Chapter Text
Katsuki Bakugou was the Bōrei of UA, he didn’t speak, he didn’t interact, he didn’t express anything on his face besides a vacant, dull stare. He follows his classmates, sits with them at lunch, or just hangs close by, but he doesn’t speak. For both this and his overpowering strength, the rest of 1A finds him unnerving, never sure if he’s even listening to them. He is. Katsuki knows how they feel, and he knows who they aren’t.
Ochaco Uraraka is optimistic and bubbly, but isn’t a fanatic. Mashirao Ojiro is plain and bashful, but too calm. Tenya Iida is earnest and smart, but too strict. Momo Yaoyorozu is analytical and altruistic, but is a natural leader. Tsuyu Asui is responsible and looks like him, but too blunt. Kaachan Bakugou is going to be a hero that saves everyone and makes them feel safe with only a smile, but he can’t.
—
As he stands on the podium for first place, he can hear the cheers and roars of the crowd pounding at his throbbing skull. His gaze lands on nothing, and Almight quickly fills that spot, wrapping the red ribbon around his neck and pulling him into a hug. But Katsuki doesn’t feel much, no pride or sense of joy, just a quiet yet insistent pain that’s always bubbling in the trenches of his chest. Almight was always his favourite hero. Imposter syndrome clouds his reality, he doesn’t dare to raise his arms and accept the praise from the number one hero, not as he is right now.
Once Almight has stepped back, the crowd grows rowdier, causing that sick culpability to sizzle and pop louder in his stomach. Without needing to look, he can feel Todoroki’s jealous glare being drilled into his skull, which he promptly ignores and lowers his head to look at the lustrous gold dangling from his neck. It weighs much more than the medal’s mass alone, and more than anyone in this stadium could understand. His feet shuffle awkwardly in the scarlet red trainers, coated in dust and dirt from the long day of struggling through destroyed terrain. His matching eyes pull themselves upwards, scanning over the sea of smiles; strangers.
I’ll probably get a lot of internship offers. His eyes fail to land on viridian. I’ll pick a hero that specialises in rescue.
—
Katsuki had been closely following Ochaco and Iida on their way to the cafeteria, listening to their conversation of the celebrations they had with their families over their performances in the sports festival. As if just remembering Katsuki was with them, Ochaco awkwardly turns around to the first place winner that kept her in fourth.
“Uh… How did your family react, Bakugou? They must’ve been proud,” she throws him a sheepish smile, pressing her hands together to accentuate her point. Katsuki hums and shrugs his shoulders, which only stomps out her attempt to include him.
“Did they not celebrate your victory?” Iida poses, holding a hand out in concern.
“They did.” Katsuki states simply, as is usual for him. The two friends look to each other for help, clearly unsure on how to react to such a dry response. Ochaco Uraraka had always tried her best to include Katsuki, anytime the class would be congregating together, she’d always direct a question to him. All heads turn to see his response; to see if Katsuki would respond at all. He was silently grateful for her kindness, but he doesn’t have the desire to be included with them until-
“Young Bakugou… is here!” Almight’s bellowing voice announces, pointing right at the boy in question. The sudden appearance makes the two friends jump and whip their head around, Katsuki just looks over with slightly wider eyes than prior. “You wanna have lunch with me?” He sheepishly reveals the cutely wrapped bento box in his hand, which Ochaco simply awes at. Why was he getting special attention from the number one hero? For winning the sports festival? Katsuki shakes his head in polite refusal, muttering a small:
“no thank you”, but Almight seems to insist, laughing loudly and smacking a stubborn hand on the champion’s shoulder.
“Please, I insist! I have a matter I wish to discuss with you, you can catch up with your friends after.” So it wasn’t an invitation after all. Ochaco and Iida wave goodbye and continue their walk to the cafeteria, and once they’re a few steps away, Katsuki can hear Iida’s loud whispering about ‘trying to shut down a golden opportunity.’
Once they enter the staff lounge, the much larger of the two sits down and gestures towards the sofa opposing his, which the reserved boy follows and plops himself down. Katsuki looks at Almight expectantly, hoping to get this over with so he can go back to observing on the sidelines. However, the tanned man carefully unwraps his lunch and takes his time to set it on the table.
“Congratulations on winning first place, young man. You were in the top three for all rounds and came out on top in the end!” Almight flashes a thumbs up as he gives the usual praise Katsuki’s come to hear for the past 12 hours. “Not to mention the determination in your voice during the athlete’s pledge as you vowed to save others with a fearless smile! That’s the true meaning of heroism, my boy! Not the flashy beatdowns of villains, but ensuring the hope and safety of the world!” Expressively, Almight’s waves his arms around and poses as he speaks, just watching his theatrics tire Katsuki out. Right, the pledge.
