Chapter Text
“They’re late,” Katsuki mused. Only a couple day drinkers occupied the inn lobby other than him, Ashido, and Kirishima, and the clock on the wall told him Sero and Kaminari were past due. They’d agreed to meet back here first thing in the morning, but if they were anything like Ashido (who lived here), they’d be a while yet.
“I’m sure they’ll be here soon,” Kirishima said, playing some sort of hand game with Ashido while they waited. Katsuki couldn’t tell whether their spastic collision of palms and forearms was commonplace or just an example of the pair being them.
“They better be. They’ll get much more than an explosion to the face if they don’t,” he grumbled.
“That won’t be necessary.” Sero walked in, a sullen Kaminari trailing behind him. With no sight of Balls, Katsuki assumed his threats had been effective in keeping him away.
“Took you long enough,” Katsuki complained, hopping to his feet.
Sero paid Katsuki no mind and threw a bundle of clothing his way. “Had to make sure these were done before I left.”
“Huh?” Katsuki caught it and felt fur and leather beneath his fingers. His parents had worked with all kinds of materials, but these felt hardier than anything they’d ever let Katsuki touch.
“I told you, didn’t I? I’d throw in a new outfit.”
Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “What the fuck is t–”
“You get dressed while I discuss our plan with the others,” Kirishima interrupted, pushing Katsuki into the lobby’s bathroom before he could protest any further. Katsuki would have argued if the stench hadn’t shut him up. He felt the instinctual need to wash his hands after he caught sight of the first shit bucket, but the thought of dipping his hands into the pail of water clearly meant as a sink gave him second thoughts.
He grumbled as he pulled the bundle apart. He supposed he’d rather wear something other than the torn uniform still clinging to his back, but he wished he’d gotten to pick. First, he pulled out a thick pair of pants, not as baggy as he would’ve liked, but warm. Fur-lined boots followed closely after, along with leather guards for his arms. The entire thing had been wrapped in a thick, fur cape. Though he normally found capes to be too inconvenient to wear, it was surprisingly soft, and the fur made him look twice as large. He could make do. However…
Katsuki opened the door and popped his head out. “Oi, Tape Boy!”
All four spectators tilted their head to the side. “Tape Boy?” Ashido asked.
Right. Did people around here even have tape? “Nevermind that. Where’s the shirt?” he asked.
Sero shrugged. “Shirt? Kirishima said you didn’t need one.”
Katsuki let Sero’s words sink in for a moment before shouting, “WHY WOULDN’T I NEED ONE?!”
“Sorry, man,” Kirishima grinned, clearly embarrassed. “My Katsuki doesn’t really do shirts, so I kind of assumed you didn’t either…”
“Dumbass! Of course I need one, I’ll freeze!”
“It’s not winter, what are you worried about?” Sero argued. “Besides, the cape will suffice. The fur’s from this lady who breeds these really fancy yaks. Won’t find anything warmer at any other retailer.”
“Must you always talk business?” Kaminari asked, still semi-quaking.
“Maybe if you followed my model, you’d be better off.”
“Fine, whatever. Let’s just get a move on already,” Katsuki conceded, abandoning his ruined uniform on the bathroom floor. Maybe it’d make for good toilet paper.
“We’ve got to make a decision first,” Kirishima stopped him.
Katsuki wrapped the cape tighter around himself. “What decision?”
“Well, thanks to Kaminari, we’ve decided our best shot at sending you back home is to find someone who’s familiar with the branch of magic responsible for transporting you here.”
“Dunce Face figured that out?”
“The guy might not look like it, but he comes from a long line of lightning mages,” Sero said, bumping Kaminari with his elbow.
“Don’t bring that up, that’ll only get your expectations too high,” Kaminari sighed. “I’m no good at it, but I know my fair share about how magic works.”
“But magic didn’t bring me here, a quirk did,” Katsuki objected.
“Well, we’re out of luck if we’re aiming to find a quirk, so we’ll have to make do with magic,” Kirishima said.
Unfortunately for Katsuki, what he said made sense. He’d need to be receptive to new possibilities if he hoped to find his way back home. “So then what? Know anyone who fits the bill?”
“Not exactly,” Kaminari chuckled nervously. “I’m not familiar with most other magic branches, especially not teleportation or dimension-hopping.”
“Then why did I even recruit you?”
