Kyo P. O. V.
Kyo felt restless.
You wouldn't know it from how he laid on his back with his arms casually crossed behind his head. His already orange hair seemed to glow even brighter from the light of the setting sun, which shielded his closed eyes from view. The only indication of his restless spirit was how his long tan legs swayed as they hung off the side of the roof of the abandoned house they were currently occupying.
His body longed to leave this world behind. Having been in this dreadful place for almost two months already. They would have left much sooner if it wasn't for... Kyo's arms and chest ached at the memory. He lifted one of his sore arms out in front of him. His tired crimson eyes studied the bandages, which still covered every inch of them.
It had been three weeks since the accident.
Three weeks since Kyo had died at a friend's hands.
Three weeks since his baby brother broke the taboo and rewound time to bring him back, paying the price to do so that he still refused to tell anyone about.
Three weeks since Tsubasa revealed his vision that Kyo's death would trigger his sweet little Tohru to become the Destroyer of Worlds.
Yeah, all of that would surely put anyone in a bad mood.
The copper-haired teen growled to himself. His muscles stiff when he hoisted himself into a sitting position with his arms crossed angrily in front of him. Not only that, but both of his teammates had coddled him nonstop since then. Forbidding him from partaking in any strenuous activity. Hardly letting him out of their sight for even a second.
Even now, he could feel Tohru's worried gaze on him from where she monitored his movements out of the corner of her eye as she tended to the plants in the garden. If it was anyone other than Tohru, he would probably hurl a kunai at them and tell them to mind their own fucking business; but of course, he could never do such a thing to her. Not that it would accomplish anything if he did. She would, no doubt, catch it perfectly in two fingers, as he had taught her to do.
Kyo let out an exasperated sigh. He should try to calm down. It wasn't just the events from the last three weeks which had him on edge. It was the stifling energy in the air. Everything seemed too calm. Too quiet. While he could still hear the same old songbirds singing, they sounded strange. Everything around him sounds quieter somehow. Like his senses tuned out everything that wasn't important.
His ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. Turning his head, he saw his younger brother, Tsubasa, a long way off. Slowly making his way back from the forest.
Something big must be coming, Kyo thought to himself. His eyes narrowing at his brother without realizing it. And this mission Tsubasa was so gung-ho about must be why. His brother had inherited their mother's foresight ability, but Kyo had always been able to sense shifts in his environment, thanks to his heightened primal instincts.
Frankly, the copper-haired shinobi couldn't figure out why they were doing this. It wasn't that a mission to protect a class of super-powered students from villains was all that strange for them. It was actually a typical gig for them at this point. Kyo was more surprised Tsubasa accepted the job in the first place. He'd been very adamant about staying out of harm's way the past couple of weeks. Waiting for Kyo's body to fully heal. The copper-haired teen had just received permission to start light training again a few days ago, and now they were packed up and ready to go to a new world where they could potentially be fighting powerful enemies? Even though Tsubasa assured them they would mostly be instructing them how to use self-defense tactics, such as hand to hand combat and some weapon training; it just didn't make sense.
He continued to watch Tsubasa's slow approach while he twirled one of his kunai with one finger. A showy habit he acquired when he was lost in thought. It usually wasn't this difficult to understand what Tsubasa's motives were. Kyo could usually read his brother's thoughts and feelings as if they were his own. The perks of coming into this world together. However, whenever he looked at his little brother now, he only saw the eyes of a stranger staring back at him. It had been this way since he had woken up after his accident.
Regardless of Tsubasa's motives, Kyo jumped at the chance to go on a mission; despite his still-healing body. Any mission at this point, as long as it got him off this world, and back to some kind of normalcy. Besides, Kyo would be lying if he said it didn't sound like fun regardless of whether they would be fighting villains or not. He absolutely loved training and fighting. And testing his skills on a whole new group of super-powered people? That was what he lived for! Just thinking of beating them into the ground had him pumped. The thought immediately put a determined smile on his face, which revealed his uncharacteristically sharp canines.
Before long, he caught himself smiling. The stubborn shinobi quickly composed himself. Choosing to pout childishly instead. He refused to let Tsubasa know how excited he was about this new mission. Kyo was still mad at him for risking his life to save him. Also incredibly frustrated, he refused to reveal what the price was to do such a thing. It couldn't be anything good. Kyo might be a bit of an idiot, but even he knew you didn't get to break one of the biggest taboos in every world and come back scotch-free.
His crimson eyes scanned his little brother, who finally made it back to the clearing surrounding their makeshift hideout. Watching silently as he happily chatted with Tohru in the garden.
'He doesn't look any different,' Kyo mused to himself.
Beyond thankful, he had enough sense not to trade places with him on the spot. But not knowing the price of saving his life was driving him crazy with worry. If there was one thing Kyo hated, it was needless self-sacrifice. Something his brother should fucking know by now.
The unwanted memory of his mother being brought home bloody and broken flashed to mind. Wincing with the painful thought. He let out a low growl, which did manage to chase the painful memory away for the moment.
"Fuck this," he whispered to himself. Taking this opportunity to flop back into a lying position. This time with his arms stretched out on either side of him.
He was exhausted. Ever since his accident, the shinobi had been plagued with nightmares of his mother being brought home bloody. Though now it was sometimes his little brother instead.
"How could you both do this?"
The nightmares also made him miss his mother, something awful. Having died on a mission when they were only five years old. Regarded as a hero for saving the person she had sworn to protect, though to do it, she hastily sacrificed herself in the process. The heroic act leaving behind her three sons in a world that would never truly accept them. Without so much as a goodbye or an explanation for the situation, she forced onto them.
Usually, when his heart ached for their mother, he would seek comfort from Tsubasa. But he couldn't bring himself to do that now. Not when his stupid cheerful face made his heart ache even more. His brother's selfishness rippedopen old wounds the copper-haired teen had been sure already healed. Kyo, of course, realized he was behaving selfishly and stubbornly as well. But his pride just couldn't bring himself to be consoled or to forgive Tsubasa for his actions at the moment. He would forgive him in time, but for now, he was content to pout.
Movement caught his eye. He peered down to see Tohru wave at him. Beckoning him to come join them in the garden. His crimson eyes immediately softened. If there was one drawback to this whole fight, it was that she was continuously caught in the middle of it. Having to relay messages from them both. However, he was a little irked she had been comforting Tsubasa more than himself.
He felt the heat in his cheeks and realized he had been blushing.
I must be in the wrong, Kyo thought angrily to himself.
He cursed under his breath before he slid off the roof to begrudgingly meet up with his teammates. It looked like they were finally prepared to leave this world behind.
"About fuckin' time," he grumbled.
Despite his impatience to be off this world, Kyo took his sweet fucking time walking over to his team. His pettiness outweighing his restlessness. Kyo didn't meet his brother's concerned gaze as he passed him to stand on the other side of his most treasured friend. She, in turn, smiled up at him, though it wasn't nearly as cheerful as it usually was. This fight between them affected her more than she let on. No doubt, Tohru would continue to feel this way until the two brothers made up. That alone was reason enough to hurry up and forgive him already. But first, Tsubasa needed to stew in the consequences of his actions for a little bit longer.
"Shall we?" he asked mostly to Tohru, though passively to his brother as well, who stood on the other side of her.
"If you would, please," Tsubasa answered a little hurt. The pain in his voice made Kyo's heartache despite himself. But he still didn't cave.
With a nod, Kyo closed his eyes. He brought a hand to his chest, his fingers extended inward as if he were going to pull at his shirt. Instead, his fingers began to glow. As soon as they made contact, the tips of his fingers started to disappear within himself for a moment before he began to slowly pull them back out. In their grip was the glowing handle of a weapon. He continued to slowly pull the glowing weapon from himself, the brilliance of the sparkling golden light forced Tsubasa and Tohru to avert their gaze. Once removed, the weapon was revealed to be a glowing kunai.
