"A private resort?! That sounds totally amazing!" Mina exclaimed excitedly with her hands slapping against the desk after Mr. Aizawa finished revealing the big surprise during homeroom. "This isn't like last time where we got our butts kicked by a bunch of villains? Because that wasn't exactly a great memory for a lot of us."
Mr. Aizawa sighed tiredly as the class began muttering about the traumatic past experience, though the students who had been injured the most remained silent with their gazes averted downward. "Though we're trying our best to ensure the safety of everyone I can't guarantee there won't be trouble seeing as it seems to follow some of you quite fondly. There will be a handful of pros going along as a precaution, myself included. It's a private resort located pretty deep in the woods in an undisclosed location." Midoriya flinched a bit in embarrassment while Bakugo merely scoffed and turned his piercing stare towards the windows.
"How do we know this isn't just some training exercise again? I doubt the school wants us to go far with the League of Villains running around," Mineta piped in with a lispy voice. "Wouldn't it be safer to just stay at U.A. where it's filled with pro heroes?"
"Principal Nezu has been generous enough to offer such a break at his personal property so I suggest you take up the offer. Unless," Aizawa suddenly unleashed his quirk with a tight pull of his scarf. Everyone fell silent. "You'd rather stay here and do hours of remedial courses while your friends are off relaxing."
"No, sir!" They chorused in unison. Satisfied the message got across the teacher blinked and released his quirk. After a brief cover of the dates and meeting time, only two days away, the pro hero promptly tossed his papers aside and rolled up into his sleeping bag for a well needed nap.
The class began to shift around as the hour hadn't ended yet and there was still time before the next round of lessons. The girls all gathered in one corner while the boys spread out to be more comfortable. Yaoyorozu began throwing out ideas on hikes they could do, activities, foods to bring. Everyone else began giving their two cents except for Uraraka, the gravity manipulator was too deep in her own thoughts to even hear what her friends were talking about. She often still had nightmares about the night Bakugo was taken; Deku fighting through two damaged arms purely on adrenaline after he had encountered another enemy in search of Kota. Uraraka had never seen him that determined before, even in his heavily injured state. The determination to save his childhood friend who treated him so harshly, always looking down upon him, had sent the girls heart into a flutter. Deku truly was a selfless person and Uraraka had admired him ever since the very beginning in the entrance exams when he saved her.
"Uraraka…"
The confident yet kind smile he always wore, the deep concern he had for their classmates, taking the time to get to know every person in their class, always offering support when she was troubled about something. Deku truly was a kind person and she was thankful to have ever met him. The thought of never having met him was impossible to imagine with how drastically he's changed her life. He always knew what to say and she would often repeat his words back to him whenever he was down about something. The two worked really well together if she was being completely honest. Whenever Deku smiled genuinely at her, Uraraka thought that she might float away from the sheer amount of happiness in her chest.
"Uraraka? Ochaco? Girlie? Yoo-hoo!"
Oh, how he always made her heart flutter when he looked at her—
"Oh, there she goes. Should we grab her?"
Wait, wait, wait! What was she saying? Heat flushed her face and Uraraka slapped her hands over her eyes as a slurry of emotions filled her chest. He was just a friend, she even considered him her best friend, and best friends don't think about each other that way. Was she crushing over Deku? Yes, he was attractive in his own goofy, nerdy way and his heroic actions would make any girl swoon but did she…did she truly…
"Uraraka!"
The teen finally snapped from her thoughts and peeked between her fingers. The entirety of the class was staring up at her though the scene seemed a bit crooked for the brunette. Her whole being lit up in embarrassment, especially when she noticed a certain green-haired hero starting at her with confusion and a bit of concern. "Y-yes…?"
"You're floating, sweetie," Mina pointed out with a delicate pink finger, yellow eyes dancing with mirth. Jiro twirled one of her ear jacks between her fingers with a devious grin, a knowing glint in her eyes. Tsu stared up at her curiously and Yaoyorozu delicately placed her fingers over her mouth. Toru silently motioned for her to come down already. "Might want to come down now before Mineta tries to sneak a peek up your skirt."
"Too late, Mina, I've got the perfect—yowch!" The purple haired perv yelped as Jiro stabbed one of her jacks into his ear and emitted a strong sound wave to cease his perverted antics. A collective frustrated groan came from the guys as their comrade crawled his way back to his desk, blood trickling from his ear while he muttered about the perfect shape of her ass. Kirishima bluntly stated he needed professional help while Kaminari whined about missing the view. Jiro gave him a zap as well.
Uraraka instantly flapped her arms around as she tried to cover her mistake up, only resulting in spinning completely upside down. Her hands instantly clutched her skirt down even though her dark leggings solidly covered everything beneath. She was too mortified to control her quirk and releasing it now would result in her either hitting the floor or a desk, not to mention the ceilings were pretty high in the classrooms to house the bigger heroes. Luckily Mr. Aizawa was a heavy sleeper so he missed out on the whole debacle.
"Tsu, if you would please help our dear friend down then maybe we can go somewhere a little more private," Yaoyorozu requested politely as she began gathering both her belongings and a beet red brunettes items. The frog girl complied with a ribbit and latched onto the gravity manipulator with ease. Uraraka felt beyond mortified that she had lost control of her quirk in the classroom and in front of everyone else as well. Especially Deku. Never had she wanted to cry so bad until now.
"Nothing to see here, please go about your business now, men!" Ida immediately stepped in to block the view of the brunette being towed through the tall door, the towering man planting his hands on his hips in an attempt to intimidate his classmates into minding their business. "I will check in with Yaoyorozu later to get an update on our classmates condition but for now we should prep for our upcoming camping trip! Here, I even have a list already made up for you all to look over."
"Such a buzzkill, Ida, why don't you just chill for once?" Sero flapped a hand at the papers their class president was currently trying to distribute to everyone. Most skimmed over it or set it down but Bakugo obliterated it in a second flat. Izuku tried to focus on the itemized list of activities and food but the image of Uraraka looking fairly distressed before her quirk activated settled heavily in the pit of his stomach. What could she be so upset about? Normally he could detect subtle changes in his classmates' behaviors but this…it came out of nowhere and it wasn't normal for her. Maybe he would try to check up on her later once things died down.
"Spill it, girl! What's got you so hot and bothered?" Mina demanded once they finally got the bright red brunette back on the ground and away from the classroom. They quickly ushered her back to the dorms knowing the guys wouldn't be there for quite some time. Ochaco clamped her lips shut, keeping her gaze to the ground to avoid looking at her dormmates as they sat in the commons. "Come on, come on! If it's enough for you to lose control of your quirk in class then it's something juicy! I want every little—"
"Mina, relax. Forcing her into saying something she may not want to discuss could potentially stress her out even more," Yaoyorozu gently interjected. The pink skinned girl pursed her lips and crossed her arms but agreed with a nod. "Uraraka, is there something going on that you wanted to talk to us about? You seemed pretty distracted and a bit distressed in the classroom. How can we help you out?"
