Warning: This is where the story will start to get a little graphic-ish at points.

Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Assault on the forest training camp!

Well, this fucking sucked.

When Itsuka Heard that they'd be going to a boot training camp to strenghten their quirks, she really expected the teachers or pro heroes who would probably be there to go easy on them, you know, since the semester is over and they were still fresh to the whole hero thing.

Oh boy, was she wrong…

As son as they had arrived to the training camp, the famous group of pro heroes "The wild wild Pussycats" were already there, eager to meet and train them. It went smooth at first, with them meeting each of the students in a very friendly way with an open-minded attitude...

Until afternoon had arrived, that is.

The friendly greetings rapidly turned into a hellish training montage everyone had to suffer equally. Fighting drones, punching trees, running around the forest, scavenging for generic-looking items, getting punched in the face repeatedly... It was safe to say, many students were already sick of it, Itsuka being one of them.

Itsuka was currently outside the main building the students were supposed to stay in, relaxing after a nice bath. She had to use her hands many times throughout the stupid intensive training, and they were already hurting like hell. The bath she took helped calm the nerves on her muscles, but she still felt a bit sore from all the training the Pussycats had put them through.

The only relief Itsuka felt was the fact that she wasn't suffering through this alone, and that there were many others who were having a harder time getting through the afternoon than her.

For example, Monoma was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The poor guy was the only student from class B that had failed the final exams, and his training was amped up due to this. People like Mineta, Kaminari or Ibara were hyperventilating due to them not being used to so much physical training. People like Tetsutetsu and Kirishima had passed out numerous times since they always wanted to surpass their limits.

Itsuka decided to go out and get some fresh air. Even though she wasn't one to pay much attention to the smaller details of life, she had to admit. The sky looked absolutely beautiful at noon, and the gorgeous forest only added to the scene's beauty. It definitely helped her get her mind off everything.

And then, her gaze fixated on another person who seemed to be having a day just as bad as hers.

Izuku Midoriya.

For some reason, he was sitting facing away from her, cross-legged outside the building while rubbing something she couldn't see from this angle on his body. Itsuka decided to talk to him, since he looked pretty lonely out here in the cold.

Izuku felt someone approach him, so he turned his head around and spotted Itsuka a few feet away from him looking at him with a tired yet warm smile, as always. "H-Hey, Itsuka..."

"Hi, Izuku. What are...?"

Itsuka was cut short when she noticed what Izuku was doing.

Izuku was rubbing a bag of ice on his crotch. The fabric of his shorts was getting slightly wet from the ice, yet it seemed like Izuku preferred to keep the bag of ice there than to move it away.

Izuku turned red when he saw Itsuka staring at his crotch with a confused expression. He tried to move in order to cover himself, but the pain he felt prevented him from doing so. "AGH! This-! This isn't-! Ow...!"

Itsuka noticed what Izuku was trying to do, so she quickly moved to his side and rubbed his shoulders softly. "Calm down, Izuku... Jeez, that looks painful... What the heck happened?"

Izuku calmed down at Itsuka's touch, and an embarrassed smile. "Ah... I... Well... I... I might have... been punched there..."

Itsuka raises an eyebrow. "You were PUNCHED there? By who? Whoever did it, they should know that's a low blow."

Izuku sighs. "Well... By Kota. You know, the little boy with the red hat..."

Itsuka's eyes widen slightly in surprise. "Really? That kid punched you in the crotch? Wow, what a brat. Hasn't he been taught manners?"

Izuku's expression falls. "Itsuka... His condition is... Well... Hard."

Itsuka keeps rubbing Izuku's shoulders to ease his pain a little bit before stopping due to the remaining pain on her hands. "What do you mean, Izuku?"

Izuku sighs. "Well, Mandalay told me everything that had happened to Kota, and... If I were him, I don't know how I'd feel..."

Itsuka frowns. "Is it... that bad?"

Izuku looks down. "Well... Do you know Water Hoses?"

Itsuka thinks for a moment. "I think I do... Weren't they the heroes that died in combat?"

Izuku nods. "Yes, them... Well... They were Kota's parents..."

Itsuka gasps in surprise. "What?! Oh no..."

Izuku looks down solemnly. "Mandalay told me that Kota lives with her because he has nowhere else to go... He hates heroes because he thinks his parents left him for their jobs... And he hates quirks because he thinks they're what cause so much violence in the first place..."

Itsuka looks down thoughtfully, letting out a solemn sigh. "The poor thing... I can't imagine what he must have felt..."

The couple stay there for some moments in a respectful silence until Izuku looks at Itsuka with a serious expression. "Itsuka... I'll go see Kota tonight."

Itsuka looks at Izuku with a surprised expression. "Huh? See him?"

Izuku nods. "Yes... I think I saw him sneaking off to a place not too far away from here while we were training. If that's his hiding place I'll go there to reassure him that he doesn't have to reject this reality. Rejecting it will only hurt him more."

Itsuka smiles. "I think that's not a bad idea, Izuku. But... Are you sure he'll want to see you? I mean, he DID punch you in the balls."

Izuku chuckles. "I know, but... I can't just do nothing. I can do something, and I can't just sit there not doing anything while he continues on that dark path he's carving for himself."

Itsuka smiles fondly at Izuku. "I should have known, you dork... You're always saving people, even off work."

Izuku giggles nervously. "I-I guess...?"

Itsuka giggles in return. "Well, if you really wanna go to him, I support you. At least you're not getting hurt this time."

