Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia. I only own my OCs and my story plots.

Lapis Lazuli

Chapter 4:

Chaos

It is early morning, the ever-present directional distortion mist swaths the entire reserve in copious amount. The two pro-heroes are decked out in their hero costumes while I donned a camouflage army uniform, completed with combat boots and some weapons. Each of us had on an earpiece and GPS tracker despite having been proved useless, on a just in case scenario that we had managed to eradicate the source of the mist but not make it out of the reserve. After checking us over, the team sends us on our way, the gates to the reserve creaking open ominously.

"We'll be counting on you!" All Might beams, flashing a thumbs up.

"Likewise." I answered with a light twitch of my lips and a polite nod. Endeavour looks like he wants nothing to do with the other hero and just walks on straight ahead with a scowl. I jog lightly to catch up while All Might easily covered the distance with a couple long strides. Giving my surroundings a feel, I directed them towards the underground caves and start jogging.

There are some "blindspots" per say in my Quirk. It was how my parents met anyway. They're carrying out their respective jobs, something along the lines of cop-and-thief, mom being the latter. As she was leaving, her hyper intuition didn't pick up on my dad's presence while his team raided the place, resulting in their first meeting. Not exactly pretty, shots were definitely fired. She was a mercenary from Hong Kong. After who-knows-how-many-encounters later, she subsequently faked her death and married him. The rest is ancient history and here I am.

Not a couple minutes in, I felt like we're being watched and halt, drawing attention from the other two as I turn to stare contemplatively into the shadows of the treetops. There were no sounds of birds chirping, insect calls or any of the like, it felt like walking in a long abandoned cemetery. Our surroundings were so silent I could hear ringing in my ears. My brows furrow together, and I saw a brief flash of a wolf's image studying us before deafening howls resounded all throughout the forest. Startling all three of us.

Hell, it sounded close.

"Run." I said, beginning a dead sprint into the thick vegetation. Vaulting over a fallen little tree full of claw like marks, I advanced further and further into their territory. The duo easily keeps pace, keeping a triangle formation with me leading for the meantime. I blindly steered clear from the stray patches of wet, loose soil, rocks and protruding roots. Leading our group straight towards the lake as the wolves don't generally go near there, I opted to take a small break then to get a feel on where we should go next.

Skidding to a halt right after ducking under a low hanging branch probably wasn't a good idea, as Endeavour had almost run me over in that moment. The loose and moisture saturated soil doesn't help our case either. Last minute reflexes my parents drilled into me since young allowed me to take a sidestep, scrapping by with a feet-staggering shove instead of meeting a full on take-down. All Might managed to steady me with a hand on my shoulder, preventing what would have been an embarrassing trip and subsequent swan-dive into the lake behind me.

"Sorry." I muttered on reflex, after getting both my legs steady under me once again, and the flame hero grumbles incoherently, quickly regaining his bearings.

"No worries." All Might assures, good-natured and I winced because his baritone voice sounded loud and we're in the middle of a predator infested forest. He seems to flinch too, having no doubt noticed and lowered his volume. "So where are the underground caves?"

I cast a quick look around and pointed in the vague direction of North. "We'd better hurry. The wolves are intending to surround us."

It started as a tingle, then it went full out creepy-crawlers scampering up my spine and I finally realised why not many of the inhabitants venture near the huge water source. I tensed.

"Shoot." Was all I managed to say before a large and long creature explodes out of the lake, dark shadows shrouding the area as water sprayed everywhere, drenching my hair within seconds. I vaguely heard a splutter and cough to my sides accompanied by a flare of heat.

Scrubbing the remaining water clinging to my face for uninhibited vision, I peer up to see an anaconda, maws wide open and displaying its two sharp needle-like fangs and a forked tongue. The scenery is completed with a deafening hiss loud enough to reverberate within my skull and rattle my bones.

Then a second snake emerges.

I quickly turn tail to sprint away from the water source just as a blur of gold, blue and red flashes past, followed closely with a yell that was drowned out by angry hissing and spitting. Then, a gust of wind liken to a twister whipped up around the area, taking away the moisture in my eyes in no time flat. I pushed on, blood roaring in my ears as adrenaline pumped within my veins in overdrive, fuelling my legs to move faster.

