Chapter Text
Tumbling through time and space wasn’t a feeling Katsuki thought he’d ever need to describe. One second he was fighting on a street against a villain testing their limits. He had Kirishima beside him swearing that they would win with blood running down his face. He was shouting orders for the other Heroes to follow.
They had a plan. A villain to beat.
A blast hit Katsuki from the side and as his ears rang, the ground beneath his feet slipped away. A tidal wave catching him by the waist and dragging him back into some intangible unknown.
Katsuki clawed and scraped at flaking sunlight, seeing Kirishima’s horrified face before everything went dark.
He lost sense of up and down, spinning through a void and struggling to breathe for the few seconds of darkness before light ripped apart around him.
He caught fire. Flames licked across his skin and for a moment, Katsuki was able to reach out and touch the streams of light surrounding him. He was terrified, but even in his confusion, he had to admit it was beautiful.
Bigger than his body and weightless.
He could have been drifting or hurtling at the speed of light. He couldn’t tell. Everything was endless.
The sudden snap back to his body and the bitterly cold winds reminded him of his current problem. The free fall was short, landing him in a pile of fluffy snow.
A matter of seconds.
Katsuki sat up in a panic, squinting to see through the wind whipping up the dusty snow. An anguished cry left his lips at the vast mountains surrounding him. His suit was charred at best and flaking off in burned strips at worst. Bits of his gear and equipment lay around him completely useless.
He stood on shaky legs and looked around in disbelief. There would be no way he’d be able to reach his teammates. He wondered if they had been thrown to random places too. His heart sunk at the thought of how much destruction was taking place.
He struck the snow, fighting back sorrow with angry, gritted teeth.
He screamed until his throat was raw and tried to throw blasts but the cold numbed his fingers.
There was nothing else to do, so Katsuki started marching down the mountain, hell-bent on a plan.
He’d get back to Japan and put the villain behind bars forever.
But his anger withered as the snow and wind whirled around him, tearing at the ruminates of his suit.
Katsuki leaned against a tree and sank down. The forest around him felt endless. It looked endless from the top of the mountain. He tucked his hands under his arms, pulling his knees to his chest.
He was so cold, shivering violently and barely feeling his face.
The wind howled through the trees, skirting across drifted snow. In the haze of frost and white, Katsuki swore he saw billowing green. Coming towards him. He blinked, trying to get the figure in focus. But he was so tired.
Katsuki wasn’t sure when he shut his eyes.
But he dreamed of his life in vivid detail. His life boiled down to just a few moments. Winning. Saving. Driving to be better. It coursed through him almost as if he was living them again, but he could still feel the flaking light on his fingertips.
It set the dreams in a shadow. Could’ve fought harder. Should’ve saved more people. Might’ve been better if. . .
If. . .
If. . .
If . . .
Katsuki woke up with a violent start, lashing out at the air in front of him and gasping for breath. He found himself staring at a cave wall lit by the soft crackle of a fire. It burned less than a foot away and its warmth met the bare skin of his chest. Katsuki quickly pulled the blanket covering him back up over his shoulder and took a couple deep breaths.
He appreciated that he was alive for a few minutes before wondering about who it was that had saved him from the icy mountain.
The cave was fairly large and looked like it was used often. Katsuki made sure the blanket stayed wrapped around him as he sat up and looked around. He crept to the edge of the cave and looked at the woods surrounding him.
There were no tracks, but the wind was still blowing hard. Katsuki backed up into the cave and searched through the supplies.
A stack of firewood, twine, and thick wool blankets. He licked his dry lips when he found a jug of water sitting near the fire and immediately started chugging it. There were a couple of candles and rocks for striking. It all looked primitive. Katsuki’s confusion grew with unease.
He shifted the blanket on his shoulder to get a better look, finding a golden clasp and a hood. It was heavy and warm. A deep, rich green fabric with a wool lining.
Katsuki put it back on and pulled the hood up, running his thumb over the nine-pointed crown emblem.
He smelled pine, smoke, and something muted. The scent of another person brought a strange sense of comfort.