"Don't worry about Mineta, I'll just fry his brain a few more times if he keeps bringing the subject up." Jiro added casually with a flick of her ear jacks.
"If any of the boys say anything then we'll shut them up for you!" Toru added as well, her gloves clenching into fists.
"I-It's n-nothing, r-really," The brunette stuttered out as she tried to focus on calming her rapidly beating heart. "J-Just…"
"Go on, dear," The co-president soothed softly.
"I-I-I—" What was she supposed to say?! I was daydreaming about Deku and how he makes me feel so flustered all of the time? How he makes me feel like I'm floating without the use of my quirk? Without realizing it, Ochaco engaged her quirk once more and began floating towards the ceiling once more, completely unaware as her brain fried itself once more thinking about a certain hero.
"Wow, she's got it bad!" Mina giggled with unrestrained glee, wiggling against the couch eagerly. "Maybe we should just start guessing and watch her reaction! Is it someone in our class? A different class? Do we know them? Spill it!"
"It's probably best if we let her rest in her room for now, ribbit." Tsu quickly grabbed ahold of the flustered girl and brought her back towards the ground. "I'll take her back just in case she floats away again."
"Good idea, Tsu, thanks. We should probably report to Ida and the others given the chance they're worried as well. I'm sure Mr. Aizawa will understand if you don't finish the rest of today's classes and practice." Jiro stood and dusted off her jacket briefly then turning towards the now in range Uraraka. "You have our numbers, Ura, just shoot us a message if you need anything, okay?"
With a subtle nod the girls filtered out of the dorm to head back to the schoolgrounds while gently floating to a rest on the ground beside her usually quiet friend. Uraraka slid her hands down her face as tears shimmered in her auburn eyes. Why couldn't she regain control of her emotions whenever she thought of Deku? She'd been feeling odd emotions every now and then but didn't think too much of it with all of the villain fights that had been going on recently. Even during the provisional licensing exam she had decided to shove them down for his sake of becoming the strongest hero without distractions. Maybe…maybe once and for all she would need to just erase her feelings for him so they could both achieve their dreams. She could totally do that. Right?
"If you ever need to talk, Ochaco, I'm here for you. You know where to find me." Tsu reassured as she escorted the silent girl to her room, a hand coming to rest against her uniformed arm. "I'll leave you be but I'll come check on you after practices, okay?"
"Thank you, Tsu," Uraraka whispered as she unlocked her dorm room, flashing her closest friend a brief smile before entering. As soon as the door clicked shut the teen pressed her back against it and slid to the floor, curling up tightly. Tears that had been building in her eyes finally fell and the brunette sobbed silently into her crossed arms. As long as the tears continued to fall Uraraka stayed tightly curled up into a ball, all of the pent up emotions and feelings bursting through the dam she had tried so hard to keep from crumbling. When was the last time she had cried this hard? She had shed a few tears here and there either after feeling defeated from her mock battles or just out of sheer relief that her classmates were safe from harm. It seemed like ages before the tears ran dry and Uraraka felt completely drained as she finally lifted her head, face sore and burning. The sun was beginning to set and the hued light filtered in through her curtains.
Uraraka felt completely numbed as she achily stood from the floor and stumbled her way to her bathroom. The light clicked on and she flinched from the sudden brightness, a hand shielding her eyes until they adjusted. Puffy eyes squinted back at her from the mirror along with tousled brown locks and heavily tinted cheeks. She looked like an absolute mess. A sigh escaped her lips as she turned the faucet on cold, waiting for the sink to fill up before splashing it onto her face to ease the tenderness. Going downstairs now would definitely raise suspicions with her current state and the gravity manipulator would rather attempt to put a happy face on instead. Her locks gave her a bit of trouble since they tangled up a bit but with some good tugging and detangling spray she managed to get them back into place. A deep breath in and out calmed her nerves. Changing into an oversized pink U.A. sweatshirt and black leggings Uraraka mentally prepared herself for an onslaught of questions when a soft knocking caused her to freeze in place.
"Ochaco? How are you doing in there?" It was Tsu. The girl let out a relieved sigh. She still wasn't sure how she was going to face Deku at the moment, let alone ever again.
"Hi," The brunette spoke softly as she opened the door only to be taken aback by the crowd of her classmates that had gathered outside of her door. "I-I uh…w-what's everyone doing here?"
"Sorry, I tried to keep things small but word spread quickly." Yaoyorozu explained sheepishly with her fingers against her cheek. "We're all worried about you, Uraraka, so please feel free to depend on us whenever something is wrong. We're all in this together."
"Except for Bakugo," Kirishima raised a hand to show his presence as well. "But he's not the group bonding type anyways. A few others are missing due to workouts or talking with the teachers but they should be back soon enough."
"Everyone was worried about you so we all decided to see if there was some way to help you out, Uraraka," Ida proclaimed loudly from beside a stoic Tokoyami, the others murmuring their agreement. A familiar patch of green hair seemed to be vacant from the grouping and she almost felt a bit of disappointment.
"I uh…don't know what to say," Uraraka laughed nervously with a hand to the back of her head.
"Say you'll come out and play games with us? We've got UNO, Monopoly, video games, a bunch of snack food and more! Mr. Aizawa said to take the next few days of class off before the trip to help take the stress off of us." Toru asked excitedly, her hands clenched into fists. Mina copied her motion as well.
"S-sure, that sounds…fun…"
The brunette barely finished her answer before the girls dragged her away eagerly, the boys following suit right behind. It took a bit of food and conversation for Uraraka to return to her bubbly self but she soon found herself enjoying the time spent with her classmates. Bakugo was the first to return and his explosive personality ignited immediately at the rowdy crowd in the living room, the pyromaniac hurling insults left and right at those who tried to invite him into the fun. Ojiro and Sato followed not too longer after, briefly checking in with the brunette before joining in on the fun and games. Uraraka shifted a bit away from the crowds for a bit just to catch her breath. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as they laughed over card games and shouted objections to the winner of the fighting games. The smile adorning her face faltered a bit as a familiar hero-in-training was still missing from the group. Was he out training again? It had gotten dark and curfew wasn't too far off so he should be showing up sooner or later, right?
Setting her drink down on the kitchen island, Uraraka decided on some fresh air after being cooped up in her room for so long. No one noticed as she slipped through the front door silently and into the darkness. Her breath clouded in the air as fall began descending into the winter months and the quirk holder regretted not putting on thicker pants while walking away from the building. Ochaco wasn't sure where she was going but her feet led the way onto the main pathway connecting to the front of the dorms and smackdab into something hard. The brunette felt herself falling backwards and went to brace her body for the fall when something latched around her arm, stopping her short of hitting the ground.
