Nomu Muscular! A terrifying beast hunting Izuku and Kota, threatening the two with grave danger, now facing off against the duo. Meanwhile, back at camp, his classmates and friends have a small problem of their own...
Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with so much lately its really a struggle. But hopefully this chapter finds you all well, and you enjoy it!
Himiko was pretty comfortable, all things considered. She was curled up on a couch, leaning into Shoto's side, with Tsuyu on her lap, her arms wrapped around the shorter teens waist. As part of the plan to help Shoto become more acclimated to touch (with his permission), Himiko was cuddled up next to him (not that she minded, he was nice and warm). Him being touch-starved had been blatantly obvious to everyone from the start, and he had yet to offer a single note of complaint when someone wanted to lean into his side…if anything, you could see a ghost of a smile cross his normal blank faced facade.
She was talking quietly with him, slightly leading him to get him to talk about his family to get the boy to open up more. She'd ask him questions about his mother, his siblings, what he thought of Toya's hero career, etc (she studiously avoided any question pertaining to his father, however). In return, she idly would mention some of the things she experienced growing up, hoping he could see the similarities…and from how intently he listened, how his heterochromatic eyes would lock onto hers with an intense stare, she believed he was seeing it.
Tsuyu was saying nothing, her eyes closed and breathing slowly as if she were asleep, but both of them knew she wasn't. She was very clearly not happy about what she was hearing (if the way she squeezed Himiko's hands meant anything), but she wasn't willing to interrupt a chance for the two who understood parental neglect (and more) more than any others from talking softly about it.
Still, Himiko wasn't upset about this…if anything, it was the opposite. She'd vented to Ochako and Izuku time and time again, but here was someone who got it in a way they couldn't. And though she couldn't read his emotions like Izuku could…somewhere deep down, she felt like he felt better about it too.
It was in the way he'd lean back into her when they talked, the way his voice would hitch ever so slightly when they got into something darker about their similar pasts. It was in the way he was willing to sit and listen, to nod along, the look in his eyes as he could see what she was saying. In how willing he was to tell her the full details, ones he didn't even easily reveal to Izuku, things that made Tsuyu tense up but keep silent on.
Still, she was happy they were spending this time together. She didn't feel for him as she felt for some of the others (yet)…but she couldn't deny she found him attractive as well, and enjoyed cuddling up to him (especially his fire side). Perhaps it was the cat mutations in her Izuku insisted she had, but languidly relaxing in warmth was perhaps one of her favorite pastimes.
All of her comfort went away in a split second as her head suddenly roared in agony, nearly jumping off the couch and almost sending Tsuyu sprawling as she gripped at her head, a whimper escaping her. She felt the blood roar into her ears, able to hear the sudden, concerned tones from Shoto and Tsuyu, but the loud exclamation from Katsuki had her managing to open bleary, tear-filled eyes to see Ochako curled up, her hands wrapped around her skull as Katsuki worried over her, his face twisted in a rictus of pain as well.
A moment later, she heard a hiss of pain coming from behind her, seeing Shoto now holding his hand up to his head, and able to hear Tsuyu let out a ribbit that sounded pained, her own hand coming up to hold her head. Himiko managed to sit up enough to glance about, watching as first, all the members of the polycule made a pained sound, followed by each and every member of the class…and in the corner, her Sensei's face suddenly twisting.
Himiko was not the top student in class by any margin, and her understanding of Quirks was fairly rudimentary compared to say, Izuku or Momo. But it wasn't hard for her to notice the ones in the most pain were the ones closest to Izuku, and that they were struck first. That the only ones who suddenly appeared in pain were Class A and their teacher, all of whom Izuku had bonded with. And the pain was very reminiscent of how he'd described his Danger Sense to her…and she could see Ochako looking over at her, the understanding in her eyes making both of them leap to their feet (she set Tsuyu down carefully before).
"Stop," Aizawa said before either girl could move any further, stomping over to stand in the middle of the students. "I don't know what just happened-"
"It's Izu's Danger Sense! I think we just felt it!" Himiko replied hotly, terrified for her boyfriend if it was so bad they all felt it.
