The Path of Grace
Summary: A Young Izumi's heart is broken when she finds out she's quirkless. But after stumbling on a TV interview of a quirkless but successful actress, she thinks she found her path to greatness. Fem!Deku
Warning: Fem!Izuku
Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia
Author's Notes: I cannot apologize enough! I tried so hard! SO HARD! But writer's block just kept… winning! I'll try harder in the future for earlier updates! I'm sorry! Please enjoy!
Last Time…
Izumi just grinned and looked up the building. "Well, it's because… we're up against Kacchan… He's amazing actually. He's a real piece of work, but his goal, his confidence, his physical strength, and his Quirk are all amazing. He's a natural genius in battle while I'd had to work my way up. But that's why right now… I want to do my absolute best and take advantage of whatever advantage I have and win." After saying her piece, Izumi stood up and fixed her mask more securely over her face.
Uraraka slyly grinned and looked to her new friend, "A fated battle between star-crossed lovers, huh?"
This brought a squeak out of Izumi and her face blossoming into the most beautiful shade of red, complimenting her green outfit. "W-what?! No, you got it all wrong! Kacchan and I aren't like that!" Izumi had to hide her face and took out her white fan and covered up her embarrassed and blushing face. "Mou… Why do people always assume we're together?! We're just childhood friends!"
Katsuki did a flying leap out of a corner. Already, Katsuki had an explosion ready and Izumi, quick on her feet as always pushed herself and Uraraka out of boy's blast zone.
Katsuki stood tall with a confident grin. "Come Deku, don't dodge."
"I won't do so much damage that this fight gets stopped or that we won't be able to fight those two recommended students… but I'm gonna get close!" Bakugou charged at Izumi, ready for another brawl with his usual sparring partner.
Izumi, already used to Katsuki using the same opening move, no matter how many times she'd critiqued him for it, went in close. Tucking in her white fan under her palm and arm, she grappled Katsuki's opening swing. Vaguely Izumi could hear her partner's comment, "Wow, she's like a martial arts master!"
With some light footwork, Izumi braced her back to Katsuki's front and flipped him over her shoulder. With Izumi's improved muscle strength from All Might's 10-month training from hell, she was able to throw Katsuki harder than usual.
"Years ago, you've called me 'Deku' but know this, it's going to stop meaning 'useless'! Kacchan, from now on, the 'Deku' you've christened me with… now means 'You can do it!'" Izumi almost shouted to her best friend.
Now…
'Because Kacchan and I lived in the same neighborhood, we've known each other since we were little.'
Memories of when Katsuki and Izumi were still children filtered through the two combatants minds. It was a time that Katsuki was greatly ashamed of. The years that blurred together when Izumi was still trying to find her place in a world that rejected her being as an anomaly, were the most painful and awkward time of their friendship.
Already, black propaganda with Anti-Quirklessness sentiments was rampant; and even schools weren't safe havens for Quirkless children. But Izumi and Katsuki's friendship still had a tenuous, if slightly brittle, connection. Katsuki was beginning to show more and more anti-quirkless attitude and was starting to develop a sense of superiority because of his incredible quirk.
It led to a defining moment between Izumi and Katsuki, which unfortunately broke their friendship for years.
It was the height of summer and still somewhat tomboy-ish Izumi followed Katsuki and his friends romping in the woods. Four boys and a girl in an orange top and white skirt stood outside a fenced-off section of the forest. The leader, a spiky blond boy boldly proclaims, "Let's go kill the enemy!" Little Bakugou Katsuki was cute if not crude little boy back then. The other boys looked as excited as their fierce leader while little Izumi looked and sounded quite unsure and nervous as they all shouted, "Okay!"
'He was the type who could do anything he tried his hand at, a rascal who led a group of neighborhood kids. Good or bad, Kacchan was full of confidence, and I thought he was so cool.' Izumi's musing continued even as she remembered the day where everything fell apart for both of them.