Katsuki watched the wind blow outside before he grabbed the jug of water and the rocks. He put the small satchel under the cloak and again, ventured out to the edge of the cave. The warm fire behind him made it tempting to stay but there were people who needed him.
With one last deep breath, Katsuki set off into the woods. He had no idea where he was going but if there was a well-used shelter then civilization couldn’t be too far away. Then he would blast himself back to Tokyo if that’s what it took.
“You’re going the wrong direction.”
Katsuki stopped abruptly in his tracks. The wind whistled by his ears, his breathing louder than anything else. He turned around to look at the person who had spoken. They stood about ten feet away, watching him curiously with a squint of concern.
“Who the fuck are you?” Katsuki asked, not sure what to make of the person. His eyes kept catching on his green hair being whipped around and the strange clothing he wore. “Where am I?”
The guy cocked his head to the side. “The Kamino Mountains,” he said. “You fell from the sky.”
A part of Katsuki had been hoping the fall had been a strange dream. “I need to get back to Tokyo as soon as possible.”
“Never heard of it,” they said as they leaned against a tree.
Katsuki let out a frustrated breath. “What country am I in?” His hands drew into fists when the man frowned.
“The Yuuei Kingdom.” He looked Katsuki up and down, the concern far more evident on his face. “Maybe you hit your head when you fell. Then again, people don’t just fall from the sky.”
“That—That doesn’t make any sense,” Katsuki said, nearly yelled in frustration.
“I told you, you’re going the wrong way!” the man called after him.
Katsuki raised his middle finger in response. “Fuck off!” He didn’t care where he was going, he just had to move. He saw a cliff up ahead and rushed to get a better vantage point. The way the wilderness stretched to the horizon filled Katsuki with dread. In the distance, a curl of smoke twisted out from between the denser trees.
He desperately tried to throw out a blast. He could get to that fire faster through the air but there wasn’t a drop of sweat on him. “Shit,” Katsuki spat, gritting his teeth closed to stop them from chattering.
Helpless wasn’t a feeling he was used to.
“The storm will move out tomorrow,” the stranger said. “Come back to the cave and I’ll help you in any way I can. But you should rest.”
“No,” Katsuki argued, rounding on the man and marching up to him. “Take me to your main camp right now. Get me to a city. I need to get home.”
The man gently brushed aside Katsuki’s finger driving into his chest. “Where is ‘home’?”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “I told you, asshole. Tokyo. Japan.”
“I’m sorry but I’ve never heard of those kingdoms.”
“I have contacts in India? America?” Katsuki bit back hard on his tongue when he got a blank stare in response. “Do you live under a fucking rock? Where the hell are we?” His voice echoed across the mountain.
“I told you. The Kamino mountains. What’s your name?”
“Katsuki,” he forced out. “Why the hell are we on a mountain?”
Green eyes widened and looked up at the gray sky. “I was with my hunting party when I saw this strange streak of light falling through the clouds. I went to investigate.” He turned his gaze back down to Katsuki. “I found you nearly dead against a tree.”
A sick feeling caught in Katsuki’s throat. He wrapped his arms around himself, nails digging into the green fabric. The sound of the wind blowing swallowed them up. Katsuki pushed passed the man who had rescued him, following his tracks back to the cave.
He said nothing as the man returned with two rabbits and placed them over the fire but he did accept the food when handed to him. Katsuki toyed with the hem of the cloak as he grew tired. But he didn’t want to sleep. Perhaps all of this was just a trick of the villain, and the stranger was in on it.
“Deku,” Katsuki muttered as his thumb ran over thick stitching. “Is that your name?”
The green-eyed stranger looked up, startled and then frowned. “It’s Izuku, actually.”
Katsuki squinted at him. “How far are we from the nearest town?”
“About a three-day ride,” Deku said, leaning back from the fire to look at Katsuki. “You’re lucky we were even this high up in the mountains.”
“I need to get home,” Katsuki said, trying to drive the point in.
“I don’t know where your home is,” Deku said slowly like an apology. “I will take you to the nearest town, but it will be a few days.”
Bile rose in Katsuki’s throat and he struggled to bite it back. “This can’t be fucking happening,” he said under his breath. The remorse on Deku’s face only made Katsuki angrier. The fire was hot on his shoulders, but he refused to turn over.
