Chapter 26: Setting Fires
"You kindled me, heap of ashes that I am, into fire. He had wondered once why love was always phrased in terms of burning. The conflagration in his own veins, now, gave the answer." -Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Princess
Izuku & Ochako- (Forest Training Ground Cliffside)
'Concentrate. Concentrate. I only really have this one shot to make sure this connects!' Izuku grits his teeth, Muscular's manic grin focused completely on him now.
"What's this; seems your little boyfriend here is trying to come in to help 'save the day'?! Well kid, you're about to learn real life is nothing like the fucking movies or Heroes you so adore!" He chuckles, augmenting the muscles around his neck, ears, and face.
And in bulking up his muscles, he swallows the brunt force of his attack.
Muscular's smile widens in delight, this has always been his favorite part in the midst of a fight.
He grabs onto his leg before he can move it out of the way, fingers digging and crushing in watching as Izuku begins to wince.
"Ah, music to my ears; I'm going to crack all your bones until only dust is left! All while your girlfriend and the kid watches!" He beams, abruptly halted in his twisting when he gaze sets upon Izuku, to the radiant glow of his jade orbs.
'Shit, he's about to use that quirk of his again.' Muscular clicks his tongue, eyes starting to burn from Infliction's effect.
Just before his vision completely blurs out though he slams Izuku into ground, metallic tinge of blood rushing into his mouth.
"A weak little kick like that wasn't going to do anything to me, nor should you think temporarily blinding me will do anything! I've watched what that quirk of yours can do from the news you know. It's more suited for a villain than a hero, don't you think? I mean all those broken bones and burst blood vessels, sounds like the type of shit I would love to do! Must be my lucky day that my strength and speed is far out of your league what with-." Muscular chuckles over his form.
His voice is cut off by both a branch and rock piercing into his ear, scoffing under his breath turning back in the direction of Ochako and Kota.
"You're forgetting this isn't a One vs One fight!" Ochako hisses, hugging Kota closer as his dark eyes appear to roam from her to him.
If Izuku blocked out his vision, he at least won't be able to see them properly for the next few minutes.
'I have to use this time to my advantage!' She determines, even if the taste of bile is starting to swim on the back of her tongue. The last bits of sunlight fall behind them, sky turning a violet-black that will make it harder to soon see.
"Stop tormenting us! Is this what you did to my parents as well?" Kota questions sharply.
Muscular rubs at his eyes and ear to no avail left with only wood splinters and blood dripping into his ear. Still, he catches enough of Kota's question and leaps into the air making Ochako move further back.
"You stupid bitch, I'm going to tear you apart piece by piece now just for that!" He growls, hand digging into her shoulder before she can fully get away.
Her cry cuts through air, Ochako sending a barrage of dirt and leaves to further obscure his view. Spots fill her eyes she can't blink away, Kota's nails scratching at her skin to stay awake.
"Don't lose consciousness, you can't until Muscular's defeated!" He shouts making her ears ring.
She agrees wholeheartedly, really and truly, even as her body starts to tremble in a mix of pain and the urge to vomit...
Muscular purses his lips, again mulling over the boy's statement and wracking his mind.
What is that kid even talking about? His parents? The last parents he can recall taking down was that pathetic Water Duo, the ones who somehow managed to take his left eye in their deaths...
There hadn't been any mention they had a kid this whole time.
Yet here he apparently is now, as if his Mom and Dad are mocking him from beyond the grave by showing him he didn't finish the job.
He licks off a trail of blood sliding down his cheek, managing to follow the shadows of their movements now.
"You're not going to attack us any further; I'll put a stop to you!" Izuku yells out to him. His head spins rushing to sit up and putting pressure on his injured leg, healing it enough at least that he doesn't become immediately unsteady. He has maybe one, no two tries left to use Infliction once more before the coming migraine will slow him.
'Slow his body down, strengthen both my arms!'
Energy pulses over him, launching himself up slamming a fist into his left side just as his vision completely clears.
"Are you in that much of a hurry to die boy?" Muscular sneers, muscle fibers trapping his fist in place.
'Damn it!' Izuku curses himself.
Focus.
He can still attack after all, still prolong this fight until help arrives.
But before reinforcements can come a sheet of needles separates them, glittering like raindrops in the silver of the rising moon.
From the corner of his eye he sees a flash of sandy blonde hair messily pulled up in a bun, rosy cheeks with lips set in a deep scowl that make his whole body prickle in warning.
"Muscular, you ass! I told you Ochako's blood was mine!" Toga calls out to them.
Katsuki- (Main Forest Training Ground)
"And neither of them have come back from the cliffside! But I'm sure I just heard Ochako's scream!" Tsuyu repeats again in one breath, tears pricking her eyes she quickly wipes away.
"I never should've let her go alone..." She trails off, fists balled so tightly they take on a shade of crimson.