Little Izumi lost the look of nervous and excitement filled her cute and pretty face as she stared at the back of her childhood friend and ran after the boys who all already went in.
'But…after his Quirk manifested, it accelerated him down the wrong path. I thought I'd lost my best friend.' Izumi stood facing her best friend her fans tucked into her wrist while Ochako stood behind Katsuki.
"Stop acting as if it still affects you… That damn acting of yours is what I hate the most about you!" Katsuki loudly states even as his hands crackle in small explosions trying to intimidate his friend.
'All men are not created equal. This was the reality I learned about society at the young age of four. It's a good thing then… that I was born a girl.' Izumi's largely unsmiling face gained a bit of a smirk at that thought.
Izumi could hear, even from a distance, a voice emerge from Katsuki's earpiece. Izumi was right to assume that the earpieces provided to them would be loud. Quickly Katsuki was able to retort to Iida, "Just shut up and defend. I'm really angry right now!"
Katsuki's growling voice backed up his statement and it only made Izumi's smirk a bit smugger. Izumi could see that Katsuki was able to mute Iida's sounds from the communicator; looks like her hot-headed friend was firing off all cylinders and not being smart about it.
With Katsuki flicking his left wrist to his back, Izumi saw it was time to move.
"Uraraka-san, go!"
As soon as Uraraka started running, Katsuki was already in Izumi's face; but Izumi knew he was coming and had flipped her white fan to her right hand and guarding against Katsuki's explosive kick while bracing her right arm with her left.
"Looking away? You must be full of yourself!"
With subtle handiwork, Izumi had the capture tape ready to tie Katsuki's extended leg. At first, Katsuki hadn't noticed it, too focused on Izumi being arrogant, at least in his eyes. But soon enough he did notice the tape; after all, he was as much as a battle genius as the rest in the Den's top 5 were. "The capture tape?!"
In Izumi's mind, she quickly remembered the move she was basing her current tactic from. 'Hero notebook number 10, page 18! I'm glad I finally got to see Eraserhead's moves in person! But this isn't enough! What's next? If it's Kacchan, he'll be impatient and swing with his right again!''
Years of sparring and fighting in the ring with Katsuki gave Izumi a great sense of Katsuki's battle style, so as she predicted another explosive right swing came in from her best friend.
With the same type of reflexes that Katsuki was supposedly used to, Izumi ducked under his swing and out of the way. 'I was right!' were the thoughts that rang in Izumi's mind even as she looked at her friend's look of shock.
Izumi bent to a crouch, her hand holding her hook fan in a reverse grip and her white fan still tucked in her right arm, ready to deploy at the moment's notice. 'He kicked first this time to keep me from predicting his moves. He's being cautious now… Good. That's right, Kacchan… start taking me on more seriously now…'
As the smoke cleared, Katsuki stood facing the wall but his angry beady eyes were locked on target. Quickly he threw his hands to the back, seemingly intending to shoot himself forward again. But before he could, Izumi threw her childhood friend an infuriating smirk and turned tail, running through the corridors behind her.
'Time to play…' was Izumi's thoughts even as she heard Katsuki's somewhat frustrated voice calling after her, "Come back here, Deku!"
Even as Izumi ran the almost too silent hallways of the building, her thoughts focused on the strategy she was trying to build and follow. 'I can't get close to him as easily anymore. I really hope my plan works.'
Izumi was sure they'd both been running around the maze of a building for a few minutes already, but she heard her best friend practically screaming out. "Hey! You think you can trick me?! Is it fun playing me like this?! You emotionally manipulative bitch! I won't always fall for your dirty tricks! Try and get me with it this time and I'll really make you pay! Cause I'm better than you!"
