When Mangas Collide

by TwoHatchets

Bakugou's life is thrown for a loop when a trio of shinobi infiltrates his school as his new classmates. As Bakugou gets to know them, he discovers that they travel across dimensions in an effort to give everyone they meet a happy ending. Upon discovering their true identities and mission, Bakugou helps them with their plan to save his classmates from an unknown enemy.

8. It Started With A Headband

I wanted to start off by apologizing that I had uploaded the wrong document for chapter 7 after editing one part of it. I had accidentally uploaded chapter 2 instead. Thank you for the reader who notified me about this mistake. Everything is fixed now.

---

Bakugou P. O. V.

Pant...Pant...Pant…

Came Bakugou's labored breathing as he sat cross-legged on the dusty ground in nothing but a tank top and sweatpants. The only light he could see; filtered through the dark fabric tied tightly around his eyes. His abused muscles sore and beginning to cramp up from sitting for so long. The air stale and unreasonably humid, which caused him to sweat profusely. Especially from his head and hands. What he wouldn't give for a drink of water to soothe his barren throat. Despite his best efforts, strands of his sweat-soaked hair clung to his face uncomfortably. The resulting moisture had sealed the crack that he had managed to create underneath his eye when he had been forcibly blindfolded against his will. Effectively darkening his world once more.

Instead of sight, he was forced to rely on his fickle hearing to discern his surroundings. A feat made incredibly tricky due to the thump...thump...thumping of his own steadily increasing heartbeat. A rhythm that echoed painfully in his ears. Bakugou's worsening tinnitus already made the sounds of people moving around him muffled and distorted.

The explosive hero struggled to keep his breath at a reasonable level as fear slowly started to overtake him. Bakugou gritted his teeth around the cloth gag in his mouth to prevent his breath from hitching as his panic continued to rise. The fabric already soaked through from a combination of sweat and saliva. The sweet smell of nitroglycerin making his stomach turn with the thought that a single spark could light his entire body on fire. His hands instinctively pulled at the heavy restraints that clasped his arms tightly behind his back in a combination of anger and desperation. With how tender his wrists felt, he knew they were already heavily bruised.

A hand roughly messed up his hair before disappearing again. Bakugou shook his head violently from side to side to hide the involuntary flinch of his body from the unexpected physical contact. A low growl resonated deep within the ash-blonde's throat as he tried to act fearsome to hide the fact that he was on the verge of succumbing to his own anxieties. His violently trembling hands fumbled to unlock the cuffs with the lock pick he had hidden in his combat boots.

As Bakugou attempted to unlock his shackles, memories of every time he had ever been restrained against his will played through his mind. How he was almost smothered by the sludge villain, getting chained up at the Sports Festival, being shoved into a capsule, Dabi's chokehold as he pulled him back through the warp gate, being chained to yet another chair and waterboarded by that compress villain for three days straight. Bakugou's thoughts started to go fuzzy then. The continuous wave of coldness that had washed over his body had steadily overwhelmed his senses. His head slowly began to lull backward as he became lightheaded from his irregular breathing.

I can't breathe…, the ash-blonde thought drowsily.

... I… can't…

... click …

The sound of his restraints unlocking snapped him back to reality. Giving his mind one moment of clarity. Without hesitating, Bakugou immediately tore the cuffs off of his wrist with a ferocious yell. Once his hands were free, he jumped to his feet while ripping the blindfold and gag from his face. His body instantly falling into his usual fighting stance after quickly wiping the excess sweat from his palms. Sparks already flickering to life across his palms, ready to take anyone on. The blinding light only a momentary inconvenience to him.

"Come at me!" the explosive teen challenged to no one in particular.

Bakugou felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Still blinded, he acted out of reflex. He grabbed hold of the hand and twisted it painfully back to subdue his foe. Then in one fluid movement, slammed them into the nearby wall. Successfully pinning them painfully against it with his body weight.

"Dude, I surrender!" a familiar voice cried.

With a scow, Bakugou blinked the rest of the light out of his eyes to see Kaminari pinned within his grip. That's right. I'm in class right now... Bakugou recalled absently.

His crimson eyes scanned the rest of the room. Ignoring the squirming form of his friend pinned underneath him. The majority of Class-A was still sitting on the ground in small groups. Trying their best to escape from various different restraints. All of them stripped down to the barest forms of their P.E. clothing while Kyo and Todoroki used their quirks to simulate extreme temperatures for them to endure as they completed the difficult task at hand.

That explains why it's so god damn hot,' The ash-blonde thought, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

Shit, half the class is already free… Bakugou realized glumly after a brief headcount. Pushing himself off of Kaminari. Did they notice my panic attack? No, it doesn't look like it.

The electric user breathed a sigh of relief as he assessed the minimal damage to his shoulder by rotating it slowly. "Damn dude, I didn't think you would've known it was me who ruffled your hair. What gave me away?"

"Everyone else is still handcuffed moron," Bakugou lied half-heartedly. The truth was that he hadn't known. The triggering experience had made him momentarily forget that he was doing a quirkless activity due to his panic attack. The explosive hero had just acted on instinct by attacking the first person who touched him. Bakugou didn't want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't snapped out of it when he did.

"Tell Aizawa I went to get some water," the ash-blonde called to his friend as he made his way out of the gym for some fresh air. He needed a few seconds to compose himself away from the ever prying eyes of his peers.

Bakugou flipped Kyo off as he passed; his way of letting Carrottop know he'd be right back before disappearing through the double doors. It had been three weeks since the shinobi joined their class. Meaning this was their third week of training them in these quirkless activities. The first week had been a Quirkless Assessment, the second week had been an Introduction to Weapon Training, and this week was Escape Tactics. Everything from learning to break free from all forms of restraints such as handcuffs, ropes, chains, gags, cells, etc. Bakugou recalled how Kyo had mentioned they would eventually learn to fight while restrained and chained to one another.

Bakugou stopped in the middle of the hall. Resting his damp back against the cold white walls to catch his breath. I can't think of anything more annoying, he thought glumly to himself. Wondering if his mind might eventually snap under the pressure of reliving one of his most traumatic experiences repeatedly. In front of his classmates no less. His left hand slowly gripped his right arm, which refused to stop shaking even now.

Flashback

"Today, we're going to be working on how to escape from these," Kyo announced, holding up a pair of handcuffs. They were nothing too complicated. Just your average handcuffs, not even the kind used to restrain the worst of villains. But even so, the sight of them made Bakugou's blood run cold.

"Piece of cake!"

"Sounds fun!"

Someone playfully elbowed his side, which made Bakugou jump slightly, not that they noticed. "This should be extremely easy for you, Bakugou. You've already seen these up close and personal at the Sports Festival," Kaminari joked beside him.

"Nah, I bet he's used to it by now," Sero teased back before he could respond.

This earned a bunch of laughter from the class, but for once, Bakugou remained silent. Not trusting his voice to stay level with how fast his heart was racing. The only thing that kept him from throwing up his lunch was the fact that Kiri had stayed beside him as they were broken up into groups to learn escape measures from one of the three shinobi. Thankfully, they'd been assigned to Ribbons, who was the kindest instructor of all. It wasn't until Kirishima had to leave to run an errand for Aizawa that he'd started to have a mental breakdown.

End of Flashback

Bakugou punched the wall he was leaning against in frustration. The action breaking him out of his thoughts. He loathed how weak he felt.

I can't even get my hands bound together without losing my shit! What kind of hero lets memories mess with their head like that? What the actual fuck!

He finished by punching the wall a second time. The anger behind the blow actually managed to crack it. The comforting pain that tingled up his arm, finally steadying his hand. With his nerves calmed, Bakugou quickly grabbed a drink of water from the fountain before heading back to class.

Even though the explosive hero had befriended Kyo and Tohru over the last couple of weeks, it took some time getting used to seeing them as part-time instructors. However, their skills more than proved their competence as teachers. Class A had their Heroics and Quirkless classes twice a week, with the quirkless course happening immediately after Heroics Training. This was done intentionally to wear them out. This meant that the class would have to take their stamina into consideration when they fought in the first class. Forcing them to establish an energy cap for themselves to represent how much energy they were allowed to expend for each category. They also couldn't allow themselves to conserve too much energy at the expense of their overall progress suffering as a result. It really pushed them all to their limits. Plus ultra indeed.

The 80 minutes of Quirkless Training was broken up into 3 parts. The first 15 minutes were dedicated to Kyo training them in martial arts and weaponry skills. The next 45 minutes of class was a themed class, which was taught by a different shinobi each week. At the beginning was a mock fight between a shinobi and another student to highlight areas for improvement or to teach a new technique. In the last 20 minutes, the class would break into three groups to get specialized training under the supervision of either Kyo, Tohru, or Tsubasa while Aizawa offered support here and there.

Bakugou was assigned to Kyo's group along with Mina, Uraraka, Kaminari, Jiro, Tokoyami, and Shinsou. Those in his group were competent fighters already, so they mostly worked on advanced martial arts, weapon training, and anything Kyo thought they needed to improve on. The ash-blonde wished Kirishima was in his group. Unfortunately, he was assigned to Tohru's group along with Aoyama, Koda, Shoji, Hagakure, Deku, and Momo, who needed to work on agility and intermediate martial arts. Tsubasa was left teaching Asui, Iida, Ojiro, Sato, Sero, Todoroki, and Mineta, who need to build up strength and hon in on their individual fighting styles.

For the most part, Bakugou was glad he was assigned to Kyo's group. The Copycat was a pain in the ass, teasing him nonstop, but he was a great instructor. His brand of teaching was hands-on, and the shinobi wasn't afraid to beat them up if they got anything wrong. Bakugou respected that the copper-haired teen didn't sugarcoat anything or hold their hand during training. Preferring that they figured everything out for themselves. This meant that when they did do something right for the first time, it was ingrained into their very being. After each lesson, Kyo would give clear instructions to what each person needed to improve on. Each day, Bakugou came back to the dorms covered in bruises, but with each one, he knew he was getting stronger and stronger.