"Uraraka! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there! Are you alright?" Deku asked frantically as he pulled her back to her feet with ease. "Forgive me, I must have been zoning out again. You're not hurt, are you?"
"I-I'm fine, Deku, thanks." Did she seriously just smack into him?! Oh, All Might, how was this about to end? "I-I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!"
"N-no, it's my fault for not looking." The two stared at each other for a few moments before turning away with faces aflame. Deku rubbed the back of his neck nervously while Uraraka placed a hand against her cheek and looked away. "S-so uh…w-where were you headed so late? I-I mean I don't mean to be nosey or anything but since earlier I noticed that maybe something was bothering you so I wanted to make sure you were okay and everything though I got caught up doing some training and then All Might wanted to have a talk so—"
Uraraka watched as Deku went into an unstoppable ramble, his hands moving along with his words rapidly. All embarrassment drained from her body and a small laugh slipped between her lips uncontrollably. She slapped a hand over her mouth as he just continued on about something completely different and the teen shook trying to contain the laughter bubbling up within her. Whenever he went on a ramble she found it hilarious because it was just so Deku. Uraraka couldn't contain it anymore and her laughter filled the air, genuine and pure. Deku stopped short and waited until the gravity user calmed down a bit, embarrassment tinting his cheeks pink.
"I-I'm sorry, Deku, but I just couldn't help it," She said between breaths, trying to control the bubbling sensation within her. "It's just…so you to go off on a random rant like that."
"I'm…sorry?" Midoriya said nervously though a smile twitched at his lips. At least she was acting more like herself again. His sharp eyes took note of her slightly bloodshot, puffy eyes and the smile turned downward into a slight frown. Had she been crying?
"N-no, it's not your fault," Uraraka took a few deep breaths in to control herself, swiping at the few tears trickling down her face quickly. "I think I needed that the most right now so, thank you."
"O-of course! But…if there's something bothering you, I don't mind listening to whatever it is. I've been wanting to make sure you were alright since you left the classroom but I kind of got busy with a few things."
Those caring eyes, that friendly smile that made her heart flutter in such a tender way. The boy that stood before her…no, the man, that stood before her that she adored so deeply gradually washed away the worries plaguing her. "Walk with me?"
"Of course."
The two walked in silence away from the dorms at a slow pace. Uraraka with her hands clasped behind her back and Deku wrapping his around his backpack straps. It was a comfortable silence that filled the air between them and she was thankful for that after her embarrassing moment in the classroom. All of her training went out the window and it was like she was a small child again just learning how to master the unfamiliar power. She should be ashamed, really, for losing control of something so simple as emotions and over a boy no less. They were all striving to be top heroes, Deku more than anyone in the class, and she couldn't let her emotions get in the way of his uprising. For now she would try to squash down the feelings as much as she could while training hard just like him.
"I guess I should start with asking if everything is alright, Uraraka." The green haired teen asked quietly once they settled onto a nearby bench, the lamp above illuminating it with a warm glow. Moths randomly bounced off of the protective covering over the bulb and a few fluttered down to investigate the newcomers. Uraraka kept her gaze on her shoes, twisting her hands together lightly. "A lot of us were concerned earlier when you subconsciously activated your quirk and started floating towards the ceiling. So…is something bothering you?"
"I'm…not so sure anymore to be honest, Deku. I guess I'm just nervous about going to another camp after villains attacked last time. It's a risk we take going anywhere as up and coming heroes but it doesn't make it any easier on my nerves. The League of Villains are growing stronger and it feels almost impossible to match their strength with ours."
Especially seeing you so injured last time. I don't know if I can handle that again.
"I understand that feeling completely. After they attacked it felt like the whole world was closing in on us once the chaos began. The teachers could only do so much to hold them back but we weren't even a match for the League. I felt so helpless as they took Kaachan away, like I wasn't strong enough to stop this from happening." Deku looked down at his scarred hand with reminiscent eyes, flexing his fingers lightly. Uraraka glanced up at the movement and felt a pang across her chest.
Oh. He's still bothered by that, isn't he? Why didn't I notice?
"You're the strongest person I know, Deku, and you always smile through the hard times even when things look bleak. I have my utmost faith in you as a hero. You have the drive and tenacity on par with All Might and even severely injured you continue to fight until the villain is defeated to protect those who need help. I wish I could be as strong as you are someday. Gravity manipulation is cool and all but I feel so physically weak compared to the rest of you. And today I couldn't even control my quirk, I started floating away before I realized it. Multiple times actually!" Uraraka laughed lightly and tilted her head back to look up at the night sky with stinging eyes. Ever since entering the U.A. things had been so hectic that she often forgot to look at her surroundings and just breathe. The League continued to grow stronger and she feared there was going to be more injuries from this point on, potentially fatal ones at that. If Deku got critically injured again…
"You are strong, Uraraka, even if you yourself don't realize it." She finally dropped her gaze to look over at Deku with her lips parted slightly. His expression was sincere as he stared at her intently and she resisted the urge to flush. "You constantly push yourself harder to get stronger and even interned with Gunhead to focus on another aspect of training outside of your basic skillset. You have the ability to adapt and overcome your enemies when your quirk isn't ideal in the given situation and quickly at that. It was amazing when you fought Kaachan and even managed to sneak behind him by throwing your jacket! And when you used your martial arts against Himiko! I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Uraraka, you're an amazing hero!"
"Thank you, Deku, really," Uraraka smiled fondly at him. "I truly appreciate everything you've done for me and I'll continue to support you as well. We'll go Plus Ultra together!"
"Plus Ultra!" Deku grinned with a fist pump into the air. A heavy weight settled in her chest as Uraraka suggested they head back to the dorms before curfew hit and one of the teachers caught them out. Idle chatter filled the air as she asked how his day went, what he did, how practice was. A chime rang from their dorm and the two started sprinting to get inside. Mr. Aizawa often liked to make sure his students were in the building before the bell rang and served harsh punishments to those breaking the curfew.
The two slipped into the building just as the bell finished chiming, both a bit breathless from the sudden cardio. No one appeared to notice the two so Uraraka returned to grab her drink while Deku shifted over to see who was winning on the console. A quick sip finished off her water and she cleaned the cup before deciding to head off to bed. Emotionally and physically she was completely drained and since they had the next few days off before the trip it would give her time to work on regaining control of the wild emotions roaring within her. A final glance at Deku then she moved down the hallway towards the elevators. As soon as she turned around to press the panel for her floor, her eyes caught Tsu looking at her with a questioning look from the living room. A brief wave was all she gave before the doors shut and the metal contraption jerked upwards. Uraraka's guard dropped and she slumped against the wall of the elevator tiredly.
