Angel: Why didn't I pair up the twins in the Test of Courage? Mainly because she had to be alone in order to find Katsuki and Shoto. I felt it was necessary that the twins go through their own struggles during the attack instead of together. Like how Izuka ran into the smoke for longer periods of time, and how Izuku went through fighting Muscular on his own. Plus, that was the point of the fight anyway for him to solely protect Kota. The twins will go through things as a team in the future, and plus, they've already done so together in season 1. I was trying to find a balance around season 2 because some people complained at the start that when Izuku goes through something, Izuka has to have the same thing happen. Honestly, I still struggle sometimes with that aspect now, but hopefully it's not too frequent.
As for Izuka getting a growth spurt, in terms of height? Probably won't do it. She definitely gets physically stronger, but not taller lol
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. Izuku got pushed back into the ground, tears flowing down his face in pain.
"A real hero...will always find a way for justice to be served!"
'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 rock 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 GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
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 hiiiiiiiiiiiim!" 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.
Back in the city, Shigaraki and Kurogiri were in their hideout, waiting for the Vanguard Action Squad to come back. "You're sure they'll be alright on their own?" Kurogiri asked him cautiously; this was the first time that the Vanguard Action Squad was sent out on the field. If they had Nomu, they would've been able to fulfill their goal easily. Considering what some of the students did to a Nomu last time, he wasn't sure if they could pull this off.
"I'm a non-playable character this level," Shigaraki answered, and didn't seem to be worried. "They'll make it work without me. Besides, this game has totally changed," He smirked, a hand on his cheek. He wasn't wearing the hand over his face. "I've been thinking of it as an RPG. We had some pretty good equips, but we challenged the big boss while still at Level One." He imagined it as an RPG game where the big boss would electrocute players in a game over. Shigaraki was a gamer, so he knew that any RPG player would never do that. But he was too ambitious back then. "Really, it's more of a simulation game. I'm the player. And I'll use all my little pawns to smash through the heroes' ranks. But first, I need to make cracks in the superhuman world. That's where the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains comes in. Who cares if these guys win or lose? The heroes will be scared just because they showed up."
"They're sacrificial pawns?" Kurogiri wondered in a bit of disbelief at Shigaraki's attitude towards the whole thing. And after all he had told him about having a team to fulfill their plans...and if they lost, they'd be back at square one like with the USJ Incident.
"Come on," Shigaraki gave a small shrug. "Do you really think I'm that heartless? I'd never underestimate their strength. They may have different goals than me, but they're comrades, nonetheless," He picked up two photos that were facing downwards. "In a society bound by ridiculous rules, villains aren't the only ones who are being oppressed." He had pictures...of Katsuki when he won the Sports Festival...and of Izuka when she distracted the sludge villain with her Quirk. "Let's hope they can pull this off."
Kota looked on with bated breath as the villain was truly defeated this time. He was on the ground surrounded by smoke, and his muscles were back to normal. So it was safe to say for real this time, he wasn't going to get back up. Izuku panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. He may have stopped the villain, but he was still pretty banged up as well. It was then that he started to collapse due to exhausting his body with One for All.
Kota gasped while getting onto his feet. "Hey!" He ran over to help, but Izuku planted down a foot to keep himself balanced.
"Everything's okay," Izuku assured the boy weakly, stumbling a bit. "Gimme a second, and then there's something I have to take care of."
"But you're all beat up!" Kota reminded him, frowning in deep concern. "What more could you have to do now?"
"I knew he'd be strong," Izuku growled out to him, not even concerned about his state. "That's why I had to try to defeat him here." Kota gasped a little while staring up at the green-haired teen. Izuku was shaking while still staring at the villain, just in case he got back up. "I thought I'd be able to inflict a lot more damage in the end, though. Turns out...I seriously underestimated how powerful his Quirk was." Sweat went down his cheek as he looked up towards the purple gas and the black smoke. "If every villain attacking us tonight is on the same level...all our lives are at stake." He then gasped sharply as he remembered his sister was still out there too. And if she came across any villains... He bit his lip nervously, knowing that she could handle herself as much as possible. But then again...the villains were asking about her, and they already used her DNA beforehand not too long ago. How much more would they do to draw her out? And another question on his mind was why were they trying to draw her out. "On top of that, it sounds like they're after some of us students. I have to let Mr. Aizawa and the Pussycats know that's one of the reasons they're here!" He then stood up straight, narrowing his eyes. He couldn't let this happen, he had to do something to protect his friends and sister. "I may be injured, but I'm not defeated yet, there are more people I can save."
