizawa held that half of the class captive until the second half arrived. Once everyone was there he ordered everyone to Gym Gamma.
Once in Gym Gamma, Mr. Aizawa broke the class into the two armies they fancied themselves being. Kat's side and Levi's side. Todoroki stood at his place next to Kat, who had to wear a yellow cape, like the second command to a general in an actual war. The green dye was ninety-five percent out of his hair by that point. He folded his arms across his chest. With them stood Tokoyami, Uraraka, Asui, Hagakure, and Sero, Aoyama, Midoriya, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu. On Levi's side of the board, there was Katsuki (of course), Mina, Kaminari, Kirishima, Ojiro, Mineta, and Sato.
"Ida and Koda are allowed to sit out," Mr. Aizawa said, gesturing to the two students who stood next to Present Mic and All-Might. "Both sides agreed they were innocent in this, and though I think they're guilty by not stopping it before it got to this point, they never actively participated and I've been outvoted. Kaminari however-" Denki gasped at hearing his name singled out. "You admitted to not being able to pick a side in this fight. Your special punishment is to fight for both sides."
"W-What?! Why me?! I tried to stop it!"
"That's true, Mr. Aizawa," Kat said. "Denki was always telling me how much he hated when me and Levi fought, and that we should stop before it goes too far."
"That's right, Sir," Levi agreed. "He shouldn't be part of this."
"But did you still go along with their plans, Kaminari?"
He laughed, nervous. "Well, I mean-"
"Both sides."
"Can one of you guys just take both my flags and kill me so I can be out of my misery?" Denki asked, laughing, his voice swimming with defeat. No one acknowledged him.
Present Mic stepped out and screamed into the air. "AAAAAND GOOOOOOOO!"
All hell broke out around them. Everyone went their own way and attacked the opposite side except Todoroki, who stayed near Kat and protected her with a wall of ice. She and Tokoyami took the opportunity to flee and find shadow cover. Without it they were next to useless.
"We go after them," Katsuki growled, infused with the spirit of battle. In a blink of an eye he forgot why they were fighting and cared only that there was a fight to be won. "Scarface and Kat. We gotta get them."
"Just try not to blow up my best friend and her future boyfriend."
He sneered. "No promises."
Katsuki aimed his cannon arm and blew a hole in the ice wall. He threw his hands back and created an explosion behind him, rocketing himself forward and through the hole he made. Todoroki jumped in front of Kat, who had only just found a source of shadows, and tried to push Katsuki back with waves of ice. Over and over Katsuki blew holes in the ice to get through-until Midoriya came flying in out of nowhere and threw his foot into Katsuki's stomach.
"I'm so sorry Kaachan!" Midoriya cried as he did, reaching out and grabbing ahold of one of Katsuki's streamers as he did.
THAT DAMN NERD!
From his peripherals, Katsuki saw Levi use her power to lift herself up. She threw her hand out and grabbed Midoriya by the foot that had kicked Katsuki. She tossed him casually over her shoulder. She caught Katsuki before he hit the ground.
"Hey!" He called up to her from the ground. "Did you get his streamer?"
Levi looked at him as though she couldn't figure out what he was saying-then it dawned on her. "GOD DAMN IT!"
A sea of fire shot out from the ground and melted the ice wall. Kat and Tokoyami stood together beneath a long stretch of shadow from a particularly tall cliff-like crag. Tokoyami sent Dark Shadow flying through the air toward them while Kat created a wall of shadows as a shield. With Dark Shadow fighting from the right and Todoroki attacking from the left, Katsuki and Levi were at a hard disadvantage. Levi even had to land back on the ground so she could bring up her forcefield for protection. Katsuki blasted himself out of Todoroki's way with each burst of flame or ice while Dark Shadow picked at Levi's forcefield.
All the while Present Mic, either because it was an added punishment by Mr. Aizawa or because he simply felt like doing it, gave an entire play-by-play of everything he saw on the field. He
"Katsuki! Get in here with me!" Levi shouted. "They can't get your streamer in here! And you only have one!"
