Chapter Thirty-Two

As expected, training with Bakugo over the last few days has been nothing short of emotionally exhausting, not to mention the fact that he's been thoroughly pissed off at having to sit back to train when he should be out there catching villains. He voices as much for the millionth time today, snapping at Endeavor in a way that only he can get away with.

"It's been almost the whole week that you've had us in here training! We don't need more training right now! We need to be out there helping!" he shouts as we start cleanup for the night. I sigh, wiping sweat off my brow. I won't disagree with him, mostly because I don't actually think he's wrong, but I also don't want to get involved in an argument between the two of them again.

"Training doesn't end once you become pro heroes, it must be consistent if you want to have any hope of ever being the best. Hero work isn't something you can just guess your way through, you have to work at it, Bakugo! Clearly, you need to learn a thing or two about patience and insubordination" Endeavor growls, crossing his arms over his chest. Bakugo scoffs angrily, turning his back on him. I can tell he's furious, but the look Endeavor gives me over his head prompts me to drop everything. I guess training isn't quite over yet after all. I run across the mat and launch myself off the ground, using my energy to propel me upwards so that when I come down, the force behind my hit is at a peak. Bakugo barely has time to react and his eyes widen as I land the hit, taking him down to the mat. He gasps, the hit knocking the breath out of him, but he's quicker than even I knew, grabbing my arm and yanking me over to slam me onto my back. I wheeze out a breath, pretty surprised myself.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he yells. Without thinking too hard about it, I swing my leg up and over, slamming it into his waist and knocking him over in one swift motion. When I get up to pin him, I find myself sitting on top of him, a leg on either side of his hips, knees holding his arms down by his sides, and fist raised for what would be the final blow. His eyes widen and my face heats, heartbeat quickening. I suddenly think about the night at the hot springs, leaning over to kiss him as I... I shake my head and get up immediately, hating how red my face must be. Damn it. I keep losing my focus with him, but he recovers more quickly than I do, getting back up and blasting himself up and over me. I twist to one side, expecting a heavy right hook, but he surprises me and attacks from the left, blasting me across the room. I hit the mat and roll hard, tumbling over and staggering into a crouch, wiping blood from my lip. Damn it. I can't be angry at him for giving it his all, but even I didn't expect him to be so strong. Bakugo... he's really something.

"Are you getting tired already?" he demands, that familiar ferocious look on his face. When he gets like this, it's easy to see where others might be intimidated, but honestly? I think it's kinda hot. I smirk.

"Not even close!" I retort, focusing on my rapid heartbeat and slamming my hands into the ground, palms flat. My energy ripples through the ground like threads, spreading and splintering out so quickly that even he doesn't realize what's happening. I clench my fists, yanking the streams of energy around Bakugo's ankles and I pull up hard. Bakugo curses when I take him down, using my energy to drag him quickly across the floor and into another attack. Here we go!

"Not so fast!" he growls and as he gets within range, he blasts me again, forcing me to abandon my previous plans and leap into the air, using my energy to gain footholds before flipping over him. I land and try to catch my breath, caught off guard by his impressive reaction time. Damn it! Has he always been this good? I duck beneath another blow, sending out rapid fire pulses that rock through the air, but it also leaves me a little dizzy. That was too forced. I need to regain control. Bakugo reaches for me, palm radiating an intense red-orange light before the sparks begin. Time slows and I can see everything in detail as he launches a blast at me. It hits me square in the chest, knocking the air from me and coating my body in immense heat. I gasp, heart racing. I can't lose. Energy explodes out of me, creating a thin film that travels over my skin. The heat dissipates and my hand shoots forward, grabbing Bakugo's wrist.

