Angel: I am uploading early today because we have another Youtuber who has made a video for my story, in the same vein as DN WhatIf or Katsudon Fanfics. Which hasn't happened in months, and these videos have been up since 3 days ago, which...I've been too busy to notice. So this is both an apology and a shoutout to Quirky Whatif. Thank you for the videos, and for making four of them so far, very commendable. Please go check them out on Youtube if you're an audiobook person!
Even with different circumstances, I still don't think Mirko would have taken Izuka as a student that easily. She'd probably make Izuka have to prove herself in order to be her student. And like I said, pretty sure she wasn't taking any students for internships or work-studies when both those arcs came up. She doesn't even have an agency like other heroes according to an Ultra Analysis Book. So you'd have to rewrite her character because she's all about working alone. But even if you want Izuka to learn under Mirko or any other hero after I just said all that, I would suggest to write that yourself, please. Or if you just don't like anything I've done in the story in general.
The reason why I picked Best Jeanist for internships is because he's good with PR stuff, which Izuka lacked at the time. And the reason why I picked Endeavor for work-studies was to solidify the bond of Izuka, Bakugo, Shoto, and Izuka as a four-person team. Other reasons would be because he taught her to use Saturn Ring, and so Katsuki would indirectly show more feelings towards her due to the arranged marriage. None of which would have happened if Mirko was Izuka's teacher. Sure, that would've been one Bakuza moment cut out compared to the many they've had, but it was still a moment that had to happen regardless. Please don't make me talk about this again, it's season 6, so I'm not really too hung up on this questioning what if.
Also no, I did not know the fourth movie was online! I haven't found it yet though because my...special websites at this time don't have the movie.
Mirko grinned, blood flying from her mouth. In the distance, she could see a purple light. She ran in and jumped, as she had found both Garaki and Shigaraki. Mirko spun around towards the pod.
"AAAAAAH!" Garaki screamed in terror, tears bursting from his face. He clearly underestimated Mirko and her tenacity.
"There you are!" She shouted as she prepared her leg, only for a tendon from one of the Nomu to slice right through her right leg like it was nothing. Blood flew from her pierced leg...but that wasn't going to stop her. Mirko was going to be done fighting when she deemed so, not on anyone else's terms. Not if she had anything to say about it. 'I'm not done!' She let out a yell of pain, but continued to push through it despite everything. The tendon flew away from Mirko's right leg, ripping off some of the skin off even. She spun around in a circle of blood and then hit the pod with her leg, causing it to crack. Mirko pushed through with all her might, breaking through the pod again.
"Luna Arc!" She shouted as the water fell from the glass. Garaki gasped in shock that despite the pain she was no doubt feeling, and despite the fact that most of her limbs were more broken than ever...that she still persisted to break the pod. That she had managed to preserve somewhat. He looked in a panic as more cracks showed from the pod. Mirko was then pulled back hard. "Wait!" She grunted out, watching as water seeped through the cracks she put into the pod. Despite all she had done...it wasn't enough to stop the process. And all she could do was watch as she was too injured to fight the Nomu off on her own...
Endeavor looked back at the tendons getting pulled away, confused. But he had no time to react as Mirko was thrown into his body hard, causing him to fly backwards.
Present Mic narrowed his eyes as he ran. He jumped as he entered the room and then let out a sonic scream at the machine. Garaki yelped as he braced himself from the impact, the wires breaking off. And the attack from Present Mic was enough to break the pod open completely. Shigaraki's limp body moved around and Garaki gasped sharply, looking up. Shigaraki's body hit the pod and then fell into the solution on the floor, unmoving.
"Checking with Team Endeavor to confirm the status of Jaku Hospital evacuations," One of the Heroes Public Safety operatives called out in their control room.
"Some of the heroes stationed there are still combating lower-level Nomu on the ground floor."
The screen then showed the status of Teams Endeavor and Edgeshot. "Mirko's encountered multiple talking-type Nomu underground. Where Garaki's hiding."
"Endeavor, Crust, and a few other team members are rushing to support her. The hospital evacuations are completed. The building is cleared."
"The pros who've been aiding in the process will now join the fight!" This included the Wild, Wild Pussycats as they were running down the hallways currently.
"We have the upper hand. The enemies who appeared at the surface level are falling rapidly." Ryukyu and Gran Torino were fighting Nomu with other heroes.
"So our only concerns are the ones underground," One of the commissioners had a feeling that they were saving the High-End Nomu for a more grander attack, which was terrifying to think about...
"The talking Nomu are formidable. There's a reason they're referred to as High Ends," Another one spoke up next to him. "If they're anything like the one who appeared in Kyushu...then their Quirks and physical ability will surpass those of a typical Nomu. They're likely equipped with fast-acting self-regeneration as well. The top two heroes and a UA hero course student were in Kyushu, and they were barely able to defeat the monster that attacked there."
All of them then sat in silence, knowing that the Nomu were giving the heroes a hard time, no matter how many on the good side were deployed...not much could do anything about a self-regenerating powerhouse except...well, the obvious. If All Might were here right now...they wouldn't even have to worry. But now they had to depend on the strength of all the heroes and the hero course students.
