Hi guys! I hope all is well with you all. Sorry about the long wait, this past week has honestly been a lot and I've been having really bad writer's block. This chapter is shorter than I wanted it to be but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting so I'll just have to make the next couple of chapters count! Anyway, enough of my rambling, on with the chapter!

When Aiko returned from his explorations with his two companions Tsubaki and Shimizu, he hadn't been expecting to see Kaizu huddled next to the entrance with his knees pulled to his chest. The moment they exited the tunnel the boy sprang to his feet as was upon them, yelling something about an attack that Aiko couldn't quite make out, but Tsubaki and Shimizu clearly could from the way they both froze momentarily before shaking themselves out of their stupor as they tore towards the main areas, Aiko dropping to his knees and ruffling Kaizu's hair instead of following behind them.

"Are you okay?" It was a silly question to ask but it left Aiko's lips anyway, the child nodding with a grimace.

"I'm okay, Sena protected me! She told me to find my mom, but when I found my mom she told me to run here and wait for you guys! So you have to go and make sure that Sena and my mom are okay!" Aiko nodded, ignoring the sudden fear that washed over him as he rose to his feet.

"I will, you stay here okay? We'll come to get you when I'm sure it's safe. Where did you last see Sena?"

"She was heading to the waterhole." He gave Kaizu a smile, turning and hurrying away without another word. He couldn't quite run, his breath rattling uneasily in his chest, but his pace was still a quick one despite the slight burn that it sent pulsating through his chest. The closer he got to the main area, the tighter his heart clenched. It was clear that whatever battle that had taken place had long ended, the scent of smoke and something else he couldn't quite name hanging heavily in the air. Lifting his shirt up, he pressed it to his mouth and nose as he trudged into the smoky areas, eyes scanning for people only to come across none. As much as he wanted to go to the center and make sure that everyone was okay, he needed to see if Sena was alright for his own selfish reasons. He knew the woman would probably be ready with the words 'You fucking idiot, I told you so' on her lips, but he had to find her in order for her to actually say it.

As he closed in on the waterhole, the scent in the air abruptly changed from something smoky to something..metallic. If Aiko had to put a name on it, he'd say it smelt like iron, a specific iron smell that he knew all too well. Despite his aching lungs, he burst into a sprint, his shirt dropping from his grip as he awkwardly jumped over fallen rocks and piles, only to trip over something hard and sprawl to the ground cursing the entire way down. Pushing himself onto his knees he felt his stomach lurch as his eyes landed on a twisted and mutilated black-clad figure. A corpse. He had tripped over a corpse, one that was familiar to him. The face of one of the new men stared up at him, and he forced himself to his feet, whipping around as movement registered itself in his peripheral vision.

"Sena?" The name left his mouth in a whisper as he took a cautious step to the girl who for all intents and purposes looked sadistically pleased as she sat on the ground with her legs crossed on the edge of the pink stained waterhole, her hand resting in her palm that was propped up by her elbow resting on her knee. Flecks of crimson decorated her arms, her clothes, her face-not a part of her was spared from the tiny dots. Her lips were curled into a snarl but her eyes were alight with a sadistic glow, one that Aiko had only seen from her once. "Sena what did you do-" Almost as if he flicked a switch the light died from her azure eyes, growing cold like chips of ice. The frozen orbs directed themselves onto him and he forced himself not to flinch as she shrugged, her voice sounding as though they were discussing a pleasant subject.

"I learned a new form of bending. Apparently, with enough coercion, blood can boil. It's messy though." The avatar shrugged and this time Aiko did flinch, a violent movement that had Sena frowning at him.

"Sena…" He knew his voice was dripping with horror and he was suddenly reminded of how cruel the girl could be when she rose fluidly to her feet and strode towards him with the movement of a predator, not stopping until they were standing side by side.

"Don't blame me for the actions you forced me to take Aiko. We had 25 casualties, it's only because of me and my abhorrent bending that we only lost that many. Do you want to know how many of those casualties were children?" Even though he had heard it many times before, the venom in her voice still had him recoiling.

