Izuku could already hear them.
Katsuki's footsteps were loud, aggressive—each one hitting the concrete like a hammer strike. Iida's, by contrast, were precise and rhythmic, almost mechanical in their timing.
The sounds echoed faintly through the walls and floors, overlapping like distant thunder rolling through the building.
Izuku held up a hand slightly, signaling for silence.
"Alright," he whispered calmly, voice low and controlled. "The bomb's on the third floor, right side. Both of them are up there."
Ochaco leaned closer, listening intently.
"To get there without being noticed," Izuku continued, subtly pointing, "take that staircase. It curves inward, so their line of sight won't catch you. It'll put you right behind Iida's patrol path."
Ochaco nodded, jaw set. "Got it."
She hesitated just a second, then added softly, "Be careful, Izuku."
He gave her a faint smile. "You too."
And then she was gone—darting toward the stairs, light on her feet, barely making a sound as she disappeared upward.
---
[Third Floor – Bomb Room]
Katsuki paced back and forth like a caged animal, boots scraping sharply against the floor. Sparks snapped and hissed from his palms in short, violent bursts, the air around him tense and hot.
"Tch… damn it," he growled. "He's mine."
He shot a glare at the large, ticking device in the center of the room.
"Four-Eyes," Katsuki snapped, not even looking at Iida, "don't you dare move from that bomb."
"I wasn't planning to," Iida replied sharply, standing tall in front of it like a knight guarding a relic. He adjusted his glasses, the lenses flashing with conviction. "I will stand guard like a true super villain. No hero shall pass!"
Katsuki stared at him.
Long. Hard.
'Is nobody in this class normal?' he thought with a scowl.
"Tch… whatever," he muttered.
Without another word, he turned toward the hallway. And bolted.
---
[Stairwell – Second Floor Landing]
Katsuki didn't bother taking the stairs like a normal person.
He blasted himself forward, vaulting over the entire flight in one explosive leap. He landed hard, cracking the concrete slightly beneath his boots, and immediately launched into a sprint.
Each step thundered through the building.
'Run, Deku,' he snarled inwardly, explosions flaring brighter with every stride. 'Run all you want.'
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" he shouted, voice echoing violently through the stairwell.
---
[Main Lobby – Between Staircases]
Izuku stood perfectly still.
Open space. Wide lobby. Two staircases flanking him on either side.
He leaned slightly to one side, hands relaxed at his sides, posture loose—as if he were just waiting for someone to show up. His breathing was steady, controlled. His eyes were calm.
Focused.
He could feel Katsuki's presence getting closer—the heat, the pressure, the raw hostility flooding the air like an oncoming storm.
Footsteps slammed closer.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Izuku didn't move.
'Right on time,' he thought quietly.
The moment Katsuki burst into the lobby, eyes blazing, palms crackling with explosive fury—
Izuku finally spoke.
"Took you long enough."
Katsuki stood above him on the second-floor balcony.
The dim emergency lights overhead flickered, casting jagged shadows across his face—but they couldn't hide the expression carved into it. A wide, vicious grin. Teeth bared. Eyes burning with manic intent.
"DEKU!!!"
The roar echoed through the open lobby.
Katsuki didn't hesitate.
He kicked off the railing, palms detonating in a violent BANG, smoke and fire erupting behind him as the blast launched his body forward like a living missile. The air screamed as he tore through it, heat rolling outward in waves.
'Fucking hell… I need to end this fast,' Izuku thought, calmly shifting his stance.
But as Katsuki hurtled toward him—wild, reckless, completely unrestrained—Izuku couldn't help the faint snicker that escaped him.
At the very last second, he stepped aside.
Katsuki blasted past him, unable to correct his trajectory, and slammed full-force into the far wall.
BAM!
Concrete fractured outward in a spiderweb of cracks. Tiles shattered and clattered across the floor. A jagged chunk broke loose and smacked Katsuki across the side of the head as he tore himself free.
Blood immediately ran down his temple, streaking across his cheek.
"Wow," Izuku said dryly, turning to face him. "Nice entrance."
He tilted his head.
"Still no aim, though."
Katsuki's breath came out ragged.
'Yeah… I'm done playing,' Izuku thought as his eyes narrowed.
"SHUT UP!!" Katsuki roared.
He detonated again, blasting straight at Izuku—faster this time, angrier.
But Izuku was already moving.
He vaulted clean over Katsuki, twisting midair with effortless precision before landing lightly behind him, boots barely making a sound.
'Predictable,' he thought with a smirk.
Before Katsuki could even turn— Izuku shoved him. Not hard. Katsuki stumbled forward, momentum betraying him. His boot clipped the edge of a floor panel, and he went down hard with a frustrated grunt.
"Dammit—!"
Snarling, Katsuki scrambled up and fired an explosion point-blank.
BOOM!
The blast shook the hallway violently. Smoke poured outward, swallowing everything in thick, choking clouds. Debris rained down. Katsuki smirked through the haze.
"Got you—"
The smoke thinned. Izuku stood there. Unmoved. Unshaken. The only sign of damage was the burn across his suit—a blackened, smoldering patch along his chest and arm where the fabric had been scorched away.
His expression had changed. No amusement. No teasing 'That could've killed someone,' Izuku thought, jaw tightening. 'He really is trying to kill me.'
His stance shifted.
Feet planted firmly. Shoulders squared. Weight balanced perfectly.
Years of training surged back into his body—hand-to-hand combat drills, endurance conditioning, controlled aggression. Every muscle knew exactly what to do.
"I'm going to make sure," Izuku said quietly, voice low and dangerous, "that you don't walk out of here."
For the first time— Katsuki hesitated. Just a fraction.
A chill crawled up his spine, something unfamiliar and deeply wrong stirring in his gut.
Then rage swallowed it whole.
"You think I'm scared of you?!" Katsuki screamed, explosions flaring brighter than ever.
Izuku didn't answer. He stepped forward. And the real fight finally began.
TO BE CONTINUED