Chapter 7: To Take the Bullet (Ep. 21-22)

Izuku was fine. No, really, he was.

When his classmates began to fall ill in mass numbers, he was so panicked he didn't even register anything different about his own health. It wasn't until Shinsou pointed out how warm his skin was that he noticed how sweaty he felt, or how shaky his hands were. He felt abnormally tired, as if he had just run a mile, but despite it all, he didn't feel entirely sick. And he had no clue why.

Half of his class was incapacitated while the rest were perfectly healthy, and Izuku felt this weird in between. There was no explanation for it, and at this point, he wasn't looking for one. Because the second they got the message requesting him and his closest friends specifically, he knew he had no choice but to accept this as a strange miracle. There was no way he could leave his friends on their own, not with so much at risk. His classmates needed him.

A true hero couldn't just give up when he got injured. And neither could Izuku.

-.-.-.-

"Fourteen. No, fifteen total," their new enemy said. There was an odd licking sound before he continued. "Small, likely young. It would seem everyone on this little escapade is here."

BAM!

Izuku bit his tongue to keep from screaming out at the sound of gunfire. Loud, so much louder than their anti-sensei guns. So much more real. He flinched further down behind the chair, heart pounding out of his chest.

"This room is completely soundproof, so don't bother hoping help will come just because of a few gunshots," the man continued. "I highly doubt any of you actually have the guts to kill, so I say we just make this easier for-"

Another gun went off, but from a much closer proximity, making Izuku's unplugged ears ring. It seemed Hayami took a shot at the new perp and missed. Whether it was intentional or not, it certainly caught the man's attention.

"Well, what do you know. Looks like the little assassin babies are here to play!" the man said and suddenly the stage lights turned on, shining upon the audience seats. He aimed his gun and fired dangerously close to Hayami's head.

"Your little hiding game won't do you much good. My quirk tells me where you all are right now. Every time I lick a piece of metal like my gun, I can sense the exact location of every person touching metal in a 50-meter radius. Came in handy during my time as a military dog."

Izuku became hyper-aware of all the metal around him. There was a metal backing on the seats they were hiding behind; their anti-sensei guns had a metal casing; their phones were metal, many small items like zippers on their clothing were metal. With this quirk, their enemy basically had the power to know where any immediate threat was at all times.

"Chiba, hold your fire. Our opponent said his quirk lets him sense metal, but he never said he can differentiate the types. Since you haven't fired, that means he doesn't have a lock on you yet," Korosensei's voice rang out into the concert hall. To the shock of the students and their enemy, the spherical villain sat front row, completely protected in his shell and perfect for being a distraction.

"Kimura! Run five seats to your left!" their teacher shouted. Likely acting on instinct, the boy did as he was instructed. "Terasaka, Yoshida, run three seats on either side!"

Korosensei proceeded to yell out instructions to multiple students by name — an odd tactic since their opponent could still sense their location and now had names to go with it.

"Alternate naming system! Student three, move diagonal left!" Korosensei suddenly shouted out. It took Izuku a second before he realized Korosensei was talking to him, and he was referring to his place on the roll call. He tiredly stumbled to his new spot. "Ponytail, shift your position to the front left! Motorcycle fan, two seats down! The student who's drag name is Kitty Masters, discombobulate the target by throwing the pieces of your costume at him!"

"Gladly!" Shinsou shouted out, chucking the clothing items at their target blindly from behind the seat. A stiletto heel nailed the man in the forehead, breaking skin. As he doubled over, Izuku realized the true genius of Korosensei's plan.

He knew the class wouldn't be able to sneak around their opponent, so he chose to make him as unfocused as possible on the main threat: Chiba's gun. Having the students run around while naming them intrigued the man so he'd want to memorize them to have the upper hand, but then changing the names to things so obscure it befuddled his mind. To top it off, hitting him in the head would only cause more trauma to the brain's ability to think and focus. Add in how overwhelming his quirk must be given the amount of moving, and you have an incapacitated enemy.

"Okay Chiba, when I give the command, fire at will. Hayami, you're on follow-up to block any invasive maneuvers," Korosensei ordered. "Now, in lieu of the flubbed assassination attempt earlier today, I have a word of advice."

What?

Izuku panicked. Why was Korosensei stalling when they had their target right where they wanted him? Was he crazy?

"Just because you failed before, doesn't mean you can let it get in the way of everything you've worked for," their teacher continued. "Even the best fall short of their abilities from time to time. Don't think of yourself as a failure just because of a singular misstep. And if you miss the shot, there's always a fallback strategy. Don't feel burdened with the pressure when you have an entire class to carry it alongside you. Everyone here has tasted the agony of defeat; learn to take solace in that."

Though Korosensei addressed the two sharpshooters directly, it was clear his message was universal. Izuku thought back on how he reacted after their grand assassination attempt failed; he beat himself up to pieces over it. It was his plan, his oversight that caused them to blow it. But like Korosensei said; the entire class felt that agony of defeat — and they would not lose a second time.

Glancing back at their opponent, it appeared the man regained his bearings with the time Korosensei permitted through his pep talk; Izuku could only hope it was intentional. His gun was in his mouth, trying to locate where Chiba was.

"STUDENT TWELVE! STAND AND FIRE NOW!" their teacher ordered. A few seats behind Izuku, someone popped up, only for a bullet to immediately blow through their head. No, no wait-

Another person jumped out from the side, gun gleaming. It was Chiba — the real one this time. The first seemed to be a poster with a moving person on it. Chiba took aim at the target, and with Ritsu's instruction, fired and...missed?

