Notes:

Trigger Warning For mentions of attempted rape. We care about your mental health and your triggers so read with precaution. It's nothing to detailed but you never know.

Heyo! We're back! This was a little interlude that we're going to be doing for this story! To show everyone's reactions to what has happened so far in this story! These are not going to be as long as the other chapters which usually hit about 10k words. Be on the lookout for italics/bold that somehow got lost in previous chapters! I've edited up to 3 so far and will be doing the rest soon!

Bakugo Katsuki was generally agreed by everyone who's ever met him to be surprisingly angry though they'd be quick to nod in understanding after seeing his Quirk. Explosives would make anyone explosive in personality they'd think. Such thoughts only made him angrier. He wasn't some 1 dimensional extra, he was the main character destined to be number 1!

Explosive personality was a given. However, it was unfortunate that it wasn't positive or at the very least positively determined. Bakugo had a bit of a one track mind when it came to winning. Number 1 was all that mattered and it was his for the taking.

He was rather skilled, intelligent enough, and had determination on him like you wouldn't believe. He wasn't really used to anyone being better than him. So of course he would react badly when the status quo changed.

He couldn't help but grit his teeth and let loose small explosions from his hands as he thought back to what clearly changed. Weak, useless Deku upstaged him and he would bet his hands that it all had to do with Ben Tennyson.

That bastard didn't seem to take anything seriously unless people's lives were in danger. Hell if Bakugo was one to bet he'd say Ben treated everything like he was on vacation. He never ever seemed to go out 100% even when anyone else would.

Bakugo let out a hiss as he tasted blood from having bit his lip to keep from screaming in frustration, not wanting to wake up his parents as his mind went to the massacre that was their festival fight.

It was like Tennyson was on a whole different tier from everyone else and it only pissed him off even further. The way he took him down with no difficulty at the festival was humiliating on top of other things.

This wasn't even getting into his casual skill. If Bakugo didn't find it so absurd he'd say Tennyson was just plain better than most of the Pro Heroes in Japan if not the world. Not just in power either but drive. Bakugo would never admit it out loud, or even to himself really, but the look of pure focus and anger Ben had shot at him during the training simulation still haunted him. The way those green eyes sharpened and his face morphed into hard angles was like the calm before the storm.

It didn't make it any better that Ben was probably the most potentially lethal in their class. He had no doubt that if Ben wanted to he could kill scores of people with just a little bit less restraint.

His skill and attitude definitely seemed to spread onto others. Stupid, useless Deku was a clear sign of that. Back then, a single glare would send the kid into next level terror but their test definitely had changed things.

Bakugo tightened his fists as he thought more about it. The way he was able to just take off with no regards to him made him feel anger that even he didn't think was possible. He really didn't think the little shit had it in him. Everything was changing and he wasn't able to react to it quick enough.

Even with all that, it wasn't what annoyed him the most. What annoyed him the most was that he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. All he ever had in his mind was to be seen as the best and let everyone know it. Well he surely didn't do a good job of showing it.

Bakugo let out a sigh that he had been holding for far too long and loosened the grips on his fists. After all, being the best was all he had in his mind so he wasn't sure what to do when that wasn't the case.

He licked his still bleeding lip as he quickly put on clothes for a midnight run to clear his head and burn off energy. In moments he was out of the house and running his usual circuit he used to do to train his stamina and endurance.

As much as I hate to admit it, so long as Ben is in our class I'll never be able to catch up and be number 1. The bastard didn't even have to use his Quirk to humiliate me!

Bakugo made his way down the street with his hands in his pockets as he continued to think. All that happened since Ben showed up just made him angrier. He had such a tight grip on life and the second he shows up, it all falls apart.

There wasn't a day back then when I would think that Deku would finally grow some balls but it would seem that I was proven wrong again. If I didn't know any better, even he is potentially stronger than me! What the fuck happened in all that time?

Bakugo grit his teeth as he balled up his fists and ran full tilt, small pops going off as his Quirk was unconsciously used.

I'm supposed to be the main character in this story, not useless Deku! All he even did before Ben arrived was act like a useless tryhard going on about his dream of being a hero while showing no effort to improve himself! I can't believe that spineless twig grew so much in so little time! If I didn't know better I'd think Tennyson gave him super steroids or something, I wouldn't put it past his sci fi bullshit.

Bakugo didn't want to keep thinking about it any longer, which is why he was sort of relieved when he heard someone scream. Not really because someone was in danger but more because he wouldn't have to think any longer. The fiery teenager got into a battle stance and headed down the dark alley where he heard the scream.