Kaminari flapped his arms over his head in frustration. “That’s what I’d like to know!”
“ Kaminari ,” Sero pushed on.
With a final pout, Kaminari continued, “So, um, there is one lead I can think of.”
“Spit it out, then!” Katsuki’s fist landed on the table. Hard.
“Okay, okay! No need to be so pushy!” Kaminari crossed his arms. “There’s this dude I met at another bar– Tsuka-something-or-other– that told me all about his connections with top heroes and mages. He was pretty drunk at the time, but he sounded legit. If anyone knows what direction to point us in, it’s him.”
“And where is he?”
“Last I heard, he’d taken up residence in the capital. Apparently, he works for some government force or something there.”
“Then that’s where we’ll head first,” Katsuki decided. Then, turning to Kirishima he added, “you all set with that dragon thing you can do?”
Kirishima nodded, raising a fist. “I’m all rested up, so I should be good for a few hours at least!”
“Ooh, this is so exciting!” Ashido exclaimed. “My first real quest!”
“Woo-hoo~” Kaminari cheered with fake enthusiasm.
“Just think of it as a tour,” Sero reassured him with a pat on the back.
“It’s a quest!” Ashido corrected.
It’s a fucking bother, thought Katsuki.
Dragon scales were surprisingly comfortable. Smooth to the touch and fairly malleable, they made for good seat cushions. The flight had gone rather smoothly, in large part because of Kirishima’s expert technique. He had good balance, and whenever the wind picked up, he was careful to angle his body in a way that would prevent them all from flying away. Ashido in particular seemed to be enjoying the ride, pointing out things and places as they passed them from above. Sero joined her sometimes, though Kaminari remained safely in the center, refusing to go anywhere near the edge.
“How much longer til we reach this shitty capital?” Katsuki asked.
“We were pretty far out,” Ashido explained. “Kiri is making good ground, but I doubt we’ll make it there until late tonight or tomorrow morning.”
“Tch.” Just his luck. What had the other him been doing in the middle of nowhere anyway? Didn’t he have a hamlet to run or some shit?
Kirishima gave a huff of sorts, which sent a ripple along his spine and made all his passengers’ asses lift for a second or two.
“Hey! Warning next time, will ya?” Kaminari rubbed at his butt.
“I think that was the warning,” Sero said. He pointed in front of him, at their trajectory.
Subtly, their elevation began dropping. Kirishima leaned forward, pointing his head at the ground.
“Hey, why are you descending?!” Katsuki asked with a small wack to Kirishima’s neck.
Ashido smacked Katsuki on the shoulder. “Don’t be mean! He’s probably running low on magic!”
“Already?!”
“A full-body transformation takes a lot of effort!” Ashido argued. “Besides, we’ve been flying for hours now. His magic retention is already impressive as is.”
“Hmph.”
Sure enough, once Kirishima landed alongside a dirt road and everyone shuffled off, he shrunk back down to his human form, scales and claws retracting into his skin with ease. He let himself fall to the floor as soon as he was done, lying on his back with a heavy sigh.
“Ah, that was a trip!” he yawned.
“How long until you can transform back?” Katsuki asked.
“A few hours at least.”
“Ughhhhhhh.” Katsuki threw himself at the ground. He’d never take planes and trains for granted again.
“Don’t be such a brat,” Ashido chastised, joining the pair on the floor, cross-legged. “Now, who wants a snack?”
“Ooh, can I have one?” Kaminari raised his hand.
Sero held out his hand. “Pass one over here too.”
Completely ignoring Katsuki, the rest gathered around him and indulged in a mini picnic of sorts. The weather worked to their advantage; hardly a cloud in sight.
“Snack?” Ashido offered Katsuki an apple.
Katsuki snatched it out of her hand and bit into it. “Just cause we’re being forced to stop.”
Ashido giggled, about to say something until the sound of crunching wheels distracted them all. In the distance, a small caravan pulled by three horses made its way down the road.
“A minstrel troupe?” Kaminari’s eyes lit up with excitement as he jumped to his feet. “Do you think they’d let me join?”
“You’re not joining anything until I’m done with you,” Katsuki said, pulling Kaminari down by the fringe of his stupid pants.
Kaminari plopped back onto the floor with a frown. “Aww. You’re really the worst, you know that? No one will like you if you always act like that.”