Tsubasa and Kyo were blessed with many powers from their mother. Her abilities had split evenly between both of them. Appropriate, considering they were twins. Fraternal, of course, considering they looked nothing alike. A fact which had always gotten on Kyo's nerves. People always joked that he must have been adopted. But their combined powers more than proved their relation to one another. They were always intended to use their astounding abilities together. Tsubasa would find those in need of their help through his foresight and dream walking abilities, and they would travel across dimensions and accomplish their missions through Kyo's versatile powers.
His world travel ability used the power of his soul in the form of a weapon to phase between worlds. The blade safely kept within himself through the use of magic was able to cut through time and space itself through the strength of his spirit alone. It, of course, was not an ability Kyo could be used lightly. His soul must recharge before he could even attempt to do it again, which usually was a month or two. If he knew the name a person and where they were, he could choose where he landed. Otherwise, it was completely random. However, his powers tended to gravitate to those who harbored memories of anyone from their family.
Kyo opened his eyes, twirling the magical kunai in his hands a few times before holding the weapon out in front of him. "Aizawa Shouta of Musutafu, Japan, here we come!" the shinobi shouted with a twinge of excitement. His eyes instantly glowing an intimidating crimson color.
The tip of the Kunai traced the air in front of him for a few seconds. The shinobi feeling for the slightest bit of resistance as his weapon located the right world to cut into. A few moments pass before he felt the familiar snag the weapon made when it discovered the correct dimension. He smiled the same chaotic smile he had in Tsubasa's dream.
"Found ya," he whispered to himself. He carefully puts pressure on the kunai's edge. It easily cut through the fabric of the universe. Through the first hole, he could see it was night time in this new world. Perfect for them to slip in unnoticed.
He gently made a tear large enough for everyone to make it through. With that, the three shinobi quickly file through one at a time, with Kyo bringing up the rear. Once on the other side, the tear in the universe immediately moved to fix itself. Healing the opening within a minute of Kyo passing through the rift. The copper-haired teen could feel the world's relief as it was whole once more.
Kyo returned the kunai into himself. Immediately, fatigue washed over him. He leaned his arm on the nearest person, who just happened to be Tsubasa. Though he was too tired to care.
"You're late," a voice called somewhere above them.
Three heads look up simultaneously to see a shaggy-haired man dressed in all black, except for the white scarf around his neck, crouched on a tree branch above them. A bored expression on his face.
"I'll let it slide this time, but do it again, and you'll be serving detention for a month."
Aizawa P.O.V
They were only a day late, but Aizawa detested tardiness for any reason. If you say you were going to be somewhere at a specific time, then you better damn be there at that time. Traveling across time and space didn't excuse tardiness. Even so, he supposed he could give them a pass this one time. It was like the orange brat had said once they arrived, quite loudly he might add.
"You try traveling across dimensions and see how you fuckin' feel!"
It was true. He had never transported himself to another world before, let alone bring others with him. Hell, he didn't really believe other worlds existed before last week. Aizawa could only imagine how difficult such a feat would be. How physically taxing it would be on your body, mind, and apparently your very soul as well. And that brat did it by himself?
When they hadn't shown up the day before, Aizawa decided to spend the next day at the designated spot, hoping they were only minorly delayed. The underground hero had passed the time by grading his student's homework. He was about two-thirds done when a flash of light caught his attention. Looking down from his comfortable perch, he saw some sort of glowing blade cut through the air itself. Mesmerized, Aizawa continued to watch as a rift in his world was cut before his fatigued eyes. Afterward, he saw three forms walking through it as if it was in any way normal. He recalled the surge of power he felt upon their arrival, which only dampened slightly when the blade returned to the copper-haired brat.
Aizawa stole a glance at the ill-tempered teen who leaned against the wall by his home desk. Stubbornly refusing to take a seat in the chair next to him. Instead, opting to pretend to be interested in the view outside the window. All the while, he casually allowed the wall to bear most of his weight. The teen hadn't spoken a word since his outburst outside. The only sign he had been listening to them recounting their shared dreams was the occasional nod. The underground hero suppressed the urge to sigh. He began to understand why this kid ended up befriending his own ill-tempered student. He hoped his class could survive another Bakugou.
While that kid, Kyo, he believed his name was, would most likely prove to be a challenge. The shaggy-haired teacher was thankful the other two proved to be model students. Tsubasa and Tohru sat attentively in the other two chairs in front of Aizawa's desk. Each looked through the materials he prepared for them. They consisted of the UA school handbook, hero policies, and regulations within this country, possible cover stories, potential threats, a summary of incidents that happened to his class so far, as well as photos and profiles of his students. These summarized their personalities, strengths, areas which need improvement, and, of course, their quirks.
It had been a couple of hours since they first arrived, and they had finally finished reviewing all the information and settled on which of their powers would serve as their own quirks while they posed as students in this world. After some debate, Aizawa and Tsubasa agreed it would be in everyone's best interest to keep the brunette's foresight abilities a secret from everyone. No point in revealing any vital information to possible villains that they had premonition powers on their side.
With that said, in addition to teaching his class how to fight without relying on their quirks. Aizawa had assigned them another mission. To do some spying of their own to catch the elusive Traitor at UA. The underground hero hoped fresh eyes could help detect what the UA staff hadn't been able to accomplish all year.
"Thank you for doing all this for us!~" Tohru thanked Aizawa happily. Her voice somewhere in between a quiet cheer and a soothing song. It surprised him that while she belonged to the same world as the other two, she did not have the same accent as them. Though after talking with her for a bit, he noticed she would sometimes slip into one for certain words. But for the most part spoke perfect Japanese, other than the sing-song way she spoke. "I hope we didn't cause you too much trouble~," she added bashfully.
In all honesty, being overly prepared had always helped calm Aizawa. Anything to make things go as smoothly as they possibly could gave him something to keep his mind busy with as he awaited their arrival.
"It wasn't too taxing," he responded truthfully, though his tone underplayed the fact that it was more for his peace of mind than theirs. His eyes glanced at the still untouched packet on Kyo's chair before bringing his attention back to the other two. "You'll be starting school tomorrow morning. I suggest you all get a good night's sleep."
"Aizawa-sensei?"
The underground hero looked up from where he was collecting his graded papers to see Kyo looking directly at him. He was no longer leaning against the wall but instead stood in a semi-crouched position.
"Is there anyone else that knows the truth about us and our purpose here?" asked in a nonchalant tone.
"Principle Nezu is aware I am bringing in outside help to train the class for a possible villain attack. Though he has not been made aware of your origins. Nor do I intend to if I can help it," the hero answered carefully. "Why do you ask?"
"Just making sure that I don't accidentally stumble into a situation where my cover is blown is all, " he stated a little bored. Though his intense crimson eyes slowly moved from Aizawa to the now cracked door behind him. A shuriken suddenly appeared in his hand. His teammates were also on edge, though they remained in their seats. Pretending to read over the information in front of them.
They were good. Their reflexes faster than his own in this situation. No doubt from years of experience in the field on countless worlds. A skill cultivated in an environment where one mistake could be your last.
"Understandable," Aizawa stated, copying the shinobi's lack of enthusiasm. Making a show of straightening the stack of papers in his hand against the desk in front of him. "That shouldn't be a problem, though. Nezu is pretty recognizable. He's one of the rare instances of an animal gaining a quirk, so he's only about 2 feet tall. Shouldn't be too hard to miss," he remarked. Hoping Kyo would pick out the true meaning behind his words.
Without hesitation, Kyo threw his shuriken through the crack of the door.