Izuku laughs softly. "Try me."

Itsuka rolls her eyes before getting up to her feet. "Still, just tell me before you go see him. I'll cook something for you to bring to him."

Izuku looks at Itsuka in surprise. "You know how to cook, Itsuka?"

Itsuka chuckles. "Not much yet, but I have to make lunch for my little brother sometimes."

Izuku smiles. "Thanks, Itsuka. I'm sure Kota will love it."

Itsuka smiles. "Well, gotta go, Izuku. Remember to warn me before you go to him, got it?"

Izuku nods. Itsuka waves at Izuku before turning back to the way he was facing before her arrival.

Izuku felt happier when he was around her. It was as if he could stop putting on "strong" facades and just be himself whenever he was with her. Itsuka was a very understanding person, and one that had decided to stay with him despite his many messes. Still, he felt bad about lying to her all the same. The secret of One for All was a pretty big deal, and it felt like a rock crushing him slowly but surely. He really wanted to tell Itsuka about it, since he could at least have one person close to him who would be understanding of it and would help him get through tough times... And yet, All Might had been pretty serious about it. No one must ever know or society would question their mighty symbol of peace...

But then again, he had also told her about the hero killer incident and she had kept her word...

Oh God no...

Izuku immediately shook his head, refusing the thought of letting Itsuka know about One for All. He had already bothered her and put a burden on her shoulders when he told her about his fight with the hero killer. Itsuka didn't need another burden to carry on her shoulders, much less one as big as this. Izuku simply let out a sad sigh before getting up, wondering how he should approach Kota that night.

On the other hand, Itsuka still thought about the conversation she had with Setsuna and Reiko at the mall. She still turned into a nervous mess at the idea of telling him how she felt, and yet... There was really no excuse for her not to do it. Sure, he might turn her down for another girl, but Izuku Midoriya didn't strike her as the type of guy to have a girlfriend already given how much he used to stutter around her when they met at the Sports Festival.

Itsuka shook her head. By the looks of it, this training camp would do nothing but escalate in difficulty from now, and she needed to do her best if she wanted to catch up to her classmates. Plus, Izuku looked like he was in a lot of pain. She could wait some more...

Some hours later, the students are told to be grouped outside. The students who passed the final exams come out, worn down from their earlier training yet still acting friendly towards each other. If they had been close before, the training hell they had to endure together did nothing but bring them closer together, with many groups of students talking about what they'd improve and modify about their training when the Pussycats weren't looking.

Still, the students knew to show respect. When Mandalay and Pixie-Bob stepped in front of the group of the combined classes, everyone went silent.

"Alright, everyone! Be ready for an experience that you'll never forget! This is gonna be fun!" Said Pixie-Bob with an ecstatic look on her face.

Mandalay nodded before pointing to the dark forest behind them. "Your knowledge on heroes and tactics will be tested tonight. We have put together a scavenger hunt that also works as a trivia!"

Jiro sighs silently. "That just sounds like more training and studying... And in the dark, no less..."

Tokoyami closes his eyes and looks down. "Revelry in the dark..."

Pixie-Bob giggles. "Imagine it like a fun little competition! On the forest you'll find small notes hidden in places you'll have to find by yourselves, and those will contain a certain sum of points and more questions that lead to other places in the forest! You're free to return anytime you want, but you shouldn't give up until the last second! You better be here before midnight, though!"

Mandalay nods and brings forth a black box. "You'll be in teams of three and one of two people. Come here and draw lots. The papers you pull out of the box will have a number. Find the other students with the same number!"

Awase and Kaibara look at each other with an uneasy expression. "This game sounds like that one horror game from a long time ago, doesn't it?"

"The one where you're in a dark forest searching for notes while escaping from a monster? Yeah, pretty much..."

The students come forth and pull out their papers respectively. So far, the students don't mind the people they partnered up with, except two people...

Uraraka is happy to be on the same team as Tsuyu, but having Itsuka on the same team was... awkward for her.

Meanwhile, the other student unpleased by his team found it difficult to contain his disappointment. "WHAT THE HELL?! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE PAIRED UP WITH THIS HALF AND HALF BASTARD?! AND WHY IS IT ONLY HIM AND ME?! YOU, TAIL! SWITCH WITH ME!"

Bakugo approached Ojiro, who looked like he was about to faint, but Mandalay steps forward with a sheepish smile. "Umm... Sorry, everyone! No switching teams!"

Bakugo snarled, but chose to stay silent. Todoroki simply nodded in acceptance, while others sighed in relief to not have Bakugo on their team.

Pixie Bob steps forward and smiles brightly. "Oh, and one more thing. We'll be patroling the forest in case any of you needs us, but I hope that's not the case. Have fun, everyone!"

Bakugo and Todoroki were alone in the middle of the forest. The walk to the first note had been silent, but so much silence was off-putting for Bakugo.

Bakugo rolls his eyes before starting the conversation. "So, do you at least know your heroes' basics, half and half?"

Todoroki doesn't divert his eyesight from the path in front of him. "Yes. My old man made me go over many pro heroes' tactics while he trained me."

Bakugo scoffs. "Whatever. I'm still sure I know more than you."

"Well, seems like you'll have a chance to prove it, Bakugo."

Bakugo raises an eyebrow at this. Todoroki stops and kneels down in front of a tree trunk, pulling out a note after a moment.

Bakugo scoffs. "Uh huh. Figures it'd be luck."