"It's not your fault, Aizawa-sensei and the others are working to secure the parameter." Kirishima replies back, though his words do little to comfort the Frog-girl.
Because that knowing is still stinging at her chest, that Round face is in danger now since she chose to not go after her into the woods.
He's heard enough before her voice gets shuffled into the commotion of an alert Aizawa-sensei and the Wild Wild Pussycats confirming they received an emergency text from Izuku's phone around 10 minutes ago now.
The League is attacking again as promised.
He adjusts the makeshift mask Yaoyorozu gave each of them, trying to ignore the creeping sensation that one of their associates is waiting for the right moment from the shadows.
"Damn it, Juzo and Ibara have been knocked unconscious by this gas! I'm not sure how well these masks will even hold up against this quirk!" Tetsutetsu curses.
"Should we fall back?" Kirishima suggests only for Tetsutetsu to vehemently shake his head.
"Hell no! We aren't letting any of them think we're weak or cowards just because we're students!" He sharply retorts.
Katsuki meanwhile studies the trees and shrubbery, taking note of ones slightly rustled showing signs a person had cut through them. The fact that they in particular haven't been attacked yet must mean none of them are the main targets, their sole focus must be to get to Deku.
'Or better yet, they don't have a quirk they can use offensively.' He considers.
"Hey, what are you about to do Bakugo-" Kirishima questions beside him, Katsuki paying him no mind as he directs a blast straight into the trees creating a trail of flames.
"Smoking out the idiot who thinks he can keep hiding in the bushes forever from us!" He snaps back, watching as a shadow skitters backwards trying to get further away.
He launches himself up and forward before whoever it is can escape, finally able to see the outline of a figure forming.
"Heh, you only made it easier to hide myself in the aftermath of your explosion. I thought you U.A. students were supposed to be smarter than that." The man chuckles from within the smog.
And Katsuki grunts in realization, dodging out of the way just as he hears the click of his revolver.
The bullet whizzes by his ear, crashing into the trees beside them splintering the bark to pieces. The shot blasts out like lightning, booming in his ears, but he refuses to let it distract him for long.
"Yeah? Well you're the moron who thought hiding only a few feet away would keep you from being attacked!" Katsuki scoffs back.
He throws himself forward once more before Mustard can truly get away, hands clenching onto his legs toppling him back to the ground. He manages to fire off another shot that grazes his shoulder, flash of red forming in the corner of his eye.
'No, I'm not letting this wannabe villain take me out!' He directs heat straight into the palms of his hands, enough for his hold to loosen on his gun from the sudden burn to his legs.
He uses the opportunity as soon as he reaches one hand back to abruptly increase his pressure, smashing his face down into the shards of wood and grass, Katsuki tearing off his mask revealing plain light brown hair and bruised cheeks.
"I know your type Bakugo; you're the bully. The one who has always got his way, right? Hah, with the way you act I can see why the boss considered you a target at one point to be recruited for the League. I might not have been able to kill you off, but Moonfish can finish the job. I'm sure he'll add your flesh to his collection." Mustard speaks slowly, empty auburn eyes boring into him.
"Shut up." He growls, slamming his face again into the grass, knocking away teeth and deepening the shades of his bluish-purple bruises.
Mustard ignores his command, brown orbs turning icy as if remembering. "Yeah, I'm right; I know I am, because it was people like you who always bullied me! I'm sure you're one of the most popular guys in your class, got all the best praise from your buddies and teachers that you were going to be 'one of the stars' too I bet. And then when none of them are looking, you bullied people like me for having a pathetic quirk that only makes people fall asleep, for not always having the best grades or figure."
'How the fuck is this guy not unconscious yet?!' Katsuki grimaces, pushing his head back down roughly enough to rip away pieces of his hair.
"Well, let me tell you something Bakugo: People like us don't forget!" He tries to say it so menacingly, though his voice only comes out as a whisper, eyes shutting. He watches as his head slumps down into a pooling ring of copper-red; finally silent.
And for a second, the forest stills with him.
The night crickets and fireflies soon hum to life again in song, wisps of yellow-green light bouncing around him.
'About time.' He breathes, throat burning taking in gasps of air properly.
He considers his last words, Deku flashing to mind.
"I already knew that." He spits, a villain didn't need to remind him of his past.
All Might too has to enter his thoughts at the same moment as if making sure he doesn't forget of the certainty of his connection to Deku...
"Bakugo, get out of that area! Hurry!" Todoroki's voice yells at him from the approaching distance, red and white hair rushing towards him on a sheet of ice seeming to race a coming figure approaching from the opposite side of the forest.
Streaks of piercing white blades encircle the trees, figure hopping up into the sky making moonlight shine on his all black attire.
Katsuki cracks his knuckles, shock of pain running down his injured right arm.
