*hey its that disclaimer i always forget about! i dont own Bnha because if i did, things would be a LOT more depressing...
Chapter 4: How did you do that?
"Do you want to hold the left side Sero?" Deku asked, scanning the area. The objective itself was fairly flat and simple, most of the complexity was in the ceiling with all of the pipes and bars and wires that hung around loosely. He walked out of the front entrance to check for one thing: a body of water. And his wishes were fulfilled, as off to the side, not very far from where Deku was standing was a fairly deep lake that was surrounded by trees and other plants, none of which were very tall except for a large voluminous tree who's roots were ran into the water.
"Okay... so Sero and I get him into the lake, Todoroki can block him off with a wall and that should buy us enough time for the clock to run out. It all just depends on how efficient they are," Deku mumbled to himself, pointing to the areas that were most crucial to his scheme. He gave himself a quick thumbs up and, with a deep breath, he walked back over to his teammates and took the right side while he suggested that Todoroki take the middle.
Deku thought about his plan for a moment, pondering whether or not is was necessary. He didn't know if Leo was even dangerous, yet he was acting like he was a forced to be reckoned with. It was likely the tone had Carson said it in or... Leo himself—his eyes. Their appearance didn't sit well with him, and the more he thought about it, the more he tried to push it into the back of his mind until the thought faded altogether.
"Guys," he began, causing Sero and Todoroki to snap their heads toward him, devoting every ounce of their attention to what he had to say. "I have a plan."
"What is it," Sero inquired, quirking a brow.
"Well before this match started, I spoke with an American intern and he said that Leo—the white haired guy on the enemy team—was useless around water. So I'm thinking if we get him into the water, his team will have to go get him and that will probably take up most of their time so they won't be able to coordinate properly. So, Sero, you and I can take him on and once we get him into the water, Todorki can wall him off and keep him there and you can fight the other team if they don't go to get him, but I doubt they'd do that."
"Sounds good," Todoroki affirmed, extending his arm out in front of him as the timer had already begun ticking down.
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Leo ran his fingers between one another, locking them together and bending over so that his arms swayed over his head as he began to roll out his shoulders. The sound of his elbows and wrists popping elicited a disgusted 'ugh' from a yellow haired boy from his team, but he paid no mind to it.
He then stood up straight, cracking his knuckles as he hopped a few times to loosen his tense legs. He then pulled his feet behind him, alarmingly high and close to his back as he relaxed his ankles, a loud pop could be heard as he tugged at them sharply.
"My Rosca-san—," Yaoyoruzo began, as he set his feet down. Leo gave a huff of irritation as he heard his last name.
"No need for the formalities, just call me Leo," he said firmly, running a hand through his loose curls as he began to walk toward the objective.
"Well uh, Ro-I mean—Leo, what do you propose we do? They seemed to have built a wall made from ice so going through the front is pointless—"
"No it isn't."
"W-what?"
They stood in front of the ice wall and it seemed quite sturdy, but soon it would be broken. Leo stood back a bit, giving his long legs room to deliver a swift kick at the surface, splintering the ice sheet like a shattered window. He stepped in, quickly scooping up and pulling in his teammates along with him as more sheets of ice sprawled from the ground.
Leo crouched down on the ground, contracting his legs and pushing off the ground with a force that stressed cracks onto the cement under his feet, send them into the air. He quickly found an area of the ceiling to latch onto: a sturdy pipe that he initially grabbed with his toes, but then slipped his legs through then relaxing them so he didn't put so much weight on the metal (he was heavy enough as is).
Leo felt his blood begin to pool in his head—it didn't irritate him, but he was sure it abrade at his teammates a bit. He dropped Kaminari (so that was his name..) from his arm, barely catching the collar of his jacket between his toes as he swung his other leg from the pipe, and using as much strength as he could muster to gain a bit momentum to solidly grip the pipe in his hand. He then dropped Kaminari to the ground, followed by himself, then Yaoyoruzo.
"What the hell dude!" The boy cried, flailing around as if to find his sense of direction. Leo merely rolled his eyes, narrowing them as they met Kaminari's.
"Quit gawking like—" he was cut off my a large, spiked sheet of ice shooting towards him. Leo in turn, threw himself forward, grabbing the spike at the end for support as he flipped over and dug his feet into the cold surface when he landed. "An idiot and get moving," he finished, stomping forward to shatter the ice that climbed up his legs. He then used this opportunity to charge toward the boy in the middle of the objective that was creating the ice to war him off.
