"MOVE YOUR CANDY-CANE ASS, ICYHOT!"
Shoto spun around to face Bakugou Katsuki, cringing at the unbearable volume of his venom-injected words. His chest heaved with shallow pants. Cold beads of sweat clustered on the crown of Shoto's forehead and slid a sticky, wet trail down his collarbone.
Frost crackled on his right cheek while tiny, flickering flames licked at his left. Shoto crouched, clasping his palms to his knees in exhaustion. His heart thrummed at an erratic pace, and every inhale was followed by an unrelenting stab of pain at his cramped ribcage. Adrenaline shot rapidly through his veins, Shoto's brain blaring alarms, signalling his body to prepare for a fight. The rush gave him a headache.
He lowered his sagging head and glared up at Bakugou through slitted, heterochromatic eyes, meeting Bakugo's blood-red orbs. The blonde had numerous scrapes, tinged with rose, decorating his bare skin. Shoto noticed the other had a slight limp as he stalked toward Shoto with murderous intent, his scowl promising death. Todoroki arched a thin brow quizzically. Bakugou looked equally battered- not that he would ever admit it.
The pair had been engaging in battle, non-stop, for hours on end. No-one special, just small-time thugs begging for attention. Bakugo and Shoto were at the top of the hero course, and both were desperate for a mission- any mission- being finally granted their provisional licenses, the pair practically begged for a fight. Aizawa had sighed, eventually caving. He warned the pair not to cause trouble- or worse, wake him up- or they would be expelled without hesitation. Class 1A knew by now that Aizawa's threats were not to be taken lightly. Shoto promised to be back before 9:00 PM.
So, here they were. Shoto had immobilized the first 30 or so without breaking a sweat, but at the hundredth thug, he was both physically and mentally worn out. The gruelling battle had halted, for the moment, but it's strain kept Shouto's shoulders rigid with tension as he instinctively planted his feet apart in a defensive stance. Shoto's muscles screamed in protest at the motion. Fatigue dragged at his bones and dulled his eyes.
Bakugou prodded Shoto's shoulder roughly.
"Hey!" He snarled. His wary gaze slid to the piles of rubble and debris discarded across the battlefield, skimming past crumpled bodies littering UA's training ground. Searching. Watching. On guard.
Shoto envied his conviction to their mission- to locate and take down the villain that's been causing so much trouble lately. The villain's quirk had not been officially labelled, but it had something to do with the target's identity. Though no-one knew for sure what his or her intentions are, the nameless villain was a potential threat.
I wonder what the villain's quirk is…
Shoto pondered.
Bakugo's rough, gravelly voice cut into his musings.
"Keep your fucking head in the game, Halfie!"
Shoto resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the stupid nickname.
"Shut it, Lord Explosion Murder." He muttered under his breath.
Bakugo's face contorted to one of white-hot fury and several small explosions blasted from his fingertips. Shoto exhaled thinly through his nose. He hadn't meant for Bakugou to hear him, but the smouldering look on Bakugou's face told differently.
Now he's going to throw a tantrum, Shoto thought tiredly. They were in the midst of a battle, dammit! Shoto scolded himself for (unintentionally) provoking the explosive teen and his equally explosive, easily-triggered quirk. With a temper like that, the members of Class 1A were constantly on the tips of their toes, trying not to do or say the wrong thing- Bakugo once burned down the UA dormitories kitchen. According to him,
"Fuckin' Pikachu was breathing too loudly!"
The kitchen was reduced to rubble, the walls and ceilings were singed and charred black, soot dusted everything in sight. Shoto's cold soba tasted vaguely of ash for a week after that incident, and Kaminari holds his breath around Bakugou to this day.
The point is, messing with Bakugou is never a good idea.
Bakugo growled, lips pulled back into a sneer, and Shoto bit back his bubbling laughter- he knew laughing would make Bakugou release his fiery power. Still, Shoto couldn't suppress the small smile that curled the corners of his mouth.
