"A H-hero?" Izuku's voice was strangled with incredulous disbelief. "You think you're a hero, Kacchan?"

Bakugo stilled. He'd never heard that type of voice come from Deku's mouth before, never heard anything so… raw. Not from the cry-baby kid he used to bat around when they were small. And Those green, green eyes 'had they always been such a neon color?' we're manic as they zeroed in on his own burning red ones and refused to look away.

"No. No no no, you're not a hero, Kacchan." Izuku's mouth stretched into a maddened snarl. " ALL YOU ARE IS A VILLAIN IN DISGUISE!"

Madoriya lunged at him.

"And I'll show everyone just how bad you've always been!"

Later as they both lay panting and injured on the ground, Bakugou can't help but stare at Izuku as he laughs hysterically. He's as beaten up and broken as Bakugou is but the stupid Deku still just wouldn't stop. He could see the blood drenching the cement under Deku, practically hear the hitch of his voice, the scratchiness of something inside the loser that's torn and he still—wouldn't fucking stop.

They could have been laying there for hours for all Bakugou knew, Deku laughing at nothing, him staring at the boy who he used to know better then he knew himself. It was only when a purple portal appeared almost on top of Deku, cutting him off mid cackle that Bakugou jerked back into active consciousness instead of numbing fascination.

He was going to leave again.

Bakugou didn't know how he knew that portal was here for Deku or why his heart started to race frantically in his chest at the sight of it (He did. He knew but he couldn't admit it, not Bakugou Katsuki. Not the number two pro-hero, he was too good, wasn't he? To good for emotions he couldn't understand, to good for friends, to good for his fans, he was just too goo-) but he had to stop whatever was going to happen. He had to stop Deku from getting in that fucking mist.

But—

He couldn't move. He couldn't even twist his head away from where it had fallen, staring at Deku. His fingers wouldn't form a fist no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make more then sparks flare at the tips of his hands and even that sent agonizing pain straight up into his nerves all the way to his shoulder.

No, no way was Bakugou Katsuki, Ground Zero the Explosion Hero, going to admit defeat by something as fucking stupid as exhaustion. No fucking way.

Slowly, while Bakugou forced his left arm up a black clad shoe stepped out from the purple mist. Following the stupid shiny shoes up while he concentrated on actually, finally fucking moving, he stared into the face(?) of some mist guy. The mist guy looked around at all the destruction around them, before moving slowly towards Deku who still hadn't made a peep since the portal had first shown up. It was really starting to freak him out after Deku's demented laughing from earlier. Who the fuck just does that then stops? It was fuckin' weird even for Deku.

Bakugou has gotten to the point where he was able to force his upper body off the ground with visible strain, his head lolling around like a drunk the entire time. But he was fucking upright. Just a little more and he'd kick the smoke guys ass, drag Deku back to his moms and find out what the fuck was going on. He just needed a little more time to force his body up.

He didn't have any more time though. With a patronizing tsk the mist guy toed Deku softly in the side, sending the idiot into those creepy ass laughs again. Bending down the guy collected fucking Deku into a weak ass bridle carry that Bakugou wouldn't be caught dead in. Deku's head rolled backwards off the guys arm as he turned back to the portal. He was grinning with bloody teeth.

Bakugou couldn't yell after them, couldn't fucking demand Deku to get the fuck back here. Not after the almost direct hit to his windpipe earlier. He could barely breathe as it was. His limbs were weak, shaking from the effort of just staying half way up, a strong fucking breeze could give him hell right then, and Deku was getting away!

"You know, Kacchan. I guess you we're right." The losers voice hurt just to hear, never-fucking-mind trying to figure out what type emotion was coloring it. Fuck. "I never really was supposed to be a hero."

Bakugou glared after the shitty nerd and forced his lower body to respond to him, his feet slipped on the wet (with blood) cement. But he refused to go back down, it didn't matter what the fucker was saying, Bakugou was gonna drag his ass back both of them half dead if he had to. That was the only fucking outcome in this.

One of Deku's hands, covered in blood and missing the top most part of his index finger waved at him as the Mist guy stepped into the portal. With some unspoken command he stopped barely short of waking through it.

Deku's eyes caught his one last time, the top of his upside down head the only think Bakugou could see clearly. Those neon eyes that he used to know so well no longer held any of the fear he'd gotten so used to seeing in the nerds face. He had no idea what those eyes held behind them. He had no idea what the fuck Deku was think.

"I was always going to make a much better Villain."

Ecos of all the times Dek- Izuku had sworn he'd be a hero in their childhood ran like a tape through his mind, they were all chased by Bakugou's of the past shoving his dreams down. Scene after scene of him hurting Izuku, destroying his stuff, telling the extras to do the same, ran in front of his eyes. The day Izuku disappeared, the hate Bakugou had seen roaring in his eyes for that split second before he was right back to being stupid Deku. Auntie crying when no one could find him, his Mom screaming into the phone when the police had given up the search for some quirkless kid. His dad sitting quietly in his parents room with his head held in his hands after he'd, they'd all found out what school was like for Bakugou and Izuku.

All of it streamed though Bakugou's mind as he lunged towards the portal. Towards Izuku, towards something he'd regretted for over four years, through pain and tears, and so much shame.

"I'll see you soon, Kacchan." Izuku's voice darkened with potent promise. "You can bet on it."

Izuku smiled that same smile he always had, right before Bakugou flew through the dissipating smoke. He skidded on the ground a few feet, tearing the skin off his arm and shoulder. He stared up at the purple sky, sun coming up after a long night. But darkness was quickly creeping up in his vision. He'd used the last of his strength with that rush. He was done, for now.

Bakugou snarled and refused to acknowledge the wetness that was dampening his face.

Izuku was gone.

Katsuki had failed.

Again.

(That's all he ever seemed to do around Izuku.)