Katsuki so desperately wanted to simply sit in silence in Nejire's car, watching the buildings and trees go by along the way. It was a perfect opportunity to collect his thoughts and move his mind away from the far-reaching events of the day. The sidewalks were oddly devoid of life, and even most of the businesses on either side of the road seemed empty. A definite tension was in the air, and it was then that Katsuki knew that no matter where he went, there would be no escaping the need to deal with Sir Nighteye's death and its impacts on society for several days, if not weeks. Maybe more. Fortunately for the young hero, he was quite used to not getting what he wanted, and so when Nejire started to speak again, he wasn't particularly disappointed or bothered. He felt more resigned to his fate than anything else.

"…you can feel it too, can't you?" Nejire asked. "Don't even need to talk to anyone directly to sense the shift in the air. It's like today might be our last truly peaceful one for quite some time."

"You've been having peaceful ones?" Katsuki asked. "Things have been bad for a while, now. This is only gonna make it worse."

"You're not wrong," Nejire agreed as she coasted the car into a gentle left turn. "Things have been… I'm sorry for walling you off from information, especially when Mirio, Tamaki, and I already know about One for All and your situation. I really shouldn't have said anything, but maybe I'm just starting to crack. I'm not keeping things from you because I want to, Bakugo. I… just barely know you, and things have been both hard and dangerous. I don't want to get a first-year student involved in something that could get people killed unless I have to, especially when heroes outside of U.A. are running the show."

"Makes you smarter than Deku," Katsuki muttered. "I get it. I'm not pissed off at you. I'm just pissed off in general."

"Maybe your outlook is what Kaoruko needs," Nejire mused as the vehicle slowed to a stop behind a line of other cars at a red light. "I've been doing my best to help her, and she's been appreciative, but I can tell that gentle reassurances and physical therapy aren't enough."

"What makes you think I'm what she needs?" Katsuki asked, unable to hide his curiosity as he flicked his eyes sideways to the driver.

"…she wants Shigaraki dead," Nejire answered as she gave the young man a quick nervous glance. "Not apprehended. Dead."

"Well, it'd make the streets a lot safer," Katsuki considered with a shrug. "How many villains have managed to get away because a pro was unwilling or unable to just pull the trigger? Yeah, I know- we don't get to decide who lives and dies, the hero code and bylaws, and all that shit. Doesn't change the fact that killing a villain who just killed someone else would save lives down the road… and I'm not the only one starting at U.A. that feels that way. Times are changing. The assholes are getting more aggressive. It's about time we started to push back just as hard."

Nejire let out a weary sigh and chewed on her bottom lip as the line of cars once again began to move. A light rain pattered against the roof of the vehicle, as though the weather itself was changing to suit the general mood.

"…yeah, Kaoruko is going to love you," Nejire said wistfully. "Maybe you're right. I don't know anymore… but I'll be totally honest with you, Bakugo. I don't think I have it in me to kill someone, unless it was in the most extreme circumstance imaginable. To save myself, or a friend, or… even then, I don't know. I've seen people die in front of me doing hero work, and it's… when it's no longer an abstract concept in your mind rooted in a sense of 'justice', it's… different. When it becomes real, when it becomes something you have to do, it's…"

"I get it," Katsuki cut in before Nejire could say anything else.

"And you think I'm weak for feeling the way I do," she predicted.

"Didn't say that," Katsuki corrected, sounding annoyed. "Just don't get in the way of the ones who can make that call if that kind of situation comes up. Don't try to stop Bubble Girl if she has a shot at Shigaraki. That's her choice, and she can live with the consequences."

"Even if the consequences impact a wide range of people, beyond who we can see immediately?" Nejire asked.

"Especially then."

"Then why are you trying to stop Midoriya from talking about One for All?"

Katsuki bristled, clenching his teeth as he shifted in his seat.

"…sorry. I'm playing devil's advocate," Nejire admitted as she gave Katsuki another glance. "I really just want to make sure that your line of thinking is clear. I agree with you- he shouldn't be telling people, especially if All Might himself warned him to keep it a secret."

"He did," Katsuki reassured. "He absolutely did. Mrs. Midoriya and Todoroki are two people too many. If Deku hadn't been a Quirkless runt relying on me to train him, then even I shouldn't have been told…"

"You're probably right, but that's not the situation we're in," Nejire reminded. "We have to play the hand we're dealt… even if Midoriya insists on stacking the deck for us. Are you going to talk to him?"

"I did," Katsuki seethed. "More than once. He's convinced that he's in the right, and thinks I'll just get over it in time. This situation is entirely different from deciding whether or not a villain gets to live. You can't just ask 'should you be allowed to make choices that involve other peoples' lives' as a blanket statement and act like it's profound. What if your car being on the road puts someone else enough feet back in traffic that they end up getting hit by a train by not clearing the tracks in time after a signal malfunctions? What if some construction on one of the skyscrapers nearby is faulty and falls on the roof and kills us both right now? It's bullshit to even consider. We have to do the best we can with the information we have, and I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I should change my stance on either of these issues."

