"Wait for us, little heroes!"
Their voices sang in unison, and the hairs on the back of Midoriya's neck were standing on end. The alleys were alight with green and orange as crackling energy and billowing smoke filled the air. Childhood friends, caught up in the same mess like so many times before, rounded the corner at breakneck speeds as glistening strings cut through the air, reaching out to snag them, should they stumble. Walls buckled and dust swirled as they missed their marks, crashing into the nearby buildings.
"Of all times to lose Halfie and his old geezer!" Kacchan raged.
"Yeah," Midoriya laughed breathlessly, dodging another glint of red. "We could really use some help right about now!"
"I didn't say we needed their help!" Kacchan snapped back, twisting in the air and landing on the rooftop. "Dammit, and the idiot parade is supposed to be around here, too. Where is everyone?"
Midoriya effortlessly stepped onto the roof beside him, trying to see through the rising dust and smoke. Dim moonlight was the only chance he had to see in the pitch darkness, scanning the haze for the two girls chasing after them. He'd quickly discovered that their strings glowed a bright, deep red when in direct light, but with so little of it, they were almost literally running blind.
"It's hard to say." said Midoriya. "I can barely see anything."
Kacchan growled in frustration. "Don't you have some kind of tracker quirk in there somewhere?!"
"I can only use the two! Three if we're pushing it!"
Midoriya saw the glint of red first, grabbing at Kacchan's costume collar before throwing them both down on the roof. Strings whistled through the air as they whizzed right over their heads, locks of their hair fluttering in the wind.
"I didn't know they were that sharp!" Midoriya hissed. Both teens were on their feet in moments, leaping to the next roof as Midoriya spun around, blackwhip entangling the strings and disappearing a moment later.
In the rush to escape the villains' grasp, Midoriya had noticed patterns. From the looks of it, only four strings were being produced between the two of them at any given point, usually less when they were moving around. Clearly, they had cutting powers, but they were also strong enough to topple stone structures.
And for some reason, they were specifically gunning for him.
In the distance, he could hear explosions ravaging the city, and with Kacchan right next to him, he could only fret about more bombs planted around Endeavor's agency. The bombs had started going off around sunset, other agencies sending heroes to help with search and rescue. Kacchan's friend group happened to be among them, and Midoriya had been so excited to work with them.
Midoriya had been the one to spot the villains, and had stupidly chased after them without backup. He was lucky that Kacchan had followed after him, but now they were both in danger as they flew for their lives, away from the villains now chasing them while the other heroes were busy dealing with the bomb threat and saving civilians rather than coming to their aid. For all he knew, they didn't even know where they were.
More strings pierced the air, and Midoriya barely ducked out of the way as one wrapped around a pole, the other nearly snaring his arm.
"I don't like this." Kacchan snarled. "It feels like they're corralling us."
The words had barely left his lips when Midoriya's ankle was pulled out from under him, yanking his back and up into the air. The scream he let out embarrassed him, but there was little he could do as he was dragged along.
"Deku-!" The shout was cut off with a choked gasp, and Midoriya felt ice-cold fear freeze over his heart as Kacchan was pulled into the thick haze, red string entangling his neck. The call for his name was lost in the wind.
"Thank you for coming, little hero Deku!" the villain, a young woman, chirped happily, two red strings extending from her pinkies. "Master is just dying to meet you!"
The woman swung expertly through the alley, hauling Midoriya for a ride that had his head spinning. The loss of control as he was flung through the air caused a sense of vertigo, his sense of direction completely thrown off as he spun around like he was on an amusement park ride. He couldn't imagine how Uraraka could figure out up from down when lost in a corkscrew spin while weightless.
Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass announced the end of his tumble, Midoriya finding himself careening through the highrise window of an empty office building. He landed with a thud, rolling across the ground and pushing himself up the moment he had his senses. Not once did he pay the broken glass cutting through his flesh any mind.
The strings found themselves wrapping around his wrists, and though his animalistic instincts were screaming at him to fight, he stayed still, his mind running a million miles per second. The first thought that crowded his overactive brain was whether or not the villains were with All For One, and instantly, dread was pooling in the bottom of his stomach. If not, then what would villains want with him other than his quirk or connection to All Might? A bargaining chip, perhaps? Just plain bad luck?