"You better call 'em off if you know what's good for ya," Present Mic warned Garaki while still hauling him away. "Ya hear me? X-Less! Deal with Shigaraki!" He then took the doctor out of the room.
"Right!" He called out as he watched the two leave.
While being carried away, Garaki looked hopeless as he believed Shigaraki to be dead. "It's over..." He murmured sadly as he didn't even have the will to move.
"Can't you run yourself?" Present Mic retorted while looking over his shoulder. He could sense that Garaki was disappointed and upset...probably in too much despair to move on his own, now that he thought about it.
"So many years. So much planning. And now...our dream is dead..." He felt like he had failed All for One, and his purpose...
X-Less turned around to the machine Garaki was trying to fix earlier. "What was that machine...?" Looks like those tubes took the brunt of the attack, He looked up at the damaged wires that was thanks to Mirko earlier. I'll finish the job. His right eye shined yellow and then fired at the machine, causing a small explosion. Something sparked from the wires as the solution Shigaraki was covered in started seeping into the open wires. Suddenly...Shigaraki's body jerked upwards, shocking X-Less. The hero stared in tense silence...as Shigaraki's body actually moved on its own. His arms hugged himself as he grinned, though he felt kind of naked, most likely for how long he was in the pod.
"It's cold..." He spoke up as...he was officially awake.
"Try my Shoot Shield!" Crust shouted as his shield appeared over his hands. He then attacked a Nomu with them, slicing at it hard enough to draw blood. But it wasn't enough to take the creature down.
"And this is with its Quirks erased," One of the heroes murmured while gathering up power, knowing that even with how much they took away from the Nomu, the creatures still had a clear advantage over them...
"What a tough bastard," The other hero growled out.
Mr. Aizawa stared up at the ones surrounding him. I can't blink or look away from these Nomu...but if Endeavor lures the other one over here...I can add it to the group He gritted his teeth, knowing that Endeavor was too far away for him to call. And he couldn't leave the others behind still.
"I'll feel even more amazing when you're bleeding out, Number One!" Woman shouted while the legs gained more muscle and then exploded to fire shots. Endeavor grunted while surrounding his body in fire to block the shots. Mirko was still behind him, so he couldn't risk her getting hurt again. He glanced back with gritted teeth as Mirko slowly stood up behind him. However, she still wasn't doing too great given her numerous and deep injuries.
I can't leave Mirko alone!
Mirko saw his stare directed towards her and then grunted, barely able to keep herself upright. "What's the deal? You need me to kick her?"
"No. Stay back!" He warned the rabbit hero as he didn't want her to make her injuries worse. Endeavor then moved his hand forward to fire a burst of fire. "Hell Spider!" It separated into multiple lines as Woman ran forward.
"More. Come on. More!" She insisted while jumping over and dodging every single one. He grunted as he could see her in the reflection of his eyes as she jumped. "You're mine!" She shouted while opening her mouth, about to attack.
Gran Torino suddenly flew in and kicked her down from behind. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" He called out while hovering above the ground.
"Just glad you're here," Endeavor looked at him gratefully.
"You've done well," Gran Torino slowly landed on the ground. "How 'bout a hand?" Backdraft, Ryukyu, and Locklock all ran up to Mr. Aizawa and Crust from behind.
"Thanks for the backup!" Crust looked over his shoulder at the trio.
"We'll handle them. Go help Endeavor further inside," Mr. Aizawa insisted towards the three.
"On it!" Ryukyu flew over the Nomu. "Locklock. Backdraft. You're with me!" She ordered as the two ran past to follow her. The dragoon hero then gasped at something up ahead. "Another one," She saw Gran Torino fighting the female High-End Nomu off on his own. The Nomu then pushed Gran Torino away.
Backdraft moved his hose arms to fire a bunch of water at Woman. She grunted as Locklock ran up and touched the ground, turning his hand. "Deadbolt!" He locked the ground, causing her to be stuck in place. Before she could do anything about it, Gran Torino flew in to attack her head. However, it didn't last long as she regenerated in seconds.
"It's able to heal itself immediately," Gran Torino noted while flying around her; he knew that the High-Ends could regenerate, but not so fast...
"Thanks for your help, but..." He turned towards Endeavor flying towards Woman while surrounded in flames. "This one's mine! Flashfire Fist. Jetburn!" He screamed as he punched her in the chin, causing hero to fall backwards unconscious. Once she was down, Mr. Aizawa took the chance to rub his eyes.
"Is it over?" He murmured, hoping that they could get further down to provide more assistance. Not to mention that he had strained his eyes at this point.
"ERASER!" He heard, looking up to see Present Mic dragging Garaki with him. "Got the doctor!"
He gave a small, silent nod in response, although none of them were aware of the presence of evil up ahead...
Speaking of, Shigaraki was still cold as he looked up. "There's...no way," X-Less gasped out in horror, as he had so many questions on his mind as to how Shigaraki was even alive. He should've been unconscious still if he was in stasis all this time...it just seemed impossible.
Shigaraki slowly stood and then turned to X-Less silently. The hero immediately activated his eye laser. But before he could do anything, Shigaraki grabbed his head, causing him to yelp. He then let out a scream as cracks appeared on his body...and he entirely turned grey seconds later. And then he crumbled into dust not too long after. His cape fell over the remains and Shigaraki grabbed it. He put it over himself to help with the cold.
