Chapter 14: Never Back Down!
Nemuri rubbed at her temples, doing her best to prevent her headache from worsening into a migraine. Most of her Midnight Boys had gone home by this point so her office was eerily quiet. She had a little bit of time before she needed to make an appearance at the club, the bar manager had taken the night off so it was up to Nemuri as the owner to take over, so she had dove into some of the records All Might had sent her regarding the past users of One for All.
And it was quickly driving her to drink.
Apparently the users of One for All were all hermits and cryptids because the records were depressingly blank. She had All Might's basic information, though even he didn't know that much about his family history. He was apparently only a quarter Japanese and half American and a quarter Canadian but she didn't really know how that was going to help Izuku. She at least had a rough date of birth for his predecessor, Nana Shimura, but aside from a truly tragic tale of her giving up her only child there was almost nothing. She had attended U.A. in its inaugural class almost sixty years ago and her quirk was called Float. Her records had been wiped from the Commission's archives, which Nemuri was willing to bet Nezu was behind somehow, so she didn't even have records of rankings or service commendations. She had a name and quirk description of the fifth but his successor? She had a blurry photo of a guy with a high collar and dark hair. Written on the back was just a singular name: En.
Was that a first name? A family name? Nemuri had no idea and apparently no one else did either. He looked vaguely familiar despite the worn looking Best Jeanist cosplay. Wait, was Best Jeanist actually cosplaying this guy? Regardless, she was sure she had seen him before. But where?
A phone call broke through her thoughts, the riffing guitars of My Chemical Romance that she had specifically programmed for Shouta. I thought he wasn't going to have cell service?
"You've reached Nemuri's Pleasure Emporium~ How can I make all your dreams come true?"
"Nem, meet me at Central Hospital. It's about Midoriya."
16 Hours Earlier
Historically, Izuku's birthdays were not fun. Most years since he was four he had spent the day avoiding bullies by staying inside and watching his favorite All Might videos. His mom would make Katsudon for dinner, he'd get a few pieces of hero merch, and life would continue on unperturbed. Last year his birthday had been more exciting because he had spent most of the day training with All Might and his favorite hero had even joined him and his mom for a celebratory dinner. It was the first time in Izuku's memory that he had ever felt so safe and warm on July Fifteenth.
This year was shaping up to be slightly more interesting than average. The morning dawned bright and early and many of his classmates were already trudging toward their assigned sections to keep developing their quirks. Izuku was about to head off to his clearing when Aizawa stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"You're going to be doing something else today, Problem Child." He jerked his head to the side and began to make his way toward the opposite side of the field. Izuku struggled to catch up to his teacher's much longer strides. All Might better be right about me hitting a growth spurt because this is flat out unfair.
"Your quirk is an interesting conundrum. We can't actually have you try to build your quirk up safely like your classmates are doing without breaking your bones." Aizawa's glare made Izuku's throat dry up. "And you do realize that breaking bones is a bad thing, right? "
"Yes, sir!"
"Anyway," Aizawa stalked forward leaving Izuku to catch up again. "Since we can't make your quirk stronger safely, we're going to work on getting you to handle larger portions of it. For the next few days you'll be working with each of the chaperones individually. In the morning you'll be working with Pixie Bob and Tiger in the afternoon. Tomorrow, Vlad King can work with you because he has experience with a self-destructive quirk. Then," Aizawa's smile turned cruel. "You'll be working with me for the rest of the time on combat basics."
Izuku gulped down the nervousness he felt about training one on one with Aizawa-sensei and focused on his excitement. He was going to get to learn directly with pros. Even at a heroics school the opportunity to work with so many different heroes was amazing!
"I won't let you down, sir!" Aizawa gave him an approving nod.
"I'm sure you won't." He turned to walk back to camp and raised a hand behind him. "Try not to break him, Tsuchikawa, and for the love of god don't get me involved in any lawsuits."
"Aw, you know me, Eraser. I take great care of all my toys." Izuku spun to see a hungry-looking Pixie Bob. She started to circle him and Izuku got the distinct impression that he was not going to like whatever happened next. "You were pretty impressive the other day, kitten. You took down some of my bigger monsters in just a few blows. You're probably going to be a combat hero, right?"
"Well, I want to do rescue work as well, but my quirk is well suited to combat and capture work. Hopefully I can do both."
"You're probably going to be a first wave hero then. The first wave of heroes on a disaster scene are focused on responding to the incident and clearing away rubble or other dangerous elements so that the second wave can go in and focus on emergency medical aid and search and rescue. Because you'll be a first responder there might be times that you're outnumbered by opponents and you won't have backup coming. You got a taste of that yesterday, but now we're upping the stakes."
Pixie Bob leaned down to brush her hands against the ground. Dust and dirt flew into the air. The earth quivered before four shapes began to rise from the ground. They were vaguely humanoid in nature, all around seven feet in height. Wings burst from the back of one and it began to fly just off of the ground. A large tail protruded from another as it fell to all fours looking more bestial than human. The other two grew large claws from their hands. Izuku fell into a ready stance as Pixie Bob kept talking.
