"Yeah, sure, lawyers make a ton of money, but I'm gonna be an actor," the adolescent boy with rust-colored hair and a bulging belly proudly proclaimed as he kept his eyes on the sky. "By the time you're all done with college, I'll have my name on movie posters all over the U.S.A.! I'll be super famous and invite you guys to The States for premieres and stuff. I'll even book you all first class seats on the flight over… except for Katsuki. He can ride coach."

As the boy finished speaking, he turned his head to the side and offered Katsuki a smug look. His expression faltered slightly as the blond boy with spiky hair lying beside him kept his wine-red eyes on the clouds high above while remaining silent. Katsuki's only reaction was to narrow his eyes slightly at the friendly jab, which caused the other boy to tense up.

"…Itachi, that's not very nice," a third person said hesitantly from his place on the other side of the small circle of students reclining in the grass. The green-haired boy sat up and turned to face Katsuki and his other friend, his freckled face downcast and full of concern. "Kacchan's part of the group, even if he's a little m-"

"I can defend myself when I think it's worth my time, Deku," the blond interrupted as he sat up, keeping his back to his reclining friends behind him. "And Itachi's just being an asshole, like he usually is. I'm not too worried about it. No Hollywood agency is gonna put someone that fat in a starring role, anyway. He'll end up B-list at best, and he's too cheap to buy any of us first class."

Itachi remained very still in his stunned silence as a chorus of gasps rang out from the other boys around the ring.

"Katsuki, that's messed up!"

"Not cool…"

"Why the hell would you say something like that!?"

"Kacchan…" the boy that Katsuki had called Deku said softly as he watched the blond stand up and brush the grass off his school uniform.

Katsuki snarled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked over his shoulder and down at Itachi, whose face was red with shame.

"If you're gonna throw insults at people, make sure you have skin thick enough to deal with whatever gets thrown back at you. Skin- not blubber. I'm getting really sick of your shit," Katsuki spat before he grabbed his backpack from its place in the grass and slung it over one shoulder. Without another word, he began to walk away from the group and toward the nearby forest at a brisk pace.

"Kacchan!" Deku called as he rose from his spot and began to give chase.

"Go to hell, Deku," Katsuki called back without bothering to look behind himself as he walked.

"Don't be like that!" Deku protested. "He was just messing around!"

"Yeah, well, he's been 'messing around' for the past three months, and the target's always on my back," Katsuki said simply. "You all give me shit just to try to get a reaction, and then when I finally give you one, the waterworks start. It's pathetic."

"…I don't," Deku said softly as he finally reached Katsuki's side and matched his pace. "I just try to keep the peace between everybody…"

"Tch," Katsuki sneered. "Whatever. You losers are lucky I transferred here. If I left your stupid little group, no one would pay any attention to you. The rest of the school only leaves you all alone because I'm here. Itachi and the rest of you owe me big time for getting the people who were harassing you to finally back off. If you all can't handle my 'attitude', then that's your problem. Not mine."

"You're right," Deku replied immediately.

Katsuki stopped in his tracks. His nose twitched slightly as he tried to make sense of the statement. A familiar feeling of frustration pulsed through his mind like a painful tug, and he turned to face Deku with a scrutinizing glare. For whatever reason, the urge to punch the other boy crossed his mind, and it took a great mental effort to refrain from the desire.

"…what?"

"You're right," Deku repeated quickly. "Without you, we'd… we would still be pretty lame, and still be getting bullied. You're really cool, Kacchan, and we do owe you for turning things around for us. I just wish you could be nicer, is all. The others probably wouldn't get on your nerves so much if you were just…"

"…not me," Katsuki finished as he turned back around and began to walk again. "Shut up, Deku. You're wasting your breath. And stop acting like you know me!"

Deku made a guttural noise of frustration as he began to march after his friend once again, his fists balled and his expression unamused.

"…what about you, Kacchan? What are you going to do after we all get through high school? We've only got a few months until we get out of this place, and then four more years. Then what?"

Again, Katsuki stopped in his tracks and turned, his glare as venomous as ever.

"…what the hell do you care?"

"You're my friend," Deku answered. "We've been friends for months, now, and you just… never really talk about yourself. So, what's next for you, once we're all done with school?"