Izumi had, the moment she heard Katsuki, started running towards the sound of his screeching. She has to keep his focus on her and not the objective of the exercise. As a team, Izumi and Uraraka were compatible personality-wise, if Izumi were being honest and not hiding behind her veneer of deception. But it wasn't the most effective of combos. Unless Uraraka has some sweet hand-to-hand moves hidden under her puffy sleeves, Izumi couldn't exert her true capability as a control tower as well as an infiltrator.
As Izumi kept up her running and hiding, keeping a close pace with Katsuki, hiding behind shadows just before she's discovered… it was starting to take a toll on her. Her endurance greatly increased with the training with All Might but the constant adrenaline and hide and seek with Katsuki had made her all too aware that it wasn't enough. She was never trained to conserve energy for a long drawn out battle. Quick, decisive… deadly; she was taught to make sure that her targets don't know they've already been dispatched
At the same time, her mind was also nurtured throughout her training. Her teachers saw Izumi's quick analytical mind and exploited it. More than the rest of the other trainees, she was taught strategy, tactics, and the art of war. Izumi was pretty but her mind was the true gem that her teachers polished to near gleaming perfection; with one glaring flaw.
Experience; she lacked the experience to apply her training.
But, she's already started shadowing senior geisha when doing basic missions every weekend or so with the various tea houses that wanted to employ the current youngest Geisha. Now, she's also starting her journey into learning to become a hero. A wholly different monster she was willing to face head-on.
Crouching around a corner almost just steps away from Katsuki, Izumi straightened her appearance a bit. 'He's completely ignored Uraraka and is shooting for me. He is so predictable. Even if he's made an excuse that Iida-kun accepted, now that I have him riled up; Kacchan thinking to cooperate with Iida is now completely out the window. Kacchan knows that it would've been better to send Iida, who has more mobility, as the advance guard, but he's too stubborn. Now, this might actually mean that he's running around completely on his own and probably not working together. For a brute though, Kacchan is smart; I doubt he'd let himself rage for too long.'
Izumi started moving again, slipping into corners and making sure that Katsuki wouldn't see her. Checking her gear, she listened to Katsuki slowly and methodically tear the building apart looking for her. And not focusing on their objective.
'In the first place, our chances of winning were the lowest if we had a head-to-head battle against those two. If Uraraka and I both went to the objective, we'd be trapped in a pincer maneuver. If the two of us stayed to fight Kacchan, our time would run out. All that's left is to divide and conquer; Uraraka to find the weapon and Iida, while I distract Kacchan. That would be phase one. Phase two can send all four of us to the infirmary if I get my calculations incorrectly. I'll be fine. As long as I'm careful of his palms, I can do this.'
"Where are you?! You shitty nerd!" Katsuki shouted loudly, it made Izumi smirk in glee at her best friend's frustration.
'There's one more thing I forgot to tell you, Kacchan…'
"You're quirkless! If you were talentless, I'd call you below the rejects. Rejoice; I'll probably consider you as a good leady lady to any biographical movie I'll have in the future!"
'I'm no one's leading lady. I will the heroine to my own story and you're the extra!'
And while Izumi solidified her determination to face her best friend; to be able to stand in her own spotlight, the boy who had for a few years became the subject of Izumi's nightmares were having his own thoughts.
In Katsuki's recent memories, he could see his best friend's fake smiles and fake laughs; whenever she's told to stay away from the heroic industry. It always made him grit his teeth in anger, though he can't fathom to whom he was nursing his anger. Was it that he was angry that she still kept aspiring to be a hero still? Was it because people were always spitting venom behind their cheerful flowery words? That she should be an idol… and not a hero.
No, he knew why he was angry. It's a lie he tries to hide behind because it was painful to remember… that he almost lost his best friend once…
Flashback
A young Katsuki and Izumi were in their apartment complex's playground. Katsuki was doing some tricks with his ball and when tomboy-ish Izumi tried, she only fell, bopping her head with the ball. "Izumi, you really can't do anything, can you? Hey, since you can't do anything, dekinai, and your name starts with De too, how about we call you Deku, instead?"