Footsteps pulled him out of his thoughts, his head lifting to see an unfamiliar figure approaching. Other than his blood-red scleras and a fit build, he seemed fairly unimposing. However, Midoriya didn't miss the wild look in his eyes, the look of someone who'd seen things, who'd gone over the edge long ago.
And he was glaring down at him with a wide smile full of contempt.
"There's no mistaking it." he whispered. "This is Midoriya Izuku."
He tried to blink through his disorientation, but before he even had a chance to breathe, he was hauled into the air, the strings holding his arms high above his head. Midoriya panicked, ready to kick a wave of air pressure at his aggressors when a second pair of red strings shot towards him, entangling his legs and leaving him trapped above the floor. His mind short-circuited, craning his neck to spy another girl, almost perfectly identical to the first, approaching them.
"W- Wait!" Midoriya cried, struggling against his binds. "What did you do to Kacchan!?"
The other girl only giggled.
"Fate, Destiny," the man said lovingly. "Keep your distance, please."
"Yes, master." they said in unison, moving to either side of Midoriya and backing up to the farthest points of the room.
Midoriya struggled against the binds. "Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want with me?"
The man grinned, that wild, feral glint back in his eyes. "You want answers?" he asked. "I suppose I could indulge you."
He bowed respectfully, his face serene. "My name is Chiaka Mizuto, and I am the man who is going to kill you."
Something cold coiled in the bottom of Midoriya's stomach as the man, Chiaka, met his wide, terrified eyes. His face was filled with glee, an excitement brimming to the surface as Midoriya stared in horror. "Huh?"
"You are a disciple of All Might, correct?" Chiaka asked. "Your quirks have many similarities, you know. And to kill you..."
He threw his hands outward, his voice booming. "People praise All Might for his strength, and yet, with my quirk, I could have ended him with just a single touch! Now, with him so weak, it would be a pointless task, but if I take your life, someone whose quirk matches his and someone who is training under him, then my message will still ring loud and clear!"
The twins watched on in adoration as Chiaka suddenly marched up to Midoriya, sweat beading on his brow as the villain's clenched hand hovered next to his head and his acrid breath assaulted his senses. "That no matter how powerful you are, there will always be someone like me waiting in the shadows."
"And what does that prove?" Midoriya questioned, struggling against the binds. "Was this even planned? What is all this?!"
Chiaka hummed, the manic glint clashing with his tranquil smile. "You want to surpass the greatest, don't you? I'm sure you understand."
His palm was now facing the side of his head, fingers splayed like a snare, and Midoriya's heart was beating against his chest. It pounded on his ribcage, a caged animal fighting to escape, and in that moment, real fear took over him. The red strings held firm as he struggled, even as green energy crackled around him. If he used one hundred percent, then maybe he could break free, but escaping with all four limbs broken would likely get him nowhere. As certain death inched closer, it seemed as if that was his only option.
Until-
"DEKU!"
An explosion rang through the hall, one of the girls crying out in pain and rolling across the floor to his right, coated in soot. In the same instant, as smoke gathered above him, Midoriya felt the strings holding up his hands go limp, leaving him falling back as Chiaka made a swipe for him. His fingers barely grazed his hair, but by the look of frustration, it wasn't enough.
Chiaka leaped forward, reaching out desperately with a palm that seemed to turn a deep red color. With his legs still tied, Midoriya couldn't kick him away or use his feet to escape, leaving him flailing for purchase as the villain descended on him.
And then there was a boot to his side, sending him tumbling across the room. Midoriya just caught glimpses of orange and black before he was searching for the other girl, zeroing in on her with a quick flick of his fingers. The resulting wave of pressure sent her flying, rolling through glass, and nearly through the window and to the streets below.
"What are you doing, you idiot!?" he heard Kacchan shriek, barely within his peripheral. "Letting the villains play with you like a toy?! What's the matter with you!?"
