Deku's First Date
Author's Note: Phew. This was a really long chapter. Sorry it took so long to upload. I considered splitting it in half, but I wanted to provide a proper beginning, middle, and end. Admittedly, this chapter is quite different from other chapters I've written, but the heart of it is there. Hopefully, you all enjoy it. Shout-outs to a long list of awesome people who have reviewed my fic since my last upload, including: MSPRIGSS and Chopper911. Thanks for coming back for more. Also, thanks to sergeant thunderclap141, WingsZero, SirJanStark, Renlu, lunar diver, EmeraldGuardian7, moonstar31548, and billythekid256. I wish I could respond individually to all your awesome reviews, but I'm afraid I'd be here all night. Know that I read and cherish them all. Anyway, without further ado, I present to you Deku's first date. As per usual, this chapter is unedited, for better or worse. To see a bit of my thought processes behind this fic, see my note at the end of the chapter.
There were only a few stars out tonight, but those that made it through must have been the brightest. Deku probably could have counted them, but that would have stolen their grandeur. Similarly, he could count the number of times Uraraka made his heart flutter, but that would demean the joy that came with them.
And she did bring him joy.
They walked together, hand in hand, in the late summer evening. Her hand was so soft in his, but he felt an underlying strength beneath that softness. They were the hands of a fighter, for sure.
Deku and Uraraka didn't talk much- neither of them were very big talkers. But that sweet, simple presence was more than enough. She made him smile just by being there.
What if she thinks the silence is awkward?
And just like that, the silence became awkward.
"So, um, Uraraka," he said as they meandered along a quiet back-neighborhood street. They'd finished eating a while ago, and now they made their way back toward U.A., though with plenty of stops along the way.
"Yeah, Deku?" said Uraraka.
"U-um, thanks," said Deku.
"Huh..." she said, smiling at the ground, "I know what you mean, but I should be the one saying that."
She squeezed his hand, and he felt himself go weightless. He stumbled in mid-air, but she caught him. She gently guided him through the air in front of her and held him by his sides up above her.
"There," she said, "Now I'm lifting you up. I feel like I'm always leaning on you, Deku, like you always manage to help me get higher and higher."
"Funny, but I think I should be the one saying that."
Uraraka laughed, her smile reaching her eyes. She reached up and pulled Deku in, embracing him. She was so warm, her cheek soft on his. Deku didn't even realize she'd released him, because she made him feel weightless.
She pulled away, balancing on one foot, and then the other with her hands clasped behind her back. She had a small smile on her face, and those few stars above glistened in her eyes.
Deku swallowed. He couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but those little movements were so… how did he say it? "Adorable" didn't cut it. But neither did "beautiful." She was surreal. In the starlight, illuminated by the quiet streetlights, she was unlike anything or anyone he'd ever met.
"Deku?" said Uraraka, looking into his eyes. Hers were so deep, so thoughtful. Deep and rich like the most succulent book, just utterly entrancing.
"Deku?" she said again, eyebrows furrowing.
"Uh-uh-uh-uh," Deku stuttered, "Sorry." He cast his eyes to the side, his face burning red. "Sorry, I'm still not used to this yet."
"Oh," said Uraraka, turning red herself and looking away, "Yeah, me neither. It's easy when I'm not thinking about it, but the moment I do…"
"It's like talking with saltines in your mouth," said Deku.
Uraraka snorted a laugh. "What kind of comparison is that?"
"I don't know, it's just what I thought of in the moment!"
Uraraka's snort turned into a full laugh. After the laugh subsided, she finally let out a breath and said, "We should probably get going. I'm sure the boys will be suspicious of us."
Deku's stomach sank. Mineta. There was no way he could explain this away.
But why should he? Why should he be ashamed of… of… what was this, exactly?
"Uraraka," he said quietly, "What exactly is this?"
"No idea!" she said enthusiastically. "It is what it is, I think." She pressed her finger to her cheek, thinking. "Do you want to define it?"
"N-n-n-no!" Deku stammered vehemently, before adding, "Unless you want to. I mean, it's up to you."
Uraraka gave that some thought. "I think, right now, it's just a beginning. A beginning of what? I don't know. But…" she turned red as she seemed to realize what she was saying, "I really want to see what it is."
Deku beamed. Not at her in particular, just in general. Beamed at the stars.
She took his hand, saying, "Let's go for now. Whatever comes, comes."
Nodding, Deku went along with her. They made their way back to the U.A. entrance, and from there they went back to the dorms.
"Uraraka," said Deku as they neared the building, "Could we avoid the front door?"
"Huh?" she said, "Why?"
