It started, of course, with rescuing Uraraka. Bakugo would be picked up too, since he was there, but part of Izuku thought that he'd be best left to his own devices. Superb distraction, really, but it would be unfair to leave Uraraka in the lurch like that. Izuku had muted the outside speaker on his helmet for the moment: the voice was apparently unnerving enough, the faint clicking of claws on a keyboard probably would have driven half of their little band insane in short order. Izuku could still hear it, but he tuned it out. It meant that he had to relay instructions himself, but that was easy enough: they were just avoiding cameras. It was nostalgic, in a way, the voice in his ear.
"Good news," Nedzu said absently, "I can take control of the cameras. It's going to be difficult, but looping the cameras as you reach them is possible. Hopefully whoever has taken control doesn't have some sort of technological Quirk."
Izuku was fairly certain that Nedzu was also looking up the mercenaries, and definitely also directing their path. He was honestly a little intimidated by that level of multi-tasking ability.
"Is that likely?" Izuku asked. He received the verbal equivalent of a shrug.
"They aren't common but they do exist. That said, if I was planning something like this, I would find someone with the skills required to out-hack as many people as possible. Hmm…it doesn't quite seem like it, though. Let's be as cautious as possible, still."
Another corner, up two flights of stairs and Izuku wished that the elevators could be trusted. He was fit, as was required by any Hero student, but the potential of a hundred flights of stairs was a special kind of hell. If he was alone he might have risked using his grapple to ascend, but right now it was on foot.
More stairs. If anything was going to put Melissa off taking One for All it'd be these goddamn stairs, because there were so many of them. So many. Nedzu tutted in Izuku's ear, though hopefully not because he was reading Izuku's mind.
"David Shield and his assistant have been singled out," he said, "I suspect in order to open the Vault."
Izuku cleared his throat, making sure that his helmet was muted, and then spoke quietly to make sure no-one could hear it anyway.
"I had suspicions about Sam, sir. He's been acting unusually since I was here. As though he's hiding something."
"He is in a good position, that is true. Although…hmm. No, just a distraction. Continue on: hopefully you can reach Mr Bakugou and Miss Uraraka before the patrolling mercenaries do."
Inviting disaster, but then again Izuku did that a lot. Another flight of stairs, calves aching. Never mind Melissa being put off heroism, he was about to be put off by the sheer number of steps – another flight and they paused at a landing, waiting to make sure that everyone was caught up. Izuku clicked his helmet speaker on at Nedzu's request, staying quiet as the Principal spoke.
"Miss Uraraka and Mr Bakugou have wandered into a garden facility, another floor up," he said, "There is a mercenary patrol that will almost certainly intercept them: unfortunately for the mercenaries, they won't know you're here."
"Should we split up?" Yaoyorozu asked, "To ambush the mercenaries?"
Nedzu hummed, although he sounded like he was having a wonderful time. Most of the others, Izuku noticed, were looking oddly at him. Probably the disconnect between his appearance and Nedzu's chipper tone: Iida seemed particularly discomfited.
"Yes, I think so," Nedzu said, "At the very least, placing Mr Midoriya in a position to provide covering fire will be important. We should be able to avoid combat, but if we can't it's better to have every advantage."
"Up another flight of stairs, then," Izuku said, "Quickly."
They hurried up another flight of stairs, following directions to a door, and Melissa got to work unlocking it. Nedzu made a thoughtful noise, the helmet speakers still on.
"It looks as though the mercenaries are aware that someone is missing," he said, "But they're just patrolling. If I had to guess, they're in contact with the security office team, with the intention of sending reinforcements as soon as the patrols make contact. The patrollers are the less capable members, it appears."
"How do you know that?" Yaoyorozu asked. Nedzu laughed lightly.
"Oh, they're the ones who don't have customised equipment. If my years of playing video games has taught me anything, it's that the more generic villains are least dangerous!"
Izuku didn't really appreciate the way most of the group were staring at him. He wasn't the one who said that, they didn't have to look at him like that. Nedzu chortled.
"I'm joking," he said, "The patrols are the mercenaries with less customised equipment, but that probably means they have less potent Quirks. Not that being shot is any less unpleasant, or so I hear."
Surprisingly, this didn't seem to inspire a great deal of confidence in the group. The door clicked open in silence.
"A – alright," Yaoyorozu said, shaking off Nedzu's remark, "We need to find Bakugou and Uraraka. Let's go."
"I'll go first," Izuku said, rapping his knuckles against his chest-plate. Yaoyorozu hesitated, nodding.
"Of course. You're more armoured, but be careful."
Izuku pulled up his hood to conceal the brightness of his helmet at least a little and slipped through the door, rifle ready. The garden facility beyond was sterile for all the greenness: featureless walls and clean paths, bushes so neatly trimmed they could have been plastic. He swept his gaze over the place, seeing nothing.
"It's clear," he called back, staying as quiet as he could as he straightened. Nedzu hummed in his ear.
"Not entirely trusting my camera work? Sensible of you. By my estimation this will be on the patrol path, with two men: they're not as close as your classmates, but let's not take too long. The walkways above should provide enough cover for you."
Izuku pointed out the door that Uraraka and Bakugou were likely to come through to Yaoyorozu, leaving it to her to organise a welcoming party for them as he assessed the walkways above. A little too exposed for his taste, given the actually good lighting in the facility, but people rarely looked up and the walkways were wide enough for him to hide from someone below. He just needed to get up there. He considered the walkway and the railing on it – he could grapple to the bottom of the walkway and climb up, or he could try and trickshot the railing. Harder, but easier to get onto the walkway. Izuku shouldered his rifle and drew his grapple, still calculating, when a finger tapped him on the shoulder.
"You need a hand?" Tsuyu asked. Izuku could grapple up, or he could use his brain and remember that he wasn't doing this alone.
"Do you think you can lift me up to the walkway? I can grapple up, but it might be easier to get a lift."
Tsuyu surveyed the wall and nodded.
"I can jump up."
"Okay, I'll just – Yaoyorozu!"
Izuku waited until Yaoyorozu had turned across before he took off his helmet and held it up.
"You'll probably use it more than I will. Catch!"
An easy throw, arcing underhand, and Yaoyorozu caught his helmet easily. He gave her a wave and turned back to Tsuyu.
"Alright, I'm ready."
She nodded to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and bracing herself.
"I'll jump us up, just make sure to grab the railing," she said, "Can catch us with my tongue but that way's easier."
"Got it. On three?"
"On three, ribbit. One. Two. Three!"
Tsuyu crouched slightly and then jumped, propelling them upwards in a single surging leap. Izuku gritted his teeth against the force, hands reaching out in front of him as they reached the level of the walkway, slightly above, coming down and he grabbed the railing, pulling himself down so his feet landed on the walkway with a thud, Tsuyu's arms tightening for a moment as momentum caught up with them. She let him go, grabbing the rail herself and swinging onto the walkway, and Izuku bent his knees and leaned backwards, sliding under the railing and giving his classmates on the ground a casual salute.
"Show-off," Tsuyu chided, but the tiny emotion in her voice was amusement rather than irritation. Izuku smiled.
