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“Katsuki. Katsuki.”
Bakugo slowly opened his eyes as he heard a soft, light voice calling out to him. Everything was blurry for a minute, but he quickly recognized who was speaking once he saw a blob of all too familiar pointy red hair. Kirishima warmly smiled down at Bakugo as his vision cleared up.
“E-Eijiro?”
The redhead chuckled. “Hey Kats.”
Bakugo felt himself smile a bit. It had felt like a lifetime since he’d seen that damn face, but it was such a comfort after everything he just went through. Kirishima took Bakugo’s damaged hand and held it up to his cheek, still smiling at him.
Suddenly, Bakugo realized they were no longer in the city. In fact, they seemed to be nowhere, just a white void. His eyes and smile drooped downward. “I’m dead, aren’t I?” Bakugo asked. “No fucking way Edgeshot could bring me back twice.” Kirishima giggled and Bakugo swore he felt his heartbeat speed up.
Wait. His heartbeat?
How was that possible if he died?
As if Kirishima read his mind, he explained. “You’re not dead Kats. You’re dreaming.” His smile faded as his tone got more serious. “Now listen to me, you were so amazing, and I know you're tired, but you gotta wake up and get back out there for just a little longer. Midoriya is still fighting Shigaraki. You need to go help him.”
Bakugo frown deepened as took in what Kirishima had told him. “I dunno if I can.” he admitted. “I can barely move or…fuck, even feel my body right now.” Kirishima went back to smiling again. “Since when has that ever stopped you? The Katsuki I know never sits on the sidelines when the people he loves are in danger. And he doesn’t stop until he knows it’s over and he's won.”
Kirishima raised his other free hand to cup Bakugo’s unbloodied cheek. “Time to go beyond, Dynamight. Far more than you ever have, even more than you did a few minutes ago. Midoriya needs you. Me and our friends need you. Hell, the whole damn world does. You can do this, I know it. Just keep believing in yourself and your powers, like you always taught me. And we both know you’ve got plenty of confidence to do that.” he encouraged with a smirk.
Bakugo thought for a minute. His friend was right. He was Katsuki Bakugo. His own fucking name meant victory. No way would he dishonor that now or let down his friends.
“Besides…” Kirishima brought Bakugo out of his mind as he began talking again, still continuing to grin even with his visage getting foggy. “you still gotta tell the real me how much you love him, remember?”
“Hold on, I think he’s waking up! Dynamight, can you hear me?”
Bakugo’s eyes fluttered open. Instead of Kirishima looking down at him, it was a paramedic and he was no longer in the white void. He was back in the waking world, apparently having just been wheeled into an ambulance. But Bakugo knew he couldn’t stay here. He was needed.
Ripping off the oxygen mask put on him and getting off the gurney despite the medics trying to have him lay back down, Bakugo headed to the ambulance doors, stumbling out into the cold air and gray skies, only briefly taking notice of the massive crater he had made during the fight. “What are you doing kid?! You need to get back in the ambulance right now!” Bakugo ignored the command. “Where’s Deku?” The paramedic froze. “De-“ The man stopped for a moment before continuing. “…last we heard, he and a ton of Heroes were fighting Shigaraki near Mount Fuji.” Bakugo turned around in the direction of the mountain.
“Wait, you’re not actually going there, are you?” “Of course, I am, you idiot!” Bakugo snapped. “There’s some dumbasses of mine out there, fighting with everything they've got to save the world. How the hell could I do anything less? They need my help. And I’m not gonna sit around on my ass and watch or stop for one goddamn second until we win this. That's not the Hero or person I am. Besides...” he said, smiling a little. "those morons wouldn't know how to function for shit without me."
There was stunned silence for a few seconds. “Still, there’s no way you could make it all the way there in your condition! You'll die!” another medic tried to argue.
Bakugo scoffed, turning his head back to the small group and smirked. “Fucking watch me.” he dared, then ran off, continuing to ignore the medics yelling for him to stop. Once he was at a safe enough distance from them, Bakugo draw upon every ounce of power he still had inside to ignite the strongest explosion using Cluster possible to soar, shattering building windows that hadn't already been broken and splitting the concrete roads apart as he zipped past, some of it even melting from the intense heat coming off him. Now rocketing to Mt. Fuji, Bakugo promised himself that even if he did end up dying, he would at least make damn sure Eijiro and everyone else would go on to live in a more peaceful, happy world where they could live out the dreams they wanted.
Bakugo flew to the mountain in a few short minutes, but the more time passed, the more he could feel himself losing steam. Just as he arrived, he saw Kurogiri right in front of Izuku, blocking his path to Tomura. Right when Bakugo feared he wouldn’t have enough strength to make it, he saw, in his peripheral vision, an ice slope.
Half ‘n Half. He must have seen him coming in.
That smart bastard.
Aiming for the ramp as best he could, Bakugo compelled both his body and Quirk to pull off one last burst of speed and energy to launch himself to his old friend and rival, blasting Kurogiri into nothingness and giving Izuku the opening he needed. With a quick explanation to Present Mic and a command for Izuku to surpass him just this one time, Bakugo let himself fall.
“KATS!”
The blond turned his head to where that so very recognizable voice had come from, seeing none other than Kirishima in the distance with Hanta and Mina beside him. All three were smiling with Kirishima and Mina looking teary eyed, though Bakugo mainly focused on the redhead. He had the same grin and bright sparkle in his eyes Bakugo had gotten out of him many times before. Whenever he showed off some new technique, made even a bit more progress in therapy, or after he apologized to Izuku. An expression of absolute pride and awe.
Bakugo smiled back as he descended to the ground. Like hell was gonna die. Not for a long fucking while. He'd fight to keep living so he could continue to see that stupidly endearing look on his Shitty Hair's face long after this ended.