Gosh dangit! I forgot again! I am so sorry! Two of my siblings have birthdays this week so it's been a little crazy lol.
I hope you guys like this chapter!
Last thing is the reviews!
JacquelineIvy: Hi sweetie! Thanks for the review! I really love writing Takara! She's my little child in a way lol. I try my best to keep everyone in character, and I'm glad you think I'm doing this well(P.S: I can't find your profile! T^T)
HelpfulSprite: Thank you so much for all your kind words! Kirishima stole my heart pretty quickly and as such he was the love interest I picked lol. He's a good fit for my OC, so it works out well. :) Takara wants to be a great hero and make sure that heroes and civilians get to go home at the end of the day, basically. She wants to make sure that no one has to worry too much about what will happen to them. I hope you like the rest of my story! :D
Alrighty let's get on to the story! Hope you all like it!
~The Lupine Sojourner
I try not to drag my feet as All Might leads us to the monitoring room. I'd wanted to try to boost Izuku's confidence, but we were told to go to watch, and I can't really argue with All Might, so…
Here I am. The 'villains' had five minutes to set themselves up before the 'heroes' were set loose. I swallow. This would not end well, I could tell.
The worst part was that I couldn't hear anything. From what I could tell, Izuku and Ochaco are studying a map of the building in silence and Tenya and Katsuki are searching for the weapon, Katsuki looking pissed and Tenya looking thoughtful, probably planing what they'd do as the 'villains' in this training. I really wish there was audio. It'd prove more helpful for grading, right? Toshin-Oji has an earpiece I noticed him putting in, but still. The class would go better if we could all hear, wouldn't it? "You okay?" The question catches me off-guard. "You're practically shrunk into yourself." It was the boy with the tail, Mashirao. He was looking at me with concern. I straighten, smiling nervously.
"I just don't think this will go well. Izuku and Katsuki don't seem to have a good relationship. I noticed they had the same school uniform when Izuku and I involved ourselves in that sludge villain situation, and they seem to know each other enough to have a nickname or an insult they use instead of their names, but...Katsuki hates Izuku for some reason. Especially since Izuku's ball throw." I pointed out who I meant on the screen since most people don't use first names this soon after meeting people. I only did it as a friendly gesture, but most people don't. Mashirao nods.
"I forgot you were involved with that. I noticed the animosity, too, though. I just hope Bakugo can remember this is only a training game." I bite my lip.
"I wouldn't bet on it."
"Alright, let's begin the indoor combat training!" All Might exclaims. "Team A and Team D, your time starts now!" Instantly, the heroes were on the move, climbing the fire escape to get in unnoticed on the second floor. Smart. "Pay attention, kids." All Might continues. "Think about what you would do." I tilt my head, thinking. I'd probably try to find the villains using the Earth Quirk, but it wouldn't provide the best or most reliable information, cus earth isn't really what the building's made of. It makes things blurry, but I could at least get a ballpark range to go on before moving.
Izuku and Ochaco move through the floor as quietly as possible, Izuku leading and scanning around corners before moving. Good plan. There are tons of blind spots indoors. An ambush was totally possible indoors.
...And apparently something Katsuki would do! He leaps out around a corner and Izuku barely has time to grab Ochaco and dodge an explosion. As the smoke clears, everyone in the monitoring room is stunned. "A sneak attack, Bakugo?!" Eijiro growls, pounding his fists together angrily as though Katsuki could hear him. "What kinda man pulls cheap crap like that?!" I shug, but Toshin-Oji beats me to replying.
"It's a viable strategy." He says. "It's playing the part; acting like a true villain would."
"It didn't work." Mina points out excitedly. "Midoriya dodged him!" Izuku was half-standing now, positioned protectively in front of Ochaco. However, he's shaking in terror as he gets into a fighting position, telling Katsuki something.
Probably something to the effect of 'I'm not backing down and you can't make me' or something.
"Look, there he goes!" the boy with a black streak in his blonde hair cries. I look and see Katsuki racing toward Izuku, yelling by the looks of it, drawing his fist back to attack. I gulp. Can Izuku keep dodging? Or will Katsuki get a hit in?
