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likesugarandcyanide · 7 years ago

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Invincible [Chapter 7] Persona [Katsuki Bakugou]

Chapter 6: It Only Hurts

How can he expect me to accept that our friendship is over? Izuku is unpretentiously clever and manipulative – I will admit. He had me fooled from the start. But now, I see all the signs; somehow I had missed them along the way, at some point in our earlier years. He seems to have used my kindness to his advantage, protecting himself from his own dishonesties. This is the only way for me to cope – blame. I have to believe that Izuku is toxic; that he’s enjoying this betrayal. But for what reason?

I have no reason to believe this. I just need to, making up stories in my spare time. I tell myself that Izuku is not really quirkless, nor has he ever been. He restrains his quirk; a resilient power that he wants to spit into the face of those beneath him. Izuku had lied to me, wanting my pity. It spirals from there and becomes my fault. I am still inspired by his determination, but I am not a good friend. I should have been on his side. Maybe then, he would have told me about his quirk and the reason he hides it. For now, I chose to blame him. Izuku ends our trust on a lie, and more importantly, he drives a bigger wedge into the nearly nonexistent bond with Katsuki.

I pity him, or so I claim. Honestly, I want to be angry with Izuku, but I feel like there’s more to this. There’s a reason for the lies; so many questions that need answers. I’m content with his new life, but I don’t want to be. I’m so jealous of the two Izuku chooses as friends – Iida and the bubbly Uraraka. I see them break down his walls and inspire him to try harder; something I’m not able to accomplish. I absolutely hate it.

Anger courses through me. I curl my fingers into a tight fist. Then in seconds the whole length of my right hand burns in a minor ache. Recognizing that the pain is not self-inflicted I squeak in frustration, releasing my nails. The blonde on the seat beside me yanks his hand from mine and shoots me a glare.

“Watch where you’re digging those fucking talons,” he hisses.

I nervously give an apology and rub over the red, crescent-shaped marks on his skin. “Want me to kiss it and make it feel better?” He ignores me, but I know he doesn’t mind either way.

A gentle smile pulls at the corner of my lips as I happily smooth the pads of my fingers across his rough skin. Katsuki continues to eat his lunch and leaves me to my own devices. I quickly find that my appetite is gone. The plate of skewered meat and vegetables I like so much is barely eaten on. It seems that no matter how hard I try, I can’t put my anger to rest. I need to find ways to help me forget. However, the wound is still very fresh.

“General studies are fun,” I mention, wanting to start up a conversation. “I’m learning more than I ever did in Orudera.”

Katsuki snorts in disagreement. “I’m bored as hell with them. I never expected the hero course to be so dull.”

I understand where this is coming from. Katsuki enjoys to prove himself. He craves action; combat to show off his quirk. But it’s only the first day. Classes recap the things we already know, but the hero course is about training ourselves to become great heroes. The blonde seems to believe winning is the only fundamental, but it’s not. I will admit that mastering my quirk sounds fun, but I seem to have more patience in the matter of brains-before-brawn – he has both, but expecting to become a pro with only his ability is what he seems to hope for.

“Our afternoon class should be proactive – fundamental hero studies. I bet the teacher will have us doing something with our quirks.”

“I may just blow off someone’s damn head if they have us doing something normal again,” Katsuki grunts.

I gently laugh. “So long as it’s not me.”

Katsuki glares at me. It’s like I make him angry by just opening my mouth. I don’t like the uneasy feeling he gives me, staring at me with those deep red eyes, almost like he reads my every thought.

“The hell is wrong with you?”

My face suddenly goes warm. “What do you mean? I’m fine – really. Why would you ask me that?”

“That’s what I mean, fuck-munch. You’re fine, you say. Bullshit! You were a sobbing mess yesterday because of Deku, and now you’re chatting my damn ear off like nothing ever happened,” the blonde snaps.

“I’m trying to follow your advice,” I admit sadly. “Izu – Midoriya doesn’t need me as a friend. I accept this, but I’m not happy about it. After so many years of knowing him, it’s hard to ignore the fact that I have to see him every day from now on.” My heart feels heavy at this, but it’s the truth. It’s not easy to forget someone, but it’s also not impossible either. It will take time, and it will take support. “Trust me, please.”