Katsuki took a long, slow inhale through his nostrils before breathing out. As he spoke, his voice came out in a harsh, almost growling tone that was jarring enough to make Deku take a step backward.

"…I'm going to Arcadia High for the hero program, and then U.A. University to get my license and become a pro hero. I'll tear my way through the ranks, and anyone who tries to stop me. I'll blast my way to the top if I have to, and in the end, I'll become the number one hero in Japan. Bigger than Endeavor, bigger than All Might… and if you think that's lame, or you've got a problem with that, then say it to my face right here, right now, and watch what happens to you," he threatened as he brought a hand up and produced a small, crackling series of explosions within his palm.

Contrary to Katsuki's expectations, Deku's face lit up with a wide grin. The very sight made Katsuki want to punch him even harder, though he held back his fist in favor of baring his teeth.

"That's not lame, that's awesome!" Deku proclaimed excitedly. "I'm gonna go to Arcadia, too, and try to get into the hero program! I've always wanted to be like All Might, and I had no idea you were into heroes, too! With a Quirk like yours, you're going to be an amazing hero, Kacchan! Maybe we'll both end up at U.A. together, a-"

"That's not gonna happen," Katsuki interrupted with a deadpan tone as his palm began to gently smoke. "What are you, fucking stupid? You don't have a Quirk. If you're going to Arcadia, you'll be in General Studies, and there's no way in hell you're making it to U.A., so put that out of your mind now and save yourself the heartache."

Deku's face immediately fell into an expression of shock, and he looked away from Katsuki's accusatory glare.

"I… I know you're probably right, but… sometimes, people get their Quirks late. It's not impossible that I might b-"

"You're delusional," Katsuki cut in as he shook his head and turned away. "Delusional, and wasting your time… and mine. Figure something else out, because it's not happening, Deku. You think you can be a hero by talking to people and being nice? You think that'll be enough to save lives? You're only going to end up getting people killed, including yourself, if you do manage to get into some second-rate academy without a Quirk and somehow get a license. You couldn't defend our little group of losers from a bunch of stupid high school bullies. You're not going to be able to do a damned thing against villains out to kill, even if you started training for it today. Get real."

Deku bit his lip as he watched Katsuki begin to walk deeper into the forest, away from him.

"…I'm not going to give up on my dream just because you told me to!" the boy shouted. "And neither will Itachi! You don't have to be so… so…"

"Give up on dreams in general, Deku!" Katsuki called back without slowing down. "One day, you'll figure out that I'm right, reality is all you have, and reality blows! Face the facts now, and save yourself a lot of bullshit down the line!"

"Katsuki Bakugo?"

Katsuki looked up from his place in an uncomfortable chair on one side of the cramped little hallway in Arcadia High School's main office. He watched with disinterest as a girl with long brown hair and ram's horns exited from the door just ahead of him. She offered him a cheery smile as she passed. He didn't return it.

"Yeah?" Katsuki asked as he looked up at the middle-aged man holding the door open.

The short, balding individual was sporting a grey three-piece suit and thick glasses, which he nervously pushed farther up along his nose as he looked over Katsuki. He ran a tube of chap stick over his lips and offered the boy a nervous smile before extending his arm in a welcoming gesture, though his expression was anything but.

"You're up, Mr. Bakugo. Please, step into my office."

"About damned time," Katsuki growled as he took up his bright yellow backpack and secured it lazily over one shoulder. "What's the big holdup? This shouldn't be complicated."

Again, the man offered Katsuki an uneasy smile as the boy walked past him and into the small office. He cleared his throat as he closed the door behind the adolescent and watched him flop unceremoniously into a far fancier chair directly across from the messy desk pushed up against the wall.

"…Mr. Bakugo, please refrain from using such language in my office, if you would," the man chided gently as he lowered himself into his own computer chair behind the desk. "It's been a few weeks since you've landed in my office, and this time, it's for potentially good reasons. I'd very much like to keep it that way."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes and put his backpack down onto the floor as he watched the man begin to tap away at his keyboard while leaning in closer to his glowing monitor.

