Izuku retracted The Whip with a sigh.
Inside looked so untouched by the recent events. He glanced at the candles around. Their warm light made him feel relaxed and forget about the outside world for a moment. The closed curtains didn't block all the light coming from street lamps.
Breath in.
Breath out.
This home sure was cozy – if not for the rapidly changing situation outside, he could imagine someone staying there for a long time. He for sure wouldn't decline an invitation.
After he leaves this dome and gets to a different city, he will need to find a place for himself as well.
Izuku's eyes lowered to the floor - even this thought sent a strong feeling of loneliness on him. A home for himself. In other words – a home for one.
However, even considering the loneliness, home is a place for a rest. He wasn't that tired, just…mentally exhausted.
The last few hours were quite hectic, after all.
Waking up, learning – hopefully – his name, only to find the city in ruins. Giant dome covers the sky, and the fact that he can breathe is honestly surprising. The fire creates a lot of smoke that can't leave the dome – one more reason to hurry and help Izumi get out of the city. Then, he met the carriers, the bulkier carriers, and started absorbing those that were walking alone – and got their quirks. On the road the calming feeling from inside shut down all his emotions, and they only returned when he met Izumi.
It was way too much for a quirk. Even if not as a student, he will have to contact some hero school to help him at least understand himself.
Wait, wait, wait…
Izuku put a finger to his chin.
'What will people think when they get to know I can absorb quirks?'
That is a valid concern, even if it was quite early for such thoughts. Still, it was much healthier for him to think ahead about better times, and not about the complete destruction around him. He doesn't want to get out of here with a grey hair, after all.
'How will I explain, for example, fire manipulation? If I get it from one of the carriers, of course.'
…
…
He can't.
He has a lot of abilities even now, but they all can be described as 'Body Manipulation' quirk, or something close to it. Ability to create blades, extend limbs, see in the dark – all of them can be put into this category. They were physical. Using fire, creating ice, manipulating water, telekinesis or flying – if he ever gets those abilities, they will be way too noticeable.
He can't tell anyone that he can absorb quirks – for three main reasons. First – it could be a simple imitation of a quirk, and not him absorbing the quirks. Second – people will be scared of him stealing what makes them unique – their powers. Third – if they ever find out that he literally eats his victims to get new powers – he will be put in jail…most likely. He doesn't know the laws concerning self-defense against the infected carriers, after all. Every new unique power that he can't explain with 'body manipulation' quirk will be the same as publicly raising his kill-count.
…In case they know about his absorbing power, of course. But even if they don't – people will start asking questions that he can't give answers to.
'Can I even do it, though? Is it really me using their quirks or just my body imitating them?'
"Hey, Midoriya"
His little trance was interrupted by Izumi showing at the door. She looked exactly the same, and, quite honestly, it didn't look as if she was preparing for the trip to the edge of the dome.
"Yes, Ms. Oogawa? Can I help you?"
"Listen, when I asked you to give me some time, I was a bit…excited, so to say. When a possibility to leave the dome presented itself, I just couldn't help it. However, a few minutes pass and now I feel tired as shit – I just returned from my last outing to the closest shop when you came and dealt with the carrier that followed me. So, I need some time to rest."
Izuku nodded.
"O-of course. You should rest if you feel tired. We are not in a rush, after all. I-I mean we are, but a few hours of rest won't hurt. I think."
Izumi nodded, but she still didn't trust Izuku much.
"What are you going to do during that time?" She asked him, looking away but still glancing at him.
The worst thing she could do was to fall asleep with a stranger kid in her house. Izuku glanced at the window.
"I…I guess I'll go out. Scout a bit, deal with any carrier I see so the route will be safer."
Izumi nodded. Sending him out will be much calmer for her than for him to stay. He seemed to be a nice kid, but she barely knew him for more than a few minutes…and his claws were quite frightening, if she were honest. If what he said about his strength was true, then she knew she won't be able to defeat him. If a carrier breaks into the house – she will deal with it. But with him…?
Caution is the best way. Caution, patience and tactfulness. She really liked him, but she couldn't let her emotions decide the live of her dearest girl.
"I see. Be careful out there…oh, wait."
Izuku was about to stand up when Izumi approached him.
"Take these"
Wrist watch. Izuku turned to her without saying a word.
"Return in…two hours. That should be enough for me and you."
Izuku nodded and stood up.
"Got it. I'll return by then. If anything happens…um."
Izuku furrowed his brows.
'I can't just ask them to shout for me. This will be dangerous!'
"We'll think of a way to attract your attention. Don't worry."
Izuku glanced at her, unsure.
"I told you not to worry" Izumi repeated. "We will be fine."
The boy sighed and nodded again.
"I hope so. I'll go, then."
Izuku went to the front door but stopped.
"Um…how can I get out? The entrance is barricaded."
"I'll show you the way" Izumi said and went upstairs.
When Izuku left through a window on the second floor, Izumi decided it was time to have a slight rest.
She felt bad for being so cautious about the boy, but she didn't know a better way to deal with strangers in such times. He did nothing but good things to her so far – saved her and her daughter, and now gave them hope to leave this place.
A chance to have a life.
'Heh…'
The boy must really have a heart of a hero. To do so much in so little time…
She hoped that he will make a great hero someday.
Izumi reached her bedroom where Hana should be.
"Hana, we'll…Hana?"
