Chapter Text
The rhythmic crashing of the waves on Dagobah Beach was almost meditative, blending with the low hum of cicadas that heralded the end of summer. But Katsuki Bakugo wasn’t the kind of guy to meditate.
He wiped his brow, standing among the last remnants of rusted appliances, discarded bottles, and the odd broken-down fridge. This was all that was left after two and a half years of work. It had been brutal at first, his body screaming in protest every night. But now? Now he could clear a pile of debris in minutes.
"I must say, young Bakugo!"
Bakugo winced at the thunderous voice.
"You’ve come a long way!" All Might threw his hands on his hips, standing tall and unshakable, the symbol of peace in his full glory. The morning sun caught his golden locks as he grinned, a beacon of untouchable confidence. "This was once a junkyard of despair! And now, thanks to you, it is a monument to perseverance!"
Bakugo scoffed, kicking a pebble aside. “Yeah, yeah, quit narrating. You gonna tell me what this ‘final step’ is, or do I gotta punch it outta you?”
All Might chuckled. "Patience, my boy! The time has finally come!"
Bakugo wasn’t sure what he was expecting, or how One For All was going to be given to him but All Might casually plucking a strand of his own hair and holding it out like a damn candy wrapper, wasn’t it.
Bakugo took a step back, eyes narrowing. “What. The hell. Is that.”
All Might, completely unfazed, beamed. "A piece of my power, young Bakugo! You must eat it!"
There was a long silence as Bakugo blinked once. Then again.
“THE FUCK?!”
“Eat it. Consume it. Ingest it. Munch, if you will.”
Bakugo took a step back, expression twisting in horror. “What the actual fu -”
“Young Bakugo, you must inherit One For All through DNA transfer! This is how it works!” All Might stated, still holding out the hair strand like it was some divine offering. "I understand it sounds strange -"
Bakugo’s eye twitched. “So you’re telling me I trained my ass off for over two years and you seriously expect me to eat your disgusting, sweaty old hair?”
“It’s CLEAN!”
“It’s HAIR.”
“Ah, but it is also the vessel of power! A symbol of inheritance! A taste of destiny!”
“It’s a piece of your head, you freak!”
All Might nodded sagely.
“… I hate this. I hate this so much.”
Despite his complaints, Bakugo snatched the hair from All Might’s fingers, glaring daggers at it. His stomach churned just thinking about it. This was new levels of suffering he hadn’t prepared for.
He scowled, pinched his nose, and grimaced. “You better be right about this, old man.” Then, before he could think about it - he shoved the strand into his mouth and swallowed.
He stood there for a moment, waiting, expecting something. A surge of energy. A flash of lightning. Power. Something, at least.
And … nothing.
No tingling, no rush, no newfound strength.
He slowly turned to All Might. “Your shitty hair’s defective.”
All Might grinned. "Oh, it’ll kick in when it’s ready!"
Bakugo gawked at him. “‘When it’s ready?!’” He threw up his hands. “I just ate your goddamn hair and you’re telling me I gotta WAIT?!”
“Patience, young Bakugo!” All Might gave a hearty laugh. “Greatness takes time! Besides, tonight, you should get some well-deserved rest. Tomorrow is your big day, after all! Your first step into U.A!”
Bakugo scoffed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Tch. It’s just another day.”
All Might gave him a knowing look. "Is that so?"
Bakugo didn’t answer. He was never one for grand speeches or sentimental nonsense, and All Might knew better than to push it. Instead, the Number One smiled and placed a large hand on his shoulder.
“You’ve done well, young Bakugo.”
Bakugo tensed slightly, then huffed. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get sappy on me.”
As they turned to leave, Bakugo caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Some jackass trying to toss a bottle into the freshly cleaned sand.
His teeth gritted.
“HEY, SHITHEAD!”
The civilian jumped, bottle still mid-air and Bakugo grabbed it before it could hit the ground, storming over. “You think this is a dump?!” He shoved the bottle back at the guy’s chest. “Pick up your trash or I’ll launch your ass into the ocean!”
The civilian, visibly horrified, nodded rapidly before bolting.
All Might sighed. "Young Bakugo, while I admire your passion, perhaps a less explosive approach -"
“That was me bein’ nice.”
All Might only chuckled, shaking his head.
X
The stars were out when Bakugo knelt before the headstone. He didn’t say much. Just cleaned away the dust, wiped the edges, and flicked a stray leaf aside.
“So, I, uh, I got it - One For All,” he began steadily as he worked. “It was kind of gross - probably would have made you laugh. To be honest, I don’t think it’s had any effect on me. I thought I’d be super juiced or feel more heroic something, but … nah, still me.”
He shoved the dead flowers from last week into a plastic bag and sighed.
“Tomorrow’s the big day, I guess.” His voice was quiet, steady. He traced the engraved letters. “Gonna visit your mom before I head to campus though, I promise. Gotta make sure those assholes at the hospital are taking care of her.”
Bakugo exhaled and stood, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’ll come back soon, tell you how it went … See ya later, Izuku.”
He didn’t look back as he left.
The wind shifted.
And the boy lurking behind a nearby tree lifted his head - just slightly, eyes lingering on the cleaned grave, before he too walked away, the sun catching the green of his hair as he went on his way.
‘Not today,’ the boy told himself.
‘But soon.’