AN: This chapter contains direct quotes from "My Hero Academia" anime English Dub Episodes 121-122. This also contains spoilers for the Paranormal Liberation War Arc for MHA. I am super serious about the spoilers here. If you prefer to catch up before reading this chapter, please do so. I do not own the words or the characters. Also, please note that this chapter is a little heavy. If you are caught up with the anime/manga up until now, then you know what's coming. Apologies in advance.
Bakugo sat with his back against the wall of the gymnasium, legs stretched out in front of him, hands in his pockets, as he saw Deku training with Uraraka. Soy-Sauce Face and Frog Chick stood below them as they practiced maneuvering in the air. He knew why All-Might had invited the three students today, didn't mean he fucking liked watching his girl and Deku together. Things had been, perhaps not settled, but stagnant between the three of them. Or better, between Deku and Bakugo. None seemed willing to acknowledge the events of the joint training and its aftermath.
He sure as fuck wasn't going to bring it up. But he could sulk a little about it.
He didn't bother straightening up as All-Might approached him. There was still something the former Number One was hiding from them, and it was starting to get under Bakugo's skin. At one time, he worshipped this man, but now, he could see the parts of him that were human. He wasn't as infallible as Bakugo once thought him to be.
"Well, he's getting it." Bakugo mused. Despite not having unlocked Float yet, All-Might already wanted him to practice for it.
"Float is a power that allows him to stop in mid-air. It's basically like Zero Gravity." All-Might joined him at the gym wall. Bakugo could feel the weight of his teacher's stare on him. Always observing. Analyzing. "Which is why I asked Young Uraraka to join us today. I know things are," All-Might paused, trying to come up with the right word without setting off the boy next to him. "Tense? But if he can train for my master's quirk in advance, maybe it won't activate randomly."
Randomly? Bakugo bristled. Things were "tense" because of Deku's inability to control One-For-All. He hurt her.
"By practicing beforehand, he might be able to unlock it when it's necessary." All-Might continued, "No surprises." No more off-the-rails quirks. No more need for crazy round-faced chicks to jump on stupid nerds. That's what All-Might seemed to be saying between the lines. Some weird-ass form of apology from the man that was supposed to be training Deku to avoid shit like what had happened.
They sat in silence, watching Deku and Uraraka for a bit. The more he sat there, the more frustrated he became, and he was angry enough now that he could finally ask what had been nagging at him since All-Might had explained to both of them each of One-For-All's owners, their quirks, and how they died and passed the quirk forward.
"Hey," Bakugo said quietly.
"What's up?" All-Might responded, voice haggard.
"I don't think you'll be able to hide the truth much longer. This is totally different from when he just had super strength. People will ask questions. Ochako already has." And he was getting sick and tired of evading her questions.
"That is why we won't let them see any new quirks from now on. The trick will be making sure he doesn't go out of control, like with Blackwhip." All-Might stated simply, and it angered Bakugo to no end. Did he genuinely believe that something like what happened during the Joint Training wasn't going to happen again?!
"That night we spoke, you seemed to understand the situation." All-Might continued, "Before we share this with others, we have to think about it carefully. What are the ramifications? Would we be putting others at risk? The villains of this world aren't the only ones who seek power."
Bakugo knew that, in a way, All-Might was right, but it was starting to feel like the former Number One was determined to isolate Deku as much as he had been when he wielded One-For-All. Not on purpose. No, but the effect was the same. Keep it secret. Keep it hidden.
Look where that had gotten them. The League of Villains kept getting stronger. All-For-One kept getting stronger, and Deku was running himself ragged, trying to train his body to be able to withstand the full might of his power. And still, it wasn't enough.
Bakugo was angry with All-Might.
Shit with Deku had always been complicated, and it became even more after Uraraka came into the picture, but Bakugo had unwillingly been tossed into introspection these last couple of days. His breakdown in his room after the Joint Training, his fight with Uraraka, and what had been shared between them in the hours after had left him stripped and bare, figuratively and literally, until all that was left of him was raw emotion. The walls had been torn down. Feelings had been named and thus had gained a corporeal presence in his heart. Forced to face everything and not having the option to run away, yell, hide, kick, or scream.
And in the aftermath of that night, in the days that followed, Bakugo saw Deku as if he were seeing him for the first time. His blinders had been put aside, and the guilt that resided somewhere deep within reared its ugly head with voraciousness.
"Deku has complete faith in you." Bakugo stated, "But I still have some questions." All-Might tensed beside him but let him continue. "Why didnt you tell him more about the fourth user? We know how numbers five through seven died, but you avoided him. Why? Before, when I asked you the same question, something kept you from being honest with us. So talk, did you realize something you wanted to hide is one for all a–"
"I can't." All-Might cut him off mid-sentence. His voice carried a bone-deep wariness that Bakugo gave his mentor the opportunity to continue. "I'm not certain yet. And I won't tell him something I don't know for sure. Frankly, I'm concerned about young Midoriya. Just like you are…"
This was the most honest Bakugo had heard All-Might be in a long while. Sure, he spouted facts at them, probabilities, and whatnot, but he hadn't been as forthcoming with information recently, and it pissed Bakugo off. If anyone deserved to know everything, it was fucking Deku.
