A/N: Hello, fellows. Before we begin, I would like to apologize. Due to writing under rare sporadic bursts of motivation combined with a general shift of interests and priorities, this and many other ideas of mine have been neglected and left simmering on the backburner. However, now that I have one important part of my life sorted out, I would like to shift back to writing. Catching up on the latest chapters of the manga has left me with a lot of material to work with, especially with a plot point I had planned out for years and only hinted at so far. Hopefully, my gaming addiction doesn't get the best of me again.
Chapter 8: Ruthless Runners
Several days after Stain's capture in Hosu, Ochako entered the bar only to find Tomura and Kurogiri sitting together at a table, going over a pile of scattered papers covered front to back with both words and pictures. They waved to her and quickly went back to the documents, leaving her to wonder about their importance.
She joked, "So even villains have to do taxes, huh," eliciting a deadpan expression from the two.
Tomura rolled his eyes and scoffed. "As if. This building's supposed to be abandoned. Besides, tax evasion's the least of our worries. Right now, we have potential grunts to consider. Our network picked up a lot more potential recruits after Stain lost to those three brats."
Ochako pulled up a chair and sat herself next to Tomura to get a closer look. As she leaned in, she realized that some pictures were mugshots of previously arrested criminals. Interesting, sure, but none really drew her attention.
"Why'd you call me over, then? You know I have exams coming up," she said, pouting. Glancing from photo to photo, she assumed that most of the faces belonged to people somewhat tougher than your average street thug.
"Because you'll be involved in our next major plan," Kurogiri replied.
She perked up, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Really? How so?"
Tomura slid a profile over to her in response. Opening it, she saw the picture of a girl in a pale yellow cardigan who looked about her age. She read the name carefully and thought, Himiko Toga, huh? Strange how someone like her's a notorious villain. No disguise or anything? As she read the profile, Ochako learned that she was a serial killer, who usually targeted young teens unfortunate enough to catch her fancy. Below the short summary was an entry describing her Quirk. Transform, as she called it, allowed her to take on the appearance of anyone, given that she ingested the target's blood. She reasoned, So she doesn't need a disguise because she copies others? Interesting. Think I heard something like that on the news before.
Tomura elaborated, "We asked them several questions about themselves and their Quirks. Said it would help us pick which people to let into our circle. Don't put someone on your squad if you have no need of 'em, I say." He grimaced as he stared at the profile in front of him. "I wouldn't trust them entirely, not yet. I mean, some of these stories seem too sketchy or vague, and one guy's Quirk just lets him stick to walls like a lizard."
"Why consider him, then?" asked Ochako. Since people like Himiko would already see great use in espionage and deceit, somebody who didn't offer nearly as much in that field was a liability. It was already a great risk to take anyone else on, especially if they turned out to be a mole.
He passed her a photo of what looked to be Stain if he were a less menacing humanoid green gecko. "Well, our pal Spinner here's a Stain fanatic. A big fanatic, at that. Though we didn't really see eye-to-eye on the hero-killer, I think this guy will be of great use to us with some convincing. Besides, he mainly fights with bladed weapons, so someone like Eraserhead shouldn't slow him down too much." Ochako nodded in agreement. Anyone who could deal with her teacher would be an immense asset, and with adhesive fingertips like his, he wouldn't have to worry about disarms for the most part.
"Uh-huh. And this girl will also be important to our plans?" She couldn't tell what disturbed her more about Himiko: the fact that she'd been on a killing spree over the past few months, or that one of the things under the "Likes" category was 'BLOOD', highlighted and emphasized with two underlines and three exclamation points. Actually, no, she could easily tell what concerned her more.
He cracked a smile and waved a finger at her. "Of course, Ochako. Especially to you. What we'll do is get some of your blood and later have her pretend to be you helping us. When the police conduct their search, you'll be ready in advance to appear totally clean. Finally, we reveal her Quirk in action."
She mulled over the idea before giving a mischievous smile in return. "So we give them a lead and make it seem like a red herring so they'd never suspect me again, right?"
"Exactly. We were planning to justify us having your blood with another ambush on your class. That way, you'd have plausible deniability and all that. Might as well use that to test the new recruits, too. Only problem is deciding when to strike." Shigaraki chuckled as he imagined the attack going all according to the strategy… that he would think up later.
"I like the sound of that! But, uh, how much blood are we talking about here?" Tomura's unsure shrug left her suddenly dreading the yet-to-exist plan.