"That makes no sense, you can't just feel someone else's Quirk!" Someone with a tail from Class B commented, Himiko not really sure of their name and not really caring.
"Izu's Quirk is special!" She hissed back, but chose to ignore any further conversation as she focused back on her teacher, the dark-haired man already striding over to the door.
"The theory is sound, and for that reason, I will go find him and retrieve him. You all stay here."
"But Sensei-" Ochako began, only to be cut off by his upraised hand.
"You are still students, if someone dangerous is out there, you cannot fight legally. Let's avoid another Hosu. Not to mention, I am a Pro Hero and can handle it. The longer I debate this with you, the longer it takes for me to get to Midoriya. So sit back and-"
Aizawa never got to finish what he was saying, the entire wall in front of him shattering into rubble and sending him flying back. He quickly managed to recover, flipping back up to his feet with his capture scarf at the ready, eyes already glowing red…as a hulking, black-skinned figure with an exposed brain stepped inside, no visible mouth on its twisted face. A second later, another one, this one a sickly green-skin color and chainsaws and drills off its numerous extremities visible. In the dark behind it, a third, a fourth, a fifth, more and more of the now recognizable Nomu began to crawl into the building, clicks and hisses and roars audible from the various bioweapons.
It seemed like Aizawa wasn't going to take any risks, as a split second of indecision was followed by his next words. "In the name of the Pro Hero Eraserhead, all students are authorized to use their Quirks to defend themselves and escape. Mandalay, send that message to Midoriya too…," Aizawa said slowly, his voice echoing in the silence as everyone was struck dumb by the sheer number of Nomu now visible, slowly walking towards them.
"...Kota isn't here," Mandalay whispered, her voice audibly fearful even as her eyes glittered with her Telepathy power activating.
"Izuku went to see him," Shoto murmured, frost trickling up from his right side as flames flickered at his left eye.
"He-he'll be okay. Izuku can protect Kota, I-I'm sure of it," Himiko managed to stutter out. The pain from Danger Sense had not quit, and she was now starting to understand why Izuku was always so annoyed with it. She was also terrified for him, because if this many Nomu had come for them, what must have gone for him? But she was not given time to think, to worry, to fear, because the Nomu, which had been quietly stalking towards them, let out a single, united cacophony of roars…and lunged.
Izuku wasn't an idiot. He remembered how easily the USJ Nomu broke his barrier, and while it was significantly stronger than it used to be, he wasn't confident considering the clear use of Muscular's Quirk coming off the Nomu as it slammed its fist into the ground where Izuku had just been. He quickly darted to the side, absolutely needing the Nomu to follow him away from Kota and luckily, it seemed inclined to follow. While darting around it, he focused his vision, trying to decipher what Quirks it had.
Though a Nomu's Quirks always seemed to be a black, disgusting sludge like morass before, he could just barely see differences, just enough to count it out…one, two, three…four. Okay, four Quirks, that wasn't that bad. He knew two of them already…Muscular's base augmentation Quirk, and the barrier Quirk that was holding them in…the crimson red and pale yellow-green Quirks respectively, he figured. As for the other two…he had to mentally ask. Regeneration?
'Shit!' he cursed internally, as one of them lit up with a pulsing, cool green color. If it didn't have regeneration, he could have probably taken it down quickly by taking off its limbs (yes, it was a dark thought, but it was a corpse of a monster and he had a child to protect, he wasn't going to quibble right now), but with Regeneration it could simply fix itself too quickly. But what was the fourth?
He wasn't given a chance to guess, as NoMuscular slobbered angrily, darting towards him with a speed that belied its bulk, far quicker than he could easily react. Danger Sense blaring in his mind, he brought his arms up in front of himself, the most powerful barrier he could bring to bear shimmering into existence, feeling the energy well in his chest draining a good chunk as he fought to defend himself from the strike…and then it hit.
