Chapter 68: Joint Training Finale
"On this terrain, Shoji is gonna be trouble," said Nirengeki Shoda. "Everything around us is made of metal." He tapped a nearby pipe with his knuckles. "He'll hear us coming a mile away."
"That depends on how many of his limbs he decides to dedicate to ears, and how many to eyes," said Setsuna, stretching and cracking a smile. "I can outclass him in body parts."
"This isn't a joke, Tokage!" Awase protested hotly. Next to him, Pony shouted something emotionally in English. "See, you've even got Tsunotori reverting to her native language! How on Earth are we supposed to do this with Midoriya and Bakugo in play? They can maneuver and attack with their Quirks like it's nothing."
"Despairing, are we?" Setsuna asked him. "Midoriya and Bakugo don't get along. And aside from that, their team is super unbalanced. The most mid-range they have is Bakugo's larger explosions, and they've got practically no capture. Sure, the speed is an issue, but that's why we've got to step up and counter it! Our Quirks were all made for counter-moves! So, are you three with me or not."
Awase, Shoda, and Pony all exchanged a glance. "Well…alright. What's the plan, then."
"Bakugo will take the lead. Even if Midoriya is capable of strategizing, too, he'll naturally fall back to a supporting role with Bakugo shouting out orders. If we focus Bakugo, and leave the other three out to dry, they'll have to hesitate and regroup. That's when we have our opening."
"But…" Pony's eyes shimmered. "If that doesn't work…"
"If we fail to capture them immediately, we'll fall back. We don't stand a chance in a straight brawl, I'm aware. So we'll ambush them over and over and slowly gain a foothold that way."
…
"Listen up, freaks. Here's the scheme," said Bakugo. "Kirishima goes in front, to block any incoming ground attacks. Shoji, you'll stay behind him and listen for when the extras get close. Make sure you keep up with me and Deku. We'll be in the air on the left and right, covering our flanks. In that shape, we're charging right in."
Shoji crossed his many arms. "I approve of this formation."
"Kacchan, are you sure?" said Izuku with concern. "All of the opposing team's Quirks are high utility and versatile, except for Shoda who's more of a brawler type. They'll be waiting to counter us."
"Which is exactly why we've got to overwhelm them so fast that they don't have time to do that," Bakugo hissed. "That's the thing you and I have got, Deku. Speed. You two better keep the hell up, elsewise Deku and I are gonna finish the whole fight before you even show up."
Kirishima frowned. "Not fair! I'm gonna help out, too."
Izuku sighed. "Alright. I trust you, Kacchan." I'm concerned about One For All, and about Katayama…but this match is our class's last chance to even the odds.
He did not much care about the class rivalry, but Kacchan clearly did, and that was what would motivate him to win. Not a lot of people realize this, but when Kacchan's desire to win grows, he actually gets smarter. It may not seem like that from the outside considering he's always yelling and seeming like he's getting thrown off his game, but it's true.
And clearly, Bakugo's desires had extended to the rest of the class. Shoji would not show it, but Kirishima would, and everyone back there watching…Uraraka, Ashido, Sero, Tokoyami, Ojiro…
They're looking to us to win this. Come on, One For All. Work with me.
Work with me…
…
"Time for the deciding match! Will Class B run away with the victory, or can Class A even the odds? You might think things appear fairly even, however…"
Vlad King laughed at the sky. "Class A's only win was mainly thanks to a person who isn't even in their class!"
"Hey!" Sero protested. "That's mean!"
"Being so cold-blooded fits the vampire motif, I guess…" Midnight grumbled, eyeing up Vlad.
"He likes his class a little too much," said All Might.
Sero, Aoyama, Ojiro, and a few others had gathered around Vlad King and were booing him. Aizawa walked over. "That's enough."
"But sensei!" Sero protested. "This is legitimately biased…"
"Are you planning to complain about every little failure when you go pro? Class B has been consistently coming up with better strategies in every match. That much is evident."
"Did you expect anything better from the troublemakers?" Monoma cackled. "I mean, it's no wonder that you get caught up in so many disasters!"
All Might and Midnight watched the map, as the two last teams got ready to go. "Class B has also been training and getting stronger every day, but I must say that I didn't expect Class A to be on the ropes like this."
"You like Class A, don't you All Might?" said Midnight.
"I like all the kids!" he protested. Bakugo, Midoriya…I'm eager to see what you can do. Winning by saving, saving by winning…and Midoriya, keep One For All on a tight leash.
They still had no idea what to make of the Quirk's random activation, or Midoriya's recurring visions. Speaking of…
All Might turned his head to the left, and saw Doko Katayama looking right at him. Of course. He suspects. He knows. Now is as good a time as any.
He sighed and walked over to the grey-haired boy. "We shall talk afterward," he promised.
Doko blinked at him, his face as unreadable as ever. "Understood."
Is he angry? Confused? Nervous? I cannot tell. It unsettled Toshinori Yagi. But, with All For One's grand plans still yet to be revealed, they had to make some kind of move with Katayama.
Though, how do we know that we aren't playing right into his hands?
…
One other person was deep in their thoughts going into the last match.
Hitoshi Shinso had overheard Vlad King's comment: Class A's only win was mainly thanks to a person who isn't even in their class. That was in reference to him, right? What kind of statement was that?
I almost lost my team the match. It was really thanks to Katayama and Hagakure that we won. I helped at the very end, but that won't be enough to save me from Aizawa's criticism.
Eraser Head had not spoken to him yet. The tension was killing him. Is he proud of me? Disappointed? He always made it very clear that I would only get one chance. That if I showed I wasn't cut out for this life, then he could no longer help me.