Immediately a startled yelp could be heard, followed by the thump of the shuriken embedded itself in the wall. As well as the sound of frantic struggling. Faster than the eye could track, Kyo had crossed the distance of the room. Instantly throwing open the door to reveal a familiar head of spiky purple hair and matching tired eyes.
"Oh, hey, Aizawa-sensei. Fancy seeing you here?" the insomniac stated sheepishly. The sleeve of his jacket pinned to the wall by Kyo's shuriken. Effectively, trapping him in place. His face paled even more than usual when he took in Aizawa's angry expression, complete with glowing red eyes and standing dark hair. Shinsou could practically feel the extra homework he was about to be slapped with, and the terrifying hero wasn't even his teacher.
"You have five seconds to explain yourself before I erase your entire existence," the pro hero threatened.
Bakugou P. O. V.
Snap... Snap... Snap... SNAP!
The simple sound echoed through the darkness repeatedly. The resonance steadily instilled more fear into him. With each snap, Bakugou was plunged from where he was tightly fastened down in that damn chair Shigaraki forced him into, to a new type of hell.
This hell was utterly silent, except for the adrenaline pumping through his veins, which made his ears ring painfully. He was unable to move or see anything besides the blinding blue around him. The weird turquoise mass which surrounded him compressed painfully against his body, threatening to crush him into nothing. The sensation both unbearably cold and overwhelmingly hot at the same time as if he was surrounded by icy fire. Even worse was the fact that he couldn't breathe.
Another snap, and he was back in that fucking bar he had been taken to after his kidnapping.
The villain hideout reeked of cheap beer, whiskey, and enough second-hand smoke he probably had cancer now. Despite this, Bakugou immediately breathed in the foul air. Forcing his body to take in as many large gulps as he could before he was inevitably transported back to that airless nightmare. The whole ordeal felt as if he were being waterboarded.
As Bakugou struggled to regain his breath, he glared daggers at the masked villain sitting in a chair directly in front of him. The villain making a show out of snapping his fingers in his face, while subtly tapping Bakugou's foot with his, each and every time he used his quirk. Giving the illusion that the snapping was all that was needed to bring him back inside that accursed sphere. The blonde knew it was nothing more than a ruse, but he found himself flinching every single time he heard the sound. His once healthy mind crumbling under the weight of the psychological torture.
Immediately after getting captured, the villains had drawn slots to see who would be in charge of watching him until it was time to go over their plan with the boss villain. Unfortunately for Bakugou, this compress guy drew the short stick first. The Hothead didn't think much of the guy but thought this was probably his best scenario considering the other weirdos in their embarrassing little crew.
He couldn't have been any more wrong.
After getting fed up with Bakugou's foul mouth in the teen's attempt to extract information, the villain had given him a good smack to shut him up. This, of course, had the knee-jerk response from Bakugou to deliver his own blow. Bakugou didn't actually think his strike would connect, considering he was chained to a fucking chair with a heavy metal restraint strapped to his hands-considerably slowing his movements-but the metal cuffs connected nonetheless. Knocking the villains mask off to reveal a genuinely grotesque sight and effectively pissing him off.
Snap!
Mid-breath Bakugou's forced back with enough force, his head hit the back of the wooden chair hard. Ignoring the splitting headache, he immediately bit his tongue in his rush to close his mouth. The taste of blood awkwardly held in his mouth, unable to drip down due to the frozen in time nature of the sphere.
Bakugou fought back the growing sense of nausea as well as the agony of holding his breath. With each snap of that damn Compress's quirk, he let Bakugou wait a little longer in that fucking place, but even so, he should have been zapped back by now. Bakugou desperately ground his teeth together in a vain effort to keep from breathing in.
When Bakugou first got nabbed at the training camp, he had made the mistake of breathing in immediately and instantly regretted it. An intense pain flared through him as what felt like liquid fire forced its way down his throat. The sensation was worse than when he was being suffocated by the sludge villain a year before. He vaguely wondered if that was what drowning felt like.
In the haziness of his oxygen-deprived mind, a memory resurfaced. It was back before his quirk manifested, and his mother had taken him and Deku to their first swimming lesson. The nerd was scared of the water and clung to his mother's leg like the baby he was. Scared to death, he wouldn't be able to hold his breath and was going to drown before he got the chance to be a hero.
Bakugou, of course, had laughed at Deku's fears. He wasn't scared in the least. He was excited to learn how to swim. Eager to be the first to learn in his friend group, and was obviously going to be the best at it as well. That, of course, earned him a disciplinary flick to the forehead. Contrary to what most people thought, his mother did not hit him as a child.
As they waited for their swim instructor to meet them, Bakugou recalled his mother comforting the sniffling toddler on her lap. She had told him humans had evolved to the point that their instinct to hold their breath underwater was so strong that babies did it naturally without being taught. If they could manage such a feat, then two strong boys could accomplish it even better. Those words seemed to give Deku the confidence needed to continue with the lesson. But for Bakugou, those words stuck with him.
As Bakugou uselessly struggled against the restraints on his arms and legs, he knew his mother had severely underplayed the reality of drowning. It wasn't that humans evolved enough to possess strong instincts to prevent drowning. It was that a person's fear of dying overcame the absolute agony of running out of air. No matter how desperate the drowning person was, they refused to inhale until they were on the verge of losing consciousness. It was only at that point when there was so much carbon dioxide in the blood, and so little oxygen that the chemical sensors in the brain triggered an involuntary breath. Sort of a neurological optimism, as if the body were saying, "Holding our breath is killing us, and breathing in might not kill us, so we might as well breath in."
The explosive teen was reaching his own breaking point. Though he still clung to the hope that Compress was going to snap him back any second now or better yet, that one of the other villains would walk in and see what their colleague was doing. There was just no way they would go to all this trouble to capture him, only to torture him to death right away.
Is he just going to leave me like this? Bakugou thought desperately.
Is he seriously going to leave me here to die?
And then his body finally gave out on him.
Bakugou involuntarily took a deep breath, and a new pain erupted through his body. Barraged with the painful sensation of burning lava being poured into his mouth and windpipe. Flooding his lungs, with each shuddering breath. Half conscious and his mind muddled by oxygen depletion, whatever fight he still had was instantly forgotten.
I'm going to die, he thought absently to himself as his vision began to blur and darken at the edges.
His ears desperately straining to hear for a snap that would save him from this place. Bakugou considered using his quirk; blowing himself up had to be better than getting killed by a villain in this fucking nightmare. His lungs burned, and his eyes watered in frustration.
Fuck, I'm actually going to die here.
...
I don't want to die!
...
SNAP!
Bakugou sprung awake with a start. Immediately sitting up in his bed, his hands uselessly shot to his throat as he continued to have trouble breathing upon waking. His body betraying him by forcibly seizing up his throat to prevent the nonexistent threat from suffocating him. Ironically blocking the flow of air to his desperate lungs.
"Bakugou!" A panicked voice exclaimed as another body shot up beside him.
Realizing they were panicking themselves, the person took a deep breath to compose themself. "Hold your breath for a few seconds and then try to exhale slowly," the voice suggested in a soothing tone. Cutting through Bakugou's frantic mind. The equally comforting sensation of a steady hand rubbing his back accompanying the instructions.
Even in his crazed state, Bakugou focused on the familiar words, obeying them willingly. This, unfortunately, wasn't the first time he needed to be guided through this ordeal. After exhaling, he found his body had loosened up enough for him to begin inhaling slowly.
"That's it. In two, out four okay?" the voice encouraged, pulling Bakugou a little closer. The breathless teen could only offer the kind voice a weak nod. The death grip Bakugou had on the front of his black tank top, loosening slightly with each breath.
He cracked one of his crimson eyes open-eyes he hadn't realized were still closed. Slowly blinking through the resulting tears, while his eyes adjusted to the first rays of morning light, which basked his room in a bluish tint. To his left sat his best friend in the whole fucking world, Kirishima Eijiro. Though, considering their current position, that was probably an understatement.
