[Mike says as he enters the apartment. His eyes scan the decor, the paintings, and then the toys. His eyes see the cat and he waves at the cute cat. He snaps his fingers and some treats appear on the bed by the cute little cat. He turns and looks at Bakugo. His fingers twitch as he casts one more quick spell on the apartment.]
There. I added the soundproofing spell I did on the castle on your apartment. I can remove it if you want. Just in case.
So. I'll jump to the first concern I have. Your mom. Has she always been violent with you?
[Katsuki is as curious as he is starting to feel anxious at Mike's demeanor. He was so serious, even when waving at Deku (his cat's name) and giving the kitty treats... and then he's suddenly soundproofing the apartment? What could he want to talk about that's so--
Oh.]
...violent?
[Katsuki had talked about this with Shoto a bit, when they were forced to accept truths about themselves that they didn't quite want to. And back then it felt just awkward. A little uncomfortable. But with Mike? Who he looks up to quite a bit and has already established a father-like relationship with? He's not so sure how he wants to talk about this with him... it suddenly feels much more serious than before.]
Ah.. y-yeah. Since my Quirk developed.
[The blonde reaches up to rub the back of his neck, having a hard time looking at Mike. He was four when his Quirk first started to develop, and he used to go around exploding everything in sight until his mom started to punish him for it with smacks to the back of his head. But then that made him start defending himself against her, and by the time he was fourteen they would have fights that destroyed their whole livingroom....]
But-- but I hit her back! All the time! It's not like it was all her... and she still treated me like a mom despite it!
[He defends her a little bit, feeling guilty to have made Mike worry like this.]
[Mike listens. The question threw him off. The way he hesitates and it comes back to his Quirk. The controlled explosions with his hands. It's painting a more clear picture of some of it. Still, Mike doesn't like the sound of a lot of it. It's too similar, hits a little too close to home.]
Hm. Alright. But she told you you were too old to celebrate your birthday with your friends at ten. And now the thought of it makes you want to puke.
You want adulation. You want celebrity. Before we talked about romance, you were never interested in anything like that.
Do you know why you want that instead of birthday parties and things like that?
[There is an issue here and he wants to address it. Bakugo craves a certain kind of attention. One that, despite everything that comes with it, can be safer in some ways than close personal relationships, romantic or platonic. He wonders if the young man knows why or if he only knows he wants it.]
[Katsuki listens to what Mike says, and asks. But it's a bit hard for him to follow, when to him it sounds perfectly fine and normal. Why wouldn't he want things like being a celebrity instead of a dinky birthday party? Wouldn't.. anyone..?]
...i-it's just a preference.
[He doesn't know why, but he feels guarded. Unsure if he likes the prodding that Mike is doing about him and his past and the way he thinks.]
It is. ...But you can have both. You can quite literally have your cake and eat it too.
[Mike sighs and moves to sit somewhere. He runs his hand through his hair.]
Not wanting a birthday party is totally normal. Not everyone likes parties like that. Wanting instead a part to celebrate you being, Best Hero of All Time, is also normal. I'm not trying to say; hey, you're doing it wrong. But...only chasing the adulation? The celebrity? Wanting to be worshipped and adored and obsessed over might also feel safer. People then care about you without having to actually know or care about them. You don't need to. They just need to give you their adulation and praise and attention.
But there is a dangerous path to that road if you don't temper it. A path where you need more and more. That's how things like a cult of personality can be formed, even without you realizing it. Or you do realize and you like it so much, you keep going. Because it gets you more and more.
I've seen what that path looks like. What worst possible outcome it can lead to. ...That's how my mother operates. The people who follow and obey her do it because they worship her as a god. They do anything she commands because she gives them power, money, access to things they couldn't do themselves. She asks for praise, worship, and absolute loyalty.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it with you I just...want to make sure you aren't about to walk a path you can't come back from. A path many might not be able to walk with you either.
[Katsuki is silent when he listens to Mike speak. Finally turning his gaze to watch as the older man takes a seat and runs a hand through his hair. He looks stressed as he's explaining to Katsuki that he's worried about the boy taking a certain path. A path where obsession turns into something more. Something cultish. Dangerous.
The mention of it has a thick lump form in his throat, and he tries to swallow it away. Because he absolutely understands what Mike is saying. He used to live life close to something like that. He used to have students practically kiss the ground he walked on, and who would do absolutely anything he said. It went to his head. Big time. And he became the worst version of himself, because of it. And he still has fragments of that version inside of him, that peek out now and then. He wonders... was it happening now?
Quietly, he moves to take a seat next to Mike. To show him that he's not upset with Mike's assumption that he might go down a similar path.]
...I get it. I sound insane when I say shit like I want people to "worship" me, or "obsess" over me. It sounds like I just want people to think of me as a God. To put me on some kind of pedestal.
[It doesn't help that his Hero Name has "God" in it...]
But I promise it's not... like that. I don't mean it. Not that much.
