Chapter Text
Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.
Deku has seen plenty of destruction in his lifetime. Hell, he went to UA, and lives in a society chock full of heroes and villains. He’d be naive if he claimed to have only seen hope and peace in his lifetime. But he has never seen destruction as violent and ill intentioned as this.
An entire city burned to the ground today. Takayama has been wiped off the map by not just villains, but heroes too. The orange of the setting sun is invisible from the plumes of smoke and ash rising into the sky. The orange and red of ongoing fires continue to burn in the distance. And all Deku can feel is pain.
He couldn’t save everyone. He worked hard today, pushing himself to his limit. Even as a pro, Deku can only take so much before he pushes himself off the deep end, like All Might did. The rest of his informal team: pro heroes Dynamight, Red Riot, Shoto, Pinky, and Chargebolt will have to aid civilians while Deku takes a moment to breathe. It makes him sick.
The rooftop of the hospital is windy. Deku pushes his green hair from his face, wincing at the soreness of his arm. He was bandaged and taken care of first by the medics, though he vehemently refused. But the doctors insisted that they couldn’t lose yet another pro hero today. Another…
Deku lets himself collapse into a sitting position, red shoes swinging over the ledge. A pro hero died today, a hero he knew personally. Though he never really liked him, they did go to school together for oh-so-long, and typically ran into each other on the field. The man always gave Deku the creeps, but that didn’t matter now. Mineta is dead. And Deku thinks- no, knows- he is the one to blame.
Deku sighs deeply before leaning his head back and looking up to the sky. Droplets of gray water fall on his face. Rain, that’s good. Maybe that will help with the fires.
The flapping of large wings breaks him from his peaceful trance. Hawks, battered and bruised, finds Deku on the rooftop. “Deku! Good to see you’re all right,” Hawks says. His voice is raspy, he must have helped with evac.
Deku stands to greet him, holding out a bandaged hand. “Good to see you too, Hawks,” he says. Hawks shakes his hand.
“How is the hospital doing? Anything I can do?” Hawks asks immediately. Deku watches a thin line of blood trickle down from behind his ear.
“They are okay, for now anyway. I’m staying on site on the team’s orders, and to make sure that if a villain did manage to make it out of the fight, there is someone here to keep civilians safe.” Deku can’t ignore the steady drip of blood on Hawks’ body any longer. “Head inside. You need to get your injuries taken care of before something bad happens.”
Hawks shakes his head. “No. There are still people out there who need help. I can still save them.”
“If you’re in here then I can head back out there. What the team doesn’t know won’t hurt them.”
Hawks places a comforting hand on Deku’s shoulder.“Deku, you can’t keep running yourself so thin. This will get you killed.”
Deku shakes him off, gritting his teeth. “No! I can help them! If you’re here at the hospital you can both be treated and make sure these people are safe. I can ask Uravity to head back here too if I need to.”
“Your logic doesn’t make sense. Please, we can both-”
“You don’t understand! I have to make sure everyone lives! It’s my duty as the holder of One for All and All Might’s successor. I can’t fail! I have to save them!” Deku explodes, yelling at the loudest level his already strained vocal cords can reach. An explosion rings in the distance.
Hawks wipes the stream of blood away with his thumb. “I’m not sure if there is such a thing as keeping people safe anymore.”
The droplets fall onto the rooftop.
If we should weep when clowns put on their show,
If we should stumble when musicians play,
Time will say nothing but I told you so.
It’s been a few weeks since Takayama’s destruction, now dubbed by the media as the Battle of Takayama. As if this infinite war needed yet another battle to be scratched onto history book pages.
Deku makes it back to his apartment for the first time in three months. The heroes have been constantly on their feet, running across Japan (and for some, the world) to fight endless strings of perilous fights. Deku hasn’t slept in his own bed, seen his own mother, in longer than he can remember.
The apartment door closes and Deku immediately drops his pathetically light duffel bag at the door. His shoes slip off easily and he nearly runs over to his couch to lay down. As he does, the patches of gauze around his body squish into the fabric and his wounds, making him hiss in pain. After a few careful moments of adjusting he is settled, green eyes focused on his clean white ceiling, mind on the war.
The war has been long and agonizing. Quirks have only gotten stronger in the past ten years, and younger, stronger heroes have made themselves known. Older heroes like Endeavor and Best Jeanist were quickly pushed to the side to make way for the next generation, Deku and many of his classmates among them. He was living the dream as Japan’s No. 1 hero. No one told him that this would also be his worst nightmare.
Heroes aren’t the only ones with stronger quirks. Villains have emerged with quirks nearly unimaginable, like the ability to cause natural disasters or completely wipe the memories of anyone they come into contact with. Some villains are even immune to Eraserhead’s quirk, quickly pushing him further down the ranks. Villains finally have a fair shot, and with the constant critique of hero society, they have made their strikes count. Shigaraki has made himself their leader. He is the one villain Deku isn’t sure if he will ever be powerful enough to defeat.
Deku closes his eyes, trying to clear his mind. The only other thing he can focus on is the newest addition to his collection of scars: an almost straight cut on the back of his head. Getting an undercut was not exactly in Deku’s plans for after a battle, but the impromptu haircut was needed to apply stitches to the gash. He has had too many close calls with death. If Dynamight hadn’t stepped in, then Deku may have lost enough blood to fall unconscious. Or worse, to die.
Deku can’t help but smile slightly. He and Bakugou have made a good team, at least since they left UA. Working together didn’t come easy with their past and baggage, but growing together only made them stronger partners in the end. The world went wild for what appeared to be the unstoppable Wonder Duo, and Deku can’t help but be grateful for it. At least now he knows that if anything ever happens to him, he will always have Kacchan.