Was Vlad King just saying whatever suited him to make Class A look worse, or did the teacher genuinely believe that Hitoshi had been instrumental? If that was the professional opinion, then surely that extended to Aizawa, right…?
But heroes are meant to save people. Who did I end up saving, really. Hell, I only successfully used my Quirk once.
But his match was over and wrapped. Whether he'd performed well enough or not, his one chance had come and gone.
And without knowing how it had turned out yet, that was frustrating.
…
The timer sounded, and Bakugo snarled. "Perfect timing! Here, you two!"
He tossed Kirishima and Shoji a grenade each.
"Those are full of my sweat and ready to blow! Use 'em wisely!"
"Whoa!" Kirishima gasped, looking down at the grenade delicately. "I don't know if I'm comfortable with…"
Shoji hid his grenade in his flesh-webbing. "Understood. Shall we be off?"
"Yeah! Let's go! C'mon, Deku, don't fall behind like a dweeb!"
"R-right!"
The two of them took to the air, green lightning coursing through Deku's body, while Katsuki laid down small explosions to keep himself afloat. They navigated down one street, then the next. Turning left and right. Below and between them on the ground, Kirishima and Shoji scrambled to keep up.
"Faster, minions, faster!" Katsuki snapped.
"We're trying!" Kirishima complained. "Also, don't call us that!"
Shoji's ears were swiveling all about. "I am trying to run and listen at the same time. It is difficult."
"I've got my eye out, as well!" said Deku, jumping from surface to surface on the left side, while Katsuki took the right. He looked over at the green-headed boy.
Always used to chase after me, and now he's keeping even. In a weird way, Katsuki saw in his mind's eye their old antics, either at the playground or in the woods, and Kirishima and Shoji seemed to morph into those lackeys that used to follow him around. The finger kid and the wing kid. Those two and Deku, always behind him. It was a strange moment of past-future synergy that Katsuki didn't like.
Dammit. All Might, you better be watching this shit! With Deku wielding your Quirk, and me in the lead, we're taking a flawless victory. 4-0, no casualties! Not even you could do as good!
…
Mezo picked something up. He stopped moving.
Clang.
Bakugo stopped atop a pipe that hung horizontally over the street, and looked back. "What's the holdup, Limbs?"
Clang clang clang clang clang.
Louder, more repetitive, more scattered, everywhere. All around them.
"They're here!" he shouted. "They…they've surrounded us?"
"Yes," said Setsuna's mouth, from behind Bakugo. "It's all over now."
Then, Mezo knew.
She had split her body up, and was knocking on pipes all around them with her different parts. Confusing him.
Eyes! Need to make eyes!
Several of her pieces, all covered with that scale armor that made up her costume, swarmed Bakugo. They bounced off surrounding pipes and ricocheted off of him like little projectiles. Hit, hit, hit.
Kirishima was running forward, hardening himself, preparing for battle. Up above them, Midoriya was looking around wildly. "I…I don't see the rest of them…"
"These hits are nothing!" Bakugo hissed, and shot out an explosion…but all of Setsuna's pieces dodged it easily. They were too hard to hit.
Shoji's eyes swiveled, and he saw someone hiding in the depths of the pipe maze, right beneath where Midoriya was about to land. Shoda!
Mezo knew all about Nirengeki Shoda's Quirk, after working with the short boy in the cavalry battle at the sports festival. The boy could impact something, either with his fist or by throwing an object at it, and then using his Quirk, he could send a more powerful second impact to that same spot. And it didn't even have to be his own initial hit, either…
It's a trap!
"MIDORIYA, LOOK OUT!" Mezo roared with two mouths at once, trying to be as loud as possible. Midoriya gasped and leapt out of the way, green lightning sparking…as the metallic surfaces beneath him blasted upward in a massive blow.
BOOOOOOOM!
Shoda's impact turned every head in the battle, including Setsuna's, which was split up high in the air trying to bait Bakugo. Pipes and debris scattered up into the air, and Midoriya spun. "ST. LOUIS SMASH!" he shouted, and kicked downward with his leg in an arc.
The gust of wind was so strong that the debris reversed course, raining back down onto Shoda's position. The short boy panicked and hopped downward into the darkness, and Mezo lost sight of him.
Kirishima was looking around wildly. "Where are the others?"
Mezo created more ears, and realized…shit, while I was distracted…Awase and Tsunotori are coming.
"He-llo, Class A!" Pony shouted in broken Japanese, putting her fingers up to her forehead as she came down the street up ahead. Two of her horns came zooming at them. One for Shoji, one for Kirishima. How strong are those? No time to wonder.
Kirishima hardened and braced his arm upward, causing the horn to bounce off harmlessly. Pony pulled it back to herself in an arc. She can control all four of them at will. The other one was hurtling toward Mezo, but Kirishima dashed in and blocked it.
"Thanks," Mezo gasped, and then they heard a shout from above.
"FINE THEN, TOKAGE! I CAN AFFORD TO IGNORE YOU!" Bakugo blasted himself sideways, flying away from Setsuna's harassing pieces. Then, he angled himself downward, heading straight for Pony. "BACK ME UP, EXTRAS!"
Mezo and Kirishima dashed forward to help, and at the last second, Mezo wondered…she is supposed to have four horns. Where are the other two?
A second later, he got his answer.
