A/N: I've waited quite some time for this, time to make good on my ominous set-up. If you know Vosik, you know what kind of heat he's packing. Review Time!
To Murtaito: It's relieving to know the subtle alterations to the battle were well accepted. Who knows what Vosik is plotting. As for Akio/Viral, they've got their hands full, maybe I should make a bonus depicting what happened on his end... Thoughts for later.
To Cobbb: I don't think anyone's prepared for what I've got in the works, not even me. Like I said to the gentleman above me, Akio/Viral sensed a sudden shift in emotions in the area, hence them bailing only to face their own battle.
Enjoy.
Chapter 43 - Twisted Perfection
In the blink of an eye, Yuki was torn from Izuku's sight, the large figure having swooped in from above, discharging an energy blast that sent her plummeting into the forest, the figure giving chase without them. For an instant, Izuku felt his heart fall into his stomach, then he steadied himself, biting back that urge to chase after her.
"No, I have to focus, that's what she'd do!" "Kota, we need to go and warn Mr. Aizawa and the Pussycats before things spiral out of control." His words were heavy but the harrowing sight of fire building across the forest and into the night sky kept him more than alive
Kota's mortified expression snapped to the forest. "B-but, Yuki-!" He turned, seeing the tiny smile on Izuku's face
"It's fine if anyone is considered the strongest here it's Yuki, she can manage herself, I know that first hand, which is why I know she'll probably defeat that villain and track down Kacchan," Shakily, Izuku knelt before the boy. "Kacchan is one of their targets, so I may be injured but I'm not defeated yet, there are still people I can save."
Reluctantly, Kota nodded. Next Izuku turned to look at Muscular, the man was still out cold. "We'll leave this villain here for the time being, our arms were weakened but that combined strength should keep him down for a while, he isn't waking up anytime soon, even if he did he'd be too weak to fight." While he was useless one-arm-wise, there was one trick left up his sleeve, and it all revolved around the boy standing before him
"Right now, I need to make sure you're safe, we're gonna need some help only you can give us," Izuku traced his eyes to the raging inferno beyond, Kota following him before he gasped, realizing just what exactly he was being asked, gazing down at his hands. "With the forest set ablaze, it means my friends could be trapped, but we have hope, you, Kota, you can put those fires out with your Water Quirk."
Offering the scared boy a simple, kind smile he prayed that was enough to put him at ease. "I..." He didn't know if he could, he's never used his Quirk often, he outright refused to, and now, when there was no other way he was the only person with the ample ability to save all those people.
"Kota, do you hear me? We need you." And that tipped the scales. However, Izuku felt it, a tight, painful twist in his chest when he saw Yuki being pulled away from them like he should have reached for her hand, that he should have tried to save her then and there
In the forest...
High above the forest, Yuki braced herself as a hook hand snagged against her face, throwing herself and Vosik into a tumble across the tops of the trees, the pair crashing through branches and foliage as they separated with a kick to each other's chests. "Die, like your fleshlings!" Vosik snarled, his arm-cannon locked as it lobbed several high-density blasts through the trees, forcing Yuki to spin herself behind a tree, diving downward as it was obliterated
Rolling onto her knees, Yuki felt the feeling return in both hands as she prepared herself for a narrow fight. Vosik slammed into the earth, turning to face her, he stood roughly twenty-four feet tall, dressed in the same white barding under a cybernetic body. His left leg exposed his cybernetics, talons hook to the soil while the right was booted and layered in barding.
His waist displayed the SIVA marking on a worn, red cloth, his torso reinforced with a mesh of black plating and red wires humming with a fake variant of SIVA. The wires were splayed and snaking from holes in the armor to his biceps and over his shoulder to a large, black pyramid fixed to his upper back.
He only seemed to have three arms, the lower-left made entirely of black metal and wires, imitating SIVA's blocky design with a pyramid tip. The upper left was the only limb that looked less abnormal, as for the right, it was completely augmented. A large, reinforced gauntlet stretched from the hand to the shoulder mounting a cannon for a hand that worked similarly to an M32 Grenade Launcher.
Last was the head itself, wired into the pyramid it was white and domed compared to the angular helmet Yuki would wear, a single, large red eye piercing the faint glow of light blue with an ominous red glare. He looked like a spider in that regard with a few strange additions to the visor. Holding out his cannon, Vosik growled with a click in his throat.
"If not for you, as it pains me to say, I would not be here," His tone dripped with disgust for her. "Kovik was a fool, obsessed with his counterfeit SIVA, with you, a no-good mongrel with stolen tech and who dares make a mockery of the Fallen!" He snapped, the cannon going off and forcing her to relocate to the safety of the trees, dirt kicked up by the blasts. "Run all you want, I will find you, mongrel!"
"I am Vosik, Archpriest of the Devil Splicers," Yuki gasped, finding the glare of the arm targeting her position. "And I am reborn...!"
Without thinking she dived, escaping the blast, dashing toward Vosik in a circle, keeping his aim a step behind her. He lowered his arm, bracing with the left as Yuki leapt high, evading a forward wall of debris from the cannon as her heel came down in a solid ax-high, to her wide eyes, he barely flinched, say for a few fragments splitting from the bracer.
