It was exhausting, the game between Kirishima and him. it almost became a race of some sort, seeing who could avoid the other the fastest. At first, Kaminari did what he could to try and get Kirishima's attention, but it always ended the same. So, he stopped trying. It was better this way after all, especially since Kaminari was now crouched in the dorm basement, trying to connect the final bomb.
"Shit" Kaminari breathed through clinched teeth, his hands shaking. This was too much, he honestly didnt want to do this anymore. The blonde enjoyed the time he spent at this school, he really did. He liked the mostly playful arguments between his friend group, laughing as Mineta got hit again during another failed attempt at flirting.. Midoriya's muttering, Iida's nagging, Tokoyami's brooding. Kaminari had made a lot of memories with his class, but he knew they were a lie.
Kaminari was a villain after all. He had helped the attack at USJ, pretending that he couldnt contact the outside world as he really jammed the signal. He made it easier for the press to get into the school grounds. He was the one giving information to the League of Villains. Hell, back in middle school he even helped orchestrate the attack with that Sludge Villain. Who would have thought Bakugou and Midoriya would get pulled into that? Kaminari gave a bitter laugh before he heard a sound from behind him.
"What the hell are you doing?" He flinched, the voice belonged to Bakugou. He turned his body a bit to look to him.
"Aha, what does it look like?" Kaminari questioned, he turned away from Bakugou, connecting the last piece he needed to get the bomb in place. He heard the slight crackling from Bakugou "I wouldnt do that. This is a bomb after all. It isnt the only one either" He moved himself to his feet, looking towards the ceiling.
"I'm an idiot, but I'm not that dumb. I know you've known for a while now that I've been up to something. I'll be out of your hair after this. I didnt think you'd find me down here just yet.. I made sure I wasnt followed"
"Shut up idiot!" Bakugou let out, moving forward. Kaminari felt his shoulder be jerked back as Bakugou raised his voice "Bombs!? Are you trying to kill someone?"
"That was sort of the plan. Woah!" He forced a laugh as he looked to Bakugou "I'm surprised you havent blown my head off yet. Are you scared about the bomb?"
"I'm not scared.."
"Well, no matter your feelings about it.. An explosion quirk can easily set off these bombs, but they've been made to not get affected by mine" Kaminari grabbed Bakugou's arm, the boy's hand still gripping his shoulder. The slightly blinding sparks came from his body, filling the room. Bakugou was strong, but even he was stunned for a moment as he was on the floor. Kaminari stood over him.
Bakugou glared up to Kaminari now "Idiot! I may have known you were turning your back on us, but even I know that this isnt what you want to do!" His words caused him to pause, he moved to cross his arms as he closed his eyes.
"Not what I want to do..? Tell me something Bakugou. What gives you the right to speak as if you understand what I want? You have this superiority complex, like most heroes do. You think you're better than everyone who has a weaker quirk than you, but you don't know what to do when you run into someone stronger. Heroes think they have the right to govern 'Right' and 'Wrong' but you dont" Kaminari let his words leave him. The words were his own at one point. He really believed them. But.. are they his own anymore? He had repeated them to himself multiple times to remind himself of who he was.
Denki Kaminari knew in the back of his head the truth. He wasn't a villain. He was a boy standing on the edge, the hands of his past pulling him backwards while the future he longed for beckoned him forward. The line between his two worlds, his two different personalities.. If he crossed it to one side, he would always be a traitor to the other, so which side did he want more? Family, the life he always knew..? Or the friends who changed him, the man he loved?
"You don't believe that" Bakugou said, and before Kaminari could respond the boy's fist connected with his cheek. He stumbled a bit, bringing his hand up to where he was hit. "I dont like you, but I know you don't believe the words you said. People are going to get hurt Sparky!"
Kaminari flinched at the name. He hated it coming from Dabi, and he hated it coming from Bakugou. "I'm not a dog!" He let out, throwing his body at Bakugou. The two were both on the ground now, Kaminari sitting on the other. He gripped him by the shirt, pulling him up enough to yell at him "I'm not a dog! I'm doing this out of my own free will, I came up with my own feelings about heroes! No one is telling me what to do, I'm not following orders! I helped come up with these plans!"