Katsuki swats me on the head. “I do, idiot. Now let me sit here in peace.”

I smile softly. “Only if you let me have a bite of your lunch.”

He agrees, sliding down a bowl of steaming miso ramen to me. The hard-boiled egg and all of the chicken is gone, but the noodles remain. I decide to eat with my chopsticks since Katsuki may complain about sharing with me. Taking in a large bite, I instantly regret this. It’s spicy – way too hot to be considered food.

“You knew and you didn’t warn me,” I cry with my mouth full. My stomach feels like it’s burning.

“Don’t like it, don’t eat it,” Katsuki says simply.

I cover my mouth and jump to my feet. First the bathroom, then to buy a bowl of rice. If I’m lucky Katsuki will choke on the broth before I get back. Honestly, how could I forget that he likes his food super-hot. This is the reason that I stopped taking his lunch back in middle school. Damn the blonde, and damn his devious persona.

Tears fill my eyes. “So hot. So very hot.”

He’s here – All Might. I bite my lip in excitement, seeing him once again. The memory in which he saved me is still fresh in my mind. He told me that he’d never allow another villain to hurt my friends, and even though Izuku and I are no longer close, I truly value his words. I am so happy to see All Might in person again. He’s much more spirited than I remember, but I enjoy his silly antics.

After the room settles down enough, All Might announces our first trial; battle. He flashes the card in front of the class and the room erupts in hysteric muttering. I sit quietly behind the girl with the large, spiky ponytail and mull over this recent happening. What will the class be fighting? Robots possibly, or maybe even one another. I chance a glance at Izuku to my right. Since the class is at an odd number, Aizawa had us move the seats into 7 columns; 3 to each roll. Ironically, I am seated next to Izuki, who at the moment appears shocked by the trial that All Might briefly touches on.

“– and to go with your first battle,” the bulky man announces. A roll of panels begins to slide out from the wall. “We’ve prepared the gear we had you send in requests for to match your quirks.”

The room again goes into hysterics. I smile in anticipation of what my costume will look like. I remember being vague about my design on the costume request form. I make mention that my quirk is thought to be a form of telekinesis, however, I am only able to control water, not make it. I note that I need plenty of containers to hold the fluid, and that after a long-drawn-out use I get headaches. The design is up in the air, but I hope the Subsidy did the costume justice.

All Might dismisses us with instructions to get changed and meet at Ground Beta. I quickly grab my case from the panel and rush to the girl’s locker room to get dressed. I locate my locker and swing it open, ignoring the other girls as they rush in and do the same. Once my case is open, I shift around the contents and move them all out onto the bench. A note is inside with my uniform. It explains the basics of my costume, like urging me to wear a polyester rash guard and bottoms beneath my outerwear to avoid chaffing. I happily do so, then slide what appears to be a wetsuit made of foamed neoprene over it. The suit is unfortunately skin-tight, but the instructions make mention that this is so the polar lining fabric beneath the interior will reflect my body heat and keep water out of my costume.

The get-up is for the most part black, but a number of broad aquamarine stripes extend over the body. I work with the belt to keep it tight around my waist, and mount the 1 gallon cork bottles into the holders. The last item on the bench is a stylish coral headband with a seashell attached to it. I don’t question the importance of it, nor do I flick through the instructions on how to use it. I’m already taking up time, so I pull my hair into a ponytail and tie the headband at the joint of my forehead and scalp. It’s tight, but feels sort of like it belongs.

Now that everything is in place, I hang up my uniform in the locker and hurry down to Ground Beta. I join with the group and stand close to Denki as he seems like a reasonable person to be around. In the meantime, I’m able to size-up the others – their costumes are all very colorful and interesting. I casually talk with Denki until All Might calls the remaining students into position. Katsuki is among them, a literal walking time bomb. I politely excuse myself and walk over to him.

His deep, red eyes narrow as I stand in front of him. “The hell did you ask for?”

“I didn’t specify exactly what I wanted. Only that I need more water in reserve,” I meekly admit. “But I like it. The design is simple, and the suit is more comfortable than it looks.”