"Whatever. I've heard a hell of a lot worse in the halls, and the teachers don't even care. So don't act like I'm the exception, Mister…"

Katsuki trailed off as he swept his eyes over the desk. The surface was covered in papers stacked and scattered at haphazard angles, with the occasional framed photograph and a few bobbleheads. Partially obscured behind the small statue of a baseball player was a name plate reading Keiji Haruka.

"…Haruka," Bakugo finished.

"…you don't know my name?" Mr. Haruka asked as he turned to look at Katsuki and blinked in surprise.

The boy merely planted his elbow upon the armrest of his chair before balling a fist and resting his cheek against it.

"Does it really matter? After this year, it's not like I'm gonna see you again," Katsuki explained. "It's not like we're friends, and it's not like you even like me. Would you know my name if you didn't look at your appointment schedule first?"

Mr. Haruka looked aghast at the accusation and leaned forward slightly over his desk.

"…Katsuki, you're not a stranger to this office, and regardless of that, of course I would know your name! I'm your guidance counselor. I care about all of the students here at Arcadia High, and I've been with you for going on four years, now. Yes, it's been a while since our last one-on-one encounter, but that doesn't mean I don't care. I do have a lot of things to keep track of, you know."

"…yeah. Whatever," Katsuki grumbled as he averted his eyes and looked at the various motivational posters upon the walls of the office. "Let's just get this over with."

At that, Mr. Haruka frowned and let out a defeated sigh.

"…yes, let's. Do you have your form completed?"

"Of course I do," Katsuki snapped as he bent over and began rummaging through his bag. "I'm not about to come here without it and waste everyone's time."

"Thank you," Mr. Haruka praised as he began to type once again. "You'd be surprised how many students forget before coming to their appointment and end up filling it out right in front of me. It really holds up the process."

"No, I wouldn't," Katsuki replied with a derisive sneer. "Half of the idiots here can't follow simple instructions. That's not surprising. You should just kick them out until they can get their sh-… follow directions."

Mr. Haruka accepted the form from Katsuki while giving the boy a cold look.

"Thank you, Mr. Bakugo. Some students need more reminders than others, is all. That doesn't make them any less worthy of my attention."

Katsuki rolled his eyes as he leaned back into his chair and rested his cheek against his fist once again.

"…whatever."

Mr. Haruka once again cleared his throat and lifted his glasses before settling them back onto his nose. He laid Katsuki's form flat onto the desk and began to look it over. The man blinked rapidly before looking up at Katsuki, only to find the boy glaring straight through him, as if daring him to say something. The man held the eye contact despite Katsuki's venomous glare, and brought a fist up to his mouth before coughing lightly into it.

"…Mr. Bakugo, this form requires you to fill in two secondary school choices, in addition to your first pi-"

"I'm going to U.A.," Katsuki stated coldly. "So it doesn't matter."

Mr. Haruka sighed and removed his glasses before placing them lightly atop the form and rubbing at his temples.

"…while I have no doubt that you're capable of getting into U.A. given your impressive Quirk, your exemplary grades, and your passion for becoming a pro hero, I really do need you t-"

"I'm going to U.A.," Katsuki repeated in a harsher tone as he leaned forward slightly, as if in challenge. "And that's it. Don't even bother giving me the speech about how unlikely it is for someone from Arcadia to end up there. I've got the talent, I've got the grades, and I'm going. I'll be the only one from this trash heap to make it in, and there's nothing else to say. Put it in the computer. Put in two other random universities if you have to fill in alternates. I don't care… but don't question me. You of all people should know what I'm capable of."

Mr. Haruka shook his head and blew out a long, tense breath as he looked Katsuki over with weary eyes.

"…Mr. Bakugo, it is my job t-"

"I don't care," Katsuki snapped. "Just do it, and let me get back to class. There are a bunch of morons waiting for their appointments that need a hell of a lot more guidance than I do. This should be quick and easy. Now you're the one holding up the process."

"Mister Bakugo," Mr. Haruka repeated in a louder, more forceful voice. "While I agree that you have great potential, and that you're more than capable of making it into U.A. and becoming a professional hero, I would strongly suggest that you fill in two alternates, rather than letting me choose them for you. There are plenty of other worthy hero academies in Japan, and you and I both know that people don't always get what they want, regardless of how deserved it may or may not be. I'm looking out for you, young man, but I need your cooperation to do so."

