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"Kacchan bullied me in middle school. He told me to jump off the roof, and pray for a quirk in my next life."
Small words, yet so impactful. Katsuki had only overheard this part of the converstation and what followed, but he already knew it was never going to be the same as of now. Most of the class had similar reactions. They whispered horrified words, and it was painful how all of them made a full 180 degrees turn around on how they felt about him immediately.
"Bakugou was the one who did that ?"
"How could he ?"
Yet, the worst of it was the way Shitty Hair Kirishima reacted. Katsuki didn't see his face, didn't see how he acted. He only heard the barely audible 'What ?' coming from the red haired boy.
He ran to his room before he could hear more.
Fuck.
Deku told them. And, Katsuki wasn't stupid, of course he knew it wouldn't stay burried forever. However, he'd hoped Deku would be brave enough to tell them when Katsuki was in the room, when Katsuki would know he now had everyone out to get him.
But who was he kidding ? He didn't deserve an ounce of kindness, especially from Deku. And, if the class wanted explamations, they'd get them. Katsuki wasn't a coward. He'd meet them head on, and he would put up with whatever they wanted to do with him now.
Not later than five minutes later, a knock could be heard on his door. Katsuki got up to open it.
The four idiots, since he probably couldn't call them friends anymore, were standing in front of his room door. Hurt and hatred filled their eyes, Pinky Mina even had tears rolling down her cheeks. They stood there, looking at each other in the eyes. Katsuki could be many things, but he wasn't a liar. Never was, never would be.
So when they asked him if he told Deku to kill himself, to jump off the roof...
When they asked, his answer was yes.
The next morning in class, all eyes were on him as he walked to his desk. Katsuki didn't look at them. He already knew what they were thinking. How can he sit here with what he did, they certainly thought. How can he still look so confident when he's nothing but a villain, they'd think to themselves. Except, Katsuki was the first to sit here. It was Deku's choice to be right behind him. No, Katsuki didn't look at them. But he knew they looked at him with hatred already.
Then Aizawa Sensei asked him to stay after class. Had they told him ? Anyway it didn't matter. There was nothing else for Katsuki than being a hero. He wasn't sure if the teachers were aware of that. But he knew Nezu was. Nezu knew he would turn to vigilancy if he got expelled. If he wasn't already considered a villain by then. Both the principal and Katsuki knew that. It was facts.
It didn't mean it hurt any less when Katsuki saw the look of anger twisting Aizawa's face at the news that, no, Katsuki wouldn't be expelled.
"Katsuki ?"
"Principal Nezu ?"
"Please stay for a bit before returning to class. Shouta, no need to stay, go back to your students."
"So. They know."
"They know. It's not a big deal, most of them didn't like me before that."
"What about your friends ?"
What about his friends ? Most of them just came along after Shitty Hair Kirishima decided to befriend him on a whim. Katsuki would have more time for training and studying, that was all. It wasn't. He didn't have the right to be upset anyway. He made Deku's life a living hell for at least seven years and never apologized for it. He deserved to be hurt and rejected.
"Fine then. I want you to study in my office as of now until they come along or you graduate then ! And of course, you have to find a way to sneak in without anyone seeing you !"
Katsuki smiled. The principal was still a fucking madman, at least that wouldn't change.
"Fine, you overgrown teddy bear."
And classes continued on, even as his class and his homeroom teacher looked at him like he was bringing the plague with him wherever he went. He got used to eating at a table alone in the cafeteria, and silently snorted at the sight of everyone else tighly packed on other tables, much to the annoyance of other students. He got used to the small jabs just loud enough for him to hear them (Villain. Bully. Asshole. I hope you die.). He got used to jolts of electricity, invisible limbs tripping him, a wet, slimy tongue wrapping around his throat. He got used to putting little to no leftovers in the dorms' fridge instead of seeing them in the trash the next morning. This he confronted the class rep about.
"I know you all don't like me, but don't fucking waste food ! We're heroes in training, we should set an exemple."
"Can you even call yourself that ?" Had asked the tall boy.