Midoriya, finally free of those red strings, looked up at Kacchan. He was glaring down at him with his usual fire, clutching his side where a faint red handprint could be seen soaking into his costume. Something in Midoriya's stomach lurched, scrambling to his feet with fear in his eyes. "Kacchan, do you feel okay-?!"
"Now's not the time, dipshit!" Kacchan shouted, turning to Chiaka. "We haven't taken out the trash yet."
Midoriya wasn't harmed as far as he was aware, but his legs still shook where he stood, as if on the verge of snapping in half. He turned to face the villain, watching him with a mix of anger and smugness, and every fiber of his being was screaming at him. The pebbles on the floor underneath his feet were digging into his soles, the light of the moon a burning spotlight against a shimmering sky, and it made shivers run up his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. As the villain began to laugh, Midoriya could feel goosebumps along his arms.
What did he do to Kacchan?
"Brats," Chiaka spat. "Laying your filthy hands on my beautiful accomplices. You dare?"
Despite the rage, he continued to laugh, a hint of madness in his voice. "I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. Disciple of All Might, your life at this second in time may have been spared, but are you prepared to face the consequences?"
Kacchan coughed.
The sound made him jump, whipping around to face him as his heartbeat against his chest. "Kacchan?"
The coughing didn't stop. Kacchan pressed his hands against his mouth, the coughing growing violent as he attempted to gargle out words. The seconds stretched on, and Midoriya started to wonder if he could even breathe.
"What did you do to him!?" Midoriya screamed, hands hovering uselessly over his hunched companion, his childhood friend, as the coughing turned into retching.
The laughter turned to high-pitched cackling, almost as if he was screaming. "I never told you my quirk, did I?!" he shrieked. "I call it...Red Sea!"
One final retch, and blood poured from between Kacchan's fingers.
Midoriya gaped, only coming to his senses with a scream of his friend's name as he lunged to catch him, Kacchan's body going slack as blood spilled from his lips. The barest of coughs had it streaming from his nose, all of it leaving Midoriya's front coated in sticky red. Fear ripped through his system, nausea fighting against his will to stand as the blonde's trembling body hung limply in his arms.
"A single touch is all it takes!" Chiaka exclaimed. "With a print from my hand, the victim is drained of their blood! It's like turning on a faucet, it's so easy! Just one tap and even the great All Might would fall to his knees and be left with nothing but a sea of red!"
With grandiose movements, he pointed at Midoriya. "Midoriya Izuku, disciple of All Might, it is with this unstoppable power that I shall kill you next!"
Next.
Next.
Next.
It rang in his head like a death knell as he fell to his knees, Kacchan almost motionless in his grip. The only movement was the violent seizing in his chest and the sound of wet coughing, but at the same time, it was like a bell, a symbol of life, that this was not the end.
His mind was racing. Perhaps if he knocked this man unconscious, the quirk would stop, or he could force the man to turn it off. If it couldn't be stopped once it started, then his last hope was blood transfusions, but what if the quirk couldn't stop? What if he bled forever, until he was either dead or forced to bedrest and transfusions for the rest of his life?
Now wasn't the time to panic though, something in the back of his mind screamed. His eyes flickered up at Chiaka, his grin like that of an eldritch horror, as he slowly made his way towards the pair.
Eyes shadowed, Midoriya didn't have it in him to smile. "You know, you're pretty confident in your power. Arrogant, even."
He placed Kacchan on the ground, turning him on his side to hopefully avoid choking. The blonde's eyes fluttered, bleary, and with another cough, he was writhing, his face scrunched up in pain. And yet, he remained almost soundless, not a tear to be seen.
Midoriya stood. "You say that your quirk can kill with just one touch."
He pushed back the fear, the terror that his own carelessness had just gotten Kacchan killed, and let everything else sink into his mind, his vision with its own blood-red hue. "Well, Chiaka Mizuto, you should know that with my quirk, I don't even need to touch you."
He hadn't been this angry in a long time.
And perhaps that's what blinded him to the two girls still in the room.
Red strings shot forth, entangling his arms and yanking them back. With a warcry, Midoriya ducked his head and pulled forward, taking a single step as he fought their strength. The girls, likely weakened from earlier attacks, strained against the overwhelming strength of One For All, their feet sliding against the floor behind him. He didn't know how they were both so strong or what it had to do with their quirk, but in that moment, he didn't care.