The other children ooh-ed and aah-ed, that Katsuki could read Kanji already.
Izumi's small voice, protesting being called useless, wasn't heard.
Nor were the voices of thousands of quirkless people slowly being pulled away from society.
"Why don't you know?" Katsuki was starting to pull into a delusion… shared by hundreds upon thousands of others.
Katsuki and Izumi with their friends were at the banks of a river, skipping rocks. Katsuki managed to skip it seven times.
Deku… Izumi wasn't able to do it.
She was also not able to do anything as day by day, she's seeing less of those nice people in the streets; those who were unbeknownst to her at that time were like her… quirkless.
"Why can't you do it?" Katsuki couldn't understand why this pathetic thing he called a friend, doesn't see it. That he and those with quirks were superior to her.
The first time Katsuki manifested his quirk was in their kindergarten class. Everyone applauded him, even Dek-Izumi. She even called his quirk as cool! The teachers told him that he had the perfect quirk or heroics!
"Oh, I see! I'm amazing! No one is as amazing as I am!" It's not like he can't help what he would watch on TV! His parents like watching the news, the editorials and political news magazines. He doesn't have his own TV yet. But all he hears from the TV's were…
"For their safety, shouldn't the quirkless be isolated? They're a rare species now, isn't it? We don't want them to hinder the more productive individuals in society, don't we? I mean, for their safety! The Quirkless don't have the same natural biological advantage as most of society has. Plus, what if their children continue to be quirkless? What a shame that the next generation will perpetuate quirkless genes! They'll be ostracized either way. Why not just isolate them? They're quite useless compared to most quirked individuals."
Katsuki can't help but hear these sorts of comments and the people who are talking are adults. And adults are always right, right? So it must be true.
After getting his quirk, they were all almost five… and Izumi had yet to get her quirk. It's not unusual for Izumi to say that she hopes her quirk comes in soon!
And Katsuki will always say No matter what Quirk you get, you'll never beat me!
They all passed their 5th birthday… and they all found out that Izu-Deku would never get her quirk. Useless. It was a sentiment echoed by everyone. She was branded as the weird one in their age. No assurance from anyone could alleviate Deku's shocked-sad-horrified look whenever it was mentioned.
"You're the least amazing, Deku" Katsuki believed it. Katsuki believed that Izumi was just a future damsel in distress that he'll save as a hero. That Izumi should just quit trying to squeeze into an industry that would probably kill her… because she was quirkless.
Useless.
So one day… after entering a fenced-off private property, Katsuki fell off a moss-covered log that was their bridge and straight to the shallow water below.
"I was fine!" It hurt to fall, the water was too shallow to brace Katsuki from hitting the pebbles below. But the calls of the boys above said that he was amazing, that he could shrug it off. So, Katsuki kept up the bravado. "Nothing was wrong!"
But I-Deku had already run down the river bank and into the river with an outstretched hand. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"
And something changed in Katsuki as his false bravado gave in to annoyance. "It would've been bad if you hit your head." And finally… into anger. "Don't look at me with that face!"
The same face that Deku had, if not a bit more teary and wobbly when the quirkless girl had run in to save him from the Sludge Villain. "Stop it..! I'm… I'm better than her!" Once upon a time, he toxically believed this phrase. And his resentment grew when Deku found that Sawada woman; that she thought she could be a hero like he was going to one day be.
His sentiments when he was a child and as a teenager were vastly different. Because one day… Deku didn't come to school.
Because one day, he came home to find Auntie Inko sobbing in the arms of his parents. De-Izu-Deku was taken. Just like his male quirkless teacher in pre-school. Just like that kindly old man down the street, selling sweet O-Dango. Just like Izu-De-Izumi-Deku was stolen away. Why? Where're the heroes. Why can't the heroes save her?
"This is Breaking News. After approval of the National Diet; Japan's Special Defence Force, National Police Force, and some local heroes were tasked to take in all registered quirkless individuals. We just received news that threats are being made to quirkless individuals. The government is doing everything it can to save the quirkless."
