Chapter 2: You're Amazing, Izuku!
"I'll become a hero who everyone respects, dattebayo!" —unknown
In the end, Midoriya didn't get the detailed answer he was hoping for.
Still, he chose to drop the matter. Not because he wanted to, or because he was asked to, but because when Sakura had smiled like that—as though she had said all that needed to be said—he knew he had to give up on it for now.
So instead the two of them headed on back from there, planning to drop by the library next to Midoriya's apartment for a study date.
"Have you thought of a hero school to apply to yet?" the green-haired boy was asking. "How about U.A.?"
"Huh? Oh..." Sakura paused. Her eyebrows knitted together as her hand hovered over the pocket where the envelope was, debating whether or not to tell him. She at least owed him this, didn't she? "Actually, the principal—"
Slush!
Her eyes widened when she heard a swoosh behind them, followed by a strange noise, like the one you get after mixing mud with water. When a shadow fell over them she whirled around in alarm, yelping at the startling sight.
A person covered in a type of substance Quirk loomed over them, his yellow eyes scanning the two students.
"Villain!" the two flinched in unison.
"Well if it isn't my lucky day!" The villain said, shooting out for them. "A little disguise handed to me on a silver platter!"
"Izuku!" Her flight or fight kicking in, Sakura seized Midoriya's wrist and tried to make a break for it.
However, when her feet wouldn't budge, she looked down in horror, seeing that the sludge had glued their feet still. Her palms became sweaty from her nerves, and beside her, she could hear Midoriya's haggard breathing.
"S-Sacchan, what do we—ack!" He choked as the Villain started to enter into him through his mouth.
"It'll only hurt for a minute if you'd just stay still," the villain advised, fastening onto the boy. He glanced over at Sakura out of the corner of his eye. "I have no use for you though...so should I just kill you? Sounds good, doesn't it?"
The pinkette's breath hitched as his bulging eyes fell onto her.
He said it so casually, as though it didn't even bother him that he would be committing literal murder. This wasn't a bag snatcher who didn't know what to do with his Quirk like from this morning, this was a criminal who wasn't afraid to kill to get his way.
Her eyes soon landed on Midoriya and she had to fight back the vomit that threatened to spill out, swallowing forcefully instead. He was suffocating, his arms flailing around to claw the villain away from him.
He was going to die at this rate.
"L-Let him go you bastard!" Sakura shouted at the top of her lungs, arms and legs stiff as she squeezed her eyes at the effort.
"What?" The villain stopped momentarily. A tendril of slime reached out toward her with threatening intention. "This'll shut you up!"
A blanket of fear descended on her and she lost control of her own body. No matter how much she told her legs to move, they wouldn't, as though they had lost all function. She was trapped..
"...Gur..."
"I...Izuku?" She snapped to her senses and caught a glimpse of Midoriya, gurgling through the slime. She gritted her teeth, eyebrows scrunched up in frustration at herself."Do something Sakura! He...he...!"
"What are you—?"
"...He needs you!"
Barring her stance, the pinkette pulled back a trembling arm and concentrated. The little diamond on her forehead started to branch out, wrapping itself around her body as she drove her fist into the slime on the ground.
Her fist collided against the concrete and instantly, the villain was blasted onto the tunnel's wall, his hold on Midoriya still firm. The mire followed after them, scattering outward as a crater was formed, shaking the tunnel they were in
"Are you crazy!" The villain cried, eyes darting around. His attack on the teen boy had been put on pause as he registered what was happening. "If this collapses we will all—!"
Sakura charged over and grabbed Midoriya's free hand. "Sorry Izuku, this might hurt!"
She yanked on his arm but the slime was stubborn, refusing to let the green-haired boy go. Still, Sakura stood her ground and pushed against the ground. Strings of slime snapped from the strength and Midoriya was able to breathe again as he was being pried away.
"ENOUGH!" The villain suddenly exploded, latching onto Sakura instead. "I have to hand it to you kid, you caught me by surprise. But do you really think a little girl like you can take on a big bad villain!?"
The pinkette gasped as the slime encased around her, dropping Midoriya to the ground.
Coughing heavily, the boy fought for the air he had lost during the time he was held captive. He was on all four, spitting out any remains of the mud left when he looked up tiredly. Sakura was gone, and instead, there was a mound of slime next to him.
"Sacchan!"
He raced over and tried to help Sakura out, but to no avail. Midoriya struggled again, but his hand only sank into the villain's Quirk.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," the boy kept mumbling, and from the one eye that was still opened, Sakura saw that his were wet. "Please...don't...!"