"It would mean a lot more if you'd ever jumped like that before, Tsuyu. Don't think I'm the only one showing off, right?"
The tiniest smile.
"Some people are squeamish," she said, "I'm testing out new options, you know?"
Izuku glanced at her, wondering, but just nodded.
"Think I prefer the old version," he admitted. Tsuyu nodded solemnly.
"I'll keep the feedback in mind. You think I'll be alright staying up here, ribbit?"
Izuku shrugged. Tsuyu was wearing a dark green dress, not the most stealthy but a good colour. It should be fine.
"If someone's looking up, they're as likely to see me as you," he said, "And having a buddy is a good habit for a sniper. Stay if you want."
Tsuyu nodded and settled herself against the wall, waiting. It was a good idea, too, because it put her in position to attack from above if needed. Izuku, himself, went onto one knee and then onto his stomach, sighting the rifle on the door that Nedzu had pointed out and estimating ranges. From here it wasn't far enough for any sort of bullet drop, but he hadn't tested the rifle and didn't know whatever quirks it might have. It would have to do, though.
"You said the mercenaries are wearing armour, right? Can you shoot through it?" Tsuyu asked. Izuku shook his head.
"The two guys who attacked Melissa and I, I shot one in the chest with a handgun, pretty much point blank. Didn't go through. Still very nasty, takes really good armour to soak up something like that without injury, but I don't think I'll get penetration. Really thick armour only covers the torso, though, so shoulders and legs. Bullet in the knee takes most people out of a fight pretty effectively."
Harder to hit, too, but Izuku was confident. So long as the rifle shot more or less straight, he'd hit. The door that Izuku wasn't watching hissed open – Izuku heard two exclamations of surprise but no explosions, screaming or people hurtling towards the ceiling as their gravity ceased to be, so his classmates must have successfully wrangled Bakugou and Uraraka. The mercenary patrol couldn't be far behind, and Izuku let out a slow, soft breath as the door he was watching opened. Two mercenaries, one male and one female. Same armour as the two he'd seen earlier, same rifles, same handguns. Same confident swagger in their walk.
The mercenaries walked in easily, confidently. They weren't quite relaxed, but they weren't expecting trouble. Izuku could honestly say that he didn't empathise: he would've liked to, but he couldn't have everything. He didn't take his eyes off them as they walked: he just hoped his classmates had properly hidden themselves. Lucky that he had a spotter.
"Tsuyu," he said, barely above a whisper but he heard her shift, "How well hidden are the others?"
"Well," she whispered back, "In the bushes. I don't think they'll be seen."
The mercenaries were looking around, but not seriously. Jason had seen it plenty: they thought they were safe and being sent on a wild goose chase. Not smart, but useful.
"Does the boss really think we'll find them in here?" the man asked, just loudly enough that Izuku could hear him, "Two Quirkless kids aren't gonna be playing Hero. They're gonna be hiding, if they've got any brains. And the Hero kid should know that he can't do anything alone. Can't be too dumb, if he's made it months in UA."
"Yeah, and he could be counting on us thinking that," the woman snapped. She seemed more alert, if only marginally, and Izuku shifted just a little so he was targeting her. Just in case.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure he could be a problem. I just can't see it happening."
"Even if you don't care about the Quirkless kids," the woman continued, ignoring her compatriot, "There's others missing. Can't see how they'd have gotten up here without tripping an alarm, but it could have happened so stay sharp! Wolfram'll kill us if this goes wrong."
Wolfram again. Well, that would be confirmation for Nedzu. The mercenaries were walking a circuitous route around the garden and Izuku tracked their path, sparing a half second to glance away. They probably wouldn't walk over his classmates, but if they did…
His finger caressed the trigger, almost without conscious thought. It was an easy shot. He wasn't as certain with rifles as with handguns, but from this range? One of the easiest shots he could take, and they were so relaxed. Two heartbeats, two bullets, two corpses. Use their explosives to set a trap, take out whoever came to check it out, hunt the mercenaries through the halls as they tried to find him. Izuku drew in a slow breath, holding it, aim unwavering as he argued with himself.
No. Not yet. The mercenaries walked the path near to where his classmates were hidden, nobody moving, no hint of suspicion, back around and to the door. They paused there, the woman reaching up in a familiar gesture: an earpiece.
"Hey, Sword. We've checked the garden, nothing's here: the baby Heroes are in the wind. Hope the boss has an idea other than threatening Kid Shield, 'cause she's fuckin' vanished."
The response wasn't favourable, Izuku could tell from the way the merc shook her head just a little, the way her shoulders twitched towards a slump.
"Yeah, alright Sword. We'll keep looking."
She tapped at her earpiece again, shaking her head.
"Fuckin' prick," she said, just loud enough that Izuku could still hear her in the quiet, "Come on. Sword says we find the girl or we don't come back, so let's go."
The male mercenary nodded silently and the two of them walked through the door they'd entered through, the woman stomping aggressively. Izuku kept his sight on the door, waiting, counting his heartbeats until he was certain that it wasn't a bluff and they were really gone. He sighed softly, taking his finger away from the trigger and slowly rising to his feet.
"Well, that went well."
"Lucky that they didn't look too closely," Tsuyu agreed, "You want a lift down as well?"
"Please."
He could probably make the drop himself, but there was no point in shocking his knees and ankles when he had a bona fide superhuman on hand. He slung his rifle again, and a moment later Tsuyu wrapped her tongue around him and jumped. She thudded lightly to the ground, setting him down, and he nodded to her.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
They walked across the garden, reuniting with the rest of their group: Bakugou frowned on seeing them, but didn't say anything. Small mercies.
"So the Expo is being attacked?" Uraraka said, "And we're trying to get to the security office to take it over?"
"Yes, indeed," Nedzu chirped through Izuku's helmet, held stiffly in Yaoyorozu's arms, "The unfortunate luck of your class seems to have continued."
"'Least it's less of a fuckup than the USJ," Bakugou grumbled, "What're we waiting around for?"
"Nothing," Nedzu said, as Izuku took his helmet back from Yaoyorozu and slid it onto his head, "Not a thing."
They set off, taking a third door across the facility, but they hadn't gone far through it when Nedzu sighed.
"Unfortunate news," he said, "I think I have identified our mercenaries. Leader Wolfram and a presumed second in command referred to as Sword: a small mercenary group, arguably a villain group, who have most recently called themselves the Iron Star, have a leader called Wolfram, real name unknown, and a similarly unidentified second in command who calls himself Swordkil."
Izuku almost stumbled.
"He calls himself Swordkil?" he said, his voice modulator failing to smooth out the incredulity in his voice. Nedzu sighed.
"Apparently, yes. There's no accounting for taste, it seems. He has a transformative Quirk which allows him to change his hands and forearms into, well…"
"Swords?"
"Blades, at the very least. Wolfram, however, is – well, the specific name for the sort of kinesis he exhibits is debateable, but in effect he can control metal."
Izuku twitched.
"While it is possible that he can only control ferrous metals, I would advise that you specifically avoid combat, Mr Midoriya."
