Midoriya!" called Tiger, cutting through the warm haze in Izuku's mind. "Time to switch up!"
Izuku blinked a few times, then remembered himself enough to stop moving. He had fallen into a kind of trance while strength training with the others, the simple and repetitive motion of his body lulling his mind nearly to sleep, and now he had to shake the fog from his head and refocus on where he was and what he was doing. The first thing he became aware of was how his muscles ached, a stiff soreness that made each of his limbs uniquely painful to use. The unvaried movement of the strength training was good for settling into a rhythm, and he had worked himself nearly to exhaustion without even noticing.
The second thing he noticed was how hot and thirsty he was, sweat sticking his uniform to his skin and his mouth dry and gummy. He'd been so hypnotized by the workout that he hadn't even noticed how much fluid he was losing. Staff drills were even more arduous, and required more of his focus, so it would be harder to ignore dehydration. He swallowed painfully, then looked up at Tiger.
"Can I get some water first?" he asked, voice weak to his own ears.
"Two minutes," Tiger instructed, pointing at the truck where Pixie-Bob watched Yaoyorozu and Satou stuffing their faces, which also served as the water station.
Izuku nodded and turned to the truck, stumbling his first few steps as his body remembered how to move normally before breaking into a jog. Once he reached the truck he was sheltered a little from the scorching summer sun by the nearby cliff, and he filled a paper cup with water and gulped it down gratefully. After two more cupfulls he stopped, panting for breath, wondering how long he could get away with standing here to rest before going back to-
Strong arms closed around Izuku's waist from behind, and Izuku stifled a yelp.
"Shh," said a familiar voice, and Izuku twisted his neck around until he caught a glimpse of Shouto's red hair. "It's just me."
"What are you doing?" Izuku squeaked. "You scared me!"
"Sorry," Shouto said, not sounding very sorry at all. His face was buried in Izuku's hair, and for the first time Izuku had cause to be thankfully that it was so fluffy, as that meant it probably wasn't soaked in sweat.
Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was another little cry of alarm as a body collided with his other side and another pair of arms went around his shoulders.
"You didn't think you were going to enjoy hugging Izuku without me, did you?" asked Hitoshi before Izuku could wonder who it was.
"Wouldn't dream of it," said Shouto casually.
"Guys!" Izuku whined, squirming as realized he was completely caught between the two of them. "What are you doing?"
"Recharging," Hitoshi said, nuzzling Izuku's hair gently. "What does that mean?" Izuku demanded.
"Means we've been working all morning," Shouto replied easily, tightening his grip on Izuku's waist.
"We need some positive energy to keep going," Hitoshi continued for him, one arm coiling close around Izuku until his hand could play with the hairs on the back of Izuku's neck. "You give off the good vibes, so we need to soak them up."
"Like cats in the sun," Shouto concluded.
Izuku shivered. "This is gross," he said petulantly. "I'm all sweaty."
"We all are," Hitoshi assured him, like that made it any better.
"Shouldn't you be wet?" Izuku grumbled, nudging Shouto slightly with his elbow. "You were training in the water barrel."
"I used my left side to evaporate the water," Shouto told him. "I've been waiting here for the past five minutes."
"You what?!" Izuku squawked, trying to wiggle free, but both grips tightened further until he went still.
"I was watching you train," Shouto said. "I noticed the pattern to how often you switched between strength training to staff drills, and thought you might want a break before continuing."
"I just saw you were both over here and came running," Hitoshi sighed. "You were both watching me train?" Izuku grumbled.
"It's a nice view from my barrel," Shouto informed him.
"You're distracting," Hitoshi concurred.
"You're both ridiculous," Izuku mumbled, but he couldn't deny feeling warm in a way that had nothing to do with the summer heat.
Hitoshi and Shouto both made contented noises and nuzzled closer, their arms winding tighter around Izuku. He couldn't deny it felt nice, to be held by his two closest friends, especially when he could feel like they were really getting something out of the hug. Some part of him was sure he was going to mess up any second, say or do the wrong thing, make it weird somehow. It wasn't weird though, not when it was Hitoshi and Shouto. He settled his right hand over Shouto's, feeling the other boy's grip tighten on his waist, and gently closed the fingers of his other hand over Hitoshi's wrist. Neither of them said anything.
