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.

9. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Tsubasa P. O. V.

Freezing rain had started to pour down on the city in the wee hours of Friday morning. The rhythmic thrumming of the rain splattering against the roof was only interrupted by the occasional clap of thunder echoing in the distance. The sudden downpour fizzled out the remnants of a disturbing dream.

Images of blue flames, coughed up blood, and golden eyes caused Tsubasa to wake up with a start. The heavy blankets flew off him as his wings hastily unsheathed from his back in sheer panic. His amber eyes trembled in correlation with his body as his lungs heaved in as much oxygen as they could muster. Sweat dripped down his face despite the below-freezing temperatures wafting through the open window.

For the last two weeks, the winged shinobi had been plagued with nightmares instead of his usual visions. An embarrassing feat for a prominent Dreamwalker. One who up until this point possessed the power to control his own dream space. Perhaps it was fortunate that he wasn't on speaking terms with his older brother. Kyo would never let him hear the end of it.

He winced at the thought of him. Actually, he'd probably be furious with me instead, the brunette thought bitterly.

While Tsubasa still received perceptive dreams regarding their mission. They were becoming garbled and less frequent. It was as if something was blocking his powers altogether.

Perhaps this interference was what got in the way of Aizawa's foresight abilities from awakening before now? Regardless of the reason, it created a backdoor for his fears to take root in his mind.

Tsubasa's most reoccurring nightmare was of his teammate Tohru becoming the Destroyer of Worlds. A dream where she slaughtered everyone and everything in her path in her quest to bring Kyo back to life, with a darker version of himself standing faithfully at her side. It was the vision he had seen in the moments before his brother's death. The future that had convinced Tsubasa to risk everything to rewind time in an effort to spare his life.

As if to punish the brunette even further for the sin he committed, this scenario constantly repeated itself in the back of his mind. Reminding Tsubasa that just because he managed to save Kyo once, this future could still come to pass if he should ever be killed again. The threat loomed over them, like a deadly promise. Each time the dream started, the brunette would be forced to watch the same vision play out, unable to change anything as people were massacred in front of him. It had always been the same vision playing out without change, that was until that night.

Tonight, for the first time since the initial premonition occurred, the scenery changed. Tsubasa found himself standing in the ruined remains of UA Highschool. Amber eyes watched in horror as the once sweet Tohru cut through hero after hero and student after student. Nameless beings at first, but before too long, familiar forms joined the endless sea of corpses at her feet. Even though Tsubasa knew it would be in vain, he desperately tried to move from the spot he stood rooted to the floor to no avail.

"Tohru!" A familiar voice called out. Giving the kunoichi pause in her murder spree. They both turned to see an unmistakable head of spiky red hair come into view. Beside him were a familiar pair of crimson eyes. Just not the ones Tohru wished to see. These ones were ablaze with unmeasurable fury.

"You've got to stop this, Tohru! This isn't you!" Kirishima pleaded desperately.

"You think that stupid Copycat would want you to turn into this?!" Bakugou boomed beside him. They were both beat-to-hell with what appeared to be fatal injuries. Even still, instead of fighting her, they tried to convince her to stop this madness for herself. "You think he'd want to be brought back like this?"

Bakugou's words made the kunoichi hesitate. It helped that they sounded vaguely like Kyo. For a brief second, her crazed eyes became clear. But then an invisible attack landed on Tohru, breaking the spell. Angered, she grabbed hold of Hagakure and violently impaled her on a rusty pole jutting out of the pile of corpses.

Finished with that, she immediately set her sights on the two heroes. Throwing her hands up in their direction to thrust a giant wall of fire at them. Bakugou Immediately stepped in front of Kirishima to blast through her attack with the full power of his gauntlets. However, before either attack hit, an intense flurry of cherry blossom petals flooded into his dream. Successfully chasing away the remnants of his nightmare.

As his dream broke apart, Tsubasa heard a disembodied voice. "Wake up, Tsubasa. If you don't like what you see, change it." The feminine voice reminded him that this was merely a nightmare and nothing more. That he shouldn't take them too seriously since they weren't real visions of the future.

After what seemed like an eternity, Tsubasa finally managed to catch his breath. Wiping the sweat from his brow as his wings slowly laid flat against his back. The tips of them still ruffled up in a clear sign of distress. He glanced to his right and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the bed beside him empty. Luckily his insomniac roommate had a habit of staying up late to play videogames in the common room. The last thing the shinobi needed right then was for the previous general studies student to tell Aizawa about this little episode.

The brunette tenderly plucked a feather that had been knocked loose from his abrupt waking. A frown graced his face as he regarded the small copperish brown plume. The lighter orange coloring around the rim barely visible within the darkness of the room. His wings usually sprouted from his back the moment he fell asleep, a side-effect of his foresight abilities activating whenever he slept, but now they sheathed themselves instead. In their travels, this had never happened before. Not only that, but his eyes began to hurt the longer they stayed in this world. For the first time in his life, Tsubasa felt genuinely blind.

"I don't know what this sudden lapse in my abilities means for us, but I can't let this dispute between Kyo and I jeopardize our mission," the young dreamwalker whispered to himself. Committing himself to share what he experienced with his teammates to better plan what their next course of action should be.

Kirishima P. O. V.

The soothing smell of sage and sweetgrass, along with trace amounts of Midnight's Somnambulist quirk, gently filled the back office she used for her therapy sessions with a mesmerizing purple haze. This assortment of aromas was designed to help the students in her care relax, as well as become more at ease during this vulnerable and sometimes triggering experience. Despite the numerous scents filtering through the room, it was in no way overwhelming or overly distracting. The pleasant aroma was smoky with an underlying sweetness, reminiscent of freshly cut cedar being tossed onto a dwindling flame. A scent that never failed to soothe Kirishima after accompanying Bakugou on many of his family camping trips. A quick glance out of the corner of his eye revealed that his hot-headed friend also seemed put at ease by that familiar smell. A welcome treat after enduring a grueling test in English that had left the redhead with a mild migraine.

Off to a good start, Kirishima bemused himself. His mind absently recalled the events of the last few hours that led the duo here in the first place.

After the exam, the rest of the school day passed by in a blur. Everyone was too exhausted to engage in the usual class hijinks after spending hours diligently studying the night before. However, an unlucky few were rudely woken up from the mysterious ruckus that came from Bakugou's room in the wee hours of the morning.

Class-A's sleepy murmurings over breakfast recounted how what started off as a few occasional loud thumps quickly escalated to what sounded like full-on brawling with things smashing and breaking. Apparently, their class president had eventually attempted to put a stop to it the noise but had been scared off when two kunai lodged themselves through the door. Just barely missing his hand. That excessive response successfully thwarted any further attempts to get involved for the rest of the night.

A few brave souls tried to pry the information about what happened from the two hotheads throughout the day. While the rest of the class shamelessly eavesdropped. However, much to the dorm's disappointment, they both stayed tight-lipped about the incident. Only revealing that they'd be going off campus together this weekend for some obscure reason. Leaving it up to everyone's imagination to what possibly transpired between them.

Not even Kirishima knew the whole truth about the incident. Having felt it wasn't his place to ask. So he had held his tongue on the subject. But the entire situation left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had been looking forward to their sleepover for a couple weeks now since he'd been barred from leaving campus until his mental health improved. Despite this, Kirishima respected Bakugou's wishes knowing he'd only break his promise if he had a good reason to do so. Instead of intruding on Bakugou's personal business, Kirishima had simply requested that his friend accompany him to today's therapy session. Believing it would do Bakugou some good.

At least, the redhead had meant it to be a suggestion. It wasn't until the following morning when Kirishima reflected back on his actions that Kirishima realized that his hazed induced statement came off as an ultimatum.

Guilt immediately consumed the future hero for pressuring Bakugou into something he already felt uncomfortable with. Maybe if he wasn't so heavily drugged from his new sleeping pills, Kirishima could have been able to suggest it in a way that didn't seem so forceful. However, as Kirishima dwelled on his questionable actions. He had to admit there was one driving force that drove him to do what he did.

He looked so...distraught last night.

Kirishima just couldn't shake the image of how troubled his friend had looked when he had snuck into his room that night. Even through the haziness of his mind, Kirishima recalled how Bakugou's hair had been messier than usual. That his clothes were clearly roughed up and also torn in some places as if from a scuffle. The redhead's drowsy eyes were drawn to the frown on Bakugou's face. His trademark scowl nowhere in sight within the room's dim lighting. Finally, there was the way his shoulders sagged slightly in on himself. As if being crushed by the weight of the world itself. Minor details that could easily be explained away or brushed off as something trivial by someone else.

But not to Kirishima.

Perhaps it was because the shark-toothed teen had grown exceptionally close with the angered teen this past year, that he was able to discern subtle discrepancies within Bakugou's tough-guy facade. To Kirishima, these inconsistencies were flags as angry and red as the eyes of their hot-tempered wielder.

Kirishima had only seen Bakugou like this once before. It had been the night Bakugou confided in him. With that thought in his head, Kirishima had blurted out that he wanted Bakugou to join him to his session with Midnight. Desperate for his friend to get the psychological help he needed. While Kirishima was honored, Bakugou had trusted him enough to confide in him about his traumatic experiences, the redhead knew he wasn't skilled enough to help him work through his trauma. Hell, he was having a hard enough time battling his own anxieties at the moment. They both needed professional guidance to help put the pieces of themselves back together again.

Kirishima was fully ready to argue the importance of Bakugou getting the treatment he needed if the blonde had refused his request. Still, to his surprise, Bakugou agreed rather quickly. A feat that worried him to no end. He couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that something monumental must have happened to Bakugou, aka the most stubborn person in the universe. That was the only rational conclusion for him to roll over so easily on something he'd been refusing to do for months.

I hope whatever happened to him, we will be able to work through it, Kirishima had whispered to himself as he led the ash-blonde through the halls. Trying his best to ignore the excited chatter of their classmates who were free to enjoy the start of their weekend on that uncharacteristically sunny afternoon. A therapy session wasn't the quality time Kirishima had been hoping for. Still, he hoped it will do them both some good regardless.