He sits up, the throbbing pain from the back of his head getting to be too much. Deku drags his feet to his kitchen, filling a glass of water from the tap. He carries it with him to the bathroom to get a tablet, when he sees himself in the mirror. The bruising he thought was minor is a lot more vivid than he realized. The bandages cover nearly half of his cheeks, and the wrap around gauze that was needed for both a knick on his forehead and for his gash at the back of his head isn’t exactly attractive either. Also a little concerning to him is the deep purple ringing around his eyes. Sleep never came easy, but it was still startling to see from a boy who had once been bright eyed and determined. He takes out the pain medication, putting the tablet in his mouth. His condition is only getting worse. He swallows the tablet and a gulp of water before leaving.
Deku walks back to the living room, gently lowering himself onto the slightly dusty cushions before flicking on the TV. A news channel immediately plays, a peachy-keen reporter grinning ear to ear as she talks about the weather. Looks like there is going to be another thunderstorm later that day. A nap would be nice, with the rain pattering on the window. Deku’s eyelids are getting heavy.
In the middle of her sentence, a red “Breaking News” sign flashes on screen. Deku’s attention immediately piques, calloused hands squeezing the edges of his couch as he prepares to run out the door.
“Breaking news from Matsue. Villains Heart Breaker and KnightKiller have been spotted along the coast. Several civilians have been injured, with five dead.”
Five...I already let five people die.
Deku grinds his teeth together, feeling One for All course through his veins like a mighty river.
“Heroes Shinso, Battle Fist, and Phantom Thief have arrived at the scene.”
The screen displays a hearty battle between the three heroes and the two villains. Battle Fist already has her arms bloodied from Heart Breaker, but Shinso and Phantom Thief are still going strong. Deku knows he won’t be able to make it to Matsue in time to save anyone, but he has an uneasy feeling in his stomach for what’s to come.
“As you all know, Heart Breaker’s quirk allows her to burst veins and blood vessels in the body. If you hold still long enough, she can make your heart burst.”
A mugshot of Heart Breaker. Her smile is too calm for the photo.
“As for KnightKiller, he forces his opponent to see their worst fears, and relive their worst traumas with a simple touch to the temple. He has caused the deaths of 13 known pro heroes in the past year.”
Deku intakes a sharp breath of air when KnightKiller’s mugshot is displayed. His black eyes are cold and empty. It makes Deku sick to think that this is the man responsible for the death of someone he knew.
“Viewers, you will be updated as we hear more on the story. In the meantime, there have been-”
Deku shuts off the TV. He didn’t notice his eyes dampen and warm tears run down his face. This war, this violence , has to stop. If it doesn’t, it won’t leave anyone alive.
He wipes his tears away with the heel of his palm, his fingers shaking too much to do anything. The sobs come quickly, the world caving in.
War is long, brutal, and cruel. There is nothing good about being a hero anymore. Saving people from burning buildings and stopping the routine villain is a thing of ancient history, childish daydreams, and longful wishes. Hero has become synonymous with soldier , and Deku can’t help but think that he has missed a step. This was not the future he bargained for when he put on his All Might onesie for the first time at the age of four and chased his mother around their small apartment. He wanted to save people, make the world a better place. How can he do that when the world wasn’t a good place to begin with?
His childhood wasn’t always kind, he knows that. Bakugou certainly didn’t make it easy for him when he didn’t have a quirk. The lack of friends always had him sitting alone at the lunch table or watching the kids play in the street from his kitchen window. But at least when he was a kid, he had a future.
Deku doesn’t have a future anymore.
His head shoots up, and suddenly he is hit with a staggering realization. Quirks. And the quirkless.
Deku jolts to his feet, ignoring the stabbing of his flesh as it resists his quick movements to his bedroom. His rickety wooden desk is cluttered with papers and doodles, but what he needs is in its drawers. He throws open the bottom drawer where all of his notebooks from his youth (and present, if he is being honest) lay stacked, oldest at the bottom. His trembling fingers dig through the drawer and thumb to the very first notebook he started keeping when he was six. He tugs at the thin paper and frees it from the cabinet.
With careful motions he flips the book open to the first page, where in wobbly, childish print is “Hero Journal #1”, and right below it, “By Future Hero Captain All Might”. A small note is scrawled there by his mother, but he doesn’t read it before going to the very last page. A drawing of Bakugou Katsuki, chubby cheeks and bright hands, covers the page, along with his notes. Deku’s eyes search through the annotations (“Cool hair”, “Quirk matches personality”, “Strong power”) to find the one he is looking for. There, in red ballpoint pen, are the words, “His quirk will make him powerful! A strong hero, maybe he and I can be like All Might together! He can do the fighting though. I don’t have a quirk”. The note almost teeters off the page, like the younger Izuku didn’t want to finish the thought though it was too late from when he put down his pen. Deku’s eyes review the words for what feels like hundreds of times, a thought beginning to form in his head.
He can do all the fighting, I don’t have a quirk.
He can do all the fighting.
I don’t have a quirk.
I don’t have a quirk.
A tear drops from Deku’s eyes onto the page, smudging the thin lines of ink that came with the lined notebook. But this tear isn’t from sadness, but from relief.
Maybe, just maybe, Deku can end this war without another drop of civilian or other pro hero blood soaking the Earth.
That night, during the time Deku typically lays awake, he lets himself relax and falls asleep. However, he doesn’t intend to stay that way.
The sereneness of the nighttime, combined with the patter of the rain and clap of thunder from the thunderstorm outside, ease Deku to a plane between life and death.
Deku takes a deep breath, the clean air in the empty space filling his lungs. He looks down at his hands, both clear of scars and bruising. He smiles widely, his cheeks feeling no pain. Good. I’ve made it.
“Young Midoriya.”
Deku looks up, though he doesn’t need to in order to know who is standing in front of him. All Might, accompanied by his blinding grin, look down at Deku. Deku’s smile grows to mirror All Might’s.
“It’s good to see you, All Might.”
“You as well,” All Might says. “You cut your hair!”
Deku laughs nervously, his hand rubbing the now thinly buzzed hair at his nape. “Not willingly. It’s a long story.”
All Might nods knowingly. “I see.” He takes a few steps forward, a pathway illuminating a soft yellow glow as he steps. “Walk with me?”
