Beta'd by kylekatarn77 and Poliamida
65. Red Horse Riding
Wash the spears — while the sun climbs high.
Wash the spears — while the sun falls low.
Wash the spears — Who fears to die?
Wash the spears — No one I know!
-Aiel Battle Chant, The Wheel of Time
Fights were nothing new to Izuku. He'd fought the League of Villains at Kamino, he'd fought the MLA half a dozen times, and he'd witnessed the destruction of the Shie Hassaikai. Some had even called those battles, the Battle of Kamino, or the Battle of Feel Good. Izuku now knew that those appellations had not been truthful. They had been fights, deadly ones, but they had not been battles. They had not been part of a war.
Now, Izuku found himself in the midst of a battle, at war truly and completely with the MLA. He and Class 1A had fallen back to a strip mall, using cars and a low brick fence as a sort of barrier, with the buildings behind them. A wave of hundreds of the MLA's soldiers rushed at them, using quirks to wreck destruction on a grand scale. Izuku had fired off a wave of missiles as Class 1A retreated, and he now knew one thing for certain: he had killed people.
It had been a brief, sickening moment as the missiles streaked forward, then impacted on their foes. Izuku had seen shockwaves and fireballs annihilate the first rank of the MLA. He had seen bodies ripped to shreds, blood and limbs fly through the air, and heard the screams of the wounded and dying as he fell back. For a brief moment, he had thought he was going to vomit, was going to freeze, would be unable to continue.
And then Iida screamed in pain as a fireball from the MLA took his leg off at the knee. Iida cartwheeled onto the pavement, grabbing the ruin of his leg and howling. Sero's tape had lashed out to draw Iida back, and Izuku didn't hesitate. He fired again, and again, until his missile banks ran dry. He didn't know how many of the MLA's soldiers he had killed. Dozens, maybe even a hundred. What he did know is that it wasn't enough.
Todoroki used a wall of ice to form a barricade before them, granting Class 1A a chance to draw back, to think. Bakugo was swearing, administering First Aid to Iida, putting a tourniquet onto the leg. Along with a grenade launcher, Bakguo was carrying most of their medical supplies, having volunteered as their medic, as he had no quirk to fight on the front lines.
"Izuku, what do we do?" Uraraka cried, as the MLA battered at the ice barrier.
Swallowing, Izuku looked around. "We have to link up with the other classes! It's our only hope of not being overwhelmed, cut off and surrounded in little pockets! Are the radios working?"
"We're being jammed," Yaoyorozu stated grimly. "We walked right into a trap."
"Right. Well, we know where they're supposed to be, and we can see the fighting, there. That's got to be where 1B is. Come on! Let's move!" Izuku ordered, and Class 1A formed up and followed after him. Uraraka made Iida weightless, and Bakugo hauled the now unconscious boy on his shoulder, firing his grenade launcher from the hip as the MLA broke through the ice wall.
"Try to get through to 1B! Let them know we're coming for them!" Izuku told Kaminari. "See if you can boost the signal somehow!"
"Right, on it!" Kaminari agreed, using his enhanced communications gear that was fueled by his quirk.
Izuku took the lead, smashing through a house with Kirishima at his side. In the street they found more MLA soldiers waiting for them, and Izuku didn't hesitate. He fired his laser and charged forward, then swung with his fists. His laser cut a bloody swath through the soldiers, then a mutant type that could turn into a giant bear-like monster tried to grapple with him. Izuku grabbed an arm and wrenched it right out of the socket, the bear-like man roaring in pain. He went down, and Izuku moved forward. Behind him, Sato delivered a coup-de-grace, crushing the man's skull beneath his foot with a bellow of rage before it could rise and attack again.
A few more MLA soldiers tried to resist Izuku and Kirishima, a stream of water from a hydrant splashing off Izuku's armor while a woman wielding a hammer that glowed with energy tried to smash Kirishima. He took the blow on an arm, then caved the side of her head in with a single blow. Izuku fired his grapple at the man guiding the water out of the hydrant, spearing him through the chest. He retracted the grapple, ripping the man free of it and tossing him to the side, unable to take time to assess the damage. Behind him, Aoyama fired his laser at a group that was trying to flank them, while Ashido's acid caused another squad of MLA soldiers to cry out in pain as the flesh melted from their bodies.
