The bright lights overhead looked familiar, which was probably a bad sign.
A groan escaped you as you slowly opened your eyes, immediately recognizing the medical equipment, the white walls, and the unmistakable scent of Recovery Girl's office.
A wave of exhaustion settled heavily over you the moment you became fully awake.
Recovery Girl had done her job, but her quirk always came with a price. Most of the pain was gone. In its place was bone-deep fatigue that made even lifting your head feel like work.
Throwing yourself in front of an All Might punch, it turned out, still had consequences.
"You know," Recovery Girl said from somewhere nearby, "most students try not to make repeat visits."
You turned your head toward her.
"I'm starting to think you don't like me."
"I'm starting to think I should assign you your own bed."
A familiar scoff came from beside the bed.
You didn't even have to look.
A smile tugged at your lips before you turned your head and found Bakugou sitting in the chair beside you.
Unlike last time, he wasn't asleep. One arm rested across his chest while the other tapped impatiently against the armrest. An empty sports drink bottle sat on the floor beside him, and another rested on the table near the window.
Red eyes met yours immediately.
"Do you just live here now?"
Recovery Girl shook her head as she finished looking over your chart.
"I got punched by All Might."
"And you're awake to complain about it."
Recovery Girl closed the chart and gave you a pointed look.
"The worst of the damage is healed, but don't expect to feel normal right away. You're going to be exhausted for the next few days and sore for at least a week."
Your face immediately fell.
"You threw yourself into an All Might punch."
"When you say it like that, it sounds irresponsible."
Both Recovery Girl and Bakugou stared at you.
"...It was irresponsible."
They said it at the same time.
"Take it easy for the next few days. Eat. Sleep. Try not to do anything reckless."
After one last look, Recovery Girl headed for the door.
"I'll let Aizawa know you're awake."
The door clicked shut behind her.
Silence settled over the room.
For a moment, neither of you spoke.
Then the question that had been bothering you since waking up finally won.
Bakugou looked personally offended.
Relief immediately loosened the knot in your chest.
The look he gave you was flat.
"We were on the same team."
"You literally shoved me and Midoriya through the gate before trying to sacrifice yourself."
A grin immediately spread across your face.
"I wasn't sacrificing myself."
"You're welcome, by the way."
The warmth that spread through your chest was entirely unwelcome and completely impossible to ignore.
Your gaze drifted back toward the sports drink bottles.
A slow smile spread across your face.
"How long have you been here?"
That alone was suspicious.
"You've been here for hours, haven't you?"
A muscle in his jaw twitched.
"You know," you said, settling more comfortably into the pillow, "most people celebrate passing their final exams."
"You spent yours sitting in here."
"I was waiting for an idiot to wake up."
Warmth spread through your chest before you could stop it.
Bakugou noticed immediately.
The grin on your face only widened.
Unfortunately for him, that only seemed to make things worse.
The next morning, every muscle in your body reminded you that Recovery Girl had warned you to take it easy.
Unfortunately, UA apparently had other plans.
Most of Class 1-A looked exhausted as Aizawa stepped into the classroom.
The soreness had faded slightly overnight, but the exhaustion lingered stubbornly.
Aizawa dropped a stack of papers onto his desk.
"Your final exam results have been finalized."
The room immediately tensed.
Aizawa glanced down at the papers in front of him.
"Several students failed."
Kaminari looked seconds away from tears.
Aizawa continued before anyone could panic.
"However, all of you will still be attending summer training camp."
"The students who failed will be participating in supplemental lessons during camp."
Relief washed across several faces.
Kaminari looked personally victimized.
"How bad are the supplemental lessons?"
Aizawa's expression didn't change.
Kaminari's soul visibly left his body.
Beside him, Kirishima looked equally concerned.
"The camp will focus on combat training, rescue exercises, and quirk development."
The room immediately erupted into conversation.
Aizawa waited exactly three seconds before speaking again.
"The location has also been changed."
"Due to security concerns, the destination will remain undisclosed until arrival."