"Well," he said, putting his index fingers together nervously, "The thing is, Mineta and the others will be watching for me. AND IT'S NOT THAT I'M ASHAMED OF YOU! But…"
Uraraka put a finger to his lips and quieted him. "It's okay. We'll take the back."
Deku nodded solemnly. They circled around the hedges surrounding the dorm room, ducking down low for cover. For a split-second, and only a split-second, he saw the front window to the lobby, and sure enough, pressed against the window like a dog waiting for a bone, Mineta's bloodshot eyes gazed out into the darkness, waiting.
After circumnavigating to the back, separated from the building from the tall hedges, Uraraka made Deku and herself weightless, and together, they did a mini-version of their first escapade beneath the night sky. Uraraka held on tight to Deku, and they leaped neatly together right over the hedge.
A little bit of acrobatics later, they landed safely on the back lawn of the dorm, out of view of Mineta's prying eyes. From there, they'd have to separate to their different sides of the dorm.
"Deku," said Uraraka, "I really enjoyed being with you today."
Deku nodded. "Yes!"
"Could… could we do this again tomorrow?" she asked, casting her eyes to the side. "I know it's really soon after this, but we're about to go to our certification, and I don't think we'll have time to-"
"Yes!" said Deku, only barely not shouting. "Definitely yes."
Uraraka smiled. "Thanks," she said. Then she stood up on her toes and kissed him.
Deku melted into her, embracing her in his arms, and kissing her back. He could taste the chapstick on her lips, and he was overpowered by the scent that was distinctly Uraraka. She smelled like flowers, and paper, and cinnamon, all rolled into one.
She shifted her lips and bit his gently, and he felt pure ecstasy all over again. He pressed himself harder against her, and she ran her fingers through his hair.
Finally, after an eternity of pure bliss, they let each other go. Deku was gasping.
"That," he said softly, "Was amazing."
Uraraka smiled. "See you tomorrow."
#
Shredgunner brooded over a weapons crate, tapping its wooden wall with his black combat boot. The warehouse was starkly lit by some mounted industrial lights they'd brought in and hooked up to generators. They could've used the overheads, but then they wouldn't be off the grid, would they?
Leave no footprint. Leave no bodies. Not until you're ready to go loud.
Then you leave a path of destruction.
He wore matching black commando body armor and a jet black face-mask that covered his whole face. His spiky red hair grew out like a lion's mane, wild and unruly. And at his side rested his best and favorite weapon. Long and sleek, designed to be mounted on a frame, and modified to fit his own needs, a six-barrelled vehicle of death: a minigun.
"Yo Shreds," said Sandman, "You sure this is gonna work?" The man was lean and gaunt. He'd started wearing a mask at Shredgunner's behest, though his quirk was as telltale as a fingerprint. Still, it gave Shredgunner some peace of mind.
Sandman stood in front of their blackboard, appreciating the design. They'd thrown up some UV lights to illuminate the invisible chalk, which overlaid with normal white chalk. The white chalk detailed stage one of their plan. Nothing that could tie directly back to Shredgunner or Sandman. The UV light was their stage of the plan, to be exercised in tandem with ignorant parties.
Well, not entirely ignorant. Some misguided folks, rising up in the name of Stain. Shredgunner would use them. Let them make a big enough bang, and nobody would notice the fire burning at the back.
He smiled behind his mask. Looking at the plans he'd laid out. Months upon months of meticulous planning, careful hiding, getting some deals done and hands dirtied. It was all about to pay off.
"Oh, it'll work," he said, "Bet your ass on it."
#
The next day went by with the slow agony of a dying star. Deku found himself constantly checking the time. He'd thought about dropping Uraraka a LINE when he'd woken up, but he didn't want to appear desperate. He wanted to talk to her during training, but didn't have the time. He had to focus on building his ultimate move, and nothing could distract him from that.
Once he actually got training, time did go by pretty quickly. But the moment he let his mind wander, it ground to a halt. Thus went his day until, at last, it came to an end.
He made sure to avoid Mineta, Kaminari, Aoyama, and Tokoyami, sneaking out when none of them were looking. Thankfully, they'd been as occupied with their training as Deku had, and Aizawa-sensei did not allow for slacking.
He changed into normal clothes back at the dorm, and then almost ran to the U.A. entrance. As he neared the entrance, he realized that he probably could have waited for Uraraka back at the dorm. After all, she'd need to change too.
Sure enough, when he arrived, she was nowhere to be seen. Well, Deku guessed it was his time to wait for her.
First thought that popped into his mind? What if she forgot?
Second thought? What if she changed her mind?
And thus went his mental nail-biting from the moment he arrived until the moment Uraraka seemed to pop up out of nowhere.
"Hey, Deku," she smiled at him.
"Y-you came!" he cried, sighing in relief.
"Of course I did, silly."
"I-I know, I just… Thank you."
