3 Horrified Denial

Deku – Izuku – no – no – he can't be dead.

Katsuki felt like he couldn't think properly. It felt like things were running in slow motion. It was as if someone had hit the pause button on a television screen. A million thoughts were running through his mind, but it felt fuzzy and out of reach. It felt like someone had replaced his brain with cotton wool instead. Nothing made sense. Things were unconnected and hazy as he looked at Izuku's body.

He felt strangely detached.

His eyes traced Izuku's features. His chest was barely moving.

Katsuki scrambled forward, ignoring anything else. He's alive! Thank god, he's still alive.

Katsuki pressed hesitant fingers to Izuku's wrists, where his blood was escaping sluggishly out of the wounds, before gritting his teeth in determination and pressing harder, trying to stop the blood flow. His fingers were instantly coated with the congealing blood.

It should have been warm, but the blood from Izuku was already slightly cool. Not surprisingly, this caused him to feel even more worried. The green-haired boy's skin was clammy and cold to the touch. He could feel the rapid, weak pulse. Katuski felt so relieved that his friend was still alive. He also felt unbelievably panicked.

He's going into shock. Izuku's going into shock!

The weight of the situation slammed into him like a two ton truck, leaving him winded and breathless.

Phone. Where was his phone?! He lifted the hand closer to himself to rummage shakily through his pockets, leaving fingerprints of red.

"Fuck," Katsuki chanted, paling further. "Fuck, fuck fuck fuck!"

He'd chucked his phone inside his bag the moment school ended. Then, when he got home he flung aside the bag like a fucking moron.

He immediately pressed his fingers back to Izuku's wound, trying to prevent him from losing even more blood. The weak pulses that came from the other were an indication of how he couldn't stop Izuku from losing blood. It was just leaving the wound at a slower pace.

What did he do now?

What did he do now?

"Izuku, don't die on me. Don't you fucking dare die on me, you hear me?" Katsuki couldn't feel his hands anymore from how hard he was gripping Izuku's wrists, but he refused to let go.

'I – I still have to – to apologize. Don't take everything I've said seriously, stupid Deku! Stupid, stupid. Why did you take me seriously?! I'm just a fucking moron." Katsuki took a shallow breath, trying to reassure himself that Izuku could hear him.

Katuski gave a bodily flinch as a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.

"Please let go now. We have to rush and give him a blood transfusion," said the gentle yet firm voice.

Katsuki looked behind him to see two paramedics dressed in blue. As soon as he realized they could help Izuku more than he could, he tried to remove his fingers quickly, but they were unresponsive. He grit his teeth and pried his fingers off the bloody wrist one by one.

One paramedic gently herded him aside, before quickly and efficiently helping the other stabilize Izuku's prone body on the stretcher. They seemed to be using some kind of Quirk to help Izuku, but he couldn't tell just what it was, or what it was doing.

They fitted an oxygen mask over Izuku's mouth and nose, trying to get him more oxygen into his lungs.

The two paramedics quickly loaded him into the ambulance, speeding away to the nearest hospital, horns blaring loudly.

Katsuki knelt down heavily on the floor, his hands pressing onto the cold tiles of the bathroom, breathing heavily. He felt such stark relief that Izuku had managed to get help even though he had been completely useless in forgetting his phone in his rush.

Please.

Katsuki didn't believe in a higher authority, but right now he was praying with all his heart and every inch of his determination to any god he could think of that Izuku would be okay. He was even willing to give up going on to become a Pro-Hero if he could have Izuku back. Anything, he prayed.

Bakugou Mitsuki slammed into the apartment, breathing heavily. She had run to Izuku's apartment at her fastest speed. She spotted her prone son, kneeling on the floor as if all strength had left him.

"Katsuki," she said, sobbing. She gathered him into her arms.

Katsuki buried his head on his mother's shoulder. For all that he had grown, he wasn't taller than her yet, and at this moment he had never felt as relieved about that fact.

It felt like the dam of tears gathered within him was threatening to break free, but he forcefully held them back, squeezing his eyes tightly, pressing his head deeper into the crook of her neck. He didn't deserve to cry. Not after putting Izuku through all those things.

He felt the tears in his hair, and he allowed his mother to cry for him. It felt like a heavy weight was pressed on top of him. He felt stifled. He pressed his hands onto her back, hugging her tightly.

She must have read the letter he dropped on the floor after seeing him rush out like that. Thank god. Thank god she was there. That she had read the letter. That she'd called the ambulance for Izuku immediately.

Katsuki didn't know how long had passed before he felt emotionally stable enough to let go of her.

He swiped roughly at his eyes. He might not have let any tears fall, but that didn't mean they didn't gather. The regret felt like a huge shadow in his heart. He had never meant to push Izuku to this point. Since when had his feelings for his friend start turning down a darker path?

It was his fault. Social preconceptions had influenced him deeply, preventing him from staying by Izuku's side like he should have upon thinking that he was Quirkless. Izuku had never wavered from his side. Even when he had thrown punches or explosions at him, the other had stuck by his side.

Katsuki stood up shakily, intending on heading to the hospital to look for Izuku.

"Hospital," he said.

Mitsuki startled at his voice. It was hoarse with suppressed emotions. She nodded and got up as well, heading towards the door.

Katsuki felt as if a sledgehammer had slammed into him. His eyes locked onto the two red palm prints on his mother's back.

He felt tears well up again. Izuku's blood. The life blood that flowed through his veins that kept him alive and healthy. It was splattered everywhere.

As the two of them left the apartment, they heard a loud explosion in the direction of the hospital, followed by the screams of civilians and sirens blaring.

Katuski paled. A Villain?

A Villain is attacking the ambulance Izuku is in?