[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.
[Katsuki isn't sure how Mike would respond to his rant. His passionate rant built from the want-- the need for other people to take him seriously. He's expecting more of the same... Mike telling him not to, or even that she's far more powerful than he'll ever be. That there's no chance in hell of him winning. He's prepared to continue to be on the defense, or to give in if Mike gets angry with him. A screaming match with his new parental-like guardian isn't really something Katsuki wants to take part in... no matter how strongly he may feel about this.
When Mike stands up, the boy tenses as he prepares to be yelled at. But rather than a harsh scolding, he's pulled into a gentle hug. One that immediately extinguishes his angry flames, and that feels unsure and like he could easily break free from. But he... doesn't. Not because he feels like he needs the hug himself, but because he feels like Mike needs it. And giving someone a hug when they need it is kind of like a heroic duty? Not one Katsuki usually partakes in, but he feels like it's important to. In this moment.
So very awkwardly, and hesitantly, he'll wrap his left around Mike and lean in. Though it's painfully obvious that he doesn't get hugs often, with how rigid he seems to be.]
...okay. I won't do it alone.
[That's a promise he can actually keep. He's smart enough to know that going head first, completely by yourself, isn't the way to go. He only does that with the guys who are very obviously going to lose against him.]
And I won't go after any other crazy powerful Villains by myself, either. I'll ask for help when I need it.
[Mike holds Bakugo a little longer after he awkwardly returns the hug and finishes speaking. Mike knows he does need this. He needs it quite a lot. He sighs and pulls back slowly. He looks down at Bakugo for a silent moment.]
Thank you. I really appreciate it. More than I can really say. I do want you safe. That's the crux of it. You're a good kid and you deserve to be happy and safe. Well as safe as a hero fighting powerful villains can be. Not wrapped in bubble wrap.
[Katsuki allows Mike to hug him as long as he needs, just waiting it out patiently and quietly. And when he does pull back, and look down at him, Katsuki looks back up at him with this stern yet soft expression. A slightly worried look, from a child who just wants their father figure to be okay.]
I know. I know you just wanna make sure I'll be okay. I get it, and I'm not mad at it.
[There's a few people he'd be annoyed at if they said the same thing to him. But he's never upset when a mentor is just looking out for him. It's their job, and expected of them to worry at least a little. And obviously he has a soft spot for Mike, too.]
But you're a good person too, Mike. You deserve to be just as happy and safe as I do.
[Katsuki's sure there's many people who would agree with him.]
[Mike has a lot of thoughts and feelings buzzing around inside of him. He sucks in a breath and lets it out slowly. Trying to calm the storm of internal bees that are inside. At least he can hear Bakugo still. He swallows.]
Thank you. I don't often feel like a good person inside sometimes. I know a good handful of people who would say I am but I don't often feel it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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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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When Mike stands up, the boy tenses as he prepares to be yelled at. But rather than a harsh scolding, he's pulled into a gentle hug. One that immediately extinguishes his angry flames, and that feels unsure and like he could easily break free from. But he... doesn't. Not because he feels like he needs the hug himself, but because he feels like Mike needs it. And giving someone a hug when they need it is kind of like a heroic duty? Not one Katsuki usually partakes in, but he feels like it's important to. In this moment.
So very awkwardly, and hesitantly, he'll wrap his left around Mike and lean in. Though it's painfully obvious that he doesn't get hugs often, with how rigid he seems to be.]
...okay. I won't do it alone.
[That's a promise he can actually keep. He's smart enough to know that going head first, completely by yourself, isn't the way to go. He only does that with the guys who are very obviously going to lose against him.]
And I won't go after any other crazy powerful Villains by myself, either. I'll ask for help when I need it.
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Thank you. I really appreciate it. More than I can really say. I do want you safe. That's the crux of it. You're a good kid and you deserve to be happy and safe. Well as safe as a hero fighting powerful villains can be. Not wrapped in bubble wrap.
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I know. I know you just wanna make sure I'll be okay. I get it, and I'm not mad at it.
[There's a few people he'd be annoyed at if they said the same thing to him. But he's never upset when a mentor is just looking out for him. It's their job, and expected of them to worry at least a little. And obviously he has a soft spot for Mike, too.]
But you're a good person too, Mike. You deserve to be just as happy and safe as I do.
[Katsuki's sure there's many people who would agree with him.]
Remember that.
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Thank you. I don't often feel like a good person inside sometimes. I know a good handful of people who would say I am but I don't often feel it.
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[Katsuki can tell that Mike is a bit overwhelmed, and it makes him feel a little guilty. So he looks to the kitchen for a moment before back at Mike.]
...do you want something to drink? I can make some tea or get you some water.
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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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