Chapter 16

The last thing he saw was Deku rushing towards him, mouth wide open almost as if he was shouting but no sound came out, or maybe Katsuki was just so far deep he couldn't understand any of it, and then everything changed.

He had just given up, accepting defeat at the hands of Eyebags' quirk, but wait… what was this?

Katsuki felt a calm wash over him. He still didn't feel in control of his body, but now it strangely felt relaxing. Almost as if he was sinking into a bed of soft pillows after a hard day, body tired with exhaustion and mind far away, buried in the comfort surrounding it.

Normally, Katsuki would welcome this feeling, but his nerves were too on edge for him to feel fully settled into the warmth that radiates around him. He was drowsy, but was still conscious. He could still see his surroundings, no matter how much he yearned to shut it down and let the relaxing presence seep into him.

And in those surroundings he didn't see Deku.

Just what had Deku done?

The question bounced around in his head, filled with worry over his best friend's conditions. What was that surge he took towards him and what was with this such calming feeling? Before he felt as though he might suffocate from how trapped he felt and now he felt so warmed by whatever this new feeling was that all of his bad thoughts were expelled and replaced with utter comfort.

It was uncharted territory for Katsuki. He didn't know how to handle this unexpected feeling. It wasn't entirely unwelcome… just confusing, especially at a time like this. Now that Deku had disappeared to wherever he might be, Katsuki had expected his fear to get worse and for him to enter a state of complete and utter desolation.

He still didn't have control of his body, and he felt like he should be panicking. Is that a bad thing? Yet no matter what he told himself, he was still overwhelmed with the thoughts of calmness and tranquility.

He was so caught up in his conflicting ideas, whether he should listen to his brain or his heart and emotions, what he was feeling or what he thought he should be feeling. So occupied that he barely noticed it when his fingers started to twitch.

He didn't notice anything was amiss, the twitch of his hands, the unusual feeling that had grown randomly, and the lack of Deku's presence in that they were all related to one simple incidence. One that was made clear to Katsuki the second he heard,

"I'll protect you, Kacchan!"

The voice came from… inside of him? It sounded as though it was echoing outwards, away from him like a beacon transmitting a signal where he was usually only receiving the signal.

Especially from this voice.

What the fuck was happening here? He didn't understand how he was able to hear Deku so clearly with his voice reverberating in such a way it was almost as if-

Oh please don't tell him that stupid fucking nerd really did that?

Katsuki immediately soured at the thought of it; implications too great for him to let it go ignored but the idea so preposterous there was no way it could be true.

Could it?

Katsuki's line of thought was interrupted by a new feeling. A feeling that made all of his previous thoughts, feelings, and concerns vanish. This time, he was paying attention and too alert to be caught up in an endless cycle in his mind or wrapped up in the weird comforting thought they had suddenly arisen with no indications whatsoever.

Even if he was, he was sure he couldn't miss the unmistakable feeling of the fingers on his hand flexing outwards. A slight crack accompanied them, before they were clenched tight, ready for a punch. Or a mass explosive.

Katsuki was dumbfounded, to say the least, had he been trapped for so long a placebo effect of sorts had taken hold. No that wouldn't make sense or else he wouldn't be hallucinating familiar voices and feelings so acutely. If it was true though, it would make all of his failed attempts to escape truly useless ones.

Instead, he got over his shock and knew he had to jump into action or else lose the match entirely, which not only would anger his one fan but also cause him shame. Thus, he focused on moving his arm, raising toward Eyebags from where he was standing, shock and confusion plastered on his face.

Yet nothing happened.

Katsuki tried and tried, but it wouldn't work.

He was not in control of his arm and whatever it had done.

But the real question was, who was it?

Who was whatever had taken control over his body without any of his consent? Why the fuck was this even happening in the first place, Katsuki had nearly given up on the Festival and being able to make it all the way through to finals.

His mind flashed back to his earlier thought.

Whatever had caused his hand to move against Eyebags had to have come near him at some point. That had to mean he had come into contact with it while he was in the hallways maybe? Was it some classmate enacting their vengeance through him by the use of a particularly strong quirk? But then that would be against the rules, especially if they ended up being found out for such an act.

Or maybe... Could it be that his body was just so tired and was completely tuned into his needs that it was now functioning based on autopilot alone? He didn't know if that was something that was even possible, especially when considering the blistering warmth that surrounded him, he doubted it was the result of any instinct. However, he didn't have any cloying need to know the truth. At this point he was desperate just to break out of the seemingly endless and authoritarian hold that set him on edge. It was painful, having to live another second trapped in his own body, feeling his consciousness close in and begin to fade as his mind was being put on a full hold. As such, he embraced the odd warmth that had flowed over him, soaking in it like a man who hadn't bathed for weeks.

He didn't know who was controlling him.

He didn't know what was controlling him.

All he knew was that it was a form of escape for him.

One he wasn't going to pass up, especially not now. There was time for questioning and then there was time for answers, this was the former.

Katsuki felt himself sink… no that wasn't the proper term for it. He wasn't sinking anywhere, he wasn't falling into the deep depths of any pool. Instead he was rising, rising back up with that comforting feeling and the echo of Deku's mysterious words imprinted onto his mind. He felt as though he was floating back into his own body, back into control. To be fair, he couldn't be completely certain of anything that was happening due to the complete newness of all of it to him.

Feeling had begun to return to him as his body started moving without his permission. Eyebags' control was being pushed out as Katsuki was being pulled back in, but who had taken the reins in the meantime? Whatever, or whoever, it had to be the catalyst and the one who was currently tensing Katsuki's arms which could only mean one thing…

An explosion was sure to follow.

Katsuki, even in the comfortable confines of the presence felt a spike of panic shoot up into him. He couldn't bring himself to focus on it, but he was scared by the potential of someone else grasping his quirk once more and being able to use it on their own whims. Whims Katsuki did not trust. But then again, if that truly were the case how would whatever had taken over know how to activate his quirk?

Observation, access to his memories, or him being the one truly in control without knowing it were the only options here. None of them had shown evidence of being more likely than the last, except for one key detail.

Katsuki had never heard of a quirk that could do something like this. And while it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, the chances it would be used on him randomly or activated just in this moment were slim. Otherwise, he would have seen traces or heard about it in passing. No, it had only happened as a result of Eyebags' quirk himself.

Whatever, Katsuki had no time to dwell. He couldn't think about whether or not he was being manipulated, how he was able to fully feel himself take a step towards the other boy who was stunned into silence, or the complete control he felt over his fists, clenched and ready to know Eyebags down.

If he took too much time to get used to being back in control - like a newborn baby fascinated with their own body, then he would miss his chance to catch Eyebags when he guard was down, no, decimated was a better word for it. Both of them had been so utterly shocked by the events that had persisted that neither knew quite what to do, or how to react. Bodies frozen in a state of confusion and rediscovery.

However, Katsuki couldn't let that happen. He couldn't allow Eyebags to recover faster than him and end up gaining the upper hand once more. It was Katsuki's turn to retaliate finally, and he wasn't going to so easily pass it up.

He took a few steps forward, feet wobbly and shaking as his nerves that were trapped inside of his mind along with him were finally exiting his body, making him waver as he hurried along to Eyebags.

He figured it would be embarrassing if he were to trip right now after somehow managing to break out of the spell he was under. Deku might even pity him, if he was watching from wherever he had managed to run off to in the span of five seconds.

