Coiled Dragon - Marbel - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

1

Everyone knew that the city of Yokohama was not like any place else in Japan.

Unlike the rest of the world, where heroes were on the rise and everyone was starstruck by the fame and glory of those shining pillars of society, Yokohama was known as the city run by criminals. It had a long history tainted by blood and war, violence and famine were common in the streets. Even though years had passed since the worst periods, this place was still under the influence of gangsters, mafia, and other villainous organizations.

It was a rotten place that no hero wanted to touch. All Might tried once. The No.1 hero inevitably had to retreat as the evil was simply too great. It wasn’t that he was weak. But the unholy wickedness of this city was deeply rooted in all of its citizens’ hearts. Poverty and the horrid after effects of war turned this place into a living hell, where people have been conditioned into a constant state of mistrust and hopelessness. Even decades after the war, they were still xenophobic towards outsiders.

There wasn’t a singular villain whom if he defeated then peace and prosperity would shine upon these lands. No, the villain wasn’t one single evil man like All For One. The evil was something abstract, a type of darkness that seeped through everyone’s flesh and rooted deep into their souls like chains.

The fear cannot be shattered with a dashing smile and a hearty “I am here”.

All Might was just one man. He could not save Yokohama.

Yokohama was a chaotic city of sins that operated by its own rules and logic. It wasn’t a place where the usual villains and heroes could set foot in easily. They would get torn up by its people and the multiple different powers controlling this city.

Besides the government, which was still trying to enforce the law of modern society, there were multiple other organizations pulling the strings behind the scene. The most powerful of the criminals, a crime syndicate called Port Mafia, took hold of the night and the government owned the day. Meanwhile, the Armed Detective Agency navigated in the in between.

Together, their existences created peace.

The normal citizens of Yokohama had no clear concept of what a villain should be. Their billboards weren’t filled with images of smiling heroes saving the day. But its streets were quiet, missing the usual cries for help or chaos caused by villains on the rampage. This was all due to Port Mafia and the government’s tight control over how crime operated and laws were enforced in this city. If there was one thing they agreed on, it was that they didn’t need pointless violence or innocent civilians spilling their blood.

It was a careful balance, one that worked but was fragile like a sheet of paper-thin glass. Of course, things weren’t perfect. There were still neighbourhoods stricken with heinous crimes, drugs circulated around the streets, and poverty still engrained itself into certain parts of the city.

The government and Port Mafia also don’t see eye to eye. Although they would bend together in the face of an outside threat against their beloved city, the norm was for them to be at each other’s throats. In this city, perhaps it was due to all the chaos and destruction that had happened in the past, there were very few people with quirks. It had been isolated from the rest of the world a few times too due to the war. One could even say that it was a place that had been subjected to a different kind of evolutionary pressure. As a result, there weren’t many with quirks around.

However, there were people with “abilities”—powers that were like quirks but weren’t bound by the host’s physical limitation. It wasn’t genetic either. A parent with an ability was more likely to give birth to a normal child than one who inherited their powers.

The various organizations in the city absorbed people with strong abilities into their ranks to maintain the power balance against each other. Besides them, there were also a few other smaller groups who navigated quietly, earning their livings by slipping through loopholes with great caution. None of them wanted to openly go against Port Mafia, the government, or ADA.

However, there was another force to be reckoned with within Yokohama. People don’t really like bringing this fourth power up in a conversation since it was…odd.

It was known as the Huang Corporation.

Unlike Port Mafia, who blatantly announced their villain status in their organization name, Huang Corporation sounded like a third rate company. You know, the ones set up for laundering money or a small company that has about a dozen staff only. The ones that nobody would really look twice at even if they walked by an ad for it in the streets. Its name was so simple, almost lazy even, like the owner couldn’t care less about getting creative to come up with anything catchy.

Despite the simplicity, it was actually a pretty successful company. No. Saying that it was “pretty successful” might be an understatement. It had basically revolutionized the prosthetics industry and gave countless people who had been involved in tragic accidents a new chance at life. The prosthetics they made...they were almost exactly like the real deal. They might be man made from metal and other materials but they looked and moved like a replica of the patient’s original parts.

Less medical complications. Better quality.

And it was all thanks to the Huang Corporation’s founder—a teen prodigy by the name of Huang Zeku. He brought the concept that changed how prosthetics worked to life and started a company on his own. No one knew where he came from. It was like he just appeared in Suribachi city, a small floating island connected to Yokohama by a bridge, one day.

Suribachi city was a concentration of the worst that Yokohama had to offer. It had always been a place infested by extreme poverty and crime. Organ trafficking, drugs, prositution...it brewed all kinds of evils. A few years ago, things got devastatingly worse when a giant explosion set off and blew a huge crater in the center of the island. The few that had the resources fled while those who couldn’t remained in a land of post destruction.

Slowly, they have been rebuilding a life there but it was the same story everywhere. Screaming, crying, hunger, corpses laid out on the streets...there was no hope in sight for anybody. It was just a place worse than the slums. Port Mafia didn’t have the energy to control it at the time due to other issues they had to handle. Also, it wasn’t a very urgent problem for them. There was no profit to be gained either so they just left it alone.

Then Zeku came along.

A teen with a foreign surname opened up a company in the most lawless place of all of Japan. Nobody thought he could succeed. He was too young and alone, but he was already picking fights with local criminals left and right. They all thought he would be burnt out, die tragically due to his own arrogance. He wouldn’t be the first and he certainly won’t be the last. By the time people started paying him serious attention, the teenager had already claimed a good portion of Suribachi.

That was where things started taking a weird turn. Usually, when the criminals take over a territory, they simply take over the illegal businesses too. Maybe add a new rule here and there but they usually ran the same show. Crime and violence. It was always the same.

Zeku was different. From there, he built. His company expanded, for a corporation that had basically monopolized the industry, he provided many job opportunities to the local people. It helped that Yokohama was a port city too. He invested the money he earned through his prosthetic business into rebuilding the infrastructure and basic necessities like hospitals or transportation. That was why people thought he was weird. Why would anyone want to do such a thing?

Why would anyone even try to save Suribachi from itself, knowing that it was most likely a fruitless quest?

But his work paid off. This one teenager turned a hellhole into a flourishing metropolitan that was buzzing with life! It was an astonishing feat that earned him the respect of the other organizations that run Yokohama. Now, so far Zeku sounded like a good guy, someone with a heart of gold who didn’t want to see people suffer any longer, right?

Wrong.

Huang Zeku was insane.

Yokohama would never lack its share of lunatics and maniacs but Zeku was different. He was an abnormality. The teen was ruthless and efficient in running his business. Stone cold to the heart, he had no regard for making small talk or showing mercy to his enemies, attributes that he brought over into his fights as well.

Although many had tried to kill or control him, they all succumbed at Zeku’s feet, turning into nothing but a new addition to the pile of corpses that laid the foundation to his notorious name. His battles were cruel and tainted by blood. Those that opposed him would be slain and dismembered, limbs ripped right off or have their whole bodies torn to shreds within seconds. It was a display of power, violence and strength at its finest! Those lucky enough to narrowly escape from a battle with him claimed that Zeku was an ability user, whose power allowed him to summon a dragon. A goddamn dragon.The mystical beast heeded his command and would chew up anything or anyone that dared to stand in its master’s way.

And its master was extremely territorial.

Fearing the bloodshred that would ensue, the criminals and local troublemakers stayed clear from the Huang Corporation’s territory. Or at least, they followed the rules: Suribachi was a crime free zone. They kept their heads low and prayed that they do not catch the dragon’s attention, especially on those streets close to Huang's headquarters.

Suribachi was now Zeku’s, and his alone.

An agent from the Special Division for Unusual Powers (a sector of the government that specially dealt with ability users) once commented that Zeku was a crownless emperor. The people of Suribachi both feared and loved him. For he brought them hope and prosperity but also ruled like a dictator. The young man was aloof and unforgiving, even those that worked for him rarely got to see him smile genuinely. It seemed like all he had to offer were malicious grins if that poker face of his ever did have a crack in it.

“A dragon,” Dazai had mused during one of his conversations with Mori when he still worked under the man. He wasn’t of age yet and his hobby of committing suicide caused him to be wrapped in bandages often. He remembered precisely that he wore a pin striped tie to go with his black suit that day. “He’s a dragon marking his territory. Building an empire. Making a nest to call home.”

A strong ability user in Yokohama with no current affiliation? Of course Port Mafia would want someone like that under their control. Dazai had been summoned by Mori to profile the young man and devise a plan to make him join them willingly. After all, Dazai had done it before. He manipulated the King of Sheep, someone who could control gravity, to join them.

Since he was bored (and as much as Mori was a sly old fox, he was still his boss), Dazai had agreed. He took a few men to greet Zeku directly as the dragon wielder deserved at least that much respect. Also, it was a test. To be honest, Dazai didn’t really like the term “dragons” or anything associated with it. It brought back some less than pleasing memories. He didn’t want to put too much effort into his recruitment so he thought he would first try getting it over with by simply inviting Zeku into their ranks. Hey, Port Mafia was the biggest player in the city so naturally those working their way up the ladder would want to join them.

You would have to either be real confident or real stupid to turn down Port Mafia’s offer.

He wondered which one Zeku would be.

As it turned out, the guy was the real deal.

Dazai wasn’t too much of a poet by nature. Although his knowledge in literature was extensive, he would much rather spend his energy brainstorming or trying new ways to die. Oh, speaking of which, he wondered if leaping off the roof of Port Mafia’s highest tower would be a good way to go.

Anyways, the rumors were true. Zeku had a dragon. But it wasn’t like the ones on those ancient paintings from long ago or the Western ones with the fire breath and wings. It was...atrociously hideous and magnificent at the same time. The dragon was giant and had a pale and segmented body like it was made of connected vertebrae. It also had three menacingly large scarlet eyes that held these circular patterns that made it looked like an insect's compound eyes. Razor sharp claws slashed at the air while it opened its large mouth to reveal teeth that were at least the same length as Dazai’s arm. Its scales looked hard and thick, like impenetrable armor. The dragon circulated around its owner by wrapping its body around the air surrounding the teen.

People used to worship dragons and in many areas across the world, they still do. They thought of it as a symbol of prosperity and power. It was a holy beast.

But there was certainly nothing holy about this one. It reeked of death and blood, of tears and rotten flesh. It also had a painfully agonizing aura.

Its owner stood across from Dazai. He wore a black military style coat with a hoodie that was ripped at the bottom, most likely due to a portion of the dragon taking up space around his feet all the time. The spikes on its back and the hard scales must have torn the fabric. Zeku had a red tang suit on, it was one of those long ones that had a split on the side of his thighs and held together at the waist with a black fabric that was used like a belt. He also wore black pants underneath. His boots were also pretty military. It took a split second for Dazai to deduce that Zeku didn’t have a military background and he probably just wore those kinds of shoes since they would be comfortable in battle.

Zeku’s ear lobes were stretched with a black ring but what caught Dazai’s eyes were the earrings. Their colour matched Zeku's eyes, scarlet threads formed a Chinese knot and the end of the long tassels dangled from his ears. Overall, he had a nice face but he dressed quite old fashioned, like the son of a nobleman from a retro old Shanghai movie, complete with the long black hair that he carelessly tied into a low ponytail too.

“No.”

His answer had been short and simple. An immediate rejection after he heard what Dazai was offering him. Dazai was starting to dislike him. Zeku felt like the kind of person he wouldn’t get along with. He was definitely the silent type who liked to keep to himself and had a strict code about certain things, which meant he was too serious and boring.

“You want to know what’s the most interesting about him?” Snapping out of his memories, Dazai sat down across from Mori. The mafia boss was a slender man with chin length dark hair. As usual, he wore a crisp black suit and white gloves. His eyes were a shade of reddish purple that matched his tie.

“Do tell.”

“I can’t nullify his dragon,” coughed Dazai and he enjoyed how the mafia boss’s eyebrows furrowed. The man had been reviewing a few paperwork but now he set it down and trained all of his attention to their conversation. Rubbing his side, Dazai remembered how he had narrowly dodged the dragon’s claw after he realized he can’t make it disappear like he could with other people’s abilities. While only his clothing got sliced, even just getting brushed by the claws sent him flying towards a brick wall. “You know my ability. I can erase any abilities or the things that were created by an ability but I can’t make his dragon disappear. It’s not the product of an ability or quirk.”

His powers worked on quirks too. So there was a problem if he couldn’t erase Zeku’s ability.

“It’s not his ability or quirk. The dragon has a physical and concrete form,” Mori concluded as he tapped his table as if he was contemplating something. Probably another scheme. “Do you think it’s a living creature?”

“Perhaps. It didn’t feel like it was living but it moved on its own. Oh, and I don’t suggest trying to capture the dragon or subdue Huang Zeku. He’s not going to surrender so the cost would outweigh the gain.”

“What makes you say that?”

“When he rejected me, he said that ‘only the weak would band together’. He’s the type with too much backbone and would rather die standing. He would never agree to follow anybody’s orders.”

Mori chuckled. It wasn’t like they haven’t dealt with those types before. “What a strange thing for someone who protected the people of Suribachi to say.”

They were mafia. They would use any means to get what they wanted. Although Mori usually avoided dragging the innocent into their conflicts...well, he could make exceptions as long as it benefited his organization. A dragon. It would fetch a high price for research and he was sure the scientists in their own ranks would be thrilled to get their hands on it. Huang Zeku’s power was a threat to Port Mafia and Mori would be lying if he said he didn’t have the urge of taking over Huang Corporation. It was a profitable company and he wouldn’t mind acquiring its fortune.

“That’s the problem. He doesn’t actually care about any of the civilians.” Dazai was a master at manipulating people. He was experienced in reading them from a young age and what he saw on Huang Zeku was contradicting but also slightly intriguing. “They’re replaceable to him. He doesn’t care if they suffer or die.”

“If he doesn’t care about them, why bother protecting them?”

“It’s a little complicated. He’s...almost like a symbol of faith to the people of Suribachi. They gather and follow him because they see hope. In exchange for his protection, they serve him and shape Suribachi to suit his needs. It just so happened that what he needed has a side product of peace.”

The young man needed workers and the people in the slums of Suribachi needed jobs. Zeku didn’t like to be disturbed (come on, nobody would enjoy being shot at in front of their own house) so he only cleaned up the thugs of the area to get some peace and quiet. Then it started with one scared family moving next door to him to escape the chaotic violence of the rest of the neighbourhood. Soon, another group came and another followed. They kept each other in check in order to prevent Zeku from finding them troublesome and murdering them all too. And it worked. Crime rate declined and the especially tough or heinous criminals got slaughtered. It didn’t take too long before Suribachi developed into the pleasant and lively place that it was today.

Dazai thought this was a strange kind of influence for one person to have on others. But maybe it was just like how Zeku’s namesake foretold, he was born to be king, to be an emperor who held the world in his palms. It was a weird kind of charisma, the kind that felt like he could turn a heap of trash into the center of the world so long as he stood there.

“In short, there isn’t really anything to threaten him with.” Mori didn’t sound too happy about that. Placing his phone down on the table, his eyes were cold as he stared at Dazai with an expression that looked like a mix between swallowing a fly and constipation. “The Black Lizard failed...Huang Zeku had them all tied up and delivered straight to the police station.”

Dazai bursted out laughing. This course of action didn’t fit the profile he had set up for the Chinese teen but somehow, it was even more insulting. Zeku could have killed their men, who were sent to subdue him through force, but no. He chose to give them to the police! It was like a slap to Port Mafia’s face and generally a big middle finger to everything they had done so far trying to make the teen admit defeat.

“Are you sending in Chuuya next?” he asked while holding his stomach. Dazai was almost doubled over due to laughing too hard.

Sighing, Mori shook his head. “No, I need him in other places more. Huang Zeku...as long as he doesn’t expand out of Suribachi then we will let him be for now.”

Mori wasn’t an irrational man. He knew what the boy was doing was beneficial to Yokohama in the long run. Sure, he wasn’t keen on keeping a ticking time bomb around but he also wanted to put his beloved city first, so for now, he shall just monitor Suribachi like usual.

Dazai hummed, his chocolate brown eyes staring off into the distance.

“What’s wrong?”

The young man pointed out the window. Port Mafia had the highest building in the city so the view was spectacular. They could also just barely make out the outline of Suribachi from here. With a smile, Dazai whistled, “I told you he’s a dragon. Don’t dragons like to hide treasures in their caves? I wonder what he’s hiding at the center of his den.”

It must be one hell of a treasure for someone of that caliber to be guarding it so tightly.

2

The ground was caving in beneath him.

It was dark. There were dancing lights in his vision. The blurry outlines of haloed lights burned his eyes even though it felt like he was clouded in darkness. The shadows seemed to be alive as they clawed at him, trying to drown him in a sea of despair. His body felt weightless as it sunk into the soft cushions of the couch but his head was heavier than lead. Was he cold? His skin felt like it was made of marble but he still can’t be sure if he was too cold or too hot. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure why he was lying on the couch like a stupid shrivelling corpse of a vampire that had burnt itself in the sun.

Katsuki could hear the noise from the TV, or maybe it was the sounds from inside his own head. The voices criticized him through the static. Words like knives cutted into his skin while the high-pitched laughters dug into his flesh, trying to tear the tendons out. There was a neon orange light and Katsuki hazily realized that was the light from the talk show as the news anchors turned around in their chairs. They were ripping him apart, spewing speculations and saying good grief in celebration of his expulsion from UA.

Oh, now he remembered. He was expelled.

“He’s a handful that’s for sure! Just look at how he needed to be restrained during the sports festival!”

“...A ruthless fighter! Not too gentleman-like and it sure wasn’t a good first impression with many of our audiences.”

“But UA did good this time. They can’t tolerate a student with a history of bullying! If they did, I am sure many of us would be disappointed with them. According to an inside source, Bakugou didn’t feel remorse or regret for what he had done.”

“I keep telling you mate, I ain’t surprised! He looked like a feral one from the head to toe! I had a bad feeling about him since we first caught a glimpse of him during the sludge villain incident. After all, why would a villain pick him if there wasn’t something already rotten with him?”

There were more flashing lights and fleeting images that Katsuki’s brain had to strain to figure out what they were. They looked like social media posts, videos and news segments of old elementary and middle school people who claimed they knew him. Different people used different terms and phrases but they all conveyed the same message.

A bully.

A troublemaker.

Violent.

Rude.

Bakugou Katsuki was a villain.

A pale hand reached over and turned off the TV, returning the room to a kind of silence that was somehow even more uncomfortable than the criticism that was airing just seconds ago.

“Katsuki.” The hand landed on the blond’s face and a thumb brushed away the tears that gathered at the corner of those crimson eyes. Its owner’s voice was soft but firm. “Get up. You have to eat something.”

Katsuki could feel himself being hoisted up into a sitting position and a warm body was pressed against his side. He didn’t let go of the pilliow that he had unconsciously held tight within his arms.

He wasn’t sure how things got to this point. Katsuki had gotten himself into UA and he was doing pretty well too. He had good grades and was killing it in the practical training. There were times where he felt enraged, like how Ice Hot wasn’t willing to fight him properly or how Best Jeanist wasted a week on grooming his hair. But he had gritted through those kinds of things and was ready for a fresh start once he came back from the internship. He didn’t expect to be greeted with a furious Aizawa about two days after the internship ended.

Apparently Deku (sh*tty things always happen because of stupid Deku) had been blabbering to his little group of friends during break. He had gone and spilled all their dirty laundry from their past and Four Eyes and Round Face convinced him to speak with Aizawa. Katsuki could practically imagine what Deku looked like when he went to their teacher. It would be the same watery eyes and quivering lips that he had seen the green haired boy used on his parents and Aunty Inko all the damn time.

And as usual, whenever Deku cried, it was always Katsuki’s fault.

Katsuki didn’t deny the accusations. He knew he said mean things to the green haired teen, some of the stuff was also wrong on so many different levels. The teachers claimed that telling Deku to stop muttering about his explosion quirk around him was “an uncalled for intimidation” and the shoves he gave Deku in the halls were “borderline harassment and abuse of power”. Suddenly, his usual colourful vocabulary was also a problem that warranted suspension and not the usual scolding now.

Whatever. It wasn’t like he could justify his actions by explaining to the adults about how Deku had been practically stalking him since they were four either. No one ever cared about his side of the story anyways. Not his parents. Not Aunty Inko. Why should he ever believe that UA would be any different? Besides, he had seen how the teachers encouraged and praised Deku for his notes and analytic abilities. Katsuki was pretty sure Nezu was proud of the sh*tty nerd’s thorough understanding of his classmates’ quirks too, even gave him pats on the back for it. The notes were just Deku being Deku, they were harmless. What Katsuki thought of them were just his inferiority complex and paranoia at work.

Katsuki was the bad and mean one.

Deku was the sweet angel.

It had always been like that.

Katsuki just didn’t think he would get expelled over this. He was too much for UA to handle apparently. Too much trouble to rein in and too…Katsuki. He knew that the school had been getting some backlash about how they had handled him during the sports festival but even more had an opinion against how he handled himself. After all, if even a group of heroes deemed that he was dangerous enough that he needed to be restrained, that was saying something about his violent and abrasive nature right? The school don’t want a student like him to taint their precious image of what a good hero should be.

So they let him go. And then the media got wind of it. Now his face was on nearly every news station and hero talk shows. They dissected his life on public TV as if they could figure out what was so wrong with him through speculations and jokes. He was the prime example of what not to be for the next generation. Too dangerous. Too brutal. Too arrogant.

Not hero material.

In contrast, Deku’s name was never leaked and always blurred out as “Student X”. They sure as hell knew how to protect the victim.

His parents didn’t handle the news well. Katsuki remembered the sting on his cheek as his mom backhanded him before he even made it through the front door. She had been screaming. “Disgrace” and “f*ck up” were the only two distinctive things that Katsuki remembered from her hour long rant. Words started merging into one when his ears were ringing from the slaps. Mitsukui’s face had been twisted by fury as she kicked him and threw stuff at him. Meanwhile, his father watched from the side with sad disappointed eyes.

Maybe it was because he had been too quiet but Mitsuki eventually got tired of beating him. She tossed him out of the house and told him to think about what he had done. Very vaguely he remembered her telling him to “never come back” until he was ready to apologize to the Midoriyas. Then the door shutted in his face with a bang.

Fate really loved to f*ck him over, doesn’t it?

After that, Bakugou collected himself off the ground and decided to follow his mother’s order of never showing his pathetic face in front of his parents again.

They never wanted a burden like him anyways.

And that was how he ended up in Huang Zeku’s home.

To be fair, they have known each other for some time now. They were the only ones who knew each other’s secrets. While most people thought that Zeku was a street rat from the slums of Suribachi, Katsuki was the only one who knew the other teen was actually from another world!

Zeku came from a post-apocalyptic world where humans lived underground and the whole civilization was obsessed with battles to the death. They would even undergo dangerous but expensive surgeries just to participate.The champion of that tournament was hailed as a hero of some sort and loved by all. Neither of them were sure what happened but Zeku somehow had fallen into a crack and ended up here, in this world of heroes and villains.

It was the start of a cliche, Katsuki found him bloody in a quiet alley and because of his own secret, he patched him up and didn't bring Zeku to the authorities.

Coming from a world so different from this one, Zeku didn't adjust well to the system of heroes and villains. It was hard to change his mentality regarding moral codes when he grew up in a world where bloodshed was praised. He didn't understand why heroes couldn't kill or why normal civilians couldn't use their powers in public. In his world, the strong survived and it was that simple. In the end, he found the chaos of Yokohama more comforting and decided to settle there. The lawlessness and survival of the fittest atmosphere of Yokohama made him feel more at ease.

“Katsuki, I'm serious. You need to eat or drink something." The teen with raven hair pulled into a low ponytail and red eyes shook him with a bit more force. Zeku looked quite normal. Just a handsome teen with a face that fitted the old Chinese standards of what a man should be like. He was tall and fit, with a clean shaven face and long eyelashes. The sharpness behind those hazel red eyes made his features harsher than normal but overall, he wasn’t rough looking. There was also a sort of brooding and mysterious air around him since he rarely smiled or talked much.

The seventeen years old preferred to dress old-fashioned too. While he personally liked a more militant style of clothing, most of his wardrobe consisted of tang suits and magua jackets. Like now, he was wearing a dark blue magua over a plain white T-shirt. The waist length jacket had five white button knots at the front that Zeku left unbuttoned and the sleeves were wider than normal. Usually he would pair it with some baggy black pants.

The room they were in was decorated in a mix between modern and traditional Chinese furnishing. While there were things like TVs and radios, the furniture were mostly made of fine wood. Circular red wood gates separated the living and dining areas, there were also folding screens with ink wash paintings on them along with a few other more traditional pieces of home decoration. The light had a soft warm glow to it and it made him kind of sleepy.

“If you don’t start functioning in the next ten seconds I am throwing you to Coiled Dragon.”

“You’re a f*cking asshole,” croaked Katsuki. His voice was hoarse and raspy, like his throat had been rubbed down with sandpaper and the syllables were being gritted through a narrow pipe filled with stones.

Zeku only shrugged and pressed a cup of water against Katsuki’s dried lips. The cold liquid soothed the rawness inside his throat a bit. A bowl of warm porridge was then shoved into his hands. “You’re the one that’s sulking like it’s the end of the world first.”

“It kind of is.” He got kicked out of the school of his dreams and his parents basically disowned him. The nameless extras on the streets all had an opinion about him and none of them had anything good to say. It felt like there were eyes on him all the time and the malice and suspicion made his skin crawl. He wasn’t a villain. There was no way he would hurt a random brat on the street or explode someone without proper reason. But everyone else seemed to think otherwise.

Katsuki was also pretty sure he lost class A’s trust. He had seen the looks on their faces before he got escorted off campus. The Dekusquad were all seething. Todoroki might have even tried to freeze or burn him if he had the chance. Their classmates had a look of horror and disgust when their eyes met. Even Kirishima, the redhead that Katsuki had somewhat kind of started acknowledging as a friend had shied away from the blond.

Remembering that made his stomach churned. It was suddenly really hard to swallow too and the food on his tongue tasted like goop. Still, Katsuki didn’t like wasting food so he washed it down with more water.

“I don’t understand it,” Zeku said with a scowl. “You’re strong. I don’t get why you have to conform to their ideas of what a protector should look like. So long as you keep winning, isn’t that enough?”

Katsuki didn’t answer him immediately. This was something he was having trouble figuring out himself. He simply didn’t have enough vocabulary to convey the reasoning behind how the hero system worked. It was a puzzling mystery even to someone who grew up immersed in it.

In Zeku’s world, so long as you kept winning, you would be adored. No one would judge anyone based on their backgrounds as long as they remained victorious. Murderers and saints both bet their lives on the line and they were regarded as equals.

But being a hero was...different. There was a right way to win and a certain image to uphold. Excessive violence was fawned upon because criminals have rights. Heroes weren’t the judge or jury and they certainly can’t act as the executioner.

However, Zeku was used to acting as all three. That was why he liked Suribachi. Order and chaos existed side by side. It was a place where the light doesn’t reach and outside the jurisdiction of the normal brands of justice. Here in Suribachi, he was free and in his elements.

He only started the Huang Corporation because he couldn’t stand the living conditions in the slums. Back in his world, Zeku’s family owned a giant corporation that focused on body modifications. The power system in his world was vastly different from what Katsuki was used to. The people there don’t have quirks. Instead, they relied on embedding machines and biotechnology into their bodies to gain supernatural powers. They called it a “core”. Once they infused it into their hearts, they could gain special abilities like growing a claw, controlling thunder, or enhanced speed. Since it was a sought after technology, Zeku’s family made a fortune and his own father was a champion before. Simply put, the teen came from wealth and fame even in that futuristic hellhole of a world.

After landing in this reality, Zeku put his advanced knowledge of biotechnology to use. It took some convincing on Katsuki’s part but the other teen eventually agreed to not just adopt a mercenary lifestyle and actually earn his wealth the legal way. In a way, running the company gave Zeku something nostalgic to keep busy with. Other than that, he spent his free time either learning about the technology of this quirk era or lazing around in Suribachi, just enjoying the ocean and sky that no longer existed in his world.

“I guess I had it coming,” Katsuki said slowly as he set the empty bowl down. He wasn’t exactly answering Zeku’s question. “Telling people they are a whiny bitch or they are weak is messed up and a really bad thing to do.”

“That’s bull sh*t.”

“Yeah well, bull sh*t is just how things work out there.”

In hindsight, maybe he shouldn’t have done that. He shouldn’t have told Deku to take a swan dive off the roof either. But he was just so mad every time he saw Deku muttering or writing frantically in those creepy notebooks of his. The guy had 13 notebooks on him alone. Thirteen f*cking books! And that was excluding the ones Katsuki had exploded. He doesn’t even know what the hell was there to write about. It made him uneasy to think there was someone he didn’t consider as his friend (even friends shouldn’t know that much about each other) who had all this knowledge on him.

And he...he was scared.

If his biggest secret came out, he wasn’t sure what exactly would happen but he knew that it would be bad. For him, the people around him, and the sh*tty nerd. Deku’s stalking allowed him too close to the truth and Katsuki just needed the green haired nerd to f*ck off before he got all of them killed.

Especially when he knew that there was no way in hell that Deku could keep a secret.

He felt like he was being mocked too. While he trained and kept himself to a strict schedule, all Deku ever did was fanboyed about the heroes and quirks. He never put in a day of work into getting fit or honed his battle instincts. Did he believed that he could magically get into the top hero school alongside Katsuki by wishing alone? That was an insult to all the effort Katsuki had ever put in. Like a mockery of his blood and sweat. Everything that Katsuki had worked so hard to obtain— his parents’ attention, a spot in heroics, kindness from others...Deku could get all of that handed to him on a silver platter.

Well, none of that mattered anymore. Nobody would want to give the “beast of UA” a second chance. After all, even the top school like UA with all its resources had given up on him. Katsuki must be a lost cause. The harsh media scrutiny shined a large spotlight to the darker corners of the hero industry and there were also plenty of hero agencies coming out to declare that they would never work with anyone so hopelessly vile.

“If you use that, you can fix everything and get back into UA.”

“No,” Katsuki replied immediately and bit down hard on his bottom lip. “I’m not using that. I can’t use it, not for something like this. I f*cked up myself, I can deal with the consequences.”

His head was pounding again. Truth to be told, he still can’t believe his dream of becoming the best hero was just shattered like this. He felt disgusting and horrible but he would survive. So what if fate loved to screw him over? He wasn’t going to raise the white flag any time soon.

But he’d be lying too if he said it didn’t hurt to see how quickly his world turned upside down, how fast people turned on him as soon as the “evidence” came out. It felt like his head had been dunked under water.

“Besides, I don’t have a place out there any more.” The whole country would have known about this scandal by now. He couldn’t set foot outside without someone recognizing who he was and threw him dirty glares. Some “righteous” folks even found it their right to throw food at him or shoulder check him on the streets.

“...Yokohama doesn’t care about heroes,” Zeku replied in a low voice. He was right. That was one of the reasons why Katsuki came here. The people of Yokohama don’t really concern themselves with the outsiders’ obsession with heroes and villains. They lived a quieter life with less glamorous battles between good and evil. Few people would recognize or care about Katsuki’s tainted expulsion from UA.

“Is it gonna be me and you again?” Katsuki whispered with a sense of melancholy mixed with tenderness as he leaned his head on the taller teen’s shoulder. He could feel a loose strand of dark hair brushing against his neck. It was kind of itchy but he didn’t move his head away. He remembered when Zeku was just starting to make a name for himself in Suribachi. Katsuki had helped when it became evident that Zeku wasn’t ever going to fit into the society on the outside. He had a selfish reason for doing it but Zeku also needed a guide in this world so it was a fair arrangement.

He had never been so thankful that his parents were rarely home and never bothered to check in on him either. They never noticed that he wasn’t home after school or that he basically never slept in their house during the summers. Somehow, it was warmer lying next to Zeku in a creaky little beat down apartment than on his bed inside his spacious room.

They have come a long way from that.

Zeku was crazy and Katsuki must have been out of his mind. They were two foolish kids winging everything every step of the way. They had no one else to rely on and nowhere else to run to, not that they would run. It wasn’t in either of them to run from a problem. Racing between worn down ruins and garbage piles, heavy rain washed away the blood and sounds of gunshot but it couldn’t drown out the steady rhythms of each other’s heart beats.

There was no verbal answer but the tight squeeze around his hand gave him all the confirmation he needed. Their fingers were interlocked together as they sat side by side in silence. The sun was setting outside, casting the city’s landscape in a layer of golden orange. It looked like there was a ring of fire in the sky.

“They can’t hurt you here.” Zeku’s lowered his head and his bangs fell in front of his eyes, making it hard to decipher what his expression looked like right now. “Suribachi is mine. No one can touch you here.”

He held Katsuki’s hand to his lips and the soft pink skin brushed against the edge of Katsuki’s knuckles. The red hue of his eyes were cut into segments by his bangs but it didn’t diminish the intensity of his stare as he gazed into Katsuki’s own scarlet orbs.

“Stay with me.”

It sounded more like an order instead of a request. His words ghosted over the skin on the back of Katsuki’s hand like a puff of air. His touch was still gentle but his grip was unyielding.

Katsuki said yes.

3

“This is insane!”

Aizawa slammed his fist down on the paper that was one the conference table. He couldn’t believe his eyes or stop himself from raising his voice in seething anger. Nezu had requested a teacher’s meeting and everything started out quite normally. They made small talks, everyone was offered tea...and then they were given documents that contained a proposal straight from the gutters.

“I can’t believe you are even thinking about it!” Aizawa spat as he glared at the principal sitting at the end of the table. “I am completely against it. There is no way I am letting my students do this.”

“I’m with Eraser on this one,” Vlad grumbled as he threw the paper down on the table as if it was contagious. “Who in their right minds would willingly go into Yokohama? Yokohama! That place is ruled by criminals. I’m not sending my kid into a place like that even if they are third years. Heck, I won’t even advise on sending any heroes with less than five years of experience on the job into that hellhole.”

“There are a lot of heroes and villains who have entered that city and never came back. At least...not fully intact.” Midnight also frowned. “There is also no hero agency inside that city. We literally don’t have any information on how the laws are enforced there. I’m against sending our students there too.”

More teachers voiced similar opinions. They have all heard of Yokohama’s notorious name. It went without saying that none of them thought it was a good idea to organize a field trip to that place.

“Now, now,” Nezu raised one of his small paws to gesture for the heroes to settle down. He still held his smile even as all eyes turned on him. “I understand why you are all concerned but this will be a very valuable opportunity for our students.”

The hologram monitor in the middle of the table lit up and a beautiful city came into view. It was by the sparkling ocean and it looked just like any other place in Japan. Well, the skyscrapers and the buildings looked a bit more plain, with less dazzling billboards and flashing lights but it was still a fairly modern looking city.

“This is Yokohama,” Nezu introduced. “I’m sure you have seen it on some travel brochures as well. While there isn’t a restriction on who can enter or leave the city, not a lot of people like to travel there without a good reason. Its societal norms are very different from what we are used to. For starters, the concept of heroes and villains does not exist there. It can be said that Yokohaka roughly has a 60% quirkless population.”

None of the teachers were surprised by this fact. While usual schools don’t teach much about Yokohama, it was one of the first things any decent hero agency would tell their interns. The place was ravaged by war and conflicts all throughout its history and it had been isolated from the world a few times. It wasn’t strange that the population there evolved at a slightly different rate.

“While there are also people with quirks within Yokohama, the more notable thing is that some have what they call ‘abilities’. Now, abilities are not exactly the same as quirks. While quirks are genetically inherited and are limited by our physical bodies, abilities do not adhere to these rules. They have also been in existence far longer than quirks.”

“Abilities?” Present Mic repeated suspiciously.

“Yes.” Nezu nodded. “Those with this kind of power are called Ability Users. Unlike quirks, which are essentially part of us, these abilities don’t often take physical form like an extra tail or change the owner’s skin colour. However, they have more potential to grow in power than quirks because it won’t be limited by the owner’s physiques. That brings me to why I think this field trip would be beneficial—our students rely on their quirks too much. An Ability User is often trained in another form of battle, like martial arts or weaponry, and this makes them a more rounded fighter. I would like our students to witness first hand about how quirks aren’t everything that defines a hero.”

His statement contradicted the propaganda that most civilians would be subjected to. Everyone knew from a young age that not all men were born equal. Those with strong quirks were often praised and encouraged for heroics while those with less assuming or even “villainous” quirks were casted to the side.

“If that is all you wanted them to learn, we can increase their hand-to-hand combat sessions and invite well known martial artists to come teach a class,” Aizawa suggested.

“No, there is also another important lesson I wish them to learn.” Shaking his head, Nezu dropped his smile and his serious expression made the other teachers sit up straighter too. “Yokohama is not a villain-free zone but they have a different way of dealing with crime. An Ability User who is the same age as our students there would be much more skilled and experienced in terms of battle. In our eyes, how that city is run will be unconventional but as you all know, the real world is in shades of gray. Nothing is ever truly black or white. I want our students to be able to witness that hazy boundary with their own eyes. It will allow them to solidify where they stand as a hero.”

“...Does this have anything to do with the Hero Killer?” All Might, who had mostly been quiet until now, spoke up.

“Indeed.”

The Hero Killer wasn’t a good man. He was a murderer and a bloody villain but his conviction had moved many people’s hearts, including their own student’s. Criminals have their own codes of honour too and Nezu knew this experience would be immensely beneficial to the UA students’ young minds. Heroes and villains, crimes and justice. They were two sides of the same coin.

The current No.1 hero scanned the room before looking down at the paper in his hand again. “I have been to Yokohama before. It was very different from what I imagined it would be.”

His words made everyone else in the room curious.

The blond man coughed before looking back up with a stern expression. “I was younger and expected a city overridden with chaos and destruction. What I found was a place just like any other neighbourhood in Japan, minus the hero advertisem*nt. There was still order there and people had real smiles on their faces. Don’t get me wrong, Port Mafia—the largest crime organization there—certainly had a tight control over the city but they didn't actively go out and terrorize everyone on the streets. They mainly kept the fighting between different gangs to themselves...I tried to take them down but the people of Yokohama didn’t need saving and they didn’t want to be saved either. They were content with the way things are and they didn’t need heroes.”

A few surprised gasps filled the room. It was a puzzling concept to understand. How could people not need heroes?

All Might breathed out heavily, his hands had unconsciously balled into fists.

Nezu nodded knowingly. “They can be very wary of outsiders. But it is indeed not a total hell on earth. Even a few notable companies have set up bases there, like the Huang Corporation. It was founded right there in Yokohama. They are quite advanced technology wise.”

Everyone in the hero community was at least a little bit familiar with the Huang Corporation. They were in a dangerous line of work after all so surely they all knew at least one other hero who lost a limb and got one replaced. The prosthetics made by the Huang Corporation was a saving grace that allowed many to continue their hero work.

“Even so, how do we know it’s safe to send our students there?” Vlad directed a question to Nezu solemnly. “How do we know that those criminals won’t turn hostile when they realize there are hero students and pro heroes in their city?”

The rodent smiled. “Simple, I have set up this trip with the help and coordination of some old acquaintances in the government and someone who is on good terms with Port Mafia’s boss. They have agreed that so long as our students follow the rules and do not cause trouble, they will be welcomed with open arms.”

“Welcome into a trap,” muttered Aizawa under his breath.

“Port Mafia isn’t like the brand of villains we are used to,” All Might reassured as he placed a hand on Aizawa’s shoulder. “I can’t say for certain that I approve of their tactics or lie and say that they have a stellar reputation, but one thing I can guarantee is that they don’t go back on their words.”

There weren't any open executions in the streets that was for sure. Although, if they do that it would be so much easier for the heroes or law enforcers to throw them in jail.

“Both class A and B are going?” No.13 finished reading through all the paper. “Shinsou has just transferred into class A because of what happened with Bakugou...are you sure he is ready?”

Hearing that, Aizawa’s expression darkened even more.

“The field trip won’t be mandatory. We will let the students and their parents decide if they are willing to participate.”

That wasn’t the answer Aizawa wanted to hear but it seemed like his opinions won’t stop Principal Nezu. The meeting soon came to an end and everyone filed out of the room. With a heavy sigh, Aizawa trained a look of annoyance at the principal. Nezu had asked him to stay behind.

“What is it?” Aizawa didn’t like the look on Nezu’s furry little face. It lacked his usual devilish charm, which meant something of grave importance was at stake.

“I think you know already, Aizawa-sensei. Bakugou Katsuki was last spotted getting on a train to Yokohama. I have just received intel that the League is setting up a bounty on him in the underground world.”

That sentence was like a sword striking into the dark haired man’s chest. This school year has been one disaster after another. It seemed like Aizawa could never catch a break these days. His students have been targeted by villains far too many times at their age. Then there was the scandal with Bakugou’s bullying.

Midoriya had came clean to him about the harassment and discrimination he had faced over the years by his so called “childhood friend”. Aizawa thought it was puzzling at first. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that there was bad blood between Bakugou and Midoriya so he thought the green haired kid had been a little too lenient and kind towards someone who had been abusing him for years. But maybe some people just had a big heart like that. Midoriya was too good to understand that it was alright to feel mad at the world. To get angry at the person that had stomped over him and stand up for himself.

Those were things that Aizawa and the other teachers, along with some outside professional help, hoped to help Midoriya slowly come to understand. The man had enough of watching a child broke down from memories of torment, he was going to make sure the kid would never have to feel that way or felt that he was alone in the journey any longer.

Now, he doesn't regret agreeing to expel Bakugou from UA. The blond hadn’t shown an ounce of remorse when confronted about the bullying. He admitted to doing those horrible deeds too and Aizawa had been disappointed. He had hoped Bakugou would show signs of regret but the teen’s expression had been steel. It was blank, unfeeling, and he held his head high like usual as if nothing was wrong.

He also defiantly vocalized his dislike for therapies, which didn’t help his case when he ranted on about how he thought Midoriya deserved the rough treatment. It horrified and infuriated Aizawa.

But that didn’t mean he wanted to hear the news of Bakugou vanishing.

He was informed of Bakugou’s disappearance by Midoriya. The boy had been going to therapy sessions with Hound Dog and he was visibly doing better. He walked a bit straighter with more confidence behind his eyes too. But he somehow carried a burden of guilt, thinking that Bakugou’s hero dreams were cut short because of him. A week or two after Bakugou’s expulsion, the green haired boy had called him in a panic and said that there was no one at Bakugou’s house. His parents didn’t know where he was either since they had a huge fight the day Bakugou got kicked out of school and the Bakugous had been working damage control for their company’s name since then.

The police were contacted. It indeed looked like there hadn't been anyone around the Bakugou’s house for at least a week. Bakugou’s phone was found near a bus stop, tossed carelessly into the trash. Then a security camera caught him getting on a train to Yokohama and nothing else has been heard about him since then. Aizawa thought that was extremely irresponsible but the pair of husband and wife were also trying to secure their livelihoods after such a big scandal so he held his tongue.

Bakugou Katsuki was officially declared missing.

Aizawa had no idea why the kid would want to go to Yokohama. People don’t usually go there unless they have a seriously good reason. Yokohama wouldn’t be people’s first choice of sightseeing either and Bakugou had no relatives there. They thought maybe the League had a hand in this but the speculations quickly turned the other way around and people started speculating if Bakugou had been the traitor in UA.

Aizawa thought that idea was laughable. He had never seen a kid with more drive to become a hero than Bakugou. There was no way he would turn to the villains.

Still, there was a growing feeling of unease inside his chest. Yokohama. That place was infamous and they knew next to nothing about it, thanks to the secretive nature of the government and Port Mafia. He didn’t feel comfortable letting his students go there and he was also worried if they would run into Bakugou there. Actually, it might be a good thing if they find Bakugou. At least then they could verify what kind of state the blond was in.

Yokohama wasn’t nice or safe. There were rumours that there was dirty business going on underneath the table and humans were valuable products. Blackmarket organ trade and slavery was still very much modern issues and crimes that experienced heroes battle every day. Bakugou might be talented but he was young and inexperienced, he might get swallowed whole by the darkness that was Yokohama.

...And Midoriya. The boy had been feeling down since he learned of Bakugou’s disappearance. Aizawa was sure Midoriya wouldn’t back out of the field trip once he knew where their destination was. He would have to warn the kid severely about not rushing off and trying to find Bakugou in that city, in case he ran into the big fishes and accidentally pissed off the wrong kingpin.

Rubbing his temple, Aizawa knew he was going to hate this field trip already.

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

1

The last time Midoriya had trouble sleeping before a field trip was in fifth grade and they were going to visit the All Might Museum. He was too excited to sleep during the night before so he ended up dozing off on the bus ride. Although he slept like the dead immediately after he got home, he still had a blast that day.

But this time, there was a whole different reason for why he was nervous and anxious.

They were going to Yokohama! The Yokohama. None of them could believe their ears when their teachers came to tell them what was going to happen.

It had been a while since Bakugou was expelled from the school. Midoriya regretted it. He really did. After the incident with Stain, he had grown closer to Todoroki and Iida and they started exchanging more texts. It was an accident. He didn’t plan on letting the darker portions of his past slip but it sort of came out when he was in a floaty state of consciousness because of the pain medication. Then they started pressing him for more information, telling him in soothing and worried voices that they were there for him.

Even Uraraka. The girl caught word of it and she hugged him, told him that it was alright if he wasn’t comfortable sharing right now. They could understand if he found it hard to convey what he felt but at the very least, he should know that he wasn’t alone. He had all of them as his support system. A shoulder to cry on. Someone who cared. Someone who would listen to his troubles and not jeer at him or make fun of him.

For the first time in his life, he had friends.

Ever since he could remember, Bakugou was always the one who had everything. From good grades to friends and praises, both of his parents were present in his life and they loved him...people had great expectations for him and they all adored him. Meanwhile, Midoriya was cast to the side. Like a fly on the wall or a shadow that everyone merely trampled over. Although Midoriya also thought Bakugou was amazing, sometimes he wished he could reach the same heights as the blond. He was everything Midoriya wasn’t: Confident and strong.

Bakugou was the center of attention and adoration.

Midoriya was an outcast and useless weirdo.

Midoriya remembered admitting his tragic past to his friends. He cried harder than he had ever done in his life before, bawled his eyes out as Uraraka held him in her arms. Todoroki and Iida had been furious. They looked like they wanted to go knock on Bakugou’s door and give him a piece of their mind. After that, they asked him to speak with Aizawa-sensei.

In a vulnerable state after pouring his heart out, Midoriya had agreed.

It had been...he didn’t want to say this but it really had been unwinding. He told Aizawa-sensei everything and even though he didn’t get too in depth about how he felt (that part was tricky for him, he wasn’t sure he had any of the right words to describe how he felt), the man told him everything would be taken care of properly. His previous teachers had failed him but UA wasn’t going to be like that.

The result was Bakugou being expelled.

Midoriya thought that was too much. The blond wanted to be a hero so bad. There was no one else with more drive to surpass No.1 than Bakugou and Midoriya knew the blond teen had what it took to be a hero. He might act brash and rude but he always stood within the boundaries of law and he was honorable in his own way.

But the adults around him told him that it was time Bakugou faced consequences. What Bakugou did wasn’t alright and he needed to accept the repercussions for his own actions. He was the ringleader and he would be reprimanded.

Principal Nezu said there was no need for Midoriya to accept being treated like dirt and their school took these claims very seriously, especially since Bakugou doesn’t seem to be exhibiting remorse for what he did. They could have done a lot worse by pressing charges. Although it wasn’t likely that Bakugou would get jail time, it would be enough to mandate him into therapy sessions and community service.

Midoriya had been stunned. For the first time in his life, adults were taking his side instead of mindlessly praising Bakugou and rooting for him. They haven’t dismissed Midoriya’s pain or suffering.

He wasn’t sure how he felt. His chest was warm but the cloud of worry stayed over his mind. Sure, he was mad at Bakugou throughout various points of his life so far. He was mad when Bakugou laughed at his dream of becoming a hero, when the blond would explode the notes about his explosion quirk that Midoriya spent hours gathering and analyzing, when he got shoved and punched and told to “f*ck off”...but despite all that rough treatment, he still looked up to Bakugou. A small part of him wished they could get back what they had when they were kids, when they could hang out and talk hero without the shouting and angry sneers.

“Bakugou needs to learn to take responsibility. He’s strong. He will be fine.”

Then Midoriya doesn’t see the blond at school anymore. His classmates learned about what had happened and they apologized for not realizing the red flags sooner. They had movie nights and katsudon, sleepovers and group chats. His peers were doing everything they could to make him feel better, to ease the pain and the scars left on his heart. None of them brought up Bakugou, some due to sympathy and others were still in shock of how harsh UA could get.

Midoriya was thankful. He started counseling with Hound Dog. The first few sessions were awkward and weird. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do or say but the teacher guided him gently.

He was doing better, making good progress. Or so he was told. Sometimes Midoriya felt like he was still on autopilot. He couldn’t believe that Bakugou was gone and it was all because of him. The professional therapist said it was alright to remove toxic people from his life and he didn’t need to face his tormentor anymore, but Midoriya still felt uneasy.

He saw the news and social media opinions on Bakugou. The rumours spread like wildfire with no signs of stopping anytime soon. Midoriya could hear the whispers in the halls and cafeteria, in the malls and on the streets...There was no way any hero school would take Bakugou now.

Bakugou would never be a hero because of Midoriya. His biggest dream and aspiration crushed and tossed out the window without any chance of a comeback.

Maybe other people would find it satisfying but Midoriya felt hollow. He wanted an apology, sure. He never wanted or thought that expulsion would be in order.

So he watched. He watched as the scandal online snowballed and how his mother broke down apologizing to him for never realizing just how bad the torment he had been subjected to had gotten. Aunty Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru came by once to apologize but his mom chased them away in anger. Their friendship became filled with bitterness and guilt.

Kacchan didn’t come with them.

Sometimes the TV would be on and Midoriya would hear his mom agreeing quietly to the cruel words the hosts have to say about Bakugou. He was a cruel monster, someone who wasn’t fit to be a hero at all.

She came with him to a few sessions and the emotion came out like a flood from both of them. They cried and talked, sobbed at each other’s admission of how they felt and promised to work it out. There was discussion of self-care, of building a support system...Midoriya went through the motions with a hint of guilt still tucked into the deep corner of his mind.

Bakugou was gone and Shinsou joined their class. It felt like everything was changing too fast in such a short span of time.

Midoriya tried not to think about Bakugou but he couldn’t. He passed by the blond’s house one day and he instinctively knew something was wrong.There was no sign of forced entry but the yard looked odd. The grass hadn’t been watered and the house just felt wrong.

It didn’t take long to figure out that Bakugou hadn’t been home for a while. Midoriya gave his statement to the police and Aizawa-sensei was notified. He could feel the guilt and dread returning, even if everyone else was telling him that Bakugou probably ran off on his own to cool his head.

After some pestering, Midoriya eventually found out from the Bakugous that their son was last seen getting on a train to Yokohama.

He had been terrified and confused then. What could Bakugou be doing in Yokohama? But that city was too dangerous and Midoriya knew he wouldn’t be able to get in by himself. He wasn’t just a hero in training, he was also All Might’s successor. If he got captured by villains there then it would be over.

He didn’t think Yokohama would come up in a discussion again so soon.

Aizawa-sensei had gathered them up with class B after the written final and informed them about the field trip to Yokohama. Of course, quite a few of the students objected. They have all heard about the notorious city run by villains. It wasn’t a place that normal people would travel to without good reason.

Midoriya knew it was a special place. The city had been closed off a few times in history, especially during the period when quirks were first on the rise. Although the restriction had been lifted now, there still wasn’t much information about Yokohama circulating around. Sure, there were a few notable companies located there but most of the city was still clouded in mystery.

But he was intrigued. It was a city that was majorly composed of quirkless people and their teachers had told them there were these “ability users” there. He wanted to know what was the difference between abilities and quirks, and how a city could function under the rule of criminals with no heroes to help anyone. Could there even be a place where villains and heroes don’t exist?

Midoriya thought that was impossible.

They would be going there for the first two weeks of the summer break. Midoriya spent the night brainstorming over what he knew about the city and simply couldn’t sleep. Principal Nezu said countless heroes have tried to infiltrate the city to no avail so they must follow the rules during their stay there. He also provided a very detailed account of why abilities were dangerous and how Yokohama was no joke. The rodent basically scared all of the teenagers pale when he finished his talk.

Still, none of them chose to back out.

”Evil comes in all shapes and forms, so does justice. Please use this opportunity to see for yourselves how the world is a big place. We would be frogs in the well if we remain stuck in a certain perspective for too long.”

All Might assured them that this would be a safe trip, so long as they followed the rules.

The morning that they were supposed to leave for the field trip, Midoriya arrived at UA and saw the two hero classes already mingling together. Quite a few of them had this nervous air about them but overall, they were all excited. But the uneasiness still lingered in the atmosphere. There was a whole city of criminals! And they wouldn’t have any additional back up from other pro heroes! Even if All Might assured them it would be fine, they couldn’t shake that sense of worry.

“Morning, Izuku-kun.”

“Morning, Uraraka-kun and Iida-kun.”

He nodded at them. Midoriya saw that class B also looked squirmish. They were all quieter than normal, even Monoma didn’t come taunt them like usual. Vlad King and Principal Nezu were there. All Might wouldn’t be going with them but he showed up to give them words of encouragement.

Principal Nezu said they would be under the care of an Armed Detective Agency during their stay. It was a shock to all of them. Detectives? That sounded too lawful to be true in a city overrun by criminals.

With a thousand more questions bubbling inside their heads, the two classes boarded their bus. The buses took them and their teachers near Yokohama and then they were asked to change to a different bus.

A man with dirty blond hair stood at the front of the bus. He was in a light coloured suit and he wore classes. Overall, he looked sharply dressed and had a righteous air similar to Iida.

“My name is Kunikida,” he introduced himself while holding a notebook with the word ideal written on it. “I am a member of the Armed Detective Agency and I will be guiding you into the city. My colleague is currently on the other bus with class B, doing the same thing.”

They were driving into the city now. The kids could all see class B’s bus behind them and the beautiful city by the ocean came into view. Blue sky and a sparkling ocean, the place looked stunning. They became mesmerized by the scenery, and their attention was drawn to the five black skyscrapers that stood out the most near the center of the city.

It wasn’t like anything they imagined.

The streets looked...too calm. There were no flashy or colourful hero advertisem*nts and no heroes patrolling the neighbourhoods. The place was clean and buzzing with life like all the other places in Japan. The buildings were mostly built the old fashion way, with no adjustments for people with different body parts. The crowd also looked different. Most of these citizens don’t have different coloured skin, hair, or oddly shaped body parts.

“This is totally not what I expected,” Kirishima blurted out. “I thought there would be chaos and smoke everywhere. But it’s so peaceful!”

They all thought that. If it weren’t for Principal Nezu’s orders, they would have brought their hero costume with them too. But no, their principal had been serious when he warned them (even their pro hero teachers too) to not rush into things. Yokohama had their own way of dealing with criminals or injustice.

“I feel out of place...” Hagakure said as she pressed her hands onto the window, making handprints on the glass.

Kunikida pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said with a smile: “Welcome to Yokohama.”

------

The Armed Detective Agency (ADA) had an office located at the corner of a street. It looked decent. Normal even. There was a cafe downstairs and they could smell the bittersweet aroma when they got close. They would also be staying in a hotel near the agency’s office.

ADA took on cases that were too dangerous for regular police to handle (Midoriya was sure he heard a few jaws dropped when they were told there were police in this city). A lot of the members were ability users too.

They have yet to meet the president of the agency but there was a lady with short dark hair, whom Kunikida told them was the doctor. Her name was Yosano Akiko and she wore a white dress shirt with a long black skirt. A teen not much older than them with light gray hair had greeted them when they came in. His eyes were a special colour that looked like it was purple near the top but slowly turned golden near the bottom. Maybe he had some special abilities too?

He was nice to them, perhaps a little shy but he took them into a conference room politely. Seeing him kind of eased the tension a bit. Kunikida called him Atsushi.

Most of the other members were out so they only got a basic rundown of the rules from Kunikida. Yokohama had access to outside television and other media or resources, so they shouldn’t get too freaked out if a few people recognized them on the streets. Aizawa-sensei and Vlad-sensei didn’t seem to like that information very much.

“Please note that under no circ*mstances are you allowed to use your quirks in public. This rule is the same as you would have on the outside but here, it is extremely important you follow this rule. If you see any unrest or dispute on the streets, do not try to intervene. Contact the cops immediately and stay low.”

That sounded reasonable. They were only students who hadn't gotten their licenses yet so of course public quirk usage wasn’t allowed. But that made them queasy. They were essentially in enemy territory and they can’t use their quirks?

Kendo from class B raised her hand. “We can’t use our quirks even if we are attacked?”

“If you follow our rules, you will not be attacked,” Kunikida stated but his answer didn’t sit well with the students. Raising his hand, he gestured for them to settle down. “A guide from our agency will be with your groups at all times when you are in the city. It is essential that none of you use your quirks in case you provoked the wrong people.”

“Wrong people...like Port Mafia?”

“Not just them. There are other ability users living in Yokohama and some of them do have a temper. They will not take being attacked or insulted kindly.”

“Mr. Kunikida?” Kaminari raised his volume slightly to get the man’s attention. “Why don’t the police arrest the criminals if everyone knows they are the bad guys? Or why don’t the criminals try to take down the government?”

“Because of balance,” the man answered while writing a few things down inside his notebook. “In this city, two major powers run the show. The government and Port Mafia are like light and shadow, one cannot exist without another. Because of our unique history, right now Port Mafia has the upperhand. If they were taken down in a rush then it would send the whole city into a state of utter chaos. Same goes for the government. Port Mafia has no intention of interfering with the basic operations of the city so they will not aim to overthrow it completely. They have a peace treaty.”

A look of confusion flushed itself over every student’s face. The explanation made no sense to them. Criminals were villains and in their world, all villains wanted to do was destruction. They don’t care who gets hurt or if order was disrupted. And why would heroes walk away from villains? That made no sense to them. The hero was supposed to defeat villains, police were supposed to make arrests...they weren’t supposed to be negotiating with criminals and making deals.

Seeing that, Kunikida sighed but he quickly regained his composure as if he expected this to happen.

“It’s a complicated matter. Not all villains are into complete chaos and destruction. The villains you are used to are generally individuals looking for fame and fortune, maybe revenge too. Here, organized crime is the majority.” He looked up at the door. “It looks like Dazai and Ranpo-san have returned.”

They all turned around and saw a young man with short messy black hair coming in. He had thin eyes and wore a brown Inverness cape like an old English detective. He even completed the look with long white socks and a blazer. Behind him, there was a taller man with wavy dark brown hair and a long sand coloured trench coat over his suit. He was pretty handsome but there were bandages poking out from underneath his sleeves.

“Oh, you must be the UA kids!” the taller man said. He introduced himself as Dazai Osamu but quickly went off on a tangent about how it looked like a nice day to take a dive into the river.

Kunikida smacked him in the head immediately when he said that, which was strange. The UA students and staff didn’t understand what was so wrong with that statement. Sure, it was strange to want to take a swim in the river when there were pools but they were next to the ocean, so taking a swim in rivers or the sea didn’t seem too far-fetched of an idea.

The other young man was Ranpo, and he was the star of the agency. According to him, he was the best detective in the world. He seemed like an easy going one but he also showed a childish side when he immediately went for the sweets in the cabinets.

Since there wasn’t anything else planned for the day, quite a few of the kids decided to head back to the hotel to check on their luggages first. Vlad King escorted them across the street. However, there were also students who decided to stay and ask more questions or take a look around the agency.

Hesitantly, Midoriya shared a glance with Kirishima when they saw that most people had cleared away from Ranpo. He was the best in the agency right?

“Excuse me, Ranpo-san?” Midoriya walked up to the man who was enjoying his candy in an armchair by the window. “Can we also place a job with your office?”

Kirishima and the old “Bakusquad” followed him. The rest of their friends and a few class B kids looked at them curiously.

Dazai looked more intrigued than Ranpo as he sauntered over. “What kind of job?”

“I-I would like to commission your help in finding someone.” There was something unnerving about the man with chocolate eyes in front of him. Midoriya gulped but still dug out an envelope filled with cash. “His name is Bakugou Katsuki.”

“Izuku-kun?” Uraraka sounded shocked.

“Midoriya...” Iida also started but Todoroki stopped him.

Turning to face his friends, Midoriya shocked his head. “Guys...this might be our only chance. Kacchan just vanished. What if he’s like...hurt or worse?”

Like the League.

Like villains had gotten their hands on him.

Like roaming the streets, homeless and hungry or tired.

Sometimes Midoriya still saw the past tortures in his dreams. He remembered every sting and burn and the sweet scent of burning sugar. He felt detached in those times, hearing the leers and insults from the crowd and never being able to say anything back.

All he saw was his own scared and crying face.

But that didn’t mean he wished Bakugou dead. Or gone. Like a ghost dissipating into the light. Gone without a trace as if he no longer existed.

Uraraka placed a heavy hand on him. “He told you to kill yourself.”

“Yeah,” the light dimmed in Midoriya’s eyes when he was reminded about that. “But he’s out there and I’m really worried about him.”

The shadow of Bakugou’s disappearance ghosted over his mind at night. He couldn’t help but wonder where the blond had gone. Midoriya saw a complex look on Aizawa-sensei’s face but the raven haired man didn’t do anything to stop him.

“Midoriya and us scraped together some money,” Kirishima scratched his head and he looked nervous. “We don’t know if it’s enough but we got to try. I mean yeah, Bakugou did some messed up stuff but we are supposed to be heroes. We can’t just give up on him when we have no idea where he went off to. Guys, he came to Yokohama alone.”

As the red head stressed the last word out, a few of the kids grimaced with surprise and panic.

“If the money isn’t enough, I can foot in some too.” Tokoyami took out his wallet. Soon, a few others followed and voiced their agreements. As much as they had been horrified by the fact that their classmate was a bully (and an ungrateful one who treated an angel like Midoriya cruelly too), they all felt dread for the blond. He was alone in Yokohama? That didn’t sound promising or safe at all.

Was he even alive?

That was the question they all wanted to ask.

A few of the classmates even sighed about how “You’re too kind, Midoriya”.

“Hold on, as much as this show of generous kindness is touching, I can’t take this case,” Ranpo interjected while he popped another marshmallow into his mouth.

“Eh? Why?” Mina questioned.

“It’s not about the money,” said Ranpo as if he had read their minds.

“Ranpo-san?” Atsushi also sounded confused. “I know this case might not be interesting enough for you but—”

“No, it’s not that either. I mean, yeah, a case like this is easy for me, the greatest detective in the world but just because it’s boring is not why I’m declining it.” The detective kicked his feet onto the table. “Bakugou Katsuki, sixteen years old. He was expelled from UA highschool during the middle of the semester. The teenager was last seen getting on a train to Yokohama and his phone was discarded at a bus stop.”

“How do you know that?” Aizawa questioned with narrowed eyes. That information hadn’t been leaked to the press.

“Yokohama police also have access to the records of other precincts. Anyways, I saw the pictures the primary investigators took. His phone wasn’t broken, it was just tossed into the trash. There are no signs of forced entry into his house and nothing was missing. Security camera at the station caught him purchasing a ticket to Yokohama alone but here’s the thing: There’s no record of him entering Yokohama.”

“What?” Midoriya shouted in disbelief.

“Information around here circulates fast. Both the government and Port Mafia keep a close eye on the people coming in and out even if travel isn’t restricted. So, do you get it now? There’s a high chance that Bakugou isn’t here in Yokohama. He only got the ticket to throw you all off his trail.”

When he finished, Midoriya and the rest of the students all felt defeated. Their hope had been shattered before it could even be lifted. Aizawa was also already texting, maybe to communicate with the detective handling Bakugou’s case about the new possibility.

Midoriya’s shoulders went slack and he bumped into Kirishima as his body wavered a bit. His lips were quivering as his eyes went wide. They were back at square one. Maybe not even there because now they had absolutely no idea where Bakugou had gone. The only lead they had turned out to be a dead end.

“Hey Midoriya,” Aizawa placed a hand on the green haired teen shoulder. “Look, it’s alright. The investigation is still going on outside of Yokohama. We will find Bakugou. It’s not your fault he disappeared.”

“I-I never w-wanted him to run away, Sensei.” Midoriya was holding back sobs as his eyes got watery. "He's all alone out there."

“No one expected him to run. We couldn't have predicted this.”

The man sighed and ushered the remaining kids to follow him to the hotel. It didn’t look like they were in the right mindset for anything else today.

------

“Ranpo-san,” Atsushi scratched his neck with a frown. The UA members have all left and it was just ADA staff remaining in the office right now. “Why did you lie to them?”

He had been working in the agency for some time now and he could sort of tell when the detective was off. The eighteen years old sat down across the table as he packed a folder containing the UA students’ files away.

“I didn’t lie.” Ranpo shook his head in disagreement. “There really is no record of Bakugou Katsuki entering the city. There’s a bounty out for him on the dark web and even Francis’s system couldn’t pick him out of the crowd.”

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, he was an ability user from America who belonged to an organization called “Guild”. He had come to Yokohama looking for The Book, a mythical device thought to be able to make anyone’s dreams come true. After his group failed to raid Yokohama, the man took over a security company that specializes in facial recognition softwares so technically, he had eyes all over Yokohama. Francis wasn’t a good man. He would gladly kill in order to gain what he wanted but he was also a businessman. It wasn’t hard to deduce he might have tried looking for Bakugou in order to exchange him for the bounty.

He hasn't given up on finding The Book.

“So Bakugou really isn’t in Yokohama?”

“Maybe he is. Maybe he's not.” It was Dazai who answered. “There are three other reasons why someone wouldn’t have a record of entering Yokohama. One, the government or the hero commission has him. Two, Port Mafia got to him first. This Bakugou kid has a strong quirk...wouldn’t be surprised if a few idiots want to add a child soldier to their ranks. And he’s probably desperate. This is a kid who got kicked out of UA, ran away from home so he’s got nowhere else to go, and has a giant target on his back because of all the media scrutiny. He’s got nobody and no money to survive for long alone. Perfect chance to turn him into something not so heroic.”

That didn’t sound good.

It was certainly too dark of news to tell a bunch of teenagers from the outside world. They didn’t understand the darkness of Yokohama and their agency didn’t need reckless baby heroes turning over every rock in the city looking for their possibly kidnapped former classmate. Or cooking up conspiracies either.

“And the third reason?”

Ranpo gestured to the other side of the city. “Simple. He snuck in and is hiding somewhere where no organization would touch and where Francis doesn't have cameras.”

Looking up, Atsushi frowned when he realized that was the direction of Suribachi City. True, so long as Bakugou kept his head low, he could survive in Suribachi. That place was a dragon’s den that everyone knew was off limits. The people of Yokohama were lenient on child labor too, they would hire kids or people with no ID as long as they worked hard.

Atsushi shivered slightly as he remembered who owned Suribachi. He had only met the guy once. Huang Zeku was similar to him in age but there was this pressuring aura about him that made the beast inside of Atsushi irritated.

Zeku had shown up when they fought Francis. The American man had planned to crash an entire flying warship into Yokohama and level the city in order to make his search for The Book easier. That angered the Dragon of Suribachi City.

“Get out of my part of the city, you pest.”

His words were cold and each syllable felt like concrete ice slicing into their skins. His eyes were the colour of blood, the fresh kind on a reaper’s scythe. One glance and Atsushi sensed the danger freezing his veins.

It was a miracle Francis was still alive.

Atsushi feared for the UA kids’ safety if they ever did stir up trouble in Suribachi. Huang Zeku wouldn't be merciful enough to spare children. Crossing him was the equivalent to death.

“Besides, I don’t think the kid wants to be found.” Ranpo shrugged. For a moment there, his tone turned serious. “They didn’t mention it in the reports but if you see Bakugou’s footage, it’s obvious that he’s been slapped around a few times before he got on the train. Judging by the state of his hands, I’d say he didn’t fight back against whoever attacked him so they were probably one or both of his parents. He tossed his phone himself. Bakugou Katsuki is on the run from his past.”

And they can't wake someone pretending to be asleep.

2

Life in Suribachi wasn’t bad.

Katsuki did some mundane chores and cooking around the house then spent most of his time reading. He thought about enrolling into online classes to finish highschool. While he could enroll in a regular school in Yokohama, he decided to lay low for now and honestly, he wasn’t in a good mindset to be in a school environment. Too many people. Too much gossiping. He wasn’t sure if he could stand the stares when he knew some of the kids were bound to recognize him. Yokohama wasn’t as isolated as the outsiders thought.

He spent his time indoors. Sometimes he would sit by the window and watch the cars and people on the streets below. They looked like ants from up here.

It was comforting to wake up in Zeku's arms. The older teen held him like he was the most precious thing in the world. Zeku doesn’t see a monster or a savage like the media advertised him to be, he only saw Katsuki.

They kissed and cuddled, watched stupid shows that both of them thought the protagonists were idiots, and sometimes sparred in the training room together. Zeku wasn't picky when it came to food. He liked pickled radish and they talked when they eat together. Sometimes Zeku will recount the battles from the tournaments back in his world, piecing them into short stories for the blond.

But the thing that Katsuki liked to do the best was watching the other teen work. Zeku was a wizard with mechanics and whatever those other materials were. Some of the stuff he worked with had a fleshier appearance and Katsuki couldn’t quite name all of it. He always seemed so focused when he was working with the tools and little pieces of metal.

Life wasn’t so bad. Katsuki thought that he would be alright with this. Things could have been a lot worse but here, Zeku provided for him and loved him. He cared for him in his silent and awkward but nonetheless sweet way.

He loved him for being him.

Something Katsuki didn’t think he could ever find.

Not with how the world had turned on him and he had known that there was malice and greed around every corner from a young age. He never expected to be coddled or taken care of. The people around him all said he was strong and strong boys didn’t need those things. They wouldn’t need to be pampered or have someone hold their hands when things get scary. His parents didn’t do that for him. His head had grown too big and they thought he could be knocked down a few pegs to learn what being humble meant. The kids that used to follow him around only gathered towards him when he was strong and victorious.

None of them had ever stood before him and held his hand, providing him warmth and lead him out of the darkness closing in around him. Midoriya had reached out to him once but what could Deku do? He was weak and his courage could be taken out in an instant like a popped balloon. He wasn’t a stable anchor that Katsuki trusted to rely on.

"It's almost damn impossible to love you!" his mother had once admitted in a moment of frustration.

Words shouldn't have hurt as badly as a punch.

The room was filled with the sweet scent of lavender. Wisps of smoke came from the metal incense burner with a dragon carved on it.

The blond stared at himself in the mirror. Sometimes he saw his mother staring back at him. They looked alike after all. His cheeks were slightly rounder than when he first got here because Zeku got bossy when he didn't eat. There was also a looming threat of tossing him to Coiled Dragon if he didn’t take care of himself properly. While Katsuki knew the dragon wouldn’t hurt him, it was still a monstrous task to play with the beast. One claw alone weighed more than two of him!

“Katsuki,” Zeku’s voice came from the hall. Not too much later, the teen appeared by the door. It looked like he might have come back from outside since he was in his black coat and red tang suit. Zeku had left the first two buttons unbuttoned. He stopped mid yawn when he saw what was going on in the room. Although his expression was still blank, Katsuki could still sense the shock from him. “...Why are you dressed like that?”

Near the mirror, the blond teen stood in a red and gold cheongsam. It had a more modern cut so the edge of the hem only came down to about the middle of his thigh. The slit opening at the side was a bit higher too and it revealed smooth porcelain skin.

“Just trying something different.” He had been thinking about going outside but he always hesitated right as he got to the door. Being outside had been...taxing. Katsuki remembered how hard it was to go out after the Sports Festival. People looked at him differently, as if they expected him to randomly set off explosions or pull out a knife to threaten them. There were nasty glares and hushed whispers. He wasn’t welcomed and people had no problem letting him know that.

He didn’t want to face that cruelty again. He didn’t enjoy being stared at like a circus show either, like he was some freak criminal everyone could throw stones at as they pleased. So he thought he would get some disguises. Online shopping for dresses has been easy.

“You don’t like it?” he tried to keep his voice steady as he turned to his boyfriend. In truth, he was a bit nervous about what Zeku would think. He was a guy after all and guys weren’t supposed to wear dresses. Or so he had heard from the adults around him growing up. The teachers in elementary and middle school have been pretty insistent on pink was for girls and blue was for boys. That was the proper way of how society worked according to them. Boys loved girls and vice versa. While some parts of Japan were more open about hom*osexuality, their progresses still can't compare to the other places around the world.