"Begone, mongrel!" He threw her back into a tree, charging as his arms folded against his chest, ramming Yuki through the tree while throwing his arms wide, smacking her into the side of another tree while her eye snapped to the barrel of the cannon, rolling away from a follow-up blast that set the falling tree ablaze.
When Yuki flipped herself onto her feet she gasped as a claw grabbed her by the face again, pulling her crown against a nearby tree while she kicked and punched the forearm yet nothing worked. Even going by Bakugo's route she fired off a series of energy blasts directly into Vosik's face, freeing herself while she bent at the knees, diving forward with her right arm folded back. "Wolves Howling!"
An impressive, crescent of red tore across Vosik's chin, forcing the Archpriest back with a grunt, leveling his cannon directly with her face. Wrapping her arms to the side of the barrel she threw herself over the weapon's glare, the knockback tossing her behind Vosik, leaving him exposed to her left hook. Bringing a powerful Smash down at forty percent she felt the metal skin connect to abrasive metal. She could win this and end this attack!
"Hahaha, I will admit-" The dust cleared and Yuki winced as her arm was twisted between the left claw, pulling her down to the ground, the towering Fallen mocking her from above while he held her firm. "-you are strong, but compared to myself, you might as well be striking with your bare hands!" He yanked Yuki high, tearing her body through another tree, hearing her cough out a gasp, throwing her up he trained the sights of his cannon to her body, seeing the hail of energy crackle against her flimsy barding as it shattered, throwing her across the forest, landing in the filth he took pride in shoving her.
Yuki's body felt burnt and weakened all over. Stretching to her feet she barely made a stand as Vosik unleashed a barrage of attacks through the thicket, leaving Yuki to wince at the many flashes of cherry red and white light that consumed the forest around her, a few of the payloads causing so much wind pressure that the force threw her behind a tree to brace the blasts.
"You never deserved that power, you mock my kin, you proclaim yourself a hero like... like Her!" That made her eyes broaden a little, that was twice she's heard an aforementioned female that seemed to have stung Kovik and Vosik, but who was she? "You are a fraud, a runt that has nothing to live for, nothing to die for, you are an empty, dead thing to this world, and that worthless hide of yours holds the secrets to perfection!"
When Yuki threw herself from cover the tree was splintered, an arm grabbing a fallen log to fling it at her, forcing the girl to turn and smash her way through the debris, only for a claw to snap forward, wrapping like a vice around her throat, dragging her feet out from under her. She was held before the singular eye and swore she saw several narrowed with scorn. "When you die no one will remember you."
She felt the barrel wedge itself to her abdomen, and in a heartbeat she jabbed her fingers through the eyesocket, hearing Vosik wailing in agony and fury as she hardened her eyes, pulling and prying out the optical between her fingers, glass and fluid flying across her hand while her left tugged and wormed between the pyramid on his back, tearing large portions of it out with her bare hands.
"YOU VERMIN!" Her body heated up and soon she found herself skyward again, burns covering her exposed stomach as she was torn from the Archpriest's hand, the blast sending several unbearable waves of pain throughout her nervous system, and all she could think was back to her one vow while the world just spun amongst the stars
"You want me to train you?" Skeleton Might looked over Young Azuru's words carefully, ensuring he read them correctly. Eyeing the ten-year-old again he grimaced, seeing a fire in her actual eyes. "And why's that? Thought you swore never to use that power of yours again, what changed?"
Yuki frowned, holding out a new note. 'My baby sister's alive... I... I want to save her' Again, he read critically, seeing the subtle shake in her hands as the words changed. 'You saved me... I-I want to save her, I know I can, I have to, please!' She bowed her head, stray tears falling from her chin while she shook like a leaf, he had never seen her this way before, not since the day he saved that timid, petrified girl a year younger than her from her own power
His eyes were hidden a moment, frowning down at the little girl. "I heard from Akame she's been in a coma since the accident, the doctors say it's treatable... but the treatment may take years, and even then it could be even longer until she wakes up." He saw her flinch at that, stomping her foot
'I can heal her myself!' His eyes widened at her words. 'Me... SIVA, h-he said we could, one-hundred percent, i-if we can control SIVA entirely, I can save her!' Her head shot up, tears staining her face, begging and pleading for All Might to help her again. 'Please... please help me...? She's... she's all I have... all I have left of Mama and Papa...'
For the longest time All Might stood by and watched her tear up, holding onto her note for fear it would fall apart. Akame was here, watching from afar with a sad smile on her face. He had heard Young Azuru had finally opened up to her, and heck, it was the first he's seen the young girl's face, and it pained him to see a face that looked like it was so bright hold onto so much sorrow.
Kneeling down, he brought his hand up to ruffle her hair gently, feeling her trembling lessen at his smile and kind gaze. "You claimed before your power made you a monster, but what kind of monster would risk their life, beg another to aid them in saving a life?" Yuki blinked, watching as the man grew taller, his body ripped while displaying a winning smile
"Come, Young Azuru!" He stood tall, holding out his hand for her own. "I shall teach you all I know, this road will be tough, think you can handle it?" He challenged her
Yuki, for the first time since he met her, smiled, it wasn't happy, rather, it burned with fierce determination and hope. Wiping away her tears, the little girl put her small fist to her chest, puffing out her cheeks with a defiant nod. "Well then, let us plan your road ahead, a road in saving your sister, Young Azuru."
