A/N: This one is dedicated to Kido_Tsukaru and SpottedStar_, two fellow BNHA fans. Guys, I hope this story fulfills all your (possibly nonexistent( dragon riding dreams.
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"RAID!"
The alarm blares out, ferocious and screeching. Katsuki sits bolt upright in his bed, a thousand curses on his tongue as he dresses swiftly. He shoves his gauntlets onto his hands, shoving open his door as the others sprint out of their dorm rooms. Chaos reigns in the hallways, his fellow dragon-slayers-in-training rushing back and forth as they gather their weapons. Bolas, axes, swords--all of the traditional stuff, along with all of their own Quirks and augmentation weapons, are being passed around as All Might directs the slayers-in-training in and out of the armory.
"Kacchan!"
Deku. Of course it's fucking Deku, one of a handful of people who can see right the fuck through him. The shitnerd smiles at him, and it's patronizing as fuck. "Let's get out there and save some people!" he cheers.
"And kill dragons," snaps Katsuki despite the revulsion at the words. He's hated dragons for years, but he's never killed one--not so much as a Terrible Terror. Shitty-Hair killed a Gronkle, Uraraka tore the wings off of a Deathsong--even fucking Deku took out a Nadder--a goddamn Nadder--with that crazy-ass Quirk of his.
And as for him...he can't kill dragons. Not that he'll admit that to himself, but he can't---not up close and personal, anyway. He's taken out dozens of dragons, but he can never bring himself to deal the deathblow
And he fucking hates that.
You're killing a dragon tonight, he snarls to himself as he ducks into the armory, which is now nearly empty. The plan was concocted after his last failure. He'd built one of Deku's bola-throwing contraptions, designed before he showed any sign of not being a Quirkless failure, and the explosive boy plans on using it. So long as he didn't have to look the dragon in the eye, things would be fine.
Katsuki grabs the bola-thrower and races out into the city after his classmates. It is alight with flames, buildings crumbling as dragons blew up building after building. Most of the buildings are wood and steel, all of them regrettably (and fucking stupidly, he thinks) flammable. Their island is pretty isolated, so they had to use whatever was on hand to rebuild, including warped steel and scorched wood. Importation was rare, though they at least have the tech to provide armor and communication. He wheels the contraption through the streets of screaming people and harried fighters, catching sight of Deku slamming a fucking Monstrous Nightmare into the ground with the class rep and Half n' Half.
He keeps running before he can see its neck get snapped and think more traitorous thoughts.
The ash-blonde scrambles to the edge of a bluff near the city's edge, quickly loading up the catapult and setting it into position before waiting. It's a little-known fact that he can, in fact, be patient--especially when waiting for the target that can (and will, Katsuki vows) change his entire life. He won't settle for less unless he has no other choice.
Falling under the category of "lesser motherfucking bitchass dragons" are Gronkles, Zipplebacks, Nadders, Rumblehorns, Monstrous Nightmares, Typhoomerangs, Thunderdrums, Scauldrons, etc. Still, he knows damn fucking well that they're nothing to sniff at--Gronckles are heavily armored, as are Rumblehorns. Zipplebacks have two heads for twice the status. Scauldrons spit lethal boiling water, and Thunderdrums basically fucking yell you to death. Nadders and Razorwhips are two of the most dangerous (and he still can't believe that Deku, of all people, took one down), as are the Monstrous Nightmares (nasty habit of setting themselves on fire; they wreck their steel-and-wood skyscrapers every time) but neither of them compares to---
A high-pitched shrieking noise fills the air, eerie and inhuman--the sound of something flying at top speed. Yes, yes, fuck yes, Katsuki finds himself whispering under his breath, swiveling the bola as everyone, including the dragons, drops and covers their heads. "Night Fury!" someone roars, unnecessarily (probably fucking Endeavor, when he thinks about it). "Get down!"
A fireblast slams into the side of a catapult, toppling it easily. Katsuki straightens a bit, grinning madly as a sleek shape is illuminated for barely a second. Target fucking locked n' loaded.
Night Fury. The most dangerous dragon in the known world. No one's seen it, having only caught glimpses of black scales and an aerodynamic body ready to fuck shit up. There were once two, but one was captured and held within the dragon cells in U.A.; the fuckers who took it down didn't think to take so much as the fucking picture for future reference, and it blew out all the lights and cameras in its cell---hence the lack of pictures or knowledge. But even though they defeated it, the dragon killers that did it lost eyes, teeth, hands, legs, and nearly died trapping it. Killing one has been deemed an impossible task.
And I'm going to the be the first to kill the goddamn bastard, he thought vindictively. "Gimme something to shoot at, fucker," he breathes aloud. "Come on...come on..."
Blasts echo. Someone shouts at him to leave; it's a draw, two students from Gen Ed. were killed and their food supply was raided. But he doesn't move. He can't.
Give me a fucking target.
The shrieking noise picks up again and he tenses, peering through the scope as it grows closer...closer...closer...
Now!
As its attack shatters another two catapults, he has a clear shot, no way he can miss. Katsuki pulls the trigger and watches the bola fly at the beast, hurtling through the sky; the world slows down for a moment and he waits for the verdict with bated breath.
A cry cuts through the air, and he can see a shape that blots out the stars fall from the sky like fucking Icarus. For some reason, his breath catches in his throat, and he feels sick again.
But he's done it. He brought down the Night Fury...and tomorrow, he'll find it and kill it.
I can kill dragons.
He refuses to acknowledge the revulsion at the thought, the disgust at the idea of actually killing a fucking dragon, pushes it aside because this is what he needs to do, no matter what his personal feelings are. He's wanted this for fucking ages, since he was fucking five, and now he's taken down the dragon that no one's ever seen.
And I will kill dragons.
YOU ARE READING
The Brave Men Rode Them
Fanfic"In front of him lies the Night Fury, the most dangerous dragon in the known world, one that he's felled, the one that could prove that he does have what it takes to kill dragons. But its eyes are open, shining and white-gold, and he sees himself re...