Whoa! Izuku caught Katsuki's grenade gauntlet? Izuku then pivots and throws Katsuki over his shoulder, slamming him as hard as possible onto the ground. A round of shocked gasps ring the group. "Yeah! Go Izuku go!" I cheer. Eijiro smiles.
"That was pretty hardcore. Standing and fighting even though you're scared is pretty manly." I nod.
"And heroic." I add. Katsuki is roaring at Izuku, creating tiny threatening explosions in his palms as he yells.
But, before Katsuki can go anything, he taps his ear and growls while looking down like someone does when talking on the phone.
Do Katsuki and Tenya have an earpiece, as well? Looks like it, given that Tenya has his hand over his ear, as well. Then gets pissed all of a sudden as Katsuki turns back to Izuku. "Hey, who's Bakugo talking to?" Eijiro asks. "I'm not hearing anything. Can we get any sound with this video?" All Might turns to Eijiro.
"He's got a radio in his ear so he can talk to his partner. I gave it to him before the match started, along with a map of the building. Also, this." He holds up a small roll of white tape. "A roll of 'capture tape'." He explains. "Wrapping this around your opponent means you've apprehended them and they're out for the rest of the game." Mina tilts her head.
"Wait, so there's a fifteen minute time limit, and the heroes have no idea what floor the nuclear weapon is hidden on, right?"
"Correct." Toshin-Oji replies.
"Then the heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here. A big one." She points out. I have to agree with her, but...at the same time, there's situations like this virtually everyday. Heroes have to gather information and react quickly in unknown territory and against unknown assailants. Part of being a hero is deducing and acting on those deductions very quickly. Toshin-Oji smiles at her.
"Real pros have to outwit villains on a day-to-day basis." He counters. "That's life; even when the odds aren't in our favor, we fight!" I raise a fist.
"Yeah!"
"All together now!" All Might calls and I know what he's about to say and join in the group in crying out 'That's going Plus Ultra!'
"Monsieur, he's on the move." Another blonde boy with a suit or armor and red sunglass-type things on his face points out. Katsuki was the one on the move, leaping at Izuku and kicking at him. Izuku manages to block the kick with his forearm, yelling something and Ochaco leaves. Izuku then moves and I see the capture tape wrapped around Katsuki's ankle. Katsuki then punches at Izuku again, powering it with an explosion. Izuku seems to have planned for that somehow and dodges again.
"Whoa, this guy's really good." A brown-headed boy with a tan suit on muses. The kid beside him, wearing a tape-dispenser themed suit by the look of it, nods.
"Yeah! He's holding his own and he hasn't even used his Quirk yet!" Izuku then decides to run as Katsuki prepares to launch at Izuku again. Katsuki seems surprised, yelling and chasing after him. I scoff.
"Bad choice, Katsuki." I muse. "He's forgotten all about Ochaco, which leaves Tenya to handle her."
"Yes, but young Iida seems to be handing things fine on his own." Toshin-Oji points out. Curious, I look over to the camera where the weapon is and flinch. Toshin-Oji was right.
Tenya's moving everything that Ochacho could use to float and attack with. Danggit! I mean, really smart move, anticipating his opponent's strategy similar to what Izuku's doing with Katsuki, but I can't help rooting for Ochaco. She's a nice girl and I'd hate to see her upset. I then look back and see Katsuki getting increasingly pissed, those small explosions in his palms flashing again.
"That guy has some serious anger issues. Kinda scary…" The black-streaked blonde boy murmurs, a touch of fear in his voice.
"Yeah. He thinks he's the top and that everyone's out to get him." I add. "He's pissed at anything that even might hint at challenging his inflated ego. And with Izuku starting to fight back, that's adding fire to Katsuki's rage."
"Very insightful, young Yamada." All Might muses, giving me a thumbs up. I grin and nod back. I wasn't mad he was using my last name; I didn't need the attention All Might using my first name might generate.
