Mandalay looked down sadly at the unconscious Kota. "Kota's parents died 2 years back. He was so small when it happened. It was a villain." The twins gasped sharply while looking down at the boy. "They were killed while protecting citizens. Perhaps the most respectable way for any hero to die. But..."
"Papa. Mama..." Kota murmured while standing between their dead bodies.
"How do you even begin to explain to a child that his parents died honorable deaths?"
Mandalay ran up from behind, hugging the boy. She couldn't see his face, but he had tears in his eyes. "To him, they had left him behind...and all the while, they were being praised. Everybody kept telling him that his parents' sacrifice was noble. Heroes just don't make any sense to Kota. After all, if they hadn't been heroes, they would still be here."
Izuka was shaking a little from the story, her mouth covered. Izuku clamped his mouth shut.
Kota hugged himself while sitting at his hideout. The black smoke was still flying from the trees. "Trust me, Kota. It will happen," Mandalay spoke to him when he was first staying with her. "You'll meet someone, and you'll finally understand...why we do what we do." She watched him adjust his hat, giving a small smile. "Someone who'll risk their life, put others first. Someone who will be..."
He opened his eyes, snarling as he didn't even want to think about the last words. "No one like that really exists," He hissed, flinching and looking up to see what was going on in the forest. Someone approached him from behind...
"No way!" Minoru exclaimed as Pixie-Bob was on the ground with head injuries thanks to Magne and Spinner. "Why are there villains attacking the camp?!"
"Pixie-Bob!" Izuku ran up to her in concern, only to be stopped by Tiger.
"This is bad," Mandalay gritted her teeth, Izuku glancing at her. He then slowly realized someone was missing, turning around.
"Oh no. Where's Kota?!"
5 minutes earlier
An owl hooted while Mina let out a whine. "Aww...we wanted the chance to face off with all the others," She complained as Mr. Aizawa was dragging them back to camp for their lessons. The five were still trapped in his scarf.
"I thought Pixie-Bob said we'd be getting a reward," Eijiro whined as well.
"This is more like torture," Denki agreed with his classmates. "We want our treat, Mr. Aizawa!"
Mr. Aizawa glanced over his shoulder, not seeming to care. "Do you want me to tighten your bindings? For tonight's lesson, we'll be talking about how to behave in an emergency," He led them down a hallway, having untied them. "If you don't become more aware that you're falling behind your classmates, then the gap will keep on growing. In a broad sense, this knowledge is your reward. How's that for a treat?"
"I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up," Eijiro murmured as they sagged their shoulders. Now they knew how it was like when Mr. Aizawa liked to chew out Izuka.
The door opened to their makeshift classroom. Like Class 1-A, there were people from Class 1-B who had to take the remedial classes, but there was only one. And that would be Neito, who like always, had a crazed look on his face. "Oh, strange. Now, who do we have here? Five members of Class A bombed the exams?" The five gave him blank looks. "And look, there's only one guy from Class B!"
Vlad closed his eyes in annoyance. "You failed too, idiot!" Denki screamed at him; this was not something to be proud of at all. Neito laughed in a crazed way as the five took their seats.
"He tried to get under our skin the same way yesterday," Eijiro remarked in annoyance, glaring a bit as they sat behind Neito. He was still laughing like a maniac over his 'win' from Class A.
"At this point, I'm kinda worried about him," Mina commented as they could only stare. Someone really had to be dedicated to take them down, even if he wasn't a major threat. Unless he was talking to Katsuki about Izuka again.
"So, Vlad," Mr. Aizawa approached the man. "Why don't we start with practice maneuvers?"
"I was thinking the same thing," Vlad agreed, closing his eyes. "Perhaps we should pair them up."
Suddenly, Mandalay used her Quirk to contact them. Everyone!
Eijiro looked up in realization. "It's Mandalay's Telepath."
"So weird, right?" Mina smiled while hugging herself. "It's giving me chills."
"It is sort of annoying that it only works in one direction, though," Denki comments, though Mr. Aizawa could sense that something was off. Mandalay wouldn't use her Quirk unless something had came up outside.
"Stop talking," He warned so he could listen.
Two villains attacked us. It's possible there are more coming. Everyone, return to camp immediately. We're regrouping. Do not engage any enemies!
"I'll look after the other students," Mr. Aizawa informed Vlad, while the students were confused. "Protect them!" He turned around and ran off.
"Wasn't this a secret?" Neito asked what everyone was wondering.
Mr. Aizawa gritted his teeth while running down the hall. The first concern was the safety of the others that were still outside doing the test of courage. And of how many villains there were compared to the USJ incident. If it's a full-scale attack... He stepped outside and saw the black smoke. We're in big trouble.
