Chapter Text
He was famished, dehydrated and he had no way to defend himself. Things were looking bleak, to say the least. He wobbled on his feet as he took a step back, his eyes wide as he glanced between the villains that tried to restrain him and the fight happening between All Might and that villain boss guy. His breathing was fast and his hands were trembling.
Just one explosion ... he thought desperately. Please, just one ...
But ever since that potato boss touched him, he'd been on the verge of passing out, unable to use his quirk at all. Adrenaline was all that was keeping him up right now, but that was running out as well. Katsuki wasn't aware of the fact 5 others were close, ready to save him. Izuku had instantly noticed he wasn't using his quirk, he knew something was wrong. The others had spotted the exhaustion in his features too and they all knew they had to be quick if they wanted to pull this off.
Bakugou stumbled back again, trying not to get surrounded by them. He almost tripped, his arms waving around in order to keep his balance. That was the moment a giant ice shard shot in between him and the others. He'd never been happier to see that familiar ice, nor the electric green lightning that came to view as he was suddenly snatched away, off the battlefield.
His breath hitched and he gripped onto the arms that were holding him. He heard people yelling to move, but he couldn't comprehend it. Everything blurred around him, one word ringing through his mind before his eyes closed. The desperate sound of his childhood name being called out...
" KACCHAN! "
When he woke up again, he heard a faint beeping in his ear. He groaned and tried to lift his arm, only to find a tube connected to it. He followed it towards a bag of fluid hanging next to him and blinked his eyes before taking in the rest of the room. A hospital. He's in a hospital... His eyes trailed over a small table at his other side. There were flowers and small get better soon cards spread out across it. He recognized some of the handwritings on them, shakily reaching out for a red one with a puppy on the front.
I hope you wake up soon! We miss you Bakubro!
-Eijirou Kirishima (Shitty Hair XD)
Katsuki scoffed at the small text, hissing as he heaved himself up in the bed. His whole body felt sore and was aching. Kinda like after his exam fighting All Might... His eyes widened, the card falling onto the floor as his breathing picked up. He heard the beeping getting louder, faster, triggering him even more. People rushed into the room, pressing all kinds of buttons and touching him. He didn't like it, he didn't want to be touched. He stared down upon his hands with wide eyes, trying to force an explosion to come out, to make them back off.
Nothing ...
Katsuki could hear them talking, but he couldn't understand them. It was all white noise, fading to the background rather quickly as he started hyperventilating. Why wasn't his quirk working?! He needed it to work! What if the villains came back for him?! He needed to be able to defend himself! He couldn't be weak-!
"KATSUKI!"
His head shot up, his breath getting caught up in his throat. It seemed like the world froze for a moment as he stared into the eyes of his mother. What was she doing here..? How did she get here..? The moment of peace made him realise how close he was to crying and how much he hated that stupid beeping sound coming from the machines around him. His dad was here too, he realised, and the people that had been touching him had backed off a little.
"M-mom..." he choked out, his voice weak and trembling, tears now spilling from his eyes. This would never leave this room. Nobody would know that Bakugou Katsuki had cried in his mother's arms, that he was scared and fragile and traumatised by what happened to him. No, not a single soul would talk about this, not if he could help it at least. But right now, none of that mattered. Right now he just wanted to be comforted by his parents, listening as they said everything would be okay, that he was safe now.
When he was calmed down, the doctors told him he'd been passed out for about three days ever since he came in. He'd been malnourished and dehydrated and apparently Recovery Girl came to heal him two times. They also told him about the quirk of the boss villain person, stating he could take quirks away and use them for himself. Katsuki instantly knew where the conversation was headed after that explanation, but he refused to believe it.
"We think that's why the villains took you. Explosion is a very powerful quirk, after all" he spoke.
"I'm truly sorry, but there is nothing we can do to-"
"So what you're saying is that I'm quirkless now" Katsuki interrupted him, staring at the doctor as his mom slapped him on his arm, stating he shouldn't interrupt people like that. His dad apologized for their antics but the doctor simply waved it off.
"I'm afraid so" he answered the teen's question. Oh. Hearing him say it made it sound way too real. He was still in denial, trying to force himself forward, trying to make himself accept it. Who the fuck is he kidding?! How could he ever accept this?! Some asshole stole his quirk! Stole everything away from him! His dream! His future! How was he supposed to be a hero now?! His breath hitched and he clenched his fists. Quirkless ...