[It's hard to admit when he's just saying stuff to sound cool, or tough. He hates letting other people in like this... he hates letting them know that he's maybe a bit softer on the inside than he lets on. But Mike was worried, genuinely. So he wants to let him know.]
I used to. Growing up... I used to think of myself as the best person on the planet. And I had a lot of people around me who treated me like it, too. My teachers, my classmates, my friends-- they all told me all the time how great I was. How cool and powerful my Quirk was. How I was going to grow up and be the best Hero ever. It went to my head.. way too much.
[He starts to explain about himself a bit more. About his past. Letting his gaze stick to the floor as he speaks.]
At the same time, my mom would do the opposite and try to knock my ego down a few pegs by insulting me whenever she could or hitting me over stupid shit. But as I said, she wasn't doing it all on her own. I was a real piece of shit. I would call her really horrible things myself, and throw stuff at her. Blow up her favourite things to get back at her for grounding me.
[Katsuki can feel his face heat up when he admits this. How awful he was to her in return. Yeah, it's not right for a mom to react to her son with violence but he really couldn't blame her at the same time, sometimes.]
And I... I even had a group of friends who would follow me around and bully or beat up anyone who looked at me weird. They'd act like I was this untouchable star who could do anything, and who's future was so bright and set ahead of him. And because of that... I believed them. And I let them harass the other kids. And I even joined in.
I hurt a lot of people for no reason... everyone was terrified of me. Even the teachers.
[He won't even get into the stuff with Izuku. His best friend who he relentlessly harassed for their entire lives. That would.. take way too long.]
It took going to a high school made for pros for me to snap out of it. I had to physically see that there were people just as strong-- and even stronger than me to realize that I wasn't so untouchable after all. I've grown a lot, too.
[Very hesitantly, he reaches out with his left hand to gently pat at Mike's back. Reassuringly.]
And I refuse to go back to how I used to be. So... don't worry so much about me.
[This time it is Mike's turn to listen. He watches the young man as he explains things about himself and his past. Not the whole story but one that Mike can follow. An ego stroked by those around him, by a world and culture who favors such strong Quirks. That obsesses over their power. It would be hard for anyone to not grow a huge head with so much praise.
He is glad Bakugo sits next to him and pats him on the back. That speaks volumes. Mike smiles softly and nods.]
I won't tell anyone that some of the things you say is you being a try hard. And I'll remind myself of that too.
It takes a lot to admit that kind of stuff, that kind of change.
If your mom ever shows up, I'm definitely going to talk to her still. But parents make mistake. What's important is if they learn from them and help their child heal and understand they were mistakes.
I'm glad I don't need to worry about you so much there then. Makes me proud to know that you've already overcome some of that in yourself. And are keeping it in check. That's good work, Bakugo. Keep it up.
[Katsuki smiles, a little bit, when Mike praises him and tells him that he's proud of the work that Katsuki has done on himself. It makes him feel proud of himself in return. He knows he's going on the right path, by being more open and kind to others. And the more praise he gets for it, the easier it makes it.]
...thanks. I've really been trying.
[It's been so hard. Beating that awful version of himself down, and allowing himself to be a person that his past self would have laughed at.]
And... I appreciate you looking out for me. Especially in regards to my mom. I know it's not right that she hits me, and I probably shouldn't defend her over it. But... she's still my mom. It's not like she hates me. Like you said, it's just... mistakes.
[Katsuki hopes she never arrives to this place. One: because he's uncomfortable with the idea of his family members getting mixed up in anything even remotely dangerous. And two: she does N O T need super powers that can actually harm other people. If she had something that could rival Katsuki's explosions? Oh god.. he doesn't want to think of it.]
I dunno how well she'd react to some guy telling her how to raise her kid. But... maybe if I was nicer to her, she'd learn to be nicer back.
[Mike nods. It isn't okay for his mom to hit him or him to hit her back. Clearly though, Bakugo loves his mother. And that's good. Great, honestly. Love means a relationship can mend into something healthier in the long run. With time and encouragement.]
I'm sensitive to it, I guess. Given my own mother.
I'm not going to give her a lecture or hand her a Parenting Guide for Dummies book or anything. I'm going to just touch base. Tell her what a great kid she has and maybe less smacks and more constructive criticism would go a long way. That's all.
[Katsuki's still pretty sure his mother would react poorly to something like that... but maybe not. Maybe if it's from another parent she'd actually listen.]
I'm still not sure if she'd listen or not... but if she ever arrives here, I'll make sure to introduce you.
[He'd also like to see him talk to his dad, too. Maybe his dad just needs his own father figure to learn from?? Who knows.]
And... if you wanna talk about your mom. You can. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little curious... especially with what I've heard about her so far.
[A villain who is also the Queen of Magic... sounds very intense.]
My mother has found a few...different means of immortality.
Her first one was drinking vampire blood. It halts the aging process but creates an issue of a bond to the one you drink from. And killing too many vampires draws attention.
So she turned her attention to finding new bodies. Other mages who were strong. And she would steal their bodies and consume their souls.
