IIII
Chapter 8: The Second Jakku Incident Part Two
IIII
He moved as quickly as he could, flanked by his closest friends. They were just outside the memorial, and could hear the distant sound of fighting. The shifting of the earth and heavy rumbling.
"You were there...at Jakku," Bakugou asked as his footsteps grew louder and louder.
"Yeah," they responded. Their looks was of curious concern in both of their eyes.
"Did it feel like we won?" Bakugou asked.
Kaminari and Kirishima glanced at each other, then at him with raised brows.
"No, I felt so useless that day," Kaminari admitted, burying his gaze into his hands.
"Same here, I barely made it out of that mess," Kirishima's voice softened, something he seldom did. "And you know what, I don't think many of us did."
They rounded the street corner, parting a line of abandoned cars left behind by panicked civilians.
Kirishima continued, "I mean sure most of us survived, but none of us were the same after that."
"That's deep man," Kaminari sighed. "But you're right, look what happened to Momo."
"She didn't speak to anyone for months, and even then she's been so much more, er...gloomy ever since." Kaminari said.
"Even Deku changed," Bakugou spoke up.
The others went silent.
"He got so obsessed with it. Tch, damn nerd," he bit his lip. "It became all he talked about, Shigaraki...Jakku...The Symbol of Peace."
"Right, but if you don't mind me asking, why this all of a sudden Kastuki?" Kaminari asked, his expression of concern deepened as did his tone.
"Because what that damn nerd was obsessing over finally happened," Bakugou clenched his fist. "And this time he's not here to help us."
The earth shook again. A pillar of light and fire rose into the sky from the distant memorial out of sight, just beyond the line of buildings in front of them.
"That must be Shoto!" Kaminari shouted pointing at the fierce light.
"There's no time to waste, let's move!" Bakugou shouted, launching himself forward with a surge of explosions.
…..
Shigaraki smiled, rising along with the towering figure of his servant Gigantomachia. Good, he's free, everything seems to be going well.
Although they could be better, "It seems Dabi and Muscular traded themselves off the table with Shoto."
"All that matters is Master's safety," Gigantomachia spoke in a droning slurred tone.
"Their strongest players are gone, Deku, Shoto, all that's left is…" he recalled the hero rankings vividly, having studied them for quite some time. "Yes. This is good. If this is how strong the heroes are without the Symbol of Peace...then we have nothing to fear."
They're nothing without Midoriya, he thought.
Although it was concerning that half of their team had been knocked out of the battle before it had really started; before the rest of the heroes had arrived. There wasn't much left to face him aside from the number three hero, and once he was defeated nothing would be able to stop the next phase of his plan.
Compress shot him a look of concern, instantly became nervous knowing how outnumbered they would soon be. "Shouldn't we leave? The longer we stay the more Heroes will show up."
"Gigantomachia could handle them on his own. But we have to prove something important." Shigaraki chuckled, "Let's go show the world how fragile it is without the Symbol of Peace."
…..
"I am here!" Bakugou thundered towards the distant memorial. The crumbling distant memorial and trailing smoke unnerved him, it reminded him of Chiyoda, the scattered civilians scrambling to safety. But this time there was more, more smoke and more people. More was at stake.
He'd never been fond of museums, he even thought they could be creepy, with all the silent expressions and stuffed lifelessness implied by idle sculpts and taxidermies. Although this was a memorial he could appreciate, not so much for its content or architecture, but for what it stood for. Bakugou had lived through the Jakku Incident, and bitterly recalled it as being one of the worst days of his life.
Afterall, he almost died that day. That infamous tragedy the government and press had had the gall to proclaim a 'victory for hero society'. Even most heroes and press outlets these days had shifted their views on the event, seeing the incident as more of a stalemate than anything. With the destruction of organized villainy being only partial and the cost to achieve that far too great.
But Bakugou knew all those views were comfortable lies to believe in, he knew the Jakku Incident for what it was. A bitter failure.
Dammit, at least I was in the area. He gritted his teeth, "Try to keep up!" He shouted at the emerging figures at his flank.
"We're trying," Kaminari said, adjusting his yellow visor. The pro-hero Charge Bolt was at his right, with his support items locked and loaded at his hips. His hero outfit was on backwards however, a problem created by his hasty deployment on short notice.
"Try not to rush ahead, we need to stick together," Kirishima chimed in, at the left flank of his friends. He was slower than both of them, being much bulkier in his full costume in addition to his hardening quirk.
"Yeah, yeah. Just listen to me!" Bakugou thunderd on ahead until his voice became distant.
He switched his communicator on and spoke into the mic as the full chaos of the situation came into view. "It looks like the memorial has been compromised, we'll have to suppress the villains as much as we can."
