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Chapter 32: I Say Fight
"You fake heroes who only care about yourselves are targets to be purged!" Spinner declared, slashing his massive sword-of-swords in Mandalay's direction.
The leader of the Pussycats flipped backward and landed in a pouncing position, activating her Quirk.
Spinner, even though you're a villain, I think you're pretty cool. Definitely my type.
He paused mid-swing. "Huh?"
"What are you getting so flustered over?" she asked, sweeping under him and slashing his leg with her claws.
"That…that was a dirty trick, you harlot!"
Suddenly, Mandalay felt herself being tugged backward. "Wha-AAAH!"
A pink glow had enveloped her. The other villain's magnet was pulling her in!
"Come here, pet kitty!" Magne sang, as the distance closed. Mandalay was a second from being crushed, when Tiger came from the side and punched Magne back.
"What is your purpose here, villain?!" Tiger demanded, swinging more punches and gaining ground on Magne, as the villain backed up and dodged.
"Hehe, I wonder about that…"
"Tiger, something's off!" Mandalay told him, getting to her feet and preparing for Spinner to rush back in. "I still don't have a response from Ragdoll! She would have said something by now!"
I fear…thought Mandalay. That this is all a distraction, for something else.
…
"What do you mean, you'll definitely save him?" the big blonde villain asked, chuckling. "That sounds like something a hero wannabe would say."
Midoriya held his ground with a furious, frantic grimace. Doko forced himself to stay calm. He slowly began walking around to the left, circling the villain.
The blonde glanced in his direction. "That's not going to work."
"Neither is your plan. What's your name, big fella?" Doko taunted.
"Muscular," the villain growled. "And…" Suddenly his eyes shot open in shock, as if…recognizing me?
Muscular quickly turned back to Midoriya in almost evasive manner. "You're Midoriya, right? We were told to take the initiative and kill you."
More muscle tendons began to extend onto his arms, puffing them up.
"I'll make sure to torture you thoroughly, so…SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!"
He dashed toward Midoriya, the cloak flying off. Midoriya sent his Quirk's green energy through his body, and…
"Don't ignore me, jackass!" Doko flicked his hand, and warped a boulder off the side of the mountain. It fell over Muscular's head, and the villain halted, letting it crash and explode in-between him and Midoriya.
"GO!" Doko roared, and the green-haired boy leapt up, charging his power through his fist. As the smoke cleared, he arrived at the villain. "SMASH!" he roared, punching Muscular in the face. The villain staggered.
"We can do it! Keep it up!" Doko shouted. He warped a rain of smaller rocks and boulders onto Muscular, who bobbed and weaved out of the way. Midoriya charged up another blow, and jumped inward to punch him in the stomach.
"SMMMA…"
Muscular blocked the hit. For a moment, their two arms were locked together, stalemated.
The villain chuckled. "Now that's more like it."
He punched Midoriya sideways into the surface of the mountain, causing a dusty explosion. Doko warped out of the way frantically. Shit, is Midoriya…?
The dust cleared to reveal the boy had left a crater. Blood was leaking from a spot on his head and his leg. He looked battered.
Doko warped in, panicked, and Muscular swatted him away, almost as an afterthought. The power of his open palm caused Doko's face to erupt in stinging pain. OWWW!
The warping boy went flying back toward Kota, and teleported upright to right himself and break his fall. He slid to a stop, leaving grooves in the dust.
"Everything's gonna be fine, kid," he muttered. "We're holding up just fine."
"By the way…where's the kid called Bakugo?" Muscular asked. "Even though I want to kill you, Midoriya…" He dashed forward and punched the rock, where Midoriya had been a split second ago. The green-haired boy dodged left at the last moment, coursing with green lightning.
"...I still have to do my job."
"You're after Bakugo?" Doko asked, putting himself between the villain and Kota.
"That's right. Do you not know where he is? In that case…" Muscular turned, and kneed Midoriya in the stomach as the green-haired boy attacked again. "...I am free to take you out without worrying!"