But it was a lie. Katsuki's parents and Aunt Inko explained it to him, knowing that he would understand like the big boy he was; that the news was a lie. Why? Why is it a lie? They're adults, why would they lie? Lying is bad.
"Because, brat, when people don't understand something. When something is different from everything else, people get scared. And people don't like to be scared so they become angry too, somewhat like you and me. And when people are angry and scared, people do stupid things; even adults… especially adults. The problem is, these people have something we common folks don't have and that makes us unable to do anything. That makes Auntie Inko sad because no matter how much we want to do something about it; we can't do anything, for now."
Japan wasn't the only country to do this. Across the world hundreds of nations with the same sentiment, that the quirkless were blights to humanity, either isolated the quirkless or just refused to provide aid, jobs or service.
Katsuki kept hearing the word 'holocaust' around the house; that his parents and other adults were glad that it wasn't being repeated. Katsuki had to go to the local library to look it up. And, it scared him.
It scared him so much.
He didn't want to lose D-Izumi.
He didn't want to lose his best friend.
It was his fault.
He was so mean to her.
And made their other friends treat her like trash.
And because he was so mean to her; the grown-ups took her away to be even meaner to her.
Like that time she tried to defend another kid…
Was he bad?
Was he bad like those grown-ups that took Izumi? That took Iruka-sensei? That took Sarutobi-jiji from the sweets store?
It was just too bad that it was this incident that pushed Katsuki to a better direction as a hero-wannabe. (Even if he was still an arrogant piece of shit.)
Then people started speaking up. Corporations started fighting back… The most powerful man on Earth, political-wise, spoke up.
And one day, Izumi came back. Katsuki almost didn't recognize his best friend. She looked a bit skinnier, a tad paler but more than ever it was the look on her face that Katsuki learned to equally love… like and hate.
Katsuki's been to the zoo a lot of times… and Izumi looked like a Tiger. Pretty (Beautiful) and deadly.
Flashback End
Izumi had been following her stalking and rampaging best friend through the hallways for a few minutes already. It made Izumi angsty that Uraraka hadn't contacted her yet.
That was when she heard the spluttering laugh of her partner through their earpiece. "Izumi-chan!" This worried Izumi as she had instructed Uraraka to stay quiet. "Ochako-chan, what is it?"
"Iida found me. Sorry! Right now, he's slowly…" Izumi could hear the comical evil laugh that Iida was making. 'He's so loud.'
"Where are you?" Izumi needed details and needed it fast, time was running out for them.
"Middle of the fifth floor." This gave Izumi pause for thought. Was it a coincidence that she's been hiding in this corridor while Katsuki ran around the same floor? "You're directly above me." After a brief pause, she spoke into their line, "Take care not to get caught and be vigilant, I'm going to do something crazy."
That was all she said as she adjusted her hold on her tessen and the capture tape. If Uraraka answered, Izumi didn't notice, she needed to act now.
Turning to her back, she smiled sweetly at her best friend. "Hello, Kacchan."
'He's calm. Mendokuse'
Katsuki primed his grenade gauntlets. "They're loaded."
Izumi stayed quiet, waiting for Katsuki to make his move.
"Why are you so quiet? What? You're not going to toy with my head anymore? Finally got tired of your games? Are you underestimating me… Deku?"
Taking a lower stance, Izumi was ready to lash out with either her powerful legs or her deadly tessen. "Don't be coy, Kacchan. We both know that I don't need those paltry little mind tricks for me to beat you. You think I'm scared? I'd be more scared of Agon or Nagisa on a good day."