That somehow made everyone even more nervous.
The classroom dissolved into immediate conversation.
"Wait, tomorrow?" Sero asked.
"That's not enough time to pack," Mina complained.
Kaminari looked significantly less concerned about packing.
"Can we go back to the part where I failed?"
"You did fail," Jirou informed him.
Aizawa looked like he regretted speaking.
Nobody seemed particularly interested in class after that.
The words training camp had completely destroyed everyone's ability to focus.
Kaminari spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out how brutal the supplemental lessons would be.
The answers only seemed to make him more nervous.
You, meanwhile, spent the entire day fighting exhaustion.
Recovery Girl's warning echoed in the back of your mind with every yawn and sluggish step between classes. The worst of the soreness had faded, but your body still felt heavier than it should have.
By the time school finally ended, all you wanted was sleep.
Unfortunately, training camp had other plans.
The next morning arrived far too quickly.
The parking lot was still mostly empty when you arrived, though that wasn't surprising.
Bakugou was already there.
That was somehow even less surprising.
His eyes immediately dropped to the duffel bag hanging from your shoulder before narrowing.
You glanced down at yourself.
Before you could react, he grabbed it.
Then the second one hanging from your arm.
"You don't even know what I was going to say."
A sigh escaped you as you fell into step beside him.
"Recovery Girl said to take it easy."
"You got punched by All Might."
Despite yourself, you smiled.
Together, the two of you headed toward the bus. You climbed aboard first while Bakugou wrestled both bags into the overhead compartment. The bus was still mostly empty, making it easy to claim a familiar seat near the back.
A few minutes later, Kaminari climbed aboard.
You looked up to find him grinning as he dropped into the empty seat beside you.
Outside, Bakugou was still dealing with the luggage compartment.
Honestly, it was hard to tell.
A few seconds later he finally stepped onto the bus, took one look at Kaminari sitting beside you, and stopped.
Kaminari blinked up at him.
Bakugou looked genuinely annoyed that he had to explain this.
"You're in the wrong seat."
Kaminari glanced around the mostly empty bus.
"There aren't assigned seats."
You immediately had to bite the inside of your cheek.
Kaminari followed Bakugou's glare toward the empty space beside you.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Dude, there are like thirty empty seats."
You turned toward the window before either of them could see the smile threatening to appear.
Unfortunately, that only seemed to encourage Kaminari.
The grin on his face widened.
Bakugou stared at him like he'd asked the stupidest question imaginable.
For a second, Kaminari just blinked.
Then he slowly looked toward you.
Kaminari looked back at Bakugou.
Still laughing, Kaminari pushed himself out of the seat and headed farther down the bus.
The second he was gone, Bakugou dropped into the empty spot beside you.
For a moment, neither of you said anything.
Then you turned toward him.
"This has always been your seat?"
Bakugou didn't even look up.
The expression on his face suggested he already knew exactly where this conversation was going.
"I've been sitting next to you since we were five."
That stupid warmth in your chest again.
The one that kept showing up whenever he accidentally said something sweet.
Unfortunately for him, he seemed to realize it the second the words left his mouth.
His eyes narrowed immediately.
Before you could tease him any further, the bus doors opened again.
One by one, the rest of Class 1-A began filing aboard.
Mina was talking before she even stepped onto the bus. Uraraka followed behind her, laughing at something that had apparently happened in the parking lot. Iida immediately started directing traffic despite nobody asking him to, while Todoroki looked like he wasn't entirely sure why everyone was being so loud.
The familiar noise of your classmates gradually filled the bus as seats were claimed and conversations started. A few rows ahead, Kaminari was already complaining about supplemental lessons.
Jirou looked ready to throw him out the emergency exit.
The bus finally lurched forward a few moments later, pulling out of the parking lot as conversations overlapped throughout the cabin.
For the first time in weeks, everything felt normal.
Beside you, Bakugou stretched his legs into the aisle.
"You always know exactly what to say."
"You were practically asleep five minutes ago."
