Finally, MY favorite fight of this arc.
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
The rest of the raid group rushed through the hall. Kirishima was having some trouble focusing, especially with Amajiki being left behind.
"I still think one of us should've stayed behind to help Suneater," Kirishima said to Ochako and Izuku.
"I kinda agree." Ochako said. "He's usually so anxious...can't help but worry."
Fatgum grimaced at their words. Even the underclassmen had no faith in him. He had to butt in. "Still, though! When a guy says he's got your back, you just gotta believe!"
Kirishima lit up. "Yeah! He's probably gonna be fine!" He yelled.
"You sure go with the flow, huh?" Kevin chuckled.
"I'm worried, but I still gotta go with the flow!" Kirishima declared.
"YEAH! Let's not waste a second of the time Suneater bought us!" Tetsutetsu added.
Rock Lock sighed. Give it a rest, loudmouths.
The group continued to run, until they found a set of stairs leading back up. Nighteye's glasses glinted. "There. Quickly now." This was going great.
Too great.
Aizawa didn't like it.
"Hey," Aizawa said. "Isn't it weird we've seen nothing from the guy shifting the basement?" Izuku perked up at that comment.
"You're right..." Blake said. "The halls aren't getting warped by his quirk."
"So, we can infer that because he's allowed us to come this far without interfering...it must mean he doesn't have complete awareness or control of the basement." Albedo frowned.
"Maybe he's focusing his attention on Suneater." Monoma proposed. "Or there's a limit to how much he can monitor."
"Finally, a kid talking some sense." Rock Lock said.
"This is a theory," Albedo said. "I think he didn't become the facility itself. He just dove into the basement to control it."
"So, he's in the walls." Kevin frowned. "Great."
"He's just sneaking through the walls, watching and listening." Blake said. "So when he shifts things around, there's a chance his real body is nearby. Probably sticking out an eye or ear to observe stuff."
As if to prove the point, Irinaka's eye appeared on the wall to look down at the defeated three bullets, tied up and paralyzed in the room. He growled to himself in frustration.
"After all that effort...they only slowed down one FUCKING PERSON?!" Irinaka roared, "GRAH! As if you needed anything more to prove you were human TRASH! But even for trash, you were supposed to be STRONG! Maybe it's because of him though..."
Irinaka growled. "Then...I'll just have to remove him...from the picture!"
He focused his attention into the hallway where the heroes were running. When Aizawa was in his sights...he launched his attack.
A portion of the wall fired out and slammed into Aizawa from the side, threatening to crush him between the walls.
He's aiming for me! He doesn't want to be seen... Aizawa realized.
Suddenly, before Aizawa could be flattened, Fatgum shoved him out of the way. Kevin gasped, as Fat was suddenly grasped by the giant cement hand.
"FAT!" Kevin yelled.
If this jerk gets his way, the time Tamaki bought for us will be for nothing! Fatgum thought. ERASE HIS POWER, ASAP!
The giant hand then punched through the nearest wall, throwing Fatgum down a tunnel. The BMI hero began rolling down the tunnel like he was a marble, eventually emerging on the other side and thudding to the ground. Fatgum groaned as he got up, but then he heard the unmistakable sound of someone taking a breath.
"Don't think I'll ever get used to that," Kirishima sighed.
"HUH!? RED?!" Fatgum yelled, "What are you doing here?!"
"Well, when the wall came alive and tried to crush Aizawa, I jumped in to try and push him outta the way. I knew that kinda move wouldn't really hurt me. But I guess I didn't see you and then I sank into your fat and..."
"And now we're here. That's...fair, honestly. Nothing we can do about it now. Stay on guard though," Fatgum said, brushing himself off, "Don't know where we are or who-"
As if they knew that question was coming, another member of the Eight Bullets emerged from the shadows, fist reared back and roaring to go. Kirishima took note of the incoming attack and immediately went Unbreakable. He jumped in front of Fatgum and crossed his arms, but that one fist from this bird-masked villain turned into a full on gatling gun of strikes. Fatgum actually felt the gales of wind that the strikes created. One final punch from this guy and Kirishima was punched back into the wall, leaving behind a massive crater.