"...go..." The pinkette's words were muffled by the slime.
Midoriya shook his head, a wide, but quivering smile spreading. "I...I'll save you Sacchan! So please! Hold on!"
The pinkette resisted against the villain, however, with her back pressed against the ground with no solid footing, she couldn't imagine how she'd get out of this. Her vision was soon blotted with black dots as the substance smothered her tightly.
"A-All Might!?"
The pinkette squirmed underneath the mass and was able to take in a hasty gulp of air. Did she hear him right? Or had it been just Midoriya's own cry for help? She didn't get to contemplate any longer as she was soon forced back down, the sludge smearing over her face.
She tried to fight back again, but her body was giving up on her. She just couldn't move anymore.
"Texas Smash!"
Suddenly, The weight around her was blasted away by an invisible pressure that kept her pressed down. When the force settled, Sakura turned her body around and retched the leftover slime, while next to her, Midoriya fussed over her condition.
"Are you okay? Do you feel sick?" the boy asked worriedly.
The pinkette looked up and gave a tired smile. "I could be asking you the same thing."
Midoriya fell back onto his hands in relief. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay, thanks to you."
"Are you kids alright now?"
Both of the teens snapped their attention over to where their knight in shining armor stood and gaped, hypnotized. In front of them casually stood All Might, The Symbol Of Peace with his grocery in hand.
He had blown away the villain with just a punch, knocking him out in the process.
Brushing the last of the slime out of her hair, Sakura got up, mouth still wide open. "All Might!"
"...It really is him! I-I..."
Sakura looked away, hiding her smile as she recognized the familiar mumbling coming from her side. All Might didn't look the least bit surprised by the boy's nervous nature. But then again, as the Number One hero, he was probably used to it.
"You're a fan I take it?"
"Yes!" Midoriya burst out. "We...we're fine now! Thank you All Might!" He bowed with so much force his head hit the ground.
The hero chuckled, his grin wide. "That's good to hear! Let me just finish cleaning up for a bit and then I'll..."
Watching as the pro started to scrape the slime off of the ground and wall, the two students joined in, collecting the slime into a couple of bottles they had found. Finishing up, the three of them gathered outside.
"You guys were a big help, thank you!" All Might laughed, making Midoriya flustered. "Sorry about the trouble though! I'm not usually like this, I suppose it's from the change of scenery." Again, the hero chortled with a dramatic flair.
"Auto...Autograph!" The green-haired boy exclaimed and pulled out his notebook to only find that it had already been signed with a little doodle at the bottom. "He already did it!"
"And I believe this is one of yours?" All Might held up a crinkled envelope.
"Ah, that's mine!" It must have stuck onto the slime while she had been confined. The pinkette reached over and took it. "Thanks."
All Might's eyes crinkled. "I suppose I'll be seeing you soon, won't I, Young Haruno?"
Sakura frowned. "How do you..."
"I should be off now," the man interrupted. "Still have to deliver this evildoer to the police." He patted the pockets on his pants for emphasis before he started to stretch.
"Well, okay, take care then," the pinkette waved slightly with a frown. it was odd, she couldn't recall ever telling him her name. And it wasn't like the envelope had her name on it either. Weird.
"Wait...already?" Midoriya held up a hand, as though he wanted to reach out to the hero. However, his hand soon retreated to his side, his face visibly falling, "I have...I have so many...things to ask though..."
"See you again on the other side of the screen!" All Might got up from his stretched and got ready to launch into the sky. "I'll be counting on your support!"
Sakura covered her face as the hero propelled into the air, scattering dust around. She watched him until she couldn't see him anymore before patting Midoriya excitedly on the arms with a wide grin. "Tanaka and the others aren't going to believe—"
She froze when she realized her hand had passed through air. Sakura did a full circle in bewilderment before finally glancing up at the sky. Her mouth dropped as she came to the only possible conclusion.
Midoriya had hitched a ride on the Number One hero!
"Darn it Izuku!" The pinkette broke into a sprint. "Please, please, don't tell me that idiot actually...!"
Racing around the city, Sakura tried to keep her eyes open for All Might and Midoriya. She passed by shops and crossed multiple streets before finally remembering they were probably at the police station where the hero still needed to drop off the bottles.
However, just as she was about to change her course of direction, an explosion rattled the ground.
"Argh!"
"H-Help! Fire!"