"Looks like your concern has you distracted, Eraser," Dabi spoke up out of nowhere as he held out a hand right next to the teacher. Mr. Aizawa looked back in shock as he could see the blue flames appearing.
"Vlad!"
He was hit straight-on by the blue flames. "You pros oughta lay off," Dabi warned him without any expression. "We haven't come here for any of you, so just stay out of our way."
Izuku gritted his teeth towards the two villains, wishing he could attack right then and there. But he didn't want to risk Pixie-Bob's life, or the lives of his remaining classmates. "How are you this evening, UA High School? We are part of the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains!"
"The League of Villains?" Mashirao asked in shock; just like with the USJ, they somehow found the UA students once again. "What are those guys doing here?"
"I could crush this kitty's head so easily," Magne was holding a beam to Pixie-Bob's cheek. "How about it, dears, should I?" She asked enticingly to the group.
"You get away from her!" Tiger snarled towards the villain. Spinner then stood between Magne and the group.
"Now, now. Hold on, Big Sis Mag. You too, Tiger, calm down. When deciding if someone should live or die, we must be careful that we're abiding by Stain's principles," He glanced between the two, just to make sure neither side attacked.
Koji looked unnerved while Izuku frowned deeply. "Stain?"
"So you're the ones he ended up inspiring," Tenya snarled at the two.
"At your service. That's us," Spinner grinned widely, looking at them closely. "And you, four eyes. I believe I recognize you. You're one of the self-righteous brats who attacked Stain in Hosu City. Lemme introduce myself," He took a hold of his weapon, taking it out to reveal an assortment of blades attached to one pole. "Call me Spinner! I'm here to make Stain's dreams a reality."
Izuku gasped sharply at the weapon, Mandalay holding up an arm in front of him.
"I don't care who you are," Tiger boasted as he took a few steps forward. "You're criminals! The woman lying there is named Pixie-Bob. She's a pro hero who's saved countless lives! She's giving her all for these young heroes, pushing them to reach their full potential! She's looking for a mate, but otherwise she's content," His claws appeared out of his gloves. "What gives you the right to cut such a happy life short?!"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not a hero's job to be happy?!" Spinner mocked as he raced forward.
"Tiger! I've talked to everyone. Trust the safety of the other students to Ragdoll," Mandalay informed him, narrowing her eyes. "You and I will stay here. We'll hold them back!" She then glanced over her shoulder to look at the students. "You return to camp! Class rep, you're in charge on the way there! Don't engage anyone!"
"Leave it to me," He led the way, Izuku glancing at his friends. "Let's go!" Izuku stood there in silence, staring at her. It was possible that she was hoping Kota was safe, but also didn't know where he was. And he was the only one to know the boy's whereabouts...if people were attacking here, then there was a great chance that more were around. If one of them got to Kota without anyone knowing...
Tenya turned around to him. "Midoriya!"
"Go on ahead without me," He told the four, turning to Mandalay. "Mandalay!"
"What are you saying?" Tenya called out, but was ignored.
"Kota. I know where he is," He gestured to himself.
Izuka ran around the forest, but had lost her way at this point. And with the smoke having affected her first, she was starting to lose her vision a little. She came to a stop at a tree, heaving to take a breather as her vision blurred. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head to snap out of it.
At this rate, I'll pass out before I find anyone. I need to get out of here so that I can look for people who got lost too. I know what Mandalay said, but I can't just leave. That's not something Izuku would do, so I won't either. She looked up at the tree and then jumped up using a star. She soared until reaching a high tree branch, landing on it. She then jumped up the other tree branches with ease before reaching the top, hiding in the leaves. Her eyes widened as she was in the midway point between the gas and the black smoke.
"How could this happen...?" She murmured in horror while looking around. I'll worry about that in a bit. Who can I help now? However, darting her eyes around, she couldn't see anyone. And with her vision a bit impaired, it was making things harder. Damn it. I don't have any choice but to head back for camp at this rate. Hopefully I'll find someone on the way. I know my classmates will keep themselves safe for as long as they can. And the teachers and the Pussycats should already be aware of what's going on.
She jumped down the tree and landed, staggering a bit thanks to landing a bit off balance. Once again, she shook it off and began running off as fast as she could.
Itsuka coughed into her sleeve while running through the purple gas. She held her two classmates in her fists while trying to get them to safety.
"Kendo!" She stopped while hearing a familiar voice, glancing back. Tetsutetsu was holding Ibara in his arms, both of them wearing masks. However, the girl with the green vines for hair was unconscious thanks to breathing in the gas.
"Tetsutetsu! Ibara! Where'd you get those masks?"
"Yaoyorozu from Class A," He explained as she used her Quirk to make them. "She made them for us. Awase's taking her to the rest of our class so she can help them too. Take some," He turned to show that he had some masks at his side. "We brought a bunch."