Kurogiri spoke up, "You said that your class is going on a school trip after your tests, correct? That will be the perfect opportunity to launch our assault."She gasped as a memory crossed her mind.
"Y-yeah, but I can't go if I fail!" Picking up her bag, she slid out of her chair and clenched her fist. Now I can't fail. Not when they're counting on me! As Kurogiri opened the warp gate back to her apartment, she waved back and claimed, "I won't let you down! Time to get studying!"
As she left the bar, Kurogiri turned to Tomura and reminded him, "This isn't only a test for the newcomers. You do realize Master is also testing your ability to think strategically, right?"
"It'll be fine, Kurogiri. We just need to get her blood, sow doubt in U.A.'s staff, and maybe recruit one of their powerhouses onto our side. Now if only we knew if Mustard's toxic gas is flammable or not. With this Dabi fellow, it'd be easy to set anyplace ablaze!"
"Anyplace and Mustard. If you read his profile again, you'd know that he's the direct source of the gas."
Tomura shrugged and leaned back. "Eh. We'll sweat the details once we get everyone we want together. We need to know the unit's stats and skills before we send them up against any boss."
Kurogiri shook his head in slight dismay. And there's another video game reference. Let's hope those games actually taught him something valuable. Didn't I hear him go on about one called 'Flame Crest,' or was it something else?
Suddenly, the television flickered on, shimmering with the visage of All for One. He inquired, "The recruitment process isn't too much for you to handle, I hope?" The sound of his voice nearly made Tomura drop his pencil in shock.
The young man stammered, "N-Not at all, Sensei. By the way, Uraraka came by just now, so Kurogiri and I filled her in on what we're planning to do next."
The heavily-scarred man nodded in approval. "Excellent. We must ensure that this mission will be done flawlessly in order to guarantee the safety of the League." He thought, Back in my prime, I would've kept the mission a secret so her reaction would be genuine. However, that would only put her at greater risk, and it would be wrong to keep her in the dark after all this time. Speaking of secrets…
All for One inquired, "Tomura, regarding our discussion earlier, are you certain about the decision you're making? After all-" Through the infrared display on his monitor, he could tell that Tomura had stood up and faced him, lacking the slouch he had grown accustomed to.
"Yeah, yeah. It'll probably give me full control of my Quirk. You already told me that. I'm not interested in a simple quality-of-life patch," Tomura's mind focused on the candidate he suggested, "especially not when there's a much better target." Tomura moved to turn his monitor off, cementing his decision and leaving no room for further debate. Promote the support ASAP, and let the map clearers grind out a few more levels first, he reasoned.
All for One sighed as the screen shut down and scanned the numerous glass containers around him once more. He should've been angry, even furious that his pupil would ignore his suggestion and take charge while he was still this young, yet he couldn't help but feel satisfaction, and even stranger, relief.
Through the soft whirs of the life-regulating machines around him, All for One remarked, "My heirs are growing far faster than I could ever imagine. This sensation… I wonder if it's the same feeling you felt for your successor, All Might."
From years of first-hand experience, Ochako knew studying alone would give her poor results. If she wanted to succeed, Ochako needed people to help her focus and ingrain the material into her memory. Thankfully, she could count on two certain classmates to be the diligent motivators she needed. Two weeks before the written exams, she asked Izuku and Tenya if they wanted to study together, and fortunately, both said yes.
Ochako asked, "So, where should we study after school's over?" The trio looked at each other, waiting for someone to respond.
Tenya raised his hand to his chin to contemplate. "I'm afraid I can't offer my house. I'm worried that we might wake my brother up from his rest, and my parents haven't been in the mood for company since… the incident."
Izuku, who suspected that the other student had some financially embarrassing reasons not to offer her apartment, suggested, "Why not my home? I'm sure Mom will be fine with a few guests. Besides, she's been wanting to see you guys for a while now."
Ochako grinned and replied, "Sounds like a great plan, Deku!"
Tenya bowed towards him. "I would be delighted to meet her, Midoriya!"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head and muttered, "Guess I'll call her when I get the chance."
Once classes ended, Izuku led the others to his apartment and rang the doorbell. As the door opened, a stout woman went out to greet the trio. At a glance, she was undoubtedly Izuku's mother, what with their shared hair and eye color and all. She seemed uncertain at first, but seeing her son's warm smile reaffirmed her suspicions.
