Chapter Text
Bakugou and Bruce train a few times and change their costumes with the help of some support course students. Bakugou's arms are completely covered and his neck too now. Bruce looks less like a goth construction worker and more like a disco ball. One of the students wanted to use reflection to make it harder to see him coming. It works, but the reflector panels look like he could be spinning above the dance floor.
Bakugou laughed at him for five minutes.
"We'll work to make them less noticeable, Brucie," the girl says.
Bruce smiles. "It's fine. Bakugou is just a jerk," he says.
Bakugou laughs. "It is good. Just when they aren't reflecting it's funny," he says.
Bruce flips him off.
Bakugou shrugs. "Come on, disco ball. We have to head to class," he says.
"Thanks for all your help," Bruce says.
The girl waves.
They head to class. Bruce walks right by Bakugou and the students in the hall give them side-eyes. They switch to their uniforms and put their hero costumes back. Bruce sees a bruise on Bakugou's side. He did not give that to him.
"What happened?" he asks.
Bakugou slides his shirt on. "Training with some people from middle school," he says.
Bruce opens his mouth but Bakugou leaves. They go to their desks. Bruce decides to ask Bakugou not to train with people that leave that big of bruise on him later. Sure, there will be accidents, but it didn't look good. They didn't have to go that far.
The alarms go off as Aizawa is talking and the heroes scramble to discover the problem. A bunch of reporters tried to get in and somehow broke through to talk to All Might. Bruce is slightly uncomfortable with that explanation. How do a bunch of reporters get through security at U.A.?
"One of them might have a quirk," Midoriya says.
Bakugou glares at him. Bruce wants to ask about the whole story there. He's gotten snippets and there are instances where Bakugou was definitely in the wrong, but he doesn't understand their relationship. Bakugou seems to be nervous and angry around Midoriya and there is probably a reason.
"We'll leave now. Thirteen will join us for the ride and All Might should meet us there," Aizawa says. Apparently, the security breach isn't that big of a deal.
They pile into a vehicle and go to a facility, USJ, it's specialized for rescue missions. All Might isn't there when they arrive even though he was supposed to be with them for training. Aizawa ignores it and gives instructions on what they are supposed to be trying to do. There are a bunch of different environments, and they are supposed to find ways to assist people in each.
Bruce and Bakugou clock the purple opening at the same time. Bruce elbows Bakugou who nods. A bunch of weirdoes step through the gate. Aizawa glances at them and turns to the new additions to the grounds.
"Attack them," the hand guy says.
Thirteen attempts to contact the outside with his phone and the lines attaching them to the school but nothing works.
Aizawa steps between the students and the villains.
"They must be jamming the signals," Todoroki says.
Aizawa storms the group of villains while Thirteen stands back to protect them. One of the villains move toward them. Bruce and Bakugou lunge at him ignoring his question. An opening drops them in a new part of the building. Bruce sits up. Bakugou is not with him. He hopes it isn't one the annoying classmates otherwise Aizawa might have to worry about him more than the villains.
Ojiro is fine so it isn't the worst. They're in the fire zone. Bruce grabs a villain near him and asks what they're doing.
"None of your business," the villain says.
Bruce knocks him out and moves to the next one. "What do you want?"
The villain flinches. "All Might. We're going to kill him," he says. He smirks.
Bruce sighs and knocks him out.
Bruce and Ojiro take out villains until they're standing with unconscious villains surrounding them.
"Come on we should go help," Ojiro says.
Bruce grunts. "We need to keep these ones here first. We can check up on the others after securing them," he says.
Ojiro sighs but nods. He takes some of the rope Bruce gives him and helps him tie them up. Once they're all tied up, they rush to the center of the facility. All Might must have arrived just in time to be their hero because he's standing with his hands on his sides in front of some students.
Midoriya tries to rush back to All Might but is nearly caught by another villain. Bakugou flashes in front of the villain and wraps a hand around his neck. Todoroki freezes the monster that also joined them at some point. Bruce rushes to Bakugou. Kirishima attempts to get to another villain but gets closer to death than the villain.
Bruce misses the monster coming after Bakugou, but All Might steps between. The direct hit makes All Might stumble. He's weaker. Bruce has seen footage he should be able to withstand that hit. Bakugou looks pissed and deep down worried. They try to help with the attack against the monster, but All Might holds a hand out.
"Do not interfere, young ones," he says. His face is stretched in a smile.
Bruce hates it. All Might may be a hero, but he isn't a leader. If he let them all take the monster and the other villain on, then they could reduce damage taken by one person but instead they're forced to stay back. He understands the worry All Might has but they could help.
The hands guy sneaks passed the All Might fight Bruce doesn't notice him, too distracted by All Might stumbling, until he frees the warp guy.
Bakugou lunges toward the hand guy.
Bruce yanks him back. "His quirk could destroy you. Be strategic."
Bakugou growls but falls back slightly. Bruce knows it's killing the boy to have to stand back. Everything further devolves, All Might cannot fight. Midoriya goes to assist but he has too damage from his quirk to get far.