A small beep came from behind Kaminari. The countdown had begun. "How many people can you get out in five minutes, Bakugou? You want to be a hero don't you? Are you going to save them all before anyone gets hurt?"
"You can be the hero dumbass! Turn the bombs off! Do something!"
"I'm not a hero. I can't be a hero."
"So you're just going to turn your back on the people who see you as a friend? Pinky, Tape and Shark Boy?"
"They see you as a friend too, youre just as bad as I am. You can't even use their names" Kaminari let the fabric fall from his fingers.
BEEP...
One minute down, four to go. Kaminari stood up from his spot on Bakugou. He clicked the button on the watch on his wrist after making sure the countdown on it was the same as the one on the bomb.
BEEP...
Three left. Kaminari ignored Bakugou's frantic yelling. He knew had they been in a different place, Bakugou would have easily beaten him up without thinking about what might happen. Kaminari also knew he should have been out of the basement before the counter even started. He was just going to barely make it out of here.
BEEP...
Only two minutes. He had just barely made it to the top of the stairs as Bakugou pushed passed him. Bakugou was yelling to anyone who could hear, urging them to get out of the building.
BEEP...
The final minute. Kaminari was out the door. He really wished he could have said goodbye to the others.. He had made his way into the school building before and slipped notes into the desks of the people he felt closest to. Kind of like a goodbye, since he didnt want to see their realization of betrayal..
The counter stopped. Kaminari was thrown to the ground the moment the first explosion triggered the next. Despite the ringing in his ears, he could hear the almost immediate yelling of people freaking out. His knees were already bleeding from sliding against the pavement, his face pressed against the grass.
He did it. At the end of it all, no matter what he felt, he couldnt go back. He betrayed them. It was over. People were streaming out of the building, pushing each other to try and be the first ones out. An explosion from an upper floor, people throwing themselves out windows when they realized they wouldnt have time to get out. Kaminari turned his body, sitting on his butt in front of the building that was starting to burn.
"Kaminari!" The voice he heard stunned him as soon as he heard it. He took a deep breath, looking up as he saw Kirishima come stumbling out of the building. He had Ojiro against him. Ojiro was bleeding pretty badly. Kirishima was too, his pant leg torn and blood coming from a gash in his leg. There was a cut by his scar, bruises already starting to form. Kaminari sucked in a breath.
"Kaminari, I'm so glad you made it out." Kirishima looked back towards the building. "We need to help the others! Who knows how long the teachers will take!"
Teachers.. Shit, Kaminari really needed to get out of here. He had hit his head against the pavement before landing on the grass, so his head was spinning as he pushed himself to his feet. He noticed a bit of glass in Kirishima's shoulder, glass was also lodged in Ojiro's tail.
"Kirishima.." Kaminari's voice broke as he spoke. It was small, but despite Kirishima's frantic speaking, he still heard it. He looked back to Kaminari, setting Ojiro down. Ojiro wasn't conscious.
"What? We need to go in Kaminari, come on" He reached his hand out, Kaminari was quick to move back.
"I'm not going"
"Are you afraid? Don't worry, we can do this! We're going to be heroes too after all! We need to help our friends!"
"No, Kirishima... I set off the bombs" Kaminari watched as Kirishima's expression changed. It went from a sense of confusion at his words, to understanding to hurt. The look in his eyes, the betrayal.
"You..?"
Kaminari took a couple steps back, glancing around. He had to go, had to get to where Kurogiri told him to meet up.
"You're..? Wait no" Kirishima's voice sounded like he couldn't believe it "You're the traitor..? Kaminari?"
He let out a choked sound "I'm sorry.." He breathed, turning on his heel. Despite the pain building up in his lungs, the stinging at his heart.. Despite his knees bleeding.. He ran.
"Kaminari..!"