Knock-Off Pikachu = Kaminari Denki
Pinky = Ashido Mina
Round Cheeks = Ochako Uraraka
Four Eyes = Tenya Iida
Weird Elbows = Sero Hanta
Froggit = Asui Tsuyu

Chapter 9

"YOU ARE A FUCKING IDIOT." Katsuki was mad.

No, he was beyond mad. He was furious to the point where he didn't really care if he was yelling at the principal of his school, only that this whole situation could've been avoided.

Katsuki heard the ringing of an ambulance as it approached USJ.

"We didn't know you were telling the truth, we couldn't risk it." Principal Nezu said calmly, he was supposed to be intelligent, not this fucking stupid.

"Oh yeah? So you decide to lead a class into an area with a known villain attack!"

"We couldn't focus all our resources because there were other classes, and-"

"EXCUSES, EXCUSES" Katsuki had everyone's attention now.

"YOU ALL WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS FUCKER DID?" the students looked at each other in confusion, but Katsuki kept on talking.

"He was told there was going to be a villain attack at USJ on this very day. He was warned. He was even told that the leader had a disintegration quirk, that there was a villain who had a warp quirk, and one to block radio signals, and an engineered villain that had the capabilities to take down All Might. He was even told what their goal was; to kill All Might! And what did he do with this information you might ask? NOTHING. He send a class of students to a know villain attack, and even decided to send an extra student from General Studies because they didn't believe it."

The students looked at the teachers with worry and confusion, if almost to have them verify what was said.

None of the teachers would meet their eyes.

They could see Katsuki visibly steaming with anger.

As the paramedics came, and took Double Eyebags onto a stretcher to minimize his injuries, one came up to Kastuki for his forehead and crushed hand. But, he waved them off because he wasn't done yet.

"PROUD NOW? Are you happy that the information about the villain attack I gave you was true? Happy you got one of your teachers hurt so badly that he looks like a mangled corpse? He was close to death, and you could've stopped it if you weren't such pathetic assholes."

The teachers seemed to flinch at Katsuki's words. He knew mentioning Double Eyebags might not have been the best decision, however he needed them to understand what he was saying.

"It could've been a lot worse, but we came in time. Go to the paramedics and get cleaned up." a pro hero said to Katsuki.

"HELL NO. Don't get confused here. You guys did JACKSHIT. It wasn't worse because your students are actually capable not because of your own talents."

Some of the teachers had the audacity to look ashamed and apologetic, meanwhile the students were shocked, and also tired. It had been a long day and a long attack, even more so since learning this new information.

"You all have your jobs to do. I get it. But if you're going to do them, do them well. This is supposed to be a school. You're supposed to protect students, not throw them into a danger you've been warned of. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if any of your precious students decides to become a villain. With the way you're treating them it makes sense. This attack is on you."

Katsuki knew his words hit the heroes with a heavy blow, but he was done sugarcoating things.

"Bakugou, I'm sorry for allowing you to attend this field trip." Cementoss said as he bowed at Katsuki.

"I appreciate your sentiments, although sorry doesn't change a thing. Be sorry for Class 1-A, after all General Studies doesn't get too much attention, they're a hero class, they have to deal with it all." Katsuki sneered. He admits, if he got kicked out of the school, that would suck but he wouldn't mind too much.

Katsuki started to walk away towards the paramedics, but he turns and says one final thing, leaving the teachers shell-shocked and the students frustrated and upset.

"Letting people get hurt? Having them take the brunt of your mistakes? Last time I checked, that's villainy."

Katsuki's hand was in a very bad condition.

He ended up needing surgery for it. Which the school was all too happy to pay for, and when Katsuki found out about it he rolled his eyes. Although, he was kinda happy to see that his frustration had hopefully caused some changes in the status quo.

Although, he had to stay in the hospital for a few checkups before he was free to go.

The surgery wasn't particularly fun. He was under the influence of a drug to numb the pain, but it's still an experience Katsuki hopes to never be in again.

However, with how things are going he doubts he's done with surgery, much to Deku's frustration.