"Well announce it, why don'tcha?" He barked back. He aimed and fired his AP Shot attack at Todoroki, who slipped out of the way just in time and landed next to Kat. When the small, precise explosions went off against her shield Katsuki heard her scream. "Awesome, her shield is just like yours! I just gotta wear her down!"
"Just don't hurt her! Remember: Scary is good. Hospital is bad."
"Yeah yeah, whatever."
"AND THE FIRST ONE DEAD IS DEEENKIIIIIIII KAMINARRIIIIIIIII!" Present Mic screamed into the air around them. Idiot probably let himself get killed so he wouldn't have to fight both sides. Or he was just that stupid. With him it could've gone either way.
"Just keep yourself safe from Dark Shadow. He can only hit one of us at a time and the second he lays off you to come after me, he'll leave you open to attack. He won't risk that." Katsuki fired more AP Shot attacks at Kat's shield until it broke.
She staggered back looking as though she'd taken the blows herself. Breath ragged Katsuki rocketed himself across the arena toward her. He would've gotten her too if Todoroki hadn't stepped in at the last second and brought up a wall of ice. It wasn't a totally lost effort though-Katsuki had worked fast and pulled the streamer off Todoroki's belt.
He launched himself off the ice and landed a few feet back. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned wide. Even if they lost the battle if he could just beat Todoroki that would be worth it. Somehow, taking down the second in command was almost better than winning at all.
Almost. Not quite.
Kat came out from behind the ice wall with a ball of shadows in her hand. She drew her hand back and released a blast of shadows that knocked Katsuki over onto his back. He grimaced-damn, that one actually hurt.
Jiro went down, along with Mineta, Ojiro, and Yaoyorozu.
Over where he'd been before, Dark Shadow had Levi in a corner. Her shield had a limit but Dark Shadow didn't. Not while Tokoyami was in the shadows.
The shadows.
A grin pulled at Katsuki's lips. They can't fight if there aren't enough shadows.
Not as well, at any rate, and he would take all the advantage he could get.
Instead of aiming at one of their opponents, Katsuki aimed his cannon for the crag that cast the shadows Kat and Tokoyami used. He blasted it away, creating a whole bunch of rubble but not a whole lot of usable shadows.
"KAT!" Levi screamed.
Katsuki watched, dumb, as one of the chunks of debris he just made came falling right at Kat. "SHIT! KAT GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
Before the chunk of cement bashed her brains in, Todoroki grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the way. He hugged her close against the crag where she couldn't possibly have gotten hit by it. Eyes wide in terror, Kat clung to the blue fire-resistant jacket Todoroki wore as part of his costume. He had a hand on the top of her head as if it would be enough to save her from anything.
"Okay! Okay! That's it!" Midnight shouted across the room. She tore at the fabric of her uniform and a soothing mist filled the room. "Fight is over! We're calling it a draw!" In the moments before Katsuki fell asleep, he saw Midnight turn on Mr. Aizawa. "Are you satisfied?"
"Actually yes, very."
"Good."
Katsuki closed his eyes and was lulled into a deep, soothing sleep.
Later that night Katsuki went looking for Levi and Kat. He hadn't seen Levi since after the fight when everyone woke up and were told to go their separate ways for the day. At first, he thought she might just need some space. But when it got dark and he hadn't seen her he got worried enough to leave his room and go look for her. Had he pissed her off? She was so worried about him hurting Kat and he almost crushed her. It was an accident but he still felt pretty bad about it. He got even more worried when Todoroki asked him if he'd seen Kat. She disappeared right after the fight too.
The two boys decided the smartest place to start looking was Kat's room-and, lo and behold, they found the two girls passed out on Kat's bed surrounded by piles of candy and with The Little Mermaid playing on Kat's TV.
Both of them deadpanned. Just like that, the war had ended.
Next to him, Todoroki muttered " . . . I'm going to sleep." and walked away.
"This is stupid." Katsuki went back to his room.