Deku doesn’t hesitate to walk side by side with his childhood hero as the path behind them fades into nothingness and they embark on a pointless journey.
“So, why exactly are you here? Don’t think you missed me that much, now did you?” All Might comments, nudging Deku playfully in the shoulder. Deku pushes back.
“Nah, not exactly. Well, I do miss you. You were like a father to me and all, I think it’d be weird if I didn’t.” Deku stares into the abyss that they so jauntily walk into before continuing. “I have an idea, of sorts. But I’m not sure it will work.”
All Might hums to entice Deku to continue.
“Well you see, the war keeps getting worse. Nothing I do or say can stop the rampage of pure violence that sweeps through the streets every day. I mean, I feel practically powerless out there, and I’m the number one hero! I can’t stop all the destruction and I just can’t watch another person die because I was too slow or too weak to fight for them. Neither can any of my colleagues, I know that for a fact. I lost someone I knew recently, and though we weren’t close, I can’t help but feel responsible for his early grave.”
All Might listens intently, his smile falling from his face as the gravity of the situation hits.
“The war was just beginning when I passed on,” All Might states. “I knew All for One was destructive, but I didn’t realize the absolute raw power that the League had available to them. All for One has grown in power. Shigaraki must have quite a captivating grip on the villains if he is able to pull off something as mighty as a global war.”
Deku nods. “He does. It’s getting worse with quirks too. Eraserhead can’t cancel out some of these villain’s quirks, they are just too powerful. Kacchan and I work well together, you’ve seen us, but there have been too many times when we have been lying next to each other, immobile, on a battlefield.” Deku chews on his lower lip, preparing for the radical idea he is about to propose. “So I came to you for help.”
All Might stops walking, Deku doing the same.
“I want to use One for All, one last time.”
All Might lifts an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I follow.”
“One for All is an accumulation of the quirks of both predecessors and the generational growth of quirks over time, right? Who is to say it doesn’t have the ability to end the violence and destruction, bringing the world on equal ground? The battle field doesn’t need to be a weak hero or a quirkless civilian up against a villain like Overhaul. What I am really asking is, is there a way for One for All to bring the world to peace once again, with an equal playing field, where no one has the advantage or disadvantage?”
Deku clenches his fists. “I can’t watch anyone else get hurt because I wasn’t strong enough, All Might. I don’t know what else to do!”
All Might crosses his arms, deep in thought. Deku can feel his eyes well up with tears, though instead of streaming down his face the small droplets fall, float, then pop in the air like bubbles. He still goes to pat his eyes dry.
Finally, All Might speaks.
“My mentor, Nana Shimura, told me one final thing before she passed. Her last words to me were, ‘The greatest hero will make the greatest sacrifice.’ The words resonated with me whenever I was faced in tough times. In order to be the great hero, I had to always be prepared to lose myself in order for the thousands, or millions, of people I was fighting for to live. It is time for you to do the same.”
Deku watches as All Might lowers his arms, placing a hand on Deku’s shoulder. “It is time for the person who is truly the greatest hero to make the greatest sacrifice, and cement his place in history.”
With that, Deku didn’t need to say anything else to confirm what he already had felt was true. He places his hand over All Might’s, smiling through his still flowing tears.
“Thank you, All Might. For everything you have taught me.”
All Might smiles brightly again, beginning to fade away. As he does, the other previous holders of One for All fade away with him, echoing the words, “The greatest hero must make the greatest sacrifice.” over and over until the space in front of Deku is empty, and the path is no longer glowing.
Deku gasps as he wakes.
The early morning air is still frigid, the ice cold burning his lungs as his formerly broken body sits up in his bed. His head provides him with only two thoughts, one of them being a plan to put an end to the suffering. The other being a name.
Kacchan.
There are no fortunes to be told, although,
Because I love you more than I can say,
If I could tell you I would let you know.
Tulips are Inko’s favorite flower.
Izuku would always bring her a bouquet whenever he came to visit her, so there was an abundance of them on the kitchen table, her bedroom, the living room. Now, most are wilted, if not dead.
Deku stands in the field of flowers, one of the few truly beautiful things left in the world. The pink and orange hues of the flowers compliment the setting sun magnificently. He couldn’t have picked a better place to meet him.
“Hey! Deku!”
His loud, obnoxious voice cuts through Deku’s tranquility.
Deku grins. “Hey there, Kacchan.”
Bakugou, hands stuffed in his sweatpant pockets, saunters over to Deku in the middle of the field. “Why the fuck are we in the middle of a field of flowers?”
“Because they are beautiful. It’s one of the few pleasures I let myself have in this life,” Deku says softly, brushing his fingers over the petals of one of the tulips. “They also remind me of my mom.”
Bakugou, prepared to snap a snarky remark at Deku, resists the temptation. “Alright. Doesn’t explain the time, though. I was going to go on my run!”
Deku looks Bakugou up and down, noting the bandages poking out from under his black tank top that cover his ribs and the top of his left shoulder. “In that condition? Really, Kacchan?”
Bakugou shrugs with his right shoulder. “Can’t miss a day when you’re a pro, though I wouldn’t expect you to know, Shitty Nerd.”
Deku hums softly. “Yeah, yeah. Follow me, I have somewhere I want to take you.”
Surprisingly, Bakugou doesn’t put up a fight, and begins to follow Deku through the field of tulips. A sprawling forest is on their left, a quiet farm on their right. It is the total opposite of the place Bakugou would want to be, at any point in time.
Deku leads him to a cliffside, where a large cooler sits several feet from the edge. The flowers grow up to the edge in some sections, though there is a space big enough for them to both sit comfortably. In silence, Bakugou sits down at the edge while Deku fetches him a beer from the cooler, also grabbing one for himself. They continue to sit in silence, sipping at their drinks, as the waves lap at the jagged rocks below.
“I want to talk to you.” Deku is blunt. He knows it is the only way he can get Bakugou to listen.