The girl was sitting by a window with wide eyes and her hand covering her mouth.
The mother quietly approached her daughter and kneeled. She was in an alarm mode already.
"Hana, what happened?"
The girl pointed at the hand that covered her mouth.
"Don't worry, you can talk. We are not in danger here."
Hana finally removed her hand.
"I…I saw something in the window"
"Something?"
"I-I-I don't know. They were, you know, um, bigger than t-those, um, bad people. A-a-and had a large claw, all of them. Like, thi-i-is big. T-they were jumping from rooftop to rooftop t-t-there"
She pointed in general direction of their movement, even though the window was not visible behind curtains.
Izumi's eyes widened.
'Large claw…and all of them had one. Are they the ones Midoriya boy was talking about?'
"T-They didn't see me. And I kept silent just like you taught me. A-and they are gone now, I-I think."
Izumi patted her head.
"Good girl. You did everything perfectly, even though I remember telling you not to look outside."
The girl was slowly calming down, while Izumi, on the other hand, was getting more and more restless.
She looked in Izuku's general direction.
'I hope nothing happens to you. Not after you gave us so much hope, damn it!'
Lifeless.
That sounded like the best way to describe his surroundings. It contrasted greatly with the city that was still on fire in the distance.
'Honestly, sometimes I don't want to see in dark so nicely just to…not see the city around me.'
The area of Izumi's house was almost on city's edge, so there was no chaos. Almost no cars, no blood. Either people that lived there were close enough to the edge to escape, or their ran towards the city once they got infected.
There were no red veins as well.
It was just…silent. He didn't know what to expect from this place.
Now that he felt the warmth of a house with people living it in, returning here felt much more…unpleasant. Now he had something to compare it with. And, in addition to this, his emotions returned. He walked without them most of the time, but now it felt like a gust of hot wind could put him on edge.
'Okay…pull yourself together. You are immune to the parasite, luckily. You can heal if you absorb the carriers. And you are strong, remember? Remember how you tore the lid from a car's trunk. If something happens, that chill will calm me down again. And you have giant claws. And the whip! What possibly can be dangerous for you?'
Izuku shook his head and looked forward.
According to the map that Izumi showed him, the closest edge of the dome should be somewhere on the west. First, he will walk around the house to find anyone dangerous, and then move westwards.
His steps were echoing, and the breathing sounded so loud that he thought that the carriers would hear it from another street. In surroundings like this, any sound would alert a neighborhood.
Damn it.
Just for protection, Izuku activated The Claws.
The silence was deafening. At least he was quite far away from Izumi's house – if he messes up something, it won't be a problem to them – only to him.
The silence wasn't even the worst part – fog was. There could be something, lurking in the fog close to him, swarming around him…and he wouldn't even notice it.
The road, so far, looked safe. Looked.
But was that a fact?
Izuku stopped. Looking around gave no results, obviously. Beside his breathing, the only noises he could hear were incredibly distant, miles and miles away.
He looked at The Claws.
'Should I do it?'
Should he attract some attention in case he missed a carrier?
He sure as hell didn't want to.
'Will you risk their lives just because you don't want to fight the infected, you damn idiot?!...'
Breath in. Breath out.
'Those infected are in pain. They can't be cured – you saw how damaged their memories were. If memories are damaged – then the brains are damaged. By absorbing them…I will free them. I will help them…and I will sure as hell won't let them touch Ms. Oogawa and little Hana! I will get these two to safety! And for this, pull yourself together and clear the path!'
Izuku made a slash on the road, creating rather unpleasant, almost metallic sound. The echoes sounded, which only added to the lifelessness of the area. The sound was not too loud, but it should attract some attention.
'I did it'
Now he listened.
The fog was still quite thick, but it was enough to at least spot an enemy when it will start approaching.
His eyes were jumping from one direction to another. He was turning around every few seconds, looking at every corner.
'Where?'
The fog didn't help at all.
'From where?'
His eyes caught something on the edge of the fog. It might be a simple piece of trash flying in the wind, but…would piece of trash attract his attention? He honestly didn't know.
Izuku held his breath.
He slowly started going in direction of the object when he heard rustling from behind.
Izuku turned around and slashed with the claws at the same time – just in case something was already close – only to find nothing.
Something blocked light from a street lamp in a distance – Izuku would miss it if he blinked.
He felt more and more at edge, staring at the fog.
'What's going on? Why aren't they attacking?'
Are those even carriers? Could it be a wary group of survivors?
What the hell, was it even alive?
That might be paper trash rustling against the road in a distance. It could be a bird that flew close to a street lamp and blocked it for a moment.
The infected would attack him already! They are stupid and are attracted to noise!
…
Alarm. That's the only feeling that didn't go away during the trip. He felt like he was being watched again.
'Come on, stupid quirk, what are you waiting for?!'
The chilling wave spread through Izuku, calming him.
'Took you long enough'
Izuku straightened and looked around again. He noticed no new disturbances so far.
Then…maybe he should try again? The sounds create an echo, and if the infected use it to navigate to their target – then they might have got lost. He couldn't take any chances.
Izuku started going up the street, scratching his claws against the road. A few minutes with no results almost made him stop when…
A screech of rage echoed through the streets and now calm Izuku tried to find the source.
Finally. Hearing something was much better than imagining enemies around him.
The source was approaching, but very strangely…As if the carrier was jumping somewhere.
