Dandelions and the Butterfly Effect

by Misty_Daze

Summary:

Katsuki Bakugou awakens in a new world, his body covered in remnants of stone.

Where- or when- he is, he doesn't know. All he knows is he needs to get back home and find his missing comrades.

Eventually, he meets the genius scientist Ishigami Senku and his Kingdom of Science. Together, they work to revive those who had been petrified and unravel the mystery behind the war-torn heroes sudden presence in the Stone World.

Their journey leads them to Treasure Island, where the Soyuz and clues to their questions await them. Lead by a kind and well-read Chief and his headstrong wife, will these people far from Ishigami Village join the Kingdom of Science, or will it be the end of the road for Senku and his friends?

---
Update:

If you comment here saying you want to illustrate stuff for me in exchange for money I will be mean to you. Go away. I'm not interested in your AI slop.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Swirls of dust spun in the air like small tornadoes, barely grazing the bare, lifeless dirt below. Every plant, animal, building, and stone had been completely leveled.

 

The world had been properly, completely, utterly destroyed.

 

The heroes had lost.

 

But it didn’t quite feel like the villains had won, either.

 

Kurogiri had been following Shigaraki for days after his big finishing move. One that had completely obliterated the coffin in the sky, and everything else around it. For a moment in the chaos, Kurogiri was almost certain Shigaraki had destroyed even the oxygen in the air.

 

Since then, not a cloud had crossed the skies, nor a bird, airplane, or insect.

 

And since then, Shigaraki hadn’t uttered a single intelligible word. He muttered to himself over and over the same gibberish, or perhaps a language Kurogiri did not know.

 

Kurogiri had opened warp gates at several coordinates around Earth to see if anything would fall through. Water from the Atlantic Ocean, plant matter from the Amazon rainforest, ice from Antarctica, but nothing came to fruition.

 

The planet was empty and dead without so much as a seed to sow nor rain to soak the soil.

 

Kurogiri paused, watching Shigaraki stumble and mutter, his eyes focused on the ground as if searching for something he had lost. Though Shigaraki was a powerful man, he was still human, unlike Kurogiri’s Nomu body.

 

Without food or water, he would likely die very soon.

 

“This will not do, Tomura Shigaraki.” He closed his eyes, sending his quirk out into the vast wasteland with desperate effort. “This will not do.”

Chapter 2: Petrification

Katsuki Bakugou sat in the bloodstained dirt, his hero costume ripped nearly to shreds and his whole body burning from his injuries. His chest was still aching on the inside, his every heartbeat strained and tight.

 

Izuku sat across from him quietly while the rest of Class 1-A milled around them. They both had strict orders not to move until they could find someone like Recovery Girl to heal the majority of their wounds.

 

“So uh,” Kaminari looked around, “Is everything just… gone forever?”

 

Yaoyorozu frowned, her arms tight as she hugged herself worriedly. “I’m sure it’s just this immediate area. But if we survived the quirk’s power, it’s likely that others have as well.” She explained, “That’s why we sent the scout team to find survivors.” She held bandages in one of her hands, but they were tattered at the ends. It was obvious she was using the last of what her quirk could offer.

 

How the hell they had all survived Shigaraki's final move, Katsuki wasn’t sure. The whole world had gone pitch black and oxygenless after a manic, bloody scream from the villain. He remembered the feeling of floating and then crashing back to the dirt before regaining his vision.

 

The sound of running made Katsuki turn his head. Jirou sprinted at full speed toward her classmates, Shoji and Kouda behind her. “Run!" She warned, "That warp villain is-”

 

But she was too late. Katsuki felt the ground shift under his legs, a giant purple warp gate opening up beneath him.

 

Darkness swallowed Katsuki whole. His body twisted and turned in the air until he had no way to tell which way was up. His quirk wouldn’t let off a single spark in the airless portal.

 

His body landed in a swath of grass with a sharp thump. He coughed and choked as air rushed from his lungs, his ribs rattling with each breath.

 

“Woah, where’d you come from? Are you okay?!” A deep voice rang in his ears, but not one he recognized. 

 

His eyesight was cloudy and he winced at the light above him, but the first thing he noticed was the tree swaying in the wind and granting him just a bit of shade from the bright sun. 

 

The second thing he noticed was the sound of birdsong and honking cars. It almost felt like he had simply fallen asleep under a tree and everything that had just happened was a dream.

 

He could almost convince himself of that if not for his body screaming in agony.

 

The face of a girl with a strange hairband loomed over him. “I think he’s really hurt! We should go get help.”

 

But before anyone could move, a flash of green covered the landscape. Katsuki’s pain faded, but so did every other sensation in his body.

 

There was no darkness, no pain. Only himself and his thoughts.

 

For 3,700 years.

Chapter 3: Izuku, Revived

It’s time to wake up, Hero Deku.

 

Whispers swirled around Izuku’s head.

 

Wake up. Move. It’s time.

 

Izuku couldn’t move. Couldn’t feel. Couldn’t breathe, though his body didn’t beg for air. Where am I? Am I… dead?

 

But the only response was louder whispering.

 

Get up.

 

It’s time. 

 

Move, Hero Deku!

 

Izuku shifted his arm, and with the movement, he could hear crackling. Sensation began to return to his fingers, then his wrist, then his whole forearm.

 

Suddenly, his lungs began to burn for air. He sat up with a sharp gasp.

 

He looked down at his half-naked body, his hero costume still partly intact though tattered from the fight. There were scars all over his skin, but his wounds had healed completely. Is this someone’s quirk? He looked along the ground to observe the pieces of stone that were slowly peeling off of his skin.

 

Where am I exactly? He wondered again as he noticed the grass that had grown in a body-shaped print around where he had been laying.

 

The sky was bright blue, full of puffy clouds and a flock of birds that passed by the sun. The trees around him were lush and mossy. Nothing like how the world was before he was turned to stone.

 

“H-hello?” He called out to the empty forest.

 

It’s probably not a good idea to call attention to myself, but I need to get my bearings. If there’s no one else around, then where are my classmates? He brushed off the rest of the stone pieces from his legs before standing, picking a direction at random, and walking through the thick underbrush.

 

But after a while of aimless wandering, Izuku stood at the base of a tree. I have to get to higher ground. That’ll give me at least a few hints, I think. He used One For All to leap up from branch to branch until he reached the treetop. 

 

As he clung to the bark of the tree, he expected to find a shoreline, or the glistening of not-too-far-away skyscrapers. But what he actually found made his stomach bubble with anxiety.

 

Green trees stretched for miles, only interrupted by mountains in the distance. There were no buildings or recognizable landmarks in sight.

 

Izuku tried hard to remember the last thing he saw before he woke up. Kurogiri had opened a warp gate, then he had fallen through darkness for what felt like a really long time. When he finally landed, it was in a grassy area that sort of felt like a park. He remembered hearing laughter, then a scream. But before he could get his bearings, a green light had flashed all around him and he suddenly couldn’t move.

 

Izuku began to go through the possibilities in his head. Was it the warp villain’s quirk? Something to do with One For All? His head spun and spun with questions he didn’t have an answer for.

 

Wait… He looked up at the sun. It’s about midday, and I don’t know where I am. He scanned the horizon one more time as if a city would magically appear. That means I’m going to have to survive at least the night. There’s no way I’m getting far before nightfall. 

 

“Okay,” He muttered out loud. “In a survival situation, what’s the most basic thing a person needs?” He held his chin in his hand. “I have to figure out a shelter for the night, at least. And fire to keep warm. Since I don’t know where I am, I don’t know what the climate is like.” He balled his fist. “Time to use everything I’ve learned so far to ensure my own survival so I can find the others!”

 

Tendrils from Black Whip spread out in every direction. Izuku concentrated on each extension of himself. Some tendrils shook leaves off of trees, others searched for thick branches to serve as walls for the makeshift lean-to he was about to build.

 

Concentrate. It’ll be faster this way instead of running around. I have to conserve my energy anyway. Who knows what’s in the woods? Animals, villains, who knows if Shigaraki is here, too!

 

After a few more minutes of concentration, he had gathered a decent pile of logs and branches. He secured them to the side of the tree with pliable wood and vines.

 

In front of his shelter, a pile of sticks laid in the center of a circle of rocks. How do I start a fire, though? He wondered. Maybe if I…

 

He grabbed two sticks and started to rub them together. But just basic human strength wouldn’t be enough. One For All… ten percent! 

 

After a few minutes, the bark began to wear away.

 

One For All… twenty percent!

 

His arms ached from the effort, but eventually, smoke became a tiny smolder that grew into a single dancing flame.

 

I can do this! I can survive and find my friends!

Chapter 4: Katsuki

The cave was always damp, but at least he could warm the whole area with a fire.

 

It had been one week since Katsuki had woken up covered in stone. He had traveled through the forest for miles but all he had come across were strange statues dotted along the land.

 

It was enough to conclude that he was, in fact, not in Japan. The warp villain had brought them to some abandoned forest where an ancient civilization had built hyper realistic statues for decoration.

 

At least that’s the story Katsuki had come up with.

 

What the story didn’t explain was the green flash that had come right before he had lost all feeling in his body, who the people were that had looked at him with concern like he was a lost child before it happened, and why he woke up covered in a thin shell of stone with a copy of his hero costume at his side to replace the clothing that had been tattered during the war, yet still remained mostly intact on his stone body- though he could tell the new clothing wasn’t made of the same material.

 

And it didn’t explain, either, how his wounds had perfectly healed with only scars across his chest and arms. The strangest part was some of the scars looked completely normal. Other scars were like thick black cracks around his body.

 

He looked down at his hands. He didn’t even have calluses anymore. His palms were soft and smooth, though now they were stained with blood and dirt. He grimaced at the filth, but had no water to wash his hands with.

 

I’d kill someone just for a damn shower… He curled his fingers to hide his hideous nails, white fur trapped under most of them.

 

The smell of roasting meat filled the air from the rabbit he had managed to catch. Damn thing just had the bad luck of becoming dinner. He wouldn’t admit to himself that he felt a little bit guilty about it.

 

Katsuki let it char over the fire as he rotated the body. Good thing Shitty Hair made me do that lame boy scout course last summer. 

 

He frowned as he thought about his classmate. Just like at the USJ, the warp villain had managed to separate the class from each other. It was completely possible that out there somewhere, the fight was still going on. Or the villains were terrorizing what was left of civilization.

 

Or the villains had been beaten by some other heroes while Katsuki was stuck in stone.

 

He took the rabbit off the flame and ripped off one of the legs, visually inspecting the meat to ensure doneness.

 

He had eaten a few rabbits by now, but this one was especially stringy. His nose curled in distaste. At least it isn’t a glorified salad…

 

His first time trying to forage for food, he had found something he recognized. He didn’t remember the name, but he could remember that it could be eaten raw.

 

If you don’t mind the taste of grass.

 

Or the stomach ache that came from it.

 

While it wasn’t toxic, it was still hard to digest.

 

I’m going to need something other than rabbit, though. Fuck if I know how nutritious it actually is. I’m trading a stomach ache for migraines…

 

Though, water would help…

 

He had found a stream a few days ago and had spent about an hour rehydrating and bathing, but he had ultimately decided to move on from the area in favor of trying to find any other human beings or any sense of direction.

 

Tomorrow, I’ll have to find another water source. If I don’t by midday, I’ll go back to the stream.

 

His lip curled at the thought that Bakugou Katsuki was in full survival mode. Right now, there was no enemy to fight besides nature. And nature didn’t give a damn about his explosive quirk.

 

Tomorrow, water. Then I’m going to find Shigaraki and that warp villain and kill them.

Chapter 5: Senku

Notes:

After Tsukasa's betrayal...

Rain poured down over the forest as Senku walked away from the scene of his own murder, his flag waving proudly on his back as he ventured alone to search for the source of the campfire smoke.

 

At least the rain was warm and gave him the opportunity to collect water in a pouch he had made from the organ of the same deer he had made his clothes from. 

 

He kept moving forward, collecting water as he passed by leaves that were pooling from the rain.

 

This area is full of dogwood trees. But none of them are bearing fruit. They should be in season. He observed curiously. But as he took a closer look, it wasn’t that the trees had no fruit on them, but that the fruit had been plucked off the stems.

 

Senku held his chin in his hand. Was it an animal that plucked the fruit, or a human? If this is animal activity, the amount of berries that have been plucked means that there’s probably a large group of frugivores in the area. If it’s a human, then could it be our smoke-signaling neighbors?

 

The ground didn’t show any footprints or other evidence of human activity, though. So he kept traveling toward where he had originally seen the smoke.

 

But as he passed by one tree in particular, a sweet scent caught him off guard. He furrowed his brows at a burn mark in the tree. There’s no way possible… it can’t be. The sweet scent was definitely coming from the burn mark, though. It smells ten billion percent like nitroglycerin. Not the floral scent of sap or anything else natural. Could these people have already advanced to that level?

 

There were no other signs of a serious explosion, though, besides some burnt and scattered bark. This hit had to be much too precise to be an actual bomb. So where did this come from? His mind raced with possibilities from oddly-placed lightning strikes to some kind of gun with a small amount of nitroglycerin as an accelerant.

 

Senku looked east, peering through the trees and following a trail of similarly-burned trees.

 

He followed the trail to a small stream. There, he found exactly what he was looking for. Or he thought so at first.

 

Right on the shore of the stream were the remnants of a small fire pit. This fire is way too small to produce the amount of smoke we saw at the top of the mountain. Does that mean there’s two different people or groups in this area? 

 

Senku crossed the stream with a small leap. The smoke was coming from the south. I should be heading that way. He furrowed his brow at yet another burn mark in a tree. But whoever is making these marks in the trees is much more exhilarating!

 

The farther he followed the trail, the more evidence of human activity there was. In a bush, he found scattered rabbit bones and its hide. Intelligent enough to make bombs, Senku observed, But not the type to use every part of the animal. Unless they were saving it here for later? 

 

There was another fire pit not too far away. But after that, the trail stopped. There were no more burns to follow or any other clues. If the burn marks stopped after whoever this was had a meal, does that mean they’re using nitroglycerin to hunt somehow? 

 

He frowned. But using the resources needed to cause that much damage only to catch one measly rabbit is extremely inefficient.

 

Suddenly, a loud blast followed by a yell echoed through the trees. Senku ran toward the noise, tearing through the forest and hoping he wouldn’t end up blasted to bits by primitive age dynamite.

Chapter 6: Missing Link

“Dammit!” Katsuki yelled to no one besides the trees. His hands uncontrollably exploded with frustration.

 

He needed to find the stream. If he didn’t drink soon, he was certain his pounding headache and constant thirst would never go away. He would shrivel up into a mummified corpse!

 

I should have marked the damn trail so I could get back to it. Stupid!

 

He followed a vaguely western path through the trees. Above, he could see dark clouds and fog from where it was raining in the distance.  Even if I don’t find the stream there’ll at least be rainwater. But still, all this backtracking is starting to seriously piss me off. 

 

He was growing dizzy and his mind started to feel sluggish. Damn it… He leaned against a tree just to try to calm himself. The last thing he needed right now was to waste his nitrosweat, both in case he needed to defend himself, and because it would only exacerbate his level of dehydration even more.

 

The sun was beginning to set, the shadows around him growing longer and longer with each passing moment.

 

His vision grew blurry, but he stumbled forward anyway.

 

With each step, he reached out to the nearest tree to hold his balance as the world swirled around him.

 

Finally, though, he heard a splash under his boot. His knees gave out from under him and he landed face first in the stream. Rain cooled his overheating skin.

 

He slurped up the water, barely taking a second to breathe. His throat still burned, but he could feel the dizziness start to fade. The raindrops that fell across his back stopped.

 

Finally, he rolled over back to land. He laid on his back, the stars shining brightly above the trees. Dammit… He passed out under the night sky.

 

---

Meanwhile, Senku had followed Katsuki’s yell all the way to a group of trees and brush. The sweet smell of nitroglycerin still hovered in the air.

 

The sun was setting, and Senku knew he only had a sliver of daylight left. I have to find whoever this is. Think. Where could they be going? They were already at the stream not too long ago. He looked along the ground. The ground is dry now that it’s stopped raining. But there’s still a chance of footprints.

 

After some investigation, he found a square pattern dug into the ground. It looks like a partial print from a modern boot. But how did someone keep their shoes for 3,700 years? 

 

There was no way to tell if the print was pointing any specific way, but Senku soon found a twig that looked like it had been snapped under someone’s weight a few feet away.

 

He made his way through the darkening forest until he came to a cave that smelled like roasting meat and fire. In the middle of the cave was a firepit, pieces of rabbit meat still hanging over the leftover charcoal. 

 

Is this where they’re settling? He looked out to see the final minutes of sunlight. I’ll wait here. There’s a ten billion percent chance they’ll come back tonight.

 

But Senku waited all night, eventually ending up falling asleep by the cold fire pit.

Chapter 7: Electrolyte

Notes:

And so it begins :)

Senku woke up alone in the cave, a warm morning wind blowing through its entrance. No one came back… Does that mean they’ve moved on? 

 

But he remembered the loud yell from yesterday, too. Or they were hurt and couldn’t return. But I didn’t see any sign of blood or a struggle. 

 

He sighed and got up from the ground, cracking his sore back before going out into the misty spring sunrise.

 

Maybe I should go back to where I saw the signal fire. Whoever this other person was, it seems like I’ve reached a dead end.

 

He began traveling west again. But once he reached the stream, he heard an unnatural splash downstream.

 

His heart raced in excitement as he hurriedly followed the noise. Finally, he’d find this mystery nitroglycerin-wielding person and get some answers! The stream curved around a group of bushes and as he ran past, his foot collided with something on the ground.

 

He crashed to the dirt, flailing for a moment before a heavy weight pressed on his back. A deep, grumbling voice growled in his ear. “You tryna drown me? I’ll kill you!”

 

The body heat of the person above him nearly seared into his back. Senku couldn’t help but snicker at his assailant. “By the feeling of your body heat, I’d guess you only have a few days to live with that fever. But I can cure it if you tell me where you’ve gotten nitroglycerin in this stone world.” The scent filled his nose now. Every time this guy moved, the sweet smell of the explosive only got stronger.

 

“The hell are you talking about? Start making some damn sense or I’ll kill you.” The pressure lifted off Senku’s back. He turned to look at this newfound stranger.

 

He had blonde, spiky hair and piercing red eyes. What surprised Senku the most was that he was wearing what appeared to be modern clothing. His tank top had a bright orange X criss-crossing across his chest.

 

His skin was pale, but even though he was feverish, there was no sweat beading on his forehead like Senku would have expected. His eyes were outlined by thick black cracks from petrification and so were his arms. In between, regular scars sliced through his skin. This was a person who had seen battle, that much was obvious. 

 

The guy crossed his arms. “You got a problem with my nitrosweat?” His lip curled up at him meanly. “As if I give a damn about the opinion of a guy who looks like a mutated leek.”

 

“Nitro… sweat?” Senku blinked confusedly. Was this some kind of language barrier, or…? Though the guy seemed fluent in Japanese, he wasn’t making any sense at all.

 

But before any questions could be answered, the stranger’s body stuttered in place. With a weak thump, he fell limp and crashed to the ground. His face flushed pale and his muscles were quivering.

 

Senku asked him, “I bet you’re the one only eating rabbits, right? And those berries you were snacking on only gave you so many electrolytes to work with. You’re ten billion percent screwed if you keep eating like that.” He put his hands on his sides and looked down at him. This was someone who knew battle, yeah, but someone who knew little about survival. It was clear he hadn’t been part of the stone world for very long.

 

“Mind your damn business, Leekhead.” The stranger tried to stand, but his body trembled at the effort. His teeth were clenched together as the fever reddened his face.

 

Senku watched him shake and struggle for a moment. Whoever he was, he couldn’t just let him suffer like this whether he had precious information or not. “Give me a few minutes and don’t move. I’ll cure your dehydration, then you’re going to tell me what you mean by ‘nitrosweat’.” He dipped into the forest to gather supplies, not even bothering to look back. It was clear he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Katsuki had just enough energy to lay on the ground boiling with rage. He thought he had gotten himself to water in time, but apparently, it was too late to avoid the fever and weakness that came with serious dehydration.

 

Why the hell did I stay in that damn cave so long? His nose scrunched up in frustration. Of course rabbit meat wasn’t going to be enough to sustain me. 

 

The stranger’s footsteps faded away after a few moments. And who the hell is that guy? His clothes look like a hero costume, but he doesn’t seem like a Pro. Could he be an amateur? He remembered the equation written on his collar. E=MC2 

 

Does his quirk have to do with physics? He wondered. If that was the case, he probably had a shelter nearby that had been built by his powers. 

 

A few minutes later, the leekheaded stranger barged through the brush. “Oh, good. You had the sense to stay put.” He frowned down at him. “Not like you’re in any state to go anywhere.” He kneeled next to Katsuki with a drinking bladder in his hand. “Drink this. It’s a mix of stuff that’s ten billion percent packed with electrolytes.”

 

Katsuki squinted at him. Could he be one of those Paranormal Whatever Society thugs? Either way, I ain’t trusting this guy with some mystery drink. “I ain’t drinking your damn potion, Leekhead.”

 

“My name is Senku.” He scratched the inside of his ear with his pinky and gave Katsuki a bored expression. “If I wanted to poison you, I ten billion percent could. But this is just a mix of dogwood berries, water, bone marrow from the rabbits you’ve slain, and I even managed to find some wild spinach.” He shrugged, leaving the bladder on the ground. “Of course it won’t taste like Pocari Sweat or Gatorade but it’ll keep you alive for now.”

 

Senku turned away and quietly began picking up some twigs from around the bank of the stream, only glancing Katsuki’s way any time he tried to shift his position on the hard ground.

 

Katsuki made it a point to drink more from the stream, ignoring the potential poison in the drinking bladder.

 

It was about midday when Senku began a fire.

 

“The hell you lighting that up for?” Katsuki sneered, “Trying to roast me so I’ll drink this crap?” His entire body was aching and trembling now. His head pounded blindingly like ice picks driving through his skull.

 

“I’m hungry,” Senku answered simply. “Lucky for both of us, I can get us more than just rabbit meat.” He began setting up a spit with a few fish hanging over it. 

 

When the hell did he catch those? Katsuki furrowed his brow. Everything was such a blur, he must not have noticed Senku fishing for them.

 

“So, anyway,” Senku said while tending to their meal, “you gonna tell me more about this nitrosweat before you die of dehydration?”

 

“It’s my quirk. That shoulda been obvious.” Katsuki growled at him. “My sweat glands excrete a nitroglyerin-like liquid that I can use to make explosions.” Dumbass. A child coulda figured that out. 

 

“What are you, some super-evolved hominid?” Senku asked with a laugh. “That sounds like something out of a comic book.” His brow was raised as if he actually didn’t believe him. 

 

Katsuki curled his lip. If he didn’t die of dehydration first, he was almost sure the amount of annoyance Senku was wracking up in him would lead to his death by murdered brain cells. “I’m guessing your quirk has something to do with physics or science or something based on the getup. What kind of costume is that anyway? No wonder you’re not a pro-hero I’ve heard of.”

 

Senku laughed again “Good one! You know, I almost believed you there.” He said, “Superpowers don’t exist, even in this science fiction world we’re living in where the entire population has been turned to stone.”

 

Katsuki snarled at him, just barely able to bite back his frustration. “Don’t tell me you’re some kinda quirkless loser making things up. The hell are you talking about? Those stone statues must have been built by some kind of ancient civilization or whatever.”

 

Senku stopped laughing, his face dropping into a serious look. “You really don’t know, do you? I guess not everyone knew they were petrified. But how did you get revived? And what’s the real answer behind the nitroglycerin? I know the smell. I used to use it a lot in rocketry.”

 

“I’m tellin’ ya, that’s my damn quirk!” Katsuki insisted. “And I’d show you just how far I could blast you if I had any sweat left!”

 

Senku looked him up and down as he spun the fish belly-up on the spit. “I guess we’re at an impasse then. I won’t get my answer unless you hydrate. And you won’t hydrate without the medicine I made.” He smirked at him. “You’re going to have to prove to me you really have these super powers, Dynamite Guy.”

 

Katsuki grimaced at the nickname. “It’s Great Explosion Murder God: Dynamight.”

 

“Huh?” Senku was, once again, apparently struck by the oddness of his response.

 

“My hero name is Great Explosion Murder God: Dynamight. But you wouldn’t know that unless you were on the battlefield with Shigaraki. So how do you know that?” Katsuki glared at him as if he could burn him to a crisp with just his eyes. 

 

“What?” Senku said, his eyes blank with confusion. “I just called you dynamite because you keep calling me Leekhead. I don’t know anything about this pro-hero stuff.” 

 

“Right,” Katsuki said sarcastically. “Don’t expect me to trust you if you’re keeping everything a secret.” But his hand was already around the bladder. He’s right, though. No matter how much I drink from the stream, I’m not getting any better. Damn it…

 

He bitterly threatened Senku, “Once I’m hydrated and can sweat again, I’ll blast you to hell until you tell me what’s really going on.”

 

Senku rested his arms across his knees as he sat by the fire. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I have no secrets, seriously. I never lie about science.” He said. “3,700 years ago, the entire world’s human and sparrow population were petrified by this strange green light. That’s the truth, like it or not.”

 

“Quit pullin’ my damn leg.” Katsuki’s nose scrunched up in disdain. If he had to hear one more damn lie from this guy….

 

“I’ll prove it to you.” Senku offered,his tone turning much more serious. “But I can’t if you die. So just drink up already, would ya? Food’ll be ready soon, too.”

 

Katsuki snorted in frustration, finally lifting the bladder to his lips and drinking its chunky, slimy, gritty contents. Disgusting… but do I have any damn choice? 

 

Senku served the grilled fish and dogwood berries on large leaves they could eat on like plates.

 

Katsuki managed to sit up, picking at the fish with roughly-carved chopsticks Senku had given him. “Where am I exactly?”

 

“Somewhere in Japan.” Senku answered. “From what I can tell, just a few miles from the southern coast.”

 

“Japan’s a wasteland.” Katsuki argued. “There were no trees left when Shigaraki destroyed everything. How do you explain that, huh?” He gestured toward the forest. There was no way they were still in Japan.

 

“Shiga-who?” Senku even tilted his head this time with another question. 

 

“You must have seen something on the news before evacuating.” Katsuki nearly broke the chopsticks between his fingers as he squeezed them too hard from frustration. “That’s why you’re hiding in the woods, right? To get away from the villains.”

 

“Seriously, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Senku frowned, chewing at several bites of fish as he thought hard enough that Katsuki swore he saw a vein pop under his forehead. “Okay, what year was it the last you remember?”

 

“2153. Obviously.”

 

“But that would mean you were never petrified. Unless…” Senku furrowed his brow. “That quirk thing you’ve been talking about, what is it exactly?”

 

“You know what a damn quirk is.”

 

“Assume I don’t.” Senku insisted. His eyes were clear and focused now, as if they lasered in on a mystery he wanted to solve. But the only mystery Katsuki could see was the question of where they really were, and what he should do next to make sure Shigaraki wasn’t still a threat. That was nothing Senku should be concerned with. “You seem like a guy who hates ignorance, right? So teach me about whatever it is you’re talking about.”

 

Katsuki clicked his teeth together. “A quirk is a genetic mutation that gives people powers. Like I have nitrosweat. And I’m assuming yours has to do with that equation on your clothes. So what, are you some kinda super genius or somethin’?” 

 

“I know this sounds crazy…” Senku looked up at Katsuki. “But I don’t think you’re from this world. There’s no such thing as quirks here. Not even 3,700 years ago.”

 

Katsuki was silent for several minutes. He hated how much things were starting to make sense if he thought about it like that. “That warp villain…” His voice trailed off a little. What Senku was saying was impossible, wasn’t it? No… impossibilities were spare in a superhuman society. He didn’t have much of a reason to think Kurogiri’s quirk couldn’t warp people to an entirely different timeline or universe. Especially if the multiverse theory was actually true. “If you’re right and not just messing with me…” He asked, “So you’re sayin’ we’re the only humans not petrified. or what?”

 

“Well,” Senku counted on his fingers for demonstration. “There’s me and two friends I revived. Then there’s Tsukasa and whoever made some signal fires a few days ago. So at least six humans left alive.”

 

“You revived them? You mean you can reverse the petrification?” Katsuki wasn’t sure why he was just going along with this story now, but on the other hand, there wasn’t much he could do to argue against it, either.

 

“Well…” Senku said, “I could, but I need nitric acid… which I could synthesize from nitroglycerin if you had some…” He cheekily asked, prodding his elbow toward him, “What, you have someone you want revived? Who could you know in this world?”

 

“All of my classmates.” Katsuki admitted. “Probably some pros, too, if they made it here. We all fell through the same warp gate. They have to be somewhere in this world.” Even if this guy was an enemy, that much would have been obvious, anyway.

 

“So let me get this straight,” Senku pointed two fingers upward toward the sky in thought. “You and your classmates, who are from another universe or timeline entirely where people have superpowers, fell through some kind of warp gate at the exact moment the population in my universe or timeline got turned to stone? That’s a hell of a coincidence.” 

 

“You’re tellin’ me.” Katsuki rolled his eyes. Of course he and his classmates would have that kind of shit luck. That factor almost made the whole thing even more believable. 

 

Senku continued to think out loud, “From what I can tell, the only way to get revived without the miracle fluid is to stay conscious while petrified and be exposed to natural sources of nitric acid.” He said, “Therefore, either your classmates are the ones sending signal fires, I haven’t come across your classmates yet, or, you’re the only one who stayed awake for thousands of years and met the environmental conditions needed in order to be unpetrified right now.”

 

Katsuki scoffed at the memory. It wasn’t even like he was trying to stay awake the whole time. Nor did he know how much time had passed. All he could think about the whole time was breaking out of whatever his body had been trapped in and finally defeating the villains.

 

“So, you know your classmates best.” Senku leaned back on his hands, the bones of his fish set to the side. “Anyone you think would have stayed awake the whole time?”

 

“No,” Katsuki lied. “None of those losers could have stayed awake that long.” But the truth was, one green-haired, freckle-faced student crossed his mind. I still don’t trust this guy yet. Especially if he’s asking about Deku.

 

“That’s too bad,” Senku tilted his head up toward the sky. “We could really use the manpower to build the Kingdom of Science.”

 

“What are you, then? Some scientist?” Katsuki asked, swirling the last bit of the electrolyte drink in the bottom of the drinking bladder, mostly to procrastinate tasting any more of the vile stuff.

 

But he had to admit, even if it was a placebo effect, his headache was starting to go down.

 

“Eh,” Senku shrugged. “I’m no Einstein or Tesla, I’m just a guy who’s passionate about science.”

 

“So you’re a wannabe.” Katsuki chuckled. “Hah, so this might actually be poison then if you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”

 

Senku waved his fist in the air. “Hey, I never said that! I just meant it’s not my job or anything!”

 

“Oh, so you’re not even employable, then?” Katsuki kept prodding at the guy, not for any other reason than to laugh at his reaction.

 

Senku paused his fist-waving as he came to a sudden realization. “So if I’m right about you being from another world, do you even know who Einstein and Tesla are?”

 

“Tch.” Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Of course I do! They’re some old geezers who figured out science crap way before quirks became a thing.” He pointed to Senku’s collar. “Einstein did that equation.”

 

Senku looked down at the equation he had written in his own blood on his collar. “Yeah, you’re right.” He leaned forward curiously. “So, you gotta tell me something. How did science advance in a world where people have superpowers?”

 

Katsuki shrugged. “Well, it’s not like everyone has a quirk. About 20% of the population is what we call quirkless.” Katsuki leaned his weight against his hand, a little more relaxed now. It’s not like this is anything someone from the League or whatever wouldn’t know. “So technology still advanced, it’s not like everything stopped when quirks started popping up.”

 

“Did they end up inventing flying cars in your era?” Senku asked, his voice half-dripping with sarcasm, but Katsuki could tell he was genuinely curious.

 

“Nah, cars have been on four wheels since the 1800s or whatever.” Katsuki didn’t tell him about all the cool cars the pro-heroes had, though it was true none of them flew around in the air.

 

“Huh. Makes me wonder what’s actually different in your world besides the superpowers.” Senku stretched his arms out. “That’s it! You’ve gotta tell me everything! You’ll be pretty weak for a few days so it’s not like you’re going anywhere. I’ll stick around to make sure you don’t die or whatever.”

 

Katsuki squinted at him impatiently. He didn’t have time to recover! He had to keep going no matter what. “There’s no way in hell I’m sticking around here for a few days. I’m gonna find Shigaraki and blast him to hell.”

 

“Fine, tough guy.” Senku said. “Just try to get to the cave where you came from by yourself. If you can do that, I’ll whip up another batch of the Senku Electrolyte Special and we’ll get a move on in the morning!”

 

“The hell do you mean ‘we’?” Katsuki snarled.

 

“Well, if this Shigaraki guy is some kind of big bad villain, we’ll have to defeat him with science! I’ve already got to deal with Tsukasa, no way am I going to sit around worrying about some other scary dude.” Senku asked, “So what’s up with this Shigaraki guy, anyway?”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth again. Not just because he couldn’t trust Senku, but also because it was just straight up annoying to have to explain basic things to him.

 

But he eventually gave in. “Fine, I’ll tell you everything about my universe.” He sneered. “But then you gotta tell me everything you know about the petrification and this world so I can find my damn classmates.”

 

“Sounds like a deal to me!” Senku grinned.

 

And for the next few hours, they sat by the fire and the babbling stream, swapping stories and information about the worlds they came from.

Chapter 8: Cave

Notes:

I'm uploading a few chapters ahead of schedule to prepare for Ao3's scheduled downtime (9/26/2025). Feel free to screenshot/download/etc these chapters for something to read while the site is down and come back to tell me what you think :)

After a day of camping out by the stream and taking note of new smoke signals coming from several miles away, Senku decided it was best to find shelter so Katsuki could better recover.

 

Though he was doing a little better, the trek to the cave was enough to completely wipe out the rest of his energy. By the time Senku came back with another batch of the electrolyte drink, he was dead asleep.

 

Senku unrolled his makeshift bedroll and laid it next to the crackling fire. As the light danced over Katsuki’s face, Senku couldn’t help but stare.

 

Maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t seen many other humans lately, or maybe it was the hypothesis that he was actually from another world, but he didn’t look like anyone else he’d ever seen before. Every feature on his face was expressive, even if it was subtle.

 

And his blonde hair didn’t exactly scream that he was a native. Was he only part Japanese, or could it be a trait that had evolved into the Japanese population in his era? Then again, for all Senku knew, all Japanese people could have blonde hair in his universe. (Or timeline, or however the warp quirk had worked.)

 

Senku’s mind churned with curiosity. But mostly, he wondered, What if that warp quirk he was talking about is what caused the petrification somehow? The coincidence of landing in a universe at the exact same time as what was basically a mass extinction event was highly improbable. But what if somehow opening a gate across spacetime did something that no known science could explain? Senku chuckled at himself for that last part, though.

 

No… one thing I’ve learned is that science can explain everything, even in situations that seem entirely fictional.

 

I still haven’t seen his quirk in action yet. But somehow, I believe him. I can’t think of any other way a guy like him would have something as advanced as nitroglycerin.

 

Senku settled down by the fire, thinking about this new development until he fell asleep.

Chapter 9: Healing

The cave’s ceiling swirled around Katsuki’s vision as he woke with a start, suddenly feeling someone’s eyes on him. Oh. Right. The Leekhead’s still hanging around.

 

Katsuki clenched his jaw in annoyance. Wherever he went, no matter what universe, there would always be annoying green-haired extras attached at his hip.

 

“Drink up.” Senku’s voice echoed through the cave. “You look like you’re about to die. Can’t have that happen before I get ahold of your nitrosweat so I can study it.”

 

Katsuki looked over at the bladder, his stomach reeling at the sight of the green, slimy stew. “As if it worked the first time.” Katsuki grumbled, his voice barely a wheeze from how dry his throat was.

 

“You made the climb up here, didn’t you? You nearly drowned yourself in that river because you could barely stand before. Besides, hydration isn’t your only problem. I’m cooking up a storm just for you, Dynamite Guy. You need to get your strength up.”

 

“It’s-”

 

“I know, Murder whatever God Dynamight. You got a name that doesn’t take ten billion years to say, or what?” Senku kept busy with his hands as he talked, fiddling with something that looked like twine and a stick in his hand. Over the fire, a fish and a chunk of meat was roasting on a spit.

 

Katsuki clicked his teeth together. If he was called Dynamite Guy again, he would have to choke Senku half to death. “I’m Bakugou Katsuki. Don’t you dare forget.” He tried to sit up, but the pounding in his head knocked him back down. The best he could manage was an awkward lean to the side to drink the electrolyte potion. “Can’t you make this stuff taste any better?”

 

“If I had some more ingredients as electrolyte-packed as the spinach, I could replace it with something that pairs better with the berries.” Senku said. “I’m no culinary expert, but I could probably add some extra glucose to make it sweeter, but some studies suggest that too much sugar can negate the rehydrating effects of electrolytes, so it would be pointless.”

 

Katsuki looked down at his useless hands. If he didn’t get his quirk back soon, he was pretty sure he was going to lose his mind. There was just too much at stake for him to be laying around.

 

 If he was awake, that meant Izuku was probably awake, too. And if Shigaraki and Izuku found each other and clashed in this world, especially without a floating UA-sponsored island to prevent destruction, then they’d just have to deal with a wasteland again.

 

And there were other villains to deal with, too.

 

“Who’s Tsukasa?” Katsuki suddenly remembered Senku mentioning someone else that sounded like trouble.

 

Senku frowned, the fire casting shadows over his face as he turned the spit. “He’s a guy who’s been on a murder spree since I revived him. He wants to build an army where only the young and strong survive.” He said. “He’s been crushing the petrified people so they won’t get revived. That’s murder as far as I’m concerned.”

 

“Great.” Katsuki couldn’t help but imagine the worst case scenario. “If he and Shigaraki meet, they’re either going to have a hell of a fight, or become allies. I have to stop Shigaraki as soon as possible.”

 

“Tell me, Katsuki.” Senku leaned his chin on his knuckles. “You definitely weren’t the one who responded to our signal on the mountain, are you?”

 

“What signal?” Katsuki wrinkled his nose. “The hell are you on about?” Since when were we on a first name basis, anyway? 

 

“I figured. You were too busy helplessly wandering around the forest to notice the giant explosions. Unless…” Senku looked at Katsuki’s hands. “Nevermind.”

 

Katsuki rolled his eyes at him, taking the last grueling gulp of rehydration fuel. 

 

Senku leaned back and looked up at the ceiling of the cave. “You never told me what’s up with Shigaraki and why he’s so murderous. You really think he’d side with Tsukasa?”

 

“Probably.” Katsuki said. “He’s a villain who hates hero society. Thinks heroes are greedy and just do it for fame. But he’s unpredictable as hell. Either way, he’s damn good at gathering allies to get them to do what he wants.”

 

“Sounds like we have to make sure they never meet up, then.” Senku said. “Tell me, do you think you could beat him? Or will you need help from your classmates?”

 

Katsuki watched the crackling fire dance below the rotating meat. “I need to save their sorry asses first. It’d be just like Shigaraki to…” Katsuki nearly leapt up from where he was laying as he realized the biggest problem.

 

If Izuku or any of his other classmates hadn’t woken up from the stone yet, and Shigaraki figured out what the statues are, and found statues that he recognized… there’d be nothing stopping him from turning them into dust. “I need to go.” He pushed himself to stand, his knees wobbling and the whole cave spinning around him.

 

“You sure you can survive out there like that?” Senku asked him, though his expression implied he knew the answer. “You look like you’re gonna pass-”

 

Katsuki’s body failed him, crumpling under his own weight. If not for Senku catching him, he would have hit his head on the cave floor. But instead he landed on something bony, Senku’s thin arms just barely cradling him.

 

“I can’t breathe!” Senku wheezed underneath him. Katsuki’s head was pressed right against his chest. “What are you, ten billion pounds of muscle?!”

 

Katsuki exhaustedly rolled off of him, his stomach heaving with nausea. The bitter taste of the rehydration fuel and stomach acid crept up his throat. “Dammit! Dammit!” Katsuki garbled through his vomit as green splattered everywhere along the floor of the cave. 

 

“I don’t think you’re going anywhere.” Senku crossed his arms. “Trying to push yourself in the stone world without doctors, even if you really do have some kind of superpower, you’re just asking for a death sentence. As far as I can tell, you’re still human.” 

 

Katsuki huffed in frustration as he managed to lie back down by the quietly crackling fire. “Don’t tell me what to do, Leekhead.” Though he stayed right where he was, just gasping for air and praying he’d be able to stand soon enough.

 

His body was weak, and Senku was the only one around that could make sure he survived. At this point, he had no choice but to try to trust him and just rest until he could get back on his feet.

Chapter 10: Time

A few days had passed since Katsuki and Senku had made it back to the cave. Senku kept giving him his hydrating formula, hunting down food, and keeping the fire going. Every once in a while, he sent smoke signals to whoever might be out there. Though the risk of signaling Tsukasa himself was a big chance to take, it would be worth it if it meant finding other people.

 

More smoke signals were sent in response from far away. Too far for Senku to leave Katsuki behind.

 

While they waited for Katsuki to recover, they had time to talk about everything. Quirks, the history of All For One and Shigaraki- though Bakugou left out any details about One For All- and the warp quirk that had brought Katsuki here.

 

In return, Senku told him more about Tsukasa, their journey to find gunpowder, and even Senku’s brief death.

 

Katsuki couldn’t help but shiver a little. He still remembered what it was like to die. His heart had stopped beating, his body stopped feeling, and his consciousness was pulled from his body like a puppet on a string. It actually wasn’t so different from when he was petrified. 

 

As he watched Senku cook another fish, Katsuki asked, “So you’re really going to revive everyone? That’s all you want to do?”

 

“That’s the gist, yeah.” Senku smiled a little. “Restore humanity and all of the science and technology we left behind 3,700 years ago.”

 

Katsuki snickered at him a little. There was no way he could pull that off. “In one lifetime? Good luck.” 

 

But Senku shook his head. “Nah, not just my lifetime. But 7 billion lifetimes, all at once. If everyone pitches in, we can advance at lightspeed.”

 

“What a pipe dream.” Katsuki couldn’t even imagine what that kind of future could look like in the stone world. “As if you could get that many people to cooperate. In my world, there were always villains who wanted to take advantage of people.”

 

“If you count Tsukasa’s murder spree as villainous, then there are villains in the stone world, too.” Senku countered. “But the idea of taking them all down doesn’t move me one millimeter. The Kingdom of Science will have a place for everyone.”

 

Katsuki stared at him for a while. “So your plan is to save everyone no matter what.” He clenched his jaw a bit. “Sounds like someone else I know.” He turned his gaze toward the dim light of the cave entrance, the sun far below the horizon now. “Once I’m healed up, I’m going to find my classmates. Then you’re going to revive them if they’re still statues. Deal?”

 

Senku smiled, the crackling fire between them giving his face creepy looking shadows. “Sounds like a deal to me. The Kingdom of Science will revive all seven billion people who belong to this world, and the people belonging to yours.”

 

Katsuki still wasn’t entirely sure he trusted this guy. But now less so that he was with the enemy, and more so that he had a hefty goal that seemed impossible to accomplish. And when a person spends all their time chasing useless dreams, Katsuki was certain that they’d be blind to everything else around them.

 

But that was Senku’s problem. Right now, Katsuki only cared about two things; revive his classmates, and then find Shigaraki and any other villains and defeat them.

Chapter 11: Push and Pull

Eventually, Katsuki was able to walk around and even help Senku hunt and fish for short distances. Thanks to Senku’s scientific knowledge of diet and nutrition, and Katsuki’s ridiculously resilient body, he was almost completely fine in record time.

 

And now, Senku and Katsuki stood outside the cave’s entrance to say their goodbyes. Senku said, “I’ve gotta find whoever’s been lighting those signal fires. It’s been a few days since I saw one last. Hopefully they haven’t gone into hiding. You gather your classmates, and if they’re still petrified I’ll figure out a way to revive them. The Kingdom of Science can use anyone we can get.”

 

“Yeah,” Katsuki looked out to the swaths of trees around them. “This is gonna be a pain in the ass. But if Shigaraki destroys everything again, it’s game over for real this time. There’s no way we’d be given another chance. I don’t plan on wasting this one.”

 

Senku smiled, his words full of hope and optimism. “Well, I’ll keep an eye out for ya. But if we don’t see each other in six months, let’s agree to meet back here at dawn in exactly 181 days. Sound good?”

 

“Sure.” Katsuki scoffed. “But I plan on beating him in a week, tops. If my nitrosweat can revive my classmates, we’ll take care of the villain problem and figure out how to go home.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Senku turned around, giving him a small wave. “See you in 181 days, Dynamite Guy.” The Kingdom of Science flag was once again waving at his back as the breeze pushed them forward, and duty pulled them apart.

 

They walked away from each other without another word. As Katsuki travelled deeper into the forest, his shoulders started to feel heavy. 

 

The truth was, there was nothing that could have prepared him from the sharp, cold loneliness of a world without other people in it. His days before this were usually filled with the boisterousness of the dorms, or his mother’s loud mouth, or the sound of young kids playing on the streets.

 

But now the world just felt empty. There was no one to save, and nothing to win. At least until Katsuki found what he was looking for.

 

All he could do was wander cluelessly through the forest, hunt and fish using the skills he acquired through a quick tutorial from Senku, and do his best to survive and search for his allies and enemies.

Chapter 12: 182 Days Later

After a while- what felt like forever to Katsuki- of searching for people from his timeline, Katsuki finally found signs of human activity along the muddy earth, still wet from the morning storm.

 

Katsuki examined the set of footprints he had found. Whoever this is, they’re going barefoot. That means they either haven’t seen shoes yet or don’t know how to make ‘em. He looked around. The footprints are going toward that village I saw a few days ago. Are they just from those islands?

 

No, that wouldn’t make sense. The guards outside had been wearing shoes. So… who had left these prints behind? The Leekhead’s friends? Probably not. The size of the feet that made these tracks were slightly bigger than the tracks Katsuki left behind wearing his boots. Whoever this was, they were probably a very large person. Though the footprints weren’t very deep, either, which suggested they were either light or nimble, or both.

 

Katsuki heard a sudden explosion coming from the village followed by a panicked shriek. 

 

“Run! This village already has guns!”

 

Guns, huh? Katsuki blasted through the trees, leaping from branch to branch with his explosions propelling him forward. In this damn stone world, where there’s a sign of modern technology, that Leekhead has got to be nearby. What the hell is he up to?

 

When Katsuki burst through the brush, he noticed exactly two things:

 

Senku standing at the edge of an island on the other side of a bridge and holding a literal smoking gun, and a guy in a purple robe that was running away from him. “Hyoga! It’s not safe for you, either!” He was yelling toward a tall man with a spear and a mask over his face.

 

Must be one of the boss guys Tsukasa recruited. That’s who I’m going after first!

 

---

Senku tensed as he noticed another person tear through the bushes toward the bridge, the shadows of the night obscuring their figure. “Who is that?” He watched with surprise as something bright flashed from his palms followed by a loud rumble. But with another explosion, his silhouette was lit up enough to show his blonde hair and orange clothes. 

 

Senku knew exactly who this was.

 

But he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, either. Explosions came from his palms as he confronted Hyoga head-on, screaming insults and elegantly dodging Hyoga’s every attack as if it was as easy as child’s play.

 

“Another outsider?” Magma loudly yelled and cracked his knuckles. “I’ll take care of him!”

 

“No!” Senku agrued. “We need to get Kinro off the bridge while Hyoga is distracted!”

 

“On it!” Kohaku grabbed Ginro by the shirt collar and pulled him along the bridge with her. “Let’s go, Ginro!”

 

“So I don’t have to kill my brother?!” Ginro exclaimed as he was dragged off. “But that guy is scary! What are we gonna do? And who’s making fire with their hands?! This is far too much to handle, how are you staying so calm, Kohaku?”

 

Senku followed them swiftly, digging into his bag along the way. If Kinro was going to survive a stab wound like that in the stone world, science would have to act quickly.

 

He glance back to where Katsuki had been fighting as the noise from the scuffle started to fade away, but the flashes and explosions were now coming from behind the treeline.

 

It’s been 182 days. Damn, he must have come looking for me when I didn’t show up. But the Grand Bout was more important.

 

Senku poured medicine down Kinro’s throat and applied it directly to the wound while Ginro blabbered over his body. In the back of his mind, though, he was listening to the sounds of yelling and explosions, the scent of nitroglycerin heavy in the air.

 

“Kohaku. I’ve got an important mission for you. You’re the fastest out of all of us, but how are your stealth skills?”

 

Kohaku pulled out her knives from their sheaths. “I’ve been on plenty of covert missions. Hunting in this forest means you have to be stealthier than your prey!” She grinned. “Want me to follow them to their base and take out the long haired man like a trained assassin?”

 

“No! There’s no way that would happen!” Senku yelled in exasperation. “I need you to go find the guy who saved our asses and bring him back here. His name’s Katsuki. Think you can do that?”

 

“I got a good look at his face.” Kohaku said. “I’ll find him for you, Senku. Dead or alive!”

 

“Alive only! He’s an ally! Jeez.” Senku groaned. “Stop acting like you’re eager to kill someone already!”

 

“I got it, Senku! Leave it to me!” Kohaku rushed out to the forest.

Chapter 13: A Promise

Katsuki had lost sight of his enemies a while ago after the boss guy’s spear had broken. It had suddenly split in half and a guy in a purple robe had been blamed for its destruction. Though Katsuki didn’t care at all for the enemy’s drama, under the darkness of night and in an unfamiliar part of the woods, it was easy for them to slip away after that. The guy in purple had disappeared in a cloud of white flower petals.

 

He followed their trail for a few miles, but it had eventually gone cold. So instead, Katsuki made his way back to his makeshift camp to make sure they hadn’t run into the few statues of his classmates he had gathered up.

 

In a clearing not too far from the village, he had set up a pretty nice base for himself. There was a small lean-to shelter, a firepit in the middle, and the statue forms of Kaminari and Sero laid down on the ground underneath a protective wooden structure.

 

As he checked over his stuff, Katsuki stiffened when he felt the presence of someone approach him from behind. He turned on his heel and let explosions pop from his palms. “Who’s there? Come out, coward!”

