After Muscular had been knocked out, Ruka carried Kota and helped support Izuku as they ran back to camp. They noticed that part of the forest had been set ablaze with blue fire. Izuku and Ruka hoped their classmates were okay. Eventually, they ran into Mr. Aizawa who noticed Izuku's serious injuries. Ruka handed off Kota to Mr. Aizawa as Izuku briefed him on what happened and what he knew. He told him that the villains were looking for Bakugo. Once he was done explaining everything to Mr. Aizawa. Their teacher told Izuku to find Mandalay and tell her to relay a message for her to telepathically pass on to all the students: that they had permission to fight the villains in self defense. Izuku and Ruka then took off to find Mandalay and relay Mr. Aizawa's message. The two of them found Mandalay locked in combat with a lizard man named Spinner who had a custom weapon made of many blades combined into one large mass connected to a handle. Tiger was fighting a very masculine looking woman who was dodging all of his attacks. Just as Spinner was about to strike Mandalay, Izuku launched himself at his weapon and destroyed it by crashing into it with his feet. He told Mandalay that they found Kota and that he was safe and told her to use her telepathy quirk to give Mr. Aizawa's message to Class 1-A and 1-B to engage in combat with the villains to protect themselves as well as notify them of the villains' goal to capture Bakugo. In the meantime, Ruka engaged in combat with the masculine woman with sunglasses named Magne. Her instincts as former assassin made it easy for her to take the villain down. With Spinner distracted, Mandalay took him down as well. Then she telepathically relayed Mr. Aizawa's message to the students. Izuku took off in search of Bakugo and Ruka followed after him. As they were running through the woods, something attacked them. Ruka dodged as Shoji grabbed Izuku with his webbed arms, wrapping them around him like a cocoon as he whisked him out of the way of the attack.
"Shoji, what happened?" Izuku asked his classmate, noticing that the end of one of his arms was bleeding. But Shoji was more concerned about Izuku's wellbeing.
"With those injuries, you should be laid up in bed recovering. But you wanna save your friend no matter what the cost." Shoji said, hitting the nail right on the head.
"You're injured too." Izuku said, referring to Shoji's bleeding arm.
"Yes, we were ambushed by villains. And I covered us, but the attack triggered Tokoyami's quirk even though he was desperately trying to hold it back." Shoji explained the situation at hand.
"That thing just now. Wait... don't tell me..." Izuku said, referring to what had just attacked them. He was starting to realize exactly what was going on. Ruka didn't really know much about Tokoyami, but she knew what his quirk was and how darkness affected it.
"Yeah, if we wanna get through here, we'll have to face Dark Shadow first." Shoji said, confirming that Tokoyami had lost control of Dark Shadow and that their classmate was now another danger to them in addition to the villains attacking the camp. Then they heard a roar nearby in the woods and saw Tokoyami enveloped by Dark Shadow who had grown massive.
"Stay away from me! You'll die!" Tokoyami warned the three of them as Dark Shadow rampaged destructively through the trees.
"Tokoyami no!" Izuku said when he saw what his friend had become. Shoji, Izuku, and Ruka found a place to hide behind a tree while Dark Shadow raged about. Shoji explained more about what happened with Dark Shadow when the villain attacked him and Tokoyami. He said the villain got the jump on them and injured him. Seeing his friend get injured made Tokoyami snap and lose control of his quirk. Dark Shadow heard their conversation and attacked again, forcing Shoji and Ruka to dodge and run. Shoji, not wanting to leave a suffering friend behind, then asked Izuku and Ruka what they were planning on doing. Saving Bakugo or saving Tokoyami. Izuku said he wanted to save them both and Ruka nodded in agreement. He came up with a plan to lead Tokoyami to Bakugo so he could set off an explosion to get him under control.
"Ruka, can you summon your dragon spirit as a decoy to distract Dark Shadow so he attacks the spirit instead of us as we find Bakugo and Tokoyami right to him. Then he can set off an explosion to calm down Dark Shadow." Izuku explained his plan.