She smiled at him and took his hand. "Let's get going," she said.
He went along gladly, walking in step with her. Much like the night before, he didn't have much to say. Instead, he let every moment with her speak for itself, and they spoke wonders all on their own.
"So where are we going?" asked Uraraka.
"Uhm," Deku swallowed, "W-where do you want to go?"
"Let's walk around downtown!" she said, "We'll just stop wherever seems good!"
"O-okay," Deku agreed. And off they went.
#
Shredgunner waited patiently for the right time. He'd waited months for this, he could wait a little longer.
He sat in a cool dark van, armored from the outside, procured as part of a set of three. It was outfitted with military riggings and metal benches. A little cramped for his tastes, but they were far more incognito than a convoy of military trucks, and that would make stashing them easier.
Of course, what he was about to do was far from incognito.
Sure, there were probably quieter ways to do this, but where was the fun in that? No, going loud was the best option. And who hears a single gunshot in the wake of a war?
Crank was buried in his laptop, clacking away at the keys, the screen shining bright blue against his glasses. He was young, but he was good. Shredgunner had paid good money to get him on this job. And now? It was all about to pay off.
He lifted his radio. "You ready, Sandman?"
"Locked and loaded," the man buzzed back.
"Alright, men," said Shredgunner, "Get ready to roll out on my signal."
He made eye contact with one of Crank's eyes- the two eyes moved independently of one another, so even as he looked to Shredgunner with one, he kept the other glued to the screen.
"Do it," Shredgunner said, and the kid smiled.
#
Deku licked at his ice-cream cone and shuddered. Wasabi. Why did he choose wasabi?
They'd decided to get ice-cream from one of those hundred-flavor stands, and his indecision had gotten the better of him. So while Uraraka had easily chosen a cherry-blossom flavored cone, he'd closed his eyes and picked randomly.
And he'd gotten wasabi-flavored ice cream. It was so strong, burning his throat and nostrils, making him tear up.
"Deku, you're making a funny face," said Uraraka as she delicately licked the top of her cone. She was so adorable. The ice-cream, strangely enough, matched her cheeks.
And Deku probably looked like a schizophrenic mess, with the sniffling and wheezing. "Sorry," he coughed, "They went overboard on the wasabi in the wasabi ice-cream."
Uraraka laughed. "You didn't have to get it, you know. You could've picked something else."
"But I couldn't make up my mind, so I went with fate."
She laughed again and gently held her cone out to him. "Do you want some of mine instead?"
Deku jumped back and almost dropped his cone. "Uraraka!" he said, "I can't- I shouldn't- I…"
"Why not?" she smiled, "I want you to have some of it."
Her face was red, just like his. She was embarrassed too, she just handled it better than he did. Deku swallowed. "O-okay," he said. He leaned forward and licked off some of the ice-cream. And as he did so, he imagined that he could taste some of Uraraka in there as well.
The thought made him swallow early, and then when he went to breathe, some of the ice-cream went down the wrong pipe. He turned to the side and coughed loudly.
"Oh no!" Uraraka said, "You're dying!" She patted his back gently as he coughed before he finally took in a gasp.
"S-sorry," he mumbled.
She laughed. "You have ice-cream on your face." She reached up and wiped it with her fingers from his cheek. Her hand lingered there for a second, before she turned red and withdrew. She sucked the ice-cream from her fingers as she looked away timidly.
They were, after all, in a public area. Right smack-dab in the middle of downtown, with high-rise residential and shopping areas surrounding them. They stood in front of a shopping street, the same shopping street where he'd had an encounter with Shigaraki Tomura.
He swallowed as he thought back to that day. So many things could have gone wrong. How many people could have died?
"Deku?" said Uraraka.
"Sorry," he answered, "Just thinking again."
"You do that a lot," she said.
"I know, it's just…"
A keen-pitched whine pierced the twilight, gathering like a crescendo, before transitioning nature into the 5 P.M. Chime. The soft melody played over the city disaster-warning network, like a lullaby for the end of the day. And on its final note, it changed, back into that high-pitched, eery noise.
Everyone froze. Deku felt a chill run down his spine.
A voice spoke over the speaker system, loud enough that everyone in the city could hear it. It was a deep, dark voice that sounded. "Citizens," it growled, "Look to your TVs."
Deku grabbed Uraraka by the arm and sprinted to the closest electronic store.
"Deku!" Uraraka yelled, "What's going on?"
"I don't know," said Deku. But whatever it was, whatever it was...
They reached the electronics store, and through the window, Deku saw the screens, all tuned to the same channel. All broadcasting a figure with a black ski mask, standing before a red backdrop.