"Great. Thanks!" Itsuka looked up after putting her male classmate onto Yui's back. She then put on the mask. "We need to get back to camp fast. Who knows how many villains could be roaming through the woods?"
"No. I'm goin' to fight," Tetsutetsu denied, the girls looking up at him. "You make sure these two get back to camp."
"What? Mandalay told us to retreat!" She protested at her classmate.
"You're always getting on Monoma when he talks about the differences in our classes, but you feel it, don't you? We're not the same," He explained, earning a gasp from her. "We all got into UA with the same exam. We study the same curriculum. So why are they better? Isn't it obvious? Class A has been through crisis after crisis, and turned each one into an opportunity. They've had so many chances to prove themselves. I mean, you saw what that Midoriya girl did after only a day of training! And come on, Kendo. A real hero doesn't turn his back and run from a bad guy. Fighting villains is what we do!"
"Yeah, but..."
"Don't try to stop me," He turned around, knowing what she would say. That this wasn't the opportunity to do so if other people were in actual danger. The villains were much stronger than the ones at the USJ, and facing them alone also wouldn't help matters. "We're in the hero course. If we don't stand up now, then when will we? I'm goin' to find these villains..." He turned his hand into metal. "And show them what we're made of."
Itsuka turned to Yui in worry, who didn't say anything.
Kota. Kota! Mandalay used her Telepath to call out to him. I hope you can hear my voice. Hurry up and come back to camp! I'm sorry, I can't come to you! Unfortunately, he couldn't run back to camp as he slowly backed away. I don't know where you're always running to. Forgive me. Just get back home, fast! If he heard her, he didn't register it because...a villain was approaching him.
"I came up here scouting for a nice vantage point, and here I find someone who's not on our list," He approached the terrified child, wearing a black cloak and a mask. Kota's eyes shook up at him as he couldn't speak. "By the way, nice hat, kid. I like it. Why don't you trade me for this lame mask, huh?" He jerked a thumb to himself. "They made me wear it cause I'm new. Said they couldn't get a shipment of the good ones in time." Kota shivered as tears were in his eyes, watching the villain remove his mask. He yelped as he turned to try and run. "Ah, well."
The villain jumped and used the wall to block Kota's way. He gasped sharply, screaming as the villain had veins coming from his arm. "I think you and me should have some fun up here, kid. Ready?" The villain grinned and Kota gasped sharply.
"Water Hose. Two heroes sharing one name," A newscaster was reporting on the death of the heroes. Kota could only watch in silence, surrounded by darkness. "But this couple's bright future was cut short. Ended by one criminal's heinous actions. A truly tragic story. The villain in question is still at large, though police and heroes are on his trail." The mask hit the rock ground. "Hoping to apprehend him soon." Kota knew exactly who he was talking to, and he was terrified for his life.
"It's you...!" He cried out in horror.
He stared at the screen intensely. "The suspect is extremely dangerous and has a power-up Quirk. If you see this face, contact the police immediately. Do not approach him," The news then showed the suspect, a blond tall man with piercing eyes. Kota felt like he couldn't breathe staring at him, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. "Additionally, the suspect sustained a major injury to his left eye during his fight with Water Hose..."
And indeed, the man in front of him...had a big scar on the left side on his face, along with an artificial eye. He had a big evil grin on his face. "Papa! Mama!" He cried out as the villain raised a fist. Before he could get crushed to death, Izuku zipped in and grabbed the boy, jumping out of the way. The villain stared at him in shock, the amount of force crushing Izuku's phone as it flew away. He grunted as he hugged Kota, rolling to a stop. He then let out a cough from the rough landing. "What are you doing?!" The little boy demanded as they both sat up. Izuku didn't answer though as they both looked up.
"Huh. Now you, I recognize," The villain looked straight at Izuku. "You were on the list."
I came up here to make sure Kota got back safe. I didn't think I'd actually run into any villains! Izuku gritted his teeth, looking away. Not only was he now stuck, he couldn't call for help either. Damn it. That landing broke my phone. The screen was entirely cracked, some of the glass on the ground as well. I didn't tell anyone where I was going, not even Izuka knows we're here. Which means, I can't hope for reinforcements to show up. It's just me. All alone. I have to stop this guy by myself! The villain grinned and slowly approached them. But...can I really do that while protecting Kota at the same time?! He looked back to see Kota still crying, and gritted his teeth. The boy was clearly afraid of what was going on, and Izuku couldn't allow that to continue. No, I don't have time to think! I just have to do it. Right now. With the power I have! He clenched a shaking fist, power sparking from him.
"Hey. I promise everything will be okay," He attempted to assure Kota while getting onto his feet, clenching his fists. "I'm going to save you, Kota!"