Chiaka watched on blankly, almost as if he'd been afraid, but he smiled as he approached. "Poor boy." he sighed. "So desperate."
"Let him go!"
Midoriya's one-track mind barely recognized the voice, barely looked back to register the sound of screaming and earjacks and purple. All he knew was the slackening of the strings, the way they shimmered and disappeared as a loud noise filled the air. The freckled teen shot at Chiaka like a bullet, his eyes wide with fear and smile rabid.
He didn't even give him the luxury of trying.
"ST. LOUIS SMASH!
The kick was so powerful that it blasted a hole through the other side of the building. Chiaka screamed in pain, flying out into the open air. He barely had it in him to look up, only to see Midoriya flying through the air above him, one hand bracing the other, posed for a flick as magenta streaks flashed across his fingers.
"DELAWARE..."
Not even a single touch...
"SMASH!"
The blast of air pressure slammed him into the ground, dust billowing in the sky as nearby buildings rumbled from the impact. Glass in nearby buildings cracked from the pressure. Midoriya landed gracefully, finger throbbing as crackling energy dissipated. Swatting at the dust, he stood in a crater, Chiaka's eyes rolled back and mouth gaping where he lay below him. Midoriya gasped for breath, even though it felt as if he'd barely exerted himself at all. He crouched down, giving himself a chance to breathe.
Footsteps quickly pulled him out of his moment. Whipping around, ready to attack, he dropped his stance at Sero's raised hands in surrender.
"Easy, now." said Sero. "Just here to help capture the villain."
"His quirk works through touch." Midoriya warned numbly. With no care for the villain's health, an awful thing to think, he yanked Chiaka up by the back of his shirt collar. "Here, tape him up like this, and cover his hands."
He couldn't see Sero's face through his helmet, but he could feel his shot nerves and anxiety radiating from him as he did as told, leaving the villain in what was essentially a cocoon from the neck down. "I already got the twins secured. Some kind of string quirk?"
"Mm."
He would feel bad for blowing him off like that later on, but for now, his thoughts were spiraling around one single thing. A hop, skip, and a jump, and he was back in the building that he'd tactlessly destroyed, Sero following close behind.
Knocking Chiaka out did not stop the quirk.
That was the first thing that hit Midoriya upon the heavy scent of blood.
He was in Jirou's lap, he noticed belatedly, her entire front coated in deep red. The floor was smeared in it, the pool stretching out much, much further than when he'd last looked at him. Kacchan was covered in it, the stream of life draining from him now pooling in his shut eyes like tears and painting his ghostly white skin. Midoriya hadn't noticed her presence until now, but Ashido was pacing, her boots splashing in the blood like puddles of rainwater. He had seen her openly cry before, but her hiccups did nothing but make his heart lurch that much further.
"Kacchan!" he shouted, distraught. Jirou wasn't someone he saw cry often, so her open tears had him choking up.
"I don't know what to do." she forced out. "He's barely responding to me."
Swallowing heavily and tears burning the corners of his eyes, Midoriya dropped to his knees, an inconsolable sort of rage boiling up like a volcano ready to erupt. With special care that he shouldn't have been capable of in his shattered state of mind, he took Kacchan from Jirou, hugging his bloodied form to his chest. Kacchan's eyelids fluttered, blood spurting from his mouth with another cough, and Midoriya sobbed.
"You're an idiot." he cried. "It should have been me. He wanted me. You can't do this!"
Kacchan's breath rattled as he forced his eyes open, too empty to glare, but with enough embers to hold their familiar fire. "Don't-..."
He retched, Midoriya pulling him upward as yet more blood splattered on him and the floor. He barely noticed he was shaking. "Kacchan, no. Save your energy-!"
"Don't-..." he choked out. "Tell me-...what to do."
Like a puppet with its strings cut, he went completely limp, as if the last of his energy left with that utterance. Terror like no other crushed Midoriya's heart, his mind a typhoon of what-ifs and worst-case scenarios. He didn't hear Ashido's sobbing or Sero's shouting. He didn't notice Jirou's presence as she gripped one of Kacchan's hands like a lifeline. All he was aware of were the dull red eyes staring back at him.