'Okay, tell me what I have to do'
Her eyes snapped open, finding herself slumped against a tree trunk while the heavy footsteps belonging to Vosik closed in. Grinding her teeth together, she sunk her fingers into the bark, feeling several key elements in the forest resonate with her nanomachines. "It was... worth every risk... every percentage brought me closer to you... and I will continue to climb that ladder until I see your smile again... Nana, for Mama and Papa's sake, I will... see you become a hero!"
What is you plan? | We have infected many metallic objects | How do you intend to fight?
"SIVA, it's time... to go beyond..." She pushed herself onto her knees. "...and reach for the stars!"
"Not even your mongrel friends can-" Vosik froze, feeling the energy in the air change, his optics were useless but with his naked eye alone, he saw the girl, her body cast in a flaming red aura. "What... is this?" He seethed, slowing his approach while feeling the rumble within his scorch-cannon augment
The metal she had stripped off Vosik and her own body flung itself into her skin, red lines of code infecting and reconfiguring the make-up of the materials, what clusters she had dormant inside her coming to life, infecting her skin and bone, reforging her weakened body into a form comparable to Vosik's own augmented, hollow shell.
"SIVA-!" She stomped her right foot forward, the boot and metal hooks sunk into the forest floor. "-Enhance-!" Her chest was smoothed over with crimson metal, a black SIVA marking matching the torn cape that flapped against the middle of her back. Her arms were converted to machine and metal, and her helmet remained split between her own and two icy-blue eyes. "Eight-Five Percent!"
A roar of sparks scorched the earth, setting a few branches under her ablaze with scarlet embers, only signifying her growth in strength, and while her body groaned in protest, she felt a few whispers cloud her thoughts, but that alone took alot of focus she couldn't afford to lose.
"I must /Consume/ stay focused, otherwi- /Enhance. Replicate/ no, SIVA, listen to /Consume-/," Yuki shook her head, Vosik beginning to raise his weapon to put a swift end to her rising retaliation. "...Aksis, can you hear i- /Enhanc-/ My heart?" There was silence but she felt the white noise subside. "Listen to its sound, don't worry about me, about Vosik, just focus on my heart."
At the last possible second Yuki propelled to a nearby tree, red and dirt flying from the earth while she zipped behind Vosik, diving under his arm's backswing while she felt a roar of plasma bellow from her back.
I... can hear it | So... this is... your sound | It's soothing... and warm
She smiled, activating her augment. "SIVA, Augment, Blackbird!" With a tackle, she ripped the large Archpriest off the ground, the sudden velocity that kicked from her lower back creating a downward wind-pressure that kept Vosik steady as they shot through the trees, climbing higher and higher through the air, high above the smoke and the harsh glow of the forest
The pair rose higher and higher, eventually cutting into the clouds and out through the top. Grunting, a hand latched itself to Yuki's side, attempting to pry her off. "Get off of me!" He shoved her back, so she backflipped, smacking him in the jaw while looping round back into a tackle, pulling him through the atmosphere, the world becoming less detailed and vast in size, it was an amazing sight if Yuki wasn't in a battle for her life.
We're beginning to exceed our flight limit | What is your intenti-
"Just focus on my heart, keep calm, SIVA... trust me," Her thoughts were a gentle tone even while a powerful blast shook her off, followed by several more that she barely shaved by, a few patches of ice melted at the touch.
Performing a corkscrew she slipped between two large slugs, throwing a snap-kick into the stumpy, black arm while drawing a right hook across Vosik's cheek, then again with the left before she sunk her claws into his chestplate, pulling at the wires while she increased her speed, draining the energy from his own armor to fuel her own
"What do you honestly hope to achieve?" His arm pried her off, ice beginning to spread between their suits at an astounding three thousand feet. His hand caught her neck, pulling her closer to the helmet while she felt her armor strain against his claws. "You're a nobody from a forgotten speck in this world." Then Vosik brought his head back, head frantically looking across his suit
They climbed a few more feet, feeling the frigid chill course through the cracks in his armor while the head's joints were locked to the sight of the girl, her armor's highlight hissing from heating the icing that had accumulated across their bodies. "W-What is this, why can't I - icing at this altitude!?"
He grunted, trying to move while his fingers snapped off under Yuki's pull, her hand coming up with a wink. "Damn you... Mongrel!"
"Boop." A comedic 'dink' resonated off the forehead of Vosik's helmet, breaking away a piece of the ice while he lost any sense of control or momentum, rapidly plummeting toward the forest hundreds of meters down while Yuki herself cut out the thruster, slamming her feet into Vosik's chest. "This is a little early, but - Ultimate Move-!" She reengaged the thruster, inverting its flow so that she sped up their descent toward the earth, Vosik unable to do anything more than grunt and yell absurdities in her face.
