In honor of the twin's birthday (It's canon that Tsubasa's is today while Kyo's was never officially announced), April 1st I've decided to rush editing this chapter so everyone can enjoy it during these trying times. Hope you enjoy!
Tohru P. O. V.
The Class-A common room bustled with activity as students enjoyed the start of their weekend. Exhausted after a grueling week of exams, most students opted to blow off steam surrounded by their friends on campus instead of going to the effort of going home for the weekend. This was further confirmed by the imposing pile of blankets and sleeping bags stacked high in a jumbled mess in one of the corners, while many of the dorm's dining room tables were covered in games, movies, and an impressive assortment of snacks. A chorus of rambunctious shouting filled the space as Kaminari, Sero, Tokoyami, and Shoji competed in a cut-throat race in Mario Kart to determine who got to pick the first movie of the night.
The kunoichi couldn't help but giggle at their enthusiasm from where she sat at one of the remaining tables. She was currently seated with Mina, Uraraka, Midoriya, and Todoroki as they taught her and the dual quirk user how to play UNO. It was slow going at first. Neither Tohru nor her indifferent classmate could fathom the necessity of all the different colors and numbers. The two of them occasionally shifted awkwardly in their seats when arguments regarding rules of some of the specialty cards broke out between the game veterans.
"Um, would anyone like a refill of their tea?~" The kunoichi offered awkwardly. Hoping to excuse herself from where she sat trapped between Mina and Midorya's hushed bickering about whether or not jump in was an acceptable rule for beginners. That and she felt incredibly guilty for not doing anything more productive with her time when her teammates were always working so hard for their mission. "I could fix a quick snack as well~," she added, putting her cards face down on the table.
"Please stay, Tohru!" Uraraka pleaded in a sweet tone. Her hand gently grasped Tohru's to keep her from leaving. A comforting warmth emitting from her palms, which soaked into Tohru in a lovely manner. The zero gravity quirk user shot her a bubbly smile. "You promised to take it easy this weekend. You've been taking care of everyone for weeks now, so let everyone spoil you for a change."
Uraraka's words managed to break through her friend's arguing, both of which immediately ceased their quarrel to nod in agreement. "Uraraka's right," the green-haired boy agreed quietly. "All of you have been such a great help both in and out of the classroom. The class wanted to show our thanks by throwing this gathering for you."
"Yeah, Momo even convinced Lush Rush to cater dinner tonight so you wouldn't have to trouble yourself," Mina chimed in.
"We wouldn't have had to go to all that trouble if Bakugou wasn't so hard to trick into cooking for everyone every once in a while," Kaminari muttered loudly as he dodged a virtual shell in his game.
"It couldn't be helped," Sero pointed out beside him. Leaning forward in his seat to better concentrate on the task at hand. "Even if we figured out a way to coerce him to, it wouldn't have mattered since Bakugou was already planning to go home this weekend."
"It's for the best. Blasty would have prevented us from staying up late, and I'm planning to stay up all night long!" Mina cheered as her mischievous grin, peeked out behind her raised cards. "Doesn't that sound amazing Tohru? Just let Auntie Mina take care of you this weekend."
Tohru's own smile tugged at her lips. "Well, how can I say no to that," she mused aloud. Settling back into her chair with renewed vigor. This was proving to be the start of an exciting break. Her sapphire eyes studied her cards intently. Determined to learn this game in time for the night festivities. The brunette was just starting to understand the rules when the central doors crashed open with a devastating BOOM!
The suddenness and the violent nature in which they were almost blown off their hinges sent the class in a panic as they were forced into fight or flight modes. Poor Midoriya had even dived under the table from years of classic Bakugou anger conditioning. However, a collective sigh released from the class when the smoke dissipated to reveal an irritated Kyo in its wake. His hands buried deep in the pockets of his loose-fitting school uniform, as he relaxed out of his kicking stance.
"Welcome Back, Kyo!~" Tohru greeted him with a wave. Disturbingly unphased by this type of violent behavior. "You want to join us for a quick game of UNO?"
With an ambiguous grunt, the explosive shinobi stomped over to them. Pulling an extra chair on his way, which screeched sharply across the ground like nails on a chalkboard. Paying no mind to the dirty looks, the pinkette shot him as he forced himself in between her and Tohru. Kyo then slid down the back of the chair with his arms crossed tightly around him. The biggest, most adorable pout graced his features as he sulked in his seat without a word.
Uraraka was the first to recover. "Wow, that was a spot on Bakugou impression," the bubbly girl praised with another one of her glowing smiles. She turned to her green-haired friend, who was just now peeking out of his awkward hiding place. "Wasn't it Deku?"
"Y-yeah i-it was-s," the freckled boy stuttered, settling back into his chair. It must have been rough for the boy to be exposed to another person with a volatile disposition. "Everything okay, Kyo?"
"It's none of your damn business Deku!" Kyo hissed harshly, causing the shy boy to flinch violently. Effectively forcing Midoriya back into hiding as the shinobi towered above him in a threatening manner. Vibrant orange cat ears immediately erupted on top of his head, while his eyes flickered an intense shade of red for a split second as misplaced malice rolled off his person.
Crimson cat eyes blinked in confusion a couple of times, before looking up to study the new addition to his head. The copper-haired teen then looks back to Tohru, who shrugged in a perplexed manner.
"Sorry, accident~" she apologized with a blush.
Kyo willed himself to take a deep breath. "No, it was my fault," he confessed in a restrained tone. They both knew she had nothing to do with his transformation, but played it off as they have been taught to do since their childhood. It was safer this way. Besides, Tohru would do anything to keep the twins secret from curious eyes.
With a reluctant flick of his new tail, he turned his attention back to Midoriya and added, "Sorry. My brother was pissing me off. I shouldn't have taken it out on you," the shinobi apologized without making direct eye contact. Allowing himself to appear submissive to the other.
Pride warmed the brunette's chest as she witnessed her boyfriend's character growth. It wasn't all that long ago that he would have stormed off somewhere instead of admitting he was the one at fault. If only he could put these new found skills into practice to re-establish his relationship with his brother.
Oh well.
Despite Midoriya's intense reaction, he didn't seem phased by Kyo's behavior. "It's okay. I'm kinda used to it," the freckled boy admitted with a sheepish grin. Awkward laughter spread across the room with that statement. Granting everyone the opportunity to settle back into their previous activities.
"Still, it's ironic that Bakugou is off behaving responsibly in therapy while Kyo makes a scene like that!" Kaminari laughed from his seat on the couch. Leaning into the tape user in a cheap attempt to steer him off the rainbow road.
"Dude, shut up! You want Bakugou to kill you?" the small purple-haired kid warned through chattering teeth. His head looked around frantically for any trace of the angry mess of ash-blonde hair. "I don't want to get caught in the crossfire when he goes on a warpath!" The other students in the dorm, however, ignored his fears to focus on their own pursuits better.
As time progressed, several curious students tried to ask how the kind, soft-spoken Tsubasa managed to piss Kyo off to this degree. But he refused to disclose that information. Eventually, a furious hiss from the explosive shinobi proved to be enough to convince everyone to leave him alone on the matter. Everyone collectively deciding it was in their best interest not to meet his sharp gaze for the foreseeable future. Tohru had a sinking suspicion that his foul mood had something to do with their mission, but she couldn't very well ask him right then and there.