Katsuki grunted while walking through the gas. "Damn it," He growled as Shoto was carrying a Class B classmate on his back. They had found him in the gas, having discovered it a while back. Katsuki was covering his mouth, not pleased with the situation they were in at all. He'd rather be anywhere else than with Shoto, and not just because of the boy's friendship with Izuka either. But because he just disliked Shoto, even if he wasn't getting closer with Izuka. He glanced away in annoyance. Just because she's so damn oblivious, doesn't mean I am. At least they weren't paired up together.
"There must be some sort of gas villain out here," Shoto spoke up, looking back in concern. "I'm worried about the others who're still in the forest. But I don't see that there's much we can do now. Hopefully, Ragdoll can take care of everyone else." They had ran into her, and she gave them the directions back to camp. After that, she went to go find more students.
"Don't tell me what to do, icy-" Both of them came to a stop, gasping at the sight up ahead. "Crap." They could see someone sitting up ahead, looming over something in front of him. Katsuki's eyes slowly widened at what the item was. "Who's that? Hey...which group was in front of us again?" He asked carefully, since someone else had to be in this area at some point.
"Tokoyami, I think, and Shoji. But Mido was the first to go—uh!" Shoto flinched at the possibility that it could be her as well. Katsuki came to the same conclusion and faltered in alarm. He then gritted his teeth, his hand shaking. And that was because...there was a disembodied hand on the ground, blood trailing from it. Considering the look of the blood, it was still fresh. If there was a hand there...they didn't want to imagine what happened to Izuka if it was her the man attacked.
If that turns out to be her hand, he's dead.
"That means she must know what's going on. So where the hell is she?" He snarled angrily, Shoto glancing at him for his tone.
I thought he didn't care about Mido.
Suddenly they heard footsteps and they were racing rapidly towards them. Katsuki turned around in alarm. "Someone's coming!" Both of them flinched, ready to attack if necessary.
Izuka ran in, to their shock, and her eyes were squeezed shut. She then bumped into Katsuki, gasping and looking at him wide-eyed. The girl looked freaked out as her vision was still blurred, so she didn't register who it was. She backed away from them slowly and then tripped, falling onto her butt while panting quietly.
"Mido, you can relax now, it's us," Shoto whispered to assure her and she rubbed at her eyes. Once her vision cleared and she saw it was them, she sighed heavily to calm down. Izuka then got onto her feet, dusting herself off, and they both saw that her hands were intact, thank god. But it still didn't help them answer whose hand they did see.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Katsuki whispered, although the villain didn't seem to pay them any mind. Izuka glanced behind them to see the villain and they slowly moved to the side to hide behind a tree. She then gave a quick glance to the villain to keep an eye on him before turning to the boys.
"I went into the forest, saw the dangerous amount of gas coming and I tried to make sure that no one was still inside of it," She informed as quickly as she could, looking a little panicked still. Most likely because of her brother and everyone else. "I couldn't find anyone. So I went to a higher point through the trees, and then was heading back for camp when I bumped into you."
"Wait, you went through the gas?" Shoto's eyes widened a little, Katsuki recoiling back from her story. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but no one seemed to be around until I found you guys. The smoke is really thick," She answered, though she did look a little pale. Katsuki examined her from head to toe, knowing that she definitely had better days.
"Are you hurt?" He asked seriously and she shook her head. She then started to walk so that the villain wouldn't see them.
"No, I told you I'm okay-" She wobbled a bit and was about to lose her balance. Katsuki ran in from behind to catch her by the waist. His arms wrapped around her from behind and he could see that her face was flushed. She also was sweating a lot.
"Yeah right, the hell you're not," He muttered while taking a closer look at her. "Damn, I think that gas was poisonous," He then noticed her eyes starting to close as she tried to breathe and he shook her gently. "Hey, hey! You good? Talk to me," The blond hissed urgently and she let out a small breath.
"Everything's fine. I'm alright..." She murmured in a tired tone, her voice almost too low.
"Stop saying that, you're wobbling and you can barely speak. I know you're not okay," Katsuki argued back as she tried to stand up, but he kept his hold on her. "Hey, knock it off."
"But we have to save...other students..." She faltered while trying to keep her eyes open.
"Someone needs to save you first, idiot," Katsuki sighed as he kept his hold on her, his face near her neck while looking at her forehead. She placed her hands on his arms gently, flinching by how warm they felt. She then looked up at him quietly and he stared at her. It felt like they were the only two people in the forest.
What is this feeling? His hands feel so nice, and...his eyes are really striking too. Really intense, and...I've never seen him look so...appealing. Izuka thought to herself as he couldn't stop looking at her. Katsuki frowned a bit at her state, but other than that, she...usually looked rather cute.
If I let go of the idiot, she's just gonna go and get herself killed. I can't believe she let herself get like this without telling anyone. And her eyes are so tired, but they're also...nice.
