Crossroads of Worlds on the Edge of Reality

Musutafu was having an unusually sunny day. It seemed that luck should follow you in all endeavors. It was a heatwave, which seemed to enhance the explosions, but seemed to irritate. Birds were singing, which Katsuki wanted to blow up, as well as the nearby whistling Deku, who decided that joining the empty-headed creatures would be a good idea. He was very lucky that they were on a mission that could not be failed, as witnesses and police chattered incessantly about portals and the unexplained disappearance of citizens. His intuition screamed that it was not worth contacting the villain, who had just been reported by eyewitnesses over the earpiece. They hadn't seen anyone other than Kurogiri and the hero Thirteenth who had anything resembling portals, so there was little experience. And memories connected with the League constantly surfaced, so he generally tried to avoid such nonsense. Sometimes even Katsuki tried not to meet his own triggers, no matter how cowardly it was. Villains had always loved to grab him: the mud bastard who nearly killed him before he entered UA, the cursed Shigaraki with his crazy gang, the war with them, after all. He had even survived death, but he still avoided portals. There is nothing worse than uncertainty, and he understood this like no one else. He glanced briefly at Deku, wondering if he felt the same way. Izuku, as always, being the current Symbol of Peace, simply ran forward and smiled, illuminating the world with his optimism and eternal "I'll save everyone!". Clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction, he focused again on the mission that Ashido and Sero had been chattering about all morning. Katsuki ran through all the necessary information he had managed to extract from the endless stream of dialogue: Not tall. Understood. His hair is just like Johnny Depp's. Raccoon eyes, is that so important, huh? Dressed like a magician. Slightly better. Is the quirk somehow related to this? Quirk... she didn't mention the most important thing! Damn gossipers, all you want to do is discuss actors! Trying not to spoil the mood, he gritted his teeth and asked Izuku flying beside him: "Hey, Izuku! Do you remember that villain's quirk? Did the raccoon-eyed one tell you about it?" Izuku paused briefly, also rummaging through the information about it in his head, irritating Katsuki even more. His patience was even less than usual. The portal - not an explanation yet. What kind of portals is it? Does it suck in nearby objects? Ejects the object to the other end of the world? Or is it something like the black hole of the Thirteen hero, where you're definitely done for? "Strange, but it seems Ashido-san didn't mention that... Do you have an earpiece with you?" "It's connected only to the police." One. "Damn! And do they know about the villain's quirk?" "No! They were chattering about some kind of portal, but no one knows where it leads," patience. Maybe the police have found something out. They should be useful sometimes, after all. For a change. Two. "A portal?" Midoriya pondered. "Like Kurogiri's?" He just shrugged. I just explained that I don't know a damn thing about the quirk! Flying on further explosions, he looked around again in search of the villain and hears a quick shout: "Kacchan, over here!" Three. "Don't order me around, Deku!" Katsuki merely winces at his own words, reminding himself that they are partners. Goddamn numbers one and two. That they will have to work as a team, no matter how much he grumbles under his breath. Finally, he can blow someone's face off! "On the right!" "I'm not blind!" the Dynamight yells back, already rather irritated. Izuku only concentrates on another seemingly trivial skirmish with the unknown villain, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The villain's very smile held a terrifying superiority, as if he knew he would defeat the country's strongest heroes. What would give him such confidence? Unlikely he could boast of successfully capturing heroes if he had not been known until recently. Katsuki was concerned by the fact that this villain was not attacking them, showing exactly how this damned quirk works. Not a fool, or just stalling for time? Devising a strategy? Planning an unexpected attack? What's on the mind of this weirdo? Usually, as if all villains were preparing for this in advance, they would tell about their quirk after the very first attack, either boasting or just out of boredom. This one, however, remained silent, clearly waiting for their actions. "I knew you would arrive!" began the villain, who had already managed to severely fray everyone's nerves since morning. "Deku and Dynamight themselves have decided to visit me!" he continued, stepping towards them. His swaggering gait and face were so irritating to Katsuki, but he perfectly understood that his intuition was not ringing in vain: the aura of this bastard was frighteningly terrifying. The