Soul Marked
Chapter Forty
Provisional License
This is sooo late. I know. I'm terrible but I'm not good with keeping to a schedule and my hobbies, and my ability to write tends to work on a cycle that I have no control over. This chapter has been a pain to write, I've rewritten, and moved things around a lot, before it finally flowed free and got done.
However, I'm quite happy with it and how it ended up. Some of it follows pretty close to canon but I tried to change up enough that it doesn't feel like a complete rewrite.
So I hope you all like it!
Izuka had found herself alone, fallen from where she had once been, feeling a little more bruised and battered than before. She grimaced as she stood, worried about the others, and how easily it had been to separate them from one another. They had worked so flawlessly with one another, filling in the gaps that their weaknesses left by using one another as support. It had been amazing to witness, to be a part of, as all she could do was watch as they were scattered. It caused a feeling of excitement to flood her veins as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was excited to go up against them.
Seeing so many quirks in one place, witnessing how they worked, and being able to come up with a counter mid-battle was exhilarating for Izuka. She hadn't felt this since the sports Festival, having felt far too much terror during her exam with All Might and Bakugo, to really get to enjoy it.
As lost in thought as she was, Izuka sensed the change in the air around her before she saw a body flicker appear in front of her. Acting on instinct, she jumped back, skidding across the rocky ground, as the girl from before lunged forward.
"Oh!" she cried out, thrilled. "I thought you were deeper in thought. You noticed me!"
Izuka wasn't surprised to see the girl, a gut feeling had her believing she was going to see her again, she just hadn't counted on it being so early into the exam.
"You're just as cute as ever! Oh, can't we be friends!?" She stopped, crouching, just mere feet away from Izuka, having not been able to land a touch on one of Izuka's targets.
"Aren't we supposed to be against one another right now?" Izuka said, confused by the girl's behavior. "It's kind of hard to make friends during an exam." A pout tugged at the older girl's lips, her hand coming up to adjust the hat on her head, as she shrugged.
"There just isn't ever any time," she sighed. "I supposed it can't be helped."
"What do you mean?"
Izuka was beginning to feel as if there was something she was missing.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm just so disappointed!"
Midoriya couldn't help but start to feel for the girl, she really seemed desperate to become her friend, and though it made her feel awkward and paranoid, she couldn't help the next words that fell from her mouth.
"Maybe if there's time afterward?" The stranger squealed as she jumped up.
"You're just so cool! I knew I picked right!"
"Picked right?"
"Forget I said that I'm a bit on a tight schedule you see! I knew that Yuuei would be the school everyone went after first, and I didn't want you to be taken out before I could talk to you. There's so much I want to do! I'd like to get to know you, and then of course there's something I need to tell you-."
Izuka darted forward, she was wasting time talking to her, even if her curiosity was screaming at her to stand there and listen. Then something deeper, as if her bond was telling her to calm down, and listen, but Izuka pushed that to the side. She had something important to do here. She couldn't be getting distracted.
"I'm sorry!" she called out as she ran across the terrain. "Anyone could stumble upon us, and I can't afford to get out."
Izuka wasn't sure what the girl was trying to do. If her goal was to become friends it was a strange time to be trying that.
It didn't change the fact that she could just be lying, trying to buy time until her schoolmates got here, or she could just be confident in her abilities. Either way, they could try for friends after, if that's truly what her goal was.
The girl seemed to accept Izuka's actions, a ball being tossed through the air, and for a split second that's what Izuka focused on. She moved, to dodge, only to realize that the older girl had disappeared.
"W-what?"
The air seemed to shift around her once again, Izuka could feel how the girl appeared out of seemingly nowhere, amazed at her ability, wondering if it was a part of her quirk. Izuka barely managed to twist, dodging the ball that was in the older girl's hand, as she darted forward to attack, only to freeze.
The girl was gone.
Again.
Having disappeared as soon as her eyes left her during the twist.
Izuka felt the shift, that change, right before someone's hands grabbed her back, Midoriya having not reacted fast enough.
"You're thinking I must have a 'vanishing' quirk, right?" The words were whispered into her ear just as she was shoved to the ground. "Wrong! I was just hiding."
"Y-you caught me," Izuka grumbled, forcing the words out in-between mouthfuls of dirt. Her face was smooshed against a rock as the weight on her back shifted.
"All I'm doing is hiding from your eyes and ears. The moment I stop breathing and thinking, I can blend in. The whole not thinking is the hard part."
Izuka couldn't help it. Her fangirling side reared its head up, completely without her wishes, as words of admiration fell from her lips.
"T-that's amazing!"
Above her, the girl seemed to hesitate at the praise before leaning down so their faces were right next to one another.
"You do get me," she whispered happily. "Oh, that makes me so happy. It's like we both want to learn about one another. Ah, I'd give anything to have more time to talk to you without distractions."
The strange vibe she was getting from the girl only grew as Izuka tried wiggling herself free. Her grip was strong though and Izuka was worried about hurting her by using her quirk. Perhaps distracting her would be the best solution.
"It would be cool to learn that technique from you." This wasn't a lie. Izuka honestly thought it would be helpful to her in the future. The girl seemed to still be above her, having started to shift, as she stared down at her in amazement.
