Chapter Text
“You’ve really changed up your fighting style, Bakugou! I mean, I can see that your original techniques are still there, but you changed it up in a way that’s not as predictable. That’s really cool! It’s crazy, you know? I mean three years can really show you a lot about a person.” Uraraka rambled on about the past three years and their training sessions, and Bakugou couldn’t help the quirk in his lip as he watched her from the corner of his eye.
“You’ve changed quite a bit yourself, Cheeks. You’re using your quirk more for offense than for defense.” He looked into the night sky, the sun having set long ago. The path before them was illuminated by the soft glow of the park lamps and the full moon overhead.
“Well, what can I say? I’ve had a great training partner,” Uraraka said, nudging Bakugou with her elbow and smiling brightly up at him. His compliment to her wasn’t taken subtly, though, as he saw her cheeks burn a little pinker than normal. She then looked to the sky herself and let out a blissful sigh, hurrying forward into a large grassy area. She turned and spread her arms into the night.
Fuck, Bakugou thought, his heart skipping a beat as she smiled brightly at him, she’s too gorgeous.
“Isn’t this beautiful? The weather is great, the moon is full, and the stars,” she looked up, hands going to her chest, “So many of them. They’re so beautiful.”
Bakugou found a nearby picnic table and placed their bags on top (it had also become customary of Bakugou to grab both of their things and carry them along their walk back to their apartments - first Uraraka, then he alone to his own, as their apartment complexes were only a few blocks distance from one another). He perched himself upon it as well, deciding to watch from there as Uraraka basked in the starlit sky. He was tired, yeah. After all, they trained for an hour more than normal, so it was significantly later than when they would typically be heading home, but he couldn’t find it in himself to really care.
She was happy, and right now, that’s all that mattered.
I’m so fucking pathetic, Bakugou thought with the roll of his eyes. Perhaps someday he would move on from these feelings. It’d be nice to be able to look at her without feeling the squeeze in his heart. Or have to worry about how bad he smelt around her whenever she came around. Maybe his hands would sweat a little less, too. Of course, it’s great for his quirk, but damn.
Or you could say something to her. Bakugou only scoffed to himself. Then, something shimmered, and it wasn’t the fountain near which Uraraka stood. No - the ground itself beneath Uraraka shimmered.
Bakugou straightened and narrowed his eyes at the grass around her. The rippling began to intensify and the blonde felt himself moving before he realized he was doing it.
“Look out!” he yelled, shoving her away from the odd spot just before a dark vortex opened beneath them. It was as though a hand grasped his body and began to pull him into the depths.
“Bakugou!” Uraraka screamed as she recovered from the rough push. She scrambled over to him, where he grasped desperately at the grass in an attempt to keep himself from falling through completely. High winds sped around them and it took all her strength to keep herself from being pulled in as well.
“Get outta here!” Bakugou growled, wincing as the pulling sensation strengthened. But dammit, he knew she wouldn’t leave. She kept herself low to the ground and reached her hand out, fingers outstretched.
“Touch my hand!” she shouted over the wind. Bakugou gripped harder at the grass then slowly eased up with one hand and reached to her. She had to move closer and Bakugou prepared to yell at her to get back again, but just as their fingers brushed, he was pulled down, only able to see the absolute horror on her paled face just before he was submerged in black.
“NO!” Uraraka screamed as the winds calmed and the vortex came to a quick close. She dug at the grass, her desperate attempts to reopen the ground that swallowed him up proving futile. Her vision blurred as hot tears filled her eyes and fell from her cheeks.
She was too late. Her quirk hadn’t activated quickly enough.
And now Bakugou was gone - after he saved her.
Immediately her mind went to their first year and the way Bakugou had been taken by the League of Villains. She saw it happen but had been too far to help. She watched him disappear with that patchwork-faced villain’s hand around his throat.
Tears burned hotter at her eyes and Uraraka wanted to scream. She couldn’t save him - not then and not now.
She buried her face in her hands, trying to clear her mind enough to think.
What was that? Was it the man from the League of Villains? No… This vortex looked different. It was like nothing she had ever seen nor felt before.
Uraraka pulled herself up onto shaking legs and placed her hands against her chest, feeling her heart beating rapidly against her palm.
The police. She had to go to the police, or a hero, or - someone ! Her mind was racing and she didn’t know who she would search for as she turned on her heel and made for the city. However, the winds from earlier picked up again and she froze in her spot. She could hear the thunder and wondered if it had been there the first time.
Uraraka turned and saw the air begin to ripple before opening up. Her heart seemed to stop and she hurried back over, just as a body fell from the vortex, landing with a heavy thud to the grass below.
“Fucking hell, Cheeks! Warn a guy next time you decide to pull something like that,” Bakugou grumbled as he pulled himself up, looking himself over. As he was about to speak again, a body collided into his own and he nearly fell back. Looking down, he saw the familiar head of chestnut hair and laughed, ruffling it.
“Don’t do that! ” Uraraka cried out. “You idiot! You could have gotten yourself killed!”
“The hell? You lose your mind or something? It was your idea!” Uraraka’s brows furrowed and she pulled away from her friend. First, she saw a bare chest with… necklaces? She looked up in confusion, the question she had meant to ask now forgotten.
“What are you wearing?” She took in his furred cape, orange cut off sleeves, necklaces, and… were those earrings?
“What are you wearing?” Bakugou then looked around, brow furrowed. “And… where are we?”
“Bakugou, what happened?” she asked, but the man seemed to ignore her. “Bakugou? Bakugou!”
“Who the hell is Bakugou?!” he shouted with a jump as he turned back to her.
“What?”
“Ochako, what the fuck is going on?” It suddenly felt as though she were doused in cold water.
This… this couldn’t be the Bakugou she knew. It was a Bakugou, but… from where?
Just what was that portal? And where did it take her Bakugou?