"Red!" Fatgum called out in shock.
"Hey, fight's over here big man!" the villain called out, bouncing on his feet like a pro fighter, "You don't have any weapons on you, right? Some are distasteful about weapons if you ask me. Whoever's got the gun or the knife just automatically wins. That ain't a fight. A fight is when two people walk into the ring and rip each other to pieces with nothing but their own fists. Ya feel me?"
Fatgum stood in front of Kirishima's battered body, his expression darkening as he listened to the villain's words. Kirishima slowly stood back up, as Fatgum stood to defend him.
"I don't think I've ever met anyone who thinks like you do," Fatgum said, his voice low and dangerous. "And I've met some pretty twisted folks in my time..."
The villain just smirked, his bird-like mask obscuring his expression.
"Name's Rappa," He said, cracking his knuckles. "And you're in for a real treat, big guy. Let's see what you're made of!" Without warning, Rappa lunged at Fatgum with lightning-fast strikes.
Fatgum crossed his arms in front of him as more of Rappa's strikes slammed into his body. The BMI hero grimaced as he took each and every hit, until he dodged out of the way. With the momentum behind the swing, Rappa lost his balance and left himself open. Fatgum went in to strike back, sock this mobster in the jaw from the side. But instead of connecting with the brawler's masked face, Fatgum's fist collided with a barrier of golden energy.
"A shield?" Fatgum asked.
"Oh, this guy..." Rappa growled.
"The BMI Hero Fatgum and a boy who can harden his body. Two defensive types...just two," a second yakuza said as he emerged from the shadows. He wore a simpler and shorter version of Setsuno's mask, while the rest of his outfit resembled that of a Japanese monk, black kimono and all.
"Thanks for stating the obvious," Rappa said, the words dripping with sarcasm.
"You're welcome. This is why Master Overhaul paired me with you, my friend."
"If you somehow manage to get past me, please...please knock him out first," Rappa deadpanned.
Fatgum chuckled. "I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises."
The monk-like yakuza charged forward, pulling out a pair of sai from his sleeves as he did so. Fatgum braced himself for the attack, but then Kirishima stepped in front of him.
"I got this one!" Kirishima said, his body hardening as he did so. The monk-like yakuza lunged forward, the sai in his hands glinting in the dim light of the underground tunnel. Kirishima dodged the first strike, then blocked the second one with his hardened forearm. The third strike came in low, and Kirishima jumped over it, using his hardened legs to launch himself into a counterattack. He threw a punch at the yakuza's face, but Tengai immediately threw up a barrier.
"Ya know, I already like you, guy. Hope your fighting skills are as good as your banter," Rappa smirked.
"Oh trust me, it's more than on par," Fatgum grinned.
"Then let's RIP AND FUCKING TEAR!" Rappa roared. With surprising speed, Rappa managed to land another heavy barrage of punches against the BMI Hero, each hit bruising his skin and tearing apart the fabric covering his chest. The brawler threw one last strike to finish it off and Fatgum slid back across the concrete floor. The BMI hero coughed as he tried to recover.
I can feel each of those hits...even through my fat, Fatgum thought, They're like bullets. Or would tank shells be a better comparison?
"C'mon! We just got started and you look ready to keel over! I mean, it's impressive you're still in one piece but don't tell me that's all you got!" Rappa said, genuinely.
They're obviously Eight Bullets...but I didn't see files for either of them. Must be outsiders. Bullet punches and barriers...a spear and a shield. Fatgum mused.
Fatgum took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down by focusing on his breathing. He knew that losing his cool would only make things worse, and he had to be at his best if he wanted to beat Rappa.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not going down that easily," Fatgum said, his voice surprisingly calm despite the pain he was in. He moved forward one step at a time until he was right in front of Rappa.
"Let's see what you've got," Fatgum said, his fists tensed and ready for battle.