If one were to look at his entrance to said alley from an omnipresent perspective they'd clearly see his battle maniac grin as he stalked into the alley and saw a perfect opportunity to let loose his frustrations in the most relaxing way possible.

"A rapist huh? Good. They won't care if I rough you up more than necessary. Try not to get knocked unconscious so soon ok?"

Before said rapist could even move in to defend himself he found himself knocked into the dirty alley walls like a ping pong ball from a series of quick precise explosions. His cry of alarm was cut short as a fist rammed into his stomach forcing him to throw up all over his blooded legs.

This brutal beatdown and determination clearly present on the blonde's face did bring up another question. While it was morally correct to rough up the criminal, was he even really doing it because it was the right thing to do or because it would relieve his stress? That brought along the bigger question. Was he interested in stopping criminals and being a hero because of selflessness or because it was exhilarating?

Bakugo's powerful sharp hits continued for a while as he grunted as each attack landed. He didn't stop until he figured he was taking it too far and the blood forming on his hands was evident of that. He huffed at the beaten unconscious criminal in front of him before turning to the victim.

Upon being met with his fiery red gaze she flinched back, visibly quaking as she stared at the blood pooling from her would-be rapist and dripping down from the youth's hands, even now popping off with small explosions. Her quaking just got worse as the boy frowned and reached out to her, a move he quickly stopped as she flinched back fully heedless of the wall behind her.

"P- please stay away, don't touch me!"

Bakugo blinked as just for a moment the woman was replaced by a similarly quaking green haired boy, their look of fear the same as their whole body quaked. The phantom vanished as Bakugo in turn flinched as if punched himself, body quickly reporting the incident anonymously, vaguely aware he'd get expelled if he was found in this situation.

Before he knew it he was back in bed and physically cleaned, even if he could still feel phantom blood flowing down his hands no matter how hard he scrubbed. He could only stare at the ceiling as the parallels of that woman and Deku plagued his mind. His hand reached up and was soon on his forehead as he sighed.

"Good God…"

He couldn't just ignore it now. He couldn't push it away and look for another distraction to keep him from facing it. It just kept replaying and replaying in his mind and it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

It made him sick, knowing the woman was more scared of him than her potential rapist. It made him feel even worse knowing they both had the same look of resigned terror, bodies wanting to move but knowing it's useless. His mind recalled the dozens of times he's seen De- no seen Izuku react that way.

"Some Hero I am. No one wanting to be one would ever see that once and keep doing it. I did, so what does that make me?"

Well he had accepted it. Now what was he going to do about it. He wasn't entirely sure. Trying to change himself was the obvious answer but that's not something that happens over night. You have to go through legitimate growth in order to truly change. If you've wronged someone, even if you've become the best person you can be, they could always still hate you regardless.

Bakugo knew redemption wasn't based on whether or not someone believed you changed or not but the idea of everyone still looking at him as a terrible person definitely didn't make him feel too good about himself.

Slow down 'hero'. You haven't even made any change yet. All you've done is just realized what you've been doing and how you've been acting is wrong. Don't go trying to play victim when you've done nothing to prove otherwise...yet.

Bakugo nodded at the voice that suspiciously sounded like Ben. He was right. Even if Izuku hated him forever, that was more than fine. He'd deserve it. He… Just has to start small. Baby steps.

Unbidden his mind flashed back to something Ben said in jest.

"Yeah, being angry all the time just kinda gives away your Quirk doesn't it? I mean obviously the person with explosive outbursts would have a Quirk to match…. It'd actually be a pretty effective psychological warfare tool to be a silent fighter for you. Like an explosive ninja, once they hear you coming it'd be too late. Plus, it'd probably do you some good to take some anger management classes. You know, reshape your temper and personality to be a little less like...that."

Anger management huh? That definitely seems to be in order given how she reacted to me trying to see if she was ok….

Worst part is it wouldn't even just be Izuku he'd need to adjust his attitude towards. Bakugo was a bit of a dick towards… well everyone. The blonde sighed as he continued to stare up at the ceiling.

No real guarantee that I'll be able to truly make that change but… I never was one to quit.

Before Bakugo could chicken out he sent Aizawa a text to schedule appointments for him with the school counselor which he quickly agreed to before telling him to get some sleep.

For the first time in forever Bakugo felt himself relax slightly, body untensing as he let out a slow breath.

"An explosive ninja huh…? Maybe I'll get there one day."