"Wh-what?!" I can hear him cursing, but only barely over the roaring in my ears. What is this? His palm sparks up again, smoke curling off of his skin in thick tendrils, but the power coursing through me seems to have a mind of its own. I yank his arm down, forcing him to hunch over as I drive my knee into his stomach. He sets off an explosion at the same time and flies backwards, choking out a cough in response to my blow. I gasp, the energy evaporating and taking with it the numbness that stopped the pain of his attacks. I fall to my knees instantly, grabbing my chest and heaving. What the hell? My skin is burning and my muscles scream with soreness. When I can finally look up again, I see Bakugo staring at me, the two of us in similar positions, breathless, bruised, and just a bit bloody. He smirks and I can't help but smile back.

"You almost had me" I tell him, ignoring the pain in my legs when I stand. He laughs, a look between irritation and satisfaction on his face.

"I don't know what kinds of moves you're still hiding up your sleeves, but I can't wait to test them out. I'm gonna destroy you" he promises. He's wearing that expression again and his tone makes my face flush. He must notice the look in my eyes because his bravado wears off almost completely as soon as he sees it. His eyes widen and a bit of color comes to his cheeks too. What is it about Bakugo that turns me into a hormonal animal every time I'm with him? Endeavor clears his throat.

"You're done for the night. Go get some rest" he says, tearing the two of us out of our reverie. I nod, shaking off the adrenaline from the session and I grab my bag and towel. Bakugo follows closely behind and when we leave, I can't help but wonder if Endeavor has enough sense in his body to know what's going on between us. Or maybe he's just as dense about relationships as he seems and doesn't have a clue.

"You're getting stronger" Bakugo says once we're outside, heading back. I smirk, welcoming the compliment.

"Are you admitting that I just might defeat you?" I ask teasingly. He glares, holding up a threatening fist.

"Don't get ahead of yourself! I'll never let you win!" he snaps, but when I laugh, his expression softens a fraction. The look in his eyes makes my heart stutter and I can't help when I look away. What is this feeling? Why do I feel so... happy? The warmth budding within me wars with the guilt. With the life I've had and the trouble I've caused... is it really alright to ever feel that way? About anything?

"Don't look away all the time" Bakugo says, surprising me when he takes my hand and laces his fingers with mine. I look down at our hands for a moment, eyes wide, but when I look back up at him, he seems completely relaxed as we walk. His hand is so warm and firm on mine... I don't pull away.

"I don't do it all the time" I mumble. He scoffs.

"You're doing it now" he replies and my face reddens.

"I am not!" I insist. Bakugo laughs, one of his rare genuine ones that softens his whole face and makes his shoulders shake with it. The sound of it is comforting too, a warm and happy tone that hardly ever seems to come out of him. I bite my lip, hardly able to contain the emotions threatening to overwhelm me. In this moment, looking at him like this, I'm so drawn to him that I'm almost brought to tears. How can I care for someone so much? How can I look at someone like this and think about all the ways I don't want to be without them? I haven't felt that way for anyone outside of my family since Mom died, but when Bakugo looks at me, red eyes watching me so closely...

"What's that look for?" he asks. When it's just the two of us, there's such a gentleness to him... a kindness that no one else ever sees. It makes me wonder if they've just never given him the chance to be this way... if maybe all of that anger is how he keeps himself protected... it makes me want to protect him instead.

"I like it when you laugh" I admit, surprised by my boldness. Bakugo makes a face, just as easily flustered as I am.

"Don't just say things like that" he grumbles. This time he's the one looking away and I smile.

"Not to mention... I actually like training with you. It's kind of... hot" I add, earning the satisfaction of watching his face burn red when he looks back at me.

"What? What are you saying?" he demands, as if he hasn't said far worse. I roll my eyes, stopping us in the middle of our walk and tugging him close to me. He stumbles against me, eyes wide with either anxiousness or anticipation.

"I'm saying... that these training sessions... make me want you even more" I reply in a low voice, looking up at him through my lashes. I can feel his heartbeat quickening along with his breathing and when I lift my face to his, just shy of a kiss, I can smell soap and smoke with just a hint of sweetness.