"You had your eyes closed."
Bakugou looked unimpressed.
You hated that he looked so pleased with himself.
Mostly because he was right.
The conversation drifted after that. Not because either of you ran out of things to say, but because the steady hum of the bus combined with the exhaustion still lingering in your system made it increasingly difficult to focus on anything for very long.
Around you, the rest of Class 1-A was more than capable of filling the silence.
Kaminari was still complaining about supplemental lessons, Jirou was still threatening him, and Mina had somehow managed to rope half the bus into a conversation that seemed to involve ghost stories.
You watched the scenery pass outside the window while the city slowly gave way to trees and mountains. The farther the bus traveled, the heavier your eyelids became.
Recovery Girl's warning echoed in the back of your mind.
Apparently she hadn't been exaggerating.
You didn't bother looking away from the window.
The answer earned you a skeptical look.
Normally you would've argued.
Instead, you just hummed in response and shifted slightly in your seat.
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. It never really was with him. Somewhere along the way, the conversations around you blurred together, becoming little more than background noise.
You weren't entirely sure how much time passed after that.
Only that one moment you were staring out the window, and the next everything felt warm.
A bump in the road jolted the bus hard enough to pull you slightly deeper into sleep.
Beside you, Bakugou froze.
Your head had slipped onto his shoulder.
For a moment, he simply stared.
The exhaustion Recovery Girl had warned you about had finally won.
Another bump in the road shifted the bus. Your hand moved with it, fingers curling loosely around the sleeve of his jacket without any conscious thought behind the action.
Bakugou looked down.
Then immediately looked away again.
The warmth settling awkwardly in his chest was incredibly annoying.
Outside the window, the scenery continued to blur past.
Inside the bus, nobody paid the two of you any attention.
Because moving now would wake you up.
And if you woke up, you'd probably try pretending you weren't tired.
With an irritated click of his tongue, Bakugou settled back against his seat.
The rest of the ride passed quietly.
Your head remained on his shoulder.
Your hand remained curled loosely around his sleeve.
And Bakugou stayed exactly where he was.
The bus eventually slowed to a stop.
You woke slowly, blinking against the sunlight filtering through the windows as conversations buzzed around you.
For a second, you couldn't remember where you were.
Then training camp came rushing back.
Around you, students were already gathering their bags and heading toward the front of the bus.
Beside you, Bakugou shifted forward in his seat.
You stretched carefully, trying not to wince when a few sore muscles protested.
Bakugou noticed immediately.
A scoff escaped him as he stood and reached for the overhead compartment.
The grin on your face widened.
Some things never changed.
Together, you followed the rest of the class off the bus.
The view waiting outside was impressive enough to stop several students in their tracks. Mountains stretched endlessly across the horizon while dense forest covered everything below.
It would've been beautiful if it wasn't also incredibly suspicious.
"Where's the lodge?" Kaminari asked.
"Maybe it's farther up the mountain?" Uraraka suggested.
"It better be," Sero muttered. "I am not sleeping outside."
The appearance of the Wild, Wild Pussycats distracted everyone for a few minutes. Mina looked thrilled. Kaminari looked confused. Aizawa looked exhausted.
The confusion only lasted until Aizawa informed everyone that the overlook wasn't near the training camp.
"What does that mean?" Kirishima asked.
Then the ground exploded.
The collective screaming started immediately.
One second the class had been standing together. The next, everyone was falling.
You hit the forest floor harder than you would've liked.
The impact knocked the breath from your lungs, and for a split second, your body reminded you exactly why Recovery Girl had ordered you to rest.
Unfortunately, the giant dirt monster charging toward you seemed unconcerned with medical advice.
Lightning crackled across your fingertips.
Around you, the forest had already dissolved into complete chaos. Explosions echoed somewhere to your left, ice shot through the trees to your right, and several students were sprinting in entirely different directions while trying not to get flattened.
A familiar explosion rang out nearby.
The immediate response made you grin.
"Tch. Worry about yourself!"
