A Glimmer of Hope

He looks angry. I was expecting it: he always gets angry when something doesn't go the way he wants. But there's something else in his eyes this time, a flicker of doubt that makes my heart soar in hope. Maybe I truly can do it. Maybe I truly can change things. For a moment, Katsuki seems taken aback by my words. His gaze lingers on me, his expression a mixture of confusion and frustration. Then, his face twists in a scowl. "Bakugou!" Inaba calls. "Why are you taking so long?" "Yeah, Bakugou!" Tsubasa laughs, punching the air. "Beat them up with your cool quirk!" And everything shatters. "Tsk," Katsuki growls. "All this talk about hearts being more important than quirks- it's just 'cause he doesn't have one, is it not?" Oh no. His inferiority complex strikes again. "Why are you so attached to useless, quirkless Deku anyway? Scared that you'll be quirkless too?" "It's because he has the heart of a hero," I reply, my face carefully blank. "You could have it too, Bakugou. If you stopped using your quirk to hurt, and started using it to protect." Katsuki almost flinches when I use his name without the usual -chan. He looks full of spite and wrath and wildness, much more than a child should be. His eyes flash with anger, and for a moment, I think he's going to lunge at me. But then, he seems to regain control, his expression twisting into a sneer. "Shut up," he spits. "You don't know anything about me." I take a step forward, my eyes locked on Katsuki's. "I know that you're better than this," I say, my voice firm. "I know that you have the potential to be a true hero. But you're wasting it, Katsuki. You're wasting it on hurt and anger and a desire for power." Katsuki's face twists in a snarl, and for a moment, I think he's going to attack me. But then, he seems to hesitate, his eyes flicking to Izuku, who's watching us with wide eyes. And in that moment of hesitation, I see a glimmer of uncertainty, a spark of doubt that gives me hope. Maybe, just maybe, I can reach him. Maybe I can help him see that there's a different way, a better way. And maybe, just maybe, I can change things.