The group continued with their game of UNO while Kyo watched lazily from the sidelines. His fluffy tail leisurely swung back and forth behind him as he sat crisscrossed on the chair. Every now and then, his ears and tail would twitch in particular ways. It was incredibly subtle, but together they conveyed underlying messages for anyone well versed in their meanings. A simple way of communication that their squad had come up with when they were in their animal physiques. Almost like an animal form of sign language. They couldn't speak anything too complicated, but it wasn't hard to get basic ideas across. Especially with how close they all were.
The brunette continued to watch his movements in her peripheral. His message; Thank you. I love you. I'll fill you in later, playing on repeat throughout the card game.
The sentiment brought a smile to her face. She straightened her stack of cards against the table in morse code for, Love you too. It was difficult to suppress her giggle, knowing he understood her secret message to him.
"Well, as fun as this has been to watch, I better go pack my stuff before Blasty gets back," the copper-haired teen politely excused himself after watching Mina win for the third consecutive round. His hands pushed off the table to ease himself to his feet.
"I'll come with you!~" Tohru offered in her usual sing-song voice. Already rising to her feet to faithfully follow after him. To her new friends, she added, "I'll be back in a little bit~."
"Hurry back!" the two girls called back in unison.
From the couches, another set of voices called out. "Have a great time at Bakugou's!" Sero yelled as he pushed a cheating blonde out of his way. "And good luck!"
"Yeah, you're gonna need it," Kaminari snickered, only to be silenced by a pillow thrown at the back of his head. After which, a chorus of laughter trickled after them as they exited the room. The sincerity that their new classmates continued to show them never failed to bring a smile to Tohru's face.
This really was a loveable group of kids.
The couple casually walked up to the fourth-floor, hand in hand. Relishing in each other's company before spending the weekend apart. In all their year's journey together, their little group seldomly separated for extended lengths of time. It was unnerving, yet their professionalism prevented either of them from showing it on their faces. Instead, Kyo whispered a quick summary of what had occurred between him and Tsubasa while they climbed the stairs to their temporary rooms. The shinobi spoke in code to disguise crucial details pertaining to their job in case anyone was eavesdropping.
"Can you believe Bakugou actually invited me to his place?" Kyo laughed in a carefree fashion. A glittering fang poking out of his usual smirk. "It's like he discovered I was an alien or something," he continued in a joking manner. Subtly conveying to her that Bakugou had somehow discovered he had come from another world. And as a result, the rest of them as well.
Tohru laughed nervously. "Oh, come now. Why would he think something like that?~" she questioned with a teasing inflection. Her free hand made a dismissive wave in front of her face to hide her unease.
He shrugged in an overly exaggerated manner. The tip of his cat tail flicked twice before subtly brushing against the small of his back, where he usually kept his mother's kunai strapped to his person. With a click of his tongue, he continued, "Beats me, but Tsubasa busted my case about riling Bakugou up more than usual. It's like he doesn't trust me not to wipe-out the whole school or somethin'," he muttered slightly bitter.
Without him saying the words out right, Tohru understood the true meaning behind his words as if he spoke them directly to her. Tsubasa confronted me about Bakugou and was furious when he found out Bakugou knew the truth. He doesn't trust my judgment. He thinks I'm going to get everyone killed, myself included.
Tohru frowned at this. Her heart ached, knowing the twins were no closer to resolving their issues. "He's just worried,~" she found herself defending Tsubasa for reasons she couldn't voice. The pain in her heart intensified when she noticed Kyo's eyes narrowing dangerously at her words. He clearly didn't want to hear that, but just as quickly, his expression softened at her as he pushed his frustrations aside.
"Yeah, well, he made me promise to back off before I embarrassed him or whatever," he growled softly. His thumb firmly rubbed against the back of Tohru's hand, while his tail refrained from lashing furiously behind him. The mischievousness that commonly reflected in his crimson eyes completely absent. Leaving only cold anger in their wake.
"H-he did?~" Tohru stuttered, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.
She felt the foreign sensation, the slight protrusion of the freshly healed skin on his newly scarred thumb as it rubbed against her. Sapphire eyes widened in understanding when she realized what could have caused such a mark. Tohru found it challenging to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from them.
How long do you two keep planning on hurting one another?
The kunoichi understood how serious someone discovering the truth about them was for their mission. If the wrong people found out, it could put their job and even everyone's lives at risk. But, even still, Tohru still couldn't fathom how their calm collected teammate could resort to such a reckless method like a blood pact to keep that from happening. While such an arrangement was highly effective in forcing multiple parties to adhere to the spoken agreement, it was irreversible and possibly deadly if anyone tried to back out of it. Even if it was done to keep his brother from further incriminating their mission, Tsubasa had many other options available to him. To reduce to something so foolhardy was highly irresponsible on his part. A decision that would have lasting ramifications on their bond as brothers.
No wonder Kyo was so resentful. Not that his actions lately had been any better.
A curt nod was the explosive shinobi's only response. However, upon noticing her troubled expression, Kyo gently knocked on her head with their intertwined hands in his trademarked gesture of love and comfort.
"Don't worry about it, Tohru. This is between us, so you shouldn't have to worry yourself over it," he reassured in a pleasant tone as they arrived at Bakugou's dorm room.
Before disappearing inside, the copper-haired teen planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm gonna miss you this weekend. Don't have too much fun with everyone while I'm gone," he replied with a mischievous grin.
It was a lovely sentiment, but Tohru could hardly enjoy it fully. For her mind was preoccupied with the silent warning, Kyo had quickly tapped onto her hand as he spoke.
He dreamed of trouble swiftly approaching. Keep your guard up.
Tohru bit her bottom lip gently. Unwilling to let this warning of approaching danger to bring down her mood for even a second. She knew that her squad would prevail against this threat, just like they have done countless times before. This mission wouldn't be any different.
"I'm going to miss you too, Kyo~" she assured him with determined sapphire eyes. With that, the kunoichi turned on her heel. Preparing to return to where the rest of their friends were waiting for her downstairs.
"And you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine with everyone here~" Tohru called over her shoulder before disappearing from view.
Bakugou P. O. V.
The explosive hero felt the excited energy in the air as he made his way to rejoin his fellow heroes downstairs. Unbridled laughter, slightly off-key singing, and outdated music blared from the communal karaoke machine. Reverberating off the walls so much that the ash-blonde heard the racket, his classmates were making well before the doors to the elevator opened on the ground floor. The explosive hero silently thanked his lucky stars that he was being spared this disaster waiting to happen.
"Couldn't you fuckers keep it down until after I left?!" Bakugou boomed as soon as he stepped out of the elevator. His yell and sparkling palms intense enough to silence almost everyone in attendance. Everyone except for Horns, Pikachu, and the quirk Copycat, which continued to rock out to some virtual band simulator in the corner, completely unphased. Seemed, the group of idiots had finally discovered a videogame the world traveler didn't completely suck at.
"Not now, we're in the middle of our set," the copper-haired teen complained childishly. Focusing intently on keeping rhythm to the color-coded designs on-screen with his imitation drum set. Kyo's advanced physical prowess greatly contributed to his success despite his lack of technical know-how.
Bakugou, however, wasn't impressed.
With a roll of his eyes, the ash-blonde sauntered over with the classic scowl plastered on his face. "Do I look like I give a fuck?" Bakugou retorted. His arms crossed in one fluid movement. Bringing attention to how well his casual clothes fitted his toned torso. The dark red v-neck hugged his form nicely under his favorite leather jacket with subtle bright orange accents that correlated with his hero costume. These were further complemented by the black jeans and matching red bet he wore with it. A rectangular silver pendant hung loosely from his neck, rounding out his outfit.
