The USJ has become a total mess, and Izuku, Ochako, and Himiko are in the middle of it. Whatever could these weird people want, and why do the trio keep feeling weird?
Izuku wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but the massive, black-skinned person trying to murder them was a clue this was bad. Aizawa had wrapped the flying one within his capture scarf and slammed it into the one with chainsaws for hands, but they simply shrugged off the impact and leapt back into action. The skinny, gray-skinned one was screeching at Thirteen, leaping around so fast she couldn't get a bead on it to use her Quirk (and it was clear she didn't want to, as it would kill), and the other black-skinned one was chasing after Himiko.
Ochako grabbed Izuku's arm and spun about, launching them out of the way as the big one smashed into the ground where they had been, throwing herself backwards at the same time. "The hell are these things Izu?!" she cried out, scrabbling away from it as it started stomping towards her, the ground cracking beneath her feet.
"I have no idea! Their quirks make no sense!" They yelled back, pushing Full Cowling up to 25% and rushing towards Ochako, grabbing her and pulling her along in turn as she had done to them.
"Just run!" Aizawa shouted, still dancing between the others. "Get the other kids and go!"
"But-" Himiko tried to argue, but he cut her off.
"No buts! Run and get help! Communication has been cut off! Leave this to me! Thirteen, get them out of here!"
"Don't be an idiot, Aizawa! You can't fight them all at once!" Thirteen snarled back, the angriest any of them had heard her since meeting her.
"Everyone, close your eyes and cover your ears!" a voice cried out from beyond (Yaoyorozu, Izuku's mind helpfully supplied), and at the shout they obeyed, praying everyone else did as they could somehow sense the object being thrown up and above them. They slammed their hands over their ears, already cringing, as the flashbang(?) erupted, the loud noise making them cry out in pain, feeling Ochako next to them also shake, though they couldn't hear her cries with how loud it was.
A paper-thin rope wrapped about Izuku and pulled them and Ochako back, Izuku going to struggle but belatedly recognizing the feeling of Sero's tape from prior practice. They skidded to a stop at the feet of what they assumed was Sero, but they still couldn't hear, even as they blinked their eyes rapidly to clear the bright lights out. Looking up, they saw Yaoyorozu saying something, but couldn't quite make it out even as sound began to slowly flicker back into their ears.
"-m sorry! I-make i-quieter!" was all Izuku could make out, but it was enough, as large hands gripped their arms and began to lift them up. They glanced up to see the worried expression of Sato, the muscular teen also holding Ochako up. It looked like the entire class had grouped together, having rushed to the central plaza from the various disaster zones to see what was going on. A few meters away, Izuku could see Shoto helping Himiko to her feet, flakes of frost coming off his skin as a line of ice speared off into the distance. Izuku followed it to see two of the creatures were now frozen in place, screeching angrily as they tried to escape the ice but to no avail. It looked like the other three had also been hit, but they broke out of the ice and were still fighting…except…where was the big one?
"Shit, Midoriya? Midoriya, can you hear me?" Jiro's voice brought Izuku's attention back, looking over at her woozily.
"Y-yeah. Kind of. Still dulled," Izuku muttered, rubbing their ears.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't want to hit you but I don't know how to just make a flash grenade! I should have studied more, I am so terribly sorry-" Yaoyorozu began babbling, bowing repeatedly towards Izuku, Ochako, and Himikol, but Ochako just groaned and held up a hand.
"Rather be deaf than dead, Yaoyorozu. It's fine," she muttered, still rubbing her ears.
"I don't think we have time to discuss this! We gotta get out of here! Ida already ran for the doors to get help, but campus is far enough away it's going to take time for any backup to get here. We have to move," Kendo said firmly, glancing about to do a quick headcount. "We're all here, let's get going, now."
"What about the teachers?" Ashido asked quietly, worried as she saw Aizawa dancing between two of them once more, his scarf flicking in and out as he tried to avoid any hits.