"Citizens of this city," said the man, his voice carried over the city speakers, "We are Stain's Will. We have come to seize this city from the clutches of fake heroes and false prophets, to purge the shadow of villainy from this wretched landscape. Only by pure sanctification is this possible. You may hide, but you will be found. You may run, but you will be run down. No one is safe. No one is free. This is Stain's Will, and we shall see it through."
The screens went black, and the speakers turned off. There was silence. Deku swallowed, sharing a glance with Uraraka. They needed to get back to U.A.
Then the gunfire started, and so did the screams.
#
"This is Stain's Will, and we shall see it through."
The video ended, and Crank looked up from his laptop at Shredgunner with both eyes and said, "It's time. We have fifteen minutes, maybe less."
"Understood," said Shredgunner, "Everyone roll out."
The driver peeled out of the alleyway, tires screeching with the turn.
"Teams Bravo and Charlie in transit," said Crank, one eye returned to the screen and the other focused on the road in front of them, "ETA is 2 minutes."
"And the fireworks?"
"Fireworks 001, 003, and 004 are active. 002 and 005 had late starts, but that could work in our favor. They'll keep tangos engaged for longer."
"That wasn't the plan," growled Shredgunner.
"Well, they're just radicalized civilians. What do you expect?"
Shredgunner growled in affirmation. He'd worked with civilian populations before. He knew to expect these types of mistakes from them. Just keep his head on the mission at hand, and let everything else fall into place.
They pulled to a stop and began their phase of the plan. Phase Ultraviolet. Before stepping out of the vehicle, Shredgunner pulled a silenced pistol from his vest and cocked it.
#
The gunfire, the screaming, Deku could hear it, he could hear it all. No more than a couple blocks from them. But was that even gunfire? It was so long, and so constant, not like the shots that from Snipe's pistols. But the screams were real. So very real.
Deku moved to go to them, to stop them, when Uraraka grabbed his arm.
"Deku," she said, her face pale. "We need to go back to U.A."
"But the people," he said, "We need to go help them."
"We can't," she said, pulling on him in the other direction, "We don't have our provisional hero certification. You remember what Aizawa-sensei said, right? Please, for now, let the pros do their job."
Deku swallowed hard. She was right. He knew she was right. And yet he couldn't just leave. He couldn't just hear people crying out for help and not go to them.
"Please," she said, "Please let's just go back to U.A. for now."
Deku ground his teeth in frustration. The gunfire continued, followed by explosions. Clouds of dust whipped up into the air from several streets down. There were people dying, and he couldn't do a damn thing.
"Please."
"Okay," Deku finally said, "Let's go."
They ran together out of the mall, navigating the flood of panicked people pushing for the exit. They shambled out onto the street, where traffic had stopped. Already, Backdraft was setting up barricades with his water quirk, redirecting traffic away from ground zero. Plumes of smoke rose up into the sky from far behind him, further into the heart of downtown.
With Uraraka's hand in his, Deku ran along the main street, away from all the chaos, and back toward school. The crowd was insane, people running breakneck between others to get away from what was surely carnage.
"This way," Deku yelled, pulling Uraraka off the main street and onto a side alley. He panted as they came to a stop, leaning against the wall. "This is insane," he said, "That crowd is insane."
"Let's take the back alleys for now," said Uraraka, "But I don't think it's a good idea for us to go flying anywhere."
"No, you're right," said Deku, "The pros will think we're part of that mess."
They moved hastily along the back alleys of the city. Along this route, there were still people, but not as many. Nowhere near the rush from before.
Without that pressing urgency pushing them along, Deku had a moment to think. Something was off, he realized. When he saw the video, he'd assumed it was the League of Villains orchestrating all this. But that didn't make sense, because the League was always quick to take claim for events, and they weren't even mentioned during the broadcast.
Which meant that Stain's Will was a different group. By virtue of their name alone, they wanted to take up the mantle of the Hero Killer. But the viral sites, the videos, they were all about social movement by force, about creating true heroes. Stain never killed civilians, so why were these people wantonly attacking civilians?
"To sanctify this city," the voice had said.
But that just sounded like buzz words, like hacktivist trash talk. It didn't actually sound like Stain. It didn't sound like conviction.
"Deku," said Uraraka, "I know that look. What are you thinking?"
Deku shook his head. "Nothing I can act on. But, be careful. I don't think this is what it seems. Let's get back to the dorm pronto."
They kept running through downtown's bowels, along alleys, until there was almost nobody else around. The crowds had dispersed, each person going their own way to escape the wreckage.
And even yet, in the distant background, the sound of gunfire and explosions could be heard echoing through the alleys.
Deku didn't understand. Guns were almost impossible to obtain, let alone whatever Stain's Will was using. It had to be automatic weapons, but those were military-grade. Where would you even get those?
