Chapter nineteen - What happens once will happen twice and happen thrice
"You know the drill." said Aizawa bluntly. "Put on your seatbelts and keep the noise level down."
The class complied with about 98% of what Aizawa said because the second they put the seatbelts in, the coach roared with chatter and laughter. Though, a few were quiet.
"Wah! I love coach trips!" shouted Mina from across the coach. She was always beaming with energy that others couldn't help but smile around her.
"I like coaches but I'm kinda nervous for the training itself." chuckled Uraraka, rubbing the back of her neck.
"You're always so nervous Ochaco-chan." commented Tsuyu with a poker face. In a different area of the coach, Kirishima was teasing Bakugou about whether or not he would be allowed to go to an onsen or not.
"Shut up, Kirishima! Of course I am! Who do you take me for?!" shouted Bakugou, making explosions in his hands. Bakugou really trusted Kirishima, despite the default aggressive attitude he had. But that didn't matter because the class had gotten used to it and Kirishima already knew that they were friends.
Todoroki was quietly sitting by a window, thankful that he was no longer trapped in the hands of his abusive father. He'd gladly do anything, to get away from him. Iida, however, was quite solemn but still happy about going on the trip. He had not forgotten about what Izuku had told him back in Hosu and he was still weary about going out. He twiddled his fingers and furrowed his eyebrows in a tense manner. Uraraka picked up on that.
"Iida..what's wrong?" she asked concerned. "What is really wrong? You have been acting nebulous ever since Hosu, but that's kind of to be expected..b-but still…" Iida froze. He did not want to lie to his friend, but he knew about the consequences of speaking of the situation in public.
"I.." he sighed. "I can't. I'm not allowed. I'm sorry, Uraraka. I would if I could." Uraraka looked to the floor, dispirited. But that quickly changed.
"Wait!" that caught Iida's attention. "Maybe you can. We just need to ask Mr. Aizawa and hopefully he lets you!" she now had a determined face that screamed 'I'm not letting this go unless you tell me'. Iida knew better than to keep declining her queries. He nodded and they spoke casually with each other for the rest of the ride, as so did the class.
"We're here!" shouted Kaminari, punching the air in excitement.
Jirou giggled and said, "Be careful not electrocute yourself, 'kay?" The comment caused the rest of the class to laugh and Aizawa hushed them afterwards. They walked off the coach and observed their surroundings. Most of the class were confused at where they were supposed to go. Until a colorful female hero proclaimed that they had to walk all the way beyond the forest. All of class 1-A were in massive distress, as it took them a total of 8 hours to get to their location and they almost dropped dead on the floor of exhaustion when they had arrived.
Iida and Uraraka walked up to Aizawa, in need of answers.
"Mr. Aizawa..may we have a moment of your time?" asked Iida in a nervous tone. Aizawa turned around and looked at the two students with a look of curiosity and caution.
"Go on." he said.
Uraraka cleared her throat and spoke.
"Well, you see, Iida has been acting a bit strange these days and I know it has something to do with Hosu. But he won't tell me anything! And it's super annoying because I want to help him carry whatever burden he has." she said with a burning look of determination in her eyes.
"Uraraka.." murmured Iida to himself. He didn't know she felt like this. It made him happy and he wanted to tell her.
"So, could you allow him to tell me..? ..Please..?"
Aizawa groaned.
"Maybe this once. She deserves to know about it, if Iida permits it.." thought Aizawa.
"Fine. Nobody else is to know, though." and with that he left to go and supervise his students from afar. Uraraka and Iida were beyond elated and quickly went to a noiseless corridor to their left. Iida's happy mood turned solemn and he glanced at Uraraka. This made Uraraka flinch but was listening attentively.
"I-..you will be highly disappointed by my motives of going to Hosu.. but here it goes.." Iida took a deep breath and explained every detail he could muster into his every word. The villains and vigilantes, the revenge, the place and time - the lot! By the time Iida had finished talking, he felt a weight had been lifted off him, but Uraraka was in a state of confusion, anger and happiness.
"I'm so glad I tol-" he was cut off midway with an angry slap from Uraraka. She looks upset and angry with Iida.
"You could've died, you idiot! Think of how your brother would feel if he knew what you did. Or rather, what you could've done.." she let a few tears escape and Iida felt guilt and was ashamed at his past actions.
"I'm sorry.. Though it won't happen again. I promise that." he said with trust and kindness. Uraraka smiled at him. She liked how Iida fully acknowledged his mistakes and tried to improve himself all the time. But she was still confused.
