He turned to run away, but he didn't get far before he found himself suddenly suspended in midair. Surprised, he glanced down to see Asui's tongue whipped around his waist.
Turning around as best he could, Izuku looked Asui right in the eye, "Asui, please. I need to help All Might. He doesn't know what he's up against."
She spoke surprisingly well for having her tongue sticking out of her mouth, "Why do you want to help All Might? Ribbit."
Izuku blinked. Well, wasn't it obvious? "I can't allow another person to get hurt because of me."
Asui frowned but then nodded. Izuku felt the ground under his feet again as she set him back down. He have her a small smile and then turned around before he saw her response.
The ground was littered with unconscious villains as he entered the plaza, and he quickly dodged and jumped over their bodies. There was no time to waste.
By this point All Might had let go of the Nomu and was now being held up by the thing. Kurogiri still had the warp gate open, but Izuku knew that only spelt bad news. Kurogiri hates it when blood got into his warp gates, and right now, All Might wasn't exactly keeping his blood to himself.
He stumbled over someone's arm, but he got right back up and continued running. His blood was pounding in his ears and tears slipped past his eyes. The fear he was feeling for the number 1 hero was practically palpable.
"All Might!" He cried out to get his attention. It seemed to work as his face turned towards his direction. He mouth moved like he was saying something, but Izuku was too far away to hear him.
Kurogiri blocked him, "What are you d-?"
He was cut by an explosion to his side. The explosion blinded Izuku momentarily and the force from the proximity caused him to stumble back a bit, but he managed to hear someone say, "Get the hell out of my way you stupid nerd!"
Once he was able to see again, Izuku looked up to see Kurogiri pinned down by none other than Katsuki Bakugou.
The temperature dropped slightly and he looked over to see ice cover one side of the Nomu. Izuku noticed Todoroki standing the side, ice covering half of his body. "One of your thugs told me you're here because you think you can kill All Might." He wondered how Todoroki got that information.
With the Nomu being unable to move, All Might broke free from its grasp and leaped to safety. He flinched as he landed, and Izuku could see red on his side before his hand covered it up. Izuku instantly turned his attention back to him as relief flooded his body. "Are you okay?"
All Might didn't respond and instead seemed to be watching as Kirishima came out of no where and attacked Shigaraki. Or, he tried to, at least. Shigaraki jumped back at the last second, dodging the attack and forcing Kirishima to jump away as well.
He grunted in frustration as he landed back with them, "Damn, that was gonna be cool!"
Bakugou spoke up from where he was pressing his hand onto Kurogiri's neck brace. "Looks like I found your body that time, you smokey bastard!" Izuku blinked. It seemed Bakugou was just full of surprises, wasn't he?
Todoroki decided to join in on the conversation once again, "The Symbol of Peace will not be defeated by delinquents like you."
Izuku sweat dropped, why was everyone talking so much?!
Once they all decided to quiet down, Izuku took stalk of the situation. Bakugou has Kurogiri immobile for the moment, though he wasn't sure how long that would last. All Might was currently injured, and in what looked to be a weak spot as well, so that wasn't good. Kirishima and Todoroki were relatively out of range and therefore relatively safe, but he knew that could change in the blink of an eye. And he was behind All Might, hiding like a coward. All Might was injured and yet he was still protecting him. And didn't even know. It made Izuku sick to his stomach.
Shigaraki broke the tense silence. "Kurogiri, how could you let this brat get the best of you? You've gotten us into a real jam here."
Bakugou just scoffed and looked down on Kurogiri with a crazed grin on his face, "You got careless, you dumb villains. It wasn't hard to figure you out. Only certain parts of you turn into that smoking warp gate. You use that mist to hid your actual body as a kind of distraction, thinking that made you safe." The blonde leaned closer to the warp gate, "That's why we missed."
Izuku should really be writing this down. It's too bad that he left his notebook back in the classroom. Then again, he didn't think Kurogiri would be too pleased to learn that Izuku took notes on him without his permission.
"But if you didn't have a body," Bakugou continued, "then you wouldn't need to wear this neck amour, right? You're not immune to physical attacks so long as they're well aimed."
Seriously, how did Izuku never figure any of this out?! He lived with the guy, and yet Bakugou was able to figure all this out by just attacking him once. And Izuku was supposed to be the one with good observation skills!
Kurogiri shifted from under Bakugou's hand, but instantly stopped as explosions burst against the metal neck brace.
Bakugou's grin somehow got even creepier and insane-looking as he leaned right down next to Kurogiri's face. "Don't move," he said menacingly, "try anything funny and I'll blow you up so bad they'll be piecing you back together for weeks."