He stomped through the ice and cement to keep himself from slipping, grabbing onto each and every surface that was thrown at him, almost like a monkey. When he stepped onto the objective, that he was faced with another obstacle: tape. It bound his limbs together, but he swiftly broke through the thin fiber pressed his assault. The ice that followed him turned into his weapon—he tore it in large quantities and began hauling it at the enemy, throwing them off as he waited for a bigger piece to block of the side entrances. But suddenly, the ice began growing more rapidly and from more directions, along with the tape that quite literally flew into the mix, than he could keep track of and he was forced to dodge.
He soon realized they were backing him out of the objective and to the lake nearby. They knew..somehow...
Leo then began to keep track of his surroundings more, tearing off large chunks of ice that he threw into the water to break his fall if need be. A nimble spike of ice, roughly the length of two football fields, poked out toward him and Leo instinctively grabbed the edge and began to slide down the surface, extending his arms at his sides to balance his large stature. Suddenly, when he was about set foot on the ground, a large burst of raging flames hurled towards him and he was forced to flip upward to dodge, but instead of sticking the landing, he was met with a flash of green light and a blow that cracked ribs and shattered the ice completely, sending him flying into the lake.
It was far enough where, if he landed in the thick rooted trees that grew into the lake, he could get back to the bank. But before he could do anything more, the banks were unreachable. They'd been blocked off by a smooth sheet of ice with that gave him no surface to latch onto
So he fell.
He broke the surface of the water—but never came back up.
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Deku clutched his broken arm to his chest in pain. He hadn't used a 100 percent Detroit Smash in a long time. He noticed that his arm wasn't bruised—his skin seemed normal, but he still could feel the sensation that it was broken somehow.
'At least it's gotten better' he thought bitterly as he let go, his arm falling to his side.
"Are you okay?" Todoroki asked, worry etched on his face. Deku nodded, extending his limp forearm towards him.
"I'm gonna need ice.."
"Sero, wrap your tape around his arm to make a cast. I'll surround it with ice."
Sero nodded, following Todorki's directions and tightly wrapping tape around Deku's arm. Todoroki then examined it for a moment before he added the layer of ice over it to cool it down.
"Okay it should be fine now," Deku breathed as he ran his fingers around the smooth surface. He then turned to Todoroki, offering him a soft smile.
"Thanks."
Todoroki returned the gesture. "No problem. Just don't go getting yourself beat up like that."
"Right..."
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"Oh my god he just fell into the lake!" Kaminari screamed. Yaoyoruzo gave shot him a chaste, but sharp glare that was so quick that he probably didn't even notice.
"Yes he did. Now hurry up, we need to get moving, he could've drowned," she scolded, sprinting for the margin of the wall.
"Where are we going?" He asked between breaths. Momo crafted a small hair clip that kept her bangs away from her face before she answered him.
"We're going to the end of the wall. I'm certain that they didn't wrap it all the way around because they knew that Leo couldn't function in water like that. If we make it to him fast enough, we can give him CPR and go from there," she answered. Kaminari nodded, picking up his pace and meeting her with a hardened expression.
"Yeah. Let's help him," he affirmed. Momo nodded with a smile and quickened her run in turn.
The two reached the edge of the wall faster than expected, approaching a shallow beach that was littered with shards of ice. Momo instinctively began looking for Leo and found him quite easily due to his albinism. He was nearby, his head propped up on a piece of ice, the rest of his body floating loosely in the water.
Momo and Kaminari trudged through the water and were surprised that they could still stand, albeit barely, when they reached Leo. The two dragged him back to the beach laying him flat on his back as Yaoyoruzo began her chest compressions.
"Kaminari! Give him a shock right here to move his diaphragm!" She ordered, pointing to a region in his stomach area. He did as she said, sending a steady, and fairly strong current to his abdominal region, but it didn't work.
"It isn't working," he told her bitterly, looking around his body. "I might try his lungs.."
"NO DON'T! You could hurt his—" she was cut off by Kaminari sending the shock through Leo's body. And this time his eyes fluttered open.
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Leo felt air flow into his lungs. He gasped to feed his hunger for air, for life. He lurched forward violently as he coughed up the water that still remained inside of him, but soon regained his composure.
"How...how low was I out," he panted, his slitted pupils dilating.
"Quite long," Yaoyoruzo answered him calmly, though the trembling I her fingers indicated otherwise. "Four minutes at least."