Kota gave a small nod of understanding. If Mandalay was in danger of being kidnapped, he'd be worried too like the teenager was right about now...he wouldn't stand around and do nothing either despite his state. Izuku then glanced towards the defeated villain once again. "We'll leave this villain here for the time being. With my arms messed up, my smash was probably weaker than it could have been, but I still think it's taken him down for a while. He won't wake up anytime soon. And even if he did, he'd be too weak to fight."
Just looking at him, Izuku could tell that the villain didn't have much energy left in him, just like Izuku was right about now. The villain had most likely hit his limit with his Quirk, as even villains had their restrictions every now and again. Izuku then looked down at Kota.
"For right now...I just need to make sure you're safe. We're gonna need some help only you can give us," He then looked up to the forest fire. "The forest has been set on fire. That means my friends and Izuka could be trapped by the flames." The only person who had anything to do with water for a Quirk besides Kota was Izuka. But he had a feeling she was preoccupied, and therefore couldn't put it out. Plus, she could only control water on one side, similar to Shoto's Quirk. It wouldn't be enough to put out a big fire... "But we have hope. Your water Quirk can put those fires out," He bent down to the little boy, who gasped sharply. "Kota? You hear me? We need you."
He gave Kota a small smile, meaning that he trusted the boy to pull this off. Kota's eyes glistened for the amount of faith Izuku was putting in him...
"Now, get on my back. We need to get you to camp, fast."
"You sure you can carry me?" Kota questioned him in worry since he didn't want to make Izuku's injuries worse. "You're all busted up!"
"No need to worry." Once Kota was safely on his back, he powered up his leg. "That's why I left my legs unbroken!" He revealed as a bunch of energy came from him. "Hang on tight. This could be rough." He then jumped up off the cliff, Kota yelping in alarm while clutching onto Izuku's back. He started falling towards the trees, remembering what the villain asked of him.
"Do you know where a kid named Bakugo might be around here? Odds are if I find him, I'll find your sister."
Izuku glanced away, gritting his teeth. If the two were the reason behind this attack, then that meant the villains were going to fight hard for them. And they wouldn't spare anyone either if Pixie-Bob was anything to go by.
I've got a bad feeling about this.
A few minutes earlier...
Mr. Aizawa turned to Vlad, while the students were confused. "I'll look after the other students. 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.
Dabi watched as the flames went away, his hand smoking. "Nice move," He gave a small smirk while looking up. Mr. Aizawa wasn't hurt at all. In fact, he had jumped when the flames appeared and landed above the entrance. "Guess you really are a pro." He held out his hand to attack again.
"Not so fast," Mr. Aizawa used his Quirk on him, and then flung his scarf to capture Dabi by the waist. Mr. Aizawa pulled him forward, grabbing his head and kneeing him in the face. Dabi landed on the ground as the teacher had him pinned face-down, holding his head. "What do you want, and where are your friends hiding?" He demanded to the villain.
Dabi let out a grunt, glancing up. "My what?" He didn't consider anyone he worked with friends. They were annoyances to him at best.
"Your right arm's next," Mr. Aizawa threatened as he twisted the left one, earning a groan of pain. "Be logical about this," He glared down at the villain. "At least save your legs. It would be a real pain to have to carry you off to jail without them."
"You can take your time, Eraser Head," Dabi looked more smug than afraid. Not even being captured was fazing him at the moment. A blue flame came from the top of his head. Suddenly, the ground started to shake and the teacher gasped, looking up.
"What's that?" He looked up ahead. Before he could find out, someone called out to him.
"Mr. Aizawa!" Tenya, Koji, Minoru, and Mashirao had arrived, all of them out of breath. He looked up towards the group; any of these villains he couldn't put his students through fighting.
"Stay back," He warned the four of them. However, this did give Dabi time to escape from his hold. He was still wrapped up in the scarf as he got onto his feet. He gritted his teeth as flames weren't going to help him this time. Mr. Aizawa was still using his Quirk on him, after all.
He's good And he hated to admit it. He was warned about the teacher before they even got here, but he thought the teacher would be easy to get past for him. I won't be able to take much more of this. "That's exactly the performance I'd expect out of a UA teacher," He turned around to Mr. Aizawa. "Tell me, hero." Mr. Aizawa gasped as...the scarf went through Dabi's body like it was made out of clay. "You worried for your students?"
Mr. Aizawa gave him a wide-eyed look. If he wasn't made out of skin...where was the real Dabi? The fire that he shot earlier wasn't his Quirk?
'Dabi' then started to melt right in front of him. "I wonder if you can save them in the end...see you soon." What remained fell into a small puddle, leaving the teacher very confused. But also very worried, because this wouldn't be the end of it. Not by a long shot.