 

A blonde girl in a blue dress leapt down from one of the trees encircling his camp. “Relax. I’m on your side. I think.” She said, one hand on her hip. “Senku asked me to find you and take you to the village.”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth at that. All he had found were two of his classmates. And while both Kaminari and Sero’s quirks would be monumentally helpful in this situation, he couldn’t afford to stop looking for Izuku and Shigaraki at the very least. For all he knew, they could be fighting somewhere right now. It wasn’t like he had a news station or cell phone to get information from. 

 

“Tell the Leekhead I ain’t ready to be his guinea pig yet. I need more time.” Katsuki turned away from her. “But if those guys show up near your village again, I’ll kill them.”

 

“Okay…” The girl sounded confused. “That’s pretty intense, but I promised him I’d bring you back.”

 

Katsuki grumbled a bit, but the acrid scent of smoke interrupted their conversation. The girl turned in the direction of the village. “Is that fire?!” The treetops were lit up with yellow and orange.

 

The girl took off through the woods, leaving Katsuki with a choice. Stay and keep guard of his petrified classmates, or go on a damn rescue mission.

 

Katsuki was already blasting his way through the forest before he could even think too hard. If the guy who was supposed to revive everyone died in some stupid fire, then there’d be no point to anything he had already done so far. 

 

When he got there, the sun was rising with the roar of the flames. The primitive huts around the village were burning down, children and elders following the evacuation routes guided by the younger villagers. 

 

In the middle of it all, he found Senku directing everyone to leave their homes behind. Katsuki’s boots scraped against the dirt as he landed next to him. “Those bastards ran off. Are there any more of ‘em here?”

 

Senku’s eyes were wide with fear. “They didn’t come for a fight. It was all just a distraction! We have to get everyone out safely.” He directed a few more slower elders toward the bridge.

 

Katsuki grit his teeth. He’d much rather chase down the enemy that did this than rescue the helpless people of the village when there were already enough hands they could reach out to, but without a trail to follow, he couldn’t just stand around, either!

 

“Go follow the villagers.” Senku said. “Make sure they’re not attacked on the way out.” 

 

Katsuki’s palms lit up with small explosions. “You’re lucky I’m here. I’ll blast away anyone who tries to get close!” He took off into the air toward the evacuation route.

 

The early morning went on as Katsuki flew through the trees, keeping a close eye on both the forest around them and the exhausted, scared villagers below him. He kept his distance, though, since the explosions he was setting off only made the villagers more uneasy.

 

Eventually the villagers settled around what he heard someone call the science shed. They murmured to themselves worriedly, but the man who seemed to be the chief of the village stood tall amongst them. He was giving the villagers a speech about how they could always rebuild and that they should celebrate that everyone got out alive.

 

Katsuki didn’t pay much attention to what was being said, though. Instead, he kept watch on the treeline from the branches of a pine where he couldn’t be seen.

 

It was clear that strangers made this crowd nervous. And though Katsuki didn’t really care what the villagers thought, he knew that they were dealing with enough already. Might as well not spook them even more.

 

At least in his old life, people would see his costume and know he was a hero. Here, his clothes were an oddity, and in the stone world, oddities were dangerous. He could pick up that much from what the villagers were saying when they saw him, despite the blonde girl in the short dress telling them that Senku trusted him as an ally.

 

So Katsuki continued to keep his distance for a few days. He stayed close enough to the new settlement of the village to listen to them working, fishing, and gathering materials, but he continued his routine of searching for his classmates and hunting for food nearby.

 

The villagers were easy to recognize whenever he ran into them. Most of them wore blue clothing and white rope tied somewhere around them. At least Katsuki could tell they weren’t the enemy by just a glance.

 

One night, as he settled down to start grilling some fish he had caught, its scales shiny in the light from the fire, he heard the underbrush crackling behind him. He turned around to see who was coming, fully expecting one of the men he had chased off before to attack him while his guard was down.

 

But the person was neither man nor enemy. Instead, the one who came out of the bushes was a child with a melon on her head and a tied sack in her hand. “Senku told me to give you this.” She lifted the bag to him. “I’m Suika, by the way. Thank you so much for helping us before!”

 

Katsuki furrowed his brow as he took the bag from her. When he opened it, he found a sharp hunting knife, a corked jar full of some kind of berry jam, and- to his loathing- a deerskin bladder full of the electrolyte drink Senku had used to nurse him back to health before.

 

“Damn that Leekhead…” Katsuki muttered. “You tell him I’m just fine on my own. I don’t need his damn pity.”

 

Suika rocked back and forth on her feet. “I’m not sure I’m allowed to repeat that…” She mumbled, but then more excitedly said, “You should come tell him that yourself! I’m sure the others will want to thank you for what you did, too!”

 

Katsuki rolled his eyes at her. “Isn’t everyone in your village afraid of me or some shi-” He had to remind himself he was talking to a child. “Or something?”

 

“Well, kinda.” Suika said, fidgeting a little with her fingers as she spoke. “But we were scared of Senku at first, too. And now he’s the Chief of the village! He saved our lives and helped us a lot, so we trust him now.”

 

Katsuki glanced back toward where the villagers had been staying. He could see the dim torchlight from here. If Senku had already established himself as the chief of a whole village, things were starting to look a little more promising for his grand ideal to revive as many people as he could. “You should go back.” Katsuki warned Suika. “It’s dangerous to be in the forest at night by yourself. For a little kid.”

 

“I’ve lived here my whole life! I know the forest.” Despite her protest, though, Suika yawned. “But I’m getting tired, so I’ll go home if you promise to meet everyone in the morning!” She held her pinky up to him expectedly. 

 

“A pinky promise?” Katsuki wanted to laugh, but even though he couldn’t see Suika’s eyes, he could tell how serious she was being. He groaned a little out of annoyance as he wrapped his pinky around hers. “Sure, kid. See ya tomorrow.”

Notes:

Can you tell I'm trying my best to avoid fight scenes? Because I hate writing them with all of my soul haha

Chapter 14: The Kingdom of Science

The next morning, Katsuki stood at the edge of the village encampment with a deer slung over his back.

 

The days he spent watching the villagers work to the bone made it clear that they’d be powerful allies in the stone world. And without Senku, even if he found all of his classmates, he had no way to revive them, anyway. So it made sense to keep the promise he made to Suika last night.

 

Besides, it was getting boring as hell without anyone else around. So he stepped into the clearing while keeping a tight grip on the deer’s legs as he walked into the camp.

 

All work stopped as the villagers stared at him. They waited for him to make a move, and Katsuki waited for them to make a move.

 

It only took two seconds for that move to be made. Spearheads were pointed at him, one by the spearman with the glasses, and the other by a trembling blonde. 

 

Katsuki’s first instinct was to fight. To blast them away and show them he wasn’t someone to be messed with. But he took a breath to calm himself. 

 

3,700 years ago, he had lost one war. He wasn’t about to lose another one now just because he wanted to prove himself to anyone. 

 

“I’m here to see Senku.” Katsuki kept his voice as level as he could. “We might have a way to revive people without the miracle cave.” He gently slid the deer off of his back. “Feed your village with this. It’s not much, but winter is coming fast this year. You need all the help you can get, right?”

 

The two spearmen glanced at each other before the one with glasses nodded his approval. “He’s in there.” He pointed to a wooden building with the words science lab painted on the front.

 

Katsuki left the deer for someone else to handle and walked into the lab. There, Senku and the other nerd, Chrome, were in a passionate discussion about cotton candy and gold around an array of shelves filled with glass tubes and sparrow statues.

 

Senku lifted his head when Katsuki came in. “So, you finally decided to join us, Dynamite Guy?”

 

“I guess so.” Katsuki grumbled. Senku was looking just a bit too excited to start poking and prodding at him like a science experiment. “My nitroglycerin sweat, you really think you can make some revival fluid from it?”

 

“I don’t see why not.” Senku shrugged. “But it’ll take a lot of experimentation. Sit here and let me see your hand.”

 

Katsuki sat at the bench across from him and leaned against one hand impatiently as Senku inspected his other palm with a primitive-looking magnifying glass. “Are you done yet?” He complained, even though it had only been a few seconds.

 

“No way. I’m not stopping until I figure out your biology. The more I know, the better I can collect your precious nitrosweat.”

 

But Katsuki’s patience was, as usual, thin. “I can tell you everything you need to know. So quit holding my hand like a grade school girlfriend!” He tried to pull away, but Senku held on.

 

Senku insisted, “As much as I’m not a fan of getting handsy, I still need a basic understanding of your anatomy. So spill it already. What’s the real deal with your nitrosweat? I’ve seen it up close now, but I still don’t know how you do it.” He kept inspecting his palm with the magnifying glass as he listened to Katsuki’s answer.

 

“I sweat a substance similar to nitroglycerin from my palms and spark it at will.” His quirk was simple. There were no exceptions, no rules, not like some other quirks. It was just a natural offensive emitter quirk.

 

“That’s it?” Senku’s expression dropped in disappointment. “Seriously? That explains almost nothing. Besides, if your body is pumped full of nitroglycerin, it doesn’t make sense that you had heart surgery. That’s basically a cure-all for most heart conditions.” Senku pointed at his chest. 

 

He must have seen the scars at some point in the cave, probably while Katsuki was washing his clothes after getting them all dirty from living in the wilderness. He hadn’t asked then, and he sure as hell didn’t expect Senku to bring it up now.

 

Anger bubbled up in Katsuki’s chest and he tore away his hand. “That’s none of your business! We’re done here.” He stood up sharply, nearly knocking over some glass instruments on the table.

 

“Hold on.” Senku held a hand up to stop Katsuki from leaving. “The Kingdom of Science thrives on the truth. That’s how science works, using known facts to discover something new. If you want to revive your classmates, I need to know every detail about your life in that other universe. I need to know the physics, the chemistry, everything. You already told me about the villains and stuff, but that doesn’t explain the basics.”

 

Katsuki froze for a moment, the hand Senku had been holding and curiously caressing every crevice of twitched in annoyance. He thought of the frozen faces of the classmates he had already found, but there was still no sign of Izuku Midoriya nor Shigaraki or other villains.

 

And maybe no one else had been taken to this universe or timeline or whatever it was in particular, but he was certain that at least Izuku was out there somewhere, either alive or in statue form. After all, they were only inches apart from each other when the warp gates opened.

 

So where the hell was he?

 

“Fine.” Katsuki turned on his heel. “But I want something in return.”

 

Senku grinned confidently. “You name it. If I can use science and your nitrosweat to create more miracle fluid, I’ll have plenty of manpower to make anything you want.”

 

Katsuki sat down across from Senku. “That brain a’ yours. It any good at geography?” He squinted at him, waiting for an answer. The guy was smart, sure, but he couldn’t assume he was good at everything. He had to have some kind of weakness, a lack of knowledge somewhere. There’s no way someone could master every single science topic, right?

 

But Senku laughed a little as if what he was asking was child’s play. “Of course it is! Geography is science!” He shook his head. “But I’m afraid if you’re looking for any particular landmarks, they’re probably gone by now. If they even existed in this world.”

 

“That’s fine. I’m looking for something I know is in this world.” Katsuki asked, “One of my classmates. If he’s a statue out there somewhere, you think you could find him?”

 

Senku rubbed his chin. “Well, that depends. If we knew where he was when he was petrified, I could estimate where his statue ended up. Assuming Tsukasa didn’t get to him first. Remember, he’s recruiting strong young people. If your classmates are ridiculously built like you are, he might revive them.”

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “I wouldn’t worry about that too much. On the outside, he looks like a shrimp. But I have no idea where he would have been petrified.”

 

“Well, what was the last thing you remember? If you saw any landmarks, maybe he was nearby.” Senku inquired.

 

Katsuki still remembered it clearly. “I landed under a tree. I could hear cars nearby, like a popular road.” Katsuki frowned. “And there was a girl with a weird headband standing over me, and a guy who was so loud he almost broke my damn eardrums.”

 

“Wait….” Senku’s eyes widened, his fingertips touching his forehead. “That was you! Taiju was talking to Yuzuriha under that tree! I barely got a look at you before getting petrified, but the black and orange getup is unmistakable!” Senku clapped his fist to his palm in conclusion. “That means your buddy is probably nearby, if he warped close to you. I know just the people for this job. Hang tight.” He got up and exited the lab.

 

Within moments, Senku returned with three people; “Kohaku, Detective Suika, and Chrome! If he’s anywhere nearby, they’ll find him!”

 

Kohaku crossed her arms. “So who are we looking for, exactly? We’ll need an exact description, there’s a lot of statue people out there.”

 

Senku passed him a parchment paper and charcoal. “Think you could draw what he looks like? That would help.”

 

Katsuki did his best to draw on the page, but out of all his skills, charcoal sketching wasn’t one of them. “His clothes probably made it through the thousands of years of wear like mine did. They’re made out of material that’s meant to withstand a hell of a lot more damage than what nature can deal. So if you see someone in a green costume, that’s him for sure.”

 

Kohaku took the finished drawing from Katsuki and studied the image intensely. “We’re on it, don’t worry!”

 

Senku told them, “We’re still working hard to prepare for an attack. Come back if you don’t find him in three days. We’ll find Katsuki’s classmate, but we can’t afford to lose manpower for too long.” He turned to Katsuki. “While you’re waiting for them to come back, I’ve got a job for you. That is, if you want us to win the battle against Tsukasa.”

 

Katsuki’s hands twitched, his teeth flashing with an excited grin. A chance to beat a villain and fight against the grueling boredom of living in a stone world where there was no television or video games or comic books? He cracked his knuckles. “No way am I letting us lose to that murderer. What’s the plan, Leekhead?”

Chapter 15: Trial and Error

Notes:

Took a tiny hiatus because my laptop split at the hinges and I had to keep it together via duct tape LOL so I had to order a new one. We are so back!!

The next few days in the village were the busiest time of Katsuki’s life, even more so than preparing for war against the villains in his time. 

 

Between the search for Katsuki’s missing classmates, helping the villagers make a cellphone, hunting down food with some of the village warriors, and being a living experiment under Senku’s observant gaze, his whole existence was non-stop work. The only time he had to sleep was when he happened to crash in the science shed, Senku and Chrome snoozing in bedrolls across from him at the edges of the massive collections of minerals and other materials. 

 

And in the mornings, he had to listen to Senku snicker at him as he watched Katsuki jog in place while wearing the special black super-absorbent suit he had made to collect his nitrosweat.

 

“So…” Chrome muttered next to Senku, though Katsuki could still hear. “Explain to me again how the explosions he makes isn’t sorcery?”

 

Senku tilted his head a little. “You know…” He said with furrowed brows, “good question. Maybe it is.”

 

“Huh?!” Chrome shouted in surprise, nearly falling backwards as he jabbed a finger at Senku. “I thought you didn’t believe in sorcery!”

 

“I mean sorcery in the sense that the science we have now doesn’t explain it. But this guy is from a future where the world didn’t get petrified, so who knows what happened in that timeline that evolved humans to become this advanced.” Senku groaned a little, scratching his head in frustration. “I gotta admit though, his biology has got me completely stumped. His palms look completely normal. If only I had an MRI machine to really get a good look.”

 

“So it’s really possible to travel through time or go to other universes?” Chrome pressed his lips together in deep thought, the gears in his head visibly turning. “Maybe we should travel back in time before the petrification. That way we can gather materials from back then!” 

 

Katsuki snickered a little as Senku brutally shot him down. “Definitely not happening. The only reason he was able to time travel or travel to another universe was because of some insanely wild human evolution that gave someone a quirk that made it possible. Even in my time, we had no evidence we could actually build a time machine or anything like that.”

 

“Huh.” Chrome frowned. “I thought there was nothing modern technology couldn’t do. The future sounds so bad.”

 

“Even science has its limits.” Senku said. “If someone just isn’t possible, it isn’t possible. So we usually use science to work around those impossiblities to come up with alternate solutions.” He gestured toward Katsuki to stop him from jogging. “Anyway, that’s enough, Katsuki! We should have a good amount of sweat to work with.”

 

Katsuki caught his breath as he followed Senku into the lab, shedding the suit and quickly changing back into his hero costume. The material still felt odd on his skin since it was only a replica of the tattered clothing he wore into battle, but the design was so close he’d doubt anyone could tell the difference just by looking at it.

 

Senku stood over a vial of nitrosweat against the laboratory’s bench. “Your sweat seems to be less volatile than pure nitroglycerin. It doesn’t explode on impact like I’d expect it to. That makes sense, though, since your hands aren’t blown off already.” He carefully poured a bit of the substance from one beaker to another. “That’s why I don’t mind using it in the lab like this. It needs a spark to go off.”

 

“Get to the point.” Katsuki grumbled at him impatiently. “Can this stuff make your revival fluid or what?”

 

“That’s what we’re finding out right now!” He gestured to the stone sparrow on the table. “With any luck, it’ll be the same as making it with nitric acid! 70 percent of your sweat, plus ten percent alcohol and…”

 

He poured some of the liquid onto the sparrow. Silence cast over the lab, even as the weird guy in the purple robe peeked into the lab to see what they were up to. Katsuki still wasn’t sure if he was an ally or a spy, but the village didn’t seem to care much either way. Any pair of hands for labor were welcome in the Kingdom of Science.

 

“Is it supposed to be doing something or what?” Katsuki asked after several minutes of everyone holding their breath.

 

Senku started laughing, and laughing, and laughing, his fingertips pressed into his forehead in disappointment. “Of course it wouldn’t work! The ratio is all off!” He shook his head at himself. “Of course there’s other stuff in your sweat than nitroglycerin! There’s water and other organic materials, too!” Senku said, “Man, I keep disappointing all the scientists that came before me, huh?”

 

Chrome slammed his hand down on the table. “Are you really giving up just like that, Senku? No way! We gotta figure out how to make the revival fluid without the miracle cave! It’s the best way, isn’t it?”

 

“Well,” Senku sighed and crossed his arms. “Not really.”

 

“Huh?!” Chrome shouted. “The heck do you mean? The miracle cave is what we’re fighting so hard for! But if we lose, we gotta have a backup plan, right?”

 

Senku held up one finger as he told Chrome, “For starters, we already have a good amount of manpower. Revive too many people at once and we’ll run out of food, especially this close to winter. Don’t get me wrong, the revival fluid is still ridiculously important. But it’ll take more trial and error to get it right.” Senku added, “And for another thing, the miracle cave is important for more than just the revival fluid. But if all goes well, you’ll see what I mean once we take it back from the Tsukasa Empire.”

 

“That’s right,” Gen added, stepping a little closer into the science lab. “The miracle cave is a vital piece we need to win this war. Once we have control of it, it’ll be checkmate for the Tsukasa Empire.”

 

Katsuki curled his lip. “Don’t you forget one crucial thing.” He pointedly flicked some more of his sweat into the collection vial. “I still haven’t found Shigaraki, either. There’s a chance he’s out there alive and on a rampage. If he is, you’ll need more than the ragtag team of fighters you’ve got in this village. You won’t be able to scare him off with even guns or bombs if you had them. You need me and my classmates.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Senku said. “If that guy gets revived by the Tsukasa Empire, we’re royally screwed. I didn’t believe you at first, but seeing your nitrosweat gives me no doubt in my mind.” He looked over to Chrome and Gen. “We’re dealing with super-evolved humans here. With powers beyond our comprehension. Beyond the science we currently have. It’s crazy to think about, but it’s true.”

 

Gen had his hands tucked into his sleeves as he asked, “Katsuki, let me ask you something. Say we do revive your classmates, do you think that they will join the Kingdom of Science? Or will any of them turn out to be against us like Tsukasa?”

 

Katsuki tilted his head back. “I’m nothing like this Leekhead. I wouldn’t be rescuing my classmates if I thought they were going to weigh us down. There’s only one of them we won’t be reviving. He’s not particularly powerful or anything, but I refuse to use my nitrosweat on that Grape-headed extra if he’s out there.”

 

“Oh?” Gen smiled with a certain look in his eye. “Think he’d turn against us? Cause trouble for the Kingdom of Science? I must say, I’m intrigued.”

 

“Nothing like that.” Katsuki grumbled. “The guy’s just a damn pervert. Like that blonde spearman who clearly needs a reality check, but a million times worse. He’s pathetic.”

 

“Oh, come on.” Senku insisted. “There’s room for everyone in the Kingdom of Science. If he’s got hands to work-”

 

“No way.” Katsuki argued. “I know you want to save all seven billion people on this planet, but if you’re gonna be using my nitrosweat, then he’s gotta be the last one from my class you revive. Besides, there are better options to revive first. And if population’s going to be an issue, then we gotta be choosy. That’s the most logical. Right, Leekhead?”

 

“Sure, sure.” Senku smirked at him, his eyes glittering with a cheekiness Katsuki hadn’t quite seen in him before. “You know you’re driving a hard bargain, right? We still haven’t found any more of your classmates, and now you’re demanding that you get to choose which ones get revived?”

 

Gen complimented Katsuki, though. “You sure know how to leverage your worth. With the threat of this Shiga-whoever on top of the Tsukasa Empire, we can’t deny the buying power of nitroglycerin. What’s your move, Senku?”

 

Senku didn’t even skip a beat. “As long as all seven billion people are revived, I’ll have reached my goal. I guess it doesn’t really matter what order they’re revived in. That doesn’t interest me one millimeter as long as we don’t need him for labor or skill.”

 

“Trust me, he has no skill.” Katsuki grumbled. Because damn did he really hate that guy. 

 

Senku raised a brow. “Oh yeah? I thought all of you had some quirk, right? So what’s his deal?”

 

Katsuki grimaced. “Don’t make me say it.” Not a chance in hell…

 

“Come on, Katsuki!” Senku prodded his shoulder with a teasing fingertip. “If he really has no skills, then I won’t revive him any time soon.”

 

Katsuki grumbled, hissing through his teeth begrudgingly, “His hair is like sticky balls.” He just barely kept hold of his patience as Gen chortled in the background. “I doubt your Kingdom of Science needs something like that. There’s already someone else who can produce tape from their huge elbows and I already found his statue anyway. Trust me, you don’t need him.”

 

“Tape? Like actual tape?” Senku questioned, leaning in with excited curiosity in his eyes now. “How strong is it? What’s it made of? I can think of ten billion applications for something like duct tape!” 

 

Glad to change the subject, Katsuki tried to remember if he actually knew anything about Sero’s quirk. If it was Izuku here, he and Senku would probably yap about the technical aspects of quirks all day and then some. But Katsuki had to dig deep in his memories to try to answer. “I’ve seen him swing around using the tape while carrying someone else. So I’d guess it can carry at least 200 kilograms, probably way more.” Katsuki shrugged. “No idea what it’s made of though.”

 

“That sounds useful as hell, ten billion percent.” Senku said, his eyes nearly glowing now, sparkling with the prospective potential right in front of him. “The idea of having superhumans on our side like in a comic book is exhilarating. It’ll make things ten billion percent easier for us, and make the Tsukasa Empire’s goal ten billion percent harder. It’s time to get excited, people!” He stood up from the bench. “I’ll have the scouting team go back out there to look for anyone wearing costumes. If their outfits have survived all this time, that makes this expedition way easier.”

 

Chrome added, “And you guys will keep working on the cellphone in the meantime! The Kingdom of Science will win this!” He flexed his arm with a grin. “I’m so pumped!”

 

“Time to get to work.” Senku said. “We’ll bring the fight to the Tsukasa Empire, and with any luck, we’ll have quirked-up superheroes at our backs. Can I count on you to fight with us, Katsuki?”

 

“Hell yeah.” Katsuki couldn’t help cracking his knuckles, a sadistic grin twisting his face. “I’ve been waiting to kick a murderer’s ass, one way or another. Guess I’ll settle for this Tsukasa bastard for now.” 

 

The next few weeks were going to be hard as hell, but Katsuki was more than ready. The stronger the Kingdom of Science became, the better chances he had of finally winning.

 

He’d become the best hero this world had ever seen. Even if they were only in stupid old-fashioned comic books.

 

And when the battle came, he’d fight on the side of the Kingdom of Science.

Notes:

I couldn't get Senku to stop saying "ten billion percent" in this chapter but canon Senku doesn't shut up either.

Next chapter is the battle against the Tsukasa Empire.

This is exhilarating people, get excited! Or something idk

Chapter 16: Hero Work

Notes:

I lied this is the last chapter before the final battle against the Tsukasa Empire because I wanted to give Senku and Bakugou a chance to talk while Chrime is off planting the cell phone. I'll be posting the final battle momentarily, though! Double chapter day!

Katsuki’s whole body was sore as he collapsed on a bedroll in the science shed. His fingers were numb from twisting wire together and his shoulders burned from carrying Kaminari and Sero’s statues all the way across the forest to the camp and burying them underground so that only those on their side could find them and wake them up.

 

His nitrosweat had nearly run dry at this point as Senku collected as much as he could for experiments.

 

Senku was the only other person in the science shed since Chrome was already on a mission to plant the cellphone in the Tsukasa Empire. Katsuki wanted to go with them to just get it over with and tear this Tsukasa guy apart, but he had to admit Senku had a point that they were trying to win over the members of the Tsukasa Empire, not start a full blown war because they went ahead and assassinated their leader.

 

Not only that, but Katsuki’s presence in general led to a complication. If anyone saw Katsuki’s powers too close to their territory, they could take just the sounds and flashes of explosions as a declaration of war and the Tsukasa Empire could attack early, bringing his men to the village and endangering the children and elderly. Not to mention they still apparently had someone spying on them, though Senku had conveniently neglected to tell Katsuki this until the last minute.

 

So Katsuki obediently stayed in the stupid village doing all the patience-wearing tasks villagers had to do. Hunting, fishing, patrolling, guarding. Though it wasn’t really all that bad. After all, this was pretty much what the day to day of hero life was in his time. Patrol one area, move on to the next, take down a villain, repeat. Though instead of villains in this world, it was game animals he was taking down. And for every deer or other prey he caught, there was another source of meat, bones, and hide to process.

 

The villagers were patient in teaching Katsuki the things they knew for generations, but strict in making sure he was pulling his weight. He couldn’t just lounge around until Senku needed more nitrosweat, he was a full on member of the Ishigami Village and the Kingdom of Science. If he wanted to eat, he had to work. That was the rule.

 

And so work he did. 

 

But between those tasks, he watched everyone else closely. It was weird to be around so many people without powers. Everyone pretty much looked the same, too. No one had horns or body parts resembling animals, there were little variations in skin tones, and their faces were all very similar. As if they were all mostly related to each other. And they kind of were.

 

That’s what happened when there were no quirks to give people further variance in their genes, and were all descendants of a handful of lucky astronauts that missed the petrification beam.

 

How the village didn’t end up with messed up genes like any other community that was a little too close-knit from the history books Katsuki had read, he would never know, and he would never ask. But that didn’t mean it made being around a bunch of quirkless cookie-cutter clone-like people any less weird.

 

Despite their lack of powers, though, the villagers were all capable people. Katsuki often spent time wondering why their numbers were so low for being such an ancient civilization. After all, three thousand years to only have a 40-ish person village struck him as odd. 

 

But when he realized their primary source of food was fishing, that started to make sense. And while they did hunt sometimes, they just didn’t have the manpower to send out hunters when there were elders and children to guard and general village maintenance to uphold. There was talk of famines that were caused by bad fishing years that nearly wiped out the population more than once.

 

Now that Katsuki was here with boundless energy he needed to work out and a distaste for eating fish for every meal, the village had been provided more protein sources to build their strength. Not to mention Senku, who encouraged hunting so they could use the leather and other animal parts for building and other advancements.

 

There was so much more to life in Ishigami Village than building the cell phone and surviving. They were starting to thrive despite losing their homes to the fire caused by their enemies. And their fear of science and sorcery was starting to transition into excitement and appreciation for everything Senku had done, and everything he was promising them.

 

As Katsuki lay in his bedroll in the science shed, he could hear rocks clicking against each other as Senku shuffled through the materials Chrome had gathered throughout the years. But with only the dim moonlight, Katsuki had to wonder how he would find whatever he was looking for in the dark. “Oi, Leekhead, it’s kinda hard to sleep when it sounds like a rockslide in here.” 

 

Senku didn’t say anything, but the noise stopped, too. The science shed was too quiet now, like they were both holding their breaths for some reason. 

 

But finally, Senku said, “This mission ten billion percent rides on the infiltration team’s success. We don’t have a backup plan.”

 

“So?” Katsuki scoffed at him. “We’ve got the cellphone and they’re gonna plant it in the Tsukasa Empire. Then you can recruit as many of Tsukasa’s people as you can before the fight or whatever. I still think you’re wasting your time. A villain’s a villain, just take ‘em all down and revive people who aren’t murderers.”

 

Senku took a small, but audible breath. “That doesn’t interest me one millimeter, Katsuki.” 

 

Katsuki peered over to him, but couldn’t see his face in the dark. “If ya wanna win, just use your science to make weapons. It’s not that hard. Gimme five minutes with the old craftsman on a hot day and we could make a crap ton of grenades.”

 

“No.” Senku said, his voice firm and deathly serious for once. “We’re doing this to prevent bloodshed. No one from the Kingdom of Science or the Tsukasa Empire is going to die in this battle. We’ll use science to bring people together, that’s what it’s for. Labelling people as villains and never giving them a chance to see all the exciting things we can bring back from my time? Not happening.” He put back the rocks he had in his hands and brushed his palms off. “There’s no justice system in the stone world and I’m just a scientist who wants to revive everyone and bring back what modern humanity has to offer. I’m no hero or cop or anything like that and I’m not interested in playing that role.” 

 

Katsuki mulled over what he was saying for a while. “No bloodshed, huh?” He looked at his palms again, calluses finally starting to form along the skin. All he had ever done was train his quirk to be powerful, to make sure he was capable of doing the maximum damage as humanely possible. Bloodshed was just a symptom of hero society. It was unavoidable on both sides.

 

There were even special crews that would show up in hazmat suits after some fights to clean up blood and viscera if a hero or a villain had gone that far. Most of the time heroes would just knock out villains or restrain them, but as humankind was getting stronger with the generations, it was too easy to shed blood and still be praised at the end.

 

Even All Might, whose fights were often featured on television, didn’t hesitate much when it came to injuring an enemy. Or anyone, really. Katsuki still remembered what it was like to get slammed around by him in the final exam. It was just a test and yet both Katsuki and Izuku had walked away from the fight with moderately serious injuries.

 

There was no room in a hero’s life to even consider pacifism. But in Senku’s Kingdom of Science, that was the goal. And it was just as weird to Katsuki as their quirklessness.

 

At the same time, though, he couldn’t help but be curious if a plan like this would work. If there was such a thing as resolving conflict between two groups with strong ideals without bloodshed. “Fine, whatever.” He said. “I’ll play along with that for now, but the minute your plan fails, I won’t hesitate to do what I gotta do to beat anyone in my way. Especially Tsukasa and the other boss villains.” 

 

“It won’t come to that.” Senku said. “Just wait and see.”

Chapter 17: Final Battle- Tsukasa Empire

The clamoring of battle was sharp in Katsuki’s ears. But spears and primitive weapons were no match for his speed and explosive power. He carefully carved his way through Tsukasa’s men, making sure not to actually kill any of these fragile people. They didn’t have quirks to defend themselves, but Katsuki wasn’t the type to hold back his quirk just because of that.

 

Though what Senku had told him before the battle rang in his head. If we fight, people will die. The plan had gone fine enough for the first twenty seconds. The tank was enough to make people hesitate so that their weapons could be neutralized and the miracle cave taken.

 

But the moment the boss villains arrived, everyone on the enemy side found their courage to fight back. And now, Katsuki was making his way through the crowd right toward Tsukasa. 

 

He was just like Senku had described; almost double Katsuki’s height, with well-kept hair tied halfway down his back. He was clearly strong. “You’re the bastard that’s been murdering people, hah?!” Katsuki growled at him the moment he could get close. “Give up now. We’re going to take that damn cave and revive my classmates!” 

 

Tsukasa regarded him with eyes far too gentle to belong to a cold-hearted killer, calmly dodging an explosive swipe of Katsuki’s palm. “If there are specific people you’d like to revive, I’d be glad to help you with that.” He held out his hand to his opponent. “Why don’t you join the Tsukasa Empire? We need more youth like you to build a world much better than before.”

 

Katsuki curled his lip at him. “You don’t know a damn thing about me.” He leapt forward without hesitation, his palm reaching out to Tsukaka’s face. But even a direct blast wasn’t enough to knock him back, he only stood there with his spear.

 

“Come on, now.” He said. “I’m sure we can come to an understanding. You want your classmates revived? We can accomplish that easily.” Tsukasa spoke calmly even while taking the brute force of Katsuki’s blasts. Though his skin was burnt a little, small red blisters bubbling up on his chest, he didn’t even wince.

 

Katsuki grit his teeth. There was no way this guy was a normal person! He had to have some hidden quirk or power! He had heard the name Strongest Primate High Schooler from Senku a dozen times. But he didn’t think he’d be this damn tough!

 

Tsukasa went on, “I don’t know how you’re producing those explosions. Is it something the Kingdom of Science promised you?”

 

“I was born like this!” Katsuki huffed for breath, looking Tsukasa up and down and searching for some kind of opening or weakness. “I told ya, you have no clue who I am! I am the Great Explosion Murder God: Dynamight!” 

 

Tsukasa furrowed his brows a little. “Murder God? And yet… You have a problem with the way I choose to manage this new stone world?”

 

“Shut up!” Katsuki had built up plenty of sweat in his palms now. If he could just blast him away with one huge explosion…

 

Tsukasa’s attention was suddenly taken by something drifting in the sky: A paper airplane.

 

The hell? What’s that nerd up to now? Katsuki looked over to the entrance of the miracle cave where Senku was standing. Next to him, Gen was smiling that ugly smile he always had when he was manipulating someone. How anyone fell for it, Katsuki would never know.

 

“That’s right, everyone!” Gen announced, “The Kingdom of Science has the power of dynamite on our side! See our friend here?” He gestured over to Katsuki, “with his help, we’ve discovered how to create blasts of ten million megaton joules." 

 

But fell for it, they did. The weakling grunts of the Tsukasa Empire were practically shaking in their boots, mumbling about dynamite and explosions. 

 

The moment one of the paper airplanes struck a tree and exploded with a loud crack, Katsuki watched them all back away in fear. But they were too afraid to run, too.  We have ‘em in the palm of our hands. What are you gonna do, Tarzan? His hands twitched as he watched Tsukasa carefully assess the situation. Would he attack anyway, or would this notion of preventing bloodshed actually somehow succeed?

 

Tsukasa offered his thoughts aloud. “I can’t block this kind of attack or knock it away without it exploding. And while I’ve been able to take the brunt of your friend’s blasts, they’re controlled by someone with quite impressive battle prowess. But a paper plane knows no such restraint. Collateral damage is clearly an issue.” He regarded Senku for a moment. “Your own villagers could get caught up in an explosion, and it’s certain you’d never sacrifice yourself or anyone else.” His gaze shifted along the battlefield. “Not a single person in my army has been seriously injured by your crew, either. Only knocked out or chased off. So you’re not really here to battle, either.” He glanced down at Ukyo, who was still bleeding on the ground while one of the fighters from Ishigami Village started to patch him up with bandages.

 

“That’s right.” Senku said, still gripping his paper plane as if it was a real threat. To their core, even when things were looking grim, this group was non-violent. The spears they wielded barely left a scratch on anyone on the enemy side. “I’m here to negotiate. Sound good?”  

 

“Fine.” Tsukasa said. “Let us negotiate.” He tucked his arms into the lionskin cloak that draped over his shoulders peacefully.

 

“You were famous in your old life.” Senku started. “The whole thing doesn’t really add up, does it? This guy could have anything he wanted, but his big goal in the stone world is building a society free from the rich and corrupt. That’s the kind of man Shishio Tsukasa really is, not the man who shows up on TV shows and participates in those prolific fights like in the old world.”

 

Gen pressed a finger to his chin as he dramatically thought about the point Senku just made. “Hmm, I suppose I never really thought about it. Money was such a normal thing to want in our time it didn’t strike me as odd that he was after it before and not now.” 

 

Senku’s eyes dug into Tsukasa, pinning him down with a simple conclusion. “So what did you need all that money for? Or rather, for whom?”

 

As the rest of Tsukasa’s army started to fall back, Katsuki crossed his arms and boredly leaned against the nearest tree. Clearly, this fight was over. If Senku wanted to negotiate with a murderer, that was on him. But Katsuki wasn’t interested at all in the sob story Senku was laying out about Tsukasa’s sister. This guy was a villain, no matter his reasons.

 

Despite his initial thoughts, though, Katsuki had to admit to himself that he knew better by now. If they had an opportunity to negotiate with Shigaraki, maybe Katsuki wouldn’t have been impaled twice and killed once, and maybe he wouldn’t have been petrified for 3,700 years.

 

Or maybe this stupid stone world without hero society to back him up was turning Katsuki soft.

 

Either way, he held himself back no matter how much he wanted to blast this guy to bits. 

 

But one thing Senku told Tsukasa suddenly made a lot of sense. “Your sister was petrified in stone. But we found out that the petrification has an unexpected side effect. It can heal injuries and other ailments.”

 

So that’s how I woke up without a scratch. Katsuki thought. Just the scars from the battle against Shigaraki. 

 

“We can’t guarantee it will work, but it’s worth a shot.” Senku glanced behind him with a mischievous grin. “But it looks like we happen to have control over the source of the revival fluid!”

 

“So what are your terms, then?” Tsukasa’s tone was grave enough for Katsuki to be on guard again. He unfolded his arms and readied himself to defend Senku if need be. 

 

“The terms are pretty simple, really.” Senku said. “We’ll do our best to revive your sister. And in exchange, I’m asking for a cease-fire.”

 

“And why shouldn’t I believe this isn’t a bunch of lies?”

 

Senku glanced down at the paper plane he was holding, slowly lowering it to his side. “All you have is my word. I never lie about science. Is that not enough?”

 

Tsukasa hesitated for a moment, even closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Katsuki couldn’t tell if he was relieved, swallowing tears for his lost sister, or both.

 

“No. That’s plenty.” He finally said. “You’ve got a deal, Senku.”

 

“Wait.” Katsuki stepped forward. If this guy was willing to listen, then maybe this would work out. “There’s one more thing.” He stood face to face with Tsukasa, his height towering over him in a way he just wasn’t used to. Sure, Katsuki wasn’t the tallest in his class, and most teachers and pro-heroes were taller than him, too, but looking at Tsukasa was like staring at a brick wall that could decide to snap your neck in an instant. “I heard you’ve been going around destroying statues of anyone who looks old. But did you revive everyone else you’ve found so far who looked young enough?” 

 

Tsukasa looked him up and down for a moment, considering his answer carefully. “The revival fluid is only part of the equation. We can’t revive too many people at once without resources. So no, I haven’t. But those with potential, we do keep together so we can quickly revive anyone we need.”

 

He might have destroyed Shigaraki’s statue already. He was only, what, twenty-something? But his face could be mistaken for someone older. Or he could have my classmates. “Take me to them. There’s people I’m looking for.”

 

“Hmm,” Tsukasa shifted his gaze toward the cave. “Not as part of our deal with Senku, but out of respect for another formidable fighter, I will accommodate your request. Even without your strange abilities, I can tell you’re very skilled. It will be a long journey to find my sister. Let us go find your friends first.”

 

Senku added, “If Katsuki’s allies have useful powers like he does, that sounds perfect to prepare for a quest like this. Lead the way!” 

 

Tsukasa shook his head at him, though. “I’ll take him myself. Please stay here and make whatever preparations your villagers need for travel.” On his way out of the battlefield, he helped Ukyo stand, muttering something to him that Katsuki didn’t care to listen to. “And please give any of the injured what medical attention you can offer. 

 

At Senku’s hesitant look, Katsuki snickered at him. “Did you forget who I am or what? If he tries anything, this guy’s dead meat.” He jabbed a thumb in the direction he was pretty sure was the Tsukasa Empire’s base. “So let’s go.” 

 

As Tsukasa led him through the dense forest, Tsukasa asked him, “So I have to ask, how do you pull off those explosions?”

 

Katsuki rolled his eyes a bit. Having to explain his quirk to everyone he met in this world was getting exhausting. But leaving someone to wonder, especially someone like Tsukasa, could potentially lead to a dangerous misunderstanding. “Where I’m from, almost everyone has a special power called a quirk.” He flexed his hand. “Mine lets me sweat a nitroglycerin-like liquid that I can spark off at will.” 

 

“I see.” Tsukasa said, even though Katsuki couldn’t imagine that he’d have put two and two together that he was somehow from a different timeline or universe or whatever this situation actually was. “And where you’re from, aren’t there rich and powerful people who take advantage of the poor?”

 

“‘Course there are.” Katsuki knew that there were situations like that all the time. Though he grew up with a decent amount of money and he never really wanted for anything cash could buy, his friends in middle school were always complaining that their parents didn’t have spare funds to get them everything they asked for because they were underpaid. And he cringed as he remembered his own sentiments back in middle school, too. He wanted to be the richest hero of all time. What a waste that would have been if he stayed like that. “Lotsa people used their quirks to take advantage of people, too. But I’m going to be the number one hero, the greatest of all time. I’ll defeat anyone in my way and beat villains who are like that.”

 

“Then you and I are in agreement, then. We must protect people from that kind of future.” Tsukasa said.

 

“I’ll never agree with a murderer.” Katsuki curled his lip at him in disgust. “I’m a hero, and all you are to me is a lowlife villain who should be taken down. There might not be a prison for you here, but don’t forget who won this fight today.”

 

Tsukasa didn’t say anything else. As they travelled, the forest gave way to a mountainous area. They walked through a short canyon until Katsuki saw the garden of statues. 

 

There were plenty he didn’t recognize, but several he did. There was Uraraka, Kirishima, and in the very front was the wrinkly-faced nutsack himself.

 

Tsukasa had his arms tucked under his lionskin cape as he approached Shigaraki’s statue. “Is this who you’re looking for?” His brows were furrowed a bit. “To be frank, we weren’t sure if he was old or young. His face looked aged, but his body is that of a strong young adult. Perhaps you could shed some light on this person?”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth a little. On the one hand, he wanted to smash the statue to bits. If Shigaraki were revived, there’d be little hope for this new world. But on the other hand, if he were to do that, he’d be no better than the guy he called a murderous villain not even five minutes ago. 

 

“We should avoid reviving him at all costs.” Katsuki said. “He’s the boss villain. No doubt he’d kill everyone he sees the minute he wakes up.” 

 

Tsukasa looked the statue up and down. “He had a power like yours?”

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “No one has a power like mine. His quirk could reduce anything he touches to dust in seconds. That’s how he destroyed the world I came from. There was nothing left but dirt and a few survivors.”

 

“I see…” Tsukasa moved away from the statue. “I assume these two are your other friends. Their clothes have somehow remained intact like yours did.” He gestured to Uraraka and Kirishima. And just like he said, their costumes were still clinging onto their stone bodies.

 

Without another word, Tsukasa lifted each statue under his arms. “Let’s go meet back with Senku. He’ll be able to revive them once we get to the cave. And bring your enemy as well, we’ll let Senku decide how best to guard him.”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth as he grasped onto the cold stone of Shigarak’s body as he followed Tsukasa back through the woods. “He really knows how to revive people? How’s that even possible?” He had to admit he still had his doubts, but who knew what was possible in this science fiction-like scenario?

 

Tsukasa only said, “Senku can explain the science better than I can. But he’s revived several people before.” 

 

“Tch.” Katsuki clicked his tongue. It almost felt like everyone was damn near useless without the Leekhead.

 

… Including him.

 

But he knew science! He was smart as hell in most subjects, basically a genius! He was just a little rusty, that was all…

 

And if this really was a different universe, who was to say that everything from physics to chemistry would be the exact same?

 

But if that was the case, he’d just have to learn this new world and use what he knew to make sure Shigaraki would never be revived. The bastard was as close to Tartarus where he belonged as he could get.

 

He dragged along Shigaraki’s statue begrudgingly. He wasn’t purposefully knocking his hands into every tree he passed, but if they happened to fall off along the way, well, he wouldn’t complain, either.

 

Sweat dripped along Katsuki’s forehead as they finally got back to the miracle cave and placed the statues down. Senku and Chrome were inside, filling jars with nasty brown liquid. Katsuki raised a brow at them. “This crap will reverse the petrification?”

 

“Yep,” Senku said, handing him three jars of revival fluid. “Wanna do the honors? They’re your friends, afterall. Just pour it right on their heads and let it do the work. One for each person.”

 

Katsuki squinted down at the three jars in his hand. “One per person, huh? You really think I’m gonna revive the bastard who destroyed my world?” He tossed one of the jars back to Senku. “He can stay petrified forever.”

 

Senku followed him out of the cave toward the statues. “The Kingdom of Science has room for everyone. I’m sure whatever this guy’s deal is, we can deal with it with science. Now that we don’t have to worry about him joining the Tsukasa Empire, what’s the big deal?” 

 

Katsuki’s whole body lit up with frustration as Senku uncorked the jar and lifted it up. His hand shot toward Senku’s wrists, his fingertips digging in so hard that he could see Senku wince. He didn’t let go, though. “Science? You think if we coulda beat him with science, we just skipped that damn part for fun?” Katsuki couldn’t keep his voice down, his shouting echoing through the forest. “Ya think we were just too lazy or stupid to do that?” 

 

Senku argued, “We need all the help we can get. And we’ll find ways to utilize everyone’s quirks!”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth, a frustrated growl escaping from him. But he let go of Senku’s arm anyway, watching as Senku rubbed his wrist out of soreness. “You asked me why I had to have heart surgery, right?” He jabbed a thumb toward his own chest. “During the fight against Shigaraki, I fought so hard to win against this guy my damn heart exploded. Someone sacrificed their life to sew it back together.” His throat was tight. He hadn’t really thought about it before, but it was likely that Edgeshot was dead. He was so weak after he had saved his life, and the scouting team hadn’t found anyone else out in the wasteland…

 

Anyone outside of the known survivors of Shigaraki’s ultimate move were probably nothing but dust now. 

 

“If you think you can beat ‘em, fine.” Katsuki grumbled. “But when everyone in this world is dead, too, I’ll be telling you I told you so in hell.” 

 

Senku stared at him for a moment, frozen in place and eyes wide in shock. But with a shrug, he finally gave Katsuki a defeated look. “Fine, but my ultimate goal is to revive every person on this planet. That includes every one of your comrades and enemies. Once society is up and running, the military or whatever can deal with him. That stuff doesn’t interest me one millimeter. We’ll just keep his statue safe until then.”

 

Katsuki still wasn’t satisfied, but at the same time, he wasn’t exactly planning to stick around until Senku revived his whole planet anyway. This was fine for now.

 

With Shigaraki found, he now had two other goals to focus on: Find everyone still alive from his time, then find the warp bastard and go back home to rebuild whatever was left. That was his strategy for victory.

 

The first step was reviving his friends. He uncorked the jars and poured the liquid atop Uraraka and Kirishima.

 

He couldn’t help but feel a little awestruck as the fluid worked its magic. Stone crumbled from their bodies, fresh skin revealed underneath.

 

In true Kirishima fashion, the moment he was conscious, he lifted his arms high in the air and burst with life. “I’m alive!” 

 

Uraraka was much more calm as she awakened. She blinked a few times, her brows furrowed as she looked around. “Bakugou? Where are we?” She pursed her lips a little.

 

“Man!” Kirishima grinned as he took in his surroundings. “Looks like you found some survivors! Good job, Bakubro!” He lifted his hand for a high five, but Katsuki didn’t meet his palm. 

 

“No, you idiot. We’re in a totally different timeline or some shit. Don’t you remember what happened after Kurogiri warped us?”

 

Kirishima snapped his fingers. “Oh, yeah! That weird green light. What was that?”

 

Begrudgingly, and with Senku’s help to fill in some cracks, Katsuki explained the situation to them. 

 

Katsuki noticed that Kirishima’s whole body was covered in thick black cracks just like everyone else who had been revived from stone as he held out a hand toward Senku. “Thanks for helping us outta that rocky situation, man! Name’s Kirishima.”

 

Senku gave him a crooked grin, his hand meeting Kirishima’s for a firm- or as firm as a limp noodle like Senku could manage- handshake. “Good to have ya. My name’s Senku. And I hope you guys are up for some hard labor, cause we’re gonna need a hand with this next project.”

 

“Always happy to help!” Kirishima gave him an equally toothy grin and a thumbs up. 

 

“Hold on…” Uraraka frowned. She had managed to escape petrification with only a few thick lines running down her throat. “ What about Deku? And everyone else? What about our world?”

 

Katsuki crossed his arms. “Don’t you think I have a plan, Cheeks?”

 

Senku reassured her. “Don’t worry, we’ve got eyes out to look for your missing classmates. But there’s a chance they’re not anywhere close. Might as well stick around with the Kingdom of Science until you guys figure out what your next moves are.” 

 

“Nah,” Katsuki said. “Our next moves are simple. Find everyone, revive the warp bastard, go home and rebuild everything. We ain’t letting these villains win by taking our home. And your Kingdom of Science is gonna make that possible.” 

 

“Sounds good to me.” Senku said. “Uraraka, you have the gravity quirk, right? Go ahead and meet up with Yuzuriha up the mountain. There’s a special project your powers will be perfect for. Taiju will take you there. And Kirishima, what can you do?” 

 

Kirishima excitedly hardened his whole body in demonstration. “Need some demolition work done? I’m your man!”

 

Senku considered him for a moment. “Old man Kazuki,” He glanced over to the tiny old craftsman. “I’m sure you can put that strength to use, right?”

 

Kazuki wiped his tears from crying over the Steam Gorilla’s destruction, the car still stuck in one of the traps dug by Tsukasa’s army. “Oh, yeah! I’d be glad to have someone indestructible on board!”

 

“Alright!” Senku nodded in satisfaction. “Sounds like we’ve all got jobs to do. Katsuki, you and I have more experimenting to do with your quirk. The miracle cave was a huge win, but you’re still our backup plan with that nitrosweat.” 

 

As everyone split off to their own jobs, Katsuki followed Senku back inside the miracle cave. The air was thick with humidity and a musty scent. Senku set up a few oil lamps and got to work, using all sorts of flasks and pipettes to collect Katsuki’s sweat and mixing it with other materials before observing its effects.

 

Katsuki understood about eighty percent of what he was doing, which was enough for him to infer the rest. “So if you made nitroglycerin with nitric acid from the bat shit, all we gotta do is filter out the glycerin and increase the acidity of my sweat. That revival fluid is basically etching fluid, right?”