"We're just going to get in their way-" Kendo began, before a scream of pain resounded across the field. The class turned, wide-eyed, to see Thirteen's body ragdolling across the ground, having been punched by the biggest creature, sending her flying across the ground and skidding into the flood zone, falling into the water.
In a flash, Tsuyu was off, bolting towards the flood zone and diving in after her teacher. Sero and Shoji quickly went after her, but the rest of the class had no time as the big creature turned its eyes on them.
Izuku felt it before they saw the creature move, Ochako and Himiko stiffening at the same time they did. One moment, it was where it had punched Thirteen, the next, it was in front of them, fist raised to slam into Aoyama, the blonde teenager's eyes going wide with fear as he had no time to react.
Izuku didn't even notice the movement. They didn't even get a second to think, as massive black-green tendrils shot from their hands and wrapped about Aoyama, pulling him to their side in a flash as the creature's fist hit the ground, shattering the concrete and nearly knocking everyone off their feet. Even as they did that, Himiko blurred, darting forward faster than anyone had seen her move, moving so fast she vanished. She reappeared beyond the creature, stumbling and nearly tripping over her own two feet, turning back with wide eyes to stare at the monster in confusion, as it was suddenly moving slower.
"Fuck off!" Ochako screeched, her body alight with Galactic Shroud, her arms surrounded by a nimbus of glaring red energy. She thrust her palms forward, trusting her instincts, and the red rings of energy rocketed out and hit the creature…sending it careening into the air like a rocket. She blinked, confused, as the red rings faded but she could still feel it under her control, waving its limbs in the air and screeching angrily.
"...how are you doing that?" Ashido whispered, looking up in confusion.
"I-I don't know!" Ochako replied, as confused as she was. Her confusion was multiplied further by the same feeling of sheer what she could feel across the bond, Izuku staring at the now slowly twisting tendrils and Himiko still trying to figure out why her hands kept blurring. She had little time to react, as that same sensation of pain in the back of her mind triggered and she glanced over to see the other black-skinned monster stomping towards her.
Beyond it, she could see that one of the two frozen ones had been freed by the chainsaw creature and was now trying to free the third, and her teacher was still desperately trying to fight them both off at once and keep them away from the third. But if she moved, she was afraid she'd lose her hold over the one in the air…
She didn't have to worry. A blast of pure, white-hot heat shot past her and into the approaching creature, it roaring in agony and stumbling backward as Shoto stepped up next to her, his body ablaze. It faded a moment later, the split-haired teen's hands shaking, but he stood resolutely next to her and slammed his foot into the ground again, sending a train of ice towards the combatants and capturing them once more. Already, they were cracking out of the ice, but it bought them a few seconds of respite as Shoto looked over at the class.
"Does anyone have a plan? I…I am afraid I'm losing stamina rapidly. I cannot keep doing this," Shoto murmured.
"Perhaps…we can knock them unconscious? Kaminari, how well can you regulate your electricity?" Yaoyorozu asked, turning to the blonde.
He shrugged. "I know how to not kill people with it, but uh…these guys are built different. I dunno if I can hurt them, and it's a big blast around me. I'd catch you guys in it too, and then I'd be out of commission."
"Can you conduct it through a medium, like a wire?" Izuku asked faintly, quickly glancing between the monsters and the rest of their classmates.
"Yeah, I think so?" Kaminari replied, rubbing the back of their neck.
"Yaoyorozu?" Izuku asked, the tone in their voice all the indicator she needed. She nodded, quickly forming a loop of copper wire out of her arm. Kirishima grabbed it, his arms hardening as he glared at the creatures.
"I'll wrap 'em up, I can tank a couple hits! You just get ready, Kaminari!" Slamming his fists together, Kirishima ran forward into the midst of the frozen creatures, but a sudden crackle from the small yellow box stopped him in his tracks as the same voice from before spoke once more.
"Oh dear, that will simply not do. Kurogiri…fix this please. Target the three cat mutants. That should cause quite the commotion with the news." Without warning, the purple-black clouds reappeared, swarming over the trapped Nomu and making them vanish into the aether…and as Izuku, Ochako, and Himiko all winced at the pain in their heads, the clouds reappeared right next to them, the creatures diving out of them.
