Clouds were gathering in the sky above U.A. high school as the hero in training made his way to class. The sun was muted and he could feel the humidity in the air as if it were already raining.
"I wonder if Aizawa-sensei has scheduled training outside today. Maybe we'll have to move indoors. Or maybe he'll use this as a chance for us to have experience in different conditions. We definitely need experience in less than ideal weather-"
"Deku! Wait up!" Uraraka was jogging up the remainder of the hill leading to the school, Iida speed walking beside her.
Midoriya spun around to face his friends, apologizing as they approached. "I'm sorry I didn't wait up for you guys, I was so caught up in my thoughts and-"
"It is quite alright Midoriya," Iida spoke with authority. "How do you think Aizawa-sensei will handle the unexpected weather?"
Uraraka cut in. "Oh, I bet he's been waiting for the rainy season since term started. He must have something planned. Maybe stealth training?"
Midoriya nodded in agreement. "Or maybe practice using our quirks. Some of us haven't trained in the rain yet…"
The trio made it into their classroom just as the rain started hitting the windows. "That was close! I'm glad we live on campus now…" Uraraka shook her head, "the walk to the station would've drenched me!"
"It looks like Asui is enjoying the weather…" Iida commented as he set down his bag. The girl in question was staring out the window with a content smile on her face.
"More so than Kacchan…" Bakugo had been a few minutes later than the trio, now standing in the doorway, his hair drooping and slick on his face. He looked ready to murder someone, but that wasn't very different from his normal.
"Woah! Bakugo, what's up with your hair? Trying out something new?" Kirishima asked, keeping his tone light.
"Like hell I am!" Bakugo growled, little explosions going off, setting his hair back to normal.
Before Kirishima could sign his own death warrant, Aizawa slammed the door open. Everyone was sitting at attention, facing the intimidating man in front of them.
"As you may have noticed," he started in a flat tone, "the weather has made the fields wet, making my original lesson plan moot."
Midoriya swore he could hear Ashido muttering, "movie day, movie day, movie day…"
"But as you have all been learning, we won't let a little rain limit your training. In fact, we're going to make the best of it. Now if you don't want to be cleaning the dorms for the rest of the week, meet me on the cement top in your gym clothes in fifteen minutes." The pro-hero shuffled out of the room without another word. A small groan came from the pink girl as the class made their way to the locker rooms.
When class 1-A returned to the classroom, most fell into their seats with a collective groan. They were all glad classes were done for the day. In Midoriya's case, his back was aching from the many slips he had taken.
The task had been to spar with each other. It was easier said than done. Aizawa had requested Cementoss to rework the ground into the smoothest surface he could manage. The entire class was slipping around while walking; how would they manage to fight? Eraserhead made it clear that they had to be prepared for any situation, no matter how unlikely. Apparently fighting on a slip n' slide was one of them.
"I'll be finding bruises for a month!" Hagakure exclaimed.
"That was definitely intense!" Uraraka mused while gathering her things. "But we should expect it by now." She laughed. Her smile caught Midoriya's eye, causing him to smile in return. She turned to face him head-on. "We should totally go and get hot chocolate! We can go as a class!" She spun to face Kirishima and Kaminari. "How about it?"
"Er…" Midoriya spoke up. "I actually have to train. Gran Torino's saying I'm getting flabby."
"That's ridiculous dude! You need to chill every once in a while!" Kirishima pouted.
"Well… maybe if I rush right now I could finish in an hour. Should I focus on cardio or strength? I could finish cardio faster. But I would need to shower-"
"So we'll take that as a yes!" Ashido called out. "We'll see you at 5 Midoriya!"
"-before meeting up with everyone." Midoriya looked up to see that everyone but Iida and Uraraka had left. "Oh, what'd I miss?"
Iida looked at his friend incredulously while Uraraka just giggled.
The rain was coming down a lot harder than before. Wind lashed at Midoriya's face, the water coming down in sheets. The beat of his music pushed him further and harder despite the weather. He had been running for a little over an hour and was considering calling it quits for the day. I could ask Aizawa-sensei if I could use the gym… With the hopeful thought of dry clothes, he turned around.