At this Leo shot upward, ignoring the pain in his ribs as he scooped Kaminari and Yaoyoruzo in his arms, sprinting for the objective. The ground cracked under his feet as if they belonged to a beast larger then him, but his gait returned to normal as he approached the entrance. He then wriggled out of his shirt, wringing the water out of it before draping it over his shoulder.
"Yaoyoruzo," he began sternly, though his eyes were soft and thankful. "I need carbon fiber rope. I also need two chains—each 10 feet long."
She nodded, doing as he said, handing him the rope, then letting the chains flow from her body, to the ground. Leo took the them, looping them around his shoulders. He then turned the corner over toward the side entrance to the objective, gesturing his teammates to follow him.
The three stood outside the edge of the objective, hidden behind the wall, poised to attack.
Leo now knew his targets and what they were capable of, who he had to go for first and how. He grabbed the tip of the chain on his right arm, letting it drape to the floor. He checked for any tangles, and seeing that there were none, he struck.
Leo lunged, whipping the chain out and shackled the half-headed boy by his abdomen—the chain wrapping around him like a python. The boy was cut completely off guard, since by the time Leo snapped the chain back, bringing the boy toward him, he'd done nothing. Leo pinned him down with his foot, grabbing the damp shirt from his shoulder before violently jerking the boy upright and tying the shirt around his eyes, blinding him. He then pulled out the carbon fiber rope from his pocket and bound the boy's wrists together in a chaste surgical knot that Charlie had taught him a while back. He then slipped the chain from the boy's body, dropping it on the floor before scooping the boy up and hurling him away from the objective.
The tape-boy with the odd elbows attacked him next, attempting to immobilize him with it. Leo didn't dodge this time; he waited for the right moment and grabbed the pieces of tape, being sure not to tear them. He then yanked the boy toward him then planted a kick in his abdomen, broken bones could be felt under his feet. He was sent flying, out of sight and in no condition to fight so Leo then averted his attention to the boy he wanted to battle the most: the one that shone with a gleaming, white aura.
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Deku shuddered at the state of his team. In less than a minute they were completely disposed of—they weren't coming back. Only Leo was left standing, mostly unscathed if it weren't for the large bruise on his bare chest, likely from Deku's own punch. He was hunched over, limbs hanging loosely like monkey as he dropped his chains to the floor and turned to face him.
The moment their eyes made contact, Deku couldn't breathe. Something caught in his throat as he saw Leo's. Their slits were so thin that they almost weren't there. They were enraged, yet curious. He seemed to want to fight him all out—no holding back.
Deku exhaled and regained his composure, taking a fighting stance with a nervous smile.
"I'm ready."
He waited for Leo to charge at him, barely dodging a swift kick over his head. Leo didn't leave himself open for very long, the moment he missed he continued his movement with another, making him harder to track. But Deku found a tiny window of opportunity after his second kick and he charged up a punch, green energy crackling around his body.
100 PERCENT DETROIT SMASH
But instead of making contact, Leo swiftly dodged the punch, likely knowing that it would hurt him. He swayed violently due to the gust of wind that Deku's punch produced, nearly falling over before digging his feet into the cement to keep his balance.
Deku stumbled forward from his missed punch, then found his balance. Before he could make another move, Leo suddenly appeared in front of him striking him with a hard kick to the ribs, and the pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, outside of one for all and an explosion that from a fight with Bakugo. The scar was still there, right on his back—a reminder of the closest thing to reconciliation the two could ever achieve.
His ribs shattered, broke edges digging into the backside of his organs as he hit the wall with a violent thud. The anterior portion of his chest was completely destroyed, and Leo didn't seem to struggle, or even put in much effort into the kick—it almost seemed natural to him. Deku was sent quite high, because when he hit the ground, all sight and hearing and taste and touch faded into nothing.
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Uraraka could only watch as the white skinned boy thrashed Deku's team around like rag dolls, disposing of them all swiftly and efficiently. Uraraka figured that he relished in combat until she got a better look at his face: it was blank, but his eyes were enraged, the slits barely visible. He seemed to want Deku to go all out, given that he dropped the chains midway through the fight. But at the end of it all, she only saw a disappointed expression on his face, as if he wasn't satisfied with his results.
'You didn't even let him fight' she seethed in her mind, an angry blush heating her cheeks. And it infuriated her even more when the boy didn't even help him up—he just left him there and walked away. It was his own teammates that picked Deku up and carried him away from the camera, presumably to Recovery Girl.