Rappa smiled and lunged at Fatgum, punching him quickly and hard. The BMI Hero blocked the first few blows, then dodged the next one, slipping under Rappa's guard, and throwing a punch of his own. Rappa's chest took the full force of the blow, and he grunted in pain. But he didn't stop attacking, and he punched Fatgum quickly again and again.
Fatgum staggered back from the latest hit, but he quickly stomped his foot on the ground and readied a massive punch. However, once again, his attack was blocked by a golden shield, courtesy of Rappa's monk-like counterpart.
"FOCUS ON YOUR OWN DAMN FIGHT!" Rappa roared.
"It is only natural to keep my spear, in other words you, protected," Tengai said, before he dove under one of Kirishima's strikes. He slashed at the unbreakable hero with his sai, but only watched as the metal blades sparked against the stone-like skin.
"Yeah? Well, how's a spear to a hammer?!" Kirishima yelled, bringing both of his hands down on Tengai. The monk blocked the overhead strike with another barrier.
"You seem to be mistaken. You and your...mentor, I believe, are two shields. But I am the shield to Rappa's spear. The perfect combination. A shield that can withstand any attack and a spear that can break any defense."
Kirishima grunted as he pushed against Tengai's barrier, trying to break through it. "We'll see about that!" he said, his determination clear on his face. He gritted his teeth as he continued to push against Tengai's barrier, feeling the strain in his muscles. He knew he had to break through if he wanted to have any chance of defeating the yakuza duo.
Tengai merely scoffed as he continued to block Kirishima's attacks. "Your tenacity is admirable, but it won't be enough to break through my defenses," He said calmly. "Nothing breaks my shield."
Kirishima growled. "Please. I could shatter that in a second if I could."
"You would have done so already…" Tengai's eyes drifted over to Fatgum and Rappa, who were still fighting. "I bet you're under the belief that you, like my partner, are a 'spear'."
"The hell does that mean? Spears are a lame weapon." Kirishima said.
"In three words: reach, lethality, and simplicity. Reach and lethality are obvious, but its simplicity is deceptive, and a little thought will quickly show that there is more to it than you might think." Tengai elucidated. "Even an unskilled person who only knows how to thrust straight ahead is dangerous with a spear because it is hard to get around the length of the spear."
Kirishima frowned. "You underselling me?"
"No. I'm not even underestimating you," Tengai said, holding up his sai. "I barely see you as a challenge."
Kirishima's frown deepened, and he charged forward with renewed determination. He swung his fist at Tengai, but the monk-like yakuza easily dodged it and countered with a swift strike from his sai.
Kirishima managed to block the attack with his hardened arm, but he was quickly forced back by Tengai's relentless assault. The monk-like yakuza was incredibly fast and agile, and Kirishima found it hard to keep up.
"You're fast, I'll give you that," Kirishima said, gritting his teeth. "But you're not invincible."
Tengai smirked. "True, but neither are you."
The two clashed again, their weapons ringing out as they clashed against each other. Kirishima was starting to get frustrated. He knew he was stronger than Tengai, but the monk-like yakuza's speed and agility were making it hard for him to land a solid blow.
He took a step back, trying to catch his breath and think of a new strategy. That was when he saw it - a small opening in Tengai's defense.
Without hesitation, Kirishima lunged forward and aimed a powerful punch at Tengai's torso. The monk-like yakuza tried to block it with his sai, but Kirishima's hardened fist shattered the metal blade like it was made of glass.
Tengai hummed as he held the broken sai. "Here I thought your hardened body was just a false show of strength. A facade."
"I dunno what that means, but sucks to suck, Raphael." Kirishima smirked. He threw another punch forward, but Tengai blocked it with a barrier. The barrier didn't crack.
"...it seems as though it is still a facade." Tengai sighed.
Kirishima gritted his teeth in frustration. He had been so sure of his strength, but it seemed like Tengai was trying to break his spirit or something. He needed to come up with a new strategy if he wanted to win this figh-
Fatgum went flying into the barrier. Kirishima gasped, as Rappa laughed.
"That your limit, dude?" Rappa yelled. "You serious right now?"