"Sena-"

"What, Aiko? I can see the fear and disgust in your face. You never kept it a secret that you hate my blood bending. The same bending that saved your life not even a year ago. Wasn't so disgusting and scary then, was it?" She paused and when he said nothing, she made a noise of disgust. "You have no right to judge me, none. I will not let you shame me into hating my bending. Be at the healing tent in an hour so I can mitigate the damage you've done to yourself by ignoring my advice, something which might I add, you often do." Without a further word, she strode away, and Aiko's lips suddenly moved without his permission.

"Do you regret it?" Though his back was to her, he didn't need to turn around to know that she came to an abrupt stop.

"Why would I regret doing what was necessary? Regret is for fools, Shigaraki." The cold words floated between them and the sound of feet moving picked up once more, leaving Aiko alone and staring at the carnage in front of him.

"They're really loud aren't they?" Magne leaned against a tree, a frown on her face as she idly spun her magnet like a baton, offering Twice a grin as he moved to avoid being hit. "My bad Twice."

"Watch it Big Sis Mag, you clutz! I love you Big Sis Mag!" The masked man gave her a thumbs up and a thumbs down, miming a shocked look with his hands as Toga suddenly popped up in between them, a wide grin on her face as she licked her lips. They all listened quietly to the sound of the screaming children below them, screams of amusement not screams of horror. That would change soon enough.

"I can't wait to cut them all...do you think Izuku-kun will be there? Shiggy said I could cut him, he said I could make him bleed-"

"Isn't that the one who was honored by Stain? He isn't to be touched!" Spinner cut in sharply, glaring at Toga through his mask as the girl suddenly became serious, staring at him with her head tilted.

"I'll kill you-"

"Where's Muscular?" All of them went quiet immediately as Dabi strode towards them, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his ripped jeans. His black hair swayed in the wind, rolling his eyes in disgust when everyone shrugged to not knowing where the other villain was. It wasn't his issue. "Whatever, remember the targets. Now, let's play with the little heroes." He casually laid a hand against a tree and allowed his palm to catch fire, the tree almost instantly going up in a flare of blue flame. He watched impassionately as his flames leaped from tree to tree until the entire section of the forest they were in was covered with a blue light and dark smoke. Everyone who had been gathered had dispersed by then, leaving Dabi on his lonesome. His blue eyes glinted as he whistled and strode in the direction that he knew Twice would be in, he would get the man to make some copies of him so that he could have fun.

It all happened so fast, so fast that Izuku still wasn't fully aware of what was going on. One moment he had been wincing with sympathy as Mina and Kaminari were dragged away screaming by Aizawa's scarf, Kirishima, Sato, and Sero trialing after him after giving them weak waves, receiving guilty ones back in return. One moment he had been picking his partner out of a slot, only to find that he was by himself as class 1-A now had an uneven number of students, one moment he was listening to the amused screams of his friends as they went into the forest in pairs, getting ready to enter for his own turn when suddenly smoke reached his nose and he snapped his eyes up to see the thick smog trailing up lazily towards the sky, spreading out like a blanket. For a moment after that, everything seemed to pause and come to a standstill as his mind whispered to him. We're under attack. And then time resumed and everything went to hell, which led to Izuku's current situation of him zipping up to the cliffside on his air scooter, green electricity dancing around his body as he reached the top of the cliff, the air scooter dying as he allowed his red sneaker-clad feet to slam against the ground. He wasn't in uniform as this was supposed to be a fun activity, so instead, he was wearing the clothes he was most comfortable in, a black pair of loose jeans, his red sneakers, and a green hoodie with the word "Hoodie" stretched across the front. The only part of his uniform that he had on him was his utility belt in order to make sure that he had his canteens. His eyes flickered around frantically as he began calling for the child he had come for.

"Kota! Kota, where are you, we have to get back to camp-" His words died out and his body moved on autopilot as he leaped forward, snatching Kota out of the way just as a giant muscled fist came down on the area where the little boy had been standing previously. Izuku held him tight with his left arm as he used his right to send a sharp gust of wind forward that sent dust kicking up into the air, pushing him back towards the trail that they would need to escape down and sending the villain stumbling back a few places. He landed on the ground lightly and set Kota down, moving without hesitation as he bent an earthen tent around Kota. "It'll be alright, Kota-kun. I'm here."