"Are you guys done?"
Both of them flinched from Shoto's question and moved away from each other in a rapid fashion. They had almost forgotten that they weren't alone. "D-Don't tell anyone about this or I'll kill you, you half and half bastard!" Katsuki threatened while pointing at him. Izuka blushed a bit, an arm in front of her mouth. She had no idea what that was just now, or why she was so focused on his eyes. Maybe if they weren't so close to her...
"Don't worry, I didn't see anything," Shoto glanced away from them briefly. He had nothing to gain from telling anyone what he just saw. The boy then turned back to Izuka. "Mido, can you walk?"
"I-I think I can manage," She stammered a bit awkwardly, clearing her throat while trying to get her face back to normal.
"So pretty..." The villain murmured, all of them flinching. They had made sure to stay quiet, but it seemed as if they were noticed unfortunately. "No, have to work. Can't," He then heaved as he stood up. "But it's so delicious, beautiful flesh...Don't tempt me. I have a job to do..." He turned around to look right at the three.
"...No fighting, is that the rule?" Katsuki wondered, his eyes shaking. He needed to take out his anger on something for having him think that Izuka's hand got cut off. And because the villain's group were no doubt responsible for her state.
Izuka created her bow and held it towards the villain. She knew that they weren't supposed to be doing this. But she was a good distance away, so she was only doing it to protect her classmates. Although part of her hoped that they would get out of this alive, but the rules were the least of her problems right now. She stepped between the two, alarming them both as she narrowed her eyes. "I won't kill you, but I will shoot you right here if you make me. Better grow wings because I don't miss," She threatened the villain.
"Oh, so you've got a soft spot for me, huh?" The villain teased, staring at her skin. "Such a striking amount of flesh..."
"Shut up, you creep," She growled at him in disgust. I really hope that hand doesn't belong to one of our classmates. If it does, I'm not showing any mercy on this guy. And that wherever Izuku is...he's fighting for his life and for others, just like I know he would. I could worry about him, but I don't have time when villains are attacking the camp...and right now, I have to make sure Bakugo and Todoroki don't get hurt. Her arms dropped a little thanks to the gas effects, but she shook it off quickly. She then regained her composure as if it was nothing. And that I don't pass out...
As quick as the moment was though, her current state was still noticed as the villain grinned while staring at her. A small drop of sweat fell down the side of her face, as she might've screwed herself over...
Damn this guy... Katsuki clenched a shaking fist. If the villain so much as laid a single finger on the girl, the angry blond would explode him in seconds.
Spinner lunged forward with his massive blades. "You fake heroes only care about yourselves and your glory. We'll purge you from this world!" He landed right in front of Mandalay, who jumped backwards. She spun and used her claws to come to a stop. She then used her Telepath.
Spinner, even though you're a villain, you're still pretty cool. Totally my type. As she leaped towards him, he flinched, blushing. This distracted him long enough for her to get in close. "Are you really blushing? How cute," She swiped the air and he growled, turning towards her as she landed again.
"That was a dirty trick to pull," He snarled towards the hero. "Don't toy with me, cat!"
She gasped as she felt a power over her, yelping as she was flung backwards just like Pixie-Bob. Magne held the giant pillar over her shoulder. "Over here, my little kitten~"
Mandalay growled as she couldn't move, and before she could get hurt, Tiger came in to knock Magne back. "I won't let you use the same trick twice!" Magne broke her hold on Mandalay, who hit the ground hard. Tiger continued to attack Magne, but she backed away to block his blows. "Kenji Hikiishi. Villain name, Magne. Wanted for 9 counts of aggravated robbery, 3 murders, and 29 attempted murders!" He then swung up his fist, which she caught.
"Oooh, does that mean I'm famous?" She teased a little, moving down his fist to stare him in the eye.
"What the hell did you come here for, criminal?" He growled towards the villain.
"Tiger!" Mandalay called out before her teammate could get an answer. "Something's wrong. I still haven't heard from Ragdoll." She watched Spinner running towards her. "It isn't like her not to report!"
He flinched while looking back at her, worried that Ragdoll was attacked just like Pixie-Bob. Magne wasn't too fazed, in fact...her face suggested that either she, Spinner, or someone else had something to do with it. "Uh-oh, I wonder what happened to her~"
On a surface, there was blood...and it was fresh.
"You really think you can save this little brat?" The villain mocked Izuku, laughing. "That does sound like something a wannabe hero would say," His skin continued to grow. "Your kind sure likes to mouth off about justice." Izuku growled while standing closer to Kota. The little boy whimpered while looking up as he could only watch. He still had tears in his eyes, but they weren't falling down his cheeks. "The name's Midoriya, right? Perfect," The villain then moved his right arm. "We were told we could take some initiative and kill you, and then kill that pathetic sister of yours." He then controlled his muscles so give his arm more power. Izuku flinched and then gritted his teeth at the mention of Izuka. Now he had more determination to stop this villain, as he couldn't let him do anything to his sister. "But first, a little torment. Show me your blood!" He took off his cape, revealing his growing muscles and then dashed forward.
