Angel: I got a suggestion where Himiko Toga briefly kisses Izuka—absolutely not. Just...ew. I'm not against LGBTQ people, that's not my problem here. My problem is...well, the obvious differing sides. And sure, it might not even be on the lips, but still, I just...cannot get behind that. I mean, if there's a reason why she never kisses Izuku, what does that really tell you? And the request makes it seem like this would be romantic, which I can't support at all. I dunno, maybe this is just a me problem, I have no clue how other people feel about that. I feel like it's too weird for me even if I have context for it. And I don't ship Izuka x Himiko either, I just don't really think that would ever work—not to mention Bazuka exists, OOPS! Even as a friendship, if it was just a kiss on the cheek, it makes me uncomfortable and I'm sorry if I put that idea in everyone else's head. I will take Bazuka any day thank you very much :3 Even if Bazuka wasn't a thing, I don't see other people telling me that they ship Izuka with Himiko Toga of all people when they have shown ZERO romantic feelings for each other.
Like, I'm fine if people ship Izuka with Ochaco or Momo, and Shoto himself got requests before I even started the story. Those at least makes sense to me even though those are non-canon. Because those three seem to have believable relationships with Izuka even if not romantic according to reviews I've gotten in the past. And gee, I dunno, because they don't suck other people's blood! I don't have hatred towards Himiko, but having her kiss Izuka, that's too much for me.
Remind me to delete that review though because it belongs in the garbage.
"You don't say," Gran Torino commented once he heard. "That's Shimura for you...Even in the afterlife, she's crying over our choices..." He then opened his eyes. "I should've killed him on the battlefield when I had the chance. I apologize..." He was looking up at Izuku, who was telling him everything that happened while he was asleep. "Don't be too stubborn. Sometimes, you have to kill a person in order to save them...Be sure to remember that," He then gave Izuku what was left of his cape... "Whatever you decide to do, you make damn sure you settle the score with the League of Villains..."
Izuku stepped out of the hospital in his new costume. Hawks, Best Jeanist, Endeavor, and Toshinori were waiting for him.
Hawks. Best Jeanist. Endeavor...and All Might. We're teaming up to end this.
He stepped up as he looked out to the night sky with the others.
Together, we'll keep anyone else from getting hurt.
He continued to float above the city.
We have to stop All for One...I have to.
Izuka put on her dark hero costume, tying her hair as she looked out the window. She was standing in the classroom for Class 1-A. She knew that this was wrong, and it hadn't been too long of doing this. But...she needed answers, and the only way she was gonna get them was to look for her brother, or even one of the three heroes and All Might. They had to be somewhere...she still had no idea how she was gonna find them, all she knew was that they weren't anywhere near the school. If they were, the school would've been attacked by now.
They thought it was best to keep their distance given everything that had happened. I can understand that, but I don't understand why we were kept out of the loop.
She then finished putting everything on, and looked at the hair ribbons Izuku gave her for ultimate moves.
"Oh, I do have something for you, though!" She blinked in confusion as he dug into his pocket, holding out a small rectangular box. He then held it out to her and she took it. "I know that you lost these during your fight, so I thought I'd get you some new ones to help out," The girl opened it and gasped to see new hair ribbons.
Izuka immediately put the ribbons away in her desk. She felt like she couldn't wear them right now...at least, not until she knew her brother was safe. I can't put these on...it's too hard. Izuka then put away everything and stood up straight.
"And where the hell do you think you're going?"
She gasped and turned around to see Katsuki leaning against the doorway, in his own costume. His hands were in his pockets as he stared her down. "Katsuki?" She asked in disbelief, wondering how he knew she was here. He stepped forward and then she held up her hands to stop him in place. "Don't come any closer!" He flinched as he stopped, gritting his teeth. The girl then turned towards the window so that she wouldn't look at him. "Just go back to the dorms, I'll be in by morning."
"Don't give me that crap," He grunted and she rubbed at her eyes tiredly. "You've been looking for him, alone. You really think I wouldn't notice that you hadn't been out of your room for days now? You can't keep this up the way you're going."
"It doesn't matter," She shook her head and reached out to the window.
"Yes, it does, and if you take one more step, you're dead!" He threatened while looking back and she froze in place. She then looked over her shoulder, looking annoyed.
"You know, you can say that, but we both know you won't actually do it, will you?" He froze himself with wide eyes. They both could count how many times he threatened to do so with her, and yet not once did he ever go through with it. "That's what I thought," She said knowingly and looked back up ahead. "So just pretend I wasn't here."
He gritted his teeth, feeling like he couldn't let her leave. If she did...he might never see her again. And just the thought of that made his heart wanna jump out of his chest again.
"You freakin' snuck out and I'm supposed to just ignore it? To think I didn't even tell anyone that your stupid ass even did that," He growled, crossing his arms.
She froze from hearing this, biting her lip. He…did that for me? But I could've sworn…ah, Baki must've trusted him enough to open the door. I didn't think Katsuki would be the one to check on me. I have the worst luck sometimes…
Izuka sighed slowly, closing her eyes and turning around to him. "And you lied to them saying that I was asleep…I'm sorry you had to do that. But I can't just allow him to risk his life out there, he needs to come back…and you can be mad at me all you want."
His face slowly turned into being pissed off at her apology when she was completely missing the whole point. Is she serious right now?