I can't tell him the truth, it'll only just drag him down on his path to becoming the number one hero. I'm sorry, Deku, I'll continue to support you along the way but I'm afraid we'll be nothing more than friends. It's better this way.
The few days passed quickly and before they knew it, the students from class 1-A were tiredly waiting to board the bus that would take them to the resort personally owned by Principal Nezu. Mr. Aizawa would be personally escorting them alongside Cementoss, Thirteen, and Hound Dog. Security had been drastically raised since the last attack and Principal Nezu didn't want to take the chance of another attack so he sent some of the available teachers with the students. The class was split up into groups of five and each had to report to their respective teachers. Under Mr. Aizawa was Mineta, Sato, Koda, Shoji, and Ojiro. Cementoss was in charge of Midoriya, Uraraka, Jiro, Tsu, and Aoyama. Thirteen had Todoroki, Tokoyami, Bakugo, Yaoyorozu, and Ashido. Hound Dog got the remainder of the students; Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, Ida, and Hagakure. While they could all mingle together as they wanted, in case of an emergency they were instructed to go to their respective leaders.
"If everyone is here then we're going to be departing now. Just a reminder of the rules in case anyone forgot over the past few days," Aizawa spoke tiredly at the front of the bus after everyone had settled into their seats by group. It was too early in the morning to be doing this much speaking. "No going off by yourself for any reason and stick to groups if you plan any hikes, curfew will be in effect for the same timeframe as the dorms. If you're caught out before or after you will be isolated for the remainder of the trip as punishment. In the likelihood that an enemy attacks you are to send an emergency flare and we will come running. Do not engage the enemy head on; remember that you're still students without permits, leave it to the pros to handle. Questions?"
"Are the cabins located near each other?" Mineta shot his hand up and the girls instantly grimaced at his heavy breathing and twitching. Uraraka shrunk a little further into her window seat at his barely contained excitement. Just remembering what he did a few days ago creeped her out and Tsu gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "What about the baths?"
"You'll have separated quarters though the shared bath is located between the two. The girls will have first use of them. Try anything and I'll string you up like a piñata, Mineta, got it?" Aizawa flashed his powers at his student who instantly paled and nodded, quickly returning to his seat. "It's going to take us half the day to get there so I suggest you find something to entertain yourselves for the drive. Let's get going now."
The bus rumbled to a start before slowly pulling out from in front of the dorms. A handful opted for getting more sleep, a few put music on, and the rest either remained silent or chatted quietly. Tsu and Uraraka began talking about what they wanted to do first after they settled in.
"I wonder if there are natural springs there, maybe even at the cabin! It'll be a nice change to relax for a bit." Uraraka said excitedly to her friend.
"I could use a warm soak, the cold makes me want to hibernate already." Tsu responded with a nod, a finger placed against her mouth. "Of course there's a problem with the baths being shared. Mineta is sure to find his way in there to spy on us, ribbit."
"The girls have such nice, luscious bodies and it would be such a shame to not give them the full attention they deserve. Especially you, Uraraka, even with those tights I could tell you have such a nice as—"
"Shut up, you creep!" Jiro snapped and shot one of her ear jacks out to fry Mineta's brain only to be beaten to the punch by Sero who taped his mouth tightly shut.
"Seriously Mineta, how about you keep your perverted thoughts to yourself? No one wants to hear about any of it, especially Uraraka! Haven't you done enough damage lately?" The tape quirk holder tore into the purple haired teen from the row behind. "Don't worry, Ochaco, we'll keep him silenced for the majority of the trip."
"Thanks, Sero." The brunette gave an uneasy smile before turning her attention to the scenery passing by with fake interest. Her legs tucked up against her chest with her arms holding them tight. Just the mere mention of it brought back the embarrassing memory and a slurry of emotions she was trying so hard to ignore. Through the windows reflection she could see a certain pair of virescent eyes watching her with concern once more. She had worried him again. Deku had that look on his face which meant he was going to ask her if she was alright once he had the chance. If he kept constantly worrying about her then how was he supposed to become the number one hero?
Tsu thankfully kept silent on the matter but Uraraka was sure she heard the slap of her tongue against Mineta's face as her warning to him. She was grateful for having such great friends to defend her when she didn't have the nerve to do so. Despite what Deku said a few nights ago, Uraraka felt weak. Weak enough to not be able to stand up to her creepy classmate, weak enough to not be able to control her powers…weak enough not to tell the man sitting across the aisle how much she loved him. Was she even cut out to be a hero? All of the pros before her were smart, strong, caring, emotionally stable. Saving people was impossible if she couldn't even stay grounded. Literally. A yawn escaped her mouth and Uraraka leaned her head against the window, eyes drooping from the lack of sleep. Her mind refused to shut down at night so the girl was left tossing and turning all night until she eventually fell into a restless slumber.
It wasn't until someone was shaking her shoulder did she begin to stir. The scenery was no longer moving and Uraraka wiped the sleep from her eyes tiredly. "I'm sorry to wake you, Uraraka, but the bus has stopped for lunch. Tsu asked me to wake you up while she went to find some place warmer before she went into hibernation."
"Mm. Deku? Are we at the camp yet?" The brunette asked quietly while sitting up in her seat, mind finally beginning to turn again. Izuku stood in the aisle of the bus with his usual happy expression. In his hands were two bagged lunches provided by the dorms before their trip. One had his name written neatly across the front and the other bag held hers, no doubt Ida the one behind the precise handwriting.
"No, we've stopped for a break. There's about an hour before we reach the campgrounds. Here, I wasn't sure if you were hungry yet or not but I brought yours as well. Everyone else is sitting outside to get some fresh air."
"Thank you."
"Are you…" Deku started unsurely and she looked up to see him scratching the back of his neck with a bit of nervousness. "About earlier…"
"I'm fine, really, there's no need to be worried about it, Deku! Mineta always says stuff like that!" Uraraka flushed red and waved her hands in front of her. "I'm still a bit embarrassed that happened in front of everyone! Give it a few days and I'm sure it'll go away."
"As long as you're alright, that's all that matters, Uraraka." Deku's smile widened before he suddenly froze, heat rushing to his face and he stumbled backwards onto the seat behind him. "I-I meant that as a friend and classmate! E-everyone is waiting outside if you wanted to go e-eat outside with them. Or you can stay in here and eat, it's your choice!"