Throughout it all, Deku was a range of emotions. Katsuki could tell this was as hard for him as it was for Deku, having to see everything go down and not be able to help. Even more so because he had the information in the first place, so the school wasn't discredited Katsuki as much as they were Deku. Katsuki could appreciate Deku's calm head through it all.

At some points he was happy for Katsuki, and after giving his rant, he had told him.

"They deserved it."

Physically, Deku knew Katsuki was not getting any better at all, to his dismal. However, Deku liked to think that Katsuki had grown mentally and was becoming stronger, and Deku couldn't have been happier about it. Katsuki knew the nerd was ecstatic about the prospect of Katsuki using his quirk, and possibly visiting his Auntie Inko (Katsuki hadn't had the time to do so recently, however Deku still pressured his about it. And so did his parents.)

He was proud that Katsuki was willing to try with his quirk, maybe. And that he had used it, albeit involuntarily. Again, when he came out of surgery, Deku was proud of how far he'd gotten, although that did not spare him from the frustration and the speech about safety that followed, because Deku wasn't happy that Katsuki needed surgery or that his cheek was busted up and he needed to wear a bandage over it for a short period of time.

"Don't die on me again, please" Deku had asked him with an air of seriousness.

"I didn't die nerd" Katsuki had chuckled.

Deku glared at him with an overprotective intensity that had Katsuki both rolling his eyes, and also wanting to hug the stupid idiot.

"Fine. I won't die again." Katsuki said sarcastically, but it was good enough for Deku.

Deku had stared down sadly at Katsuki's hand where a jagged scar ran horizontally across his hand. It still ached and Katsuki couldn't really move it at all, but if would get better. Right now he couldn't use it, but he would be able to after it fully healed and maybe some physical therapy.

"Don't worry about it, nerd." Katsuki said as he shielded his hand from Deku's eyes.

Deku looked a bit saddened but decided not to say anything further.

Katsuki sat upright in the hospital bed provided as his parents came to visit, and of course the school, which caused another shouting match to break out. Katsuki would've still be screaming about the injustice of the system were it not for the nurses who had come in during the argument to warn Katsuki and the school's representative that they needed to stop because they were being too loud. One of them also added that the representative was bothering and upsetting one of his patients causing the representative to leave in annoyance, although she had tried to hide it.

The nurse had given Katsuki a wink afterwards, and he gave him a gracious smile.

When his parents had visited they were worried for him.

Then Katsuki was a bit worried for the school.

Because of course Mitsuki blew up when she learned what had happened, and although it was a bit troublesome and required Masaru to hold her back, Katsuki was glad that she still had some of her old fire. Which he had to inherit, naturally.

Mitsuki was a smart woman, and she might not be the best when it came to emotions or her son, but she was trying.

And in this case her way of trying was yelling at the school because while they were all in their safe campus in their tighty whiteys her son and other students were thrust into a knowing danger and were not warned about it, causing the harm of Katsuki and one of their own teachers not to mention the mental trauma all the students went through.

Katsuki could be seen smirking throughout the whole exchange.

It really was quite amusing to see trained representatives from the school cower in front of his screaming mother.

Masaru didn't hold her back too much, which was one of the ways he communicated his agreement, along with chiming in every so often in a tone Kastuki had never heard of.

His father was always the calm one, but he seemed just as angry as Mitsuki, if not even more so.

"Geez, I almost wish I could have my shot at yelling at them too." Deku murmured, causing Katsuki to laugh.

"Overprotective idiot, you know I can handle myself."

"Yeah, but I want to yell at them."

Katsuki nodded in understanding. He knew Deku was angry and needed to vent, or at least let some things out.

"Tell me what you were going to say to them."

"Really? I don't want you to get angry."

"Nerd, I don't say things I don't mean." Katsuki said with a snort, before his eyes widened.

Thoughts began to race through his mind as he realized what he had implied. He had implied that when he told Deku to kill himself he meant it. But he didn't. It sounded like he did though. All the insults and jabs had he really meant it? If that was true... what was wrong with him? He was a monster, no lying about it. He couldn't believe it. He never wanted those outcomes, he never wanted to hurt Deku, but did he? Was he lying to himself, he couldn't be... Deku only brought him joy. But, he didn't always. What had happened to change things? He did care, he couldn't... why? How? When? What?