 

“Ten billion points, Katsuki!” Senku grinned up at him. “Your sweat isn’t acidic enough to be similar to nitric acid. After all, there’s definitely some stabilizing agents in your sweat. Otherwise you probably would have blown your arms off by now.”

 

Katsuki added, “The glycerin raises the pH of my sweat, that’s how regular clothes don’t just burn up when I’m wearing them. We gotta either remove the glycerin or lower the pH and make it more acidic.”

 

“Glycerin is an oil, which is why your skin is immaculate despite wandering out in the wilderness with no hygiene products for a while.“ Senku’s eyes glanced over Katsuki’s arms and face for a moment as if he was studying them.

 

But Katsuki had no time for a staring contest. “So we need to remove the oil. We need ice. Or something cold. We can skim it off the top like when cooking tonkotsu ramen.” 

 

“You’re right, we could totally try that!” Senku clapped his fist against his palm excitedly at the revelation. “That’s impressive, ten billion points!”

 

Katsuki couldn’t help but brag, “Cooking skills are just another form of your precious science. I used to be the best chef in the class when we lived in the dorms.” Which was annoyingly true. Katsuki couldn’t count the number of times his classmates had begged him to cook dinner on one hand. Everyone else just sucked. Though, some more than others. The one time Kaminari cooked, he was scrubbing the taste of burnt onions from his tongue for weeks.

 

“Well, we can’t wait until winter.” Senku said. “So we need a plan to cool down your sweat in order to remove the oil when it separates.”

 

Too bad Icy Hot was nowhere near the fight… I’ve got no idea where he could be. 

 

Katsuki suggested, “What if Cheeks floated it up to the atmosphere? It’s cold as hell up there.” He pointed to the sky, though it wasn’t visible from the dark cave.

 

“It would just warm up coming back down.” Senku tapped his forehead a few times. “Well, I guess it’s time to reinvent a good old fashioned refrigerator.”

 

Katsuki snickered before he realized Senku was serious. “First a car, now a fridge. Why the hell not?”

 

Senku stood up and cracked his back, that stupid smirk stretching on his face just like it did whenever they were starting a new project. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. You ready?”

 

“I ain’t scared of hard work to get what I want.” Katsuki said. It was better than just sitting around and waiting for these extras to get their crap together and get something done! 

 

“Let’s do this, then.” Their hands clapped together in a sharp high five, the cave warming up a little as sparks burst between their palms. “But first, let’s pay Tsukasa’s sister a visit.”

Notes:

I wish I had the opportunity to get Katsuki more involved with meeting Ukyo but I really didn't want to stretch out this arc any longer which is why I dropped this chapter in the middle of the battle. Maybe a bonus scene at some point?

I'll be really diverging from canon in a few chapters, though, so I'll have a lot more flexibility soon! Also, I apologize in advance for any science inaccuracies especially with nitroglycerin. No need to put myself any higher on any lists.

Chapter 18: Denim in Pairs

Two wars, two different timelines. 

 

One won, one lost.

 

Though Katsuki refused to be defeated yet.

 

Along the way to the old hospital- now just an apparent mountain of dirt and grass-  to revive Tsukasa’s sister, Katsuki continued his search for his missing classmates. Uraraka and Kirishima joined in, too, with the help of Kohaku’s superior vision and mobility through even uncharted forests.

 

The trip was long and grinding on Katsuki’s patience, especially whenever he would find statues that bore a resemblance to someone he knew and yet upon further inspection they were missing a key feature that would identify them; A girl with the same face shape and haircut as Ashido, yet lacked her horns and wide eyes, and a silhouette that may have been Tsu, but was only a woman who must have been bending to pick something up off the ground the moment she was petrified. 

 

But eventually, while the stone world crew was busy reviving Tsukasa’s sister, he finally found someone he truly recognized.

 

Katsuki could smell the campfire before he saw the makeshift shelter through the trees. Thick blue denim was hung up between tree branches. No way… He knew exactly who was beyond those jeans. 

 

He pushed aside the curtainlike swath of denim, not even thinking to warn the resident of his presence. “Oi-” 

 

Katsuki turned away and hastily slipped out of the tent the moment he realized what he walked into. Just like he suspected, Best Jeanist was the person inside, but he wasn’t alone. Katsuki tried to blink the image away from his head of his mentor and Edgeshot making out shirtless in a pile of blankets. “Gross.”

 

“Dynamight?” Best Jeanist’s voice was muffled behind denim.

 

“Nope.” Katsuki wanted so much to pretend he didn’t see what he just saw. The idea of his mentor and the guy whose body was more or less still stitched into his heart having a thing just grossed him the hell out. 

 

He shrank away from the hand that touched his shoulder. Jeanist’s voice was shaky with disbelief. “I thought everyone was dead or turned to stone.” 

 

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Surprise.” He turned on his heel to grumble at him, “Ya just didn’t look hard enough. I’m here, ain’t I?” 

 

The hero’s eyes were wide, partly in fear and partly in shock. “Is there anyone else? What about Deku and Shigaraki?” He looked around the forest behind Katsuki as if expecting a crowd to appear behind him. 

 

“We found Shigaraki’s statue and revived some others. De- Izuku’s still missing.” Katsuki looking his mentor up and down for a moment, wondering how he had fared living out here for who knew how long. Though the costume he was wearing was similar to his hero outfit, he could tell that it wasn’t the same exact one. Jeanist must have figured out one way or another how to craft denim in the stone world. Because of course he would. He and Yuzuriha would have a fucking field day if they had five minutes together.

 

“I see.” Jeanist swiped his fingers along his bangs, still perfectly trimmed to the millimeter. “I’m relieved to know there is still hope.” 

 

Katsuki eyed the complex denim fortress Jeanist had made. It was much more than just a glorified tent, there were pockets that could be folded away to make windows and different sections spreading among the trees with vents to disperse campfire smoke built in. “How long have you been out here by yourselves?” Katsuki couldn’t help asking.

 

Though Jeanist wasn’t the one to answer that question. “Approximately four years.” Edgeshot limped from the entrance of the tent. Now that Katsuki had a better look at him, it was clear he was still recovering from the battle. His midsection was inhumanely skinny, and his arms and legs were as thin and spindly as twigs. He barely had any muscle mass to him that Katsuki could tell underneath the black and red robes Jeanist had apparently fashioned for him. “Its good to see you, Bakugou.”

 

Katsuki’s chest clenched in on itself as he took in the poor state he was in. How the hell did this guy survive like this? A harsh wind could have knocked him over and blown him all the way to the shoreline of the next continent. “You’re…”

 

“Still not quite myself, no.” He looked down at his body. “I woke up from stone in the exact form I was before the battle ended. It’s taken quite a bit of rest to get this far. It’s thanks to Tsunagu that I was able to survive in the stone world.” 

 

Katsuki turned on his heel, his stomach crawling at the sight of the pro-hero. He swore he could feel something squirming in his chest, as much as he tried to ignore it. “You two should come with me to meet Senku. Beats being out here alone and he’ll probably have somethin’ to help.” 

 

“Senku?” Best Jeanist queried. 

 

“It’ll be better to show you. Come on.” Katsuki started walking in the direction of the hospital ruins where everyone was surely still bawling their eyes out at the sappy sibling reunion. 

 

Beyond the discomfort Katsuki was feeling, there was something else about the state of Edgeshot’s body that made him curious.

 

The petrification was supposed to have healing properties. He had seen it himself three times now. No one injured in the war woke up with anything but scars. But Edgeshot’s situation was clearly different.

 

Could it be that the healing abilities of the petrification were limited? And if that were the case, what were its limits exactly?

 

As they exited the wooded area and found everyone else around a fire and eating their dinner, Katsuki could hear an audible gasp from both Edgeshot and Jeanist behind him. Jeanist muttered, “All this time… there were so many people…”

 

Katsuki snickered. “This is nothing. Wait til you see how many extras these nerds revived.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as he got closer to the group. “Oi, Senku!” He called out.

 

Senku lifted his head, his mouth full of roasted meat as he analyzed what he was seeing. “Oh, you found more of your comrades! Nice job.” He set his plate down and introduced himself to the pair of heroes. “Welcome to the Kingdom of Science. Happy to have anyone ready to put the work in. So what are your powers?”

 

Jeanist and Edgeshot only stared at him for a moment. Katsuki did his best to muffle his laughter. Senku was not going to like what was about to happen next…

 

From his pocket, Jeanist conjured what looked like a comb made out of animal bone. “How rude, asking complete strangers about their quirks as if we’re simply tools for you to use.” He grabbed Senku by the shoulders and turned him around, his comb quickly working at his hair. “You should present yourself properly to build other’s trust. A Kingdom of Science, you say? A scientist should know this. Trust is a fundamental part of effective teamwork.”

 

In a flash of bubbles and combing- Katsuki honestly wasn’t surprised Jeanist would have shampoo at the ready even in the stone world- Senku’s hair was combed back and parted directly in the middle in proper Jeanist fashion.

 

Finally shaken out of his initial shock, Senku pulled away from Jeanist and ran his fingers through his hair to put it back the way it was, though somehow his hair made him look even more like a leek now with the way it stuck together. “I’m just a science guy. If your interest is psychology, Gen’s your man.” He gestured to the mentalist, still chowing down on his food. “The thought of impressing people with my appearance doesn’t move me one millimeter, I just let the science do the talking.” 

 

“I see.” Jeanist studied him for a moment. “As a man of science, your sense of curiosity comes naturally. It’s no wonder you tend to ask questions even if they are impolite.”

 

Katsuki watched as Edgeshot tried to subtly lean against Jeanist’s shoulder, though Senku caught the move in a heartbeat, too. “Look, no offense, but your friend doesn’t look good. We have medicine if that’s what he needs, and we’re willing to share what we have.” 

 

Jeanist glanced over at Katsuki with a doubtful glare. As if he was trying to ask him if these people were trustworthy without saying it out loud. “It’s fine.” Katsuki said. “Senku and everyone else has proven they’re capable as hell.”

 

The pro-heroes shared a look, then Jeanist said, “There must be a catch.”

 

Senku laughed. “Oh, yeah. There’s a catch, alright.” He told them, “There’s probably more of your comrades out there stuck in stone, but Katsuki’s been all over Japan without any sign of them. The goal of the Kingdom of Science is to revive all seven billion people on this planet. To do that, we’re going to have to travel all over. So we’re going to need lots of manpower to keep up with all the things we’ll need to do before a long trip.”

 

Jeanist considered what he was saying. “Though these are hefty goals for children, it seems like our goals are aligned. I assume you have some kind of solid plan?” 

 

“You bet I do!” Senku grinned. “The Kingdom of Science always has a plan, you’ll see! So, are you in?” 

 

They shared a glance again, suddenly reminding Katsuki of what he saw in the tent and he had to fight hard against the embarrassed blush coloring his cheeks. How the hell did they find time for romance in this situation, anyway?! 

 

Katsuki clicked his tongue at himself for even wondering. People always seemed to find reasons to fall for each other. Just watching Chrome babble about Ruri, Taiju pine for Yuzuriha, and even in his old life, Izuku and Uraraka skitter around each other like shy mice proved that.

 

And seeing everyone act so pathetic made him swear to himself he’d never act like that no matter how disgustingly cliche his feelings got. If he wanted to say something, he would just say it instead of acting so gross about it. 

 

Not that he had any feelings for anyone to talk about.

 

After a lot of muttering to themselves, odd glances toward Katsuki and Senku, and hesitation, Best Jeanist and Edgeshot had tentatively joined the Kingdom of Science on their journey back toward their base. 

 

On the way there, Best Jeanist mentioned to Katsuki, “By the way, there’s no reason to refer to us by our hero names anymore. Not until we get hero society back up and running.” 

 

“The hell does that mean?” Katsuki glared at him.

 

“It means we failed as heroes. Our world was destroyed. There was no sign of civilian life left. We must earn our names again.” He said. “You may refer to me as you wish, but I am no longer Best Jeanist.”

 

Katsuki snickered a little, considering what nickname he’d give his mentor if he didn’t want to be called a hero anymore. If he wanted the same treatment as Katsuki’s peers, he’d get it.

 

Also… Katsuki realized he didn’t actually know Best Jeanist’s nor Edgeshot’s real names. 

 

“Hakamada Tsunagu.” Jeanist answered Katsuki’s silent question. “I often forget our names aren’t as public as your teachers’ identities.”

 

Edgeshot, still heavily leaning against Jeanist as they walked along the way, offered his name as well. “Kamihara Shinya.” 

 

“Right…” Katsuki grumbled. “These idiots have been callin’ me Katsuki, but I won’t give up my hero name so easily. I’m going to be the number one hero, even if there’s no others left to challenge me, got it? I’m still the Great Explosion Murder God: Dynamight and no villain is going to take that away.”

 

“Of course.” Tsunagu nodded. “I wouldn’t imagine a universe in which you weren’t.”

Chapter 19: The Stars That Shine, part 1

When they got back to base- now a small camp just a few miles from the Miracle Cave- Senku, Kohaku, and Chrome worked at a fire while Tsukasa went out hunting. 

 

Katsuki was tempted to go with him to make sure he wouldn’t cause trouble, but both Senku and Chrome had somehow convinced him to rest in this camp, saying it was more important for him to stay here to ward off any predators that might be interested in them after the commotion and scent of blood from the battle. 

 

And what they said was true, which was why Katsuki stayed put.

 

But just sitting around while a known murderer was running free made him want to grind his teeth. Just because this bastard didn’t actually kill hundreds of people since they could just be glued back together, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t just as bad as any villain who’d killed people for no reason. 

 

Despite his misgivings, Katsuki begrudgingly helped with the fire. He added chopped wood and tinder to the flame as they watched it grow to a hearty crackle, then to a dancing flame. The whole time, Senku was talking about the wood they were using- something about flavonoids that would make essentially any meat taste good- and Katsuki couldn’t help but snicker at the know-it-all.

 

“Sure,” Katsuki gave him a smirk. He loved to correct this nerdy Leekhead whenever he could. Though he hated to admit it wasn’t often. “You can tell what flavonoids this wood has by the color, right?” He looked down to the slightly reddish hue of the bark. “Even though it’s been thousands of years, and we probably lost dozens of species of trees while new species and hybrids evolved. But you forgot about terpenes. This smoke smells like lemon. I dunno about you but lemon and deer isn’t exactly appetizing to me.”

 

Senku laughed, too, giving him that smile he bore whenever someone proved he wasn’t the only one who knew a thing or two about science. “Well, well. Looks like your culinary knowledge strikes again. If you weren’t trying so hard to be a pro-hero I think you’d excel in food science. Maybe work for some fancy restaurant or something.” 

 

“I can be good at more than one thing, ya know.” Katsuki told him. “I’m gonna be the number one hero without a doubt. But I’m just as smart as you are, Senku. Don’t forget that.”

 

“Yeah…” Senku put his hands on his hips and watched the fire’s glow cast along the ground. He had this look on his face that made Katsuki wonder just what the hell could be going on in his head. “I won’t forget you’re a real scientist too. Even if that’s not your main goal. You still have what it takes to be a real problem-solver. And that’s important in all kinds of science.”

 

“Tch.” Katsuki clicked his tongue and turned away from him, if only to tear himself away from that look. “I just know crap. Don’t make it a big deal.” Senku could get real damn corny when he wanted to. Corny in a way that made him squirm.

 

Thankfully, their conversation was interrupted as Tsukasa came back with a spearful of fish perfect for roasting with lemony smoke. “There’s a beautiful river nearby stocked full of a variety of fish. We should take note of this location so we can come back for more.”

 

“Yeah,” Senku agreed, “We could start a breeding program depending on the species. That way we’ll have plenty of preserved fish before winter comes.” 

 

Katsuki could feel Jeanist’s- Tsunagu’s- eyes on him as he helped descale and gut the fish to prepare for roasting. When he was done, he washed his hands in a bucket and dried them with his quirk. When his neck still burned with his watchful gaze, he muttered in his direction, “Do you have a problem or somethin’?”

 

“No, I don’t have any problem with you, Dynamight.” Tsunagu said calmly. He leaned forward on the log he was sitting upon. “In fact, I’m quite impressed. You’ve adapted to this life splendidly, or so it appears. You’ve even made new friends.”

 

Katsuki almost spat that he and Senku were not friends. He was only sticking around with the Kingdom of Science because they were the best solution to his biggest problems in life. 

 

But that wasn’t reality. And he knew Jeanist would be able to tell if he lied. The guy had a downright creepy sense for how people actually felt, even if they didn’t say it out loud. Something about how he detects people’s heartbeats and how much they sweat through the fibers in their clothing like a human lie detector, Katsuki would bet anything. 

 

“It’s not hard.” Katsuki grumbled instead. “Hell of a lot easier to keep up with training and your own physical strength without school n’ crap getting in the way. I’m stronger than I ever was back home.” Which was true. Every task in the stone world was a physical feat- whether that was hunting, fishing, gathering, scaring off the occasional lion or other predator that stalked the village, or helping out with science stuff- and his body felt the effects of a high protein diet paired with that kind of lifestyle. Hell, he could even swear he had gotten an inch or two taller in the past few months. 

 

The air filled with an aromatic scent as the fish finished grilling over the fire. Katsuki ended up settling down between Tsunagu and Senku, the pair talking on and on about the world they came from. It wasn’t much different than anything Katsuki had told him, but it was clear Senku was digging for some kind of hint or answer he didn’t have. 

 

Though, Katsuki didn’t blame him at all. For a scientist, finding out there’s a different universe where people had superpowers must be thrilling. Or exhilarating, as he would say it. 

 

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Tsunagu said, “Just what technique in this stone world would have been used to make a near-exact copy of Dynamight’s hero costume?”

 

It had been so long, Katsuki had almost forgotten how he had woken up with an extra set of clothes next to him. He had completely gotten used to the odd texture of the fibers in the clothing.

 

The answer wasn’t what he expected at all, though. Across the fire, Yuzuriha admitted, “Oh… Um, Taiju and I were on our way to join the Tsukasa Empire as spies when I noticed Katsuki’s statue still had clothes on it. But they were so bloodstained and torn it was scary so I made him new ones for when he woke up. I’m glad they were the right size for you.”

 

So that was it. Just a girl who was too kind for her own good leaving clothes for someone who may or may not have woken up anytime soon. Mystery solved. 

 

Tsunagu went on to commend her for her skills and Katsuki tuned back out as they talked about clothes and style. As long as the both of them stayed far away from his hair, he couldn’t care less. 

 

Katsuki’s attention perked up again when he heard someone else’s voice quietly talking under the chit chat around the fire. “Mirai, you still have some stone pieces in your hair. Why don’t you clean yourself up in the river?” Hyoga said. But the tone in his voice made Katsuki’s neck bristle. He was up to something. He had to be. And this time, Katsuki wasn’t just going to sit around hoping nothing would come of it. 

 

After the girl ate, Tsukasa and Hyoga wandered off together. Just a moment after, Katsuki made up some lame excuse to follow them. Thankfully, everyone was too busy cleaning up after their meal to pay attention.

 

Katsuki wasn’t exactly a master of stealth, but he managed to follow the three undetected toward the river right at the top of a waterfall. He stayed in the shadows of the trees. Listening, watching.

 

No villain would turn so easily when defeated, and the others were idiots to let them wander off together. They could easily be scheming something in the safety of distance and the noise of the water.

 

And Katsuki would do anything he had to in order to protect the Kingdom of Science. If he was going to be a hero in any universe, he had to stop villains before anyone got hurt. 

 

So he leaned against the rough tree bark, listening to the splashing of water. But no one was talking, not even Mirai. He peeked around the tree. No whispering or hand signals, either. Just Hyoga and Tsukasa standing guard while Mirai used the rushing water to rinse her hair. 

 

And then it happened in a flash, faster than Katsuki could react. 

 

The sound of an explosion far away. The motion of a speartip, the blur of a lion's skin cape, the splatter of blood, the rushed footsteps coming from the woods behind Katsuki, Senku’s voice shouting…

 

Katsuki leapt forward, his explosions flashing through the air as Hyoga kicked Tsukasa’s limp, skewered body downstream. “Damn it!” Katsuki’s hand reached for Hyoga, but came up empty as he quickly dodged his blast.

 

“I didn’t expect you to act so feverishly over someone you deemed a villain, Katsuki.” Hyoga said as he stood at the riverbank. Senku had just made it, barely holding on to Tsukasa over the sharp cliffside above the water. He scrambled at the ground and his body was trembling.

 

Hyoga went on to tease Katsuki. “Perhaps it’s because you secretly agree with us but you’re too focused on finding your old friends from your world to abandon the Kingdom of Science. Is that it?”

 

“Shut up.” Katsuki growled at him. His blood started to boil as he readied himself for battle, the threatening gaze of his enemy watching his every move. “Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying it. Villains already tried to recruit me once in my old world and I’ll give you the same damn answer.” He took a step forward, his hands popping off with explosions. “I only do what I wanna do, and I won’t pretend otherwise! And I wanna be the number one hero, even if there ain’t anyone else to compete with.” Katsuki’s heart roared in his ears as he tried to think of a way to get to Senku. Though all he wanted to do was blast Hyoga’s stupid, smug face off from behind his mask, everything would be over if Senku drowned in the river.

 

But Hyoga was too close. If Katsuki moved, the villain could easily spear Senku straight through. But if Katsuki did nothing, both Senku and Tsukasa would go plunging into the waterfall below.

 

That’s when Katsuki noticed that another hero was in action. Shiny strings snaked their way across the field, reaching for Senku and Tsukasa first. Katsuki shot a look at the treeline, Tsunagu and Shinya standing together while Tsunagu used his quirk to pull Senku and Tsukasa to safety. 

 

Katsuki gave Hyoga a twisted smirk. He had no reason to hold back now. All he had to do was make sure he didn’t notice the rescue going on behind him. “You lured the girl here, tried killing her and ended up killing your villain buddy instead. That explosion earlier was the miracle cave, wasn’t it?” He spat. “I don’t care what your end goal is. It ends now.” 

 

Hyoga aimed his spear at Katsuki, spinning it round and around in a blur of sharpness. “You might have superpowers, but you’re still no match for my kudayari.”

 

“Tch.” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “If that’s what you wanna think.” He attacked without hesitation, lunging forward straight into the spinning speartip. All he had to do was keep his eyes on Hyoga’s hands to slip past the sharp weapon and aim a precise blast to its shaft. 

 

Wood splintered into the air, but Katsuki didn’t stop. He aimed a few bright, loud blasts right at the villain’s face for good measure. But what Katsuki hadn’t considered was that he still had a weapon, only now it was a more primitive spear with a wooden tip.

 

Katsuki lost his breath as Hyoga rammed the broken wood straight into his guts. He tumbled out of the air, just barely landing on his feet. I let my guard down… damn it…

 

But before Katsuki could attack again, he noticed something on the ground. A black powder at Hyoga’s feet. “Hey, Hyoga!” Senku’s voice called from a few feet away. “Have a dose of this!”

 

In a spark and a flash, the gunpowder along the ground lit ablaze. A whirlwind of flame encircled Hyoga and bathed the area in intense heat. But the flame didn’t last for long. Hyoga quelled the flames by using his own cloak, spinning it around himself until the fire dissipated.

 

His focus turned to Senku. “Too bad this won’t even be close to a proper fight.”

 

Hyoga only took one step toward Senku before Katsuki got in his way. His explosion was much bigger this time, aimed right for his chest at point blank and making him stumble backwards. His skin was singed and the look on his face was more panicked now. But it was clear he wasn’t defeated yet.

 

With his broken spear as his only weapon and no option for retreat, he charged at Katsuki with all his strength and speed. This time, Katsuki easily blocked the move and reciprocated with a blast to the face, but Hyoga crouched to dodge his hand and gave him another blow to the gut.

 

Katsuki held his ground, attempting strike after strike and yet barely able to leave a scratch on Hyoga. All of his combat skills, his speed and intellect and battle prowess were starting to feel useless against someone like this villain.

 

People from his world just didn’t fight like this. It was all about big, flashy moves to show off your quirk and intimidating your opponent. But the way Hyoga fought was old school. He didn’t take time to monologue, or make sure there was a camera watching. This was a man who simply wanted to harm, to achieve his goal and kill anyone who was in his way.

 

“You bastard!” Katsuki sent a big swing his way, an explosion readied at his palm. Frustration was starting to mount in him. While Hyoga couldn’t do much to actually hurt Katsuki, after all, a dull spear could really only bruise him, Katsuki couldn’t seem to land a good hit on Hyoga, either. Both of them were too quick, too agile to outdo or be outdone. They were locked in a stalemate of dexterity and swiftness. 

 

Throughout the fight, Katsuki could see Senku doing something in the background, crouched down low and watching their scuffle. The heroes and warriors in the crowd knew better than to leap into action unprompted, but Senku knew no such unspoken rule of the battlefield. 

 

And then Katsuki realized Senku was signaling something to him, his pointer finger held up with something shiny wrapped around it. 

 

This Leekhead’s gonna get himself killed! Katsuki grit his teeth, but if Senku had a plan, it was better than wearing himself out in this fight, anyway. He sent an explosion to the ground and leapt upwards, sending a strong kick to Hyoga’s chest and finally sending him toward Senku.

 

The moment he got close, Hyoga’s body froze and twitched, the smell of cooking flesh rising in the air before he dropped limply to his knees, then crumpled backwards into the river below. 

 

Katsuki was going to chase him downstream, but Kohaku stepped in front of him. “I’ll follow the river with Kinro and Ginro, you help Senku. You’ve done enough, hero. We need Tsukasa alive.”

 

Katsuki readied an explosion to follow them anyway, but the sound of gasping and shouting froze him in his tracks. His body locked up as he heard the familiar gurgle of a fatal wound. The chaos of trying to save someone’s life, the fabric weaved by Best Jeanist sharply zipping through the air. He hadn’t been conscious enough to remember the familiarity of this moment, but his body knew. He clutched his chest as his heart strained on itself with the feeling of tight stitches squeezing and cutting through his organs, slicing him to pieces until his heart stopped, the oxygen in his lungs dissipating in a final breath and…

 

There was a hand on his shoulder. A warm, but solid hand. “Thanks for backing us up earlier.” Senku said. “Don’t worry, Kohaku, Ginro, and Kinro can handle Hyoga, especially without his weapon of choice. I’d appreciate it if you stuck around here to make sure there’s no other nasty surprises.” 

 

Katsuki blinked a few times, taking several moments to come back to reality and register what Senku said. “Sure…” He shoved his hands in his pockets to steady himself. “What about Tarzan over there?” He nodded in the direction of Tsukasa’s bandaged body, lifted and carried on a stretcher by Taiju and a few other strong extras. 

 

“Tarzan, huh?” Senku looked over to the injured man. “Thanks to your friend’s abilities, we were able to bandage him up quickly. But he’ll need more than that to survive. I’ve got a plan to save him.”

 

Katsuki furrowed his brow as he noticed Senku’s voice shaking a little. “I’ll never understand this crap with you. Save the guy who killed you, and tried to kill all of those statues? You’re an idiot.” But he followed Senku anyway. 

 

“You wouldn’t save the guy who killed you in your time?” Senku questioned him. “I don’t know if it’s a difference between our worlds or something, but in mine, great heroes save their adversaries all the time. I’d imagine the greatest hero in the world would want to save everyone no matter what. But I guess that’s what happens when all the superheroes are fictional.”

 

Katsuki clicked his teeth together. Senku had no idea how close to home that hit. Because someone, somewhere out there would have said the exact same thing. That he would become the greatest hero, and he would save everyone no matter the cost.

 

No matter what universe he ended up in, there would always be annoying green-haired extras attached at his hip, and trying to save the whole damn world and everyone in it.

 

Senku went on, “I’m going to save everyone on earth and reverse the petrification. But I’m just a scientist, not a superhero. I’ll need strong people with high charisma like Tsukasa. And you, too.” 

 

“High charisma, huh?” Katsuki almost wanted to laugh. The hero that had just saved their asses from a literal cliffhanger was someone who accused him of the exact opposite once upon a time. “Whatever. You wanna be an idiot about it, fine. What’s the plan, Leekhead?”

 

Senku and Katsuki followed Taiju and the others as they carried the gurney to a safe place, hidden behind the same waterfall that Tsukasa nearly died in. But it was unlikely that animals or enemies would find him here, and it was the best place to start preparing everything they needed to piece his organs back together.

 

This cave wouldn’t be such a bad place to die, either. Warmed by the fire with the scent of hopeful medicine rising in the air as Katsuki and Senku worked together to save a man who had worked so hard to destroy the science that would either save his life, or prolong his passing long enough to make his final moments count.

 

And count, they did, as Tsukasa described the location of each and every one of the statues he destroyed to Ukyo and Yuzuriha. 

 

And Katsuki couldn’t help but wonder if villains from his time remembered the faces of the people they had destroyed, too.

 

Probably not.

---

 

The navy blue sky above Katsuki glittered with swirls of stars and gaseous astronomical clouds stretching for as far as the eye could see. The moon was waning, its light dulled and unintrusive to the twinkling stars above. 

 

The breeze was warm and the grass underneath him was soft as he stared upward. His hands ached from producing as much nitrosweat as he could. Senku said it would help with Tsukasa’s surgery somehow. Probably to keep his heart rhythm steady when they gruesomely cut him open without any anesthetic.

 

Katsuki didn’t stick around to watch. His body was still trembling from earlier and he just couldn’t kick the feeling he had in his guts. Something between butterflies and a horde of rats gnawing at his stomach. Or both.

 

He kept thinking about everything after Hyoga had been captured. Everyone- even those who weren’t pro-heroes- acted like they had trained for this moment their whole lives. Kinro, Ginro, and Kohaku had put Hyoga and Homura in makeshift prison cells, and news arrived that Uraraka, Kaseki, and Gen were able to detect the dynamite before it exploded, floating it into the air above the miracle cave.

 

The cave still collapsed a little, but it was intact enough to still use. No one was seriously hurt throughout the whole event except for Tsukasa.

 

Katsuki spent most of his time during the day patrolling and keeping an eye on things, watching Tsunagu comb the hair of a long line of extras excited to have someone who knew about fashion and self-care around, and listening to Kirishima and Magma brag to each other about who was stronger.

 

But now that everyone was asleep and there was already a numerous group of guards scanning the perimeter, Katsuki was left with time to himself for once. So he picked a patch of grass at random- one along a cliffside, the trees parted along the river so he could see the sky- and just stared at the universe.

 

And part of him felt like it was staring back. 

 

He knew exactly how incomprehensibly big the universe was. It was just a known fact that space stretched farther than anyone had ever been or observed. But to think that these stars might or might not be the ones he had seen from his dorm room window only filled him with a certain wistfulness. All he really wanted was an explanation. Where was he, and when? 

 

Could this simply be a timeline in which quirks never developed because humanity had turned to stone and couldn’t evolve? Or was this a whole other universe entirely, their times running parallel to each other instead? He wasn’t even entirely sure why it mattered so much to him, only that it did. 

 

He kept watching the stars even as he heard footsteps behind him. By the softness and cadence, he knew who it was, anyway. Senku sat right next to him, staring up at the same big sky. 

 

Yet when Katsuki glanced over to him, something about the way the stars reflected in his eyes that were so full of sadness and wonder was even more beautiful than simply looking up.

 

He tore his gaze away, though. If he had to explain why he was staring at him like that, he’d surely turn back into stone from embarrassment. It was clear this stone world was making him too damn soft. 

 

So they sat in silence for a while until Katsuki said, “I didn’t think you actually had real feelings for people.”

 

“Whaddya mean?” Senku didn’t sound offended or anything, just curious. 

 

Katsuki explained, “You’re always talking about how useful people are, how there’s a place for everyone in your Kingdom. And you never leave anyone behind. But I always thought that was a survival tactic or some moral high ground bullshit.” Katsuki managed to look at him again. “Your thing is logic and science. But you’re sentimental as hell, too, aren’t you? Even over a guy who killed you.” 

 

“I guess so.” Senku didn’t look back at him, he just kept his eyes on the twinkling stars above.

 

“You remind me of Izuku a bit. One of my classmates we’re looking for… no, not just a classmate. My friend.” Katsuki’s eyes stung with something like regret and something like longing. “It almost makes me wonder… if it were him instead of me here, would he have let you revive Shigaraki?” He almost hated himself for wondering. It didn’t matter, it shouldn’t matter. He knew he made the right call. So why the hell did he feel so… something about it? He couldn’t even put a word to how he felt, all he knew was that his mind was wandering to places it never had before. 

 

Senku finally glanced at him, his eyes shifting from the sky, to Katsuki, then to the ground below them. “I’m not gonna pretend to know anything about the world you came from. But I believe in giving everyone a chance in this stone world. Science takes experimentation and hard work. But doing things that are difficult are often worth it in the end. That’s what progress is all about.” 

 

Katsuki returned his gaze to the stars, his whole body tense from looking at Senku too long. He had already thought about the guy and how he might feel too much and it was starting to get to him.

 

He didn’t really understand Senku at all. The scientist always took the most logical route, but only when the logical route was non-violent if he could help it. When in reality, he had plenty of science and creativity to create weapons to take down almost any enemy. Just like how he had tased Hyoga earlier with his makeshift battery. But Katsuki was willing to bet that Senku had stepped into the fight to make sure no one got killed, now that he thought about it.

 

Maybe… Katsuki’s mouth filled with bitterness as the thought crossed his mind… Maybe a world without heroes was a world where people tended to try to find non-violent solutions to their problems. 

 

Though, any society with superpowered people was bound to end up like his did… right?

 

Katsuki tried to change the subject a little, if only to save his own sanity. “Back in your time, did you ever see skies like this? Musutafu was always too damn bright, you could barely see the stars half the time.” He traced each constellation in the sky, the North Star a little off-kilter from where he thought it should be. But maybe that was just this world, or this time, this universe. Wherever or whenever he was.

 

“Yeah, that was always an issue in my time, too. Used to take my telescope to parks at night, but the light pollution didn’t help.” Senku said. “Now I’ve got all the skies I could ask for and a telescope too big to carry along for the journey. How ironic.”

 

There was a lot of stuff Katsuki didn’t have anymore, either. A home, for starters, but all of the manga and comic books and trading cards except one was gone. His hand subconsciously drifted to his pocket, feeling the edges of his All Might trading card that had survived in the safety of his pocket through two wars, almost four thousand years, and living outdoors. Everything else… everyone else was gone. His mom, his dad, his room, the homework he never got to finish.

 

No matter what he did now, there was no going back.

 

“Hey, Senku…” Katsuki tried to steady his shaking voice. Maybe his world was totally screwed, but he’d be damned if he had to see another one collapse, too. “You better bring everyone back. All seven billion people, and everything science n’ shit has to offer. Don’t you dare let your world die like mine did.”

 

Senku smiled a little. “I’ll do everything I can to keep that promise. But with you and everyone else by my side, I’m not worried. The Kingdom of Science will win this, Katsuki.”

 

Katsuki leaned back in the grass, lacing his fingers behind his head. “Good.” 

 

And they stayed like that for a while, until the moon was high in the sky and the breeze started to get colder. The stars watched over them that night, the only witness to Katsuki’s stolen glances in Senku’s direction, and Senku’s stolen glances towards Katsuki.

Chapter 20: The Stars That Shine, part 2

The breeze was salty and the fronds of palm trees danced together along the shore of a beach. In a scarred-up palm lay a piece of statue, a shard of petrified jawbone that had fallen off Kurogiri’s body.

 

Soft sand covered Izuku’s toes as he sat right at the edge of the waterline, waves softly crashing over each other and reflecting the bright stars above. 

 

Izuku wasn’t sure how long he’d been without his classmates, or if anyone else was still alive. But he clung to the piece of statue like a ray of hope. No matter how long it had been, he’d find the others and figure out how to get home.

 

Then, they could repair things, somehow. Maybe they couldn’t reverse the damage, but if they could just bring nature back and rebuild their home from scratch…

 

But where home was, he didn’t know. All he knew was that it was far, far away where he couldn’t yet reach. He knew that, and one other thing for sure. 

 

He whispered to the sea. “I know you’re out there somewhere, Kacchan. I’ll chase after you even when there’s nothing left. I promise.”

Chapter 21: Identity

Life slowed down for a day in the Kingdom of Science. The ice-cold late March rainstorm made sure of that. No one was hunting or crafting or fishing for once. Everyone just stayed inside eating fish stew and sipping on warm tea.

 

The fires that crackled in the homes of the Kingdom of Science produced a clean evergreen scent from the burning of pine. 

 

And in one of those homes, Katsuki, Uraraka, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero were sitting comfortably upon the floor with bowls of warm stew and cups of tea. 

 

“Man,” Kaminari whined. “Days like this make me miss my bed.”

 

Kirishima flexed his arm in response, the thick black cracks from petrification along his arm stretching on his skin. “Rainy days are great for working out! I wonder if Senku could make me some weight training equipment?”

 

And Sero groaned, “Who needs weight training equipment when we have someone like Senku working us to the bone? Seriously, I think my elbows have gone numb from all the tape I’ve been making for him.” 

 

“You idiots are just weak.” Katsuki grumbled at them. “If you’re not fit for this kinda life you better figure out how to catch up.”

 

Uraraka nodded in agreement. “Bakugou’s right! We should be working hard and getting used to living like this. There’s no telling how long it’ll be until things go back to normal.”

 

“See?” Kirishima gave her a fist bump and a toothy, sharklike grin. “That’s the spirit!”

 

But Kaminari looked to each of his friends with a worried frown. “But… Things won’t go back to normal, will they? I mean, once we get back we’re going to have to start from scratch, right?”

 

Silence fell over the hut, the only sound coming from the crackling stove and pouring rain.

 

Sero rubbed the back of his neck. “I might have the unpopular vote here,” He said, “but would it be so bad if we just stayed here? I mean, our world is nothing but dust. Won’t we starve to death anyway?”

 

Katsuki curled his lip at him. “I’d rather starve than let the villains win.” He set down his finished bowl of stew and leaned back on his hands. “Isn’t it obvious? We ain’t starting from scratch once we get home. We’ll build everything we need here and beat the crap outta Kurogiri until he brings us and all the seeds and water n’ shit we need back to where we came from.” 

 

Sero muttered under his breath, “Yeah, no way that could go wrong at all.”

 

Uraraka insisted, “We have to try. Bakugou’s right. We can’t just give up. We belong in our own world, and we can’t just sit back and let the villains take it from us, right?”

 

The harsh wind outside started to howl, knocking at the door of the hut and causing it to shake. Sharp pitter-pattering roared against the walls and roof. But the home that had been built for them- just a simple one-room structure with bedrolls and a stove in the center- stood strong. 

 

Katsuki peeked out of one of the windows. The sky was dark gray and lightning flashed violently, but despite the weather, there was someone crossing the clearing toward the science lab. Katsuki watched the figure slink through the muddy ground, somehow able to avoid dirtying the tops of their boots or the hem of denim around their ankles.

 

The hell is he doing? Katsuki wondered as he watched Tsunagu slip into the lab and disappear. 

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue and made up some excuse to leave the warmth of the hut. He grit his teeth against the ice-cold raindrops along his skin, only getting some relief from the rain under the cover of the back of the science lab where he pressed his back against the wall, the roofing just barely covering where he was standing.

 

Tsunagu’s voice was muffled, but Katsuki could make out most of what he said. “--Utilize your extensive science equipment–” then something about “-- A chemical and biological need–”

 

Senku’s reply was much clearer, though. A small, casual laugh and an invitation. “All science is welcome, you don’t have to explain. I’ve got pretty much everything we need.”

 

Katsuki couldn’t identify the burning in his throat he felt from overhearing this conversation, but something in his guts just didn’t feel right. Were they working on the nitrosweat revival fluid without him? Why? Did they think he wasn’t smart enough?! 

 

Nah, he’d tell them exactly what he thought about that. He rounded the corner and burst into the science lab. “If you idiots think–” But he paused in his tracks at what he saw on the table.

 

Senku was wearing thick gloves and wielding a syringe, hovering it over a fresh organ of some kind. There was an odd yellow liquid in a vial next to him and Tsunagu was adjusting the flame of a bunsen burner. The sharp smell of ammonia filled the lab.

 

“Dynamight…” Tsunagu stared at him for a moment.

 

Senku continued working, sticking the syringe into the organ as if it was a completely normal thing to do. And to a weirdo like Senku, it probably was. “Hey, Katsuki.” Senku greeted him. “Looks like we’ve been discovered.” He removed the syringe and emptied it in the vial of yellow liquid. “We decided to take a break from the nitrosweat revival fluid formula to work on a personal project. But if you’ve got any more nitrosweat on hand, there’s a jar on the shelf you can use.” He gestured to a shelf that already had three small jars filled with his sweat and a Danger: Explosive sign on the shelf.

 

“A personal project?” Katsuki crossed his arms. “We don’t have time for you to be playing in the lab. The quicker we have a backup supply of revival fluid the better off we’ll be.” He glared at the organ, a shiver going up his spine as it squelched a little under Senku’s syringe. “The hell is that thing, anyway?”

 

“A goat’s bladder!” Senku answered. “And don’t worry, this project is ten billion percent important. We’re uh… making medicine! A very important medicine…” His voice wavered a little, but not from fear or nerves, but as he clearly realized how believable he sounded. 

 

Katsuki would have laughed if he wasn’t so peeved about the whole situation. Senku always said he never lied about science, but now Katsuki wondered if he was just a bad liar when it came to science without Gen around to back him up. 

 

“There’s no need to lie, Senku. It is a kind of medicine, after all.” He turned to Katsuki, his expression carefully steady and his words tight with apprehension. “We’re creating estrogen from goat urine.”

 

Katsuki’s hands twitched in annoyance. Why the hell was something like that so important?!  “Tch, someone going into menopause or some shit?” He waited for a real answer that actually made sense.

 

“Yes,” Tsunagu said. “In a way.” He told Katsuki, “Estridol is- or once was- extracted from the urine of pregnant horses to produce estrogen. The same logic may be applied to goat urine as well, though the levels of estradiol are lower. So when we discovered one of the goats we had harvested for meat was pregnant, I took this opportunity to extract the hormone directly from the source. Our scientist friend here is simply aiding me in this process. It brings me much relief not to have to rely on the gruesome and risky methods I used before joining the Kingdom of Science.”

 

Katsuki suddenly felt like he had been thrown into someone else’s weird dream. What the hell was Tsunagu talking about? 

 

Both luckily and unluckily for Katsuki, it wasn’t in Tsunagu’s nature to refrain from elaboration. “Long before the war, I decided to live in a body that felt like it belonged to me. That was not the masculine, male-aligned body I was born with.” He explained further, his voice still tense and his eyes darting from Katsuki to Senku and back again. “Much of it was simple, given the nature of my quirk. I could simply mold myself into the shape I wanted to be. And with the chemical assistance of estrogen, that form was both easier to manage and felt most natural. It was a small comfort I had in such a binary society; Good or bad, hero or villain, man or woman. But the petrification had ‘fixed’ my body back to its original state. And so I must find stone world solutions to these modern societal problems.”

 

Katsuki’s brain lagged a bit as he put together the pieces of what he was saying. There had always been rumors going around about Best Jeanist back home. The tabloids ate up every small detail. His acuity for fashion, his style, the way he spoke, his voice, the shape of his fingernails, everything. But even during his internship, Katsuki didn’t concern himself with any of it. Man, woman, whatever. The top third hero was the top third hero. He– or she?-- Best Jeanist was just Best Jeanist, that’s what mattered to Katsuki.

 

“I ask of you, Katsuki,” Tsungau said, “You need not change your perception of me. I am a woman, yes, but I am still the same person you knew in your internship and thereafter. Nothing has changed simply because you now know I’ve sought hormonal assistance with my state of being.”

 

Of course, Katsuki’s first instinct was to brush it off. Give him a shrug, a whatever and then go back to the warm glow of the fire. But he also knew what it was like to be seen as something you weren’t. In his case, a villainous brat who’d never get his shit together, and in Tsunagu’s case, a man. While they weren’t exactly the same, it all boiled down to self-identity and the frustration of fighting against the pre-conceived assumptions of the world. As Tsunagu had put it, modern societal problems.

 

Not only that, but navigating what identity meant in a world so close yet so dissimilar to their own was a challenge Katsuki knew well.

 

Who was he if not the next number one hero? And who was Best Jeanist if not someone who consistently broke through the gender binary? It was all so damn obvious.

 

“You think I’m that small-minded?” Katsuki grumbled at Tsunagu. “I ain’t gonna pretend you’re somethin’ you’re not just ‘cause some idiots decided to make dumbass rules based on a birth certificate. Since when did I listen to just any old geezer, hah?” 

 

Tsunagu’s shoulders dropped and he visibly relaxed as if he had been holding his breath the whole time. “I appreciate that. Please, as I said when we first reunited in the stone world, refer to me how you wish. It matters little to me. This identity is my own war waged against my body, not against the words used to identify me.” 

 

As they spoke, Senku had been working on the bunsen burner setup. Glass clinked against glass as he connected different tubes together. “The science is actually ridiculously simple. The problem is getting the dose just right. We might have to experiment for a while, but we have plenty of goats to extract from so we should be able to whip up a three month supply pretty easily!” 

 

Tsunagu glanced over at Senku. “I was under the impression you never lie about science, Senku. This will not be an easy task, even for someone as scientifically versed as you are. The chemistry involved is complex, which is why I insist once again that you not distract your own efforts. Dynamite is correct. The nitrosweat revival formula is critically important to both of our goals. Having an alternative to the miracle cave at the palm of our hands, that is the way we will ensure accomplishment.” 

 

Senku put his hands up guiltily. “You got me, denim hero. It’s a complicated process that will take some time, but I didn’t lie when I said that we could have a three month’s supply once we’re finally done. But you’ve forgotten my other goal.”

 

“And what is that?” Tsunagu asked.

 

Senku answered, “I’m going to bring back all the cool things my time had to offer. Medical advances are part of that. Everyone is welcome in the Kingdom of Science, and that means everyone gets what they need. That’s how science works.” Senku offered his hand to Tsunagu. “Giving up on something before even trying? That’s not the way of a scientist. We’ll work on this together.”

 

Tsunagu stared at his hand for a moment, taking it in an awkward, but polite handshake. “This Kingdom of Science of yours is truly starting to give me hope, Senku. Thank you.” 

 

Katsuki left it at that, leaving the science lab to let them plan out their roadmap to making estrogen for Tsunagu. As much as he felt a pull to watch them work out the science and see that stupid grin on Senku’s face whenever he was knee-deep in a project, Tsunagu had made a point. This was his own fight, and Katsuki wasn’t going to shove his nose into it unless asked.

 

Besides, there were other good points he brought up that Katsuki certainly didn’t want to rehash again. Hero society and becoming number one was all he cared about, and everything he had ever known. He’d be damned if he doubted himself now if he was fighting so hard to get it all back. Though he couldn’t help thinking far too much about Tsunagu’s points on self-identity, he had to keep focusing on what actually mattered.

 

Everything else was just a distraction from his plan: Find the rest of the people from his world, force Kurogiri to portal them back home, restore everything they could, and become the number one hero. Nothing else was worth his time, and nothing else mattered.

Notes:

Trans-inclusive Kingdom of Science is canon in my heart and so is he/him transfem Jeanist

Also, fun fact, this process they're talking about is based on Premarin, a real estrogen HRT that is made from the urine of pregnant horses. I figured pregnant goats could do the same thing (surprise, there's not a lot of research on the topic, though)

Chapter 22: Forging a New Future

As time went on, the Kingdom of Science started to slowly grow in numbers and technology. Right after revival, Ryusui was causing both chaos and a boost in efficiency with his new currency. Everyone was working hard to build the ship and earn drago, and those with quirks continuously used them to help where they could.

 

Not too far away from the makeshift shipyard was the original home of the Tsukasa Empire, the mountainous area where people had carved out manmade caves for people to rest, work, and live in. A cluster of people stayed there to keep up with statue reconstruction, farming wheat, and combat training. After all, even though these people were a peaceful group, there was no telling what animals could attack, or what humans could betray the Kingdom of Science. Staying combat-ready was a must no matter what.

 

The ship building crew had built wooden huts to stay in while they worked, there was a medical center where those with basic first aid skills took care of minor injuries and illnesses, and generators and primitive street lights that lit up at night and scared predators away. Someone had even built a replica of the science shed from Ishigami village that Senku, Chrome, and Katsuki slept in after long nights of talking about science and working on the Nitrosweat Revival Formula. 

 

The place was starting to feel like one of those small towns in old movies. Everyone was growing more tightly knit, and if anyone needed help, there was someone to help them. A few of the extras from the Tsukasa Empire had become new parents, too. The crying of babies almost always interrupted some conversation or half of their neighbor’s sleep. But growth was growth, and the idea of new families kept general morale high.

 

Meanwhile, Kirishima worked with Taiju to chop lumber, Uraraka would float the materials closer to Tsunagu, and Tsunagu would manipulate the fibers of the wood to both Kaseki and Ryusui’s specifications. Then there was Shinya, who kept himself busy by helping Yuzuriha glue back together the statue pieces they found, his body still not fully recovered from the events of the war. 

 

Sero used his tape for everything from securing medical bandages if someone had a mild injury to helping out with construction projects, and Kaminari kept batteries and generators charged and helped out where he could, too. Though he wasn’t ideal for any complex tasks since he tended to short circuit himself more often lately trying to keep up with all the power requirements of what was essentially a small city at this point. Not to mention trying to use his quirk with the help of Ukyo to track down the signal from Why Man.

 

The chaos around Katsuki was almost comforting, almost nostalgic.

 

While there was an air of excitement among the stone world crew, what motivated Katsuki and his comrades was a sense of duty. This ship they were building could be the key to finding everyone else if they had been teleported to other continents. 

 

The world might be big, but it was a whole lot bigger when you only had your own two feet to traverse it.

 

In between working on the ship, working on other science projects, and supporting the agriculture and material gathering teams, everyone was keeping a sharp eye out for those with quirks still trapped in stone. 

 

Though Katsuki could tell that one of his comrades in particular was getting impatient…

 

A scream ripped through the shoreline. Taiju’s shout came from the trees to the east. “Somebody help! He’s really hurt!”

 

Though at least a dozen people dropped what they were doing to check out the scene, Katsuki was the first to arrive. His explosions carried him through the air and past the trees toward the lumberyard. The ground was covered in stumps and woodchips from chopping wood, the dirt muddy as Katsuki landed with a squelch from his boots. 