"Don't lose focus," Aizawa's voice barked from above, making Izuku's head snap up. "Each of you can move faster."
Izuku's heart seized with panic, and he tried to free himself from the other two, but again their grip just tightened. The water station was at the back of the truck, around the corner from the side where Pixie-Bob sat watching the other students work. From the other direction they were sheltered by the cliff, hidden from prying eyes by its shadow.
"Shhh," Hitoshi hushed.
"And no matter what you're doing just remember where you started from," Aizawa went on, but he seemed to be talking to everyone at large, not to the three of them in particular. "Don't forget who you were before UA. Always keep in mind why you're sweating, and why your limits keep getting tested. That's what it means to improve."
"We should . . ." Izuku began, but there was no strength to his voice. "Just another minute," Hitoshi bargained.
"We'll train better after," Shouto promised.
Izuku sighed. "Why do you guys always know exactly what to say?" "Because we-" Hitoshi stopped short, as though suddenly unsure. What? Izuku wondered.
"We know you," Shouto finished for him. Izuku couldn't help but feel that wasn't how Hitoshi would have put it.
"More importantly!" Pixie-Bob's voice rang out, this time from much closer at hand. "Tonight's gonna be fun! We're pitting classes against each other in a test of courage! I know you've been training hard today, and later you'll get to play hard! How's that for a reward?"
Shouto sighed and began to untangle himself from Izuku, and Hitoshi reluctantly followed suit. Izuku found he felt strangely cold without them pressing in on him from either side. It must be how much he was sweating.
"See you guys at dinner I guess," Hitoshi said wearily, shuffling slowly out from behind the truck.
"Then for the test of courage," Shouto added as he set off for his water barrel. "That should be fun."
"Yeah," Izuku said, half to himself.
"Don't slack now!" cried Pixie-Bob as Izuku walked slowly back toward his group. "Make sure you keep on pushing yourself as you work!"
"Yes ma'am!" called the other students.
Izuku watched Shouto climb back into the water barrel and Hitoshi sit back down with Monoma. Had he really helped them?
"Hey!" said Tiger, snapping Izuku out of his contemplations to realize he'd nearly stopped walking halfway to his destination. "You're not Plus Ultra yet!"
"Right!" Izuku shouted, and ran back to the others. *
Shouto was glad Izuku didn't wander off today.
Last night at dinner Izuku had disappeared just as it was time to eat, and everyone had been finished by the time he came back. He'd almost missed getting anything to eat himself, but Hitoshi and Shouto had saved him a plate. It had been difficult watching him eat mechanically, clearly lost in his own thoughts. Hitoshi had asked him what was wrong, but Izuku had hitched a sad smile in place and insisted that it was nothing.
The training camp was clearly taking its toll on Izuku, and Shouto could see why. Izuku was at his most confident when he was helping someone, and feeling like he wasn't helpful or wasn't needed was hard on him. Shouto was given to understand that had been his default state before UA. He'd never been able to help anyone before, so getting to help all of his classmates, being someone they relied on, was good for him. Being denied the chance to help, especially at such an important time, had to feel like a giant step back.
Tonight seemed to be better though, and he sat between Shouto and Hitoshi while he ate with much more gusto than before. It was beef stew, a favorite of Iida's, and one night's experience had taught them a fair bit of how to go about cooking, so it turned out much better than the curry. Shouto watched his two best friends eat, feeling pleased and proud. It was almost like when they'd made mochi together, but the feeling was bigger somehow.
After dinner and cleanup, with darkness settling over the camp, the Pussycats led the two classes back out into the forest.
"Perfect!" Pixie-Bob cried once all of them were assembled in a clearing some distance from camp. "We've filled our bellies and cleaned the dishes! It's time for-"
"A totally awesome test of courage!" Ashido exclaimed, waving her hands excitedly. "We're gonna win!" Kirishima and Kaminari called in agreement.
"Don't count on it Kirishima!" jeered Tetsutetsu, but with much more friendliness to his voice than he'd had before the sports festival.