But it didn’t escape Katsuki that some of the teachers or the men his parents worked with had looked at him wrong. The kind of stares that made him felt like puking or taking extra long showers rub the greasy feeling off his skin. During those times, he told himself that they would leave him alone, whispered that maybe one or two of them would slip down the stairs and get a broken hip or something along those lines.

People always wanted something from him and it was disgusting knowledge. They would only try to get their hands on him even more if they knew what he was hiding.

Zeku didn’t answer. He stayed silent with a thoughtful expression as he approached the blond. He stopped just a few steps away and crossed his arms in front of his chest, eyes scanning over Katsuki as if he was faced with the greatest obstacle in his life.

Katsuki was getting uncomfortable with the prolonged silence. Huffing, he spun on his heels to walk away. “Forget it, I’ll change.”

“Wait.” Zeku grabbed Katsuki’s wrist to stop him. The older teen pulled another piece of red fabric off the racks and draped it over the blond’s head. “There. It’s better now.”

At first Katsuki was slightly pissed by the clothes shielding his face. Did he looked so terrible that Zeku had to cover his face because he couldn’t stand looking at him?

“You’re still missing a phoenix coronet but I guess we will have to do without it for now,” said Zeku.

And then it hitted Katsuki—the fabric was red.

Flustered, Katsuki could feel the hot blood rushing to his cheeks. He knew a traditional Chinese bride wore red and covered her face with a red veil...just like he was right now. He could see the hazy outline of his lover’s face through the transparent fabric.

There was a hand on his face. Slender fingers brushed by the edge of his eyebrow, following the lines of his cheekbone as it trailed down the makeshift veil.

Carefully, he saw the veil being lifted. Zeku’s eyes were red, a slightly darker hue than Katsuki’s own ruby ones. The blond could see his own reflection in those eyes and it felt like he was the only thing that mattered in the other boy’s world.

Their lips met.

There were no vows. There was no exchange of rings and they didn’t perform the three bows. They probably didn’t have to from Zeku’s point of view. Neither of them believed in heaven or the earth’s celestial powers, they had no parents whom they wished to share a joyous day with, and they already knew they respected each other.

“I take it this is a yes to me in dresses?”

He only got a few soft hums in response. Hot breath ghosted over his pale skin and hair the colour of ink draped over his arm.

Arms snaked around Katsuki’s waist before lifting him to sit on the shelf behind him. Gentle kisses showered down on him, tracing the edge of his lips and followed along the lines of his jaw before coming back around to steal his lips.

“...Zeku, slow down...” Katsuki raised a hand to block his boyfriend’s lips. Casting his eyes away, he was just realizing the strangeness of the situation. He didn’t know what came over him when he decided to do this. He was running from his problems. That was just another sign of him being weak right? He was scared of something as simple as going outside for god’s sake! “This is actually kind of embarrassing...”

He’d probably looked ridiculous to other people too. The thing about spirals and the darkness...it was that they were slippery slopes that once dragged you down, it felt near impossible to stop. Suddenly the dress on him felt all wrong. He was too bulky for it and would never be able to pull it off. Katsuki knew his parents had a restriction on his diet for a reason. They wouldn’t want him to look too fat for the photos. Squirming, he tried to cover his face.

Zeku grabbed his wrist and pulled his hands away, pinning them to the wall behind the blond. Katsuki was completely trapped between Zeku and the wall. When Katsuki looked ahead, he saw longing in those familiar red eyes.

“Don’t hide from me,” Zeku murmured against Katsuki’s mouth before closing the small gap between them again.

The kisses were slow but hungry.

His spine felt weak. Like it was turning into jello as the air left his lungs. Moans escaped him as the kiss deepended and hands roamed across his body. He hadn't realized that his wrists have been released. Katsuki could feel the worries leaving his mind as the air thinned. He was alright with these touches. It was different from when Deku grabbed him or his parents’ sleazy business partners. Wrapping his arms around Zeku’s neck, his fingers dug into the dark fabric on the other teen’s back.

There was still one silver lining in his messed up life.

Placing a hand on Zeku’s chest, Katsuki pushed him but Zeku barely moved. The dragon wielder looked up at him questioningly, confused by why he was stopped again.

“No more,” the blond whispered breathlessly. “The Hunting Dogs are here.”

The phone rang at that moment and Zeku eyed it lazily with a hint of annoyance. Picking it up, his expression quickly soured.

“Send them up,” said Zeku before cutting the line off. Backing away, he glared at Katsuki while an unhappy downward curve marked the edge of his lips. "You knew they were coming."

"They are here to ask about a murder that happened in the old neighbourhoods. The victim was military." As much as everyone knew that Suribachi was Zeku’s, there were still small organizations that liked to gamble their luck. Zeku couldn’t be everywhere at once and he didn’t care much about enforcing peace over every single fight that occurred either. Unless something drastic (like a goddamn warship falling out of the sky) was happening, he generally let things like bar fights or other small criminal acts slide. Those could be taken care of by the police.

The Hunting Dogs were a special division within the military, specifically formed to counter against ability users and they were granted additional authority to be high up in the chain of command. They were a hassle to deal with since killing them without just cause meant openly going against the government.

“Alright, you can go deal with them. Have fun and try not to kill anybody.”

Hearing that, Zeku lifted a cold smile and snapped his fingers. “Coiled Dragon, it's play time.”

Katsuki almost screamed when he felt the cool scales pressed against his exposed legs.

------

The Hunting Dogs were composed of the most dangerous but capable ability users in all of Japan. They were a bizarre group and some people even called them “Mad Dogs” as they were a ruthless and relentless bunch who would stop at nothing to complete their missions.

They have been called in to handle ability or quirk rampage situations across the globe too. And that was only the tip of the iceberg for just how powerful they were. Nevertheless, since Yokohama had the most dense population of ability users, the Hunting Dogs often found themselves stationed there and were feared by the underground criminal community.

Three members of the Hunting Dog were currently approaching the main office building for the Huang Corporation. They were all dressed in the standard military uniform along with a cape.

“I don’t really like Suribachi,” Jono Saigiku said. He was a young man with light coloured hair that turned darker near the end.

“You don’t like places with too many people in general.”

Jono was blind but his heightened senses compensated for this disadvantage. Since his sense of smell and hearing were both superior, being in large rowdy crowds was a torture for him.

“That’s one of the reasons,” Jono agreed with a nod. His composed smile didn’t waver as he turned to his comrades with his eyes still closed. “The second part is because I don’t like Huang Zeku.”

They all knew the owner of this company was someone who should be classified as a criminal. From where they stood, it was natural for them to resent the foreigner. He should have been charged for murder a long time ago and his rap sheet would terrify most villains on the outside world. But because of the immense contributions he made for this city and an under the table deal he struck with the government, Huang Zeku remained a free man.

The government was very interested in him. Huang Zeku wasn’t an ability user like most believed he was but it didn’t feel like he had a quirk either. He also had a vast knowledge on the procedures of body modifications, which made them suspect that his power might have originated from human experimentation. Being Hunting Dogs, they were familiar with such things.

Before they could become a member of this specialized division, all of them had to undergo surgical procedures to enhance their bodies. The scientists and doctors altered them to give them superhuman qualities but it wasn’t the same thing as transferring quirks into them. They could only strengthen what normal people already had, like strength or endurance.

Huang Zeku happened to be an expert in this field apparently. He struck a deal and now the government generally left him alone. At least, they appeared to have left him alone on the surface. The other departments specializing in infaultration or spying still liked to monitor him from afar.

“Is it even necessary to send all three of us?” Suehiro Tetcho, the man who was standing behind Jono asked. He was a swordsman with a birdnest mess of dark hair and three marks under his left eye. Since he was away at a different mission previously, this would be his first time setting foot inside the Huang Corporation or meeting its founder. Sending half their team just to confront one teenager...it seemed too excessive.

“It is,” the last member of the group spoke up. She was shorter, with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and despite looking like a young elementary school girl, Okura Teruko was the vice captain of the squad. “Kid’s dangerous. Claimed that dragon of his is immortal.”

They had a hard time battling it before. That regeneration speed made absolutely no sense. Another reason why the higher ups were interested in him.

They arrived at the Huang Corporation and the receptionist phoned them up. After a ride in the elevator, they arrived at the penthouse on the top floor of the skyscraper. The place was nice. Despite not having a lot of furniture around, it had a traditional and exquisite look that was rarely found nowadays. The people of modern times have been heavily influenced by the west and they preferred the sleek and streamlined designs over the hardwood or traditional decorations.

Huang Zeku was waiting for them in the living room. The teen rested his head on his hand as he sat in a chair close to the large circular window on the far end of the room. The lights and shadows casted a distinct line of separation on his face. All they could see was the red of his tang suit bathing under the light and the same bloody hue of scarlet filled the iris that were staring at them from within the shadows. The front of his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a hint of his collarbone and the hard muscles below. There was this lethargic air about him as he watched them approach him. He hadn’t changed much since the last time they met. His hair had gotten a bit longer and his bangs almost covered his eyes. Beside his feet, that large dragon laid there with its long body coiled up like a resting snake.

The air was tense as soon even before they entered the room.

It was visible that he wasn’t going to show them any good hospitality.

Jono silently frowned at the sweet scent in the air. It was thick and there was something other than lavender mixed within it. Like an incense made of pure sugar was being burnt.

And there was an additional heartbeat pounding in the room.

“What do you people want this time?” rasped Zeku and he sounded bored. His heartbeat was also steady. It was kind of hard for Jono to read the sound of the teenager’s heart, it was like there was some kind of static around his chest. “I told you before that I have no intention of joining the Hunting Dog.”

“We’re here to ask some questions about a murder that happened inside your territory,” Okura stated calmly. “Before that...It seems like you have other guests before us already.”

Her eyes went over to where the Coiled Dragon was resting.

“That’s none of your business.”

“It is our business since the victim was military. The information of the investigation must remain confidential. No outsiders allowed.”

Zeku scoffed.

“If anything, you are the outsiders inside my home right now.”

“We are just trying to capture a dangerous criminal. If you continue to refuse to cooperate, we might have to start thinking that you are harboring said criminal inside your property.”

“Are you accusing me of committing a crime without any evidence to back that claim up right now?” The dragon lifted its head slightly, one large claw settling itself on the ground as if it was ready to pounce. Through the cracks, Okura and Suehiro saw something red and gold that was being guarded by the beast. “There are no criminals here, I only see a bunch of mad mutts with no manners.”

“Hey, you—” Suehiro’s hand was on his sword but he didn’t unsheathe it because Jono raised a hand in front of him.

“Come on, we can do this the nice and civil way,” Jono said and his eyes were trained on the dragon too. “There’s no need to get aggressive. Unless you really have something to hide? Mr. Huang, you don’t exactly have a stellar track record and we could always come back in five minutes with a warrant for the whole company if you want.”

They all heard a soft laugh. Clicking his tongue, Zeku glanced at his dragon and the beast shifted its body to reveal the owner of the laughter. There was a blonde in the small space circled in by the dragon. She laid on the white fur carpet lazily while leaning against the dragon’s hard scales. The lower portion of her face was hidden by the circular fan with an embroidery of plum blossom on it but her eyes were a rosy red like the cheongsam she was wearing. There was also a faint layer of dusted soft pink along the edge of her eyes that looked like natural eyeshadows. Long lashes and an enchanting aura, she was mesmerizing.

Suehiro looked up at the ceiling when he realized the girl was revealing a little too much milky skin on her legs. However, his enhanced sight didn’t miss how although there were voluptuous curves to her body, her muscles also looked trained.

It was a pity Jono was blind and that the other two of the group were more concerned with their jobs instead of paying attention to the media. Otherwise they would have recognized immediately that the girl eerily resembled one infamous Bakugou Katsuki from UA.

Jono raised an eyebrow. He could sense the other person was probably pretty young judging from their voice. Although their heart rate was slightly elevated, their posture was completely relaxed against the monstrous dragon. This made no sense. Huang Zeku was a lone wolf but now there was a...girl in his place? He couldn’t be sure of the gender right now with the heavy and overly sweet scent lingering in the air.

“And you are…?”

“Again, none of your business,” Zeku brushed him off while the Coiled Dragon snarled at the Hunting Dogs. The beast stirred again and wrapped its body tighter around the girl, shielding her from view. Possessive. A hint for them to keep their curious stares to themselves. “I’m pretty sure this is not the criminal you are looking for. Now get on with the questions and get out of my face.”

“I didn’t know a man like you would be interested in romance.”

“And I didn’t know that the Hunting Dogs are all now experts in love either.”

They weren’t going to get anything out of the teen any more. It would be faster if they let their people do their own digging in secret. Okura asked the standard question for looking for a suspect and some more about how things have been in the area. Suribachi City was under Zeku’s control, there was no one else who would know it like the back of his hand more. And they’ve known that there was something spooky about the teen. He always seemed to know when someone was coming or something was happening in a different part of Yokohama. Maybe he had another ability user or an underling with a sensory quirk underneath his thumb.

They said their farewells (with fake smiles sprinkled with poisonous politeness) and she was certain the guy wished them to all rot in hell or die during a mission. Whatever, they knew they hated each other from the start anyways. They had tried to recruit Huang Zeku before and that conversation...didn’t go well at all. Started off rocky, the duration was tortuous and a lot of blood was spilled, the ending was unsatisfactory and humiliating. It wasn’t that they didn’t manage to deal the teen some damages but they also suffered serious losses. The failure had tarnished their near perfect mission completion rate.

“Let’s report back to the captain,” she said once they set foot outside of Suribachi. “Things are different now. The Dragon of Suribachi City has something he cares about.”

And that itself was a weakness waiting to be exploited.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

1

Dressing up was actually fun.

It was different from when he had to sit still while some nameless staff with plastic smiles dragged itchy brushes over his face. He remembered smelling the powder and wanting to sneeze but he couldn’t. There would be hands on him, near him, poking and probing at the fabric on his body. Fingers pulled at threads and removed creases because everything just had to be flawless. The place would be buzzing with people and sometimes the noise and the crowds got too overwhelming.

But he sucked it up then. For his parents.

Dressing up had been work. It wasn’t supposed to be fun. He was just a prop to show off the designer’s work. Katsuki didn’t really like that feeling, like he was nothing but a malleable piece of dough that needed to be shaped to fit other people’s needs. When he got older, he made it known to his parents that he didn’t enjoy these events and purposefully got a wardrobe full of the baggiest and darkly themed clothing he could find.

But now that he could pick the clothing himself without any interference from other people, it wasn’t so bad. Zeku gave him a credit card since Katsuki didn’t want to go outside and whatever he wanted could be delivered to Huang Corp.

“Zeku! What about this one?” Katsuki came out from behind the wooden folding screen with the painted cherry blossom. He was in a sleeveless black cheongsam with a gold edge and the intricate pattern of the buttons were made from red thread. The bottom wasn’t as narrow as a normal cheongsam and it flared out a bit more.

In order to accommodate Coiled Dragon, most of the rooms in the house don’t have a lot of furniture or decorations. But right now, the master bedroom was messier than usual with small piles of clothing discarded on the fur carpet and the bed.

His boyfriend was working on something at the desk not too far away. Small tools were laid out on the table and the lamp was on.

“It’s nice,” Zeku mumbled since there was a chipping tool between his teeth, whatever he was working on seemed to be extra delicate and it required his full attention.

“You say that about every single one I’ve put on so far.” Moving closer, Katsuki was stopped by a large scaly body that blocked in front of him like a brick wall. Three giant eyes concentrated on him but he wasn’t fazed by it. He stepped on Coiled Dragon, trying to climb over its large body but only to get pushed back when it nuzzled its head into him. Patting the dragon’s snout, he didn’t mind as it licked him on the face. The long tongue was thinner at its tip and it left a wet strip on his chin.

Something was definitely going on. Zeku had been distracted the whole morning and he wouldn’t let Katsuki see what he was up to. Whenever the blond tried to get close, Coiled Dragon would stop him. It was still doing it now too.

Since he knew he couldn’t get past the dragon, he settled himself down on the lower portions of the beast’s body and continued petting its head while it wrapped around him.

“What are you working on this time?”

Placing the chipping tool down, Zeku turned around and grabbed Katsuki’s hand. His red eyes quickly scanned the dress on Katsuki’s body before he slipped a jade bracelet on the younger male’s wrist. The translucent green had a polished shine when caught under the light and there was a pattern of clouds carved on it.

“...It’s a lot harder than I imagined.” The dark haired teen ran a hand through his hair. He had a scowl on his face as he glared at the jade bracelet like he was disappointed with his handiwork.

But Katsuki didn’t mind. He threw himself at the other boy and yanked on the collar of Zeku’s T-shirt to pull him down for an excited kiss. They stumbled back a bit but Coiled Dragon stopped them from falling backwards. Wet sounds filled the room as their tongues tangled together.

“Are you satisfied with just this?” Zeku inquired when they finally parted.

Katsuki nestled in the older boy’s arms. Shifting around, he found a comfortable position and leaned his back into Zeku’s chest. “What do you mean?”

“The people in those magazines and the mannequins behind the glass, they had more,” he said slowly with a drowsy hint of uncertainty. It took a second for Katsuki to understand what Zeku meant. The models don’t just show off the clothing on their backs, they also have accessories to complete their looks. “You only got yourself a few dresses. Don’t you want anything to go with them?”

“Like what?”

“...Pearls?”

Zeku wasn’t sure since he doesn’t usually pay attention to fashion trends. But he remembered the colours back home were brighter. The human population had been living underground for too long, there had been periods of time where they were desperate to recreate the scenery their ancestors once had. Colours were a big thing back there. In an underground city where no one would ever be able to see the real sun for as long as they lived, they had to do something to make the place less depressing. They had neon lights, coloured lanterns, jingling chains or cans filled with marbles...basically anything shiny or eye-catching.

Of course, the wealthier population had more choices. Jewels, laces, ribbons...the patterns were bold and people dressed like peaco*cks trying to attract a mate. Even Zeku himself, who wasn’t interested in getting all fancy, had multiple ear piercings.

“Pearls?”

“Synthetic ones were common back there,” Zeku answered as he rested his chin on the bond's shoulder. “Don’t see much of the natural ones around.”

They could grow some. Technology was advanced to make living underground as easy as possible. Although the poorer portions were still crowded slums, there were also spacious greenhouses and multiple factories making all the necessities for life. Fish and other seafood could also be grown in labs. But they weren't the same as those that had come from the real oceans from long ago.

Since they were underground, minerals were more common to find so jewelry made from precious stones or metal scraps were the norm.

“Pearls...that sounds nice.” Katsuki remembered that his mom had a job with a jewelry company once. They showcased a summer line of necklaces and the little glistening spheres looked beautiful.

Zeku kissed him on the temple. His lips trailed down the edge of the blond teen’s ear and went down the side of his neck. Katsuki tilted his head to the side to allow Zeku more access and he felt the arms around his waist tightening. He could feel soft nibbling along the skin above his pulse, they were probably going to form into hickies later.

Katsuki’s eyes landed on the jade bracelet around his wrist and a warm flood filled his chest. Turning himself around to face Zeku, he stared into the red eyes that were a shade darker than his own fondly. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“I can’t be hiding indoors forever,” Katsuki said with the faintest hint of a smile. His fingers twirled a lock of raven hair around them. “Let’s go on a date. In our city.”

Yokohama was different. It wasn’t a place that normal people set foot in. And to be honest, Katsuki never got the chance to enjoy it leisurely. He had been too busy hiding or working on something else to be able to stroll through it without worrying about a deadline or working his ass off to avoid an impending doom. But he built Suribachi with Zeku, the dragon wielder had promised him that this place was just as much Katsuki’s as it was his.

Zeku stared at him for a silent moment as if weighing out the pros and cons. He didn’t particularly like the idea of Katsuki being out in the open because of their past. It had always been Zeku and Coiled Dragon attracting all their enemies’ attention while Katsuki worked from the shadows. It was safer that way since they got secrets to hide.

But they weren’t young children anymore. They had both grown stronger and they had a powerful grasp over the territory. The whole reason for why Katsuki struck a deal with Zeku in the first place was that he didn’t want to live like a rat in the sewer, constantly paranoid and checking over his shoulder, jumping at the shift of his own shadows.

“Are you sure you’re ready for it?” Zeku asked while the shadows casted over his features. “The pests will start to gather once they know you’re with me.”

Katsuki nodded.

“I will stay within Suribachi City. If it’s just the regular bastards I can fend them off no problem...especially now that I don’t have to hold back since I’m not a hero any longer.” He could feel Zeku’s hold on his hand tightening, a reassuring gesture that eased Katsuki’s nerves before they could go haywire. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “I can’t hide in here forever, sooner or later people are going to know I am with you anyways. The Hunting Dogs probably already know and Port Mafia will do the same soon. Might as well get it over with. They won’t hurt me unless they decide to go on an all out war with you. Besides, you will be with me. We do this together, just like you promised.”

They couldn’t have made it without each other. Their relationship started out as a deal for survival and then it turned into so much more. At one point, it was no longer a deal out of convenience, it became...just how things were supposed to be. Like the sun always raised or how people needed air to survive.

Zeku sighed. He planted a kiss on the back of Katsuki’s hand and pulled him closer into a hug. His hand stroked through the spikes of blond hair slowly. “Alright, together it is then.”

They built a company together.

They took over Suribachi together.

Port Mafia, the government, other evil plots and struggles for power...they got through all of that together. Zeku needed an anchor—a purpose and a direction—in this world. Katsuki wanted an ally and a better Yokohama.

So Zeku fought and conquered for him.

Riches, prosperity, and a safe home free from chaos, he always upheld his end of the bargain and provided. It wasn’t like he would deny his most precious treasure anything in the world to begin with anyways.

He didn't do it before and he wasn't about to start now.

2

Yokohama wasn’t like anything they expected.

Normally, Monoma wouldn’t miss the chance to jeer at class A and announce how class B was far superior than them. After the whole scandal with Bakugou, he had even more material to mock the high and mighty class A with. After all, they still have their full class and class A was down one of their strongest guys. Since they don’t normally run into each other besides in the short time in the cafeterias, he had planned on adding some oil to the fire that was their class rivery (even though the guys in his class thought that was just his overly petty competitiveness at work).

But Monoma hadn’t been able to taunt class A like usual as much as he would like because they were in unfamiliar territory. Even he had enough common sense to not stir up trouble in a situation like this.

Yokohama was known as the city of crime to outsiders like them. Like all of his classmates, he expected a place filled with ruins and screaming. Somewhere that looked like a battlezone and the normal citizens would be hiding or living in fear. But reality hit them like a brick wall.

Yokohama wasn’t like anything they expected.

It was a beautiful and serene place. A nice port city with lots of commercial and domestic boats arriving and going all the time. The neighbourhoods were quiet and the people all lived busy lives but with smiles on their faces.

The young man who had come to guide their bus into the city was slim and had short orange hair. His hair was parted down the middle and it had a slightly spiky appearance near the ends. After introducing himself as Tanizaki, he told them a bit about the city’s history and what to expect after arriving at the detective agency. Since he had other work to attend to, he left right after the bus dropped class B off.

Mr. Kunikida had given the students a more detailed run down of the rules they had to follow. Personally Monoma didn’t like the idea that they can’t use their quirks (even if they were attacked) in this city at all but he can’t really argue with it. Technically as students, they didn’t have a right for unsanctioned quirk use in public either. However, something else was bothering him.

He felt like there was something deeper going on when Mr. Kunikida talked about “balance”. First of all, Monoma felt like he was a pretty decent judge of other people’s characters. He wasn’t all brawn and no brains. That was why his classmates were willing to listen to his plans during the sports festival and their regular training. He could tell that Mr. Kunikida was a righteous man with good morals and a strong belief in ethics. The man was slightly gritting his teeth when he talked about Port Mafia, which was expected since they were essentially on different sides of justice. But what struck Monoma as odd was that Mr. Kunikida also seemed to firmly believe in what he said—it was normal for law enforcers to reach a compromise with criminals.

Their goal wasn’t to make an arrest or defeat villains like heroes do. Their goal was to maintain peace through whatever means necessary. Even if they had to strike a bargain with the devil, they would do it.

Monoma wasn’t sure what to think of that. It felt...unheroic. It didn’t feel right but at the same time he knew it made sense. It was a logical thing to do.

Thus, he was conflicted about it.

“Hey Monoma, you alright?” Kendo asked from beside him. They were sitting outside Dr. Yosano’s office along with a few class A kids. Kirishima rested against the window while Ashido walked around handing out water.

“Yeah, still alive.”

Coughing, Monoma sat up straighter. His clothing was in tatters and he had a cut on his right leg that was hastily sealed up with torn fabric from Tetsutetsu’s shirt. Kendo wasn’t looking any better since her left arm was in a makeshift sling and her face was covered in soot.

There was some freaky sewing sound coming from the closed office door. None of them dared to ask what happened after Tetsutetsu had gone in, screamed like a banshee, and then got carried out by one of the ADA staff.

“Don’t worry about it, he’s just sleeping,” the young man had told them with a forced smile and refused to tell them what Dr. Yosano’s treatment entailed. After hearing that, the remaining of them who were still waiting for treatment shivered and shrunk away from the doctor’s door.

Monoma knew exactly how they got into this situation.

It was all class 1-A’s fault.

The field trip had started out normally. The two classes rotated and accompanied the ADA members to crime scenes. They observed them work and took notes about police procedures and how to deduce the killer based on evidence. It was jarring to witness a real body. The images of seeing such a thing made most of them uncomfortable but they knew as heroes, they would be running into death a lot. Also, there was no way Monoma was going to let his class lag behind 1-A! So they all gritted through it.

Seeing the ADA staff work also made them feel a little more at ease. Quite a few of them weren’t that much older than them and it was inspiring to see them work with such confidence and ease. Yokohama had been normal too. While a few of them got curious stares from the locals for looking different, they still had fun sightseeing around the city. Tanizaki was a great host and he showed them the different beautiful parts of this mysterious city.

It was so peaceful here. There was no explosion or smoke in the distance. No cries for help or the normal villain rampages. The news also didn’t depict any violent battles between good and evil. Sure, there were reports of theft and small crimes but overall, there was nothing drastic or grandiose like the news from outside. It was common for people to get into scuffles where quirks got involved in their world but here in Yokohama, there weren't any reports of ability fights on a daily basis.

It did surprise Monoma that the people of Yokohama got access to outside channels too though.

Sometimes they would see men in uniform dark suits and pressed white dress shirts in the streets. It wasn’t hard to tell that a lot of them carried firearms. They were mafia or gangsters. The students would always be reminded to not engage and keep their quirks in check during those times.

"You are outsiders who are here as guests, do not try to be the hero in Yokohama."

They had one simple rule.

One freaking simple rule.

Of course class A just had to break it.

Honestly, Monoma knew he probably shouldn't blame the 1-A kids. If he was in their shoes, he would have probably done the same thing...just with a bit more tact. And he only had himself and Tetsutetsu to blame for joining in on breaking the rules.

It was their fourth night in Yokohama and it had been a nice evening with gentle breezes. The two classes decided to have dinner together in one of those Korean BBQ restaurants and they really enjoyed the food. It wasn’t hard to find a place that could accommodate 40 rowdy kids. Apparently the villains in this city liked to party too and the restaurants were used to doing large gatherings. Their teachers stayed back at the detective agency, where they would be having a meeting with the president of the firm.

Since the restaurant wasn’t too far away, the detectives didn’t think there was a need to escort them the whole night. It was fine too. Monoma had a feeling they weren’t acting as guides just because they needed to keep them safe. These detectives were also hired to keep tabs on them, to make sure they didn’t step out of line.

After a big dinner, they started heading back to their hotel but they came to a stop when they heard sobbing. They found a lost little girl around the corner. She was standing under the only working street lamp at the end of a dark road.

That should have been their first warning sign.

In hindsight, Monoma knew he was skeptical from the beginning. But it was a little girl. She was scared and crying, asking for help. Her hair was done up in a cute ponytail with a big ribbon and her clothing was clean and normal.

She looked harmless. She was in trouble.

So of course they walked up to her and asked her what was wrong. Monoma didn’t think what they did was wrong. It wasn’t like they were breaking any rules by questioning a crying little kid if she needed assistance right?

“I can’t find Mommy,” she sobbed and Asui from class A bent down to comfort her. The girl doesn’t remember her parent’s phone number and she was panicking. She didn’t want to go to the police either because she said that her mom told her to stay put if she ever got lost.

“It’s alright,” Midoriya said to her with a smile. “We’ll wait with you then.”

That was a normal reaction. Monoma would have done the same. Since they didn’t need so many people to be idling in the streets, the majority of the two classes decided to return to the hotel first. Kendo and Tetsutetsu offered to fan out and look for the girl’s mom around the block. They were joined by Kirshima and other class A kids.

Not wanting to not do anything, Monoma stayed with Midoirya’s group to wait with the girl. The girl had thanked them and pointed Kendo’s group down the road, saying that was the direction her mother went off to.

And then they got attacked.

At first they just heard some sounds of arguing from the direction their little search party headed off to. Then the noises got louder, more chaotic, and Monoma was sure everyone would agree that they all heard gunshots.

It got them worried.

They called the cops and they were told to stay put. After waiting a few more minutes, the noises hadn’t died down and none of their classmates who went looking for the mother had come back or answered their phones. Very soon, Midoriya raced off and Iida followed to check on everyone else. Monoma was left to watch the girl along with Uraraka.

The blond teen wasn’t sure what happened next. By the time he realized it, the little girl they thought they were helping had stab Monoma when she heard sirens coming close. She didn’t cause too deep of a cut but the knife left a slash of red on his leg. And then she took off into the night with police shooting at her, with real bullets. They didn’t even stop to yell “Freeze!” as they opened fire on her.

And then Atsushi from ADA came to fetch them. The young man brought them back to the agency where Midoriya’s group had been rushed into Dr. Yosano’s office. Kendo told him what happened as they waited outside for their turns to be treated.

“We heard some weird noises so we went to check it out. There were these men moving some crates and they were arguing with a woman who kind of looked like the girl. They got spooked when we approached. An argument broke out between them and we tried to talk them down to deescalate the situation but it didn’t help. When Midoriya and Iida came around, one of the men slapped the woman so they tried to stop him. And then the adults started shooting.” She looked worn out as the adrenaline left her system. “Since we can’t use our quirks, we decided to start running but they were chasing after us. Atsushi-san was in the area so he got us out.”

The men argued in a different language so none of them understood what was in the conversation they exchanged amongst themselves before deciding to open fire. The woman ran off with them too after shoving Kendo who had tried to help her up into a wall. She fractured her arm when she fell on the uneven ground.

The encounter made all of them wary. It was like a slap to the face. Yokohama wasn’t as safe as they were starting to believe it was. There was malice hidden in the most unsuspecting places. Peace was a facade, the calm surface hiding all the turmoil and darkness this city had to offer.

They got a glimpse of the real Yokohama.

When it was Monoma’s turn to get treated, he was asked if he wanted to be awake for it. Before he could comprehend why the doctor needed to ask that, he felt something stabbed into his chest. Looking down, he saw that Dr. Yosano had stabbed him in the chest with a butcher’s knife!

When he woke up again, he thought all of that had been a dream since there wasn’t a scratch on his body. His classmates were also fine.

But it wasn’t just a bad nightmare. Dr. Yosano’s ability, Thou Shall Not Die, could heal any injury but the patient had to be on their deathbed first. They had to suffer critical wounds before she could heal them back up. It was an amazing power, one that Monoma was sure would cause an uproar if the outside world found out. This must be one of the reasons why they were all required to sign a NDA before they could attend this field trip.

Needless to say, none of them rested easy that night.

In the morning, Mr. Kunikida gathered them all up in the office and he didn’t look pleased.

“I thought we have warned you all several times to not poke your noses into places that you don’t belong,” he stated coldly and Monoma noticed how Midoriya’s group lowered their heads in a strange fashion. Their lips were quivering and their faces pale. Did something else happen last night? “Apparently you aren’t capable of looking after yourselves.”

“How is this their fault?” Vlad-sensei stood up and his eyebrows were knitted tightly together. “They were just trying to help a lost child.”

“Exactly,” the blond man deadpanned. “We’ve told all of you before to beware. This is not your world so do not ever judge someone based on their appearances. A street with only one working light and this kid just happens to be standing there when there’s a brightly lit mainroad with lots of people walking by just in sight? It’s very obviously a trap. If she had been an ability user, a few of you might have died.”

“But she’s—” Iida tried to say something.

“Just a kid?” Mr. Kunikida waved to cut him off. “Yeah, and what ordinary kid would point you in the direction of a secluded and dark street, away from the mainroad where you could call for help easily? And you wouldn’t have gotten hurt if you simply walked away when you all heard odd noises in the alley like we told you to. You just got lucky that they weren’t professional enough and had a conflict within their own group.”

“We can’t just leave—” Kendo tried to argue only to receive the same dismissive treatment.

Sighing, Mr. Kunikida sat down in his chair. “Look, I’ll say this one more time. The children of Yokohama are different from the ones in your world. They can be dangerous, especially if they are ability users. They don’t need your protection and they are not a liability. You are. They understand how this city works and how to avoid danger better than you. I’m only asking for you to look after yourselves first.”

None of them doubted that the man was genuinely concerned about their safety but something about what he just said simply didn’t sit well with them. Were they supposed to just turn a blind eye to people asking for help? That didn’t sound right.

What kind of world would that be if no one was willing to lend a helping hand?

Also, they were heroes in training. They each worked hard and got into the most prestigious school in all of Japan so naturally they all prided themselves in being able to go plus ultra. To be told flat out that they were a burden...that didn’t feel good.

“Come on now, you don’t have to be so stern with them.”

Another voice came from behind them. They turned around and found Dazai leaning against the door. The man had an eerie air around him that made Monoma not trust him as much. He was also well aware that the guy’s hobby was suicide. Suicide! It had only been a few days but all of them had seen him trying to off himself at least once already. Dazai was a slacker and he was kind of a weird guy.

Dazai walked over slowly with a smile on his face. “The kids did pretty well so far, they didn’t break curfew and they didn’t activate their quirks when under attack either. I’d say that’s already better than I expected. And all of them are fine now. Safe and healthy!”

Their teachers seemed to have a different opinion on the safe and healthy part but they didn’t say anything.

“It’s not about that. We can’t let them wander around Yokohama knowing they can’t stay out of trouble. I get that helping people is a big part of being a hero but that mindset is dangerous here.” Mr. Kunikida glared at Dazai. “Originally we planned to let them have a day down the commercial district but seeing how they acted, I don’t believe it is wise to send them so close to Port Mafia’s headquarters. If they got into an altercation with Port Mafia’s men, it would be a headache for all of us.”

Port Mafia...that name had come up constantly after they arrived in Yokohama. Apparently Principal Nezu had a deal with them and their group from UA was only let into the city because the boss of the criminals said it was alright. Not being able to use their quirks or act “heroic” were two of the conditions set out in the agreement.

“Why don’t we bring them to Suribachi City then?” Dazai suggested.

Mr. Kunikida paused, turning around to look at Dazai as if he was spewing nonsense.

“Suribachi City?” Aizawa-sensei repeated suspiciously. It seemed like he didn’t trust the dark haired suicidal detective too much either.

“It’s the biggest Chinatown in Yokohama,” explained Dazai with a sincere voice. “If we’re talking about the lowest gang or criminal activity rates, that place takes the cake in all of Yokohama. It’s not under Port Mafia’s rule either so technically speaking, it’s the safest area in the city.”

“Wait, there’s a part of this city that’s not under Port Mafia’s control?” Kaminari jumped up and voiced out what everyone else in the room was thinking.

“Yep!” the man chirped eagerly.

“Why didn’t we just stay there from the start then?”

A few of the other students also murmured their agreement. If that place was the safest in all of Yokohama, wouldn’t it have been better if they stayed in a hotel over there?

Getting up, Mr. Kunikida placed a hand on Dazai’s shoulder. “Dazai, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You know that place belongs to Huang.”

“He won’t hurt them so long as they don’t provoke him. Besides, what’s the chance of them running into him? That guy’s not much of a people’s person. He hates crowds.”

That seemed to have convinced the blond man a little since his frown lessened ever so slightly.

“Um...I’m sorry, but who are you talking about?” Midoriya raised his hand with a sense of hesitancy.

“Huang Zeku of course.”

“As in the genius founder of Huang Corp?” Yaoyorozu gasped. “You know him?”

“Sure, he’s famous in Yokohama. I’m sure he’s pretty well known in the outside world too.” Dazai sat down next to Mr. Kunikida and shrugged. “Huang Corp. is based in Suribachi City and he owns a lot of the land there. In a sense, you can say that Suribachi is basically his.”

With a sheepish smile, Awase turned to Monoma and whispered quietly: “Wait, what’s Huang Corp?”

“It’s a really big prosthetics company,” Monoma answered. He was sure the support class kids would be able to explain it better since he wasn’t big on technology. “They also make some medical transplants too.”

The news said that the Huang Corporation’s founder was a child prodigy. Someone who built an empire from nothing, the whole rags to riches story. But there weren’t any pictures of him circulating on the internet. They say that he was an eccentric one who preferred to be left out of the spotlight, which wasn’t too strange of a thing for geniuses. Some suspected that the young CEO might be on the spectrum, which would be able to explain his brilliance in technology and other odd personality quirks.

But that wasn’t what got Monoma’s attention.

“Hold on,” he spoke up and all eyes turned onto him. “Why isn’t Suribachi under Port Mafia’s control then? Huang Corp is just a company isn’t it? Why is the mafia not getting involved in something so profitable?”

It was hard to believe a huge criminal organization who took control over the majority of the city and had multiple businesses under their name would let go of such a large piece of cake. Even Monoma knew the Huang Corp must be making bank on their products.

That got Dazai to perk up. He sauntered over with a huge grin on his face and patted Monoma on the back in approval. “And here’s someone who is finally using their brain and asking the important questions! Kunikida, do you want to answer or should I?”

The blond man adjusted his glasses before looking up to address them all again. “The details are too complicated to explain but you can think of Huang Zeku as a really powerful ability user. He doesn’t like to be disturbed and he’s pretty territorial. Everyone in Yokohama knows there’s a dragon in Suribachi City and unless you really have a death wish, you don’t touch what’s his. Port Mafia learned that the hard way so now they stay out of Suribachi.”

“Doesn’t that mean he’s just as dangerous as the mafia?” And they want them to go there?

“He doesn’t attack people randomly. Like I said, he doesn’t like to be disturbed so things like gang wars or people misusing their abilities and quirks are forbidden in Suribachi. So long as you don’t disrupt the peace, he won’t care what you do.”

In the end, after some more pestering from Dazai and a few more questions from their teachers (mostly about their safety), the adults agreed that the students could go visit Suribachi City for the day. Atsushi said the group that attacked them were just local gang looking for an opportunistic robbery, and since they were children (and unsuspecting outsiders to boot), they got picked out of the crowd based on chance. It was good to know that they weren’t targeted by villains specifically, otherwise Monoma was going to start thinking class A’s bad luck was rubbing off on them.

Dazai, Atsushi, and another man who would meet them in Suribachi would be joining them. Supervising them.

“Remember,” Mr. Kunikida warned again before the kids left the office. “Do not use your quirks and don’t try to be the hero under any circ*mstances. You’re here as tourists, so just enjoy the city and not worry about fighting injustice. There are adults for that.”

They arrived in Suribachi City soon after.

“Oh my god!” Pony squealed excitedly. “This place looks so cute!”

The girls from 1-A were also jumping up and down with enthusiasm. Suribachi City was connected to the main portion of Yokohama by a bridge and they were currently staring at a circular red Chinese styled gate that marked the entrance. It was giant and had a historical feeling to it. While it wasn’t the only entrance, this one was obviously more extravagant than the other smaller ones. If not for the happy crowds and lively streets beyond it, Monoma would even say the gate had a heavy ominous feeling to it.

Like the entrance to a dragon’s cave.

Suribachi City looked different from the rest of the city. The buildings were more crowded but it wasn’t too messy. There were posters and ads on the walls, lanterns hanging down between the strings connecting from balcony to balcony, and overhead corridors that connected the different buildings. Everywhere they looked was a mix of traditional wooden structures in the concrete jungle, giving it a sort of dystopian feeling.

It was like a whole different world.

“This is so awesome!” someone from their crowd shouted.

“It’s amazing.”

“And big too.”

“I’ve never been to a place like this before.”

“That must be Huang Corp down the middle.”

Excited chatter rang up and the students were all admiring Suribachi. The ground near the center of it seemed to be lower in elevation and a tall skyscraper sat at the very heart of it. It was the first thing they noticed when they approached Suribachi too, kind of like how they noticed the five black towers when they first got to Yokohama.

“I’ve never seen a Chinatown like this one,” Ashido shouted and she was bubbling with uncontrollable excitement.

“This is my first time seeing a Chinatown all together.” As expected. Yaoyorozu and Todoroki weren’t from the type of families that would allow them to visit such places. Quite a few of class B’s kids were also shaking with joy. They were so ready to explore the place!

Dazai clapped to get all of their attention. There was a tall man with reddish hair and dark brown eyes beside him. The man wore a loose shirt and a light coloured coat. He greeted them with a smile.

“This is my good friend Odasaku!” Dazai announced, ignoring the man’s sigh about how his name was Oda and not Odasaku. “He lives in Suribachi City. Since there’s forty of you, he will be helping out as a tour guide too."

“Nice to meet you,” they all greeted him politely.

Oda-san was an easy going man. He gave off a more reliable vibe than Dazai too.

“Class B goes with Dazai and Class A is with me,” he instructed while rubbing the light stubs on his chin. “We will regroup here at 5 PM. If you are lost, contact any of us and stay put so we can go get you. Atsushi, you keep watch over Dazai so he doesn’t try jumping into the sea or do something stupid again.”

Despite Dazai’s complaints, the two classes went their separate ways. Suribachi was filled with surprises and interesting stores.

“There’s so much stuff! I feel dizzy just looking at them,” Tokage said while they ventured deeper into Yokohama’s Chinatown. The girl was checking out the mobile accessory stands with the other girls in their class.

“Yeah, and the food is so good.” Hiryu Rin took another bite of the bun in his hand. He must be happy. The teen moved from China to Japan when he was younger and he hadn’t had such authentic food from his homeland in a long time.

“Hey, let me try some too!”

They laughed while moving between the crowds and took pictures. Before they knew it, most of them were already carrying a few bags of stuff. Souvenirs and other things they thought were interesting filled their bags.

Dazai and Atsushi followed, conversing about a few things that were too quiet for Monoma to hear. They did pass by Huang Corp at one point but there weren’t any stores on that street. It was mostly office buildings, coffee shops, and a few restaurants. Suribachi had a weird landscape with a portion in the middle dipping downward, forming a sort of a crate and the buildings were built along the slopes of the land.

To be honest, Dazai looked bored. It wasn’t until they passed by a one of the quieter shops that he suddenly halted in his steps.

“Is something wrong?” Shishida asked since he almost crashed into the man.

They followed Dazai’s gaze and saw a...jewelry store? Monoma paused too and saw that Dazai was looking at one of the pearl necklaces behind the class.

The dark haired man waved while staring intensely into the store. “All of you wait here, I’ll be back soon. Atsushi, watch them.”

He went into the shop just as the customer service lady took the pearl necklace off the model and packed it up behind the counter. There was someone else in the shop but Monoma couldn’t tell what they looked like since the person was wearing a long dark coat with a hoodie pulled down low. The bottom of that jacket also looked ripped. It was odd to be bundled up so much in this weather but hey, they shouldn’t be judging.

Judging from their tall silhouette and broad shoulders, Monoma would guess the customer inside was a guy. They could see Dazai striking up a conversation but it didn’t look like the other guy was responding. The hooded figure paid for the goods and walked out of the shop while tucking a black box into his jacket’s pocket. The class B students could see his face now. He looked a bit older than them, with long raven hair tied into a low ponytail that draped down the side of his shoulder. Although he looked quite pale, his eyes were the colour of blood and he was handsome. Like a few of the citizens they have seen in Suribachi, he wore a red tang suit with an embroidery of flowers down the robe and everything was held together by a black belt. He also had a pair of rather traditional red knot earrings on.

“He’s cute,” one of the girls muttered under her breath and the others nodded in agreement. But none of them dared to approach. They didn’t know if it was their imagination or not but there was this icy cold aura around him. It was sharp and stingy, a worse kind of indifference and cold than Todoroki’s usual cool.

“Come on, you’re not even acknowledging an old acquaintance?” Dazai asked with a smile as he followed the guy out. It was different from the ones he gave them. The curve on his lips looked painted and it was drenching with the overly sweet malice of gossip.

Red eyes glanced at him. “Get lost, trash.”

Dazai promptly ignored the hostility in those words. “I didn’t peg you down for a pearls type of guy. Trying to change your style?”

“Go hang yourself on a tree.”

A few quiet gasps sounded from Monoma’s classmates due to how casually the teenager had just told Dazai to commit suicide. What was more disturbing was the man only gave a sulking half shrug.

"Tried that this morning."

The teen made a “Tch” sound with his tongue, sounding disappointed before turning away and vanished around the corner.

“Dazai—” Atsushi started and he sounded worried.

“Yeah, I know. I won’t keep bothering him.” The man came back to their side and looked thoughtful.

“Who was that?” Tetsutetsu asked for all of them.

“The Dragon of Suribachi.”

“What?”

“That’s Huang Zeku.” Atsushi answered when it was obvious Dazai was lost in his own thoughts.

“Wait, that’s him?” Kendo’s eyes widened. “I thought he would be more...um...”

She struggled to find the right words.

“Nerdy looking or weirder?” Monoma offered but got elbowed in the ribs immediately. Coughing, he didn’t think he would need to take back his words. He knew that was what all of them were thinking. When they first heard about the owner of Huang Corp, they imagined their typical support class kid.

Instead, they got a young hot dude who looked like the cold silent type that was popular with the girls.

“He doesn’t fit the stereotype of a tech guy or a scientist for sure,” Atsushi laughed but his expression turned serious in an instant. “Jokes aside, don’t ever try to pick a fight with him. You’re going to get devoured.”

Monoma believed him. When he saw that pair of blood red eyes, he felt like he was being rolled over a carpet made of needles. The prickly pain stabbed into the pores on his skin and he found it hard to breathe. Like he was being targeted by some kind of massive predator.

He had a feeling that he didn’t ever want to find out exactly why people called Huang Zeku the Dragon of Suribachi.

3

Kirishima felt torn.

One part of him felt like he was the biggest idiot to ever walk this planet. How could he have not seen the red flags when they were blatantly waved right in front of his face all the time? Bakugou had never been the traditional definition of a “good guy”. He was loud and abrasive, constantly calling all of them names instead of addressing them properly. Not to mention, anyone with eyes could tell he had beef with Midoriya.

Bakugou was rougher with Midoriya than the rest of them. He yelled at the green haired boy more often and told him to shut up multiple times when he knew Midoriya simply couldn’t help his muttering. Even Jirou or Shouji, who had the most sensitive hearings in class didn’t mind Midoriya’s rambling, Kirishima didn’t know why he didn’t see it sooner that Bakugou was always on Midoriya’s case about that. Honestly, it was such a small thing. There was absolutely no need to get worked up over it.

But Bakugou just couldn’t seem to let it go.

He felt horrible. He couldn’t believe the manly guy with a strong personality and quirk he tried to befriend turned out to be such a bully.

“Take a swan dive off the roof.”

Kirishima could only blink dumbly when he heard Midoriya confessed about his dark past. How...how could Bakugou say that to the freckled teen? Did he not know the suicide rates for quirkless people?

Bakugou must have known, right? He grew up with Midoriya for crying out loud! He must have seen how Midoriya was suffering. How could the blond just let everyone else mock and made fun of Midoriya like it was none of his business?

Worse, he contributed to that torment.

Kirishima had been too shocked to respond properly then. Midoriya was also a cool dude in his eyes. The green haired classmate knew a lot about quirks and he had brains on top of a powerful quirk. Midoriya’s analytical skills and strategic thinking never failed to impress him or the teachers. He worked hard for it too, Midoriya was always working on those notebooks in his free time.

Bakugou had issues with those too. According to Midoriya, it wouldn’t be the first time Bakugou had blown a few of them up.

When confronted, Bakugou didn’t even try to deny it. He didn’t deny any of the bullying or the mean things he had said to Midoriya. Continued to say to Midoriya.

Kirishima felt hurt. The other part of him still saw Bakugou as the manly guy he once admired. He still remembered how the blond would lend him notes or explain their homework to him. Although Bakugou always seemed like he was in a bad mood, he could also quiet down really well and in those moments, he looked softer. Nicer. Like Kirishima could see the better side of him through the cracks of thorns that the blond set up a barricade around his heart.

But this was the same guy who coldly told another peer to off themselves.

He was a bully. The same type of people that Kirishima vowed to stand against, not stand with.

Bakugou didn’t show an ounce of remorse. Not when he was called out of class by Aizawa-sensei. Not when he came to pack his stuff and was escorted off campus by the robots. Not when Kirishima last saw him yelling at their principal and homeroom teacher, refusing to join any therapy sessions or comply with the new rules of having to control his quirk and temper.

Since Bakugou was uncooperative, he was expelled from UA. He was a hateful bigot who didn’t deserve to be in the hero class. It was better that he left.

That was the consensus of the school.

Rumors and hushed whispers flew around during recess and lunch. Kirishima tried not to think too much about it.

But Kirishima didn’t expect a whole scandal to blow up on the internet. He felt...bad. When he read those nasty comments, he felt like this wasn’t the right punishment. The people writing these things and talking sh*t about Bakugou...how were they any different from the bullies in real life?

And then they realized Bakugou had disappeared. At first the class thought he was targeted by the League but then their teacher confirmed that Bakugou left on his own will. They were asked to provide any information if they knew where the blond went but no one knew a thing. Kirishima tried sending some texts but quickly remembered that Bakugou had tossed his phone.

“This is all my fault...I never planned on ending his dream...”

Midoriya blamed himself for the explosive blond’s disappearance. It broke the class’s heart to see him wallowing in pain. He was the victim but Midoriya’s heart was too big and he even went to the principal to beg him to give Bakugou a second chance.

Kind and compassionate, Midoriya had all the qualities of a true hero.

Kirishima agreed to ask the detective agency for help looking for Bakugou. As much as the blond was an asshole, they can’t just leave him out there. Alone in Yokohama? That sounded like a death wish! And honestly, Midoriya convinced them that Bakugou turning down the path of villainy was scarier than anything else in the world. He would be a formidable villain.

But their hope had failed. Ranpo-san told them Bakugou wasn’t likely to be in Yokohama. A small part of Kirishima was glad about that. At least they knew that Bakugou wasn’t crazy enough to come to the city of sins alone and die in a ditch somewhere.

Soon, he along with the rest of the hero course students got swept away by the...cultural difference (he wasn’t sure if he could call it that). Yokohama wasn’t like what they imagined but it was also everything they can’t even begin to imagine.

They were only trying to help a little girl find her mother. Kirishima had no idea how it escalated to people shooting at them! In a panic, he and Midoriya had been separated from the group. They were racing down empty streets where both sides were filled with endless warehouses as the footsteps and shouting closed in on them. Kirishima had planned on using his quirk to shield Midoriya from the rain of bullets. If he only used it for defense then they wouldn’t get in trouble, right?

“Kirishima!” Midoriya screamed at him as his eyes widened in horror.

The red head didn’t have time to think as he tackled Midoriya to the ground, away from the bullet coming at them from the other side. They rolled in pebbles and felt the small stones stabbed into their flesh. When they got back up, the sound of gunfire had ceased and there was a pair of eyes staring at them.

The man, the one who had been pursuing them, was just a few feet away from them. He was gasping and coughing out blood while holes scattered across his torso.

“H-Help...”

The syllables were muffled by the sound of gurgling blood. It sounded viscous and sticky, like a disgusting layer of slim crawling into their ears. The woman they saw who had gotten into an argument with the group of men a little while back approached him and shot him in the head again.

The two teens were left to stare at a fresh corpse as she vanished into the night. They wanted to chase her but they were also worried about their friends and the people from class B. Also, Kirishima wanted to puke. There was a dead body in front of them. That man was just alive a second ago and now he was dead and bleeding out, turning as cold as the concrete that he laid on.

He knew the guy was a villain who just tried to hurt them but to see him die so abruptly...the teen felt shell shocked and he was sure Midoriya felt the same thing.

They found out later that no one would pursue the woman or try to save the little girl (she stabbed Monoma, that was so wrong on so many levels) from a life of crime. Why wouldn’t anyone try to help her? They needed to remove her from that toxic environment right? She must have been forced to do these bad things by the woman.

She was just a kid. She could be saved and led back to the right path if someone would just try! Why were they giving up on her so soon? Labelling her a criminal like she was unsalvageable?

But they got scolded by Kunikida. It seemed like an infinite loop of nonsense when they tried to reason with the man. He blamed them for getting in trouble and getting hurt, which angered Kirishima and a few of his peers.

They were just trying to help since no one else would. What if that little girl really was in trouble and lost? How could they just turn a blind eye to her suffering?

Maybe they should have been a little more on guard but they can’t just walk away from people who needed help.

Why were they in the wrong?

While still feeling disgusted and confused, Kirishima went with the rest of his peers down to Suribachi City. Maybe a change of scenery was really what they needed. Soon, they lost themselves to the happy atmosphere of the place and enjoyed Suribachi. The food was great and they took lots of pictures as a class.

Oda-san was also a nice guy. He was mild tempered and he was raising five orphans on his own! He was a kind man who knew a lot about Suribachi.

“Huang Zeku? Why do you want to know about him?” the man asked when Yaoyorozu questioned him about the young CEO of the Huang Corporation.

“My father has been trying to get an audience with him but has never been successful. He’s a mystery too. No one knows what he looks like but his name comes up a lot when the parents are trying to motivate us.”

Yaotorozu’s family was wealthy. It wasn’t hard to imagine people of her family’s social status would be more familiar with Huang Corp. Kirishima felt kind of bad for her actually. It must be a pain to constantly hear your parents praise some other guy about all he had accomplished already. Being compared sucked.

“Well...I guess his story is pretty inspiring. A lot of people around these parts owe him big time.” Oda-san threw an empty can from the ground into the trash. “Suribachi’s livelihood depends on Huang Corp’s success. If it weren’t for his company, this place would still be composed of slums.”

Suribachi wasn’t always this nice. The special landscape they saw was because a giant explosion had gone off years ago. It was a dump culturing the worst Yokohama had to offer. Poverty and violence was common. Worn down buildings and homeless tents or paper box sleeping places clustered on the slopes. The people were malnourished and wore tattered clothing.

Huang Zeku devoted the money he made into rebuilding this place into what it was today. Since he was the one founding the project, of course the place was made to resemble what he liked. He built schools, hospitals, and soon other people saw opportunity and more stores moved in.

“Are you one of the people he helped too?” Iida asked out of curiosity.

“Oh, I actually didn’t grow up here. But he did save my family before.”

Oda-san explained that he had been involved with Port Mafia before. They couldn’t believe it. The man didn’t look like he had a single mean bone in his body! Even though he was low ranked, he got targeted by some bad guys and the villains tried to kill off his kids. At the time, the kids lived with a nice chef who owned a restaurant in a safe part of Yokohama. Zeku had been having lunch there when the villains attacked and he beat them up for disrupting his meal.

“He sounds like a good guy.”

“Good guy?” Oda laughed as if he heard the funniest thing in the world. “Don’t tell that to his face. He’s not good news, trust me.”

“Why?” Kirishima joined in on the conversation and he knew other people from his class were listening too. “He selflessly invested his fortune into giving people a better life, saved kids from villains, and his company is making prosthetics to help people live normally. Sounds like a pretty manly dude to me.”

Oda-san merely shook his head. “You’ll probably understand it better if you met him in person but I really hope you kids don’t ever have to.”

He didn’t explain any further. They were at an outdoor plaza with a water fountain in the middle so Oda-san told them they could break off into smaller groups as long as they stayed in the plaza. There were shops lined up in a circle and small portable stands or food trucks too. It had a pretty open view of everything and they could easily see what was going on as long as they scanned around. The old granny from the shop beside them called Oda-san’s name and the man went over to talk to her.

“Hey, where’s Mineta?” Sero suddenly piped up when he saw that their group was missing one person.

“He was just here?” Kaminari looked around. “Oh there! Behind the bushes.”

Their short classmate with balls for hair was crouched behind a bush and he smiled with a perverted grin.

“Cute girls in Chinese outfits!” He seemed to be in a trance as he stared into the distance. Before they could grab him, he was already racing off to god knew where.

“Hey Mineta! Don’t run off on your own!” Iida called after him but the other boy wasn’t listening. Being the class representative, Iida raced after him and the usual Dekusquad followed.

“I’ll go find him too,” Kaminari said with a straight face. “This is totally not because I want to see cute girls in Chinese dresses.”

Jirou smacked him but followed.

“Wait, don’t leave us alone!”

Soon, the whole class had gone off, chasing after one another. Maybe it was because they weren’t familiar with their surroundings but before they knew it, they were in a weird place.

“Um...where are we?” Ojiro asked nervously. “What is this place?”

They were on an unfamiliar street. Most of the stores were closed and there were neon signs everywhere. The buildings looked older and more crowded, some looked out right dangerously close to collapsing too. The ground was also littered with trash and needles along with shards of broken glass.

“Isn’t it obvious, this is the red light district! Women in all sorts of sexy outfits!” Mineta sounded excited. Sure enough, the class soon noticed the very erotic and suggestive ads placed all around. Kirishima also remembered Oda-san mentioning something about how there were still parts of Suribachi that were a little stuck in their old ways...this must be what he meant.

“We should get out of here, like now. Oda-san said we should stay within the plaza.” Aoyama eyed their surroundings suspiciously. He was right. There wasn't anyone around and this place looked spooky even in the daylight.

“Right,” Todoroki voiced his agreement. “...Who remembers which direction we came from?”

None of them did. The alleyway and the buildings all look so similar and dark. They looked the same.

They moved in a tight group while trying to find their way back to the plaza. They ran into people but none of them thought it was a good idea to ask the locals for directions. These locals...they didn’t look right. They were like ghosts staring at them from the shadows, eyeballing them as if they were butchers judging how fat the lambs were.

That only made class A want to get out of here even more.

They were halfway up a flight of stairs when they heard a scream. It sounded desperate, like a cry for help from the bottom of someone’s soul and it made them all freeze in their spots. It was high-pitched and sounded like it belonged to a crying woman.

“It’s coming from over there.” Uraraka pointed to their left, where there was a narrow alley opening up to a small clearing. She tried to move towards there but Tokoyami grabbed her wrist.

“Kunikida-san said we shouldn’t rush into anything.”

“But she sounded like she’s really in trouble.” They could all practically feel the immense amount of pain the woman was in from her screams alone. “We’ll just check it out from afar quietly.”

There was struggle flashing across Tokoyami’s face but they all sprang into action when they heard the screaming turned into shrieks of pure terror.

When they emerged from the alley, they saw that there was a group of adults beating on a petite woman. She was curled up on the ground like a shrimp while they kicked her harshly and beat her with a bat.

Sato and Shouji rushed the group of offenders and pushed the most vicious ones off the woman. They yelled insults at them but ran off when they saw the rest of the hero students approaching. The group swarmed around the injured woman and they tried to help or comfort her...with a bit more caution after what happened last night of course.

But this woman looked like she was genuinely a victim. The bruises on her were horrendous and her lip was split, with fresh blood flowing down. She looked shaken and tired, crying as she searched the dirt for something.

“My bag! They took my money!” she wailed in despair. Through her sobs and hiccups, the class learned that she had a sick daughter who needed medicine. But now she wouldn’t be able to pay for it.

There was no way they could just stand by and watch her like this any longer. They gave her the food they had on them and some cash they pooled together too, hoping that maybe it would be enough to help her get some medical supplies for herself too.

“Thank you,” she said to them with tears still swimming in her swollen eyes. “Thank you so much!”

The woman told them how to get back to the plaza before heading off on a limp, saying that she would be fine and they should get out of here because it was an even more dangerous place for outsiders.

The class felt pretty good when they went on their way. They helped someone, without using their quirks too! While they still felt like the attackers should be put behind bars, there wasn’t much they could do at this point. They don’t even know what the villains looked like because all of them wore a black bandana over their mouths like a mask. The signal over here was also weak and they couldn’t get a stable connection to call Oda-san.

“Oh, I think I recognize this corner!” Mina announced with relief in her voice. “Yep, we definitely passed by here when we came down.”

That was music to everyone’s ears. While it still looked like they were a bit of a distance from the plaza, at least they knew they were going in the right direction. But their joy was soon cut short when they saw large bulky men approaching them. There was at least a dozen of them and they didn't look nice at all.

“Hey you lot!” the biggest of them shouted. He had a menacing grin on his face and a black bandana tied around his left arm. “Don’t you know this is private land? You’re trespassing!”

“We’re just leaving,” Iida said to them. “We’re sorry but we will be gone soon!”

“Sorry eh? Don’t you brats know the proper way to apologize?” He rubbed his fingers together and Kaminari frowned.

“You want us to pay to pass through here?” The blond teen looked nervous when he saw the men closing in on them. “But we don’t have any cash on us.”

They gave their money to the woman already.

“But you’ve got other stuff. Hand it all over if you don’t want to get hurt.” The man’s eyes lingered on the girls for too long too.

Of course none of them wanted to do that. They can’t use their quirks but they were still heroes in training.

Ojiro was the first to move when the man closest to him swung a fist. He dodged it and roundhouse kicked the lackey in the face, knocking the man back. The other kids let out a small cheer but stayed on guard too. Only, the gang of men weren’t discouraged by one of them getting their ass handed to him.

The ringleader laughed.

“Think you’re tough, little buddy?”

His fist was raised and the ground rumbled. Spikes of earth shot up like spears, ready to pierce through them. There were too many spikes forming at the same time and the ground seemed to move at the man’s will so fluidly that it couldn’t have been a quirk.

“He’s an ability user!” Asui shouted while she dodged. They were all scrambling to avoid getting pierced and the goons waiting on the sidelines. But they were caged in, whenever one of them would try to break free, the villains surrounding them would force them back into the ring in the middle, where the earth danced dangerously.

They weren’t going to last like this.

Panting while sweat rolled down his back, Kirishima was ready to use his quirk and force his way through when a soft shine caught his eyes. Something—No, someone—rushed past him and a familiar burst of orange and red with the angry sounds of explosion boomed beside his eardrums. Painful screams filled the air while a sweet burnt caramel scent spreaded out.

Kirishima fell on his butt due to the force and he saw pale but toned legs in front of him. The person who charged into their battle wore a black cheongsam that covered down to about the middle of their thighs with slits up both sides. Red strings crisscrossed over one another, holding the two ends of the opening in place and providing a stark contrast against the milky white skin. Round hips and a small waist, their rescuer smashed her heel into the ability user’s face, the sharp end digging into the muscles on the man’s cheek painfully.

He saw her pulling her foot back and landed another kick on the guy who tried to attack her from behind. Flipping through the air, she grabbed his head and explosions went off. Very soon, all of the local thugs were unconscious.

The students of class A got up slowly. All of them had varying degrees of injuries on them but most were minor, nothing serious. They were totally going to ask Aizawa-sensei to help them train more in hand-to-hand after they got back. When the smoke and dust cleared, the first thing they saw was the shine of the nice pearl necklace and earrings on their rescuer. The collar and sleeves of her cheongsam was hollowed out lace and Mineta gasped “Cute girl in Chinese outfit” while straining his neck to get a better view.

He froze.

Kirishima’s eyes moved up and he almost felt his heart stop.

“Bakugou?”

“sh*tty Hair,” the person spat right back with a scowl on his face.

Yep, definitely Bakugou.

But he looked...different. Besides the very feminine dress that he sported, he also looked a bit softer. The lines of his face and muscles weren’t as hard. Kirishima hadn’t noticed it before but Bakugou’s eyelashes also looked longer? He wasn’t sure since those crimson eyes were narrowing on him as if they spotted a rat in the kitchen. Disgust and disapproval filled those scarlet orbs. Overall, this Bakugou looked like he had been pampered well, which was a weird thing to think considering that this was Bakugou he was referring to.

“What are you doing here?” he yelled in disbelief while still gawking at the blond before him.

His shouting must have broken everyone out of their shocked stupor.

“Kacchan!” Midoriya rushed up. He looked like he had been rolling in the dirt, which Kirishima assumed was the same for all of them. “We have been looking everywhere for you! The teachers and your parents too! The police told us you were headed for Yokohama—”

“Shut up Deku,” Bakugou said with a tone of indifference. It didn’t sound like he had changed a single bit since he was expelled. Kirishima wasn’t sure if it was right for him to feel the disappointment inside his chest when Bakugou just saved them. “There’s a reason why you f*ckers can’t find me. I didn’t want to be found.”

“What are you doing in a place like this, Bakugou?” Todoroki asked. “And you’re using your quirk in public.”

“None of your business, Ice Hot. Also, that no quirk rule is only for outsiders like you people, not me.”

Todoroki was confused. All of them were.

“Wait, Todoroki-kun.” Midoriya stopped him and he shakily turned to face Bakugou again. “The important thing right now is that we found Kacchan. Kacchan, please come back with us. This place is dangerous and I’m sure we...no, Aizawa-sensei and Kunikida-san from ADA can help you out of whatever trouble you are in. Please. Your parents are still waiting for you back home.”

“I’ll pass. I’m not leaving.” Bakugou crossed his arms in front of his chest and there was a slight curve. Mineta had been so shocked and disappointed that the girl wasn’t a girl that he had turned pale and ashen in the corner (“Bigger than Jirou’s,” he muttered before getting smacked by Sato). “Also, you got some guts telling me to go back. Thanks to you I’m no longer enrolled in UA, remember? I don’t have a place to go back to.”

Midoriya paled. “I-I never wanted for that to happen. I’m sorry!”

“Midoriya, you don’t have to apologize,” Iida reminded. “Bakugou, we thank you for helping us out but your expulsion is entirely a consequence of your past actions, not Midoriya’s.”

“Yeah, whatever. Just hurry up and get the f*ck out of here before you idiots got yourselves killed. Yokohama isn’t your playground.”

“Guys, we can’t just leave Kacchan here!” Midoriya looked like he was panicking again but his stance was solid. It was an impressive quality of his, whenever he had to stand up for something, he was like an immovable mountain. “It’s so dangerous here. And Aizawa-sensei would want to know we found him safe too.”

“I told you I’m going anywhere. I f*cking live here you sh*tty nerd.” Bakugou looked irritated. “Should have left your asses to rot. I’m a menace to society or whatnot so f*ck off already, you damn heroes.”

“Wait, you live here?” Kaminari eyed their environment. “In the red light district?”

Now all of them were concerned. Bakugou was dressed...very not Bakugou and he was living in a street filled with brothels? There was no way they can just overlook that.

“What?” Bakugou’s eyes widened in surprise. “No, you fools got it all wrong—”

“You just said you live here!” Sero exclaimed.

“Yeah but—”

Hagakure waved her arms around frantically. “And you’re dressed like that!”

“The f*ck is wrong with how I dress?”

He was met with silence.

“You look like an escort,” Mineta was the one who finally voiced it out loud. “You look like a hooker, Bakugou.”

The blond’s pupils constricted as his mouth hung open. Red eyes scanned over all of them, who were probably in agreement with Mineta and Bakugou started cursing like a sailor. His face was red with anger as he glowered at all of them. Bakugou’s fists were clenched tight by his sides and they were shaking, trembling as the blond teen bit on his bottom lip. He was unnaturally quiet. They would have felt more at ease if he exploded on him, like his usual violent self.

It looked like Mineta hit a sore spot. Kirishima thought in horror. Does that mean Bakugou really was...selling?

It was during that moment, he saw the man on the ground behind Bakugou move a finger. Large pieces of the shattered ground from Bakugou’s earlier explosions floated into the air and rained down upon him.

“Bakugou!” Kirishima shouted as he reached out a hand.

“Kacchan!”

Green lightning flashed by the redhead and Kirishima heard his classmates shouting.

“Izuku-kun!”

“Midoriya!”

Bakugou didn’t move. There was a flash of multiple silver slashes through the air above him, they happened like lightning, vanishing just as quickly as they appeared and was too quick for the students’ eyes to catch. The stones raining down turned into less threatening small pieces as if they had been finely chopped by the best chef in the world. They scarcely landed around Bakugou without harming him while another strong gust of wind swept Midoriya away.

The green haired teen was slammed into the wall on their left with a heavy thud. There was a shadow above them. Kirishima only had time to see a large claw crushing down on the ability user who attacked them and then…blood was everywhere.

Kirishima remembered squishing bugs when he was little. He’d crush the mosquitos between his palms and the red would smear across his skin. The scene in front of him right now reminded him too much of that image but it was taking all of his willpower to not scream.

Bugs he could wash off with some tap water. A crushed human? Kirishima wanted to hurl. The red pooled out from beneath a puree of flesh and bones. Spinal fluid and other substances leaked into the ground. Shards of white bone turned flat and an eyeball still connected to a piece of nerve rolled close to Yaoyorozu’s feet.

“A-Ah—” The strangled noises coming from her throat only made everything so much more real.

There was a dragon in front of them. It had a massive body and three freakish eyes each larger than their heads. Countless sharp teeth lined its mouth and it drooled as it stuck out its tongue like a snake sensing for its next prey. It crushed the man with one claw and another was wrapped around Bakugou, caging him in with those long nails.

It was a monster.

The monster had an owner.

Footsteps came down the stairs between them and Bakugou. Someone in a black coat and a loosely dressed red tang suit strolled down as if he was taking a walk in the park. Around him, the scaly tail of the dragon was wrapped there like a tamed watchdog.

The figure took another step down the stone stairs. It was hard to see his face since he was standing against the light and his hood was pulled low. But they could all sense the cold fury emitting off the man.

Crimson eyes the same colour as the dragon’s (the same as the fresh blood spilled on the pavement) landed on the crowd. They heard whimpering. The men who had attacked their class earlier were awake and they all had fear in their eyes as they stared at the person on the stairs. One of them screamed and scrambled up to run.

“It’s rude to touch things that don't belong to you.”

Kirishima heard the guy in the tang suit sighed in a low and hoarse voice, like he was already bored of the whole mess.

And he watched as the villain rushed past him desperately, with tears and snot covering his face only to suddenly vanish out of the teen’s peripheral vision. Something hot and sticky splattered across Kirishima’s entire right side as he turned his rigid head downwards.

He only saw the lower half of the villain from the waist down bleeding out right beside his feet.

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

1

No one moved.

The street was filled with a deadly silence as the rubble crumbled. Small pebbles bounced to a stop on the ground and the dust settled. Rubbles littered the pavement while the group of teenagers trembled.

The heavy sound of knees dropping to the ground woke them.

“W-We didn’t m-mean to offend you,” one of the local men spluttered through chattering death. He looked like he was drenched in cold sweat as his eyes grew as wide as a deer’s. “Please, we didn’t know!”

There was a chorus of cries and pleads that followed. The students of class 1-A could only watch while still frozen in shock. They have no idea what was going on. Their menacing attackers were looking like a bunch of frightened rabbits that sounded like they were going to die from pure terror the next second.

The person on top of the stairs didn’t respond. Instead, there was a gust of strong wind and the kids all saw something white sped past. The pressure from the wind forced them to shut their eyes but their ears didn’t tune out the chomping noises and painful wails.

The teenagers screamed when they saw what had happened. Uraraka caught the man closest to her and pressed her hands over the open wound but all of them knew it was futile. The whole left side from his clavicle down to his torso was gone. There was so much blood. Viscous liquid still hot and fresh drenched his hands, seeping into the crack along Uraraka’s nails while the body in front of her turned cold. The metallic smell of blood and bitter scent of bile invaded the young students’ nasal cavities.

“What...happened, kero?” Tsuyu croaked and her throat felt dry. She couldn’t move her eyes away from the disaster around them. “T-they’re all...”

She couldn’t finish.

They moved. Desperate hands checked the men for signs of life and squeezed their brains to force themselves to remember the first aid training. But none of that helped. They could only watch as life left the men’s eyes and the body slowly turned rigid.

Some of them averted their eyes and bent over to suppress the urge to vomit. Others fell to their knees and covered their mouths, forcing back the screams of disbelief and hot tears. Gone. Lives withered in an instant while limbs and organs sprayed along the cold dusty floor.