One of them came hurtling right at Bakugo at a far higher speed than it should have been going, and struck him with such an impact that all the wind was knocked out of him. Shoda activated his Quirk on one of her horns! Pinned in the shoulder by the horn, Bakugo went flying backward toward the wall…
…And Midoriya appeared from the sky, flicking his finger. "AIR FORCE!"
Midoriya's raw power countered it, ripping the horn away from Bakugo with an air blast. The blonde righted himself in mid-air with an explosion, and hissed, "I didn't need your help, Deku!"
Oh no. Not now. Don't start this now, they'll know, they'll use it!
As Mezo feared, he heard Setsuna shout, "NOW!"
Pony's fourth horn came sailing in from the shadows of a side-street, right for Mezo. He turned to react, but there was no time.
Someone was holding onto the horn, riding it, or more like being dragged by it. Awase.
Awase and horn together slammed into Shoji's chest, and Awase activated his Quirk. The horn welded to Shoji's shoulder. "PONY!" he shouted. "TAKE HIM!"
Kirishima swept in, and his hardened fist swung where Awase had been moments before. The welding user backed up, racing his arms to block, and lowering the visor of his helmet. Kirishima pressed the attack, and Shoji ran forward to help…but then, the welded horn yanked him away.
Oh no. Whatever her weight limit is, I don't exceed it.
"Uhhh…" Mezo gasped, as Pony pulled him along through the air, controlling her horn. He reached up to yank the horn free, but Awase's Quirk would only deactivate on the boy's command.
Mezo was stuck. Stuck, and rapidly zooming toward Class B's cage.
Bakugo saw him zoom past. "Shit!" he swore. "Shit, Limbs, hang in the-"
Setsuna's pieces continued to harass him, closing in and peppering him with blows.
"Awase, retreat!" Pony called, turning around, gathering her other horns to herself as she yanked Shoji along. Awase turned to follow her, with Kirishima in hot pursuit. "GET BACK HERE!" the hardening user shouted.
Bakugo let out a huge, wide blast, scattering Setsuna's pieces. From the shadows, Shoda was throwing objects at him with his Quirk, and he let off two more explosions, trying to catch up. "Dammit, DAMMIT! DEKU!"
His eyes wreathed with green, Midoriya leapt up over Shoda's next projectile, and zoomed toward them.
…
All Might looked down at his phone. It was an incoming call from Gran Torino.
He stepped aside hurriedly and picked up. "I know I told you to call me back, but I'm actually observing a class right now…"
"You wanted to know if Shimura ever mentioned dreaming about One For All, right?"
All Might sighed. "Not gonna beat around the bush, huh."
"I don't have time to. All For One's brain waves have been more active recently. He somehow knew that Gigantomachia slipped our grasp, and even worse, he said he's been feeling nostalgic. That he can hear his little brother's voice."
A chill went up Toshinori's spine. "The first wielder?"
"You asked me for info, so listen. My old brain ain't what it used to be, but I do remember something. It wasn't long after Shimura inherited One For All. I believe she told me that she did have a dream. She dreamed there was a man standing there, shrouded in black smoke. He looked at her and said, it wasn't time yet."
…
Chaos swirled in Izuku's brain. Awase and Pony were running away with Shoji. Kirishima was chasing them. Kacchan was trying to help but was taking heavy fire from Tokage and Shoda.
He had the power to turn the tide. The power, right then. I've got to. I have the power! I can do it! I can do it! But where? Tokage's pieces are everywhere, but they're getting away with Shoji…
I have to stop them all. Kacchan wanted a clean victory, four to nothing! I have to capture them ALL!
As he leapt forward toward Tsunotori and Awase, long black tendrils burst from his wrist.
…
Doko lifted his head, and his eyes widened.
Around him, the whole class gasped.
Shining black tentacles were emerging from Midoriya's hands, wreathing out and writhing, growing up around him in mid-air.
"Huh?" Sato blurted. "A new move?"
"Since we could he do that?" asked Toru.
"Wait, look at his face!" Ojiro pointed.
Midoriya seemed desperate, terrified. The tentacles were wrapping around him, and he was clamping down on his wrist with his other hand, as if trying to keep them…
Keep them down.
"He's not doing that on purpose," Doko muttered. "HEY! HE'S NOT DOING THAT ON PURPOSE!" He whirled, to look at Aizawa and Midnight.
All Might was dashing forward, whatever phone call he'd just taken quickly forgotten. "Aizawa! Kayama! You have to stop him! Something's wrong!"
Aizawa looked at the screen, then back at All Might. He seemed hesitant. "I-"
Doko felt sick to his stomach. He looked back at Midoriya on the screen, as the frightened mutters of his class grew up around him…
…And an all-too-familiar feeling curdled in his chest.
In his mind's eye, something flashed.
All For One, grinning widely in his cell in the depths of Tartarus.
Doko doubled over, clutching his stomach, and purple light began to glow around his body. NO! he thought, panicking. NO!
The whispers, the whispers. They were coming up from the void again. Snarling and snapping.
Next to him, Tsuyu noticed. Then Tokoyami, then Mina.
"Erm, Dokkun?"
"Katayama!"
"Doko!" Mina gasped, as the class parted, getting some space away from him.
"Sensei! Something's wrong with Katayama, too!"
NO! NONONONONONONONO…He couldn't see, couldn't breathe. His mind was being swallowed up by negative space. Colors were reversing in his eyes. Instead of worried faces, he saw gruesome smiles, his friend's silhouettes seeming to loom and rear up in impossibly horrific angles.
We're coming, warper. We're coming! And there ain't a THING you can do about it!
…
The combatants all halted, watching Deku scream in the sky above them.