"Seriously. I'm freezing," He murmured, though it could be because of how long he was in there. And now...he just had to make his way out.
3 minutes earlier
Fat Gum was panting heavily while getting the four UA students that were involved in the front team away from the battle. In the back, an explosion went off and he looked back to see a burst of blue flames coming from one of the windows...the flames then got bigger.
"Is that...? Oh no," Fumikage murmured in realization and then tried to escape. However, Fat Gum pushed his head back gently.
"No, Tsukuyomi! Get back here!" He shouted as Fumikage managed to escape and fly off with Dark Shadow.
"What the heck are you doing?!" Denki yelped up at his classmate in alarm.
"It's not safe!" Kinoko called out in worry for him.
"Hawks was in that blast!" He informed in a panic, deeply concerned for his mentor. "He's in deep trouble!"
"You sure?" Fat Gum hollered as Fumikage flew further away; and they wouldn't be able to catch up to him either...
"I'll help him!" He told the four as he headed for the window.
"It's too dangerous to go alone!" Denki frowned; he already knew that it was Dabi in that room. And from what both Izuka and Katsuki said about him after Kamino...Fumikage would not last long against the fire-wielding League member.
I knew he was strong, but jeez Fat Gum looked up at the bird-headed boy in shock. Nobody's ever escaped from my fat before, much less without a struggle! "Right, that's far enough," He spoke up to the others, pushing them out of his stomach. "Hurry back to the rear guard. Tell your classmates we're doin' fine." He then ran back towards the villa. "HEY! You forgot to pay for your Fataxi ride!" He shouted towards Fumikage, but he also wanted to stop him before the boy could get killed. If anything happened to Fumikage, part of him would fall on Fat Gum for not stopping the bird-headed boy.
Dabi's flames surrounded his whole body as he stood over Hawks. "See ya, Hawks." The number-two hero looked back at the flames wide-eyed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to dodge it... "At the end of the day...your death means nothing!" He screamed as he was about to finish off Hawks for good...for Twice.
"HAWKS!" Fumikage screamed as he flew in and kicked Dabi away from the man. The flames also died out as the fire-wielder looked up in anger.
"Got him!" Dark Shadow shielded Hawks with his entire body. Fumikage landed in front of his mentor protectively, as he was badly burned with smoke coming from his body. "It's bad, Fumikage."
"How bad?" He wondered as he didn't even look for himself, he just kept his eyes focused on Dabi.
"His back is...a nightmare!" There was barely any trace of his feathers. "His wings. They're gone!"
"Weaknesses?" Hawks wondered once Fumikage asked him the question. The bird-headed boy was just curious as to what would affect the number-two hero. Compared to the number-one hero, Endeavor, it was a bit more obvious where his faults were. He could be brash, intimidating, and was a bit too focused on Shoto sometimes. For Hawks, though...he was more casual compared to Endeavor, and so he wanted to know what made Hawks tick. What was something that he could never overcome, especially compared to other heroes. "Hm. Well, that's a tough one," The winged hero looked away in thought. "My Achilles heel is...fire, I guess." He was perched onto a telephone pole, with Fumikage sitting across from him on a rooftop during one of their patrols.
"Oh?" Fumikage asked curiously, as he thought that Hawks would've been fast enough to avoid fire. His speed was something Fumikage hoped to match, after all. Something as simple as fire just didn't seem to fit.
"Of course. My wings are tough, but flammable," Hawks explained to his student.
Fumikage let out an angry grunt, knowing that if Hawks could regrow them back...it'd either be a long time, or they wouldn't be the same again. He knew the second he saw the amount of flames that Hawks wouldn't be okay by the time he got here...if only he had known sooner where his teacher was, maybe he still would've had his wings.
"You're a UA rookie," Dabi recognized Fumikage from camp, since they had held him captive along with Izuka and Bakugo before letting him go. "You must be joking. They dragged students out to fill their ranks?" He then jerked a thumb behind him. "Well, take a good look." Behind him was the dead Twice. "Your pal here killed Twice. Stabbed him in the back with one of those big feathers. Twice was just trying to save his friends." Fumikage looked at him in horror to hear the news. He never once heard of a hero killing a villain...because he thought that they didn't need to stoop that low. All they had to do was make sure that the villains were brought to justice...but killing them? "Well? What are you here to do?" Suddenly, Mt. Lady burst into the wall across from them. "Come to rescue him? You still think that's the right thing? These pros you admire play dirtier than me. Better learn that now before you waste your life worshipping them." He may have killed heroes and innocent people with ease...but he never had the desire to kill any of his comrades. Even if to him, they didn't benefit or give him any disadvantages.
"Toko...yami..." Hawks gasped out from the ground before Fumikage could even say anything. Fumikage looked back with a gasp, seeing the lost face from Hawks. He then covered his mentor up, making him look away from Dabi.
"Villain," He hissed out to Dabi furiously. "I'm only concerned about my mentor." He had a feeling...that Hawks didn't want to do it, and that he had to. He didn't need to know the reason right now...but he was still going to save Hawks because that was part of who he was. And with how Hawks looked...the situation must've been avoidable.