Like a crimson-winged demon, Yuki's form sharpened in the night, cutting off her engine to propel herself off of Vosik, "-Rain's Fall!" Her declaration aside she hastily engaged her repulsors across her palms and soles, expelling small, weakened bursts to gradually shorten her velocity. "Oh, crap." She hissed from smacking into a tree, tumbling down into the dirt while a massive explosion rang out from the world beside her
Rock and dirt gushed into the air, burying Vosik firmly into the earth, several pieces of armor and equipment raining from the impact crater while Yuki flopped onto her back, huffing as she lost her augments and the majority of her armor and barding, she was at her limit. It hurt, and she knew the backlash was going to catch up to her but right now, she could rest just for a few minutes.
Mission complete | To think this was what became of my second-in-command | He is ruthless, so thank you
That brought back her smile slightly, "Anytime, SI -" "Ack - Ngh!" Yuki suddenly shot up, muscles contracting while her right eye failed to register the world, turning red before the screen jittered and faded to black. Her whole body wracked with pain as she hacked up from the sudden loss of air, then came a set of boots
"Tch-tch-tch, that was very impressive," A lighter, charismatic voice chimed, stepping into her view while she writhed on the ground, whimpering. "Hrm, sorry about this, the interference is going to cause some mild discomfort, rest assured it'll pass."
It was one of those 'Captains' that Yuki fought in Hosu, but he lacked the extra arms, though the armor looked slimmer, less constricted by metal plating, and the helmet was curved, fixed with two horns to each cheek, two pairs of icy-blue eyes locked to her own. He put a strange device back on his belt, the right bent in a formal manner to his chest. "You may call me Dren, though Vosik is my superior it was thanks to your exploits and that of Ravage's that we were able to revive him."
That tidbit of information filled in another blank, it was him, he sent Ravage to I-Island with that virus! Narrowing her good eye toward the Splicer he and Yuki noted the rising form from the crater, and Yuki's heart sank like an anvil. Vosik was alive... he was still standing after that? Dren looked especially surprised. "I'm surprised those basic metals held up, humanity is so ingenious."
"I do not care," Vosik snarled, jabbing a finger at Dren as his body clearly sustained massive damage, broken armor and cannon augment, wires hung with chunks of metal, and torn scrap. The helmet was fractured on one side, flickering with red sparks. "Have you extracted what you need?"
"Sir, we're dealing with a highly advance nanotech that has gained sentience, it'll take time but I've temporarily disabled the connection between Azuru and SIVA, so long as she's alive then I can begin the data transfer," Dren explained, not seeing the fearful look in Yuki's eye as she watched Vosik trudge over to her, grabbing her by the head. Dren sighed. "Look, sir, just... don't cause more damage than necessary, once it's done you can kill her, much as that would be a shame."
"And why is that?" He dared his underling to speak, and to no one's surprise Dren did, shrugging
"Her development with SIVA has far exceeded that of our old Perfection Complex, whatever has happened to SIVA has caused it to become self-aware, bonding to this girl, although this is troubling," He explained, not caring for the girl's audience. "The moment these two achieve total control I'll be locked out, so we must not waste this opportunity, this camp may have been the tipping point and she's clearly improved just simply from battling you, though her legs have sustained fractures."
"Siva... come on... wake up..." She couldn't hear him, couldn't feel him, she was all alone and that isolation made her heartbeat with a coldness she hadn't felt in years. "SIVA, wake up!"
With a sharp twist, Yuki came eye-to-eye with Vosik, hearing him chuckle lowly. "Here that, Mongrel? You get to live a little longer," His grip tightened, causing her to bite her lip. "We're going to have so much fun..." With his lower left stump, the black appendages rose and promptly cracked against Yuki's head, and her world faded to black
Somewhere else...
"Shoji, I apologize, you too Midoriya, I'm still far too immature," Tokoyami bowed his head, hands shaking at his loss of control no more than a minute ago, he almost killed his friends, and if not for Todoroki and Bakugo he might have gone too far over the line. "Anger consumed me and I let my anger take over, the influence of the darkness combined with my fury!"
His face twisted with despair and regret. "It spurred dark shadow into a frenzy until it got so strong I couldn't contain it and I ended up hurting Shoji!" He hated himself for it, he had let them down and risked their lives
"We'll deal with that later," Hearing Shoji's reply brought his head high. "That's what you'd say if the roles were reversed."
"Yeah, and besides, I know Yuki would probably say she understand it too, not being able to control such a power, and the fear of losing control," Izuku added with a smile, somehow standing even after all he's been put through tonight. Soon, he lost it for a grim look. "Okay, I don't know if you heard Mandalay but we found out the villains are after Kacchan and that they were told to leave Yuki alive."
"What, Bakugo and Yuki?" Tokoyami gaped, feeling worried about his comrades. "Are they attempting to kill him and capture Yuki?"
"I'm not sure, but I think... we should get to the camp where it's safer," Izuku confirmed, knowing that Yuki would probably regroup after beating that villain, she's not an idiot, and he knew she'd never risk going over her limits if they were out for her.
Tokoyami nodding in agreement. "I see, so we'll be serving as Bakugo's protectors."