I tear my eyes away from Katsuki's pursuit and Izuku's evasion to see that Ochaco has arrived at the weapon room. Tenya looks deep in thought again. I wonder if he's saying something. With that helmet on, I can't tell. Suddenly, Ochaco laughs and Tenya turns, pointing at her. She flinches.
"Well, that was weird. I wonder why Ochaco laughed?" I ponder aloud.
"Tenya tends to take things too seriously." The green-haired girl replies. "He's probably doing the same here and Ochaco found that funny somehow." I nod.
"That's probably it." I muse. Tenya gestures to the empty room, probably overdramatically rambling about his advantage, now that he was a 'villain'. Suddenly, a flash on a lower screen distracts me. I look down and gasp.
Katsuki's found Izuku, and is just standing there. "Wait...his gauntlet flashed." I point out. "What does that mean?" I ask rhetorically. Izuku looks confused, too, as Katsuki talks, for the first time not looking like he's yelling. Katsuki extends his arm, smirking confidently and Izuku flinches. Katsuki then cocks the arm of the grenade back, revealing a pin. My eyes go wide. Suddenly, I realize what's happening. I've been wondered how the explosions worked, and figured it must have to do with something in his body, like sweat. So...if he wears those gauntlets...theoretically, they could store his sweat and- -"Stop the fight!" I exclaim. "Katsuki's gonna level the whole floor!"
"What do you mean?" Eijiro asks. "How do you know?" Panicking, I gesture to the gauntlet.
"I was thinking about how Katsuki's Quirk works. And I think those gauntlets store whatever fuels those explosions! Those gauntlets are literal grenades!" All Might nods, but doesn't say anything. "Please, All Might! Stop this right now before someone gets hurt!" I cry as Katsuki grips the pin.
"Young Bakugo, don't do it!" Toshin-Oji suddenly roars. "You'll kill him!" I feel my heart skip as Bakugo continues pulling the pin, yelling something in reply. I cry out in shock as Izuku is blasted back down the hall and into a room, the hall decimated.
"Izuku!" I scream. This was insane! "All Might, stop the fight! Katsuki isn't going to stop if you don't make him!" All Might just stands there! What is he doing?!
"This is nuts!" Eijiro exclaims as the ground shakes with the force of the blast. I search every screen desperately for Izuku, but can't see him through the smoke.
"Come in! Come in, Midoriya!" All Might cries, searching the screens, too. As I look, I see Ochaco taking advantage of Tenya's confusion to try to grab the weapon, using her Quirk on herself. However, Tenya reacts quickly and moves the weapon to the other side of the room. I then look for Izuku again and see him cowering on the ground with some relatively minor burns, all things considered, as Katsuki emerges from the smoke like a predator who has his prey right where he wants him. Izuku taps his ear and seems to ask Ochaco a question, probably asking her status. Katsuki flinches at being ignored.
Good. Maybe if he's blinded by anger, Izuku can capture him and help Ochaco. "Sir, isn't this getting out of hand?" Eijiro asks, pointing to the wrecked hall and Katsuki's intimidating figure. "That Bakuo's acting real crazy!"
"Yeah." I agree. "You should stop the fight before Izuku gets killed!" All Might doesn't react, eyes glued to the rivals who were preparing to fight.
"Bakugo's gonna kill him!" Eijiro presses worriedly.
"Not so." He says after a second. I flinch.
"What are you talking about?!" I exclaim, forgetting momentarily that he was my teacher, not my kind-of uncle. "Katsuki is after blood! Specifically Izuku's!" All Might shakes his head.
"Bakugo's posturing fiercely, but he doesn't intend to kill young Midoriya." He explains.
"How do you know that?" I ask, but All Might raises his microphone.
"Bakugo, use that stored up power again, and I'll stop this fight; your team will lose." He warns sternly. Katsuki's eye twitches and he looks madder than ever. "To employ such a strong attack indoors is to invite the destruction of the stronghold you're supposed to be protecting. That's a poor strategy!" He scolds. "Whether you're a hero or a villain! The penalty will be a massive loss of points." Katsuki releases a huge scream and races toward Izuku, leaping up to attack from above. At least he's only allowed hand-to-hand now. Izuku might have a chance. However, Katsuki changes course mid-air with an explosion and blasts Izuku's back. I hiss in sympathy. That had to hurt!