The Explosive Hero felt more like himself when he slammed the double doors open again. Casually strolling over to his group with his hands in his pockets just as they started gathering around their part-time instructor. Bakugou gave a brief nod to Kirishima, who waved excitedly at him from across the gymnasium.

"Nice of you to join us," Kyo chided as the hero came to stand in between Uraraka and Jirou.

Bakugou removed a hand from his pockets to flip him off again. Not caring if Aizawa saw or not. The shinobi remained silent on the matter. He only rolled his eyes at him before continuing with his lesson. "Starting today, we're going to require those that are lacking strength or speed to wear these on your arms or legs during school hours to bulk up," Kyo announced, pulling up the same compressed weights that the teachers wore during their final exams, from a box at his feet.

He strapped a pair to both his arms and legs before continuing, "Needless to say, if you lack both or want a harder workout, you'll have to wear both. Their approximately 20 pounds each right now, but we'll be increasing the weight gradually over time."

"You've got to be kidding," Kaminari and Mina moaned pathetically.

"Nope," Kyo replied, dropping a pair of weights into each of their hands. "Hurry up and get strapped up. We're going for a run," he finished with an evil grin.

A chorus of moans sounded as they all begrudgingly started strapping the weights to either their arms or legs. Bakugou, never wanting to lose to anyone, strapped the weights to all his limbs.

The extra weight wasn't too unmanageable, Bakugou determined after taking a few testing steps. He'd gladly double the weight than get handcuffed again. At least with these, he could still fight and move freely. This was a breeze compared to the nightmare he endured earlier.

Once everyone had strapped them in place, Kyo led them for a run across campus. His quirk detonating every so often to scare anyone falling behind to speed up. The sound of Carrottop's chaotic laughing and Bakugou's competitive yelling as he pushed himself to keep up echoed behind them as they ran.

Kirishima P. O. V.

Class A enjoyed the warmth and comfort their second home provided as they relaxed in each other's company. The dorms protected them from the dark, frigid Mid-December air. A lot had happened these past few weeks. They had all made great strides in both their Heroics and Quirkless training, which seemed to make them all stronger if Kirishima's sore muscles were anything to go by.

Bakugou and Todoroki had also managed to pass their Remedial Classes to join the rest of the class as full-fledged heroes. Kyo and Tohru had cooked them both a feast of their favorite foods to the entire dorm's delight. While Bakugou complained the whole time, Kirishima had caught him going back for thirds when he thought no one was paying attention.

The new students had melded into their class rather easily. It had only been three weeks since they transferred to UA, but it was hard to imagine the class without them. Kyo and Tohru, especially. They both had been adopted into the Bakusquad almost instantly. Though every now and then, Tohru and Mina would be kidnapped by the rest of the girls. The class already picking up their habits and schedules.

The most colorful of the shinobi was mischievous, impatient, extremely competitive, and prone to yelling, but he also had a quieter gentler side to him. If Kyo wasn't with Tohru or the other members of Bakugou's entourage, you could find him drawing or napping on the roof or in the big Cherry Blossom tree out front. High places seemed to put him at ease, but it was a wonder how he never fell, considering he always had an arm or leg dangling while he slept.

After discovering the explosive shinobi wasn't nearly as prickly as Bakugou, the class learned they could persuade Kyo to do almost anything if they turned it into a competition. If that didn't work, a food bribe usually did. And when all else fails, you ask Tohru to get him to do it. That boy was absolute putty in her hands. For how confidently he carried himself, he blushed brightly whenever she asked him to do anything. Kirishima noticed that a subtle blush also colored his cheeks when he started talking about something he enjoyed, like martial arts. His crimson eyes sparkling with childlike wonder, though he blushed even harder when he caught himself nerding out in front of people.

Tohru, on the other hand, had a heart of pure gold. She found beauty in everything around her and loved all living things. One day Koda came downstairs with tears streaming down his face, and his pet rabbit cradled in his arms. His bunny had sprained its foot doing a series of jumps. Tohru had gently taken the poor creature from his arms and calmly showed Koda how to care for the injury. A few minutes later, the bunny was as good as new. Afterward, Tohru added animal medicine to his training regimen to better care for the animals under his control.

Her presence was a welcomed addition to the class. She quickly became the mother figure of the dorms by keeping them all well fed with her love of cooking and baking. True to her word, she prepared dinner for everyone every night, often taking people's requests and accommodating people's dietary needs. Even concocting a terrifyingly spicy smoothie for Bakugou before every morning workout. No one knew how she managed to do so with everything else going on in their lives, but she carried out her duties with a blinding smile on her face. Instantly winning the hearts of every class member. Everyone stepped up to make sure she didn't have to do the dishes or deliver meals to Aizawa sensei for her in an effort to lighten her load. All Might help the poor soul that ever tried to stand against her. They would not only have to answer to Kyo, but her 21 adopted children as well.

Tsubasa was definitely the most mature of the shinobi. Often stepping in to be the voice of reason whenever his brother became overzealous in class or in social situations. Unlike his brother, the wind-user was more of an introvert, preferring to socialize in small groups. He tended to hang out with Shinsou and Deku a lot but also enjoyed reading in the shared space. Tsubasa had swiftly read through Midoriya's collection of quirk notebooks during his first week. It was a common sight to see him and Midoriya discussing them at length over a cup of tea. The wind-user was very kind, patient and soft-spoken, not one to rock the boat but would be happy to help whenever he could. Often demonstrating moves taught in class if someone asked. Even going so far as to slow the movement down to better understand it.

After a vigorous workout during a quirk activity, Tsubasa had given one of his discarded feathers to Momo after she expressed an interest in them. Delighted, she had made a display case for it, which rested on the desk in her room. He also seemed to have a soft spot for children as well. Kirishima had seen him giving rides to Eri when she asked him what flying was like. An experience she still cheerfully talked about weeks later.

Shinsou and Eri were also made great strides in finding their place within their class. It took some time for the Indigo-haired teen to let go of his big brother role. Tending to stay close to Eri's side to make sure she was comfortable in this new chaotic environment, but as time passed and she grew more and more confident, he started to branch off as well. It was clear that everyone was committed to making her time here as pleasant as it could be. Even Bakugou kept his explosions to a minimum when he knew she was in the building. She spent a lot of her time with Midoriya's friend group or being Tohru's little helper in the kitchen. Though every now and then, laughter from the Bakusquad would pique her curiosity. She would nestle herself on top of Kirishima or Tohru's lap and watch the chaos ensue in the safety of their arms.

Yep, everything's going great, Kirishima reflected to himself.

The redhead gave his arms a good stretch before sinking back into the couch. His group of friends currently hogged the common room. Like usual, they had claimed the coveted big screen T.V. Momo had purchased for the dorms shortly after moving in.

The rest of his friends were playing a heated game of Mario Kart instead of studying for the quiz they had the next day. Other classmates watched on in amusement as they did their homework or studied, like the good students they were. It went without saying that Bakugou was in first place while Mina and Kaminari fought for second. Kyo, however, was dead last. And he was absolutely pissed about it. A long string of curses flowed from his mouth like Bakugou himself. Iida had lectured the shinobi about it after his fifth loss, so he switched to cursing in another language. One not even Sero could find on Google Translate.

"Hiskv welvnwv! Cvyayvketv Hiskv! Este-nekricv yolketv! Hosaklv vhakv' mvnicv yvhiketv! Sparky Hiskv yolketv hvswv!" Kyo spat angrily as he fell off of the rainbow road for the hundredth time. His unique accent thick and entrancing as he sounded out the long foreign words rapidly in succession. Strands of his bright orange hair started to rise slightly in his aggravation of losing another game of Mario Kart. The ash-blonde snickered smugly at his expense from where he laid on the couch with his feet perched up on the arm.

The redhead felt bad for Kyo. The shinobi wasn't kidding when he said that he was terrible at technology. He usually wanted nothing to do with it. But when Bakugou or anyone in the Bakusquad was annoyed with his mischievous nature, they would challenge him to a videogame knowing his competitive spirit couldn't turn it down. Which was unfortunate for Kyo because he lost terribly every single time.

What pissed Bakugou off this time? The copper-haired teen had detonated the ground in front of Bakugou, which caused him to trip and lose their race to the dorms. Humiliate Bakugou, and you had to be prepared to suffer the same fate. An eye for an eye as they say. However, Kyo had only done that because Bakugou had knowingly eaten the last of the salmon onigiri in the cafeteria. Kyo's absolute favorite food. Thus, the cycle continued once more.

Irritated, the explosive shinobi threw himself at his equally volatile friend. The usual ending to one of their childish competitions. However, Bakugou expected that reaction and pulled Kaminari in front of him. Shamelessly using the electric-user as a shield. The two boys collided, resulting in a small static explosion from the contact of their conflicting abilities. The displaced energy forced them to the ground. But Kyo wasn't going down without a fight. At the last second, he managed to hook his leg around Bakugou's to pull him to the floor with them.

"You fucking-" Bakugou began to curse before he crashed into the ground along with them.

"Dogpile!" Mina squealed as she and Sero join the impromptu wrestling match.

"Count me in!" Kiri laughed as he rolled up one of his sleeves in preparation for joining in on the fun. All of them squirmed on the ground in a weird collection of arms and legs as they worked to pin the two hotheads to the floor. Their infectious laughter rapidly spread throughout the rest of the common room as students abandoned their studies to watch them take on the untamable beasts of their class.

"GET THE FUCK OFF!" they both yelled ferociously. Two pairs of crimson eyes staring daggers at their idiotic opponents.

After much fighting and copious amounts of Sero's tape later, they finally managed to secure them both to the floor. Promising to let them go once they cooled off. Leaving them to bicker with one another as Tohru called to tell them that dinner was ready. The redhead shot one last concerned look at them over his shoulder as Mina dragged him off to get a plate of food.

