MHA: Ground Zero

Katsuki snapped back to reality in someone's arms, which was odd in of itself.

Izu and Kyo had stopped taking naps with him years ago, and no he wasn't being a salty asshole about it, okay?

What really confused him was how little his body was responding to his orders. Usually there's just a little resistance when he feels this exhausted, but now it's almost like his body has shut down rather than do the opposite of what he wants.

Oh, that's right. He was in the middle of getting his ass kicked.

Well, fuck.

Better now than later, he guessed.

He'd come to UA because he'd promised he'd be a hero with Izu and Kyo, knowing that he wasn't the strongest on campus. Not even close.

But did they have to nail it into his head that hard?

His eyes slowly managed to open, and he met soft blue.

Huh, her hair was periwinkle, not blue like her eyes.

Good to know.

"Hey."

Oh great, a meaningful conversation with a person. His one weakness.

"Hm."

What the hell? He'd tried to respond, but his mouth seemed to be closed tight. He moved to reach up and feel his throat…

Bad decisions were made.

Ow.

Okay, so not moving that arm.

Fuck.

"Your eyes are still doing that weird slit and glow thing."

Ugh, that'll go away when Katsuki gets some rest, and his body isn't stuck in do or die mode.

"You look like a kid who just had his candy stolen."

Well, whoop de fuckin doo. He just lost a fight, even if he'd known he was gonna lose, still didn't make it feel any better.

"Sorry."

It was a lesson, right? Just means if you weren't the ones to do it, the rat would have sent someone else.

"Tamaki didn't want any part of it, it's why he stuck to the side for so long."

So that's the animal boy's name. Fucker's got a good handle on his power. If TinTin didn't have such bullshit control over his quirk, then Tamaki would be the strongest out of all of them.

Katsuki tried to get a feel for his body, and it wasn't looking too good. Elbows fucked, calves are shredded, jaw feels weird, no teeth missing so that was good news atleast.

Did this girl have to bitch smack him out of the sky with a fucking nuke to his spine, though? Ow.

"All you had to do was give up. Retreat. Take a step back. Any of this, and that entire fight would have stopped without you ending up like this. You knew the moment we showed up what we were there for."

Not gonna happen.

"Why are you so stubborn?"

Because Katsuki wouldn't be who he was without also being a stubborn bastard.

"Kachan!"

Oh hell.

There she was, Izu in all of her green bean glory.

And she was crying.

Not those waterfall tears she shared with her mother when they got too emotional.

Real. Tears.

God damnit.

Her shoulders were shaking, her hands were bunched, and she was staring at him.

Fuck…

A quick glance to her side revealed Kyo walking beside them. She wasn't looking at him or anyone, the only reason she was still close was because her jacks were wrapped limply around Nejire's throat. Great, another fucking spiral.

Fuuuuck…

Alright, Izu can wait a moment, Kyo had seen him get nailed once by that lizard fuck and had never let it go. She just got lost in her own damn head and stayed there until someone pulled her out.

Need to get her attention.

Hmmm…

Got it.

Katsuki forced his palm to dangle limply away from Nejire, and allowed some small pops to sound out.

Picking up slowly, eventually he found the rhythm again, and began to play the first song she ever sang for him.

She had no reaction, and thankfully the other girls just silently followed behind Kyo.

Made it easier.

Shit.

The song was over and done with and still no reaction.

A second playthrough, same shit.

It was halfway through the third when she finally began to react, a small hum. It was better than nothing.

It took another minute for her to look him in the eyes, and oh fucking hell.

She was pissed.

"Katsuki."

Oh father in heaven…

"When you recover…"

Please spare some time to watch over Katsuki's dumb ass.

She didn't finish, but the smile that she offered Katsuki was deranged in a way hemd only seen once.

That crazy bitch from a year ago.

Ugh, just thinking about that chick made his stomach clench where she tried to stab him.

Fucking cu-

Oh shit.

"I'm going to fuck you up."

Wait…

That's it?

Katsuki was expecting world war four, not a promise to try harder the next time they fought.

"I'm going to chain you to the gurney, put my jacks straight into your spine, and scream."

Ah.

There she goes.

Good old Kyo.

Not taking any prisoners as usual.

"Kyochan! He needs to heal, not fall apart! We can't be mad at him if he's dead." Okay, Izu was definitely pouting at them both. Well, the song had done its job and mostly taken the tears away so

Wait…

Mad at him?! The fuck'd he do?!?! He'd tried his fucking best to win like he'd promised them both, why the hell was she mad at him for?!?!?

A small giggle drew his narrowed lethargic eyes to the woman carrying him. She was smiling again, so Izu should be happy. His first friend never could take it when someone was sad.

"You three are adorable."

Adorable, his explosive sweat covered body.

Speaking of which, his body was once more giving out on him, like a bitch.