"The keys to fighting off a mob like this are relatively simple in theory, though putting them into practice is obviously a lot harder. First you need to keep moving. Your whole jumping around routine will definitely help with that. The way that the action economy works in a fight of this scale you either need to limit the numbers they can approach you with or you need to make sure every single strike you get to dish out is packed full of power. You're going to get a lot less hits in than your opponents so you have to make them count, got it?"
"I think so."
A bolt of pain struck Izuku's left side. Before he could breathe, he had jumped to the side narrowly dodging the mace head of the fifth earthen construct Pixie Bob had made while he was distracted. This one was a towering knight in full plate armor with a spiked mace in one hand and a chain in the other. Izuku dropped below the slashing arm of one of the two clawed monsters and the fight was on. The world was a blur of motion for Izuku as he did his best to keep the creatures from landing a blow. He lashed out with kicks and fists when he could, occasionally using Blackwhip to try and force one of them back. After a frantic series of dodges the bestial monster lunged too far to try and snap its jaws around him. Izuku spun into a roundhouse kick that crashed through the dirt head, sending the rest of its body stumbling to the ground.
He rolled to avoid a dive bomb from the flying one as the knight pressed in to get a hit with its mace. Izuku ran inside of its reach before leaping to press a foot against its chest. He kicked off and as he flew through the air he reached out with Blackwhip and tore the mace from its grasp. He used the momentum from his landing to whip the weapon around and send it flying into the chest of one of the clawed monsters. The two collided in an explosion of dust and gravel.
With a cry its brother rushed in to avenge the fallen monster but Izuku managed to dash away before it could crush him. The knight closed in once more and Izuku waited for him to get closer. Once he finally got in range, Izuku shot a strand of Blackwhip between his legs and slid underneath the giant. He used a second strand to attach himself to the creature's back. He pulled the tendril tight before letting go. The tension propelled him towards the monster and Izuku went crashing through its chest. He spit out the coating of dirt from his tongue as he popped back up from the ground.
The flying dirt monster tried to dive bomb him again, but with the lack of distractions he was ready for it. Blackwhip exploded from his hands, several strands wrapping around the base of its wings and more covering the rest of its body. Izuku pulled and several hundred pounds of earth rocketed through the air down on top of the last remaining creature. The flying monster crashed into its comrade, sending a mushroom cloud of dirt into the air.
"Not bad, kitten!" Izuku put his hands on his knees in a desperate bid to get his breath as Pixie Bob clapped. "Very impressive. I thought for sure your ground to air combat was going to give you trouble but you nailed it! It was like you knew where they were going to hit before they did!"
"Just," he panted. "Good instincts, I guess."
"They'll serve you well in combat." She handed him a water bottle that he eagerly drank from. His first mouthful ended up back on the ground along with the rest of the dirt that had made it into his mouth during the battle. "I did notice you don't really use those tendril-thingies too often against your opponent. You were using them mostly for mobility and dodging. Why is that?"
"It's still pretty new." He said once he had gotten his breathing under control. "I'm not super comfortable using it in combat yet. I'm too worried about it going haywire."
"Right, right like in your final exams." At his raised eyebrow she shrugged. "Eraser gave us a heads up on all you kittens before you got here. We wouldn't be very good trainers if we didn't know what you could do, hm?"
She put a white clawed finger to her chin in thought. Those massive paws just seem so impractical. Can they type with them on? How do they go to the bathroom? Pixie Bob's voice derailed his train of thought.
"How does Blackwhip feel when you use it? That's what you call it right? Blackwhip?"
"Yeah. It feels… almost like I'm boiling water in a kettle. I'm putting in the heat but I'm also a kettle." Pixie Bob sent him a confused look.
"Like a kettle?"
"Yeah, like if I let it boil too much it might explode out of me. But I have to let it get to the point where it's steaming so I can use it. I'm constantly having to monitor how much of it I can safely use and it's always trying to get more of it loose. It's almost like it has a mind of its own sometimes."
"That's what I thought. You know it's not that dissimilar to Earth Flow in a way." She brought a hand down to the ground and brought up a stream of fine dirt into the air. "Me and that Todoroki kid, most elemental quirks in fact, it's a lot easier to use our quirks at full blast than it is to do fine precision work with them. Whenever I activate Earth Flow it wants to use as much of the earth around me as it can to make something as big and strong as possible." The dirt split itself into four miniature replicas of the beasts he had fought earlier. "Each of the things I make are under my control, but it's not like a puppet. I'm not consciously pulling the strings to make it raise its hand or attack in a certain way." Her voice had a far more thoughtful quality to it than Izuku had ever suspected the cat-themed heroine to be capable of based on her bubbly hero persona.
"It's more like a chess board or a video game. I direct my creatures and they go fulfill their missions to the best of their abilities. The more power I put into a creation the more they have a little autonomy of their own. I can still take full control of them if I need to, but they're an extension of me and my will." She released her hold on the dirt and the creatures disanimated and fell back to the ground. "Don't think of Blackwhip as something separate from yourself. It's an extension of you. Your desires, your will power, that's what directs it." Pixie Bob placed a hand on his head and rubbed his hair.
