Chapter Text
When I woke up this morning, I had never considered this could be my final day on earth. I was young and healthy with a stable job and wonderful friends and family. While living alone, I never felt too lonely as I had friends from work over fairly often. I loved every aspect of my life and was content, but I had never considered the immense danger that being friends with the top heroes would leave me in..
…..
"Shit! I'm going to be late!" Rushing through the door of your apartment complex completely disheveled and panicked, you tugged at your blouse hoping the buttons you did in your hurry were even and straight.
With a half-lidded cup of coffee and a stack of disorganized folders and papers, your heels clacked against the sidewalk as you carefully wove in and out of other pedestrian's way hoping you made it to the bus stop on time. However, your trek was cut short as a crowd stood at a standstill waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Forced to stay there, you muttered under your breath as you fought against the clock. You pulled your belongings closer to your chest blowing out impatient air. You glanced back at your watch before your attention was subverted by the electronics shop next to you. It momentarily distracted you from dancing in place impatiently. You turned your eyes to the display window stacked full of different TVs displaying the same news channel it always did. Typically you didn't pay any mind to it. it was just another day on the news. However, this time the name of a familiar friend caught your ears behind the muffling glass the TVs sat behind. You whipped your head over to watch.
'Pro hero Dynimight once again fails to capture the number one villain, leader of the League of Villains, Deku, after a tragic terrorist attack leaves thousands homeless and injured. Surprisingly, no one was killed in the incident, however, many people still blame the number one hero for this devastation.'
"..." Your body slowly came to a stop as you gulped to yourself.
You heard many things about this villain, Deku, otherwise known as Izuku Midoriya. He was said to be a cold-blooded monster who once aspired to become a hero despite being quirkless. It was his dream when he was younger to be like his idol Almight, symbol of peace. However, after an alleged suicide note was found by his late mother that led many to believe he killed himself, he suddenly returned five years later after the new number one, Bakugou Katsuki graduated from UA. Deku was ruthless. He attacked with precision and purpose and was always two steps ahead. He seemed to know everything and anything about the pro heroes, their powers, weaknesses, and struggles. He knew how to hurt them.. And hurt them he did, but his obsession was with one hero in particular.
You gazed into the distraught face of Katsuki Bakugou as the news reporter tried interviewing him on the battlefield, you couldn't help but feel a tug of sympathy for the man. He was a bit of a hot head and could be an asshole, but deep down the situation with his long-lost childhood friend was slowly eating away at him.
You were rudely snapped back to reality as a passerby barked at you to move when the light turned green. Not realizing how dense the crowd had become, you squealed and flinched, forcing you to trip over your heels. Unable to stop in time, you collided into someone and lost all balance. You gasped sharply as your body began to fall and your grip on your coffee, papers, and folders began to slip from your fingertips. Just as all hope was lost, two strong arms wrapped themselves around your torso and then pulled you into the chest of your hero. As your coffee splattered to the ground, he twirled you away, saving your outfit and legs from being burned by the liquid. When you dared to open your eyes you were shocked to see a pair of brilliant, emerald optics gazing down at you.
"..Are you alright?" He asked. His tone was surprisingly high for a man his age, but the muscular build made your heart skip a beat as he seemed to hold you closer after posing his question.
You stared this man up and down, scanning his face. He was wearing a black hoodie and face mask matching in color. His long bangs flowed between his abnormally large eyes and down the bridge of his nose; however, just behind the hair, you could just barely make out strange scars running like an X down his face. Before you could get a better look, he stood you back on your feet and bent down elegantly to retrieve your papers.
"Oh! Wait! You don't have to do that!" You flusteredly squealed. "I'm the one that bumped into you--!"
The man kindly smiled behind his mask. "It's alright." As he handed you the now neatly folded stack, he stuffed his gloved hands back into his hoodie pocket and slowly moved to stand beside you.
As he did, an unsettling chill coiled down your spine. You felt as though, for some reason, this man who just saved you would swallow you whole like a snack. With the fear clear in your eyes, the man seemingly smirked and leaned over just beside your ear and whispered, "Better be more careful. You might just run into the wrong person next time."
When the mysterious man took another step away, your lungs released breath you hadn't realized was being held. You stood frozen for a moment before subconsciously twirling on your heels to call after the man but were taken aback to find he had disappeared within the crowd as if he wasn't there to begin with.
"..What a weird guy." You grumbled uncomfortably before slowly pulling yourself away and back to the task at hand of getting to work in time.