Although the bulk of the building was still intact, a sizable hole in it's East side had been torn open by the emergence of a towering brawny figure. Rubble and smoke was strewn about in scattered patches of destruction. And just behind the structure was a massive smoldering hole, twisted at its sides with molten metal and concrete. Shoto...he thought to himself.
Bakugou bit his lip. Dammit, is it just us!? He glanced around, from this high up in the air he could make out the whole situation. It seemed as though the vanguard was just him and his close friends. There were other pro-heroes, although he knew most of them were only there for support and damage control. The fighting, the containment, that was his job…
"Form a perimeter around the memorial! Cage that bastard in!" Bakugou roared into his earpiece.
"What about Shigaraki?" Kaminari asked with a voice of pleading concern. There was static in his voice as the interference blocked their comm line.
"I'll handle him," Bakugou answered coldly. His eyes locked ahead at the small and distant figure of Tomura Shigaraki.
He was just standing there, several feet in the air above the awakening presence of Gigantomachia, with his back turned to the oncoming heroes. It was as if he had no concerns, nothing to worry about, as if he thought he'd already won. Bastard, Bakugou thought to himself.
He wanted to strike him down where he was. End it, right then and there. But, Bakugou understood what he was up against. He'd seen enough footage, read enough police and press briefings, and he'd sat through enough of Deku's ramblings to understand how powerful Tomura Shigaraki was.
And he took down Deku by himself. Nearly killed him too.
It was frustrating knowing that his chances were slim, but he was never one to back down from a fight. If I can beat him...and Deku couldn't, Bakugou thought. Then this is my chance to be the number one hero.
He doubled his focus, It's not just about stopping them. This is my chance to prove myself.
Bakugou glanced at the distant smoldering crater, knowing full well that the number two hero Shoto had gone all out. And it looks like it's just me…
And there was Gigantomachia to worry about. His towering figure rising to its full height above the ruins of the Jakku Memorial clouded in a veil of dust and smoke. There was a thunderous roar, echoing for miles around shouting, "Master! Master is here!"
…..
Someday...you'll be a great leader.
The words repeated over and over again in her head. As they did before any mission. There was something buried in their meaning that had troubled her since they'd first been said to her.
Leader. It was one thing to be a great hero, many of her former classmates were just that. But it was another to be able to inspire others, to guide and direct them during times of crisis like this.
The Jakku memorial came into full view as she rounded the street corner, at least what was left of the building anyways. Seeing it like that, as ruined as it was, made her more angry than she had ever been in her entire life.
Of all people Momo Yaoyorozu held the memory of that day as close as she could to her heart. It was the day she truly felt she'd lost someone close to her. And it was the day she'd first been tested under fire with the burden of leadership.
It was a vivid memory, acting as the backup team during the heat of the clash at Jakku, serving as the last line of defense between vulnerable civilians and an unstoppable army of villains. Seeing the memory of that day be defiled like this...
"Midnight," she said, holding back tears in her eyes. I won't lose anyone like that again.
Yaoyorozu doubled her pace. Until she'd reach the northern precinct of the Memorial, it was a mess of smoke, rubble, and fractured concrete. She could make out the broken figures of statues, and other tributes to the past.
Focus on finding people in trouble. She thought to herself, Over there, where the blast came from.
With rapid careful steps she vaulted over the edge of the crater, and peered down it's depths. She was amazed, gasping at the scope and scale of the damage. The whole thing was at least a quarter of a mile deep, lined by a steep slope of bent steel and shattered concrete. And at the very bottom of the pit she could see him.
"Shoto!" she shouted. Hastily she tried to scale down the slope, calling out to him. "Shoto! Are you hurt?"
He must be unconscious, Yaoyorozu realized as she reached the base of the crater. She tried to suppress her emotions as best as she could. It was a grisly site. Half of his body was badly burned, and he was covered in small cuts and bruises. Very little remained of Shoto's hero costume, only injured flesh and blood.
There was a thunderous distant roar, followed by a rumbling of the earth, "Master! Master is here!"
Yaoyorozu could hear the comm channels spark to life with the frantic chatter of a hundred heroes. They were swarming the scene now, trying to contain any damage and prevent the culprits from escaping. I'll have to help them later, she thought. For now I need to help him.
She ran forward to help her old classmate. Checking his pulse, Yaoyorozu placed a hand on his neck, taking great care not to run her touch across his wounds. "Ow!" she recoiled. It's like touching a hot stove.
His body temperature is way too high. Even for someone who can use fire.
Activating her quirk, she quickly formed an ice pack, and began to assess how to heal him.
His entire right arm has been practically scorched off. Under any other circumstances I wouldn't do this but. Activating her quirk again, she created some painkillers and other medicinal items.