"After all, if you had told everyone or even called Mr. Aizawa, it could've been—"
"YOU'RE SERIOUSLY DOING THIS, IZUKA?! REALLY?!" He suddenly shouted angrily and she flinched, staring at him while biting her lip. "You're such a damn dumbass, you know that?!"
"Katsuki—"
"Shut up! Did you think that you could sneak out and go out there by yourself?! That I wouldn't go looking for you?" She glanced away in guilt for how it was clearly affecting him. "What you did was just stupid! You could've told someone and we'd handle it! I wouldn't have judged you if I knew what was going on in that head of yours!"
"Mmm…" She shrunk a little from the lecture, feeling like she was being punished. She could just argue back and say that it wasn't stupid to her. Or, a second option, to just leave him behind. At the same time, though...she knew that she was responsible for him saying this to her in the first place. Izuka just felt bad that she worried him so much...
"You made me think I was gonna lose you all over again, Izuka! Why the hell do you keep doing this to me without a second thought?!" Katsuki suddenly shouted as an impulse, because what she did reminded him of the Kamino Incident and with Nine.
She gasped softly, staring at him. "Huh…?" The short girl murmured, seeing him look up in bewilderment. He just realized that he may be taking it too far and that he couldn't let on that he knew her feelings. Especially since now wasn't the right time, with her focus being to find her brother.
"Uh, I mean…" He gritted his teeth, blushing in defeat. "Come with me," He lunged forward to grab her wrist. The blond bent down to grab a basket she didn't know he had the whole time and then dragged her over to the window.
"Huh?! Hey, wait, what are you doing?" She protested and he didn't acknowledge it. He instead pushed the window open, looking back at the girl.
"Get on my back, and watch the stuff," He shoved the basket into her hands, to her disbelief. "If you drop a single thing in there, you'll regret it."
"What's even in here?" Izuka looked down at the basket and then looked up in realization. "You're not seriously going with me, are you?!" She yelped at him as her hair stood on end. The last thing she needed to do was to drag her classmates into this.
"Yeah, what does it look like I'm doing?" He looked back at her. "I'm gonna fly you out into the city. You're wasting energy enough as it is searching all night. That's not something I need happening anytime soon," He narrowed his eyes a bit.
"Katsuki, I can't-"
"You can and you are," He grunted out, offering his back again. "Now come on and stop being damn selfish before I have to go to Recovery Girl for my back."
"Mm..." She frowned at him playing that card and finally jumped on, hugging the basket with one arm. He hooked his hands around her legs as she used her free hand to move it around his neck gently. He held out his arms and then took off using his explosions. She yelped as she braced herself, squeezing her eyes shut.
Someone was panting while running in the pouring rain. "Gotta get out of here," She panted while turning the corner in a neighborhood. "Before they...!" She came to a stop, confronted by three men with support items.
"There she is. The monster!" One of them cried out, another pointing a gun at her. It fired up, the 'monster' revealed to be a heteromorph woman. She looked up with tears in her eyes, as she didn't mean any harm.
"Please! Don't hurt me!" She begged the group, shielding herself from a laser. "I'm just heading to the shelter!" She tried to explain while the man continued to fire, not even hearing her out. "I wasn't doing anything!" She took the hits and then fell to the ground, tears in her eyes as she continued to protect herself. "I'm begging you...let me go!" She whimpered while looking up in fear.
"You want us to let our guards down so you can attack," The leader of the group wasn't buying it, thinking that if they stopped, she'd use her Quirk to get away.
"We're not stupid!" The one on his right yelled at the heteromorph. "We see you for what you are!"
"And we're not going to let this town suffer another day!" The one with the laser powered up his support item, about to finish her off.
"NO, STOP!" She cried out...and when the laser was about to hit her, Izuku came jumping in to block the shot. He spun around and landed safely nearby, to the shock of the three attackers. All of them stared at him with their mouths open.
"Listen. Please calm down," He instructed as they stared in bewilderment. He then jumped in front of the heteromorph woman to protect her should they attack again. "I totally understand that a night like this makes you extra nervous about an attack. But look at this woman. She's showing no signs of hostility," He glanced back at her as she was still whimpering and crying. "Leave her to me. You can go now. I've got this. Please," He stared at them pleadingly to stop what they were doing.
They paused...and then slowly backed off. "Well...someone who looks like that shouldn't be out this late!" The leader defended as they ran off.
"What were we supposed to think?" Another one called out as they left.
The heteromorph woman was still crying as Izuku held her dropped umbrella over her body. "You're safe now," He reassured her gently. She then looked up in confusion as she calmed down a little. "Why are you walking around in this weather?" He wasn't angry, he was just wondering why she was even outside. Most of the city and its occupants were already gone.
"I didn't evacuate," She explained tearfully, standing in front of him. "At first, it seemed like the area wasn't affected much. I guess...I thought everything would blow over if I holed up at home. Then...people around started getting hurt," She bowed her head, tears still in her eyes. "And I got scared. That's when I decided to leave," She dropped her umbrella trying to wipe away at her tears. "To find a shelter. I don't know...the night just...went wrong so fast." The umbrella landed over Izuku and he floated to hold it out to her.
"You know, I bet everyone else is scared too," He stated while trying to comfort her.
"Do you think...things will go back to normal?" She asked in fear, wondering if this was going to be normal life now...
"I'll make sure of it," He replied in determination, causing her to gasp. She looked up as a light engulfed them. "I'm sorry. I have to go now," He floated down as a car approached, revealing to be Toshinori.