Izuku stood ready. The echo made it harder to locate the carrier, but even if that thing will hurt him – absorbing it will heal Izuku instantly. He knew this much. The only problem was being spooked by a sudden attack from behind, and even with that his quirk will help him by calming him down.
The screech of rage turned into a scream that was approaching…very fast.
Too fast!
'Where is it?!'
The scream approaching from an unknown direction is fucking terrifying by itself!
'Just where-?!'
*BOOM*
Something landed next to Izuku. Dust settled only to reveal a carrier.
Izuku prepared to attack, but then widened his eyes.
'…What?'
The body of the carrier was broken from the impact. If it had an enhancing quirk that allowed it to jump on big heights – the landing would be easy.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Broken carrier found Izuku with its eyes and tried to reach him. It made a low, barely audible whimper while raising its shaking, broken hand towards Izuku. He looked no older than him as well.
Carrier's fingers became longer, but even then Izuku still stood a good distance away.
'Wait, its fingers became longer? If that's the quirk of that person, then…'
Izuku's eyes were getting bigger and bigger with every second. With his mouth agape and he turned to the direction of where the carrier came from.
'Wait…wait, wait, wait, wait! WAIT! How did it cover this much distance, then?'
Izuku looked again at the carrier, examining it. He wanted nothing more than to fall on his butt and clutch his head.
'Someone…someone THREW that carrier at me!'
Pained whimpers of the young carrier reached Izuku's ears.
The nails were falling off the hand that it used to crawl towards Izuku…or, to be accurate, tried to use to crawl towards Izuku.
'Who…and for what reason?..'
Who would do such a thing?
Ignoring the carrier, Izuku stood ready just in case if there was another carrier approaching. The scream wasn't that quiet, after all.
And, well, he couldn't ignore the possibility of another carrier being thrown at him.
"Ghk…grgh"
Pained whimpers were distracting him way too much.
Green haired boy sighed shakily.
Like snakes, black tendrils started slithering from Izuku's body.
With eyes full of pity, Izuku commanded the tendrils to wrap around the poor creature.
'I'll free you from your pain'
*SNAP*
Broken in two, the defenseless carrier was absorbed into Izuku within moments. Right after that instant, Izuku crouched and clutched his head.
P̷̅ͅa̴̺͠i̵̛̳n̴̛̪ ̶̟͠
h̶̞̉u̶͚͝n̸̤͘g̸͠ͅe̷̟̿r̵̛̖ ̴̢͐
What do we have?
t̷̳͌ô̵̡r̶̡̎c̶͔̈h̴͍̉ ̴̯̑
w̸̤̄e̶̘̍ ̶̥̓p̶͇̈́a̷̫̚s̸̼͠ş̶͒ ̵̞̑t̶̝̔h̶̟̄ė̷̖ ̴̳̌ṱ̴̑ỏ̶̬ȑ̴̡ĉ̸̲h̴̘͌ ̴͈͐f̸̤͑r̵͔͗o̷͓͌m̴͎͒ ̶͉͒o̷̖̅n̶̘͑e̷̬̋ ̵̨̑ṯ̶̏o̶̹̚ ̷̡̀a̶̰͋n̶̙̈́o̴̬͋ẗ̵̩h̸̻̀ḛ̶͂r̶̘͊ ̵̼͗ť̴͓ö̵̼ ̷̲͐c̸̩͗o̵̟͝m̷̹̈́ḃ̸͈i̴̞̓n̸̥̚e̸̮̓ ̴͎͑â̷̻ś̸̰ ̷͎̈o̴̻͊n̴̎͜e̶̖̎ ̷͇͘
d̶͓̿o̵̦͛n̷̠͊'̴͙͛t̷̯͂ ̸̜͊t̸͔͝ơ̶̺u̵͉̽c̸̟̄h̵̨͛ ̴̛̗m̷̟͂e̸̗͒ ̶̰̂
h̵̞̉é̶͖l̷̰̈́p̷̼̿ ̴̧̃m̵̠̿ẹ̶́ ̸̬̈́
p̴̰͑ȧ̴͕i̷͔͠ń̴̥ ̴̩̎
Weak.
ḋ̵̦ë̶̝́k̷͎̀ū̷̱ ̶͇̊
m̴̻̓y̶̯̌ ̵̙̾b̴̳͐o̸̼͠d̷̩̈́y̷̼͗ ̷̮̒í̷̹s̶̥̔ ̵̯̅b̴̭͗r̵͎̿o̴̬̒k̶͔̏ë̶̥ņ̵̔ ̸̮̐
ỹ̶̤ǒ̶̙u̷͇͋ ̶̩͋t̴̙̍h̶͍͝ḭ̵̌n̵̰͛ǩ̴̰ ̴̱̈́ẙ̷̡o̸̗͑ụ̴̚ ̵̻̎c̶̺̒a̴̟̋n̶̦̏ ̵̫͝b̵̬͝e̵͖̐c̴̤̈́o̷̘̅m̷̭̑ë̷̼ ̷͚͆ȁ̵̘ ̶̝͐ḧ̷̹́ě̴̞r̵̻͗o̶̺͝ ̵̫̇
b̸͔̄ļ̸̊o̸̞͛ñ̸̞ḏ̶͝ ̵̧̂ḥ̸͠à̸̤i̶͕̔r̶̞͊ ̷̙́
d̶̳̀o̸̝̔n̸͓͋'̸̦̂t̶̳̾ ̵̭͆h̷̥̉ȕ̴̗ř̶̘t̶̑ͅ ̵̫̓h̶̢̏i̵̢͛m̷̘͌ ̷̠̾
Useful.