Katsuki couldn't breathe as he frantically struggled to get air in his body.

He was a monster.

He couldn't believe it.

That's what he was.

All along.

Katsuki closed his eyes and placed his head in his hands.

It was all too much, he was too warm.

Katsuki threw the blankets off of him, but he still didn't feel quite right.

He couldn't do it.

"KACCHAN." Deku was crying. Or was he crying? He couldn't quite tell. "STOP IT."

Katsuki clenched his eyes shut, he wanted it all to go away.

"LISTEN TO ME." Deku screamed. "I'VE FORGIVEN YOU. YOU NEED TO BREATHE."

It didn't happen immediately, and took much longer than he would've liked, but Katsuki managed to calm down a bit. It allowed his breathing to become more regular and controlled.

"Kacchan, it'll be okay." Deku looked at him solemnly.

Katsuki nodded, but he wasn't sure if those words were genuine or not.

Or if they were truthful anyways.

"Tell me about what you were going to say." Katsuki choked out.

Deku nodded and started to rant on and on about the injustices and the school's bad system.

Katsuki just zoned out and got absorbed into thoughts of nothingness.

This time, though, was more comforting as he heard Deku's voice, and enjoyed his company.

He knew it was getting worse.

He kept going into panics and even as he laid in the bed he felt himself shaking.

He refused to be weak, he couldn't afford to be weak enough to get scared at the simplest things and fall into a vast swirling vortex of the past and all of the mistakes he had to go through. He couldn't keep going like this, he needed to get better.

Katsuki fell asleep as he listened to Deku with an expression of half sadness and half determination written across his face.

Katsuki had one last checkup and then he could leave, which he was looking forward to. Being stuck in a stuffy room in a hospital really wasn't how Katsuki liked to spend his time.

Of course, the school visited one final time and attempted to make a deal with him. When they asked if he would be quiet about this whole issue and his injuries sustained becuase of the school's incompetence, Katsuki refused it immediately. He didn't care about the money which they had offered, his parents were fashion designers after all and he didn't need more, especially in exchange for his silence.

If Katsuki was good at anything it would probably be not letting people silence him, along with being as loud as he wants.

What was unexpected, however, was who visited him next.

"HEYYY, BAKUUUGOOOU!" Knock-Off Pikachu belted out once he entered Katsuki's room.

Behind him were Pinky, Round Cheeks, Four Eyes, Candy Cane, Shitty Hair, Weird Elbows, and Froggit.

Katsuki glared at the group who had walked in. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Deku smirking.

"The fuck are you doing here?"

"Well, as Class President I found it my duty t-"

"Never mind. What the fuck do you want?" Katsuki was getting a little frustrated. He didn't like having strangers barge into his hospital room for no reason.

"Thank you." Shitty Hair blurted our.

"What?" Katsuki was confused he looked at the group quizzically, they all seemed a bit nervous and shy. Except for Candy Cane, he looked like he didn't want to be there at all, which made Katsuki even more frustrated.

"We wanted to say thank you. You know, for all you did for our class! It's crazy that they did nothing to stop the attack, but you worked to keeping us safe and we are grateful for that." Pink Cheeks bowed as she spoke for the group.

"Yeah, you're super manly!"

"Even if you act like an asshole."

"Kaminari!"

"Whoops..."

The group started to tease each other a little, but Katsuki was frozen.

They were grateful for him?

When he didn't help at all, and did nothing to warn them? They appreciated the little he could do.

Katsuki looked back towards Deku who gave him an easing smile.

"They're not wrong." He said it softly, but Katsuki still heard him. He bit his lip before turning back to the group. He didn't believe they were right and although he knew Deku was trying to help him, he didn't need it.

"Ahh! Dude stop!" Knock-Off Pikachu whined as Weird Elbows taped his hands together to stop him from waving them around like they were.

Katsuki had no idea what was going on, but he faintly smiled at the antics of the group.

After a little bit they calmed down, seemingly realizing they came to the hospital for a reason not to fool around.

Katsuki remembers zoning out while Four Eyes gave him a little speech on something he didn't even remember. It had something to do with safety, and gratefulness, maybe?