The massive black one was above Ochako, its fist cocked to slam into her. The winged one and chainsaw creature were on either side of Himiko, diving towards her. The gray-skinned creature and the slightly smaller black Nomu were both leaping towards Izuku, hands extended to crush the life from them.
Aizawa was running towards them, eyes wide as he tried to force his Quirk to cover all five. The rest of the class were all trying to react, but the suddenness of the teleportation left most of them unable to react in time. But Ochako did not care about any of this, nor the creature approaching her to crush her beneath its fist. She was well aware of the power behind its strikes, but she did not register it, because all she could see was Izuku and Himiko in danger. All she could feel was fear…nothing but a massive, choking, swirling mass of fear that was made up of the fused terror in each person's eyes as they witnessed the attack as if in slow motion.
Something…snapped. Pulled taut like a rubber band stretched to its limit, a single thought, single feeling, single declaration in each one of their souls as they saw certain death approaching their bonded companions. A single, simple sentence in their minds that echoed as time seemed to slow…'you cannot have them'.
The red rings around Ochako's arms appeared once more, crackling and screaming with energy as they snapped taut around her. Rings up and down each arm, across her shoulders, bands around her chest and legs, even one wrapped about her neck like a choker, each and every band spinning rapidly…then slowing down. The air shook, the ground quaked, gravity was twisted and warped, the very fabric of space tearing…space and time.
The sensation of seeing everything in slow motion was now actually in slow motion, as the world around Ochako slowed to a crawl. Her own wide eyes were met with Izuku and Himiko's confusion, with the expressions of shock crawling across her classmates' faces.
Yet at the same time, things were still moving, even if slowed. And Himiko's body, wreathed in golden and amber light, did not simply blur as if she was vanishing from senses, nor was she simply now moving faster. No, she blinked, from one location to another, her knives already in motion as she appeared above the winged Nomu, ever so slowly twisting midair as she reached out to cut through its wings.
Izuku's hands were outstretched towards Ochako, green lightning arcing off their fingertips, desperation in their gaze as the black Nomu's fist came ever closer to Ochako. She could feel the air pressure of its attack, could sense how close it was to her, the pain in her head screaming in desperation for her to move, but she was as slowed as everyone around her was. She closed her eyes and braced for the blow, unwilling to see the look in Izuku's eyes when she got hit…she knew how hard this thing hit. She knew the force it struck with. She was under no illusions about what would happen if she got hit…but the blow never came.
Carefully, the sound muted by the slowing of time, she opened her eyes, confused…only to see the Nomu's arm struggling, unable to move, as if it were fighting an invisible force that was restraining it. Izuku's face was twisted in a cross between terror, rage, and confusion, as the green lightning around their body had doubled in intensity. Ochako could glance about and now see, the other Nomu were not just slowed, they were frozen in place, unable to move as if struggling against something else.
It hit her, across the bond, the sudden surge of emotion as something seemed to click with Izuku, even as she felt her head and chest aching more and more as she held onto the slowed time. Belatedly she realized that this must be the side effect of this new power, the drawback…the sheer, agonizing pain in her chest, the rapid pulses of her heartbeat even under the slowed down influence of time. And from Izuku, she could feel it…a migraine forming for them as they somehow held the Nomu at bay. Himiko, her pain was centered in her limbs, each and every one of them feeling cold, numb.
But she knew Izuku could hold on for a little longer, and knew she was going to lose it quickly…so she shared a look with Izuku, preparing them for the moment she would lose it. Izuku's face became set in determination, no sound audible in the time dilation but still she could tell what they wanted to say. She glanced up to see Himiko, still suspended midair, looking down at her and giving her the same look of acknowledgement…and so she released it.