Even as I say this, I feel like more attention could have been put into the proposal for my hero costume. I don’t favor complex things, so I don’t lie when I say that I like the concept of it. On the other hand, I really like the detail that Katsuki put into his own. It makes him appear intimidating and very flashy; something I imagine he wants. I think it makes him look tough.

“You look very handsome,” I add timidly, curling a lock of my hair around my finger. I want to say, like a hero, but honestly, the design is much like something a villain would wear, especially the giant grenade-like bracers on his arms.

Katsuki seems to ignore my compliment, and lifts his gloved fingers to my head. I feel deep pressure on the ornate band in my hair as he tinkers with the piece. I wonder if he knows how sweet this is to me?

“Cute, don’t you think?”

“At least you’re not a complete fucking idiot,” he grunts. His fingers continue to gently stroke the band. “As dumb as it looks, it’s not completely useless. The band is used to apply pressure to your head, so you don’t get headaches as easily while using your quirk. Not a stupid idea at least.”

I huff in annoyance. “Can’t you agree that I look nice for once?”

“Do you think you look nice?”

“I do.” Honestly, the nerve of him.

“Then you don’t have to ask,” the blonde grunts.

I am at a loss for words. He does seemingly care, even though he’s too embarrassed to admit it. I’m not an idiot; I notice the faint shade of red on his pale skin. I happily lean forward and kiss his cheek, much to his annoyance. The blonde orders me to knock it off and pulls me to his side. I notice he does this so he can see All Might a little better – not like he couldn’t before.

The bulky hero starts to explain the trial to us. Apparently, we’re not going to fight robots again, but each other. The class is expected to separate into villain and hero groups for a two-on-two team battle. A nuclear weapon will be hidden on one of the many floors inside the chosen building where All Might plans to have the exorcise – he explains this all to us while reading a crib sheet. The hero team must stop the villains, by either catching them with a special type of capture tape or securing the nuclear bomb. If the villains manage to capture the heroes or keep the core, they will win. All of this, he explains, will be done in a specific time period.

“Your teammates and opponents will be chosen by lottery,” he tells us, presenting a small rectangle box with a hole in the top. The word Lots is ironically written on the front.

I hear Tenya and Izuku converse over the meaning of the exorcise. It makes sense, but I’m not sure how this will work considering I am an extra to the group. One by one, each of the students draw lots as I watch. Before the massive hero continues I raise by hand.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have no team. Should I sit out on this one?”

“No need, young Usui. You’re free to join with a team of two. Heroes are sometimes forced to join with teams of two or more, and most villains target on the weak in small groups.” All Might scans the crowd, enthusiastically shifting his head from side to side. “Here we go. You will join pair J and play the role of a villain. Nice suggestion.”

I feel happy that All Might compliments me on such a small thing. The group I’m with includes the nice, red-haired teen from the practical exam, and a tall male wearing a helmet reminiscent of a motorcycle helmet and a tape dispenser. I smile and wave at the boy in red as he motions me over. Katsuki is too occupied with his pairing to notice me leave his side. I nearly feel sorry for Tenya, who appears to be just as uncomfortable as the blonde.

All Might adds to the tension by announcing the first teams to do combat; A and D. Izuku and Ochaco verses Katsuki and Tenya. I gasp in shock. This won’t end well. All Might pulls the chosen hero and villain teams to the side, and instructs the rest of us to wait in the basement of the building he plans for us to use during the exorcise. I am in awe at the many monitors displayed in front of us. Each one shows the various angles of the same building, including the room the weapon is in. All Might joins with us soon after and the exam begins. My heart skips in my chest at the sudden irony. I know that Katsuki won’t make this easy on poor Izuku.

Quietly, the class watches Izuku and Ochaco enter the building. The pair makes full turns around the maze-like hallways – Izuku’s suggestion, I imagine. The teen is smart. Years of studying various heroes and strategies gives him an advantage over most. It will help him avoid Katsuki’s more hands-on approach since I know the blonde will just charge Izuku the first chance he gets. When he jumps the corner in front of the two and swings for Izuku I sigh in disappointment. He has talent, but his determination to prove a point to the timid boy will overshadow it in the end.

