Finding Strength

Achilles glared at him and answered, "Fool, prate not to me about covenants. There can be no covenants between men and lions, wolves and lambs can never be of one mind, but hate each other out and out an through. Therefore there can be no understanding between you and me, nor may there be any covenants between us, till one or other shall fall."

-Homer, the Illiad

Cold air filled Bakugo's lungs, and his breath misted before him. Snow was falling slowly out of the low clouds in the night sky. The air was soft and silent, save for the soft crunch of combat boots on the rooftop.

"In position," he growled into his mic as Uraraka crouched beside him behind an air conditioner.

"What do you see?" Nezu's voice demanded.

"Two guards visible," Bakugo answered, looking down at the courtyard below through the binoculars he'd been issued. It was a large area, set up like a traditional japanese mansion. At one time, the Shie Hasaikai must have been wealthy. Well. Not for much longer.

"I've got four more inside the building," Uraraka whispered, looking into her infrared scope. "They're playing a game of some sort I think; they're all sitting around a table."

"Very well. Hagakure, move in," Nezu ordered.

"Ok. Man, I am glad Mei made me this suit out of my own hair! I'd be freezing here otherwise," Hagakure commented.

"Cut the chatter! Those thugs hear you and invisibility won't save you from all the lead they'll put in the air," Aizawa ordered.

Hagakure hushed, and Bakugo shifted restlessly, watching down below for signs of a disturbance, but nothing happened.

"Want a look?" Uraraka whispered, offering Bakugo the infrared scope.

"No, you watch. Let me know if something's up," Bakugo told her. "I trust you."

"Ok." Uraraka moved closer to him, huddling up against Bakugo to ward off the cold. He rested an arm around her, enjoying her closeness. It had been a wild ride over the past couple of weeks since Feel Good Inc. Aside from that first night, they'd been able to find time to spend alone together. Hari had been too distraught to do more than cursory bed checks, and the medication she was on made it hard for her to wake up in the middle of the night. They'd had to be cautious, they'd had to be careful, but Bakugo didn't think any of the others really knew what they were up to. Which was fine by him.

"She's in the building," Uraraka said quietly. "Get ready."

Bakugo pulled his arm away, but Uraraka leaned in and kissed him on the cheek quickly. "Luck."

"Don't need it. I've got you," Bakugo answered, his eyes fixed on the guards below. One was smoking, the other talking quietly. They didn't seem to know something was up.

"The mahjong players are down," Hagakure said quietly. "Midnight's gas bomb worked perfectly, Mei. Going to the ones outside."

"I hate this stealth shit," Bakugo grumbled as they looked on.

"It's our best hope for getting Izuku back safely, and rescuing Eri too," Uraraka said gently, but then she nodded. "I wish I could just run in and bust some heads too. To think of what they're doing to that little girl…"

"Just don't go killing anyone before I do," Bakugo said with a shrug. "I don't want your kill count getting that much higher than mine."

"I'm not going to just start killing people, you maniac," Uraraka teased, but then gasped. "They see her!"

One of the guards had suddenly straightened pointing to the snow on the ground. Through his binoculars, Bakugo could see footprints left by Hagakure. There was sudden, violent motion, snow spraying and yelling, and one guard clutched his stomach. The other scrambled for a radio, but a series of invisible blows had him on the ground. The other tried to use his quirk, but it failed.

"Got him," Aizawa shouted. "Go!"

A few more blows, and then both guards were down, snow slowly falling onto their bodies.

"Guards are taken out! Move!" Hagakure called.

"That's our cue," Uraraka said, jumping on Bakugo's back. She touched him, and the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. He jumped down, using only small explosions to steer them. They landed in the courtyard, running up to the door.

"We good?" Bakugo asked the air, assuming Hagakure was nearby.

"Yeah, I think so," Hagakure answered. "He didn't get a call off. Shinso, you got the cameras, right?"

"They're down," Shinso confirmed. "But it's going to look awfully suspicious pretty fast. I just cut the feed, we don't have access to play a loop or anything fancy."

"Then we move fast," Bakugo growled. "Togata! Make a hole!"

A blur of motion behind Bakugo turned into Togata slamming into the door into the main building.