"Oooh! We could meet up! If we were friends I'd gladly teach you it." Izuka shifted, moving forward, before stopping as the happiness seemed to drain from her voice. Thinking it was because she had tried to wiggle free Izuka was quick to stop. "Ah, but he would try to take up all of your time." She seemed to pout above her, but Izuka wasn't able to tell, even while craning her neck. She was curious, and worried, about who this 'he' was. "He doesn't know how to share."
Izuka opened her mouth, ready to ask what the girl meant, but was interrupted by a sound of excitement.
"Ha! Found one!"
"Gah, Shiketsu's already here," another voice groaned. "What a pain. Looks like she's about to get her out."
Not good!
She realized that her time was out. Whatever weird conversation the two were having had caused her to get caught, and Izuka didn't plan on sticking around for them to get any of her targets. Without hesitating, Izuka powered her quirk, slipping from the older girl who had been just as surprised as Izuka. Mind running a mile a minute Izuka knew she couldn't take them head-on, there were too many of them. She would have to dodge. Springing forward Izuka danced, dodged, and twisted, bouncing and flying through the air as she avoided each quirk and person that went after her.
Her attention left the other girl, she hardly noticed that she seemed to disappear, escaping before they decided to try their luck at attacking her as well. Izuka couldn't help but feel disappointed at not getting more answers, and only gaining more questions.
The girl didn't add up and Izuka could admit that her paranoia probably helped in pushing her forward in wanting to solve the mystery. Twisting, and dodging, Midoriya looked for a way out. There had to be a weak spot somewhere. Someone, or a point, that wasn't covered as well, that she could exploit and disappear. If she could hide and wait them out, then when they moved on she could find her classmates. Only the sound of someone familiar drove her to abandon the plan as she spun around, somersaulting mid-air to avoid a ball thrown at her, as she looked for Ochaco.
What was Ochaco doing here?
She didn't look like she had a plan.
Had only called out without thinking it through.
That wasn't like her classmate.
A frown fell onto her lips as she came down, her body preparing for the land, as her quirk powered up. She slammed into the ground, landing in a crouch, as she felt One For All rip through the surrounding area, jutting the ground up, and causing those closest to her to fall down. The boy from before wasn't the only one that knew how to move the earth.
She hadn't worried about Ochaco, the girl knew how to float, and had expected her to do that, but instead, Izuka watched as the girl lost her balance, and began to tumble over the side of the cliff she was on. Ochaco had seen her do that move a lot in the past week, had known what it would do, and knew how to avoid getting caught up in it.
Her eyes narrowed, feeling as if she was about to walk right into a trap, but Izuka didn't know how to sit back and allow someone to get hurt. She was a hero, one that wanted to save everyone, not caring about how society saw them. Could she really call herself a hero if she wasn't willing to save everyone?
She had pushed herself to become faster.
She had bled blood, sweat, and tears, as she pushed her body, because if she had only been a little faster, a little stronger, then maybe she wouldn't have gotten hurt as badly as she did during her fight with Muscular. Then she could have saved Kouta earlier, had him safely with Aizawa sooner, and wouldn't have had to rely on others to keep her safe when her body refused to keep moving. If she wanted to save people, she needed to be fast, and able to keep herself safe first.
Her body sprang into action, and green lit up the shadows around her, as she dove forward, using a move inspired by Iida to make herself faster. The muscles in her legs twitched, she hadn't put 100% into them, but they were still growing used to the new sensation, and though the pain was barely felt, Izuka was careful regardless.
She would be faster.
Her arms wrapped around Ochaco, cushioning her fall, before springing forward once more. Those around her were slowly recovering from the surprise attack.
She would keep herself safe.
Jumping up she landed on the foothold that those around her had used to get down into the hole Izuka had been in.
Izuka would think of every action, and its consequences, while planning several steps ahead if it meant she would be a better hero.
Forcing her foot down she caused the rock to crumble, feeling as it began to give way under the iron sole of her boot. Those below her cried out as she darted off, knowing it wouldn't keep them trapped. Eventually, they would get out, but it would give her a head start and the ability to disappear. She wasted no time vanishing into the rocks as she found a safe place to set Ochaco down.
"Thank you," her voice wavered. "I made a mistake."
Izuka bit her lip as she glanced around the rock they were hiding behind. The coast was clear. The others either hadn't made it out yet, or she had effectively lost them, and wouldn't be stumbling upon them anytime soon.
"Yeah," she whispered, pulling back as she felt the air behind her shift. Ochaco, or whoever this was, had moved behind her. Ever since being kidnapped, Izuka felt hyperaware of her surroundings at all times. The slightest of changes were heightened, she felt constantly aware of those around her, and barely anything slid past her unless she was lost in the throes of a panic attack. "You kind of did." Her hand came up, her body turning, as she knocked away the hand that had been about to touch her. "I'm not sure how it's possible, but since I haven't figured out your quirk, could you possibly be that girl from Shigetsu?"
The ball had been knocked from her hand, tumbling away, as the Ochaco impersonator looked at her in shock.
"You knew?"