"Is that so?" he murmurs. With the moon as small as it is tonight, I can only dimly see him, but it's enough. I nod, bringing myself ever closer.

"Yeah" I tell him softly, caressing the side of his face with my free hand and pulling him into a kiss. He kisses me back, letting out an unsteady breath against my lips and resting his other hand on my waist. I tilt my head, deepening the kiss and my heart soars. I probably wouldn't have ever guessed that Bakugo would be so good at it, but damn he is. It only makes me want him more and when we pull away from each other, both of us breathless, I find it hard not to keep going instead.

"You really know how to get a guy going" he breathes and I can't help but laugh, a little nervous and a little exhilarated.

"What can I say... I'm inspired" I reply, stealing his line from what feels like a century ago. He laughs a little himself, eyeing me completely dumbfounded. Is this it? Is this what it feels like... to...? An enormous eruption in the distance breaks the both of us apart and the ground rumbles with the pressure of it. I gasp, staring up in the night sky to see a strange light coming from the direction of the school. My eyes widen, fear coursing through me.

"Katsuki" I whisper, heart slamming. He sees what I see, his body rigid and I can see his fists shaking.

"We have to go... now" he says through gritted teeth and I nod, all of my fear and anxiety boiling down into adrenaline. The two of us hit the pavement, racing as fast as we can towards the sounds of explosions and cracking earth. I don't know what's happening at UA, but I do know that something isn't right. My first thought is a fleeting one, but the image of the masked villains flashes before me, inspiring raw anger and determination. We can't let this happen!

___________

When Bakugo and I get to the school, it doesn't look like anyone's gotten past the entrance, but heroes and students alike line the forest, some in gear and others in pajamas. Without speaking a word, Bakugo and I both know what we have to do, so in tune with each other that we move as a unit. He breaks left, taking aim at a line of villains, and I break right sending out a shockwave to the beat of my heart and blasting away a few of my own. I don't know who these villains are. They don't look like the masked villains' type, but there are so many of them that it's still an impressive threat.

"Kaida!" I hear Asui before I see her, leaping into action and taking down another opponent with her tongue before landing in front of me, a grave look in her eyes.

"Tsu!" I exclaim, heart racing.

"What happened here?" I demand. Bakugo jogs up to us, an irritated look on his face.

"They came out of nowhere not long ago and tripped the alarms along the border of the school grounds. We don't know what they're after, but so far we've been able to keep them out" she tells us. I curse under my breath. We may have been able to take care of these guys, but I can see so many more fights going on in the distance... what's happening here?

"Is anyone hurt?" Bakugo demands. Asui looks at him and shakes her head.

"Not that I know of" she replies. It brings a little relief, but we need to split up.

"Tsu, go check in at the entrance, see if anyone needs help, Katsuki you take left, I'll take the right. Let's see if we can't surprise them from behind" I say. Bakugo just nods and Tsu takes off. Good. We're all in agreement. When we split up, I take the left as planned, running as far as I can into the thick of it before I chance getting caught, and crouching behind the foliage. Okay... I splay my hands over the grass and close my eyes. My energy splinters and stretches out around me like a web, winding over the ground in invisible ribbons and stretching over rocks and plants without effort. Once the web is placed, I concentrate on it, concentrate on keeping my heart rate steady and fast. Come on... my energy trembles when someone makes contact, the vibration travelling all the way up the thread and making my pulse stutter. My eyes fly open and I dash towards the movement, abandoning my workout bag where it's at and preparing myself for the battle ahead.

I launch myself into a clearing where three villains lie in wait. None of them are masked but all of them seem pretty confident in themselves. I land in the center, sending out a pulse at my feet and knocking the lot of them to the ground.

"Who are you?" I demand, letting my energy flow through my entire body. One of the villains laughs, buying his fists in the dirt. I take a stance, preparing myself for the fight of my life, but the ground beneath me begins to lose its sturdiness, the mud breaking apart and starting to suck me in. My eyes widen... what? I send out a blast of energy to take him out, but I'm already sinking and the other two villains are getting away. Damn it. I close my eyes, focusing on my pulse again, imagining the energy getting tugged down to my feet. Come on, come on, come on...

