"Deku, look out!" Uraraka screeched, trying to make her way across the rubble.

Izuku jumped just in time to dodge the villain's attack. The woman in his arms squealed, grabbing onto Izuku's bicep and squeezing. Izuku barely registered the burning sensation where the woman's hand rested on his bare skin, the left arm of his costume having been ripped off at some point during the fight. He had more important things to worry about at the moment.

Trapped in an alley on the far end of the debris field were Bakugou and Kirishima. One of the buildings had collapsed, and honestly, it was a wonder either of them had survived. It was pure luck that the building adjacent to the demolished one was reinforced. The pair were trapped in a cavern barely large enough for the two of them to move around.

"Bakugou, calm down, man!" Kirishima pleaded. His words fell on deaf ears, however, as Bakugou blasted mercilessly at the surrounding debris, desperate to escape and get back out to where the action was. "You're going to bring the rest of the building down on us if you keep this up!"

As if to prove his point, the slab of concrete above their heads began to shake. The force of Bakugou's last attack broke up one of the supporting beams. The concrete splintered from one end to the other, showering the two boys in dust and bits of concrete.

Bakugou paused as their tiny haven rumbled around them, threatening to collapse and kill the two of them at any moment. He turned on Kirishima, eyes blazing.

"What do you suggest we do then? Sit here and suffocate to death!" His booming voice echoed around the small space. Kirishima winced.

"Of course not," he started, "but I'd rather not get crushed to death, either." Though, if Kirishima were being honest, with his quirk, he might actually survive the cave in. He doubted he'd make it out of the rubble, however. And Bakugou definitely wouldn't survive. He'd be crushed in an instant.

"I'm not hearing an alternative, Spiky-hair." Kirishima was trying to formulate some sort of plan when the ceiling shook again. More debris rained down. This is it, Kirishima thought, we're gonna die.

Another quake, a deafening cracking sound, then… light?

"I AM HERE!" All at once the concrete slab threatening their lives was tossed away. Light flooded the space, temporarily blinding the two amateur heroes.

Bakugou swatted away one of the searchlights being pointed at him and jumped out into the night air, ignoring All Might's outstretched hand. To his immediate dismay, the fighting was over. The villains were being shoved into police cars and the cleanup crew was already hard at work. He groaned loudly, shoulders dropping. Kirishima chuckled as All Might helped him out of the collapsed alley, watching the ever-dramatic spectacle that was Bakugou Katsuki.

The medical team checked them over and sent them on their way. A few scrapes and bruises, but otherwise the pair hadn't seen enough action to be seriously injured. Bakugou seethed as they made their way to the rest of the group heading back to UA. Suddenly he stopped. Kirishima turned as Bakugou fell to his knees, gripping his left arm, clearly in pain. His teeth were clenched, and his eyes were shut tight. Was he even breathing?

As quickly as it had happened, Bakugou relaxed. He was back on his feet quickly, but he was distracted, trying to get a good look at his left bicep.

"Shark week, come tell me what's up with my arm," he shouted, contorting himself into awkward positions to try and get a better look, "I can't see shit."

Kirishima made his way over to Bakugou's left side. He squinted, the dim lighting around them making it hard to see.

"What the hell?" Kirishima drew his brows together, puzzled.

"What? What is it?!"

"It looks like…" Kirishima trailed off, thoughtful, "It looks like a brand."

On the back side of Bakugou's left bicep was a raised burn mark in the shape of a star.

X

"I'm so sorry," the woman – Kanako – who Deku had saved pleaded.

"Don't worry about it," Izuku began, "It's just a few bumps and bruises, nothing for you to worry about." He shot her his signature wide, goofy, utterly infectious grin. This did nothing to improve the woman's mood, however.

"I don't mean your injuries, though I do regret that you got yourself hurt saving me."

Now Izuku was just confused. "What are you apologizing for, then?"

"That," she said, pointing to his left arm.

Izuku tried to see what she was pointing at but couldn't get a good enough angle. Uraraka grabbed a small mirror from inside the ambulance they were perched in. "Here," she said, holding it up so Izuku could see the back of his arm.

"It's my quirk," Kanako admitted hastily.

"You give people weird shaped burns?" Izuku questioned, examining the mark with intrigue.

"No - I mean yes, but there's more to it," she spoke quickly, sounding more nervous the more she talked.

Izuku motioned for her to go on, Uraraka at his side, just as curious.

"My quirk reveals people's soulmates," she began. "That mark on your arm," she gestured at the star, "whoever the universe has decided you're meant to be with will have the exact same mark on their body."

Izuku was stunned. For a while, he just stared, which only made Kanako that much more nervous. Her whole body seemed to be vibrating and she looked like she was about to cry. She opened her mouth to speak again but Izuku beat her to it.

"That's so cool!" He bellowed, jumping out from the back of the ambulance. "So, whoever has this same mark on their arm is my soulmate?" Kanako nodded.

Izuku's brows furrowed. "Wait, but what happens when the burn heals? Does it only work for a certain amount of time?"

"I'm very sorry," she apologized again, "but that mark isn't going anywhere. Once it heals it will scar. And nothing can remove a soulmark."

X

Kirishima had broken off to go check on Kaminari and Jirou who hadn't gotten out of the fight as unscathed as some of the others. Bakugou waved him off, muttering something about not giving a shit about sound girl or Pikachu. He found himself wandering around the debris field, in no particular hurry to get back to UA or his classmates.

He stopped in the shadow of one of the unoccupied ambulances when he heard Deku shouting about something. As he listened his eyes grew wide, his hand subconsciously coming up to trace the star on the back of his arm. His world spun, his body unsure of what to do. He wanted to run or hide, or maybe hit something – like Deku or that stupid woman who had just doomed him.

No. Fucking. Way.