Uraraka heard the distant rattling of chains and whipped around to where she heard the sound. She saw the boy in front of her, his chest bare and chains looped over his neck. He stumbled forward as someone ran into him, she couldn't quite see who it was before he pivoted to the side. It was Todoroki. Blinded and bound.
She could only grit her teeth to channel her anger as she watched her friend wander around sightless. Though she was soon put ease (slightly) when he was stopped by a pair of large white hands on his shoulders to steady the boy before removing his blindfold, which happened to be a damp shirt, and the rope that bound his wrists together.
"Thanks." Todoroki said rubbing his wrists to ease the pain. The boy merely nodded his head as he turned and walked away, but not before whispering something inaudible to Todorki who didn't seem to get a reaction from it.
She watched as an unconscious Sero was carried in who showed minimal damaged apart from a dark footprint on his chest and a drop of blood that trickled from his lips and down his chin.
Deku seemed to be about the same, but on closer inspection, it was quite the contrary. His arm has one dark purple bruise in the center, and his chest caved in on one side, likely from the broken ribs. He had a massive, bloody bruise on his forehead and like sero, had blood dropping from between his lips.
"That's Leo for you," said a halfhearted voice. Uraraka turned to see Roy sitting next to her with a lopsided and toothless smile. It was solemn in a way.
"What do you mean," she choked out, on the verge of tears.
Roy frowned. "He just.. destructive. I mean—we all are if you haven't noticed, but, he's just...the bloodiest."
He paused for a moment, seeming to notice the single, worried tear that rolled down her cheek.
"I... He's a good guy. He may come off as harsh and strict and hateful, but he's a good person. Even if he doesn't show it," he assured her, trying his best at a grin. He seemed to understand Uraraka wasn't convinced, so he spoke further.
"He isn't a monster."
Uraraka's eyes widened at his sudden statement. "What? I didn't say—"
"But you were thinking about it," I fired back, his gaze now hardened.
"I told you, he isn't a monster. He's got weaknesses—emotional ones," he added, adjusting the badges on his uniform.
"What kind..?" Uraraka pried, though she knew her question wouldn't lead to anything.
"Even as his best friend," he began proudly. "I do not know what runs through his head."
Roy gave her a solemn smile before brushing a strand from his eyes and rising to his feet he began toward the arena, Uraraka following close behind. She noticed that he wore a long black trench coat that looked like it was decades older than he. It stretched down to his ankles, barely above the ground and yet despite its lack of leverage, was quite tidy and clean. The long strap that would've clung the jacket to his body trailed loosely behind him, kind of like a tail.
They soon approached the entrance to the objective and were met with annoyed stares from their teammates that soon softened as they took their positions.
The point was an open field surrounded by distant buildings, so there wasn't much to defend. It was a a plaza of sorts, but it was very bland and lifeless, not an ounce of care was poured into the design. It was merely a cement square with a few lampposts here and there, accompanied by wooden benches.
Roy threw himself on a bench, the boards squeaking loudly under his weight. He propped his arm on the railing and crossed his legs, silent as he stared off into the distance. Uraraka, with great hesitation, stepped over to him and poking her finger at his shoulder.
"Hey you okay?" She asked, swaying sideways to be at eye level with him. He flinched, stripping his thoughts away from his attention.
"Yeah I'm fine. Just tired," he admitted, craning his neck to the sky and sighing deeply. "We had deer for dinner last night and I got stuck cleaning the mess up."
"Oh."
"Leo did do the favor of eating the bone though," he assured, quickly raising a defensive hand. "I honestly don't know how he does it," he added with a deep chuckle before swinging both of his legs onto the bench and resting them on the other end as he waited for the enemy, opening his mouth to yawn as his eyes closed.
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"Okay so! What's the plan," Kirishima cheered, sporting the biggest grin he could to ease a tense Ghala, who seemed to already be emotionally worn out by Ashido's endless spiral of questions. But despite the tense atmosphere, she spoke.
"I might lay out seeds on the perimeter and surround them—or us. It really depends on the situation," she said flatly as she opened a large makeup back that was filled with not cosmetics, but large packets of seeds. She had all shapes and sizes ranging from small vegetable seeds, to large acorns, which she cupped in her palm before closing the bag.