His arms cracked, the bones hairline fracturing from the sheer pressure as the barrier held for a few moments before shattering, the blow losing just enough force that his arms weren't pulverized, but his entire body was sent careening back, smashing into the mountainside with a thunderous crash. He would have screamed, but the impact drove all the air from him, his back arching in pain as he let out a breathy gasp. He could feel the sharp edges of the cracked stone digging into his back, the slow ooze of blood from a dozen small cuts, but he had no time to take stock of what was wrong, Danger Sense rearing its ugly head once more.
Biting his tongue to focus, he managed to get his legs under him and leapt to the side, dodging another of the Nomu's strikes, the earth exploding from the sheer force. He couldn't just play defensively, that was a losing game, but he needed time to think! No, he wasn't forgetting Gran and Miruko's lessons about working off instinct, that's what he was relying on to dodge, but without room to maneuver and lacking a good way to shut off its Regeneration, he needed a plan, especially as Kota was still there and in danger.
He risked a glance back at the boy, noticing he was curled up against the barrier, eyes wide with fright as he saw Izuku being ragdolled about. Izuku swore internally, forcing a reassuring smile onto his face as his eyes met Kota's. He would not let this boy get hurt, no matter what.
With a thought, Blackwhip erupted from him, a dozen tendrils wrapping about the misshapen muscular mass of twisted flesh, sending it into a frenzy of near silent struggles. Izuku could feel Blackwhip straining to hold it, but he didn't expect to keep hold of him for long, he just needed enough time. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his back and his muscles, letting it out with a hiss. He turned to glare at the Nomu, eyes glowing green as Full Cowling sparked over his form, and throwing his arms out to the sides, he whispered into the night. "Full Cowling: Juggernaut."
His energy erupted from his hands and feet, green flooding out and twisting, twining around his form, wrapping onto his limbs and swiftly adhering to his body, solidifying into shimmering, green-glowing fields that fit to his form. Moments later, he was covered in a field of energy-turned-armor, clenching his fists with a series of sparks leaping off them at the action. He'd worked hard on this move, channeling a not-insignificant part of his energy into the armor, enough that it could withstand at least one strike from this monster, he was sure. Then again, he had no plans on letting it get another hit.
Which was a good thought to have, since the Nomu broke out of Blackwhip, flexing its muscles, straining against them, the energy tendrils finally giving way as it bulked up even more, red muscles swelling to grotesque sizes as it lunged at Izuku once more. He leapt up and over it, forming a blade of energy in his hand. Taking into account his lessons from Chizome, he spun about midair, Fa Jin flooding his arm as he tried to aim for the neck with a stroke meant to decapitate.
The blade dove into the muscles, blood hissing as it burned from the heat of his energy, flesh sizzling and making Izuku gag at the smell, but even with the boost from Fa Jin, the blade halted halfway through. He snarled, Danger Sense making him Float back rapidly as Muscular's head spun about, the sound of its neck snapping audible to Izuku as its one eye glowered at him.
Izuku leapt backwards, dismissing the construct as he let Smokescreen erupt out, filling the area and blocking the Nomu's view. He'd just thought of a plan, but he needed it to not notice what he was doing. Flicking his vision to the energy sense, he planted one hand on the ground and channeled into it, focusing his energy…only to have to leap away as Muscular smashed into where he was.
Izuku gaped as he bolted to the side, the Nomu following him unerringly. It could see through the Smokescreen too?! Wait…the fourth Quirk? He focused on it as he ran, trying to decipher how it worked…and yet nothing was pinging? It wasn't a heightened senses Quirk, nor some sort of 'see through smoke' power.
Unwillingly, Izuku's eyes glanced over at Kota. Unable to see details when using his energy vision, he still could see the shivering of the young boy as he tried to hide as best he could. Izuku hated seeing him so afraid, but he'd fix this once this damned monster was downed.
Wait…Izuku's eyes went wide as he noticed something. The Nomu had yet to move its gaze away from Izuku this entire time. It even twisted its own head to follow his movement…a tracking Quirk? No, no, it wasn't shifting yet either. Dammit, what was it?