"We're glad you're doing okay though." Weird Elbows interrupted Four Eyes who seemed to be willing to talk forever. Katsuki didn't really remember seeing Weird Elbows that much, but he probably was friends with the rest of the group so he decided to come along.

Katsuki nodded at what he said, before observing the fact that Candy Cane had been silent the whole time, and was staring at him analytically. Odd.

"Seriously dude! When one of the students said you were going to explode during the evacuation I was super worried." Shitty Hair said, making Katsuki tense up as the other students in the room agreed with him.

Deku sent Katsuki a worrying look, but he didn't want the pity.

"Although, man! You have such a cool quirk! You just blasted that villain like it was nothing!" Shitty Hair exclaimed, seeming to be excited for Katsuki.

Katsuki froze on the spot, his breathing was becoming shaky.

He didn't know anyone had saw him, but it looks like he was wrong.

This was bad.

Super bad.

"GET OUT." Katsuki said firmly as he glared.

"What? But, what did we d-"

"I SAID GET OUT." Katsuki yelled. "ALL OF YOU."

The group sent him worrying and confused looks as they filtered out of the room.

Shitty Hair looked ashamed, but Katsuki wasn't in the right mind to even try to make him feel better.

He had his own problems to worry about.

And one of them was the fact that Candy Cane was still standing there.

"DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? GET OU-" Katsuki was furious that he dared to go against his wishes, especially because he needed them to leave.

"I know how you feel." Candy Cane interrupted him with a sad look on his face. "I'm going to beat you."

"What the fuck?" Katsuki asked in confusion.

"You'd make a good hero." Candy Cane frowned as if he was upset by what he had said.

"LEAVE."

Katsuki was angry. How dare these students burst in and, and.

Deku looked at Katsuki as if he was thinking very deeply, and Katsuki knew he probably agreed with those assholes.

All Katsuki wanted to do was curl into a little ball and cry for the rest of his life until he dies.

It sounded petty nice.

Although there were a few problems with that.

First of all being Katsuki didn't want to seem weak. It was pathetic of him to do that and very stupid. He wasn't supposed to be weak, although he was a lot weaker than he wanted to be. And, he couldn't let go of Deku's dream. He had to make it to the top and help people, but he wasn't good enough to be a hero. He was too pathetic for that, too mean, too aggressive, too selfish. It was too wrong and Katsuki was too imperfect for it all.

The second problem was that he had another visitor.

Nothing could've prepared him for who walked through that door with a worried smile on her face, wrinkles from years of worry and distress. The woman was a bit rounder with dark green hair pulled into a half bun on the back of her head. She seemed determined and fierce.

Deku's eyes shone with unshed tears at the sight of her, as his thinking face disappeared in favor of a face of longing that sent stabs to Katsuki's heart.

Midoriya Inko had walked through the door.

And Katsuki was trapped.

Inko sat down in the chair next to Katsuki, and offered him a smile.

He didn't return it as he stared at the woman he probably feared the most in his entire life with a shocked expression on his face. He couldn't believe she had just walked in the door and now he had to interact with her. And she hates him because of how much of a terrible person he is, and what he did. And it's all his fault.

But, she didn't throw any insults at him.

She didn't even utter a single word.

"Talk to her!" Deku hissed to Katsuki. "This is your chance, and you can't blow it."

Katsuki gulped.

Deku sent him a pointed glare, and opened his mouth to try to convince Katsuki, but someone spoke up first.

"We don't have to talk if you don't want to, Katsuki." She said it in a soft comforting tone. But, still, Katsuki felt himself flinch once she spoke.

Katsuki knew she didn't walk in for nothing. She had something to say to Katsuki, and she was going to say it. Katsuki knew he couldn't resist it and he had to stop being pathetic. Like Deku said, this was his chance, and Deku hadn't heard Inko's voice in so long that Katsuki felt like he owed it to him to say something, anything, to Midoriya Inko. Even if she made him feel shittier than he already did, it had been a few months and Katsuki knew she was hurting even more than Katsuki was.

Katsuki knew he had to speak. But it wasn't easy. She terrified him even more that he'd care to admit, so he had to muster up enough strength and ease himself enough before stammering a reply to her.