Katsuki was woken early in the morning. The fire had burned down to a pile of smoldering embers and Deku was packing a bag near it. He watched the green-haired stranger for a few moments before getting up himself.
Deku smiled as he rose. “I’ll take you down to our main camp. The rest of the group should be ready to leave by the time we get there.” He offered some of the leftover meat to Katsuki.
A proper meal sounded amazing, but the bits of rabbit would have to do. Just as Deku had said, the storm passed and what was left was a quiet blanket of snow. Katsuki lingered at the edge of the cave until Deku got a few feet out and looked back at him in confusion.
They hiked down the mountain through the snow in relative silence. There was a small hope that he’d wake up, that everything was just a bad dream. To be bested by a villain so easily and left without a way to fight back. Embarrassing.
Katsuki couldn’t talk even if he wanted to. His throat had closed up a long time ago. He ignored how Deku kept glancing at him.
“We’re almost there,” Deku said when Katsuki stopped at an outcrop.
From the vantage point, Katsuki could see where the mountains sloped into hills and valleys, even a river in the distance. He racked his brain for a place that might look like this. Countless came to mind. The only thing he was sure of was that he was on Earth.
He turned to Deku. “Do you have a quirk?”
“A. . .quirk?” Deku repeated like it was a new word on his tongue. “I don’t know what that is.” He pressed his knuckles to his chin in thought. “That’s a strange word. What does it—” He stopped when Katsuki shoved him back a step.
“Don’t play stupid with me!” Katsuki yelled, balling his hands up in Deku’s shirt. “A quirk damn it! A power! I don’t know what your angle is but I’m not fucking playing!”
Deku leaned away from his grip and pulled Katsuki’s hands from his shirt. “I’m not playing any angle,” he said slowly and kept a tight hold on Katsuki’s hands. “You say power and some of our people do carry magic of some kind. But I’ve never heard magic be called a ‘quirk’.”
Katsuki stared into his earnest green eyes with the feeling of free fall in his stomach. “That’s not possible,” he found himself whispering. Before Deku could say something, Katsuki pulled away and kept walking down the mountain.
“Wait,” Deku called but if anything, Katsuki walked faster. He’d be running if it weren’t for the snow. Deku caught up and grabbed Katsuki by the arm. “Just—Wait a second!”
Katsuki ripped out of his grip and spun around, seething. Deku stumbled back but caught himself. “Just take me to the town. If you try to stop me from leaving, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
Deku frowned like he was trying to decide if that threat was credible or not. But he nodded. “If that’s what you’d like.” He moved passed Katsuki. “The camp is just over this next slope.”
The sight of tents and fire was welcomed. People too. The camp wasn’t very large but everyone turned at their arrival and gathered to meet them.
All their eyes were on Katsuki. Some confused, some suspicious. They looked at each other, muttering under their breath. The one that stepped forward shifted his eyes from Katsuki to Deku. “What’s this, Izuku?”
“The shooting star,” Izuku explained, almost excited. He brought himself back and glanced at Katsuki. “I found him nearly dead in the snow after it fell on the mountain.”
“Fell from the sky?” someone echoed.
The questions and looks made Katsuki bristle. They were all dressed in leathers and fur. Just like Deku. It filled him with unease, all of the strangeness nagging at him.
Deku took a step forward, cutting off their chatter. “We should move out. I’d like to make a good amount of ground before dark.”
The others nodded and split off to do their duties. Katsuki looked over at Deku. He was younger than some of the people in the camp, but he was clearly the leader.
Deku returned with two horses in hand and offered one to Katsuki, but his hand dropped when Katsuki didn’t take the reins.
“I’m not riding that thing,” Katsuki said earning an irritatingly amused look from Deku.
“Walking out of here isn’t an option, Kacchan.” He offered the reins again. “This is Winnie she’s sweet. Just let her lead.”
With a roll of his eyes, Katsuki took the lead and glared at Deku until he walked off. He turned his attention to the horse sniffing his hair. She snorted, startling him.