But even though, the next morning there weren't leftovers in the trash. Just to be safe, Katsuki started to offer Nezu food as long as he could use the principal's fridge. The leftovers could be stolen by the overgrown plushie but at least it wouldn't be wasted. He got used to eating twice a day, during study sessions and at the cafeteria, and sometimes he'd take some fruit to his room so he could eat before hero training, even if it made him lightheaded from time to time, like he was going to pass out. Somehow it felt right to avoid his classmates outside of school. Maybe he should have done this before, and it wouldn't hurt as much that they all hated him now.
Katsuki was doing great by himself. Of course Deku had to come in and ruin things.
"Kacchan, what's happening ? We hardly ever see you anymore !"
"Let go of my arm, Deku."
The green haired boy had waited until the end of class to grab Katsuki, stopping him from going to Nezu's office. Katsuki pretended he couldn't see Deku's friends shooting him deathglares in the background.
"Answer my questions !"
"I have no obligations to. Now let go of me."
"Kacchan !"
"Let. Go."
Of course Aizawa would chose this moment to intervene. The man asked what was going on. Katsuki answered honestly by saying that Deku wouldn't let go of his arm when he just wanted to go elsewhere to study. Then Pink Cheeks Uraraka screamed that wasn't true, he was the one refusing to answer Deku's question that the green haired boy oh so kindly asked because he was concerned about Katsuki. To which Katsuki responded he wasn't in the wrong for refusing to answer a question.
In the end, Aizawa tried to get Katsuki in trouble for it. And he would have, had Katsuki not defended himself.
"So I should just obey to anything you ask me to do like a damn puppet ? What will you do if I don't, huh ? Chain me up again ?"
He knew he was antagonizing the tired man. But he was tired too, hungry and already done with this bullshit.
"What do you mean again Bakugou ?"
"I don't know, the Sports festival ?"
That got them all to shut up. Katsuki was painfully aware all eyes were on him, because every single extra in this class was witnessing the thing. But Katsuki was pissed off, and he couldn't didn't want to hold back anymore.
"Go on, treat me like a villain, a fucking bully ! As if you hypocrites weren't doing the same. I'm done with this, I'm not getting blamed for trying to mind my own fucking business."
He wrenched his arm out of Deku's grip and left. This time, to get to Nezu's office, Katsuki crawled in the vents, and dropped a spider on the principal's desk. Nezu wasn't spooked, but it was funny nonetheless.
Of course, things didn't get better because of his little outburst. If anything, most of the extras just ignored him now. It didn't bother him. Of course, Deku still tried to talk with him but what could he do if Katsuki never gave him the occasion ?
Not much more than nothing.
Before long it was almost the end of the year. Katsuki got used to being picked in training whenever someone needed to get their anger out. It didn't matter since he beat them into the ground everytime. He got used to sneaking out at night, walking in Ground Beta, drawing the buildings at night. He often saw animals at these times. Before long, he had notebooks filled to the brim with drawings, some of them so realistics you'd swear someone had snapped pictures and glued them in the pages.
Katsuki drew people too. People as he saw them. Most of his classmates turned into ugly monsters under his pencil, except for a few. Each of them got a double page, a comparison from their usual self to how the way they acted around him made him think of them.
He printed each and every drawing before tucking them into little enveloppes.
One night, he was walking around in Ground Beta. There was no one but the small creatures lurking in the dark and him. Katsuki looked around. He knew tomorrow they'd have training here, a rescue training. He could bet he'd be the one playing the villain. Well not today, fuckers. Not today, not tomorrow and not ever. A cat jumped on his shoulders.
With his mind made and the small creature on his shoulder, Katsuki began to climb the nearly smooth surface of the highest skycrapper.
"If you could, would give up at life, Katsuki ?"
"I don't give up. If anything, I would send a massive fuck you to the world and kill myself doing it."
"And you certainly are..." Muttered Nezu as the cameras of Ground Beta sent him images of Katsuki Bakugou climbing up their highest building.
"Class, were is Bakugou today ?"
No one answered, and so they decided to continue on with classes. No one saw him at lunch either. They weren't worried, oh no. If anything, they were glad they didn't have to put up with him anymore. Nobody went to check on him in the dorms. They didn't hear from him before the afternoon, during hero training.