"I swear by whatever deity you believe in, I will not hesitate to kill you if you make us miss our train," Bakugou growled in warning. His shoulder rolled slightly to adjust the bothersome strap of his weekend bag. "Now hurry the hell up."
The shinobi cursed under his breath but obediently dropped the fake drumsticks on the stand. Pausing briefly to lean over his seat to grab the satchel carefully tucked away by his feet. A fanged yawn escaped his mouth as he stretched his arms above his head with exaggerated movements. Allowing Bakugou to get a better look at him for the first time since he saw him last in class. Instantly annoyed that their clothing choices were as similar as everything else about them.
Kyo was wearing a baggy asymmetrical dark red and black sweater. The right sleeve and shoulder were made from a soft muted red wool, while the rest of his shirt was made from black mesh material with the left sleeve rolled up to his elbow. Under the see-through material, Bakugou could see glimpses of the tight black tank-top he wore underneath, as well as the occasional flashes of tanned skin. Something that seemed to excite the girls considering most of them watched Kyo's movements closely when they thought no one was watching. Unlike Bakugou's loose-fitting jeans, the copper-haired teen wore jet black skinny jeans, with some holes skillfully slashed in strategic places. One of which left a generous portion of his right thigh exposed.
In contrast to the explosive hero, a silver chain dangled from Kyo's belt to the back of his left pocket. Adorning it were multiple small charms and what appeared to be one of his twin brother's bright orange feathers. A surprising accessory considering they weren't very close, though it did match the shinobi's own copper hair perfectly.
The explosive hero's eye twitched in subdued agitation. Never had Bakugou wanted to change as badly as he did right then. They couldn't go out in public like this! Not when they looked like some gimmicky couple. Bakugou had half a mind to stomp back upstairs and change, but there simply wasn't time. They were late enough as it was. It was already looking like they would have to sprint most of the way to the station if they wanted to catch their train.
"Get a move on, we're going to be late," the ash-blonde ordered with a reluctant hiss. Turning on his heel without bothering to confirm if his classmate was following after him or not. He nodded his head subtly to Kirishima when he caught a glimpse of him across the room. They had already said their farewells before he had arrived downstairs. A mixture of pleasant wishes and harmless teasing from the rest of the dorm trailed after them, which Bakugou ignored to the best of his ability.
Instead, Bakugou focused intently on the nearly silent footsteps following a few paces behind him. Announcing the presence of his otherworldly shadow for the next 48 hours or so. One of questionable alliances. A smirk pulled at his lips as the familiar sensation of adrenaline coursed through his body.
This is going to be a blast, he reflected with a twinge of anxious excitement as he led the shinobi further into his home town. By the time Bakugou returned back to UA, he would hopefully have all the answers he had craved.
Time to go Plus Ultra!
The trip into the city was quiet. Now that they were away from prying eyes, the copper-haired teen had dropped his outgoing persona. Instead, he allowed a manageable stillness to settle between them. It was too soon to tell if it was all an act Kyo had adopted to infiltrate the class, or if he was just as uneasy about someone learning the truth about him as Bakugou was about discovering yet another deadly secret.
Regardless, the explosive hero appreciated the silence. The only topics he wished to discuss were too dangerous to speak aloud in public. And he absolutely loathed meaningless small talk with anyone besides Kiri, so it was better to hold off on conversations entirely until they were safely hidden away in his room.
After jogging part of the way, they made it to their terminal just in time. Not wanting to risk Kyo accidentally detonating the machine out of frustration. Bakugou swiftly scanned both of their transit cards in the reader with expert precision. Allowing them to quickly board the crowded subway car mere seconds before the doors closed behind them.
Blinking the blinding light of the setting sun from his eyes, the ash-blonde led the two of them through the railcar. Weaving through the claustrophobic mass until they found a less crowded area. Forcing himself to take deep breaths through his nose as he went. Continually reminding himself that the crowd of people was harmless and not the suffocating mass of turquoise he had been trapped in during his kidnapping. As one would expect, every seat was already spoken for, but at least they had managed to settle somewhere they could hold onto the rails without being crushed by other patrons. Bakugou repressed the urge to groan. He really hated taking the subway and went to great lengths to avoid it whenever he could.
If only the old man wasn't out of town for work. I could have gotten that push-over to give us a ride, no problem.
"Is that him?" Bakugou's fickle ears heard someone whisper somewhere to his left.
"Yeah, that's him alright," another voice confirmed in a hushed tone. "The guy from the sports festival."
Suspicious, the explosive hero discreetly repositioned himself so that he could see their reflection from the subway cars' rarely used convex mirror. Ignoring the sideways glance, Kyo shot him as the movement extended the gap between them. Upon doing so, he saw a girl with bright blue eyes and matching hair that shimmered and waved like an ever-flowing waterfall glowering in his direction. A physical trait that screamed she had some kind of water quirk. Standing beside her was a mostly average looking guy with dark brown hair, slightly pointed ears, and disconcerting turquoise eyes. Both of which wore the uniforms to a nearby university, making them his senior by a couple years.
"He ended up being the first year winner, right?" the guy asked, moving closer to his friend. Trying to drape an arm around her which she shrugged off to avoid him from messing up her glitzy locks.
"You mean you don't remember him being chained to the podium like a wild animal?" the girl snickered a little too loudly, causing a few heads to turn curiously. Enjoying some of the attention she acquired, the college student flicked her hair in a pretentious manner, which shimmered when it caught the light. She then continued in a low, but indiscreet tone, "I heard from my little sister that he injured a few other students in his frenzy, before they finally managed to muzzle him."
The blatant lie enraged Bakugou. While he could admit that his actions during the award ceremony were in poor taste, the explosive hero didn't harm a single person. Midnight had just gotten a little carried away when the blonde had refused to give up his heated argument with Icyhot.
That was all.
To insinuate that he was a danger to anyone besides the villains he detested was unforgivable to him. It took every ounce of Bakugou's self-control to remain where he was, instead of exploding on them and proving them right about his deplorable character.
"Wow, really? What kind of despicable person harms their own allies?" the brunette mocked, further twisting the knife of their previous jab. He shot a dirty look at the hero's back, with the sort of smug confidence one only exhibited when they believed the person in question would never discover it was them. However, Bakugou was very much aware. His furious crimson eyes glared at the whimp's reflection with such intensity, it was a wonder he didn't burst into flames. "Hero society has really gone downhill, huh? I almost feel sorry for them."
Fucking coward, you'd probably piss yourself if you ever tried to say that to my face. So take your pity and shove it!
"For real, it was such a noble profession before," the bitch agreed in feigned disappointment. The ash-blonde already hated her guts at this point. If they weren't surrounded by so many people, Bakugou might've been tempted to blow that smug smirk off her face despite her being a civilian. With a flippant gesture in his direction, she continued, "If you ask me, it seems it's getting more and more corrupt. Just look how low the bar is these days."
Who asked you, hag?! If that's how you feel, here's hoping there aren't any heroes around to ever save your ungrateful ass!
"He's got some nerve to call himself a hero," crowed her kiss-up of a friend. Looking absolutely pleased to have something he perceived to be inferior to pick apart in what Bakugou could only assume to be a rather dull existence. It was infuriating to be looked down on by someone the hothead could probably knock-out easily with one half-assed finger flick. "If I remember correctly, he's also the brat that got captured by that sludge villain too. It seems like he's more of a burden to his school than he's worth."