Midoriya hit the rock again, and slid downward, his eyes shut. Doko gasped. What the fuck am I doing? He knew he had to protect the child, but his friend and classmate was bleeding out and getting bruised…
"HA! BLOOD!" Muscular cackled, stepping over Midoriya's mangled body like a shadow. "This is exactly what I wanted! So much fun!"
As he lifted up his arms for the finishing blow…a purple glow erupted around his tendons.
"Huh?" Muscular turned.
"Kota…" Doko said through a pained glare, reaching out with his hands and closing his fists. He was trying so hard that he could see the whites of his knuckles. "...Please look away."
Doko pulled with his Quirk, and Muscular's muscle tendons came ripping out of their roots, warping to scattered places all over the clearing and causing blood to erupt from the man's arms.
"ARRRRGH!" Muscular staggered back, blinded with pain. "You fucking…you stupid fucking kid! OWWWWW!"
God, that was too brutal, Doko thought with a wince.
"Now you've done it." Muscular grew out more tendons in the place of the old ones, and launched toward him.
Of course they can regenerate. Doko grabbed Kota and slid sideways, barely avoiding Muscular's attack. I want to just warp out of the way, but I don't have the confidence that I could take Kota with me! I can't leave him between me and the villain!
Muscular attacked again, and again. Doko had to keep bobbing and weaving, essentially Quirkless while holding on to Kota.
"Let…go of me!" Kota complained.
One hit from him, and I'm dead. That's all there is to it. I'm not like you, Midoriya. Doko winced, feeling tears flood into his eyes. Why was he so useless? What could he do against powerful strength types like this? He couldn't even save the kid the way he wanted, without potentially ripping him in half. Mina…why would you want to be with me…
"SORRY, KATAYAMA!" Midoriya roared, sweeping in and punching Muscular to the side, in an explosion of green lightning. "I'M HERE NOW!"
Doko whirled and put Kota behind him once again. "Stay back!" he ordered the kid, hoping he would obey.
"Let's kick his ass," Doko growled.
Muscular snarled and raced at the two of them, but Doko flicked his fingers, and ripped some of the tendons out of his left arm. The villain howled, and Midoriya jumped at the chance, going in and landing another hit. Doko warped another boulder off the hill from behind, and it hit Muscular in the back, causing him to stumble forward as he regenerated his arms. Midoriya swiped his fist in for another attack, and…
Muscular stopped it. "Is that all your Quirk can do?" he chuckled to the green-haired boy, his muscles bulging out from before. "The grey-haired bastard over there ripped me up a bit, but my muscle fibers constantly regrow and strengthen. That's my Quirk! Why am I telling you all this? To brag, of course! I'm way better than you! And now you're going to die!"
He slammed Midoriya in the chest, knocking him back again. Doko's eyes widened. Why does he keep focusing HIM?!
The boy was hit by a flying rock from the force of the blow, and fell to the ground again, slumped over and half-conscious. "You said you'd definitely save him, right? Is that still gonna happen? Be honest." Muscular taunted, stepping closer to Midoriya.
"WHY…"
Doko warped forward, charging all his Quirk through his fist.
"WON'T YOU…"
He leapt up as Muscular turned, the villain's eyes widening to saucers.
"ATTACK ME!"
Doko sent his Quirk energy through his fist, and punched Muscular as hard as he could. The villain shimmered purple for a moment, stumbling backward. A lavender glow enveloped the area for a moment…and then subsided.
Muscular just laughed. "Was that it? Your power isn't even a transformation type. Did you honestly think that was going to do anything to me?"
He casually kicked Doko in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Doko went flying back, landing next to Midoriya. He felt a strange heat passing through him, like he was bleeding on the inside. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I can't…
"The two of you are useless. You can't do anything against me." Muscular's shadow loomed over them, filling their world with darkness. "I think I might go against the boss's plans and kill you both after all."