Yaoyorozu opened Shoto's mouth and poured some water and painkillers to try and revive him. The moment she was finished she began applying ointments to his arm to heal his burns. While he was still badly injured, it was enough to revive his senses.
His eyes opening weakly, Shoto began to speak. "Touya...Gigantomachia...are they?—"
Yaoyorozu shook her head, continuing to work. "It's a miracle you're alive. Don't worry about it."
Trying to stand up, Shoto gasped in pain from how burnt the right side of his body was.
"Don't move suddenly," she pleaded.
Yaoyorozu lightly propped Shoto up against a piece of rubble, creating a pillow to rest his head on with her quirk. The sounds of battle echoed all around them, and there were flashes of light growing in the distance.
"They need me," he uttered rasply.
"You won't be able to do much for some time."
"This is all my fault," coughed Shoto. "If I could've just held them back longer, you all could've stopped them from freeing-"
"Don't think like that!" she shouted. "This isn't your fault."
Shoto gave a slight smile. The last thing Shoto remembered was Yaoyorozu smiling lightly at him before blacking out again.
She tried to stabilize him as best as she could. She looked over his unconscious body in thought. He's been stabilized but he won't recover from these wounds without proper equipment. How did he survive and keep fighting like this?
Her earpiece chirped. "Hawks here. How is he?" she heard a familiar voice say.
"Damaged but stable," she said. "What's going on?"
"I've done what I can to get the area cleared out, I'm moving back to your position now." Hawks spoke with a sharp tone.
"Understood," Yaoyorozu replied, switching to her comm channel. What's the situation on the East side like? She thought to herself.
"Um. We need your help," It was Kaminari, his voice mired with static. "Like badly. Woah that was a close one!" The sound of battle was audible through the mic.
"Yeah we're having a rough time keeping him still," Kirishima barked. "We need a plan."
"I'm on it," Yaoyorozu responded with a hardened tone.
She glanced back at Shoto's unconscious body. I'm not losing anyone like this, at Jakku, again.
…..
"The area is clear of civilians, but try to keep collateral to a minimum," Yaoyorozu spoke over the distant comms.
Bakugou gave a booming laugh, his eyes locked ahead on his target. "No civilians means we can go all out!"
On that note, Bakugou had no qualms about blasting parts of the surrounding buildings trying to damage Shigaraki. There was too much at stake to worry about keeping every piece of the city together, if they couldn't stop the villains here...the whole city would be a rubble pile.
"Cocky, are we you bastard!?" Bakugou saw the way Shigaraki's back was turned to him. He rushed forward, closing the distance between him and his opponent in a surge of rapid explosions.
I won't give him time to breathe, he thought. By the time Shigaraki had turned his head around Bakugou detonated one of the most powerful blows his Quirk could muster. "AP Blast: High Velocity Impact!"
The blast sent his target reeling, thundering towards the ground in a sudden violent motion. What was left of Shigaraki's body landed in the nearby park, built just beside the memorial at the center of Jaku ward. Bakugou rushed after him, knowing the fight was far from over.
He hit the ground running. Senses on full alert for anything that came next. When the dust settled rising from the small blast crater, Bakugou's eyes widened seeing Shigaraki walking towards him smirking.
Shigaraki brushed some dirt off of his bare shoulders. "You know I've been blown in half before."
"Well I'll just have to blow all of you up at once then, you pasty crusty ass bastard! Eat this!" cupping his hands together, Bakugou released a concentrated blast straight towards Shigaraki.
It never landed, burning a hole straight through a surrounding tree, as Shigaraki rounded past the attack in a blur of motion. Appearing in front of him suddenly he muttered, "Strength boosters x7, kinetic bolstering, and skin hardening," before throwing a sudden jab at Bakugou's torso.
Bakugou thundered back knowing the fatal repercussions of letting Shigaraki touch him, keeping mobile with blast rush turbo. He's faster than I remember.
"Lasers, reactive retina, refrain refract," Shigaraki said as he cycled through his near infinite number of quirks. The benefits of his time spent in hiding from the hero world.
His right eye turned to glass, a kaleidoscope of sorts with a myriad of different edges and lenses; from it emerged a laser refracted into several others at varying angles and direction.
Bakugou launched into the air to avoid the lasers before hurling an entire belt's worth of grenades directly at Shigaraki's face. I just have to keep him occupied.
Not bothering to dodge or even block, Shigaraki caught the grenades midair and battered them aside in a different direction before they could explode. What shrapnel pierced his skin was harmless as long his super regeneration quirk, along with a host of other endurance boosters, was active.
"Try harder!" taunted Shigaraki.
They exchanged blow after blow. Bakugou's eruptions tore apart the ground, uprooting trees and blasting off branches. But his opponent was relentless, launching counter attack after counter attack with a host of different abilities he found hard to fathom.