She did that for centuries. Over and over again, growing more and more powerful. Until she mastered every sphere of magic except Death. She never touched that one. Never has, never will. She won't risk it.
[As Katsuki listens, he feels this cold sense of dread creep up on him. The mention of immortality... it reminds him all too much of a certain Villain that Katsuki managed to kill despite said immortality. That's always the end goal with the really bad guys, isn't it? Immortality and complete power.
The mention of her finding new bodies in particular has his hair stand on end. He remembers at fourteen, when his body was almost stolen from him by a gross Villain made of sludge who wanted his Quirk for himself. Katsuki hates those kind of people the most, he thinks. The ones that would steal everything away from another individual, just to take it for themselves.
It's concerning that Mike's mother reminded Katsuki of two separate Villains, so easily...]
Pandora's Box...?
[He's aware of the trope, the old legend. How the box is portrayed in media. But if it's actually real? What does that entail, exactly...? How powerful would that box be?]
[Mike nods. His mother is going to remind Katsuki of a lot of people in his world perhaps. All rolled into one vile package.]
Yes. In my world...we have a deity. The God Machine. It is a heartless, unfeeling being that controls reality. For lack of a more complicated explanation. It is very much in control of my world in a sense. Her theory is it came when Pandora's Box was opened. It and it's Angels. Agents it uses. But something was left behind when the box got closed.
The God Machine's control mechanism. A means of controlling the machine and so controlling all of reality. The rules, the laws that govern it, everything. She would have full control of everything.
But only a descendent of Pandora herself and a master of the Death sphere of magic can open it.
She searched for that descendent for a long time and found a woman. A pregnant woman who was a mage but she wasn't a Death mage. She was a Life mage. And she was powerful.
So the Queen of Magic stole her body while she was pregnant with her son. With me.
[It's a lot of information for Katsuki to take in at once. Talks of a God-like machine that runs the world. Of Angels. Of a mechanism that controls all of reality. It's nothing like what Katsuki has experienced, and it sounds straight out of some kind of science fiction novel.
But it's Mike's reality. And the boy's worried eyes are glued onto the man, as he explains in more detail of his mother's plan. Of how she tracked down the perfect mage, and stole her pregnant body. That leaves him almost speechless, at the thought. Of how someone could do something so cruel, like that.
He can't even imagine... that's just evil.]
...why do you call her your mom?
[It's a small, quiet question. But it's something Katsuki doesn't understand. If she stole his actual mother's body, she shouldn't deserve the title. Is what he feels, anyway.]
I'm skipping ahead in the story but when I was thirteen...she had custody of me. My father was dead. So was my paternal grandmother. She killed them both to get me. She told me I had a Destiny. I was born to do one thing.
To open Pandora's Box.
I didn't want to give her anything. So I tried to...kill myself. She found me and stopped me. That was the day she put a spell on my mind. I have to do what she tells me. She says I call her mother, I have to call her mom. One of her commands to try and persuade me into opening Pandora's Box.
Except she can't just order me to. The box won't open unless I do it of my own free will apparently. Destiny says I will one day. Apparently. That's part of my Destiny with the box. Only I can open it, one day I will, and she's been doing everything she can over the last twenty nine years to take every reason I have to live from me.
Because when I open the box, it'll be the last thing I ever do.
Katsuki feels this painful, tight feeling in his chest as Mike explains a life bound by a spell. Of a life with a predetermined path set for it. And a boy who tried to take himself out before something dangerous happened. It causes a thick lump to form in his throat, that he can't quite swallow down. This was one of the reasons why Katsuki hated getting close to other people... the empathy towards them when he sees them get hurt. Or learns something painful about them. He has the urge to apologize, and give Mike a hug--- even if those are things he rarely ever does. But he's not sure in this situation if either would even be... appropriate.]
...don't go back home.
[He's not sure anything was appropriate, really. So in a case where nothing is, he lets the first thought that he has in his mind out. Even if it might be silly, or childish. A simple way of thinking.]
If there's ever a way for us to go back to our homes... don't. You can come back with me, or someone else if there's someone you love. It doesn't matter who just--
[Katsuki looks at Mike, with this mix of anger and sympathy on his expression. And he grabs onto one of his arms, firmly. As if to keep him there, like he's about to go back home at any second.]
[Mike's eyes soften at the words. He feels his own lump in his throat. It grows and he tries to desperately swallow it. It tugs at his heart. The words do. He doesn't pull away or move at all, really. He listens to the words. They ring with such temptation. A true and deep temptation to listen to them.]
I don't want to. Mostly. There are people in my world I miss and I care very much about. ...But I know me being around them puts them at risk.
...I'm not going to just go back without thinking it through. I can tell you right now I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Okay? I promise.
[Katsuki glares at Mike as if he doesn't believe his words, because part of him doesn't. Part of him worries he'll immediately go rushing back-- but he doesn't know everything about Mike. He doesn't know if he was the type to bluff to make a kid's worry at ease, or if he really didn't want to go back and would think twice about it.