Katsuki backed up a step and met the horse's glassy eyes. She snorted again and gave the lead a tug. Shouts came from the others, exciting the horses and she stomped her hooves. Katsuki pulled back on the lead, muttering curses under his breath as she fought him.
“Woah,” Deku said coming up beside him quickly. The horse settled down as he petted her face. “Excited to go, aren't you, girl?” He smiled and looked at Katsuki, that same amused glint in his eyes. “You don’t have to fight her.”
Katsuki stiffened when Deku grabbed his hand and pressed it to the horse’s cheek. She snorted and took a step forward. Deku’s hand placed firmly on his back made it so he wasn’t able to move away.
“See,” Deku said as Katsuki moved his hand to the horse’s nose, “you just have to trust her.”
“Who still travels by horse?" Katsuki muttered, taking a deep breath after Deku left.
The others mounted their horses, the camp completely packed up and little trace of it existing. Deku did the same and pointedly nodded for Katsuki to follow suit. He smiled when Katsuki did, though a bit wobbly in the saddle. He clicked his tongue against his teeth and the stead moved slowly forward. “Is there a better way to travel?” Deku asked.
Katsuki mimicked the sound and his horse immediately trotted forward up to Deku’s side. “I can think of a dozen right now,” he said. The party was already moving down the mountain ahead of them. There seemed to be a trail they were following.
Beside him, Deku laughed. “It sounds like you come from a strange place.”
Strange.
Katsuki rolled the word over in his head. He was the strange one. He’d fallen from the sky in a ball of light. Ripped from his life.
“You all call quirks, magic, right?”
“I believe so.”
Katsuki looked at the others riding ahead of them. Eyes bouncing from one to another. “What kind do they have?”
Deku frowned in thought. “Well, only a few of them have magic. Aizawa, Denki, Iida, and Mina,” he explained, pointing to them in turn. “Do you have magic?”
“Yes,” Katsuki forced out but drew his hands into fists under the cloak, hoping that the sickening feeling in his stomach wasn’t showing on his face. Or maybe it was because Deku didn’t ask any more questions.
They fell into silence but it bubbled with wayward glances and lips parting to say something but ultimately pressing closed. It was only when the party pulled to a stop and started unloading to set up camp that Deku said something.
“I’ll have them set up a tent for you.”
“Why can’t we travel through the night?” Katsuki asked, half falling from the saddle. He brushed himself off.
Deku moved through the camp with purpose, but Katsuki kept close. “It’s too dark and dangerous. Besides, the horses need to rest.” He stopped and turned to look at Katsuki. “ You should be resting.” His eyes softened and Katsuki felt the pit return to his stomach. He spoke in nearly a whisper. “I’m not even sure how you’re alive. It’s a miracle I found you out there.”
Katsuki was left to wonder as Deku walked off. He looked up at the mountain peak with a nervous gulp.
The villain could have just left him die up there. Maybe that was the plan, and it truly was a miracle that Deku found him.
Or maybe it was something else. He wasn’t sure.
The long ride left Katsuki restless. He watched the people around him through the evening. They were carefree. Teasing each other. Leaning in to whisper when he walked by.
“How far are we from the town?”
Deku paused washing his face and shook the water from his hands. Behind him, Katsuki tapped his foot anxiously, arms crossed over his chest and brooding. “We should be there by sundown tomorrow,” he said, turning around to look at Katsuki. His eyes pinched at the corners; mouth pressed into a hard line. “Have you remembered anything new?” Deku asked carefully.
Katsuki knew what he meant. The snow squeaked under his boots as he shifted his weight. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
A heavy breath fogged out of Deku’s nose. “I’m not sure what to think right now, Kacchan.” He looked up and shook his head. “I’ve seen all sorts of magic, but I’ve never seen someone fall out of the sky like you did.”
A lump lodged in the back of Katsuki’s throat.
“There must be something you remember,” Deku said. He took a step forward but stopped when Katsuki backed up.
“I was fighting a villain,” Katsuki said. The moment was so sharp and clear in his mind. Everything was going according to their plan. “I was hit with a blast and then everything went dark and—weird.”
Deku’s frown softened as he listened. “I’ll do everything I can to help you return home. Wherever that is.” He hesitated before leaving Katsuki on the bank of the stream with the sun rising.
