"How are you this evening, U.A. High School?", Spinner sneered, introducing his group. "We are part of the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains"
"The League?", Ojiro asked, "What are they doing here?"
"I could crush this kitty's head so easily.", Magne said as she held a metal pole to Pixie-Bob's head. "How about it dears, should I?"
"You get away from her!", Tiger yelled.
"Easy there, Big Sis Mag", Spinner relented. "You too Tiger. When deciding someone should live or die, we must be careful that we're abiding by Stain's principles".
"So you're the ones he ended up inspiring", Iida remarked.
"PRINCIPLES?", Tatsuma growled. "The Hero Killer would never stoop as low as to take hostages, especially if they were children or innocents."
"And you two must be the self-righteous brats who attacked Stain in Hosu city", Spinner glared before pulling out a large weapon consisting of various blades crudely tied together with strings, belts and stitches. "And I am Spinner. I'm here to make Stain's dream a reality"
"Yeah by deconstructing the very fabric of society and killing whoever you don't like.", Tatsuma said sarcastically, preparing to fight, only for Mandalay and Tiger to move in front of the students.
"I don't care who you are. You're criminals!", Tiger bellowed as he unsheathed his claws, "The woman lying there is named Pixie-Bob. She's a pro hero who's saved countless lives. She's giving it her all for these young heroes, helping them reach their full potential. Other than finding a mate, she's content with her life. WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO CUT HER HAPPY LIFE SHORT?!"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not a hero's job to be happy?!", Spinner lunged at the two Pussycats.
"Tiger! I've talked to everyone. Trust the safety of the other students to Ragdoll. You and I stay here. We'll hold them back!", Mandalay ordered the macho Pussycat. "You guys return to camp", she ordered the students. "Class Rep, you're in charge on the way there! Don't engage anyone."
"Leave it to me, let's go everyone", Iida ordered the rest of the students as they fled back to camp.
Midoriya however paused in his tracks.
"Why are you just sitting there?", Sakamata demanded, "We gotta go."
"The rest of you go ahead, I need to do something. Mandalay! I know where Kota is! Let me go find him!"
"Midoriya it's too dangerous!", Tatsuma hissed. "There could be more villains hiding in the fore-"
His body emitted a bluish glow as he was suddenly dragged away mid conversation.
"Wh-what the heck?"
"You should really learn to keep your mouth shut dear", Magne sneered as she slugged a punch to his face. "You're just asking for it to get bashed in."
"TATSUMA!", Sakamata and Midoriya shrieked.
"We'll rescue your friend, you go on ahead.", Mandalay reassured the group of students.
Meanwhile
Cough* *Cough*
"Where did this gas come from?", Obihiro gagged as he and Takane, ran through the woods.
"I don't know", Takane said, "This isn't like the dust I produce on my wings *Cough*. We need to find the others and regroup from this gas."
"It's all my fault...", a voice said grimly.
The two students darted their eyes all over the place in order to find the source of the voice, before noticing two figures hiding behind the trees. The first figure was Shoji, who was clutching his arm in pain while the second figure was Tokoyami, who knelt next to Shoji, tears flowing from his eyes.
"Tokoyami, Shoji. Are you two alright?", Obihiro waved to the two boys as he approached them.
"Shoji, your arm...", Takane pointed at the large teen's bloodied tentacle.
"It's all my fault...", Tokoyami uttered to himself, "If it wasn't for me Shoji wouldn't have..."
"He's been like this ever since we got attacked.", Shoji told the two. "I pushed Tokoyami out of the way of some villain's blade attack, but one of my tentacles got cut off in the process."
"Is that why he's been acting like that", Takane asked, getting a head nod from Shoji.
"If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have gotten hurt..."
"Tokoyami...", Takane knelt beside the avian, "It wasn't your fault. Nobody could've foreseen that attack"
He adamantly shook his head in denial, his body violently shaking.
"I was too reckless, too naive. My eagerness to relish in the dark forest caused Shoji to get hurt...You don't understand."
"You can't blame yourself for what happened. All you can do now is look toward the future."
"You don't understand", he repeated, this time with a louder voice, "Shoji could have died and it would be all my fault. I'm not worthy of being a hero much less a good friend."
"Don't say that!", Takane chastised, "You're worrying about Shoji's well being even after he said he was fine. Only a good friend would do that! You would make an amazing hero!"
