Chpt 5: The Fated Battle Between Men (Assembling the Players pt2)

Izuku Midoriya (age Fifteen)

Izuku had to fight very, very hard to keep the word "date" out of his mind.

Nearly three hours had passed since he'd encountered Uraraka in the park, and time had run by quickly. Neither of them (even Izuku, the disciple) had expected All Might to be that angry. His expression when Izuku had introduced them had been beyond terrifying. To the hero's credit, everyone had calmed down once they'd heard Uraraka's story. No one had tried to send her away or scold Izuku after the fact (Izuku kept very quiet on how little he'd known about her beforehand), but none had been particularly happy at the idea of two young wild cards lying in wait on the edge of their operation. It had taken All Might's final word to settle the matter.

After they'd changed into some more discrete clothes (hooded jackets, leggings and jogging pants), the two of them had been given masks and sent to wait on the edge of the 'combat zone'.

Young Uraraka is in your care, young Midoriya. All Might had said, gazing at him rather harshly. I expect neither of you two to move from that spot unless told otherwise, understood?

For the second time in one day, Izuku was trapped at the side of a cute young woman his age. Between blushing embarrassment at his frantic imagination and worry for the safety of everyone involved, his nerves were frayed by the end of an hour.

"Midoriya… Are you, all right?" Uraraka's nervous expression made him curse himself under his breath.

"I… was muttering again, wasn't I…"

"Mmmm… Something about, uh, explosions and Kacchans…" Uraraka laughed at his apology, waving it off.

"Honestly I'm not normally involved in the hero operations. But an old friend of mine is involved, and I was wondering about how the fight will go…"

"Is he a hero?" Uraraka's eyes lit up. Izuku's nervous smile fell, changing into a somber expression.

"No… He's a member of one of the gangs back home. Apparently, he's one of the people in charge."

"O-oh…"

"By the time I left we weren't friends, but I studied him and his quirk. I got a lot of data on it firsthand." Izuku frowned. "His quirk is strong but he's… Kacchan is at his best in a fight. No matter who his opponent is, unless they're All Might or someone of that level, you can't count him out. I've been away for half of a year now, and he was a high-level member of the gang before I left… I can't imagine how wild he's become now."

"All Might let you come because you knew him?" Izuku nodded.

"Yeah… I guess I ended up getting you involved in my old fight somehow… Sorry, Uraraka…"

"No, no!" Uraraka waved her hands. Izuku chuckled slightly at how animated her movements were. "I asked to join the heroes after all! Honestly, I think you're really cool, Midoriya… Facing this the way you are. I'll do my best to help if anything goes wrong, okay?"

Izuku's eyes widened. His eyes teared up, which added embarrassment to the flood of emotions welling up inside of him; but facing such an honest expression from a girl whom he'd barely met…

"I… you're incredible… Uraraka…" He whispered quietly. Uraraka titled her head.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you…"

"Ah, nothing! Just muttering again." Uraraka's smile had a strong effect on him. Darker emotions inside him seemed to shrink or fade, leaving him feeling much better than before.

That's right. You can't sit around moping anymore. This is the beginning for you: as a hero instead of just some quirkless reject. And the first obstacle is him.

Katsuki Bakugo (age Fifteen)

Most people would tell you parading a group of ne'er-do-wells through the middle of the street wasn't smart. Even the most bloodthirsty members of Katsuki's hit squad were nervous at the idea of strolling casually down the middle of the busy street… and yet their boss was doing just that. Katsuki knew all too well that most of them were about to piss themselves every time a car passed by. He didn't care.

Cars swerved around them, mostly, or slowed enough that they wouldn't do any damage. After fifteen minutes, he began to hear sirens and see fewer cars. That made him grin. When he saw the police barricade he chuckled and pulled out his cell phone. Rusty had given him a number to call when he was looking for a negotiation.

Hello?

"Oy. I'm looking for someone named Duke."

Speaking… Who the fuck is this?

"We're here from Rusty. You put a few of our guys in the hospital a few days ago. Either you send out the guy who did it, or I start putting everyone I see in the hospital till you guys come out and stop me."

The fuck you think you are…? No way I'm sending out one of my men. Katsuki smiled.

"Can you hear the sirens outside your place?"

…Is that a threat…?

"I don't make threats. Rusty sent me with an ultimatum… and I'm giving you a promise, you piece of shit extra." Katsuki's palm popped with a few explosions before he began clenching it and working his wrist and fingers. "If I don't get the one responsible, tied up and delivered to me in the next hour, I'll blow your city to shit and fucking kill you…!"