"It's possible the Pussycats are still fighting in the clearing, that would draw the attention of the villains, and its a longer route," Izuku felt it materialize in his head, the map of the forest and the likely spots to escape capture. "We should cut straight across."
"We don't know how many enemies there are we might come across them by chance." Bakugo's head switched to Tokoyami, then straight ahead, his blood beginning to boil
"So they're after me and that Mute Bastard, tch, like hell they'll capture either of us..." He wasn't reacting at all, processing the information. They were to run and cover him, that alone was pissing him off. "She's not stuck to Deku's side like glue, so she's been cut off somehow, and if she's taking so long that means it might be that metal bastard from Hosu."
"Honestly, with a team like this we might even be able to go up against All Might," Izuku put his somewhat working left fist to his chest. He could use another punch or stick to air blasts, that might be more viable given his training
"I can take care of myself!" Bakugo was ignored
"We'll surround you as we walk." Todoroki spoke, adjusting the 1-B student on his back
"I don't need any of your protection, dammit!" He thundered as they walked, still no one listened to him
"Let's go."
"Don't ignore me!"
"Just keep up."
"Don't tell me what to do!"
Izuku, despite struggling to walk kept himself moving forward, his right arm was busted and unusable, and he was completely drained to the bone, Yuki must have been the same but she was still fighting. "If we can make it back with the others that's all that matters! Yuki, please be there, please be safe!" His muscles screamed but he kept going, he just needed to reach the end by any means
Not long after that, they came across Ochaco and Tsu, freeing them from a skirmish with some strange girl with knives, though Izuku felt really strange seeing her stare at him, it was a little unnerving. Todoroki took the vanguard. "Hey, who was that girl!?"
"One of the villains she was crazy," Tsu explained, shivering at how chilling her almost sociopathic kindness was
"Uraraka, you're hurt!" Izuku noticed, but she shrugged, rubbing the cut
"It's fine, I can still wal - Deku, what happened to you!?" She almost paled at the sight of his broken arm and bruised and bloody left, dried spots running down his face too but he managed a small smile
"I can move fine, just that I'm down to one arm," He waved the pulsing limb to emphasize, then Bakugo exploded
"Who cares about your well-being, I thought we were going back already!?" He snapped, seeing the concerned but eased look on Ochaco's face. This did put his mind at ease, seeing she wasn't hurt as badly. "Let's just go..." That was when he realized his voice never met any of their ears, not even when he shouted. "W-What the hell!?"
Tsu put her finger to her chin, Ochaco sharing a tilt. "If you're protecting Bakugo... then where is he?" It sounded funny to Izuku, motioning behind him
"What do mean, he's right..." His voice died in his throat and his body cut deep with a blue shade of terror. "We're in crisis mode! How did we not realize he was gone, I thought we covered out - Tokoyami too!?"
"A clever trick, eh?" Up in the trees, a man in a yellow trenchcoat, top hat, and mask, alongside a cane stood there, watching them passively. "I took the lad you were talking about with my magic," He played with a shiny, blue marble in his hand, shocking the group to their cores. "A talent like his would be squandered if cast as a hero, we'll provide him with a grander stage where he can truly shine."
Hearing this, Izuku's body went on the attack, drawing up his left hand, pulling his index under his thumb with a sudden burst of green energy, his eyes dilated at the villain, desperate to save his friend. "Give him back!"
Compress didn't like the sound of that, a sour look under his mask. "'Give him back'? What an odd thing to say, Bakugo doesn't belong to anyone, he's his own person, don't be so arrogant," He berated the boy, adding with a flick of his hat. "Same for that girl, Azuru, yes?" He chuffed at their terrified reactions. "I believe our temporary allies are dealing with her as we speak, would you say she's yours to keep? That she can't choose her own path? Then again, children do say odd words without proper meaning."
"We'll stop you all!" Izuku unleashed a burst of wind from his fingers, the gust of sharp wind tearing through the sky
"Right now!" Todoroki kicked forward, a massive archway of ice beginning to take shape as it slammed into the tree alongside a massive burst of wind
"Why the aggression?" Compress flew through the air, evading their marks. "We merely wish to show him there are other paths besides the fanatical world of heroism he's drowning in," To Izuku it felt like the markings on the mask were smiling, mocking them for their efforts while Compress landed atop a tree. "It's important to choose a path that aligns with your core values after all." He waved his cane and held his hat with a short bow
Todoroki realized that without their two best fighters they were severely limited, especially with the boy he was carrying. "If you're monologuing because you think you've won you're mistaken!"
Compress played with the marble, not really caring what they had to say. "Sorry, it's a habit of mine I was once an entertainer you know?" He flicked his hand to produce two marbles between his fingers. "Taking Tokoyami was a bit of improv on my part."
"Moonfish, our dear blade tooth, he may not look it but he's a dastardly death-row devil whose last appeal was denied when I saw the avian take him down so easily and violently I decided he should join our group," Then he put a finger up. "And if those fiends we're working with don't decide to kill her, maybe having a girl with a mastery over metal and technology would an instrumental addition to our cause, splendid, no?"