"Come on in boys. Take a seat," the R-rated hero greeted cheerfully when they let themselves into her makeshift office. She gestured a hand toward the comfy looking dark purple loveseat in front of her. At the same time, she remained seated in a regular computer chair. Two inviting ceramic mugs of freshly poured tea and a plate of cookies rested on the table between them.

Kirishima had already warned Midnight that he would be bringing Bakugou to their next session earlier in the day, which she thought was a marvelous idea. No doubt, she also believed the explosive hero could benefit from healthily working through his feelings. Her enthusiasm was evident in her spontaneous decision to replace the little beat-up chair the redhead had come to know in his past sessions. Replacing it with something a little more "youthful."

When Bakugou hesitated in the doorway, the Ball-of-Sunshine gave his shoulder a gentle nudge before walking toward the couch. The hothead visibly assessed his options with narrowed eyes before letting out a "tch." With a dramatic roll of his eyes, he trudged over to the empty spot on the couch with his hands buried deep in his pockets. His feet immediately propped themselves on the edge of the coffee table.

"Nuh-uh, feet off unless you want a beating," Midnight ordered with a hint of playfulness in her voice. She shook her faithful leather whip a couple times for good measure. Her tongue slowly licked her lips in delight. Daring Bakugou to disobey her.

Kirishima could practically hear the blonde's teeth grind together in agitation from where he sat beside his friend. His feet reluctantly dragged off their perch without a word. Bakugou's crimson eyes glared intently into their sensei's smug sky blue gaze as he did so.

This is going to be a very long hour, realized the poor Ball-of-Sunshine as he facepalmed at his friend's excessiveness.

After the initial exchange, the rest of the meeting continued rather smoothly. Their teacher started with light topics such as how their school work was going or their relationships with other students before divulging into more sensitive subjects. While the session mainly focused on Kirishima, Midnight did a commendable job, including Bakugou in the conversation, by asking him questions every now and then or giving him a chance to offer his thoughts on the advice she offered the redhead. This allowed the experience to feel like a casual conversation between colleagues instead of thrusting Bakugou straight into the nitty-gritty of revealing his deepest darkest fears to a stranger. It was a brilliant way to introduce him to the concept of therapy. One Kirishima knew his friend appreciated, with how his body slowly relaxed overtime when he realized the meeting wouldn't be directed at him for the time being.

With some luck, Bakugou might feel comfortable enough to schedule his own therapy sessions, Kirishima thought hopefully. A toothy grin on his face.

"How did English go today?" Midnight asked both of them before taking a sip of her tea. Her red nails stood out brightly against the muted green color of the mug. After a few moments, Midnight let out a satisfied sigh before continuing mischievously, "Mic. told me he prepared a 'doozy' of an exam for you all."

In true Bakugou fashion, the hothead muttered an irritable, "It was the easiest thing I've taken all term," before the redhead had the chance to respond. The explosive teen had shifted in his seat a couple inches closer to the door as he spoke. His crimson eyes glanced toward the clock impatiently for what seemed to be the hundredth time. "Tell him to try harder."

Kirishima chuckled awkwardly at the ash-blonde's answer before offering his own response. "It was a little difficult for me. I didn't get the last question at all," he admitted as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Painfully aware of the growing distance between them. The corner of his smile twitched downward ever so slightly.

When they sat on the couch, Bakugou made sure to keep a respectable distance between them despite the small size of the loveseat. Kirishima tried not to take offense at that since he knew Bakugou didn't like them to be too close to each other in public. Especially in full view of a teacher. So the Ball-of-Sunshine forced a half-hearted smile to keep up appearances. But it still hurt. And it continued to hurt with every shift further away and every glance at the clock.

Is Bakugou that impatient to go home with Kyo after this?

"You could work on your tact, young man," their purple-haired instructor scolded Bakugou bluntly.

She gently pulled at the thin material of her sleeve to allow a little more of the purple aroma that flowed from her body to mix into the air. At that amount, it wasn't potent enough to knock them out, but enough to lower their inhibitions ever so slightly. It was common for her to strengthen the dose of her quirk when she was prepared to delve deeper into more sensitive topics. It usually took some time to affect Kirishima at this quantity. However, since his body was still adjusting to his new anxiety medication, Kirishima already began to feel his eyelids droop, while his mind began to fall into a hypnotic trance.

In his stupor, Bakugou's retort and their teacher's equally heated response was lost on the redhead as his mind wander off without his consent. His thoughts fixated on reviewing the events of the day. More notably, how off Bakugou's actions seemed to be. Nothing like his usual mood of "talk to me, and you're dead." But instead, his friend tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. It was the most subdued Kirishima had ever seen him. Even counting the time after his kidnapping. It was as if Bakugou wasn't even there half the time. Doing everything in his power to distance himself from everyone else. The ash-blond just couldn't be bothered to engage with anything around him. The fact that he was actually participating in the therapy session was a miracle in itself.

Come to think of it, Kyo had been acting strange as well. After oversleeping a couple hours, missing homeroom entirely as a result. The shinobi seemed to have been putting in an exorbitant amount of effort into appearing as if nothing had happened between him and his explosive friend. Despite numerous people hearing some kind of racket coming from their room the night before. Whenever someone tried to ask Kyo about it, he would laugh off their questions and change the subject. His crimson eyes lacked their usual playfulness. It was as if the two teens had some kind of falling out.

But if that were the case, why spend the weekend together?

Kirishima's mind slowly became increasingly bitter when he began to dwell on his hurt feelings over their canceled plans. Ever since the class grew by four students, Bakugou and Kirishima barely had the chance to talk by themselves. While he adored Tohru and valued Kyo's friendship, he had been looking forward to some one-on-one time with his hot-headed... friend?

The redhead still wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was yet. They hadn't had the chance to discuss it before their nightmares had started up again with renewed vigor. This hurt even more after witnessing Kyo and Tohru's romantic relationship firsthand. Kirishima wanted nothing more than to be open with his ambiguous relationship with Bakugou. Because of that, he was insanely jealous of "Kyoru" and the budding friendship between the explosive teens. Feeling like he was being pushed aside for a stranger made the sturdy hero's eyes sting with unshed tears.

It's kind of my fault though, Kirishima mused. Recalling how he lied to the blonde when he had checked in with him that morning. Bakugou looked like he hadn't slept a wink that night. The dark circles under his eyes stood out against his pale skin.

Was he too stressed out to sleep again? Or did his nightmares come back while I slept on peacefully?

Seeing Bakugou like that, the redhead couldn't help himself from trying to ease his worries. Kirishima wasn't proud of his actions by any means. Still, he casually brushed off to what degree the change in plans had actually hurt him. Choking back his disappointment with a fake smile plastered onto his face. However, Bakugou-the ever keen observer-didn't seem to believe him.

He checked in with me repeatedly throughout the day, Kirishima chastised himself. Guilt turning his stomach uncomfortably. It was apparent that Bakugou wanted to make sure that he was alright. That he cared about his feelings. Still, the redhead continued to lie through his monstrous teeth. Reassuring Bakugou that he was perfectly fine every single time it came up.

I guess Midnight was right when she said I still had some self-worth issues that needed to be worked out.

Bakugou must have seen through him because he promised to make it up to him when he returned on Sunday. Stating that the therapy session was only the beginning. Kirishima was too busy getting lost in an endless cycle of self-deprecation to notice that Midnight and Bakugou had finished their bout of insults and had continued on with the appointment.

"You boys have any exciting plans for the weekend?" she practically giggled, taking another sip of her tea. Her wild imagination probably daydreamed about some youthful adventure they might be doing to relax after a grueling week of hero work. Perhaps it was a good thing Midnight didn't know about their undefined relationship. "You both secured permission to leave campus together this weekend, correct?"

After UA established the dorm system, it was difficult to be granted permission to leave campus outside of school activities. You had to submit a request form two weeks in advance, which had to be signed by your homeroom teacher and another school administrator. You also had to be accompanied by at least one other student the entire length of the trip as a safety precaution. Because Midnight was in charge of gauging Kirishima's mental health, she had been required to sign off on his well being. The joyous redhead had chattered about potential plans the entire time she was signed off on it.

Still, under the effects of her quirk, which made him highly susceptible to questioning, Kirishima mumbled a glum, "Bakugou's going home with Kyo this weekend," before he had a chance to stop himself. The shock of his statement immediately snapped him back to reality. His hands instinctively slapped over his mouth in horror. But it was too late. The words were spoken with no way to take them back. His scarlet eyes trembled at the realization of what he'd just done.

Bakugou's going to kill me… he thought in horror, Not daring to sneak a glance to his right.

Midnight's expression fell. The slightest trace of a pout on her lips as she regarded them both thoughtfully for a moment. Kirishima's body sank a little further into the couch under her gaze.

"How come?" the seasoned hero inquired gently when neither boy offered an explanation.

"Something came up," Bakugou grumbled under his breath. Crossing his arms with an angry huff. Becoming increasingly defensive with her prying. The sofa cushions shifted underneath them from the movement, but Kirishima made no move to look up from his fixed gaze on his lap. Unable to bring himself to meet his classmate's fiery eyes. "So drop it."

"Oh, come now," Midnight scolded sternly, slamming her mug onto the table a little harder than she needed to. Her tone conveyed that she was not afraid to put a disruptive child in his place. Her sky-blue eyes narrowed slightly at the blonde. "It's healthy to talk these things out. In case you forgot, that's kind of how therapy works."

There was another "Tsk," from Bakugou, which she rolled her eyes at.

"Besides," she continued. "I was speaking to Kiri," she replied sweetly, bending over to pat her favorite patient's knee encouragingly. After a couple pats, her hand moved up to gently grip his chin to guide his gaze away from his lap.

"Eyes up, Kiri. Heroes have to keep their heads up," she replied with a reassuring smile.

