Author's Note:

What's up, my fellow nerds! How have y'all been? Good, I hope. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Just an FYI, I'll probably not be posting weekly like I planned. School is kicking my butt right now, so I might not put out chapters as often anymore (I say as if I did put out chapters consistently).

Chapter 6: Bakugo

"Midoriya was once your best friend. Do you really want you or him to die without making amends," Froggy had said, staring Bakugo down. Bakugo didn't know why her words were playing through his head again. He didn't give a shit what happened to shitty Deku. Bakugo didn't need to make amends for anything and he didn't care if he and Deku were friends anymore or not. He didn't need him or his stupid approval or friendship. So why the hell do I keep playing her words in my head? Bakugo thought to himself as he stood in front of the group of people that he had just tried to abandon. At least shitty Half & Half was trying to scrounge up any weapons that he could find. Earphones was crying over Sparky (which confused Bakugo because he was sure that she hated him), and Ponytail was on the watch for their return. However, the biggest shock to Bakugo was Uraraka staring surprised at Deku, who looked like he was about to beat the shit out of the dumpster in front of him. Bakugo had never seen Deku look so mad before. No matter what Bakugo had done to him he had always managed to smile and keep calling Bakugo that stupid nickname. But this Deku actually didn't look defenseless like Bakugo had always called him. Now, he actually looked like he could stand a chance in the apocalypse. Froggy had just elbowed him roughly, apparently signaling for him to speak.

"Yeah, alright, maybe I was a little quick to judge you all," Bakugo started. "Y'all might actually stand a chance. That and all of your guys' different talents could be useful if we can find the right use case. While I was off on my own I found this now rundown apartment. Most of the doors still lock, based on my observations, and may have food. If you still want to stick together, that can be our base of operations for a while." Bakugo finished looking everyone in the eye. He and Deku locked eyes and had a bit of a stare-down. For once, the nerd didn't look away when he looked Bakugo in the eyes. Instead, he stood his ground. Huh, Bakugo thought; maybe there is some fire in the nerd after all.

Deku was the first to speak up, "Alright, Kacchan, take us there. Todoroki, help me carry Kaminari."

"We're just going to accept his apology just like that?" Earphones said incredulously. "What if he's lying and is going to get us all killed?"

"We don't have much of a choice Jiro," Deku said, picking up the left side of Sparky while Half & Half picked up his other side. "Kaminari needs a sheltered place to stay until we can find a way to better patch him up. Additionally, the weather is a major factor here. If we get stuck in the rain or cold weather and get sick, that could lead us into a bad situation where we could die," Deku paused before looking Bakugo in the eyes. "Plus, I still trust Kacchan, and if he says that there is a safe place to stay nearby, then there is a safe place to stay nearby. This is our best shot at getting an advantage over our crappy situation. With a FOB, we can better strategize what to do next, even if it is going to be temporary. If you don't want to trust Kacchan, then fine. Stay behind. But if you want to stick together in a group, then come with me and Kacchan. This is final. Either you come with us or you stay here. Which will it be?" Deku finished before looking at the rest of the group.

Uraraka stands up and walks towards Deku with a look in her eye that Bakugo hadn't seen before when it came to Deku. Admiration. "I'm with Deku and Bakugo. This could be our best shot at surviving. We can't pass this up, guys."

Froggy walked over next to Bakugo before throwing her arm over his shoulder, "Agreed. This is the most logical choice, Jiro."

Earphones looked surprised by Froggy and Uraraka's stance. "You guys can't be serious! He literally abandoned us not 20 minutes ago. You guys don't think he'll do it again? Or worse, betray us? Come on, Yaomomo, back me up. Yaomomo?" Earphones said, looking over at a conflicted Ponytail.

Ponytail sighs before saying, "I'm sorry, Jiro. Midoriya has got a point. This might be our best and only chance to survive."

Earphones looked betrayed before heaving a massive sigh, "FINE! I'll go with you guys, but only because you're taking Kaminari with you," she looked over at Bakugo with a deadly glare in her eyes. "But if I get a whiff of you thinking about betraying us or abandoning us again, I'll fucking kill you understand?"

"Tch. Whatever, Earphones," Bakugo said dismissively. As if Earphones could take him, Bakugo could wipe the floor with her if she came at him, but at least she was taking this shit seriously now. Bakugo's leaving hardened them up. Unintentional but welcome now that he would be stuck with the fucking losers.

"Also, Midoriya," Uraraka said looking at Deku confused. "What the hell is an F.O.B.? You just brought it up as if we all knew what the hell that meant."

"Oh, ha, I guess I did do that, didn't I?" Deku said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Would you just fucking spit it out, nerd," Bakugo said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh yeah, sure, Kacchan," Deku said before clearing his throat a little. "Okay, so F.O.B. is a military acronym that stands for Forward Operating Base. An F.O.B. is basically a temporary, secure base or position that supports strategic goals and tactical objectives."