How tiresome he could be. Supporting Katsuki and then running off the second he entered a controlled state where he lost all power.

Tch.

He had to brush all of that aside. He put all of his concentration into walking forward without a single shake, fists clenched so tight his knuckles were beginning to turn white with the pressure. Originally he was planning to blast this bastard away with his quirk, but that would be overkill and entirely unwelcome too. Instead he was going to do what he had been itching to do since day one of hanging out with Eyebags.

Punch him square in the nose.

And if was lucky, just maybe, he'd even be able to break his nose in the process. It was all dependent on the force behind his punch, proper form, and how long Eyebags remained shocked with the billion different questions and scenarios running through his head. Katsuki was familiar with such a state, where your body seems so far away and all you can do is focus on your gasping for breath, losing air that is the ocean of knowledge and trying to deep dive for the answers you seek.

It's when he's most vulnerable.

And it's certainly when Eyebags is most vulnerable.

What kind of General Course, non-aspiring Hero would he be not to take advantage of that perfect opportunity? The fight was never fair from the get-go and Katsuki wasn't interested in making it fair. If Eyebags wanted to say those words and play dirty to trigger Katsuki into speaking to him, then he'd just make use of his current time to play dirty himself.

Others may say fighting fire with fire was never productive but Katsuki liked to challenge that; he thought it was perfect depending on the situation, but especially here there was nothing better to use.

Katsuki reared up his fists, control starting to slowly inch into him like water seeping into a sponge. He was ready to beat this asshole into the ground.

Wasting no time, he tried to sprint over to Eyebags.

Key word: tried.

His legs still felt mushy and not completely connected to his body, so he ended up stumbling forward weakly. It was pathetic, if anything. But at least he was moving. He stumbled forward a few more times before regaining some of his balance and being able to take stronger, more thoughtful strides towards his opponent.

A punch wouldn't end the round, but maybe if he could utilize a punch to keep him shocked Katsuki would have enough time to push him out of bounds.

Yeah, he'd go with that.

So, once Katsuki got within range and Eyebags seemed to be blinking out of his confusion, he threw back his arm and punched him right in the face, hard.

It didn't have the exact effect Katsuki wanted since he wasn't at his usual full power but he was still able to knock Eyebags back a few steps. Blood was dripping from his nose, eyes widened as if he still couldn't believe what was happening around him.

Katsuki didn't waste a moment, taking Eyebags shoulders and pushing him. He kept pushing, even after Eyebags came to and started to resist. It was too late, he was determined to push him out of bounds no matter what.

He would win this match.

He would win this festival.

Katsuki firmly gripped the collar on Eyebags' shirt as he pushed him back. It wasn't easy because of the boy's struggle, but Katsuki had an advantage.

Months and months of training his body and increasing his strength.

It all led to this moment, where Katsuki furthered his grip and swung up, bringing Eyebags with him, before slamming him down right before him. It was his hope that Eyebags would now have all the air knocked out of him, leaving an opening for Katsuki to come in and take advantage.

That's exactly what he did.

Still on the floor, he yanked Eyebags up and with both of his palms pressed on his opponent's chest, he shoved. His muscles burned and ached, his legs were jelly, but he ignored it all. He shoved with the strength of all of his rage accumulated throughout their battle.

It wasn't until he heard the telltale whistle of the match ending that he fell down and collapsed.

He was so focused, he didn't realize Eyebags was out of the stadium's boundaries.

He had won.

HE HAD FUCKING BEAT EYEBAGS.

Ecstatic excitement flew through Katsuki's veins.

He felt like he could run a marathon! He was overjoyed. He had beat the quirk that left his mind in shambles for a short time.

He wanted to dance, he wanted to do fifteen jumping jacks, but most importantly he wanted to scream.

Over the loudspeakers, he heard his name being announced as the champion and he lost all composure.

A smile broke out on his face, big, bright and full of warmth.

Looking around the stadium after his success, he caught a glimpse of Deku in the corner of his eye. Whipping his head around, he spotted the person he was most looking for.

Deku was on the ground, smiling numbly as he rubbed his head, almost like he had a headache.

Had he been there the whole time? Katsuki was confused… he didn't know what was happening but in his brain, Deku being there and suddenly disappearing along with that feeling he had could only mean one thing.

All the pieces were falling together.

Somehow, in some way, Deku had controlled him.

Deku was the one who had taken over.

There was very little, possibly even no, doubt left in his mind that Deku was the one, who had caused Katsuki to break free from Eyebags' control, the more he thought about it. Well, more like he had broken him free, and Katsuki was just confused and covered in soft plushy warmth along the way. Something he also suspected was of Deku's doing. Of course there was no way he could confirm it without asking Deku or getting concrete evidence, but all the clues pointed in the right direction. Katuki had felt comforted and was able to calm down only after Deku had charged at him and subsequently disappeared into thin air. Following that, he felt his body get taken over and break out of Eyebags spell using his quirk.

Now as much as Katsuki would love to say he was in full control of his body the entire time - he couldn't say that at all. Instead, he was trapped and scared within the confines of his mind, body unwavering in its destination which Eyebags had laid out for him. Regardless of what he chose to believe, he wasn't the one who had broken free. His training had been to cover all strength areas with an emphasis on arm strength and agility, but had done practically nothing in mental health training nor training against Eyebags' quirk, which he already knew the capabilities for. Those regrets shone through but they didn't shine quite as bright as the whole fucking mess Deku just dumped onto Katsuki's lunch.

He didn' even know where to begin. What to ask the other boy. Well, that was a lie. Asking him what the fuck just happened would be a good start. Along with how long has he known, was he ever going to tell Katsuki, was this a quirk or ghost-related function he had control over, and-

He shook his head, he couldn't let the stream of questions overwhelm him. He needed a clear head to address Deku and the shitstorm he had introduced.

The more he thought about calming down, the more his breathing became unsteady and erratic. His mind shifted through memories with Deku, constantly asking, wasn't this enough? His mind played the question over and over again as he frantically searched for any clue of this hidden ability existing. AT no point in time had Deku ever shown any kind of manipulation quirk of the sort, he never stepped into any bodies either.

Since when could Deku possess people's bodies?

A scary thought began to worm its way into Katsuki's brain.

Maybe he was hiding it from him.

But why? Because he liked getting bullied? Because it gave him hope to show up and one day best Katsuki for ever looking down on him? Or.. maybe it was because of what Katsuki had feared the most. Did Deku not trust him with the knowledge of a potential quirk or ability? They had gotten into a fight recently, but this was a big deal. It was a huge fucking deal to be able to possess someone's body, so why just now did he learn about it?

Damn it, was he ever going to figure this out?

He'd had about three different crises today over Deku and his own lack of strengths, it hadn't even reached dinnertime. He'd rather not make that three count turn into four, as he breathed in slowly, held his breath, and then breathed back out.

He repeated the process multiple times, using what he had to catch his breath and gain control of the situation, so he didn't feel so utterly lost.

Fucking hell, this was not good for his health in the slightest.

He'd just have to confront Deku about it, solve the issue, and plan for his battle whom he had yet to figure out was against.

Even with all of these thoughts raging in his head, he couldn't erase the bright grin affixed to his face.

He had still won.

Did Deku help count as cheating? He wasn't sure.

But as he walked, unfortunately next to Eyebags, towards the exits he agreed to himself that he would bask in the glory of his win. He would address all of his issues and conflicts later (probably in 30 minutes really) but for now he had a victory to enjoy.