A spray of water hit him in the back of the head, and he turned.
Kota lowered his wet hand, tears filling his eyes. "Water Hose…my parents…did you torment them like that too, before you killed them?"
Doko's blood ran cold. He…HE'S the villain that did that?
Midoriya sat up, and gasped. He was having the same reaction.
"Huh? They were your parents?" Muscular suddenly laughed, and lifted up his arms. "This must be fate, then! Thanks to Water Hose, my left eye is artificial now!"
"Guys like you…" Kota growled. "...It's because of guys like you that it always turns out like this! Stupid villains and heroes, getting each other killed for no reason…"
"Kids always shift the blame, don't they?" Muscular chuckled. "There was totally a reason. I killed them because I wanted to. And they tried to stop me because they wanted to. Everyone was just doing what they wanted. What bothers me is when people want to do something that they can't do. Like these losers behind me…AND your parents!"
Doko felt a rumbling to his right, and looked. A flash of green lightning and a crater. Midoriya was gone.
"Which means you're coming now, trash!" Muscular turned, grinning from ear to ear.
The two powerful beings raised their fists toward each other, getting ready for yet another clash.
Time seemed to slow.
Doko raised his hand, getting ready to warp another boulder.
Kota stepped back, crying.
…And something crashed into Muscular from the right, fast and growling and grey and…furry.
"Huh?" Midoriya landed on the ground, skidding to a stop.
"WHAT the…?" Muscular stepped back, suddenly being attacked by…
"Wolves," Doko breathed.
A whole pack of them were swarming up the hill, converging on Muscular, their jaws snapping as they raced in and jumped at him, biting and slashing with their claws. His muscles bulged as he swatted them away, trying frantically to fight them off, but they bit and scratched and drew blood on his chest and legs, overwhelming him. "GG…GGAAAAAAAH!" he screamed in pain, crashing against the side of the hill as they pounced again and again. "WHAT IS THIS?!"
Doko turned his head. Standing at the edge of the clearing, pointing at Muscular as if directing the wolves, was Koji Koda.
"Koda-san…" Midoriya gasped. "You…"
"GO!" the rock-headed boy roared, louder than Doko had ever heard him. "GO! SUBDUE! STOP HIM!"
The wolf pack was obeying, refusing to let up on Muscular as he continued to try and knock them back, over and over.
"This…" Muscular closed his fists, relaxing a moment as the creatures swept over him.
"...is STUPID!"
His muscle tendons bulged out so far that they ripped and waved free, and he slammed his fists into the ground, knocking all the wolves back in shockwave. They yelped and barked in pain, rolling away.
Muscular got to his feet, breathing hard. His artificial eye had been partially damaged. He was bleeding from a hundred bites all over. His bulging muscles now covered his whole body, even his chest and legs. He looked grotesque.
"You're all…beneath me…" he growled. "What's the point…in trying…"
"It's not a matter of whether we can!" Midoriya shouted. "It's a matter of saving a boy who needs to be saved!"
Doko stood. Koda stepped further into the clearing, gathering the injured wolves around him.
"Katayama, Koda…" Midoriya growled. "Buy me time."
"Again!" Koda yelled at the pack, and they ran toward Muscular, their jaws slavering with the promise of meat and vengeance. Muscular charged up his tendons even more, and Doko threw up his hands, ripping them apart again.
The villain screamed in agony. "Why, you!"
The first wolf arrived, and crossed Muscular in a leap, biting him on the way. Two more arrived. The villain knocked one away, but the other closed its jaws around his leg. Doko ripped out more tendons, and then warped another chunk of rock off the hill, causing the wolves to scatter as it landed on top of Muscular's head. The villain swayed, his eyes bugging out in shock.
As the dust cleared, the wolves backed up…leaving room for Midoriya.
Midoriya's clothes ripped off, and his veins coursed red. He launched himself at the villain, green lightning coursing everywhere.