Ahead, Izuku spied 1B desperately fighting for survival in the middle of a grove of trees in a park. The bodies of MLA soldiers lay scattered before them, some growing mushrooms, others drowning in a mire, still others ripped to shred by vines or projectiles from quirks.
But some of Class 1B was down as well. Bondo was bleeding from a wound in his side, slumped up against a tree, while Kurino lay on the ground in a pool of blood, not moving. Roaring in rage, Izuku ignited his jet pack, landing in the midst of a group of MLA that were fighting Tetsutetsu and Monoma, who had copied Tetsutetsu's quirk and had gone metallic as well. His laser cut down two, and he batted three more hard enough to send them flying with broken bones into Honenuki's mire.
"Christ, it's good to see you," Tetsutetsu panted. "What the hell did we get ourselves into?"
"Trouble," Izuku said succinctly as the rest of 1A ran up. He opened a port on his laser module, revealing a cable that he drew out. "Denki! Charge!"
"On it!" Kaminari grabbed the cable, and in a moment Izuku's energy level was back to full, and he resealed the port. The MLA had drawn off for a moment, taking fire from the UA group's long ranged quirks.
"This is as good a place as any to make a stand," Izuku observed, looking around. They were at the top of a small hill, with cover from the stand of trees and a few stone benches. "Momo! Send up a signal! Try and get the other groups to rally on us! Denki, any luck with the radios?"
"Still trying, Izuku," Kaminari panted. "Nothing so far, maybe they heard me, maybe not, but I haven't gotten a reply."
"Damn. Alright, Sero, Honenuki, Bondo, get some traps set to slow them down when they charge again! Bakugo, set up a first aid station back there to treat the wounded! How's Iida?"
"Not good, but I've done what I can for him," Bakugo called. "I'll get Bondo looked at!"
Monoma turned to Izuku, his face flushed. "You just think you can run in here and take charge?"
"You have a better plan to keep us alive?" Izuku demanded.
Monoma hesitated, then shook his head. "No. Not really. Sorry. I just...I think Kuroiro…"
"He's dead," Kendo said, coming up and looking down the slope. "Those wires cut his femoral artery. By the time I got to him, it was too late."
"Dead?" Monoma closed his eyes, then exhaled, and turned. "Todoroki! I need your quirk!"
"Aoyama, Pony, Kamakiri, suppressing fire as soon as you see them coming!" Izuku ordered, crouching down. "I'm out of missiles. Momo?"
"On it!" Momo called, and quickly began producing more ammunition, at the same time shoving high calorie and fat ration bars into her mouth, chewing and swallowing as fast as she could. Even with that, she had a limit to how many missiles she could make. But it had to be enough.
"Here they come!" Todoroki roared. He and Monoma stepped forward, raising a barrier of ice to keep off the bombardment of long range quirks that fell down on them, as the other long ranged quirk users returned fire.
After a few moments, Aoyama cried out in pain, but kept sending out blasts of his laser. He'd been using it a lot, and Izuku knew that firing for more than a few seconds pained him. Even with breaks, this much use had to be excruciating, but he kept it up. "Vive la un à!"
Despite the losses they were taking, especially as Izuku reloaded his missiles and unleashed another barrage, the MLA soldiers continued on, pressing through mires, tape, and even a stream of glue from Bondo. Rocks began to crash down among them as Uraraka levitated them and Sato and Kirishmia flung them. A swarm of birds and biting insects from Koda swooped down on the MLA, causing havoc in the ranks, but still, on they came. Ashido and the other medium ranged emitters let fly, and for a moment Izuku thought that maybe, just maybe, the assault would falter.
