10/06/2023

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The Emperor's Dragon
Emergence 77 - Head of the Queue

"There he is!"

Katsuki looked up at the voice. It sounded vaguely familiar, in the way that all the extras' voices blended together. He shrugged and kept moving. He had homework to do. That fucking bastard might have taken his quirk but he was going to take it back. This was just a setback and every good hero had setbacks in their backstory. His was just more dramatic than most. He knew how his story would go.

He was the only one from his Middle School to be accepted into a Hero High School, and of course it was UA, because UA was for the best, and he was the best from that shitty little Middle School. He was the best at the UA Entrance Exam and he was going to be the best in his class. That was all as it should be.

And then that prick took his quirk. It was a tragic story and it would play well for his history. When it was written, this part of his life would be described as his dramatic suffering, and then it would end with him fighting the bastard and taking his quirk back. That would establish him as the best and from there, it was only right that he'd become the number one hero.

That's why he was still enrolled in UA's Hero course. Let the other weaklings cry and accept transfers to General Studies 'to work out their future plans'. He knew what his were. He was going to be a Hero. There was no other plan.

They'd had practical Hero training today and that Hobo had held him back, saying something about how he had to learn to compensate. He knew how to compensate. He'd always had to hold back at Hero training, except if he got against Todoroki. Then he could cut loose. The others were too weak to really go against him and that Hobo now thought they could? Bakugou had insisted on taking his place in the rotation. He might not have his quirk - for now - but he was physically strong and they knew it.

Shoji had held back against him and had found out that hard way, that was a mistake. It was only a lucky shot from Ojiro, and the fucking cossetting from his team which meant they lost. If the extra's had just focused on the goal, rather than him… It was enough to make him scream. At least Ojiro had known not to cut him any slack.

The Hobo though had the gall to tell him that he had to watch his control! If the weakling extra's couldn't even handle one fight against him, while he was quirkless, then what the hell were they doing in UA's hero course?

"Katsuki!" The voice came again.

He ignored it. He didn't need to talk to an extra. Bakugou had to get home and finish his homework so he could schedule at least another two workouts a week. He'd need them to keep up his fitness and to maintain strength in his arms and hands so that when he beat the shit out of that bastard Izuku Midoriya to get his quirk back, he could handle its return.

It was hard to believe that the bastard was meant to be Aunty Inko's son! Inko was a friend of her mother, and had dinner with them at least once a week. She was always sad and now… She'd just cried when it had come out that the bastard Mitei Chui was meant to be Izuku Midoriya. It was pathetic and from what he could remember of Izuku, which wasn't much, he thought the extra was meant to be quirkless!

"Typical," the voice said. "He's still got his head so far up his arse he can't see what's in front of him."

No matter what anyone said, Katsuki Bakugou was not stupid. He didn't engage in random fights. Sure, he was more than a bit of a brawler at Middle School but that was only to put the extras in their place. He didn't engage in random combat against unknowns. That led to random dumbass consequences that got onto your record. And his record was clean.

That, however, was before he lost his quirk. That was before he was as stressed as he was, because despite the confident facade he showed to all, he was stressed, upset and wanting to pound something into the ground.

So Katsuki snarled and spun to glare at the speaker.

There were two teens there. They were both dressed in jeans and a jumper but one had an obvious mutant quirk. He had dark skin, multiple eyes and mandibles for a mouth. His hands were also dark, indicating that the mutation might cover his whole body. His feet were in shoes so Bakugou couldn't really tell. The other teen had short, somewhat fluffy brown hair and a very pointed nose. It was stupidly pointed, almost like a cone but otherwise looked normal.

"What do you extras want?" he growled.

"Katsuki, is that anyway to greet your old friend?" Pointy nose asked, in an irritating falsetto.

Bakugou looked the teen up and down again. There was a baseball cap on his head, holding his hair down. It was an atrocious shade of purple and backwards. "Oh, it's Extra Follower Two," he muttered. "Or did you move to One when Extra Follower One disappeared?" He mocked.

The extra's reaction told Katsuki enough. He jerked in a way that said he knew what Bakugou was talking about. It was Extra Follower Two. Just because it was Extra Follower Two, that didn't mean Katsuki was interested. He turned away.

"Not so quick, Bastard!"

From the corner of his eye, Bakugou saw the other teen make a gesture at Extra Follower Two. Interestingly, that shut him up.

"Chui took your quirk, huh?" the question came from him.