He looks like a rabid dog… Shoto thought, mildly amused.
BOOM!
A blinding shock of explosive energy blasted (literally) Shoto back to his senses. Bakugo's arm was still outstretched, he had set off the explosion.
Bakugo's eyes flashed, flames dancing dangerously in the blood-red iris.
"WHAT ARE YOU SMILING ABOUT, FUCKING HALF AND HA-"
The spiky-haired treen's enraged scream was cut off and drowned out by a rumbling buzz of static.
Shoto promptly snapped his awareness up ahead. Bakugo mimicked him. The pair went rigid. They stared with mingled apprehension and curiosity. A soft, violet glow wreathed around the clouds of fluttering gray dust. The mist-like substance clouded Shoto's vision. He squinted- trying to decipher where the strange purple frog was emitting from.
A silhouette stood boldly at the centre, the figure becoming more pronounced as fluttering dust and shimmering purple settled around it. Shoto's vision finally cleared, and he surveyed the silhouette in front of him. The figure was tall and slender, with slim hips and an angular bone structure.
A woman, Shoto thought. But where was the buzz coming from?
He recognized the distinctive, mechanical click of Bakugo's quirk activating- just a second too late. Without a warning, Bakugo lunged at their still-concealed opponent. A broad, wicked grin was stretched across his face, reflecting the wild gleam in his wide-blown eyes.
Shoto froze.
"What the hell are you doing, Bakugo?!"
This was bad. Very bad.
"I can take down one more!" He spat savagely, arm outstretched, prepared to strike as his airborne body surged through the air.
"DIE, EXTRA!" Bakugo's screech echoed.
Bakugo's pumping adrenaline right now. He'll make rash decisions.
"NO, GET BACK!"
"SHUT UP BASTARD, I CAN HANDLE SOME USELESS SIDEKICK-"
Shoto's feet moved before he could register what was happening.
The world smeared, tilting on an axis, the floor blurred past Shoto's hazy eyes at alarming speed and momentum.
Things escalated quickly after that.
A thin smile poised on glossy lips. Faint mist, smothering. Suffocating. Numbing.
The distant sound of cruel laughter, fading to a ringing in his head.
Then, emptiness.
Nothing at all.
-P.O.V CHANGE-
A blonde teenager hurtled at the woman, who was still concealed by a thick layer of cloudy dust and mist, "DIE, EXTRA!" he screeched.
The mysterious figure flashed the brutish blonde a coy smirk.
Impulsive, isn't he? The woman thought fondly. This would be easy. The dust finally settled, and the remaining mist wreathed around her long, pale fingers. She admired the shiny violet fluid. The corners of her mouth quirked into a sneer as she watched the boisterous blonde boy draw closer. He was gaining speed, and the woman could tell by the arrogant gleam in his crimson eyes he was certain of victory.
Underestimating your opponent? Fool.
"NO, GET BACK!"
Apparently, the boy with red and white hair had thought the same.
At least one of them wields common sense.
The blonde was close. Just a little farther…
"SHUT UP BASTARD, I CAN HANDLE SOME USELESS SIDEKICK-"
Right there. Perfect.
CRASH!
The dual-toned boy slammed into the explosive blonde, effectively knocking him off his feet. The pair rolled past motionless bodies strewn across the ground are scattered heaps, with their limbs tangled.
Even from where she was standing, the woman could hear muttered curses and puffs of breath.
One looked unconscious, the other was struggling to untangle his arm from his team-mates still form. His arm was bent at an unnatural angle. The occasional hiss of pain reached her ears.
Would it be cruel to use my quirk while the opponents are down?
She let out a laugh of pure delight.
Well, I am a 'villain' after all.
