Once Again From Better Days

The trip to USJ comes too quickly for his liking. He remembers what happens on this day, that it's the first time he'll see the League of Villains face-to-face. Assuming things haven't changed too much. The bus ride to passes in a blur, and he stares through the glass without really seeing anything. A tiny part of his brain is thankful that Izuku will be safely at school during this time, but the rest of his attention goes into thinking of scenarios where Izuku still ends up injured. There's also the worry that things have changed too much, and he still won't be able to save Izuku in the end.

Katsuki tries to stuff the worry down into the deepest, darkest corner of his mind, but it feels like trying to hold onto one of his explosions. His fingers drum against the glass of the bus window, and he misses the moment when Asui makes a jibe about his personality, but he tunes into the bus conversation in time to hear Kirishima lamenting his lack of a flashy quirk. Since Izuku isn't there to encourage him, Katsuki gives him a grudging "it's not a bad defense though." He quickly goes back to staring out the window when Kirishima gives him a shocked kind of smile and someone says "oooh, so he can be nice."

As he leaves the bus, he brushes past the 20th student of class 1-A. It bothers him that he doesn't remember her. He's almost sure that he's never seen her before, not even in class B all those years ago, so where would another hero-course-level student come from? With a shake of his head, he silences the questions. He senses no malice from her presence, so he shrugs it off. He knows what malice feels like. He would know if she was a threat. That much he's certain of. 

And, anyway, he has more important things to worry about, like that shithead Shigaraki.

Katsuki feels the pit of his stomach tighten when he notices that there are only two teachers. All Might was supposed to be there with them. This he knows, but he cannot fathom why All Might wouldn't be there. Unless the pro hero has passed his quirk to someone, he should be at full strength. He should be here. But he's not. Katsuki bites back the bile that rises in his throat.

Whatever Thirteen is saying sounds far away. Katsuki can't make himself listen. His ears are primed for the sound of something that shouldn't be there. Every ounce of his being is dedicated to reacting the moment the villains arrive. If he can avoid being s.u.c.k.e.d away, maybe he can take down, or at least inhibit, someone important. If they caught Shigaraki here, the battle would be essentially over. Katsuki's eyes dart around the room. Aizawa stares with an almost bored look on his face. 

No one else is tensed for battle.

Maybe he shouldn't be either. Maybe it will be fine. Katsuki looks down and realizes that his hands are already open, fingers spread to let the explosions burst freely from his palms.

And then it happens.

He can hear a faint noise, something akin to a bathtub draining, and he spins to face it. There's a clear warp in space and he can see the dark cloud of Kurogiri. Katsuki spreads his feet wider, muscles tensing to attack.

And then—

Chaos .

Katsuki manages to knock Thirteen out of the way of the first attack, but the cloud of black encircles them, tendrils of smoky nothingness reaching for every 1-A student. Katsuki makes an attempt to dive for Kurogiri's physical body. The warp villain is one of the cornerstones of the group, because of his ability to transport people in an instant. His disappearance would have a huge impact on the villains' strategy. Besides, isn't it a classical military strategy to shut off enemy supply lines?

If he can stop Kurogiri, the heroes will have an advantage. It's a desperate attempt, he knows, but taking Kurogiri out of the equation is too tempting a concept to ignore. 

He really should know better. He's fought these villains before, and his quirk, despite whatever effort he has put into it, is nowhere near it's full potential. 

The black gets thicker as he moves forward, until his limbs feel like their moving against the pressure of a hundred feet of water. He manages to keep himself on track with a couple of powerful blasts. In the darkness, he can't see clearly, so he has to operate with the assumption that Kurogiri remains stationary when he moves people. Whether that's accurate or not, Katsuki doesn't know.

As quickly as it came, the blackness disappears, and any sign of Kurogiri disappears with it. Katsuki curses. If he had been a moment faster, maybe he could have gotten there in time. 

Katsuki spares a glance toward the exit where he sees a flash of Iida's back and the door swinging shut. Good. They'll have backup. Without another moment's hesitation, Katsuki heads to backup Aizawa with Thirteen a few steps behind him. He ignores the teachers telling him that he should stay back. Everyone in USJ is fighting, and he'll be damned if he sits it out just because someone told him to.

The highest density of villains is in the open space where Aizawa fights. The way he moves and captures villains is something Katsuki wishes he could watch, but he doesn't have time. So he grits his teeth and goes for the ones closest to him. They're weak. Exceedingly weak. Despite the villains' initial advantage in numbers, the advantage in strength is with the heroes.

Katsuki lets himself catch his breath for a second. This fight is too easy, and he knows it. He knows there are more villains, who should be on their way, but where are they? And for that matter, where the hell is All Might? Katsuki wipes his forehead of sweat, and sends a large blast right into the face of the next villain that jumps at him.

A chill runs down his spine, and it's enough to make him pause for a second. Then he sees Shigaraki. If he was stupider, he would dive right for the bastards head. As it is Katsuki instinctively freezes and almost gets hit in the head by some idiot villain. 

And then something he wasn't expecting at all happens.

With a big gust of wind, three figures appear in the middle of the room. Three figures, and only one of them is a person he immediately recognizes: All Might.