"What the hell?" Tokage shouted. "Shoda, back off! Retreat!"
Katsuki turned, briefly distracted, but her pieces were already flying away, and the stumpy boy with the impact Quirk was running too. Down on the ground, Kirishima was looking up at Deku with a dumbly shocked expression.
"DEKU! What the hell is this!" Katsuki launched himself upward, toward the black tendrils.
"Kacchan…back…off…" Deku choked out. Suddenly, one of the tendrils lashed out, grappling itself to a nearby pipe. Three more did the same, attaching themselves to nearby surfaces and wrapping around them. Another whipped down at Katsuki, and he exploded himself sideways to dodge. What the hell is happening?
"Kacchan…run…"
"Like hell I'm running! I'm not scared of this shit, whatever it is!" He launched himself further forward, closer to the mass surrounding Deku.
"I KNOW! But…" Deku was fighting to get the words out. "Finish…the match…I can't help you…I'll get this under control, so don't worry about me! Go…get…Shoji!"
Katsuki's eyes widened.
Finish the match? Is he crazy? He doesn't want me to…
…To save him.
Katsuki remembered the sludge villain. He knew that in this situation, were their positions reversed, Deku would ignore all his words and try to help anyway. But Deku also knew him well. He knew…and he trusted…
I have to trust the damn nerd, too.
If he says he can get it under control, then he will. And if not, the teachers will take care of it.
Katsuki nodded, and turned away from Deku. Dumbly, the extras were still watching beneath him.
"AH! He's still coming!" Pony shouted. "Awase, get moving!"
Kirishima turned to pursue, but Shoda tackled him from behind, and they started to fight. Katsuki launched himself over them, trusting Shitty Hair to win. He had to focus on getting Limbs free.
Pony was getting away rapidly, pulling Limbs along with that horn of hers. She sent two more back toward Katsuki, but he blasted them away. They turned a corner, and…
Awase sprung from the shadows and counter-attacked. His arms moving at a rapid speed, he wrapped Katsuki up in welded metal pipes, pinning him between two walls like a spiderweb. "Weldcraft!" he declared, backing off from the trap, as Katsuki raged to get free. His arms and legs were all wrapped up in welded metal, and his palms weren't in a good position to blast himself out of it. He would end up breaking a leg, or worse. "ARGH! Dammit!"
Tokage's limbs finally arrived, and her mouth relayed instructions. "Tsunotori is getting Shoji back! I'll help you with this one!"
"What about Midoriya?" Awase asked.
"I don't know! I don't know what's happening to him…"
…
The instant Shota Aizawa saw the purple light emitting out of Doko's collapsed form, he knew what he had to do.
"STUDENTS! GET CLEAR!" he shouted, and Class A created a wide circle around Doko, scattering. The light grew brighter and brighter and brighter and…
Doko threw his head back and howled.
A shimmering sphere of purple burst from his body and spread out toward them on all sides. Shota opened his eyes wide, and activated his Quirk.
The wall stopped, shimmering mere inches away from where everyone had backed up to. Doko's head swung back down, as if he had passed out on his knees.
Shota struggled to keep his eyes open, unable to tear them away from Katayama. The sphere of violet energy simply hung there, halted by his Quirk erasure but not dissipated. How? How is it still there? "Midnight!" he shouted, feeling the wear on his eyes already start to take hold, "Get in there and put him to sleep!"
She stepped forward toward the dome, and jerked back as if repelled. "I can't! It's like a force field!"
"But…I need to get this cleared up…or else, how will we stop Midoriya…" Shota felt despair creeping into his heart. He couldn't split his attention between both students. If he couldn't solve the Katayama threat, then who…who would go save Midoriya…
He opened his mouth to order Midnight to go do it, but then, he heard her voice shout something far more frightening. "Shinso, where are you going? Shinso, NO!"
…
Hitoshi let her calls wash over him, no longer listening. He ran into Field Gamma, feet pounding against the pavement. Aizawa can't help Midoriya while Katayama is like that. No, it has to be me. It can only be me.
He no longer cared whether he was breaking the rules, whether he'd just blown all his chances of entering the hero course. He had to do this. He had to do this for the boy he'd fought in the sports festival, the boy who'd inspired him to start working out, to finally start seriously pursuing his dream.
Midoriya…after this, consider the favor returned.
Hitoshi used the capture tape to swing himself up high, up the walls to Midoriya's position. He could see the tendrils now, could see them wreathing about the boy's spinning form. Green lightning was sparking out, too. It was a terrifying, sobering sight.
Midoriya's eyes widened when he spotted him. "Shinso? No…" He gripped his wrist, trying in vain to bring the whips back in. "No, get away, you'll die."
"Midoriya! Just talk to me!" Hitoshi called desperately. "Just talk to me! I got this! I'll save you!"
Midoriya winced, closed his eyes, and said, "OKAY!"
Hitoshi activated his Quirk. Midoriya went limp in mid-air, plummeting down onto the roof beneath him, and the black tendrils retreated into his wrist.
…
Izuku swayed, and realized where he was.
The landscape of One For All. Everything beneath his eyes was shimmering void, not really there. He had no mouth. He couldn't speak.
'
"YOU!" a man's voice said.
Izuku turned. It was a huge bald guy with goggles on his forehead, and an open black jacket. He was pointing at Izuku with a disgruntled expression.
"You got it all wrong! We told you that you weren't alone, remember? Now just happens to be the right time for it to manifest, so what's with this sorry showing? You can't use this power so casually anymore! Pull yourself together!"
One of the previous wielders! I can't respond to him!