 

“Bakugou!” Sero shouted his name from next to a pile of lumber. Underneath, a sickly pale, limp arm was pushed deep into the mud. The rest of the person was hidden under the heavy wood. “Blast away the wood! He won’t last long under there!”

 

A few feet away, he could see Uraraka’s body crumpled against a tree stump. “Damn gravity girl exhausted herself!” Katsuki grit his teeth as he readied his hands against the log pile. 

 

Katsuki unleashed his quirk on the wood. Smoke and char filled the air as the lumber shifted away from the victim underneath, and with the help of Taiju and Magma, the area was clear enough to reveal Kirishima in his Unbreakable state shielding someone from the full impact of the heavy logs.

 

Taiju yelled in relief, “Woah! I totally forgot about your powers, Kirishima! You look totally fine!” His voice was loud enough to make even Katsuki’s ears ring. 

 

Kirishima unhardened himself and stood up. “Yeah, I’m fine. But he needs medical help right away!” He shouted to the group of villagers that had run to the scene. “I think his arm is broken!”

 

The man he had saved was completely bald, a strange x-shaped scar on his head. He winced as he held his right arm. “Thank you so much for saving me!”

 

Kirishima grinned, offering his hand to help the guy stand up. “No problem! It’s what heroes do.”

 

The man- Katsuki couldn’t even guess his name. Unlike everyone else, this guy seemed to always keep to himself- turned to Katsuki. “You, too. Your powers saved our lives!”

 

“Sure.” Katsuki glanced over to Uraraka. Kohaku and Ginro were kneeling by her side, giving her something that might have been smelling salts to jostle her awake. 

 

Katsuki joined them, his arms crossed as he looked down at her. When she blinked awake, Katsuki grumbled, “You’re overworking yourself, Cheeks.” 

 

Uraraka gave him a guilty look. Her eyes had dark circles around them and her face was a pale green. With a weak voice, she whispered, “I just… want to find Deku… as fast as I can…”

 

“Tch.” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “You’ve been staying up all night looking for him for weeks. I’m tellin’ ya, he’s not here. You really think he’d still be stuck in stone when all it takes is to use a crap ton of mental energy to break outta the petrification? That nerd does nothing but think too much.”

 

Uraraka frowned, but didn’t say anything more. Kohaku reached a hand out to her. “Come on, you need to rest.”

 

“I’m fine…” Uraraka insisted, trying to stand. But her whole body wobbled from the effort. Kohaku grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from the scene without further argument. 

 

Senku and Sero were already working together to set the injured man’s broken arm, Taiju and Magma carried the lumber down toward the shore, and the rest of the crowd had already dispersed. 

 

Katsuki turned around to find Tsunagu watching the scene, his face hidden deep in his denim collar. “You did very well.” He said. “I’m impressed how much you’ve grown in this stone world.”

 

“Yeah, well…” Katsuki looked away from the hero. His classmates were one thing, but something about having a pro-hero around reminded him far too much of home. Of the uneasiness that had grown in his chest whenever he remembered his old life. “I had 3,700 years to do nothing but think. I’m ancient now compared to when we last met, ain’t I?”

 

“That’s true…” Tsunagu watched him as he walked away, his eyes burning into Katsuki’s back. 

 

Yeah, Best Jeanist was a dizzying reminder of Katsuki’s old world, his old thoughts, his old self…

 

He had spent the last week watching people drool over money, manipulating each other for it, working harder than they really should have just to get a taste of what it was like to be rich.

 

I’m gonna be the richest hero of all time! He wanted to blow himself into smithereens just thinking about what he had told his middle school classmates. He wanted to be the best because he wanted to be the best. Who gave a damn about being rich when you could just be better than everyone else around you?

 

But there were also heroes out there who weren’t gunning for the number one spot. It would be a nice perk to them, sure. But some people just wanted to be heroes for the sake of saving people, or doing their part in the world. Just like Senku was commanding a whole Kingdom- no matter how humble he was being about it- just for the sake of saving all seven billion people on his planet and sharing science with everyone he could along the way.

 

That would be Senku’s idea of victory, and the Kingdom of Science’s. And Katsuki was starting to wonder if maybe there was something more to his own idea of victory than just winning and being the best at beating up villains for a living.

 

Just maybe… there were other ways to be a hero other than carrying a government-sponsored license that said he was one. He could be the best hero right here, right now, and the first step was within reach as long as he kept doing everything he could to make sure the ship was finished and they could find everyone else that was missing, plus help the Kingdom of Science solve the mystery of the petrification and make sure this kind of disaster would never happen again.

 

He could save this world, and what was left of his own. That would be his victory.

Chapter 23: A Hero's Truth

Oil lamps flickered in the corners of the replica science shed, Chrome’s mineral collection glinting in the light of the flame. Katsuki sat atop his bedroll as Chrome and Senku whispered among themselves, their voices low to keep from disturbing the people sleeping in huts nearby.

 

Katsuki’s eyes stung with tiredness, though he couldn’t bear to try to sleep. Restlessness squirmed inside him like a den of snakes in his veins. 

 

“Oh, right.” Senku raised his voice a little and looked over to Katsuki. “You weren’t around for the big reveal, were you? I’m surprised you never asked where Ishigami Village came from.”

 

Chrome muttered beside him, “As if he’d care. He’s just helping out to get back to his world or whatever.” 

 

Katsuki sneered at Chrome. “So what? Without me you’d be toast. Don’t you forget just my scent scares off lions n’ shit.” It was a weak defense, however true it was. But now that the miracle cave was secured and the nitroglycerin formula was repeatedly failing to be synthesized into nital, Katsuki’s position in the Kingdom of Science was slowly becoming useless. Not to mention Gen’s point that they had already reached the maximum number of people they could revive and keep the Kingdom of Science intact. 

 

“Everyone’s welcome in the Kingdom of Science.” Senku repeated himself for the millionth time. “Besides, having someone like Katsuki around isn’t a bad deal when you consider that there’s still a chance we can use his nitrosweat as a backup plan once we perfect the formula, and he’s got kickass powers to defend us in a scuffle. Besides, he might not ask questions but I can see it written all over his face.” Senku gave him a mischievous grin. “You want to know everything, don’t you? There’s a reason you’re a genius even though you don’t even want to be a scientist.”

 

Katsuki scoffed at him. “The answer is astronauts, obviously.” He jabbed his thumb toward the sky, “Any idiot can figure that out. They missed getting petrified because they weren’t on earth, had a buncha kids and started a village to restore humanity. ”

 

Senku nodded, that stupid grin returning on his face, the one that made his eyes nearly glitter in excitement. The guy just couldn’t get any cornier. “Ten billion points, Katsuki. But there’s more to it than that. There’s something else from the history of this village that’s important to both of our goals. They left behind a spaceship loaded with all kinds of useful stuff. And I’ve got reason to believe that’s the Treasure Box that’s mentioned in the Hundred Tales. Everyone in Ishigami Village is named after a mineral. That’s no coincidence, either.”

 

Katsuki asked, “So you think the astronauts loaded the ship up with useful minerals with the hope that someone would figure out how to use them for science?” He gave him a doubtful glare. “That’s a long shot to think no one would just waste it all while trying to figure it out.”

 

“That’s science, Katsuki. The journey of discovery is a long one. But nothing is wasted when you learn something from it.” Senku pointed up to the sky with two fingers as he divulged his plan. “So we’re going to find that Treasure Box. If there’s even a shard of platinum in it, we’d have no limit to the number of people we could revive at once.”

 

“So that’s what we’re after. Platinum, huh?” Katsuki almost wanted to laugh. If someone like Yaoyorozu was here, she could probably whip up a batch of platinum and anything else they needed. Truth was, in his world, quirks were an easy answer for everything. But they were also the biggest problem when in the wrong hands. “So while we’re chasing after platinum and looking for anyone from my world, some of the extras will stay behind and keep up the search for broken statues and everyone else who got teleported here.”

 

“Exactly.” Senku agreed. “We’re fighting a battle on two fronts; revive all seven billion people, and make sure the villains of your era don’t reverse all that hard work. We can’t forget we’re on a time crunch. There’s a chance Shigaraki or anyone else from your world could be burning enough mental energy to revive themselves at any point, and with Why Man still around sending signals, we have no idea what he might be planning. But thanks to your quirked-up friends, we’re well ahead of schedule.”

 

Katsuki leaned an arm against his knee. Of course their plans were going faster the more they utilized quirks, but he had to keep reminding everyone they wouldn’t be around for too much longer. “Don’t get too used to havin’ us around. Once we find everyone from our world, we’re going back. You better be ready.” 

 

“Yeah.” Senku’s expression softened a little, the flickering from the oil lamps casting shadows over his eyes. “You sure none of you want to stay? From what I can tell your hero society was pretty brutal.”

 

“You don’t know anything.” Katsuki hissed at him. He was tired of questioning his old life, but Senku nearly made it impossible with the way he often pointed out all its flaws whenever he told him anything about it.

 

“Hey, it’s not my place to judge. I’m just a scientist.” Senku raised his hands in the air innocently. “I’m just saying, if anyone wants to stay, they’re welcome to. You’ve been a great help to the Kingdom of Science. And sure, we’ve gotten into our own scuffles but none of you have to go to war like that again. Any trouble we get into, we’ll solve with science.”

 

“I said you don’t know shit, Senku.” Katsuki grumbled through his teeth. The air between them crackled now, Katsuki’s veins boiling with frustration and Senku giving him a you know I have a point look. 

 

“I uh…” Chrome’s voice was tight with awkwardness, “I’ll be back later.” He shuffled out of the replica science shed, nearly tripping over himself with haste.

 

“What are you tryin’ to say, Leekhead?” Katsuki’s arms were crossed now, his fingers digging into his own arms to stop himself from crackling off a few explosions. “You can’t stop us from going back. This isn’t your war, or your home. You didn’t lose to some villain who just wanted to destroy the world because he hates heroes.” 

 

“You’re right,” Senku said. “We haven’t lost. Not unless we give up on reviving everyone. I’m just a simple scientist, not a hero. But lives aren’t expendable in heroics or science, that’s one thing I know for sure. Unless I’ve got it all wrong and the commercialization of heroism in your world didn’t pump out a bunch of child soldiers who could have died on the front lines.”

 

Katsuki couldn’t hold it in anymore. “You think you’re better than everyone else, huh, Leekhead?” His heart raced with anger and bitterness. They weren’t some poor, pitiful child soldiers! They knew what they were getting into when they signed up to be heroes. “Just because you won a single war against some stone age empire doesn’t make you an expert. We were defending ourselves, and we needed to stop him no matter what. Kicking villain ass is what we signed up for as soon as we decided to be heroes.” 

 

… right? 

 

Katsuki grit his teeth. Despite the rage in his heart, it wasn’t directed at Senku. The anger boiling in his guts was because this wasn’t what he or anyone else signed up for.

 

Hero work was supposed to be glamorous. It was supposed to be beating villains in epic battles that could be covered in a single news broadcast, rescuing people from natural disasters, catching villains in the act of a robbery or vandalism so a hero could have their glory. There were supposed to be interviews and merchandise and filming commercials til you were too tired to remember your lines. That’s what the internships showed him, and his whole life watching heroes beat every villain they came across.

 

All Might’s so cool! 

 

Katsuki squeezed his eyes shut as the voice of his younger self echoed in his head over and over.

 

All Might’s so cool!

Heroes were cool as hell! They were the ones who won every battle, they were the ones who got the glory. But…

 

Katsuki’s voice dropped, his chest twisting with a feeling he didn’t quite have a name for. Something like regret, something like disappointment. “Things just got out of control.” The anger sizzled away into a light sear against his skin. Still there, but less of an active fire and more like a healing brand that still burned. “In my world, we had somethin’ called the Quirk Singularity Doomsday Theory. I didn’t buy it at first until everything started to collapse. Villains, heroes, even little kids too young to handle their powers, they were all too strong.” Katsuki glanced down at his hands. If he hadn’t spent most of his childhood fine-tuning his control over his quirk, there was a chance he’d have seriously injured someone, or himself, without meaning to. In the wrong hands, his own quirk could do some serious damage. “The first quirk was the glowing baby. Then as generations went on, quirks got stronger and more complicated. We went from a human lightbulb to nitroglycerin sweat in just a few generations.” He let some tiny explosions light up the science shed from his palms. “People’s quirks evolved quickly, but not as quickly as their bodies. Some people just couldn’t control their quirks and became villains because no one was willing to accept them. They were too dangerous. Just like Shigaraki and the other villains.” Katsuki explained, “If I’m gonna be the number one hero, I gotta be stronger than them.”

 

“But that kind of strength comes with its own dangers.” Senku thought out loud, his eyebrows knitted together slightly and his eyes resting on Katsuki’s palms. “So the vicious cycle continues of everyone wanting to become stronger when quirks can already be hard to control.”

 

“Yeah.” Katsuki’s hands had been so useful before the war. For intimidation, for earning the praise of others around him, for winning battles. But when it came to defending his own life, his own future, and the fate of the whole world…

 

They were damn useless. 

 

He jumped a little as he realized Senku had shuffled closer, still staring at his hands as if he were trying to memorize every line of his palms. “That’s the thing about humans.” Senku said. “When a new idea is introduced, someone is prone to figure out how to use it as a weapon against others. First came fire for cooking food, then came firearms. So the saying goes.” 

 

Katsuki curled his fingers, if only to hide how much his hand was starting to shake. “I’m not gonna let what happened to us hold us back. We’ll find everyone and go home.” He pressed his lips together for a moment, then said, “But I guess the Kingdom of Science isn’t the worst group to be stuck with in the meantime.” 

 

Senku patted Katsuki’s shoulder with a grin stretched across his lips. “See? We’re not so bad around here even if we don’t have our own professional heroes! Glad to see we’re growin’ on ya!”

 

Katsuki backed away from Senku a little, because damn it was he just too close. “Yeah, you’re growin’ on me like a damn fungus.” He muttered before slipping into his sleeping bag. “Shut up and go to sleep, we’ve got a lot to do tomorrow.”

 

But even as he forced himself to lay in bed, Katsuki had far too much to think about. Broken sleep cursed him until the sun rose.

Chapter 24: Soyuz, the Man

The foxtail ramen was still steaming as Katsuki, Tsunagu, Shinya, Ryusui, Kaseki, Chrome, and Senku sat around a wooden bench looking over the blueprints for the ship.

 

Though they were almost finished with the skeleton-like keel that would be the main frame of the Perseus, this was the last moment that they could make any adjustments before working on the outer hull. Going back and realizing they’d made a mistake would cost them months of time they just didn’t have. 

 

Ryusui was pointing at a part of a blueprint on the side of the ship. “This point is critical for structural integrity. Take a look,” He moved his hand across the lines drawn over the page. “All of the beams are connected to this point and it takes the most force from rough seas.”

 

Senku jotted down a note on a separate page. “Kaseki, Tsunagu, Ryusui, I’ll be counting on you three to inspect that joint structure before we move forward. Tsunagu, anything else that comes to mind?”

 

Tsunagu peered at the plans in front of them over the edge of his denim costume. “While I’m afraid that I have limited knowledge of ships, I can say that the fibers of the wood all feel structurally sound. There is no sign of rotting or overly stressed areas that I can detect, with the exception of the joint our captain has already pointed out. I’m concerned that there might be a high area of stress along the wood there.”

 

And while Katsuki knew next to nothing about ships, either, there was one thing he noticed. “So you’re just building this whole ship from wood? What about defenses?” He looked at Ryusui and Senku. It hadn’t even been a whole week since they had discovered the signal from the mysterious Why Man, and these people weren’t even considering that they might need to fight?

 

That tracked, but still. That didn’t mean they weren’t idiots.

 

Senku snickered, though. “Yeah, it would be ideal to build a ship that could withstand attacks. The truth is, if Why Man attacked from the sea, we’d be totally screwed. But building it from steel just isn’t an option, it would take way too long. So we have to take that chance.” He tapped his forehead a few times. “I’ve thought about it, and our best bet is building a ship as quickly as possible that will be able to withstand a global voyage. So wood it is.”

 

The worst part of this situation for Katsuki was not having a face to envision blasting to bits attached to the person who might have petrified the whole world. This unknown villain hiding in the shadows of a radio signal had the answers they were looking for, and yet he was unreachable, only perceived through Ukyo’s expertise. 

 

“Haha!” Ryusui snapped his fingers. “This is no ordinary wooden sailboat, Katsuki. We’ve got thousands of years of experience right here at this table. Everything I learned about shipbuilding before petrification, Kaseki’s crafting skills that were passed down from generation to generation, and Tsunagu’s quirk to sense any structural weaknesses. With all that in hand, we’ll be able to build the best ship the stone world could ask for, am I wrong?” 

 

Their discussion was interrupted suddenly by a shy voice. “Um, excuse me?”

 

The group turned to see the man with the X-shaped scar atop his head nervously shuffling his feet. He said, “I have important information I’d like to share.” 

 

Senku sat straight up and slipped his pencil behind his ear. “We’ll take any information you have. Data is important in science.”

 

“W-well, it’s about this man.” He held up one of the posters that had been hung up around the Kingdom of Science. Thanks to Yuzuriha, the recently-revived mangaka, and the input of the others, they were able to draw decently accurate portraits of everyone they were looking for. “I know where he is.”

 

Katsuki stood up far too fast, nearly spilling his ramen as he stared at the drawing of Kurogiri’s wispy features. “You’ve seen him? Where?”

 

“I… um…” The man clammed up a little. “It’s…” He backed up a step, his lips wobbling with nervousness.

 

But Senku reassured him, “Don’t worry about Katsuki, just tell us what we need to know so we can go find him. By the way, I don’t think I caught your name. Sorry about that, we should be keeping better track of everyone better.”

 

“Oh… Well… I never told anyone my name, really.” He clutched the poster tightly. “I’m actually… not from Ishigami village, or the Tsukasa Empire. I’m from another island too far for our small boats to reach. My name… it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the village. So I’ve lived without one. But it’s actually Soyuz.”

 

Chrome nearly dropped his chopsticks in surprise. “Wait, like the ship we’re looking for on Treasure Island?” 

 

“Exactly. I believe so.” Soyuz nodded. “There was talk of a Treasure Box we were destined to find. And this statue is said to be the man who hid it.” He pointed at the drawing of Kurogiri.

 

Through a long process of prompting and a sob story Katsuki half-listened to, Soyuz explained that he was from an island where people worshipped a statue that looked exactly like the one in the picture. Apparently, Soyuz had been swept away from the island in his crib after a flood from a tsunami and ended up in Ishigami village.

 

Soyuz said, “I think I could guide you there. I don’t know where the Treasure Box is, but the island I came from is a good place to start.” 

 

“Hold up.” Katsuki scoffed at him. “How do you remember crap from when you were a baby?” 

 

Soyuz frowned. “I’ve always had a great memory…” His voice trailed off. 

 

“Katsuki,” Senku said, his brows furrowed in thoughtfulness. “His story lines up with what we know. His name is Soyuz, just like the spaceship Byakuya and the other astronauts were on when the world was petrified. It makes sense that at some point groups split off after a while and settled in more than one place.”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth a little. Whoever this guy was, he seemed way too convenient. “Tch,” He clicked his tongue at him. Though, his story seemed just within reach of believability. They hadn’t mentioned the Soyuz to anyone else yet, all anyone knew was that the ship was being built so they could find materials to revive the whole world. “Whatever.” Katsuki grumbled.

 

Senku announced, “So we stick to the plan! Go to Treasure Island, find the Soyuz and Kurogiri, use the platinum inside the ship to revive as many people as we can including Katsuki’s quirked buddies, and find Why Man.” He said, “What you just told us is ten billion percent useful. Be ready to pack, you’ll be our guide when we land ashore.”

 

Soyuz gave him a relieved smile, his eyes glistening with repressed tears. “Thank you, Senku. I’ve wanted to see my home again for such a long time… and now because of you and your science, I’ll return.”

 

Katsuki kept a close eye on Soyuz as he walked away, wiping his eyes and going back to work. As much as Senku might trust him, Katsuki couldn’t help but doubt the legitimacy of the story.

 

The moment he disappeared from sight, Katsuki turned his attention back to those at the table. Whatever was the truth behind Soyuz the man and Soyuz the ship, he’d be prepared for anything, even if everyone else took it at face value.

Chapter 25: Crewmates

Perseus Crew Manifest:

 

Ryusui- Captain

Senku- Chief, Co-Captain, Scientist

Ukyo- Sonar Operator

Soyuz- Navigation Specialist, Local Guide

Kaseki- Creative Engineer

Chrome- Creative Engineer Apprentice, Materials Specialist

Tsunagu- Sr. Structural Engineer, Textile Production and Maintenance

Shinya- Structural Engineer

Sero- Structural Engineer Apprentice

Francois- Chef, Butler, Hospitality Engineer

Gen- Hospitality & Morale Management, Negotiator

Katsuki- Offensive Strategies General, Nitroglycerin Production Manager

Magma- Offensive Strategies Specialist, Gorilla Team

Nikki- Offensive Strategies Specialist, Gorilla Team

Kinro- Ship Guard

Ginro- Ship Guard

Kohaku- Scouting Lead, Gorilla Team

Uraraka- Scouting Specialist, Construction Specialist

Kaminari- Electrical Engineer

Kirishima- Demolition Specialist, Defensive Strategies Lead

Taiju- King of Agriculture, Gorilla Team, Defensive Strategies Specialist

Yuzuriha- Crafts Specialist, Textile Production Management

 

“Seriously?” Katsuki grumbled as he read the manifest. While he was sort of fond of the title of General, calling him the Nitroglycerin Production Manager felt a bit like whoever wrote the list just saw him as a convenient factory for potential revival fluid. And it was in Senku’s handwriting. “I’ll kill that Leekhead.” He crumpled the page in his hand, burning it to a crisp between his explosive palms.

 

“Ooh,” Gen’s voice coming from his left made his neck prickle in annoyance. “Someone isn’t happy about their title, hm?” He stepped in front of him, his head tilted a little and his hands tucked in his sleeves. “Eriously-say, you should take it as a sign of respect. Your palms are quite literally a way we can ensure the future of humanity. Sounds pretty heroic if you ask me.”

 

“I didn’t ask you, you skunk-haired psych major.” Katsuki hissed through his teeth, walking away from Gen’s amused chortle. 

 

The air was thick and sweet with the smell of Francois baking as much stollen as they could to prepare for the journey and the sand at Katsuki’s feet was churned by busy villagers following orders to pack the ship with the materials they’d need on their mission. 

 

Katsuki grumbled to himself as he followed the path from the completed ship to the science shed where Chrome was counting rocks and loading baskets with different minerals. “Hey, Katsuki. Mind helping me load these into the Perseus?” 

 

“Fine.” Katsuki reached up and grabbed two baskets from him, carrying one on each shoulder across the beach and up to the deck. There, Uraraka was touching objects and making them lighter for everyone who had to carry things around. 

 

“Hey, Bakugou! Here.” Uraraka reached her hand out, but Katsuki ducked away from her.

 

“I’m fine. Stay focused.” Katsuki carried the baskets into the darkness of the cargo hold, lit only by dim oil lamps until Kaminari and Senku set up the electric lights throughout the ship. As he set down the baskets among a collection of other minerals, his attention was caught by hushed whispering from somewhere in the ship.

 

“...Food, water, minerals, tools… What am I missing?”

 

Katsuki slipped out of the hold and made his way through a tight hallway to follow the voice- Senku’s voice- to the next room.

 

Senku was pacing up and down between rows of beds, his chin in his hand as he muttered to himself. “Tools… we have all of them on the checklist…”

 

Katsuki silently watched him pace, up and down and up and down as he went through a mental checklist, repeating over and over, what am I missing? 

 

And Katsuki knew he could have said something, some sarcastic comment or a helpful suggestion. But the way the oil lamps were flickering over his face, exaggerating all of his features and highlighting the black cracks along his skin…

 

It glued Katsuki’s mouth shut and his boots to the floor. There wasn’t anything he could do to tear himself away, and he was pretty sure someone would have to drag him off the ship to get him to look at anything else.

 

All alone, without anyone around, the smile fell off of Senku’s face and he suddenly felt more real. Someone who didn’t have all the answers, who couldn’t pull a convenient solution out of his bag or dive behind some shrubbery only to pop up again five minutes later with a new invention that would solve their exact problem.

 

Those things were great, and convenient, and it was an advantage to have someone so damn smart and capable around. But it was moments like this that struck Katsuki the most; the fear and helplessness in his eyes when he realized that no stone world medicine could save Tsukasa, the serious answers he gave whenever someone tried to press their ideologies on him, and now, the anxiety that crept through his body language and up to his knitted brows at the thought of sailing far away from the society he built practically by hand to look for a Treasure Box that might no longer exist on an island inhabited by strangers.

 

And while he didn’t particularly enjoy watching Senku suffer, seeing him like this was raw and it was real. It was a side that not many people had actually gotten to see.

 

So Katsuki watched, studying his face like he would be tested. And maybe this moment was a sort of test, if he was the type to believe that the universe had some kind of agenda for him. That he had been dragged through time and space and universes just to be here, right now, questioning everything he had ever felt and wondering if all the overthinking he had been suffering from and the softness he had adopted in this world could have been the result of something like fate.

 

If Senku could hear his thoughts, he’d probably laugh at him. There was no such thing as fate. There were only choices, and the results of them. And so Katsuki chose to stay there, letting his mind and his body just exist inside whatever he was feeling.

 

Just existing… and feeling… breathing in the moment…

 

Until Senku looked up and their eyes met. Senku’s grin returned, his arms dropping to a more casual pose. “Hey, Dynamite Guy, just thought I’d inspect the bunks. Worst thing for morale is if no one can catch any good sleep, right?”

 

Katsuki blinked a few times, completely ripped out of whatever hypnotic state he had found himself in. “Yeah.” Was all he could say for a solid minute before he stepped over to a bed and sat at the edge, leaning back on his hands and looking up to the beams above their heads. “Nah, the worst thing would be if their Chief lost his god damn mind.”

 

Senku laughed a little. “You caught me, huh?” He said, “I have to admit that preparing for this kind of trip is ten billion percent daunting. We’ll all be stuck on a ship relying on each other and everything we brought with us. We’ll have nothing to forage if we need it, just open sea and no going back.” He stepped toward the bed, hesitating for just a moment before sitting on its edge next to Katsuki, their shoulders a few respectful inches away. He copied Katsuki’s pose, hands behind him so he could lean back, though his eyes were closed for several moments.

 

Katsuki teased him, “I never thought you’d be a coward. What happened to ten billion percent exhilarating, or whatever it is you say?” 

 

“Coward?” Senku gave him the smallest of smirks. “Nah, I’m no coward. There’s plenty of bravery involved in science.”

 

Katsuki let his gaze linger on him, probably for too long. “I guess a coward wouldn’t have stepped into the fight against that masked psycho. All my explosions and it was a homemade taser that took him out. How damn pathetic.” He looked down at his palms with a frown. First against Tsukasa, then against Hyoga… both quirkless people who just knew how to fight, and he was useless against them.

 

Actually, ever since coming to the stone world, he couldn’t think of a single fight he had actually won. It was Senku who ended his one-on-one fights against Tsukasa and Hyoga, and the scuffles he had with Tsukasa’s men before the truce barely counted since many of them were so scared of his explosions that they just ran away from him. That hardly counted as a victory. 

 

The things he’d felt victorious about lately weren’t battles. It was all about finishing construction efforts, completing the ship, hunting down game animals for food, and all the other things he’d been doing to advance the Kingdom of Science and push them forward into a future where they could sail across the world and accomplish their goals. 

 

In this stone world, winning was always a result of science and perseverance. 

 

Senku shrugged, an amused look glinting in his eyes. “Electricity will take down anyone, even someone like Kaminari. It’s just biology.” He explained, “Your body sends a crap ton of electric signals all the time. Electric shocks interrupt that process and mess up your heart and muscles, and can even cause permanent brain damage depending on the current.”

 

“See what I mean?” Katsuki snickered. He lowered his hand, deciding it was pointless to lament over battles he neither won nor lost. Instead, he returned his focus on Senku. “You’re the brains of this operation. Don’t let yourself go crazy with stress and stop thinking completely. Do what ya gotta do to figure whatever it is out. But stop acting like you’re alone in this, idiot.”

 

Senku laughed again, his big smile lighting up the room more than the oil lamps ever could. “Calling me smart and an idiot at the same time. No one can give a pep talk like you can, Katsuki.” The bed shifted as Senku stood up with his hands resting on his hips. “We better get topside before we’re missed. We still have a lot to pack up.”

 

Katsuki grumbled in response, “Better check on Cheeks before she overworks herself. Don’t need another accident.” He followed Senku up to the top deck, each of them splitting off toward different tasks.

It was only when he spotted Chrome begrudgingly dragging a basket of minerals across the beach that he remembered what he was actually supposed to be doing.

Notes:

Uraraka will get her time to shine I promise. She deserves so much more than this narrative is giving her right now but we'll get there

Chapter 26: Voyage

Notes:

in which I take more scientific liberties... though I did do a little research on how acidity effects the sensitivity of nitroglycerin.

The sea voyage was a lot more boring than Katsuki had expected.

 

The crew kept themselves busy by taking care of the goats underneath the main deck, playing cards, and chatting about their old lives either before they met Senku or before they were petrified. 

 

Meanwhile, Senku and Katsuki spent a lot of time experimenting with the nitroglycerin formula; freezing some of his sweat, removing the glycerin, adjusting the ratio of alcohol and water, testing it on a sparrow, and repeat inside the mobile lab. 

 

Eventually, Tsunagu and Shinya joined them, offering what input they could before Senku asked the last question Katsuki ever wanted him to ask.

 

“Shinya, you’ve been inside Katsuki’s body. Do you remember if his organs were particularly basic, acidity-wise? Anything you noticed while you were in there might help.” 

 

Everyone but Senku paused in their tracks, staring at him as they processed what he had said, and the casualty of which he said it.

 

Despite the shocked faces in the lab, Senku insisted on an answer. “Come on, it’s a perfectly valid question. The nital relies on being acidic to work, if his sweat is too alkaline that might explain what’s off about the formula.” 

 

Katsuki finally found his voice again to protest, “My organs are just the same as anyone else’s!”

 

But Shinya cleared his throat. “Actually, the acidity of his body is higher than any other body I’ve entered. It’s perhaps one of the several reasons it’s taken me longer to recuperate." 

 

“Hah?” Katsuki shot a look at him. “How many bodies have you been in, creep?” He tried to ignore the bile that rose in his throat. 

 

Senku went on, peering through one of the vials of sweat as if he could see the answers they needed through it. “That explains how your sweat is so stable. Nitroglycerin is extremely volatile, but acid makes it less sensitive to disturbance. Otherwise, you should have burst into pieces the moment you were born. Actually, before that. But the glycerin is lowering the acidity in the final product when it's excreted so it can explode once it’s out of your body.” 

 

“But that doesn’t explain why the hell the formula isn’t working.” Katsuki grumbled, his annoyance not yet faded.

 

“Every piece of information is one step closer.” Senku said, grabbing a few vials of liquids and pouring them into a tube of nitrosweat. Katsuki watched his careful hands and concentrated face as he wrote down the ratios he was attempting. 

 

“Dynamight,” Tsunagu said suddenly, “I have to say I’m quite concerned with how much you’ve been sweating to produce a near-infinite amount of test tubes for Senku to use for his experiments. Not only that, but your heart has been racing often lately. We may not have a medical professional on this ship, but if you’re feeling ill it’s important to rest.”

 

Katsuki nearly choked on his own spit. Of course Tsunagu would notice his heart racing every damn time he slipped and actually let himself feel the things he didn’t want to be feeling! His quirk was fine-tuned to sense all the fibers around him, including the very flesh of the people nearby. The guy was basically a mind reader. He and Gen would probably have a field day given the right opportunity. “It’s none of your business!” Katsuki barked at him defensively. “I sweat a lot more than the average person, anyway. It’s part of my damn quirk.” He pushed his way past Tsunagu and Shinya and made his way up to the top deck. Hopefully no one else would be there to bother him about stupid crap like sweating too much. 

 

The deck was empty save for a few seagulls hitching a ride, so Katsuki wandered to the very tip of the ship, just trying to keep his hands from shaking. 

 

He had to push it all down. Had to swallow the nerves rising in his throat… no, the panic that was rising in his throat.

 

It was easy enough to avoid the question in his old world, where everyone was- for the most part- too busy training to bother with the who-likes-who crap. Though there was Ashido and Tooru and some of the other girls who gossiped, it was never a real problem. It’s not like Katsuki had ever felt like this before, anyway. No one had caught his attention like Senku did… or at least, not in the same way. 

 

Katsuki stared out at the horizon, the neverending waves gently rocking the ship in a peaceful sway. But the calm ocean did nothing to soothe Katsuki’s swirling thoughts. 

 

He just didn’t have time for this crap. He had to focus on everything he was working so hard to achieve. And he knew Senku was the same way, too. Neither of them should be thinking about anything other than the responsibilities that rested on their shoulders. 

 

But every time Senku went off about science, every time he gave Katsuki that look, the soft one that was like he was given just a glimpse of what’s past his barely-there walls to see how much he cared about everyone around him, even those not belonging from his world, and every time he got too close, Katsuki just couldn’t deny it.

 

He had feelings. Feelings he never thought he would have for anyone, much less someone who wasn’t a pro-hero. And they were stronger than even the hottest rage he had ever felt, especially now that someone else had pointed it out. 

 

Katsuki stiffened as he heard a step behind him. “What do you want?”

 

Tsunagu took an annoyingly long moment before he spoke, “I apologize for putting you on the spot back there. I hope you can forgive me for being overly concerned for your well being. It’s only now I realize that I’ve mistaken your emotions for illness.” He joined Katsuki’s side, his hands grasping the edge of the ship to steady himself. “Who knew that love would blossom in conditions such as these?”

 

“Tch.” Katsuki clicked his tongue at him. “Don’t lump me in with you and your boyfriend. Love is a distraction for little girls to daydream about.” His cheeks burned as he turned his face away from Tsunagu.

 

“We prefer the term ‘partner’, but of course love can be distracting.” Tsunagu gestured vaguely toward the horizon. “But so are all things that are important. Love, friendships, responsibilities. These are all threads that make the cloth of life. How you spin them is up to you.” He went on with a passionate voice, “Just like high-quality jeans, you’re free to design your relationships how you wish. They can be simple, or you may choose to embellish the pockets and buttons, trim them to a size comfortable to you, and wear them in your own style.”

 

Katsuki clicked his teeth together at that. He hated how much his fashion metaphors made sense to him. Though part of it was because his parents were in the fashion industry before the war.

 

… Emphasis on were.

 

“Or you can choose to be naked, wear none of this cloth at all.” Tsunagu kept going, always one to make clear his point. “Live completely disconnected from the world as you know it and others around you. But this is against human nature. Even the oldest civilizations wore some kind of clothing, and the concept of society, well, just look at this Kingdom of Science. History is repeating itself. And with history comes connection. To our pasts, our futures, and those currently around us. So tell me, Katsuki, which will you choose?”

 

Katsuki knew the answer. He had known it ever since he woke up one day and realized what a damn brat he’d been. What a brat he still was. “I already made that choice thousands of years ago. Nothing will hold me back from everything I want to be. If you think the number one hero is gonna live his whole life completely alone, you’ve got another thing coming. But this choice is mine to make, no one else’s. Our stay in this world is temporary, don’t forget that. I can’t bring home what I’ve found here like you can.” 

 

“But you can treasure it while it’s in your hands.” Tsunagu told him. “Please consider all I’ve said.” 

 

With those last words, he turned away from the edge of the ship, leaving Katsuki alone to think, and to feel.

Chapter 27: Astronomy

Sleep was hard to come by in the days after Tsunagu’s speech about relationships. The mobile science lab had become much like the science shed back in Ishigami Village; a place where Katsuki and Senku crashed every night after staying up far too late experimenting with his nitrosweat.

 

But this time it was a much smaller floorspace, only about the size of the backseat of a luxury car. So whenever Senku passed out on the floor while going over notes and Katsuki settled down only inches from him, their breaths tended to mingle in the small space and their warmth was shared despite the respectful distance they gave each other. He could have gone to his own bed, but really, who had time for that when he’d just come straight to the lab in the morning?

 

Despite the burning of Katsuki’s eyes and the tired ache in his hands, he just couldn’t sleep. Instead, Tsunagu’s words danced in his head, and so did his own thoughts.

 

The whole time, he had sworn to himself he’d never be like Izuku and Uraraka or Chrome and Ruri or Taiju and Yuzuriha. If- and that was a big if, or so he thought- he ever fell for anybody, he’d just say it out loud. He wouldn’t be shy or dance around the subject, he’d just confess his feelings and get it over with.

 

But that’s not quite how it was playing out. Every time he had a rare moment alone with Senku, he completely froze up and simply used his nerves as an excuse to collect more sweat. He just… couldn’t say it. Mostly because he didn’t know what to say. 

 

And what the hell was he supposed to do about that, anyway? There was only one person that tended to bring his true feelings to light, and usually it had to be beaten out of him. Not to mention that that person was still missing. No matter how much it hurt, how frustrating it was, it was Izuku that reminded him he was more than just a raging bull charging toward his target. It was his sincerity that reminded him there was something more than becoming the number one hero.

 

And now Senku was in his life, giving him these same lessons. Using his passion for science, a passion that burned just as bright as Katsuki’s desire to become a hero, to overcome a challenge so devastatingly impossible the average person wouldn’t even try. And despite all of his logic, the foundation of what he believed in, he did so much for the people around him and turned his generosity into advancement. He was the ultimate victor for science and for the society he was trying to rebuild. And Katsuki now had no doubt he would achieve his goals one day.

 

He hadn’t felt that kind of faith in anyone but All Might. Someone he admired above anyone else.

 

Katsuki slapped his hands over his eyes, begging his heart and his mind to just shut up. Senku and All Might and Izuku were nothing alike. He had no reason to admire the Leekheaded noodle who could barely stand outside on a windy day without getting blown away. Shut up shut up shut up!

 

Senku was a scientist. Not a hero. And the moment Katsuki had the chance, he’d leave him and the Kingdom of Science behind to rebuild his own world. It was stupid to think that any of this was worth his time. There was no point. 

 

Katsuki angrily stormed out of the mobile science lab and made his way to the deck of the ship. But what he saw there only made his stomach feel like it had jumped out of his body and ended up in a whirlpool.

 

Out here on the open sea, the stars were brighter than anywhere else he’d been so far. Each one reflected on the still ocean surface. The moon stared down at him, taunting him and teasing him with that bastard of a crater-face. 

 

Somewhere out there, possibly, maybe, was the world he came from. One of those stars far, far away that science hadn’t yet discovered. A copy of earth, a duplicate of what could have been for this world if not for the gap in time and the petrification slowing down human evolution.

 

A world that the planet he was standing on now could replicate if quirks started manifesting in the same powerful and dangerous ways they had in his time. And all he could do was hope that this pacifist life the Kingdom of Science was leading would bring this world down the right path.

 

The right path. He scoffed at himself. What was he, a damn pacifist now just like the others? No, there was no way in hell. Katsuki still believed in fighting for what he wanted, he still believed in blasting his way through any obstacle if one stood in his way.

 

But for the whole world to essentially agree with him on the matter, that’s where hero society ran into problems. The violence, the backlash from both villains and civilians, the mistrust, all leading up to the destruction of everything Katsuki had ever known.

 

His family, people he had met, even the kids he and Izuku had saved on their trip to Nabu Island and everyone else they had ever known. All of it was fucking gone. And now all he had was right here, right on this ship floating through the salty ocean toward a treasure they couldn’t be sure still existed. 

 

And all his hope and faith was in Senku. All of it, every drop of it that weighed heavy on his heart like the platinum they were trying to find. Of course he still believed in himself, but he was way out of his depth when it came to making revival fluid and building ships that could sail across seas too vast for Katsuki to imagine. 

 

In the Kingdom of Science, the playing field was level. Even amongst those who were quirkless. And that… That wasn’t anything like the world Katsuki was used to.

 

At home, he was strong, he was powerful, he could do anything. Pass any test, fight any villain even if he died trying. When he failed, he just got up again, raised like a zombie from the dead to try, and try, and try again until he finally got over the hurdles thrown his way.

 

He didn’t even get to finish his fight with Shigaraki. If he hadn’t pulled that cheap ultimate move, he might have won. Even with a broken body and the aching exhaustion in his bones from being revived, he was determined to.

 

But without any warning, the world he was fighting so hard in became nothing but a ball of dirt, held together only by gravity and what atmosphere was left. 

 

The truth was, though, if they had stayed on that earth and hadn’t been teleported to this one, they would have died. Through thirst or starvation or coming across a villain who still survived, they would have all died eventually. 

 

This stone world was a chance for them all to start over. To live different lives.

 

Katsuki’s knuckles turned white with the tight grip he had on the railing of the ship as he realized tears were freely coating his cheeks in cold dampness. “Stupid.” He muttered at himself as he wiped away the tears. There was no point in grieving his old life, either. Crying wouldn’t bring anything back. 

 

But he stood there anyway, unable to cease the sobs ripping from his chest and disappearing out into the empty sea, no one but the universe looking down on him and his sorrows. 

 

He had lost everything, only to find himself a home, a village, a person he cared about. He had purpose in this stone world, and he had already started to weave his own relationships just like Tsunagu had described before he had even said it. 

 

While Chrome was often a third wheel whenever Katsuki wanted to make an excuse to be alone with Senku in the science lab, he still found it amusing as hell how naive he was. And Ryusui? They were basically cut from the same damn cloth, just sown a little differently. They both had the same drive to get whatever they wanted, and had to deal with an overbearing family who tried to force them into compliance with whatever image they wanted to present to the world. Gen, too, who almost felt like an annoying little brother always poking his nose in his business.

 

And then there was Senku. A damn fighter, just not in the literal sense. He was someone who, just like Katsuki, didn’t know when or how to give up. Every roadblock he found, he blasted his way through it with science, dedication, and teamwork. And that stupid grin he had whenever he was faced with a new challenge, there was no denying how Katsuki felt whenever he saw it. 

 

Katsuki’s tears dried in the breeze that blew through the ship. His breathing slowed as he steadied himself. 

 

With a start, he realized another set of hands were now leaning against the side of the ship. The weird half-sleeves Senku wore were confirmation of who Katsuki thought they might belong to. 

 

“It’s a big universe, isn’t it?” Senku was looking up at the vast splattering of stars, too. “That’s what’s cool about astronomy. We’ll never run out of things in space to discover.”

 

“Sure.” Katsuki’s throat clenched. How long had Senku been above deck? Had he seen… had he heard…?

 

“You know, even though I’m sure it really sucks to be in your position, I’m glad you’re here. You always have a place in the Kingdom of Science, even after we find all of your classmates.”

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “You’re just sayin’ that because of my precious nitrosweat.”

 

Senku laughed, lifting his hands up guiltily. “You’re right! You’ve got me pinned ten billion percent, Dynamite Guy!” But then he glanced down at one of Katsuki’s hands, still white-knuckled against the wood of the ship. “Even if we don’t figure out how to make revival fluid from your quirk, the offer still stands.” He turned away from Katsuki. “Just in case you had any doubts.” 

 

Katsuki’s whole body burned with every footstep Senku took further away from him. His hands trembled and his heart pounded against his chest, knocking, knocking, knocking as if he expected some kind of door to open. “Leekhead…” He started, but it just wasn’t right. That’s not how he wanted to do this. But the more he hesitated, the further he walked away.

 

Farther and farther, closer to the entrance of the ship where he would disappear below deck where prying ears could hear. 

 

“Listen…” Katsuki turned around, but it was already too late. Senku had already gone back toward the mobile science lab, and Katsuki’s voice was too lost in his throat for Senku to catch his words. 

 

Katsuki grit his teeth and swallowed back a scream. His body dropped to the floor with a huff as he sat on the deck waiting for his heart to stop beating him up from the inside. 

 

He tilted his head back and let the stars consume him that night, twinkling down at him like silent laughter at how awfully he had just failed. 

 

Next time. For sure. Next time, he’d find the words he needed.

Notes:

To be clear, the first half of this chapter is about admiration.

Chapter 28: Treasure Island

Notes:

Like I've mentioned before, this is where I really start diverging from canon and take a lot of liberties with the plot. It'll be fun though, don't you worry.

The deck of the ship was silent as the boat swayed in the gentle ocean waves. The cliffside of the Treasure Island cast a shadow over them all.

 

Katsuki stood next to Ryusui with his arms crossed over his chest. “Something’s messed up about this island, isn’t it?”

 

Ryusui looked over at him. “What do you mean?”

 

Katsuki answered, “In my time or world or whatever, we were told that the first person with a quirk was a baby who was born glowing like a damn lightbulb. But now that I’m here in this stone world, I’m not so sure about that.” He’d been thinking about this for a while, but hadn’t said it aloud until now. “You’ve got your Sailor’s Instincts, that guy with the arrows has super hearing, Tarzan has inhuman strength, even for a guy who spent his whole life training, the Leekhead’s got worse luck than a mirror broken ten times over, and the melon kid can fold her body so tight she fits inside a fruit. I’ve got a theory that quirks are developing in this timeline, too.” Katsuki breathed in the salty air as he gazed up at the island’s cliffs. “So I’mma trust in your Sailor’s instincts just like I trust my classmates’ quirks. When we docked, the hair on your neck stood on end. So what’s up?”

 

“I don’t know anything about quirks, but you're not wrong. Something about this place feels off.” Ryusui put his hands on his hips thoughtfully as his gaze followed the edges of the cliff.

 

Katsuki scanned the treeline above them for any sign of life. But the only motion in the trees came from the wind. 

 

“Alright!” Senku’s voice came from the middle of the deck. “We’ll send a scout team to see what we’re dealing with. Soyuz, Kohaku, Ryusui, Gen, Katsuki, and I will check things out while the rest of you stay here and keep an eye on the ship. Kinro and Ginro, you two are plenty familiar with guard duty. Make sure no one but us gets too close to the Perseus. It’s our only way in or outta here.”

 

Kinro and Ginro nodded and took places at the opposite ends of the ship to stand guard while Ukyo offered, “I’ll keep an ear on the sonar to see if we get any signals.”

 

“Scout team,” Senku went on, “We don’t know what these people are like. Be ready for anything.” 

 

Katsuki snickered at that, his hands flexing with excitement. If Kurogiri was here in statue form, he’d be easy to restrain so they could wake him up and get answers out of him. Plus he could possibly find his other classmates, too. And if anyone had the balls to attack him, he’d be sure to beat them to hell! Finally, the potential for some action!

 

“I’m going, too!” Uraraka told Senku, her hand raised in the air. “My antigravity makes me great at stealth!”

 

“Sure!” Senku gave her a thumbs up. “Normally I’d say that’s too many people for a stealthy scout mission, but with your quirk it’ll be a lot easier to explore uncharted territory!”

 

The scouting crew loaded up in one of the small dinghys, lowering into the ocean waves and rowing ashore. But the closer they got to the island, the worse the bad feeling in Katsuki’s guts squirmed inside him. 

 

The shore they landed on was sandy and laced with craggy, dry roots weaving their way toward the sea. The trees were dark, their bark almost black and their leaves a kind of dark green Katsuki had never seen before in nature.

 

Senku noticed, too. “I’ve never seen trees like this. Must be another new species that cropped up while humanity was taking a stone nap.” 

 

“Not quite.” Ryusui pointed at the gaps between each tree. “You see it, don’t you, Senku?”

 

But Katsuki answered instead. “They’re exactly three meters apart. Someone planted these here. They’re not natural.” 

 

“Huh.” Senku walked up to a pair of trees with a measuring stick. “Yeah, give or take an inch or two based on the thickness of the trunk. Three meters. Ten billion points to you both.” He concentrated on the bark for a moment, probably calculating something in his head or thinking about tree genomes, or something.

 

Uraraka peered up to the tree branches. “Maybe they’re for food, like how we planted the wheat.” She reached up and hesitantly grabbed a dark pinkish fruit from one of the branches. “See? There’s fruit on them.”

 

Ryusui grinned. “I’m familiar with all kinds of exotic fruits! Toss it here.” He held out his hand.’

 

“Wait!” Soyuz shouted in warning. “I just remembered something!” 

 

But he was too late. As Uraraka passed the fruit to Ryusui and he squeezed the soft flesh open, a bittersweet smell rose from it that made Katsuki’s throat clench. The anxiety rising in his guts spiked to its absolute limit. “Drop that crap and don’t breathe!” Katsuki shouted, clamping his hand over his mouth and backing away a few feet, his boots now wet from the waves. 

 

Ryusui dropped the fruit on the ground and backed up, too. “What the hell? I’ve heard of poisonous fruits but nothing like this.” He coughed and spluttered, his breaths wheezing loudly as he struggled to breathe from the gas that came out of the fruit. 

 

Everyone backed away except for Senku, who was now wearing the gas mask they had made when hunting for sulfur. After a few moments of inspection, Senku said, “Good call, Katsuki. Luckily there’s enough ventilation outdoors, so a single fruit isn’t toxic enough to kill just by breathing in the gas.”

 

“What the hell is it?” Ryusui asked, finally catching his breath and rinsing his hands off in the water along the shore.

 

“Beats me. It’s like someone crossed a peach with something gnarly. When the skin is cracked open, the juice mixes with oxygen and becomes cyanide gas. Looks like both Katsuki and Ryusui are super sensitive to cyanide. Good to know.” Senku said the last part far too casually. 

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue, trying to shake himself out of the feeling in his stomach. “Someone planted these trees here hoping anyone who came to the island would be hungry and kill ‘em off before going any further.”

 

Soyuz nodded. “I remember now. Sort of.” He rubbed his head with his palm as if he could thaw his memories from frozen ice. “I don’t know why, but these trees were purposefully planted here to ward off any strangers. The gas from the fruit causes headaches and nervousness.”

 

Katsuki added, “That explains your Sailor’s Instincts going off like crazy, Goldilocks.” He came up with the nickname for Ryusui on the spot, though maybe he’d workshop it later.

 

“Too bad that won’t work on us.” Senku buried the fruit deep in the sand and removed his gas mask. “Don’t touch any plants you don’t recognize. We don’t know what other tricks are up these people’s sleeves.” 

 

Uraraka rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry. I should be more careful.” 

 

“How about we get an aerial view of what’s ahead?” Senku produced two cameras from his bag. “We’ll see what’s beyond these trees. Katsuki, Uraraka?” He offered them to the two that could fly up into the air easily.