A lower-level villain recovers, and he threatens Kaminari's life with a hand ready to destroy the other boy's head.
Bruce moves to help him, but the villain can easily beat him to Kaminari. He halts his movement.
Midoriya got distracted by the threats to his classmate and the hand dude's hand reaches toward his face.
Gun shots echo through the room and the hands guy jerks back.
Bruce glances around and finds Snipe someone must have gotten ahold of the heroes.
Thirteen starts his advance but the villains disappear into purple portals before he can get them.
Bruce tugs on Bakugou's arm and tilts his head.
Bakugou shakes his head.
Midoriya collapses and All Might looks like he might. Eraser Head is out too. Bruce looks around and realizes at some point he lost track of Ojiro. The police and other pro heroes pile in and start checking in with students and transporting the three injured ones. Bruce and Bakugou sit together on the ride.
"I was fucking useless," Bakugou says.
Bruce shrugs. "I was too. I know it isn't a consolation, but you were brave."
"They still go hurt," Bakugou says.
Bruce understands him a bit better after that. He's worried and disappointed in his inabilities. Bakugou drifts off on his shoulder. Once they get back to the school, they have to give their statements to the police and the principal. They stay for hours after school ends. They're also told that all three of the injured will recover from the fight after two hours.
"Next time I'll fight harder," Bakugou says. They're leaving the school.
Bruce hums. "I hope there isn't a next time while we're in school but since they seem like they're out for us that probably isn't going to happen. We'll just have to do our best," he says.
Bakugou grunts.
They walk back to their houses in silence.
Bruce doesn't really get why they want to attack All Might now. Nothing has changed except he's teaching now. Maybe they noticed he was getting weaker too or they want to use students as hostages, it worked today. He lays in bed after dinner with Alfred and thinks about All Might and the League of Villains.
He drifts off with the thought that maybe All Might getting weaker and becoming a teacher are somehow connected.
Bruce sits in his chair with Bakugou in front of him on his desk. They have to have a substitute teacher because Aizawa is more bandage than person.
Cementoss comes in and hands out paper explaining the Sports Festival. Bakugou moves back to his seat.
Bruce doesn't question it since there will probably be more security there than when the president of the United States is out. After the run in with the League which is certainly connected to the reporter incident. The League shouldn't have known the location needed to get to the class.
"I'm going to beat you," Bakugou says. He leans back onto his desk with a grin.
Bruce shrugs. "We'll see, won't we," he says. He winks at the other boy.
Bakugou laughs.
Bruce smiles.
"It'll be nice to have some fun," Kirishima says. He stands by them with the paper.
Bakugou scowls. "Why are you here?"
He laughs.
"You made a friend," Bruce whispers. He's pretty sure Kirishima would agree.
Bakugou glares at him.
Kirishima doesn't think he will ever be able to break through the walls that surround Bruce and Bakugou. It's like they're on a planet that no one else could ever reach. He still wants to be friends with Bakugou and, if possible, Bruce. Bakugou is strong, the manliest man. He's got to work with him twice and he's proven it. Bruce is intelligent and knows what needs to be done to be successful.
"Do you want to have lunch with us?" Kirishima asks. He smiles.
Bakugou scowls. "Who's 'us'?"
Kirishima has managed to make a few friends. They could use some more logic now that they have the chaos. "Kaminari, Ashido, Jiro, and Sero," he says. "Sometimes Momo, Ojiro, Koda, and Shoji join us, but they have their own friends."
Bakugou looks at Bruce with a wrinkle between his eyebrows.
Bruce smiles at Kirishima. "We would love to join you. Unless, of course, you were only inviting Gou," he says.
Kirishima shakes his head. He doesn't think he could get one without the other. "You're both welcome. It'll be fun," he says. He turns to go tell the others. He didn't think they would actually do it. Bakugou doesn't look thrilled, but he isn't yelling.
"Look at that, Gou, you got new friends and get to show off in just a few days," Bruce says.
Bakugou groans. "You suck," he says.
Bruce laughs.
"They're your friends too if they're mine," he says.
Kirishima sits at his desk. Yeah, he definitely does not understand them, but he knows Bakugou cares and is good at what he does. At USJ he fought so hard to help everyone. Bruce also seemed to be trying to keep everyone alive.
Bruce winks at Bakugou who is sitting in his chair backward.
Bakugou rolls his eyes but there's a small quirk to his lips.
Kirishima doesn't need to know. They seem to understand each other better than anything he's ever seen so he's not going to ask. Even if he did, he doesn't know if he would understand anyway. Everything everyone knows says they just met but they get along like they've known each other their whole life. They communicate with few words and bicker. Neither seem particularly open, but they push each other. He doesn't understand it but he's pretty sure them being together is a good thing.
Kirishima sighs. He wishes he could find someone who can understand him so well that they don't need words. Maybe understanding isn't what they have though. Maybe they're comfortable with not knowing what the other really wants. Either way Kirishima wishes he could find something so complex.
He's also excited for them to show what they can do at the Sports Festival. They seem like the two to beat.