"I know Ochaco well, we're classmates, and have been practicing alongside one another all year. She would have avoided that attack, floated herself up into the air, and never would have fallen from that cliff. You didn't even try to protect yourself."
"If you knew then why did you bother saving me? Wouldn't it have been better for you to have one less person to worry about?"
Izuka felt herself frowning, wondering why her first reaction should have been letting her fall when she knew that the other girl would have gotten hurt. This was just an exam, but more importantly, Izuka wouldn't have just allowed someone to get hurt if she could help it.
"That's just not who I am. You would have gotten hurt. Falling like that, on your back, could have seriously injured you. Besides, you would have been left behind with people who would want to get you out once I was gone. I- I supposed I hadn't needed to bring you with me." In all honesty, Izuka hadn't been thinking that far ahead. She had been acting on pure instinct, and sure part of her reason for bringing her with could have been that she looked just like Ochaco, but Izuka knew leaving her behind regardless of who she was, was not a part of who Izuka was.
They weren't allies to either of them. Leaving her there would have meant being thrown from the exam for certain for the girl. Izuka was probably nicer than anyone else would have been in that situation.
"Oh, I knew I made a good decision to be your friend." Ochaco's face seemed to start to melt. Izuka felt her heart speed up as she watched as her skin turned to goop, and the smile covering her lips began to slip and fall away, revealing an entirely new, or old face. "It's like we were made to be friends. Please, let me get to know you better."
"I- I mean can't we wait to do that until after the exam?" This conversation had begun to grow uneasy, as Izuka pressed back into the rock behind her, as her whole body was overtaken by goop and transforming.
The girl seemed to ignore her as she moved from her crouch, beginning to stand, and revealing a very naked body. Izuka's eyes widened as she began to look anywhere else, trying to give her privacy, and wondering if it had to do with how her quirk worked, but that didn't really answer anything. She had changed earlier, into Ochaco, and had on her hero uniform, so why wasn't she wearing anything now?
"So, you'll save anyone?" Her eyes had grown bright, and Izuka was forced to pay attention as she launched forward and attacked. "That's so interesting. To what lengths will you go? Does this include those considered to be villains as well? Or is that where you draw the line? Please, tell me more. I want to know how you work."
"Hey!" Izuka yelped as she dodged. The goop, a mass of skin, or something, Izuka didn't want to think about it, still lined her body, and fell away in chunks as they fought. It was a bit more than just gross. "I want to save everyone, regardless of status, but we really shouldn't be talking about that here. You should put some clothes on." She dodged, the thought of grabbing at her caused a blush to form, and Midoriya was certain she never thought she would have to fight someone that was naked. Maybe in the future, some crazed person, who was either drunk, or had gone off the deep end, but not someone in the exams.
"He'll be so pleased to hear that," she said, her eyes shining brightly, as she leaped forward, crashing into Izuka, who hadn't been able to dodge. She was pinned to the ground, the girl looming over her, as a crazed smile slid over her face. She was vibrating with happiness as she leaned forward. "I'm so happy to find that you're not like the others." Izuka felt the girl's tongue swiped out, against her cheek, where she had been cut from the girl's nail while they fought. "I want to be just like you!"
Izuka winced, moving her face away, as she tried wiggling free.
"Could you p-please not do that?" It was strange and made her feel uncomfortable, as she wondered what crazy turn the events had taken. She gripped tightly at Midoriya's costume, Izuka could feel something heavy press against her, before suddenly tape sliced through the air, and knocked the girl off her. Something solid had been placed in her pocket, but Izuka quickly forgot about it, as she glanced over to where Sero was above them.
"Sero!" she called out.
"Midoriya! What's a naked girl doing on top of you? That's pretty sketchy." Tape flew from his arm again, blocking as the girl made to move toward Izuka again, but she hadn't been fast enough. "Uraraka!"
Shigetsu glanced over, seeing as the girl she had been impersonating just moments before, flew through the air, and made to touch her. She flipped back, avoiding the blow, as she somersaulted up onto a rock away from them.
"Interrupted again," she grumbled good-heartedly. She slid down to sit, her legs coming up to block her body, as she leaned her chin on her knee. "Just when it was getting to the good part. What a shame, really, I mean it! I wish we were able to talk more, but maybe in the future. I would like that. You come seek me out, okay?! You'll know what to do."
With a wave she flipped backward, landing on her feet, before taking off. Sero made a move to go after her, but Izuka stopped him. There was no point in following, she no longer had her targets, and was fast. It would end up being more of a gamble on their end.
Izuka turned her back toward where the girl had disappeared too. She focused on her classmates, knowing she needed to get them on board and explain what her plan was.
They didn't hesitate in following her. They trusted in her. Izuka planned on keeping that trust.
子猫
Kaminari felt that his plan to talk to Bakugo and help his friend was crumbling away, and in retrospect, he shouldn't have tried doing it during the exams. Bakugo had run off at a fast pace as they searched for people to take down. He had been efficient, always on the move, and avoiding those who would try to take advantage of them. He never left any openings for them to talk and now they were stuck with this guy whose quirk creeped Kami out.
He should have stayed with Midoriya.
Bakugo should have as well, in Kaminari's opinion, and if he wasn't worrying so much over his own fate, he would have been concerned about her.