"Sure. I could stand to stretch my legs a bit." Uraraka tilted her head slightly at his reaction. Why was he getting so flustered all of a sudden? The two exited the bus and into the chilled air to join their classmates. Yaoyorozu waved to them from a nearby table, motioning for them to join her and the others. The teachers and pros were taking a break a short distance away from the students, keeping an eye on the kids while enjoying their own lunches.
"Fucking move it, nerd!" Bakugo sneered as he harshly brushed against Deku's shoulder with his brown lunch bag crumpled in his hand, causing him to stumble back into Uraraka roughly. She activated her quirk to prevent him from falling and Deku levitated a few feet off the ground before flailing around for a minute. The brunette glared heavily at the pyromaniac before releasing her quirk. He did not just do that.
"Seriously? Go around next time, Bakugo, there's plenty of space." Uraraka stated low enough for just him to hear. The blonde stopped short and turned to give her a nasty glare. He marched back over and stopped short of her face, jaw clenched tightly as he slipped on a challenging smile. His palms began sparking threateningly next to her but Uraraka stood her ground with her head up. She was tired of him bullying Deku around like they were still children and now seemed like an opportune time to let off some steam thanks to her pent up emotions.
"You got somethin' to say, shorty? Want me to kick your ass again like I did at the Sports Festival? Blow you up until you K.O. like the weakling you are? Since I'm stronger now you may actually die." Bakugo laughed arrogantly and the brunette clenched her fist to prevent herself from slapping him across the face. The glint in his eyes told the gravity manipulator he knew it struck a deep cord with her.
"Why are you still such a bully, Bakugo? You're not a child anymore so quit acting like one." Uraraka could practically hear that thin line of control snapping and she prepared to float him as far away as possible. For a moment he did nothing, just stood there with a wild look in his eyes and a sadistic grin. The teachers began shifting closer, preparing to break up a fight while their classmates scrambled backwards to brace for the impact. Kirishima let out a curse and leapt up from his table to grab his idiot friend from blowing them all up.
"That's enough, Kaachan." Deku intervened by grabbing him tightly by the forearm, a light warning low in his voice as power flooded through his body. "Don't do this. There's nothing to prove right now, just walk away—"
"Get your damned hand off of me, Deku—!"
"Enough, both of you." Their quirks deactivated in an instant and all three turned to see Aizawa staring at them with glowing red eyes, hand tightly gripping his wavering scarf. A heavy scowl adorned his face while he stared down all three of his students. "Bakugo, if you start a fight here then I'll have no choice but to lock you up for the remainder of the trip. Quit making me use my quirk more than I have to, I'm getting serious dry eye from it and I didn't bring enough drops. Midoriya, same goes for you. Uraraka, a word. You three can also replace the sandwich I had to waste because of your squabbling."
"Yes, sir." Deku and Uraraka replied with remorsefulness while Bakugo scoffed and yanked his arm free from his childhood rival, choosing to stomp away with a chastising Ida following.
"I don't know what's gotten into you lately but if there's something you need to talk about then talk to one of us. Don't go starting fights with Bakugo. We both know that fight won't end well." Aizawa turned to face his student after walking her a distance away from the others, arms crossed over his chest. "Yaoyorozu and Ida informed me of what happened in the classroom, about you suddenly losing control of your quirk out of nowhere then isolating yourself. What's going on, Uraraka?"
Uraraka clasped her hands behind her back as she averted her gaze away from her teacher. Telling him the full truth would no doubt bring a lecture about letting petty feelings take control of her quirk and she'd had enough humiliation for one week. Things were really starting to get out of hand, she needed to regain control of herself before it got her deeper into trouble. "I…I've been questioning myself regarding my skills and if I'm even strong enough to become a hero. No matter how hard I train I always feel like I'm falling behind the others. Not to mention every time we run into any villains from the League…I lose the confidence to continue striving towards the hero I want to be. Who I need to be. The thoughts take over and I subconsciously activate my quirk I think. I haven't been able to face the others about it because they're excelling at a faster rate than me, I don't want to bring them down because I can't push past these feelings."
"There's no easy path to becoming a fully-fledged hero," Aizawa placed a hand gently on her head and she looked up to see him giving a rare flash of a smile. "It takes years of hard work, full dedication, motivation, drive, heart, blood, sweat, and tears. But while you're hard at work training your body in order to be able to expand the limits of your quirk, don't forget that you need to grow mentally as well. Keeping the negative mindset will only drag you down and falter your steps to being a hero. We're not just your teachers, we're your teammates as well. I suggest seeing Recovery Girl once we return to campus next week, she may have something that will help. Even heroes need saving from themselves sometimes."
"Of course, thank you Mr. Aizawa. I'll try my best to work on myself to become a better hero." Uraraka nodded and the pro dropped his hand back to his side.
"We've still got a few minutes of break left so why don't you—"
"Something's coming!" Hound Dog howled out, interrupting their conversation. "Get ready!"
Explosions racked the area surrounding the bus stop forcing debris to rain down over them. Eraser Head whipped his scarf around his student and jerked her out of the way of a large section of rock as it came barreling down the hillside. Uraraka looked up to see more debris about to land on them and her teacher began yanking them out of the way with his scarf while the other pros leaped into action. She pressed her fingers together and began floating towards them in an attempt to delay the bigger stones from hitting the other students. While she didn't have her gear with her she could still do something, anything to help protect her friends and teachers who have supported her so strongly during her time at U.A..
"I can do this!" Uraraka shouted as she launched herself towards the massive boulder quickly approaching her. She would have to put her all into it if she wanted to make sure it didn't crush her before the zero gravity took over. As soon as her fingers pressed against the stone, nausea instantly washed over the brunette and she clamped her mouth shut as her stomach lurched violently. It was too heavy for her to use her quirk on yet she kept trying, forcing her body to go above and beyond her limitations. The ground was quickly approaching and Uraraka started panicking as her quirk had minimal effect on the massive boulder. She was going to be completely crushed if she couldn't stop the rock in time. Getting out of the way wasn't an option as the weight of the boulder was propelling her faster towards the ground, pinning her beneath it. Zero gravity's strength began fizzing out and Uraraka shifted for her back to be pressed against the rock to put the impact against her legs.
"Your bravery is commended, child, but do not throw your life into a foreseeably losing battle so carelessly." Cementoss spoke in his normal gravely tone though there wasn't an ounce of scolding in the oddly soothing words as giant cement pillars erupted from the ground to imbed into either side of the massive boulder, effectively stopping both the rock and the hero in training dead in their tracks. Uraraka pressed her pads together to release her quirk, stumbling to the ground with an oomph. Her body ached fiercely while the nausea rolled tightly in her core. A strong hand gripped her upper arm and pulled the teen to her feet. Mina gave her no time to gather her thoughts before running towards the bus with the brunette in tow.
