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Screams of anguish and terror echoed throughout the empty corridors of UA High School. Desks were upturned and vicious slash marks were scattered over the walls. Textbooks lay open on the grimy floor among an assortment of personal items that were broken and dirty. Forgotten. Abandoned. Left to rot by students in their haste to escape, to survive. Or at least until the pro heroes arrived. Then they would surely be saved.
Just the thought of a pro's presence brought a sense of reassurance to all the students. They could do it. They could defend themselves, hold down the fort. It wouldn't be easy but it was possible. They'd done it before and they could do it again. But for how long?
A battle to decide the future, that's what it was. Good versus evil, light versus dark. But it was also experts, trained killers with a hunger for victory versus children, yet they were children who knew how the world worked and what the pro heroes had to deal with on a daily basis. They were fighters, and they were willing to stand up for what was right and fair.
And that's what they would do, down to the last stand.
---
There he stood. The traitor. The one who had deceived them and ratted them out to the League of Villains. The one who had infiltrated their school and won their trust.
The one who had betrayed them all.
He stood straight and tall, an expression of scorn painted on his face. His manic smile was almost... sadistic. His teeth glinted in the cold light of the small sparks of electricity that crackled and jumped from his fingertips. His eyes were dark and mysterious, his undivided attention trained on the three students before him.
Bakugou, Kirishima and Deku. All determined, all ready to fight.
In his other hand, he tightly grasped a limp and barely conscious Denki Kaminari. He was still breathing, but they were long, drawn-out, laboured breaths that were often punctuated by wheezes and hollow coughs. His body was littered with bleeding wounds - a sign that the League of Villains knew no bounds.
"M-Monoma, why would you do this? We trusted you!" Deku yelled. His face was creased up in hurt, not in anger, but he clenched his fists tightly and remained ready to attack.
"Dude, how could you? Not very manly of you, giving us up to the people who want to kill us." Kirishima also stayed on guard, with his Quirk activated and his eyes blazing with passion. His voice was empty and tired.
Bakugou remained silent. He stared on in seething anger, unable to fathom how someone could be so... evil. He bared his teeth at the grinning traitor, and narrowed his eyes vengefully at him. Watching on, he was enraged as the renegade released his grip on Kaminari. The boy fell to the floor with a dull thud and remained there - unmoving. The traitor lifted a heavy, possessive boot and placed it square in the centre of his back; it only served to anger Bakugou more and fuel his fire.
But he had been injured. He didn't know how, didn't know when - moments like that had been lost to the intensity of the battle. He was weakening, losing his strength fast but he couldn't give up - victory was almost imminent.
"Get your foot off him, damn extra!" He growled. Small explosions bloomed at his palms and dissipated nearly as fast as they formed. Bakugou prepared to pounce, eyes sharp and attentive. Focused on the target.
Then, he was stopped in his tracks by a warm and reassuring hand on his shoulder. It forced him to relax slightly and reassess the situation.
"Hey, Katsuki, cool down. You've seen how powerful this guy is, and I don't want you getting hurt any more than you already are." The rich, smooth tones of Eijirou Kirishima's voice floated into Bakugou's ears. He softened, the world around them fading away for that one moment. He turned his head to admire Kirishima's tired and beaten, yet still stunningly beautiful face, savouring every last detail of what he could see. While shooting him a fond smile full of love and adoration, Bakugou raised his own hand to gently rest on top of Kirishima's.
"Hey, I'm Ground Zero, remember? I can beat this bastard's ass in an instant. I'll be okay - no, we'll both be okay, and after this whole shitshow is over we can cuddle 'n all that crap in peace." he chuckled softly. Kirishima grinned, flashing sharp white teeth that glinted in the dull blue sparks of Deku's Quirk. A light blush dusted his cheeks (and he was all too glad that it wasn't visible in the darkness that shrouded the room).
Suddenly, Bakugou stiffened. He gasped, eyes widening and grip on Kirishima's hand tightening protectively.
Cold. Cold, cold fingers were slowly inching their way around his neck, thin, clammy, and the alien touch was a stark opposite to the familiarity of Kirishima's. It's grip was slowly, ever so slowly tightening, like a child who was trying to prank an unsuspecting parent. But this grip was stronger, and held more malice than a child's harmless intentions. There was evil motivation behind this grasp.
It made sense now. In that instant, all the dots connected.
Shigaraki. The League of Villains. Of course they'd be here. Those bastards. Bakugou wouldn't let them lay a hand on his friends, even if he had to die in the process.
"Kirishima, move." He said quietly, an edge to his voice.