They were assigned a group each : Hero, Villain or Hostage. The villains had to hide with their hostages and stop the heroes from retriving them. Except, as they were getting ready to start, Aizawa's phone picked up something. His eyes widened as he showed what he received on the giant screens.
On most of the students' faces was annoyance as they watched Bakugou standing on the tallest building there was in all of the training grounds. Only Midoriya, Kirishima, Aizawa and a few others were showing fear, and concern. But the horror overtook them all as they saw the fierce blond walking toward the edge of the roof.
"Hey fuckers, the camera's audio transferred, I bet you're all real happy to see me like that right now. After all, aren't I'm getting what I deserve for hurting you precious friend ? That's certainly what you all seemed to say these past few months. I know this is getting recorded. And I know the media will have a fucking field trip over it. 'Promising UA student kills himself after classmates harrass him for months'. I hope you feel fucking guilty over this. Because when you graduate ? It will follow you. Because even if no one says it... You all will know you'll never be real heroes."
And he tipped over the edge...
And he fell...
Fell to his death...
And everyone heard the crack of his bones as his body hit the pavement down below.
Training was canceled, and they went back to the dorms... Only to find pretty little letters left in front of each of their doors. On the table, there was one for Aizawa and another small enveloppe beside it.
To Mineta Minoru,
I have nothing to say to you, you ugly piece of trash. You're a coward, a pervert, it would be a shame to call any of your actions toward anyone heroic. When you learned I was a bully back in middle school, it wasn't hard for you to use it as an excuse to try to bring me down to lower than you. Yet while I was trying to fix what I'd done as a kid, you are still doing it.
You're a disgrace, Mineta, and if you're ever called a hero, you better remember it.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Alongside the letter was a drawing. It showed Mineta... and a mirrored version of him, a pair of panties stuck in his hair-balls and a twisted turned on look on his face. When the boy saw it, he nearly puked, given how twisted and wrong the thing looked.
To Koda Koji Snow White,
You're the only one I'll apologize to for pulling this stunt. I probably traumatized you for the rest of your life when you didn't have much to do with the situation in the first place. Know that you're only one I'll be rooting for in the battlefield, you better not fucking die out there, you hear me ? You're the most heroic out of this bunch and I want you to fucking own it. Be proud of it, and if someone is giving you shit, I'll beat them up, dead or not.
You better go to therapy, graduate and become the number one hero Koda. You deserve it.
Bakugou Katsuki.
(PS : There's a lot of animals snooping around in Ground Beta at night. Friendly fuckers, the lot of them. Maybe you could go there if you ask Nezu. Also I'm pretty sure you can control people with your quirk, you should try it one day.)
The drawing Koda received was an entire page filled with foxes, cats, nocturnal insects... And a little chibi version of him in the corner. If it was later found framed and hung up on the wall, it was nobody's business.
To Sato Rikidou,
I was so fucking disappointed when I realized you knew about the food being throw away. I mean, you of all people should know wasting food that way is horrible. You lot could have gone and gave them to any starving people on the streets, I know I did from time to time. Plus, without having enough food before I found a solution, I could have died in hero training. But would you have cared ? I don't think so at the time I'm writing this, and I won't change my mind before you see me in training for the last time.
Blame yourself all you want, you pathetic excuse of a cook.
Bakugou Katsuki.
With that was the usual drawing. On one side of the paper was Sato, smiling as he stirred a pot, and on the other was Sato, maniacally laughing as he stirred a trashcan with a shovel. It was digusting and very, very detailed. It was as if Bakugou had seen him do that and took a picture.
To Tokoyami Fumikage Bird Brain,
To be honest I don't blame you for anything and you shouldn't either. You're a bright student and you weren't in the dorms half of the time, you had your internship with Hawks. Hell, you left class earlier than me, there was no way you'd have known what was going on. If I can offer advice, you should try to talk with Dark Shadow instead of ordering her/him/them/it (I don't know what pronouns to use) around and maybe it'd be easier to work with her/him/them/it.
Good luck with your life.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Tokoyami found only one drawing on the piece of paper tucked in with the letter. It was a cute representation of him and Dark Shadow playing chess together. It was something that never happened, but it was well drawn and both of them loved it.