Bakugou inwardly winced at that cheap shot.
Like you could have done any better, you fucking pansy!
An evil smirk contorted the broad's features then. An expression that reminded Bakugou of that intolerable quirk copying bastard from Class-B. "Honestly, I can't believe they still allow him to go to UA considering what he did to All Might," she stated maliciously. No longer pretending she hadn't noticed nearby patrons were eavesdropping on their conversation.
Bakugou's breath instantly hitched, hearing his darkest guilt-soaked thought vocalized. It felt like he had been hit with all of Kaminari's electricity only for it to suddenly shut off, leaving him feeling unbelievably cold as his body struggled to come back online. A heavy pressure resonated painfully in his chest as his heart constricted with the memory of All Might's broken deflated body facing off against All For One.
No.
He refused to have a panic attack here in full view of everyone.
I will not give this entitled fucking bitch the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart.
However, her words seemed to spark other people to start gossiping amongst themselves. Snippets of conversations centered around topics such as how many people believed Bakugou didn't have what it took to be a hero or those comparing him to the villains he was supposed to protect them against. The worst by far were the ones labeling him as the catalyst for everything wrong with the current state of the world. A truth, Bakugou himself had difficulty denying every time he looked in the mirror. All of these opinions swirled around him in a disapproving swarm.
Bakugou desperately tried to block out the criticizing whispers and opinions of people who could never hope to understand the pressure and guilt he already placed upon himself for what he had done to his childhood hero. Citizens who took heroes and the life-threatening work they did for the good of humanity for granted. Talk about ungrateful little shits. If they had been subjected to even half of what his class had gone through, they would've shit their pants. All the while, begging the heroes, they all looked down on to rescue their sorry asses.
Bakugou tried to hide that their words were chinking away at his carefully forged armor behind an indifferent expression. However, he could do nothing to obscure the subtle tightening of his jaw, tensing of his broad shoulders, or the slight movement of his baggy jeans when his hands balled into angry fists within their deep pockets. Bakugou's shaking hands caused his whole body to vibrate ever so slightly as he endured the onslaught of the civilians' disapproval.
This is why I hate taking the subway, Bakugou thought bitterly. This kind of thing happened more than one would think. It was the reason why he was relieved UA put the dorm system in place. Living on campus spared him the hassle of listening to this crap on the regular.
Curse his inconsistent ears. Most of the time, Bakugou struggled to hear what people were saying if they weren't right next to him, but whenever people talked smack about him, his hearing would pick up conversations from across a damn clearing it seemed like. What kind of fuckery was that?
To Bakugou's credit, not all the voices were negative. Some individuals defended him; a few even gave him praise. The ones who still recalled seeing him on a headline a few months back when his class saved a group of kids from a fire or, more recently, how he and Icyhot had saved several civilians immediately after getting their provincial licenses. Though the appreciation he received was intermittent, too few and far between to drown out the endless sea of complaints.
The only productive thing the explosive hero could do was keep his head held high. Overriding the instinct, which compelled him to break eye contact with anyone who happened to meet his eyes. Instead, he raised an inquisitive brow at them in a challenge, which would instantly force them to submit to him as all the fight left their being. These little victories pulled a smirk to his lips. Taking comfort that someday all these naysayers would have to eat their words when he proved himself by becoming the future number one hero.
I'll show these fuckers.
I'll show all of them.
Just you wait, you're all going to be waiting in line to kiss my ass.
A sweltering presence to his right removed him from his thoughts. Bakugou risked a glance at his copper-haired friend for the first time during this little excursion. Noticing that while Kyo's demeanor remained casual, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the two instigators. The softest growl sounded almost silently in his throat.
"Knock it off,"Bakugou ordered under his breath. Pretending to be interested in the scenery outside the window. He couldn't afford for the shinobi to unleash his wrath on these pompous punks, even if they deserved it. It would only serve to validate their opinions of him and the hero society as a whole.
Counting on the other teen's sharp ears to pick out his words even on such a crowded vehicle, he continued, "UA's reputation already hangs by a fucking thread because of me. The last thing the teachers need is for us to find ourselves at the center of another incident. So. Back. The. Hell. Off!"
Kyo's growl tapered off. The muscles in his rigid shoulders reluctantly relaxed gradually as the temperature returned to normal. With an aggravated sigh, the shinobi pulled an outdated iPod from his pocket. The purple case and Dead Kennedy stickers decorating it confirmed Bakugou's suspicions that he had borrowed it from Jirou before they left. The shinobi unceremoniously popped one of the earbuds into his ears before offering the other to Bakugou.
Usually, the ash-blonde would have refused his offer by slapping the object out of his hand. Still, Bakugou couldn't deny that listening to their classmate's punk rock playlist sounded like an appropriate distraction for their current situation. So without another word, Bakugou stepped closer to better accommodate the limited length of the cord. Choosing to ignore the peculiar looks, other patrons gave him as they huddled close together or the glint of mischief, reflecting in Kyo's eyes as he softly snapped his fingers in time with the music. Even overlooking how the two university students fanned themselves futility as their side of the subway became unbearably muggy. Rather, electing to focus on the music and permitting himself to get lost in the grungy lyrics of an entitled populace and the world they took for granted.
Mitsuki P. O. V.
The steady sound of steel chopping down onto wood filled the kitchen, as nimble fingers prepared slabs of beef for the two hungry hero students due to arrive at any second. Impatient feminine crimson orbs glanced out the rapidly darkening window for what seemed to be the hundredth time that evening. Her purple slippered foot tapped the ground restlessly beside the head of a resting adolescent black and silver husky. The family pet Kaidan, or more affectionately known as Kai, had made himself at home after Katsuki had rescued him a few months prior. Already well accustomed to the Bakugou family's volatile mood swings to be disturbed by such a passive-aggressive action.
"It's not like that brat to be late," Mitsuki muttered to the dog quietly. Kaidan, however, didn't so much as twitch at her concerned voice in his supposed slumber. Annoyed, she purposefully dropped a tiny slab of raw meat to the mutt. The dog instantly snatched it out of the air before it had the chance to hit the floor. Gobbling down the beef in its entirety just as quickly. His tail thumping against the wooden floor in delight.
"I knew you were awake," the woman chuckled softly. Extending a hand to scratch the husky affectionately behind his erect ears. A smug grin identical to the one her son often adorned spread across her face when she felt the dog lean into her touch. "Don't you start rebelling against me too, Kai."
She turned her attention back to cooking dinner. Rubbing her unique blend of pepper, salt, and other spices into the pieces of beef before dipping them into the egg batter and rolled them with bread crumbs. Once they were coated to her satisfaction, Mitsuki dropped them into the sizzling pan of boiling oil to fry the cutlets up until they became a dazzling golden brown.
The mouth-watering smell of her Gyukatsu made the family pet's tail thump against the ground harder in anticipation. A soft whine rumbled in his throat as he gave her the cutest bi-colored puppy eyes he could muster. Caving, Mitsuki blew on her test cutlet softly before taking a tentative bite to check the flavor of her creation. With a pleased smile, she tossed the other half to the husky who scarfed it down greedily.
Kaidan's pointed ears twitched then. Perking expectantly at a sound too quiet for the ash-blonde woman to hear. The brat must have finally arrived, Mitsuki mused fondly as she cut another piece of meat for dinner.
