Cat's Rule the world.... since when?!

Battle Lines Drawn

The chaos of the battle raged all around me, but I was focused, moving swiftly through the halls of the mansion, trying to find him. My body still thrummed with adrenaline from the last skirmish, and the bruises on my knuckles were a dull ache, but it didn't matter. I had one goal: find Kacchan.

I rounded a corner and there he was, standing in the middle of the hallway, barking orders to his men, his face twisted in that usual scowl of his. He looked furious, but there was something else too—determination, maybe even a little worry. His eyes flicked to me the moment I came into view.

"Where the hell have you been, Deku?" His voice was sharp, but I could tell he was more relieved than angry.

"I was handling things," I said, coming to stand beside him. The moment I got close enough, he smacked the back of my head, not too hard, but enough to make his point.

"Idiot! I told you to stay out of this!" he snarled, but his voice cracked at the end. I could tell he wasn't just mad—I had worried him.

I rubbed the back of my head, annoyed but not surprised by his reaction. "You know I can handle myself. I'm not just some helpless pet."

He was about to snap something back, but before he could, we heard the sound of footsteps—lots of them—echoing down the hallway. The enemy was closing in.

Kacchan's expression shifted immediately, his eyes narrowing as he turned to face the incoming threat. Without missing a beat, I reached out, snatching the gun from the holster on his hip.

"Deku, what the—?"

I didn't give him time to finish. The first of the attackers appeared at the end of the hall, and I was already in motion. I raised the gun, steadying my grip as I aimed and fired. The shot was precise, the bullet hitting its mark. The man crumpled to the ground, and I didn't stop. Another shot, another one down. My hands were steady, movements fluid and sharp. It was like second nature at this point.

In the corner of my vision, I saw Kacchan staring at me, his mouth slightly open, clearly taken aback by how easily I had slipped into this role. I wasn't just dodging and running anymore—I was actively fighting, holding my ground.

"Deku..." he muttered under his breath, still watching me as I took down another guy. "Since when the hell could you shoot like that?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I met his eyes for just a moment, giving him a small nod as if to say I've got this. It wasn't just me proving myself to him—it was about showing Kacchan that I wasn't the same kid from back then, the one who would follow him around, quirkless and weak.

Kacchan didn't say anything for a long moment. I could feel the weight of his gaze, like he was assessing me, maybe for the first time really seeing me as an equal. Then, just as quickly, his lips curled into a grin—a wild, dangerous grin.

"Fine," he said finally, his tone dropping into something more approving. "You're better than I thought. But don't get cocky, Deku." He jabbed a finger into my chest, his grin widening. "Don't you dare get yourself killed. Or else... I'll kill you myself!"

It was a threat, but it wasn't really. It was Kacchan's messed-up way of saying he cared, that he didn't want to lose me out here. I nodded, smirking back at him. "You too. Don't die on me, Kacchan."

His eyes flashed with something that almost looked like pride, but before I could think too much about it, the next wave of enemies stormed into the hallway. Kacchan and I exchanged one last glance, then we both moved, side by side.

I fired again, knocking down the closest threat, and Kacchan followed up with an explosive punch that sent two men flying into the wall. The noise was deafening, but it didn't matter. We were in sync, covering each other's backs, moving like we'd fought together for years.

The attackers kept coming, but none of them could get close. Between my sharp shooting and Kacchan's relentless barrage of explosions, they didn't stand a chance. The hallway filled with smoke and the scent of gunpowder, and the sounds of bodies hitting the ground were almost drowned out by the chaos.

The heat of battle surged in my veins. For the first time, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be—not running, not hiding, but standing at Kacchan's side, fighting for survival. Every shot I fired, every step I took, was calculated, focused. The hero training kicked in, and even without a quirk, I was holding my own in this warzone.

Kacchan's laughter echoed in the hall. "You're better than I thought, Deku! Not bad for a dumbass who never listens!"

I chuckled under my breath, my eyes still focused on the enemies ahead. "You're not too bad yourself, Kacchan. You always were good at blowing stuff up."

Another explosion rocked the hallway as Kacchan unleashed a larger blast, taking out a group of enemies that had been trying to flank us. He glanced at me again, his usual smirk plastered on his face.

"Don't slow me down!" he yelled over the noise, his voice full of that familiar Bakugo fire.

I grinned back. "Wouldn't dream of it."

We moved forward, cutting down the remaining attackers one by one. The hallways of the mansion were a battlefield now, and the bodies of our enemies littered the floor, but Kacchan and I kept going, refusing to give an inch.

When the last man fell, the silence was almost deafening. The smoke hung heavy in the air, and I could feel the tension still vibrating through my muscles. But we had done it. We had cleared the hall. I looked over at Kacchan, who was panting slightly, his eyes blazing with that same unyielding determination.

He didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at me like he was weighing something in his mind. Then, finally, he let out a rough laugh. "You're a pain in the ass, Deku. But I'll give you this—you're not bad."

Coming from Kacchan, that was about the highest praise I could get. I wiped the sweat from my brow, my heart still racing from the fight. "Thanks, Kacchan. You're not bad yourself."

He barked out a laugh, the tension in the air breaking for just a moment. But then his face turned serious again, his eyes locking onto mine. "Just remember... don't let your guard down. We're not done yet."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words. This was just the beginning. The real fight was still ahead of us, and I knew we'd need everything we had to make it out alive.

But for now, we had each other's backs. And that was enough.

As we moved forward, preparing for the next wave, I glanced over at Kacchan one more time. "Let's finish this."

His grin was feral. "Damn right."