Chapter 6
Katsuki glared at Izuku, his frustration boiling over. "What the hell, Deku? Start talking!" He clenched his fists, small explosions popping in his palms.
Izuku flinched at Katsuki's outburst, his heart racing. "I... I don't know what happened, Kacchan. I just woke up and suddenly I could manipulate metal. I don't understand it myself."
Katsuki's eyes narrowed, his face twisting into a scowl. "You're lying! You've been hiding this from me for years, haven't you? You just wanted to look down on me, you damn nerd!"
Izuku's eyes widened, and he shook his head frantically. "No, Kacchan, that's not true! I swear I didn't know about this until now. I would never hide something like this from you."
Katsuki stepped closer, his voice rising with each word. "Bullshit! You've always been a sneaky little bastard, Deku. I bet you've been laughing behind my back this whole time, thinking you're better than me!"
Izuku's heart sank, and he felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. "Please, Kacchan, listen to me. I'm telling the truth. I'm just as confused as you are. I don't know how this happened or what it means."
Katsuki's anger seemed to only grow with each passing second. "Shut up! I don't want to hear your excuses. You're just a lying, Quirkless loser who's been trying to make a fool out of me!"
Izuku's mind raced, trying to find the right words to convince Katsuki of his sincerity. "Kacchan, please, you have to believe me. I would never lie to you about something like this. I'm sorry if I upset you, but I promise I'm telling the truth."
Izuku's heart raced as he tried to find the right words to convince Katsuki of his sincerity. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word, Katsuki lunged forward, his hand crackling with explosive energy.
Just as Katsuki was about to strike Izuku, a powerful, unseen force shook the entire building. The sudden tremor caused both boys to freeze in their tracks, their eyes darting around the room in confusion and alarm.
Katsuki lowered his hand, the explosion dissipating as he scoffed. "This isn't over, Deku," he growled, his eyes still fixed on Izuku. "But first, we need to get out of here."
Izuku nodded, his heart still pounding in his chest. He knew that Katsuki's anger was far from extinguished, but for now, they had to focus on escaping the villain-controlled building.
Katsuki stepped forward, his voice firm and authoritative. "As long as you're here, you listen to me. I'm in charge, got it?"
Izuku swallowed hard, knowing that arguing with Katsuki would only make matters worse. He nodded once more, accepting Katsuki's leadership for the time being.
Katsuki's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the room, his mind already formulating a plan of action. "We're leaving," he declared, his voice leaving no room for argument. Without waiting for Izuku's response, he strode towards the door, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence.
Izuku's heart raced as he watched Katsuki's retreating figure. "But what about our classmates?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly. "We can't just leave them behind."
Katsuki paused, his hand on the doorknob. "I'll save them if they're where the villains are," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "Because I'm going to get payback for them ambushing us." His eyes glinted with a dangerous light as he muttered under his breath, "I'll kill them."
Izuku's stomach churned at the thought of confronting the villains head-on. As much as he wanted to save his classmates, he knew that engaging in a violent conflict would only put them in more danger. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to rescue them without resorting to violence.
As they stepped out of the room, Izuku's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of shouts and screams echoing through the hallways. His blood ran cold as he recognized the voices of his classmates, their cries filled with fear and desperation.
"So much for avoiding conflict," Izuku thought sarcastically, his heart sinking as he realized that their situation had just become even more dire.
Izuku's heart pounded in his chest as he raced down the hallway alongside Katsuki, the screams of their classmates echoing through the building. The sound of their desperate cries filled him with a sense of urgency, pushing him to run faster despite the fear that gripped his heart.
As they rounded a corner, Izuku caught sight of a group of villains with unique and terrifying Quirks dragging away a cluster of students. Among the villains, a man with a scarred face and a menacing aura stood out, his voice raised in anger as he reprimanded his underlings.
"You idiots!" the scarred man shouted, his voice dripping with venom. "How could you possibly lose two students and a hero? Do you have any idea what this means for our plans?"
The villains cowered under his fierce gaze, their hands still gripping the struggling students. Izuku's eyes widened as he recognized the faces of his classmates, their expressions twisted in fear and desperation.
"We have to get rid of the others now," the scarred man continued, his tone laced with urgency. "Who knows when backup for the heroes could arrive? We can't afford to take any more risks."
Izuku's mind raced as he processed the villain's words. The thought of his classmates being harmed or worse made his stomach churn, and he knew that he had to act fast if he wanted to save them.
Beside him, Katsuki tensed, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Izuku could see the rage burning in his eyes, and he knew that his childhood friend was ready to fight.