If Kirishima and Tohru acted like brother and sister. Than Bakugou and Kyo bickered like brothers. Insanely similar and always lumped together. They seemed to behave more like brothers than the twins did. His scarlet eyes glanced over to where Tsubasa was busy studying with Midoriya and Iida. Kirishima couldn't help but notice that for twins, Kyo and Tsubasa didn't spend a lot of time together outside of instructing. Only ever talking with each other when others were around.

I wonder why that is, he mused to himself.

"The fated fallout between brothers," Uraraka narrated beside him, mirroring his thoughts. Her sudden appearance startling the redhead.

"Oh, hey there, Uraraka," Kirishima greeted nervously.

"The Hitsuzen twins turned enemies," she continued cinematically, ignoring his greeting.

"I wouldn't go that far. They're just not that close."

"Hmm, maybe, but they hardly talk to one another. The twins must have had some kind of falling out because all three of them are tight-lipped about it," Uraraka theorized with a finger resting cutely on her chin.

A falling out? Kirishima repeated to himself. The thought stirred the memory of a conversation he overheard with Bakugou that first week:

"Didn't you learn your lesson yesterday? You should be taking it easy," Tsubasa cautioned, his voice a little bitter. Nothing like the polite, friendly way he usually spoke. He had been walking a couple of feet behind his brother, trying to get his attention. He reached a tentative hand out toward Kyo.

"I'm fine," Kyo answered curtly. Shrugging off the hand, his brother tried to place on him. He had quickened his pace slightly as a result. "If you're waiting for me to thank you. You can forget it. I didn't need to be saved like this..."

"Are you alright?" The bubbly girl asked, breaking through his thoughts. Concern rang clearly in her voice.

The redhead hadn't realized that he had been frowning. "Yeah, I'm alright," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sure they just need some time to work through their problems is all. We should honor their privacy and let them work it out for themselves for now," he urged with a reassuring smile.

"Alright, if you say so," Uraraka agreed hesitantly. Giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder before joining her friends.

"Yeah, it can't be anything too serious," Kirishima whispered under his breath. He absently fixed a plate of food not only for himself but for Bakugou as well. Though as the words left his mouth, he wasn't sure if he was still trying to convince Uraraka or himself.

Aizawa P. O. V.

The underground hero casually observed his student's wrestling match as he graded papers in the shared space. His presence in the dorms became an increasingly familiar sight with the threat of another attack looming over him. He had to get these assignments graded soon with final exams coming up. Every now and then, Aizawa took a moment to enjoy the kunoichi's cooking instead of the bland soylent meals he had grown accustomed to over the years. It was a nice change if he was candid with himself. Beside him sat his adoptive daughter Eri, who appeared to have more fun coloring than eating the vegetables left untouched on her plate. The hero knew he should probably scold her, but like most of the class shenanigans, had opted to ignore it if it didn't prove to be life-threatening.

"I see Class-A is up to their usual hijinks," a familiar voice beamed loudly.

Aizawa looked up from his grading to see the smiling face of All Might before him. He willed his tired eyes to remain neutral, but it was difficult. It still felt weird to see the retired hero's deflated form with their students around. "Are they? I hadn't noticed," he replied with disinterest while he took another leisurely sip of his coffee.

"Um, young Bakugou and Hitsuzen appear to be taped to the floor," commented the previous Symbol of Peace.

The shaggy-haired teacher briefly glanced in their direction. Taking in the scene of the two explosive boys fuming under an exorbitant amount of tape as Sero and Kaminari fearlessly ate their dinner while sitting on top of them. A fretting Kirishima and Tohru tried their best to diffuse the situation before the whole building went up in a flashy devastating explosion. All the while, Ashido recorded the entire thing on her phone. No doubt planning to upload the video to their problematic social media page.

I really need to get them to delete that account, the exhausted hero thought for the hundredth time.

"Huh, I guess they are," yawned Eraser Head, before continuing with his grading. Managing to complete a few pages in annoyed silence, as All Might continued to stand awkwardly above him.

"Do you need anything?" Aizawa finally asked impatiently. His hand begrudgingly motioned to the chair across from him to get the retired hero from looming over him.

The deflated hero immediately took a seat. He had always been too polite to sit down without being offered. "Yes, actually. I wanted to check-in with you about your new students," he confessed quietly. His tone was friendly but low enough that any nearby students couldn't casually overhear. "Are they getting along with everyone? Are they adjusting well to Hero life?"

Hero life, huh? That statement alone made it clear to Aizawa that All Might was really prying for information regarding the shinobi's placement within the hero course.

Understandable really. Aizawa had been getting quizzical looks from nearly everyone from the school. No one besides Principal Nezu had the slightest idea of their real identities or the true purpose they served after all. And Aizawa planned to keep it that way.

The raven-haired man marked another question wrong off of Ashido's homework. The paper was more red than white at that point. "Don't let that little skirmish fool you. Everyone is getting along fine enough," he assured truthfully.

Aizawa was more than pleased to see how well the shinobi interacted with his students. Each of them found homes within the most influential groups of his class. All of them took their mission seriously. They had exceeded his expectations by finding creative ways to help sharpen the students' skills in and outside of the classroom. He had worried that Kyo would be the most troublesome, but despite his cocky attitude, he seemed to be the most dedicated to seeing them improve. Often hosting training sessions outside of class or introducing games cleverly disguised as deduction and reflex training. Because of this, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Ashido's practical performances had skyrocketed over the past few weeks.

The statement made the retired hero smile. "I'm glad to hear it. I was worried when I heard Present Mic. say that the oldest Hitsuzen had a habit of falling asleep in class."

"It's nothing more than a side-effect of his quirk. Recovery Girl has a copy of all their medical records if he wants to check for himself," Aizawa replied nonchalantly. Placing Ashido's graded homework on the pile. His answer wasn't a complete lie. Kyo's spontaneous naps were a side-effect of his powers, though Aizawa didn't disclose the fact that he had personally forged those medical records for him. Besides regaining lost stamina, those naps also helped to speed up his advanced healing abilities. Aizawa had a sneaking suspicion that his previous injuries were still acting up.

"I'm glad to hear it!" laughed the blonde. Accepting the cup of tea, Tohru poured for him. She also topped off the eraser hero's cup of coffee. Her hand patting Eri's head gently before she disappeared into the kitchen again. "I wouldn't want it to get in the way of his studies."

"Neither would I," Aizawa responded cooly. It was a delicate game he was playing with the retired hero. To provide enough information about the trio without exposing the underlying secrets, half-truths, and outright lies hidden underneath the surface. All Might was obviously phishing for information. Trying to discern the underground hero's motives and intentions of bringing shinobi into a school for heroes. Subtleness had never been as a skill the Symbol of Peace possessed, but it was one Aizawa excelled in.

The blonde took a sip of tea. "Do you mind telling me more about them? With my retirement, I haven't had the chance to get to know them as well as I would have liked," the retired hero asked politely. Aizawa could tell from his voice that he not only wanted to know that his students were in good hands, but that he was also genuinely curious. So Eraser Head decided to humor him.

"That troublesome child taped to the floor is as ill-tempered, arrogant and hot-headed as one would imagine him to be," Aizawa began, nodding in the direction of the ruckus across the room. Though his tone softened a degree when he continued speaking. "Though I doubt you'll find anyone more passionate or dedicated to improving their fighting style than he is."

This piqued the blonde's interest. "Surely, you're giving young Hitsuzen too much credit. It's hard to believe he' working harder than any of the other students. Young Mid- I mean everyone has been very dedicated to becoming stronger," All Might corrected clumsily. It never ceased to amaze Aizawa how obvious he was when it came to his favoritism for the freckled boy.

Always so nosy when it came to other people's secrets but was so tight-lipped with his own, grumbled the underground hero. What the retired hero didn't understand was that Aizawa wasn't over-exaggerating the teen's abilities. In fact, the raven-haired man envied the explosive shinobi's drive. Kyo spent the majority of his time training in one way or another.

"Unlike you, I don't play favorites. Objectively speaking, that boy is putting more effort in than the rest of the class," the Eraser Hero assured sternly. His charcoal gaze moved to stare into his colleague's blue eyes.

"Let me walk you through a typical week for him. He goes on a morning run every day before school starts, participates in the Heroics training, and co-teaches the Quirkless class twice a week. He hosts bonus training with his assigned students at least once a week outside of class and instructs a girls-only class every Saturday," he finished with a drawn-out sip of his coffee. He had left out the part of him doing an extensive investigation to find the UA traitor or how he took a few moments to show Eri a few defensive moves when he could find the time. Though Aizawa hoped she'd never had to use them.

"Despite mastering numerous martial arts forms and weaponry skills-with an emphasis on kunai, double-chain whips, and staffed weapons. Kyo continues to train tirelessly to improve all areas of his fighting style diligently, as well as incorporate new styles to his regimen to become the best fighter he can be," Aizawa continued in a neutral tone. Setting another graded paper on the stack in front of him. "I'm not dismissing the hard work or the growth of our students. But I've only seen Kyo's level of dedication from Midoriya and Bakugou. Both of which haven't been training nearly as long or are competent enough to teach complex moves to others yet."

The raven-haired man set his mug down with a soft thump. "For as over the top as he is, Kyo is a remarkable teacher. Demonstrating a talent for analyzing a person's abilities and teaching a fighting style that would suit them perfectly while taking their current skill level into consideration," the scruffy teacher stated thoughtfully.

Aizawa only wished the troublesome shinobi dialed back his obsession with bringing weapons to class. It had gotten really old, very fast. It didn't even matter that the underground hero performed strip searches on him every single day. Kyo had expertly hidden his ungodly arsenal everywhere, also managed to conceal them on other classmates unbeknownst to them. Most of this was for show, however. It gave Aizawa an excuse to give him detention, which they would use as a cover to exchange information on their real mission. The shinobi also left hidden messages inside the weapons; he dropped into the overflowing weapon bin before each and every class. Despite this, Aizawa let him get away with more than he should because he saw the twin's mother in his antics. Lost in thought, he hadn't realized that a small smile had broken through his composure.

