Angel: Will Izuka be with Izuku at the hospital? Yes. Will she paint a picture of Izuku and Mirio? Probably not? I feel like it's not really important. Will Bakugo and Izuka be each other's secret Santa? Uhhh, no, but I also don't want to spoil the episode of what I did do. You'll just have to guess~! We're not that far off from season 5 since there is only…27 more chapters to get through before that Christmas episode.
Tamaki panted as Izuka had taken off at this point using her teleportation. "The neurotoxin should be circulating throughout your bodies at this point," He stated to the unconscious Setsuno, Hojo, and Tabe. The three were still tied up. "You're not gonna die, but I doubt you'll be doing any running for a while. Oh, and I'll be taking these masks with me," He held up their gear. "Who knows what kinda tricks you might have hidden inside them?" He then gasped as he looked up. "That took me too long...wonder how far ahead the others are now...I need...to catch up..." As he headed for the double doors, he couldn't stand anymore, and fell towards the ground.
"Huh...I guess...I was hurt worse than I thought...Izuka's ice can only do so much..." He murmured weakly from the ground. "Izuka, I know you can find them again...I'm not saying this as someone who likes you...but as a friend...don't come back for me. Keep going...for Eri..." He said as he couldn't get back up...
Sir Nighteye and the others continued running down the hallway. "Oh, man. Amajiki and Mido," Eijiro frowned in concern for them both. "I'm really worried about them." Izuku hummed in agreement, and Fat Gum looked very annoyed to hear this. All four were students from UA, so he thought that they'd have at least a little more trust in them...especially since two of them were related.
Not even the first years think he can do this. At least Callista went back for him. Guess one moment of confidence doesn't mean much if they haven't seen him do anything to back it up, but still... He suddenly came to a stop. "Listen!" He shouted angrily, getting the attention of the two boys. "You've left a comrade to guard your back, and if you're a real man, you'll trust him! Your own classmate respects him so much that she went back to help him!"
"Yeah, they'll handle it, no problem!" Eijiro shouted in encouragement.
"It doesn't take much to change your mind, does it?" Izuku looked at him wide-eyed.
"Fat's right! All we can do is have faith in them! And with Mido by his side, they can do anything!" Eijiro clenched a fist. Izuku frowned a bit, still concerned for his sister because it was just instinctive to do so. If the fight required her to use a lot of her Quirk, it would prove to be disastrous results. His conversation with Recovery Girl about pushing his body came to mind for him, and he didn't want that to happen to his sister.
"We can't afford to waste a second of the time Suneater bought us!" Fat Gum reminded the team.
"Alright! Let's go!" Eijiro shouted in excitement. Locklock looked away in irritation for the former's yelling.
Kid needs to calm down...
"Strange," Mr. Aizawa spoke up to the group. "The guy who was manipulating the building seems to have eased off for some reason."
"Yeah, you're right," Izuku pointed out as they were walking on solid ground, which had gone unnoticed until now. "It's not twisting anymore."
"I'd expect him to throw as many obstacles in our way as he could to trip us up," Mr. Aizawa panted out as he took a look towards the walls. "If he's not, maybe that means his awareness and control don't extend through the entire place. There's also the police squad up above. It's possible he decided to focus all his attention on them instead."
"So there's a limit to how much of the building he can keep tabs on?" Locklock glanced towards the man.
"It's just a theory, but maybe rather than having been assimilated into it, he's moving around inside the walls to monitor what's going on. So when he does take control of an area, perhaps his true body is nearby," Mr. Aizawa explained to them.
And this was true, as Mimic was looking into the room where Setsuno, Tabe, Hojo, and Tamaki were. Tamaki was still unconscious, and so were the three men. None of them would be getting up anytime soon.
"They only managed to stop one of the heroes?" He growled in anger. "Garbage or not, those three are supposed to be strong. And wait...someone's missing. Where's that short girl that was with him earlier? If she's not here...I need to get in her way." He then used his Quirk to see into the building and notice her location, as it hadn't been that long that she left Tamaki. He could sense her using her power because of her movements. "There you are..." He closed his eyes to prevent her from finding the others.
Izuka emerged from a portal, sliding to a stop and looking around as she was all alone. Damn it. What the hell is going on? I didn't have any trouble finding Suneater before...I feel terrible for leaving him alone with them again, but those guys aren't going anywhere, so I'll leave them to him. But for right now, I gotta find the others. They might need my help if they haven't caught up with Lemillion yet.