"On the contrary my dear daughter. He would make a terrible hero with that Quirk of his, let alone a good boyfriend. But he would've made a great villain. Such a shame he let himself be wrapped up in 'morals'.", a feminine yet sinister voice said, as a figure leapt through the trees.
"No...", Kasumi shuddered.
"Who's there?", Shigen looked around.
"Show yourself!", Mezo demanded.
"How rude...but if you're so eager to see me, then I have no choice but to comply", the voice giggled as the figure jumped down from the trees.
"M-mother...", Kasumi looked on in horror.
"Mother?", Shigen and Mezo said in disbelief.
"What are you doing here?!", Fumikage growled as he stepped in front of Kasumi.
"What good would it do if I told you. There's no fun in telling you brats what we're after and soon enough, you'll all be dead anyway.", Lady Scorpio pouted.
She then moved her hand in a beckoning position towards Kasumi.
"Now come along dear, we need to talk."
"No!", Kasumi shook her head, "I'm not going with you."
"I knew you would say that.", Lady Scorpio sighed in frustration, "But that's okay, you don't have a choice in the matter."
With blinding speed, Mezo was strangled by a barbed tail and Shigen was grabbed by the head as the villainess squeezed it. Fumikage on the other hand was dragged to the woman's other arm as a silk like substance shot out of Lady Scorpio's mouth and wrapped around his neck.
Fumikage's eyes widened.
"Because I have no problem killing a couple of brats to get to you.", she maliciously grinned.
"Shoji...Obihiro...Tokoyami"
"Don't...do it...", Mezo gagged.
"I'd rather croak...than have you get taken away.", Shigen wheezed in pain.
"You're a monster", Fumikage gritted his teeth at the villain.
"Now make a choice...come with me without a fight or live with the guilt of your friends dying in your stead.", Lady Scorpio demanded.
"I..."
"Don't Takane...", Tokoyami strained as he saw Kasumi approach Lady Scorpio.
"I'm sorry...Tokoyami...", she said with tears in her eyes, "I can't let you die because of me..."
"Takane please!", he shouted again, tears flowing from his eyes.
But his cries fell on deaf ears as Takane reluctantly approached her mother.
"Fine...I'll come with you.", she said, bitterly "But please, don't hurt them."
"Now that's a good little girl", Lady Scorpio patted her daughter's head, satisfied that she submitted with minimal resistance.
"And my friends?"
"Oh, right..."
She tightened her tail around Shoji's neck as his face turned purple and she squeezed Obihiro's head more, causing him to scream in pain.
"But you said-"
"Oh please, did you really think I would let them run off with their lives. They'll squeal the moment we leave", Lady Scorpio glared.
"Why...", Takane's eyes flowed with tears.
"Crying again?", she scoffed, "These boys are unworthy of someone of your caliber. They don't even deserve to look in your general direction!"
Tokoyami's mind slowly began to fall apart as Dark Shadow faintly whispered into his mind.
"She betrayed us...She took our trust and threw it to the ground like it was trash. And now we're gonna die because of it.", it said with a mix of both sorrow and fury.
"No that's a lie! She was doing this to save us! That villain simply went back on her deal!"
"Stop lying to yourself!", it hissed.
"No, Kasumi would never. She's our friend, my friend!"
"It's all her fault." Dark Shadow continued,"She's the reason why the villains found us, why our friends got hurt. She deserves to suffer! You and I both know that!"
Tokoyami shut his eyes trying to suppress his hidden thoughts, taunting him about a painful truth that he adamantly denied.
"No! She doesn't deserve to suffer! It wasn't her fault!"
"Fine if you refuse to cut ties with that traitor..."
"Perhaps I'll start by taking the life of your little avian friend!", Lady Scorpio's mouth opened, revealing two vicious pairs of mandibles, ready to consume his head.
"I'll do it myself!"
Dark Shadow suddenly tackled the woman with indescribable fury, causing her to drop all three of her hostages.
"You rotten villain! I won't let you hurt my friends!"
"Tch, how annoying!", she growled, "Your bird friend is very persistent in stopping me. "Oh well, no point in fighting a losing battle."
"Oh no you don't!"
The sentient Quirk attempted to attack Lady Scorpio again, but she smacked him into a nearby tree with her stinger, giving herself enough time to retreat further into the woods, the darkness in the forest obscuring her tracks.
Kasumi then turned to the three boys (and Quirk), looking down at the ground ashamed.