Shouto turned to Monoma, expecting him to chimed in with taunts of his own, but he was strangely quiet, watching the Class A students but not speaking. A quick glance at Hitoshi showed him watching Monoma too, but he didn't look at all surprised to find the other boy quiet. In fact he looked proud.
"OK!" Pixie-Bob went on, indicating the two paths that led off the clearing to a looping trail through the nearby forest. "Class B is going to start out as our 'scarers.' When they're in place Class A will leave in pairs every three minutes. There are tags with your names on them at the far end of the route. Your goal is to collect those!"
"Revelry in the dark," murmured Tokoyami to himself.
"Why's he keep saying that?" Uraraka whispered nervously to Asui.
"Ribbit," Asui said with a shrug.
"Now, those who are scarers aren't allowed to make physical contact," Pixie-Bob explained seriously. "Use your quirks to terrify the others, got it?"
"The winners are the creative students who make the most people piss their pants!" Tiger roared, the other Pussycats jumping excitedly around him.
As the other students began to mutter, Shouto looked over at his friends. Both of them had already edged closer to each other, twin looks of apprehension on their faces. It was very adorable, and Shouto was sad that the activity had to be for teams of two. It would have been nice to spend time alone with both of them, especially if they were going to be cute the whole way through. Still, if they were already seeking comfort in each other, he wasn't going to choose one and make the other go through with someone else. He would let them go together and-
"All right!" Pixie-Bob's voice quieted the class as she held up a fistful of slips of paper. "Everyone draw to see who your partner will be!"
Oh.
They drew lots, and by chance Shouto found himself paired with Hitoshi in the second group. Immediately they both looked to Izuku, hoping he might be in group one or three, but he was paired with Iida in the very last group. Shouto was a little worried about that. Iida was no coward, but he was excitable, and prone to being almost as terrifying as anything in the woods when startled. He turned to Hitoshi to see if he was worried as well, to find him comforting Yaoyorozu who had been paired with Aoyama but was looking longingly at Jirou. Jirou, for her part, seemed to be making fun of Tokoyami, who was set to go with Shouji in the very first group.
"Do you think Jirou would trade partners with Iida?" Shouto wondered to Hitoshi once Yaoyorozu was resigned to the way things had gone.
"Jirou wouldn't trade being with Hagakure for anyone but Yaomomo," Hitoshi shook his head. "Tokoyami then?" Shouto asked hopefully.
"Believe me," Hitoshi said, "Tokoyami is right where he wants to be."
The first team left, then three minutes later Izuku waved a forlorn goodbye as Shouto and Hitoshi set off into the forest. There was no chance of Izuku catching up to them and no reason to rush, so they set a leisurely pace through the woods. It seemed that Class B intended to lull them into a false sense of security, because they had lost sight of the clearing by the time the first attempt to scare them came. It was just a girl popping up from the ground in their path though, and Shouto did little more than stop short at the sight, but Hitoshi yelped and stumbled back until Shouto had to dart in and catch him to keep him from falling over. The laughter of the Class B students followed them once they had passed the obstacle, and Hitoshi stuffed his hands into his pockets and sulked.
"Don't be mad at them," Shouto gentled once it seemed that another lull in the action was at hand. "It's part of the game."
"I'm not mad," Hitoshi said sourly. "Or at least, I'm not mad at them." "Are you mad at me?" Shouto wondered.
"No," Hitoshi said immediately. "I'm mad at myself. I'm in the hero course, I shouldn't be this jumpy."
From somewhere behind them a pair of earsplitting screams erupted, followed by the raucous laughter of the two Class B girls and the chattering of the boy with the strange teeth.
"I don't think it's a matter of what class you're in," Shouto assured him. "We're supposed to be scaring each other."
Hitoshi huffed but said nothing. Shouto considered for a moment, then reached out with his right
hand and grasped Hitoshi's left wrist, tugging his hand out of his pocket and then interlacing their fingers.
"Shouto!" Hitoshi hissed, the tips of his ears going pink. "You don't have to hold my hand!"
"I want to though," Shouto said honestly.
"The Class B students are going to think there's something going on between us," Hitoshi warned.
"I don't mind if you don't," Shouto replied.