"Now, how about we up the ante to seven monsters. Think you're up for it?"
"Yeah!"
Izuku slammed into the grass again. His teeth rattled with the impact and at this point he was fairly certain he had more bruises than freckles. After his morning with Pixie Bob and a quick lunch, Izuku had joined Tiger on his side of the field for afternoon exercises. Which mainly consisted of Izuku getting punched by his heavily muscled teacher.
A lot.
What exactly this was supposed to teach him, aside from the fact that Tiger was shockingly strong, he didn't really know. Izuku pushed himself to his feet with a groan, desperately trying to find another reserve of energy that would let him keep going. One for All curled around him protectively, like it was trying to prevent Tiger from getting yet more hits in, but Izuku wasn't about to give up now.
"Come on kitten, show me what you're made of!" The hero across from him crashed his paws together like boxing gloves. "Haven't they been teaching you anything at that fancy school of yours?"
Izuku took a few small jumps in place trying to muster up his energy. When he felt sufficiently ready, he dashed in leading with a right jab only for Tiger to bend backwards into a back bridge, placing his palms on the ground and lashing out with a vicious kick to Izuku's ribs. He was once again sent flying backwards to slam into the dirt once more.
"I thought they said you were a smart kitten. Where's all those brains gone?" Izuku spat out a clump of dirt. He rolled onto his back to see Tiger standing above him holding out a hand to help him up, which he accepted. "Listen, boy, you're never going to win in a real fight if all you can do is scripted moves and pre-thought out maneuvers. You have to learn to be more unpredictable, unexpected. I used to do some boxing on the side while we were still figuring things out here. Ninety percent of all boxers are right handed, but southpaws make up a large portion of the best fighters. Know why?"
"Because people are less used to fighting lefties?"
"Exactly right. My quirk lets me have the advantage because people are used to fighting normal bodies. I can bend and twist into whatever shape I need to in order to hit where you're least expecting it. You might not be able to do what I can, but you can still use it to your advantage. You like to bounce off of trees and things. Try using that to hit from different angles. Work in some unpredictable movements. There are no rules of engagement in a real fight, so hit them where you can. If you're fighting someone stronger than you you can turn the tide just by doing something they weren't ready for. That's the lesson I'm trying to beat- er, teach you." A pawed hand landed heavily on his back sending Izuku stumbling forward. "Go get some water, boy. We start again in five minutes!"
Izuku gratefully took the opportunity to stumble over to the bench Ragdoll was standing at. The heroine was spinning slowly in circles on top of the table but stopped when she noticed Izuku.
"Hey little kitten! You're pretty dehydrated and you've got some nasty bruising near your ribs and left shoulder. Grab some cream and some of your nurse's stamina gummies and you should be all set!"
"Thanks, Ragdoll."
"Oh and Midoriya?"
"Yeah?"
"Just remember all of you are tagged by my quirk so I always know when two little kittens sneak off into the woods together, okay?"
Izuku's face burned crimson as he was chased back to Tiger's punishments by Ragdoll's laughter.
"I can't believe everyone else gets to enjoy the fright fest in the woods." Ashido pouted.
"I guess it makes sense that we have to go to extra lessons." Kirishima said. "Still I'm not sure I'll even be able to pay attention. I'm so exhausted from all the quirk training we had!"
Shouta looked over his students. Each of them bore the evidence of their hard work in their stances. Bowed backs and downtrodden expressions matched the various nicks and injuries they had accumulated over training. Oh god am I going soft?
No. They had failed their finals. They needed this extra training. Bakugou technically failed due to discipline issues. Sato, Sero, and Kirishima all failed of their own merit. Kaminari and Ashido never had a chance against the principal, you know that. Is it really fair to punish them?
Maybe not, but all the same those were the rules. It didn't matter how unfair it was or not. It's a hero's job to combat the cruelty and unfairness and wrongs of the world. Shouta sighed to himself.
"Fine, you all did adequately today so you may be allowed to join your friends in the contest. Report to Mandalay and get your assignments from her."
"Wait, really?!" "You're the best Aizawa-sensei!" "Totally awesome!" "Let's get out of here before he changes his mind!" The students, even Monoma from class B, all escaped and in moments Shouta was left with Vlad King.
"You really are going soft, aren't you 'Raser?"
"Bite me, you two bit vampire."
Himiko hummed a happy tune as she skipped through the trees. The others had already spread out, ready to cause all their chaos and mischief, but she had a special mission all for herself. If she could find her lovely Izu-kun, then maybe she could convince Shiggy not to kill him until after she had played with him and gotten all of his super cute blood! If not, he had friends. That cutie with the pink cheeks and those adorable finger-beans or the froggy girl! She didn't have much interest in the car guy, but she was willing to bet the Todoroki boy had awesomely tasty blood. Dabi wouldn't be mad if she just cut him up a little, right? She wouldn't kill him. She'd just take a liter, maybe one and half. Enough for him to be all loopy but he would probably still be conscious.