She'd…failed. Failed herself, her classmates, her teachers, the people who needed her help the most. Her pink friend was saying something but heavy explosions drowned out the words she assumed were matching the frantic expression adorning her face. Some of the other students were aiding the teachers while the rest set up a defensive perimeter on the backside of the bus. Yaoyorozu ushered them behind the steel barrier she had constructed as objects pelted against the outside.
"We need to find a way out of here while the pros handle this. Ida is helping to gather the rest of the citizens so we can all regroup and come up with something." The co-class president spoke as soon as the girls slumped against the back of the shields. Ida could be heard directing the innocent bystanders towards the building in between blasts.
"Fighting back would be the best option! If there's all of us fighting then there's no doubt we'll win this!" Mina retorted with fists clenched in front of her. "It's obvious this is a diversion to separate us from the teachers! What are the odds that they'll see an attack like this coming?"
"It's too risky to attempt! We were clearly instructed by the teachers not to—"
"So we just sit here and get blown up into little, tiny pieces?"
"I'm not saying we do nothing—"
Uraraka silently scooted away from the argument to peek over the shields. Deku, Bakugo, Kirishima, Todoroki, and Sero were the main force behind keeping the debris far from any stray citizens who were also resting at the mountainside stop. Shoji was extending his limbs to cover a handful of families who were getting caught in the crossfire. Ida was propelling himself around to gather those who were still seeking shelter. Another string of explosions rocked the mountainside rest stop and Uraraka followed the line of fire back towards the origin point. A heavy haze proved difficult to see through but she forced herself to focus through the dust stinging her eyes. It was brief yet she was sure she noticed a faint glint of light just before the explosions began.
"There, centered in the line of fire," Uraraka pointed out and both Mina and Yaoyorozu stopped their bickering to look at her questioningly. "A flash of light just before the explosions begin. It probably means they're all coming from the same source and direction."
Creati activated her quirk, popping a pair of binoculars from in between her breasts before using them to look in the direction Uraraka was pointing. "I see it! Is it the same position every time before the explosions, Uraraka?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Getting close will be a problem for most of us, especially with the constant barrage of explosions but maybe there's a way to sneak around the backside to take out the source."
"Now we're talkin', Ochaco!" Mina cheered before narrowly dodging a stray piece of shrapnel that grazed over the top of the barrier. "Alright, what've you got in that beautiful head of yours, girlie?"
"Well," This wouldn't be easy, especially considering they were ordered not to fight back. Sitting around as easy targets wasn't something they could do either so it came down to just fighting to survive. There were also the civilians caught in the crossfire that had to be factored in as well. Overall, it was a high-risk plan that would surely end with harsh punishment handed down from the teachers for interfering yet they couldn't keep sitting around doing nothing while the pros fought to protect them. Not to mention Deku was out there risking his life to protect those who needed a hero while she was sitting safely behind a barrier. "A direct attack is reckless and has a low probability of success, not to mention there are civilians still in the area who should be evacuated as soon as possible. If we can get a team to continue to assist and intercept the debris then we can sneak past around the sides under the cover of the smoke their attacks are creating."
"What if there are other enemies on the sidelines? It could be an ambush to keep us all in one location," Yaoyorozu pointed out and Mina pushed her cheeks up in frustration. "We don't know how many enemies there are. Factoring in that this was a directed attack at U.A. students and staff it can be assumed the League may be behind this."
"If we can't go charging straight down the center or around the sides, what are we supposed to do? They've got the highest vantage point in the area so we're practically pinned down." The pinkette ruffled her short locks as she tried to focus on the formulating plan. "It's a sheer cliff behind us. We're practically sitting ducks down here, Yaoyo!"
"There is a way…" Both girls looked at Uraraka in confusion, their brows knitting together. "But we're going to need some serious heavy equipment, Yaoyorozu. If we can't get to them from ground level then we just need to go higher."
B
"All students gather by the bus immediately! We'll handle this!" Thirteen called out as she continued sucking in debris through her gloves. "The bus will cover as a secured location until the villains have been taken care of! Don't attempt to fight them head-on!"
"Everyone gather to the bus, quickly! Let the teachers handle the situation!" Ida barked out as he began herding their classmates to a safer location. A group of students finished moving the citizens into the shop nestled against the rock face to better ensure their safety. The explosions seemed solely directed at U.A. students and staff so they would be safe inside the reinforced structure. Uraraka swallowed the lump of fear that was building in her throat as final preparations began. The plan was for her to activate her quirk while being launched through the air attached to a weight then deactivate it once she was directly above the enemy to catch them by surprise, releasing the weight in order to at least throw them off if not take them out entirely. Timing had to be down to the very second in order to use the clouds of smoke and dust to conceal her form otherwise she became a very easy target flying through the air. Another concern was Thirteen using her black hole quirk to suck up the excess debris. If Uraraka got sucked into it by accident…
"Are you sure this will work? I mean, you don't have your gear or anything, Ura," Mina asked while ensuring the rope around her waist was snug for the third time. "One screw up and you'll go splat, girl."
"It's our best shot for the time being, Mina. They can't keep up their defenses forever. Just make sure Thirteen doesn't use her quirk while I'm flying, alright? I'd rather not be sucked into a black hole," Uraraka chuckled nervously as she shifted the rope around her waist to sit more comfortably.
"Hmm, can do! I'll bet you Midoriya would come to your rescue if anything went wrong though," The pinkette wiggled her eyebrows deviously, grinning even wider when her friend turned bright red.
"Is everyone here? Are we missing anyone?" Ida asked as he slid through the gap in the barriers, most of the rest of the class piling in behind him. "What…what on earth are you doing tied to that heavy weight, Uraraka? Yaoyorozu, what's going on here?!"
"Is this turning into an experimental fetish fest because I'm totally down for that," Mineta asked creepily with a hand raised.
"Not the time for that!" Kaminari snapped, shaking the smaller man by the front of his jacket. "We've got bigger problems than your damned sick fantasies! Though I am a bit curious..."
"You're both perverts!" Jiro growled, sending a shockwave into each of their ears.
"Ida, calm down, we have a plan," The creation quirk holder pleaded with her hands up to ease the situation down. "This will work, I promise—"
"Absolutely not! Thirteen has given her orders to gather by the bus! Willingly risking the life of a classmate against teachers' orders is out of the question! Uraraka, please remove those ropes from your body at once and step away from the catapult!"
"Calm down, Ida, this is barely like a swing for her," Mina flapped her hands at the huffing and puffing class president, hands coming to rest on her hips. "She came up with the idea and I say we go with it! There's no way we can leave the area with all of these explosions anyways so why not send someone who can getting the higher advantage?"