Man, I'd like to see you try… wait, what the fuck do you mean there's cops outside…? Hey what the fuck… You're a fucking kid? What the hell does Rusty think he's doing sending a shrimp like you to collect from ME? I'll rip your fuckin…

Katsuki hung up the phone, growling and smiling as his hands began popping rapidly. The men behind him backed away nervously as he began to laugh. Laughter, bubbling like froth from his mouth, turned to cackling as he took his first step.

"Haaaaaaaaaa… Finally… I get to cut loose on something…!" Katsuki growled, heading towards the police cars. He spared a glance over his shoulder. "Don't any of you fucks dare coming after me. The pigs are mine. You're just here to back me up."

Izuku Midoriya

Ten minutes after the explosions started, All Might called him.

"Young Midoriya… your old friend… You said his name was Bakugo, correct?"

"Yes… All Might?" The voice on the other end of the line seemed distant.

"He's a young boy with platinum blonde hair and red eyes? And his quirk lets him use explosions from his hands?"

"That sounds like him. The quirk is exactly his. Is he there?"

"Young Midoriya… Bakugo… just single-handedly wiped out a police barricade with his bare hands." All Might's voice was quiet. Izuku felt a nervous smile on his face even as his stomach churned.

"…It's been a while since I left. I guess he's gotten stronger as well…"

"…We'll message you if the two groups go to war. Young Midoriya, please send the details for his quirk and physical abilities that you can remember to us through the phone. Just in case."

"…Yes sir…" Izuku hung up the phone and swallowed the build up in his throat.

"Midoriya…? Is everything all right?"

"Everyone is fine." Izuku's fingers danced across the keyboard rapidly as he talked. "Kacchan… Bakugo, he went a little wild."

"What do you mean?" Izuku shoved the phone in his pocket and gripped the front of his jacket to settle his shaking hands.

"All Might… said Kacchan took out the police barricade single-handedly." Uraraka's eyes went wide. In most cases, Izuku wouldn't have believed it either. I shouldn't believe it… but he probably could. He's vicious enough. "We're not supposed to go anywhere unless something happens."

"Midoriya, you're shaking," Uraraka murmured, reaching a hand toward him. He gripped his own arm instead and looked down at his fist, trying to steady himself.

I'm afraid… I've thought about it a few times, but I never imagined that we'd have to actually fight. Am I excited…? Why do I want to face him? Izuku looked out over the city.

"I'll be okay, Uraraka. They'll take care of this and be back soon. Nothing can stop All Might, right?" The smile he showed was half for her and half for himself. He wondered which of them needed it more.

Katsuki Bakugo

"So you finally showed up, eh?" Katsuki grinned at the crowd streaming slowly from the building. His own group of flunkies stood tensely behind him, clear of the flaming wreckage that was the police barricade. One of the newcomers stepped forward first, looking back forth between Katsuki and the wreckage.

"I heard Rusty had a new enforcer. I didn't think it was some brat with temper issues." Katsuki ground his teeth, keeping a smile forcibly showing on his lips. "That was a hell of a rampage. You got my attention."

"You're Duke?" 'Duke' was a thug in his mid-twenties, tattooed across his face and arms and wearing piercings through his nose and ears. He was dressed similarly to Katsuki, in a tank top, pants and boots. Duke waved his arms briefly and shrugged. Katsuki grunted. "My deal expires in ten minutes. Give me the bitch or you all fucking die."

"You're gutsy. I'll give you that." Duke laughed. "But we're a hell of a lot stronger than some punk kids who took on a few cops. You're on our turf. No one can stop us once we get started."

Katsuki checked the time on his phone and sighed.

"Fuck, you're a lucky son of a bitch… Boss told me to give you fucking hour. One second sooner and there'll be hell to pay."

"What, you can't move without daddy's orders? You got a curfew too?" Katsuki glared at Duke but didn't move.

The street was empty, though a helicopter could be heard flying around above them. Considering the flaming wall of cop cars, there would be a pretty severe response. Katsuki was planning on it. He glanced at his group of ten. Three metamorphic quirks, three normal looking ones who were decent in a fight, and four he hadn't personally vetted yet. The situation wasn't ideal, but he had Rusty's word that they could handle themselves if it came down to war.