Katsuki grit his teeth and raised his arm. "You should probably already know, but my Quirk, Explosion, let me secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from sweat glands on the palm of my hand and make it explode. You've seen me design my suit, so you'd know if they made these the way I asked… then these gauntlets will store the nitroglycerin inside them, and…"
Izumi watched a bit dumbfounded as Katsuki slowly pulled the pin and already, she could see that the materials inside igniting. Izumi was pretty sure that someone was talking to Katsuki as he suddenly answered, "If I don't hit her, she won't die!"
As the fire from the blast quickly flooded the corridor, destroying the hallway; Izumi was helpless as the blast sent her careening through what's left of the hall and into another room. Izumi lay panting from the shock of being thrown backward from the explosion in the new room. To her right, she saw that the building was blown wide open. "Kacchan, you crazy motherf*ck*r!" Sitting up, Izumi dusted down her costume, which withstood the flames, thankfully. She's glad that the materials she requested were approved. It was only her mask that got singed away.
As she stood, waiting for Katsuki to come into the room. She slipped out a few of her bombs and hid it in her hands, much like how magicians hid their tools up their sleeves.
"Wow… The more that's stored in these gauntlets, the stronger the blast." Katsuki walked through the smoke and dust that he'd caused, priming his other gauntlet for another big explosion. "Come on… use those clever, dirty little tricks you have, Deku. I'll force you to surrender even if you're at full strength."
It scared Izumi how deranged Katsuki looked like… It shook loose painful memories of her past; of adults looking at her the same way. Of Katsuki looking the same way when they were children, just right before she thought she was lost to everybody she loved. "Hey, hey… What's the matter, Deku? I didn't hit you, so you can still move, can't you? Come and get me!"
More than anything, Izumi was frustrated (scared. Why are you like this Kacchan? What's wrong? I want my best friend back!)
'The explosion shot out. He had his costume made so that his Quirk would work even for long distances. This isn't the time to panic.'
"Ochako, what's the situation?" Izumi spoke into her communicator, seemingly looking away from Katsuki. Izumi knew it would the tsundere that was her best friend. Vaguely, Izumi heard him mutter, "Tsk, Ignoring me. I can't believe her!" But more importantly, Izumi heard All Might's distinct voice echoing from Katsuki's comm. Katsuki was distracted from All Might scolding him so Izumi took task and explained her plan and what Ochako should be expecting in the next few minutes.
There was no time to waste, the moment Izumi finished giving out instructions she had to brace for the impact known as Katsuki. Opening her white fan, she thrust it forward while dropping her body to the ground, her legs ready to kick out. But as much as Izumi knew Katsuki's fighting style; he knew hers as well. A short burst of explosion atop her head and the explosive boy was already changing trajectory and fired a secondary shot directly at her back.
It made her stumble forward but immediately did a pirouette, her leg raised for a powerful kick, at the same time that Katsuki was already surging forward, "Look, here I come! It's your favourite right swing!" With the momentum he gained by accelerating with his explosions, the right swing that he telegraphed stung more than it should have.
Izumi met the hit head-in with a swing of her powerful leg, her hand and arms bracing the ground, her tessen tucked in once more. Fortunately, Katsuki lost this round as he stumbles back. "Feh, your legs are troublesome as usual." Already recovering, Katsuki surged forward once more as he grabbed the leg that Izumi hasn't quite put down yet.
Then with a series of explosions, Katsuki changed his position, pulled and flipped Izumi like a ragdoll. A move he had been practicing but had never perfected because he couldn't produce enough sweat in such little time. "Deku, know this! You are… below me!" Izumi landed on her back, bouncing from the floor, yelping out in surprised pain. 'He's not giving me the chance to think.'
But he did, Katsuki for a few seconds stopped his attacks and Izumi quickly scrambled for her prone form to standing right next to the window. The white tessen she had hidden while facing Katsuki one-on-one were back out, "Kuku, I always knew you liked being on top." Izumi teased her best friend. For a few seconds, Katsuki spluttered in embarrassment but quickly recovered.