"Yeah, I know you can't talk. Look, I'm short on time to make such a solid appearance here, so listen. That power jumping out of you is my Quirk. When One For All passes down from user to user, a small amount of that user's base Quirk factor goes with it. It's been taking all our Quirks along for the ride, and since One For All stacks in power capacity with each pass, it's finally reached the capacity to start manifesting all those Quirks in one person! That person…being you."
What? Are you saying that I…
"Yep. You're the ninth user, but you and the big blonde one were both Quirkless, and so was the first guy. That means you've got six Quirks to get. Mine is a great one to start with, though. You were thinking about capturing someone, right? That's why it manifested. Our power…it's called Blackwhip. It grows in strength when you're angry. That rage you feel…it can be used for good! So hang in there, kiddo. You're gonna be the one to complete One For All."
But I…but…
"It probably doesn't seem like you're ready." The man's voice softened. "The truth of it is that it doesn't matter. It's got to be you who completes it, or no one at all. Because something is coming soon. Something beyond Quirks, that even One For All may not have the power to stop. It's coming. They're coming."
Izuku reached out, wanting more answers desperately, but the man was already vanishing, the weird staticy stuff swallowing him up. "Good luck, kid…"
…And all went dark.
…
"Get that tape around him and welded!" Tokage said, as Awase stepped forward to the trapped Katsuki.
"Come closer and I'll blow you to bits!" Katsuki spat, but Awase came on. "I'm not scared of you," he said-
-And Kirishima burst onto the scene. "RED GAUNTLET!" he roared, and smashed through the metal trapwork that Awase had set, with rapid hardened fists.
The welding stayed put, but the trap had been attached to the walls with nothing but friction, and with that Katsuki managed to slip free. Tokage and Awase were swooping in to stop Kirishima, but Katsuki swept his palms around and blasted them both away.
"I managed to knock Shoda out by rebounding his own impact onto him, and put him in the cage!" Kirishima reported. "We've got to-"
"HANG ON!" Katsuki snarled, and leapt forward. He wouldn't give them one second to breathe.
Awase whirled. "Tokage! Help!"
Katsuki blew an explosion right into the extra's helmeted face. BOOOOOOOOM!
Setsuna's body pieces were rushing in to harass him again, but he'd figured something out. With every one…
He turned and blasted them again, destroying a few more.
Of these I obliterate…
He kept spinning in midair, finally generating enough sweat in this winter weather to fire off rapid blasts.
…She gets more and more exhausted! It takes time for those body parts to regenerate back!
Awase swayed, and fell to the ground, unconscious. Katsuki's blast had taken him out.
"EXACTLY AS PLANNED! NOW, WE JUST WAIT FOR LIMBS AND-" He turned, and saw that Tokage had brought all her remaining body parts to her, and was coming down on him for a finally desperate attack. He let off an underhanded explosion, and Setsuna went flying back, hitting the wall hard. "-AND WE'VE WON THIS DAMN THING!"
…
Mezo Shoji felt the welding on the horn release.
They knocked out Awase. This is my chance.
Pony Tsunotori had almost pulled him all the way to the cage, but he was no longer attached to the horn. He pulled it off of his shoulder, and then let go of it, dropping to the ground and rolling.
Pony spun, bringing her four horns about her in a v-formation. "Huh? How you get free? Oh…AWASE!"
She focused all four horns into one forward attack, and Mezo revealed the grenade that Bakugo had given him.
"One last trick," he said, allowing himself to just feel a little smug.
BOOOOOOOM!
…
Doko floated again on the edge of reality, gazing into the macroverse beyond, where the things dwelled.
He understood now. He understood it so clearly. His Quirk, and others like it like Kurogiri's…the dimension that they used…was full of things. And he'd teetered too far into that dimension.
Stay away from my planet, he said, to the massive, unknowable life-force that writhed somewhere beyond the precipice. Stay away from my universe.
There's an easy way to keep us out, you know, they giggled.
He knew they were toying with him, just baiting him like All For One tried to. But all the same, he asked. What? What is it?
Stop using your Quirk. Just go back to the way you were before. Just a little weakling, cowering beneath those abusive people even though you had the power to rend them apart in a second. Go back to repressing your Quirk, keeping it hidden. Never use it again, and we won't bother you.
No, Doko responded, I can't do that. I have a responsibility now. My Quirk is too powerful to waste! I MUST use it for hero work!
And risk it all? That's not very heroic of you, you know. You could end up destroying the world.
I'll…I'll figure something out…I'll control it…I'll keep you out! I can do it!
They just laughed. They laughed and laughed and laughed.
Doko realized what they were trying to do. It was the long years of repression of my Quirk that led to this in the first place. If I'd used it regularly as a child, trained it up at the proper pace like everyone else…I would be able to control it a lot better now. But my slope of improvement was too steep, and it got away from me. A few months of hero school…this rapid increase of power…it's just too much! And I could have avoided it if I'd just used my Quirk before…
If I start repressing it again, you'll explode out of me, won't you? You'll wait until I reach my breaking point and then come forth anyway. So basically, I'm screwed either way.
Finally, the boy sees reason! They cackled gleefully. Now that you know the full extent of your helplessness, what will you do? I suppose we will retreat for now, and give you time to think about it. Because the answer you'll end up at is nothing. It will always be nothing.
There is no force that dwells in your reality capable of stopping us. Least of all you.
Doko's heart sank in despair…
…And in the real world, he felt warm arms wrap around him.