Not again, Izuku bemoaned as their target's laughter mocked them. The creaking sound of gears was the only warning before a stage light swung down on top of him. Chiba never missed; he just had a different target! The man tried to recover, aiming blindly in Chiba's direction, but his gun was shot out of his hand by Hayami. Whether from shock or exhaustion, their opponent passed out to the ground, and Terasaka and Yoshida immediately pounced to bind him. Sugaya appeared from behind the mysterious student twelve seat, holding a cut-out of the drag queen poster on a stick with a bullet hole through the middle.

"Glad I grabbed this earlier. Had a feeling it might come in handy," the gray-haired boy commented. He placed his finger on the corner of the paper and the picture literally came to life, the queen giggling and winking at them. "And to think I'd ever see the day my Ink Animation quirk could be used in a successful assassination plot."

"Have you tried it before?" Izuku asked as Shinsou helped him stand.

Sugaya nodded. "Once, back when we had the assignment from Korosensei. I held up porn magazines to his face and made the girls on the pages give him a striptease. I thought it would distract him enough, but he clearly still thwarted my attack."

"Bet you got a sweet deal from him asking you to keep that a secret. Not that any of that matters, of course," Shinsou commented, throwing the poster a weird look. "Also, can you please get rid of that? I'm trying to repress my memories and seeing Madam Breezy isn't helping."

Izuku paused mid-step. "...Who's Madam Breezy?"

-.-.-.-

"You know, there's one thing bothering me about this whole setup," Izuku commented as they began to approach their desired destination. "Whoever this mastermind leader is, he appears to be pretty clueless about his assets' strengths."

"What do you mean, Midoriya?" Nagisa asked, and the entire class paused to look at him. Feeling suddenly pressured, Izuku kneaded his fingers together, picking at his knuckles.

"Well, um, it's just that he took professional assassins and made them act as glorified look-outs and bouncers. They weren't at all set up to brandish their best skill sets. It's almost as if the mastermind didn't think of utilizing them."

Korosensei grinned. "Interesting observation, Midoriya. I'd have to say I agree with you full-heartedly on this one."

"It makes sense," Shinsou commented, nodding to himself. "I can even speak from first-hand experience. There's a lot of times when I brainwash someone but don't know what they are and aren't capable of, so I tend to resort to simple, more universal tasks. Just look at our opponents. Grip, if given the right job, could have taken us out by snapping our necks from behind, but the mastermind instead made him fight us head-on. A poor waste of assassination skills due to some ignorant planning."

"So you're thinking the mastermind's not an assassin, huh?" Karma concluded.

Taking in their discovery, Karasuma gave out their next instructions, but Izuku suddenly found it too hard to concentrate. A wave of nausea overcame him, everything sluggish and swirling. He reached out for support on the wall but instead found Shinsou wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Jolly Green, you're looking a little worse for wear," he muttered. Izuku closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to regain his bearings.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I think I did a little too much thinking and now my brain hurts," he answered.

Shinsou scoffed. "Yeah, that, or you were infected by a deadly virus, and this little miracle blessing that's made it so minor is now wearing off. You need to stop pushing yourself, Midoriya."

Izuku shook his head. "No, I can't. Not when we're so close. I can't leave my friends to face this monster alone, Shinsou, you know that. I have to push through."

He moved to walk on his own, but his best friend held his arm firmly. "You do realize, Midoriya, that if you keep at it, this could kill you."

Izuku gently placed his hand over Shinsou's. "And if I don't, it will kill our friends. You know this. Heroes never put their lives before others."

-.-.-.-

They walked in complete silence. Their enemy sat in the chair right in front of them, his back facing them. Hopefully he was oblivious of their presence. There was a case next to the chair, likely holding the antidote, but it was visibly rigged with explosives. Karasuma stood in front with his gun, ready to fire if the man reached for the detonator remote. The rest of them were set up to dogpile the man once he—

"The itching. I can't stop the itching," a deep voice rang out from behind the chair. Izuku froze. That voice. He knew that voice.

But it couldn't be…

"It burns. It burns no matter what I do. Lucky for me, my hypersensitivity is better than ever. It's like I'm wired to my surroundings." Their enemy threw his hands up in the air, releasing dozens of detonator remotes identical to the one next to the explosive on the floor. "I hope you didn't think this would be easy. I promised to remove the octopus from this Earth. Forget the heroes, the government, or you — the little kiddies trying to be Pro-Assassins. I'm the only one who's willing to do what it takes to save the world."

The man stood and turned around, and Izuku's lungs deflated, paralyzed by the same fear rippling through to his very soul. Flashes of memories plagued him, and he felt like he was back on the school grounds, his energy being forcibly stripped from his body. He cradled his jaw, pain like a phantom touch.

"Dammit Takaoka, what the hell are you doing here?" Karasuma said, pointing his gun.

Takaoka looked very different from the last time they saw him. His eyes were wide and crazed, and there were fresh scars on his cheeks, as if he had been clawed by an animal — or human. His smile was somewhat akin to Korosensei's, but much, much sinister.

"What kind of children try to sneak up on Dad like that? You know better than to behave so naughtily. Looks like you're all due for a lesson," Takaoka drawled, and Izuku just struggled to breathe. Takaoka was a terrible person; there was no denying that. But for him to stray so far and poison children and hire killers to take care of the rest...this was a whole new level of evil.

"Come along, children. Daddy's got something he wants to show you," he said, picking up the case wrapped in explosives and walking toward the staircase. He paused. "Oh, and don't try anything stupid. If you think Daddy won't hesitate in killing you, you're sorely mistaken."

The crazed man laughed as he ascended up the stairs, leaving them no choice but to follow.

