Azure flames flail in blinding white flashes, flying from tree to tree in a rapid spread. The destruction is as swift as Akatani, the ghoul sprinting within the wildfire. Burning branches break off from charred trunks and transform to ash in the dense black air. Akatani's mask keeps him from swallowing the dark smog, but his heightened sense still revolts towards the acrid smell that chokes his lungs. Fumes fill what remains of the forest, stinging Akatani's eyes as he searches for anyone other than himself within the inferno.
He's run deep enough into the withering wilderness that he's reached the equally charred cabins. The facilities collapsed, consumed by Dabi's fire. Akatani swallows as he peeks at the piles of burned wood. Nobody appears to be buried, but there's not a soul in sight otherwise either. There's a chance that everyone was outside for a nightly activity and didn't get caught up in the conflagration. Or so he hopes that's more than wishful thinking.
Suddenly, a resounding boom shakes the ground and returns Akatani's attention to the burning forest. A major updraft of dirt came from the west where more sounds carries across the treetops. Signs of a fight. Signs of life. The ghoul takes off, breaking into another sprint. He's got more than enough energy to spare, his intake of muscular fibers giving him a massive boost. So when he comes across a thick tree trunk that's fallen in his path, he simply bounds over it. Akatani just isn't prepared for what he finds on the other side.
The underground hero, Eraserhead, also comes to a dead stop. The two had intersected one another's routes on their way to the explosion source. Aizawa's pause lasts shorter than Akatani's upon initial reunion though. Having years of experience and training under his belt, the underground hero lashes out with his capture cloth to contain The Tokyo Ghoul. Akatani acts purely on instinct, evading the winding material with a twist of his torso that backs him into a burning tree. The flaming tree licks his back and pushes him back into the fray.
"Wait–", Akatani tries talking Aizawa down but clenches his teeth mid sentence when he's forced to dodge another swipe of the hero's scarf. His calves tighten and his feet plant themselves firmly, body tensing in preparation to dart forward. Before he can use his strength to clear the distance between himself and his opponent though, a familiar feeling weakens the effect.
Aizawa's hair rises above his head, reaching towards the sky like the flames that surround him and the ghoul. Behind his yellow goggles are red glowing eyes that lock onto the villain. Akatani's quirk loses its full ability, erasure slowing him down. He just barely manages to jump away from a third sweep of Aizawa's capture cloth.
Eraserhead stretches a leg, taking out Akatani's. Akatani's back hits the ground. He doesn't need to see more than the sky to know he needs to roll out of the way of whatever attack is coming next. Aizawa lands in the spot that the ghoul once was. Akatani clambers to his feet, holding out his hands to try pacifying the hero again. But the underground hero wraps him in his capture cloth, binding his arms to his sides.
"You have a lot to answer for.", Aizawa tugs on the cloth so that it tightens its hold. Akatani's struggles cease when he realizes he won't be able to escape without his quirk.
But seeing his girlfriend creep up behind his captor helps him maintain his composure. "Maybe some other time.", is his only warning to Aizawa before the blonde villainous leaps out from her hiding spot.
Aizawa manages to duck under her attack, but that also forces his eyes off the ghoul. Akatani's quirk returns to him, allowing him to break free of the capture cloth's hold. The underground hero curses under his breath as he faces down the duo in front of him, "Stop this while you still can."
A shimmer of light that doesn't come from the fire draws Akatani's attention away from the hero. He's shocked to see it was a glint from a knife that Himiko has in her hand. "Don't!", he tries stopping her but gets interrupted by another blinding flash of radiance. He shields his eyes with his arms when a burst of flames overtakes the area.
"Our fight isn't finished yet, Eraserhead.", Akatani uncovers his face and blinks to see Dabi has arrived as well. The underground hero is outnumbered three to one now, and lacks his weapon that's been reduced to tatters. Akatani can't help but wince in sympathy.
But Aizawa isn't one to give up easily, making use of his environment by throwing up a handful of ash to blind Himiko. The blonde swings her knife wildly in response, trying to cut anything or anyone near her. Akatani hops back so that he doesn't find himself in the crossfire when the underground hero engages Dabi next. "Why attack the summer camp?", Aizawa grunts as he throws a punch at the villain he's currently locked in combat with.
