Chapter Text
Katsuki Bakugo swore loudly enough that his fellow passengers took a half-step away from him in every direction. It was quite an amazing feat since the 8:35 am train downtown was packed with people. The young pro-hero gave them a casual glance but didn’t blame them for gaining some distance. He knew the words “fuck off” were permanently etched into his forehead creases and that his ever-present scowl added a foreboding “or else.” Bakugo had been working on limiting his angry outbursts (apparently an angry hero didn’t get as many fans as back in Endeavor’s day), but Katsuki would worry about his image later. Right now, he was more concerned about the email he received from his boss. Everyone knew getting a work email before 9 am meant shit had hit the fan.
Sure enough, a hard press on the email revealed a “request” for Bakugo’s presence in Nighteye’s office at 9 am sharp. He tried to swear quieter this time, but people still shifted awkwardly away from him. Katsuki realized that he was probably releasing some aggressive Alpha scent instinctively. Shit.
Bakugo sighed, leaning his head back to press against the cool glass of the train door while he lowered his phone. He guessed he shouldn’t be surprised by the email. There were only 3 months left after all. Casually, his eyes took in his surroundings while he pressed his head further backwards onto the door. The passengers were mainly business people heading into work, most of whom were purposely avoiding his gaze. There was one kid on the train and the look of awe in his eyes told Katsuki that he’d been recognized as Ground Zero. He tried to smile at the kid, but it must have come off as too predatory because the kid’s mom pulled the little boy onto her lap and away from him.
Great.
This time, Katsuki directed his eyes upwards, staring at the ads above the train seats. Above the boy and his mom was the newest government sponsored ad. On it, an obviously Alpha-Omega couple (it was funny how easy it was to tell these kinds of things nowadays) were smiling happily with a little girl being hugged to death in between them. “Love Finds a Way When It’s as Nature Intended” the ad read in loopy romantic red letters. Damn if that wasn’t some double-speak if Katsuki ever saw it. Ironically, the ad next to the happy couple was for a fertility clinic boasting high success rates among Alpha-Omega couples. Guess if you couldn’t rely on nature, science could help too.
Katsuki had only been 8 years old when he noticed all the empty classrooms in his school building.
“What’s the point of having rooms with no kids in them? We could have a bigger playground!” Katsuki had mumbled angrily between bites of his dinner. Even at that age, he was observant enough to catch the look his parents shared. “…what is it?”
“Katsuki…” his Beta father began hesitantly, while looking at his Alpha mother, probably hoping for her to take charge like she always did.
“Well you see brat,” his mother continued, indeed taking over. “Once upon a time, all those classrooms were full of students. But now there are less kids in this neighborhood.”
“Why?”
“It’s been harder for a lot of families to have babies.”
“Why?”
“That’s just how it is.” Katsuki growled as he slammed his fork down.
“Tell me why!” His mother growled back before sighing.
“You learned in class that there used to be a time before quirks correct?” Katsuki nodded because of course he knew. “Well, quirks are due to a change in your DNA, that’s what you call the information in all our cells that make us who we are. That change is called a mutation and, even though everyone has a different quirk, they are all due to that original mutation.”
“So what’s that got to do with babies?”
“I was getting to that!” She snapped. “It was only a few years ago that scientists realized that the mutation that gave us quirks also made it hard for children to be born. Even Alpha-Omega couples who used to have lots and lots of kids might only have a couple now.”
“That’s why you’re so special Katsuki.” His father popped in, rubbing his son’s hair fondly, even though it only earned him a scowl from his child. “We were so lucky to be able to have you, especially since…”
Again, his parents had shared a look. At the time, Katsuki hadn’t understood it. Now older, he knew his father’s unsaid words: since you mother is an Alpha and I’m a Beta. Back then, he’d chalked this conversation up as just another example of why he was so amazing. The next day in school, Katsuki had boosted about how special it was that he’d been born against all odds. He had no clue that those studies his mom had talked about would bite him in the ass 15 years later.
A chime vibrated throughout the train car and a kind, but robotic voice of a women announced the next stop. Katsuki pushed himself off the exit in preparation to get off. If it was possible, the train station they pulled into was busier than the train he’d rode in on. Still, people gave Bakugo a clear path as he made his way out and through the station. Yup, he was probably sending out some pretty aggressive pheromones. Whatever.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to go far. Plus Ultra Hero Agency was the first sky-scrapper across from the station, sticking out like a sore thumb despite being surrounded by other equally tall buildings. Katsuki entered the building with an ease that came with familiarity as he made his way to the nearest elevator. A quick glance at his phone let him know that he could drop by his desk quickly before having to go to that damn meeting. At the very least he could drop off his bag.
