Izuku sat down in the dining area after training the day after his talk with Kota. He was glad that he had Kota's trust now. Izuku wasn't glad that he still hadn't managed to get through to the vestiges. Every time that he tried, it was either silence or something that made him lose focus. He was beginning to have a hard time focusing at all due to the frustration that was building up inside, but Izuku was keeping himself calm and collected so far. This was the time for relaxation, though, and he began to eat the bowl of curry he'd made for himself.
"Izuku!" Ochako's voice called out, getting Izuku to look up from his meal.
Ochako, Hitoshi and Tsu sat around Izuku, greeting him with various versions of 'hello'. It was nice that he could relax with friends after trying to sit impossibly still for hours on end. Aizawa's advice about meditation had worked, of course, but it still wasn't fun or satisfying. It was grating on Izuku's mind, so it was good to just unwind after a day of hard work. It would also be fun to find out what the Pussycats' 'surprise' for after dinner was, so they had that to look forward to. Izuku turned his focus back to his friends and smiled.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Oh, just hell. Can't say it won't be worth it, though," Hitoshi said, cracking a smile.
"Yeah, right? Plus, if we're getting worked this hard, imagine what pushes his limits?" Ochako said, gesturing to Izuku.
"Oh, stop. It's really nothing too different," Izuku deflected.
"I bet Aizawa's got you wrestling with those Earth Golems every day, huh?" Hitoshi asked.
"Or do you just play with that kid all day long?" Tsu asked.
Izuku didn't quite manage to fight the smile their conversation brought to his face. It had been a few days since everyone was feeling strong enough to joke around like this, but it seemed like everyone was getting settled into the routine, so they were retaining more energy at the end of the day. On one hand, that meant that there was a more lively conversation around the dinner table, but on the other, if Aizawa caught on he'd increase the training. Izuku laughed off all of the questions being flung at him instead of worrying about it.
"Nah, I'm going through my own trials. It's really between me and my particular demon," Izuku said.
"You can't tell us anything?" Ochako asked.
"No. I'm in the woods for privacy, guys. Let's stop the interrogation," Izuku laughed.
"But we need to learn your secrets," Ochako groaned.
"And I'll tell you, when we're far away from this place," Izuku said, putting a bit more genuine meaning into that than he thought he would.
Ochako narrowed her eyes at him, but wasn't able to keep up the act any longer than a few seconds before she laughed at herself. Izuku let himself laugh as well, and dug back into his meal as a new topic broke out among the group. Izuku didn't find himself paying too much attention, just zoning in when he heard his name, but he was more than okay to just appreciate the atmosphere and the company of his friends as he worked off the mental exhaustion that came with actively trying to think of nothing, especially for someone as in their own head as Izuku was.
Izuku didn't know how much time passed, but it must have been at least ten minutes, because almost everyone had finished their meals. Everyone had developed ravenous appetites over the last few days, and most seemed to be done with their food within minutes. Izuku had gotten a laugh out of that, but that made it even more noticeable when someone was slower than the rest. Izuku looked over at Kota and saw him poking at his curry, frowning and looking sick. He suddenly got up and walked away, leaving his bowl on the table.
"I'm gonna go do something. Don't wait for me," Izuku said, standing.
"Where are you going?" Ochako asked.
"It seemed like something was wrong with Kota. I'm gonna see if I can help," Izuku admitted, turning back to his friends.
"Don't you think you're overstepping your bounds with this kid?" Hitoshi asked, getting shocked glares from both Ochako and Tsu. "I mean, this isn't your place. What happens if whoever this guy's guardian is, finds out that you're filling his head with ideas," he clarified.
"Oh, it's fine. Mandalay's his legal guardian, and she told me that if I wanted to help, then she'd appreciate it as much as Kota did. Since she hasn't stopped me since my last talk with Kota, I assume that what I've said has helped. So, I'm gonna get going," Izuku said, stepping away from the bench.
As Izuku walked away, he heard Hitoshi talking about 'just being sure'. Izuku had thought he didn't trust him with Kota, but that thought had left almost as soon as it had entered. He knew that Hitoshi trusted him, it was just that the way he spoke sometimes made it seem like he was being negative. Some more hurried exclamations of 'I know that' and 'ideas aren't inherently bad', that one being from Tsu, got Izuku to laugh, before he scooped Kota's bowl up and followed after the boy.