The blast manages to graze Izuku, tearing the fabric of his unique costume to the point that only half of his mask remains. Ochaco comes out unharmed, thanks to Izuku’s quick thinking. I am relieved, but at the same time I know this means disaster for Izuku if Katsuki manages to catch him. The blast zone of his quirk is hard to dodge. I cross my arms over my chest and chew at the inside of my jaw. What now?

“That Bakugou’s a character,” the teen with the red hair says. “An ambush is so unmanly.”

All Might adds in his opinion to the mix of varied responses. “Ambushes are good strategy. They are in the heat of battle after all.”

“That may be so, but Katsuki isn’t thinking strategy. He’s bent on proving a point to Izuku,” I add, more to myself than to the others.

The female with the spiky ponytail hears me, however. “Care to elaborate?”

The entire class seems to turn their attention to me, including All Might. My face warms at the sudden embarrassment. “Sorry, but it’s not my place to tell. Katsuki and Izuku just have a rough past is all. They’re old friends, but time made them bitter toward one another,” I explain.

The female with the pink skin laughs. “First name basis, huh? You must know them outside of class. Am I right?”

“Something like that,” I say. It’s too soon to tell the class about myself on a personal level. I just don’t feel comfortable sharing my life story with anyone new, not yet anyway. “The reason for the comment is because Katsuki thinks he has something to prove to Izuku. It makes the whole ambush seem wasted if Katsuki only used it just to hurt Izuku.”

All Might hums in agreement. “Very nice observation. A hero who acts only on his own arrogance is fated to act recklessly in combat.”

I regrettably can’t disagree with his statement. However, I am thrilled to watch as Izuku fights back. He uses Katsuki’s well-known punch against him and flips him roughly onto his back. This seems to be just the trick to keep Ochaco under the radar. Izuku makes himself the most important piece in game, ironically by angering the blonde even more. I overlook the chatter in the room and focus on the fight. This can go either way from this point on.

I’m surprised, however, to see Izuku nearly wrap the capture tape around Katsuki’s foot. I want to yell out for him to dodge, but I know he can’t hear me. Thankfully the blonde escapes. But so does Izuku. He runs from Katsuki, who quickly follows. In the meantime, Ochaco is seen on the monitor above, finding the bomb. I have to admit, she did well. She gives her position away, but that doesn’t seem to matter considering Tenya is too wrapped up in his character to mind. His posture is nearly identical to that of a villain. I’m sad I can’t hear him though – Ochaco seems to think he’s funny. I smile as I watch them on the screen, however something catches my eye. Katsuki corners Izuku at a dead end.

Katsuki lifts his arm and points the giant bracer at him. I can’t help but to wonder what he plans to do with it. Suddenly, All Might orders Katsuki to stop, but he doesn’t. The blonde pops back the switch and pulls the pin. The building shakes with the explosion and covers the screen in a blinding light. Some of the students yell out, but I stand speechless. My whole body is shaking in fear. Why would he do this? Does he want to kill Izuku?

“P-Please no,” I whisper.

A large hand gently touches my shoulder. I glance up at All Might and notice that he is smiling still. Does he know that Izuku is okay? His hand moves, assuring me. I take the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Bakugou, my boy, if you shoot another blast like that, I’ll end this exorcise forcibly and you will lose,” says All Might to the blonde. “Launching an attack with such an extensive damage radius while indoors defeats the purpose of protecting your stronghold. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hero or a villain, that was just foolish. Once more and you’ll earn yourself massive demerits.”

Katsuki doesn’t seem to like this, but he doesn’t use the second bracer. Instead, he attacks Izuku head on again. The timid teen attempts a counter attack, but Katsuki uses his quirk to redirect his midair directory to his advantage, adjusting his power to thrust himself over Izuku, where he blasts him forward with the other hand. Izuku isn’t able to protect himself from the right swing Katsuki favors so much as he’s sent flying to the side. However, Katsuki grabs his arm and uses a blast from his quirk to spin both the teen and himself around. With the momentum, he slams Izuku roughly to the ground.

I hear some of students make comments about this tactic. It’s a brilliant use of his quirk – Katsuki is amazing. The blonde is a genius when it comes to battle sense. Regrettably, I’ll never be an equal to him.