"Move in!" Nezu ordered, and all around the compound, the UA teachers and Class 1A attacked.

"Let's go!" Bakugo roared, stepping into the building behind Togata.

"Sir Nighteye says it's this way," Togata said, hurrying straight towards a back room. Around the house, sounds of battle broke out as sleeping yakuza awoke, and alarms began to blare. However, the way into the underground passage was unguarded, and Togata phased right though the hidden entrance. A moment later, it popped open as he activated the switch on the other side.

"Still with us Toru?" Uraraka panted as they dashed down the stars.

"All the way!" the invisible girl agreed. "Lead the way, Togata!"

"Slow down, you kids are supposed to wait for us," Cementoss' voice called after them.

"Keep up with us, old man!" Bakugo snarled, taking the stairs three and four at a time.

Below them, a door slid open, and armed thugs appeared.

"Heroes!" one gasped, raising a hand. Needle-like hairs shot out of his palm at the group, but Bakugo leapt forward and leashed a wave of explosions as he ran forward. The hairs were vaporized, and the thugs fell back into the hall at the onslaught.

"Keep going, Togata!" Uraraka shouted. "We'll handle these jerks!"

One scar faced brawler laughed. "What are you gonna do little g-URRF!"

Uraraka's open palm connecting to his nose ended that discussion, and the scarred man spun through the air, careening off walls as gravity abandoned its hold on him.

Using small, controlled explosions, Bakugo battered away at the remaining thugs. He had to be careful, here underground, as an uncontrolled explosion could lead to a collapse, cutting off their way forward and their chance to rescue Izuku.

"I'm moving ahead," Hagakure said softly over the radio. "I'll scout out where the thugs are and where Izuku could be. If I run into trouble, I'll break contact and move back."

"Go," Bakugo snapped, dodging a blow from one of the Yakuza. He tossed the man to the side, where Uraraka grabbed him and kneed him in the stomach. She blocked a blow from another man, falling back slightly, which let Bakugo flank the man, unleashing a blast beside his ear. The man fell, clutching at his head, and Uraraka delivered a swift kick to his chin. He collapsed, unconscious.

"There you are!" Cementoss said, hurrying through the door. "You kids need to wait for the teachers! We're supposed to take point."

"Sorry Mr. Ishiyama, but we're not waiting for anyone. Izuku's and Eri's lives are on the line," Uraraka stated, and hurried forward, Bakugo at her side.

"We good?" Bakugo asked, glancing at her.

"We're good," Uraraka agreed, spitting bile to the side. "Release!"

There was a distant thud, and Bakugo nodded. She'd kept that up for a while. They passed the battered and unconscious thug a few dozen meters ahead around a turn, Cementoss panting as he hurried along.

"I'm not built for speed," he muttered. "I'm getting too old for this."

"Aren't you not even thirty yet?" Bakugo demanded.

Cementoss grunted. "True. But I took some hard hits as a pro. My knees aren't all they were."

"If you're hurt, stay behind and don't slow us down," Bakugo ordered. "The aid station should be set up above."

"Bakugo!" Mei's voice suddenly called. "Togata's in trouble! He fell down a trapped hallway. Looks like one of the yakuza member's can manipulate the walls and floor!"

"Is he alright?" Uraraka asked.

"He's ok, fighting against someone calling himself Rikiya. He's supposed to be able to absorb life essence from the files I have," Mei explained.

"Does he need backup?" Cementoss asked as the ground began to shudder and shake. Togata must be going all out for that to happen.

"He says he's fine! Keep moving forward and find Izuku! Sir Nighteye says he's in Eri's room, so they should be together," Mei told them.

Cementoss nodded. "Right. Well, I'll handle the one who thinks he can manipulate the walls around us. That sounds like Irinaka, the Mimic."

"Whatever, that runt can't stop us!" Bakugo roared, and charged ahead. He hadn't gone far when the floor seemed to shudder and move, and the walls buckled and bent as the ceiling closed in on them.

"Not so fast!" Cementoss cried, planting his hands and feet against the floor and walls. The cement walls and floor buckled and smoothed, then expanded outwards for a moment, only to bunch and try to roll back.