From an outside source. A supplier. Someone who could circumnavigate the law, and sneak contraband weapons into the heart of Japan. But for what purpose? Why?
They came out onto another wide road. Not the main road, but a secondary road. It was almost deserted as well. People must have been far enough away from the wreckage to stay indoors. Even as he looked, the city loudspeaker bellowed, "We advise all civilians to stay indoors. You are not in any immediate danger. We repeat: stay indoors."
They'd come out across from the National Bank: the largest bank in the city. Not as large as something in, say Tokyo, but still large enough to look like they'd throw Deku out without a moment's thought.
Deku stopped. There was something wrong. The bank's front doors were wide open- and they were automatic doors… Then he saw it. The broken glass, and.. And.. Oh no.
Blood. Lots of blood, splashed over the front steps. And in the center of that giant pool of blood lay the bank security guard, shot three times through the chest.
He jerked Uraraka behind a parked car.
"What's going on, Deku?" she said, eyes focused.
"Someone is robbing the bank," he said glancing over the hood of the car. Only now did he notice the unmarked black vans parked in front of the building. They were still running, ready for a quick getaway.
"We should go for help," whispered Uraraka.
"Yeah, you're right," said Deku, "Lets-"
He ducked down, shoving Uraraka's head down with him. At that exact moment, two men walked out the front doors, cracking glass beneath their boots. Deku glanced around the corner of the car at them, staying concealed.
The men meant business. They carried large bags, probably filled with cash, out to the second van and threw them in with militant efficiency. And at their waists, strapped to theri shoulders, they each carried black, military-looking rifles.
Deku swallowed and hid back behind the car, breathing heavy. Who were these people? Where were the heroes? Weren't there alarms going off?
One of the men's radio buzzed. "All hands prep for extrication. ETD five minutes."
Did they have something to do with Stain's Will? Why were they lingering if they already had the money from the vault? He needed to find out what was going on
"Deku," said Uraraka, "What are you planning?"
"We need to stop them."
"You can't," she hissed, "We'll be expelled if you use your powers to fight them. Or worse."
"I can't just let them leave. They killed that man. Who's to say they won't kill other people? We need to at least see what they're doing."
"But what if they kill you too?"
Deku swallowed. "Let's just make sure they don't see me. Can you float me up to the roof?"
"Of course, but-"
"But Uraraka, we need to act now."
"I know. That's why I'm going with you." She gave him a small, nervous smile. She was terrified, but she would do this.
Deku nodded. "Let's go."
She latched onto him, and when the robbers weren't looking, Deku launched into the air, cresting just over the bank's roof. They landed softly on the tar-paved roof, which was covered with a network of air conditioning vents and antennae. And at the back of the building, there was a small access shed to the emergency stairs.
Deku ducked behind one of the AC vents. There was a stairway leading over another section of ventilation, and at the peak of that stairway stood another armed robber. Like the others, he carried a military-style rifle and wore a full-face ski mask.
The man hadn't seen Deku yet. No, his gaze was focused upward, likely watching for incoming helicopters or flying superheroes. Which meant that if Deku rushed him, he could probably get there before the guy could get a shot off.
Turning to Uraraka, Deku said, "I'm going to take him out."
Uraraka seemed to consider that for a long time, her eyes focused, before she finally nodded. "Do it, but take this." She reached into her purse and retrieved a roll of gauze. "Roll this around your face and head," she said, "So they can't see your face."
Deku stared at the gauze for a second. "Why do you have a roll of gauze in your purse?"
"Because this type of stuff seems to happen with you a lot. I figured I could at least be prepared for a medical emergency. But in this case…" she swallowed before continuing, "In this case, what we're about to do will get us expelled, unless nobody knows it's us. It's not the best option, but you're right. We need to stop these people."
She gave him a small smile. "You can do it Deku. We can do it. Together."
Deku nodded with a smile of his own. He took the gauze from her with shaky hands and wrapped it around his face, head and neck. He tried to make sure he got his hair tucked under the cloth, but he was sure tufts of it stuck out. And he couldn't cover his eyes, so there was a gap there.
He finished and handed the gauze back to her. She took it and began wrapping it around her own head, tucking her shoulder-length hair into it. Within moments, her face was completely concealed.
They weren't perfect disguises, he knew. Their clothes could still be giveaways if the police saw security footage of the event. They'd have to get rid of the clothes they wore that day.
But for now, it was time to get to business.
"What are you going to do with your purse?" he asked.
Uraraka seemed to consider that for a second. She couldn't carry it into battle. At least not without it getting in the way.
"Take him out first," she said, "And we'll worry about that later."
Deku nodded, and behind her gauze-mask, he could see the outline of Uraraka's smile.