“Then talk. You don’t need my fuckin’ permission,” Bakugou retorts, swinging his feet back and forth over the edge like a child. Deku watches him close his eyes and swing his feet for a couple heartbeats before he remembers why he brought Kacchan out into the middle of nowhere.
“I know how to stop the war, but I need your help.”
Bakugou responds in a way Deku never thought he would: laughter. Genuine, bubbling, psychotic laughter.
It’s a laugh that shakes him to his core, causing his shoulders to shake and his drink to appear to fly wildly in the air. It’s an infectious laugh, one that almost has Deku snickering along with him.
“You really think,” Bakugou has to pause in between fits of laughter, “you need me, me?, to stop this war?”
Deku gawks at him in bewilderment. “Well, yes! Of course I do! I have a plan and everything, I just need you to-”
“Since when have you ever needed me for anything?” Bakugou snickers. The words carry a heavy meaning, but the still-booming laugh coming from his mouth says otherwise.
“Well, since always? Why do you think I’m so strong? So good at strategizing? We’re a good team, Kacchan! Of course, we are, shit! I need you to help me save the world,” Deku stammers. This was not exactly the conversation he had planned.
Bakugou takes another swig of his beer. “Yeah, sure you do. Well? Are you gonna tell me? Or are you just gonna stare at me like an idiot?”
Deku resists the urge to retort with witty banter, something he has worked on since they left UA. One last reminder of the good times. But he sucks it up for the greater good.
“I spoke to All Might, last month, in a dream.”
That phrase catches Bakugou’s attention.
“I thought I found a way to stop the war, and turns out I’m right. The answer to end the agony of our lifetime is One for All. I can use my quirk to disable the villains, for good.”
Bakugou’s face lights up like a Christmas tree. “No shit! Of fucking course One for All can do that! It’d be weird if it couldn’t, actually. Why the fuck didn’t you do this earlier? We could have used that shit the whole time, Deku!”
Deku puts down his nearly full beer and kneads his fingers together. “The thing is, villains aren’t the only ones affected, the heroes will be too.”
Bakugou looks out to sea with a disgusted look on his face. “Ugh! Nevermind, I think you need another plan, Shitty Nerd. Or you can leave me to it and I’ll blast them-”
“I want to get rid of quirks, Kacchan.”
Bakugou stops speaking. His breathing becomes shaky. “What?” The word is almost carried away by the sea breeze.
“I want to get rid of quirks,” Deku repeats, with sudden confidence. “Society was still broken before the time of quirks, sure, but there were less deaths. There wasn’t an all out world war between heroes and villains. The massive attacks that we have become accustomed to on a weekly basis, like Takayama, can stop. We can save not millions, but billions of lives, Kacchan. We can do it together, and be the greatest heroes the world has ever known.”
Deku waits for Bakugou to absorb the devastating information he piled onto him. He feels guilty for the thoughts that may be running through Bakugou’s head right now, but there was no other way to break the idea to him. It is an all or nothing kind of deal. He needs Kacchan to understand that.
“We can’t be heroes without quirks,” Bakugou replies in a dangerously low voice. “We can’t help people without quirks.”
“But there will be no villains with quirks either, Kacchan. Not everyone will need to be saved anymore.”
Bakugou is still trembling, though only slightly. Deku can only tell by the steady quiver of his lower lip. Deku reaches out a hand to comfort him, but Bakugou instantly pulls away, getting on his feet. He stands tall, strong, brave. And shatters.
Bakugou is on his knees, sobs wracking his body, abusing his vocal cords as he screams.
“Kacchan!” Deku says in alarm. “Please, Kacchan. Look at me.”
“Fuck you!” Bakugou screams, holding up his left hand, only for a tiny pop! . The cold beer means that there isn’t much sweat on his palm to ignite. Deku is on his feet now too, his own hand reaching out to try and take Bakugou’s in his. He fails, and Bakugou takes off in a run. He doesn’t make it far, limping into the field several feet before succumbing to what must be an injury on his left leg. The tulips sway in his presence.
“I can’t do this!” Bakugou yells. “Who am I without Dynamight, Deku?”
Deku follows him, albeit cautiously. He doesn’t want to spook him like he did last time.
“You’re still Bakugou Katsuki. Still Kacchan. You don’t need Dynamight to be you.” Deku answers his question as earnestly as possible. He can only hope that Bakugou understands. “You and Dynamight will forever be the same, probably even more so when your name goes down in history, as one of the greatest heroes to have ever lived.”
“Well, shit, Deku! I won’t be any of those things.” Bakugou yells so loud his voice is raw. He still faces the farmhouse in the distance, refusing to turn towards Deku who watches him with a pained gaze.
“I won’t be Dynamight anymore, because I can’t save anyone. I’ll just be like every other one of these extras,” Bakugou heaves, the tears dropping down his face increasing in their pace. “I won’t be Bakugou Katsuki anymore. I don’t think I ever was, not after I fucked up everything with everyone I ever met.”
Deku inches closer. “You’ll still be Kacchan.”
Bakugou creates another small explosion with his hand, setting a tulip on fire. He watches it shrivel and turn to ash. “I can’t be Kacchan without you.”
Deku holds his breath for a beat. He should have known Bakugou would make the connection. He’s too sharp not to.
“I’ll still be here,” he tries to say, even though he himself does not believe his words. “You’ll still be Kacchan to me. Always.”
Bakugou scoffs. “You don’t think I don’t know what is going to happen to you when you do this? How fuckin’ stupid do you think I am, huh? I put the pieces together the moment you told me. All Might wouldn’t have seen you to give you a piece of Dad Advice if it wasn’t for some life-altering reason or result.”
Deku can’t argue with that. He digs the toe of his faded red sneakers in the soft soil, the sea breeze ruffling his hair in encouragement to continue. “I know. But you’ll make it out of that fight, okay? I promise on everything I hold dear to me that you, Kacchan, will make it out alive and go on to lead a life of celebrity and happiness. It’s my final gift to you.”