Katsuki crouched down and looked at his reflection. It was only a few inches deep but he wished the water could swallow him whole for a few seconds. The sudden sounds of shouting echoed around the snowy landscape.
He was a little surprised to see Winnie trotting over to him. She nudged her nose at his chest with a snort. “I don’t have treats for you, you damn beast,” he muttered and still scratched her behind the ears. “You wouldn’t happen to know how to get back to Japan, would you?”
She snorted and lifted her head when more shouts were made to get a move on.
“Didn’t think so,” Katsuki huffed before getting in the saddle.
He was left to ride near the back of the party. Katsuki looked at his bare hands. The cold always made it harder to use his quirk and it was cold enough to make his fingers go numb.
But not being able to even produce a whiff of smoke unnerved him. He tried for hours on Winnie’s back to get a spark, stopping only when Winnie trotted through a shallow part of the river he’d seen from the mountain.
As the sun began to set on his left, anxiousness turned in Katsuki’s stomach. His knuckles were white on the reins, and he was keenly aware of every step Winnie took.
With night falling, more and more lights lit in the distance. There were people waiting for them, but their curious eyes turned to him.
Katsuki was used to awestruck attention but he got the feeling it was unusual to see new people.
He looked around at the short houses with thatch roofs. The horse's hooves clacked on the cobblestone streets. He didn’t know what to make of the oil lamps that barely lit the road.
The people stared at him, taking in his otherness.
Maybe it was panic that drove Katsuki to get off Winnie. Maybe it was desperation. He pushed his way through the crowd, stumbling down the street. It didn’t matter what store he went to or who he asked, no one knew who he was or where he was from.
Eventually, Katsuki found himself in the town square. The people busying around him paid no mind as he looked up at a towering statue of Deku. Katsuki gritted his teeth, eyes burning.
These people didn’t know him. The land around him was unfamiliar.
Everything was strange.
And worst of all, his quirk was gone.
Katsuki sniffed, struggling to hold himself together. He wanted to scream and shout and fight whoever had done this to him.
Because this was not his world, and he did not belong.
“Kacchan?”
Katsuki straightened but did not look at Deku. “Who the hell are you?”
Despite the large statue in the middle of town, the people barely glanced at Deku. Regardless, Katsuki was sure statues weren’t just given to anyone. He wondered who the man with green hair and horribly kind eyes truly was.
A small smile titled Deku’s lip. He walked a few steps forward but startled Katsuki when he knelt. It caught the attention of the townspeople and they stopped to watch.
“What the hell—!” Katsuki whisper-yelled in slight panic before being cut off.
“King Izuku Midoriya of Yuuei,” Deku said, his face turned up towards Katsuki. “I am the ninth ruler of this land.” He stood, stepping in close to Katsuki and grabbing the cloak so he couldn’t pull away. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “As I promised, I will help you in any way I can.”
“Are you fucking crazy?” Katsuki hissed back. He shot glares at the crowd when he heard laughter.
Deku only smiled and finally stepped away. He turned to the people watching. “This is Katsuki,” he said, “he’s from a far land, so forgive him if he says strange things.”
The people laughed again, and Deku smiled at his glare.
“My home is just down the road,” Deku said, speaking so only Katsuki could hear him. “You’ll be safe and warm there.”
Katsuki nearly declined the offer, but the promise of somewhere warm drove him to accept.
It was a short walk, but Katsuki didn’t expect to see a castle. Maybe he should’ve since Deku claimed to be a king. Nearly everyone who had traveled with them seemed to live in the castle. He was shown to a room by a young woman.
The room wasn’t grand but it was warm as promised and had a bed. Katsuki sunk into the furs and thick blankets with a sigh.
Before he could pounder everything that had happened to him, Katsuki closed his eyes and sleep had the mercy of taking him.
The village of Yuuei was quiet in comparison to the bustling city Katsuki was used to. The only real noise was the sound of people chatting outside his door as they walked by and the clang of weapons in the training yard. A pit of hard-packed dirt, barren of any grass or snow.
Katsuki sat on the windowsill with the glass cracked open, catching bits and pieces of the conversations below. More than anything, he watched the way they fought. Most used weapons, leather and metal protecting their bodies.