"Now who's playing favorites," All Might teased after a thoughtful pause.

This made Aizawa's eye twitch angrily, and the smile left the other hero's face as fast as it had appeared. Terrified, the deflated hero quickly changed the subject. "Tell me about the other Hitsuzen twin?" he asked with a smile. Aizawa's first explanation began to wash away the older hero's doubts.

The younger Hitsuzen twin, in contrast, was a gentle, kind-hearted and patient soul who looked out for others. "Tsubasa is an excellent fighter that can quickly gauge a person's abilities by analyzing their movements. He mainly relies on strong kicks to increase his reach while keeping the rest of himself out of harm's way. He's shown great creativity in class by using improvised weapons and shields found within his environment," Aizawa summarized in between grading papers. Choosing to call them by their first names to make distinguishing the twins simpler.

His red pen circled a wrong answer on Asui's paper. Aizawa took the time jot down a helpful note down before continuing, "Mostly reserved, he hardly ever brings himself to attack first. Even during their demonstrations. Always allowing others the chance to harm him before attacking. However, it's a mistake to think his in-action stems from fear. The boy frequently attacks the second an opponent takes their eyes off of him. Disappearing from view at blinding speed only to reappear right in front of them with his foot held centimeters in front of their face," Aizawa recounted for his colleague. It was an impressive intimidation technique meant to force an opponent to yield before resuming attacks. Something reminiscent of Aizawa's shinobi days. A tactic that had proved successful against Iida, Shouji, and Tokoyami during that day's Heroics class.

"Quite the intimidating force," All Might commented. His blue eyes sneaked a peek at the brunette across the room. The younger twin was currently demonstrating a slowed down kick to Iida while Midoriya scribbled down notes.

"As terrifying as he is while he fights. There's more to him than that," Aizawa reassured quietly, lifting his face to meet All Might's. It seemed that Tsubasa's primary goal was to protect his teammates by defending, while Kyo's was to protect by attacking. Similar to the two other problem children in his class. "He's actually someone you'd probably take a liking to."

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?" the deflated hero asked hesitantly. Knowing full well how Aizawa felt about his different teaching methods. It was something they bickered about often in the teacher's lounge.

The underground hero broke his gaze off first to go back to grading, much to the retired hero's relief. "Tsubasa has shown time and time again during the Heroics classes to go out of his way to protect others. Often at the sake of his own well being. That's your schtick, right?" the raven-haired man criticized.

All Might's head lowered slightly. He knew that Aizawa didn't care for his self-sacrificing mantra. It was Aizawa's most significant criticism with Midoriya. Now the underground hero possibly had another student to watch out for. After noticing Tsubasa's selfless nature, Aizawa had decided to keep a watchful eye over him. Believing him to be the type to ignore or even hide his pain from others. Not knowing if Aizawa expected an answer from him, the deflated hero nodded in response to his question. With a roll of his eyes, he went back to grading.

"Give him a chance. You might grow to like him. Midoriya certainly has," the eraser hero suggested. While Aizawa had asked Tsubasa to become close to the freckled boy for their mission to succeed. It had ended up being the boy's passion for history and knowledge of the various worlds he'd visited that had allowed Tsubasa to become fast friends with Midoriya. Bonding over their love of cataloging their expertise in a notebook of sorts, not that the freckled boy had any idea Tsubasa had a journal of his own. Aizawa, on the other hand, had been granted permission to pursue it in his spare time. It was a fascinating read, but one filled with hardship.

"How about young Honda?" the deflated hero prompted noticing the frown on Aizawa's face.

Before he could answer, another voice spoke up. "Big Sister's the best!~" Eri chirped beside them. Adopting the same sing-song way, the kunoichi spoke.

"Sister?" All Might asked, confused. His head tilted comically to one side, causing the long strands of golden hair to move with him. One of which blocked his right eye from view. "I beg your pardon?"

The little girl rested a finger to her chin as she pondered the best way to answer her senior's question. "A girl family member that you love?" she offered hesitantly. A slightly trembling hand holding onto her apple dress for courage. Eri was still learning about the world around her after being shut off from it for most of her life. Because of this, she often confused words and meanings. Eri became self-conscious of this, which prevented her from speaking up when she first arrived. However, her confidence steadily grew with the lessons she received from the Wild Wild Pussycats and her beloved classmate Kota. The underground hero couldn't be any prouder of her progress. "Like Kota's big brother, Deku."

"Ah, I see," the retired hero smiled. A barely held back laugh sounded in his voice. "That's correct."

Her scarlet eyes sparkled proudly at her accomplishment. The resulting smile she shot both of them absolutely blinding. "What do you want with Big Sister?" she asked All Might curiously.

"Oh well, I just wanted to know more about her is all," The former Symbol of Peace replied awkwardly.

"What do you want to know about her?" she asked innocently. Her usually quiet voice growing louder with her renewed confidence. Resulting in some nearby students' heads to turn towards them with different levels of interest reflecting in their eyes.

All Might's cover gradually being blown with each question. When he had approached Aizawa, he hadn't thought Eri wasn't paying attention to their conversation. Now that All Might had her full attention, he didn't want to appear nosy or for her to overhear something she shouldn't. His blue eyes pleaded with his colleague for some kind of parental assistance. However, the raven-haired man only grinned into his coffee, waiting for him to make the first move. Aizawa wanted nothing more than to return to grading his papers in peace.

The retired hero bowed his head in defeat. "Well, would you look at the time. I have a meeting with Principal Nezu that I can't be late for," All Might lied, excusing himself from the table. "We'll have to catch up later, Aizawa. Until then!" He took a moment to say a few quick farewells before exiting the dorms.

"See ya later!~" she called after him, waving both arms as she did so. After a few seconds, Eri turned to her adoptive father. "Did I do a good job?" she asked quietly.

The corners of Aizawa's mouth twitched upward. "Yes, you did a great job scaring him off," he praised, ruffling her hair in a loving gesture. "I believe you've stopped him from snooping on them for the time being, at least. Keep up the great work."

Her adoptive father's heartfelt praise made Eri smile. "Roger!" she giggled, her hand giving an adorable salute. Eri then picked up one of her discarded crayons and continued to draw. A joyful tune hummed under her breath as she drew herself, playing with three stick figures. One with long dangly ribbons, another with large bird wings, and the last with orange cat ears. All of which were surrounded by bright swirling colors.

Bakugou P. O. V.

It was well past Midnight by the time Bakugou and Kyo dragged themselves to the fourth floor. Both of them mentally exhausted after the Bakusquad's late-night study session. Both envied Kirishima and Sero, who had retired early since they didn't need as much tutoring as the two other hopeless members of their group. Carrottop would have joined them if he could, but the explosive hero refused to leave him unattended in his room. The fact that neither of them complained that they were still stuck sharing a room was a testament to how tired they really were. According to Aizawa, the renovations to the room adjacent to the blonde's was only halfway done. Meaning they'd be stuck with each other for another few weeks at the very least.

"Sooo tired…" moaned the copper-haired teen. His crimson eyes were hazy and drooped heavily. His footsteps were shaky as his legs struggled to keep him upright.

"No shit sherlock," muttered the ash-blonde. Grumpiness made Bakugou's tone sharper than usual, but despite this, Bakugou kept a watchful eye on his narcoleptic roommate. It wouldn't surprise him at all if he passed out any second.

"Think I'll take a short nap here…"

"Stay on your feet, moron," the ash-blonde ordered quietly. His hand grabbed the front of the shinobi's shirt to keep Kyo's weight off of his weakened knees. Bakugou didn't need another lecture about proper host etiquette from Glasses if he found Kyo napping on the stairs again. He gave him a good shake before continuing to drag him toward their room. There were a couple of sleepy protests from the shinobi, but Bakugou shushed them immediately. His footsteps quickened their pace so he could collapse onto his bed.

To say that Bakugou was exhausted was an extreme understatement. He was already beat after exerting himself during class. Then, there was the run around campus strapped to weights representing half his body weight. After which, he spent a couple of hours defending his top score in all of their favorite video games, followed by the surprise wrestling match, which ended in him and Kyo taped to the floor.

Fucking morons, Bakugou thought bitterly. His free hand absently rubbed at the red marks on his arms, which had begun to sting with the memory. Like I needed another panic attack today.

Luckily for Bakugou, Kaminari and Sero overlooked two crucial details. That the class had just learned to escape all manners of restraints that afternoon and that Kyo was one of the instructors. The copper-haired teen tore through the tape enough to reach the hidden kunai his boot.

Turned out, the psycho's sharp canines were actually useful for something after all.

The ash-blonde took comfort in the knowledge that they'd be free in no time and that he was relatively safe within the dorms. The familiar forms of his teachers sitting a few tables away also helped to ease his apprehension. So Bakugou decided to endure his growing anxiety in aggravated silence. Preparing to rage on his friends the second, he was released. It took some time to cut themselves free, but when they finally did, all hell broke loose.

It was confirmed later that the idiots' terrified screams could be heard from the nearby dorms as they ran for their lives. If those knuckleheads thought it was nearly impossible to escape Bakugou's fury before, they should've thought better than to anger the Copycat Ninja as well. Their usual strategy of splitting up and hoping they weren't the one Bakugou was targeting was no longer an option in this unwinnable scenario. Lamps, pieces of furniture, and even other classmates were knocked over in their desperate attempts to shake off the twin beasts of their class. Neither of the explosive heroes held back as they chased their targets up and down the halls. Kyo even ran on all fours at one point to close the distance between him and his prey. This over the top display, however, proved to be part of a greater ploy.

Unbeknownst to them, the copper-haired teen had chased the two idiots into a hidden snare he had set up earlier in the day. The tripwire instantly wrapped around their feet and hung them by their ankles a second later. After taking a few photos of their shame, the explosive teens had decided to leave them dangling there for a good hour before they were forced to cut them down by Iida. Only then did their friend group finally buckle down to start studying for the quiz they had in English the next day. Bakugou viciously beat the material into their brains in the same manner that Kyo beat them into the ground during the Quirkless class. The comparison made the ash-blonde smirk.