"Doko," Mina whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
The sunlight was resolving in his eyes. She was looking down at him. The void had left, the voices with it. He was seeing Earth again, his friends again. The purple light had faded.
He returned Mina's hug, and began to sob.
"Get him onto a stretcher and up to Recovery Girl," someone muttered.
"Are we sure it's over? It didn't seem like it was Aizawa who stopped him there. Seemed like it just sort of…halted."
"Good point. I'll take care of it, just to be certain." That was Midnight's voice.
He saw a pink gas over his face, inhaled a sweet scent, and passed out.
…
Izuku blinked slowly. Standing over him was Shinso, leaning down with a concerned face.
"Midoriya? Midoriya, are you alright?"
"Wha…what happened…the match…"
Shinso backed up. They were back in the spectator area, Izuku realized. Standing next to Shinso was Aizawa, Vlad King, Midnight…all the teachers. Their faces were grave.
"Your team won," Aizawa said, flatly. "A clean sweep. Bakugo, Shoji, and Kirishima managed to capture all four of the opponents on their own."
"Oh," Izuku sniffed. I wasn't able to help, after all…
He sat up. Standing further out were all the Class A and B students. He'd expected Monoma to be reacting, Class A to be showboating, Kacchan to be yelling…but no one was.
"Care to explain what happened?" Aizawa asked him.
The students were muttering.
"We thought it was some new move, but…"
"It's too different from just normal super strength…"
"Black tendrils of the abyss," Tokoyami muttered. Next to him, Kuroiro nodded in agreement.
"I…" I can't tell them about One For All. Not now. "I don't know. I don't know what it was." Izuku averted his eyes shamefully. "I'm sorry."
Kacchan and All Might were both watching with careful, interested expressions. The previous wielder told me I use it to capture, and then it strengthens with rage…but I wasn't able to help this time. I have to practice. I have to practice and learn to control it. The other Quirks, as well. They're waiting for me, if I can just figure out how to unlock them.
Izuku forced himself to smile. "Don't worry about me, guys," he said wearily. "I'll be alright. Was there…was there something else?"
Then, he noticed. He noticed who was missing.
Katayama.
…
Doko awoke in the hospital again.
"Fantastic," he said immediately. "I'm back home at last."
Recovery Girl rolled her eyes. "The sass is unnecessary. I thought you were working on controlling that Quirk of yours."
"I am, miss. It's a bit of what they call a process, you might say. I'm just glad it isn't a problem that you can kiss away."
Next to him, someone giggled, and Doko realized his hand was being held. He turned to see Mina, sitting by his bedside.
The sun was setting outside, casting a glow on her pink skin. She looked radiant, and still in her hero costume as well…beautiful.
"You've got me mighty speechless, doll," he drawled in a dry voice.
Mina leaned forward, her smile fading. "I owe you an apology, Doko. I…I didn't understand how serious this problem really was, and for that, I'm sorry."
"I'm inclined to accept your apology, but I may need just a bit of convincing."
She sighed good-naturedly and leaned in, kissing him. Off to the side, Recovery Girl groaned. When they separated, Doko pointed at her. "Don't be a hypocrite. Think of all the people who've had to watch you use your Quirk."
"I think I'd prefer the angry blonde one to be in here. At least he just calls me hag." Recovery Girl shuffled some papers and walked away, leaving them alone.
Mina giggled as she left. "It's like she's your grandma."
"Yeah. The grandma I never had. Speaking of which…" Doko looked her level in the eye. "You don't take full responsibility for this. Sure, I would have preferred you to accept the seriousness of the situation right away when I first told you, but…I also could have done a better job explaining it. And to the rest of the class, as well. It's time for full transparency. I'm going to tell them. I'm going to tell everyone the truth about my family."
Mina bit her lip. "I…I think that might be good, but…are you sure you're ready?"
"I have to be. I don't know what it will take for me to get this power under control, but…" He looked down at his closed fist. "If everyone else in the class at least understands, then, if it happens in the field, they will be one step ahead in reacting accordingly. That could mean potential lives saved."
"That's true," Mina sighed. "You always do think so practically about these things. Well, all the students are going to gather in the Class A common room to get our feedback on the exercise, if you want to do it there. It'd be a good opportunity. I think everyone's just waiting on us, actually."
"Mina," Doko said, gripping her more tightly with his other hand. "There's something else. It's about Mirko."
"Huh? Oh, that." She laughed lightly. "I'm sorry I got distracted by that. It's just…when she showed up, I…"
"Don't be sorry. You can apologize for the other thing, but not that. You have dreams that don't involve me. I'm glad for that. I wouldn't love you if you didn't, because that would make you an incomplete person. With that being said…" He sighed, and groaned. "I promised myself I would get Mirko's attention, too. Because I want to do a work study with you. Call it selfish, call it whatever you like. But I'm in love with you and I want us to work together as heroes. That's the future I imagine. I wanted to go with you to work with Mirko, only now it seems like…she'd probably only take you."
"Oh, Doko." Mina leaned forward, and kissed him again. This time, they stayed like that for much longer. She pulled away and said, "If you want, we can go together to Switcheroo. He's taken me before and I know he'd be really good for you…"
"But that's what would be good for me, not you. Mirko can teach you a lot, I think. And that was your dream. If you don't take it because of me, I'd never forgive myself."
"But I want to stay with you, too," she said softly. "I see that now. When you were out there losing control…I was terrified. It snapped me out of whatever dreamland I was in and made me remember how much I care about you. I'll go to Mirko. But you're coming with me. Whatever it takes to get you there, we'll do it."