"No-no, it's alright."

"I don't want to pressure you." Inko looked sad. Incredibly sad.

"It's alright." Both Katsuki and Deku said at the same time, but while Katsuki was talking to Inko, he knew Deku was talking to him.

"You know, when I heard you were in the hospital I was so worried." Inko looked at him and that's when Katsuki could see the full weight on her shoulders. Her eyes were dark and they had bags under them, not to mention the way Inko's shoulders hunched like she had been holding up the sun her whole life, and now that it was gone all she left of it were her hunched shoulders right where the sun was supposed to me.

The analogy wasn't too far off.

"Why?" Katsuki blurted out to her.

"Because I haven't heard anything from you. You're like a second son to me." Inko smiled before sighing at the implication that she already had a son.

"I'm not worth it." Katsuki murmured as Inko's gaze pierced him.

"Look, I'm going to get right to it." Inko sighed as she took Katsuki's hands in her own.

It made him flinch and his hand gave off a faint ache as if the ghost of the wound was still there.

Katsuki hadn't realized he'd been shaking until Inko took his hands, and suddenly he was hyper aware of the everything, the ticking clock, shining sun, and footsteps in the hallway overwhelming his senses.

He felt a bit uncomfortable with Inko holding his hands, but that's because of his fear. Or at least he tried to tell himself that so he could overcome it.

"You're like a son to me. You and Izuku had the most beautiful relationship, and I know when you both started growing up, all the world wanted was to separate you two. The praise you received and society's view on quirks caused a fissure between you. You were never great with emotions, and you often say things you don't always mean. One day it went too far. And Izuku died." Inko had a few tears rolling down her cheek, as Katsuki was shaking his head, Deku wasn't dead! He was right next to him, and he was staring at his mother intently. "You shut yourself out from everyone after that, and you refused to eat or use your quirk. What society called a blessing had become a curse. It's hard Katsuki, I know it is. Everyday I find myself thinking about what it would be like if Izuku was still around. I still call him for dinner sometimes. It's not easy." Inko closed her eyes as if imagining something for a second.

Katsuki brushed his own cheek, finding it wet. He hadn't realized he's been crying. But then again whenever Deku was brought up he seemed to start crying. It was probably the nerd's curse.

"I want you to know that it was your fault. You let people get to your head and you let society steer you down a dark path. But it was also the fault of the kids who egged you on, the professors who did nothing, the parents for not noticing, and Izuku for believing what you two had was broken. I know it's not, and I forgive you Katsuki. I have long ago because while you are partially to blame, you also kept him going day and night." Inko was smiling as she pressed her forehead against Katsuki's.

"He loved you, Katsuki."

Katuski started to sob as all the memories of Deku sprouted like small seeds turning into beautiful flowers.

"I love him, too." Katsuki says.

"I know."

"He loves you too." Katsuki adds.

Inko looks at him with a bewildered expression before smiling and hugging Katsuki with all her might.

Katsuki hugged her back as the two cried together, wrapped in Deku's arms, as well as each others.

Inko had come up with an idea for Katsuki.

He would write down every memory of Deku he had. Big or small, into a journal. Even if it was Deku's favorite ice cream flavor, which was Strawberry, or maybe the one time he got his wrist stuck in a fence's chains and wouldn't stop crying about it.

It was a good idea, and Deku even helped him out with it, although that might've been cheating.

Deku seemed to be a bit happier now that Inko and Katsuki had repaired their relationship and Katsuki's parents seemed just as happy.

And if they never told Katsuki that they gave Inko weekly updates on his well being?

Well, that was okay.

It would all be okay.

Even if Katsuki realized he should probably apologize to the students who visited him.

Nah, it'll be fine.

EXTRA:

"You know, I don't think it was me who kept him going." Katsuki marveled.

"Huh? Of course it was, what are you saying!" Inko exclaimed.

"Maybe it was me." Katsuki hummed. "But then it was me and All Might."

Inko looked at Katsuki in a calculating manner for a few seconds before the two burst out into laughter.

"Stop it!" Deku cried out. "That wasn't funny!"

But soon he found himself laughing with his mother and his brother.