"Go!" Cementoss groaned. "I can feel him in the walls here! I'll keep the way open, the others are just behind us. Move!"

"Thank you!" Uraraka cried as they ran on. "We'll get them, don't worry!"

"I think I found Izuku," Hagakure reported. "There's a cell, with two guards outside; a big guy and a little one. I've backed off for now, they didn't see me."

"Right! We'll take them out!" Uraraka said, grinning and bringing her hands up to activate her quirk.

Bakugo laughed, sparks flying from his fingers. "Those bastards don't stand a chance!"

"They hear you coming, get ready! I'll move ahead to hit them from behind," Hagakure told them.

"FINALLY SOME ACTION!" a voice roared, and around the next bend a massive man with arms like tree trunks wearing an odd, bird like mask appeared. "I'm Rappa the Strong Arm, one of the Eight Bullets, and I-"

"You talk too much!" Uraraka said, slapping Bakugo on the back to make him weightless.

He launched himself into the air, using blasts to kareen off the floor and ceiling while he created blinding flashes of light and the deafening sound cascaded down the corridor. Rappa took a step back in shock, and Bakogo put both his hands before him, letting fly with a massive blast at the big man's head, just as Uraraka dove low, swiping her open hand at his feet.

The blast, however, reflected back in Bakugo's face, and sent him spinning out of control back down the corridor. Uraraka cried out and flung herself back just as one of Rappa's fists slammed down where she had been, cracking the concrete floor.

"Gahh! Dammit, Tengai! I don't need your damn shield to deal with brats!" Rappa roared.

Bakugo got shakily to his feet with Uraraka's help, his body aching from the unexpected impacts. A glowing barrier had appeared around Rappa, and another man stepped forward, this one of average height but with the same beaky mask.

"You are the sword, I am the shield," Tengai said, rubbing at his mask. "We must deal with these intruders. Their quirks are strong; do not underestimate them. They are the so-called Pillars of Peace."

Rappa slammed his fists together, eagerly moving towards Bakugo. "Yeah! You're the one they call the Demon of Battle! Let us fight, man to man! I'd prefer to do this without quirks, but we have yet to achieve our perfect world! So it's quirk against quirk, man against man!"

"Oh what, you just forget about me," Uraraka sniffed, wiping a trickle of blood off her nose.

Bakugo spat blood and phlegm to the side, grinning wickedly. "Oh you're in for it now, asshole. She hates it when people think she's weak!"

"Ha! What's a little girl like you going to do to me? Even if you could get through my barrier, you could never harm me," Rappa bragged.

Behind him, Tengai let out a soft groan, and slumped over, an invisible girl catching him and dragging the barrier creator silently away.

"Really?" Uraraka asked. "Let's just see about that."

Rappa barreled forward, and Bakugo backed off, ready to support Uraraka if she needed it. At first, it looked as though she would meet Rappa's charge head on, but at the last moment, she spun to the side, slapping his arm as it whistled past her face. Rappa lost his footing, floating off into the air. He smashed into the ceiling, but then bounded off the floor, headed back for Uraraka.

"Nice trick but it won't save you!"

"Now Katsuki!" Uraraka said, using her quirk on herself and jumping over Rappa's dive.

Bakugo pointed both hands at where Rappa would impact, letting out a focused blast. Rappa was flung upward, and Uraraka expertly slammed both fists into the back of his head in a double handed overhead blow.

"Release!"

Both fighters fell back to earth, Rappa in a crumpled heap, Uraraka landing gracefully on both feet.

"Yeah sister!" Hagakure called. "Girl power!"

"You know it," Uraraka said, holding her fist out. A moment later there was an enthusiastic smack. "Now let's get Izuku out of there."

They found a key on Tengai, then opened up the prison. Inside, they found only one cell occupied, but it wasn't Izuku inside, but an ordinary looking young man.

"Heroes?" he gasped, looking up. He was damp, his clothes clinging to him, hanging off his body as if he'd lost a great deal of weight. "Oh thank God, someone was sent to rescue me!"

"Um, who are you?" Hagakure asked. "Do you know where Izuku Midoriya, Power Suit, is?"

