Lightning – My Hero Academia

Chapter 48: Team Disadvantage

The entire building rumbled from the force of an explosion. Then another. Then another. Deku looked back at Mina and Aoyama.

"It would seem that our dear teammate Bakugo has located the hero team. My heart goes out to those poor souls." He commented with a shake of his head...

Ako was Bakugo's primary target – they both knew this going in. Ako just didn't expect Bakugo to use his body as a projectile. He launched himself directly into Ako. They both crashed hard onto the ground. Then Bakugo grabbed his head and slammed it against the ground.

"Got you now, you little runt." Bakugo said with a malicious grin. However, Yui quickly pulled him off just as an explosion burst from his palm. She grabbed him by the back and threw him against the wall.

"Hey there, handsome," Yui said as she pinned him against the wall with a lion paw on his chest. "Don't get too ahead of yourself now." She dug her claws in.

Bakugo growled in pain before grabbing her hand. He kicked her stomach and reared his hand back. He sent an explosion out of it facing away from her, using it to put more force into a backhand strike.

Yui changed her head into her lioness form, but it still hit her with enough strength to completely knock her over.

As he turned towards them, he was struck in the back and tazed by one of Koko's arrows. He yelled out and fell to his knees. Koko loaded up another arrow, but then Bakugo ignited all the sweat on his body at once, creating an explosion big enough to blow everyone back and incinerate her arrow...

"Whoa! Sounds like Bakugo is really going at it!" Mina exclaimed after feeling the explosion shake the building more violently.

"Crap...I know Bakugo's gonna hate it, but I'm gonna find him and give him some backup. You guys got the hostages?" Deku asked.

"You can count on us, mon ami." Aoyama said. He and Mina did a salute.

"Alright. Hang tight, Kaachan. I'm coming." Deku crouched down and started to sprint at a quick speed with his powers. He wasn't sure where Bakugo was though, and Mineta had already blocked some key hallways with sticky balls, so he was gonna have to find his way around...

Bakugo stood up slowly and turned towards Koko with an angry expression. Koko took several steps back and lined up another shot. Bakugo used his explosions to bounce back and forth through the air. Koko watched closely and hit him in the side of his stomach with another tazer arrow.

Bakugo stopped just before reaching her. He growled and pulled the arrow out with his hand, still reeling slightly from the electricity. He took in a few quick, shallow breaths before snapping the arrow with his knee.

Then he clenched his hands and marched towards Koko. She took in a few nervous breaths before taking her bow and snapping it forward so that it straightened into a staff. She spun it around and readied herself to fight.

Ako ran up behind Bakugo and pulled him into a choke hold, "Koko! Get out of here! Get the hostages!" He yelled to her.

"I can help!" Koko argued.

"If they come to back him up, you can get the hostages out! Remember the mission!" Ako said quickly. Koko's eyes widened and she nodded.

"You two got this!" She said before turning and running around the corner.

"You too!" Ako replied before Bakugo yanked himself free and threw a wild punch at him. Ako ducked under it and swept his legs out, kicking him back and making him slide.

"Urgh! Slippery little runt." Bakugo growled.

"Yui," Ako called to her, adjusting his goggles. "The other villains definitely heard that explosion. We gotta wrap this up as fast as we can!"

"Got it!" Yui nodded, crouching down on all fours next to him.

"Tch, you got another thing coming if you think you can take me down that easy," Bakugo said with a sneer. He stood straight and raised his arm up, grabbing onto a pull string attached to the gauntlet on his forearm.

"I'll fry you both in a second!" He threatened.

"Mm mm! Mm mm!" Mineta, who was still captive, shook his head quickly.

"Shut up!" Bakugo barked at him.

With just one extra second of time, Ako was able to close the distance between the two of them. He punched Bakugo as hard as he could right in the jaw. Last time he did that, he broke someone's jaw.

This time, however, Bakugo took it and stumbled to the side, grabbing his face with one hand while sending an explosion out behind him with his other hand.

Ako yelled out as he was thrown back into the wall. The back of his right shoulder hit one of Mineta's sticky balls, making him bounce awkwardly while also cushioning the impact. He grunted and struggled, unable to pull himself off of it. He was stuck to the wall now.

"Urgh, I can't get off!" Ako shouted to Yui.

"I'll get you!" Yui shouted as she jumped in front of Bakugo, slashing him on the other side of his face with her claws. Bakugo yelled out in pain then tried to hit her with another explosion. Yui kicked his hand up so the explosion went into the air. Then she jumped up and dropkicked him, knocking him off balance.