Kirishima grinned from where he was standing behind Bakugou, "Oh, that doesn't sound very heroic."
Izuku looked back to Shigaraki who was now muttering to himself. Kind of ironic, if you ask him. Shigaraki used to get so mad when Izuku muttered in front of him. Looks like the tables have turned.
He could barely make out why he was saying to himself. "They escaped uninjured and captured two of my strongest men. Kids these days really are amazing."
Izuku couldn't help the pride that swelled in his chest for his classmates. It was rare for Shigaraki to give compliments.
"They make the League of Villains look like amateurs. Can't have that." Oh there we go, Izuku was worried there for a second. It was getting kind of weird to hear such things from Shigaraki.
He turned to the half frozen and half warped Nomu sticking out of the ground. "Nomu," was all he had to say for the thing to started retracting itself back out of the warp.
Everyone took a step back, cautious about the strange creature.
It emerged from the portal successfully, but its arm and leg broke off as it stood up. A screech echoed through the building as it stumbled to its remaining hand and knee. The rest of the ice broke off of its body, tearing the purple flesh off with it. Izuku looked away, feeling sick. The Nomu may be a mindless monster, but it still must feeling pain. And if nothing else, that looked very painful.
He heard what sounded like body parts being stretched out and he suddenly got an idea of what one of its quirks was. Regeneration.
He knew the Nomu had multiple quirks, and he could guess from how it didn't seem affected by All Night's hits that one could be shock absorption. That by itself was bad news for All Might. But when coupled with regeneration-
All of this pointed to their accusations being true, that they really did have a way to kill All Might.
The fear Izuku felt at that moment was overwhelming, which wasn't too surprising, considering all that he'd been through already. But he hadn't even felt this amount of fear when he was about to be murdered by Shigaraki. Then, he had at least been reassured that some good would come out of his death, that Yuuei would no longer have a spy among their midst.
But there would be nothing good from All Might's death, not even for him. As soon as the League didn't need him anymore, they would get rid of him. Whether that meant killed him theirselves or dumping him somewhere to fend for himself, both of them end in certain death. And believe it or not, his usefulness runs out when All Might dies.
But Izuku has made peace with this fact, he has for a long time now. Ever since that day in the street, actually. He may not have realized it at the time, but that is when he decided he didn't matter in the long run. That he would follow the League of Villains, not for his sake, but for the sake of all the innocent people that could get hurt.
So yes, he was afraid, but he'd be damned if he let that keep him from making sure that the Symbol of Peace kept standing, kept shining for all the people who needed it. For all the people like Izuku.
With that in mind, Izuku balled his hands into fists and looked up.
The arm and leg that had been previously missing were now almost completely returned, only the fingers missing the purple skin the Nomu sported. It quickly healed over though, and the Nomu stood before them as if its limbs hadn't just snapped off like icicles just a minute ago.
Izuku resized that Shigaraki was talking, and from the sounds of it, had been for a little while now. His ears burned in embarrassment as he tuned into the end of the conversation, "Nomu had been modified to take you on even at 100 percent of your power. He's basically a highly efficient punching bag that fights back."
Izuku raised his fists, ready to fight, even though he wasn't the best at physical combat.
"First, we need to free our method of escape." That actually got Bakugou to look up. "Go get 'im Nomu."
In less than a blink of an eye the Nomu was gone. None of them even had time to prepare before the shock wave from the impact blew all them off their feet. Pain wracked his body. "Ah, such force."
He quickly remembered who the target had been though, and he flew into his feet. If his classmate was hurt...
Bakugou was nowhere to be seen, so Izuku resorted to the next best thing: shouting.
"Bakugou!"
He heard a noise behind him and quickly spun around, "Bakugou?"
The wide eyed look in Bakugou's face was quickly replaced with his usual scowl.
"Woah, you dodged him?!" Izuku could hardly believe it.
For some reason, Bakugou glared at him, "Shut up, no I didn't, you damn nerd." Well, at the very least, it seems like he's well enough to call them names.
Izuku relaxed slightly, but then tensed again as he realized something.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Kirishima beat him to it, "Then how'd you get over here?"
Todoroki gasped and turned towards the second column of smoke. "Isn't it obvious?"
The smoke cleared and they all got a clear view of All Might standing with his arms locked in a blocking position. He saw All Might cough.
All Might looked up, "These are kids and you didn't hold back?" He sounded angry.
Shigaraki took a step forward, "I did have much a choice, he was threatening my companion. Besides, your kids aren't exactly angels. You saw how that duel haired kid froze Nomu's limbs to the point of snapping off. What kind of hero does something like that?" Izuku glanced at Todoroki but he didn't seem affected from being put into the spotlight.