"I saw him earlier. They...they brought him in to watch as they tortured me. They were trying to turn him, I think," the young man said, standing on shaky legs.

"Who are you?" Bakugo demanded. "Are you with the MLA?"

The man shook his head, bracing himself against the wall. "Those freaks? No, I'm Tarou Yamada. Weren't you sent to rescue me?"

Bakugo looked at Uraraka, but she shook her head. The briefing and plan didn't mention him.

"Mei, we have an issue," Uraraka said, putting her hand to her earpiece. "We've got a civilian, says his name is Tarou Yamada. What should we do with him?"

"What? Tarou Yamada? No, he's not Izuku or Eri. Leave him and go rescue Izuku already!" Mei ordered.

"Do you know where Midoriya is?" Bakugo demanded. "He's being kept with Eri, the little brat with the horn!"

Nezu's voice interrupted. "Secure him, and leave him for the evac team. He could be one of the yakuza that's fallen from grace, or a member of a rival organization. Don't let him go until we've had a chance to verify who he is!"

"Her? Yes, I know her. I think I can lead you there," Yamada said.

"Negative, he says he knows where Eri and Izuku are being kept. We're bringing him with us," Hagakure said, and clicked off her radio when Nezu tried to argue.

"Can you walk?" Bakugo growled.

Yamada took a couple of uncertain steps out of his cell, then gained confidence. "Yes. I was only here for a few days. I think. I don't know, time passes funny here. Come on, it's this way." He took off running, and the three young heroes followed him.

"We've got a problem," Cemementoss' voice gasped over the line. "The way back is blocked! I've captured Mimic, but he managed to collapse the hallway. And I'm too spent to clear it just yet."

"I'll get there and we'll clear it," Power Loader said. "We're still fighting up top though, could be a few minutes."

"I think Mina and I can handle it if we get there," Kirishima said. "We'll break contact and head down. Denki, Kyoka, cover us!"

"We'll keep moving forward," Uraraka replied. "We'll find Izuku and Eri. Togata, how are you doing? I don't feel anymore earthquakes."

"Fine," Togata's voice gasped. "I put Katsukame down. He was on that Trigger Variant. Be careful! They're taking their own drugs to fight us off. I'll use my permutation and get out of this dungeon I'm in."

"It's just ahead," Yamada said, pointing. "But the door will be locked."

"That is so not a problem!" Bakugo cackled.

"I'll stay back, there's sure to be more yakuza, and I'm not much of a fighter," Yamada stated.

"Can you use your quirk to protect yourself?" Hagakure asked.

Yamada hung his head. "No. I'm quirkless. Sorry."

"Hey, don't sweat it. One of the world's greatest heroes is quirkless!" Uraraka told him.

"Yeah, once we rescue his ass! HOLD ON DEKU YOU DAMN NERD!" Bakugo roared, and barreled around the last corner.

"There they are!" a man with a hood over his head cried. "Come on! I'm hungry!"

He ran forward, mouth opening to an unnatural level. Bakugo and Uraraka slowed their step slightly, watching the two men who had remained behind at the door. The hooded man's mouth dripped saliva, and he leaned forward as if to bite at them.

Right up until he let out a grunt, his body comically folding over an invisible fist. He vomited, then Hagakure slammed her knee into his groin. With a final groan, her victim slid to the floor, gasping as his teeth chattered. A final kick to the side of the head from Hagakure ended his pain, at least until he woke up.

"Shit, they've got the invisible one with them," a gang member with a white face mask growled. He activated his quirk, and crystals sprouted all over the body. "Can you do something about that?"

"Let's see," his companion in a beaked mask giggled, his hands grasping forward. He suddenly frowned. "What?"

"YOU JERK!" Hagakure screamed.

The beaked man frowned, rubbing something invisible between his fingers. "What is this? I can't see-"

"THOSE ARE MINE, ASSHOLE!" the beaked man's mask shattered, and he let out a cry of pain. The crystal thug flailed his arms wildly, but obviously couldn't hit anything. Bakugo ran forward in the confusion, blasting the man in his face, crystals breaking. He went down with a groan, slumping on the floor.