Katsuki turned back to the two and gave the other guy another look. Upon second look, it was obvious he had a spider mutation quirk. "What of it?" Bakugou challenged. The entire world knew the bastard had taken his quirk.

"Was it quick? Did he knock you unconscious when he did it?"

Katsuki frowned. The questions were oddly specific. "What's it to you?"

The teen cocked his head slightly and his mandibles shifted slightly. "I want to know if Chui did it to me," he announced.

"You've still got your quirk," Bakugou said, though he wondered if the bastard Izuku could take a mutant quirk.

The guy shrugged. "He gave it back. Did he knock you unconscious?" he asked again.

There was a part of Katsuki that relaxed at the statement. He gave it back. That meant the bastard could give them back. They hadn't been sure. They'd assumed that the bastard Izuku could give quirks back but no one had been completely sure. "The second time," Bakugou replied.

The other teen nodded as if he understood something.

"What?" Extra Follower Two exclaimed. "You wanted to talk to him?"

The spider-quirked teen looked sideways. "He's an arrogant twerp but he's quirkless. It's hardly fair," he explained. "And his arm is broken."

"You think he gives a shit about fair?" Extra Follower Two demanded.

"I got what I wanted," the spider-quirked teen said and turned back to Bakugou. "You ever need help with Chui, or whatever his name is, I'd be more than happy to help."

Extra Follower Two just stared at the spider-quirked teen. This obviously wasn't going the way he thought it would.

"I don't need your help," Katsuki snarled.

The spider-quirked teen snorted and then shook his head. "You are an arrogant prick, aren't you?" he chuckled before shaking his head. "You and Chui are so alike."

"What?" Katsuki bared his teeth at the teen. He was nothing like that Mitei prick!

The teen laughed. "The same," he repeated. "But I hate Chui more."

"He's an arrogant twat," Extra Follower Two said.

Katsuki remembered him. He had some weakass finger extension quirk. "I could still beat you any day," he told him.

"You're now just a quirkless loser, a deku," Extra Follower Two said. "So what are you gonna do? It's not like you've even got a weak quirk!"

Oh! He'd show him! Bakugou felt his hands form into fists. He was not useless! "I can still beat you to a pulp," he announced.

"You couldn't even beat my elderly grandmother!" Extra Follower Two scoffed. "You couldn't do jack shit without your quirk!"

"Oh yeah?" Katsuki challenged. "Just try it!" he growled. He didn't start stuff. The world might be sympathetic to him now but knew that would quickly fade.

Extra Follower Two had apparently been waiting for that. He growled and jumped towards him. As Katsuki vaguely remembered, his fingers elongated as he charged. That just meant he telegraphed his moves. Middle school Bakugou had been good at fighting. UA trained Bakugou was better.

He simply stepped out of the way of the obvious punch and stuck out his foot. He wanted to pound Extra Follower Two into the dirt but Katsuki was aware of the other teen. He couldn't be sure the spider-quirked teen wouldn't interfere. He'd hinted that he wouldn't but… it was best to make sure. Extra Follower Two didn't fall but he did sprawl forward. He regained his balance quickly and to Bakugou's disappointment was equally quick to take himself out of range. The guy knew how to fight. Katsuki still had his quirk, a small explosion would have sufficed to knock Extra Follower Two forward to sprawl, face first on the ground, which was pretty much all he was good for.

"You think you are good?" Extra Follower Two spat.

"Better than you," Katsuki told him. "All you ever used to do was follow along and be annoying. I don't need a quirk to deal with you."

Extra Follower Two flexed his fingers and cracked them together. "I've wanted to do this for a long time," he said and then charged again.

It was the same as last time and again Bakugou stepped out of the way. He raised his broken arm, intending to push Extra Follower Two off balance again but before he could, long fingers wrapped around his cast and pulled at him.

Katsuki hissed. While Recovery Girl had worked on his arm, there was only so fast she could accelerate bone healing. It was going to take time, so he was still wearing a cast. Having it pulled hurt, but he was strong enough to ignore that. What type of hero would he be if he cried at a bit of pain? Instead Bakugou formed a fist with his other hand, and punched Extra Follower Two before he tried to grab the fingers on his arm. If he could break them, the Extra would be the one crying.

The Extra drew back and tried to punch him but Katsuki dodged and grabbed at his fingers when he released the cast. "Gotcha!" He jerked them back, trying to break them but Bakugou could feel the Extra's quirk activate and the long fingers gained far more joints than they should have.