Immediately, Katsuki regretted his decision when he felt an arm around his shoulder as soon as he’d exited the elevator.
“Oi Bakugo! Cutting it close today, are we?” Other than getting a few inches taller, Kirishima hadn’t changed much after graduating from UA.
“Fuck off Shitty hair, I’ve got somewhere to be right now.” Katsuki growled while pushing the other Alpha off him. The action didn’t throw the other male off, but he did raise an eyebrow at his friend’s statement.
“Really? Where to?”
“None of your fucking business.” Katsuki pushed his way forward to his desk, tossing his bag onto his chair. Kirishima hesitated in responding and Bakugo used the opportunity to cut him off. “I’ll meet you down in the locker room, fill me in when I get there.”
“Of course, but hey!” Kirishima reached out to stop his friend only to have the other dodge his grip. “This isn’t about…you know…”
“I said it’s none of your fucking business.” A sideways glance showed a frowning Kirishima and Katsuki frowned too. “…I’ll talk to you later.”
Like a light switch, Red Riot was all smiles. The other went as far as giving Katsuki two thumbs up as he walked to his own desk. Katsuki sighed under his breath as he entered the stairwell, heading up the last few floors to Nighteye’s office. He knew he was at the right place when opening the stairwell door resulted in a silent floor. Many Pro-Heros in his agency hated meeting with Nighteye due to the eerie atmosphere that surrounded his office, the lone one on a whole floor of the skyscraper. Katsuki hated meeting him for a different reason.
Stepping into Nighteye’s office, Bakugo was surrounded by All Might posters and paraphilia. Once an expert on all things All Might, you’d think that Katsuki would feel at ease or at least impressed by the collection, but every time he stepped into the office, he felt his heart drop deep into his stomach. He could almost hear his voice fawning over each and every item.
Too bad he’d never gotten to see it. The thought made him sick.
“Ground Zero, you’re nearly late.” Nighteye snapped Katsuki out of his thoughts, perhaps intentionally.
“Nearly doesn’t mean I am.” Nighteye nodded sagely before motioning off to Katsuki’s right side.
“You recognize Ms. Sasaki from Human Resources.” He didn’t but nodded in her direction anyway. “And I’m sure you also know why I’ve called this meeting.”
“Not mated yet.” Katsuki stated bluntly.
“Correct. Your contract clearly stated that you had to find a mate within 5 years of joining the agency if you wanted to keep your position as one of our Pro-Heros. According to our paperwork, you have under 3 months to meet that deadline.”
“And if I don’t?” Nighteye laced his long fingers in between each other, staring into Katsuki’s angry red eyes without emotion.
“Then the agency will let you go.” Katsuki was about to let out an angry retort but was beaten to the punch.
“I suggest you consider your position very carefully Katsuki Bakugo. Large agencies such as ours receive funding from the government and are thus required to have similar mating clauses in their hiring contracts. Smaller agencies, while not mandated, have also begun to include them in case they seek funding in the future.” Nighteye leaned back in his chair.
“If you are considering starting an agency of your own or going solo, then you’ll have to seek a business license from the government directly and they won’t look upon your application favorably with you being mateless at this age.”
Bakugo let his eyes drop to the ground. None of this was any news to him; he’d researched his options dozens of times. Still, hearing that his options were find a mate or give up on being a Pro-Hero was worse than being stabbed in the chest.
“I don’t envy you Ground Zero,” Nighteye continued. “I myself never found a desirable mate, even being a Beta. I understand how difficult it must be for you to find an Omega that…meets your criteria. However, I come from a different time. With the way society is today, you don’t have the luxury that I did. It’s important for the young heroes of your generation to set the tone for the new world, if we hope for mankind to propagate once again. Heroes have always been role models, and this is just another way of putting your life on the line for the greater good.”
Katsuki bit his lip to stop the outburst burning in his vocal cords. Greater good his ass. If the government had mandated that its citizens get married according to their second gender and at such a young age, there would have been riots in the streets. But there are more paths than one to any destination.
