Midori the Rabbit
Chapter: 8: Search and Rescue
~Outside~
The class objective was costume optional. So with her own costume still being altered from damages Izumi pulled out her P.E clothes and just added gloves, pads, and her mouth guard. The combination didn't look bad but she found she missed having her trademark look. She hoped the support course at least followed her design wishes this time.
"It's really a shame," Uraraka commented tugging on Midoriya's braided hair. "I miss the rabbit ears."
"Ura-chan!" Izumi blushed. "They're not rabbit ears, they're… mmmph never mind." God how could she tell them she'd modeled her costume after All Might? She'd probably get hell for it. She had to get past this Fan girl phase of her life and concentrate on her own image. That image seemed to be a rabbit.
Her eyes spotted Todoroki when he sat down and waited for the bus to arrive. His words about her nickname came to mind and she had to smile. Lucky rather than shy, swift rather than afraid, smart instead of weak. It was these changes she would apply to that image everyone perceived. That along with her continued training for control
When they boarded the bus Midoriya immediately sat down and was followed by Tsuyu and Kirishima. Bakugo grunted and walked to a window seat and slumped down. He eyed Todoroki with disdain, their conversation from earlier causing his temper to spike whenever he looked at his stupid face. He'd have to warn Usagi away from him, and stake his territory.
The bus ride to their location wasn't very long, and even though the surrounding area was all U.A. property, the time it would take to group a large amount of kids across the campus grounds would take a considerable amount of time and energy for just one lesson.
Still in those few minutes of driving, they all seemed to find things to talk about.
"Midoriya-chan," Tsuyu turned in her seat to face her. Izumi blinked and offered a polite and shy smile.
"Yes, Asui-san?"
"You can call me Tsuyu-chan. Your quirk is a lot like All Might's, isn't it?"
"You really think so?" Though panic tripped her up, Izumi played with the end of her braid hoping it would seem like she was more flattered than nervous. "I do admire him, so it's nice of you to say."
"And anyway, Tsuyu-chan, All Might doesn't break his limbs when he uses his power. They just look the same." Kirishima put in and had Izumi letting out a quick sigh of relief. Though Todoroki pretended indifference, his ears listened in on the conversation. He had noticed the similarities between Midoriya and All Might himself, and wondered if there was a deeper connection.
"I like your quirk, Kirishima-kun." Izumi flowed into the conversation now, reaching out and touching the hardened skin along Kirishima's palm. "It's a strong and powerful quirk, and very pro hero worthy."
"Pro huh?" He grinned at that and pulled back. He could feel the daggers in his back from Bakugo's warning glare. "Uh, still a hero needs to stand out. In terms of flash no one could beat Bakugo and Todoroki out."
"Bakugo's always mad so it doesn't seem like he'd be popular." Tsuyu said openly. Izumi tensed up, and oggled at how bold her statement was. Bakugo immediately prickled and shouted at her in response.
"What the hell? You trying to pick a fight, frog face?!"
"You see?" Tsuyu mused pointing in his direction.
"We haven't known each other long, so it's amazing that everyone knows you've got a crap attitude steeped in sewage."
"What the fuck is with that vocabulary, you fucking piss me off!" Bakugo jumped on the railing ready to bounce and beat the crap out of the next person who mouthed off. Izumi looked on wide eyed at the situation. Bakugo had always been so popular in middle school, so to see him being teased and poked fun at was amazing to her. She couldn't help it, she snorted out a little laugh. Only in U.A ,she thought, could people get away with teasing an explosive personality like Bakugo.
When they arrived and piled out of the bus… everyone was in awe at the teacher that waited for them. The Space Hero: Thirteen stood at the front of a large dome arena his hands spread out in greeting. He was a hero who specialized in rescue missions, and his quirk "black hole" was deemed one of the most useful, but dangerous quirks in recorded history. Uraraka idolized him as she clearly showed in her happy and joyous expression and sudden excitement.