….
The agency of the number five hero, Hawks, was the second-largest in Japan now just behind the Todoroki family agency. Even though he had declined in the polls, Hawks' heroics only soared. You were honored to be employed by such an amazing person. Not only that, you had become very good friends with him. He loved to tease and play childish pranks on you regularly, but he was also protective of you. You were like a little sister to him and he took the role of your 'big brother' quite seriously. So, you shouldn't have been surprised when you burst through the glass doors out of breath and disheveled, a strong flap of air almost knocked you down. You squealed as your body adjusted to brace as two, gloved hands grasped your shoulders. It was the winged hero himself. He stared at you with knitted brows as he lightly touched your chin up to look at him in his golden, sharp eyes.
"Y/N. Are you okay?" The question seemed more like a demand as you blinked your enlarged eyes rapidly.
"I-I'm fine!" You hurriedly shook yourself from the tall hero and sheepishly sighed. "My alarm didn't go off and I got my skirt zipper stuck in my blouse and then I couldn't find my wallet and--"
You were interrupted by the sound of sonorous laughter. "HAHA!" Keigo surprised you with a belly laugh as he bent over. "I know you can be clumsy sometimes, but you had me worried this time! Jerk!" He softly bumped you with his left wing before snatching your folders as by now papers had started trickling from them. Several of his crimson feathers flowed to retrieve the missing pages and stack them in his hand before returning to his magnificent wings. With a smirk only he could pull off, he motioned for you to follow. "Come on, everyone is waiting on you for the meeting to start, we've got a special guest."
"Oh?" you asked absently.
You didn't want to worry Hawks more so you kept your mouth shut about the run-in with that stranger from earlier. But as you followed behind him, your mind wandered to those earlier events. That man seemed so familiar even though you couldn't quite place it or see all of his face. You couldn't stop thinking about his eyes. How there was kindness yet.. Something sinister hidden deep within.
You followed Hawks to the top floor of the agency where your morning meetings would take place. As you entered the frosted, glass door, you kept your head down while forming an apologetic bow. "Sorry I'm late--"
"Oi, dumbass." Before you had time to raise your head, you were smacked by a roll of papers. You instinctively threw your hands over your head before angrily making eye contact with the perp, only to be met with tired, crimson eyes.
"Dynamight!" You gasped.
You heard the tall hero click his tongue and grumble to himself before softly rolling his eyes. "Idiot. Do you have a brain in there?" He asked sarcastically as he repeatedly smacked the top of your head with his thick roll of papers. "I told you to call me Katsuki, got it? Need me to spell it out for ya, huh?"
"Why are you hitting me??" You whined, shoving his broad chest away to create distance between you both.
"So then maybe I can beat some sense into you!" The number one hero smirked as you nimbly snatched the papers from his gloved hands and huffed hair from your face. Ever since the first time you met the up-and-coming star of Japan, you both poked fun at each other.
It was always like this.
Luckily, being friends with the current number two at the time gave you many opportunities to meet other heroes, and the newest graduating class of UA's hero course was no exception. At the time, you had just graduated early from high school and had been working as an intern for Hawks' agency for a little over six months. Part of your duties was to attend ceremonies like this and keep track of the busy schedule that came with being number two. As you sat in those uncomfortable lawn chairs while Present Mic gave his long-winded speech, you couldn't help but lock eyes with the striking rubies of the blonde soon-to-be-hero. He was the top student in his class, so he had been asked to give a speech. As he sat behind the podium awaiting the Present Mic to finish, you couldn't help but stare. He seemed very confident and carried himself with pride, but behind those eyes, you noticed an undeniable sadness.
When the sound hero was finally pulled away from the podium by Eraser Head, that's when the blonde stood to his feet and began to make his way to the stand. The crowd went silent, all except for one person beside you. A boy around your age with a tattered hoodie pulled over his head and resting over his eyes halfway. He was also wearing a mask so only his half-exposed eyes could be seen. He'd been slouched over with his hands firmly stuffed in his pockets and antsy this entire time, softly bouncing his legs and shifting in his seat. You haven't thought much of it until you heard him mutter bitterly.
".. Finally .."
You glanced at him from the corner of your eye. The way the boy's eye leered at Bakugou had your heart skip a beat. There were so many intense emotions spilling from him. But just as he noticed your eyes on him, you quickly averted your gaze. Your heart pounded in your chest as you felt him suddenly shoot a glare at you. Just as he began to unclench his hand from his pocket the hothead began to speak, and that pacified the boy as if you had never existed.