The dirt creature lunged.
You dodged, sent a bolt of electricity through its chest, and immediately regretted how much energy that took.
Recovery Girl was going to be insufferable if she ever found out.
Then again, surviving seemed like the more pressing concern, so you pushed the thought aside and ran.
The next hour was miserable.
That, unfortunately, seemed to be the entire point.
Every time you thought you'd cleared the last obstacle, another one appeared. Pixie-Bob's creatures seemed endless, forcing the class to fight, run, climb, and dodge their way through the forest while carrying all of their supplies.
Whoever designed this training exercise was a sadist.
By the time the camp finally came into view, everyone looked exhausted.
Which was honestly a little concerning.
The moment the cabins appeared through the trees, a collective sigh of relief spread through the class.
It lasted all of three seconds.
"Don't get comfortable," Mandalay called. "Training starts immediately after lunch."
The collective groan that followed could probably be heard from another prefecture.
You weren't sure whether you wanted food or a nap more.
Unfortunately, neither seemed to be an option.
As students dragged themselves toward the cabins, a familiar hand caught the strap of your duffel bag before you could pick it up.
Bakugou was already walking away with it.
"You can't just keep stealing my stuff."
"What if I wanted to carry it?"
Unfortunately, he was right.
The forest run had taken more out of you than you wanted to admit.
Bakugou glanced over his shoulder.
The brief look was enough.
Without another word, he kept walking.
And without another argument, you followed.
Lunch disappeared embarrassingly fast.
One minute everyone was eating.
The next, the Wild, Wild Pussycats were already herding the class back outside.
Apparently training camp wasn't interested in letting anyone recover from the forest.
The first exercise focused on quirk development.
According to the Pussycats, most students relied too heavily on the techniques they already knew instead of expanding their limits.
Which sounded suspiciously painful.
It turned out to be exactly that.
The afternoon quickly became a blur of drills, exercises, and repeated failures. Students were pushed far beyond what they were used to, forcing them to find new ways to use their quirks instead of relying on familiar habits.
You hated every second of it.
Mostly because Recovery Girl's warning was proving increasingly difficult to ignore.
The more you used your quirk, the heavier your body felt.
Just enough to be annoying.
Unfortunately, Bakugou noticed.
During one of the short breaks between exercises, you dropped onto a nearby log and reached for your water bottle.
Before you could take a drink, a second bottle landed in your lap.
Bakugou looked away immediately.
"It sounded like concern."
The look he gave you suggested he was considering throwing you into a tree.
The break ended before he could act on it.
By the time training finally ended, the entire class looked half dead.
Even the students who had spent the afternoon insisting they were fine had stopped complaining.
Mostly because they no longer had the energy.
The promise of dinner was the only thing keeping several people upright.
Kaminari in particular looked seconds away from collapsing.
"That's because you used them," Jirou informed him.
Nobody bothered answering.
The dining hall was significantly louder than the training grounds had been. Between the food, the exhaustion, and the relief of finally being allowed to sit down, the class seemed determined to make up for the hours they'd spent suffering.
The second your plate hit the table, you started eating.
A few seats away, Bakugou snorted.
His expression said otherwise.
"You're inhaling your food."
In your defense, he wasn't wrong.
Training had burned through what little energy Recovery Girl had left you with.
A minute later, another piece of meat landed on your plate.
Bakugou was already eating again like nothing had happened.
The warmth that settled in your chest was immediate.
A grin tugged at your lips.
The look he gave you suggested he was reconsidering the entire gesture.
The next day passed in a blur of training.
By some miracle, nobody died.
Several students came close.
Kaminari spent most of the afternoon complaining about his supplemental lessons, while the rest of Class 1-A discovered increasingly creative ways to suffer.
Recovery Girl's warning continued to haunt you. The worst of the exhaustion had finally begun to ease, but every time training pushed your limits, you could still feel the difference.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
Unfortunately, Bakugou wasn't anyone else.
Halfway through the afternoon, he caught you wincing after a particularly difficult exercise.