They were both quiet for a few moments. Shouto was braced for another attack, ready to pull Hitoshi in closer, but it was Hitoshi himself who finally broke the silence.
"I would mind," he said carefully, "if it got back to Izuku that we were . . . you know, without him here."
"Me too," Shouto admitted, "but I don't think he would mind if he found out. I think he trusts us enough to know we'd want him there, ideally."
"Yeah," Hitoshi said, a small smile and a light blush sneaking onto his face. "He does. Even if he found out in, like, the worst possible way, he'd still probably just be happy for us."
"He'd make that face he does," Shouto speculated. "Where he smiles so hard and so big it forces his eyes shut."
"I love that face," Hitoshi said, grinning to himself in a way that reminded Shouto strongly of a cartoon cat. "It's peak Izuku energy. Like when he's concentrating and his cheeks puff out a little."
"That's a good one too," Shouto agreed. "Kinda makes you wanna squish his cheeks together." "Yes!" Hitoshi said joyfully. "He's so adorable! Every time he smiles I feel brand new emotions!" "He's too cute to be allowed," Shouto said seriously. "We should do something."
"Arrest him for baby crimes," Hitoshi laughed.
"The holding cell is my arms," Shouto added.
"Mine too!" Hitoshi protested eagerly. "He stays there for life. A harsh but fair punishment." Shouto nodded solemnly.
They walked in silence for another few moments. Shouto did not let go of Hitoshi's hand, and Hitoshi did not take his hand back. It seemed a long time since they'd run into any Class B students, but it was again Hitoshi who spoke first.
"I really like Izuku," he confessed quietly. "I've liked boys before, but never like this."
"I've never liked anyone before," Shouto told him. "This is all pretty new to me."
"I didn't think people like Izuku existed," Hitoshi said, peering at Shouto sideways with eyes vacant and soft. "He's strong and smart and good in a way you don't really see any more."
"The only thing I can compare him to is All Might," Shouto said in sympathy. "He just fills the space."
"He really does," Hitoshi shook his head as though in disbelief. "He reminds me of those old videos of All Might carrying like ten people on his back. He won't leave anyone behind."
"It really is like he gives off some kind of energy," Shouto went on. "Or maybe a light. It makes you see things clearly."
Hitoshi was quiet a moment, looking at the ground. "I like you a lot too, Shouto," he said.
"Do you think-" Shouto paused, not sure how to say what he wanted to say. "Do you want us to be more than what we are? All three of us?"
"I don't know," Hitoshi said in a small voice.
"My mother asked me that," Shouto told him. "A little while ago. I told her I didn't think I was ready."
"We don't have to do anything you don't want to," Hitoshi assured him gently.
"It's not that," Shouto shook his head slightly. "I just don't think I was honest with her." "What do you mean?" Hitoshi wondered.
"I think what I wasn't ready for . . . was to be wrong," Shouto realized.
"Shouto," Hitoshi breathed, eyes shining in the dark.
Suddenly a small noise came from up ahead, and both of them whipped around to face front, hands flying apart. Shouto's eyes scanned the path, but there was nothing obvious obstructing their way. It took him a few frantic heartbeats to even notice the upper body of a Class B student laying on the ground, poking out of a nearby bush, though that might have been because of the smoke.
Smoke?
Izuku watched Shouto and Hitoshi leave for their turn with an uncharitable sense of melancholy. He squashed it down right away though. Shouto and Hitoshi had no control over who their team would be. They could just as easily have not gotten each other, and then none of them would be doing the test of courage together. The students were being divided into teams of two anyway, so it wasn't like there was a chance that they could have been a team of three and hadn't taken it. There was no reason to feel left out, and he knew that it was silly.
That didn't help.
The others all waited for their turns with varying degrees of trepidation. The first two teams had been comprised of relatively stoic students, but the third team was Jirou and Hagakure and the screaming started not long after they entered the woods. Uraraka clung to Tsu, whose calming presence seemed to be the only thing keeping her from really freaking out, and Yaoyorozu's cool demeanor was cracking under the strain of continued screaming and the obvious fear of her partner Aoyama.