"I'm sorry everyone...", she lamented. "I thought if I went with her without resisting she would let you live...But if I knew she would've done what she did, I..."
"Liar...", Dark Shadow glared at her before retreating back into Fumikage.
"Huh?"
"ARGH...GAHHHH!", Fumikage suddenly cried out, collapsing into a fetal position, clutching his head as he underwent violent spasms.
"Tokoyami?", Obihiro turned to the avian screaming in pain
"GET AWAY FROM ME!", he shouted. "RUN! I-I CAN'T STOP IT!"
"Stop what?", Obihiro tilted his head in confusion.
A large shadowy claw suddenly extended out of Tokoyami's body to attack the teen, forcing Obihiro to jump back to avoid.
"Tokoyami?", Takane asked weakly as she approached.
"RUN, SHOJI...OBIHIRO...TAKANE. G-GET OUT OF H-HERE, W-WHILE YOU STILL CAN!", Tokoyami pleaded, crying from the intense pain. "P-PLEASE STAY BACK! O-OR Y-YOU'LL DIE!"
Suddenly, shadowy wisps engulfed his body as he screamed in pain from being violently hoisted from the ground. Darkness began to engulf the area as a pair of crimson eyes glared at the three teens. The most terrifying thing about the scene was the source of this malicious aura was Dark Shadow or more specifically, it's master, Fumikage Tokoyami.
"GWARRRGHHHHHHH!", Dark Shadow roared in fury as Tokoyami screamed in pain, its shadowy structure attaching itself to the teen's back and top half of his head.
"DARK SHADOW PLEASE, COMPOSE YOURSELF!", Tokoyami begged his sentient Quirk.
"YOU...", Dark Shadow hissed, pointing its claw at Takane, "YOU DID THIS...YOU HURT FUMIKAGE." It lunged its claws at the moth girl, with the intent to kill. "YOU WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN!"
"DARK SHADOW NO!", Tokoyami screamed, but his Quirk ignored his command, only interested in sinking its claws into the one that 'hurt' its master.
Takane was too paralyzed in fear to move, her eyes fixated on the shadowy creature's hateful eyes.
At the last second, Obihiro transmuted the dirt in front of him, Takane and Shoji, creating a wall that repelled Dark Shadow's assault.
"YOU'RE PROTECTING HER?! EVEN AFTER WHAT SHE DID TO YOU?!", Dark Shadow bellowed, "THEN I'LL KILL YOU TOO TRAITOR!"
"Traitor?", Obihiro raised a brow.
"We gotta go you two!", Shoji picked Takane up as the three teens fled from the scene.
"What about Tokoyami?", Takane said.
"There's nothing we can do!", Obihiro shouted, "All we can do is run!"
"LEAVE THEM ALONE DARK SHADOW! THEY'RE OUR FRIENDS! NOT OUR ENEMIES!"
"YOU CAN'T STOP ME FUMIKAGE! I TOLD YOU ALREADY, I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM! YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR FRIENDS! ALL THEY DO IS STAB YOU IN THE BACK!"
"Tokoyami...I'm so sorry"
Outside Beast's Forest
"You fake heroes only care about yourselves and your glory. We'll purge you from this world.", Spinner slashed at both Mandalay and Ryuusuke who backed away from the attack.
"You've got a lot of nerve when you yourself are just a cheap carbon copy of the real deal!", Ryuusuke declared.
"That's rich coming from a false hero!", Spinner retorted as he swung his blade downwards at the two.
"You know for a villain you're kind of cute.", Mandalay told Spinner through her Telepathy, "You really are my type"
At that moment Spinner paused mid attack, blushing at the sudden flirt he received only to receive an uppercut from Mandalay as Tatsuma ran over to the wounded Pixie-Bob.
"You're really blushing huh?", she chuckled, "You really are gulli-".
Mid sentence she was dragged to Magne who intended to crush her skull with a large pole.
"Here kitty kitty. Time for your final nap-"
"I won't let you use the same trick twice!", Tiger punched the villain, releasing Mandalay from Magne's Quirk.
"Kenji Hikiishi. Villain name, Magne. Wanted for nine counts of aggravated robbery, three murders and 29 attempted murders."
"Ooh", Magne grabbed Tiger's fist, "Does that mean I'm famous?"
"What the hell did you come here for?!"