Bakugou's explosions were so loud and intense that any nearby glass was instantly shattered. Lamp posts that were caught in the wake of the blows were twisted and blown over.
Dammit, I'll have to try something else. Bakugou shifted his footing. He tried to catch his breath, he could feel every muscle in his body begin to weaken. He'd been on patrol overnight and long into the morning with no breaks, and the fatigue was starting to catch up with him.
Some blows that should've landed, whiffed completely as Shigaraki warped and shifted his position in fractions of a second. Other blows that should've been dodged were intentionally allowed to land, their effect proving futile as his target regenerated any flesh blown off of his body.
Panting, Bakugou watched as Shigaraki brushed his shoulder off. He's not attacking. Why? Baiting me would be a waste of time unless he's trying to prove something.
"Think this is funny!?" barked Bakugou. "Mind explaining what's your fuckin' point!?"
"That you're weak," Shigaraki said. In a sudden flurry of motion, Shigaraki thundered forward, throwing a series of quick punches. Bakugou dodged them as before, but as he entered the air Shigaraki caught him. Grabbing his leg and throwing him across the park in a snap turn of his wrist.
"Nggh," Bakugou winced as he collided violently against the back of a dead tree.
"I don't care how much stronger you are, I'm still going to kick your ass and win!" Bakugou gritted his teeth, popping his shoulder back into place. "Because heroes win no matter what!"
"Only a hero would say something so stupid," snarled Shigaraki, preparing another attack.
As he dodged the next few blows, Bakugou set off an explosion so powerful that he annihilated everything in a line directly in front of him. The product of all the nitroglicerin sweat he'd been accumulating in his gauntlets for the duration of their battle.
Had Shigaraki not blocked in time, the blow would've been seriously damaging, even to him. "Crust, shock absorption, skin hardening, endurance booster x9, muscle reinforcement."
Wasting no time to counter, Shigaraki lurched forward. The dust that began to settle was wiped away in an instant as he unleashed three consecutive air blasts.
Bakugou was left with no choice but to block the attacks with his own Quirk or take all three blows head on. Twisting his body into a defensive posture, Bakugo opened his palm at the most opportune moment to shield himself from the air blasts with his own explosions.
He gritted his teeth, that was close. Bakugou could taste his own blood.
Using more of his own explosions to propel himself backward, he quickly ducked under a pair of lasers that nearly cleaved his head from his body.
"Rivet stab, spring-like limbs, additional fingers" Shigaraki muttered as dozens of long reaching black tendrils extended from his fingertips.
Raising his arms for a defensive blast, Bakugou yelled again. "That shit didn't work the first time! Try again!"
He vividly recalled the first Jakku Incident, where the same attack had incapacitated him before. Not again! You'll have to try harder.
"Brings back memories of how shit you guys were about trying to bring me over!" Bakugou said, using both his hands to set off a gatling gun of AP shots.
"Speaking of which," Shigaraki spoke with a bored tone. "I remember when I asked you to join the league all those years ago. I thought you would've made a great villain. But a villain at least has a bit more sense about him."
"And you're still as fucking stupid as you were all those years back!" he roared, blasting again. "Heroes might seem dumb to you! But to everyone else we're all they have!"
"All your life you've been competing against someone who was just handed power, while you had to struggle with yours. Why?" Shigaraki asked as he sharpened his tone. "I never understood that."
"All For One, One For All. It doesn't matter to me. I'm going to be the best hero that ever lived," Bakugou spat blood onto the ground. He knew how outmatched he was, maybe his situation was hopeless, but he wasn't going to give up. He had to fight. "Fuck you that's why!"
"I thought the number three hero would be a bit brighter." Rolling his eyes, Shigaraki mumbled. "Enough of this."
The air pulled and pushed, as if an invisible vortex had formed just ahead of him. The wind was knocked out of his lungs. Bakugou felt the ground slip away from him. And his opponent grew distant, smaller, farther away. Dammit...he felt the air blast carry him away. Soften the blow, tuck and roll. Until he collided with a ruined building.
"You and I can talk later," Shigaraki turned towards the distant crater on the North side of the memorial. "I need to catch up with Shoto."
…..
Kirishima spoke into his earpiece desperately, as Gigantomachia rampaged his way towards the nearest urban district. "We need to move him anywhere but where he's moving! Is anyone there?"
There was no response, only empty static and desperation. Someone's jamming our comms? He thought, snapping his focus back to the towering enemy ahead.
Kaminari was hard at work, using dozens of amplifiers scattered across the streets to send his electric payload towards the target. Although his lightning was more of an annoyance to Gigantomachia, rather than anything damaging. The giant relentlessly crashed through buildings, kicking lines of cars away like footballs.
"How do we stop him?" Kaminari asked, turning to his friend for guidance. "We need Bakugou or Shoto."
