[It is very familiar, but it shouldn't be, and that's worrying him.]
I doubt it. There are others from other worlds that have come here, too, and quirks don't exist where they come from. But also, I was born and raised in this world.
It's a phenomenon people have in this world. It happens to a lot of people who have access to magic. We have memories of a life lived in another world, and sometimes, people from those worlds come here. For me, those memories are of the life the person you call "Deku" had. And since I didn't grow up with you in this world... that isn't a name I've ever had used on me. That's how I know where you're from.
[Perhaps, if it was even one month later, if they'd at least gotten through their first term finals, Bakugou might have actually let himself believe Deku a little easier.
As it is, he's just letting out an absolutely annoyed noise.]
That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Should've just known you were gonna be completely clueless. Thought I'd get at least something useful out of you.
{For both of their sanity and the safety of however much city is between them at the moment, Bakugou is going to assume that Deku isn't talking about the sludge filled, burnt up alleys he walked through on the way here. He's going to assume Deku doesn't mean that damn river.
Which means he's talking about before all of that.]
What kind of stupid question is that? I was walking home from school.
[Honestly, it's a factor of just how weird this situation is that Bakugou is giving Deku an answer at all.]
[Oh the annoyance suddenly gripping him. What did he do in class today?? What did he do????
Is Deku trying to piss him off? Is he trying to goad Bakugou because he got his stupid name okayed while Bakugou didn't? Is he trying to make a point with whatever weird reason he had behind choosing Deku?]
I'm not lying to you. I just want to know what you remember. Because I have memories of living in the new dorms at UA. If you were going home, that doesn't match up.
[Congratulations, Deku, you've earned a second of consideration.]
U.A. doesn't have dorms. [And Deku... wouldn't mess with him with something so out of left field. Something that doesn't make sense and is so blatantly false.] ... I was heading home from school. Midnight just had us do that stupid codename class.
It's not a test; that day was.. months before what I have memories of.
[He's clearly thinking.]
Which isn't that surprising, but it is really disorienting... But if you haven't been through those things yet, I shouldn't tell you about them, I don't think.
[AUGH. That's even more annoying when he can't see it or punch it to get it to stop.]
Ugh. [He's so ANNOYED. Which means he's not listening to Deku at all.] Meet me somewhere then, damn nerd. If you're gonna stick to this shitty story, then come prove it.
[At this point in their relationship, he's pretty sure Bakugou wouldn't be... worried about him. Even at the point he remembers, that wouldn't be a word he'd use.]
[Yelled with his whole chest so immediately. Did you miss this, Izuku? Did you miss this harassment?]
-- but. [Here, he's suddenly gritting his teeth, letting out a frustrated noise before continuing.] Something's going on here. And you're the only damn person I recognize in this city. So you're gonna explain what's really going on. And you're gonna prove whatever stupid shit you're trying to hide behind.
Before he ends the call and goes to blast his way seaside, himself. Hopefully the seals will leave him alone today (they won't, it's a 7). He doesn't even know what he did to them.]
[But he WILL show up, probably right at that ten-minute mark, looking a little nervous. He's dressed completely casually, no sign of UA or All Might representation. He's carrying himself cautiously, but not unconfidently, and most importantly...
[His hand's not fucked up. There are zero scars.
[Also, there's a Hawlucha hanging out behind him and backing him up.]
[It's probably strange, seeing someone from distant memories in the flesh. Probably weird, to find him standing on a beach in the middle of America, wearing clothes that are just as casual. Just as meant for fitting in here, whatever the hell that means.
His hands are in his pockets, his eyebrows furrowed as he scowls at some spheals that are rolling in an ominous circle nearby. He swears they keep getting closer.
But then, there comes Deku. With a damn... luchador owl behind him? It's enough to make him pause, but it's everything else that puts him on edge.
The lack of the muscle that Deku had put on since middle school. A posture that is still anxious, but not anxiously confident the way he's gotten in front of Bakugou, lately. And more importantly-- his hand is completely in tact. It had barely been a full day since the sports festival, when he got pulled in here. But he'd seen that Deku's stupidly mangled hand had been healed.
Well, if you could call having crooked fingers and being covered in scars healed.
So, after a moment, Bakugou is shifting his stance into one that's a little more guarded, a little more like he's preparing for a fight. And his tone is low and serious as he says, quite simply.]