"I'm not going to fall for your little tricks! I'm done being led by the nose by you! Stop underestimating me!" Katsuki walked angrily towards Izumi, his frustration clear in his voice. "You've always been like this ever since we were kids… Have you been looking down on me this whole time?! You think it was my fault, wasn't it?! That you got taken! Is that why you still treat me like this?! Someone to toy with those dirty tricks you've learned, you bitch!"
'Kacchan… Katsuki… no… that…'
"No… That's not it… You're… You're an amazing person! I've never blamed you when I was taken away! I could never! I want to be able to say that I had the right to say I am your best friend! That I can be your equal, even if I'm useless! Compared to everybody else, I have NOTHING but I wanted to be by Kacchan's side! I wanted to be right there alongside you when we're both called the greatest heroes of our age! The best friends who saved hundreds, THOUSANDS of people! That's all I ever wanted, you idiot!" Izumi felt like she was losing her control over her emotions. Her teachers at the Okiya will be utterly appalled by her.
The emotions that ran through Katsuki's eyes were many but it settled in simmering guilt and anger. "Don't look at me like that! You're the most talented person I've met and you dare look down on me and say those words! All these years, you kept beating and beating me at almost everything! There was no stopping you, and everyone looked at me like I wasn't meant to be there alongside you! Everyone looked at me and saw trash clinging to some shining and glittering example of humanity! Yet you still throw your pity at me, like I'm some helpless fool! I don't need it… I don't deserve it! You stupid onna!"
As if his words were their signal, both Izumi and Katsuki charged forward for a final clash. As Izumi seemingly readied her hook fan to potentially bring Katsuki down in a reverse hold, Katsuki readied another powerful burst of explosion, this time to hit her directly.
But characteristic of Izumi, her face morphed to a sly grin. "Now, Ocha-chan!" Izumi used the hook fan to redirect Katsuki's explosion towards the ceiling and threw the bombs she'd readied into the path of the explosion. By the time Katsuki noticed everything it was too late. The exploding boy sent up his second strongest explosion of the day which then triggered Izumi's mini-bombs and multiplied the intensity by 3 fold. The resulting explosion ripped a hole clear to the sky from their 4th floor to the bomb's room on the 5th.
Above them Uraraka took hold of the pillar shook loose by the explosion, using her Gravity quirk, canceled the pillar's gravity. "Improvised special move—Comet Home Run!" The debris that Katsuki and Izumi sent flying was then hit by Uraraka and her overly huge concrete bat to direct the flying debris towards Iida.
"You call that a home run?!" Iida shouted as he tried and shielded himself and completely forgetting about Uraraka. The gravity girl then took the chance to jump alongside the projectiles she sent over, canceling her personal gravity and tried the same move she was unable to finish earlier.
With a quick release, Uraraka found herself clinging to the paper-mâché bomb. Iida's horrified scream of "The weapon…!" echoed through the hole that Katsuki and Izumi created.
Katsuki stared, almost speechless at the hole above them. "That's what… From the start, you were… You're looking down on me again, aren't you!" His voice echoed the frustration he felt at being his own downfall at her machinations again.
"Never. I have never looked down on you." Izumi's voice was quivering from exhaustion. Her arms were crossed to shield her face; one had the opened white tessen which was used as a shield, the other locked in position to reinforce and brace her other arm from shattering from the stunt she pulled. The hook fan was blasted apart from the explosion she redirected using the tool. "It's because you're so amazing that I knew that no strength of mine alone could stand up to you. Not now when we have this carte blanche on our tools and weapons."
As the smoke cleared up more, Katsuki looked a bit horrified that some of the shards from the broken hook fan had bit into Izumi's arms, destroying the gloves Inko got Izumi. "I'm useless, compared to everybody else. So I have to use my tricks, or else I'll be left behind… again."
And as the clock ticked down to zero, All Might's voice sounded through the public speakers, "Hero… Hero team…" Izumi falls to her knees clutching her serrated arm in agony.
"WIIIIIIIIINS!"