-.-

"The looks on your faces tell me you think I'm crazy, but remember, many world heroes are often thought of as mad — and I'm not talking about those goody-two-shoes in capes like All-Might. I mean the ones who really do what it takes to make a difference, no matter the cost. Those Pro-Heroes are all about a moral code, and look down upon important principles like sacrificing the few to save the rest; well, it's these principles that make progress, and when I'm the one credited with destroying the Tentacle and saving the earth, the world will finally see that," Takaoka ranted. The man brought them to the roof of the building, near the helicopter landing. Despite the darkness, Izuku could still see the insanity on his enemy's face. No amount of reasoning or begging could make him see sense.

"Just you wait," Takaoka continued. "Once I follow through with my assassination plot, the world will wake up to a new age of heroism. No longer will their moralistic ideals be shoved down the throats of every young child. Instead, a new reality will dawn; a reality where villains live in fear of us, not the other way around!"

"You're wrong!" someone shouted, and it wasn't until Takaoka's eyes trained on him that Izuku realized it was his own voice.

"Well if it isn't the brilliant mastermind, Midoriya Izuku," Takaoka hissed, taking a step forward. Shinsou immediately shoved his way so he stood partially in front of Izuku. "When I heard you were feeling a little worse for wear, Daddy was so heartbroken. You are, after all, a key piece for the success of my assassination plot. If you kiddies just did as you were told and sent the ones I requested, we'd already be done with it all. But, since you did all manage to make it, we might as well make use of our audience. Why don't you tell your brothers and sisters why you think Daddy is wrong, huh?" Takaoka mocked.

Izuku trembled (whether from fear or weariness, he didn't know), but he held Takaoka's unnerving stare the best he could. "You say a true hero should always make sacrifices among the few to save the rest, but you couldn't be further from the truth. A hero's job is to save everyone they can, no matter the cost. For a true hero, the only sacrifice that should ever be made is at their own expense. They sacrifice themselves to save the rest!"

Takaoka stared at Izuku murderously for a few moments before scoffing. "Your ideals on heroes are so righteous, it disgusts me. You know, that's why I requested you bring the target. I was going to trap you and the octopus in a bathtub filled with anti-sensei BBs. This way, when the time comes for the target to revert to its original form, there's no way for it to do so without setting off an explosion to keep the deadly material away from him — and, in the process, killing one of his precious students."

The class gasped in horror and Shinsou was now fully positioned in front of Izuku, as if daring Takaoka to try. Izuku could just barely peer around the other's shoulder.

"You should really think about it, Midoriya," Takaoka baited. "Like you said, you'd be sacrificing yourself to save the world!"

"Don't listen to him, Midoriya," Isogai said. "This man is a monster. The only villain we're taking down tonight is him."

"Monster, huh? You're calling me a monster, you puppeteer freak?" Takaoka growled. "If anything, you brats are the real monsters! Do you even know the repercussions of your little stunt during my time as your teacher? Mocking, gossip, failed evaluations, withdrawal from missions! I was the laughingstock of the military because of it!" The man scratched violently at his cheeks. "Every time I think of the humiliation of being taken down with my own knife and getting held down by those stupid strings, I get this irrepressible itch! I can't even sleep through the night! Do you realize what you heroes have done? You've condemned Daddy to hell! And I'm going to make you all pay for this grave injustice, starting with the snakes!"

The man pointed his gun directly at Nagisa and then Shinsou.

"Now it all makes sense," Shinsou commented, despite staring down a barrel. "You requested us so you could exact your revenge. Nagisa and I took you down thanks to Midoriya's plan, and Karma wasn't even there during your lessons so I doubt you knew he existed. This doesn't have anything to do with taking out Korosensei, does it?"

Karma hummed. "You're probably right, Shinsou. He just wants to even the score, not save the world. He can't stand knowing schoolchildren kicked his ass. Tell me, do you really think hurting little kids will repair your self-esteem?"

"You got beat at your own game, Takaoka," Shinsou continued, his purple eyes gleaming dangerously. "And even if you didn't, we'd still despise a piece of trash like you. Korosensei may be a villain, but at least he knows what he is. There's nothing worse than a villain who thinks he's a hero."

Takaoka glared silently at Shinsou, and Izuku thought he was just thinking of a reply. Then, without warning, he pulled the trigger.

Everything felt like slow motion. Shinsou crashed down on top of Izuku, and if Terasaka wasn't behind him, there was no way he'd be able to catch the weight. Screams echoed from all directions. Karasuma pushed his way through the crowding students, yelling for them to back up. Izuku watched helplessly as a blossoming red stain consumed Shinsou's right shoulder, exposed flesh peeking through the hole blown through his shirt and body. Izuku pulled his hands back, eyeing the wet red coat smeared across his palms. He should be panicking. He should be screaming and crying and calling for help. He should feel like his heart was about to burst out of his chest because of fear, but instead, he felt numb. His friend, his best friend was bleeding out, a bullet wound in his shoulder.

It felt like the world was ending.

Takaoka laughed as he blew away the smoke from his gun. "You really think I'd be dumb enough to respond to you? I've already been your puppet once, and I swore I was never going to let it happen again. Your theory is mostly right — I did target the three of you specifically to get my revenge. And for dear Shinsou here, that revenge was simple — eliminate him immediately. Villains deserve to die, after all, and that's all Shinsou will ever be. And I have no problem with killing the rest of your friends too."

Takaoka held up the detonator threateningly. Karasuma cursed, grabbing Karma's jacket to put pressure on the wound, but blood still seemed to be getting everywhere.

The numb shock slowly washed away. Izuku didn't even feel ill or poisoned anymore. Adrenaline pumped into his veins, replacing his depleting energy. He shifted Shinsou's head into Terasaka's lap and stood slowly, facing Takaoka.