Sakura slowed down into a stop, doe-eyed as she stared at the familiar sight of green sludge in the burning alleyway. Meanwhile, heroes immediately swung into action, helping people escape the danger zone.
"What happened to...!" The teen didn't get to finish her train of thoughts as a gust of hot air blew against her face, making her shut her eyes while she waited for it to pass by.
"My husband's stuck inside! Please Help!"
"The villain has a hostage!"
Thinking of the worse, Sakura pushed her way to the front of the crowd despite the numerous disapproval of the adults. However, she was met with a tuff of blonde hair instead of the usual green she had expected. Her blood ran cold, instantly recognizing whose sharp red eyes that peek out of the slime was.
Bakugou.
"Katsuki!" The pinkette called, the name slipping out before she could stop it.
Bakugou met her eyes through the mayhem. Everything else, the shouting as well as the cries for help, were drowned out by the roar of blood in her ears as the two locked gaze.
Over a handful of heroes were presented, but none seemed to be suited for this situation and instead settled with evacuating and trying to hold back the fire as best as they could. There was tension in the crowd as they all soon realized that none of them could directly help the captured student.
There was an undeniable look of distress in Bakugou's eyes despite his strong will power, and it was enough to stir something in Sakura.
Without thinking, she stepped forward.
"Stop! I can't let you in!" Death Arm shouted over the explosions, holding out an arm to stop her from entering as she had planned. "Sorry kid but we need to wait on someone who has the Quirk for this villain!"
"And when will they come!" Sakura raised her voice in a panic, clutching at the hero's arm. "Katsuki's going to suffocate! All...All Might was here earlier! Where is he now?!"
"I'm sorry but—! Wait!" Death Arms turned his attention over to someone else who had rushed in.
"I-Izuku!" The pinkette recognized. Both she and Death Arms gaped as the green-haired boy threw his backpack at the villain, his textbooks and supplies flying out. She clenched her hands. "If the heroes are waiting on someone with the right Quirk, Izuku should be the least qualified here according to them!"
Sakura shot after the green-haired boy with her decision set in stone, narrowly missing Death Arm's grasp. The flames around her reflected in her eyes.
"You...you're full of surprises, aren't you, Izuku?"
"It-it's okay Kacchan! I'm here!" Midoriya could be heard saying, as he scratched desperately at the villain. But each time, he only came back up with a handful of slime.
"Go...away...Deku!" Bakugou gritted out. "Why...you...here?!"
"I don't know! I don't know!" Midoriya replied, tears spilling from his eyes from the smoke. "My...legs... just moved on their own—! Sacchan?"
Sakura had grabbed his arm, stopping him. "You have to go back Izuku! The heroes are right, you can't do anything here!" He looked as though she had struck him across the face. The girl gave him a soft smile. "Thank you."
Her seal expanding out, the girl started to spin around, dragging the green-haired boy around with her. Finally, with Midoriya wailing in surprise, she flung him back into the crowd, to which Death Arms caught him effortlessly.
"S-Sacchan!" Midoriya cried, struggling against the hero's hold.
"What's this? What's this?" The villain cooed. "Well, isn't it the girl from before. Came back for more? Now with that bastard gone, I'm sure I'll succeed this time!"
"Bubble...gum!" The blonde growled when he saw that she wasn't planning on leaving. "I...don't...help!"
"Shut up!" Sakura shouted, searching for his leg through the slime. She hissed out of the blue, "You only care about yourself!" When she found what she was looked for, she barred her ground and started to pull. "But I'm not going to let you die here! SHANNARO!"
"Look! That girl!"
"She's—!"
"Hold on! The villain!"
It felt like deja vu as the villain wrapped himself onto the pinkette's arms and then her legs, making her effort futile.
"Dammit...said...go!" Bakugou's eyes were strained, as though he was putting in every last bit of energy into getting her to leave.
"I'm not going without you Firecracker!" Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating even as she felt herself being pulled backward and up against the villain's body. "I won't! I won't! I...I can't!"
"Bubb...le...gum!"
The next thing the crowd knew, a blur of yellow flashed before them, emerging from the back and into the scene. Shouts and gasps erupted from the crowd when they realized who it was as the newcomer stretched back his arm.
"It's okay! Why? Because I am here!"
The villain tried to immobilize the hero but it ended in failure as the pro was able to easily yank himself free.
"Detroit Smash!" All Might declared, thrusting his fist outward at an incredible speed.
Seeing the effect of All Might's strength before, Sakura dug her heels into the ground while keeping her hold on Bakugou. And as expected, the air around them picked up and the grip on Bakugou was suddenly let go, causing the blonde to crash into the pinkette.