Danger Sense was a godsend, but even with it, the Nomu's movements were superhumanly fast. Izuku saw a fist heading towards him and moved to dodge, only to realize he'd not been paying attention and he was lined up with Kota. Even if he dodged it, the force of the punch would send a blast of air towards the boy, and unlike Izuku, he wasn't reinforced. 'Shit!' he cursed internally, no time to truly react as he desperately sent a tendril of Blackwhip back to grab onto Kota, quickly shoving him out of the way…as Muscular's fist slammed into Izuku's chest.
It was like being hit by a truck, all air sucked out of Izuku's chest as his barrier flexed and shattered, but his ribcage held up this time, thankfully. Or so he thought, he didn't get much chance to do an inventory as his body hit the barrier and he finally got to learn what it was made of, electricity arcing as he felt the familiar burn of electricity ripping through his body, making him gasp in pain with what little air he had left. Though he was absorbing it, it didn't stop the pain, the burn, a faint reminder of what happened when he was a child racing through his mind.
Danger Sense pinged once more, Muscular leaping into the air to bring a hammer fist down upon Izuku's now prone form. Unable to move in time, he took the risk, activating Gear Shift on himself and forcibly yanking his body to the left, dodging the explosive punch just in time as the ground ruptured beneath the force of Muscular's strike. He canceled Gear Shift as quickly as possible, not wanting to take too many repercussions from it, but his head was pounding from even that brief use.
"Mr. M-Midoriya?" Kota called out, his voice quavering, unable to see but the noise of the battle clearly causing him a lot of fear and worry.
Izuku managed to bite back a grunt of pain, speaking up as he bolted to the right to dodge another strike. "I'm fine, Kota! Stay over there, we'll be just fine soon!" he called out, ignoring the burning in his back and the pressure on his chest. While he was now 90% certain his ribs weren't broken, he at least cracked a couple, but he'd take that over another crushed rib cage like the USJ. With a thought, the barrier over his chest reformed, green flooding into place and reinforcing itself. He wasn't a fan of how form-fitting it was now, since that made it hurt worse, but if it was loose he would be bounced around and that would be even more painful, so he dealt with it.
He planted his foot on the ground, focusing his energy into place just like he tried to before, using Danger Sense to dodge the flurry of fists by mere centimeters this time. He was burning his pool too fast, and he knew it, but he needed to get these traps down so he could pull off his plan. Still, he was trying to decipher the fourth Quirk, because he needed this goddamned Nomu to lose track of him for just a few seconds, but it wouldn't stop staring at him!
That thought made him pause mentally, as he finished charging the ground and dashing to the next spot. The Quirk must have something to do with eyesight, since its single eye kept following Izuku everywhere. The pulse of color in the remaining inky black ooze told Izuku he was on the right track…sight based, but not something that let it see through the smoke…could it be like his vision, energy based?
The Quirk pinged a deep, reddish orange for a moment, but the black remained. Okay, not quite like his vision, but similar…wait. He flickered his vision to focus on other sources of energy…electrical, just showing the barrier…potential, no, kinetic, no, chemical no…thermal? 'Bingo!' he cheered internally as he saw the black fade away, the swirling reddish orange Quirk now visible. That's why it was ignoring Kota entirely. Izuku always ran hotter than most due to his Quirk, he was a shining beacon compared to the small child. On one level, that was good…Muscular wouldn't go for Kota then. On the other, he needed space to pull off his plan, and none of his tricks would mess with a thermal Quirk.
A thought crossed his mind and he glanced back at Kota through the Smokescreen. His energy was getting far too low, sub-50% at this point by his estimation, but he wasn't going to give up just yet. Kota needed him! He focused on the boy, concentrating on his sense…he could see Kota's Quirk within him, young and undeveloped with his age, but knowing what his parents were…he guessed and yes, he knew it! Kota could produce water! That's just what he needed! Now to communicate what he needed…
"Kota, buddy, I have an idea, but I need your help, okay?" He called out, eyes wide as Muscular came barreling toward him faster than before, the Nomu apparently getting tired of this game of cat and mouse. Izuku triggered Gear Shift and Blackwhip together, not taking chances, reeling himself across the clifftop and skidding his foot as he went, implanting more energy into the ground as quickly as possible.