"My name is Katsuki Bakugou. Today I'm graduating from class 1-A as the valedictorian. I'm not going to go into a long-winded speech, or whatever. I'm only here because I have to be.." He paused and swallowed. "We've worked hard to become heroes. All of us. We've poured our blood, our sweat, and tears into perfection.. But perfection isn't what this world needs. The world needs heroes who stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. The world needs heroes that do what's right for the greater good. The world needs heroes that won't hesitate to fly into the line of fire to save someone, no matter how cruel they had been to you in the past."
As the speech continued, you cautiously turned your eyes to the boy next to you again. You were shocked by how focused he was on the other speaker, like he was in a trance or something.
"We've all lost people along the road to graduation. We lost Ida Tenya, who was killed in Hosu City after encountering the villain, Stain. We lost Mirio whose quirk was stolen by villains.. And we lost Almight, our symbol of peace."
"Tch-!!" Clenching his pants leg, the mysterious male forced air through his teeth.
You shifted closer to Hawks uncomfortably and felt a wing over your shoulder. "It's fine, songbird. I'm keeping an eye on him." You heard him utter.
That helped you calm down a bit as you once more focused on the speech. However, when you connected your eyes to the stand you involuntarily gasped. The facade of the proud confident hero had been replaced with a lonely, disheartened shadow. As he paused and rubbed his face with his palm. He slowly drew a breath and began more quietly than before. "..I've.. lost someone.. Someone that I couldn't save because I was weak, arrogant, and foolish. Every day I strive to be the kind of hero he would have been. Someone kind, loyal, and.. someone who wouldn't hesitate to jump to save your life even if the odds were stacked against him." As the blond clenched at the robes of his school, he shook his head, tears coming to his eyes. The man snatched the microphone causing it to squeal a bit before he yelled, "I'll be the kind of hero he could be proud of, and I will be number one!"
As his voice echoed in the stands, the awkward science that followed grated against you.
"Forget this.." You heard the shrouded male utter. Without much concern, he stood to his feet with his hands connecting back into his pockets. You nervously watched as the boy stomped through the rows of other chairs, leaving the ceremony before it had barely begun.
As he left you released a breath you didn't know you had and felt your boss' wing resend.
….
The after-party for the graduation was nothing special. Everyone was excited and fluttering about with their family and friends. Most of the young heroes were already starting their conversations with their mentors who had come to congratulate them and place them in their agencies. However, the class valedictorian stood off on his own, sipping punch as he observed. You had been staring at him off and on, wondering when he would socialize. His speech had rubbed you wrong. You watched him sympathetically as his classmates tried to interact with him only for him to bluntly brush them off and send them on their way as he stood alone lost in thought. You pondered on what he had said in his speech, understanding there was an unresolved sadness there that made you want to comfort him somehow.
"Why don't you go talk to him?" You heard Hawks remark.
"B-But I--!" His red wings shoved you away with a playful smirk.
"You can take a break. Go make some friends, kid." He smirked as he rolled his glass on the table.
" ..Okay." You nodded softly at his suggestion.
With a nervous gulp, you slowly stride to the lonely hero. With his back propped up against the wall, he kept his arms tightly crossed over his broad chest as he listened to the others in the party loudly conversing. When you came closer, you noticed his blood-red eyes and how gorgeously they contrasted to his cornsilk hair.
"Uhh.. Hi! Your speech was really captivating." You nervously began.
His sharp eyes lazily focused on you from the side before he scoffed and crossed his arms tighter. "Right." He numbly replied. He then sighed heavily as if his response rubbed him the wrong way. He shook his head and directly faced you, unhooking his arms to shove his hand in his dress pants pocket. "And you are?"
"Oh! Sorry, I'm Y/N! We've never met! I-I am an intern for Hawks' agency."
Bakugou's cherry eyes looked you up and down, studying you for a time before swerving on his heels without a word, then snatching two new glasses of punch from the table beside him. "This place is annoying." He grumbled.
"...Oh." You held your arm and averted your eyes meekly. Taking that as your cue to leave him be, you began to turn your heels to wonder around the grounds, his voice stopped you.
"Oi. You're gonna just stand there, idiot?" He called a few feet away.
"H-huh?" You blinked innocently.