“Not my problem.” Katsuki watched as the caravan came to a step a few feet away from them. Atop it, a blond bastard he knew all too well leaped to his feet and slid his way down the side until he reached the floor. The purple eye bag dude remained at the helm, petting the nearest horse with a lackluster hand.
“Why, hello fellow travelers!” Monoma greeted with a bow. He was decked out in traveler’s attire, complete with a sheathed sword and thick cloak. “Are you stranded, by chance?”
“Fuck off, Copy Cat,” Katsuki turned away. Even in another dimension, he couldn’t seem to avoid the annoying ones. “We’re just taking a break.”
With a quizzical glance, Monoma said, “Oh, my apologies. I suppose you are not in need of our help, after all.” He turned to return to the caravan, though he kept peeking behind him every couple steps.
“Wait, where are you two headed?” Ashido asked.
“East. Our final destination lies beyond the capital.”
“Would you happen to have space in your caravan for us?” Sero asked.
Katsuki promptly shoved his elbow into his side. “What are you asking that for?”
“I thought you were desperate to reach the capital,” Sero whispered aggressively at him, rubbing at the place where Katsuki hit him. “This gets us there faster!”
Monoma’s eyes twinkled as he called out to the driver, “What do you say, Shinsou? Think we’ve got enough extra space?”
Shinsou shrugged. “Probably. We don’t have all that many wares right now.”
Monoma smiled. “In that case, all aboard!”
“Absolutely not,” Katsuki protested. “I know this guy, and he’s absolutely insufferable.”
“Even if it’s just for a few hours while Kiri rests?” Ashido asked, a pleading look in her eyes. “It beats walking!”
“Besides, he doesn’t look all that bad,” Kaminari added.
Katsuki shot Monoma another glare. He didn’t bother hiding his gag when Monoma winked back. “No.”
Monoma shrugged. “If your leader there says no, then I suppose it’s a no. I wish you all safe travels.”
“Bakugou, don’t be ridiculous,” Kirishima said.
“Yeah, I’m going!” Kaminari decided, scuffling away from Katsuki’s reach before he could stop him.
“Ditto.” Sero followed close after.
“Changed your minds, I see?” Monoma smiled.
“Coming!” Ashido ran off as well.
“C’mon, Bakugou,” Kirishima said as he nudged Katsuki. “It can’t be that bad.”
Seeing as how the rest of his team had upped and left him, Katsuki couldn’t come up with any alternative. “Fine,” he forced himself to concede.
“Don’t worry, it’s really not a bother at all,” Monoma assured.
“Didn’t ask.” Bakugou pushed past him.
Monoma’s frown was response enough. Shaking it off, he shuffled to the front of the line and lifted the caravan flap for them all to file inside. The caravan’s interior was empty for the most part save for a few crates and a healthy handful of armored possessions. Ashido and Sero marveled at the sight as they took a seat atop one of the longer crates. Kirishima, Katsuki, and Kaminari all sat on the floor while Monoma sat atop a separate crate at the entrance to the caravan. He blocked their only escape route, Katsuki noted. With a whistle, Monoma signaled the driver to get going.
“What brings you to the capital, if I may ask?” he asked once they were moving.
“It’s a bit of a long story…” Kirishima mumbled.
“We’re looking for a guy,” Sero offered instead. “Apparently he’s working for the capital government.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course! Ask away!”
“Where’d you get such nice armor?” Sero’s fingers hovered over the nearest breastplate. “This doesn’t look like regular merchant ware, and no offense, but your two-man operation shouldn’t be able to cut it.”
“Our two-man operation is more than enough,” Monoma defended. “Shinsou and I know what we’re doing. We’ve got valued clients all across the realm. I’m sure you’d find a few people anywhere who recognize the Monoma and Associates name.”
“You look far too young for that,” Kaminari pointed out. “You can’t be much older than us, right?”
Monoma shrugged. “Possibly.”
“Regardless, this stuff isn’t nearly as nice as what Tetsutetsu can make back at the hamlet,” Kirishima boasted. “The man’s a bonafide metalworks master.”
Monoma rolled his eyes. “A metalworks master, eh? I didn’t think you’d find those anywhere other than near volcano rings.”
“That’s where we’re from!” Kirishima slipped his arm around Katsuki’s shoulders and pulled him closer for emphasis.
“Oh?” Monoma tilted his head in interest.