"Tiger. Something's wrong", Mandalay said, "I still haven't heard from Ragdoll. It isn't like her not to report."
"Uh oh," Magne sneered, "I wonder what happened to her."
"Mandalay, Tiger!", Tatsuma shouted to the two Pussycats, "I'll get Pixie-Bob outta here, that way you can deal with these guys without any trouble."
"Tatsuma!", Mandalay nodded. "Bring her back to the training camp. There should be medical supplies there!"
"Got it!".
He lifted Pixie-Bob over his shoulder as he ran towards the general direction of the training camp ground.
"Spinner darling...go after the boy for me would ya?", Magne asked. "It would be a shame if the brat managed to go get help."
"With pleasure", he grinned as he started to run after Tatsuma, only to be stopped by Mandalay who was dragged out of the way and into Tiger by Magne.
"Ah ah ah!", she waved her finger at the pussycats, "You'll have to deal with me first."
League of Villains Hideout
"Are you sure they will be alright, Shigaraki?", Kurogiri asked the lanky boy while cleaning a cup.
"I'm a NPC at this level.", Shigaraki answered, "They'll make it work without me. Besides, the game has totally changed.
"I've been thinking of it as an RPG", he explained, "We had good equipment, but we challenged the boss at level one. In reality, it's more of a simulation game. I'm the player and I'll use all my pawns to smash through the heroes' ranks. But first, I need to make cracks in the superhuman world. That's where the Vanguard Action Squad comes in. Who cares if they win or lose. The heroes will piss their pants because they showed up."
"Sacrificial pawns?", Kurogiri raised a 'brow'.
"Do you really think I'm that heartless? I'd never underestimate their strength. They may have different goals than me but they're comrades, nonetheless. In a society bound by ridiculous rules, villains aren't the only ones being oppressed. Let's hope they can pull this off."
Forest Training Camp Woods
Huff* *Huff* *Huff*
"I'm almost there...", Tatsuma panted as he ran through the woods, "I just gotta get to Mr. Aizawa before-"
"All students are allowed to engage the villains. I repeat, all students are allowed to engage the villains. The villains appear to be after Katsuki Bakugo and Kasumi Takane!", Mandalay's telepathic voice surged in his mind. "If anyone finds them. Escort them back to camp! I repeat, if anyone finds Katsuki Bakugo and Kasumi Takane, escort them back to camp immediately!"
Tatsuma's eyes widened.
"The League's after Bakugo and Takane? But why?", he thought. "Then that means-"
A dagger flew through the darkness, slicing through his shoulder, causing Ryuusuke to scream in pain and dropping Pixie-Bob's unconscious body.
"What the hell was that?", he clutched his shoulder, "Don't tell me they caught up."
"You could say that...", a voice chuckled, a figure approaching the two in the darkness. "But really now, did you think I would let a brat like you get away?"
The figure revealed itself to be Spinner.
"What?! But Mandalay and Tiger-"
"Are being taken care of by Big Sis Magne. Allowing me to deal with you.", he smirked.
"I won't let you get anywhere near Pixie-Bob!", Ryuusuke growled, stepping in front of the unconscious pussycat."
"Heh...you false heroes always act on your own selfish desires whether it be the desire for money or fame, and yet the moment you face real danger or the thought of dying, you preach to fight for justice. Such hypocritical mindsets are why society is going down the drain."
"If you claim to fight for a better society", Ryuusuke argued, "then tell me this...what is so just about trampling on the dreams and lives of the innocent? You villains terrorize the weak and defenseless for your own hedonistic pleasures and murder anyone that so much as rubs you the wrong way because of what you perceive as ideals. And yet you have the gall to claim you're fighting for the sake of a better society! The Hero Killer would be disgusted by your actions!"
"You question the League's motives?", Spinner glared angrily, "We all fight to purge society of false heroes such as yourself!"
"I intend on becoming a hero in order to bring hope to society! To reform injustice everywhere, meddling when I don't need to. I'll fulfill the Hero Killer's dream of a better society without needless bloodshed!", Ryuusuke adopted a battle stance. "Starting with protecting Pixie-Bob!"
"A fellow disciple of Stain's will?", Spinner glared, pulling his makeshift sword off his back. "Very well then. If you truly hope to reform hero society with your own path, then prove to me your conviction is greater than mine!"