To Hakagure Toru,
I know you were the one playing these tricks on me more often than not. Can't prove nothing if you can't see it, right ? Too bad for you UA cameras have heat sensors and can record heat sources. What a shame, right ?
Because people can't see you doesn't mean they don't know you're here.
Bakugou Katsuki.
And between the floating uniform or the human-shaped blotch of red and yellow representing the video of a heat detecting camera, Hakagure couldn't tell which one she hated the most.
To Ojiro Mashirao,
I think I already knew you were an asshole. Since... the Sports festival I think. You gave Shinsou shit for what he did for weeks aferwards, even though he only used his quirk like we all did. You didn't see me complaining when you took things out on me in training, when you hit me with your tail so hard it nearly cracked a rib. Because you were putting your all, like everyone else did.
You're a judgemental asshole and I hope you rot.
Bakugou Katsuki.
(Also, I couldn't be bothered to draw you properly because you're that much of a plain looking fucker.)
The drawing was of a monkey with the same tail as Ojiro.
To Shoji Mezou Tentacles,
I don't really have anything to say to you. We never really talked, you didn't pay attention to me, I didn't pay attention to you. It's fine. I should probably say sorry for jumping off in front of you when you never did anything, but it'd be a lie. I wanted to traumatize like, fifteen outta twenty people in this class, and you got caught up in it. It ain't your fault, but it ain't mine either.
Become the best you can be.
Bakugou Katsuki.
(And if you complain again about the nickname, I'm calling you Hentai.)
And there was a simple drawing of Shoji shoved with the letter, spread out on one paper with notes on how to better the use of his quirk. Shoji was grateful for it.
To Aoyama Yuuga Twinkletoes,
Continue to sparkle, you dumb shit. And get a better support item. And find medication to help tone down the side effects of your quirk. And don't you dare to blame yourself. Punch Deku in training. I'd say Kirishima too, but you'd hurt your hand (I know I did). Find something better as a hero costume, and get a normal hero name. You gotta admit even Sparkles sounds better than 'I can't stop twinkling' .
Bonne chance, espèce de crétin.
Bakugou Katsuki.
With that was a drawing of Aoyama in what seemed to be a new hero costume, with little written notes around it.
To Yaoyorozu Momo,
You really are a fucking bitch, under your little miss perfect act. I would say I hope you're scarred for the rest of your life by what you just saw, but I alreasy know you are. You of all people, I never thought you'd be one to side with the bullies, the same bully that you accused me of being. At least I acknoledged it. Maybe I didn't apologize, but I never made excuses. I told you what I did, and I wasn't doing it anymore. I don't know who you were to try and punish me for what had already been done. It's like killing a murderer; even after he served his sentence.
For all it's worth, call me petty, but your last name is, as always, fucking ridiculous and I wonder how anyone is able to say it.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Yaoyorozu was drawn , of course as her usual self, but also as a petty little princess throwing a tantrum, then ordering the execution of innocent people.
To Iida Tenya,
I hope you never dare to take on your brother's name. You don't deserve it, and you will never deserve it. The decisions you make on the battlefield are more reckless than anyone's in this class, you always look for the fight and you're shit at rescue. Your brother was a great hero. You ? You are not. I will haunt you from the grave, and people will know that you're at fault for my death if you do. I got friends, whatever you may be thinking, and they're ready to raise hell.
To the only Iida who wasn't a hero.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Under it was a drawing of Iida dressed as the hero killer, Stain.
To Todoroki Shouto,
I'm not mad you went along with them. I guess I'm just disappointed. I mean, coming from an abusive household, you'd think you would have been against this. I won't deny I did the same, but at the time, I didn't know any better. No one told me it wasn't okay, and I had to understand that for myself. The same could be aplied to you in the start of our school year. You were a bitter, self centered and sad person. And then... then you learned better.
So fuck you. Fuck you for living the same experience as me and not getting blamed for it while I was. Fuck you for living through abuse and doing the same to someone. Fuck you for that. You're not the one I'm the most upset with. But I wanted you to know exactly why you were the one in the wrong here.
'Wait, wasn't Todoroki an asshole at the start of the year ?'
'It's fine, he didn't know better !'