Japan had started small: offering tax write-offs and monetary incentives for Alpha-Omega or Beta-Beta marriages. Couples with children were well supported and soon more likely to receive other perks like paid-leave. Katsuki was too young at the time to notice these changes, but he did see the ads, the government sponsored dramas, and all the other practically subliminal propaganda that popped up slowly but surely that showed Alpha-Omega or Beta-Beta couples only. By the time he’d entered UA, one’s secondary gender had gone from a casual fact to a life-determining factor in every aspect from one’s personal life to one’s professional one.
No, the government never demanded that a person mate by a certain age: they just put their job in jeopardy. No, there was no law that said that Alphas had to mate Omegas and that Betas could only mate other Betas, but good luck getting a mortgage or health insurance. Anyone under the age of 30 was directly affected by this new normal, and Katsuki wanted to explode something because he was included in that group.
“You have 3 months Katsuki.” Nighteye stated with finality when Bakugo never responded to his earlier statements. “Your team has been assigned a mission today instead of patrols, see to it that you join them promptly.”
With a stiff nod, Katsuki turned and left the room.
“Dude! There you are!” Kirishima called before jogging over to Katsuki, both now fully dressed in their hero attire. “You took forever. The teams have already been briefed and we’re out in three.”
“Teams? How big of a fucking mission is this?”
Plus Ultra Hero Agency was different from the kind of agencies he grew up around. The demented love-child of Sir Nighteye’s small but well-renowned agency and the current #1 hero Lemillion’s fever dream: Plus Ultra was the first agency to be operated only with Hero Teams.
Originally, other agencies had laughed at the idea, considering how Pro-Heros were ranked. How was a Pro-Hero supposed to constantly work with other heroes on equal standing when they were essentially fighting over the same positions on the leaderboard? Especially when said leaderboard provided a hero with fame and money. But time proved all the other agencies wrong as most of the current top 20 spots were employed by Plus Ultra, including Bakugo who (much to his aggravation) held the 7th spot.
Even with the whole team dynamic being engrained into their agency, it was still uncommon for one mission to be run with more than one team. Kirishima only shrugged in response to Katsuki’s question.
“It sounded more like an efficiency thing than anything else. There’s only two of us, one on offense, one on rescue.” Kirishima’s eyes lit up suddenly with determination at the word ‘rescue’. “Basically, we’re busting an Omega prostitution ring, looking for trafficking victims and such. How manly is that?”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. Damn Kirishima could be a textbook Alpha sometimes.
“If they aren’t being trafficked, they won’t be very happy to see us.” Kirishima frowned.
“I never really understood that. Shouldn’t they be happy that we’re saving them?”
“For the last time babe!” A pair of pink arms wrapped around Kirishima’s shoulders before a similarly pink head appeared over his right side. “Some girls choose that life ya know? Just cuz we’re Omegas, it doesn’t mean we can’t handle ourselves!”
Kirishima blushed and started backpedaling quickly, not meaning to offend his mate.
“I wasn’t saying that! I’m just saying they shouldn’t have to sell themselves for money.”
“I’m with Kiri on this one!” Kaminari added, joining their little circle. “Why not be happy that they don’t have to do that anymore?”
“And what? Go find a mate instead?” Mina huffed, letting go of Kirishima to cross her arms. “Maybe they like that lifestyle better! I’m all for saving trafficking victims and helping out fellow Omegas who don’t know they have other options, but when we bring them in we’re going to do so in handcuffs and that’s so not cool. You Alpha all think you’re so high and mighty and that all us Omega need protection!”
“S’not cuz we’re Alpha.” Even Sero had popped up into their conversation. “As heroes, we just want to help them out.”
“Oi!” Katsuki growled, fed up with how the conversation had turned into some philosophical debate. “Can someone just fill me in on the plan already?”
Thankfully, Kirishima did while Mina continued to argue with Kaminari and Sero. The self-proclaimed Bakusquad were on offense while Uravity’s team, of all people, were supposed to get the Omega out of the seedy hotel that was apparently the operation’s hub. Before long, it was time to load up in the cars to head off. Unfortunately, the conversation in the car turned to an even more troublesome topic.
“Where were you this morning Bakugo?” Kaminari asked, sticking his head in the gap between Katsuki’s front seat and the window.
“None of your fucking business.”
“He had a meeting.” Kirishima added helpfully from the driver’s seat, earning him a death glare from Katsuki, while the rest of the car went quiet for a second.
“Oh,” Kaminari stated hesitantly as he leaned back into his own seat. “Is it almost that time?”