"But this Faceless guy..why the heck would he save you? Wouldn't it save him time and trouble to kill you, or something?" she asked placing her hand on her chin.
"The way Iida described him made him sound like the guy who was at the USJ and defeated Bakugou. Crazy stuff, and probably crazy strong too." thought Uraraka.
"It would have, yes. But he didn't. He didn't kill Stain or Native either. He could've killed all of us but he didn't. My conclusion is that he still has some good in him. And could still be a good person..!" he said with hope. Truly wanted to believe that Faceless was a good person. What random villain would leave three witnesses alive? It doesn't make sense, unless the villain is somewhat of a good human being.
"A good villain? I think this must be some kind of glitch in the matrix.." replied Uraraka pacing up and down in bewilderment. A good villain? That was unheard of! Didn't villains live for chaos and ruin? So why help? Uraraka had so many questions in her head that she desperately wanted to know. She wanted to meet Faceless.
"Maybe so, Iida. But!" she shouted like a little teacher with her index finger point upwards. "Do not forget that he is a villain."
"Yes, Uraraka-sensei. I won't let my guard down." he said mockingly before they both laughed off the matter and walked to the lunch hall to meet their classmates.
Everyone ate their food, which was prepared already for them, like crazy people. They munched and crunched as though they had been starved. Well they, kind of, were for a few fours. After they ate, they slammed their bodys onto their beds in peace, unbeknownst of the events that were to follow.
Especially a certain blonde.
The next day had come in no time and Izuku didn't want to get up from bed. He let the sun's rays slip onto his face and turn his dulled, green eyes vibrant again. Izuku wasn't tired, he just lay in his cover looking at nothing for about an hour and a half before finally getting up.
"I wonder what the mission will be today. Hopefully, it's short. I want to go to my room later." thought Izuku. In his room he could collapse, cry and sleep in his bed without anybody interfering. Most of the time.
He walked into the bar with stagnant steps and his head low. Tomura just glared at him making no comment.
Kurogiri was, as always, shining glasses and observing Tomura.
"What a poor child. He has seen too much, too fast and too young. Truly unlucky." thought Kurogiri. He wasn't stone-hearted. He genuinely sympathised with Izuku and knew that he could have been a hero, had the world not been so cruel.
"Good morning, Midoriya." Kurogiri greeted. But, Kurogiri was only met with a small groan and a hand gesture in reply. Izuku sat down on a stool and sat in silence for a few minutes.
Izuku then spoke.
"What's the mission? Tezobi said something yesterday." he said blandly. He said it as though he was bored and had better things to do. Or on the flip side, he was bored and had nothing better to do. This was reality. This was Izuku's reality.
"You are correct. Today, we are invading the 'U.A Quirk Training Camp'. The location was hidden, but we have our connections." Kurogiri continued. "We are planning on recruiting a boy from class 1-A to join us and I have new recruits to help us attack the camp a little faster. You will meet them later in the evening." Izuku sighed and nodded before laying his head on the counter and looking at the couch that was opposite him.
"That's where it all started, huh." thought Izuku. He was recalling the first time he saw Sensei, Tezobi, Kurogiri and Tomura looking at him distastefully for the first time. He recalled the fear and pain that engulfed his heart. He recalled the shatter of his bones and the renching of his soul while he was trained by Tezobi. He recalled beating up Bakugou at the U.S.J and liking it. He recalled saving a boy in Hosu. He..recalled Hades. He recalled everything he had done with the League and the word to describe it all was: eventful. But he thought again. What would have happened if he wasn't saved by the League? Would he be reincarnated? Would he have died? Would someone stop him? Would he reconsider his suicide?
What would have happened if he hadn't met All Might on that bitter, fateful day?
Izuku seemed to give off a blank expression on his face while these thoughts were running through his mind. Kurogiri saw this.
"Your face is a masterpiece of perplexity." commented Kurogiri, earning a scoff from Izuku.
"You always have something to say, Kurogiri. I don't know whether that's a good thing or not." replied Izuku. He swiftly jumped off the stool to go to the training room, leaving Tomura and Kurogiri alone again. The silence from before and after Izuku arrived at the bar me was different. Before he came, it was a stiffening, formal silence but after he left, it was more of a solemn but understanding silence.
"Weird little shit, he is." mumbled Tomura, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.