"Fuck" he choked out, feeling his nails dig into his skin as he clenched his fists even harder. And that was before he knew what happened to All Might... After being handed his phone, it was the first thing he saw. He watched the news broadcast silently, following the battle closely, almost analytical. He scowled at the weak form as he raised his fist in the air in victory.
Now it's your turn .
He gained some worried glances from his parents as he watched the clip over and over again while they discussed things with the nurses about his treatment. He didn't want to tell them that it made him feel more at ease, seeing the villain get defeated over and over again. Seeing him being smashed in the face like he deserved. But he was also pausing on All Might's weak form a lot, replaying the words 'Now it's your turn' over and over.
He knew what that meant, he'd figured it out some time ago. He still refused to believe it though. Katsuki was pulled out of thought as Aizawa entered the room, taking him by surprise. Yet nobody could've prepared him for who entered the room next. Frail, skeleton like, with deep sunken eyes…
"All Might..." Katsuki breathed, his phone slowly lowering and being put away.
"I'm here in the name of the UA faculty" Aizawa started before bowing down deeply.
"To apologize for our incompetence at protecting you during the summer training camp. We hope you can forgive us and know that we'll take drastic measures to ensure your safety in the future"
Katsuki didn't know how to respond to that. He wanted to give a snarky remark about it, but it didn't leave his mouth. It felt like the sludge villain all over again... Heroes asking if he was okay, saying sorry for being unable to help... No . This wasn't like back then. Katsuki knew Aizawa sensei had done everything in his power to keep the class safe. He knew everyone had done everything they could to protect him, even if he didn't ask for it.
"I'm not the fucking media" he managed to spat out, remembering the small clips Handjob showed him on tv when UA was getting criticised.
"Don't be so damn formal, it's unsettling..."
He muttered the last part, speaking a little softer, yet knowing he'd heard it.
"You've been caught up to speed, I see" the black ray of sunshine sighed as he got back up.
"We're happy you're okay, Bakugou"
Katsuki scoffed, finding that hard to believe. Like they'd miss a problem child like himself... Besides, did he even know about his new condition? About the fact he was now weak and defenceless and absolutely
quirkless
?! He was
far from okay
and he had the feeling they could sense that.
"We really are glad you're safe, young Bakugou" All Might spoke, the first thing he said after coming in. It was strange hearing his voice come from that body. It felt
wrong
.
"UA is implementing a dorm system in order to keep a close eye on our students, we'll discuss it with you and your parents once all arrangements have been made. I promise you that you'll be able to continue your road to being a pro hero peacefully-"
"A pro hero?" Katsuki choked out, forcing out a laugh. So they didn't know... Oh, this was just going to be great!
"You think that...that I can become a hero?" he laughed, sucking in a breath and pulling at his hair as he crawled in on himself.
"What a fucking joke..."
"Young Bakugou-" All Might said in shock, wanting to try and figure out what was wrong all of the sudden.
"I'm quirkless!" the ash blonde hissed, making a dense silence fall in the room.
"That...that stupid potato asshole s-stole it..."
"I'm very sorry, we didn't know-"
"Of fucking course you didn't!" Katsuki hissed, glaring at them before bursting out into laughter again.
This was all just one big joke, wasn't it? A prank the universe was pulling on him. Or maybe it was God punishing him for being the biggest shithead this world has ever seen ever since he got his quirk? Whatever it was, the outcome stayed the same. He was quirkless. Powerless. There is no way he could become a pro hero now, not in this day and age. Not in a society revolving around quirks.
"I don't think you can give me some of that power huh?" Katsuki weakly got out, still laughing a little as he looked at All Might.
"I suppose I can't just share with Deku, right? That's probably not how it works..."
Toshinori glanced aside at Aizawa, who was even more confused than him, squinting his eyes at the retired hero.
"Could you please leave us alone for a moment?" Yagi asked, making Shouta raise a brow.
"Ha! You don't know, do you?" Katsuki laughed, now looking at Eraserhead.
"Of fucking course not... Does anyone know, All Might? Anyone at all? Is everyone so fucking oblivious?!"
"Young Bakugou, please calm down, we can discuss this matter later-"
"No! We're talking about it right fucking now! I'm right, aren't I? You gave Deku his damn power... You gave him his quirk... A fucking overpowered quirk that nerd can't handle at all!"