Izuku held up his arm to block the blow, but the villain's power overwhelmed him. He was sent flying back into the cliff with a huge crash.
"Whoopsie."
Izuku let out a small scream of pain. "Oh, yeah. Hey. Maybe you can help me out a little bit first," The villain then stood up with a sadistic grin. "Do you know where a kid named Bakugo might be around here? Odds are if I find him, I'll find your sister."
Izuku tensed up at the mention of them, saying nothing. He had no idea what the villains wanted with his childhood friend, and he prayed that he wouldn't find out. Kacchan?
"I still have a job to do, after all!" The villain lunged to punch him, and Izuku leaped out of the way. This caused him to punch the rock instead, Izuku holding his broken arm thanks to the hit earlier. He couldn't stop thinking of the question, though.
Wait, they're after Kacchan? Why? With Izuka it makes more sense, they were after her in the USJ incident too. And they probably want more DNA from her. Is it because he saved her?
The villain grinned while turning to the boy, covered in smoke. "I'll take your silence to mean that you don't know. Is that right? You expect me to believe you don't know where your own sister is? Oh well," He lunged forward to kick Izuku hard in the gut. "Play time!" Izuku was sent flying again into hard rock, grunting as he fell onto the ground. He now had blood going down his cheek, his body shaking. The villain just laughed at his pain. "Yes! Blood is exactly what I wanted from you. What'd you promise? That everything would be okay?"
Kota shook a little while watching. "How's that workin' out for ya, huh? Don't just lay there, stupid," The villain mocked as he stepped forward.
That muscle Quirk of his is too powerful... Izuku painfully sat up, his body not able to handle this for much longer. I need a plan. If I worry about Kacchan or my sister right now, I'm dead. And I'm sure she would think the same. I have to focus on the enemy in front of me! As he got onto his feet, power sparked from his body and he recoiled back a fist. Smash! He punched as hard as he could...but similar to the Nomu from the USJ Incident, the villain didn't feel a damn thing.
"What? Is that all you've got?" He mocked as he held up his amplified arm to block the blow. He then grinned sadistically at the boy. "You're fast, but you're not strong enough to hurt me," He threw Izuku like it was nothing, causing him to roll backwards. "My Quirk increases my speed and strength so exponentially that my muscle fibers can't even be contained by my skin," And his power proved this as his muscle fibers increased to give him powerful arms. "I know I'm bragging a bit. But I mean, c'mon. I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Izuku gritted his teeth while standing up. "You're just an inferior version of me!"
As he jumped, Izuku moved backwards, causing him to punch the ground instead. A bunch of rocks were sent flying, one of them hitting the boy in the face. "I can't help but laugh at you, kid!" He mocked as he jumped, appearing right behind his opponent. "You really think you're a hero, don't you?!" He punched Izuku into the ground. "How are you gonna save him, huh? Don't make promises you can't keep! Live up to your words or they don't mean anything!" He stood over the boy with a big grin, clenching a fist. "You're no hero—you're just a fraud, and you'll die that way!" He then raised his arm up.
A small rock hit the back of his head before he could continue. He faltered while glancing over his shoulder, seeing that it had been Kota that hit him.
"Remember Water Hose?" He growled out, tears still in his eyes. "My mom...and my dad. Did you torment the two of them too?! Before you killed them?!"
Izuku gasped at Kota both helping him and speaking up about his parents—something he showed no inkling of doing until now. "Huh?" The villain turned around after hearing the hero name. "Seriously? Those losers were your parents? Well then, this must be fate. The Water Hose heroes—they're the reason I have an artificial eye in my left socket now," He pointed to his scar.
"This is all your fault," Kota accused angrily in a strained voice. "Nothing in the world is right anymore and it's because of crazy people like you!"
"Little kids are always so quick to say it's someone else's fault," The villain dismissed, causing the little boy to gasp sharply while looking up. "Don't get the wrong idea. It's not like I took them out cause I was mad about the eye thing. I wanted to kill people—it's as simple as that. And those two tried to stop me." He could still remember the blood spatter when he killed them both. "What happened was the result of all of us doing our best." Kota looked destroyed hearing this, as he felt like his whole perspective had fallen flat. "The real travesty is promising to do something you aren't able to do. That's why your dear old mommy and daddy died!" He loomed over Kota, who yelped in fear as he thought he was gonna die just like them.
