The Wildcard - Katsuki Bakugou

.Extra Four.

Why?

She knew why he thought she'd be the perfect candidate to recruit to his little squad, based on her past and blood relation to a dangerous, highly convicted criminal. She just didn't understand why he felt the need to recruit her?

He was trying to "save" me as he called it.

The only answer she could really come up with was that the man was totally batshit. Otherwise, she'd drive herself insane trying to figure him out, as well as his intentions.

Costa had a difficult time sleeping after the first few days, as her post-competition haze came to an end. She'd had spent most of her time napping or watching television, reading manga, and treating her studies like a second priority. She got away with it too, given Aizawa knew just how hard she'd fought and had been fighting all this time.

The girl needed a break.

He knew she'd had nearly no time to recover after the kidnapping and near-death circumstance before sprinting head-first into the NWHC without hesitation. She hadn't let up on that competition, not even a little, despite her injuries and new... parasite.

Costa had her first-night terror on the Friday of her off-week, when she'd fallen asleep in her dorm room watching old reruns of 1980s animes with her hand sitting in a bag of chips. She was originally very drowsy and sleep overcame her with ease, but it didn't take long before she found herself in a familiar place.

It was dark and wet here, Costa noted as she opened her eyes into the void. Her pupils focused as a hum filled the air, causing her right ear to twitch slightly. It smelt damp and a tad sour, as if a dark, stormy aura hung in the dense air.

Her bare feet were submerged in shiny black water. It swished around the skin of her ankles and she finally rose to her feet. She was not naked this time, at least, instead clothed in shadow from her neck to her knees. It was airy and cool. Costa found herself attempting to run her fingers through it but her hands only phased through, as if her body weren't even there.

She let out a long breath when she sensed the shift in the air.

It was like going over a bump in the road, or skydiving, or the drop of a very tall rollercoaster. Her stomach rolled and terror struck her as she felt its hands on her. Costa was falling, the ground slipping out from under her as hands reached out from all sides, grabbing her, clawing at her.

She yelled out into the void, fighting with all her might, her body thrashing and jerking and shouldering and--

"Get over here right now, Costa."

A familiar, gruff voice echoed in her brain and she immediately tensed in response.

Costa gasped for breath before she was yanked underwater. It was as cold as ice, slicing through her senses with razor-sharp teeth and she was screaming into the water as it filled her lungs and froze her solid. Her eyes burned, so she blinked.

Except, she was no longer in the water.

Air found her lungs and an awkward sputtering of breath escaped her mouth. She clutched her throat, inhaling and exhaling intensely. She was no longer in the void, but she'd stepped back into the memory of her childhood home.