But Izuku hesitated, his newfound powers still unfamiliar and untested. He wasn't sure if he could control them well enough to take on the villains without putting his classmates at risk.
Izuku watched in horror as Katsuki suddenly burst forward, his hands crackling with explosive energy. Before anyone could react, Katsuki unleashed a powerful blast directly into the face of one of the villains, sending them crashing to the ground in a smoking heap.
"Kacchan, no!" Izuku cried out, his voice drowned out by the chaos that erupted around them.
Katsuki turned to face the remaining villains, a wild grin stretching across his face as he cursed at them. "Come on, you bastards!" he shouted, his eyes blazing with fury. "I'll take you all on!"
But despite his bravado, Izuku could see that Katsuki was outnumbered and outmatched. The villains quickly regrouped, their Quirks flaring to life as they surrounded the young boy.
Katsuki fought like a cornered animal, his explosions rocking the hallway as he tried to keep the villains at bay. But his lack of strategy and experience quickly became apparent, and the villains began to gain the upper hand.
Izuku watched helplessly as one of the villains, a towering figure with a Quirk that allowed him to manipulate metal, lashed out with a chain that wrapped around Katsuki's ankle. With a swift yank, Katsuki was sent sprawling to the ground, his explosions sputtering out as he struggled to free himself.
Another villain, a woman with a Quirk that allowed her to create a sticky, web-like substance, quickly took advantage of Katsuki's vulnerability. She shot a stream of the substance at him, ensnaring his arms and legs and rendering him immobile.
Katsuki thrashed and cursed, his face contorted with rage and frustration as he tried to break free. But it was no use, and the villains quickly closed in on him, their expressions twisted with malicious glee.
Izuku's mind raced as he watched Katsuki struggle against the villains. His newfound powers thrummed within him, begging to be used. Without thinking, he focused on the metal chain wrapped around Katsuki's ankle. Blue lines sprouted from his chest, connecting him to the metal.
Taking a deep breath, Izuku pulled on the chain with all his might. The sudden force caught the towering villain off guard, causing him to stagger. Izuku felt himself being yanked across the room, his feet barely touching the ground as he hurtled towards the massive man.
As he neared the villain, Izuku twisted his body, remembering the broken stapler piece he'd pocketed earlier. In one fluid motion, he hurled the metal fragment at the sticky-quirk villain. The momentum from his pull, combined with the weight of the large villain, sent the makeshift projectile flying with incredible speed.
The stapler piece struck true, hitting the woman square in the chest. She let out a surprised yelp as the force sent her sailing across the room, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.
Izuku didn't have time to celebrate his small victory. As he collided with the large villain, he instinctively slammed his feet into the man's face. The impact was jarring, but Izuku didn't relent. He pushed harder, using the added resistance from the wall behind him to drive his feet deeper into the villain's skull.
The man's eyes rolled back as he crumpled to the ground unconscious, taking Izuku with him. The young boy tumbled, his heart pounding in his ears as he scrambled to his feet, ready for the next threat.
Izuku turned as he felt the wind and a subtle sound pass by him. Without thinking, he dove to the side with unnatural speed. He rolled awkwardly and stumbled to his feet just in time to see a flash of shadow blast where he had been standing moments before. The angry face of the main villain materialized from the darkness, his eyes burning with rage.
Izuku's mind leapt into overdrive as he frantically searched his mental catalog of hero and villain notes. His thoughts raced through countless entries until they landed on one of his latest additions: Akira.
The young boy's eyes widened as he recalled the details he had meticulously recorded about this particular villain. Akira, known for his shadow manipulation Quirk, could move through darkness at incredible speeds and materialize his body from any shadow within his range.
Izuku's heart pounded in his chest as he realized the gravity of the situation. He was face-to-face with a dangerous villain, one whose abilities he had only theorized about in his notebooks. The reality of Akira's power was far more terrifying than anything Izuku had imagined.
As Akira's form fully emerged from the shadows, Izuku noticed the villain's eyes narrow, focusing intently on him. The air around them seemed to grow heavier, thick with tension and the promise of impending violence.
Izuku's heart leapt into his throat as Akira lunged towards him, a blur of shadow and malice. Without thinking, Izuku fumbled in his pocket, his fingers closing around a small paper clip. He yelped, flinging the clip to the ground and instinctively pushing against it with his newfound power.
The force catapulted him into the air, his stomach lurching at the sudden movement. He soared upwards, narrowly avoiding Akira's grasp. The villain's face contorted with rage as he watched his prey escape.
"Stop mumbling and die, you little brat!" Akira snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "I've got work to get back to!"