"..." For a split moment, Bakugou stiffened and a hint of pink rose to his cheeks before he gruffly tilted his head. "Let's go outside. This air is stifling. Hurry up. "
"Oh.. Okay!" Excited, you quickly caught up to the aspiring hero as he handed you the second glass.
….
The brisk air of spring softly touched your cheeks as you found yourself sitting next to the young hero. Without thinking you and he had been chatting back and forth. "Your quirk is amazing." You softly remarked after he finished telling you about his battles.
"It's.. Fine." Placing his hand in his chin he leaned on his knee. "..So, what's your quirk?"
You flinched. It wasn't much, but the blonde hero noticed forcing his eyes to focus on you, softly awaiting an answer as he studied you. "I.. Uhm.. Don't have one!" You smiled even as your fingers clenched the glass. How would someone as amazing as him react to that? You grew up being relentlessly taunted for being quirkles.. Would this aspiring hero treat you the same way? "I don't like talking about it. Kids used to bully me when I was younger.. Teasing me.. But you know, I never cared if I had a quirk or not.. it still hurt."
As he stared at your awkwardly flustered face, Bakugou widened his eyes slightly. A memory of the past seemed to strike him like a stake in the heart. He grunted, shaking his head. "Who cares if you're quirkless or not. Just means you're the special one."
"Huh?" you gasped. No one had ever said that to you before. You stared at the boy who was frustratedly scratching his spiky hair from his sentimental statment. "Hehe.." Slowly you began to giggle into your palm. "Thank you, Bakugou. No one has ever told me that before.. That means a lot coming from someone as amazing as you!"
"Eh?" Bakugou tossed his eyes to focus on you then grunted, widening his eyes like saucers. You were so familiar. This warmth, this kindness, and something more .. "..." Slowly and unconsciously, Bakugou's gruff hand reached out to you as a look of awe captivated him. He placed his hand over your cheek and you froze. Both of you gazed into each other's eyes as your mind went blank. "Your eyes.."
"Bakugou?" You shyly uttered falling prey to your nerves.
"Uh!" He flinched, pulling his hand away. With a wayward smile, he leaned on his knees. "Sorry, you just.. Reminded me of someone I used to know.."
The realization hit you like a brick. You pulled the tie around your blouse before gathering the courage to ask, "..The person you mentioned in your speech?"
"..." The smile turned sour as he lowered his head. Blonde strands of sun trickled over his sharp eyes. "Yeah." He replied numbly.
"..They sounded really special." You softly continued.
"..Yeah, I guess he was." Bakugou carefully licked his bottom lip in thought as you kept your gaze softly on him. You observed him, hoping you weren't being creepy as he found words to say. "I'm going to be the number one hero." He stood to his feet and lazily scuffed a few steps forward. "..I'll do what I can to make up for the past and hope to god he forgives me."
"..I think you'll be a hero he can be proud of, Bakugou." not really understanding what he meant, you held your firm eyes on his figure and just allowed him to vent and be there for him. That was more than enough for him.
"..." Cocking his head, Bakugou smirked at you. "Katsuki."
"Huh?..” you dumbly responded.
"My name, idiot." He chuckled, walking closer to you. He stood just in front of the bench you were sitting upon, poking your forehead, he pushed you softly and leaned in close. "Call me Katsuki."
…
As you whined, you remembered the moment you met the now esteemed number one and pouted. "Katsukiiiiii."
"Pifft!" He grinned, "Still as annoying as ever." He remarked playfully.
"Aww! You guys gonna kiss now?" Hawks responded smugly with his gloved hands clasped. "You two always were inseparable!~"
"Shut up, birdbrain." Bakugou sneered as he rolled his crimson eyes. "You're always saying stupid crap."
Holding his hands up in surrender, the number five hero grinned ear to ear as you snatched the papers from Bakugou's hand. You placed the stack on the head of the table and then passed them out to the other members of the sidekick team for Kegio, including number 12 in the charts Tokoyami.
"Can we please proceed with this meeting?" He asked with a stern glare toward the hothead.
"Ugh-- yeah fine." Rolling his eyes, Bakugou stomped to the chair next to yours and plopped down.
"Is Shoto going to be here?" You asked as you noticed his chair was vacant.
"No. He's too busy running Endeavor's crumbling agency. " remarked the blonde. "If he used his damn left side he could be number two easily, but he's stuck at number 4."
"Yeah.." You sighed. Poor Shoto had a lot more drama from his past to deal with too.