However, the sentiment was lost on him since the action gave both boys an uncomfortably close look at her cleavage. The would-be-heroes immediately averted their gaze. Their cheeks burning a deep shade of red as they did so. The result forced them to hold awkward eye contact for the first time since Kirishima's initial outburst. The troubled crimson orbs staring back at him completely absent of any sort of anger. Only mild annoyance. Which was a relief, to say the least.

Good, he's not angry!

Midnight laughed at their reactions, breaking them out of their thoughts. "So, Bakugou, why the change in plans?" she inquired gently while refilling everyone's cups. Correct in her assumption that this was the blonde's decision. "You still have an Audiologist appointment, don't you? I know you're well aware that you especially are not allowed to leave campus alone. "

Kirishima watched as his friend sink a little further into his seat under their expectant gaze. His face turned away from them, making it difficult to read his expression. Though it was clear from the way his shoulders tensed and how his finger tapped on the arm of the purple loveseat in intermittent intervals, that he wished he were anywhere but there.

"I know that," Bakugou finally answered after a long pause. Before anyone could ask a follow-up question, he continued, "I lost a bet with that damn copycat, so I have to take him home instead this time around. I'm only here now to make it up to Kirishima," Bakugou muttered. Finishing his statement by pointing a thumb at the redhead before placing his hand on the cushion between them. His face finally turned back to face them after his brief explanation.

He's lying. Kirishima realized with his mouth slightly agape. But that can't be. Bakugou's not a liar!

The explosive hero of their class was many things; stubborn, vindictive, and insanely tenacious, but a liar wasn't one of them. The explosive hero felt so strongly about stating the truth and staying true to himself that he put his own life in jeopardy when he was kidnapped. All because he refused to lie to put himself in a better position with his captors.

What is he doing?

The sturdy hero felt a slight dip on the sofa. His eyes looked down to see Bakugou's hand releasing its hold from where he had been intentionally disturbing the space between them. His fingers subtly crossed over each other. Their way of signaling to one another that they would explain something when they were in private.

Before Midnight had a chance to see his signal, he irritably snapped, "Now last I checked this session wasn't about putting me on blast." His arms immediately crossed above his head as he leaned back against the purple sofa. A leg coming up to rest across the other to complete his usual sitting position. "So hurry up and get to work on fixing Kiri."

The silence in the room after Bakugou's remark was deafening as everyone processed what he just said. Even the blonde seemed surprised by his own words. Midnight, of course, recovered first and squealed loudly at the hothead's slip of the tongue thanks to her quirk. While Kirishima couldn't stop himself from chuckling at how red Bakugou's cheeks turned from the embarrassment of saying Kirishima's nickname in public.

"Shut up!" Bakugou ordered angrily. "Stupid useless quirk!"

It took them a while to quiet down their laughter. When they finally did, Midnight continued by asking Kirishima how he'd been sleeping since their last session. She didn't mention his night terrors or him being prescribed anxiety and sleeping medication in case Bakugou wasn't aware of that. It was unnecessary in this case since the redhead had shared everything with Bakugou already. However, her consideration of his privacy made his heart flutter with happiness.

"I've been sleeping much better after taking the medication," Kirishima replied with a grin. He risked a glance at his classmate, who was listening with feigned indifference. Hoping to steer the conversation toward a productive topic, he continued with, "I still have nightmares, but they aren't as frequent or vivid as they were before."

The R-rated hero nodded at his statement. "That's to be expected. You've only been taking them for a couple weeks now," the dark-haired woman explained as she scribbled a quick note on her clipboard. Offering him a reassuring smile when she was finished. "Though I'm thrilled to hear that your dreams aren't as extreme as they were before. That's some amazing progress already."

Kirishima heard a soft annoyed snort from Bakugou. To him, anything slower than instant was unacceptable for this type of problem.

It's hard to blame him when you consider what he's lived through.

Midnight quickly offered him a few tips on how Kirishima could deal with his nightmares in the future before they delved deeper into heavier topics. The redhead soaked up every bit of information she provided. Harnessing every once of his willpower to refrain from glancing at Bakugou as they discussed nightmares. Hoping that his friend was listening to her advice as intently as he was.

"Sweetie, could you tell us when your last nightmare was and what it was about?"

"I believe it was last week after I used my Unbreakable form during training," Kirishima replied after a brief moment of deliberation. That was definitely a low point in his training. The sturdy hero had stepped in to shield his teammates from one of Midoriya's supercharged kicks when he lost his footing and was thrown backward from the force. He was perfectly fine but ended up injuring Ojiro when he collided into him in that form. A quick trip to Recovery Girl later, and the tailed hero was back in tip-top shape. But it didn't help Kirishima feel like any less of a liability to his teammates. "I guess it triggered my memories of fighting Kendo Rappa?"

She scribbled another quick note on her clipboard. "Do you feel comfortable describing what happened during your dream for us?" she asked in a soothing tone.

The redhead nodded. Without missing a beat, he began to describe his experience fighting the villain in his Unbreakable form in as much detail as he could muster. He had already told Bakugou about the incident multiple times after exceptionally vivid night terrors. Even after hearing about it countless times, Bakugou still listened intently every single time he brought it up. Ready to offer support whenever he needed it.

Halfway through his retelling, Kirishima unconsciously brought his knees into his chest. His arms wrapped around to hold them against himself protectively. The growing lump in his throat caused the words to catch audibly every now and then as he recounted how in his dream, he fought alone. If either of the heroes noticed, they had the decency not to show it. Kirishima reluctantly explained how he felt outmatched without Fatgum there to support him. The result being his body and fighting spirit breaking under pressure. His nightmare continued on for what seemed like forever as he was beaten to a bloody pulp. Leaving him feeling completely useless long after he'd finally woken up.

Trying to stay positive, the redhead forced a small smile onto his face. "I'm so thankful for all the friends I've made at UA. They're all so supportive of me," Kirishima admitted as he rested his chin on his knees. His arms tightened around himself slightly. "They've all pushed me to better myself. I never would have gotten as strong as I have without them encouraging me along the way."

He shifted his gaze to his best friend. "In fact, Bakugou was the one who helped me come up with my Unbreakable form in the first place. If it wasn't for him and everyone else, I don't think I would still be here today," he admitted quietly. A sad smile on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a hint of pink coloring Bakugou's face.

"It's important to have a network of people you can trust and rely on," Midnight praised in a soothing tone. Her hand straightened an old photo of her, Aizawa, Present Mic, and another boy Kirishima didn't recognize, back in their UA days on the table in front of them. "It's equally important for you to be there for them as well."

"I know… and I try my best to be there for everyone when I can," Kirishima whispered back somberly. A dark shadow fell across his face as he remembered how his attempts to help Bakugou resulted in his nightmares coming again worse than before. Suddenly finding it hard to make direct eye contact with either of them, his gaze fell to the floor.

"Is anything else worrying you, sweetie?" Midnight questioned, noticing his change in expression.

Not wanting to reveal Bakugou's nightmares to her without the blonde's permission, he reluctantly focused the conversation on himself. "It's just-I can't shake the feeling that I'm not progressing as fast as everyone else. If I can't keep up, I feel that everyone will eventually leave me behind," Kirishima admitted over the lump in his throat.

"I've already told you that's not going to happen!" Bakugou snapped, whirling to face him. His igniting fist slammed against the arm of the loveseat. Scorching a perfect ring into the new material much to Midnight's disappointment.

"How do you know that?" Kirishima asked so quietly they had to strain to hear him. His voice cracking slightly while his body curled in on itself even further. Recognizing his own self-worth had always been his most significant shortcoming. The familiar sensation of his old self trying to drag him back down into the endless abyss of depression that ruled over his middle school day's tightened its hold over him.

The redhead was startled back to reality when a steady hand roughly yanked his arm away from himself. "Knock it off, Shitty-Hair!" Bakugou ordered, his voice slightly distressed.

However, instead of the hothead's words, Kirishima was focused on the drops of crimson that rolled off the hardened tips of his fingers. He hadn't realized that he had activated his quirk in his vulnerable emotional state to absently scratch the top of his hand while he spoke. His extremely capable nails made quick work of his hand, which was now slick with blood.

"Stop shitting yourself!" the explosive hero chided harshly. His eyes practically on fire with how furious he was. Bakugou tightened his grip on his wrist until Kirishima released the effects of his quirk. "Do you honestly think that any of those idiots would ever leave you alone? Hell, I've been trying everything I can think of to chase them off for the better part of a year. Only to be surrounded by even more sidekicks of all hours of the day!"

"Bakugou-" The R-rated hero warned. Straightening up in her seat to rein in the hot-tempered teen, only to be rudely cut off by him.

"Besides," he interjected, his voice growing louder as if to forcibly drill his words through his hard-headed friend. "In case you forgot, you're one of the strongest members of our class. One of the only ones to ever get a consistent win over me in training. You doubting your abilities indirectly undermines the quality of mine. Are you saying I'm a fucking weakling?" he challenged through grit teeth.

"W-what? Of course not!" Kirishima stammered. Having trouble following the blonde's statements.

"Damn straight," Bakugou smirked. Finally releasing his hold on the other teen's wrist. His crimson eyes softened ever so slightly. "So by that logic, you aren't one either."

In a somber tone, Bakugou added, "I don't associate with weaklings. I never want to hear you say that you don't have what it takes to be a hero ever again. You got that?"

Kirishima could only nod.

Bakugou…

"Again, your delivery could use some work Bakugou, but for the most part, I agree with your sentiment," Midnight sighed after a moment of awkward silence. She calmly pulled a first aid kit from under her chair. This, unfortunately, wasn't the first time that Kirishima had accidentally activated his quirk when overly emotional. So she was better prepared to deal with incidents like this when they transpired. As Midnight tenderly cleaned and wrapped his wound, she continued to build off the statements Bakugou had previously made.

"Kirishima, listen to us. You are very much appreciated by those around you. I want you to trust their judgment of you as a person until you are better equipped to recognize it for yourself."

Her gaze then shifted to regard both teens at once. "No one in this world can truly survive by themselves. The relationships we make throughout our lives inspire us to be something better than what we are. I want you both to remember that it's not a sign of weakness to depend on others. Understand?"