Izuku's mind raced, desperately searching for a way out. His hand closed around another paper clip in his pocket. As gravity began to pull him back down, he threw the clip towards the wall, watching it arc through the air.
The moment it struck the wall, Izuku pushed against it with all his might. The force sent him hurtling sideways, away from Akira's reaching shadows. He grunted as the sudden change in direction slammed into him, his body protesting the rough treatment.
Izuku's heart raced as he darted around the room, his newfound powers propelling him in erratic patterns. He pushed and pulled against every metal object he could find, sending himself careening off walls and narrowly avoiding Akira's grasping shadows. The villain's face twisted with frustration as he struggled to keep up with Izuku's frantic movements.
As he ricocheted off a metal filing cabinet, Izuku caught sight of Katsuki. His childhood friend had managed to wriggle free from the sticky substance, his hands sparking with small explosions as he tore away the last of his bindings. Relief flooded through Izuku, but it was short-lived.
Three more villains burst through a side door, their menacing presence filling the room. Izuku's stomach dropped as he glimpsed his classmates huddled in the room beyond, some sporting bruises and cuts. He knew he had to act fast.
Landing next to Katsuki with a well-timed push, Izuku stumbled slightly. As he righted himself, he quickly pressed another broken piece of stapler into Katsuki's hand. Before his friend could react, Izuku braced himself against a metal pipe in the wall and pushed against Katsuki with all his might.
"What the hell, Deku?!" Katsuki roared as he was sent flying towards the three villains, his body twisting in midair. His angry curses filled the air, growing fainter as he hurtled away from Izuku.
Izuku felt a sudden, crushing force slam into his back, knocking the wind out of him. He sprawled across the floor, pain radiating through his body as he skidded to a stop. Gasping for air, he looked up to see Akira's triumphant smile looming over him.
"Finally caught you, you little pest," Akira sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. Before Izuku could react, the villain's foot connected with his stomach, sending a fresh wave of agony through him. Izuku curled into himself, tears welling up in his eyes as the reality of his situation crashed down upon him.
This is too much, Izuku thought, his mind reeling. I'm only ten. I can't handle this!
As Akira reached down, likely to deliver another painful blow, Izuku's survival instinct kicked in. Through tear-blurred vision, he spotted a piece of metal he had thrown earlier. With a desperate push of his power, Izuku sent himself hurtling into Akira's legs.
The villain cursed loudly as he toppled forward, his face meeting the floor with a satisfying thud. Not wasting a moment, Izuku focused on the metal fixtures in the ceiling. With a sharp tug, he pulled himself upward, narrowly escaping Akira's grasping hands.
Izuku pressed himself against the ceiling, his heart pounding in his ears as he watched Akira right himself below. He took a shaky breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts and aching body. For now, at least, he had a moment to catch his breath and plan his next move.
Izuku's heart raced as he watched Akira right himself, a snarl twisting the villain's face into a mask of pure rage. The air around them seemed to crackle with tension, and Izuku had never seen someone look so furious before. It made his stomach churn with fear.
"You little brat!" Akira roared, his voice echoing off the walls. "I'll tear you apart!"
Before Izuku could even think, Akira launched himself upward, his body becoming a blur of shadow and malice. Izuku's eyes widened in panic, his newfound instincts screaming at him to move.
Taking a deep breath, Izuku pushed against a nearby metal fixture, sending himself careening to the side just as Akira's fist smashed into the spot where he'd been moments before. The impact left a sizeable dent in the ceiling, and Izuku gulped, realizing how close he'd come to being hit.
Not wasting a second, Izuku continued his frantic dance of dodging and ducking. He pushed and pulled against every metal object he could sense, propelling himself around the room in a dizzying pattern. His movements were erratic, driven by pure instinct and the desperate need to survive.
Akira's attacks came relentlessly, each one seeming to get closer and closer to connecting. Izuku could feel the wind from the villain's strikes, hear the whoosh of air as shadows barely missed him. His heart pounded so hard he thought it might burst from his chest.
As he narrowly avoided another of Akira's lunges, Izuku caught sight of something that made his blood run cold. The villain's eyes had changed, becoming completely black, and tendrils of shadow were starting to emanate from his body. Whatever Akira was planning, Izuku knew it couldn't be good.
Suddenly, the room plunged into total darkness. Izuku gasped, his senses overwhelmed by the sudden absence of light. He could hear Akira's laughter echoing around him, seeming to come from everywhere at once.
"Let's see you dodge this, you little pest," Akira's voice whispered, right next to Izuku's ear.