"So like, is your quirk to grow stuff really fast?" Ashido asked, peering over her forearm to catch a glimpse of the acorns. Ghala did not answer her question, only shaking Ashido off like a pest and walking away.
"Jeez," Kirishima grimaced, reluctantly following his team toward the objective.
Following Shoji's lead, the group stumbles up on a plaza that sported little foliage and was lined neatly with benches and lights along the perimeter. The enemy had taken their position around a large marble fountain in the center of the courtyard, shifting as the group moved. They all stood in a position where if there was anyone behind the fountain, the couldn't see due to the bodies of their opposition obscuring their view. Both teams were in plain sight of each other, so there was no point in hiding or making an attempt to do so, as it would only draw time away.
"What do you propose we do?" Ghala asked Shoji, paying no mind to her teammates. He folded his arms in thought and Kirishima mimicked the gesture, whipping up a few ill minded strategies in his head.
We could try pressuring them from all sides and you put the seeds down and do what you need to do," he suggested through the mouth on one of his arms. Despite the long time that Kirishima had known him, he still couldn't get used to it.
"Alright let's go!" He exclaimed, the rough skin on his outer arm hardening like a rock. The rest nodded, following Shoji's lead.
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"Are you going to keep sleeping there?" The cloaked boy asked, breaking Roy's musing and forcing his eyes open.
"Hmm.. I could've used a few more minutes," he joked, swinging his feet to the ground and slipping off silk gloves to reveal pale, calloused hands. The boy gave a hefty sigh before walking to the fountain, the shadow inside him poking from between a crack in the cloth.
Roy remained on the bench, his eyes darting around the room, watching for any of the enemy's movements. He saw a small speck jump over a bush, but soon that speck burst open revealing the tangling limbs of a tree that shot out towards a boy who was calling for the birds in the distance.
He instinctively leapt forward, sprinting over to the boy and wrapping his hands around his waist and tugging him away from the growing plant. The two fell to the ground due to Roy's sudden action, but recovering when the roots began to dig their way into the ground and began to spread.
'Thaaat's Ghala' he confirmed to himself, whirling around to look for her, but to no avail. Roy kept his attention to the roots, his eyes tracking were they climbed where from. He felt something strike his back sharply but before he could turn to see what it was, roots bound his legs and body, bringing his limbs together as they climbed on him and began to squeeze.
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Ghala knew she'd captured her prey when she heard the pained yell from someone— likely Roy— on the enemy team. She juggled the acorns that were still in her hands, then handed one to Kirishima so that he would throw it. It hit the ground, skipping a few times before it hit the edge of the fountain, nearly in the water. Roots burst from the sea and sprawled onto the fountain, twisting and squeezing against the marble like a python. They creeped down to the ground, crawling across the concrete and giving little space to stand.
A boy with a peculiar triangular shaped head was stopped by the roots as they slithered up his ankles and up his body, binding and shackling him. He gave out a cry for help, his voice unusually loud. It was followed by a storm of insects that caused him to go pale, but he still mustered the command to bite through the roots. They followed his order, burrowing themselves in the thick flesh of the roots.
Ghala smirked at his efforts, only replenishing and healing the gashes in the plants, completely canceling their futile attempts. And the boy seemed to realize this too, as he gave a quiet command of retreat before ceasing his struggle together.
'He's going for a distraction—no doubt about that' she thought, narrowing her eyes at him 'I wager I can take the gamble though'
She then dragged her attention away to a shadowy man with a long cloak. She threw another not an acorn but a small bunch of poison ivy seeds in a gloved hand. The roots crawled up his body, wrapping around his arms and legs, all around his torso and head, and even on the shadow beneath his cloak. They boy himself recoiled in pain, but the shadow did not, only shooting outward and attacking Ghala, catching her off guard and nearly knocking her over. She fixed her stance, throwing another acorn, however this time, the shadow caught it in his mouth. This only made her job easier, allowing her to grow the roots from inside it's mouth and out around his face, effectively blinding him.
There was one final team member she had to shackle—but they were nowhere to be seen.
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Uraraka hung in the air having a birds-eye view of the entire thing. The plaza was completely disfigured, the solid concrete was replaced by the intricate weaving of deformed trees and vines replacing it. It looked like the forest from some sick, twisted fairy tale.
Uraraka felt a bile rise, though not from her ability, but more so from nervousness. She didn't know what to do.
What would Deku do?
What would Deku do?