Shinsou didn't know what to think.

He had lost. But how? How did he lose when his opponent had been completely under his spell? His quirk has never failed him before, even when he so desperately wished it to.

Bakugou could have known that to break out of the brainwashing you need a physical push of some kind, but even with that considered once he was brainwashed how did he set himself up so that his quirk would fire off?

Even if there were a number of possibilities, training, and gadgets Bakugou could have used, Shinsou couldn't comprehend what had happened. The other boy didn't even know how his quirk worked until today so how was he able to defeat it so effectively? The numbers didn't add up, and even if they did, Shinsou refused to believe he had been beaten by the other boy. He refused to believe that maybe his quirk had failed him, as it had done time and time again.

The worst part of it was the one student in the entirety of Class 1-C who made it that far was the one who didn't want to be a hero. Shinsou longed to be in the place of the other boy, he longed for the chance to prove himself as a worthy hero. Even after years where he would only be kicked down and forced to endure being berated, called a villain for his quirk, and endlessly bullied.

A light bulb seemingly went off in Shinsou's head.

Their fight had frustrated him to no end, that was true, but there was something a little bit suspicious about Bakugou's that had stuck out to him, and he had the chance to analyze now that the fight had ended.

Bakugou had resisted all of Shinsou's jeers, every single one (although he could tell how they affected him based on how fast he walked and the expression he had made after hearing them.)

Except for one of them.

The second he said the word "bully," Bakugou had flinched. That word seemed poisonous to him, infecting him every being. Not else Shinsou had said gave a reaction as large as the one given when he used that word.

To be perfectly frank, he was scared.

Scared of Bakugou.

What did he do that being called a bully had angered or maybe frightened him enough into talking back, even when he knew how the Brainwashing quirk worked? Honestly it was terrifying to imagine that someone he might've called his friend was actually a bully, had bullied other people with his outstanding quirk, and Shinsou might've almost fallen into his trap.

He didn't know what to believe, the fun times he remembered with Bakugou where he felt he had finally found somewhat of a place he could feel comfortable in and belong, or the nasty growls and hidden quirk that buried another secret of his.

Was he mistaken? Could it be that Bakugou had been called a bully for his powerful and destructive quirk, deeply affecting him to the point where he didn't want to show off his quirk? To Shinsou, it seemed unlikely. Even if his quirk was villainous, being quirkless seemed a much more painful fate to live with. Plus he knew from how harsh Bakugou's words were that him being a bully wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.

With both ideas in mind, Shinsou's head ached. He couldn't separate reality from the quaint possibilities he had conjured. The only way he might possibly achieve that would be to talk to Bakugou, but that was out of the question. Shinsou couldn't use his quirk to extract information out of people, and there was no way Bakugou would want to face him or even tell him the truth. He was a fly caught in a honey trap, placed in an impossible situation.

Even if he simply avoided Bakugou, his mind would still race with unanswered curiosities that could get him into trouble or put him in a bad mindset. On top of that, he had no other friends. Shiozaki and him were always one edge with each other and while he had just met Hatsume, she was too eccentric for him.

On second thought, he'd be fine alone. He was practically used to it by now. His sarcastic and passive aggressive gestures were easily unfavorable and the nature of his quirk only added onto that, so the amount of people who would actually want to spend time with him were very slim.

Shinsou sighed. He was doing too much brainwork today.

Fuck it.

If Bakugou was a bully, he was trash. If he wasn't a bully, then why the fuck did he have that reaction? Either way Shinsou had no intentions of becoming best friends with Bakugou, he was better off alone. He scoffed, even after he covered for the other boy when the Class 1-A students had come and bothered him. What a waste.

To be fair, he'd do it again just to see the downtrodden reaction those dumbasses had, it was almost enough to make up for his loneliness.

Didn't matter to him.

His face was sore.

The friendship he thought he had was broken.

He just wanted to go home.

He trudged along the stadium with Bakugou, getting to their exit point. They both did a fantastic job of ignoring the other. But, Shinsou could tell something was off. He was good at reading the room ever since he started to get bullied, determining if he should stay and fight or take flight and leave. Not to mention that he was particularly good at seeing what negative thoughts other people had about him through their body language. Another thing the bullying conditioned him for, because his quirk worked through vocal affirmation, if that if he spoke at any time, his bullies would mock him by not saying anything back. They trapped him into a silence where it was them or him, and more often than not they relied on fists instead of words. That had perfected his knowledge of body language, seeing if someone was about to strike, was angry at him, spiteful, rvenegul. They were all negative emotions because that's what he had experience with. It was a survival tactic if anything, one he knew would come in handy at such a hierarchical school.

He chuckled, it was kind of depressing.

And then he remembered he was in the company of someone else who was reluctantly walking with him.

Shinsou quickly glanced at Bakugou to gage his reaction at the chuckles he had given not a few seconds earlier. Did he care what the other boy thought about him? Maybe a little bit. Did he want people to see him randomly chucking for no reason? While that would be amusing for them to puzzle out, not really.

However, what he found on Bakugou's face was far from what he had expected.

After being well what he thought was friends, for the past few days, Shinsou could tell when an emotion other than indifference or anger (the typical emotions he saw, with the occasional horror and twinge of sadness) was on the other boy's face. Glancing over occasionally to put the puzzle piece together while not seeming suspicious, he surmised Bakugou was quite… overjoyed.

It didn't take a body language expert either.

Anyone could see the goofy smile plastered on his face and figure out just how happy he was to win. Was Shinsou that hard of an opponent or was Bakugou just some kind of sick fuck who enjoyed beating down kids with inferior quirks?

Was he really smiling?

Shinsou turned away before stealing another glance at his demon smile now amplified by joy. It left him confused and angered, maybe that's why he kept watching for a change or for him to scream it was all a joke and chase after him screaming bloody murder..

After all, how could he ravage Shinsou's dreams, his hopes, and look so happy after the deed was done. How could he have that smile on his face when Shinsou was in so much pain, the only thing he could do was distract himself from it.

As he was doing now.

Or, as he wanted to be doing now.

It was much easier said than done to completely ignore someone who was walking near you. And while you were both headed toward the same direction and possibly even the same location. Especially when one of those said people had just beaten the other in a fight unjustly.

Shinsou was itching to say something.

Even if not only a few seconds earlier he had sworn that he would be ignoring the other boy at all costs. Normally, the hypocrisy in his thoughts would make Shinsou chuckle in amusement, but now he was just entirely conflicted.

It was annoying, having to feel emotions of friendship meshing with betrayal. Neither he had grown particularly fond of, wishing to distance himself from people rather than let himself get betrayed from such friendship.

The moment he and Katsuki stepped into the U.A campus building which was attached to the stadium, he came to a conclusion, cheering echoing behind them.

Maybe because he was so new to the idea of friendship and the pain which comes with it, he decided to open his mouth and speak a question he had been wanting to know the answer for ever since he saw the fight against Monoma. If there was any hope of picking up the pieces, shouldn't he know the truth? Or at least get some closure about how awful Bakugou may or not be.

"Why." Shinsou couldn't even look at him, asking the question as they walked. "I trusted you for a moment, I thought you were one of the good ones."

"The fuck is a good one?" Bakugou scoffed.

"I don't know," Eyebags snapped, "Maybe someone who didn't feel the need to hide his super powerful quirk?"

"That has nothing to do with you."