In the corner of her eye, she noticed the husky rise silently to his feet. Kai then took up a somewhat protective stance in front of her instead of meeting her son at the door like usual. Marginally unnerved, Mitsuki tightened her grip on the large kitchen knife when she heard the sound of a key fumbling in the lock.
"Old hag, I'm home!" her son called out in his usual annoyed tone from somewhere out of sight. Followed by a low whistle that instantly grabbed Kai's attention.
Complying with his master's call, Kaidan calmly walked toward the front door and then disappeared down the side hallway. Seeing that the husky didn't sense any immediate threat, Mitsuki allowed herself to release the relieved sigh she had been holding in. All this trouble with Katsuki was steadily inflicting her with some kind of Motherly PTSD. Mitsuki would never admit it to her brat, but her biggest fear was him getting mixed up in some kind of danger he wouldn't be able to walk away from.
There was a sound of shuffling and muted muttering as the boys greeted the pup and took off their shoes in the entryway. Soon enough, an identical mess of ash-blonde hair came into view as Katsuki rounded the corner with Kaidan trailing obediently beside him. However, instead of seeing spiky red hair accompanying him, a mop of vivid copper hair lurked a safe distance behind.
"Something came up, so Kirishima had to stay on campus," Katsuki explained in a bored tone when he noticed her confused expression. He pointed a rude thumb at the boy, still lurking a few paces away. "This is his stand-in."
Out of habit, one of her eyes twitched in annoyance at her son's lack of warning of the change in plans. Mitsuki couldn't help but think that she should have expected him to pull a stunt like this. Especially after she went to all the trouble to prepare one of the redhead's favorite meals too! He was going to pay for catching her off guard like this.
Don't think for a minute that I'm going to let you get away with embarrassing me like this. I see a slap to the back of your skull in your forecast, Katsuki!
Shelving her frustrations, for the time being, she put on a friendly smile for their innocent guest. "Good evening, I'm this brat's mother, but you can call me Mitsuki," the ash-blonde woman greeted with a respectful nod of her head. Too busy drying off her hands after washing them to offer one to him.
"It really is a pleasure to have any of Katsuki's friends over. I'm always impressed that anyone can tolerate his crude personality," Mitsuki chuckled, deciding she couldn't resist finishing with a light-hearted jab at her son's expense.
Katsuki rolled his eyes at her remark. "Wonder who I learned that from, Hag."
The expletive, directed at her, didn't bother Mitsuki much. She had grown used to it over the years and often retaliated by calling him a brat as a result. Despite how ruthlessly they seemed to bicker and fight to untrained eyes, the glycerin quirk user knew neither of them harbored any real malice toward each other. The two of them simply sucked at expressing their feelings for one another or anyone for that matter. Yelling was the easiest way to vocalize the swarm of emotions that swirled violently through their person.
At the same time, the string of curse words that flowed so naturally from their mouths was their way of protecting themselves when they were at their most vulnerable. Mitsuki was fortunate that she had found such an understanding partner to help reign herself in when she went too far. Despite all the nagging and light rebuking slaps she dealt Katsuki, Mitsuki wished more than anything, that her prickly son would find his own special someone someday. Though if Mitsuki were completely honest, she was certain he already had.
"That's no way to speak to your mom," a new voice cut in. Taking her by surprise by how forceful he had sounded against Katsuki. Even Kirishima, whom her explosive son respected more than anyone, hardly ever spoke up to him like that. "She raised your sorry ass, didn't she? Then you should show her some more respect."
"Whatever," came Katsuki's dismissive response. Too preoccupied walking to the fridge to grab a couple of drinks to pay the other teen much attention.
Mitsuki had been too focused on Katsuki and her disappointment that her favorite redhead wasn't with him to pay much attention to the newcomer. Though he now had her undivided attention. The teen had a mop of slightly disheveled bright orange hair with long bangs that sometimes hung over his crimson eyes. He appeared to be the same height as Katsuki, but could even be slightly shorter if her son ever bothered to stop slouching to stand at his full height. Years of being in the fashion industry allowed her to accurately discern his lean and muscular frame despite being hidden behind oversized clothing. The teen was extremely attractive with a friendly and familiar underlying short-tempered aura about him. And yet something about him still nagged at the back of her mind. Something about him was vaguely familiar, but Mitsuki couldn't recall where she had seen him before.
Something's not right here.
"What did you say your name was, dear?" Mitsuki asked as sweet as she could.
A nervous laugh escaped from him then. "I hadn't had the chance to before. You can just call me Kyo," he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Her sharp eyes zeroing in on how his clothes moved with his tensing body.
"Kyo, huh?" the glycerin user repeated. Testing the name on her tongue carefully. Hoping that a memory would surface with the action.
Yep, that name definitely sounds familiar. But where have I heard it?
"Forgive me, sweety, with my age, I can't seem to remember if you were featured in the Sports Festival?"
It was Katsuki's turn to look uncomfortable. "He's a new transfer student, so he's only been in class for a month now," her son answered for the newcomer impatiently. With that, he grabbed hold of the copper-haired teen's sleeve and started to drag him toward the stairs. Not bothering to look back at her, he muttered a quick, "If you're done with your interrogation, we're gonna head up to my room until dinner is done."
Mitsuki let them take a few paces before hollering after them.
"Hey, Kyo?" she called. The teens stopped in their tracks at her authoritative tone. Dripping sweat clearly visible on both of their exposed necks. They didn't make any move to turn around, so she continued, "Tell me the truth. Is your surname Sohma?"
The question hung in the air for a few moments before the mystery student gave his answer. "No ma'am," he answered in an almost sorrowful tone.
Kyo risked a glance back at her. "My surname is Hitsuzen," he revealed reluctantly.
"Hmm, my mistake then," she hummed indifferently. Already shifting her focus back to finishing dinner. The chopping of her knife echoed ominously throughout the kitchen. The teens hovered on the stairs a few moments longer than they needed to, before silently scurrying to the safety of Katsuki's room.
An exasperated sigh escaped Mitsuki then. Her body slouched against the cold marble counter when she heard his bedroom door click shut. Covering her eyes with her hands, not minding in the least that they were covered in grime. This trouble magnet of a kid was going to be the death of her. She just knew it.
A transfer student, huh?
Yeah right.
Katsuki, what have you gotten yourself into now?
Bakugou P. O. V.
The ash-blonde woman's growing interest in Kyo enveloped them like some kind of spectral talon. Bakugou could practically imagine its claws deliberately tightening its grip around them as if it intended to forcibly squeeze the answers from them. Her overwhelming presence kept both of them firmly rooted in place on the stairwell. However, as if suddenly bored, the pressure released its hold, almost causing the teens to stumble to the ground with its abrupt absence.
Wasting no time to question why they were set free, the two explosive teens swiftly scurried up the stairs like some hellspawn was hot on their heels. Their footsteps thumped as quietly as they could, to not further alert his mother that they were up to something they weren't supposed to. Not that it mattered, it was clear from the moment Kyo had opened his mouth that she was onto their little secret.
They closed the door to his bedroom with a soft click. Both of their backs braced against it as if they expected his mother to start forcing her way through, demanding answers at any second. But only silence met them from the other side of it. With a collective groan, they slid down it until they laid on the cold wooden floor side by side. Their breath coming in erratic bursts with the fear of already being caught by his mom of all people.