[Now, he's not too lean; he isn't anywhere near as buff as he'd needed to be back home, but he's got some power here. Power that Bakugou doesn't know about, technically, but it's pretty similar to what he knows Izuku can do... only he's had way longer to get used to it.
[Bakugou airs his demand, and Izuku levels him with a firm but anxious look.]
I did. I'm from this Earth. You're from a different one. That happens here. Some people remember their other lives, or.. that's what we think they are, anyway. Other lives, past lives... whatever they are. I have a lot of those memories, but... only til a few months after what you seem to know.
[Oh, the way Bakugou is halted in place so immediately. The way his shoulders tighten and he bristles before he turns around, eyes narrowed, teeth grit, and his mouth pulling down into a sneered out frown.]
... the hell did you say, Midoriya?
[There's something about that response that makes Bakugou want to push. He doesn't want this imposter to be the guy who drives him insane, sure. But it's somehow weirder to see someone who is exactly like Deku, just... a few degrees to the left.
[urk. Yeah, that's actually kinda scary, isn't it? Deku doesn't like it, but he also... doesn't like the idea of him walking away like this. Of being dismissed.
[He's standing his ground.]
You're writing me off even though I know so much about you? You don't even know what I can do.
[It's the eyes, isn't it? This kid's eyes are stubborn, sure, but they don't have that same light that Bakugou hasn't been able to kill back home. It pisses him off.]
I'm not gonna waste time finishing what someone else started.
[Why does this make him so mad? Why does he feel the need to bite back? He's being looked down on, and yeah, he knows this feeling. The memories have said enough to that effect. But it's different now, and no matter what he feels in his life as Midoriya Izuku, it still feels wrong to look at this face and feel rejection in this way. He's never been Deku, but it still feels personal.]
Are you that afraid of seeing a version of him that might be stronger than you?
[Bakugou pauses, his eyes narrow, and he's letting his head lift and tilt to the side so he can fix this "Deku" with a look that spells trouble. That spells violence.]
Haaaa? [He drawls, slowly taking his other hand out of his pocket, slowly turning back to face this... wannabe?
It's weird, how there's suddenly so much more of a spark in Deku's eyes. Weird, how much more annoyed he's making Bakugou so immediately.
This little shit thinks he can play?]
You really wanna die, huh? [There it is. As Bakugou drops into a ready position, as his palms crackle, that grin is spreading across his face. A grin that promises pain, adrenaline, violence-- and a crystal clear image of victory.] Fine. I'll take the time to put you down. Not gonna make much a difference in my day, anyway!
[Which is the only warning Deku will get before Bakugou's wrists are twisting, explosions set off to propel him forward into what appears to be a very telegraphed wide swing with his right arm (12).
[Now see, the thing is... Izuku trains, yes, he keeps in shape, he exercises the abilities he's gained over the years. But he's never actually fought someone like this. So when Bakugou turns back to him, and Izuku realizes so immediately that he's opened a box he cannot close again, the adrenaline is shooting through the roof.
[Bakugou drops into his readied stance. Fight or flight kicks in. He thinks, in any other case, flight would win.
[But something primal in him is reacting to the sounds of those specific explosions, and he knows immediately that he's not going anywhere; it isn't even a conscious thought. His feet simply plant in place, irritation coming forward at the fact that he's swinging with his right arm right now. He knows what he's supposed to do, to duck down and grab that arm.
[... but he's not fast enough (2).
[So Bakugou is going to get a good damn hit in, despite all the talk Izuku's been giving him. The pain is... new. Even sparring with Mighty doesn't--oh fuck, wait.
[Bakugou just knocked him on his ass, but Izuku's response isn't to swing back. It's to look to his left and shout.]
Mighty, don't!!
[Be grateful, Bakugou, that bird was 0.2 seconds from jumping in here.
[But hey, if he's telling his backup to stand down, that means he's serious about staying in the fight, right?]
[He can see it, the way that Deku watches him move, the way his eyes shift to his arm-- and he feels a spark of hot and violent rage. Of course he's acting like this. Even this weird imposter version of the idiot thinks he can read him, is going to try to, given the way he shifts, the way he moves, the way it seems like he's trying to do what he did in that first training all those weeks ago.
Only... he doesn't.
Bakugou's hand connects, but his fingers twitch as he lowers the potency of his explosion, cutting the damage and increasing the noise and light of it with expert precision, aiming to daze and disorient rather than just blow Deku's head off point blank.