"Are you okay?!" He ran over to the two.
"Yes, All Might."
"Wait...All Might?" The heteromorph looked between the two in confusion.
"Will you take her to the nearest shelter? I've been in one place for too long," Izuku gestured to the woman, knowing that Toshinori would keep her safe. Plus, she wouldn't have to worry about being targeted again. He then started to run off.
"Wait!" Toshinori urged, causing the boy to stop. "Here, take this with you," He ran over, giving Izuku a wrapped box. He started at it in shock. "Pork cutlets to keep your energy levels up. Your sister once said that's what helped her whenever she's invested in her projects," He gave a sheepish chuckle, knowing that Izuka sometimes lost track of time painting.
Izuku blinked and then gave a genuine smile underneath the mask, not that his mentor could see it. "Thanks. I appreciate it." He backed away and then floated up into the sky, the two staring up at him.
Young Midoriya...
Later, Izuku was at a high-rise, looking over the city. "Widespread devastation," Daigoro spoke in his head. "It kinda feels like we've traveled back in time..." He appeared as a projection just like En earlier. "In my day, we did our best to stay out of sight. Cause hiding from villains kept us alive...It was like that when Quirks first appeared, too..."
Izuku straightened up as he stared at all the buildings. "Shigaraki and All for One. Dabi. The Nomu. The League of Villains. We still don't have any idea where they disappeared to. And I have a feeling they might have something to do with why my sister looked a bit freaked out when we all talked. The police have their hands full with the jailbreakers. So they don't have the resources to investigate the bigger threats."
"Criminals are running amok out there," Daigoro gave a deep frown as they couldn't see anything...yet.
Izuku then thought about his fight with Shigaraki... Now that All for One's Quirk has been transferred into Shigaraki, he's even more terrifying. So powerful, I couldn't stop him with the help of Endeavor and Mr. Aizawa. I need to master every facet of One for All. Otherwise, I'll fail.
"You two better start helping out," Yoichi looked over his shoulder. "You can't keep staring at the wall and ignoring us," He was referring to the two people who wouldn't look at them. "We need your cooperation to unleash One for All's full potential," However neither of them said a word. "We're counting on you, my heroes."
Even with this, neither of them still didn't speak up as Nana was still crying in front of the twins. "...Banjo was the first. He released his Quirk. And after, Shinomori followed suit. Shimura was next. And En. All of them agreed. But we need everyone's support to bring its true strength to light."
Everyone stayed silent this time and Daigoro let out a hum. He then turned to the twins. "Hey, kids! Try getting more accustomed to the other Quirks in the meantime!" Both Izuku and Izuka stared at him in bewilderment. "Especially Shinomori's and En's! And for Galaxy to react too!" He approached and punched Izuku in the side, Izuka looking at them in a panic. "You do that, and things should go much smoother when you wake up!"
"That's a good idea," En and Hikage approached the group. The twins continued to muffle while Yoichi looked at them with a small smile on his face.
"We lived...during the cruelest era," The third wielder actually spoke, to the shock of Yoichi. However, he still wasn't looking at them. "All for One's physical strength was at its peak. He'd managed to amase incredible power. Most people he controlled were unaware that they were being manipulated," He then turned to the other wielder that wasn't talking. "But our leader knew the truth. Together, we stood against All for One. Fighting to stop his ascent."
"You were there too," The one who looked similar to Katsuki spoke up. "You saw it."
"Yes," Yoichi closed his eyes knowingly.
"In order to get to your brother...we had to sacrifice many people," The second wielder stated, Izuka's eyes softening at them. "The only thing that mattered to us was winning. Either he died...or humanity did." Izuka's mouth opened a bit in shock...as even in personality, he was like Katsuki. "Now we're supposed to leave everything up to this boy and his sister who want to save our enemy? It's absurd."
"Is that really how you feel? That's interesting," Yoichi gave a small smile, looking up. "See, I'm a little confused."
When he was trapped in his prison...the second wielder was the one that came to save him. "Back then...you reached your hand out to me. If you hadn't chosen to save a potential enemy, none of this ever would've ever happened. We have no choice but to leave the future to the 9th. You must realize this. It's why you appeared here to begin with."
"...Be honest, you really think he can bring an end to this?"
"I do. It's why One for All exists. It was born out of my defiance. But...the power only became what it is...because you were willing to reach out," Yoichi explained; if he hadn't found the sickly man in his state...then One for All wouldn't have grown the way it did.
"Excuse me," All of them blinked, Yoichi turning around to Izuka, looking fierce towards them. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But...I will say that my brother is someone you can depend on. He's saved me and other people countless times, even when One for All would break his body before. I know that it might seem pointless or risky to put your faith in him...but he's proven that he can be a hero!" She clenched a fist, narrowing her eyes. "And he can't do this without any of you. He'll win by saving the world, and put smiles back on everyone's faces!"
The two wielders gasped towards her, staring at the girl as they could tell how much she loved her brother. And that she had no doubt that he would be able to pull it off. The second wielder slowly turned around, as did the third.
Daigoro gave a small smirk. "The stage is set for the grand finale!"
Yoichi's projection then appeared next to him. "In order to defeat All for One..."
"We must take our knowledge and power..." Nana continued off next to him.
"And gather it in this place," Hikage stated, all of them determined to stand by Izuku's side.
"The true power of One for All...must be harnessed!" En declared as all of the projections consisting of the past wielders surrounded Izuku, including Toshinori's.