"Yes," they both answered, though at different levels of enthusiasm.

Finishing her role as medic Midnight decided to change the topic to a lighter subject for the remainder of their shared appointment. The pro-hero deciding to return to this issue when Bakugou wasn't present. "Now, then, how about we finish our session by discussing how you're both getting along with your new classmates?" Midnight asked cheerfully as she packed up her medical kit.

Kirishima perked up a little at this. Anything to distract him from dwelling on himself was always ideal. "I've really enjoyed their company so far," he answered with a genuine smile. He summarized for their teacher that he had gotten a few fighting pointers from Tsubasa. That he enjoyed hanging out with Kyo after class, but mostly that he absolutely adored Tohru.

"Something is soothing about her. She seems to spread happiness wherever she goes."

The redhead felt a shift to his right. Glancing in that direction, he saw his explosive friend's scowl had returned to his face. His arms were crossed in front of him instead of in his pockets like they usually were.

What's his deal? Does he have a problem with Tohru now too?

Noticing this change as well, Midnight immediately asked for the explosive hero's opinion. "How about you, Bakugou? How do you feel about them?"

Kirishima had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. It was a terrible habit he had picked up from Bakugou over the last few months. Everyone knew that the ash-blonde's default response usually dripped with dangerous levels of sarcasm.

Come on, we know he's going to say something like them being annoying like the rest of the class. However, what the ash-blonde responded next was anything but expected.

Bakugou remained silent for a few seconds. His lips pursed tightly into a scowl. With a huff, he hooked his foot around one of the straps of their school bags, pulling them closer to use as an impromptu footrest. His hands once again finding their way into his pockets. Bakugou then slouched further into his seat, something Kirishima had come to understand meant he felt uncomfortable.

The future hero basically had two functions in any social situation. He would either explode in an attempt to cover up his emotions, or he would become quiet and super docile. Doing everything in his power to blend into the background as if to hide from whatever made him anxious. That was what Bakugou was doing now. Feigning an indifferent attitude so no one would discover the anxieties which hid just beneath the surface.

"Everything about them is fucking irritating," Bakugou finally answered. His voice coming out as a low growl to disguise any irregular fluctuations. There was a slight movement in his pockets from him balling his fists. "Their personalities, their powers, and their bizarre presence here-" his crimson eyes widened for a fraction of a second as if just realizing what he just uttered.

"-at a hero school I mean," he clarified a little too quickly.

Midnight sighed at this. "Yes, their presence here has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way," she admitted reluctantly. Her fingers laced together in front of her, making the handcuffs on her wrists clink softly with the movement. "Aizawa's received no end of headaches bringing them here. But he believed it to be necessary, so I trust in his judgment."

"Trust is different than blind faith. Did he happen to tell you why he's brought them here?" Bakugou spat back. Irritation made his hair stand on end slightly. Reminiscent to the way Kyo's does when he's worked up. The hot-head continued, "Or are you in the dark as much as the rest of us?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kirishima questioned. Deciding to step in before Bakugou and Midnight could get caught up in another argument. He rested a hand on his friend's shoulder to calm him down. "Come on, man, this isn't the place to pick a fight."

However, their teacher wasn't provoked by Bakugou's remarks. "It's alright, Kirishima," the R-rated hero replied, raising a hand to call off the redhead. Signaling to him that she'll take it from there. "What's this really about Bakugou? What's actually troubling you about them?" she asked carefully.

The explosive teen immediately backed off. Not wanting to answer a question that revealed how he actually felt. Most likely realizing that it was Midnight's quirk that had made him more talkative than usual. Kirishima had noticed how the blonde's eyes had steadily drooped as time went on.

"Nothing-" he tried to lie, but was interrupted.

"Nuh-uh, you don't get to brush this off, Bakugou," Midnight cut in sternly with a wave of her finger. She leaned forward in her chair until only the blonde was within her immediate line of sight. If it had been anyone else, she might have laid an encouraging hand on their knee. But this was Bakugou we were talking about, so she kept her hands to herself. "You've been hyper-aware of their presence ever since they've arrived at UA. Don't think we teachers haven't noticed."

The intensity of her sincere sky-blue eyes chased off Bakugou's agitated crimson gaze. His eyes flickered to Kirishima for a second in search of support. He looked utterly torn. The explosive hero obviously needed to vent but didn't have the foggiest idea of how to start. Kirishima gave him an encouraging nod. Letting him know if he needed to get something off his chest, this would be the place to do it. So with an exasperated sigh, Bakugou turned back to their teacher.

"Bakugou, why do you find them so irritating?" She repeated, replicating his choice of words. Taking the time to transfer the various items off her lap to the table between them.

The hothead glared at her silently before reluctantly muttering, "They aren't heroes." His tone, however, sounded like he was asking a question rather than answering one. One he should have known the answer to already since he declared as much on their first day. "So why the hell were they brought to a school for heroes?"

The energy in the room suddenly shifted. The air thick with a tension Kirishima couldn't place. His head dumbly looked from one to the other as he became a confused spectator caught between two rival forces.

"No, they aren't heroes. At least not in a conventional way," Midnight answered carefully. Her eyes studied the blonde's face intensely. Judging from her expression, she had been made aware of Bakugou's previous outburst about Shinobi during their initial introduction. There was a slight tensing of her shoulders as she mentally prepared herself to dive deeper into the conversation. "Though at the moment they are responsible for overseeing your training to become the best heroes you all can be. That in itself sounds fairly heroic to me."

Bakugou rolled his eyes at that. "Is that what you actually believe? Or is that something Aizawa told you to say?" Bakugou barked back.

She ignored his question. "It seems like you're angrier with Aizawa than you are with your new classmates," Midnight countered deviously.

"Don't pretend that you know anything about me. I've got enough anger to be annoyed by the whole lot of them," snapped the blonde. His teeth grinding together in a combination of anger and frustration. "They're hiding something from everyone. They should know that nothing good ever comes from keeping secrets."

"It almost sounds like you speak from experience." The R-rated hero insinuated with a soft laugh. A hint of a knowing smile forming across her features. Bakugou immediately bristled in his seat at her words. His explosion quirk sparked to life lightly across palms in response. Kirishima tried his best to look inconspicuous as well, but he could feel nervous sweat collect on his forehead. After a few uncomfortable seconds, she let out a dismissive laugh, "Relax Bakugou, I was only teasing!"

The ash-blonde didn't appreciate that jab at all. Sulking, Bakugou slunk a little further into his chair, intending to keep his mouth shut to prevent him from further incriminating himself. But their teacher wasn't about to let him get away without voicing his anxieties.

"Are you going to tell me what has you so riled up willingly? Or am I going to have to use more of my quirk to make you more compliant?" Midnight threatened. Her eyes still scanned him thoroughly for any clues to explain his out of character behavior.

Red eyes narrowed skeptically at her. Probably wondering if she would really break the school policy prohibiting teachers from the excessive use of their quirk on a student. It seemed that Bakugou didn't put it past her, which was probably a wise choice all things considered. Kirishima could see the gears turning in his head as he determined the best way to phrase his answer. "You don't think it's a little problematic for UA to associate with individuals that killfor a living?"

"Not if doing so helps protect our students. Besides, their profession isn't the only aspect that defines them as people," The R-rated hero began cautiously, taking a sip of her mostly cold tea. She made a face at the bitter flavor, then placed the mug down gently. "They're still in training just like the two of you. And just like you, their lives can easily go in many different directions."

The ash-blonde's eye twitched in irritation at her nonchalant response. "Are you saying that you think it's acceptable to kill people? Honorable even?"

"I don't recall ever saying that," the dark-haired woman interjected. Preventing her student from putting words in her mouth. "But to answer your question, I believe it's sometimes unavoidable."

This answer didn't seem to sit well with Bakugou, for his scowl deepened.

Worried about his friend Kirishima spoke up, "Come on, Bakugou, what does this have to do with Kyo and the others?" he asked baffled. Perhaps it was Midnight's quirk affecting his train of thought, but Bakugou seemed to be making less sense by the second.

If he has such a problem with them, why would he willingly leave campus with Kyo this weekend?

"It has everything to do with them!" the explosive hero answered, turning toward the redhead. His hands unconsciously coming out of his pockets to wipe some of the excess sweat from his palms. "UA has been getting outsmarted by villains at every turn, don't you think it's a little risky to bring strangers into our midst?"

"But we know them, they aren't killers! They're just like us!" Kirishima argued back. Ready to defend their new friends to the bitter end. Without meaning to, the redhead bared his sharp teeth to make himself look more threatening to emphasize his point. That, coupled with Kirishima raising his voice, managed to take the blonde back for a second. He recovered quickly, though. Coming back at full force.

"I'm not doubting their character!" Bakugou argued back. "It's their profession that's fucked up."

"Are you afraid of them?" Midnight inquired, inserting herself in their argument.

"Of course not!" Bakugou yelled as he whirled toward her.

She rolled her eyes at his outburst. Making an exaggerated gesture of unplugging her ears from the sudden spike in volume. "Do you think they are evil?"

"No, that's not it!" Bakugou growled. Growing increasingly frustrated with not being able to find the right words for what he was feeling. Bottling his emotions for 16 years, doing him no favors in this instance. Movement caught the redhead's eye. Glancing down, Kirishima saw that Bakugou's knuckles were white with how hard they gripped his knees. The sturdy hero shot him a concerned look that told him to take it easy.

The blonde "tsked" at him but eventually let out a long angry breath before continuing, "I've spent enough time with them to know that they aren't evil," Bakugou explained slowly. His voice was full of irritation, but also with a hint of another emotion, Kirishima couldn't quite place. "That quirk copycat is an idiot, but also too loyal for his own good. The girl, on the other hand, cares for the stray cat living behind the dorms, so she obviously doesn't have an evil bone in her body. That leaves Feathers, who is the definition of unending patience since he can deal with Deku's nonstop rambling."

The R-rated hero was briefly shocked into stunned silence. Caught off guard by his detailed testimony. "Then what's the problem?" she asked completely baffled.