Oh, there was Mustard's gas. That must mean the party was starting. She fiddled with the super-drab-and-not-at-all-stylish mask over her mouth. Don't die too soon, kay Izuku? I'm coming baby!
Izuku thundered through the underbrush. Tree branches scraped at his face as he ran. Every footfall left craters in the ground. He had spent all day training with One for All and using his quirk now made his skin feel paper thin. There was no time to stop or to rest though. No one had heard from Ragdoll, Pixie Bob was knocked unconscious, Tiger and Mandalay were busy fighting. The only two people in the world who knew where Kota was right now were Izuku and Ochako and his girlfriend was lost somewhere in the woods with villains hunting their classmates down.
He wanted to be with her. They were safer together where they could watch each other's backs and a part of him desperately wanted to charge into the forest and look for her. But he had to trust her to stay safe on her own. She was a hero, she could take care of herself. Kota couldn't.
Izuku pushed One for All higher, lightning flaring as his quirk rose past eight percent, past ten to twelve. Maybe it was a bad idea on his part, but he had no way of knowing if a villain had stumbled on Kota yet. If they had, he needed to get there now. Even if they hadn't, the faster he got to Kota and got back to camp the faster he could go look for everyone else. He couldn't hold on to twelve percent for long, he had maybe a minute before he started to do serious damage to his joints, but even if it got him to Kota seconds earlier it would be worth it.
He burst through the treeline, heading up the slope toward Kota's cave. His heartbeat was heavy in his own ears but even over that he could hear frightened cries and a bassy chuckle. A few more seconds and he was there. A massive cloaked figure stood over the shaking and crying Kota. The figure cocked back his arm to deliver a punch that was sure to spell the end of Kota. I'm out of time, I have to act now!
He leapt through the air, Blackwhip springing to life from his hands. Two strands from his left grabbed the arm of the villain, four more wrapping around the huge torso. Izuku let the tension on them swing him around to the villain's front, so he could scoop Kota into his arms. His momentum carried him back to the villain so he could see the barren metal mask covering his face. Izuku brought his knee to his chest and slammed his foot under the hood and into the blank visage. He let Blackwhip go and pushed off, a crack sounding beneath his foot. Izuku skid to a stop fifteen feet from the villain, Kota wrapped soundly in his arms. Kota had stopped crying, which was nice, and looked up to Izuku with wide shocked eyes.
"Y-you saved me!"
"Yeah, I'm glad I got here in time." He put Kota down to his feet and pushed the boy behind him. "Stay here alright? Things might get a little scary for a minute but don't worry." Izuku did his best to channel his mentor and put every ounce of confidence he had into his smile. "I'm definitely going to save you, I promise."
"You promise, huh?" With another crack the two pieces of the villain's mask fell to the ground. A hand grabbed the side of the cloak and threw it to the side, revealing an extremely muscular blonde man. His face was contorted into a wicked grin that pulled at the scar running over his missing left eye. A white tank-top strained over his pecs and a pair of simple dark pants covered his lower half. The bottom of each of the legs were torn over the man's calves. "That's the thing I hate most about you heroes, you're always making promises you can't keep. You're the same as all those other weaklings, but at least you're decently strong. Maybe you'll be an interesting appetizer, heroling."
Kota made a whimpering noise behind him. "Mama, papa. He killed them. His name is Muscular."
"Hah? I killed your parents, kid? Damn, this must be fate then! Don't worry as soon as I deal with the green brat you'll see them real soon, kay?"
"You're not going to lay a hand on him!" A dozen of the strongest whips he could create exploded from his back and shoulders. They surrounded Muscular, binding him from neck to foot. Izuku pulled with his quirk and sent himself hurtling through the air. This might sting, but I've got to try it. TWELVE PERCENT DETROIT SMASH! Wind kicked up as his punch landed, dust obscuring his vision. For a moment he thought it was over until another dark chuckle echoed against the mountainside.
"Oh man, you are something else kid." The dust settled and Izuku could only look on in horror. The villain's muscles had grown in the instant before he had hit, the dense fibers cushioning the blow. Blackwhip strained over his enlarged form but didn't seem to be hindering him anymore. "You've got some wicked strength. Unfortunately for you and the kid, I'm still stronger!" One hand grabbed the strands of Blackwhip attached to Izuku's back, and he spun him through the air slamming him into the rock.
The whole world was made from white hot pain. The only hit he'd ever taken that compared was All Might's. What the hell was this guy's quirk? Izuku coughed, coppery blood falling from his lips. He couldn't afford to take too many hits from this guy, but he had brushed off twelve percent like it was a joke. How the hell was he going to beat him?
"Hahaha! Man, what a rush! I haven't gotten to let loose in so long it's kinda hard not to go overboard! Oh yeah, I guess I should probably ask you: do you know where a kid named Bakugou is?"
Katsuki?! "What do you-" he spat more blood to the ground. Ah, those ribs are definitely fractured, that's good. "What do you want with him?"