Yeah, no kidding. Jury was out on whether this Wolfram guy could react fast enough to block a bullet he'd been surprised by, but he didn't need to. Izuku's guns had metal in them. His knife was metal. His helmet had metal, although most of it was plastic. Hell, his arm had enough metal in it that it could be used against him. Against this guy he'd be a liability at best.
Just once, Izuku would like to face a villain without some bullshit power set. Someone who he could just beat up and call a day. Just once. He took a deep breath, bundled up all the frustration and the anger and, yes, all the fear and packed it down, deep inside, where it could wait until later. If later ever came.
"If we're lucky we'll never even see Wolfram," he said aloud, "The security and the Heroes will take care of it. But if they can't, I'll make sure to get away."
"We could split up," Todoroki suggested, "Make sure that if Wolfram fights anyone it's away from the control room."
"An admirable suggestion, but potentially misguided," Nedzu intervened, "Remain together, for now. Wolfram appears to have selected David Shield and his assistant Samuel to open the Vault. I wonder what he's looking for?"
"Does it have to be something specific?" Yaoyorozu asked. Nedzu hummed.
"It could be an attack of opportunity, but it seems unlikely. Taking a risk like this requires a definite reward, which implies that the Iron Stars have a buyer set up…which implies a specific target. It doesn't especially matter, but I'd like to have a grasp on the intentions of my enemy."
"If they're looking for me," Melissa said, "Could I be used as, um, as bait? If needed?"
There was a short if unpleasant silence.
"Let's not rule it out," Izuku said, flat tone made flatter by the voice modulator, "But only as a last resort. We've only got the assumption that they want you as a temporary hostage."
"They didn't look too hard," Tsuyu added, "So we can probably avoid them, ribbit."
Melissa nodded, her face pale but determined. What was it with heroic types and being self-sacrificing? Not that Izuku could avoid placing himself in that category.
Back to the stairs. Nedzu was working on unlocking an elevator, he said, but there was more chance of his intrusion being detected that way: the walk was preferable to the fight. Izuku led the way again, the benefit of his armour, but Todoroki and Bakugou were directly behind him and in the event of a fight he fully intended to go prone and let them blast away. See if Wolfram's metal control could stand up to an exploding blizzard: Izuku didn't give him fantastic odds.
"The two-man patrols are continuing, however more mercenaries have been drawn back to the security office," Nedzu said. There was just the faintest hint of concern under his tone: Izuku might have been imagining it, but he didn't think so.
"They seem to have been drawn back at the command of Swordkil, a cautious approach," Nedzu continued, "Wolfram is moving towards the Vault with hostages in tow. Damnation."
"We've gotta split, then," Bakugou said, his voice pitched low and growling, "Take the heavy hitters as a distraction so the rest can get into the office."
Izuku hated to agree with Bakugou, but he was right. It was the easiest way, if not the safest, and Nedzu's silence indicated that he knew it too.
"Not yet," the Principal said as they ascended yet another flight of stairs, "Not yet. I cannot remain in contact with both groups at the same time, not with only Mr Midoriya's helmet as a communicator, and Swordkil may send out his men again. How patient is he, I wonder? Miss Yaoyorozu, can you begin constructing communicators? I may be able to use the helmet as a relay to them."
Yaoyorozu quietly agreed, hand flashing as they walked. Bakugou grumbled wordlessly but didn't say anything, apparently prepared to trust Nedzu for the moment. Storming the security office could get nasty, especially if the mercenaries were hunkered down: if the security office had been built with defence in mind, they'd be running down a corridor filled with lead. Not Izuku's idea of a good time. Part of him wanted to blame the security team: how in the hell had they lost the damned office in the first place? For Christ's sake it controlled the entire Island, it should have been fortified tightly enough that All Might couldn't have gotten in without a fight. But no, blaming people was pointless now. Especially people who were dead.
"If Swordkil's got any sense, he'll stop patrolling and start establishing checkpoints," Izuku said, "It would give him advance warning. Does he have the men to do that?"
"There are only so many approaches," Nedzu said, "He's splitting his men into four-man groups. Your thinking may be correct."
"I have the earpiece communicators, sir," Yaoyorozu said, "Can you connect to them?"
Nedzu was halfway through the first word of his reply when an explosion sounded from above them and they all flinched.
"What the hell was that?"
"Our timeframe being shortened," Nedzu said grimly, "My alert that I-Island was under attack went out and a nearby Hero group attempted to fly in. I-Island's outer defences, however, are significantly more deadly than the inner."
"Holy fuck," Bakugou said, "They fired, what, a missile?"
"Advanced anti-air, yes, completely ignored the jet's defensive measures," Nedzu said, "That's new and alarming. The pilot and Heroes ejected in time, but they're out in the ocean at night."
"Fuck me," Bakugou said, "What're they doing now?"
"The Heroes? Panicking, mostly," Nedzu muttered, claws clicking rapidly, "They're a fairly small group who're around on naval duties, hunting smugglers and pirates mostly. Multi-national group. I told them to wait, but apparently they thought I was exaggerating the danger: the mercenaries are moving more quickly. We may be lucky that All Might was captured, if they didn't have him they'd probably have started executing the hostages by now. The mercenaries seem to be worried…I suppose they didn't expect to be detected so quickly. Wolfram is still moving towards the Vault, but Swordkil is splitting his men up. The time for subtlety may be past."
"Right," Yaoyorozu said decisively, "We need to split up. What teams do you recommend, sir?"
"Three teams," Nedzu said, "Mr Midoriya, Miss Shield, Miss Asui to the security room, as the stealth team. Mr Bakugou, Mr Todoroki, Mr Kaminari and Miss Uraraka, the distraction team. Miss Yaoyorozu, Miss Jirou, Mr Mineta and Mr Iida, a third team to prepare the ground in the event one of the other teams needs to retreat. You have the communicators, Miss Yaoyorozu?"
"Yes, here."
Nedzu hummed: a wash of static made Izuku flinch for a moment.
"My apologies, Mr Midoriya, connecting through your helmet is a little awkward…there we go. Can you all hear me?"
A round of affirmations and Nedzu sighed, long and slow. Izuku heard him click his claws against one another.
"Again, forgive me," he said mildly, "Coordinating three groups at the same time, on a single functioning channel, is going be quite a task. But what fun, what fun…let us be about this."
They split up. Izuku's team was actually getting the least instructions: not because they knew where they were going, but because all they needed to do was get close without getting into a fight and find somewhere to hide. That this ended up with the three of them crammed uncomfortably into a closet full of cleaning supplies wasn't Izuku's favourite experience, but it could have gone worse.
At least, with the others now wearing their own earpieces, Izuku could mute his helmet and avoid giving them away with the blare of Nedzu's voice. Hearing the progress of the plan, if it could be called that, only over one-way communications was a little unnerving, though.
"Yes, continue down the corridor ahead. There is another garden facility that a patrol is sweeping, attacking them should draw attention. Miss Yaoyorozu – too long. Creati, take the next left and then the door three doors down to your right and trap the corridor as best you can. Red Hood, be ready to move."