She asked, "You two would be Izuku's friends, right?" while beaming. Given a quick nod, she stepped back, leaving the home free to enter. "Come in, come in! I'd be happy to have you!"
Stepping inside, Ochako and Tenya scanned the interior. Much like their friend, it seemed rather ordinary, but on closer inspection, there was virtually no mess or clutter. The TV was left on the news channel, which droned on about the latest sighting of a group of troublemakers dubbed by police and officials as the "Three Foolish Monkeys". As the trio set down their bags at the table, Inko turned the TV off so they could study in peace.
Then, she glanced at her son and ordered, "Izuku. Be a dear and please tidy up your room first. You can pick up the food on the way back." The two visitors looked at him quizzically, wondering how messy his room must be.
Sensing the intent behind her request, he replied, "Right, Mom," and hurried off, leaving his friends and mother alone to chat.
Once she could be sure that Izuku was out of earshot, Inko took another glance at them and stated with a friendly smile, "I'm glad my son has friends like you two."
Confused, Tenya asked, "What do you mean by that? Your son is already on good terms with the rest of our class."
The mother closed her eyes as she reflected on the past. "It's just that, from when he was a small child, he only really had one friend, if you could even call it that."
Ochako understood. "Bakugou, right?" Imagining him and Izuku being on good terms sounded as impossible as her being able to change the weather.
Inko sighed and nodded. "Correct. When they first met, the two were nearly inseparable. Anywhere Katsuki went, Izuku would follow. The boy practically idolized him. Then, Katsuki found his Quirk, and Izuku... didn't, not for a decade, at least." She stared to the side, letting them fill in the gaps.
Tenya pondered, "How peculiar. In this day and age, how can someone only discover their Quirk nearly ten years after it developed?"
Acting quickly, Ochako rebutted, "Maybe it was really hard to notice or to activate. It took a bit for my Quirk to get strong enough to work!" Though Izuku already made an enemy of the League of Villains, Ochako felt obliged to hide his secret. After all, if people knew Quirks could be given, they'd eventually figure out that they could be taken, and she didn't want to make any more enemies for Sensei, not in his current state.
Inko shrugged and continued, "I kinda get what you mean, seeing how destructive it is to poor Izuku, but that isn't even the strangest part! It's about what his Quirk is. He has super-strength, like All Might, but neither his father nor I have anything close to that!"
"W-well, what are your Quirks? Are you really sure it didn't mutate from one of them?" Ochako thought, So she still hasn't made the connection, huh? And Deku hasn't told her either?
"His father is a literal fire-breather, while I can attract small objects towards me. You don't have to tell me yours. My son has gushed about you two in particular." She recalled the day when her boy returned from the Entrance Exam, his mouth spilling paragraphs a second regarding his experiences. She thought, To think that the people he met that day would be standing before me… Izuku truly is lucky to have met such wonderful people.
Tenya, ever so diligent to learn more regarding his fellow classmates, asked, "Pardon me, but where is Mr. Midoriya? I haven't heard your son mention him at all." Come to think of it, he hadn't seen a single picture of Izuku's father lying around, or anyone that would fit the part, at least.
Inko reflexively leaned back, her eyes growing more tense, before relaxing again. "He's been working overseas for several years now, since Izuku was about 4 or so. Due to the circumstances of his work, he can't call or travel back often, but he does his best to support us two. Though, I wish for the day he can come home safely." Her mind wandered back to fonder days, days when Hisashi was still in Japan and they could be together. Tenya and Ochako turned to each other, silently coming to the conclusion that, unlike them, Izuku had gone through most of his life without someone he could call a father.
As if on cue, Izuku returned holding plates full of healthy yet delicious snacks from the kitchen.
"Food's here!" he said as he set the snacks down on the table. "What'd you talk about while I was gone?"
Inko shook her son's shoulder gently to get him to sit and replied, "Oh, we were just going over your lives at U.A., dear." Then, she leaned in to whisper, smiling all the while. "I like this Uraraka girl. She reminds me of a certain someone…"
Izuku's face turned beet red as he grew nervous at the implications. "W-what do you mean, Mom?!" She giggled at his misunderstanding.
Waving her hand, she responded, "Not like that, sweetie! She's just like someone I know." Strange as it was, Inko couldn't exactly tell whom Ochako resembled, or why for that matter. Still, Inko felt comfortable around her.