Izuku just decided to get ready for the mission he was going to attend later in the evening. He was so absorbed in his hypothetical thoughts he didn't notice Tezobi sitting on a nearby perch. He vented his frustration and hurt and pain onto the practice dummies. As he did this, his eyes gleamed a venomous, glassy, green that would frighten the devil. The way Izuku was punching and kicking the dummies could make a man pity the dummies, even though they had no feelings. Izuku had a strange kind of aura about him. It was, of course, an aura of peril, danger and formidity. But there were aspects of fear, uncertainty, emptiness and indifference. Tezobi could feel this. It was quite strange for her to feel this as everyone she killed and fought before Izuku were either just scary, strong or deadly. Not all these different components that formed Izuku to be Izuku. She watched him drown himself in self-doubt and strength. She clearly didn't hate him. So, why let him wallow in such emotions? Well, it was simple really.
She was no hero. She couldn't comfort or save Izuku. That was just how it more and nothing less. She then glanced at the window, watching the baby blue sky turn itself into a deep, curious lavender. It was kind of like how Izuku was. An untainted blue sky that turned to the side of a deep, unescapable lavender. Tezobi knew why Izuku became like the way he did. She wanted to beat the crap out of this 'Kacchan' but she knew it wasn't her place to do so.
She was no hero.
Then she got up from her seat and put her hands in her pockets.
"It's time." she said, her eyes white with fury. Izuku stopped training and ran to his room to change into his attire. Tezobi and Izuku went downstairs to the bar, only to see six new members standing in front of him. Like a fingerprint, no two of them were the same.
"Hello, Faceless and Tezobi." said Kurogiri. "This is abrupt but these are the new members and I'd like the introductions to be brief." Kurogiri said this to Izuku, knowing good and well that Izuku would probably not say much and if anything, probably say nothing.
Izuku stood facing the six of them, motionless.
"The name's Dabi." said a man with purple scars embroidering his pale skin. His eyes had a luminous kind of green to them. One he had seen before. His was hair spiky and pitch black.
Next came a girl with blonde hair, who darted to Izuku at top speed with a knife.
"Toga! Toga Himiko, that's me..Your mask and clothes would look better if they were painted with blood..!" Izuku, who made it look like childsplay, just dodged her, not touching her or giving her any mind at all. She pouted and her cheeks were flushed a bright pink. Izuku was getting annoyed. The new members present were impressed at his speed. The next man looked like a magician and held and cane in one hand and two glassy marbles in the other. He also wore a mask and purple, dramatic attire.
"'Tis but a pleasure to finally meet you, Faceless. My name is Compress and I hope we work well together." said the dapper man, bowing. Next came a large..woman? She wore glasses and an open shirt on top of a white shirt.
"Hello!" she boomed. "Magne's my name." Kurogiri was getting impatient and tapped his wrist as if to say 'time is ticking'. The next man- well he wasn't a man, but a lizard! Or a reptile, of some sort. He looked a bit like Stain and wore an excessive amount of blades and bandanas.
"How obnoxious." thought Izuku. The man just said 'Spinner', so everyone assumed it was his name. The last man spread an unnerving, cruel grin across his entire face and had menacing eyes and a hunk of a body.
"Muscular is my name. And enough of the fucking introductions! Let's fight already. Let me kill!" said the brutey blonde. Izuku thought he looked like a larger Bakugou. Tomura got up and chuckled in the most twisted way possible.
"Kurogiri! The portal, let's move along, shall we?"
"Understood." and with that they all stepped into a portal and ended up in the forest. Tezobi and Tomura stayed with Kurogiri and caused further fear and destruction, Muscular and Izuku were paired and were sent to a huge slab of stone, next a mountainous stone feature. Dabi and Toga were separated. Toga went to look for potential students to suck blood from. Dabi calmy set fire to a tree and let it spread throughout the forest. His blue flames engulfed a good half of the entire forest, burning them to nothing but dust and ashes. The flames were extremely hot and would kill instantly. Teachers and students alike could smell and sense the danger around them.
"This smell.." Tsuyu said looking up at the sky, only to see a mass of black smoke. "A fire! Mr. Aizawa!" She shouted for the teachers, but they had their hands full already dealing with villains.
"Shit.." said Aizawa, under his breath. The whole forest was lit up in flames, higher ranked villains were destroying the place. The Wild, Wild Pussycats were being beat into a pulp and Magne and Spinner were the main culprits. Students were defending themselves. They used the expert training they received during their time at the camp and U.A in general. Bakugou was defeating different villains left right and centre, while others fought back and defended each other.
Uraraka and Tsuyu were defending and running away until they were in a more secluded part of the forest. They caught their breath before looking for a plan.