The sound of leather boots against the stone tiles came nearer. The dragon’s owner—the murderer—was younger than they expected. He had long hair the colour of ink and an aloof way about him that made them feel cold to their cores. Although he didn’t look like a bulky menacing gorilla, he was still intimidating. Kirishima noticed the young man’s earrings matched the red rope belt dangling around Bakugou’s waist.

“WHY DID YOU KILL THEM?” Midoriya yelled at the foreign looking young man. “Kacchan! Get away, he’s dangerous!”

But the young man didn't paid him any attention.

“You bastard!” Kirishima jolted to life. He could feel the blood drying on his sky and he felt like vomiting but he pushed it down and charged at the young man. Only, before he could get close an explosion stopped him. Stumbling back, he couldn’t believe that Bakugou had just discharged an explosion at him.

Bakugou wasn’t looking at him.

"I told you to stay put." The dragon wielder raised a hand and caressed Bakugou's face, tilting the blond’s head from side to side as if checking if there was any damage.

“I wouldn’t have moved if these assholes weren’t trying to kill themselves at least once every single day,” Bakugou said accusingly, displacing the blame off himself. “Can’t f*cking have a bunch of UA kids dying in Suribachi.”

“You should have waited for me.”

“And by the time we get here we’d be calling the undertakers.”

The teen muttered something along the lines of “A few holes in their bodies won’t kill them” while the dragon returned to their side. Bakugou patted it gently.

The horrible realization washed over Kirishima: They knew each other.

And Bakugou...he didn’t show any distress when he saw the men die.

“Hey! Why did you kill them? They already surrendered!” Midoriya bellowed louder this time, so loud that Kirishima thought the freckled teen’s lungs might burst. It was true. Those guys were begging on their knees and lost all their will to fight already. There was no need to kill them!

“Why?” the older teen repeated as if the answer should have been obvious. "They tried to lay a hand on what belonged to me first."

“Belong to...” Kirishima was so confused by the whole turn of events. He felt like the gears inside his head were stuck and smoking from grinding too hard. Shakily, he turned to his former classmate. “Bakugou, what’s going on?”

“Yeah, why are you standing next to him?” Mina added. She was still trembling as she stared at their former friend with an intense gaze.

Kirishima didn’t know what kind of answer he expected. First of all, Bakugou was in Yokohama and he was dressed like a girl. The first guy to die had tried to attack Bakugou and now the scary dude looked like he had known Bakugou for some time...was Bakugou friends with the villain? He had to be a villain right? Why else would he kill a bunch of people so easily?

“What does it look like?” Bakugou rolled his eyes. Leaning into the guy’s side, the long end of those red earrings twirled between his pale fingers. “I’m his just like he said.”

As if backing that statement up, the stranger wrapped an arm around the blond’s wait loosely but none of them could ignore the intimacy.

“Bakugou! H-He just killed a bunch of men!” Kaminari gasped and Kirishima knew they were thinking the same thing.

Midoriya had said it before. He was scared that Bakugou would fall down the path of villainy after his hero dreams were crushed. And they have all heard stories before. The origins of many criminals could come from the smallest of things...and Bakugou had taken a steep fall. He deserved it, yeah but they didn’t think he would turn to the dark side because as brash as Bakugou had been, his will to do what was right never wavered.

“He killed them to save me,” Bakugou said. “To save you.”

“S-Save us?” Iida stuttered in shock. “He murdered them. They weren’t going to fight anymore, we should have handed them over to the police!”

Bakugou scoffed. “This is Suribachi. They should have known better than to stir up trouble. They were doomed the moment they decided to mug your sorry asses. Those bastards wanted to kill you idiots so they should expect to be killed in return. Port Mafia and Huang Corp. had an agreement about this.”

What he said made no sense at all. The whole class couldn’t wrap their heads around what Bakugou meant by the two organizations having an agreement about them or why the men were automatically sentenced to death without a trial. Sure, they were robbers but that didn’t mean they deserved to just...die in that horrible fashion.

They still couldn’t look at the dismembered bodies. Kouda remained in the back of the group and his hands over his head as he forced himself to remain standing upright.

“...Kacchan, what happened to you?” Midoriya shouted and there were tears in his large green eyes. “T-This isn’t like you! People just died and you’re defending the person who killed them? Also dressing up like that! The Kacchan I know wouldn’t be bending to someone else’s will just to please them!”

That earned him a chuckle from the guy in the tang suit.

“What’s so funny?” Todoroki narrowed his eyes, watching and anticipating for any signs of attack from the dragon.

“Why do you people assume you know Katsuki?” A question was thrown back. “You’re the ones who turned your backs on him, called him a fiend and a villain. You’re the ones who casted him out and you still assume you know him?”

Kirishima felt his skin crawl when he saw how a hand slipped down, caressing the skin exposed from beneath the slit of Bakugou’s dress. He couldn’t shake the goosebumps forming on his arm while he watched Bakugou remain...reactionless. Docile and obedient. Those were two things that shouldn’t be in the same sentence with the blond’s name.

People said Bakugou was destined to be a villain. He was looking and acting every bit like one right now. Kirishima wanted to find any signs of corcersion or brainwashing...but he couldn’t.

Midoriya’s face paled even further. Kirishima didn’t know that was humanly possible. He knew what the freckled teen must be thinking right now. He must be blaming himself for Bakugou’s current suspiciously disheartening status.

“This isn’t right. What did you do to Kacchan?” Midoriya deadpanned but Kirishima could hear the wavering certainty in his voice. “He’s not your toy! Give him back!”

The atmosphere took a nosedive below freezing. Before they could react, the dragon’s claw swept Midoriya into the wall and had him pinned there. Coughing, Midoriya hurled due to the crushing force, dumping the contents of his stomach onto the ground.

A sour smell spreaded out while a few of their classmates shouted out Midoriya’s name urgently. But none of them dared to get close since the massive beast’s sharp claws were dangerously close to Midoriya’s throat.

“Watch your mouth,” he snapped and the monster lifted its paw off Midoriya. The green haired teen dropped to the ground with a pained expression while Shinsou rushed up to support him to his feet. “Who do you think you are to demand anything from me? Katsuki didn’t ask to go back. You morons see things that don’t fit your rosy perceptions and stick your noses into places that you’re not welcomed.”

Tokoyami looked like he couldn’t stand the guy’s demeaning tone any longer. “We’re heroes. It’s our job to help people when we see them in trouble!”

“Help people?” he huffed as if he heard a not so funny joke.

Bakugou leaned closer and whispered against the guy’s ear. The two of them were pressed close together, like no one else could intervene between them. Whatever Bakugou said caused the older teen to look slightly surprised but he only nodded.

“Follow us,” said Bakugou. His voice sounded empty. Maybe that was the tell that Kirishima was waiting for. A sign that something had happened and Bakugou wasn’t doing this out of his own will.

Kirishima turned his head to see the same confusion on all of his classmate’s faces. Sato offered him a handkerchief quietly and Kirishima was painfully reminded that he was covered in blood right now. Dragging their sluggish and heavy bodies, the class followed them.

In any other situation, they would have asked about what would happen to the bodies but instinctively, all of them knew this might not be the time for it.

Bakugou led them to another alley. It was dark but they could still see the body that was slumped against the wall. Bruised and battered, there was blood coming down the front of her chest.

“That’s the woman we just ran into!” Sero gasped. “W-What...happened?”

“Your heroic actions killed her,” the foreign teen said while he watched them in their state of distress with cold eyes.

“What do you mean by we killed her?” Kaminari squealed in a panic. “We helped her when she was attacked!”

“Exactly. You helped her and that is why she died.”

“You’re not making any sense!” squeaked Uraraka in frustration. She glared at the guy and gritted her teeth. “Why did she have to die just because we helped her? S-She’s got a sick kid!”

“You gave her money and your stuff. This is Yokohama and the strong would devour the weak. You gave her resources that she didn’t have the power to protect and didn’t bother to think about the possible consequences. She fought to keep what you gave her but lost. The winner lives and the loser dies. It’s that simple. If you hadn’t interfered and done a good deed, she would have still been alive.”

“Wait, how did you know we gave her our stuff?” Yaoyorozu questioned suspiciously.

“This is Suribachi. I know everything that goes on here.”

Shinsou clenched his fists. “Then you knew she was going to be killed and did nothing?”

“It’s not my responsibility to clean up after other people’s weakness or incompetence. No one can save everyone.” He had the audacity to just shrug, as if the dead body in front of them right now meant nothing to him.

“How could you be so cruel?” Iida demanded. “What about the villains who did this to her?”

“You mean those runts?” He co*cked his head to the side and they saw little faces poking out from behind the windows over their heads and the roof. Although the faces disappeared really fast, the students still managed to catch a glimpse of them.

“Those are CHILDREN!” Tsuyu couldn’t help but cry out in a terrified realization.

“So? Doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of killing.”

“Hold on, you’re saying—they killed—no way—” Mineta’s tongue was tied just like the rest of their brains. They couldn’t wrap their heads around what the guy was suggesting. No one could believe something so absurd like that. Those faces looked so young. They couldn’t have been older than ten!

“How else would they have gotten her stuff?”

That simple question shattered any lingering hopes the class had. They all saw it. The flash of familiar colours from the shopping bags they gave the woman. They all knew what each other got and they remembered how the woman wore a yellow scarf.

The same scarf they just saw one of the kids wore.

The realization made all of their hearts fall to the balls of their feet. There was a lump forming in their throats and their lungs felt like it was filled with tar.

“...Why did they kill her?” Uraraka asked shakily.

This wasn’t normal. Why would children be killing and looting? They were...well, kids!

They couldn’t understand what was going on in Suribachi City. They knew the world was filled with villains but this was too much for them to handle. How could doing something good still result in a tragedy? The heroes beat the villains and everything should have been fine...right? And the children...how could children do something so sinister?

“Bakugou...you’re just going to stand there and listen to this nonsense?!” Kirishima couldn’t help but look up at the blond. He was their friend once. The guy with so much drive to be a hero.

Bakugou wouldn’t…he can’t...

Kirishima didn’t know if he could finish that thought.

“What do you want me to tell you? That it’s not your fault or that those kids didn’t kill anybody?” Bakugou only stared back at him calmly. “Yokohama isn’t like what you are used to. Your way doesn’t work here and your norms don’t apply.”

Kirishima couldn’t breathe.

“Shouldn’t someone do something about this? Port Mafia? Huang Corp?” Todoroki was trying hard to keep his cool but they could all tell he was at his breaking point.

“You seriously asking why the mafia doesn’t care about what goes on in the slums? Besides, why is one company responsible for reducing crime rates or obligated to provide charity?” Bakugou was running out of patience. The older teen beside him had his fingers tangled in those blond hair, stroking it lightly.

The students of class A had no answer.

“Kacchan, why are you saying stuff like that?” Midoriya finally found his voice again. “Why are you doing this? Heroes are supposed to protect people!”

A long nail embedded itself into the wall beside Midoriya’s ear. It formed a spider web of cracks on concrete. The dragon roared and snarled threateningly.

“That,” the guy in the tang suit said slowly, "was a warning. Think hard before you open your mouth again. Don’t look at me like that...you must all be thinking that if you could use your quirks then things would be different, if you could just fight back then you could apprehend the villains and save everyone."

He was right. Of course that was what all of them were thinking. If they could use their quirks then they would have roped up the ability user no problem. If they could use their quirks then they could have escorted the woman until she got home safely. If they could use their quirks...maybe they could take Bakugou back. Figure out what went wrong.

Something was wrong with Bakugou. They could all see it.

Bakugou was loud and hot headed. Not submissive and quiet.

I know what went wrong.

That little voice kept nagging at Kirishima in the back of his head. He knew why. Bakugou had his hero dreams cut short. They all predicted he would turn one day. The media and the people at school, the waiter at the coffee shops or the random office worker passing by on the streets...they all said Bakugou had a short fuse and he was doomed to turn to the dark side one day.

Bakugou was no hero.

“Kacchan,” Midoriya’s voice was cracking. “Do you hate me so much that you would rather side with a murderer?”

Bakugou looked stunned. It took him a few seconds to finally shake his head. Something too complex for Kirishima to understand flashed across his features but the blond hid his face against his companion’s collarbone.

“This isn’t about you. Never was about you.”

There was no malice or hatred in his words. Only a lingering trace of melancholy that was unsuited for the usually explosive blond. It felt like Bakugou lost his spark. Lost whatever that made him...well, Bakugou.

“Then come back with us. I promise we can make this right! Aizawa-sensei is also in Yokohama and—”

“I can’t. My place is here.”

Everyone could see how tight of a hold the older teen with long black hair had on Bakugou.

“It’s time for you to go back. Stop trying to be a hero in this city or next time you might not get so lucky.”

With that, they turned to leave. There was a flash of green light and Midoriya had leaped into the air. “Let him go!”

The dragon blocked him, pushing back against Midoriya.

“Midoriya! We can’t—” Shinsou tried to warn him but he was cut off as the alarms inside his head started to blare. Ducking to the side, where he was standing just a second ago, had a gush in the ground, probably formed by the wind pressure as the dragon slashed its claws.

“Everybody get back!” Iida hollered. Shinsou could see their class president dragging a few of their classmates away. Ojiro and Shouji were also doing the same thing. Stomping his foot down, a wall of ice extended from beneath Todoroki’s foot but it couldn’t hold against the dragon’s brute force.

They weren’t supposed to use their quirks but the situation left them no choice. Kirishima hardened his body and shielded Hagakure behind him as a dust storm filled with small sharp pieces of pebble washed over them. Thanks to his hardening, they both got out unscratched.

The beast didn’t know fear. Its scales were thick and fireproof. Its claws were sharp like the finest industrial diamond razors and sliced through the hard ground as if it was made of melting butter. Getting too close was too dangerous as any split second misstep would cause them to be slashed in half. They have seen how those men died.

None of them wanted to be next.

Dark Shadow took Sero’s tape that was lined with Mineta’s balls and wrapped it around the dragon’s snout, forcing its mouth closed. It didn’t feel like it was going to hold but they only needed to create an opening. Iida grabbed the other end and raced off in the opposite direction, pulling the dragon’s head along a path of slicked up ground Mina created so his speed would be enhanced. Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu created large nets and worked with Sato and the others to try holding down the dragon’s claws.

The dragon was busy dealing with them, meaning that its owner—

“He’s defenseless!”

Midoriya bolted forward in his Full Crowl, foot extending out in a practice form of a kick. The momentum propelled him directly towards the unguarded teen in the black coat. He was so close to succeeding, one kick and he would be able to knock the guy out. Send him flying so that he was away from Bakugou. And then they could take the blond back.

He didn’t expect to see the scales on the remaining segment of the dragon that was poking out from beneath the teen’s coat to change directions.

What?

“How naive,” the dragon’s owner sighed and the scales fired off, coming straight like a rain of buckshot at Midoriya, who had no way of stopping or dodging.

A hand yanked at the back of Midoriya’s collar and tossed him back just in the nick of time. The freckled teen rolled across the ground, stopping right in front of his classmates.

“Oda-san!”

“You kids seriously are magnets for trouble, aren’t you?” The man scratched his head and exhaled dramatically. He stood between the students and the duo. “I took my eyes off of you for five minutes and you got into a fight with the most dangerous guy in Suribachi. How did you manage to piss off Huang Zeku in such a short span of time?”

“Wait, he’s Huang Zeku?” Ojiro heaved in disbelief. The dragon had retreated, claws swatting the broken nets and tape off of its body like it was merely trying to get rid of some pesky flies. “I thought he was supposed to be a good guy!”

“Yeah, he killed a bunch of people!”

The rest of the class couldn’t believe it either. Didn’t Huang Corp. built this place? Gave money and hope out and helped people live better lives?

“The concept of good and evil don’t really apply here in Yokohama. No one is truly all good or all evil. I told you before that he is bad news too,” Oda-san said calmly before turning to face Zeku. “These people were granted safe passage into the city by Port Mafia. If you kill them there will be retalitations.”

“That’s why I’d only be taking off a limb. There’s a doctor in ADA,” Zeku replied without missing a beat. “So long as they walk out of Yokohama alive then it’s fine.”

What he said made everyone feel like they were dunked into the sea during the coldest day in December.

“They’re kids,” Oda stressed. “From the outside.”

“Then they should have thought twice about attacking me first. There are only two rules in Suribachi: Don’t cause trouble and don’t touch what’s mine. They broke both.”

Oda hesitated. “...By what’s yours I am assuming you are referring to your new friend there? That’s the boy who got first place in UA’s sports festival, the one who went missing.”

"I’m not part of UA anymore,” Bakugou said.

The man stared at them for a few seconds then he waved, gesturing for the students behind him to regroup. “I’ll take them out of Suribachi City right now and inform their teachers that they will not be allowed back here for the duration of their stay in Yokohama.”

“Oda-san!” Midoriya shouted urgently, only to be hushed by the man. For the first time since they met him, the air around him changed completely into something solemn and heavy.

Kirishima couldn’t understand why Oda was ignoring the fact that there was a minor, who was presumed missing, standing right in front of them. He didn’t look like he had any intentions of contacting the authorities, or even questioning them about what they meant by Huang Zeku killing someone.

It was as if he already knew the teen was a stone cold murderer.

“They look like they have other ideas.” The dragon hooked a claw loosely around the pair of teens as it snarled and growled, ready for a fight.

Bakugou placed a hand on the other teen’s chest. He had an arm wrapped around Zeku’s elbow too, body pressed close against the other’s. “Zeku, stop. Let’s go home.”

“...Fine.” The dragon vanished (maybe retracted was the better word to describe it) as soon as the syllable left Zeku’s lips. He glanced at Oda before pulling his hoodie lower. “Make sure you teach those retards to keep their hero games out of Suribachi. And don’t get any more funny ideas.”

And they walked away. The sound of Bakugou’s heels growing more distant but the blond never turned back to look at them once.

“Kacchan! Don’t—” Midoriya scrambled forward.

SMACK!

Oda lowered his hand. The whole class stood stunned while the red handprint formed on the green hair teen’s cheek.

“Are you calm now?” he asked simply, eyes hard and lips pulled into a thin line. “I’m not going to ask why you used your quirks when you were specifically told not to. I’m sure Kunikida would deal with that part appropriately. Now, what do you hope to accomplish by going after Huang when he just let you go? That dragon’s not the only card up his sleeve. If he seriously wanted to kill you all, you would have been long dead by now.”

“But he took—”

“Your old classmate, I know. Huang made a claim. You are not going to challenge him about it, you hear me? You will not try to find your friend again. If you try, you’d be dead before you even reach Huang Corp.”

“Why?” Todoroki snapped with his eyebrows knitted together. “He might own a big business but he’s still a villain. There’s a dozen dead men and a sick kid who would never be able to see their mom again somewhere in this slum! We need to find the kid and...a proper burial.”

They can’t just leave the bodies there. The woman deserves to be buried with dignity too. And the kid, what would happen to the child?

“You don’t have to worry about that. The people of Suribachi knew how to deal with these things. As for Huang, you just said he owns a big company. The livelihoods of the people here depend on it and you must have noticed the dragons all around Suribachi.” Oda nodded at their surroundings and sure enough, there were small dragons all around. They could be spray paints on the wall, a chalk drawing on the ground, or small glass or metal decorations that they saw hanging beside a window. “There was an incident before. An ability user who could release mist came to Yokohama. If other ability users touch the mist, their power would be stripped from them and it would come to attack them.”

“How is that possible?”

The class was in shock. Could abilities do such a thing? This sounded like an impossible power to even exist. But then again, Dr. Yosano could literally drag someone back from death’s doors!

Midoriya also felt a shudder run down his spine as he remembered the history of AFO and OFA. A power to strip out an ability from its host? That sounded so similar to AFO!

Oda continued on without acknowledging their shock. “He unleashed the mist across all of Yokohama. The only place that was untouched was Suribachi City because that day, Huang Zeku stood at the top of his tower and released his dragon into the sky. No one knew what he did exactly but everyone heard the dragon’s roar. It circulated the air and the mist remained outside of Suribachi’s boundaries. Ability users ran here for refuge until Port Mafia and ADA took care of the source of the problem. To a great deal of ability users and normal people, they owe Huang their lives and worshiped him. If they knew you were causing him trouble, they would take you out themselves.”

That sounded like a fairytale. A story. A myth. How could one man—one villain— be that powerful and influential?

“Your enemy isn’t just Huang. It’s the chef who cooked your lunch and the granny who sold you the souvenirs. It’s every goddamn citizen who worked for Huang Corp and the kids who got to go to school because of his charity. Tell me, how do you plan on fighting them?”

They were left speechless. It seemed like the only thing they have been doing for the past hour or so. None of them knew how to respond.

That seemed to be the effect that Oda wanted. He patted Midoriya on the shoulder heavily.

“Let’s go kid. Forget that you ever saw your old classmate here. He doesn’t need saving.”

2

By all means, Aizawa was not enjoying his stay at Yokohama.

It wasn’t that the city was a chaotic ruin of hellfire and explosions. No, in fact, this city had one of the best cat cafes he had ever been to! It was peaceful and while he did get odd looks from people thinking he was homeless, he didn’t pay them much attention. He strolled down the streets, enjoying the coffee he got to go while watching people hurried by.

Yokohama looked like a very normal place. He saw housewives with baby strollers, elders playing chess in the parks, and teenagers hanging out since it was the summer. He barely saw or heard any of the familiar commotion he was used to finding in the outside world. Any sort of crime was taken care of by the police or government agents. They handled it efficiently well too, without the need of heroes.

Still, he knew that this peace was only a font. There were darker things that only happened in unseen corners or in the dark of the night. Those five black towers were a constant reminder of that fact.

This was something that just rubbed Aizawa the wrong way. Criminals. Villains were openly displaying their power over the entire city and no one was doing anything about it.

He also found the entire situation of how ADA had handled the students being attacked infuriating. How could they brush off an attack so easily? As if getting stabbed or shot at was normal? Aizawa had a heated argument with Kunikida about it after the kids left but after about ten minutes, he realized there was just no getting through to this man.

The way they do things was just too different. And as much as Aizawa disapproved, he can’t argue with the detectives’ reasoning. Being an underground hero, he had seen the darker sides of society and using children as bait was one of the more heinous things he had encountered. Some grew up brainwashed, knowing only the villains’ way of survival and cared very little for reform. Their minds were wrapped from the start and there was simply not enough resources to help undo years of hell or muscle memories ingrained into every fiber of their beings.

Violence was carved too deep into their DNA to be removed.

This society of theirs had its flaws. Spotlight followed the heroes everywhere they went and some quirks were discriminated against. The situation was even harsher for those without quirks.

Over the course of the semester, he had been picking up distressing signals between two of his more problematic students. Midoriya Izuku was a personification of anxieties and had absolutely no sense of self-preservation. On the other hand, Bakugou Katsuki was overconfident and the most stubborn hot head Aizawa had ever seen. However, they were both his students and both had potential to become great heroes so he only observed them at the beginning.

Children, after all, were complicated creatures. It must be especially hard since they were at the age where they were filled with hormones and trying to carve their space in the most competitive hero school in all of Japan. Everyone worked hard. Everyone was talented.

Not all of them will shoot to the top of the hero chart after graduation.

But then the problems grew to the point where he could no longer ignore them or write them off as mere scuffles. Midoriya had a powerful quirk he couldn’t control well. Midoriya flinched when Bakguou raised his voice and was a nervous mess in general. But at the same time he was compassionate and empathetic, with a determination that could move mountains if he wanted too.

He had a rivalry with Bakugou.

No, after the talk with Midoriya, he found out that what they had wasn’t a rivalry. It was an imbalance of power, an abusive relationship between a bully and the victim.

He just hadn’t seen it before.

Bakugou had a problem with Midoriya from the start. It wasn’t like Aizawa was blind to it. He had seen how the blond would yell at Midoriya to stop muttering or how his eyes would narrow when the other kids complimented Midoriya on how knowledgeable he was in quirks. The other teachers also told Aizawa that Midoriya’s papers were always so thorough and a wonderfully insightful read.

It looked like Bakugou was the only one who had issues with how well Midoriya could strategize. And Midoriya tracked Bakugou, keeping an eye out and was always wary of the blond whenever they were in the same room together. Like he expected to be attacked or insulted for just doing his thing.

Aizawa learned that Midoriya grew up quirkless and was most definitely ignored by his old teachers. His peers ridiculed him and it was a miracle that the kid survived and made it into UA.

Meetings and discussions were called in, Aizawa himself met with all three of the Bakugous to discuss the consequences of Bakugou’s actions. At first Nezu and Aizawa had agreed on transferring Bakugou to Gen Ed and they were going to send Bakugou to a counsellor who specialized in anger management. It would be Bakugou’s second chance (only chance) to prove that he could change.

On top of anger management, the blond teen would also be required to meet with another therapist who would be monitoring his progress. They would work on things like Bakugou’s vulgar language and fix that overgrown ego along with his messed up mindset. Quirkless people were not any less than those with quirks. Having a strong quirk didn’t define a hero. Those were important lessons that Bakugou must learn if he wanted to be a better human being. And lastly, although a bit on the extreme side, Bakugou would need to wear quirk-repressing devices until the therapists all agree that he had changed for the better. They weren’t like the heavy and big ones the school used on Bakugou during the sports festival (Aizawa wouldn’t have agreed). These ones were more specialized, smaller. Like an ankle bracelet some reforming facilities used. Powerloader gave it a little upgrade and it could be easily hidden underneath his socks or be passed off as a bracelet.

The Bakugous were cooperative. They chided their son for doing such a horrible thing to Midoriya and promised they would do everything in their power to restrain Bakugou. Even grounded him on the spot and threatened to pull him from the school if he didn’t comply.

Bakugou didn’t like those terms.

“I can’t,” he said in the most stoic and defiant tone Aizawa had ever heard him mustered up. There was fear in his crimson eyes. Strange. He didn't look terrified when Aizawa dished out suspensions or told him he would be transferred out of heroics. “sh*t! sh*t! I f*cking can’t alright? I can’t tell the white coats for loonies anything and there’s no way in hell I’m putting on any quirk suppressing bull crap! I can’t be defenseless!”

When asked why he felt like he would need to activate his quirk in public, the teen only kept repeating that he can’t do it. That it was dangerous. He kicked and screamed the whole way, refusing to cooperate even until the very end.

Thus, he was deemed unsalvageable and expelled.

They couldn’t save someone who didn’t want their second chance. Bakugou refused to change and combined with his past explosive and violent behaviours, UA couldn’t keep him any longer.

Aizawa had been disappointed. He thought Bakugou could be so much more. The kid wasn’t all to blame for his inappropriate behaviors. He had been surrounded by people who only knew how to praise him and never taught no, no one ever sat him down and explained to him why his actions were wrong. Society fed his ego and let him grow into a monster, to the point where it looked like no amount of therapy or discipline could save him.

But there was only so much Aizawa could do.

Midoriya had been his focus after Bakugou’s expulsion. They had a private talk, one about Bakugou and a lot of other stuff.

“We used to be friends because our moms are,” Midoriya admitted. He was sitting beside Aizawa in Hound Dog’s room. It had soft sofas and hot chocolate there. “Kacchan has always been amazing. He was so much more than me, you know? His quirk was the first one I analyzed too...besides All Might’s that is. I know I tick him off the wrong way but I keep trailing after him because...you are going to think this is weird but he looks lonely. Like he’s always on edge that someone’s going to get him. I just want to help him. And he trains so hard that it was inspiring. I looked up to him, still do.”

Midoriya had stared at him with eyes duller than normal that day.

“Sensei, I never wanted him to be expelled. This is my fault.”

Aizawa comforted him, set the kid straight that he wasn’t responsible for someone else’s terrible behaviour. And it seemed to be working. Hound Dog said that Midoriya was getting more cheerful by the day and Aizawa could see the teen was getting along with his supportive classmates. Shinsou was also integrating into the class well.

After seeing a few of Midoriya’s analysis notes on current pro heroes, Aizawa was impressed. So was Nezu. The kid was brilliant. He had everything it took to be a hero and more. Midoriya understood that strength was not all a hero needed. He knew the pain of those who had been stigmatized and outcasted. He was fiercely determined and someone who could inspire.

Aizawa was going to help him get further. He was going to make sure all of the kids in his class had the arsenal to make themselves the best hero they could be.

This trip to Yokohama was supposed to be another eye opener for them. A simple and short exposure to the darker side of heroics. Real life wasn’t like the textbooks. The lines of the laws and injustice were blurry and it was something heroes would have to learn to navigate around.

Aizawa didn’t approve. It was too soon but Nezu wouldn’t take no for an answer. The rodent had stressed that it was a rare chance that they might never get again.

The hotel was normal. The Armed Detective Agency was relatively normal. Aizawa was a bit surprised by how young some of the staff were but hero agencies also employed interns so it wasn’t that strange. So far, besides the “little” incident (Aizawa didn’t think it was little and he knew Vlad agreed) there had been no other commotion.

He came back to the detective agency to find Vlad having a chat with Dr. Yosano. They look relaxed. The kids have been sent to Suribachi City and there would be three locals supervising them.

“Suribachi City is safe and it’s pretty simple too.” Dr. Yosano seemed pretty adamant about that as she sipped her tea. “Don’t touch what belongs to the dragon and your kids will be fine.”

“Dragon?” Vlad arched an eyebrow.

“Yes, the guy who runs the place is known as the Dragon of Suribachi.”

“Sounds cliche.”

“What he can do is anything but cliche.”

The door opened again and they all turned, only to see a confused looking class B and a defeated class A coming in with Dazai, Atsushi, and a man that Aizawa hadn’t seen before. Aizawa immediately spotted that his kids looked like they had engaged in some kind of battle. Their clothing was dirtier than when they left earlier today. And they were back too early. The original plan was that the two classes would have dinner in Suribachi before coming back. However, it was barely three in the afternoon right now.

“What happened?” The dark haired hero got up and approached the group. No one could blame him for being paranoid, considering that his class had been attracting trouble left and right since the start of the school year.

“Any of you hurt?” Vlad asked as he checked his students.

“We’re fine. Not sure why we were told to come back though...” Monoma eyed class A suspiciously. They were having a blast but then Atsushi got a call from Oda and they were all on their way out of Suribachi City.

Everyone turned their attention to Aizawa’s class. Aizawa sighed. Of course, it just had to be his class again.

“Yaoyorozu, explain.”

The girl was fidgeting with the edge of her jacket slightly as she bit down on her bottom lip. Finally, she said, “Sensei, we found Bakugou.”

The coffee spilled from Aizawa’s hands.

------

Reuniting with his class was easier than imagined.

Katsuki thought he would explode on sight. Or at least thrown out a few more insults and screamed at them for being idiots. But perhaps time spent away from all that hero stuff and away from Midoriya gave him some space to think properly for once. There was no doubt that there wouldn’t be a single hero school willing to take him in and he can’t go back to UA. Their terms...he could deal with suspension or being transferred out of heroics. He could even grit through community service or any other punishment they could give him.

But not therapy or basically render his quirk useless.

He can’t sit in a room with someone trying to pick everything he was apart. He can’t tell them why he hated Midoriya and his detailed analysis (“stalking”). Sure, he might have called people names and even said a few horrible things to Midoriya but that was when he was in control. If he said the wrong thing during a break down, there will be no going back. He can’t fix what he said. He can’t undo the damages that his words would create. Same for his quirk. He can’t be denseless. Zeku wasn’t with him and he needed to be able to protect himself in case...in case of the worst.

He knew the UA kids were here. The moment his old teacher and classmates, along with the extras from class B, set foot in Yokohama, he knew. He knew they were coming to Suribachi and he had no intention of engaging them. Suribachi was a big place and he was good at avoiding trouble. Kept both himself and Zeku away from danger multiple times in the past.

And he didn’t want to ruin his date. It was a nice day out and Katsuki was enjoying being out with his boyfriend in broad daylight. He was sure all the important players in Yokohama would catch wind of them together before the day was over but this was planned. He knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

There was no turning back now.

Thus, there was no use getting riled up because of his old class.

There were too many curious and shocked stares but that was expected. Katsuki held Zeku’s hand while they navigated the busy streets. It felt weird, they have never done this out in public before. Not with so many people around them. But a small part of Bakugou thought that he could get used to it. Zeku bought him a full set of pearls and slipped them on for him. The necklace and the earrings matched the dress well.

Suribachi had a nice cityscape, there were even man made streams with stone and wooden bridges that looked like they came out of a painting.

Katsuki had been avoiding both classes but while Zeku went to get him a drink, he was hit with the realization that his old classmates had gotten themselves in trouble. Again. He could feel it in his bones. Pissed and concerned (he will not admit to the latter), he got up and went to save their sorry asses. He can’t have hero kids dying in Suribachi. Not now. That would create problems for what he and Zeku had planned.

Needless to say, their encounter was less than enjoyable.

Midoriya and the others were sheltered. They had no idea how deep the darkness had taken root in Yokohama. That was why Katsuki led them to the woman’s corpse. He knew she would be dead because that was just how things worked in the bad parts of the city. Huang Corp wasn’t a miracle cure all, handing out happily ever afters to everyone like it was Halloween candy. There would always be people that they couldn’t save. No one could save everyone every single second of the day. Katsuki learned to tune the cries out when he was six.

The choice came down to saving that woman and saving the twenty morons. He chose the morons.

He didn’t stop Zeku either. It was better to get a good kick in the ass now then to die in some other horrible fashion later. At least he knew that Zeku didn’t actually plan on killing them. The hero kids were here for two weeks, Katsuki didn’t have faith in them for keeping themselves out of trouble for that long.

Still, Katsuki couldn’t believe his ears when the stupid Grape told him he looked like a slu*t. He almost lost it then. Not in a fiery rage but more like a teary meltdown, which was totally pathetic in his book. For a second, he regretted showing himself in front of them. They could all get stoned to death for all he cared but no, he made a promise to Zeku and nothing was going to interrupt their plans.

Midoriya and the others thought he had turned into a villain. Well, Katsuki supposed they were right. He sure as hell wasn’t a hero any more. No more rules about not using his quirk in public and no more restrictions from his parents. Now, he was only living for himself.

He lived by Yokohama’s rules and he excelled at it. That was how he survived.

If that counted as being a villain, then yeah, he was the big bad villain.

The first thing he did when they got home was stripped out of the dress and took off the jewelry. Katsuki spent a decent amount of time in the bath, enough that his skin started feeling like it was going to shrivel up upon itself. He came out and put on the baggiest clothing, the kind that he knew his parents would have cringed at, he could find in the closet.

“...Did something happen before I got there?” Zeku questioned while picking up the cheongsam Katsuki discarded off the floor and tossing it onto a chair along with his coat.

“Nothing important.” Just a bunch of ignorant f*ckers being a prick. Katsuki was well aware that guys in dresses were weird. Something they don’t usually see in the streets of Japan since overall, the country was still pretty conservative when it came to these things.

“Then why are you wearing that? I thought you were excited to try on the clothing we got earlier today.”

Katsuki had bought new clothing and had the store delivered to Huang Corp. He was going to change and they would dine out together.

“I don’t feel like it anymore.”

“I’ll cancel the reservation.”

They spent the next hour or two in silence. Zeku had a shower and sat down with the new design plans his engineers submitted while Katsuki typed away at a laptop across the room. Running a company was gruelling work but they both had gotten pretty good at dividing the task. It helped that they hired competent and trustworthy people too.

Katsuki was half way through an excel sheet when he felt himself being picked off the ground. His world spun and then he was being carried away from his desk.

“Zeku! What the hell?” he shouted while keeping the laptop from falling out of his hands. “Hey! Let go! I’m not done with this sh*t!”

“You’re sulking and stress working,” the other teen replied. “Those reports don’t even have to be in until the end of the month.”

“I like to get things done early,” protested Katsuki as he got tossed onto the bed. Closing the laptop and putting it out of the way, he glared at his boyfriend. Zeku stood at the side of the bed and peered down at him, arms crossed in front of his chest while his expression remained cold.

“Those bastards said something about how you were dressed, didn't they?”

Goddamn it. Sometimes he hated how observant Zeku was. “...So what if they did? They’re idiots, that’s all.”

Katsuki was trying not to think about it. Instinctively, he knew that Midoriya won’t be giving up about “saving” him but he also knew there was no way the freckled teen could get into Huang Corp. ADA would make sure of that. He also understood that the students of class A were just going off based on stereotypes and their version of social norms. Their worlds were too simple. Just because he was a run away and dressed femininely in a poorer area of town didn’t mean he was selling. They make assumptions too quickly and jump into action just as fast, one of the reasons why Katsuki didn’t trust them to be able to survive Yokohama.

Zeku stared at him for a moment before pushing him back down into the sheets. The older teen turned around and opened the closet, shuffling through the fabrics before pulling something out. He came back just as the blond was struggling to stumble out of bed and started undressing him.

“The f*ck?” Katsuki pushed at him. “What the f*ck are you doing?! Zeku! Stop!”

His vision went black as soft fabric was thrown over his head. After some more struggling, Katsuki huffed with his cheeks flustering red when he realized Zeku had changed him into a dress. It was white and blue, with silver patterns sewn across the blue sections. His back was also exposed and it felt too breezy for him right now. In fact, the whole dress was too flimsy and too scandalous in his eyes right now.

A hand grabbed his ankle. Zeku knelt on the ground and slipped a white heel on him, clasping the small silver buckle hidden behind a blue bow around the blond’s ankle.

“You look fine no matter how you dress.” He didn’t look at Katsuki’s face as he slipped on the other heel for him. “Anybody else who got a second opinion answers to Coiled Dragon first. Happy now?”

Katsuki felt his face lit up on fire. He threw the closest pillow at the teen on the ground as if that would calm his racing heartbeat. “f*ck, that’s such a sappy and embarassing thing to say.”

Zeku sat down on the ground while running a hand through his hair that got messed up by the pillow attack. “I’m only saying that once in this lifetime.”

But he meant it and that was enough for Katsuki. The blond climbed off the bed and pulled the older teen into a hug.

“...Thanks,” he whispered as he buried his face against the other boy’s chest. Zeku didn’t return the hug, probably still embarrassed about what he just did too. They stayed like that for a while, neither feeling like getting up.

Finally, Katsuki opened his mouth. “You still want dinner?”

“Sure, but you have to change first.”

“What’s wrong with this one? You picked it.”

“I didn’t know it was missing the back portion.”

“I’m going in this one,” Katsuki stated as he looked up, staring right into Zeku’s eyes with a Cheshire cat’s grin spreading on his lips. A challenge.

Zeku sighed heavily but he pressed a kiss on Katsuki's forehead. “...At least put on a jacket. Or else the fools out there are going to start thinking I’m some kind of perv. I am not going to be viewed as the same level as that middle aged Port Mafia scum who’s into little girls.”

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

1

It is not everyday that he was informed about a missing former student being spotted in the most lawless city in all of Japan. Aizawa sat down in front of his class, who were spreaded out on the multiple sofas in the detective agency’s lounge. Class B were advised to sit in for this one as well in order for them to understand the direness of the situation.

His problematic children just couldn’t stay out of trouble and ran into Bakugou. According to them, the blond teen was physically alright. No missing limbs or obvious injuries but he was in a dress, all dolled up like an expensive figurine for display. Bakugou hadn’t shown signs of distress but he wasn’t himself either. His usual loud and hot tempered nature was replaced by something quieter and cold.

The problem was that his “boyfriend” murdered a bunch of people as if that was as normal as drinking water.

“In conclusion, your students did the one thing that they were instructed to not do and got themselves kicked out of Suribachi.” Kunikida adjusted his glasses in a calm fashion.

“THAT’S your conclusion?” Vlad King slammed his hand down on the table. “You’re telling me a homicidal teenage maniac runs the show in Suribachi and that is the safest place in Yokohama? You even sent our students there knowing that he wouldn’t give a dime about killing them if they broke his rules? He’s not the law!”

“On the contrary, he is the law. While we don’t approve of some of his...methods, he does seem to stick to the laws of Japan to a certain degree. Always paid taxes and it is because of him Suribachi has a lower crime rate than the rest of Yokohama. Huang Zeku runs a clean business and Huang Corp has multiple charity funds set up. But this is Yokohama so certain norms are different. Sometimes it’s either we kill the enemy first or they come back and kill us. Mercy has to be executed with caution around here.” Dr. Yosano shook her head in a solemn manner. “Still, normally he wouldn’t react so viciously, something set him off and he’s making an example.”

Making an example.

Aizawa had to take a deep breath and remind himself that of course he didn’t get the criminal’s logic. They rule with fear, not with morals or heartfelt encouragement. Not according to the book of justice, where the punishment should fit the crime either. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. They went overboard with the displays of brute power. While sometimes Aizawa would admit it was tempting, his position as a hero wouldn’t allow him to stoop to that level.

Otherwise, there would be no distinction between a hero and a villain.

“...The robbers who died tried to hurt Bakugou Katsuki, didn't they? It sounds like Zeku was protecting his companion.” Atsushi passed a few towels to the kids who were covered in the most blood. Thankfully while they looked bad, none of them were seriously hurt. To be honest, if anyone in the agency was about to get hurt, he would attack too...just not to the point of killing those men. That was certainly overboard.

“I always knew he had something to hide. Didn’t expect it to be a princess though. This is too good,” Dazai laughed as he plopped down on the sofa next to Midoriya. He seemed to be the only one smiling amongst everyone who gathered here. The teen next to him tensed awkwardly.

Aizawa’s eyes twitched in annoyance at the sight. He could feel the veins along his forehead throbbing already. Getting on people’s nerves seemed to be Dazai’s specialty and the suicidal maniac was gloating in all his glory.

“Dazai,” Oda warned and the man on the sofa waved, signalling he heard him. Sighing, Oda turned to face the two UA teachers. “It looks like Bakugou had no intention of hurting his former classmates but I would strongly suggest against them entering Suribachi City again while they are in Yokohama.”

Aizawa asked him to explain more about the owner of Huang Corp. He knew that his students could be biased and their perspective on things could have been skewed due to the traumatic event they just witnessed. It wasn’t uncommon for witness testimony to be affected by their feelings. It wasn’t a malicious thing. Sometimes people’s brains just liked to mess with them and their cognition would be way off the rails.

What the kids said made no sense. A real life dragon? How was that possible? And a teenager murdering a group of men in the blink of an eye or children killing an innocent woman for survival...this sounded like plots from a hero's worst nightmares.

Aizawa should have known that nothing could survive in Yokohama without a few skeletons in the closet.

Huang Zeku was just as bad as Port Mafia in a sense. Ruthless and violent, people feared him for a reason. Aizawa knew that Bakugou was no longer his student and thus, not his responsibility any longer, but that didn’t stop him from frowning at the realization that the blond was mingling with someone dangerous.

It certainly didn’t help Bakugou’s case when he learned that the teen looked like he was used to the blood and gore. Desensitized as if coming close to death was as normal as walking past a fire hydrant.

“I knew it!” Mineta suddenly shouted. “I called it too! There was no way he didn’t swing that way from how he acted during the sports festival.”

...And apparently Bakugou was associated with the danger intimately.

“He always looked scary...”

“Bakugou is always threatening to kill or kick our ass.”

“He’s not the best at socializing or being polite, that's for sure. Wouldn’t even address us by our names properly.”

A small collective of opinions sparked a discussion amongst the students. Their low murmurs formed a chorus of agreement.

“Does that mean we might have to fight Bakugou one day?” They were heroes and heroes fought villains. If Bakugou joined the other side then...none of them wanted to finish that thought.

It was Shinsou who shook his head first. “If he stays in Yokohama then heroes don’t have authority to arrest him, not unless he committed some kind of crime on the outside and we got proof of it.”

The students of class A couldn’t tell if that was comforting news or not. Gritting his teeth, Midoriya stood up with moisture shimmering in his eyes.

“Aizawa-sensei! Kacchan would never choose this! He would never join a villain willingingly!”

Of course Midoriya would be the first to defend Bakugou. Even after what he had suffered through, he held Bakugou in very little contempt. After his sessions with Hound Dog, the school counsellor was able to conclude that Midoriya wasn’t repressing any resentment. He truly believed that Bakugou had what it took to be a hero and being the one to cut that dream short was actually creating a burden of guilt on his consciousness. But on the bright side, being separated from Bakugou and having been shown that people were willing to be on his side made him less skittish and found more confidence in communicating with others.

“I...Is there a chance that Bakugou might be under duress. That guy was pretty scary and he looked controlling...” Kirishima’s voice was quiet, which was uncharacteristic of him. Aizawa’s fingers twitched at the sight of all the red on the teen. He was drenched in it. Hound Dog would have his work cut out for him when they got back because Aizawa was damn sure all of his kids would need some form of therapy.

Monoma clapped from his spot to gather the attention on himself. “Sorry to burst your bubbles but Bakugou...judging by what you all just said, it doesn’t sound like he wants to leave Suribachi.”

He said what Aizawa was debating if he should say aloud or not. While he didn’t see what state Bakugou was in with his own eyes, the picture his kids and Oda painted weren’t a bright looking one.

“He’s angry that he got expelled and come on, let’s be real. There was no way any hero school would take him after the whole thing blew up on the internet. So he’s out for vengeance, that would be logical,” Monoma continued on, ignoring how Kendo was patting his shoulder to suggest he stop because the looks on class A’s faces weren’t turning pretty. “But...it doesn’t sound like he’s mad at any of you or UA in general? Didn’t you say that he saved you from robbers? And he didn’t attack you afterwards. It was Huang who attacked you, after Midoriya charged at him first.”

Aizawa could feel his temple throbbing. Yes, his students broke the rules first. Whether or not they were trying to get Bakugou to come back to the detective agency, they still tried to use their quirks on someone. And in such a place, it could very well have been seen as a challenge and resulted in retaliations. Also, in that sense Bakugou wasn’t a villain. He hadn’t done anything with ill intentions towards his former classmates.

This was starting to be really confusing. How did Bakugou know the owner of Huang Corp? What was he doing in Yokohama? Why didn’t he contact his family if he was safe? A billion questions swarmed through Aizawa’s head.

Kunikida nodded. “And you all used your quirks when we specifically told you to not do so multiple times.”

Before Kunikida could get into a full on lecture, Midoriya stood up in a rush.

“But he was taking Kacchan away!”

“That didn’t give you permission to attack him.”

“We’re just supposed to watch a murderer walk off with Bakugou?” Todoroki stood behind Midoriya. “And his dragon attacked us indiscriminately, we only used our quirks to defend ourselves.”

“He wouldn’t have attacked you if your friend didn’t go after them.” Funny how Kunikida didn’t deny the part about Huang Zeku being a murderer.

“Kacchan needs help—”

“Did he ask you for it?”

“What?”

“To help. Did Bakugou ask for help?”

“No, but—”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Aizawa stood straight and he could feel his hair flaring up as his quirk activated. He scanned his students (especially Midoriya) and was satisfied to see them all zipped up immediately.

“We will handle the situation with Bakugou,” he announced with a finality in his voice. “This is obviously out of your league. We’re in Yokohama and there is no backup coming. There’s no hero agency who could be here in under an hour on speed dial. If Huang Zeku is as you have said, he has shown that he can and will kill. I do not want any of you to endanger yourselves further, am I clear?”

There was a round of nods. God, Aizawa swore that these kids were going to be the death of him one day. Why did he choose to become a teacher again?

“Kirishima, go get yourself cleaned up.”

He told the other students to return to the hotel too and they are grounded for the rest of the day. If any of them dared to venture out on their own, they would face severe punishment and Aizawa wouldn’t care what Nezu had to say, he would pull them all out of Yokohama immediately.

Taking a deep breath, Aizawa deactivated his quirk. Then, while students filed out of the office, he turned to the detectives in the room.

They had a lot to discuss.

------

The president of ADA was a man named f*ckuzawa Yukichi. He had long silver hair that stopped just above his shoulder and metallic blue eyes. He wore traditional green yukata and a black haori. There was a hardened wisdom that marked the wrinkles around his sharp eyes and Aizawa could tell f*ckuzawa had been through some horrible times too. This was a veteran who had seen the hardships of war.

Aizawa wasn’t clueless about the wars that had happened in Yokohama in the past. Because of its location near the waters and the ports, it was a strategic point and was often under attack in history.

f*ckuzawa had agreed to meet with Aizawa and Vlad King privately because the detectives at the agency could not make the final say about matters that had to do with another powerhouse in Yokohama.

“I need to pay Huang Zeku a visit,” Aizawa said.

“What you want is suicidal,” f*ckuzawa replied sternly. “I will not allow members of my agency to engage in such a dangerous act for something futile.”

“How do you know it’s futile before we even tried?” They were up against someone with a dangerous...ability. Aizawa equated abilities to quirks mentally inside his head, just more potent and powerful. Nonetheless, he didn’t think it would warrant such a high degree of risk and caution when he only wanted a peaceful meeting. Huang Corp was a good business with a clean reputation, they have been law-abiding for the most of Aizawa’s knowledge.

Bakugou was not his student any longer and he only wanted to verify if the blond was indeed alive and well. Not to mention if it really was Bakugou that his class saw still remained uncertain. Then he would inform the police and Bakugou’s parents.

f*ckuzawa seemed to disagree. He only shook his head. “Huang Zeku is not your typical teenager. He made a claim and we will honour that claim.”

“Bakugou isn’t an object that can be owned.”

“That I agree,” he said but his expression didn’t soften. “But would you try to take meat that is already inside a lion’s mouth?”

“What?” Aizawa frowned.

“Was Bakugou Katsuki taken by force?”

“No, the kids told me they knew each other.” Aizawa knew where this conversation was heading. He had been involved in enough cases to know how things like these would go. Domestic abuse, petty theft, disputes on the streets...sometimes if the victims don’t press charges or express distress then there weren't much heroes or police could do.

“Your former student walked away with him willingly. I don’t see any reason why you would need to force him back to the outside world with you.”

“He's a minor who ran away from home and is on the missing person’s list with the police.”

“Then inform his parents of his whereabouts. This sounds more like a private family matter than something that requires heroes to be involved.”

Aizawa narrowed his eyes at that statement. “I can’t inform them of anything without confirming with my own eyes first.”

It would be cruel to bring the Bakugous’ hope up only to discover there had been a mistake or it was an imposter.

“You have at least 20 kids who knew him and were in class with him for a decent half of the semester, they all confirmed it was Bakugou Katsuki.” f*ckuzawa sighed as if he was tired of this conversation already. “Let’s say, even if we can help you get an audience with Huang Zeku, what are you planning to do? Just walk right in and ask him if he’s detaining Bakugou against his will? Please remember that he has no obligation to prove anything to you.”

Aizawa’s mood soured. Of course he knew that. A hero license was no good in Yokohama. The government here worked differently. That was the sole reason why he didn’t just storm into Huang Corp and demand to see Bakugou. Speaking of which…there was something else puzzling him. “One of my students said Bakugou told them that the no quirk use in public rule didn’t apply to him. Why?”

As far as he could tell, the quirk population in Yokohama was small but most of them adhered to the same rules as they did. Public use of their quirks weren’t allowed so why was Bakugou given an exception?

f*ckuzawa placed a hand on his chin and pondered for a minute. “If he is with Huang Corp then he would be allowed to use his quirk, as long as he is not using it for evil or disrupting the peace. The Special Division For Unusual Powers issues this certificate called ‘Skilled Business Permit’, which is essentially the same as your hero license or a certificate to use a quirk on the job. Ability users and people with quirks under organizations with such a permit are allowed to use their powers legally. For example, if someone could discharge electricity and they work in a power plant, they could basically sell the electricity they produced.”

This Aizawa understood immediately. They have the same things in the outside world. If people had a quirk well suited for a job then they would usually end up in a related field. “Huang Corp has a permit?”

“Yes.” f*ckuzawa nodded without hesitation. “You can’t have a dragon flying around without getting noticed. And as much as he appears cruel, he does run a clean business.”

Aizawa fell into silence. The other man sitting across from him didn’t pressure him and waited patiently. Finally, the dark haired hero wiped his face with his hand and rubbed his temple. “Bakugou would be required to answer to his parents right? Even if he is with Huang out of his own will, he is still a minor and they are his legal guardians. They have every right to see him. I trust that the civic and family law here in Yokohama is the same as the outside?”

“That is true.”

But there were also a lot of orphans in Yokohama so those laws don’t always apply. It was normal for children or teenagers to be on their own since they had no relatives or people willing to take them in. Ability users could also file to be separated from their families because of abuse or familial disputes. Port Mafia or other small organizations would be more than happy to take them in.

Aizawa thanked him for his time and left. f*ckuzawa didn’t need to guess to know that the hero would be making calls to the parents of Bakugou Katsuki.

Cranking his neck, f*ckuzawa got up and moved into the conference room where a few of his staff were waiting.

“This is all you again isn’t it?” f*ckuzawa knocked Dazai on the head before the other man could open his mouth.

“I didn’t think we’d run into Huang!” Dazai rubbed the bump on his scalp while shrinking away from his boss. It honestly wasn’t that hard. The only thing he did was suggest bringing the hero kids to Suribachi. Since there were forty of them, they would have to split up. And Oda was with class A, he would be able to keep them safe. Honestly, it was a gamble Dazai didn’t think would pay off but it didn’t hurt to try either.

And he hitted jackpot.

He didn’t expect to find Bakugou Katsuki with Huang Zeku but everything made sense then. Bakugou was hidden by Huang, which was why no one could find him. Huang obviously cared for the blond teen too, bought him jewelry personally. Even if Dazai didn't see it in person, he would bet money that the pearls he saw Huang buying were the same ones the class A kids saw on Bakugou.

“Why did you even pull this stunt anyways?” Yosano tsked her tongue at him.

Shrugging, Dazai lowered his hand and smiled. “I was just curious. Bakugou Katsuki came to Yokohama and he disappeared? I thought the hero commission or our old friend Port Mafia might have something to do with it so I did some digging. There’s no obvious sign of him being held by these two organizations, and I even checked the Military Police’s record to make sure he hadn’t joined them so that leaves Suribachi unchecked. That’s too much ground for one person to cover but a different story for 40 energetic teenagers ready to explore!”

He even had the audacity to sound gleeful.

“I must say I am surprised to know that Bakugou Katsuki is with Huang,” Kunikida admitted while writing a few things down in his notebook. “It’s not really Huang’s style to be seen associating with someone so closely in public. Also, this is why you’ve been slacking off on work and not showing up on time? Dazai! Stop fooling around and messing with the heroes!”

Those kids looked like they had been traumatized. Kunikida couldn’t blame them though. He knew that Huang’s fighting style was brutal. Sometimes the scenery would be hard for Yokohama locals to stomach, let alone kids from the sheltered outside society. It was the sole reason why he didn’t explode on them for disobeying orders and nearly getting themselves killed.

Dazai ducked behind Atsushi while Kunikida tried to grab him.

“The mental health of the UA students isn’t our priority.” f*ckuzawa rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. He waved and his employees stopped their quarrels. “What we should be concerned about is that this is a match made in hell.”

Bakugou Katsuki was a high profile ex-UA student with a strong quirk and competent combat skills. A former hero in training who might or might not be holding a grudge against his classmates, people that have been placed under ADA’s care for the time being. f*ckuzawa also caught wind that some outside villain organization was looking for the blond. Bakugou’s presence in Yokohama might attract that troublesome group here. For what, f*ckuzawa wasn’t sure but he does know the villains want Bakugou alive. Meanwhile, Huang Zeku would not take attempts on his lover (malicious or not) kindly. If they went head to head, some innocents could get caught in the crossfire.

Also, he didn’t trust the heroes to not get into a heated argument with Huang Zeku. After all, the way that teen does things...it was very unconventional.

f*ckuzawa voiced his concerns to his team.

“I know what he would say: Get out of Suribachi. If I see you co*ckroach lurking around again I’ll kill you. And keep your filthy schemes away from what’s mine.” Dazai lazily mimicked Huang’s voice before dipping his head and coughed. When he opened his mouth again, his voice was normal. “He’s so predictable that if it weren’t for his freaky intuition he’d be long dead by now.”

It wasn’t a fair game (or fun at all) to try outwitting someone who was essentially cheating. Sometimes Dazai contemplated if Coiled Dragon really was an ability. A simple body modification couldn’t improve people’s six sense could it? It wouldn’t be far-fetched since abilities were much stronger than quirks, but he quickly shook that thought out of his head because he should have been able to cancel the dragon if it was an ability.

Mysteries, mysteries. Too bad Ranpo didn’t have an interest in Huang or he could ask the greatest detective to try and decipher the code.

“Speaking of which,” Yosano said with a tilt of her head. “Do any of you know why Huang is suddenly getting so public about his private life? I’d think he’d be smarter than to parade around his boyfriend like this, especially when he must have known that Bakugou’s face was basically on every national TV station not that long ago.”

“It’s a trap.” Ranpo stuck a lollipop inside his mouth while he opened a bag of chips. “That Bakugou kid is his crown jewel but also bait.”

“Bait for what?” Atsushi wasn’t following where this conversation was headed.

“They walked around Suribachi City like a normal couple and Huang killed for him,” Ranpo explained further. “The news is going to hit all of Yokohama by tomorrow morning. Everyone who’s got beef to settle with Huang but aren’t strong enough to go against him head on would want to hit where it hurts the most. To them, this is an opportunity.”

The teenaged weretiger’s eyes widened. “He’s using Bakugou to lure them out?”

“Most definitely.”

“Hold up, if it’s this obvious of a trap, surely people won’t be falling for it right?” Kunikida knew some criminals were dumb but he hoped that most of them still had some self-preservation skills.

“Hard to say,” Dazai hummed. “Sometimes people are desperate and short sighted. Can’t see the big picture when the prize is dangled right in front of their faces.”

“Isn’t this dangerous?” Atsushi wasn’t the sharpest tool in the box but he knew danger well enough. “Like, what if the bad guys tried to use the UA kids to get Bakugou alone or went after him directly? He’s from the outside...he might not have a lot of experience fighting ability users before.”

And they got the whole League of Villains possibly eyeing Bakugou too.

“Looks like we got a long week and a half ahead of us,” f*ckuzawa announced while he took out his phone. “I’m calling the Tanizaki siblings as well as Kyouko back. Atsushi, you four will rotate and make sure the UA kids don’t stir up any more trouble. The rest of you resume work like normal. Dazai, that includes you too.”

Cause he got a feeling it was going to be an all hands on deck kind of situation soon.

2

Even before Katsuki first met Zeku in person, he knew he was in for a sh*tstorm.

He was about nine or ten. It had been a cloudy afternoon. He was watching Yokohama from the dark and quiet shadows like he usually does. Musutafu wasn’t that far from Yokohama, which was why he was able to do this on the weekends. His parents were usually busy with their work and he double checked their schedule that they won’t be back until the end of the month. So he packed his bag and threw on an old hoodie before heading out the door.

Getting into Yokohama undetected was easy for him. He knew all the secret tunnels or passages into the city, some were new and others were abandoned long ago by organizations or people who have already died. Yokohama was a divided place, not just because the neighborhoods were owned by different powers but also because the divide between the rich and the poor was drastic. It looked like two different worlds.

Navigating between the near empty roads and dark alleys, Katsuki knew no one would care about him. This was a relatively “safe” street but the people still hurried by as if they could get clubbed in the head the next second, which was understandable. The gang wars lately have been heated so most people tend to hide indoors as much as possible.

He shouldn’t be here either. However, he was on a mission today.

Katsuki had to retrieve a corpse today.

Dead bodies weren’t uncommon in Yokohama. Victims discarded in a ditch, poor and famished rotting on the roadsides, traitors floating in the rivers...Yokohama was a lawless place. The authorities didn’t have enough manpower to cover everything so they only focused on the major ones, which meant a lot of corpses went unnoticed or remained as anonymous residents inside a morgue with a serial number tagged to their toe.

He should be used to them by now. Could see them even with his eyes closed.

What caught his attention was that this one appeared out of thin air, like a magic trick. When he turned around the corner, he saw the lump on the ground. A long black coat that was tattered wrapped the figure in a cocoon while they leaned against the wall.

Katsuki didn’t get close immediately. He stayed about ten steps away and began to ponder.

A teleportation quirk or ability? That would explain how this person ended up here without him knowing but something still wasn’t right. He could feel it. The air around this person was different. Like the code about him was glitchy. Like a piece of puzzle that was forcefully jammed into the wrong place in the bigger picture.

Also, f*cker was alive.

“f*ck.”

Katsuki did a stupid thing.

“You’re going to be okay,” he said and he meant it.

He took the almost unalive dude home. Well, not home home. Katsuki brought him to one of the makeshift shelters he found. It used to be an air raid shelter but had long been forgotten. He turned it into a crappy safe house that he could spend a few nights at if he couldn’t find a chance to get out of Yokohama. The good houses were already occupied by the different gangs and even if he went to find a hiding place in the slums, there were also people there that would chase him out.

Katsuki cleaned up the larger wounds and threw a blanket over him, thinking that at least it was a guy so he didn’t have to get flustered about having to undress him to get to the bloody parts.

And then Katsuki waited for his guest to wake up.

The almost corpse said his name was Huang Zeku. He was from another world. A futuristic one where the surface of the Earth had become unlivable and human civilization moved underground. He had surgery done that gave him something similar to an ability or quirk because fighting tournaments to the death was the biggest form of entertainment in his world.

Zeku didn’t take waking up in another world well.

By nature, he doesn’t usually talk much and his expression remained stoic but he spent an unhealthy amount of time staring up at the sky or at the ocean. Katsuki took him out of Yokohama for a short period because Yokohama was too dangerous for outsiders. While Zeku wasn’t freaked out by the variety of weirdness due to quirks (body modification could do the same according to him), he had issues adjusting to the societal norms of what constituted heroes and villains.

Killing wasn’t allowed here. Not even in battle or in sports. Heroes should also refrain from using excessive force and normal people weren’t allowed to use their powers in public. Even if they were attacked, there was also a certain degree of force that they could use otherwise it could be argued as overstepping a line.

But Zeku’s power was designed to kill.

Zeku wanted to go back to his world. He didn’t fit in here. There was nothing familiar about this place. No family, no friends, no goals...he couldn’t find his place anywhere. So Katsuki brought him back to Yokohama. At least here there weren’t as many restrictions or laws dictating how power could be used. Sure, it was dangerous. There were many villains who came to Yokohama because they heard about the lack of heroes here but none of them ever got to walk out of here alive.

Yokohama was a slightly better fit for Zeku but his nerves were still on edge. It wouldn’t be the first time Katsuki had to stop him from doing something stupid (like killing the wrong jackass).

“Hey, are you even listening to me?” the blond hissed at Zeku. They were back in the safe house but they barely made it. It would be best if they changed locations soon too. Katsuki didn't think the men would find them here but it was better to go somewhere else for the time being.

He didn’t get a response.

“Huang Zeku! I’m f*cking talking to you.”

“Shut up.”

“The hell—I just saved your sorry ass out there!”

“I didn’t ask for your help.”

Katsuki jabbed a finger into the guy’s chest as he stood in front of him, preventing Zeku from getting out. “You would have been dead ten times over if it weren’t for me. You can’t even give me a simple thank you?”

Red eyes glared into the similar shade of crimson.

“And I said,” Zeku growled and he slammed a fist into the wall next to Katsuki’s head. His hand transformed as it touched the concrete, fingers turned into sharp white claws and cracked the wall. “I don’t need your help. Get lost.”

He turned away, tugging his hoodie low as he made his way across the room. Biting his bottom lip, Katsuki had been mad. He glowered at the back of the older boy’s head before deciding out of spite that he wasn’t going to just let this idiot walk into his own early grave.

“Don’t move!” Katsuki ordered.

Zeku froze in place. Katsuki quickly stepped in front of him again and slapped his hands around the sides of Zeku’s face, sandwiching it between his palms.

“You’re an insufferable piece of sh*t who thinks you’ve got everything figured out and can do it all on your own. You don’t understand jack about Yokohama. ” Katsuki had to go on his tip toes but he didn’t care. He pinched and stretched Zeku’s cheeks roughly, making the ugliest expressions he could manage while the other boy couldn’t move. “You think I like having to haul your ass out of trouble? If you get captured they are going to experiment on you for sure because of that stupid core inside your chest. Then they will figure out your secret and find a way to weaponize it. That’s going to screw me over real bad. This place is a mess already and I don’t need motherf*cking dragon armies to be wreaking havoc all around the city!”

Yokohama had enough trouble as it was. Rains of bullets, explosions, and other good stuff sung a chorus of madness every single day. Katsuki didn’t need a herd of dragons to be added to the mix. He had seen how much destruction one dragon could cause.

“I’ll find you a way back to that sh*tty dump of yours.” Releasing Zeku, Katsuki crossed his arms in front of his chest and hissed. “So shut up and listen to me before you f*cking get yourself killed or end up on a damn dissection table.”

To be honest the simplest solution here would be to kill Huang Zeku and burn his body. But Katsuki wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t a villain. How could he say he wanted to be a hero if he was killing people just because they might possibly inconvenience him or cause a problem in the future? If possible, he would like to keep the homicide of innocent minors off his list of life achievements.

The blond could see shock registering inside Zeku’s eyes while he stood frozen in place. It took a few more minutes of awkward silence (Katsuki kept glaring daggers at the other human in the room though) before he was able to move again.

And the first thing he did was grab Katsuki by the throat. His hand was transformed again. Like a dragon’s claw. The hard scales pressed into the delicate skin around the blond’s neck as he was lifted off the ground. Katsuki choked, feeling his airway suddenly tightening.

“How did you do that?” A sharp nail was right up against the skin above his artery. It was an obvious threat that if Katsuki tried anything funny that the nail was going to slice his throat clean open.

“Making you stop?” The blond grabbed onto Zeku’s wrist. It was bumpy and scaly and over all, a super weird texture. “It’s complicated.”

“It’s not like I'm in a hurry to get anywhere.”

“Now you realized that?” Katsuki sassed back.

Zeku gave him a dirty look. Katsuki patted Zeku’s arm to mention for him to set him down. When he only saw the older boy narrowed his eyes, Katsuki rolled his eyes. “How the f*ck am I supposed to explain when you’re choking me?”

He got dropped onto the ground. Coughing, Katsuki climbed back up to his feet.

“I guess the easiest explanation would be that I am Yokohama...or at least a part of it.” He stuck his tongue out and pointed to the silver mark that appeared on his tongue. It was an intricate pattern, kind of like the emblem you would find on the cover of a fancy old leather book. “There’s a book that can make anything you write in it come true, with a few conditions of course. And everybody wants to get that book. The thing is, it doesn’t want its powers to be abused and it transferred its power into me. A moving target that could fight back is better than a stationary one.”

Katsuki closed his mouth. The things he said would come true when he meant it. Of course, he still had to follow a few of the same rules as The Book. He can’t just sprut nonsense like “the pig suddenly grew wings and flew out the stratosphere”. The things he said had to be logical. The only difference was that since there was no page limit, he could essentially keep changing reality however he pleased.

“I don’t know why it chose me or how but it’s been f*cking with my head ever since it did. The Book itself is sealed somewhere in this sh*tty city so it’s connected to Yokohama. Thus, by association, I am connected to Yokohama too. I hear the city, I know every single crappy thing that happens around here. I am Yokohama.”

“That’s how you know where I was all the time.”

Nooding, Katsuki shook his head while rubbing the side of his throbbing neck.

“Before you ask, I tried. The first time you said you want to go back to your world I tried saying that you went back but nothing happened. It’s not logical enough. Like you landing here is logical...” Katsuki grumbled while rolling his eyes. He tried everything. Poofing Zeku back, fell into the sewer and magically went back, woke up and he was back…nothing worked. He can’t just make up a story about how a mad scientist created a dimension travelling machine either. If that technology got out then a bunch of worlds were going to hell with a ribbon on them.

“So I’m stuck here,” Zeku concluded angrily. Some of that anger was probably because what Katsuki could do was basically constant surveillance and not a lot of people would like that. At least Katsuki knew he wouldn’t like having eyes on him all the time. But it wasn’t like he watched over what everyone was doing every single second of the day. Most of the time he just ignored the flow of information like it was background music.

“Yep.” Katsuki went on to explain how they could possibly send Zeku back. But it would be a long process of letting The Book do its magic and years of planning on their end. In the meantime, in order to repay Katsuki’s help, Zeku would also need to do some things for him.

Katsuki was The Book. He needed someone in his corner that wouldn't want to use him for their own gains.

He needed a protector.

That was something he hated admitting. He wasn’t like wimpy little Deku who needed to be babied all the time but he also knew he didn’t stand a single chance against all those people who wanted The Book. He was mortal. He could get overwhelmed. He needed sleep and substances. Bakugou Katsuki wasn’t bulletproof and he sure as hell can’t be ready to fight 24/7 for 365 days of the year. It wasn’t like he could stay far away from Yokohama all his life. The Book itself was here and it was calling him back. No matter how far away he physically went, he could always still see Yokohama when he closed his eyes.

And he was scared. He saw what people, the adults and even children not much older than he was, were willing to do for survival, for greed. The images played in the background of his dreams every time he closed his eyes. He had seen what humans were willing to do to get their hands on The Book. The evil was too great for him to handle. He can’t just wish away all the harm and ungodly sins. The Book simply doesn’t work like that in the long run.

He can’t wish away what made humans...well, human. Besides, forced Utopias never lasted.

Zeku didn’t seem to like the idea very much. He sat down with his back against the wall. “Why me?”

“You’re an outsider. No associations to local organizations and no ties to anyone that could be used to threaten you. Also, we’re kind of on the same boat.” Katsuki flopped down beside him. He knocked on Zeku’s chest with the back of his fist lightly. “There’s only a few possible outcomes for you here. One, get out of Yokohama and be labeled as a villain. If you’re lucky you’d end up as some big organization’s watchdog and if you’re not then it’s labs and prison. Two, get captured and work for greedy assholes in Yokohama for the rest of your life. Three, die. Helping me is helping yourself.”

“What do you get out of this?” asked Zeku. His red eyes were studying Katsuki, still suspicious, still on guard.

“...I want the voices to stop.” The blond kept his gaze on the floor. He tried to keep his voice even but maybe there were a few cracks in there that he doesn’t remember.“They keep screaming and crying and all that other stuff. I want it gone…or at least not be as loud.”

“So I just have to kill them all?” That was the fastest way to end a war. If there was no more soldiers then the violence would stop.

“No!” Katsuki barked out in disbelief. Or maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised since Zeku’s motto was strength was everything. “I don’t want that! It’s not a city if there’s no people in it! And killing them all doesn’t solve the problem, it would only create more villains.”

And more villains meant more bloodshed. More screaming and pain.

Two gangs were having a shootout in the commercial street. A woman just murdered her husband and was dismembering the body in their apartment. Starving children trusted a man who promised food for labour only to be sold off to human traffickers...Katsuki felt his scalp go numb and his spine almost shivered when the noises bursted inside his head. The sounds were suffocating, all those pleas for help were a constant reminder of just how fragile people were.

Zeku didn’t respond immediately. He looked like he was in deep thought before returning his attention to Katsuki.

“Can you really find me a way back?”

“Yeah.” That he was certain about. Even if he couldn’t, The Book would have knowledge about parallel universes so if he tapped into its powers deeper, he might be able to find a clue. It was going to f*cking hurt like hell but Katsuki doesn’t break a promise.

“We barely knew each other. What happens if I betray you? ”

“The city will kill you before you even make it down the street.” Katsuki could do it. Make an accident become reality. No one would look twice at a dead kid’s body. This was why he never told anyone else about his secret before, because he knew if they tried to betray him he would have to kill them. Katsuki’s fists tightened at the thought of that.

Making people forget was easy but not a guarantee. Only the dead could keep a secret forever.

Hearing that, Zeku sighed and raked a hand through his hair while cursing in a low voice. Katsuki doesn’t really understand what he was saying but he could tell those weren’t good words.

When Zeku was finally done, he turned to face Katsuki, his intense stare never wavered

“What do you need me to do first?”

And that was how they started.

While Katsuki could simply alter reality to suit his needs with The Book’s power, someone was bound to realize it. There were too many intelligent people in Yokohama and Katsuki knew that he wouldn’t be a match for any of them in the game of tactics and schemes. The struggle of power was a game of chess and he would lose big time if he tried to go against any of the monsters head on. There was no script or story he could write that wouldn’t have a loophole these people wouldn’t notice. And sometimes, flawless was also alarming. Reality wasn’t a story. Not everything should make sense or follow logic.

The best lies were the ones that were partly true. Katsuki didn’t like lying. But he also didn’t want to end up as a f*cking lab rat or rot in a cage. This was where Zeku came in. They weaved truth and lies together. Zeku did start a company. Katsuki also used his power to make sure it ran as smoothly as possible. A small command or twist in reality here and there wouldn’t alarm anyone and they could fly under the radar. Katsuki was Yokohama, he knew everything that went on in this city so he shared that knowledge with Zeku, then they used that information to plot and plan against the threats coming their way, to gain favors even.