One. A frigid thumb brushed over the soft, sensitive skin at the nape of Bakugou's neck. He shuddered. Only Kirishima knew about that spot.
Two. Kirishima slowly moved his hand away from Bakugou, worry etched across his face. He took a tentative step back as a bony finger inched its way over his boyfriend's throat.
Three. A shallow, quiet chuckle sounded from behind him. The owner of the hand, Bakugou presumed. A third finger closed in as the others pressed tighter. He squirmed and tried to break away, whimpering slightly, but in his weakness and fatigue the battle was one fought uphill and he struggled to so much as shift the fingers slightly. How pathetic.
Bakugou hated it. He hated how... cold and lifeless this made him feel. How it was like he was suffocating, or cloaked in inescapable darkness and sorrow. Or like he could never feel happiness again.
"A sweetheart, I see? Now, wouldn't it be lovely to have him watch you die tonight? And then kill him? Wouldn't that be just wonderful, Katsuki Bakugou?"
Four. Bakugou's eye twitched. He growled ferociously and mustered up the last of his strength to twist out of Shigaraki's ghostly grip.
"You won't lay a fucking hand on him, scum! Die!" Bakugou turned and aimed a large, powerful blast at Shigaraki. He let out a broken scream, full of pain as he detonated the explosion, arms twinging in pain and willing him, begging him to stop pushing so hard or he'd break, for sure. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. Bakugou fell back, finally submitting to fatigue and letting Kirishima catch and cradle him.
His vision danced as Deku landed a powerful punch on Shigaraki. Then, hands - strong, warm, manly hands were cradling him, supporting him as he tried to sit up. Despite his slightly bruised pride and the desperate situation, Bakugou couldn't deny how much he loved this.
"Thought I told you to be careful, hotshot. But I gotta admit, you looked totally manly out there, dude." Kirishima grinned. And even though Bakugou couldn't see him, his face was etched with concern and distress.
"I-I'm fine," Bakugou was struggling to find his words now "J-Jus' lemme a-at 'im. 'M not gonna let 'im touch you, fuckin' swear on it." His eyes fluttered shut as another wave of pain racked his wound-ridden body. It was making him delirious.
Bakugou was flagging, failing, and he couldn't stop himself from slipping away from everything. From the battle. From himself. From Kirishima. He raised a hand to try and cradle the red haired boy's face, whose chest he was currently resting his head on. The soft pads of Bakugou's fingers had barely brushed against Kirishima's jawline when his hand fell. His forearms screamed for medical attention that couldn't be served; white hot pain that prevented Bakugou from thinking straight.
"No! Not happening, Katsuki. Look at you, you're badly hurt." Kirishima hurriedly found Bakugou's fallen hand and took it into his own, entwining their fingers in a comforting gesture that spoke more words than necessary.
The calm before the storm. Bakugou should've sensed it sooner.
"Look, you need to get outta here, Katsuki. I'm not gonna watch you get beaten up any more than you already have done." Kirishima's voice was stern. Bakugou was about to argue back, defend his case, but something else caught his attention.Through hazy colours and blurred lines, Bakugou could just about make out a dark mop of green hair approaching them, surrounded by blue, crackling blemishes.
"Fuckin' Deku." Bakugou muttered, irked. He didn't want a damned nerd like him seeing him so... vulnerable. He reserved this side for Kirishima, and Kirishima only, for the darkest nights where the secrets would stay.
Bakugou's ears began to ring. He couldn't hear anything anyone was hearing - just the loud, constant blaring of sirens in his brain that muddled his thoughts. It sounded like a messy concoction of highs and lows; the loud and the quiet. He cried out weakly, trying to raise his hands to clutch his temples but failing.
"-cchan! Kacchan!" Deku was crouched anxiously in front of him.
"Katsuki! Are you okay?" Kirishima's grip tightened protectively as Bakugou clutched his arms, groaning.
"'M fine. Jus'-jus' lemme kill that damn handsy bastard." he coughed hollowly and tried to push himself up, wincing, but Kirishima knew better and pulled Bakugou down again.
"No, you're not." Something had shifted in Kirishima's voice. And his eyes. What were once deep red orbs full of passion and love were now cold and steely; boring into every little nook and cranny of Bakugou.
It was terrifying.
Then, Kirishima rigidly stood up, gently pulling up Bakugou with him. He observed the room around him, silently judging the threats that lay in all directions.
The villains eyes were on them, and it was more important now than ever that the three heroes made everything count. That they attacked, to protect future generations of budding heroes from falling for evil at Tomura Shigaraki's hands. To protect them from his deceit, his lies, his conniving nature. It was imperative they stopped them. The darkness was closing in fast - they had to act now. If not, they would surely die.