'Ignore it, bite through it.' He reminds himself.
This is nothing after all when compared to the pain Deku did when he used Infliction on him.
He looks up at this villain, taking in his gaping mouth, the drool sliding down his chin in thin rivulets.
Moonfish stares not at him, but at his wound.
All Might
"Should I head over there? Is Young Midoriya alright?" Toshinori asks in a rush, words tumbling together into one in his haste.
He should've at least came from the distance, kept such a low profile that nobody would've realized he was at the Training Grounds as well except for a select few.
And what of the rest of Class 1-A and 1-B? How many students are injured or worse, in critical condition?
Aizawa pauses for a second too long on the other end that he nearly thinks he's lost him to a spot of bad connection, about to hang up and redial when he hears his deep sigh on the other end.
"No, your successor is not alright and no, don't come here. Your time limit in your buffed form is getting extremely short now that it would be exposed right to villains your weakness. I don't have the time to talk right now, one's heading right for me in the next second."
He hangs up with a click without another word and Toshinori is left to stare at the dark screen of his phone.
An ache settles over him like a cloud, old scar throbbing at trying to push himself back into his buffed form too soon. Shota is painfully right, he is too far away to be of help at this time.
'There has to be something else I can do to be of aid in this matter.' He decides.
He taps back on his phone again and goes to his contacts, scrolling until he reaches Tsukauchi's name.
If there's any updates, he'll be one of the first to know.
Tsukauchi answers on the 4th ring, nearly letting it go to voicemail. "Hey, it's pretty swamped here. I'm sure you already got the news on what's been happening at the Training Ground Forest. We're already getting a team over there, but the area is of course hard to reach and they won't be getting there anytime soon, on top of that connection is in and out in areas deeper into the forest."
Toshinori nods to himself, all of this he already knows.
"What do you know about the villains attacking there? Are there any names that stick out to you?!" He questions in rapid-fire before slowing himself down.
Naomasa chuckles, used to it by now and he hears the shuffling of papers in the background, his pen clicking back and forth.
"Well, it seems most of these guys came out of the woodworks after the Hero Killer Stain was taken down. Most of them seem to be people who feel abandoned by society or just enjoy causing trouble or pain for fun. Based on some old news articles I've been reading, one of their most newest recruits appears to be Goto Imasuji or aka Muscular. He killed the Hero Duo Water Hose a few years back." He reviews.
Toshinori nods along, considering his connection. "Isn't one of them related to Mandalay?" He asks.
Naomasa hums his affirmation, chill passing over him. "Yup, I believe their son has been in her care for the most part since then."
'This isn't good, it's a mix of low and high-ranking criminals with quirks that can be lethal or at least cause lasting damage.' He bites his lip, only stopping himself when the taste of blood sours his tongue.
"-So, do you think he can take him on?" Naomasa is saying and Toshinori blinks, completely missing the first half of this conversation.
He could wing it, but Tsukauchi knows he's a terrible liar.
"Maybe?!" He states half-heartedly and Tsukauchi snorts.
It had been worth a try.
After another long pause, he sighs. "You weren't listening to anything I just said! At least use your buffed confident voice if you're going to lie. Anyways, I was only asking if you think your successor can handle them if worse comes to worse and he's caught in a one vs one situation. We don't know what they're end-game plans of the villains are yet, but kidnapping can't be left off the table."
'Young Midoriya?' He wonders.
His eyes turn towards the window in the direction of the forests and mountains where both Class 1-A and B remain. The sky is an inky black now, starless and clear save for the fullness of the moon gleaming a silver-white.
He thinks of all of the training he's done with him, Gran Torino, and even Recovery Girl. The way he quickly picked up on how to know the anatomy of the human body on the fastest ways to paralyze or even kill...
Even with all of that in mind, none of it feels like it is enough now. These are men twice Midoriya's size in some cases like Muscular and there are others who can trap a person in a second like Mr. Compress.
"I-I'm not sure." He answers honestly after a moment.
And the truth of that makes his stomach lurch.
Izuku & Ochako- (Forest Training Ground Cliffside)
"Back the hell off, I'm going to mess around with them first! You can have their body parts after I'm done ripping them off!" Muscular hisses, not sparing Toga another glance.
"What makes you think I'll just stand by and let you?! I'm never going to get a chance to enjoy their blood if you shred them apart too much. Moonfish would be on board for such an idea, but not me!" Toga argues back in return.
Their voices echo and run across the terrain not trying to be quiet at all. It at least gives away they haven't moved location from where they were last spotted.
Ochako stiffens as Toga's attention turns back to her briefly, warm flush spreading across her cheeks looking her up and down.
"That head injury of yours looks serious. I can lick and kiss it better if you like?!" She coos excitedly.