His hand connects and it's like he bristles. Like every inch of him is so infuriated in that instant he doesn't know how to process it. That's... it? That's all this asshole can do?? That can't be--
Movement, danger. Bakugou's head snaps to the side, his teeth grit and eyes wild, hands raising and palms glowing. His eyes focus in on the threat immediately-- that damn bird. The one Deku brought with him. Backup? Really? Though with how weak this asshole is it makes sense to need backup.
Only... he's telling the thing to stand down.
... this weak asshole still thinks he can take him.]
Oi. [Bakugou's voice is tight and scratchy with annoyance, the noise practically snarled out as he turns around to stomp across the sand towards Deku.] Oi. What the hell is this?
[He reaches down for the front of Deku's shirt, pulling him to his feet if just so he can get right in his damn face to yell.]
You think you can beat me when you can't even dodge a single punch?! [How dare this nerd look at him like this. How dare he think he can stand in the same ring as him? How dare he try to ride on the coattails of someone who has started making sure Bakugou was keeping an eye on him?] You can't be serious!
[Well. This sucks, doesn't it? This is reality connecting to the memories of another life. This is him finally really understanding the feeling of low-grade burns, the singeing of his body hair, the sting of a hit. It feels strange. How disorienting, to feel so connected to the life he's set aside as someone else's all this time.
[He's dragged up to his feet, yelled at directly, and he can't help but wonder just how he's not backing down. After all, this is stupid; he knows he has no fight training, he knows that Bakugou is a goddamn combat savant. But he's gripping his wrist, hard, hard enough that Bakugou will be able to tell he has something superhuman going on.]
I am serious. [He's certainly not dead from just one weakened punch.] You're the one that held back!
[He's not good at this, but he's going to try. And that means swinging on him at this level, sending a wind-enhanced punch to his stomach at close range (14). If it connects, he's hoping it'll send him backwards with enough force that Bakugou will take him seriously.]
Bakugou's teeth grit, his hand tightens on Deku's shirt so much his arm is shaking with the force of it. No shit he held back. Bakugou might be a lot of things, he might be a thug and a bully, he might be violent and vulgar-- but he's not someone who would just swing full power at a damn civilian.
And right now, this Deku who had called him Bakugou on the network, this Deku who is looking at him with eyes that don't have that annoying ass look in them-- he's fully viewing him as nothing but a civilian. Some little asshole with lofty aspirations and no way to get to them. With no drive to get to them.
But for a moment... there's something there. Something that makes him pause, that has his brow furrowing and his jaw clenching. A fire, finally sparking. Stubbornness and drive and the return of a promise of violence that Bakugou recognizes because it's his. It's that same drive to win that Deku has been imitating so pathetically since they were four.
That punch connects. Deku will feel it connect. He'll feel the force of it, the impact of his knuckles, the way Bakugou's fingers are letting go of their grip on his shirt. He'll hear the grunt of effort, the accompanying crackle and pop, and will see Bakugou go skidding backwards through the from the force of the blow.
And he'll see... smoke. The result of a rush of oxygen against a subtle, cushioning explosion. See the sizzling of smoke and feel the slight sting of retaliating heat on the skin of his hand. And Deku will see, once the smoke clears, Bakugou's hand having moved in a damn instant to have caught the force of that blow just as it was given to him (15).]
Cheeky bastard. [There's something low and dangerous to his voice. A focus to his eyes and an honest anger to the set of his jaw, the downward turn of his lips.
He's not smiling, right now. He's too damn angry for that.] Fine. If you wanna die for real, I'll give that to you.
[If Deku's past life memories are keeping up with him, he might notice the way that Bakugou is moving forward is different, now. His movements are sharper, more serious.
But what he might not recognize is that even as he comes in to return that hit to his stomach with one of his own (12), they're also a bit... guarded.
He doesn't get how things work, here. How magic is different than quirks. But he does know that punch didn't feel like the ones Deku has given since coming to U.A. Just as he knows his own explosions aren't exactly at full strength.]
[He connects. For a moment, there's a good rush, something akin to excitement, that he managed that against someone he knows is freakishly good at this. Izuku swung on him, and he didn't miss.
[... but there's smoke, where he thinks there shouldn't be. There's stinging that doesn't just feel like impact against his bare fist. And when that smoke clears enough, he sees it; that ashy hand, right over the point of connection, smoldering from a force-cancelling explosion.