"F-fat!" Kirishima yelled. Kirishima rushed over to Fatgum's side, checking on him to see if he was okay. The hero groaned and slowly sat up, holding his head in his hands.
"I'm okay...just a little dizzy." Fatgum said, shaking his head to clear it.
Kirishima gritted his teeth. He couldn't let his friend get hurt like this. He turned to face Rappa, his fists clenched.
"You're going to pay for that." Kirishima growled.
Rappa just laughed. "Let's see if you can take even a few of my weaker blows again, kid!" Rappa rushed forward, as Kirishima took a moment to fortify himself.
Moment of truth, Eijiro! Kirishima hyped himself up, as he started to harden more and more- his Unbreakable state could keep up with Rappa, right?
...right?
Rappa charged at Kirishima, his fists raised, and aimed a powerful punch at the hardening hero. Kirishima gritted his teeth and took the hit head-on, but to his surprise, he felt his body reverberate from the force of the blow.
"Damn, you're tougher than I thought!" Rappa exclaimed, impressed.
Kirishima couldn't believe it- even in his Unbreakable state, he was struggling to withstand Rappa's attacks. Rappa kept throwing more and more punches, and Kirishima was starting to feel the hardened parts of his body get chipped off.
"RIPPER CYCLOTRON!" Rappa yelled, throwing a faster flurry of punches. Kirishima was starting to lose ground...
And went flying into a wall. Kirishima hit the wall hard, feeling the impact rattle through his entire body. He tried to get up, but his body was battered and bruised, and he could barely move.
Fatgum yelled. "RED!" He got back up, and tried to rush at Rappa- but that golden barrier protected him once more.
"Neither a shield or a spear." Tengai bemused, looking at the battered Kirishima. "I don't know what that kid thinks he is...but I cannot ignore his pathetic sense of tenacity."
"Enough with the WORDS!" Rappa growled. "Drop the barrier! I wanna fight these two some more!"
Kirishima yelled, trying to hold it together. His body had cracked. He couldn't take all those hits. D-damn it! I thought I'd...gotten stronger... He was about to fall down, and surrender the fight left in his body...
When Fatgum gave some words of inspiration.
"KEEP STANDING!" Fatgum demaned. "You haven't lost until they break your spirit! Taking down villians is all about how fast you can make them lose the will to fight! If you throw in the towel..."
"Then...what!?" Kirishima rehardened his broken pieces.
Tengai scoffed again. "They believe they can win? Even after all that?"
"The fatso gets it! I like him!" Rappa yelled. "Take the barrier down already!"
"Do not submit to selfish desires. And don't forget master Overhaul's orders-" Tengai suddenly brought up a second shield inside the first to block Rappa's wild flurry of punches.
"Overjerk's the one who decided we should be a team! Quit that bullshit! I just wanna get into some death matches!" Rapp yelled.
"...fine. Finish the job. And it's Overhaul. Not...Overjerk." Tengai said, dropping the barrier.
"Finally! Speaking my language." Rappa said. "You're all right, you buddhist weirdo." Rappa resumed his attack, and started raining down punches on Fatgum. Fatgum gritted his teeth as Rappa's punches pummeled his body, each hit sending waves of excruciating pain through him. He felt his bones crack and his muscles strain under the relentless assault. His vision started to blur, and he struggled to stay on his feet.
Despite the pain, Fatgum refused to give up. He knew that he had to keep fighting, for his own sake and for Kirishima's. With a roar of determination, he braced himself and fought back against Rappa's onslaught, even as his body screamed in protest.
Rappa's assault stopped for a moment. Fatgum huffed and puffed, body delirous from pain. He couldn't throw a counter hit, because of that monk guy- so, he had to break out the nuclear option.
"Y'know, I used to be a rough-n-tumble type myself, way back when." Fatgum smirked. "Been a good while since I felt anything at all from an attack. So, who's gonna cry uncle first? You and your arms, ro me and my body?"
Rappa twitched with glee. "YOU'RE MY KINDA OPPONENT, FATSO!"