He checked around the corner of the AC one more time. The robber was still looking away from them. He could do this. He could do this.
Deku launched around the vent, pushing off with full-cowling strength right at the man. He flew through the air, sailing right toward him.
At the last second, the robber saw him coming, but it was too late. He cried out in surprise, and that cry of surprise quickly turned into a cry of pain, as Deku launched a full kick right into his ribs.
Deku felt the man's bones break beneath the force of his kick, and the man crumbled to the ground. He tried to pull up his rifle for a shot, but in one swift motion, Deku kicked the gun away from his hand and slammed him face-first into the metal walkway.
The gun ripped right off the straps and skitted over to the low roof wall, landing with a clack.
The man was unconscious. Deku sighed in relief. One down, no injuries.
He turned back to Uraraka and saw her picking through her purse. "I didn't want to do this before," she said pulling out her school ID, keys, a few bills of yen, and train card, "Because I was afraid he'd see it." Then she closed her purse and chucked it into the sky. It sailed far and far away from the building, much further than any baseball throw.
And then it was gone.
"Let's go," she said.
Deku nodded, and they entered the emergency stairwell together. They descended the concrete steps down to the second floor and stopped at the exit to an inner balcony within the bank.
Deku peered around the corner, ears tuned for the sound of footsteps and voices.
He spied a single guard overlooking the balcony rail. He carried himself professionally, both hands on his weapon. He wasn't watching the stairs, instead keeping his gaze fixed on first-floor entrances and upper windows.
The balcony stretched out on either side, ending on opposite walls. It was more for show than for utility. There was no elevator up to here, nor any rooms. It did, however, make for a great sniper perch.
"Crank," said a voice, "Where are we on the transfer?"
"Nearly there, sir," said a younger voice. It sounded like the person was around Deku's age.
"Good, let's wrap this up. Sandman, where are we on the cash?"
"Just about done," said a croaky, tired voice, "Only a few more loads."
Deku tapped on Uraraka's shoulder, signalling for her to follow him. They moved together, creeping up on the robber. They struck together. At the same moment Deku reached out and wrapped his arm around man's throat, Uraraka touched the man's back and made him weightless.
Deku took him to the ground and choked him out in moments without a single peep.
Glancing over the railing, Deku took in the situation. It was bad.
There were two more corpses smeared across the marble floor, riddled with bullets and leaking blood. One of them looked like a security guard, another looked like a bank employee. The security guard, though, the security guard seemed to be half-buried in the marble, his hips and legs completely gone.
At least two dozen civilians knelt with their hands behind their heads. Three more armed robbers patrolled between them, weapons ready. And among those robbers, there was a fourth, a tall man with a black face-plate. He wore tactical military gear, with a radio strapped to his chest. In one hand, he carried a silenced pistol, and in the other, he held a long, sleek six-cylindered weapon. A minigun.
The man was huge. At least six feet tall, with crazy red hair spiking out the back. Actually, now that Deku thought on it, the man reminded him of the pro hero Gunhead.
Uraraka gasped. "He looks just like…"
"I know," said Deku, "I know."
There were two other men in the room that Deku could see from his vantage point. One sat at a computer behind a banking desk, clacking away at a keyboard. Another was walking out with two large sack of money. He tossed the sack to the two first robbers they'd seen, and as he returned back to within the depths of the bank, the other two went to carry the money back out to the vans.
"This is bad," whispered Deku, "This is really bad."
"Then what's the plan?" said Uraraka.
Deku swallowed and began to speak as he planned. "Our first objective is protecting the hostages. He's not on the phone with anyone, so I don't think the police know about this yet. That means someone is jamming the signals, just like when the League of Villains attacked USJ.
"That doesn't mean they're using quirks to do that though. Most of these robbers seem quirkless, or they seem to have quirks that aren't very noticeable. That's probably why they're using guns instead of just their powers. Regardless, all this means that he's keeping the people here so they can't run and tell the police or the pros about this. He's not trading anything for them. Which means they're easily expendable if someone tries to interfere."
"So," said Uraraka, "What should we do?"
"All of them carry guns except for the guy at the computer. There are five armed men in here, plus two more out front. The low-level lackeys probably won't kill the civilians without an order to do so. So if we can take out the core leader in one hit, and dispose of the three other robbers before the others get back, then we can take the upperhand."
"Can we even do that?" said Uraraka.
Deku pressed his thumb to the gauze on his chin. "Maybe, but it will be risky." He explained his plan to her quickly
Uraraka nodded. "Let's do it."
"You sure?"
"I believe in you, Deku."
"Okay, let's do it."
Taking a deep breath, Deku jumped up onto the balcony banister and held Uraraka's hands. Inside the building, there were three marble pillars on either side, making six total. They were thick, with classical American-style fluting. He would have to use those if he planned not to die in the next several seconds.