[His eyes go wide. A decade of hero worship from someone else's life boils quietly in the background of his mind.
[Bakugou Katsuki is truly a monster.]
No way... [The awe slows him, but if Izuku has anything going for him, it's that he's fast. He knows that.
[Bakugou moves in to hit him, and Deku reacts, jumping back with surprising speed (dirty 20), and skidding to a stop out of immediate range. He has to be leaned forward to catch himself and not fall down. His expression remains serious, nervous, but... there's something excited remaining in it. He's never felt like this before.
[But he doesn't know how to really fight, so... the idea is just to get him pinned, right? That's what they did after the provisional licensing exam, anyway. So he's going to move again, trying to rush forward and fully just tackle him to the ground before he can react, hopefully (19).]
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nonsenseprince) wrote2027-10-10 01:47 am
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I doubt it. There are others from other worlds that have come here, too, and quirks don't exist where they come from. But also, I was born and raised in this world.
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And stare.
And stare.]
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I'm not in the mood for bullshit, Deku.
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It's a phenomenon people have in this world. It happens to a lot of people who have access to magic. We have memories of a life lived in another world, and sometimes, people from those worlds come here. For me, those memories are of the life the person you call "Deku" had. And since I didn't grow up with you in this world... that isn't a name I've ever had used on me. That's how I know where you're from.
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As it is, he's just letting out an absolutely annoyed noise.]
That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Should've just known you were gonna be completely clueless. Thought I'd get at least something useful out of you.
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I'm not clueless, you're just not listening... [let him drag his hand down his face.] Okay. What is the last thing you remember happening?
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Which means he's talking about before all of that.]
What kind of stupid question is that? I was walking home from school.
[Honestly, it's a factor of just how weird this situation is that Bakugou is giving Deku an answer at all.]
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Of course you were, but wh--[wait.
[Izuku blinks at his phone, trailing off as that realization hit.]
Wait, walking home? What did you do in class that day? [Don't you live in a dorm?]
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Is Deku trying to piss him off? Is he trying to goad Bakugou because he got his stupid name okayed while Bakugou didn't? Is he trying to make a point with whatever weird reason he had behind choosing Deku?]
Do you want to die?! Where the hell are you?
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[THANK GOD FOR THAT.]
I'm not lying to you. I just want to know what you remember. Because I have memories of living in the new dorms at UA. If you were going home, that doesn't match up.
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U.A. doesn't have dorms. [And Deku... wouldn't mess with him with something so out of left field. Something that doesn't make sense and is so blatantly false.] ... I was heading home from school. Midnight just had us do that stupid codename class.
The hell is this, some kind of test?
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[He's clearly thinking.]
Which isn't that surprising, but it is really disorienting... But if you haven't been through those things yet, I shouldn't tell you about them, I don't think.
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Ugh. [He's so ANNOYED. Which means he's not listening to Deku at all.] Meet me somewhere then, damn nerd. If you're gonna stick to this shitty story, then come prove it.
[How, Bakugou. How would this be proven??]
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[At this point in their relationship, he's pretty sure Bakugou wouldn't be... worried about him. Even at the point he remembers, that wouldn't be a word he'd use.]
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[Yelled with his whole chest so immediately. Did you miss this, Izuku? Did you miss this harassment?]
-- but. [Here, he's suddenly gritting his teeth, letting out a frustrated noise before continuing.] Something's going on here. And you're the only damn person I recognize in this city. So you're gonna explain what's really going on. And you're gonna prove whatever stupid shit you're trying to hide behind.
Where are you?
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Give me some time. We can meet on the beach.
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[Is what he'll growl out, low and so, so annoyed.
Before he ends the call and goes to blast his way seaside, himself. Hopefully the seals will leave him alone today (they won't, it's a 7). He doesn't even know what he did to them.]
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[But he WILL show up, probably right at that ten-minute mark, looking a little nervous. He's dressed completely casually, no sign of UA or All Might representation. He's carrying himself cautiously, but not unconfidently, and most importantly...
[His hand's not fucked up. There are zero scars.
[Also, there's a Hawlucha hanging out behind him and backing him up.]
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His hands are in his pockets, his eyebrows furrowed as he scowls at some spheals that are rolling in an ominous circle nearby. He swears they keep getting closer.
But then, there comes Deku. With a damn... luchador owl behind him? It's enough to make him pause, but it's everything else that puts him on edge.