"H-he killed...mama...papa." The boy whispered behind him, Izuku's eyes widening as the dust settled and the biggest man he had ever seen in his life, possibly even bigger than All Might in his buff form, wiped the corner of his mouth and laughed. Dozens upon dozens of muscles bulged outside of his arms, wrapping his body nearly like a suit. From behind dirtied hair, one regular eye and one mechanical eye stared at him, watching him the same way he was watching the villain. Muscular, his mind supplied him, a dangerous villain who has slain his fair share of heroes. Last duo killed? The Water Hoses.

"Oh? Is someone getting in between me and my latest toy? Wait a minute- you're the boy that Shigaraki wants. Say, make this easy for me, will you? Mind your business for a couple of minutes and then come with me." Izuku ground his teeth as he slid into a defensive stance, holding his left arm out in front of him as his right hand came to rest down by his canteen.

"You're crazy, I won't let you hurt him!" The smile that had been on Muscular's face only grew wider as the man let out a bellowing laugh and pointed his meaty fingers at Izuku.

"You, I like you. Shigaraki said to make sure you're alive, but he never said to make sure you were unharmed! Show me what you've got, hero."

The smart thing would have been to take Kota and run, to go find Aizawa-sensei, and hope that the man would be able to help him but there were so many things that would go wrong with that. Izuku couldn't turn his back to the man, that would be a death sentence. He also wouldn't be able to get away with Kota, holding the boy would inhibit his bending and would leave their defenses compromised. Determination settled across Izuku's face as the nearly full moon broke from behind the clouds of smoke that had briefly covered it, shining down on him. He would defeat the villain here and now, it was his only choice. The villain seemed to know that too, as he lunged forward quicker than Izuku had thought he would have been able to move. The greenette only had a split second to bring his arms up in an X across his chest before he was being sent flying backward, crashing into one of the rocky walls that lined the cliff. He let out a harsh wheeze but forced himself to move not a moment too soon as a rocky fist came slamming down on the area Izuku had been a moment prior. A quick movement had the earth sealing around Muscular's fist as the hero in training sprung to his feet, slamming a now barefoot into the ground, the earth-shaking as slabs of rock sprung from the ground and attempted to encase Muscular in a rocky tomb. The man let out another laugh before breaking himself free, only to have to cover his face with his arms as shards of rock shot towards him, slicing into his arms. Izuku tossed a look to Kota, the little boy frozen beneath the two slabs of earth that met in a triangular form overtop of him, eyes wide with fear. Izuku wanted to shout at him to go, to flee, but he couldn't risk bringing any attention to him. Another punch from Muscular flew towards him but this time Izuku was quicker as his mind frantically searched and searched for potential weaknesses, only finding one.

His left hand moved, unlocking the canteen on his hip and he moved without hesitation, sending a sharp shard of ice directly at Muscular's mechanical eye. He completely ignored the man's bellow of agony and grit his teeth as he allowed 100% of One For All to course through his left arm, the power of the quirk ripping his hoodie sleeve as he slammed his non-dominant arm into Muscular's stomach, sending the man flying backwards into the same area that he had sent Izuku flying earlier, rocks crumbling on top of the villain as it triggered a mini avalanche. His left arm protested all movement but he ignored it as he ran towards Kota, lowering the slabs of earth that were protecting him.

"Come on, we have to go." He tugged Kota to his feet, moving to run with him when a squeak of fear and the sound of moving rubble had Izuku freezing in his tracks. No. No. NO-

"That was a good hit kid, now let's have some real fun!" Izuku moved to stand in front of Kota, a snarl on his face now. Why couldn't the man just stay down? Why wasn't 100% of One For All not good enough?

"Kota, I need you to run."

"Why, why do you stay to die!" The voice was thick with tears and Izuku took a moment to look behind him and smile, one that was full of teeth and wobbled slightly but was the most genuine one he could manage at the moment.