Rusty knew it would come to this, didn't he… this is a fucking test. Goddamn it all. Katsuki snarled, letting off a firecracker sound from both hands. His allies flinched back and turned a nervous eye between each other and their boss. Faking his smile became harder and harder once he felt the battle approaching.

"Five minutes, Duke. You sure you don't wanna just give the fucker up while you can?" Katsuki popped his fingers and began stretching his arms, glancing at the enemy. Duke flipped up his middle finger and stared Katsuki down. Two minutes…

Izuku Midoriya

The fighting started soon after the sunset. All Might sent a message that heroes were moving in on the gang fighting. Explosions and shouting echoed through the streets to where Izuku and Uraraka were waiting, causing them both to tense up. Silence hung between them. About a half hour after things began, the battle still seemed to rage even louder.

Izuku was wound tighter and tighter as the fight wore on. On one side there was worry for the heroes, for everyone involved. The other was the idea that Bakugo was involved in this kind of warfare.

A roar echoed through the streets, along with a thick, heavy sound and a small quake. Izuku could only guess that a building had come down. Desperation welled up inside of him.

Call All Might? No… he'll be watching the fight and moving in when things get bad enough… I can't…

"Uraraka…"

"Hm? Midoriya, you're not…"

"I'm going. You should stay here."

"I'm coming with you!" Uraraka bounced up, managing a determined expression. "I won't let you go out there alone. I can't watch someone else fight for me anymore."

Izuku met her eyes for almost a minute, wondering how he could dissuade her. Alarm bells in his head forced him to act instead. He donned his mask and watched her do the same.

"Alright. But stay close and make sure you yell if anything happens." She nodded, and the two began walking. "Um… What was your quirk again?"

"If I can touch something with my fingers, I can negate the gravity affecting it. But I can only do so much before I get nauseous, and the amount I can support adds up even once I've set it down. So it's not really that useful…"

"That's an awesome power." Izuku said quickly. He smiled, though he knew he couldn't see it through the masks. "Don't put yourself down, Uraraka, that's a really powerful quirk."

They began jogging through the streets, heading closer to the fight. Izuku internally laid out four or five ideas using One for All and Uraraka's quirk.

What they arrived to was far beyond anything they'd expected.

On one side, the wreckage of the cop cars remained where Bakugo had left them. Rubble covered the still smoking cars and unconscious bodies covered the rubble. Izuku guessed around thirty or forty thugs were involved in the fight, but now there were only about twenty. He could see a few masked, colorfully dressed faces moving through the crowd and trying to fight the thugs or incapacitate them, but the fights were mostly happening while everyone ran from the monster that rampaged down the street.

Across the street from Izuku and Uraraka, one of the buildings had a large hole in the side: neither of them had to wonder what had come out. A large black shape wreaked havoc a little further down the street. Izuku had never seen anything like it: it seemed to have a large beak and yellow eyes, but the shape was fluid and full of shadowy limbs. The monster seemed to be made of solid shadows, though that didn't stop it from destroying everything. All Might was currently engaging it, throwing punches here and there only to growl when the beast dodged him and knocked him off balance.

"What… IS that…?" Uraraka murmured. Izuku tapped her shoulder.

"Uraraka, we need to check the building across the street." Izuku's eyes scanned the rubble and the shell that remained. "It could have reinforcements or weapons, or even prisoners. We need to get everyone out and make sure nothing else can go wrong."

"Midoriya…" Izuku could hear the questions in her voice. She probably wanted to help All Might or go save the people on the rubble pile. But he was dead set on what he thought was best. "All right."

Izuku charged out across the battlefield, occasionally punching out a thug or settling a fight between two of them with a quick burst of moves. Quietly surprised that Uraraka managed to stay close to him, he pushed on until they reached the building. Without thinking, he hoisted her up as soon as they reached the wreckage, jumping up to one of the higher floors of the building and heading inside. He could hear her breathing heavily behind him as he checked the rooms, but he couldn't slow down much. Something was driving him forward. Halfway through the search, they found a girl strapped to a table. Izuku entered and immediately left the room, sending Uraraka inside instead of him.

She was naked…! Izuku took a moment to get over his blush and the butterflies in his stomach, listening intently to the voices coming through the door.

"Are you okay?"

"That voice… who are you?"

"I'm here to help you. Are you hurt?"

"No… But my friend is on a rampage outside, I need to get to him!"