“In fact, Bakugou here’s the chief!” Ashido added.
Katsuki felt a few of Kirishima’s scales pop out and rub against his arm. “Well, sort of,” Kirishima murmured.
“Wait, you’re Katsuki Bakugou?” Monoma’s ear pricked like a fox who’d just detected its next meal. Katsuki didn’t like it one bit.
“What about it?” he asked.
“Nothing, nothing. I’ve heard of you, is all,” Monoma explained. The glint in his eye grew larger by the second. “Supposedly, you tame dragons and take all their gold and jewels.”
“Well, it’s not exactly like that,” Kirishima said. “It’s true the hamlet is pretty wealthy, but it’s not because of dragon taming.”
Monoma waved his hand around. “Details, details. Sounds like something Shinsou would be interested in hearing more about, though. I’ll switch off and let him introduce himself.”
Without another word, Monoma retreated through the flap. His footsteps could be heard on the roof, then a second, heavier set.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Bakugou mumbled. “That guy can barely speak and now he wants to introduce himself?”
“Don’t be so judgemental,” Ashido said. “Maybe he’s a dragon enthusiast!”
Katsuki didn’t start any more arguments as the dude swung in. “Sorry. Thought I should introduce myself,” he said.
“Dragon fan?” Ashido asked.
Shinsou shrugged. “Something like that. I’m Shinsou.”
“Does Copy Machine even know how to drive this thing?” Katsuki asked.
Shinsou raised an eyebrow. “Do you mean Monoma? He can do just fine on his own.” Though his face remained largely the same, Katsuki detected a hint of offense in his voice.
“What do you need, then?” he asked with a huff.
“Don’t listen to him,” Kaminari brushed Katsuki off. “ We’re the guests here; you do what you like.”
Shinsou looked the group over, then shrugged once more. “In that case, you’re heading to the capital, right? Have any of you heard of the recent troubles plaguing the city?”
“Troubles?” Sero asked.
Shinsou nodded, locking eyes with Sero. “Villains have been popping up there more often. Some say the nobles have been hiring them,” he continued, his voice thick with something Katsuki couldn’t pinpoint.
Regardless, it had a clear effect on Sero. “Woahhh,” he laughed. His pupils widened as he swayed back and forth against the caravan wall.
“What’s so funny?” Kaminari asked.
Sero didn’t answer as Shinsou continued, speaking to Kaminari this time. “Chief among the suspicious families is the Todoroki House.”
“Ohhhh,” Kaminari’s voice echoed Sero’s as he let his elbows fall to the floor so his arms propped up his chin.
Katsuki and Kirishima gave each other a glance. Something was definitely afoot.
“Hey! You’re up to something!” Katsuki stood, fists clenched at his sides.
“What are you talking about? He hasn’t done anything!” Ashido protested.
Shinsou turned to her with a slight bow. He looked her right in the eye as he said, “Thank you, Miss, er…”
“Minaaaa,” she replied with a lazy smile.
“He’s definitely doing something!” Kirishima exclaimed, lunging forward to sweep Shinsou off his legs.
Shinsou jumped to avoid them, landing next to Katsuki. Katsuki raised his hands to blow a fat one in Shinsou’s face, but Shinsou was faster and took hold of his wrist before he could aim.
“No need for a fight,” Shinsou told him, his violet eyes bearing into Katsuki’s with purpose.
“Okayyyyy,” Katsuki found himself agreeing. Whatever issue he’d had with the guy a few seconds prior seemed trivial now. He returned to his seat as Kirishima pulled Shinsou away.
“Stop that!” he yelled, throwing a punch at Shinsou’s face. It caught on Shinsou’s cheek, but he hardly flinched. Instead, he pulled at a rope tied at his waist and unraveled it in one go.
“I know this won’t work on you, so apologies in advance,” he said as he looped it around Kirishima’s leg and pulled.
Kirishima fell instantly, wrangling with the rope once he hit the ground. Half-formed claws scratched at the rope while his other leg tried to land a kick. In his position, though, it’d be a tough landing.
Shinsou wasted no time in dragging Kirishima to the edge.
“Byeee!” Katsuki bid him farewell as Kirishima was pushed off the caravan.
“Katsuki!” Kirishima yelled out, his screams growing quieter and quieter. Had the caravan sped up somewhat?