Izuku had heard enough, it was one to take his friends, treating them like they were no better than villains with their Quirks, but to take Yuki, abuse her into becoming their pawn, that broke a final straw in his head, and taking to heart what Viral taught him, he directed his anger and fury onto the villain before them. "You bastard! I won't let you take them, I won't let you take her from me!" He snapped, drawing his arm high for another Delaware Smash. Black strips of light edging his eyes. "I blow you off those trees myself!"
"Midoriya, calm down!" Shoji attempted to cool his friend's tempered mind, but he himself felt it too, sickening anger swelling at the villain's mockery of their classmates
"Here, take him!" Todoroki handed the boy to Ochaco, drawing his right side forward as his body temperature fell below freezing in a nanosecond, spurting forth a massive glacier of ice to divide the forest. It chilled his bones, and half his form was now coated in frost but he prayed that atleast slowed the villain down
"Apologizes!" He missed. Compress flew into the air, falling in the same position he was standing. "Sleight of hand and escapology are my specialties not combat," He vanished behind a spire of ice, slipping his hand into his pocket before putting them behind his head. "I'm not foolish enough to fight candidates from UA."
He pressed his hand to his ear. "Vanguard Action Squad, I've acquired our target, our show has officially come to a close, meet me at the retrieval point in the next five minutes for the final bow." And with that, he slipped away into the forest without them
"They're going to take them, our friends...!" Todoroki felt his heart pound faster, he couldn't let that happen
"We can't!" Izuku took the deal, pain in his body be damned as he sprinted
"You're right, come on!" The group quickly sped off after the retreating villain, desperate to save them all and stop this tragedy in its tracks!
It was a desperate and fleeting situation, Izuku's body was crying to stop, it couldn't endure this any longer, and yet he was running, panting, taking every step he could against his body's judgment. It made his eyes tear up but he didn't care, bowing his head to grit the pain. "We can't stop, we can't give up now...!" The boys glanced back at him, worried for their friend.
Izuku tore his eyes up to Compress, desperation in his eyes. "We will catch him, we have to get our friends back! I'll save them, I'll save Yuki from suffering again!" He screamed, catching Compress' ear
"Such emotional devotion to these boys, and especially the girl... curious."
"But he's pulling farther ahead with every second." Shoji reminded them of their disadvantage. That wouldn't stop Izuku from giving his all
"Uraraka, you have to make us float!" Then he glanced to Tsu. "Then Asui you launch us as far as you can with your tongue!" Then to Shoji and Todoroki. "Shoji, you hold me and Todoroki and use your Quirk to change our trajectory,"
Ochaco's eyes narrowed in thought. "It's tough eye-balling something from this far, but Katsuki's helped me with that, Yuki too, so I'll make it, we'll save them together, we can win this!" She declared proudly, almost like Bakugo himself
Shoji realized the plan. "I see a human bullet!" It was a solid plan, however...
"But wait, Deku, you're still going to fight with those injuries!?" She knew she had no right to talk, if the roles were reversed she'd still try for her friends, and for Bakugo's sake most of all, she'd do whatever it took to win them back
"With those injuries, I wouldn't be surprised if he lost consciousness any moment now." Todoroki hated to think it but Izuku was already at his limit and beyond, if he dropped now he wouldn't be surprised. Biting his cheek he yelled. "Midoriya, you stay here, with those injuries you-"
"Trust me, I'm fine!" He snapped, eyes having never lost the villain's yellow coat since they ran. "I don't feel any pain right now, even so, I'd break every bone I have left if that meant I can save Kacchan and Tokoyami, I'd sooner die than let Kovik take Yuki from me again! I can... I will do this, so hurry!" Grit your teeth until you win!
After stopping to prep, Uraraka tore her jacket to make a splint for Izuku's right arm, his left bleeding by moving. One together and wrapped with Tsu's tongue they were lifted off the ground. With burning determination Ochaco faced them, wiping a few tears. "Please, get Katsuki, Tokoyami, and Yuki back!" They nodded, never doubting their choice for a moment longer
"I promise I will, Uraraka," Izuku vowed
"We won't lose this time," Todoroki replied evenly
"Count on us to fight for you." Shoji declared
"Hold on tight! Hyah!" Tsu swung wide with her tongue, propelling the gravity-defying trio high into the air as they screamed, the sudden loss of weightlessness forcing Izuku and Todoroki to hold on for dear life with Shoji deflecting the airflow with his arms
At the three cries of terror Compress turned around, almost gawking through his mask as the three boys slammed into him, and what scared him most was the deathly glare emanating from the greenette, his fist coming back. "O-oh no..." He tried to wave his hand back. "E-Easy now, b-boys!"
"Give our friends back to us!" "We won't let you take them!" "It's over!"
His fist connected to Compress's cheek, throwing them all toward the ground at a sudden drop of velocity, all screaming with fright as they used the villain as a cushion for their landing, planting him into the dirt like a pancake.