"I couldn't get a hold of anyone else, Momo stopped responding," Kirishima kicked up some loose dirt in frustration. "Looks like for now it's just us."
Laughing so loudly books in nearby shops fell off their shelves, Gigantomachia pounded his way downtown. "Hahaha! Insects! Get lost!"
"I'm here! I'd like to join this white-hot battle!" the distant but booming voice of Inasa Yoarashi sounded off. Followed by several furious whirlwinds that thundered down the street. These tornados that Gigantomachia met weren't damaging, his skin and muscle proving too hard to pierce, but they provided enough of a barrier to force the giant to stop in his tracks.
Inasa Yoarashi floated by Kirishima with his arms crossed, "What's the situation?"
"What does it look like?" Kirishima said. "Shigaraki broke into the holding facility, set him loose. Either we guide him out of the city or a lot of people are gonna get hurt."
"Nothing's phasing him!" Kaminari shouted, with an outstretched arm pointed towards the distant behemoth. "And if we wait for our support to arrive…"
"There won't be much of a city left to save," a familiar voice spoke from the shadow of the alleyway flanking them.
He removed his hood, and his distinctive features became immediately recognizable.
"Tokoyami! I m-mean, um...Tsukuyomi," Kaminari had a habit of calling his old classmates by their actual names, rather than their heroic identities. To add to his confusion, it didn't help that the number one hero used his school nickname interchangeably with his hero name.
"We can save the formalities for later, right now we need to focus on coming up with a plan." Tokoyami directed his attention towards the row upon row of buildings just a few blocks away from where Gigantomachia was charging.
The giant seemed to double his efforts, arching forward with a large set of strides so quick their wake shattered glass. "Must...test...heroes..." Gigantomachia muttered.
They moved into action, orders barked between passing movements and blows.
"Red Bulwark: Hardening!" shouted Kirishima, using his bare upper body to protect his teammates from a debris shower. His hardened body absorbed the shards of broken glass and concrete.
"We need to stay mobile!" Tokoyami shouted. "Gale Force, get his attention, you're the only one here who can slow him down." He was the most mobile hero on sight, using Black Fallen Angel to hover above the street with lightning quick reflexes.
The group parted the street corner, narrowly ducking under the weight of an SUV flying overhead. "That's great and all, but how are we going to knock him out!" Kirishima roared, growing more and more frustrated as their chances of victory seemed to slip away with each passing moment.
"Hey guys!" Kaminari grunted, barely dodging debris while yelling. "This might be dumb. Suicidal even. But I have a plan!" He threw a few volts downrange with precision accuracy, landing the blows straight into the eyes of the distant giant.
Using more gales to shield all of them from debris Inasa had to speak over his own whirlwinds, the storm of metal, and crushed rock. "Whatever it is, tell it to us passionately!"
His heavy creeping strides slowed in wake of the doubling blows. Thundering gales and twisting arcs of electricity danced around the slack jawed titan. " Must...test...heroes," Gigantomachia spoke in a slurred and guttural tone. "Master...wishes."
The giant spread his arms wide, a length large enough to dwarf a city block, and in a sudden motion clasped his hands together. The impact produced a shockwave large enough to knock them all off their feet, and topple any trees or fixtures not rooted to the ground. Light poles, telephone wires, and mail boxes stood no chance against Gigantomachia's raw power.
"Kaminari!"
A telephone booth flew off the ground towards Kaminari, Kirishima saved him, launching in front of his friend to act as a temporary wall. While the majority of the damage was avoided, the glass fragments produced from the blow shredded through Kaminari's arm.
Kaminari winced in pain, glancing nervously at his wound.
"Are you ok?!" Kirishima asked instinctively.
He hissed, "I should be." Kaminari bit off a piece of his shirt, and wrapped it tightly around the wound. The shredded cloth became matted with blood. "Let's just focus on saving everyone else for now, I'll be fine."
Kirishima nodded, trying to hide his unease. He saw people get hurt often, it was part of the job, but it was another to see someone this close to him so….vulnerable. To think that if he had been just a few seconds slower his friend could have been more badly injured. Killed even.
"Such massive power!" Inasa proclaimed. "Where did he even come from?"
Before anyone could muster a response, Gigantomachia struck again.
In a quick turn of his body Gigantomachia struck the ground with his fist. Plunging it deep into the street, caving in layer upon layer of concrete; shaking the ground in a violent cataclysm. There was an uplift with the city street, a rising wave of broken foundations surging forward in wake of the blow.
Kaminari said, tightly gripping his wound. "We need to just knock him out!"
"Sounds—" Kirishima grunted, punching through a small boulder Gigantomachia flung in his direction. "Easy!" he joked sarcastically.
"If we just overcharged my Quirk and hit him at the same time it could work!"