"Hang on, boy, we're accelerating now!" The second wielder warned, glancing over to him. "But you really should talk to your sister. She helped me see what you're all about, so don't mess up your bond. She's a fierce one." He could respect Izuka for supporting her brother despite the doubts beforehand from him.
Izuku blinked and nodded sharply. "Right!" He then gave a small fond smile. "And...yeah, I'm not surprised that she would do that for me." He remembered that she did a similar thing with Katsuki during the Kamino Incident...and tried to do the same thing with Inasa during the provisional license exam. "But I can't talk to her...I wouldn't even know what to say..." He took a big bite out of his pork cutlet, knowing that no matter how he tried to explain it, she would stop everything to help him. And he couldn't let her do that if the League was targeting her too. By doing this...he was protecting her and her Quirk.
In a shop, some of the villains that were broken out of jail were raiding it. "Idiot! We gotta get outta here!" One of them called out as Endeavor had responded to the incident, and was now in hiding.
"You ain't gonna beat Endeavor!"
One of the nails being fired scrapped the pillar Endeavor was hiding behind. A nail gun support item? He glanced over his shoulder while assessing the situation. Too overpowered to be used for actual construction. The other two villains were running away, since they didn't want to face the wrath of Endeavor. Damn Detnerat. This was meant to be a weapon.
As the other two were escaping, a car skidded to a stop, revealing to be Hawks and Best Jeanist inside. "Hawks? Crap, and Best Jeanist too?!"
"Fiber Fire!" Best Jeanist glared towards the two of them.
The one with the nail gun continued to fire at Endeavor, who came out of hiding and flew over with his flames. "Ignited Arrow!" He shouted while throwing an arrow made out of fire. It hit the villain in the stomach, and he gasped as he flew backwards. Endeavor slid to a stop, watching the jailbreaker stop firing.
"You have...no right. Number one..." He murmured while smoke was coming from his body. "Your crimes are worse than mine are. You...caused this mess..." He was referring to the fight Endeavor had with Shigaraki...
"I'm aware of that," Endeavor didn't bother denying it as he glared. "Which is why I'm here now."
Hawks and Best Jeanist already had the other two tied up to take back to jail. An officer saluted to Endeavor and then took them away.
"As usual, there's nothing connecting these escapees to our actual target," Best Jeanist stared, as they didn't have any information on All for One or Shigaraki like they wanted.
"You'd think we would've been able to get some intel by this point in the search," Hawks was a bit disappointed as well.
"We'll double down our efforts," Endeavor glanced back at the two, as the quicker they got the information, the better. The more time they gave All for One and Shigaraki, the more time they had to do whatever they wanted. A pipe hit the ground and they looked back up ahead...to see an angry mob that had seen what they had done. They weren't happy to see any of the three.
"Disgraces! Get out of here!"
"We don't want your so-called help! If you'd caught Shigaraki and the others when you were supposed to, these criminals would still be locked in their prisons!"
"Take a good look at this town. You turned it into hell!"
"Endeavor? Let's go," Hawks spoke up, knowing that the comments would get to them the longer they stayed. Endeavor silently agreed as he turned to leave.
"I've been following reports on the news. They say Shigaraki was after two people other than you! Which means you're still hiding things from us!" One of them shouted as Endeavor looked back, having a good feeling of who he was referring to. "We can't trust you!"
"You cowards!" One of them threw a can angrily.
"The families of the people Dabi murdered were on TV! Did you see them?"
"You created a monster!"
Best Jeanist's fibers caught the throwing objects. "Stay away from us!"
"Seeing your face makes me sick!" Not even Best Jeanist's presence helped unlike last time, because people were starting to lose trust in him too...
"Fake hero!"
"Don't you ever show up here again!"
"Is that so?" Hawks wondered into his phone while the top three heroes were leaving the area. "I see. Yeah. Understood. Maybe someone from the Paranormal Liberation Front will crack. Thanks, Edgeshot," He then hung up, a bit more disappointed than he was before.
"No progress, I take it," Best Jeanist assumed correctly while driving.
"If you keep driving in this direction, we'll catch up with Midoriya before long," Hawks replied, avoiding the comment. "Would it be better if no one figured out we're working together? People might start throwing things at him too. It's bad enough his sister already got a mob at the hospital," He glanced over his shoulder at Endeavor, as he had the same feeling as the number-one hero earlier that the crowd was referring to the twins that were also targeted. Thankfully, UA still had security, so no one could reach her there even if they went over.
"Right. Let's put some distance between us," Endeavor suggested to the two. "Deku has enough of a burden to carry as it is. Even if he's the one who chose this solitary path...we're still using him as bait to draw out the League. The least we can do is not make things worse for him or his sister."
"Our enemies are doing too well at laying low," Hawks pointed out while Izuku was on patrol. "Meanwhile, the supervillains who were locked up in Tartarus are acting up. And they're almost certainly taking orders from you-know-who now. The League's being smart. They'll hide behind the chaos and confusion and use it as a cover to steal One for All when the time's right. And then, that might draw out Galaxy if that's what they're planning to do...to get to Galaxy, they target One for All first. They thought of everything..." He muttered that last part to himself.
"Meanwhile, the country's heroes continue to unravel. If I were All for One, I'd go on the offensive," Best Jeanist couldn't help but wonder if they were just biding their time...