With that thought in mind, Kirishima harshly, desperately shoved Bakugou into Deku's arms.
Bakugou stumbled and landed against Deku's chest with a loud "oof". He tried to push himself up, away, towards Kirishima, but it was futile. Deku was just too strong, and Bakugou was too weak. Pathetic. Hopeless.
"L-Lemme go, ya damned nerd! I n-need to fight 'im!" he slurred, tripping over his words. Bakugou continued to struggle against Deku's strong grip, but the green-haired boy fought back, forcing him to give up and remain limp in his arms.
"Midoriya, take Katsuki and run. Please, he's hurt and I-I don't want to see anyone hurt him - both of you anymore." Kirishima's face was set with a sort of grim determination. Bakugou gasped and began to struggle against the arms that were hooked tightly under his armpits.
He wasn't going to let Kirishima go. He couldn't. Kirishima was all he had; Bakugou's everything. He wanted to shout, scream, tell Kirishima to rethink his idiotic plan. But his mind told him otherwise - wild, dangerous thoughts that shook Bakugou to his core and stopped his vocal cords from working.
"Kirishima, no! If we've got to run then you're coming too. I'm not leaving you behind to take unnecessary risks!" Deku was frantic, still pulling back a speechless Bakugou.
"It's not unnecessary! In case you forgot, my best friend is back there, and he's about to be killed by villains. I-I can't lose him, my boyfriend and my other friends to them. I have to do something! Otherwise, what sort of a man would I be?" Kirishima's voice cracked slightly, breaking under the pressure he felt to be a hero.
"Plus, the pros aren't here. We've gotta keep this guy back until they come. A-And you're both hurt. So it's gotta be me. Super manly, right?" his voice trembled and he wrung his hands.
"I'm not hurt, I could fight if the situation calls for it! It's just a little backlash from One fo- my Quirk." Deku rambled on meaninglessly, trying to convince Kirishima to do the right thing. But he kept dodging and ignoring - dead set on defeating these villains.
"Just go!" Kirishima suddenly yelled, shoving them both backwards with a force that could rock the earth. That was it. The final straw. Bakugou had grasped for long enough, and finally found his voice.
"No! Ei, get your ass away from there! P-Please, don't fight him." Bakugou's voice broke and his face crumbled, tears beginning to leak from unusually dull red eyes.
"I can't lose you."
His heart shattered when Kirishima's lips ghosted over his own, for barely an instant. Warmth, for that one moment in time until the cold rushed in once more, drowning Bakugou.
"I love you, Katsuki. Always have, always will, until beyond the end of time." Kirishima brushed a soft and tentative hand over Bakugou's jaw and then brought it away, causing a looming sense of dread to settle over the dark, foreboding room.
"I love you too, Eijirou." choked Bakugou, voice barely exceeding a whisper.
"I'll see you on the other side, Ground Zero." said Kirishima, with a soft smile on his face as Bakugou was dragged away.
From that moment, everything faded, leaving him feeling cold and numb. Bakugou could faintly feel Deku pulling him along, urging him to try and run. As they rounded a corner, he saw a flash of red hair, charging valiantly forwards with a cry of fury. Away from safety. Away from Bakugou. The darkness closed in fully, clouding Bakugou's thoughts. Then came the emotions. One hell of a rollercoaster of them, too.
Panic.
Fear.
Dread.
Sadness.
It crashed down on Bakugou all at once. His eyes widened as he twisted in Deku's grip to face where they'd just ran from - to face his past, present and future.
Then, an imperceptible scream rang in Bakugou's ears.
His breath hitched as he began to urgently wrestle against Deku in trepidation. He kicked out, sending them both careening to the hard, cold floor. His breathing was heavy and ragged - his heart was racing with a speed unparalleled to that of a car. Scrambling shakily to his feet, he ignored Deku's pitiful pleas.
"I-I have to go to him. Don't you fucking dare try to stop me, Deku." Bakugou threw his hands out behind him and activated his quirk, propelling himself through the inky black corridors. But, the explosions began to degrade from strong and mighty to dull and decrepit. Bakugou fell sharply to the ground with a yelp.
He stood up, palms held out in front of him. His hands trembled at the sight that greeted him.
It was then that Bakugou knew. The power that once surged through his veins - the power that enabled him to defy all odds and break boundaries as they approached him was fading fast and without warning. It drained from his already debilitated body like a bath without a plug and it was leaving Bakugou weaker than ever before. The perspiration that once glazed his hands in the heat of battle was now nearly nonexistent.