"You're brainwashed," Dabi stared at him in disbelief, summoning his flames. He then attacked and Fumikage ducked his head.
"No room. I can't dodge much!" He grunted out, knowing that Dabi wasn't going to give them an opening to get out of the way.
"Sorry, Fumikage!" Dark Shadow told him regrettably as he couldn't move.
The light of the flames is forcing Dark Shadow to retreat! He realized why his Quirk couldn't attack. And along with Hawks out of commission now, he had nothing to rely on to fight Dabi... He jumped to the side, holding Hawks close. I need to get away quickly and get Hawks medical attention!
Hawks looked over his shoulder. "He's still...running his mouth," The number-two hero murmured, causing Fumikage to glance down at him.
"Think about it, ya barbecued birds," Dabi taunted the three of them. "Who do you think really needs rescuing? Because it's not you."
"Your orders?" Fumikage glared at the villain. If he was tasked with fighting Dabi, then he would do his best.
He couldn't finish me off before. 'Cause he was too busy talking. He's doing the same thing again. But why? His powers may have some drawbacks. So he's throwing us off guard to stall for time Hawks stared at the smoke flying away from the stitched-up villain, who had a big smile on his face. The flames he just shot were a lot weaker than the last ones. Which means...he can't fire in rapid succession anymore. He already knew even villains had their own limits when it came to their Quirks. But the longer they stayed, the more of a chance Dabi had to do whatever he wanted. And they could not stay around to find out what.
"We go. Now," He whispered out to his student, knowing that they were already at a huge disadvantage.
"Dark Shadow!" Fumikage yelled while sending him out. Dabi fired, but Fumikage jumped out of the way, and over the staircase.
"Brace yourself!" Dark Shadow grabbed hold of the railing as the two floated down. "No...! Too weak!" Dark Shadow couldn't hold on for much longer and he let go. Luckily, the two safely landed on another floor. Hawks slightly moved his head, his eyes closed now.
"Hawks!" Fumikage grabbed his arm gently. "Hey. Are you okay?" He noticed that Hawks still had a pulse. He's still breathing. The impact must have knocked him out. My apologies... He wished that he had gotten them out of there faster...
Meanwhile, people were still brawling on the ground floor.
"Lady, block that passage to the underground!" One of the heroes called out to Mt. Lady.
She threw something and ran off. "Roger!"
Fumikage picked up Hawks in his arms, though he did struggle a bit at first because Hawks was not light. "This is good. There's far less light here. Try Dark Fallen Angel!" He told Dark Shadow, who appeared on his back seconds later.
"I thought it might go down this way," Dabi grinned widely while jumping and sending out his flames. "So I saved power by making my last two shots weaker!" His hands then were surrounded in blue light. "Say goodbye!"
A bunch of ice then appeared, knocking Dabi away from them. "Dark Shadow!" Fumikage yelled, and the three flew off together before Dabi could catch back up to them.
The ice was so large that it was covering up Fat Gum's path. "What is that?!" He yelped as it was like a giant shield, and there was no way to get around it. "Ohhhhhhh!" He cried out as Mt. Lady was tossed away and then flying right towards him! "Booty incoming!" Fat Gum shouted as he ran away from her, and then there was a large crash.
"Ouch," She murmured in pain from the impact.
"You won't get in Re-Destro's way any longer!" Geten deemed as he was the one behind the attack, standing on top of the giant ice wall. "You'll suffer before you die," He gritted his teeth angrily, and he actually had his mask off. "You government dogs!"
"Geten, sir!" One of the army members called out from down below.
"We've broken up their line! Don't fight them on your own. It's what they're counting on!" He warned them with an angry snarl. "Coordinate and push through together!"
"Ow," Dabi murmured as he had landed on some ice, though he was not happy about his interrupted attack. "That ice bastard didn't hold anything back this time," He stood up and looked back. "Oh, well. Maybe I'll start early..."
Fumikage carried Hawks away from the scene, as he had managed to get away before the ice could hit him. Thankfully, he wasn't seen by Geten either.
"Your pal here killed Twice. Stabbed him in the back with one of those big feathers. Twice was just trying to save his friends." Fumikage looked at him in horror to hear the news. He never once heard of a hero killing a villain...because he thought that they didn't need to stoop that low. All they had to do was make sure that the villains were brought to justice...but killing them? "These pros you admire play dirtier than me. Better learn that now before you waste your life worshipping them." He may have killed heroes and innocent people with ease...but he never had the desire to kill any of his comrades. Even if to him, they didn't benefit or give him any disadvantages.
Fumikage had tears flying from his eyes as he didn't want to believe that Hawks was a stone-cold killer. Or that he would even stoop as low as a villain, despite the fact that he was working undercover. He did give them a lot of intel, after all...it was hard to imagine going from being a big assistance...to then murdering someone. But the look on Hawks' face earlier was enough to show him part of the truth. "I know that you're a good person, Hawks. I believe in you! We all do. Whatever you did was justified! So don't you die!" He cried out as he wanted to thank Hawks for helping them out so much...so he hoped that he wasn't too late to save his mentor.
In the underground room, people were murmuring amongst themselves while still lost on what was going on above.
"Give me a battle update now!" Re-Destro shouted while gritting his teeth, sitting on the floor with missing legs. "And hurry up with my spare legs!"