He decides to just listen to him for now, though. But his expression still is a little intense. And he refuses, for the moment, to let go.]
You better not. If you left after telling me all of this depressing crap, I'd find a way to follow you and kick your ass.
[Katsuki just let Mike in. He just started to bring his walls down around the older gentleman. He'd be.. crushed if he left anytime soon. The thought of it really upsets him, actually. Which in turn just pisses him off.]
And then I'd kick that bitch's ass too while I'm already there.
[Mike doesn't blame Katsuki for not believing him. Destiny is a bitch and Mike doesn't know what or how he could be forced to go back. Willingly or unwillingly. But he knows if he has a choice, he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It would be cruel to be here for Bakugo and leave so quickly. Mike is many things, he tries to not be cruel.]
I won't. I'm not going to dump that on you and vanish. Not if I have a say in it. And I don't think I need to worry too much. It doesn't seem like the magic holding me here is deteriorating or anything. Okay? And if I do break that promise, you deserve to kick my ass.
[Mike almost smiles saying the last part. But then his face turns a little more serious.]
...If you somehow come across her. If she comes here or is here as an illusion or you get in my head somehow...please run. Don't fight her. Please, Bakugo.
[Katsuki is quiet, when he's asked not to fight this Villain who deserves to be fought. Katsuki knows himself all too well... if she ever showed up, even just as an illusion, he'd want to at least try to fight her. He's killed the strongest person on (his) Earth, and he has a feeling he'd be able to kill anyone because of that.
Granted he's at 100%, and not in the state he's in now.]
...I can't promise that I'll run.
[He's honest, looking up at Mike with this all too serious gaze. His willpower unwavering.]
It's in my nature to fight. And to try to protect the people I care about. And I'm really angry at what she's done to you... and your mom.
So if I get the chance? I'm probably taking it.
[Katsuki's so passionate when it comes to his sense of justice... he's already upset another person saying he'd go to their homeworld and help fight their Villains. He knows everyone is just worried about him, and his reckless behaviour, though. So he tries to say something that could help quell Mike's fears just a tiny bit.]
But... if it happens before I replace my arm, and master how to use the new one, I'll leave it be and let someone else fight her. I can at least promise that much.
[A part of Mike feels angry when Bakugo won't promise to run. It's hard to explain how frightening his mother is with words. So difficult to grasp the power and horrors she can unleash. She could end things so quickly for so many and yet she enjoys playing with them more. To make them suffer. To break their spirits.
She is a god of viciousness and heinous acts.
He swallows as his face falls a little. He can't stop Bakugo from being who he is. But he's still worried and hopes beyond hope the magic that brings them here is smart enough to not grab her. She won't help this world recover. She'll bend it to her will, one way or another. Seasonal magic would be even more terrifying in her hands.]
...If any of this happens...if. And I hope it never does but if...if she kills you, I will never forgive myself.
[Katsuki can't help but feel a little guilty, when Mike's face falls like that. He knows it would make everything easier if he could just promise that he wouldn't risk himself to fight. If he could just say "you know that? I take it back." and promise to never try. But Katsuki knows himself better than that, it'd be unrealistic if he said he would run. And it'd be more of a shock to promise one thing, just to do the other when the time comes.
But hopefully that time will never come. This conversation is mostly about "what-if" scenarios, not anything set and stone. Yet they're both so serious about it as if it was just around the corner.]
...can't you have at least a little faith in me?
[He finds himself feeling hurt at how quick everyone was to assume Katsuki would die if he fought their Villains for them. Of course he doesn't know how strong they are, and can't REALLY judge if he'd be able to win against them or not. But at the same time-- these people don't know how strong the Villain that Katsuki killed was, either.]
I didn't fuck my arm up over nothing. It wasn't some accident or mishap that took it from me. It's a scar from a battle that not even the Pros who have been Heroes for decades could win.
[Katsuki hasn't had the chance to tell Mike what happened, not in full detail anyway. It's not like he hurt himself doing a normal battle, though. And he needs to make that clear.]
But I did win. I was the final boss for a Villain who made everyone's lives a living hell. Someone who was more or less immortal, himself. And who my idols were terrified of. Someone who stole people's powers from them. Who wiped so many powerful Heroes completely off the map.
I was the one who finished that Villain off. Me.
[He lets go of Mike, finally, so he can get to his feet as he starts to feel passionate while making a case for himself.]
Not even my best friend who had been given the most powerful Quirk on the goddamn planet could do it! I was me, with the Quirk I'd been born with who killed him! I didn't need anyone to give me their Quirk! I didn't need anyone to teach me anything special, either! I used my own special moves that I made up! I used the strategy that I thought of to fight him!
I did it all by myself and I won!
[His voice raises, and he stares Mike right in the eyes as he continues. So angry and desperate to be seen as powerful. And it might be a little egotistical to say he did it all by himself-- he did deliver the final blow, but it was thanks to the help of everyone around him that he was able to in the first place.