The huge, blinding explosions that Bakugou had once been able to create had since receded into even tinier, broken sparks, that were smaller than even the very first moment when his Quirk had manifested.
The light and strength that made up Katsuki Bakugou was nearly suppositional.
And then they were gone. Just like that. No more heat, no more passion, no more Quirk.
It left Bakugou feeling lackadaisical, hollow, empty; a shell of the brash, impulsive kid he used to be. That was gone too. It was like there was a piece missing, a vital piece to the jigsaw of Katsuki Bakugou.
Kirishima.
Eijirou.
Everything was silent. For just a moment. Then, it was permeated by a harsh, broken scream - a scream filled with so much pain and sorrow that it would've been hard to witness. It was followed by loud, gulping sobs, and whispers in hushed tones.
"N-No, please, Eijirou, no!" Bakugou stood rigid and tense, letting the tears fall freely down his stained cheeks.
In a cruel game played by Fate, everything Bakugou knew had come crumbling down in that one instant with that one, reckless action. It had stolen the one person he loved more than life itself, then taken his Quirk as a stark and punishing reminder.
And Bakugou resented Fate for that.
Suddenly, footsteps. Fast, then slowing down, quiet as they approached him.
"Kacchan? Are you-" Deku cut himself off by clamping a hand over his mouth when he grasped ahold of the situation, tears threatening to spill as a vanquished and defeated Bakugou turned to face him.
"H-He's gone, Izuku. Eijirou's g-gone."
Without warning, the blonde crumpled to the floor. Deku rushed to catch him before he landed, supporting him as they stayed crouched.
Bakugou cried. He cried for lost years and lost love, that had been cruelly ripped away from him when he had been at his happiest. He cried for the eternal pain that he would surely feel for the rest of his life, never ceasing, never quitting. He cried for everything he had let slip away from him the moment his soulmate's life had been cruelly ripped away at the hands of despicable malevolence. Clutching tightly at Deku's ripped and dirtied shirt, Bakugou let the last of his pride and dignity be washed away by the constant stream of tears. He let the world see who he was now, no pretences, no façades.
A kid. A damaged, heartbroken kid who had been exposed to the harsh realities of society on that day. Now Bakugou had been left heartbroken and hopeless, with fresh wounds and tears to add to his sorrows.
Time went on without Bakugou for the next few minutes. He lost track of everything - stuck in his thoughts and the lingering hopes and dreams of what could've been with Kirishima. They were supposed to have a future. Become pro heroes. Get married. Live a life worth living.
But now that was gone. And Bakugou didn't know if he'd be able to cope with the everlasting pain that he felt in that moment for the rest of his life. He just continued to cry, hoping that his suffering would cease.
It didn't.
---
Shortly after, Bakugou dropped out of U.A. With no Quirk and the memories that haunted him in that place, he couldn't force himself to stay.
He became distant; withdrawn. He didn't speak to people, or put any effort into his routines, drifting through each day in an endless cycle of destruction like a mindless zombie. Concerned texts from Sero, Ashido and many more were left unanswered and forgotten - eventually it became rare for them to have even the shortest of conversations.
Bakugou couldn't find the motivation to do anything, instead opting to reflect on what could've happened if he had been stronger on that day. It only lead to more hot, angry tears and harsh, vile words spoken without a thought and regretted instantly.
He didn't want to push everyone away, but life seemed to make sure that Bakugou was harsh and abrasive with every word he spoke. The only light he had left in his life had flickered out, leaving his shrouded in darkness and sorrow.
Deku had tried to empathise with the boy - tell him that everything would be alright without a Quirk. But it wasn't the power that Bakugou missed. If it meant bringing Kirishima back, he'd surrender his Quirk in a heartbeat to see his soulmate's cheery face again. He'd told this to the green-haired boy through through angry sobs and a stream of vulgar language - after that they rarely spoke, Deku choosing to do what he thought was best for Bakugou.
Under the deep cover of night, Bakugou would go to the beach. Looking out at the moon reflecting on the mysterious ocean waves, he remembered the the day that Kirishima confessed everything. The first time Kirishima had kissed him.
The first time he told Bakugou he loved him.
Bakugou would replay these events over in his mind every time he visited; the beach was a spot they shared for tender moments between the two and he wasn't about to relinquish that title.
Staring up at the stars, he smiled, slightly, for the first time in a long while. Within the intricate patterns of the inky black sky Bakugou saw Kirishima, cheering him on and encouraging him to keep going, his radiant face stretched into that cheeky grin that Bakugou adored so much.
It wouldn't hurt to listen to him this one time, would it?