"Outta the way, Compress," A tall, lanky man with strange stitching and wearing a black trenchcoat warned, his arm lit with a blue flame. Seeing this the villain nodded and vanished under them. Todoroki reacted quickly
"Get down!" He kicked Izuku off to the side while he and Shoji dived left. The torrent of blue flames scorched nothing, a few embers stinging Izuku as he rolled back onto his feet, clocking in at ten percent to retaliate
While Shoji screamed, his arms being burnt, Todoroki engaged a man wearing black and white spandex, keeping a razor-sharp tape measurer at bay with ice. As for Izuku, he hopped back, swiveling to his left to evade a long cord connected to a needle, the same girl that attacked the girls, and wearing that creepy smile with a manic blush.
"Hey, Izuku, my name is Toga!" She squealed, trying to tackle him while he bent his fingers back, firing another air shot that kept her distance, his Danger Sense on high alert. "Oooh, that was really cool~!" Then she drew a knife. "I've been thinking you'd look even cuter if you bled a little more!"
"What's with this girl!?" He steeled his nerves and prepped his fingers again, firing a blast that she giggled around, keeping light on her toes. Then from the side, Shoji flew in, backhanding the girl away
"I got you, Midoriya!" He stepped in beside him, both prepared to fight her together. Only now she looked... ticked
"So that's how it is, you want to come between us..." This was getting far too creepy in terms of levels. "To be honest you're not my type but I'll cut you anyway." Her marigold eyes lost that light, replaced with spite
The skirmish was about to get heated, they were outnumbered and Compress was wide awake, having condensed himself down to escape the blast. He stretched for a bit, then fished around in his pocket before Dabi, then he paused, pulling out nothing but air. "Huh?"
"Midoriya, Todoroki, we're done!" Shoji declared, drawing the villains' attention. "He gave away his best trick, I don't know what your Quirk is but it had something to do with those little marbles, right?" He taunted, holding out the two gems in his hand. "The ones you stashed in your pocket? So I'm guessing these are Tokoyami and Bakugo?"
He did it, Izuku felt some relief flow across his form, brightening his emerald bolts with a bright smile. "You rescued them!"
Compress laughed, applauding his efforts. "Well color me impressed, as I'd expect from someone with so many hands!" They didn't stay to gloat, taking their prize and making a break for the forest, or they did until several figures appeared - forcing Izuku to turn sharply, the sensation in the back of his head increasing. The first to appear was a dark green Nomu as it lumbered into view.
"A Nomu!" Izuku pivoted his feet, following Todoroki
"This way!" While they hadn't retrieved Yuki it probably meant she hasn't arrived yet, so they needed to get these two out of here and find her before the other villains could. That was the plan, or until a large, black void swirled into existence, tinted purple with a pair of golden eyes
"Not this guy!" "He was at the USJ!" "The Warp Villain!"
Several shades of horror strung across their faces, against him they had no viable counterattack, and he wasn't going to be easily fooled by the neck-brace trick again. Kurogiri merely narrowed his eyes, addressing the villains as several portals tore open at their sides. "It's been five minutes since the signal, let's go Dabi."
There was something incredibly wrong with this picture. Izuku didn't get it, they were leaving despite clearly having the numbers, two of them already stepped through their vortexes, one dove in, and there was no sign of Yuki or Kovik's assailants, did that mean she beat them? Knowing Yuki she's probably laying down to recover so that meant they wo-
"Hold on, we're not leaving without the kid." Dabi stopped Compress, so the stylish con-artists turned around
"Don't worry, they were so proud of rooting through my pockets I thought I'd let them gloat a bit." That alone brought that harsh reality back tenfold. Compress laughed, turning to face them fully. "Let me explain a basic tenant of magic if I'm flaunting something shiny..." He grabbed his mask, sliding it off to reveal his wicked grin and condescending eyes. "It's because there's something else I didn't want you to see."
He stuck out his tongue, to their shocked horror, two small marbles were revealed. "No, he's got them!" Todoroki and Izuku gaped, and at the snap of his fingers the two marbles in Shoji's possession were reverted back into chunks of ice
"That's my ice!"
"That's right, during the freezing attack I prepped a few dummies and slipped them into my pocket, too bad." His cynical smile forced Izuku to charge in guns blazing
"Dammit-!" "His Quirk allows him to compress objects and hold them!" To his sides Todoroki and Shoji lunged too, ready to take back their friends. "Let them g- gah!" A sudden, red hardlight barrier slammed into their bodies, forcing the boys back in a stumble as the weak barrier shattered at a tsk
"I'm not built for combat, you honestly expect too much from a scientist, Sir," From the forest beside Dabi and Compress came forth two figures. One was another of those creatures Kovik commanded, his hand lowered after the barrier fell apart, and behind him, towering well over the height of him was the same villain that intercepted Yuki
That's when Izuku's body paled at what he dragged by the ankle. Yuki's beaten and unconscious body was trailed behind him without care or consideration. "N-no... Yuki!" He threw himself toward the two Splicers, Dren conjuring another barrier that was shattered easily by Shoji's fist, allowing Izuku through with a furious cry. "Give her back, let her go!"
"Sir, would you please stop dragging her," Dren drawled, forcing the large one to grunt and pluck the girl up by her hair, glaring back at the boys
"Don't come closer, unless you desire her far more suffering, mongrels," This warning held the tension by a thread, but they didn't seem eager to back down. With a twisted mind, Vosik procured a knife from his waist, tracing it down the girl's body, past her chest, and toward her thighs, the tip hissing against her skin.