No wonder we got along.

Bakugou fought back a yawn as he unlocked the door to his room. His eyes rested on Kirishima's door, longingly for a few seconds. It was most likely unlocked. The Ball-of-Sunshine often forgot his key, so he made it a habit of keeping it unlocked at all times. The ash-blonde considered sneaking in after Kyo went to bed but ultimately decided against it. It would be safer to wait until the renovations were done. No need to add another stressful element to his already chaotic life.

Instead of gently resting his fatigued classmate on the ground, the explosive hero tightened his grip around the front of Kyo's shirt before thrusting him into the room with all his might. This was Bakugou, after all.

Kyo hit the ground with a loud Thud! His body fumbled over himself as he tried to decipher which way was up in his drowsy stupor. The shinobi's momentum eventually came to a stop when he crashed into Bakugou's desk. A few items on top were knocked to the floor as well. The blonde knew there would be a formal noise complaint taped to his door from Iida the next morning, but he was too tired to care.

"You're gonna pay for that," The copper-haired teen growled. His lips pulled back to expose his glistening fangs while his eyes narrowed menacingly. The expression might be terrifying to some sidekicks, but to Bakugou, he looked like an idiot with him slumped upside down against his desk. Feet in the air comically with his arms stretched out on either side of him.

"Fat fucking chance," grumbled the hothead. Closing his door quietly behind him to not wake the redhead next door, as if he forgot the tremendous ruckus he made seconds before. He kicked off his house slippers, hoping to hit Kyo with one, but his friend lazily rolled out of the way easily enough. "Hurry up and go to sleep," Bakugou ordered in a hushed tone. Tossing him, the one bag Kyo brought with him to UA.

Unfortunately for him, the bag was more cumbersome than Bakugou initially thought, which caused it to fall short of what he had intended. Two sets of crimson eyes watched as the satchel landed between them in slow motion. Both too exhausted from training to reach it in time. The dark pack it the ground with another heavy thud. An assortment of items spilled out of it and scattered across the room much to their collected dissatisfaction.

Shit! was all Bakugou could bring himself to think. His unease and awkwardness froze him in place. The hero didn't know what to do or what he should say. Bakugou was well aware that he fucked up, but he had no idea how to fix it or mend the situation. The ash-blonde had to fight back his default response to become angry when he felt insecure in social interactions since that course of action was unjustified in this situation. So he opted to wait for Kyo to make the first move.

The ash-blonde felt his heart clench in his chest as he regretted his carelessness and irritation. He hoped that his mistake didn't cause anything valuable or sentimental to break in the fall. Bakugou's eyes quickly glanced at his desk. He was relieved to see that Kyo's twin kunai still rested on top. It was the only thing Bakugou knew Kyo truly cared about. Something the shinobi ordered him to never touch.

At least those are alright.

After what felt like an eternity, the spell finally broke when Kyo let out a long irritated sigh. With it, Carrottop pushed himself up from where he still laid slumped on the floor. Silently moving to retrieve his few earthly possessions from around the room. Turning his back toward the blonde as he worked.

Bakugou watched him for a few seconds before he too crouched on his knees to aid in their collection. "Sorry…" he mumbled apologetically. Handing Kyo his sketchbook and colored pencils without making eye contact. It was the most submissive he ever allowed himself to be in front of another person besides Kiri.

The explosive hero could feel the shinobi's intense gaze upon him as he studied his face. Bakugou's cheeks started to heat up with his growing embarrassment. He hoped that Kyo knew that he didn't do this on purpose. That it was an accident and that he wasn't a complete asshole just for the fun of it. A few moments passed before he felt the weight of the possessions slowly leave his hand.

"It's fine," came Kyo's drowsy response. There was an underlying hint of leftover irritation in his voice, but otherwise, his tone seemed genuine. This made Bakugou feel a little better about the situation, so he gave a curt nod to his classmate. Letting him know that he appreciated being forgiven for his hasty actions.

The two explosive teens continued to work in silence. Their movements were sluggish and clumsy as they fumbled to gather all the belongings before retiring for the night. The floor looking more and more comfortable with each passing second. The ash-blonde silently cursed Kyo for cramming more shit into his one pack than he would have thought possible. Just when Bakugou thought he managed to retrieve the last of the copper-haired teen's belongings, his phone's flashlight reflected2 off of something underneath his bed.

Bakugou let out a long drawn out groan when he didn't recognize the object. Muttering a long string of curses under his breath, he crawled over to his bed. With his draped arm on the mattress supporting the majority of his weight, Bakugou began to reach for the item with his other hand. After spending a few moments feeling around blindly, his fingers brushed against something cold. With a grunt, he stretched even further. Snatching the object once it was within his grip.

What the explosive hero brought out from under the bed confused him deeply. It appeared to be some sort of headband. Not all that surprising considering Kyo was a shinobi and all, but this one was oddly familiar. Bakugou couldn't bring himself to do anything but blinked dumbly at the object in his hand. His thumb traced the design engraved into the protective metal guard on the front.

That looks like...No, it can't be. It has to be a joke, right? Bakugou thought to himself. But something nagged at the back of his skull as he continued to stare at the headband in his grip. His body became fidgety in that all too familiar way it always did before something terrible or monumental happened.

"What the hell is this?" Bakugou finally asked, turning toward his roommate with the headband held up accusingly. His voice hitched ever so slightly. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so on edge, but there was no going back now that all his senses were heightened. He needed answers. "You some kind of manga nerd or something?" he asked, bewildered.

Kyo was confused. That much was evident from the look on his face to the way his head subtly cocked to one side. "Manga?..." he repeated awkwardly and slightly mispronounced due to his accent. Like he had never heard that word before.

Not a good sign.

"A graphic novel," Bakugou further explained, hoping to jog the thick-headed shinobi's memory. He knew that Kyo was bad at modern items from being a shut-in most of his life, but he had to have heard of them in passing at least. The blonde pointed at the headband. "This is from a manga. A basic one at that," Bakugou added in a slightly insulting tone.

A spark of realization reflected in Kyo's eyes then. "Oh yeah, the shinobi one set in the Land of Fire, right?" the copper-haired teen summarized.

"Right…that's the one," Bakugou confirmed hesitantly. His voice slowly morphed into his dangerously neutral tone.

While the shinobi's recollection wasn't wrong, it was a weird way to summarize the manga. The ash-blonde was way too proud to ever admit aloud that he had been enthralled by the manga when he was in grade school. Back before he realized what shinobi stood for in this world. Despite this, even Bakugou forgot the country the story was based on. Understandable since most of the events centered around the shinobi village instead of the entire country.

He didn't even remember the name of the main character, which is the name of the whole story.

Sensing Bakugou's unease, Carrottop tried to laugh off the awkwardness between them. "Yeah, I tried to get into it awhile ago, but never ended up finishing it," he admitted with a nervous chuckle. Flashing the blonde, his usual toothy smirk, but his general confidence didn't reach his crimson gaze. After a brief pause, he continued, "I can hardly remember what even happens in it. Do you know if they ever accomplish what they set out to do?"

Bakugou's eyebrows scrunched into a scowl. "Are you too dumb to remember that the main character wanted to be Kazekage?" he asked his roommate carefully. Purposely giving the wrong information in a guarded and standoffish tone. Kyo's vague remarks made him anxious for some reason. Coupled that with the fidgety feeling deep in his gut caused all of his senses to be on high alert. Time seemed to be slowing down in his mind, like how it did when he fought. His shoulders instinctively tensed up, while his palms began to sweat in preparation for some non-existent threat.

Kyo didn't seem phased by Bakugou's question at all. Instead, he casually took a seat on top of Bakugou's bed without permission. "I'm smart enough to know that the symbol on that headband means it's from Konohagakure, not Sunagakure," the copper-haired teen corrected smugly. His hand waved him off in a flippant manner. With a nervous laugh, he added, "Maybe you got shocked one too many times from Sparky and are starting to lose some of your own brain cells as a result."

Even though the insult irked him, Bakugou remained silent. His mind carefully over-analyzed the exchange between them. His intimidating crimson eyes narrowed into his customary glare as he studied the shinobi before him. In the back of his mind, Bakugou knew this whole situation was stupid.

Why am I even bothering with this conversation about some dumb story I read when I was a kid?' Bakugou wondered drowsily. He wanted nothing more than to go to sleep at this moment. But something about this whole interaction still nagged at his mind.

As if reading his thoughts, Kyo continued, "C'mon man, it's just a story, right? Something I read when I was younger. Just curious about how it turned out is all."

It was clear to Bakugou that Kyo hadn't read much of the story, but knew enough details about it to be knowledgeable about the fantasy world it took place in. If Binoshi was as strict as the trio made it sound, then it would be a challenge to acquire volumes or speak with anyone who knew anything about it. Kyo could simply be trying to pick the explosive hero's brain for information about the ending.

Figures, the idiot does hate reading after all, he thought passively to himself. Ready to drop the topic and conversation altogether.

However, the explosive hero's eyes dumbly blinked a few times with that sudden realization.

Kyo hates reading, Bakugou repeated in his head.

He recalled how the troublesome ninja went to great lengths to avoid reading at every opportunity. How Kyo purposely overexerted himself every day before English to avoid being called on during class and how he hid his terrible spelling behind his disastrous handwriting. With how the shinobi avoided books like the plague, it seemed highly improbable that he would willingly subject himself to any form of reading just for the fun of it. Granted, there was always the possibility that Kyo had heard the story from another person, which could explain how he was knowledgeable about some aspects of the manga while other bits of information like character names were lost in translation along the way. But Bakugou believed that was incredibly unlikely considering he had only interacted with other sheltered shinobi candidates at Binoshi before he was granted permission to attend UA.