"Oh, but I think it does." He stopped walking, head turning as his eyes pierced into Bakugou;s, who also stopped his movement, eyes cold. "As someone who had to constantly deal with the struggles of having a villain's quirk, I thought you understood. Then you pull out your true quirk and make a fool out of all of us."

"That's not what I-"

"Was it fun doing that to us? To me?"

"I don't-"

"WAS IT?"

It didn't take a genius to see how much Bakugou had hurt Shinsou by hiding his quirk. In turn, it only seemed to anger Bakugou to learn about this, his earlier smile replaced with a sneering frown. Maybe he was pushing him to the limits and maybe it is bad that he was ignoring all of the warning flags waving in his face. However, he couldn't just let Bakugou get to scream his way through the whole conversation without hearing even a peep of what Shinsou has to say. Realizing what he just said had been phrased as a question he grimaced, he was too blinded by the anger of confrontation but he couldn't bring it in himself to resist. It was for the sake of answers to questions he had and didn't have.

"SHUT UP." He roared, Shinsou flinched backwards in surprise at the tone of Bakuogu's voice. "Nothing I did. Nothing was with you in mind. I couldn't give a single shit what you think, it's my quirk and if I didn't want to share it then that's my own fucking business. Get out of my face."

Bakugou started walking away from Shinsou at a brisk pace, not listening to the purple haired boy protesting the ending of the conversation behind him. He wasn't done… Where was Bakugou going? He walked fast, leaving no time for Shinsou to think if he wanted to follow the other boy or not. Did he think everything was on his own terms or was he just going to do this with Shinsou? End conversations and walk away without hearing a single word, only projecting. He clearly wanted to be as far away as possible.

That was something Shinsou could agree with.

For once.

Katsuki kept the smile on his face the entire time.

Well, at least he tried his best to.

After dealing with whatever bullshit Eyebags wanted to spout at him since they had suddenly become enemies (Katsuki being scared of him didn't mean he didn't want to mend that fear, but he assumed that was off the table now) he found himself ducking into a quiet room.

It was close enough that he didn't have to go very far, but he knew he would be isolated.

It was time for him to address Deku.

His smile faded, he didn't even know where to start. The joy of the match had faded and now all that was left was his absolute confusion and frustration at Deku who he wanted to celebrate with, but now had to question.

"So… Hey Kacchan," Deku scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Don't hey Kacchan me." Katsuki snapped back, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I just wanted to help you-"

"Don't give me that bullshit! Was I really that weak looking? That pitiful that you had to step in and fight my battle for me?"

Katsuki knew he would've lost if Deku hadn't intervened and somehow broke him out of the stupor the quirk put him in. He wasn't sure if he was just taking his anger out on Deku like old times, lost in the charade of his strength, or so pissed that he couldn't do anything but watch in his powerlessness.

"No Kacchan, that's not what I meant at all!"

"Fuck it." Katsuki swore under his breath, "Why the hell were you here anyway?"

"I saw you on the television, and I thought you might need some help-"

Katsuki whipped his head around and glared at Deku.

"HELP?" He sneered, "YOU THOUGHT I NEEDED HELP?"

Deep inside he knew Deku meant well and that there was no reason for him to get angry at all, instead he should be singing the other boy's praises for saving him. He should also be asking him about whatever the fuck he did to break Katsuki out of the brainwashing because it could prove to be important information about his situation. Yet, he couldn't do it. His anger had built up, anger at Deku for insisting he use his quirk, anger for him as he started to fall back into old habits, and anger with him as old wounds were brought up.

He hadn't even wanted to ask this. He wanted to ask how it was possible, how he know what to do, but most of all he wanted to ask what the fuck happened. Nothing was coming out the way he wanted it to.

"Yes." Deku's voice wavered, but he stood confidently, "I know you, Kacchan. I know what you look like when you're hurting inside and need help. I never meant to get involved in the fight, I came to comfort you, to be a friend."

Katsuki's anger melted away at the other boy's words.

Deku shook his head, "I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted, so do your worst. Nothing you can do is worse than what you've already done."

He was speechless.

Katsuki had always known. Always. That what he did was one of the worst possible things a human could do. Yet, hearing it come directly from Deku's mouth instead of his usual comforting words and hugs, it felt like a truck had just hit him instead of the usual boulders.

It's similar to the situations where you complain to someone about yourself so that you can hear them reassure you and tell you not to worry. You're not really self-conscious about what you mentioned, you just need someone to tell you it's okay.

That was where Katsuki was. He knew the bullying was bad and that he was a disgusting human and maybe it made him even more revolting that he relied on Deku comforting him to stop the negative thoughts from taking control. He needed the validation, for someone to tell him what he did wasn't that bad regardless.

With all of that in mind, why was Deku saying this now? What did gain from it? As opposed to the countless other times he could've said it and stirred Katsuki, why now specifically?

Maybe establishing that as a ghost, Katsuki wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him. But that meant he was implying that Katsuki would want to hurt him, would deliberately cause injury and pain on the person he swore he never would. Was he hearing things correctly?

"What?" His voice came out much smaller than he hoped for.

"Is my Kacchan back now?" Deku waved his hand in front of Katsuki's face, "I know that was harsh but you were acting like your old self and I didn't know what to do."

Now the truck had swung around and hit him again.

Shit, there was only one thing he could really do in this situation.

"Sorry, Deku." Katsuki hung his head, "Didn't mean to be a shithead."

"It's my bad too, I didn't mean to hurt you by bringing that up," Deku sighed, "It's just when I see you like that, I freeze up a little and don't know what to do. That seemed to be the fastest way to pull you out of it."

"It makes sense," It didn't make any sense to him, but better him than Deku getting hurt "Why are you here, really?"

"I did actually see you on television, after the Cavalry Battle." Deku seemed to have relaxed a bit more, no longer scared. Or is that just what he wanted Katsuki to see? "I wanted to see how you were doing. Shinsou was pretty harsh."

"Fucking Eyebags?" Katsuki recovered, pretending the words Deku had spoken earlier hadn't affected him, although he was sure Deku could see right through him. "Hated that quirk. Brainwashing was it? Nasty."

Deku hummed, "You were strong, Kacchan! You did good."

A smile made its way onto Katsuki's face.

Good.

Strong.

The praises from Deku made him infinitely happy. Even though everything had gone a certain way, he still did good. He solely made Deku feel proud and happy to be his friend, his brother. Even if he had been a bully and scarred Deku, right now he did good.

"Also, Kacchan?"

Katsuki perked up from where he was staring, a goofy grin plastered onto his face.

"I'm really sorry about what I said earlier. I know how much it affects you for me to call you a bully and I really didn't mean it. I was just scared, well I'm never scared of you anymore, I was just nervous and bad habits came into play. That's not to say you gave me bad habits, but I was worried about you because of how angry you were and I know how facing Brainwashing must have made you feel so you were taking it out on me. Not that I didn't mind really, I just think there are more productive ways such as talking to me about it, not yelling at me. Now it's just excuses, I'm really sorry, I won't do it again. I love you Kacchan, and-"

"Oi, Deku." Katsuki's grin only widened. He found the other boy's rambles endearing now, enjoying how passionate Deku could get, along with how much he cared as he had just shown. It also greatly soothed him to know that Deku hadn't meant to harm him with his words in implying Katsuki was only good for bullying.