"My problem is that they are basically weapons for hire. If they contract themselves out to the wrong people, they could be forced to carry out tasks of mass destruction. And no one seems concerned about this. Not even them," Bakugou practically growled.

It was then that it hit them. Bakugou wasn't worried that they might become a deadly threat to them. He was worried about them. Concerned how the role that they were assigned might affect them in the future. Worried that they weren't cut out for the type of work they had made their life's mission. His interpretation of them as people contradicted the concept of the human weapons they were supposed to be. Therefore convincing him that they were going to suffer someday because of it.

At some point in the last month, Bakugou had accidentally befriended these strangers. Individuals he swore he didn't want anything to do with because of the role they played in society. The explosive hero had convinced himself he was disgusted by their supposed disregard for human life. However, when Bakugou was forced into close proximity with them, he realized they had as much humanity as the rest of them.

This realization must have terrified Bakugou. It contradicted what his idea of a hero was. More problematic, it made him realize that the villains he hated with every fiber of his being, might harbor a shred of humanity as well. Bakugou's perception of what a hero was had always been a significant part of his identity and the trio's very confusing existence had just rocked it to its core.

Meanwhile, Kirishima sat dumbfounded at the scene which unfolded before him. The redhead never imagined that Bakugou would share so much of himself during his first-ever therapy appointment. Especially not on a topic like this. The sturdy hero wasn't sure if he should be proud of Bakugou for opening up or concerned that he had more issues that he wasn't even aware existed. Kirishima had been jealous of Bakugou and Kyo's fast friendship, but who could imagine he harbored these confusing feelings about Kyo as well.

How could I not know that Bakugou was struggling this whole time?

The sudden movement of Bakugou's hands balled into fists on his knees caught Kirishima's attention.

"At the same time. I can't exactly ignore that killing is what villains do," Bakugou proceeded to explain quietly. The blonde's once fiery eyes, now troubled and glared at his combat boots. Stubbornly refusing to meet any of their concerned gazes. It was a level of vulnerability Kirishima doubted any faculty member had ever witnessed before. It made him wonder how much of this was due to Midnight's somnambulist quirk or the weight of Bakugou's growing list of anxieties.

"If UA is a place for Heros, shouldn't we hate the very sight of them?" Bakugou asked no one in particular. The question was phrased like he was asking on behalf of other heroes, but it didn't take a genius to realize he was speaking about himself. On the surface, his voice was neutral, but to the redhead, it sounded uncertain. A completely foreign concept for him.

Kirishima wished more than anything that he had the words that his friend needed to hear right then. To be able to reassure him in some way, anyway. But his mind was a complete blank. The shark-toothed teen felt his hardened fingers effortlessly dig into the cushions in frustration at his inability to help his friend. If only consoling, Bakugou was as easy as destroying furniture. The redhead turned to their teacher, hoping she would be able to provide the answers he lacked.

Midnight's expression was difficult to read as she gathered her thoughts together for a response. She rested her chin on top of her intertwined fingers while she regarded them. It almost looked as though she were staring at something past their shoulders despite nothing noticeable being there. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke up.

"Bakugou, you're a smart boy. It's hard to believe that someone with an eye for color can only see the world in shades of black and white," their modern art history teacher smiled. Referring to the photographs he had turned in for a final project last semester. In true Bakugou fashion, it had contradicted everything the pro-hero had taught that quarter. Still, it had impressed her all the same. Earning him the highest score in the class. Something he bragged about to the whole dorm by taping his project to the communal refrigerator. Bakugou continued to stare at his feet, but the tips of his ears began to turn pink with her words.

"You interned with Best Jeanist, correct?" She asked suddenly, leaning back in her computer chair.

"What if I did?" he answered defensively.

"He has a great track record of mentoring students. I can tell he's influenced your view of what makes a hero." Midnight praised in a soothing voice. "What ideology did he instill in you?"

Crimson orbs finally raised to meet her stare. "He told me that Heroes and Villains are two sides of the same coin," Bakugou answered in a neutral tone. The muscles in his crossed arms relaxed a degree as understanding spread across his face.

"Precisely, " Midnight praised cheerfully. "When it comes down to it, Heroes and Villains are actually remarkably similar. But it's how we choose to act in any situation that truly defines us as individuals."

The explosive hero contemplated her words in thoughtful silence.

Relieved that he was taking her words to heart, she continued. "Bakugou, I know that the shinobi's presence here is forcing you to reevaluate your views. That it can feel like a detrimental blow to your identity for a belief you've cultivated your entire life to be challenged so abruptly. But I want you to understand that people seldom fall neatly into a single category."

"That being said, I don't believe that killing automatically makes someone a villain. There have been incidents where heroes have been responsible for taking life, just like there have been instances of villain's saving people on occasion. It's important to remember that one trait or act does not define a person. And that one's opinion of a person is not the same for everyone."

Both teens were stared at her intently now. Soaking up her words eagerly.

"Take All Might, for example. To most people, he was the Symbol of Peace. A true hero in the hearts of millions," their teacher proceeded, motioning to a poster of the previous Number One Hero. Too busy with her explanation to notice that Bakugou frowned at the past tense of her statement. "However, to the League of Villains, All Might served as the Symbol of Oppression that they wished to overthrow. To them, he was a "villain" that needed to be conquered. In that respect, we are all heroes and villains in the eyes of any given person."

A comfortable silence filled the room as her words resonated in their minds. The last of the sage had burned off a long time ago, leaving a lingering scent in its wake.

"This seems like a good enough spot as any to end our session," Midnight announced with a glance at the clock. Kirishima turned to check the time himself, and sure enough, they had gone over their allotted time by 15 minutes. The R-rated hero was just about to dismiss them for the day when Bakugou spoke up unexpectedly.

"Sensei," he began, surprising them both for sudden use of an honorific to address her. "How much do you know about them? Do you trust them?" Bakugou asked while his finger tapped the arm of the loveseat. The previous accusing and condescending tone absent from his voice.

"I don't know a lot about Binoshi or the Shinobi they train," Midnight admitted, leaning back in her chair. She, of course, didn't owe them a response at all since this was sensitive information. However, the pro-hero ultimately decided it was necessary for them to move forward. "But from what I've heard, their training was crueler than we could ever hope to understand. It honestly a miracle they are as cheerful as they are. A normal person should've been crushed under the weight of such hardships by now, but for whatever reason, they haven't. From what I've witnessed, I believe them to be genuinely good people."

Bakugou regarded her for a long moment then gave her a curt nod. Determining that she was telling the truth, though he still looked like he had his doubts.

"If that's everything, I'd like to end with one final question," Midnight announced. Her gaze fixed on Bakugou, who just glared back at her silently. "If you have such conflicting thoughts concerning Kyo, why did you agree to bring him home for the weekend?" the R-rated hero questioned. Her eyes kind as she regarded her new patient thoughtfully.

"I wanted to see for myself that he's who he claims to be," Bakugou answered with renewed determination. "That he's not just some mindless tool to be ordered around. That he has a will of his own."

That's one way to go about it, I guess?

"I can't exactly say I condone your decision to go through with this, but I won't stop you," She admitted. Holding a hand up to stop Bakugou when he showed signs of protesting. "That being said, can I offer you some advice?"

He remained silent. Only raising an eyebrow at her in response.

Midnight took his silence as a sign to continue. "I would encourage you to speak with Kyo. Try to understand why he became a shinobi and what his philosophies are. If you couple that knowledge with your previous interactions with him, instead of his background, you'll be able to gauge what kind of person he truly is. In the end, Bakugou, it's you who must decide what his character is, not me, not Aizawa, not even Kirishima. Promise me you'll take these words to heart?"

Bakugou rolled his eyes but gave a reluctant nod.

Midnight smiled at that. Her face looked drained all of a sudden. She then gestured a hand to finally dismiss them. It only took a few moments to gather their possessions after their initial stretch. Kirishima's muscles were extremely sore from sitting for so long. He had just stepped out into the hall when he sensed Bakugou stop short of the door.

The redhead turned around to see him with his hands in his pockets. An unreadable expression on his face. The blonde then looked over his shoulder to offer their teacher one last statement. "I don't doubt that Aizawa had a reason for bringing them here, and maybe he thinks he's protecting everyone by keeping it a secret from us. But what he's really conveying is that he doesn't trust us with the truth."

Bakugou's crimson eyes hardened dangerously. "If he continues to treat us with kid gloves, he's actually encouraging a lack of communication between teachers and students alike. So tell him to get off his high horse and fill the rest of us in on his plan."

"I'll be sure to pass on the message," Midnight promised, glancing somewhere past them.

With that, Bakugou finally left to join Kirishima in the hall. Where he was immediately bombarded with questions from his redheaded friend. Too busy talking to notice that a shadowy figure had snuck into the room they just exited.

Bakugou P. O. V.

The halls of UA were eerily quiet when they exited the teacher's lounge. Only the occasional student from the Support or Business courses passed by them as they made their way back to the dorms. The ash-blonde tried not to dwell on the fact that the other sidekicks had already started their weekend. Either by making last-minute arrangements before heading off-campus for the weekend or helping to set up for their classes weekly game/movie night.

So glad I'm missing that.

Despite the lack of people shuffling around the halls, Bakugou found the world too loud and bright for its own good. The after-effects of their teacher's Somnambulist quirk left his mind feeling hazy and disoriented as if coming out of a bad dream. If he had ever experimented with alcohol, he might have compared it to being hungover.

This fucking sucks, Bakugou cursed to himself as his fingers squeezed the bridge of his nose to relieve the pressure of his migraine. Just what he needed before his excursion with Kyo.

It could have been worse, he supposed. He could have accidentally spilled the trio's otherworldly secret to Midnight instead of extracting information from her. Bakugou hadn't expected her quirk to affect his body so strongly at such a low dose. Still, after being exposed to it for so long, it eventually slipped past his defenses.