i̵̧͋t̴̟̏ ̵̰͊h̵̘͂u̸̱͑r̶̙͆t̴͙̿s̶̰͗ ̸̫̿s̵͍̉ȏ̴̥ ̵̟̂m̶̱͂u̸͎͆c̸̯̑h̴̖̀ ̴̹̋
ḋ̵̦ë̶̝́k̷͎̀ū̷̱ ̶͇̊
k̸͈͂i̸͎͒l̸̰͂l̴͖̈ ̸̘̂ d̶͙͐i̵̭̅e̷͙̓ ̷͐ͅ
h̶̞̾ȇ̷̻l̸̘̑ṕ̵̝ ̵̛̟
t̸̝́o̷̘͆r̶̞͒c̵̠̚h̸̳̀
…As a gift.
Big green, teary eyes. A boy stands with his fists ready to protect. Vision shifts slightly to the side to reveal spiky blond hair.
Izuku stood frozen with wide eyes. This was the strangest memory he managed to witness so far. The thoughts felt like a constant flow of emotions, but then…then was the last part.
Clear as the day.
'Me…I saw myself'
With his fists ready, he stood in front of the boy, protecting him.
When the realization hit him, Izuku tried to access the memory again.
Big green, teary eyes. A boy stands with his fists ready to protect. Vision shifts slightly to the side to reveal spiky blond hair.
'That can't be it!' Izuku shouted in despair.
Big green, teary-
'Give me more! I need to know more!'
-with fists ready to-
'GIVE ME MORE!'
-Vision shifts slightly to the side to reveal spiky blond hair.
Izuku fell on his knees and stared at the pile of blood left by the carrier…that apparently knew him.
'Why couldn't you give me more?!'
Izuku heard footsteps running towards him. Being shown so little in those memories angered him, and now was the worst moment for carriers to show up.
Izuku formed The Whip.
A carrier showed up on the edge of the fog, only to receive three blades into its abdomen. Izuku clenched the blades like a fist, quickly shortened the whip to catch the carrier in his other hand and slam it into the road.
Black tendrils shot out of his body to finish the job.
'I want to know who I am!'
The body was broken into pieces and absorbed. Another carrier showed up, and suffered from the same fate.
Third one.
Fourth one.
'TELL ME MORE!'
…
Useless. Useless. Useless!
Heavy pants broke the silence. Izuku kneeled near pools of blood, more frustrated than angry now.
When he told Izumi about bulkier carriers with claws, he honestly believed that they were similar to each other, while carriers were different.
Now…now he wasn't sure. Izuku noticed that carriers all were similar in one thing – they were weak. Their quirks were especially weak, and during life they were part of a grey mass, a crowd. No will. No power. No memories! No use!
Long fingers? Small wings? Growing hair into forms that you want? What a sick joke!
Izuku punched the road and left a sizable crack, while barely feeling the impact himself.
He sighed and stood up. Now…at least now he saw a chance to remember himself.
His new target - the boy with spiky blond hair that he saw in that memory.
Izuku closed the window behind him and Izumi immediately appeared in the doorway.
Instead of getting downstairs, the boy preferred to sit down and lean against the wall.
"How's the road?" She asked. Izuku looked too clean to having been engaged in a fight, in her opinion. That was a good sign.
"Interesting" Izuku ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't tell her too much. "Dealt with five carriers, and to do it I had to actively attract their attention. Couldn't take any chances with them surprising us at every corner."
Izumi's eyes widened. He killed five infected and didn't even get a single stain of blood on him? That's…That's just ridiculous.
"I guess the road is mostly clean." Izuku continued. "The number of carriers here and closer to the city is just incomparable."
"Have you met any of those bulkier carriers?"
Izuku shook his head
"I didn't. The road is clean."
Izumi sighed in relief. With all the talk about those deviant carriers she getting more and more anxious about them.
"So, when are we moving out? I'm not tired or anything, so I can go even now" Izuku asked her.
Izumi looked into the hallway behind her.
"We are ready"
"The fog is quite thick. I will guard our back" Izuku immediately announced. He needed the full view, just in case.
"No, I'll be in the back. You lead the way" Izumi herself wanted to see her daughter and Izuku clearly.
The boy decided not to argue.
"Big brother Izuku will protect us, right?" Hana decided to stick closer to Izuku instead of being protected between her mother and the boy.
Izuku smiled softly.
"Yeah. We just need to be a little quieter. Oh…Hana?"
"Yeah?'
"Um…" Izuku scratched the back of his head. "If something goes wrong while we are going…You know, if bad people appear, - close your eyes."
"Close my eyes? Why?"
"Uh…It can get a bit scary, you know? I can protect you better if you close your eyes when I fight. Oh, and you should stay between me and your mother – I don't want to cut you on accident with my quirk."
Izumi sighed looking at them talking to each other. Empty street was constantly putting her on edge, but even this was much better than the burning city. She shivered, thinking how much of a hell it was to be in the center right now. The boy and her girl having a little chat actually helped her to calm her nerves a bit.
The first half an hour was eventless, luckily. Once lively now lifeless streets guided them with the streetlights.