No one flinched as they followed suit. It was only as they hit the floor that they reacted.
“Hey!” Ashido shouted the moment she hit the dirt road.
“Agh!” Sero was thrown out next, tumbling away with Kaminari trailing after.
Katsuki waited in anticipation for his turn, but Shinsou never indulged him. “You should take a nap. It’s been a long trip,” Shinsou suggested instead.
“You sureeeee?”
“Yes.”
Katsuki rolled up into himself, suddenly finding the crate underneath him rather comfortable. He needed only close his eyes for him to fall into a deep slumber...
When Katsuki awoke, it felt like someone had just pulled his head out of a raging river. He coughed and hacked as he tried to make out where he was. Even in the dark, his vision was worse than usual. He could feel a hard floor beneath his feet, but when he tried moving his arms, they stuck behind his back. It wasn’t hard to guess he’d been tied to a chair. The chair kept him in place when he tried to stand.
“What gives?!” he called out, waiting for his vision to unblur.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Monoma’s voice breathed down on him right by his ear. Katsuki swiveled his head his way. Given Katsuki’s poor vision and the tacky mask Monoma wore, Katsuki couldn’t say for sure it was really him, but his voice confirmed it all. “Hitoshi’s hypnosis is a real heavy hitter, huh? He learned it from some traveling weirdo,” he said.
“What are you doing?!” Katsuki’s vision was clearing up rapidly now. Soon, he could tell they were in a warehouse of sorts, empty except for themselves and some strewn about crates, identical to the ones on the caravan.
Monoma shrugged, shaking his head back and forth. “Sorry about all this, but our business can’t run without contributions from sponsors like you.”
“We’re holding you for ransom,” Shinsou clarified from across the room. He wore a much less flashy mask. He was hunched over something in the corner, though his back hid it from Katsuki’s line of sight.
“Why the fuck would you want to do something like that?” Katsuki asked.
“Because we’re the Phantom Thieves, and it’s our mission to steal from the rich and give to the poor. We’re heroes.”
Katsuki almost busted a vein. “What sorta hero kidnaps someone for ransom?!”
Monoma shrugged. “We don’t normally resort to such practices, but we couldn’t let the dragon chief himself slip away without a pretty penny to show for it. You could spare a bit of your wealth for the good of the common folk, no?”
“And you never heard of asking?”
“Would that have worked?”
“Hell no!”
“There’s your answer then.” Monoma gave Katsuki a pat on the shoulder and turned heel. “Hitoshi, have you finished preparing that letter?”
“Almost. You should sign it, though. Your signature is nicer.”
“Sure thing.”
Katsuki grew tired with their blabbering. If all they had to offer were fancy words and cheap tricks, he’d do them one better. He pressed his fingers to the rope keeping him tied to the chair and let it rip. The rope withered away with the heat as the chair propelled forward. Katsuki managed to shimmy free before it hit the floor.
“Well, that’s new,” Monoma said. Though his tone didn’t change in the slightest, even he hadn’t been able to pass as completely unfazed. In the background, Shinsou jumped to his feet, reaching for the rope at his waist.
Katsuki didn’t give him a chance to put it to use. “That shit won’t work on me twice!” he cried as he aimed a blast his way.
Shinsou hit the floor while Monoma ran to his rescue, pulling him away as the blast blew a hole through the wall. The smoke kept Katsuki from shooting again; in such an enclosed space, he couldn’t risk being crushed by unseen debris. Besides, he doubted the two would be stupid enough to try anything else after seeing what he’d done.
“Hitoshi! Hypnosis!” Monoma yelled.
Or not. This would end up being more troublesome than he’d hoped.
Katsuki kept his eyes peeled for any sign of Shinsou. He didn’t know the extent of Shinsou’s hypnotic abilities. They were clearly different from the version he was familiar with, but to be safe, he kept his mouth sealed tight anyway.
Monoma revealed himself first. His leg stretched out from the dust and swept at Katsuki’s ankles. Katsuki stumbled, but kept his ground, blasting away at the last spot he’d noticed him. While he did that, Shinsou managed a smack to the back of his neck, but not hard enough to count him out by any means. Katsuki managed to catch the rope he tried wrapping around him midair, burning it to a crisp.
“Stop being so difficult!” Shinsou shouted, landing a few more punches before a blast to the chest pushed him off to the far wall.