 

Katsuki grabbed a camera from Senku’s hand. “You gotta make a real cellphone. That way we don’t have to lug around all this crap.” He grumbled.

 

But Uraraka said, “Come on, Bakugou! These old school cameras are fun!” She grabbed a camera and held out her hand to Katsuki. “I’ll float you up in the sky so your explosions don’t alert anyone nearby.”

 

Katsuki let her place her fingertips against his forearm with another half-annoyed grumble. He learned to fly with his quirk for a reason! Though he had to admit, it was pretty loud no matter what he had tried to become stealthier. As gravity left his body and his boots dripped with seawater as he rose up, his stomach flipped and his hands reached out for something to hold onto. “Come on, Leekhead! You want an aerial view, get it yourself.” He grabbed Senku by the wrist and lifted him up with him. “The extra weight will keep me steady for the pictures, anyway.” 

 

“Hey!” Senku squirmed in his grip for a moment, but as they floated over the treeline, both of them froze.

 

This island wasn’t as small as they thought it would be. 

 

Swaths of trees expanded far, far beyond the horizon. Mountain ranges cut through the land and far off, Katsuki noticed the shimmer of a lake. There was an outer ring of the dark poisonous trees along the shoreline on all sides, parts of the island breaking off in crumbled cliffsides. The rest of the trees were bright, lush green. 

 

Senku used his free hand to dig into his bag for an extra camera and aimed it toward the lake. “Where there’s water inland, there’s usually civilization. See any campfire smoke or movement, Katsuki?”

 

Katsuki snapped a picture of the base of the mountain nearby. “Take a look over there, the northeast corner of the lake.” He pointed out the discoloration there, a patch of straw-colored clumps in the distance. “I’d bet anything that’s a village.”

 

“Hell yeah.” Senku grinned. “My arm’s kinda killing me, though.” 

 

Katsuki rolled his eyes at him, though from this angle he wouldn’t be able to see his annoyance. “I forgot what a weakling you are, can’t hold your own weight for crap.” He lifted Senku up to cling onto his shoulders instead. But the moment he did, he regretted it completely. Focusing on scanning their surroundings was ten billion times harder with Senku’s face so damn close to his ear and his chest pressed up against his back. His breathing echoed loudly, though he wasn’t breathing hard at all. 

 

Katsuki hissed through his teeth in annoyance. “We should look for a path to the village. I ain’t charging through the woods if there’s a trail to follow.”

 

Senku laughed. “I thought charging into stuff was your thing?”

 

“Shut up.” Katsuki almost considered dropping him right there and letting him figure out the landing on his own. Almost. “Think about it. If any of the plants n’ shit around here are flammable or have more of that cyanide gas fruit, I can’t just blast through the forest like I would back home.” Home? Stupid. Katsuki curled his lip. The Kingdom of Science was only his temporary residency. No matter how long this mission took, he had to remember that. 

 

“Smart. Another ten billion points to you, Katsuki.” Senku said. 

 

As they scanned the area and found what looked to be a break in the trees that could have been a path, Uraraka slowly lowered herself, Katsuki, and Senku to the ground. 

 

“Looks like we’re traveling northeast.” Senku announced to the group. “We found what might be a village at the edge of a lake. From there, we can ask around about the Treasure Box and the statue of their god.” 

 

Gen added, “Let’s just hope they still use the same language as the Hundred Tales. It would really uck-say if we weren’t able to understand each other.” 

 

Ryusui exclaimed with the snap of his fingers, “Ha, ha! As if we’d let a little language barrier get in the way of something we want! I traveled all around the world and it wasn’t a problem!” Because of course the rich guy could just throw money at people and get his point across. 

 

Whereas Katsuki cracked his knuckles at the thought of a fight. Pretty much everyone understood the point of a blast to the face. “If they try to get in my way I’ll just beat the point into ‘em.”

 

“Ah, violence.” Gen mockingly sighed. “It’s the only true universal language.” 

 

Katsuki’s hands twitched in anticipation. No matter what was waiting for them on the other side of the island, there was no stopping him from finding Kurogiri and demanding that he return everyone to where they came from. 

 

To Katsuki’s left, Ryusui pointed out an opening in the underbrush. “Looks like that’s the trail heading northeast. They probably frequent this area for fishing.” His two fingers reached toward their goal. “This is the path we’ll take! Trust me, it’s my Sailor’s Instincts.”

 

And to Katsuki’s right, Senku congratulated the sailor as he looked at the photographs they had  taken. “Ten billion points to you and those instincts. Looks like this path carves right toward the village.” He said, “Alright, everyone, look sharp. We don’t know what might be on this island after thousands of years. Keep an eye out for anything we might find useful.”

 

“Or viciously dangerous.” Gen added.

 

“There’s that, too.” Senku agreed. “Let’s head out. The plan is to get to the village before nightfall!”

Chapter 29: New Village

The walk northeast was relatively easy. The fruit trees were no longer threatening to drop cyanide bombs on them, and the path was mostly clear with trodded-down dirt from what was probably from generations of use. 

 

But the air around Katsuki was tense as he insisted on taking point and leading the group through the island. He swore he could feel eyes burning at his back, and hear whispers behind him. But every time he glanced back at the group, they were only following wordlessly.

 

Though this time around, he made the mistake of making eye contact with Senku. The next thing he knew, the leek-headed scientist was walking by his side. “I’ve got a theory I’ve been thinking about ever since Soyuz mentioned his home village. You ever heard of the Butterfly Effect?” 

 

“Course I have.” Katsuki grumbled. “It’s that crap about how small events lead up to bigger ones, right?” He thought he remembered some old-school movie about it, or something. 

 

“More or less.” Senku gestured with his hands like he was weighing something in them. “I’m wondering if what you said to Ryusui on the ship is true. What if the glowing baby in your history wasn’t the first person with a quirk? I mean, come on, evolution just doesn’t happen that quickly. It’s possible that people had quirks before that that were just chalked up to someone’s personal skills when really it was in their DNA.”

 

Katsuki pointedly kept his eyes on the trail ahead as Senku spoke. Luckily Tsunagu wasn’t here to sense his guts twisting over on themselves. The truth was, though sometimes he couldn’t help but tune him out a little sometimes when he was on a long ramble, he could listen to Senku talk about science all day. It was the passion in his voice, the curiosity, the drive to want to know everything no matter how relevant it was to his daily life. And the pure determination and work Senku must have put behind absorbing all of his knowledge, too.

 

Senku went on, “What if the petrification had something to do with the portals Kurogiri opened? If he discovered an ability to send people through space and time, it’s completely possible that something about your presence made Why Man’s plan work.”

 

“That’s ridiculous.” Katsuki grumbled at him. Though Senku was smart as hell, Katsuki couldn’t bring himself to believe him this much. “Butterfly effect or not, that’s a stretch even for you, Leekhead.” 

 

Senku laughed a little. “Maybe. I guess we’ll get our answers once we revive the guy who took you here.”

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “I’ll blast him to hell the minute the bastard gets revived.”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Senku grinned at him. “That means the Kingdom of Science gets to keep its human dynamite for a little longer.” 

 

Katsuki stopped in his tracks as a scent brushed by on the wind. Something a little like charcoal, and a little salty like seafood. He turned and signaled to Uraraka toward where the scent came from.

 

Everyone went still and quiet as Uraraka floated up into the tree branches, Kohaku following her with a powerful leap. Too many tense minutes went by before they came back, Uraraka’s voice hushed as she described what they saw. “Looks like there’s a fresh camp set up along a creek. They might be nearby but I couldn’t see them anywhere.”

 

Kohaku added, “We found a set of footprints going toward the village. Want us to track ‘em down, Senku?” Her hands drifted to her twin knives resting at her sides. “We’re ready for anything.”

 

“Yeah!” Uraraka nodded feverishly, but then glanced at Kohaku. “Though, maybe we should try talking to them first? I’m really hoping those aren’t necessary.” 

 

Senku scratched the inside of his ear boredly. “We’ll just have to keep following the trail toward the village. There’s no point in chasing ghosts.” He forged forward along the path, sticking to Katsuki’s side as they moved on.

 

Katsuki grumbled again as Uraraka matched pace with him, too, the three of them taking up a ridiculous amount of space on the thin trail. “Do you think he’s really here? Kurogiri?” She asked.

 

“Gotta be, if Baldy’s telling the truth.” Katsuki still had trouble believing Soyuz’s story, but the evidence lined up. It would make a hell of a lot of sense that no one had found the rest of the people from his world if they weren’t on mainland Japan. Not to mention the guy’s name matched that of the ship that had landed with the only humans left on earth that weren’t petrified. “I’ve got a feeling some of the others are here, too. But that’s just a hunch.” 

 

Uraraka clasped her hand over her chest. “Wherever everyone is, we’ll find them and save them from the petrification.” 

 

The closer they got to the village, the thinner the trees became and the ground under their feet started to crunch with pebbly gravel mixed in with earth. 

 

Ryusui announced to the group quietly, “We’re close. I can see the village through the trees.” He pointed forward, and he was right. Katsuki could see slivers of straw rooftops beyond the cusp of a hill. 

 

Gen said, “We should probably observe the village from up close for a while to invest-” But his words were cut short by Senku.

 

“We don’t have time for formalities. Remember, we don’t know what moves Why Man might make or if the villains from Katsuki’s time will wake up from their stone nap.”

 

Katsuki grinned at that, glad to see he and Senku were on the same page about barging in. “Now you’re talkin’, Leekhead. I’ve had enough sneaking around.” He charged forward, and the closer he got, the more he could start to hear the clamor of village life. The sound of children playing and water splashing was almost louder than the sound of hammers thudding against something wooden. 

 

When Katsuki broke through the trees, he could see that there was a low stone wall between the village and the rest of the island. Two blonde guards- one male and one female- stood at an opening with spears in their hands. 

 

Their clothing was made of thick black leather, embellished with enough pockets and straps to impress even Best Jeanist. 

 

Katsuki didn’t flinch when they raised their spears against his chest. The girl was the first to speak, her accent thick and barely recognizable as Japanese with a shocking southwestern American accent. “Who’re you and why’re ya on our island?”

 

Katsuki snickered at them. “As if those flimsy spears can do anything to me. Put ‘em down, you look pathetic.” 

 

The pair lowered their spears, but not because of what Katsuki said, but because of the person who had come up behind him. “This is my home.” Soyuz’s voice was tight as if he was trying to choke back tears. 

 

The male spearman gasped, “Soyuz? How?” His voice was shaking. “You were gone. The floods took you…”

 

Soyuz stared at the man. “I know you. You’re…”

 

“Your brother.” 

 

Katsuki rolled his eyes at the sappy reunion, the tears they spilled, the joyous hugs. Like straight out of some corny movie. 

 

The female guard was less relieved, though. She picked her spear back up. “What are you doin’ with our brother? After alla this time and ya come back on Stoshad of all days?”

 

Soyuz looked over to the girl. “You’re my sister? But I… I don’t remember you.”

 

She defensively glanced between Katsuki and Soyuz and the rest of the group as she explained. “I’m Novaline, your younger sister. Our parents had me after you went missin’. And that idiot and the oldest of us three, is Rion. In case you forgot.”

 

“Come on,” Rion pat Soyuz on the shoulder. “He was less’n a year old when he dis’peared in the floods, give lil bro a break.”

 

Novaline sighed, finally resting her spear by her side. “Suppose I should thank ya for bringing back our sem’ya. The rest of you can go now.”

 

Ryusui asked, “Sem’ya, huh? Looks like you’re the real deal. Japanese, English, and Russian fused in one place just like your ancestors who landed here on the Soyuz millenia ago!”

 

Senku added, “And the space-themed names? It’s undeniable.”

 

Soyuz explained to his siblings, “We’re here to see Kamen Kurieta. My friends think they know of his origin.” He showed Rion the drawing of Kurogiri. 

 

Rion and Novaline glanced at each other before Rion said, “Ya might have great memory like we do, but you were too young fer poklonen, the stories of our island. What could some outsiders know about our gods, eh?”

 

Senku answered for him, “We aren’t pretending to know anything about your gods. All we want are answers to some questions we have. Then we’ll be on our way. Right, Katsuki?”

 

“Sure.” Katsuki backed off of Novaline a little, not realizing until now that his hands were curling the way they usually did when he got defensive. 

 

Novaline finally stepped aside. “If you’re lookin’ for the origin of what happened to the other humans,  Kamen Kurieta’s got the answers. I don’t like the thought of strangers pokin’ around our village, but we can’t turn ‘way folks lookin’ to find the answers. But we’ll be watchin’ ya close.”

 

Rion said to Soyuz, “Sorry, brother. Can’t abandon my post. But our uncle’d be mad happy to see ya. Just ask ‘round fer ol’ Ace.”

 

Novaline added, “Ya’ll can find Kamen Kurieta in the center of the village. Tonight’s Stoshad, so please be respectful.”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth as he slipped past Novaline, not waiting for the others to decide if they would follow. He had been expecting a fight, or really any kind of serious resistance. But this had been too easy. His muscles were still twitching for action despite none to be found.

 

The lake at the edge of the village shimmered with the lowering sun, though the sky wasn’t quite yet painted with sunset colors. The air smelled like oil, charcoal, and cooking food. The villagers barely looked at Katsuki, probably because his mostly-black outfit and blonde hair fit in, but they stared at everyone behind him. 

 

Those who weren’t staring were milling about and building wooden stalls or hanging black, purple, and white paper decorations throughout the village.

 

“So,” Katsuki heard Gen ask Soyuz, “What’s this Stoshad they mentioned?”

 

“I’m sorry.” Soyuz said, “I don’t know. If I was less than a year old, it’s possible Stoshad hadn’t happened yet while I was on the island.” 

 

The one thing Katsuki noticed was that the technology was more advanced than Ishigami Village’s had been before Senku arrived. The stalls had functional rice cookers, the clothing was higher quality, and there were oil lamps hanging outside of doors and along the stone paths that led to different areas of the village instead of torches. And it was clear Senku had noticed, too. 

 

“They’ve almost caught up to us even without modern people to help out.” He said as he looked around.

 

Gen suggested otherwise, though, with a single word. “Unless…”

 

Senku and Katsuki glanced at each other. Then Katsuki looked to Uraraka. “I know just the nerd that would be behind this.”

 

Uraraka’s cheeks reddened as soon as he said it. “Do you really… think he’d know how to help build all of this? I mean, Deku’s smart but…”

 

“Smart, stubborn, and reckless.” Katsuki added. “Sounds like half of the Kingdom of Science to me.” 

 

Senku snickered, “I’ll take that as a compliment. So, Soyuz, any idea where this uncle of yours might be?”

 

Soyuz frowned, clutching the crossbody strap of his bag. “I think his hut is this way. Please follow me.” He led them through the center of the village where there was a circular area of grass and flowers. Right in the middle was a statue with a crown made of twisted purple flowers, his suit and tie still mostly intact. A steel brace clamped the back of his neck.

 

There he was; Kurogiri. The villain that had completely flipped all of their lives upside down, for better or for worse. 

 

Uraraka stood next to Katsuki in the shadow of the statue. “We’re close, aren’t we? We’ll find the others and wake Kurogiri up. Then we can go home and…” Her voice trailed off, but Katsuki finished for her.

 

“And we’ll rebuild everything we had before. There’s no way I’m letting the villains win. I don’t give a damn what it looks like or what we gotta do, we’re going back.” Katsuki balled his fists. “Maybe we can’t revive everyone we lost like the Leekhead can, but only a loser or an idiot would just give up.” He turned away from the statue. “We’ll revive this villain and demand answers, but first we’re finding Izuku. I know he’s here, this village practically reeks of nerd.”

 

“Right!” Uraraka followed close behind Katsuki.

 

When they caught back up with the rest of the group, they were already chatting with an old bald man with a long, braided white beard. “I see.” The man listened to his nephew, nodding along as he retold the story of how he ended up in Ishigami Village and why they were on the island.

 

“Well,” Ace twisted the end of his beard between his fingers. “First of all, how rude of you to come into another Chief’s village without even introducing yourself.” He gave Senku a look, not much different than the expression a disappointed grandfather might make. “He’s in the hut east of Kamen Kurieta. The tallest one in the village, guards posted out front. You can’t miss it.”

 

Senku leaned back with his hands against his hips. “I guess I should meet him. If anyone has answers, it’s probably the guy in charge.”

 

“You’re lucky, you know, that you came now.” Ace said, his hands resting against a handcarved wooden cane. “Our former chief would have used his awful Medusa to turn you to stone the moment you stepped foot on our island. Yes, Chief Kanopus was a real piece of work.”

 

Senku stiffened, his brows raised as he asked, “He could turn people to stone? Katsuki, that sound like anyone from your time?” 

 

Katsuki snickered. “Nah. No one from my time that I know of.” He turned to Ace, “This Medusa, what exactly is it?”

 

Ace shook his head. “No one’s ever gotten a good look at it. He would always cover it with animal skin before tossing it up in the air on a rope before turning people into stone. That terrible green light… I’d be glad to never see it again.”

 

Uraraka whispered, “Green light? Like…”

 

Katsuki said, “Sounds like it. Come on, Leekhead. We’re getting our answers.” He turned to the east where the old man said the Chief’s hut was.

 

“Slow down, Katsuki.” Senku’s hand on his shoulder felt as heavy as lead. But warm… so goddamn warm. “Let me talk to him first, Chief to Chief. If things go sideways we’ll let the Mentalist handle it, alright?”

 

“Fine.” Katsuki watched him walk away on his own, out of his reach, too far for him to react if anything happened this time. His fingers twitched restlessly as he turned back to the rest of the group. 

Chapter 30: Vocabulary with Gen (Glossary)

Notes:

The locals on Treasure Island partly speak their own language/a mashup of Japanese, English, and Russian. I'll be adding to this periodically as I publish more chapters. So feel free to check back if there's any words or terms you need a definition for.

Welcome to…

 

✨🌸𝐿𝑜𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝒱𝑜𝒸𝒶𝒷𝓊𝓁𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒢𝑒𝓃!🌸 ✨

 

Gen: Heads up, folks! We’re about to be treading into uncharted territory, which means we’ll be introduced to a whole new culture!

 

Gen: Pop quiz! About how many languages do you think officially existed before the petrification? And don’t worry, a ballpark guess is just fine.

Drumroll…

Gen: If you guessed somewhere around seven thousand, you’d be right! Of course, the exact number shifted almost daily as linguists studied world languages, and more languages developed on their own over time!

Gen: Our friends here on Treasure Island speak a mixture of English, Japanese, and Russian due to their ancestry and traditions that stuck around well after all the drama that went down hundreds of years before Senku and his friends arrived. Wink but we’ll get to all that later.

Gen: For now, it’s Vocabulary Time! Please take a moment to review some terms that we’ll be hearing from here on out and get familiar. And don’t worry, the rest of this story is an open book quiz! So feel free to come back later if you find a word you don’t understand.

 

Founders from the Stars-

 

The astronauts who landed on Treasure Island

 

Kamen Kurieta- 

 

Stone (Russian) Creator (Japanese). The godly name given to Kurogiri’s statue.

 

Podarok-

 

A gift or present, usually one in return for something or as a reward

 

Poklonen- 

 

A weekly gathering to share stories of Kamen Kurieta and the Hundred Tales

 

Stoshad-

 

A yearly tradition on Treasure Island honoring those who were turned to stone by Kamen Kurieta’s will.

 

Sem’ya-

 

Directly translates to “family” or “kin”

 

Spasgatu-

 

A sincere way to say ‘thank you’ or show gratitude

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 31: Chief to Chief

Notes:

Senku POV chapter!!

The air in the Chief’s Hut was thick with incense smoke and lit only by the flickering oil lamps hanging from the ceiling. 

 

In the center of the hut was a desk made from thick oak wood and covered in paper and scrolls. And in a chair behind the desk, writing with a quill and ink, was the chief.

 

He was tall and broad-shouldered, his eyebrows sharp and navy blue like his hair. He looked nothing like the other villagers, and the telltale thick scars along his chin like claws cradling his jawline was evidence of a previous petrification, probably for a long time. Maybe for over three thousand years.

 

He wore rectangular glasses with frames made of bamboo and his voice was much kinder than his appearance. “Welcome to our village. I heard you’re looking for answers. I’d be more than happy to share anything we know about the island and its origin. While I may have been given the position of Chief just recently, I can proudly say I’ve studied Kamen Kurieta closely.”

 

Senku casually put his hands on his hips. “From what I hear, your stone god goes by another name.” He gave him a small smirk. There was no doubt in his mind that this was a modern person. The way he spoke, the cracks from petrification, and the technological advancements around the village were enough clues to come to that conclusion. The question was, was this chief from his time, or another world completely? “Have you heard the name Kurogiri?”

 

The chief’s eyes stretched wide as he stood from his desk. He gestured to the guards who had been dutifully watching Senku’s every move. “Leave us immediately. Let no one approach until this meeting is finished.” 

 

The guards left without a word. As soon as they were out of earshot, the chief asked, “Where did you hear that name?”

 

“That depends.” Senku leaned against the desk, his hands pressing into the wood. “Are you a hero? Or one of the villains I’ve heard so much about?”

 

The navy-haired man before Senku adjusted his glasses and straightened his posture despite his stance being immaculately straight already. “I am Iida Tenya. My hero name is Ingenium, after my elder brother. I am a hero.”

 

“Sounds convincing enough.” Senku watched his reaction closely. “I’ve got some friends you’d like to meet. But first, tell me what you know about Medusa.”

 

Iida’s eyes sank to the wooden floor. “It’s quite a sad tale, I’m afraid. But you’re in luck. Tonight is Stoshad, a festival that this village has been celebrating for over a thousand years to honor those who were petrified by the Medusas and retell their stories. You’re more than welcome to join us tonight.” 

 

“Medusas, as in there’s more than one?” Senku raised a brow.  “That’s some exciting information you’ve given me, Chief Iida.” 

 

“I understand you’re a man of science,” Iida glanced at the equation written on Senku’s clothes. “But all I ask is for you to keep an open mind.” He explained, “These people have believed Kurogiri is a god since the founding of this village, far before the Great Split. Even as their Chief, it is not up to me to take that belief from them. It’s all they know, and it’s the hope that they cling to. Please allow me to show you.” Iida walked around the desk, and Senku couldn’t help but be taken aback by the exhaust pipes growing from his legs. As Iida led him through the village, he wanted nothing more than to get a closer look.

 

Iida brought him to an overgrown, abandoned corner of the village, most of it barren besides the stone walls and a few stray tomato plants and weeds. Against the stone wall laid dozens of statues, some of them broken to pieces. “My predecessor used the Medusas to petrify anyone who defied his orders.” He clenched his fist at the memory. “Killing those who defied him and sentencing others to petrification just to put a stop to rebellion. But the villagers refused to give up on their families, so they hid their statues here in hope that one day their god will show them mercy and de-petrify them.”

 

“Well,” Senku said, “you’re in luck.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a vial. “I’ve only got two doses, but I can revive any two you want.” While there was more on the ship, Senku only mentioned the two he had on him. So far away from the miracle cave, the revival fluid was still a commodity. 

 

Iida glanced at the vial of liquid. “You can revive people? You’ve truly found a way?” 

 

“Yup!” Senku grinned at Iida’s shocked look. “I’ll even tell you the formula if you’re interested. I’ve got no issue with sharing scientific knowledge. Besides, if you’re anything like your classmates, we’ve got a similar goal.”

 

“And that is?” 

 

Senku told him, “Your friends want to find and revive everyone from your time and return to where you came from. It just so happens that my ultimate goal is to revive everyone on the planet anyway. So what do you say? Let’s share what we know to reach those goals, huh?” Though Gen would have scolded him for being so direct, everything he said was true. As long as this guy was anything like the other heroes, he’d likely agree.

 

Iida gave him a friendly smile back, his expression softening as much as someone with such sharp features could soften. “I believe I have a plan to help you achieve that goal. After all, it certainly takes a lot of manpower to pursue the technological advancements needed to support that kind of population.”

 

“Ten billion points, Chief Iida. That’s exactly right. We need manpower, and as many allies as we can get. So if we can give your villagers the hope they need for the future for the fair trade of getting everyone on board, let’s do it.” Senku reached his hand out to Iida.

 

Iida took it and shook his hand so perfectly it was like he had been training for this moment his whole life. “In that case, bring everyone to the meetinghouse. I’ll have Amaryllis show you the way when we return to my quarters. Also, please don’t speak to anyone from the village about Kamen Kurieta’s true origin. There are still those loyal to the old way, I’d rather not think what might happen if the wrong person overhears us.”

 

“Understandable.” Senku said. “It can take a while for people to adjust under different leadership. But once everyone has a shared goal, they can do anything.” 

 

“Yes.” Iida agreed. “I believe in the potential of this village, which is why I’ve introduced them to technology from my old life.” He said, “It’s been a long road, but we’re finally on the right track.”

Chapter 32: Iida and Amaryllis

A while ago...

 

When Iida Tenya woke up covered in stone, he had expected to be alone. After all, that was likely the purpose of Kurogiri using his quirk on everyone who had survived Shigaraki’s ultimate move.

 

But instead, he had woken up in the center of a village. His knight’s armor was missing and his body was naked. His exhaust pipes were missing from his legs, the only thing left behind were large black cracks in his skin where they used to be.

 

Before anyone had noticed him, he watched in awe and confusion as people milled about. Some were men in simple loincloths, others were young women in white robes and older women in red. Everyone looked sickly pale and worn down, their eyes puffy with deep dark circles.

 

Children walked along stone paths, but none of them smiled or played.

 

It was like watching people working in a factory. All work, no enjoyment. He wasn’t even sure if these people quite knew what a smile was. Maybe they didn’t.

 

Shortly after someone had noticed Iida wake up, his smile left him, too. The men of the village made quick work to capture him and set up a mock trial publicly in the village center right in Kurogiri’s shadow. 

 

His sentence for de-petrifying himself and mocking their god was enslavement.

 

For the next three years, he lived in chains. A personal servant to the son of the Chief. They had forcibly removed his exhaust pipes whenever they started to grow back, completely unknown to them that they would only regrow stronger over and over again. Each time they regrew, they were forcibly ripped from his flesh before he could plan an escape.

 

The only kind light in his life was Amaryllis, a princess who vowed to wed the Chief once she completed her housemaiden training, yet her loyalties lay with her people and what she thought was right. When Iida’s captives starved him, she brought him food. When they lashed him, she cooled his wounds with medicinal herbs. And when they threatened to kill him, she begged for his mercy. 

 

Her role in the village was one of beauty and grace, but she was strong-willed and desired freedom for everyone above anything else. She watched her friends and family fall victim to the Medusa one by one, knowing she would meet the same fate if she were ever to get caught leading the rebellion against the Chief and his loyal men. 

 

When the civil war broke out, Iida was finally freed from his chains, his neck and wrists purple from the years of wear. The rebellion had secured the stock of Medusas held by the Chief’s generals, safe from the threat of petrification.

 

Fire had spread from hut to hut, and the Chief had spared no one who crossed his path, not children, nor the elderly. Blood baked into the earth from the flames and the all too familiar din of warfare clamored around Iida as he did what he could for the survivors.

 

Enemy or ally, he saved them all from the flames. The villagers, the livestock, the seeds that were stored for the next season. There were those he couldn’t save, lives lost to the hands of those who bore lustful appetites and were greedy for control, but anyone who reached a hand to him for help, he took it. 

 

The Chief was found to have died not from warfare, but from his own mistake of running into the lake to quell his aflame clothing only to realize he did not know how to swim. They found his body on the shore days after the war. 

 

Those that followed the Chief had surrendered. After all, the rebellion now had control of the Medusas. But with no Chief and no heir to the title, the people were lost without a leader. 

 

And so Amaryllis asked Iida a question he never would have expected. “You’re a strong man,” She had clasped his cheek in her palm, but the affection in her gaze was different from when she was attempting to seduce a guard or flirt as a distraction. “I mean it. You’ve survived far more than I can imagine, and the way you saved everyone in the village that you could…” Her hands dropped to clasp Iida’s palm tightly. “Iida, the man with a strange name from a distant past, will you marry me, and become the Chief of this village?” 

 

“Amaryllis…” Iida tried to protest, “You should marry someone you love. The village will find a way, I’m sure-”

 

“I will be marrying someone I love.” Amaryllis blushed deeply, her eyes nearly glittering in the torchlight around them. “Someone who understands me, who’s brave and powerful yet doesn’t use his power to harm. Someone perfect for everything I stand for, everything I value. I can be myself around you, not the seductress I trained myself to be for the sake of the rebellion. But I understand if you do not love me, you hardly know me. But I see a future in you, for myself, and for this village.”

 

Iida wasn’t sure when exactly he had fallen for Amaryllis. Maybe it was when they had first met, or maybe it was a slow burn over the past three years. But it was in that moment that he had realized that the hope he had been clinging onto against the aching loneliness he felt at the loss of his classmates and everything he had known before being petrified and the torment of his captors, it was more than hope. It was love. For both Amaryllis, and the potential he saw in the village. The tenacity with which they had risen up against the ones who threatened their livelihoods, the bravery and cleverness he witnessed, it all brought him hope for the future.

 

But it wouldn’t have happened without Amaryllis. 

 

And so, that night, they were wed. And Iida became the Chief of the village, bringing all of his knowledge from his world and rebuilding his new home.

Chapter 33: The Future of Treasure Island, and Its Past

Notes:

Ibara and crew doesn't exist, everyone except for Soyuz and Amaryllis from Treasure Island are made up characters, not Dr. Stone characters. Unless I end up introducing one other specific character, but you'll know who he is. We'll see...

As Katsuki sat crosslegged on the floormat of the long meetinghouse, he listened to Iida’s story as he gave his wife gross, lovesick glances to his side. Even the stick-in-the-mud class rep had managed to find a leadership role in the stone world, not to mention a wife who risked everything for him.

 

And Katsuki tried to ignore the fact that while he and his other classmates were chumming it up with the Kingdom of Science, one of their own had woken only to become a slave. Katsuki had assumed the scars along his arms and neck were from the war, but now that he had a closer look, they looked fresher than that. They were lash marks from his captor’s whip.

 

Iida continued to explain, “The people of this village are still in transition after the previous chief. I’m afraid that if strangers from an enemy village were to start reviving people, there will be another violent shift among them. They believe so desperately that Kurogiri is a god, and that it was his will that everyone on earth was petrified all those years ago and that he gifted the Medusas to this village for the purpose of divine justice.”

 

Sitting across from Katsuki and swirling a cup of what might have been wine, or might have been juice, Gen considered aloud, “That’s quite a difficult situation. They say that humans rely on religion to explain things that they don’t understand. But in our case, we know with certainty that their idol is a case of mistaken identity. You can hardly blame them, though. This way his body appears to be made of clouds or wisps, he doesn’t seem human to those who don’t know about quirks. Even to those who are aware, his appearance is shocking to say the least.” 

 

Ryusui added, “Shocking, or terrifying?” His arms were crossed as he spoke, one finger tapping his arm in thought. “There’s two ways to run a ship. You can be a captain who focuses on morale and motivating people through a shared goal, or a captain that uses fear to motivate your crew. It’s possible that the first people who discovered his statue were terrified enough to worship him just in case they needed to ask for mercy when he woke up.” 

 

Katsuki grit his teeth. “Why the hell does it matter? We could just rip his statue out of the center of the village and get on with it.” The impatience bubbling up inside his veins throbbed in a blood vessel in his forehead.

 

Senku reminded him, “Did you forget about the reason we planned to come to Treasure Island in the first place?” He turned to Iida, “You haven’t happened to find a spaceship around here anywhere, have you?”

 

Iida shook his head. “No, but we’re aware that the Soyuz is likely on this island somewhere, if we’re talking about the same ship. There are still remnants of stories about the astronauts who landed here within the Hundred Tales.”

 

“The Hundred Tales, huh?” Senku said. “I suppose there are similarities in the cultures of both villages because of those tales Byakyua left for us.”

 

“From my understanding,” Iida said, “It was the Hundred Tales that caused the Great Split. Some of the original villagers left the island to explore the world just as their forefathers wished them to, and others left because they believed that the worship of Kamen Kurieta violated the teachings of the tales” He pushed up his glasses, considering his words carefully. “While many stayed to continue their worship in peace. Over time, the Hundred Tales remained alongside the religious beliefs surrounding Kamen Kurieta. The split is also the reason for the difference in language and dialect. The astronauts spoke a mix of Japanese, English, and Russian. Some English and Russian words and phrases remained, and some linguistic elements evolved into a combination of the three on this island.”

 

Katsuki stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. “So what’s the plan, huh? This history lesson isn’t doing us any good if we can’t find the platinum to make more revival fluid.” 

 

Senku put a finger up in the air. “Katsuki’s right, we’re getting sidetracked. Our first priority needs to be getting these villagers to join our Kingdom of Science and help us search for the Soyuz. That means no stealing their idol, however we may feel about what they believe in.” He put up a second finger, “And we should search for the rest of the people who ended up here from Kurogiri’s quirk. If one of you ended up on the island, there’s a chance others are still stuck in stone. Katsuki, Kirishima, Uraraka, Kaminari, and Sero were pretty close together, and we can assume Tsunagu and Shinya were, too, since they found each other quickly.” 

 

“You’ve found more of my classmates? And pro-heroes?” Iida’s eyes widened. “Do you think it might be possible that everyone survived?”

 

Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Doubt it. The world was pretty fucked before the portals opened. We didn’t find any civilians for days after Shigaraki’s ultimate move.” 

Iida frowned. “Then all we can do is revive who we can. This is my proposal. After Stoshad is over, Senku will revive one person at random and show the villagers that hope has arrived and that they can reunite with their families once we’ve found the ship and its precious cargo.”

 

“Hold on,” Gen said, “That’s a stupidly azy-cray idea. What if they want to imprison Senku for going against their god’s wishes?!”

 

Amaryllis finally spoke up, her voice absent of the accent the rest of the villagers appeared to have. Katsuki wondered if it was because she was a princess, like how some people from the richer parts of Japan spoke differently than people from other parts. “It may be a risk that’s worth taking. Without Chief Kanopus to influence them, I believe everyone will be happy that they have a real chance at reviving their families.” 

 

Iida added, “There will be resistance at first, I’m sure. But we heroes fight for what we believe is right, and in this case, it’s helping these people reunite with their families. Right, Uraraka? Bakugou?”

 

Katsuki swallowed the bitterness that had started to creep along his tongue. Flashes of the civil unrest during the war were burned into his mind. They played over and over until it made him feel sick.

 

How could he blame those people for feeling so unsafe? While the heroes were trained to keep damage at a bare minimum, there was no guarantee that people’s homes and property wouldn’t be endangered because of the epic fights taking place on the streets. And then to watch Gigantomachia decimate everything in his path to support a villain in battle that hated hero society for everything it was and everything it stood for…

 

It was like someone had flipped a switch. Suddenly, the blurred lines between hero and villain came to light. And as much as Katsuki wanted to shut his eyes to it and pretend it wasn’t there, this stone world full of pacifists drove the point home over and over again. If the rise of the original villains back when quirks first came to be had been handled differently, would his world have become nothing but a ball of barren dirt?

 

Was there a way it could have been handled differently? He wasn’t there, so he didn’t know. But watching society start over again from scratch made him think of the possibilities.

 

He was still a fighter through and through. He would blast his way through any challenge, claw his way to victory if he had to, and win every battle. But it was his image of afterward that was changing. In this stone world, every victory meant progress. Every achievement meant that someone got to sleep easier, or eat better, or be in better health. The Kingdom of Science didn’t win to earn points in some popularity contest, they won their battles because they believed what they were doing was right and had faith in each other, not a system they were told was just.

 

Someone like Iida who grew up in a hero family and hadn’t seen what Katsuki had seen would never understand. So Katsuki said nothing and let Uraraka agree with her friend. 

 

But Katsuki couldn’t help the feeling in his guts. Getting involved in the lives of the stone world people and wrenching away everything they knew would be a dangerous endeavor. But Katsuki didn’t see any other choice, either. 

 

And so Katsuki watched as hero society did what hero society does all over again.

Chapter 34: Stoshad

Many, many years ago… too many to count, there was once a man who lived upon an island.

 

This man lived among his Sem’ya, ascended from the founders from the stars. Born with the power to turn people to stone, he was humble about his abilities until the Great War burst forth. Kin fighting against kin, turning on each other over the Symbolic Piece. A shard of light so bright, anyone would smile in the pure joy it brought. 

 

There were those who sought to end those smiles and take the Symbolic Piece for themselves and all of its power, dimming its light and turning it evil. Villains who wanted only chaos and destruction.

 

After a bloody war and great losses on both sides, it pained the man so much to see his kin fighting. He took the most peaceful among the men and women and children, leading them to a safe place at the foot of the mountain to found their own village away from the battle. They called this village Heiwana after their wish for peace. 

 

But this simply was not enough. The battle spread all over the island, growing like a toxic fungus and infecting every corner of his home. And so, he had no choice but to do what he must. He used his great power and turned everyone who was battling into stone, only allowing those who valued peace to remain. However, the toll this power took on his body was so great, he himself turned into stone, permanently encased in an immortal coffin until the day he shall wake.

 

Those spared by his power shall live indebted to the god known as Kamen Kurieta, and shall await the day of his return to us mortals. All person-stone is of Kamen Kurieta’s will. Let us pray that one day he shall show mercy to those trapped for eternity.

 

Among a dense crowd of villagers, Katsuki watched the woman on the wooden stage recount the founding of the Heiwana village. Paper lanterns floated in the sky above them, the smell of festival food thick in the air. Those belonging to the village had traded their leather armor for robes that looked very similar to kimonos, only made with a slightly thicker fabric and adorned with petals from real flowers.

 

Someone had given him a clay bowl of honey glazed nuts as a welcome gift to the village. The nuts were a grayish white and just a little harder than peanuts. The villagers had called them haverseeds, but neither Katsuki, Senku, or Ryusui recognized what they really were.

 

Maybe they were like the cyanide-laced fruits, a brand new variety created through cultivation. 

 

So far, all of the villagers welcomed the strangers from another island, even after learning they were from Ishigami village. So long after the Great Divide and the horror they went through under Chief Kanopus, the differences between them weren’t as relevant. They were more shocked to find out that no, the world wasn’t flat and yes, there are other, much larger landmasses that exist out in the world that weren’t just islands and Japan is real and not just a fictional place in the Hundred Tales.

 

But it was something about the story the woman was telling on stage that made Katsuki think. There were details missing that just didn’t make sense for an ancient story like this. From what he knew of the Hundred Tales and folklore in general, stories as important as the foundation of a whole village and its religion were usually longer, more detailed, and offered explanations for what was usually a natural phenomenon.

 

So the missing detail about what the Symbolic Piece was and where it is now, and why there was a war fighting over it, was an odd exclusion. Could it have been a mineral found within the Soyuz? A shard of light so bright, anyone would smile in the pure joy it brought. Katsuki wracked his brain for any hint he could think of. Was it something like scheelite, which would glow under certain conditions? 

 

But then there were the lines about smiling and pure joy. 

 

There were those who sought to end those smiles and take the Symbolic Piece for themselves and all of its power, dimming its light and turning it evil. Villains who wanted only chaos and destruction.

 

It was rare to hear the word villain in stone world vocabulary. Usually they would be referred to as bad guys, enemies, or by name. The world villain was nearly exclusively used by people from his world. Because in the eyes of the people from superpowered Japan, anyone who did anything bad was a villain. Robbers would be grouped in the same category as murderers with that word. All it really meant was the adversary of heroes, or those that threatened peace.

 

And the people who threatened the peace of Heiwana would have fit the description of a villain from the perspective of anyone from his world. 

 

So was someone like a pro-hero around during that time? Someone, maybe, who talked about a Symbol of Peace rather than a Symbolic Piece? If over time the story had gotten warped and twisted and misunderstood, especially considering that these people spoke a language only adjacent enough to Japanese that they could understand each other on a basic level, was this…

 

Katsuki’s world’s history? A version of it that had been told and retold like an ancient game of telephone, parts missing or confused with the island’s own history?

 

After all, if all it took was luck and thinking so much that the energy it took ate away the stone, it was completely possible that anyone with a higher metabolism- someone like Endeavor, or Satou, or anyone else who burned a lot of energy just by the nature of their DNA could have woken up decades before Katsuki if given the right scenario. In theory, anyway. 

 

Katsuki’s whole body tensed as he listened to the cheerful voices around him. There had to be some way to figure out who was here before the Great Divide. Who had told stories of home, only for them to become a whole religion for these people to follow.

 

He stopped in his tracks as Gen’s voice came from behind him. “My, my, you look like you’ve figured something out. Why don’t you clue in the mentalist, phone a friend, as they say, hm?”

 

Katsuki turned to Gen with gritted teeth. He hated when the mentalist would show up the moment someone had an epiphany, or needed someone to deal with people. He was as much of a mind reader as Tsunagu, but Gen was much, much creepier about it. 

 

Though Katsuki didn’t have time to explain before Senku’s voice rang out from the stage, Iida next to him with the statue of a young child. “That’s right! With the power of science, I can bring back your families. Everyone who was petrified by the Medusa and Chief Kanopus.” He poured the revival fluid on the girl, already dressed in a robe. 

 

Shocked screams went through the crowd as the stone cracked and crumbled, the eyes of the girl greeting the crowd very much alive and real. The girl’s parents ran up to the stage and embraced her tightly, crying and thanking Senku for bringing their child back.

 

But not everyone was joyful. A man stood in the middle of the crowd. “You dare defy Kamen Kurieta with your science?” The crowd backed away from him, leaving him alone in a circle of his fellow villagers. “You may not have liked the way Chief Kanopus ran things, but he would never stray so far from our beliefs! Stone-persons are Kamen Kurieta’s will! We cannot go against that!”

 

The crowd murmured uneasily. Time slowed down as Katsuki watched the man reach into his robe, the glint of a knife sparking in the light of the paper lanterns and careening through the air right for Senku.

 

“Senku!”

 

His name ripped out of Katsuki’s chest as a wave of heat burst all around him.

 

Katsuki moved before he could think. And there he was again, using his body to protect another green-haired nerd from certain death and treating his organs like a pincushion. Lightning-hot pain sliced through his flesh as he fell back onto the wooden stage. Warm blood pooled underneath him. Rushed footsteps, honey-glazed seeds still stuck to his fingertips… and now, the sounds of war.

 

Katsuki could never escape it. Over and over again. Universe to universe. War would follow him like a monster stalking him through the night. And he would be left to lay, bleeding out and his life ebbing from his bones as the fight went on without him.

 

Where there was science and human progress, war was right behind. Peace was only an illusion, a temporary state that people clung to in hopes for better futures. 

 

War and pain and sacrifice… Those were the only constants. No matter when, or where, or who was behind it all.

 

Violence really was the only true universal language.

Notes:

Dropped 4 chapters in one day as a little gift to you all before I go on a small hiatus to wrap up a few side projects and get the ball rolling on new ones. Excited to see what you guys think going forward.

Iida/Amaryllis is not a ship I expected to write even going into this WIP, but she deserves someone genuine and he deserves someone strong willed and capable. I love them so much.

oh yeah, and I'm not sorry for what I've done to Katsuki. :)

Chapter 35: Weaving the Future

Millenia ago…

 

Everything was gone.

 

Everything. And everyone.

 

The coffin in the sky, the trees, the water, the clouds. Civilians and heroes alike all fell to Shigaraki’s ultimate move.

 

All Tsunagu had left was what remained of Shinya, a weak ghost of a man who somehow managed to survive as barely a thread of himself. 

 

Every minute, every hour that slipped by, Tsunagu watched over his partner and offered what comforts he could in a world with no food or water or medicine.

 

His own body was slowly suffering the effects of starvation and dehydration. His inability to access his hormone pills only made everything worse. Hot flashes, sweating, and a deep, unshakeable anxiety crushed him from the inside out. 

 

If anyone else was still alive, they were too far for his quirk to sense the fibers in their clothes or flesh. 

 

One particularly hot morning, perhaps three days or so since the end of the world, Tsunagu lifted Shinya in his arms. He guessed he weighed only about the same as a damp pair of jeans. His limp, suffering form was barely clinging to life as Tsunagu carried him. But alive he was, and alive he would stay no matter what Tsunagu had to do. And so he went east, hoping to find the sea, or any other survivors. Anything but this blank earth that stretched for miles.

 

He counted his steps. If for any reason he needed to return to that spot, he wanted to know how far he had traveled.

 

Ten thousand steps turned into fifteen thousand, fifteen thousand turned into nineteen thousand. And on the twenty thousandth step, Tsunagu’s foot found not hard earth, but the edge of a dark purple portal. 

 

This was Kurogiri’s quirk. And while it could have easily been a trap, Tsunagu decided a trap was better than dying with only barren dirt to call his grave. A trap would bring him to the villains, and they might have access to food and water. Even the worst of villains tended to at least feed their prisoners, especially if they were hostages. 

 

And so, he clung to Shinya’s body and stepped through the portal. He fell through the darkness, whispering to his partner that he’d do everything he could to make sure they’d make it through this. They would, they had to.

 

But Tsunagu and Shinya never felt the landing. A green flash was the last thing they saw, and nothingness was the last thing they felt.

 

Tsunagu spent most of his time afterward getting used to this nothingness and recounting the events of the war, and the events leading up to it. The desperate attempts, the failures, the obvious moves they had made. It all led to a devastating, unwinnable war. And it made them do the unthinkable.

 

Children were to be protected at all costs. They were the future of society, and they were innocent of the past generation’s mistakes. And yet, the moment things had gotten too hard for the pro-heroes, children were the first people they had recruited for the war they had started.

 

Lives were lost. Billions of lives had been turned to dust because of hero society, and what it stood for, and a single brat who felt so choked by it that he lashed out and successfully destroyed the world. 

 

Villains so rarely won in hero society. No one yet had made a successful attempt to gain unlimited money, or power, or many of the other things villains strive for. And yet in less than a decade, led and supported by a man who made his first attempt several years prior, a broken child had managed to do it.

 

The heroes had failed. Failed the world, failed the children, failed themselves, and failed the dreamers living deep inside their souls. The parts of themselves that drove them forward with hope for a better future, and the parts that acknowledged that they were the reason for the hope in people all over the world, too. 

 

Their wishes for the future were gone in an instant, stolen by the fingertips of a villain who won. And now, time was frozen. Possibly forever.

 

Was this the future everyone fought and died for? Tsunagu could only hope not. But as time passed, he could only wonder if this was death, or if the strange green light that overtook his senses was the trap the villains had led them to. And if that was the case, was Shinya experiencing the same limbo as he was? If their bodies were frozen in time, it could be that his injuries would heal in whatever stasis they were in. He could only hope, and he could only wait.

 

Tsunagu felt no hunger and no thirst, not even the desire to breathe. He was bodiless, senseless, the only sensations he could feel were the ghosts of memories. Remembering what his first sip of soju tasted like, and the feeling of holding a steering wheel to a sports car for the first time. His soul was carried through time and space with nary a bump nor graze.

 

Until light shone through the cracks between his eyelids. Something wet dripped over his forehead.

 

Life breathed into Tsunagu’s body once again. His soul crashed into a body he hardly recognized, one from before he had used his quirk to rearrange the fibers in his own body to reflect how he felt was proper for a person like him. A more feminine body, despite his allowance of masculine speech to reference himself. Now, his masculinity had returned and the softness he had strived for had been stolen by the strange stone that encapsulated him for an unknowable amount of time.

 

But of course, there were more pressing matters to attend to, like the body that was still clutched to him. Thin stone limbs rested atop his chest.

 

Tsunagu rose from the crackling stone that had imprisoned him. His noticed his clothes were completely gone from his body, as he observed his surroundings. The cave he woke up in was damp with bat guano that dripped down where his forehead had been.

 

He curiously, cautiously, allowed some to drip upon Shinya’s face, too, grimacing at the grotesque act, though desperate enough to try anything to bring Shinya back to life. 

 

Nothing happened. There was no dramatic burst of stone, no opening of the eyes. But Tsunagu left him there with hope and curiosity in his heart. If he could put the one he loved in the same conditions as his body had been in, perhaps they could see each other again once more.

 

Even if it was only one more time. Even if his body crumbled after he woke and became dust. Tsunagu had to try. He had to hope.

 

And so he waited. 

 

He fashioned clothing, hunted for food, built a more proper shelter out of denim weaved from natural sources found in the area, and dyed it a proper blue with the pigment of boiled flowers. 

 

And he waited. And waited. For seasons, for years, he waited for his love to awaken in this new, empty world of statues without a single human heartbeat or muscle twitch to sense through his quirk.

 

He was alone. All alone.

 

A fitting curse for someone who failed to protect everything he cared for.

 

Until he wasn’t alone anymore. Shinya woke from stone, his body still weak, but in better shape than before the petrification. Through careful experimentation, Tsunagu donated some fibers from his own arm, slowly, painfully weaving and grafting himself to Shinya.

 

Thread by careful thread, through diligent weeks and months and years of slow progress, his partner became whole again. His muscles atrophic, but getting stronger each day. His mind fragile, but returning to a healthy state the more energy he gathered. He didn’t- couldn’t, or wouldn’t, Tsunagu wasn’t quite sure- speak for a long while. Whether it was weakness that stole his voice, or the shellshock from the war, or both, his lips were sealed for anything more than eating or drinking.

 

Tsunagu did everything he could to care for the final thing he had left, fighting for his partner in a battle against nature and time and age. When his body weakened, he would weave more of himself into him. Flesh into flesh, blood into blood. His own body suffering from this desperate measure, and yet fighting on anyway. If only to witness Shinya walk again, or whisper his name.

 

If only to keep fighting side by side, as they always have.

 

Each battle was a reminder of the war they had lost, and the war they have yet to begin.

 

A war against time, and against the past, to restore what they once knew.

 

To restore a voice, whose first words in an unknown number of years were;

 

“How much of you is now me?”

Chapter 36: Shinya

The Kingdom of Science was strange, to say the least.

 

When Shinya had first stepped foot into their main camp, he had been immediately directed to a small hut where he could rest from the long walk between where Katsuki had found them and the Kingdom of Science camp.

 

No one expected anything of him. No one insisted he pull his weight or contributed in any way. When he was seen out of bed, he’d have fish soup or a bowl of foxtail ramen shoved at him by one of the elders and given a strict order to rest.

 

All they wanted from him was a focus on his own health. He could pay them back later, they all said. 

 

And it made Shinya restless.