Granted, Bakugou knew she had incredibly sharp eyes with a keen intellect to boot. She was his mother, after all. Even still, the Old-Hag had never cared to pry herself into his business before. Trusting that Bakugou would never do anything stupid enough to jeopardize his dream to become the next Number One Hero. So, why did she decide to play the part of the overbearing mother now?
Maybe Bakugou getting involved with villains every other month was awakening some latent mother bear instinct or something? Regardless of the reason, they were so screwed if his mother figured them out now. The Old-Hag absolutely adored Aizawa. Practically smitten with him after hearing the praise he had for Bakugou after his kidnapping. She respected him greatly for recognizing the potential Bakugou had to become a great hero someday. She would surely report back to him in a heartbeat.
Shit...
"What the hell was that about?" Bakugou growled at his counterpart. Not really expecting him to have an answer for him. A hand tiredly pushed Kaidan's face away to prevent him from licking him in his weakened state.
"Your mom probably saw another world version of me in one of these books," Kyo retorted back breathlessly.
"She what?!" Bakugou muttered in surprise. Instantly pushing himself up onto his elbows to glare at the other teen. "What the fuck does that mean?"
The shinobi rolled his eyes at this.
"It means that there are infinite versions of people with the same face and name spread across every world in existence. If we are correct to assume that these books depict the lives of real people in other worlds, and she is indeed an avid reader of such stories. Then it is very likely that your mother has seen someone like me in one of her mangas," Kyo explained in a slow and demeaning tone.
"If you're so smart, why didn't you warn me this could be an issue?" the explosive hero shot back angrily. Not appreciating being talked down to like a child instead of the capable hero he was.
"Honestly, I didn't think she would put two and two together," Kyo admitted, pushing himself up into a sitting position.
"Sounds to me, you were too stupid to recognize the risk your presence creates," Bakugou muttered bitterly.
"It doesn't matter!" Kyo shot back, not totally denying the other explosion user's words. "Her recognizing me shouldn't be a problem. As far as your mom knows, I just look like a character from a book and nothing more."
Bakugou contemplated his words for a moment. "Assuming that's true, I think it would be in our best interest to proceed stealthily from this point on," the ash-blonde hero suggested. His gaze darted to the door briefly. The image of his mother cooking diligently downstairs fresh in his mind. "She'll become suspicious if she noticed us rifling through her manga collection immediately after recognizing the similarities between you and a fictional character."
"Makes sense," Kyo agreed. "So, where are they stashed?"
"They're boxed up in the attic," the explosive hero answered matter of fact, pointing at the ceiling. Smirking to himself when he saw the shinobi pale comically at the news.
"Great, we're screwed," Kyo huffed, crossing his arms.
"Just follow me," Bakugou muttered, grabbing hold of the front of the shinobi's sweater and pulled him toward his closet.
After reaching it, he released him to begin rifling through it. Shoving aside articles of clothing his parents had personally designed for him over the years. Adamantly pretending he didn't recognize the faintest traces of a cityscape, crudely drawn in crayon, peeling off the walls from his childhood days with Deku. The multiple lines of colors still stubbornly lingered on the walls like other aspects of his past. When he was finished, Bakugou turned back to the shinobi with the smuggest look on his face.
"You really are an idiot if you think I'd ever suggest anything without having a battle plan to back it up with," the hothead smirked, revealing a covered attic panel and a ladder hidden at the back of his closet. "It would've been better if we were able to use the entrance in the main hallway, but we'll just have to make do with this smaller opening for now."
"Hell yeah!" Kyo grinned.
It took the two explosive teens the better part of an hour to rummage through the Bakugou family's vast manga collection. Doing their best to work discreetly in the dark, cramped space as they crawled under endless cobwebs. Both having to periodically muffle their coughs and sneezes from the abundance of dust-covered possessions littered throughout it. Often halting their progress abruptly with every creak of the floorboards or accidental thump of a heavy box.
Bakugou had been too embarrassed to admit to Kyo, how invested he and his mother had been to these stories. Significantly downplaying how vast their combined collection was, which could easily rival that of a small library. Because of this, it took some digging to find the boxes dedicated to the Old-Hag's volumes.
Once located, the blonde carefully scooted them toward the opening connecting the attic to his room. Then he carefully lowered them to his copper-haired friend, who would then nicely stack them in the corner of his bedroom. Meanwhile, Kaidan guarded the door for them in case his mother came to spy on them.
"Damn, do you think you two bookworms have enough of these?" Kyo whined when they finished dragging the last box they could find from the crowded crawlspace. His heavy-lidded gaze drooped even more, causing him to rest his body against the tall stack for support. The future hero absently wondered if Kyo would have to take a short nap to regain his stamina before searching through them.
"Would you give it a rest already? It's your fault we're in this mess in the first place, CarrotTop," Bakugou hissed under his breath. He wasn't thrilled about this either. Seriously doubting whether this quest of theirs was even worth the work and stress it caused them. The hero-in-training blew the dust off a random book on the pile, before continuing, "Just hurry up and help me search through these. If we're lucky, we'll still find something useful in one of them."
However, before either of them could get far, a shrill voice cut through the air. "Boys, dinner's ready!" the Old-Hag called from downstairs. Practically giving them both a heart attack.
The scare jolted Kyo into action by scrambling to cover their stack of contraband with a blanket, while Bakugou ran to the door. Ready to shout back an explanation to excuse them from the bothersome ordeal altogether. But before he could get the words out, his mother cut him off.
"Be sure to wash your hands and march your butts down here before I come up there and drag you downstairs myself!" she threatened. Her no-nonsense tone easily conveyed that this was not an invitation, but an order. Leaving absolutely no room for debate. Sharing an uneasy glance with one another, they reluctantly abandoned their inquiry to obey her decree.
To say that it was stressful to sit around a table completely at his mother's mercy while he harbored a mysterious shinobi under her nose was putting it incredibly mildly. While the dinner itself was pretty tame. The underlying war of opposing wills raged on beneath the surface.
At first, his mother only asked the usual prying questions she subjected every classmate he brought home with. The supposedly innocent questions cleverly disguised how she attempted to find the weaknesses of their deceptive ruse. Little by little, getting closer to the truth about their house guest. How Bakugou managed not to show the soul-crushing apprehension he felt whenever her predatory gaze lingered on the copper-haired teen for even a second too long was a mystery even to him.
He envied his classmate's interrogation training. Kyo carried on with polite small talk like nothing was amiss. Stuffing his face with the Old-Hag's cooking while Bakugou picked at his food with his chopsticks. His nerves made his stomach flip with nausea to even think of eating more than a few bites.
"Mitsuki-sama, you're cooking is amazing!" Kyo praised enthusiastically, with a fanged grin on his face.
The carefree shinobi had scarfed down two plates already and was hastily worked through his third. The thought made the explosive hero's nose twitch in disgust. Subtly Bakugou dropped another piece of meat from his plate to Kaidan, who disposed of the evidence instantly.
"I see where Bakugou learned to cook. You'll have to give me the recipe for this Gyukatsu sometime!"
Mitsuki smiled shamelessly at all the compliments he showered her with. "Kyo-kun, you are too kind," the glycerin quirk user thanked cheerfully.
Turning her attention to Bakugou with a sly look of her own, she asked, "Katsuki, where have you been hiding your friend all this time?"
"Well, he's not my friend for starters," he denied in a cold tone.
The Old-Hag scoffed at this. "You don't have to lash out at others just because Kirishima couldn't be here," his mother rebuked. The statement nearly caused the ash-blonde teen to choke on his water.