Bakugou finally turns to face him. His face is red from all the crying, his eyes puffy. What shocks Deku the most from his expression, though, is the sadness in his eyes. It’s something unlike anything Deku has ever seen before in him. The Bakugou that Deku knows and has seen in action always looks calculating, or determined. He’s never been unsure or sad or terrified at anything like the way his current expression suggests.
“Fuck you for thinking that you leaving is a gift,” Bakugou spits out. “Seriously. Fucking hell, I can’t believe you think that you’re making my life more bearable by leaving it.”
It’s Deku’s turn to be speechless.
“I am everything that I am because of you. We kept each other on our toes for all of UA, and now, as pros, you have the fucking audacity to try and leave me behind? First you become number one then you decide that you are just going to give that spot up because of some ridiculous death wish you have? I am not gonna let that happen. On my life, Midoriya Izuku, you are not leaving me!”
Bakugou had moved gradually closer to Deku as he spoke, now standing just inches away from him. The pain in his face only intensified, leaving Deku with tear tracks and an aching heart.
“Kacchan…,” Deku trails off, gathering his thoughts before speaking, “Kacchan, I would never leave you. I don’t want to leave you, I swear. The only thing I want more than you is to be there for the world. This is the only way I know how to do it and I am so incredibly sorry that I have to do this to you, but at least we had some time together. We made good rivals in the time that we knew each other, didn’t we? All good things have to come to an end anyway. Better now, planned, than as a surprise sometime in the future.”
Bakugou hangs his head. Unlike the stubborn spirit he had in his youth, this Bakugou is tired. Tired of the fighting, just like Deku is. A future without a child dying in your arms seems like a good one. A future without Deku, however, is a million times worse than his most panic inducing nightmares. Dynamight knows when he is beat, especially when it comes to Deku.
“I’m gonna fucking miss you, Deku.”
“I’ll miss you too, Kacchan.”
To Deku’s surprise, Bakugou envelopes him into a tight hug, pressing knitting his fingers through Deku’s hair and pressing Deku’s head into his shoulder. “What am I going to do?” Bakugou whispers in his ear. It pains Deku to hear his voice so unsure, so hurt.
“Keep being you. Save the world, lead this new society. That’s what I want you to do. You’ve always been eager to take on a challenge, Kacchan,” Deku runs a comforting hand up and down Bakugou’s back, over the hills and valleys of strangely unfamiliar terrain. “After the quirks are gone, it’s up to you to lead everyone, okay? As Dynamight, Bakugou Katsuki, or Kacchan, that’s up to you. I just want you to see the future the way I do, a future where you can settle down and have a family if you want to. At the very least, settle down for me. Find someone to love for me. Be happy for me.”
Bakugou presses him impossibly closer. Deku feels a single teardrop fall on his shoulder. “Is this the last time we’ll see each other? Before you do it?”
Deku thinks about that for a moment. He wants to see Kacchan again, god does he want to see him one last time before he leaves. But what is there left to say?
“Depends on what you want, Kacchan. You know what I want. Now it’s up to you.”
Bakugou pulls him away from his shoulder but still keeps him wrapped in his arms. “I want to spend every day leading up to it with you. Please.”
Deku’s smile rivals All Might’s. “Yes. Yes, I’d love that.”
Bakugou smiles softly at him, staring at his face, almost like he was committing it to memory. Deku is sure he is. He’s made that face himself many times in the past.
“We should go.” Deku interrupts the moment in a timid voice. “I mean, it’s dark out.”
Bakugou nods a few times, as if the words are still processing in his mind. “Yeah. Can I stay with you tonight?”
“If that’s what you want.”
Bakugou helps Deku with the cooler in silence before they catch the next bus to Deku’s apartment. Home.
Deku is the first to try and sleep when they get home. He hands Bakugou a pillow and blanket before climbing into his own bed, eyes closing as his head hits his pillow. Today had been long and grueling, almost as taxing as some of his battles. Telling Kacchan about his plan was something he would need to sleep off. The ache in his chest would need to leave somehow.
He doesn’t notice Bakugou in his bedroom doorway a few minutes later, a few tears dripping steadily down his face. He approaches Deku with soft footsteps and kneels down. Deku’s soft breath makes a curl fly and fall with each inhale and exhale. Bakugou can’t help but watch mournfully. These are some of the last breaths Deku will take.
Before he leaves to sleep on the couch, Bakugou brushes the curl out of his face, giving him access to Deku’s freckled cheek. As delicately as he can, he presses his lips to Deku’s warm skin, pulling away when a sob threatens to roar from his throat.
Bakugou doesn’t sleep that night.
Neither does Deku.
The weeks that Deku and Bakugou spend together are filled less with the fulfillment of bucket list items and more preparation for the battle to come. Shigaraki does not try very hard to keep his location hidden, so with the help of Ingenium, finding the location of his newest lair is simple. Deku plans to attack the base aided by Uravity, Dynamight, and Shoto. None of them, other than Dynamight, know what Deku is planning on doing once they get there. They just think that they are going to be making another attempt to capture Shigaraki.
They prepare for the coming battle in secret. A decision as drastic as this one would need to be approved by the World Hero Organization, but Deku knows that this plan won’t go over well. So he keeps it between him and Bakugou.
He and Bakugou fill their days with sparring, though Deku doesn’t use his quirk. He tries the first few times, but notices that it won’t appear. Bakugou is initially concerned that somehow a villain got to Deku and affected his quirk, but Deku assures him that that can’t be the case. Deku has a gut feeling that this is One for All’s way of preparing for what is to come, by staying dormant. He doesn’t doubt that he will be ready by the time he faces Shigaraki. He hasn’t doubted it once.
Three weeks before Deku is set to perform his swan song, they fight.
Bakugou continues to resist Deku’s plan, stubborn as ever, not wanting to see another one of his friends die. Deku snaps back instantly, with newfound vigor, explaining that Bakugou already agreed to help him and that this is the only way the pain can stop.
“I’m supposed to be a hero! I’m supposed to save you, not let you die, Deku!”