"With what?!" the boy screamed back, his voice cracking as he flinched, huddled in the corner. Izuku hated every second of this, certain this was all horrifically traumatic for the kid, but he hoped he could distract him just enough to help.
"You can make water, right? When I say so, shoot as much as you just straight ahead of yourself, okay?"
"W-why? What good will that do?!" Kota shouted back, stuttering in fear.
"Trust me, it'll help! You can help me stop this guy once and for all!" Izuku's words were cut off as he mistimed a dodge, the monstrous creature before him slamming into his side, sending a shockwave of pain through Izuku's left arm as the barrier shattered, his arm snapping from the force. Izuku cried out, immediately muffling the sound of pain with a quick Blackwhip across his own mouth, biting into the black tendril to try not to scare Kota more. Wrapping his energy around the broken limb, he got enough composure to spit out the tendril and speak to Kota once more. "You can do it, Kota! I need your help! Remember what I said earlier, we all need help sometimes! You can help me, right here and now. You can be a hero too!"
As he skidded to a stop once more, he realized he'd fucked up. He had nowhere to dodge, having caught himself in the corner of the barrier with Muscular between him and any other route out. Muscular began advancing towards him, bulking up and up and up, larger than any being had a right to be, towering over the green-haired teen. Izuku snarled up at it, his left dangling helplessly at his side. He saw one chance for this to work, he just needed Kota.
At the corner of his vision, he saw the boy sitting upright, unsteadily getting to his feet and holding his hands out in front of him. He saw the swirl of dark blue energy gathering in the boy's hands, his Quirk a torrent underneath his skin, and couldn't help but grin. Glancing up at the monster in front of him and calculating the distance, he focused as much of his energy into his right as possible, feeling it heat up to the point where his own hand started to feel singed. As Muscular lifted one hand to bring it down upon Izuku, he tensed his muscles, focusing Gear Shift into himself, and shouted "Now, Kota!"
Three things happened at once. One, Kota focused and yelled out, water rushing forth from his hands in a geyser of uncontrolled force. Two, with Gear Shift at full force, Izuku felt like time slowed down just enough for him to barely slip past the monster, the force of its punch sending so much debris flying up he was slammed by a dozen rocks, pelting him and cracking but not breaking his Juggernaut armor. Three, Izuku reached out desperately, his right hand, aglow with energy, slamming into the water and vaporizing it, filling the entire area with a hot, humid flood of steam, making the Nomu suddenly pause, its head darting about in confusion.
"Yes!" Izuku cheered, this giving him just enough time to focus on the final piece of the puzzle. He flooded the last spot on the ground, gasping for air and letting out a tired smile at Kota that the poor boy couldn't see. "Great job, Kota, thank you! I'll take it from here…it'll be over in just a second."
Kota opened his mouth to reply, but Muscular suddenly spun about, stomping in their direction, waving its massive arms frantically as it tried to seek out its targets. Izuku grinned at with a feral delight…if it had thermal vision, then he'd just make the entire fucking area heated enough to mess with it, and steam worked wonders for that. Now he just needed it to walk to the right spot…now!
As the Nomu passed between the four spots he'd channeled his energy into, he triggered them all. Using Fa Jin in combination with his Quirk, he found he could leave patches of energy in place, just enough to use as focusing targets to do something at range…in this case, trap the monster in a giant fucking box. Izuku felt the energy flood up and around, watching as it shot into existence with a fury and force he rarely got to see from a distance, suddenly walling the monster off from the duo and trapping it.
It began to flail frantically, angrily, its fists pounding on the barrier, but Izuku knew exactly how much he needed to hold it in place temporarily, and temporarily was all he really needed for this. He just needed thirty seconds, and this would give him enough. Wincing in pain, using Blackwhip to move his left arm, he brought both arms up in front of him, palms facing one another as he cupped his fingers, a green glow appearing between them. This was a move he'd considered making, but decided was far too dangerous to use before…but now he didn't think he had much choice.