"Wasn't expecting the girl to be able to teleport..." Mimic cackled to himself while still hidden in the walls. A huge black/purple hole appeared in front of her as she closed her eyes. "With the way her power works, it's likely that she has to think of whoever or wherever she has to go to reach her desired location. And with my power, I can change the exterior to confuse her. She'll be teleporting in circles!"
"If he pokes an actual eye or an ear out to keep track of us, that'll be all it takes." Mr. Aizawa then gasped in realization as did Izuku. "Wait, hold on. If Mido's new teleportation ability works of having to think of her next location or person, he's probably using that to throw her off if she managed to stop those guys along with Amajiki."
"Which means..." Izuku murmured as he looked up ahead. "Getting back to us is going to be harder than it looks..." Izuka is definitely strong, which worries him. She can not only dodge most attacks thanks to her speed, but being able to locate him now probably wouldn't be a problem for her if she plans on doing it. So he's essentially playing keep away with one of our biggest support and defense to give us a disadvantage...but if we can turn that around...
Mimic's eyes widened in realization. "That's right..."
"I just need to see him," Mr. Aizawa murmured to them. "That should assist Mido in being able to find her way back."
"It's his fault!" Mimic's shadow ran along the walls.
One of the yakuza members growled up at Bubble Girl. She, Centipeder, and a police officer were keeping eyes on them. "I can't believe you all came out to try and stop us. It seems crazy to me," She commented in disbelief while tying one up.
"Well, it's not," One of them retorted back, getting her attention. "Fighting you people was the only sane option. We couldn't just sit it out. If we did, Overhaul would've killed us without a second thought," He glanced back at the woman with a small sinister smirk.
"Overhaul," She blinked at the name, recognizing it as the name of his Quirk. "You're talking about Chisaki?"
"Yeah, it's what he started callin' himself after the boss got sick and he came to power. The boss valued the old ways. He wanted the yakuza to stay as we were, even in these new times. We're not like villains; the Hassaikai have integrity. He didn't want us to be seen as just another group of low-life thugs. He's who we respected," He glared up at Bubble Girl, now sitting with his other fellow members. "We trusted him. The young head gave himself a villain's name. Allowed scum to join us. He makes decisions on his own, doesn't care what the rest of us want. Thinks he's the only one whose vote matters."
"The boss is in bad shape," A second one informed them. "Can't even talk, and we know who to blame."
"Watch it!" The third one warned his comrade nervously.
"As much as you dislike Chisaki, you seem pretty sure that we're not gonna catch him," Bubble Girl pointed out that despite them following him, they still thought poorly of Overhaul. And that they were confident their plans would see through.
"You don't stand a chance," The one in the middle growled. "Whackjob like him? Doesn't care about consequences or even his own future? Those are the ones you have to watch out for. It's what makes them so dangerous."
Sir Nighteye and his group were still running down the hall together. A wall suddenly spun as Mimic took back control of it. Then a giant hand made out of the wall came from it, grabbing Mr. Aizawa from behind his students.
"Eraser!" Eijiro shouted, turning around to him.
Mr. Aizawa gritted his teeth as he could guess why he was being targeted. He wants to knock me out of the fight before I can get eyes on him to allow Mido to find us.
"If those idiots can't handle their job, I'll just have to take care of these guys myself!" Mimic pushed Mr. Aizawa towards the wall. Fat Gum jumped in front of it, reaching out a hand to push the man out of the way.
"No!" He shouted after he saw the hero do this.
If we don't stop this guy, then Tamaki will've stayed behind for nothing, and Callista will've gone after him for the same reason! Come on, Eraser, time to do your thing! He then got hit in the face with the attack as Mr. Aizawa looked up, the others staring up ahead in shock.
"Be careful, Fat!" He warned as they watched him disappear. Fat Gum then rolled himself into a ball, rolling down a pathway before he landed in a dark room. Someone let out a muffled grunt and he looked down to see that Eijiro had been taken with him, and was now underneath the hero.
"Where'd you come from?!" He yelped down at his student.
Eijiro let out a grunt as he stood up, rubbing his neck. "I jumped out in front of Mr. Aizawa." When they were attacked, he and Izuku ran towards it, but Eijiro had reached it first. "I figured I wouldn't take any damage. But then you jumped and...I kinda got stuck." When Fat Gum had jumped, Eijiro was actually underneath, but the mentor didn't see him since he was the tallest person in the team aside from Ryukyu in her dragon form.
"...Well, nothin' we can do now," Fat Gum looked around and then was on alert. "Get ready. We're not alone."
Someone stepped out from the shadows and Eijiro narrowed his eyes. Someone with a mask stepped out, with huge muscles.