The familiar heat of flames along my back followed by rapid footsteps a little further away signalled that my teammates are still with me. I trust my senses to bring us where we need to as the greenery blurs past me, angry hissing sounding further and further away.

Once I deemed it safe enough of a distance for a small break, I skid to a halt to start a standard check on our well-being. When I turn around, the hulking redhead greets my sight first, then, dread gripped me by the throat.

All Might... is not here.

"That blubbering—" Endeavour snarls under his breath, flames flaring in accordance to his spike of irritation.

I quickly tried to feel where the blonde is, and picked up on his general whereabouts almost immediately. I swerve to my left, and start running, calling over my shoulder. "This way."

Endeavour is quick to follow. 'All Might is moving fast, if we don't intercept soon, he'll be far enough that we couldn't reach him anymore.' I gritted my teeth, slight panic creeping in as thoughts swirled within my mind miles per hour. Charging through the foliage, I sense the wolves steadily closing in, and one in particular is unbearably near.

I warned him without looking over my shoulder. "The alpha wolf is heading straight for us!"

A muffled 'tched' was heard, before the hero increases his speed to fall in step next to me. I changed directions, aiming straight for where the formation is weakest and decide on a break through. Then we'll make a minor detour back to find All Might, the number one is close by. "Two wolves straight ahead, ready?!"

"I'll take them." He practically orders and I immediately slow my pace to get behind him, hands swiftly reaching for the tranquilliser guns in their holsters. I clicked off the safety locks.

Concentrating flames on both hands as a warning, he advances just when the two creatures leap out from the dense underbrush, snapping jaws riddled with sharp teeth and drool. The grey wolves snap and growl, circling and keeping out of immediate range from the fire and turned to size me up. Deeming me as the easier prey, one of them lunged for me. I split away from Endeavour— who was keeping the other at bay— to avoid the teeth and shot it in its flank. A yelp was heard before it crashed into the ground, shuffling and stumbling before finally succumbing to forced sleep.

The other one is keeping its distance now, if the occasional flash of grey fur in the thicket is anything to go by. I felt a constricting panic grip me by the heart. Their alpha is very close. I ran faster, trying to keep pace with Endeavour's flaming and rapidly disappearing back a couple meters up front. I cursed inwardly the moment I knew the leader is upon us. Breaking through the foliage and cutting off my route, is a wolf larger than the size of a bear with fur a pale brown colour. Intelligent eyes studies me and his lips curl back into a silent snarl.

Doubling back a couple paces, I aimed the tranquillisers and fired. The wolf darts forward and the shots completely misses. It is almost upon me when a stream of fire made the alpha pull back, ears flat against its head as it swerve to face the number two hero.

"Head to the front!" Endeavour yells when he set loose get another wave upon the dirt ground, cutting off their reinforcements for the meantime.

I didn't need to be told twice. I sprint for the side and Endeavour barricades the route with fire before the alpha wolf can give chase. I speed off into the general direction of All Might, hearing the flame hero moving to catch up not long after. As I head further and further in, mists encroach, getting thicker and thicker. Dread creeps in and I halt, noticing something is amiss. I turn around and—

Endeavour is not there.

...

'I will sue fate one day.' I promised inwardly.

Meanwhile with All Might.

'...I screwed up.' Was the first thing Toshinori thinks to himself as he stare dumbly at the huge plant in front of him. From afar, it's rather humanoid looking, so he had thought he had been following the duo until upon closer inspection. The cactus looked like it was mocking him, there's even a tiny bud around waist-height that resembled suspiciously like a middle finger.

He should have used a wind pressure attack on those snakes, he shouldn't have even left the group's side, but his instincts to keep the threat from his weaker teammate(s) kicked in and he acted on it without thinking. He broke formation. Endeavour can take care of himself, but Tsukuda, while the teen has a rather astonishing speed and stamina than he had initially expected, she is still only armed with meagre weapons and a non-combat type quirk. He let out a small, frustrated groan, turning on his heel and hurries away into the... swamp?

'Shit.' He still manages to find new places in this nature reserve despite having been here a couple times. He hopes that he can locate the other two through sheer dumb luck alone and soon.

Author's note:

Ha. They all got separated.

~kirakira_bluemoon