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It was twelve hours after pro hero Ground Zero’s untimely death that pro hero Deku showed his face to the press. His olive green locks were wild, encasing his face like a barbaric vinefield, wide eyes red and glassy. He faced the crowd, loud fans of himself and Ground Zero taking up the whole entrance of the hospital and the road that led to it. No one was allowed inside other than Katsuki’s family, Red Riot and Deku of course. He probably took it harder than anyone. Still, he took on a strong face for the fans, who were all just as hysterical as he was. No one had expected Ground Zero to lose that day.
The villains had them outnumbered. They had an army, and it was worse than anyone had expected. Their leader, who Deku had been fighting with that whole time had managed to get many punches on him and wasn’t steadily losing any stamina. Deku could barely keep up, despite his rank. Deku can remember how fast it happened. The villain’s greenly electrified fist, an exact duplicate of Deku’s quirk, prepared to smash with all he had. There was no way Deku could survive that in the state he was in. How quick Katsuki had jumped in, blocking the smash with his own battered body. Deku could remember the look on his face as he saw the way Katsuki’s body had crumpled to the floor, limbs wilted like a decayed flower, blood pooling thick under his crushed skull. He didn’t think he could ever forget.
“Hello, everybody.” Deku starts with, standing in front of the wild fans and press, glove clad hand gripping onto a silver microphone. “I know all of you want to know how Ground Zero is doing,” His voice wavers, and he looks down. The crowd has started to get a sense of how the situation had gone. Still, they stayed quiet for him.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Deku falls into a ninety-degree bow, tears tracking into his hairline. “I couldn’t save him.” Fans fell to their knees. The camera’s flashed and videos were taken, press yelling their questions over the uproar of heartbroken souls. Deku could hear Katsuki’s mother crying from beside him underneath it all. He stands straight, fists trembling at his sides. “During the villain attack, Ground Zero sacrifice himself to save me.
He was selfless today, and it cost him his life. He was exactly what it took to be a hero.”
“It hurts. It does, but. Katsuki wouldn’t want us to cry for him. I know that better than anyone.” Deku takes his gloves off. He bites his lips and he wipes his tears.
“Katsuki Bakugou. Where do I start?” He lets out a humourless laugh, closes his eyes to put together his thoughts. The crowd falls silent once again, only the silent screams of lost hope and crying hearts. “He and I were childhood friends. Well, I always wanted to be his friend. He- he never liked me all that much. Katsuki was always just so angry. He always had such strong emotions, and he used that to fuel his desire to win. He was a fire and he truly changed the world with his flames.”
“All throughout my life I looked up to him. Katsuki always knew what he wanted and made sure he got it. Always so determined, so set on his goals. I truly admired him for that. A brave soul he always was, especially today.”
“ In my eyes, Kacchan was always the best. A raging inferno of passion and hatred, explosive in every word; every emotion.”
“I think that the truth of it all was that Katsuki was inexplicably sad. He pushed everybody away, and when they finally stopped bouncing back he never once asked them to come back. Never asked for help. For support. But man cannot live alone. We need others, and so Katsuki suffered alone. I never- never knew how deeply rooted his personal struggles truly were. Everybody thought so highly of him at such a young age. It was tough with all that pressure, needing to always be the best. He took it in stride but always strained. I don’t blame him, never did.”
“During our hero careers, he warmed up to me, just a bit. Let me in, just enough. I am honoured he confided in me, just as I did today. If not for him, this would be a very different world. If not for him, I wouldn’t be here anymore. I have my entire life to thank him for. Thank you, Kacchan.” Deku looks up to the sky, fixes his eyes on the brightest star in the sky. He pauses to study the crowd. Most of them were openly crying now, and if he could he would be too. Today was a day of great loss and their city may never be the same. Deku spares a look to Red Riot, takes a step back so the pro could speak.
“We all loved Katsuki.” Riot says, tears wetting his cheeks, dark eyebags underneath his eyes. He hasn’t slept, surely. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without him. He was my everything. And I tried, breaking down his walls and truly understanding what kind of hero Ground Zero was.”
Eijirou holds Izuku’s hand as he tries not to fall apart. “None of us will be the same without him around. The league of villains may push boundaries. We all need to be at our best; for Katsuki. He would want us to raise our heads high. Too never, ever stop fighting. I will catch them. And I will make them pay. But, for now. let’s just try and celebrate his life. Celebrate how good of a hero was, and never forget his legacy.”
“Ground Zero has inspired so many. And will continue to inspire so many more. Let’s do this for him, if not for me.”
And, that night the stars seemed to shine brighter than they ever did before.