"Right now, his priority is taking over Shigaraki's body like Deku said. After losing to All Might, he couldn't survive without a labyrinth of tubes and machinery. So he's strengthening his protege's body...in order to make that his new home." Like when he was using Shigaraki's body to attack them...
"According to Garaki's post-raid interrogation...Shigaraki was brought back online before his upgrades could be fully completed. I don't know how All for One plans to move into his new digs, but it's clear the boy's body needs to be perfected before he does," Hawks assumed correctly, since Shigaraki/All for One fled because of the body breaking down. Meaning that All for One didn't want anything like that happening again.
"And once that's' accomplished, he'll focus on his next goal. Taking One for All by any means necessary," Endeavor glared towards the road. "And then by killing Galaxy once for all so that it can't be used against him. All for One probably can tell that the two Quirks are connected...either that, or he's just making sure the girl doesn't grow stronger to defeat him if anything happens to One for All."
"There's still something bothering me about that," Hawks confessed, a hand on his cheek.
"What?" Best Jeanist wondered curiously next to him.
"Based on what Midoriya and All Might said, you have to have a strong body to steal One for All. Got it, cool. That's where Shigaraki's younger, enhanced physique comes into play. My question is...why is Shigaraki's hatred such an important component in this?"
"The force of that feeling is vital," Best Jeanist glanced at him. "With 8 people's minds fighting back inside One for All, you'd need a powerful will to overcome them."
"Mm...but All for One has been chasing One for All, his younger brother, for generations at this point. He only started chasing Galaxy once he somehow found out All Might planned to make the girl a symbol of her own. Sounds pretty intense to me. You'd think he'd be carrying around more than enough hatred for the successors already," He imagined that the Symbol of Evil encountered the other wielders when they were alive, and yet he was fixated on his brother. "Not to mention, All Might and Callista for that matter are the reason he ended up weak and imprisoned, right?"
"It would appear his spite simply isn't enough," Best Jeanist theorized, even though it was 9 people at this point he was dealing with trying to steal One for All.
"Or maybe...he just doesn't have any. I'm going off my gut here, but...despite everything, doesn't it seem like the guy's always laughing?" Hawks couldn't help but wonder as he looked out the window.
"Perhaps his heart is just empty," Endeavor glared a bit; given how he ruthlessly injured Katsuki, it would make sense.
"Whatever the case, no villain we've found has information. And the League is dormant. They're trying to avoid a fight, so let's use that to our advantage. We should start expanding our search...even though that will mean fewer heroes on the streets, maintaining order." Which would make people hate them even more...
"I don't know, man. Things get much worse out there, and the public is going to turn against us even more," Hawks pointed out the obvious, turning to Best Jeanist. "It'll be harder for us to rally support."
"Cut away too much fabric, and the design falls apart," Best Jeanist could get what he was saying...but they had to do something to find just one person who had information on All for One.
Meanwhile, Toshinori was still tracking Izuku by phone. He's still on the move He gave a worried look as it was very late, and Izuku hadn't even stopped for a breather... Have you gotten any rest at all, young man?
"I recommend a solid night's sleep on a sublime mattress," Sir Nighteye suggested in concern.
Now he was understanding more and more just how much Sir Nighteye worried for him when he wouldn't stop being the Symbol of Peace...
Nighteye. I'm trying...
It was complete silence as Katsuki and Izuka reached the city and she looked away, feeling guilty that he was here for her health and sake. And she didn't even realize until now how much she wasn't taking care of herself. "...You didn't have to come," She whispered, getting his attention as he looked up. He then stared back up ahead.
"...If I didn't, you'd probably end up doing the exact thing Deku did. And I can't let you do that," He admitted as they flew over a rooftop from a building. She gasped at him and then he slowly landed at a rooftop high enough to see almost the whole city. Izuka slowly got off of him, looking at Katsuki as he dusted himself off. "…My hands didn't reach you in Kamino. It's about time I don't owe you for that."
"What…?" Izuka murmured to herself, wondering why he felt the need to say that now. She snapped out of it to change the subject. "I wouldn't have left UA for good," She tried to assure him and he turned to her. "If anything, I would've just taken a break. Not that it would've helped." She then opened the basket, gasping to see all of her favorite foods inside. Izuka sat down and he followed, watching her look through everything. "You brought a lot of food," She raised a brow curiously at him.
"You needed the energy," He looked up ahead as she picked up a bowl of ramen wrapped in tinfoil, with pork inside and it had a warm broth, which was why it was one of her favorites. He noticed her choice and picked up another cup, before taking her own. She turned to him as she watched him use his Quirk to heat them up. "You probably only ate a little just to get the extras off your back. Cooking it was a pain because I was trying not to go overboard with the spices."
She did a double take as the ramen heated from his hand. "So you made all of this? Remind me to pay you back..." She rubbed the back of her neck—cooking for her, taking her out, helping her...it was all a bit much, though she couldn't say it wasn't needed.
"Best way of returning the favor is to do this right," He shoved the two bowls in her hands and her eyes widened. "We wait until he shows and then ambush him. And yes, you're eating all of that, and I don't wanna hear otherwise."
"You just have to be so blunt..." She gave a tired look, but wasn't gonna argue further. She then wondered how she was even gonna eat it when he took a spoonful himself and held it up to her lips. The girl blinked in confusion.
"Open your mouth," He stated with a serious expression on his face.