"What was that move?!" Eijiro growls, watching as Izuku stumbled, eyes scrunched in pain, back raw and steaming from the blast.
"He doesn't come off as a guy with a strategy," A boy with white hair, half covered in ice and wearing a white jumpsuit points out, eyes narrowed in thought. "but he's actually quite intelligent." I frown. I hated to admit, even to myself, but...that guy had a point. That move took skill and practice.
Just how long has Katsuki been preparing to beat the shit outta people?!
"What're you talking about?" Eijiro asks. I tilt my head, arms crossed.
"Well, think about it. Mid-air course changes are tricky to calculate."
"Precisely." Momo joins in. "He had to calculate the physics and demonstrate complete control over his Quirk. It requires an extreme amount of precision." The boy who spoke up nods.
"He changed his trajectory mid-air using a blast that doubled as a smoke screen." I gulp.
"That Katsuki really goes all out, huh?" I mumble, drawing out a small chocolate and unwrapping it before popping it in my mouth. I wanted to keep my blood sugar up for my fight, whenever that will be.
"Yeah, and he's uber talented, to boot." The blonde kid with the black streak adds, groaning. "I hate it." I shrug.
"It is what it is." I reply around the half-melted chocolate. "No sense getting bent out of shape about it." I then gasp in shock as Katsuki smashes his right arm into Izuku's burnt back. Izuku screams in agony as Katsuki then grabs Izuku's arm and performing the same move Izuku had used, but powered by an explosion. I put my hand over my mouth as Izuku bounces a little off the floor with the force he'd been slammed with. Dear god, how long is this gonna go on before All Might stops this?! Katsuki is testing the boundaries. If Toshin-Oji doesn't establish them soon, Izuku is literally toast.
"This is hard to watch." Mina moans, biting her lip. "All he has to do is wrap tape around him, not kill him!" I nod, swallowing.
"Y-yeah...All Might, you should put a stop to this. Katsuki won't stop attacking until you do." I point out. "Please." He doesn't turn, eyes riveted to the fight.
"That Bakugo is certainly acting like a villain." I turn to see a boy with a crow's head glaring at the screen as he speaks.
"I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing at the start of the fight, but he's completely outmatched in terms of combat power." It's the black-streaked-blonde kid again. I frown.
"Not at all." I reply, shaking my head and sighing. "Think about it; Izuku's Quirk damages his body, so Izuku can't use it very flippantly, like Katsuki seems to be doing. Izuku has to make every shot count cus there's a steep price for every one." I nod toward the screen. "When Izuku does use his Quirk, he'll win, but it won't be pretty."
"Well, Bakugo still seems like a natural at all this stuff. Midoriya might not even get a chance to use his Quirk." I gulp.
"Let's hope Izuku thinks of something. And fast." I mumble, biting my lip. Izuku manages to get away, practically crawling after Katsuki's onslaught. "Get out of there til you think of something." I urge him, even though Izuku can't hear me.
"He's running away?" Mina asks.
"Not very manly, but he doesn't have a choice." Eijiro points out. "He's outgunned, unless he's got some kind of plan." I nod.
"Knowing Izuku, he definitely has a plan. Or, at least, the beginnings of one…" Izuku goes to a window and braces as Katsuki stomps toward him. I swallow. Izuku ducks his head, probably telling Katsuki something before glaring up at his oppressor. I really wish there was some audio to this...ugh.
Suddenly, the boys rush each other, that strange glow back in Izuku's arm and Katsuki's hand prepping for a blast.
"What're they doing?!" I screech. "Izuku, no!"
"They're gonna kill each other!" Eijiro exclaims worriedly. "Sir!"
"You have to stop the fight!" I add. "What are you waiting for?!" All Might hesitates. "Sensei!" I bark.
"Both of you, stop!" He roars, but neither do, then All Might's eyes suddenly snap to the camera with Ochaco and Tenya. Ochaco grabs a pillar, eyes hard in determination. Izuku's arm then shifts to punch straight up instead of attacking, meaning only his other arm was protecting him from burning alive!