"Can't believe this, that perverted sicko," Hagakure's voice muttered. "Now I can't even find them! Ugh! This is the problem with invisible clothes! Ack! Don't look, Bakugo! I'm naked!"

"Yeah, um, can't really tell," Bakugo said, blushing anyway and turning his back.

Uraraka suppressed a laugh, then banged on the door. "Izuku! Eri! Are you in there?"

"Ochako? Is that you?" Izuku's muffled voice replied.

"Oh the hell with this," Bakugo snapped, spinning about. "Stand back you damn nerd! I'm going to blow the door off its hinges!"

"Ok. Hold on a second," Izuku answered. "Ok. I've got the mattress over us. Go ahead."

"DIE!" Bakugo screamed, and let fly with his most powerful blast. The shattered, splinters flying back into the room. Bakugo smashed his way in, looking about wildly. "Where are you, Midoriya?"

"Here." Izuku popped up from behind a bed frame, tossing off a mattress coated in debris. He bent down and picked up a scared little girl with blue hair and a horn growing out of her forehead. "I've got Eri. Let's go."

"Do you have Izuku?" Mei asked frantically. "Is he OK?"

"We've got him," Bakugo replied. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"Hey, where's Yamada?" Uraraka said, looking behind them.

"That son of a bitch ran off!" Bakugo snarled, looking down the empty hall

"Hey, relax. He led us to Izuku. And watch your language, Bakugo! There's a little girl here now!" Hagakure lectured.

"Fine. You find your panties or whatever?" Bakugo snapped. A moment later, he gasped in pain as something slapped his face. He glared around, but Uraraka was trying not to laugh, while Izuku was blushing and looking away.

"Yes," Hagakure sniffed. "Thank you for asking."

"Izuku, you stay between me and Katsuki," Uraraka ordered. "Keep Eri safe!"

"Ok. Sorry, guys. I guess I really messed up this time," Izuku said quietly.

"At least I got to fight some gangsters," Bakugo laughed. "And I suppose we got to rescue a little girl." He smiled at Eri as they headed back down the hallway. Not a scary smile, he hoped, but similar to the ones he gave Uraraka when they were alone together. She said she liked those.

It must have been the right smile, because Eri smiled back at him nervously. "Just be careful. Daddy's gonna be really mad."

"Yeah well I hope so. I'll kick his damn ass when we find him," Bakugo growled.

"I'll scout ahead," Hagakure said. "I'll let you know if anything comes your way."

They jogged forward for a few minutes, until Hagakure's voice came over the radio. "Ok, something's wrong. The corridors don't run the way they did before. What's going on?"

"We're trying to clear to you guys," Kirishiima grunted over the line. "But the passage doesn't go straight and there's all these turns. That Mimic bastard messed things up somehow."

"We'll find our own way out," Bakugo snarled. He looked down a side passage, and pointed. "Come on. This way. We have to keep moving before they find us and cut us off."

"You sure?" Uraraka asked.

"No, but it beats standing around and waiting," Bakugo told her, then stalked down the corridor, the others following.

They hadn't gone far when they heard footsteps pounding ahead, and Bakugo motioned them to hide in a nearby room. They opened the door and ducked inside, watching the passage.

A moment later, Togata jogged into view, looking much the worse for wear. His costume was torn, and he was clutching his side, his breathing ragged.

"What the hell happened to him?" Bakugo muttered. Wasn't he supposed to be strong or something? "Hey Blondie, over here!"

Togata looked around, then smiled when he saw them. "Midoriya! You're alright!" he hurried over, bending down to smile at Eri. "And this must be the princess we've been sent to rescue! Greetings, your royal highness."

Eri giggled, pointing at her horn. "I'm not a princess. I'm a unicorn!"

"I can see that! But sometimes, unicorns are princesses too!" Togata said with a smile. He stood up, frowning. "Are you headed that way? That's not how to get out, it's a stair down to the pit traps or whatever they are."

"Dammit. Well, at least we found you," Bakugo muttered. "We'll have to-"

"There you are."

The group spun to see Kai Chiaski stalking forward, flanked by Kurono and a man who staggered as he walked, carrying a bottle of sake.