The look he gave you was immediate.
The conversation ended there.
Mostly because you were right.
By the time evening finally arrived, the entire camp looked exhausted.
The training grounds were quiet for the first time all day as students slowly made their way back toward the cabins.
For a little while, everything felt peaceful.
The last traces of sunlight disappeared beyond the trees as darkness settled over the mountains.
Then, somewhere in the distance, a scream echoed through the forest.
The conversation around the training grounds died instantly.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Several students glanced toward the tree line while others exchanged uncertain looks. The sound had been distant enough that it could have been anything.
Then another scream followed.
The uneasy feeling that settled over the camp was immediate.
The Wild, Wild Pussycats reacted first.
Whatever amusement had been on their faces moments earlier vanished completely, replaced by expressions that made your stomach drop.
Heroes didn't look like that unless something was wrong.
Beside you, Bakugou straightened.
You felt yourself do the same.
The training grounds fell silent.
Then Mandalay's voice exploded inside everyone's heads.
"Listen carefully! Villains have infiltrated the camp!"
The effect was immediate.
Confusion spread through the students while several people froze outright.
"All students are to retreat immediately! Head back toward camp and stay together!"
The panic started almost instantly.
Questions erupted from every direction, but none of the heroes stopped to answer them.
Aizawa was already moving.
The Pussycats were already moving.
This wasn't another lesson.
The League of Villains had found them.
The students immediately began moving back toward camp, the earlier exhaustion forgotten as adrenaline took over.
You fell into step beside Bakugou automatically.
This time, nobody was getting separated.
For a while, it actually seemed possible.
The class stayed together as they moved through the forest. Students clustered closer than usual while the pro heroes spread out around them, watching the surrounding trees for any sign of movement.
The tension was suffocating.
Every snapped branch made someone jump.
Every shifting shadow drew attention.
Then the forest exploded.
Smoke burst through the trees ahead of them.
Several students shouted.
A massive wave of heat rolled through the forest seconds later.
And suddenly villains were everywhere.
The orderly retreat dissolved instantly.
Students scattered as attacks erupted from every direction, the forest filling with smoke, fire, and shouting. Several of the Wild, Wild Pussycats broke away immediately, intercepting villains before they could reach the younger students.
"Keep moving!" Mandalay shouted.
A burst of blue flame exploded through the trees ahead of them, forcing the group to veer sharply to the right. Somewhere behind you, Kaminari yelled something that sounded suspiciously like a prayer.
You didn't have time to worry about him.
A familiar explosion echoed beside you.
Relief immediately settled in your chest.
At least you knew where he was.
Another villain lunged from the trees.
Lightning crackled across your fingertips as you reacted instinctively, sending the attacker flying before they could get close enough to touch either of you.
Bakugou blasted another villain backward.
Despite everything, you almost laughed.
The two of you moved together through the chaos, watching each other's blind spots as students and villains alike disappeared into the smoke-filled forest. Around you, the retreat had completely fallen apart.
Somewhere to your left, ice shot through the trees.
A second later, Midoriya appeared through the smoke, breathing hard as he caught up with you.
Before anyone could respond, another explosion rocked the forest.
This one close enough to shake the ground beneath your feet.
Smoke surged between them.
And for several terrifying seconds, nobody could see anything at all.
The trees groaned overhead as smoke surged through the forest.
For several terrifying seconds, visibility vanished completely.
The world became a blur of gray and white as students shouted somewhere beyond the haze. Heat rolled through the trees a second later, followed by a burst of blue flame powerful enough to force everyone backward.
You threw an arm over your face as the forest erupted around you.
Somewhere nearby, Todoroki's ice crashed against the flames, filling the air with steam.
The collision was strong enough to shake the ground beneath your feet.
By the time the smoke finally began to clear, Midoriya and Todoroki were gone.
Your stomach immediately dropped.
Beside you, Bakugou's expression darkened as he scanned the surrounding trees.
The uneasy feeling in your chest returned immediately.
