𝔸 𝔾𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕎𝕒𝕤 𝕆𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕖 💥𝔹𝕒𝕜𝕦𝔻𝕖𝕜𝕦💥

SteppingStone

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Chapter 5

Katsuki cradled Deku against him, clinging to the one person he swore he'd never care about, not understanding why this was affecting him so greatly. This wasn't him—this wasn't what he signed up for. Heroes don't crumble, don't feel the sting of weakness. But here he was, feeling like his damn heart had been ripped out of his chest. The only thing he ever cared about was his aggressive intuition to be the best, to be the number 1 hero. The people around him were nothing more than steppingstones for him to walk on to achieve his goal.

And then there was that one stubborn pebble, always in his damn shoe. Deku. An annoying rock that clung to him, refused to let go, and held on for dear life. Katsuki despised him, wished he'd vanish. Hell, he even told him to go kill himself once. But the damn nerd never quit. Even going as far as to become All Might's successor to obtain OFA.

When Deku started surpassing him, the resentment burned hotter than hell. But now, facing this devastation, that rage fizzled out, leaving behind nothing but smoldering embers of pain. Katsuki cried in agony, wrestling with emotions that felt alien. In that moment, he grasped the depth of how much he truly cared for Deku, the profound impact the nerd had on his life. Deku... no, Izuku wasn't just a pebble; he was a damn vital piece of Katsuki's existence, one he damn well never wanted to lose.

Katsuki, who never believed in anyone or anything, found himself silently praying for someone—anyone—to save Izuku.

And then, like the universe tuned in, a blue light flickered in his jeans pocket, causing him to stop abruptly. The damn tracker was finally on. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as static buzzed through the earpiece, and Katsuki's desperate prayers seemed to have been answered. He carefully put Deku down and fumbled for the earpiece to communicate with the incoming help.

"Bakugo, we should be ri—" Uraraka's voice crackled through but cut off abruptly as Katsuki roared into the earpiece, "HURRY THE FUCK UP, HE'S DYING!"

As if the heavens responded, dust rained down. The lone light source flickered, then died, plunging him back into darkness.

"We're coming as fast as we can, but there's debris in our way," Iida's voice echoed through the earpiece.

"We'll prep the med kit for when we get there," a male voice added, the static barely masking the urgency.

Katsuki's heart pounded. Groans above signaled salvation inching closer.

Turning back to Deku, he felt for him, leaning forward to rest his head against the nerd's chest. His heartbeat was faint. Katsuki shielded him from falling debris, muttering impatiently, "Come on, what the fuck is taking so damn long?"

Minutes stretched like an eternity until muffled voices reached his ears. Katsuki gazed up into the darkness, a sliver of light piercing through. "Fuck," he muttered, shielding his eyes. Avoiding the light, he double-checked Deku, ensuring no debris landed on him.

"Bakugo! Can you hear me?" A voice called down. Katsuki shot to his feet.

"Get us the fuck out of here! Goddammit, he's dying!" Katsuki's scream echoed, desperate and anguished.

Concrete slabs shifted as flashlights pierced the darkness. The rescue team was nearing. Kirishima came into view as he pushed aside floating debris, assuring as he saw the fear in Katsuki's eyes, "Bakubro, don't worry, we're here."