Slowly, but surely, they were getting to the edge of the city. There, somewhere in the forest, should be the edge of the dome.
Izumi doubter it would be hard to find.
"A carrier" Izuku announced, activating the claws. "Hana, close your eyes"
"U-u-huh!" The girl was quickly pulled closer to mother who stood guard, looking for another threat.
"Eearaarg!"
Those carriers weren't exactly quiet, after all.
It was running towards them when Izuku impaled it head with his long claws, killing it instantly.
'Damn, those can be quite useful' Izumi mused.
While she was mentally commenting Izuku's claws, the boy was barely containing himself from absorbing the creature.
He stood motionless in front of the carrier's body when a black tendril shot out of his body.
Izuku caught it before it went too far.
'Not now! I can't do it in front of them!'
The tendril continued to struggle.
'Listen to me, damn it!'
"Are you okay, Midoriya?"
"Y-Yeah. W-we should get off the road for a few minutes. H-Hana, don't open your eyes yet until we hide"
Izuku started retreating from the body and the tendril finally retreated. He will take all extra steps to ensure their safety.
Once again, Izumi noticed that there was no blood on Izuku despite clearly seeing how some of it stained him. Where did it all go?
Just as he suggested, they attempted to hide for a few minutes in case the carrier attracted some other infected.
"I hear one, no, two more coming" Izuku whispered.
"Next move?"
With her daughter exposed to the danger, Izumi was getting a bit more restless.
"I don't want them to follow us the moment we make noise. I will deal with them"
When Izuku left, Izumi and Hana heard familiar screams of the carriers that quickly got silenced.
"Eeeaargh! AArghg!"
Damn, that boy was making a quick job-
"AAAghrGHA"
"Mom!"
Izumi widened her eyes – this one was coming from somewhere behind. Once she turned around, she saw one of the infected running right at her but then…
*WHOOSH*
A black…rope or something flew past her and impaled the carrier. Before it could do anything, the carrier was dragged to where Izuku was and quickly disappeared.
Still shocked, Izumi in her fighting pose started to frantically look around when something caught her eyes on the roof.
With wide eyes and heavy breathing, she still tried to mentally prepare herself for a fight.
It was clearly an infected, with large red boils on his head. Before Izumi could take a better look on it, it fled into the mist.
'What the hell?'
"Are you okay? This carrier didn't got you, did it?" Izuku returned, examining them with his eyes.
"Didn't you say that the road was clear?! And what was that? I thought your quirk was the claws and superstrength?" Izumi whispered quite aggressively.
"It was. I spent two hours walking around here – it was much clearer…"
'Maybe they came after I left after all the ruckus I made?' He thought.
"…As for my quirk…Well, I never told you that the claws are my quirk. It…It's body manipulation. I can create organic weapons and generally much stronger than a normal person. You never asked me before, so I didn't tell you"
Izumi wiped her face, not really listening to Izuku. Whatever. That question was just a way to express her frustration.
Hana was sitting with her hand covering her mouth. Izuku approached her and kneeled.
"Don't worry, I dealt with them. Big brother will protect you."
"D-don't go away, then. L-like now."
Izuku nodded.
"O-okay. I won't since you asked me."
"Midoriya" Izumi sighed, now a bit calmer. "There was a strange carrier. It was on a roof, and fled once I saw it."
"It saw you and didn't attack?"
"Exactly"
Izuku's looked at her, not sure what to say. Maybe he should have rested a bit, after all.
"I…I don't like it. I propose we go faster, even if it will make more noise. I doubt that a lot of carriers came here since the last time I was here. Let's go"
The last part of the trip was uneventful as well – they only met one carrier.
Now, the three of them were standing on a road near the edge of the forest.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go. It's not like we will get lost – we just need to stick close to each other and go forward" Izumi said, looking around.
Izuku nodded and made the first step.
The foggy dark forest felt just as lifeless. Actually, calling it a forest would be a mistake – it is only a small part that happened to be inside the dome.
So, when a few minutes later all three of them were standing near endless concrete wall, Izuku was prepared. The forest looked so untouched by the presence of the dome that it made Izuku feel as if this concrete construct always was there.
"So…this is the edge." Izuku raised his hand to touch the concrete.
"Our chance to leave" Izumi was trying to tone down her excitement.
"Yeah" Izuku smiled "Your chance to leave"
Izumi glanced at him with worry.
"We will notify the military, just as you suggested. We won't leave you after everything."
"Yeah, we won't leave big brother!"
Izuku smiled, and his hands started forming claws. The mother and daughter got a little away from him when he prepared to attack the dome.
*CLANG*
"*Ya-a-awn* damn, working night shifts sucks"
A man in military uniform rubbed his eyes. The second man looked much more focused with his eyes glued to the screen.
"How can you be so relaxed considering just where we are? Our job is to make sure that this red flue shit doesn't get into the world, and there you are, about to fall asleep. And that is considering that you slept during the day as well."
The first man turned to the second one.
"How can I be so relaxed, you ask? My man, we are one of many cogs that monitor the security on the largest military formation in the world. How many countries are helping us here? Nine? Ten? Do you remember how many military units are in the area? What on earth can happen here that won't be dealt with in milliseconds after appearing?"
*Attention. Dome integrity at risk. Danger level: Yellow. Investigation highly recommended. *
Sleep disappeared from first man's eyes and he immediately became much more serious. He got the phone.