Izuku jumped over to the two. The villain grinned while looking over his shoulder. "Nice try with the sneak attack, but I'm ready!" He turned around to Izuku flying towards him.
"You ruined his life, and you won't take the blame?!" Izuku yelled furiously, his hand going right through a muscle fiber. "Got you now. Doesn't matter how quick you are."
"But what's your next move?" The villain mocked once again with an evil grin, as he had no care of how his actions affected people. "You gonna punch me with that puny Quirk of yours again?"
"It's not a matter of whether or not I can do it," Izuku argued back fiercely, causing Kota to gasp. "A hero's job is to risk his life..." He clenched his fist hard as it sparked with power. "To turn his promises into a reality!"
The villain was baffled by this as he didn't seem to understand. What?
One for All, 100 percent! Half of Izuku's shirt ripped off as he moved his fist forward and the villain then noticed something about him.
Wait. There's something different about him.
SMASH!
Izuku laid out his punch, and it caused a huge explosion. Kota screamed as he was sent flying back, to the point where he fell off the cliff. He screamed again once he realized he was heading for the trees. Suddenly, he jerked to a stop, looking up. Izuku had grabbed the back of his shirt with his teeth.
"Gotcha! Sorry about that!" He muffled through the fabric. He then pulled Kota onto his feet, the boy looking back and noticing his state. Aside from the bleeding wound, the arm he just punched the villain with was now broken.
"Thank you for-" He gasped as he saw Izuku's painful injuries. Not to mention, he was out of breath. He flinched as he couldn't help but wonder...why the boy was doing all of this. Kota hadn't treated him kindly at all, he outright wanted nothing to do with Izuku. And yet, he was still fighting for the boy's life. Which was something Kota couldn't understand at all. Made even worse by the fact that Izuku was facing someone much taller and stronger. He shouldn't have to fight for someone who yelled at him, pushed him away, and even punched in the scrotum when they first met.
Why?
Izuku looked down at the shocked boy, not even noticing his expression. "Let's get back to camp. It's not far." A crash occurred right behind him and he gasped. He turned around to see the villain covered in muscle fibers, and they were all moving around his body. No way...it can't be! I was at 100 percent! The same as All Might's power! He gritted his teeth as the villain stood up, letting out a groan as his fibers went back into his body.
"Heh! A bit too obvious," He mocked with a grin. "But hey, not too bad, Midoriya!"
"No. Stay away!" Izuku warned him, standing in front of Kota.
"Naw, attacking sounds more fun," He responded back while stepping forward.
Izuku was at a loss now. The power he had, the same as All Might, wasn't powerful enough. And he didn't have much to go on with either... It's no good. What am I supposed to do now? I just need some time to think. The only way to do that would be a distraction, if the guy fell for it. "Tell me," He spoke up with a snarl. "Why have you come here? What does the League want from us?!"
"Doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad they finally let me off the leash," The villain responded with a smirk, still approaching the two. "Long as I get to use my Quirk all I want, I really don't care," He then dug into his pockets, his muscle fibers growing back. "Remember what I told you earlier. We've just been playing around. Having fun! Until now. Now I'm serious!" Kota looked up ahead with dread in his eyes. "Recess is over. I'm coming at you for real. Cause truth be told, you're pretty strong," He then put something over his left eye. "I see that now..." He revealed a dark red eye, and Izuku knew it had to be something to amplify his Quirk even more.
"Quick," He bent down in front of Kota. "Grab on! Hurry!" The villain grew his muscle fibers back onto his body, jumping forward. Izuku leaped into the air with Kota on his back. The villain punched hard rock once again, causing a bigger explosion. Izuku looked back at the amount of power he just gave out, gritting his teeth. It's like his Quirk has been supercharged. It's completely insane! He really was just playing around...toying with me before he killed me. From his spot, he could see not only his upper body was amplified, but his legs too. The villain jumped up to punch them, and Izuku moved out of the way. He punched the wall so hard it sent them flying, causing Izuku to yelp. Then the upper wall started to crack.
"Aw, damn," The villain grunted while trying to get his arms free. "I got too excited."
The two boys landed hard, sliding as more smoke appeared. Izuku slowly got onto his feet. If we can just get back to camp, Mr. Aizawa should be there. Then he can erase this guy's Quirk. Yeah, that's it! I need to get him to chase after me and Kota. Both of them were taking a breather currently, and Izuku hoped that this plan would work. That is...if he wasn't so beat up already. But...I'm so tired from the training today. It won't work! If I turn my back on this guy, I'm done for. Considering the villain's speed and strength against him...he would only get about a few footsteps in before getting killed. And the last thing he wanted was to send this guy on a killing rampage if he wasn't stopped right here. Camp wasn't far, but he wouldn't make it in the state he was in. Nor would he be able to evade this guy that easily. I have no choice but to fight him right here. Right now! I have to remember where I started, how far I've come! I'll stand my ground. And I'll make sure Kota is safe!