"Okay I can do that. Dragon Soul: Spirit Summon!" Ruka said as she summoned the massive dragon apparition. It got to work distracting Dark Shadow as they ran through the forest until Izuku spotted Todoroki who was carrying Kosei Tsuburaba from Class 1-B and Bakkugo fighting a villain with teeth that turned into blades. They led Dark Shadow to them. Moonfish, the blade tooth villain kept muttering about cutting fresh meat which grabbed Dark Shadow's attention and ultimately led to the villain's defeat. Only then did Todoroki use his flames and Bakugo his explosions to calm Dark Shadow down and return Tokoyami back to normal. He apologized to everyone for not being able to control his quirk and causing so much trouble. Izuku then explained the situation and the plan to get Bakugo, who was the villains' target, back to camp where Mr. Aizawa and Vlad King had regrouped.
"It's possible the Pussycats are still fighting in the clearing. Going that way would draw the attention of the villains. Plus it's longer. We should cut straight across." Izuku laid out the plan.
"We don't know how many enemies there are. We might come across some by chance." Tokoyami added.
"We can use Shoji's search ability. And Todoroki's freezing power. Ruka can summon her dragon spirit again. And, if Tokoyami's okay with it, we can always use Dark Shadow now that we can actually control him. Honestly with a group like this, we could probably even go up against All Might." Izuku said, sounding pretty confident in their combined abilities.
"I'd be fine by myself!" Bakugo yelled, as egotistical and as always.
"We'll surround you as we walk." Todoroki said to Bakugo.
"I don't need any of your protection, damn it!" Bakugo shouted at everyone.
"Let's go." Shoji said as he began to walk with Izuku on his back.
"Don't ignore me!" Bakugo yelled at the group.
"Just make sure you keep up." Todoroki said, only making Bakugo more angry.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Bakugo said as he let out a noise of frustration. Ruka rolled her eyes.
"Ugh just shut the hell up and stick with us! Got it?! We are trying to ensure your safety here! You may think you're all strong and tough, but before we arrived with Tokoyami, you were barely holding your own against that villain back there and that was with Todoroki's help! If there are more villains here that are just as strong as that guy or stronger, you're absolutely screwed! Understand?! So quit your whining and cooperate!" Ruka snapped, whipping her head back and giving Bakugo a sharp glare that made him stop in his tracks for a second. He would never admit it, but deep down he knew she was right.
"Tch!" Bakugo replied as he reluctantly followed everyone.
~Short Time Skip~
The group came across Uraraka and Asui who were being attacked by a girl with her blonde hair up in messy twin buns. As soon as they arrived, she leapt away from Uraraka. But before she disappeared, she stared at Izuku with infatuation. Ruka gave her a death glare. She knew that look the girl had. It was the "love at first sight" look. Izuku was already taken.
"Who was that girl just now?" Todoroki asked.
"One of the villains. She was crazy." Asui said referring to Himiko Toga. Izuku noticed that Uraraka was injured.
"Uraraka, you're hurt." Izuku said, concerned for his friend.
"It's not bad. I can still walk okay. You're the one who looks terrible." Uraraka said, pointing out Izuku's condition.
"We can't stand here and talk. Let's move." Shoji said.
"I'm just glad you didn't get injured too bad. Now come on, join our group. We're protecting Kacchan and making our way back to camp. We could use your help." Izuku said to the girls. Asui looked at him confused.
"If you're protecting Bakugo, then shouldn't he be standing here with you guys?" Asui asked.
"Huh? What are you talking about? He's right over here behind u-" Izuku trailed off as he looked behind him and realized Bakugo wasn't behind them anymore.
"Nice trick, eh? I took the lad you were talking about with my magic. A talent like his would be squandered if he were cast as a hero. We'll provide him with a grander stage where he can truly shine." A masked magician man with a cane and top hat said from above in a tree.
"Give him back!" Izuku said at the magician man angrily.
"Give him back? What an odd thing to say. Bakugo doesn't belong to anyone. He's his own person. Don't be so arrogant." The magician, Mr. Compress, said.
"We'll stop you!" Izuku yelled.
"Right now!" Todoroki added as he sent an ice wave at Mr. Compress, but he just jumped out of the way.
"Why the aggression? We merely wish to show him that there are options besides the fanatical world of heroism he's drowning in. It's important to choose a path that aligns with your core values after all." Mr. Compress said as he landed on another tree branch. Shoji looked around again.
"It's not just Bakugo. Tokoyami and Ryuutou are gone!" Shoji said as Izuku's heart dropped. This guy had snatched up three of their strongest classmates without them knowing.
"If you're monologuing because you think you've beaten us then you're mistaken!" Todoroki said to the masked magician man.
