Lightning in the Ashes (Katsuki Bakugou x OC Fem)

Chapter 17: The Final Blow

The evening began peacefully enough, despite the tension simmering between Valerie and the boys after their training session. Valerie had gained a new and improved suit thanks to Endeavour and his team. 

The patrol had an almost serene atmosphere, with the group casually navigating the streets and playfully bantering. The sky was painted in twilight hues, and the soft hum of city life surrounded them. Katsuki was grumbling about some minor annoyance while Valerie couldn't help but chuckle, the sound dancing between them like a melody. Shoto, with his usual bluntness, leaned in closer to Valerie, his eyes narrowing as he observed her.

"Why do you have bruises on your hips?" Shoto whispered, his tone genuinely concerned but so matter-of-fact that Valerie could only blink in surprise.

Valerie's cheeks burned a deep crimson, and Katsuki immediately growled, his voice laced with irritation. "Back off, Icy Hot. That's none of your damn business."

Shoto's expression remained neutral, though his confusion deepened. "But bruises can be signs of injury. If someone hurt you, we should know."

Izuku, who had been listening in, choked on air, his face lighting up with a knowing blush as he desperately tried to focus on anything else. Valerie, still burning with embarrassment, was saved from responding when a strange, almost otherworldly hush fell over the city. The temperature seemed to drop, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

The sky darkened as if consumed by a shadow, clouds twisting and churning in unnatural patterns. The air grew thick, heavy with anticipation and dread. Katsuki's palms began to crackle with small, angry explosions, his instincts on high alert. Shoto's gaze sharpened, and a thin layer of frost began to creep over the pavement. Izuku clenched his fists, his muscles coiling with energy.

And then it happened.

With a thunderous roar, Hurricane descended, a living tempest wrapped in a cloak of chaos. Winds whipped through the city streets, bending metal and tearing up chunks of asphalt. He was a figure of pure destruction, his blue, blazing eyes glowing with cold fury behind a menacing silver steel mask. This time, though, he radiated something far more sinister—an amplified power that sent shivers of dread through everyone present.

Katsuki stepped forward, his jaw set, fire in his eyes. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. Valerie's heart hammered in her chest, her lightning dancing anxiously along her fingertips as she prepared herself for the battle ahead. The whirlwind around Hurricane intensified, and he spoke, his voice a booming echo carried by the violent winds.

"Finally... I found you..."

Valerie and Katsuki immediately took the lead, Valerie's lightning flaring brightly against the chaos. "Stay close, Sparky," Katsuki shouted over the roaring wind. He launched a series of fierce explosions at Hurricane, but the winds snuffed them out like flickering flames.

Hurricane's voice boomed, distorted and powerful. "Do you really think your petty flames can stop me?" He swiped a hand, and a tornado formed instantly, launching Katsuki into the side of a building. He hit the wall hard, collapsing into the rubble below.

"Dynamite!" Valerie screamed, rage coursing through her veins. Her lightning surged, crackling around her body as she rushed at Hurricane. She fired bolt after bolt, blue electricity arcing toward the villain, but he twisted effortlessly, evading each attack with precision. He was too fast, too strong, enhanced beyond recognition.

Deku and Shoto were focusing on the civilians while Valerie stood charged before Hurricane, glaring with her eyes so wide they looked bare. 

"You're weak, Valerie!" Hurricane taunted, his winds pushing her back, forcing her to skid across the pavement. "Do you even know the truth about yourself?"