"Oh, okay," Ponytail said before tilting her head confused. "Where did you even learn that Midoriya?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter," Deku said, dismissing her with a wave. "What matters is that we need to move," Deku looked Bakugo in the eye before continuing. "Alright, Kacchan lead the way."

Bakugo just shrugged before turning around and walking out of the alley before calling back, "Keep up because I don't slow down for anyone."

They walked the streets of New York with a tentativeness, knowing danger could be at any turn. Bakugo took the lead while Froggy, Ponytail & Uraraka walked in a circle around Deku and Half & Half while they carried Sparky's unconscious body, making sure that they could be protected from any threats. A part of Bakugo still thought that they should have just left Sparky to die. They were wasting needed energy dragging around a soon-to-be body when they could preserve that energy for a situation that actually needed it. But the part of Bakugo that had to be the best, the part that loved a challenge, wanted to bring Sparky along, not particularly because he liked him but because it would be difficult. He wanted to do it to prove that even when taking the difficult path, he could still come up on top. Though secretly, Bakugo did like Sparky being around as he was pretty funny and, therefore, great free entertainment. Eventually, they made it to the apartment building that Bakugo had quickly investigated after he left the group.

He had just finished taking a cursory look through the second floor and was about to look through the third floor when Froggy found him.

"Well, this is nice, isn't it?" Froggy said, appearing out of nowhere, causing Bakugo to turn and hit her with his right hook, but he was luckily (or unluckily) stopped by the tight stairway that he was in.

"Holy fuck Froggy. Didn't your parents teach you that it's rude to sneak up on people like that," Bakugo said, catching his breath. He couldn't believe he let her see him jump like that.

"Wow. Was the big bad Bakugo spooked by little ol' me?" She said sweetly with an annoyingly pretty smile.

"No, I was just prepared for anything," Bakugo said shortly. He then sighed before continuing, "What the hell are you doing here, Froggy? Why aren't you with your friends?"

"I came to convince you to come back."

Bakugo was shaken from his reprieve when they reached the entry hall of the apartment building. Deku put Kaminari down in one of the chairs.

"All right, gang," Deku started, turning to the group. "We need to clear every floor of this building before we settle. Thankfully, there appear to be only five floors, and Kacchan cleared 2 of them about 20 minutes ago, so those floors don't need to be searched as thoroughly. So for that Yaomomo and Jiro you can take this floor, Sui and Todoroki you can take the 2nd floor. That leaves Uraraka and Kacchan with me to thoroughly clear the top 3 floors. If anything goes wrong," he was saying as he made some makeshift gadget with shit he found on the floor before handing it to Bakugo. Immediately, Bakugo knew what Deku wanted him to do, and a smile stretched across his face as it all came together. Bakugo immediately got to work. "Then throw these hard at the threat. This should make a small explosion. They won't kill a person but should gravely hurt them as well. However, their main purpose is to alert the rest of us that you are in trouble until we can come across some form of walky-talk to be able to communicate. Alright, the goal is to meet back here in an hour and have the whole building cleared by then. Got it?" He said, looking around expectantly. Bakugo could hardly believe that the weak nerd that he used to bully was now taking charge as if it were nothing. This trip had awoken something in the nerd and Bakugo didn't know how to feel about it. Bakugo quickly shook the thoughts aside and finished making their homemade explosives. After he had finished, Deku gave one to each of them. Deku looked each of them in the eye before saying, "Alright, Y'all. Let's get to work," before turning and walking toward the stairs.

Uraraka stood and stretched before saying, "Come on, Bakugo. Let's catch up with him before we lose track of him."

"Pft, whatever," was all Bakugo said before standing up and following after the nerd. They were soon on the third floor, and Deku was walking toward the first door on the floor. He walked to the opposite side of the door and leaned against the wall next to it. He gestured for Bakugo to stand on his opposite side and Uraraka to stand directly in front of the door. Bakugo and Uraraka, a little confused, did what the nerd was asking of them and waited.

The nerd seemed to notice both of their confusion and quickly said, "Okay, what we're going to do is Uraraka, you're going to burst through the door. I'll quickly follow on your left while Kacchan will take the right. Me and Kacchan will clear from the corners toward the center while you clear from the center. After the main room is cleared, we'll do the same for each room individually. If you need I can clear a room first so that you know at least what to do. Capisce?" They both nodded their heads and braced themselves in their positions. In one swift motion, Uraraka kicked the door open, and Deku and Bakugo rushed in after quickly checking their surroundings. Deku moved slowly toward the first closed door that they had come across. He saddled up next to the door handle before quickly crashing through the door. With methodical precision, he cleared every corner of that room. Where the hell did he learn to do that? Bakugo thought to himself. After Deku had finished clearing the room, he turned back to them and wordlessly motioned for them to do the same with the other rooms. Bakugo went to the next room over and copied what the nerd had done. He cleared out that room while Uraraka & Deku got to work on the other rooms. In about 10 minutes they had cleared the whole apartment. As they went to clear the next apartment, Bakugo noticed that Deku had procured a handgun at some point.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Bakugo asked the nerd with an incredulous look.