Izumi too was a bit star struck. Aside from All Might, Thirteen was one of her top favorite heroes, along with Present Mic, and Air Jet. Then again she was a big fan of all heroes, she couldn't really say there was one she didn't like.
Thirteen welcomed them inside and again the students were in awe of what awaited them. USJ, as it was nicknamed, was a wide simulation arena with various disaster zones depicted for training purposes. Shipwrecks, typhoons, fire, landslides and more scattered around like a theme park.
"Where's All Might? He was supposed to meet us here." Aizawa asked walking up to Thirteen with disapproving frown.
"It would seem All Might did some hero work before class. He probably won't join us til later." He held up three fingers to indicate three different emergencies that had eaten up All Might's transformation time. Sighing Aizawa shook his head, the folly of heroics, he thought.
"Oh well, it can't be helped. Let's just get started." He turned toward his class.
"Before we begin, I'd like to go over a think or two… or three... or four..." he continued. Clearing his throat Thirteen lifted his hand. "You all are aware of my quirk, Black Hole. It sucks up anything in its path and turns it to dust."
"Yes!" Izumi suddenly spoke up unable to contain her excitement. "It's because of your quirk you were able to save so many people from disasters."
"This is true, but it's also a quirk that can easily kill others."
The happiness drained from Izumi's face. She listened carefully to Thirteen's words of taking precaution with quirks that would be potentially hazardous to other humans. They'd gotten a first hand of using them against other people during combat training. Izumi clasped her hands together remembering how she'd hesitated using it knowing very well it could hurt Bakugo and others. Even though she'd aimed it away from him, the use of her quirk in that building had been a reckless and desperate decision, one that could have hurt one of her classmates.
"You do not have powers to harm others… instead I hope you leave here understanding you have powers to help others."
Bakugo took those words into consideration as he looked down at his palms. The image of Izumi's burned and broken body haunting him and causing him to grit his teeth in frustration. He'd taken this power for granted, used it to harm and cause damage. However, hesitation, carelessness, and personal feelings had to be set aside. He couldn't afford to fall behind again.
"That was all, thanks for listening." Thirteen took a bow, receiving applause from the class. Aizawa stepped up in turn.
"Alright then, first-" he broke off as the lighting fixtures went haywire. Senses on high alert Aizawa felt the presence of the dark force before turning around and seeing it. A dark swirling warp opened and a mass of intimidating figures strut out.
"What is this?" Kirishima wondered. "Is it like the exam where we just jump right in?"
Izumi stepped forward, but Aizawa snapped at her. "Don't Move!" At the panic tone in his voice Izumi felt her own nerves clenching. She watched him set his goggles on his face. "Those are villains."
What? Villains? Here? Izumi's eyes scanned the crowd of them. Her eyes latched onto the back group, the warp itself was a person, his face a flame of dark violet energy and glowing yellow eyes. Beside him stood a gangly young man with hands spread all over his body, and a tall intimidating bird-like creature that sent chills down her spine. This presence, this sense of true pure evil, was what true heroes fought against.
"Sensei, what about the villain sensors?" Yaoyorozu asked with just the tint of panic in her voice. Izumi could tell she was doing her best to keep calm and think rationally.
"Of course we have them." Thirteen answered, he actually had that same thought wondering why the alarm hadn't been triggered.
"Did they only appear here or all over school?" Todoroki spoke up, his eyes scanning and brain assessing the situation. Izumi admired the calm in his voice and turned completely towards him.
"Todoroki-kun?"
He gave her a brief glance before looking back at the villains.
"Either way, if the sensor's aren't responding, they most likely have someone with a quirk who could disable it. We're in an isolated place, away from the main campus, and at a time when a class is supposed to take place. They're fools, but they're not dumb. This surprise attack was carefully planned with some underlying goal in mind."