Fuck you for bringing that up!
Noticing that her remark knocked her son off his game, Mitsuki locked her piercing gaze on Kyo. Playfully adding, "Don't let his rudeness get to you. He's like this with everyone."
Shit, mom. Enough of the mind games.
Playing along, the copper-haired teen chuckled, "Yeah, I've noticed. Don't worry, I don't take any offense to it."
Her giggling slowly died down. "I've noticed. You both seem to enjoy each other's company. Do you, by any chance, have compatible quirks like Katsuki and Kirishima do?" she asked with a smile.
Bakugou's body instinctively tensed at her question. It was the first time since sitting down that she asked a critically intrusive question. The calm demeanor she portrayed never faltered as she awaited an answer. Terrifying Bakugou all the way down to his core. He was beginning to understand why his classmates were always so uneasy when he became perfectly neutral.
To hide his unease, Bakugou took a casual bite of his fried beef. Chewing on it boredly while pretending to the best of his ability that he wasn't hanging on every word being said or that he was hyper-aware of the Old-Hag's tacky nails tapping lightly on the table like a lioness waiting to pounce.
Without missing a beat, the shinobi replied, "I wouldn't say they are all that compatible, but they are fairly similar."
Acting like he couldn't feel the growing tension in the room, the shinobi took this opportunity to take a relaxing sip of water. Giving her a taste of her own medicine before answering, "My quirk is called Detonation." Kyo followed his reply with a quick summary of what his quirk entailed.
His mother nodded along to Kyo's explanation. She was well versed in the nurturing of explosive quirks. Having had to troubleshoot and discover a lot of this information for herself when raising Bakugou. Unlike in the past, quirks provided a new chaotic, and dangerous element to child-rearing. Instead of scrapbooking together a Baby's First Photo Album, many mothers in this day and age created meticulously intensive childhood quirk journals. Inscribed inside these albums were unique, tested out childcare methods dedicated to helping specific families. Because quirks tended to be passed on or merged with their parent's, it proved to be extremely beneficial to write down this vital information for future generations. Tracking quirks like a family's genealogy.
"I had enough trouble dealing with Katsuki's Explosion quirk," Mitsuki sighed in mock exasperation. Leaning back in her chair with the impressive grace that came along with a lifetime of dance and competitive volleyball. "How on earth did your mother manage your Detonation quirk?"
A sad expression crossed Kyo's features for a split second before he caught himself. "I dunno, but I'm sure my brothers and I gave her hell for it," he chuckled, but the smile never quite reached his crimson eyes.
His mother's expression was impossible to read. She had to have seen the brief crack in the shinobi's demeanor. There was no way she could have missed it. But rather than take advantage of it, Mitsuki had backed off.
"Alright brats, I'm sure you two have plans you're eager to get back to, so I'll take care of the dishes tonight," Mitsuki announced, standing to her feet. Gently retrieving the stack of plates beside their guest. With a wink, she added, "But you're both on clean up duty tomorrow, you hear?"
They both nodded.
With one last smile and a degrading ruffling of Bakugou's matching hair, she excused herself to the kitchen. Allowing them to finish the rest of their dinner in peace.
Bakugou observed his mother's movements carefully. Convinced she would try to sneak to his room to discover what they had been doing beforehand. However, true to her word, his mother spent the rest of her time dutifully clearing the rest of the table and washed the dishes in full view of them. A chore Mitsuki had always made Bakugou complete even if he had guests over. Upon finishing, the Old-Hag called up his dad. Acting exceptionally friendly as she laughed with him over some event that had transpired on his business trip. Not bothering to give either of them so much as a sideways glance.
Eager to be out of her line of sight, the explosive teens scarfed down the remains of their dinner. Mitsuki barely registered their presence as they stepped around her to swiftly rinse off their dishes before leaving them in the sink for her to finish. The glycerin quirk user dismissively waved at them in an attempt to shoo them off. Chuckling loudly as something her husband had said. Her nonchalant attitude rubbed Bakugou the wrong way long after they had once again closed the bedroom door firmly behind them.
"Not much gets past your mom, huh?" Kyo remarked in a deflated tone. Once again, collapsing onto the ash-blonde's bed without his permission.
Too exhausted to berate him for it, Bakugou sat beside him. "Yeah, no kidding," he hissed.
We're so screwed.
A dejected sigh rushed out of Kyo's mouth a couple seconds before the shinobi rocked to his feet suddenly. Landing on his feet with a grace that didn't seem humanly possible. "Well, there's nothing we can do about her now, so we might as well continue with what we came here for," Kyo pointed out, already dusting off the first volume from the pile.
"Don't give me orders, Copycat," Bakugou snapped out of reflex. Though he was already following the other teen's lead. Lifting one of the boxes closer to comb through it from the comfort of his bed, while Kyo opted to sit cross-legged on the floor. Kaidan stationed at the door, acting as the blonde's ears in case his mother came snooping around.
After spending a couple hours scouring through the supernatural, mystical, and shojo themes within Mitsuki's collection, Bakugou eventually found a manga that seemed promising. The ash-blonde didn't know much about the copper-haired teen's mother other than her name. Even with the limited information at his disposal, the contrasting pair of the silver and black steeled kunai illustrated on the cover was unmistakable. The cherished weapons being one of the only surviving mementos Kyo still possessed of his deceased mother, Amaya.
The explosive hero set the book aside briefly. Deciding to keep his discovery a secret for the moment until he was able to discern if there were any more volumes from the series within the box he was currently searching. After a couple minutes of digging, his fingers softly brushed against the bottom of the cardboard box. Scowling, Bakugou had to come to terms that his mother had most likely only purchased the first volume.
The first book of any series did little more than introduce the characters, plot, and build the world for the reader. The starting manga's sole purpose was to grab the viewer's attention and leave them wanting more. It would hardly give Kyo the closure he desired, nor the extensive insight Bakugou craved. But it was a start, at least. They could now search for the series, possibly even read it online by typing the name of it in the search bar.
Insanely curious, Bakugou couldn't help but flip through it first. Images of a shinobi, skirmishes, powers, and a woman with wolf ears and tail jumped out at him from the pages. Over time his body instinctively relaxed into a comfortable sitting position as he became enthralled with the contents of its pages. It was a new reading experience knowing that the scenes depicted had actually occurred how they were shown. After a while, Bakugou lightly snapped the manga closed in his hand.
"Hey, salmon-breath. I think I found something," the explosive hero announced louder than he had meant. It wouldn't serve the hero well to get ahead of himself. They only had the one comic, and for all, Bakugou knew it could have merely been another world version of her. Though he highly doubted it.
Kyo's head immediately snapped up from where he had been lying on the ground. "Really? You sure?" he asked desperately. His crimson eyes reflecting with so much longing it was hard to stomach.
Bakugou graciously flipped the cover toward him. An audible gasp catching in the other teen's throat when he saw the drawing of the unique twin weapons.
"Tsk, of course, I am," he snapped impatiently. Slightly uncomfortable with the display of emotion from the supposed cold-blooded shinobi. "If you doubt me, then you can read it for yourself," he finished, casually tossing the book for him to inspect.
A few things seemed to happen simultaneously when Kyo caught the manga. The first being the sudden discharge of powerful energy that was released with a flash of holy light, the second it touched his skin. The force of it instantly threw the shinobi to the ground with a strangled hiss and solid thud.
