Inquisitor

- Chapter: 57 -

Katsuo sat in his sitting room, his gaze set on his mask.

Tick.

A clock on the wall slowly counted the seconds.

Tock.

Katsuo looked down at his hands. He had washed them, and when he was fighting with Katsuki he hadn't thought about them, but they still felt dirty.

Tick tock.

Katsuo leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock...

...Tick...

Katsuo opened his eyes and saw his old elementary school classroom. Looking around he saw all his old classmates, sitting in their friend groups and whispering to one another.

He looked around, and saw no one sitting near him.

Katsuo stood up and packed his things, then started leaving the classroom. As he was about to reach the door, another student stuck out his leg and tripped Katsuo. Katsuo fell over and had his packed supplies spill out everywhere.

Katsuo stayed on the ground as the other kids laughed at him.

The kid who tripped him turned to him and asked, "Hey, what's wrong? Why aren't you getting up?" When Katsuo didn't answer, the kid continued, saying, "Oh I get it, you're crying and don't want us to see!"

The rest of the kids in the class started laughing again, this time also hurling insults.

Katsuo stayed on the ground.

"Come on you little cry baby, get up and run away to your mom! Oh, wait." A horrid smile grew on the kid's face. "You don't have one!"

Katsuo stood up and shoveled his supplies back into his bag and walked out of the class, as the other students laughed at him and threw insults at him. As they were dying down, the boy who tripped him ran out and yelled one last thing at him.

"JUST STOP COMING TO SCHOOL, YOU- BZZZT"

Katsuo was startled awake when he heard the buzz of the speakers turning on.

"Katsuo Aizawa, the final match will be starting soon, please make your way down to the field."

Katsuo looked around himself, slightly dazed. 'I must have fallen asleep. Guess using my quirk that much tires me out.' He stood up and stretched with a yawn as he grabbed his mask and started walking to the door.

'Wonder why I dreamt about back then.'

No one was around to see him wipe away his tears.

---

Katsuki walked up into class 1-A's viewing area, with bandages around his wounds, and a cast over his knee, and sat down in an empty corner to try and get some quiet.

His plan failed when the rest of the class crowded around his corner and started asking him questions.

"Hey Bakugou, how'd Aizawa defend that blast?"

"That beam was awesome! Why haven't you used it before?!"

"Are you sure you're okay to be up here?"

"Does your leg hurt?"

"Were you even conscious for that last punch?"

"How did Aizawa use those quirks?"

Bakugou, replied to their questions by yelling, "SHUT UP!!! I HAVE A HEADACHE!!" and the moment he yelled he felt like someone was driving an ice pick through his skull. The students got his message and most of them walked away.

Todoroki however, sat down next to Katsuki.

Katsuki turned to him and asked, "What do you want Icy-Hot?"

Todoroki responded with silence.

Katsuki stared at Todoroki for a few seconds, waiting for a response, when a voice from behind gave him the reason for why he was silent .

"He's not talking because you said to shut up."

"Huh?" Katsuki turned around in his seat and saw Ochaco leaning over her seat to be closer to the two boys. "Who the hell asked you round face?"

"You seemed to be confused, so I guess you did."

"I wasn't! Besides, why are you sitting there?!"

"I wanted to get to know you two better."

Katsuki felt a tic mark appear on his head. "What do you care?"

Ochaco ignored Katsuki's hostility and answered, "You're friends with Midoriya and Aizawa, right? I want to know their friends better."

Katsuki turned forward. "I'm not one of those bastards friends."

Ochaco tilted her head. "Really? But they said you were..."

Katsuki's head swiveled around to face Ochaco and he asked, "Really? They said that?!" in a tone a little bit too happy. He quickly went to fix his slip up, but it was already too late.

Ochaco started giggling and Katsuki's reaction, and at his stammering attempt to change what he said. "You really are a Tsundere."

Katsuki stopped his failing attempt to fix his mistake and yelled back, "I'M NOT A TSUNDERE!!!" He flinched at how loud he was, as another wave of pain went through his skull.

"Umm..." The two looked at Todoroki, who had an unreadable expression on his face. "Can I talk, or am I still supposed to be silent?"

Katsuki sighed and said, "I doubt you could even make a noise that could hurt my head, so go ahead."

Todoroki nodded his head and said, "I'm sitting here because I wanted to ask you what that beam you fired off was."

"Oh, that?" Katsuki looked at Todoroki and saw him nodd ever so slightly. Katsuo held up his hand and started explaining how the beam worked.

"When I first met Katsuo me and him got into a fight. He ended it by taking my quirk and firing that blast into the sky. In order to do it you need to keep an explosion from fully activating and store up power from continuous explosions. It's essentially creating a chain reaction in my hand. At least... that's what I think it is."

Ochaco tilted her head again and asked, "Think?"

Katsuki nodded and continued. "That's how Katsuo explains it, but...when I actually did it, it just felt... different then how I normally use my quirk."

"Wouldn't it feel different because you're using your quirk differently?" Ochaco asked.

"I thought that's all it is, but... It still doesn't feel like that's the answer."

Todoroki asked, "Exactly how does it feel different?"

Katsuki gave Todoroki a quick glance, but had his eyes go to his hand. He pointed it away from them and said, "Normally, I just activate my quirk and an explosion comes out. When I do that, it feels like I'm flexing a muscle. But... " Katsuki started charging his quirk, and quickly stopped. "When I start creating the beam it feels like I'm... Using a different muscle entirely."

Ochaco seemed confused by Katsuki's explanation, while Todoroki nodded slightly.

Todoroki held up both of his arms. "When I use my ice, it feels like, as you've put it, I'm flexing a muscle." He demonstrated by creating a small chunk of ice in his palm. "But, when I use my fire, it feels like I'm using a different muscle. Similar to what you're describing." Todroki's palm held a small flame in it.

Ochaco, still confused, asked, "So? What does that all mean?"

Bakugou and Todoroki exchanged a quick silence, before turning to Ochaco and speaking at the same time.

"It's a different quirk."

Before they could talk anymore, Present Mic roared in the mc booth.

The final match was about to begin.