"What was that?!" Minoru yelped as the four boys ran over. "Did he just melt?!" He gasped as Mr. Aizawa ran right past everyone. He headed straight for the forest.
"Everyone get inside. I'll be back!" He called out and they could only stare after him.
'Dabi' was actually a creation of another villain in hiding. "Aw, come on, Dabi!" The one responsible complained to the real Dabi, as his Quirk was making clones. "You got your ass handed to you! By a magic scarf!"
"How weak," Dabi muttered, leaning against a tree. "That happened fast, huh?"
"Huh?! Don't say that. Better to frame this as the pro being too strong," He then rubbed his chin as if he was a scholar or something. "It's important to mind your self-esteem, even on a perilous mission."
"Whatever, Twice," Dabi looked away in uninterest; he couldn't care less about the lesson. He just wanted to continue causing chaos like their group had planned. "Just make another one of me. We need to keep these pros occupied."
"Another small fry, comin' right up," Twice turned around, holding up a finger. "Leave it to me!" He said the last sentence in a more deeper voice. Twice tended to be more lively and contradicting, to say the least.
"Just a little bit further," Izuku assured Kota as he ran through the forest.
Kota glanced up and then gasped. "Hey, look!" He directed Izuku's attention to Mr. Aizawa running up.
"Mr. Aizawa!" Izuku cried out, the man coming to a stop.
"Midoriya..." He then took a good look at the boy, who wasn't doing too great.
"You're here. Thank goodness," Izuku gave a relieved smile, ignoring his state as Kota jumped off his back. "I need to catch you up on what I've learned about the villains, but we don't have much time," He then took a deep breath.
"Hey," Mr. Aizawa tried and failed to get his attention.
"Plus, I need to find Mandalay. There's something I have to tell her!"
"Hold on!" Mr. Aizawa held up a hand. It was like Izuku was in one of his muttering phases, but this time in too much of a panic. What he really needed to do was stop and think about what he was doing.
"Please take care of Kota while I'm gone!" He continued talking, Mr. Aizawa giving a blank look at being ignored a second time.
This kid is running on pure adrenaline. I wouldn't be surprised if Mido was in the same state right now.
Izuku then ran off to the right. "I'll be back soon!"
"Wait, Midoriya!" Mr. Aizawa called out, which finally got his student's attention. He looked up in silence and the man sighed slowly. He could understand the urgency, but above all else, Izuku needed to slow down and take care of himself. "Those injuries...you went too far again, didn't you? Have you forgotten about Hosu? Or what you're doing to your sister by having this happen?"
Izuku blinked in confusion and then remembered what the Chief of Police told him, Tenya, Izuka, and Shoto. "That's why it's against the law for uncertified people to use their Quirks to cause injury. None of you had the authority to harm the villain."
"No, I haven't," Izuku admitted, hoping that his teacher wouldn't send him straight back to camp. He needed to do something to help his sister and Katsuki. I know those two can help protect each other. She was the first to go out, so she must've ran into him and Todoroki. With those three working together, I'm sure they're safe right now. I hope...
"Go," Mr. Aizawa gave him a small glare; he knew that no matter what he said, Izuku was going to go off to Mandalay anyway. He could be mad about it, but he wasn't going to be, and the situation right now was dire. And he knew by Izuku's urgency that it was serious. "But tell Mandalay something for me, too."
Izuku gasped a little, wondering what he wanted to do...
Pixie-Bob was unconscious, Magne going up against Tiger. He growled as he struck repeatedly, and she blocked with her arms. He then tried going for the head, Magne moving her head and body around to dodge. "No fair. Back off. Let me equip my item," Her weapon was still near Pixie-Bob, which he wasn't going to let her touch again. He growled as he did a spin kick and she ducked her head. He then swiped his claws at her, but she jumped around to avoid him.
Damn it. How is he predicting my Cat Combat?
While they were still fighting, Mandalay slid backwards from Spinner. "You're not..." He swung his giant blade at her. "A real hero!" He snarled as he attacked again, and he came in too close for comfort. To the point where his weapon was in front of her face. "You brought this on yourself, girl!" He raised his blade above his head, swinging down towards her. She jumped out of the way.
"Jeez, you're persistent," She growled at the villain.
"As are you," He snarled and Mandalay gasped as she looked up, seeing him leaping towards him. "But it's time to knock you off your false throne!"
"Smash!" Izuku came in from above, kicking the weapon. All of the blades scattered away from the two. Spinner gasped sharply as he turned around. "Mandalay!" He shouted down at the mountain rescue hero. "Kota! He's safe!"
