Chapter Two: Empowered Passion
Katsuki was never the victim.
He had been the child, the student, the boy, and everything else connected to the word 'vulnerable', but he had never been the victim. Until the slime villain.
He'd just murdered the arcade, slayed any lagging thoughts from his lackey's brains that they could be real friends, and dusted the ash from his nails, when the villain had decided that Katsuki would become a victim.
He hated slime.
The worst part hadn't been the gross feeling creeping over every part of his body, or the choking rage that was forced down his throat. It had been the theft of his oxygen.
The insufferable slime had stolen the very core of his power, snuffing out every drop of determination and purpose that Katsuki had taken so long to build. It had taken everything from him by taking his breath.
It had used his power for itself, smited and laughed in the heroes faces, breathing his fire through its lips and burning the world. Katsuki would never get the scent of human flesh from his nose.
But it got impossibly worse, broken and battered as he was, rebirthed into something vulnerable, the heroes had praised him. They'd praised him. Yet, Deku had done the same. Deku had been as powerless as Katsuki in that moment. Yet Deku had done the same.
Katsuki absolutely hated himself then, wanted to let his explosions burn away his weakness, wanted to rage and spit and tare just as the villain had. But he hated, hated, hated himself more for being capable-while Deku was powerless-and still only considering himself a victim. Just a victim.
It was his fault, for giving in to the villain's decree, for believing he had been made powerless.
And so, this time, he shouted at Deku. For he wasn't a victim. He was a capable person who had done nothing.
"You didn't save me!" For only victims were saved. Deku had proven that neither he nor Katsuki were victims. Neither of them should ever be saved.
"I didn't need your help!" Because Katsuki had needed to realize he was never powerless, even without power. Deku had something he didn't, again, and Katsuki was set on gaining it.