But. Still. He's holding onto the fact that he killed All For One as tightly as he can.]
And that was after a hole had been blown right through my fucking heart! It was after my arm had been crushed! I was so powerful on the brink of death-- do you know how powerful I'll be when I'm back to 100% again?!
[Mike realize three things in this moment as Bakugo speaks.
One: Bakugo wants him to believe in him. He wants Mike to believe in him that he can do anything and everything. It hits him hard in his chest. He is a young adult wanting someone parental to believe he could defeat God. Mike wants so badly to believe it too. He does. That little bit of hope that someone in some part of this gigantic ass multiverse could stop her. But that hope? That wish died long ago for Mike. Yet Bakugo wanted to bring that hope alive again.
Two: Bakugo would not be talked down. He had accomplished something on the same level as killing a god from the sounds of it. Perhaps this villain was as powerful as his mother. But he isn't sure. Maybe he was. But it sounds like this fight or fights wasn't alone. And Bakugo nearly paid for it with his life. After that, he wouldn't back down at all.
Three: If she was here, if she got ahold of Bakugo. Or Cole. Or Emeth. Or Wukong. Any of the people he's come to care for so much here, he would surrender himself to her. Get her to let them go, to not hurt them, and just go with her. Better him than any of them.
Mike stands up as Bakugo finishes and pulls the blond into a soft hug. One he can easily escape from if he wants.]
Okay. [His tone is soft and almost defeated.]
Okay. Just please...don't fight her alone. Don't rush in without a plan and help. No matter what she does. Especially to me.
At least promise me that. That's all I'll ask of you. Don't...don't do any of it alone. Please, kid. Just give me that.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[Mike says as he enters the apartment. His eyes scan the decor, the paintings, and then the toys. His eyes see the cat and he waves at the cute cat. He snaps his fingers and some treats appear on the bed by the cute little cat. He turns and looks at Bakugo. His fingers twitch as he casts one more quick spell on the apartment.]
There. I added the soundproofing spell I did on the castle on your apartment. I can remove it if you want. Just in case.
So. I'll jump to the first concern I have. Your mom. Has she always been violent with you?
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Oh.]
...violent?
[Katsuki had talked about this with Shoto a bit, when they were forced to accept truths about themselves that they didn't quite want to. And back then it felt just awkward. A little uncomfortable. But with Mike? Who he looks up to quite a bit and has already established a father-like relationship with? He's not so sure how he wants to talk about this with him... it suddenly feels much more serious than before.]
Ah.. y-yeah. Since my Quirk developed.
[The blonde reaches up to rub the back of his neck, having a hard time looking at Mike. He was four when his Quirk first started to develop, and he used to go around exploding everything in sight until his mom started to punish him for it with smacks to the back of his head. But then that made him start defending himself against her, and by the time he was fourteen they would have fights that destroyed their whole livingroom....]
But-- but I hit her back! All the time! It's not like it was all her... and she still treated me like a mom despite it!
[He defends her a little bit, feeling guilty to have made Mike worry like this.]
no subject
Hm. Alright. But she told you you were too old to celebrate your birthday with your friends at ten. And now the thought of it makes you want to puke.
You want adulation. You want celebrity. Before we talked about romance, you were never interested in anything like that.
Do you know why you want that instead of birthday parties and things like that?
[There is an issue here and he wants to address it. Bakugo craves a certain kind of attention. One that, despite everything that comes with it, can be safer in some ways than close personal relationships, romantic or platonic. He wonders if the young man knows why or if he only knows he wants it.]
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[Katsuki listens to what Mike says, and asks. But it's a bit hard for him to follow, when to him it sounds perfectly fine and normal. Why wouldn't he want things like being a celebrity instead of a dinky birthday party? Wouldn't.. anyone..?]
...i-it's just a preference.
[He doesn't know why, but he feels guarded. Unsure if he likes the prodding that Mike is doing about him and his past and the way he thinks.]
no subject
[Mike sighs and moves to sit somewhere. He runs his hand through his hair.]
Not wanting a birthday party is totally normal. Not everyone likes parties like that. Wanting instead a part to celebrate you being, Best Hero of All Time, is also normal. I'm not trying to say; hey, you're doing it wrong. But...only chasing the adulation? The celebrity? Wanting to be worshipped and adored and obsessed over might also feel safer. People then care about you without having to actually know or care about them. You don't need to. They just need to give you their adulation and praise and attention.
But there is a dangerous path to that road if you don't temper it. A path where you need more and more. That's how things like a cult of personality can be formed, even without you realizing it. Or you do realize and you like it so much, you keep going. Because it gets you more and more.