"You found him?" She murmured in relief and he slid to the ground.
"And I've got a message from Mr. Aizawa! We need you to use Telepath!"
Mr. Aizawa was holding Kota in his arms, running back towards camp. "Tell me, hero. Are you worried for your students?" The scarf went through 'Dabi's' body like it was made out of clay. "I wonder if you can save them in the end," He then started to melt in front of the teacher before becoming a puddle.
His words made it clear to me that our students are the targets. So it's unavoidable. He gritted his teeth, knowing that like in Hosu, they'd get in trouble for using their Quirks. But he'd rather deal with the public reception and criticism than to allow his students to die. And ultimately, he didn't have a choice in the matter. They have to protect themselves. And each other. Go ahead and use your training. I'll take the heat.
Izuku then looked up at the hero. "Tell everyone in Class A and Class B that Eraser Head has granted them permission to engage in combat with the villains!" She looked at him in shock and then nodded sharply. Mandalay then used her Quirk to reach everyone.
"Everyone in Class A and Class B! In the name of the pro hero, Eraser Head, you are granted permission to engage in combat! I repeat, use your training. You may fight these villains!" She then gritted her teeth while looking away. They were still teenagers at the end of the day, so she hoped that this was the right decision in the end. She knew that UA would face some harsh criticism for this once it got out to the public...she had no clue if they would really be able to handle it in the end. I hope you know what you're doing, Eraser.
Mr. Aizawa continued to grip Kota in his arms, looking up ahead. Future heroes. Do not let this night be the end of your journey!
The teacher continued to run in the forest while realizing something. I forgot to tell Midoriya to come back right away. This is bad. The only reason he's still going with those injuries is because of the endorphins pumping through his body. It's temporary. Once he's accomplished his goals and calms down a little, he won't be able to move at all. I really hope for the sake of Mido, he's thought of explaining himself to her.
"Mister," Kota spoke up timidly. "Are he and his sister gonna be okay?" Mr. Aizawa glanced down at him. "I...I sort of punched him before. And still, he got beat to a pulp just so he could protect me, and now his sister is in danger, what if he gets beat up even more to help her?" He then gripped the scarf tightly, tears in his eyes. "I never...apologized to them. Or even thanked him. Please tell me...he's not gonna get hurt more, right? He's gonna save her?" He whimpered while hiding himself into the man's shoulders. The last thing he wanted was Izuku to die helping Izuka because of him. Watching Izuku get beat up was already hard enough on him...
"Don't worry," Mr. Aizawa moved his eyes back forward. "He sustained those injuries because he has no intention of dying. Though, as his teacher, when this is over, I'll have to scold him for acting without my permission."
Kota let out a small gasp, a bit hopeful that Izuku wouldn't get into too much trouble. "Really?" He glanced up at the teacher's head.
"Anyway. You'll get your chance to talk to him again. And to properly meet his sister. And when you do...put more emphasis on the thank you part. Though, I'm sure that she'll insist you don't need to apologize. The kind of person Mido is...doesn't include being mad at someone her brother saved," He closed his eyes. Despite what his thoughts were on his student, he could still see the good in her and what she aspired to do as a hero. Both that and family were something she took seriously, the teacher acknowledged that.
I'm even rooting for you, Mido. Don't disappoint me tonight.
Izuku panted as he looked up ahead, watching the fighting going on. "Get back to camp right now!" Mandalay warned him while jumping into a spinning kick. Her foot hit Spinner's arms, but he had blocked the blow. "Those injuries aren't normal."
"I'm sorry. I can't!" Green energy came from his feet as he ran off, glancing over his shoulder. "You need to send one more thing! The villains. I know one reason they're here!"
Magne moved her hand away from Tiger's fist and caught his arm. She glanced up in confusion as Izuku was running towards her and Tiger. "They're after Kacchan and my sister! Please, you have to let the others know!"
"Your sister and Kacchan?" Mandalay looked up in confusion, not knowing that the latter name was just Izuku's nickname for Katsuki. "Who's he?" She then saw him running towards Magne, who noticed him. "No, wait, stop!" She cried out while the villain just stared at the boy.
That rumble in the ground earlier. Only two people in our group fight with that kind of power. And sounds like one of them talked. Could it possibly have been Muscular? Muscular was the villain that Izuku had faced off with earlier to protect Kota. Don't tell me that little kid is more powerful than him. She released Tiger and headed straight for the boy. In that case...this child must be put down! She extended her fist, ready to knock down Izuku.
"Don't, Big Sis Mag," Spinner warned her, throwing a blade. It flew right between her and Izuku, neither of them getting hurt. She yelped as she slid to a stop. Izuku ran free into the forest and she whipped around to her comrade angrily.