"Wait, you can't move yet! Slow down. Here, cover yourself up and let's move slowly…"

Izuku turned to them as soon as they stumbled through the doorway, thankful that Uraraka had covered the girl in a blanket (though he couldn't do anything about the image already in his mind). The prisoner was a girl roughly their age, with a shaved head and long legs. She seemed healthy enough, though she was having trouble moving around. Red marks remained on her skin where she'd been tied down to the table.

"A-are you okay?" The girl nodded.

"Please, I need you to get me outside… My friend is on a rampage, if we don't stop him soon he could hurt someone!" Izuku's eyes widened.

"That monster outside… that's a person?!" The girl shook her head.

"No… His quirk is that monster. The people who captured us, they stirred the monster up until it was rabid and then set it on whoever attacked the base. He's inside the monster, and it's killing him!"

Izuku ran through a list of possibilities, thinking of ways to counter the monster outside.

"Do you know how to stop it?"

"Light. The monster is weak against light. But the darker it gets, the more powerful it becomes. Is it daytime?"

"No, the sun set about an hour ago. We'll be in trouble if that monster gets any more powerful. The fires should stop him though... We'll need to hurry. Uraraka, get her outside. Hide in the alley between the buildings, the one on the other side of the police barricade. I'll bring anyone else out if I find them, but I'll need to go faster." Uraraka nodded. The girl's eyes went wide.

"Wait, my friend…"

"I'm sorry. He's fighting some friends of ours, but I need to make sure no one gets hurt here. She and I have been ordered to avoid the fighting." Izuku ground his teeth together. "I… I'll let them know. I'll go as fast as I can! I promise you, I'll get your friend out safe! But for now, you need to leave and recover! Uraraka, get her out of here."

Izuku turned up the power until he felt his body began to ache under the strain. He vaguely heard a gasp as lightning flared up around him and he shot down the corridor checking rooms as quickly as possible.

Ochako Uraraka

Ochako was continuously shocked by the young man she'd been partnered with. Her first impression of him had been a meek, nervous person who was, for lack of a better word, plain. Then she'd met him in the park and he'd gone out of his way to ask her if she needed help. At first he'd just been someone who was pitying her, trying to be nice. When she'd overheard his phone call her eyes had widened and begun fitting the pieces together. Anyone who knew All Might had to be someone who saved people… or close to it. Nothing had added up when she'd encountered him after the crosswalk incident but suddenly it all clicked into place.

His expression when she'd called him out said it all. But being introduced to All Might by the boy, and then discovering the other heroes had been incredible. Part of her had reeled a bit when she learned he was All Might's apprentice: All Might was something of a symbol after all. If sputtering, nervous little Izuku Midoriya was his apprentice then he should've been more… amazing, right?

When things had begun getting bad, he'd known. Despite his fear, anxiety, despite the orders and the threats from All Might, he was going to the fight. Upon arriving, he'd changed even more. Once he'd been nervous, shaking and insecure... all that melted in the face of the battle, and he'd become someone willing to charge in against the odds. On the scene he gave off an aura of assurance and calm. No one could see his face but she could feel steel in his voice and see it in the way he'd taken out the fighters below. She'd been shocked as he picked her up and lifted them up to the fifth floor without even trying. Without even using her quirk. In the dark hallways, she could see the lightning surrounding him as he zipped from doorway to doorway, and then she noticed he was obviously slowing down for her.

Watching him fly off, like a bullet of green lightning, made it clear she'd only just scratched the surface of who Izuku Midoriya was.

"Your friend is really something." The girl's voice snapped Ochako out of her reverie. Suddenly she remembered she was carrying a girl (who, by all rights, was much larger than she was) and that her muscles were screaming at her. Cursing herself for a fool, she activated her quirk on the girl and the blanket before turning on her heel and running off down the hallway.

"How are you feeling?" The girl coughed, looking at her with a strange expression.

"I'm fine… just not used to moving around. Sorry you had to carry me…"

"Don't worry about it." Ochako smiled. They reached the edge of the building where she and Midoriya had entered. A groan came from the girl as she covered her eyes from the street lights and spotlights. When her eyes had adapted, she gasped at the scene. Ochako was paralyzed by the sight as well.

The thugs were almost all handled. Nearly all the heroes were nearly out too, though. A small group of four stood in the middle of the street against the rampaging shadow beast, but otherwise people were haphazardly strewn across the street like rag dolls

"Tokoyami…" The girl murmured. Ochako glared at the monster, then hefted the girl in her arms.