When he turned around the corner, he found that the closest door was locked. So, he didn't go inside. That left Izuku at a bit of a dead end, until in looking around he saw that his shoes left imprints on the dirt on the ground. Izuku looked around the path and saw two smaller footprints going around the corner to where he currently was, but veering off and heading further down the path. Izuku smiled as he cracked the case, and followed those little footprints.
He followed those footprints all the way until they turned off the path and onto a stone slope that led him to a platform of sorts made of rock. It seemed to be the top of a cliff that jutted out from the base of the mountain. Izuku looked around, and spotted Kota sitting on the edge of the cliff, looking out at the forest. He had to resist the urge to tell Kota to back away from there, but knew that he was a smart kid. Kota could handle himself there. Izuku just had to not spook him, and everything would be fine.
"I can hear your shoes on the ground, you know," Kota said, making Izuku wince at his own obviousness.
"Alright, I'm busted. What are you doing out here?" Izuku asked, moving closer to Kota and the edge of the cliff.
"This is my secret hideout. I come here when everything else is too loud. How'd you find it?" Kota explained, turning around to look at Izuku.
"Magic," Izuku said, taking a seat on the ground next to Kota and placing the bowl of curry between them. He saw the way Kota looked at the curry, and frowned to himself.
"Magic's not real," Kota said.
"Oh, magic is totally real. What else would you call people who can control the elements with their minds, or who can stick to walls, or fly? The only thing that separates magic from science is understanding the rules," Izuku said.
"Rules?" Kota said, scrunching up his nose in confusion.
"Yeah. We understand the rules of Quirks, more or less, so it doesn't seem as magical. But, when I was a kid, it seemed like everyone could just … make things happen, for no reason. Now, I know that there's always a reason for things to happen. I sometimes wish I didn't, but I do. That's the cool thing about being a kid. You don't know the rules, you don't even know there are rules, so you don't have to follow them if you don't want to. You can be what you want. That's what my Mom taught me, anyway. What's wrong with your curry?" Izuku said, catching Kota off guard with his sudden question at the end.
"I wasn't hungry. With all those people there, it felt like I couldn't keep any of it down," Kota admitted.
"Yeah, I get that. All the noise and the people, it feels like they're all staring at you, right?" Izuku said.
"Yeah! Even if I know they're not, it still feels weird," Kota said, dropping his eyes to the ground.
"I used to be the same. It's why I ate my lunch in the classroom when I could in middle school. But, the friends I made this year helped me move past my fears and learn to not really care about that stuff," Izuku said, smiling.
"Okay, but I don't think I'm ready to be around all those older kids yet," Kota said.
"That's okay. As long as you eat. I'm sure that your aunt wouldn't like it very much if she found out you were leaving your meals," Izuku said.
The mention of Mandalay got Kota to take the bowl of curry and dig in with the spoon he'd abandoned with it. Izuku smiled, and leaned back to look up at the stars. It was a beautiful night, and Izuku was still excited to see what the Pussycats' surprise for them after dinner was. Speaking of, they said that their surprise would start at seven thirty, and checking his phone told Izuku that it was getting close to seven-twenty. If he walked back, he'd make it there in time for the surprise. If he Floated back, however, he'd be able to hang out with Kota some more.
"What do you wanna do now?" Izuku asked.
"I think I want to be alone, for now," Kota said, his eyes still not leaving his bowl.
"Alright. I'll head back to my classmates. You'll be fine out here on your own?" Izuku asked, getting up off the ground.
"Yeah," Kota said between bites.
Izuku waved Kota goodbye before he got going down the trail that led to the path he got there from. He didn't want to waste energy Floating in case the Pussycats' surprise required him to put effort into anything. On his way back, Izuku had time to think about the way he'd been speaking to Kota. It was weird to think about, but Izuku had always liked talking to kids. It felt like they always had a weird and unique take on things that made Izuku look at the world just a little bit differently. He also liked them just due to the fact that kids were adorable and that he'd probably never have them.