"What the hell was that for, Spinner?! He was on the priority kill list!" She demanded to the heteromorph villain.
"Shigaraki's the one who wants him dead," Spinner pointed out to her.
"Uh, yeah, and he's the reason we're here," Magne reminded him, not seeing the point. Izuku continued running, his arms flailing around since they were still broken.
"But that boy is someone Stain wished to save," Spinner explained, narrowing his eyes. "Which means he was deemed worthy of being called a true hero. If Stain spared him, then-"
Mandalay and Tiger landed their hits on them since they were distracted by Izuku. Both of them then fell onto the ground. "About time I got a solid hit in," Mandalay growled, straightening herself up and panting. Izuku was too fast for either of them to catch up by now. And with Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll out of commission, she had no choice but to warn the students. She couldn't leave Tiger on his own either if more villains came in their direction, they needed as much defense as they could. Can't stop the boy. But I can relay his message! She gritted her teeth while looking towards the forest.
"Listen, we've discovered two of the villains' targets. They're two students, one named Kacchan, and the other is the sister of another student."
Tenya, Mashirao, Minoru, and Koji had made it to the remedial classroom. As everyone listened, Eijiro recognized the nickname immediately since only one person referred to Katsuki by it. Enough for them to know who 'Kacchan' was. "Bakugo and Mido...?" He murmured, immediately alarmed.
"What do they want with them?" Tenya questioned in confusion; Izuka was understandable, but Katsuki up until now had only been involved with the USJ Incident. Clearly something about him spoke to the villains if they suddenly wanted to target him.
Ochaco gritted her teeth, Tsuyu looking up ahead. The brunette clenched a fist, trying not to let her anger show that one of her closest friends was a target in this attack. No...don't tell me they want more of Mido's DNA!
"Kacchan and the female Midoriya, you should try to avoid combat. And stick to a group, both of you."
Eijiro looked pissed off as much as Katsuki usually looked. His eyes shook as he was stuck here, unable to go and help either of his classmates. Obviously, they weren't going to run away and fight instead, but he knew that he'd be able to lend them a hand if he could leave. Previous experience had proven that the trio worked well together. "Aw, damn it...!"
"I hope you can hear me!"
Katsuki was running up ahead, obviously not listening. "I could focus if you got out of my damn head!" He snarled, even though she wouldn't be able to hear it. "I can take care of myself, and the short stack for that matter!"
Izuka didn't register that last part as she was too focused on the villain, who unleashed a bunch of blades towards him. Katsuki flinched as a shooting star fired to destroy one. Then a barrel of ice appeared right in front of him thanks to Shoto.
"Don't rush into this fight carelessly!" He warned as the blades weren't able to move much.
"He's right, you didn't even know what his Quirk was until just now," Izuka glanced at the blond, standing between him and Shoto. She kept her bow pointed forward just in case something happened. She faltered again but shook her head rapidly, closing her eyes. The effects from the smoke were getting harder to shake off. Damn it, these effects are starting to slow me down a little. I really hope these are short-term...
"Obviously I didn't need to!" Katsuki retorted while looking back at her, earning a small huff in return. He noticed her trying to keep it together and held out an arm in front of her. "You stay behind me." She blinked at him in confusion, but didn't have time to argue with him either.
"Have to keep going..." The villain gasped out, hovering in the air. "Have to work...do my job..." He let out a growl as the blades were coming from his body.
Shoto straightened up as the smoke cleared. "Weren't you listening to Mandalay? They're here because they're after you both," He reminded both of his classmates.
"We understand perfectly well," Izuka spoke up, getting his attention. "But whatever these villains want with us, I'm not comfortable saying I didn't fight for anyone tonight. Are you? That's not why we're UA hero course students," She glared up ahead at the villain. "It's because in times like these, we take this opportunity to shape our futures as pros."
Shoto blinked at the girl and gave a small smile. I can see why her brother fights and tries as hard as he does. It's because he gets it from her.
"Telling us not to engage and then changing their minds," Katsuki gave a small grin. A vein also popped from his left side. "I don't know how, but I get the feeling this is Deku's fault." The boy glanced back at Izuka, who stood ready to fight. It reminded him of the time when she stood up against him after he found out the twins were going to UA...it was a complete 180 change from how she would've handled things in middle school. He then yelped as another blade popped out from the side, his eyes wide. "Well, I don't care what anyone says!" He flew backwards as the blades grew larger, Shoto sending out more ice.