"Oh? Don't think I'm serious, hmm?" With minimal effort, he stuck the knife through her thigh, the result was for Yuki's mask to blare awake, her grunt and trashing against the hot metal unbearable to watch, forcing the boys to root themselves to the ground, Izuku's eyes stung with tears. "Good mutts, now let's go," He yanked the blade out, blood spurting the ground while Yuki grunted with a pained whine, eyes heavy while her cheeks were pinched between Vosik's claws. "Where's that strength now, runt?"
"Leave her alone!" They roared, causing Vosik to bring his claws to the edge of her mask, and with a tug the metal covering was peeled away, revealing her weak but fiery gaze, teeth bear at the two Splicers, but he felt it, she was shaking
Tapping the edge of the mask off her chin Vosik chuckled. "Won't be needing this anymore," He unceremoniously tossed the mask to Todoroki's feet, himself unable to move an inch for Yuki's sake. With that aside the two stepped toward the larger portal, Yuki's throat locked behind Vosik's forearm while her weak attempts to punch him failed with humorous effort
"Bakugo!" "Tokoyami!"
"You can't do this! Give them back, Yuki!" Izuku screamed, reaching out his good arm toward the villains that made their exit, the girl struggling to stay conscious while failing so helplessly to free herself. "Reach her, come on, she's right there, they all are so just reach Izuku!"
Compress, half-consumed by the darkness gave a final bow and tip of his hat. "One last bow and now the curtain fa - Ngh!"
*Boosh!*
From seemingly nowhere, a sparkling beam of light tore through the forest, striking Compress across his smug face, burning the corner of Vosik's elbow as he felt the joint weaken from a burst of wind pressure Izuku flicked so hard it broke two of his fingers. Behind a bush, it was non-other than Aoyama, his face contorted with pain and determination to aid his friends in their fight.
Compress coughed up the two orbs, and Yuki brought her right arm high, the left out of commission after her battle, and wedged it against Vosik's face, shattering more of the singular eye as she attempted to free herself, folding her legs between her and the arm. "Grr, you wretched Guardian, give up already!"
The trio threw themselves forward, Shoji snatching the right orb while Todoroki aimed for the left, only for Dabi to steal it back with a bored look in his eyes but a smile ever-so-present on his face. "Well isn't that a shame; Poor Shoto Todoroki." He mocked as the heterochromia teen fell into the dirt
"I'm not done yet!" Izuku smashed through a barrier, and even though he only had the one good arm, he held out his hand, desperately reaching for the gap between him and Yuki, herself finally kicking Vosik through the gateway behind her, hand fanned out for his own, or it was, until a red current of electricity struck her bones, frying her while a nimble arm pulled her away and into the darkness next to Dabi. "NO, YUKI, I WON'T-!"
"Reveal them already." Dabi snapped, Compress clicking his fingers
"That laser ruined my finale!" In a snap, the results were in. Tokoyami collapsed to the floor with Shoji, and held tightly between Dabi's fingers was the startled crimson eyes under ash blonde hair
"Checkmate, heh," Dabi chuffed as he slipped away into the void
Yuki felt the arm press her against a metallic chest, her muscles unresponsive, even struggling to stay awake proved a challenge while she offered only a small, painful smile, seeing the mortified state her friends were in, and the emerald-eyed teen that was an inch from her fingers. 'I'm sorry' was all she worded, pulled into darkness
"Kacchan, Yuki, no!" Izuku didn't stop, he couldn't, he mustn't! With a final breath, he let out a pained cry for them both. "YUKI! KACCHAN!"
"Stay back... Deku." In a heartbeat the vortex was gone, and so were all his hopes while he slammed into the dirt, bloody, broken, and defeated in every regard. His mind raced with so many questions and words that he lost sense of himself, knelt onto the spot they just were, both a mere inch from his hand, so close he could still hear their breaths
All he felt was his soul shatter under the weight of it all, staring back at the roaring blue flames that encompassed the forest ahead, his jaw jittering, his eyes unblinking. The last thing he could see were the images of the ash-blonde crossing his arms angrily, waiting for him, while the blue-eyed girl smiled, poking fun at the blonde while waving out her right hand for Izuku to hold.
His free hand tore at the dirt, tears freeing themselves as the rest stared off in silence, Shoto bowed his head, placing his right hand over his eyes as he grit his teeth. Shoji and Tokoyami could barely look. From the forest, Tsu and Ochaco arrived to the horrific scene. Both tearing up at what they saw.
Izuku slammed his head into the earth, bellowing out an agonizing scream so pure and primal that no one, not even those around him could silence until he passed out finally from the shock of his injuries. They were aiming to become heroes, and they failed, and Izuku never felt more worthless than at that moment in his life.
To Be Continued...
Warned you guys, and... I... it doesn't get better. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter heroes.
Next Chapter: /System Offline/
Vosik: How I've waited for this
Yuki: ...
Vosik: Don't worry, I won't kill you, not yet
Yuki: ...
Vosik: But, I can still have some fun to pass the time, hehehe...
Yuki: ...