What would I—
She thought for a moment, her eyes scanning the area and she found it. The their team. They were separated by the mass of roots—she could take them out one by one. Of course Kirishima was a no go, but she could try taking Ashido and maybe Shoji, but still— at one of their team members would be taken out.
She followed the drift of the wind, keeping still as to not exhaust herself, and hovered over Ashido who was tunneling through the foliage with the acid from her fingertips. Uraraka touched the tips of her fingers together releasing her quirk and falling to the ground, but not before hooking her arm around the neck and dragging her down. Uraraka pushed herself upward, grabbing Ashido's wrist and shoving her to the ground, apprehending her.
"Ochako?!" She cried out in surprise, though Uraraka didn't answer. She merely twisted her arm further before floating her upward until she didn't touch any of the roots. She then tapped her thigh, floating herself upward to get a view of the battlefield and spotting Roy bound in the tree roots and conversing with shoji, who'd just planted a firm punch in his cheek. Roy didn't waver, he stood there and took the punch.
Uraraka lowered herself to get the jump on Shoji, though she still hovered in the air a bit.
"You can't move. Give up," he deadpanned as he spread his arms, all of which were connected together like the webbed feet on a duck.
Roy merely gave a hearty chuckle, blowing some of the hair out of his eyes before taking a large gulp of air and holding it. He then craned his body upward, tucking his head inward to lower it towards the roots that bound him. Then he exhaled, and with his breath came a blaze unlike any other.
Fire spilled from the boy's mouth, dripping onto the branches and burning away his binds. Surprisingly his clothes remained intact, the flames dancing across his shoulders and down his arms. He lifted his arm, aiming it directly at Shoji as his fingers pulled into a sharp snap that sent an ember flying at him, striking him with a low rumble as the fire burst to life. Shoji recoiled in pain, dropping to the ground and clutching his chest.
Roy averted a pair of cold blue eyes down at him, merely walking past him and disregarding the boy as he removed his jacket and rolling up his sleeves and letting a blazing inferno course throughout his body, completely drowning his figure in flames.
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Ghala's heart sunk as soon as the low rumble of fire found its way into her ears. There was no way—no way— that she could lose.
Or could she..?
No. She wouldn't fail. For the sake of her image, had to win. Ghala dug into her bag and rummaging through it, pulling out the most toxic plant she could find: atropabelladona. If she grew the berries to a large enough size, she could then burst them manually to poison her target into a deep sleep, or even kill them. It was her trump card (or at least one), and it was often effective.
Key word, Often.
As she threw out the berries, Roy had stripped off his shirt, swiping his hands sharply against his bare torso, lighting more intense flames around him. He stomped a foot on the ground, the flames expanding at a breakneck speed with an intense tailwind following behind it. It was like a typhoon of fire with him in the middle, consuming all life in its path including the atropabelladona that Ghala had thrown.
''No..."she pleaded aloud, frustrated tears welling in her eyes. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no..."
Her trees, suffocating under the fire and smoke, ceasing to exist.
Ghala broke. She stood motionless the field as she saw a particular shape emerge from the blaze.
It was Roy. He was enveloped in an aura of fire that, despite its power, seemed quite docile likely from the expression he held upon his face. One of sorrow and...and...
Pity.
Ghala hated that look she always gave him. She hated it. It made her feel weak, inferior—lesser than he. He stalked up to her, flames dancing around him and extended his arms for a snap.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" He asked, a bitter expression on his face. Ghala gritted her teeth and lunged at him furiously before stopping altogether due to the flames before her.
''How dare you pity me'' she gritted, barely able to keep her composure. In a blind rage she grabbed the acorns from a bag and winded up a throw before stopping and then faltering her arm to her side. Her fingers lost their grip on the seeds and they fell to the floor as tears threatened to to spill over.
"Please Ghala, I don't want to burn you," he begged. Ghala said nothing as one drop—only one— flowed down her cheek and on to the cement, though it didn't look like he could see it.
"Don't patronize me," she spat, as roots crawled over her body.
"I'm not patronizing Ghala, I wouldn't wanna burn anyone."
Ghala raised her lowered head to take a look at the battlefield. It was all under a mighty blaze that consumed everything in it's path. Even Roy's teammates (and her own) had to evacuate themselves due to the smoke.
It was over. She failed.
"Fine," she sobbed, though no tears came out. She then turned away and walked off of the objective, the flap of fire ringing in her ear.