“I’m a hero too, Kacchan. I have a duty to the world to keep people safe too, and if I have to sacrifice my life for the greater good, then so be it.”
Bakugou runs his fingers through his hair roughly. “I know! ‘Greatest hero must make the greatest sacrifice’, or whatever. But I can’t help but think...but think that you’re doing this for some other reason. Do you want to be forgotten, Deku?”
Deku sits down on the couch, pausing the movie they had been in the middle of watching before Bakugou’s outburst. “No, of course not! What’s that even supposed to mean?”
Bakugou inches closer, standing in the kitchen.
“You’re putting everything on me. I can only do so much to remember you and what you want me to do. You’re not going to entrust another person with this information, because it is too risky, especially because we are so close. What if I forget you? What if something happens and I forget everything you wanted for the future, everything you wanted for me? What if I get old and grey by some miracle and I can’t remember who the fuck Midoriya Izuku is?”
Deku can tell he’s near the breaking point. “You won’t forget, Kacchan. I don’t think you’ve ever forgotten a single thing about me your whole life, even the time we both did a Smash on Nine.”
Bakugou can’t help but smile a little at the memory. “Huh. Maybe I do remember that.”
Deku grins. “ ‘Course you do! I’m not worried at all about this. You are my confidence. I can’t wait to hear of the amazing things you will do with the world, Kacchan.”
Bakugou drags his feet back to the couch, flopping down next to Deku, an arm around the back of the couch behind Deku’s head. “Thank you, for everything. I guess I’m sorry for being such a shit houseguest and partner.”
Deku shakes his head. “Nah, you’re not either of those things. I like this time with you. Reminds me of when we were kids.”
“Mhm,” Bakugou hums. When Deku turns to him, he still looks lost. His eyes are foggy.
Deku decides he is going to fix that.
The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,
There must be reasons why the leaves decay;
Time will say nothing but I told you so.
Bakugou hasn’t seen these notebooks since middle school. And there are a lot more than he remembers.
“You seriously kept all of these?”
“Yup. And I have more.” Deku opens a second drawer, laughing when Bakugou’s eyes widen.
“All of these are filled with your hero shit?” Bakugou grabs one from the stack, flipping through the pages and confirming that they were in fact, filled with Deku’s hero shit. But there were also newer looking scrap papers taped onto pages with neater writing. “What are these?” he asks, turning the paper towards a kneeling Deku as he sifts through even more notebooks.
Deku’s eyes flick from the inner pages of the notebook to Bakugou’s puzzled expression “Those papers are for you.”
“For me?” Bakugou turns the book back to himself, skimming over a few of the words neatly printed on the scraps. There’s a more vivid description of the USJ event in book 13, pg. 23, but I put the sketches of the costumes in here for some reason? Bakugou looks at another note. Tsu, Mineta, and I were stuck in the shipwreck zone, but I don’t know where the rest of you guys were. Maybe ask around, I don’t remember who was with who when this happened .
Bakugou continues to look at the notes, his confusion only increasing as he looks over the plethora of notes left in the notebook. “Deku, seriously. What the fuck am I supposed to do with our first year seating chart?”
Deku stands his mouth drawn into a thin line, a sudden change from the smiles he was flashing just seconds earlier. “I’ve kept notebooks for the majority of my life. Ever since I got my first, I’ve been taking constant notes on not just heroes but my life in general. I have a lot of stuff in here, like my first impressions of everyone in 1A, our first fight on the second day of school, and a lot more. I have stuff up until earlier today.”
Deku’s vague explanation doesn’t help Bakugou’s confusion at all. “But why keep all of that written down? What were you planning on doing, reading it like a book one day?” Bakugou thumbs through the pages before abandoning this notebook on the desk and grabbing a much newer one.
Deku calmly pushes the notebook down and out of Bakugou’s eyesight. A heavy feeling settles at the bottom of Bakugou’s heart.
“They’re for you. I spent the last month going through each of these books and adding additional notes. Some of them just make it easier to find things, others add more detail to some of the recollections. Whatever the notes are, the notebooks are basically my life written down. The history of Izuku Midoriya.”
Bakugou already knows what he is about to say next. “Please don’t tell me what you’re about to tell me.”
“Kacchan, you can’t forget me. Everything there is to know about me is already here, for you. I’m not going to let you forget me so easily.”
Bakugou looks from the smiley faces and arrows in the notebook to Deku’s unsure eyes. “I can’t take these.” He pushes the notebook towards Deku. Deku just pushes it back.
“Yes, you can and you will. They are for you. You’re the only person that I trust with them.”
The notebook suddenly feels white hot, searing Bakugou’s skin. He drops it on the desk, backing away from it and the meaning it holds.
“You can’t put your life in my hands, Deku. There are other people who would want these more. Your mom, for example. I don’t want these!”
Deku walks closer to him, hands tentatively reaching out to take Bakugou’s. He stops when his finger brushes the side of Bakugou’s hand. He pulls away.
A bittersweet smile replaces the nervousness Deku had moments ago. “She would, I know. She has other things to remember me by, though. Photos, videos, and all my All Might things from when I was younger.” Deku laughs softly at the idea of his mother going through his expansive collection of All Might memorabilia. “You don’t have anything.”
Finally he has the courage to take Bakugou’s hands in his.
Carefully, without taking his eyes off of Bakugou’s face, he unfurls Bakugou’s clenched fists until they relax and he can gently run his thumb over each of Bakugou’s knuckles. The motion catches Bakugou off guard, his breath catching in his throat.
“You said you didn’t want to forget me, right? As long as you have these with you, I live on with you and I’ll never truly leave you.”
Bakugou doesn’t put up a fight after that. He buries his head in Deku’s shoulder even though the tears never come.
“Tell my story, Kacchan. Talking’s what you do best, so put your words to use, okay?”
Bakugou doesn’t say anything, but squeezes Deku tighter. Deku reciprocates, one hand around Bakugou while the other still holds his hand.