Bakugou thought back to other odd behaviors Kyo and his teammates exhibited over the last few weeks. Everything from the twins' weird accent and proficiency in a language no one could place, to the odd cadence Tohru spoke in. How the trio mysteriously transferred from a school no one had ever heard of, the bewildered look they gave whenever they encountered a unique quirk or how they seemed completely oblivious about the world around them. That heroes and shinobi were suddenly forced to work together, their overpowered quirks and, of course, the weird unexplainable aura that seemed to roll off of them.

The ash-blonde's attention turned back to Kyo, who waited patiently for Bakugou to give him the time of day. At first glance, the copper-haired teen seemed perfectly at ease. His long legs stretched out over the edge of the bed in a casual manner, while the rest of him laid back comfortably while his elbows propped him up. A position that exposed him greatly if he were to be attacked, which spoke to how confident he felt with his abilities at all times. A fact highlighted by the confident smirk that never left his face, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. Aided by his heightened senses, Bakugou noticed the stiffness of Kyo's shoulders. The hero's eyes were able to discern that his friend's body trembled slightly in what he believed to be apprehension. That the copper-haired teen's hands had the blankets balled into his fists, which Kyo could use as leverage to launch himself forward if the need arose.

Bakugou's scowl deepened as he regarded the random anime headband in his hand. Why would such a thing have been hidden amongst Kyo's belongings? He wondered to himself. If the manga was something that Kyo casually read when he was younger, why would he bother keeping a tacky relic from it? He seemed hellbent on convincing Bakugou that his connection to the story was no big deal, but keeping the headband contradicted that claim completely. Everything about this situation was bizarre.

The explosive hero's thumb traced the spiral design on the front. The protective plate was crafted from real steel, which gave it some heft, instead of being made of aluminum or a cheap plastic like Bakugou had previously believed. Even with it being made from a more durable material, it was heavily scratched up and dented in a few places. Obviously worn into battle with the amount of abuse it endured. The headband itself was made from a once brilliant black silky fabric with what appeared to be washed-out bloodstains scattered here and there. The sight of it made Bakugou's blood run cold with the realization that it was authentic.

"This is real," Bakugou whispered half to himself, breaking the silence for the first time. His mind still reeled with the absurdity of his conclusion, but the evidence he gathered and the bloodied headband in his hand supported his suspicions. The surplus of adrenaline pumping through his veins made him jittery and caused his fingers to tap against the steel plate of the item in his possession. Skeptical crimson orbs narrowed at the object before they found their way back to its owner. Bakugou gritted his teeth in agitation to curb his need to blow something up.

"Unless you had a stupid weeb phase and actually wore this in public. I'm willing to bet that this is a real Hidden Village Headband," Bakugou declared in a guarded tone. His voice low and even, daring his classmate to deny his claim.

The shinobi took a moment to flick some of his bright orange bangs out of his eyes before answering. "You sure? You're not very good at bets if I recall," Kyo joked casually, but his eyes were slightly panicked. His voice hitched ever so slightly in his desperate attempt to distract the ash-blonde from the secret he was about to uncover.

But Bakugou wasn't falling for it.

"I'm 100% sure this is real. I just don't understand how it's real." Bakugou growled back, refusing to fall for the shinobi's tricks. The explosive hero's body instinctively took a step forward to close the distance between them, as well as block Kyo's means of escape through the door behind him. "It doesn't make any sense. It's just a stupid manga. Characters made up for the entertainment of children. Tell me how you're real?" he ordered in a threatening tone. Beginning to understand that the headband and Kyo himself were one and the same.

Renewed panic flashed in the copper-haired teen's eyes, causing Bakugou to tense as a result. The shinobi's hesitance confirmed the blonde's hypothesis as far as Bakugou was concerned. He carefully dropped into a defensive crouch with his scrutinizing gaze fixed on Kyo. Ready to defend or run if Kyo made a move toward him. Bakugou just blew a shinobi's cover. It didn't take a genius to know that could prove to be fatal.

Bakugou's mind swirled with a million questions. All of which screamed for answers.

How is this possible? Why did they lie? Why are they here? Does this mean they're all a threat?

He visibly flinched when the recalled the faces of the League of Villains and All For One. An ominous chill started to overtake him as fear began to fog over his thoughts. His breath started to hitch with the beginnings of a panic attack, though the abundance of adrenaline in his system kept him from shutting down completely. The explosive hero shook his head to focus his thoughts.

The ash-blonde recalled how the shinobi seemed fixated on him and Deku from the very beginning. An incriminating coincidence in his eyes, considering both of them were targeted by villains regularly. At this point in time, Bakugou saw them as full-fledged enemies until proven not to be.

Were they tasked with infiltrating the school to report our weaknesses back to our enemies? Should I confront him about it now, or should I run and inform Aizawa?'

He gritted his teeth even harder when he remembered his sleeping classmates. Wondering if Kyo would exploit their vulnerable states if he fled.

No, it would make more sense to neutralize me to preserve his cover, Bakugou concluded. With that concern taken care of, it came down to what course of action Bakugou would take in this situation. Should he confront Kyo here, or should he attempt to run and inform his teacher of the potential threat?

Kyo pushed himself up from the bed then. The movement was casual in nature but came off as more threatening than it actually was due to Bakugou's heightened senses. In that instant, Bakugou decided that his best course of action would be to alert his teachers of what he discovered.

I have to let Aizawa know now, the ash-blonde affirmed. Immediately bolting for the door.

The hero heard an exasperated hiss behind him, followed by the sound of the shinobi scrambling to his feet. But he ignored it. He was only a few paces from the door. However, Bakugou's momentum was suddenly halted as something grabbed hold of his leg and began to drag him backward. With a low growl, he whirled his head to see one end of his laptop charging cords wrapped around his ankle while Kyo attempted to pull him further into the room. The cable painfully constricted around his leg as it dug into him.

"C'mon, let me explain," the copper-haired teen pleaded with another pull of the cord. But his snappish tone came off as more of an order than a suggestion, which of course, rubbed the blonde the wrong way.

"Fuck off," Bakugou countered, wrapping his trapped foot around the cord to get some leverage before tugging with all his might. Pulling a surprised Kyo forward, successfully knocking him off balance in the process. Before the shinobi could recover his balance, the hero-in-training slammed his knee into the Copycat's face. The force of the blow immediately forced Kyo to release his hold of the cable, as blood started to gush from his nose. Hopefully, buying Bakugou the few seconds needed to make a mad dash into the hall.

Bakugou rushed to the door. Taking care that the cord still attached to his foot didn't get snagged by anything during his retreat. He would be able to remove it quickly when he made it to safety. His hand just wrapped around the doorknob when he heard a loud THUNK!

The blonde's eyes slowly moved to his immediate left. There he saw two kunai jammed within the crack of the door a few inches from his face. Securing the door firmly in place. With gritted teeth, Bakugou pulled on the handle in a futile attempt to free it, but the door didn't budge an inch. With the walls of his room newly fortified after the fire alarm incident, Bakugou's only means of escape was the balcony, which was conveniently blocked by his opponent.

Out of options, Bakugou opened his mouth to yell for Kirishima next door, but Kyo was already on him. "Kiri-" he began to yell only to be cut off when a hand roughly clasped itself over his mouth.

"Shhh Come on, let's talk this out," Kyo hissed under his breath. His hand focusing on muffling the string of curse words currently trying to leave Bakugou's mouth instead of blocking his flow of air. Meanwhile, he attempted to pin one of the blonde's arms behind his back to subdue him. However, Bakugou retaliated by executing his new favorite jiu-jitsu move by falling backward in the opposite direction. A move identical to the one he had done to Tohru during their first class together.

This forced Kyo to reposition himself by releasing his hold on his arm so he wouldn't get pinned underneath Bakugou when they landed. The shinobi's firm hold over his mouth loosened ever so slightly. Nothing too monumental, but it was enough for Bakugou. Fueled by his tenacious nature and the experience he gained from his hero training, Bakugou managed to wiggle free enough to bite down hard on Kyo's hand.

Bakugou had to give the shinobi credit. Despite Kyo being bitten, he didn't loosen his hold on his face. Instead, he tightened his grip while he put the blonde into a headlock. Bakugou, however, held firm. Passively wishing he had Kirishima's sharp teeth at this moment as he bit down even harder. The blonde taking great pleasure in the satisfying hiss of pain that escaped the shinobi's lips every time he increased the pressure. The taste of blood was overwhelming, but he choked back his queasiness. The shinobi had finally released him. Prioritizing freeing himself from Bakugou's hold instead of threatening to choke him out.

However, the ash-blonde had greatly underestimated his opponent's resolve. Fed up, Kyo forced Bakugou to release his bite, by hand chopping the hero's throat. A mixture of shock and pain instantly ripped his mouth open with a GAK! Effectively freeing Bakugou's enemy and preventing him from calling out for aid in one fluid movement.

The pain was so intense that it made the blonde's vision blur for a second. His dilated pupils continued to tremble in correlation to his racing heart. Bakugou's hand quickly reached for his neck to assess the damage to his throat while his other hand absentmindedly wiped the trail of drool from his mouth. Though it wasn't long before he realized that he didn't have the luxury to stay motionless for long. His body instantly moved out of reflex when he felt Kyo trying to pin him to the ground.

They continued to scuffle on the ground. Both teens doing everything they could to overpower the other. Books and half-done assignments clattered to the floor around them as they crashed and rolled along the carpeted floor. It was a wonder how no one came to complain about the noise at this point. But that would have been too convenient.

Kyo obviously had the upper hand with all his experience. He eventually managed to pin Bakugou's legs with his own. However, Bakugou wasn't defenseless. The hero had been watching all the shinobi carefully ever since they had arrived. He knew a lot of their weaknesses even if they all thought they had hidden them well from curious eyes. While they wrestled on the floor, Bakugou purposefully touched Kyo with as many parts of his body and clothes as he could. Hoping to sap his strength by abusing the weakness of his always active quirk. When the hero felt the shinobi's movements weaken considerably. Bakugou instantly elbowed Kyo's right shoulder as hard as he could. It was the shoulder he always babied after classes.