 

He could hear the work being done just outside. The chopping of wood and the banter between people trying to work together. What they were working on, Shinya wasn’t certain. But it was a hero’s job to help, and here he was lazing about on a cot made for the sick.

 

Tsunagu stayed close by the whole time, working on a small loom that clattered day and night with clothing orders from Yuzuriha. If they were going to survive the winter with their added numbers, they would need plenty of warm clothing to keep them safe from the icy snow and bitter winds. 

 

“They’re correct,” Tsunagu insisted, too, coming inside the hut to start working on smaller fabrics. “It’s vitally important that you rest. But I’m concerned that the bed binding they’ve prescribed is too dramatic. They have concern for you, yet they do not know you at all. It’s quite the culture the Kingdom of Science has cumulated for itself. And I have a suspicion it’s all thanks to the scientist.”

 

“It’s possible a society based on science is much more effective than one based on a thirst for power.” Shinya observed. He slowly inched himself off of the cot and onto the floormat, joining Tsunagu and watching him manipulate threads through the hand-sized loom. “...Is this what it was like?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“To rebuild my body, to loan me of your own flesh so I would become whole again?”

 

Tsunagu hesitantly answered, “Yes. It was quite like this, though more complex. Your body and mine… they are no longer two entirely different things.” Tsunagu glanced up at him, then back down to his work. “I would do it again if need be. But I would prefer you keep your body intact. Unless of course there were intentional modifications you were interested in, but that’s another matter entirely.” Tsunagu worked the loom with deft hands, deliberately taking his time and putting care in each stitch. Whoever would be gifted this fabric, they would be shrouded in a product of dedication and precision. Shinya hoped it would be someone worthy of the efforts of such a man as his partner.

 

“It was my duty.” Shinya said. “There was no need for a child to die because of the failings of those who were sworn to protect him.”

 

“You don’t need to justify yourself to me, Shinya. I apologize if what I was saying felt like an attack on your judgement, it was not. I mean to say…” He placed the loom down, the wood noisily clattering together on the floor. “I will not lose you. I simply won’t allow it.”

 

Shinya reached over to Tsunagu’s hand, firmly grasping the top of his fingers. “We have no room for any further losses. We will not lose anything else. Not in this world, and not in our own. We will protect everything we have here, and everything we’ve established together. My heart is full and that will never change, no matter where we find ourselves.”

 

And that was the truth. No matter what this new world, or this new set of pioneer youth who were forging their way through to the future, had in store for them, they would have each other, and they would have hope in their hearts that they would lead them down the right path. 

 

The next morning, Shinya ventured out of his hut again. This time, respectfully turning down the gestures made by the elders. It felt wrong to do so, almost as if he were committing a crime, but it was a far more distasteful transgression to fall into the habits that laziness could bring. Rest would not cure Shinya any more than another bowl of foxtail ramen or being doted on by the elders would. 

 

And so he found the leader of the Kingdom, the young chief who had so willingly agreed to take them in with hardly a question beyond the nature of their quirks. And he asked a simple question, “What can I do?”

 

Senku thought for a moment, then said, “Anyone willing to put the work in is welcome in the Kingdom of Science. But honestly? We have things handled. Especially with Katsuki and the others.” 

 

Shinya wasn’t certain if it was simply his perception, but he swore he could see him glance toward his achingly thin body and his spindly hands that had not yet fully taken form. He had no fingernails and his palms were shorter than they should have been proportionate to the rest of his body.

 

He was simply a mess, and he knew it was easy to see. But there must be something he could do, somewhere he could lend his deformed hands so others could rest, themselves? 

 

“I insist.” Shinya pressed. “I’m feeling well, despite my appearance. Please do not judge this look of mine.” Though his walk through the camp gave him little inspiration to suggest a task to focus on. As much as he wanted to work, he knew he would only slow the hunters down and scare away prey with his rattled breaths and his low stamina, and the logging they were doing was no place for someone who could not yet pick up a saw or lift thick branches.

 

He knew his limits, and he stuck to them. Not for his own sake, but for the fear he saw in Tsunagu’s eyes and the dedication he had for saving his life. It would be a great dishonor to his partner to waste the effort he had given.

 

Relief came when Senku told him, “There is something I have in mind. But it’s grueling work, are you sure you’re up for it?”

 

Shinya pressed him a little, “I will do what I must. What is this task?”

 

By noon, he found himself in a cave of horrors. Bodies that had been petrified and crushed only to be glued back together awaiting for revival.

 

Desecration.

 

He tried to tell himself that these people were alive, and that these were not corpses. But handling the pieces of stone bodies was, as Senku said, a grueling task.

 

But an honorable task, nonetheless. There was nothing more heroic than sacrificing a part of yourself to the aid of others, and his expertise on human anatomy was of great use to those he was assisting in this task. And so Shinya spent his days reconstructing statues, his evenings cleansing himself through an ablution ritual- one that he and Yuzuriha silently shared, though sometimes afterward speaking of their own traditions and rituals and coming to the comforting conclusion that their beliefs were not so dissimilar- and his nights preparing himself to help more and more people reclaim the pieces of their bodies.

 

There was hope to be found in the Kingdom of Science, a hope that settled in Shinya’s heart and lingered there comfortably.

Chapter 37: Logical Thinking

Torchlight flickered around Senku as he kneeled next to Katsuki’s unconscious body. 

 

The last few days had been a complete blur. All-out war had broken out between two sides of the village; one side who simply wanted to bring their families back to life, and another side who was too afraid of Kamen Kurieta’s wrath to go against him.

 

Gen tried his best to convince them that Senku was sent by Kamen Kurieta and that this was his will, but it was far too late. One mention of science and it was all over. It turned out that Iida’s modern re-inventions were looked at as welcome sorcery, since none of it was intended to de-petrify Kamen Kurieta’s stone-persons. A paper lantern and a rice cooker was much different than reviving those who were petrified.

 

This was not something science could fix. No amount of cotton candy or ramen could turn people to their side when the issue was a deep generational fear of a powerful god and not the science or sorcery itself that scared them.

 

The heroes made things even worse by getting involved. Someone had sent Suika- discovered as a stowaway at one point or another, Senku wasn’t there for that part- as a scout to see what was taking them so long to return to the ship. Once she reported fighting to those still on the Perseus, every hero jumped into action to try to stop it.

 

That only led to more violence. Their quirks were deemed a sin against Kamen Kurieta. Because of that, Iida just barely managed to keep his spot as Chief. Though he mostly had Amaryllis to thank for her strength and influence that kept things from getting completely out of hand. Ultimately, she inspired an uneasy treaty between the factions. As long as no more statues were revived through science, the fighting would cease. For now.

 

But that left the Kingdom of Science at an impasse. They’d have no help looking for the Treasure Box and they had no way to recruit anyone, either. Not with such a brittle treaty and lives on the line.

 

All of this was happening, and yet Senku stayed right by Katsuki’s side the whole time. No matter how hard he tried to get himself to move, to leave him with a trusted village doctor or one of the pro-heroes, his legs just wouldn’t carry him away.

 

No… that was stupid. He knew it was stupid. That was just rhetoric people used for when they knew better than to let their emotions control them but they still decided to act on feelings instead of logic anyway.

 

Katsuki’s words echoed in his head. You’re sentimental as hell. 

 

Yeah, of course he was sentimental. His whole goal was to bring back every human that was alive during his time, and all the science that lived with them. Manga, video games, comic books, everything they had, everything they loved. He could easily let humanity start again and share the science he knew. But that wasn’t good enough for Senku. He was a scientist, and science would win over any challenge.

 

Science was Senku’s image of victory. A world where science was shared freely and enthusiastically, a world where science saved everyone and provided people with what they needed. From cola to cameras to medicine, science could give humanity so many cool and useful things if people were willing to work hard for what they wished for.

 

And there was no one who worked harder for what he wanted than Katsuki. From the very first day he walked into the lab, Katsuki had put aside his pride to work with the Kingdom of Science, and ever since, he put in literal blood and sweat into every project and brought them closer and closer to their ultimate goal with every step.

 

Though he grumbled the whole time, his competitiveness was easy to light like a fire. All they had to do was act like something was a competition, and he would get himself waist deep in whatever it was. From making wire for the cellphone to running in place for Senku to collect his sweat to work on the nitrosweat formula for revival fluid.

 

They both wanted to win in different ways. And they both had the self-confidence to do it.

 

But now… seeing Katsuki’s body in nearly the same state as Tsukasa’s, only without a freezer to slow down the dying process…

 

But nearly was the important part. Luckily the knife had gone clean through, missing his vital organs by mere millimeters. All Senku had to do was wait for him to heal enough to wake up.

 

Which should be any day now…

 

Any day now.

 

Senku leaned on one of his hands on the rocky cave floor, his eyes glued to the entrance so he didn’t have to look at Katsuki’s deathly pale face. “Here we are again, huh, Katsuki? Another cave, another near death sentence where I have to save your helpless ass.” He laughed a little. “How can someone so strong be so reckless? I mean seriously, all you had to do was find the river again and eat something other than rabbits and dogwood berries. You’ve caught plenty of deer since then! Do you…” Senku’s voice shook a little as the memories flooded through him. The long days and nights they spent together in that cave, not inventing or progressing but just surviving. It was peaceful in its own ways, frustrating in others. “Do you know what an epic fail is? Because that was pretty much you when we met. That electrolyte drink wasn’t even medicine, it was literally just a spinach shake with random stuff mixed in. Whatever I could get my hands on to get you to eat anything but rabbit-” 

 

“Shut up, Leekhead.” Katsuki groaned, his voice almost too quiet to hear.

 

But Senku heard it. And if he heard Katsuki speak, then… “You’re awake. Finally.” Senku turned and found those red eyes nearly glowing in the dark. 

 

Katsuki wheezed, his hand rising to the bandages across his chest. “You tryna talk me to death or somethin’?”

 

Senku chuckled at that. “If that works, I’ll have to add that to the list of weirdest ways to die.” He checked Katsuki’s bandages, tightening them a little here and there to apply the right pressure to the wound. “You know, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t make a habit of almost dying.”

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Why the hell do you care so much, huh? You should be searching for platinum or whatever, not playing nurse in some damn cave.”

 

“Because, dumbass,” Senku pointed at one of Katsuki’s hands. “I still want to figure out how to make nitric acid from your sweat. If we can’t find platinum, you’re our next best bet for a renewable supply of revival fluid. Someone’s gotta keep you alive.”

 

“Never heard you say ‘can’t’ before.” Katsuki grumbled, his eyes still burning into Senku without even a blink. “And you won’t find platinum if you’re stuck in this cave. So I call bullshit.” 

 

Senku looked Katsuki up and down, the accusatory gaze he was giving Senku burning a hole right through his chest. And he was right. He was ten billion percent right. And yet… “I’m the only one here that remotely passes as a doctor, you know.” Senku tried to pass another half-truth on him.

 

Katsuki grit his teeth, his gaze only leaving Senku for long enough for him to roll his eyes. “Sure. Lie to the guy with a hole in his chest. Whatever.”

 

Senku’s throat tightened. He wasn’t the type of person who openly talked about his feelings. He was more of an action guy. Build someone this, cook someone that, provide a village a way to sustain themselves through agriculture, gift a camera to a journalist under the false pretense he was going to do it anyway to look for oil when in reality her request was what inspired the idea of using cameras to find the oil fields in the first place. 

 

When it came to how he felt, it was nothing like his negotiation skills. Those were based on facts. And so he stated the facts. This for that. It was simple.

 

But this… wasn’t simple. A scientist whose only love was science and only goal was to restore humanity having his whole world flipped upside down by a superpowered stranger was not a factor Senku could have ever considered. He was an unexpected variable that short circuited his brain and made him act completely illogically. 

 

“We don’t have time for…” Senku tried to make the excuse, but the truth was, they had plenty of time. Until the civil war died down, it was best that Senku stayed in hiding, anyway, so no one had the chance to assassinate the scientist who could revive those petrified in stone. “You want honesty, huh?” Senku thought hard about what he’d say, the cave silent for too many moments, red eyes resting on him for far too long awaiting an answer.

 

“Would be nice for once instead of dancing around it like you’re scared or somethin’.” Katsuki’s breath shuttered before he coughed again, spewing blood across the ground next to him. “If it’s bad, tell me it’s bad.”

 

“You’ll be fine. You’ll live.” That was the truth, as dramatic as Senku felt about the situation. He just needed time and experienced hands to help him recover, just like before. Senku tilted his head up to watch the crystals in the stalagmites above them shimmer in the dim light that managed to find its way into the cave. He knew that wasn’t exactly the answer Katsuki was looking for, though. “My number one interest is reviving humanity. Because of that, I can’t afford to get distracted by anything else but science and the Kingdom of Science’s needs.” Senku admitted. “Even in my old life, I wasn’t particularly interested in making friends. Taiju and Yazuriha just kind of waltzed into my life on their own and stayed for the excitement of blasting off rockets into space. They’re loyal, don’t get me wrong. But I wasn’t looking for any kind of relationship with anyone, platonic or otherwise.”

 

“Yeah, sounds like you. A damn genius but shortsighted as hell.” Katsuki’s every syllable wheezed now, the pain tangible in his voice. “Get to the point, would you? I’m about to pass out again.”

 

“Fast forward thousands of years later and by dumb luck, you’re here.” Senku hurriedly said. If he was going to be honest, now was the time. And hopefully Katsuki would forget this whole thing, anyway, “You’re here, a guy with legit superpowers who almost matches me in intelligence. And you’re not exactly approachable, either. But something about you, well…” Senku laughed at himself a little. “My oxytocin levels skyrocket, pure dopamine driving me forward like some kind of damn trance and making me care about your wellbeing more than anyone else. That’s why despite all logic, I stayed here to make sure you survived. I could have told anyone to stay. Yuzuriha, or I’m sure even Ukyo or Ryusui have some kind of medical experience. I’m the science man. The brains of the operation. But I stayed by your side. Because the Kingdom of Science has taught me one thing.” As he put a finger up, he realized his hand was shaking, so he put it down and clutched onto the strap of his bag. “Never underestimate the power of a solid bond with your teammates. You have to believe in people, you know? So… yeah. I’m lucky I learned to run parallel processes in my mind, cause as crazy as it sounds, you’re what I’ve been thinking about the most.”

 

Sweat dripped down Senku’s forehead as his heart raced like a ticking time bomb in his chest. But Katsuki wanted honesty, he got honesty. It wasn’t Senku’s fault if he didn’t like it.

 

Still… it was only natural for Senku to want him to like it. A basic need for his feelings to be accepted, if not reciprocated. Maybe he’d ask Gen later about the psychology behind it. Or maybe he just didn’t want to sit in for that particular lecture. At this point, he wasn’t quite sure if there was any logic behind it at all. 

 

“So, what?” Katsuki whispered in the darkness after exactly 93 seconds (Senku counted). “This some kinda desperate love confession just ‘cause I got impaled?”

 

“Something like that.” Was all Senku could manage to say. He didn’t know what to say from here.

 

Katsuki closed his eyes for a moment, worrying Senku that he had passed out before he said, “This ain’t my first rodeo, you know. I’ve been skewered like this before. And for the same reasons. Someone I was stupid enough to care about was in the way and I jumped right in. I didn’t even think. My body just moved on its own.”

 

“That’s stupid.” Senku said. “Your body moves through electrical signals sent to your muscles, and the adrenaline made you act before you realized you were thinking.” Senku’s fingers ran across Katsuki’s bandages, checking them for effective placement again despite the fact that Katsuki hadn’t moved. “I never stopped thinking when I carried you into this cave. What I did stop was any logical thought. And that’s dangerous for a scientist.”

 

“That’s why you gotta have someone like me to kick the danger’s ass.” Katsuki mumbled.

 

“Ha!” Senku teased, because of course he would say that. “That’s rich, coming from the guy who coulda bled out in some rat-infested cave if I wasn’t here to help you out. Even now I’m not thinking logically. You’re not gonna die. You’ll be up again in a few days, and then we’ll figure out where the platinum is and get out of here.”

 

He watched Katsuki’s eyes flutter shut and his breath slow down as he finally passed out.

 

All Senku could do was wait, and hope they were both right. Katsuki would be fine, and no one was going to die on Senku’s watch.

Notes:

Katsuki fumbled the bag so hard here ;-; dw y'all it's coming though

Chapter 38: Uneasy Alliance

The meetinghouse was loud with arguing. 

 

Uraraka did her best to stay calm while fists slammed against tables and the villagers hurled insults at each other that she couldn’t understand. Two factions fought over the fate of the stone statues on the island while all she could do was watch.

 

She couldn’t help the frustration that bubbled up in her chest. She wished she could tell these people the truth, that there was no Kamen Kurieta, that he was a villain that had no power over the petrification or their lives at all. But getting further involved like that would only make things worse, especially as a stranger to this island. 

 

But something had to be done, especially since this war was their fault in the first place. If they had never come to this island, and if the pro-heroes hadn’t jumped into the fight, then the number of injured and burial plots the villagers had to dig would have been less. 

 

Fighting and war was not why Uraraka became a hero. She wanted to rescue people from accidents and natural disasters, and she wanted to help her parents live an easy life. She wanted to see people smile. She wanted to reach her hand out and help people. It was really that simple. And yet, it was never simple at all.

 

“That’s enough!” Amaryillis slammed her hand down on the table in front of her, standing up and walking to the middle of the meetinghouse. Her jade outfit glinted in the torchlight that lined the walls. “We can’t sit by wondering if this is Kamen Kureita’s will. Atlas,” She gestured to the well-muscled leader of the anti-revival rebellion. “How do we know that Senku and his revival fluid weren’t sent by Kamen Kureita? After all, not a single one of us has been revived before they came here. The only person ever recorded to be shown mercy is our Chief, an outsider just like them. Have you thought that maybe he was sent to finally give us peace, and our families back?” She insisted. “If anyone should be revived, shouldn’t we revive our god and let him tell us what we should do?”

 

Uraraka shoved down her panic at her suggestion. While Kurogiri had been beaten before, it could still be really bad if he was revived before they were ready. But of course Amaryllis wouldn’t know that unless Iida told her. 

 

Atlas stood up and snarled at her, his teeth sharpened to unnatural points. “That’s insane! He’ll revive himself when it’s time! We cannot go against his will!”

 

Another girl argued, though, “The stories say that all stone-persons are Kamen Kurieta’s will! Kamen Kureita is not a person, he’s a god. Oh…” She covered her mouth with her hand in shocked realization. “What if he’s trapped in stone and we’ve left him like that when he wanted us to let him out?”

 

Atlas stared at her. “He’s a god, I’m certain he could de-petrify himself.”

 

Someone else argued, “Then why did he let Chief Kanopus use the Medusa for his own personal gain? You can’t deny that. It can’t be Kamen Kureita’s will when he originally froze everyone to stop a war and sacrificed himself for peace!”

 

And another voice added, “He might know where the Symbolic Piece is! Maybe that’s the answer!”

 

As the meetinghouse’s arguments shifted toward agreement to revive the statue of their idol, Uraraka turned to Iida. “We’re not letting them revive him, are we?”

 

Iida frowned, pushing his glasses up with two fingers. “We may not have any other option. If they revive him and his true nature is revealed, we may be able to turn the villagers to the side of truth. As much as I dislike the idea of destroying a whole culture, it will be their chance to start anew with the facts.” His eyes were steely as he watched the arguments back and forth.

 

Uraraka nervously pressed her fingertips into her thighs. “I don’t like this. There has to be a better way.” 

 

But it was too late. The villagers were already demanding the revival fluid, surrounding Uraraka, Gen, and Ryusui with reaching hands. 

 

They had no choice. Uraraka had no choice. As soon as they agreed to revive Kamen Kurieta, the violence could easily turn on the strangers who had the revival fluid. There was nothing in the treaty that guaranteed their safety, and even if there was, the desperate looks on the villager’s faces was enough to convince her that they’d do anything to get their hands on what they needed to reach their common goal.

 

She floated herself above the crowd and clung to the straw roof of the meetinghouse. “Everyone! Listen!” She shouted above the din, “We don’t have any more revival fluid on us right now. We came to this island in search of the platinum inside the Treasure Box, the Soyuz! That way we can make more. Please,” She begged as desperate looks turned to doubtful, distrusting ones. “Don’t tear yourselves apart over this. Those from Ishigami village made a mistake by getting involved in your conflict. Please let us make it up to you and help us find platinum! Let’s work together from here on out and revive your god so we can get some answers!” 

 

There was some hesitation, but eventually, the tension in the room lessened just enough. Atlas glared at Iida. “We’ll see what Kamen Kurieta has to say, himself.” He begrudgingly shook Iida’s hand. “I will tell my men to cooperate. No more blood will be shed in the name of Kamen Kureita as long as you vow to keep the peace and create the elixir we need to revive him.”

 

Iida glanced up at Uraraka, and at her confident nod, he shook Atlas’s hand in return. “No more violence. We will work together using everything we know in order to find what we need to create more revival fluid. And one more condition, call off the assassination attempt on Senku. We will need his science to move forward.” 

 

“Deal.” Atlas nodded and gave one of his messengers a hand signal. The messenger dutifully ran off with a scroll in hand. 

 

Uraraka sighed in relief. Finding the platinum would at least buy them some time before Kurogiri’s statue would be revived. Hopefully, they would have found Izuku by then and… something. They’d figure out something.

 

As much as Katsuki teased her about it, finding Izuku had to be their priority no matter how she felt. After all, if any of the villains woke up and found him first, it was likely that yet another war would start all over again. That’s the last thing anyone needed.

 

Uraraka lowered herself back to the ground, landing near Gen, Amaryllis, and Iida. “We should update Senku and let him know we’re going to start searching for platinum.” 

 

Amaryllis nodded. “They’re hidden in a cave not too far from the village. Let’s let them rest for the night and I’ll send word in the morning. We’ll hold a meeting with all the villagers then, too. But it’s important that everyone recovers after the horrible tragedy that happened.”

 

Iida agreed with her. “We should all rest. There is an empty house on the western side of the village. I’ll post guards outside so those from Ishigami village have a safe place to sleep.”

 

“Thanks, Iida.” Uraraka fought the tightness in her chest. This was not her place to cry, not over what she had done, and not over what the people of Heiwana lost. Though what she had seen was too close to home, too bloody and crowded by corpses. She swallowed her emotions and steeled herself to go outside and face the bloodstained ground around them.

 

Rain started to patter down to the earth, washing away the evidence of battle.

Chapter 39: Past, Unburied

Katsuki had spent the past few days in some kind of apothecary’s hut to be taken care of by an older woman. The aromatics she burned made breathing easier, and she fed him simple broths and small portions of rice while he was in recovery.

 

Her name was Lyra, or so Katsuki had heard from someone else. Her hair was thick and gray, braided in twin pigtails that draped down to her knees. Her hut had been built differently than the others. The roof was shorter and so were the shelves built on the walls. The perfect height so she could reach anything in her home despite her very short stature. Katsuki guessed she was a little under 100 cm, or about up to his waist if he had been standing. Something about her face was a little familiar, but Katsuki just chalked it up to the same reason most of Ishigami Village looked all the same to him. 

 

And Katsuki couldn’t explain it, but every time she sang, his pain dulled a little. Maybe his theory about quirks in this universe was right. Or maybe it was all in his head.

 

Right now, she was quietly singing a tune about the Symbolic Piece and the joy it had given anyone who witnessed it. Katsuki’s gaze followed her as she moved around the hut gathering ingredients and mixed them with a mortar and pestle. 

 

If anyone in this village had answers, it was probably an ancient apothecary. “What are you singing about?” He tried to keep his voice low. He wasn’t the only person in the hut. There were half a dozen others that had gotten injured in the civil war, though the battle had only lasted for a brief time.

 

The woman turned to Katsuki with a bowl of paste in her hands. “The Symbolic Piece.” She whispered, “No one quite knows what it is. Some say it’s an object, and some say it’s a feeling in your heart. And others…” She worked at the bandages wrapped around Katsuki’s chest, unraveling them to reveal the grotesque wound right under his clavicle. “Others say it’s a person who lived alongside Kamen Kurieta, the one who created the stories to reach future generations.”

 

“This person…” Katsuki asked, “Do they have a name?”

 

Lyra gave him a soft look, her grey eyes full of a gentle, warm kindness. Fitting for an apothecary, but there was something about her that Katsuki just couldn’t place. Almost like they had met before at a different time, or maybe in a different world. “They say he was the first Chief of this village. Here, if you’re interested, take this.” She reached over to a bookshelf. “I meant to hand this over to Chief Iida after he was wed to our princess, but time has gotten the better of me. I suppose he won’t miss it for too long.”

 

Katsuki took the old, dusty book. The cover was made from crackling leather and the pages were an odd yellow material. Not quite paper and sort of hard like wood, though Katsuki wasn’t exactly sure what they were made of.

 

The title was written inside of the book, the first two words in the roman alphabet- probably from the English part of their language- and the name written in Japanese. The First Chief: Toshinori.

 

Katsuki’s hands shook a little as he read the name. If this was who he thought it was, that would explain everything. He turned the pages and began to read the story.

 

In the hundredth year after the death of the final founder from the stars appeared a man from another world. 

 

The founders from the stars must have been the astronauts that had landed on the island. That much, Katsuki had already figured out.

 

This man held incredible power. The flames of justice followed him wherever he went…

Notes:

There's a reason Lyra is familiar to Katsuki... what are your thoughts?

Chapter 40: Toshinori

Fire crackled inside Yagi Toshinori’s chest, the sparks warming his body in pulses, waves of energy flowing through his every limb until his body burst forth into the light around him. 

 

And then the fire was in front of him. Crackling with life, dancing with joy as he arose from his stone prison. Tending to the flames was a familiar, scruffy face.

 

“Morning,” Naomasa Tsukauchi greeted him, now much older than Toshinori had remembered him. His hair was graying in places and his face was weathered from sun exposure. “I waited for you, you know.”

 

The midday sun seared against Toshinori’s back. “How long have we…” His hands twitched as an odd sensation overtook his body. He glanced down at his side where he had expected to see the purplish necrosis that had plagued him for years, but there was nothing there but healthy skin.

 

The odd sensation flowing in his veins was energy. The tiredness, the pain, the constant hunger he felt from being unable to properly digest food. It was all gone. Cured. His body was almost like it was before his fight with All For One.

 

Cautiously, he concentrated on the flame still burning in his heart. And he let it spread through his muscles, flexing every inch of himself and growing taller, his face stretching into a signature grin.

 

No blood spurted from his lungs. No wheezing or coughing wracked his chest. He was healthy. Still a fifty-something year old man, but his joints no longer felt the damage of a heroic life and every fiber of his being thrummed with youthful energy.

 

Toshinori put his hands up in embarrassment, though, as he noticed that Naomasa was covering his eyes and cringing away. His clothes hadn’t survived the journey from one place to another, apparently. He shrunk himself back down to normal.

 

Naomasa cleared his throat and handed Toshinori a pair of shorts and a shirt made from some kind of rough fabric. “The local villagers gifted this to us.”

 

“Villagers?” Toshinori raised a brow at him. “Where are we, exactly? Where is Shigaraki?”

 

“I don’t know. But it appears we’ve been brought to a place where people were turned to stone somehow. These villagers are the descendants of astronauts who escaped the petrification.” He glanced behind him. “They say their spaceship is still on the island somewhere.” 

 

“I see…” Toshinori clothed himself before experimentally moving his body again. He could stretch and jump and do all the things he used to do completely pain-free. “It’s a miracle…”

---

Eventually, Toshinori and Naomasa joined the villagers in their search for the Treasure Box. Toshinori used his quirk for everything he could, just glad his power had somehow returned. Though he was still technically operating on the embers of One For All, they were stronger than ever. His renewed body was able to handle the power with ease. 

 

Together, the villagers, Toshinori, and Naomasa built a peaceful society. And with that peace, agriculture, written language, and traditions started to take root in the village, including skills that were lost to time and disease after a particularly devastating few years after the death of the Founders from the Stars. 

 

When the villagers proposed the first Stoshad, Toshinori was named the first Chief of the village for all that he had done for the people who survived.

 

Toshinori shared stories with the villagers about his home. He told them about the heroes and their goals to save everyone’s smiles, and Naomasa- very helpfully- told them that’s what it meant to be the Symbol of Peace.

 

The children in particular loved the stories so much, they started making up their own versions, calling it poklonen and starting a brand new tradition. 

 

But when the Medusas started raining from the sky and people started to figure out what they could do, everything changed. The moment that the villagers had a taste of power, factions split and the concept of dictatorships were reborn. 

 

Toshinori and Naomasa did their best to quell the flames of civil unrest. They almost succeeded, too, if it weren’t for the discovery of Kurogiri’s statue buried underground.

 

Every statue the villagers were familiar with looked human. But not Kurogiri’s. His stone form was much like his usual appearance, thin eyes that gazed down at his adversaries, a head shaped like a wisp of smoke. The discovery of someone like that was too much for them and the villagers split between those who followed the Hundred Tales and those who worshipped Kurogiri as the god who sent the rain of Medusas to earth. The Great Divide was underway, and all anyone could do was hope that those who set sail survived to reach Japan.

 

The frenzy was too much for Toshinori or Naomasa, their lives halted by petrification once again.

Chapter 41: Dynamite Guy and Leekhead

Katsuki didn’t care how much his wound hurt after he finished reading. The moment he closed the book, he packed a bag and set out for the shore. 

 

He left in the cover of the night with only the full moon, the stars, and when he was far enough, small explosions from his palm to light his path.

 

Out there, somewhere, was All Might’s statue. And where All Might was, Izuku was surely not too far away. Two birds with one stone, he could feel that in his very core. His bandages were pink from bleeding, but he kept going anyway even as the sun rose.

 

He reached the western shore by midday. There were a few statues there, but no one he recognized. These people seemed to be a mix of farmers and tourists, their bodies half buried in the earth below.

 

“Stop hiding, you idiot!” Katsuki shouted into the sky. It was almost like the damn nerd was avoiding him. After all this time, did he really have no idea how to find Katsuki? No… he was being avoidant for a reason. For the same damn reason he left UA years ago, what felt like lifetimes ago. “Damn it, Izuku!” Katsuki kicked the sand in front of him. “I know you’re here, so show your damn self, already!”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth. All they needed to do was find Izuku and keep him away from any other villains that might still be around. They had Shigaraki captive and Kurogiri in the public eye of the village, but that didn’t mean no one else from the villain’s side had survived and were out here waiting for an opportunity to kill the wielder of One For All.

 

And if they used his buffet of quirks, they could find everyone else faster, and finally get home.

 

Katsuki followed the shoreline to the north. In the background of the recording by Lillian, he could hear the sound of ocean waves. They played that damn record over and over again so many times it was burned into Katsuki’s skull. 

 

That meant they were probably living by the ocean. So if Katsuki could find any sign of the old village, then maybe there was a way to track down where All Might’s statue was.

 

A sudden crash of the underbrush made Katsuki turn on his heel. “Damn it, Izuku!” But the green-haired cause of his startle wasn’t Izuku. Instead, it was Senku who was riding in a makeshift cart of some kind. He must have used the downhill slope of the island toward the shore to follow Katsuki.

 

The cart careened toward the ocean, its wheels falling apart just before it could crash into the water. Senku steadied himself on the cart before looking up at Katsuki. “Rion and Novaline said you went this way, glad I caught up to you.”

 

Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away from Senku. “I’m fine, Leekhead. Go back to the village.”

 

But Senku matched his pace, anyway, leaning his head back in his hands. “You’ve got a lead to find the Treasure Box, don’t you? I came along with this to help with the search. That book you were reading had a lot of useful information.” He handed Katsuki the makeshift sensor Chrome had made a while ago to look for iron.

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue at him. “I woulda found it without your fancy metal detector. It’s a big ass ship, how hard was it for these people to find this whole time?”

 

“Dumbass,” Senku gave him a look. “You’re supposed to be a genius, too. Think a little harder.”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth in annoyance. Of course it wasn’t going to be easy to find a metal structure that could have rusted over the past three thousand years, or had been buried under the earth and flora that was starting to take over the statues, too. “Fine. I get the point.” He begrudgingly took the sensor from his hands.

 

“And I brought more of Lyra’s poultice for that stab wound. It’s basically a stone world miracle drug.” Senku handed him a jar to put in his bag.

 

Katsuki didn’t say anything to him as he shoved the poultice into the leather bag he was carrying. As they walked along the beach and searched for clues of human life or an ancient civilization, he did his best to just keep his mind on the task at hand.

 

But his best wasn’t nearly enough to make him forget that half-assed confession he had gotten in the cave. Some bullshit ramble about oxytocin and dopamine, what kind of crap was that?

 

Part of Katsuki wanted to tell him exactly how he felt about it, and about him just to show him how it’s done. But once again, the words just wouldn’t come. Katsuki was speechless.

 

Mostly because he never really expected the peaceful scientist to fall for the aggressive hero. But here they were. This was how things ended up.

 

As the setting sun painted the sky pink, the pair set up camp in the middle of the beach. Senku started a fire, though neither bothered to make a shelter. Katsuki’s nitroglycerin scent was enough to scare away predators and the night would be warm enough to sleep with only sleeping bags on the sand.

 

By the time they set up camp, the world went dark. Though it had been years of living in the stone world, every time Katsuki saw the night sky, it still took his breath away. The swirls of gaseous clouds, the bright stars, the fact that the north star was always a little off. The feeling of being so, so small in the universe and yet so significant to everyone around him, for better or for worse. 

 

Whether he liked it or not, people tended to flock around Katsuki even if he wasn’t looking for friends Whether it was the affectionately named Bakusquad from UA or his middle school buddies or people like Izuku.

 

And then he had the Kingdom of Science, who more or less welcomed him with open arms and accepted his place as a General, included in all of their plans and consulted on more than one occasion due to his experience in warfare.

 

Not to mention Senku who trusted him completely despite his unbelievable backstory and strange powers. If Katsuki wanted to, he could burn the entire Kingdom of Science down in seconds flat. But he had never been looked at like a villain no matter how gruff he got with those around him. 

 

Nor did they see him as a hero, either. He was just a person who was doing what was right. And that was… oddly refreshing, in a way. There was no applause, no merchandise, no news cameras in his face. Nothing but gratitude and a continued faith that he’d make choices that would push the Kingdom of Science forward.

 

“It’s weird as hell.” Katsuki said aloud, his gaze glued to the stars above. “Where I come from, no one takes action unless they’re rewarded. When they see somethin’ happen, they just wait for a hero to show up. Someone on the government’s damn payroll.”

 

Senku asked, “No one ever did anything if they weren’t a pro-hero? Even if someone was in danger in front of them?”

 

“No.” Katsuki said. “They’d just scream or run away or freeze in fear. And of course vigilantes were illegal, so it was too risky, anyway. Izuku was damn near arrested once for saving… someone from a sludge villain before he got his license. Quirks could only be used in public if it was for self-defense.” Katsuki stared angrily up at the stars, hoping that someone somewhere out there who was responsible for making those dumbass decisions could feel the seethe of his anger through space and time. “If I’m right about quirks developing in this world, then it's aboutta be plunged into the same damn chaos in a generation or two after everyone’s de-petrified. We know what happens when someone’s given too much damn power.”

 

Between the Tsukasa Empire’s reign over trying to murder petrified people they deemed unfit for the new world, to Hyoga attempting to kill Mirai, and the stories they heard of the former chief of Heiwana village and the tales in the book Katsuki and Senku read, it was clear that even in the stone world, or maybe especially in the stone world, there were people who were hungry for power. And people who abused that power once they got it. 

 

Senku replied, “The idea of forming some kind of government doesn’t move me one millimeter. I’m just a nerd who wants to bring back all the cool things humanity has to offer and revive everyone on the planet.” He glanced over to Katsuki, his gaze catching his attention from the corner of his eye. “But if I had it my way, quirks would be used to push humanity forward. There’s so much that science could do with just your nitroglycerin sweat or Uraraka’s antigravity. If we could harness her power and figure out the science, we’d never have to worry about using land for agriculture.” He reached his hand up to the stars. “We’d have floating gardens in the sky. No pests or diseases could spread up there. We’d have a totally sustainable food source for everyone. And that’s just the start.”

 

Katsuki’s chest warmed as he indulged Senku’s imagination, picturing just what he described. Floating islands of food resources, maybe whole ranches up in the sky. Those were the kinds of advances the world should have had due to quirks. Instead, the first bit of floating earth they had was used for warfare, not progression. The most technologically advanced tools they had were support items for heroes to keep villains in line. Their medicine wasn’t even that advanced, they were just lucky enough to have people like Recovery Girl in hospitals. 

 

Quirks were both his world’s greatest strength, and its oppressive weakness. And Katsuki could see that now. Maybe it was being in this stone world and watching how quirkless people acted when they were the majority, or maybe, even, it was because he was getting older and thought more critically about his old life, or a bit of both. 

 

And maybe it was Senku himself who opened his eyes. Even in the middle of war, he refused to let his people actually harm anyone. They used science to solve their problems and save who and what they could. 

 

“I won’t be here long enough to see you revive the whole world.” Katsuki fought back the sour taste on his tongue. But no matter how he felt about Senku or the Kingdom of Science, he’d never forgive himself if he just gave up on his own world. “But while I’m here, you and the Kingdom of Science will have someone at your back. I dunno how we’re gonna stop this civil war for good, but I ain’t letting another war destroy everything.”

 

“Yeah…” Senku’s voice was quiet. “You sure you want to go back? Don’t want to grow old with the Kingdom of Science, watch humanity start over? Could be fun.” He wasn’t looking at Katsuki anymore, his eyes moving as if tracing the stars. Katsuki would bet anything that he was naming all the constellations in the sky in his head as they spoke.

 

But the talk of growing old… 

 

Katsuki laughed at it a little. “Who says I’m gonna grow old with anyone? That ain’t my style.” No way would he end up some old man. A hero’s life wasn’t going to be kind to his longevity, he knew that, and that was perfectly fine. “Nah, if I’m going out it’ll be in a blaze of glory or some other corny shit. But that doesn’t mean I’m interested in being alone forever, either.” The last sentence came naturally, even if it took him forever to realize it. And now, nerves started bundling in his guts. If he was going to say anything, that would be the perfect excuse to start rambling about his feelings.

 

It didn’t help that this conversation was only rehashing how he felt on the ship when Tsunagu gave him the talk about weaving relationships, or whatever he said. Katsuki swallowed back any hesitation, though. He had spent months being speechless and unsure what to say. Now, the words were burning at his throat. “Nah, I ain’t interested in that shit one millimeter. Not anymore.” Katsuki sat up, just barely hiding the wince from the pain in his chest. “While I’m still here, in this stone world of yours, I’m not interested in ignoring how I feel, either. All that crap you said about oxytocin and dopamine? That was a dumbass way to make being stupid sound smart.” He watched the waves intently, the ebb and flow of gravity pushing and pulling on the water. And he let that gravity take hold of him, too, allowing himself to fall, fall, fall deeper into his own feelings. He wanted to do this right, to say it with his whole chest. “It’s stupid, thinking it’d be worth trying to be together when we don’t know how much time I have left in this world. And even dumber that I’ve decided I don’t give a damn.” He tore his eyes away from the ocean, meeting Senku’s shocked gaze lit only by the weak embers of the campfire. “While I’m here, I don’t plan on leaving your side again. Because you’re who I want, universes be damned, time be damned, logic be damned. Whatever. So for once put your science and logical thinking away and tell me what you actually want.”

 

Senku blinked a few times before his face softened a little. “You’re right. It is pretty stupid. But it’s exhilarating, too. Ten billion percent exhilarating.” His eyes dropped to the sand below. “The scientist in me is screaming at me. We should be looking to repopulate the earth in case the whole revival mission doesn’t work out, right? Two guys like us can’t do that.”

 

“Gross.” Katsuki curled his lip at him.

 

Senku laughed. “Yeah, that’s pretty much how I feel. Unlike people like Ginro or pretty much any of the other guys, that kind of thing doesn’t interest me at all. Gen could probably tell me what it’s called to feel this way. But whatever it is doesn’t matter. I want the Kingdom of Science to welcome everyone. So I’m glad we’re on the same page.” He looked down at the palm of his hand. “A scientist shouldn’t be afraid to try new things, but I’m nervous as hell. I mean, look at me.” His hand was shaking and his skin was a little pale. 

 

Katsuki slipped his hand in Senku’s palm, steadying the shake with a strong, but gentle grip. “That’s why ya gotta have a guy like me. I’m not scared of anything.”

 

Senku snickered at him. “So your palm isn’t sweating ten billion percent more than normal?”

 

Katsuki almost subconsciously pulled his hand away, but Senku didn’t let him. “As long as I don’t blow up or anything, it’s fine.”

 

“No promises.” Katsuki joked, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he let their hands rest in the warm sand.

Chapter 42: Blue and Green

Katsuki and Senku woke up with their pinkies interlocked in the sand, the waves waking them with loud crashing against the shore. The sun was rising in the sky and birds were cawing in the distance.

 

The salty air was thick on Katsuki’s tongue as he came to consciousness, wincing as he was painfully reminded of his injury. 

 

Beside him, Senku shifted in his bedroll. “We should change your bandages and reapply the poultice. Don’t want that wound getting any worse than it is.”

 

Pain radiated from his shoulder as Katsuki sat up and took off his shirt. The bandages were red, but not bloody enough to cause too much alarm. Katsuki winced as he tried to unwrap them himself. Senku reached his hands up, but didn’t touch the bandages until Katsuki hissed, “The hell you being shy for? You wouldn’t have hesitated before. Nothin’s changed.”

 

That wasn’t true, though. Everything had changed. Instead of tension and wondering how this was going to play out, Katsuki was warm and felt like he had fallen right into place where he wanted to be. For now, at least. Until he had to go home.

 

“You’re right.” Senku laughed at himself. “I’ve nursed you back from certain death twice now. It’s no different this time.” He peeled the bandages away. The wound had already shrunk and the swelling had gone down significantly, but what Katsuki really needed were stitches. Senku asked, “Think Tsunagu would patch you up if we went back to the ship?”

 

Katsuki grumbled at him, “Headband girl knows her way around a needle. Don’t go underutilizing your Kingdom of Science’s skills just because we all have quir-” Katsuki sucked air through his teeth midsentence as the green poultice stung at his wounds. Senku applied it with a medical sponge of some sort.

 

“Sorry, thought I’d distract you a bit.” Senku apologized,

 

Katsuki snickered a little. “You’re distracting enough, Leekhead.”

 

Senku gave him an amused smirk. “Oh, so I’m still Leekhead, huh? Guess you’ll still be Dynamite Guy from here on out.” He kept applying medicine to Katsuki’s wound, his hands busy with keeping Katsuki steady and dipping the sponge into the poultice.

 

Katsuki half-jokingly corrected him. “It’s Great Explosion Murder God: Dynamight.” 

 

“Sure, Dynamite Guy. Whatever you say.” 

 

This time, though, Katsuki didn’t mind the nickname. Especially not with that much affection dripping in Senku’s voice. 

 

“Damn…” Katsuki watched Senku’s expression closely as he said, “You were holding back all this time and you were this down bad? You’re an idiot.”

 

Senku’s whole body visibly stiffened at the accusation, his cheeks reddening a little. “What can I say? A scientist can have good taste.” 

 

“So can a hero, obviously.” Katsuki watched Senku’s hands as he wound the bandages around his chest and shoulder. “You know I’m not letting you out of my damn sight from now on, right? Damn magnet for people trying to kill you.”

 

“Like you’re one to talk.” Senku stood up and brushed the sand off his clothes, reaching a hand out to Katsuki to help him stand, not that he was strong enough to make much of a difference. 

 

As they quietly packed their bedrolls and moved along the shore, Senku said, “I meant what I said before.”

 

“When?” Katsuki rolled his eyes. The guy talked so much that what he was trying to reference could mean ten billion things.

 

“I’m not a fan of getting handsy. This is probably the closest we’re gonna get on a daily basis.” They were walking shoulder to shoulder, just close enough for their sleeves to brush together. “I’m a scientist, after all. My hands are always busy.”

 

Katsuki glanced over at Senku for a moment before returning his gaze to the beach. “Fine by me. I ain’t trying to grow a new limb or a person-shaped tumor or anything like that. That’s not what I want. Just let me stick by your side and watch your back and you watch mine.”

 

“I can do that, Dynamite.” Senku stopped in his tracks, and at first Katsuki almost thought he was trying to make a literal watching-your-back joke, but he wasn’t looking at Katsuki when he turned around. Instead, he was looking up at the trees. “What was that?”

 

Katsuki followed his gaze, but saw nothing in particular. Just trees and a few vines. “The hell are you talking about?”

 

Senku furrowed his brow. “Probably nothing. Let’s keep moving.” But before they could keep going, both Katsuki and Senku heard a shout.

 

They both rushed into the forest where it had come from, Katsuki blasting forward but making sure not to put too much distance between himself and Senku. The sounds of fighting were sharper the closer they got. And one voice…

 

That voice belonged to him. Katsuki knew it.

 

“Detroit Smash!” 

 

Through a line of trees, Katsuki found him. Beaten up and covered in burns with Blackwhip snapping around his body. His green leather clothing was torn and tattered and his eyes were wild as he tried to keep smiling despite the villain he was facing.

 

Across the clearing, a tall, scarred villain lit up his palm with blue flame. “Get outta the way!” He threw a fireball at Izuku, but he dodged it by jumping into the air. 

 

While Dabi’s skin was still a patchwork of scars, the staples were completely gone. Thick black scars from the erosion of petrification outlined each burn instead. On the other side of the clearing they were fighting in were two statues, one of a man Katsuki barely recognized, and one of All Might in his strong form, one of his hair spikes cracked at the tip. 

 

“I won’t let you break All Might’s statue!” Izuku readied another punch, but before he could, Katsuki propelled himself toward Dabi, his hands reaching out with a great explosion to knock the villain back.

 

“Kacchan!” Izuku called his name, but Katsuki didn’t have time to react to it. Dabi was sending flames his way left and right. But Katsuki was able to dodge his moves and counter with his own, both hero and villain scorching the landscape around them with their quirks.

 

Dabi shouted, “And I won’t let a single hero walk free in this new world! Hero society went to hell once, and I’ll drag them back again myself!!” Fire burned along the ground in between them, blue light washing over the whole area.

 

Katsuki scoffed. “Hero society? Those words mean nothing in this world, you idiot!” He sent another blast toward Dabi, shifting to make sure that he could see Senku in the corner of his eye. He was scrambling in his bag for something, but he was far enough away from the flames to be mostly safe. 

 

“If there are no heroes, then why fight?” Dabi swiped at Katsuki with a flaming palm. “Who the hell are you fighting for? There’s nothing left for you heroes to protect!”

 

Katsuki grabbed Dabi by the wrist and pulled him into a hot blast right to the chest. “And there’s nothing left for you villain idiots, either!”

 

Dabi stumbled back a few steps, his shirt burned to a crisp and his skin blistering. That’s right. This is a match made in hell for this guy. His body can’t handle his own flames, nevermind the heat from my explosions. Katsuki smirked at him, “You wanna go for round two, I don’t mind getting a little revenge from when you kidnapped me and tried to make me one of your own. But I’m not gonna hold back. There’s nothing stopping me from destroying you!”

 

Katsuki prepared to attack again only to hear his name shouted across the clearing. “Katsuki, catch this!” 

 

A clear vial came sailing his direction. He caught it and popped open the cork, the strong, familiar scent rising from the open glass. “Ten billion points to you, Leekhead.” He raised the vial up. “This is a vial of my nitroglycerin sweat. Just try to make another move with your quirk and this whole island blows up with you.”

 

Dabi stared at the vial with a suspicious glare. “Why the hell would you collect your own sweat? I knew heroes were weird but this really takes the cake.” 

 

“It’s for science, and it’s gonna make you wish you never stepped foot on this damn island.” Katsuki took a step forward with the open vial. 

 

Before anyone could make a move, though, Senku walked right onto the battlefield with a smirk. “You’re seriously not going to hear us out when Katsuki here has enough explosive power to blast this island off the map? I was told villains were crazy but come on, what’s your goal here, anyway? Destroy a statue of an old hero just because he can’t fight back? Seems a little pointless to me.”

 

Dabi glared at Senku. “Who the hell are you?”

 

“Me? I’m just a scientist.” Senku answered. “And I’m going to revive all seven billion people on this planet, even everyone who came from another world. The concept of hero society doesn’t interest me one millimeter. So why don’t you save all the villainy for when there’s more of the world to conquer or whatever?”

 

Katsuki protectively moved in front of Senku, but his shoulder wound had reopened and was starting to bleed and pulse with pain. He hid his wince behind a smirk. “Get back, Senku.” His voice was strained from the pain.

 

But Senku kept talking, “Katsuki’s right. There’s not much left for anyone to conquer. We barely even have an economy or anything like that. There’s just no reason for villains to exist in this world.”

 

Dabi spread his flames out along the ground at his feet. “Sounds like I have reason to kill you, then, if you’re trying to revive the world and the heroes.” The heat licked at Katsuki’s ankles and threatened to consume him in a wave of fire. He backed up closer to Senku.

 

But as the flames spread, instead of running or trying to extinguish them, Senku tossed another vial in Dabi’s direction. “Get down now!” The moment the glass shattered, light and heat baked the entire area. Katsuki grabbed Senku and blocked him from the blast, sheltering on the ground until the hot wind died.

 

When the light faded, Katsuki looked down at Senku. Part of his left eyebrow had burned off and the edges of his hair were singed, but he seemed mostly okay. “You idiot.” Katsuki moved away from him and let him stand up on his own. “You coulda killed yourself.”

 

Senku shouted far too loudly, “IT GOT THE JOB DONE, DIDN’T IT?” 

 

Katsuki snickered a little. He remembered the days when his hearing suffered from the volume of his explosions before he got used to it. “Shut up until your ears stop ringing. Your hearing will go back to normal soon.” He turned to Dabi, whose body was now limp on the ground. His flesh was burned all along his chest and upper body, the smell of roasted meat rising in the air. 

 

While he was still breathing, the extent of his injuries were vast. The burns were still sizzling along his face and it was clear he passed out from the shock and pain.

 

And seeing that, well…

 

It made Katsuki’s guts churn. Because once a person was faced with a superpowered villain, even with all the science and negotiation skills at their disposal…

 

Pacifism just wasn’t an option.