As Yui hit the floor, she noticed the arrow that Bakugo had snapped in half laying there on the ground next to her. She grabbed the side with the tip of the arrow attached and tossed it over to Ako, "Try and cut yourself free!" She shouted as he caught it.

Bakugo growled and got up again. Yui kicked up to her feet and tried to slash at him again. He caught her by the arm this time, uppercutting her in the stomach and then knocking her to the ground with a right hook to the head.

"You're pretty tough, blondie, I'll give you that." Bakugo acknowledged.

Ako finally cut himself free with the arrow, ripping through the fabric of his suit to get out. Bakugo realized that he was free and readied to attack him again.

Ako turned and ran to Mineta, jabbing the arrow into his hair and pulling out another sticky ball. He turned to face Bakugo with his weapon: a ball on a stick.

"You even think of tryna run, and I will kill ya." Bakugo threatened.

"You'd definitely kill me anyways. Besides, I don't leave my teammates behind."

Bakugo charged forward and sent another explosion towards Ako. Ako shot forward to get behind him. He turned and kicked Bakugo in the side. Bakugo growled in pain but caught his foot,, turning to twist it out of place.

Ako awkwardly turned with Bakugo and hopped in place, kicking Bakugo in the back to get his foot free. He rolled forward awkwardly after flopping on his chest. His foot stung as he stood up.

"Now you die!" Bakugo shouted, reaching to pull the pin on his gauntlet again.

Yui roared as she pounced on Bakugo in full lioness form. She pinned him down with her paw and roared in his face. Bakugo shot an explosion in her face. She bit down on his arm to keep him in place. He yelled out and punched her in the head several times.

"Get off'a me!"

Ako quickly took advantage, running around and planting the sticky ball on a stick against Bakugo, covering his eyes, "Quick, Yui! Get him against the wall where the other balls are!"

Bakugo yelled out and blindly shot off explosions with his free hand. Ako grabbed his free arm to stop him. The two of them pulled him by his arms and dragged him back. Bakugo scrambled to his feet and pushed up to stand.

As he did, Ako grabbed onto him and forced his chest against the wall, immobilizing him against several more sticky balls.

"Man," Yui grumbled as she changed back into her human form. "You're a real handful, ain't ya?" She said to him.

"When I get out of here, you both are dead! You hear me?!" Bakugo threatened.

"Alright, buddy. Looking forward to it," Ako replied sarcastically before turning his attention to Mineta. "Well you turned out to be pretty useful, little dude. Thanks."

"We better meet up with Koko before angry boy's teammates show up." Yui advised.

"Probably. Surprised no one's shown up yet." Ako said, brushing his arms off and turning back towards the hallway.

Suddenly, a flash of green shot past them. Ako and Yui looked at each other and prepared themselves for another fight. With another flash and a burst of wind, Deku appeared at the end of the hallway. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Mineta! Kaachan! Are you two hurt?!" He asked with concern.

"Mm! Mm!" Mineta frantically tried to answer.

"Hey, Midoriya," Ako nodded in his direction, a little winded as he greeted him. "What took you so long?" He chuckled.

"Who is this guy with the beautiful green mane?" Yui asked.

"My name is Izuki Midoriya. I'm sorry, but this is where your mission ends." Deku said, getting into a fighting stance.

"We need to hurry." Yui said, moving forward first.

Deku shot forward, running right next to Yui. She gasped in shock, only realizing he was there as he jumped into the air. He twisted his body to wind up for a downwards kick. However, Ako pushed her out of the way and blocked the kick with his forearm, sending a small shockwave outwards.

"Whoa! He's fast!" Yui exclaimed.

"Deku, you better send this guy to hell! Or that's where I'm taking you!" Bakugo yelled as he tried to pull himself free.

"This isn't good. If he's got speed like this, Yui won't be able to help me in this fight. I can't let him free Bakugo either." Ako thought to himself in a panic.

Deku flipped back and threw several punches at Ako. Ako dodged them and turned his body, feinting a kick then smacking right into Deku's chest with his shoulder. Deku grunted as he was knocked back against the wall.

"Yui! Get outta here! Meet up with Koko!" Ako shouted to her, grabbing Deku and pinning him against the wall with his forearm on his neck.

"Let me help!"

"No! Go! Now! Now!" Ako shouted forcefully before being punched in the ribs by Deku. Ako grabbed his head and lifted his knee into his stomach.

"Okay! I'm going! You got this!" Yui nodded before turning into her lioness form and hurrying off.

"Alright, Midoriya. Just you and me. Let's see what you got!" Ako grabbed onto Deku's head, pulled him into a choke hold, and used his speed to pull him out of the hallway...