"Let's get into it then." Sitting at the head of the table, Hawks leaned forward on his elbows. "I appreciate you coming, number one. I'm sure you already know why I gathered you here."
"Tch!" Crossing his arms tightly against his broad chest, Bakugou sneered, throwing his foot on the table. "You don't need to remind me."
"I thought Best Jeanist taught you more manners than that," Tokoyami remarked.
"Can it, birdhead." retorted the irritated hero.
"Oooh~ scary!!" Playfully, Dark Shadow snickered from behind his master gleefully.
"Fuck off." You softly padded Bakugou on his muscular shoulder. "!.. " his eyes snapped at you as you sternly kept yours in line. He shifted under the weight of your gaze and sheepishly grumbled, ruffling his hair, and reluctantly sat up straight removing his foot from the table in a more respectful mannor. "Sorry."
"..Anyway." Continued Hawks, "The leader of the LOV has avoided capture for too long. His skill of tricks and tact isn't something to take on lightly."
"He is slippery.." Tokoyami sighed.
"Deku has to be apprehended. By any means."
"..Yeah, I know." Clenching his fist, Bakugou growled beneath his breath.
"As number five I've been keeping my sidekicks on constant watch so that we can find him or his hideout, but we've still come up empty handed. We no longer have Almight to protect us, so we have to combine our strengths." "You are the number one now, Dynamight. As such, your personal grudge with Deku can not affect how he is dealt with. We're heroes, after all. He chose his path. You chose yours."
"..I didn't come here to be lectured by a washed-up hero."
"Katsuki!" You snapped.
"..." While he was silent, Bakugou's eyes trembled behind the tall caller of his hero suit. He seemingly hid behind it regretfully as his gaze shifted to the side avoiding your disapproving look.
Hawks raised his hands and tried to bring the group back to focus with an awkward chuckle. He smiled as you relaxed back into your chair with a huff. "..It's alright, Y/N. This isn't an easy topic for him. I understand that, but we can't afford another repeat of what happened in Kyushu…."
….
..
.
'He's got to be dealt with… By any means.. I have full permission from The Heroes Association.. We kill Deku on sight--'
'What?! You can't!!'
'You had your chance to save him, Bakugou. Deku is too dangerous to let run loose. He has to go down...And if you don't do it.. Someone else will'..
As the communicator echoed in the vast darkness, calculated steps fell slowly in a circle around the table. The sound of a metal dagger leisurely scraping against a rock eerily lingered in the otherwise empty void.
"Them kill you??" Giggled a young woman as she lingered in the shadows a few feet away. "I'd love to see them try and get their hands on you!!" Whipping out a knife from seemingly thin air, the girl's blood, red eyes seemed to glow in manic delight.
"I'll burn them before they even get the chance." A male spoke up deeply as a sudden burst of flames colored like the ocean appeared on his left shoulder illuminating his leathery face.
"They can try to come close, but I'll destroy them as easily as breaking a toothpick." A man with death-like features sneered with an insane smile as he scratched furiously at his neck
"Now now.." A fourth more regal voice halted their insanity. They all became silent as all their eyes fixated on him. The man softly placed the freshly sharpened knife on the table beside the radio and sighed. "Let's not be hasty, my friends. They want to kill me? They can surely try. For only one person is allowed to end me." With the grace of a dancer that same man shrouded in darkness retrieved a second knife from behind his back and twirled it expertly between his fingers catching it on the tip of the blade He smiled into the blade's reflection and suddenly threw it with lightning speed until it landed onto a billboard littered with hundreds of news articles, photos, and letters. The tip of the blade landed perfectly on a particular photo in the middle of the board between the eyes of the number one hero's face. "No one else will come close. "
With leisure steps, the man sauntered to the knife and carefully retrieved it then smoothed his gloved finger down the stab mark left behind. He chuckled to himself then glanced to the side where another picture was pinned.
Your picture.
"Heh." With a twisted grin, the leader of the League of Villains brushed his hand over your face and said coldly, "And this woman is the key to it all.."
"I still can't believe how easy it was to bug her purse! What an idiot!!" Giggled that blonde girl as she came to stand next to the taller man.
"Well, people like her believe they're safe just because they're friends with heroes. " The boy chuckled. "But I can't blame them. I was the same way.. Not too long ago." Running his gloved fingertips over the scars running along his cheeks, he scowled. "We all must learn.. One way.. Or another.."