Go ahead, punch me Eijiro silently dared him. He saw the fist coming and then turned into his unbreakable form. I'll smash your fist to pieces! The villain prepared his fist and punched Eijiro, who managed to take the hit, but he was sent flying backwards. The villain prepared himself to attack again and Fat Gum gasped, standing in front of him. He used the hero like a punching bag in rapid fashion, and the blows were brutal on the hero's body. Smoke came from him as the villain stood up straight, staring him down.
"You good?" He looked over his shoulder, gasping sharply as the smoke was clearing. Eijiro had broken the wall, panting heavily as parts of his unbreakable form were already starting to peel off...which had never happened to him before.
"No. My arms are..." He murmured as some of the skin had broken off to reveal blood underneath.
"You know what I think?" The villain, Rappa, spoke up, smoke coming from his fists. Clearly, he was strong to manage to weaken the both of them. Despite the two being strong shields. "Knives and guns got no place in a fight. Anyone can win if they got a weapon. That's the coward's way. A real fighter kills his opponent using nothing but his own strength. You a real fighter?" He challenged the both of them.
"You're not gonna take us down that easily!" Fat Gum declared while moving back his own fist. He then punched towards Rappa...only for a yellow dome to appear, and therefore he didn't actually hit the villain. He gasped as he moved backwards in shock. "What?"
Looks like some kinda barrier.
The barrier then completely disappeared. "So we have Fat Gum and a boy with a hardening Quirk," A new voice guessed correctly while revealing himself. He had a mask like Overhaul as he rubbed his forehead. "Mm...they're both better suited for defense. Disappointing, isn't it, Rappa?"
Rappa let out a grunt as he charged forward, punching Fat Gum so hard that spit flew from his mouth. He let out a groan as Rappa punched him repeatedly, not letting up until the hero jumped back a bit. More smoke came from his body, and his suit was even torn up now.
I can feel his blows even through my fat. Each punch is like a bullet.
"You call that a good defense?" Rappa mocked the heavyset hero. "They're both lookin' rough already. I mean, they're not mincemeat yet, but still."
Fat Gum glared towards the two villains. These two weren't on the Quirk list we got. Did they bring in outside help? One makes a barrier and the other rains down punches. This'll be a tricky pair to fight.
The second villain stepped up, keeping his hands on his forehead. "We are a spear and a shield. Whereas you are simply two shields."
"Wait, hold on," Rappa turned to his partner in confusion. "Who'd wanna fight with two shields? Sounds lame."
The other man then looked up towards their opponent, also assessing them like Fat Gum did. "To be fair, I don't know whether that boy even qualifies as one," He stared down Eijiro, who weakly got onto his feet.
My arms cracked! Man, it hurts. He was shaking, trying to absorb the pain, but it was difficult to do so. I couldn't absorb the blow...another barrage like that, and I'm done. I thought I'd gotten stronger. He gritted his teeth angrily, frustrated with himself. He thought that fight back when he was on patrol with Tamaki and Fat Gum was a sign of improvement...but right now, he didn't feel like he had. Damn it! I'm still weak!
He then remembered that even as a kid...he still had shortcomings that he felt like he simply couldn't get past. "Remember, you're unbreakable!" Fat Gum said, causing the red-haired boy to gasp as he looked up. "If you let them break your spirit, that means you've lost! When you're up against villains, the key is making 'em lose their will to fight first! You can't lose your drive before they do! Now let's take those two fatheads down and get outta here! The others are waitin' for us!"
Eijiro stood there in shock as he felt like he couldn't do it despite that. "They believe they can defeat us," The one maintaining the barrier, Tengai, was focusing his Quirk. "You must be thrilled."
"I like the way that fat guy thinks!" Rappa complimented, making his hand into a fist. "Alright. This is startin' to get good. Get rid of this damn thing, Tengai," He knocked his fist against the barrier. "I don't need a stupid bubble to keep me safe."
"Rise above your own desires," Tengai retorted back, a hand on his forehead. "Remember what Master Overhaul said. He paired us for a reason. Our skills compliment each other, ensuring victory." Rappa let out a groan, sagging his shoulders in annoyance. He then started to punch at Tengai, only for him to put up another barrier around him. "What do you hope such violence will accomplish?" He asked without even looking up.
Just by looking at them, Fat Gum could tell that just because their Quirks complimented each other...didn't mean they were the greatest at compromising with each other.
"Overhaul didn't ask if I wanted to team up with you," Rappa growled towards Tengai.
"Master Overhaul," Tengai corrected him, a bit annoyed. "Show some respect."