“I said it’s none of your fucking business.”
“You should just find a mate man.” Sero sighed from the back-most row. “I found a really nice Omega girl on one of those matching sites online, haven’t had a single complaint in the three years we’ve been together.”
“Yeah! Maybe you’ll fall in love with time like me and Kiri did!” Mina added cheerily. “Find some third year Omega at UA or something. I’m sure you’re probably pissed that you’re gonna lose your job if you don’t find a mate soon, but at least it’s not like us Omega who can’t get hired as a Pro in the first place without being part of a Hero Duo. Talk about unfair!”
“That’s what you say now! Wait til you become pregnant like Jiro. As much as she misses hero work, she admits that knowing I’ve taken over her patrol and cases helps a ton.”
“Urg, Kaminari you’re sounding like such an Alpha again.”
“All of you assholes shut up.” Katsuki bit out. There was a beat of silence again.
“Oh. It’s cuz you’re gay right?” The words left Kaminari’s mouth before he could stop them and Katsuki almost launched himself over his chair to strangle the electric idiot. Only Kirishima’s rock-hard arm kept him back.
“Calm down bro! We’re all friends here remember? No judgement!” Katsuki leaned back in his chair but his palms sparked in frustration. Behind him Mina hummed softly.
“Guess it is asking a lot of you to not only find a mate you don’t love but to potentially have one you’ll never be sexually attracted to.”
“Sucks big time.” Sero added mournfully.
Katsuki redirected his gaze out the window, purposefully ignoring them. His teammates caught his shift in mood and respectfully changed the conversation to what Jiro was doing on pregnancy leave. Bakugo tuned out their conversation but couldn’t shake the feeling of hopelessness that was starting to consume him.
It wasn’t as if there were any laws or even stigma against being gay, at least not these days. Even Pro-Heroes had no problem coming out publically in the past decade or so. The problem was that he was a gay Alpha. In all his life, he’d only met 3 male Omega, all of which were fellow heroes. On a world-wide scale, male Omegas only accounted for 2% of the population, making them as rare as female Alpha (ironically, he knew of only 3 of them too). Unfortunately for him, all the ones he had known were already mated by the time he met them (not that he would have ever wanted to mate with his teacher or that weak asshole Monoma in the B class). Despite the fact that both male Omega and female Alpha had much lower rates of pregnancies, even in Alpha-Omega relationships, the government never put restrictions on these matings because they were so rare.
Honestly, if male Omega were more common and he could mate one just for the sake of getting mated and keeping his job, Katsuki would do it in a heartbeat. But getting mated to a female Omega? Denying his instincts and having fucking children he didn’t even want? An involuntary shiver ran up his spine. Katsuki wasn’t looking for love, he had already lost his one true love because of his own stupidity, but it seemed that he wouldn’t even be able to find a mate he could be sexually attracted to.
Damn if this wasn’t some fucked up karma. Although he deserved it after…
The car came to a stop and Katsuki couldn’t be happier. Beating up villains: at least that was something Katsuki could do right.
Unfortunately, there weren’t so much as villains to fight as there were Johns to apprehend. Katsuki did get some satisfaction from chasing down some assholes who tried to escape the premises as they practically shit themselves when they realized he was Ground Zero. His reputation for over-kill came in handy sometimes. It was immediately obvious that whoever was running the operation wasn’t around and that left his team sitting on the sidelines while they waited for the rescue team to finish up.
Bakugo stared at his feet, unable to keep his thoughts from turning darker and darker as he thought about his future. He’d have to make a choice soon: mate some random Omega chick or find another career. Fuck, he was so close to being #1. He needed more time—
“Bakugo! Hey Bakugo! Snap out of it!” Kirishima was just about to hit him over the head when Katsuki came to and grabbed his arm.
“The fuck is it Shitty Hair? We done?”
“No, I mean yeah we are, but that’s not why I was getting your attention.” His friend was practically jumping up and down with excitement and Katsuki had to stifle a groan. This couldn’t bode well.
“Then what the fuck do you want?”
“I just talked to one of the member of the rescue team and you won’t believe it! One of the prostitutes, I mean, one of the Omegas,” he stressed the word, “is a guy! A male Omega, here of all places!”
Katsuki stared at his friend like he had two heads. And then, just like that, the pieces clicked in his head. Kirishima’s joy, the meaning behind his statement. What if Katsuki didn’t have to compromise himself after all?