By the time Endeavor and Todoroki reached them, they could have told Midoriya that there was nothing left of him and he would have believed them.
Midoriya's injuries were minimal. Meanwhile, he didn't even know if Kacchan was still alive.
And it killed him inside.
When the Todoroki's had arrived, medevac wasn't too far behind, the sounds of sirens and chopper blades drowning out the rest of the city. Todoroki had looked haunted, but stood back as his father ordered the paramedics to Kacchan's side and made sure that he was taken safely and swiftly to the nearest hospital. The villains were apprehended immediately after.
Aizawa-sensei had met them at the hospital, his aura both somber and exasperated, but Midoriya said nothing as he was led in for a checkup. Other than some scratches from the strings and cuts from broken glass that needed stitches, he was given the okay.
"Do you want to go back to the dorms, Problem Child?" Aizawa-sensei asked with a sigh, as if he already knew the answer. With a shake of his head, he was pointed in the direction of the waiting room, where he was told he would find some classmates to keep him company.
Midoriya took it all in numbly, meandering his way through the hospital. At least sensei had thought to tell him that even though Kacchan was in bad shape, he was alive. He was still fighting.
But he shouldn't have to be.
Midoriya hugged himself as he walked, fighting back the tears. Ever since they got to U.A., or perhaps even before that, bad things seemed to always happen to Kacchan, and far too many of them seemed to be when he was protecting Midoriya. The greenette wanted to shake him, to yell at him for a change to stop doing stupid things for his sake and let him shoulder his own pain like the hero he wants to be.
If his friend died because of him...
He didn't know if he could live in a world without Kacchan.
The fluorescent lights were blinding him, but he trudged onward, pushing his way into the waiting room. Only then did he realize how dirty he was, still covered in dust and Kacchan's blood. What greeted him shouldn't have surprised him at all.
Kirishima and Sero were sitting in hospital chairs playing tic tac toe, while Ashido was pacing around the room, her bloodied boots missing and leaving her barefoot. Jirou was listening to something on her phone, Kaminari fast asleep in her lap.
All those awake turned to him immediately as he entered. Midoriya shrunk away. "Um, hey, guys-"
He wasn't prepared for Ashido to tackle him into a giant bear hug. "We're so glad you're okay!"
Midoriya flailed in her grip, unsure of what to do with her or her words, but Kirishima saved him, gently pushing her off so he could offer a side hug. "How are you doing, man?" he asked. "Jirou said the villains wanted to kill you. You're okay, right?"
Midoriya swallowed thickly. His best friend is dying because of you. "I made it here." he settled on, rubbing at his eyes. "I..."
It wasn't like him to hold back tears. He was an open crier, just like his mother, and he'd always been taught that letting his emotions out was healthy. And yet, it felt as if he shouldn't be allowed to cry. He wasn't the one dying, and he wasn't the one who got strung along for an impromptu suicide mission. He wasn't the one suffering.
Crying here felt like a crime.
"I'm sorry." he breathed. "This is all my fault."
Kacchan's friends were quiet, glancing at each other with exhausted looks, as if they'd been expecting this. Kirishima sighed. "That's not true. Bakugou does what he wants and you know that. You should know that better than anyone."
"But I shouldn't have chased those villains alone in the first place!"
His classmates remained silent as Midoriya fought to regain his breath. "If I hadn't been so stupid and run off on my own, then Kacchan wouldn't have had to chase after me! This isn't about weakness or whatever! This is about me being an idiot and not thinking to call for something so simple as backup!"
An eerie quiet fell over the room. Bowing his head, Midoriya could practically hear the anger, the accusations and agreements, even though he knew they'd never come. In a sense, that's what hurt him the most, the fact that no matter how much he deserved it, Kacchan's dear friends would never be mad at or hate useless Deku. They considered him their friend, too.
It was such a blessing and a curse.
Soft, pink hands slid along his shoulders, a horned forehead leaning against his own. "You couldn't have known." Ashido reasoned. "You're both so strong, it feels like you could handle anything."