"Re-Destro," One of the members spoke up.
"What is it?!" He grunted in annoyance while looking back. The man was simply pointing and he got a closer look...to see Gigantomachia standing on his feet. And he hadn't been moving much ever since he was there.
"He stood!"
He sniffed the air...as he had caught the scent of something. "My master's scent. He has...awakened..." He murmured as he could smell Shigaraki all the way at Jaku Hospital.
People were walking down the street together in the city. "We're fighting to protect you, but this whole neighborhood could become a battlefield," Burnin cried out as a warning as a whole crowd of people were walking down the road. "Please tell us if you know anyone who has limited mobility. Or if you haven't been able to contact somebody who might not know what's going on yet."
"Everyone into the police vans," Katsuki ordered as Izuka was standing between him and Shoto. They were ushering people inside in a line. "Move your asses!"
"HEY! You don't tell people that!" Izuka yelled up at him and he grunted, looking away.
"You're not the boss of me!" He retorted, earning a blank look in return.
Why do they like putting me with Katsu if he's this stubborn? She couldn't help but wonder as she moved her hand to silently tell people to move along.
A middle-aged woman turned around to Katsuki and Izuka specifically. "Thanks for your help, young man and young lady," She held out two chocolate buns for them. "Here, both of you have a chocolate bun."
"Are you crazy?!" Katsuki yelled down at her. "I'm working here!"
"Katsu!" Izuka scolded him and huffed at his response, though they should've kind of expected it...
"She's being nice," Ochaco smiled while walking up to them. "You should take it."
"If you're so desperate for dessert, you can eat it yourself!" He shouted towards the brunette. He didn't hate sweets, he got chili-pepper dark chocolate from Izuka after all. But he found it ridiculous that he was being given one now.
"Will you knock it off?!" Izuka glared up at him as he held out his hand to take it, to the lady's pleasure. "Sheesh," She then took the other chocolate bun with a small smile. "Thank you, ma'am, but please move into the van now. We're here to keep you safe."
"Oh, such a kind soul! You two make a lovely couple," She smiled towards the two, who flinched from her assumption.
"Mmm..." Izuka blushed in embarrassment, looking away and hiding her cheeks. "W-we're not..."
"Why are people saying that?" Katsuki growled a bit, as he wasn't annoyed by it. But it was something he didn't need a reminder of right now.
"He can't even be nice to an old lady, huh?" Tsuyu pointed out nearby the two. "And those two can't even tell each other how they feel even though it feels like 5 seasons, 3 movies, and 9 OVAs have gone by. Ribbit."
Katsuki and Izuka both flinched, gasping in shock. "Hey!" Both of them glared towards her, Ochaco giving them a sheepish smile. She felt inclined to agree, but at the same time, she wanted things to work out on their own time. Even though it had been a year...
"Tsu, that's not funny," Izuka pouted, crossing her arms. "We've got serious work here to do, remember?" Although she didn't know why Tsuyu felt like she had to be that specific about it...
"I don't know. I agree with her," Shoto spoke up, causing Katsuki to blush.
"Shut up, all of you!" He grunted angrily, trying not to lash out at them right now. He was nearby a lot of people though, so he knew he couldn't...
"We're supposed to be evacuating, you guys..." Izuka placed an exhausted hand over her face at the conversation still going. Ochaco noticed her expression and patted her back gently with a small smile. She knew how embarrassing this was getting for Izuka right about now...
Ochaco then led her away to a spot away from the others with Tsuyu, their backs to everyone else. "Well, people are just really curious…" She laughed a little awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. The brunette was pretty curious too as she supported Izuka's happiness. But she knew not to push it since she had seen various times how Izuka would get embarrassed by the topic.
"So how long have you and Bakugo loved each other now?" Tsuyu asked in a blunt manner. Ochaco gasped a bit at Tsuyu, as this feeling was familiar...it was like when Yuga asked her if she liked Izuku. But here...it was more obvious what was going on between Izuka and Katsuki. Never did she think anyone would ask Izuka directly, though.
Izuka blinked in shock from the question. It was now hitting her…just how much Katsuki did for her. He hadn't done those things for anyone else… This feeling inside of me...that's what it's been this whole time? I never even noticed, but...Katsu goes out of his way to do things for me I've never seen him do for anyone. He helped me before the Sports Festival, he's saved me plenty of times, and he's been really patient with me too. He's been there for me through a lot of things. And we've even...kissed...that's why I act so weird whenever I'm around him or why I feel the need to help him emotionally...or why I've drawn him countless times now. Because...he's always on my mind, whether we're fighting or just trying to be around each other normally...something I can't say about anyone else, not Shoto or Tamaki or anyone...but...
Izuka slowly reached out to her heart, clutching at the fabric. As much as she wanted to go right up to Katsuki and tell him...there was one thing holding her back. "…That's not what's happening."
The two blinked in shock as did someone else who had been walking over.
"Katsuki's goals don't combine with anything romantic. He wants to be the number one hero. No room for anything else like having me tell him how I really feel. So I don't plan on messing that up for him anytime soon. And he won't make time for it anyway. That's just who he is," She gave a weak smile. "But it's okay. Maybe I'm just holding onto hope…maybe I just wanna keep things the way they are...I won't get in the way of that goal. So...I don't see myself telling him anytime soon."