What he faced he did not expect.
She appeared to be training as well, her frame more athletic than average. He pulled out his earbuds, apologizing profusely. "Oh! Uh, hello! Sorry for almost running into you!" he squeaked.
The woman seemed to be growing with each passing minute. Midoriya took a small step back, eager for some personal space. "Um, alright, I need to get going now, sorry again!"
Instead of letting the young hero student pass, she grabbed his right arm with alarming strength. Midoriya cried out in pain, feeling his bones threatening to snap. He called upon One For All, preparing to wrench her hand open and use her as a springboard.
"Now really, there's no cause for alarm. We'll take care of you. For now, just sleep…" Midoriya heard a soft voice behind him. It reminded him of his father reading him bedtime stories. His mind became foggy and his eyes drooped.
No… I need to focus! Midoriya tried unfurling her grasp on him, but she seemed to have unlimited strength.
"Why fight? It's so tiring." The man continued to speak. Before Midoriya could stop himself, his eyes closed.
"That's right, sweet dreams…" He felt himself being lifted up by his arm but was too tired to care.
"Papa read me another!"
The gentleman chuckled. "Alright Izuku, but this has to be the last one for the night. Promise?"
Young Midoriya shook his head violently.
"Now what should it be?"
"Another All Might story!"
The young father sighed adoringly. "I should've guessed! How about…"
When Izuku woke, he could feel the pitter patter of rain against his body. A strong smell of earth hit his nose. His arm had fallen asleep, the sharp tingling dancing over his skin. When he tried to flex it to wake it up, he realized both of his arms were tied behind his back. He had been captured.
He tried his best to blink the sleep from his eyes. They were in an outdoor courtyard of sorts. He was tied to a chair, his legs and torso restricted. Across from him was the woman from earlier. She blinked, taking him in.
"What do you want from me?"
"Oh, nothing. At least from you." The woman's voice was surprisingly high-pitched. She returned to sipping from her mug, staring the boy down.
A shiver went down Midoriya's back, and he immediately started shaking from the cold. He realized he was soaking wet, even his shoes were flooded. How long was I out?
"Then why take me?"
"You're a UA student, right?" Midoriya slightly nodded. "Then you're worth a lot right now. I'm sure they would pay a pretty penny for one of their students back."
Midoriya stared back, eyes wide and brows furrowed.
They're insane! I need to figure out a plan, fast. I could use OFA and break the restraints, but will it be enough to get away? She was pretty fast earlier. Maybe I could contact someone. Everyone is probably looking for me. Maybe. He sighed. It's worth a shot…
He watched the woman from behind his bangs, waiting for the opportune moment. As she started to raise the mug to her mouth, he used Full Cowling.
As fast as he could, he ripped the restraints apart and bounded for the rooftop, not bothering to look back. Racing for the street, he dodged trees and bushes until he reached the road.
Midoriya pulled out his phone, sending a pin of his location to everyone in the class chat room, just like in Hosu. He wasn't sure who he was dealing with or how long he'd be able to keep away.
The chat immediately exploded.
Gravity_Girl (19:00): DEKU! what happened? are you ok?
SpeedsterIida (19:00):We have been looking all over for you! Did you escape the villains?!
(19:00): This is not at all surprising.
Alien-Queen (19:00): WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET HOT COCOA!
RRiot (19:01): dude you didnt look too good…
Lord_Explosion_Murder (19:01): WILL YOU GUYS SHUT THE FUCK UP!
Yaya_M (19:01): Everyone meet in the commons immediately!
LightningDude (19:01): whats up?
Before he could respond, he heard a familiar voice from ahead.
"Why are you running? You must be tired. Why don't you sleep?"
He looked up to see the woman again, carrying a stick of a man on her shoulder. She was cracking her knuckles menacingly. Midoriya stopped in his tracks, slipping slightly on the rain-slick road, releasing Full Cowling. He panted, trying to figure out his next move.
"Your quirk looks exhausting. You should take a nap. Why not?"