That thought made Izuku frown. Would he have kids? He supposed that it was something he'd never really asked himself before, what with the Hero work that would take up his time, and the revelation about his sexuality kind of forcing the topic away. He knew that he wasn't going to have biological children, but surely he could adopt. But, he'd never be there for them while he was out doing Hero things. Could he balance his time? This was a topic that was a bit too heavy for a casual nighttime stroll, so Izuku forced them away as he came up on the entrance to the Beasts' Forest, where the two classes, their teachers and the Pussycats had assembled.
Taking his place beside Ochako, Hitoshi and Tsu, Izku tuned in to listen to the Pussycats' explanation of why they were there.
"So, you may be wondering why we're here! Well, get ready for the best, scariest night of your lives, because we're going to be putting you through a test of courage!" Ragdoll said, bouncing on her feet like she hadn't been a mumbling mess the last time Izuku had properly seen her.
"That's right! We'll split you up into groups of two and send you in one duo at a time! One class will be grouped up to start with, but the other class will be placed throughout the forest, trying to scare you with their Quirks! The more creatively you use your Quirks to scare the other class, the more points you get!" Pixie-Bob continued.
"Once everyone from both classes have gone, we switch! That way, everyone has their fun. Now, which class wants to go first?" Mandalay concluded.
Kendo's hand immediately went up. Her and Izuku made eye contact through the crowd, and he saw her smirk at him before making her way to the front. That was fine, as he wasn't going to put 1A in that position. Izuku didn't want to scare anyone anyway, not really, so it was probably best if he didn't go first. That wasn't to say that he was going to like being scared, because that was absolutely not how this was going to go, but he let Kendo take the lead on this one.
"1B will go first. Come on, guys! Let's show 1A how it's done!" Kendo said, smiling at her classmates as she led them into the forest.
"Alright. Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll are going to go with them, too. Pixie-Bob to make the trail that you'll have to follow, and Ragdoll to set up shop at the middle point, so that nobody gets lost," Mandalay said, answering some of the concerned looks that 1A students gave at the two Heroes following the class into the woods.
It was then that Aizawa began to randomize the class into pairs. Pixie-Bob came back quicker than Izuku thought she could, but that may have been due to the 'Earth Rider' move she'd started using a few years ago where she rode a patch of moving ground that she made mobile with her Quirk. It was honestly such a fascinating way to use such a power. It was enlightening watching the Pussycats make Quirks that may not have immediately been useful for search and rescue, like Tiger's Pliabody that allowed him to stretch in ways that no normal person ever could, into powers that benefitted them greatly in the field. Izuku had actually written a paper on it for fun when he was thirteen, titled 'How Quirks Shape Lives, and Vice Versa'. It was an ameteur Quirk analysis paper, but it had been the one bit of his work in that field that he'd shown his Mom. He'd been proud of it, to say the least.
"Midoriya, you're by yourself," Aizawa called out, breaking Izuku out of his thoughts.
"What? How, there's … nineteen of us. I almost forget, sometimes," Izuku said, his shock turning to realization in an instant.
"It's alright," Ochako said as she stood next to her partner, Tsu.
"Oh, fuck right off," Hitoshi groaned, glaring at Bakugo as they got paired together.
"I ain't too happy about this either, Lavender, so shut your mouth," Bakugo spat right back.
"Oh, Bakugo cutting back on the swearing? Has Hell frozen over? Do pigs fly now?" Kaminari said from his spot beside Jiro, who giggled under her breath.
"The fuck did you say to me, idiot?" Bakugo yelled, his hands crackling with tiny explosions.
"There we go. Good old Bakugo," Sero joined in, his ever present grin widening.
"Ah, shoot. I kinda wished we'd crossed over into the best timeline, somehow," Sero said, snapping his fingers.
"Alright, we get it. Get going," Aizawa said, gesturing to the entrance to the forest.