Inwardly, Doko felt faintly uncomfortable. She's having to accommodate me. Even if she wants to, it's only because I scared her so bad…
Out loud, he only said, "We'll see."
…
A while later, they returned to the common room. Surprisingly, Class B was there too.
"What's this?" Mina asked.
"Ah! You two!" Iida chopped his hands. "Good to see you back! Class B is here to socialize and eat with us, so we can all discuss today's training with each other on a more personal level!"
Monoma posed dramatically. "The war may have been a draw, but there will always be another…"
"Not tonight, though," said Kendo loudly as she passed, walking with Momo.
Everyone else was scattered around the common room, talking. Sero spotted Doko and Mina from the couch, and waved at them. Ibara was sitting next to him.
"Hey, you two!" he said. "Katayama, everything alright?"
"Well…" Doko coughed. "I'm going to explain it soon to everyone, if I can get their attention. It won't exactly sound great, but…I promise you, I am happy. I won't let these things keep me down." And he meant that.
Doko and Mina acquired food and then milled about, socializing. Mina and Setsuna got to chatting, and Doko drifted over toward Midoriya. "The talk, with All Might," he said, nearly causing Midoriya to drop his stew in a panic. "When will it be?"
"Katayama! I'm glad you're alright! I mean, umm…" Midoriya frowned. "It might be pretty late tonight, if it happens today at all. That thing that happened to me during training, umm…I need to talk about that with him in private first."
"Oh, right. I see." It was weird talking about this when they both knew the truth and both knew that the other knew. And yet it still remained unsaid. It will all be laid out soon enough.
Doko continued to walk through the room, talking to various people. Kuroiro and Tokoyami were deep in conversation, while Komori tried to get both their attention. Tetsutetsu and Kirishima were arm wrestling on the table, while Bakugo and Kamakiri did the same on the next table over. Momo and Pony were speaking English to one another. Sero had his arm around Ibara and they were chatting in low voices close together. Many of the rest of the girls from both classes were talking in a big group near the kitchen, but when Ojiro passed Uraraka, she briefly waved and said hello to him.
Doko stopped and paused to look at the whole scene, sighing with a smile. Like one big class, after all.
The common room doors opened, and Aizawa came in, followed by Vlad and All Might. Behind them stood a quiet Shinso, who slipped around the adults with a strange expression. He spotted Doko, and moved to stand next to him.
Doko muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "Did you find out what's gonna happen to you?"
Shinso sighed. "Not yet. About to."
Both boys looked back at the adults.
Aizawa addressed the whole room. "Well done, everyone. Five matches with two wins on each side and a draw. Excellent strategies and teamwork were displayed on both sides, as well as excellent solo combat and quick thinking. You will all receive an individual report on your performances as well."
"What about Mirko?" someone asked.
"It seems she left campus in a hurry. Nezu went after her, but…" Aizawa shrugged. "She will be an option for you all for the upcoming work studies. It's never happened before in all her years of hero work, but that will be there. I can't promise she'll accept any of you if you sign up, though. Except for Ashido, obviously."
"Work studies? They're starting again soon?"
"Yes," Vlad King answered. "We will begin them as soon as Bakugo and Todoroki receive their provisional licenses. The final exam for that will be held next week. Prepare yourselves, you two."
"Right," Todoroki nodded.
"FINALLY!" Bakugo barked.
"And, of course…" Aizawa looked over. "Shinso."
The boy stiffened, and all eyes in the room went to him. Aizawa kept speaking. "You deliberately broke the rules of the exercise when you went onto the field to brainwash Midoriya. Midnight told you not to go, and you went anyway. You interrupted a match that you were not participating in, and if Midoriya had managed to wake up and rejoin the battle due to your interference, the entire match would have been scrubbed."
Shinso sighed, and lowered his shoulders.
"With that being said…you may have saved his life."
He looked back up. "Huh?"
Aizawa's mouth curled up in a half-smile. "Midnight and I were distracted by Katayama, and all of Midoriya's teammates were occupied. You understood immediately that you were the only one capable of doing the job, and so you did it. Successfully, might I add. You made a few instinctual slip ups here and there in your own match, and yet, you still were instrumental to the victory of your team. That, combined with your actions in the Midoriya incident…"
All Might finished for him, openly grinning. "...Shows that you have the heart of a true hero, Young Shinso."
"Does that mean he's joining Class A?" Kirishima blurted.
Aizawa nodded. "Yep."
Everyone began to cheer and clap. Doko patted Shinso on the shoulder. "Well done, man!"
The boy blinked, seemingly in a daze. His eyes shimmered. "Thank you…" he breathed. "You won't regret it."
"One more thing," said Aizawa. "Monoma. Tomorrow, Eri is coming up to campus. You're to see her. That's all I've got." He abruptly turned, and left the building. Vlad King followed him.
The party continued after that, with Shinso being the new center of attention. "So, when you are moving into our dorm, huh?" Kirishima asked him. "We'll be glad to have you!" Other Class A members crowded him, echoing the sentiment.
Meanwhile, Doko had noticed All Might quietly pull Midoriya and Bakugo out of the party. How much longer are they gonna deliberate in secret before they clue me into what the hell is going on?
It was fine, though. Midoriya and Bakugo both already knew his secret, so he didn't need them to be here.
…
He waited for around an hour, for Class B and Shinso to slowly trickle out. They all said their goodbyes, and Ibara kissed Sero in front of everyone, causing Mina and Setsuna to whistle. Eventually, it was back down to just Class A, and they began to clean up, more quietly. Outside, the sun had completely set.
