Chapter 14: The Marks of A Hero
The hero team didn't have to move far to arrive at their area. The civilian team had to move to the center of the city while the villains moved to some buildings deeper within.
This gave the heroes some time to come up with some strategy in their safety area. It was an open area with yellow tape surrounding it, signifying the safe zone.
Sero: "Please, tell me one of you has a plan."
Kirishima: "Yeah, we're not in the best spot."
The group looks to Izuku and Momo, who then look at each other.
Izuku: "U-Us?"
Momo: "Well, I was coming up with something. Do you have anything?"
Izuku: "Really? That's great! All I know is that Kacchan will come for me when it starts."
Momo: "Can you beat him?"
Izuku is still not the epitome of confidence, but after training with his sisters and All Might, his former bully didn't seem so bad.
Izuku: "Y-Yes. I don't know how long it will take, but… I can win."
Momo: "Good, because you're our best chance for winning."
Izuku: "I-I am?"
Kirishima: "Of course!"
Sero: "You're our strongest team member."
Uraraka: "With you on our side, we can win this!"
Izuku: "T-T-Thank you all. I-I won't let you down!"
Momo: "Good, so here's the plan."
It took a while, but the villains made it to their base. A non-descriptive building with a fake missile-looking bomb on the top floor.
Mina: "Haha, this will be fun!"
Ida: "It may just be a training exercise, but it still pains me to be a villain."
Mina: "Come on, just have fun with it."
Ida: "That will be hard considering the company."
He looks to his other teammates. Todoroki was sitting against the bomb; clearly, he was planning on guarding the bomb.
Tae was staring into the city with a blank expression. Ida doubts he can convince her to join in any plan he has. As for Bakugo…
Bakugo: "Deku… "
He was a bomb all to himself. Ida could even see him shaking, barely able to contain his wrath.
Ida: "The others will most likely have their own plans. Can I count on you to help me capture the civilians?"
Mina: "Righto boss! You can count on me!"
It was then, when a loud siren was heard across the city. The exercise has begun.
Ida: "Alright, lets-"
But that wasn't the end of it. A flash of green appeared in the sky. Izuku threw his head back before yelling out his challenge.
Izuku: "KACCHAN! FIGHT ME!"
That did it. Bakugo's face split into a maddening grin before exploding into action.
Bakugo: "You… FUCKING NERD!"
Tae followed soon after, jumping out the window and dashing into the city below.
Ida: "That's our cue. Let's… ahem… go capture those civilians for our evil plans! Hahaha!"
Mina: "That's the spirit! Led the way."
Jiro couldn't afford to be the first one out. The civilians didn't stick around each other as soon as the exercise started. Staying together would make it too easy for the villains to catch them all at once.
So that leads us to now, Jiro stalking the city while making sure to keep her ear close to the ground. She's not fast, but this will hopefully give her some time to react if a villain does come.
What she didn't expect was being close to the first major fight of the exercise. But maybe, hiding under the building where it will take place might be a good spot. No one would look there.
The plan worked! But it also put a target on Izuku's back.
Izuku: 'Not like it wasn't already there.'
He floats down to the ceiling below and waits for his former friend to appear. He didn't have to wait long.
Appearing with a loud boom, Bakugo shot down onto the ceiling. He raises up from his knee while sparks erupt from his hands.
Bakugo: "Deku… "
Izuku: "Kacchan… "
Bakugo: "You have a lot of nerve Deku… you used to piss your pants before me… now you have the nerve to challenge me! ME!?"
Izuku: "I'm not the same Deku. In fact, you know what I learned. Deku doesn't have to mean worthless. From now on, I'm Deku, the one who can do the impossible! Because that's what I'll be, a Hero!"
Izuku thinks back to the strategy meeting when he explained a bit about his relationship with Kacchan. Specifically, Momo's response to his nickname.
Momo: "Deku, huh? Sounds a bit like Dekiru. You can do it; you're capable. Maybe, Deku doesn't need to mean worthless anymore, if you don't want it to."
Bakugo grinds his teeth and tenses his muscles. Izuku breathes out a calming wave of air and activates his quirk. His eyes flash green, and his hair stands on end.
The air was electric and ready for the clash of young titans. Words weren't needed anymore.
Only-
Fwooosh!
Action!
Izuku lifted his hands and caught Bakugo in his explosive charge with his telekinesis. With a twitch of his hand, he throws Bakugo off the building.
Well, that's what was supposed to happen. Instead, Bakugo unleashed enough force in an explosion to counteract the strength of the telekinetic hold.
Izuku: "Wha-"
Bakugo bursts out of the smoke, damaged but still intact, and headbutts Izuku.
Izuku: "Gah-"
Bakugo: "Stun Grenade!"
A flash of light envelops Izuku's eyes, preventing any action for a second. That second was all Bakugo needed; he grabbed Izuku's arm and flipped him onto the ground hard.
Bakugo: "You think you're the only one who improved! You can never compare to me, Deku! Not even with a-"
A burst of psychic energy erupted out of Izuku, knocking Bakugo into the air. Even while temporarily blind, Izuku still could guess where his opponent was.
Predicting where he sent Bakugo, Izuku quickly got up, ripped concrete from the ceiling, and hurled it into the sky.
Bakugo smiled at the assault and skillfully dodged the large piles of earth. The ones he couldn't dodge, he destroyed. The ones he couldn't destroy…
Bakugo: "Die!"