Todoroki reads the note. "What was All Might's most powerful attack recorded on camera and how did he use it?"

Bakugo snarls. "What kind of question is that?! AND HOW THE HELL DOES IT LEAD US TO THE NEXT NOTE?!"

Todoroki thinks for a moment before looking at the tree trunk he had taken the note from. "If I'm not mistaken, All Might's most powerful attack was-"

"-the California Smash from seven years ago, yeah yeah! Everyone knows that! How the hell is THAT gonna help us?!"

Todoroki looks at Bakugo with a serious expression. "You know the details of the fight, don't you?"

Bakugo crosses his arms with an annoyed glare. "Yeah, yeah. He used it on some villain with a strength enhancement quirk."

Todoroki walks past Bakugo while looking ahead. "Yes, but the villain was threatening to burn an entire forest filled with rare tree specimens due to the villain's beliefs being against nature itself."

Bakugo raises an eyebrow. "So?"

"All Might took the fight to a secluded area of the forest filled with plants that didn't need much care to grow back again and defeated the villain using his famous California Smash there. Most of the trees that were destroyed during that fight were Red Pines, like those over there."

Todoroki pointed at a set of trees on a certain spot of the forest. Bakugo uncrosses his arms. "Hm. Not a bad guess, half and half."

Todoroki walks towards the Red Pines with Bakugo following closely by. Even if he hated to admit it, Todoroki was certainly not as useless as many of his other classmates. Plus, he at least had his head where it was supposed to be at instead of wasting time on pointless stuff like friendship or lame conversations.

It almost took his mind off the faint smell of smoke and the faint blue glow on the distance getting closer-

Well, this was awkward.

Uraraka was walking through the forest with her best friend and a person that provoked mixed feelings within her. Uraraka didn't like feeling like this. She didn't spend as much time with Kendo as with the rest of class B, but she could tell that Kendo was a good person. To feel stirred up about her being a little close to Izuku was just... wrong, and Uraraka knew it.

Thankfully, Kendo didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable Uraraka was at the moment. She had immediately taken the lead and had spoken to her and Tsuyu as a big sister would, assuring them that everything would be okay in the end. This just made Uraraka feel even worse. Kendo had been nothing but friendly to them, and here she was, feeling stirred up and awkward when she shouldn't be.

The walk to the first note had been pretty quiet. Itsuka was at the front of the team, thinking of wherever the note could be, while Uraraka was looking at the floor closely by and Tsuyu was right behind her in third place. Itsuka was looking around the forest, trying to sort out the puzzle the heroes had left behind, while the game was the last thing on Uraraka's mind at the moment.

Then, Uraraka felt someone pushing her from behind a little bit.

Uraraka looked back and saw her best friend, Tsuyu, shoving her towards Itsuka with a deadpanned expression on her face.

Tsuyu was silent, yet her eyes told Uraraka everything she needed to hear. She knew Tsuyu was telling her to talk to Itsuka in order to sort out her feelings, but Uraraka still felt unsure.

Uraraka took another look towards Kendo and saw that the orange-haired girl was more focused on the game than on anything else. Uraraka turned towards Tsuyu and whispered to her so that Itsuka wouldn't hear. "I don't know about this, Tsu..."

Tsuyu whispered right back. "Ochaco-chan, just talk to her... Ask her about her and Midoriya-chan..."

Uraraka's cheeks turned slightly red. "But... But this is awkward as heck and I haven't even said anything...!"

Tsuyu sighed before pushing Uraraka towards Itsuka one last time. "Just do it, Ochaco-chan... You'll never know for sure unless you ask directly... Plus, this is a perfect opportunity..."

Uraraka lets out a deep sigh before turning around to face Itsuka, who was still on the lead. Uraraka approached Itsuka before poking her shoulder. "Umm... Kendo...?"

Itsuka turned her head towards the gravity girl with a smile. "Yes, Uraraka? What is it?"

Uraraka smiled sheepishly. "Can I... Umm... Can I ask something... a bit personal...?"

Itsuka raised an eyebrow before letting out a small chuckle. "Sure! I don't see why not. It's just the three of us for now, so I don't see the problem."

Uraraka chuckles nervously. "Yeah... So... Umm... I... You..."

Itsuka pats Uraraka's head softly. "Take your time. It must be something hard to say."

'Believe me, it is.' Thought Uraraka before looking at Itsuka at last, wanting to let it all out now. "So... What do you think of Deku?"

Itsuka raises an eyebrow. "Deku? Who's that? That name sounds almost like an insult..."

Uraraka giggles awkwardly. "Oh! Well, funny story... That was the nickname Bakugo gave to Midoriya because it was a derogatory term based on his name, but he decided to turn it into his hero name because I thought it sounded like a thing someone would shout to exclaim support! Plus, I thought it sounded kinda cute!"

Itsuka smiles on the outside, but she feels really surprised on the inside. She was definitely NOT expecting that. How did this happen? Did Bakugo really have a derogatory nickname for Izuku? And... Is that related to why he always seems angry around Izuku? Not that he's calm the rest of the time... But still!

Itsuka's thoughts run back to the question Uraraka had asked her, and Itsuka tries to deflect the question. "Ah... I didn't know that. Sounds like Midoriya and Bakugo have some sort of beef, don't they?"

Uraraka notices that Itsuka is trying to deflect the question, which only worries her more. "Yeah... Maybe so... Anyways, what do you think of him?"

Itsuka knows that she can't really avoid the question anymore, so she decides to at least be vague. "Well... I think he's... nice."