Tokoyami dodged Gigantomachia's indirect attacks with Dark Shadow while strategizing. 'It does sound desperate, but not impossible. There's a power station not far from here. Electricity alone won't kill him, but a combined blow would at least knock Gigantomachia off his feet!'
"It sounds dangerous!" Inasa said. "Indeed suicidal!"
"It's our best shot," Tokoyami said. "You two keep him occupied, I'll take Kaminari to the station!"
Knowing how hard it was for the four of them to hold the titan back, Kirishima protested loudly. "Are you—" he winced, as a piece of rubble struck his jaw. "Insane! It's too risky to split up."
"It's the only risk worth taking now!" Insasa shouted over the massive gales at his flanks. "Sure we could be defeated in detail, but if we stick together his large area attacks will destroy us."
Kirishima nodded, as much as it pained him to see his wounded friend get carried off into dangerous territory; on a plan that seemed to be based more on miracle work than sound strategy. We need a real plan, we can't just hope to win like this. He shook his head, ducking under another set of long range blows. Momo where are you?
…..
Iida sat back on the couch, taking a moment to enjoy the soft leather and calm atmosphere of the Gifu estate. The living room was spacious, boasting numerous large shelves, lamps, and a large T.V at the center above an empty fireplace. There was a sizable window with a lovely view of the surrounding countryside, although the Winter season left little to enjoy there was still a somber beauty in its desolation.
Even though the whole building was government property, a government whose budget seemed to always be in jeopardy, they seemed to have spared little expense on the furnishings. It was a clean modern aesthetic with a focus on minimalism. There was art hanging from the walls on sleek canvases, but very little of it was realistic or romantic, only geometric shapes and a taste for the abstract.
It was comforting. And if Iida was being honest it reminded him of his own home. Minus the young children, and the loving wife who was always busy at work. It almost made him forget there was a crisis going on. A national crisis.
He turned to Uraraka, she was leaning on the other side of the couch, eyes lost in space and deep in thought. She seemed exhausted, her head was perched on her bent arms as she let out a sigh. Iida felt a bit of anger swell within him when he saw the burn marks on the left side of her body. He'd seen worse before, running rescue operations in Fukuoka after a large earthquake, but it was unsettling to say the least.
"You're worried about him aren't you?" Iida asked.
Uraraka didn't answer. She was still lost in her thoughts.
"Ochako?" Iida asked again this time with a look of concern.
"What?" Uraraka snapped back to life.
"Deku?"
"Right," she sighed again. "It's just...I think he's pushing himself a bit too far."
"Heh, hasn't he always done that?" Iida chuckled. For as long as they'd known Izuku he'd always gone above and beyond. It didn't matter what it was, he always gave meaning to the words 'plus ultra'.
"This is different," Uraraka snapped, she seemed irritated, almost defensive. "Deku...I don't know anymore..."
Iida could piece her thoughts together before she could, he'd known her long enough to do so. "You're just worried because this was the closest you ever came to losing him."
She sniffled, and wiped the small tears swelling in her eyes away. "Yeah, something like that."
"He's planning to get back in the fight," Iida continued, placing his hands on his lap.
"I know, he mentioned it to me earlier," Uraraka tightened her grip on the couch. Her fingers coiling around the leather head rest in frustration.
"It frustrates me too, sitting on the sidelines like this," he tried to pick his words carefully. "It feels wrong being away from it all, away from my family and the people that need protecting."
Iida shook his head, "If something were to happen to them…"
"You wouldn't forgive yourself?" she responded. "That's how I feel about Deku. I can't let him go back. I know he's a hero, but…"
Indeed, Uraraka admired Izuku's heroics time and time again. But she couldn't shake the feeling that taking an unneeded risk was unwarranted. More than that, reckless even.
It was something she'd been conflicted on since the start of the season. To let Izuku be the hero he was, or to just this once, urge him to take it easy.
Iida sighed, "It's a hero's job to be there for others."
"And who will be there for the hero? Uraraka objected. "Who do they have to rely on?"
Iida didn't have a direct answer for her. It was true, not much existed in the way of support for heroes. There were fans, money, support from the government, and all of that was helpful. But it wasn't the same as knowing someone would be there to rescue you. Knowing that no matter what happened there was someone fighting for your sake.
"You haven't told him yet, have you?" Iida asked, it was no secret that she loved Izuku. Pretty much everyone knew at this point, except Deku himself.
She shook her head in silence. "I always felt it would be selfish to tell him. He was always so busy…" she couldn't stop the tears this time, they flowed freely down her face. "Always saving the world, always worrying about Villains and Hero work. If I told him I loved him..."
"You think you'd be another burden for him," Iida sighed.
She nodded. It wasn't fair, Uraraka thought.