“Mhm.” Almight practically throws himself backwards off the couch at the hum.
“Which brings me to my question… Do you have that smile in you, young Bakugou?” Well that was unexpected. Almight seems to notice the boy’s surprise beneath the demotivation of his skin. “You are a promising student, excellent grades, a powerful quirk, and your performance from the entrance exam to now constantly has you on top! Even during the festival you had your hand scribbling away into that notebook of yours, you’re always showing intense determination to be the best… But what is it that drove you to make that pledge?”
Oh. The pledge is out of character for him, a fearless smile? He doesn’t exactly have the reputation of being smiley and benevolent. Katsuki’s calloused fingers twirl around each other as his brain tries to pluck out the best answer to give his teacher.
“I don’t want people to hurt. Why wouldn’t I want to save everyone and make them happy?” He chooses deflection.
“A noble desire. But you know that’s not what I’m asking.” Katsuki’s head drops to his lap, and the two sit in silence. To fulfill what he no longer has the chance to do. A deep sigh fills the room, and the sound of the leather relaxing as a heavy weight is lifted follows. Through his peripheral, he watches Almight’s trek over to the window. “I’m not Nighteye, but I can see a bright future in you, my boy. I want to help in the ways I’m capable.” His voice is suddenly serious, losing the flare he usually speaks with. Low and with an underlying nervousness. The boy’s brow furrows, his crimson eyes looking up to the sturdy silhouette in confusion. Almight suddenly spins himself around, grinning ear to ear, pride and hope beaming from his lightly wrinkled face. “I deem you worthy to inherit my quirk, young man.”
…
What the hell is he talking about?
The hero guffaws at Katsuki’s baffled expression and saunters back over, engulfing the boy’s shoulder with his large hand.
“You should see the look on your face! Now, this is your choice to make, and regardless of your answer you mustn’t tell anyone else of this secret, ya’hear?” Katsuki blinks at him, still not understanding what’s going on. Despite this, he slowly nods. “Excellent! I was not born with this quirk, it’s a torch that has been handed to me, cultivating power between each person who receives it. The name of this secret is called One for All.”
A quirk that can be given to another person? Aren’t they supposed to be unique to each person? But wait, wouldn’t that mean…
“So,” Katsuki begins, “before you inherited… One for All, you were… quirkless?” His voice trembles as he pushes the words out, and suddenly it’s as if his heartbeat is working overtime, thumping loudly in his chest and throbbing in his skull. That dormant guilt that’s always sizzling in his chest quickly turns into a pit of dread and sickness. Almight—the number one hero, his favourite—confirms his suspicion with a nod of the head.
Almight was born quirkless.
Maybe using his quirk so much has damaged his ears, maybe he’s panicking, but the words detailing his quirk that fall out of Almight’s mouth next don’t reach Katsuki’s ears.
The organ in his chest palpitates, his body heating in shame, like a match has been lit under him and he’ll spontaneously explode at any moment. Hot nitroglycerin covers his red palms, as if blood is seeping from his peccant glands—blood that is not his own. The rough skin is dragged against his uniform, desperately trying to wipe away this revelation, it isn’t true. He won’t recover if it is.
There’s just,
no way…
The strong weight on his shoulder squeezes gently, and Katsuki looks up at the concerned man before him, voice careful as he questions the loner’s state:
“Are you okay? I know this is a lot I’m dumping on you at once, especially after a stressful day like the sports festival… I don’t want you to feel like you have to accept, it’s your choice. But I’m nothing if not resilient, so I will make my case against any concerns you throw my way, young man.” The familiar grin that plasters an abandoned bedroom beams to Katsuki, daring him to try and deny Almight’s quirk. The delinquent’s lips part, a small sound falling out as his vocal cords fail to form coherent words.
“I don’t deserve it…” his voice quieter than before, broken and holding down any tears for dear life. Almight simply responds with his boisterous laughter and patting Katsuki’s back in comfort
“Of course you do! Even outside your academic performance, you spend your time writing about hero techniques in your journal, and if my old age isn’t failing my eyes, you have twelve other volumes, yes?” Those aren’t mine. “You have the qualities, drive, and performance of a great hero, my quirk will simply help you on that journey to getting to the top!” That drive isn’t mine. I stole it.
“I’m not a good person.” That seems to catch Almight off-guard, he was expecting doubt, but not like this. His smile falters, and his hand slips off Katsuki’s slouched back. The boy’s bloody eyes fall back down to his lap, feeling his organs rot inside his shaking skeleton. There’s a few beats of silence, the longer it drags the higher the pressure builds in his head.