But then, from the left flank, more soldiers swarmed in, someone using a quirk to bypass the mire with a bridge made of shining crystal. Izuku hurried over, setting himself to meet the charge as Shiozaki sent waves of thorns and vines into the oncoming foe. Then they were upon Izuku. He took several hits on his armor plating, but the blasts of energy and needle like projectiles simply splashed off of his armor. Two hulking mutant types tried to tackle Izuku together, but he grabbed one, firing his laser into the woman's mouth, then threw her corpse at her comrade, batting him aside. He fired off a burst into the crowd, cutting down a row, then stepping forward and slamming his fists into a pair of soldiers trying to storm the hill.
"Izuku! Thunder!" Denki's voice called over the mayhem.
Immediately, Izuku activated two lightning rods on his suit. A split second later, lightning crashed down the slope, filling Izuku's depleted energy reserves back to full once more and frying the wave of attackers. To the side, Monoma and Todoroki sent waves of fire down the hill, incinerating the MLA. With cries of panic, the MLA survivors pulled back, with many being picked off or caught in the obstacles the students had erected.
Taking a step back, Izuku caught his breath, panting heavily. Despite his cooling systems, his body was drenched in sweat, and he felt exhausted. He thought they had been fighting for hours, until he checked his timepiece. Since the announcement from Re-Destro, barely half an hour had passed.
"Check on the wounded," Izuku ordered, pointing to Bakugo. "Momo! How are you on reserves?"
"Low," Momo answered around a mouthful of food. "I'm having to make more medical supplies; I don't know how many more missiles and grenades I can make."
"Shiozaki, status report on your class," Izuku demanded.
Shiozaki looked up, seeming slightly dazed. She glanced at their class rep, but Kendo was being seen to by Bakugo, a large gash on the side of her head and appearing dazed and disoriented. "Um, we've got five wounded. Kendo, Bondo, Tokage, Honenuki. And… and Kuroiro, and Rin, they're dead."
That made a pit form in Izuku's stomach, and he wanted to vomit, but he simply nodded. He looked around, finding Uraraka kneeling by Iida, a horrified expression on her face. He came over, peering down at the other boy, leaning against a tree. "How is he?"
Slowly, Uraraka took Iida's hands, folding them over his chest, then gently laying him down, tears quietly trickling down her face. "He's gone."
It was like a kick to Izuku's gut. "Dead? But he...he was just injured, Bakugo saw to him…"
Uraraka slowly turned Iida's helmet. A bloody hole had been drilled into the side by a projectile of some kind. "He never even had a chance. Bakugo did what he could, but he'd passed out and...and no one saw what happened in the fighting. He's gone, Izuku."
Izuku wanted to break down and weep, but now wasn't the time. "Leave him, then. The others?"
Tsu was down, a wound in her gut that Bakugo had treated as best he could, but she needed medical attention desperately. Aoyama had been given two doses of morphine, and was nearly out of his mind, but was determined to keep fighting. Hagakure claimed she was fine, but she was panting and gasping in pain. Hopefully they could help her soon, but for now they needed her to keep fighting.
"They're coming back!" Kirishima called, and Izuku hurried back to the front line, crouching down behind a barricade of thorns that Shiozaki had erected. The MLA soldiers were massing again, bringing forward those with quirks that could get them over the traps at the base of the hill. A few people with flying quirks were gathering as well, just out of range of most of the besieged UA students quirks.
"There's so many of them," Ashido gasped, looking down at the growing mass of enemies. "What do we do?"
"We could make a run for it," Kirishima suggested. "Try to get back to Mei and Hari and get out of here."
"What about the others?" Tetsutetsu demanded. "You know, the other classes. And the pros. What's happening to them?"
"I don't know, and I'm worried we haven't heard from Mandalay," Izuku said, glancing behind them towards the mountains they'd come from. He could see smoke rising from where the headquarters had been set up. "Maybe we should head back to-"
"They're moving off!" Monoma cried, pointing. "Look, they're going that way!"
Indeed, the MLA was leaving a smaller number of soldiers, and moving their vehicles and most of their troops off towards another second of town, where explosions, smoke, and dull thumps could be heard.
"Shit, that's where the second years were supposed to be!" Kirishima growled. "We should help them!"
