With a mighty crash, Katsuki blew a hole through the ceiling and landed in dramatic style. The forceful shockwave of the explosion knocked Compress aside, the beams likewise thrown asunder.

Taking a moment to recover from the deafening noise, Bakugo straightened up slowly.

"Deku. Get her."

Saying nothing more, the explosion hero rocketed upwards, grabbing hold of Atsuhiro and tossing him through the gaping hole in the ceiling. Izuku stood, shell-shocked, before coming to his senses and staring back at Shigaraki and All For One, reinvigorated.

Bakugo caught up to the reeling magician, landing a spinning kick to the side before his foe could gain his bearings. Compress landed with a sickening thud, rolling backwards in a meagre attempt to soften the impact.

"How'd he get caught off-guard by some B-lister like you?" The cutting edge of the blond's words made Sako seethe.

"B-lister? Don't forget boy, yours truly captured you not too long ago!"

"Yeah, then what happened?"

Compress moved to retort, but held his tongue.

"...that's what I thought. Enough talk."

Palms searing, Katsuki blitzed forth. Compress slid forwards, barely dodging under Bakugo's assault. Reacting quickly, the young hero re-positioned in mid-air, twisting around and rushing at his enemy once again.

"Stay still, you litt-"

Bakugo reached forward and set an explosion off in Sako's face. The force sent both parties flying in opposite directions, Bakugo coming to a stop first. The heat conducting through Compress' mask forced him to discard it, revealing bloodshot, furious brown orbs.

"Enough of this!" Atsuhiro snarled, procuring a small cyan marble from his pocket. He hurled it forth, decompressing it into a giant stone wall. That should at least slow him down. Now...

Before Compress could turn away, he caught sight of a small orange circle beginning to form in the wall.

"AP Shot!"

Thinking fast, Sako leapt out of the way as a concentrated beam burned straight through the wall, leaving enough space for Bakugo to insert his hand and detonate the obstruction from within.

"That all? You really are just some B-lister."

No! Have to buy more time...

"My, my, you have grown, haven't you?" Sako stood unsteadily, splaying his arms with faux joviality. Ignoring the attempt at conversation, Bakugo marched forwards, undaunted.

"Say, young Bakugo, what brought you here anyways? Didn't seem like you were friends with that Midoriya."

Katsuki continued walking, Compress subtly retreating. "You don't care."

"Too true, thought I'd ask anyway." A devilish grin grew upon Sako's features. "Hold on, there's no need for animosity between us! Maybe, we can strike... a deal, of sorts."

Bakugo stopped. "And why would I ever accept? Just shut up and let me kick your ass already."

"Well, you see, I've grown tired of Shigaraki calling all the shots. I want him gone just as much as you do! So... perhaps, you could just let me go. In return, I suppose I could give you a cut of my payment. No one gets hurt, and you get paid!"

"Don't remember bribery in the job description."

This kid just won't budge... Admirable, in a way, but annoying.

Atsuhiro sighed. "Well, I suppose it's come to this." The magician took two more spheres from his many pockets.

A tense silence followed for but a moment.

"What now? Give it up, Compress."

"Oh, so you don't want your parents back?"

Bakugo's eyes widened, a cascade of emotions flashing through them.

"There we go, now you'll parley, hm? I tried the magnanimous approach, but it's come to blackmail. Oh, the shame of it..." The smirk on Compress' face stretched inhumanly.

"...what do you want?"

"For starters, you could stand down. Just stay here, and they're safe."

"What happened to wanting Shigaraki gone?"

"A bluff."

Katsuki hesitated, skin suddenly paper white.

The two stood off for what felt to Katsuki like an eternity. With each passing second, Atsuhiro's smile seemed to grow. Compress began to throw the marbles up and down, toying with them.

"So," Sako began, tightening his grip on his captives, "You're a real hero now, hm? Good, good for you."

Katsuki gritted his teeth. What do I do? Is he bluffing again? If he isn't... He was surprised that I was here... Or, was he just acting? Dammit, I don't know!

"Don't burst a blood vessel, Bakugo. You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Another brief eternity passed before Katsuki could take it no more, dashing forward in a paroxysm of rage. Swiftly, Sako tossed one orb to his free hand before crushing the compressed object in his right palm. Bakugo halted in his tracks.

"Your mother, if I kept track correctly."

Involuntarily, eruptions burst forth from Katsuki's palms, coating the surrounding area in billowing flames. Atsuhiro vaulted backwards, desperately attempting in vain to escape the blast. Unable to flee from the heat, Sako's coat ignited, forcing him to once again hurriedly discard it.

Emerging from the blast, Bakugo charged straight for Sako, gripping him by the throat and slamming him to the ground with blinding speed. Keeping his hand around Compress' neck, Katsuki saw only red as his grip tightened, squeezing the life from his foe.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Atsuhiro pried at Bakugo's vice hold, to no avail. His mind jumped to compressing the boy, but almost immediately rejected the notion. Shigaraki... needs... his friends...

"Do... it..." Atsuhiro's smile came back in spades. It faltered slightly as Katsuki's palms started to heat up, but remained plastered upon his visage, taunting.

Bakugo squeezed tighter, tighter, Sako desperately gasping for breath.

"Knew... you'd-" Compress tried and failed to finish his sentence, beginning to lose lucidity.

Unceremoniously, Bakugo released his hold.

Atsuhiro clutched his throat, wheezing and sputtering. The villain gazed at his aggressor, tears having pooled in both parties' eyes. Bakugo stared at his hands.

"W... what's wrong, boy? Didn't have it in you?"

"You... you were lying. You have to be. You were just wasting my time!"

The magician attempted to smile once more, but failed to muster the energy. "You're right about one thing. I have indeed been wasting your time."

Bakugo rose to his feet, heading back to the warehouse. His mind wandered momentarily to thoughts of calling his parents, but time was of the essence. Sako collapsed, exhausted.

AN: So... I'm not dead. I don't have a good reason why this took so long, just lost motivation I guess. Sorry. Anyways, we're nearing the end, I'm afraid! Thanks for sticking with this despite my horrific lack of a consistent upload schedule~