It's a good thing she sucked at asking questions, the explosive hero scowled to himself. Referencing how Midnight prioritized his mental wellbeing over pursuing the truth behind his many jabs toward her and Aizawa. She wasn't incompetent by any means. Of all the teachers at UA, she was only a few steps behind All Might and Aizawa on Bakugou's respect scale after all the time and effort she put into helping Kirishima. Because of this, he knew that their teacher must have seen right through him as he prodded her for information.

"That bitch!" Bakugou cursed under his breath.

"Dude, that's no way to talk about a teacher!" The redhead beside him scolded in a hushed tone. He looked around frantically to make sure no one had overheard. Not that it mattered. Bakugou would gladly repeat it loudly if anyone had the guts to confront him about it. His face must have conveyed as much because Kirishima immediately pouted cutely at him. "Fine, whatever. Let's just head back before Mina organizes a search party for us."

They passed the first part of their walk with pleasant small talk. Bakugou's mind steadily cleared up a little more with each step. By the time the brisk December air hit their exposed faces, it felt as though the rest of the lingering effects had been expelled out of their minds. The hothead stopped to take in a few deep breaths. Relishing in the comforting feeling of being free of Midnight's influence.

"So, what did you think about the therapy session?" Kirishima asked, breaking into his thoughts. One of his fingers scratched at his chin sheepishly, which highlighted the fresh bandages that wrapped around his hand. "I know it got a little intense at times, but I swear Midnight knows what she's doing. And she's normally not so forceful either."

Bakugou tore his eyes away from the redhead's injury. "It wasn't the worst thing I've ever done," he admitted irritably. While the future hero didn't appreciate Midnight dissecting his mind and forcing him to talk about his emotions. Bakugou couldn't deny she provided some much-needed information for both of them.

Flashback

Shitty-hair had just successfully steered the conversation to the topic of nightmares. Bakugou was actually impressed that he managed to keep his voice level when doing so. However, the intensity in which he stared at Midnight as she spoke to them was painfully evident that he was desperately trying not to look at Bakugou. Hopefully, their teacher would chalk that up to him, focusing all his energy on cataloging all the information being unloaded onto them. Again, the lengths Kirishima went to aid his friends surprised Bakugou. It was completely unnecessary in this case. But also very endearing... in an annoying sort of way.

The ash-blonde pretended not to notice his friend's actions. Instead, opting to slouch in his seat, acting bored out of his mind, as he carefully memorized everything being said. Every now and then, he snuck a glance at the R-rated hero to see if she were taking any particular notice of him or not. As far as he could tell, Midnight had been too preoccupied with examining Kirishima's mental health to pay much attention to him. Which was to be expected, but still managed to piss him off.

Bakugou had rolled his eyes at her roundabout way of asking if the redhead still suffered from night terrors. Despite her prescribing him two different types of anxiety and sleeping medications. He understood that she did that to be considerate of his privacy, but what was the point? The whole class knew Kirishima had mandatory therapy sessions after the incident a couple months ago. At least everyone had the decency of keeping their mouth shut about it in front of Kirishima. Bakugou had seen to that after drop-kicking that disgusting grape onto the roof after hearing him make snide comments about it in passing.

Bakugou had to suppress an annoyed grunt.

As if I don't know everything there is to know about him. The idiot's an open book.

"How about we discuss some techniques to wake-or calm yourself-in the event you find yourself in another nightmare?" Midnight had suggested after confirming how Kirishima had been sleeping lately.

"Can you really do that?" Kirishima asked in a puzzled tone. Jolting Bakugou back to reality. It had never occurred to the blonde that he would be able to wake himself up from a dream. He cursed himself for shifting slightly in his seat at the notion. Hoping no one noticed the momentary chink in his indifferent appearance.

Was there really a way to make nightmares go away?

Her lips pressed together into a hard line for a moment. "These techniques are not a magical fix. They will take some effort to accomplish, and there is no guarantee they will work for you at all. But they could, at the very least, remind you that what you are experiencing isn't real," she cautioned. Her blue eyes studying the eager face of her charge, who nodded in understanding.

Midnight explained that the first and most crucial step was to become lucid in their dreams. That if they couldn't recognize that they were dreaming, then they would be unable to effectively put these methods into practice. To establish if something were a dream, the pro-hero instructed them to pay extra close attention to their surroundings. Does anything feel off? Are the laws of physics behaving as they're supposed to? Are individuals depicted acting out of character?

The R-rated hero warned them that nightmares that stem from traumatic events were, unfortunately, harder to dismiss as regular nightmares. Shit, Bakugou cursed bitterly when he heard that.

Because these nightmares stemmed from fear, the brain often distorted the experience or blocked out specific details overtime to protect itself from further harm. However, because of this, they often came with a sense of dejavu, which could then be used to snap themselves into lucidness by correctly predicting events as they happened.

Realizing that it might be painful, she gently encouraged them to inspect these events thoroughly to see if they were happening exactly as they remembered. If situations were warped or worsened, then it will most likely be a dream.

"If you get the inclination that you might be dreaming, I want you to vocalize that assumption. Saying this will focus your mind squarely on apprehending if you are in a dream or not," Midnight explained cautiously. Her eyes searched for any sort of distress on the teenagers' faces. "At this point, you should instinctively get a better grasp on your mind. Your brain should automatically begin to point out flaws in that reality with earnestness. At that time, your next priority is to wake up."

"And how's he supposed to do that?" Bakugou asked impatiently. Startling Kirishima slightly with the abruptness of his statement. It seemed that the redhead was too busy soaking up the information to relay back to him later that he had forgotten that Bakugou was there as well.

Midnight regarded Bakugou for a long moment before answering his question, which made him uneasy, but he willed his face not to show it. "Kiri has multiple options," she replied in a neutral tone, but there was a hint of a smirk on her face, which pissed him off tremendously. She casually leaned back into her seat while simultaneously crossing her legs as she spoke. "The easiest option would be to concentrate on waking up while blinking repeatedly. Using as much willpower as he can muster. Though if this fails, there are many other options to choose from."

She listed off the other possibilities at Kirishima's disposal. From focusing energy on reading something like a book or sign since studies have proven that people have trouble reading in their dreams. Apparently, continuously concentrating on words activated the part of the brain that disabled REM sleep. If that failed, the pro-hero advised them to try to take control of the dream themselves, for it was their mind after all. To exert their will toward changing the dream or at least turning the scenario in their favor.

"What about falling? I heard that sometimes wakes people up," Kirishima offered in between techniques.

The pro-hero shook her head. "I wouldn't advise it," she answered carefully.

"Why not?" Bakugou muttered back.

She let out a heavy sigh. "While falling from a high vantage point or even dying might wake you up in theory, it's not practical in our profession," Midnight warned in a guarded tone. "I don't want you to grow accustomed to any sort of self-harm to wake up from nightmares. Not only would that have a negative effect on your psyche over time, but it could put your life in danger if you were to ever be hit by a villain's quirk that puts you in a trance. That type of harmful conditioning could very well get you killed someday. Do you understand?"

Both teens mumbled an obedient, "Yes."

"If all else fails. Your last option is to wait until the dream ends," she admitted sadly, resting a hand on each of their knees. Bakugou had to fight his instinct to pull away from the comforting touch. Midnight's reassuring gaze regarded them both in such a way that Bakugou was convinced she had seen through his indifferent facade.

"It's not ideal, but waiting is all you can do in that scenario. It'll be painful, but I want you to remember that those images can't harm you."

End of Flashback

"Thanks again for coming with me, Bakugou. It really meant a lot," Kirishima chirped happily. His smile was so bright that Bakugou had to look away or risk being blinded by it.

"It was no big deal," he muttered back. Silently berating himself for belittling what the redhead just said. Though it didn't look like the Ball-of-Sunshine noticed at all.

Kirishima grinned even bigger. "That's great to hear!" He praised utterly oblivious. Shitty-hair then shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Do you think you might schedule your own appointment sometime?" he asked hopefully.

Bakugou shoved his cold hands into his pockets. "I think I'll hold off for a little while longer," he finally replied.

He had been dreading that question ever since they left the teachers' lounge. It had weighed heavily in the air above them as they walked. Deep down, Bakugou knew that therapy would be beneficial for him. To be able to confide in a professional about being tortured by the League, the guilt he felt towards All Might's sudden retirement, and now the controversial role the trio played in society. If only Bakugou didn't have so much other shit piled on his plate right then. He was having a hard enough time trying to keep track of everyone's dangerous secrets. The last thing he needed was someone rifling through his head where they could possibly stumble upon the truth of One For All or the existence of other worlds. Bakugou needed some time to get a better handle on his life before he was ready to book another session.

Kirishima's smile faltered at his words, which hurt more than the blonde wished to admit. This idiotic mess of crimson hair was definitely going to be the death of him.

With an irritated sigh, he hastily added, "I'll try that BDSM freak's dreaming tips first and see if those help any before I go back there again."

The redhead instantly perked up. "Thanks for giving it a chance, Bakugou," Kirishima thanked, starting to walk again.

He shot him a grin so huge that it was difficult to believe that it belonged to the same guy who had been so emotional he had accidentally injured himself with his own quirk not but 30 minutes earlier.

The explosive hero had experienced countless of his friend's night terrors first hand. Seen the severity of them as he helped calm him down, talked through them and offered a sense of stability as the other teen slowly fought off his panic. Because of this, Bakugou wrongly assumed that he understood how badly Kirishima had been suffering better than anyone else. It was only when he witnessed Kirishima's hardening quirk activating on its own and used to injure himself without the redhead even noticing, that Bakugou grasped how clueless he truly was about his condition. It was stupid of Bakugou to assume he knew everything about the redhead when he still kept many secrets from him as well.

This just proves that none of us are perfect.

The class knew Kirishima was struggling psychologically after his internship, but only a select few knew how deep that darkness dwelled inside him. A glimmer of it could be seen on his face when one of his new techniques fell short of his goals, or another classmate pulled further ahead. Even still, the Ball-of-Sunshine continued to go out of his way to boost his classmates to reach new heights. He didn't allow it to hold him down. Putting everyone's happiness above himself. Whether that was problematic or not, it was who Kirishima was. And Bakugou wouldn't have it any other way. If the idiot continued to prioritize others' needs above himself, then the hothead would take it upon himself to oversee Kirishima's well being.