-P.O.V CHANGE-
Aizawa's mind was displaying a scenario after scenario as he tumbled out the doors of UA and forced his legs to carry him towards the training grounds. He barely felt the unevenly paved paths pressing against the soles of his shoes as he ran, slipping through the dense shadows that collected in thick patches before dawn. He had sent two students on a mission, the very best of the hero course. Todoroki Shouto and Bakugo Katsuki. Todoroki had alerted Aizawa that they had found the villain. He said everything was under control, and that he and Bakugo would be back at the student dormitories before curfew. Aizawa glanced at his watch. It was 9:51. Aizawa had been prepared to assemble a search patrol the second that clock ticked past 9. However, Yamada had convinced him otherwise.
"They're teenagers, Shota. Give it a rest,"
Aizawa had sighed begrudgingly and curled deeper into his sleeping bag.
At 9:46, even Yamada himself showed concern.
Aizawa had bustled into the staffroom with his regular deadpan stare and monotone voice, announcing to Nezu that he was rounding up pro heros. Naturally, Nezu had been reluctant to approve his request. Aizawa had no proof that his students were facing potential danger, none other than the prickling hairs that stood on the back of his neck.
"Nezu, listen to me. Todoroki never ever goes back on his word. If he and Bakugo confront a villain, he is wise enough to alert me or another pro of their status. If Todoroki breaks a promise, it's because he is physically incapable of completing the task given,"
And with that, here Aizawa was, darting through UA's property with Midnight and Present Mic on his heels. Hound dog was currently on patrol, so Nezu suggested the search party bring along a sensory type quirk user from the Hero Course.
Aizawa couldn't argue with Nezu's logic, so he caved and recruited Shoji- the most level headed of sensory types. Due to his unrelenting desire to protect his students, Aizawa selected whom he was certain could cope with whatever horrors may lay ahead.
"Wait," Shoji cut in. Yamada skied to a stop.
"I hear something…"
Aizawa craned his neck and held his breath. There was a wince of pain.
Aizawa's stomach plummeted. He saw white spots sprinkling the edge of his vision, not caring in the slightest if the others were following. He sprinted blindly and crashed into a clearing, panting. Behind him, Midnight took a step- then recoiled in disgust. Her foot had collided mid-step with a lifeless arm. Her bright blue eyes widened commercially as she surveyed their surroundings.
"Holy shit…" she said breathlessly.
Holy shit indeed. Crumpled bodies, hundreds of them, some pale and sickly, others writhing and twitching. Grunts and groans of pain filled the heavy silence. The bodies lay in heaps. Melting ice glazed the floor, it sparkled and gleamed, reflecting light off the blazing orange sun. Scorch marks embroidered many of the fallen bodies. This was clearly the aftermath of Bakugou and Todoroki's quirks.
Yamada was the first to recover.
"WHAT?!" He thundered.
Once the small band of heroes had shed their initial shock, they grimaced at Yamada's unbearably loud voice.
"Be professional, Present Mic!" Midnight snapped.
Aizawa agreed.
"That's right. We're pro heroes. this is a lot to take in, but we have to focus on the task at hand. Shoji,"
Shoji straitened.
"You go find the villain that started this ruckus, and-"
"No need."
An airy, feminine voice sounded. Aizawa whipped around and activated his quirk. His hair floated, eyes glaring red, knuckles white- he was clenching his fists so hard- and felt his teammates stiffen beside him.
The source of the voice let out a single, humourless peal of laughter.
She was a tall, leering woman dressed in a simple black dress. She licked her lips, wetting them.
A long fringe framed her face- her gently sloped eyes and long, thick lashes were almost obscured by her dark locks. Her irises were two rings of steely silver. Her brows- arched and angular- furrowed with annoyance. She had a fine nose and pretty pink lips that curled into a not-so-pretty frown. The woman could potentially be very attractive, but those flinty eyes held a distasteful, spiteful glare that seemed to criticize everything that passed her line of vision.
"There's no need.." she continued.
The woman flashed Aizawa a cheeky grin and waggled her fingers. "I'll be leaving now."
"Wait-"
As quickly as she had arrived, the mysterious figure disappeared with a puff of cloudy purple mist.