Uraraka frowns. "Nice? Really? Is that all you can say about him?"

Itsuka rubs the back of her head and looks away from Uraraka. "Heh... I don't know what to say, Uraraka. He just seems like a nice person."

Uraraka decides to press a little more. "Really? Well, that's strange... Because there's been rumours spreading about you two."

Itsuka pales, but she manages to keep her composure. "Really? What kinds of things do they say?"

Uraraka's frown hardens a little bit. "They say that you two... well... are... dating."

Itsuka's pupils shrink, but she chuckles to lighten the mood. "Haha... That's ridiculous! Why would they say that?"

Uraraka's frown turns into a small pout. "Mina, Hagakure and Setsuna say that they've been noticing you two being extra touchy and handsy..."

'Of course those three talked. Those little...' Itsuka holds back a groan before turning to Uraraka with a serious expression. "Uraraka, you shouldn't trust what those three say. They never confirm a situation before spreading rumors just to gossip about it."

Uraraka keeps pouting. "Still, Deku seems to be pretty unavailable since you two met at the Sports Festival..."

Itsuka sighs. "Uraraka... You see..."

"Look out, Itsuka-chan!"

Itsuka is interrupted as she feels Tsuyu's tongue wrap around her and move her out of the way before a knife thrown at her cuts her chest.

Uraraka is also abruptly awakened from the conversation with a loud gasp. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Itsuka lands a few meters behind Asui, and she groans before getting up hastily. "I agree! What the hell was that?!"

The girls look to where the knife was thrown from, and they see a blonde girl in a school uniform wearing a facemask of some sort and a machine around her neck staring at the knife on the floor. "Hmm. Missed, but just barely..."

Uraraka flinches. "Wha-? Who are YOU?!"

The girl looks at the others, and even though the facemask is covering her mouth, they can tell she's smiling from the tone of her voice. "I'm Toga! You are such cuties... Uraraka, Asui, Kendo..."

Itsuka frowns in concern. "She knows our names, probably from the Sports Festival... That means she knows everything that we can do... We're at a disadvantage..."

Suddenly, the three students hear Mandalay's voice in their heads. "Attention all students! It appears that our sensors have detected unknown movement throughout the forest! Please beware! Under Aizawa's instructions, you are allowed to defend yourselves using your quirks! Remember your training! Be careful of any threats you might find!"

Then, all hell breaks loose. The girls hear screams from many places around the forest, and a huge pile of smoke rising slowly. A part of the forest is being cut down to size by what seems to be blue flames. The girls' eyes widen in worry. Toga giggles while pulling out a tube-looking artifact with a hose tied to the machine around her neck. "You know, it would have been awesome if you'd let me cut you so my job was easier. But it's okay! I forgive you because you're all so cute! This machine will make sure to start sucking blood as soon as I stick it in."

Toga presses a button on the cilinder, and a needle sticks out. Toga proceeds to run straight at the students, which frightens Uraraka. "She's coming!"

Uraraka feels Tsuyu's tongue wrap around her and she sees Tsuyu throwing her back to where Itsuka is. "Ochaco-chan! Itsuka-chan! We have to go back to camp! We don't know what we're facing off against!"

Uraraka panics as soon as she lands. "Tsu! Come on!"

Tsuyu is about to leap towards her friends, but Toga proves to be too fast. Toga goes for a stab towards Tsuyu's face, which misses her, but Toga's knife manages to cut the tip of Tsuyu's tongue.

Itsuka's pupils shrink. "TSU!"

Tsuyu staggers back from the pain. "Ow... Ribbit..."

Toga stares at Tsuyu. "Tsu... TSU... TSU! What a cute nickname!" Toga takes off her facemask, revealing her sharp, toothy grin. The girls shiver at the sight of Toga's vampire-like fangs at the corners of her smile. "I'm gonna call you that too!"

Tsuyu stares at Toga with a twinge of fear before leaping out of the way. "Don't call me that. I only want my friends calling me that."

Toga throws the cilinder at Tsuyu, and it pins her hair to a tree. Tsuyu groans as she's suddenly immobilized by Toga, who jumps happily. "Yay! Then that means I'm your friend too!"

Itsuka and Uraraka run towards Toga with angry glares. "TSU!"

Toga leans in closely to Tsuyu's face, which makes her heart tremble. Toga smiles wickedly like a predator closing in on its prey. "You're bleeding, Tsu... You know, I just LOOOOVE blood..."

Itsuka and Uraraka glare furiously at Toga as they approach her. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Toga looks back at the due before leaping away from Tsuyu and throwing another knife at Uraraka. The knife grazes Uraraka's shoulder, and she starts to bleed a little.

'Agh! Crap... She's unpredictable!' Thinks Uraraka to herself, clutching her shoulder.

"Uraraka! Are you okay?!" Asks Itsuka in fear for her friend's safety.

"Yeah, it just grazed me, but... Wait a second... Where is she?"

Itsuka looks at the place Toga was, and realizes that Toga is nowhere to be seen. "She can't be gone. She was just here!"

Uraraka looks around the place with an intense expression, prepared for anything. "She is fast too..."

Itsuka looks at Uraraka with a serious expression. "Uraraka, stay here and look after Tsu. I'll go after her."

Uraraka looks at Kendo, concerned. "Are you sure, Kendo?"

Itsuka smiles at Uraraka. "I am. Go get Tsu off that tree. I'll look for that little punk around here. She can't be far."