Then laughter drifted through the forest.
A figure emerged from the smoke.
You recognized them instantly.
"Well, there they are," Compress said pleasantly, adjusting his mask.
Twice pointed dramatically.
"I literally found them!"
Small explosions crackled across his palms.
The comment made something cold settle in your stomach.
Compress wasn't looking at either of you.
He was looking at Bakugou.
Before you could think too hard about what that meant, Twice's clones surged forward.
The fight started immediately.
Explosions lit up the forest as Bakugou launched himself into the nearest group, scattering clones before they could surround either of you. Lightning crackled through the trees a second later, arcing between several more and dropping them just as quickly.
For a moment, it almost felt easy.
The clones weren’t particularly strong, just numerous. Every time one fell, another seemed to take its place.
Still, the two of you had been fighting together long enough that neither needed to think about what the other was doing. You moved instinctively, covering openings before they appeared and reacting to attacks before words were necessary.
And through it all, Mr. Compress simply watched.
Villains didn't stand around doing nothing.
Especially not during an attack like this.
"Something's wrong," you muttered.
Bakugou blasted another clone apart.
A sharp pain shot through your side.
Recovery Girl’s warning hit at the worst possible moment.
The exhaustion you'd been ignoring for two days was still there.
Another burst of lightning left your fingertips.
Unfortunately, so did Mr. Compress.
The villain's smile widened slightly beneath his mask.
And suddenly the entire situation made sense.
They weren't trying to beat you.
His head turned immediately.
"They're waiting for something."
The words had barely left your mouth when the forest exploded.
Blue fire tore through the trees.
Then Dabi stepped from the smoke.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Blue flames danced lazily across his scarred skin, casting eerie shadows through the trees.
The sight of him sent a chill down your spine.
Beside you, small explosions crackled across Bakugou's palms.
That was all the warning anyone got.
Then everything moved at once.
A second later, Bakugou attacked.
The forest exploded into motion.
Heat and light collided as explosions tore through the trees. Dabi answered immediately, blue flames surging forward and swallowing the space between them. Smoke rolled across the forest floor, forcing everyone to keep moving as visibility disappeared and reappeared in unpredictable bursts.
You didn't give him time to recover. Lightning flashed through the haze, striking where Dabi had been standing moments before. The villain sidestepped at the last second, looking more annoyed than threatened.
The entire fight bothered you.
Every instinct told you something was wrong.
The villains weren't pressing their advantage. They weren't trying to finish the fight. Every time one of you forced them backward, they retreated. Every time it looked like you'd gained ground, they simply shifted positions and started again.
It felt less like a battle and more like being led somewhere.
Another wave of Twice's clones rushed forward. You reacted automatically, electricity arcing through several at once. The attack worked, but the sharp ache that followed reminded you exactly how much you'd been pushing yourself.
His expression darkened for only a second before another explosion forced the nearest clones away from your position. It was subtle enough that most people wouldn't have thought twice about it.
Before you could say anything, a massive wall of ice burst through the trees.
A second later Midoriya emerged through the smoke beside him, breathing hard but very much alive.
"There you are," he said, sounding far more relieved than he probably intended.
For the first time since the attack began, the situation felt manageable. The four of you had fought together before. You knew how each other moved. How each other thought. Whatever the League was planning, having everyone together again felt like a step in the right direction.
Dabi seemed to think otherwise.
The villain's gaze drifted across the group, following the way the four of you naturally fell into formation. Every opening was covered almost immediately. Every attack was answered before it could gain any real ground.
A slow smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
Mr. Compress adjusted his mask.
"That does complicate things."
The exchange sent a chill down your spine.
Neither of them looked frustrated.
If anything, they looked amused.
Like they'd already expected this.
Dabi's eyes drifted from Bakugou to you before settling back on Compress.
Something cold settled heavily in your stomach.
Before you could figure out why, Mr. Compress smiled.
Which was exactly why the smile that appeared beneath Mr. Compress's mask made your stomach drop.