Sound rushed back into everyone's ears, people stumbling as they found their motions now proceeding as previously intended. Himiko finished her flip midair and with a scream of rage, ripped her blade through the winged creature's wings, her body vanishing in a spark of golden energy, reappearing next to Ochako. She wrapped her arms around Ochako, focusing, and vanished once more, Ochako with her, back by Izuku's side where the green-haired teen was gritting their teeth, focusing hard as the lightning continued sparking around them.
"...okay what the hell are we doing now?" Himiko demanded, her body shivering as shocks of pain flitted across her limbs.
"I have no fucking idea," Ochako gasped, one hand pressed to her chest as she tried to make her racing heart calm down. The girls both looked at Izuku, hoping they had an answer.
Izuku shook their head. "I've got some theories, but now's not the time. I uh…I think I've got telekinesis right now? But I don't know how long I'll have it, so please, someone figure out how to stop these things!"
Aizawa skidded to a stop by them, finally released from the time slowing, one eye watching the Nomu and the other focused on the students. "Are you alright? Are any of you hurt?" he asked hurriedly, trying to keep his gaze both on the creatures and scan over his students.
"Fascinating. Localized time dilation, short range teleportation, and what appears to be telekinesis. Yet they are not awakenings, no relation to their original Quirks. What fascinating specimens. Well, I see no reason to continue this farce, by my calculation more heroes shall arrive momentarily. Kurogiri, retrieve the Nomu's," that same quavering voice spoke from the box.
The purple-black smoke appeared once more, sweeping over the Nomu and taking them away in a flash of darkness. The box spoke once more. "Well, this was a successful test! The Nomu were weaker than I anticipated, but adjustments can be made. I appreciate your assistance with this test, and as a reward, I will not activate the bomb within this device! Thank you for your time."
The box sparked, shaking in place for a moment as Aizawa leapt in front of the trio, trying to shove them back behind him and into the rest of the students, clearly not trusting the words about it not exploding…but a single puff of smoke came hissing out of it, the device falling silent after a brief second.
Shoji and Sato, dripping wet, arrived, carrying Thirteen with them as Tsuyu followed behind, worry etched on her face. Thirteen's helmet was off, showing that she'd lost consciousness. Her breathing was labored and pained as she wheezed, Aizawa quickly making the two boys lay her down so he could begin checking her over. As he knelt next to her, he turned back to Izuku for a moment.
"You said you have telekinesis right now? Is it still working?"
Izuku paused for a moment, before nodding, biting their lip. "I-I think so?"
Aizawa pointed at the box. "Very carefully, move that as far away as you can. Preferably also out in the open so there is no shrapnel. I don't trust that voice, so until it can be examined I want it away from us and the entrance."
"Um…sure, okay," Izuku replied. They lifted their hand once more, emerald lightning wrapping about their limbs as they focused. After a brief moment, the box lifted in the air, steady and not wobbling, before very slowly drifting away. The further away it got, the clearer it became that Izuku was having difficulty, their eyes hazing over slightly as they began to pant, face twisted in a grimace of pain.
Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "That's enough, Midoriya, don't hurt yourself. It's fine. Good job kid." He looked like he was going to say more, but the doors to the USJ busted inward with a loud scream behind them, revealing multiple UA professors visible. Ida was there, gasping for air with his hands on his knees, standing upright with a proud smile that vanished a moment later as he saw the tableau before him; one teacher unconscious and bloody, another covered in blood, multiple teenagers all in various states of disarray, cracked and shattered concrete…and no sign of the villains.
Ochako felt like she could take a breath…they were safe. Finally, finally, they were safe. Her eyes fluttered slightly, the exhaustion catching up to her, her heartbeat audible in her ears as she wavered in place. As if in a mirror, she could barely see Izuku swaying in place as well, Himiko stumbling towards them with her eyes glazed over. Darkness began to creep into her vision, the sounds of her worried classmates now muted. She felt the panic in her rise at the sight of Izuku and Himiko both falling over, but before she could react she felt her own mind going blank…and lost her grip on the waking world.
Well now, that was a weird USJ, wasn't it? Wonder what was up with that...hmm...Oh I'm sure it's nothing. Hope you enjoyed!