"Because that's what a hero does." He turned his eyes back to Muscular striking out and sending a large boulder flying at the man. He watched closely as the muscle fibers wrapped around Muscular's arm before demolishing the rock into pieces. He wouldn't be able to win as he was now, but what could he do? He couldn't let him get past him and he knew there wasn't time for self-pity but he couldn't help but be so angry at himself. His left arm dangled uselessly at his side, a deep bruised purple. His bending had made him used to being a long-range to medium ranged fighter, he wouldn't be able to fight close range when it was clear that even OFA at 100% didn't have an effect. Useless, his brain whispered to him as he sent another sharp gust of wind at Muscular, followed by a blast of fire that he used more as a deterrent rather than an actual attack. The villain taunted and teased him, tanking Izuku's attacks easily.

"Where's all the steam from earlier hah? If this is how weak you are then Shigaraki won't mind too much if I kill you instead, die!" And then Muscular lunged, but not at him. Time seemed to slow down as Izuku rushed to intercept the hit aimed directly at Kota, forcing his left arm to rise with his right one as he brought up the thickest slab of rock that he could, curling himself around Kota as the resulting implosion from the wall crumbling under Muscular's fist sent them both skidding backward until they came to a stop at the edge of the cliff, Izuku barely able to stop them from falling off.

The slowly mounting rage that had been building throughout his body, both rage at himself for being weak and at the villain himself for being so ridiculously strong, came to a peak as he shakily rose to his feet. There was blood running down his face now from where a shard of the rock wall had sliced his eyebrow and his left arm was throbbing fiercely but Izuku couldn't feel any of it. He moved to force his rage down, unwilling to let it could his judgment but-

Rage is neither an enemy nor a friend, it just is. It is what you decided to do with that rage that matters. The words floated through his mind and after a moment's hesitation, instead of capping it, he let the rage flow through his body as his vision disappeared beneath a haze of white.

"If you think I'm going to lose to you, you're crazier than I thought"

"I will bestow upon you a gift that your predecessor found herself unable to wield, the wiliest gift that I can give you. Know this, the gift will strike out against you if you falter. Do not give it a chance to strike you down."

"There will be a time when you might have to make that judgment call Izu. I know that people say killing is wrong- and it is. But when you're a hero and you have to make a call between you going home to your family, civilians going home to their families, and a villain going home to theirs- I want you to always make the choice to save yourself and the civilians Izu. The villains made their bed when they chose their lifestyle, and they have to lie in it." Blue eyes glanced down and saw conflicted green ones staring straight at her.

"So you mean if there ever comes a time when I could take the life of a villain then I should?"

"No. Killing just to kill is senseless, if you can arrest them then do that. But if it comes down to a situation where you're facing a villain who won't stay down, whose mind and body is set on causing mass casualties and destruction- or if you're in the situation where someone or even you will die if you don't act, that's when you need to do what you have to."

Glowing pure white eyes stared at Muscular as a breeze whipped up around them, sending their hair rustling backward.

"Midoriya!" The villain yelled and launched himself forward, only to be sent skidding backward by a violent gust of wind that shot forward, propelled by the boy in question.

"My name is Avatar Deku." The words fell from his lips, backed by the voices of his predecessors as Muscular anchored himself to the ground, shielding his eyes from the debris that was sent flying backward. His glowing eyes directed themselves to the little boy behind him and he offered a small smile. "Shield your eyes, Kota." He didn't wait to see if his directions were followed, inhaling deeply as he moved his right arm in a circular motion, forcing his left arm to do the same as he shifted his legs from left to right, inhaling deeply as his familiar green electricity died out, only to be replaced with a sparking blue that made the hairs on his arms raise and sent his hair floating upward. He could feel the struggle that it tried to wage against him, but he had practiced enough times with it to know better than to let it win. On seeing Muscular's face as the man rose to his feet once more, Izuku nearly faltered but then the sound of the still sniffling Kota reached him and his mind was made up.

I'm making the choice to save Kota. Several things happened at once.

Muscular lunged forward with a speed that he hadn't managed to reach previously.

Green electricity roared to life around Izuku once more, intermingling with the blue lightning that was sparking around him.

Izuku's arms completed their rotations and two fingers from each hand came close to each other.

Muscular reached out with a muscle enhanced fist, murderous lust leaking from his body.

Izuku's right foot struck forward and his arm followed it, the lightning leaving his body with a giant crackle.

Branches of blue illuminated the sky, a giant boom echoing directly after.