The explosive shinobi instantly doubled over. Not even attempting to keep hold of his target. Unconcerned, Bakugou grabbed hold of him and flipped him over his shoulder. Slamming him hard onto the floor. Bakugou swiftly stood above him with a foot secured triumphantly against his opponent's throat. Ready to crush his windpipe should the need arise. Kyo's hands instinctively clutched the foot, threatening his life, but Bakugou increased the pressure slightly in a warning.

"Hold it right there, fucker," Bakugou ordered in a raspy voice. One of his crimson eyes winced slightly with the dull pain that flared when he tried to speak. But he powered through it, "One wrong move, and I'll end you."

"...fuck off…" Kyo wheezed in between pants. Waving off his threat, but slowly relaxed his grip in submission. His nose had stopped bleeding, and there were traces of blood smeared on his clothing from their wrestling match. "What kind of monster goes for people's injuries? You must not have trusted me at all for you to be actively looking for weaknesses to exploit later on, huh?" he asked in an almost somber tone.

"Don't take in personal. I hardly trust anyone 100%," Bakugou spat back. He had intended his statement to sound like a taunt, but the raspiness of his voice made him sound bitter. Fitting because that's precisely how this whole exchange left him feeling. Bakugou mentally shook off his nerves. Choosing to focus on the enemy in front of him instead.

"Now, you're going to tell me everything I want to know or else," the ash-blonde ordered. Bakugou's hand sparkling quietly to emphasize his threat of bodily harm.

"Oh, so now we're going to talk this out? That's what I wanted from the very fucking beginning," Kyo hissed under his breath. His lips pulled back to highlight his glistening canines.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Well, do you want me to answer your questions, or do you want me to shut up? Make up your mind, dumbass!"

Bakugou barely stopped himself from crushing his throat right then. Too blinded by rage to think rationally. It almost felt like he was talking to Deku all of a sudden. If the nerd talked back and suddenly developed a sailor's mouth that rivaled Bakugou's very own. The conflicting mass of emotions he had regarding the little green pipsqueak did seem familiar when he compared it to his relationship with the shinobi under his foot. Maybe Bakugou was angry because Kyo was basically the blonde's double in more ways than he cared to admit. Or perhaps it was that he felt betrayed because he had come to befriend the exchange student over the past couple of weeks. Only to discover that he wasn't who had claimed to be. That Kyo had been hiding something from him all this time. A situation that was way too similar to the Deku and All Might fiasco.

In the aftermath of their scuffle, Bakugou's developing hero instincts faded until only a few jittery traces remained. With it, his head slowly began to clear. Leaving the explosive hero conflicted. He was at a loss of what to do. He had Kyo, a possible threat, pinned underneath him, but he couldn't exactly leave to tell Aizawa what he discovered. Not without releasing his captive to do so. Bakugou also couldn't restrain him for long without Kyo breaking free. He momentarily considered asking for a classmate's help, but when his hero senses flared up in opposition, he decided against it. Bakugou's instincts had never let him down before, so he trusted them full-heartedly. Though he wished he could ask Kirishima for help.

"So, what now?" The copper-haired teen asked the future hero. His eyes drooped heavily now that the adrenaline keeping him awake started to burn itself off. If Bakugou wanted answers, he would need to act quickly before Kyo was forced asleep from his powers. "Are you going to turn me in now that you've already branded me as a villain?"

"Are you admitting it?" Bakugou growled back. Unintentionally digging his heel into Kyo's throat a little more with the mention of villains. Kyo doesn't struggle against it. In fact, he extended his neck and turned his head in an entirely submissive gesture. His body visibly went slack to showcase to Bakugou that he was entirely at his mercy.

"I can't admit to what I'm not," Kyo answered back. His crimson eyes reflected with a renewed fiery resolve that wasn't there before. "We're not your enemies. We've come here to help you out. The fact that we're not from Binoshi doesn't change that," he continued in a sincere tone.

The future hero scoffed at that. "And I'm just supposed to believe that?" Bakugou sneered back.

Kyo almost looked hurt by the hero's words. He turned his head away from him, further exposing his vulnerable neck. "Believe me or don't. I have no control of what truth you choose to believe," Kyo replied sullenly. Leaving Bakugou wondering how he was able to read the shinobi's emotions so effortlessly.

"If you're not from Binoshi, where the hell do you three come from?"

"I think you already the answer to that," the copper-haired teen replied. His head slowly motioning toward the headband, lying on the floor a few feet away from them.

"But how is that possible?" growled the explosive hero. His brain was unable to make sense of the truth he'd known since discovering the headband was the real thing. "It's not a real place. It's a fictional story about made-up characters."

"No, they aren't. They're real people with lives and wills of their own," Kyo argued in a hushed tone. Before Bakugou could ask anything further, he continued, "You're just reading about people in a world different than yours."

This revelation surprised the blonde enough for him to remove his foot from his captive's throat. "A different world?" Bakugou repeated carefully. His crimson eyes hardened into a scrutinizing glare. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Exactly how it sounds stupid," Kyo coughed. His confidence raising a bit now that the blonde had removed his foot. He slowly brought a hand to rub his neck but made no attempt to sit up. Deciding to keep movements to a bare minimum until they worked their differences out. "There's more than one, you know. Infinite worlds even."

"And how would you know that?" the ash-blond questioned.

"Well, how else would you explain us being here?"

Kyo had him there. There was simply no other way to explain how he could be from the "fictional" Land of Fire. Bakugou pinched the bridge of his nose with what he felt was the beginning of a massive headache.

"Let's assume I believe you come from another world. How do you explain your presence in this world? How did you even get here?!" the future hero questioned. Struggling to keep his volume low enough that no one could accidentally overhear them.

"Because that's what we do," Kyo answered, so matter of fact. Like it was the simplest thing in the world. He blinked a few times when he noticed that Bakugou's expression quickly morphed into one that wanted to strangle him again. Not in the mood for another wrestling match, Kyo promptly elaborated, "It's kind of our job to travel across them. Helping people out whenever we can."

Kyo swiftly explained how he and his teammates grew up in the shinobi village Konohagakure instead of Binoshi. That his family possessed the ability to travel across multiple worlds, which they used to retrieve items and build connections with influential individuals for the sake of their home. However, after their mother died, they had steadily lost favor with the villagers. Most of which had grown to fear their extraordinary abilities. They ultimately decided it was in their best interest to leave that world behind before anything terrible occurred. Kyo explained that they had been looking for a new home ever since. Completing jobs whenever they could, to afford traveling, as well as build a rapport with the individuals they've met.

While Kyo continued with his explanation, the uneasiness in Bakugou's stomach slowly melted away. The concerns and questions he had about the trio since they had arrived at UA suddenly being addressed. He paid extra close attention to the shinobi's body language and tone of voice. Bakugou observed how Kyo's posture was relaxed, with only a slight tensing of his shoulders. Every now and then, the Copycat would break eye contact when he described his life in another dimension, but the emotions reflected in them were sincere. Kyo was genuine in his recounts as far as the future hero could discern. The shinobi was most likely keeping some vital pieces of information to himself, but regardless of this, Bakugou was sure that the trio wasn't working with the League of Villains at the very least. There were only a couple of things that still didn't add up.

"How the hell did you end up teaching at this school?"

Kyo let out a drawn-out sigh. "Would you believe me if I said Aizawa was grading papers in a tree when we landed here?" the copper-haired teen grumbled.

Bakugou could believe that. The only thing that could make that statement more on-brand for Aizawa was if he had been drinking soylent while he did so. "And he was on board with you being from another world?" he asked skeptically.

"Well, no," Kyo admitted plainly. He finally allowed himself to sit cross-legged. "He was very suspicious as you could imagine. Though once we explained that we weren't villains, but other-worldly travelers, he decided to help us out with lodging in exchange for helping your class out."

"It was that easy?"

"Well, he said something about wanting to keep an eye on us while we were in this world. Aizawa also threatened to 'Erase our existence' if we did anything terrible."

Sounded about right. Kyo's story seemed to check out.

Bakugou took a seat on his bed. Fatigue finally caught up with him. "I assume you want me to keep my mouth shut about this?" he grumbled half to himself. Pinching the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to lessen his migraine. Bakugou was really sick of being the keeper of everyone's dangerous secrets.

"That would be ideal," his roommate answered sheepishly. There was a small groan from Bakugou in response, followed by a few moments of silence before Kyo spoke up, "Can I ask you something?"

"What now?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me more about the manga?" He asked nervously.

"Weren't you from that world? Why do you even care?"

Kyo pursed his lips together before breaking eye contact from him. His cheeks shaded a light pink. "It might sound stupid to you, but I was kinda hoping my mother might have been in it. She died when I was 5, so I don't remember her all that much," he admitted with an embarrassed huff.

"You fucking serious?"

"It's stupid. Forget about it," the shinobi replied defensively. And with that, the copper-haired teen flopped down on the floor with his back facing the blonde. Kyo's head rested on his folded arm as if he were going to force himself to sleep right then to avoid talking further on the subject.

Bakugou regarded the discarded headband still lying on the floor a few feet away. Marveling at how such a trivial bloodstained item had started all of this.

Oh, that's why, he realized suddenly. Remembering how Kyo had stated that they had left that world after his mother was killed.

If she had died when they were 5. Then they wouldn't have been old enough to receive their headbands yet.

The thought settled heavily in the blonde's gut.

"That's your mother's headband, isn't it?" Bakugou found himself asking, even though he already knew the answer.

"What of it?"

Because this was a sensitive topic, Bakugou refrained from saying something snarky back. "The main story is about how Naruto becomes Hokage. I don't know who your mom is, but if she's in it, she probably didn't get a lot of time in the books," he explained in a curt tone. Before Kyo could get his hopes dashed, he continued, "But they've made a bunch of branch off stories since its original release that might have some more info of her."