"You think you can get away with as much violence as you want if you say it's for the sake of others." Izuku was confused. Where was all of this coming from? It certainly had never been brought up before, and Shigaraki never tried to hid his feeling towards heroes. "Well you know what All Might? That pisses me off. Why do people get to decide that some violent acts are heroic while others are villainous? Casting judgement to what's good and what's evil." His arms raised and he leaned forward slightly, "You think you're the Symbol of Peace? Haha! You're just another government sponsored instrument of violence. And violence always breeds more violence. I'll make sure the world understands that once you're dead."
Okay, Izuku was getting tired of this speech. It was long and Shigaraki was obviously bullshitting the entire thing, so he wasn't really feeling the impact the speech was surely supposed to bring.
"You're nothing but a lunatic." Thank you, All Might! "Villains like you always try to make your actions sound noble, but admit it, you're only doing this because you like it!"
Oh Izuku could just see it from here. Shigaraki totally agreed with everything All Might just said.
Todoroki stepped forward, "We've got them outnumbered."
Izuku hesitated, but then went along with it, "And Bakugou for Ku- the mist guts weakness." Dang it! He almost slipped up again.
Kirishima stepped up as well, "These guys may act tough, but we can take them down now with All Might's help." He hardened his arms, "Let's do this."
"Don't attack!" They were all surprised when they heard All Might say that. He was walking in front of them now. When did he get all the way back here?
Todoroki didn't look convinced, "You would've been in trouble earlier if it had f been for me, remember? You need our help."
"I thank you for your assistance, but this is different." Izuku looked at All Might in surprise. His muscular arm swung towards them while he continued to face the villains, "It's going to be alright. Just sit back and watch a pro at work!"
Izuku still had his concerns, so he voiced them, "But you're hurt, and you're bleeding. Plus you'd be completely outnumbered!"
He blinked when All Might gave him a thumbs up. It confused him slightly, but then he realized what it meant.
'Trust me.' That's what it meant. So Izuku has no choice but to do just that. Trust him.
It was still a relatively new concept to Izuku, so he wasn't completely sure most of the time, but this was different. This time, Izuku was sure.
So he shut his mouth, and listened.
"Nomu, Kurogiri, kill him. I'll deal with the children." Shigaraki said. "Let's clear this level and go home."
Shigaraki shot forward, and Izuku saw All Might stand straighter, as if preparing himself for the fight.
Kirishima settled into a defensive position and the rest of them followed suit. "Heads up, looks like we're fighting after all."
All Might leapt forward and met the Nomu halfway, sending a shockwave that sent even Shigaraki flying back. He landed pretty gracefully though.
"Weren't you listening? One of his powers is shock absorption." So Izuku was right after all.
"Yeah?" All Might said, "What about it?"
He punched the Nomu again, and again, and again, each one landing faster until the punches were just one big blur. The wind created by the blows was so great that it pushed all of them back. Only once he dug his feet and hands into the concrete was he able to stop.
"He's gonna fight that brain guy head on?" Izuku managed to say.
"Woah!" Kirishima yelled, "He's fast!"
All Might began talking to the Nomu while fighting it, "He said your quirk was only shock absorption, not nullification." The ground broke beneath them. "That means there's a limit of what you can take, right?"
The Nomu landed a hit, but that just seemed to make All Might even stronger. They landed like a bomb into the forest area.
"So you were made to fight me, big guy," All Might was distant now, but his voice still rang clear through all of the destruction, "If you can really withstand me while at one hundred percent of my power, then I'll have to go beyond that and force you to surrender!" Maybe it was just him, but Izuku swore that All Might's punches somehow got even faster. If that was even possible.
Izuku was in awe at the sight. He was giving it his all, even when he was injured. And they weren't just random punches either. They're targeted, and every single one of them was more than one hundred percent of his power!
All Might was really giving it to the Nomu now. "A real hero," he threw it into the air before kicking it back into the ground, "will always find a way for justice to be served!"
The Nomu landed and broke the concrete into a million pieces. All Might landed right next to him.
"Now for lesson," Izuku hung on to every word, "You May have heard these words before, but I'll teach you what they really mean! Go beyond," he made a fist that seemed to glow brighter than the sun, "PLUS," he pulled it back, "ULTRA!" He slammed his fist into the Nomu.
It sounded like bullet going off. The Nomu's body seemed to implode as the entire building shook from the shockwave. It was sent flying into the air, tearing clean through the dome roof, and disappearing into the outside world.