"Have you told him that?" Ochaco frowned in a little concern. She could see where Izuka was coming from; she did the same with Izuku during the Provisional License Exam. At the same time...Katsuki did seem to really care about her. Enough that he would be willing to have a relationship. "He seems like he does want to make the—"
"That's just what he says. So I already know what he wants by now. Besides, we all know where his mindset is about his future. It's nothing he doesn't already know. He's not stupid, he'll realize it eventually and move on too," She interrupted, Tsuyu and Ochaco staring at her sadly. She already knew that no matter what, Katsuki wanted to become number one above all else... It's been years, and his goal has never really lost his mind. I don't wanna take that away from him when he still wants to beat my brother regardless of One for All. That's what he's spent the most time on. He's handsome, so he has more of a fair chance with anyone else even if he wanted to have a relationship with me of all people. The reality of that is just now hitting me...and it's hard. Now I know how Tamaki felt around me. Damn it...why did it have to be like this?
As tense as their relationship was for most of their lives...she didn't think it'd be this difficult doing it...having to let him go.
"Mido..." Ochaco murmured, giving her a side hug. "Maybe just give this some more time. I'm sure things will change."
"Ribbit..." Tsuyu placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
Izuka's eyes saddened as she didn't think so...not when his goals were too much for her to ignore. And she couldn't ask him to put those aside just for something he might not even need...it would be selfish to ask him to just forget his goals when he had been working so hard for it...
"Come on, this shouldn't be about me," She sniffed, wiping her eyes with her fist. "We've gotta get these people somewhere safe! They're depending on all of us, you know?" Izuka gave a forced smile and walked off. Ochaco and Tsuyu stared after her in concern, glancing at each other. It wasn't the right time to talk about it obviously...but it was clear that Izuka was shouldering a lot right now...
"I've got a printed manuscript my publisher's waiting on!" A man protested to a waving Tenya. "Please don't let my only copy get destroyed!"
"We'll be certain to protect your important literary contribution!" Tenya reassured him, and he knew that he'd be able to find it with ease.
A bunch of cats walked by, thanks to Koji leading them away. "Aw! So cute!" A girl pointed at them as Koji and some other heroes were leading the way. A bird flew up to him and chirped.
"Thank you, friend. Anima here. The 5th ward has been cleared," He reported as a van full of people drove past Nejire.
"Hey, hey! It looks like we'll be done after this last group heads out," She pointed out as there were definitely less people in the area now.
"We should check nursing homes and apartment buildings one more time," Tenya suggested into the earpiece. "It's the best way to be sure no citizen has been left behind."
"Remain calm," Burnin told the citizens in front of her and the other students. "There's no need to panic. You can wait in the shelter outside the city until we know it's safe to return."
"If anyone is feeling sick, please don't hesitate to-"
He's...coming A voice interrupted Izuku and Izuka flinched as she heard it too, but faintly. She blinked as she came to a stop, wondering if she was just imagining it.
That voice in my head...is that... Izuku had a feeling of dread as he wasn't moving. Shoto glanced back at him, noticing his expression.
"Midoriya. What's wrong?" He couldn't help but wonder.
Katsuki stormed up to him. "Stop slacking off! You're making us look weak!" He yelled towards the green-haired boy.
"Back off of him!" Izuka defended and sighed heavily as she walked off. "Jeez, you're not gonna let up about anything until you're up in the front lines, are you?" She huffed, hands on her hips as she glanced up at him. He huffed at her in return and turned away in silence, grumbling to himself bitterly. In fact, he seemed more angry than usual. She shook her head as she didn't think much about Katsuki's reaction and looked towards her brother. "What is it, Izuku?" She blinked as she noticed the look on his face. "Izuku? Hey, if this is a joke, it's not funny."
Stop him...
Izuku gasped as Izuka blinked, as she definitely heard it that time. I knew it. This voice is...the first wielder of One for All. It's been a long time since either myself or Izuka had heard from him And that was when he knew without a doubt...something was very wrong. He looked up towards his sister, who flinched and then nodded slowly to confirm she heard it too. Katsuki glanced between the two, having a good feeling of what was going on. The light to walk was blinking rapidly...
It will begin soon. I don't have much time.
Izuku let a breath escape him as he turned away. Izuka looked a bit terrified herself...because it was something she had been silently dreading ever since knowing All for One was still alive. Ochaco looked at the twins.
"Deku, Mido, what's up?" She asked her friends in concern.
Freed from the shackles of humanity, his power grows The first wielder told the both of them as they looked in the direction of the hospital. A transcendent one approaches... In the distance...they could see a purple light. One that wouldn't be from Izuka. Stop him.
Shigaraki looked at his reflection.
Meanwhile, Mirko was still on the ground, as she wouldn't be able to fight anymore. Gran Torino looked up with a deep frown. Meanwhile, the other heroes were still fighting off the High-Ends. Mr. Aizawa turned to Present Mic...as there was a strange feeling in the air.