"Got something you'd liked to say, Midoriya?" the monstrous man mocked. Izuku didn't respond, simply pulled out his anti-sensei knife. Takaoka tracked the motion and burst out laughing.

"You wanna fight me, huh? A quirkless kid thinks he can stand up against me in a fight? Well, since you lot already spoiled most of my plot, I might as well kill two birds with one stone," Takaoka said, picking the case back up and turning towards the stairs that lead to the helicopter pad. "Come along Izuku, Nagisa. It's time we finally settle things alone. "

Izuku tensed as the man ascended up the staircase. A weak, gurgling cough redirected his attention. Shinsou's tired purple eyes stared up at him, just barely slitted but open, conscious, alive.

"Don't...don't you fuckin..." Shinsou rasped, his chest shuddered with another convulsing cough, followed by a guttural scream as it agitated his shoulder. Karasuma pressed him firmly to the ground.

"Stop. You need to save your strength."

"Ay, ay, sensei..."

Izuku expected tears to prick his eyes, for the crying in his heart to reflect outside. They didn't. It was like his body knew — knew now wasn't the time to cry. Not when he had a monster to kill. "I don't have a choice. Takaoka still has the antidote."

Nagisa put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll both try to talk some sense into him. We can't give up hope yet."

"You guys can't be serious?" Kimura spoke up. "Takaoka's a madman. He'll kill you in a heartbeat! He just freaking shot Shinsou!"

"You're not seriously going to let them do this, are you Karasuma-sensei?" Fuwa asked. Izuku turned to his teacher pleadingly. After a moment, the man sighed.

"You have to be extremely careful. Takaoka has clearly shown that he has no qualms about killing children. Take this, just to be safe," their teacher said, handing Izuku his gun. The boy gingerly handled the firearm before stashing it in the holster where he normally kept his anti-sensei gun.

Nodding at Nagisa, the two headed up the stairs after their enemy. Halfway up, Izuku cast a long glance back at Shinsou. His best friend was pushing against Karasuma to sit up on his own, holding the jacket to his shoulder himself (even after getting shot, he was stubbornly independent). Shinsou's normal pale and sickly complexion confounded into a ghastly and corpse-like appearance, yet the determined scowl on his face remained. They made eye contact, and a message passed between them silently.

Save us all.

-.-.-.-

There was a knife waiting for them when they got there. Nagisa stood in front of it but didn't pick it up as they turned to their opponent. Grinning cruelly, Takaoka held up the detonator. Izuku instantly whipped out his gun, but before he could fire, the monster pressed the button, setting off an explosion — but not the one wrapped around the case.

The two students spun around and watched as the stairs leading to the helicopter pad were obliterated, effectively cutting them off from the rest of the class.

"Sorry, Karasuma. Can't let you or the other kiddos interrupt our alone time," Takaoka said. "I didn't plan on dealing with two of you at once, but I'm sure the revenge will be just as sweet."

"I don't know what you were expecting, Mr. Takaoka, but I'm not here to relive our fight," Nagisa argued, making the crazed man chuckle.

"Well, of course not. I now know not to get caught up in the emotions when I fight you, real or fabricated by your quirk. This fight will be nothing like our first one because this time, I'm actually going to kill you."

The gasps were audible, and Izuku tightened the grip on his gun. "Good luck with that, Takaoka." He tried to sound strong even as his finger trembled against the trigger.

Takaoka sneered and held up another detonator. "I'd be careful with your next move, shrimp, or else you'll be sacrificing a lot more than your own life tonight. So, if you know what's good for you and the rest of your little friends, I'd put that gun away."

If Izuku were Chiba or Hayami, he could shoot Takaoka's hand and get him away from the detonator. He could save everyone with one bullet. But he wasn't — he didn't have a quirk giving him professional sniper skills. Takaoka was right; he didn't have the power here. Surrendering his hands, Izuku lowered the weapon back to its holster. Takaoka's grin grew even larger.

"Good boy, Midoriya. I knew you were a smart one." His eyes shifted back to Nagisa. "Let's see if Nagisa can do the same. Unless you want me to blow up the antidote, I want you do get on your hands and knees and apologize."

Nagisa blinked in shock and Izuku instantly jumped to his friend's defense. "He has nothing to apologize for, Takaoka! He defeated you fair and square!"

"He used a cheap trick with his quirk to get the best of me — making me feel so unsuspecting and then attacking like the snake he is. You only did it because of your lack of skill! A real man wouldn't need anything but his knife in a fight."

Izuku arched an eyebrow. "That's not fair for you to say; you used your quirk against us." He barely dodged the angry swipe from Takaoka.

"That was for discipline, and I'll do it again if you don't shut up, you quirkless freak!" the crazed man shouted before taking a deep breath and resuming his attention on Nagisa. "C'mon already. I don't have the patience to wait forever. I wanna see your forehead touch the floor!"

Nagisa glanced at Izuku, and the quirkless boy faltered. Was Nagisa turning to him for a plan? Izuku was still trying to think of one, but his head felt so scrambled, so focused on surviving the monster in front of them. He gulped, helpless to give Nagisa anymore than a shrug. Nagisa tilted his chin down like a subtle nod before lowering himself to his knees. Deep anger, at Takaoka, at himself (stupid, helpless, useless) flared, his teeth grinding to keep it all in. If he blew up on Takaoka now, it put everything at risk. His friends' lives were contingent on this monster's temper. He kept his eyes trained on the briefcase, forcing himself to focus on the bigger picture.