I watch as Izuku stands and rushes to the corner of the room. He appears to be running, but some of the students think it’s a bit off. They shout to one another on the screen and throw a last resort punch; Katsuki’s explosive power verses Izuku’s mysterious resilience. All Might tries to suspend the match, but something stops him. Izuku tosses his fist into the air. On the top screen, a shockwave blows through the top floor and sends debris everywhere. Ochaco uses her zero gravity quirk to lift a giant beam and swing it effortlessly in front of her. It knocks against the pieces of broken concrete and sends them flying at Tenya. He dodges the attack, unable to stop Ochaco from retrieving the weapon. All Might quickly calls the match; the heroes win.

Katsuki actually loses.

The following battles begin at a new location. After Momo picks apart the strengths and weaknesses of the A and D pairs from the first exorcise, I decide on going into mine with a new outlook. I need to follow the example of Tenya and be the best villain I can be. Katsuki is the persona I chose to take on. His reckless nature cost him the win, I know, but I don’t have a reason to let arrogance best me. My team is counting on me.

The teen with the red hair approaches me inside as we prep for our upcoming battle – our stronghold is on the third floor. He introduces himself as Kirishima Eijirou. I properly thank him for saving me during the practical exam, and introduce myself as well. Sero Hanta joins us, offering up his quirk to support us. He wraps the trial missile in a type of material that looks like cellophane tape while Eijirou and I guard it. Our plan is to stand off against the hero team and hope we’re able to beat them.

The exorcise begins shortly after. The building is unexpectedly quiet, but I am ready for anything. I force an eerie smirk across my lips, and curl my fingers. Strokes of water surround me like wisps of clear smoke. Anyone who comes through that door will die.

The villain team unfortunately loses the exorcise; we lost rather quickly once Eijirou had been captured. But, I am okay with the end result. We score a passing grade for teamwork, and even receive compliments from All Might on our role as the bad guys. I tell myself that I’ll do better next time, however.

The class ends with All Might telling us to return to room 1-A. I stay longer in the bathroom than necessary, cleaning the blood from my nose. The ornate band keeps me from having headaches, but once I take it off, the repercussion of extending my quirk seems to stay with me. It’s horrible, but it’s a price I am willing to pay in order to become a hero. Still, I wonder how my mother deals with this; it’s draining me.

By the time I leave the bathroom, the afternoon class is over. I decide to go home, having no real reason to stay. I’ve not heard from Katsuki since the trail, but for all I know, he might still be upset with his loss to Izuku. He spoke none during the remaining battles, and seems to be upset that I used his persona to be a better villain – Momo mentions the comparisons. I see the shock in his eyes when All Might congratulates me.

I sigh in annoyance and take out my phone. I plan to address this with him, but once I pass by a window that overlooks the entrance yard, I quickly notice the blonde walking towards the front gate. Maybe I can catch up to him. However, before I make up my mind, I notice Izuku walk up behind him. They seem to speak to one another with composure. I fear the worse if this talk heads south; Izuku is not good at keeping the blonde from going off. I want to join them, but maybe Katsuki needs this. Izuku and he need to work on their repairing their friendship. I decide to leave them be.

Their talk doesn’t last much longer. Katsuki shouts something at the green-eyed teen and leaves, only to be stopped by All Might. I don’t waste time, and rush down to the entrance. But, once I step into the warm sun, I realize I am too late. Katsuki is gone. Izuku and All Might stop talking once I clear my throat.

“Excuse me,” I say timidly.

They step aside and allow me to pass. Out of the blue, however, Izuku grabs my upper arm. He’s gentle about it, and apologizes once I spare him a glance.

“Your battle went well, I heard. Congratulations.”

Tears burn at my eyes. I ignore them, and force a smile. His hand releases my arm, so I use this opportunity to move away from the teen. I turn my back to him and leave. My heart feels heavy at this. I realize that it’s going to be hard to ignore Izuku, but I need to. Taking out my phone again, I text a quick message to Katsuki, telling him to be careful on his way home. He may not reply, but I know he will read it. Tomorrow is a new day, so maybe things will somehow work out.

#katsuki bakugou #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #midoriya izuku #all might #toshinori yagi #kirishima eijirou #blame #rivalry #katsuki bakugō #oc #mha #prude #1st person

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