"DELAWARE…"
Muscular shook his head hard, trying to regain his senses and regrow his muscles in time.
"DETROIT…"
He lifted up his gaze, about to meet Midoriya head-on…but there wasn't enough time.
"SMASH!"
An explosion, followed by a rush of air, as Koda and all the wolves planted their feet, holding their hands up to prevent from being swooshed away. Doko saw Kota about to be swept back, and warped to him, catching him and holding with all his might. "I…got you…" He closed one eye, grimacing as the clearing erupted with wind and green light.
As the energy subsided, they opened their eyes clearly to see an unconscious Muscular, slumped over in a crater in the side of the mountain. Standing strong was Midoriya, shirtless, with both his arms broken.
Doko slowly released Kota, stunned. "We…we did it."
The wolves began to slink away into the forest, nursing their wounds with sullen looks. Koda looked back at them as they retreated. "Thank you!" he declared. "Thank you for all your help!"
One of them seemed to look at Koda, and say something back. Doko wondered what he'd said.
…
Kota Izumi looked around, tears flooding his eyes. "Why…?"
Midoriya stood there, both his arms broken, slumping over as if he was half-dead from the effort. Blood and bruises covered his legs and bare chest.
The other boy, the one with the blockhead, was uninjured, but he'd been controlling the wolves against the villain, and they'd all gotten injured.
And the boy next to him. Katayama. A massive purple bruise was spreading across his face, and he was clutching his chest in pain. He wasn't resistant to physical blows like Midoriya, and yet he had taken at least two anyway.
All for…him?
Why? Even though they don't know anything…they tried that hard?
Mandalay's words again.
Someday, you'll meet someone…who will be your hero.
…
Doko slowly stepped toward the unconscious villain, careful. "Is he…down for the count?"
"I think so…" Midoriya breathed, his voice rattling with pain. His arms hung limp at his sides. One of them was blackened. "I hit him with everything I had…one million percent…"
"Yeah. He won't be waking up for a while. I think we have to leave him here. None of us can carry him, unless the wolves…?" Doko looked back at Koda, who shook his head.
"They did their fighting."
"We have to get back to camp." He supported Midoriya, lifting one arm over his shoulder and helping him along. Wordlessly, Koda took the other arm.
"Kota-kun," Doko called back to the boy. "Follow."
"What do we still have to do?" Kota asked in despair. "Two of you are all beat up!"
"The villain said they were after Kacchan…" Midoriya gasped. "...We have to warn Aizawa and the Pussycats…they're after students. We might be the only ones who know…"
Doko went into his thoughts for a moment. Muscular recognized me for a second, and then dismissed me. He really seemed to want us to know that he was after Bakugo. And then he said…
"I think I might go against the boss's plans and kill you both after all."
That means killing ME was not part of the plan, even though killing Midoriya clearly was.
Of course. If it was the League, that meant Kurogiri was at the center of this operation. He could have been somewhere in the forest right now.
They're after me, Doko thought, along with Bakugo. But if I tell the others…
They would force him to go to safety. And how could he do that? He had two wounds, sure, but he wasn't as bad off as Midoriya. He could still fight if he was needed.
They looked out over the forest. A foul-looking pink gas was rising up over the area nearest to them, and beyond that, blue fire.
"Let's go," said Doko.
They slowly made their way down, supporting Midoriya, while Kota followed closely behind.
"Wait," said Midoriya. "I can still…" he unraveled himself from their arms.
"Whoa," said Doko. "What are you doing?"
"My legs are fine. I can still use them."
"But your arms will be flapping around…"
"Don't worry! Kota, get on my back! We'll go much faster back to the pros…and warn them as quick as we can!"
…
"Just a little further…"
Koda and Doko were half out of breath, struggling to keep up with Midoriya as he raced through the woods with his power, Kota hanging onto his back desperately.
"There!" the boy shouted, pointing across the trees to another person running.
Doko stopped short, getting his Quirk ready for an enemy, but their silhouette resolved into Aizawa.