The villain moved so quickly that for a second your brain couldn't process what had happened.
One moment he was standing several yards away.
The next, he had slipped through the battlefield entirely.
Ice surged through the forest as both boys moved simultaneously, cutting off Compress's path before he could reach the group.
Instead, Compress laughed.
A gloved hand shot outward.
The battle vanished so suddenly it felt wrong. The explosions, the shouting, the crackling fire that had filled the forest only moments before disappeared completely, leaving behind a silence so unnatural it stole the breath from your lungs.
For a brief moment, you couldn't understand what had happened.
Then you realized what was missing.
You couldn't hear him. No explosions. No annoyed comments. No familiar voice somewhere nearby.
The realization sent panic crashing through your chest.
Compress had gotten both of you.
The silence lasted only a second before the world snapped back into focus.
Trees, smoke, and fire returned all at once as Midoriya caught the marble containing you before it could hit the ground.
Strong hands steadied your shoulders.
Because your eyes immediately found Mr. Compress.
And Bakugou was still gone.
The panic that followed was immediate. Not because Bakugou couldn’t fight or because he wasn’t one of the strongest people you knew, but because suddenly every strange detail from the last few minutes made sense.
The villains hadn't been trying to defeat you.
They hadn't been trying to win.
They'd been trying to get to him.
Midoriya was already moving before the words fully left your mouth.
Todoroki wasn't far behind.
You followed immediately.
The forest blurred around you as the three of you chased after Compress through the smoke. Every branch, every root, every obstacle seemed determined to slow you down.
It wasn't enough.
Ahead of you, Compress suddenly stopped.
The movement was so unexpected that everyone hesitated.
The marble vanished and he dropped back into the forest, already moving before his feet fully touched the ground. Explosions ignited instantly as he launched himself away from the villains, refusing to give them a second of cooperation.
Relief hit so hard it almost hurt.
For one brief moment, it looked like he had an opening.
Like maybe this wasn't over.
Todoroki surged forward, ice racing across the forest floor as he closed the distance.
The gap between all of you began shrinking.
Close enough to see the frustration written across Bakugou's face.
Close enough to think you might actually make it.
Then blue fire exploded between you.
The flames forced everyone apart as heat rolled through the forest. Trees ignited instantly, smoke swallowing the battlefield once again.
The delay only lasted seconds.
But seconds were all the villains needed.
By the time the smoke began to clear, a dark portal had opened behind Bakugou.
The portal twisted behind Bakugou like a wound in the air itself, dark mist curling from its edges as it slowly widened.
The word escaped before you could stop it.
His expression immediately darkened.
An explosion ignited from his palms as he launched himself away from the portal, refusing to go anywhere he didn't choose.
Relief surged through your chest.
The distraction lasted less than a moment.
Bakugou blasted him away almost immediately, but the delay had already done its job.
The portal was closer now.
Todoroki surged forward, ice racing across the forest floor.
Midoriya wasn't far behind.
Ignoring the ache in your muscles.
Ignoring everything except the rapidly shrinking distance between you and Bakugou.
Close enough that you could make it.
Another burst of lightning crackled across your skin as you forced more power into your quirk.
The response was immediate.
Pain shot through your arm.
For half a second, your body refused to cooperate.
Blue fire erupted across the battlefield, forcing everyone to break their momentum. Heat crashed into the forest hard enough to send sparks flying through the trees.
You stumbled.
Not enough for anyone else to notice, but enough.
The exhaustion you'd been fighting since the final exams finally caught up.
Just enough to steal a step.
Just enough to make you late.
Ahead of you, Bakugou twisted violently as black mist wrapped around his arm.
The sight sent panic crashing through your chest.
His head snapped toward your voice.
For one horrible moment, your eyes met.
The distance between you disappeared.
For a second, it looked possible.
The mist swallowed him whole.
There were still villains.
Still shouting somewhere in the distance.
But none of it seemed real.
The space where Bakugou had been was empty.
And for the first time since you were five years old...
You had no idea where he was.
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