The first pair to go in was Bakugo and Hitoshi, the both of them just wanting their adventure together to be over as soon as possible. The others could hear them bickering long after they entered the forest, and it gave Izuku and a few others a laugh. The second pair to enter was Aoyama and Yaoyorozu, then Kaminari and Jiro, followed by Sero and Todoroki. A few other groups went, like Tokoyami and Shoji and Ashido and Kirishima, leaving three groups and Izuku left in the clearing. Izuku was kind of bummed out to be by himself, but it was probably for the best. Nobody needed to hear the sound he made when frightened. It probably sounded like an adolescent chipmunk.
Izuku looked around, and his attention was caught by Ochako and Tsu waving him over. He walked over to the pair and smiled.
"Hey. This is gonna suck going it alone," Izuku admitted.
"Nah, you've faced worse than this!" Ochako said.
"Yes, you dove to certain death at the USJ to save Hitoshi, and then you punched the leader of those Villains in the face later that same day. You've got this," Tsu said.
"I know. Knowing that they're going to be trying is what's kinda freaking me out, though. The anticipation, yeah?" Izuku explained.
"We get you. Though, you can always escape to the clouds," Ochako said.
"So can you," Izuku said, smiling brightly.
The three of them kept the conversation going, but soon it was apparent that something was wrong. Mandalay, Pixie-Bob and Tiger were tapping their earpieces with clearly nervous expressions, and Izuku deduced that they were trying and failing to get into contact with Ragdoll. That sent a chill up his spine to start with, but as the fifth pair, Ochako and Tsu, were about to go in, something strange started happening. There was an odd smoke rising from the forest, and a foul smell with it. Something was wrong.
Izuku looked around, and found no sign of Aizawa. He'd been standing over near the treeline, but he wasn't anymore. Izuku heard laughter, and a sharp feeling in his head that told him to move. Izuku ducked down, hearing a knife whiz over his head, and looked over to where it had come from to see that a bulky looking man, a lizard with a sword of swords and … no. It couldn't be. He couldn't be here. There was no way that the Hero Killer was actually standing in front of him right now, with Villains that were dragging Aizawa out of the bushes, showing that he was bleeding from a nasty head wound given to him by the bulky one, as it seemed.
"Heyo, Heroes! We're the League of Villains, and you're dead!" the bulky one said, before resting his big blocky weapon on top of Aizawa's already injured head. "I'm Magne, but you can call me the woman that'll crush your hopes and dreams," she, apparently, continued.
This really couldn't be happening. First, the freaking Hero Killer steps out and attacks Izuku. That already had his heart pumping out of his chest and his breathing fast enough to make anyone else pass out, but then it just built. The bulky one, apparently named Magne, said that she and her friends were part of the League of Villains? They were back? Were they back for Izuku, or just in general? Izuku wondered if All for One had sent them because of their brief connections over the last few days, or if this was going to happen anyway. Izuku still couldn't take his eyes off the Hero Killer, who looked exactly like he did in the police sketch that had been released a few months ago when he'd gotten away with killing Iida.
"Let him go!" Izuku said, stepping forward only to be held back by Vlad King stepping in front of him.
"You kids need to get to the lodge and lock yourselves in. I'll back you up once you leave, but we need to deal with this first," Vlad King said, pushing Izuku toward the lodge.
The Hero Killer was staring right at him. Izuku couldn't breathe with those red eyes on him, so he subconsciously took a step back, but ended up bumping into Ochako, who put her hands on his shoulders. The action unintentionally grounded him, and he choked on a breath that only now came. He stared the Hero Killer in the eye, knowing that he saw his glare.
"Izuku, are you okay?" Ochako asked.
"I'm fine. We need to get out of here and call for help," he replied, finally able to speak properly.
The students that were left in the clearing, namely Ochako, Tsu, Ojiro, Koda, Sato, Hagakure and Izuku, all grouped up in a big clump of students. Izuku stood closest to the Villains, but Danger Sense was going crazy, so his focus was torn. Even when limiting Danger Sense to just himself, Izuku was almost blinded by the painful, dangerous aura the Hero Killer exuded. He'd never stopped staring at Izuku, and that unnerved him. Was he here for Izuku? Why? How?
"Hey, where's—Kota!" Mandalay said, jolting Izuku out of his thoughts once again.
Oh, shit. Kota wasn't safe.
"Mandalay, I know where Kota is. I can go and get him, to make sure that he's safe!" Izuku called out to Mandalay.