"Going directly against teachers orders is a violation of trust between educators and students! It also gives us a bad image to citizens who rely on us to protect them!" Ida rebutted as he chopped his hand up and down through the air to emphasize his point. "Uraraka, remove yourself from those ropes and step away from the device."
"Maybe he's right, Mina, maybe we should leave this to the pros." Mina snorted indignantly while looking at her tied up friend.
"We can't gain the upper hand on the enemy, we're trapped down here with all of the smoke and dust," Deku stumbled through the gap with a cough, Bakugo stomping in behind him along with the normally stoic Todoroki. "The teachers can't hold on much longer like this, we need to do something."
"Let me at those bastards, I'll explode them straight to Hell!" Bakugo snarled as he sparked his palms menacingly.
"Dude, just chill already, there's enough explosions going around right now," Kirishima slapped his blonde friend on the shoulder and earned a sneer in return. "Anyways, what's the getup for, Uraraka? Gonna be used as bait or something?"
"She's our trump card! Here, I'll show you how!" Mina displayed the contraption behind her proudly as the class gathered round. Deku sent Uraraka an alarmed look but she just nodded confidently, fists clenched in front of her. "We attached a rope to our gravity girl here and then tied the other end to a weight so she's launched far enough in the right direction. Once she gets right above them she's going to deactivate her quirk and kick their butts! All I have to do is slap a little acid on the rope and off she goes! Like this!"
"Oh, I get it now! If the enemy is focusing fire directly centered downward then the chances of them noticing an attack from above is slim. This tactic would also work if there were no openings on the sides as well, smart thinking. If we get a group to be front and center as a distraction then the teachers could swoop in to deliver the final blow. The clouds and dust should also conceal you long enough for you to make your move." Midoriya deciphered with a raised finger and Mina nodded excitedly.
"Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki, you three can be the targets to distract the enemy long enough for Uraraka to soar over them and take them out. I'll make sure Thirteen doesn't use her quirk in an upward motion and once the explosions have stopped then you three will move in to assist." Ida suddenly did a complete one-eighty on the matter, his authoritative side taking over as he continued formulating the plan.
"Seriously, you were just telling Uraraka to get down from the catapult…" Toru huffed from beside Jiro and Tsu, the girls nodding their agreements.
"The faster we assist in taking down the villains, the faster we can receive our punishments from the teachers!"
That's why he changed his mind?!
"Wouldn't it be easier for me to use my tape to fling her over there? It would be more accurate and safer than a heavy weight." Sero raised his hand in suggestion. "Unless, you want to use the catapult, Uraraka. Very nice work on it, Yaoyorozu."
"It probably would be the safer option but we don't have time to try and figure out a new plan right now. Focus your quirk on protecting the innocent people hiding in the building. Citizens are counting on us to stop the threat so let's get going!" Uraraka made one final tug against her rope before turning to Mina with a thumbs up before activating her quirk. "Mina, let's get this party started!"
"Alright! Now we just have to get the timing right—"
Another explosion rocked the ground beneath them and Pinky secreted a bit of acid from her palms in reflex as she grabbed the rope to balance herself, fight or flight instincts kicking in. Once the tremors settled down she glanced down to see the rope holding Uraraka down beginning to smoke a bit. Another drop of acid slid from her palm to land on the tightly woven fibers. "Oh snap! Not yet! Not yet!"
The few drops of acid that had landed on the rope keeping Uraraka grounded snapped thread by thread as it frayed apart. Yaoyorozu began panicking as she tried to create more rope to stop her friend from flying off before the correct time. Ida went off on another rant about being so reckless with quirks but everyone else just stared with widened eyes as the rope finally snapped with a twang. Uraraka barely had time to register the rope yanking tightly against her abdomen before she was being thrown through the air led by the heavy weight. The wind whipped violently at her face as she soared yet she forced her eyes open. She had definitely gotten higher than the battlefield below so now all she had to do was let the weight land by the enemy and take out a potentially large number of enemies…alone…because all of her classmates were still behind the bus and not on the battlefield…
"This wasn't planned out very well!" Uraraka cried out as gravity began taking over once more, the weight beginning its descent towards the earth. More explosions rattled the area and caused a large plume of smoke to billow towards her. The brunette held her breath as she whipped through the cloud in a matter of seconds, emerging to find the source of the explosions growing closer. There was no one standing on the top of the hillside, instead a machine was resting on the grass facing downwards towards where they were the teachers were deflecting the debris.
A…machine? Then that means—
"It's all a trap! They want everyone by the bus!" Uraraka yanked at the rope around her waist, fingers scrambling to undo the knots Mina had tightened. With just seconds to spare before the weight collided with the ground to the left of the machine, the brunette managed to free herself from the rope before slamming into the ground at full speed. Everything creaked and popped as she rolled against the uneven terrain painfully. A hiss escaped from between her lips as she pushed herself up slowly, barely noting a few cuts and scrapes along her arms and legs. Deactivating her quirk sooner would have been the smarter option but with the limited distance between her and the ground she just took the chance. Nothing felt broken so the brunette called it good with a press of her fingers.
There were no enemies in sight as she surveyed the area. It was just the standalone explosion generator resting on the hillside that fired precision shots down below. A mere glance was all it took for Uraraka to discover the off switch and flick it down, the contraption sputtering to a stall. Something wasn't right and a heavy feeling settled into the pit of the brunette's stomach. This was all too easy for a supposed attack, even if it was meant as a diversion. The faster she got back to the others the better. Just as she made to head for the cliffs edge a ticking noise reached her ears and she faltered. Faster and faster it began to click, almost as if it were a timer counting downwards. Uraraka stepped backwards towards the edge of the cliff with alarm. An added failsafe in the event the machine was turned off, such a cheap, dirty tactic to play. Smoke began puffing out from the nozzle in a dense cloud of dark purple substance and the brunette tried to cover her mouth with her sleeve to avoid inhaling the substance though a small amount managed to permeate through the fabric. The heel of her shoe hit air and Ochaco felt her body lurch backwards over the side of the cliff.
"Sero!"
"Hang on, Uraraka, I've got you!" Sero responded immediately from the ground below before aiming his elbow towards her form high up. Once locked on the tape propelled towards her at breakneck speed to securely wrap around her form. Uraraka felt her lungs burning painfully just as her body was yanked back towards the bus and she felt her body begin to tingle.
"Well? Did you find any bad guys up there? You look like you got into a scuffle with someone," Mina asked anxiously as she met the brunette once she landed. The other students had crowded around her to hear the news. The brunette doubled over with her hands on her knees, the wind completely knocked from her body. Was it from being pulled back mid-air or the potentially toxic fumes she inhaled?