His quirk must be what's making me so tired. Gotta keep my distance. Midoriya backed away, calling on OFA again to cover more ground. Sprinting down the road, focusing all his energy on putting some miles between him and the duo.
Unfortunately, the woman kept up with him. It looked like she wasn't even breaking a sweat.
At the same time, the man was trying to convince Midoriya that sleep was what he really needed. "Rainy days are meant for naps. How about it? Curled up in bed, letting your dreams take over?"
If I can take him out, I might have a chance of beating them… but that requires getting close to the woman. Without further hesitation, Midoriya propelled himself at her.
He prepared himself to kick, aiming for the man's solar plexus. Five percent should be enough. The young hero moved so fast, the duo barely had time to react. The man spoke louder and faster, trying to force Midoriya to sleep in midair. The woman started turning to block the attack, but she was too late.
The man skidded across the road, landing in a heap on the sidewalk. This triggered something in the woman. Screaming, she barrelled into the still-airborne Midoriya. She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing the air out of his lungs. He felt a few ribs crack.
Using twenty percent of OFA he pushed his arms outward, trying to break her grip. The pressure was making his right arm throb intensely, but he continued. When she didn't budge, Midoriya used as much force as he could muster to knee her in the gut. It was enough to make her drop him.
Gasping and coughing, Midoriya jumped backward. Nursing his ribcage, he made to run back in the direction he had come from. "Now really! Would you quit that!" the woman angrily called out. His ribs were making movement difficult, but he did his best to put distance between them. With Full Cowling, Midoriya started jogging.
He made it to a lake that the small neighborhood sat beside. In the distance, across the body of water, he could make out the UA campus. The streetlamps had come on, illuminating part of the building's front.
"You're more trouble than we expected…" the woman growled in his ear. Her fist connected with his head, filling his vision with stars. He staggered backward toward the lake.
He noticed the villain laying down her companion against a tree, still unconscious. Then I still have a chance… Midoriya tried steadying himself, fighting the feeling of vertigo.
"At this point, I think I'll have to kill you…" The young hero was trying to focus on his quirk, but the pounding in his head and ringing in his ears made concentration difficult. "Sandman will understand. You're a hero student, and we can't have you turn us in…"
"Y-you won't get away with this!" Midoriya continued to back away, trying to stay standing as the world spun. He suppressed a cough.
"I think I will!" The woman charged Midoriya. He dropped to the ground and used his leg to swipe at her feet. She tripped and he continued to back up.
The sound of water lapping against something became louder. Midoriya slipped on the muddy lawn, landing on his back.
The woman was towering over him, a look of triumph on her face. Midoriya got into a crouch before using OFA to backflip. But the rain got the best of him yet again. His foot slipped and he started falling off the lawn that bordered the lake.
The villain grabbed his left forearm with enough force to break it. As he cried out in pain she growled, "this'll make it hard to get back to the surface…"
Before she could do or say anything else, a familiar voice angrily called out, "WHAT THE HELL DEKU! YOU FUCKING LOST TO THESE DIPSHITS?!"
Midoriya could see Bakugo flying across the lawn with his explosions, Uraraka and Todoroki close behind. Without further hesitation, the woman let go of Midoriya, letting him fall into the lake.
Eyes wide with fear, he tried to think of something he could do. There was only a couple of feet between him and the water's surface. Both arms were now weak with pain and his ribs were throbbing. Maybe he could tread water with just his legs until the others could get to him?
The shock of being drenched with water was worse than he was expecting. It made him release the breath he had been holding, choking on water instead. No! I need to swim. Swim dammit! But his body wasn't cooperating.
He looked up, desperately searching for a solution. The top of the lake froze over and he could see two figures standing directly above himself. Midoriya reached out his right hand, hoping one of them would grab him before it was too late.
As his world faded to black, he noticed a petite hand break the surface of the water.
"Why. Why is it always Midoriya."
"He seems to have a knack for trouble, if he's not actively looking for it, it finds him."
"At least he kept his head for the most part…"
Midoriya slowly blinked the sleep away. A clock on the table beside him told him it was midnight.