"Weh?!" She blushed at the thought of him feeding her as her eyes widened in alarm. The girl then slowly inched away a little, waving a hand. "Wait, why, I can eat by myself! Besides, you made it, remember?"
"Oi, shut up, I'm not dumb enough to poison anyone. So just eat it!" He then sighed while looking away briefly. "You probably skipped lunch. If you don't eat, you can't be looking for him. You need to take your health more seriously, ya idiot. Now hurry up before it gets cold," He held out the spoonful again to her lips. Izuka blushed in embarrassment, but did recognize Katsuki's intentions.
He did make this for me, and I am pretty hungry...so I'll go along with this for now.
She opened her mouth and he gently put the spoonful into it. Izuka then closed it and he watched for her reaction. She then slowly perked up, giving him a slightly happy smile. It had been the most joyful feeling she had felt ever since her brother left school.
"Wow, it's so delicious, Katsuki...! And is this pork? I love pork with my ramen!"
He flinched with a flabbergasted look for her expression. She hasn't looked like this in a while, huh? It looks...cute... He then shook his head rapidly to snap out of it. "A-anyway, eat all of it, ya hear?!" He shoved another spoonful into her mouth.
"Mm, hey, don't just shove it," She warned as she put her hand on his wrist to gently move it, slowly eating it. He ignored her and looked back down at the bowl, getting another spoonful. He furrowed his eyebrows a little.
"I don't know if this is even a good idea for you to be doing this alone anymore if this is your current state, Izuka. But...you won't stop looking for him, right?" She blinked and then looked towards the ground, a deep frown on her face. It really said something when most of the other class didn't even stop to think if she would be here. But...up until now, she didn't care if she was risking herself, she just wanted to talk to her brother again. The girl didn't say a word as she felt like he knew the answer, and...she didn't want to hear his scolding. Because she knew that he'd be disappointed.
"...Even so, you can depend on me now."
She looked up with a sharp gasp as he looked at the spoonful and not at her. The girl then looked away with a lost look on her face. Am I even doing the right thing by being here? By looking for my brother, I've now gotten Katsuki involved in something probably bigger than I know...he shouldn't have to do this for me.
She then bowed her head apologetically. "I-I'm sorry-"
"Shut it!" He shouted and she yelped in alarm at him. He put another spoonful of ramen into her mouth and she let out a small whine. "You thought you could count on not just him, but the rest of our class, right? So just do the same but with me, moron!"
"Katsuki, I can't-"
"I'm not finished," He gripped the chopsticks and she blinked, staring up at him as he still didn't look at her. He then gritted his teeth, his bangs hiding his face. "We've known each other our whole lives, and I always used to see you as the damn annoying mouse that you used to be. You're being distant as usual," He bit his lip angrily. I may not be the most ideal, but...I'm pissed off thinking about what could've happened to you if I hadn't shown up. And yet... He then finally looked up at her, a fierce look in his eyes as he had a light blush over his cheeks. "Even though you've changed...it's still on me to always make sure that you don't drop dead by anyone or anything. Just like I had since we were brats."
Her eyes widened slowly at his declaration and he held out another spoonful to her. She then ate it, though was still shocked. She swallowed and he sighed, closing his eyes as he placed a gentle hand on her head. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears went down her cheeks. Even when she didn't want him to...he was always there for her. And not because of some dumb vendetta like in the past when he was upset over the twins being in UA.
"Ahh...Katsuki..." She sniffed and he held her cheeks, rubbing his thumbs against them to wipe her tears away. Izuka gave a breathless laugh as she placed down the ramen bowls. "...I'm glad that you insisted on coming with me. And I'm really sorry for not realizing how you felt. I didn't mean to worry you so much."
His eyes softened a little as he pulled her in for a hug. "Just come here, idiot." She rested her face against his shoulder, the blond gently stroking the back of her head. He then left his hand there, the other wrapped around her waist. She gripped onto his shirt, a weak smile on her face. "Have common sense next time. You have a phone, use it…don't run away from me. So if you ever do that again…leaving me behind…I will kill you. I told you...I don't care what side you show me. All of it...is who you are to me."
"…I won't. I promise," She murmured into his shoulder, a small smile on her face.
He kept holding onto her as he didn't question it. He knew that she would keep her word. It's crazy that I'm even asking this. But for once…I can reach out…and finally catch her. Not for being number one…but to be by her side. It may be stupid, but right now…this is all I need.
"...You think he's okay?" She kept her head down as she let go a few seconds later.
"The hell are you asking me for?" He muttered since he wouldn't know the answer.
"I need something to go off of. It's not like I can ask anyone else right now."
"I'm sure he's fine, he's just being damn Deku," He glanced away from her.
"What if I'm just in the way?" His eyes widened from the question as she was looking up ahead. "He left without saying anything for a reason, right? Is it because…I was holding him back?"
"You and I both know that's bullshit," Katsuki retorted as he glared at her.
"…Yeah," She smiled optimistically after a few seconds.
"And I know that you won't even touch your sketchbooks," He closed his eyes and her eyes softened, knowing that he saw her empty pages from one of them.
"I did try once. It didn't work," She murmured after a few seconds as they sat there. He already knew that art wasn't going to be enough to help her...finding her brother would be the solution. Doing any art now...it wouldn't do me any good. Not unless I find Izuku and bring him back home...
Izuku floated to a stop, tapping his phone. As soon as he put it to his ear, something purple hit it from behind.