It took another ten minutes of labored breathing before Bakugou's breath was back to normal. Exhausted, he immediately collapsed onto the bed. An arm sprawled over his red face, hiding his eyes from view. Frustrated by this whole ordeal.
"You wanna talk about it?" the redhead asked awkwardly.
"No," was the immediate response.
An awkward silence filled the room for a moment before he lifted his arm enough to peak at the other boy on the bed. Kirishima look conflicted, but he held his tongue. Honoring Bakugou's wishes. The ash-blonde rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you later, okay?"
The other boy nodded. Deciding to drop the subject for now. "Well, I'm glad I was here to help you out, Bakugou," Kirishima said with a sleepy smile.
The ash-blonde grunted his thanks. About to push the memory of the incident to the back of his mind when he realized something. "You sure responded fast," Bakugou pointed out skeptically. Forcing his tired body back into a sitting position to study his friend. "Normally, it takes a lot more to wake you up on a Monday morning. What gives?"
"Oh yeah, about that..." the redhead began, averting his gaze from the explosive teen. "I was kinda already up. I, uh... well, I ...uh.."
"Spit it out, Shitty-Hair," Bakugou ordered through clenched teeth. Careful to keep the usual venom out of his voice.
Kirishima's eyes darted around the room. Looking for something to distract the other teen with, but eventually bowed his head in defeat. "I couldn't sleep. I had a nightmare as well."
Bakugou let out a frustrated hiss.
"Another one?" he asked in annoyed disbelief. It was bad enough he was experiencing these near-nightly nuisances, but now Kirishima as well. This was starting to get out of hand.
It had been months since the kidnapping, but Bakugou's nightmares had only gotten worse and were becoming more frequent. He supposed he probably should have gone to see someone after the incident, to help work through these complicated feelings he'd been experiencing. But his stubbornness and pride wouldn't let him.
It would have been a completely different story had his parents, pro-heroes, and teachers knew what truly happened when he was captured. Had they known he had been tortured, they would no doubt have forced him to get help. But they gave up on the idea to send him to a counselor with minimal persuading on Bakugou's part. He remembered feeling a little disappointed at how easily they gave up on him.
Well, who fucking needed their help anyway?!
"It's not so bad. I see Midnight-sensei every week about it, so I'll be better in no time!" the Ball-of-Sunshine promised with a toothy smile. Kirishima gently took Bakugou's hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. "You know, you could come for a session too. It might feel good to get some of this stuff off your chest?" Kirishima prompted gently, giving Bakugou's hand another squeeze.
The explosive teen didn't make a move to take his hand back from him. He was to busy staring absentmindedly at the vintage All Might poster on his wall. Taking comfort from the warmth from Kirishima's hand, on his own.
After his second fight with Deku and learning about how he inherited All Might's quirk, One For All, Bakugou was understandably upset. Disappointed that his favorite hero chose someone else to inherit his power and helped set the path for Deku to become his successor as the next Number One Hero. While Bakugou basically put All Might on the fast track to his retirement because he was careless enough to get captured by an incompetent group of villains. Even though his teacher promised that his retirement was inevitable. That it would have happened anyway. Bakugou still couldn't help but feel like complete and utterly like crap.
Feeling vulnerable, he wanted to tell All Might about the events that happened when he was captured. Not caring if that damn nerd overheard. Though when he looked into his favorite hero's sad eyes and small, fragile form, he hesitated. Bakugou felt like that the disturbing knowledge would send him over the edge. That it would break whatever fighting spirit, the retired hero had left. All Might had already told him that he felt personally responsible for Bakugou being taken in the first place. That his only solace was that he was retrieved unharmed. How would All Might react when he found out that wasn't the case? That he actually been tortured?So to protect his childhood hero, Bakugou held his tongue.
After Aizawa lectured them that night, Bakugou stumbled blindly to his room. Hot, frustrated tears blurring his vision. He wanted to scream about the helplessness he felt. The unfairness of it all. All these secrets eating him up alive. He had already confided that Deku's secret all these months were an absolute hell only to be saddled with even more of them. It was becoming too much. If he didn't relieve some of the built-up stress, he was bound to lose his mind.
The thought caused Bakugou to hesitate outside his bedroom door. After some deliberation, he made the bold decision to walk over to the door next to his. Knocking lightly before he had the chance to chicken out.
The explosive teen didn't bother to wipe the tears from his face. He knew Kirishima well enough to know he wouldn't judge him for his vulnerable state or gossip about it with anyone afterward. That would be unmanly after all. Bakugou just needed to be comforted and share a few painful memories with someone he could trust. Someone strong enough to help him carry it. Thus began the near-nightly tradition of sleeping in the same room to ward off the onslaught of nightmares the explosive teen experienced.
Bakugou's eyes moved from the poster to the hand held in his. To this day, the redhead was the only one he had ever told about his kidnapping. True to his word, Kirishima never breathed a word to anyone else, though he would occasionally encourage him to speak with someone else about it. Over time, their platonic sleepovers turned into something they were still trying to figure out. This new relationship seemed to keep the terrible memories at bay for a while. One of the only good things to come out of this whole situation.
But of course, it wasn't long before the other shoe dropped.
Kirishima's near-death experience with Kendo Rappa prompted his own series of nightmares, which of course, brought back Bakugou's as well. To the point, if either one had a bad dream one night, then the other would have one the next night. Until eventually, if either of them felt the other one experiencing a horrible nightmare in their sleep, it would instantly stimulate their own. Desperate, they had attempted to sleep apart one night, and Kirishima had woken up screaming violently. He had lost control of his quirk-completely destroying his bed. This, in turn, caused a mass panic throughout the dorms, which was what landed him in weekly counselor sessions with Midnight-sensei.
The ash-blonde stood to his feet. His hand slipping out of Kirishima's hold. "I think it's too late for that now," the blonde responded coolly. His expression was difficult to read.
Bakugou quickly walked over to his closet to gather his clothes for a morning run. Eager to work off some of his nerves. He glanced over at the redhead, who still made no move to get off the bed. The look on his face troubled as he ran a hand through his scarlet locks. Those sad puppy-dog eyes looking defeatedly at the floor, made Bakugou feel a pang of guilt.
"But I'll think about it, alright?" he quickly added, pulling a fresh shirt over his head.
That did the trick.
Kirishima's face immediately brightened up. "That's great, man! You won't regret it!" Kirishima cheered excitedly, springing to his feet. Quickly making his way to the door before the ash-blonde could change his mind.
"Oi! I didn't agree to it yet. I said I'd think about it," the blonde reminded irritably, trying to grab Kirishima's arm before he made his way out the door. But the redhead dodged his attempt to stop him by throwing a pillow at his face. The poor pillow was immediately blown to hell, leaving Bakugou standing stunned in the charred feathery aftermath. His expression quickly morphing into one of murderous intent.
"I'll clean that up later!" Kirishima yelped, quickly vanishing through the door before he could be blown up as well.
An enormous explosion shook the room as a result. "THE HELL YOU WILL!" Bakugou boomed, no doubt, waking the entire building with the ferocity of both his explosion and his threat. He felt like he was going to chip a tooth with how hard he was gritting his teeth to keep from blowing everything in sight. This was already proving to be an irritating day.
Fuck! Bakugou cursed to himself angrily. Deciding the best thing to do would be to run some of these frustrations away. So he quickly finished getting ready and stomped out of the building. Glaring and flipping off the few curious heads that poked out of their rooms as he passed.
The common room was starting to fill up by the time he made it back from his run. Feeling a little better after burning off his excess energy. He was still pissed at Kirishima for pulling that stunt, and he was definitely going to force Shitty-Hair to clean up every last feather from his room. No matter how long it took him to do it.