"What of the students who went after him? Young Bakugo, Todoroki, and Uraraka?"
A sigh. "Bakugo was the only one injured with a few scrapes and bruises. He might have been worse if we had taken longer."
Kacchan? He's hurt? Why? Midoriya's mind slowly caught up with the conversation he was overhearing. Wait, Todoroki and Uraraka? He sat up. Or really, he attempted to sit up and met intense pain instead. His ribs and head screamed in protest. He groaned.
"Young Midoriya! You should be resting!" All Might looked over from the window. Aizawa and Recovery Girl were standing with him, now taking in the student.
"How are the others? Are they okay?" Midoriya persisted, squinting at the bright lights in the room. He blinked rapidly to dispel the brown spots.
"They are fine. Unlike yourself. Lay back down and get some rest." Recovery Girl approached the bed to get a better look at him. "You took quite the beating!"
"But what about the villains who took me? What happened to them?" Midoriya laid back down but felt wide awake.
Aizawa turned to face his student head on. "We were able to apprehend both of them since Bakugo kept the woman from escaping. They will both be facing several charges." His eyes switched from worry to fury. "What I want to know is why one of my students was off school grounds without permission or a buddy." The growl was intense.
Midoriya's mouth bobbed for a second before bouncing back. "I'm sorry sir, I thought I had permission to do cardio. I might have forgotten to submit the form, though I'm pretty sure I turned it in before the start-"
All Might coughed. "Young Midoriya had my permission. I failed to give you a copy of the form, Aizawa."
Aizawa scratched his head and sighed. "We still need to know what happened. Midoriya, start from the beginning."
The story took about half an hour to tell, with water breaks in between. "The last thing I remember is a hand reaching out to me." Midoriya paused, taking as deep a breath as he could with his sore ribs. "How did everyone know so quickly? Kacchan and the others showed up within fifteen minutes of my message like they were waiting for it."
All Might cleared his throat. "The villains had sent a photo of you within the first hour of your disappearance. As your classmates had been expecting you back, they were the ones who reported it. It seems some of them took it upon themselves to help you."
The classmates in question barged in at that moment. "Deku!" Uraraka cried out. "I was so worried! You looked so pale when we pulled you out!" She threw her arms around his neck, forgetting about his injuries. When he yelped in pain, she jumped back up. "Oh! I'm so sorry Deku!" She bowed several times in apology.
"Just make sure not to keep him up too late. We need to head back to the school soon, so make the visit quick." Aizawa slumped out of the room with Recovery Girl following.
"You damn nerd, how did you let them get the drop on you?" Bakugo growled. His eyes were soft like he was relieved Midoriya was still alive.
"The woman was a lot smaller when I almost bumped into her! I think she had a strength augmentation quirk, she grew almost instantaneously. The man definitely had a hypnotic quirk, every time I heard his voice I felt sleepy…"
"Sounds like a tough duo when caught off guard." Todoroki mused. "We're glad you're safe though."
"Yeah, thanks guys. I thought I was a goner…"
Bakugo smirked, mischief in his eyes. "You would've been if Pink Cheeks hadn't given you CPR."
Uraraka went bright red. Eyes wide, her mouth bobbed up and down.
Midoriya mirrored her, trying to use his arms to hide his blushing face. He failed as the action strained almost all his injuries at once. "Oh, uh, th-thank you!" His appreciation was followed by a coughing fit.
All Might held out a glass of water before saying, "I think that's enough for tonight, Young Midoriya needs his rest. You all can come back in the morning if you wish to see him."
With that, the trio filed out, saying their goodbyes (minus Bakugo). This gave Midoriya a chance to really take in the room, which wasn't the UA nurse's office. Instead, he was in a hospital, with several other beds lined up beside him.
"You should get some sleep Young Midoriya." All Might considered the boy from his chair. "Recovery Girl can't help you until you have some stamina back."
Midoriya could feel the exhaustion pulling at him once more. Still, he turned towards his idol. Stifling a yawn, he whispered, "W-will you stay with me?"
All Might hesitated for a moment before responding, "of course."