 

Once people are given too much power, they would always want more. And warfare was the easy way to get it. Katsuki could see it, and he hated it. As much of a fighter he was, and always would be, he had dared to hope there would be a world or a universe or a timeline where those who wanted peace could simply have it. The stone world was supposed to be somewhere that valued negotiation and their chance to move forward. A chance to win against whatever power had petrified humanity in the first place, and a chance to bring everyone from another world back to where they belonged. 

 

But wherever quirks went, deadly violence clearly followed.

 

“So much for avoiding bloodshed, huh, Leekhead?” Katsuki muttered, almost sure Senku would be too deaf to hear him say it.

 

Izuku was already wrapping Blackwhip around Dabi’s unconscious body. “Kacchan… you’re…” His big green eyes welled up with tears. And though he kept a grip on Dabi with his quirk, his shoulders were dropping with exhaustion and his eyelids were starting to droop. “You’re here.”

 

“Yeah, obviously.” Katsuki grumbled at him. “I knew you were awake, Izuku. So why the hell did it take this long to run into each other, huh?”

 

Izuku’s lips wobbled. “You have to… you have to go. Go back to the village and leave me here. I’ll protect All Might and I’ll… I’ll figure out a way to break him out of the stone just like I did…” He sobbed, “We can’t risk Shigaraki…”

 

Here they were again. Through time and space and the scientific mystery of the petrification, this is where Katsuki and Izuku ended up. Katsuki coming to Izuku’s rescue, and Izuku begging not to be saved for the sake of others.

 

And then Izuku succumbing to his exhaustion, nearly falling to his knees if not for Katsuki catching him before he hit the ground. He held Izuku there, his whole body wanting to crash down on the forest floor with him and just lie in the grass and laugh off the whole thing. But they couldn’t. There was work to be done.

 

“Shigaraki’s been dealt with. You’re safe, Izuku.”

 

Izuku fell limp in his arms, Blackwhip fading away and leaving Dabi’s body on the ground.

Chapter 43: Heiwana Village

Uraraka stood in the center of the village with Amaryllis and Iida. Thanks to the diligent efforts of both the Heiwana villagers and the Kingdom of Science, almost everything had been rebuilt already. But there was one essential piece missing.

 

Part of Kurogiri’s statue had broken away, revealing part of a stone-molded jawbone underneath. Uraraka explained to him, “If we’re going to revive him, we’re going to need to find that piece. Senku says trying to revive someone with broken parts could… well…” She rubbed the back of her neck as she remembered Gen making a grotesque splattering noise to emphasise Senku’s point. “It could be bad.”

 

“I see.” Iida held his chin in his hand. “Well, we’ll ask around. The village reconstruction project is almost complete and I think things are starting to settle down again. We should have time to work toward our new goals.” He pushed his glasses up with a finger. “Once Senku returns to the village we can discuss next steps. For now, I’d like to focus on the physical health and morale of the village.”

 

Amaryllis glanced over to Uraraka, “You really know your stuff when it comes to construction, huh? You helped us not only rebuild the village quickly, but taught us how to use stronger materials and building techniques to make our structures better protected against natural disasters.” Her smile was friendly and her eyes sparkled with gratitude.

 

“Well,” Uraraka rubbed the back of her neck again. “My parents owned a construction company, so I learned a lot from just listening to them talk about it.”

 

Amaryllis asked, “Wait, what’s a company?” 

 

“Um…” Uraraka thought hard about how to explain it to someone who had never known what business or money was. “It’s sorta like a group of people who all have the same job. Kind of like how this village has people who are specifically in charge of farming and stuff like that!” Amaryllis was just so cool and not so different from Uraraka’s friends, she often forgot she wasn’t a modern person.

 

“I think I get it.” Amaryllis pursed her lips a little. “Well, I’m glad to have you on our side, Uraraka!” She gestured to the village around them.

 

The huts the village had built were already pretty strong, but Uraraka and the villagers took the opportunity to make them even better. 

 

Even after disaster, humanity could still move forward and find ways to improve. 

 

“Oh, right!” Uraraka suddenly remembered, “I should check on the trench project. I’ll check in with you guys later.” She gave them both a wave before going toward the next destination. But she couldn’t help but glance back at Iida and Amaryllis, both of them smiling at each other and talking.

 

It almost felt like Uraraka had missed out on a huge chunk of her life while in the stone world. While she was trapped in the petrification, others were going on with their lives. Founding villages, making science inventions, fighting for the sake of others, and forging relationships with those around them.

 

And ever since waking up, she felt like she could barely lift a finger. She hadn’t successfully found anyone from her world on her own, and her attempts to do so had left her so tired she almost killed someone by passing out with her quirk activated.

 

But this village was where she could shine and focus on the things she knew best. Infrastructure and construction was her kind of science. And she had studied them carefully, even if her parents had encouraged her to put her efforts elsewhere and focus on what she wanted for herself.

 

The truth was, though, she fell in love with watching buildings almost magically spring from the ground since she was a little kid. The smiles on people’s faces when a new mall was constructed, or the relief people felt when a new hospital was built closer to town, those were the kinds of things she wanted to support as a hero. Reaching out a hand to those who were unlucky enough to be caught in a building fire or a bridge collapse so that those she saved would live long enough to see the buildings they once relied on come back to life.

 

And then she could hope their smiles would return and their lives could move forward.

 

But Ishigami village already had so many hands to work on construction projects, Uraraka almost felt like she got in the way sometimes. Her quirk was useful, but all she could do was wait around until a new home or shed needed to be built. 

 

Ochaco Uraraka… felt useless in the Kingdom of Science. But not anymore.

 

She made it to the base of the mountainside where the trench project had begun. A small crew of five men, three in the ground digging, and two up top taking measurements, were following Uraraka’s suggestion to prevent the mountainside from coming down on the village. The trench would be wide and tall enough to stop almost all the water and rocks from going any further from the trench. And when it started to get full, they’d excavate the trench again for the next time.

 

It was hard work, but without any equipment, this was the best option.

 

“Reporting in.” One of the workers, a short man named Stero, interrupted Uraraka’s thoughts. “We estimate it’ll take about five days to get the trench ready. But there’s a storm coming in from the north. We may be delayed.” 

 

“Please make sure the crew takes breaks.” Uraraka pressed her palms together in worry. “I’ll move some of this dirt away so we can repurpose this fertile soil for growing crops.”

 

“Thank you!” Stero smiled and bowed to her gratefully. “We’ll make sure everyone takes their time. Wouldn’t want to rush and ruin things.”

 

Uraraka quickly got to work allocating the mineral-rich soil toward the east side of the edge of the village where they had already started to grow a small swath of vegetables. Farmers worked the land, tilling and weeding and watering the crops. The minute they saw the new soil, they started spreading it further out and planting new seeds.

 

With the Kingdom of Science’s help, the village would be ready for a boost in population the moment they had their hands on more revival fluid… as long as the people of Heiwana could finally agree to revive those that were petrified by their previous leader.

Chapter 44: A New Light

Izuku woke up in a haze, a bright light shining above where he lay. Is that… electricity? He blinked the blurriness out of his eyes to see what was around him. 

 

The walls of the room he was in were made from wooden planks and so were the floors. He was laying down on some kind of medical bed, the sheets a bright white. And above him was indeed a lightbulb. A real, live-wired lightbulb with real electricity.

 

Izuku had almost forgotten what that was like after five years of island life and trying to avoid all people, friend or stranger, to keep a safe distance if Shigaraki or another villain were to come after him.

 

And then he remembered the last thing Katsuki had told him. Shigaraki’s been dealt with. You’re safe, Izuku. 

 

Izuku shakily sat up. Next to him on a table were three clear jars. One had a slimy green liquid in it that was labelled Senku’s Electrolyte Special, another was an antibiotic, and the third was an anti-parasitic.

 

And in a chair right next to them was Katsuki, his head tilted back as he slept next to his hospital bed. A little older than Izuku remembered him, a little taller and slightly more bulky in his shoulders and arms. His body was covered in the same thick black cracks as everyone else who had been petrified and he had a white bandage peeking out from under his shirt around his shoulder. 

 

The moment Izuku moved, Katsuki’s eyes opened. “Finally.” He grumbled. “Three days asleep in a hospital bed. That’s a new record for you isn’t it, Izuku?”

 

“Three days?” Izuku looked down at himself. His burns and scratches were covered with bandages, some of his injuries stitched up or closed with surgical glue. “What happened? Where’s Dabi?”

 

“All caged up on the ship.” Katsuki told him. “We made a cell just for him, he’s not getting out. Damn Leekhead’s trying to negotiate with him.”

 

Izuku peered over at the iron door of the room he was in. “I’m glad. I was hoping…” His chest clenched in on itself. “That no one else had to die.” He wiped the tears that were starting to fall.

 

Katsuki groaned. “What are you, twenty-something years old now and you’re still crying like a kid? Here.” He handed Izuku one of the bottles. “Drink all these. They’re gross as hell but it’ll help you not look like you’re about to die.”

 

Izuku shakily uncorked the jar, but a single whiff of the electrolyte drink made him shudder. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue at him. “Just drink the damn potion already.”

 

Izuku held his breath as he did his best to quickly chug down the nasty mush. But as soon as it was in his stomach, he already started to feel better. He took the antibiotic and the anti-parasitic in the same way, too, chasing it down with a deerskin bladder of water Katsuki had given him. “That’s really gross.” 

 

Katsuki snickered. “Welcome to the Kingdom of Science, where all the medicine is gross as hell but effective enough to keep you alive.”

 

“The Kingdom of Science?” Izuku blinked a few times. “Kacchan, where are we? Who was that scientist you were with?”

 

Katsuki stood from his chair and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You missed one hell of a time, Izuku. Let’s get you caught up so you don’t look like an idiot.” He jabbed his thumb at the door. “But you’re gonna have to meet everyone yourself.”

 

Izuku slowly stood up, his knees a little weak but still able to keep up with Katsuki as they made their way through the narrow underbelly of the ship. When they reached the top deck, Izuku froze in shock at what he saw.

 

So many people, both faces he recognized and didn’t, all sat around at a long, short table and eating freshly-cooked food. Roasted meats, fruits, vegetables, and custom-made drinks in chalices just like any modern world feast.

 

A butler was hard at work serving them and making sure everyone had what they needed.

 

The moment the table noticed Izuku’s presence, he was greeted with an enthusiastic cheer, their chalices raised in excitement at another addition to the Kingdom of Science.

 

As Izuku joined them, Sero, Kaminari, Kirishima, Tsunagu, and Shinya welcomed him, and the others introduced themselves. There was Ukyo, Kinro, Ginro, Francois, Kaseki, Magma, Yuzuriha, Taiju, Nikki, Yo, and finally Senku. The names and faces of all these strangers were overwhelming, but Izuku tried his best to remember them all. 

 

Over the course of their meal, Izuku’s head was stuffed full of everything he missed while he was stuck on the island. From the moment Katsuki had broken out of stone, to the war between the Tsukasa Empire and the  Kingdom of science, to reviving Tsunagu, Shinya, and Mirai and freezing Tsukasa, the civil war that broke out in the village, and everything else up to now. Though even Izuku couldn’t miss the way Senku and Katsuki were glancing at each other over the last part, as if they were leaving out details between when Katsuki had been stabbed to when they found him protecting All Might’s statue.

 

But Izuku didn’t ask about it. His head was already almost bursting with the stories he was told. 

 

“So if we find platinum, we can make more nitric acid?” Izuku recounted.

 

Senku answered, “Or if we figure out how to make revival fluid from Katsuki’s sweat, yeah. But figuring out both would be ten billion percent better.”

 

“Then I’ll help you.” Izuku offered. “I don’t know a lot about chemistry, but I do know about quirks. We could work together and save everyone from the petrification!”

 

To Izuku’s surprise, Senku laughed. “You sure were right, Dynamite. I didn’t even have to ask and we’re already on the same page. Alright, new plan. We’re going to send a new expedition crew to find the Soyuz. Sero, go meet up with Kohaku and Chrome in the village. Take the metal detector with you and search as much of the island as you can. Uraraka is on the rebuilding crew with Soyuz, Iida, Amaryllis, Ryusui, and Gen.” He turned his gaze toward the strongest among the Perseus crew. “Taiju, Nikki, and Magma, they might need your strength and the farming skills you learned from growing wheat, so go meet up with the rebuilding crew. Izuku, Katsuki and I will work on the nitrosweat formula. Ukyo, keep your ears on the sonar for any more signals from Why-Man or anyone else.” He then turned to yet another group. “Kinro, Ginro, Kaminari, Tsunagu, Shinya, and Kirishima, you’ll still be guarding the ship and our guests below deck. And Francios, you just keep doing your thing.”

 

As they finished their plates, everyone dispersed to their new tasks and Izuku followed Katsuki and Senku below deck again.

Chapter 45: Science!

Notes:

Do yourself a favor and listen to All Might's theme song right when Kinro gives his first line in this chapter. :)

Katsuki sat in the cramped science lab as Senku and Izuku rambled on together, swapping notes on chemistry and quirks the best they could. Some things were lost in translation, certain mentions of quirk factors and fancy terms for genetic mutations that even Katsuki hadn’t heard of. He knew what they did, but not what they were called. 

 

Watching them work, Katsuki couldn’t help but feel relieved. Izuku was bright-eyed, energetic, and smiling as he worked with Senku. And Senku was enjoying himself to the maximum, too. So Katsuki just kept rubbing his hands together and producing as much sweat as he could collect in a vial for them to run experiments.

 

Eventually, Senku had requested Francois to go with Kinro to collect more stone sparrow samples if they could find any on this remote island. While none of their experiments had been successful, it was better to use samples that hadn’t already been soaked in failed attempts to negate any unexpected variables. Thankfully, they had come back with at least a dozen to try to de-petrify.

 

“I think you were right about freezing the sweat and removing the oils.” Izuku said as he took some vials out of a mini freezer Senku had built for the trip. “But the ratio is still off when we do that. We need to make it more acidic. But if we make it too acidic we risk burning the skin once someone is revived, so we need to be more careful. I wonder…” He scratched his chin in thought. “Some of those chalices had alcohol in them, right? Kacchan, do you remember the Vinegar River Incident?”

 

“Hah?” Katsuki scoffed at him. “Sounds boring as hell.” Though, he didn’t want to admit he did remember it. His mother had shown him the news broadcast after school the day it happened. 

 

Izuku explained, “A boy was drowning in a river and panicked. By the time All Might got there to save him, he had accidentally used his quirk and turned the whole river to vinegar. All Might joked about having nice skin after the incident, but there was a second effect of the vinegar.” He tapped his chin with his finger as he spoke. “It corroded the iron and limestone barriers and other structures in the water. The city had to replace all the sewage pipes after that. So I wonder…” 

 

Senku snapped his fingers and excitedly stood up. “Vinegar! That could do the trick!” He rushed out of the science lab without another word.

 

Whatever he was up to, Katsuki was sure Senku could figure it out on his own. So Katsuki kept watching his sweat drip carefully in the wide-mouthed collection vial as silence washed over the mobile lab. 

 

“Kacchan…” Izuku quietly whispered.

 

Katsuki just hummed in response. There was just too much to say, and too much meaning he wanted to get across for words to be enough. Everything that had happened without Izuku around, and everything Izuku had gone through that Katsuki didn’t know about, either… Well, they were different now. Not to mention all the events of the war that they didn’t get to even begin to process.

 

“When I saw you… When Shigaraki…” Izuku hesitated, his words stumbling over themselves. “I was so scared. You were gone and I wasn’t there to help you, or anyone.” He was talking about how he arrived on the battlefield only to find Katsuki’s corpse undergoing open heart surgery by Jeanist and Edgeshot. And Katsuki was willing to bet it was just as fucked up to watch as to experience.

 

“Yeah. It was scary as hell.” Katsuki admitted as he squeezed the last drop of sweat he could manage into the vial. “But I’m back, and so are you. And we’re not gonna stop being heroes even if the entire world turned to dust. So don’t you dare give up.” His knuckles rested against his beating heart. “There’s nothin’ stopping me from being number one. I guess I just have less competition now. So, Izuku,” He looked at his friend, Izuku’s freckles speckling his cheeks like they always did, just on a slightly older, more weathered face. “Even after all this time, these long years of waiting, are you gonna give up on your dreams or are we gonna face this new reality together? We’ll find everyone we can from our world and go back to rebuild our home and our lives. Are you with me or not?”

 

Izuku’s lips quivered again, but his voice was steady this time, his eyes sunk low to the table. “When I was petrified, all I could think about was wishing that I had the chance to do things over again. To go back and fight harder, train my quirk better, become even stronger. I was in this weird stasis where I think I was dreaming, but maybe I was still awake, I don’t know. Maybe it was the vestiges of One For All protecting my mental state while I was frozen. I kept seeing visions of a future where we were fighting together side by side. I…” Izuku swallowed back his tears. “I want that future, Kacchan. And maybe whatever Kurogiri did is giving us the chance to start over.” He said, “Maybe we can’t bring everyone back like Senku can, but we can give everyone a chance to make new futures for themselves. And we’ll save our world. We have to try.”

 

Their conversation was interrupted as Senku entered the mobile lab with a jar. “Vinegar is a byproduct we get from making wine! If we add some to the mix…” He wrote down the ratio as he poured alcohol, the freeze-processed nitrosweat, and vinegar to a vial. 

 

Everyone held their breaths as he poured it onto a sparrow and… Nothing.

 

Senku tried again, crossing out one ratio and trying another on a fresh sparrow. The fluid was a little thinner this time from the added vinegar, and the lab was starting to smell like rotten pickles.

 

They all watched intently as the formula dripped over the statue.

 

The stone cracked right in front of their eyes. Slowly breaking down until they heard the chirp of a bird and the flap of a wing. In a whirlwind of feathers and bits of stone, the bird flew freely up and out of the mobile lab.

 

“We finally did it!” Senku lifted the rest of the revival fluid in the air. “A near-unlimited supply of nital at our disposal. So…” He quickly made another batch and handed the jar to Izuku. “Wanna do the honors of reviving the hero you tried so hard to protect out there?”

 

Katsuki stiffened as he realized who they should revive first. And the power they had now that they could make tons of the stuff just by using the sweat they’ve been collecting over the years, preserved in airtight glass jars. 

 

Izuku stared at the jar for a moment. “We’ll really… be able to see All Might again?”

 

Of course they could. They could revive anyone they damn well pleased, given they found their statue. “Stop thinking too much and let’s go. And might as well make one more for the detective guy.”

 

Senku, Katsuki, and Izuku quickly whipped up another batch of the revival fluid and went up to the top deck. At the back of the ship, Kinro was guarding the statues of All Might and Tsukauchi. They already had clothes on, seemingly prepared by Yuzuriha and Tsunagu to match All Might’s hero outfit and Tsukauchi’s detective suit and coat.

 

“Kacchan…” Izuku wondered aloud, “If the petrification healed Mirai, do you think…”

 

“Don’t get your hopes up.” Katsuki warned him. “We don’t know what its limits are. He’ll still be an old man either way.” Katsuki wished that the story he read from before had a little more detail about the state All Might was in when he was petrified, but he was lucky enough that it had even survived this long after two civil wars and a tyrannical chief.

 

“You’re right.” Izuku held the jar, his hand shaking a little.

 

To their left, Kinro encouraged him. “The miracle of the revival fluid is a sight to see. Your allies will be welcomed in the Kingdom of Science.” He gave Izuku a reassuring nod.

 

But as Izuku continued to hesitate, Katsuki grabbed the jar with the hand opposite Izuku’s. “Let’s do this already. We ain’t got all day.”

 

And they poured the revival fluid atop All Might’s head together, stretching up to their tiptoes to reach.

 

The stone crackled and crumbled before them, golden strands of hair and intense blue eyes revealed underneath. “HAHAHA!” His voice alone was powerful enough to blast the rest of the stone away from his body, showering them all with pebbles. “FEAR NOT, VILLAGERS. FOR I AM HERE!” He struck a heroic pose, his teeth flashing white with a mile-wide smile.

 

He was here. He really was here, and this was real. And he was in his strong form with no sign of blood gushing from his mouth or a hint of weakness in his body.

 

All Might was back.

 

Katsuki stood in silent awe as All Might looked around, his gaze following the waves of the ocean, to the railings of the ship, and finally, to Izuku and Katsuki. “I see! Young Midoriya, Young Bakugou!”

 

In a sudden pull, Katsuki’s whole body careened forward, his face squished up next to Izuku’s against the broad chest of the hero in the most muscle-fueled hug Katsuki had ever experienced in his life. “You have finally rescued me from the mysterious stone! Thank you so much for the assistance!” He hugged them tightly, almost hard enough to bruise their ribs. 

 

“All Might!” Izuku’s voice was lost in the heap of pectoral muscle. “You’re okay now! I mean, your injury is gone!”

 

All Might set them down onto the ship’s deck. “It appears so!” He said, “And who is this young man?” He gestured to Senku.

 

Senku introduced himself. “Name’s Senku. I’m the scientist who created the formula to break you out of that stone prison you wound up in. With a little help from Katsuki and Izuku.” 

 

“Ah, well, thank you, young man!” He patted Senku’s back roughly, making him wince and stumble. “Sorry about that, young man.” All Might said as he realized how hard he’d been patting him. “It appears I’ve forgotten my strength. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this good!” He flexed again. “And I see you’ve found my partner Tsukauchi as well.” He dramatically gestured to his statue.

 

“Yep.” Senku said. “And we’re about to revive him, too. Everyone’s welcome in the Kingdom of Science, even the people from another world entirely.” He dumped the revival fluid onto Tsukauchi, too.

 

All Might’s jaw dropped in awe as the stone started to crack, revealing Tsukauchi underneath the stone. The first thing the detective laid eyes on was All Might’s shocked face. “Toshinori…” He glanced down to his hands, the remnants of stone still crumbling off of his fingers. “Looks like we got caught up in stone again.” 

 

Despite the healing effects of the petrification, the older detective still looked tired. He had bags under his eyes and his beard was scraggly. Besides a small erosion scar on his right cheek, he looked exactly like he had during the war, and that was to say…

 

“Looks like we found an exception for the petrification’s healing effects. No offense, but you look like crap.” Senku said, stealing Katsuki’s thoughts right from his head. 

 

“Ah, yeah,” Tsukauchi rubbed the back of his neck. “Turns out detective work ages you quickly. So who are you people?” He glanced from face to face, landing on Izuku for answers, probably since he was the most familiar of the group.

 

“I actually just got here.” Izuku waved his hands in the air in front of him. “But basically, Senku and his allies want to revive the whole world from the petrification! Even people who were teleported here by Kurogiri.”

 

Katsuki added, “Our plan is to find everyone from our world and revive the warp bastard to bring us home.”

 

All Might frowned, though, his eyebrows furrowing with doubt. “A noble goal. But I’m not so certain you’ve thought it through. How would we survive on such a planet with no natural resources left?” 

 

Senku pointed his fingers in the air with a smirk. “Good thing we have plenty of resources to share. We’ll send a care package to your world with food, water, and a buncha goodies to get you started. You’ll be home before you know it.” He shot a glance over to Katsuki, clearly trying and failing to hide the tint of sadness in his voice. 

 

And yeah, Katsuki couldn’t deny the ache in his chest, too. But he wasn’t going to let anybody hold him back. Not villains, not All Might, and not even someone he fell for harder than a bag of bricks down a flight of stairs. His life now was only temporary, a stitch in the fabric of life, as Tsunagu would say.

 

“I see,” All Might nodded. “Sounds like a solid plan, then!” He gave them all a thumbs up and a wide grin. “So where do we get started?”

 

“Well,” Senku explained, “We’re tackling this on two fronts. In order to more effectively make more revival fluid, we need platinum. But if we’re going to revive any more people, we’re going to need to increase focus on food and gathering resources to support them all. We’ve got a team working in Heiwana Village and another team scouting for platinum. I was hoping you two would know where to start looking for everyone else from your world.” 

 

Tsukauchi scratched his beard. “If you’ve been to Heiwana, I assume you’ve already found Kurogiri. Other than him, we haven’t found a single other person from our…” He scratched his chin as he struggled to find the right word. “Universe, I suppose. Anyone know how that works? Are we just on a different planet similar to Earth or…?”

 

Senku shrugged, “Honestly, we’re still trying to figure that part out. But from what I can tell, your chemistry and physics are the same. The only difference is the human superevolution you guys went through. Could be a different timeline, or a universe or a planet we haven’t discovered yet. Who knows?”

 

Footsteps alerted the group to someone new on deck. Around the corner of the helm came Ukyo with a strange look on his face. “Senku, please take a look at the sonar. I think I found something.”

 

Senku looked back at the newcomers. “So, yeah. Welcome to the Kingdom of Science. Katsuki can fill you in on anything else!” He hurriedly followed Ukyo below deck toward the sonar.

 

“Um, All Might?” Izuku said, “You’re safe here, you know. You can shrink down if you want.”

 

All Might gave a relieved sigh, his body deflating to normal size. Though when he shrunk, the clothing shrunk with him instead of hanging on his skinny frame. He probably had Tsunagu to thank for that. 

 

All Might’s cheeks were still hollow, but his eyes were much clearer now. His arms even retained some muscle outside of his heroic form, unlike the toothpicks they were before the petrification. He almost looked healthy.

 

All Might told them, his voice quieter outside his heroic form. “While my injury is no longer a factor, I’m a bit out of practice. I guess I never realized how exhausting that form was to hold even in my prime.” Then he turned to Katsuki, “So, Young Bakugou, you look like you’re holding up well.” His brows were raised as if he was implying something. And Katsuki really fucking wished people would actually say what the hell they wanted to say instead of making faces at him like that. 

 

“Sure.” Katsuki grumbled at him. “So is what you said true? You really haven’t found anyone else?” 

 

All Might sighed. “We did find young Midoriya’s statue and Kurogiri’s. But it looks like you guys revived him before you found us.”

 

“Actually,” Izuku said, “I think I’ve been awake a lot longer than Kacchan. I think it had something to do with One For All.” He whispered the last three words as if it was still a secret. 

 

“Cut the crap, Izuku. No one cares about your quirk in the stone world.” Katsuki said. “The Leekhead and I already talked about it. Turns out that anyone can break out of stone if they use enough mental energy and are exposed to the right environment. It’s rare as hell but it makes sense if having all those extras living in your head are using up your energy.”

 

Izuku frowned and looked down at his scarred-up palm, even more scarred now from both erosion scars and marks from living out in the forest for who knew how long. “I guess I never thought of it like that.”

 

All Might asked, “And what of Shigraki and the others? Have they been located? And the students…” 

 

Katsuki grumbled a bit before, for the millionth time, he explained the full situation. By the time he was done, Senku and Ukyo had returned with a smaller version of the sonar in Ukyo’s hand. Ukyo asked, “Are any of you good at swimming? I think there’s something on the seafloor worth checking out.” He pointed to the screen, showing them two blips, one smaller, one larger. “It could be nothing, but it might be a piece of the Soyuz.”

 

“Don’t look at me.” Katsuki hissed at Senku for even trying to glance in his direction. Katsuki hated getting wet. Swimming included.

 

But All Might puffed his chest and grew back into his muscle form. “What do you say, Young Midoriya? Time to give our first heroic contribution to the Kingdom of Science?” He stretched his arms as he talked.

 

Izuku took off his shirt. “Yeah! Just point us in the right direction and we’ll be glad to investigate!” 

 

With directions from Ukyo and some pointers from Senku, both All Might and Izuku dove below the surface of the water, the splash from their powered-up impact rocking the ship for a few seconds before the water settled again. 

 

Katsuki inched his way toward Senku’s side as they waited for the pair to resurface. After a while, Senku asked, “Any part of their powers give them the ability to breathe underwater? It’s already been two minutes.”

 

Katsuki snorted. “With seven quirks at Izuku’s disposal I’d bet you anything the nerd would figure it out somehow.”

 

“Seven?” Senku sighed wistfully, “What I would give for a look at his DNA.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The question spilled out of him before he could stop it or even try to ignore the burning in his chest. While at first he enjoyed watching the pair get along, he had to admit that they had gotten a little too chummy for his liking in the science lab.

 

But Senku just laughed. “Man, I should have known you were the jealous type. Relax, wouldya? I know he was your rival and all in the old days, but you don’t have to worry about me. Remember who you’re talking to here.” He said, “I just mean having seven quirks must look ridiculous when you get down to genetics.”

 

Katsuki pressed his lips together, immediately regretting jumping the gun with his emotions. “He wasn’t born with ‘em, I’ve got no idea if you’d see it in his DNA or whatever.” He grumbled and wished he could blast his own face off so no one could see his embarrassed blush. Even he didn’t know he was the jealous type. But there it was, showing its ugly face without warning. 

 

“Seriously.” Senku lowered his voice, making Katsuki jump a little as his pinky finger suddenly wrapped around his. “Don’t even think about stuff like that.”

 

“Obviously.” Katsuki gave his pinky a little squeeze before they both separated their hands. “Forget about it, Leekhead.”

 

“Sure. Consider it forgotten.” Senku said.

 

Moments later, the ship was swaying again as a blinding spray of seawater rose from the ocean. The sound of stone and bare feet thunked against the wooden deck of the ship.

 

“We’ve found them!” All Might cheered. 

 

The statues on the floor were familiar. One, a small statue with an even smaller horn. The other, a taller statue with one leg and a blank space where an eye should have been.

 

Izuku said, “We should go make more revival fluid!”

 

“Hold on,” Senku said. “If we don’t find his leg or eye, trying to revive him could get messy.”

 

“They weren’t there in the first place.” Katsuki crossed his arms. “But he’s got a point. We don’t know what would happen if someone’s missing a limb even if they lost it in the war before we were petrified.”

 

“Brutal… You guys were hardcore as hell.” Senku muttered beside him. “But it should be fine. The healing effects of the petrification probably fixed up any incisions or anything like that. But I’ll take some measurements and make him a prosthetic before waking him up so he can get around.” 

 

As All Might and Izuku dripped water all over the deck, Francois showed up with neatly-folded towels served on a silver platter for them. Izuku gratefully took one and started drying his hair.

 

“Thank you, Young…” All Might looked Francois up and down, considering them for a moment. “Young Friend! I appreciate this helpful gesture!” 

 

“Wait…” Izuku’s head perked up. “I just remembered something. Kacchan, remember what Yaoyorozu gave us before the final battle?”

 

“A headache?” Katsuki rolled his eyes. Both her and Iida had far too much to say before they had all split into their different roles that day.

 

“A tracker chip.” He pointed to the back of his skull and Katsuki suddenly remembered the sting of getting a microchip planted just under the skin of his scalp. “The sonar made me think, maybe we can figure out how to lock onto the signal from the chips, we can find everyone!”

 

“You just remembered this now?!” Katsuki yelled at him.

 

Izuku bickered back, “Hey, you didn’t say anything about it, either!”

 

“This is perfect.” Senku clapped his hands together. “Alright, Izuku, Tsukauchi, and All Might, you work with Ukyo to see if you can figure out a way to lock on to those tracking chips. Katsuki and I will work on a prosthetic and more revival fluid.”

 

Katsuki stuck close to Senku’s side as they went below deck to start their latest science project while everyone else went off with Ukyo.

 

Notes:

All Might calling Francois Young Friend instead of a gendered title <3

Chapter 46: Sonar Team

The communications center of the ship was surprisingly roomy as Izuku and Ukyo discussed the sonar. There were wide windows where he could see the bright, blue sky and plenty of room for him to pace and think.

 

Izuku muttered, half to himself, while pacing up and down between a desk and a workbench. “The tracker chips were probably emitting some kind of encrypted radio signal. The most important part of the operation was keeping track of everyone’s positions. So they probably sent information like the identity of who the tracker belonged to and coordinates.” He held his chin in his hand. “Yaoyorozu made a device for Tsukauchi to make live decisions based on where anyone was, and…” Izuku swallowed the bitterness that coated his tongue.

 

Tsukauchi finished for him, his forehead pressed against one of the steel tables that held some kind of half-finished star chart someone from the Perseus crew had been working on. “It would also emit signals if the wearer’s pulse stopped, or if the chip was removed from its host. That way we could tell if anyone fell in battle or the villains discovered the chips and attempted to cut off one of our means of communication.”

 

Izuku noticed Ukyo squirm at that, pulling at his collar from where he sat at the workbench. “They were only children. How could you… Nevermind. Let’s focus on what we can do for them now.”

 

Tsukauchi sat up, his eyelids drooping tiredly. “You’re right, Ukyo. They were just children. Believe me, the pro-heroes weren’t happy with this arrangement. I’d say the hero commission should pay for their crimes, but they’ve already paid with their lives.”

 

The bitterness inside Izuku grew into regret. “No… I should have been stronger and beaten Shigaraki before he destroyed the world. The responsibility rests on me as All Might’s successor.”

 

Tsukauchi just sighed and said, “Of all the scientific inventions on this boat, of course there’s no coffee to deal with this.” He looked Izuku in the eye, the exhaustion he was feeling nearly palpable in the air. “There’s no point in dwelling on the past. We’ve got an important piece of equipment to build, so let’s get to it. Ukyo, do you think you have the technology available to unscramble a radio encryption cipher and translate the data into names and coordinates? The chips would ping every thirty seconds with that information, which our computers would decrypt into a visual signal.”

 

“Well,” Ukyo scratched his head. “We can probably find the radio signal just by trial and error. There aren’t many signals in the stone world to bump into, so it wouldn’t be impossible to tune into the right frequency given enough time. It’s decryption that’s the problem, we definitely don’t have computers for that.”

 

Izuku said, “We should start looking for the signal. While we do that, maybe we can work together to figure out how to crack the encryption without a modern computer. There has to be a way, right?” He looked from Ukyo, to Tsukauchi, to All Might whose small frame was leaning against one of the walls and staring out of the window. “All Might? What do you think?”

 

The hero turned to Izuku and raised his hands in apology. “Sorry, kid. I’m way out of my depth here. Encrypted signals and radio stuff was always Dave’s thing, not mine.” His brows furrowed as he mentioned his old friend. 

 

“R-right…”

 

Even when Izuku had run off from UA, he had never been in a room around so many grim-looking adults before. There was usually at least one pro-hero with a sense of hope, or a plan.

 

But Izuku supposed he would have to be that adult now. He squeezed his fist tight. “We can’t give up. We’re not going to.” Izuku asked, “Ukyo, please try to find the frequency of the encrypted signal no matter how long it takes. We’ll be in your debt.”

 

But Ukyo frowned, his brows furrowing. There was an overcast of worry across his expression that Izuku had a hard time figuring out. “To be honest…” He pushed the sonar away from him. “I can’t help you. Not if you’re only going to return to your world and start more senseless violence. From what I’ve seen of hero society, I can’t turn a blind eye to it or be responsible for helping you go back to that kind of violent life.” 

 

Izuku was a little taken aback at that. How much did Ukyo know about hero society? Or was he simply assuming that their lives were consistently violent because he’d only heard about the war?

 

“The heroes were trying to defend everyone,” Izuku argued, “and save them from the villains! But if we go back we’ll be able to rebuild everything and prevent something like what we went through from happening ever again.”

 

Ukyo stood up and hid his eyes behind his hat. “Sorry.” He went toward the door, but Izuku shouted after him.

 

“Ever since I was a kid, all I wanted to be was a hero.” Izuku told him, desperation growing in his voice. He wanted to go home, and he wanted to bring all his friends and the pro-heroes with him! “Almost everyone did. Actually, it was almost weird if you dreamed of anything else when you were a kid, especially if you had a powerful quirk. But I didn’t. I was born without one.” As he spoke, Ukyo turned around to listen to what Izuku had to say. “There were a lot of broadcasts of hero fights on TV. And any time there was one close by, I would run to go cheer on the heroes. They were everything to me. And they gave people hope. Think about it.” He said. “Every day, there were people in danger from villains. A robbery could turn into a dangerous situation really fast if someone panicked, you know? So we needed heroes. And they needed civilians to cheer them on, to remind them what they were fighting for. But the one thing I watched over and over as a kid, and even now, I still think about it, wasn’t a big fight. It was when All Might saved hundreds of people from a fire. And when he trained me in order to be strong enough to inherit his quirk, we didn’t do any combat training at all. Instead, he reminded me of what being a hero was supposed to be.” He smiled a little at the memory, the feeling of triumph he felt when he finally cleaned up the beach. “I spent my whole summer cleaning up mountains of trash on a beach. Now… well, before everything was destroyed, people could use the beach again. It was a place where families could bring their kids, and people could swim again.” Izuku clutched his shirt collar, trying to swallow back the burn of tears. “I want to save people. And I failed. I failed… but that doesn’t mean I’ll fail again. Please… help me build a future for my world where there are people left to save. Where there will be beaches to clean again and bus fires to extinguish and heroes can go back to their roots.”

 

Ukyo watched him sob and clutch at himself with the sharp pains that tore through his body. But despite how much he was crying, he still tried his best to steady his breaths and cease his tears. He had to be the strong one now, the one with a plan, the one who was willing to fight for the future even if others resisted. 

 

“Alright. Fine.” Ukyo returned to the table with the sonar. “As long as you promise me your intentions are to restore your world and change hero society for the better.”

 

“I promise.” Izuku wiped his tears. “We’ll do everything we can to make sure things are better this time.”

 

“Let’s get to work, then.”

Chapter 47: Chill Breeze

Notes:

I'm sick :( so this might not be the best edited chapter ever but I wanted to post anyway

A chilly breeze blew through the deck of the ship as Senku and Katsuki went over a blueprint that Senku had drawn up of a prosthetic leg for Aizawa. “This’ll be ridiculously simple.” Senku said, “We already have pretty much all of the parts we need. The challenging part is the sleeve. It needs to cling to the leg but be breathable.” He pointed at a drawing of something that would cradle the leg inside the main body of the prosthetic. There was a big question mark drawn next to it. “If we had silicone that would be stupid easy to make. But we’re working with limited materials on this island.”

 

Katsuki clicked his teeth together a few times in thought. “Breathable, huh?” He reached into the deepest memories in his head, searching for any information he might have absorbed from his parent’s fashion business that would help in this situation. Something like… “We need to make nylon.”

 

“Nylon?” Senku gave him a look. “That’s the total opposite of breathable. Have you ever tried wearing nylon socks in summer? The high school theater club was always complaining about athlete’s foot.” 

 

“Cause they were wearing the wrong kind.” Katsuki rolled his eyes as he could practically hear his mother’s voice in his head. “It’s all about how the nylon is made. Nylon’s basically plastic that’s been processed into a fabric rather than a solid object.”

 

Senku’s eyes lit up as he started sketching on the blueprint. “We just have to experiment with the production process. The sleeve needs to be durable to withstand the stress of walking, but it also needs to stretch and have pores for air to escape. So we’ll basically make it like a net, only the holes will be ridiculously tiny.”

 

While Senku worked on a roadmap for the sleeve, Katsuki started jotting down everything they’d need for the prosthetic itself. Thankfully, below-the-knee prosthetics were a lot simpler. All they needed was a socket that would fit Aizawa’s residual leg, a semi-flexible material that would act like a shin, a foot, and a synthetic ankle joint.

 

Though, most of the fitting was just an estimation based on the measurements of his statue. There was a huge difference between compact stone and actual flesh that could swell and contract depending on hydration level, body composition, and too many other factors to effectively calculate. 

 

As another cold breeze blew by, Katsuki stifled down a shiver. “What month is it, anyway? Seems a little early to be getting cold.”

 

Senku answered, “It’s September seventh. Exactly 1,237 days since we met, counting an extra day for the leap year.”

 

Katsuki did the mental math with furrowed brows. Three years, four months, and nineteen days. And that also meant another thing. “Tch,” He clicked his tongue. “You really couldn’t get any cornier, could you? Showing up on my birthday like that.”

 

Senku laughed, “I guess I’ve got some big expectations to fill, huh? I saved your life for your birthday when we were strangers, how am I gonna top that as your boyfriend?”

 

Another shiver ran up Katsuki’s spine, but this time, not from the cold.

That was the first time Katsuki had heard him say it. That they were boyfriends. And of course they were, they had a whole big mutual confession and everything. But it wasn’t like either of them had even thought to ask the other on a proper date, that just wasn’t their style. The only thing that really changed was shared glances across the room, or the tiny nudges and open flirting like they were doing now.

 

“Yeah, well,” Katsuki snickered at him, “Having me as your boyfriend is the best gift you’re gonna get in a lifetime. So get used to getting spoiled just by having me around.”

 

Senku laughed again, but the laugh was cut off by a shiver as another blast of cold swept through the ship. “Seriously, though, we’re in for a rough winter if we stay here. This island must be getting winds from the north.” He rubbed his hands together to warm them up.

 

“C’mere.” Katsuki held out his palms.

 

Senku hesitated for a second, but offered his hands to Katsuki. He lightly cupped them between his palms. Gently, carefully, he warmed the air between them with the tiniest of crackles from his quirk. But after only a moment, Senku pulled away. “Thanks. Now we have work to do.” He picked up his pencil and kept writing.

 

And while Katsuki could have happily held onto Senku all day, he went back to work, too. A scientist’s hands were busy ones, and Katsuki pretty much knew what he had signed up for, anyway. He had seen how much physical touch made Senku uncomfortable, tolerant only of brief high fives and handshakes. But Katsuki didn’t need anything besides his presence, anyway. 

 

They spent the rest of the day on the deck of the ship, borrowing spare parts and joining them together to make what they needed. It got colder as the sun went down, and as Katsuki and Senku were about to move their operation below deck, Katsuki caught a fleck of gold in the corner of his eye, and a smudge of green.

 

Izuku and All Might were coming up from the hull below, both of them looking like they had just watched someone die. Katsuki almost wondered if they somehow did.

 

Senku quietly said, “You know, there’s not a whole lot of room in the mobile lab for both of us plus the equipment we’ll need. Why don’t you take a break for now?”

 

“I don’t need a-” Katsuki shot a searing look at him, though Senku was as expressionless as his sharply-featured face could be. He stopped mid-sentence as he realized what Senku actually meant. “Tch,” He clicked his tongue at him. “I’ve got better things to do.” He grumpily shoved his hands in his pockets, but as he started to walk away, Senku nudged his arm a little.

 

“Just meet me in the mobile lab later.” Senku said. “I’ll have most of this ready by then.”

 

Katsuki shrugged and made his way over to All Might and Izuku, clenching his teeth together to steel himself for whatever sappy nonsense he was about to be subjected to. It was always something with these two.

 

When All Might noticed Katsuki, his dejected expression didn’t change. “Young Bakugou,” His voice carried all the same somber as the rest of him. “Why don’t we take a walk? It’s a nice evening.”

 

It wasn’t a nice evening, it was far too damn cold to be considered anything close to nice. But Katsuki followed All Might and Izuku off the ship, anyway.

Chapter 48: Everyone Gets Izuku's Secret Quirk

Notes:

(Izuku's Secret Quirk is crying)

“Everything we once knew is gone.” 

 

The sand crunched under the shoes of All Might, Izuku, and Katsuki as they walked along the beach. The ocean reflected bright pinks and oranges as the sun set to conclude another day in the stone world.

 

Katsuki watched as All Might’s shoulders drooped as he stared out toward the water, the ship swaying with the waves in the distance. He continued, “It’s a daunting prospect to think about. But we can’t lose hope. While we may be working on the radar to find those who were petrified, we can’t abandon those who needed our help the most. There must be a way to fix things and bring back everything the way it was.”

 

Katsuki and Izuku glanced at each other before Katsuki asked, “You got a better idea? Spill it.”

 

“Well, we don’t know where or when we are, right? Perhaps Kurogiri can warp us back to the time right before the war, and we can prevent it from happening at all. We cannot allow this to be the end…” his voice was broken, shaking. 

 

All Might… the hero both Katsuki and Izuku looked up to, was crying right in front of them. Spilling his tears freely. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. “I’ve failed you both. Failed the world…” His thin frame looked so small on the beach, even smaller as his shoulders dropped and he clutched his arms around himself.

 

“We haven’t failed yet.” Katsuki tried to insist. But he couldn’t stop reality from slapping him in the face. He did fail. He failed fucking big time. Everyone did. Every hero he looked up to, every classmate he put his faith in. Even Izuku had failed. Someone who went from frail to damn near indestructible in the matter of a year. Someone who had inherited All Might’s quirk and learned how to unlock even more of its power than All Might had. 

 

“I couldn’t save everyone.” Izuku’s bottom lip twitched, and the next thing Katsuki knew, the beach flooded with even more tears. “All Might… I…”

 

“Young Midoriya, you did all you could. It was us pros who-”

 

“It’s embarrassing. I just…” Izuku clutched the collar of his shirt, clinging onto it as if it was choking him. “I miss my mom. I miss my room. I miss the pancakes she used to make every saturday morning. I miss… I…” And Izuku let out a shriek that shattered even Katsuki’s heart like it was glass, falling to his knees and folding himself so small as he let out all the grief and fear he must have been carrying around with him for years, but wasn’t safe enough until now to release.

 

It was a feeling Katsuki recognized from his night on the boat, silently screaming and wishing he could just fix things. Izuku’s pain stirred those feelings in his heart, reawakening them with a vicious tear through his chest.

 

“The old hag can stay outta my life for all I care.” Katsuki lied through his truthful tears. His eyes burned too much to hold anything back. No matter how much he choked on them, they wrenched their way to the surface. “And everyone else, too. I don’t give a damn. I don’t give a damn. I don’t–” 

 

But he did. No matter how many tears he cried or frustrated explosions he set off or the brief moments of respite he had, there was nothing that could heal the grief in his heart over everything he had lost. Over and over again with each revival of people from his old life, he was reminded of the twist that had been left in his heart and the bitterness he carried in his soul.

 

Everything he had believed in was a fucking sham. Hero life, becoming number one, winning fights against villains, what the fuck was the point? Just to become some dog for hero society to use? To fight over and over again and have it not even matter because another big bad was just going to take their place? There had to be something they could have done better, done differently, something! And of course he didn’t have the answers. Fighting was in his nature, he was built for it. But everything he learned in the Kingdom of Science, all the ways Senku and his crew had subverted his expectations and shown him a better way, one that didn’t end up in the destruction of everything they knew or an endless cycle of bullshit was proof that someone with a different perspective and upbringing and logic could prevent everyone’s lives from being uprooted.

 

If only someone had fucking tried before it was too late. The signs that hero society was flawed had been there since its inception, hadn’t it? But no one gave a damn enough to do anything but leave it for the next generation and the next until too many people had been far too hurt and jaded to trust heroes again, to see them as people who were just doing their best to stop any more disasters from happening.

 

Damn it! This stone world had turned him so soft. Why couldn’t he just ignore everything he had seen here and go back to who he was before meeting Senku, before becoming this mushy idiot who was filled with sentiments of peace? 

 

Katsuki froze as he realized Izuku and All Might were staring at him. Here he was, his knees pressed deep in the wet sand and his hands limp and useless as his fingertips brushed the edge of the water. He hadn’t even realized he had said all of that out loud, his feelings too big to keep inside. But he did. And now… now his childhood friend and his hero knew exactly who had become.

 

“Kacchan…”

 

“Don’t.” Katsuki stood up and turned his back on the pair, going back toward the ship. “One last thing while I’m in the mood to speak my mind.” He turned his neck and looked at Izuku from the corner of his eye, half-heartedly chuckling as Izuku stiffened like a board of plywood. “Stop being stupid and do something about that gravity girl. She’s just a few kilometers away and doesn’t even know you’re alive.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off, leaving a trail of footprints behind him in the sand.

Chapter 49: Reunion

For being a small island to the south of Japan, Uraraka hadn’t expected how chilly the fall air would be as the season started to change.

 

The fall crops were starting to come in, only days away from ripening to peak harvest. Though the leaves on the trees didn’t change color, the bark on them darkened and they started to bear nuts and fruits that Uraraka didn’t recognize, but were edible according to the locals. 

 

Thankfully, with the cooler weather came cooler attitudes. No one wanted to start a fight with winter on the way, though there was still some tension between Atlas and his Kamen Kurieta loyalists and those who only wanted their families back. 

 

But overall, the village was ready for the colder months to come. And that was mostly due to Uraraka and the team she led to restore the village, and even make some improvements. The huts were now insulated with animal hides and sawdust, and stone stoves were introduced to each home for cooking and baking.

 

And now, Uraraka stood at the edge of her most recently finished project, the trench at the base of the mountain. Villagers were milling about its edge and peering over the safety railing toward the dark bottom of the split they had cut into the earth.

 

One said, “Now we won’t have to worry about avalanches!”

 

Another added, “Or mudslides when the ice tip melts in the summer!” 

 

The relief that washed through the village was not unlike the same relief that those in Ishigami Village had expressed when they started making bread. No one had to die or suffer from nature’s indiscriminate reality now that someone had offered them a solution.

 

Uraraka noticed a few of Atlas’ men approaching her with a basket of fruits. One of them, the tallest, strongest one, said in a deep, twangy voice, “Podarok, for you. For all you’ve done.”

 

“A gift?” Uraraka was starting to get used to the mix of languages in the village. “Thank you, but I just want everyone to be safe. I, uh…”

 

But another of the men, shorter and broader, said, “No one refuses podarok, it’s considered an insult. Please, take it.” 

 

Uraraka fought against her every cultural instinct as she grasped the basket, though she couldn’t help but give an appreciative bow to them. “Thank you, um,” the word they used in the village was, “Spasgat!” 

 

The shorter one gave her a small chuckle. “Spasgat-u.” He emphasised the last letter she had missed.

 

“Right!” She bowed again in embarrassment. “Spasgatu!” 

 

The third man, a bald, older villager who Uraraka thinks might be named Zevaden, said, “We also came to tell ya that someone’s lookin’ for you. An outsider, part of your crew? Weird green hair like leaves on a tree.”

 

“Green hair?” Uraraka’s eyes widened. There was only one person that could be.

 

The taller added, “Kinda plain looking, if you ask me. Besides the hair.”

 

“Deku!” Uraraka did her best to politely leave the conversation with haste. “Thank you, spasgatu!” She ran through a path that was carved through the trees toward the village and through to the center straight where Kurogiri’s statue was.

 

And staring up at Kurogiri’s face was the boy with freckled cheeks Uraraka had been missing so dearly. “Deku!”

 

Izuku turned to her. “Uraraka!”

 

Uraraka gently set down the fruit basket, the joy and relief in her fading quickly as she looked Izuku up and down. He looked older, his face bearing the age and stress of living in the stone world. His freckles were darker and he was taller than she remembered. His hands and arms bore new scars.

 

Izuku frowned as he saw her expression shift. “Are you alright?”

 

Uraraka nodded. “I’m fine. It’s just… You look…” Her eyebrows furrowed. “Deku… how long were you alone?”

