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Now Midoriya stands before you. More like awkwardly hunched over, but still, standing, refusing to use his bone-crushing quirk to escape Bakugo’s grasp and flee the alley.
<span class="mu-i">Probably thinking the same reason...</span>
You squeeze your eyes shut, as if you could push the empathetic thoughts out, to stay the course and let Bakugo do as he wishes.
<span class="mu-i">Parallels be damned, this is different! You’ve been nearly killed, twice! You deserve to know what you are facing. If you are all meant to be heroes, you and your classmates have to know what you are up against!</span>
So why then do you feel so ashamed by what’s about to happen?
>“Ushi?”
You don’t open your eyes to look at Shoto. But the reminder of his presence at your side adds a grimace to your already contorted face, your own words from mere moments ago now echoing back at you in your head.
<span class="mu-i">Just because a hero does it, doesn’t make it the right way.</span>
To point out and denounce that the best of you are not always so upstanding doesn't give you the excuse to do the same, nor to just standby while it happens. Especially when it comes to your peers… your friends. The ones that accepted you in a way that you never really knew before U.A..
"...Aight! Let him go sugah! Ah'd like to know what y'all talkin' bout now too, but this is outta line!" You holler, opening your eyes and taking a step forward. You refocus on the pair of boys before you and the first thing you notice is Bakugo has further grappled the smaller Midoriya, nearly pinning the same arm across his back. Bakugo’s other hand, a fist, falls back down from a raised position.
>“Oh, come the FUCK on!” Bakugo turns on you with a roll of both his eyes and head, not letting Midoriya go all the while. “I can almost understand the camera shit on Sunday, but this?!
“It ain’t right!” You protest. You cross your arms and wince internally as you knew what would come from him next.
>“YOU’RE the one that STARTED IT!” Bakugo shakes Midoriya’s stiffened forearm at you. "This little shit's been holding back the whole time. He’s been fucking with me, and you, and just about everyone else as well! I’d thought you had bought his bullshit earlier this year, protecting him the way you did. But you see it now too, ya?! You’re on to him as well and now we can force the truth out!"
At that, Bakugo reaffirms his grip, fully pressing Midoriya’s arm into the lock and forcing him to squeeze himself against the brick wall of the alley.
>"The selfish prick thinks he’s so much more important than anybody else. Mocking us, making out that he’s “earned it” to be here. But now we can put him in his place and for a good reason. Where’s the wrong in that?” Bakugo ends the rhetorical question by nearly spitting the last words into Midoriya's ear, who continues to only wince in silence.