"I'm going to send you down there. My quirk will keep you from falling, so you'll just float down. All right? I'll come right after you're down." The girl nodded and gasped as Ochako let her go and pushed her gently toward the street. Once the girl was down, Ochako ground her teeth together and jumped. Making herself weightless could only last so long. It made her insides all mushy, much worse than other objects ever did. As she reached the ground she felt something hot rising up her throat and forced it down. No time for her to be sick.

Grabbing her patient, she ran over to the barricade and settled on the sidewalk as far from the fight as she could get without disappearing entirely. Ochako stood and turned, yelping when she found Midoriya zipping toward her. He paused long enough to throw down two men whom he'd apparently tied up with sheets.

"I ran into these guys but the building seems mostly empty. I've gotta do one more check, are you two all right here?" Ochako nodded once and gazed after him when he tore off. The wind he'd kicked up in her face added more layers onto the growing admiration she felt for her new 'friend'. Ochako checked over the two thugs bindings and nodded, then sat down next to the girl and began checking her over. Besides being stiff, she seemed fine to Ochako. Medical expertise wasn't her strong suit, though.

"I never got your name. I'm Ochako Uraraka." The girl smiled weakly.

"I… my name's Momo Yaoyorozu. Thank you for getting me out of there, Uraraka." Ochako nodded.

"Um… You seem mostly okay other than your wrists and ankles. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'm fine..." Momo muttered. Her eyes kept turning to the barricade and the roars that came from the other side. Ochako was stunned that there was so much trouble taking the beast down.

"You said he was your friend… Why were you two kept?" Mom turned to Ochako and grimaced. The blanket parted a bit and a cup materialized from her arm. Ochako's eyes widened as water came pouring off the girl's finger tips till it filled the glass.

"…My quirk is Creation. They kidnapped me a long time ago, and I've been stuck in there making their bullets and money and…" Momo ground her teeth. Her eyes teared up as she talked about it. "The table… They put it there and strapped me down, so they could use me."

Ochako mulled over the words, and every single terrible thing that must have happened. Part of her rose up in fury. How could people be such animals? Momo was a beautiful girl, and they'd turned her into a factory. Worse, probably. They were cut off by Midoriya appearing in a burst of green light, dropping three more thugs on top of the others.

"I'm going to join the fight. You two stay here, all right?" Ochako didn't even have time to say anything before a blond boy flew across the street, riding a series of explosions through the air. Ochako blinked- a fierce wind suddenly blasted her mask. When she opened her eyes, she was across the street sitting behind a tree with Momo beside her. Midoriya stood between them pulling his arms from them both.

Ochako glanced across the street, where the pile of thugs Midoriya had left writhed against the wall under the blond boy's foot.

In a second… he grabbed us…? She turned and looked at Midoriya. Being close enough, combined with the light of his glow through the mask, she could see through the opaque face. His eyes were green emeralds, glowing from the use of his quirk. Is he even human?

"Kacchan… huh…" He muttered under his breath. Ochako turned back and looked at the blond boy across the street. He'd found them and was coming back.

"That's him?" She asked. Midoriya nodded.

"I'll deal with him. Stay here and keep her safe Uraraka."

"Wait, what about Tokoyami!" Momo blurted. Izuku glanced at Momo, cursing quietly under his breath.

"That's right… All right. Uraraka, new plan. Go run to All Might. You need to tell him that there's a person held hostage by their quirk inside the monster. Then get back here. Yell for me if something goes wrong and I'll be there. I promise."

"All right." Uraraka murmured. She was still entranced by the boy across the street and the one holding her in his arms. Midoriya stood and slowly walked across the street. Uraraka stared after him. "The fated battle between men…"

"Uraraka…?"

"So this is the fated battle between men…!"

"Uraraka!" Ochako yelped and jumped up when Momo called her name.

"Sorry! Sorry. I'll be right back, Yaoyorozu. Stay safe."

Ochako grunted as she jogged toward the barricade. The sounds of battle got louder as she grew closer, and explosions began behind her shortly after.

Be safe… Everyone…!

Izuku Midoriya

He'd emptied the building. He'd knocked out anyone who came at him. Everything had been going fine. Why did Bakugo have to show up right when he was finishing his mission?

Nothing left now. Izuku stared through his mask at his ex-bully. If he won't let us go…

"Who the fuck are you… You think a mask makes you cool, you sick fuck?" Bakugo snarled. The other boy's breathing was labored, but what worried Izuku was the sweat pouring down his face and arms.