Spinner lunged at Ryuusuke, who sidestepped out of the way to punch him in the rib. He was met with a counter slash to the chest, forcing him to retreat as Spinner quickly recovered from the punch. The boy then went for a leg sweep to trip the villain, who only caught his leg mid attack and jabbed a knife through it, causing the hero in training to hiss in pain. He was forced to keep Spinner at bay with a point blank blast of water as he approached.
"Crap", Ryuusuke thought, "It's like he's reading my moves. Maybe if I use my Quirk..."
Tatsuma pulled the knife out of his leg as bluish white scales began to surface on his arms and legs, followed by a tail. With his Quirk activated partially, he slashed at Spinner repeatedly, forcing the Stain wannabe to take the defensive. However, Spinner jumped over him, slashing his back whil clinging onto a nearby tree before flipping off it and slashing all over Ryuusuke's body as he jumped from tree to tree. He jumped off one last time and kicked Tatsuma in the head, slamming him into the ground.
"He's too fast!"
"Just give up, you're outmatched.", Spinner taunted.
"I refuse...", Ryuusuke stood up despite barely being in any condition to fight, "I'll fight to the bitter end! That's what it means to be a hero! won't let you anywhere near PIXIE-BOB!"
"Heh, you're a glutton for punishment. Even when all the odds are against you, you still continue to fight back!"
"Rahhh!", Ryuusuke lunged at Spinner, shifting into leviathan form but the gecko easily evaded and slashed at his arms. The pain was intense, but Tatsuma fought through the pain as he grabbed Spinner and threw him into a tree, seemingly knocking him out. With the adrenaline dying down, the throbbing pain on his arms caused the leviathan to collapse on the ground.
"That should do it...At least now I can get us outta here", he huffed as he struggled to crawl over to Pixie-Bob.
"Looks like you're worn out...", a voice said,. "And that means your luck has run out!"
In just a split second, in a flash of silver, the right side of Ryuusuke's vision suddenly turned red and then nothing as blood began to seep out of his right eye.
"GYAAAGHHH!", he held a claw over his right eye, roaring in pain before his other arm violently snapped from keeping his body off the ground, collapsing as Spinner confidently walked past him.
"DON"T TOUCH HER!", Tatsuma roared, using the last ounce of his strength to claw at the villain, but he easily stepped out of the way.
"And now for my prize", he walked over to the unconscious Pixie-Bob, raising his over sized makeshift sword over her head, "And another false hero bites the dust!"
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Just as Spinner swung his sword down, a green flash blurred across, shattering his sword and grabbing Pixie-Bob. As the blur dispersed, it was none other than Izuku Midoriya, but he looked even worse than Ryuusuke,
"D-Deku", Ryuusuke winced in pain as he smiled. "How did you find me?"
"Tatsuma are you alright? Where are the others?", the green haired boy ignored his comment.
"I could the same about you. You look awful! *Cough* But, Iida and the rest of the group should be back at the camp. But, I don't know about the others."
"Y-you're...", Spinner watched in shock, "the guy that Stain spared back in Hosu!" He then grit his teeth in frustration, realizing the terrible odds. "I can't take on the two of them at once. Plus Big Sis Mag is in trouble I have to back her up"
Before the two teens could react, the gecko villain threw a smoke bomb. When the dust cleared, he was gone.
"He's getting away! Don't let him esc- Gargh!"
"Here", Izuku handed Pixie-Bob to Ryuusuke "You take Pixie-Bob back to the training camp. I already took Kota back there."
"But what about you? You're in no condition to fight, even if you're running on adrenaline! We have to retreat and leave it to Tiger and Mandalay!"
The teen simply shook his head. "I can't leave Kacchan. I fought one of the villains and it turns out that the League is after him and Takane."
"What do you mean they're after our classmates?!"
"I don't know. All I do know is that they're after them! Even if we should that's true. I can't just leave Kacchan behind! I-I just can't"
Realize that there was no point in arguing with him, Tatsuma gave up.
"Alright then...", he wheezed. "I'll back you up once I get Pixie-Bob back to camp. I won't be of much use but any help is better than none." He put Pixie-Bob on his back, ignoring the excess weight that strained his body before running away from the fight.
Midoriya immediately fled to the other part of the woods, taking advantage of Spinner's odd paralysis, not understanding why the villain didn't attack him.
The Beast's Forest
"WHERE ARE YOU TAKANE? JUST COME OUT AND PLAY. I WON'T BITE...MUCH", Dark Shadow taunted as he clawed at nearby trees and bushes.