She didn't worry about it for long. Inko enjoyed the others' company, and over the next few days, Ochako and Tenya came back for more studying. The sessions were a huge success, so much so that their only worries were the practical part of the exams, where they'd have to go up against the teacher that would best counter them. And as the exams started, their worries would be proven true, especially Ochako's. Given that her Quirk was once said to effectively negate the force of Earth's gravity, what better opponent for her than one that theoretically wielded infinite gravity?
They were this close to escaping. The exit laid before their eyes, but they couldn't allow themselves to budge, not when a powerful vacuum inched its way closer and closer.
Ochako looked to her test partner, Yuga, as they clung onto the stair railings towards the USJ exit. Attempts to escape the black hole would be futile. Futile so long as Thirteen maintained it, that is.
She screamed over the whirling vortex. "Got any tricks up your sleeves, Aoyama?"
The student in shining armor flashed a smile as bright as his costume. "But of course, Uraraka! However, this trick is not up my sleeve!"
At that moment, he bent his knees so the kneecaps faced Thirteen, now sparkling with a glittering white light. At that moment, two beams shot out, aimed directly for the pro hero, who'd have no time to dodge the surprise attack!
…
And they careened into the gaping maw of destruction, without even a glimmer left to show their existence.
Thirteen gloated, "Hah! Don't you know that black holes absorb even light?" Yuga tilted his head back to Ochako, grimacing while his translucent orange shades were pulled into and devoured by the void.
Yuga muttered, "Even the spotlight has been consumed..."
As the pro stepped closer, Ochako flashed a devious grin towards Yuga, who felt a tad unnerved by its suddenness. This was what she waited for: an opening.
She leaned her head back as far as it could to look towards the sky. Hovering high above them was a sizable branch. It was the same branch that she had Yuga discreetly blast off while they tried to sneak to victory. He didn't ask why, as he knew she'd come up with a plan for it. Now, with one swift descent, they could turn the tide on the pro hero! As the branch plummeted down, its target Thirteen's arm, Ochako let go of the railing, ready to pin her to the ground!
*CRACK*
"Gyah!" The branch landed squarely on Thirteen's helmet, causing a large crack to form and for the pro to clutch her head in pain and collapse on the floor.
The head works too! Ochako nervously thought as she restrained Thirteen's arms. She hoped that this wound would count as a work-related injury.
Not a moment later, Yuga ejected from the railing towards the two, handcuffs in hand. Having fully recovered from his disappointment, he cleanly placed the cuffs on their teacher, thus passing the test!
Ochako slowly and carefully floated Thirteen out of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, making sure to keep her body steady to prevent any further damage. As they walked, it occurred to her that she held a vast amount of control over Thirteen in that instant, and if she so wished, she could send her flying into anything headfirst. However, she shook the thought away, not believing that she could be so cruel.
Beside her, Yuga noted, "How ruthless of you, Uraraka. Who would've thought that you'd have a heart of gold and of stone?" The same branch he severed sailed a few centimeters over his head, but his grin didn't waver.
"S-shut up!"
Ochako couldn't visit the bar over the next couple of days, on account of the new recruits visiting their new bosses. Nevertheless, the next time Ochako returned, she returned triumphant, ready to regale them with the story of her victory.
"So Mr. Aizawa was like, 'You should've judged the situation better, Uraraka. What would you've done if Thirteen wasn't wearing a helmet? One of the greatest challenges a hero faces is taking down a villain without resorting to lethal force.' You think I don't know that?!" Tomura and Kurogiri watched the girl eagerly, taking in every bit of the exasperation and frustration she felt.
Tomura snickered, not even caring how much of her ire he drew, "And yet you still bashed your idol on the head so you could win! That's just gold!" He watched her glare directly at him, only to laugh even harder after she puffed her cheeks. Kurogiri slammed his elbow into the young man's shoulder, certain that Tomura took it too far.
Ochako crossed her arms. "Laugh all you want, Tomura. Ugh… Can't believe Mr. Aizawa's gonna give me extra training during the school trip. Have you seen him teach? He's like a drill sarge, but all bite and no bark."
Kurogiri perked up and asked, "So I take it you're going on the school trip. Is that correct?"
Ochako snapped, "Of course I am! Since when have I ever let you guys down? Besides, even if I failed the test, everyone from classes 1-A and 1-B gets to go anyway, though the ones that failed have to take remedial classes on top of everything else."
The near-spectral bartender mulled, "That makes 40 freshmen in total, all honing their Quirks over a few short days. Should we still continue with the plan?"