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The ring of silence filtered through this ears, dictating his surroundings. But all he could see was an empty darkness. Thoughts of painting and family and love tried to pry their way into his mind, but couldn't. He simply layer there, motionless. His willing eyes not opening.
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Tick. Tick. Tick
Deku's eyes fluttered open at the sound. The ceiling above him was a familiar white with ivory borders to from squares.
'Guess I'm here again huh' he thought absentmindedly, a tired smile creeping it's way onto his face. He lifted his unbandaged arm, considering for a moment before propping his weight on his elbow and quietly hoisting himself into a sitting a position to look around him. He saw that the room was mostly untouched except for a few papers next to him, presumably his health records. Directly across from him was a small wooden table a handmade turquoise vase sitting on top of it. It had sunflowers, ferns, and other tiny white flowers all beautifully arranged in it. It seemed like something his mother would make, but it also didn't. He wasn't quite sure.
He then averted his attention to his right, at his bandaged arm. Surprisingly, the wrapping itself wasn't too dense, just a thick sand colored fabric wrapped tightly around his arm. He ran a finger over it until he was startled by the sound of a piece of paper. He instinctively looked up and saw that Leo, of all people, was curled up in the chair in front of him reading a book title 'Nietszeche'.
''Isn't that a philosopher?'' He questioned under his breath, inaudible to even himself, though Leo must have heard him since he lowered the book enough for his slitted eyes to peer over the pages.
"You're awake."
Deku shuddered, nervous under his presence and startled by his voice. "Yeah I guess so..." he said, smiling sheepishly. Leo remained silent, fumbling around the desk to look for something, perhaps a bookmark. When he didn't find anything, he folded a the corner of a page, closing the book and setting it on the table. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees to be at eye level with Deku.
"How did you do that?" he began, genuinely confused. "Break my bones."
Deku stared at him with widened eyes. He glanced across the room at the flowers as if they'd give him the words to respond to Leo's question.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked, trying to sound as self-assured as possible. Leo's expression softened a bit as he edged forward a bit more.
"My bones aren't like your bones," he said, pointing to the skeleton by on table, next to his book, with his thumb. "They aren't hollow and they're made of dentin which is three times stronger than bone."
Deku's lips parted slightly, shocked. "But you wouldn't be able to walk.."
"That's what the strength is for," Leo deadpanned, drumming his fingers against his knees.
"They must not be that easy to break, huh.." Deku thought out loud, and to his surprise, Leo nodded in affirmation.
"Only people of my tribe can break my bones."
"Tribe?" Deku asked, leaning closer to the edge of the bed inquisitivel, like a child. Leo nodded, though he didn't look like he wanted to elaborate, or rather that he didn't know.
"Yes. They live in the tigers nest in Bhutan and have territory in the mountains in the snow. That's all I know," he elaborated, observing Deku as if to piece together the functions of his quirk.
"Wow—that's..that's awesome! You're awesome," Deku breathed. Leo seemed to be genuinely surprised by the compliment, since his usually narrow and stern eyes widened. He gave no verbal thanks though, only nodding in response and rubbing the back of his neck as a nervous blush tinged the tips of his ears. Deku smiled slightly at the gesture, as it seemed to be very unlike him.
"But back to my question," he redirected with a cough, regaining his stern composure. "How?"
"Well..." Izuku began, his eyes wandering around the room and back to the flowers to search for words. "I.. just used a fully charged punch—a 100 percent punch— I guess. It's hard to explain."
Leo narrowed his eyes at Izuku's response, likely unconvinced by it. "Your ability—it has a white energy to it. Where does that come from?" He pried, his inquiry a bit more forceful.
"Wait white? The energy that comes off of it is green—"
"I can't see color."
"Oh."
Leo narrowed his his eyes to sway Deku into answering his question. "W-well I'm honestly not sure where it comes from," he admitted nervously, his heart beating against his chest as a black energy crawled up his arm around his hand. Leo noticed almost instantly.
"So you have 2 abilities.." he observed as he examined the black substance.
"Uh well it's more of a branch of my quirk.. like a hidden part of it," he elaborated. "I'm honestly not sure if it myself. It showed up when I was a first year, but it spun out of control so I never used it again. I was more focused on my combat prowess and getting used to the regular form of my quirk."
Leo stayed silent, his eyes rolling over Deku's body, analyzing it. He raked a hand through his loose curls before relaxing his expression.
"Frankly you don't deserve it," he seethed, red eyes staring into Deku's soul and picking him apart. "Your combat is awful—you don't know how what you're doing."