"I found it in one of the rooms," he said dismissively. "If we find another one, you can have it, Kacchan."
"Pft, whatever. Can you even handle that little thing?" Bakugo said, trying to insult the nerd. However, Bakugo figured that the nerd probably knew how to use it very well based on how he was able to clear rooms.

"Of course I can, Kacchan," he said, sighing. This, however, raised more questions for Bakugo. Where the hell did he learn to shoot a gun? Was it the same place he learned to clear a room? Also, did this mean the loser had a talent the whole time? Was the nerd playing him the whole damn time? The bastard probably…

"Bakugo, come on, we need to hurry," Uraraka said, stirring Bakugo from his thoughts. "We need to finish this and the next two floors in 30 minutes. Let's get to work." And somehow, they managed to do just that. They were even able to get done about 5 minutes early, so they were some of the first ones to be back at the meeting spot. Bakugo even managed to find a .44 magnum that was fully loaded. The rest of their ragtag group arrived right at the one-hour mark. Deku is tending to Kirishima when the others arrive.

He stands and looks at each of them before saying, "Reports?"

Todoroki took a step forward, "The 2nd floor was devoid of people. There seems to be a lot of food still there, though how much is still edible, I don't know," he pulled out a machete from its case. "I did find this, though. Sure is better than a bat, don't you think?"

Deku nods before turning to Jiro. "What did you all find?"

Jiro just sighs before saying, "Jack shit, that's what. It was empty and there…" she gags before continuing, "There were about five dead bodies. They looked like they were fighting over something. Whatever it was, it isn't there anymore."

"Good to know. Thank you, Jiro," he said before continuing. "Me, Uraraka, and Kacchan cleared the top three floors, and there wasn't much. However me, and Kacchan both found handguns. We have very limited ammo; however, it's better than nothing at all. For tactical reasons, we should set up on the third floor. That way, we aren't at ground level in case of a hoard but also not too high as to be trapped if something bad were to happen. We need to collect all of the supplies that are in the building and situate ourselves on that floor in the next 30 minutes. Got that?" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. They immediately got to work, grabbing everything of use and hauling it to the 3rd floor. They each got to get their own rooms. Deku wanted the one closest to the stairs so that in case of an emergency, he'd be the first to know. He said it was so the others could escape, but Bakugo thinks it's just so that the nerd could run away more easily. Eventually, they all settled into their rooms and started resting. Deku and Half & Half started trying to make dinner, and when they started fucking it up, Bakugo had to get involved. He couldn't believe that the nerd could clear a floor but couldn't cook a damn meal to save his life. Yes, Bakugo could cook. His mother had taught him how to cook so that he could be independent, which suited Bakugo just fine. He preferred to do things himself anyway. After he did the best he could with the few items they had, they all sat down and ate in silence.

After they finished eating, Deku stood up, "Alright, we should all get some rest. We can strategize more in the morning. We'll need a plan, but we shouldn't make one when we're all tired and hungry."

Ponytail nods her head in agreement, "That is a very good idea, Midoriya. That way, we'll be well rested, and our brains will be able to function properly!"

The nerd just rubs the back of his neck nervously, "I mean, it was the only logical course of action."

"Whatever, I'm going to bed," Bakugo says as he stands and walks into his room before lying down on his bed. He had a lot to think about, but he was tired and knew he needed to rest. However, the same thought kept resurfacing. When did the nerd learn to clear a room and shoot a gun? And why did Bakugo even come back to help these losers? Was the damn Frog right about Bakugo caring about if the nerd lived or not? And how the hell did the Frog seem to be able to read his mind? Why did Bakugo like it when she got under his skin? Damn, he was thinking too much, just like the fucking nerd. Bakugo rolled over, cleared his mind, and went to sleep.

AN: I hope y'all like the chapter! Also, Morgan Wallen finally dropped "I'm The Problem," and thank god, was it worth the wait! Now I just have to wait for the whole album. This is gonna be tough. Also y'all remember when I said that I would be working on a PJO fanfic? Well I've basically hashed out all of the character details and backstories so I'll soon begin drafting a prologue/demo for that soon. If it gains traction I'll continue that. So if your a PJO fan or just a fan of my writing keep an eye out for when I post that. If it gains traction it really shouldn't get in the way of this fic. I'd only work on it when I hit a roadblock on this one and vice-versa. Anyway we'll see how it goes. Y'all have a nice day! Also P.S. I have no military knowledge and have no clue how to clear a room so I made stuff up. It probably isn't a big thing for most of you but for the few who noticed that's why it ain't accurate. :)