"I'm sorry for pulling a cheap trick and using my quirk to defeat you in a fight. I only did it because of my lack of skill," Nagisa said. Despite his dry tone, warmth blossomed in Izuku's chest, assuring him of genuine sorrow and regret in the seemingly lackluster words. It swirled around him, promising the truth. There was no need to question otherwise.

Oh.

You're a genius, Nagisa!

"Now apologize for disrespecting me and kicking me out afterward," Takaoka continued, putting his foot on Nagisa's head and holding it to the floor. "Such humiliation...you disregarded me and everything I did for you!"

"We're sorry for the way we treated you," Nagisa replied quickly. The warmth bloomed into a comforting flame, consuming Izuku's heart. "We shouldn't have disrespected you in that manner. I'm truly, deeply sorry. Please find it in your heart to forgive us."

Takaoka grinned and started cackling. "Well, what do you know? I'm starting to believe you. Daddy feels much better — better than I have in weeks. This feeling though...why, I think it just reminds me..."

He brushed a hand over his heart, lips pulling back with a sneer.

"Nagisa, look out!"

Izuku was too late. Takaoka grabbed Nagisa's neck, draining the boy of all his energy before flinging him to the ground. Izuku knelt at his friend's side, helpless, while Takaoka laughed, his muscles growing twitching and spasming as they expanded, veins pressing against flesh like they were threatening to burst.

"Do think I'm a fool? That I would forget? That warmth, the way it twisted my soul — it haunts me every time I close my eyes. Drives my itch crazy!" Fingers clawed at his facing, pulling and ripping at skin. "You made a big mistake, Nagisa. And now your friends will pay. This is the true price for trying to be a hero!"

Before they could react, Takaoka threw the briefcase up in the air. Izuku heard Karasuma shouting and his classmate's pleas, but it was too late. Takaoka hit the button on the detonator and the case exploded, taking the antidote and their dying classmates' only hope with it.

-.-.-.-

Izuku couldn't breathe. His mind went blank, his body numb. It was like he was brainwashed my Shinsou's quirk, his mind forced away from his body, able to see everything but unable to act. Takaoka cackled, shrill and sadistic, head thrown back to project it further. As if condemning a group of children to death was the funniest thing in the world. Izuku didn't even realize he was crying until the monster pointed at his face.

"This- This is what I've been wanting to see! I can't wait to see the pictures in the news of your classmates' dead bodies — and don't forget, you'll be among them, Midoriya! You may have somehow caught a weaker strain, but Smog's poison always finishes off its victims!"

Izuku's heart pounded louder and louder, echoing from his fingertips to his ears, blocking out the cruel jeers and laughter. He saw Nagisa, sprawled on the ground with his energy stolen from his body; he thought about his classmates watching from the rooftop, the horror they must feel, knowing they failed (he failed); he remembered Shinsou's face, twisted and withering in pain as blood seeping from his open wound; he pictured Karasuma and Korosensei, the blame they must be putting on themselves.

His body still not quite his own, Izuku's legs moved forward, arm reaching down for the stray knife. He felt possessed by this unfamiliar burning pumping from his heart and into his veins. His breathing grew erratic, and he could feel the adrenaline slipping away, the exhaustion settling in his bones again. Takaoka was right; the poison was taking effect, and without the antidote, the end was inevitable. He was going to die.

But not without taking this monster down with him.

-.-.-.-

Izuku was not a killer. He was a crybaby, an All-Might idolizer, a wannabe hero, but definitely not a killer. Even when training as an assassin, his target was, by all means, unkillable. There severity of their task, the reality of what they were asked to do seemed more like a hopeless joke; a ticking time bomb E-class needed to ensure didn't go off any sooner than Korosensei threatened. He couldn't fathom actually killing someone — of stealing their life, condemning them to nothingness. How anyone could be comfortable with such a grave action?

But as he stood here in front of the man that shot his best friend and condemned his classmates, condemned Izuku to death...he gained a little more clarity. It wasn't cruelty. It was justice.

A blunt weight cracked into his skull, literally smacking Izuku's brain back into reality — back in his body. He turned around, rubbing the forming knot.

"Knock it off, Jolly Green!" Shinsou shouted surprisingly loud despite the blood loss. He wasn't so much standing as he was being piggybacked by Karma, a makeshift splint fastened to his shoulder. "You...You're better than this so- so stop being stupid!"

He gasped, heaving for air, though the pinched expression suggested he wanted to say more. Karma frowned, placing a hand against the arms propped around his neck — a bizarre gesture of comfort normally only reserved for Nagisa, and even then, it was rare. Granted, it wasn't every day your friend was forced to bleed out on your back.

"I never took you for a bullheaded fool, Midoriya, and I don't like being proven wrong," said Karma, eyes narrowed. "You kill him, then you're just playing right into his game. You'll never become a hero like All-Might if you murder for the sake of vengeance. You give in to that bloodlust, and you're no better than him."

"Karma is right, Midoriya. Killing this man won't solve anything," Korosensei added desperately. "I know it may seem like he deserves it, but you cannot stoop to his level. If needs be, we will find Smog downstairs and demand he creates another antidote; it is his quirk, after all. Please, Midoriya. Don't use the knife. Don't give in to the bloodlust."

Tremors overtook Izuku's body. Every second that passed, his body grew weaker. He didn't have much time left.

The mystery projectile sat at his feet — Shinsou's capture rings. He must've given them to Chiba to throw, not only snapping Izuku out of his bloodlust, but giving him an option out. He picked up the two bulky ring-like objects and slipped them on both his middle fingers, just like Shinsou showed him, but kept the knife firmly in his hand as he turned to his enemy.