"We've got wounded, what are we supposed to do, leave them behind? If we split up, they'll pounce on us and destroy us one by one," Tetsutetsu argued.
Izuku made a quick decision. "And if we stay here and wait for them to attack us, we'll be annihilated eventually. There's thousands of them. Our only hope was to get in quickly and take out Re-Destro. That's failed, obviously. We link up with the other classes, then fight our way back to Mei and the others. Hopefully the teachers and pros can handle themselves. Uraraka, Bakugo, you handle the wounded. Shiozaki, you and 1B take the rear, keep them off our backs. Kirishima, Sato, you're with me. We're leading the charge off of this hill."
This time, no one argued with Izuku, and moments later they were ready to go. Instead of heading into the mass of MLA troops, Izuku led them down off the back of the mountain, while Monomo and Todoroki rained ice and fire down on the heads of the MLA to buy them some time. The mist created by the two temperatures colliding made a sort of misty screen for them, and it was precious moments before the MLA realized that the UA group had abandoned their positions.
Ahead of them lay mostly houses, which Izuku and his lead party battered through with ease, trampling down walls and making a path towards where the signs of fighting were most intense. They burst through the back of the subdivision to find a mass of MLA troops besieging the shattered remains of a large department store.
"Charge!" Izuku roared, barreling into the back of the MLA before most of them realized what was happening. His laser cut a path for him, and when that ran out of power, he called to Kaminari, who sent out bolts of lighting that both refilled his battery and burned ranks of MLA troops to ash.
"Form an ice wall and mire behind us, slow them down!" Izuku ordered as they approached the shopping center. "Don't fire! We're 1A and 1B!"
A girl with a bloodstained and blackened hero costume floated a few feet above ruins, glowing coils of energy wrapping her arms. "Midoriya? Is that you?"
"It's me," Izuku agreed, waving 1A and B forward into the building's remains. "You're Hado, right? From 3A?"
"Yeah, um, I guess I'm sort of in charge here? I don't know. So many people are gone...we linked up with the second years but...but a lot of us didn't make it."
Izuku looked around, spying bodies of MLA soldiers laying on the ground beside the corpses of UA students. No. No time. He had to focus, to get them out of here. They could mourn Iida and the others later.
"Get your wounded together. I need everyone who's still combat capable. We're going to retreat back to the support trucks, where I think Togata went. I hope-" He couldn't say it. He couldn't say, I hope Mei is still alive. She had to be alive. They all did. "-we don't encounter too much resistance."
"Right! Amajiki, get the wounded together! We're getting out of here! Second years, if you can still fight, meet up with Midoriya and 1A! They're going to get us out of here!" Hado flew off, shouting and getting everyone together.
Izuku turned back, watching as 1A and 1B formed up along the walls of the mostly wrecked building. Yaoyorozu ran over to the other wounded students with Sero, the two of them making hasty stretchers to carry the wounded out. Aoyama was babbling in French, firing his laser in bursts at any MLA soldier who showed themselves amidst the smoke and rubble outside. The others looked frightened, but determined. For some reason, everyone was listening to Izuku, even though he was certain he had no idea what was really happening. But he couldn't stop now.
He hurried over, crouching behind a half broken wall and looking out, scanning the smoke. The MLA was massing again, preparing to rush the store. For some reason though, they hadn't moved yet. That was fine. Izuku would take all the time he could get.
"Attention, UA students," a female voice blared from a few still functioning loudspeakers. "This is Curious, Lieutenant of the Meta Liberation Army. You are not our enemies. Surrender, and you will be well treated as we usher in the new order."
"Are they seriously trying to get us to surrender after killing our friends?" Jiro demanded.
"We ask only one thing: That you give us the unevolved in your midsts. They do not belong in the new world order. Hand over Izuku Midoriya, and Katsuki Bakugo, and we shall let you join our ranks, or go free so long as you no longer oppose the Meta Liberation Army."
"Oh, I think I know how to respond to that," Jiro snarled. "Hey lady! Fu-"
"Wait!" Izuku hissed. "If I go out there, maybe they'll let the rest of you go! I can buy you some time."