The stuttering series of explosions that followed wasn't too much of a surprise, but Izuku heard Melissa draw in a sharp breath: simple inexperience. Nedzu made a noise that was part purr, part growl and all terrifying.
"Swordkil is moving rapidly towards Shouto and, um, Bakugou with his men in tow. Red Hood, Froppy, now."
Timing. Timing, timing, timing: Izuku knew the plan called for synchronisation good enough that his team could break into and secure the security office before Swordkil realised what was going on and could rush back. Izuku's favourite thing, needing perfect timing. If he'd been fully equipped he could have blocked the main corridor with foam grenades, but no, I-Island security would make sure nothing happened. If only.
"Swordkil is splitting his group up in order to cut you off, Shouto," Nedzu said, "Hmm…his hacker friend, I think. Red Hood, progress?"
"Approaching the security office," Izuku said softly, "Are there any guards outside?"
"No, only inside. Numbers are hard to tell, but only a few."
Alright. Izuku hit the wall next to the office, taking deep slow breaths, rifle in his hands. He wished for his grenades, but this would have to do.
"I'll go first, Tsu. Melissa, stay out here until we call you in. You ready?"
"Ready, ribbit."
"Ready."
One last breath, fingers fluttering over the rifle, and Izuku spun around and kicked the door open, storming into the room.
Mercenary, left, three shots to the chest, another on the right, another three bullets, both down with mingling yells as Izuku kept going, two shots at the man at the back of the room and Izuku was already over to the presumed hacker as the man reached for a pistol. Izuku shifted, put the weight of his body behind it and slammed the rifle butt into the hacker's head, spilling him from his chair and sending him sprawling over the floor.
Tsuyu burst in behind him, tongue stretching out and wrapping around one of the first two men Izuku had shot as he staggered to his feet, whipping him across the room to slam into the second man shot before she leapt at the mercenary at the back of the room, both of them crashing down. The hacker came up to his hands and knees, clawing at a knife on his thigh, and Izuku kicked him in the head.
"Melissa!" he shouted, sweeping a glance over the two men Tsuyu had finished downing before turning over to her. Tsuyu was easily getting the better of her opponent, twisting and flipping them both upright before slamming him into the wall and throwing him back down. The mercenary landed hard, trying to rise again before collapsing. Tsuyu, panting, looked at Izuku.
"Nice," he said and she grinned, a flicker of bright emotion before it was shuttered again.
"We work well together," she agreed, "Now what?"
"Let's tie these losers up and hope Melissa can get security back on our side before the cavalry arrive. Melissa, you good?"
Melissa slid into the chair in front of the security station, fingers already tapping away, ignoring the rest. Izuku patted through the pockets of the closest mercenary, stealing the ammunition he could find. He'd half expected them to have some restraints on them, but apparently he wasn't that lucky: still, belts and shoelaces were a fair substitute.
"These guys came loaded for bear," Izuku said, "The rifle ammo: hollow-point and armour piercing, about equal numbers of each. Incendiary, for some god-forsaken reason: were they expecting to meet Kamui Woods out here? Handguns have the same except without incendiary, because someone must have realised that it's just not useful. Frag grenades and flashbangs too? Not that I don't appreciate the resupply, but talk about being heavily equipped."
"They did expect to see a lot of Heroes here. Maybe it's just in case?" Tsuyu suggested. Izuku shrugged, piling the weaponry on one of the two tables in the room.
"Probably."
Izuku tapped a finger against the other table, thinking.
"Help me get this out to the corridor, Tsuyu? It's not bulletproof but some cover is better than none."
They hauled the table into the corridor and tipped it over to form a rudimentary barricade, and Izuku looked thoughtfully at the four tied up mercenaries. The hacker had stirred and was glaring at them.
"Quick question," Izuku said, "How much would you say your boss values your life? Because using human shields generally isn't heroic, but I'm kinda desperate here."
The hacker spat at his feet. Izuku shrugged.
"If you aren't going to tell me, I'll just assume that it'll work and prop you in front of the table. This really isn't the time to be all defiant."
"Past evidence, unhappily, suggests that Swordkil and Wolfram would be willing to fire on their own men if needed," Nedzu said in his ear. Izuku sighed.
"Alright, good news, your boss is enough of a psycho that I can't use you as a human shield," he said, "So just sit there and be quiet. Try and escape and I'll shoot you in both kneecaps, you got me?"
If the crimson helmet and flat modulator were good for anything, other than the obvious of preventing him from picking up serious head injuries, it was intimidation. The hacker tried to look unimpressed, but he looked away when Izuku directed a stare at him. Going in guns blazing must have helped.
"Melissa, what's the progress on the security?" Izuku asked, scanning the camera screens and seeing Swordkil gesturing. None of the men in the office had gotten out an alarm, but they must have been in contact with Swordkil: it only made sense that he would realise something had gone wrong.
"I think I can get access, we were too quick for the hacker to log out," Melissa said, "But he's locked down the drones and turrets. It's going to take a couple of minutes."
"Of course it will," Izuku muttered, "You might want to put some armour on, Tsuyu. Just in case."
Was it petty of Izuku to strip the armour from the hacker, specifically? Probably. Was it satisfying to see his face pale as he realised he might well be in the firing line without armour? Absolutely. Izuku took his little victories where he could find them.
"Concerning news," Nedzu said, "Swordkil is on his way back with a squad of men, and Wolfram is almost at the Vault. Progress on the un-hacking?"
"A couple minutes more," Melissa said, "Just a few minutes more."
"We can hold the room that long," Izuku decided, "Principal, where's Swordkil?"
"He's split up. He must have realised something's going on – he's destroying cameras as he moves. One team approaching you, four mercenaries. Swordkil had two, but he's off camera."
"Sh…oot. I hate when the bad guys are smart," Izuku muttered.
"I always thought I'd be a rescue Hero, ribbit," Tsuyu contributed. Izuku nodded sadly.
"It's sounding more appealing every disaster. Alright. Tsuyu, stay here? I'll stop them in the corridor."
"Be careful," Tsuyu said, but nothing more. It was nice to have backup who knew what he was like, Izuku reflected as he swiped a couple of grenades from the table and ducked out into the corridor.
"While your armour and helmet will probably withstand even the armour piercing bullets from the rifles, I do not recommend getting shot," Nedzu said in his ear, "Nothing is certain, and I'm uncertain of your armour."
'Remember,' Dick had once told Jason, 'The chance of getting shot and spontaneously exploding is low, but never zero!'
Dick had been a real dipshit sometimes. If Izuku remembered correctly, he'd said that almost immediately after Jason had been shot, so it might have been intentionally aggravating. Still. Good advice, on the whole.
"The armour probably won't hold," Izuku admitted, "And being hit in the head will put me out of action even if the helmet holds. I'll try not to get shot."
"Good advice in general," Nedzu said, although he sounded distracted. Izuku eyeballed the corridor, grimacing as he thought. Shooting gallery, and no way were the mercenaries going to just leave: yeah, best to just ambush them.