At the very least, the sturdy hero was better than him. When I was being tortured, he didn't waste any time trying to come rescue me. And how did I repay him? I was sitting idly at my desk while he fought for his life somewhere deep underground.

It didn't matter that there was a gag order placed on Kirishima, Bakugou had known something was off in the days prior to the brat's rescue. Something deep in his gut warned him that something terrible was stalking ever closer. Around that time, Bakugou's developing hero sense was highly attuned to Shitty-hair, Deku, Roundface, and the FrogGirl's movements.

Agitated, Bakugou had confronted Kirishima about his change in behavior multiple times, only to have him run away from him every single time. This was his first clue that something was detrimentally wrong, but he had regretfully ignored it. By the time the day of the heist had arrived, Bakugou had been reduced to a fidgety mess. His fingers tapped irritably on the desk while his leg bounced uncontrollably as he pretended to pay attention to Present Mic's lesson. His mind was painfully aware that not only were Kirishima and the other sidekicks suddenly absent from class, but so was EraserHead.

The explosive hero's dread only increased as the day progressed. Eventually, he had to discreetly excuse himself from the class before he puked from the dangerous levels of adrenaline coursing through his body. After somewhat calming himself with a long cold shower, he decided to retire to his room to sleep off the rest of his nerves. That was until news of his classmates' mission flashed across the common room t.v. Bakugou stopped dead in his tracks as he watched the unfocused footage of defeated villains, wounded heroes, pools of blood, and spiky red hair being loaded into an ambulance. The superimposing headline, Daring Rescue Ends With Large Group Of Heroes Seriously Injured And One Left In Critical Condition, stretched across the display about made his knees buckle.

The class held a somber vigil in the common room that night as they awaited any news of their classmates and for once Bakugou joined without complaint. His mind fearing the absolute worst as he sat nestled in between a sparkling Kaminari and a sniffling Mina. Never had he felt so useless as he did sitting on that couch. There he was in top fighting shape, but with no target to swing at as he waited for his phone to light up with a simple, I'm fine, text message from his best friend. As the rest of his squad cuddled against him for comfort, Bakugou had silently sworn to any deity willing to listen to him, that he would do anything for them if it meant Kirishima would return back to them, safe and sound.

At half-past Midnight, they finally got a group video chat from Roundface who had borrowed the frog girl's phone. When she finally put Kirishima on, Bakugou's heart stopped. He was covered head to toe in bandages, some parts even soiled with fresh blood. Both arms were secured across his chest in full casts, and whatever skin poked through his bandages was heavily bruised. He looked absolutely horrible, but regardless of this, he sported the same shark-toothed grin he always had, which tugged at what little heart Bakugou had. The Ball-of-Sunshine all the while reassured everyone that he was just fine. That his injuries looked way worse than they actually were.

Despite his reassuring words, Bakugou couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty that he hadn't done anything to prevent him from getting injured in the first place. If only Bakugou hadn't failed so miserably in the provincial licensing exam. Then he would have been eligible to do the internships as well. Had he passed, Bakugou would have insisted that they interned somewhere together, which meant he would have been right there beside him. There wasn't a better duo in the entire fucking school. Together they would have blown that fucker away no problem. In Bakugou's mind, Kirishima almost died because of his inadequacy. Because he wasn't good enough. Just like everything else in his fucking miserable life. He never told Kirishima, but it was because of this mentality that made his nightmares come back full force. Not because the redhead had started having nightmares of his own.

Bakugou sighed. Kirishima had done so much for Bakugou in the past few months. Shitty-hair had rescued him, offered endless support and friendship, kept his secret, helped alleviate his nightmares for a time, and now set up this therapy session for him. Worse, Bakugou didn't realize how badly the change in plans had hurt Kirishima. He had his suspicions, of course, but instead of pursuing that instinct, Bakugou had simply overlooked it out of sheer laziness. He didn't deserve Kirishima. Not as a friend or whatever it was that they were to each other at the moment.

Fuck! Enough with this fucking pity party already! his inner voice snarled at him. Crimson eyes instantly hardened with a burning resolve. Bakugou didn't have time for this shit. The explosive hero wouldn't stoop down to that damn nerd's level and wallow about the crappy hand fate had dealt him.

I'm Katsuki Fucking Bakugou for All Might's sake! The ash-blonde declared to himself.

Instead of regressing into a little bitch, Bakugou would shove those worthless feelings down where they belonged. Somewhere so deep and dark within himself, they would never again see the light of day. The tenacious hero would actually do something productive with his problems. Thanks to Midnight, Bakugou now possessed some tools to tackle his measly little nightmare problem. This weekend was dedicated to digging up more info about the otherworldly travelers masquerading as their new classmates.

Bakugou was telling the truth when he said he didn't mistrust the shinobi's intentions. But that didn't dismiss the possibility of them being a passive threat to them. Bakugou wasn't going to let his guard down fully until he uncovered every secret they harbored from him. That only left one last task that still needed to be addressed.

"Hey, Kiri," Bakugou started as they made it into the dorm stairwell. Kirishima turned toward him but remained silent. Knowing if his friend made an effort to initiate the conversation, he didn't need to be coaxed into continuing.

"Thanks for setting this setting up and being there for me these past couple months," the ash-blonde muttered a little awkwardly. His usual irritation still echoed through his words, but they both understood that was just his default cadence. "I know you're upset that I canceled our plans and that I should have talked it over with you first. But I really need to work things out with Kyo before it drives me crazy. I won't be able to do it here on campus without the teachers getting in our way."

"Is this like that time with Midoriya?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah, something like that," Bakugou confessed, scowling at the nerd's name out of reflex.

Shitty-hair's more perceptive than he looks.

Even though Bakugou never explained why he challenged Deku to a fight that night, the redhead seemed to understand that there was a secret meaning behind it. Kirishima would shoot him a look whenever Bakugou engaged in hushed small talk with the nerd or if he passed up an opportunity to yell at him for one reason or another. It was obvious that Kirishima wanted to ask about it but respectfully held his tongue on the matter. Which was much appreciated, because Bakugou wouldn't have been able to answer even if he wanted to. No way was Bakugou about to curse Kirishima with that knowledge in the same manner as Deku had done to him.

"It's complicated, but I promise I'll tell you what I can when I get this resolved, alright?"

There was a solemn nod at that. The redhead reached for the handle of his dorm room, which they had just arrived at, but a hand on his shoulder pulled him back from it. Confused, Kirishima looked back at his friend.

"And I also promise to make this up to you, Kiri," Bakugou smirked, his shoulder leaning confidently against the wall. "When I get back Sunday, I'll kick that Copycat out of the room so we can finally have some alone time."

Before Kirishima could even respond, the ash-blonde grabbed hold of his tie and pulled him in for a kiss. The shark-toothed teen's cheeks turned as red as his hair with the realization that this was the first kiss they shared on campus outside their respected rooms. Unfortunately, Bakugou had to break it off sooner than he would have liked to avoid anyone catching them. But one look at Kiri's flustered face made it worth it.

"We'll pick this up when I get back," Bakugou promised smugly before disappearing to his own dorm room to pack. The redhead still grinned like a moron as he stared at his door.

Idiot.

Tsubasa P. O. V.

Still shaken up from his dream the previous night, Tsubasa sought out his brother after class. Hoping to have a word with him while he was separated from Bakugou and Kirishima. Luckily they were preoccupied with some sort of meeting with Midnight. The winged shinobi had heard from Midoriya earlier that day, that Kyo intended to go home with the other explosive teen for the weekend. This, of course, was news to him.

What's my brother up to now?

It wasn't challenging to find Kyo. One might assume that his bright orange hair would make him easy to spot in a crowd. While that was usually the case, this world had no shortage of interesting people within its population. It was actually the company his brother had chosen to spend most of his time with, that gave away his position. Even from 20 feet away, Tsubasa could hear the infectious laughter of Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido as they walked back to the dorms with the brunette's two teammates trailing behind them hand in hand. All of them sported giant grins as if they had not a care in the world. It almost felt cruel to put a damper on their fun.

"Hello everyone, what are you all up to?" Tsubasa greeted them when they came into earshot. Giving them all the friendliest smile he could conjure up.

"We're on our way back to set up for Game Night," Sero explained, holding up a box in his arms.

"Yeah, Momo finally lifted the ban on us, so we're finally allowed to pick a game again!" Giggled the pinkette after taking a sip of her bottle of vanilla coke.

"Any games in mind?"

The three future heroes smirked at that. "Truth or dare, of course!" Kaminari laughed. Immediately turning to high-five Ashido. "You've played it, right?"

Tsubasa shook his head. "Sorry, it's not something Binoshi encouraged," he apologized guiltily. Despite what Kyo thought, he didn't enjoy lying to everyone, but telling the truth about their origins was out of the question. "But I look forward to learning how to play with you tonight." This response got a cheer from the group. The class really seemed to enjoy teaching sheltered kids about the joys of social interaction.

"Did you need something from us, Tsubasa?~" Tohru asked sweetly, sensing his underlying urgency.

"Yes, I was actually hoping I could borrow my brother for a minute?" the shinobi asked as politely as he could. Kyo, who had been doing his best to ignore his brother's presence during this exchange, looked like he wanted to refuse Tsubasa's request.

However, before he got the chance, Ashido pushed the copper-haired teen roughly in his twin's direction. "You heard him salmon breath. Get outta here!"

"What the fuck, Pink! Let me go!" Kyo growled, trying to dig his heels into the dirt. "Why the fuck are you trying to get rid of me?"

"To steal Tohru away, duh," Ashido giggled evilly. Giving him one final shove that almost knocked him over. "Take all the time you need!" she called over her shoulder. Dragging a flustered Tohru behind her.

The twins watched them retreat in awkward silence.