"It was a machine…" Uraraka rasped out with a hand clenching the front of her sweater weakly. Whatever she had inhaled was paralyzing her body at an alarming rate and she could barely get a single breath in. "The bus…they'll try to—"
"Prepare yourselves, U.A. students, because this is going to be the end of you wannabe heroes! For the League!" A voice trilled loudly in the air from all around them. It echoed nearly deafeningly in their ears and most students clamped their hands against their head to muffle out the noise. Uraraka looked behind the barriers to see a group of villains running towards them with weapons raised and quirks activated. One was holding what looked like a detonation button his right hand, a sinister grin twisting his heavily scarred features. Time was running out and she had to do something, anything to protect her fellow classmates. Panicked eyes darted back to the bus. They were most likely going to blow it up to take out the students then focus on the teachers who were worn from keeping back debris.
Ochaco stumbled over to the still open doors of the vehicle and a quick glance told her there wasn't a soul aboard so the hero-to-be planted herself on the outside of the bus and slapped her hands against the exterior. The bus should've flashed pink as she tried to erase the gravitational pull on it yet the glowing of her hands sputtered then died out. She tried again, putting her all into forcing the bus to move but nothing changed. Panic began flooding her body as she looked down at her dirtied palms in dreaded realization.
"Uraraka, you're in no condition to fight right now! You can barely stand up!" Deku protested as he grabbed her arm before slinging it over his shoulders to support her hunched over form. The gravity manipulator felt her legs give out and she slumped against him with heavy breaths. Her quirk…
"Everybody make a jump for it over the railing! It's our best option right now! Use your quirks to help those whose aren't suitable for high falls!" Yaoyorozu instructed as she began manifesting a parachute for herself, others quickly bailing ship over the cliffside. Deku deftly picked up Uraraka in his arms before sprinting and vaulting over the guardrail with One for All coursing through his veins. A deafening noise pierced the air as the bus exploded in a ball of fire, propelling all of the students around the bus tumbling through the air in a paralyzed stupor. A shockwave washed over the heroes causing them to be blown in different directions than planned; some even knocked unconscious from the force of the pressure.
It wasn't supposed to happen, not like this. A simple trip just like any other time before deep in some woods designated by UA that had suddenly turned into a life or death battle when a group of villains appeared. The few teachers that had accompanied them were still battling where their heavily damaged bus was resting atop the cliffside, explosive clashes of powers resonating in the early afternoon air. But as Izuku Midoriya was flung violently backwards from the powerful shockwave that erupted before him and his other classmates, unable to so much as move his body from the force, his eyes trailed from the haze concealing their enemies over to his friends. Ida was struggling to stay in an upright position as his thrusters strained to keep control. Todoroki was just barely in his vision, the dual quirk wielder shielding his face with crossed arms. Kaachan's explosive heat could be felt from somewhere nearby yet the deafening ringing in his ears disoriented the teen as he flew through the air. That's all he could see in his limited view to his left. A slow blink then his eyes shifted towards an object moving towards him with purpose on his other side. His brain took a few moments to process who was stretching their hand out towards him, mouth moving silently as they called out.
Uraraka. Deku thought numbly as the brunette continued reaching for him while they began dropping from the skies in slow motion. He could see the panic clearly on her face, most likely mirroring his own. One for All rushed through his veins and he jerked his arm out towards her, reaching for her outstretched palm. If she could slow their descent enough then it would save them both from a potentially fatal landing in the deep valley below. But what about the others? Most of them could use their quirks to slow or stop their descents but others like Kaminari or Jiro whose powers weren't designed for high, uncontrolled falls.
"Deku! Look out!" Uraraka's voice finally pierced through the numbing ringing in his ears and he startled. Look out? Look out for what? Were the enemies continuing their attacks while everyone was falling? Damn, without a solid chunk of ground or even a tree to shoot off from he was useless while falling from so high up. Think, Midoriya, think! Unleashing blasts of air recklessly from his fingers was too dangerous with his friends so close by and without his specially designed gloves but it could be used to slow his descent to a tolerable level if he aimed downwards. It was difficult to think of anything with all of the chaos going on around them and Deku frantically wracked through ideas in his head.
The gravity manipulator shortened the distance between them, reaching out and slamming her palms against his chest. Deku blinked in surprise as the surprisingly strong teen used the momentum of her body to shove him towards Ida who was helplessly spinning in circles now as he finally lost control of his thrusters. An idea formed in his head and he reached his arm out for the class president, eyes set with determination. "Ida! Disable your thrusters and grab onto me! I'll use a blast of air to launch us both towards the others!"
"O-of course!" Ida cried out as he cut the power to his engines, stalling them as he tried to right himself in order to catch Midoriya. "Get ready, Todoroki! We're aiming for Kaminari and Aoyama next! Sero, Yaoyorozu, if you're nearby, gather anyone who can't use their quirk to get them to safety! Bakugo—!" The class president yelled out while reaching out for his glowing classmate soaring ever closer to him.
"DON'T ORDER ME AROUND, FOUR EYES!" Bakugo screeched angrily as he began blasting his way upwards to catch his falling comrades.
"Right!" The dual quirk wielder responded as he began calling out to the other students, instructing them on how to use their quirks to link everyone together. There wasn't much time before they crashed into the earth beneath them yet they had to at least try to slow their fall down one way or another. Deku knew Uraraka could drop down then use her quirk to slow her fall but that came with its own risks. Black whip was the best option to grab onto her but If someone were to go after her in the few moments of vulnerability before it manifested then she would be an easy target—
"Damned U.A. brats! Just stay still and die already!" A voice screeched loudly from somewhere above them. "I'll start with this one first since the rest of you are running away like cowards!"
Deku jerked his head around to see Uraraka plummeting towards the ground with a scaled, lizard looking villain latching onto her leg with its serrated tail. The heavy weight was too much for the gravity manipulator to handle and with a pained scream the two dropped from the sky like a rock towards the dense forest below. Green eyes widened in horrified realization as to why his classmate had thrown him out of the way so suddenly. Did she…push him out of the way because she knew they would attack him or was it a last second random decision? The gravity user had warned him to look out yet he got distracted trying to formulate a plan on the go as he was flung towards Ida. Or maybe Uraraka sacrificed herself so he could help save the others with his quirk yet she could have just as easily made everyone float to safety. So why? "Uraraka!"
"You shouldn't look away during a battle, kid, it might just cost you your life."
Izuku looked up in time for a small, black ball to get in range before a white smoke spewed into his face. He coughed at the harsh substance entering his lungs and before he could even take his next breath, the teen fell into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.
New anime series to watch means new fanfiction. I will update the others eventually but for now it's all MHA! I do apologize for the lack of updating on the other stories, it's just that I have a hard time focusing on one thing at a time then I forget about the other fanfics until months later. I'll do my best to update them all!