"Don't know, don't care." The blonde villain shrugged. "All I know is the boss wants us to find him." A cruel smile crossed his face once more. "And he wants you dead!"
Izuku dodged to his right, back down the path to the forest. Muscular's hand passed centimeters from his trailing leg before crashing into the side of the mountain. Rock and rubble sprayed from the impact. Izuku tried to dash back toward Kota but the villain was already there in his path, another fist hurtling toward him. So his quirk gives him durability, strength, and speed? He was forced to jump above the punch, the ground where he had been standing exploding from the force of it.
Damn it, Izuku, you're running out of options. He couldn't beat the damage Muscular could tank at his current percentage, and he was taking far more damage than his opponent with every hit. Izuku could maybe out pace him and make it back to camp, but he couldn't just leave Kota behind and he didn't have enough stamina left to carry him and sprint fast enough after all the training today. No, he had to end this in one blow. Here and now.
"You're a quick little bug, I'll give you that. But I'm getting a little bored here. Is this really the best you can do?" The villain flexed, his muscles bulging and extending through his skin. He looked more like a grotesque caricature than a human being. "Why don't you just give up, huh? I'll only torture you a little. I tell you what, I'll even skimp out on torturing the kid before I kill him. What do you say?"
Izuku narrowed his eyes. One for All filled his veins with lightning for one final push. Sorry Recovery Girl, I hope you can forgive me. He ran forward at twelve percent. Sick enjoyment danced in Muscular's singular eye.
"Fine then, kid. If you want to die, I'll be more than happy to help!" Familiar magma filled Izuku's right arm as his quirk spiked past his limit all the way to one hundred. His arm shot forward.
"ONE HUNDRED PERCENT! DETROIT SMASH!"
The recoil was instantaneous. Pops and cracks from the bones snapping in his arms were barely audible over the gales of wind his punch created. Squishy but dense muscle was sent flying into the mountain with a resounding crash. A pain lanced through Izuku's mind. Kota.
Blackwhip launched from his hand before he had completed the thought. Tendrils of ink dove over the edge, two more as thick as Izuku's torso split from his back and drove themselves into the ground, anchoring him. For a second he feared he was too late until the ringing in his ears subsided and Kota's screams took its place. Blackwhip reeled the kid up over the edge, depositing him on the ground at Izuku's feet.
"Hey, Kota. Are you okay?" The boy was speechless. His eyes flickered from Izuku's face to his arm and back.
"What- why? Why are you doing this?"
"This is what heroes do, Kota. We save people."
"Oh man! Shit, kid, you really are incredible. I see why Shigaraki likes you so much now." No. No I hit him with one hundred percent, how the hell is he still fighting? Debris rained around the form of Muscular as he pushed himself out of the crater Izuku had punched into the mountain. This guy is a monster. "Man, I'm not sure I've ever been hit that hard! I guess play time's over now, huh? Time to get serious!"
He was just playing around?! The villain plucked a metal eye from his pocket and stuck it into the empty socket. The red mechanical eye glowed in the low light, only adding to the menacing aura now pouring off of him. Gleeful rage rolled off of Muscular in waves. It wasn't as potent as Stain's zealous killing intent, or as cold as the unwavering obedience of the mindless Nomu, but it was no less dangerous. Izuku squared his shoulders and straightened his back. Muscular was no different than any bully he had faced growing up. Guys like this wanted their victims to be afraid to give them a sense of power. He would get nothing from Izuku.
"Kota, you have to run."
"But you're hurt! We can just leave together! Come with m-"
"Kota, run to camp and tell the teachers what's happening. I won't let him leave here, I promise."
"Still making promises?" Muscular cracked his neck with several thick pops. "I gotta admit kid, you're either ridiculously brave or ridiculously stupid."
Izuku took off running toward the villain. Muscular grinned. "Guess it's stupid."
"ONE HUNDRED PERCENT! DETROIT SMASH!" Izuku slammed his broken arm into a wall of muscle that swelled to swallow his fist.
"What the hell, kid?! That was even weaker than before!" Bit by bit, Izuku was being forced backwards. One for All was going haywire trying to fight off Muscular's strength, but it wasn't enough. His feet were being pushed toward the edge of the cliff. "Now, SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!"
Something wet hit both of them. One for All deactivated at the surprise and even Muscular paused to blink droplets out of his eyes. "Huh, is that water?"
"Leave him alone!" Both hero and villain turned to look at the boy who had shot water at them. Kota?!
"Kota, run! Quick!" He couldn't do this. There was too much happening. Why wouldn't he just run away?! A hand wrapped around Izuku's middle. Muscular took advantage of Izuku's distraction and hurled him back into the crater Izuku had punched him into earlier. Izuku had time to look at Kota as he flew through the air. Please. I can't let him down. I have to save him.
Izuku's head slammed into the rock and everything went black.