"This is HK-2554 of SM unit. Something got dangerously close to the dome and attacked it. Coordinates are 167 degrees counting from the north clockwise. Danger level: yellow."
The man with a rifle hanging on a belt around his neck was walking towards his military unit, evading occasional rows of other military squads on his way. His slightly baggy armor was created specifically to work in areas with air pollution, be it a chemical leak or a biological danger. KM-21 was written on it.
In his hands he had a helmet that had next to no protection, but instead giving the man much more vision. Ideal for a commander, standing behind his troops. When installed, the tubes of the armor will connect with the helmet to give him fresh air.
The automatic signal about the dome status forced the military units into movement, and now a lot of reserves were being sent to the closest defense lines around the dome.. Squads started gathering for orders of their commanders, while heavy weaponry was being transported to the area of danger.
Integrity of the dome is obsolete.
Among the crowd of military one squad of seven people looked quite bored. The man approached them. Once the squad noticed him, they all stood up with their backs straightened.
"A mission, Major?"
"A mission. We were instructed with investigation of the dome from inside. Some bird scratched it or a carrier bumped his stupid head on it. Whatever. Our objective is to deal with any danger to the integrity of the dome. We will take the vehicle."
"Big boy deserves to flex his wheels a bit"
"Indeed. Third Blacklight squad - Moving out"
As they started going, the Major contacted the gatekeepers at the southern part of the dome.
"BL-3, Major KM-21. We need a clear path into the dome. How's the situation around the gates?"
"Hear you loud an' clear, KM-21. Ta weather is clear as a day. Haven't seen a single carrier since ta morning, mate."
KM-21 stopped.
"Not a single carrier since the morning?"
"Aye"
"You aren't drunk over there? How can there be not a single carrier at the gates?"
"Hell if Ah know, mate. Go an' see yerself."
Izuku managed to make the cut about 20 cm deep. Izumi and Hana were watching the surroundings in case an enemy attacks.
"Damn it, it's actually much harder than I expected" He quietely commented, continuing to slash the concrete. It was much sturdier than the roads for sure.
'Maybe I should punch it instead of slashing?'
The claws disappeared. Now normal fingers rolled into fists as Izuku prepared for the punch, gathering his strength.
Once the arm turned black, signaling about the peak of its power, Izuku punched. The impact rippled the fog in quite a large area.
He peeked at the result of his punch, and found that it dealt much more damage.
Izuku nodded to himself and prepared to punch again.
"Midoriya!"
Izuku stopped to turn to Izumi and little Hana behind her.
"Yes, Ms. Oogawa?"
"The military. They are here already."
"Really?"
That was fast. Still, the three of them should be cautious. Izuku followed Izumi out of the forest.
"There"
Wide, long black truck reminded a building on wheels more than it reminded a vehicle. On the roof there was an antenna – no doubt for the connection between the unit members on the mission.
It stopped in the forest, and men in armor started appearing from it one by one.
"This is the place. We go on foot from now on. Our prime objective is to find the place where the attack on the dome happened and rate the damage." Said the man with a helmet that gave him a lot of vision. It looked very unsafe even to Izuku.
The boy looked at Izumi and Hana.
"This can be our chance to leave." He told them.
"A few minutes ago we had a certain way to leave this dome. Now we only have a chance for it?"
"W-well…what exactly can we do? If they are here to investigate the damage I dealt to the dome, then I can't exactly continue damaging it right in front of them. They are our best way to leave right now"
"Fuck."
"Yeah, I feel the same" Izuku turned to her and then to the forest behind her. "Hide a bit deeper in the forest. I'll talk to them"
"Midoriya?" Izumi looked at him with wide eyes. "Are…are you sure? This can be dangerous. Deadly dangerous"
Izuku smiled sadly.
"What other choices do we have?"
Izumi sighed shakily and looked right into Izuku's eyes.
"B-be safe, then. We will watch from a distance. A-and good luck."
Izuku nodded. His eyes were full of confidence, and looking into them calmed Izumi as well.
Once they got into position, Izuku stood up.
"HEEY!"
The soldiers stopped.
"I am not infected! Please, help-"
Izuku immediately received a bullet in his head. A second later, he fell on the ground.
"Da-amn, Major. Always the first one to shoot, aren't you?" one of the soldiers commented.
The Major looked at the place where the boy stood.
"People around here were exposed to the parasite for five days. We aren't taking any risks back to the other side. And look – he must have been the one behind the attack on the dome."
"BIG BROTHER!"
The soldiers prepared for attack.
"Who was it? A kid?"
The Major started going into the forest.
"No. Another risk. Hound, take the lead"
Izumi, with wide eyes, grabbed Hana and ran. Her quirk enhanced her blood, and thus, her muscles and respiratory system.
Even while holding her small daughter, she was able to run quite fast.
"M-mom! I-Izuku, he is still there!"
"I know sweetie!" She answered, still running. "I know!"
"B-But-!"
"No buts for now! Be quiet!"
Gunshots echoed through the forest. Izumi looked back only to find one of the armed man slowly catching up with her.
"Fuck!"
Major looked at the boy's body.
He clearly was shot in his head, and yet there was no blood.
"Strange"
"What's strange, Major?"
The group of soldiers separated in two. While one half of the squad followed the scream, the other half continued to find the damaged part of the dome.