He grabbed and threw it at Izuku with incredible speed. Still blind, Izuku couldn't react to the speedball and was hit in the head.
Concentration broken, Izuku's assault ended, causing all the rubble to fall back to earth. Free to attack, Bakugo exploded into the dazed Izuku, intent on ending the battle with a big right hook. But the esper predicted as much and placed a shield around himself.
The resulting blast blew both titans off the building and caused the building to start collapsing.
Much to the annoyance of both teens, this battle would not be as easy as they thought.
Momo watched the battle while driving through the city on the bike she created.
Momo: "I guess it will take some time for Izuku to win."
Kirishima: "Y-Yeah."
The young man wanted to focus on the fight; he really did. But he was hanging onto Momo, one of the most attractive girls in the class. She was also wearing the most revealing outfit.
He's no pervert, but he's still a man.
Kirishima: "A-Are we close to any civilians yet?"
Momo: "No, keep an eye out."
Kirishima: "Righ-"
Just then a frog girl jumped over the bike. Time slowed down as Tsuyu and Kirishima locked surprised eyes. When it resumed-
Kirishima: "Wait!"
Momo slammed the brakes, forcing the bike to skid to a stop. Tsuyu, after landing, jumped over to them.
Tsuyu: "You came just in time, kero."
Momo: "Why? What's-"
That's when they noticed how out of breath Tsuyu was. The frog girl pointed behind them, and then they understood why.
Like some horror villain, Kiri emerged from a corner nonchalantly. The presence of Mom and Kirishima didn't change her pace; instead, she continued her slow stride forward. As if their capture was inevitable.
Kirishima: "No way… "
Momo: "I didn't expect to run into her this soon."
Kirishima swallowed any fear he may have. He can't let something like this freeze him in his tracks. He's going to be a hero! Just like Crimson Riot.
He got off the bike and began his walk toward Kiri.
Kirishima: "Get the civilian out of here; I'll hold this villain off."
Momo only hesitated for a moment before nodding. Tsuyu, understanding the situation, hoped onto the bike. A few seconds later, the two were speeding off.
Despite that, Kiri didn't chase them. After all, she had a new target.
The two met in the middle of the street and stared each other down. Kirishima might be a head taller than Kiri, but he felt like he was the one being looked down on.
Kiri: "Rock-man… you're brave."
Kirishima: "Haha, thanks. But what hero isn't?"
Kiri: "… True. But bravery… isn't enough."
Before Kirishima could react, he was in a wall, and his whole body hurt.
Kiri: "Stay down."
Kiri spared him a glance before continuing her walk. But she didn't get far before she had to turn around and block a blow from a fully hardened Kirishima.
Kirishima: "Don't count me out just yet!"
He was hurt, really hurt, but he wouldn't let it end like that. Even if he can only buy a second, he will gladly do so. That's the purpose of a hero, a shield, to defend until the last second!
Kiri: "…Okay."
Unbeknownst to Kirishima, Kiri smiled at his fierce determination.
Jiro: 'That was too close!'
Her hiding spot was pretty good until the building started falling apart!
Jiro: 'I didn't expect their battle to be that destructive. But honestly, I should've known.'
Now Jiro was outside, running to find another place to hide before-
Mina: "Well, looka here, a target."
Jiro looked up to see Mina on a nearby ceiling, giving the girl a sly smile.
Jiro: "Is there any way I can convince you to let me go?"
Mina: "No can do civilian; I need to finish this up and catch back up to Ida."
Jiro: "Tch."
Jiro turned tail and ran from the villain. But she knew she couldn't outrun Mina for long. She needed a plan.
Jiro: 'No rule saying we can't defend ourselves.'
Jiro backtracked until she found what she was looking for, a dead end. She ran into the alley and acted like she had nowhere to go.
Mina: "End of the line, hehehe."
Jiro turns back to see Mina coming closer to her while holding the capture tape.
Jiro: "What do you plan to do to me, you dastardly villain?"
Mina: "Come on, you can put a bit more energy into it."
Jiro: "Sorry, I'll be louder next time."
At that moment, Jiro plugged her ear jacks into the sound amplifiers in her boots. Next, Jiro unleashed a powerful sound wave at Mina.
Mina: "Aaaah!"
Mina dropped the capture tape and covered her ears. This gave Jiro that chance to dash for it. She grabbed it, and before Mina could recover, Jiro wrapped the tape around Mina and pushed her to the ground.
Mina: "Ugh, what just happened?"
Jiro: "A civilian just captured you."
Mina: "But… that's not fair! You can do that?"
Jiro: "No one said we can't. Later."
Jiro ran out of the alley quickly, knowing a hero or villain would be drawn to the sound.
Mina: "Darn it!"
All Might smiled at the turn of events. Young Midoriya and young Bakugo's destined battle was as destructive as she expected. He just hopes those two can settle their differences.
Because together, they would be far better heroes.
All Might: 'But young Bakugo won't learn from his mistakes… I may have to expel him. It would be a shame, but if he doesn't change, then he will be more of a villain than a hero.'
On a lighter note, he was glad Kyoka Jiro was able to notice that loophole. Even civilians, depending on their quirk, can and should defend themselves until a hero arrives.
In fact, is that not what young Midoriya did? A civilian, with no quirk at the time, helping out his fellow man. Such heroism can bring out the hero out of the professionals.
Civilians can be a wild card for both the heroes and villains.
All Might: "In other words, expect the unexpected!"