"Listen," Iida leaned in to speak in a quieter tone. "I think you should tell him."
Her eyes perked up, there was a faint glimmer of hope in them.
Iida smiled, "Izuku is going through a lot, he could use the added support."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. Asides, what better time to catch his attention than when he's stuck here?" Iida made a gesture with his outstretched hands.
"Alright, I'll tell him." Uraraka wiped the tears from her face and set off down the hallway with renewed determination. Passing by the abstract paintings and other fixtures offered to them by the alien estate.
Izuku had buried himself on the other side of the building, deep in his room. He'd spent the bulk of the day organizing it making sure everything was in order; everything from his hero journals and notes, to his collection of All Might merchandise.
It was nerve wracking for Uraraka to approach him like this. Although she wasn't the awkward school girl she used to be, there was still considerable anxiety behind her course of action.
Relax, she told herself. You're doing this for him.
The door to his room was closed. Behind it she could hear the muffled sounds of chaos within. Uraraka took a deep breath, and exhaled. Gathering herself before knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" Deku asked from behind the closed door.
"It's me."
"Ochako!" Deku was surprised. "I'll be right there!"
She waited for a few moments. Uraraka could hear the sound of papers being knocked over, books tumbling over, and other sounds she found difficult to describe.
The door swung open, and she was met by Deku's smiling face. "Hey, what's up?"
Uraraka could see the clutter now, just behind him scattered all about the floor and walls were stacks upon stacks of paper and journals. Old magazines titled Hero's Weekly, unorganized piles of old All Might pictures, and a host of other hero memorabilia she couldn't recognize.
"Could we talk for a moment," Uraraka found it hard to keep eye contact with him, the pressure was getting to her.
"Sure?" Izuku could read the tension in her voice. Is something wrong, he thought to himself, raising his brow.
She led him down the hallways to the outside of the building, it was more private this way and less suffocating without the cluttered mess. The patio overlooked the winter countryside, it was very cold, but Uraraka found comfort in the isolation. They were alone, just the two of them, and she couldn't have asked for a better opportunity.
Her heart sped up, beating rapidly. How should I start?
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Izuku asked with a tone of concern, his breath visible in the frigid air. This isn't about what I said earlier is it?
"You mentioned earlier that you wanted to get involved again," Uraraka spoke with hesitation.
"Yeah. The world still needs it's Symbol of Peace."
"It's just...I really care about you Deku."
"I know Ochako. You're worried about what might happen."
She shook her head in protest. "No. It's more than that...I…" Her heart fluttered, it was hard to say the words she so desperately wanted him to hear.
Deku was taken aback, he could feel his temperature rise. What is she trying to say?
"I love you," She admitted, tears swelling in her eyes. "And I can't keep watching you get hurt. I know the world needs you, and you have to do something, but I just can't shake the feeling something might happen to you again."
"Ochako," Deku was stunned, at a total loss for words.
"Ever since Chiyoda I've been worried I might lose you again. I haven't slept well since, everytime I go to sleep I see you—"
"Ochako!" Deku wrapped his arms around her, tightly gripping her in a bear hug. "Listen, as much as I want to say everything is ok, we both know things aren't. But that doesn't mean we should sit back and watch as the world crumbles around us. I just need you to trust me, I know the risks and I have a plan."
He locked his eyes into her's and spoke, "And for what it's worth, I love you too."
Her eyes lit up, and her face turned a deep shade of red. It was the first good news she'd received in a while.
…..
"So tell us more about your plan," Iida asked, making a rigid gesture with his arm bent at a 90 degree angle.
"I've been tracking the League of Villains for some time, when they were in hiding anyways," Izuku spoke in a tone of excitement as he sprawled out his notes and maps over the large dining table in front of them. They were a collection of detailed drawings, layouts, and notes made in an organized set of pen and paper. "For the longest time I was connecting the disappearances of people all over the country to what I suspected was their work."
He ran his fingers over old photos, police briefings, and highlighted figures on the outlines. Each one a missing person, from cases half a decade ago all unsolved.
"I knew that the League never disbanded after Jakku, although I didn't have enough evidence to prove it. I realize now that Shigaraki was likely targeting civilians for their quirks, all while feigning the destruction of his organization."
"So what are you getting at exactly," Uraraka spoke up, raising her brow.
"The point is, I know more about the League of Villains right now than anyone else, in fact they don't even call themselves the League anymore. In any case, I can help coordinate everyone and sort a plan out to stop them."
"I see, you just need a stable line of communication then."
Deku nodded, "With support items from Hastume Inc. I could be in constant communication with heroes on the ground, and help them out gathering intel on Shigaraki." Deku clenched his fists, "I know it's not much, but it's the least I can do."
Uraraka breathed a sigh of relief.
Deku shot her a pleading look, an expression that read: Are you ok with this?