"We should have never left Iz!" he hollered out, glaring, and feeling hopeless as he looked to Bakugo on what to do.
"You can just get lost dumbshit" Bakugo growled, but he didn't miss the way his voice faltered. He might be feeling the same way.
"Oh yeah," Kami said sarcastically. "Leaving right now is going to be so easy to do. Look at what that guy did to Kirishima!"
He had been turned into a lump of fleshy meat. Eerily they could see an eyeball, a tuft of red hair, and sharp teeth, all in a mass on the tumor-looking thing. It caused Kaminari's stomach to roll. He didn't want to end up like that.
"What the hell do you think we need to do? We can't just leave Kirishima like that."
"Shut up, I'm thinking."
The guy ahead of them kept on rambling, telling Kami that perhaps he had a few screws loose, as he had all the opportunity to get those he had run into out, but instead he was wasting time by turning them into balls of meat. Bakugo had pissed the guy off, and that substance from before, the one that turned Kirishima into what he now was, began to head their way. Kaminari wasn't sure what the hell Bakugo had planned but Izuka trusted him, and he had seen the way Bakugo excelled in everything and decided that following him wasn't the worst thing he could be doing.
As the substance flew toward him, Kaminari really thought that he should have just stayed with Izuka.
子猫
Aizawa wished that Joke hadn't decided to sit with him. She kept a safe enough distance between them, but he would have liked to have more room. Preferably he would have liked to be on opposite ends of the stadium. The seats around them were empty, the nearest people not even within talking distance, and he liked it that way. His eyes stayed glued to what was happening before but since that kid's quirk destroyed the area he hadn't been able to see anything clearly. He had tried to keep track of Midoriya but had lost sight of her as soon as the earth began to shift. It frustrated him.
He had promised to keep an eye on her. All Might had pushed him into agreeing, not that he hadn't already planned on it, but kept nagging at him until he spoke the words aloud. Aikawa had spoken about her own concerns but felt that as long as there wasn't anything to trigger her that she would be more than fine. The woman had complete and utter confidence in the girl, but it was hard not to worry about Midoriya. There was no real way of knowing that fighting in the way she would need to wouldn't be triggering. But he had agreed with Aikawa, with All Might not around, there was no real reason to keep her from the exams, she had shown that she could handle it, and they couldn't baby her.
She would either bounce back, and do what was needed, or life as a Hero wouldn't be realistically acquirable.
He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he didn't want that for her.
It hadn't been in anyone's plans for him to give her that pep talk before the exam, but he had seen how she looked; lost and unsure, and nothing like the stubborn girl that had him rethinking her abilities on that first day of class.
"Want some gum?" Joke broke him from his thoughts, yet again, and caused him to sigh as he slumped forward. His arms were crossed resolutely over his chest, as he mimicked having fallen asleep. Maybe she would leave him alone. "Oh, come on, I know you're not asleep. Was my marriage proposal that shocking?"
"No," he grunted. "They stopped being surprising long ago."
"Well, I'm still holding out on me wearing you down."
"I'm not the marriage type."
"I don't believe that." She laughed, before taking the gum she had offered and popping it into her mouth, showing that it hadn't been anything but real gum. "If I didn't know any better I would say you're afraid of me."
"Hardly."
"Naw, you're right. I bet secretly you're the type that is a true romantic at heart, and just wants to wait until you find your soulmate. Am I right?"
That prickle of annoyance sprung back up, never truly having gone away, it stuck around whenever Joke was nearby, after all. He found their conversations to be exhausting and hated it when she began to talk about soulmates. Aizawa had never felt the need to find his soulmate. If it happened, it happened, but he didn't feel the desire to run out and search for the person, like so many others. His profession was dangerous, having a soulmate as a Pro Hero was just as dangerous. Why would he purposefully try to bring someone to danger like that? Romance had never been something he worried about, or felt like he needed in his life, he was far too busy. Especially with the group of kids, he had this year.
A group of kids he had been trying, unsuccessfully at that, to keep track of.
Had any of them failed or passed yet?
"Truthfully I'm finding it frustrating that I can't keep track of those who've passed or failed." It was always best to distract Joke. Talking about their students was usually a good way of going about it.
"Yeah, my Shindou really made things hard to see, huh." She placed the gum back in her pocket as she shifted to look at him better. "You know, I bet you're worried. Is that why you've been so uptight?"
He rolled his eyes but accepted his fate in having to give Joke something to focus on. Especially if it would get her to leave him alone so he could go back to attempting to keep an eye on the problem child.
It should be easier to keep track of the problem child, and her classmates, during the next part of the exam. This part, he concluded, would be ending soon. The number of participants that were allowed to pass was quickly reaching an end.
He'd just have to endure. He was good at that at least.
子猫
Izuka had watched the screen as the boom reverberated through the air and shook her down to her core. She couldn't look away as her mind's eye replaced the scene with Kamino. She was taken back to the ruined cityscape, the dust hanging heavily in the air, as it constricted her lungs, and made her want to cough. Izuka could almost see Shigaraki standing close to her. Could almost feel the warmth his body gave off before a different kind of warmth drew her back to the present, and she found herself suddenly gazing up into hard crimson eyes. The red tinted with worry and Izuka felt herself sigh, as she realized how she had been dragged into her past memories.