Uraraka simply nods, to which Itsuka turns around and leaves. Uraraka sighs before turning to her friend, who was still pinned to the tree by the cilinder Toga had left behind.

'Well, at least we can analyze it and find out who made it.' Thinks Uraraka while looking at the cilinder. "Tsu, are you okay?"

Tsuyu nods. "I'm fine, just a little bit shaken up."

Uraraka approaches her friend. "And your tongue?"

Tsuyu sighs. "Still hurts a bit. I need a little time out."

Then, Uraraka hears Toga's voice above her. "You're pretty careless, you know."

Uraraka feels her heart stop for a moment. She looks up and sees Toga falling on top of her with an insane smile on her face. Uraraka yelps, and fails to sidestep Toga's ambush. Uraraka holds Toga's hand with one arm while her other arm is being held down by her. Uraraka starts to sweat. She's pinned down by a villain who appears to be obsessed with blood.

Toga leans in with a grin. "Ah, you're so much cuter up close, Ochaco-chan..."

Even though she feels scared and vulnerable, Uraraka stares at Toga with a defiant glare. "Don't... call me that."

Toga chuckles. "Don't be so formal, Ochaco. We're practically family now!"

Ochaco keeps glaring at Toga from under her. "What... does that even mean?"

Toga's smile widens. "You have the same smell as me, Ochaco. Tell me... There's someone you like, right?"

Ochaco freezes in place. Was this girl referring to...?

Toga chuckles. "Oh, yes... And you like that person so much that you want to be like them too, right?"

Uraraka's pupils shrink. The memory of her fight with Bakugo at the Sports Festival plays in her mind. Uraraka remembered that she swore to win and be like Izuku, but... No! That can't be what she was referring to. Uraraka feels a cold shiver run up her spine.

Toga leans in. "Yeah... You like that person so much you start to wear the same clothes, behave like they would and stuff like that... But even then, that's not enough. You want to become that person, don't you? I, for one, LOVE people who are beaten up and are covered in blood! I always end up cutting them up!"

Uraraka feels more and more uncomfortable as the situation escalates, and the fact that the girl is only leaning closer isn't helping. Tsuyu looks at the pair in horror, wanting to help but not being able to do so when her tongue is still hurting. Uraraka only feels horror and disgust at the girl's monologue. 'What is with her?!'

Toga's smile turns into a sadistic smirk as she leans even closer. "It's fun talking about our crushes, isn't it?"

Uraraka feels her heart stop when she sees Toga open her mouth wide and her pointy fangs approach her.

Oh no.

Dear GOD no...

Is she gonna-?!

No...

No no no.

Nonononono.

Uraraka screams, and Tsuyu watches on in horror.

"OCHACO-CHAN!"

Itsuka is shook to her core at the sound of screams coming from behind her. She had separated herself from Uraraka and Tsuyu to search for Toga, but it felt like she got played.

Toga was the least of her concerns now, though. It sounded like Uraraka and Tsuyu were screaming.

Itsuka's protective instincts kicked into full gear as she turned around and ran to the place she had left Uraraka and Tsuyu on.

'Damn it! I shouldn't have left them alone! I should've...'

Itsuka stops on her tracks once she sees the source of the screams.

It was Uraraka.

She was laying on the ground and Toga was on top of her. A small puddle of blood was forming under Uraraka's neck, and she could see Toga munching on Uraraka's neck as if it was fried chicken.

Itsuka teared up and immediately activated her quirk. "Y-You... YOU... LET GO OF HER!"

Toga looked to the side in surprise but was too slow to react. Itsuka punched Toga as hard as she could with her enlarged fist, and Toga was sent crashing to a nearby tree with a loud thud.

"Ugh... You... Heh, you should have told me you wanted attention too, Itsuka-chan."

Toga smiled at Itsuka with a bloody grin before throwing a couple of knives at her. Itsuka fans the knives away with her fists and she charges at Toga with a hateful look on her face. "COME HERE AND FIGHT ME, COWARD!"

Toga dodges Itsuka's punch before throwing some of the cilinders of her machine at her again. "Jeez, will you tone it down?"

Itsuka pays no attention to the blonde's banter as she dodges and deflects the incoming needles. "JUST FIGHT ME!"

Toga frowns upon seeing her weapons being deflected. "Ugh... Just... Will you calm down already?"

Itsuka shouts at Toga with tears in her eyes. "You hurt my friend and you have the AUDACITY to tell me to calm down?!"

Toga's frown turns into a glare. "Those giant hands of yours fan away my knives and needles way too easily, plus, they don't make you look cute. You're not cute."

Then, the girls turn their attention to the right. The sight of Meza Shoji and Shoto Todoroki was a pleasant sight for Itsuka, and a signal for Toga to get out of there.

Toga immediately jumps away from Itsuka. "There's a lot of people here, I got what I wanted and I don't feel like getting killed, so... bye, I guess."

Toga is about to leave when her eyes spot a very bruised and battered Izuku Midoriya being carried by Shoji. 'Oh... my... GOD...'

Itsuka turns to the students, and her eyes widen at the sight of Izuku being carried by Shoji's multiple arms. The poor green-haired boy was covered in blood, looked like he had been beaten down and both of his arms were worryingly red and limp.

"Izuk-?" The split second Itsuka turns her attention to the boys, Toga disappears. "No! Come back, you-! You-! UGH!"

Izuku gets off Shoji's arms and looks at Itsuka briefly before his eyes lock on the floor and the barely conscious gravity girl laying down. "U-U-U-URARAKA!"