Not unlike Air Impact or Depth Charge, he created a sphere, but instead of compressing Nitrogen and Oxygen, he chose something far, far more volatile…his own energy. The sphere in his hand immediately began to heat up, to shiver and quake, as he poured more and more and more of his own energy, his power, his very own essence, into the center of the sphere, the Repulsion field forcibly compressing it from all sides, not unlike how gravity kept stars together.
Thirty seconds…that's all he dared risk, his own reminders of the last time his energy went out of control playing in his mind. The incident from his childhood, coloring every aspect of his life since, but for once, he would not let his fear rule him. It was his Quirk, and now he would use it to protect someone…to protect this boy, and end this monster before him.
Holding the quaking, glowing orb of pure force in his right, his left hand unable to support it any further, feeling the pressure demanding to be released, he stepped towards the cage he'd trapped Muscular in. The barriers were close to breaking…both the one in his hand, and the one that held the Nomu, but this was his last shot. With practiced ease, he let the ball of pure force slide through the barrier, the two blending seamlessly as they went, his mind screaming in pain at the struggle to hold all of these fields at once.
Internally, he begged his body and mind and Quirk to work with just for one more moment, just long enough as he half-ran, half-stumbled back to Kota's side, skidding to his knees around the boy. He wrapped his arms around the boy as he felt the barrier holding his energy begin to crack, generating one more field, as much of his energy he could spare, feeling himself dropping below 20% now to cover the two of them as Kota clung to him in fear, still unable to see. With one final breath, Izuku focused on the field that held his compressed energy and whispered…"Supernova…"
...and let the barrier fall.
Ochako was terrified. Izuku was in danger, Himiko was in danger, Katsuki, Shoto, Momo, everyone was triggering Danger Sense and while she had figured out how to compartmentalize the headache, it wasn't making it easy for her to concentrate on getting away, especially since she quickly realized she was one of the most effective weapons they had. None of them were as powerful as the USJ Nomu, and none of them could fly, so every one she launched into the air was another Nomu not in the fight.
Her classmates and sister class quickly picked up on this, and were doing everything they could to get her close while keeping her out of danger so she could get ahold of another one. Momo was by her side, having already given her two long cables she'd been whipping about to snag another Nomu, but also now producing small ball bearings for Ochako to launch at the Nomu and transfer her Quirk along. The problem was how many of them there were, and the number of Quirks they had.
The bioengineered physiques were bad enough; even if they'd already destroyed a dozen of them, it felt like an endless parade of monstrosities. The fighting had spilled out into the courtyard, shattered walls and broken roofs scattered about as everyone was busy fighting for their very lives. Mandalay was trying to coordinate, but between the pangs of Danger Sense and how much chaos was around them, she could barely focus long enough to give instruction.
Ochako was biting back bile, her stomach roiling with pain as her head screamed at her, fourteen Nomu floating helplessly while three more that she had under her Quirk were able to launch ranged attacks, but the combined focus was playing havoc with her ability. There were only a third left active on the ground, which she would think they could handle, but the problem wasn't how many Nomu there were, it was how much they were tiring them all out. They were exhausted when the fight began, from training all day, and with the battle now, they were dead on their feet, trying to fight back against these bioweapons and it was not going well.
Himiko was on the back of one of them, both knives dug into its shoulders as she tried to steer it away from Kyoka and Kendo, the two facing off against a Nomu with four arms and a scorpion tail that kept whipping out at them. Ochako could see the boy from Class B with the spinning arms and the one who produced blades working with Rikido and Yuga to try to bring another down…her Sensei was dancing between three of them, his scarf flitting out to entangle them.
She could barely track everything around her, her focus on the seventeen she had in the air starting to wane as she felt her throat burn from the nausea trying to climb its way up. She felt a hand on her back, glancing back to see…nothing? Oh…Toru.
"Hang on, 'Chako, you're doing great. I've got your back, so does Momo, we're doing okay, we got this!" Toru whispered, trying to encourage her as she rubbed her back soothingly. Ochako wanted to give her a smile in return, but couldn't twist her face enough without risking losing control of her stomach, so she returned to her focus, her body shivering as she glared up at the Nomu trapped in the air.