"Good. I trust you, Midoriya," Mandalay's voice rang in his head.
Vlad King gave them a thumbs-up behind his back, and Izuku saw that as his chance to run. Vlad King didn't wait for them, and lashed out with a blast of blood that the Hero Killer slashed through easily. If Izuku was seeing things right, it looked like the Hero Killer stuck out his tongue and swallowed some of Vlad King's blood attack and grinned, sending another shiver down Izuku's spine.
Without warning, Vlad King then collapsed to the floor and stayed there, not saying a word or struggling whatsoever. Izuku was about to ask the teacher what he was doing, but he realized that the Hero Killer had consumed the blood to paralyze Vlad King. That must have been his Quirk, and Izuku felt Blackwhip rumble within him at the realization. He kept his arms spread wide so that he could block any blades the Hero Killer threw their way.
"Izuku Midoriya," the Hero Killer said, his deep voice piercing the silence that had overcome the clearing since Vlad King went down.
"That's the kid? Kinda scrawny, right? Can he really do everything that Shigaraki talked about?" the lizard asked his comrades.
"It doesn't matter, boys. Just get him and let's go," Magne said, pointing at Izuku with her free hand.
So, they were here for him. Fun. Izuku needed to take these guys down, get to Kota and make sure that he was safe, but every time he met the Hero Killer's eyes, Izuku froze. He needed to get himself under control, but as long as the Hero Killer was able to look him in the eye, Izuku didn't think he'd be able to do much except cower. A hand in his own made him remember that he had allies in this, and it brought him out of his own head long enough to make a vague plan.
"Kids, get out of here! We can handle this!" Tiger said, knocking his fists together.
"Can you, big boy? Let's see about that! Stain, you and your fanboy work your magic!" Magne said, gesturing for the other two to fight for her.
So, the Hero Killer's name was Stain. That made sense, in a morbid kind of way. The lizard, then, was Spinner. Izuku wondered why, but decided that it didn't matter right now. Spinner dashed out to swipe his sword of swords at Tiger, who simply bent back and dodged the slice. He then landed a single strike on the leather buckle, destroying the single thing that held the entire thing together and making the abomination of steel and rubber fall to the ground in a heap. Tiger's laughter shook Izuku to his core, and it wasn't even aimed at him. Spinner managed to dodge Tiger's blow, but the two of them kept on fighting with each other, Spinner now desperate after his ultimate weapon had been destroyed.
Izuku's focus was ripped from that fight when Danger Sense forced him to duck and pull Ochako and Tsu down with him as a knife flew through the space their heads had occupied not a second earlier. Izuku would probably regret this later, but he fired up One for All, Full Cowling style, and leapt into the air. He used Float in bursts so as to make his path through the air unpredictable, even to himself, which made aiming obsolete.
Izuku weaved his body around knives and small blades that flew through the air at him, Danger Sense warning him of them all ahead of time. Izuku ended up using one of his flips to signal the others still standing on the ground to help him fight the Hero Killer. When he turned back around, Stain had begun aiming another throwing knife at him. Danger Sense didn't go off, though. Izuku saw Stain flick his wrist to send a knife hurtling toward his friends on the ground, and Izuku almost followed that one if not for the ping from Danger Sense telling him that something was still coming his way. It looked like Stain had readied two knives, one for the others and one for Izuku, and had thrown one after the other to confuse him.
Izuku brought up a Blackwhip Shield, but he was unable to completely reinforce it in time to block the attack completely, and the knife pierced the shield as a result. It didn't get anywhere near Izuku's face, but it still broke through his Blackwhip Shield, and that was far too close for his liking already. Izuku dismissed the shield and grabbed onto the knife, keeping it for later. They didn't do much training with standard weapons, but they had done some, and what they'd learned better have stuck, or else Izuku was going to be having words with All Might when this was all over.
He saw Stain's attention get taken from him to the group on the ground, and Izuku found a chance for a counterattack. As a large flash of light went off in Stain's face, causing him to stumble back and grab at his eyes in pain, Izuku was able to see his opportunity and act on it. Izuku let go of Float and came down halfway between the group on the ground and Stain. He still had One for All up, so Izuku was able to cross that distance in no time, reaching the Hero Killer and wrapping two hands around his throat. He didn't know why he went for the throat — he just did, and it felt right.