“Hitoshi!” Monoma gave a pained cry and rushed off to his aid, forgetting all about Katsuki.
“Don’t think you can run away now!” Katsuki gloated. He had no idea what authorities this land had, but regardless, these two deserved their just desserts.
Just then, two figures approached from the broken wall. They both looked familiar, though he couldn’t place them in his head. It didn’t really matter anyway.
“We heard a noise!” the shorter one said, crossbow in hand. He reached for an arrow from the sack on his back. The other nodded beside him, a dash of green hair the only thing distracting from the huge blades in his hands.
“Kamakiri, Tsuburaba!” Monoma cried out in glee. “Careful, this one’s a handful.”
“Didn’t know Bakugou was versed in fire magic,” Tsuburaba said before lodging an arrow into his crossbow.
“He’ll run out of magic soon at this rate, so let’s wear him out!” Kamakiri raised his blade and charged.
Katsuki gladly obliged him. The more he worked himself up, the more sweat he would accumulate. Dodging Kamakiri’s advances, he angled his body away from the center of the room and towards the hole. Tsuburaba would have ample chance to shoot before he could make it out, but if Katsuki could get past him, he’d be able to find his way out and use his powers to their full extent.
With Monoma and Shinsou temporarily out of commission, it was easy work. Kamakiri was surprisingly apt with his blade, but his insistent proximity helped fend off any attempts from Tsuburaba. Any stray shot would hit his comrade instead. Using that to his advantage, Katsuki made sure to keep Kamakiri’s back to Tsuburaba at every given moment.
By the time Tsuburaba tried changing his own position, Katsuki was close enough to blast him away. Kamakiri snarled at the sight, but it was too late to prevent Katsuki from moving out into the open.
“Not ready to give in yet?” he taunted with a few shots at the sky.
Kamakiri laughed and shook his head. “You haven’t rumbled with Phantom Thieves before.”
I sort of have, Katsuki mused, but Kamakiri didn’t need to know that.
“Incoming from above!” Tsubaraba shouted weakly as he lay on the floor.
Katsuki spared a glance at the sky and smiled. A red dot descended at a frightening speed, one which he immediately recognized as Kirishima. His roar pierced the sky, causing Kamakiri to fall back, presumably to wherever Monoma and Shinsou had scrambled off to.
“We saw the smoke!” Ashido said, sliding down the side of Kirishima’s back once they were close enough to the ground. Sero and Kaminari followed close behind, and as soon as they hit the floor, Kirishima shrunk to his regular size, though his horns and wings remained intact. His teeth shined sharp as he rushed over to Katsuki.
“Thank goodness you’re alright!” he cried. “By the time I came up with enough magic to transform, I thought it’d be too late!”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Of course I’m alright! Who do you take me for?”
Kirishima grasped at Katsuki’s wrist, running a thumb across his knuckles in a way Katsuki secretly wished he’d do more often.
“I thought I’d lost you a second time…” Kirishima’s voice grew small. A small pool of tears formed on his eyes, threatening to spill out.
Hiding his blush with his other hand, Katsuki said, “Me? Never, Dumbass.”
With a sniff, Kirishima let him go. “Right. Sorry for doubting you.”
“Ditto,” Sero bowed his head. “Sorry for not taking your warnings to heart.”
“Yeah, so maybe you had a point back there,” Kaminari added reluctantly.
“Don’t think we’re done with you just yet!” Monoma’s voice interrupted the reunion. “We have yet to introduce our full ranks!”
Everyone’s heads turned to see him standing a ways away. Beside him, a tall guy with shaggy brown hair crouched low to the floor.
“And what’s he supposed to do?” Katsuki jeered.
“Shut up, Bakugou!” Kaminari grit his teeth. “I recognize that guy!”
“So? Why should that matter to us?”
The guy wasted no time in answering the question himself. With a pained growl, his clothes tore apart at the seams as his muscles grew and hair sprouted all over his body. He grew to thrice his original size, if not bigger, and his teeth lengthened to cover his entire bottom lip like a saber-toothed tiger.
“Introducing, Gauvant!” Monoma announced. “Cursed for his greed, he now attempts to rectify his past sins by assisting our cause!”
The monster roared and charged forward. Sero drew his sword from his waist at the same time Ashido reached into her bag and pulled out a small club, while Kaminari rushed to hide behind them both, clutching at his lute as a last resort.