Bakugou ignored everyone as he made his way to the locker rooms for a quick shower. During his run, Aizawa-sensei had sent out a text message through their class group chat, instructing them to be dressed in their P.E. clothes and to meet him on the training ground next to the dorms instead of the classroom. Most of his classmates spoke excitedly with each other, wondering what the reason behind the last-minute change could be. However, he could also feel a few glances thrown in his direction. Probably due to his explosive outburst that morning. Though he was too tired to give a fuck.
Bakugou would never admit it aloud, but he really needed to get his shit together. This lack of sleep situation he found himself in was starting to have negative effects on his life. His performance in the hero exercises was beginning to get downright sloppy. Worse was that others were starting to take notice as well.
The first was Deku. Not all that surprising considering his near stalkerish obsession with him. But a few glares sent his direction was enough to keep him from saying anything about. Next was the other members of his squad. Mostly, needless teasing from DunceFace and SoySauce, though a few colorful threats aimed at them, silenced them up pretty fast. No, the worst offenders were that damn IcyHot and that annoying frog. They just said whatever came to mind, without any regard to who was listening. And before you know it, the whole class was looking at him like he wasn't the best person here anymore.
Damn extras.
All the sideways glances and whispering about him was getting on his nerves. Coupled that with his sleep-deprived mind was a recipe for disaster. It didn't take much to set the ash-blonde off these days. He'd nearly killed that sparkling nitwit when he had the gall to insult his cooking last week. Claiming it wasn't "Up to par" with his french ass standards or some shit. What the fuck did he know? Bakugou had caught the freak eating plain mayonnaise sandwiches once. Talk about disgusting. It took his whole gang plus Uraraka to keep him from murdering that sparkling asshole. Since then, most of the class stayed clear of him. A shame since he was starting to make progress acting civilly with his classmates.
The common room was alive with lots of yelling and stern hand gestures when Bakugou reentered the room. "What the hell is going on?" he asked in a bored tone. Coming to stand beside Jirou on the outskirts of the chaos. Other students also gathering around to see what the racket was about.
She lets out a snicker. "Someone spiked Iida's shampoo with Kirishima's hair dye."
Sure enough, in the middle of the group was a furious Iida. His usual navy blue locks, now a bright purple. Currently trying to calm him down was Ponytail, Icyhot, and Round Face, though the latter was also trying to stop herself from laughing at his absurd new appearance.
Jirou snapped a couple of photos before continuing. "Must have happened sometime last night and money's on your squad being responsible," she finished with a grin.
Her words made it apparent that there was a running bet on this, and she was prying for insider knowledge. He did not doubt that his idiot friends were to blame for this disaster. He overheard Horns saying that they were going to play truth or dare after their movie night in her room. But as for who specifically was responsible, he had no fucking idea. His crimson eyes scanned the crowd and noticed that Birdbrain, Octopus, and the Purple Pest not so casually eavesdropping on their conversation.
"How big is the pot?" he asked curiously.
"$530 so far. Though a few are still deciding on who to bet on," Jirou replied with a grin. Taking it as a good sign that Bakugou appeared to be interested. "Everyone betting believes that your squad is involved. Mostly they're betting to see how quickly Aizawa-sensei gives them detention for it."
"The runt says that Kaminari will spin some tale claiming his innocence for at least 10 minutes before Aizawa sensei threatens expulsion."
"Hah, not likely. No way he waits that long."
The Bass Bitch nods her head in agreement. "Tokoyami says all five of you will get detention in the first 3 minutes of class, and he won't hear any excuses about it."
"The Fuck!" Bakugou yelled, whirling his head around to glare at his bird faced classmate. Effectively scaring DarkShadow back inside his host. That feat bringing Bakugou some satisfaction, but the scowl persisted on his face.
"Calm down before you blow a gasket."
"I am fucking calm," he growled. His hands sparkling dangerously. Not sure if he was more annoyed with being told to calm down or the sass he was getting served with.
"Whatever you say, Hotshot," she teased, twirling one of her earphone jacks. Jirou was currently on pretty good terms with the class hothead, but that didn't mean she wasn't immune to his wrath if she riled him up too much. She ultimately decided it was in her best interest to let up for now. Better to be safe than sorry. "Meanwhile, Shoji thinks that just the idiot four will get detention within the first 5 minutes of class, but that Kirishima was going to get in the most trouble since it was his hair dye."
Bakugou scowled at that. He knew for a fact that Shitty-Hair didn't do it. But he had to admit that the octopus had a point. Punishing all responsible was definitely within the realm of possibilities as far as Aizawa was concerned. Even if that meant punishing someone who didn't play an active role in the prank. If you thought about it like that, then Aizawa would be justified in holding someone responsible if they were unfortunate enough to not keep track of their belongings. Especially when acquainted with such a mischievous group of friends. So far, that was the bet to beat.
"What are you betting on?"
"I like to do some research before I place a bet," Jirou answered with a sly grin. Rocking onto her toes to shoot a smug look at the eavesdropping boys over Bakugou's shoulder. "And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to pick your brain before placing one. You did help me win me a bunch of money last time."
Bakugou smirked at the memory. He had persuaded her to bet against her best friend in the class's "Late Night Sweets Eating Contest." Everyone was betting on either Big Lips or Ponytail, which would generally be a no brainer, except everyone overlooked one thing. Mina Ashido was a closet sugar-fiend. It was a well-known fact in the Bakusquad that Mina's room was always stocked full of all sorts of sweets. Everything from pop tarts to complete packages of cupcakes. An ungodly stash that she had to replace almost daily. People always wondered why she was always so energetic? It might have something to do with the 20 pixie sticks she downed for breakfast every day. Luckily, she worked that sugar out of her system; otherwise, there would be no way she would be fit enough to be a hero. He recalled telling Horns to lay off the sweets and eat a salad for once in her damn life. She just giggled, "But that's what makes me so sweet~" Needless to say, Jirou made a killing during that bet. And Bakugou was paid handsomely in return.
"I want my usual cut," the ash-blonde whispered so only she could hear. Bakugou's right hand sparking up a little, just in case Shoji was listening in on their conversation.
Jirou rolled her eyes but nodded anyway.
"You'll win big if you place your money on just the moron Musketeers getting detention. It's only going to take him 10 seconds to pass judgment once Aizawa spots Four-Eye's purple hair. He's gotta know by now that I wouldn't go along with something stupid enough to get me detention and that Shitty-Hair would've confessed if he had."
"You really think you two are getting off scot-free?"
"We better. If not, the class is going to be short 3 people. I'll make sure of that." He made a stronger blast to emphasize his threat, but both of them knew that there was no way he could kill them or anyone in their class.
"You better be right about this," she replied with a shrug. Jirou started to make her way over to place her bet with Tail, who had been declared the official bet keeper. But she stopped after a few steps, looking back at him over her shoulder. "I assume our usual terms still stand if you're wrong?"
A low growl sounded in the back of Bakugou's throat. "I'm not gonna be wrong. But yeah, I'll make your dinners for a month."
"Just checking," Jirou grinned before disappearing into the crowd surrounding Tail. Looked like BellyButton, RoundFace, and even Icyhot were getting in on the action as well. Opting to abandon the class president, who had succumbed to full lecture mode.
With the opportunity of a couple hundred bucks coming his way, the explosive teen headed to the kitchen to find something to eat with a smug look on his face. There was no time to eat a real meal, so he grabbed an apple off the counter. Washing it off quickly before heading out the front doors where a sheepish Kirishima was waiting for him.
"Hey, Bakugou," the redhead greeted nervously in an attempt to gauge his friend's mood. "Want to walk together?"
The hothead crunched on his apple loudly. Grunting a gruff, "Whatever," in-between bites. Not bothering to stop, but slowed his pace for the redhead to catch up with him as they made their way to class.