"That's not… that isn't what I was trying to say," Nejire said with a sigh and shake of her head. "And I know. Don't forget that the boys and I have been doing this in the semi-pro circuit for the past two years. We've seen some shit, Bakugo. Just because I smile a lot and present myself warmly doesn't mean I don't think about these things, too. It's irresponsible not to, in our line of work. I'm just trying to make sure that your head's on straight, because when emotions get involved in hero work, that's when things get really dangerous."

"I am not emotional!"

Katsuki refused to look in Nejire's direction as they made another turn. He didn't need to in order to know that her eyes were once again on the side of his face.

"…maybe we should talk about something else," Nejire suggested softly. "We're only about ten minutes out…"

"We're taking care of this now," Katsuki refused. "I don't do bullshit games and lingering tension and all that garbage, especially if I have to work with someone. You think I can't handle myself?"

"Why are you so aggressive right now?" Nejire asked, her own voice carrying an edge with it. "I'm not accusing you of that! I watched you during the entrance exam, and I saw your ability to make decisions on the fly and keep a relatively cool head under pressure."

"Then why are you questioning me?"

"Because if no one does, then it's easy to settle into your own convictions and just assume that you're always doing the right thing," Nejire explained. "And t-"

"That's what villains do," Katsuki finished, deflating a bit. "Fuck the rules, things aren't running the way I think they should, so I'm going to burn the system down. That's the mentality of every big-name villain that's ever made headlines, no matter how special they think they are or how personal their reasons…"

"…yeah," Nejire agreed, her own tone softening. "And I'm not implying that you haven't thought about that before, either…"

"I haven't," Katsuki said quickly as he folded his hands in his lap and turned his eyes down to the dashboard. "Not like that. Not that directly, and in the context of my own decisions…"

"But the fact that you are right now counts for something," Nejire reassured. "Like I said- you're smart. You get it. You have the potential to be a great leader, if you're willing to circle back and re-evaluate your opinions based on new evidence. That's why these conversations need to happen, Bakugo. It's not a personal attack- it's a check-in when things are at their worst. This is a conversation I've had with Mirio before, you know…"

"Yeah. I bet…" Katsuki said ruefully. He closed his eyes and blew air out his nostrils as he worked up the fortitude to summon the words he knew he needed to say, no matter how irritating they would feel inside. "…thanks, Hado…"

"You're welcome," Nejire said cheerily, her good humor reappearing as though it had never left. "Sometimes, tough love is what people need. I'll talk to Midoriya. See if I can beat some sense into his skull about all this Quirk business."

"I'd appreciate the assist," Katsuki offered as he once again let his guard down. "I'm just sick of feeling like a babysitter for him and watching him fuck it all up as soon as I leave the room to try to get a second to myself. I shouldn't have to be responsible for him all the damned time when I've got so much of my own shit to figure out."

"Everyone needs a mental break, sometimes from specific people," Nejire agreed. "Just don't write him off forever without giving it some serious thought. I got the impression that the two of you were very close."

"…the hell does that mean?" Katsuki asked, his guard going back up immediately. "We're not like that."

"Not… like lovers or whatever," Nejire said with a nervous laugh. "I meant more like 'best friends', or like you've had some deep conversations before. Settle down."

"…I don't know anymore," Katsuki grumbled, though he knew that the notion wasn't entirely true. "Maybe I do just need a break, and it feels like he keeps popping up and complicating things before I'm ready to deal with him again."

"That's an awful feeling," Nejire sympathized. "But it doesn't mean you're a bad person or anything for feeling that way."

"Why would I think that?" Katsuki asked. "He's the one that needs to back off. That's not my problem."

"…you remind me so much of a friend of mine in some ways, and not at all in others," Nejire mused. "You should come up to our dorm sometime. Hang out away from the other first-year students once everything settles down. You might even have fun."

"Do I have to?" Katsuki asked.

"You know what? Just for asking, yes. Yes, you do," Nejire teased. "Non-negotiable. We'll call it mentorship, and if you refuse, I'll get Aizawa to force you."

"Great. Can't fucking wait," Katsuki said flatly as he felt a consistent vibration in his pocket. While he had been able to ignore the constant small pulses from texts throughout the car ride, Katsuki wasn't about to just completely disregard a call. He took out his phone only to find the one name he wanted to see even less than Midoriya's, along with a set of over 20 unread messages. "Oh, great…"

"Bad news?" Nejire asked, before lowering her voice to a mumble. "As if there's any other kind, today…"

"Worse," Katsuki replied. "My mother."

"Answer it," Nejire commanded.

"What…?"

"Answer it," Nejire said with more authority than Katsuki expected her to be capable of. "It's your mother."

"You don't know my family situation," Katsuki snapped back.

"And I don't care. A big-name hero just died and your mother probably just wants to know that you're safe. Answer the phone."

Katsuki snarled before lifting the device to his ear and connecting the call.

"What?"

Author's Note:

Katsuki's got a lot to think about moving forward. Hopefully he has enough time to do so before disaster strikes…

-RD