Jiro gave Izuku a flat look, but it was Kaminari who answered. "Are you dumber than I am? We're not handing you over, Izuku. We get out of this, together. Besides, Mei would kill us all if we left you behind."
Jiro pondered that, then leaned over to Kaminari, slapping him approvingly on the back. "That was the smartest thing I think I've ever heard you say."
Kaminari considered that. "Really? You think so."
"Yeah," Jiro agreed. "Now, are you going to tell them to go to hell, or should I?"
"I have a better idea," Kaminari said. He raised his launcher, firing a projectile high into the air. "Step back!" Then he raised both his hands, calling forth a stream of electricity. It zapped into the projectile, then down and to the sides, destroying the nearby loudspeakers and causing cries of pain and panic amidst the MLA.
"Huh, huh, I got 'em," Kaminari giggled. He turned to Jiro, a bit of drool escaping his lips. "Sorry, gonna be dumb for a bit, know you hate that."
Jiro smiled. "Not at all. That was pretty smart."
"Can I do something dumb then?" Kaminari asked.
"What?" Jiro demanded. "I'm not letting you charge out and get yourself killed."
"Um, no, I sorta want to-what the hell." Kaminari grabbed Jiro, planting a wet sloppy kiss on her cheeks. When they parted, he gave her a dopey grin. "Sorry. Wanted to do that for a while."
"Took you long enough," Jiro said, giving him a grin. "If we get through this, I am so going to rock your world."
"Well, there goes our chance for negotiations," Izuku sighed, drawing everyone's attention back to the crisis at hand. "Guess they're going to attack now. Bakugo! Get the wounded moving!"
"Hey, screw you, I'm not leaving you guys behind!" Bakugo snapped from where he was helping carry the wounded to the back of the building.
"And how much ammo do you have left?" Izuku asked him.
Bakugo winced. "None. I'm dry." He looked pensive for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. I can't fight at the front anymore. I'll get these idiots to safety. Just come back, Izuku. Couldn't live with myself if you finally proved you weren't strong enough."
"Count on it," Izuku agreed. "Now get going. Have Hado and the other 3rd years clear you guys a path."
"We're not leaving," Tetsutestu told Izuku, coming over to crouch beside him. "1B's staying with you guys. You can't do this alone."
"Probably not," Izuku admitted. He looked back out the window. "What are they waiting for? They can't-"
Suddenly, the MLA soldiers parted. A car drove up, a luxury sedan in bright red. A drive got out, hurried over to the side, and opened the door. Out stepped Yotsubashi, wearing a pinstripe suit.
"I'm afraid this is it, children. Playtime is over," he called. "We-"
A beam of dazzling light flashed out at Yotsubashi, striking him in the shoulder and spinning him around before he collapsed to the dust.
"Mange de la merde, espèce de porc puant!" Aoyama shouted.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Did he just kill Re-Destro?" Shiozaki gasped.
"FINE! HAVE IT YOUR WAY! NOW WITNESS THE WRATH OF RE-DESTRO AND THE META LIBERATION ARMY!"
Darkness swirled around where Yotsubashi had fallen. Black lightning crackled, and drones swooped out of the sky, carrying bits of armor.
"Hit the drones, they've got support items!" Izuku ordered, firing his laser and knocking one out of the sky. Balls of fire, horns, acid, and other blasts attacked, but more and more drones swooped in as Re-Destro was wrapped in an odd sort of armor.
"Attack, now!" Izuku cried, bursting out of cover and charging forward towards the inky black figure that was rising up.
"THE UNEVOLVED WILL BE ELIMINATED! THE MLA SHALL LEAD THIS NATION, THIS WORLD, INTO A GLORIOUS NEW ERA!"
Izuku ignored the words, using his jetpack to fly up and attempt to smash Re-Destro right in his face, but a black hand reached up and batted him out of the sky.
"IT IS USELESS TO RESIST! I AM RE-DESTRO! THE ONE WHO WILL REMAKE THE WORLD!"