"I still have mixed feelings, but if you can get involved without getting hurt then I'll stand by you," Uraraka wrapped her hand around his.
"What about the Commission? If you make an appearance people are going to ask questions about your condition," Iida objected, with an outstretched arm bobbing it gently up and down for added emphasis.
"We'll deal with that later, I'll think of something. For now I just need to get back in the fight." Deku gave a slight smile. "I'm just happy you guys are standing by me on this."
"Of course!" Uraraka wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
"No problem Izuk—," Iida was cut off. His cell phone was ringing furiously in his pocket.
Deku and Uraraka perked their heads up in curiosity, "Who's it from?" they asked.
"Mei," Iida smiled. "She must be worried about me."
"Oh perfect!" Deku chimed. "Put her on speaker, let's link the call to the overlay. I haven't spoken to her in ages."
"Sure thing, one sec."
They answered once the phone was linked to the T.V display in the room, now the video call was on full display for all of them to see and hear. There was heavy background noise, the sounds of machinery and automated action, and Mei Hastume's face was heavily zoomed in on the camera. She took a moment to distance herself before waving wildly, her face covered in dirt and oil.
"Hey Mei, what's up?" Iida asked.
"Not much, just making babies with my babies!" she turned her camera to the side, and brought the image to bear. It was a baby stroller with two young children, a girl and a boy. They were fast asleep.
"How can they sleep like that?" Uraraka asked in disbelief.
"Not even we know, somehow the sounds of her workshop calms them down," Iida responded before turning his attention back to the call. "How are the twins doing?"
"Fantastic! I've made a few modifications to their crib at home, I'd love to show them to you sometime," Hastume spoke with great enthusiasm in her voice. "In any case, how are you doing? I haven't heard much since you left. Oh Deku's there too? He looks great!"
"Um thanks," Deku responded shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. "There's actually something I've been meaning to ask you about."
"I'm fine, it's quiet out here in Gifu," Iida admitted. "I'm glad to be with friends though, I just wish I was there with you and the twins."
"Aww that's so sweet of you, but we're doing alright. It's been busy the last few days, I actually haven't slept in the last 74 hours." Hastume admitted with a crazed look in her excited eyes. "Gotta get ready for the big release soon. Oh? Deku you needed something? Upgrades perhaps?"
"Yeah, something like that. I'll give you a call later once I work out the details." Deku replied meekly.
Iida sighed with a slight smile, "Get some rest soon then ok? I can't have you working yourself to death, only my friends can do that." He joked, Uraraka shot him a playful glare.
"Okie hun, talk to you lat—," the camera shook before Hastume could finish her sentence. Followed by a low rumbling and distortion on the mic.
There was a bright flash in the distance followed by billowing clouds of smoke. "Aaaaa!" Hastume shouted in shock.
"What's going on?" Iida asked in concern.
"I don't know?! It looks like the blast came from the Jakku Memorial," Hastume responded, an edge of panic in her voice. The twins had woken up, wailing and crying. "Come on babies let's go."
"A villain attack," Deku muttered.
"Her office isn't far from Jakku ward is it?" Uraraka asked.
"Hang tight, I'll be right there!" Iida exclaimed.
"It looks like there's—I can see a huge—where is everyone?" The call was cutting in and out, as if something was jamming the signal. "I'll talk—later—love you."
The T.V screen shut off, and the call went dead.
"You're not seriously planning on heading over there are you?" Deku asked.
"I have to, if there's a chance they're in trouble," Iida scrambled to his feet, stretching his legs and checking his engines to see if they were ready for action.
"You won't make it in time," Uraraka reasoned.
"I have to try," Iida replied, as he donned his hero outfit.
Deku nodded. After all, if he was planning to get back into the fight, it was only fair if he let his friends do the same.
…
Author's Update
Hey! I'd like to apologize for the massive hiatus on this chapter. At the beginning of the year I embarked upon a number of creative writing courses that soaked up much of my spare time. Any time I had to write stories went to school instead of fanfiction, so that meant less work on Justice Erased and consequently less releases.
I'd also like to thank many of you for reading the story thus far, it means a lot to me. I have plans to finish this fanfiction, and I'm happy to announce that the whole story has been outlined in great detail. Moving forward with Justice Erased, I would like to keep to a bi-weekly release schedule for new chapters following the release of Chapter 8.
I'd also like to put out more author's updates as well as extra content related to the story that wouldn't otherwise have room to be within a chapter. These 'extra' releases can be seen as expansions to the setting, or in some cases extra scenes that were cut from the final story. In addition to this, I'll be going back and editing prior chapters to smoothen out their mechanical errors(I cringe sometimes when reading my old work.)
That's all for this update. Thanks again for your attention, and I apologize again for the delay.
-Immortal