Izuku was pretty nervous himself, but he didn't want to show that to Iida. The Class Vice President seemed excited, if only for the potential educational value of the exercise, and was already muttering to himself about the ways in which Class A might use their quirks once it was their turn to be scarers. Most of his ideas seemed to be pretty juvenile haunted house stuff, and he kept
bumping up against the rule about physical contact. Still, he seemed to be having fun.
"What about you Midoriya?" Iida said suddenly, startling Izuku. He hadn't realized Iida was paying attention to him.
"What about me?" Izuku asked hurriedly.
"Do you have any ideas for how we should scare Class B?" Iida wanted to know.
"We should probably focus on controlling ambient sounds first," Izuku said automatically, his mind racing ahead of him. "Kouda can probably get animals to make spooky noises, and if we cut down a tree to give the suggestion then your engine can definitely be made to sound like chainsaw-"
Izuku paused, recalling Aizawa's words. His time at the training camp was supposed to be about his own improvement. He was meant to be focusing on himself, not on how he could help his classmates. But this was different, right? This was a team challenge, they were meant to work together. What could Izuku provide if not strategy and planning? He didn't have a quirk he could use to scare people -- Aizawa had even taken his force lance back before they came out here -- but he had his brain. Surely that was what he was supposed to use! Or was he thinking too small? Should he-
"Midoriya?" Iida's voice snapped Izuku out of his thoughts.
"Sorry!" Izuku said reflexively. "I was just . . . thinking."
"You've been doing that a lot," Iida noted, with a hint of reproach to his voice.
"Thinking?" Izuku blinked.
"Spacing out," Iida corrected harshly, but then his voice softened. "You've been distracted since we got to camp. What's bothering you?"
"Nothing!" Izuku said hurriedly, waving both hands in front of himself as though to ward off the idea. "I'm fine, really!"
"Midoriya," Iida said sternly, a frown marring his face. "You remember what you did for me in Hosu, right?"
"Of course," Izuku said, unsure of where Iida was going with this.
"You saved me," Iida recounted anyway. "You saw that I wasn't myself and you moved to help me, to say nothing of what you did for my brother. I know you don't want to trouble anyone with how you feel, but it would be poor repayment of my family's debt if I didn't push at least a little to find out what's wrong."
Izuku considered this a moment, looking at the ground. He didn't want to give voice to his concerns, as they seemed petty and childish in his own mind, but he couldn't ignore Iida's feelings either.
"It's just the training camp," Izuku gestured vaguely with one hand. "Aizawa said I needed to focus on myself and improving my own abilities, and I understand that, I really do. I need to be able to face threats on my own, without any help. That's an important thing for me to learn."
"However?" Iida prompted knowingly.
Izuku sighed.
"It feels selfish," he admitted. "I'm so used to helping everyone else that not doing that seems wrong. The whole reason I was scouted for the hero course was how helpful I was with my analysis, how it improved the performance of other heroes. That was how I was able to stop Ingenium from being crippled, and who knows, if I hadn't given him that advice he might be dead. I can't help but feel like focusing on myself, like I would need to do to become a hero, is leaving all that work unfinished. Maybe it would be better if I were to just help others, instead of becoming a hero myself."
Izuku looked at the ground as he finished this confession, not sure he wanted to see Iida's expression. He knew that Iida was the earnest type, and would speak what was on his mind. He wasn't sure he was ready for what his friend had to say. For a few moments silence reigned, then Iida spoke softly and carefully.
"You were scouted for the support course because of your analysis," Iida recalled, making Izuku tense up, "but you were scouted for the hero course because of your actions at the USJ. What you did there wasn't something you would get to do working behind a desk at the Hero's Public Safety Commission, or even as a private contractor. If you hadn't been there with us that day, some of us might have died. Aizawa-sensei might have died, and would certainly have been very badly hurt. You acted like a hero, and that prevented a lot of harm."
Izuku paused, thinking back. That was true, he supposed. If he had kept to his role as a support course student he would have fled the USJ, or else just offered advice without coming up with a strategy to counterattack. He would have been much less useful if he hadn't been acting like a hero student. More people might have gotten hurt, or worse.
"You really think so?" he asked, looking up at Iida. To his surprise, Iida smiled brightly.