Shoji hid behind a tree. Blood dripped from the stump of one of his arms. It stung, but he'd live. Far more worrying were the roars of the crazed Dark Shadow. Trees were uprooted and thrown aside like children's toys by the feral quirk. He had never been scared of Tokoyami's quirk before, but in this moment he wasn't entirely sure if it was a quirk or an actual demon that had latched onto Tokoyami's soul. A clawed arm tore through the underbrush five feet from where Shoji crouched. He needed a plan and soon, or Dark Shadow would find him.
A thunderous bang echoed through the forest, drawing away the dark creature's ire for a moment. An explosion? Probably Bakugou, then. Wait, that could work . Now to just get him there.
Momo was not sure things could get much worse. She was running on fumes from creating all of the gas masks that she had distributed so far. Kendo and Tetsutetsu had run off to find the source of the fog, Kodai was carrying some of the fallen back to camp and she and Awase had left to find anyone else who had succumbed to the gas in the forest.
And they had run straight into a Nomu.
Its barking cries echoed through the trees and the whirring of- were those chainsaws?! Was this what she was reduced to? A two-bit scream queen actress in a B-list horror movie? At least Awase seemed just as scared as she felt. His eyes were as wild as his breathing as the two of them pounded through the underbrush. Neither of them had a destination so long as it was away from the Nomu.
"What the hell are we going to do?! You're the recommended student, right? Please tell me you have a plan!"
How the hell did he expect her to have a plan? What could she do? A cannon would be too slow and she was running low on resources to make anything complicated. She could steer the Nomu toward someone stronger, but who could take this thing down?
I think, if I've realized one thing, Yaomomo, it's that we need to be bold. Momo steeled her nerves. She wasn't some damsel in distress. She was a hero.
"Get ready, Awase, we're going to set a trap."
Ochako managed to dodge the first knife, but the second cut a thin line across her cheek as it flew off into the forest.
"Ah, you're just as cute as I thought you'd be!"
She rolled away from the next downward stab and grabbed a heavy looking branch. It became weightless in her grasp and she whipped it in a wide arc behind her, forcing the crazy blonde schoolgirl from hell to jump away.
"You smell kinda odd though, Ochako-chan?" What the fuck?! Is she really commenting on my smell in the middle of a fight?! "Oh, I know!" The cat-like slits in the girl's yellow eyes expanded until only a thin yellow band remained around her pupils. "You smell like my lovely Izu-kun! Are you his girlfriend or something? That must make us rivals!" Ochako felt her heart stop. This bitch!
Her body went on autopilot. All of the training she had received over the past semester was on full display. Every kick, punch and elbow was expertly delivered. The psycho chick dodged all of them. She pulled down her mask to show off a bright grin with wickedly sharp fangs.
"Don't worry, Ocha-chan! I'll leave you a piece of him. All I really want is his blood. What's your favorite part of him? I can send you his tongue, oooh or his pretty eyes! What do you say, huh? You can keep them in a jar so he can always see you. Oh maybe you want his di-" Tsu's tongue lashed out and slapped at the villain sending her leaping up into the lowest branches of the trees.
"Aw, no fun Tsu! We were just getting to the good stuff!"
"You're never going to get a hand on him!" Ochako shouted. "I'll die before I let that happen!"
"You'll die for him, huh?" Toga's eyes glimmered with a dangerous light. "That's so funny. Cause I'll kill for him."
Mandalay was forced back again by another swing of that stupid-looking sword. This creep, Weaver or whatever his name was, wasn't giving her an inch. That sword, even if it did look stupid, gave him a huge reach advantage that she was struggling to overcome. This was why she stuck to rescue operations. Tiger and Pixie had the most offensive-minded quirks in their group, and even Ragdoll could use her quirk to find and brutally exploit weaknesses. But Telepath didn't have any great uses except for momentary distractions.
Her thoughts drifted to the kid that had run off after Kota. Please be safe, both of you.
"Wake up, Nine!"
Izuku blinked the dust out of his eyes. Through the faint haze of what was almost certainly a concussion, he could see the back of Muscular advancing on Kota who scrambled backwards on his hands and feet. I must have only been out for a second or so. He slammed his non broken fist into the dirt. Damn it! How am I supposed to beat him?!
"You start by getting up, kid." Izuku looked up to see a woman standing in front of him. She was haloed in soft purple light, and the hero costume she wore faded in and out of reality. A vestige? A name resonated from the recesses of his mind. Nana. Seven. "Remember your origin. Hold your past close and the future is always clearer."
Memories rushed past him. Standing up in front of Kacchan, drawing his attention away from other kids. Running head first toward the sludge villain. The Battle Trials. Todoroki's onslaught of ice at the Sports Festival. Stain. Izuku had never quit before. And he'd be damned if he started now. One for All roared to life. He pushed himself to his feet to stand tall. He had no idea how he was going to beat Muscular, but he had made a promise to Kota. And he would see it through.