The boys' eyes widen in surprise at the sight of Uraraka. Even Todoroki, who is usually the least emotional of the group, lets out a small gasp at the sight of his classmate being in such a state. Itsuka reaches for the tree Tsuyu is pinned to and pulls her down at last.

Izuku kneels down in front of Uraraka while tearing up. "Uraraka... No... I... You... ITSUKA, WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Itsuka helps Tsuyu get to her feet before looking at Izuku with a sad and remorseful expression. "I... We... We got ambushed by a villain, and I left them for some moments, and she... I... Uraraka... Oh God... Oh God no..."

Tsuyu looks at Izuku with a panicked expression. "Where were you? Where are the teachers and pros? What is even happening?"

Shoji responds. "A villain squad is attacking the camp, and they're not some low-level villains either. The pros are spread thin, trying to fight off the villains and protect us at once, but it's difficult, even for them."

Uraraka weakly raises her arm at Izuku, who is still kneeling in front of her. "Deku..."

Izuku's expression turns into an angered, hateful expression. "Those bastards... They'll pay...!"

Todoroki puts his hand on Izuku's shoulder to calm his friend. "Midoriya, we can't be reckless. Remember, our priorities are protecting Bakugo and making sure Tokoyami's quirk doesn't possess him again."

Itsuka looks at the boys with worry. "Say what now?"

Izuku sighs before looking at Itsuka with a sad expression. "Tokoyami's quirk went on a rampage, but Kacchan and Todoroki stopped him. Plus, we found out that the villains are here to take Kacchan away."

Itsuka still can't comprehand the fact that Izuku has such a cute nickname for someone like Bakugo. But Itsuka quickly notices something.

"Umm... Guys? If that's the case, then where are Bakugo and Tokoyami?"

The three boys turn around and notice that the explosive blonde and the dark crow were nowhere to be seen. Izuku panics. "What the-? But... They were RIGHT behind us, weren't they?"

"Such is the art of deception, little heroes."

The students look up to a nearby tree branch and spot a villain dressed as a magician holding what seemed to be a blue marble.

'Crap! He must have attacked Kacchan and Tokoyami from behind!' Izuku looked at the magician with hatred before getting to his feet. "GIVE THEM TO US!"

The villain chuckles. "Don't talk about them as if they were "things" or "objects", boy. They are real people with real choices. Speaking of such, I almost feel bad for you lot."

Itsuka glares angrily at the villain. "We don't need pity from someone like you!"

The villain giggles. "What I meant to say is that all of you are just kids, yet your paths have already been carved out for you, as well as your choices and destinies. Why not choose a different path? Take Bakugo, for example. The boy is on a path to become a hero, but why should tat be the case? We, at the League of Villains, can offer him what hero society has taken away from him: true freedom. He'll be taken to a stage where he'll shine properly! Talent like his shouldn't be on the hero's side!"

Izuku clenches his teeth. "He'll never join you!"

The villain pulls out another blue marble. "Maybe so, but we'll be content with one out of two."

Shoji and Todoroki glare harder. 'Crap! That must be Tokoyami!'

The villain laughs. "Capturing Tokoyami was an improvised act, yet it was so worth it. We weren't planning to take him as well, but aftrer seeing the sheer amount of destruction he caused once he got to let loose? Hah! He'll make an excellent ally once we convince him to join the right side! Toodles!"

The villain runs away. Todoroki grunts. "Damn it! He's too fast!"

Izuku's mind starts reeling. This isn't how things were going to end. He just wouldn't allow it. Izuku looks at his classmates with a determined glare. "Tsu, can you take care of Uraraka?"

Tsuyu nods. "Yes, Midoriya-chan! My tongue feels better!"

Izuku nods, then looks at Todoroki and Shoji. "We're going to save Kacchan! Itsuka, give us a boost before he gets away!"

"Got it!" Itsuka enlarges her fists and grabs the trio of boys. "Good luck, boys! Go and punch that guy in the...!" Itsuka spins the boys around her a couple of times before launching them at high speeds towards the retreating villain. "... DICK!"

Todoroki, Shoji and Izuku fly towards the retreating villain, who, upon sensing a small breeze from behind him, turns around briefly only to be met by the sight of the approaching students. "AGH!"

Izuku, Shoji and Todoroki smashed the villain to the floor hard. Izuku glared daggers at the villain underneath his shoes. "GIVE THEM BACK!"

"Compress, take cover."

The students' eyes widened at the sound of another voice in fron of them. They barely had any time to react before the masked villain under them turned into a blue marble and a barrage of blue fire was sent their way.

The blue flames burned Izuku's left arm, damaging it further. "AGH!"

Shoji's arms sustained some damage themselves. "My arms! They're burning!"

Todoroki looked at his friends with concern. "Shoji! Midoriya!"

Before he could react, a villain dressed in black and grey pounced towards him. "I love you! Now DIE!" Todoroki quickly created an ice wall separating him from the villain, who stepped back a bit. "That's cold! It burns!"

Izuku had barely recovered from the blue flames when he spotted a knife being thrown at his face. He sidestepped it, but was unable to dodge Toga, who pinned him to the floor with a grin on her face. "Izuku! I recognize you! You looked so handsome on TV! You know what would make you cuter? If you BLED!"

Toga pulls out another knife and prepares to plunge it through Izuku's throat. Izuku looks up at Toga with fear strewn across his face before Shoji punches her with two of his arms, shoving her away from Izuku forcefully.