I've seen what that path looks like. What worst possible outcome it can lead to. ...That's how my mother operates. The people who follow and obey her do it because they worship her as a god. They do anything she commands because she gives them power, money, access to things they couldn't do themselves. She asks for praise, worship, and absolute loyalty.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it with you I just...want to make sure you aren't about to walk a path you can't come back from. A path many might not be able to walk with you either.
no subject
The mention of it has a thick lump form in his throat, and he tries to swallow it away. Because he absolutely understands what Mike is saying. He used to live life close to something like that. He used to have students practically kiss the ground he walked on, and who would do absolutely anything he said. It went to his head. Big time. And he became the worst version of himself, because of it. And he still has fragments of that version inside of him, that peek out now and then. He wonders... was it happening now?
Quietly, he moves to take a seat next to Mike. To show him that he's not upset with Mike's assumption that he might go down a similar path.]
...I get it. I sound insane when I say shit like I want people to "worship" me, or "obsess" over me. It sounds like I just want people to think of me as a God. To put me on some kind of pedestal.
[It doesn't help that his Hero Name has "God" in it...]
But I promise it's not... like that. I don't mean it. Not that much.
[It's hard to admit when he's just saying stuff to sound cool, or tough. He hates letting other people in like this... he hates letting them know that he's maybe a bit softer on the inside than he lets on. But Mike was worried, genuinely. So he wants to let him know.]
I used to. Growing up... I used to think of myself as the best person on the planet. And I had a lot of people around me who treated me like it, too. My teachers, my classmates, my friends-- they all told me all the time how great I was. How cool and powerful my Quirk was. How I was going to grow up and be the best Hero ever. It went to my head.. way too much.
[He starts to explain about himself a bit more. About his past. Letting his gaze stick to the floor as he speaks.]
At the same time, my mom would do the opposite and try to knock my ego down a few pegs by insulting me whenever she could or hitting me over stupid shit. But as I said, she wasn't doing it all on her own. I was a real piece of shit. I would call her really horrible things myself, and throw stuff at her. Blow up her favourite things to get back at her for grounding me.
[Katsuki can feel his face heat up when he admits this. How awful he was to her in return. Yeah, it's not right for a mom to react to her son with violence but he really couldn't blame her at the same time, sometimes.]
And I... I even had a group of friends who would follow me around and bully or beat up anyone who looked at me weird. They'd act like I was this untouchable star who could do anything, and who's future was so bright and set ahead of him. And because of that... I believed them. And I let them harass the other kids. And I even joined in.
I hurt a lot of people for no reason... everyone was terrified of me. Even the teachers.
[He won't even get into the stuff with Izuku. His best friend who he relentlessly harassed for their entire lives. That would.. take way too long.]
It took going to a high school made for pros for me to snap out of it. I had to physically see that there were people just as strong-- and even stronger than me to realize that I wasn't so untouchable after all. I've grown a lot, too.
[Very hesitantly, he reaches out with his left hand to gently pat at Mike's back. Reassuringly.]
And I refuse to go back to how I used to be. So... don't worry so much about me.
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He is glad Bakugo sits next to him and pats him on the back. That speaks volumes. Mike smiles softly and nods.]
I won't tell anyone that some of the things you say is you being a try hard. And I'll remind myself of that too.
It takes a lot to admit that kind of stuff, that kind of change.
If your mom ever shows up, I'm definitely going to talk to her still. But parents make mistake. What's important is if they learn from them and help their child heal and understand they were mistakes.
I'm glad I don't need to worry about you so much there then. Makes me proud to know that you've already overcome some of that in yourself. And are keeping it in check. That's good work, Bakugo. Keep it up.
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...thanks. I've really been trying.
[It's been so hard. Beating that awful version of himself down, and allowing himself to be a person that his past self would have laughed at.]
And... I appreciate you looking out for me. Especially in regards to my mom. I know it's not right that she hits me, and I probably shouldn't defend her over it. But... she's still my mom. It's not like she hates me. Like you said, it's just... mistakes.
[Katsuki hopes she never arrives to this place. One: because he's uncomfortable with the idea of his family members getting mixed up in anything even remotely dangerous. And two: she does N O T need super powers that can actually harm other people. If she had something that could rival Katsuki's explosions? Oh god.. he doesn't want to think of it.]
I dunno how well she'd react to some guy telling her how to raise her kid. But... maybe if I was nicer to her, she'd learn to be nicer back.
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I'm sensitive to it, I guess. Given my own mother.
I'm not going to give her a lecture or hand her a Parenting Guide for Dummies book or anything. I'm going to just touch base. Tell her what a great kid she has and maybe less smacks and more constructive criticism would go a long way. That's all.
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I'm still not sure if she'd listen or not... but if she ever arrives here, I'll make sure to introduce you.
[He'd also like to see him talk to his dad, too. Maybe his dad just needs his own father figure to learn from?? Who knows.]
And... if you wanna talk about your mom. You can. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little curious... especially with what I've heard about her so far.
[A villain who is also the Queen of Magic... sounds very intense.]
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I suppose I can. I'd be more surprised if you weren't curious.
Hm. I guess the best place to start is the beginning. My mother is old. And I mean very very old. She was there when Atlantis sank into the ocean.