“What makes you say that, my boy?” I can't tell you. If I say it out loud, it becomes real. Katsuki bites his lip and picks at his cuticles, dragging his nails against his torn and irritated skin. Barbed wire tangles around his vocal cords, his throat burning with the threat of crying out if he dares to speak. But Almight won’t let up, asking the question again after each bout of long silence. Finally, Katsuki takes a wrenching breath of air and holds it, feeling his pleura burn with each passing moment. And finally, when he exhales, tears glaze over his eyes.
“It’s just who I am… I hurt people.” It’s not a lie, it’s not the extent of the truth, but it answers his favourite hero’s question. The man in question sighs, giving Katsuki a moment to quickly wipe away the tears before they have a chance to collect and fall.
“That’s just how humans are, young Bakugou. I've even hurt people, sometimes deliberately.” Almight’s voice shifts as he speaks, rougher and losing energy, His defined arms begin to smoke, before a large puff erupts from the man. Katsuki refuses to look up at him, terrified of breaking if he sees the expression on his face.
How can Almight have hurt people? He’s the symbol of peace, it goes against all he represents… The frail stranger before him crouches to be in Katsuki’s line of sight, dark eyebags and gaunt… everything, really. Katsuki is taken aback, flinching away from the skeletal man. The same voice speaks from a different face:
“No one can wear a smile forever, just when people need it. Same with the rest of me, in and out. Almost six years ago now, I fought against a powerful villain,” to demonstrate, the blonde’s shirt is lifted to show a violent, disturbing, plum-coloured scar radiating from his lower torso. “Gross right? I had to have my entire stomach removed, and the surgeries completely wore me out. So, when I’m not a hero, I look like this. I had to kill that villain.” Katsuki’s heart drops, and his eyes flicker up to Almight’s, a sense of urgency emanating from his sunken, blue irises. “And I won’t lie and say I wasn’t happy about it. Sometimes I lay awake at night wondering if I can still call myself a hero for feeling that way,” His skinny hands let go of his oversized shirt and blazer, covering the scar once more.
“But… you killed and hurt villains… it’s not the same.” The trembling boy was still struggling to comprehend this being Almight. This emaciated, frowning man whose suit is devouring his weak body.
“You’re right, it’s not. Because you know you regret it, and you hold yourself accountable for whatever pain you caused. Of course, actions matter more than how you feel, but that’s why you’re in the hero course, isn’t it? It was in your pledge to help and save others.” Katsuki can feel his tears well all over again, “Whatever it is you’ve done, you’re not that same boy anymore… And you’re only fifteen years old, you shouldn’t be torturing yourself for your mistakes.” His shoulders heave with each gasping breath, Almight’s compassionate expression becoming obstructed by the blur of Katsuki’s tears. “Stop excluding yourself from your classmates, let yourself wear that fearless smile. If you hurt someone again, then you can make it up to them. No teenager should feel like they’re hopeless or deserving of isolation…”
Almight rests his scrawny hands on the boy’s shoulders, and for the first time since Izuku Midoriya’s suicide, Katsuki finally lets the tears fall from his eyes. His body collapses forward to cling on desperately to his hero’s shirt, silently crying as he clenches his loud, painful, ragged sobs behind his teeth.
“Why— Why choose me? I’m not the only strong one… There’s Kirishima, or Uraraka— even Iida— they’re already good people… and they don’t have any strongly offensive quirks, so why give me one more—” As Katsuki speaks, his strangled words are continuously interrupted by that annoying, pitched gasping. They’re all such kind and respectable people with incredible determination to become heroes, and their quirks in theory work better with a secondary offensive quirk. Iida and Ochaco’s mainly work for rescue and Kirishima’s is better at defense, the sports festival showed how he isn’t suited for drawn out fights. Katsuki is a curt, reclusive prick with a powerfully versatile quirk. How is he Almight’s choice to be the next holder of One for All?
Almight chuckles—this laugh lighter and more realistic than all the previous—and returns the hug.
“Because you inspire me, young Bakugou. I’ve said it over and over here, your silent determination to be people’s saviour reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger.” It’s not me you’re seeing.
“Before I had inherited One for All, I knew I needed to be the world’s symbol of peace to give everyone hope in their darkest times. You don’t think you deserve it because you hurt people, but who is it that you want to save?” Katsuki clutches the yellow, now-wrinkled blazer tighter before pulling away. He makes up his mind as he wipes his tears away with his sleeve.
…
I’ll do what Izuku can’t anymore. I’ll take what he can no longer be offered.
Katsuki Bakugou looks up at Almight, pain and resolve swirling together in his sore, red eyes.
“I… I’ll accept your quirk.”