"The thing is, he doesn't think about himself. He never has, even now, with everything he can do, that still hasn't changed." And it probably never will. "It always freaked me out. That's why I pushed him away, but as a kid, I didnt recognize my own weakness. So I bullied him."
He thought saying the words aloud would be freeing, but it only served to turn his stomach inside out. Every time he thought of who he had once been. The attitude that had gotten the League of Villains to turn to him and offer him a place at their side. He was ashamed. He was unworthy. He would never be someone worthy of being called a hero. He would never be worthy of her.
"Which is the reason you're always so quick to help him train so you can make up for your actions in the past, like a penance." Hearing it come from All-Might didn't make it any better, either. "I don't think he feels like you have anything to atone for, though." Of course, he doesn't. Deku had never once looked at him as if waiting for an apology. He seemed to understand. To forgive Bakugo before he even realized he was seeking forgiveness.
"Before, when I said you were like Endeavor, I meant that you've both changed." Had he changed, though? Changed where it mattered? When it mattered? " Im sure you'll have another chance to talk things over with young Midoriya. Though I'm not a great role model in that department…"
Sir Nighteye. All-Might was talking about Sir Nighteye—his sidekick and true friend.
He had died before they could mend things.
Dead.
Death.
The stench of it was all around them—Shigaraki's decay.
Would he be forced to watch from the sidelines as his…as Deku fought until he completely lost his body in the process? Until he fucking died!
His body was already too fucked up. It had taken too much damage. The pace that he was fighting Shigaraki was unsustainable, even if Shigaraki seemed unable to fully heal.
"He's seriously just a student?!" The hero that had been hydrating Mr. Aizawa's eyes said from where he was crouched next to their passed-out teacher.
"Yea, but if the idiot keeps this up, he's dead. " Bakugo growled.
Deku used his legs and air force to maneuver around the air just like he had practiced with Uraraka. He felt the twinge of fear for his girlfriend, wherever she was, and sent a silent prayer that she was way the fuck away from this. But he couldn't afford to give her more of his headspace. Not right now. Deku was hell-bent on keeping Shigaraki from touching the ground again, but his powerful attacks were still not enough to stop the fucking bastard.
Seconds. Deku was fighting to give them more time. Shigarki's body was failing him just as much as Deku's. It was a battle of who could hold out the longest, and Shigaraki did not show signs of stopping anytime soon.
He was tired of fucking standing here and watching Deku push himself past the point of no return.
"Todoroki. You done with the first aid?" He snarled.
"Yes, what do you nee—"
"Shut up and grab a hold of me!" If Todoroki was offended by Bakugo barking orders, he didn't show it, instead standing up and following the blonde's direction. "Endeavor, save your strength, and let me get the three of us into the air." He didn't bother to see if the Number One hero listened. "You," He turned toward Half-and-Half, "Keep your old man cool. We're gonna need him to pull this off."
"You want me to use maximum firepower to end this fight with a single blast." Endeavor wasn't asking. He could see Bakugo's plan without needing it to be voiced. "I can do that." He said with grit.
Bakugo's eyes were solely focused on Shigaraki. When he felt IcyHot's hands grab onto him, he didn't bother with countdowns. He shot all three of them up into the sky.
It didn't matter if Deku was carrying some cursed power that would eventually lead to a premature death. He deserved to fucking live as many years as he could. Actually, live. Deku. He once said to him that Deku was no longer the name of some defenseless kid. It was the name of a fucking hero.
"Now!" Bakugo shot Endeavor toward Shigarki and Deku as he propelled himself and IcyHot in the opposite direction, away from the inevitable gush of fire that was about to explode around them.
Seconds. They had seconds to get out of the line of fire, quite literally, before Endeavor exploded his flames around them. Flames that rivaled the sun's in the sky.
The attack was enough to shake Shigaraki. To break some of his control.
"Little brother." The voice was not Shigaraki's. It sounded distant and yet so alarmingly close to them. Seconds.
Literal seconds and everything changed.
Bakugo barely had time to see as charred Shigaraki shot something toward Deku. It was lightning fast.
Deku wasn't going to make it.
In that moment…I didnt plan or think. My body just moved on its own.
He was in front of Deku, Shigaraki's broken body hovering in front of him as every nerve ending in his body exploded in piercing pain. A waterfall of freezing water washed through him, and then he felt nothing.
No pain.
No fear.
He was vaguely aware that he was starting to fall, but it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered because he saw her.
Her beautiful round face. It was in the distance.
He must be nearing heaven, then. His angel was waiting for him.
He always knew she was a fucking angel.
So sad he wouldn't get the chance to tease her about it.
Oh, shut up! She would say, laughing as she smacked his arm.
You're unbelievable, Katsuki.
Katsuki.
He loved hearing her say his name.
The blackness around his vision was starting to pull him under, but right before it did, he heard her shouting his name, not in pleasure.
But in pain.
Maybe he wasn't in heaven, then?