Toga looks at the dupli-arm user with hatred. "You... You're not cute, but I'll cut you anyway if you're in my way."

A villain with a patchworked face and outfit steps forward with an unamused expression. "This is pointless... Let's just go. Do you have the brat?"

The blur marble on the floor turns into the masked villain, who starts to search in his pocket. "Sure... I... Wait..."

Shoji speaks to the villain in a mocking tone. "For all your talk about shows I figured out you must have been a wizard or scammer in the past. Those kinds of people always get a chuckle out of the audience with deceptive tactics, like putting something away from the audience's eyes and hiding it somewhere. Like your pockets."

Shoji pulls out a couple of blue marbles, to which the villains gasp. Todoroki nods. "Nice work, Shoji. Let's get the hell out of here!"

The students start to run away, but a purple mist appears in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. The students freeze in place, all sharing one thought. 'The villain from the USJ incident?!'

A couple of long yellow eyes appear in the mist. "The mission has been accomplished. Tomura Shigaraki expects your return."

Multiple portals appear around the villains. Toga enters the portal smiling. "Sorry, Izuku! Gotta go! I'll see you later!"

The villain in black and grey hops through a portal.

The students start to run away again, but before the remaining villains start to chase them down, the masked magician stops them. "Leave them. It was funny seeing them gloat, but they should have known better."

The students stop in their tracks and look back at the villains with horrified expressions. Mr. Compress takes off his mask, revealing two blue marbles he had put in his mouth. "After all, that's deception's game. You let the audience think what they believe will happen only to subvert their expectations later! I shall take one final bow for the great fina-!"

Before the villain can finish, a blue laser beam hits him in the face, making him drop the blue marbles. Izuku looks to the right briefly to see Aoyama in the bushes. Izuku shakes off the thought of his classmate before rushing to the retreating villains alongside Todoroki and Shoji.

However, Izuku feels his arms stinging him, and he falls down due to the pain.

Shoji rushes forward and manages to snatch one of the two marbles.

Todoroki goes for the other one, but the villain gets a hols of it beforehand. "How sad... Shoto Todoroki..." The blue marbles turn into the two students that were missing. Tokoyami appears in Shoji's arms and Bakugo materializes on the villain's grasp. "Checkmate."

Izuku bristles and charges at the villain, abolutely livid. "KACCHAAAAAAN!"

Bakugo gives the green-haired boy an intense look before letting out one last message. "Stay back... Deku."

The portal closes, and Izuku falls face-first on the floor.

Izuku looks around him in a panicked hurry, only to find out that the villans are gone.

And then, the forest.

The forest, which was once a beautiful yet intriguing playground for them was now a burning mess of screams and panic. Izuku looked at the blue flames that were consuming the forest, thinking about everything that had happened thus far.

Had he been too slow?

Was there a better way to do this he hadn't seen?

But the most prominent thought was the one that he knew was a sad reality.

They were supposed to be heroes in training...

... Yet, today they had failed, and the villains had won.

Izuku lets out a heart-wrenching scream.

The following days were a mess.

The forest was saved due to Vlad King calling emergency services on time. He and Aizawa felt guilty for failing to protect their students, but were held off by some muddy clones of the villains that had gone for them.

Many students were unconscious and in a very bad condition due to a villain having used poisonous gas on a large part of the forest. Tetsutetsu had managed to defeat the villain alone thanks to his determination and quirk, but his lungs were severely damaged.

Momo Yaoyorozu had walked around the forest handing out gas masks to her classmates, but she had been almost crushed by a blow to the head at the hands of a nomu.

Many other students were injured. Some more had stayed intact, mainly being the students who had failed the final exams and were under the protection of Vlad King and Aizawa.

One student was missing.

One member of the Pussycats was in serious condition due to a blow to her head.

Another member of the Pussycats was missing, but it was implied that she had lost a lot of blood.

Three villains were arrested, yet none of them gave away any useful information to the authorities.

And Izuku... Izuku had slipped in and out of consciousness during the past couple of days. His arms were a total mess. He suffered seizures, nausea, fever...

Izuku woke up on a hospital bed, not remembering much from the last few days. He looked beside him and saw a bowl of katsudon with a note attached to it.

'Eat this and then give me a call..

-Mom'

Izuku looked at the ceiling, trying to remember what happened at the camp. 'Kota... Where is Kota...? Is he safe...? I hope he's alright...'

Then, Izuku turned his head and saw the door to his room open. His eyes widened when most of class A and B were there with reassuring smiles.

Kaminari was the first to speak. "Midoriya! You're awake, man! Have you seen the news?"

Awase followed. "Yeah, it's pretty harsh. The press are eating our teachers alive right now!"

Sero concluded. "But it's still nice to see that you're at least fine... somewhat."

Izuku's eyes fixated on Itsuka, who was also in the room, but her gaze was downcast. Izuku spoke in a hushed, blank whisper. "G-Guys... Thank you for visiting..."

Tokoyami lowered his gaze. "I caused you trouble. I apologize, Midoriya."

Izuku looks at Tokoyami blankly. "No... I did this to myself... Say... Is everyone here?"

Itsuka speaks in a solemn tone. "No... Monoma refuses to talk to anyone right now... Jiro and Hagakure are still unconscious from the poisonous gas... Tetsutetsu is breathing normally, but he's still out and we don't know how he'll be once he wakes up since he took most of the gas... Uraraka lost a lot of blood, and she's still unconscious... Yaoyorozu was struck down by a nomu, and she was hospitalized. She woke up yesterday, but she wanted to be left alone... Ibara is having trouble breathing. She's fine but she wanted to be left alone too... So it's just us. We really wished our classes could be here... without anyone missing..."