The ones who possess quirks, or magic as they called it, seamlessly integrated the power into their fighting style. Arcs of lighting fanning out at every clash of steel. A nick of a blade that left another paralyzed for a few minutes. Speed unlike any Katsuki had seen.
Beyond that was a short distance of trees and then the town. It surrounded the castle. Small homes and shops with winding roads. When night fell, lights were lifted and hung. Along the outskirts was a much larger building. It was positioned between two mountain peaks, perfectly catching the sunrise every morning.
From the window, Katsuki watched as people from the village walked to that building at the edge of town. A temple perhaps. He wondered what it was that these people held in such high regard.
Once the sun rose over the roof of the temple, there was always a knock at his door. Just a couple quick raps and then footsteps walking away. Katsuki watched the shadow of their feet under the door, knowing there was a tray of food waiting for him.
Even though his stomach growled, he did not move. With his head rested back against the stone walls of the castle, Katsuki watched as the sun rose from between the two peaks sending a golden haze over the village and land around it.
Given different circumstances, it could have been beautiful. But if anything, it only added fuel to the anger smoldering in Katsuki’s veins. A reminder of everything taken from him. It was useless to dwell. He knew that, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
Every flex of his hands felt stiff and out of place. There were still ash marks from when he’d shoved his hands into the morning coals.
He’d cried in relief.
Feeling the familiar extreme heat. For a second, Katsuki could almost imagine he was setting off a blast.
Katsuki still held one of the coals in his hand, turning it over as he watched the spars below him. It was nearly cold.
But he could touch it.
That’s what mattered to him.
While his sweat didn’t ignite anymore, he was still built for his quirk. Getting back his quirk would be a far more challenging endeavor.
He had to wonder if there was someone in this world that could send him back to his own, or if he was confined to this new world for the rest of his life.
The cold coal in his hand gave no answers.
If Yuuei held answers, he wouldn’t find them in his room.
Over the last few days, a number of items had been left at his door. Several sets of new clothes included. Katsuki looked at himself in the mirror with an unimpressed groan. The strangeness of the world extended to the clothing. The shirt felt stiff and stark white with newness. The pants were much more comfortable, but the leather lacing in the front took a moment to figure out. The boots felt a size too big, but they were worn in and comfortable.
Upon opening the door, the hall and room below were quiet. Katsuki sidestepped the tray of food left at his door. He secured the green cloak as he walked down the hall.
There were many doors. Katsuki peeked into a few, finding several bedrooms. He found a meeting room and a weapons room before finding a staircase. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think the castle was abandoned.
But once Katsuki stepped outside, he could hear shouts and fighting. The noises echoed off the stone as Katsuki wandered the grounds. The sight of a crowd of snowmen made him raise a brow.
So much was familiar and yet, so different.
A snort caught his attention. Katsuki was surprised to see Winnie trotting towards him. She slowed to a walk and lowered her head.
“I like you,” Katsuki said, getting a snort in response. “Nice and quiet.” He smiled when she sniffed him. “No treats this time either.”
Katsuki came around her side, letting his hand slide over her tan hair. Felt her huge body breathe and muscles shift under his palm. Katsuki rested against her shoulder and crossed his arms, giving a sideways glance when she turned to look at him, one glassy, brown eye blinking. “This isn’t my world, is it?”
Winnie blinked away and lowered her head to chew on the bits of grass struggling through the snow at her hooves.
Katsuki sighed, resting his head on her back.
There was a hawk circling overhead, high in the clear sky. Not a single cloud. Crisp and blue and cold. Katsuki blew out a breath like a stream of smoke. Somewhere nearby there was a bird singing and the voices of women returning from wherever they’d gone. The sounds of fighting were still prevalent.
Curiosity finally got the best of him, and Katsuki went to see their fighting up close. Winnie stayed put, happy to eat grass. As Katsuki rounded the corner the wind picked up. The metal clasp of the cloak strained before Katsuki managed to get a grip on the thick wool.
The path down to the training pit was packed snow. It was well used. Katsuki had watched them train for hours, sometimes into the night with torches burning. They didn’t notice his presence, so Katsuki leaned against the side of the shed. The shadowed area blocked most of the wind.