"Are there any speakers near the mercenaries?" Izuku asked, "Maybe they'll leave if they know someone's here to fight them."
"I highly doubt that," Nedzu said, "But there is a camera with speaker included near the door they're using: I've sealed the door, but it won't take them long to get through. Be, ah, be convincing."
Convincing? Unlikely. Threatening? Izuku could do that.
"Iron Star mercenaries," he said - he could hear the flat tones of his modulator through the door – "This is Red Hood. Security has been retaken, so I suggest you surrender now if you don't want to face the consequences. More directly: the number of kneecaps you leave with is up to you."
A few seconds.
"They aren't surrendering," Nedzu supplied and Izuku sighed. Apparently his rep just wasn't good enough yet. Well, they'd learn.
"The things I do for heroism," Izuku muttered, clicking the magazine of armour-piercing rounds into his handgun. Barely a heartbeat later the door exploded inwards and the mercenaries followed.
For professionals, they definitely weren't checking their fire. Holding down the trigger and hosing space was satisfying, sure, but they were firing far, far too high to hit even the table, never mind Izuku crouched low behind it. Not that he minded, because not being shot was always a plus, but – he hated to see this sort of incompetence cropping up. Click click click, out of bullets, and the four mercenaries returned to blazing away with handguns, noticing the table this time. Izuku flattened himself against the wall, leaning down and back as bullets smashed through the table.
"Come on," he whispered, "Come on, you can't think I'm still here. You've thrown enough bullets, you must think there's no-one here…"
Two final bullets punched through the table, getting closer to him.
"Come on, Hero shit!" yelled a man, "We know you're there!"
Maybe they weren't so stupid after all. Oh well.
"Alright then, fuck you as well," Izuku murmured, slipping a flashbang into his hand and pressing hard on the activation button. A blind throw, a single bounce, a yell of alarm and the muffled boom of the flashbang, screaming behind him as Izuku rose to his feet and turned, levelling the handgun in one fluid movement. Twenty bullets in the magazine: he used twelve of them. Eight knee-shots, four to the shoulder, an entire mercenary squad down and screaming.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
Gloating was unbecoming, but come on. Every superhero did it – or at least indulged in a snappy post-victory one liner. Admittedly his wasn't the wittiest he'd ever heard or even used, but he was out of practice. Maybe he should ask Nedzu for tips, the Principal seemed like the best choice: All Might was too cheerfully heroic for his quips to sound right, Snipe would definitely make gun puns and Izuku hated to think what Aizawa would say. Then again, Bruce had a sense of humour that you wouldn't expect…
Izuku shoved the thought aside as he turned back to the security office, back through the door, something prickling at his instincts. The corridor was a chokepoint, but Swordkil had to know that, so why would he take men with him? What other approach could…shit.
"Get away from the windows!" Izuku shouted, just a moment before the armoured glass exploded inwards. Izuku took the brunt of it as Tsuyu dived at Melissa, glass rattling on his armour and helmet, jagged shards tugging at his jacket as three mercenaries swung into the room. Izuku put two bullets into the first ones chest before the centre mercenary lunged at him and his brain registered the lack of a mask and, more importantly, swords making up the man's arms.
Oh, shit.
For all his stupid name Swordkil knew his business and he was across the room in a flash, ducking under Izuku's line of fire and twisting, a hand locking around Izuku's wrist, an elbow into Izuku's solar plexus that sent him staggering back, gun gone, a backwards kick hitting him in the chest. Izuku went down, Swordkil completing his spin and lifting his sword and Izuku reached down as he fell, catching himself on both hands and forcing himself into a snapping handstand. A boot caught Swordkil in the face and Izuku contorted his handspring further, leaping to his feet, knife coming out as he landed.
He'd have to thank Mina for practicing that with him later.
A step back, just enough that he could see the rest of the room – Tsuyu was throwing hands with a third mercenary with her usual efficiency, the one Izuku had shot flopping like a landed fish and holding his chest: Izuku suspected fractured ribs. Finally, someone who wasn't him was getting them. It felt like vindication but Izuku didn't take the time to savour it, instead concentrating on Swordkil again. There was no banter, possibly because he'd broken the bastards nose with his fancy backspring. Still, it was like Stain all over again. And then Swordkil rushed in and it really was like Stain all over again.
Swordkil was aggressive, lunging straight in with his left hand punching towards Izuku's face and Izuku met it with his own left hand as he stepped aside, slapping the arm away, his own knife flashing up to slice underhand across Swordkil's forearm before he spun it, sliced at the face, arresting and reversing the movement in a stab that Swordkil barely prevented by dropping his elbow back against Izuku's wrist.
Swordkil swung back-handed and Izuku skittered back, away from the blade, a grin settling onto his face.
First blood. Izuku hadn't gotten any good hits, but the cut on Swordkil's cheek was bleeding, red under wide eyes, and the deeper gash on his arm had to hurt. A muscle jumped in Swordkil's jaw, his eyes narrowing. But he was still close, too close for Izuku to risk going for his gun, and surely the man must know that stalling wasn't in his interest, not with Tsuyu thrashing his back-up. Swordkil had underestimated him, he could see the sudden caution in his eyes. And Izuku had been wrong: Swordkil was no Stain. But he wasn't going to give up. The faintest flicker in the eyes, and Swordkil charged. He was fast, dramatic, spins and kicks interspersed with swipes of those bladed arms, going for the kill and Izuku played defensively, backing up, limiting himself to quick counter attacks when he had the chance, his left arm playing defence: at the very least it wouldn't end up bruised even if scratches were piling up across his breastplate. Four strikes, five, blood pouring crimson from the raking scratches along Swordkil's arms and Izuku heard him snarl as they broke apart, separating beyond knife distance. Tsuyu broke their stalemate.
The mercenary she threw didn't hit Swordkil, but it was a magnificent distraction. Izuku darted forwards as Swordkil stumbled, the mercenary turning just enough that his left arm was out of position and Izuku lunged into the gap. The body armour would have resisted his knife: the unarmoured inside of Swordkil's elbow didn't. Swordkil jerked back with a scream, the instinctive motion just barely getting him away from the second slash of the reddened blade that cut across his chin instead of his throat and Izuku's following punch knocked at least two teeth out as his gauntlet caught Swordkil in the mouth. Swordkil's flailing response drove him back, the blade screeching against his breastplate and helmet as it swung up in an instinctive gutting attempt, but Tsuyu was already leaping: her hands closed around Swordkil's shoulders, her momentum swung them around, and she flung him into the wall without an instant of pause. Tsuyu darted in but Swordkil rebounded off the wall, his right arm hanging limp but the other still bladed and reaching.
Swordkil slashed at Tsuyu, forcing her back, and lunged at Izuku. Izuku dropped to one knee, under the wild swing, twisted to the side to avoid the lashing back-kick, Swordkil spinning completely around and cutting back with his right hand. Izuku met it with his forearm, vambraces cracking painfully together but Swordkil stopped for just a second, just long enough for Izuku's next move. Rotate his wrist, bring the hand down, trap the mercenaries arm with the ice-pick gripped knife, pin him just long enough. Draw the gun with his left hand. Knee, shoulder, elbow, three shots and the man was screaming and falling, down and out.