"We should stick together and any villains that we see, we should judge whether or not we should run or fight against them. It will be better that way." suggested Uraraka. Tsuyu nodded in agreement. They were about to proceed to a different location until they saw Toga walk up to them. From their perspectives, she looked like a schoolgirl that was a little bit older than them. Tsuyu thought she might be from class 1-B, so she walked towards her. Toga gave a wicked smile.
"Hello!" Toga said happily and darted to Tsuyu at a fast speed and cutting Tsuyu's tongue. Uraraka immediately went to her friend's aid.
"Tsu-chan!" cried Uraraka.
"Uraraka, are you okay? I'm not that badly hurt but I can't move my tongue so well.." replied Tsuyu.
"Tsu-chan..Tsu-chan..Tsu-chan!" repeated Toga, who had pink flushed cheeks and a childish tone in her voice. "How cute.."
Tsuyu and Uraraka got up and used hand-to-hand combat and their own speed to fight against Toga. They tried to defeat her but that wasn't very successful. They didn't land any hits on her but they knocked her out onto the floor.
She was unconscious and that was enough to satisfy the two girls. They ran to regroup with their class or the teachers.
"Faceless is probably somewhere here.." whispered Aizawa to himself as he fought Dabi. They acknowledged each other's strength, neither opponent underestimated the other.
Each of the members of the League were fighting their own respective person. But Muscular and Izuku were walking on the stone cliff.
Muscular was getting restless.
"Who am I gonna kill?! Fuck! Nobody is here!" screeched Muscular but Izuku ignored him. Izuku knew that in terms of brute strength, the blonde brute was at the advantage but he kept his guard up. Then, a small child with a red hat and horns was seen, all alone in a cold and dull area.
"He's afraid. A fool would see that." thought Izuku. Izuku was partnered with a fool. This fool, however did not care for anyone and only cared for slaughter.
"Hey, kid!" said Muscular, in an intimidating tone. "What are you doing all alone in a place like this? Huh?" The child looked like he would cry and stumble at any moment. Which he, of course, did. He was only a kid, after all.
"Doesn't matter! Haha, you're going to die today!" shouted Muscular. The child was frozen in fear and only produced agitated breathed and widened eyes.
"M-Mommy..Daddy.. No.." thought the boy.
To both Muscular's and the child's surprise, Izuku intervened and drew his blade near one of Muscular's vulnerable, exposed veins.
"Shit. I didn't even see that brat." thought Muscular. He refused to let a kid stop him from killing.
"Oi! Faceless, you piece of shit! Don't get in my fucking way..you know what.. I'll kill you first!" roared Muscular.
"I-Is that how you killed Mommy and D-Daddy…? V-Villain..!" meekly said the child. Muscular paused then faced the child.
"The WaterHose Duo? They just tried to stop me from killing someone. When I kill, I do it because I want to, so no hard feelings to them. They died because they couldn't put their money where their mouth was!" said Muscular. He forgot Izuku and ran to the child and was about to kill him, then Izuku again intervened by cutting off Musculars left arm. Muscular was in shock for three seconds before emitting a blood-thirsty, angry, loud growl that frightened the child.
"Fuck off! Stop being a little bitch and wait your damn turn, damnit!" screeched Muscular.
Izuku leaped from where he was, dodging Muscular's punch and went to the kid.
"Name." was all Izuku said.
"K-K-K-Kota.." stuttered the child. Izuku grunted in response and picked up the kid and put him to one side.
Kota was confused.
"He saved me? He is a villain, though?" thought Kota. He was a kid but he was shocked as well. Izuku slashed and cut and brusised and severed muscular for about 30 minutes until muscular was finally dead.
"Revolting. To kill a child, you are no longer considered human in my eyes."
It was so brutal. It was brutal and bloody..and Kota was watching. Izuku cleaned himself off as best as he could and sheathed his sword and walked up to Kota. He squeezed his eyes shut and waiting to be killed. Instead, he was met with a warm embrace. Kota felt Izuku's warmth and hugged him back.
After they hugged, Izuku jumped and leapt about the forest to bring Kota back to the teachers and the other students. Aizawa and Bakugou happened to be there.
"Faceless!" cried Kota, loud enough for everyone to hear. It made Aizawa immediately turn around when he heard that name. Izuku stopped in his tracks. "Thank you! And.."
Kota tilted his head to the side and gave a bright smile.
"You're my hero!"