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[THAT LONG AGO?? Katsuki can't hide his surprise, eyes wide. How could someone be that old?]
Is she still alive?
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[Mike nods because oh yeah. She's alive.]
My mother has found a few...different means of immortality.
Her first one was drinking vampire blood. It halts the aging process but creates an issue of a bond to the one you drink from. And killing too many vampires draws attention.
So she turned her attention to finding new bodies. Other mages who were strong. And she would steal their bodies and consume their souls.
She did that for centuries. Over and over again, growing more and more powerful. Until she mastered every sphere of magic except Death. She never touched that one. Never has, never will. She won't risk it.
Not since she found Pandora's Box.
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The mention of her finding new bodies in particular has his hair stand on end. He remembers at fourteen, when his body was almost stolen from him by a gross Villain made of sludge who wanted his Quirk for himself. Katsuki hates those kind of people the most, he thinks. The ones that would steal everything away from another individual, just to take it for themselves.
It's concerning that Mike's mother reminded Katsuki of two separate Villains, so easily...]
Pandora's Box...?
[He's aware of the trope, the old legend. How the box is portrayed in media. But if it's actually real? What does that entail, exactly...? How powerful would that box be?]
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Yes. In my world...we have a deity. The God Machine. It is a heartless, unfeeling being that controls reality. For lack of a more complicated explanation. It is very much in control of my world in a sense. Her theory is it came when Pandora's Box was opened. It and it's Angels. Agents it uses. But something was left behind when the box got closed.
The God Machine's control mechanism. A means of controlling the machine and so controlling all of reality. The rules, the laws that govern it, everything. She would have full control of everything.
But only a descendent of Pandora herself and a master of the Death sphere of magic can open it.
She searched for that descendent for a long time and found a woman. A pregnant woman who was a mage but she wasn't a Death mage. She was a Life mage. And she was powerful.
So the Queen of Magic stole her body while she was pregnant with her son. With me.
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But it's Mike's reality. And the boy's worried eyes are glued onto the man, as he explains in more detail of his mother's plan. Of how she tracked down the perfect mage, and stole her pregnant body. That leaves him almost speechless, at the thought. Of how someone could do something so cruel, like that.
He can't even imagine... that's just evil.]
...why do you call her your mom?
[It's a small, quiet question. But it's something Katsuki doesn't understand. If she stole his actual mother's body, she shouldn't deserve the title. Is what he feels, anyway.]
CW: Mention of attempted suicide
[It's three words but they carry so much weight.]
I'm skipping ahead in the story but when I was thirteen...she had custody of me. My father was dead. So was my paternal grandmother. She killed them both to get me. She told me I had a Destiny. I was born to do one thing.
To open Pandora's Box.
I didn't want to give her anything. So I tried to...kill myself. She found me and stopped me. That was the day she put a spell on my mind. I have to do what she tells me. She says I call her mother, I have to call her mom. One of her commands to try and persuade me into opening Pandora's Box.
Except she can't just order me to. The box won't open unless I do it of my own free will apparently. Destiny says I will one day. Apparently. That's part of my Destiny with the box. Only I can open it, one day I will, and she's been doing everything she can over the last twenty nine years to take every reason I have to live from me.
Because when I open the box, it'll be the last thing I ever do.
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Katsuki feels this painful, tight feeling in his chest as Mike explains a life bound by a spell. Of a life with a predetermined path set for it. And a boy who tried to take himself out before something dangerous happened. It causes a thick lump to form in his throat, that he can't quite swallow down. This was one of the reasons why Katsuki hated getting close to other people... the empathy towards them when he sees them get hurt. Or learns something painful about them. He has the urge to apologize, and give Mike a hug--- even if those are things he rarely ever does. But he's not sure in this situation if either would even be... appropriate.]
...don't go back home.
[He's not sure anything was appropriate, really. So in a case where nothing is, he lets the first thought that he has in his mind out. Even if it might be silly, or childish. A simple way of thinking.]
If there's ever a way for us to go back to our homes... don't. You can come back with me, or someone else if there's someone you love. It doesn't matter who just--
[Katsuki looks at Mike, with this mix of anger and sympathy on his expression. And he grabs onto one of his arms, firmly. As if to keep him there, like he's about to go back home at any second.]
Don't. Don't go back.
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I don't want to. Mostly. There are people in my world I miss and I care very much about. ...But I know me being around them puts them at risk.
...I'm not going to just go back without thinking it through. I can tell you right now I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Okay? I promise.
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He decides to just listen to him for now, though. But his expression still is a little intense. And he refuses, for the moment, to let go.]
You better not. If you left after telling me all of this depressing crap, I'd find a way to follow you and kick your ass.
[Katsuki just let Mike in. He just started to bring his walls down around the older gentleman. He'd be.. crushed if he left anytime soon. The thought of it really upsets him, actually. Which in turn just pisses him off.]
And then I'd kick that bitch's ass too while I'm already there.