Izuka held up both of her hands, fire and ice powering up from them. "Wait, Mido!" Shoto called out before she could fire, getting her attention. "Aim only using your ice, don't use your flames!"
She turned back to the villain, frost powering up from her hands as she fired. "Mercury Blast, Frost!" It spun around in a spiral and soared to the ice in front of them, bouncing over it and heading towards the villain fast. They all watched as the villain created a bigger blade in front of him, Izuka's attack only nicking it. Smoke came from the blade, but it had no damaging effect on him. The villain shot out more blades while flying, using them again to block the ice and head for a tree.
"Damn it!" Shoto gritted his teeth, Izuka huffing and lowering her arms. "He's good at moving through this terrain with his Quirk."
"And he's already predicting the trajectory of my attacks," The girl then made her bow disappear, giving a suspicious look to where the villain was in the sky. They may have seen me in the Sports Festival and on TV with the sludge villain, but never my Mercury Blast. I didn't acquire it until during the summer. So how did someone I've never met know that to block my shot? It wasn't pure luck either, it was going faster than he was.
"This freak looks like a scrawny little sidekick to me!" Katsuki stood up, looking up to the sky. "Come on, ya bastard!"
A blade hit the frosted ground, and the villain revealed himself. His body was hunched over, his hands behind his back. "This clearly isn't his first battle." The blades...turned out to be coming from the teeth.
The villain's name was Moonfish, who used to be on death row. "Show me...show me your exquisite flesh!" He then licked his teeth a bit looking at Izuka. "She'd do nicely..." He laughed in an ominous way and she flinched. "Too bad she's not on the kill list..."
Before she could comment, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Katsuki raise an arm. Shoto noticed him as well. "We can't start fires around here because the flames will spread! Everyone could die if we aren't careful!" He warned his classmates. "Do you understand me?"
"Yeah, I get it!" Katsuki yelled back, moving his arm back down. "I'm not stupid, but he's also not getting anywhere near us. I'll blow him up if he does," He snarled; he didn't want to say out loud that if Moonfish did end up hurting Izuka, it would be hard to hold him back, to say the least. He already almost had a heart attack thinking that she lost a hand. The last thing he needed was for her to get hurt while he was around. They must be here for short stack's DNA, the bastards. They must've ran out if they want to get it from the source now...or they want something more than what they got. Well, they're not gonna get it.
"Burning everything doesn't solve the problem," Izuka reminded Katsuki, giving him a brief glance. "Why do you think I haven't used any of my own fire moves? Ah, this limits our attacks and he knows it," She glared up towards the sky.
"I said I get it!" Katsuki whipped around to the girl in annoyance.
"Can't let this guy get past us..." Izuka gritted her teeth, wondering what they were gonna do.
Shoto glanced over his shoulder at the poison gas nearby. Even if we try to retreat, there's poison gas everywhere. They're obviously trying to drive us into a corner.
Izuka briefly glanced behind her and then noticed...something was off about the smoke nearby. The poison gas...I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier, but...it hasn't really moved toward us at all. Is this guy trying to back us into it because he knows that? Wait...the smoke hasn't really spread, so that means it hasn't reached every single square inch of the forest or camp...there must be a reason. Whoever is creating it can't reach big areas...
"Did you hear what she said?" Tetsutetsu asked in a bit of excitement as he wanted to start fighting. "We've got permission to punch people!" He then ran forward, one arm already metal.
"Wait, Tetsutetsu!" Itsuka cried out to him while attempting to catch up to her classmate. "Do you understand how this gas works?"
"Yeah, it's dangerous," He came to a stop, looking at her. "Gimme some credit, Kendo."
"Listen!" She urged while she stopped as well. "Mandalay didn't say anything about the gas in her message. That means it must not have spread to wherever she's broadcasting from. But that doesn't make any sense. This gas is moving really slowly. Normally it would spread out more, right? This is staying in one place. Not acting naturally. And look," She pointed up ahead. "It's definitely denser here than it was in the area we just ran away from."
"Okay. So what?" He tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what she was getting at.
"I think it's swirling around one source. Somewhere near here. Like a typhoon," Itsuka glanced around while assessing the area. "If that's true, there should be someone who's producing the gas at the center of the storm. A villain who's controlling it."
"Oh, I get it now!" His eyes widened in awe at her conclusion. "Oh man, Kendo. You're so amazing!"
She gave him a deadpanned look at being the only one to notice it. "I figured you'd miss the signs. That's why I came with you. Okay," She sighed a little. If she hadn't been there, he probably wouldn't have stopped to figure it out... "The closer we get to the center of the swirl, the thicker the poison will be. That's a problem. There's a limit to how much gas these things can filter. And the denser the gas, the shorter the functioning time. That means-"
"Ah! We run head-first into the center of the typhoon and punch whoever's there!" Tetsutetsu led the way, earning a groan from his classmate.