Toshinori's mouth opened as the line went dead. Hawks, Best Jeanist, and Endeavor heard the beeping as well. Katsuki and Izuka looked up as they heard the shot, the two narrowing their eyes.
"What was that?!" Toshinori yelped, wondering what was going on.
"Not good," Hawks frowned as Best Jeanist was tracking Izuku too.
"His GPS signal disappeared!" Toshinori yelped, meaning that someone was behind the reasoning for the lost signal. "Damn it!" He sped off to the last known location of Izuku as fast as he could...and then something flew past the window. His eyes widened as he recognized what it was. Crap! A flash grenade went off into his car.
His communicator was now pierced...with a purple and pink cylinder object attached. "Little boy dressed in green. You're coming with me," A voice spoke up, female, but Izuku didn't recognize it.
Wait. Then this isn't just some random villain. I'm her target! Right. This is it. A jailbreaker with ties to him! She wouldn't be doing this unless it was for a reason. And the only person who would target him was an obvious choice. From another rooftop, a woman was standing there, pointing something.
"Don't move a muscle, and I'll let you keep your limbs."
He glanced back wide-eyed. This sniper was hired by All for One!
"Little boy dressed in green." The woman targeting him revealed to have a sniper made out of her right elbow. She then twirled part of her hair around her finger. "Don't move a muscle..." She pulled it out for it to turn into a bullet. She then placed her bullet into a hole in her hand. "And I'll let you keep your limbs."
This sniper was hired by All for One! He glanced up towards her.
"From what I'm told..." Hawks spoke up as Izuku was changing into his new costume. He looked out the window of the hospital room. "You should be able to hold your own given the power you have." Izuku looked back towards him, as Hawks definitely had something on his mind. "But I'm still concerned. All for One and Shigaraki can't steal this cultivated ability from you or your sister yet. And in the last fight, we confiscated every scrap of Garaki's tech we could find. Without that, they don't have a way to store a Quirk Factor to be transplanted later. So...the best choice for the League would be to take you in alive. Thankfully, most of the escapees wouldn't stand a chance against you. But...there's one woman we should be worried about."
Is that her? Izuku couldn't help but wonder while staring at the sniper.
"We were basically colleagues, though she was my senior. Of course, I'm trying to track her down as well," Hawks turned fully to the boy. "But Deku...if the two of you ever cross paths...run like hell. Fast as you can."
Bullets made out of indigo and pink strands twisted together. He then turned around to her curiously.
"I said don't move," She repeated, glaring towards him. Immediately Danger Sense went off as he prepared himself. She fired and he jumped past it. He grabbed the object thrown earlier, swinging around with Blackwhip. He grabbed his communicator on the way.
There's no mistake! It's her! He watched as she held up her gun to readjust it. A former public safety commission hero. Lady Nagant!
"You think it's him?" Katsuki glanced up at Izuka while she was on his back, on their way over to the fight.
"Could be just a villain, but I'm not ruling it out either," Izuka narrowed her eyes a little. "Either way, let's be on our guard. We don't know what we're dealing with."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it!" He retorted to the girl, speeding up his explosions as she hung on tight.
Izuku glanced down at his destroyed communicator. She destroyed my secure communicator! That'll signal All Might, Hawks, and the others that something is wrong, but I have no way of warning them that she's the one behind this attack! He put his communicator away, knowing that if they stepped in now, she'd target them as well. If they rush in, they'll be in her line of fire. What do I do? Try to escape like Hawks said to?
"Why bother running when you're already mine?" She declared, unfazed by his fast movements as Danger Sense went off again. He looked up as another purple bullet went flying towards him.
High-angle fire? He reached out his hands to catch it, sliding backwards because it was more powerful than it looked. Analyze the trajectory.
She reached out to her hair again to pull out another bullet. "Now I get it," She scoffed while reloading herself. "That's why he wants you," She fired again, and the bullet spun around, hitting Izuku this time. He grunted as he flew backwards.
"Oh, her? She's insane," Snipe was on an interview for which heroes that should be watched. "If she weren't around, I'd be the best long-range shooter in Japan, no contest. My Quirk, Homing, lets me hit any target I can see within 600 meters. Can't choose where the shot hits and it don't pack much punch. But not too shabby, right? Her, though? She can hit the same mark with skill alone, and from a perch three kilometers away! She's taking away all my business! I'm gonna be sent out to pasture!" He then held up a bullet, twirling it in his fingers. "The secret's in her bullets. She has the ability to make them into any shape her heart desires," He tossed the bullet in the air and caught it. "See, her two-toned hair gets mashed together like epoxy putty, which then hardens into her ammunition. I'm talkin' curving bullets, hollow-point bullets, sky's the limit. Her Quirk is Rifle, and she's the walking personification of a sniper rifle. Everybody who shoots targets is jealous of her right arm."
He remembered watching that interview when he was younger...never did he think he'd ever meet her tonight. Precision even Mr. Snipe is jealous of. And a good firing rate. Without Danger Sense, she woulda had me. But thanks to the first shot and the one just now, I can tell where she is! He glanced up while tracking her using his eyes. About one kilometer ahead! Her range is triple that. No point trying to evade her bullets and outrun her. He landed on the side of a building, using that to give him more momentum. Gotta get close!
She fired twice, and missed, smoke coming from her right arm. "That's the first time someone's dodged more than one bullet..." She then blinked as she saw Izuka with Katsuki arriving, narrowing her eyes at them. Are they working with him? If so...I'm not taking any chances to let them get in my way She reloaded herself and fired right towards Izuka, hitting the girl in the back of her head.