"That was like the finishing move to a video game." Kirishima said, "He beat the shock absorption right out of him! I've never seen that kind of brute strength."
Even Bakugou seemed in awe, "Imagine having power like that. He must have been punching that monster so fast he couldn't regenerate."
Izuku looked away from them and to the smoking pillar that was All Might. "I really have gotten weaker," wait, what? "Back in my hay day, five hits would have been enough to knock that guy out." All Might straightened his posture and made a fist, "But today it took more than three hundred mighty blows!"
Three hundred?!
Izuku's mind was blown by that number. How could All Might have punches that guy three hundred times in under a minute?! It was surely impossible!
He lowered his fist and turned towards Shigaraki. Was it just him, or was All Might smoking? "You've been bested, villains." Shigaraki was shaking violently now. Uh oh, that was never good.
Izuku braced himself, whenever Shigaraki was like this, he became unpredictable and unstable. Who knows what he could do now?
"Surrender! We all want to get this over with quickly."
Shigaraki didn't listen to him, instead bring his hand up to his neck again. He muttered something, but it was too low for Izuku to hear.
"What's wrong? Not attack me?" All Might, what are you doing?! You shouldn't be provoking the enemy! "Didn't you say you were going to clear this level earlier? Well come and get me. If you dare."
No, this isn't right. Something is wrong.
Izuku stealthily snuck his hand into his back pocket. If he was wrong, then nothing would happen. But if he was right, then he could potentially save his teachers life.
It may not seem like it to the other students, but Izuku knew Shigaraki wasn't one to be trifled with. He can and will rise up to that challenge, he just knows it.
Shigaraki stumbled backwards in shock.
"Man, this is, intense." That's interesting. Was the tension finally getting to Bakugou?
"As I expected," Todoroki said, "there's no reason for us to fight now. He'll handle this."
But will he?
"What, are you scared?" Geez, All Might. Calm down!
Shigaraki was getting irritated, anyone could tell by the way he was scratching at his neck. "If only Nomu were here. He'd rush you right now, pound you into the ground without giving it a second thought!"
Kurogiri leaned towards him and said something only Shigaraki could hear. Shigaraki seemed to calm down, and that only worried Izuku even more.
Izuku paid no attention to the villains that were getting up from off the ground, or on his classmates who turned to face off with them. All of his focus was on the two people in front of of him.
Shigaraki suddenly charged All Might, Kurogiri following not too far behind. Izuku saw this and instantly put his plan into action.
His hand shit out of his pocket and he threw the object in his hand at Kurogiri as hard as he could. It shot through the air like a bullet, transforming and morphing as it went along.
Two wings emerged from the object, followed by a head, tail, and by the time it reached the villains a full grown dragon had emerged from the object. It knew what to do, Izuku had already given it instructions went he first put his hand in his pocket.
The red dragon lunged at Kurogiri's neck brace, flames pouring from the very essence of the creature. It almost made it when Izuku noticed a hand emerge from the purple mist. Izuku would know that hand from anywhere.
He desperately reached out pulled back on the mental connection between himself and the dragon. So much of his energy had gone into making the dragon and he could already feel his skin cracking from his impossibly dry skin, but momentum had already taken control. There was no stopping it now.
The hand was about to connect with the origami dragon when something tore through the hand. Blood splattered into the dragon, but at least now it wasn't about to be faced with total annihilation.
It stopped just short of Kurogiri and it pulled back, looking back at Izuku in confusion. Izuku himself was confused.
Shots rang out and Izuku looked towards the entrance where it seemed they were coming from.
"Sorry everyone!" A high pitched male voice said somewhere from the entrance. "I know we're a bit late, but I got the teachers over here as fast as I could."
Izuku nearly melted in relief. Finally! It's about time that teachers showed up!
For a moment he thought he hear Iida, but it must have just been his imagination.
The villains that had just recovered turned their attention to the newly arrived reinforcements, attacking without a second thought.
"Aw man, the pros are here." Izuku looked back at Shigaraki. He was backing up into Kurogiri, his fighting spirit all but gone. "It's game over for real." He turned to look at Kurogiri, "Let's go home and try this agai-"
He was cut off as bullets tore through his arms and legs, making him fall to the ground and Kurogiri protected him. Kurogiri started to warp Shigaraki, but they were suddenly being pulled away by a powerful force. Izuku looked up to see 13 standing on the steps, using her quirk to suck Kurogiri in.
Shigaraki didn't seem to notice this was happening though, as he kept talking to All Might. "I may have failed to kill you this time, but your days are numbered!" The warp started to close on him. "All Might, Symbol of Peace, I am going to kill you!"
And with that, they were both gone, vanished into thin air.