"Wasn't my first idea.", Akatani replies as he tends to Himiko. She rubs at her eyes as he wipes around the corners. He's not so sure Aizawa would believe him if he said he just found out what was happening anyways.
"You should be more worried about yourself than the kiddies.", Dabi keeps Eraserhead's focus on him by unleashing another onslaught of blue flames. The wide spread of fire forces Aizawa back, tall trees catching the tail end of the attack instead.
Suddenly, Akatani notices a drop in the temperature despite the heat of the inferno. A breath of condensation is his second warning before a stream of ice comes crashing through the undergrowth. The ghoul grabs Himiko and jumps away, the two of them avoiding becoming encased. Dabi, however, gets covered by the freezing force. Akatani turns his head, single exposed eye widening when he recognizes Shoto Todoroki has also joined the battle.
"Get away from my sensei.", Todoroki's tone is coldhearted as he steps into the small clearing that's been made from a combination of quirks in battle.
Dabi sneers at his brother, not even bothering to squirm from within his ice imprisonment. "Son of Endeavor.", is the only acknowledgement that he gives his sibling. His voice is just as frostbitingly bitter.
Steam rises as the ice begins to evaporate. Dabi's heating himself up, melting away the casing. The rest crumbles and chips apart so that the villain can break free, weakened enough from the opposing heat. Both brothers wind up for another attack, forcing Akatani to spring from his perched spot to intervene.
Aizawa leaps in at the same time though, intersecting the trajectory. Akatani tumbles with the underground hero, away from the incoming crossing of fire and ice streams. He doesn't have enough time to brace himself before an eruption. A flashfire collides with an iceberg head on, shattering it into flaming fragments. Huge chunks of burning glacier spread across the forest, coating trees with rime instead of flames.
Akatani coughs as he fans away the updraft of smoke, ash, and frosty mildew. The zipper to his mask became undone in the explosion, exposing his gawking mouth at what remains of where his friends once were. Dabi's burns have increased, staples and stitches having popped loose so that he's bleeding heavily now. As for the other Todoroki, he's not in the best of shape either, sprawled out in a crater.
Himiko's bloodshot eyes water when she catches sight of Dabi, "No!", and she runs over to grab him before he can fall over. His legs give out at just the right moment, and he falls into her trembling arms.
"Todoroki..", Akatani staggers towards his other friend with just as much concern. The U.A student looks confused at first, but then recognizes the villain that's worried for his well being.
"Akatani?", Todoroki's wide eyes stare in disbelief.
As if the chaos is never ending, another disruption intervenes with the brief calm moment. A shadowy beast comes howling through the foliage, locked in combat with what looks like the cannibal Akatani had found himself compared to. He can see more of a similarity now that he sees what the fellow cannibal's quirk is, elongated teeth acting as limbs akin to the ghoul's Kagune. The lengthed molars manipulate like web strings trying to snare a buzzing fly.
The battle between some other U.A student and the villain passes overhead, carrying over into another section of the woods. The fire in that part remains, still spreading and rising. Though the purple toxin that had been aiding in its extensive touch appears to be receding now. Rocks and bark scatter across the sky from the battle that crosses from one end to the other. Akatani looks between there and his own personal dilemma.
Aizawa is back on his feet, reaching into one of the pouches on his hero uniform. Akatani doesn't know what to expect. Caltrops. Smoke pellets. Handcuffs. It doesn't matter though. He just knows not to let the hero get his hands on whatever it is that he's reaching for. Akatani unleashes his Kagune and strikes Aizawa with one of the limbs. Not hard enough to kill or break any bones, but just the right amount of force to stop a fight before one can begin.
"Sensei!", Todoroki exclaims in shock before redirecting his gaze at who he had believed to be his friend. Once widened heteromorphic eyes now glower at the boy, "Akatani!"
Flames ignite from Todoroki's one side, making Akatani recluse. The bright orange glow rekindles the scorched trees that make up their area, finishing the job and making them finally collapse. Several thick trunks fall left and right, causing the ghoul to scramble in order to avoid being crushed. The flames lead him to find Himiko knocked unconscious, Aizawa standing over her with a hand covering a bloody side. Before he can react though, more trees land in his way.