"Eh?" thought Aizawa. "Hero? Faceless? Well..shit. What happened between those two for Kota, of all people to say that?" Aizawa was fully aware of the reason behind why Kota hated heros, so when he said that..Faceless suddenly wasn't AS bad as he was depicted.
Izuku turned around slowly and sighed and audible sigh.
"I'm no hero, Kota." said Izuku. That amazed Aizawa. It was the first time hearing his voice and he truly sounded like one of the students. It was awfully heartaching to see a young villain like that. But what had happened, for Faceless to speak at all? It was known between heroes and police that Faceless was a man of few words, hell, maybe no words at all!
Izuku darted into the forest and his heart was beating faster and faster. He didn't know what to think..he was a villain..yet he had saved three people in his time now. It wasn't right. But.. he was so caught up in his feelings that he just got blasted in the face by none other than Bakugou.
All weak emotions within Izuku disappeared. It was substituted with pent up anger and a heavy feeling of vacancy.
"Samurai bastard! Not so strong are we, huh?!" growled Bakugou.
Izuku quickly got up and dusted himself off like it was nothing and walked normally in the other direction, as if bakugou wasn't there.
"Kacchan..you never change. I know how to wind you up too. However, I'm no longer in a vengeful mood. It's whatever.." thought Izuku. He could hear distant large explosions coming his way and all Izuku did was simply dodge them and met with Kurogiri and the other members.
"Thought you'd never arrive, brat. Hurry and get in." commanded Tezobi. Izuku walked towards the warp gate and before stepping in he heard an angry sound.
"And let's not forget the guest of honour." commented Kurogiri, making a warp gate in front of the explosive teen, which he unintentionally stepped into. Bakugou started cursing and at that exact moment, Vlad King and Kirishima saw Bakugou being put in the warp gate along with the villains.
Kirishima, suddenly, was flooded with rage and upset when he saw Bakugou being kidnapped.
"Bakugo! Fuck Fuck FUCK!" he shouted and cried. Bakugou was a friend of his that he truly cherished. Sure, it took a little digging to find the gold but it was worth it, in the end. Kirishima saw a Bakugou that others often didn't and that made Kirishima feel so lucky. He found the gold, only for it to be taken from him. His precious friend being taken by none other than 'Samurai bastard'. Vlad King had to remain professional in front of a panicking student. However, inside, he was a mess.
"This is a joke, right? Of course not! They took a damn student! How could I have let that happen?! I'm a disappointment as a hero and a teacher." thought Vlad King.
"Kirishima, please get up. We will absolutely get Bakugou back. That is something I will swear upon." said Vlad King. He was acting so noble and strong but he didn't even know if he would be able to fulfill that promise.
It took a while, but Kirishima finally got up and walked in silence beside Vlad King. When they got back, all the students were sad, depressed and felt weak. Feelings that people didn't like feeling, especially heroes. That just added to Vlad King's and Kirishima's sadness.
Aizawa got off the phone with somebody.
"What was the call about?" asked Vlad King. He was panic stricken and needed to a distraction.
"I want Nezu to schedule a meeting about what happened today. Mainly Faceless. It turns out he wanted to as well." replied Aizawa in a bland tone. Vlad King slightly flinched at the name.
"I see. W-Well..Bakugou was kidnapped. By the villains.." stated Vlad King. It took Aizawa a few seconds to process those words.
"Come again?" his words were like a white piece of paper being slowly dipped into red paint.
"You heard correctly, Aizawa. There's no light way to put it. I know I'm a failure and I-" he was cut off when Aizawa created a hard cracked opening in the floor below him. He knew getting angry at Vlad King would not solve any problems. But..he couldn't help it. He felt responsible. It was his student.
"I'm truly sorry. But we will rescue Bakugou. I swear on that." repeated Vlad King. "I'm attending the meeting tomorrow. Good night and I'm sorry." Vlad King went to tell the other teachers about the kidnapping and the meeting with Nezu.
Aizawa was disappointed in himself and that he left Bakugou to get captured. But being a hothead about it wouldn't change anything. He knew that. So he thought about something else.
Aizawa put his hands in his pockets then sighed deeply. As if to exhale all his problems away. He remembered again how crestfallen and woeful Faceless sounded when he said 'I'm no hero' to Kota. It was once again bugging him. Aizawa looked up at the deep, curious lavender sky with his usual expressionless face. He was a slave to logic and simplicity.
"Faceless..Truly the masterpiece of perplexity." said Aizawa to himself before going inside as well. "But a problem child, nonetheless."
Sometimes people don't necessarily change, but their mask starts to fall off.