A goal… Izumi turned her gaze back to the villains who were slowly making their way towards them. Fear clutched her stomach and she held it tightly. She couldn't stop trembling, couldn't push the fear away. What was going to happen? Where was All Might?
"Thirteen, start the evacuation. Try calling the school. Kaminari, use your quirk to do the same." He stepped in front of them and Izumi jerked forward.
"Aizawa Sensei no! There's too many of them. Your quirk is not equipped to handle large groups of people at a time."
"You can't be a hero with only one trick." Aizawa spoke wisely, then launched into action. Thirteen guided the other students back to the door. The bulk of the group making a run for it. Izumi hesitated, watching as Aizawa jumped straight into the fray, his binding weapon flying and his hand to hand skills causing her worry to turn to a sense of awe and admiration. He was quickly becoming one of her favorite heroes.
"Stop day dreaming, Usagi." Bakugo grabbed her hand jolting her out of the admiration. "You heard goggle head, let's go!" He yanked her with him and they ran together. Halfway to the gate the group was cut off by the swirling violet aura of the warp being.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said with his sinister gaze narrowing on the students. "We are the league of villains. It may be presumptuous of us but invited ourselves here in order to have All Might, the symbol of peace, take his last breath."
"What!?" Izumi's heart dropped and she felt Bakugo's hand pull from hers as he pushed to the front of the group.
"According to our intel All Might was supposed to be here. Has there been a change? Nevertheless this is the part I'm to play." He opened his body up like raven wings. Bakugo and Kirishima exchanged looks, before both of them immediately leapt forward and attacked.
Bakugo's explosion sent dust and gravel kicking up. He'd felt the graze of an impact, thought he'd landed his mark… but the warp re-manifested.
"Oh my, that's dangerous. It's true you lot all are young golden eggs. It is my job to scatter you, and torture you to death!" He opened himself up again. This time when Bakugo and Kaminari launched they were pulled into the warp and disappeared.
"KACCHAN!" Izumi screamed and ran forward. Todoroki grabbed her and yanked her back.
"Look Out!" he shouted at her but the warp encompassed them. He grabbed her hand trying to hold on but her glove slipped off and she was pulled from him. "Midoriya!" He felt his own feet being lifted up under him and he mentally cursed. He fell from the sky and quickly created a slope of ice to cushion his fall and he rolled onto gravel.
He grunted and sat up looking around at his surroundings. He was still in USJ… from the slanted buildings and soft gravel underfoot he deduced they were most likely in the landslide area.
"Midoriya…" he looked down at his palm, saw the glove he'd pulled off amidst the chaos, and hoped she was alright.
~Shipwreck arena~
"Todoroki-kun!" Midoriya screamed and she felt herself falling. She had just enough time to see the water and hold her breath before he body slapped down into it like a cannonball. She blinked her eyes open and quickly swam upward for the surface.
Her mind was racing. Why were villains here? Why did they want to kill All Might? What the heck was going on!? She saw movement in the corner of her eyes, and let out a panicked gasp at the sight of a fast moving shark quirk headed her way. She pulled back her fist ready to use One for All, but Tsuyu appeared from nowhere. As expected of a frog she was quick and agile in the water and quickly pulled her and Mineta out of the water and onto the boat.
Izumi coughed up water and looked up at her in gratitude. "Thanks, Tsuyu-chan." She stood up and because the shirt was heavy and loose she pulled it off to reveal the tank underneath. She twisting her shirt to drain the water out of it then looked down at Mineta who had slapped onto the boat beside her. "Mineta-kun, Daijobu?" She leaned over him tapping his cheek.
"It's… the end, I'm in heaven!"
"Kya!" Izumi squealed when his hand came up to her breast and the tap turned into a hard slap to the face.
"Owowowowow!" He rolled around holding his cheek as it throbbed violently red.
"Looks like he's fine," Tsuyu said with some amusement. "Still this is a bad situation we're in, isn't it Midori-chan?"