Well so did I, Endeavor's son.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Bakugou had drawn Todoroki the same way he acted when he first came into 1-A, and as an older version of him... In Endeavor's hero suit. Ice and fire on each side made up the beard, but there was no mistaking it was indeed Todoroki Shouto, be it from the scar of the two toned hair.
To Asui Tsuyu,
I know you said to call you Tsu, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't apply to me, and even if it did, I wouldn't care. I know you were the one behind wrapping something around my throat. I mean, who else has a long and slimy thing with them all the time. You nearly sent me into a panic attack when you did that. Even I never drove Deku to that and trust me, I know what these look like.
I'm not the villain in this story.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Asui was represented with her tongue out, extending outward in a colored drawing. Except the tongue wasn't pinkish. It looked like sewage, had two eyes and was dripping down. The tongue was the slime villain.
To Sero Hanta Tapeface,
I don't blame you for avoiding me after learning that what I did was so bad. I can't. You deserve the world, Sero Hanta. You weren't sure how to act, so you ignored what you couldn't understand. I saw it when you tried to sit down at the table only to be dragged away by Ashido seconds later. I'm thinking about friendship. Like you were the first time I felt that. It's a strange feeling. Was.
I don't know what to say. Or how to feel. It's all so confusing when talking about you...
I don't know how I saw you.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Sero was gifted with a simple drawing of him, smiling, teasing. He smiled. Bakugou Katsuki had smiled too, thinking about him.
What a shame they were too late for that.
To Kaminari Denki,
You were the one that zapped me all the time, weren't you ? Everytime I sat down in class, on the couch, on a chair in the kitchen, I felt a light zap... Light zap that grew stronger as the days went on. Last week I almost passed out in class. But you probably didn't notice, too busy laughing with your real friends right ? Bet you were fucking happy when they threw out the food I made. Food I used to make for your ungrateful asses.
Fuck you and everything you will ever represent.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Kaminari wasn't represented by a twisted, torn up, impossible version of himself, but maybe it was what made it so much worse. On the left side of the paper, like for most of the other's drawings, was his regular self, grinning as usual. However, on the left... on the left, at first sight, you could have said it was the same. Looking closer, this version of Kaminari was also grinning. But it was darker, it showed more ill intentions. Little sparks went off randomly on the body.
Kaminari looked like a villain.
To Ashido Mina,
That must be a surprise, to see me use your actual name, seeing you always thought I used nicknames because I didn't know it. You were wrong. The nicknames are an acknowledgement, a way to show respect. That's also why there's one for every and each one of you. Even Mineta had one, 'cause he was capable as a hero. The thing is, you hurt me, and you liked it. I knew you were only Kirishima's friend tagging along with him anyway. And you stayed for some reason, although my bet is on the math tutoring.
Unfortunately, finals are coming up, and it's been a long time since I ever helped any of you. Is it bad that I hope you fail ?
Bakugou Katsuki.
Ashido's representation through Bakugou's hand was a pile of goo, shaping itself to look like everyone did. It hurt a bit, and even more after reading the letter. Ashido was one of those who saw the paper with drawing before the letter with words.
She cried that night.
To Uraraka Ochaco,
I don't have anything to say to you, really. You decided to hate me for something I did when I was stupid and in middle school. If I saw the Katsuki Bakugou from then, I'd probably punch him too. Point is, I hurt your friend, and you decided to take revenge by doing exactly the same thing to me. Real fucking mature, if you ask me. But again, not the point. I don't know how you can think that doing that was okay just because I did the same thing. Is killing a villain okay because they did the same ? Fuck off.
By your logic, I should tell you to jump off the roof. But I won't. Or at least, I'll be the bigger person and tell the truth. You're nothing to me, and I don't care what you do to yourself after that. I won't be here to see it anyway.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Uraraka looked down at the drawing and the letter in front of her. As for every other page she saw, on the left side was her, floating in the air with a winning smile. And on the right were two scenes. At the top, she could see Midoriya, backed into a corner, by none other than Bakugou. Both of them wore a middle school uniform. And at the bottom right of the paper, were her and Bakugou. There were drastic similarities in the two, was it by the mocking smiles and laughs both top right Bakugou and Uraraka wore or the positions they were both in.