"What the hell do you want?" Kyo growled dangerously. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his baggy pants. His narrowed crimson eyes glowed dimly in an attempt to intimidate him, but Tsubasa held his ground.

"Take a walk with me?" the brunette proposed calmly, pointing over his shoulder. Without waiting for his brother's response, the dream walker turned on his heel and started walking away. Heading for an alley a little ways from them. An agitated hiss sounded behind him, followed by the copper-haired teen's soft footsteps as he begrudgingly followed after him. Only when Tsubasa was sure they had traveled a safe distance away from any curious eyes and ears did he finally turn to face the other shinobi.

"So, what's this about?" Kyo snapped impatiently. Pretending to lean casually against the wall, while his sharp eyes and ears scanned their surroundings for any threats out of habit. Even in such a relaxed environment, the explosive shinobi didn't allow himself to drop his guard.

"I had another dream," Tsubasa announced sullenly. He then quickly summarized the last prophetic dreams he had. The ones that depicted their failure to save the class from the villains. Deciding to keep his nightmares about Tohru to himself.

No reason to upset him about nothing important.

The winged shinobi explained how their growing familiarity with their classmates was becoming a problem. That it will end up exposing their secrets, which would cause friction and mistrust between the two groups. Eventually sealing their fate as they are all annihilated by the villains and a horde of grotesque monsters.

"Something must have changed. We're getting too invested with this class," Tsubasa whispered too quietly for anyone else but Kyo to hear. "We should back off and tread carefully from now on. We can't risk anyone else learning about where we come from or our mission until the danger has passed."

The brunette expected his brother to be angry, but he actually looked a little sheepish as he spoke. "Yeah, about that," Kyo began with his head turned away from him. His cheeks colored pink with embarrassment. "Last night, Bakuogu might have accidentally discovered that we're not native to Japan...or this world."

Tsubasa was speechless for a few moments. "H-He what?" The brunette finally stammered.

Kyo crossed his arms. His cheeks reddening even more. "He knows we can travel between worlds," he repeated reluctantly.

Tsubasa covered his eyes with his hands. Willing this to be nothing more than another bad dream. "How did this happen?" he sighed in utter defeat.

"Hey, this isn't my fault!" hissed his brother angrily.

Kyo then explained how Bakugou had stumbled upon their mother's headband and not only knew what it meant but also knew a fair amount of their homeworld. Apparently, some kind of comic book depicted historical events as it followed the lives of numerous characters as if the reader were witnessing events first hand. Kyo explained that after Bakugou already uncovered their origins, Kyo decided to trade him more information about their lives to learn more about the books. After listening to what Kyo had to say, Bakugou had agreed to keep their origin's a secret from everyone else. The future hero even revealed that the author had also written multiple branch-off series, which could possibly portray information about their mother or even future events for them as well. Which was why Kyo was leaving campus with him that weekend.

"I don't like this, but I guess it can't be helped," Tsubasa acknowledged when his brother was done with his explanation.

"Is that everything then? I should really get back so I can finish packing for this weekend," Kyo muttered, already making his way back the way they had come. Even shouldering Tsubasa rudely on his way by.

"Kyo," the brunette called after him when he made it a few paces away. His brother halted but made no move to face him. "Can you guarantee that Bakugou and the others won't discover our true mission here?"

The copper-haired teen looked over his shoulder. "You want me to pinky promise?" Kyo smirked, jokingly holding up his pinky for him.

"I'm serious," Tsubasa warned, allowing the smallest traces of irritation to echo in his voice. "Weren't you listening to my warning earlier? You're becoming too attached to this class. You need to keep your distance."

The temperature around them immediately spiked. Kyo's crimson eyes blazing brightly with anger. A sign that he was losing control of his emotions and, as a result, his powers as well.

"You got some nerve saying that," Kyo snarled, which made his sharp canines more pronounced. His fiery gaze glared back at Tsubasa. Willing his twin to back down, but he held firm. Realizing that his younger brother wasn't going to submit, he carried on, "These aren't just our classmates or our employers anymore. They're our friends! You can feel that, right? Why can't we tell them what's at stake?"

So that's what this is about, the winged teen frowned to himself. He's always like this.

Tsubasa's eyes flashed an icy blue in contrast to his brother. His massive wings fluttered around him in a warning. The movement expelling a strong gust of frigid wind all around them. Scattering debris and flowing through their hair violently. Yet neither of the twins took any notice of it.

"You know why," Tsubasa warned coldly. Dropping his usual polite and friendly way of speaking. It wasn't a tone he enjoyed using, but it was sometimes necessary in times like this.

"The more people who know about us, about our real mission here, the more it can change the future. With a class this close, it won't be long before the whole class knows our secret. If that happens, how could we possibly hope to protect them all when there are 20 plus people constantly second-guessing everything and changing their choices? This will end up creating infinite new possible futures. Each one, worse than the last."

"We don't know that for sure," Kyo proposed hastily. Clearly grasping at straws to support his argument. "This class is different. Unlike in the past, these kids are trained to deal with disaster scenarios."

"Do you really want to risk their lives on that? It's bad enough that Aizawa and Shinso know everything they do."

"Fine, have it your way," Kyo yielded in a gruff tone.

"It's the right thing to do," the dream walker sighed in relief. His eyes flickering back to amber while his wings relaxed against his back. "This isn't easy for me either. I've grown attached to our classmates as well. But if you truly care for them, you have to keep your distance and tell them nothing."

His brother remained silent. Refusing to meet his eyes.

His older brother's behavior was disconcerting. "So you promise not to tell any of them our true mission?" he urged in a concerned tone.

Kyo rolled his eyes. "Cross my heart and hope to die," the copper-haired shinobi muttered sarcastically. Mimicking a crossing gesture over his heart. Smirking at the face, Tsubasa made as a result of his underhanded jab.

Very mature, the brunette muttered to himself.

Tsubasa should have known Kyo wouldn't take any advice he said seriously. Not when he was still incredibly angry with him. This would end up being like his fake promise he had made with Aizawa about not bringing weapons to class. Kyo was acting like a brat, and this angered Tsubasa. He was used to his older brother being impulsive, selfish, and causing trouble wherever they went. After spending years apologizing and making amends for the hothead's explosive temper and destructive nature. Tsubasa had made peace with his role as his brother's keeper. However, his attitude now was more than his usual brashness. Kyo was taking their stupid fight to dangerous levels. One that could have detrimental ramifications.

Now, the explosive shinobi wasn't petty enough to spill their secret just to retaliate against the brunette. Kyo cared too much about the class's wellbeing to do something that stupid. No, the stubborn shinobi would share their secret out of mutual respect for his new friends. Believing they would be strong enough to wield that information wisely. It also didn't help that Kyo had been emotionally unstable the past few months. Tsubasa wouldn't put it past him to reveal the truth by accident.

Fine, if that's how he's going to be. I'll have to take drastic measures.

" If that's how you feel, then you wouldn't mind making a Blood Pact with me then?" Tsubasa suggested.

Crimson orbs snapped back to him. Unmeasurable fury burning in their depths. "You're not serious?" he challenged through grit teeth.

"As a heart attack," Tsubasa quipped, mirroring his brother's dark humor from before. His eyes glowing an intimidating icy blue once more, prompting an intense glaring contest between brothers. Each one willing the other to submit to their will.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kyo finally averted his gaze in defeat. "Fine, whatever," he muttered under his breath. Without another word, the copper-haired shinobi then brought his hand to his mouth. Biting down on his thumb until he drew blood. He uses more force than necessary, and in no time, a trail of blood trickled freely from the wound. His eyes never wavered as he glared kunai at his baby brother.

Following his lead, Tsubasa did the same. His nose scrunching up slightly with the unpleasant coppery flavor. "Kyo, do you promise not to reveal our true mission to anyone in the class?"

"Yes."

"Then, I accept your pact brother," Tsubasa announced, pushing his wounded thumb into Kyo's. Once touching, the wounds on their thumbs immediately throbbed as warmth centered around the injury. Time seemed to slow down, and after a few seconds, the blood flowing from their cuts started to travel backward. Defying gravity as it flowed back toward the opening of their wounds until suddenly vanishing completely. The only trace of its existence were the faint matching scars adorning their respective thumbs. A permanent reminder of their shared pact.

Kyo regarded the newly healed scar thoughtfully for a second. "Are we done here?" he asked in a somber tone. He was no longer angry, just hurt, and it made Tsubasa's heartache that he had to force him into this.

The winged teen could only nod. Stepping out of his brother's path as he stomped his way back to the dorms. It was almost time for him to meet up with Bakugou. As the dreamwalker watched him walk further away, he had to remind himself that he had done the right thing. Tsubasa couldn't risk his brother revealing their mission to train the class for an upcoming villain attack. That they were trying to stop a prophecy of the whole class dying. He knew Kyo meant well, but he had a crippling habit of trusting people who didn't deserve it. It was a trait that had already killed him once.

Tsubasa released the sigh he hadn't realized he had been holding. It wasn't his intention to upset him further. He had approached Kyo intending to get past the awkwardness that had developed between him since his accident. If only that incident of Bakugou stumbling on their world-traveling secret hadn't occurred. Maybe then Tsubasa could have proceeded without forcing him into a blood pact. It was Tsubasa's responsibility to make sure nothing else threatened the future they wished to achieve. There simply wasn't any other course of action to take. It looked like he would be in the doghouse for a while longer.

That left only one matter to attend to.

Should I inform Aizawa that Bakugou knows where we come? He pondered to himself. After deliberating on it for a few seconds, he ultimately decided against it.

No, not yet. We can handle him for the time being.

And with that, the dreamwalker spread his wings and took to the skies. Thinking a long flying session would help clear his mind.

---

Hesci Everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the extremely long wait. My life was extremely busy over the holidays, which gave me terrible writers block. But after watching Heroes Rising, Incredible movie btw, I was inspired to finish this up.
I would like to thank those who have given me feedback already. Your reviews made me feel so amazing and fulfilled that I busted out half the chapter in one sitting. Then I got a puppy and couldn't stop playing with him. For that, I am truly sorry.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. 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.