"Well, technically, yeah," She couldn't really disagree on this one. He's a little one-note, but he's not wrong. The only way to stop the gas would be to find the villain responsible, it didn't seem like anything a Quirk could get rid of all at once. And if she had to pick anyone to stop the villain, it would be Tetsutetsu or Shiozaki.
"Shiozaki and our other classmates suffered because of this villain's stupid power," Tetsutetsu growled out to her. "Stuff like that really pisses me off!" He then turned around, a fierce look in his eyes. "Let's teach this bad guy a lesson, Kendo!"
She nodded sharply with a small chuckle. Her mask was hiding the small smile on her face. I can't say I don't like this side of you. She had to admit, if she wasn't the level-headed class rep, she might've felt the same way Tetsutetsu did. Itsuka did feel strongly about the situation, but getting mad wasn't going to help anyone. What would change the situation in their favor would be to head for the source and stop them.
Somewhere in the center of the gas, Itsuka was correct on her theory as there was a huge tornado of it. Inside was a villain, who was wearing a mask of his own. For some reason, he also had a school uniform like Himiko. But his was a gakuran compared to hers. "Three-no. Two people are headed straight for me. I guess a few of them avoided my gas and realized I'm here. I should have expected that from a prestigious school. But then...no matter how wonderful their Quirks may be..."
"I found you!" Tetsutetsu suddenly arrived, lunging straight for him.
"They're still only human," He turned around to reveal a handgun, a gunshot being heard.
Izuku lifted up his head as he had heard it, still searching for his sister and Katsuki. And after hearing it, he feared the worst. That sounded like a gunshot! Kacchan, Izuka, you better be okay!
"Ah..." The gas-Quirk villain took a good look at Tetsutetsu, and actually recognized him. "I saw you on TV during the Sports Festival. You can make your skin hard. That means you're bulletproof." Tetsutetsu had thankfully turned his skin to metal, so he wasn't hit, but the bullet did break his gas mask in half. He let out a small grunt as he covered his mouth quickly. Metal unfortunately didn't mean he was immune to the gas. "Eh, that doesn't really matter. Because now, it's just a matter of how long you can hold your breath in this toxic miasma."
Seriously? He looked at the villain in disbelief. He pulled a gun?! And he took out my mask with one shot. What's this shorty's deal? And why is he wearing a school uniform? He's probably my age. Still covering his mouth, he ran towards the villain, who used his gun again to attack, which Tetsutetsu blocked with his metal arm.
"What, do you think you're the Terminator?" He mocked his opponent. "Even if you can steel yourself, charging straight in is a fool's move. Shouldn't you be smarter if you go to UA?" He pointed to the side of his head. "Don't be so rash. Use your head." Tetsutetsu wasn't deterred in the slightest as he ran forward, taking the shot for Itsuka as he dove in. "Or you're not worth killing."
"Tetsutetsu!" She cried out as that bullet did actually hit him, near his forehead actually. Blood came out from the small wound.
"It's no good. Retreat!"
The villain laughed in a manic way at this as he found it pitiful. In contrast to his villain comrades, he actually held a lot of respect towards UA, similar to Tenya. "Two against one, and you were banking on a surprise attack. What a simple plan. I expected better. I'm producing and controlling this gas, yes. But that's not all." Itsuka tried to check on her classmate, but he held up a hand to stop her. "The gas is showing me your movements with its fluctuations. In other words, you can't hide from me," He then disappeared from the gas. "You arrogant UA students. Why didn't you figure that out, huh? You're shattering the image I had of your school."
Both of them looked around, trying to figure out where he was. But with so much smoke, it was next to impossible.
"What a shame."
Tetsutetsu growled and raced forward, having had enough. "Wait, no!" Itsuka cried out as he let out a battle cry. He got hit in the face with the gun since the villain knew where he was.
"Moron!" Tetsutetsu rolled onto the ground with a groan. "What's this? You seem softer than you were earlier. Let me guess, maybe metal fatigue? Or is it because you can't breathe anymore?" He mocked the student, as he had felt the softness with the gun. "How many more shots can you take? Brace yourself for another," He shot at the boy's back, earning a yelp as he kneeled, not sure how much longer he could keep this up. And the villain knew this. "Don't they usually do endurance tests for people like you who have simple, one-note Quirks? And yet, you still rush in like you're indestructible."