No. Definitely not like Stain.
"Melissa," Izuku said, almost sing-song in his hurry, "The security system?"
"It's almost there," Melissa said, sounding shaken, "Nearly there."
Swordkil had passed out, thankfully: the screaming had been getting obnoxious. Izuku hurried over to Tsuyu, holding out a hand to her and helping her up.
"You alright?" he asked, scanning her for injuries. There was a scrape on her borrowed body armour, but nothing else.
"I'm alright," she confirmed, "Thanks."
"I should be thanking you for helping with Swordkil," Izuku said, "Was starting to doubt I'd get a good opening."
"I'm sure you would have won in the end," she said, the ghost of a smile curving her lips just a fraction. Izuku appreciated the confidence.
"Principal, Swordkil and his men are down. Melissa's nearly got the security back on-side, how's everything else going?"
"Less favourably," Nedzu said, his tone unusually grim, "Wolfram has successfully infiltrated the Vault and retrieved his prize: an experimental Quirk Amplification Device."
Izuku choked on thin air.
"I don't know how effective it will be, or even if it will work. But from what I overheard from the cameras I managed to get access to it was created by David Shield for All Might and confiscated as too dangerous."
Well, shit. There was motive to be the inside man right there, although Nedzu wasn't going to confirm it over an essentially open channel.
"Samuel Abraham has been non-fatally wounded and Wolfram is attempting to kidnap David Shield," Nedzu continued, "Extraction point is a helicopter on the roof. We need that security returned to our control as quickly as possible, Miss Shield."
"I've nearly got it," Melissa repeated, still clicking away, and Izuku gritted his teeth.
"Sir, do you want me to try and cripple the helicopter? Without a way to escape…"
"No," Nedzu said, "No. It's too late, and Wolfram too dangerous. We've successfully fended off the attack as soon as the security systems come back online, that will be enough. I'm diverting the other two teams away from Wolfram, before he can do any harm to them."
Izuku pulled a face but didn't quibble. Instead he turned, dragging Swordkil and his two men over to a corner of the room and performing basic first aid before making sure they were restrained. That done he did the same thing to the four men outside, although he left them in the corridor, and then tapped on a table, nervous, mind running over the ways this could go wrong. He knew he was making a mistake, knew that winding his nerves tighter and tighter like this was a bad idea, but he couldn't help it, eventually resorting to tearing apart the guns that he'd confiscated from the mercenaries, tinkering with the parts. When Melissa finally broke into the security and shouted in triumph he almost went out the window from pure instinct.
"I've done it," Melissa said, "I have the security under control. Releasing present Heroes now, redirecting the drones to Wolfram. Principal Nedzu, do you have any control?"
"I don't," Nedzu said, voice tight, "Wolfram has eliminated the defences around him. That Quirk Amplifier really does work. Comparative to Trigger... a larger increase than Trigger. Hard to say exactly how much, but possibly twice as potent. He has successfully taken David Shield."
Twice as potent as a dose of Trigger? That was…that was terrifying, honestly. Izuku felt fear trail a coldly clawed hand up his spine, shaking it off only with an effort of will. Tsuyu looked concerned, and Melissa, no longer distracted by her work, looked horrified.
"He's taken my Dad?" she asked, her voice lurching alarmingly in the middle of the sentence, and Izuku grimaced.
"All Might will rescue him," Nedzu said, surprisingly soothingly. Izuku saw Melissa clench her fist from the corner of his eye but she took a deep breath and leaned back into her seat, sighing.
"Okay. Okay. Yeah, Uncle Might will save Dad."
Really, if All Might couldn't manage it then none of them were going to have good luck. But just in case, just in case they ended up face to face with Wolfram, Izuku needed a plan so he could at least go out defiantly. Well. If he knew people like Wolfram, they liked to gloat: liked to flex their power. Wolfram would want to make a show of it, which meant probably ripping Izuku's helmet off, maybe his arm if he was unlucky. But the helmet…hmm. His helmet didn't have the same traps as Jason's had: he'd been unable to sweet-talk Power Loader into putting the explosives into place even if Hatsume had been frighteningly enthusiastic about testing it. But a temporary fix? He could do that.
"Sir, can you connect to everyone without using my helmet?" he asked Nedzu, "I'm going to take off my helmet and make some changes to it, just in case I have to try and face Wolfram, and I don't want the connection to fail."
"Hmm," Nedzu said, much softer than usual, "Yes, I can connect through the security. Excellent. Trapping your helmet, Mr Midoriya?"
Alright, Izuku was used to Nedzu apparently knowing more than he should but that was just unnatural.
"Power Loader vented to me about your plans," Nedzu said, in between issuing directions to Yaoyorozu and Todoroki – Izuku noticed that they were fainter, maybe because Nedzu had continued to mess with the connection in an attempt to make it easier not to confuse them – "Personally I found it quite inspiring. A little morbid, given that your helmet would only be taken off if you were captured or dead, but revenge from beyond the grave is rather appealing as far as I'm concerned."
Izuku pulled a face at that, pulling his helmet from his head and hastily disassembling it. Hatsume would probably disassemble him if she saw how he was treating the headgear, but he needed to be quick and he managed to get the communicator free without damaging it, the still attached modulator still functional. It was weird to hear Nedzu speaking through it without the slight muffling effect of being in the helmet, though.
"I'm bringing the other two teams back to you," Nedzu said, "Wolfram has separated from what remains of his men, seems like he's adopted an 'every man for himself' strategy. There aren't many left at this point. All Might has eliminated the mercenaries who were watching the hostages, I'm attempting to contact him and direct him towards Wolfram."
"And my Dad?" Melissa said anxiously, "And Sam?"
"David Shield is a hostage still. Samuel Abraham is…I cannot see him on any camera."
Melissa sucked in a breath, soft and quick. Personally Izuku considered it something like karma: Sam had been an inside man, almost certainly, and he'd been an idiot to trust some mercenaries. Shield too, maybe, except Shield was just too smart to be left to Wolfram. He was an idiot, if he trusted the mercenaries, but still smart.
Then again, Izuku reflected as he kept working on his helmet, he was about to put a helmet crammed with explosives on his head just in case, so he hardly had a leg to stand on. In the spirit of ignoring that epiphany before he went insane, Izuku pulled his helmet on. Melissa looked horrified. Tsuyu looked…well, like she was expecting him to do something similar. She knew him well.
"If Wolfram's loose we shouldn't stay here," he said, "Maybe he'll head right for the helicopter, maybe he'll want to flex his powers."
"Either way, we don't want to be in the big tower made mostly from metal when there's a metal controller running around, ribbit."
"Thank you for that terrifying thought, Tsuyu."
"I try my best. Melissa, can you stop someone from taking over the security again?"
"I've already done it," Melissa said quietly. She looked around, chewing her lip before speaking.
"What about the mercenaries in here? Should we try and, I don't know, get them out?"