Tomura thought about all the ways Ochako and the others would strengthen and diversify their powers, and he answered with a nod while bearing a mildly envious frown.
"Hell yeah," the cerulean-haired guy spat out. "If U.A. wants a trial by fire, then it's up to the Vanguard Action Squad to deliver." He knew that this mission was far too important for the League of Villains to give up. With it, they would not only test their future adversaries, but the strength and loyalty of their new recruits as well. Why, if all went well, they could even expect a foe to become an ally.
The girl sighed with relief. "Great. I'd much rather have to deal with a bunch of villains than Mr. Aizawa's super brutal training. At least there's a chance they'll kill me quickly." With that, she gave Kurogiri the signal to make the warp gate back home.
Before Ochako stepped through it, Kurogiri asked, "Do you know what to do when we get there?"
She shrugged, "Of course. Act surprised, find Toga, and donate some blood to skip the rest of my mid-break classes. How hard could it be?" After she walked through the portal, Kurogiri turned to Tomura, who looked back annoyed.
"What?" Tomura asked defensively.
"You will remind Toga to restrain her… eagerness to obtain blood, right?" As the younger villain remained silent, the elder shook his head in disappointment.
Tomura reassured him, "Don't worry about it. Have you seen Little Miss Bloodsucker? Ochako will know to stop her before she's completely drained. She's sharp enough."
"That doesn't make your lack of communication better." Kurogiri knew this argument would go nowhere and didn't bother stopping him from getting up and walking away.
Tomura wandered off to his room while muttering, "So many heroes and villains know how to use their Quirks in creative ways, or have fighting styles best suited for their Quirks." His hand rose up to claw at his throat, but he stopped himself. Sensei warned him to stop this nervous tick of his. After all, if he showed weakness, either to ally or enemy, they could easily use that weakness against him. He had to get stronger, to overcome his weakness.
He thought, I have to better myself. Learning how to pin others is only a skill. I need to form a proper loadout if I want to beat the tougher bosses. How can I learn how to use my Quirk more efficiently?
An aggravating face flashed in his mind, and his mouth widened into an unsettling grin. He remarked, "Better yet, who can help me learn how to better use my Quirk?" Asking Ochako out of the blue to help him with his moveset would be too much for his pride to allow. Asking a rival, however, was very enticing.
With only a few days left before the weekend, Class 1-A decided to indulge in last-minute shopping for the school trip. Whether it was for buying life-easing supplies such as sun block or for new clothes that suited some of the students' more… unique body structures. As their classmates quickly scattered to find what they needed, Ochako and Izuku were left behind in their thoughts. They stared at each other before sheepishly grinning.
Ochako broke the thin ice by stating, "Guess everyone else already knew what they wanted to get, huh?"
The boy replied, "Yeah. Maybe I should've spent some time thinking before I got here. I've always spent too much time worrying over what I should get." She chuckled, much to his embarrassment.
"I can totally see you doing that!" Then, she acted as if she held a bottle in each hand and started speaking like him.
'Both of these say SPF 70, but should I get the one that says that it feels lightweight, or the one that says that it won't cause breakouts? Or should I keep looking for something stronger? Wait, do I even get brea-' The panicked young boy waved his arms around in vain, as her own urge to laugh forced her to stop.
Izuku sighed and declared, "You're overreacting. There's no way I'd be that frantic," electing to ignore the fact that he had a very similar experience in front of All Might several months back when he was on the American Dream Plan.
Ochako turned her phone on so she could make a list of things she'd want to bring to the school trip. Being the frugal teen she was, she wanted to narrow it down to the absolute essentials. Yet as soon as the screen lit up, she noticed a new message.
Tenko: Hey uraraka im at the mall 2
Can u leave 4 a sec
Need to talk to your friend
The text sent shivers down her spine, and she thought, Really, he's here?! What happens if someone recognizes him, and what does he want with Deku?
Izuku leaned in closer and asked, "Is it one of the others?" His sudden approach startled her, causing her to nearly drop her phone in panic. She quickly backed away from him, afraid that he might've seen something important. The girl also had to resist the urge to look around for Tomura, in case Izuku picked up on her distress.
"I- I… just realized that I don't even have insect repellent! I gotta get some before they're gone, or else I'll end up covered with mosquito bites again!" she cried out as she blended into the crowd, leaving Izuku too stunned to catch up. He looked in awe before recovering.