"You okay Iz-chan?" Kaminari asked. He was standing beside her, having moved from his spot behind her when Bakugo had stood in front of her, acting worried.
"I'm fine," she said resolutely. "It just reminded me of Kamino. Only for a second."
"I wasn't able to be there for you then, but I'll be here now," Kaminari promised.
"This is nothing like then." Izuka may have been talking to Kami, but she found herself unable to glance away from Kacchan. Their gazes were locked, and he seemed to be searching for something, but whatever he found seemed to be enough because he finally stepped back and continued to stand just off to the side. "We can do this."
She believed in those words.
No matter what, her past trauma would not stop her from reaching her dream.
Whatever was going on with her personal life would also be put on hold, because right now all that mattered was for her to focus on the task at hand, and she would need a clear head for what was to come.
Before anything else could be said a siren went off, a voice announcing a terrorist attack, and the walls around them fell away to reveal the devastated landscape they had seen only moments before on screen.
Darting off, Izuka stuck close to those around her as they came upon what looked to be a child crying, blood caked to his skin, on his head, as tears streamed down his face. She listened as he called out, announcing something had happened to his grandfather, so he wasn't alone, and they should be looking for someone else.
For a moment she slowed down, her mind flashing to scenes in videos she had watched, the way for a single moment All Might's smiling, glowing face, flooded her mind, the one he gave people he was trying to save, and not the deranged smirk he had given her as he crouched over a bleeding body. Her hand came up, to press against her head because for a moment she felt that maybe she would slip, but the notion was shoved back just as quickly.
No.
Not here.
She wouldn't allow herself to fail here. This was a test, but it meant so much more, this was how she would reach her dream. This was how she did that. And if she was going to reach that goal then she needed to be her best, and smile for this child, who cried, and looked like he was in pain. It didn't matter that this was more than likely fake, made up for this test because Izuka knew how that felt. She would do her absolute best here.
And she wouldn't hesitate.
A smile spread across her face as she moved to stand in front of the boy. It was warm and bright, calming as she knelt down in front of him, her hand reaching out toward the boy. She wanted to portray exactly what this child would be desiring in a real moment like this.
They would be scared.
Hurt.
Feeling pain, and not understanding what was going on, she was here to ease that, to make him feel safe.
Izuka knew how to do that.
She could become a safe place.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay, I'm here to help you," she said warmly, her voice soft, as she reached out toward him. The boys' eyes widened as he watched her, basking in the sensation her smile was giving him, as he was surprised that someone had caught on so easily to what needed to be done. Especially with it being from a first year.
Izuka began to check him over, going over the mental list that she had been told about from Toshi when they were still talking. She mentally thanked having the talk, and even though it hurt to remember him, she forced herself to go over what he had told her to do. This lesson had only been scratched upon during their studies, and the one day they should have gotten a hands-on class, was the day the USJ had been attacked, and since then it had only managed to be touched over.
She hoped the others would know what to do as she scooped the kid up into her arms, reminding them about the grandpa that should still be around, as she announced her intentions of taking him to the first aid. It should have already been set into motion, one of the first things to be done, so that anyone hurt could receive care.
As they darted over the landscape she began to ease any worries the kid may have, reminding him that the other heroes would take care of his grandpa, and asking about his injuries, to make sure she wasn't hurting him. There were things that she stumbled over, but she felt fairly confident in what she was doing.
Coming upon the first aid station that was set up Izuka was surprised by the sheer amount of hurt people that were already waiting there. She allowed herself to be guided and told what to do with the child in her arms as she took in the situation and fired off the knowledge she had gained about the child's injuries. Mid explanation an eruption exploded off near them, casting dust up into the air, causing her ears to ring, and a faint sharp tingle of fear to creep up her spine as the sudden outrageous thought crept in about how this was a real attack.
Only Izuka forced that from her mind as she turned, covering the body of the boy, and the girl taking care of him, from the rubble that blew through the air. She had automatically fallen into a protective role.
This was just another part of the exam.
She needed to remember that.
Izuka turned to see where 'villains' were heading straight toward them, hell-bent on taking down the one place people would be going for help. They were highly realistic, causing Izuka, for one moment, another second of having to remind herself that this was all fake and that the people around here were in no real danger. Except her instincts were telling her otherwise and they screamed at her to jump into action, to protect, and take out the enemy.
As her body began to crouch, ready to spring forward, she was suddenly faced with the back of another student, Shindo. The one that had caused her to feel far more uncomfortable than that other girl, at least until she had lost her clothes, but it was enough of a reminder of where she was, as Izuka was completely flung into the present.
"Get the civilians to safety, further away from here, as we need to get them as far from the villains as we can!" Shindo ordered her flawlessly as he readied his quirk. She had fallen back on it, accepting the task given to her, knowing that she wouldn't always be the one to fight, and how important it was to protect. It didn't upset her to be given this task, not like it might have someone else, and she decided to trust in the boy, regardless of any personal feelings she had about him.
Only, as she had picked up her first person to get to safety, there was a blast behind her, and she quickly fell back into another protective stance.