Izuku slammed into the ground, alarms blaring as damage registered all over the Ultra Armor. It still functioned though, and Izuku pried himself out, standing and shaking himself off. His classmates attacked Re-Destro from all sides, but all of it seemed useless. Their attacks simply bounced off the armor or were absorbed by that inky blackness.
"HA! TO FIGHT ME IS TO ENRAGE ME! THE MORE YOU RESIST, THE STRONGER I BECOME! NONE NOW ALIVE CAN STOP ME!"
"Izuku, wait."
Turning, Izuku saw Shinso, looking up at Re-Destro. Izuku had nearly forgotten him in the fighting, as Shinso hadn't been able to use his quirk much. He'd mostly employed his capture weapon, sticking to the back and letting others do most of the fighting.
"He's talking," Shinso said with a grin. "And you know his quirk, right?"
"Stress," Izuku agreed. "I thought we could take him, but with that armor-"
"He's nearly invincible," Shinso agreed. "But get him talking. He hates you most of all. When I get him, that will be your time to strike. You'll get one shot. Make it count."
"Understood," Izuku agreed. He ran forward, then leapt into the air again. "Destro! Here I am, the quirkless hero! What does it mean to you, to know I've killed so many of your so-called next step in the human race today?"
Re-Destro spun to face Izuku, ignoring the attacks of the others. His fist shot out, and Izuku managed to block the blow, catching it with both arms.
"YOU ARE AN INSECT! AN ABERRATION! A WORM BENEATH OUR HEELS! YOU MIGHT BITE, YOU MAY STING, YOU MAY EVEN CULL THE WEAK IN OUR RANKS! BUT YOU CANNOT HOPE TO TAKE US DOWN! I SHALL END YOU LIKE THE DEAD END YOU ARE!"
"Three quirkless kids! Me, Mei, Katsuki, we've defied you and stopped the MLA before. We took down Iceman, Chikazuku, Hanabata! We'll stop you too!" Izuku grunted.
Re-Destro raised his other fist, his attention totally on Izuku now. He tried to smash Izuku, but he jetted back and to the side, racing around the MLA leader.
"A FLY MAY DEFY A MAN FOR A TIME, BUT IN THE END IT IS INSIGNIFICANT, AND WHEN THE MAN CHOOSES, THE FLY'S LIFE ENDS!"
There. Shinso. Izuku swooped in front of the other boy. "Well, this fly can sting! I'll kill you like I killed all the others, you Nazi freak!"
"DO NOT COMPARE ME TO THE PRATTLING OF AN UNEVOLVED APE!" Re-Destro roared. The others were backing off, they saw Shinso as well. This was it.
"Pretty funny, coming from a man who needs a suit of armor to have a chance against me! Take it off, fight me, man to man! I'll even take off my own suit!"
"BAH! I HAVE NO NEED TO-"
Re-Destro froze in mid blow, his white eyes going suddenly wide. The blackness faded instantly, shrinking down within the armor. Izuku flew forward, ripping a section of the armor away. Inside, he found Yotsubashi, lying naked and dazed within his steel carapace, drool leaking out of his mouth, his eyes vacant.
Izuku didn't have a witty one liner, he just felt sick. He nearly hesitated. Once more, he had a man, unarmed now, unable to defend himself, sitting before him. But Mei was in danger. Iida was dead. And so many others. He raised his laser, carefully pointing it between the eyes. He fired a long burst, until it melted the steel behind Yotsubashi. Then, he flew off, feeling no triumph, only the weight of terrible justice upon his shoulders.
Behind him, the MLA was paralyzed, unable to grasp that once more, they had been defeated at the hands of a quirkless boy.
Author's Note:
It's been just over a year now since I first published Rejected Stones, and I can't thank you all enough for the fantastic reception this story has received. It was a hard year for me, as I am sure it was for nearly everyone. Publishing this story kept me going though, and your reviews were always a joy to read. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read this story, and I hope reading it has made your life a little brighter. Special thanks to Polidamida for always encouraging me, even after all these years, and kylekatarn77 for making sure I rite gud english.
Here's to sticking the landing.