Zeku wasn’t an all powerful celestial being. He was just a kid with the fruits of science transplanted inside his chest. Sure, he was strong but there was no way he could go up against Arahabaki, the God of Calamity, and came out unscratched.

Humans were idiots. They saw a great power, something that rival a god, sealed it and did all sorts of experiments just to find a way to weaponize it. They succeeded but also failed. The military managed to give that power a humanoid vessel but their plans also backfired because the merging of the power into the vessel caused a great explosion that took out the entire military base and the surrounding neighbourhoods around it.

That vessel’s name was Nakahara Chuuya. He started working for Port Mafia as the ability user who could control gravity. Katsuki had watched his story progress up to now and it was safe to say that Zeku wasn’t ready to fight Nakahara head on.

It wasn’t just Nakahara. There were also other dangerous people in Yokohama. Abilities were tricky things and the battles were more than just a contest of brute strength.

They had to be careful as they carved a place for themselves in Yokohama.

The thing about smart people was that they plan ahead. They assess the risks and the benefits before making a decision. Thus, all Katsuki had to do was create a legend. The stronger people believed Zeku was, the less likely they would attempt to challenge him. Nakahara belonged to Port Mafia and that meant he took orders from the boss. So long as the boss decided that the cost outweighs the gain then he would order Nakahara to stand down. Crisis avoided.

It helped that no one thought Zeku could actually make it. They gained enough traction before the major powers started paying them serious attention and by then, Zeku’s reputation also built up enough that most people learned to steer away from him.

Back then, neither of them thought that things would progress to this point.

When Katsuki woke up, the other side of the bed was empty. Grabbing a robe, he climbed out of bed. It was still quite early and the sun was barely peeking out the horizon. He found Zeku sitting on the edge of the opened circular window with one leg curled up against his chest.

Zeku rolled a bracelet made of red wooden beads in one hand while he stared out the window. His usual black jacket was draped over his shoulders and his hair wasn’t tied.

“You’re up early,” Katsuki yawned. The chills of the early morning weren't doing a good job of chasing away the lingering sleepiness inside his head.

“I’m not the earliest.” Zeku gestured towards below. There were a few portable breakfast stands setting up already. This was a scene that would be hard to imagine happening in Suribachi City a few years ago. “What do you want for breakfast? Phone it in and someone will bring it up. I’m not going down there.”

Katsuki chuckled. The people of Suribachi were grateful to Huang Corp. Of course they were scared at first but when they realized he wouldn’t hurt them unless they did something stupid, some got a bit bolder. Zeku wasn’t just a killing machine or a lunatic who wanted to inflict pain. Katsuki knew the elderly breakfast makers down stairs always tried to stuff free food into Zeku’s hands whenever they saw him passing by.

“They like you,” he teased. “You saved them, like back when the mist happened.”

“That was all you, I just stood there and let Coiled Dragon out.” A dragon circulating the heavens was bound to attract more attention than a teenager in a dark room with a glowing tongue.

Zeku just stayed on the roof and read a book. The agents from the Special Division For Unusual Powers looked like they swallowed a whole lemon when they came to ask for his help. They wanted to know if Zeku could dispel the mist flooding the rest of Yokohama too and Zeku had said no. Suribachi could be explained away as Coiled Dragon’s “celestial power” but there was a limit to how big of a bluff they could make. Too much and people would get anxious after the crisis was gone. No one in a high position of power could sleep well knowing that their neighbour had a nuke with no restraints.

That would put Katsuki in danger.

There was no way Zeku would do that, even if he knew that Katsuki could save a lot more people if he agreed. That was the compromise they settled on. Zeku would only let him do this and stage the act if Katsuki didn’t try to press further out of Suribachi City.

The lives of others didn’t mean much to him. At least, in his opinion they weren’t worth the risk. There was nothing in Yokohama that could come close to just how valuable Katsuki was.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You built this place, you know?”

“We built it. I might as well off myself if I can’t succeed even with you by my side.” The Book and the city itself were helping him. What kind of failure would he have to be to not be able to achieve anything when the odds were in his favor? “Come here.”

Zeku opened up one side of his jacket. Katsuki slid into the embrace easily.

They used to do this a lot more. When it wasn’t safe to sleep on their backs they would find a secure place and sit down, trying to get some shut eye. It wasn’t the most comfortable since the cold wall was pressed against their back but it was better than scrambling to get out of danger’s way while half asleep. When the trust between them grew stronger, on particularly cold days Katsuki would snuggle up against Zeku’s chest to keep warm.

It felt nice to finally have someone who wouldn’t try to manipulate him into providing more. Zeku didn’t have the desire to be king of Yokohama. He barely wanted to look after Suribachi. He was someone who Katsuki could rely on.

“Will your parents be showing up soon?”

“Probably,” Katsuki murmured into Zeku’s chest. “Me getting expelled embarrassed them a lot and my old school would surely contact them about seeing me here. Even if it’s just for show they would have to come find me...I don’t want to go back.”

He didn’t have a place out there anymore. No credible company would want to employ someone who had been labelled as a villain. Whatever future he could find out there...none of them looked bright. Not to mention he didn’t want to live under his parents’ rules any longer. They wanted things that just weren’t him. According to them, he was just too much to handle and they were trying their damn best to make sure he didn’t go off the rails. His mother said that his quirk was overhyped and the praises were poisoning him, that was why they had to bring him down. Knew his place.

He wasn’t anything special.

Don’t slack off.

Rein in that god complex.

It was all for his own good.

Surprise, surprise. He still fell for the dark side even when they did so much for him.

He didn’t want to face them and hear the shouting or see those disappointed looks again. He had enough of that inside his own head. Katsuki never told them about his secret because he was scared of it. He didn’t want to test humanity. The Book’s power was temptation at its finest and Katsuki didn’t know what he could do if his parents asked him to use it for their sake. What would he do if they brought their business friends and asked him to grant their wishes? Would he just be another selling point for his parents to gain favors from other rich people? Would they understand him and protect him instead?

He didn’t have the courage to bet that gamble.

Zeku’s hold around him tightened.

“Now I kind of get why the villains always get so irritated at heroes,” Katsuki groaned miserably. “They f*ck things up at the worst possible times. If my parents show up now it’s going to be a hassle getting them out.”

Katsuki was dating Zeku, who had enemies. Maybe one of them would be dumb enough to go after the blond’s parents just for the hell of it.

“It would be simpler if you cut ties with them. Make it big too,” Zeku hummed while he rubbed Katsuki’s back. “Let everyone know that you wouldn’t care less about what happens to them.”

A hostage was only worth something if the person being threatened found them valuable.

Hesitating, Katsuki looked up and stared at Zeku.

“What?” the older teen asked.

“...Technically we could make that happen.” The blond pushed himself up a little more. The sky was turning blue and there was a soft glow of gold tinting the edge of the buildings far away. “Remove myself from the Bakugou family that is.”

Curious, Zeku didn’t stop the blond from moving his bangs out of the way and braiding his long raven hair. “How are you going to do that?”

“Simple.” Katsuki leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He smiled as a ray of sunshine shined down upon them. “Let’s get married!”

He felt a sense of satisfying happiness when he saw how Zeku’s brain shut down.

3

Hawks would bet all of his feathers that this was the weirdest mission he had ever gotten. While it won’t be the most unreasonable or stupidest thing he had ever done, it was still somewhere close to the top of those lists.

“You want me to bring two civilians into Yokohama to retrieve their son and persuade him to work for the commission?” He tried not to swear at the President of HPSC. They were in her office, where there was a large and heavy wooden desk along with a leather chair. The wall behind the President was lined with polished windows, giving them a great view of the city.

She was an elder woman with ash-blonde hair pushed back neatly and blue eyes. Her suit dress was iron pressed and there wasn’t a single thread out of place.

“Madam President, are you sure this is a good idea?”

According to the reports that UA sent in, Bakugou Katsuki was under Huang Corp’s care right now. Hawks had heard stories about that company. Most patients and doctors only had good things to say about the place and it seemed like the company followed the applicable laws well enough. Since the place was in Yokohama, he had only been there once and he sent his feathers to check out Huang Corp. From what he gathered, the place was normal. Although it employed a lot of people with questionable backgrounds (which was a given considering how Suribachi City used to be a slum), there were no signs of illegal or unethical human experimentation going on.

That was as much as he got before he got kicked out by Port Mafia.

Maybe he just wasn’t digging hard enough. Hawks knew that his superiors were cynical of the results he got. They didn’t believe that Huang Corp was clean. There were rumours that the owner of the company had his body modified by technology and that was something the Commission was interested in. Anything else above that was way out of Hawks’s pay grade to know.

“Yes, it would give us a reason to enter Yokohama. And Bakugou...we tried sending someone to his house after his expulsion to offer him a position with us, but he had already run away then. We’re offering another chance to be a hero, although he won’t be receiving as much media attention he would still be a hero. I don’t see why a child like him would turn this opportunity down.”

It was a calculated move. Hawks knew exactly why HPSC wanted Bakugou Katsuki so badly months after his expulsion. He had a good quirk, intelligence, and enough talent in combat. Not to mention, if Eraserhead wasn’t mistaken, Bakugou also had a connection to the owner of Huang Corp. With the right conditioning, Bakugou could be a leverage.

“Port Mafia and the Yokohama government are alright with this arrangement?”

“Of course, we have made the necessary arrangements to ensure the Bakugous’ safety. We are helping a pair of heartbroken parents find their wayward child. There is nothing wrong about it,” the President said firmly. Like their actions were justified.

On the surface it was.

Hawks wasn’t sure about anything else.

Admittedly, Hawks was intrigued. Even though it wasn’t uncommon for UA to expel students, there hadn’t been one that caused a scandal of this scale. Bakugou Katsuki had been like his quirk. Explosive and attention catching, only to dissipate in a flash. He didn’t even make it past one semester before he got kicked out for his violent and demeaning behaviour towards another student. Normally kids like these turn into villains or they get forgotten as time went on, but Bakugou simply got up and vanished, only to be found in Yokohama of all places.

“What happens if Bakugou doesn’t want to return home to his parents?” Children don’t run off for no reason. Home was supposed to be a stable place even if it wasn’t the perfect stable heaven. What would drive the teen to run from it and rather take his chances in Yokohama instead?

“Nonsense,” the President’s voice was icy cold. “They are his parents and a minor can’t be without legal guardians. They have a right to bring him home. Also, didn’t Eraserhead’s report said his students suggested Bakugou was dressed like a girl when he never shown signs of being interested in such things? Our team of expert profilers suggested that he is mentally violatie, capable of violence, and has no concept of self restraints. You saw the news reports of what he did back in middle school. This is a villain in the making and we are nipping it in the buds.”

Bull sh*t.

Hawks could feel that his superiors were twisting the story in their favor again. While he found Bakugou’s actions and comments in middle school repulsive, just because the boy wore dresses didn’t mean he was mentally ill.

“It’s a pity but a child with such a dangerous quirk shouldn’t be able to roam free with proper guidance. Who knows what kind of damage he could do?” The President handed Hawks a folder with all the information he would need. “You know what kind of place Yokohama is. Huang Corp isn’t as clean as they present themselves to be. If the owner really does care that much about Bakugou then I look forward to a meeting with him personally.”

Hawks only nodded. It sounds like the Commission was trying to force Huang Zeku to the negotiation tables with them. Prosthetics...Huang Corp provided discounts and personal consultations for heroes who needed a new limb and it looked like that alone wasn’t enough for the Commission any longer. If what he heard on the side was true, they wanted to pressure Huang Zeku to use his genius on less...peaceful inventions. Super Soldiers and superspies.

But it wasn’t his place to object. So he got into a black car (courtesy of the Commission) and asked the driver to take him to the Bakugous. While on the drive there, he skimmed through the files he received. The hero course students from UA were in Yokohama on a field trip and they were the ones who ran into Bakugou. They all labelled Huang Zeku as someone extremely dangerous, which wasn’t surprising since the guy came from Yokohama. His ability (or quirk) was a monstrous dragon.

Hawks didn’t like this type of opponent. He doesn’t do well in a match up against power types.

The Bakugous had a nice big house. It had a yard and sturdy stone wall that protected them from prying eyes. They had a decent reputation in the fashion industry, which only added fuel to the scandal a few months back.

The husband and wife were trying to appear composed but the shadows behind their eyes and the tension in their shoulders betrayed them. The woman looked almost identical to Bakugou Katsuki and the man had more of an unassuming look. They greeted Hawks with courtesy and they both got into the car with their suitcases. They packed light, which was good because Hawks didn’t want to stay in Yokohama for long.

“We had no way of contacting Katsuki and the detectives said he tossed his phone.” Bakugou Masaru sounded defeated. “...We tried to hire private investigators to search for him in Yokohama but most of them weren’t willing to take the case and those who did came back empty handed.”

“We can’t believe Izuku and his classmates actually found him.” Bakugou Mitsuki took her husband’s hand and held on so tight that her knuckles turned white. “That damn brat! I swear he’s going to be the death of us one day...that f*cking co*cky little bi—”

“Mitsuki,” Mr. Bakugou whispered harshly and the woman stopped, eyes turning red.

“My apologies, it’s unbecoming of us to let you see such an embarrassing moment,” she said to Hawks.

“No, it’s alright. I understand why you must be upset and worried.” Hawks passed her a box of tissues. It was normal. Their kid got kicked out of highschool, vanished, and they were the ones left to pick up the pieces and face the media backlash. “Have you thought about what you are going to say to him?”

To be honest, Hawks wondered if they would even get the chance to see Bakugou Katsuki in person.

Silence reigned over them and a complex look of struggles morphed over the Bakugous’ faces.

“Not quite yet. We’re not exactly sure what kind of state he would be in...I just wish we taught him better.” Mrs. Bakugou managed to muster half a smile but it was a depressing one. “God what was he thinking running into a city full of criminals? And they said something about him being some rich guy’s playtoy? Is that true?”

“That remains unconfirmed for now.” What the Commission had on Huang Corp and the rest of Yokohama were skeletons of information. There wasn’t anything truly useful or helpful for their situation. Besides, because of how xenophobic and secretive Yokohama’s government and Port Mafia liked to be, any attempts to gather intel on their city had been interrupted with a stern warning.

“We don’t know where we went wrong with him.” Mr. Bakugou sighed. “What he did to poor Izuku...we would never have taught him such horrible things! All we ever wanted was for him to be a better person.”

The rest of the ride was one filled with melancholy and quiet whispers. Hawks was on his phone most of the time, delegating tasks to his sidekicks while he went on this mission. Neither of the Bakugous seemed to mind as they were too busy thinking about their son.

When they arrived outside of Yokohama, the car stopped and someone came over to tap on the window besides Hawks.

“We’re here because of Principal Nezu’s request,” the man said. He had green hair with yellow stripes and he wore a pair of thin rimmed glasses. Overall, he was dressed like your average businessman. “I’m the pro hero Sir Nighteye and this is my intern, Lemilion. He’s in his third year at UA.”

“You can call me Togata,” the tall teenager with blond hair greeted them cheerfully. He was also in normal civilian clothing just like Hawks because they all knew Yokohama didn’t welcome heroes.

Hawks greeted them in his usual upbeat attitude and he saw the Bakugous thanking Nighteye and Togata for coming. Their son was creating such a big trouble for so many heroes that they didn’t know how to apologize.

Nighteye’s appearance wasn’t in the Commission’s plans. The rodent from UA probably suspected the Commission had other intentions. Meaning, it was questionable if they have the same goals here. Hawks would need a private chat with Sir Nighteye later to better guess what angle UA was working.

As he stared at the city of Yokohama that wasn’t far away, Hawks felt like this was going to be a long day already.

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

1

Port Mafia’s towers have a great view over the entire city.

The boss’s office was located at the very top of the central tower and it was a spacious place. The previous boss liked lavish things when he was still alive. Thus, a lot of the decorations were in the elegant European style. After Mori Ogai came into power, he moved a few of the more extravagant pieces out and substituted in a few more bookshelves.

Mori was a middle aged man with straight, chin length dark hair. Tall and slender, although he looked much slimmer than his muscular subordinates, he was by no means weak. The man wore a sharp dark suit and sported a long maroon scarf that he kept draped over his shoulders. Of course, he still wore his white gloves...a habit from his days back when he was only the previous boss’s personal physician.

Right now, he was sitting in his leather chair as he gazed up at the executive who was scavenging through the wine cabinet. Mori had allowed it. This wasn’t a formal meeting and he wasn’t planning on giving the younger man any big missions today. He liked to spend some time chatting with those under him too, it was a nice way of getting to know if there was anything that he needed to be concerned about.

After all, danger could be hidden in the very small details around them. He thought he was a decent boss and a good boss would care about his subordinates, especially when said subordinate was his strongest fighter.

Nahakara Chuuya.

One of the five Executives directly under Mori. The young man had slightly curly bright orange hair and steel grey eyes. While he was considered vertically challenged compared to most men his age, he had a muscular build. Like Mori, he dressed to impress. His usual wardrobe consisted of a grey suit vest, white dress shirt, and ironed trousers. Chuuya also liked to complete his look with a simple black choker and a dark hat with a red band around it.

Those who oppose the Port Mafia will be crushed by vicious gravity.

Chuuya was the reason behind that saying floating around Yokohama and the globe’s underworld. His ability allowed him to manipulate gravity and he was a skilled martial artist himself.

He was the sharpest sword under Mori’s command.

Mori smiled at Chuuya when the latter finally picked out a wine. While Chuuya wasn’t an alcoholic, he did enjoy liquor very much.

“Do you remember what Huang Zeku did to bounty hunters who tried to kill him a few years back? What was their name again...Star something?” Mori doesn’t really remember the small organization that popped up from time to time. In the old days, there were also a lot of villains trying to make a name for themselves in Yokohama and they have some of the most absurd names, influenced by that hero vs villain drama of the outside world.

Port Mafia was a lot simpler. They were close to the port and they were mafia. Simple.

Chuuya sat down across from Mori. “He threatened them into picking up garbage for the whole neighbourhood. No one was allowed to leave until the area was cleared and stayed clean.”

It was a considerable amount of work because that neighborhood was Suribachi City, back when it was still composed majorly of slums. Since no one wanted to become dragon feed, the men all did what they were told.

Throughout the years, Huang had some...unconventional ways of dealing with his enemies or people dumb enough to challenge him. Besides getting killed or getting fed to the dragon, being forced to pick up trash or perform other community services were normal. It was very strange considering that Huang Zeku didn’t look like the type to be “heroic” or show mercy.

He was an enigma filled with contradictions.

The most notable thing in Chuuya’s memory was probably that time when a squad underneath Port Mafia’s name overstepped their boundaries. He was sent to retrieve them from Huang Zeku’s clutches and he expected a battle. He expected to see Port Mafia’s men injured or dead and he expected a fight. Chuuya was all fired up to kill but then he found his people building a barn house from scratch.

Huang stood on the side and barely lifted his eyes when Chuuya approached him. The younger male was in a bad mood though.

“They destroyed it. It’s only fair that they rebuild it,” he told Chuuya with the deadest eyes possible. It didn’t sound like he really believed in what he said but his dragon snarled at people if they slacked off.

Chuuya was speechless.

The gravity manipulator could only decline the farmer’s kind offer of joining his family for lunch as he watched his men reinstall fences and fix the barn’s roof. One of them got chased by a rooster and fell into the mud.

There wasn’t really anything that Chuuya could argue with. His men overstepped and destroyed other people’s (innocent people he might add) property first. They gave their word that they would fix the place up too. If they just went back on their promise, even if it was for something as stupid as this it would still reflect badly on Port Mafia. They were mafia. They were criminals but they weren’t villains who had no code of honour.

There were other things. Things that showed how Huang wasn’t a battle maniac or some power hungry idiot way over his head. While he was ruthless, he also knew when enough was enough and where to draw the line. It was just strange seeing him save people when he looked like he hated every single second of it or that the people he saved all owned him a million bucks.

Not to mention Huang had a lot of odd quirks (not the superpower kind). He disliked it when the fighting caused property damage to Yokohama. He doesn’t like people but spent his money on rebuilding Suribachi. And he often intervened in a war between two gangs simply because they were “causing a ruckus and it was hard to sleep”.

There was a screw or two loose inside Huang’s head, even to this day Chuuya couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing.

“Such a weird kid,” Mori sighed.

Huang Zeku hadn’t been much of a problem for them throughout the years. He stayed within Suribachi City and had absolutely no intention of expansion. If Port Mafia had to do business there, so long as it wasn’t something drastic or low like human trafficking or selling drugs to kids Huang didn’t care either. The teen exhibited traits of those who grew up with little, especially with how territorial he was but when it really came down to it...Mori didn’t think Suribachi City, Huang Corp, or the people were all that important to Huang Zeku either. He was detached from everything but he also didn’t like corpses piling up in front of his door.

Mori met with the teen a few times over the years. There was a slothful and misantropic air about the boy, like he didn’t care much about anything or anyone in the world. But he was different from Dazai, who was bored of the world and had an empty soul.

Huang just..wasn’t all there. It felt more like he was just a speculator passing by and everything that was happening glossed by him without leaving a mark. You could shoot a baby in front of him outside of his jurisdiction and he wouldn’t bat an eye. He was probably the most alive during a battle though.

It didn’t take long for Mori to figure out Huang really doesn’t give a damn about gaining more influence over Yokohama. He was only doing what he did because Suribachi’s living conditions weren’t up to his standards.

“No one’s f*cking doing anything so I did it.”

That was what Huang said to him once, with a mocking sneer too. One kid did what a bunch of adults couldn’t, of course he was smug about it. Why didn’t he just move out? Mori never got a straight answer but he could tell from the boy’s eyes that Huang wasn’t used to peace. That child was made to slaughter and he was proud of it.

Mori still found it disappointing that he couldn’t recruit the teen. However, that couldn’t be helped. He might be a master at emotional manipulation but he couldn’t influence someone who wanted nothing and cared for nothing. The dragon had a heart made of steel and stones. He only retaliated when things irritated him enough. While still a bit inexperienced in the tactics of manipulation, his intuition was sharp enough to foil Mori’s attempts at controlling him most of the time. Sometimes though, Huang still acted according to Mori’s plans as if he had been properly deceived, but that only occurred when Yokohama could benefit somehow.

“Why are you suddenly bringing him up?” Chuuya set down two wine glasses on the table. He doesn’t have anything against Huang personally. Port Mafia and Huang Corp might not be good buddies but they do have business connections. Not to mention Huang always knew where the line was. Like the incident with the Black Lizard, if Huang had killed them then they really would have to go to war with each other in the name of avenging their dead comrades.

To be honest, Chuuya might even be able to resonate with the teen. Chuuya himself was the product of a horrid experiment and they all suspected Huang might have been the victim of one too. There was no record of him being born and no evidence of him growing up in Suribachi City. He either ran here or he was kept hidden for a good portion of his childhood. Considering his freaky dragon, it didn’t paint a nice picture of anything heartwarming.

He also had some mixed feelings about Huang. Technically they both came from Suribachi but Huang did something Chuuya couldn’t. Chuuya was the King of Sheep before, the leader for a group of children and teens who banded together to survive the trash piles of Suribachi City. They were just trying to make a better life for themselves. In the end Chuuya got betrayed by his friends and the Sheeps disbanded.

But Huang made it. He did more than ensuring his own survival too.

“He’s getting married.”

“Oh, he’s getting—HOLD ON!” Chuuya almost dropped his wine. “Huang is getting married?”

Mori nodded while he pushed a red letter across the table. “Yes, that is what the invitation says.”

Now Chuuya was pretty sure he was already drunk even though the liquor didn’t even touch his lips yet. He set down the bottle and went over to study the wedding invitation as if it was a bomb threat. Of course he knew it would just be a normal piece of folded paper since it made it through the security checks but that didn’t stop him from exercising extra caution.

It was red, with an intricate hollowed out pattern near the top that formed a dragon surrounding a heart. Beneath it, there was a gold Chinese character (囍) that he guessed was what symbolized weddings in Huang’s culture.

“I thought he wasn’t even legal yet? How old is he again?”

“Eighteen.” The mafia boss opened the wine and poured them both a cup. “Right at the legal age of marriage.”

“The bride is Bakugou Katsuki.” Chuuya doesn’t remember any daughters from wealthy families who went by that name in Yokohama. But it did sound familiar. “Isn’t that the hero kid who was on the news a while back?”

“That’s the one.”

“Huang is getting married to a teenage boy who is an Ex-hero in training,” muttered Chuuya in disbelief. “He finally lost it. Not that he was too right in the head to begin with.”

“They have been spotted together over the past week on multiple occasions. Oh, Elise~” Mori sang and a blond little girl came in the door. She had large blond curls that flowed past her waist and bright blue eyes like a doll. Her red dress had puffy sleeves and it reached her knees. Along with dark striped stockings, she also wore a pair of red Mary Janes.

“My Elise looks wonderful today too, don’t you think so?” Mori got up to greet the little girl with a bright smile on his face. Chuuya only rolled his eyes and refrained from answering. Mori was a competent boss but he had this tiny little problem of...liking little girls. Yep. The man was a pedophile and a proud one too, barely bothering to hide his preferences in public.

But his obsession was primarily towards Elise. To others, Mori was still polite and didn't step out of line.

“Rintarou is annoying,” the little girl stated as she pushed him away with the folder in her hands, which caused the smile on Mori’s face to crack. Tears formed at the edge of his eyes while he moved around her and begged her to smile.

It was an embarrassing sight. Still, Mori was Chuuya’s boss so the young man kept his mouth shut.

“What’s in the folder?” Chuuya finally asked when Mori switched topics and wanted to buy Elise more dresses.

“Just pictures of Huang and his new bride.” Mori returned to normal and showed Chuuya the photos. They were obviously taken in secret since most of them were blurry or cut off at weird angles. There was Huang, in all his gloomy and emo glory. Guy still looked like the whole world killed his dad or something along those lines but the blond former UA student was by his side.

Spiky blond hair and crimson eyes. Bakugou Katsuki did have a nice face. The boy was dressed up in a more feminine fashion in most of these pictures. Chuuya wouldn’t say Bakugou looked terrible but it was a striking opposite of what the media depicted the teen to be.

On the news Bakugou was a rude, explosive jackass who boasted off his strength and quirk (Chuuya was actually impressed by his combat skills), but in these pictures he looked softer, less ready to blow. The blond was shown to be intimate with Huang. They held hands, sat shoulder to shoulder, shared an umbrella (it was even those traditional oil paper ones too), and in one picture Huang was carrying shopping bags while Bakugou fed him a cream puff.

They looked like any other normal teenage couple on the streets.

That thought scared Chuuya so bad that he wasn’t sure if he should even touch any liquor today or try getting flat out drunk instead. Huang having a heart was about the same level of wacky as Dazai losing interest in committing suicide.

“Boss,” he called out. “What’s Huang up to?”

There was no way Huang didn’t have an agenda with this public display of his new boyfriend (fiancee now). Huang might have a strange moral code at times but he sure as hell never gave really gave a f*ck about other people. Chuuya doesn’t believe Huang would fall head over heels for someone in less than a few months.

“I don’t know but that’s what we are going to find out.”

“Are we seriously going to the wedding?” What if it was a trap?

“ADA also got invited. So did a lot of other powers in Yokohama.” Business partners and other more important families in the city all got an invitation. Mori knew this was a display of wealth. Port Mafia does it sometimes by hosting parties or gatherings for those of higher socioeconomic status too. A wedding would be a good excuse to gather up important players and strengthen connections.

“I’m on bodyguard duty then.”

“Exactly.”

As Port Mafia’s leader, it would be classless and reckless of him to attend a big and crowded event alone. Not to mention, those hero kids were in the city too. From what the surveillance team gathered, those teenagers weren’t the type to follow rules. Mori still found it astonishingly foolish for them to go right up against Huang even after ADA warned them multiple times. If it had been another ability user or Huang didn’t have a connection to Bakugou, a few of those kids were sure to lose a limb or two.

He doesn’t really care though. His deal with Principal Nezu didn’t include keeping the guests from the outside injury free. With Yosano around, so long as they walked out of Yokohama breathing then Mori fulfilled his end of the bargain.

“Come now, Elise. Let’s go buy you a new dress!” Mori announced happily while he attempted to hug the girl, only to get avoided like the plague.

“I don’t want to! Trying on dresses is tiring.” Elise pouted as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“But we have a wedding to attend. There will be a lot of delicious food there and don’t you want to see the bride?” Mori coaxed sweetly while he bent down to meet with her at eye level. While Huang’s taste was about as far from Mori’s as it could get, he was still curious about the dragon’s bride. A spouse would know secrets others won’t and a possible opportunity for those like Mori.

The only question remaining was just how much Huang Zeku cared about Bakugou Katsuki.

This was something Mori would like to assess with his own eyes.

------

“This—”

“Dazai, zip it.”

“But—”

Kunikida glared at the man on his right. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“Huang Zeku is marrying Bakugou Katsuki,” Tanizaki Naomi said from the other side of Kunikida. She was a part-timer at the agency since she was still in high school. Naomi had hip length dark hair and deep grey eyes. With a beauty mark under her left eye, she didn’t resemble her older brother at all. Usually she would be in her school uniform but since it was the summer break, she wore a normal pale blue dress that reached her knees. There was a bright shine in her eyes as she turned to her brother.

The older Tanikazi immediately gulped and involuntarily took a step back.

“Big brother! Let’s get married too!”

“Naomi, I don’t think that’s—wait! Don’t jump onto me!” Tanikazi shrieked as his sister threw herself at him and clung onto him like he was a giant teddy bear, squeezing the air out of his lungs. Blushing, his whole face was red as he tried to untangle himself.

“Huang and this Bakugou guy are doing it and they are about the same age as us.”

“That’s different!”

Sighing heavily, Kunikida tuned out the chaos and turned to their president. “What is Huang thinking?”

“At this point I don’t think he is.” f*ckuzawa rubbed his temple as he stared at the bomb on his desk. The red and gold wedding invitation was an eyesore and a phantom headache was already settling in.

“Or he did think and is doing this on purpose as a giant royal screw you towards the heroes,” Dazai chirped while he opened a can of crab meat. That wasn’t too out of character for Huang. Over the years he had pulled some real spiteful revenges. As mature as he appeared to be, he was still just a teenager. “So who wants to tell Aizawa? I’m calling not it first.”

Everyone else’s faces twisted slightly.

“Do we have to tell them?” Tanizaki asked.

“Even if we say nothing they will see it on the news.” Yokohama news doesn't make it out of Yokohama but within the city they still have their own news channels. There was no way reporters wouldn't swarm to Huang Corp for an event this big. Whether they would be let in or not was a whole different story though.

“Huang is really increasing our workload isn’t he?” Kunikida sat down with a tired look. It had been three days since the hero kids ran into Huang and their old classmate. While most of the teens stuck to the rules and were guided to tour other parts of Yokohama, there were a few particular kids who were still adamant that Bakugou Katsuki was in trouble. Kyouka, one of their members, had caught that Midoriya kid trying to sneak out late at night more than once.

Thus, he was grounded and stuck on filing duty inside the agency, where someone would keep an eye on him at all times.

Kunikida wasn’t sure if the kids got their brains eaten by the dragon but stupidity had to have a limit somewhere right? While f*ckuzawa rejected Aizawa’s request to meet Huang, he still sent some staff to talk to a few Suribachi locals. Just to make sure there really wasn’t an ex-hero kid who was in a heep of trouble with the dragon wielder. And everyone they talked to had been giving the same story.

Huang was dating Bakugou and there were no signs of abuse. They were seen around Suribachi City doing…normal couple stuff. There was nothing incriminating about that. For God’s sake, they didn’t even do anything past holding hands or a small peck on the lips or temple from time to time. It was a reserved kind of love but it felt like no one else could cut in between them.

...Or at least that was how Kunikida felt when he saw them together in the rain. Bakugou had donned a simple high collared sleeveless top and a pair of grey cargo pants. There were some more authentic embroidery patterns on his clothing but it wasn’t anything over the top. The only jewelry on him was a jade bracelet. On the other hand, Huang was the same as always, with a blank expression shaped with frost. But he threw his coat over Bakugou’s shoulders and held an umbrella over their heads. The wooden umbrella shielded over them and droplets of water slid off the painted lotus on it.

The people of Suribachi were equally surprised but they adjusted to it quickly. Honestly, if Huang wanted to date a statue or a tree they would probably be alright with it too. It wasn’t like they could influence Huang’s decisions either. One grandma even looked overly proud because “kids grew up so fast”. She had been living in Suribachi her whole life and saw how the neighbourhood changed and Huang grew up over the years.

Kunikida didn’t want to admit it but it seemed that Dazai wasn’t wrong when he said the dragon found his princess. A crown jewel. His most prized.

Huang Zeku could be domesticated. Yokohama just kept getting weirder by the day.

Finally, f*ckuzawa got up. “Keep this news from the students if possible. I don’t think those kids will take this information well.”

He would need Atsushi to keep a tighter watch on that Midoriya boy. For someone who had been Bakugou’s victim for the majority of his life so far, the green haired boy seemed too quick to forgive and have too much faith in his old tormentor. It wasn’t uncommon for those rejected by the hero program to turn to villainy in the outside world. Why he thought Bakugou would cling onto heroic virtues was puzzling to f*ckuzawa but it wasn’t any of his concern. His homeroom teacher could figure that out. ADA just had to make sure these outsiders got out of Yokohama in one piece.

“And the wedding invitation?” Naomi questioned.

“Keep it. We’re going.”

There had to be someone there to do damage control and it might as well be them.

2

It took longer for the heroes to mobilize than one would imagine.

By the time that Hawks, the Bakugous, and Sir Nighteye with his intern arrived in Yokohama, four days had passed since class A ran into Bakugou. It couldn’t be helped really. After the initial confrontation, Aizawa had to discuss things with ADA and then he reported the incident to Nezu and the police.

Since Yokohama was out of the heroes’ and normal police’s jurisdiction, they had to connect with Yokohama authorities and request for them to send a unit to check on Bakugou. They did and called back saying they didn’t find anything suspicious or illegal going on. Bakugou was not harmed and he didn’t want to leave Yokohama.

They said there was nothing further they could do. It wasn’t like they could forcefully evict a person out of a city when the teen had done nothing wrong.

From there, Nezu had to contact Sir Nighteye while the hero commission prepared arrangements for more licensed heroes to enter Yokohama (the bureaucracy made everything tediously slow). Of course, the Bakugous also needed to be notified and everyone needed some time to get their businesses in order before they could make a trip to Yokohama.

After they arrived, they headed to the Armed Detective Agency to meet up with Aizawa and the other hero students.

“Aunty Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru.”

A green haired boy with freckles came running up to them as soon as the Bakugous got out of the car. Hawks remembered him. That power the teen displayed during the Sports Festival could rival All Might’s and him breaking his bones due to his quirk was also memorable. If his intel was right, Midoriya was also the reason why Bakugou got expelled.

He was the victim of Bakugou’s bullying.

It seemed strange. Hawks went into the boardroom to meet the UA teachers to discuss things in further detail but he kept a few feathers scattered. Mostly with the Bakugous just in case since they were already in Yokohama (AKA enemy territory). For some reason, the agency was pretty empty today and a senior staff member of ADA would be joining them in a bit.

“Izuku,” Mr. Bakugou greeted him with half of a hesitant smile. They were chatting while a girl with long black hair provided the two civilians with tea, probably one of the staff.

Midoriya was concerned about how the Bakugous were holding up and he told them about his run in with their son. He sounded genuinely terrified and scared for Bakugou Katsuki’s wellbeing, which Hawks don't blame him for. Anyone would feel squeamish when live humans were sliced up right in front of them. Midoriya was just a kid too. The worst injuries he had seen were probably his own broken bones.

He had not witnessed death, let alone such gruesome murderers. Not with his own eyes, head on, and without warning.

It must have been a traumatizing shock for all these teens.

“Kacchan...he’s going to be okay,” Midoriya said. “Even the No.4 hero is here. Kacchan doesn't want to see me but I’m sure he will agree to meet with you. He’s...not himself. Maybe that Huang guy did something to him—”

Mrs. Bakugou stopped him. “Thank you for caring so much about our brat. You don’t have to cover his ass for him. I don’t know what’s gotten into him but that little sh*t knew perfectly well what he’s doing I bet.”

Her words were slightly too sharp but her voice was shaky and hoarse, like she was trying to hold back tears.

“I’m sorry,” Midoriya apologized. “I couldn’t stop him.”

“Don’t apologize. We know Katsuki has been awful to you. We...We thought you were just growing distant from each other but the truth is much worse than we expected and we never saw how far it went...” Mr. Bakugou confessed with a hint of guilt and shame.

“You’re still Aunty Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru to me. What Kacchan did isn’t your fault.” Midoriya’s voice got a little bit stronger, filled with honesty. “I know that you saw that the way Kacchan was treating me was wrong and you would hold him accountable for it. You did it when the teachers or other adults didn’t. You tried your best to help Kacchan.”

“We tried to keep him in check,” Mrs. Bakugou sighed heavily. “No kind of discipline seemed to work on him.”

Their conversation ended when the ADA staff asked the Bakugous to join Hawks and the rest of the heroes. The ADA member who came to greet them was a handsome man with wavy dark brown hair and hazel brown eyes. Hawks knew the man would be tricky to deal with as soon as he stepped into the room. Also, Hawks didn’t miss how Dazai was dressed up. Like he had a big formal event to attend later.

He introduced himself as Dazai Osamu.

He was polite enough, all smiles and proper handshakes. Dazai also complimented Mrs. Bakugou on her looks.

“Would you like to commit a double suicide with me?” he asked Mrs. Bakugou with the brightest smile possible and took everyone off guard.

“...I must decline,” Mrs. Bakugou answered as she recovered her wits.

Hawks’s suspicion was confirmed. There was something strange about the ADA member. Aizawa explained that Dazai’s hobby was sucide and he treated all ladies, whether young or old, with high respect.

“So what are your plans right now?” Dazai coughed after glancing at the clock, seemingly to have snapped out of his craze for suicide for the time being.

“We’re going to see my idiot son and ask him what the hell he thinks he is doing.” Mrs. Bakugou’s voice was lined with ice but there was a shaky undertone to it, as if she was masking the turmoil threatening to break free. “He’s always been a difficult kid to deal with but this is getting ridiculous. It’s just another one of his ploys to get attention since he got kicked out of the spotlight. I’m fed up with his entitled behaviour!”

“Mitsuki,” her husband tried to hush her. A hand was perched on the woman’s shoulder as it gave her a light squeeze. “Please, Katsuki could really be in trouble.”

“Nothing he didn’t invite onto himself when he displayed himself like that in public,” the woman countered and her eyes narrowed. The resemblance to Bakugou Katsuki was even more striking when her face was scrunched up with frustration. “I told you we have been too soft with him. One of these days there wouldn’t be anyone to clean up after his messes.”

Hawks felt an uneasy tingle inside his chest. True, Bakugou Katsuki didn’t have the best public image but to say that he was to blame for attracting shady people...that seemed too harsh.

Dazai didn’t respond, his eyes drifted over the Bakugous and it almost looked like he was in thought but he quickly regained his composure.

“Our current priority is to locate Bakugou Katsuki,” Nighteye intervened in a stern tone and he turned to the rest of them, specifically he directed his gaze at the direction of Aizawa and Dazai. “I trust that you already know where he might be right now?”

“He should be at Huang Corp.” Aizawa had tried to get an appointment to meet Huang Zeku.

The underground went down to Suribachi City. On the surface, besides the infusion of Chinese culture, Suribachi didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary. Huang Corp’s headquarters was also a very simple skyscraper. The lobby had more authentic decorations, with giant carved wooden walls on either side and a ceiling painted with cranes and dragons around a spiral shaped hanging chandelier.

The receptionist had been dismissive of him. With a perfect smile and in the sweetest songlark voice, she politely told Aizawa that their boss is too busy to meet with him. He thought about camping out in the lobby but the armed security guards (Aizawa was sure they were ex-cons) didn’t like that idea too much. They have orders to not allow UA personnel on the company’s premise.

“Then let’s go,” Mr. Bakugou said. He looked tired but concern was swirling in his warm brown eyes. The others murmured an agreement.

“...The thing is, I don’t think today would be a good time,” Dazai finally admitted with a strange look. There was something that almost resembled a ghostly smile on his face. “All of Suribachi City is going to be really busy today. I don’t think Huang or Bakugou would have time to speak with you in private.”

“What do you mean?” Hawks questioned.

“Bakugou Katsuki is getting married to Huang Zeku today. That’s why most of the staff are out.” He was supposed to be there already too but they got the call from the government saying the heroes and the Bakugous were coming. Thus, Dazai was ordered to stay and greet them. f*ckuzawa was probably worried that Dazai might do something stupid to piss off the newly weds.

The lack of trust in him was heartbreaking (lies, he knew his past history of loving to push other people’s buttons was the cause of this mistrust). But he wasn’t a complete menace. It was a wedding! He didn’t have a good reason to crash such a joyous event.

But these heroes and the Bakugous do.

They didn’t tell Aizawa until now because one, it was a rush notice and two, they got the official invitation last night. It seemed like Huang purposely delayed ADA’s invitation just to hit them when they least suspected it. Dazai still thought that this was only happening so soon because the heroes showed up.

“WHAT?” Mrs. Bakugou shouted in shock, looking like the rug had been forcefully pulled out from underneath her feet. “WHAT THE f*ck IS THAT LOUDMOUTHED BRAT THINKING?”

“Our Katsuki is...GETTING MARRIED?!” Mr. Bakugou was equally stunned. “He’s a minor! How could he get married?”

Hawks, Nighteye, and Togata also stood shocked. No amount of planning could have prepared them to deal with this. Hawks don’t know about anyone else but his training, both the official one and the secret commission ones, none of it ever taught him How To Crash A Teenage Wedding 101. Nighteye had some issues about seeing other people’s future (Hawks suspected it to be due to some kind of trauma), he only did a small check before they entered Yokohama to ensure none of them died within the first hour of their trip.

“You could be considered legally responsible enough in Yokohama at the age of sixteen.” Due to the past wars and the large number of orphans, while the official age of majority remained to be eighteen around the rest of Japan, that number had been lowered even further in this city. It wasn’t uncommon to see teenagers making a living on their own or signing their own paperworks.

As for marriage...it was uncommon but not unheard of.

“And you’re just telling us right now?” Aizawa was seething. Hawks could practically see the man’s frustration and anger gaining a concrete form.

“It’s not like we could do anything to stop it.” Shrugging, Dazai stared at them dead in the eyes. “And your kids don’t exactly have a good track record of staying out of trouble. This is so weird for me to say but we’re trying our best to keep them from committing suicide.”

“What do you mean by there’s nothing we could do? We are Katsuki legal guardians and we didn’t consent to it,” Mrs. Bakugou snapped angrily. Understandably so. “He got himself expelled, ran away, has been doing god knows what for the past few months, and now he didn’t even bother telling his own parents about his freaking wedding!”

She bristled. From a certain angle she looked like a volcano ready to blow.

“Where is the wedding?” she asked in a steady voice but her eyes were burning. “We’re putting a stop to this. I’m going to give that sh*tty son of mine a piece of my mind. While we were worried sick and cleaning up after his messes, he’s f*cking planning on throwing his life further down the gutter?!”

There was a tension in her muscles as she slammed her hand down on the table. The solid wood shocked slightly underneath her wrath. Hawks saw Dazai lift an overly courteous smile.

The alarms went off inside his head.

“If you really want to go right now, I will take you there but there are a few things you should keep in mind.” The man gestured towards the door. “Please, I’ll explain everything in the car ride there. Suribachi City isn’t like what you have ever experienced.”

Hawks didn’t like the sound of that. He shared a glance with Nighteye and they both saw confusion and wariness across each other’s faces. Vlad King and Togata were to stay behind to help watch the students. Togata even offered to distract them with a 40 on 1 match so long as ADA let them borrow the empty lot behind the building. That way they wouldn’t have time to be watching the news.

Dazai waved without too much care and allowed it.

Soon, Hawks and the others were on their way to Suribachi City. The Bakugous were shifting around and whispering harshly to each other, fists tight and eyes wide as if they were about to go into battle. As Dazai explained what they should know about Huang Zeku and Suribachi City, the winged hero’s heart slowly plummeted to his stomach.

Don’t touch what belonged to the dragon.

And they were about to snatch his bride.

This was going to be an uphill battle for sure.

3

This really was happening.

Chuuya noticed the festive atmosphere as soon as they entered Suribachi City. Everyone was smiling. There were children laughing and running around. Red lanterns and ribbons dangled across threads between the buildings. People set off those scarlet firecrackers that were bundled together like grapes and the cracking sounds mixed with the chorus of laughter lingering in the air.

For such a rush notice, the wedding seemed to be prepared really well. Overly well. While Chuuya wasn’t an expert in Chinese culture, he had heard about the “ten mile red dowry” before. One of the main roads was sealed off so the bride and his dowry could pass. It was a whole parade that spanned out down the road, almost as if there was no end in sight. People dressed in the same red uniform danced and lit firecrackers along the way. There was a band and the beats of the drums seemed to rumble the pavement. Chuuya could hear the loud sound of suona horns playing the traditional wedding songs too.

Black cars and decorated carriages carrying the dowry pulled by horses moved past as the police maintained order on both sides of the road. It was a show of wealth for sure. Bakugou Katsuki came from a well off family but they were by no means super wealthy, which meant all of this dowry was pitched in by Huang. Rolls of fine silk and a box of gold were amongst the numerous things on that list. The bride was being carried down to Huang Corp in a sedan chair carried by eight muscular men.

They couldn’t really see the bride since the sedan chair had been modified with reinforced walls and a roof. It was a masterpiece by itself. The sedan chair was made of bright red wood decorated with intricate patterns forged from gold. Golden and red tassels hung down from the four corners, swaying with the parade’s movement. Instead of a simple chair, it looked more like a tiny shrine to host the statue of a deity.

“Huang is really going all out.”

Chuuya hoisted Elise up so she could get a better view. The little girl had been captivated by the scene since the beginning and it was because she was whining about wanting to see the parade that they got out of the car in the first place. She was in a pale pink dress today while Chuuya and Mori both wore an expensive three piece suit. “I don’t care what they say about this Bakugou kid on the outside, if he could get Huang to do this for him, he’s gotta be more than just a lost case or arrogant bully.”

“Huang’s business flourished really well over the years that’s for sure.” Mori was a bit surprised by the luxurious display of wealth too. He felt a bit sour about it, jealous even. Nobody would say no to more wealth. The mafia boss caught a piece of wedding candy being distributed by the entertainers in the parade. There were children in the crowd giggling as they joined in.

Mori passed the candy to Elise, who was too absorbed to throw a fit about the flavour of the sweets. They removed themselves from the crowd (even though Elise had wanted to stay and watch the parade).

Their car took them to Huang Corp, where the wedding would be held. Security was tight but not really an issue if Chuuya got serious. The only seriously problematic opponent was Huang himself. He was a whole different kind of freaky than Dazai while in action.

“Told you he’s been watching,” Chuuya muttered under his breath when they got out of the car. Coiled dragon was circulating around Huang Corp’s tower. It was a monstrous beast and its eerie eyes scanned the crowd. The gravity manipulator had no doubt that it kept its eyes on the bride all throughout the parade and would have opened fire if anyone tried anything funny.

Yep, the dragon breathed fire, meaning that it could do long distance attacks too.

Another reason why Chuuya thought Huang was too similar to himself. They both had powers that seemed to be beyond the realms of men.

“The bride’s here,” Mori said quietly. The wedding guests were gathered on either side of the front door, ready to witness the moment the bride exited his carriage.

Huang was standing outside the large front door made of bullet proof glass (because that was a standard in Yokohama). He was dressed in red, gold, and black. The majority of his robe was red and golden patterns of a dragon wrapped along its length. Gold also decorated the helm of his collar that crossed in front of his chest and he wore dark pants with matching black and gold boots underneath. A pair of black vambraces were around his arms and they had similar designs as his boots.

His hair draped down in a long braid behind his back. He still sported his usual red earrings but switched his piercings out with jade ones. A piece of jade pendant also dangled from his black belt.

Of course, a segment of Coiled Dragon was still wrapped around him. Huang wasn’t smiling but he did look...more relaxed. The difference was microscopic but judging by the fact that Huang hosted all this, he must be happy about it. The teen was holding a red ball formed by ribbons that was about the size of a basketball in his hand. Chuuya wasn’t sure what it was for.

The men carrying the bridal sedan chair lowered it carefully. Huang approached it and one of Coiled Dragon’s sharp nails lifted the drape carefully. The dragon’s owner extended a hand.

The first part of the bride that Chuuya saw was a pale hand with the manicured fingernails painted red and decorated with small rhinestones. Soon, Bakugou stepped out for all to see. He was dressed even more breathtakingly extravagant than the groom. His red robe pooled at his feet and trailed behind him. Golden phoenixes decorated his wedding dress. His belt was a pale gold and covered with intricate embroidered patterns and flowers. A matching jade pendant also hung down around his waist. There was a simple diamond necklace around Bakugou’s neck.

They couldn’t see his face clearly because of the half transparent red veil covering his head but from the shape of that veil, it was obvious the blond teen was also wearing a phoenix coronet (a traditional bridal crown). It looked heavy. Chuuya could make out the outline of golden tassels and thin chains forged from gold and rubies dangling on either side. Thin threads of gold twisted into the pattern of leaves and flowers. Pearls and rubies built the smaller phoenixes on the crown.

Bakugou looked stunning.

Huang lifted a smile. The curve of his lips wasn’t wide but it was different from his usual nonchalantly bloodthirsty ones. Softer. Warmer. Almost zestful even. Like he was about to receive the whole world in the palm of his hand.

The bride took one end of the ribbon and Huang kept the other end, causing the red ball to be suspended between them. Mori explained quietly that it was a symbolism of their union. Huang guided Bakugou down the red carpet and up the steps while the guests followed. Only those invited would be allowed in but the people of Suribachi would continue to enjoy the festival outside, entertained by the performers and shared the joy.

Everything was in order. The people of Suribachi City all knew the rules and it seemed like no one wanted to ruin Huang’s big day. Also, the giant dragon staring down upon them was more than enough to keep people in line. Over the years, while the normal civilians don’t know much about abilities either, they all probably thought the dragon was Huang’s quirk.

Chuuya followed behind Elise and Mori, keeping an eye out for any possible dangers. Huang turned one of the large showrooms for his company’s products into where the wedding would be held. Since in reality, there weren’t that many guests, it was more than enough to host everybody. There were red ribbons draped from the ceiling. Lanterns hung between the crystal lights and multiple round tables were set up. There was one red carpet trail leading up to a raised stage.

Something was weird about the set up. There were four hardwood chairs on that stage, two on either side of a small round table covered with a piece of red fabric. The table resembled a small altar and there were offerings along with burning incense on it. All four of the chairs were facing the guests.

The chairs themselves looked like works of art. The wood was carved into twin dragons on the back of the chairs and they looked heavy. Behind the chairs were a large red curtain with the same golden letter that was on the wedding invitation. One host was dressed in a fine tuxedo and another in a lovely blue cheongsam both stood at the corner of the stage.

The guests settled into their designated spots. Chuuya also saw Sakaguchi Ango from the Special Division for Unusual Powers at a different table. Ango was a young man with short greyish black hair and light grey eyes. He had a mole above the left side of his lips and he wore a pair of circular framed glasses.

The sharply dressed government worker nodded at them.

At another table, f*ckuzawa and the other ADA core members were also there. Mori and f*ckuzawa’s eyes met for a brief second but they turned away from each other, ignoring the other’s presence. This wasn’t a good place to dive into their age-old feuds.

The teens really were serious about this wedding. Chuuya thought there had got to be a catch somewhere or this was going to be a joke but from what he saw so far, there was no doubt that Huang and Bakugou were serious about this.

The bride and groom stood in front of the stage, right before the chairs. The two hosts took turns to say a few introductions and nice compliments as the icebreaker. Then they shifted into a more serious demeanor.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the auspicious moment is here!” the woman announced cheerfully. In Huang’s culture, there was a timing for everything according to the lunar calendar apparently. The best days to get married, when it wasn’t safe to leave the house, etc. Timing was important for each stage of the marriage too.

The male host cleared his throat.

"Yi Bai Tian Di!" The female host translated it as paying respects to heaven and earth for blessing this union.

Huang and Bakugou bowed at the altar.

A staff dressed in black settled a spirit tablet made from marble on one of the chairs. Chuuya wasn’t sure if he was knowledgeable enough to judge but normal spirit tablets usually had the deceased’s full name carved on them. This one, however, only had the Chinese character of Huang’s last name on it.

“Er Bai Gao Tang!” To their parents.

The teens stepped a bit further apart and each bowed towards the chairs.

“His father,” Mori said quietly. “Judging from where the tablet is placed, Huang’s father has already passed.”

They suspected that much. Huang didn’t have any family or close friends in Yokohama. None of the guests question why the other three chairs were empty either.

“Fu Qi Dui Bai!”

It was the final one, where the teens turned to face each other and lowered their heads again. When they raised their heads, confetti fired off from above everyone’s heads. The colourful tiny pieces of paper scattered while Chuuya relaxed. He had tensed up purely because of muscle memories, a reaction to loud noises he acquired naturally from being a mafia.

Applause filled the room and the three from Port Mafia joined in. Huang wasn’t much of a talker so he skipped a lot of the formalities, which Chuuya was thankful for. Weddings tend to get boring real quick with all the toasts and monologues. The food was served and laughter could be heard all around the room. Dancers filed onto the stage and music was played.

Chuuya liked this. He couldn’t have any of the hard wines since he had to stay alert for Mori’s protection but he helped himself to the delicious dishes. There was no annoying Mackerel (AKA Dazai) around to piss him off either. Admittedly, it was kind of strange Dazai would miss such a great opportunity to poke fun at Huang for but Chuuya wasn’t complaining.

The young lovebirds were going around to greet their guests (they weren’t following all the traditions down to the letter). Bakugou hadn’t lifted his veil so no one could tell what his expression looked like clearly. But he appeared relaxed as Huang guided him to the different tables. The accessories on him jingles with every sway or movement.

It was strange. The dragon wielder held the former hero-in-training like he was handling paper thin glass, like there was no treasure more precious to him in the world.

Chuuya had to take another sip of water to drown out his disbelief. He saw a few other people doing the same. Only, instead of water, they were chugging large gulps of alcohol.

“We’re happy for you,” Mori said when he saw the bride and groom approach their table. He raised his wine in the gesture of a toast to them. “I must say this wedding was quite the eye opener. You are as bold as always but honestly I wasn’t expecting something so extravagant.”

Bold might be putting it too lightly. Chuuya would put this more along the lines of crazy. Huang was marrying a minor, someone who was the same gender as him, and on top of it Bakugou didn’t have the most stellar reputation. Despised by many in the outside world, the blond teen wasn’t exactly the best candidate to marry if they factored in the company’s image.

Not that Mori or any of the other powers in Yokohama have any issues with it. They would be more concerned if Huang married someone from a better family and gained more influence or wealth.

“It’s a little rushed but it will have to do,” Huang replied while raising his glass to meet Mori’s.

Chuuya kind of wanted to smack him in the head. The kid thought this wasn’t enough?

If Mori had the same thought, he didn’t let it show. “It must be nice to be so madly in love. Don’t you think so, Elise?”

The little girl didn’t answer him. She seemed captivated by the lavish display of jewelry and intricate patterns on the bride.

“Why were you bowing to a piece of rock?” Elise questioned innocently, large eyes glancing between the young couple. The lines along Huang’s jaw hardened. Mori gasped lightly and placed a firm hand on her shoulder, apologizing for her.

Bakugou shook his head slowly, the dangling pieces of his phoenix coronet jingling as he did so. He slid a piece of candy into Elise’s hand gently while he explained, “That's the spirit tablet in honour of Zeku’s father. It’s like he’s here to witness the wedding too.”

His voice was smooth and calm, very different from the way he spoke back at the sports festival. Chuuya also smelled a sweet scent coming from the blond teen.

“Then why are the chairs on your side empty?”

Bakugou’s shoulder tensed.

“They’re not welcomed,” spat Huang in an icy tone while glaring daggers at Mori. There were some things that didn’t need to be pointed out explicitly and they all knew it. He wrapped an arm around Bakugou’s waist. “Better off without them.”

Before Elise could speak again, Mori wrapped a hand around her mouth to silence her.

“My apologies, Elise is a bit too curious today.” He hushed the girl and cooed her back to focus on her food. “Chuuya, why don’t you present them with the wedding gift I picked out?”

Chuuya removed his hat and greeted the couple respectfully. “Congratulations,” he said before he handed over a black gift box with a maroon ribbon.

He meant it. While they might not be exactly on the same side all the time, he was happy for the teen to find someone to stand by his side. He doesn’t have to like Huang Zeku to acknowledge all the good the teen had done over the years.

“Thank you,” Bakugou said and a waiter took the gift for them. Besides being the bride, he was...normal. Chuuya didn't see any hint of aggression on him and he appeared quite graceful. Nothing like what the media described him to be.

Then they all heard the commotion from the entrance.

Shouting and the sound of heels clicking against the tiles caught everyone’s attention.

“Get out of my way!” The high pitched shrill made Chuuya’s ears ring. He could see the edge of some blond hair but the rest of the intruder was blocked by the muscular security’s body. “THAT’S MY SON! I have a right to see him! KATSUKI! I know you’re in there! Come out and face us instead of hiding and running like a coward!”

“What’s going on?”

Similar questions rose from the other wedding guests’ table. A few of them directed their stares at the blond bride. Bakugou’s hold on Huang’s arm tightened and small tremors ran through his white knuckles. Huang patted him on the back of his hand.

Chuuya could see the source of the commotion now. There was a woman who looked like the genderbent version of Bakugou Katsuki in a grey blazer dress. She had her chin held high and purposeful footsteps followed her every move. Her lips were pursed into a tight line and her gaze turned predatory when she spotted the couple in red. There was something primally intimidating about her, like she’d tear you apart with her bare hands if you got in her way. Her stance was firm too while a blond young man with red wings and a middle aged brown haired man followed behind her.

With a spin on the balls of her feet, the woman swiftly sped past security and stormed towards the young lovers.

“Katsuki!” Her hand came up, like a claw shooting out.

Huang moved in front of his bride, intercepting the hand that was about to come down by grabbing onto her wrist.

“Move,” she growled at him. Her eyes narrowed as realization that this was the groom settled in. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you too after I check on Katsuki.”

“He’s fine so long as he doesn’t have to see your face.” Huang shoved her hand away, causing her to stumble back and the brown haired man stopped her from falling. “You weren’t invited for a reason.”

“That is ridiculous, I gave birth to him and raised him. He’s underaged and I didn’t consent to this marriage! You have no right to keep me from talking to or seeing my son.”

“I’m not going to let you lay a finger on my wife.”

The infliction of possessiveness in both of their tones were scarily in tune. Possessive. Yes. But there was also a hint of controlling aspect when the woman uttered “my”.

“He’s not your wife. This wedding is a play house joke,” she spat at him.

“Katsuki,” the brown haired man called in a heartbreaking tone. “C-Can you hear us? Are you alright?”

“He’s trying to convince himself that his son is being forced into this,” someone said right next to Chuuya and that voice was so familiar that the gravity manipulator could recognize it even if he was deaf.

“What the hell are you doing at our table, Dazai?” he hissed sharply under his breath. Since everyone else’s attention was on the altercation, no one noticed the extra guest at their table. “Don’t tell me you’ve got something to do with that.”

“Of course not, I just rode in the same car as them to Huang Corp because ADA is hosting the UA people. They were going to get here sooner or later, with or without me.” Dazai grabbed an empty plate and started eating. He also poured himself a glass of the best wine on the table. “I warned them not to do this today.”

Chuuya only rolled his eyes. Telling the parents that their runaway kid was getting married, of course they were going to go berserker.

“They got here sooner than expected,” Mori hummed. “There was another hero that was on the list, what happened to him?”

“Outside, he and Eraserhead created an opening for the birdman to sneak the Bakugous through.”

“That birdie is going to end up as a dead chicken nugget if he decides to use his quirk in here.” Chuuya’s fingers twitched since he felt the cold aura emitting off their host. He could see the ADA people across the room getting up but f*ckuzawa stopped them. Good, if they went to help the Bakugous now they’d be getting on Huang’s bad side. Also, they were in no position to intervene unless a fight actually broke out.

Over there, the yelling had escalated.

“He’s too young to be married. We’re his parents. We are trying to protect him from people who would only harm him, people like you.”

“Funny thing for someone who hits him on a daily basis to say.”

Ah, this was entering the family drama stage. The part where dirty secrets are spilled and everything was a mess.

“Want some?” Dazai raised the wine bottle. Chuuya sighed but pushed a glass over. He added water to half the cup before taking a small sip. It was an offense to water down such good alcohol but he needed to be awake and alert for this. Just in case Huang losed his cool somewhere down the line.

Mori also got a refill as he leaned back into his chair. Taking a plate of food, Dazai snuck over to ADA’s table.

“Hit him?” Bakugou’s mother huffed. “He’s got an ego three time the size of his head. He can’t control himself. Everyone saw how he acted on national television and his temper tantrums cost him not only his reputation but also his spot in heroics. His father and I have been making up for his mistakes. Keep him in check from making more stupid mistakes, like what he is doing right now.”

Her chest was heaving and she shifted in her stance. She was irritated but her posture still suggested that she thought she had control over this situation. “Katsuki, I know you can hear me. You’ve caused a lot of people too much trouble already and you can’t run from your problems forever. This farce ends now. You’re coming home with us and you’re going to start owning up to your wrongdoings, starting with an apology to Izuku and all of your old classmates.”

The bride flinched underneath all those layers of red.

That was an opening for the woman to seize as she continued on. “Don’t you think you’ve embarrassed all of us enough? Once word gets out of what you are doing in Yokohama the media sh*tstorm is going to be ten times worse. They are going to plaster your overdramatic bitchy acts all over the front page and highlight what you did back in middle school.”

That was a threat, a scare tactic. She wasn’t going to actually expose their dirty laundry for all to see but who was to say others won’t? Even Chuuya could figure that out with his knee caps.

“I’m not going back.” Bakugou, who had remained silent up till now, finally spoke up. His hand found Huang’s and they stayed close together. His voice was steady when he said, “I’m marrying him no matter what you say. I don’t know what Midoriya and the others told you but I’m perfectly fine here.”

There was a flash of indignation and bemusem*nt that fleeted past Mrs. Bakugou’s features.

“By perfectly fine you mean dressing up like a girl and hiding behind someone else for the rest of your life? Be a trophy on display and nothing else? I raised you better than that.” She was obviously done with the idle chat and the disobedience from her child. “If anything I should be suing him for harboring a runaway.”

“HE gave me a home when YOU kicked me out of your house.” Bakugou’s voice elevated slightly. Your house. Chuuya saw the same thought moving across Mori’s face. They have seen enough hardship to pick up on the red flags. Bakugou Katsuki didn’t consider his parents’ place to be home.

There wasn’t just a teenage rebellious dispute between the teen and his parents. There was a ridge as wide as the ocean between them.

“Stop it you two,” Mr. Bakugou (Chuuya assumed that had to be the kid’s father) said and there was a tired line in the small wrinkles around his lips. “Please, we’re in public. This is getting out of hand. Katsuki, we need to talk to you. I can understand if you think we’re all against you but you’re barely sixteen, marrying yourself off isn’t a solution. We heard...” Pausing, he seemed unsure to continue but new determination settled in his eyes when he saw how Huang’s expression darkened. “We heard some bad stuff about him. You have to think this through.”

“I did think it through. Why do you assume you know him better than I do?”

“I don’t,” the man admitted. “But a decent person wouldn’t take advantage of others while they are at a low point in their lives.”

“I asked for this. This wedding was my idea. To get away from all of you.” There was a short pause of silence. “I’m not going to become a hero but here I have—”

“And whose fault was that?” Mrs. Bakugou demanded, cutting her son off. The red of her eyes narrowed into slits as she glared at him. “You screwed up first and refused to make amends! Your teacher tried to give you a second chance, Izuku begged them to let you keep a spot you didn’t deserve! Instead of showing gratitude or remorse you just can’t keep your mouth shut and show some restraints. One of these days someone’s going to be seriously hurt and it’s going to be on you! We’re not going to be around to pick up your messes forever!”

Something she said triggered a bad response from the blond teen. Chuuya could see it clear as day. The way he tensed up like a deer caught in the headlights, the lines of his fingers stiffened as they twisted into the fabric of his sleeves, the abrupt silence after a sharp hitch of breath...even if he can’t see his face, Chuuya knew Bakugou was taking a plunge inside his head right now. Glancing at his boss, Chuuya remained in his spot.

Overlapping yelling and shoving, noises, lots of them. The winged hero was having a struggle with the security guards. His feathers were ruffled and puffing up, shifting against each other. Mrs. Bakugou was trying to get past Huang while Mr. Bakugou got pushed back by another security detail. The bride still stood frozen, shoulders trembling slightly.

Something split out from behind the birdman’s back. A flash of red darted across Chuuya’s peripheral vision and shot towards Bakugou Katsuki.

“Ah, f*ck. Here it comes,” Chuuya cursed as he pressed his hat down. Within a split second, he was standing in front of Mori and Elise. Feet placed shoulder width apart as the muscles in his body tensed, ready for a fight.

He heard it.

They all did.

The beast’s roar slammed into everyone’s eardrums. It felt like the sound was resonating within their bones, traveling inward and shaking their very cores. Curling his fists, a spider web of cracks formed on the ground beneath Chuuya’s feet as he felt his brain being shaken. A few other guests fell to the ground as their knees went weak.

Chuuya sucked in a sharp breath. If there was one thing he hated about Huang it was this. The dragon’s roar tapped into a more instinctive portion inside people’s minds, installing fear and numbing its opponents. Huang might have tuned it down this time since no one passed out.

Coiled Dragon was created to kill. The mythical beast had reappeared. Its underside was open wide, strange black matter swirling with pale coloured lines enveloped around its owner and his bride protectively. No one could ignore its presence, not when its mere existence was like the grim reaper’s scythe hanging above their heads.

Red feathers dropped to the ground.

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

No one moved. No one spoked. No one breathed. Death was near and it was pounding on everyone’s doors.

Eyes the size of laundry baskets spun 360 degrees and scanned over all the wedding guests. Finally, those turbid and strange eyes landed on the blond woman in front of them. Mrs. Bakugou had fallen to the ground, her ankle might be sprained.

Her face paled, all the colours and fiery anger drained from her body.

“This circus show had gone on for long enough. It’s my wedding today, I’m not going to spoil it with the filth of blood.” Huang said slowly and steadily, gritting the syllables through his teeth in a dangerously low voice. He pulled Bakugou closer to himself, holding the younger teen tight to comfort him. However, his eyes were the furthest thing from warm. “See the uninvited guests out.”

The security snapped out of their haze and grabbed the Bakugous roughly, pulling and lifting them out the door. The winged hero looked like he wanted to say something but he stopped when the dragon lowered its head and a deep growl originated from the back of its throat. Considering that he tried to snatch the bride, security was the roughest with him. They manhandled him down the hall.

Huang turned back to the wedding reception. He apologized dryly for the disaster and ordered the waiters to bring their stock of champagne for the guests to enjoy. If any of the guests had any complaints, they didn’t voice it publicly. Not when the young owner of Huang Corp looked like he was about to impale a few heads on a stake before feeding the rest of the bodies to his dragon.

The couple excused themselves, saying they needed a short break. The dancers and entertainment came back out, resuming the party.

Mori got up and approached ADA’s table with Chuuya behind him. The ADA members all shifted slightly to make sure Yosano was in the back, furthest away from Mori.

“If you need help keeping the outsiders in line, all you have to do is ask.” The mafia boss smiled politely at f*ckuzawa but the malice was rooted deep in his words.

“We don’t have any issues. That was a family issue between the Bakugous and Huang.” Sighing, f*ckuzawa met Mori’s gaze. “We also wouldn’t be having problems in the first place if you hadn’t agreed to let them into Yokohama.”

“Hard to deny a pair of desperate parents who missed their child.”

“I was talking about the UA students but in any case, Bakugou doesn’t consider them family.” It couldn’t be more obvious that the blond teen wanted to cut ties. Might as well have flat out announced he was disowning them.

“A classic case of control freak parenting that backfired.”

f*ckuzawa scuffed. Like Mori was one to talk. He used his intelligence to abuse and manipulate people for Port Mafia’s gain all the time. Control and strategy were what he did best.

“You know, certain people might have gotten some funny ideas when Huang said he was getting married.” Dazai placed a piece of cake into his mouth. “Who wants to bet if any of the idiots will go after the parents?”

“I think Huang Zeku might thank them if they do,” said Mori.

Dazai smiled but the warmth didn’t reach his eyes. It was the same fake one that Chuuya had seen plastered on the other man’s face all the time when they were still partnered as the infamous Double Black. Chuuya still found it insufferable to have to be in the same room as Dazai.

Thankfully the wedding was coming to an end already. Huang came out to give a short closing speech and the waiters handed out small gifts to the guests.

They never saw the bride again.

Chuuya opened the car door for Mori and Elise while watching ADA getting into their ride as well. He saw Dazai mouthed one word at him.

S. L. U. G.

In return, Chuuya flipped him off before climbing into the car and slamming the door shut.

“Chuuya, tell Akutagawa to keep an eye on the heroes, especially the one with the wings. The Commission is reaching a little too far.” Mori looked out the car, the curves on the edge of his lips were tainted with a dash of cruelty. His fingers tapped along the edge of the car’s window. Elise yawned next to him. “Our deal was with Principal Nezu about the students, not the adult heroes. Eliminate them the next time they step out of line.”

Chuuya tilted his hat down, casting a large shadow over his eyes.

“Yes, Boss.”

Chapter 7

Chapter Text

1

Sir Nighteye really shouldn’t be here.

For the tenth time since he entered Yokohama, he regretted it.

Now, he was a logical man who valued humour. He was a hero with strong ethical standards and level headed enough to know when they were biting off more than they could chew. So imagine his surprise when he got a call from the Principal of UA telling him about how a former UA hero was spotted in Yokohama and they needed help to extract him.

Of course he said no.

Yokohama wasn’t a playground where heroes could come and go as they pleased. It was too dangerous and he didn’t see a reason why his agency (or any hero agencies in fact) should take this case. Bakugou Katsuki was no longer a student of UA and he had personally expressed that he didn’t wish to leave Yokohama. If anything, it should be on his parents to try and persuade him to come home while accompanied by a few police officers. That was a family matter and not a problem that warranted a hero’s involvement. Besides, from the files, it looked like Bakugou was a villain in the making.

If he decided to join the dark side, it only proved that UA made the right call to expel him in the first place. They were busy enough as they were, a runaway in Yokohama who hadn't committed a felony (that they knew of) yet wasn’t on his lists of priorities.

That was what Nigheye thought until he heard that the hero course students were in Yokohama for a field trip. He nearly lost it. He knew the child All Might chose to be his successor was amongst the ranks and Nighteye broke his no contact rule to scream at the No.1 hero. It was the first time they talked since they parted ways but Nighteye simply couldn’t believe how incredibly foolish All Might had been!

Not only did he choose a quirkless child, a boy whose body and mind were both unfit to inherit OFA, to be his successor when Nigheye already had the perfect candidate ready...he also let the kid set foot in Yokohama! What if something happened to Midoriya Izuku while he was in that hellish city? What if he died in a crossfire? Then OFA would die with him!

Nighteye couldn’t have that. That was the only reason why he agreed to accompany the Bakugous and Hawks into Yokohama. He also brought Mirio along just in case, if anything did happen, they could transfer the power right there.

And he wanted to meet Midoriya in person too. Nighteye wanted the boy to know that he was wasting a gift. Mirio was in all ways more suitable to inherit OFA. He made sure of that. He poured so much time and energy to train Mirio into becoming the next symbol of peace.

It wasn't like he believed Midoriya was a bad kid. They just don't have the luxury of time to wait for him to mature. All Might doesn't have that kind of time.

But before he could talk to Midoriya in private, they were hustling to stop a wedding. Nighteye thought the Bakugous had a right to be angry and two teenagers getting married so lavishly also baffled him. He knew he shouldn’t judge but after seeing Bakugou Katsuki’s file, he found this extravagant display quite...strange? Maybe that wasn’t the right term to describe it but he had a premonition of bad feeling hanging over his throat as they got closer to Huang Corp.

