Amethyst. (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

PART 37 - What It Means to Be a Hero

Izuku – POV:

The forest was burning. Blue fire everywhere. It didn't even look real. More like the world itself was breaking apart. The trees were melting into light. Smoke tore at my lungs, and every breath burned, but I couldn't stop. Not now. Kota... please be safe.

The flames spread fast. Someone was doing this on purpose, this wasn't just chaos. Every step I took cracked through ash and heat, sparks catching on my sleeves. My legs hurt. My throat was dry. None of it mattered.

He's just a kid. Alone. If the villains reached him first-

The crackle thinned for a second, and the cliff came into view, the plateau above the camp.

And Kota.

He was on the ground, frozen, eyes wide with panic. His hands clawed at the dirt but he couldn't move. Standing across from him was a man, a monster made of flesh and power. His body looked carved from muscle, cords twisting and swelling as he stepped forward.

He raised one massive arm, slow, casual. As if crushing a child was just another chore.

Kota's voice cracked the air. "Mama! Papa!"

My heart lurched. I kicked off the ground, One For All surging through me, the burst of power tearing against my bones. The world blurred; heat and light smashed together. I reached Kota, grabbed him, and twisted, pulling him against me just as the villain's fist came down.

The impact blew the rock apart behind us. Dust and stone hit my back, pain shooting through my shoulder when we hit the ground. I'd managed to turn in time. Kota was behind me, out of the way. He was okay. That was all that mattered.

Something slipped out of my pocket in the crash. My phone. 

I pushed myself up, dirt and bits of stone grinding into my palms. My shirt was half-torn from the hit, the fabric scorched at the shoulder. No armor, no gloves, nothing to block another one of those punches. The villain hadn't moved far. He stood over us, head tilted like this was all some kind of game. That grin never changed.

"Why?" Kota's voice cracked.

The man gave a short laugh. "Why? You were on the list, kid. Water Hose, right? Your folks made things messy. I'm just cleaning up."

Water Hose... He's the one who killed them. Not now. Focus.

I looked at the phone a few feet away. The screen was split clean through, glass scattered across the rock. Dead.

I didn't tell anyone I was coming. No signal. No help. It's just me.

He started toward us again. Each step made the ground shake. The muscles in his arms shifted and bulged like something crawling under his skin.

My throat was dry. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. Can I even stop him like this?
No, focus. Breathe. One step at a time. You've trained for this. You can't freeze now.

Kota still hadn't moved. He just stared past me, eyes wide, frozen.

Doesn't matter.

I stood up fully, forcing my legs to lock. "It's okay," I said quietly. "Stay behind me."

Green sparks flickered across my arms, faint against the smoke and blue fire.

The man grinned wider. "You've got guts, kid. Let's see how long that lasts."

I set my jaw. "I just have to protect him," I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Then I moved.

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