fact that he could submerge a bunch of people in the portal without a trace caused a flurry of goosebumps. Were those civilians killed? What's on the other side of the portal? Maybe it's a new League of Villains? The manner of speech and gait strongly resemble Dabi. Maybe he's the second-rate hero's son too? Each subsequent thought was worse than the last, but he couldn't stop. Rarely did some pitiful future corpse worry him. He only bares his teeth predatorily, reminding himself for the hundredth time not to act impulsively, for they are heroes. True ones, not those youngsters from the past. "For you, I am the Great Explosive God Dynamight, you bastard!" he yells, for the facade of the personality he has built up over the years in front of people has not gone anywhere. It is only in the company of friends that he hears "Katsuki, you've changed a lot," "Katsuki, you're no longer a shouting grumbler," "Katsuki, you've been domesticated," "Kacchan has always been good, he just hid it." At the skeptical voices of Sero and the other guys, he almost lets a smile slip, but quickly hides it, turning to Deku. Now he was only interested in catching the weirdo. And his grandiose speeches could distract him from the plan he was concocting. He could literally hear the gears turning in Izuku's brain. The earpiece in Izuku and Katsuki's ears hissibly hisses - Katsuki honestly promises himself not to lash out at the half-focused one just because he felt like it, if the nature of the quirk is clarified. Katsuki could rely on his quick reflexes, but the risk of getting into a portal that would erase him still held him back. "There's good news and bad news," the employee starts hastily. "Start with the bad," Katsuki throws, holding the earpiece with his finger, habitually placing his other hand on his hip. Izuku and the rest of their former classmates always found this pose amusing. Perhaps the internship at Best Jeanist's wasn't for nothing. "The civilians, or anyone else who ended up in the portal, cannot be returned, however, they should be alive. The good news is that the portal does not destroy the biological tissues of the body when approached, but sends them to alternative universes." Well, what's good about that? - Katsuki almost blurts out. "He-ro-o-es," the villain drawls boredly, tired of negotiations and inaction. "Did I send a bunch of people to who-knows-where for nothing? And all for the sake of meeting you!" As if by bad luck, the reporters who had just arrived by helicopter managed to capture it live. Excellent footage, nothing to be said! "This is Kin Maeda, and live on the air, none other than the Symbol of Peace and the Number Two Hero - Dynamight! How long will this villain last against the mightiest?" "Not for long at all," he sneers acidly, finally activating his quirk. Several portals formed simultaneously in several places, causing Deku to turn tensely behind him. This bastard can activate multiple portals?! What the hell are we only learning about this now?! Most likely he was waiting for me and Deku specifically. But why? "No, I've been rampaging for too long to be so bored! Attack, heroes! And behold your end," the last part the villain whispers sharply, still not having revealed his name. With a snap of his fingers, the portals begin to suck in everything around them, and Deku and Dynamite come to the only thought - they are trapped. "Now!" Deku shouts, and Katsuki even sets aside his indignation, taking flight with his friend. From his experience working with Deku, he understood that they thought almost identically, but, as has become their habit, with different goals. "So, if we're surrounded by multiple sucking portals, we need to shield ourselves from their area of effect. His mistake is that he didn't create the portals in the air, so that's what will help us," Izuku mused. "However, he's much stronger than Kurogiri, so simply catching him will be difficult." The villain continued to open more and more portals, forcing the heroes to maneuver between them, lest they disappear forever into the abyss of the unknown. Why did these reporters even show up? They're also in potential danger and are getting in our way, Katsuki clicks his tongue, aiming his exploding palm directly at the villain. "Now you won't get away," the hero grins habitually, seeing no portals as obstacles before him. Izuku habitually squints from Katsuki's flashbang, but the villain remained inactive, as if in absolute safety. Then it dawns on Izuku - due to the light, Katsuki's field of vision was reduced, and he didn't see what was right in front of him. Deku doesn't have time to shout a warning to his friend about retreating, as the villain instantly creates a portal right in front of himself. It seemed time had slowed for all the participants in the battle. Despite all the lessons of the past, Katsuki entirely relied on his instincts and quick reflexes, and this became the hero's starting point. Literally. "It seems Hero