The front door was heavily surrounded by bystanders and reporters so they decided to try the back entrance.

Nighteye’s intuition was proven right when he met his match.

There was a man with messy reddish hair. He looked about the same age as them and he obviously didn’t want to fight. According to Aizawa, the man’s name was Oda and he was the students’ tour guide from before.

Oda could read the future just like Nighteye.

Nighteye worked with Aizawa to create an opening in the security’s defense in order for Hawks to move the Bakugous through. The hero’s specialized stamp came into contact with the end of the baton in Oda’s hand again.

“Alright, stop! Stop!” Oda waved, brushing the force of the stamp off and directing it back to Nighteye, who caught it. The Yokohama man scratched his head as he sighed. “We don’t really need to fight any more do we?”

The two heroes stopped attacking but they were still on guard.

“Well, now I know why Huang asked me to be part of the security group today.” The man sat down on the stairs outside the backdoor. The alley they were in was narrow and dimly lit but all three men adjusted well enough. “If you all went through this is going to be a disaster inside.”

“Why are you helping him?” Aizawa questioned coldly while his brows pinched together.

“...Because Huang Zeku is paying me and I got mouths to feed?” Oda looked at him with a strangely innocent look. “And it’s a wedding, it’s not like he’s asking me to kill somebody for him.”

“Those are two minors getting married...wouldn’t anyone inside Huang Corp object?” Any sensible adult should have objected. Nighteye still couldn’t get over how two teenagers were pulling this off. He knew Huang Corp was probably loaded but to spend this amount of wealth...Bakugou didn’t have the best reputation. It seemed suicidal for a company to be associated with him and announce it in such a manner right now.

Oda gave it some thought (or maybe he activated his ability). “I don’t think it would impact the company a lot. Huang produced the best products in the business. People wouldn’t bet their health just to boycott them. Also, you got an objection, you talk to the dragon first.”

That answer silenced the heroes. It didn’t take very long before they heard a roar that seemed to be banging on their hearts directly. Nighteye had to stabilize himself against the brick wall as it felt like his heart was about to explode against his sternum.

They then heard the commotion racking down upon them. Oda turned around and got out of the way, allowing the heroes to see who was coming out. There was a bulky man like the hulk stomping towards them while dragging a bristling Hawks. He shoved the winged hero out the door roughly. Very soon, both of the Bakugous were tossed out too. They tumbled down the short steps and landed on the dusty street.

“Today is a big day for our boss,” the large man spat. Menacing tattoos were inked over his bald head. “I don’t care if you are the bride’s biological parents or not. You have a problem, you come back tomorrow and book a meeting with reception.”

With that, the door slammed shut in front of their faces.

“What happened?” Nighteye asked as he helped Hawks get back on his feet.

The younger hero coughed, teeth chattering as he squeezed out a reply. “...I think we pissed off the groom and almost made the bride cry. Also, that was one terrifying kid with his pet dragon.”

He must be referring to the owner of the company.

Nighteye saw the paleness on the Bakugous’ faces while they scrambled to get up. He still had some time left on his quirk so he took a peek at their future. Not too far, just a day into the time ahead.

He blamed his own morbid curiosity.

Sighing, Nighteye really didn’t like what he saw.

Yep, he absolutely regretted coming here.

2

“You all look horrible,” the waitress of the cafe commented when she saw the hero class students filed in one by one. She had thick red hair that she kept as two braids down her back and turquoise green eyes. Her bangs were neatly tucked under the white headpiece and she turned around, grabbing a blue apron off the racks before she started chatting up Atsushi. “Were they trying to sneak out of the hotel again?”

“Lucy...come on, they’ve been through a lot.” Atsushi scratched his head sheepishly. He helped her push the chairs and tables together so it could fit everyone. “And they didn’t get in trouble this time. They just had a sparring match with their senpai. This is Togata Mirio.”

“Hello!” Togata greeted her cheerfully but she only scowled at him. Her coldness didn’t crush Togata’s spirits though. The blond teen found a spot and sat down, still smiling easily.

“What did you do to them?” They all looked like they were having menstrual cramps. Lucy handed out menus and changed the sign to Closed on the door. They wouldn’t have space for any additional customers.

“Just showed them how my quirk worked.”

The teenagers groaned, a chorus of weak wails rang through the group while they all held onto their stomachs. They didn’t really know why they would have extra training even though they were on a field trip. But after the Bakugous left with the other heroes, they were told that the adults would be helping the husband and wife to retrieve Bakugou Katsuki. That made some of them relaxed a bit. If the heroes were going to take care of it then everything should be alright. Even the No.3 hero was here! Surely they would be able to deal with whatever trouble Bakugou got himself into.

Some of them still feel uneasy when they close their eyes. It was as if the blood was still sticking to their skins and the ripped up flesh laid out on display right in front of their eyes.

Vlad King seemed to have noticed the tension and nervous restlessness in the atmosphere.

“If you all have extra energy to spare, here’s a perfect opportunity for you all to see what your senior could do.” The man gestured towards Togata and that was how everyone ended up clenching their stomachs.

Togata was strong. His quirk wasn’t invincible and he had to work hard to be able to let it do even one simple task. Even though they hadn’t spent much time together yet, the kids could tell that his strength and character were both admirable. It was 40 on 1 but they still got wiped out.

Then they watched as Kyouka, a girl from ADA, had a go at Togata. Kyouka was petite and only fourteen but she was the one who caught Midoriya and Kirishima before they could sneak out of the hotel. She wore a white headband and kept her dark hair in twin-tails with flower shaped hairpins. Dressed in a red kimono, they were all taken aback by how fast and agile she could move. But most of her attacks passed through Togata without harming him.

They didn’t decide on a winner but it was evident to both classes that they still had a long way to go.

“Kyouka-chan is really strong,” Tsuyu complimented while Lucy handed out everyone’s drink orders. “Togata-senpai too.”

“I almost got cut a few times,” Togata agreed. He would have suffered damages if she had attacked with the sharp end of her sword.

“Kyouka’s ability is kind of like Dark Shadow, don’t you guys think?” Yaoyorozu said as she carefully took a sip of her hot jasmine tea.

“...It’s different.” Kyouka shook her head but she didn’t go into further details. She really wasn't much of a talker. The hero students all knew that the ability users in Yokohama generally don’t have any interest in explaining how their powers worked so they didn’t press any further.

“Hey,” Kaminari tried to lighten up the mood by speaking up. “Don’t you guys think the streets are kind of empty outside today? Where did all the people go?”

“Maybe they are busy? It’s not the weekend,” Iida pointed out. Not everyone got the luxury of enjoying a summer break. Adults still have to work and they could see a few office workers hurrying outside, probably salesmen running to their next clients.

“Oh, that’s because they are—” Lucy started but Atsushi placed a hand on her shoulder, causing the girl to tense up and eyed him strangely.

“—It must be the weather! It’s too hot today so people don’t like to stay outside,” Atsushi said easily but everyone could tell he was lying through his teeth. While the sun was out, there was also a constant breeze that made it ideal weather for a picnic or other outdoor activities.

“...Ok, if you say so.” Shinsou stuck his fork into his pancakes while his free hand reached for the remote.

Another hand grabbed it first. The purple haired teen looked up and saw the teacher for class B looking down at him.

“Excuse me, Vlad-sensei. Can I please have the remote?”

“I don’t think too much TV is good for you kids.”

Something was really weird here. Vlad hadn’t scolded anyone during their trip here for being addicted to their devices but he had confiscated their phones before the sparring match with Togata and now this? Monoma and a few others shared a glance.

“Sensei is right, we should use this opportunity for better things.” Being the serious class president, Iida stood up to get everyone’s attention. “What about a discussion to reflect on how we could have taken down Togata-senpai?”

That got everyone else’s attention.

“Hey, I’m still here, you know?” Togata let out a hearty laugh but he didn’t stop them.

Soon, the little cafe was filled with discussions of how the two classes could have combined a few quirks and how they should petition for more martial arts training in their curriculums. They have seen first hand how ability users could fight without their powers already. Midoriya also started rambling and muttering in the corner as he tried to theorize Togata's quirk.

Everything was going calmly and smoothly.

It was the first time since they ran into Bakugou that they all seemed to be able to relax. They had never been so close to death before and seeing their old classmate, one who got kicked out of school for unheroic behaviors, mingling with a murderer didn’t help lift their spirits. They don’t like Bakugou for what he did to Midoriya but they don’t...necessarily wanted to see him trash his life and become a villain either.

“Lucy! Can you help me get the door?” an old man in a delivery uniform yelled from outside the opened window. The girl went over and held the door open for him while he wheeled in a cart of boxed coffee beans.

A few of the students went to help him unload and he thanked them.

“That’s your supply for the week,” he told Lucy and handed her a clipboard. “Sign here and we’re good to go.”

“Thank you.” She wrote down her name and gave the clipboard back.

“I’ll be on my way then, tell the Manager I said hi. Oops!” As he turned around, his sleeve got caught on the remote Vlad set down on the side table and it slammed to the ground. The TV buzzed to life and upbeat music flowed out.

Atsushi scrambled towards the remote but Kirishima picked it up first.

“Kirishima, please give that to me now,” the detective teen said with a sense of urgency. “Kyouka!”

The girl leaped up to the TV and tried to shut it off from there but everyone in the room all caught a glimpse of the headline already.

HUANG CORP CEO MARRYING TEEN BRIDE.

“...What?” Todoroki’s eyes widened with shock since he was the closest to the TV and got a clear view of it before Kyouka blocked it with her body. There was a crack in his usual icy expression.

The TV got turned off but the students were in shock.

“Sensei! Atsushi-san! What is going on?” Midoriya got up so fast that his chair almost toppled over and asked shakily. “Huang Corp’s CEO...isn’t that Huang Zeku?”

The pro hero and the ADA staff shared a look before they both turned to them. “We didn’t think it was good for you to know about this.”

“Know about what?” It was a stupid question. They could all guess what was coming. Teen bride. Who else could that be?

Atsushi turned the TV back on in silence.

The news report showed a live feed from Suribachi City. People were smiling and dancing while the firecrackers went off, the sounds of cracking explosions mixed into the joyous music in the background. There was a parade of nicely dressed people in red uniforms. There was a band with them and multiple dancers too. Fancy carriages and polished cars strolled down the street. It looked festive but the camera’s focus was on a red sedan chair.

It was a work of art, much more extravagant and intricate than the ones they saw in Chinese dramas. They saw Huang Zeku standing in front of Huang Corp. He was dressed well, looking sharp and much more energetic than when they saw him last time. A few of the girls let out a small ooh because the older teen did have a handsome face. He was tall and lean too, with lush long hair darker than fine ink.

He wasn't the tradition Prince Charming on a white horse but the flaming red and the lingering sharpness of danger only made him more attractive. The deadly kind.

The bride stepped out of the sedan chair. The red of the bridal gown stunned everyone speechless. It was a breathtaking wedding gown. Layers of rose red piled upon each other but the tailored cut made sure it wouldn’t make the wearer look puffy. Intricate golden patterns covered the silk and there was a glittering gleam when the translucent layers caught the sun at just the right angles. Even if they couldn’t see the bride’s face clearly, they still couldn’t find their tongues and they could only gawk at the TV screen.

When the bride started walking, they could see the jewels and dangling chains on the slender figure swayed.

“...Is that Bakugou?” Uraraka questioned with uncertainty. The bride on the screen looked so graceful and moved with an elegant confidence, like a foreign princess.

“I think so?”

“Look, they have his name in the news.”

“This is Sugai Yasuko reporting live in front of Huang Corp. As you can see, everyone is in a festive mood today! The people of Suribachi City are all cheering and congratulating the young owner of the company.”

They saw employees come out to distribute candies and people yelling their blessings. Compliments and flowers were tossed at the couple.

Bakugou Katsuki and Huang Zeku were getting married.

“Hold on a sec! How could Bakugou be getting married?” Sero exclaimed in disbelief.

“And he’s marrying that guy? As the bride?”

The rest of them couldn’t believe their eyes either. Bakugou had always been more traditionally masculine in the way he carried himself. He was hot tempered and head strong, prideful too. They would have never imagined him dressing up and taking a more submissive role besides a criminal.

A rough hand landed on Midoriya’s shoulder, pinning him in place before the teen could move an inch.

“Sensei?" the freckled teen asked with wide eyes.

“Nope, not a word from you.” Vlad forced him back down in his chair. “You have a history of running towards trouble and you have already been warned to not enter Suribachi. Eraserhead and Bakugou’s parents are already on their way. You all need to stay here and let the adults handle things.”

“But...”

“No buts.” The man scanned the crowd with a strong authority booming in his voice. “No one’s leaving on my watch. You can’t help with the situation and we all know Huang is not friendly towards any of you.”

Midoriya looked down, he couldn’t argue with that. The dragon wielder certainly didn’t like them. He wanted to bolt over and ask Bakugou what he was thinking. Sure, Bakugou had always refused to meet him eye to eye and he was insufferable most of the time but a small part of Midoriya still hoped that his childhood friend that he looked up to was still in there. Somewhere. Maybe underneath all those angry words and harsh shoves that Bakugou could change for the better.

Bakugou was a bully but he wasn’t a murderer.

While everyone’s attention was captured by the wedding on TV, Kirishima’s hand landed on the doorknob.

But in the blink of an eye, the scenery in front of him changed.

“Whoah! What happened?” the redhead yelped. They were standing on a checkered floor and the surroundings looked like the inside of a giant dollhouse. There were tea party sets, large present boxes, and other childish objects. The walls were also painted in pastel blue, almost like a nursery.

“What is this?” Jirou gasped. All of them felt miniature in comparison to the toys around them.

Monoma stood from the ground. He was still holding his coffee. “This is...an ability?”

“That’s impossible!” Kendo surveyed around them. “This place looks like a whole different dimension!”

“Principal Nezu did say that abilities usually are more potent than quirks.” Midoriya got over his initial shock as he carefully took in the details around them. He didn’t touch anything just to be safe but he and Todoroki stood back to back as they observed the place.

“It's my ability. None of you are getting out." Lucy stood across from them. She sent a sniddy glare at Atsushi, who probably asked her to help.

"What’s the meaning of this?” Vlad growled dangerously. Beside him, Togata was half naked and trying to pull his pants back up. He shook his head at the pro hero. The blond teen probably tried to phase out but couldn’t.

This place was a dimension sealed off from the world.

"Think of it as a safety measure," Kyouka stood by a white door that was strangely out of place. Her face remained stoic as she placed her hands in front of her loosely. “Dazai said you might do something stupid again if you learned about the wedding. You won’t be of any help if you tried to crash it.”

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Atsushi added sincerely. His kind gaze didn’t waver as the students all stared at him. “But please stay here until the wedding is over. I’m sure Bakugou would explain everything to your teacher and his parents...I hope.”

He mumbled the last portion of his sentence and Lucy rolled her eyes behind him.

“You can try all you want but your attacks won’t work here. Nothing can hurt Anne in my kingdom,” she snapped her fingers and a pair of giant wooden hands appeared behind her. Was that part of her power too? How could that be?

Midoriya could feel the gears inside his brain turning at high speed as he tried to figure out exactly what the girl’s ability could do.

A few of the hero kids, seeing that they weren’t in imminent danger, sat down or moved around to study the place.

“I mean, it’s not like we’re going to rush to Suribachi and object to the wedding.” Monoma touched one of the teacups and felt the cold porcelain underneath his fingers. “Technically Bakugou could do anything he wants with his life right? If he wants to get married, that’s his choice. If he chose to marry a criminal...well, it doesn’t look like it’d end well for him.”

“Hey!” Kirishima shouted in a low threat.

“What? I’m only stating the facts.” The blond turned to face them, voice bland with just the barest amount of curiosity underneath it. “And that’s what a lot of people are probably thinking right now. If he chose to do evil, of course he should expect to be apprehended by the justice system...if they could pin anything good on him that is. Besides, why do you people care so much about if he’s well or not? I thought you all hated his guts for bullying Midoriya.”

The green haired teen frowned when his name was mentioned.

“Why are you all so hung up about him?” Monoma pressed further.

“...It just feels unfair, you know?” Uraraka answered with her eyebrows twisted in a knot. She glanced at the original Deku protection squad then stared back at Monoma. “It feels unfair that after everything he did to Izuku-kun, all those nasty words, every punch and every insult he spewed, after all those years of physical and emotional abuse and he merely…walks away? Turn the page and start fresh? He never apologized to Izuku-kun for what he did and he never acknowledged what he did was wrong either. It’s not fair that he can just brush everything off and keep living a good life.”

“Midoriya finally stood up to his lifelong tormentor and Bakugou just vanished. Walked away from it all like it didn’t impact him at all and left everything unresolved.” Todoroki nodded in agreement. “We just want some answers.”

“So you want revenge?” Awase from class B suggested with some doubt.

“NO!” Midoriya yelled with tears threatening to roll out from his eyes. “I-I mean, yeah at one point I did. He was very cruel and screamed at me a lot when unprovoked before we got into UA but I don’t want to see him siding with the villains either. I can’t stop feeling like it’s my fault that he turned dark.”

Monoma opened his mouth as if he had more to retort but Kendo chopped him behind his neck and his body went limp.

“Sorry, Yokohama has been a lot on all of us,” she apologized as she dragged him back towards where most of the class B kids were.

“I...I don’t really get what is going on but Midoriya, I don’t think going after Bakugou right now would be a good idea.” Togata placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He hadn’t been paying much attention to the school gossip but from what he heard, most of the student body thought it was good that Bakugou was gone. “There are a lot of reporters and cameras there. I’m sure Sir and Eraserhead would figure something out. We shouldn’t interfere with their work.”

There was a long moment of silence before the green haired boy rubbed the bridge of his nose as if that would hold back his tears. When he looked up again, there was a shine in his large green eyes.

“Senpai, we won’t do anything brash,” he promised. “But can I ask you for a favor?”

3

It was hard to pinpoint when exactly their relationship consisting of convenience and a mutual desire to not kick the bucket turned into something more. If Katsuki was being completely honest, he would say it started with a river of blood.

The Military Police were after Zeku. They wanted to learn the secret behind Coiled Dragon’s power. When normal recruitment and their spies failed, they tried to take what they wanted by force. It was a surprise blitz operation. From when they decided to launch an attack to when they actually arrived, only about half an hour had passed. Katsuki didn’t have enough time to write up a script so they had to improvise.

Zeku went all out. Not just Coiled Dragon, he also had to transform and joined the battle himself. The Hunting Dogs weren’t enemies that could be underestimated. Thankfully the one leading the operation wasn’t their captain. If that man was here, things would be even more complicated. Katsuki stayed further away because he knew his presence would get detected too easily.

He kept monitoring the battle and twisted reality as he saw fit. For instance, Coiled Dragon’s roars couldn’t actually instill paralyzing fear in people. That part was Katsuki’s doing. Blood was everywhere. The normal military police members were easy enough to deal with but they had the advantage of numbers.

In short, it was a gruesome battle that ended with Huang Corp being painted red and the remains of military personnels scattered against the ruined walls.

They won but Zeku and Katsuki also paid a heavy price.

When Zeku opened his eyes, he saw Katsuki’s concerned face hovering over him and the ceiling of his bedroom.

“Don’t get up yet.” The blond stopped him from moving. He dabbed a wet towel along the older boy’s face.

“The Hunting Dogs...” Zeku’s voice sounded like it had been grinded on a piece of sandpaper. His head felt light but there was a pounding inside his temples as he laid half naked on the bed. Layers of clean bandages wrapped around his chest and right shoulder while the smell of antiseptics and medicine tainted the air.

“You won. They retreated.” Katsuki removed the towel from Zeku’s forehead. There was a plastic basin of murky red water next to him, the water had been dirtied as he was trying to clean the blood off Zeku. “I don’t think your core is damaged but Coiled Dragon’s got cut. You will have to fix it yourself later.”

He collected the pieces of Coiled Dragon’s core and they were sitting at the foot of the bed. Since no one else in the world knew how cores worked, Zeku would have to repair it later.

Exhaling, Zeku tried to push himself up but he was forced to stop when he felt the excruciating pain running through every fiber of his being. He grunted, sealing the pained noises back inside his throat. Katsuki helped support him when he saw the slight trembles along Zeku’s muscles.

When the pain receded some more, Zeku sat up completely with pillows behind his back. His face was pale from the blood lost and a thin layer of cold sweat covered his bare skin.

“They’re not dead.” He injured them but he doesn’t remember if any of the Hunting Dogs swallowed their last breaths.

Katsuki nodded. “They escaped through the abandoned underground train tunnels. I tried to bury them with an accidental gas pipe burst but those damn bastards are tough. The good thing is that with all the injuries they sustained, they should be out of commission for a considerable amount of time in the near future.”

The blond didn’t like doing this often. He aspired to be a hero but certain things were just out of his control. If he didn’t kill them, they would come back and cause more damage. The Military Police would try to get what they wanted through any means necessary. He knew that if a villain was holding someone hostage, the Hunting Dogs would kill the hostage along with the criminal if that was the most efficient solution.

All for the greater good.

“The cover story the government provided for today’s raid is about terrorists. The PR department already posted that you aren’t dead and are in recovery.” Katsuki wanted to roll his eyes. The news about ability users was generally kept a secret from the unsuspecting public. The military and the government wouldn’t want to lose face in front of the citizens either. They would never admit that they attacked Huang Corp to force the young owner into creating weapons for them.

The older teen scowled. “This city is a f*cking sh*tshow.”

He doesn’t swear often but Yokohama itself was a special type of stressor. It also didn’t help that the person he talked to the most was Katsuki.

“At least they got the message to leave Suribachi and you alone this time.” Katsuki lifted a small bowl of brown liquid to Zeku’s lips. Zeku took it and drained it in one large gulp. He was tired and there were still pieces of dried blood in his long hair. The horrible taste of the medicine made the crease between his eyebrows deepen.

“If they come back again, I’m going to make sure they stay dead.”

“About that...Actually, I have been meaning to talk to you about something,” the blonde said softly, almost hesitant even. It wasn’t like him to be this irresolute. Katsuki pulled out a silver key the length of his palm. It had a simple flowerlike design. “I said I would find you a way back and here it is. This key is your ticket back to your world. It’s a one time use so you should heal up before you go but here it is.”

How he made this key was something that he would rather not disclose in detail. But in summary, he basically took teleportation quirks and mixed it with time manipulation abilities. Powers regarding space and time were hard to find, even less so when he didn’t want to hurt anyone. Katsuki would never create a person out of thin air and then rob them of their powers just for his convenience. And he had to be careful about the stories he weaved too. He wouldn’t want to cause a war or innocent people to get hurt. That was why it took him so long even though he had the ability to change reality.

Katsuki extended the key towards Zeku.

Zeku didn’t take it immediately. He stared at the key in silence and then lifted his gaze to meet Katsuki’s eyes. “What will happen to you and the company after I leave?”

“...You can pass it off to the vice president Mr. Amuro and Mrs. Kadonaga from the labs department. They are good people, I checked. And if they start turning corrupt. I can always remove them with an accident or two. After this battle, everybody in Yokohama should know not to mess with Huang Corp. As long as I pretend to be you or let some people see a dragon from time to time then they will think you are still around, protecting Suribachi.” Fake it till he made it. Most people were easy to fool. “As for me, I will live my life as it is. Yokohama doesn’t need a ruler. Maybe I’ll just check in from time to time and secretly kick some bastard’s asses if they try to mess with the peace.”

Things were looking better for Suribachi City. People had decent jobs, new buildings were being constructed, there were less fighting and crimes in the streets...everything was heading in a good direction.

Katsuki scratched his head with his free hand. “Why the long face? I thought you would be happier about finally being able to go back. Take it.”

Zeku slowly shook his head and pushed the key back.

“You don’t want to go back?” That was a surprise.

“I do but now’s not the time. Who is to say that the Hunting Dogs or someone else won’t try again? The company also needs someone to stabilize things.” As far as everyone else knew, Huang Corp was a one man show, with Zeku as the ringleader. If Zeku left, the stock might plummet and Suribachi City wouldn’t be as neatly organized. Not to mention they’d leave themselves wide open to Port Mafia’s scheming plans.

Zeku set the empty bowl down. He could still taste the bitterness of the medicine in his mouth but it helped distract his mind from the pain.

“I can create an illusion that you are still around Yokohama...just not that involved with the company anymore. Sure, things might be rocky at first but we hired good people. I’ll help them pull through in secret.” Katsuki doesn’t trust anyone else with his secret but he could help them overcome obstacles from behind the scenes.

People with less than kind intentions would lose interest in Huang Corp soon too. Huang Corp doesn’t produce cores or weapons. They only produce prosthetics and nothing else. The underground powers wouldn’t be as interested in them once they knew the genius was gone.

All of the blueprints were inside Zeku’s head. He knew how to create cores from scratch. That was the reason why he wasn’t dead yet. The Military Police don’t want him dead. They needed him alive so they could force him to spill the secrets to his body modification, not just realistic looking replacement limbs.

Katsuki also noticed someone dangerous made it to Yokohama again. He had seen that man coming and going from time to time. A Russian man with messy black hair, tired purple eyes, and a fluffy white ushanka hat...he was a rat waiting to feast on the flesh and blood of Yokohama.

Danger.

Danger.

That man was more dangerous than any of the criminals Katsuki had seen before.

One touch and his victims died. He plotted and planned, manipulating everyone like puppets on strings with such spine chilling ease. His intelligence was in rivalry with Dazai’s and he was even more cruel.

Dirty secrets and sinister plans, the Russian had despicable goals.

And he needed The Book to achieve his dreams.

Goosebumps climbed along Katsuki’s exposed skin as he tried to shake the uneasy feeling. He won’t get caught. He can’t get caught by that guy.

He’d kill himself first before he got caught.

The Book’s powers must never fall into the wrong hands.

“I’m serious. We’ll be fine here. You...you should go back to your world,” Katsuki tried again, pushing the key towards Zeku. At least there Zeku wouldn’t have to worry about so many things. Katsuki had been selfish. He pushed the older boy onto a stage of blood and tragedies that he shouldn’t be responsible for. Zeku could have lived quietly but instead, he was forced into one dangerous confrontation after another. And starting a company wasn’t an easy task either. Starting a company in Suribachi City of all places was an even harder challenge.

And he knew that Zeku didn’t like socializing either. The other boy wasn’t an extrovert who enjoyed dealing with people or helping others out of the pure good of his heart.

But he still did it because Katsuki told him to.

The responsibility of it all was a heavy burden that Zeku shouldered for his sake. It was enough. Things were only going to get more dangerous from here. Katsuki shouldn’t keep Zeku tied into this mess any longer.

He knew this day was coming. Zeku didn’t belong to this world so he was destined to leave. Katsuki should know when enough was enough. Zeku bought him time to get stronger and prepare things. The people of Suribachi found hope and a new meaning to living instead of continuing to wallow in endless poverty and violence.

There might have been something budding between them. A small twinge of electricity flowed through their fingertips whenever they held hands and sometimes they couldn't meet each other’s eyes while the edge of their ears turned pink.

But he can’t be selfish.

He needed to let Zeku go. Be free from the evil and sins of Yokohama while he still had a chance.

“Are you telling me to run?” Zeku frowned. They didn’t win in his opinion. He didn’t kill the Hunting Dogs, which meant this wasn’t over yet.

“It’s not like that. I know you don’t like what I have been making you do and a lot of the sh*tty things in Yokohama aren't your problem. You can finally be free now,” Katsuki said while keeping his voice calm.

Zeku only stared at him in silence. He reached for the key in the blond boy’s hand.

This was what he was waiting for. A chance to go back to his world, where he belonged. He never liked those manipulative bastards in this city anyways. It was always a pain having to deal with them. The lies, the masks, the sweet words and the daggers hidden underneath...he didn’t like pretending and it was tiring trying to outthink everybody the whole time. The friendly face could be a trap. The helping hand was waiting to push them down the abyss.

This was what Katsuki had to witness every single second of his life.

What would happen to Katsuki once Zeku was gone?

Zeku casted his eyes away from the silvery key to the pale hand holding it.

He doesn’t dislike Bakugou Katsuki. The younger boy had been brutally honest from the start, he wanted to use Zeku and his plans basically made Zeku a target. He had seen how bad Yokohama was too. It was even worse than the slums back home.

Zeku knew what he was signing up for.

He wasn’t unfamiliar with looks of adoration. Some would say he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Of course, they weren’t wrong. His family owned a successful company and he got lucky when it came to the draw of genetics. People liked him because he was his father’s son and because he didn’t lack physical beauty or intelligence.

The people back home were obsessed with the tournament. The champion was the one who stood above the entire population. The strongest. The monarchy. Everything associated with the champion was adored.

When the crowds looked at the champion, they saw the symbol of power and they would go crazy with the cheers.

But they didn't care who the champion was. All they saw was the title.

Here, the fights didn’t involve speculators or bright spotlights. Everything was kept shrouded in secrecy and shadows. Yet, whenever Zeku won a battle, Katsuki would look enlivened. He’d welcome him back with a hot meal and comforting smiles, looking proud and almost like he didn’t see anyone or anything else, like he could see more than just a flashy title. Zeku doesn’t really remember when was the last time someone else looked at him like that. He was his father’s son so it was expected that he would win in battles.

And he wasn’t completely against theatrics during a fight. That was what the tournament was all about anyways. It was simply a way to demonstrate the power of Huang.

Katsuki said he would make Zeku a legend and he did. Staying up late at night to refine the plans, travelling back and forth between Yokohama and Musutafu, teaching Zeku things about this world, sifting through the endless sea of information and tracking all the important players and their plans...he was serious about bringing peace to Yokohama.

They fooled everybody.

Zeku wouldn’t say that life here was horrible. This world had so much life, so many possibilities. It was different. Their technologies were also intriguing. Whenever he looked up, he’d see the limitless blue sky. The heavens here were broad and free from the obstruction of countless buildings or metal wires, like there were endless possibilities waiting beyond those clouds.

They built something here, something no one thought could be done. Zeku might not like crowds or dealing with people but he could see the changes. When he first got here, the streets were littered with drug addicts and sullen faces worn down by the hardships of life. Now, there was a renewed vitality bouncing on everyone’s faces.

It felt different. Coiled Dragon was made to destroy but here, Zeku was using it to construct something.

There was still good in Yokohama. Like diamonds left scattered in the dirt, covered in dust and grime.

Bakugou Katsuki shined the brightest of them all.

He had a will stronger than steel. Even if all the evil in the world was trying to drown him, he could still smile with such radiant confidence that he was going to be a hero. He was going to change Yokohama despite all the pain he had to suffer through and risk the chance of exposing himself.

The boy wasn’t evil but he forced himself to be ruthless and made the tough calls. Even though he made it clear that he was only using Zeku, he still went out of his way to accommodate Zeku’s wishes (with a lot of cursing along the way of course).

They cooperated well enough. Due to the nature of Katsuki’s powers, it required them to be in sync with each other. It was strange and awkward at first but slowly, knowing that there was someone waiting for him to bring home victory, knowing that there was a safety net waiting even if he slipped up...it wasn’t all that bad.

Zeku guided Katsuki’s hand to curl around the key and pushed it back to the blond, rejecting it despite the confused look on the other boy’s face.

Crazy. Maybe.

The people back in his world called Zeku a psycho anyways.

“Splitter, the Usurper.”

Katsuki blinked, puzzled by what Zeku meant. “What?”

“That’s what people called my father.” He hadn’t talked much about his family before. Didn't see a need for it until now. “My father was a champion. He brutally dissected his challengers and the battle that won him the champion’s title, pieces of his opponent scattered onto the first few rows in the audience’s stand. Hence, the Splitter.”

The medicine was strong. It might have been the product of some kind of healing quirk or ability. Katsuki knew everything about Yokohama, of course he knew where the good stuff was and how to get them. Zeku could feel the itch in his wounds as his flesh healed under the influence of both the medicine and his core’s regenerating properties. It felt like there were ants chewing on his veins and tearing into his muscle tissues.

“They call me the Champion Killer.” He lifted his head to maintain eye contact with Katsuki. “I killed my father.”

The three simple words lingered heavily in the air.

Katsuki tightened his fist, the edge of the metal key dug into his palm. “...Why are you telling me that now?”

“I’m a wanted fugitive back there.” Zeku shrugged. They still had some form of law and order back in his world and killing outside of the tournament wasn’t generally allowed. “I still have some unfinished business there so I have to go back at one point. But now’s not the time. I’m still too weak. There are strong people here and fighting them is better training than what I can find back home.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I need you to make this key a roundtrip ticket.” He really wasn’t used to this sentimental stuff. Zeku coughed as he felt some of his strength returning. “After I tie up loose ends there, I’ll come back.”

Katsuki jolted but he stopped himself as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why?”

“I don’t want to live the rest of my life as a criminal in hiding?” Zeku tried.

That earned him a punch to his uninjured shoulder.

“You suck at lying. Like you would care about the police coming after you? If you become the champion then that won’t even be a problem at all!” The blond threw the key at him violently. “I don’t need you to worry about me. Hurry up and heal then use that f*cking key to get home, dumbass. I packed some sh*t I think you might need in the storage but you should check if you need anything else.”

Zeku had been away from his world for a few years. If he suddenly went back it was better for him to go prepared. If he was also a fugitive then having precious metal or scarce objects that he could pawn off for money would be even better.

Katsuki turned around to stomp out of the room.

Zeku grabbed his wrist tightly. “You really want to go back to facing the bastards alone?”

There were too many people looking for The Book. While not all of them were motivated by evil, they all had the same craze in their eyes when talking about it. They had desires and dreams, and the shine in their eyes reflected an endless abyss of greed.

Even if it was just an innocent wish, if Katsuki granted it for one person what reason would he have to not grant it for another? For instance, a parent who lost their child and a wife who lost her spouse...which of them deserved to have their loved one back? How could Katsuki say someone's pain and suffering deserved to be eased more than another's?

And if he changed fate once, why couldn't he do it again? In fact, why not just erase death all together? What about diseases and famine?

The Book doesn’t work like that.

People won’t care.

They just wanted more.

“That’s my problem,” he huffed while trying to release himself from the iron grip. The corners of his lips sagged when he realized he couldn’t get free.

“It became mine too when you roped me into this mess.”

“You did your part already! Stop being a stubborn idiot and go home when you can.”

“So you can go back to crying and shaking in a dark corner at night?”

“I don’t do that!” Katsuki shouted while his cheeks turned red. He glared at Zeku but the latter only raised an eyebrow at him, completely not buying the bull crap Katsuki spewed. Zeku had seen it, seen how the noises and images inside Katsuki’s head overwhelmed him and forced him up at night. When that happened, Zeku would go to stop the source of the problem. “I—”

He choked back his words when he felt his tongue burning. Clasping a hand over his mouth, he forced himself to shut up in case he said something he would regret. The heat spread along the surface of his tongue and he could see the faint silver glow leaking from between the cracks of his fingers.

“We’ve played by your script up till now so listen to me for once.” Zeku was proud but he wasn’t ungrateful. He knew that his life here would have been a lot harder if Katsuki didn’t help him.

Katsuki’s hand found Zeku’s. Fingers tapped along the back of the dark haired boy’s arm in code.

“I don’t know if I can make it happen.”

Parallel universes were tricky and he doesn’t want to bring misery to or harm other people. The Book can’t do anything illogical either. He can’t simply create a passage between two worlds from nothing.

“I can wait,” Zeku insisted. “You haven’t even tried yet. You can grant miracles. Grant one for me. I want to stay. For us.”

”For us.”

He was serious.

The blond opened his mouth but no sound came out. There were no words to describe how he felt at the moment.

Katsuki knew he shouldn’t trust it. People would swear up and down that they would never change their minds but time eventually would have eroded everything away. Circ*mstances change and people change. He could tie Zeku here and then what? Eventually this would drive a wedge between them and Zeku would want to leave. In the end he would be alone again so why bother with the aggravation in the first place?

But...

The blond teen had imagined what life would be like if people found out about his connection to The Book. None of it ended well for him.

People always want something. Whether they deserve it or not, they always wanted so much more. He had heard stupid wishes, innocent wishes, evil wishes, and a hell lot of other things in between.

This was the first time he heard someone make a wish that didn’t benefit them at all. In fact, it would only throw Zeku himself into more danger.

“It's dangerous.” He tapped again. Zeku could still back out now. He had not attracted attention from ability users overseas yet and Port Mafia was still busy dealing with their own situation to care about him. The government might begin discussions with the foreign organizations about Coiled Dragon after tonight. To them, he single handedly drove off the Hunting Dogs, that made him a recognizable threat.

“You never had a problem with using me as your shield. Coiled Dragon’s defense is...it will need some more work but it lasted us this long.” Zeku pulled Katsuki’s hand away from his mouth. There was still silver on his tongue. It painted intricate curves along the surface of that pale red flesh, almost like a branded crest. The silver looked as if it was made of liquid, flowing and changing patterns. “They can’t get to you so long as I am still here.”

Zeku wiped away the droplet of tears slipping out from the corner of Katsuki’s eyes with his thumb. Leaning forward, their foreheads were almost touching.

“Why are you crying again?”

“...I can’t stop...this is all your fault...” Sniffling, Katsuki couldn’t stop the flow of hot tears escaping down his cheeks. Great, now he really couldn’t stop. Turning his head away, he saw the red of Zeku’s earrings and strands of black hair brushed by his exposed skin. A hand cupped his chin and moved him back.

The rest of his sobbing was sealed away by a kiss. It wasn’t anything lewd. Their lips pressed together for a brief moment but it felt like a seal being burnt into place.

Katsuki liked how Zeku would hold him from behind and whispered against his ear. The older boy was horrible at coming up with sweet nothings but hearing his voice made Katsuki feel warm.

He...didn’t really have a good grasp on what love should look like. The situations shown in movies and books didn’t seem like they were applicable in their situation. But he did feel a kind of fuzzy warmth that people kept talking about how it should come naturally with being in love.

He felt it when Zeku won a battle and the blood dripped down his face. He’d pushed his blood drenched hair back and mouthed a silent “I won”, knowing that Katsuki would get the message no matter how far away he was. The foreigner bled for Yokohama, for Katsuki.

He felt it when they kissed goodnight while shielded by Coiled Dragon, sheltered from the bloodshed on the streets.

He felt it when they were by the ocean, where both of them stepped barefoot on the hot sand and hands locked together under the rising golden sun.

He felt untouchable. Safe. Something he rarely felt when everything inside of him constantly reminded him of just how dangerous this world was. The noises inside his head were drowned out by steady beats inside Zeku’s chest as they laid against each other.

Katsuki doesn’t regret marrying Zeku.

However, he did wish that their wedding could have gone smoother. His parents showing up and berating him in front of all the guests...that was humiliating. The searing hot burnt of embarrassment coursed through his veins with every word that came out of his parents' mouths. He doesn’t know why they would care so much after all the sh*t that happened. He did what they asked didn’t he? If he got married, he wouldn’t be their problem any longer. He wouldn’t be their burden any more. And he was going to stay away from Midoriya too. Vanished from the other boy’s life forever, removed himself because he was a stain in the shining hero's past. Katsuki knew his hero dreams were over and he deserved it.

He had no place outside of Yokohama. No one else to turn to. Everybody on the outside hated him and he trusted none of them.

Was that not enough of a punishment?

Why was everyone trying to force him back? To face all those nasty words and looks of disgust? To be pitied and be treated like a rabid animal. To be forced to witness everyone else reach their dreams while they kicked him back down over and over again, because a villain could never change for the better.

Was he not even allowed to run? Or should he have died on the crucifix in order to appease the crowd with their pitchforks and torches?

After all, the villains must be punished.

It took everything in him to keep silent while his mother ranted about him not being able to show restraints. They all thought that he was an impulsive abomination who couldn’t keep himself in check. None of them knew that all he did for the past sixteen years of his life was control himself. He worked hard to keep his quirk under his command. He held his tongue so The Book’s power wouldn’t accidentally cause irreparable damages. And sometimes mean words slip out because he needed to push people away. They can't stay close to him. He can't have such obvious weaknesses at his side.

He could barely keep himself together, how could he protect someone else like that? Midoriya wasn't like Zeku. He was quirkless and a crybaby. Weak. Weaker than the children in the slums of Suribachi City. Weak but stupidly self sacrificing and couldn't get that hero complex of his out of his head.

And Katsuki would never be able to tell Midoriya about The Book. What should he do if the other boy asked him to give him a quirk?

He doesn't know.

Katsuki wouldn't deny that he didn't have any faults. Sometimes things get too much. He would be frustrated by how tediously slow it was taking Suribachi City to change or when the noises inside his head got too much. He would get extra mean but he never expected used his powers on Midoriya directly.

He just needed him to shut up. To not add to the pain.

Maybe he was a monster for wishing to be left alone.

Katsuki thought he would be fine but his parents’ disappointed looks and sharp words still dug into him like daggers slicing his skin open. He refused to cry, not on his wedding day. But he didn’t have the strength to entertain any guests any longer.

He was sitting in their bedroom but tonight, it was decorated to fit their wedding. Layers of transparent red curtain draped down around the wooden bedposts. Red candles with the patterns of dragon and phoenixes carved on them burnt, filling the room with a sweet aroma. Katsuki stayed at the edge of the bed. There were flower petals scattered on the sheets and pillows.

A soft growl came from beside him. Coiled Dragon rested around him, half of its long body was on the bed. They got a big and sturdy bed for a reason. Katsuki caressed the hard scales around its eyes. Zeku was still downstairs at the wedding reception so it was just him and the dragon up here.

The red veil was still over his head but he knew who the intruder was. Katsuki was still human and he couldn’t keep up with everything going on inside of Yokohama at all times. He’d burnt out in an instant if he tried. He must have missed a few things while his parents interrupted the wedding.

“Who’s there?” he asked as the dragon stirred. It bared its teeth aggressively.

“I came in peace.” The other person sounded young. A male. Katsuki saw him enter Yokohama with his parents. He was a third year at UA. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Damn straight you’re not,” Katsuki said harshly. He had no idea why this guy was in Yokohama. Were the heroes really that dumb that they’d keep sending idiots into such a hostile place? “You’re not my husband.”

How did this one get in here anyways? Don’t tell him they got a copycat of the clown from The Rats from The House of Dead again. Katsuki hated that clown’s ability. That man was like the Wrap Gate villain and whenever he popped up, even Katsuki wouldn’t get a warning about it.

There was a short pause as the older blond stood frozen with his hands in the air. “My apologies. Your old classmate asked me to come deliver something to you...Wouldn’t stay put unless I agreed. I thought it would be better than for them to crash your wedding so here I am.”

A sharp nail extended out and Katsuki placed a hand on Coiled Dragon, signalling for it to stop.

“What is it?”

“I’m going to reach into my pocket,” he said slowly. “It’s a letter.”

A white envelope was tossed over and it landed beside Katsuki’s feet.

“What are you waiting for?” Katsuki asked with a hint of annoyance. “You delivered it. Get lost.”

“...My name is Togata Mirio. Do you need help?”

“I don’t. Why do you people keep assuming I need any?”

“Your friend, Midoriya, is quite worried about you.”

“We’re not friends. Never were friends.”

Togata didn’t say anything else then he vanished from the room. No, he dropped through the floor.

A permeation quirk.

...That explained why he was almost butt naked. Katsuki sighed, these heroes really had no tact at all did they? Such reckless fools. Their way might work on the outside but in Yokohama, Togata was lucky he didn’t get tossed out the window.

Coiled Dragon tucked up against the blond again, whimpering slightly to get his attention.

“I know, I know. But no eating people today.” He doesn’t want corpses on his wedding day. Stroking the dragon slowly, Katsuki whispered against it, “Good boy.”

They’d need to upgrade their security later though. The teen and the dragon waited a little while longer and the door creaked.

“That was a disaster.”

Zeku sat down next to him and the displeasure rumbled through his words like thunder.

“We expected it.” His parents wouldn’t have made it through the lobby if they didn’t want them to show up. It was the best way to make sure everyone knew he didn't get along with his parents. Rumors were alright but having a dozen witnesses to see the way they interacted with each other was even better.

This would make their next steps easier.

And it might have been a little bit of Katsuki’s fault that he still had a shard of rosy faith in his parents. He thought that they would want to keep face more than straight out prove how he was a difficult son and they were the poor parents trying to deal with his crap.

Well, now the whole Yokohama knew they were at odds with each other.

Pursing his lips, Zeku looked away as he fumed in silence, almost like a toddler who was giving everyone the silent treatment.

"Come on, we haven't finished the whole ceremony yet," Katsuki urged as he kicked the letter underneath the bed with one foot. He didn’t feel Togata leaving any other “gifts” (read: spying devices) behind in the building and the letter was just a plain letter. He would deal with that later.

A hand slipped under Katsuki’s veil and lifted the fabric.

“I still think this was a tad too much,” Katsuki teased as he pointed to the jewels on his head.

“It suits you,” Zeku whispered with a small smile at the edge of his lips, “heavenly.”

Katsuki felt pure bliss fluttering inside his chest as they both took a sip from the flat sake cup. There was probably some traditional meaning behind it but he doesn’t really care about any of that right now. Zeku cupped his face and their lips met, it started out light just like the first kiss they shared but soon both of them wanted more. With an arm around Katsuki’s waist, Zeku deepened the kiss and their bodies were pressed so close together that they could both feel each other’s hearts drumming inside their chests. The blond welcomed the intrusion of his lover’s tongue in a desperate frenzy. The crown on his head fell into the crimson sheets and petals on the bed while his hands fumbled with the belt around Zeku’s waist.

He was guided onto his back gently, sinking into the softness of the bed while a layer of pale pink dusted over his porcelain skin. Zeku was on top of him, peeling the first layer of the crimson bridal robe off delicately.

A soft growl caught both of them off guard. Coiled Dragon rested its head at the end of the bed, claws tucked away carefully so it doesn’t damage anything. It stared at them as if it was curious about what they were doing.

“Forgot to deactivate it.” Zeku’s voice was huskier than usual. He glanced at Coiled Dragon but it only stared back at him with its head tilted to the side, confused.

Katsuki chuckled. A body modification core worked by receiving electrical signals from the host’s brain. If the host wasn’t calm, they would have a hard time controlling it. It was comforting to know that Zeku was also feeling nervous and he wasn’t as collected as he looked.

They haven’t gotten to the last step before.

They have done everything else except the actual sex. Kissing and hugging had become the norm but they were taking their time exploring and getting used to each other’s bodies. Sometimes Coiled Dragon would get a little too excited but it hadn’t done more than covering Katsuki in saliva from head to toe either. Felt more like he was being attacked by an overly friendly giant dog instead of anything sensual.

The older teen reached a hand over and scooped out Coiled Dragon’s half of the core from underneath the pillows and Katsuki’s bridal gown. They hid it in the ball of ribbons they were carrying together during the wedding.

It was an ugly thing. The core looked like an aborrhantly disfigured giant fetus wrapped around a ball. It had multiple appendages that resembled caterpillar legs and a handful of red bulging eyes locked in place by naked flesh, like a chimera parasite straight from a Sci fi horror movie.

Zeku patted it but nothing happened. Katsuki was holding back his snickers as he scrambled away to give the dragon more space. Noticing that, Zeku pulled him back by grabbing his ankle. “Come back.”

Coiled Dragon moved its snout further onto the bed, nuzzling against its master. Zeku pushed it back with a scowl. “Not you.”

Seeing the frustration taking over Zeku’s features, Katsuki poked him lightly. “It’s okay. Coiled Dragon can stay.”

While it does have a consciousness of its own, it was still a beast that acted mainly on instincts so it wasn’t that awkward letting it watch. Also, technically it was still a part of Zeku too.

“Give me a moment, I’ll deactivate it.”

Zeku breathed in and glared at the dragon, causing it to retreat off the bed. Neither the teen nor the dragon noticed Katsuki rolling on to his stomach and rested his head on one hand, watching them with an amused smile.

The blond ran a finger down the bumps along the core’s back. The flesh beneath his fingertips was soft and spongy and there was a meaty cord connecting it to the end of Coiled Dragon’s tail.

“I told you it’s fine, you don’t have to force yourself.”

Zeku only grunted an intelligible response. He was the same as Katsuki, both too prideful to admit when they have issues over their powers. Explosions were hard to control, so was a dragon with its own mind.

Rolling his eyes, Katsuki whined, “It’s our wedding night, you really rather be staring at your dragon than at me? It’s still you anyways.”

When he saw that both the dragon’s and its owner’s attention was focused back on him, a mischievous grin morphed on Katsuki’s lips. The core underneath his hand was Coiled Dragon’s weakness and normal cores were implanted inside the host’s heart. Zeku split out half of his core to make Coiled Dragon but the connection was still there.

With wickedness sparkling inside his eyes, he ran his tongue down the bumpy curve along the core’s back. Almost immediately, a shiver ran down the monster’s long spine and the dragon tensed up, compacting upon itself as it retracted, deactivating back into the core.

The dragon’s owner looked like he had been struck by lightning.

“Katsuki!” Zeku hissed at him when he recovered some of his wits. His face was red as a furious blush spread along his pale skin.

The blond blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected that to happen but he rolled over laughing.

Zeku was flustered, he pinned the younger boy down and roughly bit down at the crook of his neck. Katsuki sucked in a sharp breath. That one was going to leave a mark for sure. Maybe he shouldn’t keep pushing but he wouldn’t be Bakugou—Huang Katsuki if he backed down so easily. He grinded his hips against the other teen’s pelvis, feeling the sweet friction spreading down their groins.

Tugging on Zeku’s braid, they shared another kiss. It felt like a fire was ignited between them. The heat travelled down to the end of their limbs, warming them from the inside. The air thinned while Katsuki shifted to leave sloppy kisses along his lover’s jawline. A hand slipped under the silk on him, running down his spine. He moaned and tilted his head back, allowing Zeku more access to leave a trail of cherry red marks down his neck. When Zeku got to the bite mark he left behind, he licked at it gently.

Katsuki threaded his fingers through strands of dark hair. Scarlet eyes met ruby ones.

“You don’t have to treat me like I’m made of glass,” he told the person on top of him defiantly. While it felt nice, Katsuki just didn’t think it was…enough.

Zeku’s adam apple bobbed. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ll be fine.” The faint silver light glowed between his parted pale pink lips. Cracking a smile, he opened his mouth wider to show the other teen the mark on his tongue. “There, I said it.”

This was absolutely a waste of The Book’s power but for all the trouble that it caused him, Katsuki thought he had every right to do this one thing.

Something inside Zeku’s head snapped. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he closed the gap between them again, claiming his lover’s mouth in a hungry fashion. Since he got the green light from Katsuki, he wasn’t holding back anymore either. The kisses turned rougher. His hands roamed freely on snow white skin while pleasured moans and whimpers filled the air.

Soft orange flame from the candles wavered, two shadows merged into one against the red of the curtains. Tonight, neither cared about the heroes, their uncertain futures, or the dangers lurking in the shadows of Yokohama. Tonight, they wholeheartedly belonged to each other only.

And they still have a long night ahead.

Chapter 8

Chapter Text

1

The receptionist at Huang Corp didn’t bother to smile at them this time.

Her face was blank, like a robot’s but everything about her was stiff and crispy clean. There weren’t a lot of people in the building today either but the security was still tight.

“What do you mean by the next available appointment is in three month?” Bakugou Mitsuki questioned impatiently as she tapped her heel against the polished floor. It was ten in the morning, they had come to make an appointment like the security guard told them yesterday.

Aizawa was sure Huang Zeku was doing this on purpose to discourage them from meeting Bakugou Katsuki. The news didn’t broadcast the Bakugous crashing the wedding yesterday but they could hear the whispers on the streets. People gossiped about it online and between coffee breaks.

Not to mention, when they arrived at Huang Corp almost every single staff member that passed by them was cold and hostile. They weren’t rude but they were making it very clear that the heroes and the Bakugous were not welcome here.

“Zeku-sama is a very busy man,” the receptionist said with a haughty pointed look. “And it was his wedding yesterday, we have orders that unless the sky is literally coming down on all of us, the newlyweds would like to be left alone.”

“I’m here to see my son. You have no legal right to bar me from seeing my own child!”

The receptionist placed one hand on the landline beside her. “You’re right, let me make a call to the butler and alert Katsuki-sama of your arrival.”

There was a fake smile on her lips while she talked to whoever was on the other side of the phone. Then, she set it down and turned back to face them slowly. “Katsuki-sama is still resting. We have not received any notifications that you should be allowed up into their private suites. You can wait in the lobby until you are called or visit us another time. Should I schedule that appointment three month from now for you?”

“That is ridiculous!” Mitsuki exclaimed with almost exploding irritation. “That’s my son up there and there are multiple heroes here. You telling me that he’s refusing to meet us when we came all this way for him? We even have to go through somebody else just to get a message to him? If anything, I should be reporting your boss to the police for harboring a runaway.”

“Heroes do not have any legal authorities in Yokohama, Ma’am. And if you were serious about suing Zeku-sama, should I contact law enforcement for you?” she said sweetly but there was a finality in her tone. “We can’t just let any random strangers meet the boss and his spouse whenever they make a demand. I have not received any orders to let anyone up there today. If you are his dear parents, shouldn’t you be able to contact him yourself?”

She knew where to hit that would hurt the most. They were heroes but within Yokohama, they were regarded as the same as any other citizen. They had no authority to demand anything or make arrests. Also, if Bakugou was willing to talk to any of them, they wouldn’t be standing here right now.

The kid knew they were here. If he wanted to talk, he could have called or approached them at any time but he didn’t. He even threw his own parents out of his own wedding yesterday. Aizawa thought that was clear enough of a message. He doesn’t want to see them. Any of them.

Nighteye had told them this much already. He said that no matter when they came, the receptionist would block them and make them wait. It wasn’t going to be a nice meeting that went the Bakugous’ way.

But they still have to try. Aizawa was curious too. How did Bakugou Katsuki end up in Yokohama? Why did he marry the owner of a prosthetics company in such a short span of time?

The wait was a long one. At least two hours had passed before they were finally called up. It was another tactic to make them nervous. Huang wanted them to be unsettled and feel like nothing was in their control. The longer they were left hanging, the more irritated their nerves got. It was the same move a lot of detectives used to make the odds sway in their favor before confronting the criminals.

It didn’t feel good to be on the receiving end of it.

Only Nighteye and Aizawa were with the Bakugous today. Hawks suggested that he would go do a recon around the city since he probably won’t be useful in a negotiation. Especially not when his attempt to grab Bakugou and dash went south yesterday. Aizawa didn’t really trust the younger hero. He heard from other underground heroes that this one might be connected to the Commission in deeper ways than they imagined. But they were outnumbered and outgunned in firepower so he didn’t want to stir up any conflict within their own ranks.

The ones to escort them were the security guard they met yesterday. To be honest, the men looked like gangsters more than anything else but maybe that was why they were hired in the first place. They were intimidating henchmen.

All of Huang Corp had a mix of traditional Chinese and Japanese style mixed with modern furnishing. There were paper sliding doors and lights remodeled to be styled after lanterns amongst the decorations made of hard wood or polished tiles. Surprisingly, none of it looked out of place or like a dogpile of stereotypes mashed into one place.

They were taken to a meeting room with large windows that had a good view of Yokohama. It didn’t look like a formal business boardroom but it was large enough to fit at least a dozen people with extra room to spare. There was a paper folding screen with a realistic painting of a tiger on it taking up the entire wall on the far side of the room. Even if the room was brightly lit, it still felt like the tiger’s golden eyes were following their every move as it got ready to pounce to life. It wasn’t the usual kind of decoration that a credible company would put out on display but Aizawa had a feeling that they were trying to make them as uncomfortable as possible.

They all could guess that Huang’s company didn’t start off clean. He had blood on his hands since he was young and the people he employed were from a previously horrible neighbourhood. Even if they have been reformed, the time of hardship still left hard dents on these people.

There was a long wooden table and Huang Zeku sat at the head of it, right in front of the folding screen. He wore a round collared shirt buttoned down the front but he might have just thrown it on randomly because the top few buttons were open. The dark blue outer robe he sported was loosely tied around his waist and he only wore one of the sleeves, letting the other side drape lazily.

This was Aizawa’s first time seeing the young man. Huang Zeku didn’t like interviews or facing the press so there weren’t many good quality pictures of him online. ADA did have a few but seeing someone in person was different than seeing them in a flat picture. Like most Yokohama citizens, there wasn’t any obvious physical mutation on the dark haired teen. He had long black hair tied behind him in a low ponytail and bangs that almost covered his blood red eyes.

The first thought that came to Aizawa’s mind when he saw the teen was cold. It was as if his handsome features were carved from ice and frost with a sharp knife. Aizawa wouldn’t say he looked evil but there was this dark charisma to him. Untouchable. Dangerous. There was a hard edge to the lines of his lips even if his body was relaxed in the big wooden chair with its intricately sculpted handles.

It was a big chair and Bakugou sat beside him. Aizawa saw the pictures in the newspaper yesterday of Bakugou in a bridal gown but today, he wasn’t as extravagantly dressed. The blond wore a round collared blue shirt with a roll of knotted buttons slanted down his left and a pair of simple black joggers. There was also a jade bracelet on his right hand. He looked healthy, well fed, and got decent amounts of exercise. A dash of pink was around the corners of his eyes and his face wasn’t set to a permanent scowl any longer. Something about him felt different. Softer, gentler, like he finally found some peace.

It was a relief to see that at least Bakugou wasn’t physically hurt.

Aizawa was searching for clues. Any signs of distress or anything that showed Bakugou was being forced against his will but strangely enough, he couldn’t see any. Bakugou was relaxed in his spot while he sipped tea from a fine porcelain teacup. Huang had an arm around Bakugou’s waist but it wasn’t a tight hold either.

They sat down at the other end of the table. No one offered them any beverages of refreshment. Not that it was highly important but the feeling of not being welcomed at all was getting even harder to ignore.

The security guards left the room but there was a sharply dressed woman in her early thirties standing behind the young couple. She wore a silver brooch and her brown hair was done up in a bun.

“I’m not going back with you,” Bakugou said simply before any of them could even open their mouths. He set his tea cup on the table lightly as he met their eyes. “This is a pointless meeting.”

“We put all of our work on hold and came all the way here for you and that’s the first thing you have to say to us?” Mitsuki bristled. Of course they knew this wasn’t going to be a hard argument. Aizawa wasn’t good at negotiations but he was here to prevent the worst possible scenario in case things escalated.

Bakugou ignored her question and glanced between his parents. “Why are you here, Mom and Dad?”

“You ran away,” Masaru said quietly. “We couldn’t reach you and we were worried about you. A lot of people are worried about you.”

“They’re not worried about me. They are only interested in when and where my next f*ck up is. The feral beast of UA is doomed to fall to the bottom of society. I read the news.”

Hearing that from the kid’s lips, especially when he said it so flatly, hurt. UA dropped the ball on that one. They expelled a student but didn’t prepare the blond teen for the huge media backlash that came after him. His bullying issues and his uncooperativeness added on top of the mental instability they have seen shining through his combative personality, expulsion had seemed like the only option to go at the time. They have expelled kids before and none had backfired so much. They failed to recognize that Bakugou's status as the sports festival champion combined with the multiple exposure to villain attacks had already made him a media target.

Aizawa had hoped Bakugou would learn of his wrongs but no one thought things could get so out of hand.

“If you knew what they were saying about you, why did you still run off? They already peg you for a villain and your response is race off to a city run by criminals and marry yourself off to a-a...” Mitsuki couldn’t finish, the right words struggled to make their way to her tongue. Huang Zeku was a contradicting person. He was a murderer, a villain, but he was also a successful business owner and a generous local philanthropist.

Huang frowned slightly but Bakugou patted him on the back of his hand gently.

“I did what you told me to do. I’m no longer your burden,” Bakugou said but the longer Aizawa listened, a strange feeling of something was wrong grew inside his chest. “The reporters left you alone when they realized they couldn’t get any news about me by watching our house like a hawk. Your business wouldn’t take any more criticisms now that I am gone. I don’t know why everyone insists that I go back outside. There’s nothing there for me there and you all know it.”

“T-There is something. Katsuki, we have been approached by the Hero Commission and they are willing to give you a second chance at becoming a hero,” Masaru tried. His eyes lingered on his son and Huang’s intertwined fingers for a second longer. “They have a special program and they are willing to make an exception for you. It’s not going to be as grand of a reentry into the field as you would like but if you work hard, you could still be a pro hero.”

Aizawa hadn't expected that. Being an underground hero, he knew that there were some shady rumors connected to the Commission but that was just it. They were rumors. Conspiracies generated by people hiding behind a screen and keyboard, cooking up fear in order to rally people behind a crooked cause for their own benefits. Of course he knew about the programs offered by the HPSC. They took in orphans or children from less ideal backgrounds and trained them to be government agents. It was similar to the military programs recruiting young blood. They offered subsidized tuition fees, provided lots of grants and other support...Aizawa hadn’t thought too much about it before.

For them to want to take Bakugou in...the pro hero wasn’t sure what he should think. Bakugou was a smart kid and he certainly didn’t lack firepower. He could be a great asset. And for someone who announced with such confidence and drive that he was going to be the No.1 hero, this seemed like too good of an opportunity to give up especially after how his reputation was trashed.

Bakugou stared at his father in silence.

“Why would I want that?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“What do you mean, son?”

“Why would I want that?” Bakugou repeated, louder this time.

“I thought you wanted to be a hero. That was all you could ever talk about.” Mitsuki had her hand on her temple as if to drive a headache away. The stress was starting to show on her features.

“I did but we both know that’s not an option anymore.” Bakugou’s voice was harder with a slight hint of irritation.

“People are willing to give you another chance at it. Stop blowing it because you’re too arrogant to receive a helping hand,” she hissed back. “This is what you wanted isn’t it? All this nonsense with running off and getting married, you have our attention. Isn’t it all just an attempt to make us listen to you? We’re here for you now. You have the world’s attention. People are willing to bend the rules for you so you can show them you’re not just some dimwitted villain in the making.”

A light scuff-almost a laugh-came from beside Bakugou. It was soft and lighter than a puff of air but it was also mocking.

“What are you laughing at?” There was a cold fury behind the blond woman’s question.

“He’s shunned and hated out there. Like you said, people called him a villain and they despised him. What makes you think is waiting for him out there? They are going to laugh at him, spew venom at him, and downplay any effort he put in to try and be the good guy. But I bet people would enjoy that. They want to see him at his lowest, begging for forgiveness and apologizing for being born because that would give them satisfaction. If he put his life on the line, then they would say that was the least he could do to atone for his sins and bring up his past wrongs again. If he made even the tiniest mistake, he would be the scapegoat and people would say they knew he was rotten from the start,” Huang scuffled while he watched them with half opened eyes in an almost leering fashion.

“I know it’s not going to be easy for him!” Mitsuki’s eyes narrowed upon the dragon wielder. There seemed to be fire cracking behind her ruby orbs and her glare seemed to be able to pierce through concrete. “But actions have consequences. It’s a punishment for what he had done but it is also the start for him to make things right. I...We are trying our best to fix this but he has to help himself first.”

“As his mother, you seem eager to put him down.” Huang lifted half a grin but it was just as unwelcoming as the rest of the cold aura emitting off him.

“I am trying to make him a better person. For all his faults, I know we raised Katsuki to be strong and it is our job as his parents to make sure he is staying on the right track.” She looked assured and a nerve inside Aizawa’s head felt like it had been pulled. This was a mother trying to get her runaway son to come home and not marry himself off to a known criminal at the young age of sixteen but something was just...not right. “It is my husband and my job to teach him how to treat others and we failed the first time, we won’t let him throw his life away even more.”

“Throw his life away?” Huang leaned forward slightly, red eyes focusing on the woman’s gaze and not wavering. “How is he throwing his life away by staying with me? I can provide him anything he wants here. And all you people can give him a ‘chance to redeem himself’ to some trash that doesn't matter at the end of the day? Honestly, you’re grown adults and you’re telling me that you believe the lies HPSC is shoving down your throats? The propaganda they fed you out there must be real good.”

Lies?

“What the hell are you talking about?”

To their surprise, it was Bakugou who answered. “After UA expelled me, other hero schools followed and said they would never allow me to enter their hero program. And now you’re telling me the Hero Commission suddenly wants me to be their new poster boy for Heroes Daily? I don’t think so. They don’t want Bakugou Katsuki, they want another tool at their disposal. They want leverage and they even want me to be grateful to them for using me that way. Why would I choose to be their puppet when I can have all of this at the snap of my fingers?”

He gestured around them.

“I don’t have to worry about money or what people say about me here,” the blond added in an earnest fashion. “There’s nobody to tell me what I can or cannot do. I can live just as well or even better than some of the top heroes on the billboard without getting my hands dirty. Why would I give this up?”

The boy did have a point. Aizawa could tell the china set on the table would be worth a good household’s month of grocery. Not to mention the wedding yesterday was as lavish as they came. Even Bakugou’s clothing right now, while they may look plain, they were still made of fine silk.

“Are you telling me that on top of people seeing you as a villain, you are giving them a reason to see you as a gold digger too?” Mitsuki demanded forcefully. Aizawa wasn’t sure if he should cut in. Her words were quite harsh and he didn’t think this was a good way to communicate.

“I didn’t marry him for his money,” retorted Bakugou with a deep frown. “Even if I did, he’s my husband and as long as he’s alright with it, it’s not anyone else’s business. It’s not like I held him at gunpoint and forced him to marry me.”

“Your wedding isn’t valid. You’re both underaged.”

“Actually,” the woman behind the two teens spoke up in a calm fashion. “Their marriage is completely valid within Yokohama.”

“Who are you?” Aizawa questioned.

She smiled at them. “My name is Hatanaka. I am Mr. Huang’s lawyer. May I remind you that same sex marriage has been legalized and since the rise of quirks over a dozen years ago, the laws had been rewritten because gender became harder to distinguish for certain individuals. Japan’s current laws stated that as long as the groom is over 18 and the bride is over 16, they are allowed to get married.”

Since there were lots of quirks that caused physical mutations, it wasn’t uncommon for babies to be born with both sets of genitals or none at all. For instance, if someone was born with the body of ball of slim, doctors wouldn’t be able to pin a distinctive biological sex on them from the get go. Combined with the progressive movements of social reform regarding gender and toxic views of what masculinity and femininity should be like, the laws were amended to better fit society’s needs.

The groom here was Huang Zeku and the bride was Bakugou Katsuki. They did fit the age requirements.

“We didn’t consent to it and Katsuki is legally still under our care.” Mitsuki huffled while she directed her attention to the lawyer.

“Your consent is not needed here. In Yokohama, anyone over the age of 15 is legally allowed to sign all paperwork or contracts on their own so long as they can prove they have the ability to sustain themselves. Katsuki-sama has already filled out the paperwork for emancipation, seeing that you two failed to protect and provide for him.”

Aizawa raised an eyebrow at the last part of her speech. He shared a glance with Nighteye and they both knew what the other man was thinking.

“What?” Masaru asked, his voice cracking.

“I signed over a few of the apartments that I owned to him already. Even if Katsuki doesn’t work, the rent alone is enough to cover his expenses,” Huang explained and there was no resentment or any displeasure when he talked about sharing his wealth.

This was crazy.

Compared to the danger of risking their life in the line of duty, of course most people would choose a marriage if it meant they would be set for life. Not everyone in the hero industry right now was here out of pure self sacrificing goodness. Fame and wealth were two things that grabbed most people’s attention when they thought of heroes.

And Bakugou got both just by signing his name on a piece of paper.

“See, I’m financially independent and obviously more than capable of taking care of myself. Got a roof over my head and food on the table,” Bakugou counted everything out with a wicked grin on his face. “If anything, my spouse would have signing authority over my parents.”

There it was again, the feeling that something was off was back. Aizawa looked at Nighteye. The other hero had warned them about this and the Bakugous didn’t want to believe it. They came all this way to Yokohama, they weren’t going to just leave without even talking to their son properly.

“How can you file for emancipation? We haven’t been notified of this by the court!”

“You really want to get into the details? We could go on for hours if you want to open that can of worms,” Bakugou drawled sarcastically and hesitancy flashed across his parents’ faces. “Also, Yokohama government operated independently, you forfeited your right to shut down the petition when you didn’t respond.”

“...You filed for emancipation right after you ran away or maybe even before,” Nighteye observed. He had stayed quiet mostly because he didn't see a need to intervene, not after what he saw. The future was already set and he never promised he would be able to bring Bakugou Katsuki out of Yokohama. He only agreed to escort the Bakugous in and out of Yokohama safely.

His guess was logical. There was a two week window from when Bakugou vanished to when he was reported missing. Bakugou nodded.

He had planned this. No, what was more concerning was that the judge had taken the case. Why would a judge review an emancipation petition for a teenager whose parents weren’t dead or unable to provide care?

“The text messages...” Masaru mumbled to himself. “Those were real.”

He and his wife did receive a few texts about needing to be present for a hearing in Yokohama. However, it didn’t specify the details and they didn’t know anybody in Yokohama so they both thought that it was a scam. Not to mention, they had been worn out from dealing with the media and the mess at their company following their son’s expulsion. They missed their chance.

Mitsuki stood up so fast that her chair screeched against the tiles. Even if Nighteye had given them a warning, she still couldn’t believe her son would take it this far just to marry a killer. But now everything was basically playing out exactly as Nighteye described it would.

They didn’t stand much of a chance in this argument.

Bakugou Katsuki chose the criminal and the city of sins instead of his parents and a second shot at heroics. Normally, if taken from the surface value, Aizawa would be highly disappointed in this choice but now...he wasn’t so sure any more.

“Bakugou—” the pro hero started. He thought that Bakugou’s drive to be a hero couldn’t be put out but now? He doesn’t see that desire in the kid any more. Bakugou looked so much quieter, calmer too and it was like seeing a stranger wearing his student’s skin.

“It’s not Bakugou anymore. I took his last name.”

Aizawa was...oddly impressed. These kids thought everything out and they were serious about cutting ties with the Bakugous.

Huang clapped and Hatanaka pulled out a folder to give to the Bakugous. The duo watched him with a mix of fearful disgust and suspicion.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he laughed but it was a sinister one. “I’m not a villain and I didn’t snatch your son from you through force. I’m a civilized person and while the wedding was rushed, some traditions still have to be kept up. Katsuki already has his dowry but the things on the list on the first page is the bridewealth that I am willing to pay you two.”

Mitsuki opened the folder suspiciously and her husband looked over. They both sucked in a breath because of whatever they saw. Closing the folder just as fast, the blond woman glared at the dark haired young man across from them.

“You think you can just buy Katsuki from us?” The end of her nails dug into the hardcover of the folder. She threw it back down on the table and crossed her arms in front of her chest, offended and defensive.

“If that’s how you see it, I can’t stop you from thinking that.” Huang shrugged.

“What do you want from us?” Masaru held his wife’s hand to prevent her from hurting herself. “There’s no way this is your attempt to make peace with us. If you really wanted to do that, you would have asked for our blessing before going forward with the wedding.”

“So you do have some spine left after all,” Huang mocked the man’s soft-spoken nature but Masaru didn’t back down from it this time. Not sure if that was a good timing or a bad one for the man to finally stand up for his family. “And some brains too. Good to know not all of it was rotten away by the rosy little dreams that HPSC tried to brainwash you for.”

Huang didn’t like the Commission. He seemed to believe that they had a different agenda set for Bakugou.

“Hold on,” Aizawa said and he felt Bakug—No, Huang—he should probably just call the kid Katsuki. Katsuki’s attention was on him. Aizawa had expected some form of hate or anger since he was the one who voted for Katsuki to be expelled but surprisingly, there was nothing in those ruby eyes that resembled such emotions. “You seem to believe that the Commission is going to hurt Katsuki, is there any reason why you suspect that?”

“Why don’t you ask the bird from yesterday?” Huang quickly shot the conversation down, clearly not wanting to elaborate any further. “Use your heads and think about it. Why would he try to grab my wife when he knew what he was up against? Don’t tell me that ADA didn’t inform him of who I am.”

Aizawa made a mental note to check with Nighteye and Hawks later. If what Huang was implying was what he thought it was...Hawks had connections to the Commission and he had orders to get Katsuki back. But why? Why would they want a kid like Katsuki? It didn’t look like they would have anything to gain from taking in such a media disaster unless their final goal wasn’t Katsuki himself. His parents worked in the fashion industry but they weren’t top tier and they weren’t powerful threats either.

Huang’s company was about prosthetics, which was hardly worth such effort as well. Even if the teen himself was an ability user, this wasn’t the right way to recruit. Aizawa was missing something here.