"I'm going to beat you," his whispered promise was taken by the wind. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"Whatever it takes?" A second vestige joined Nana's. A light blue haired man with cold eyes and a strong jaw. A black bandana covered the top of his forehead, his hair sticking out into a ponytail behind it. He dressed like a soldier in fatigues and light armor, and his straight backed demeanor reinforced the appearance. "Tell me, Midoriya Izuku. Do you really mean that? Will you do whatever is necessary to see justice done? Would you kill this villain to save that boy?"
Izuku's heartbeat drowned out the laughter of Muscular and Kota's scared cries. He wasn't a killer. But Muscular had already shown that he could take one hundred percent of One for All. If he held back there was no guarantee he could stop him and both he and Kota would die.
A real hero will always find a way for justice to be served!
You want that kid to believe in heroes again? Be that person for him.
Just Midoriya Izuku, huh? Well, I see a young man who has fought and clawed his way to where he is now. I see someone with pretty incredible potential. Maybe after I'm done with you here, you'll see what I do, okay?
No. He couldn't die here. He had too many people counting on him. Too many people he needed to make proud.
"I'll do whatever it takes." The vestige nodded.
"Then Midoriya Izuku, Ninth holder of One for All, I deem you worthy to inherit my quirk. We'll talk again soon. Go finish the job."
"We're with you, Izuku. It's time to be a hero!"
One for All flared inside of him. The lightning wreathing Izuku flashed in different colors. Red, yellow, purple, blue, the energy poured out of him suffusing the air with the full might of his quirk. The ground rattled beneath Izuku's feet. Rocks fell from the mountain as the very earth itself knelt in deference to the rage of One for All. Muscular turned, eyes both mechanical and flesh widening in surprise.
"You really are something else, aren't you. Give me one second to finish this brat off and I'll be right with you." The villain reared back to deliver a punch but Izuku did the very thing that had earned him One for All in the first place.
He moved.
Izuku flew toward Muscular, the ground cracking apart where he floated over top of it. He thrust his left hand forward, Blackwhip extending to wrap around the arm poised to come down on Kota. Izuku rose up between Muscular and Kota, feet leaving the earth to put him at eye level with the villain.
"It's a hero's job to risk his life to turn his promises into a reality. I promised to save Kota. And there's no way I'll let someone like you stop me!" He could barely make a fist with his broken hand, but if he had to sacrifice an arm then it would be worth it. One for All surged, but the heat felt different this time. His arm filled with one hundred percent and it kept going. His quirk grew, power rising exponentially. "My quirk is Fa Jin, the storage of kinetic energy to use again later. Right now you're filled with all the energy accumulated over the last six users of One for All. Your maximum is no longer one hundred percent."
"ONE FOR ALL, ONE MILLION PERCENT! DETROIT!" There was a boom as Izuku's fist broke the sound barrier. "SMASH!" His punch crashed through the fibers of Muscular's quirk, slamming straight into the villain's unprotected jaw. A second sonic boom tore the air apart around Muscular as he hurtled into the mountain. His body burrowed into the core of the mountain before finally coming to rest.
A wave of exhaustion and pain overcame Izuku. He took one look at his mangled arm before throwing up onto the ground at his feet, blood and vomit mixing with the dirt and dust. He turned back to Kota and gave him his best shaky smile.
"I told you, Kota. I'll save you."
Two sharp cracks split the night air. Shouta looked up from the cursing, struggling form of Dabi beneath him.
"What the fuck?"
"Sounds like one of my friends is having a good time." Dabi turned his head to look at Shouta over his shoulder. "I wonder which one of your students just died, Eraserhead." Shouta dropped an elbow to his temple, causing the whole upper half of his head to splatter into mud. The rest of Dabi's body dissolved into sludge.
What the hell is going on? How did they find us?
A resonant bassy buzz filled Shouta's ears. A spark of green flashed above the trees. It steadily grew larger until he could see Midoriya… flying? His resident problem child landed hard onto his feet next to Shouta. Now that he was closer, he could see that Midoriya looked like he had been beaten to hell and back. His right arm was covered in Blackwhip like a cast, his left arm holding Mandalay's nephew.
"Problem Child, were you flying?"
"No time, Eraserhead. Take Kota. I need to get to Mandalay. The villains are after Katsuki. After I let her know I'll go find him."
"Wait! You're injured!"
"And I'm the faster of the two of us. I have to do this, sensei." With a flicker of lightning and a gust of wind, Midoriya rose off the ground, leaving Kota behind. "I have to save them!"
"Midoriya! Tell her I gave you all permission to fight!" Shouta's calls went unanswered by his student's back as he flew off deeper into the woods. "Damn it! Alright kid, come with me. We'll meet up with your Aunt and help direct everyone back towards the cabin." Shouta grabbed the boy and began to chase after his student.
"Is he going to be okay?" Kota's voice was barely more than a whisper. "He broke his arm over and over again just to save me. And now he's going to fight some more?"
"Midoriya is going to be just fine, kid. This is what we're training them for."
"But isn't he still in training?" Damn it, this is why I don't work with kids. They ask too many questions.
"Listen, Kota. I give you my word that Midoriya is going to be okay. He's strong and tough. He'll make it through this." Shouta focused on the forest in front of him, the wall of blue flame growing steadily closer in the distance. You better not make me a liar Midoriya. Come back in one piece.