Dynamight is in grave danger!" the reporter announces, but she shows no anxiety, rather enthusiasm, for she has captured these shots. "Kacchan, no!" Izuku cries, unable to believe his eyes. A sharp sense of deja vu gripped him, he couldn't believe that Katsuki could disappear forever right now. Kacchan! Don't come, Deku. The weirdo abruptly thrust his hand forward, and an enormous portal opened up in the air before him. He spread his palms, and the diameter of the passage began to increase rapidly, sucking in everything in the vicinity. Bakugo stared tensely into the black abyss, feeling himself being drawn inside. He activated explosions in his palms, trying to break free from the portal's pull. He managed to do so, but clearly not for long. "I won't let you escape, you bastard!" he roared, unleashing powerful explosive impulses. But the villain merely smirked and pointed his hand in Midoriya's direction. From another portal, opened right behind Izuku's back, a stream of debris burst forth, crashing down upon the green-haired hero. Midoriya barely had time to cover his face with his hands, trying to keep his footing. "Deku!" Bakugo shouted, seeing his partner trapped. In a panic, he began firing explosions in all directions, trying to somehow hinder the madman. But the villain simply skillfully evaded the attacks, opening new portals to direct even more projectiles at the heroes. Bakugo felt himself being drawn ever stronger into the gaping black hole behind the villain. He desperately tried to break free, but the power of the portal was relentless. Izuku felt that an inevitable disaster was about to happen, and therefore he had to take immediate action. Still buried under the debris, he tried to shout to Kacchan. Izuku could not allow this to happen again. He could not lose his best friend. Memories rushed through him at an accelerated pace, throwing Izuku into even greater panic. This villain was much more dangerous than Kurogiri, and if the League of Villains' goal was clear, this was much more complex. What was hiding on the other side of the portals? Where would they end up? Katsuki clenched his fists, feeling the tension mounting in his body. Before him stood a cunning villain, exuding a dark aura of malice and hatred. They locked gazes, and a tense silence hung in the air, as if time itself had frozen. The villain smirked, his eyes narrowed in a mocking grimace. He slowly raised his hand, and Katsuki felt the dark energy around him begin to thicken. The air became charged, and Bakugo's hair stood on end. Without losing a second, Katsuki concentrated and summoned all his power. His body was enveloped in a powerful glow, and he rushed forward, delivering lightning-fast strikes. The villain barely had time to dodge, his malevolent face contorting with strain. With every moment, Katsuki sank deeper into the flow of the battle, his movements becoming faster and more precise. Feeling a surge of adrenaline, he dodged the villain's attacks, never for a moment easing his onslaught. The air was sliced by shimmering energy flashes, colliding in powerful explosions. The earth trembled under their feet, as if nature itself echoed the intensity of the confrontation. Katsuki focused, channeling the energy flows through himself, and unleashed lightning-fast strikes upon his opponent. The villain desperately tried to fight back, but the hero's might was relentless. His opponent began to tire, his face contorting with strain. Katsuki felt his superiority rapidly growing, and a spark of triumph danced in his eyes. Pouring all his accumulated power into his strike, Katsuki crashed down upon the villain with a mighty blow. And then he realized that the villain had not used his quirk to the fullest the entire time, as if waiting for the opportune moment. The villain's stretched grin echoed his thoughts, and before he could even comprehend what was happening, a portal of unprecedented size opened right in front of him. No, no, no! - Kacchan and Deku's thoughts screamed, the battle couldn't end this way. Shouting a hasty "plus ultra" and shattering the debris, Izuku immediately flies to his friend, but sees the same picture as before. The frightened Katsuki, still worried about his friend's condition. Don't come, Deku. "Kacchan, hold my hand!" both are tense to the limit, but Katsuki doesn't listen: half of his body has already disappeared behind the portal, Katsuki's left arm is on the other side of the huge black hole, and only Katsuki's right hand, which he had rehabilitated for so long, could be his salvation right now. Or our death. Izuku did not need the quirk of telepathy to guess Kacchan's thoughts. He knew what he was thinking. But Midoriya, the Symbol of Peace, could not allow this to happen again. "Kacchan, I..." Katsuki finds tears in his friend's eyes with a hint of surprise, "I'll save you, whether you want it or not!" A second - and Katsuki finds Izuku's firm grip on his hand. And then - utter darkness.