He hit the boy again with another bullet. "Hey. You guys wanna grow up to be heroes, right? Something about that is so strange to me," He prepared for another shot, and once he fired, he hit Tetsutetsu's arm. "For people to fawn over someone like you," He hit the boy's arm again, and it earned a scratch. "A one-trick pony, just because of where you went to school!" He shot once again, Tetsutetsu squeezing his eyes shut and endured another gunshot. He then kicked the boy in the gut. "That's what's wrong with this world!"
Tetsutetsu grunted as he rolled to another stop, shaking while still covering his mouth. But the effects of the gas had started to sink in. "Oh, crap. I can't breathe. And Kendo-" His head jerked to the side as he got hit again. "Strength's...going. Vision's...distorted," He looked towards the villain as his vision was blurring. "Everything is fading..." He was starting to lose the color in his eyes, and he could faintly see the villain pointing the gun at him...
Itsuka then ran in towards them. "STOP!" She extended her hand and the gun-wielding villain moved out of the way.
"I told you, I can tell exactly how you're moving thanks to the flow of the gas." Her hand got bigger and he yelped as it hit him in the face.
"I don't give a damn if you know where I am!" She shouted as she lunged for him.
"I can't believe you think you'll win with that pitiful Quirk," He mocked while using the gas to disappear again.
"Whether it's pitiful or not..." Her other hand expanded in size. "Completely depends on how I use it!" She spun around, using her big hands to move the gas. "I can still stop you!"
"Just how much power do those stupid hands have?" The villain cried out, trying to brace himself from the powerful winds Itsuka was giving off.
"You're pathetic!" She continued moving her hands. "Carrying a gun around in that dumb uniform is basically saying you know you can't win a fight on your own merits!"
He raised his arm to point the gun towards her. "You little..." However, because of the wind being changed, he couldn't properly aim his arm to shoot her. And this was on purpose on Itsuka's part.
"This is for those at UA who have a one-track mind."
He gasped sharply as a shadow moved behind him. "The gas got thinner, so I didn't realize!"
Tetsutetsu was heading straight for him. He was also holding his breath. "Because when everyone else is ready to give up..." He punched the villain straight in the face, actually knocking off his mask and sending him into the ground. "They take another step and go beyond!" The gas then started to clear thanks to the villain not being awake to use it anymore. "The poison. It's disappearing."
Tetsutetsu let out a sharp gasp of air so he could breathe again. "If a gas user is wearing his own mask, there's only one thing to do!" He breathed out, looking down at the villain. He had a huge mark on his face because of the punch, and was missing a few teeth as well. He looked to be unconscious, so he wouldn't be getting up any time soon. "Break it." He then fell to the ground, catching his breath. "You're gonna pay for ruining our camp! And for shooting me. Stupid kid!"
Izuku was starting to panic a bit as he still couldn't find either his sister or Katsuki. Kacchan and Todoroki went third in the test of courage. Izuka was the first one out. If they didn't go back to camp yet, then they might still be around here. He looked up ahead, gasping as something shot out in front of him. He then yelled in pain as something hit him and then he was suddenly moved to the side. Something hit the ground where he was, a bunch of smoke appearing.
He looked up, gasping in shock to see that it was his classmate Mezo that had saved him. He also had blood coming from one of his limbs. "Shoji. What happened?!" He asked his classmate in concern towards the injury.
"With those injuries...you should be laid up in bed recovering," He murmured while shaking, his back holding onto Izuku like a backpack of sorts. "But you wanna save your friend and Mido. No matter what the cost." Like Izuku, he had seen better days as he seemed exhausted.
"You're injured too," Izuku pointed out, seeing him look around.
"Yes," Mezo knew he was referring to the injured limb still dripping blood. "We were ambushed by villains, and I covered us. But the attack triggered Tokoyami's Quirk, even though he was desperately trying to hold it back."
"My Quirk's offensive ability gets stronger when I'm in darkness. But that makes Dark Shadow aggressive and difficult to control."
Izuku gave a nervous look remembering that statement during the Sports Festival. When he had picked Fumikage for the Cavalry Battle. "No...don't tell me!" He murmured in disbelief, as he had a feeling...he knew what had attacked him now.
"Yeah. If we wanna get through here...we'll have to face Dark Shadow first," Mezo revealed while looking up ahead to the darkness in front of them. And Dark Shadow was now larger in size, having taken over Fumikage's body. He gave a crazed look as he saw his classmates, unable to stop this on his own.
"Stay away...from me! You'll die!" He warned the both of them, the green-haired boy gasping in fear for him.
"Tokoyami, no!" Izuku cried out for his classmate and friend.
Dark Shadow let out an angry roar into the forest as he showed no signs of stopping...