"It's too late for you, Pulse..." the villain chuckles, but when I open my eyes, he seems startled by what he sees.

"I wouldn't count me out yet!" I snap. The blast that comes out of my feet slams through the ground with impressive force, blowing the dirt, grass, and roots apart without trouble and sending the villain flying. He yelps, body careening through the woods, but before he can get too far, I lash out with my energy, wrapping it around him and yanking it back tight. He hurtles towards me, gritting his teeth, and as he gets within range, I pool as much energy as I can into my right fist and land a blow right across his face. His head rocks back, blood spurting from his nose before I let him crumple to the ground. One down... two to go in this group. I start off for them, ready to take as many down as I can when I hear the explosions going off. I freeze, head whipping in the direction that Bakugo went... is he... no. I can't worry about him now. I have to trust him to handle himself. Another explosion goes off and worry courses through me, an uncontrollable force. Katsuki... please be safe.

When I find the other two villains, I make quick work of them, knocking them out before they have a chance to use their quirks on me, but the succession of those explosions... it only becomes more and more intense and my whole body screams at me with urgency. Something is wrong. I try to shake it off... but I can't. I can't ignore it. So I drop to the ground again, sending out my web and waiting for a response. Find him... find him... my energy races in his direction, seeking anything moving... fighting. THERE! An explosion sounds off and my web vibrates with so much intensity that it feels like my body might fall apart from it. I release the web and start running again, needing to know if he's okay. Needing to see it.

I run through the woods with one goal in mind, pushing myself as hard and as fast as I can. I have to get there. No matter what. My heart slams against my ribcage and my legs protest as I push myself harder. Come on! I leap up, using my energy to propel me forward, but right as I start to shoot through the air, another villain comes out of the sky, slamming me into the ground as hard as she can. I choke out a gasp, blood splattering out of my mouth and lungs screaming with the lack of oxygen. Wh-who... I struggle to lift my head as the woman lands, long silken black hair flowing to her waist and icy white eyes regarding me the way a cat might regard a mouse. My eyes widen. It can't be...

"So you do remember me" she chimes, voice as silky as her hair. Fear and confusion burn through me. But Deku... he caught her...

"The name's Hiroto... and I'm pleased to finally get a moment alone with you" she tells me, sauntering towards me. I shake my head, forcing myself to sit up despite my shaking. Pain slices through me at the motion, but I refuse to back down. I was right. They're here.

"Stay away from me" I choke, trying to focus enough on my energy to make a sizable blast. She shakes her head at me.

"It's so cute when you try to fight back" she sighs, crouching in front of me. I glower at her, ready to use my energy blast to knock her on her ass when she flicks her fingers. A gust of wind swirls around my head at full speed, sucking the air out of my lungs. I try to gasp, but all that comes out are strained choking sounds. My heartbeat sputters, face growing painfully red. She's going to kill me. I close my eyes, trying to focus on my quirk beyond the pain. Please... my heart hammers, beating so fast that it feels like it'll fall out of my chest. That's it. I send out a blast from the center of my body and it slams into her. Her body convulses with the impact of hundreds of hits in a second and she flies backward, crashing into a tree and breaking it in half with the force of it. I gasp in desperate breaths to refill my lungs, coughing and choking. Damn it. I force myself, up staggering from the pain and lack of air. Hiroto gets up too, a wild look in her eyes.

"You little brat" she spits, a terrifying smile on her face.

"I'll kill you" she whispers and my body tenses. I don't know all of what Hiroto is capable of, but I do know she's dangerous and I'm also aware that I'm not getting anywhere near Bakugo without fighting her first. It's a startling realization, but as I prepare myself to fight, I know one thing for certain... I may not come out of this alive.