The lack of the muscle that Deku had put on since middle school. A posture that is still anxious, but not anxiously confident the way he's gotten in front of Bakugou, lately. And more importantly-- his hand is completely in tact. It had barely been a full day since the sports festival, when he got pulled in here. But he'd seen that Deku's stupidly mangled hand had been healed.
Well, if you could call having crooked fingers and being covered in scars healed.
So, after a moment, Bakugou is shifting his stance into one that's a little more guarded, a little more like he's preparing for a fight. And his tone is low and serious as he says, quite simply.]
Explain.
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[Bakugou airs his demand, and Izuku levels him with a firm but anxious look.]
I did. I'm from this Earth. You're from a different one. That happens here. Some people remember their other lives, or.. that's what we think they are, anyway. Other lives, past lives... whatever they are. I have a lot of those memories, but... only til a few months after what you seem to know.
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He hates Deku, because he knows Deku.
That asshole has been on his heels since they were kids. They've gone to the same school, been in the same class-- he sits in front of him, now.
And this Deku... he's annoying, sure. But he's missing that spark in his eye that really set Deku off.
So, at the end of that explanation, Bakugou is just curling his lip upward in a distasteful sneer.]
... so you're just an extra wearing his face. Tch.
[This is a waste of his goddamn time, then.
Which is why, after all of that, he's just going to turn to walk away.]
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[And he can't help but do something about it (9).]
... You're still that arrogant...
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... the hell did you say, Midoriya?
[There's something about that response that makes Bakugou want to push. He doesn't want this imposter to be the guy who drives him insane, sure. But it's somehow weirder to see someone who is exactly like Deku, just... a few degrees to the left.
And yet, he's daring to say shit like that?
His hand raises, sparks dancing across the palm.]
Wanna try that again?
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[He's standing his ground.]
You're writing me off even though I know so much about you? You don't even know what I can do.
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Who cares? You already look half dead.
[It's the eyes, isn't it? This kid's eyes are stubborn, sure, but they don't have that same light that Bakugou hasn't been able to kill back home. It pisses him off.]
I'm not gonna waste time finishing what someone else started.
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Are you that afraid of seeing a version of him that might be stronger than you?
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Haaaa? [He drawls, slowly taking his other hand out of his pocket, slowly turning back to face this... wannabe?
It's weird, how there's suddenly so much more of a spark in Deku's eyes. Weird, how much more annoyed he's making Bakugou so immediately.
This little shit thinks he can play?]
You really wanna die, huh? [There it is. As Bakugou drops into a ready position, as his palms crackle, that grin is spreading across his face. A grin that promises pain, adrenaline, violence-- and a crystal clear image of victory.] Fine. I'll take the time to put you down. Not gonna make much a difference in my day, anyway!
[Which is the only warning Deku will get before Bakugou's wrists are twisting, explosions set off to propel him forward into what appears to be a very telegraphed wide swing with his right arm (12).
He really is looking down on Deku, isn't he?]
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[Bakugou drops into his readied stance. Fight or flight kicks in. He thinks, in any other case, flight would win.
[But something primal in him is reacting to the sounds of those specific explosions, and he knows immediately that he's not going anywhere; it isn't even a conscious thought. His feet simply plant in place, irritation coming forward at the fact that he's swinging with his right arm right now. He knows what he's supposed to do, to duck down and grab that arm.
[... but he's not fast enough (2).
[So Bakugou is going to get a good damn hit in, despite all the talk Izuku's been giving him. The pain is... new. Even sparring with Mighty doesn't--oh fuck, wait.
[Bakugou just knocked him on his ass, but Izuku's response isn't to swing back. It's to look to his left and shout.]
Mighty, don't!!
[Be grateful, Bakugou, that bird was 0.2 seconds from jumping in here.
[But hey, if he's telling his backup to stand down, that means he's serious about staying in the fight, right?]
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Only... he doesn't.
Bakugou's hand connects, but his fingers twitch as he lowers the potency of his explosion, cutting the damage and increasing the noise and light of it with expert precision, aiming to daze and disorient rather than just blow Deku's head off point blank.
His hand connects and it's like he bristles. Like every inch of him is so infuriated in that instant he doesn't know how to process it. That's... it? That's all this asshole can do?? That can't be--
Movement, danger. Bakugou's head snaps to the side, his teeth grit and eyes wild, hands raising and palms glowing. His eyes focus in on the threat immediately-- that damn bird. The one Deku brought with him. Backup? Really? Though with how weak this asshole is it makes sense to need backup.