Then, Deku jumped, taking Uraraka with him, catapulting right at large man with the minigun.
His plan relied on surprise, confusion, and overwhelming force. And hopefully, just hopefully, it would work.
He screamed as they flew through the air. Then, as he was about to slam right into the man, he threw Uraraka at the three other robbers. She released herself and him right before colliding with them, and he slammed right into the leader, throwing a full-cowling kick right at the man's face.
The man moved like a whip. He raised his hand up, blocking Deku's kick with his forearm, and then in the same motion aimed the silenced pistol with his other hand at Deku's face.
Deku barely swerved out of the way in time, pushing off the man's forearm with his other leg and ricocheting through the air. He slammed against one of the pillars and leaped from it to the other.
A trail of bullets followed him, bursting out of the masked man's minigun and ripping through the marble and stone, following him like a swarm of bees.
Deku didn't have the time to spare a glance at Uraraka, but he hoped she was doing okay. He slammed downward, beneath the oncoming fire and cracking the marble beneath him. He launched forward, relying on his superior speed to get him to the man before the minigun could find him.
He wouldn't be fast enough. At the last second, he dropped to his knees and slid on the marble, the bullets searing through the air right above him. He collided with the man's leg, clipping him and making him stumble to the ground.
Deku kept sliding for several more meters, before coming to a stop right by one of the hostages.
No time to think. Need to close the distance.
He flipped around and pressed off with his right foot to-
His foot sank into the marble.
His foot was followed by the other, and then his legs. He desperately pulled against the liquid marble around him, but the struggle only made him sink deeper. What was going on? The security guard. This was what got the security guard.
The masked man stood up to full height, carrying his minigun like a toy. "Well done, Sandman," he said.
Only then did Deku notice the fifth man, the one carrying the bags of money, had returned. He had dropped the bags and had his hand planted to the ground. Between him and Deku, three hostages had sunken into the marble as well.
This was bad. This was really bad.
Deku struggled against the quicksand-like marble, and sank up to his waist.
"Not bad, kid," said larger man, "Tell me, what's your name."
Deku didn't answer. He could try to One-For-All 100% his way out of the quicksand, but he'd smash his body again, and then he wouldn't be able to fight properly. His head blazed through different plans and strategies to get out of this mess, but each one led to nowhere.
"No the talkative type, huh?" said the man, "Well, you definitely have got spunk, so you can call me Shredgunner. Not that it matters, really. Sorry, kid. It's just business."
Shredgunner raised the minigun and aimed it at Deku. The gun began to whir to life, spinning. In only a moment, it would spew out dozens, if not hundreds of bullets.
This was it. All or nothing, Deku had to pull himself out of Sandman's quirk. He couldn't afford to die here!
Uraraka came charging in. Right as the minigun was about to fire, she leaped from behind at Shredgunner and touched his back. The man stumbled forward, floating in the air.
Then his minigun fired directly at the ground. The force of it catapulted him upward, careening into the ceiling with an enormous crash. Bullets sprayed in all directions, scoring the ground and sending chips of marble flying in every direction.
"Run!" Uraraka screamed over the gunfire. The civilians bolted for the doors, screaming as they ran. A couple went down in a spray of blood, but they kept going.
Uraraka reached Deku and grabbed him by the hand. "Come on," she said, "You need to get up."
"I can't," Deku grunted, "He has me trapped in quicksand."
"Who does?"
Deku glanced around. Sandman must have fled, because he was nowhere to be seen. "Here," he said, "Back up."
She did, and he smashed the marble around his waist. It exploded outward, sending chunks of stone in every direction. But he was free.
"Help the others escape!" shouted Deku, pointing at some of the struggling civilians, "I'm going to get out the others who've been stuck."
Uraraka nodded, sprinting to one of the downed civilians and trying to help him to his feet, all amidst the pelting storm of bullets.
Deku ran to one of the half-buried people and smashed him free. He reached down and pulled him up, sending him toward the emergency exit. Then, he went to the next, ready to the same thing.
Uraraka cried out suddenly, and Deku's world stopped. He turned to look back at her, and saw her crumpled onto the floor, clutching her side.
She's been hit. No, no, no. She can't be, she can't be.
He began to run to her, and an enormous groan shook the building, terrible the rending of steel. One of the marble pillars shifted in place, and small bits of rock splintered out from the base its base, where the minigun had tore through it.
It began to fall toward Uraraka.
Deku sprinted as fast as his legs could carry, green tails of energy trailing behind him. He closed the gap even as the pillar loomed like a destructive axe, ready to rend Uraraka from his life.
He would reach her, and we he carry her to safety.