Deku was a worrier and an over-apologizer, so Katsuki knew that when he became insecure over his words or choices, he usually spouted off into a mumbling machine. It meant his sorry was genuine, at least in Katsuki's eyes.

"Oh… yes Kacchan?"

"You're fine, nerd, don't worry." Katsuki took his hand and placed it where he observed Deku's curls were, shaking his hands as if he were ruffling them.

He noted how Deku didn't flinch when his hand came to reside on his head.

Not even one bit.

His smile softened, gaze fixed upon Deku, who returned the smile with one of his own small beams.

"I guess I should be grateful to you." Katsuki drew his hand back, "You always save me, even when it's unwanted."

Deku blushed, his freckles becoming hidden underneath the red set onto his face. "That's what friends are, Kacchan."

"No." Katsuki countered, "Brothers."

It didn't make up for the trauma and horror of the past, but it did more than enough to soothe the hearts of the two boys, who once more shared a moment under the ongoing stressful conditions in the world they lived in.

"You made it really far, Kacchan! With and without your quirk." Deku broke their small silence, "You don't know how happy I was to see you use your quirk again, it was beautiful!"

"It'll take some time to get used to." Katsuki acknowledged.

"Already off to a good start!"

They were Kacchan and Deku again. A sarcastic asshole and a sweet candy that had been thrown to the bottom of a backpack. Weird, sure, but that's how Katsuki saw them. Deku had been beaten down and thrown away, yet he was still incredibly sweet and hardened with resilience. Katsuki was just a sarcastic asshole, nothing more to say about it.

However, even with the delightful reuniting of the two boys, Katsuki felt it was more bittersweet. He got the feeling that he was missing something, something massive that Deku had yet to tell him.

If he ever would tell him, that is.

It itched Katsuki's brain and left him restless even after their make up period. He didn't know if it would be okay to ask or not, Deku would probably refuse to answer no matter how he approached it. That nerd was as stubborn as he was.

Another issue for another day.

"Thanks, nerd." He was content right here.

Deku mock saluted him, bringing back memories of their childhood. The playfulness before quirks, the calm before the storm. Even if he still never treated the other boy quite right, they had been pretty close due to their mother's influence.

"Let's go prepare for your next fight!" Deku sounded excited, reminded Katsuki that his fight wasn't over yet, and wasn't going to be for quite some time.

This match he once again decided not to watch the matches before his own, with Deku at his side he could now truly come up with a winning plan.

The two of them made their way to the nearest television where it was raving about the past matches during their short intermission. It showed the newest competitor bracket on the side in a smaller text, but with some squinting Katsuki saw who he was going up against.

He was up against Uraraka Ochako.

Or Round Cheeks, as he remembers he had decided to nickname her for the sake of ease.

What was her quirk again? Something to do with gravity or floating things. He couldn't remember the details exactly, which was a problem. Katsuki could almost ensure Round Cheeks had thought of an entire plan against him, where he was stuck with no information at all.

"Uraraka Ochako…" Deku trailed off, hand on his chin as he was deep in thought. "Oh! If she touches you, she removes the gravity from any object or person."

"Huh." Katsuki grunted. If she had made it this far, she had to be good, or have some sort of ace up her sleeve that would serve her an effective win He just needed to spot it before it was too late.

KAtsuki stomped off, Deku hot on his heels. "Kacchan, I really think what you should do is make sure she doesn't get the chance to-"

"Stop."

"No but Kacchan what if she-"

"DEKU." Katsuki whisper yelled, as he whipped his head around, spotting for anyone near them. Thankfully there wasn't or else Katsuki would seem like he was yet again talking to himself. Not that it surprised anyone at this point.

Thankfully, Deku seemed to get the memo and promptly sealed his lips, letting Katsuki think in peace. He had thought up an amazing plan for the other boy, and was eager to share it, especially since it wasn't like anyone could hear him anyway.

After 5 minutes, the impatience got to him and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Just listen to me, Kacchan! I have a good plan, it'll be-" Once again, he got cut off by Katsuki's hushed yell.

"I have no doubt you have a mastermind plan, it's just." Loud footsteps began to sound out in front of the two boys, "Later."

Katsuki ducked into an empty classroom before whoever was walking down the halls would be able to chat with him or spot him at all.

"I appreciate you creating a plan, really." He sighed, rubbing his forehead, "But it would be disrespectful for me to rely on an outsider's plan in the semifinal round of these battles. I need to win by myself for this match at least, to prove myself."

Katsuki could see Deku thinking it over. He was sure the other boy had come up with thousands of ideas and plans in his head simply because he knew Katsuki's quirk the best, maybe even better than Katsuki himself. Thus, he was able to apply it to many situations, especially now that Katsuki was beginning to use his quirk more often as opposed to lying on whatever physical skills he had.

"Okay! I understand," Deku nodded, "Would you tell me your plan though? Just to assure me!"

"That'll ruin all the fun, nerd." Katsuki threw him a cocky smile, which Deku exaggeratedly rolled his eyes at.

"Come on Kacchan, don't you owe me this much?" Deku gave him the classic puppy eye look, "After the last round, this is how you repay your debt."

"Manipulative little shit, who's to say I even have a plan?" Katsuki snorted.

"Oh… because I've taught you well?" Deku guessed with a playful tone in his voice.

"HAH." Katsuki barked out a laugh. "Sure, dumbass. My plan is to stay out of close range."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Katsuki knew Deku was unimpressed by his scrappy plan that only involved one step, but it gave Katsuki just enough freedom for him to adapt to whatever is thrown at him. Unlike Deku, he isn't the greatest at mapping out each movement that will happen, especially in the opponent's side. Instead, he has to rely on key elements that he will imbed into his mind, such as when he had previously told himself whatever he should do, don't reply to Eyebags. That had failed, but Katsuki knew he wouldn't be drawn in this time.

"A little basic, but I think it fits you." Deku observed quietly, entering into a mumbling period revolving around the matchup and Katsuki's plans, Katsuki tried not to feel insulted. "Getting anywhere close when she would be able to touch you is a bad idea, and might leave you open. Being on the defensive with long ranged attacks is critical, and as you mentioned of course you can't let her touch-"

Katsuki could sense the incoming ramble, and attempted to stop it before it took hold and changed what Katsuki had in mind, he wanted to stick with his knowledge, not the nerd's. "Oi, I got it, thanks."

Deku brightened up considerably, taking both his hands and giving Katsuki a cute double thumbs up. It was nice to feel useful, even in the situations where you may not feel welcome to speak your mind and thoughts. Katsuki could understand the feeling, he recognized it in the hidden gleam in Deku's eye. It too filled him with pride to know he has still made Deku feel useful. It wasn't just going to be his win, it was their win (with Katsuki doing the heavy lifting naturally.)

"Good luck then, Kacchan."

"I don't need luck." Katsuki began to warm his body up, as he should have been doing before, stretching his neck, arms, legs, and core. "After all, I have you."

As far as Katsuki's previous battles and experience went, going against Round Cheeks was outstandingly easy. Not because she was weak or didn't make Katsuki struggle (because he had plenty of injuries from going against her), but because going up against her didn't cause him any mental strain. Unlike Copycat who made him question his quirk and Eyebags who made him question his existence, he just had a clean fight with Round Cheeks.

In the beginning, he was quite nervous. He wasn't sure what kind of tactics she'd be able to pull out of her sleeve, but he made sure to stick by his very simple and basic plan outline.