"I can carry two, at most. Izuku, maybe one. Even if you can drag another that's only four…"
"Leave them," Nedzu said, "If you aren't there Wolfram shouldn't cause damage nearby. He's still destroying every camera he comes across, but I can track him by the destruction. Your compatriots are evacuating, already three floors down. I suggest urgency."
Izuku eyed the window, wondering if he could jump. If he gave Tsuyu his grapple and used his arm, they could carry Melissa between them to spread out the weight…no. Save that for later.
"Elevator," Melissa said, "Can we use that? One of you – well, no offence Izuku, but Tsuyu – can jump down and then catch us? It'll be faster than the stairs."
"Agreed, ribbit. Lead the way, Izuku."
"The nearest elevator shaft is down the corridor ahead and two right turns away. I may be able to access the controls, to bring it to you," Nedzu said, "Good luck."
Izuku led the way down a windowless corridor, finger creaking on the rifle trigger. Not good safety practice, but the only person they were likely to run into was Wolfram and Izuku was going to take his chances. Hold the trigger down, point the rifle in the right direction, and pray that Wolfram couldn't block all the bullets. Odds were pretty good that Wolfram would block them all and then use them on Izuku, but he was trying to be optimistic.
"My apologies," Nedzu said, his curt tone making him sound anything but apologetic, "But Wolfram is rapidly approaching your position."
Ah, Izuku thought absently, that was what his Principal sounded like when stressed. Well, that was interesting. A shame that he was only finding out now.
"All Might is trying to reach you but without smashing through the tower he won't make it in time," Nedzu said, almost snapped. Izuku closed his eyes and sighed.
"It was always unlikely we'd escape easily," he said, "Which way is he coming from, sir? And is the elevator ready for Melissa and Tsuyu?"
"Just Melissa, ribbit," Tsuyu said. Izuku turned his head to her, but the calm determination on her face killed any objection before it could begin. He gritted his teeth, reading in her silent stare the words she didn't need to speak: I'm not leaving you behind.
"For all of us, then," he said, "Tsuyu, carry Melissa."
"Sorry about this," Tsuyu said, not sounding sorry at all as she scooped Melissa up before they sprinted. Melissa wasn't slow, but Izuku and Tsuyu were much better trained: they made considerably faster progress as they dashed down the corridors, Nedzu hastily rattling off directions in their ears. Maybe, if luck was with them…
Luck wasn't with them. They reached the elevators, but the doors were forbiddingly closed and the elevators nowhere near. Izuku punched the wall and swore, allowing himself a single moment of indulgence before he swung back around.
"The…the two of you should go," Melissa said, her voice brittle but determined, "It must be me he's after. He won't hurt me if he needs me for leverage, but that doesn't protect you. You should-"
"We should," Tsuyu said, her casual calm cracking just slightly, "But we won't, will we?"
"No," Izuku said quietly, "We won't."
Regret squirmed poisonously in his chest, but he knew that Tsuyu had made her own choice and he didn't tell her she should go. He wanted to reassure Melissa that it would be fine, but that would be doing them all a discourtesy. Nedzu had gone silent, frighteningly so.
"All Might is on his way," he said, sounding uncertain for once.
"We just need to delay Wolfram, then," Izuku said, "Shouldn't be hard."
Yeah, they were doomed. Izuku patted through his pockets, finding a flashbang and weighing it in his hand before holding it out to Tsuyu.
"You want me to throw it?" Tsuyu asked. Izuku nodded.
"Throw it and then just drop. Hopefully it'll catch Wolfram off guard enough for me to shoot him. Uh…try and grab Shield, before I start shooting? I'd prefer not to hit him. Just grab him and drop. You too, Melissa."
Tsuyu nodded, moving slightly so that her arm was concealed behind Izuku. A good idea, for what it was worth. If only the damned elevator was a little faster, or there was an actual window nearby…
"I have control of the elevator. It's coming down…opening the doors now. Not long," Nedzu said. Izuku hadn't even thought about breathing a sigh of relief before the door they'd locked behind them peeled open like a sardine can and a man stepped through.
"Ah," Wolfram said. His voice was softer than Izuku had expected, though it just made him more sinister: the smile on his face shone clearly through the slightly tinted lens of the strange mask he wore. David Shield, behind him with hands bound in a strip of metal, looked horrified. Wolfram stood straight, his long coat pristine. Something was wrapped around his head, lights flashing at his temples, and Izuku fought back a sudden and entirely unwelcome memory of Bruce's last moments, bringing his rifle into his shoulder.
"You know, I thought about just leaving. It would be a lot easier. But then I thought: I'm taking David here with me to make more of these," Wolfram said, tapping what Izuku assumed was the Amplifier – it looked like some sort of high tech circlet, if Izuku was honest – and smiling, "But then I rethought. After all, if only Shield can make these he could easily sabotage more. But if I have his brat as well? I'm sure you understand the value of leverage, yes?"
And he was a monologuer. Monologuist? Either way he looked like a reject from the most recent Matrix remake, and Izuku was expecting some bullet-stop posing.
He opened fire anyway.
The bullets tore down the corridor, hammering sound and impact, familiar and reassuring and when the gun ran dry Wolfram was still standing, smirking, his hand outstretched and a wall of bullets hovering in front of him.
"Motherfucker," Izuku said, because Wolfram deserved it for pulling that. Wolfram reached out, plucking a single bullet from the air before letting the rest fall and Izuku dropped his rifle.
"Oh dear," Wolfram sighed, "Was that the best you have?"
Tsuyu tossing the flashbang from behind Izuku was his answer. Izuku turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut, and heard Wolfram's screech swallowed up by the explosion.
"Grab Shield!" he barked, trusting that Tsuyu would understand him, and dropped to one knee as he drew both handguns. Shield went sailing past, caught in Tsuyu's tongue, and Izuku opened fire again. Three bullets drew blood from Wolfram's arms, one thudding into his armoured stomach as he shrieked in fury, the bullets starting to curve around him. Izuku kept firing.
"Back to the elevator!" he shouted.
"No!" Wolfram bellowed.
The wall to Izuku's left peeled in with a shriek of tortured metal, daylight flooding the corridor as the outer shell of the building bent at Wolfram's command, shielding him. Izuku dropped his guns, crossing his arms in front of him a second before a sheet of metal tore through the inner wall – a door - and swatted him off his feet. He landed with a thud that drove the breath from his lungs, the inner wall collapsing under another two doors that flew over his head, revealing the office space beyond. Izuku lurched to his feet as Tsuyu leapt, crossing the open space and landing a vicious kick as Wolfram cast away his shield, the mercenary roaring in fury and punching out, Nedzu snapping an order into Izuku's ear. Izuku passed David and Melissa Shield, David embracing his daughter as though he could save her from all the perils of the world and shoved them into the elevator shaft an instant after the elevator passed. They both screamed, but it was a short drop onto the fast moving elevator roof and now they were going, going, gone away from here.