Gang Orca had arrived and single-handedly kept Shindo from using his quirk to keep them away.
She was surprised and relieved when help came, her classmates helping her guide the civilians away, and even more at ease when Todoroki and that strange boy from Shiketsu arrived to take on Gang Orca. They were both strong fighters, they wouldn't need her to step in, and she could focus on where she was really needed.
Only it didn't go as she had expected it to go.
Todoroki of the past had a hard time working with others, but Izuka had seen the change in him, and how willing he was to accept help.
Except it didn't seem to pertain toward this one individual he was forced to work with as their quirks kept canceling out one another, and Izuka could see it soon getting out of hand and hurting someone.
Especially that boy Shindo.
She quickly handed over the man she had been carrying on her back to Ojiro as she turned and darted forward, shooting up into the air, before landing next to Shindo, and then scarcely dodging another malfunction of their quirks, right before it could have hurt him. Izuka barely managed to grab the front of his costume and yank him up, pulling him along with her. She exhaled loudly at the force she was flung forward, slightly out of the way, and not toward where she had been aiming. She carefully placed him back onto the ground, at her feet, as she turned to glare at the two boys.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled out, her breathing quickening, as she tried calming herself down. This was not like Todoroki.
Glaring, she watched as the group of lower-level villains surged forward as Gang Orca took care of their two biggest powerhouses. Grunting, she lugged Shindo up over her shoulder, as she spun around, taking off toward the evacuation center, intent to get him somewhere safe, before she dealt with those behind her.
The closer she got the more she realized the villains would gain on them soon, and she couldn't allow them to get any closer than they already had, so she began to form a plan. That's when Shindo slipped from her hold, falling to the ground, and sending a shock wave through the ground before the earth erupted underneath the villains.
"Shindo!" she said, moving to stand next to him, as she examined him from out of the corner of her eye. "Are you doing all right? I thought Gang Orca's attack took you out?"
"Yeah," he muttered, that smile back on his face, the one that caused her to grow uncomfortable. "My limbs are still numb, but I'm used to this, having grown used to my quirk doing something similar. I'm bouncing back quickly due to the resistance I've built up." He turned to eye her, his face growing angry, as he spoke about the actions of Todoroki and the other boy. Izuka could understand his anger but couldn't help but notice the slightly unstable look on him as he spoke.
That didn't stop her from jumping into action when he ordered her to take out the rest of the villains that still stood. He was a year higher than her, he had been doing this longer, and even she could tell he was in no position to jump back into fighting so soon.
Izuka watched as the villains seemed to hesitate, stuck in deciding whether or not to go help Gang Orca, as Todoroki and the other one combined their quirks into a fiery display of a windstorm. She didn't hesitate. Jumping into the fray, she took their moment of indecision and used it for her benefit.
Lighting up in green, Izuka zipped through the front line, her leg smacking into the men who weren't paying attention and taking them down in one fell swoop. This caused the others to turn their attention onto her, but a smile lit up her face, as Izuka felt a sudden rush of adrenaline flow through her. This was something she was good at. She had worked her ass off to get to where she was at today. Her quirk worked effortlessly, her body falling into action without the slightest hesitation, as she knocked through the small army of bad guys surrounding her.
No matter what had happened to her Izuka knew what she wanted to be.
She wanted to be someone people could look to and know that they would be safe. That help had arrived.
It reflected in the way she fought. She never did any more damage than she needed to, knowing that these weren't really villains, but that didn't mean she held back any of her punches either.
Her smile widened when Ojiro fell into line next to her, taking out someone who had snuck up behind her, and soon there were even more arriving.
She felt the realization of backup soothe her mind as she turned her attention back to the issue at hand. Working with her comrades, Izuka knew they could do this, and win.
Izuka felt confident that she could leave her friends to these enemies and go help Todoroki. Her eyes darted over, and she could see that Gang Orca was following up with a plan. Much like herself, the man wouldn't go easy on them, only holding back enough that they wouldn't be seriously hurt, and she decided she couldn't allow him to go forward with any of his plans.
Announcing her plan to the nearest friendly, Izuka took off, jumping into the sky, as green electricity bounced off from her and lit up the pupil of Gang Orca as she closed in.
Her body twisted, rounding in an arc, as her leg shot out.
Just as she was about to make contact a buzzer sounded, screeching through the air, forcing her determination, and focus off her target, as confusion flooded her mind. It was obvious that the exam was over. The way that Gang Orca fell out of character, almost startling in the way he instantly changed, caused Izuka to abort her mission of hitting him. It was close, she had been worried that she had passed the point of no return but managed to succeed in dropping to the ground next to him.
Izuka found herself growing uneasy with the thought of her attack going through. She would have hit Gang Orca after the exam, while it was no longer needed.
That would have been incredibly embarrassing.
He was one of her favorites. That's now how she wanted to officially meet him.
Izuka barely managed to catch the glance that Gang Orca had shot at her, and she wondered if the look in his eye meant that he had been at least a little worried over the attack she had sent his way.
Ignoring that, Izuka took off to go find Katsuki, and Kaminari, as she wanted to be near them when the scores were announced. She only made a small detour toward Todoroki to ensure he was okay and guided him to help.