Katsuki had actually modified it a bit to make sure he didn't use up all of his energy and render his quirk's power useless. He wasn't sure how long Round Cheeks endurance would be able to last or how well she had her quirk nailed so he had to be cautious when fighting against her.

Entering the stadium gave him no less apprehension the third time, as the cheers for Round Cheeks quickly overcame the small amount of cheers for him.

No doubt about it- they wanted Katsuki gone and the Hero Class's reputation restored back from the beatings he had given it.

No fucking way.

Katsuki smirked as Round Cheeks got into position across from him.

He wouldn't be letting her win, he had to make it to the top of that podium and prove to everyone who doubted him just what he was capable of.

The signal for the start of their match sounded, and immediately Round Cheeks came rushing forward.

From there, the fight consisted of Round Cheeks rushing at Katsuki, her arms stretched forward trying to reach him with her quirk and Katsuki blasting her away with his left arm. She tried multiple angles and tricks to reach him, but Katsuki had trained for a long time without his quirk, his reflexes and spatial awareness in a fight honed more than hers.

Katsuki grinned, he could win this fight so long as he kept up his blasts and kept her away. Just imagine the grin on Deku's face as Katsuki came out the victor, moving to finals where he would continue to win.

He felt a fingertip graze against his torso.

Shit. He got himself distracted and now she might actually get him.

He jumped back instinctually, Round Cheeks rushing forwards with a dangerous gleam in her eye. He panicked for a moment, his arms froze as all understanding of his quirk left him. That was his weakness, he had just started using his quirk again, so in a situation where he felt pressured he would end up panicking and rely on what he was used to, his reflexes and strength not his quirk.

He could so easily blast her away, but for some reason his arms weren't responding. Luckily, his legs were on autopilot. He kept jumping backwards and around, trying to avoid her grabs, however simply because Katsuki had great agility didn't mean she lacked any all, recovering fast from his dodges.

She was biding her time while Katsuki's inexperience blighted him.

He was getting worn out, stamina running low as sweat trickled down. Maybe it was because he was tired, got distracted, or it was inevitable, but Katsuki went to step right and put too much weight too fast, tipping himself over and losing balance. He could easily correct it with his left leg, but that would leave him open to attack. Katsuki figured it was worth the risk, as he planned to move his left leg to pivot and use the momentum as a way to put more distance between him and Round Cheeks.

It didn't work out that way.

Katsuki didn't notice until he saw the shocked look on Round Cheeks' face and started to feel himself grow more unsteady, falling quicker.

He glanced down at her leg extended beneath the left leg he was about to move.

She had tripped him, accidentally.

And now he was wide open to any attack she wanted to place on him. Losing your balance was about the worst thing that can happen to you, taking away from your prowess, momentum, and fighting spirit.

One.

Two.

Three fingers pressed down on his hip as he began to tumble to the side, his hip being closest to Round Cheeks hands.

He couldn't let all five fingers touch him or else he would be a doomed floating mass. In any other case, the thought of that would have made him laugh.

Fortunately for him, when he was in the most danger was typically when his base instinct was awoken. He swung his left arm up, instinctually and blasted a moderate explosion into her face.

It did the trick, sending her careening backwards and clutching her face with her hands that were no longer on Katsuki.

The blast from the explosion had also sent him crashing to the group, the impact painful because he had already been falling. He didn't hear any crunches but his precious right arm had begun to cramp up.

Fuck he still needed that arm and all the sweat he had built up for it as a backup weapon in case Round Cheeks pulled something crazy off. He didn't doubt it was possible at all, but now he had to hope this new injury was the same as ringing in the ears.

Annoying, but temporary.

Katsuki stood up, arms swinging limply at his sides as he waited for Round Cheeks to stand up. That was far closer than he had hoped to get, she came closer than he had hoped would be possible. He had failed because he let himself get distracted. He was in semifinals, his opponents wouldn't be waiting for him to make the first move- they'd just make it themselves. He needed to be serious about this.

His sole objective was winning this fight, everything else came secondary and was thus not worth the time to even think about for one second.

He was going to win. He was not a loser.

Victory chanted like a mantra in his head, lighting up a fire inside him.

Victory, victory, victory .

He could hear it fuel him, palms raised and ready, sparkling with the dangerous gleam of explosive energy.

None of that matter though, as a huge boom silenced the rowdy crowds that had been whispering to each other for the past few minutes.

What is that noise?

It was a soft clanging of stones combined with the whoosh of air. He looked to Round Cheeks, she had gotten up, but she looked beat up and exhausted. Even with all that in mind, a wicked gleam was on her face as her hands were outstretched in front of her, fingertips pressed together to form a triangle of sorts.

His eyes darted around, curious as to what she was doing, but all he could hear was the whooshing noise continue.

Where was it even coming from? It seemed like it was directly above him…

Katsukui craned his neck upwards to see dozens of boulders, pebbles, and rocks; just collections of debris raining down.

On a collision course with him.

Oh shit.

When had those gotten there? Katsuki could only stare at them as they began to fall from their high position where it would be just out of the range he would notice. Round Cheeks was smart, keeping her attacks low to make sure Katsuki's attention was never focused up and he would never get his eyes on her surprise before she was ready.

How did he not notice it? It still baffled him as the whooshing sounds drew nearer and nearer. It made sense as to why she looked so much more exhausted than him and considering the lack of debris sprinkled around them after Katsuki's blasts. Now that he knew it, all the puzzle pieces were beginning to come together. There were a few missing pieces that had just clicked into place, but it was too late for him. Throughout their whole match, Katsuki had always been on the defensive, Round Cheeks had him in her pocket the entire time. If he had gone after her, she could've used her quirk (that was unless he was strategic and still guarded himself) and that thought alone served as a deterrent to keep her always attacking him. He wasn't going to lie, it was smart, if only she hadn't used it against him.

His power and buildup in his left arm was barely enough to blast away the first levels of rock which were about to rain down on him. She overlooked the obvious observation that he had not been using his right arm to blast her away, if she had attacked his eight side more frequently then her plan might have just worked. But, Katsuki knew he had enough firepower in his right arm to at least blast the biggest rocks to decrease their mass and the power they would normally pack.

His face remained impassive. He wasn't going to give a single audience member the joy of feeling his fear and seeing it etched on his face. No, he wouldn't even dare give them that satisfaction. He couldn't express anything or else he could be judged too harshly, (not that really cared about his image but he wanted to prove them all wrong in thinking he was weak. He wanted Deku to be proud.) he kept his expressions steady, taming the complete and utter instinct to run away inside of him.

He just had to wait a little bit longer, he needed the rocks to be closer. It was all part of his plan, (and yes he did have a somewhat concrete one this time, Deku would be proud) because the closer the rocks were the more centered they would be. It would mean his explosive blast would reach more of them, and hopefully that would make sure he wasn't damaged at all, or at least as minimally as possible.

Just a few more seconds.

Katsuki lifted up his right arm, tilting backwards to secure himself a better angle.

Fuck his back was probably going to be in pain after doing this. He ignored that thought, his choices were limited, thinkin about that now was a little too late.

If any more seconds passed, a boulder would already be on top of him, so he took his chance now. Tensing up his arm, he released all of the pent up sweat he had been saving from Round Cheeks' merciless attacking and swerving to catch him off guard. All of his stamina expelled into droplets of coolant were being exploded from Katsuki's fingertips.

Now he was not one to praise his quirk, or appreciate the coolness of it ever since the incident with Deku, but even he could admit he felt kind of badass.