"I am starting to grow very, very angry with you, Eri." The little girl let out a squeal and hid her face in Izuku's shirt. "I'm disappointed in you, Midoriya. I thought you'd understand. Yet here you are, with the very boy who tormented you for years. Shouldn't you fight back against him, want revenge?"

"I'd rather show forgiveness and mercy," Izuku said, taking half a step back and turning his body to shield Eri, exposing his defenseless side. "Bakugo isn't my enemy. You, on the other hand, are."

"So be it," Chisaki said, taking off his gloves one finger at a time and throwing them to the side. "We end this here, now."

"Get Eri out of here," Bakugo told Izuku, stepping forward. "I'll-"

"No. This is my fight," Togata said, shoving Bakugo out of the way. "You three get to safety. I'll handle this."

"Oh, will you?" Chisaki chuckled. He ran forward, swiping his hands at Togata.

And Togata...moved. It was unlike anything Bakugo had ever seen. He used his permutation quirk, falling into the floor and popping out, but then he moved so fast Bakugo couldn't even keep track of when he was going permeable and when he wasn't. Despite the narrow confines of the corridor, Togata was everywhere, his fists slamming into Chisaki.

But no matter how much damage Togata did, Chisaki recovered nearly instantly, his quirk remaking himself. His hands darted after Togata, barely missing each time. One touch would be all it took, but he never got that, despite Togata's already apparent injuries.

"What is he?" Bakugo gasped as they were forced to duck into a doorway for shelter. Fragments of stone and metal were peppering the hallway, and Bakugo winced as one bit into his cheek when he peaked out.

"He's the Heir to All Might," Uraraka whispered, peaking around the doorframe. "It's like he has the same quirk!"

"I think he does," Izuku said, leaning back to shield the whimpering Eri from the debris. Then he started. "No! Kurono has a gun!"

"Oh relax, bullet's won't hurt Togata. He can go permeable and he's apparently super strong and tough. Let's go, he's got this," Bakugo said. But then, he remembered. Sir Nighteye's vision. The one that had ended in Uraraka's death.

"No! They have quirk erasing bullets!" Izuku cried, sounding panicked. "If one of them hits Togata, he'll lose his quirks!"

Bakugo swallowed. He didn't want it to be true, didn't want to admit that Togeta, someone he genuinely admired for his strength, could be so weak. "Don't be stupid, he-"

But then Togata slid out of the wall and vomited. Chisaki had been moving backwards, towards his companions. And now the one with the bottle cackled.

"You're drunk, you fool! Can't fight now, can you!"

Togata managed to roll away from Chisaki's hands, but Kurono was training the gun on him.

It happened without thought. Bakugo put his hands behind him, launching himself forward. Chisaki spun, hand coming up for Bakugo, but Bakugo blasted him, just as Kurono pulled the trigger. Chisaki was flung backwards, into the path of the oncoming bullet. It slapped into his back with a wet thump.

"NO!" Kurono wailed. "BOSS!"

Chasaki gasped and fell. His hand shot out, touching Togata as he hit the ground.

But nothing happened. Chisaki's hands brushed Togata's sleeve, then passed over it. Whatever Chisaki's quirk had been, it was now gone.

"This isn't right!" Chisaki wailed. "I was supposed to be the last! I was going to remake the world!"

Bakugo spat to the side, grinning as he stepped forward. "Well, now I'm going to remake your face."

"Die you monster!" Kurono snarled, and pulled the trigger. Another bullet shot out, but Bakugo blasted it away from himself.

"Not happening, asshole! I-" he stumbled, the world reeling. Crap! He'd gotten too close to the guy with the bottle, and now whatever had hit Togata was hitting him. The world spun and swam. He heard Uraraka scream, and Izuku yell.

Kurono raised the gun again. Not at Bakugo. At Togata. Despite his disorientation, Bakugo knew what he had to do.

The gun fired, and Bakugo threw himself forward. He tried to use his quirk, but he couldn't make it work. He could have tried to dodge, roll out of the way, but he gritted his teeth and slammed on top of Togata. He heard a wet thump, and pain blossomed in his shoulder.

And something went out of Bakugo forever.