Only... he's telling the thing to stand down.
... this weak asshole still thinks he can take him.]
Oi. [Bakugou's voice is tight and scratchy with annoyance, the noise practically snarled out as he turns around to stomp across the sand towards Deku.] Oi. What the hell is this?
[He reaches down for the front of Deku's shirt, pulling him to his feet if just so he can get right in his damn face to yell.]
You think you can beat me when you can't even dodge a single punch?! [How dare this nerd look at him like this. How dare he think he can stand in the same ring as him? How dare he try to ride on the coattails of someone who has started making sure Bakugou was keeping an eye on him?] You can't be serious!
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[He's dragged up to his feet, yelled at directly, and he can't help but wonder just how he's not backing down. After all, this is stupid; he knows he has no fight training, he knows that Bakugou is a goddamn combat savant. But he's gripping his wrist, hard, hard enough that Bakugou will be able to tell he has something superhuman going on.]
I am serious. [He's certainly not dead from just one weakened punch.] You're the one that held back!
[He's not good at this, but he's going to try. And that means swinging on him at this level, sending a wind-enhanced punch to his stomach at close range (14). If it connects, he's hoping it'll send him backwards with enough force that Bakugou will take him seriously.]
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Bakugou's teeth grit, his hand tightens on Deku's shirt so much his arm is shaking with the force of it. No shit he held back. Bakugou might be a lot of things, he might be a thug and a bully, he might be violent and vulgar-- but he's not someone who would just swing full power at a damn civilian.
And right now, this Deku who had called him Bakugou on the network, this Deku who is looking at him with eyes that don't have that annoying ass look in them-- he's fully viewing him as nothing but a civilian. Some little asshole with lofty aspirations and no way to get to them. With no drive to get to them.
But for a moment... there's something there. Something that makes him pause, that has his brow furrowing and his jaw clenching. A fire, finally sparking. Stubbornness and drive and the return of a promise of violence that Bakugou recognizes because it's his. It's that same drive to win that Deku has been imitating so pathetically since they were four.
That punch connects. Deku will feel it connect. He'll feel the force of it, the impact of his knuckles, the way Bakugou's fingers are letting go of their grip on his shirt. He'll hear the grunt of effort, the accompanying crackle and pop, and will see Bakugou go skidding backwards through the from the force of the blow.
And he'll see... smoke. The result of a rush of oxygen against a subtle, cushioning explosion. See the sizzling of smoke and feel the slight sting of retaliating heat on the skin of his hand. And Deku will see, once the smoke clears, Bakugou's hand having moved in a damn instant to have caught the force of that blow just as it was given to him (15).]
Cheeky bastard. [There's something low and dangerous to his voice. A focus to his eyes and an honest anger to the set of his jaw, the downward turn of his lips.
He's not smiling, right now. He's too damn angry for that.] Fine. If you wanna die for real, I'll give that to you.
[If Deku's past life memories are keeping up with him, he might notice the way that Bakugou is moving forward is different, now. His movements are sharper, more serious.
But what he might not recognize is that even as he comes in to return that hit to his stomach with one of his own (12), they're also a bit... guarded.
He doesn't get how things work, here. How magic is different than quirks. But he does know that punch didn't feel like the ones Deku has given since coming to U.A. Just as he knows his own explosions aren't exactly at full strength.]
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[... but there's smoke, where he thinks there shouldn't be. There's stinging that doesn't just feel like impact against his bare fist. And when that smoke clears enough, he sees it; that ashy hand, right over the point of connection, smoldering from a force-cancelling explosion.
[His eyes go wide. A decade of hero worship from someone else's life boils quietly in the background of his mind.
[Bakugou Katsuki is truly a monster.]
No way... [The awe slows him, but if Izuku has anything going for him, it's that he's fast. He knows that.
[Bakugou moves in to hit him, and Deku reacts, jumping back with surprising speed (dirty 20), and skidding to a stop out of immediate range. He has to be leaned forward to catch himself and not fall down. His expression remains serious, nervous, but... there's something excited remaining in it. He's never felt like this before.
[But he doesn't know how to really fight, so... the idea is just to get him pinned, right? That's what they did after the provisional licensing exam, anyway. So he's going to move again, trying to rush forward and fully just tackle him to the ground before he can react, hopefully (19).]