"All Might, what is he talking about?" Aizawa asked, giving the blonde a small glare. Toshinori was looking rather nervous, his eyes darting to the door before locking it so they wouldn't be interrupted during his explanation. Bakugou fell still as he listened to All Might, quietly taking it all in. He chose Deku, he gave his quirk to him, all of this would've happened eventually... But it happened now and it was all his fault, wasn't it? He made him retire early, made him use all his power to save his ass...
Katsuki caused the fall of All Might...
"Oi brat! Open up the damn door! We're going home!" his mom called through the door. Shouta sighed, unlocking the door and coming face to face with Mitsuki.
"Thank you for letting us speak with him, we'll be in touch regarding his schooling" Aizawa spoke, walking past her, followed by Toshinori. Katsuki was still quiet as Mitsuki and Masaru entered.
He didn't say anything as he was discharged or walked out of the hospital and stepped into the car. It was silent in the car, apart from the soft tune of the radio as he stared out the window. He could see his parents exchange worried glances, yet no words were spoken. At one point he glanced aside, seeing the bunch of cards that were placed on the table in the hospital now laying in the seat next to him.
He carefully reached out to it, taking one and examining it. It might've well been the most standard get better soon card, a neutral colour and neatly typed out writing on the front. As he flipped it open, he could already guess who it was from just by seeing the handwriting.
I HOPE YOU MAKE A FULL RECOVERY WITHOUT ANY PAIN AND DISCOMFORT! I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT SEMESTER! LET'S DO OUR BEST! PLUS ULTRA!
-IIDA TENYA
Man, even his writing sounds like lectured shouting... There was a party themed card too, the words happy birthday being crossed out with a black marker, signed by the Bakusquad. He rolled his eyes at that, moving on to the next one. Ponytail sent one too, the message much like glasses and everyone else so far. He was rather surprised to see Icyhot gave him one as well, although the message was short, it was straight to the point.
I'm glad you're safe
Katsuki didn't really know what to think about it... It's not like the two of them were friends, no, on the contrary. They hated each other's guts. If he still had his quirk, he was sure he'd blasted the thing to pieces. Throwing it with the others, he moved on, freezing up at the sight alone. It was All Might themed... And even though his face wasn't on the front, the colours and outlining of his costume were enough to make Katsuki's blood run cold.
What kind of twisted joke was this?! The worst part is that he knew it came from shitty Deku without even having to open it. And he knew the green headed fool only tried to do well, but he always managed to somehow do and say all the wrong things... Katsuki took a deep breath, opening the card.
Hi Kacchan! I know you'll probably never read this and this card will most likely get destroyed but I still wanted to tell you how happy I am that you're okay! But you're strong so I didn't doubt that!
Well that's a fucking lie...
I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I lost you... Please let your friends know when you wake up, they're really worried about you.
-Deku
Friends huh? He must mean the so-called Bakusquad. Katsuki frowned, not really in the mood to talk to any of those idiots. He tossed the card aside as well, going back to staring out the window.
"You're alright kiddo?" Masaru asked, looking at his son through the back mirror.
"Don't call me that" Katsuki hissed, giving him a small glare.
"I'm fine" he quickly added in a softer tone, looking back outside to see they were already in the neighbourhood.
"You don't need to lie to us, you know? We all know you're not fine and that's okay. Nobody would be after what happened to you-" Mitsuki started.
"I'm fine " Katsuki insisted, clenching his fists, refusing to look at her. Yeah right, like he hadn't been crying in her arms a few hours ago... The few minutes until they arrived at their house were silent and Katsuki stepped out of the car without even glancing at the cards next to him. He marched up to his room, slamming the door shut and falling onto his bed. Finally silence.
Real silence, without the beeping of machines or a running engine in the background. It wasn't all that late, only early afternoon, but he felt beat nonetheless. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep on top of his covers, in the same position he landed, not bothered moving at all. And sleeping is fine, as long as the black void consumes him. But it didn't. Images haunted him. Seeing All Might crumble before his eyes, feeling the liquid muddy substance crawl up his throat, suffocating him. Hearing the villains laugh, seeing hands reach out to him, surrounding him.