To Kirishima Eijirou,
I'm not mad, not disappointed, not any of that. I guess I'm a bit sad, seeing you were the one to claim you were my best friend. I guess I should have known you didn't really mean it. Or, not enough to think maybe I'd changed. Although maybe that was a bit much, wasn't it ? I really hate writing these stupid letters, I'm not good with words, but I felt like it was nescessary.
So here is my letter.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Kirishima was drawn laughing, with his fiery spiked red hair, and avoiding the gaze of someone out of the frame, eyes hollow, hair back to black. Something wet fell from his eyes and hit the paper on the left side, staining the red hair.
To Midoriya Izuku,
I had in the idea of not writing anything to you, because you don't deserve anything from me, even something as trivial. When the class' bullying started, I thought I deserved it because of what I did to you. Then I thought about it again. And I found that, no, I didn't deserve any of it.
Too bad you gotta find something else to do than stalk me now, asshole.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Midoriya only had one drawing, him writing in a notebook with a crooked smile on his face, his mutters filling up the entire page. When the green haired teen looked at it, he jerked back, as if burned by the paper.
To Aizawa-Sensei.
You're a fucking badass, no matter what you think of me I'll always admire you for that. You were the teacher I always dreamed of. You didn't butter me up, didn't let me get away with my bullshit, you didn't discriminate based on quirk or strenght. I think you were a big part of my path toward realizing I was a shitty person. But, I guess I should have known that wouldn't last. The school, which was supposed to be the best, the dream, revealed itself to be a nightmare. Not even a month in, teachers showed me they wouldn't tolerate my attitude. And would punish me for it, in the worst way possible.
But I'm not here to talk about them. Well not here, but you get what I mean. I would say I'm sorry for jumping. I would say I'm sorry I didn't live up to your expectations. I would say I'm sorry for what I did and who I was before.
But I'm not. It's too late for me to be.
See you on the battlefield, Sensei.
It was a surprise the page didn't tear with how tighly Aizawa was gripping it, knuckles turning white, cheeks wet with tears. Of anger ? Of pain ? Of sadness ? Who wold be able to tell, when the man himself didn't know. The only thing in his head was the drawing, the picture really, of him at the USJ, fighting villains left and right, Bakugou's words dancing in front of it.
See you on the battlefield, Sensei.
Old Hag.
Surprised ? I wouldn't be, you always told be I would be better off throwing myself into traffic. I'll admit, it's not quite the same, but heh, who cares ?
Maybe you didn't mean it, these words. Maybe you were so angry you didn't think about what you were saying. Maybe, you may hurt me sometimes, but you still loved me. The Old Man used to say all those things to me, back when I still believed it.
Now I know it doesn't matter whether you meant them or not.
In the course of two weeks, five bodies have been found, four pro heroes and a villain. The investivating crew identified these as murders of one person, if only for the card and the rose planted in their chest, which were opened up, ribs pulled apart. The card itself only has two words written on it, always the same...
GROUND ZERO.
Hello, Shigaraki Tomura.
I'm a bit surprised myself, writing this letter. After all, I was so adamant I wouldn't be joining you the first time you offered.
I'm not sure why, but I never told anyone about every other time you did. Meeting you on the streets, late at night, when I was sick of being scooped up in a house I didn't belong in and snuck out to train. At the arcade, on the weekends, where I used to go with my friends. In my small hideout, when I told the school I went home for the weekend.
Neither of us attacked the other. I don't think either of us know why.
But I listened to your tirades and monologues. I listened when you complained you didn't understand why I choose to stay in a world that didn't want me. I listened to your bitching about Dabi, Toga and Twice. I heard the fondness in your voice when you talked harsh words.
I wondered why I wanted someone to use the same fondness to talk to me.
I once told you I would live to become a hero, Shigaraki Tomura.
But soon I won't live anymore.
So why wouldn't I die to be by your side, the only one who said we were the same, and ended up being right ?
Katsuki.
(In three days, Ground Beta, around 2pm on the highest building. Wait until they clean up my the corpse. As a last request, I'd like to be the Ground Zero of my last explosion.)