"Yeah it's bad-" she started and thought of what the warp had said before all hell broke loose. "They knew U.A's schedule… they probably gained that information when the press broke in." She lifted her ungloved hand and bit her thumbnail. "It's just like Todoroki-kun said. They were waiting to pounce on us."
"But, but, but, it's not like they can just kill All Might. I mean for crying out loud it's ALL MIGHT! He'd beat every single one of those villains into tar!" Mineta rationalized recovered from the slap.
"Mineta-kun, these villains openly say outright they're going to kill All Might. Don't you think they'd have come up with a way they could? More, we're cut off from the rest of the school, no one knows this is happening. These villains intend to torturing us, and killing us, do you really think we can last until someone gets here?"
Mineta's eyes watered, even though he had two pretty girls all on his own, a personal fantasy, this was not how he wanted to go about it. He looked around at the flunkies that surrounded the boat and he whined and wailed.
"Midoriya! What the heck!? Is she right? Is she?!" He screamed at he sheer bulk of villains surrounding them. As he panicked Midoriya's mind was already fast at work. She took in their situation, and the end result. It didn't look good. What was worse, Midoriya was sure Tsuyu was right. They had a way to kill All Might…
You can Become a hero.
Congratulations on passing.
I AM HERE!
Let's Go, Little Midori!
All the memories she'd collected with him in the short span of ten months suddenly filled her up all at once. All Might had been the hero she'd always looked up to, but lately… he'd become so much more than that to her. She'd never known her father, he'd left when she was little and it left an empty space in her heart. All Might had filled that space with his love of the world, and the devotion to the people in it. His smile warmed her heart, gave her courage. His words brought her wisdom and determination to fulfill her goals. Now these villains wanted to erase him completely from the world he'd worked so hard to protect.
"I won't let that happen." She whispered and clenched her fists. "I won't let them hurt All Might. If these guys have a plan… I say we stop it!"
"Midoriya will you listen to yourself? You just said-"
"Mineta-kun, Tsuyu-chan…" she ignored Mineta's tirade and walked to the edge of the boat. None of the villains were making their way out of the water. It was clear they'd have the advantage there what with the bulk of their powers water related. Still that posed a question. "If they wanted the advantage… why did they send you to the shipwreck area where you would fight best."
Tsuyu let out a little sound of recognition.
"That's true… if they really wanted me at a disadvantage they should have sent me to the fire zone." She eyed the red dome in question.
"I think, even with all their planning, they weren't able to get the information on the students abilities… either that or they didn't think we'd pose much of a threat because we're so young." She knelt down motioned Tsuyu and Mineta with her. "I say we use that to our advantage."
They planned, divulging in each other's quirks, strengths and weaknesses. Izumi sensed the fear in her two comrades and knew she had to keep her calm and help guide them through this. They had one shot, one chance of escape. They had to take it.
She let out a scream as the ship rocked and was sliced in half. The waterbending quirk was powerful, and Midoriya knew they had to act quickly. Once they were in the water, their advantage was gone.
"When the villain becomes certain of his victory, that's when it's your chance to act. All Might said so on TV." Izumi stood up and gripped the edge of the railing. Her free hand shaking with the fear she was holding back. Mineta saw the shake. She was afraid… but she'd acted so calm, so determined. She was the same as him, shaking down to her boots but she's prepared to fight.
"AHHHHH!" She screamed and jumped up onto the rail. Act like Kacchan, she told herself, stare them down, make them focus on her. "DIE!" She leapt up and over and focused her energy. All Might told her about image… giving the power a shape, and focusing on it not breaking. Let it flow, let it breathe… she couldn't risk her arm so she flicked her fingers. A movement from the villains broke her concentration and she felt the pain as she released the smash. The power kicked her up and she winced. She clutched her hand and screamed.
"Mineta! Tsuyu!"