Midoriya fought back those stupid tears. Ashido sniffled. "Nobody blames you."
"Whazzat?" a voice broke through the stale air. Midoriya looked up and passed Ashido to see Kaminari pushing himself off of Jirou. His eyes were laced with sleep and dried tear tracks clung to his cheeks, but his whole face lit up when he saw his freckled classmate. "Midoriya! Hey, man, it's good to see you! You feeling alright?"
And somehow, that's what broke him.
With a shaky breath, he stumbled his way to the hospital chairs, plopping down and resting his head in his hands. He didn't deserve the gentle hands and coos that comforted him as he cried.
According to the doctors, Kacchan wasn't supposed to make it.
The bleeding was extensive, from hair-thin cuts along his neck to every opening on his face, blood was seeping out like someone had turned on a faucet and left it to run. Blood was constricting his airways, filling his lungs, effectively drowning him, so oxygen wasn't as helpful as it could have been. There was even internal bleeding, and a lot of it, so multiple transfusions were just barely keeping him alive. Overall, hospital personnel had never seen bleeding on such a scale as this.
According to the doctors, Kacchan wasn't supposed to make it.
But he did.
It was a miracle, all things considered, but Midoriya, reading Heroes Weekly as he waited at Kacchan's bedside, supposed that it was par for the course when it came to Bakugou Katsuki.
It had been three days since the incident, three days of blood transfusions and intensive care and hoping, and now they were saying he would wake up any day now. It was a thrilling prospect, even as Midoriya's insides were still churning with self-loathing and paranoia that something horrible could happen, even if it didn't feel like that was the case.
The class would visit regularly, leaving cards and gifts scattered around the hospital room just as they always would when one of their own was sick or hurt. It had become a common practice ever since the raid against the Shie Hassaikai to save Eri.
It wasn't something he liked remembering, but at least a lot of good ended up coming from it.
"Nngh..."
The sound had Midoriya flying out of his seat, his magazine thrown to the other side of the room as he lunged for the bed. "Kacchan?!"
Red eyes fluttered open, clamping shut before appearing again, a pristine red that Midoriya loved so much more than the blood-red he'd been splattered with three days ago. Kacchan's eyes focused in on him, hazy but alight, and a blonde brow twitched. "What are you-...looking at, nerd?"
The strength left Midoriya's body, the sobbing teen collapsing onto his childhood friend's chest. It rose and fell, a steady beat shielded inside, and his cries of relief only grew that much louder.
"Oi..." Kacchan warned. "Off. That's gross."
"Sorry, sorry." Midoriya whimpered, pulling himself up and wiping at his face. "It's just, you scared me. You scared everyone so bad. Again."
The freckled teen glared at him as hard as he could manage. "You can't do stuff like that! You're gonna get yourself killed-!"
Kacchan scoffed. "Oh, you-...fucking hypocrite. Shut your mouth."
With strength he should not have had, the blonde pushed himself up onto his elbows, and Midoriya just about passed out from panic. "Kacchan, no! Lay down! You could hurt yourself-!"
"I don't want to hear shit from you!" Kacchan snapped. "You are the most-...most stupidly selfless motherfucker on the planet and w-...will throw yourself into death's arms...monthly...just so some kid can get their balloon back or a cat doesn't fall from a bush."
With a shaky arm, he jabbed a finger in Midoriya's face. "You get to do what you want..., I get to do what I want. I don't take orders, especially from useless Dekus."
With that, he collapsed back onto the bed. "Moron." he spat for good measure.
And he was back out like a light, turning his head away and blatantly closing himself off to the world, before Midoriya could say a single word in protest. Frustration boiled up inside of him, an innate desire to protect screaming back, how dare he, how dare he!
And yet, it was a useless task, as Kacchan was both an unstoppable force and an immovable object. He was the epitome of stubbornness, the king of standing his ground, an absolute child throwing tantrums.
He was a hurricane and Midoriya had been caught in the eyewall since childhood.
He groaned, falling back into his seat and staring up at the ceiling. Some things never change, and he wasn't sure if it was always for the better, but at least today, nobody had to die for it, and for that, he was eternally, exceedingly grateful.