Sharpened teeth return, stabbing through the forestry. The ghoul swings his tentacles at them, shattering the molars. The shadow monster that had been fighting the other cannibal villain appears to have been affected by the flames, shrinking in size. More elongated teeth replace the ones that were broken. Akatani carries himself away from the sharpened fangs to regain his bearings.
The villain towers over the forest, teeth jutting out and lifting him to such heights. Akatani looks back down at where the fangs stab into the dirt surface. He figures if he destroys them all that the villain will come falling down. And so he does. The ghoul viciously slashes with his Kagune at the teeth pillars, leaping from one to the next as support beams. With the carriers severed, the fellow cannibal can no longer hold himself up.
Akatani steps forward to finish the job, but stops when he feels pain once applying pressure to his leg. Through the adrenaline rush, he hadn't realized that one of the teeth had snared him. A deep gash slowly heals itself. It's a mild handicap, but one that slows him down. It's a temporary weakness that leaves him vulnerable to an attack he doesn't see coming until it's too late.
An explosion comes out of seemingly nowhere, flaring up his back and forcing the air from his lungs. Torn leather melts and bubbles with the blisters of exposed flesh as Akatani skids across the dirt mound of an equally charred surface. His vision blurs as he bites down his pain. When he's able to see clearly again, he has to blink twice to make sure that he's seeing correctly.
"You want a fucking piece of me? Well, here I am, asshole!", none other than Kacchan stands atop a scorched boulder with miniature sparks popping from the palms of his hands.
Akatani trips over himself as he tries to get away. He's not ready to face his past. Especially not in his current condition. But Kacchan knows what he is. A monster. A villain. "Get back here, you shitty scumfuck!", and the hero in training doesn't let him off the hook so easily.
The ghoul raises his appendages, shielding himself from a blast that sears the skin that's been exposed through his suit. He tries using a tail to push off and get away, but Kacchan lets loose another explosion that stops him in his tracks. The fight is kept grounded and enclosed, detonations purposeful and not as reckless as they appear to be.
Akatani raises a tentacle to separate himself from his attacker, but another explosion goes off directly in his face. He's rocked from the blast, mask charred and flickering with small flames. He reaches for something to brace himself, and grabs onto Kacchan's wrist. Big mistake. The living firecracker spins like a bottle rocket using his free hand to let off a round of explosions. Dizzied from the spin, Akatani is unable to resist being lifted up and over, and then body slammed.
Akatani isn't expecting the cold rush that hits his face once his mask is pulled off. Not with the heat wafting through the air around he and the camp. But it's almost refreshing as much as it is unexpected. He feels his head become less clouded and his vision refocuses. Kacchan has him pinned under his weight, a hand primed and ready with the palm glowing a subtle tinge of orange. The glow fades when Kacchan's snarl shifts to an expression that mimics Akatani's.
"Izuku.. ?", the blonde boy speaks despite being breathless.
The dark in the ghoul's eyes are as warm as the night. The tiny red orb at the center of the cracked web stares back at Kacchan's equally crimson gaze.
Then, a blue coating consumes the U.A hero in training, and he's shrunken smaller than the ghoul's pupils. The villain with the top hat stands in Kacchan's place, holding a small marble. "This turned out to be easier than anticipated, eh?", and he reaches out to Akatani with his free hand.
Akatani falters, but then realizes Kacchan was just compressed and captured. He sits up despite the pain that shoots through him and reaches out to accept the extended hand. "Easy isn't exactly the word I'd use..", he's still breathless from the entirety of all that's transpired but it does feel good to finally lower his guard.
Though that's his mistake. Since if he hadn't relaxed, if he had still considered the other villains his enemies instead of trusting them as comrades for even a split second, he maybe would have seen his own capture coming.
The villain's fingertips brush up against Akatani's, and the ghoul is turned into a red marble that contrasts his childhood friend's blue ball.
"No. I suppose you wouldn't.", the villain rolls them both between his fingers before shoving them into his coat pocket and leaving to reconvene with the rest of the league.