"Ribbit!" Tsuyu clutched Mineta to her and leapt high. She flicked her tongue out wrapping around Izumi's waist and cleared the bulk of the villain in one leap. The villains bodies were pulled into the tight current Izumi's smash created, and with Mineta tossing his sticky purple balls into the mix, the group of them were all wound up in one shot.
When they landed back in the water, the three of them swam together to the shallows. Standing in waist deep water Izumi muttered to herself as the fear came rushing at her all at once.
"Midori-chan, stop that, it's frightening."
"Sorry… nervous habit." She admitted. "I just can't believe we made it out there as easily as we did."
"Now's not the time to be thinking back, Midori-chan. We should be thinking ahead and finding a way out of here." Tsuyu pointed out. "Also you're wounded." She pointed to her hand, the fingers she used swollen up.
"Yeah, but I'm okay. It's minor." She ripped part of her t shirt and wrapped it around her hand. Mineta made noises whiel looking at her exposed flat abdomen.
"Whoa…. Midori you're ripped!" Mineta commented and gave a thumbs up. "Good Job."
"Mineta-kun." Tsuyu shoved him under water to cool him off. "Not now."
"We can't linger here. We need to get to the main entrance…" she looked over at the fountain. "Aizawa-sensei gathered the bulk of the villains in the square. It's our chance to sneak around and get outside for help."
"Your voice says run, but I see that look in your eyes, Midoriya. Baka Baka Baka!" Mineta commented. "Don't even think about going off and helping. Leave them to Aizawa-sensei."
"I'm sorry… but I can't. I can't help thinking even though he's lasted this long, he may have taken on too much when he just jumped into the fray like that..."
"No way! It's too dangerous!"
"I'm not saying we should get in his way… He's trying to protect us, but.. If we could just find an opening where we can take down some villains and lighten his load. That would be better wouldn't it?"
She narrowed her eyes on the fountain and then nodded her head to the others. "Let's wade our way down to the square. If it looks too dangerous we'll stick to the original plan and keep going. I just hope everyone else is okay."
~Landslide Area~
The explosion of water hadn't gone unnoticed. Todoroki glanced up at the sound of the boom and watched the figures fly overhead. The strong kick of that power had to be Midoriya. So she ended up in the shipwreck center.
He looked to his opponents that he'd taken down in nearly one shot, and had successfully interrogated.
"Oh, by the way, the fact I said your cells would die slowly was a lie. You'll probably just be numb for awhile… some of you might lose some fingers and toes… a couple organs." He listed off body parts one by one as he made his way around them. "I'm sure if the pros ever show up you'll be safe...so you better hope your allies plan fails. Next time you think about just whose side you're joining."
"You were amazing Todoroki-kun!" A sudden voice from behind startled him. He lifted his palm ready to ice them, but caught sight of the jumping gloves and boots. "Hagure? When did you get here?"
"How rude! I've been here the entire time! I watched you take down those villains like they were nothing. As expected from the best in the class." She wiggled, or so it appeared, as they made their way down the slope. "Where do you think everyone else is?"
"I saw explosions coming from collapse sight so more than likely that's where Bakugo is, and the huge wind burst earlier had to be Midoriya." He looked down at Midoriya's glove that he still held. "As for everyone else I don't know."
"What should we do, Todoroki-kun?"
"You should be able to make your way to the main entrance without being detected. Someone has to let the rest of the school and staff know what's going on. Be quick, but be cautious of your surroundings. You see any villains, ditch the rest of your clothes and disappear."
"What about you?"
Todoroki narrowed his eyes ahead of him. He had no intention of running. If these villains were planning to kill All Might and his classmates, they'd have to go through him first.
"I'm going after the boss."
One more chapter down. Thank you to everyone who gave their prayers and support to my town. I'm happy to know there are those who still value human life. I'm dedicating this chapter and the next to those who risk their lives everyday. To our troops, the police force, firemen, and other emergency personnel. I thank you! You guys are the true heroes!
Next Chapter: The Anti-Symbol Nomu