Splat!
As splatters of slime scattered about from the after match, the crowd was silent, as though digesting what had just happened. They all watched, awestruck, as All Might pumped a fist up into the sky, sealing his victory and the cheers of the crowd.
"That's All Might for ya!"
"He changed the weather with just his right hook!"
"Nothing less from the Number One hero!"
Hearing them, Sakura slowly tried to get up but a hand pushed her head back down. "H...huh?"
"You are such a damn bother," Bakugou snarled as he got up, lifting his hand off of her head.
"What?!" The pinkette glowered. Someone wet slipped down her cheek. "What the...?" She looked up into the sky and saw that rain clouds hovered above them, shedding droplets one after another in unsequenced rhythm. "Rain?"
She whipped her head back to where All Might was in wonder. He really did change the weather with just a single punch.
"Hold it right there!" Backdraft called with Death Arms in tolled with Midoriya, earning the pinkette's attention. "What were you thinking!?
Sakura blinked as the green-haired boy was seated next to her. She hadn't even realized she had straightened up and gotten on her knees as the pro heroes took to scolding the two for their reckless behavior.
"You got your friend out but you went back in any way!? Are you that selfless or just stupidly stubborn!?" Death Arms berated. "You can't go playing heroes like that again! Do you understand you two?!"
"Yes sir," the teens mumbled in sync.
Meanwhile, a few feet over, Bakugou was showered with praises for the fight he had put up. When he caught Sakura staring, he scowled, to which she looked away without another word, hands clenched in her lap.
"What did I expect?" Sakura smiled to herself cynically. "This changes nothing."
"Hey kid!"
The pinkette looked up in surprise at the familiar voice. "S-Shishou?"
"You were supposed to be back half an hour ago!" The blonde woman made her way over. "Guess the surprise I got when I caught a glimpse of you on the news! Come on, I'm taking you home!"
"Wait! You're not going to tell my parents are you?" Sakura slowly got up, visibly worried. She was about to run over to Tsunade when she remembered Midoriya. "Do you need a ride, Izuku?"
"What?" Midoriya looked away from where he had been staring at All Might. He smiled weakly. "No, I think I'll walk back, my place is close by."
The pinkette leaned down, putting her face to his with a frown. "You don't look good. Are you okay? Hurt anywhere? We can ask Tsunade to do a quick check up for you if you want."
"It's okay, I'm okay." The green-haired tried to assure her, smiling feebly. "I...I'm just sorry I got in your way, Sacchan."
"What're you...?" Sakura trailed off as a pang of guilt shot through her. She grabbed the boy by his shoulders tightly, surprising him. "I'm so sorry Izuku! But I...the heroes...they were right. We had no business going inside."
"I know..."
"But that doesn't mean we were wrong to." She added on, "You...you were like a hero today. You did good, Izuku. Reallygood."
Midoriya looked up, eyes wide in wonder. "You think so?"
Sakura's eyes twinkled. "I know so, Mr. Hero."
"Take care Midoriya," Tsunade nodded, leading Sakura away. As they passed by the reporters, the blonde woman stopped with a raised eyebrow when All Might called out to her.
"Good to see you again Tsunade, Young Haruno!" the man grinned. When he saw the confused look on the teen face, he held up another raised fist to the sky. "Cherry Blossom Of Spring, what you did today was something not a lot of people can do, don't forget that."
"I...won't?" the pinkette replied uncertainly as she followed after Tsunade. Her eyes lingered on the Number One hero with a frown. There was something off with him. Or was it perhaps just a trick of the light?
Getting into the car, Sakura left the door open as she watched the on-duty heroes cleaned up the mess. She spotted some of the policemen gather up the slime and put them into jars for safekeeping before her gaze landed on Bakugou.
"I didn't need your fucking help Forehead!" The blonde shouted loudly, as if he had been waiting to get her attention. He turned around and started to stomp away. "So don't think I owe you a damn thing!"
"Delusional asshole," Sakura glared after him, muttering, "I never said you did."
As she closed the door and leaned back up against her seat, her eyes wandered out the window and onto Midoriya who was walking the opposite way back to his home. All Might's words resurfaced in her mind.
She hadn't been alone. In fact, Midoriya was the first one in.
Sakura leaned her head against the window, remembered watching his back as he ran into the uncontrollable scene, armed with only his backpack. He accomplished something even the pros were hesitant to do.
She smiled softly.
"You really are amazing, Izuku."