Major looked at Izuku again, before leaving.
"The boy. There's no blood from the injury."
"Are you sure you even got him?"
"Stupid question. Of course I did – I saw the bullet in his head."
As they were leaving, none of them noticed Izuku's fingers twitching. With a hole in his head, he slowly opened his eyes.
'What was that?'
He raised his hand to touch his forehead, feeling a strange alien object inside him.
Izuku formed claws and dug into his forehead, delving in it. A few seconds later, he a dug out a bullet. Looking at it, he couldn't help but feel anger building up inside him.
'It is one thing to help people get on the other side of the dome when it was being built. It is one thing to help as much people as you can while the inevitable doom was on the way.'
Izuku could see his distorted reflection in the bullet.
'But to kill those who are not infected? Those who seeking your help? Is this how you see us? No better than infected?..'
'…you SCUM.'
Anger was not stopping, on the contrary – his body was enhancing it instead of shutting it down like panic or sadness.
Black tendrils and blades were appearing and disappearing randomly on Izuku's body as he was standing up. The teeth became sharp and started growing. They became so unnaturaly large they would break a jaw of a normal person.
'Scum like you doesn't deserve to live. You are the danger! And I won't let any danger get to those I protect!'
"Well, everything seems good so far." One of the soldiers commented. "At least there's no horde of the carriers, you know."
"Yes, that would be unpleasant." The major commented. "Rin, Are there any news with other soldiers? It's taking them way too long to catch the girl and the woman."
…
"Rin?"
Three men turned around only to find one of them absent.
"Rin, return. That's an order."
They prepared their assault rifles, not sure what to think.
Major started going back to where he saw Rin for the last time.
"Stick together. We must-"
"UAAAAA"
Major turned back only to find another member of his team getting dragged into fog.
"Fire!"
He and the last man shoot into the fog randomly. Once the mags were empty, they quickly reloaded and continued firing again.
The fog returned the favor as a long black tendril with three blades on the tip impaled Major's last squad member and dragged him out of vision.
"AAAAAAARGH-"
*SLASH*
With panic in his eyes behind the visor, Major was looking around, slowly retreating to the vehicle.
His eyes would notice any movement at the edge of the fog, but the enemy didn't attack.
His heavy breathing was the only thing he could hear.
On his slow retreat Major stepped on a branch. He heard ruckus in the trees, but then…
He saw it. Time slowed for the Major as he was taking in every detail of his enemy.
The boy was approaching from above – clearly he made a jump from one of the trees right on his position.
On his hands he had giant claws, ready to pin and shred him into pieces. The expression of rage on his face made him look more like a feral beast than a boy.
'This is it'
That was, frankly speaking, not the way he thought his road would end. But who was he to change what was decided for him?
…
Izuku reached the major and pinned him down, before shredding the front of Major's body, slashing through bones and muscles. Once the body was prepared, black tendrils shot out of Izuku's body and tore it in half, absorbing it.
"Tsk, you really want to go and become a mercenary?"
"They are not mercenaries!" I answered "They are Blacklight! They help people with dangerous situations and keep them safe! A-and have you seen their armor? Damn they look cool! Not your typical army, too!"
"Just be honest and say that you can't go anywhere else because of your failing grades or something."
I was standing in rows of other recruits in black uniforms.
"From this point, you are Blacklight. Be prepared to join your senior officers on missions around the globe, privates. I'm not a master of big speeches – so I will be brief. All of you knew what you were getting into. You had your training! So now, instead of continuing reading bullshit on the paper here – come here, one by one, and say your oath!"
"Let me guess…your quirk is so shitty that you just couldn't become a hero? That's why you are here?"
The question was addressed to me.
"Well, I wouldn't say so. I know for sure a few heroes with some kind of skin hardening quirk. It's actually quite good, though its hard to move in it. If I combine it with armor – I bet not even a bullet would pierce it."
"Wanna check if it's true?"
"Captain"
It was addressed to me. One of the rookies approached.
"The mission description was a bit unclear to me. Are we going to force people to stay home? By force I mean…really by force"
I nodded.
"Yes. We were bought to help with rioting citizens during the quarantine. As long as we are paid, we need to make sure they stay inside – for their own safety. Remember – our job is to make sure that the danger doesn't spread to the closest regions or countries…by whatever means necessary"
Less than a second passed for Izuku as he assessed the clear memories of the first human he really absorbed.
Not wasting time, Izuku quickly ran towards Hana and Izumi. While running, he noted that he looked…taller.
Examining himself while evading trees proved to be…surprising.
He was wearing Major's armor.
Fuck…
'You are joking, right?'
He copied Major's look. His height, his armor, his face, his memories, his quirk! With a mental signal, he quickly returned his normal look.
Now, however, was not the best time for it. He still needed to save Hana and Izumi!
"Fuck fuck fuck!" Izumi continued to curse.
How long was he going to follow them? Why wasn't he falling behind? Damn it, his quirk must be somewhat similar to hers!
She looked back to see the man following her.
"MOM"
Izumi turned around and was met with a horrifying picture.
Right from the fog appeared carriers.
Not just any carriers. Head had large boils of yellowish liquid. One arm was deformed and broken, with bones sticking out of it…but it barely mattered, since that broken hand was just a small part of a much bigger limb with claws.
