Lightning – My Hero Academia
Chapter 49: Koko's Grit
Back inside the vents, Koko carefully crawled back to where the hostages were being kept. From her vantage point, she could now see that only two villains were still guarding them: the girl with pink skin and hair, and the guy with blonde hair wearing a big purple cape.
"So your quirk doesn't work if you like watch TV and then try to do it?" Mina asked Chikashi. They were in the middle of a conversation about all of their quirks.
"No, I have to see it in person with my own eyes," Chikashi explained. "But as long as I can see it, I can copy it perfectly."
"Even if I dooo...this?" Mina took a couple steps back and went into a breakdance, spinning around on her shoulders while her legs swung around in circles like helicopter blades.
"Yes, I can do that." Chikashi scoffed in amusement.
"Seriously?! What about this?!" Mina turned and did the splits, placing her hands on her hips afterwards.
"I can do the splits, yeah." He nodded.
"Wow. That's crazy! So you could totally be in like any dance group." She pointed out with a laugh as she got back up.
"Never really thought of using it like that but I suppose it's true." Chikashi acknowledged with a shrug.
"At the Sports Festival, he was using it to keep up with Tanaka's crazy speed." Lula mentioned.
"Yeah, you were riding his quirk right up 'til the last round." Katsuo commented.
"Wow!" Chikashi exclaimed, amused and surprised by Katsuo saying something like that, since he tended to keep to himself and be extremely quiet.
"You can do it with super speed too?! Oh man, that's so cool! I want your quirk nowww," Mina whined. "Wanna trade?" She asked him with a smile.
"Heh, nah. I'm not really into acid." He shook his head.
"Phooey," Mina folded her arms and looked away pouting. "You know what? I should start a school dance group! That'd be super fun! And I'm definitely recruiting you." She said, pointing at Chikashi.
"Do I get a choice in the matter?" He asked.
"Nope! You're already recruited!" Mina answered with a giggle and a grin.
"I'm not a good dancer, so I'll definitely just watch from the side." Uraraka said with a bashful little laugh.
"Me too. I don't really have rhythm like you do." Tsu agreed, speaking to Mina.
"Really? I'll tell you this, dancing is a great way to work on cardio and stamina." Lula commented.
"Ooh, you do that too?" Mina asked excitedly.
"Heheh, yeah, I used to go to, like, a class for it. I only do it on the weekends now 'cause of school." Luna said.
"Can I come?!" Mina asked.
"Sure, why not?" Lula shrugged and chuckled.
"Yes! Okay, once you're not captive anymore, we'll exchange numbers." Mina decided.
"I shall join as well," Aoyama announced, making his way over to the group. "Words cannot accurately describe the grace of my movements. Observe!" He struck a pose. Upon doing so, he was struck in the head with an arrow, which knocked him out.
"What the heck?! Where did that come from?!" Mina exclaimed, moving towards Aoyama. As she stepped towards him, another arrow whizzed right by her.
"Looks like Koko's here." Katsuo realized.
"Huh? Hmm...aha! Gotcha!" Mona looked up and saw an opening in the vents on the ceiling.
Seeing that her vantage point had been discovered, Koko started crawling back to look for another hiding spot, "Crap. Crap." She muttered to herself.
"Not so fast!" Mina shot a spray of acid up into the ceiling, burning through the metal underneath Koko. Her eyes widened as she realized that she was about to fall.
Grabbing onto her bow, she pulled a grappling hook arrow out of her quiver and stuck it into the metal plating above her. She fell out of the air duct right after, but she was able to tether the line attached to her arrow onto her belt.
She stopped abruptly with a hard jolt just a few feet above the ground.
"Peekaboo!" Mina smirked and shot some more acid out of her fingers, severing Koko's line. Once it snapped, Koko landed on the ground in a crouched position. She glared up at Marina.
"I hate it when things don't go according to plan." She said with a huff.
"Hi there! So nice of you to join us! I love your hair." Mina complimented as she stretched out her arms. She smirked at Koko, who kept her serious expression.
"So your quirk is acid, huh? It burnt through that metal plate like it was nothing; a substance that corrosive is extremely dangerous." Koko observed.
"Don't worry! I've gotten really good at controlling what it can burn through. The worst you might get is some hair burnt off." Mina said.
"Nuh uh, you're gonna have to do better than that." Koko said before grabbing an arrow and shooting it at her.
Mina cartwheeled to the side with one hand to avoid it. She grunted as she shot several wads of acid at Koko. Koko ran to the side to avoid them. She then drew two more arrows and turned her body, still running as she shot them at Mina.
Mina dodged one arrow but the other one grazed right through her hair. She gasped in surprise and twisted her body to move sideways. She flicked acid from her foot, sending out an arcing shot that Koko wasn't expecting. She turned her back to it, using her quiver to stop the acid from hitting her.
Unfortunately, this melted right through her quiver, her arrows, and part of her hero suit.