"Midori…" he shut his mouth, taking the sight of the boy in. With his two broken arms. "Oh, brother."
"Aizawa-sensei! There's a ton of things we need to tell you!" Midoriya cried.
"Hold on, wait a se…"
"I have something I need to tell Mandalay!"
"Midoriya, wai…"
"And watch over Kota-kun!"
"MIDORIYA!"
Midoriya halted.
"Those injuries…you did it again, didn't you?" their homeroom teacher grumbled. "And the two of you just let him get away with it?" He passed his eyes over Koda…and then Doko. When he saw Doko, he raised his eyebrows.
"What?" Doko asked. "What's wrong?"
"Your…your face, Katayama. What on Earth did the three of you go up against?"
"It was a villain," Doko muttered, "about to attack the kid."
Aizawa pinched his eyes between his fingers. "Of course. Did you all forget what happened in Hosu?"
Doko and Midoriya gasped. Koda looked between them, not knowing what was going on.
"Using your Quirks without a hero license is a rule violation. With that being said…Midoriya. Tell Mandalay this. She is to make an announcement with her Quirk that I, pro hero Eraser Head, give permission for my students…to use their Quirks in battle."
Midoriya gasped again, and nodded his head. "Right!"
Aizawa pulled the boy Kota behind him, and turned to the other two teens. "You two."
"D-do you want us to go back to the camp where it's safe?" Koda asked tentatively.
Surprisingly, he shook his head. "No. It's not safe at the camp, or anywhere you could go now. Katayama, you'll be going deeper into the forest, where some of the students might have ended up. Mandalay's Quirk may not have the range to reach everyone. Kota, you are to accompany him."
Doko raised his eyebrows. "I'm…"
"Also in charge of sending the message, along with Mandalay. Teleport your voice as far as it can go. Midoriya, tell Mandalay that when she's ready, she is to directly telepath to Katayama that it is time to announce the message. They'll do it together. We'll make sure no one misses it."
Midoriya nodded again. "Got it!" He ran off between the trees, back toward the clearing.
Doko and Koda exchanged a glance. "I guess we'd better get going, then."
They ran in the opposite direction of Midoriya, deeper into the woods. Leaving Aizawa behind.
"Is your face okay?" Koda asked him, as they ran.
"I can barely feel it," Doko replied. "Actually, maybe that's a bad thing. I don't know."
"And…your chest?"
"I think I might be bleeding internally. Once again, I don't know."
"You should be getting back to the camp and resting."
"And you shouldn't be trying to talk to wolves. Seriously, what the hell was that?"
"I…I knew I had to do something. We're in this forest area where my Quirk can be useful, so…I couldn't just sit around. If I hadn't done anything, and you or Midoriya or the boy had died…that would have been on me."
Doko's eyes widened. It's…just like how I feel. If there was a chance he could still use his Quirk for good, then he needed to stay out here.
And now he had that chance. He had permission, from the very person who'd be able to punish him.
"Alright," he said, grinning. "Let's teleport my voice! Let's let everyone know they can fight!"
Deep in the woods, they skidded to a halt. "I think we're closer to the loop," said Koda.
Doko could smell something burning. The gas, maybe? Or the fire? And did he hear…shouting, as well? Growling?
"No time to worry about that," he said. "If we're close enough to hear, that means they're close enough to hear me. Now, we wait on Mandalay's signal."
Koda nodded, seeming a little flustered.
"Hey, Koda-san…this wouldn't be possible if you hadn't given me advice on how to do it. This is because of you, man."
"You…you don't need to say that."
"But I think I do. Your move with the wolves saved our asses, too. I didn't mean to sound like I was judging you. To that kid, you're probably…a real hero."
Koda smiled. "And you, as well."
Suddenly, a whispery voice entered Doko's head. Katayama-kun, Mandalay said into his ear. Katayama, are you receiving me? If you are, Midoriya has told me what to do. Get ready to begin.