"I do!" he replied encouragingly. "And, you have to remember, the training camp is only for a week. There's no reason you can't go back to giving everyone advice once we get back to school, and once you're a Pro I think you'll have many more opportunities. My brother has told me how lucky someone would be to have you as a sidekick, or to work with you once you have your own agency. Heroes collaborate all the time, and they often give each other advice."
"Really?" Izuku demanded. "Ingenium said that about me?"
"Of course!" Iida said cheerfully. "My brother thinks very highly of you! Just remember, training to become a hero rather than an analyst gives you more opportunities to help, not less!"
"Right," Izuku said, feeling lighter than he had in days. It was like taking off wet clothes and changing into dry, no longer burdened by the cold or the feeling of being weighed down. "You're right! This is just temporary! I just need to focus on improving as much as I can so that I can help in as many ways as possible!"
"That's the spirit!" Iida said, giving him a double thumbs up and obviously pleased. "Now, are you ready for the test of courage?"
"Yeah!" Izuku said, pumping a fist in the air. Then something occurred to him. "Hold on."
He dug a hand into each pocket of his shorts -- one by one as he had four of them -- and finally came up with the black eyeliner pencil he had taken to carrying around with him.
"Can you draw the heart on my cheek?" Izuku asked tentatively, holding out the pencil to Iida. "The one I have as part of my hero costume?"
"Of course!" Iida said, taking the pencil and stepping closer.
Izuku turned his head, and Iida took his chin to hold him still. The heart was drawn slow and careful, and the eyeliner tingled pleasantly on his skin. Iida capped the pencil and handed it back, and when Izuku gave his Dekiru smile, Iida smiled back just as brightly. Izuku opened his mouth to shout their school's motto, now that he was ready for anything, but before he could speak Pixie- Bob's voice interrupted him.
"What's this foul smell in the air?" she asked, and Izuku turned to see her with nose pointed up, sniffing visibly. She was facing Izuku and Iida, but as soon as he turned Izuku saw what she must be smelling.
"You see that?" Izuku asked, pointing at the sky over the forest, where dark plumes of smoke dotted with flecks of blue light were rising from the trees.
"Black smoke," Mandalay realized, catching sight of them too.
"Has something been set ablaze?" Iida demanded.
"Maybe a fire on the mountain?" Ojiro speculated.
"Hey, what's happening!?" screamed Pixie-Bob, voice high and panicked, and Izuku whipped around to see her suspended in the air, surrounded by an aura of glowing pink.
"Pixie-Bob!" cried Mandalay, but her teammate was already flying backwards toward-
No.
With a sickening crunch Pixie-Bob's head collided with a massive rectangular object like a block of wood, wrapped in strips of white cloth and mounted like a bazooka on the shoulder of a person who most definitely was not supposed to be here. She fell to the ground, half her visor broken off, blood trickling from the injury. Her attacker braced the weapon on her head and let it rest there, grinning as they all looked on in horror. The villain was a large figure dressed in incongruously casual clothes, complete with trendy sunglasses, more suited to a casual day out than an attack on a hero's training camp. This was a particularly bizarre look contrasting with the second villain, who had a lizard-like mutation quirk and was dressed in what was clearly some kind of villain costume. It looked strange and flashy, but also familiar somehow. This one too had a large weapon covered in white cloth, but it was still strapped to the villain's back.
"First let's get rid of these feral cats," said the first villain, shifting the huge rectangular weapon so that more blood dripped down Pixie-Bob's forehead.
"Pixie-Bob!" Izuku shouted, preparing to leap into the fray before the villain pressed down any harder, but was stopped when Tiger flung out an arm.
"This is bad," Mandalay ground out, standing together with Tiger, making a wall of themselves in front of the students.
Izuku looked around the clearing, assessing. All the Class B students and about half the Class A students were in the woods, and Ragdoll had gone out to monitor things. Aizawa and Vlad King were back at camp, planning and preparing for the next day's training. There were two villains and two Pros, an even match, but a lot of students to protect and get in the way. Were these the only
villains here? If not, how many were there total? How many were roaming through the woods? Was the camp a safe place to retreat to, or were there some there as well? Where else-
A horrible thought struck Izuku, and he whirled around, trying to take in the whole clearing at once.