"A bad habit of mine. I was once an entertainer, you know. Taking Tokoyami and Ryuutou was a bit of improv on my part. Moonfish, our dear blade tooth. He may not look it but he's a dastardly death row devil whose last appeal was denied. When I saw the avian take him down so easily and violently, I decided he should join us too. As for the blue haired dragon horned girl. She's already a well known villain: the Blue Dragon Assassin. U.A. is no place for someone like her. She belongs in our ranks." Mr. Compress said as Izuku got angry, especially over what he said about Ruka.
"You bastard! You can't take them!" Izuku shouted angrily at Mr. Compress.
"Midoriya calm down. Here take this guy for me." Todoroki said as he handed the Class 1-B student to Uraraka and ran after the magician man and sent a massive wave of ice at him. But unfortunately, he didn't get him.
"Apologies, but sleight of hand and escapology are my specialties, not combat. I'm not foolish enough to fight hero candidates from U.A." Mr. Compress said before putting his hand to his ear.
"Vanguard Action Squad: have acquired our target. And our show has officially come to a close. Meet me at the retrieval point in the next five minutes for the final act." Mr. Compress said into an earpiece to his comrades as he started heading out on his way.
"They're going to take them: our friends." Todoroki stated the obvious.
"They can't!" Izuku said urgently.
"You're right, we'll stop them!" Todoroki said as the group went after Mr. Compress, but he was fast.
"Damn it! This guy's quick." Todoroki said in frustration.
"If only Iida were here." Uraraka said as she dragged Tsuburaba by his hand behind her, using her quirk to make him weightless so his body just waved like a flag in the wind.
"We can't give up... not now! We have to catch him... and get our friends back!" Izuku said with urgency.
"But he's pulling farther ahead with every second." Todoroki mentioned. Izuku then told Uraraka to make himself, Shoji, and Todoroki float and Asui to launch them as far as she could with her tongue. And when the timing was right Uraraka was to release them from her quirk. Izuku's friends were very concerned for him because the condition he was in, but Izuku assured them he wasn't feeling any pain right now due to the endorphins and adrenaline coursing through his body. Everyone did as Izuku said and Asui made the three boys fly at Mr. Compress and they landed on him hard when Uraraka released her quirk. They then engaged in combat with the villains that were at the meeting spot. Shoji managed to grab three aqua blue marbles and he, Izuku, and Todoroki started to head back, but noticed the villains weren't chasing them. Then Mr. Compress revealed what Shoji had grabbed were decoys and the real marbles were in his mouth. Suddenly, a laser came from the bushes and hit Mr. Compress in the face, causing him to spit out the marbles. Shoji and Todoroki ran after the marbles and reached for them. Shoji grabbed two of them but Dabi grabbed the third that Todoroki was going after. It was then that Mr. Compress released Ruka, Tokoyami, and Bakugo from the marbles. They had managed to save Ruka and Tokoyami, but Bakugo was captured by the villains.
~Time Skip: 2 Days~
Ruka had gotten permission from Principal Nezu to leave U.A. High's grounds and visit Izuku at the hospital. All Might took her there since he had to meet up with Yaoyorozu and Detective Tsukauchi. She sat at Izuku's bedside, waiting for him to wake up. There was a plate of fruit with a note at his bedside from his mother. Izuku slowly opened his eyes, seeming pretty out of it.
"Hey Izuku. You're up finally, sleepyhead. Thank God, I was really worried about you. How're you feeling?" Ruka said as she stood up from her seat and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead before sitting back down.
"Ruka? I'm feeling a little out of it and a bit sore, but other than that, I'm okay I think." Izuku said as the door slid open. All of Class 1-A except for Yaoyorozu, Hagakure, Jirou, and obviously Bakugo entered Izuku's room to see how he was doing. As they were talking, Kirishima brought up that he wanted to try and save Bakugo. Iida said that they should leave that to the professionals. The class was pretty much torn down the middle between going out to rescue Bakugo themselves or leaving it to the pro heroes to save him. Just then, the doctor knocked on the door and opened it. He said he needed a word alone with Izuku. One by one, his classmates left the room. But before he left, Kirishima said that some of them were actually going to try and rescue Bakugo tonight. He told him they were going to meet in front of the hospital after dark.
"I guess I'll see you later Izuku." Ruka said as she smiled at Izuku.