"What do you think we're gonna be doing in class today?" Kirishima asked excitedly. Falling into step with his best friend.
"Something annoying probably," Bakugou grumbled irritably. Realizing how sharp his words were, he made a conscious effort to reign that grouchiness in. In a friendlier tone, he added, "It's almost winter, so were most likely getting introduced on the next main subject of the semester. Those usually involve a big outside lesson."
Kirishima nodded in agreement. Seemingly unphased by the ash-blonde's grouchy mood. "I hope we get to do some sparring. I would love to brawl with someone!" he slammed his hardened fists together for emphasis.
Bakugou hummed his agreement over another bite of his breakfast. Thankful that the Ball-of-Sunshine didn't need him to play an active role during their conversations.
"I'd also like a chance to improve my Unbreakable form as well. I'm still having trouble moving while in it," Kirishima chuckled. His tone was cheerful, but it hitched ever so slightly. Betraying his anxiousness to become stronger as fast as possible. It was so subtle that Bakugou doubted that Kirishima noticed it himself.
"You could try dodging my Auto-Cannon," Bakugou half-joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. The tips of his lip perking up into a devious smirk.
Completely oblivious, the Ball-of-Sunshine took it as a legitimate offer from a fellow bro. "Thanks, Bakugou!"
"Kirishima, no," Sero piped in out of nowhere, falling into step with his trusting friend. A bulky arm wrapped around the redhead's shoulders protectively. Shaking his head in exasperation at his friend's too sweet for his own good nature. "It's like you want Bakugou to kill you. Honestly, I have no idea how you're still alive."
"No one fucking asked you, TapeArms," Bakugou yelled, throwing the apple core at his nosy friend. Sero easily dodges. His onyx eyes trailing the apple as it passes his face to see it land beautifully in the bright yellow compost bin they had passed.
A chorus of booming laughter erupted from the idiotic duo then.
"I don't understand how you do everything perfectly. I can't even tease you about littering," Sero wheezed through his laughing fit. Bakugou flipped him off in response, not bothering to wait for either of them as they struggle to compose themselves to no avail. The whole while, contemplating how he got stuck with these sorry excuses for friends.
A majority of their class was already gathered when they arrive at the designated spot. They immediately spot Kaminari and Mina getting lectured by Aizawa-sensei. While Sero tried to hide in the crowd, Sensei's capture weapon instantly grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him front and center like a scene from a horror movie. Meanwhile, their teacher didn't give Bakugou or Kirishima so much a second glance.
A smug look crossed the blonde's features as a wad of cash was immediately waved in front of his face by Jirou's earphone jacks. "Thanks for the help," she thanked beside them.
"Um, what's going on?" Kirishima asked, confused. His face looking from Bakugou to Jirou, both of which were currently busy counting their winnings.
"Just profiting from our dumb friends," Bakugou replied, smugly. However, as he counted his crimson eyes slowly narrowed in confusion. He looked back at the stack in Jirou's hands. "You sure you counted this, right? This is over $600." Bakugou asked, quickly recounting his pile of cash.
Jirou looked absolutely offended. "Hey, I know I have some trouble with math, but I don't completely suck at it either," she hissed. Any other person and she would have used her EarJack attack, but the hearing hero wanted to live, so she didn't. Regaining some composure, she explained, "Todoroki made a large bet that you would end up getting detention too somehow."
"Damn IcyHot," Bakugou muttered. He had half a mind to give him a blast to the face for good measure, but the steady hardened hand on his shoulder kept him firmly rooted in place. So he instead stewed in his irritation silently. Hoping beyond hope that they were about to do some sparring so he could beat some extras into the ground.
"You should be happy that his betting instincts are crap. He's rich, so he can afford to make them, which is better for us," Jirou assured, trying to diffuse her new friend.
"Yeah yeah," was the gruff response she received for her trouble. Bakugou obviously still fuming about the injustice.
The punk rocker rolled her eyes at his needless temper. Realizing she wasn't well equipped to disarm the walking bomb that was Bakugou Katsuki, Jirou decided to leave it to an expert. She waved goodbye to Kirishima, then made her way over to Momo, who gently scolded her for betting on their classmates' misfortune. Though as Jirou fanned herself with her winnings, while whispering something they couldn't hear, she quickly had the rich girl bouncing on her heels in excitement. Bakugou still couldn't figure out what the hell their relationship was. His crimson eyes glanced at Kirishima in time to see the redhead's smile dim ever so slightly at the open display of affection.
Crap. I better focus on figuring out what our relationship was instead of wondering about these extras, Bakugou thought a little guiltily.
"Attention class!" the underground hero began, his voice breaking through the surrounding student's mindless chatter. Done lecturing the idiot brigade over their childish prank. Iida looking a little dejected as well. No doubt, having received his own lecture for interrupting a teacher again.
It was at this time that Bakugou realized four other students were standing patiently on the other side of their teacher. Going off of the murmuring that was spreading across his classmates, he wasn't the only one to finally notice their presence.
The pro hero loudly hushed them all again before continuing. "You're probably wondering why I called you out here today. Up until now, we've concentrated on learning the basic techniques needed to be a hero; by strengthening your quirks and gaining your Provincial Licenses. Now we're going to start the next phase: Adaptability." This revelation earned him a few confused looks as well as some nervous murmuring, but their teacher ignored it. Continuing without missing a beat. "This is one of the most important qualities a hero can possess. In this ever-changing profession and the infinite amount of unique quirks in the world. You have to be prepared for anything at a moment's notice."
"Like expect the unexpected?" Hagakure offered.
Aizawa nodded. "I'm sure you all can imagine a situation where you weren't able to use your quirk the way you normally would. Whether that was from an opponent's quirk advantage over you, a harmful environment, being physically restrained, or something blocking your quirk entirely," Aizawa stated, his eyes flashing to life. Effectively scaring half of his students. The effects of his cancelation quirk still having a noticeable effect over Bakugou, despite him not producing any explosions at the moment. Feeling more like some sort of static disconnect, blocking him from a treasured part of himself. The hero let them stew in his overwhelming gaze for a few seconds longer than necessary before slowly blinking his eyes back to normal.
The whole class sighed in relief.
"But this is no excuse for you to give up. A hero should always be able to break out of a tough spot. In this line of work, you either adapt or you die."
Usually, Aizawa would have said that statement with a sadistic grin on his face, though this time, his expression remained dark and unreadable. Sero and Kaminari let out awkward chuckles, while others in the class shared anxious looks with one another. Wondering if this was yet another playful ruse or if they were actually in danger of dying.
Crimson eyes narrowed as they studied their teacher. Trying to figure out what sort of hell they were about to be thrown into. His hands burning at the memory of plunging them into boiling water for days straight at the summer training camp.
I can handle anything he throws at me. Bring it on!
"What sort of training will we be doing?" RoundFace graciously asked for the class.
"Are we really going to die?" Kaminari blurted out. Fear clearly reflecting in his golden eyes. His matching hair standing up a little from the accidental activation of his quirk.
Aizawa, of course, ignored his question.
"I will be creating various scenarios for you. These will represent unfavorable conditions that you could one day find yourselves in. During this next phase, you will be trained to quickly assess the worst-case scenario and find a way out of it," He paused for a moment, before continuing, "Unlike previous years, we're going to do something a little different. We're going to continue establishing the techniques needed to use your quirks effectively, but also techniques useful in situations where it could be dangerous to use your quirk."
This earned a few gasps from the class. They have never been told not to use their beloved quirks before. Some students looked around uneasily, a few of note included Tokoyami and Todoroki.
"We're not going to be using our quirks?" Mina gasped loudly. Her arms wrapped around herself protectively as if Aizawa had a way to strip her of her quirk completely. "Like at all?"