As Izuku's hands wrapped around Stain's throat, he let out all he could from Blackwhip. He let it wrap Stain up in a tight cocoon, but as the last parts were solidifying, Stain managed to break an arm free. Danger Sense went nuts, practically forcing his body to move without Izuku's input. He leapt up and activated Float, getting some height until he and Stain were suspended in the air, Izuku over Stain and holding him above the ground where he could easily see if he tried anything.
"Oh, you are good. I've heard about you," Stain said, chuckling darkly.
"And I've heard about you, Stain. You killed Tenya Iida. You've killed dozens of Heroes. No more," Izuku said.
"I agree. No more of this chit chat. Let's get back to culling some fake Heroes," Stain's garbled voice said.
A glinting silver blade broke through the Blackwhip cocoon, sending him falling to the ground. Izuku immediately looked to Ochako and Tsu. The two of them already seemed to be on it, as Ochako launched herself with her Quirk, manipulating her own gravity so that she fell sideways, towards where Stain would land. Tsu helped by pushing her even faster with their powerful legs, making it so that Ochako was moving at a blinding pace through the air, resulting in her bulldozing Stain as he twisted around to land.
Ochako and Stain were both pushed in two different directions, Stain being sent into a tree and down and Ochako being grounded as her Quirk wore off. She got to her feet quickly, easing Izuku's worries, but Stain was still in the fight. He launched himself back out into the action at Ochako, who was able to react to him in time, but not move. Izuku saw, almost in slow-motion, what happened, as Stain blitzed Ochako and ran a knife across her forearm, sending Ochako to the floor and letting the Hero Killer paralyze her with one lick of his knife.
Izuku let Float go as he came down on Stain with an ax kick, connecting with his head as he was distracted by the satisfaction of an enemy put down. Stain was sent sprawling on the ground, roaring in pain due to the blow to the head. Izuku wasn't done, though, and followed it up by a kick to the ribs, sending him flying through the air and bouncing along the ground toward an empty space further along the path. Izuku stared Stain down as he got back up, the killer wiping something from his mouth as he grinned like a maniac.
He heard his classmates group up around him and smiled. Izuku had the numbers advantage, but Sato had no sugar, so was effectively an extremely strong, yet Quirkless fighter. Hagakure could probably flash him again from this distance, but that was an estimation, and estimations wouldn't do for this kind of situation. Stain would just cut through any cavalry Koda called in, so that was a bust. Ochako was down, and Tsu's attacks were physical in nature, and he'd cut their tongue if they went head to head with each other. Ojiro was the same, with his tail being part of his body. It was going to be difficult to come up with a way out of this, but Izuku would do it. He would.
"Shigaraki said you were strong, but you are something else entirely. He sends his regards, by the way," Stain said, licking his lips slowly.
"Flashbang him when I move," Izuku whispered to Hagakure, who he knew was behind him, trying to make his mouth move as little as possible.
"Alright. Just give the signal," Hagakure clearly replied. Izuku couldn't see her, but she was probably invisible right now, giving her the ability to respond with proper enunciation.
Izuku dialed up One for All to twelve percent, just in his hands and forearms. Dark Gauntlet was resistant to electric attacks, but it was time to test if it could cushion the strain of One for All on the hands. If it worked, he'd be able to implement it and get a boost in power, but not speed. If it didn't work, it didn't matter. Twelve percent wasn't enough to outright break bones, but it would hurt like hell in the morning. It wasn't like they'd continue training anyway. He was practically in the clear with that, so he could go all out here if he needed to. Izuku readied himself, letting Blackwhip run up his arms and form Dark Gauntlet, feeling the warmth of One for All and the cold, silky texture of Blackwhip meet and clash on his arms.
This was going to be intense.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, let me know in the comments. In other news, this fic now has a chapter total, which is 71. We have this arc, one more and then an epilogue. I'm fairly sure I teared up writing the final chapter. In light of this, I'll be updating daily instead of every two days now that we have an end in sight. See ya there!