He murmured, "Wait, do we still have that back at home?" Racking his brain to recall where he'd seen his bottle of repellent, he left himself unaware of the person advancing on him from behind. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his shoulder, and a hand lazily brushed his neck.
An eerie voice gleefully called out to the student. "It's been a while since we've seen each other, hasn't it, Deku?"
In an instant, Izuku recognized who the voice belonged to. However, he wasn't as concerned as to why Tomura was here as he was towards his tone. Tomura should've been furious at him for his efforts to stop the League's attack on USJ, but instead, the villain seemed eager to talk to him. Arguably, this terrified Izuku more than his near death experience back then ever did, and his trembling legs gave no resistance to Tomura's shoving, bringing them deeper into the mall.
Ochako wasn't sure whether to tail the pair or wait until Tomura was finished talking to the boy. Sure, she could make sure that the situation didn't escalate, but then she'd get in the way of Tomura's escape. Besides, if Izuku saw her watching from afar, not looking the slightest bit surprised or fearful, he'd know something was up.
I hope you know what you're doing, Ochako wished as the pair descended into the depths of the crowd.
Izuku wished that he could sweat bullets at the moment, because the moisture trickling down his face did little to loosen Tomura's iron grip. What's the League of Villains doing here?! Does he want to kill me in broad daylight? A raspy whisper turned his sweat to ice.
"While killing the hero before he obtains his legendary power would be nice, that's not what I'm here for," Tomura proclaimed.
The boy muttered, "Then what are you here for? Do I have anything you want?" Tomura brought him in closer and chuckled.
"Sorta. See, what I need from you is advice, and be serious. If not you, I'll take it out on some of the NPCs here." The sheer honesty of that request and threat gave the boy further shock.
Izuku's eyes widened. "A-advice?"
"Yeah. I saw how well you did at the Sports Festival. That cavalry battle really was something. You made great use of your teammates' Quirks." The villain watched eagerly as his captive glared at him with a sudden burst of courage.
With caution, the student asked, "And?" He had a bad feeling where this conversation was going.
"Tell me, Midoriya, how do I use my Quirk better? Not just faster or stronger, but smarter?" Tomura's eyes glimmered with excitement, ambition, and even a bit of passion. For a brief moment, he looked as human as any of Izuku's friends. The boy reeled back in horror from this uncanny valley.
Izuku squirmed as he sheepishly admitted, "It probably wouldn't surprise anyone to learn that I barely know how to control my Quirk."
"Tch. Obviously," Tomura spouted, ignoring the other's indignation.
The hero-in-training continued, "But… I think that's the first step to mastering your Quirk. Control." The villain stared at him as if the boy told him to 'get good, scrub,' with his gentle tone.
Tomura barked, "Of course I tried to control it! I spent years of training trying to limit it! But guess what? I'm nowhere closer now than I was back then!" He loosened his grip just enough to turn Izuku around as he curled up his free hand into a fist.
Izuku raised his arms up in defense. "W-well, if you can't limit the decay, why not try controlling where it happens?" He felt Tomura's arm slack as the villain stopped to ponder the suggestion.
Control where Decay affects? Like changing the range and shape of an AOE attack? That… could actually work. Tomura couldn't believe how blinded by rage he was the whole time. After all, if the points of contact were the first to decay, he'd have to constantly adjust his grip or else lose his hold and leave them with a hand-shaped gash. He realized, Come to think of it, whenever I deleted someone, the last part to waste away was usually the piece of cloth or flesh I held onto. It was always the part closest to my hand! I don't have to limit Decay's power, all I have to do is increase the minimum effective range!
Satisfied, Tomura shoved his foe aside and ran, and as Izuku stumbled, he caught the determined grin of his assailant just before it melded with the crowd. Weak in the knees and gasping for air, he rubbed his neck and reached for his phone. With the help of the warp villain, Izuku knew that Tomura would be gone long before the cops would show up, but he had to let All Might know about the most recent development right away!
In an alleyway shielded from the public eye, Tomura pulled out his phone and called his emergency contact. As the portal back home formed, he praised his enemy. "Guess you aren't as useless as I thought, Deku." The encounter, although passing under the radar for all but those so intimately involved, would have a lasting effect on Tomura's development. As for Ochako's development... Well, the school trip will be well underway soon enough.
Will the whims of fate lead these students astray, or shall they pave a path to the truth?