Doko couldn't help but blush, uncomfortable. That had felt strangely intrusive and intimate, just like before.
Mina…please hear me.
As Mandalay sent out her telepath from a clearing a mile away, Doko sent his Quirk into his vocal chords, and shouted out the message with all his might.
"CLASS A AND CLASS B! IN THE NAME OF THE PRO HERO ERASER HEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED PERMISSION TO ENGAGE IN COMBAT!"
They heard it.
Fumikage Tokoyami, grimacing as his Quirk grew in size and enveloped around him.
Ochaco Uraraka and Tsuyu Asui, as a strange blonde girl came toward them, grinning sadistically.
Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo, as they approached a man in a straitjacket, who was muttering about flesh.
Yuga Aoyama, as he cowered under a bush from the one causing the fire.
Itsuka Kendo and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, as they raced into the gas to find its source.
And Momo Yaoyorozu, Mina Ashido, and Yosetsu Awase, as they ran from the mysterious thing growling behind them, and looked frantically for more people to save.
They all heard.
…
"Get back to camp!" Mandalay cried to Midoriya, as she launched two more kicks at Spinner. "Those injuries aren't normal!" How could the boy break himself like that to protect Kota? He…
She just couldn't believe it.
"I have one more thing for you to announce!" Midoriya told her, as he sent his green lightning energy through his body and began running toward Magne, his arms flapping behind him. "The villains…at least one of their targets is Kacchan!"
Magne gasped, and turned, ducking under Tiger's punch and launching herself toward Midoriya.
"Big Sis Magne! Wait!" Spinner tossed a knife between them, and Magne slid to a stop, as Midoriya escaped into the underbrush.
"Spinner, what are you doing?! He was on the priority kill list!"
"That's just Shigaraki's personal desire! That boy was one that Stain wished to save! One worthy of being called a hero! I will follow his wi…"
In the midst of their argument, Mandalay kicked Spinner in the face, and Tiger slammed his fist into the top of Magne's head, knocking them both out.
"I finally got a decent hit in!" Mandalay declared, gasping for breath. She activated her Quirk again. Attention, Class A and Class B! We know one of the villain's targets! A student…Kacchan! If Kacchan can hear me, do not fight! Get somewhere safe!
The boy Katayama hadn't known that that was part of the message as well, unless Midoriya had told him. Mandalay hoped that just she would be enough to get it out there.
…
Inside the building, they all heard.
"Kacchan? Is she talking about Bakugo?" Sero wondered aloud.
"They're after Bakugo?!" Iida demanded.
"Bakugo…" Eijiro Kirishima gritted his teeth, furious. My friends are being targeted out there…and I'm stuck in here!
…
Katsuki snorted derisively, running toward Moonfish to attack. "Don't say you've given me permission to fight and then walk back on it!"
He wasn't an idiot. If Mandalay had called him Kacchan, then there was only one person who could have told her that he was a target.
Stupid fucking Deku. What was he thinking, trying to keep Katsuki safe? Did he think he needed to be coddled?
Don't look down on me, damn nerd! After all this time!
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Another short chapter this time, I know. It's to make room for the full sequence of events that I want to have in the next one.
I've had the whole "Koda-uses-wolves-to-help-defeat-Muscular" thing in my head since I like, first watched the show. I thought, "Hey, Koda can control animals. Why isn't he being used in this arc that literally takes place in a big forest?" Before I'd even conceived Doko as a character, I liked the idea.
I know not everyone cares about Koda as a character, but he's actually one of my favorites. I've been trying to give him more development here, culminating with this. It's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but what I'm chiefly doing here is writing what I want to write. And that includes him.
The Muscular fight was already going to be easier with Doko there, which takes away some of the drama. If you were disappointed that it didn't reach the dramatic highs of canon, well…I may satisfy you a bit more in the coming chapters. Because shit is about go sideways.
Next time, a ROARING UPHEAVAL!