"You really think I'm gonna fall for that demonic invention again, little boy?" Takaoka mocked.

"You accused Nagisa of cheating because he used his quirk to take you out," Izuku said, ignoring the taunting. "Well, I don't have a quirk. You wanna redeem your pride, beating up on a little kid? Well, take it out on me. I clearly have no means of cheating to make up for my 'lack' of skill."

"Pretty bold for statement for someone who is poisoned. Say, how about we make a deal, huh?" Takaoka said, pulling three vials out of his pocket. "I didn't destroy every last sample of the antidote in that explosion. The octopus says you can just ask Smog to cook you up new ones, but these babies take days for his quirk to create at the fastest. If you manage to defeat me, I'll give you the vials. There isn't enough to save everyone, but it's at least enough to save yourself and a few others — or, I guess just the others, since you are such a self-sacrificing hero."

Izuku eyed the vials greedily. Taking that as an agreement, Takaoka kicked out, hitting Izuku's chest and knocking him to the ground, leaving him wheezing. "Oh, this will be way too easy. Kinda wish you weren't already dying on me, Midoriya. It'd be fun to fight you in full force — you chickened out last time, passing it off to that snake."

Izuku barely dodged the next attack but wasn't so lucky with the follow-up. Takaoka punched him in the face with all his enhanced strength, sending him reeling backward. He noted that his energy hadn't been zapped from his body, meaning Takaoka was true to his word about fighting like a 'real man' and not using his quirk — well, at least against Izuku. He already gained the upperhand leeching off Nagisa. Izuku tried to roll out of the way but was kicked in the side yet again. Izuku coughed, warm liquid spurting out, splashing red against helicopter pad.

"Already bleeding and I haven't even used this yet, huh?" Takaoka scoffed, brandishing his own knife. Izuku shook his head. His classmate's distant comments just barely reached his ear.

"He's way out of his league here," Sugaya whispered.

"This is a massacre," said Kataoka.

"Karasuma-sensei, can't you do something to help?"

"I'm afraid not, Yada. With Midoriya holding onto my gun and the poison still in my own system, I'm weaponless and powerless."

He knew they didn't mean to be malicious — they probably didn't think he could hear them at all — but it didn't stop the onslaught of memories that followed. The countless times he was mocked in class; his mother crying and telling him she was sorry; Bakugou standing above him with his fist raised.

"You aren't worth anything, Deku. "

He wheezed, lungs working double-time to just get a smidge of oxygen. The world blurred, but not with tears like usual. It was like he could feel like poison rushing through his bloodstream at rapid rates. He tried to stand, only to stumble, palms scraping to catch himself from faceplanting.

"Pathetic," Takaoka sneered.

Pathetic, the little Bakugou in his head echoed. Why are you so damn pathetic, Deku?

He looked over his shoulder helplessly and made eye contact with Shinsou, who looked like he was getting worse every second. He could no longer support his own weight, Terasaka having to step in to help Karma carry him. The jacket-turned-bandaged was completely soaked through with blood. His eyes were but slits and his hands kept twitching — wait, no, not twitching. Flicking.

Plan already forming in his hand, Izuku spun back toward his opponent once again, but this time didn't dare approach. He let Takaoka circle and mock him with the blade as he ranted. Testing to make sure the man's attention was on him, Izuku reached for his gun again. Takaoka's eyes followed hungrily.

Perfect.

With a flick of the wrist, Izuku pulled the gun out and fired high into the sky, throwing off Takaoka's attention. While the man was preoccupied with mocking his seemingly terrible shot, Izuku stashed away his knife and gun and whipped out the capture rings. He never personally used them before, but after encountering them constantly in his fights with Shinsou, he understood the general gist of it. The weapon operated very similarly to a yoyo, as Shinsou had initially described. The bulky bulb tip of the ring flicked off and the attached string — or rope, as it had noticeably been changed to — trailed after it. The bulb acted as a weight and gave Izuku the ability to wrap the rope around something. The first capture ring missed its intended target, but the follow-up wrapped cleanly around Takaoka's wrist.

Without hesitation, Izuku pulled with all his strength, teetering the man to the side. Takaoka crashed onto the floor, and Izuku lunged forward, kicking the knife from his opponent's hand. Before Izuku could strike again, however, Takaoka recovered and hopped to his feet, giving the thin rope a strong pull, nearly dragging Izuku across his stomach. The boy released the capture ring's grip, not wanting to get stuck in a tug-of-war match with Takaoka.

"I told you I wasn't falling for that again!" Takaoka spat before charging, reaching for Izuku's throat. The boy ducked and somersaulted backward to give himself some space. Now that he had a better feel for Shinsou's invention, he felt ready to incorporate it with the latest skill taught to him by Lovro. If all went according to plan, this match would be done for good.

Izuku pulled his own knife back out as Lovro's words echoed in his head.

"This technique is perfect for fooling your opponent about your quirk and getting you out of a pinch. You must always meet the three criteria for it to work, however. First, have at least two weapons on you."

Izuku stood, tightening the grip on his knife and adjusting the capture rings on his fingers.

"Secondly, you must be pitted against an expert."

Izuku eyed Takaoka in disgust.

"And most important, your opponent must already know what it means to face death."

When Lovro had first explained that, Izuku didn't understand what that meant. But now, face to face with this monster, the message was clear. Izuku approached his opponent calmly, pushing the exhaustion and fear away. There was no place for that now.

"This technique is perfect for when you find yourself backed into a corner. Meet the requirements, and it sets you up for an instant-kill."