He was pulled forward, and a punch landed but Katsuki had been hit by people far stronger. Still the blow made him release the fingers. Bakugou wasn't one to just let his enemy get away, he punched at the Extra and was pleased when he hit. The teen gasped but his other hand was above and Bakugou felt something grab his neck.

"You know how to fight, but you are nothing without your quirk!"

Katsuki knew it was the fingers and they pressed down on the back of his neck. They felt cold. He lashed out, kicking the Extra but was pushed off balance by the unexpected weight on his back. Being on one leg didn't help and Katsuki swung as he fell forward. The Extra laughed, but didn't release his grip.

"Nothing," he hissed.

Bakugou bucked but before he could get purchase, a weight settled on the small of his back. He felt the wriggly fingers wrap around his neck.

"Who's the extra now?" came the taunt. "You always relied on your quirk, and sure you are strong, but I know how you fight," the Extra laughed. "And I have spent the time you've been larking about at UA actually fighting for real. Not just play fights."

Katsuki growled and bucked. He actually lifted the Extra a bit and did it again, this time rolling so that he could trap one of the Extra's legs beneath his weight.

"Oh no you don't!" the Extra cried and Bakugou felt the grip on his neck tighten and the Extra lashed out, kicking his cast.

For all that he was used to pain, there was a particular agony caused by broken bones. Bakugou felt the cast crack and could feel the bones of his arm slide against each other. He didn't scream but he did see stars in his vision. The moment of stillness let the Extra get a better grip on his neck and Katsuki felt his airways constrict. He struggled but, even though it was just quirk manipulated fingers on his throat, they were tight.

"'Cos I'm behind you, this is going to take a bit longer," the Extra announced. "Usually I could dig my fingers into your carotid artery and cut off circulation."

"You're really gonna go through with it?" The other Extra asked.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time," Extra Follower Two replied, and Bakugou felt him grab his hair and pull his head up. Bakugou sensed an opportunity and jerked back. The grip on his throat loosened a little when he hit something but the Extra was determined.

"Oh, no you don't!" He hissed, and constricted his fingers again. "Trust me, I'll be doing the world a favour," the Extra said.

"Or you'll be bringing doom upon us all."

"Worth it," the Extra replied and before Katsuki could struggle again, he brought his foot down on the cast. More stars danced across Bakugou's vision, which gave the Extra time to tighten his grip. "You know it's odd," the Extra murmured.

Katsuki tried to gasp in air. There was nothing and he could feel himself beginning to panic. Spittle formed at the corners of his mouth as he worked it. Tears began streaming from his eyes and he clawed, as best he could at the fingers around his neck. He tried to struggle but there were dark spots forming in his vision.

"What's odd?"

"I used to be so afraid of this bastard," the Extra said. "He used to be so strong… and now, he's just a quirkless loser, nothing more than a deku."

Bakugou gritted his teeth. If he could he would have bitten the hand holding him but it was firmly under his jaw. He tried kicking but couldn't do anything and just as he was bracing to whack his cast arm into the Extra they kicked it again. He felt the cast break and the bones shift. He would have screamed but he had no air for that and the stars and darkness in his vision combined until only the darkness remained and Bakugou could feel himself losing consciousness.

He tried to fight the creeping darkness. If he lost consciousness, he was dead but he couldn't get any air. He needed it. Katsuki's throat hurt. His neck hurt. Everything hurt and still he couldn't breathe. His heart hammered in his chest, and his lungs screamed for the air he couldn't give them. And then… Everything faded away. It wasn't gentle. It wasn't nice. The pain followed him into the darkness.

No! Bakugou mentally screamed! No. He was not going like this. The Extra couldn't be doing this! He wasn't…

There was no further thought.

-ted-

Bakugou is strong but he does not have any super strength quirk and he was very dependent on his now absent quirk. At the time of this battle, he's suffering from the effects of losing his quirk and the still healing arm which he couldn't be too hard on. The other guy (the long fingered guy from page 1 of the manga) might not be as smart as Bakugou or as physically strong, but he does know how to fight dirty, which is why he went for the air supply.

Also this is from Bakugou's POV - do you really think he's going to be fair - even in his thoughts about how good the other guy is? So don't tell me that a no-name can't take out a quirkless, injured Bakuguo.

My discord is on this code: TcBnRN7aDn FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out. There's a heap of other authors there, so come along and chat to us all!

-ted-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!