It hurt, but Toru wasn't wrong…they might be exhausted, and hurting, and barely able to move, but they were holding their own. Over half the Nomu were incapacitated, and once the remaining ones on the ground went down, they could pick off the ones she was holding up one by one and then she could rest. She just needed to be patient…A burst of flame caught her eye, witnessing Shoto barreling into one of the Nomu with his hand alight, a searing hot beam of heat piercing it and dropping it immediately.
A second later, Kamikiri from Class B had cut down the one he'd been fighting with Rikido and Yuga, followed by the one Himiko was dragging around smashed to the ground by Eijiro, Katsuki swooping in to land a point-blank Explosion on its head. She felt herself relaxing, ever so slightly…they were doing it! The monsters were falling, it would only be a matter of-
Everyone, teachers, students, and Nomu, were knocked off their feet by the massive explosion of light and force from off in the distance, the shockwave sending nearly everyone to the floor. Ochako almost slipped, almost letting go of her grip, but somehow she kept her footing, her Quirk reacting by increasing her gravity on herself and stabilizing her just enough she could keep her grip. Which meant she was the only one who could see it, in the distance, the pillar of green, a towering, colossal stream of energy flaring into the sky, fading a second later, leaving only an afterimage of light and ringing in their ears.
"Izuku?" she whispered into the silence, eyes wide and fearful…but she realized something slightly too late. As if it were a signal, she felt…something, around her feet. She glanced down, her eyes blinking out the afterimage as best she could…as she saw a pool of inky blackness beneath her, purple smoke surrounding it. Her eyes went wide, opening her mouth to shout something, a warning, anything…but she had no time as she fell, no time to think or react, only enough time to glance about and see the black smoke swallowing up the rest of her class, all of them plunging into the dark.
Light, sound, force, pain, heat…of all the words that could describe what happened when he let go, none of them could aptly describe what Izuku felt as he curled around Kota, desperate to keep the boy safe from his own power, his last ditch effort to keep them safe. He felt, more than saw, the barrier the Nomu put up shatter from the force, the cliff they were on vaporizing into nothing, the mountaintop blasting apart, the nearby trees being blown clean over as the wave of green exploded outward in a tempest of energy and heat.
It took several seconds for the noise and light to fade, even longer for Izuku to get feeling back in his limbs and the ringing in his ears to silence, but with a pained groan, he managed to unwrap his arms from Kota enough to check on the boy. From an initial glance, he looked okay, his hat askew and face wet from tears and snot, but Kota was awake, looking up at Izuku with watery eyes.
Izuku glanced behind him, looking for the Nomu…only to widen his own eyes at the sight. The entirety of the area behind was simply gone, no trace of Muscular or of the cliff, a truly massive crater in its place. He and Kota were on a barely structurally sound piece of the cliff that he'd managed to shield just enough, leaving them room to get down…and that was about it. But…Muscular was gone. Izuku let out a sigh of relief, looking down to smile at Kota tiredly.
"Thanks for your help. I couldn't have done that without you," Izuku said softly.
Kota sniffled, shaking his head. "I-I didn't do anything though."
"Yes you did, Kota. I needed your power to win that fight, else I never could have trapped him. You saved me…tonight, you were my hero," Izuku said with emphasis, a wide smile on his face.
Kota's eyes shimmered as he looked up at Izuku with awe, a look Izuku had only seen in Eri's eyes before. With a loud cry, Kota wrapped his arms around Izuku's waist, putting pressure on his cracked ribs and torn back, but Izuku made no noise of complaint, letting his good arm hug the other boy tightly as he finally, finally relaxed. He was down to such a low energy count he could barely stay awake, but they were safe…
Danger Sense roared in his mind, sending every nerve in his body into overdrive, but his exhaustion and lack of energy made him slow, unstable, unsteady, and he had no time to react as black smoke swept over the two boys, the duo vanishing into the dark, leaving the remaining cliffside silent, dark…empty.