Todoroki looks at Izuku blankly. "Because Bakugo is gone."

Mina gasped. "Todoroki! Not now!"

Izuku began to remember the last moments before Bakugo was taken, and he started to tear up. "I... I remember All Might saying... that there are always going to be people out of our reach. People that we can't save... Which is why we have to do our best to save those we CAN reach... I... I was so close to saving him... I NEEDED to save him... But... It's just like Mister Aizawa said... I'm worthless after throwing one punch... My body wouldn't move... And he's gone... All because I failed..."

Izuku chokes on a muffled sob, and Itsuka feels her heart being stabbed repeatedly at the sight. Izuku was truly a kind and noble soul, and his heart was too big for his own good. Seeing him like this hurt. Itsuka thought about his words, and she really wanted to reassure him that he was wrong. Itsuka wanted to hug him and tell him that everything would be fine. Itsuka wanted to hold him close and tell him that none of this was his fault.

However, Kirishima spoke before Itsuka could say anything. "Well, then why don't you come with us to get him back?"

Everyone looked at Kirishima in surprise. Even Izuku snapped out of his funk out of surprise. "W-What... What do you mean...?"

Kirishima looks at Izuku with a small frown. "Todoroki and I were on our way to see you when we walked by Yaoyorozu's room and heard her talking to All Might and a police officer. She said she attached a tracking device to a nomu with the help of Awase. She gave All Might a reciever and-"

Iida interrupted. "And you're going to ask her to make another reciever for you, aren't you?"

Todoroki looks at Iida with a firm expression. "What if that's the case?"

Iida growls, remembering the troble he had caused the hero Manual after going after the hero killer on his own. "Now is NOT the time to let our emotions get the best of us! We should leave this to the professionals, idiots!"

Kirishima snarls. "Maybe! But all I know is that I couldn't do anything at the camp! My friend was targetted and I stood by, completely helpless! If I do the same now how am I able to call myself a hero or a man?!"

Iida snarls back. "HAVE THE TWO OF YOU LOST YOUR MINDS?!"

Most of class B are silent. They had been bonding with most of class A during this past semester, and they shared the rest of the class's opinions on most topics by now. Going after the League of Villains would cause nothing but trouble in their eyes. However, the student that had been abducted was part of class A, so it felt wrong to say anything about the matter.

Itsuka was a slightly different case. She had bitten her tongue numerous times throughout the conversation class A was having to prevent herself from saying something she might regret later.

However, the other reason Itsuka said nothing was because she still felt torn.

On one hand, she understood what Kirishima and Todoroki were saying. If her little brother or a member of her own class were to be abducted by villains while she could have had a chance to do something, she would most definitely not care about the rules as long as she could see with her own eyes that her loved ones are safe.

On the other, she knew that there were rules to be followed. Going after the villains could get them hurt, not to mention the trouble they'd cause their teachers. Itsuka simply held back a sigh and watched the scene unfold.

Tsuyu spoke, gaining everyone's attention. "Listen, I know we're all shocked but we have to be rational about this. If you go out there looking for Bakugo knowing that you're breaking the rules, that would make you just as bad as the villains. You wouldn't be acting like heroes."

That got everyone to be quiet.

Itsuka really wanted to retort to that. Sure, heroes were tied to the rules and had to follow them to set a good example and to make sure peace is ensured...

But isn't being a hero essentially meddling where you're not wanted?

Itsuka thought about her little brother again. If Syouzou was taken by the villains, would she just have to stay back and let the villains do whatever the hell they wanted with him JUST because she was tied to some rulebook?

Itsuka stopped thinking once the door to Izuku's room was opened again and a doctor came in.

"Sorry for interrupting you, guys. I need a moment alone with Midoriya."

Sero smiles softly. "Yeah, let's go... We should see how Uraraka, Jiro and Hagakure are doing."

Kaibara smiles too. "Sure... And maybe we should see if we're allowed to see Tetsutetsu and Ibara after that."

Ojiro smiles. "Good idea..."

Mina waves at Izuku as the two classes leave his room. "Get better, Midori."

Izuku smiles. "Thanks for visiting me..."

Itsuka leaves with her classmates, although she sees Kirishima and Todoroki whisper something to Izuku before leaving the room. It was worrying that they could sneak off to save Bakugo despite everything being against them doing so. Still, Itsuka knew that Izuku was more than capable of going off to save Bakugo despite the state he was in right now.

Itsuka thought to herself as she walked behind her classmates. One topic that she had always wanted to talk about with Izuku was his relationship to Katsuki Bakugo. They were so different in so many ways... Why was Izuku always seen near that guy of all people? Plus, the nickname he had given to him felt felt too nice to belong to someone like Bakugo. Besides, she had learned from Uraraka that "Deku" was a derogatory term derived from Izuku's name Bakugo had chosen to mock him. The two boys definitely had a backstory, otherwise none of this would add up.

Itsuka sighs, feeling like things would only get worse from here.

Little did she know, she was right.

By the way, in case you're worried gore and stuff like that will become something normal in this story, it won't.

If you can handle stuff like this then you'll be fine for the rest of the story.

I'm still reading each and every single one of your reviews!

See ya in the next chapter!