If he didn't pull this off, Fatgum was gonna be dead in a gutter somewhere.
"TENGAI! NO BARRIERS!" Rappa yelled, as he threw another bunch of punches.
Fatgum braced himself, steeling his resolve as he took hit after hit. The pain was overwhelming, and he felt his body breaking down with each blow. But he refused to give up, refused to let Rappa and Tengai win.
He could feel the strain on his body, the bruises and fractures forming with each punch. But he pushed through the pain, gritting his teeth as he focused on one thing:
Protecting Kirishima and making sure the heroes got the job done.
Kirishima gritted his teeth, watching Fatgum take hit after hit. He couldn't let his mentor get hurt any longer. Those punches were too much, he was getting overwhelmed.
I...I thought I was stronger now...I jumped right in...and Unbreakable got shattered like it was nothing. Kirshima despaired. Now I'm just in the way-!
Kirishima tried to focus. W-what can I even do now? Fatgum's gonna die-! And I can't do anything!
I'm...
I'm useless.
Tengai smirked. The boy's a lost cause. His eyes are stained with fear- no coming back from that. I'm happy to have broken him down like that...just a bit more, and these annoyances will be out of our hair.
Kirishima's eyes started to close.
This was it.
He was...fine with this. Fine with letting everyone down.
It wasn't the first time.
The image of that weak willed middle schooler who couldn't even have the guts to yell at that giant to stop harassing his schoolmates haunted him at his lowest.
He hated that Kirishima.
Kirishima grimaced, as his eyes shot back open. That's why...
Flashes of his other failures popped up before him, but he could give less than a damn about them right now. Crimson Riot's words echoed in his head- 'Chivalry is a strong spirit. It ain't just only for men, or confidence and being fearless- I'm a hero, so I protect people! Once that decision's made, I gotta put my life on the line for it! It's about-'
Living without regret! That's why I wanna NEVER REGRET ANYTHING EVER AGAIN!
Fatgum took some more punches...and smirked. Tengai noticed.
...there was something Fatgum didn't tell many people about his quirk, Fat Absorption. It also let Fatgum absorb the raw force behind enemy attacks and then release it back in a singular counterattacking punch. However, utilizing this technique required him to burn down his fat as he stockpiled said force, weakening his defense in the process and leaving him practically powerless if the counterattack doesn't bring down the target.
And Rappa was like a free 'buffet' of kinetic energy.
Fatgum's smirk turned into a grin as he braced himself for the incoming assault. He took in Rappa's attacks with every part of his being, absorbing the kinetic energy and stockpiling it in his gut.
"Your punches are like gourmet meal for me, y'know!" Fatgum taunted. "But I'm afraid that it's time to pay the bill."
All this time, he was cracking the shield to forge a spear! Tengai realized. "RAPPA! FINISH HIM NOW!"
Fatgum braced for impact- his shield had been reduced down to nothing. He had to unleash all that stored energy to win this, but he had no defense.
"HEY!" Rappa yelled, before he launched his next few punches. "IF YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, SHOW ME WHATEVER IT IS YOU GOT!"
Fatgum paused. Huh? Was that comment for him? Or was it for-
Kirishima suddenly slipped in between the two combatants, and hardened himself.
"R-RED!?" Fatgum yelled.
"WHAT!?" Tengai also yelled.
Rappa charged at Kirishima, throwing punch after punch, each one stronger than the last. Kirishima stood his ground, taking each hit head-on, his body cracking but not breaking. As Kirishima stood there, taking Rappa's punches, he felt a surge of determination.
"RED RIOT UNBREAKABLE!" He yelled, as he pushed himself to the limit. The cracks in his body started to heal, and he stood tall, truly unbreakable. Rappa's punches didn't even dent Kirishima anymore. He just stood there, absorbing the blows with ease. Fatgum watched in awe as Kirishima stood up to Rappa's onslaught.
He's taking it! Rappa gasped, not in anger, but in a bit of glee. After getting blown away so easily before!? This is AWESOME!