Izuku shook his head to get his thoughts back into order just as Tsuyu landed next to him with a grunt. Her tongue lashed right, into the offices revealed by Wolfram's wall-peeling trick and came back out with a chair flung at full speed. Mostly plastic it shattered on impact but knocked Wolfram to his knees and Tsuyu was gathering herself to leap when Wolfram jerked a hand to his right and Izuku's left arm across his body, throwing him to his right and slamming him into Tsuyu. They both went down before a force gripped Izuku's helmet and slammed him back, into the wall next to the gap of the elevator doors, the face-plate of his helmet denting with the force. Pain blazed through his face as the thin metal broke his nose, but it flared out again an instant later as the helmet was torn from his head and he fell to one knee.
"Nice," Wolfram said, "Very slick. I can see how you beat Swordkil. He'll be sad to hear that I stole his kill, but these things happen."
He lifted a hand, the two metal doors ripping themselves apart and twisting into crude spears, Izuku's helmet landing gently in the man's palm. He raised it to his face.
"Maybe I'll keep the helmet. Wearing the public face of a Hero who tried to stop me? That's very poetic, don't you think?"
Izuku coughed, blood flowing thick and salty over his lips, and reached into his pocket for the detonator, holding down the button. Dead mans switch. The wind from the torn wall, open to the air, ruffled his hair and stung his nose and played cold fingers under his loose jacket as Tsuyu slid closer to him.
"Sorry," Izuku said, "But I don't do poetry."
Wolfram laughed.
"Uncultured, eh? Ah well. I suppose it's traditional to ask – any last words, Hero?"
Izuku took a deep breath before looking up and meeting Wolfram's eyes, grinning at him through bloody teeth.
"Yeah. See you in hell, buddy," he said, letting go of the detonator in his pocket. The look of shock on Wolfram's face, the millisecond before the explosion as the helmet he was holding up in front of his face bleeped, was one he'd treasure for the rest of his life. It wasn't a great explosion: improvised. Badly directed. Inferior components. But it was more than enough to swallow Wolfram in an expanding cone of fire and throw him backwards into empty air, his scream trailing as he was hurled from the building.
"Oh no," Izuku said, slurring slightly, "I can't believe he fell."
Tsuyu let out a nearly hysterical laugh. Izuku could sympathise. He stayed down for two deep breaths before heaving himself upright and starting towards the edge. Another death on his conscience, theoretically. And then the floor lurched and a warbling metallic screech sounded from below.
"What the hell?" Izuku gasped, head snapping towards Tsuyu just before the floor jolted violently down and his feet went from under him. He landed hard again, sliding towards the torn open wall and space and a hand clamped onto the edge of the floor, smeared with gore and spotted with jagged chunks of metal. Tsuyu flung herself across the space and grabbed his prosthetic arm as he slid, holding them both in place with a single hand stuck onto the floor. Izuku flailed, cursing as his prosthetic spasmed, phantom pains tearing up his arm.
"No," Wolfram snarled as he hauled himself up, eyes blazing with an unnatural light, the word thick in his mouth. His face was torn by shrapnel, his mask shattered, the Quirk Amplifier broken on his brow but still blinking, buried into flesh. Wolfram's next words dissolved into a scream, his other hand clutching at his head, blood welling fresh crimson around the stuttering lights of the Amplifier, everything metal in the room dragging towards Wolfram and horror coiled in Izuku's chest.
"Tsuyu, let go!" he yelled, "Let go now!"
Wolfram made it halfway onto the floor, fingers digging into flooring, metal being dragged towards him and clamping onto his limbs, his body, his face. Tsuyu let go as the floor collapsed and they slid down, down, plummeting into the open air. Izuku wrenched his hand down, tore his grapple from its holster, fired without looking, feeling Tsuyu's arms close around him just before the grapple hit, caught, the grip on his torso almost crushing from the sudden jerk that swung them towards the building again, right towards a line of tall, cracked windows.
This was going to hurt.
Izuku twisted just enough that he hit the plate glass window instead of Tsuyu, side on, curling up so that his right arm covered as much of his face as possible, crashing through and rolling on the ground with a muffled gasp of pain, head ringing, face stinging from splinters of glass that flecked his skin, pin-point sparks of white-hot pain. A hand on his chin, turning his face, and he blinked muzzily.
"Midoriya," Tsuyu said, her tone less level than usual, "Are you alright?"
"Fine, Tsu," he mumbled, "Fine. Just…just give me a minute."
Wolfram was still screaming.
"We don't have a minute," Tsuyu said, "Come on."
She bent down and slung his unresponsive left arm over her shoulder, ignoring the way it twitched upwards, wrapping her other arm around his waist and bodily hauling him upright. Izuku found his feet, stumbling slightly as they lurched towards the inner wall.
"He's going to bring half the building down," he hissed.
"So let's not be here, ribbit."
That kind of excellent thinking was why Tsuyu was Izuku's favourite class representative. He shook his head, blinking hard.
"Door," he said, "There. Right."
They both stumbled towards the door, almost halfway there when the screaming finally stopped. It sounded horribly silent without it. Izuku could feel the eyes on the back of his head.
"Where…are you running?" Wolfram rasped from behind them. Izuku felt Tsuyu stiffen, but before she could act two missiles hit them both, pinballing them into the wall. Izuku bounced off the wall, spinning drunkenly around and his prosthetic suddenly moved, swinging at his face. He barely got his right hand in the way, staggering back into the wall as he fought to keep it away from his face, metal pressing against his skin. He heard Tsuyu cry out, his instinctive glance across seeing her fighting to keep a metal bar away from her chest, flattened against the wall.
"You two…" Wolfram grated, "So much trouble. Look at what you've done…look at what you've done to me!"
Wolfram was monstrous, his body encased in jagged metal, one eye unresponsive and the other staring maniacally around, moving in jerking, darting glances. He stepped forwards and stumbled, dropping to one knee, his hands flying to his face. Izuku saw the lights on the Amplifier pulse and the pressure against his arm eased for a heartbeat, just enough that he could force his arm away.
"No," Wolfram wailed, "No! You…you ruined it! You ruined it!"
He looked up, expression contorted in insanity, and thrust both hands out, fingers hooked and clawing. The pressure returned and Izuku's breath squeaked in his throat as his prosthetic was forced even closer, too strong for him to resist.
"Kill…you…both…" Wolfram snarled, words panting and jagged between gasps. Izuku heaved, trying desperately to keep his arm from crushing his face, seeing Tsuyu struggling to his left, bar inching closer to her, panic flooding his body and suddenly Wolfram was gone, smashing through walls in an uncontrolled tumble, the pressure vanishing. Izuku scrambled over to Tsuyu as his left arm went limp, only just noticing the bright colours of their saviour's costume, relief pouring through him.
"No, you will not," All Might said, fist clenched, "Because I am here."
Honestly I wanted to end I-Island in this chapter, but it overran. And, honestly, how could I possibly resist that final line? I'm weak to cliff-hangers. Either way, we'll get the rest of I-Island finished next chapter, in April.
If anyone's wondering yes, Izuku is getting very tired of jumping through, smashing through or having people smash through windows. It just keeps happening.
Other than that, I hope you all enjoyed. Reviews are, as always, very welcome and I'll see you all in the next chapter.