Izuku's eyes shook at the foreboding feeling that was getting even stronger by the second...the light changed to stop...and then a bunch of energy came off from where Shigaraki was. Mr. Aizawa let out a yell, but it was muffled. A huge explosion came from the hallway, causing Present Mic to look towards it wide-eyed. Garaki was very pleased as he knew what was happening.
Gran Torino immediately zoomed in to grab Present Mic and get him away from the attack. All of the pods nearby broke into pieces. Gran Torino gritted his teeth as he knew exactly what this was.
This is Shigaraki's Decay. But it's spreading farther than before, destroying things he hasn't touched yet! We'd been warned that they were trying to improve his Quirk somehow. Is this the result? If so, he was terrified to think what Shigaraki could do now to the whole building.
"Get out of here! Don't touch the cracks!" He yelled out in warning, soaring past all the heroes. "You'll die!" They all ran after him.
A bunch of birds flew off into the sky, and Izuku looked in the direction wide-eyed. Because all of them led to...
"The hospital..." Izuku realized in terror, getting the attention of Tsuyu, Ochaco, Shoto, and Katsuki.
"No...don't tell me..." Izuka murmured with a look of terror on her face, her eyes shaking as her heart dropped. They all gasped as they looked towards all the birds flying away from Jaku Hospital.
All the heroes in the underground lab moved as fast as they could, some carrying those who couldn't move. Mr. Aizawa panted as he ran next to Ryukyu.
"Climb on!" She yelled out to him as he threw his scarf towards her. He managed to grab her claw and hang on as he was lifted off the ground. One of the Nomu managed to grab onto him by the leg and pull him back. He gritted his teeth while trying to keep his hold on Ryukyu, with the scarf starting to rip! The Nomu held on tightly to him as he was starting to decay. Meaning that soon, Mr. Aizawa would start to be affected...and then something flew in to cut off the hand. It was one of Crust's shields...as he had jumped in the way. And now he was decaying rapidly. Mr. Aizawa screamed in horror for him as Crust died while giving a big grin and thumbs up.
The rest of the heroes managed to fly out of there just as the lab caved in. Endeavor was flying Mirko while Ryukyu was flying or carrying people out. Gran Torino held on tightly to Present Mic and Garaki, who was hiding his expression.
Within seconds, the floor of the hospital cracked and then came apart, and then caved in towards the ground...just like Deika City. It was starting to spread to other buildings near the evacuation as well, going so fast that it couldn't be stopped. Heroes yelled in alarm, trying to run away, but they couldn't make it in time. They instantly decayed to pieces trying to get away.
The Pussycats and other heroes were running as fast as they could from the decaying street. Pixie-Bob ran back and held up her hands. She slammed them into the ground to try and stop the decaying. Tiger looked back in worry for his comrade...as her mud decayed as well into the sky. She gasped sharply and then was grabbed by him. He helped get her away before she could die.
Endeavor flew out of the smoke, along with Ryukyu and Gran Torino. "We were defeated..." Garaki spoke up, getting the attention of the flying hero and Present Mic. Buildings instantly disappeared into nothing. "You insufferable heroes put so much time and effort into planning this assault on our dream." As he spoke, cars were swept up as more buildings crumbled to dust instantly. "But look. A miracle has occurred. Something 'Plus Ultra' as you would say." At the underground lab, Shigaraki was touching the ground, unaffected at all with the debris flying around him. "Tomura Shigaraki is awake!" There was a huge dust cloud in the area. "All of your preparations turned to dust the moment he opened his eyes and flexed his raw power. We did it!" He cried out happily, even crying for the 'miracle'. "Victory is ours!"
Nejire looked at the incoming smoke as she was nearby the damages. "Hey, not cool," She whimpered a little.
Tenya gasped while looking out the balcony from an apartment building. "What?"
Tsuyu, Ochaco, the twins, Shoto, and Katsuki looked out to the incoming smoke. "This doesn't look good!" Izuka looked over her shoulder.
"Quick! The civilians!" Shoto urged as he turned around.
"Make 'em move faster!" Katsuki screamed towards Burnin in a panic.
"Endeavor!" Burnin placed a hand on her headphone. "Sir. Are you there?!"
Izuku clenched a fist and then ran off. "Everyone run!"
"Wait, Deku!" Ochaco called out to the boy.
"Ochaco!" She turned towards the sprinting Izuka. "No time, we've gotta get these people out of here now!"
One for All, Full Cowling...45 percent! As Izuku activated his power, he jumped up into the air. Izuka jumped up and spun around, her Solar power appearing over her body.
Solar power...
Izuku swung back his leg. St. Louis Smash! Air Force! He then used Air Force to make a barrier in front of the smoke.
"Jupiter Wind!" Izuka screamed as she swung her hand to help him out. However, the decay was still spreading, and it wasn't letting up. The two of them gasped sharply from their attacks not doing a thing.
"No effect," Ochaco looked towards them in concern, now knowing that they wouldn't be able to stop it with their Quirks. This...was something that couldn't be stopped by force. "This isn't some normal shockwave!"
Tsuyu looked back while running on all fours. "The whole town is falling apart!"
It was then that Izuku remembered something from a long time ago... "As soon as all five of my fingers touch your neck..." One of Shigaraki's fingers twitched around Izuku's neck. "Your throat will be the first thing to disintegrate." Izuku narrowed his eyes up at him as Shigaraki grinned knowingly. "You'll be nothing more...than dust."