“Look at the next page in that folder,” instructed Huang and Masaru did just that. “If we are going to cut ties, we do it properly. No loose ends. Sign the paperwork to release Katsuki from your care and we can finish the emancipation process without any more dirty laundry going public.”

“Is that a threat?” Mitsuki sighed after she flipped through a few more pages. “We’re not fools. You’re overdramatizing things. A few words or a slap or two to keep Katsuki in check isn’t abuse. We’re not the perfect family but that is how we communicate. You can’t spin this in your favor, no one is going to believe it. If we sign this, we’re not allowed to ever make any form of contact with Katsuki again.”

And Aizawa had hoped that wasn’t true. He suspected Huang and Katsuki made claims of abuse or negligence in order for a judge to review the petition. While marriage did gave him partial emancipation, it wouldn’t be enough to completely and officially kick the Bakugous out of the kid’s life.

“What’s wrong with that?” There was sincere confusion in his tone. The teen engineering prodigy sat up straighter, piercing eyes scanned the husband and wife as if he was looking at two pieces of meat on the butcher’s table. “Come on, we all know you don’t love him. You see him as a prop for your business and a possession that should follow the path you think is correct. He was supposed to bring you fame and fortune. The fame part is not the kind you wanted but you can still have the wealth as long as you sign the contract. As for whether or not the judge will rule anything in our favor...trust us, we have enough proof to back up our claims and it’d be your reputation on fire if you leave us no choice.”

That was probably already nicer than the “I’ll kill you both” that Aizawa imagined.

“Proof?” Mitsuki focused her glare at her son. “Katsuki, what did you do?”

“Nothing more than what is necessary,” he replied without looking at her. “Just sign the documents and we don’t have to pretend anymore. We were never anything close to the picture perfect family you advocated so much on social media.”

He looked smaller at that moment. Not just calmer or less explosive. He looked...exhausted with a hint of melancholy. Huang guided the blond towards himself, letting him lean against his shoulder.

Aizawa knew for sure that he missed a lot of things when dealing with Katsuki now.

“Sign the paperworks and take the bridewealth, then leave Yokohama.” Hatanaka dropped her smile too. “Or we can take this to court the hard way. Trust me, Huang Corp has more than enough time and resources to spend on this.”

Mitsuki had more to say but her husband stopped her.

“Katsuki,” the man called and there were sad wrinkles around the edge of his eyes. “...Are you happy here?”

“I am happier than when I was out there.”

“Is this what you really want? To give up any sort of a career and stay in Yokohama with him? People all say he’s no good.” That was putting it lightly. He was a murderer. A strange and wicked soul who was cold and unfriendly towards anything that moved.

“I won’t regret it if that’s what you’re trying to ask.” Katsuki’s nails clicked against the side of the porcelain tea cup. “If I can’t even trust him then there’s nobody else in this world I could trust.”

The Bakugous fell into silence for a very long time. The clock ticked by and Aizawa was starting to get uncomfortable. He had so many things he wanted to ask but he stopped himself from opening his mouth because he was in no position to suggest anything. Domestic abuse? No matter if the claims were true or not, neither side wanted to get law enforcement involved and they were already in discussion of a plan. Marriage between minors? The lawyer already confirmed it was legal in Yokohama. The Hero Commission? There was no way Huang was giving them any more info on it.

Finally, the Bakugous shared a look and Mitsuki picked up the pen.

“Suit yourself,” she whispered quietly as she signed her name and her husband followed.

They had signed their custody of their son away.

------

“They are finally gone!”

Katsuki threw his hands up in the form of a cheer as soon as they got back to their private penthouse at the top of Huang Corp. He shouldn’t be feeling so relieved but he couldn’t help it. It had gone according to his plans.

It wasn’t a genius plan but as long as it worked, he didn’t need it to be great. In fact, it was the easiest one to execute in such a short span of time. They would have the newspaper post a short article about his parents no longer having any relationship with him. News like this would travel fast and after the spectacle from yesterday, people would get the idea that he and his parents don’t get along. That would make them less valuable as hostages.

He doesn’t hate his parents to the point where he wanted to burn them at the stake but he also didn’t want to see anybody try to use them against him either. Also, he felt like he could breathe a little better now that they were out of his life for good. No threat of someone coming to force him out of Yokohama or people telling him he wasn’t good enough. He didn’t have to sit still and look pretty for photos or entertain business partners by bringing them tea with a smile (or feel the strangers’ hands ghosting down his backside).

“They’re just being friendly.”

“You’re thinking too much and just too sensitive.”

“Be nice and smile more.”

Sometimes he would get the urge to say something nasty, to curse and wish the illest of things upon people. Sometimes this hate was directed at his parents, sometimes at their business partners, and other times just at the weirdo who looked at him funny on the streets. It was hard to maintain control of his tongue but he held it in because it scared him. It scared him even worse than to hear the sounds curling inside his head. It felt like he had inhaled gunpowder or stepped on a road paved with shattered glass and razor wires.

Give in. Everything would be so easy then.

Give in. He could have everything.

He felt like he was rotting on the inside and it made him want to puke, wanted to slice his tongue or drink poison to ruin his larynx.

But now, he wouldn’t have to feel that twisted desire as frequently any more.

Zeku threw himself into the sofa and leaned his head back. He talked a lot today and that alone was a pain for him since he didn’t like conversing with people he didn’t think was worth his time. Also, he couldn’t believe the idiocy coming from his love’s parents. They thought the Hero Commission was here to give Katsuki a second chance with no strings attached? No way. Katsuki was the key to getting to Zeku. He was a piece of pawn that the Commission wanted to get their hands on.

When they got what they wanted, Katsuki’s value would decrease. Not to mention, they wouldn’t put someone with such bad publicity front and center. He’d get the dirtiest of the work instead if he did not conform to their script. They wanted to show the world they could take something broken and vicious and turn it into gold. Katsuki would never be able to meet their standards of what constituted “good”.

“You did great.” The blond leaned down and planted a kiss on his lover’s cheek. He felt a hand behind his back that trailed down to his waist as he shifted his lips over for a proper kiss. After nibbling around playfully for a bit, he opened his mouth to let Zeku in.

Katsuki could feel the tongue slipping towards the back of his throat. It swept his tongue up and twisted along the lower row of his teeth. Pressing his body closer, he straddled Zeku’s lap and wrapped his arms around the older teen’s neck.

Then he felt something hard against the inside of his thighs.

“Zeku, your...um, thing is...” Katsuki stuttered while pushing back slightly. His cheeks were flustered red while his body stiffened. It felt good when they did it but since he was the one bottoming, it took a stronger toll on him. The rim of muscles down there was still sore and swollen since it was his first time. They got carried away last night and he put on some herbal ointments but he doesn’t think he could go again in such a short time.

“Sorry,” the older teen mumbled into the crook of Katsuki’s neck but didn’t let go. His ears were dusted pink too. “...Can I go pick a fight with someone to blow off some steam?”

“That’s a horrible idea.” Katsuki smacked him on the head. “And there’s nobody worth your while right now. The Rat is in town but he’d f*ck off again soon.”

“Can’t you just kill him with a freak accident?”

“Too many times and it becomes suspicious.” If every time the guy set foot in Yokohama resulted in him nearly being killed by a falling billboard or some other kind of accident, he would start getting suspicious. Katsuki had only ever tried to kill him two times in the past years. Once when he was in battle with another ability user and another time he tried to have a metal pipe fall on the man. While Katsuki knew everything that went on in the city, he couldn’t read minds, any more attempts on the Russian’s life might have made him realize something was wrong and he’d try to bait Katsuki out. That was how cunningly intelligent the weasel of a man was. Katsuki had seen him purposely walking towards danger and he didn’t want to take a gamble.

Zeku leaned his head on his hand, looking slightly disappointed. “I hate all these ridiculous bastards.”

Fighting in this world came with a lot of restrictions and they had to carefully weigh the options of if someone could die or not. It wasn’t just about if someone challenged them. It was about which organization that person was connected to and if there would be any ramifications. Not to mention, sometimes a challenge was a decoy, a bait for something more sinister to move into place. Yokohama was a large chess board with more than just two sides at war. The game was complicated and left no room for errors, especially when the players were each more cunning than the next guy.

Zeku wasn’t dumb with straws inside his skull but he also found it troublesome to have to watch his every move like this. He really wanted a fight where he could just kill everyone that charged at him without the need to over analyze everything. It had been a while since he last got one of those.

“Think of the bright side, they hate you too.” Katsuki laughed and a soft smile made it onto Zeku’s lips. He was doing this for the blond boy in his arms. In his world, fighting was just a way to showcase strength and a form of entertainment but here, there was a deeper purpose behind his kills.

Hair like platinum gold, ruby eyes, and skin like the finest of white jade. His love was incredible both in appearance and soul. Katsuki was mesmerizing with powers beyond the reach of mortals. He was strong but fragile. Powerful yet helpless. There were corpses and bones at his feet but a halo behind his head. He was two sides of the same coin at the same time.

Impossible.

A miracle.

Zeku had watched him break down and climb back up, wept himself to sleep yet fought just as hard with tooth and nails for people that would never know of his sacrifices. Katsuki had a soft heart and he didn't know it but Zeku could understand why people were so crazy about The Book.

The Book was sacred. It was a miraculous blessing. Whenever Katsuki spoke his divine words, Zeku could see the power flowing upon the silver of his tongue. Soft glows of light danced along the red flesh and it was beautiful. In that moment, he could sympathize with why people would revere The Book or religious tokens, treating it as a holy symbol of faith. This was the kind of power that no mortal in either world could ever obtain. It was a strength far beyond the reach of any singular champion or hero and villain.

But that wasn’t the only reason why Zeku was attracted to Katsuki.

When they kissed, it felt like Katsuki was sharing his divinity with him. The blond was his, only his. Katsuki chose him to be his sword and shield, the only one worth enough to witness the truth. Zeku was the only one Katsuki trusted but it was the same the other way around too. Even if it was just the two of them, it felt like as long as they had each other then they could take on the world.

Zeku wasn’t a good guy. He didn’t have a big heart or any saintly desire to cleanse the world of sins and crime. Port Mafia’s boss once asked him what he was fighting for, why he would start wars when he was but a child who hated all the politics. Zeku hadn’t answered him then.

Because this, this right here in his arms was what he was fighting for. He wanted to keep the smile on Katsuki’s face, to keep him safe and clean and happy. And if that meant he had to leave behind a path of blood and corpses or dive deeper into the darkness then so be it. He had killed for less, might as well put what he was good at to use.

“I want to go back to sleep,” Katsuki yawned. They went quite late last night and he was still tired, muscles aching from being used in unfamiliar ways.

“Hold on, I think the chefs made you something.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. They say it’s tradition.” Zeku moved him off of himself and went to grab the tray off the table. There was a small bowl and a spoon on it. He opened the lid and he had to stifle back down a laugh. “You’re going to hate it. It’s sekihan.”

Katsuki felt his lips twitch unnaturally while he glared at the bowl of red bean rice. Sekihan was usually served to a girl after she got her first period since the colour was supposed to represent fertility or happiness. And now they are serving it to him after his wedding night...he was struggling between feeling embarrassed and the burning desire to shove the rice against the chefs’ faces.

He knew the chefs probably meant well. They weren’t the brightest but they worked hard. Most people don’t want to kill or loot everyday, all they wanted was some peace and to provide for their families. Those were the type of people Huang Corp employed.

But he still felt the blush coming on.

“I’m not eating that!” he shouted while shoving past his new husband with a huff. Zeku set the tray down and followed him back to the bedroom, just in time to see Katsuki rolled into bed and wrapped himself into a cocoon with the sheets and blankets.

“You sure you don’t want the rice? Aren’t you the one always saying that it’s not nice to waste food?” Zeku sat down at the edge of the bed and poked the cocoon.

“f*ck you.”

“...I don’t recommend you to? You’re still sore.”

Katsuki could feel his cheeks burning up. He blamed the people of Suribachi for this. They were a bunch of punks that didn’t grow up with good education and it wasn’t uncommon to hear them being crude. Even if their lives turned for the better now, some habits were hard to die out. They were bad influences.

Also, Zeku was an idiot. He didn’t have to be this honest.

“Fall down and you can’t move,” the blond commanded while he untangled himself from the blankets and watched as his lover’s body dropped back on the bed like dead weight.

“This is unfair,” Zeku complained as he laid on his back, his red eyes glared at the blond above him. With a grin, Katsuki pulled the hair tie off the older teen and threaded his slender fingers into the dark strands, stroking it lightly as if it was made of fine silk at first but then he started ruffling Zeku’s hair until it was messier than a raccoon’s nest. The dragon wielder didn’t look pleased but he was forced to sit through it since his body was stiff from the command.

“It’s my power, it’s totally fair.” Even if he said that, Katsuki wouldn’t command Zeku to do something he absolutely loathed. Most of the time, his stories created situations where people had a choice...except for rapists, those he would order for their deaths if he had a chance.

The blond felt a force pushed him forward and he fell onto Zeku. A long tongue swept across the side of his cheek and Katsuki felt the weight on his back. Coiled Dragon was on top of him!

“Now you are the one who is cheating,” Katsuki said accusingly while he got sandwiched between his husband and the dragon. His stomach felt warm but his back, where the scales were pressed against, was cold.

“It’s my power,” Zeku grunted since he was the one bearing most of the weight. His fingers twitched and he felt mobility returning to his limbs. He glanced at his dragon and the beast moved back while Zeku wrapped an arm around Katsuki’s waist and rolled over, pinning the younger boy beneath him. He ran a hand through his hair to untangle parts of the mess so they don’t turn into knots later. “Go back to sleep.”

Katsuki relaxed into the embrace. Closing his eyes, he was ready to drift back off into sleep when he felt his brain taking a free fall. Struggling to get up, he pushed his lover aside and sat up in a hurry.

“What’s wrong?”

Katsuki stared out the window, eyes hazy as he seemed to be gazing at nothing in particular. He wasn’t all here right now. It happened sometimes when he was wandering through the sea of information about what was happening inside the city. Sometimes it felt like Zeku was losing Katsuki to Yokohama. The city robbed the blond of his humanity but all the dragon wielder could do was hold him close and wait. He doesn’t say anything but occasionally, he thought about whisking his lover back to his world with him. It was a trashy place and it was far from a utopia but he could hide him there, away from the schemes and evil.

Katsuki slowly turned around, the light returning to his crimson eyes.

“The League of Villains is here,” he said with a smile starting to form at the edge of his lips. The excitement in his voice couldn’t be ignored as he nuzzled closer. Wrapping his arms around the older teen’s neck, he whispered against Zeku’s ear seductively. “I think I can get you a fight that you don’t have to hold back for.”

Bakugou might have a problem on the outside but Yokohama was his city. Combined with the other ability users and Zeku here, they could take out the whole League without any issues. And they were villains. Criminals from the outside world. Nobody was going to have issues with them vanishing in Yokohama.

The people on the outside said he was vile—a monster—and Katsuki knew he was. He had been immersed in the darkness and sins for too long. Nothing could ever stay pure in the mess that was Yokohama. He felt dirty. When he closed his eyes, he could feel the blood being spilled with every murder or fight that occured in the city. He could sense the unwanted touches and the despair of the victims but he couldn’t help them all. He’d look into the mirror and see a pretty face that his mother was proud of. That seemed to be the only thing about him that his parents had ever shown approval of (of course, it was his mother’s face). But that was it. The beauty and purity stopped at the surface while his insides rotted away, festering like a dead carcass in the sewer filled with sins so viscous they felt like tar.

And a small part of him, the insecure part that thought of himself as a pathetic weakling still couldn’t believe he managed to find someone who would love him when he was such a mess. Someone who stayed with him not out of greed for power or a desire to use him for their benefits. To respect him and care for him so gently...it was a dream and a fragile one too.

He wasn’t the hero with a pure heart. He had made decisions that cost lives and he had to learn to be cruel to survive. Back when the League first attacked UA, Katsuki had been hearing about them in the underworld world in Yokohama. Most people thought they were a joke and didn’t care much about outside criminals. However, after the Stain incident, there were talks about human experiments because of the Nomus...even rumours of someone more powerful pulling the strings behind it all.

And now the League was in Yokohama.

Katsuki wouldn’t mind chopping off the hands that had reached too far. This was Yokohama, these outsiders had no business here. Things weren’t perfect but there was a balance here and he finally carved a space where the noises in his head weren’t as strong any more. He won’t have this be ruined by villains and heroes running wild.

“Kill them all for me?” he requested sweetly as his lips ghosted over Zeku’s. The glee of mischief shining tantalizingly behind those long pale golden lashes.

Hearing that, Zeku claimed the blond’s lips in a passionate kiss.

2

“This is Yokohama?” Shigaraki Tomura questioned as he stepped out of the black mist. They were standing in a dark alley behind a restaurant but they could still see the crowds on the main street easily.

The sun was bright and it gave them a clear view of the infamous city.

“I thought this place was ruled by vicious criminals,” Shigaraki added as his lips pulled into a tight line. There were people on the streets. Normal people. There were rarely anyone with physical mutations walking about. Office workers with briefcases, housewives pushing strollers, young kids following their grandparents...everything looked too normal. They were laughing, talking on their phones, or chatting with the shop owners.

“Why does everything look so normal?” Dabi asked. He doesn’t really know what he was expecting. News about Yokohama doesn’t usually travel out but they knew that there was still some form of civilization here. He just thought that the atmosphere here would be tenser, with more fear lingering in the air.

They all heard about the gang wars and how organized crime had a strong hold here. But this place still looked so...peaceful?

“This is indeed Yokohama,” Kurogiri confirmed after checking their GPS location. “We should find a temporary hideout first, going out without a plan will cause us to catch unwanted attention.”

He was right. With so few people with quirks around, some of them would stick out like a sore thumb. About half an hour later, they arrived at an abandoned factory. It was a beat up place with a thick layer of dust covering the floor but it would have to do for now. They didn’t plan on staying in Yokohama for too long either.

“Shouldn’t we go somewhere closer to Suribachi City?” Mr. Compress laid out a map that he got from a convenience store on the metal crate. He had taken off his mask and hat so he could blend in better. “That’s where the kid is.”

“We don’t have enough information yet,” Magne reminded him. “We barely know anything about Yokohama.”

It has been a long standing knowledge in the underground world that villains like them don’t try to make it in Yokohama alone. No matter how powerful their quirks were, unless they had what it took to nuke this city, they shouldn’t try to face off hundreds of gangsters or ability users.

“You really don’t have any more intel about Yokohama?” Spinner turned to Kurogiri and the man made of mist shook his head.

“I have told you everything the information broker could gather already. Sensei doesn’t talk much about this place and the ability users here don’t like fighting with an audience or leaving witnesses.”

Even back during All For One’s prime, he had stayed out of Yokohama. To be honest, the greatest villain since the rise of quirks had been hesitant about allowing Shigaraki to enter Yokohama. However, after some debate with his disciple, he had allowed it. Shigaraki wanted to see what a world free of heroes looked like, a place where criminals were at the top of the pyramid and AFO couldn’t disagree that this was a perfect learning opportunity.

The League received information about UA having a field trip here but that wasn’t what captured Shigaraki’s interest the most. Besides his own curiosity about how Yokohama operated, they also got a piece of interesting intel.

Bakugou Katsuki was spotted in Yokohama and he got married.

Shigaraki accidentally decayed a cup when he first heard it. There wasn't much of a report about it in the outside world and the bride’s name wasn’t provided. People didn’t focus on it either when their attention was on the new heroes debuting.

Usually he didn’t care about what other people’s romantic lives involved but Bakugou was sixteen and basically a highschool dropout. Everyone, including Shigaraki himself thought the kid would be miserable then they got hit with this. Shigaraki took a moment to check out Huang Corp and he was surprised to find all the good things people had to say about it. It was a credible company that was doing splendidly and somehow, Bakugou had managed to climb into bed with the genius behind its technology.

Shigaraki found it slightly disturbing. He thought the kid’s pride would never allow him to bend at the will of another but Bakugou fell lower than he had anticipated. Bakugou inherited his model mother’s looks and he used it to find a long term meal ticket.

Life must have really beat the sh*t out of the kid. Shigaraki just hoped there was still enough fire left in the boy for him to stir up enough hatred towards the heroes.

Mr. Compress also got the local newspaper and everyone could see the article about the wedding on the front page. Toga squealed with a blush when she saw the bride and groom both covered in red. It wasn’t blood but it was her favorite colour and of course she was excited about a wedding. Romantic, elegant, while it wasn’t the traditional white gown of every girl’s dreams, Toga thought it was the most beautiful dress ever!

“Oh my! What a lovely couple,” Magne hummed as she read the article. “Such a handsome young groom. I feel like I would get along great with Katsuki-kun!”

Magne was especially thrilled when she saw the teen had an interest in cross dressing. It wasn’t common to find someone who was the same as her on the outside. She wasn’t sure if Bakugou identified the same as her or if he was just interested in the more feminine fashion but she was still delighted.

The reporter described the traditions and the meaning behind the embroidery on the gowns in detail. They also went and complimented the detailed handiwork of the phoenix coronet. Even if the villains didn’t understand jewelry, they could all tell that it must have been expensive as hell.

This was why they were here. They had wanted to recruit Bakugou after he got expelled by UA. It seemed like the perfect opportunity. Security around Bakugou’s house was a joke to them, UA wasn’t going to bother with a former student with such a bad reputation, and the kid had no one else to turn to when all of society hated him. He was cornered, lost, and possibly angry or spiteful towards the heroes who kicked him down. It was the perfect chance to turn him to their side.

But they couldn’t find him.

The heroes and police didn’t put too much effort into looking for someone who was deemed a lost cause and a scum of society. AFO didn’t have influence in Yokohama either, which made gathering intel a lot harder.

Doesn’t matter though. Now they had another chance. If they could get Bakugou to join them now, they could get even more out of it. The blond’s new husband was rich and they have heard whispers that he was also a powerful ability user. You don’t gain a footing in Yokohama without some kind of power backing you up. If Shigaraki could pull the two into his party, his plans for destroying the symbol of peace could go smoother.

“Hey Shigaraki,” Spinner said as he looked out the crack in the wall. “There are people outside.”

He could see the faint outlines of a few people dressed in black across the street. It was like they didn’t care if they got caught.

We see you.

That was the message they were trying to convey.

Port Mafia. Shigaraki wasn’t 100% sure but if he was to bet, he’d wager that the people watching them were part of the mafia.

“Should I cut them?” Toga pulled out her knife. She wondered if Yokohama people’s blood would look different from normal people’s.

“Ignore them,” Shigaraki instructed with a sour taste in his mouth but he brushed off his displeasure. They were in enemy territory with no back up, of course they had to watch their moves. “Unless they attack us first, we leave them alone and don’t provoke them unnecessarily. What we need right now is information.”

“Sure thing!” Twice nodded in agreement but then his attitude quickly changed. “No way! I say we take them out and show them who’s boss!”

His companions ignored him. They were used to Twice’s odd personality split.

Shigaraki wasn’t just going to march into Huang Corp and demand to see Bakugou. That would be stupid. Also, if he was going to recruit people, he wanted to know what they were capable of first and how he could get what he wanted. He needed to find out exactly what kind of ability Huang Zeku had and the current situation about Yokohama’s underground society. He was Sensei’s student and he wasn’t about to be a disgrace.

Pacing around the room, Shigaraki tapped a finger on the edge of the crate as his eyes landed back on the map of Yokohama. He sent Mr. Compress and Magne to scout. Toga was too impulsive and Spinner or Twice would catch too much unnecessary attention. It was better to keep Kurogiri close in case they needed to change hideouts too. As for Dabi...there was something else for him to do.

“Dabi,” he said slowly. “Contact Hawks. Time to see how much he really wanted to join us.”

------

Hawks provided the information they wanted.

The majority of the police here were quirkless, which meant they were easy enough to deal with. However, the government had special divisions to deal with ability users and people with quirks. If things got out of hand, the military would be deployed too. The city wasn’t as peaceful as it appeared either. There were countless smaller organizations living in the shadows of this city.

As for Port Mafia...for an organization that supposedly controlled the entire city, there was very little actual information that was of use about them. There were gossips and rumours, tales about what they could do or the heinous crimes they had committed but nothing concrete. Unlike the villains trying to make a name for themselves on the outside, Port Mafia had covered up their crimes and didn’t claim the destruction or murderers as their handiwork. Everyone knew they did it. They just couldn’t or didn’t want to come forward to prove it.

“Those who oppose the Port Mafia will be crushed by vicious gravity.”

Shigaraki rolled that phrase on his tongue silently. There was someone who could control gravity within the mafia’s ranks. He assumed that person would be one of the top brass too. Maybe the boss?

The heroes weren’t welcomed in Suribachi, which meant there would be less interference. Shigaraki planned to move closer into Suribachi City after Mr. Compass and Kurogiri were done with one last investigation about Bakugou’s schedule.

Hawks told them about Huang Zeku’s ability too. It was a dragon. The teenager could command a monstrous dragon like the one from ancient mythologies. That was what gave him Suribachi City. The reason why the citizens feared yet commended him, shaped him to be a legend even amongst all the other powers in Yokohama. They saw him as a ray of hope, a light to follow in the sea of darkness.

Shigaraki didn’t believe in fairytales or understood what the hype was about. It was one kid. So long as he was still mortal, he would never be invincible. Celestial or man made...none of that mattered to the young leader of the League. He would get what he wanted eventually.

Huang Corp had the resource. They had wealth and people, connections and technology. Sensei had told him about how Huang Zeku was praised to be a genius and there were other places where Shigaraki could use a brain like that. Combine that with Bakugou...a former UA student with a strong quirk, this would be enough to deal a huge blow to society’s faith in their heroes.

What if they don’t want to join them?

Shigaraki stared out the window. The factory wasn’t a good place to rest and they had moved into an abandoned warehouse at the edge of Suribachi City after nightfall. He could see smiling people on the streets.

Dazzling neon signs came to life along with the soft glows of lanterns, illuminating the street. The smell of delicious food and the sounds of children laughing filtered in through the cracks in the window. It was hard to imagine less than a dozen years ago, this place was nothing but a run down slum.

Huang Zeku built this.

This was a teenager who lived at the top of the food chain for most of his life. A prideful boy with power and brains, someone who obtained wealth and influence with his own hands.

Shigaraki wondered what kind of expression Huang would make when his precious city was at stake.

3

Dazai hummed a strange tune as he walked into the cafe. It was a small one located at the top floor of a shopping mall that overlooked the waters. The inside was decorated with warm colors and spotless white tablecloths that ended with lace. Each table also had an elegant vase containing one or two fresh flowers.

He declined the waitress’s question about showing him to a table and went straight to the corner booth. Sliding into the seat, he saw the other person across from him lifted their head.

“You’re not surprised to see me,” Dazai mused.

“I think we’re past that part of formalities, don’t you think so too?” the man answered while he passed Dazai the menu. He was tall and slim, with black hair that reached his shoulders. Dressed in a white button down shirt and a dark coat with a ring of fur around the collar, he didn’t look powerful. Sensing Dazai’s gaze on him, he smiled, appearing innocuous and almost amiable. “I recommend their jasmine tea. It is delightful.”

“I am not much of a tea person,” Dazai said and he ordered a cup of coffee. “And you’re right, let’s cut to the chase. Why are you still in Yokohama, Fyodor Dostoevsky?”

Fyodor Dostoevsky, the leader of The Rats in The House of The Dead and a member of Decay of The Angels (a terrorist organization). He was a dangerous ability user nicknamed “The Conjurer” and wanted all across Europe.

The Russian man with his white ushanka hat had caused quite big of trouble for both Port Mafia and ADA a few weeks ago. He had formulated a plan that forced the two organizations to be at each other’s throats by endangering the leaders on both sides. They managed to save both men’s lives and almost got Fyod into custody too. Dazai even intercepted the Russian before he could make it out of Yokohama but his ally helped him escape.

Something was wrong. Dazai was sure Fyod didn’t plan on resisting arrest but everything changed after he got a text. He also realized he had fallen for a trap then. For some reason, Fyod wanted to get taken into custody but something else forced him to change his mind last minute.

Purple eyes met Dazai’s stare as their eyes locked onto each other.

“Tell me, if a genie was willing to make your dream come true, what would you wish for?” Fyod didn’t answer him directly.

“Probably a crab feast and a lovely woman who would commit a double suicide with me.” Dazai leaned back into his spot while his coffee was served. His tone was light and no one could ever tell if he was serious or merely joking but that lightheartedness didn’t transfer over onto his face. “So you are here for The Book after all.”

There was nothing else that was the equivalent of a wish granting machine. The Book could alter reality. It was the Holy Grail.

Fyod wasn’t surprised that Dazai knew about The Book. This man wouldn’t have made it as a former executive for the mafia if he was truly a sleazy good for nothing suicidal maniac.

“Yokohama’s government was keeping a page of The Book. They tried to research it but to no avail,” Fyod continued on while he pulled out a piece of paper and waved it in front of Dazai. “This is it.”

Dazai sat up straighter but there was no panic on his face. If Fyod had The Book and wanted to kill him right off, the Russian would have used it already and Dazai wouldn’t be sitting here. There was no need to sit here and wait for him to show up just to flaunt it in front of him.

“I used The Book but nothing happened.” Fyod put the paper back into his coat pocket, storing it close to his heart. “There’s only two possible reasons why that would have happened. One, the page of The Book I got is a fake. Two, The Book’s legend was a lie to begin with. Which one do you think it is?”

“Neither,” Dazai answered without hesitation. He saw approval glistening in Fyod’s eyes. They were too similar. This game was like trying to outsmart himself, only ten times harder because they both had outside factors to consider.

Fyod nodded. “That leaves the third explanation: The Book lost its power.”

They smiled at each other, knowing that neither side believed that was true for a second. The Book was still out there.

“What do you need The Book for?” Dazai picked up his coffee.

“To create a world without abilities or quirks,” Fyod answered easily. He didn’t have the craze that religious zealots had when talking about their beliefs yet he didn’t show any excitement when a man speaking about his grandiose dreams would normally have either. Dazai scuffed but he didn’t say anything. There was no use asking about why. It doesn’t matter what kind of sob story, if there was any, Fyod had behind his impossible dream. As long as this man lived, there would always be pain and suffering due to his evil plots. Dazai was sure of that because that was how he used to be.

“Looks like your dream won’t come true now.” He must have ran last time because whatever he had planned needed The Book’s powers to achieve. Without it working properly, he cut his losses early.

“Perhaps,” the Russian agreed but he tilted his head to the side. “Or maybe I am just back to the drawing board.”

“And we’re back to the question about why you are still in Yokohama. You are investigating why The Book didn’t work.” Dazai sighed. He had seen a lot of people try to obtain The Book in his life so far. All of them failed. No one, not even him, could figure out where it was sealed.

“It would be even better if I can find the whole Book.” Fyod let out a tired sigh. “Would make things so much easier. It’s strange really, Yokohama isn’t even that big but no one could ever find it. The government’s copy is in my possession but it is useless. At first I thought someone had swapped it out without being caught but then that would be impossible. Not with the security they had, it would have been near impossible for me too if it weren’t for my ally’s ability. If Port Mafia had The Book, Yokohama wouldn’t be in this state of a three way balance right now. On the other hand, ADA doesn’t have The Book either because you are sitting right here. It can’t be Guild’s former leader either or he would have flown right back to his wife the first chance he got...”

He trailed off but Dazai got what he was saying.

“Which left you with the Dragon of Suribachi City as the next possible candidate who is in possession of The Book,” he continued for Fyod. “To be honest, he is probably the most suspicious one. He appeared out of nowhere and everything he did so far...it looked too smooth and too good to be true but you didn’t find anything either. He’s a strange one isn’t he?”

Huang Zeku had no desire to expand his territory or hold onto power too tightly. He threw most of his company’s work and decision making to his underlings, only intervening when they were pushing for something large. He doesn’t show up on interviews or TV to take credit for the good deeds he has done and he doesn’t like crowds. But he tossed his money into charity work or investing in welfare for Suribachi without batting an eye.

“That I will have to agree with.” Fyod raised his cup at him. He hadn’t found anything suspicious going on with Huang Zeku. There wasn’t a safe or treasure that he guarded heavily and although he did like books, the most he bought was a bunch of technical and professional texts on mechanics and technology, with a few occasional history and medical books mixed in his orders.

The most Fyod observed was that the teen really liked his little boyfriend (now wife). For the past weeks, it was all about the mundane things in life. Brunch at local restaurants, shopping trips, late night dates consisting of strolls down the beach or stargazing on a roof...as strange as it sounded, they were in love. Fyod even managed to catch an argument between the lovebirds about what kind of forks they should use for the wedding.

Everything about it had been so normal that it just made everything so much more abnormal.

Fyod had a complicated time figuring out what Huang Zeku desired or what drove him. He seemed to fear nothing but he didn’t feel like someone who was bored of the world because he had everything in the palm of his hands already either. Sometimes Fyod would see an eager spark in the teen’s eyes in anticipation of a battle but he had enough brains to know when to back down. His only weakness seemed to be his new wife but Fyod was hesitant to make a judgement so quickly.

Everyone knew the Dragon of Suribachi had no heart.

“To be honest, if he had The Book he would probably burn it so he wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle.” The detective threw two more sugar cubes into his cup and stirred it absentmindedly. If it was him or f*ckuzawa, they would keep The Book as a last resort safety measure. Mori or the government would utilize it to their advantage or research it. People like Francis would use it to fulfil their wishes. Huang Zeku would burn it right in front of everyone's eyes and toss the ashes into the sea. “Weird kid. Creepy dragon. Holes up in his lair with all the fake limbs. Don’t know how he sleeps at night.”

“He is a tricky one. This is the reason why people are hesitant about launching a full assault on him.”

Dazai smiled. “Most people would defend their bases if it got attacked but if you try to launch an attack on Huang Corp...”

“Huang Zeku would come straight for your head instead,” Fyod finished for him. “Forget about his people or his property and possessions, he would come to deal damage where it would hurt you the most. That is why most people think he is crazy. If you want to take him down, you have to prepare to go down with him.”

And maybe dragons did have a special six sense because he would always come after the right mastermind. Most people in Suribachi City found it acceptable. The teen left them enough weapons and resources to defend themselves with and appointed people of good talent in charge. Their only orders were to hold down the fort while he went on his murder sprees. Huang Zeku couldn’t guarantee to save everyone, so he chose to promise revenge on their behalf instead.

New employees could be hired, materialistic stuff could be replaced, and buildings rebuilt. Everyone knew the Dragon of Suribachi had no heart.

It didn’t make sense for him to suddenly find one.

Fyod was more inclined towards thinking that Huang Zeku was scheming something and Bakugou was a distraction. There might be some deeper feelings involved but at the end of the day, Bakugou Katsuki wasn’t anything special.

He might be the talk of the town on the outside but here, he was just a teen toying with explosions. Just another pretty face with a mediocre quirk and passable combat skills. They have more than enough of that going around. Fyod pondered about the possibility of Bakugou having The Book but he shut it down just as soon as the thought popped up. The boy was from the outside and The Book never left Yokohama. If he did have it, why wouldn’t he use it to get himself back in UA? He had the device to make any wish come true and he chose to make a criminal fall in love with him instead of continuing his hero dreams? That didn’t make any sense and it didn’t fit Bakugou’s profile either.

“Sounds like your type of challenge. You already came after Port Mafia and ADA. Are you planning to hit Huang Zeku next?” Dazai’s coffee already turned cold but he swirled it in his cup, seeing the white foam shaking slightly as he did so.

“No, I’m afraid I have somewhere else to be.”

“You think you can leave so easily again?”

“Why wouldn’t I be able to? You didn’t bring back up to surround me this time. Really, there is no need to be so hostile. I have nothing to gain from plotting another attack on Yokohama right now.”

“But you still decided to leave us one last surprise before you went out.”

Fyod cracked a malicious grin while he placed some bills under his empty cup. Dazai already knew about the League of Villains and he guessed correctly, it was Fyod who leaked the information to them.

“This isn’t my stage any more,” the man took off his hat and held it in front of his chest, almost respectfully but they both knew it was a mocking display of politeness. “Until next time.”

He vanished under the flip of a white cape.

Dazai leaned his head back and sighed.

“I suppose he won’t be back in Yokohama in the short run?” A middle aged man came up to the former mafia executive. The man was bald and wore a pair of glasses. His green eyes scanned over Fyod’s spot before landing back on Dazai while he stroked his goatee. He was dressed in a dark coloured kimono too.

“Mr. Taneda,” Dazai greeted lazily. The man was the director of the Special Division for Unique Powers and he was friendly towards ADA. They didn’t corner Fyod this time because Dazai and Ranpo had both predicted that it would cost lives if they tried. There were also outsiders, hero kids, in Yokohama right now. It was best they attend to this matter quietly or they might get dragged into it and the political mess that would ensue would be a headache for everyone. “Yeah, he’s gone for now. Are you planning on doing anything about the League?”

“They will be treated like any other wanted criminal.”

“Great, they are as good as dead then.”

Mr. Taneda furrowed his brows. “What makes you say that?”

“The League is here for Bakugou, which means they would be up against Huang Zeku.” Dazai shrugged. “I can guarantee you that his dragon is about to get an extra meal.”

“...I hate overtime,” Mr. Taneda stated, half hiding a groan behind his words.

“Hey, be more optimistic! Maybe this time he would swallow the bodies whole and you’d only have to fill out the paperwork for missing persons of interest.” The younger man got up and patted him on the shoulders. “Did you get it?”

Taneda nodded. As one of the few people in the world who knew where the page of The Book was stored, he had been alerted of it being stolen. He had orders to get it back. After Dazai came to him about a meeting with Fyod, they had a person with a quirk that could swap objects stationed close by.

Taneda passed him the paper and Dazai read every word written on it. It was a genius plan that even he felt chills for. Every stage was linked to the next and like dominos, as soon as the first event took place, almost everything would have gone according to Fyod’s plans. The back side of the page was completely blurred out with ink and unreadable. Seemed like Fyod anticipated them stealing this back and wiped out the most important section of his final goals.

But what was readable was enough for Dazai to know they were headed towards doom from the beginning.

The only thing Fyod couldn’t account for was The Book not doing what it was supposed to do. Dazai would like to think this was karma coming back to bite Fyod in the behinds but he knew that couldn’t be it. Fyod was still suspicious and still believed The Book (that would work) was somewhere in Yokohama.

He was still suspicious of Huang Zeku. Dazai was too but all the evidence was stacked against the idea. Huang worked for his success and he had seen it with his own eyes. It wasn’t a miracle, it was hard work and luck. And there was no way Huang would write such a troublesome script. It didn’t suit his personality or his needs. It might seem like he had won everything there was to gain in life on the surface but in reality, he also made himself a target.

It didn’t make sense.

That was why Fyod led the League here to test the waters for him. Sneaky bastard. Dazai would have done the same thing if he was in the other man’s shoes.

He gave the paper back to Taneda.

“We will try to decipher what is written in the back,” the director said.

“No need, it’s not repairable.” Fyod wouldn’t leave such an amateur mistake. This page of The Book was useless to him but he wouldn’t outright tell him what his failed plans were about.

“Still got to try.”

Dazai turned on his heels and headed for the door. “I will be leaving then, still have a bunch of teens to babysit.”

Taneda nodded and he turned to walk away too, only to be stopped by the waitress.

“Um Sir,” she said while blocking his way. “Your friend didn’t pay for his coffee.”

Taneda whipped his head around but Dazai was long gone. With an exasperated sigh, he took out his wallet.

“How much does he owe you?”

Some things never change.

Chapter 9

Chapter Text

1

Hawks leaned his head back against the cold wall. Exhaling, he slid down against the wall and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

He really shouldn’t have taken this mission.

Not that he had much of a choice. The Commission wanted him to come so he came. He might have more freedom than some of the other past recruits but he was still on a leash. Hawks had been diverting most of his attention into trying to infiltrate the League of Villains but he didn’t slack off on his usual hero work either.

Back when the scandal with UA blew up, he heard that the villains were interested in talking to Bakugou Katsuki but the boy ran away from home. The League had no idea where this Bakugou kid went either. They put in a request with underground contacts for information on the blond teen and Hawks knew for certain that there were a few in the Commission looking into this information in order to get him a “peace offering” to speed up his integration into the League. They wouldn’t just deliver the child over. No, but Hawks would be the one to tell the villains where to find Bakugou.

He had been thankful that no one ever found anything concrete.

A small part of Hawks felt bad for the kid, even if Bakugou seemed to deserve all the hate being thrown his way but he was mostly curious. Bakugou vaporized as if he was a ghost and no one on either side of the law could find him. Things only started to make some kind of sense when reports of him showing up in Yokohama came in. Of course, it became easy to disappear in a city that no hero or regular villain would be willing to set foot in. Not to mention, Bakugou somehow managed to get the owner of a large corporation to help him out.

One mystery was solved and now they got a thousand more thrown into their laps.

As much as Hawks wished for freedom, he was still the Commission’s star recruit. As such, he had his ways of getting classified intel. Yokohama had always been a taboo subject within the hero community and the government. It wasn’t formally independent but when it came down to it, that was what it basically was. Hawks knew HPSC had worked with ability users before and they were interested in that kind of power too. However, abilities weren’t genetically based and thus, it was harder to conduct research on it.

Body modifications with science, however, was much easier to understand.

Hawks heard people talking about the young prodigy of Huang Corp before. A few organizations had tried to throw him an olive branch for his genius but he had no intention of leaving Yokohama or using his brain for crafting new weapons. The Commission had been interested in him due to rumors that he wasn’t an ability user. No one could make it big in Yokohama without some kind of firepower to back themselves up and it was said Huang Zeku had work done on himself that gave him inhuman powers.

Young but hard to fool. Dangerous and cold like a blizzard. Huang Zeku’s reputation wasn’t the greatest in the classified files. Instead of a law abiding citizen, he was more of a walking humanoid arsenal in the files.

So how did Bakugou know Huang Zeku? How important was Bakugou to him? What could they gain from this information?

The calculations started churning well before Hawks got the call to meet the Commission’s president. He could practically hear the gears inside these politicians’ heads turning. Hawks told them about the wedding and if he was being honest, his attempt back at the wedding reception was a complete gamble. He didn’t want to grab Bakugou but it was obvious that the situation wasn’t something talking alone could solve and he had orders (always these damn orders) to test Huang Zeku out.

And Hawks witnessed the terrifying dragon first hand. It was a giant beast and not at all holy like what was described in the ancient tales. Menacing and abhorrent, it was a monster crawling out from the depth of hell and even more disturbing than Nomus. Nomus at least resemble people. The dragon was a savage beast whose presence alone symbolized death.

Hawks felt it too. The inhuman roar from the back of the dragon’s throat was like a storm of bricks slamming into everyone in the room, crushing their bones and smashing their lungs. Like a hand gripping onto their hearts and threatening to rip the beating organ out.

The fear came from within him, tapping into the parts that were engraved deep inside his DNA and it was suddenly so much easier to understand why their ancestors worshiped dragons.

If this was the product of peak engineering genius then no wonder the Commission wanted to get their hands on it so bad.

Hawks didn’t manage to get Bakugou Katsuki (maybe it was Huang Katsuki now?) to come back home with his parents. He didn’t think the Bakugous would be able to get their son back anyways. To be honest, he didn’t want to try too hard in getting the boy back either, not when the teen looked so desperately trying to get away.

The young hero had seen this before. People in abusive or not stable homes trying to flee from the pain or the hollowness inside their chests. They tend to seek out what they desire or lack in romantic partners, hoping to create a happy ending for themselves. It doesn’t always end well, most of the time people rush from one fiery pit of hell to another. People don’t tend to make the best judgements when they were trying so hard to escape. They’d grab the first chance they get.

He couldn’t tell if the blond teen made the wrong call but one thing was certain: Bakugou Katsuki was important to Huang Zeku.

He cared. He was possessive and protective. Hawks wasn’t sure how Bakugou Katsuki did it but he obviously had a special spot inside Huang Zeku’s heart. It was hard to decide if that was a good thing or a bad one.

The good was that the Commission wouldn’t pressure Hawks into capturing the blond through force and shove him into the same black-ops program Hawks went through (the kid was a little bit too old but the Commission had a way of bending people to their wills). The bad, however, was that now they might start getting other funny ideas about how to use the kid to get Huang Zeku to help them.

Hawks didn’t want to see an army of modified super soldiers or a squad full of dragons. No matter how good the initial reason for creating such a thing was, it would always turn south and he could already see the horrible future that entailed.

So he tweaked his report back to the higher ups a little. Made sure it was realistic enough but also tried to persuade his supervisors that they shouldn’t push it any further. Bakugou Katsuki had good potential but he wasn’t worth getting in war with a dragon on the mythical creature’s turf. The Bakugous deciding to leave Yokohama without their son also helped. They don’t have any more reason to want to force the boy to leave now that his legal guardians signed their authority over him away.

Hawks laughed without humor when he heard about how they chose the money over their son. It was a logical choice, yes. One that Bakugou Katsuki wanted too but Hawks imagined that it couldn’t have felt good to see that you truly meant so little to people who were supposed to be family.

They gave up on him.

It wasn’t the hero’s place to judge or be bitter about the decision though.

Nighteye went to talk to one of the students. Midoriya Izuku. The boy who broke his fingers during the Sports Festival. Hawks didn’t have any interest in keeping tabs on their conversation as he had to focus on a new piece of disturbing information.

The League of Villains had also arrived in Yokohama.

The one he had been talking to for a while now was named Dabi. He was a lanky young man about Hawks’ age with burnt scars all over his body. A fire quirk too. Hawks didn’t like this one in particular because there was this craze in the villain’s eyes. It was cold and quieter but no less evil than the shine of destruction glistening in Shigaraki’s blood red eyes.

They wanted information on Bakugou Katsuki and his new husband, Huang Zeku. It was an opportunity for Hawks. The smart thing to do would be to give the villains what they wanted. He could get closer to their core operations if he could prove his loyalty with this information.

But guilt was forming inside his chest and sitting in his lungs like a heavy rock.

If he gave the villains what they wanted, he would be putting two teenagers in harm’s way. He knew Huang Zeku probably wasn’t clean, that the kid’s dragon had tasted human flesh before. However, knowing that and willingly pushing the boys into the fire and doing nothing but watch them fend for themselves was a different thing altogether.

Bakugou Katsuki was a bully, expelled from UA due to mental instability and an unvirtuous character. Huang Zeku was a killer with a higher body count than most villains in the outside world. They were not good people. There shouldn’t be any issue with using them for the betterment of society.

But they weren’t just evil for evil’s sake. Hawks turned on the news but kept it on silent mode. Behind the reporter, there were the crowded yet lively streets of Suribachi City. People danced and sang, they were happy and content.

Huang Zeku and Bakugou Katsuki have their faults and sins but they were still children, teenagers that don’t really deserve to have to face such evil without any help.

“What do you plan on doing with them?”

“Just to talk.” There was a for now that Dabi was definitely omitting. Hawks guessed that Shiagarki wanted more pawns for his plans and the Huangs were exactly what he was looking for. “It’s not really any of your concern right now.”

He doesn’t like this.

He doesn’t want to do this.

Hawks told Dabi what the villains wanted to know.

The dragon had speed and power. It would also protect its owner automatically and from what the hero kids told him, its scale could fire off as a way to attack too. His feathers collected some information about the Huangs’ routines in Suribachi City and he gave that information over too.

“Good work, birdie.” A dark chuckle came from the other side of the phone. “Maybe when everything is done, Shigaraki will let you come meet our new members.”

The call ended.

Hawks lowered his head. The Commission would love this. The League was bound to clash with Huang Zeku if they tried to take his wife. No matter which side died, the Commission would benefit from it. If Huang Zeku decided to work with the villains then law enforcement would have a solid reason to enter Yokohama and take everything Huang Corp had built, along with Bakugou Katsuki. They’d become bargaining chips with other local forces in Yokohama. After all, who wouldn’t want a piece of Suribachi City now that it wasn’t a land of garbage any more?

All Might wouldn’t be around forever. All of this was to maintain the balance.

For a better society.

For peace.

He really hoped this was worth it.

2

They don’t always wake up together.

Sometimes Katsuki would wake up first and he’d spend a few quiet minutes studying Zeku’s sleeping features. It was comforting to see him sound asleep, Katsuki thought that Zeku looked softer when he was asleep. The hard lines of battle melted away and only Katsuki got to see him like that. He’d give Zeku a light kiss and slide out of bed quietly, ready to wash up and start the day.

If he was feeling particularly mischievous, after he prepared breakfast he’d suck Zeku’s morning wood off. His lover would be sleepy initially but the drowsy confusion would soon be replaced by embarrassment. Flustering red cheeks and quiet moans, Katsuki liked him helpless just as much as he loved it when Zeku was the one dictating the pace. Of course there would be retaliations. Zeku would either throw him to Coiled Dragon afterwards or bite him hard enough to leave marks that would sting for a day or two.

When Zeku woke up first, Katsuki would find himself tucked in nicely in bed with Coiled Dragon waiting at the foot of the bed, like a dutiful watchdog. Breakfast would usually be something easy to make or from one of the shops downstairs. The dragon wielder would greet him with a small kiss and they would go about their day.

Today, Katsuki was feeling particularly naughty. He didn’t take off his apron as he hummed on his way back to the bedroom. His lover was still asleep. Zeku found a good book on some mechanical gears last night and stayed up late for it as a result.

“Zeku,” he whispered but didn’t get a response. Coiled Dragon’s core sat on a cushion at the edge of the bed, deactivated. He knew that his lover wouldn’t leave himself this vulnerable, even if he was resting. Zeku was only like this because there was Katsuki in the room right now.

Climbing on top of the older teen, he straddled the older teen and shook him a bit harder. Zeku hummed, unwilling to wake up.

“Zeku, wake up.” He leaned down and kissed him. They took it slow and gentle, focusing on each other’s lips lazily. Lifting a smile, it didn’t take very long for Katsuki to pull his pants down and slide a half hard co*ck into himself.

He almost purred when he felt how it stretched him open.

“Katsuki—” Zeku grunted, eyes snapping open and hands moving up to grab the blond.

“No touching.” Katsuki clicked his tongue at him in disapproval, moving his hips down and squeezing around his lover’s co*ck. It was getting harder, filling him in a very satisfying way. A sound of pleasure escaped his lips as the electric feeling of ecstasy climbed up his spine. “Are you awake now?”

“How can I not be?” Zeku hissed underneath him. He kept one hand on Katsuki’s thigh to keep him stable, as if he was more concerned about Katsuki accidentally hurting himself than how his own junk was in a dangerous predicament.

The blond laughed while he f*cked himself， taking his time to bounce on that co*ck. Katsuki liked control. He couldn’t decide why The Book chose him, couldn’t stop the noises inside his head, couldn’t do anything to stop people from fighting over power or committing crimes. He couldn’t change how people think about him or force them to love him as a hero.

It was such an ironic joke. He had power to change reality but he couldn’t do anything with it. Power wasn’t what protected him, it was the bells announcing his impending doom. It felt more like he was being pushed along by the tides of fate, always scared, always needing to watch over his shoulders because everything he built was so fragile. Everything could come undone in the blink of an eye and he felt like he was grasping at sand. Nothing ever stayed.

Katsuki liked control. Zeku knew that.

Sometimes Katsuki felt bad about it. The other boy wasn’t submissive by nature either but he’d let Katsuki have control. Zeku wasn’t good with his words and it was these silent gestures that made Katsuki feel like his heart had been filled with honey.

Picking up the pace, the co*ck inside of him twitched and Zeku’s face was red while a drop of sweat rolled off his forehead. The hand on the blond’s thigh tightened as if its owner was enduring some kind of painful torture. The soft groans and heavy breathing from beneath him made Katsuki’s own member harden from excitement while he milked his lover through an org*sm.

When the body beneath him relaxed, Katsuki also fell forward, he didn’t come but he was happily filled and content with his work. A hand slipped up his waist and a kiss was planted in his hair. The air smelled a bit tainted with the aftermath of sex and coffee with baked bread, which came from his apron mostly. It had gotten wrinkly so he pulled it off.

“You’re absolutely horrible.” Zeku sounded more annoyed than angry while Katsuki laughed into his shoulder. Slowly, he pulled out and shifted, grabbing the apron to wipe away the leaking cum from between the blond’s legs. After that, he leaned down and left two bite marks on the junction between Katsuki’s neck and left shoulder.

Expecting it, the younger teen only let out a muffled grunt of pain. He knew it wasn’t deep enough to draw blood but it still stung.

“You want revenge?” Katsuki challenged while wrapping his arms around his lover’s neck. To his surprise, Zeku pulled his arms off and tossed him off the bed. He felt himself falling against something cold and hard, the edge of the dragon scales pressed into his pale flesh.

A long wet tongue ran along his face. Katsuki pushed Coiled Dragon’s head away while he watched Zeku get off the bed and went directly towards the washroom. He didn’t look mad but Katsuki wasn’t sure what he was thinking either.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Getting revenge.” Came the reply and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was even a hint of laughter mixed in Zeku’s voice.

The blond didn’t have time to ask what his lover meant by that as he felt Coiled Dragon’s tongue slip into him. It was thin at the tip and got wider the deeper it went. Katsuki let out a startled yelp as the slippery but smooth tongue moved around inside of him, brushing by all his sensitive spots all at once. It penetrated deep, deeper than what a human could reach while rimming him open at the same time. He tried to squirm away from it but the dragon scale beneath him was too smooth for him to use a proper footing and he kept slipping back down the tongue. A portion of the long red tongue that was still outside wrapped around the base of his balls, rubbing him and coating him in saliva. A long nail pushed his dress up while the embarrassing sticky and sloppy sounds filled the room.

“Hmm! S-Stop, Coiled Dragon, stop!” Tears collected on his eyelashes as he grabbed at the tongue, trying to get it to stop but it was no use. Screaming, his back arched when he felt the tip of the tongue hit too deep and his eyes rolled back, mouth opened as his tongue lolled out. His legs spasmed as he came, spilling his seeds on his stomach.

His vision got a bit hazy and when it refocused, he saw Zeku coming back with a moist towel and a small bucket of water. He was also fully dressed. After he patted Coiled Dragon’s head, the tongue pulled out of Katsuki. Harshly. The action forced the blond to weep and more white liquid leaked from the tip of his co*ck.

“You didn’t have to go this far,” Katsuki whined while his lover bent down to wipe him clean with the warm towel. It soothed out the slight soreness of his muscles.

“You started it.” Zeku finished wiping him down. “Come on, I want breakfast.”

Katsuki smoothed out the wrinkles on his dress. He wouldn’t say it was a benefit but skirts and dresses made it so much easier for these kinds of...um, pranks. Coiled Dragon tried to get close to him but he had been too embarrassed to even look at the beast so he ended up shoving its snout away, leaving the confused dragon to stare at its master as the blond stormed out of the room.

Katsuki was pretty sure Zeku was laughing after him even if there were no sounds.

Life after the wedding hadn’t changed much.

They have too many secrets to hide so neither of them liked having people enter their space. Most of the cleaning they did on their own. It was fine. Katsuki was capable of taking care of a household and Zeku wasn’t a helpless klutz at house chores either. They have their arguments of course. About how salty an omelet should be or how the hygiene products should be arranged in the bathrooms.

This was life. Not all of it would be grandiose discussions of murder or starry dreams of a glorious future. It was about how they were almost out of soap, needing to get the lightbulb in the storage room fixed, or other small things like who should fold the laundry in what way.

They talked about work too.

Katsuki pulled up a few documents and gave them to Zeku after breakfast. “Fire these people, they are no good.”

Zeku didn’t even look at the files before he signed them. He trusted Katsuki to make the right calls when it came to these types of things. Other organizations have tried to send people into their company. Some were spies from competing companies while some were agents sent by the government or other shady groups. Katsuki would get rid of the ones who were too much trouble to deal with before they make it past the interviews and some spies they keep. It was too much of a hassle to keep cleaning out people with impure intentions. They just keep trying to send new people if the old ones get rejected anyways. It was easier to let in a few, milk them for their worth because most spies worked well initially to gain trust, and then fire them or arrest them.

Usually after a spy that had been here for a few months at least had been found out, whoever sent them would be quiet for a short while.

It was a quiet life in Yokohama when there weren't any weirdos trying to bomb the entire city or cause tragedies just because they were bored. They have a balance right now and no one was thinking of war so soon.

Katsuki knew about Dazai and Fyod’s meeting. He never liked these two. Too smart and too dangerous for their own goods. Dazai he could deal with since Oda was in Suribachi City but Fyod...Katsuki wasn’t sure if this was another trap. Was the Russian waiting for the League to die at Zeku’s hands? Would that prove Zeku had The Book? Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe he was planning to use the villains to show everyone that the Dragon of Suribachi wasn’t as invincible as everyone believed he was.

The Hunting Dogs weren’t going to be a problem. The captain of the team decided there was no reason to start a battle with Zeku right now. His subordinates thought the old man was just considering how much good Huang Corp had done for Yokohama and how he had a soft heart for the teenager using his genius for peace. Fools. Katsuki wanted to laugh at how naive those dogs were. Their captain wasn’t some saintly hero or holy soldier fighting the good war. He was a villain whose greed for power extended far beyond what anyone could ever believe.

Bastard was the one working with Fyod.

The Book not working for them was the old man’s only concern right now since that meant he needed to figure out a different way to get what he wanted. He didn’t have time to chase after uncertain leads since no one could be sure where The Book really was. Fyod lured the villains here to test if Zeku had it but they had other speculations to check too. All of them were busy chasing after a ghost.

Of course, Katsuki didn’t loosen his surveillance of the Hunting Dog’s activities. They might try to blindsight Huang Corp again.

And the League...these villains were planning on recruiting him and Zeku. The only good news about the situation was that his parents were leaving Yokohama and the bird hero’s conversation with the hero commission told Katsuki that they would be sitting this one out for now, only speculating, waiting for an opportunity to move in.

He wouldn’t be giving them any reason to strike.

“Relax,” Zeku told him. His expression had been blank like always as he slid an earring onto Katsuki’s earlobe. “Even if worse comes to worse...we’ll find somewhere for us.”

Katsuki knew that but he didn't want to get to that point. If people wanted The Book this badly...they were going to have to pay for it in blood. He wouldn’t let anyone use him like a tool. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed by how he was being forced to react to whatever sh*tshow Life decided to throw at him again.

f*cking Russian rat always making things extra complicated.

“I don’t want to go outside today,” he mumbled. One of the League members was loitering across the street. They were bound to approach them soon and if there was a conflict, Katsuki would rather keep the damages away from crowds.

“Alright, let’s go to the sunroom then but you’d still need proper shoes.” Zeku grabbed a pair of black laced up heels over. It would go well with Katsuki’s dark coloured cheongsam and fair skin.

“These are new,” Katsuki observed.

The older teen shrugged. “What good is amassing wealth if you can’t enjoy even a small portion of it?” Compared to the amount they threw into charity and building the city, this was nothing.

“Even so, why do you keep buying me heels?” Katsuki asked as his husband knelt down and tied the ribbons of the heels for him.

“You look good in them.”

“Pervert.” He kicked Zeku lightly but the butterflies were fluttering inside his heart.

“Says the person that attacked me this morning?” Zeku got up and offered Katsuki a hand and the blond laughed. They went up to the sunroom where they have a nice space set up on the roof and they both enjoyed spending an afternoon there with a good book.

The roof of Huang Corp was made into a slanted tiled roof like the traditional ones found on Chinese temples, thus the sunroom was like an attic space. The ceiling was high in the middle and there was a round wooden window near where the slope of the roof came down. It had a fantastic view of the waters.

They curled up against each other near the half opened window, with cushioned pillows underneath them. Katsuki was on his phone while Zeku continued reading his book...At least that was what Katsuki thought would happen. Instead, Zeku pulled out an envelope that Katsuki didn’t really want to think about.

“Did you check what was in this letter?” the dragon wielder asked. He hadn’t read it yet.

Katsuki grabbed it. “It’s nothing important.”

The older teen held his hand out.

“What? It’s not a big deal, don’t worry about it.”

“If it’s not important then you shouldn’t have a problem letting me see it.”

Katsuki sighed but reluctantly handed over the envelope. Zeku scanned it over and he didn’t say anything when he was done but his expression darkened immediately.

Zeku got up and the air around him seemed to be in frozen speckles.

“Hey! There’s no need to get angry about something so stupid.” Katsuki pulled him back down and planted kisses along the older teen’s jaw, trying to calm him. “Come on, they’re not worth it.”

“Have you seen what that moron wrote?” Zeku questioned bitterly. “Who does he think he is? I already let him go and he’s writing to you about forgiving you? He has no idea what he’s talking about and all the wrongs you did, you already paid for it. If he has issues with it then that’s his problem. What makes these stupid heroes think a shrink could fix everything anyways? Your parents agreed to our stipulations. I don’t care if he’s your former classmate or past victim, he has no right to try to influence how you live your life. He especially shouldn’t have any say about us.”

The dark haired teen fummed while Katsuki pulled him in tighter.

“I don’t care if he realized it or not but he’s just doing this for himself. All of them are.” Zeku turned his head away but he held Katsuki’s hand tightly. “It is not all about wanting you to turn into a decent person or worrying for your safety. It’s about you suffering because actions should have consequences, and they just want the moral high ground of being able to watch you in the dirt so they can be the bigger person, extending a hand to you just like a damn hero should. You’re supposed to beg, to repent and atone for your sins while thanking them. That’s the happy ending in their script, you deterred from it and now they’re mad. They can phrase it all pretty but this is not about you. It’s about their guilt and their satisfaction.”

“I know,” Katsuki murmured. “But he has a right to be mad—”

“Then why can’t he just come and challenge you to a fight?” Zeku snapped back. “He’s angry. So? No one’s stopping him from expressing a wish to beat you up or throwing any hurtful words back at you. He’s not quirkless anymore so he has the power to do it now too. Instead he hides behind all these good intentions that continue to beat you down while placing him on the high pedestal. Everyone sympathized with him, he is the No.1 hero’s favorite, and your old principal loves his analytical notes. They think he’s a saint and they hate you, think you’re the vilest of sc*ms. The lower you fall, the more consecrated his halo is.”

Katsuki grimaced when sharp red eyes landed on him. A hand grabbed his other free wrist too.

“Actions and words have consequences, they say. They all focus on what would happen if he actually jumped back in middle school. They want you to play nice but they’re not the ones with a whole city screaming in their heads all day and night! Where were the consequences when that Midoriya guy got too close for you to be comfortable?”

“They don’t know. They can’t know.” Katsuki clung onto Zeku’s sleeves, lips pale as he saw the red bleeding into the older boy’s eyes. “And you’re hurting me.”

His wrist was ensnared between a dragon’s claw. Rows of tiny scales pressed into his flesh and long nails were crossed dangerously close against the back of his hand. It was going to be bruised with the scale’s pattern later.

He watched the fury shift into penitence on his lover’s face and his wrist was freed. Zeku dropped his hand, hiding the claws under his sleeves.

“He has everything.” Zeku got his voice down to a whisper but his chest was still heaving. “Friends, loving family and mentors, a spot in his dream school...but that’s not enough. He wants you too. He wants that perfect dream where you changed to fit their version of what is good and he made up with his childhood friend so now you’re buddies again. He wants to be your savior. Must feel nice to be the one on top after being seen as worthless all his life.”

“I don’t think he thinks of it that way.”

“Of course he doesn’t. Wouldn’t fit his superego.”

Katsuki cupped Zeku’s face and planted a small chaste kiss on his lips. “I know. I know you’re being mad for me too.”

That was probably the longest rant Zeku had gone on in a long time now.

“But you’re still going to meet with him.” Zeku narrowed his eyes.

Katsuki kissed him again while guiding his lover’s hands around his waist. “One last time, it’s necessary.”

Zeku buried his face against the side of Katsuki’s neck.

“If he gets too handsy, you can slice off an arm this time. How about that?” the blond offered.

The arms around his waist tightened.

“I won’t stop you from engaging in a battle with ADA either?” he cooed.

Still no response.

“And we can feed the League to Coiled Dragon.”

“Coiled Dragon doesn’t eat trash,” Zeku muttered.

Katsuki patted him on the back gently. “Okay, I’m sure Port Mafia would be more than happy to use the League’s bodies to do business with the hero commission.”

“Don’t want to let them benefit from this either.”

The blond laughed. This was definitely pettiness at work but if that was Zeku’s wish, he’d make it happen.

“Alright,” he promised softly. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to come to an end soon and it'll just be the two of us again.”

Like it always had been and always will be.

3

Gossip was the easiest way to gain information.

They said the Dragon of Suribachi liked to bring his new bride out on dates in the city. They particularly liked to frequent this little tea and snacks shop in a quiet corner of Suribachi City. It wasn’t a big or extravagant place but the old shop owner there made wonderful Ankodama and matcha tea.

Shigaraki exercised his fingers while his group approached the little store. There weren't any signs out front, just an opened sliding paper door that welcomed his group in. The inside was clean and decorated in a very traditional sense. Wooden counters and a small glass display case, there was only enough space for four tables further inside. A grandmother in a white apron was behind the counter close to the door, grinding some ingredients.

“Welcome,” she greeted and she paused her work but her eyes didn’t land on them. Shigaraki’s group had gotten a similar response from the people of Yokohama these past day or two. The people here could smell trouble from a thousand miles away and seeing gangsters was common for them. “The menu is on the wall.”

The group ignored her and she resumed what she was doing silently.

Only one table was occupied right now and the villains’ targets were sitting there. Shigaraki’s red eyes landed on Bakugou Katsuki first. The teen was different from what he had seen during the sports festival. Dressed in a pink and silver cheongsam, the blond looked boneless as he leaned against his companion. The cheongsam was nice, made of silk with a beautiful embroidery of branches and flowers covered it. Matching pink ribbon from his heels criss crossed on his pale legs and was tied behind his ankles in a ribbon.

Magne was already giggling behind Shigaraki. The kid didn’t look bad, charming even. He just looked...not like the violent and ready to blow walking grenade that Shigaraki wanted. No fire of hatred burned in his eyes as he lazily let his companion feed him one of those sweet red bean rice balls. The colourful desserts were made into perfect little colourful spheres and set out on a tray in front of the two along with two ceramic cups of tea.

He looked like he was enjoying life.

This was not what Shigaraki expected to see someone who had been abandoned by society to behave. But he had run countless stimulations in his head and this scenario was a possibility.

The other person beside Bakugou was in a dark blue short sleeved Tang suit with scarlet maple leaf patterns, which he kept the top few buttons unbuttoned. It wasn’t common in Japan but he also had one a dark coloured half cloak covering his left side. His features were a bit cold and his long raven hair was tied into a ponytail that draped down his shoulder. There were also a lot of ornamental decorations on his ears.

Shigaraki knew the dragon would be young. It was sort of grating to know that he was going to be bargaining with a child like they were equals but he wasn’t about to underestimate Huang Zeku. A normal kid doesn't build companies and they certainly don’t have a suspected rap sheet that can fill a storage room.

He wasn’t here alone of course. Magne, Dabi, and Mr. Compress came with him while Kurogiri and Toga were standing watch outside. Twice and Spinner he ordered to check out a few more things about Yokohama for Sensei.

“We meet again, Bakugou.” He slid into the seat across from the teens.

Neither of the boys acknowledged him. Huang Zeku took a sip of his tea with half lidded eyes and his right arm was slung around Bakugou’s waist. His movements were graceful, lacking the rowdy roughness of people growing up in poor neighbourhoods.

The blond was pressed against his side like a large cat ready for a nap, occasionally whispering a few things into the other’s ear that was too quiet for the villains to hear. He was also still scrolling through his phone, uninterested in the criminals in front of them.

A kid aspiring to be a hero and the one who leaped at Kurogiri first back during a crisis now ignoring villains. He must have really given up on his past dream.

The atmosphere around these two also made it hard to cut in. Felt like they were interrupting something intimate even when the boys weren’t doing anything out of line.

“Excuse me,” Mr. Compress said while bowing lightly at them with a polite hand over his chest. “We are the League of Villains and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Bakugou—”

“There are no Bakugous here,” Huang Zeku said but he still hadn’t spared them a glance. His voice though, as soon as he opened his mouth the temperature felt like it dropped a few degrees even if the store was brightly lit under a beige warm light. The lines of his figure were still relaxed and casual. He didn’t see them as a threat yet. “And I know you. You are All For One’s minions.”

“...You know about All For One.” Shigaraki narrowed his eyes. All For One had been in hiding since his battle with All Might, not even a lot of the criminals on the outside world knew he was still alive. These Yokohama criminals certainly had a wide information web.

“Not our fault if you outsiders can’t keep secrets.” Huang Zeku finally lifted his eyes to meet Shigaraki’s stare. His face was still stoic, unreadable as if it was carved from hard cold stone. Blood red eyes that held a dull shine scanned the group of villains. Shigaraki didn’t like that look, almost like they were insignificant ants in the teen’s view. “What do you want with my wife?”

“Not just with him.” Shigaraki shook his head. Negotiations were about reading your opponent. He watched as Huang Zeku picked up Bakugou’s hand and placed a small kiss on it when the blond teen began to shift. Bakugou nested back against him quietly and it was hard to tell what he was thinking when he looked so...calm? Like he was just a pretty doll and wouldn’t even react if Shigaraki placed a gun to his head. The boss of the League decided to ignore that observation for now. “I came with a proposition for both of you. Join us, help us wipe out the heroes in Japan.”

A mocking chuckle came from Bakugou. “Why the f*ck would we help you do that?”

Shigaraki saw a familiar spark in the blond’s eyes. There it was. The spitfire attitude that Shigaraki didn’t like but knew could be useful in a battle against the heroes. Good to see the kid still had some fight left in him. Otherwise it would have been less fun when they present their new member to those UA runts. “Because we have all been wronged by this society.”

A breeze came by and the windchime by the opened door rang. Shigaraki watched as while Bakugou tucked his phone away.

“Oh?” the former UA student uttered a single syllable. Shigaraki now realized he even had a bit of cosmetics on. Glossy lip gloss and painted nails kind of thing that he was sure Toga would swoon over. As crazy as she was, she was still into these pretty and dainty little things.

“They already see you as a villain,” Magne continued for Shigaraki, voice sweet with a sense of melochanly. “We don’t fit in with their rosy, straight and narrow expectations. Your school, your friends, everybody else walking by on the street...honey, they are all so quick to judge and label us as anomalies just because we are different. They have labeled you as unworthy and a piece of scum, thrown you into the same bin with the rest of us.”

Seeing no obvious reaction from the two, she took a step closer.

“Sweetie, you’re just like me.” She mentioned to herself with one hand. “Look at us, I know other people just like us. A good friend of mine once said that I was brave for taking the first step. Don’t you want to be true to yourself too? To not hide who you really are or what you liked any more? We don’t have to be afraid. They call us villains but we are just trying to make a place for ourselves in this world.”

“He already has that here,” Huang Zeku pointed out with the barest hint of a cold smile. “No one would dare to treat him with disrespect in Yokohama while I’m around. Why would he throw this all away just to join your merrily little evil band of losers?”

Shigaraki knew this was his cue to cut in.

“Because the heroes aren’t done with him yet. I’m sure you have been annoyed by them enough to realize that. These heroes...they are hypocrites. Villains must be put down and locked away, to rot in regret and suffering or atone and change for the better. But him,” he paused slightly and tilted his head towards the blond. “He didn’t conform to that fate and now he’s in Yokohama, the city of sins. They will keep trying to come rescue the poor citizens of Yokohama, make them adjust to the flashy hero propaganda and make this place just like everywhere else in the world.”

Leaning in with his elbow on the table, Shigaraki stared right into Huang Zeku’s calm eyes.

“And you are one of the villains they want to take down.”

The look Huang Zeku gave them all was one that sent chills down their bones. He had a nice face but no matter how handsome, the dark aura emitting off of him freezed out any other emotions outside of fear when you look at him. The boy was barely of age but it wasn’t hard to tell he had plenty of blood on his hands already. He built his reputation with bones and blood, slaughtered through thorns to create a path to the top.

“If they do decide to touch Yokohama, that will be our problem and not yours,” the teen dragon wielder said slowly.

“You mean your abilities?” Shigaraki unclenched his fist underneath the table, making sure he didn’t appear to be affected by how the alarms in his head were blaring off, screaming at him about danger. “Yes, abilities are powerful but you lack numbers. We have the numbers and the variety you need.”

“If so, you should be having this talk with Port Mafia. They are waiting for you outside aren’t they?”