“Come on!” one called. “I’m freezing my ass off out here!”
“You can’t freeze what you don’t have, Denki.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes but the lightning arcing off the clash of blades drew his attention. It was a friendly fight. Clearly, they knew each other well and had trained together for a long time. The others standing around the pit called out cheers.
The spar ended with the yellow-haired one, Denki, on the ground with his hands raised. He let out a defeated laugh and accepted the hand of his opponent.
Katsuki straightened when he saw Deku enter the sparring ring and clap the two on the shoulders. He was too far away to hear what they were talking about, but the two fighters took whatever he said with serious nods.
Deku turned but stopped abruptly when he saw Katsuki, catching the attention of the others. He smiled warmly but Katsuki bristled at the attention. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he rolled back on his heels with a tense breath. “Would you like to join us, Kacchan?”
“You think Sleeping Beauty can fight?”
The answer to decline that Katsuki was about to say vanished. “What the hell did you just say?” he bit out.
Deku looked at him, curious about the question himself. “You said there is magic where you come from, do your people use it to fight as well?”
It was a well-meaning question, but it only served to agitate Katsuki further. He unclasped the cloak and laid it on the snow drift before marching right up to the smug bastard who’d insulted him. “You want to find out, lanky bastard?”
He snorted and backed into the training pit; arms spread in welcome. “Let’s see what our fallen snow angel’s capable of, huh.”
Katsuki slid down the shallow slope as he pushed up the arms of his shirt.
“Hand to hand, I’ll make it easy for ya.”
“Sero,” Deku called from behind them, his voice tight, “I don’t think—”
“Shut it, Deku,” Katsuki said, his eyes narrowed on Sero. The last nightmare of a week was bubbling. All the pent-up anger and frustration.
It made his breath shake. Katsuki wouldn’t be surprised if the flurries the wind picked up were steaming off his body.
The others standing around cheered as Sero moved first. Katsuki easily sidestepped the attack and rounded a kick that connected between his shoulder blades with a crack. Sero landed in the dirt, wheezing and earning gasps from those watching.
He heard electricity crackle and turned to Denki entering the pit with slow steps. He shrugged as Katsuki looked at him. “Can’t let you waste my bro like that.”
Katsuki raised his fists. “Give it your best shot, Dunce.”
There was nothing conductive in the pit. The lightning wrapped around the blond’s body even as he attempted to attack. Katsuki leaped over him, skidding through the dirt as he landed and was sure that Denki would have to touch him for the energy to transfer.
He dodged and sidestepped until Denki was frustrated and breathing hard.
“Stand still, damn it!” he yelled before shifting on his back foot, attempting to pivot as Katsuki faked right. Realizing his mistake, Denki wiped around only to meet a fist to the face.
He stumbled back, blood dripping from his nose. In his daze, Katsuki sunk his boot into Denki’s stomach. He sneered and dragged Denki by the collar of his shirt to lie by Sero.
“How about a challenge?” he asked, watching as a silent debate took place.
“Very well,” a taller man said. “It would not be kind to refuse our guest.”
“Dont hold back, Iida!”
Katsuki took in his prim and proper appearance, not sure what to make of him. This one was fast; Katsuki knew that from his days of watching. He raised his fists and edged back. Just as he suspected, Iida came at him hard and quick.
He was nothing but a blur. Just as Katsuki was getting the hang of blocking his punches, he shifted tactics. Katsuki lost sight of the others outside of the pit as dust was kicked up around him.
The force of the wind knocked Katsuki back a few steps and the tornado narrowed.
Katsuki dropped back his head in a laugh. “You think you’ve done it now, don’t you?” he called. He heard flickers of cheers through the dirt and snow whirling around him.
He used to hate these training exercises. Hours of getting shot with tennis balls trying to fight an invisible enemy.
That was over a decade ago. Katsuki grinned, shifting his weight as the tornado narrowed further. He never needed his quirk for those exercises. Even with the cover, even with the speed, his opponent wasn’t invisible.