"Yeah, see you." Izuku replied, smiling back. Then Ruka left his hospital room, closing the door behind her. She waited outside the room. She had really good hearing so she could hear Izuku's and the doctor's conversation. She heard the doctor tell Izuku that his injuries were very serious and if he sustained the same injury two or three more times, his arms would become paralyzed so he should take this seriously. The doctor said that Izuku was going to be discharged today and to take it easy. Then he told him that despite everything that happened, he did save someone. The doctor left the room after that and shortly after, Izuku came out of his room holding a folded piece of paper. Ruka pushed off the wall she was leaning on and went over to greet him.
"Ruka? What are you still doing here? I thought you left." Izuku said, slightly startled by Ruka's presence.
"Oh just waiting out here for you. I wanted to spend more time with you today. I missed you while you were recovering from your injuries." Ruka said as she walked alongside Izuku. A soft smile made its way onto his face. They went to the hospital rooftop, talking as they walked. When they got there, Izuku unfolded the paper and read it. It was a note from Kota, it read:
Dear Mr. Midoriya,
I'm sorry I punched you in the balls. Thank you for saving me even though you just met me. Please get better so I can thank you in person, okay?
-Kota
"I got a letter from Kota too. He thanked me for saving him as well." Ruka said as she peeked over Izuku's shoulder at the letter.
"Yeah... I'm glad we both managed to save him together." Izuku said as he and Ruka went back to his hospital room. They sat there on his bed together. He called his mother to update her as he ate the fruit she left for him. He told her how he was doing and that he had something to do and wouldn't be home til tomorrow. He also mentioned that U.A. really wants to keep an eye on its students and to keep the media out as much as possible. Then his mother asked him if he really had to go back to U.A. Izuku paused for a moment, then he spoke.
"Mom, All Might gave me everything. He trusts that I'd make the most of his quirk. I'll talk to you later, bye." Izuku said before hanging up. Even though he didn't have her on speaker, Ruka had overheard his conversation because of her excellent hearing. He placed his phone on the bedside table and just sat there in silence.
"You okay Izuku?" Ruka asked Izuku who turned to her and smiled.
"Yeah I'm fine, don't worry about it." Izuku said as Ruka furrowed her brows.
"I know something's bothering you. You can't hide that fact from me, remember? You don't have to tell me what's on your mind if you don't want to. But I want you to know... I'm here for you." Ruka said as she placed her hand on his back and rubbed it reassuringly. Izuku sighed and told her the truth.
"To be honest, I'm not really okay. I can't stop thinking about how I couldn't save Kacchan even though he was right in front of me." Izuku said as silence followed for a moment. He clenched his fists in his lap.
"Which is why..." Izuku started to say.
"You're going to join Kirishima and some of your other classmates to try and rescue Bakugo, aren't you?" Ruka said as Izuku nodded.
"I'm coming too. I want to support you in any way I can. I am your girlfriend after all." Ruka said as Izuku gave her a confused look.
"But what about your curfew and restrictions?" Izuku asked Ruka.
"About that, All Might was supposed to pick me up a while back but never showed up. I guess he forgot or got busy with something urgent? And Mr. Aizawa, along with Vlad King and Principal Nezu are all attending a press meeting right now. Unfortunately, I'm still wearing these." Ruka said as she held up both wrists, showing Izuku the quirk canceling cuffs.
"I won't be able to use my quirk, but I've still got my skills as a former assassin and training as a hero to rely on." Ruka said.
"I see. Thanks Ruka, I really appreciate your support." Izuku said with a smile. Ruka just smiled back and gave him a kiss on the cheek, making him blush slightly.
~Time Skip~
That evening, after dark, Izuku and Ruka ran into Yaoyorozu who was heading to the spot Kirishima said they were going to meet up at to rescue Bakugo. Kirishima and Todoroki were already there. Surprisingly Iida showed up too. He reprimanded Izuku and Todoroki about what they were going to do, even punching Izuku at one point. He mentioned that they were about to make the same mistake he did back in Hosu City. Kirishima asked what he was talking about, but was stopped by Todoroki not to press any further and drop it. Todoroki then said they weren't planning on confronting the villains head on. They would rescue Bakugo without breaking the rules of using their quirks. Iida decided in the end he would join them, but only to stop them if things got out of hand. Yaoyorozu was joining for the same reason as Iida. And with that, the group headed on out to start their rescue mission.