"What do we do?", Takane whispered to Shoji.
"We need to find some light", he said. "The problem is where can we get it."
Midoriya suddenly sprinted right in front of them, nearly getting hit by Dark Shadow's claw had it not been for Shoji snatching him out of harm's way at the last second, wrapping the boy's battered body on his back with his arms.
"Shoji, Obihiro, Takane What happened?", he asked, looking around in shock.
"With those injuries, you should be laid up in bed recovering", he panted, "But you wanna save your friends, no matter the cost."
"You and Obihiro are injured too", he pointed out, staring at the former's bloodied tentacle and the latter's bruised face.
"We got ambushed by villains", Obihiro said.
"But the attack triggered Tokoyami's Quirk", Takane said sadly. "Despite him trying his hardest to hold it back."
"No...don't tell me!"
Kasumi looked away.
"If we wanna get through here, we'll have to face Dark Shadow first."
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!", Fumikage warned in the dark depths of the forest, "YOU'LL DIE!"
"YOU WILL NOT BE SPARED, YOU WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN! I'LL STAIN THESE WOODS WITH YOUR BLOOD!", Dark Shadow roared.
The amorphous creature of darkness prowled ever closer in the vicinity of the four teens.
"How did this happen, and why is Dark Shadow attacking you gu-?", Deku began, only for Shigen to cover his mouth in panic.
"Shut it!", he hissed under his breath.
"After Mandalay told us about the attack and that we shouldn't engage, we were both on high alert.", Mezo whispered, "Still one of the villains got the drop on us. I hid in the bushes and tried to cover Tokoyami despite one of my arms being cut off"
"Really?"
"It looks bad, but it's not like it's lost forever. My Dupli-Arms are capable of making duplicates upon duplicates. One of those was cut off. Thing is, he couldn't stand seeing me injured like that. He was slowly being consumed by his Quirk. And then Obihiro and Takane showed up sometime later. Takane was able to calm Tokoyami down for a moment but then another villain attacked us.", he suddenly paused, seeing the grief in Kasumi's eyes.
"When I tried to comfort Tokoyami, like Shoji said, another villain attacked us", Kasumi added, "It was my mother..."
Izuku gasped.
"Your mother's working with the League of Villains?"
She grimly nodded, looking away.
"She demanded that I'd come with her to the League of Villains unless she'd kill my friends. I was about to go, in order to save their lives but Tokoyami stopped me and attacked her with complete rage, forcing her to retreat. But after that he...started to lose control and Dark Shadow attacked us."
"So Dark Shadow gets stronger through negative emotions? "And the darker the environment is, the less control he has. I had no idea his Quirk could explode like that."
"It's probably fueled by his indignation towards the villains that hurt me and Obihiro and regret regarding his own helplessness towards the situation", Mezo said. "He's tried to hold it back, but they made it wilder."
"I think it's because...", Kasumi looked down to the ground. "Deep down, he probably felt betrayed when I was about to leave with my mother to save him and the others."
Shoji took a step back, accidentally stepping on a branch with a low *crack*
"FOUND YOU", Dark Shadow said sadistically, swiping at the location of the sound. Shoji however was able to dodge at the last second.
"It's like a wild animal", Obihiro whispered. "Attacking anything that so much as makes a sound without relenting."
"FORGET ABOUT ME!", Tokoyami strained, "GO FIND OUR OTHER CLASSMATES! STOP THIS, CALM DOWN DARK SHADOW!"
"Light is his Quirk's weakness", Mezo said, "Perhaps if we can lure it to fire or back to camp, Dark Shadow will eventually calm down."
"Midoriya", he turned to the green haired youth."I know these are strange circumstances, but we can't just leave a suffering friend behind. You forced your broken body here because you were worried about Bakugo. If you still wanna save him, we'll distract Dark Shadow for you. And you can run."
"Hold on.", Midoriya argued. "We're too far away from both the fire and camp. You'll be in danger if he-"
"DIE", Dark Shadow lunged at the four teens, who leapt behind another tree to evade the incoming attack.
"I know that", Shoji said. "But to save people, you have to take risks. That's what makes a hero, a hero. Will you stay with us and help Tokoyami?", he asked. "Or will you rush to Bakugo's side? You have to make a choice. Right now."
Midoriya closed his eyes before opening them up with fierce determination.
"I've got an idea"