He knew about the suits that had been tailing the League since they entered Yokohama. Shigaraki wouldn’t expect less from someone who had an entire corner of the city under his grasp.

“We have nothing to gain from siding with you.” Huang Zeku’s eyes were focused on the dark green surface of his tea. The white steam made the red of his eyes hazy.

“You can have revenge. This society is wrong and we can make everyone realize that, including getting paid back for your wife.” Shigaraki was alright with talking over the blond as if he wasn’t there to input an opinion. Huang Zeku didn't seem to mind it and he was doing it himself. It was expected really, a kid hated by society would have been swallowed whole in a city like Yokohama and it was only because he somehow became a part of the dragon’s horde that he was safe.

In fact, this made things easier. He knew that Huang Zeku was the bigger target. If they can persuade the Dragon of Suribachi, then Bakugou would be his plus one.

This time, the teacup in Huang Zeku’s hand landed on the table with a heavy clattering sound.

“You think I would need your help to exact revenge?” he asked in a ghostly whisper that didn’t contain any trace of rage but the beast behind him said otherwise. A dragon, a real dragon was coiled around the teens as if it appeared out of thin air. As soon as the beast appeared, it was impossible to ignore its presence as it occupied the majority of the shop. The space felt cramped as the large shadow loomed over them like the sky was about to drop and crush them with its mighty force.

Shigaraki could hear his people sucking in a sharp breath or sense their bodies going tense. It was a monster. Rows of long sharp teeth and claws that looked like they could slice through steel, all three of its creepy bulging eyes focused on the villains. There was a musky scent in the air. Damp and metallic, it was the smell of blood that accumulated over the years. Even if Shigaraki couldn’t see any blood on the monster, the scent had already been ingrained into every inch of its horrid body.

This wasn't a holy beast of peace and protection.

It was a horseman of death and destruction.

It was perfect for his and Sensei’s plans. If he could get this as one of his pawns…destroying the hero society would be so much easier. Shigaraki leaned back slightly, keeping his head high and his voice steady as he met Huang Zeku’s gaze.

“You can’t kill them,” the villain’s boss said. “They entered the city under Port Mafia’s permission which means the mafia had granted them protection. If you attack them then you would have Port Mafia declare war on you because you tarnished their reputation. And the heroes wouldn’t forgive you either. It would give them the reason they need to advance into Yokohama. On the other hand, we can murder them for you.”

Standing up, Shigaraki scratched his neck as he studied the monster and its owner. Bakugou lifted his neck and whispered something beside Huang Zeku’s ear, a few small sparks emitting from his palm but Huang Zeku only covered the younger teen’s hand with his own.

“An intriguing offer,” he praised Shigaraki but there wasn’t any joy behind his words. “However, there are plenty of other ways to get rid of a few pests that don't involve illegal deeds. I also don’t do business with other people’s underlings.”

Shigaraki felt like he was on the verge of seething. “I am the boss.”

“If that’s so then what do you plan to do after you have killed All Might? That’s still your goal isn’t it?”

The dragon let out a low rumble following its owner’s question. The sound was like a dull knife scraping against their spines.

“A world in chaos...” Huang Zeku continued before Shigaraki could answer. “You have no idea what that really meant. There’s nothing to be gained from such a situation.”

“What do you mean?” Shigaraki got a bad feeling about this. There was something strange with the criminals of Yokohama. Port Mafia was the biggest crime syndicate in Japan and everyone said they controlled Yokohama, yet the government was still functional here. These Yokohama villains didn’t look like they had a big desire for total destruction. He didn’t plan on taking Yokohama either. Shigaraki’s goal was to destroy the hero system that people loved so much, it wouldn’t affect Yokohama.

“You see this dress?” The teen suddenly gestured towards the cheongsam on Bakugou. “It is made of lotus silk and the embroidery is formed by real silver threads handsewn by two skilled seamstresses. I can give him nothing but the finest from all across the world. Why would we risk losing all this just to help your pathetic and poorly thought out cause?”

Bakugou smiled. It was soft and shy, almost like Toga’s blush whenever she saw blood. But Bakugou wasn’t looking at a gushing wound or a pool of blood, his adoration was directed at his husband as if he really was a new bride waiting for the ceremonial kiss at the altar.

“Oh my,” Magne let out a small squeal. They could all tell it was an expensive dress but to hear exactly the amount of work that went into it was a whole different thing. She also seemed to feel for Bakugou, who found love even if he was different.

Shigaraki felt disgusted. This was wrong. Wrong because he would have no use for a soldier that didn't desire to fight. Wrong because these two teenagers were like every other disgusting couple that Shigaraki had seen on the streets. They smile and laugh as they go about their days, ignorant of the painfuls shadows lurking around the corners.

Shigaraki thought he would find something of value here in Yokohama. This was a city with no heroes, the very damn thing that all the villains on the outside would dream of. But everywhere he looked it was all the same. There was no chaos, no destruction. Nothing. No freedom that Shigaraki was looking for either.

Port Mafia’s boss was content with hiding behind secrecy and staying out of the public’s view. The criminals operated underground just like on the outside while everything else was dictated by a government who regulated people with powers. And now this.

How could this buffoon who only cared about materialistic pleasures and romance be one of the most feared people in Yokohama? The Yokohama that even Sensei wouldn’t dare to touch in all his years of crime.

So what if Huang Zeku had a dragon? One touch and Shigaraki could decay it all, leaving this spoiled child defendless.

He doesn’t know what happened to Bakugou either but he had no use for a doll that only existed to please men and be an arm candy. The blond might be more useful if the Doctor worked on him a bit and turned him into a Nomu.

“I don’t know if you have some poor villain origin story or not but you don’t know chaos. You don’t understand chaos.” Huang Zeku stated with a placid expression that was hard to read. “Your plans are worthless to me.”

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Dabi murmured from beside Shigaraki. “They aren’t going to work with us.”

Shigaraki scowled. “This was a waste of time and a joke.”

He turned to walk away.

“Did I say you could leave yet?”

Huang Zeku’s voice came from behind him and before Shigaraki could react, he heard a sound that rattled his brain inside his skull. It was a low roar that felt like it had grasped his heart and sharp claws were digging into it, ready to rip the organ out. Fear shot down his spine and every single nerve in his body felt like it was going to be pulled out by force.

If his will had been any weaker he might have even soiled himself.

He heard the sound of knees hitting the ground. Straining his neck under the immense pressure, he saw that Magne and Mr. Compress were on the ground with cold sweat tainting their backs. Dabi didn’t look any better. His eyes narrowed as he kept himself on his feet with some support from the table beside him.

Blue flames erupted from the scarred young man’s fingertips and the fire blasted into the teens still sitting. It seared the tiles on the ground and burnt the tables to ash. There was nowhere for them to hide and the dragon was too big of a target. Shigaraki was sure the flames hit.

But the teenagers and the dragon came out unscratched. Eerie dark matter from the dragon’s underbelly wrapped around Huang Zeku and Bakugou like a shield and there wasn’t a single mark on either of them.

The dragon lifted a claw and flicked Dabi out the door like he was a fly. There was a loud crash and Dabi probably slammed right into the brick wall across the street.

“What makes you think you can just come and go as you please?” Huang Zeku watched Shigaraki with half opened eyes. The old croon of a shop owner came over calmly with a teapot and refilled his cup when he held it out. She acted more like a personal servant than a store owner.

“Can I get another plate of dango?” Bakugou ordered as he leaned against his lover’s shoulder, ignoring the chaos in the shop.

“Of course, coming right up,” the old woman replied respectfully before retreating through a door to what was probably the kitchen.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Shigaraki gritted his teeth. He can’t just recklessly try to close the distance between them. The dragon can shoot its scales at him and he’d have to time his attack well in order to get close enough to do real damage.

“I don’t always enjoy the company of law enforcement,” Huang Zeku mused with his lips pressed against the side of his cup. “But what else can a concerned citizen who is being cornered by a group of wanted villains do?”

At the end of his question, half a dozen fully suited officers rushed into the small shop with their guns drawn and pointed at Shigaraki’s group.

“Freeze! You have been surrounded! Put your hands in the air!” the leader shouted.

A tall man dressed in a pale brown suit and glasses also followed them in. He nodded at the teens before turning his attention back to Shigaraki. “I am from the Special Division for Unique Powers, you are all under arrest.”

“You called the cops on us?” Magne’s eyes widened in disbelief. This was...completely baffling. A criminal calling on cops for help against other criminals when he had the strength for a fight? The boss of one of the strongest powers in Yokohama should be above that. Where were Kurogiri and Toga anyway? They were supposed to alert them if danger was near.

Huang Zeku leaned back into his seat and raised his cup towards them like a mocking cheer. “Not all things have to be solved by getting my own hands dirty. Besides, my wife and I are both law-abiding citizens and good tax payers.”

That must be the biggest joke of the century because Shigaraki saw the government agent with the glasses coughing into his fist, face twisted too. Bakugou, on the other hand, planted a kiss on his lover’s cheek.

“Shigaraki, let’s get out of here!” Mr. Compress urged and he reached towards the nearest officer, ready to compress a portion of their body and make an opening. Then he screamed, a piece of scale the size of a large plate had logged itself into his upper arm. Blood drenched his sleeve and dripped onto the floor.

“You—” Shigaraki was furious to the point where his tongue felt tied. The rage was storming through his veins like a boiler ready to blow but he held it in. He knew these ability users thought they were stronger than people with quirks and Huang Zeku hadn’t gotten serious yet. He didn’t even get up from his chair. This was a demonstration of how insignificant and weak he thought the villains were.

There he was, watching them like they were court jesters with a docile lover by his side, a loyal beast at his feet, and servants attending to him. The Dragon of Suribachi had a wicked and sad*stic taste for entertainment.

“Like hell are we going to prison like this!” Magne screamed but Shigaraki held up a hand and black mist wrapped around them. The officers fired at them but Shigaraki couldn’t care less. His hateful eyes focused on the teens at the back of the store. A stray bullet had taken the light out and the dragon casted an even darker shadow over the teens. The brightest colour from that end of the room was Bakugou in his silver lined expensive dress. The blond’s ruby eyes were bright too as he leered at the vanishing villains behind the safety of his lover’s protection.

They landed back in their temporary hideout. They would have to move again. He doesn’t want to bet the off chance that Huang Zeku didn’t figure out where they were staying. Dabi and Toga were with Twice, who was fretting over them and yelling like a madman. He quickly pulled out a medical kit when he saw Mr. Compress’s bloody arm too.

The fire user was heavily bruised and maybe there would be a cracked bone or two.

“Toga was knocked out by the sound,” Kurogiri told him. “I don’t feel too good after hearing that roar either. Body felt frozen and not my own. Then Dabi flew out and the police raided the place before I could get myself together again.”

Shigaraki took a deep breath. The dragon’s roar manipulated their psyche. It was a psychological attack. He would bet a high end Nomu on it.

“Should we retreat out of Yokohama now, Shigaraki?” the bartender questioned and the mist around his head wavered.

“No.” Shigaraki didn’t realize how dry and tired his voice sounded. He sounded like someone that had just escaped a flood or some other natural disasters that mortals were powerless against.

The one with power was Huang Zeku. He dominated his relationship with Bakugou. It was obvious he had been at the top and uncontested for too long. He didn’t see them as threats and he made the mistake of not killing Shigaraki and his group.

The leader of the League of Villains sat down on the dusty ground.

Huang Zeku and Bakugou Katsuki.

The dragon and his most prized treasure.

Shigaraki’s fingers itched for destruction.

He doesn’t care about if they loved each other to death or if Huang just really liked Bakugou’s face. What he knew was that they weren’t just going to go home empty handed like this. They came all this way and his people got hurt. He got dirt thrown at his face and his plans dismissed like a week old sandwich destined for the garbage bin.

“We’re staying for now,” he said to his group and they all turned to him. “Didn’t a little birdie tell us that Bakugou’s old classmate requested a meeting with him the day after tomorrow? They will be meeting alone.”

And it was the same kid who ruined his plans back at USJ too. The one with green hair and a quirk like All Might’s. The one that Sensei suspected to be the next holder of One For All.

It would be killing two birds with one stone.

The people of Yokohama didn’t think it could be done. Well, Shigaraki was going to show them how it could be done.

He was going to steal the dragon’s treasure from right underneath his claws.

------

Katsuki watched as the officers moved out and a repair crew came in. They were used to these things here in Yokohama and the contractors were already fixing up the burnts and cleaning out the ruined furniture.

Zeku would be paying for the damages and cover the revenue lost. The old store owner thanked them and handed Katsuki a box with the dongo he ordered.

“Are we allowed to leave now?” Zeku asked the government agent lazily. The man, Ango, Katsuki believed his name was nodded.

“You really are a trouble magnet,” Ango sighed, more casually this time. He had tried to infiltrate Huang Corp before while he was undercover in Port Mafia but Huang Zeku took one look at him and HR showed him out the door. He never figured out what blew his cover.

“If you do a better job at cleaning out trash then I wouldn’t have to do it for you fools.”

Huang Zeku took his lover’s hand and Ango saw the blond smiled at him. He greeted him back politely because unlike certain adults, he was a decent human being and wouldn’t judge another based on whom they chose to associate themselves with. Seriously, if he did then he wouldn’t be friends with Oda, who was Dazai’s best friend (a claim made by Dazai himself of course).

The two teenagers left but Ango’s lips pursed into a thin line when he saw Huang Zeku giving him the same look he had all those years ago back at the interview.

Kid knew what his ability was.

His ability allowed him to read the memory of objects, which made him perfect for undercover work and intel gathering. Huang Zeku wouldn’t leave a tail for him to chase but Ango knew he was still going to try. Part of his job after all. Even if all he got would be memories of two teenagers making out or having a nice serene date he still got to try.

He watched as the teens’ became small black dots in the distance down the street. They were still glued close together. Soft smiles and gentle laughs, Huang Katsuki seemed to be saying something to the dragon wielder and they ducked into another store.

Young love. Ango wasn’t sure if he should feel happy that Huang Zeku actually had some human emotions or worry over the potential problems this relationship could cause first. It doesn’t matter why, if a battle broke out in the city, he was going to do overtime for sure because any problems that involved quirks or abilities were his department’s problem.

No use thinking about it now though. The couple had announced their wedding to everyone and he had a group of outside villains to chase down first.

While Ango took care of the aftermath of their encounter with the League, Katsuki was in a good mood. He knew there was no way the villains would just retreat. Their boss was too much of a man child to not throw a fit after being humiliated. He hoped that getting law enforcement involved would also throw Fyod off his tail because it was a boring response. If Zeku had The Book then he wouldn’t need to get Ango’s department involved. Katsuki was going to make the Russian man lose interest but not too deliberately cause that would set off alarms.

Katsuki didn’t want to alter reality when it came to these overly intelligent asshole’s thoughts. He couldn’t read minds but he was damn sure these people had a mental guard or safety measure against brainwashing abilities. If they realized their thoughts had been touched...well, Katsuki might as well be holding up a neon sign with “I AM THE BOOK” on it and waving it in front of their faces.

He hummed while holding Zeku’s hand as they strolled down the street. The older teen had done a wonderful job at acting (or rather, he was naturally good at disrespecting people from the start) so Katsuki was going to reward him with a really nice dinner tonight. All of his favorites and Katsuki would make something for Coiled Dragon too.

A hand brushed by his cheek.

“Happy?” asked Zeku.

“Yeah.” He smiled back and leaned in for a chaste kiss. Katsuki could feel Zeku smiling against his lips. The dark haired teen was excited.

The stage was set and the players were ready. They were going to see blood very soon and neither of them could wait.

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

1

The forecast said it was supposed to rain today but right now, the sun was shining its brightest glory upon the surface of the earth. Warm and humid, there was an occasional breeze that made the summer heat bearable.

Katsuki skipped down the stairs while humming to himself quietly. He was outside of Suribachi City without Zeku and it felt a bit strange because he hadn’t done that ever since he got expelled from UA. Of course, he wasn’t alone. There was a car with Huang Corp’s logo and two security personnels waiting by it not too far away. They stood like statues since he told them to wait.

A few people passing by stared after him, whispering about all sorts of different things. They talk about his looks and his relationship with Zeku or the wedding but not a lot of them chatted about his previous role as a hero in training. He turned all the noises out as he opened two cans of tuna that he got from the convenience store a block back and set it out on the ground, near the entrance of an alley. It was quieter here, less people walking about.

Half a dozen cats gathered, mewing and hissing at him and Katsuki took a step back. The furry animals came in all shades of colours. Black, white, brown...they approached the food carefully then dug in, tiny pink tongues wrapping around the meat and sharp little teeth chewing it to small pieces.

There was one calico cat perched on the fence in front of Katsuki. It wasn’t a very large cat and its fur was composed of patches of orange, dark brown, and black. This cat purred at him but didn’t join in for the fight for the canned food. It licked its paw while its tail wiggled gently behind it.

Katsuki stared into its large brown eyes. It was a very rich and warm shade of chocolate and the animal lazily yawned. It was an older cat for sure, Katsuki had seen it roaming around the city even before he met Zeku.

His lover was the best thing that ever happened to him.

It was hard to love someone like him. Katsuki knew he had a temper and he was exactly what everybody else said he was. He was rough around the edges, brash, aggressive, and everything from cruel to mean and all the inbetweens. He was skeptical of everyone and everything, twitchy from the paranoia inside his head, and a generally hard to please whiny little bitch.

It was hard to love someone like him.

It was even harder for him to love anyone back.

His words could alter reality and he was one with Yokohama but he couldn’t read minds. He couldn’t tell who loved him for real or who just wanted him for his power. He didn’t know who was going to stab him in the back or demand more from him. Not to mention, it would be hard to trust him. Couples fight and bicker. They had moments of tension and doubts. So what was Katsuki to do if his partner started doubting their love?

What if the romantic feelings they felt for Katsuki was only because of The Book’s powers? What if the bond they shared was nothing but the blond manipulating them into staying by his side?

He would never do anything like that but once the seeds of doubt were planted, it wouldn’t take much for it to sprout. It would be a wedge into their relationship and mistrust was fatal for people in their positions. Their stories wouldn’t work if his partner couldn’t trust him completely.

They could back out. Katsuki couldn’t. The moment he decided to build a legend, there was no turning back. It was either he kept marching forward or he lost and embraced death.

It was so hard to love him.

But Zeku stayed with him, cherished him like he was the center of his world and stood in front of him when danger struck. The one who would scowl but gently wipe his tears away at night and make everything quiet down whenever the sounds inside his head got too much. They all said that the Dragon of Suribachi cared for nothing but Zeku wasn’t some simpleton or saint with no worldly desires.

He wanted nothing.

He wanted everything.

So long as he had Katsuki, he could have everything. It was a smart choice. A logical choice. And strangely enough, it made Katsuki feel a bit safer. He didn’t need someone with too much ambition or worldly desires but he couldn’t work with a buffoon who had no brains to think for themselves either. Zeku was neither and he was perfect.

Katsuki knew it was silly of him to feel this way but knowing that he could make Zeku stay by just being himself was relieving. At first it was because Zeku came with no strings attached and Katsuki wouldn’t have felt any emotional struggle to have to kill him. He didn’t have to lie or think too hard about how to maintain their relationship either when they were only bonded by convenience and gains. If it was his parents or Midoriya...what reason would he have to not grant their wishes if they begged him? And then what would happen if he denied giving them a quirk or wealth? Could five years old him really have killed his parents or the kid next door that he had known since birth?

He knew he couldn’t. He could send anyone else trying to come after him to their dooms but he wouldn’t be able to dye the ground red with the blood of those he knew so well. There was a reason for the distance. Distance made things safe. Distance made sure his heart would be hardened like stones.

He saw how strained his relationship with his parents had become, how they chased after fame and success...and then their faces merged with the shadowy ones he’d seen too many times inside his head. All smiles but cold eyes. Desire and greed hidden behind those pearl white teeth. Midoriya was no better. Always following him around. The boy didn’t know when to back off and he wouldn’t fit in well with Yokohama’s nature. Useless and weak, Katsuki didn’t have the spare energy to accommodate someone who couldn’t keep up when he was barely keeping his own head above the water.

Distance kept him safe, kept everyone safe. The walls he built around himself was the only thing that made sure he could keep moving forward. He couldn’t look back. There was no turning back for him. He doesn’t need a hero to come in like a wrecking ball and destroy his walls. That was what was good about Zeku. Zeku never tried to break down his walls. He stood outside of it, letting Katsuki build his safe haven from a safe distance but protected him from harm when danger came.

He didn’t expect Zeku to be able to seep through his walls like a shadow, silent but always present, guarding over him and finding a permanent spot inside the walls of his heart.

Zeku wasn’t his hero. No, even though this world didn’t have any tournaments to the death, Katsuki still thought of Zeku as his champion. The one and only.

The older teen gave Katsuki his heart and loyalty. It was only fair that Katsuki returned the same.

Katsuki knew he should have gone insane a long time ago. Maybe end up on a dissection table or dead in a ditch somewhere but he had been lucky. He met some good people, useful people. The people of ADA and Port Mafia, even if they all had their faults or selfish plans, they all wanted the best for Yokohama.

He had Zeku too...and the man with the cane that he met all those years ago when he first stumbled into Yokohama, trying to figure out why noises were screaming inside his head. The man with the cane had chestnut hair mixed with white and dark brown streaks. He was an elder gentleman who was heavily influenced by British culture, one who loved his bowler hat and long brown coat. His eyes were a compassionate chocolate brown with a small hint of gold.

The man was the one who explained Yokohama’s situation to him, talked about the players and the political games behind every move that was being made. Despite Katsuki’s young age, he hadn’t been impatient or demeaning towards the blond child. He sat down with Katsuki, all fine and proper with his perfectly trimmed mustache, and they talked about Yokohama.

Katsuki called him Sensei.

Katsuki never explicitly told him that he was The Book.

Sensei never asked. Never dug too deep about why Katsuki knew what was going on in Yokohama all the time and never told a single soul about Katsuki either. In fact, he taught him how to hide, how to get along with the noises inside his head, and how to spot the lies behind friendly faces.

He had a soft but assertive voice. Not like Katsuki’s father’s kind of soft. It was stronger and lacked the distaste in Masaru’s voice. What would his parents have said if they knew Katsuki had killed people before? Maybe it would just confirm what they already knew, that Katsuki was a villain in the making all along. A loonie bin gone off rails, a disaster with a pitch black heart and no soul.

Katsuki would never be their happy perfect sunshine child.

Neither of them would have held his hand in theirs and told him that it was alright for him to just survive either. That was Sensei.

Maybe he should have given other people a chance to prove themselves to him instead of freezing them all out. He knew his former classmates and teachers were good people at heart but that was precisely why he couldn’t let them know. What would happen if trading Katsuki’s secret could save a hostage? A little kid screaming for help? A pregnant woman begging for mercy for her unborn child? His former classmates and teachers were good people, they wouldn’t want to give up on any chance to save someone.

Even if they wanted to stay loyal to him, what if it hadn’t been one hostage? How would they choose when the stakes get higher, like a whole city?

Katsuki couldn’t risk that chance.

“I had two other students before you,” the man once said while he patted Katsuki’s head. “Can’t say they turned out to be the finest examples of the better side of humanity but if you don’t mind an old man’s rambling, hear me out about our story.”

He talked about Yokohama and the plans he had to bring it out of chaos. It wasn’t perfect. People would still die and there would still be crimes but his goal wasn’t about eradicating sins, it was about finding an equilibrium where most people could survive with smiles on their faces.

They were human. They couldn’t save everybody but they could do their best to make this world a more bearable place.

Sensei was a legendary ability user and talking with him planted a budding idea inside Katsuki, one to turn the noises inside his head down. He wouldn’t be able to make all the horrible sounds vanish. People didn’t work like that but he started thinking about how to make everything less painful. So when he met Zeku, he saw the final piece he needed to do something instead of just running and hiding. He saw a chance to take back control of his life.

Yokohama’s peace right now was built on countless people’s blood and sweat. There were graveyards that were stained by tears while some deaths weren’t ever even acknowledged by a tombstone.

Katsuki wouldn’t let anyone ruin what they worked so hard for.

The multi-coloured cat leaped down from the fence and crawled over towards the blond teen on a branch that was about eye level with him.

“Did I do the right thing?” Katsuki asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper and the syllables seemed to dissipate as soon as they touched the wind.

The cat dipped its head towards his direction, one paw landed on his forehead. Soft to the touch, Katsuki watched as the cat’s warm eyes met his gaze for a brief second. It turned around and vanished behind the leaves.

Katsuki laughed and the rest of the stray cats lifted their heads to look at him. Patting his hands clean, he got up and stretched. It was a good day today and it was going to get better. He returned to the car that was waiting for him and climbed in with a small smile on his face.

“Let’s go,” he told the driver.

It was showtime.

------

This trip to Yokohama wasn’t like anything they had expected.

Todoroki Shouto had heard stories about the place growing up. His father, being the No.2 hero, had connections that expanded to far places. However, whenever Yokohama was mentioned from Endeavor’s lips, it was never associated with anything good. It was a city run by villains, of course no hero liked it.

A lot of people in his class expected to find ruins and chaos. Todoroki himself had been anxious about it too. How could a society operate without heroes? Wouldn’t the villains run wild and trash everything? But Yokohama proved to have more order and structure than they imagined. It was mostly a peaceful place, with smiling crowds busy with their lives and a criminal network that operated underground.

Of course there were still robberies and other crimes here but most of the criminals here were shrouded in secrecy and they were different from the villains on the outside. They weren’t looking to make a big name of themselves or announce their presences to the world. Crime fighting wasn’t just about taking down a bad guy either. Organized crime made everything more intricate and sometimes, even if everybody knew who the villain was, they couldn’t do anything about it.

It was frustrating.

Maybe they shouldn’t have been so surprised when they ran into Bakugou here. This was the one place in Japan where people weren’t focused on heroes and villains. The one place where it would be easy for someone labeled as a villain to blend in easily.

Todoroki never liked Bakugou too much from the start.

The blond reminded him too much of his father. They were two peas in a pod and it was hard to unsee it when the similarities were thrown so blatantly in his face. They both yelled and berated the people around them. Words of insult came out of their parted lips and their anger was the same relentless fire that burnt everything in their patches.

Todoroki wasn’t good at reading social cues but he was observant. It had been trained into him for both his hero career and because of the need to read his father to avoid getting hurt.

He could see the fear in Midoriya’s eyes whenever Bakugou raised his voice. Avoiding eye contact, flinching at the sound of explosion, and the nervous hitching breaths were all too familiar to Todoroki. That was him. That was his sister and mother. They were all like that around Endeavor, afraid that even the smallest of things might set him off.

Midoriya said they were childhood friends, that being aggressive was just Bakugou’s default setting and he meant no harm. Now, Todoroki didn’t have enough experiences with friends to understand if that was what a healthy friendship should look like but the interactions between the two had him worried. The feeling of bile climbing up his throat whenever he saw Bakugou yell at Midoriya became harder to ignore once he integrated himself into what was known as the “Dekusquad”.

They were his friends. Midoriya was his friend, which was why he had been so angry when what Bakugou did in the past came to light. Angry at the explosive blond for being so cruel and heartless but also angry at himself. He had seen the signs. He saw every red flag yet he said nothing. His silence was hurting his friend too.

Todoroki had heard the clipped and strangled sobs when Midoriya told them about what really happened. There was no rivalry between him and Bakugou. It was a relationship between an abuser and his victim. Midoriya’s cheeks had been rubbed raw by angry hands as he tried to stop the tears from pouring and his lips were quivering while he stuttered out the truth. The whole ugly truth.

It was vile and vicious, like a disgusting snake chewing holes inside his heart and Midoriya had somehow kept all of it locked up all these years. Being suffocated by the snake’s tight hold and drowning alone in the poison.

And somehow, Midoriya still came out on top of it with a smile on his face to hide away the hurt. He even wanted to help Bakugou. He wanted to give his tormentor a second chance.

Todoroki admired the courage and faith Midoriya displayed. Even when the world was continuously beating him down, he still pushed forward.

Nothing justified what Bakugou did in the past. He had dug his own grave and he refused to acknowledge his own wrong doings. Todoroki had secretly been a bit relieved when they expelled Bakugou. What the blond did was disgusting and he didn’t deserve a spot in heroics. Midoriya had been tearful about it and consumed by guilt but counseling and their support seemed to be lifting the freckled teen out of the rabbit hole of pain.

Things had been looking up and Midoriya was doing much better without Bakugou’s influence. The doctors and their teacher helped him see that his attachment was unhealthy and he didn’t deserve to have to pent up his anger. He suffered from emotional trauma and they helped him undo some of the twisted rationalizations that had been ingrained in him through years of being treated like trash by society. Expelling Bakugou was the right decision. Bakugou would have only continued to hurt others if he was allowed to become a hero.

Then all of their efforts seemed to be going down the drain when they ran into the blond again in Yokohama.

Bakugou was different. He seemed to have lost his harder edges but he wasn’t any nicer. In fact, there was a new layer of sinister to his evil. It was a kind of tantalizing malice that dripped like honey, like an apple that was glossy and plump red on the outside but festering on the inside.

A burning and hateful rage boiled Todoroki’s chest. While Midoriya had been on a slow process of healing from the damages Bakugou inflicted, Bakugou was...he was indulging in romance and the finest wealth could provide?

How was that fair?

It took so long for them to convince Midoriya that he shouldn’t have to keep his suffering pent up just for Bakugou’s sake. It was unfair for him to have to pretend everything was alright, that he wasn’t bothered by the way Bakugou treated him when it was breaking him from the inside. They told Midoriya that it was okay to not be okay, that he could ask for help and people would respond to him. Properly and take his side this time (not like his past poor excuse of teachers and peers who turned a blind eye to his cries for help).

Bakugou’s eyes were colder than his ice when he watched the men die. He might have saved them but the blood on Todoroki’s skin reminded him that Bakugou hadn’t changed. He only got worse now that he didn’t have to worry about repercussions from UA anymore. The Bakugou who still went to UA with them was brash and had a colourful language but never would Todoroki imagine him being so indifferent about people dying right in front of their eyes.

The older teen with Bakugou wasn’t a good guy either. Todoroki didn’t need to check twice to know that Huang Zeku would have made it onto his father’s Most Wanted list if he lived outside of Yokohama. He was different from Endeavor or Bakugou. The evil in him was clamer. Quieter but it ran deeper as if it had no end, simmering beneath a mask of ice and frost but the blood lust behind those eyes was more pungent than the Hero Killer’s desire for bloodbath.

He was a villain.

Bakugou married the villain.

Seeing them together on TV was surreal. Red and gold, even if he wasn’t familiar with the customs, he was still captivated by how beautiful everything was. The girls in both classes were also enchanted by the beautiful bridal gown and the handsome groom. They all knew it was Bakugou and a criminal standing there but still, the clothing and jewelry set were works of art.

Their teachers and Bakugou’s parents got sent back empty handed.

Midoriya cried that night.

It must have been extra hard for him. Counseling had been helping Midoriya and Todoroki knew everyone in class was doing what they could but it was hard to undo years of damage. Midoriya was a survivor, a fighter. Todoroki could see the strength hidden within his friend and he believed Midoriya could rise above it all.

And he wouldn’t have to do it alone. He would have their support.

The night of Bakugou’s wedding, Todoroki sat with Midoriya in the hotel room with their classmates. Midoriya had so much to give, remained kindhearted and empathetic as ever even when it came to the person who tormented him.

He felt useless to only be able to watch as Bakugou threw his life further away, to turn into the arms of a murderer and shunned his parents out. Useless. Yes, that was what most of them had been feeling ever since they arrived in Yokohama. They were like fish out of water, out of their element and the world suddenly became so strange that no one knew how to operate properly. It was like the sky was now the ground and left was right and right was left.

Midoriya wanted to know why. He wanted to know why Bakugou would choose to acknowledge a criminal and even stay by his side when nothing they ever did was enough to earn the same respect from him. Not Midoriya with his years of putting Bakugou’s reputation and feelings first, not Kirishima with his friendly smiles or Mina or Kaminari or Sero. Sure, Bakugou had been closer to a few people in their class but everyone would agree that the blond still kept them at a distance, no matter how hard they tried to crack his shell.

It was a particularly harsh kick to Midoriya’s guts. Bakugou and Midoriya were friends once but then Bakugou threw it all away. He turned his back on Midoriya when the green haired boy was diagnosed quirkless. It made Todoroki livid when he first heard about it. Quirk discrimination wasn’t uncommon in their society but for Bakugou to decide someone’s worth entirely based on their quirks and to act out on it...well, it reminded Todoroki too much of his father’s disgusting face for him to keep his cool.

Midoriya never should have been subjected to that horrendous treatment.

Bakugou decided the green haired boy was worthless because he had no quirk but now Midoriya did have one. His quirk came on the day of the entrance exam and he still made it. He worked so hard to get on the same starting line as Bakugou and the rest of them. He was the most heroic and passionate person Todoroki had ever met. It wasn’t unreasonable for him to want some kind of acknowledgement.

Midoriya was getting better but there were still triggers. Seeing Bakugou take the criminal’s hand so easily and happily shook him really badly. He wanted to know why Bakugou would side with a villain when he had been screaming so loudly about wanting to be a hero all his life. Midoriya had respected Bakugou, and thought of him as a goal and role model even.

Bakugou did more damage than he could ever imagine. His existence unraveled Midoriya’s nerves. He doesn’t hear Midoriya rationalizing his mistreatment or downplaying his own self-worth in private. Midoriya thought that he “shouldn’t have gotten in Kacchan’s way” and that he “was just being a crybaby who couldn’t deal with some mean words”. Just words, just a few taunts...Bakugou didn’t understand the consequences of what he did.

And Midoriya was paying the price for it.

Todoroki knew everyone else was angry too. They knew they wouldn’t be able to do much. Their teachers failed to talk to Bakugou and the blond’s own parents had decided to cut their son out of their lives. He was beyond help.

But they just wanted some answers.

Why? Why did he do all those nasty things to Midoriya? Had he been so self absorbed that he couldn’t see past his ego to realize how much his childhood friend cared for him despite everything? Why was he hell bent on putting Midoriya down no matter how much kindness he was shown?

Why did he pick a villain over people who could actually help him to get better? Be a better person.

That was the question on a lot of their minds. They had spent time with Bakugou in class and it was unnerving to know someone who would have killed so carelessly was amongst their ranks everyday.

Midoriya was going to meet Bakugou today. Nighteye had taken Midoriya aside and talked to him in private after the hero’s meeting with Bakugou. After that talk, Midoriya came out distraught. He wouldn’t tell anyone what happened but it was obvious there was something really heavy on his mind. It was like the nerves inside his head had been strung tight and one more brush he would snap.

He looked sick and tired, worried and ridden with guilt or doubt.

This talk was necessary. Bakugou’s actions held too much influence over his mentality that it wasn’t healthy. He wasn’t selfish to want to be seen as a person, as an equal but Bakugou doesn’t want to be their friend. He had made that very clear back when they met in Suribachi City.

Midoriya had the right to be upset but he also needed to move on.

They all needed some closure and moved on.

The meeting place they chose was a park at the junction just on the outskirts of where Suribachi City and the main portion of Yokohama connected. It was a quiet place with gravel roads and a few trees that provided shades. Their teachers didn’t know about the meeting but a few from class B followed them. Monoma said they were just going to make sure class A didn’t do anything stupid. The park was quite big and most of them hung back, letting Midoriya wait underneath a clock by himself. Yaoyorozu left a voice transponder with Midoriya after he agreed so they could rush in in case things turned bad.

A black car rolled up then a man in a black suit stepped out. He opened the car door and Midoriya’s steely will faltered a bit when he saw Bakugou emerge. Bakugou looked as bold and arrogant as he had ever been.

The blond was dressed in black halterneck with colourful phoenixes and flowers that revealed his back. A white haori with Huang Corp’s name in kanji over a diamond shaped logo slipped down to his elbows and he wore slightly baggy dark cargo pants and combat boots to match his shirt. Rosey cheeks and dabbed with a bit of lip gloss, he walked up to Midoriya while the men in black stood some distance away. They were monitoring the situation, just like Todoroki and the others. At least Huang Zeku wasn’t with them. It would have made things a lot more complicated if the older teen was here.

They managed to get more information about Huang Zeku from the ADA members and Lucy from the cafe. He was a ruthless one and he wouldn’t have let them talk with Bakugou. Todoroki wasn’t sure if Bakugou could talk to them freely with his husband present either.

“Bakugou Katsuki.” It was the first time they heard Midoriya call the other by his last name properly. More tears welled in his large eyes and he sniffled. As hard as it was to watch, Midoriya had been trying to be there for Bakugou all his life, it was time he stood up for himself.

Midoriya was an amazing person. An inspiration, a compassionate and kind hero with a beautiful soul. If Bakugou couldn’t realize that then he didn’t deserve a place in Midoriya’s future.

“I got your letter,” Bakugou said calmly and Midoriya’s face paled. It was always like this. Midoriya tried but Bakugou still brushed him off as nothing, the resolve on the green haired boy’s face fizzled into hurt. “You said you wanted to talk, I’m listening.”

That was a start at least.

“I-I...” This was the hurt little kid inside Midoriya talking. Their teachers had done their best to ensure Bakugou couldn’t get to Midoriya before he was expelled and the ordeal was over fast enough that they never had to confront each other properly.

“Just hurry up and spit out whatever you want to say. The others too, I know they are listening somehow. Whatever you all had to say, hurry it up. If I’m away for too long Zeku’s going to get worried and it’s not Bakugou anymore. I took his last name.”

At the mention of the Yokohama local’s name, emerald eyes lit ablaze before their class could decide on if they should approach the two.

“Why?” There was pain in Midoriya’s voice. Pain that was now a hundred folds harder to bear as Todoroki and the others watched them.

“What?” Bakugou wasn’t quite glaring at Midoriya. His red eyes scanned the rest of them first before landing back on Midoriya’s eyes that were filled with moisture.

“Why?” Midoriya asked again as the dam broke and the waterworks came. It was hot and angry tears that stained his face. His fists balled tightly by his side. “Why do you care so much about him? What does he have that we don’t? Why him or Kirishima or anyone else and never me?”

He stumbled back as Bakugou glared at him but then he planted his feet shoulder width apart and his eyes hardened.

“I have tried for years to be your friend, stay by your side and be there for you even if you were so mean to me! You never gave me an apology and then you just let him—why can he just waltz right in and sweep you off your feet like it was nothing?” His breath hitched and his voice got louder. “Even before this Huang guy, Sero, Kirishima, Mina, Kaminari...everybody else in class got your respect. Why them and not me? What do everybody else have that I don’t? Why have you always hated me?”

The Class B kids were taken aback by the sudden high strung emotions. They didn’t know Midoriya like Todoroki and the rest of Class A. It was making them uncomfortable seeing the freckled boy break.

“Why did you leave me behind just because I was diagnosed quirkless? We were friends and you turned your back on me even though all I did was look up to you and thought you were just as great as All Might! And how did you repay me? You pushed me down into the dirt! You never thought of me to be strong enough to be your equal because I was just worthless Deku to you! You made my life a living hell growing up. It was always my fault when something went wrong, when you set off on me for no reason other than me trying to be nice to you! The teachers and our peers had your back and no one ever had mine because I wasn’t worth as much as their star pupil.”

He stopped for a second to catch his breath. Bakugou’s expression hadn’t changed, he watched Midoriya heave and sobbed with the same cold eyes that he had when he watched his lover kill those men. The only thing he did was raise a hand to stop the men in suits hurrying over to his side when Midoriya took a step towards him.

“You ask why them and not you,” he said slowly but just loud enough that Todoroki wouldn’t even need the transponder to hear him. “Because they knew when to stop and when to leave me alone. On the other hand, you never learn when a no means no. No means I don’t want to hang out with you. No means I don’t need you as a friend. I don’t need you to weasel your way into my business. My problems aren’t the stage for your hero complex to shine. Some things don’t need fixing. Some things can’t be fixed. You never understood that and just kept getting in my way.”

“My hero complex?” Midoriya choked out a desperate and incredulous laugh. “You mean when you fell down the log and I was being a decent human being and just wanted to check if you were alright? When I stood up for myself or any other kid in class that was unfortunate enough to cross your path when you set off for no good reason or thought they were weak? How is it my problem to want to stop you from hurting others?”

Green lightning crackled along his skin.

Bakugou raised his chin higher. “Nobody asked for your help. The kids you said I bullied...you ever hear the kind of sh*t they talk about behind other people’s backs? I don’t go off on them just because they have a weaker quirk, I get into fights because they initiated it. You always get there at the wrong times and jump into action before you understand the situation. I hate you because you could never take a damn hint. You’re always there everywhere I turn and scribbling notes like a damn stalker. If you had listened to me and gone studying some other f*cker then I wouldn’t have bothered with you at all. How can I not dislike you when all you do is get in my way?”

“Get in your way?” Midoriya repeated with the lights crackling dangerously on his skin and burning behind his usually sweet green eyes. “We go to the same school and we were in the same class! Where else was I supposed to go? We had the same dream to be the best hero and I was doing what I could to help me make that goal happen! But all you ever did was stomp on my dream day after day. You have no idea what it was like to have a target on your back and have no one to turn to so that you had to cry yourself to sleep every night! My own mother didn’t know about the bullying and even she didn’t believe I could make it as a hero!”

He wiped his tears away and now there was just pure rage on his face.

“Our mothers were friends. I never told her or Aunty anything about what you did so she wouldn’t lose her friend. Growing up, I had nothing and you had everything! You were the one in the spotlight and I was a nobody that people thought shouldn’t even make it as an extra!” He sounded hysterical, desperate and with an insane need to let everything out. His emotions were riled high and Bakugou almost looked...exhausted? “And even after everybody else turned on you, told me that you weren’t worth the effort, I still tried to save you! I’m still trying to help you!”

“I never needed or wanted your help.” A small irritated spark flew off his palms. “Are you done now?”

“Of course I’m not done!” screamed Midoriya. “You told me to talk a swan dive off the roof after you exploded my notes that I was using to build my dream! Fine, that is all the past but why do you still hate me so much even after we got into UA? I have a quirk and I worked hard, so much harder than you who was born with everything to stand at the same place as you. Shouldn’t I get any sort of acknowledgement from you? I made it and you still saw me as a worthless nothing. Even if you don’t want to be my friend, you can at least tell me why you never gave me a chance to prove I’m worth your time! I deserve that much after all you have subjected me to.”

His words were still strong but they lacked the anger as he rambled on. Instead, sorrow and sadness along with confusion took over him.

Bakugou sighed. “Why does there have to be a reason for not wanting to be friends? I’m not obliged to give you my friendship.”

“We were friends.”

“Exactly, were. Past tense. Things change, people change. Your personality clashes with mine and we just don’t get along.” He pulled the haori over his shoulders. “I don’t know why you are still hung up about this. I got what I deserved didn’t I? I won’t ever be a hero anymore.”

“...It was never my intention to get you expelled.” Midoriya’s shoulders trembled. “You could still be one but you decided that instead of being pitied by someone you thought was weaker than you, you would rather run away and marry a villain. How well do you even know him?”

This got a stronger reaction out of Bakugou. His eyes narrowed in a threatening fashion as he grabbed a fistful of Midoriya’s shirt collar. Todoroki wanted to intervene but he was stopped by Iida. Midoriya needed to do this himself and they promised they wouldn’t intervene unless they got physical.

“Listen here, you can talk sh*t about me all you want and tell me how pissed you are at me but don’t you dare bring Zeku into this,” the blond hissed. “What goes on between the two of us is none of your business. He’s my husband and I chose him to spend the rest of my life with. He’s the last person who would ever hurt me.”

“You’re just proving everybody else right by associating with a villain.”

“Zeku’s not a criminal!” Bakugou raised his volume, the fire burning more intensely in his eyes. Smoke raised from underneath his palm. “And everybody else out there already thinks I am a villain. Nothing I can ever do would change that.”

“And you’re just going to give up on everything you have ever stood for and choose to hide behind someone else?" Midoriya struggled free from Bakugou’s grasp, the front of his shirt was slightly stinged. “What does he have that we don’t? Why are you so willing to take his help when you wouldn’t take anything from me? From Aizawa-sensei or anybody else on the outside?”

Bakugou’s mouth closed and opened a few times as if he was deciding what to say. “...Money.”

“What?”

“He chose me. Zeku chose me despite knowing all the sh*t I have done. He has money and power,” Bakugou added while he took a step back and tried to calm himself. “He’s strong enough to protect me and provide for me, plus he’s hot. I have nothing else outside of Yokohama. School, work, everywhere I go would just get thrown under the bus because everyone knows I am the bad guy. And I deserve that for what I did to you. The world decided that this is my punishment for hurting you so yeah, I gave up on being a hero like everybody wanted.”

Midoriya’s eyes widened and disappointment filled them. “I can’t believe you really are saying something like that. The Bakugou I knew would never ha-have...”

He couldn’t finish his sentence because they all saw how serious Bakugou looked. The blond wasn’t in one of his usual rage filled sneers. He was simply staring at Midoriya and devoid of all emotions. Todoroki wasn’t sure what he should feel. Hearing that Bakugou admit to hurting Midoriya should have made him angry but the way the two of them stood there right now, anger didn’t seem like the answer.

“You never knew the real me,” Bakugou interjected with more venom seeping into his words. “And come on, stop pretending. You hate me too.”

There was a finality in his voice when he said that, like he was dead certain Midoriya disliked him too. Todoroki knew that was true. Midoriya was an amazing person but he was only human. He had bad days and bad episodes. Todoroki understood that burning feeling. It was like hot coal being shoved down their lungs and the smoke would choke them whenever they tried to speak.

Midoriya feared Bakugou and resented him for being an egotistical bully who got everything handed to him on a silver platter.

His hate for Bakugou ran just as deep as his desire to save the blond. It was complicated.

“I do hate you,” Midoriya admitted. “I hate you whenever you reduce my dreams to nothing. I hate you whenever the teachers take your side because you have such a bright future and I was just nothing. It was revolting that whenever you hit me you never left any marks or evidence and everybody else said I was lying and seeking attention. I wanted to hit you when you ostracized me from the kids in the neighbourhood and I still wanted to beat you up whenever you yelled and insulted me. But I’m not like you.”

He took a deep breath and his body was completely still for a second before he opened his eyes again.

“You’re self-centered and you hurt people for fun. You’ve never desired death so much just to escape the pain. You blame all your problems on other people and there is always someone to bail you out of trouble. You don’t understand how hard everyone else had to work for what you thought of as trash. I’m not going to be like you. I’m going to be a hero that understands other people’s pain and not just sneers down upon them!”

He was straying further from the main point of this meeting but it was good. Midoriya needed to address his anger properly. He had stored it inside of himself for over a decade. It was time he let his voice be heard.

“Good for you,” Bakugou said. “The whole point of that long speech was that you want an apology right? Alright, I’m sorry.”

His apology carried no weight even if his expression was serious. There was no remorse in his voice or any regret in his body language.

"That's it?" Midoriya blinked. "After all you have put me through and that is all you have to say? If you had the chance to go back in time, would you still have insulted me?"

"I did some f*cked up sh*t but I still wouldn't have been your friend if that is what you are asking."

What was the point of an apology if he didn’t mean it? He hadn't changed. Todoroki didn't understand it. How could Bakugou dislike Midoriya so much when the latter only ever had good things and kindness to offer?

“Is that not enough? How much do you want then?”

Midoriya snapped his head up to glare at Bakugou, teeth clenching tight and face pale. “You think this is about money? You want to buy me out just like what Huang Zeku did to your parents?”

They had all seen the tired and pained looks on the Bakugous’ faces when they left Yokohama. They couldn’t do anything against a giant like Huang Corp and was being forced apart from their child, whom they were worried sick about.

The blond shrugged without any care in the world. “They got paid handsomely for getting rid of me. They should be happy.”

That made Midoriya snap. In a flash of green, Bakugou was knocked to the ground and cradling his right cheek. The sounds of guns co*cking followed immediately and the dark barrels of the guns were pointed directly at Midoriya as the men in suits came running forward.

Seeing that, Todoroki and the rest of the students also ran up to stand behind Midroiya. They had the numbers but they weren’t sure if the men were ability users too.

“Stand down!” Bakugou spat out blood mixed with saliva. There was a bruise forming on his pale skin and he had a split lip.

“But Zeku-sama—” one of the men started.

“What did he tell you all about me?” The blond scowled.

“...Your orders are his orders, Sir.”

“And I said stand down.”

The guns were lowered but the tension was still high. Shoji wrapped his arms around Midoriya to stop him from charging at Bakugou again and Tokoyami helped by letting Dark Shadow stand in Midoriya’s way.

“Let me go!” Midoriya screamed, voice cracking. “He—How could he say that? They risked their safety coming to Yokohama for you and you are treating them, treating all of us, like dirt! You never change! You will always be this condescending asshole who couldn’t empathize with anybody else.”

“Midoriya, calm down. He’s not worth it.” Tsuyu placed a hand on his shoulder and she tried to calm him. There was a small murmur of agreement from the class and Midoriya slowly stopped struggling.

“Dude,” Kirishima whispered breathlessly while staring at Bakugou. He had wanted to defend Bakugou before but now, after all they had seen about the blond after they entered Yokohama, even he couldn’t raise an argument for Bakugou’s behavior any longer. Who could watch half a dozen men die brutally and marry the murderer right after? Who could show no remorse or guilt for doing something so horrible to another human being? “That was not cool. Your parents wished you nothing but the best before they left.”

“Don’t talk about things like you know sh*t,” Bakugou barked.

“Bakugou!” Uraraka said in a nerve wrecking voice that could send villains packing. It was so uncharacteristic of her that they all focused on her. “Shut up! You’re the one that doesn’t know sh*t! Izuku-kun had been nothing but kind despite everybody, especially you, telling him that he would never make it as a hero. I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost hope and became a villain when he had to go through so much and he would have been a terrifying villain if he did! He is an amazing person who is compassionate and intelligent and only ever wanted to use his abilities for good. You say that he writes about you but that’s because he thinks you’re amazing and he wants to learn from you! Instead of talking to him like a civilized person, you chose to torture him no matter how nice he had been to you. He would have risked his life for anybody, even for you.”

The fury in her tone made all of them shivered. The sun was still bright over their heads but they all felt the chill in their bones.

Silence fell upon them and all that was left was the soft sniffling sounds from Midoriya as he tried to calm down. Bakugou watched them, eyes still cold and dull with the blood running down his pink lips.

“You know...even after all you did to me I still forgave you a long time ago. Even with everybody else calling you a cold hearted abuser I still thought you had it in you to change...but now I’m not so sure any more.” Tears spilled from Midoriya’s eyes again and he wiped it on his sleeves.

“Well, there has to be a villain in every story. If it makes you feel better, go right ahead and see me as the bad guy since you’re so quick to judge my lover as one.”

Midoriya inhaled a deep breath. His body wavered a bit but he still stood upright. A small deprecating smile made it on his lips. The lines on his body spoke of disappointment and sadness. “I get it. Y-You don’t want me as a friend and that’s alright...I really get it now. You never saw me as an equal and you probably never will...You h-hate me...and everybody else outside of Yokohama. I promise to le-leave you a-alone...but I thought you would have been better than this. I really looked up to you at one point and now I know I was wrong.”

He sighed and lowered his head.

“Maybe they really were right about you,” Midoriya whispered as he had his back turned.

Bakugou laughed. Todoroki saw a flash of struggle painting over Kirishima’s face but he held his shaking fist down tight by his side as he casted his gaze to the ground. He must be disappointed too. Bakugou wasn’t as manly as he thought he would be. The blond chose his life partner based on materialistic and superficial conditions just like how he chose a hero career. He didn't want to save people. He just wanted a legal role that would allow him to gain wealth and use violence on others.

It was never about virtues for Bakugou.

It was about how he could benefit. From his hero dreams to his wedding, he could only think of himself.

It was time for them to leave. Bakugou was beyond help.

There was a sudden twist in the air as a dark mist swirled to life. Todoroki only had time to yell out “Duck!” before the tide of blue flames exploded over them. His classmates scampered, scattering in order to avoid being burnt. Figures emerged from the dark mist when the fire diminished.

“Why is the League of Villains here?” Mineta shrieked loudly. They all recognized the main culprit. It was Shigaraki Tomura from the League of Villains. He was just like the last time they saw him at USJ. His light blue hair was messy and multiple hands covered his body. The wrap gate, Kurogiri, was standing beside him and so were several others. A young man with dark hair and scars all over his exposed skin and a lizard guy with a huge assortment of knives.

“Ah!” Yaoyorozu yelped in pain as she stumbled and Sato punched a blond girl in a school uniform, forcing her to leap back. She was also wearing some kind of support item hooked up to tubes over the lower half of her face.

“This isn’t enough,” she muttered while studying the blood on her knife but the glee in her voice was terrifying. Then she turned to them and said cheerfully, “Hello!”

Yaoyorozu backed away as she wrapped her arm in a bandage she created. They weren’t supposed to be using their quirks out in public like this but this was an emergency. There was a heavy sound of flesh hitting flesh on the other side and Todoroki turned around just in time to see one of Bakugou’s men flew away as if he had been pulled by an invisible force. The man shifted in midair and his feet crashed into another muscular man with a metal rod that looked like a giant magnet. It wasn’t hard to tell both were experienced in battle.

Gunshots were fired and Bakugou fired off an explosion, blasting a villain with a top hat away. Ice shot out from beneath Todoroki’s feet when he felt a different presence trying to get near their group. There was another villain in a tight body suit.

They were surrounded.

“What are you villains doing here?” Iida demanded as the other students gathered around him, all ready to fight. Even Monoma didn’t let out any jabs as he and his classmates hung close to Class A’s group. “Whatever you’re planning, it won't work. The hero—”

He stopped, eyes wide and lips pursed as cold sweat ran down his forehead.

Shigaraki cackled as he took a step forward. “Cat got your tongue?” he mused evilly. “Or did you realize that there’s no hero that would come to save you all?”

Yokohama had no heroes. Hawks and Nighteye along with Togata-senpai were accompanying the Bakugous out of the city and their teachers were still back at ADA’s office. There were no heroes coming for them.

They were on their own.

Todoroki could see the fear etching itself into many of his classmates’ eyes when the realization hit.

“I can’t reach Aizawa-sensei or Atsushi-san,” Jirou whispered harshly. “There’s no signal here.”

“That’s impossible!” Hagakure gasped but she looked down at her phone and there were no bars on it either. “It was working fine a moment ago.”

“They cut us off.” Kaminari sucked in a sharp breath. It must be similar to what they did back at USJ too. A few others looked down at their phones and no one had any signals.

They couldn’t call for help.

A soft whimper escaped Aoyama’s lips and a few people gulped nervously. This time it was different. This time there was no help on the way.

The scarred villain had eyes as bright and fiercely blue as Endeavor’s. The same blue as Todoroki’s left eye. He extended his hands and blue flames (hotter than Todoroki’s fire) shot out, forming a wall of flames around the hero students and Bakugou’s group that caged them in.

“It’s too hot!” Kirishima and Tetsutetsu hardened themselves and approached the fire but couldn’t get close enough. Blue flames burnt too high and too thick for them to grit their teeth and ran through it to call for help. Their skin would melt off first.

“Let me use ice—” Todoroki was pulled back by Ojiro when black mist appeared beneath him and he almost got touched by a gloved hand. The hand made contact with the ground instead and a chunk of ground vanished, turning into a small marble.

“What is the meaning of this?” Midoriya shouted. “All Might’s not here.”

“I’m not interested in him right now. I am merely...gathering pieces against him. Allies are good when you want to take down the Symbol of Peace,” Shigaraki said with a dark chuckle. The villain’s leader turned to Bakugou. “Isn’t that right, Bakugou?”

He talked so sweetly, like they were old friends.

“Bakugou, did you tell the villains where we would be?” Todoroki didn’t want to insinuate anything but the way that Shigaraki was talking to Bakugou, they divided into groups and made sure no one saw them coming out of the hotel, how the villains couldn’t have known where they were meeting in this big city...Bakugou had made it known that they weren’t welcomed and if he was willing to marry a monster, who was to say that he wouldn’t agree to working with other evils?

A series of loud gasps came from the rest of the teenagers present.

“How could you?” Mina exclaimed with tears pricking her eyes, clearly distraught.

“Bakugou lured the villains here…?” Sero sounded terrified and his expression schooled into a closed off one with a mix of anger. “Why would you do something like that?”

“It’s revenge, you morons.” Monoma spoke up before Kendo could stop him. He was speaking in his usual taunting voice but somehow, it was weaker today. “Think about it. He got expelled because of Midoriya and you are all trying to convince him to split up with the guy he’s obviously smittened with by mocking the dude.” A small forced laugh escaped his lips. “Didn’t think the hot head would go this far though. You’re really pissed at them, aren’t you Bakugou?”

His words were like a bucket of cold water drenching everyone’s nerves.

“How many times do I have to tell you people, it’s Huang now!” Bakugou snapped back and he ran a hand through his hair with annoyance. Annoyance. Like he couldn’t be bothered to even make up an excuse to defend himself. He glowered at the villains. “I thought Zeku made it clear to you all yesterday that we weren’t interested in whatever you have planned.”

“I don’t think he had enough motivation to think clearly about it.”

With a wave of Shigaraki’s hand, the villain in the bodysuit activated his quirk and copies of the villains surrounded them, forcing them to be sealed between the narrow space of a wall of fire and the villains. The two men in black suits were standing beside Bakugou, weapons drawn and keeping the copies away from the blond.

Bakugou scoffed. “And your way of making him want to join your cause is to corner me and the bunch of idiots out in public?”

Something wasn’t right. Todoroki didn’t think this conversation was one between people on the same side. The villains who came with Shigaraki were talking amongst themselves, calling each other’s code names and taunting the helpless teenagers.

“I would have done this in a more civilized way if you would be more cooperative.” Shigaraki’s voice was bland with a hint of distaste. “Now, you can come with us quietly before your Prince Charming shows up. You wouldn’t want your former classmates to get hurt because of you, now would you?”

His words made everybody else tense and the villains beside Shigaraki smiled. Todoroki could hear the highschool girl (who looked about the same age as them) bounced up and down excitedly, asking if she could cut them yet.

He was using them to threaten Bakugou? Huang. Todoroki silently corrected but it was so hard to call him that. Felt unreal.

“What makes you think I would care about them?” Of course Bakugou doesn’t. He made that very clear. He only cared for himself as he stood between the two men in black suits in all his haughty fashion.

“If they died because of you, things would be bad for Yokohama and your little lover boy wouldn’t it? UA students dying on Yokohama soul...you want to guess how many people would jump on that bandwagon immediately? Reporters, investigators, speculators, heroes...all of them would be flooding into your little bubble. Not to mention, it’s going to look bad for you especially.”

Bakugou didn’t reply immediately. His expression turned grim. The shadows danced on his features while the eerie lights from the fire flickered across his body. “You really think you can make it out of Yokohama after pulling a stunt like this?”

“Are you waiting for your knight in shining armor to save you? He’s on the other side of the city in a meeting right now isn’t he? It’d take him at least half an hour to get here. We’d be long gone before him or anyone showed up. You have nowhere to escape to either.” He gestured around to the fire with malice glistening inside his eyes.

It was a proper plan. They were at a very quiet corner of a park that no one really frequented. Bakugou didn’t come with enough security firepower to be able to overwhelm an army that could multiply. There was distrust between the hero students and him, which meant they wouldn’t work together very well and as much as Bakugou disliked his former classmates, he couldn’t watch them be decayed by Shigaraki, even if it was just for the sake of keeping more heroes out of Yokohama.

Todoroki watched as Bakugou took a step forward.

The blond teen lifted a smile and started laughing.

“What are you laughing at?” the lizard guy, Spinner, as his comrades had called him, growled.

Bakugou snapped his fingers and the man on his right stuck a hand into his own chest, there was a ripple across his black suit before he pulled out a traditional oil paper umbrella. Was it a storaging ability or a quirk? It was a nice red umbrella with painted plum blossom branches. The man held it over Bakugou’s head.

“Do you know what dragons are known for in ancient times?” Bakugou was still giggling and a wicked smile blossomed on his lips. “People thought of them as gods. They believed that the dragons controlled the weather.”

Todoroki’s face was wet. He saw the same confusion flashing across everybody else’s faces as the sun vanished and the sky turned grey. Looking up, dark grey clouds swirled above the park like a bad omen and it looked as if the sky was descending upon them.

Rain. The water poured down heavily, soaking the earth and the blue flames around them diminished, getting put out by the flood of water coming down. Rain washed the ashes into the dirt and all that was left was a wet and muddy mess with charred marks along the soil. Thunder and lightning, they illuminated the silhouette of a giant beast swimming within the dark clouds.

Even before they heard the spine-curdling roar that rivaled thunder in volume, they all felt the anxiety building in their bones. The dragon sounded furious. The anger radiated off every guttural sound that hung in the air. Everything seemed to be vibrating. Todoroki realized later that it wasn’t their surroundings moving, it was them shaking in their skins.

Mineta was on the ground and nearly passed out while a few others in class fell to the floor, knees buckling and too weak to stand. Their faces were drained of colours and they were drenched by the rain.

“What the hell?” Shigaraki hissed as he wiped the water from his face. The rain was lifting but the dark clouds still remained in place as a giant dragon scaled down from the heavens.

Bakugou whistled, completely dry underneath the umbrella. “You f*cking bastards really pissed off Zeku now.”

Dark mist gathered in mid air, ready to intercept the beast but lightning struck down and it hit the metal neck brace on the misty villain, his weak spot. The darkness dispersed and the villain appeared back besides Shigaraki, numbed from behind electrocuted.

Accompanying his words, there was a softer sound of helicopter blades whirring that had been drowned out by the dragon roar and thunder. Someone jumped out from the helicopter and he was standing on the dragon’s tail, with long segments of it curled around him.

He landed in the midst of this chaos, the ground quaked underneath the dragon’s body and mud flew up everywhere. Tsuyu got splatted straight in the face and she wiped the mud away from her eyes with a startled yelp. A few of the other guys in class also got dirty.

Even if the rain stopped, all of them felt cold. The cold seeped into their bones from the soles of their feet, freezing their blood and stopping their lungs from taking in air.

Huang Zeku stood still for a second, observing them while they studied him too. He was dressed like how they saw him the other day. A dark coat, steel toe boots, an authentic red Tang suit with a slightly different pattern of embroidery...his gaze was chilling as ever and his eyes were dark, like he was contemplating how satisfying the sound of their bones crunching underneath his boot would be.

He slid off his dragon and curled his fingers, mentioning for Bakugou to come closer. Placing a hand on the bruise on Bakugou’s cheek, he asked in a ghostly whisper, “Who did this?”

But he wasn’t really looking for an answer. Wine red eyes scanned over the hero students and the villains while the dragon wrapped its lower body around the couple.

“Kill them all,” he ordered in such a dangerously dark voice that maybe even All Might would find it frightening.

"Everybody run!" Midoriya’s pupils constricted as he screamed at the top of his lungs. He saw it coming but not everyone could react fast enough. There were flashes of silver in Todoroki’s field of vision and then the pain came. Screams filled the air as the sound of flesh being torn open accompanied the cries.

Todoroki felt the pain in his arm as he narrowly dodged. Even just getting brushed by the wind from the dragon’s claws was strong enough to send him flying and he had to create a small ice wall to stop himself from being flung into a tree. It was a wide scale attack. The dragon’s sharp claws slashed through the air, too fast for normal people’s naked eyes to catch. Before they could understand what was happening, there were already cuts on their skins or puncture wounds in their flesh. Blood dripped to the ground, merging with the mud and water into one murky mess.

The dragon chomped through Twice’s copies while the villain shouted some contradicting gibberish as he backed away. He was insane, yes. And normally he would have been an intimidating villain by himself but right now, the craziest one seemed to be Huang Zeku.

Shigaraki swore under his breath. “Are you insane? You’re attacking all of us, including the brats, indiscrementarily? If they die, the whole wrath of the hero community is going to parade down on Yokohama.”

“So?”

“If you do this, the rest of the powers in Yokohama are going to turn on you too.” Magne snorted. The other criminals wouldn’t take Huang Zeku kindly if he was the reason for the flood of heroes coming their way.

“They won’t. They would look down on me more if I did nothing and watch you all insult and gang up on my spouse. This isn’t about what is right or what is logical, this is about keeping my reputation.” Huang Zeku tilted his head to the side and a scorn flashed across his features. “Besides, it was the League of Villains that brutally murdered the future generation of heroes. And in turn, the outside villains died under the fury of Yokohama, succumbing to the darkness here. Logical, isn’t it?”

“You’re going to pin this on us? Bastard.” Dabi lifted half a lopsided grin but there was no humor in his eyes.

“Kurogiri, transport us out.” Shigaraki eyed the wrap gate villain but he didn’t have a second to spare as the dragon attacked again. Its claws slashed through fire and the air seemed to be sliced into cubes, leaving deep gushes in the ground as the villains leaped back, avoiding the strong wind pressure along with the attacks.

Kurogiri struggled to his feet but he seemed to still be slightly out of it. He got separated from the rest of the villains when the dragon swatted him into the air. Opening its mouth, fire condensed into a laser ray shot out of the dragon’s mouth and the flames engulfed the villain, burning him alive before he could even find his bearings.

A charred body dropped to the ground.

“Kurogiri!” Spinner yelled as he raced towards where the fallen villain was.

“Spinner! Behind you! In front of you!” Twice shrieked but his warning was too late. The dragon stomped down, crushing the lizard villain underneath its heavy weight.

Spinner vomited out blood and pieces of his internal organs, his long tongue rolled out of his slacked mouth. A foul smell of mixed rusting iron and disgusting bile filled the air. The dragon lifted its claw off the man, revealing and a few of the teens gasped in horror when they saw how flat a human could be. No, Spinner wasn’t just flattened. His torso and one leg was a puree of bloody flesh in all shades of red with pieces of his green scale.

It wasn’t the first time Todoroki had seen the dragon killed but he still felt nauseated. Looking around, the same could be sad for his classmates. Monoma, Tetsutetsu, Kendo, and Awase were all trembling and pale. Awase even turned around and puked, which a lot of others seemed to also want to do.

“That’s two,” Huang Zeku’s eyes, where the white should have been, were taken over by red and his pupils were shining with the cold glint like a reptilian. Like his dragon’s. There were no scales on his skin but it looked like he didn’t have a drop of hot blood running in his veins. It vanished just as fast as it appeared but Todoroki couldn’t help but wonder if the older teen was even human. “None of you are going anywhere.”

The scales on the dragon exploded, shooting out in all directions. Ice crept along the ground and formed a shield in front of a few of Todoroki’s classmates. His fire wouldn’t be able to melt through these hard scales and his ice barely held. His right side was already going numb from the cold and the way his wet clothing clung to his skin made it so much more uncomfortable to move around in.

“Mineta? Mineta!” Aoyama’s panicking voice pulled Todoroki back to reality. He turned around and saw the blond keeping his hands over a wound on the smaller boy’s right shoulder. A scale was embedded deep in there. “Oh god, he’s not waking up!”

“We need to get him to a hospital!” Mina screamed from about a hundred yards away. She had bruises from rolling on the pebble filled road and a deep gash on her left thigh. “Iida! Take him and run! Get the teachers and the detectives!”

Their class representative clenched his teeth, not wanting to leave his fellow classmates, but he picked up Mineta after a second of struggle. Mineta was losing too much blood too quickly. “I got it! Everyone disperse and run in opposite directions. He can’t go after all of us at the same time!”

Iida raced off but he barely got a few yards in before he went down with a pained gasp for air. Blood seeped from the engines on his legs and Todoroki started seeing red. Red, red was the blood leaking out of his friend’s cut off legs, red was the flesh and ligaments connecting Iida’s calf to the rest of his legs.

“Iida!” Uraraka screamed, a heartbreaking sound that seemed almost inhuman.

Todoroki knew there were healing quirks and abilities that could perform miracles but at that moment, all he could think about was how his friend might never be able to be a hero, was rendered quirkless, and worst of all—might not ever even be able to walk again.

“Bakugou! Stop this! Tell him to stop!” Midoriya’s eyes were wide with horror. A few people ran over to administer first aid on Iida. “If it’s me that you’re angry with, then come after me. Don’t drag other people into this.”

“This isn’t about you,” Huang Zeku scoffed as he pulled Bakugou close.

Kirishima and Tokoyami lost it. Dark Shadow guarded Kirishima who had hardened his skin and they charged towards Huang Zeku and Bakugou at full speed. However, their combined attack was met with the impenetrable guard as the dragon’s underbelly opened up and protected the couple.

“Why would you let him do this?” Kirishima screamed at his former friend. The emotional pain from the betrayal twisted his expression into something out of a nightmare.

Huang Zeku covered Bakugou’s eyes with one hand and planted a kiss on the side of his temple. “We warned you to leave. You should have listened when you still had the chance.”

Heated light gathered within the dragon’s mouth again and Dark Shadow whimpered as its form began to shrink. Kirishima was sent flying and Tokoyami went down with a scale embedded in his leg. The red haired teen laid next to Shoji with a claw mark deep enough to see bones on his back.

“Run! Everybody just run! As long as one of us can make it back to ADA, they can help us!” Yaoyorozu shouted desperately with tears staining her cheeks. The stronger people in their class hauled the injured up while trying to avoid the dragon’s attacks.

Midoriya and Todoroki lagged behind, trying to buy more time for the others to escape. The dragon held Twice in its claws. Sharp nails dug into the man’s flesh painfully as it chomped down on his upper body then tossed the remaining half into the grass.

“Coiled Dragon,” Huang Zeku called and the dragon snapped its head up. Its body elongated, wrapping around the teens trying to escape and cutting off their path. Its segmented body brushed against Shoji, Jirou, and Ojiro, sending them to the ground and the gravel scraped their skin. Shinsou hit his head on a piece of rock and became unconscious when he tried to shield Hagakure from a piece of flying scale.

Midoriya’s whole body was covered by green lightning as he hauled his classmates away from danger. Todoroki attacked the dragon with his fire and ice, diverting its attention away with the flames while trying to freeze it in an ice cage but it was too strong. No matter what they threw at it, ice, fire, laser, acid, tape...everything barely left a dent in its thick armour and it didn’t know fear.

Shigaraki’s group also seemed to be having problems as they wouldn’t be able to dodge the scales or dangerous dragon breath if they got too close but running wasn’t an option either. No matter how strong Shigaraki’s quirk might be, he couldn’t do anything if he couldn’t even touch his opponent.

And touching Huang Zeku or hsi dragon was proving to be an incredibly difficult task when even just being grazed meant their flesh would be torn off. Even when they did manage to land a touch, like what Mr. Compress did by compressing a portion of the dragon’s arm, his success didn’t last very long as the dragon regenerated. Then it punctured the villain’s chest and left him to bleed out.

This was a catastrophe.

Panting heavily, Todoroki could feel his lungs burning and his hands shaking. He felt a terror that ran even stronger than the one he felt against his father. The fear seemed to be concrete, strangling him within its grasp and left him trembling in the face of this giant monster.

How could a person compare to natural disasters like raging earthquakes or storms?

Huang Zeku was the natural disaster. All of them seemed so small and insignificant in front of his dragon. Useless. Futile. Everything they could do, their best wasn't anywhere near enough. Plus Ultra? How could they exceed the limit of mortality when they were facing an inhuman foe? The sky above them was still grey with threats of lightning looming over their heads, the deafening sounds pounding heavily on Todoroki’s spine as if it was trying to shatter his will to stand his ground.

Shigaraki scratched at his neck violently, the skin flaking off as he did so. “Hey, UA! Help us lure that damn dragon away!”

“There’s no way we are working with villains!” Uraraka yelled at him while helping Kendo to her feet.

“Girl, you really think you’re going to take him on with your little friends?” Magne shouted back at her angrily. “He’s after all of us! It’s either you help us or you die too!”

The brown haired girl swallowed with difficulty. All of them knew they didn’t stand a chance like this.

“Do you have a plan?” Midoriya spat out a mouthful of blood. Even at 5% full crowl, he couldn’t keep up with the dragon’s thousand iron claws attack.

“Midoriya!”

“Izuku!”

A disruptive wave of disagreement erupted from those who were still standing and conscious.

“Midoriya! You can’t be serious about working with the villains!” Kaminari protested.

“Yeah, they tried to kill us back at USJ!” Sero limped over.

More people nodded grimly.

“It’s too dangerous!”

“They can’t be trusted!”

“If we don’t do anything then we are all going to die here!” Midoriya yelled above the disagreements as he turned to Shigaraki, who was also not in top notch shape right now. “I have a proposal.”