"WAY TO GO, KID!" Rappa yelled, as he threw one more punch. Kirishima roared, as he threw his own...
But a golden barrier blocked both of their punches.
"T-the hell, Tengai!?" Rappa yelled. "It was just getting good!"
"He was wasting what little strength he had left." Tengai scoffed, as Kirishima's quirk started to wear off. The wounds reappeared, showing how much damage he had taken. "No technique can overcome my defense."
"...you sure about that?" Fatgum asked, as he caught Kirishma's body. The time Kirishima had bought him was just enough. All the fat in his body had been burned, showing off his true physique- a pretty slim, handsome looking guy.
"So, it's you protecting me now, huh? I respect it...especially since this big old spear is ready for action!" Fatgum's fist was burning with a glowing energy. "You wanna know why you're gonna lose! Because all of us, myself included...underestimated Red Riot and his chivalrous spirit!"
Tengai flinched, as Fatgum rushed forward. He threw up a few barriers, just to be safe. "You'll FAIL if you even-"
"Naw." Rappa smirked, watching Fatgum rush forward. "These barriers are like glass now. With the punches I was throwing?"
"...N-no." Tengai gasped.
"We've lost!" Rappa laughed.
"You fucking-!"
Fatgum rushed forward with all his might, his glowing fist connecting with through all of Tengai's barrier. The barrier shattered into millions of pieces, and the force of Fatgum's punch continued forward, striking Tengai and Rappa, sending the both of them flying THROUGH a wall.
The place was silent as two bullets laid defeated. Fatgum walked over to Kirishima, a smile on his face.
"You did good, kid. You did good," Fatgum said, picking him up. "Reminds me of myself when I was younger..."
Kirishima groaned, as he opened his eyes. He looked at Fatgum.
"...who are you?" He muttered, staring right through the man. Fatgum blinked.
"I-it's me! Fatgum!" Fatgum insisted. "We just won!"
"I...I gotta protect Fat..." Kirishima whispered. "Do...what...I...can..." Fatgum's smile faded as he realized what had happened to Kirishima. He gently set him down and looked around, feeling the weight of the situation.
"I need to get him medical attention, now," Fatgum muttered to himself. "You've...done enough, kid."
"...not yet..."
Fatgum flinched, when Rappa got back up. The guy was battered and bruised, how could he still stand.
This dude's crazy-! Did the barrier guy break his fall or something...? I dunno if I can even fight! Fatgum thought. Rappa took a few deep breaths.
"...first aid kit. In that room." Rappa pointed to the door. "Patch that MAN up."
Fatgum blinked.
"...This is a trap." Fatgum frowned.
"Do I look like the trapping type to you? That's his job." He jabbed a thumb back to Tengai. "Don't worry. He broke a BUNCH of bones, thanks to me. He won't be an issue. And I'm not a problem either. Your punch...broke my bones too. Can't even lift my arms."
Fatgum was still cautious. "...what're you after?"
"A good match. A death match." Rappa huffed, as he slumped back down. "...and this? This had to be in my top 10. Heal the kid up. Heal yourself up! I dunno why, but putting your life on the line makes me feel alive...so, next time we meet, we're gonna have a rematch to the death! Hope that kid's ready..."
Fatgum was still keeping his distance. "You'll be arrested and locked up soon enough. There ain't gonna be a next time."
Rappa laughed. "Gimme a break. No one's dead, so this is a draw."
"A draw?"
"Yeah. So, just get to healing." Rappa huffed, closing his eyes. "I'm gonna sleep off the pain."
...weirdo. Fatgum thought, carrying Kirishima to the infirmary. He kept a close eye on those two as he stumbled over. He opened the door, and started to focus on patching up Kirishima.
Rappa closed his eyes, and began to snore loudly. Poor guy. Big man tuckered himself out.
...of course, no one really expected someone to drop down from the ceiling, and grab Rappa. In an instant, Rappa's form was stored inside a ball.
"So, this is Twice's new bestie?" Mr. Compress hummed. "I can see why they get along..."