"Really?" The copper-haired teen replied, hopefully. His head peeked over his shoulder to shoot him a sideways glance.

The ash-blonde grunted. "Yeah, I grew bored of it when I started middle school, so I wouldn't know for sure," Bakugou replied in a voice that conveyed that his middle school life was already more exciting than battling ninjas. "My mom is still a huge manga nerd, so maybe she knows for sure."

"Can you ask her about it?"

"Hell no, just come over this weekend and rummage through her collection yourself."

Crimson eyes blinked dumbly at the blonde for a few seconds. "Did you just invite me over to your house?"

"Shut up. Just get Aizawa's permission," Bakugou ordered, throwing one of his surviving pillows at Carrottop's face. It would serve him a lot better than using his arm as a cushion. Bakugou had a second reason for wanting to look into the mangas with Kyo. He wanted to confirm with his own eyes that the trio were who they said they were. Books that highlighted past experiences and showed their innermost thoughts would provide valuable insight into their lives and motives.

Bakugou wished that was the end of it, but life couldn't be that easy for him. Even though the future hero wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. He knew he had to settle one last thing first. With a sigh, he pushed himself off the bed and headed for the balcony.

"Where are you going?" Kyo wondered aloud.

"I have to take care of something. Don't wait up for me," the blonde grunted vaguely. Slamming the sliding glass door behind him before Bakugou could be questioned any further.

The cold air immediately nipped at his exposed face. He took a moment to warm his hands while he waits to see if Kyo attempted to follow after him. Doubtful with how exhausted he was. A few moments passed without any movement disturbing his dark curtains. Satisfied, Bakugou carefully walked to the railing and climbed on top. Being mindful of the slippery surface as he jumped from his balcony to Kirishima's. Upon landing, he quickly let himself into his friend's room.

It was dark, the only sound being the redhead's quiet snoring. The ash-blonde sat down on the bed. Absently wondering if he had jumped the gun a little bit. He gently shook his friend's shoulder to rouse him. "Kiri, wake up," he whispered quietly.

Bakugou wasn't sure if Kirishima could hear him with the strong sleeping medication he was recently prescribed for his nightmares. But eventually, a sleepy voice responded, "Bakugou?" The camo blanket shifted underneath him as the redhead moved to face him. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really," he grumbled awkwardly. It was going to be difficult to justify his actions without spilling the trio's secret. Deciding that it would be better not to sugar coat anything, the blonde just came out and said what was on his mind. "Something came up, so we have to reschedule our sleepover this weekend."

"How come?"

"I can't say, but it's really important," the explosive hero stressed, hoping that Kirishima would understand and leave it at that. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

There was a long pause. Just when Bakugou wondered if Kirishima had fallen asleep again, the redhead's voice proposed, "Only if you promise to come with me to therapy tomorrow."

Shit.

It was no use trying to put it off anymore. "Fine, whatever," Bakugou finally complied.

Even in the dark, Bakugou could see Kirishima's sleepy smile clearly. "Thanks, man," the redhead beamed, snuggling into his grumpy friend's side. His arms wrapped around his waist in an awkward hug. Already trying to pull him down into the bed. "You staying the rest of the night?"

The ash-blonde didn't bother replying. Instead, opting to playfully shove his friend until he was able to lie beside him. "Go to sleep Shitty-hair," he yawned. His eyes heavy with fatigue. Falling into a deep sleep, the second his head hit the pillow.

Dabi P. O. V.

The frigid December wind started to pick up during the witching hours early Friday morning. Not only did the air currents nip painfully at any exposed flesh, but it howled ominously through the city. If the local weatherman was correct, Japan was in for a devastating winter. Conditions such as these were enough to dissuade any sane person from venturing out for long, but a few people still mulled around despite the unfavorable weather.

"Why are we out here again?" a female voice asked for the thousandth time that night. Her knife trailed the brick wall of the alley they had just turned down.

"You know why Crazy," came Dabi's indifferent response. He didn't care much for her psychotic and completely unhinged personality, but even he couldn't deny she was a useful ally in a pinch. For some reason, their all-mighty leader always tasked him to babysit Toga and Twice since he was one of the few people in their group able to tolerate their antics.

Ever since they lost their true leader, All For One, they had been at a loss of what to do. So while he rotted in Tartarus, the rest of them were forced to go into hiding. Constantly having to look over their shoulders for the Pro-heroes that hunted them down relentlessly. A task that was difficult to accomplish since they also needed to build up their ranks considerably. So members were sent out to find possible new recruits while Shiagraki brainstormed ways to force the hero society to its knees.

How did my life end up like this? Wondered the villain as they rounded another corner. Small amounts of steam rolled off his body as the cold air came into contact with his always overheated body. Dabi and Toga had roamed the streets for a few hours now. Without seeing so much as a stray cat in the process. They should have known this night would have been a bust with how cold it was. He was just about to suggest heading back to their hideout when he heard an excited shriek from his partner.

"Dabi, check out that woman's hoodie! Isn't it adorable?" Toga giggled, playfully grabbing onto his steaming arm. Her finger pointed excitedly at a woman 30 feet from them in what appeared to be a snake-eyed hoodie. The atmosphere around her suddenly shifted. You could practically see the madness overtake her as her golden eyes glazed over. Her fangs on full display as her face contorted into her signature psychotic grin.

"I want it."

"Wait-" he began, but it was too late. She had already disappeared from his side.

Toga reappeared in front of the woman a second later. "I'll be taking that hoodie sweety," she announced in a deceptively cheerful voice. With the flash of her hand, she instantly buried a knife into the woman's gut. Twisting it viciously before ripping it from her body with a spray of blood. Dosing her victim and herself in the process. A reasonable person might believe the coveted hoodie to be ruined in such a state, but to Toga, the blood added the finishing touches.

"Thank you!" she giggled, bringing the knife to her lips. Giving it a leisurely lick as if she was tasting delicious popsicle instead of a knife dripping with blood.

Dabi ran a hand through his dark hair. "Hey Crazy, you really need to practice some self-control," he chastised, placing his burnt hands into his pockets. Ready to put some distance between them and this gruesome crime scene. "Hurry up, we need to-"

He was interrupted by the abrupt sound of someone throwing up and a knife clattering to the ground. The villain looked over his shoulder to see Toga doubled over in pain. Her hands clutched her throat desperately as she continued to throw up the contents of her stomach. Standing over her, perfectly alright, was the woman Toga had stabbed. The hood that had recently been pulled up now laid flat against her back to reveal a woman in her late twenties with golden hair pulled into a long braid and matching eyes that reflected the moonlight in a way that could only be described as demonic.

Dabi could only watch in disbelief as the woman crouched beside Toga. Her hand gently gripped the shapeshifter's face to make her look into her intimidating eyes. A pathetic mewl escaped the blonde's lips as she came to the realization that she was at the mercy of this mystery woman.

"You need to pick your targets better, sweety," the woman criticized in an incredibly alluring tone. Throwing Toga's fake term of endearment back in her face. Her thumb stroked her cheek in the same fashion a parent mind comfort a terrified child.

I could incinerate her in an instant, Dabi estimated to himself.

If he planned it right, he could even avoid hitting Toga. She might get scorched a little in the process, but it was better than dying. Dabi was about to put his plan into action when her off-putting eyes flicked toward him for the first time. Sending a visible chill down his spine.

"It's a shame, isn't it?" she mused aloud wistfully. Her golden gaze turning back to her prey. Her fangs glittered in the moonlight like a snake sizing up a terrified mouse. The woman's long blood tipped nails, traced a small design onto Toga's cheek. "Poor thing can't even tell when someone is out of her league. How about you, boy?"

It was then that he realized that his cheek stung. He brought a hand up to it to feel it slick with blood. When did she? The villain wondered to himself.

"Who are you?" Dabi finally growled back. Steadily coming to terms that they were severely outmatched. That they were both in danger of losing their lives if this encounter ended with them coming to blows. But he would be damned if he went down without a fight. Blue flames started to dance across his palm as he awaited her next attack. Dabi absently regretted that he hadn't had the chance to take down Endeavour before he died.

However, her next attack never came. The woman simply shot him a wicked smile. Her hand doing a weird hand signal, which caused Toga to gasp as some of the pain in her throat lessened in intensity. Which allowed Dabi's crazy teammate to breathe a little easier.

"I've been called many things throughout my travels. Stealer of Powers, Witch of Calamity and Tamer of Demons, to name a few," the woman expressed in a tone that commanded nothing short of respect.

"But, you boy may call me Medusa."

---

Hesci Everyone! Hello Everyone! I thought I would add some Mvskoke Language in honor of it being Native American Heritage Month here in the States. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize if you thought it was long. I wanted to start moving the plot along. With the beginnings of Bakugou discovering one of the trio's secrets as well as introduce another villain who will be playing a big part with the overall plot.

If you recognized the fidgety hero sense that Bakugou briefly described, it is actually a Headcanon from AnonymousTwist. They are one of my favorite writers on this platform. If you enjoy Bakugou centric stories I highly recommend you check out some of their stories. They just came out with one entitled Hero Sense, which goes into further detail about the fidgety feeling Bakugou and Kyo gets when something detrimental is about to happen. Though, I've tweaked it a little bit to fit my needs. Basically to be the opposite of Aizawa and Tsubasa's foresight.

Like always, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and I hope you continue to keep reading. If you would be so kind as to give me kudos, likes or leave a review or comments on the story so far would be absolutely amazing. Not only does it help validate the work I've put into this story, but it also motivates me to update faster knowing people are actually reading and enjoying it. You don't have to sing it praises either. Let me know if the chapters are too long, if I'm moving the plot to slow or if I need to add or cut out fight scenes or personal interactions. If you have a ship or friendship that you love, I can try to work that in.

Translation for Kyo's cursing: Fucking shit! Shut the fuck up! Hell, this sucks! Fucking prosecuting attorney prostitute fuck! Suck a dick Sparky!