"Iida," Doko said quietly to the bespectacled boy at the sink. "Could you gather everyone up, please? I need to explain to them what happened."
"Oh. I see." Iida nodded. "You can count on me, Katayama."
A few minutes later, he had done just that. Doko stood in front of everyone, Mina at his side. With Midoriya and Bakugo missing, there were fifteen pairs of eyes all giving him their full attention.
"So," he began, coughing, "you all know me. Some of you may have a good opinion of me, some maybe not so much. I'm the guy who teleports. That's me. Doko Katayama."
"What's this all about?" Jiro asked loudly. Momo made a noise of agreement, concern on her face.
"Well, I want to explain to all of you…why I lost control of my Quirk today, and why it might happen again in the future. Because if we're working together in the field, it could mean your life, or mine, or the lives of civilians."
There was a moment of pause. Doko was not sure how to start. He coughed again.
Mina nudged him and gave me a reassuring glance. "It's okay," she murmured.
"We're listening, Katayama," said Iida.
"We're here for you," said Todoroki.
"I, umm…well, what I'm about to say seems really outlandish, but it will make sense if you think about it. Basically…whenever I use my Quirk, I am using…another dimension. A dimension beyond our own. Whether I'm slipping into it myself, or sending something else there…that's how my Quirk works. And this dimension isn't exactly…stable."
Tokoyami lifted his head. For a moment, Doko made eye contact with the bird boy, and there was some sort of shared knowledge there. Tokoyami likes to go on about darkness and the abyss, but I always assumed it was just theatrics. Does he know something after all?
Doko did not plan on telling them all about the monsters. They would need to know eventually, but…
"Is it becoming volatile?" asked Iida, in alarm. "Is this why you've had less of a grip on your Quirk recently?"
"Is it something we should be worried about?" Ojiro echoed.
"Well…" Doko sighed. "Yes, and no. The dimension isn't getting worse. It's always been like that. The reason I'm losing control of my Quirk is now is that…I didn't use it very much growing up. And this is what I need to tell you all."
"You've told us this before," said Sero. "That you barely ever used your Quirk and that you didn't know about heroes much at all. But you've never explained why."
"Well, umm…the short of it is that…" He looked at his classmates. Really looked at them. Some of them were confused, some concerned, but no one showed that they didn't care. They all cared about him, to one degree or another. He could say it. He could.
"...I am from an abusive household," he muttered, just loud enough for them to all hear. "My parents are…um, were Quirkless. They didn't like that I had a Quirk. They would shout at me for being lazy if I ever used it to make things more convenient. Sometimes, they would…if I used it around my younger sister, who was also Quirkless…they would hit me. They made me do all the work around the house without my Quirk. I think they…they wanted that power over me, somehow. So I suppressed my Quirk and never used it. When I decided that I wanted to become a hero, it was because I felt worthless bottling up my power like that. I knew that not using my power where it could be used could mean that someone's life wasn't saved. So…I decided to become a hero, and my parents only let me apply for UA if I also applied and got into a bunch of other difficult high schools. I got into all of them, this one included…and I've been pursuing my dream ever since. But…it's because I suppressed my Quirk for so long that…that I have this erratic growth, like a child's Quirk growth. The slope is too steep, and my Quirk is threatening to escape me now. If I'd just been able to use it more as a kid, I…" His voice broke. He lowered his head.
Silence in the room.
"Katayama-kun…" Toru muttered. "I had no idea."
"I'm sorry," said Sero.
"Yeah, man," Kirishima echoed.
Others murmured their condolences, and reassuring words. Mina rubbed his shoulder.
"You said your parents were Quirkless?" asked Uraraka. "I don't mean to pry further, but…" She pressed her two pointer fingers together. "They're not…they're not dead, are they?"
"No," Doko shook his head. "They're just not my parents anymore. It was found that they weren't biologically related to me, and I was switched at the hospital with some other baby. After Kamino, I was pulled out of that household. Currently, this dorm is my home. I am a ward of the government."
Tsuyu let out a deep, throaty sigh. "That…explains a lot, actually, ribbit."
"To tell the truth…" Shoji said. "We suspected that something like this might be the case for a while. But to hear confirmation…"
"You were switched at the hospital?" Momo tilted her head. "I've never heard of anything like that happening in the modern era."
"That's because…" Doko hadn't planned on saying this, but maybe it was important. "That's because it wasn't a mistake. It was done purposefully, by All For One."
Gasps crackled around the room. "The guy All Might fought?"
"Wasn't he a stealer of Quirks?"
"Yes, and he must have had my birth parents on his radar, because…" Doko swallowed. He didn't want to go into the matter of Kurogiri, or his missing biological father. "Because he switched me. He knew I would have a powerful Quirk based on those of my parents, but he sent me to a Quirkless household to make me bitter and resentful. He wanted me to grow up and become a villain." And…and maybe he knew about the void, as well. Maybe he knew the chaos I might unleash.
"So that's why you were captured in the forest, huh," muttered Sato. "Katayama…"
"We're so sorry…"
"Yeah. Really."
"Don't be." Doko lifted his head. "I don't want pity. That's not what I seek. I'm telling you all this because I trust you, and you may need to know it for the future. For better or for worse, I am here now and training to be a hero, just like the rest of you. No matter what my fate was intended to be, this is what I'm choosing. And…"
He looked at Mina, and smiled.
"...I can't think of a better group of people to be doing it with."
…
Is the site back up? Is it working? Are you guys seeing this?
If so, thanks for reading.
Next time…Doko has a chat with All Might and Midoriya, and the villains make some moves.