 

Izuku pressed his lips together. “I think it’s been… five years or so? But don’t worry about me!” He waved his hands in front of himself. “It wasn’t that bad! Living on an island was pretty easy once I got the hang of it, plus my Danger Sense was really useful, so I didn’t have to worry about villains most of the time.”

 

Uraraka’s words were just on the tip of her tongue. How much she missed him, how worried she was, how much she hoped he was okay and how hard she tried to find him. There was so much she wanted to say, and yet her voice was stuck in her throat. “I’m just glad to have you back.” Was all that she managed to force out.

 

Izuku looked just as awkward, though. His shoulders tense and his eyes wide. There was something on his mind, even Uraraka could see that. So she said, “Why don’t I drop off this basket and we’ll take a walk? I’m sure we have a lot to catch up on.” Her nerves squirmed in her stomach, the crush she had always sworn was not a crush resurfacing fully with him right in front of her.

 

Though, she never really lied about that. It wasn’t a crush at first. It had started with admiration and gratefulness for how he had saved her when they first met, and it ended up developing into feelings that were hard to ignore.

 

Push it aside, push it aside, she tried and tried but the more he did for everyone, the harder he fought and the more she watched him grow into the hero he became, the more difficult it was. 

 

No… it was time for something else. A new plan.

 

Eventually, she and Izuku made their way to the beach. The Perseus was miles away, but still visible along the coast. They found a break in the cyanide fruit trees, a safe place to just sit on the shore without worry of the toxic fruit falling on them or emitting gases. 

 

“Um…” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. “Why don’t you go first?”

 

“But-” Uraraka was about to protest, but Izuku just looked so worried and nervous that she braced herself with a deep breath. “Deku… I…” She started as Izuku sat there with her on a large, flat rock overlooking the sea. The same big, wide ocean that kept them apart for all these years. “Back when we first met, I admired you so much. You were a real hero, even before you got used to One For All.” Her heart ached a little as she remembered the letter he left for her, explaining his quirk and everything that happened that hadn’t made sense. Some things still didn’t make sense, but that was for another time. Maybe once they were back home. “All you wanted to do was save people, and I feel the same way. I want to see everyone smile. Everyone…” Her bottom lip trembled a bit as she looked down at her hands, her previously soft palms now calloused from life in the Kingdom of Science. The last thing she saw before the world ended was Toga’s smile, her face paler and paler as she gave what blood she had left. 

 

And then there was nothingness. A darkness so dark that Uraraka had felt like she was swimming in vantablack paint. She wasn’t sure if she was asleep or dead until Katsuki revived her in the stone world.

 

“That’s why I wanted to be your friend. Because I wanted to see what you’d do, and I wanted to be like you. But…” She curled her fingers in her lap. “It was so distracting, trying to be like someone else. And it took a long time for me to realize that I can be a hero without being like anyone but me.” She glanced back through the forest toward the village. “I’m thriving here, if I’m honest. The rebuilding project, planning infrastructure, helping the apothecary treat the injured. I’m a rescue hero, through and through. That’s who I am.” She smiled softly, the ache in her heart soothed by the warm pride she felt in herself. “I’m almost… glad I found the Kingdom of Science, you know?”

 

Izuku pressed his lips together a little, staring off toward the Perseus. “They seem like good people. Like heroes, almost.” He scratched his head. “I just wish I knew where we are. They said Japan is full of stone people, too. But… how?”

 

Uraraka shrugged. “That’s the mystery they’re trying to solve. And we’ll help them along the way, but…” She sighed sadly. “As much as I like this new life, we have to go home, don’t we? We can’t just give up.”

 

Izuku nodded. “You’re right. We have to figure this out.” He reached into his pocket and held out a stone piece. “Which is why we need to revive Kurogiri as soon as we find everyone else.” 

 

In his palm was a shard of what might have been a piece of jawbone. Uraraka asked, “You’ve had that the whole time?”

 

“Yeah…” Izuku said. “I wasn’t really sure what would happen when the piece broke off in a rainstorm one day. So I held onto it.”

 

Uraraka furrowed her brow. “But Iida…”

 

“Doesn’t know I’m here.” Izuku said. “I hid from him to keep the village safe. But I still went to the village at night to make sure Kurogiri hadn’t been revived.”

 

Uraraka pressed her fingertips into her thighs. “You’re different now. But the same, too.”

 

Izuku looked down at the piece of petrified bone. “I guess so. I just… I don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

 

“I know.” Uraraka said. “But that’s why we have to work together to make sure everyone is safe. We’ll figure it out.” Her hand shook a little as she offered her palm. “Do you… know what I mean?” Her cheeks were red and hot, but she was being genuine, too. No matter what happened, they’d get through the next part together.

 

“Uraraka, I… what if…” Izuku’s eyes flashed with emotions that Uraraka couldn’t recognize. As if he was remembering something important. His eyes darted from the ocean, to the rock beneath them, and back to Uraraka a few times before he finally asked, “What do you mean, exactly?”

 

“I mean… I…” Uraraka took another deep breath. She’d do this right, even if he didn’t feel that same. “I missed you. A lot. And if this is my only chance, I’m going to take it. No more hiding.” She fought against the clench in her chest that was holding her words back. “I… like you. Like, you know. That way. And I want us to face this future together.”

 

Izuku’s whole body jolted upward in shock. “You… what?! Uraraka! I!” His voice was so sharp and high pitched it almost hurt Uraraka’s ears. His hand rose to his chest. “Do you really… mean that?”

 

“Of course I do!” Uraraka said, her body filling with panic as she realized how abrupt her confession probably sounded. “I’m sorry! I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything! I just got a little ahead of myself is all, forget I said anything. Just…” Panic rose in her throat from his reaction. Had he not thought of her at all the way she thought about him?

 

But Izuku slowly regained what little composure he had in the first place, his shoulders relaxing and his initial shock fading. “I just… didn’t expect to hear that from you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “The truth is… well…” His eyes darted around nervously once again before finally, finally landing back on Uraraka. “That’s… kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, too. I, um…” His hand shifted from his chest and sort of stuttered in the air between them. “It was a long time, being alone. Even though I visited the village at night, I never talked to anyone. I just stayed by myself. And it gave me a lot of time to think.” His hand fell to his lap and he shifted on the rock a little.

 

“About what?” Uraraka asked.

 

“Well, you know. All Might’s my hero. I want to be just like him. Except…” Izuku furrowed his brow. “At the end of the world, he was fighting All For One all by himself with no one to back him up. I’m… scared about that part. All the friends I made at UA, how they all helped me so much to get stronger, how they inspired me to move forward… I clung to the hope that I’d see everyone again. And I thought about you a lot, too, Uraraka.” He swallowed back his nerves with a painful-looking grimace. “I missed you, too. And… I realized how I felt about you was more than admiration. But it’ll be dangerous. My quirk makes me a target. Villains could hurt you to try to get to me. I can’t risk that.”

 

There was that self-sacrificial attitude again. Over and over, Izuku would put himself above others. It’s what Uraraka liked about him so much, but it was also what made it so hard to be his friend, too. She had watched him break himself too many times for the sake of others. And it hurt. So much so that she still felt the shards moving in her chest from all of those times. 

 

But still… She didn’t let herself think or hesitate. She just reached over to Izuku’s hand and grasped onto him, only just barely having enough thought to make sure she didn’t touch him with all five fingers. “Then we’ll build a future together where we’ll both be safe. There will always be villains, but I want to live in a world where we can smile together. We can do it, Deku. We just have to believe in ourselves.”

 

Izuku stared wide-eyed at their hands, his fingers trembling in Uraraka’s palm. “Uraraka… I…” His bottom lip wobbled as he twisted his hand so their palms were pressing against each other. And slowly, hesitantly, he curled his fingers between Uraraka’s. “Okay. I promise, I’ll keep you safe. And we can smile together for as long as you want.”

 

“Deku…” 

 

“Uraraka…”

 

Uraraka smiled. “You can call me Ochaco now, if you want. Since we’re… you’re my…” Her heart pounded in her chest, stealing any words she might have had on her lips.

 

“Ochaco…” Izuku whispered her name. “You’re… we’re…”

 

“Yeah, we are.” Uraraka couldn’t help but laugh a little. Both of them were just too shy to say it, weren’t they? But someone had to. “I’m your girlfriend now.”

 

Izuku seemed to have a harder time saying it, his face changing from pink to red to scarlet. “I’m you’re… boyfriend.” He blinked a few times. “Ura- Ochaco, thank you so much. For everything.”

 

Uraraka and Izuku stayed on that rock until the moon was high in the sky above, holding hands and watching time pass around them. Time only made more precious now spent together, their hearts made one and their lives and futures entwined.

Chapter 50: Ache

Notes:

The Strafe Panzer is the weapon Bakugou uses in the final battle against Shigaraki. While its not specified exactly how it works, I've got my own theory.

!!!!! These next two chapters have body horror (though it's kind of mild/not super graphic imo) !!!!!

Senku and Katsuki were quite literally burning the midnight oil in the mobile lab as they worked on the sleeve for the prosthetic sleeve for Aizawa. Across the table was evidence of their failed attempts- nets of plastic not too unlike the six pack rings that came with soda cans, only much more scraggly and fragile. 

 

Both of them were sitting across from each other with their heads resting on the table, their eyes dark with tiredness. “So when ya gonna invent coffee, Leekhead?” Katsuki grumbled.

 

Senku could only manage a groan in response. There was a lot that agriculture could do, but he couldn’t just make coffee out of thin air. Stimulants like what Ginro had used during the Grand Bout, sure, but that kind of stuff came with a load of side effects that wouldn’t be worth it for daily use.

 

“How do you take it?” Senku half-jokingly asked, half curious, too.

 

“Black. A dash of nutmeg if it’s fall or winter.” Katsuki answered as he rubbed his arms with his hands. “It’s so damn cold on this ship. Why didn’t we think of heating when we built the damn thing?” He was wearing a thick long sleeve shirt under his orange and black top. Somehow it made his arms look even more muscular, even though black clothing was supposed to make things look smaller.

 

“I’ve always preferred the clean energy of sports drinks. Red Bull and crap. Super not good for you in large doses but I only drank half a can and would be so wired I’d forget the other half until the carbonation went flat.” Senku shared, still staring at all the failed attempts of the sleeve and waiting for some kind of epiphany. Not that he had the energy to move if he did.

 

“Ha, lightweight.” Katsuki snickered at him, pushing himself to sit up. “I’m over this crap. Aizawa can wait til we get some sleep.” He sunk down onto the floor of the mobile lab where they’d been sleeping every day of the voyage and reached under one of the shelves to pull out a pillow and bedroll they’d stashed away. It only made sense that they’d take up residence in the lab when they were working so hard on the nitroglycerin revival formula. But now, sleeping together in such close quarters was a little different, wasn’t it?

 

Senku said, “We’re going to give ourselves back problems if we keep sleeping on a metal floor like this.” But before he could finish his sentence, he realized Katsuki was already asleep. Senku sighed in resignation and pulled out his bedroll. He still kept a distance from Katsuki, but he laid down facing him as he lightly snored. “Well, goodnight, Dynamite Guy.” Senku closed his eyes, the air around him lightly scented like sweet nitroglycerin.

 

Senku almost fell asleep, just entering a hypnagogic state between reality and dreams when he heard something that was definitely real. His eyes flew open and instead of Katsuki’s peacefully sleeping face, all he could see was Katsuki’s back. And the noise that woke him was Katsuki’s voice just barely slurring through sleep. “It hurts…”

 

Senku furrowed his brow. Was this just a dream, or maybe Katsuki’s stab wound was sore? While the injury was just a fresh, pink scar now, there was no telling what might be damaged inside that hadn’t healed yet. Senku softly whispered, “Katsuki?”

 

There was no response except more mumbling. “Have to…” 

 

It was when Katsuki started shivering in his sleep that made Senku grow much more concerned. While it was cold on the ship, it wasn’t exactly teeth-chatteringly cold. But it was entirely possible that Katsuki hadn’t gotten a hundred percent of his bloodflow back from what he had spilled the night of Stoshad.

 

And without a way to light a fire… There was only one logical way to warm Katsuki up. And Senku didn’t really like that prospect. 

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to touch his boyfriend, of course he did. He liked the little shoulder nudges they shared, the occasional pinky holding, and when Katsuki had held his hands and used his quirk to warm his fingers, he thought his heart might explode then and there. He liked physical affection, just strictly on his terms. The idea of a hug or even cuddling just felt so claustrophobic to Senku. 

 

But now, when Katsuki needed warmth, he barely hesitated to slide over and press his chest against Katsuki’s back.

 

But instead of how a back should feel, at least lukewarm if not warmer, all he felt was something ice cold even through the two layers he was wearing. “Katsuki?” He said his name again, trying to get him to wake and tell him if this was okay or not. After all, Senku couldn’t be sure how Katsuki felt about being embraced, even as a measure to keep him warm, or about Senku cautiously running his hand over Katsuki’s shoulders to identify where the ice coldness was coming from. He could feel odd bumps under his clothing. 

 

Even through all the times he had seen Katsuki’s back- whether on hot summer days where it was just too unbearable for him to wear a shirt or the times Senku had to change his bandages, he had never actually touched his back like this.

 

There were six points, exactly evenly spaced three and three across each shoulder, right above where the top of his shoulder blades should be. And he swore he could feel some kind of wire or thin tubing under the skin. His half-alseep mind almost considered if he was dating some kind of cyborg-human hybrid. But the logical part of him had a feeling he knew what this really was.

 

And the logical part of him made him sick to his stomach. 

 

Of course he wasn’t the first person to collect and store the explosive power of Katsuki’s nitroglycerin sweat. That kind of power was too tempting to leave alone, especially in the body of a soldier under the command of, from what Senku knew of his universe, an authoritarian, militaristic system of violence.

 

“Kill me…”

 

Senku almost backed away from Katsuki as he mumbled those words with such grief and desperation, even deeply asleep. But instead, he forced himself to hold on to him tighter until he could wake up warm and safe. And he might not be appreciative of Senku holding him like this, he would at least know he stayed with him through his nightmare… no, not a nightmare, but whatever memories were flashing through his unconscious mind. Senku was almost certain that’s what this was.

 

It was Katsuki’s life before the stone world that sounded nightmarish.

 

Senku cautiously slipped his hands under Katsuki’s shirt to get a better feel of what was going on under his skin. The moment his fingertips made contact, he hissed as if he had touched a hot iron. But instead, the feeling was more like plunging his whole hand in ice water, or the painful breaths of running in icy, dry air. It was sharp and cut any warmth that Senku felt away from his flesh.

 

A shiver ran up his spine, but he kept feeling. “Sorry, Katsuki. Hope you don’t mind.” As a scientist, Senku was enthralled by what he was touching. But as Katsuki’s boyfriend, he was horrified. Both feelings, though, caught his curiosity in a snare.

 

He hadn’t realized Katsuki had stopped snoring. His next words were much more lucid. “Don’t ask. You don’t wanna know.” He was awake now, though he didn’t move away.

 

Senku only slipped his hand out of Katsuki’s shirt and said, “You should stay warmer. Metal implants can-”

 

“Do you think I don’t know?” Katsuki growled at him, and Senku could tell he wanted to yell but didn’t want to wake up the rest of the ship. “Go back to sleep.”

 

“Talk to me, Katsuki.” Senku insisted. “You’re obviously in pain. Maybe I can whip up something for you. Or Francois probably has hot towels somewhere, as the hospitality engineer and all.” He whispered, “Whatever you need, we have the science to help.”

 

Katsuki was quiet for a few moments. And Senku just laid there, hoping he wouldn’t fall asleep again only to fall back into his frightening dreams. “... A hot towel sounds good as hell right now.” Katsuki said it almost too quietly for Senku to hear.

 

“Wait here.” Senku gave him the smallest of nudges against his arm, sure to avoid the sore parts of his shoulders before leaving the lab and going toward the engine room where he was pretty sure he could find where Francois would keep warm towels. 

Chapter 51: Strafe Panzer

Notes:

!!!!! Last body horror warning. !!!!!

Katsuki was sitting up when Senku returned. He had nested himself in a wrapping of two blankets while waiting for him, trying to hide how much he was shivering. And while the look on Senku’s face wasn’t exactly reassuring that he could handle hearing about the permanent upgrade he’d been given, after three years of relative peace and time to think and his allowance of letting himself feel things other than white hot rage…

 

Now all he was left with was the warmth he felt for Senku. But right now, the ice cold metal in his back sucked most of that warmth, so much so that he just barely comprehended that Senku had been holding him. Embracing him despite how icy his flesh around the implants must feel.

 

He watched as Senku settled next to him with a tray of hot tea and four hot towels. As Katsuki considered the best way to warm up his bones, he decided direct heat was best and took off both layers of shirts. He took two of the towels and draped them over each shoulder.

 

And while it was just barely enough, it was something. Something more than the aching he had felt for three straight years, especially whenever it got cold.

 

The past few winters, he had learned that sleeping with warm stones in his blankets helped, but between the nightmares- the flashbacks- and the dampness of the ship, tonight it was particularly bad.

 

And now he had someone who cared about him to witness his pain, and wonder its cause, and…

 

He hated talking about it. But he also hated keeping things bottled up more. It made him angrier, more bitter. He wasn’t himself when he kept things hidden. And that was almost as painful as the implants themselves. 

 

He just wasn’t that kid anymore. Of course he still had his aggression and all the things that made him who he was. But that neverending fountain of frustration and anger he had back then? That was something else entirely. Just a part of him that got up and left once he realized he didn’t need it anymore.

 

Senku quietly sipped his tea, his expression solid and unreadable. As if he was preparing himself. Which… Katsuki couldn’t blame him.

 

“They called it the Strafe Panzer.” Katsuki started the only way he knew how to start, the way it was first presented to him. 

 

Back then, what only felt like a handful of years ago but was really millenia, he had been brought to the support course’s lab with a promise of fierce power that even he couldn’t imagine. 

 

It was a permanent upgrade, they told him. A method of which to win the war and let Katsuki come out the indisputable victor.

 

And how could he say no to that?

 

The Strafe Panzer was like a cheat code to any villain fight. Whip that bad boy out, and Katsuki would be sure to make any villain wet their pants and run at the sight of it. He could do anything, murder anyone. He’d be invincible, unstoppable, an incredible force to be reckoned with on the same bar as the gods themselves.

 

That’s how they sold it to him. And that’s how he felt, even as he laid stomach-first on a bed in a private wing of the support course’s engineering department with needles stuck into his back. Even as he felt a stranger, some doctor he didn’t know, and even now, couldn’t picture the face of, sliced him open layer by layer and drilled into his shoulder blades.

 

He was awake the whole time. Mostly numb, but he refused to be put under for the process. No… he couldn’t afford to be groggy, he didn’t have time for the medically-induced nap anesthesia would give him. He had to be ready the moment the villains would strike, or they would strike the villains, whichever came first.

 

So he bit down on a towel through the pain, trying his best not to scream too loudly and alert some teacher who might try to stop the process or slow it down. He needed it, and he needed it now. 

 

The smell of bone dust wasn’t something Katsuki thought he’d ever smell in his life, but it was hot and sharp in his nostrils. And the sound of the drill grinding against his bones pressed against every inch of him, violently shaking his molecules until he felt like he was floating above the bed. And whenever it stopped, he’d crash back down again. Over and over until it was finished.

 

And he could hear everything else. The sound of the stitches and staples piercing and threading through his body, the discussion between the doctor and someone else, talking about someone’s quirk who had imbued the stitches with their DNA so he would heal by the time he woke the next morning. Recovery Girl wouldn’t do it, so they had to outsource. 

 

And that was how Katsuki became UA’s strongest, most invested-in asset. The whole procedure, Katsuki heard somewhere, from someone, had cost something like ten billion yen plus the hush money spent on everyone involved.

 

Only days later after the surgery, he was standing proud in his dorm room, for the first time able to attach the six machine guns to his back all by himself. It was heavy, but with the help of his quirk he could move around just fine on the battlefield. And that was really all that mattered.

 

There were exactly two posters in his room. One of All Might, and one of Best Jeanist both subtly hung on the back corner wall. He smirked at them with the Strafe Panzer on his back.

 

He’d win this fight, he’d win the whole damn war with just the weapons on his back and the combat experience he had gotten all thanks to UA High School.

When he was done explaining this to Senku, admittedly omitting some parts more than others, he said, “The petrification healed thick skin over the brackets that held the guns in place. That’s why you’ve never seen them. But you can… feel them. If you want.” He wasn’t sure why he was offering. Maybe if only to be touched by Senku again, or maybe through trust and understanding that Senku’s scientific curiosity was probably screaming to investigate further.

 

Maybe both. Probably both.

 

Senku frowned, “I told you, I’m not a fan of-” But then he stopped short, sighing into his tea. “Every time you tell me about your home world, I wonder why you’d ever want to go back. Are you sure I’m the sentimental one?”

 

Katsuki clicked his tongue at him. “Tch. As if your time was any good, either. No quirks, no heroes? Sounds boring as hell.”

 

“I’d rather be bored than a soldier.” Senku whispered. “Guess we’re different in that way. Not that it’s a bad thing.” 

 

Katsuki didn’t really have anything to say to that. In so many ways, where Senku and Katsuki came from wasn’t all that different. But what was different about their worlds gave them completely different perspectives.

 

Senku glanced over at Katsuki’s back. “It’s always cold like that?” He slowly reached up, letting Katsuki lean in to close the gap between his shoulders and Senku’s hand.

 

Katsuki groaned a little at the warmth over his implant. Senku’s hand and the hot towel were so close to enough to give him some real relief. “Pretty much. This is the worst it’s been.” He couldn’t help but lean into Senku’s hand further. He found an added comfort in the fact that Senku didn’t shy away from that. “Don’t worry about me, Leekhead. I can handle it just fine.”

 

“Sure you can, Dynamite.” Senku turned his face away as if to hide his expression. “Is there anything you can’t handle?”

 

Katsuki squinted at him a little, though he was still turned away. All he could hope was that his boyfriend wasn’t crying over this. “When you’ve fought as hard as I have for the things you give a damn about, it’s easy to get used to crap like this. Don’t you dare pity me, got it?” 

 

Senku turned back to Katsuki. Thankfully, he only looked distressed rather than puffy-eyed. “You’re tough as hell, I’ve always known that about you. It’s what attracted me to you in the first place, then everything else.”

 

“Everything else, huh?” Katsuki snickered, glad for a chance to lighten the air. There was no point dwelling on the past now.

 

“Yeah, everything else.” Was all Senku said to that as he sipped on more tea.

 

“Tch,” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Is that the best you got?”

 

Senku’s eyes lit up a little, a tiny flash in between the ache. “Oh, so you’re saying this is a competition?” He flashed a toothy smirk, “I can outflirt you any day.” He dropped his voice a little and leaned just a bit closer to Katsuki’s ear. “Or am I mistaken that you like it when I call you Dynamite?”

 

With Senku’s hand still on Katsuki’s shoulder, it was impossible to hide the shiver that went down his spine. He had no idea Senku’s voice could sound like that, or his breath over his neck could feel like that. They’d been in close quarters before, but this was… 

 

Katsuki wanted to kick himself. Now was not the time to get all head over heels! He had something to win! “You’re not wrong, Leekhead. But I know your secret, too. I’ve seen you stare at my hands, and not just when you’re thinkin’ about my nitrosweat.” He held out one of his palms, flexing his fingers a bit. “You love lookin’ at ‘em and thinkin’ about all the science crap they can do for you.”

 

Senku laughed. “Or maybe I’m thinking of something else. You never know. I might be in the mood to get a little handsy sometimes.” He spread his fingers out a little wider on Katsuki’s shoulder, warming up the edges of the implants that were still ice cold.

 

Katsuki hissed. “That’s not fair, you Leekheaded bastard.” But he found himself leaning further into Senku’s touch anyway.

 

“Did we establish rules when we started this competition?” Senku gave him an innocent, pouty look. “I don’t remember.” 

 

Katsuki rolled his eyes and pushed his face away with his palm. “Now you’re just being annoying.” But before he could pull his hand away, Senku grasped his wrist and kept him right there, cupping Senku’s cheek while his big, bright eyes looked right at him. There was something in his expression that caught Katsuki off guard. A kind of gentleness, like Senku was shyly asking for something.

 

Senku ran his fingers up Katsuki’s wrist and held the back of his knuckles in his palm. He pulled away from Katsuki’s touch, but brought their faces just a little closer. “Yeah, yeah, the scientist guy can get annoying sometimes. Who’s surprised?” 

 

Katsuki tried so hard to read his expression, tried to figure out what Senku was trying to get across. This position they were in, faces just inches apart and one of Senku’s hands bracing his shoulder and the other hand holding Katsuki’s hand in place… it was almost like…

 

Senku asked the next question quietly, and Katsuki only just now noticed that Senku’s ears and neck were blushing red. “Can I kiss you?”

 

Katsuki’s mouth went dry as he came up with an answer, “Will you?”

 

“If you want me to.” Senku said.

 

Katsuki’s heart raced in his chest. This close to Senku, he could trace every angle of his jawline and every tiny blemish no one would notice and just how jet black the petrification scars over his eyes were. And he… he loved everything he could see, every angle and patch of blushing skin and the ultra-nervous look in his eyes. And shit… yeah, he really wanted his first kiss to be right here and now with Senku. But… “Only kiss me if you wanna kiss me.”

 

For a moment, Senku looked like he was trying to calculate the trajectory and aerodynamics of how to kiss in his head before he leaned further forward, his eyes fluttering shut and his grip on Katsuki’s hand tightening.

 

Katsuki tilted his head a little, adjusting so that their noses wouldn’t collide before their lips did. And when their lips did crash together…

 

It was messy. Their teeth clattered together and they were a little off-center, but after a moment of realizing they could just shift a little, be gentler and more precise, they finally hit a sweet spot where their lips were locking perfectly in sync and all they had to do was drink in the warmth and the softness of the other.

 

Katsuki’s shoulders relaxed and he let himself feel everything. Senku’s hands, his lips, even the coldness in his back didn’t feel so cold anymore. His chest was alight with the fireworks display of a grand finale, his heart full and aflame and his thoughts were erased from his mind.

 

And just as quickly as it started, Senku pulled back and ended their kiss. “That was… great.”

 

“Just great?”

 

“Exhilarating,” Senku decided. “Ten billion percent exhilarating.” He was still holding Katsuki’s hand, though now he had backed away completely. “You really are like Dynamite. I feel like I’m gonna explode.” He lifted his hand from Katsuki’s back and placed it on his chest. “I liked it.”

 

Katsuki bit back a sarcastic comment about how he should like kissing his boyfriend. He knew Senku, and he knew how important it was that he was comfortable with touching Katsuki. “You were holding me. When I was asleep.” He finally registered it fully in his head.

 

“Oh. Yeah…” Senku frowned. “I won’t if you don’t want me to.”

 

“I’m not like you. Touch me all you want. Just don’t get too clingy in public or get in my way is all I care about.” Katsuki watched his reaction closely. There was a chance that sounded harsher than it did.

 

Senku ran his thumb down Katsuki’s knuckles in thought. “My hands are always busy. But… I’ll make sure my hands make time for you, if that’s what you need.”

 

“I don’t need anything from you, Leekhead. I want things, sure, but I knew what I signed up for. I know exactly what kinda guy I caught feelings for.” Fell for, he almost said. But… not now. Not with Senku looking so torn up and so happy at the same time. 

 

“Good.” Senku breathed with relief. “I just… don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

 

Katsuki glanced behind them toward the bedrolls. “We should sleep. Long ass day tomorrow and I’m not letting Aizawa scold me for not getting enough sleep the minute we revive him.” He shuffled back toward where he had been laying. But before he slipped out of Senku’s hand, he said, “And don’t overthink shit, Leekhead. Do what you want, when you feel comfortable or whatever. I’m not the typa guy to force shit on people.” 

 

“Good to know.” Senku placed the tea and towels aside before laying down again, this time just inches away from Katsuki’s back. “Goodnight, Dynamite Guy.”

 

“Night, Leekhead.”

Chapter 52: Sensei

“Mr. Eraser!”

 

Shouta Aizawa could hear a tiny voice through the darkness and the sound of crackling. 

 

Slowly, the feeling in his numb limbs returned. And he could see a bright, blue sky above him. His body was gently swaying, though he wasn’t sure if it was the dizziness from waking up after a long time of being unconscious or if he was actually on a ship. From the salty sea air, he’d guess the latter. 

 

Eri’s worried face hovered over him. “Mr. Eraser! Are you alright? That was so scary!”

 

Aizawa sat up too quickly, his head pounding with pressure as he looked around. He was on the deck of a ship surrounded by people he didn’t quite recognize. One of them was holding a vial of strange liquid.

 

Without his support item of choice around his neck, his only method of attack was to lunge right toward the first person he could reach. He knocked the guy to the ground and pressed his forearm into his throat. The guy looked like an evil scientist with his long coat and a mathematical equation written in blood across his collar.

 

“Shit!” The stranger hissed as there was a popping sound between them like a broken rib. 

 

“Who are you? Where is-” Aizawa didn’t get to finish his sentence as a burst of heat and light washed over him. Hands grabbed his shoulders and before he could react, his back was slammed into the wood of the deck.

 

“Don’t you dare touch him!” 

 

This voice was familiar. Older than the last he heard it, but just as familiar as the nitroglycerin scent around him that his student often left behind wherever he went. 

 

Aizawa groaned as he caught his breath. “Bakugou?” Though the student wasn’t near him anymore, instead he was knelt next to the scientist on the ground. Aizawa could hear him ask if he was alright.

 

It was a strange sight to see that look on Bakugou’s face. A pained one, almost as if it was him who had his rib broken instead, but rather on behalf of the pain of another. Even odder, still, that he was grasping the scientist’s hand.

 

Out of the haze he had found himself in when he woke, he started recognizing some of the faces around him. Eri was backed up against the side of the ship, looking worried but not quite scared. Midoriya was kneeled next to her, a hand resting on the back of her head in comfort. 

 

And towering over them was All Might, his big grin flashing and his hair standing up just like it had in his prime. 

 

Aizawa sat up, slowly this time. “He a friend of yours, Dynamight?” He referenced the one who looked like a scientist.  

 

Bakugou flashed a look at him as if he had kicked his puppy. And maybe Aizawa sort of had. “He’s only the one that made the crap that revived you and designed this for when you woke up, pegleg.” He tossed something metal in Aizawa’s direction.

 

A prosthetic leg? Aizawa picked it up and inspected it. The materials looked repurposed, but functional enough. “How thoughtful. Maybe next time he’ll learn to step back from someone who might attack him out of concern for their wellbeing. He could have been a villain.” He rubbed his forehead. “Is anyone going to fill me in or are you all just going to stand there staring?”

 

As he listened to everyone’s stories- from when Bakugou woke up to All Might’s short stint in the original village to the civil war that had most recently broken out and everything before and in between, he cautiously tried on the prosthetic. He slipped the sleeve onto his residual leg first, then shifted into the socket.

 

Izuku helped him stand up. Aizawa couldn’t help but be impressed by how well the prosthetic fit despite the lack of custom materials used to make it. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but still good enough to walk around until he fine-tuned some adjustments.

 

The scientist guy was standing now, too, clutching his left ribcage with a wince. “I’ll be fine, just a bruised rib probably. Name’s Senku, welcome to the Kingdom of Science.”

 

Before Aizawa could decide if this Kingdom of Science really was welcoming, he noticed Eri take this tiniest step forward. “Um. Sen-ku?” She asked, her eyes on the deck of the ship and her arms hugged against her sides. “Are you a friend of Hero Deku?”

 

Senku looked at her. “Sure we are. Why, got a quirk that can fix this for me?” He grasped his injured rib, leaning against Bakugou for support.

 

Bakugou hissed at him, “It’s rude to ask about people’s quirks, ya know.”

 

But Eri nodded. “If you’re a friend of Hero Deku, I can try to fix it!” She looked to Midoriya, who smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

 

She offered her hands to Senku, who painfully knelt down and let her touch his arm. With a glow from her horn, his pained look faded. To Aizawa’s surprise, Eri’s horn didn’t grow and she seemed to have good control over her quirk. 

 

Aizawa took his first step on the new prosthetic toward Eri. “Good to see your quirk is in working order, but let's be cautious, alright?”

 

Eri nodded. “Yes, Mr. Eraser!”

Notes:

Everyone say hi to little Eri :) and sorry for the short chapter, Aizawa pov is weird

Chapter 53: Recap Episode!

Notes:

A lot has happened, so I figured a little recap couldn't hurt.

Please comment below any questions if you find any part of the plot or anything confusing. I reply to almost all comments, usually. But if an answer will spoil the end, I'm afraid I'll have to keep my lips sealed!

This is written like a TV script, it was fun to write this way.

Also Gen in a cute cow onesie is a reference for my friends in the Kingdom of Shipping Discord Server. We love Gen and we love cows.

Gen appears on screen, wearing a cozy-looking cow onesie

 

Gen

Welcome to the Recap Episode, everyone!

 

Gen pulls at the collar of his cow onesie

 

Gen

Oh, this? Yuzuriha made it for me. It’s super ozy-cay! The cow theme was Suika’s idea. No idea how she knows what a cow is, though.

 

Gen

Aaaaanyway, here’s everything that’s happened so far:

 

Gen twirls in a big, flashy circle and holds up one finger.

 

Gen

Firstly, I should explain that we have NO IDEA if our dear friend Katsuki is from a different universe, timeline, or even a planet that happens to be a near-exact copy of the Earth you and I are familiar with! But, from here on out, we’ll be referring to each as “Katsuki’s universe” and “Senku’s universe” to differentiate them.

 

Gen shrugs, then gestures welcomingly to the audience. 

 

Gen

So, starting with Katsuki’s universe, there was a biiig bad villain by the name of Shigaraki! He wanted to destroy the whole world, and despite the Heroes’ best efforts, succeeded. He left the entire planet an utter wasteland! No food, no water, not even trees! Can you imagine that?

 

The camera cuts to Katsuki’s Universe. There is nothing but endless dirt.

 

Gen

 

Meanwhile, Senku’s universe was going about its merry way. People were living and thriving just fine.

 

The camera cuts to a city in Japan. People are strolling the streets and cars hurriedly dash along wide roads.

 

Gen

Then, at the exact same time as one of Shigaraki’s allies, Kurogiri, opened up portals in an effort to find a planet suitable for human survival, Senku’s whole planet was engulfed in a mysterious green light that petrified everyone! Including our new friends from another universe, who happened to land here during the petrification.

 

The camera comes back to Gen, still in his cozy cow onesie.

 

Gen

 

Fast forward three thousand and seven hundred years later, Senku and his friends break out of the petrification, Tsukasa betrays them and… well, you know that story.

 

Gen grimaces a little at the memory of the Tsukasa Empire.

 

Gen (excitedly)

Let’s fast forward to now. The Perseus was built in order to find the Soyuz, a ship believed to be chock full of upser-say important materials collected by Senku’s father!

 

Gen

In the process of building a sonar for the ship, we found a mysterious signal from someone we’ve been calling ‘Why Man’. We believe he might be the cause of the petrification! He is the villain of Senku’s universe!

 

Gen dramatically shivers, but then returns to his normal self

 

Gen

And so, the race is on! Can we find the Soyuz, revive enough people and gather enough resources to go all the way to the moon to find this Why Man before he sends another petrification beam our way?

 

Gen points at the audience, then looks somewhere off-screen

 

Gen

Uh oh, looks like we’ve hit a bit of a nag-say in our plans. This Treasure Island is already occupied! And the people here reeeally hate the idea of reviving the stone statues.

 

Gen

Why, you ask? Well, it turns out that the very same villain from Katsuki’s Universe that brought everyone into Senku’s Universe was petrified in stone, too! And due to his unfamiliar form, he’s been mistaken for a god! They call him Kamen Kurieta, a mix of Japanese and Russian to mean Stone Creator.

 

Gen holds out his arms

 

Gen

What a wild turn of events, folks! 

 

Gen

But not everyone is happy to sit idly by and accept that the stone statues are entirely Kamen Kurieta’s will. Oh no, it can’t be as simple as that, can it?

 

Gen puts a thoughtful finger on his chin

 

Gen

Upon Senku’s attempted murder, a violent civil war broke out between the two factions; Kamen Kurieta loyalists, and those who just wanted to see their family members alive and well again!

 

Gen

Naturally, the heroes from Katsuki’s Universe couldn’t ignore their instinct to step in. And so they did their best to save those who needed saving and prevent as much damage as they could.

 

Gen

After all… what’s the quote again? Ah, that’s right.

 

Gen

Meddling where you don’t need to is the essence of being a hero!

 

Gen

But unfortunately, having strangers from a foreign land involved in a local civil war only made matters worse. More blood was shed than ever, and both sides sustained heavy losses.

 

Gen (whispers)

Though we didn’t see much of that on-screen, it did happen! Author-san is simply errible-tay at writing intense action scenes, you see. But don’t tell them I said that!

 

Gen (dramatically)

 

But there was hope among the fray. Princess Amaryllis worked together with our hero Ochaco Uraraka to convince both sides to a peace treaty!

 

Gen

Both sides agreed it would be best to revive Kamen Kurieta and consult their god. 

 

Gen

But there’s a little problem. We just can’t be sure how a murderous villain would act when woken up from stone after three thousand years!

 

Camera shifts to vials of revival fluid

 

Gen

 

Meanwhile, Senku and Katsuki finally perfected the nitrosweat-based revival formula! With that, they revived Pro-Heroes All Might and EraserHead, Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, and little Eri! 

 

Gen

 

Together, Tsukauchi, All Might, Izuku, and Ukyo came up with a plan to track down the rest of the heroes from Katsuki’s Universe by locking onto the signals from the tracking chips that were injected into them before the war.

 

Gen

But the encryption will be hard to crack! It could take a long ime-tay for the sonar to work, if at all!

 

Gen

So in the meantime, there’s a team out there still looking for the Soyuz! This way, they can collect the valuable materials inside while the peace treaty in Heiwana village is still on.

 

Gen

If everything works out as planned, we can find everyone from Katsuki’s Universe using the sonar, revive Kurogiri, and hopefully calm this quarrel once and for all. And not to mention, finally bring everyone from Katsuki’s Universe home!

 

Gen

Hopefully, Kurogiri will be in a good mood when he wakes up…

 

Gen waves goodbye to the audience

 

Gen

 

That’s all from me, folks! In the next chapter, let’s check back in with our two favorite lovebirds.

 

Gen (whispers)

They think we haven’t noticed, but we totally have.

Chapter 54: Split Off

It took a few days for Aizawa and Eri to settle in, but eventually, Eri and Suika became fast friends. Though of course Aizawa didn’t let Eri too far out of his sight.

 

Meanwhile, the sonar team was struggling to lock on to the tracking chip signals. Last Katsuki checked, they had found some faint radio waves, but lost the signal from some kind of interference. Possibly part of the encryption, but it was hard for anyone to say.

 

Tsukauchi was in the mobile science lab almost every morning, another stressed wrinkle added to his face and his undereyes darker than the day before to get a shot of homebrew caffeine. Neither Katsuki nor the detective asked how Senku had made it, but they probably didn’t want to know.

 

And then there was Katsuki, getting antsier by the minute the longer they waited for the scouting team to find the Soyuz. While he knew it was best to stay on the ship- both to make sure they weren’t attacked when he wasn’t around, and to avoid causing any more mishaps with the villagers of Heiwana- his patience was wearing thin.

 

“We’ve got the nitrosweat formula,” Katsuki said to Senku, crossing his arms on the deck of the Perseus where Senku was writing down some notes on a page. The scientist kept looking up at the mast, then back down again at the page to write some more. Peeking over, Katsuki could see it was a list of chemical formulas that he didn’t recognize. Katsuki kept talking. “I’m not waiting around for those idiots to find the Soyuz, I’m going back out there to look. You comin’ with me or what?” He tried to sound casual about it, as if it was Senku’s choice. But no way was he leaving him alone, especially with him sticking his neck out above deck with little witnesses or protection.

 

But to Katsuki’s frustration, Senku said, “Nope!” He waved the end of his pencil in the air. “After I’m done here, I’m going to Heiwana village to see how things are progressing over there. It’s probably best to show my face so they don’t think we’re plotting anything, right?” 

 

“Are you stupid?” Katsuki growled at him. There was no way that was a great idea, never mind the best one! “They’ll kill you. They tried once, you really think they won’t try again?”

 

But Senku raised a brow at him. “Break the truce while they’re busy preparing for winter? Not likely.” He nudged Katsuki’s shoulder with his arm. “But if you’re so nervous about it, why don’t you come with me?”

 

 But that idea was even worse. “Do you think it’s really the best idea to add another hero to the mix? The one that publicly took a knife to the chest for you?” Katsuki hissed the last part through his teeth, his stomach clenching just thinking about it. That kind of loyalty surely hadn’t gone unnoticed, even if the villagers were strangers.

 

Senku shrugged. “Then go meet up with your friends searching for the Soyuz.” He pulled at the strap of his bag that was over his shoulder. 

 

But Katsuki argued, “Come with me. I told you I’m not letting you outta my sight after everything.” He nearly grabbed Senku’s wrist, but his hand just hovered in the air.

 

Senku gave him an annoyed glare. “Look, I appreciate you wanting to be attached at the hip, but we’ve got work to do.” He slipped his notes into his bag. “We have to prioritize. Ukyo and the sonar team have things handled while the others try to find the Soyuz, we still need the precious materials in that ship even though we have the nitrosweat formula. It’s ten billion percent important. And it’s just as important to make sure no one else has to get hurt. So someone’s gotta manage the village. We both have roles to play, and if they have to be halfway across the island, that’s what we have to do.”

 

Katsuki grit his teeth, yelling a lot louder than he meant to. “What if I wasn’t there to save your ass, hah? You’d be gone, and I’d have to live with the fact that I wasn’t there to stop it. We wouldn’t be ‘us’ if you’d died back then.” And shit, that was true. It was fucking painfully true. He almost… they almost… shit. His throat clenched on itself, anxiety and embarrassment prickling along the back of his neck. 

 

But Senku acted completely unbothered. Typical for the scientist, but frustrating all the same. “We could play the what-if game all day.” Senku scratched his inner ear with that bored look in his eye. “What if you died from dehydration because I didn’t follow your trail when we first met? What if you never came to my universe or timeline or whatever in the first place? It’s pointless. The treaty is ten billion percent enough to make sure they won’t hurt anyone on our side. And again, we’ve got work to do.”

 

Katsuki’s fingers twitched in frustration. “So that’s it, huh? You’re going to the village to risk your life and I’m going to babysit the extras searching for the Soyuz? How is that-” 

 

Senku gave Katsuki a glare, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him off of the main deck of the ship where Katsuki just now realized everyone was staring at them. They slipped into one of the storage rooms where no one else could pry. “It’s not fair.” Senku said, shutting the door behind them. The room was pitch black, but at least it was private. “I know the risk I’m taking, but it’s a calculated one. I need you to go where you think is best. I trust your judgment ten billion percent, and I need you to trust mine. Okay?”

 

“...” Words escaped Katsuki as his teeth ground together. But Senku had a point. He knew he did, no matter how much he hated it. Katsuki took in a deep breath, previously unaware how close Senku was until he realized their breaths were mixing between them. “...Fine, Leekhead.”

 

Katsuki stiffened in surprise as Senku landed a quick kiss on his lips. When he parted, he said, “I’ll see you soon, Dynamite. We can fight about it later. We’ve got work to do.”

 

Katsuki’s voice was weak now, the bite in his tone from earlier gone. “You bet we will.” And in the dark, where no one else would see, his fingertips grazed over where Senku had kissed him, a tingle still lingering along his lips. Damn it, Leekhead… “Don’t you dare die on me. I’ll kill you.” 

 

Senku laughed. “Same goes for you! Dying without giving me time to fix you would be a real dealbreaker.” He opened the door and let the light flood the room again, revealing their blushing faces. “Seriously, we’ll be back together before you know it. You won’t get rid of this annoying scientist that easily, and I know I won’t get rid of you easily, either.” He bumped his shoulder into Katsuki’s. “Let’s go. We don’t have a lot of time.”

 

Katsuki grumbled and followed Senku out of the ship and back into fresh air.

 

It was clear that the others were trying not to stare at them as they gave each other another goodbye in the form of a fist bump and some cheeky comments about coming back to the ship when their work was done, but Katsuki didn’t care. All he had to worry about was his next goal. 

 

The faster he got through it, the sooner he could be back to Senku’s side.

Chapter 55: Discovery

Notes:

oops I might have accidentally made this an unrequited Chrome/Senku fic but feel free to interpret this however you want lol

“Hey, Bakugou! So what’s the deal with you and Senku, huh?”

 

Katsuki clenched his jaw as Sero asked the question. They were deep in the island’s forest searching for the Soyuz, the trees doing little to shield them from the chilly winds that blasted through the group. Katsuki swore he could smell snow in the air, but even though it was cold, he doubted it’d actually snow on an island like this. Or at least he hoped not.

 

His shoulders were already aching, though he tried to ignore it. But if he was honest with himself, he’d give anything to be back on the Perseus with Senku’s warm chest pressed up against the anchors that were still drilled into his skeleton.

 

Katsuki was glad his face was turned away from the others. Sero, Kaminari, Kohaku, and Chrome were all looking around for any sign of the ship, the metal detector in Chrome’s hands.

 

There were a lot of things Katsuki could have said in that moment. From something like fuck off, or mind your business. But at the same time, he didn’t feel like dealing with the teasing that would come after from Sero. Maybe finding out they were actually together would make him lose his voice from shock.

 

Katsuki snickered at the thought. Yeah, fuck it. It’s not like they were hiding anything. “He’s my boyfriend, you idiot.”

 

But it wasn’t Sero who reacted the most. Instead, it was Kohaku and Chrome. Both, in sync, yowling in surprise. “WHAT?!” 

 

Chrome stammered, “B-but Senku’s got no interest in that kind of stuff, right? You’re joking.” His eyes were wide and he nearly dropped the sensor in his hand.

 

Katsuki rolled his eyes at him. “Think I’m the kinda guy who jokes around about crap like this?” He curled his lip and pointed at the metal detector. “You idiots need to focus on finding this damn ship.”

 

But Kohaku crossed her arms. “Considering I’ve never heard Katsuki joke at all before, I kinda doubt he’s lying. But it’s still hard to believe.” She glanced over at Chrome.

 

Chrome grumbled, his eyes dropping to the ground. “Yeah, like what does he even see in him?”

 

Katsuki honed in on Chrome, giving him a smirk. “What, jealous?” and while Katsuki tried to come off as teasing, he couldn’t help but feel his neck prickle a bit. Chrome and Katsuki never got along, and now Katsuki was starting to wonder if it was because Chrome had feelings for Senku, too.

 

“Wha- no!” Chrome scoffed at him. “It’s just unbelievable!” Chrome waved his arms dramatically, the rod end of the metal detector flying out of his hand and tumbling down a small ravine. “Aw, crap!”

 

When the rod landed, a line on the screen moved. Katsuki shouted, “Don’t move.” He followed the wire down the ravine and found the rod in a pile of leaves. Just a few yards away, there was a thick tree, its roots twice the thickness of the other trees around the forest. And along its trunk, moss grew in a thick layer.

 

Katsuki picked up the rod and walked closer to the tree.

 

Chrome shouted, “The signal’s stronger! Go right!”

 

Katsuki turned right a little, but still kept his eyes on the tree ahead. The closer he got, the more he felt like there was something there. 

 

Chrome barked a few more directions at him, but eventually Katsuki yelled back, “Shut up! Stay back. Somethin’ ain’t right.” He dropped the rod and, despite the other’s protests, used his quirk to blast toward the base of the tree.

 

All other flora on the island was nothing compared to this giant. Its roots tangled like a maze along the ground, towering over Katsuki even as he flew a few feet in the air. He landed on top of one of them, looking around for any sign of whatever was making him feel so on edge.

 

There were no cyanide-laced fruits along its branches unlike the trees that bordered the island. Nor were there footprints or other signs of another person. Katsuki just had a feeling, an instinct to keep going around the tree until…

 

He found a statue. No one he recognized, but a young girl with long, braided hair and her hand pressed against a smooth part of the tree.

 

Katsuki furrowed his brow. Too smooth. The moss carpeted a large area that wasn’t like tree bark, but something smooth and round. Katsuki quickly dug at the moss, pulling it away in sheets until he could see something shiny and metal.

 

“Oi!” Katsuki shouted. “Get the hell over here!”

 

Kohaku and Sero were the first to join Katsuki, followed by Chrome and Kaminari. Everyone peeled away at the moss until they found an open window on the side of the capsule. 

 

Katsuki tried to peer inside, but all he could see were vague shapes in the darkness and plants that had infiltrated the Soyuz. Though, looking at the size of the treasure box now, Katsuki realized he was only looking at part of a spaceship rather than the entire Soyuz itself.

 

Sero said, “Use your quirk! We need more light!”

 

Katsuki turned on his heel and hissed at him. “Are you stupid?! We don’t know what’s in there.” 

 

Chrome, for once, agreed. “Yeah, we don’t know what bad chemicals might be in there. Katsuki might blow up the whole island if they gathered up super flammable stuff or something.”

 

Katsuki said, “You idiots guard the Soyuz until I bring Senku back here.” He glanced back at the treasure box they had sailed across the ocean to find. Inside would be the final ingredient needed for Senku to make near-unlimited revival fluid. After all of their turmoil, the trial and error, the countless hours of hard labor to make nitroglycerin-based revival fluid, here they were. 

 

Katsuki’s useless hands twitched as he readied an explosion to propel him toward Heiwana village, and toward what he knew would soon be the end of his stay in the Stone World.

 

Once the Kingdom of Science got what they needed, they’d revive Kurogiri and send the heroes and their allies home.

 

Chrome sighed, “I guess it’s only fair that Senku gets to open it first, since this stuff was collected by his dad and all. Still!” He balled his fists. “I can’t wait to see what’s inside!” 

 

And of course, Sero snickered at Katsuki something about running back to his boyfriend the minute he had the chance.

 

Katsuki hated that he was right. They could easily have wrenched the Soyuz open, but the nerves in Katsuki’s guts hadn’t stopped churning since he had left Senku’s side. If anything happened to him in the village, Katsuki would make sure that everyone involved would have hell to pay. “Shut up.” Katsuki grit his teeth. “Just guard the ship.”

 

With that, he took off through the cold forest air.