Bakugou is content to just be held by him. One last time.
That night, the night before the name Deku goes down in history, the couch is untouched. Consequently, when the sun rises over the sky scrapers and sunlight kisses Deku’s cheek, Bakugou gets a gentle peck from the sun as well.
Deku wakes up first.
He isn’t used to sleeping on the far side of his bed, away from the wall. The sun got much warmer here than near the wall, not to mention the fact that there’s another person with him. He knew Bakugou runs like a furnace but jeez .
Deku turns around to face him, holding up a hand to shield the rays of sun from his eyes. He still has to squint a little to see him. Bakugou has his arm around Deku’s waist, his head under Deku’s chin. His hair is much messier than usual, a blond explosion all over Deku’s pillow. Some strands tickle Deku’s nose. It’s a miracle that they both managed to squeeze onto Deku’s twin bed, though it is partially due to the fact that Bakugou curled himself around Deku, as if he was shielding him from the threat the whitewashed drywall poses. Deku’s arm sits under Bakugou’s head, though he can’t feel it right now.
He watches Bakugou in his sleep, his usually angry eyebrows relaxed. He looks peaceful. Deku can’t help but let a smile creep onto his face before burying his nose in Bakugou’s hair. The alarm that he had set on his phone the previous night hasn’t gone off yet, meaning that he still had time to relish the time that they have left together.
They have had a rocky past, from Bakugou pulling away and becoming angry, to Deku’s inability to see that he and Bakugou were now equals. It took time and patience for them to get to the place that they are now. All Might and Aizawa were certainly a great help with this. After they fought in the night and All Might found them, all their feelings were out in the open. Working from there took commitment, guidance, and a lot of tears. But they made it out the other side with a newfound confidence in each other and their abilities. Becoming the Wonder Duo after graduation came naturally to them, because who would Deku be without Dynamight? And who would Dynamight be without Deku?
Deku can’t help but linger on the memory of the two of them fighting Nine on the island, how he was prepared to pass One for All to Bakugou at the risk of his own demise. Deku hasn’t regretted that choice a single moment since then. Bakugou was, and still is, just as amazing as he had been to Deku since they were kids. There is no one better in the universe to carry his legacy.
Bakugou’s eyelashes flutter a bit and he groans. Deku pulls away, not sure that Bakugou will be in the best mood if he sees how close the two of them are. Instead when he tries, Bakugou just pulls him closer, his nose to Deku’s collarbone. Though the room is hot from both the morning sun and Bakugou’s furnace-like tendencies, there is no other way Deku wanted to wake on his last morning. His eyes shut again, only awakened by the blare of his alarm a few hours later.
They get ready in silence. Their hero gear had already been sent to Sakai, the city where Shigaraki is currently located, a few days earlier. They would need to board a train to get there, meeting up with Shoto and Uravity in the late afternoon. From there, they would begin their coordinated attack and complete their mission. The plan is simple, but Deku can’t help but feel nervous. He just hopes Bakugou doesn’t take notice.
They leave the apartment in silence too. Bakugou walks ahead, letting Deku have one last moment in his apartment. Deku had already neatly placed all of his notebooks on his desk before they left and made his bed. The space was cleaned and pristine. It looked like it had never been lived in. Good. It’ll make his mother’s first time coming to the apartment after the event easier. Deku closes the heavy door, locks it, and doesn’t look back.
The train ride is silent too. Besides the occasional, “Have everything?” they keep to themselves. Deku catches Bakugou staring at him a few times, but doesn’t tease him about it as he normally would. He has a feeling that if he does, the facade worn by Katsuki Bakugou would fall apart on this train. Deku spends the train ride watching the landscape fly by from outside the window. He never really had the chance to see the world outside of major cities, since that was where most of the villains would strike. In fact, his trip with Bakugou to the tulip field was probably the longest he spent out of the city in the last ten years. He wishes he had the time to see the world. He’s sure it wouldn’t have disappointed him.
They reach Sakai by noon. It is a bright, cloudless spring day. As they disembark and make their way to the designated meeting spot, Deku takes note of all the people laughing and smiling here. A father had come with them on their train and was being reunited with his family after a business trip. Another couple waves goodbye to their daughter as she boards the train as it leaves for its next unknown destination. Deku can’t wait to make that joy a regular feeling, not just one that is saved for special moments. Deku is so entranced by the views that he doesn’t notice Bakugou take his hand and sway him towards the doors out of the station.
By the time he noticed that their fingers had been intertwined, Bakugou had let go, and rapped at the door of Todoroki’s agency.
Todoroki answers the door with a small smile on his face. “Midoriya. Bakugou. It’s good to see the two of you.”
“Deku-kun! Bakugou-san! Glad you made it safely,” Uraraka runs out from behind Todoroki, giving Deku a bone crushing hug.
“Hey! It’s so good to see you guys,” Deku replies, shaking Todoroki’s hand as Uraraka greets Bakugou.
“Come inside.” Todoroki leads them up the cement steps to the top office, a windowless room with a large table in the middle. There are bookshelves lining nearly every wall, filled with any book that Deku could imagine. There is a map already rolled out on the table, the blueprints of a building.
Uraraka walks over to the table. “Todoroki-san and I spent the last few weeks strategizing the battle. We got the blueprints easily, so we have a good idea of where he’s hiding inside.”
The others follow her, wordlessly standing around the large blueprint.
“Wonder Duo, you two are on offensive. You have the most power and with a fight against Shigaraki, he’ll be expecting you. Uravity and I will be in the shadows and step in when needed as backup. We’re going to leave the most to you though as you requested, Dynamight.” Todoroki gives Bakugou a knowing look.
Requested?
Deku looks from Todoroki to Bakugou, who hides his face from him. He’s still trying to protect him, isn’t he? He plans on going against Shigaraki himself if he can, shielding Deku to the best of his ability. If Todoroki and Uravity aren’t on the front lines, then they can step in and get Deku to a medic if he ends up injured on the first offensive.