The villain’s lips split into a wide grin. “I’m listening.”

It was a wild plan but it was the only one they had. Midoriya grabbed Aoyama and they distracted the fearsome dragon with lasers and avoided it’s fury with Midoriya’s speed, luring it towards a narrow opening on a statue in the park. It chased after them and got its head stuck between the metal structure. Yaoyorozu created lightning rods and explosives, Uraraka got close enough to float the dragon’s claws while the rest of the kids pulled its mouth open with Sero’s tape. Todoroki used the chance to freeze it in place. Monoma, Mina, and Tsuyu tossed the explosives and rods into its mouth.

“Take this!” Kaminari shouted as he discharged. Bolts of electricity were directed into the dragon’s mouth and it fried the monster. Its flesh disintegrated, crumbling and drooping in a disgusting fashion that made some of them gagged with shaky breaths.

But it worked.

“We did it!”

There was no way the beast could recover from having its brains fried.

Magne activated her quirk on Huang Zeku and pulled him further away from the dragon’s remaining wrapped tail. Bakugou reached for him but a wall of blue fire blocked his path and Shigaraki got the opening he was waiting for. Leaping into the air, his hand descended upon Huang Zeku.

Blood splattered onto green grass.

A hand was on the ground. Shigaraki screamed in agony as he held onto his wrist. His entire palm had been sliced off, revealing red flesh and white bones. Magne coughed, blood pouring through the crack of her parted lips like a broken and leaking cup. Huang Zeku’s hand was in her chest. He pulled out and they all couldn’t breathe.

His hand, no. It was no longer a human hand. His fingers were claws and his arm consisted of twisted and abhorrent tissues and throbbing veins like some kind of human experiment gone wrong.

And Magne’s heart was speared on his nails.

“You’re a f*cking bug in the game!” Shigaraki vented angrily, holding down his groans of pain.

“A dragon has powers that humans couldn’t possibly obtain or begin to understand,” Huang laughed but it was a frigid laughter. “Did you really think that your powers could ever compare to mine?”

He dodged to the side and raised his hand in defense as Toga ambushed him. Her knife clashed with his hardened skin. The girl backed away and her weapon had been bent. “Shigaraki, I don’t want to die,” she whined through quivering lips.

“We really should run now,” Dabi added. The calmness in the lines of his body had long been replaced by nervous twitching and his back was drenched in not just rain but also cold sweat.

“You think you can leave your backs open to me?” Huang Zeku chuckled.

Uraraka howled in anguish. It happened too fast but Todoroki saw her body flying and she hit the ground, rolling to a stop before going limp. The same happened for a Kaminari and the others, looking like they had been hit by a speeding truck.

Flames erupted from Dabi’s body as a large shadow dropped onto him from above. Burning, burning, he was engulfed in the heat and fire as he got pinned to the ground, trapped underneath the dragon’s claws. The dragon? How was it still alive?

Todoroki stared at the monster in horror as he realized that it was regenerating completely. Muscle tissues and nerves bubbled and morphed into place, constructing the dragon's full majestic form again.

A burnt barbecue smell lingered in the air and the remaining hero students’ faces went green. Pieces of burnt skin peeled off of the villain’s body but he wasn’t squashed or dead yet.

“You are f*cking enjoying this aren’t you?” he wheezed, sounding like he might have a crack rib.

“What’s the matter?” The Dragon of Suribachi smiled. “Aren’t you the villains? What is so wrong for a man to defend the one he loves against villains? You think you can have the freedom to do whatever you want to others without repercussions because you’re strong, then why act so surprised when someone else does the same to you?”

He stepped towards Dabi.

“You take people’s lives and crush other’s spirits without hesitation,” he continued. “What would happen to my Katsuki if your plans succeeded? He would never join you willingingly so do you plan on turning him into one of those mindless monsters? Or maybe you’d let the big boss take his quirk.”

...Take quirks?

How was that possible? Todoroki had never heard of such a possibility before. Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw Midoriya jolted. Did Midoriya know something about this?

“Selling him is an option too. He’s mine and a lot of people would be more than happy to hurt him just to get on my nerves. And you’d do it with smiles on your faces as you break him. Tell me, who is the real villain here?”

No answer. The silence was a confirmation that everything Huang Zeku said was true. Those really were the fates the villains were thinking about subjecting Bakugou to.

“You know,” the teen drawled and there was a hint of glee behind his voice. “The information brokers of Yokohama are quite good. They found something interesting about you.”

Red eyes landed on Todoroki for a brief second, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand.

Some kind of realization worked its way into Dabi’s eyes. “Shut up! No! This is not how things should go!”

Fire engulfed him but it was useless underneath the dragon’s thick scales.

“They said your name was Todoroki Touya. Todoroki. Doesn’t that sound familiar?”

Todoroki felt like his brain was being ricocheted inside his skull. His throat felt tight and his hands trembled. No. No way. That had to be a lie. Touya was...Touya, his eldest brother...Endeavor’s first “failure”…

Touya was dead.

His heterochromatic eyes met fiercely blue ones and Todoroki lost his ability to speak. He knew people were staring at him, at the villain on the ground.

Touya was Dabi.

Dabi was a villain.

Touya was dead.

Did Endeavor know? Did his mom know? They all thought he was dead. Burnt to death. A taboo that couldn’t be spoken of inside his house.

Dabi was right in front of him now. His brother, still alive.

“Endeavor’s son?” Shigaraki questioned in a low voice. He seemed surprised too.

“You ruined it! You f*cking ruined everything!” Dabi—Touya—trashed against his restraints like a hysterical animal and more fire sparked upon his skin.

Todoroki had so many questions. So much he wanted to ask. Where was Touya all these years? Did he ever reach out to Fuyumi or Natsuo? Why did he join the villains? Did he play a hand in the USJ attack too?

But Todoroki was never going to get answers.

The tip of the dragon’s nail pierced through Touya’s temple and red pooled on the ground.

Someone was screaming. Todoroki’s throat felt raw. He was the one screaming. He was hot but also freezing at the same time. He saw the dragon curling up against Huang Zeku, one claw still stained in blood guarding Bakugou.

The older teen grinned and the unnerving shine returned to his eyes.

“Shall we end this now?”

Chapter 11

Chapter Text

1

Aizawa knew something was wrong the moment he knocked on his students’ hotel rooms.

In hindsight, he really should have known they would pull something like this. They said they weren’t feeling well enough to venture out into the city and they were just going to watch movies. Aizawa believed them. He wasn’t feeling particularly uplifted or energized either. Dealing with the Huangs had been draining and confusing.

He still couldn’t quite understand what happened.

The feeling of discomfort magnified inside him whenever he tried to imagine the different things he could have done but his mind came up with blanks. What could he have said? How else should he have reacted when Katsuki was so uncooperative? Maybe he should have dug deeper into the blond’s home life but the Bakugous...they had been reasonable parents. After they learnt of Katsuki’s actions towards Midoriya, they were both horrified and disgusted. Regretful that they didn’t raise their child properly. Was he supposed to question why they didn’t defend him mindlessly? That didn’t make any sense as a teacher.

He was a hero. A teacher. It was his job to keep his students safe and shape them into decent heroes and people. He couldn’t keep an abuser in his class and let the victim continue to suffer in his presence.

Maybe Katsuki had been in pain too. Maybe his homelife wasn’t as stable as they all thought but he didn't reach for help. Pushed all of the attempts to save him aside and refused to acknowledge any wrong doings. Maybe there were some deeply ingrained problems inside of him but no one could help him if he wouldn’t even provide them a chance.

Usually Aizawa would request therapy but it was clear that Katsuki was never going to accept it.

Katsuki had been a lost cause.

The whole thing was now sealed and done anyways. The Bakugous and the Huangs worked out their solution. It was not a happy solution and Aizawa didn’t like it but he had no say in it.

It was a dead loop, where deciding who was more wrong or more right was simply too complex of a task for anyone to even begin unraveling the damages.

The only thing he could wish for was for the blond to stay out of trouble and not turn up on a wanted poster with his lover somewhere down the line.

He spent the morning talking to Kunikida and Yosano with Vlad. They both agreed that this was a mess above what a teacher could resolve.

Aizawa still felt like he was missing something.

It was after lunch time when he decided to take a short nap that Aizawa noticed something was wrong. His kids were too quiet. Their rooms were on the same floor and he didn’t hear any voices. There were no laughs or chit chat, not even any heated talks about the wedding.

“Iida, open up!” He knocked a bit harder. Still no response.

Taking out the spare keyscan the front desk gave him, he opened the door to an empty room.

The pro hero couldn’t help but swore under his breath.

He went door to door, and yep, none of his kids were there. Rushing into the cafe underneath ADA’s office, he found a few of Class B’s students sitting there, being served by a girl with red braids.

“Where are they?” he demanded.

The students glanced at each other, the guilt unmistakeable on their faces.

“Eraserhead, what’s going—”

“My class is missing,” Aizawa growled darkly. “Where are they?”

“They...They went to meet Bakugou,” the girl with thorns for hair answered meekly. “God help us, they said they just wanted answers.”

She told them everything and Aizawa absolutely wanted to expel all of his kids on the spot. What were they thinking? How much more reckless could these problematic children get? ADA weren’t watching them like prisoners and the members also still have other jobs to do so it was unrealistic to think they would be guarding the kids as if they were convicts. His students lowered the normal staff member’s guards and slipped out when they saw the chance.

“This is not good,” Kunikida said while pinching the bridge of his nose. “We got a call from the police saying there is a fight happening in Suribachi Park. That’s where your kids went isn’t it?”

Kunikida, Tanizaki, and Yosano got into a car with Vlad and Aizawa in a hurry.

They all saw the bright blue flames erupting from the direction of the park. Blue fire? Aizawa didn’t know anyone in his class who could have caused such a thing. Was it a combined attack?

Dark clouds gathered and Yosano slammed on the oil, speeding up as she forced the car to weave between the traffic.

“Huang Zeku’s there.” She glanced at the mirror to make sure the heroes in the back were alright.

Aizawa didn’t need her to state the obvious. There was a shimmering of scales within those clouds. It looked like the beast of apocalypse was about to rain down on his idiotic students.

“Atsushi will meet us there with Nighteye and Hawks.” The teen had accompanied the group to send them out of the city since the Bakugous had no reason to stay any further.

The car suddenly spun out of control and hit the fence when they got to an empty crossroad near the more rural part of the city. Climbing out of the car, Aizawa saw a trio blocking their way. There was an older gentleman with swept back grey hair and a long brown scarf. A monocle linked to a gold chain covered his right eye. Beside him was a girl with spiked black hair and a long black coat. She kept her face covered with a white mask. The third person looked like your average delinquent with short rusty red hair.

“Greetings,” the old man said. “On behalf of Port Mafia, I am going to have to ask you to stay put.”

“What’s the meaning of this?” Aizawa didn’t have time for these games. His students might be in danger right now.

“A few villains have decided to play in Yokohama despite Port Mafia’s warning. We'd appreciate it if you heroes let us locals deal with the threat ourselves.”

“Villains?” Vlad exclaimed. “Students from our school are there! We need to get to them!”

“My orders are to not let any hero arrive on scene until the matter is settled.”

“If the hero kids died in Yokohama, we would have a problem.” Kunikida took out his notebook. “None of us want that. Let us through.”

“I will admit it would be rather troublesome if the heroes were to arrive in armies but sometimes it is not about ease and comfort. How can we call ourselves the mafia if we simply let outside villains come and go as they pleased?”

It was always about reputation and honour with these organized criminal organizations.

Aizawa had enough of this. Ever since they entered Yokohama, he had to suppress his instincts. He couldn’t do anything to help anyone. He had been restrained by unfamiliar rules and he'd be damned if he was just going to sit back while his students might be caught in the crossfire between mafia and villains.

“Then we will force our way through!”

He couldn’t save Bakugou from this abyss that was Yokohama. He wasn’t going to lose another kid to this damn city.

------

Claws clashed with black tendrils.

“Get out of the way, Akutagawa!” Atsushi snarled as his eyes flashed gold like a beast’s. His limbs transformed into those of a tiger's while his canines elongated.

A man with raven hair that was white at the tips coughed into his hand. He was covered in black from head to toe and he looked frail. His body was thin and he coughed violently from time to time. “I have orders to get rid of the heroes behind you.”

“They haven’t done anything out of line! But if those students from UA died then we would have waves after waves of heroes rushing to Yokohama.”

“Still so naive.” Sharp, black tendrils extended out from Akutagawa’s black coat, ready to strike. This was his ability. “The heroes were going to come either way.”

Atsushi froze in his stance. “What?”

“The Hero Commission had never really stopped trying to expand their influence into Yokohama. UA’s field trip was to test the waters and keep up the pretense of good relations between Yokohama and the rest of Japan. Bakugou was an excuse for them to send their minions covertly. They would have found a different reason to send others in even if Huang Zeku wasn’t involved with Bakugou so long as the students from UA are in Yokohama. The villains that are causing a ruckus right now are the League of Villains, that alone is enough reason for them to flood the place with detectives and heroes.”

He coughed violently after that long explanation.

“Ask the one with wings if you don’t believe me.”

Hawks were half kneeling on the ground, one wing bleeding at the junction where it connected to his back. He had been attacked before he got the chance to take off for a flight. At least they got the Bakugous out of Yokohama already.

"Hawks?” Nighteye questioned sternly but he didn’t take his eyes off Akutagawa.

The winged hero inhaled deeply. “This is looking very bad for me isn’t it?”

No one here was stupid or so simpleminded that they couldn’t tell there was something fishy going on. Togata was probably the only one who was uncertain about what was happening but he still understood the gravity of the situation. The mafia was their enemy.

Akutagawa stopped coughing. The end of his overcoat expanded out. His eyes focused on Hawks. “Port Mafia isn’t unreasonable and we have shown you good faith, you and the people behind you violated that trust by inviting battle to our city. Our boss is willing to show you one last act of kindness: Leave Yokohama immediately and tell your superiors to leave this city out of its propaganda. We will not be stepping stones to better your images.”

“Students from UA are still in Yokohama and they are under attack.” Nighteye’s brows furrowed. He didn’t manage to convince Midoriya Izuku to give OFA to Mirio but he got his message across to the teen. He didn’t approve of Midoriya as the successor and the boy said he was going to prove to him that All Might made the right choice. If he died in Yokohama, OFA would be gone and Nighteye couldn’t let that happen. “What’s going to happen to them?”

“They will be properly dealt with by someone in a more suitable position than us.” Akutagawa pointed to Atsushi with his chin. “You can go, Man-Tiger. Even if you make it there I doubt you would be able to do much anyways.”

“Huang Zeku is over there?” Atsushi asked.

“Who else is going to clean up the mess? He has every reason to be there.” Akutagawa threw the question back and gestured to the dark clouds ahead with his thumb. “If they are lucky, you’d probably be able to find one or two fully intact corpses.”

“We can’t just leave knowing there are people in danger!” Togata protested. A black tendril shot towards him but he wasn’t afraid, he could phase through it. It passed through him harmlessly and he ducked low, sinking into the ground as his clothing got left behind on the floor.

“Mirio!” Nighteye shouted.

Togata reemerged behind Akutagawa, he was going to knock the young man out but he felt a tug on his arm and he got thrown away, landing beside Nighteye. There was a very faint cut on Togata’s chin.

“Careful! His ability, Rashom*on, can slice through anything, including space too.” Atsushi shaked his injured hand, which was already regenerating. “Akutagawa, you really want to do this?”

“I have my orders. If you insist on protecting them, I will kill you too.”

Gritting his teeth, Atsushi felt the power coursing through his veins and his form changed further, shifting and looking more like a tiger as he crouched on the ground on all fours. There was thunder in the distance, signalling that the Dragon of Suribachi was furious.

Atsushi really hoped they could make it there in time.

------

This was a one sided massacre.

“Even with close to thirty people, you still lost to me. Pathetic.”

The taunting words hung in the air that smelled of rusting metal and other body fluids. There was smoke burning, block soot covered the charred and uneven ground with crates in them.

Midoriya coughed out blood. His body wobbled as if he was going to fall any second now. He was frozen in place, legs useless and paralized from the blood loss and despair. Cuts littered his body and his clothing was in tatters. His lungs felt dry, as if it was going to be lit up in flames as they continued to pump air into his system. Sweat mixed with dirt rolled off his forehead, down his nose and dripped into the earth.

His classmates’ and the villains’ bodies were all around him. They were bloody and battered, limbs bent at unnatural angles and injured so greatly that Midoriya couldn’t tell if any of them were still breathing.

A wail. Shrill and loud, the sounds of despair left someone’s mouth (he couldn’t tell who, his mind was hazy from the pain). Everything hurted so much that he was starting to feel numb.

How did things get to this point?

He had wanted to talk to Bakugou and he did. Years worth of anger, trauma, and everything he ever wanted to say to the blond’s face came out. By the end of it, he felt exhausted with a dimmed but still simmering fury burning inside his chest. He had looked up to Bakugou at one point. He meant every single “Kacchan, you’re amazing!” and “I want to be just like you!”. He really thought his friend (past) had great potential to be a hero and admired Bakugou’s resolution and dedication to his goal.

He kept telling himself that it was fine. Bakugou was out of his life now and that everything he did was in the past. Midoriya had new friends, actual friends who cared deeply about him and he no longer had to suffer under Bakugou’s hands. He wouldn’t have to keep his emotions locked up for someone else’s sake and watch his tormentor continue to be worshiped, to become a hero. People finally started putting him first instead of prioritizing Bakugou’s needs for once.

Bakugou was no hero. Heroes wouldn’t burn other people’s belongings or tell them to jump off a roof. Heroes were supposed to care about everyone, not put those they considered weak down and walk away laughing.

He knew of the media backlash that pinned Bakugou to the crucifix. He had read through the hateful comments condemning Bakugou for his actions. It was supposed to bring him satisfaction but it also brought guilt. Bakugou was bad but it didn’t feel right to have the whole society descend on him like vultures either.

It was confusing to tell how he actually felt. On one hand, he couldn’t quite quell the hate still burning within him but at the same time he felt like everything had been blown out of proportion. He didn’t want Bakugou dead like some of the comments suggested. He didn’t want protestors to gather in front of Bakugou’s house and yell insults or egg his place. He didn’t want the online rallies promoting people to jump Bakugou and beating the villain half to death to come true.

Midoriya tried so hard to be Bakugou’s friend, to understand him and made excuses for him but the blond still pushed him away. Maybe that was why he felt so terrible when he saw how easily Kirishima and the others got close. They received his respect when nothing Midoriya ever did was enough to gain the same.

He worked so hard to gain a quirk, to stand at the same starting line as other hero hopefuls. He was All Might’s successor, the No.1 hero picked him to be the next symbol of peace. It was an immense amount of pressure no one else could understand but Midoriya shouldered it.

Bakugou still never once acknowledged him.

And Midoriya's disappointment reached its peak when he saw how even a murderer could gain Bakugou’s trust and affection so easily. He knew that Bakugou refused therapy and the other conditions that UA offered him to stay in school.

But Bakugou would rather kiss a criminal than admit his wrongs.

Midoriya just wanted a proper apology, was that so wrong to ask? Sure, Bakugou apologized but it was so…meaningless. He even insinuated that he could compensate Midoriya’s suffering with money. It felt like an insult. How could he measure the emotional turmoils Midoriya went through with such materialistic means?

Just like before, life was unfair.

Bakugou had rich parents, a strong quirk, gifted looks and intelligence. He was always the center of attention and king of the world. Even after he got expelled from UA, people still bowed in front of him and treated him like a god. Adored and cherished, he could have everything that a normal hero would have to work years to obtain at snap of his fingers.

The ugly beast of jealousy gnawed at Midoriya from within. Why Bakugou? Why could he have everything so easily when the rest of them were still struggling to prove their own worths?

Midoriya doesn’t expect Bakugou to be miserable or be on his knees begging for forgiveness but the way that Bakugou looked at him even when he lost his chance at attaining his dream...it was the same arrogant look Midoriya had to deal with for a decade.

It hurt.

The pain was too much.

And Midoriya felt his heart being ripped apart as he saw his classmates go down one by one. A few of them were still conscious but unable to move. Shigaraki was the only villain left too and he wasn’t looking any better than the rest of them.

Bakugou just watched, watched his lover squashed them like bugs.

And the hate was burning inside Midoriya’s chest again.

A piece of scale embedded itself into his leg and he went down, groaning. Boots stepped through the pool of blood on the ground, coming near him.

“Don’t glare at me like that,” Huang Zeku said while looking down at him. “You’re the ones who couldn’t understand when to back off. How many times have you all been told to not bother me or Katsuki?”

“Midoriya!” That sounded like Todoroki but Midoriya couldn’t find the energy to strain his neck to check on his friend.

“You won’t get away with this,” the green haired boy coughed weakly. “All Might and the other heroes will come for you.”

All Might. Midoriya felt horrible. He had let his mentor down. He couldn’t use OFA properly and he was too weak. Too slow that he couldn’t stop his friends from getting hurt by the villain. He was scared too. If he died, what would happen to OFA?

Huang Zeku laughed. “And what can he do? He might be number one but you sure he could take on all of Yokohama when he couldn’t even take care of one villain in the outside world? Does he know? You were so quick to paint Katsuki as the bad guy but have you told anyone how you have pestered him for years? Or are you just simply so delusional that you can’t even see that you are just as much of an antagonist?”

Antagonizing Bakugou?

Him?

That was what his middle school teachers said. They said Midoriya was disruptive and jealous, a problematic student who won’t amount to anything in life. His fault. Always his fault. They turned the other way when the others in class made fun of him but called him out when he tried to defend himself.

Midoriya felt something inside his head snapped.

“You have no idea what you are talking about!” he screamed and every word seemed to bleed. “I am the one antagonizing him? You’re not the one he insults day after day, telling you you are worthless and a waste of space! I had no quirk and somehow that made me less human? Why am I in the wrong for existing? It’s not my fault for speaking up and wanting to help others!”

He couldn’t stop the flow of angry tears. They stung his eyes and mixed with his blood, seeping through the wounds on his skin and it hurt but he couldn’t care less about it right now.

“We had the same dream to become a hero! No one believed I could make it but I worked just as hard and maybe even harder to prove them wrong! I did everything I could to achieve my dreams!”

"Dreams?” Huang Zeku repeated in a low voice. He stomped onto Midoriya’s face and the rough sole of his boot grinded against the soft skin of the teen’s cheek. Sand and small pieces of pebbles rubbed against his open wound. “That’s a funny thing for you to say.”

Midoriya stopped himself from yelling out in pain but he couldn’t hold in his wail when a smaller piece of scale stuck into hand that was trying to pry the foot off him. Blood splattered onto Huang Zeku’s boot and pants leg.

“Katsuki didn’t say anything to save face but I’m not as nice as him. He told you no, he told you to not follow him around and find some other friends. You never listened. Did you really think you could have made it into any hero school by simply taking notes?” Huang Zeku looked around, seeing the confusion across the remaining students’ faces. “You did no physical training until the last year of middle school and you have the audacity to claim you have done everything possible? No one stopped you from taking martial arts classes or even ran a few laps in the park. How could you be a hero when you can’t even do gym properly?”

His foot grinded down harder.

“And let’s talk about the notes that you’re so proud of. I’m sure those analyses must be impressive but tell me, how does keeping track of Katsuki’s sleep schedule or the amount of time he spends in the shower help you become a better hero? He never gave you consent to record such things.”

“That’s—”

“He told you to stop writing about him, you didn’t stop,” Huang Zeku cut him off. “Quirks, fighting style, hobbies...you really know how to cover all the bases, don’t you? Sure, you might have written them with innocent intentions of studying quirks and to help others improve on them. Such analytical skills would be praised by the police and in the hero field too but you didn’t stop when people told you they were uncomfortable with it. He was your classmate, not a villain on Japan's most wanted. He said stop. You didn’t ask for permission and kept following him to record everything. That’s called stalking.”

No. He was wrong. Midoriya felt himself shaking. He wasn’t stalking Bakugou. They went to the same school and lived in the same neighbourhood, of course they would bump into each other a lot. He wrote to understand quirks. He wrote to figure out how to get stronger himself, to learn from others.

Principal Nezu saw the notes. He never pointed anything out. He said Midoriya had a gift, a great talent that he wished to tutor. Nezu said that Midoriya was very similar to him and praised his intelligence and observant nature. The majority of his notes are filled with theories and suggestions to help people be better. His principal was going to personally train him to make sure Midoriya was able to use his gift to help more people.

It wasn’t stalking.

“I didn’t stalk him!”

“Then what do you call watching someone so closely and making them feel uncomfortable? Or is it only valid when you feel hurt and everyone else’s concern for privacy is irrelevant because they are stronger than you?”

Huang Zeku kicked him in the stomach, sending him rolling across the pavement. Midoriya felt like he was going to vomit his stomach out.

“How would a bunch of notes help you get into UA anyways? Did you think your body was going to magically be able to pass the physical exams without any training or would villains sit down and cower once you pull out your notes? It must feel good to keep wallowing inside your fantasies,” he laughed.

“Midoriya, is that true?” Ojiro asked from his spot on the ground. The same struggles flashed across Todoroki and Kirishima’s pale faces. They heard everything too.

“Did you stalk Bakugou?”

“No way, Midoriya wouldn’t do something like that.”

“His notes...doesn’t he have stuff on us too?”

The voices were making his head hurt.

“I didn’t hurt Bakugou,” Midoriya said desperately. He never meant to hurt anyone. “Even if he is uncomfortable with my notes, I would have erased it if he asked. How does that justify what he did to me?”

“It doesn’t,” The older teen with long black hair agreed easily. “But what do you expect when you never listened to any opinions that didn’t suit your convenience? A mad dog would be beaten down because it couldn’t be reasoned with. He told you to stop, you ignored him. We told you to keep your noses out of Yokohama’s business, you ignored us.”

Another kick came down.

“Stop!” Uraraka shielded Midoriya with her body and the kick landed on her side. She coughed, eyes teary from the pain.

“You’re still going to defend him?”

“I-I don’t know if what you are saying is true,” the girl said through a ragged breath. “But this is going too far. Look around us! This is madness!”

Blood was everywhere. Her friends were hurt and possibly dead. Some might never get to walk again while others would be scarred for life. Even if they overstepped, this was too extreme of a punishment.

“Gone too far?” Huang Zeku cracked a grin. “Imagine if I let you all walk out of here without any repercussions and if the villains actually took Katsuki. You’re going to tell the heroes that Katsuki sold you out to the villains, weren’t you? How else would the villains know where you all were? You have no evidence but that suspicion alone would be enough for the whole hero society to come charging into Yokohama. They’d say Huang Corp is associated with the League and put us out of business. Thousands would be out of a job, crime rate would rise, Port Mafia would get into fights with heroes more often with them flooding the city and the heat would only rise from there. Normal people would get in the crossfire."

He spoke just loud enough for everyone to hear.

“A whole city in actual chaos. Perfect chance for you heroes to become a saving grace and then the Commission would have Yokohama just like the rest of Japan. Such a shining victory at the cost of countless lives.”

“That’s absurd! How could—”

“You think the heroes are all sunshine and virtuous morals? Don’t make me laugh.”

He looked down at her with ice frosting over his eyes and a cruel sneer painting his lips.

“Your system is flawed and it fails people. They don’t want you to know that and they have done shady things to hide it. Did you know the Hero Commission has thought about charging Katsuki with emotional abuse, suicide baiting, assault, illegal quirk useage, and a lot of other fun stuff since they found out I am marrying him? It doesn't matter if he has a doctor's recommendation to spark off excess sweat. It doesn't matter if he was mean or got physical towards your little friend because the bastard is a stalker who couldn’t take no for an answer. They will use whatever they can to take him under their control. They would have succeeded because Katsuki isn’t the perfect victim. He fights back, he yells instead of cries, and you have all made up your verdicts about him already. Your speculation of him working with the villains is just the excuse they have been waiting for to bring him in.”

“What are you saying?” Iida groaned. His lips were blue from the blood lost.

“Normally the case would get thrown out because while what Katsuki did wasn’t good, it wasn’t enough to make a case. He left no physical damages on you and you are at fault too. The Commission is not going to charge him because they want justice for Midoriya. They were going to convict him without a trial because he’s leverage to force me to make weapons for them.”

His words stunned the teenagers into silence.

“Zeku, that’s enough. There’s no use telling them that.” Huang Zeku waved and the dragon stopped Bakugou from intervening.

“They want to be heroes don’t they? Time for them to face the ugly reality. If things had gone their way then all of Yokohama would be burning right now.”

Shigaraki suddenly burst out laughing, wicked red eyes landed on the dragon wielder with venom boiling behind them. “You knew all along. You’ve seen how flawed this society is and you have the power to change it and chose to do nothing? You boast about strength but you’re nothing but a coward.”

“It’s not my duty to change the world. I did my part in Yokohama, I’m not obliged to dedicate my life to fixing other people’s problems.” Huang Zeku glared at him. “And who are you to judge? You are a child in a man’s body. I earned my reputation and respect. You think you're a hot shot when everybody else is only giving you their time because All For One is backing you. You’re nothing without him.”

“Shut up!” Shigaraki screamed angrily. His fingers touched the ground and it began to crumble, even the things that he hadn’t directly touched began to decay. A black murky substance suddenly spilled from his lips, engulfing him. More of the dark liquid exploded from thin air and Nomus, multiple of them emerged from it.

Then a hand landed on Shigaraki’s shoulder and everything stopped. No more dark sticky liquid. No more decay. Midoriya thought Aizawa-sensei had erased Shigaraki’s quirk but then he saw Dazai standing behind Shigaraki’s weak body.

“Coiled Dragon,” Huang Zeku said and the dragon tore through the first few that came out.

Claws from a white tiger and black tendrils expanding into a net speared through the modified monsters before tossing them into the air. Was that Atsushi?

Coiled Dragon opened its mouth and opened fire, blasting the Nomus to dust.

“My, my, this is such an overkill.” Dazai’s overly polite and friendly voice sounded. “Haven’t seen you this worked up in a while but enough is enough.”

“Get out of the way, pest.”

“It’s enough and you know it.”

“Zeku,” Katsuki called with a hint of plea behind his voice too. The older teen pulled his hoodie over his head with a displeased growl and snapped his fingers. A piece of scale shot out and busted through Shigaraki’s skull as Huang Zeku returned to his lover’s side.

“Dang it, Huang. You really had to make such a mess?” Dazai took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood on his hand clean.

Midoriya looked around, he saw his teachers emerging from the sideline and Nighteye was carrying Hawks over with Togata senpai’s help. Did they hear everything too? Atsushi was arguing about something with a man in a dark coat that Midoriya hadn’t seen before. The black tendrils shrunk back into his coat.

“...It’s only because Dazai-san said so that I’m letting you live.”

“Shut up,” Atsushi hissed as he turned back to a human. Dazai had stopped their fight and took them here. “What are you still doing here? I’m not going to let you kill anyone.”

The man scoffed. “Don’t have to. Huang did that for me already.”

“Sensei!” Monoma called while holding Tetsutetsu, who was out cold.

The teachers’ faces looked grim. This was too much of a bloodbath that even if they were experienced heroes, their stomachs still churned uneasily.

“Don’t worry.” Dazai smiled. “They are going to be fine. Yosano had been watching to make sure.”

“What do you mean?” Aizawa frowned. Yosano was in the car with them this whole time.

Tanizaki waved his hand and Yosano, who was standing beside him, dissipated. The woman came out from behind a tree.

“Guess I don’t need the chainsaw this time,” she muttered and began healing the students.

“She’s been here the whole time?” Kirishima yelled out incredulously and all of his questions boiled down to a simple: “WHY?”

“Because none of you could follow a simple order apparently. It was just supposed to be the villains.” Dazai shrugged. “We don’t need outsiders to intervene with Yokohama’s business. You heroes and villains are just making things worse.”

Aizawa went up and grabbed his collar angrily. His hair flared up as his eyes glowed red. “AND YOU THOUGHT IT WAS OK TO PUT MY STUDENTS IN DANGER LIKE THIS? They are hurt and don’t even get me started on the psychological trauma this will cause!”

He couldn’t even begin to imagine what his children went through. Koda and Aoyama were huddled in the corner after being healed, eyes wide with terror like a spooked cat.

“Do you know why your principal agreed to this field trip?” Dazai asked him calmly. “He thought this would be a chance for your students to see that peace isn’t just accomplished by heroes. Society is functional not just because there are people in costumes parading around. It is functional because there are cops, firefighters, emergency responders...and everybody else who keeps things running. He wanted them to learn to not overlook these professionals’ efforts. And sometimes things aren’t black and white. You people label terrorists and people that stole food to survive all as villains. A criminal is not always a villain to everybody and they shouldn’t rush to make judgements on people so quickly.”

He got free from Aizawa’s hold.

“But look at what your kids did. They were told to leave things to the adults, to stand back and allow professionals to work. Yet, they still charged into danger thinking they knew best just because they are heroes in training and could handle anything. They think they could waltz in, impose their worldviews and opinions on other people’s lives. That’s not bravery, that’s arrogance.”

His voice had turned steely hard.

“They are lucky Yosano is here and that Huang didn’t really plan on killing them all. If this happened in the outside world, it would have been fatal. It’s a very valuable lesson, isn’t it?”

“Valuable lesson?” Aizawa couldn’t believe his ears. “Look at them! They are shaking in fear! It’s okay to leave them emotionally traumatized as long as it teaches them a lesson?”

“While I don’t agree with such an aggressive tactic either,” Kunikida said, sending Dazai a dirty glare. “But please note that they had multiple warnings and multiple chances to avoid this situation from the beginning. Huang Zeku used his powers within his rights according to Yokohama laws and he got rid of a bunch of vicious villains causing chaos, there will not be any charges brought up against him.”

“You people are insane.” Aizawa backed away.

“Desperate times called for desperate measures, we are only trying to defend Yokohama.”

“Against heroes?” Vlad questioned.

“Can you vouch that what Huang Zeku said about the Commission isn’t a possibility?” Dazai huffed, eyes still cold and he was nothing like the laid back man they had gotten to know. The adult heroes’ flinched slightly. “We have proof of it too. It’s time for you all to leave.”

The healed students stood up. They were still feeling the fatigue from being brought back from death’s door. It still felt like there were wounds on their skin or they were missing a limb and they couldn’t help but quiver in fear at the sight of the dragon.

“Everyone...” Midoriya was relieved that his friends were at least physically alright. But the air around them was different. They looked at him with less warmth in their eyes and they looked like they were tiptoeing around him, treading on eggshells.

“We need to talk later,” Shinsou said and the rest of them nodded their heads. Midoriya looked at their teacher, who came over and anxiety sparked inside of him.

“Midoriya, I will need you to meet with Principal Nezu and I after we return to UA,” the man said sternly. He turned his head to the Huangs. “Baku-Huang Katsuki.”

“It doesn’t matter, Eraserhead.” The blond shook his head. “It wouldn’t have changed a thing and I’m alright here. This is where I belong now.”

He leaned into his lover’s side, who wrapped an arm around him. Aizawa stared at them for a moment before finally sighing. “I’m sorry.”

The apology floated away with the wind.

Kirishima and the old Bakusquad took a step towards the couple but ruby eyes landed on them. They had been healed but they still looked terrible. Covered in blood stained clothing that were in tatters, looking disheveled. They didn’t even have the energy to gasp about such a miracle healing power.

“Leave,” the blond ordered. “And don’t come back.”

“...Alright.” Kirishima swallowed hard. “Take care man...Sorry about everything and I guess thanks for not really wanting to kill us?”

“Just go before I change my mind.” He turned and stormed away to Huang Corp’s car and Huang Zeku followed him, not giving anybody else a chance to speak up.

He didn’t look at Midoriya at all.

The villains’ bodies would be taken care of by Yokohama law enforcement and processed properly. It would be a huge win for Yokohama since a city without heroes took down a vicious gang of villains by themselves. Huang Zeku doesn’t really care how Yokohama’s government would spin that story. He was fine if they just credited him with putting out the fire or something. The Hero Commission wouldn’t have reasons to send people to Yokohama since all the villains are dead.

Kunikida gathered up the students and the adult heroes, leading them away from the park.

“Midoriya,” Nighteye called as he approached the teen alone. “I think after this we should both have a talk with All Might as well. I still stand by my previous opinion.”

Midoriya’s body jolted, turning stiff.

Meanwhile, Dazai skipped over and knocked on Huang Corp’s car window.

“You caught a bigger fish than what you originally intended.” He knew that Katsuki was bait. Zeku built his rule on fear and strength but he hadn’t been involved in any large battles for a while now, people were forgetting just how ruthless he could be. They were getting funny ideas and seeing him with Katsuki would have lured those with ill intentions out. While Zeku was fighting the villains, his subordinates had taken care of these kinds of people on their ends through more legal means. The rest...well, Dazai was pretty sure no one was going to be stupid enough to try anything for a long time when they heard about today’s battle. It was a display of power and a warning. “What are your plans now?”

Zeku and Katsuki shared a glance. The younger teen grabbed onto Zeku’s arm and a bright smile formed on his face.

“Take a guess!”

2

Principal Nezu got off the phone and exhaled tiredly. This field trip had been a disaster and as the principal, of course he would be taking heat.

All of the kids had been sent to counseling and therapists assessed their mental states. While none of them had requested to be withdrawn from the hero program yet, it was very likely some would do so before the summer ended. They have kept things quiet, much easier to do when Yokohama’s government helped them cover up that UA’s students were involved. He couldn’t get mad at Port Mafia, they made sure every single kid walked out of Yokohama intact. Physically at least.

Every channel was talking about the League of Villain’s death. They were relieved that the threat was gone and Yokohama remained a mystery. Nezu guessed they reap what they sew. They had always advertised Yokohama as a city of sins to prevent people from seeing how a society could function so peacefully even without heroes, it was natural for villains to die there and no one would ask questions.

Nezu was going to spend many long nights thinking, pondering about the choices he made that led up to these situations and maybe maul over his decision regarding Huang Katsuki too.

But not now.

Right now, he had a meeting with Aizawa, Midoriya, Midoriya Inko, and All Might to attend. Maybe it was time for some things to not remain as secrets any more. And Midoriya...that might had been an oversight on Nezu’s part. Of course he saw the tibits of personal information in the boy’s notes but he had thought those could be corrected with some professional training. It hadn’t looked like a big deal then and chiding Midoriya when he was going through so much hadn’t seemed like a wise choice. Of course, Nezu had also been advised by the therapists that Midoriya needed encouragement.

He wasn’t going to rush in on berating a child who just confessed to being a victim all his life. Midoriya had been subjected to unfairness and harsh treatments yet All Might still saw heroic potential in him. Aizawa too. The other teachers who had taught Midoriya all said he was a good kid. Nervous but a good kid. Nezu also saw how he was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others in the entrance exam.

He was intelligent and he wanted to do nothing but help people. He was filled with good intentions and hot blood for justice. However, that alone wasn’t what made heroes. The way that UA and other hero schools had been doing things needed improvement. All Might wouldn’t be here forever and this Yokohama trip showed Nezu that maybe modern heroism had been poisoned, and became impure.

And the situation with Todoroki’s family...Nezu sighed again. Endeavor had been devastated when he found out his first born hadn’t died all those years ago. Todoroki Touya had been alive and went on to associate with villains instead of returning home. Endeavor wanted to charge down to Yokohama and confront the person who killed his son but they stopped him. They had no reason to ask why Huang Zeku killed Dabi. Dabi was a villain. He went there to hurt people.

Todoroki Shouto also got into a fight with his dad and discussions of removing him, his siblings, and his mother from Endeavor’s side were in place. Nezu has a meeting with them tomorrow. No one wanted news of Endeavor’s son becoming a villain to go public. There were also other unsavory things happening in that household which needed to be addressed. However, the Todorokis would like to hold Touya’s funeral and bury his body properly first. They needed time to mourn.

Nezu looked out the window with a grim expression.

They needed to change.

They really did have a lot to discuss.

------

Yokohama had returned to its usual peace and chaos.

Dazai yawned as he dropped his pen on the half finished report. Atsushi placed a cup of tea beside him while Dazai sighed dramatically.

“Don’t slack off,” Kunikida chided. “I want those reports done yesterday. You’re not getting off the hook so easily this time. Things have been quiet in the criminal world with AFO, you think he’s planning something?”

“Of course he’s planning something,” Dazai laughed without any humour. “We took out his pawns and his favorite piece. He’s got to be livid.”

He tossed a pile of paper on the table, the top one showing the names Shimura Tenko and Shimura Nana connected on a family tree.

“But he won’t move in on Yokohama. He doesn’t have enough power to do so and he’s too smart to try again so soon after he saw what Huang Zeku could do. If Chuuya and Huang cooperated, it’d be game over for him and his little puppet army in a heartbeat.”

“How are the students anyways?” Yosano wasn’t one to judge and the relationship between that Midoriya boy and Huang Katsuki was a complicated one. Midoriya had a right to feel hurt from the bullying but Katsuki also wasn’t completely at fault for his actions. At least, she couldn’t say that she, as a grown adult, could be completely rational when it came to dealing with stalkers, even if they weren’t doing it out of malice. Let alone expecting a teen with neglectful parents to be able to react any better.

Tanizaki came around with a pile of folders for the work that had been piling up while they dealt with UA and the villains. “None of them have dropped out of the hero course yet so I guess they are coping.”

“This one is in Suribachi City,” Kunikida took out a folder from that pile. “Atsushi, you and Kyouka want to take this one? You can also check up with the Huangs to see if they heard anything on the HPSC’s side. I don’t think those guys know when to quit.”

“Don’t bother. They’re not in Suribachi City right now,” Dazai said lazily.

“Where did they go?”

Looking out the window, Dazai hummed with a small smile making its way onto his face. “They said they are going on a honeymoon.”

------

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your lovely hosts: Mic Man and Speaker Girl!”

A man with buck teeth and hair styled like an airplane like one of those old Japanese delinquents talked cheerfully into the microphones extending out of his back. Besides him, there was a girl with speakers growing on her head who was dressed like a cheerleader.

"We know everybody is excited to hear more about the contestants this year!” Mic Girl smiled into the camera while the camera crew gave them a thumbs up. “With the preliminaries over, we have been going around interviewing our fighters that made it into the first round. It’s more fun to watch the fights when you get to know them a little, isn’t it?”

The Battle of The Six Realms this year saw its biggest turnout of contestants. Some were old faces challenging the tournament again while others were newbies with the same dream of making it big.

“And next up we got the man who killed his father, The Champion Killer—Huang Zeku!” Mic Man turned around but blinked. He had pointed at empty space but he swore a second ago, the teenager was still standing there. Looking around, he spotted the teen in the long black coat walking away. Hurrying behind him, Mic Man yelled, “Hey! Hey! Wait!”

“Should we skip to the next contestant instead?” Speaker Girl asked the director behind the camera man quietly. The interviews were going to be edited into the news later so it was fine if they were a bit more informal. “It doesn’t really look like he wants to talk.”

And she was a bit scared too. So long as they paid, anyone could participate in the games. This meant that criminals and psychos could all join the tournament and not all of them had a good temper. After Zeku murdered his father in cold blood, the boy disappeared and everyone was surprised to see him turn up this year. Maybe he was gunning for the current champion’s head now that he was older?

Her co-host already raced after Zeku.

“Come on, it’s just a few questions. We can turn the camera off and you wouldn’t have to smile into the camera.”

“Get lost.”

“Please? We won’t ask anything too personal and if you don’t want to answer a certain question we can skip it.”

Zeku walked around him, ignoring his multiple pleas.

Mic Man sighed dramatically but he expected this level of aloofness so it wasn’t a big deal. “If you don’t do it, we will have to suggest that you be disqualified from the tournament.”

Zeku glared at them and the hosts cowered a bit under his intensely dark death glare.

“Fine,” he huffed. “Hurry it up.”

The teen’s answers were curt, if he could answer with one word, he wouldn’t waste his breath to give them two words. They asked standard questions, nothing too personal.

“Age?”

“...Seventeen.”

“What do you dislike?”

“Crowds.”

The camera was off and this was shaping up to be a very boring and cold interview. Well, it couldn’t be helped when Zeku was unwilling to go in detail like some of the others they have already interviewed. Mic Man and Speaker Girl were going to have to think of fillers on their part to make sure they met the time length later when they broadcast this on air.

“When did you have your surgery?”

“I don’t want to answer that.”

Yep. Total disaster.

“Zeku, what’s taking you so long?” a voice called from around the corner of the empty hall. Speaker Girl perked up when she saw a teen with spiky blond hair and blood red eyes emerging from behind the pillars. He was cute. Dressed in a simple black shirt and a hooded sports jacket, his jeans were ripped and held together by silver rings. On his right ear was an earring that was similar to the red thread one Zeku had, just minus the ring that Zeku had to stretch his earlobe.

“Oh! Who’s this? Are you a friend of Zeku’s?” Mic Man moved forward and shoved a microphone closer to the boy’s face. “What’s your name? Would you like to make a comment about Zeku’s performance in the preliminaries?”

“Don’t bother him,” Zeku barked as he cut in between Mic Man and the boy, blocking him from view. He pushed the blond a bit to urge him to leave. “We’re done here.”

“Wait! Wait!” Speaker Girl waved her arms frantically. “One last question! Anything you want to say to the other participants?”

Zeku stopped in his tracks and turned his head around, sharp eyes landing on the hosts.

“I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way,” he said coldly, completely devoid of all emotions before moving away with his companion.

“And they are gone. Guy was intense.” Speaker Girl deflated, finally able to relax as she felt the heavy pressure lifted off her shoulders. There were some real dangerous people in the fight this year. The killing intent radiating off of them all was harsh to deal with.

“Too bad, I really thought we could have gotten some juicy bits if we tried hard enough.” Mic Man scratched his chin while watching Zeku and his friend disappear behind the gates. “Guess we have to find someone else to make a comment about Zeku. It would have been much better if we got someone who knows him well to comment though.”

“You want to chase them down for a statement?”

“Hell no. I get paid to host, not paid to die.”

Both of them shuddered slightly as they remembered vividly the dangerous glare Zeku sent their way when the other boy showed up. The message was clear: Harass the blond and Zeku was going to feed them to his dragon.

"Oh look! There's Joe! He escaped Zeku earlier so let's get his thoughts."

"Sounds like a plan!"

------

The key took them to a whole different world.

They lured out and cleaned up the hidden threats to Huang Corp because Zeku wanted to return to his world to tie up loose ends. It was about time too. Since Katsuki wasn’t going to be a hero any longer, he decided to tag along. They couldn’t leave Huang Corp exposed to danger.

For the first time in forever, it was quiet inside Katsuki’s head.

He noticed it immediately when they landed in this world. They showed up in the middle of a bunch of trash and it was a disgusting place. The air smelled acidic and there were corpses littered over the common trash like plastic or other useless junk.

That was the bottom, the lowest floor of where this futuristic civilization lived. Trash gets dumped here from above.

This world was crowded. The poorer districts had crowded tents selling cheap food while wires and strings for drying clothing hung between balconies or windows. Bullet trains in the richer districts connected larger buildings to each other and everywhere was covered in dazzling lights or ads.

They got themselves a place in a neighbourhood that wasn’t too sketchy but also not fancy either. The place was smaller than what they had back at Huang Corp but it couldn’t be helped when the entire civilization was underground. In order to conserve space, most buildings here were high-rises and built on top of each other. There was an opening that led to stairs and even the walls on the inside were filled with banners and posters. Colourful posters or ads covered the walls, most of them were about movies or some other form of entertainment and promotion for products. People here really were desperate for any form of entertainment.

Of course, it was possible to get nicer, more spacious places but since Zeku needed to keep a low profile they decided to stick with this quiet studio apartment with higher ceilings and a loft area so Coiled Dragon could move around a bit.

It was alright. After some mopping and a few buckets of water later, they had a clean place that Katsuki tried to make cozy. They were going to be here for at least a few months so he’d like them to be comfortable. There were soft blankets and big pillows on the sofa, a fur rug on the ground, a television and a radio too. They set up a big bed in the loft area and got a metal closet along with a long mirror. Katsuki also got a few plants to add some green around the place and Zeku tinkered with the lights so it wouldn’t be as dark. There was a round window similar to the one they had back in Suribachi City but Katsuki kept the curtains closed most of the time because it wasn’t fun staring at other people’s roofs that were also filled with bright and colorful billboards all the time.

It was a different place. A different world. Felt like a refreshing breeze that took away all the troubles of Yokohama and the mess that was UA.

He didn’t pack a lot of fancy outfits since this wasn’t their territory but they do have a lot of things they could pawn off for money. Zeku could also do some repair work or create cores to be sold on the black market so they could cover their basic necessities without much issue. Although the currency was different, Katsuki had no problem shopping for their groceries at the better stores one train stop away.

The only concern he had was about his lover.

Zeku had been acting odd since they arrived. He was moodier than usual even if his expression remained stoic and it only got worse when the tournament rolled around. Katsuki knew Zeku had a score to settle with someone back here. The immense amount of hatred in Zeku’s eyes when he spoke about it had been frightening.

Katsuki watched the preliminaries from the audience stand. They had giant screens set up because the contestants were being taken to another field where the fighting will be held.

And he watched his lover lose control. The preliminary round was an all out Battle Royale and each person you defeated would win you a certain amount of points. Coiled Dragon had been slaughtering people like crazy, raking in triple the amount of points than the next contestant.

But Katsuki still noticed how Zeku was on edge. There was this nervous energy around him and it showed before they even made it to the registration centers earlier today. They had bumped into a group of hooligans on the street and Zeku killed them without hesitation, leaving what was left of the dismembered bodies in an alley before dragging Katsuki along silently. He wouldn’t have gone so far if they were back in Yokohama. Then he lost it when that En guy with a lightning modification called him “the Champion’s son”, almost jumped into a fist fight with En after the hosts announced the battle had ended.

This wasn’t like Zeku.

Katsuki thought maybe his lover was just tense about returning to his world and anxious for the tournament but it was starting to look like that wasn’t just it. The blond made a nice dinner and they watched the replays of the tournament together. It was always good to know the competition.

And then it was time for the surprise Katsuki had prepared.

He slipped into the bathroom and got ready. When he came out, he effectively short circuited his lover’s brain for a good minute. Katsuki was wearing the famous “virgin killing sweater” that he heard about from one of the receptionists back at Huang Corp. He got the idea to get it when he saw it in the shops in this world too.

The grey sweater covered his front but barely reached under his butt. His back was completely revealed, showing off creamy white skin, and the fabric was tied together behind his neck with a ribbon.

“...What are you doing?” Zeku asked stiffly as he crouched in front of the washing machine, in the middle of doing laundry.

"You got through the preliminaries. I thought we could celebrate.”

Zeku’s face went red and he looked up as if he didn’t quite know where to place his gaze. Standing up, he wrapped a blanket around the blond quickly.

“It’s too early for celebrations. There’s nothing to be proud of.”

“Hey, I know most of those extras are weak as f*ck but you made it out of 30,000 contestants. The next round is in a week so you deserve to relax a bit.” Katsuki wrapped his arms around Zeku’s neck and tangled his fingers in the raven hair. Squeezing a leg between Zeku’s, he pressed his body up against the older teen and humped lightly.

“Katsuki, stop.”

“I got myself prepared for you.” Katsuki pouted but he stopped, staring up at Zeku. It was strange. They still kiss and hug or cuddle but Zeku hadn’t touched him ever since they landed in this world. He leaned in and tried to give his lover a small kiss but got pushed away.

“I’m not in the mood!” Zeku yelled and it stunned Katsuki for a moment. The older teen seemed to realize that he reacted too violently and he cussed under his breath, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Zeku lifted him up, bringing him over to the couch. He looked away. “...Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“Does this have something to do with your dad?” Katsuki asked quietly.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why else would you lose it when En called you the Champion’s son?”

“Katsuki, now’s not the time.”

“It is the time,” Katsuki empasized. “You’re acting like this tournament is the f*cking coutdown to your final days! Don’t tell me you are planning on leaving me the f*ck alone after the sh*tshow is done. I don’t care if this is a battle to the death or if you still got beef to settle with the assholes running the show. If you dare to die on me then I’m going to drag your goddamn corpse back home and revive you just to kill you again myself!”

He cupped Zeku’s face in his hands and forced him to look at him. His lover came out unscratched but there was a small cut on his bottom lip where he bit himself too hard to contain his rage when he saw the game makers showed up.

“I’m still here,” he said. “You have me...I can’t lose you too.”

The Book’s power was weaker here. He can’t do drastic things like change the weather or cause a global earthquake but it was still enough to command people.

“You’ll come back to me alive.” Katsuki kept his gaze locked with Zeku’s while the silver danced on his tongue. Its soft glow reflecting in Zeku’s red eyes. “When everything’s done and finished, we’re going home together."

The light faded from his tongue. He knew Zeku wouldn’t want him to say the next part with The Book’s power. That would be like cheating.

“I know you’re going to win. You fought strong ability users, people who are insanely over intelligent and powerful enough to be calamities. You can f*ck up some idiots in this world. And if this system is f*cking dogsh*t fraudlent, then we are going to burn this crap to the ground.”

They built Suribachi City from nothing together. They could f*ck up some bastards to the point where they regret ever existing together.

Zeku covered the blond’s hand with one of his own. Pressing their foreheads together, he closed his eyes.

“Together?” came the soft question. Uncertain, hesitant...almost scared.

“Together," Katsuki assured him, the blankets slipping from his shoulders. "Just you and me.”

Something wet and cold licked his entire exposed back and he yelped in surprise, falling into the older boy’s chest. Turning his head around, he saw Coiled Dragon staring at them from the ground.

“And Coiled Dragon,” Zeku added, hiding a small laugh while he planted a kiss against Katsuki’s hair.

Katsuki rolled his eyes but gestured for the beast to come near. He scratched its chin as it licked him again. The blond was fine with just cuddles too. He enjoyed curling up against Zeku while Coiled Dragon wrapped around them. However, he got confused when Zeku placed him on the carpeted ground and Coiled Dragon wrapped around him like a snake moving onto its prey.

“What are you doing?” he asked, suspicious.

“I’m not in the mood but Coiled Dragon is,” Zeku answered innocently.

Katsuki’s eyes widened as realization hit him. “You can’t be serious.”

Zeku shrugged.

“You’re the worst.”

“You still followed me to another world.”

“f*ck you!” Katsuki hissed with his cheeks flushing red. Hands waving and pushing desperately to get away but failing miserably. The beast’s tongue slipped underneath the fabric of his sweater, lighting fire across his pale skin. “Stop! Bad boy! Coiled Dragon, slow down!”

All Katsuki could think of before he lost himself underneath the dragon was that he was totally going to get his sh*tty boyfriend back for this.

End

Extra (the dragon smut, AKA the first time Katsuki learnt that Coiled Dragon has um...needs too):

It was easy to enjoy sex when you love the person you were in bed with so much and especially so when your preferences were compatible.

Katsuki sobbed quietly underneath Zeku, silencing his groans with the pillow as he laid on his stomach. He already came and his skin was flushing pink from the climax while Zeku finished in him. The end of long black hair brushed by his back periodically and it made him more sensitive.

The older boy pulled out, lifting one hand to check on Katsuki’s state before turning him over to kiss him.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Katsuki slurred lazily. Wrapping his arms around Zeku’s neck, he pulled him in for a hug. They laid there in silence, content with holding onto each other with the smell of sex hanging strong in the air.

And then they heard a loud bang.

Coiled Dragon whimpered at the end of the bed, the lower segment of its tail flapping against the floorboard.

"What's wrong?" Katsuki crawled up, reaching out one hand towards the dragon but got pulled back by Zeku.

“Just ignore it.”

The dragon let out a low roar, sounding almost like it was in pain.

He shoved his husband lightly. “Zeku, it’s acting really weird. Seriously, what’s wrong with it?”

Could body modifications even get sick? Or maybe that there was something wrong with Zeku? Katsuki glanced between the dragon and Zeku, trying to figure out if the idiot was being the tough guy and keeping injuries a secret from him.

“It’s nothing,” Zeku answered immediately.

“Come on, I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong.” He patted the dragon and it lowered its head. Somehow it felt a little...anxious? Like it was suffering from an itch that it couldn’t scratch.

Zeku glanced at Coiled Dragon before relenting.

“...It wants to mate.”

It took Katsuki a moment to register that sentence properly inside his head.

“It wants to—”

“—Yes, mate."

Katsuki scratched his head. “Where the hell are we going to find a female dragon?”

Zeku stayed silent and the blond pushed him again, giving him a questioning look. The older teen shook his head slowly. “It doesn’t want a female dragon.”

“The what does it wan—f*ck,” Katsuki swore when he saw Zeku pointing to him. “Can’t you tell it to...I don’t know, like not want to do that? It’s a part of you isn’t it?”

"It has a consciousness of its own. I can't really control that," Zeku coughed into his hand and his ears were tinted pink.

"So what are we going to do with this?”

“...Reboot it?” Zeku offered and the dragon vanished, leaving only its core. After a few minutes, he reactivated it again and the dragon was still the same. Restless. In heat.

“Well, that didn’t work.” Katsuki crossed his legs on the bed and covered himself with a blanket.

Zeku sighed, signalling for Katsuki to move aside as he got up but the blond stopped him.

“If it got what it wanted, would it go back to normal?” Katsuki asked quietly while his face felt like it was going to burn up. Anxiety pounded in his chest like a violent alarm.

“You don’t have to go that far for it.”

“It looks really unwell and it’s still you...technically?”

Katsuki climbed off the bed and the dragon lifted the upper portion of its body off the ground. On the lower portion of its underbelly, there was a slit opening up. Coiled Dragon’s member hung out, half hard and dripping with precum. It looked kind of like a snake’s. There were rough bumps along its length and there was a smaller, what looked like a second male reproductive organ poking out from underneath it.

The thing was a monstrosity. It was as thick as his arm and well...it looked big and scary and like it would hurt him very badly if they weren’t careful.

“Did you know it had that?” the blond questioned shakily.

Zeku blinked, clearly also shocked. “I didn’t.”

“Which f*cking genius in the damnest corner of hell decided to add that in when they designed your core?”

“I don’t think anybody knew it had this function when they made it.” The way cores were made...the rarer the type of core, the harder it was to make it. For example, they might be able to mass produce a core to turn people’s hands into chainsaws but not dragonic ones. Once a core was embedded, the host might reject it too and the success rate was low. “This is a bad idea.”

“You got a better one that doesn't involve destroying it and remaking a core?” Coiled Dragon didn’t look like it would be too cooperative in a fight like this and breaking it was also horrible.

“...No.”

“Then let’s get this over with.” Katsuki moved closer, hesitant as he touched Coiled Dragon’s co*ck. It was hotter than he expected and he almost jumped back in fear when he felt the dragon pushing it closer into his hand.

This was so damn weird.

He couldn’t really tell the texture underneath his palm. It felt firm, not like a human one (Duh! It was a f*cking dragon! If Katsuki ever met the smartass who designed this, he was going to blast the idiot in the face) and he swallowed hard as he poured the entire bottle of lube over its length. He could feel the blood vessels throbbing and a musky scent filled the air.

He was going to get f*cked by a dragon. A real dragon.

Katsuki doesn’t know if there were any kinky bastards out there into this sh*t but he really didn’t get the appeal of this. He was scared and nervous, had to take deep breaths and told himself that it was going to be fine with the silver on his tongue.

He got down on all fours on the carpeted ground. Zeku pulled on some pants and came over, sitting down in front of him. Katsuki wrapped his arms around his lover while Zeku planted soft kisses along his hair and jaw, trying to calm him.

“Coiled Dragon,” Zeku called.

The tip of the dragon’s co*ck pressed against Katsuki’s hole. The rim of muscles down there was still wet and soft from being used previously. Cum leaked out from it, acting as lubricant as the dragon pushed in.

“f*ck, f*ck!” Katsuki cried into Zeku’s shoulder as he got stretched open. It was too big and it hurt. Tears rolled out of his eyes even as Zeku rubbed his back, co*king him to relax. He felt like he couldn’t breath as the pressure built up. As the massive co*ck slid further into him, he felt like his insides were being shifted and messed up.

“Do you want to stop?”

“N-no...It’s okay.”

He couldn’t take it all the way in.

His ass barely took in half of it before he started sobbing. One shallow thrust and he was too far gone already. The rough bumps on its surface grinded against his inside, messaging everywhere at once and Katsuki was seeing white. Coiled Dragon pushed in a bit more, reaching a depth that human dicks wouldn’t have been able to reach. Katsuki’s eyes rolled back, crying his lover’s name and nails digging into the older teen’s back, leaving thin trails of red marks.

“Ah! Ah...hmm...no, t-too deep,” he moaned while biting down on Zeku’s shoulder, hard. He left marks deep enough to draw blood but the other boy didn’t make a single sound. Zeku’s attention was focused on Coiled Dragon, making sure that it didn’t go out of control and f*ck the human senseless.

It was going to take a long time for it to finish at this rate. Katsuki wasn’t sure if he could last till the end. He didn’t really feel any pleasure, just an overwhelming sense of being incredibly full and a scalp numbing feeling of being overwhelmed. His front was also limp, leaking fluids but unable to ejeculate.

Zeku pumped him gently, fingers drawing circles around his sensitive tip, trying to make him feel better. He was silent in bed, doesn’t usually make a lot of noises but he hooked Katsuki’s tongue that was lolling out of his mouth with his own and kissed the blond. Katsuki liked being kissed while he got f*cked.

If he looked down, he would see a bulge on the blond’s flat stomach, showing how deep Coiled Dragon had reached.

The dragon pushed in with a bit more force and knotted inside of him. Katsuki couldn’t help but let out a strangled wail as he felt himself being forced open even more. It was too much and he begged for it to pull out. Loads of hot cum released into him and he shuddered, feeling himself getting filled up with the dragon’s seeds. He felt like he was being bred by the beast, used for the monster's pleasure and belonging to it completely.

His eyelids were drooping heavily when the knot inside him deflated. Katsuki felt drained, his muscles were like wet spaghetti and his lower half was made mush. He cried when it started pulling out, the rough surface scraping against his prostate and his body jolted. Clear liquid squirted out of his co*ck, not exactly cum but not urine either.

Coiled Dragon lowered its head, tongue coming out to lick the tears off Katsuki’s face but left a trail of glistening saliva instead.

If he had more energy, he might smack it with an explosion.

“Katsuki?” Zeku called softly and the blond gave a quiet mew as acknowledgement.

He felt like a dirty mess and he could sense how the dragon’s sem*n was leaking out of him, trailing down his thigh and staining the carpet. His hole had been stretched open and it hadn’t been able to recover its tightness just yet.

“I’m going to clean you, okay?”

Cleaning was another round of overstimulation all together. His skin was still sensitive and flustered. He was filled with spunk and he climaxed again when Zeku’s fingers were inside of him, cleaning him out.

Katsuki passed out in the bathtub.

Zeku hauled him out and dried him, stuffed his lover into new pajamas and changed out the bedsheets before he placed the blond down, tucking him in. Coiled Dragon moved closer to its owner but Zeku hitted it on the head as a warning for it to stay away. It looked down, almost as if it was ashamed and deactivated back into its core.

The dragon wielder sighed before getting in bed, encircling Katsuki in his arms. He watched his lover sleep. Katsuki was slightly curled up into himself and there was still a crease between his eyebrows. Zeku knew that it was Yokohama still in the blond’s dreams. He couldn’t turn off the link and he would hear the city 24/7. His dreams were filled with what was happening across Yokohama. Sometimes it was good things, like a birthday party or a family having movie night. Sometimes it was the bad stuff, like deaths and shoot outs.

And Zeku couldn’t do anything to stop the horrible stuff from invading Katsuki’s dreams.

He doesn’t dislike Yokohama or this world. Sure, there were unpleasant things and people but that was the same everywhere. However, sometimes he would wish that he could do a little bit more. In the dark of the night, these intrusive thoughts would come to him. He wanted to tell Katsuki to stop caring so much about ungrateful jackasses who would never learn or appreciate all he had done. He wanted Katsuki to be less of a hero and be more selfish, to put himself before Yokohama once.

And he’d start thinking if there was a way to hide the blond. Dazai made fun of him saying he kept his princess guarded like a treasure in a dragon’s horde but sometimes Zeku didn’t think that it was enough.

He wanted to shelter him with nothing but the best, kept him safe and out of everybody’s prying eyes. He knew that Katsuki wouldn’t like it though and Zeku loved how brightly Katsuki smiled when he saw the changes happening with Yokohama. He didn’t want to destroy that.

There wasn’t a place in this world that would be safe for Katsuki if people knew what powers he had.

Zeku’s eyes found the key hanging by the edge of their bed.

A different world. If he could whisk the blond away to a different world, would Katsuki still suffer from the noises of this sinful city? He’d be away from the troubles of the hero vs villains drama and far out of anyone’s reach. It was stupid and untested, no one knew for sure how it would work but Zeku kept thinking. And he wouldn’t be able to give Katsuki what he could in this world.

Not the clear blue sky, not the vast oceans, not the tall mountain ranges...Katsuki probably wouldn’t be too pleased with being stuck underground in a post-apocalyptic world.

But if things really got bad in this world, they needed a place to go.

Yokohama could burn for all he cared but not Katsuki. If Zeku became the champion in the tournaments back home, he could offer the blond the finest of everything in that world too. He’d keep him safe and happy, just like he promised.

He silently added that to the list of reasons why he needed to go back to his world.

Katsuki didn’t know this reason though. Zeku wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell the younger boy about it either.

Closing his eyes, he felt his consciousness being dragged towards the land of slumbers. Right now, he was just content with holding his love in his arms.

He’d think about the rest in the morning.

Chapter 12: EXTRA

Chapter Text

Coiled Dragon is a smart and handsome dragon.

It has the sharpest claws and the shiniest scales. It remembers any scent after smelling it once and does everything the Master says like a good dragon should. There are no other dragons with better teeth than it too!

Master has enemies that Coiled Dragon will eat. Humans are food.

Humans are puny. Small and easy to break. Poke them too hard and they start bleeding or stop moving. They scream a lot too. Move around like annoying little flies that just won’t go away, yelping about things that Coiled Dragon didn’t understand. Coiled Dragon doesn’t like that so it squashes them.

Squishy.

They go out with soft little pops, sometimes with a fun crunchy sound before they turn into a red mush on the ground. It is easy to cut them too. They fly away very easily with one swat and Coiled Dragon can slice through them without putting too much force too. See, best claws!

Master says kill so Coiled Dragon would eat them. Their meat is very tender and juicy but sometimes it would find a few that are harder to chew too. Not all of them taste good though. Some are salty and others are just bland. They are too small too. Coiled Dragon could chomp through a dozen without any problems.

Humans are squishy and tasty.

But also dirty.

Coiled Dragon doesn’t like being dirty. It didn’t like how the icky substances stick to its claws or how pieces of flesh gets caught between its teeth after a meal. Blood dries very quickly and they make its scales not as shiny. That’s Bad. Coiled Dragon doesn’t like its scales being not shiny.

Master doesn’t like a dirty dragon either. Being dirty means no getting in the house. Master doesn’t like dirty dragons that smell. Master will get mad if Coiled Dragon rubbed blood and human guts on the furniture.

They live in a good place. There are other humans that Master said to not eat. Coiled Dragon sees Master’s father a lot more than the other humans. Master’s father is strong.

Master’s father is squishy and red like the other humans.

And then Coiled Dragon doesn’t see Master’s father anymore.

Master took Coiled Dragon somewhere else. Somewhere where the ceiling was higher. A lot higher. It is blue most of the time and it changes colour a lot. Pretty.

The humans here are weird.

They are still squishy and puny but they look odd. Some have weird skin colour or multiple scrawny limbs. Some don’t even look human and their bodies are not squishy like it is supposed to be. And they don’t regenerate like the other humans or Master. Weird. Doesn’t look edible.

But Master said eat so Coiled Dragon eats. They don’t taste as good. Muscles are not firm enough and some are too stale. It was like chewing sand. Master isn’t happy. Coiled Dragon isn’t happy when Master isn’t happy.

There is a new human besides Master now. He is small and thin but very loud. Coiled Dragon kind of like this human. He is shiny. Bright eyes like the sparkly little stones back home and his hair gleams under the sun like gold coins. Pretty human.

This new human talks to Master a lot. He yells too, like the other humans who swarm around like flies. Master finds it irritating but Coiled Dragon isn’t allowed to eat this human. Or squash him.

Pretty human smells sweet but he is very fragile. He doesn’t regenerate like the humans Coiled Dragon was used to. None of these new humans seem to be able to regrow a limb like the old humans. Pretty human looks like he’s made of more water than other humans. He cries a lot and his tears are salty. Master doesn’t like to see him cry.

If Master doesn’t like it then Coiled Dragon doesn’t like it either.

Master started finding it less annoying when Pretty human talks to him. Pretty human has a name. It’s Katsuki.

Katsuki is good to Coiled Dragon and Master. Katsuki curls up against Master when he sleeps and he kisses Coiled Dragon on the snout. Kisses are human’s way of showing affection. Katsuki likes Coiled Dragon!

So Coiled Dragon licks Katsuki back, covering him in his scent. Coiled Dragon likes. Coiled Dragon licks. Now he belongs to Coiled Dragon.

Master says it is okay to have play time with Katsuki. But Coiled Dragon has to be careful because humans break easily and Master will get very mad if Coiled Dragon hurts Katsuki. Humans are not like toys made of reinforced metal. Metal toys are less fun though, they don’t make noises or react like Katsuki. Katsuki is squeaky, squirmy, and soft. Leaky too.

Master thinks it’s cute. Sometimes if Coiled Dragon licks at certain places, water comes out of the other end of Katsuki too. Those are not tears. Kastuki gets twitchy and pink when water comes out the other end. He still cries but Master doesn’t stop Coiled Dragon so it must be okay.

It is okay for Coiled Dragon and Master to make Katsuki cry. No one else gets to do the same.

There are other people that Coiled Dragon isn’t allowed to eat. Some of these people give Coiled Dragon showers. They brush and clean it. Coiled Dragon likes them too. They keep Coiled Dragon clean. Only clean dragons get play time with Katsuki.

Master likes to hold Katsuki in his arms. Katsuki is warm. Sometimes they tumble on the bed and make weird noises. Katsuki is leaky and squirmy and pink. Master is having play time with Katsuki. He doesn’t let Coiled Dragon join.

Master is a meanie.

Sometimes Coiled Dragon watches. It sees Master pinning Katsuki down from behind and makes his claim.

They are mating.

Coiled Dragon is a smart dragon. It knows what mating is. Mating is when humans make baby humans. Animals mate too and they procreate. Mating is good. Mating is an animal instinct.

Master is a good mate. He protects and provides. Katsuki is also a good mate. He keeps a wonderful nest (“Home”, Master calls it home).

Coiled Dragon wants to mate too but Katsuki is very small compared to the dragon’s giant body. He will get hurt if they are not careful and the activity takes a big toll on the human so Coiled Dragon doesn’t get to mate often.

Mating feels nice. Katsuki is shaky and keeps twitching with every lick or thrust. He smells like Master and Coiled Dragon. He also purrs in this cute little voice when he’s filled with their seeds. Maybe they will get baby dragons one day.

Master and Katsuki still have enemies. Bad humans. They make Katsuki cry and will try to take him away. Coiled Dragon is mad about that. Puny humans shouldn’t touch his favorite toy and Master’s mate.

Bad humans are food. They get squashed.

There is a group of bad humans who are trying to take Katsuki away. Coiled Dragon wants to make sure to squish them very well but Master keeps holding it back. They don’t want Katsuki to be sad.

But not all humans are weak and small or annoying. The people who work for Master are not edible. Coiled Dragon will protect them too if Master or Katsuki says so. Katsuki is a shiny and good human. Have to treat him extra delicately. Master is Master. Master is tougher and heals faster. Then there’s that little human with orange hair and a hat. This one is scary and Coiled Dragon could tell he was strong, like how it could tell Master’s father was strong. He makes the air heavy and he doesn’t smell human enough to be fully mortal. He works for people that Master doesn’t like so Coiled Dragon doesn’t like him either.

One day Coiled Dragon will eat all the bad humans to make Master happy. Good dragons will get play time and praise.

They are back to the world where the ceilings aren’t as blue or colourful. More metal and more wires. Their new place is smaller too. Master is irritated. Not happy. That makes Coiled Dragon snappy and restless too.
Katsuki pulls Master closer and Master buries his face against the other human’s chest. Coiled Dragon wrapped around them, curling up against the two as it laid its head down to rest too. He kisses them. Soft, gentle, and affectionate.

So long as they are together, it is home.