“Don’t bother, leave him to me!” Kirishima seemed to growl as he blocked them with his rapidly expanding body.
Gauvant hit Kirishima straight on, trying to sink his fangs into his hardened skin. Katsuki ached to watch the guy get pummeled by his best friend, but he had other business to deal with. Trusting Kirishima to handle it himself, Katsuki led the rest away.
“Where are we going?” Ashido asked, club at the ready.
“Are we leaving?” Kaminari asked with a hopeful tone.
“Of course not! We’re dealing with whoever’s left!” Katsuki announced.
“Of course we are…” Kaminari deflated.
“Who said that was all?” Monoma jeered from a distance.
Ashido whipped her head back and forth between where Monoma currently stood, and the spot he’d been in just a minute before. “Wasn’t he just…?”
“He’s fast,” Katsuki acknowledged. “Don’t lose sight of him!”
“Have fun trying,” Monoma laughed. From behind him, a girl with long green hair stepped out. With her hands pressed together as if in prayer, she looked like a saint. Kamakiri pulled up beside him, apparently not done despite Katsuki’s earlier beating.
“I’ll take on sword guy over there,” Sero offered, his own sword pointed forward. Though it paled in comparison to Kamakiri’s, his calm demeanor didn’t waver. Even if he had, Katsuki knew him well enough to trust he’d be able to manage his own.
“Bring it on, beanstalk!” Kamakiri lunged.
“May the Holy Goddess forgive me for my trespasses,” the girl said as the ferns at her feet grew up to her waist.
“Earth magic!” Kaminari yelped. “That’s going to be hard to get past.”
“Ugh!” Katsuki’s explosions could finish of her entire garden in a few sweeps, but Monoma was already on the move once again. He jeered at Katsuki as he retreated. “You two are in charge of taking her down!” he decided, pointing at Kaminari and Ashido.
“WHAT?!” if Kaminari’s eyes could have jumped out of their skull, they would have.
“Aye, aye!” Ashido nodded with enthusiasm. She raised her club menacingly. “Leave it to us! I’ll make sure Kaminari is fine, so you go for it, Bakugou!”
“You know how to use that thing?” Kaminari asked, bewildered.
“Of course I do!” Ashido swung it at an encroaching vine to make her point clear. “I’m half ogre!”
“That would explain it.” Kaminari yelped as another vine shot at him. Ashido took care of it before it hit. “BUT IT DOESN’T EXPLAIN WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING!”
“Just fry it!” Sero called out, blade firmly locked with Kamakiri’s.
“Huh?”
“You can use lightning, right?”
“Not the way you think I can! Besides, I suck!”
“Just do it!” Katsuki pushed him forward. “I’m after that bastard!”
Amid protests from Kaminari, Katsuki blasted away, hot on Monoma’s trail. Even with some temporary distractions from Plant Girl’s rapidly-growing trees, he was faster than anything Monoma could manage on two feet. Shinsou was still nowhere to be seen, but he had a feeling he’d be lurking around Monoma somehow. They were a duo act, that much was obvious.
“You’re a real asshole, you know that?” Monoma snarled as Bakugou closed in on him at the edge of a line of trees. “Leaving all your friends behind to fight on their own.”
Katsuki huffed, landing a few feet away from Monoma. “They’ll be fine.” He meant it. Even without quirks, they’d make it out one way or another. “Aren’t you doing the same?”
“Oh, I never do things on my own,” Monoma said. He dove into the woods, expertly avoiding the brush and rocks at his feet.
Katsuki followed after him, clumsier with his movements, but nothing a good blast couldn’t fix. Before he could get very far, though, he felt something at the back of his neck. He doubled over as another one of Shinsou’s ropes tied itself around his neck and pulled back. A well-aimed explosion was enough to get it off him, but not before Monoma doubled back and kicked into his chest with his heels.
Katsuki gasped for air as he hit the floor. Monoma took the opportunity to push his face into the floor with his heel.
“You’re gonna have to be quicker than that,” he said. He pointed his sword at Katsuki’s neck, trying to be intimidating.
“And you’re going to have to be stronger!” Katsuki shouted with dirt in his mouth. All the sweat that had accumulated thus far was about to come in handy. Before Shinsou could do any hypnosis bullshit, he slapped the palm of his hands onto the floor and blew out in a circle, pushing them both back by a heavy explosion while sparing himself the exhaustion.