That's how later, she found herself standing with Todoroki, Kaminari to her right, pressed close to her, and Bakugo, still off in the distance, but closer than before, waiting for the announcement of their scores.
In the end, Izuka had passed, with thirty-one points above the disqualifying line. She had done better than she had thought and was only discounted the couple of times she had hesitated, due to her struggle over what was reality, and what wasn't, but in all, she thought she had handled it quite well. She had succeeded today. Proving to herself that she could handle situations like this, and when it came time to fight actual villains, she wouldn't allow herself to hesitate.
She struggled with the thought that Kacchan hadn't passed, and she hesitated on whether or not he would allow her to be by his side as he came to terms with that knowledge. She could see the way he was already internalizing it, forcing it down, as the disappointment and frustration ripped through him. He had grown better at dealing with his emotions, especially here recently, and Izuka wondered if he wasn't just bottling them all up somewhere and would one day explode. He had been calmer than normal, less likely to explode, and slip up with his cursing and attitude.
Watching him, Izuka decided she didn't care; let him be angry with her, or not, but she wasn't going to stand there and allow him to be by himself during this moment of weakness. He had never hesitated when he could see she needed him, regardless of who was around, and decided she wouldn't either.
Not when it was for him.
For him Izuka would be willing to do anything, to be anything, and right now he needed her support.
Stepping forward she slipped from Kaminari's side, who was rejoicing at his own victory, as she silently came to a stop next to Kacchan. She stood there, not saying anything, as she watched him from the corner of her eye, and when she noticed the way his shoulders sagged, Izuka, yet again, didn't hesitate.
Reaching out she took his hand in hers as they both silently stood there. Neither acknowledged the action, and she was fine with that, but when his fingers suddenly tightened around her own, a small smile tugged at her lips.
They weren't so far apart that the distance couldn't be bridged between them.
子猫
Izuka felt the weight in her hands. She stared down at the card that had been given to her. Physical proof that she had taken one step closer to reaching her dreams.
She had already taken a picture to send to her mom. The proud response she had received in turn had caused a warm feeling to surround her heart. Her mother was still so supportive, even after everything they had gone through, and against her instincts to take Izuka and hide her away. Izuka knew that's how her mother felt, but she was always on her side, and rooting for her, even when the fear was sometimes too much to take.
It had felt good to share this experience with her, but there was another, that Izuka wanted to share it with more than anything.
She hesitated.
Merely seeing the name Toshi didn't cause her any inkling of fear, or the familiar tightness in her chest, and as long as she avoided picturing his face in her mind, there wouldn't be. If this had happened before being kidnapped Izuka wouldn't have hesitated to send it off to him. She would have basked in the glow of praise she would have received from both him and her mother.
Izuka wanted to share this with him. To make sure he understood that even though it was hard right now, that she would never stop caring about him, not the man that hid inside her mind to torment her, but the one that was her hero, and a father to her.
Glancing up she searched the area for Katsuki, seeing him with Kaminari, both looking serious, when she caught his gaze. Biting her lip, she glanced back down and before she could talk herself out of it, Izuka decided to be courageous and sent the picture of her Provisional License with a simple title of 'I did it'. She saw it when he read the message. This caused her chest to tighten a little. Whether it be in anticipation of seeing if he replied, or fear niggling at the back of her mind, Izuka wasn't sure, but she refused to focus on either of them.
A small smile lit up her face when she saw the simple words 'I knew you could do it,' appear on the screen of her phone, before she exited the messenger app.
She didn't need to tempt fate by trying to talk to him any longer. She could already feel the unease creep up her spine, but Izuka knew that one day this wouldn't be an issue, and she was determined to get there.
Instead, she made to move forward, to go toward Kaminari and Katsuki, only to stop, as the weight in her pocket nagged at her mind. While changing out of her hero costume Izuka had found the unfamiliar phone in one of her pockets, having somehow appeared there during the exam, and the face of that strange girl popped into her head.
She grabbed it, holding it in her hand, as she wondered if this had to do with that cryptic last message she had managed to say before disappearing.
She had believed Izuka would know what to do and come to seek her out.
Just who, exactly, was she?
Something turned in her stomach as she shoved the phone back into her pocket. Something told her she didn't need anyone seeing it and questioning why she suddenly had two cell phones. This one was obviously a burner. Izuka didn't need to turn it on to see that.
The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place, but Izuka wouldn't be able to know for sure until she was back in her dorm room. Only then would she be willing to confirm her thoughts on the subject.
Izuka had known that girl. She had seemed familiar.
The answer was on the tip of her tongue.
子猫
Kaminari stood in front of Bakugo, his eyes narrowed, as he glanced around to make sure Izuka wasn't around. She had stuck like glue to Bakugo's side after the results were announced, and it had been hard to get Bakugo alone, but Kaminari was determined.
As a best friend, he had to do this.
It would take into question his ability to be there for Izuka.
That caused his shoulders to straighten as he eyed the normally explosive blonde boy in front of him. He had noticed the calmer demeanor as of late and wondered if Izuka had anything to do with it, but he pushed that from his mind, it wasn't why he was here.