"Ooh, those looked expensive. My bad." Mina said, pressing her fingers on her cheek.
Koko looked back at her, her eyes narrowing angrily. She spun her bow around and flicked it outwards, and it straightened into a bo staff.
"Oh, she's pissed." Chikashi observed as Koko charged at Mina.
Koko swung her staff at Mina's head. Mina ducked underneath it, kicking Koko in her leg and then in her side. Koko grunted and stepped to the side, jabbing at Mina's foot then turning her back to her. Koko swung the staff across her chest and hit Mina in the arm with it.
"Ow!" Mina hissed, shooting her acid up at the staff. Koko pulled it back in a hurry and spun it around again, cracking Mina in the neck with it.
Mina grunted in pain and fell to one knee with it. Koko brought the staff back up for another blow, but then Mina spun around and knocked Koko's feet out from under her. She landed on her hands in a push-up position. Mina then kicked her in the face, pushing her back.
Mina rolled backwards and got back up to her feet first. Koko was slower to get up. Mina's foot got her right in the nose, which was causing her to tear up. She blinked a few times rapidly and wiped them from her eyes. Then she attacked again.
Mina slid on her acid this time, skating around Koko. Koko turned and swung her staff again, grazing Mina's cheek with the staff. Mina slid to a stop awkwardly, shooting acid at Koko as she swung again. Koko hit Mina in the ankle right before the staff melted.
"Hiya!" Mina kicked her foot up as she cartwheeled backwards, knocking the broken staff out of Koko's hand. Koko charged at Mina and threw several punches. Mina blocked a punch to the face. Koko punched her in the side. She ducked underneath a kick from Mina and punched her again in the ribs.
Mina grunted in pain and moved to the side. As Koko attacked again, Mina jumped in the air, flipping backwards and kicking Koko in the head. Not expecting this, Koko's legs gave out underneath her and she collapsed to her knees.
"Gotcha!" Mina turned, ready to attack again. Koko brought her hands up to block whatever attack she was about to be hit with, but Mina's attack was stopped short.
Koko opened her eyes to see that Yui had come to her rescue, stopping Mina's kick with her paw. She turned and kicked Mina away, making her slide back across the floor. Yui then turned fully human again and helped Koko get to her feet.
"Hey. Thanks. You came right in time." Koko said appreciatively.
"I'm glad that I did. Ako has bought us some time by fighting the green hair boy, so it's up to us to rescue the hostages while we can." Yui said.
"I took out one of the guards already. We just need to deal with pink girl here." Koko said.
"No problem." Yui said, smirking as she transformed back into a lioness and charged at Mina.
"Holy crap! Please don't eat me!" Mina exclaimed, skating around Yui on her acid to get away from her. As she did, Koko was able to catch her and tackle her. They both slid across the floor as Koko fought to pin her down.
"Oh goodness, my head...Ashido! Darling, where are you?!" Aoyama exclaimed as he started to wake up.
"Aoyama, is that you?! I could use some help here!" Mina shouted to him, "Maybe one of your laser blasts?! Please?!"
"Right away!" Aoyama pushed himself to his feet and fired a laser blast directly at Yui, who was coming to help Koko with Mina.
Seeing this, Koko twisted her body and pulled Mina on top of her. She then lifted her knee up, pushing Mina's chest with her foot to force her into the air. This caused Mina to get hit by Aoyama's laser blast, knocking her onto her back again.
"Ashido! I'm so sorry!" Aoyama shouted.
"Get 'im, Yui!" Koko pointed at him.
Yui, still in full lioness form, growled at Aoyama and charged directly at him. Aoyama exclaimed fearfully, "Don't come any closer, kitty cat!" He shouted before shooting a laser blast directly at her. Yui avoided it and pinned Aoyama to the wall with her paw, forcing him to sit back down.
"Koko!" She shouted, transforming her whole body except for her paw back into human form, "I got him!"
"Okay. I'm almost done tying up pink girl here. Then I'll come and help you." Koko said as she restrained Mina's hands and feet.
"Oww...that laser got me right in the belly." Mina grumbled.
"Sorry. No hard feelings, right?" Koko asked.
"Nooo..." Mina answered in a whining tone.
"Koko. I feel like I owe you an apology." Yui spoke up.
"It can wait 'til after." Koko said quickly.
"I misjudged you," Yui continued anyways. "You kept fighting even though all of your tricks and tools were taken away. I apologize for insinuating that you were a coward. You're a good fighter." She complimented her. Koko looked up at her, surprised by this.
"Uh...thanks, Yui. And thank you too...for being here when I needed you." Koko said in turn.
"How cute." Hideo commented with a snicker.
"Shut it." Koko quickly shot him a look.
Koko finished tying up Mina, but before she could get to Aoyama, there was a sudden loud burst. Everyone looked over to see two figures crashing through the wall, rolling over each other until one of them bounced away. Both of them lay on the floor groaning.
Koko's eyes widened, as she was the first to realize that it was Ako and Deku...