He then opened his eyes, grunting in pain as he stood tall in front of Kota. "Stay back, Kota. And then, when it's time, run as fast as you can back to camp."
"You're attacking him again?" Kota murmured as he actually sounded worried for him. "You can't do that! Let's just go! Come on!" He cried out in fear; as much Izuku annoyed the boy...he didn't want to see him potentially die today. "Your punch didn't hurt him earlier, remember?" The villain then pulled his arm out of the rock. "Besides, both your arms are busted up! And what would your sister say?"
"It's going to be fine," Izuku assured as his power sparked from him again. The villain cackled once he laid eyes on them. One for All, 100 percent!
"I'm coming for you!" The villain screamed while dashing forward.
Detroit... The villain then covered himself up with his muscle fibers. Smash! Izuku punched him again, this time creating a lot of wind from the blow. Kota struggled to keep himself steady while the punch was going right through the muscle fiber.
"Aw. What's wrong?" He mocked while Izuku held him back as best as he could. His arm was in pain, but he was fighting through it. "That was even weaker than before!"
Tears flew from Izuku's eyes as he pushed back. "Okay. It'll all be okay! I will not let him get past me! Kora, run!" Kota just stared as...he couldn't. He could only stare by Izuku holding back the villain, his arms bleeding more trying to break through. "Go now!"
"Still looking after him. Oh, man. You're somethin' else, aren't you?" The villain was actually kind of impressed that Izuku still insisted on protecting Kota. The rocks around started to fly up as Izuku yelped in pain. But he was still ignoring in favor of stopping him.
"Shut up, dammit!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"But why?!" Kota cried out to him. The fibers in the villain's legs ripped through his pants as they grew even bigger.
"Show me...your blood!" He shouted as his Quirk was so much that he was overtaking his own body. No one could even see his face anymore.
A real hero...will always find a way for justice to be served!
Izuku got pushed back into the ground, tears flowing down his face in pain. Please forgive me, Mom, Izuka. I tried my best. I'm sorry...All Might. He squeezed his eyes shut as he couldn't fight back for much longer.
"I'm gonna crush you!" The villain screamed and then pounded Izuku into the ground. The boy laid there on the ground as his power died out...suddenly a stream of water hit them, confusing the villain. "What the-? Is that water?" He looked up at the source, as it was Kota who had done it. Like his parents, he could generate water from his palms.
"Stop. LET HIM GOOOOOOOOOO!"
Izuku opened his eyes, feeling as if life was put back into him from what Kota was doing. He told the boy to run. That was what he wanted so that the little boy wouldn't have to worry about him. And instead...he saved him right back.
"Ko...ta?" He murmured weakly while looking up.
"Hold on there, kay?" The villain grinned towards the boy. "I'll kill you after I'm done with-" He flinched as green energy flickered underneath him. Crap! I was distracted.
Izuku was punching through him from below. "I won't let you hurt Kota!" He growled as he got back up.
"Damn it!" The villain snarled as he wasn't expecting this at all. "How are you getting stronger?"
"You won't lay a hand on hiiiiiiiiiim!" Izuku cried out while feeling his Quirk gain the strength that he needed. "One for All...1 million percent! Delaware...Detroit...Smash!" He punched through the villain's arms, green energy sparking from his body. And this attack was so powerful it made the fibers start to disappear. He punched his opponent hard in the face, sending him into a wall. The fibers started to shape back into his skin, and Kota could only stare in utter shock. He let out a small gasp as he fell backwards onto the ground.
Why...?
"Kota. Your mom and dad, the Water Hose heroes." He could recall a conversation with Mandalay while blood flew from Izuku's body. "It's true that they ended up leaving you behind in this world," She looked towards the ground sadly while he kept quiet. His hand was in front of his hat. "But...they saved so many lives through their sacrifice, you'll see that someday."
Kota gained fresh tears while looking at Izuku. "Why did you risk your life?" He let out a small sob. "You have a sister who would be so mad at you..."
"You'll meet someone, and then you'll understand why we do this."
Izuku let out a small cough, his arms broken and he couldn't move them anymore. "Even though...you don't know me at all," He said through his tears. "Why did you try...to save me?"
Mandalay gave him a small smile. "Someone who will risk their life. Someone who'll be..."
Izuku got onto his feet, his shirt destroyed while blood was still flying from his body. Kota squeezed his eyes shut, finally letting a tear fall. He then started to openly cry while bowing down his head, knowing exactly what Izuku was to him...
A hero...
Izuku stomped a foot, his arms flailing. To Kota though, he was like a god now for what he had done. My hero.
Izuku looked up to the sky with a shout, not knowing to the full extent what he was to the boy.