Takaoka was clearly getting more panicked and defensive the closer Izuku approached. His eyes were trained on the blade in Izuku's hand. Perfect. The timing needed to be just right or else the effect wouldn't be strong enough. When Izuku was just feet away from his opponent, he lifted the blade slightly and...let it drop. Takaoka's attention followed with it, and that's when Izuku struck. Leaning forward, he brought his hands in front of the man's face and clapped them together as loud as he could.

From afar, the attack would look childish. But up close and in this tense atmosphere, it was like a crack of thunder. Takaoka fell backward, defenses exposed, and Izuku pounced like a predator hunting prey. The capture rings whipped out, entangling around both of Takaoka's wrists and yanking the man to the ground. His opponent cried out and tried to fight back, but Izuku didn't let him, twisting the man's arms around until they bent at an awkward angle, forcing him to his knees. Stunned silence quickly followed, save for Takaoka's hyperventilating. Izuku stared at the pitiful man in front of him.

It was funny. Despite all of the horrible, monstrous things Takaoka did, that didn't stop him from representing such an important milestone in Izuku's life. Takaoka was the first villain he ever took down. Through their fight, Izuku experienced bloodlust, and learned the importance of having a friend to keep him grounded; to make sure he did what was right. Stopping Takaoka was his first glimpse of what it would be like when he becomes a hero.

And he's never felt more ready for it.

"You…" Takaoka breathed. "You cheated! You're a liar! You led us all to believe you're quirkless; made me think you'd fight fair. I should have known better! I should have known not to trust a conniving little demon like you!"

"I didn't cheat, and I definitely didn't lie," Izuku said, tying Takaoka's wrists behind his back. "I beat you fair and square."

"Then how do you explain that little trick? You really want me to believe you defeated me with a normal clap?"

"That was no normal clap, Takaoka, but it wasn't superpowered either. Just a trick from a master assassin." Izuku laughed, a beaming smile on his face. "I really am just a quirkless kid, Takaoka. And I took you down on your terms."

It seemed hearing that — that Takaoka was defeated completely at his own game, with no quirk interference to blame — was too much for Takaoka to handle. He collapsed face-first, drool pooling out from his open mouth. His classmates erupted into cheers.

"Oh, yeah! We beat the final boss!"

"Way to go, Midoriya!"

"You did it, man!"

"Number One Hero, Midoriya Izuku!"

Still not quite believing it himself, Izuku turned his head upward. His eyes locked on the permanent crescent-shaped moon.

Funny to think that he would never be capable of any of this — that he would never hear classmates so freely call him a hero — if it weren't for the villain that destroyed the moon in the first place.

-.-.-.-

Karasuma wasted no time pulling all remaining antidote samples off Takaoka and handed them to Kimura.

"Get these back to Okuda as quickly as possible. Her quirk should let her see the breakdown of what's inside. We need her to duplicate it pronto if we're going to save everyone."

Kimura nodded and raced off the side of the building, his quirk letting him run down the vertical surface as if it were normal. That, combined with the boy's above-average speed, and he was out of their line of sight in seconds, their classmates' lifelines clutched in his hands. Karma briefly patted Izuku on the shoulder before rushing over to Nagisa, who was slowly regaining his stolen strength. Izuku couldn't see Shinsou, but that was probably a good thing. The last thing his best friend needed to be doing was walking around and exerting himself any further.

Isogai, carrying Korosensei, approached Izuku, and his sphere-shaped teacher gave him a weary but proud smile.

"That was quite the fight you put up, Midoriya," Korosensei said. "I have to say, for once, I had no idea what the outcome would be. You fought more nobly than any hero I have ever done combat with."

Izuku's lips wobbled as smiled. "Thank you, Korosensei…"

And just like that, finally coming off his adrenaline high, all his pain and ailment hit him like a ton of bricks. Standing was no longer an option, knees collapsing beneath his weight. Isogai scrambled to catch him before he split his head open, dropping Korosensei in the process. His eyes closed, too tired to keep them open. His body felt weightless, floating, before someone settled him against a wall. This was a fine place to die, he supposed. Not ideal by any means, but it could be a lot less comfortable.

Someone grasped his hand. "Knew you could it…"

Shinsou.

Izuku laughed, weak and shaky and relieved. "Thanks to you..." he said. "For a second there, I almost gave in to- to the bloodlust. But you and Karma and Korosensei, you reminded me of who I was...thank you."

Shinsou scoffed, giving his hand a weak squeeze. "'M blushing..."

Izuku smiled just before harsh coughs raked over his body, hot, sticky blood dribbling out of his mouth. Even as he cracked open his eyes, vision spotted in and out. This was when you start seeing the light, right?

"If we die holding hands like some Titanic shit...Karma will never let me live it down," Shinsou said, bringing Izuku back down to earth. Izuku's laugh came out as a wheeze. His head spun, everything going lopsided, and his body slumped to the side. He just barely made out the blurry image of Karasuma above him before he passed out.

-.-.-.-

Izuku woke up in a room he didn't recognize. It looked like a clinic, with numerous white beds lining the walls. How did he get...?

Memories came rushing faster than Korosensei at top speed, followed by horror. He sat straight up, frantically looking around. While his view wasn't the best, it appeared that nearly every bed was in use, but none of the occupants were moving. He desperately tried to make out a head of purple amongst the masses that he assumed were his classmates, praying that everything worked and they all survived. What if Kimura didn't get there in time? What if Okuda couldn't duplicate it? What if the poison had already killed them? Would it have been all his fault? Did he not save them?

"Quiet down, will you?" a familiar voice grumbled. "Some of us are trying to catch up on our beauty sleep."