He gave a small glare as he knew exactly who they were dealing with. "Shigaraki...!"
"What?!" Izuka yelped and then fell off her shooting star, giving a wide-eyed look as she approached the decaying ground. Izuku looked back at her wide-eyed and then jumped, catching her bridal style and sliding to a stop.
"Are you okay?!" He yelped as she could've died instantly had she actually landed.
"I'm fine! Don't worry about me!" She narrowed her eyes while jumping onto her star, taking flight. "We need to focus on what's important!" Shigaraki?! I can't believe he's capable of doing something on this large of a scale...I haven't seen him since the Kamino Incident...but today will be the last time he lays eyes on us She gave a glare, silently vowing to help take him down in retaliation for his interaction with Izuku and the Kamino Incident. Even if not for that personal reason, he was still behind several attacks that got people hurt.
Shoto moved his hand while creating a bunch of ice in front of the twins. "Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall!" Despite how big the wall was, it shook...and then started to crack. "It can't be..." He murmured in disbelief that the decay even managed to surpass his power.
"Get back, everyone!" Burnin screamed as she looked back. All the nearby heroes and students ran or jumped away. "Hospital team, come in? Someone respond, dammit! Endeavor!"
Katsuki flew in and grabbed the woman with the chocolate bun earlier with his knees, flying with his explosions. He then grabbed the back of a boy's shirt with his teeth. Both of them yelped as they were flown away by him. However, his explosions were smaller so that he wouldn't hurt anyone.
"Ryukyu? Mirko!" Burnin shouted as Ochaco grabbed a woman. She then used her whip to grab a man and pull him along.
Shoto held a citizen while skating on his ice. "Crust!"
Izuka swooped down while flying on her star, expanding it as she grabbed a man. She pulled him behind her and then grabbed a girl on the way. She was not going to risk using her teleportation with the rate the decay was going.
"Whoever's there, please talk to me!" Burnin pleaded, but got no response in return. "Crap. Why aren't they answering?"
Tsuyu was on all fours while carrying a boy with her tongue.
Nejire flew up into the air, using Nejire Wave to get a van out of the way. Ochaco jumped past and touched a van with her gravity to lift it.
"Hello? Can you hear me?!"
No one from her side responded because they were too busy helping the citizens. Izuku grabbed a van with Blackwhip, dragging it along with him. He was also carrying a citizen around his arm.
"Endeavor! Ryukyu! Someone! Anyone!" She cried out while looking at the smoke around her, though she couldn't see anyone from the hospital team. "Tell us what's going on!" Burnin cried out desperately for answers...but not a single one from the front guard team replied.
As she shouted, the feed started to black out from all the cameras. The Heroes Safety Commission murmured in worry as they could only watch the footage disappearing one by one. "Why are the feeds disappearing?"
"I don't know. No one's responding to us," An operator called out, as they tried to get in contact, but to no avail.
"The source of the disruption appears to be coming from...Jaku Hospital!"
"Given what we saw, we're projecting a large number of casualties!"
"I want any information you can get," One of the commissioners ordered, frowning deeply.
"Yes, sir!"
"This is unacceptable," He growled out, knowing that the mission was not going in the direction they had hoped for anymore... "What in the world is going on?"
Meanwhile...almost half of the city was in ruins like Deika City. X-Less' cape flew in the wind as the smoke was clearing. And not a single person could be heard...as Shigaraki stood alone from where he launched the attack. He looked out to all of the destruction he did, still feeling a little cold. Regardless, he walked away slowly, coming to a stop in front of the machine. He opened it up...and saw that the red bullets were mostly destroyed. "Damn. Most of these look too damaged to use," He picked up one with his mangled arm.
"A strange thing happened to Compress after he was shot with this," Shigaraki held up the same small red bullet in his fingers. "He couldn't use his Quirk for a while. So before I tell you anything about the girl, I'd like to know what this is, and what you're planning to do with it. Tell me," He demanded the yakuza boss.
"I'll break the natural order of things."
He held up the destroyed bullet, remembering fully well that he stole these from Overhaul to give to Garaki. After all of that work... "And after all the pain of getting the Doc to make more. Overhaul wouldn't be happy to see this outcome." He would've been happy to see the look of agony on Overhaul's face though.
He flinched as a feeling came to him, putting down the destroyed bullet. He froze...feeling like something was nearby. "What's that?"
Listen... He gasped from hearing All for One's voice, looking up. Hear me. Something flashed and he held his head, feeling like he had a huge headache. But this was something more than that... "My head. This pain..." He let out a painful grunt, looking back towards something. In the midst of all of the damage was a lone cellphone.
"I'll be fine, small price for the upgrade to Decay," He stated while picking up the phone, checking the date. "Now then. It seems like the situation's gotten out of hand. They were supposed to wait for me to wake," He then grinned while pressing a button. "To me...Machia. Bring the others with you."
He was speaking through the radio Gigantomachia had with him...
"From this moment on...I'll destroy everything," He had an evil grin on his face at the thought.
Gigantomachia let out a roar as he looked up, ready to do as ordered.
Shigaraki continued to look at what was left of the city...determined to not let anything stand in his way.