Shoto breathed out a sigh of relief. Mandalay's warning mostly absolved them of responsibility for Moonfish's injuries, though no one had to know Dark Shadow had taken him out before permission was given. Between his flames and Bakugou's explosions, Tokoyami was easy enough to subdue and currently rested against Shoji's larger form.
"We should head back. Mandalay said they're looking for Bakugou."
"We can go straight through the forest." One of the mouths on Shoji's arms answered. "It sounds like there's still fighting at the clearing where the Pussycats are, so we can avoid a battle altogether."
"If we come across anyone else I can take them on, or Tokoyami can unleash Dark Shadow, if that's acceptable."
"I should be able to control her better now," Tokoyami said warily. "I would request that you stay near in order to prevent her from going on another rampage in this shaded hell."
"Agreed. Bakugou, stay in the middle. We'll-" A glowing form dropped from the sky to land in front of them. Frost grew on his neck and flames danced on his fingertips. When he recognized the person, Shoto couldn't help but gasp.
"Izuku?"
"Shoto!" Izuku looked frantic. Dozens of scratches littered his face. Blackwhip encased his right arm, Shoto didn't even know his friend had that fine of control over his quirk. A thick slurry of mud and blood was slathered in his hair and over most of his clothes. What the hell happened to him? "Shoto, where's Katsuki?!"
"Midoriya, you don't look so good." Shoji approached cautiously. "Maybe we should-"
"There's no time! Where's Katsuki?!"
"Izuku, calm down! He's right…" Shoto turned to the empty forest behind them. "Here?"
"Apologies! You've been a lovely audience, but I'm afraid the curtain is closing on tonight's festivities and there are to be no encores this evening." A man in a yellow coat, mask, and top hat? Where are all of these weirdos coming from? "Now if you'll excuse me, I must bid you adie-'' Ice crackled into being. A glacier pierced the tree where the magician had been. A cold breath slipped past Shoto's lips.
"My word! You may be talented but you're so uncouth! Stay there and be good sports now, your friend and I have an appointment to keep." The villain hopped from branch to branch disappearing into the forest. Lightning wreathed Midoriya at Shoto's side.
"Izuku, wait, don't…" Izuku took off, buffeting Shoto and the others with a gust of wind. "Run ahead. Damn it, we need to be there to back him up. Shoji, Tokoyami, let's move."
Ochako limped into camp, Tsu propping her up beneath her shoulder. Her leg stung where that bitch had stabbed her and stolen some of her blood, which was concerning but at least she was no longer actively bleeding out. What was slightly more concerning was how she just disappeared. One second she's sucking blood from Ochako's stab wound and then next she had vanished with only a giggle left in her wake.
She was happy to be out of that fight but there was an odd feeling in her gut. She was worried about Mandalay's warning. Bakugou wasn't her favorite person in the world, and in her opinion he absolutely deserved the beatdown Izuku had given him during finals, but she didn't want him to be the target of a villain attack. He was arrogant and cruel and rude and just plain mean, but even he didn't deserve that. But he had been partnered with Shoto and even though he was an ass he was still one of the strongest first years. If Shoto had stuck with Bakugou she was pretty confident they would be fine.
No, she was more worried about Izuku. Her boyfriend had the unfortunate problem of being magnetically attracted to villains. He physically couldn't stay out of trouble and Ochako had no doubt that he had somehow managed to get involved in this craziness.
"Hey look, it's Uraraka and Asui!" A cry went up from the assembled first years. It seemed like most of them were knocked unconscious, and those who were still standing had bandages and injuries littering them.
"Ochako! Tsu!" Tenya ran toward the two of them and crushed them in a hug. "Oh I was so worried. Are you alright? Have you seen the others?" A rustling from the brush nearby cut off Ochako's response. Aoyama stumbled into the clearing ahead of the larger form of Shoji who carried an unconscious Jiro and Hagakure in his arms.
"Aoyama! Where's Aizawa-sensei? He ran off to find you all earlier."
"I'm right here, Iida." Aizawa emerged from the trees followed by a somber Tokoyami and the shaking form of Shoto. Aizawa's eyes looked enraged, but it was Shoto's eyes that sent Ochako's heart plummeting into her stomach. He looked broken. He stared unseeing at the ground, haunted by whatever he was reliving in his mind.
"Where's Bakugou, kero? Wasn't he with Shoto?"
"Aizawa-sensei, what happened? We're still missing students and Ragdoll isn't responding."
Ochako felt her throat start to close up. Her mouth was dry and that feeling of disquiet in her gut swelled into a storm of despair. She knew what the answer would be, but she forced the words out anyway.
"Where's Izuku?" Shoto looked up at her. Pain and heartbreak mixing with despair. The world around Ochako went quiet. "Shoto, where's Izuku?"
"They took them." Tears rolled down Shoto's face, the first time she could remember seeing visceral emotion out of her friend. "Izuku and Bakugou. The villains took them both."