"We aren't here to fight you!" Izuku called through his mask. "Just let me and the women go. No one has to get hurt."

"…" Bakugo's expression changed. It was just a bit, but something had ticked with him. Izuku swallowed the soup pooling in his mouth and took a breath. He was shaking again.

Get a hold of yourself… You've got to protect them!

Bakugo didn't give him any warning: Explosions burst from his hands to launch him across the distance between them. Lightning crackled around Izuku as he pushed himself back up to full capacity. In his eyes, Bakugo slowed down to walking speed even as he rode the explosions. Izuku grinned as he dodged, gripping Bakugo by the shoe and hurling him back toward the building across the street.

If he's this slow to me, All Might wouldn't even find him challenging…

Katsuki Bakugo

Shock prevented him from righting himself in the air. Katsuki hit the street and rolled over himself, coming out lying face down on the pavement. He glared at the masked figure, feeling equal tides of fire and ice boiling inside his gut.

I recognize that voice… But for now, Katsuki stood up and settled into a stance. He just has an enhancement quirk… Fast doesn't mean better.

Katsuki glanced at the mass of blankets by the tree across the way, wondering just what was so important that this kid (he seemed about Katsuki's age, in height and voice) would go toe to toe with him.

"Just who are you with? Duke? Those weirdos in the suits? That fucking monster?"

"I'm just here to make sure no one gets hurt! I don't want to fight you!" The masked boy never broke stance, but he weakened a bit. Katsuki saw openings appear as he relaxed. Shooting forward with a pair of blasts, he growled.

What about him is familiar…?

Katsuki chased him when his opponent darted backward, then stopped with a sudden burst and tried to grab the mask with his right hand. A pair of arms reached through the smoke and grabbed him by the shoulder, suddenly twisting and throwing Katsuki down on the street again. He gasped as the air was forced from his lungs.

What the fuck… he read me like a FUCKING BOOK…!

Katsuki stood up, wiped the drool from his chin and spat the remainder onto the street.

"I'll fucking kill you…" He growled. His opponent leapt back again as he lunged. Quick as he could, Katsuki set his wrists against each other and let out the brightest, loudest explosion he could. His ears rang as he leapt forward after the disoriented fighter, reaching out for the mask again. When the grab came out again Katsuki grinned and blasted the mask straight in the face. Instead of stopping, he blasted upward through air and stopped straight behind the unsuspecting kid with a blast into his victim's back. Katsuki grinned as he settled and leapt forward again, dodging the punch and going under his opponents reach, only to have his victim suddenly flip backward and handspring out of harm's way. Katsuki snarled again.

He's fucking good… He wasn't with fucking Duke though. What's going on…?

"Who are you!" Katsuki screamed. Why do you bug me so FUCKING MUCH?

"I don't want to fight you Kacchan just let us go!"

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks dropped on his head.

Only one…! He launched forward as fast as he could handle, shooting toward his opponent like a rocket.

FUCKING person…! Katsuki swung wildly, blasting every chance he got until the smoke created a cloud surrounding them. The kid kept up, but consistently backed away. Katsuki chased him every time, continuing the barrage.

EVER CALLED ME THAT FUCKING NAME…! Katsuki shot into the air, rocketing back down with extra momentum and kicking his opponent in the back. A wild blast charged up in his palm as the memory of a tear stained, snot filled green eyed boy crawled out of the depths of his brain. The moment the masked boy stood up, Katsuki screamed and let loose with a blast rivalling that of several grenades. Katsuki grimaced at the pain but his hand was only strained, not out of commission. He stalked through the smoke growling as he searched for the body he'd undoubtedly left behind. A green streak spun him around as it rushed by, knocking him to his knees. Katsuki glared at the back of his opponent, catching sight of curly hair poked up from his shoulders. The masked boy stood- no longer masked- and glanced over his shoulder.

"…Deku…?" Katsuki muttered. He tried to stand and stumbled. As he recovered he saw the other masked person running away with whoever they'd wrapped in those blankets. Without a word, 'Deku' turned and sped down the street, grabbing the two runaways and reaching the barrier in a flash.

Fucking… quirkless…? Deku?! I LOST?! TO A QUIRKLESS NERD LIKE DEKU?!

Katsuki screamed, letting loose a massive explosion from both hands as he felt the animal in his gut finally break out.