Those were the bulkier carriers. The ones Izuku told her about. The ones her daughter saw in the window. The one she saw on a roof, stalking her!
With a scream of panic, Izumi turned around and started running in another direction only to be met with another gunshot in her direction.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, she tripped on a tree's root and fell.
'Is this it? Is this how it all is going to end?'
Her grip on her daughter became stronger and tears started forming in her eyes.
In despair, she shut her eyes, expecting either monsters or the soldiers to end her life.
She waited.
And waited.
And then opened her eyes.
The bulkier carriers were ignoring her and running straight at military units. Fire appeared from one of carrier's hand and it send a wave of heat right at the soldier that chased her.
The rest of the squad caught up, only to get met with claws, fires and electricity. If she wasn't mistaken, one of the carriers was flying.
Izumi watched in awe as a military squad was thrashed and destroyed in mere seconds.
The awe didn't last long – she quickly stood up to run, but the road was blocked by another bulky carrier with the claws. She turned around, but the other side was blocked by the carriers that dealt with the military.
With no way to run, despair filled Izumi again, and she fell on her butt before breaking down into crying.
Izuku run. He stopped evading the trees and started running through them, destroying them on the way.
'Please, don't be too late. Don't be too late! Don't be-!'
A horrifying picture froze Izuku in place.
Trembling Izumi and Hana were standing inside a circle of those bulky carriers. Izuku could see charges of electricity dancing around an arm of one of them. Another one had his arm lit on fire.
Another one was holding assault rifles in his hands.
Izuku heard some ruckus and screams and turned in their direction. There, among the trees, one of the bulkier carriers was hovering, while holding trashing simple carriers midair.
Those simple carriers were wearing military uniform – it seemed that they squad followed Izumi got infected. They were trying desperately to reach Izuku, but the bulky carrier's grip was strong.
'J-just what the hell is going on?'
The image looked surreal.
"M-Midoriya" Izumi's voice was barely louder than a whisper. "D-do something."
"B-big b-brother…" There was no end of tears in Hana's eyes.
Izuku, breathing shakily, activated everything. Claws, fangs, tendrils, Major's hardened skin.
Even then, he still was unsure at what to do. He couldn't kill them all at once!..
…Eh?
The carriers, when they saw Izuku using his power, turned around and started to leave. Izumi looked at their retreating form, not sure if she could stay shocked any longer.
She was interrupted when Izuku effortlessly lifted her and Hana in her arms and started running.
"M-Midoriya? Just…just what the hell was that?" Izumi asked, looking back while clutching onto Hana to not let go even for a second.
"I don't know" Izuku said, and his grip and her back on knees became even more tight.
"They-they…they just fucking left. They ignored me! They attacked those bastards, but not me! What the hell, Midoriya?!"
"I don't know! And I'm not sure if I want to know! Honestly, I couldn't care any less at the moment! We still can run!"
"How?!"
Izuku slowed down at the road, and the trio was met with the Blacklight's armored vehicle.
"With this."
Izuku put Izumi and Hana down, and the two of them started approaching it, while the boy stopped.
"Midoriya, they won't let us through the gates even if we have a vehicle. Listen…what the fuck?"
Izumi turned around, but instead of the boy she was met with her reflection in the visor of military commander.
She quickly stood in front of her daughter with a scowling expression. The man raised his hands.
"Ms. Oogawa. It's me, Midoriya Izuku."
"Is this one of your body manipulation tricks?" She asked, still protecting her daughter.
"Apparently so. I'm not sure. Let's go!"
Once inside, Izuku quickly got to the radio station that should connect him with the hub outside. It was specifically designed to work in such places.
Izumi put Hana in a vacant seat and approached Izuku.
"Even with such appearance, how are you going to-"
"BL-3, Major KM-21 speaking. The threat has been neutralized; the integrity of the dome is not in immediate danger. However, a brigade of engineers must enhance the wall from another side. A new form infected carriers has been noticed, with strong leaning on combat with quirks, and unusually high intelligence level. My propose is to immediately rise the level of danger to 10/10, or even re-evaluate the rankings. We've found two survivors that were exposed to the air for five days, but do not show any symptoms of being a parasite carrier. I strongly advise on taking them for a medical check-up and possible release into a city after the quarantine."
Izumi looked at Izuku with wide eyes, taking more and more steps away from him.
"Please, don't ask any questions" He asked her quietly. "I do everything I can to save you."
"How can I not ask question? Just…where the hell do you know it all? What to say? You said some numbers, even."
"I got it from my quirk."
"Then what the fuck is your quirk, really?"
"…I don't know"
"Major KM-21. We've got your message. You were given green light to get the survivors to the base. Proceed to the southern exit and then to the seventh medical bay for disinfection and medical check-up of the survivors."
Izuku nodded to himself and went to the driver's seat, with Izumi following him.
"You even know how to drive that thing?"
The engine roared, and Izuku put his hands on the wheels.
"I do…Let's get us out of here"
Izumi finally allowed herself to fall into a vacant seat. The day was finally taking its toll on her, and she barely could keep her eyes open.
"Just do it already"
Little did they know that thousands upon thousands of eyes were following Izuku as he was leaving the dome.
Inside a crowd of bulky carriers was a mass of bodies, glued together into a large red formless mass. Politicians, scientists, teachers, soldiers - those were the prime categories of people that created this red mass.
Their mouth opened as one.
"HavE a GOoD TrIP"