"Ahh!" Izuka grunted in pain and closed her eyes. This caused her to release her grip on Katsuki, and then started to fall. He looked at her wide-eyed, wondering what just happened.
"NO!" He shouted while holding out a hand, swooping down using his explosions.
Danger Sense went off again from Izuku, but not because of Lady Nagant. Huh? This...feels so familiar somehow He glanced back in the direction that Izuka and Katsuki were.
"Where's Pops?" Kai Chisaki murmured nearby, Lady Nagant glancing over her shoulder. "I need to hurry to him...right now."
"Yeah, yeah," She stood in front of him. "After I'm finished with this. It's time to hide," She grabbed his left arm, which limped since he didn't have his hands. "The target'll see you," She moved him over to a secluded spot, knowing that Izuku would bring him back to jail and she needed him currently.
"I'm coming, Boss," He looked up, determined to find the Head of the Hassaikai.
"Just hang out in here for a minute," Lady Nagant then closed the door to a storage room. "Ugh, great. Maybe I should've ditched him before..." She murmured, since she had to carry him around most of the time. He didn't have the drive to do anything else...
The fire continued at Tartarus as the escapees were getting away. "Come on. Walk faster. Do you wanna be locked up again?" She wondered as she was helping Chisaki walk.
"Must...find...him," He murmured, having no care for anything else.
"Tch. What is wrong with this guy?" She scoffed in annoyance at doing all the work.
"Ah, an erstwhile hero," All for One spoke up, causing her to glance around in alarm. All for One then appeared out of smoke. "The lovely Lady Nagant. It's an honor to meet you."
"All for One," She then dropped Chisaki on the ground. "You know, not long ago, you were my main target."
"Yet, here we are," He commented at the irony, causing her to gasp. "I have a favor to ask you. You're not like the rest of this rabble. In the coming days, a certain student from UA will set out on his own. My request is simple. I would like you to bring the boy to me. A number of annoying guardians will be watching over him from afar. It would be wise to get him alone before you make your move. He does have a sister I'm interested in getting as well...so by bringing him to me, she'll come after him. Perhaps you could wait for a rainy night. I find that atmosphere to be quite-"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," She suddenly interrupted the Symbol of Evil. "Did I say I agreed to be your pawn? You told the others to go wild. So why am I the only one whose freedom comes at a price?" She looked at the other escapees, wondering why not get one of them.
"Because you once killed a hero," He pointed out with a small chuckle. "An ally." She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering if he did research on her. "You also desire the destruction of this failed society. But that will never come to pass so long as the boy is allowed to play at being a hero."
She scoffed as she looked away from the word hero. "Great. Another one of those. Damn."
"Pops..." She glanced down in shock to hear Chisaki speak.
"The young head of the Shie Hassaikai," All for One introduced him to her. "A friend of yours?"
"No. Something's broken in him. But I thought he might be useful," She explained, knowing that he would offer something of value, she just didn't know what.
"He is also a victim," All for One remembered what happened to him during the raid. "Driven to ruin by these corrupt false heroes. Let us seal their coffins shut. Come. You're hired for the job..." He reached out a hand to her, his hand glowing red... "Consider this power an advance."
She walked up to the edge of the rooftop as Izuku flew in to catch Izuka in his arms so fast he was like a rocket. "Izuka!" He muttered as Katsuki blinked in shock from his sudden appearance. Izuku's voice sounded different to him...but he had a feeling about it.
The woman faltered before she could jump from the name...he wouldn't have said it unless he knew her. "Izuka, huh?" Lady Nagant glanced at Izuku flying her away from the area. "So they know each other. If I take her out, nabbing him shouldn't be a problem."
Izuku landed on a nearby building, looking over his shoulder to watch out for the sniper. Her eyes were still closed. "You need to go back. It's not safe here for you."
"Mm..." Izuka was about to open her eyes, and Izuku didn't see it...but she was able to get a look at him, although still blurry thanks to the hit in the head.
Izuku flinched from hearing her voice and ran off reluctantly. She slowly sat up, staring after him and then standing up. That voice... She slowly walked up to the rooftop's edge, tilting her head curiously. "Just now...was that-"
"Hey, you good?" She looked up at Katsuki landing next to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Talk to me."
"I'm fine...that hero..." Izuka murmured, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Yeah...I saw him too," He glanced over to the rest of the city. "Sounded familiar?"
"...Maybe. I didn't get a good look at him, but I could've sworn..." She placed a hand on her head, still a bit hazy. The girl then slowly shook it off, turning around to leave. "Let's go and tell the-" Izuka turned back and fired off a shooting star towards the direction of the incoming bullet from Lady Nagant. She narrowed her eyes as Katsuki grunted in annoyance. The two watched as the star exploded the bullet to pieces.
"We're being watched around here," He glanced down at the girl, who stepped up and placed her hands on the edge. She squinted towards the direction it came from, knowing that the hero who saved her was still around.
"Yeah...and it wouldn't surprise me of who her actual target is," She spoke up, having a strong feeling that they weren't her main targets.
Lady Nagant bent down and jumped. As she moved, air platforms appeared underneath her feet. They worked kind of like Gentle's Elasticity. Air walk. Nice. I have a mission to complete... She jumped up again to find Izuku and take him...