When the dust cleared, it revealed the troubling sight of Kyo's unconscious form lying amongst the many scattered books. Only his body didn't appear like it usually did. His fingernails were elongated to create sharp claws, his already sharp teeth poked out of his slackened mouth farther than usual, but most troubling were the undeniably feline tail and ears sprouting from his... person.
Bakugou could only stare in disbelief from where he sat on his bed. His crimson eyes trembling at the disturbing sight in front of him. The shock of what he just witnessed froze him in place while his mind tried to make sense out of what he just witnessed.
How could this happen? It's not like Ribbons was here to cause this, right?
The blonde glanced around stupidly. As if Bakugou expected her to randomly appear from his closet. The rest of his idiot friends in tow to announce the conclusion of some sort of outlandish prank. But his room remained vacant save for himself, his dog, and his otherworldly companion.
No, this transformation had nothing to do with that girl.
Suspicious crimson eyes narrowed at the discarded graphic novel.
Did the book cause this? Is it dangerous?
That didn't make sense. Bakugou had touched the manga first, even skimmed its contents well before he had handed it over to the copper-haired teen. If it had indeed been the book. Wouldn't it have affected him in the same way?
Then Kyo's transformation must have been his own doing somehow.
The sound of wheezing brought the hero back to his senses. Hesitantly, the hero-in-training carefully kneeled beside the sleeping form. Bakugou forced himself not to focus on the cat ears and sharp claws, but to concentrate on the shinobi's other features. Kyo's face was flushed with intense fever, sweat soaked his brow and dripped down the length of his cheeks periodically. The blonde didn't want to entertain the thought of how this might affect Kyo's Detonation quirk if his temperature continued to rise. It was difficult enough to discern if the heat rolling off of him was due to the fever or his abilities charging.
Pushing the thought aside, Bakugou continued to assess the shinobi's condition. The future hero took this opportunity to gingerly shake Kyo in an attempt to rouse him, but he remained unresponsive. What he found most worrying was his friend's erratic breathing, which came in rapid irregular bursts that occasionally hitched painfully in his throat when his body spasmed. This was entirely out of the realm of his limited medical training.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!
The explosive hero didn't have time to worry about what triggered Kyo's transformation. He had to focus on bringing down his fever before his condition worsened. Springing to his feet, he bolted out of the room to where he knew a first aid kit and other medical supplies were kept under the bathroom sink. Not bothering to close the door to his room fully in his haste.
His hands hurriedly fumbled through the bathroom cupboards for anything he thought might aid him. Managing to scrounge up a medical kit, a couple clean washcloths, a towel, ibuprofen, and a tub he could fill with cold water. Satisfied with his findings, he rushed back to his room to quickly drop these items off before attempting to sneak downstairs for ice. However, his heart sank when he noticed the door to his bedroom was now wide open.
A frustrated curse sounded under his breath at the sight of it. But having been left with no other choice, he begrudgingly returned to his room. Fully aware of what was going to be waiting for him when he rounded the corner.
Just as Bakugou had predicted, his mother was waiting for him to return. However, he didn't expect her to be sitting beside the resting cat form of Kyo, who laid restlessly on his bed with an icepack on his forehead. His fevered body already stripped of his baggy sweater, revealing the bandages that covered his right shoulder and down the length of his arm. She must have been stronger than Bakugou previously thought for her to have transferred the teen to his bunk so easily. Especially in the mere minutes, he had been gone.
Bakugou watched her warily as her hand gently scratched the oversized ears and ran through his copper locks intermittently. Seemingly unphased by the shinobi's drastic change in appearance. A pitiful whine escaped Kyo as he nestled further into the comforting touch.
"What do you think you're doing?" Bakugou challenged his mother from the doorway. Carelessly dumping the items, he had been carrying onto the ground. The scowl on his face intensified while he glared daggers at her. She had been acting weird ever since he had arrived home. It was high time he finally got some answers.
Mitsuki calmly met his glare. "I could ask the same of you," the Old-Hag countered, but her voice lacked its usual bite.
A nostalgic smile pulled at her lips then. "You know Katsuki, we're a lot alike," his mother announced out of nowhere in a wistful tone. Her attention fell back to the slumbering teen beside her. Taking the time to ruffle his hair in a sickeningly sweet gesture.
"We share the same face, temperament, drive, even our taste in men," she added with a half-hearted wink, though her son only growled at the comment.
She dropped her somber gaze to the floor then, "But it seems we also share a knack for getting roped into tricky situations," Mitsuki explained sullenly. Reaching around her back to pull a manga out from behind her. Holding it out for him to take.
Hoping to buy some extra time to think of an excuse, Bakugou humored her. Crossing the room in silence. Raising an inquisitive brow upon realizing this wasn't the volume he had uncovered earlier. There wasn't artwork on the cover, which Bakugou found odd, considering that was what urged people to pick up any given book. Unless the point was to be hidden within plain sight. Intrigued, he flipped it over to read the summary on the back and just about did a spit take.
This series wasn't about Kyo's deceased mother. This one centered around the adventure of a trio of shinobi who traveled across dimensions. Offering aid and protection to those in desperate need of it. The graphic novel even mentioned the three transfer students by name.
Holy shit!
This single book was everything the ash-blonde had hoped to find this weekend. Bakugou's fingers already moved to take a peek inside. Eager to finally snuff out any lingering doubts, he still harbored towards them as people.
"Katsuki!" his mother snapped sharply. Her booming voice startled him despite himself. The initial fear immediately melted away to leave room for irritation. Though before Bakugou could start hurling insults at her, she loudly remarked, "I wouldn't be so hasty delving into something you hardly understand."
"What do you mean?" Bakugou asked quietly, snapping the manga closed. Hating how he instantly followed his mother's instructions and how his voice shook slightly like he was a scolded child again.
The Old-Hag let out an exasperated sigh. "Once you read what's inside, you'll never be able to go back to a time where you were oblivious to its contents," Mitsuki explained darkly. It unsettled Bakugou to be stared at so intensely by eyes exactly like his. "I'm not exaggerating when I say it will forever change how you carry yourself from this point on. Paving the way for you to be bonded to Kyo for the rest of your life."
"What the hell do you keep going on about?" Bakugou growled impatiently. Taking an aggressive step forward. He was getting sick of her interfering with his quest for answers. "It's obvious you know more than you're letting on. Do us all a favor and spit out the truth already, you old hag!"
Mitsuki remained silent. Her identical eyes conflicted as she bit her lip tentatively. The timid expression she willingly displayed irritated Bakugou to no end. The blatant vulnerability his mother showcased felt like a slap to the faceas he witnessed her confident persona reduced to someone incredibly inferior to the woman he looked up to throughout his youth. How could someone so strong-willed be utterly disconcerted by a simple question? She was a fucking Bakugou, wasn't she? His mother lost her privilege to play coy with him after dancing around the topic at hand for so long.
"How the fuck do you know all this?" he urged again when his mother refused to answer his question.
A wistful smile spread across her features then. "Because Katsuki, that is what you call Hitsuzen," Mitsuki chuckled to herself. Her tone implying that he had missed some kind of clever inside joke.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think I've finally settled on the right chapter length, but let me know if this is still too long. I'm also considering going back and splitting the last two 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.
Oh before I forget, I have another work entitled, Pleasant Nonsense, where I explain how Bakugou ended up getting Kaidan. You might recognize the first chapter as Kirishima's dream into the mountains. Well that because that story takes place immediately after. There's a few chapters published so far and I'll try to update it frequently, alongside this story. Though this work takes priority.