Leo leaned in closer averting his eyes to the door then back at Deku, his piercing gaze still lingering. "It seems your teacher doesn't teach."
Deku's lips pursed together into a thin, white line. He tried not to protest as to not anger Leo whilst he was this vulnerable state. But he failed
"Mr. Aizawa does teach. You don't know what you're talking about," Deku fired back confidently, surprising Leo slightly.
"Who taught you how to use your ability?" He asked firmly, a low growl grumbling in his throat.
Deku didn't hesitate to answer in the heat of the argument, "All Might."
Leo merely huffed in response, followed by a ghost of a chuckle as he rose from his seat. He stood, towering over Deku, leaning over him and picking up the papers on the desk next to the IV.
"He's not a good mentor if your bones still fracture," he hissed, slamming the papers into Deku's lap then walking towards the window and opening it, giving him a sharp glare as he disappeared over the edge.
Deku could hear the faint sound of footsteps that edged toward his door. A head—Carson's head— poked inside, scanning the room, and when his eyes met Deku's, a vibrant blush pooled in his cheeks. He quickly yanked his head out of sight—saying but a word.
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Khalid's eyes fluttered open as he sucked in a deep breath. He inhaled and exhaled rapidly a few times before his breathing stabilized and he calmed down. His vision was blurry, he could barely see the figured of furniture and people walking around, one of which walked towards him and slipped his glasses on his face, which allowed him to see.
It was Charlie.
"Ay wassup Charlie.." he greeted weakly in his supine position, which allowed little view his surroundings. Charlie hopped onto the foot of the hospital bed, removing her boots before pulling her legs into a criss-cross position directly across from him.
"I'm fine," she assured, then quirked a joking brow. "Question is 'how are you?'"
Khalid chuckled slightly at her statement, straightening his posture to imply that he was mostly okay. "I'm good. Hit ma' head pretty hard."
"Duh, you fell into a ravine—of COURSE you hit you head hard dumbass," she joked, flicking his forehead playfully.
"Maaaan I'm hungry as shit," he exhaled, resting his head in his palm. Charlie gave him a confused look as she scooted some hair away from eyes.
"Code or—" she began, faltering as he shook his head no.
"Nah. I an't (haven't) in like 3 (hours)," he added with a ghost of a laugh, running a hand over his spongy hair.
"Oh lol," Charlie responded getting up off the bed and starting towards the door, leaving her gear behind. "I'll get some food. They got teriyaki today so I'll just snag some of that."
"Aight."
Charlie the closed the door behind her as she left towards the cafeteria, and almost on queue, his phone rang.
Mama
"Aww shit.." he mumbled as he swiped the screen to answer. The other line was filled with the sound of cleaning dishes and screaming children.
"I swear to-god if 'lil bitch don (doesn't) pick up imma beat his—" a woman began, a rough vernacular accent in her voice.
"Ma—"
"KHALID WHERE YO ASS AT? NANA'S COMIN DOWN AN' YOU AINT HERE! YO ASS BETTER NOT BE DOIN DRUGS—"
"Ma I'm not doing drugs. I'm outta-da country," he tried to explain, though to no avail. The woman paused for a moment before speaking again.
"Imma repeat myself: WHERE. YO ASS. AT"
"Japan. We're doin' a—"
"NI**A WHY YO ASS IN JAPAN?!" his mother screamed. Khalid pulled the phone away from his ear, putting it on speaker phone and lowering the volume to give his ears mercy.
"Is-some kinda diplomatic trip. Only colonel was gon' go, but he didn't wanna leave us behind."
"Oh so it's that shit on da news," his mother remarked, calming down a bit, though Khalid still kept the phone away from his ear.
"Yeah.."
"Listen," his mother began softly. "You be safe okay?"
"Yeah, I will."
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Yay! I'm late again! But in all seriousness, the last part of this chapter was a blast to write, and the hardest. It was honestly just having my friend look over my work and edit the speech a little. With accents like those I'm going to write how it sounds not what they're saying exactly (though I will put it in parentheses if need be).
I also wanted to preface that Khalid has that accent because he grew up in a run down African American neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan. So there's going to be some conflict between him and his parents about his career because of that (ooooo juicy).
Sooo yeah! Hope you like it!
Comments
AnimeAddicts7: I'm really glad to keep up with the story as well! It's so much fun to write and I'm glad you like it!