"Where's Kouta?!" he yelled, but no one answered him. The little boy was nowhere to be seen.
"How are you this evening, UA High School?" hollered the lizard villain, arms flung wide as though in a grand display of welcome. "We are part of the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains!"
"The League of Villains?" Ojiro repeated. "What are those guys doing here?"
"I could crush this kitty's head so easily," said the villain pinning Pixie-Bob, voice a honeyed simper. "How about it dears, should I?"
"You get away from her!" bellowed Tiger, fury in every line of his body.
"Now, now, hold on Big Sis Mag," said the lizard villain, suddenly stepping between his companion and the heroes with arms outstretched to both of them. "You too Tiger, calm down. When deciding if someone should live or die, we must be careful that we're abiding by Stain's principles."
"Stain?" Izuku gasped, eyes widening.
"So you're the ones he ended up inspiring!" Iida accused, teeth gritted in anger.
"At your service!" said the lizard villain cheerfully. "That's us! And you, green bean-" he pointed one clawed hand at Izuku, "-I believe I recognize you! You're the self-righteous brat who works with that outrageous fraud that attacked Stain in Hosu City! Let me introduce myself!"
The villain reached up and grasped the handle of his cloth-covered weapon. As he did, Izuku felt his classmates edge closer, attempting to close ranks around him. The white cloth fell away as the weapon was drawn, until the lizard-like villain was holding a giant sword that seemed to be made of at least a hundred small knives held together with a few leather belts.
"Call me Spinner!" declared the lizard villain, eyes shining maniacally in the dark. "I'm here to make Stain's dreams a reality!"
Izuku took a reflexive step back, mesmerized as he took in the massive weapon in all its glory, and Mandalay shifted to stand in front of him, blocking him from the villain's view.
"I don't care who you are! You're criminals!" Tiger called, stepping forward and drawing the villain's attention onto himself. "The woman lying there is named Pixie-Bob. She's a Pro Hero who's saved countless lives. She's giving her all for these young heroes, pushing them to reach their full potential. She's looking for a mate, but otherwise she's content."
Tiger held up his gloved hands in a fighting stance, and claws extended from the tips of his fingers.
"What gives you the right to cut such a happy life short?!"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not a hero's job to be happy!?" shrieked Spinner, lifting his
weapon to prepare for an attack, but Mandalay spoke before he could swing.
"Tiger!" she said urgently. "I've talked to everyone. Trust the safety of the other students to Ragdoll. You and I will stay here. We'll hold them back!"
She turned to the students behind her, fixing Iida with an authoritative stare.
"You return to camp," she ordered. "Class Rep, you're in charge on the way. Don't engage anyone."
"Leave it to me," Iida nodded, turning and beginning to shepherd the other students back toward the camp building. "Let's go!"
Izuku hesitated. Mandalay's plan was sound: she and Tiger could face the villains in the clearing, and Ragdoll could easily find everyone and round them up. Camp was the safest place for all of them, as that was where Aizawa and Vlad King would doubtlessly be waiting for them, prepared to regroup. This accounted for everyone who might be in danger.
Everyone except Kouta.
"Midoriya!" called Iida from somewhere behind him, and Izuku made a decision.
"Go on ahead without me!" he instructed, then ignored Iida's protests and turned to the Pussycats. "Mandalay!"
Mandalay turned her head a fraction to show she was listening, but didn't lose sight of her enemy.
"Kouta!" Izuku shouted. "I know where he is!"
Mandalay froze, eyes wide and conflicted, then narrowed her gaze and leaped forward.
"Go get him as quickly as possible!" she commanded, lashing out at Spinner and dodging when he swung at her with the sword. "Then get right back to camp! No detours, got it?"
"Right!" Izuku said, and immediately turned and began to run.
He darted past Iida, not wanting to see the look of concern he was doubtlessly wearing, and broke through the treeline to begin sprinting through the forest. He knew his friend, all his friends, had to be worried about him. They had to get back to camp though, to set up a safe place for the students to retreat to. The more people were there, the safer it would be. He couldn't ask any of them for help, not when they were needed elsewhere, and he was the only one who knew where the little boy was hiding.
He was the only one who could save Kouta.