"Yeah?" Katsuki seethed. "Well I would strongly suggest that you back off. I've earned a spot at U.A., and I will get what I want, this time."

Mr. Haruka turned back to his computer with a slightly more aggressive spin of his chair than he intended. The man swiped his glasses from atop Katsuki's form and began to type, his fingers clicking harshly against the keyboard as he spoke in a cold tone.

"…how are things at ho-"

"Shut up," Katsuki ordered before the man could finish. "Don't you dare try to talk to me about that."

"Mr. Bakugo, it's my job t-"

"Is it your job, or do you actually care!?" Katsuki yelled as he slammed a fist into the armrest of his chair. "Either way, it doesn't matter, because my life outside of school is my problem, not yours! If you want to break up my fights, lecture me about how I wear my uniform, and hand out detentions, then do it, but stay the hell out of my business otherwise."

"Is the desire for you to become a pro hero one for a job, or do you actually care?" Mr. Haruka shot back in an even tone.

Katsuki's eye twitched as he felt a pressure building inside of his chest. His blood boiled as sweat began to bead along his brow and neckline, and he could feel his palms itching for an explosive release. He took a deep, rattling breath as the tendons on the front of his neck bulged in barely contained fury.

"You… you…" Katsuki sputtered as the armrests of the chair squeaked with strain under the pressure of his squeezing fingers. "You don't fucking know me. You have no idea how much I care, or what I want out of this…"

"Then tell me," Mr. Haruka said calmly as he turned to face Katsuki once again and interlaced his fingers atop the form. "And if you use such language again, you will end up i-"

"Then put me in detention!" Katsuki interrupted as he stood and furiously whipped his backpack up and over one shoulder. "I don't care! You don't deserve to know!"

"Mr. Bakugo! Sit back down a-" Mr. Haruka began as he rose after his student.

"Fuck off!" Katsuki insisted. His voice cracked as he punctuated the statement with a trembling middle finger while using his free hand to open the door to the guidance counselor's office. Katsuki stomped back out into the hall, his footfalls somewhat muted by the stained carpet. "Hey, you're in luck! This moron's schedule cleared early! Get ins-"

Katsuki paused as he realized who was next in line for an appointment. The green-haired boy named Izuku Midoriya, otherwise known as "Deku", sat in the chair that Katsuki had occupied mere minutes before, wide-eyed and quiet. The pair simply stared at each other for a tense moment, Katsuki's veins throbbing in time with his burgeoning headache as Izuku slowly stood up and gave his friend a look of cautionary concern.

"…Kacchan…?"

Katsuki's lip trembled for a moment before he crashed his shoulder into Izuku's while storming past. Izuku was pushed back into the wall with a heavy thump, and a secretary stood up from behind her desk and called out after Katsuki as he exited the main office.

"Are you alright?" the woman wearing thick-rimmed glasses asked as she came around and put a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Oh! I-I'm fine!" Izuku stammered as he raised his hands and offered a guilty smile to the woman. "Kacchan's just… like that, sometimes."

Mr. Haruka let out a weary sigh as he rubbed his forehead and gestured for Izuku to enter his office.

"…I'm sorry about him, Izuku. Please, come on in…"

Izuku spared one last look at the slowly-closing office door. Katsuki was nowhere in sight.

"…it's okay. I'm… sorry about him, too…"

Author's Note:

Welcome one and all to my next big project, and my first story for this fandom. If you're familiar with my other work for RWBY, particularly What You Stole or Arboretum, you already know what to expect from this- a massive rework AU of canon, adding my own little twists and flourishes as we go. This story will be focusing primarily on Bakugo, with Kirishima, Amajiki, and Yaoyorozu being the other 'main' canon characters. Things will follow canon events rather loosely… until they very suddenly don't. Get ready for a wild ride, and I'd love to hear any thoughts/feedback. I'll try to update weekly for now, though things may be a bit faster/slower as time goes on. We'll see what happens.

Cover art is by orange_kittens on Twitter! She does great work!

-RD