Izuku turned to his left and found Shinsou peering out from underneath the white sheets, looking a lot better than he did on that rooftop. His skin was no longer sickly pale, his shoulder properly bandaged and arm wrapped snugly in a sling. The glazed-over look in his eyes was replaced with ire, glaring at Izuku like he was the most despicable being in the world.

Izuku grinned.

"You're alright!" he cried — literally cried, the tears already coming down his face in large clumps. Shinsou snorted.

"Yeah. We all are, thanks to you." He gestured to the other hospital beds. A few more of his previously ill classmates stirred at the sound of conversation. Maehara sat up and smiled at him weakly, as did Kanzaki. Sugino, who laid in the bed on the other side of Izuku, waved amicably.

"Kimura arrived with the sample antidote just in time," Sugino explained. "He came running in like a madman, screaming about Pro-Assassins and Takaoka and a fight. I'm still not sure what happened to you guys, but whatever did, I'm just glad to be alive."

Maehara nodded. "Okuda was like a witch, too. She grabbed the antidote, instantly started deciphering the chemical makeup, and whipped up enough to distribute to everyone. It was close, but we did it."

Izuku brightened at the words, but he still had so many questions running through his mind. "What about me, though? It felt like the poison was finally caught up to me. How did I get the antidote if we sent it to the resort?"

"Karasuma kept a sample behind just in case. I don't know how he knew, but like always, he did," Nakamura explained, shrugging.

"Karasuma-sensei was poisoned too, wasn't he? Is he okay?"

Shinsou nodded. "The man didn't even need the antidote. He said his quirk absorbs attacks to give him power, so I guess the same applies even to poison, it just takes longer? I don't know how that works, but basically, it just fortifies that the man is an invulnerable beast."

The students snickered, only to fall silent at the sound of the door opening, revealing Karasuma and a full-sized Korosensei. Both men looked unbelievably relieved.

"Good, you're all up," Karasuma said. "We transferred you to a hospital on the mainland after we administered the antidote, just to make sure there were no further complications. It seems you're all in good shape."

"And good spirits," Korosensei added joyfully. "The others are waiting anxiously outside to come in, if you're up to it."

The group of hospitalized students, now all thoroughly awake, voiced their approval, and their teachers stepped away from the door. The room flooded with the smiling, relieved faces of their classmates. Izuku was instantly rushed by Nagisa, who seemed to be attempting to make doubles of himself like Korosensei and check up on him, Shinsou and Sugino all at once. Karma strolled up seconds later, acting like his usual disconcerted self, but Izuku knew the boy was worried.

"Seems like you've been holding out on us, Midoriya," he said, his golden eyes intense and piercing.

Instantly on edge, Izuku scrambled for an answer. "Uh, what do you me-mean, Karma?"

"You were sick too, but it took forever for the poison to take full effect. I wonder why that is?"

Suddenly all of his friend's eyes were on him. Izuku shrugged helplessly and tried not to fidget too much.

"I...I really don't know myself. Maybe I took a smaller dosage than everyone else? I can't really think of any other explanation…" he said, rubbing his arms absentmindedly. His thumb brushed over a small bump near his shoulder that refused to go away; it had been there ever since the day Shiro came back and injected him with that weird...substance….

...wait.

Before he could get too caught up in his horrifying speculations, Sugino's voice stirred him out of it.

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm sure as hell happy it happened. Who knows how this situation would have turned out if Midoriya was down for the count," the baseball lover said, and the group hummed in agreement, save for Shinsou, who scoffed.

"Please. Jolly Green could have been half in his grave and he still would have demanded to be on the mission."

The group broke out into laughter again while Izuku pouted. "Guys…" he whined, making his friends laugh more. Nagisa reached out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, a feeling of warmth and care Projecting over him.

"Don't get too embarrassed, Midoriya. We're just laughing because it's true. You're undoubtedly the most heroic person I've ever met."

Now embarrassed, Izuku tentatively met the eyes of everyone around him. The confidence and pride he was met with told him they all seemed to agree. Shinsou gave him an assured nod.

Izuku's heart soared.

-.-.-.-

Though their time on the resort was cut short, the students didn't really hold a grudge; everyone was just happy to be alive. Karasuma informed them that three professional assassins were arrested and taken into questioning, and Takaoka was being sent to Tartarus, a high-security prison known to hold the most dangerous of villains.

"You won't have to worry about him any longer," Karasuma assured them, and Izuku prayed he was right.

Upon being released from the hospital, Korosensei pulled Izuku aside.

"I didn't get to speak very long with you earlier," he explained. "I want you to know how deeply proud I am of you. Your performance was inspiring; I hope you realize that."

Not expecting the sudden praise, Izuku blushed and ducked his head. "T-Thank you, sir," he sputtered. He could feel his face heating up; he probably looked like a tomato. "It means a lot coming from you."

Korosensei's constant grin widened. "I hope you understand the feat you pulled off. Despite lacking a quirk that might give you an edge, you defeated an opponent most of your classmates, and even a few Pro-Heroes, would have been bested by. You used your wit, skill, and heart to overcome him. I know being quirkless has been a concern for you in the past, but how you've developed as an assassin is truly commendable. I have no doubt you will become a great hero; maybe the greatest the world will ever see."

Izuku's eyes glistened. "You...You really think so, Korosensei?"

Korosensei patted his head with a tentacle. "I'm the World's Greatest Villain, Midoriya. I know so."

-.-.-.-

So maybe their master attempt at assassinating their teacher failed. Maybe their summer retreat got cut short because of a crazy whack job. The days may be ticking away before the possible destruction of the earth, but 3-E was already counting the seconds. They had their mission and knew their target. No matter what it took, they were going to stop Korosensei before the school year was up.

They would do anything to save the world.