'Now it's two vs two and Deku and I are already injured enough from Muscular's first assault.' Ochako considers, ignoring Toga's question with a silent glare. She squeezes Kota closer, weighing how to ensure she doesn't attack either of them.
Izuku meets her gaze for another flash of a second, a silent understanding passing between them when he taps his thumb to his neck.
The best way to protect Kota, to make sure they all get of out of this situation alive is to knock out or even potentially kill Muscular.
Though they no longer have the element of any surprise attacks with Toga here now, golden orbs taking in the scene with a mix of fury and curiosity.
She would either help him or simply watch this spectacle unfold.
'I have one last idea, if I can direct a punch at his neck even if he augments it.' Izuku decides.
Because within his neck is his windpipe, the major arteries and veins of the carotid, superior vena cava, jugular vein...
All of them relate to his heart, to his lungs, and especially to his brain.
"Hmph, going to try another trick? Your punches aren't going to get you far, tell you what, I'll even take out my prosthetic eye to give you an advantage." Muscular snickers, popping his fake eye out. He's seen enough of what this boy can do and it is nothing special compared to how the news has dramatized him.
But Izuku drowns out the sound of his voice, tightening his right hand back up.
'Strengthen my right hand, by 100%!'
Muscular tightens back up his muscles just as before, Izuku sliding out of the way of his arm before it can break him into the ground again.
"I told you before, didn't I? You'll regret underestimating me until it was too late!" Izuku announces.
SMASH!
His fist connects, tearing through his muscles layer by layer, force of the blast tossing him straight into the rocky side of the cliff's top. The vessels in his neck burst as he expects, coating his fingers in the stickiness of his blood. His dark eyes glaze over in shock before rolling back, breath coming out in a wheeze.
Himiko whistles, gazing upon the grisly site in pleasure. The injury is severe enough to expose the layers of fatty tissue within his muscles and the beginnings of bone. She waits to see if his chest will somehow rise with how extensive the wound is, observing the faintest of movement that confirms he at least isn't dead.
Though his blood doesn't interest her, attention focusing back on Ochako as the smoke from her earlier attack clears. She's too far away to properly take her blood even with this new equipment, Izuku is in close enough range though...
She raises up her needle, grin widening picturing if his blood will be salty or sweet, if it will taste just like the warm tanginess of her old middle school crush or more bitter like those of the animals she used to steal away in the night.
"I think they're this way!" A voice calls out from above and Himiko huffs under her breath at another interruption, with said voice is the sound of too many approaching footsteps for her to try and take on alone.
'I'll need to fall back for now.' She sighs, without any blood truly collected Dabi will be annoyed and she feels the twinge of a headache form picturing the conversation. The forests behind her will take her back around the cliffside into the undergrowth of their meeting spot. The darkness and untouched trees there should be good enough to hide her should any of them decide to give chase.
It doesn't surprise her Ochako's gaze as moved back to Izuku when she looks their way for a final time, beaming at the way her expression has softened.
'Next time I'll ensure we're truly alone.'
And unlike Muscular, she'll make sure her blood doesn't go to waste.
As soon as Ochako properly grounds herself and Kota, Kota races forward to Izuku, tears returning taking in the mess of bruises and blood to his arms.
"You, you didn't need to go this far for me!" Kota cries, stunned that Izuku is somehow still standing up having healed his body in small patches.
Izuku peers back to Ochako, crouched and bent away from the pair. He steps forward to her, but Ochako holds a hand up stopping his approach.
"I'm fine!" She insists too quickly once she returns back to them, rubbing at her lips to clear away any residue. Izuku weaves a hand up into her hair, dried blood trapped within her brown locks before studying the paleness of her skin.
"You're dehydrated; again." Izuku notes.
Ochako lightly shrugs, giving him a half-smile in return. "And your arm is broken; again." She counters back.
Kota gives them both an uneasy stare before chancing a look at Muscular's slumped form.
"He'll be knocked out for quite a while. We don't need to worry about him right now." Izuku mentions at his shivering, bending himself to eye level with him.
Ochako follows his behavior, grin widening. "I told you that you could trust Deku, didn't I?"
Kota reddens, nodding so fast they nearly miss it.
"Climb onto my back Kota, we're going to need your help this time in putting out the nearby fires." Izuku gestures.
Indeed the voice they heard earlier, maybe Fumikage or Mezo has been drowned out by the spread of flames covering the path from which they came.
Ochako rises unsteadily to her feet, Izuku's fingers encasing her own keeping her balanced.
"I've got you too." He promises.
Her fingers thumb at the pulse point of his wrists, bounding restlessly matching her own.
But the brief calm she feels gets overwhelmed as a dark thought crawls up, taking in the sudden burst of a bright azure blaze that streaks up to the sky. It's flames eventually fizzle and fall back to earth, scattering against the trees.
'You're not out of the woods yet, you're not even out of danger...'
-x-
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