His palm twitched, almost turning back towards his own face before going limp yet again.

Huh, interesting…

Almost as interesting as the shadows covering the edges of his vision as they passed by a large window.

Wait a fuckin minute…

How hard did the TinTin's gang hit him, cus Katsuki swore to god he was looking through a mirror into the future because there was an adult man with blonde hair and red eyes positioned above a scar bridging his nose and going across both cheeks…

The granny better have the good shit, or be ready to knock his ass out. Katsuki was not going to start hallucinating.

It did not end well for anyone the last time that happened.

So many mutant mushrooms…

Oh great, the fucking mirage was smiling at him, with the same look his Ma had when she went quiet and was thinking too hard.

Wait a fucking minute.

Is that Izu's chain?!?

The older man gave it a tug, and Katsuki was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"I wasn't sure if she got out alive that night."

…

"You won't be able to move any time soon, I just wanted to see you for myself. Meet my great grandson."

…

"You have no idea how happy I am that you exist, do you? How it felt when I saw you and your parents for the first time?"

…

"But there'll be time for that later."

!

CRACK

Bakugo forced his eyes to open against whatever was holding him still, and looked at the chains on his wrists and feet.

No. No no no.

Cracks now ran down them, some links only just holding together.

NonononoNonOnoNoNONO

His parents. His auntie.

They weren't safe.

They needed him.

"Go."

Katsuki just barely managed to look the owner of the strange voice in the eye, forcing back the ever growing rage forcing its way through his gut and into his lungs. It was the strange man who looked just like a window into his future.

No, his gut said a window tot he past.

Six more people were staring him in the eyes, assessing him.

They looked confused, concerned, like something wasn't right.

Most of all, they were measuring his worth.

The only people who got to judge him were his family.

The same family that wasn't safe within arms reach.

That needed to be fixed.

He felt something click into place, and orange sparks tinted his vision, warring with the red haze that was almost finished blinding him.

For the first time in his life, the void that he floated inside was alight with his explosions. A wave of fire, and sound, and sparks, and him exploded from where his heart should be, knocking half of them down and the rest away.

Only two didn't take a step back, in this strange island floating in the same void he'd always seen when he closed his eyes.

A tall woman with black hair and a beauty mark, and the man who looked like him and Ma.

They were both smiling.

They weren't nice smiles.

"Show them what happens when you mess with the wrong people, kid." It was the woman with the wide smile who spoke.

She seemed eager, elated even.

It didn't matter. He had a promise to keep.

A sun blossomed into existence behind a half constructed throne, in a ring of old stone chairs. It pulsed and shrunk before expanding back to its original size, and at the center of it was Katsuki himself. His eyes were closed, reaching outwards and letting go of the void.

And Katsuki forced himself back to the real world.

XXXXXXXXX

"You can't ignore me forever, I'm literally going to be your homeroom teacher."

Aizawa was already done with this class and he hadn't even made it to the first day.

Good god, what was he getting into with these kids?

Case in point, Midoriya. The young lady who happens to be the heir to the strongest hero in the world, and is currently acting like a four year old by pouting and staring off into space while ignoring him.

Yes, it hadn't been a stretch to come to the conclusion that Aizawa had been the one to order the whole exchange between Bakugo and the Big Three.

And yes, Bakugo had been thoroughly beaten down by his senpais.

But it was completely illogical to hold the fact that Bakugo refused to surrender against her teacher and act like a child.

At least Kyoka was rational enough to ask the right questions rather than sulk. Well, rational enough to quietly wait next to Bakugo's cot then try to annoy her teacher.

Aizawa sighed and sat up straight. Just as he opened his mouth to lecture the childness out of his wayward pupil, he felt a buzz in his jumpsuit pocket.

He felt his blood go cold, and his glowing eyes snapped to his phone. A red alert with a tracked location appeared on its screen.

His eyes were forced closed as a large explosion ripped from Bakugo's bed and erased the wall.

By the time Aizawa managed to open his eyes and use his quirk, Bakugo was gone.

"Let him go, Aizawa."

The fucking rat's voice rang through the infirmaries hidden speaker, Nezu knew.

A red haze descended onto his gaze, mirroring his quirk in a way that had only happened on his worst days, when there was nothing left to do but let the anger inside fuel him.

Fact one, his student's parents were in danger according to the emergency beacon Nezu had given to the adult Bakugos as per their contract to care for Eri.

Fact two, his student had somehow found out said parents were in danger.

Fact three, his student was pushing his beaten body and exhausted quirk to the limit to reach his parents despite having no way to know where they were.

Great.

Was it too late to strangle Nezu?

The rats mad cackling over the intercom was telling.

Notes: Shorter chapter today, gonna go post on my demon slayer fic for a while. Season three has inspired me.