The glasses flew off Iida’s face as he ran full force into Katsuki's leg and was launched backward. The dust settled like a cloud of smoke to silence and wide eyes. Even Sero and Denki were sitting up, mouths hanging open.
“I’ve only ever seen Izuku beat Iida’s tornado,” one of the girls whispered in mute shock.
“I’ll fight you,” the other girl said, striding towards Katsuki. She smiled. “I’m Ochako. It’s Katsuki, right?”
Katsuki stepped away from Iida to face her. “You got magic?”
“No,” she said, shifting her footing. “But that doesn’t seem to be slowing you down either.”
She was good, he’d give her that. Even got the upper hand at some points. Everyone but Deku lay around him in different degrees of recovery.
Katsuki expected anger from Deku or at least annoyance that he had so easily beaten his friends. But Deku gazed down at him in wonder and awe. It unsettled Katsuki. He drew his battered hands into fists, biting down on how they stung from the cold.
“You think you’re too good to fight me?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at the man who’d saved him.
Deku’s smile faltered but he descended into the pit. “You’ve proved yourself plenty, Kacchan,” he said quietly.
“Fight me, coward,” Katsuki said, grabbing the front of Deku’s shirt.
“Alright. If that’s what you want,” Deku said. The smile returned to his face. “You are a great warrior, Kacchan. You’ll have to tell me about your fights sometime.”
“Stop yapping—” Katsuki tensed as Deku vanished even faster than Iida. The hair rose on the back of his neck. He saw the blur of green just before Deku rammed into his side. Katsuki rolled through the dirt and pushed himself up, wheezing for air.
Deku watched him with a keen eye.
The thrill that rushed through Katsuki made him grin. “That’s more like it,” he said.
It took him longer to nail down Deku’s pacing, but he got a solid punch to Deku’s cheek that earned him shocked cheers and a surprised look on Deku’s face. But he recovered quickly, and the fight carried on.
Magic.
Quirks.
They seemed to be the same. But as he barely made it through all of Deku’s blows and quick moves, Katsuki struggled to make sense of Deku. He looked at Deku, blood seeping from his cheek. “What the hell are you?”
He only got a grin in response before he was thrown back. Katsuki landed outside the dirt pit and knew his ribs were broken.
Katsuki forced himself up, swaying slightly as his blood rushed. He met Deku’s hard gaze and flexed his fingers.
“Kacchan, I think that’s eno—” Deku fell short as Katsuki jumped, his eyes widening.
Katsuki hung in the air for a second, the thrill of a fight igniting in his blood. He threw his hand out, fingers poised to center a blast that never came. The sudden drop brought with it the sickening reminder. Katsuki landed in the dirt, sucking in clipped breaths.
“Kacchan?” Deku asked in a near whisper.
He met green eyes and hated the bitterness that welled up inside him. Katsuki got to his feet.
“Kacchan, wait.”
He ignored Deku’s pleas and grabbed the cloak before storming off.
“Go after him, please. I know I broke his ribs.”
“Of course, Izuku.”
Katsuki ignored them. He knew nothing of the castle grounds, but he needed space. He stumbled through the woods until he couldn’t bear to walk anymore. Broken ribs for sure, but the snow felt nice on his feverish skin. The tree tops high above him swayed in the wind. Bare branches rattling against each other and limbs creaking.
He heard footsteps approaching but didn’t have the energy to move. Ochako smiled as she knelt beside him.
“It wasn’t smart of you to run off like that injured,” she said as she pushed up Katsuki’s shirt. “This will help the bones set. You’ll be good as new in a couple days.”
Katsuki hissed as she slathered something on his side.
Ochako leaned back with a worried frown and moved her hand to his forehead. “You’re burning up,” she said. “I told Izuku that nearly freezing to death would make you sick.” She rummaged through her satchel until she found what she was looking for and pressed it to Katsuki’s lips. “This will bring your fever down.”
It took a few seconds, but Katsuki felt the wash of cold and breathed out a sigh of relief. He lifted his hand and looked at his palm wanting nothing more than to feel a spark.
“Come on, up,” Ochako ordered. “Let’s get you home.”
Home.
Katsuki almost laughed but he was afraid that if he did, he would cry instead.