"Izuku!" I scream again, but I can't look away. Suddenly, as the building trembles and splinters at Izuku's raw power, I realize what Izuku's plan was; break the building to give Oachaco something to attack Tenya with in order to retrieve the weapon. She succeeds and the heroes win. Katsuki glares up at the hole in the ceiling, screaming something at Izuku, who responds, wobbling on his feet before falling over. Whatever Izuku said had shaken Katsuki, who stands there, trembling and staring at nothing.
"You...you did it." All Might breathes into the mic moments later. He then regains his composure. "The hero team...wins!" I gulp.
Yeah...they did, but...was it worth the cost? Victory at this steep a price...almost isn't worth having.
"What a weird way for this to end." The blonde who'd been the most vocal muses, frowning. "The losers are practically untouched, but the winners are both on the ground." I gulp. All Might took our distraction at the conclusion to the fight to slip out.
"I guess victory doesn't always come easy, but this is ridiculous!" I snap, getting angry at All Might for not preventing Katsuki going as far as he had and at Katsuki for being too wrapped up in his anger at Izuku to hold back for the sake of their training. However, I have to bite my tongue. This wasn't the place for me to express my anger at my uncle without raising suspicions.
"Yes. How does that old saying go? 'They may have lost the battle, but they won the war'." The boy with the bird head muses, eyes closed grimly.
"This class is intense." The green-haired girl moans, eyes wide. I growl.
"It shouldn't be. This is a training exercise. A damn game!" I decide to make it sound like I was only mad at Katsuki. "But no! Katsuki had to go too far and lose sight of that fact!"
"Whoa, Yamada, cool it." The verbal blonde says, eying me worriedly.
"Don't." I reply tersely, then take a deep breath. I didn't need to make enemies today. "Sorry. The name's Takara, please, and Katsuki just hurt my friend. I can't 'cool it' right now." The boy chuckles.
"Okay, then. My name's Kaminari, but I guess you can call me Denki, since you want me to use your first name." Denki then winks at me. I smirk.
"Whatever you say, Kaminari." I tease, feeling better as he flinches like I'd hit him.
"Aw, c'mon!" I then wink at him and chuckle before walking away to stand by the boxes for drawing lots for the next two teams. All Might approaches soon with Katsuki sulking in after him. Seeing the guy who hurt my friend right in front of me made something in me snap.
"Oi! Katsuki!" I growl, stalking over to him. "What the hell were you thinking?!" I snap, shoving him. "You could have killed Izuku, you know that?! You weren't a hero out there! You were literally a villain! A spoiled brat who can't accept a challenge! You need to get a grip or so help me, you'll be the next one in the nurse's office!" He just...stands there, trembling. Were...were those tears? I take a half-step back. What was going through his head?
"Back. Off." He growls. I decide it isn't worth pressing him, so I glare at him as I move back to pay attention to what All Might was about to say.
"Don't throw a tantrum like that again and I won't have to get in your face." I call over my shoulder, arms crossed and eyes fixed on Toshin-Oji. No one seems to want to reply directly to the scene I'd caused.
Truth be told, it was stupid of me to confront Katsuki, but...it felt kinda good to vent some of that rage building inside me.
And yet...it wasn't very satisfying, either. Katsuki hadn't responded. He'd just told me to back off. And he was still right where I'd left him, shaking. I didn't know what emotion was going through his head, but I knew it wasn't good.
In a way...I kinda almost feel a bit bad for him. He seems like the kinda kid that's grown up hearing how flashy and powerful his Quirk is, and how he'll be an awesome hero one day, working hard to prove them right and steamrolling anyone who doubted him.
But now, with Izuku previously being Quirkless (thus, probably a weakling in Katsuki's eyes), but 'suddenly getting a Quirk' and then winning against Katsuki, to boot, it probably whacked the guy real hard.
I had to talk to him after class. This kid definitely had issues. A lot of them.
And Lord knows those people are the ones I can't resist at least attempting to help.
Let's just hope I make it out alive.