Taunts were thrown at him in the background as he curled in on himself. Jerk. Shithead. Asshole. Monster. Villain. Quirkless . He screamed but the voices didn't stop, the hands grabbed onto him and no matter how hard he tried to pry them off, it didn't work. Their touch burned, every pain receptor on his skin crawling and flaring up. In front of him, All Might slowly crumbled to dust, his sunken eyes looking at him with pity but also disappointment, anger.
This is your fault .
With a sharp gasp he shot up on his bed. His breathing was ragged and heavy, irregular. His heartbeat was racing and he had formed a sweat on his forehead.
"Katsuki, calm down, breathe" he heard his dad's voice. It was now that he saw him sitting in front of him, a worried gaze in his eyes. Masaru held his hands on his shoulder, breathing in deeply before slowly exhaling. Katsuki tried to match his pace, calming down gradually.
"It was just a nightmare... You're safe now"
Yeah... Safe... It's not like they would try to come after him again. They already stole his quirk, he was useless to them now. Katsuki let out a shaky breath as he let himself fall into his dad's arms.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked carefully, his voice soft like always. Masaru had always been the most humane of the three of them, the most empathic and kind. Katsuki shook his head. No way he was going to talk about it.
"I'm fine" the teen muttered, trying to convince himself more than his old man at this point. Masaru sighed, cursing the stubborn nature of his son. He got that from his mother, that much was certain.
"Dinner is almost ready" he spoke, letting a hand travel through the ash blonde hair.
"You need to eat something, you haven't eaten since you woke up"
Since he woke up huh? Well, he hadn't been eating during his kidnapping either... He didn't trust their food, nor their water. Guess they did give him some nutrients in the hospital…
"Are you ready to come down?" Masaru asked after a small silence.
"Yeah, whatever" Katsuki mumbled, sitting up again, not looking at his father.
In the days that followed, his parents tried to get him to open up and talk to them. All they got was silence and some grunted mumbles saying he was fine. No yelling, no shouting, no anger. It was like their son had lost all his emotion, his passion. He locked himself away in his room, only coming out to eat and to use the bathroom. After a week, Mitsuki had enough.
"You can't just lock yourself in there forever you brat! Some day you're gonna have to come out and face reality!" she hissed through the door, only to be met by absolute silence.
"Just tell us what the hell is wrong with you! We'll fix it together! You don't have to go through this shit on your own Katsuki!"
He didn't answer her, he barely even heard her over the voices in his head. Loud thoughts and memories flooding his mind as he dug himself deeper and deeper into the ground. He had it all... He stood on top of the world like the ungrateful brat he was and now... Now he had nothing... His pride had shattered. His ego taking a hit from which it couldn't recover. His whole personality, everything he built himself up to be... It all crumbled down.
Who is he without his quirk? Without the prospect of becoming a hero? Of realising his lifelong dream? He built his whole life around it, everything he ever did was for that sole purpose... Who is he if not that person? Yep, he is definitely having a crisis at the moment. He's weak and fragile in this state and he doesn't want anyone near him to take advantage of that.
Deep down he knew his parents were only trying to help, but his overthinking and anxiety didn't seem to get the memo. They skipped the meeting about parental love, it was never mandatory anyway. He never truly needed it, he was fine on his own. Well, look where that got him...
"Mitsuki, maybe it's time you stop yelling? He's not coming out of there like this and we both know it" Masaru sighed, placing his hand on her shoulder as he gave her a weak smile.
"What else is there to do?! This is how our relationship works! This is how we communicate! I-I don't get what I'm doing wrong! Why isn't he yelling back?!" she shouted, tears forming in her eyes as she hugged her husband.
"Maybe... Maybe we should let someone else try to get through to him?" Masaru carefully proposed.
"A friend, perhaps?"
"Do you even know this brat? He doesn't
do
friends, Masaru. Everyone around him are just useless extras" Mitsuki muttered angrily.
"He might not admit it, but we know he has people who care about him and the other way around. That, uh, what was his name again? The red haired one he tutors sometimes-"
"Kirishima?" Mitsuki provided.
"Yes, him. They seem to be close, right? Maybe it'll do Katsuki some good to see another familiar and friendly face? We could invite him over" Masaru suggested.
"Or at least ask if Katsuki has any other close friends at school"
"We should ask Izuku first, he'll definitely know if our brat has friends" his wife stated.
"Yes, good thinking, we can see what we'll do from there on out" he nodded.