"You're not being a very good friend, bakubro," Kaminari decided to just come out and say it, borrowing Kirishima's nickname for the boy. It was one that Kami quite liked but knew on a normal day it would have gotten his head exploded off. When all he received was a twitch Kaminari knew something really was going on with him.
"Get lost."
"No can do! I'm here on the behalf of my friend, and I'm going to say what I got to say. It's not cool to pull away from her."
"What the fuck are you saying?"
Kaminari could see in the way he shifted, growing angry, and uncomfortable, that Kami didn't need to explain it to him.
"You two have been friends longer than the rest of us. It may not have been noticeable in the beginning, but by now, even I can see that. The fact that you've been distancing yourself from Izuka kind of makes you out to be a dick, especially since right now she needs all of the friends she can get."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
Kaminari heard the edge appear in his voice, but he had to make sure he was understood. He didn't care about whether or not this would cause the guy to lash out at him. It didn't matter as long as he got it through his thick head that he needed to put whatever it was he was battling with aside and be there.
"Maybe not. I don't know what I'm talking about a lot of the time, but this is something I do understand, and I know I'm right. Is whatever that is keeping you from getting close more important than she is right now?"
Kaminari simply couldn't think of anything that would be.
He might not understand what Bakugo was going through, but sometimes you had to put things aside for those you cared about, and that was knowledge he felt confident in.
Bakugo didn't respond. His jaw had jutted out, a silent way of telling Kaminari that he was angry, and battling it internally, as he took in his words.
"Those we care about are important. Anything else can be worked through."
Kaminari wanted to help both of his friends. He could see the struggle they were both going through right now. He could also see how much happier they were when they were working together, and not against one another.
Shrugging, knowing that Bakugo would listen, or he wouldn't, Kaminari turned on his heel and began to make his way happily over to Izuka. He had done what he could. He had done his best, and now he wanted to celebrate with his friends over their victories.
子猫
Toga felt the disguise melt away, falling off, as she walked deeper into the alley. A smile lit up her face at a job well done. Soon, she expected their precious Izuka would be reaching out, and that thought alone was enough to smile about. She couldn't wait for her new friend to seek them out.
She grew excited as she replayed their interactions in her mind. Izuka's conviction, and her desires, were exactly what Toga had hoped they would and desires
Her phone ringing shook her out of her thoughts as she answered, that smile growing bigger, as she listened to who was on the other end.
"I just finished a fun playdate." She listened as Mr. Compress reprimanded her, but Toga could only giggle because she knew that Shigaraki would be happy with what she had made happen. "Don't worry! I'm never caught. But you should tell Shiggy that I've got something for him, he's going to be so happy, I can't wait for him to find out the surprise!"
"He isn't going to like this."
Toga giggled as she danced into the shadows, knowing without a doubt that he would absolutely love it.
After all, she had managed to get a burner phone to Izuka, with only one number in its contacts.
She had single-handedly given him direct communication with the one person he had been struggling to make contact with since she had rejoined those heroes.
Oh, she could see his face now. It was better to let it be a surprise, and not tell him what she had done. Toga loved surprising others, and she hardly ever gained the ability to do so.
Hanging up she felt the smile slowly slide from her face.
Shigaraki had explained to them who exactly Midoriya Izuka was to him. Toga had seen the struggle that single move had taken, for him to reveal such a weakness, but regardless of how most wouldn't dare speak it aloud, Toga knew that each of them thought of the group as a family of sorts.
You didn't backstab family.
That little hero to be had joined ranks in their 'not to be fucked with' list, and if someone did fuck with them, well neither of them was afraid of getting their hands dirty.
The surprise would be nice, and Toga hoped it happened so that she could have a direct line of sight of his face, but there was hesitancy, something that kept her from wanting to say anything, and that was the fact that Izuka may never reach out. She had been kidnapped after all, and she would possibly be far too cautious, especially if she decided to focus on the strangeness of the entire situation.
It would be smart on the other girl's side not to make that call, and to just throw away the phone, but Toga hoped she didn't go down that route. She had shared her belief with her, and Toga just knew that she would make the call.
Shrugging, she dipped into the portal that suddenly appeared in front of her after the text she had sent Kurogiris's way.
If Izuka did decide to play on the side of caution and give the police, or heroes the phone, nothing would show up in their search. The number was yet another burner phone, one of many in Shigaraki's clutch, and would properly be disposed of once they realized it had been compromised. There would be nothing to lead back to them. Just disappointment in the knowledge of the choice she had made.
Toga simply couldn't believe that she would make that choice though.
Regardless of past actions, those two were soulmates, and soulmates always came together in the end. You couldn't fight fate. Toga knew that just as well as anyone else. She had a soulmate herself. She knew just how hard it was to ignore the one that you were bound to, and even though her connection wasn't one of romance, it was still just as strong as any other.
Izuka would make the right choice.
Toga just knew it.
The next chapter is almost completely done being written. I have just one last scene before I can excitedly pronounce it as done, but I won't be updating right away. I'm going to try to get one more written before updating again, and potentially keep up that trend.
I promise it'll be worth the wait. What we've all been waiting for is finally going to be happening!
So I can't wait to get to that one!