Then he saw the person she was sheltering. A young woman, sunken into marble. Screaming, with wide, terrified eyes.
He wouldn't be able to get her out in time.
No. He would not let any more people die.
"Uraraka!" he cried.
He sprinted beneath the pillar and caught it. He crumpled from the strain, the thick marble bulk pressing into his shoulders and back. Legs buckling beneath the weight, back popping, he grit his teeth and screamed.
Uraraka was right there beneath him, looking up at him with bewildered, tearful eyes.
"I will always save you," Deku cried, heaving the mighty pillar off his shoulders and to the side. It landed on the floor with a grand crash, sending bits of marble and dust sputtering outward.
Deku groaned and fell to his knees. "I… I… I will always save you," he said quietly, wrapping his arms around Uraraka.
Distant sirens blared as tires screeched just outside. The shooting had stopped. Deku looked up around him. All the robbers were gone.
"Deku," said Uraraka, "We need to go."
"But you're hurt," he said.
"It's okay," she said, standing. "I just got caught by a marble chip. It'll bruise, but I'll be fine."
Deku let out a groan of relief. "Okay, let's go. But first, I'm going to release these last few folks."
#
They got back to U.A. that night bloody and bruised, but alive. They'd discarded the gauze masks several blocks from the bank, and from there did their best to inconspicuously make their way through the rest of the city and residential districts.
They didn't say anything as they went. They were both spent, physically and emotionally.
When they reached the dorms, they agreed through simple nods and hand gestures to take the back way again. However, when they reached the back lawn, Deku found that himself with a pit in his stomach.
As they were about to separate, he stopped and grabbed Uraraka's hand.
"Ochaco," he said quietly, "I'm sorry for getting you caught up in all that."
She shook her head. "You don't need to be sorry."
"But, but… If you'd gotten hurt, or if you'd died-"
She pressed a finger to his lips. "What was it you said, Deku? That you'd always save me?"
Deku swallowed, mouth going dry. "Y-yes."
"Do you promise me that?"
"Um…"
"Well, do you?"
Deku looked into her eyes. "Yes. I promise."
She smiled and kissed him. When she pulled away, she said, "And I promise to always save you, Deku. No matter what."
She squeezed his hand for a long moment. Deku kept expecting her to eventually let go, but she didn't. And neither did he.
"Deku?" said Uraraka, her face turning red, "I can't help but feel like our date was interrupted."
"O-our d-date?"
Uraraka laughed. "That's what this was, wasn't it?"
Deku swallowed. "I-I guess."
"Th-then, would you like to continue this date? To make up for the one we lost? I-I can make some popcorn, and we can watch some movies on my tv."
Deku couldn't believe his ears. Uraraka was inviting him to her room. "R-really?" he gasped.
She stopped and frowned for a second. "Yes, but only if you promise to behave. No funny business."
Deku straightened up like a board, his face turning pale. "Yes! Of course! I'd never do something like that!"
Uraraka smiled. "Let's do it then. Hop on. We'll go in through my balcony."
Deku swallowed but did as instructed. His mind raced in anticipation. This was the moment he'd never known he'd always been waiting for, the culmination of every relationship he'd ever had: his first "official" date.
Final Notes: Whooee. That was a doozy. For me, at least. A little bit of background behind this chapter: it was easily my most difficult chapter to write for this fic, and not just because of the length. Arguably one of the most important elements of any story is conflict. You can have amazing characters, an awesome setting, and a cool magic system, but if you don't have a strong conflict, your story will feel aimless and get boring really quickly. To have each chapter singularly focus on Deku's growing relationship with Uraraka would grow stale. So, I introduced Shredgunner as a character to provide external conflict for them. That way, I could grow their relationship as characters while also giving them very real obstacles to overcome. I know I could have used the League of Villains, but I don't feel like Shigaraki fits this particular plot setup. And when he returns in the anime, I know it's going to have a huge impact, and I don't want to take away from that.
Another major issue comes from repetition. In any rough draft, it's easy to accidentally fall into a rut of using the same phrases over and over again. It's a common issue that's usually remedied by a good edit or two. But since this is unedited, I don't have that advantage. So if you see me repeat a lot of similar phrases, sorry. Another drawback to not editing is that it can be difficult to maintain consistent character voice, but that's a topic for another time.
It's worth noting that this chapter was a pain in the neck as far as structure goes. When I write my original works, I will write the entire book before I go back to edit. That way I have a clear vision of where my book will be going when I decide to tailor scenes. Oftentimes, I cut unnecessary scenes. Because I'm releasing this weekly (or at least, I'm trying to), I lack that extra hindsight as to whether or not a scene works from a structural perspective. So, I have to just trust my gut and go with it. Hopefully it worked in this case. Let me know what you all think, thanks!