“That’ll teach ya to leave us the fuck alone!” Katsuki smiled.
Away from him, Monoma lay flat on the floor, breathing heavily but otherwise still. Shinsou, who had somehow escaped the brunt of it, scrambled to his feet.
“Neito!” he cried out before looping Monoma’s arm over his shoulder.
Monoma leaned into him with a glazed look on his face. Katsuki had certainly given him a beating he wouldn’t forget anytime soon. “Let’s go, Hitoshi. We took on too much this time around.”
Shinsou glared at Katsuki. “You sure?”
“There are plenty of other scumbags to scam, scumbags who lack any surprise tricks.”
“Tch. Pity,” Shinsou hissed between drawn lips. He heaved Monoma over his shoulder, carrying him with ease. “But, if you say so.”
“Hey, don’t think you can get away so easily!” Katsuki bellowed at them, his hands poised at the ready for another spew of explosions.
Before he could unleash them, a rumbling at his feet made him look back. Gauvant emerged over the hill’s crest behind him and charged at them all, Kirishima hot at his heels.
“Shit!” Katsuki managed to blast himself aside before the monster could trample him over. He pulled his head out of the floor soon enough to see Shinsou swing himself and Monoma onto the giant and then speed off into the brush.
“And stay away from the dragon hamlet!” Kirishima cried after them, his voice harsh as he detransformed most of the way.
“We’ll see about that!” Monoma’s cackling carried over the wind, but he and his companions were completely out of sight before long.
Katsuki almost chased after them again, but Kirishima shook his head. “They’re out for the count, and we’ve got places to be.”
“I guess…”
Sero, Kaminari, and Ashido all joined them shortly after, all in varying degrees of injured.
“Ooh, that was fun!” Ashido cheered, leaning on her club. She hardly had a scratch on her, save for a few scrapes on her legs. “It’s been a while since I last beat someone up so bad. Drunk people don’t fight back nearly as hard.”
“Speak for yourself,” Kaminari pouted, his hair singed and his clothes charred to bits in certain areas. “I’d be more than happy if this were my last time fighting anyone.”
“You should’ve seen him! He summoned this huge lightning strike to take down that plant girl!”
“Well, two lightning strikes,” Sero corrected with a wince. He held onto his left arm, which sported a nasty gash. “He completely missed the first one.”
Kaminari groaned. “I told you I suck! And now my costume’s totally ruined!”
“I just wonder what we’re here for,” Sero frowned. “These two could have easily handled them on their own.”
Katsuki shoved him in his non-injured shoulder. “Don’t be stupid.” Could Katsuki have dealt with all of them on his own? Maybe. With Kirishima, most definitely. But it would have taken them ages, ages he couldn’t afford to waste. As troublesome as it had been to gather them all, they’d pulled their weight for the time being.
Sero shrugged, joining Kaminari and Ashido as she went around giving them all high-fives before pulling out a first aid kit.
“You know what that means!” Kirishima ran at Katsuki faster than he could dodge. Katsuki yelped as Kirishima threw his body against his, knocking them both to the floor in a tumble of limbs.
“What gives?!” he exclaimed, desperately trying to ignore the extra contact. He was no stranger to Kirishima’s touch; the dude loved leaning on him, patting his back, or giving him high fives and fist pumps at any given moment. That said, he’d never been pressed chest to chest with the guy, especially not shirtless.
“Post-victory tackle? Do you not do that where you’re from?”
“Absolutely not!” Katsuki tried shoving him off with a heave. Who knew a pair of wings and horns could weigh so much?
Kirishima didn’t let up, pressing harder. Ashido and Sero snickered at the sight. Katsuki’s face turned the color of Kirishima’s scales, which he tried covering with the fur lining of his cape. “Dumbass!” A small explosion finally got Kirishima off him.
“Don’t act like ya didn’t like it,” Ashido teased. Sero and Kaminari giggled amongst themselves, pointing fingers at Katsuki before falling into another fit.
“SHUT UP!” The truth only served to embarrass him even more.
“Aw, let them have their fun,” Kirishima laughed along. “They just went through a lot for you, you know?”
Katsuki sighed. He supposed he could let them off for a few more seconds, just until he forgot that this was exactly what he’d signed himself up for.