Bakugou felt as though someone had dumped ice in his veins. Adrenaline caused his hands to sweat more than usual. It was as if his explosion quirk refused to be forced onto the sidelines ever again. It took all of his willpower not to spark his quirk to life. He didn't need these damn extras to know how terrified he was to not be able to use his quirk. Memories of his capture threatened to overtake him, but the faint touch of Kirishima's hand brushing up against his helped him stay grounded to reality. He forced himself to take deep inconspicuous breaths before a panic attack could be triggered.
Like hell, I'm going to do that.
"I believe I've already explained that we will be training for worst-case scenarios?" Aizawa yawned, acting like he was discussing weather patterns instead of the terrifying thought of fighting without a quirk.
His dark eyes suddenly hardened and became serious as he looked over his students. "To a Hero, not having their quirk-or more likely- not being able to use their quirk in the field is a detrimental blow. I should know." Fortunately, he just pointed to his eyes this time instead of scaring them with his quirk. This was most likely to avoid drying out his eyes rather than worrying about their well being. "Most of my victories are decided early on in a match, not because I erased an opponent's quirk, but because they didn't have the foresight to plan for the possibility of their quirk becoming obsolete. More often than not, my opponents panic or give up entirely. Securing my victory."
His right hand comes up to take hold of his capture weapon. Fingers lacing through multiple layers of the ingenious weapon he had created when he was their age. "I, on the other hand, have trained extensively to be able to fight in circumstances where my quirk is rendered useless. I understand my shortcomings and have moved beyond them. It's time for you all to do the same."
Anxiousness made room for a determination as the class was inspired by their homeroom teacher's words. Choosing to abandon their fears by accepting his challenge to grow and move forward. Even Bakugou felt something stir within him. Feeling a twinge of excitement at the prospect of crushing whatever weaknesses he might have. Kirishima, mirroring his feelings, by slamming his fists together beside him. Somewhere behind him, he could hear Urakara do her best Gunhead impression and to his left see's a floating girl's uniform jumping up and down with renewed vigor.
Maybe this won't be so bad.
Aizawa himself seemed pleased by their reactions, for he let a smile spread across his face. Allowing his students to calm down on their own before continuing. "To help me do that, these four will be joining our class for the remainder of the semester," Aizawa announced, motioning to the students beside him.
There was complete silence for a few seconds before the class erupted into surprised shrieks at this new revelation. Students yelling over each other with countless questions that even Aizawa's terrifying expression had difficulty quelling.
"What did he say?"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"Are some of us being transferred out?!"
"This has to be a trick, right?"
Bakugou's eyes zeroed in on his supposed new classmates. Giving them each a good look for the first time since he noticed them at the beginning of class. All four of them were dressed in the same athletic clothes, though only one face was familiar. The always tired looking former general studies student Hitoshi Shinsou stood awkwardly to Aizawa's immediate right. Beside him stood a girl with friendly sapphire eyes and long brown hair. She wore long dangly light blue ribbons on either side of her head. At first glance, she didn't look like much. Ditzy even, since she seemed to be humming a song to herself.
Next, was a teen with light brown hair and amber eyes. He waited patiently for the class to compose themselves, but the calmness around him was unnerving in this chaotic environment. His face was friendly enough, smiling at those who made eye contact with, but it was clear to Bakugou that he was consciously keeping his distance.
Lastly, there was a teen with bright orange hair and calculating crimson eyes, which scanned each classmate in turn as if measuring each one up. A mischievous smirk on his face. Bakugou narrowed his own crimson eyes. There was a weird energy that seemed to roll off of the trio. Glancing around at his class, a few others noticed it as well. Deku, Todoroki, Tokoyami, and strangely enough Kaminari as well.
Ignoring the outbursts of his class, Aizawa continued, "Shinsou was already in the process of transferring to the class after his impressive performance at the Sports Festival. The other three are visitors to our school. Specializing in hand to hand combat, escape tactics and an assortment of weaponry skills. They have offered to teach you these skills to strengthen relations between our school and theirs."
"Sensei!" a hand urgently shot in the air. No one had to look to know it was their kiss-ass of a class president. "What school do they come from?"
"Didn't I just lecture you for interrupting?" The exhausted teacher sighed. It was apparent that he beginning to lose patience on all the outbursts so early in the morning. The sharp reminder made the hand falter until it rested back at his side. The ash-blonde couldn't help but let out a condescending snicker at his expense.
"These students are from Binoshi. A small private school over on the west side of Japan. Unlike our school, where we train students to become Heroes. They are trained to become Shinobi. Upon graduation, they use the skills they acquired to serve the country in its international affairs."
"Wow! I had no idea Shinobi still existed. That's so manly!" Kirishima exclaimed happily beside him. "Did you?" he casually asked his friend, draping a friendly arm over his shoulders.
"Yeah...shortly after Heroes became a legal profession. Laws were quickly written forbidding people and heroes alike from harming others with their quirks unless absolutely necessary. Still needing a way to defend the country from the rest of the world, the Shinobi were entrusted to protect Japan to keep heroes reputations as a symbol of peace intact," Bakugou answered in explicit detail with a neutral tone. A trick he learned to divide his attention at school when his mind was occupied with better things. Something Deku annoyingly referred to as, "Bakugou in neutral." While Deku often berated everyone's ears with unprompted incoherent muttering of his innermost thoughts, Bakugou, in contrast, would provide detailed information in an uncharacteristically calm icy voice. The majority of his attention busy trying to piece all these new pieces of information together. There was definitely a bigger picture here, a motive for everything Aizawa was doing, but he wasn't able to make sense of all these new developments.
Bakugou was well aware that the rest of the class was listening to his explanation with various levels of fascination. Understandable, since they hadn't covered this topic yet in their International Hero Politics class. "Even though their main objective is to deal with other countries and terrorists, they are sometimes called to aid heroes on dangerous missions because they are allowed to kill their targets. They're used as human weapons," he finished darkly. His stomach twisting as he was reminded of Shigaraki's horde of mindless Nomu.
An ominous hush fell over the would-be heroes. Even the four students standing before them squirmed a bit at his words. Aizawa's scarf conveniently hid the bottom half of his face from view, though it was evident that he was frowning. Their homeroom teacher likely had a kinder way of explaining the Shinobi's role in society, but that would be some flowery fabrication.
Bakugou didn't care. His classmates would have found out about it easily through a quick online search or in their class later on. Shinobi weren't Villains, but they weren't Heroes either. They were some sort of a grey area in society.
A necessary evil.
Bakugou scowled at the thought.'
No, that wasn't right.
If the blonde remembered correctly, his research into them revealed that shinobi were severely limited in what they could and couldn't do to compensate for their elevated status in society. They were only able to act through their superior's specific orders. Human weapons to be utilized until they ceased to exist.
"That's technically true. However, the world is constantly changing, making way for new things, while phasing others out," his homeroom teacher began, cutting off Bakugou's train of thought. Taking a few steps forward until he stood a few feet in front of them. Aizawa explained, "The government's need to use shinobi for the country's defense was always meant to be a temporary state of affairs. Once they are no longer needed, those in the program will need a new career path."
He waved a hand toward them. "Your interactions with them could easily have real-life ramifications. I ask you this. Would you rather have them as your allies or your enemies? It's up to you."
All heads turned back to the trio. They stood before them proudly, fiery resolve shining brightly in each of their eyes.
"Shinsou, start us off on the introductions," Aizawa yawned. This was the most talking he'd done in a long time. Though his sleeping bag was nowhere in sight. He'd have to wait for the next period to squeeze a morning nap in.
The purple-haired insomniac took a hesitant step forward. For a supposed future hero, he didn't look comfortable with everyone's attention on him. "I'm Shinsou, obviously. I've met some of you at the Sports Festival," he started awkwardly, running a hand through his hair, which Bakugou suddenly realized was the same shade of purple as Iida's hair at the moment. "As usual, my luck is craptastic to be joining your class during this craziness. Here's hoping we survive," he finished with a nervous chuckle.