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I won't. I'm not going to dump that on you and vanish. Not if I have a say in it. And I don't think I need to worry too much. It doesn't seem like the magic holding me here is deteriorating or anything. Okay? And if I do break that promise, you deserve to kick my ass.
[Mike almost smiles saying the last part. But then his face turns a little more serious.]
...If you somehow come across her. If she comes here or is here as an illusion or you get in my head somehow...please run. Don't fight her. Please, Bakugo.
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Granted he's at 100%, and not in the state he's in now.]
...I can't promise that I'll run.
[He's honest, looking up at Mike with this all too serious gaze. His willpower unwavering.]
It's in my nature to fight. And to try to protect the people I care about. And I'm really angry at what she's done to you... and your mom.
So if I get the chance? I'm probably taking it.
[Katsuki's so passionate when it comes to his sense of justice... he's already upset another person saying he'd go to their homeworld and help fight their Villains. He knows everyone is just worried about him, and his reckless behaviour, though. So he tries to say something that could help quell Mike's fears just a tiny bit.]
But... if it happens before I replace my arm, and master how to use the new one, I'll leave it be and let someone else fight her. I can at least promise that much.
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She is a god of viciousness and heinous acts.
He swallows as his face falls a little. He can't stop Bakugo from being who he is. But he's still worried and hopes beyond hope the magic that brings them here is smart enough to not grab her. She won't help this world recover. She'll bend it to her will, one way or another. Seasonal magic would be even more terrifying in her hands.]
...If any of this happens...if. And I hope it never does but if...if she kills you, I will never forgive myself.
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But hopefully that time will never come. This conversation is mostly about "what-if" scenarios, not anything set and stone. Yet they're both so serious about it as if it was just around the corner.]
...can't you have at least a little faith in me?
[He finds himself feeling hurt at how quick everyone was to assume Katsuki would die if he fought their Villains for them. Of course he doesn't know how strong they are, and can't REALLY judge if he'd be able to win against them or not. But at the same time-- these people don't know how strong the Villain that Katsuki killed was, either.]
I didn't fuck my arm up over nothing. It wasn't some accident or mishap that took it from me. It's a scar from a battle that not even the Pros who have been Heroes for decades could win.
[Katsuki hasn't had the chance to tell Mike what happened, not in full detail anyway. It's not like he hurt himself doing a normal battle, though. And he needs to make that clear.]
But I did win. I was the final boss for a Villain who made everyone's lives a living hell. Someone who was more or less immortal, himself. And who my idols were terrified of. Someone who stole people's powers from them. Who wiped so many powerful Heroes completely off the map.
I was the one who finished that Villain off. Me.
[He lets go of Mike, finally, so he can get to his feet as he starts to feel passionate while making a case for himself.]
Not even my best friend who had been given the most powerful Quirk on the goddamn planet could do it! I was me, with the Quirk I'd been born with who killed him! I didn't need anyone to give me their Quirk! I didn't need anyone to teach me anything special, either! I used my own special moves that I made up! I used the strategy that I thought of to fight him!
I did it all by myself and I won!
[His voice raises, and he stares Mike right in the eyes as he continues. So angry and desperate to be seen as powerful. And it might be a little egotistical to say he did it all by himself-- he did deliver the final blow, but it was thanks to the help of everyone around him that he was able to in the first place.
But. Still. He's holding onto the fact that he killed All For One as tightly as he can.]
And that was after a hole had been blown right through my fucking heart! It was after my arm had been crushed! I was so powerful on the brink of death-- do you know how powerful I'll be when I'm back to 100% again?!
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One: Bakugo wants him to believe in him. He wants Mike to believe in him that he can do anything and everything. It hits him hard in his chest. He is a young adult wanting someone parental to believe he could defeat God. Mike wants so badly to believe it too. He does. That little bit of hope that someone in some part of this gigantic ass multiverse could stop her. But that hope? That wish died long ago for Mike. Yet Bakugo wanted to bring that hope alive again.
Two: Bakugo would not be talked down. He had accomplished something on the same level as killing a god from the sounds of it. Perhaps this villain was as powerful as his mother. But he isn't sure. Maybe he was. But it sounds like this fight or fights wasn't alone. And Bakugo nearly paid for it with his life. After that, he wouldn't back down at all.
Three: If she was here, if she got ahold of Bakugo. Or Cole. Or Emeth. Or Wukong. Any of the people he's come to care for so much here, he would surrender himself to her. Get her to let them go, to not hurt them, and just go with her. Better him than any of them.
Mike stands up as Bakugo finishes and pulls the blond into a soft hug. One he can easily escape from if he wants.]
Okay. [His tone is soft and almost defeated.]
Okay. Just please...don't fight her alone. Don't rush in without a plan and help. No matter what she does. Especially to me.
At least promise me that. That's all I'll ask of you. Don't...don't do any of it alone. Please, kid. Just give me that.
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We love new icons
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you ever flip a coin to decide if a character is lactose intolerant
I have not but flipping a coin is so valid. Done it for other things
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