Quirkless

You Should've Taken the Win

Katsuki waited in the agency gym. He tapped his wrist rhythmically, just as his therapist had taught him. It was supposed to soothe his sympathetic nervous system or something, and he needed all the soothing he could get. He moved to tapping his thumb and watched the clock.

He'd been looking forward to getting out some of his energy since Asuka had agreed to the fight. He didn't plan to hold back - he wanted a solid idea of her skill set - and he hadn't had a proper opponent in a while.

Deku had been busy, and Kirishima's position at Fatgum's agency in Sendai made it hard to make a trip out. Katsuki hadn't seen his best friend in forever. While he always missed him like crazy, right now he mostly missed the fact that he could blast him across the room without worrying about it, because, well, old habits die hard. Just because he was working on healthy coping mechanisms now didn't mean he couldn't be destructive every once in a while.

He was especially glad she'd agreed to the two rounds - one without quirk/support equipment, one with - so he could see what she could do. He trusted Aizawa, obviously, but that didn't mean he wasn't anxious about a stranger protecting Deku. The nerd wasn't the type to stay inside and safe, so Katsuki was sure Asuka would have to rescue him eventually.

The door to the gym slammed shut, startling him from his thoughts. Asuka was at the entrance, looking guilty at the noise.

"Yeah, they need to fix the damper on the door," he said, loud enough that his voice carried across the gym. "It always does that."

Katsuki watched his opponent approach. He hadn't been able to properly judge her figure yesterday, but now he could see she was well-built, in a functional way. Probably a runner, judging from her muscle tone she didn't spend much time lifting. She definitely hadn't dressed to impress, wearing well-worn gym gear that did nothing for her flat chest. She'd braided her hair back and secured it in a tight bun. It was probably a smart move. He wasn't usually the type to fight dirty, but sparring quirkless meant all bets were off.

He shifted uncomfortably in the tight tank he'd worn specifically because it made his arms look amazing. He always wanted everyone around him to know how sexy he was, but Asuka's apparent apathy to her appearance made him feel more vain than attractive. That said, she didn't have to worry that one frumpy day would spark fifty news articles about how the great DynaMight was hitting rock bottom. Ah, the joys of being a hero.

Asuka stopped in front of him, setting the duffel bag she'd brought carefully on the floor.

"So," she said, rubbing her hands together, either in nervousness or excitement, he couldn't tell. "You ready?"

He nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

I'm glad I put down mats, Katsuki thought as Asuka flipped him face first into the ground. She quickly knelt on top of his back, yanking his arm up until his shoulder screamed, other hand grasping his neck, fingers expertly placed close to carotid arteries. He struggled for a second, but as soon as he got leverage, her hand tightened. He saw spots in his vision and relaxed into the mat. "Yield," he growled.

He felt the pressure on his back and shoulder disappear immediately. Katsuki almost expected her to gloat about taking down the great DynaMight, but she just offered him a smile and her outstretched hand.

He took it and stood, rubbing his shoulder.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked. Her tone was flat enough that he wasn't sure if she was teasing or being sincere.

"No," he answered, "just haven't been pinned like that in a while."

Asuka's face lit up with a grin that reminded him of Deku's when he got the upper hand on Katsuki with a new move. He wouldn't be surprised if it turned out they were actually related.