The rocks directly above him had crumbled to dust in a flash of golden orange light that glowed over the face of the crowd, it was large, it was bright, and he would daresay, it was beautiful. It reminded Katsuki of a tulip oddly enough. A bright orangey-yellow tulip sprouted from the ground in a mass explosion of seeds and saying, "I'm here," "Come admire me."

Katsuki could relate to that feeling as he stared up in wonder at the massive explosion booming from his hand. If he hadn't just now seen it, he would have considered it unbelievable that he could manage to do such a feat and under such time constraints. He wasn't saying he was extraordinary, only that the way in which he used his unique and remarkable quirk to conquer a large barrier impressed himself.

He had underestimated his firepower, it managed to disintegrate and vaporize all of the large boulders, raining down small rocks. (which were still slightly bothersome when falling directly onto his head.)

He was starting to feel like a poet the way he was waxing fancy words to describe how he was feeling. But that's just it, wasn' it? The small feeling of pride mixed with apprehension, fear, joy, anger, none of that could be described to fit exactly how Katsuki was feeling it. But, for some reason he felt like that large explosive boom that came from his own hand was able to perfectly capture his emotions, what he was feeling.

He was also starting to feel like someone had placed some sort of shitty sap-inducing thought quirk on him. It didn't matter anyway, Katsuki finally dropped his expressionless face and let loose a chuckle. Damn, he just did that.

Fuck, he needed to create at lest semi-well thought out plans more often if this is how they would turn out. Not more vague ideas that he would end up dropping anyway, fucking plans were amazing!

He put his arm down, back cracking angrily. Immediately his hand went to his clutch at his back for support. He had warned himself (surely bending backwards and firing off a massive explosion surely would cause him some type of damage, he was a fucking idiot) it was going to happen yet it still didn't prepare him for the lower back pain he felt.

Katsuki grimaced, turning back.

Round Cheeks had slipped his mind completely, even as he stared around at the audience and crows staring speechless down at him, he didn't think about her. Maybe that would have been a fatal error in real-life scenario, but Katsuki wasn't a hero, he didn't have to pretend to be one.

It wasn't until he heard gasps and he looked to his left, seeing the crumpled form of a girl lying on the floor, that he remembered the reason he was fighting in the first place.

To beat Round Cheeks.

He knew she wouldn't have collapsed on the floor like this and continued to try to fighting, if her quirk hadn't caused her massive exhaustion. Katsuki's explosion didn't help her, as it sent her flying to the floor.

If there was anything admirable about Round Cheeks that could be said, Katsuki's mind would first go to her stubbornness. Even when knocked down by a highly powerful explosive, she lifted her head up and dragged her arms across the floo, trying to get herself to keep up the flight. However, by now everyone knew Katsuki had won.

For the third time.

Second time against a Hero Course student.

Fuck yeah he was rocking this.

He grinned, even at the lack of clapping hands, now replaced with apprehensive whispers most likely about him and whatever criticisms they tried to imbue into him. He didn't care what they had to say so long as the words victor were painted on their lips.

However, this match was officially not over. Not until the rules set were net. Round Cheeks was fighting too much for them to consider out of the game yet.

No alarms, bells, whittles, or anything of the sort had chimed in after Katsuki's blast. To be honest, were their positions to swap he could see U.A. immediately calling his round a loss, not even sparing him a second before it was over. Some blatant favoritism.

But he was determined to end it here, no matter what it took he would beat Round Cheeks and he would ensure that she could not fight against him this round in this Sports Festival.

Well, he'd try the easiest approach first.

He walked up to her, audience gasping. Did they think Katsuki was going to be a threat? That he was going to go against the policies of the tournament and smash her head into the fucking ground? He wasn't a fucking savage if that's what they were assuming.

"Oi, you did good." Katsuki probably looked like some kind of demented demon standing above her, debris falling behind him with an arm that was desperately clutching his lower back (yes, his back was still hurting but putting his arm there seemed to have helped ease the pain and make him look even more like a madman). He was quite a sight to see.

But, nevertheless, his words had comforted her some bit, as she finally let go and slipped into unconsciousness. It had been trying to pull her in for the past minute and few seconds, she being too stubborn to give into it. However, upon hearing how she put a good fight, she knew it was the end. In her shoes, Katsuki would feel the same way, except maybe filled with more anger and spite than her (or at least he would conceal it a lot worse, he could imagine.)

None of that mattered him, because he had won.

He made it to finals.

He didn't care about the scattered applause that the audience gave him after Present Mic had announced him as the victor, nor did he care about the whispers that were uttered about his harshness. They could say whatever they wanted and Katsuki wouldn't hear one bit of it. He was deaf to the insults, uncaring or the hostility displayed at him.

All he cared about was passing that final hurdle, winning his final battles and proving to Deku (also the school and all of Japan, but Deku was his priority) that he was the absolute best. Even if he didn't believe it himself, he'd show those U.A bastards who thought endangering children was a productive way to make heroes. He would prove them wrong out of pure spite. He needed to win to show himself too, that he was capable of protecting the people he loved and that he had control over his quirk and would never let history repeat itself. It was a long shot, him actually being able to believe all of that simply by winning, but it was a good start.

Deku always rattled on about progress anyway so if he could start here with fulfilled actions instead of words, there may be some hope for him.

Some.

It wouldn't do good to make empty promises now, especially when he hadn't even won the festival yet.

There would be one more match and Katsuki would have to prepare for who his opponent would be. Although, he already had a feeling of who he would have to beat.

It had to be that half and half bastard.

He didn't know who he was going against in his own semi-final round but Katsuki knew it wouldn't matter. He had a score to settle with Mr. Hot and Cold and he wouldn't let anyone get in his way of that.

Also, he was pretty sure that icy hot was more talented than any other opponent who made it thus far due to the nature of his quirk and how much range he had, even if he didn't even use all of it.

What a bitch.

Katsuki rubbed his eyes harshly, before taking his palms and slapping both his cheeks.

He needed to remain focused, even if he really wanted to pass out.

Tiredness washed over him, as he finally came down from his adrenaline and winning high. Fuck he just wanted some rest, and maybe something to stop his arm from cramping up so badly.

Maybe he should go to the old hag's infirmary.

Yeah that was a good idea.

Katsuki stepped away from the stadium and the booming crowd, following the helpers that he had seen carry Round Cheeks onto a stretcher to transport her to where she could rest and heal up. He cursed her for being so lucky that people would carry her there, but he guessed that was just the niceties she received for being the only one who actually passed out during the battle, and the one who ended up losing. He just had to push himself a little longer and then he could rest and build his strength up for the next match.

Hopefully he would actually have a plan this time. A well thought out plan that didn't involve some loose rule for him to follow, but actually accounted for the capabilities of both him and his opponent.

But that was for later, right now he had to bring himself to rest.

If you asked Katsuki how he was able to sluggishly pull himself to the infirmary, he wouldn't be able to tell you. Everything from after his victory was a blur where exhaustion and survival instincts had taken hold. They pushed him just a little further so that he could make it to the somewhat comfortable cot he was now lying in, still just as tired due to a lack of stamina from being healed.

If he kept this up, he would end up sleeping for 50 years as his body attempts to correct all the exhaustion that had occurred throughout the day, which Katsuki had pointedly ignored.

And now he had to fucking plan.

Damn it, he couldn't catch a break could he?