Aizawa immediately glared at him, which sent the mind control user scrambling to stand beside Deku. He patted Tail on the shoulder as he passed, whispering something in his ear.
The brunette jumped when she realized it was her turn. She attempted to take a few steps forward but immediately tripped over her own feet. The two hands of her comrades instantly grabbed the back of her shirt before she could faceplant on the ground. A few giggles escape the class before they were silenced by the impressively terrifying glares from the other two shinobi.
"Umm... My name is Tohru Honda~" she began nervously, cheeks red with embarrassment. "I hope we can all be friends and do our best this semester. Plus Ultra!" she cheered happily, her fist raised in the air as she said the school motto. The class immediately fawned over her cheerfulness and the weird sing-song way she spoke. Round Face, Horns, and Ponytail's squealing could be heard from the other side of the class.
"And you quirk?" Aizawa prompted gently.
"Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot~" Tohru apologized, repeatedly bowing to her new sensei. "My p-quirk is umm... its Transformation~" she admitted self-consciously.
"What the hell does that mean?" Bakugou muttered half to himself.
"How about a demonstration?" their teacher offered.
"Alright~" she responded uneasily. "Sorry in advance~"
The air around her immediately changed. The ditzy persona quickly replaced with someone more professional. She took a few steps forward, clapping her hands together and swiftly waving her hands towards the class in one fluid movement. As if she were pushing some sort of invisible energy at them. But nothing seemed to happen. The silence ringing loudly in their ears.
"Umm, what was supposed to..." RoundFace began to ask, though the astonished looks of her classmates stopped her from completing her inquiry. Multiple mouths hung open as they gaped at Uraraka. On top of her head were a pair of fluffy light brown cat ears. A matching tail curling around her to display her uneasiness. She mirrored their expressions.
"Y-you all have c-cat ears!" she stammered.
Everyone's hands flew up to their heads. Sure enough, the whole class was now part cat, even Hagakure had a floating pair on top of her head. The only ones who weren't affected were the people standing behind the kunoichi. Aizawa smiled at his class' expressions and excitement over being transformed into cat-human hybrids. Figured he would enjoy this. The teacher had a soft spot for cats, after all.
One of Bakugou's ears flicked in annoyance, and his fluffed up tail lashed angrily behind him as he tried to control his temper at being turned into something so adorable. He hissed under his breath. Cat instincts apparently being transferred along with this new form. Kirishima, on the other hand, was enjoying it, purring happily as he nuzzled against him. Apparently, a cat's way to comfort someone in a foul mood.
Ribbons, as Bakugou would come to call her, dropped the effects with a simple clap of her hands. "My quirk allows me to transform anything in my line of sight into any form I desire as long as I know the physiology behind it. I can also transform the forms of non-living items, but that is trickier for me to do. I'm sorry for using my quirk on you without your permission. I hope you can forgive me~" she bowed apologetically. "I will try my best not to use it, but I sometimes have trouble controlling it when I'm flustered~" she admitted sadly, tears threatening to fall down her face.
The girls immediately bounded forward, enveloping her in a giant group hug. "Of course, we forgive you!" RoundFace sniffled. Happy tears flowing freely from her face.
"We'll be your friends!" Horns piped in, pulling her to where she had been standing next to Kaminari and Sero. "Stick with us, and no one will mess with you."
The brunette's answering smile was blinding. "Mvto! Thank you!~" she thanked, allowing herself to be dragged off by Mina. The rest of the girls following behind closely, giggling the whole way.
Next up was the other brunette. Unlike the other two, this shinobi remained where he was. "My name is Tsubasa Hitsuzen, though you all can go ahead and refer to by my first name since-," he pointed to the orange-haired teen beside him, "We share the same last name."
"So, your brothers?" Deku asked dumbly, which made Bakugou roll his eyes.
Useless nerd.
Tsubasa nodded in response. Sharing a look with his brother, who looked extremely aggravated. "Yeah, we're actually twins..."
"But you look nothing alike," Kaminari blurted out.
This seemed to piss the orange-haired kid off, but a stern look from Aizawa-sensei kept him from murdering Dunce Face right then and there. Tsubasa laughed awkwardly before explaining lamely, "We're fraternal."
"As for my quirk," he continued, rolling his shoulders slightly. His eyes slowly flickering to a silvery blue color. And just like that, two large feathered wings slowly emerged from his back. Carefully coming through the thin slits made in his clothing and stretched out until they reached their full length. The class stared in awe. The feathers themselves were a reddish-brown color with darker patches striping them. The longer feathers along the edges becoming a brighter orangish-red, reminiscent of a red-tailed hawks tail feathers.
He flapped them once, and a large gust of wind was sent their way. Making the already chilly air twice as cold. Sending violent shivers down their spines. The gust was powerful enough that they had to hold their ground or risk being whisked away like the Purple-Pest. However, as the runt was flung back several feet, thanks to his small size, the wind changed its intensity. Grabbing hold of the now screeching grape like a spectral talon and gently lowered the pervert to the ground.
Looking back, the winged teen's hand was held out in front of him. Effectively controlling the air around him. "My quirk is called Tengu. Apart from being able to fly, I'm able to control the wind created by my wings," he explained.
Bakugou's scowl deepened.
So his name is Tsubasa, and he has a winged quirk as well? The blonde thought to himself reminded of his other childhood friend, also named Tsubasa. He could feel Deku's concerned gaze on him, but he ignored it. No doubt thinking something that didn't matter. Their Tsubasa abandoned them without so much as a goodbye. It was the name and quirk of someone not worth remembering. This one would be no different.
"Thank you for welcoming us into your class. Let's try our best this semester," The winged shinobi finished with a bow before making his way into the crowd. Octopus and Birdbrain giving him a quick greeting when he came to stand beside them.
"Finally, it's my turn!" The crimson eyed teen smirked, taking a few steps forward. His movements incredibly smooth and graceful like that of a dangerous predator, despite the hands buried in his pockets. This guy radiated a powerful aura that instantly piqued Bakugou's interest.
"The name's Kyo Hitsuzen. Remember it, cause I'm gonna be the one beatin' lessons into ya this semester," he declared with a sadistic smile on his face, giving the class a good look at his unusually sharp canines, though nowhere near Kirishima's level. Just like his brother, he spoke in an unusual accent, though Kyo seemed to speak some sort of slang version.
Aizawa shot him a stern look. They seemed to have some kind of silent conversation before Kyo brought his attention back to the class. "As for my quirk... I'm not gonna tell you," He finished with a mischievous grin.
"Kyo..." Aizawa warned in a stern tone, stepping forward.
The Copper-haired teen 'tsked' in annoyance. "Aizawa-sensei, you've tasked us with preparing your students for the future. You just told them that the most difficult part of a fight is adaptin' to an unknown enemy. Why spoil the fun by announcin' our quirks when it can be turned into an exercise?"
Aizawa frowned, thinking his proposal over. Taking his silence as permission to continue, Kyo addressed the class directly. "How about it? Any of you brave enough to take me on?" he snickered.
"I'll knock you down a peg," Bakugou declared, calmly stepping forward. His classmates scrambling to get out of his way. Knowing full well that nothing on this earth was scarier than a calm Bakugou Katsuki. His crimson eyes brimmed with so much intensity that its a wonder how Kyo hadn't erupted into flames. "Don't hold it against me if you end up dying."
The shinobi just smiled wider, cocking his head to one side. "Likewise," he purred, finally taking his hands out of his pockets. His lean body instantly dropping into a dangerous fighting stance, as long tan arms readied to defend or attack at the same time.
"Though that all depends if you can even lay a finger on me."