“No. All of us go in, or none of us do,” Deku insists. “We can go on a full offensive. He won’t be expecting this much power. We can alert local heroes if we need their help too. The building’s in a fairly unpopulated part of the city, right? Then there is no need to worry about damage.”
Bakugou glares at Deku, but Deku ignores him. Uraraka glances between the two, having an inkling that the plan that they had proposed wasn’t all that it seemed. She pushes it away though, as Todoroki nods.
“Fine. We’ll go in together. Anything else we want cleared up?”
No one speaks.
“Very well,” Todoroki states, rolling up the blueprint. “Let’s roll out.”
Todoroki shows Bakugou and Deku where their suits are being kept before leaving with Uraraka to change. Deku moves to say something to Bakugou, but he is already out the door with his suit before Deku has a chance to speak.
When they grab their communicators and head out, Deku again tries to speak to Bakugou with no luck. Until Bakugou pulls him aside as Todoroki and Uravity move ahead.
“Kacchan-,” Deku starts to say, but Bakugou doesn’t let him finish. Bakugou moves closer to Deku, his face inches from Deku’s own. With a shaky breath, Bakugou gathers the courage to lean in a press a chaste kiss to Deku’s forehead.
“Do what you need to, shitty Deku,” he says before leaving Deku in the corner.
With a soft smile and a newfound feeling of pride, Deku takes off after Dynamight.
The Wonder Duo is ready for their final battle.
Perhaps the roses really want to grow,
The vision seriously intends to stay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.
Deku knows when he has completed his mission.
Shigaraki was caught by surprise by the four pro heroes. He still fought hard, though, leaving all four of them with new scars and haunting memories. All for One kicked and screamed and roared until Uravity and Shoto were knocked out, bodies injured and strewn across the rubble. Deku came in with rage strong enough to rival Bakugou’s on his worst days, delivering kick after kick and punch after punch, until One for All gave him its final message.
The greatest hero must make the greatest sacrifice.
So with a loud cry and one final thought of love to his mother, Deku summoned all of One for All in his final attack.
The punch seemed to echo in the big city. Windows rattled, some bursting, and the air appeared to dance. Deku and Shigaraki screamed as One for All meeting All for One fought, the two quirks leaving their hosts and heading for the sky. The bursts of color that they made, the glowing red being choked by a neon yellow, would go on to be immortalized in photographs by citizens of the city. A Firework Show! as some unknowing news reporters would tell it in the moment.
The display was beautiful, the final fight of good against evil. And good triumphed.
The yellow tamed the red and combined, an orange hue clouding the sunset and spreading, eventually enveloping the entire earth.
Bakugou is in too much awe to cry as his quirk leaves his body, along with Uravity’s, Todoroki’s, and the other billions of people across the planet. Their quirks fly into the orange shield, colliding with it and making it appear like stars are falling from the sky. In reality, the stars were returning. The orange then contracts, returning to its point of origin, the space right between a now dead Shigaraki and a barely-breathing Deku. From there, it pops like a bubble.
Deku knows when he has completed his mission, because Kacchan has him in his arms.
“Deku!” Bakugou cries, his hero taking shallow breaths in his arms. “Deku please, please don’t go.”
Deku’s mouth curves into a smile. Kacchan, just as brave and amazing as he expected.
“Hey K-Kacchan.” Deku’s voice is hoarse. He needs to make this quick, it’s a miracle he survived One for All leaving his body that forcibly as it is.
“Do you know how much I love you?”
Bakugou tries and fails to raise an eyebrow through his sobs. “What?”
“Do you know why I did this? Why I went through with it?”
Bakugou presses his forehead to Deku’s, his arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, holding Deku’s broken body against his. “Deku please. Please don’t.”
Deku, for the first time in his life, ignores Kacchan’s wishes. “I did this for you. I love you enough to give you the world. So please, please. Go explore it.”
“I will,” Bakugou cries, cradling Deku as delicately as he can so as to not hurt him more. “Fuck, I love you, Deku. I love you.”
Deku smiles. “Oh, Bakugou Katsuki. I know.”
And just like that, the greatest hero is gone.
Bakugou refuses to believe that for a few moments, pressing his lips to Deku’s for a possibility that maybe, just maybe, the universe wouldn’t be cruel enough to take Deku away from him right after a confession. That instead of marrying some other man and having some other kids, he can marry Deku and have kids with him. They can be the ones with the white picket fence who are running the new society together. He prays, cries, screams at the world that Deku has given to him that he can get just a little more time.
In a world made just for him, there’s no one else he wants more than Izuku Midoriya.
The train back home is just as silent as it was to Sakai as it was going there. However this time, Bakugou is alone.
He spends the first few months alone, actually.
He rotates between sobbing until he vomits and sleeping, being fine with Todoroki’s leadership for the first while. Kirishima even has to stop by daily to make sure Bakugou is eating and drinking enough water. He tries to comfort him too, but it’s no use. All Bakugou can feel is empty.
Then, one day, late into winter, Bakugou builds up the courage to go to Deku’s apartment. When he opens the door, everything is just as he remembers it. Clean, neat. Just like Deku.
He makes a beeline for Deku’s room, where he knows the notebooks are. They are still stacked as they were the day they left, though a thin layer of dust sits atop them. With careful fingers, Bakugou takes the first notebook in his hand, and begins to read.
This is the story of how I became the greatest hero!
Bakugou can’t help but smile for the first time since that day. Just like I knew you’d be.
Deku had seen plenty of destruction in his lifetime. But thanks to his sacrifice, Bakugou can make sure that his legacy is full of only peace and light. It doesn’t take long for Deku’s name to be synonymous with freedom and love. Bakugou uses his voice, just as Deku instructed him to, to tell the world about the greatest hero, his greatest love. If only Deku could see where they were now. Oh, if Bakugou could tell him, he would let him know.
Suppose all the lions get up and go,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
If I could tell you I would let you know.
“Go Captain All Might! Be the hero you’re meant to be. But don’t forget how much I love you :)”