He scanned the room, spotting Deku easily. The other boy had been waiting by his side for him to awaken. If he had to guess it was so that they could start planning or at least figure out a base plan as Katsuki was familiar with.

He knew two things about his opponent, well three. One, he could ice. Two, he could use fire. And three, he had long standing daddy issues and trauma.

Considering how he wasn't a complete asshole, Katsuki surmised that last point would not help him in his fighting. Well, it could, but he wouldn't be using it.

The other boy was reluctant to use his fire, only relying on his ice abilities. That means he had a weakness, a setback that gave Katsuki an advantage.

It also brought a strange question to the forefront of Katsuki's mind. He wasn't sure if it was a worthwhile train of thought but he had to explore it anyway.

How did Icy Hot, or whatever his name was, regulate his body temperature?

There was no way his fucking hot and cold ass was built to withstand the full force of fire and ice simultaneously, it didn't seem possible as both were polar opposite in terms of elements. He couldn't keep his body cold and warm enough to sustain his quirk unless he had them balanced, at least Katsuki presumed. Meaning, if he used one of them too much it would most likely lead to too much ice or too much fire. Fire would cause burns and ice would cause frostbite. Either affliction caused a weakness and was thus a win for Katsuki.

That was of course if he assumed his hypothesis was correct, which he didn't have any evidence to base on.

But there was also another factor Katsuki couldn't ignore.

He didn't want to fight against someone using half-baked methods and without utilizing their full potential. It was pathetic to insinuate the fight would be anything but painful and angry were that to happen. So, he had to combine both plans and create the ultimate plan to get his way.

It might just be perfect.

He stood up, fatigue shooting through his bones, but as usual, he ignored it as best as he could. He did his best to discreetly wave to Deku, drawing him towards the exit. Yet again, Recovery Girl hadn't dismissed him but he didn't care, he was getting out of here.

He had to share his findings to see if what he had planned was worthwhile or not.

Finding an empty room, (there seemed to be an unlimited amount of those all around the stadium's exterior) he grabbed a seat in a chair, back aching especially painfully.

"Shit." He grimaced.

He couldn't dwell on the weariness that was affecting him so heavily he could feel his eyelids begin to droop. Instead, he focused his attention on the worried Deku who had come into the room after him.

"Oi, Deku." Katsuki grinned mischievously.

"Yes, Kacchan?" Deku looked wary, and for good reason too as Katsuki chuckled at the response.

"I just had a brilliant plan."

"This time it's actually a plan though?" Deku narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "I love you Kacchan but please don't tell me you're going to just say, avoid his ice or something."

Katsuki laughed, "No, I'm going to exhaust him by blasting through his eye multiple times. He should either get frustrated and keep throwing ice or frustrated and use his fire. If that doesn't happen, it'll be fine, I can utilize his right side as a point of attack and a weakness. But…"

Katsuki paused for dramatism.

"The real winning card is that if I can get Icy Hot whatever to use his quirk enough, his body should get frozen from all the excess frost usage. That'll force him to use fire to balance his body temperature, giving me time to strike while he uses the fire."

Deku paused,listening to Katsuki's entire plan without interrupting.

He thoughtfully put his hand on his chin, before speaking.

"It is much better than most of your plans, you've really thought this through, haven't you." He seemed proud, "But what if it doesn't go the way you envision? If he ignores the frustration or pushes himself to his limit until he succumbs to frostbite."

"Then I'll deal with it." Katsuki didn't have an answer to any of those questions, but he could adapt if he had to be faced with them.

Deku sighed, "Why did I have a feeling you'd say that, I'm just mentioning it as a precaution." He was used to Katsuki's stubbornness by now to know whatever he said wouldn't change the other boy's mind.

"PERFECT!" Katsuki exclaimed, "I got your blessing, I should go now. Preparations and all that. Don't interfere."

Deku knew he meant well, but the last thing he had spoken was a warning for him not to involve himself. It seemed Deku got the memo, because not a second later he nodded diligently before coming close to Katsuki.

"Be careful, Kacchan, don't lose yourself." He placed a soft kiss on Katsuki's forehead, before holding his hand out for a fistbump.

Katsuki bumped the air gratefully.

"You got it."

Katsuki didn't bother with paying attention to the setup for the newest round, he had done it a million times before. He didn't need to pay attention to where he had to stand, his weird interaction, or the announcement of his name for the fifth time.

He was content mulling over the plan in his head, seeing if any adjustments could be made. He didn't know if he fully trusted himself to make them, but it would have to do for now.

Stepping onto the field gave him deja vu, he knew what was going to happen in this match same as all the other ones.

He was going to win.

As he stood opposite of the two toned icy hot bastard, all he felt was the absolute thirst for success and determination.

He could do this.

It was the finals.

He had made it this far, he would make it until the end.

Ignoring the suspense in the air, Katsuki waited until that fateful whistle chimed for the start of the round.

It was only a little longer now… his hands clenched and glare deepened.

5

4

His feet itched to change stances.

3

2

His hands started to sparkle.

1

SCREECH

Immediately hugs ice shards came flying right at Katsuki. He nearly didn't have enough time to offer a counterattack or brace for it whatsoever, but he was lucky his reflexes were honed to autopilot. Instinctively his hands flew out, letting loose explosion after explosion. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop the steading stream being thrust at him, pushing him into the deep icy domain. If Katsuki had not been even the slightest bit prepped or didn't hold a quirk that could directly combat ice, he knew it would have already been game over for him.

But, he wouldn't let this small space intimidate him, because he knew he had a way out. He kept at his attack, ice shards flying and melting as he kept going strong. His power felt controlled and intense, if he had the time he would grin, but he was trapped in immense concentration and couldn't spare a single moment.

Palms pressing against the cold structure surrounding him, he let loose a stronger torrent of explosions. Layer after layer of ice was continuously brutally vaporized by his attack. He kept going until she saw daylight streaming in through the blue prison.

He couldn't help it but chuckle, now he had made it.

He lost himself in the explosions and the idea of escaping so that he wouldn't have to focus on the current trapment or the idea that if he stopped he would be done for. He was not going to let himself be trapped again, he had spent long enough to know how much he despised it that if he could control it, he would put a stop to it. And here, he was definitely in control. He let loose one last explosion after seeing the light, gripping the sides of the large hole he created to hoist himself out of the ice, leaving a large puddle behind in what Katsuki could now clearly identify as an ice cap.

He couldn't spend much time admiring it because they were in the middle of a battle (get a grip, Katsuki) but the manufactured ice cap did impress him. It was expansive and might've even covered half the stadium if he had to make an estimate.

That was fine. It worked in Katsuki's favor anyway, being a close range fighter with a few long range tricks up his sleeve. Shortening the battlefield gave his opponent no advantage because he used long range most predominantly.

Icy hot seemed to be a fan of the long range in general. Fire or ice, Katsuki had a pretty good estimate he wasn't a fan of getting too close to anyone, opponents in combat included.. Keeping his enemies at a distance and blasting them early on to end a fight as soon as possible seemed to be just up his alley, at least from the simple observations Katsuki had seen.

The other boy would much rather end a fight than enjoy the beauty of being able to land a solid punch and win, bloodied and beaten, but victorious nonetheless.

Fucking bastard.

They weren't so alike after all.

Stupid idiot and his stupid words, all of it worked to fuel the rage and motivation for Katsuki to beat icy cold boy into a pulp. He would set the record straight between them and show what a true Hero in battle should look like.