"Who cares?! All I want is a good death match," Rappa snapped towards the man.
"Very well," Tengai relented and then dropped the barrier that was around Rappa on his own. He still kept the one that was around him, though. "If you think you can take them yourself, by all means."
"That's more like it!" Rappa exclaimed, pleased as he turned around to Fat Gum and Eijiro. "You're not so bad after all!" He then lunged towards Fat Gum, who looked at him in alarm. He attacked with more blows once again towards Fat Gum, who slid backwards once Rappa stopped.
When I get in close, I can't dodge his hits! He growled as he stared at his opponent, and by now, the tears in his suit had gotten bigger. Not to mention, he looked worse now after that recent attack. And there's so much strength behind them that not even I can absorb all the damage. He'll wear me down till I've got nothin' left. They were arguing before, but I'm sure the other guy'll put up a shield if his partner needs one. It felt like an iron wall when I punched it earlier. My power isn't enough to take it down. We won't be able to win while that guy's still standin'. Despite what I said, Kirishima's in rough shape...but I've got no choice. Eijiro behind him was still struggling to get up as he felt like he could barely move. Fat Gum glared towards the two villains. I have to face them. Get this wrong, and I might die. But if I don't try at all, we're dead for sure.
"Fat Gum..." Eijiro murmured in worry for him, shaking.
"Your name's Rappa, right?" Fat Gum spoke up, ignoring his student. "It's been a while since I've been hit that hard. And I've done a decent amount of fighting over the years too. In the end, it's all gonna come down to what happens first. Your arms get tired or my body gives out. Which is stronger? Spear or shield? I guess we're about to find out, aren't we?" He grinned, knowing that like everyone who had a Quirk, Rappa himself had a limit. Surely he'd reach it at some point.
"Alright!" Rappa cheered at this. "You totally get me, Fatso! Tengai, remember."
"No barriers," Tengai said a bit tiredly.
"Yeah! This is gonna be awesome, guys!" Rappa charged towards Fat Gum, who did the same towards him.
Eijiro was shaking still, some blood over his face as he felt helpless watching them. He knew why Fat Gum was doing this, but he wished his mentor wasn't. Especially since it was going to be impossible to defeat Rappa with his strong punches... Fat...he's protecting me. He watched the hero take hit after hit, blocking Eijiro from the villain even. Even though those punches are obviously wearing him down! What is wrong with me? His hand shook, blood dripping down from the arm. I was so sure I'd gotten stronger! But then...he broke through my ultimate move with a single attack. And now I'm just in the way... He looked up in dismay towards the hero, as he felt like Fat Gum shouldn't have to go through with this alone. That Eijiro had to stand up and fight, but he felt like he couldn't. That he still wasn't anything compared to some of his classmates, especially Katsuki and the Midoriya Twins. This fight...would amount to nothing, all because of him.
Fat Gum gritted his teeth from the punches he was getting from Rappa, who unfortunately wasn't letting up. He keeps getting faster...and each hit hurts worse than the last. Am I gonna be able to hold out long enough? All he could do was hold up his arms while taking the hits, his suit tearing even further apart.
Eijiro gelt like he was going to cry while watching, feeling like he couldn't watch.
Rappa then jumped backwards for a small breather. "Come on, Wideload, hang in there. You can't pass out on me yet!" He leaped forward and continued punching Fat Gum, the hero's hair slipping from his torn suit. "We've got a long way to go and I'm just gettin' warmed up!" He continued beating up Fat Gum.
Damn it. I can't just stand here! I have to do something. Fat Gum's gonna die! Fat Gum felt like he got the wind knocked out of him with this next wave. Because of me! Useless bastard! Your hardening cracks and there's nothing worthwhile underneath! Can't I do anything? He felt like his world was crumbling, his eyes shaking. He couldn't think of anything to do...he didn't have any flashy moves or any other Ultimate moves. He felt pathetic, that Shoto, Katsuki, or the twins could've faced those guys with no problem. But instead, all he could do was freeze and he wasn't sure he could handle it.
"The boy won't be a problem," Tengai noted Eijiro's lack of movement. "He's already finished. You can see it in his eyes."
It's just like it was back then...nothing's changed. Nothing...
Suddenly, a spark occurred and they looked towards it. A few seconds later, a familiar black hole portal appeared, shocking everyone in the room. Izuka emerged from it seconds later, firing off a shooting star. Rappa caught it, but still slid backwards as she landed in a crouch in front of the two.
"Mido?!" Fat Gum and Eijiro exclaimed towards her in disbelief.
"How'd you find us?" Fat Gum looked down at her.
Izuka glared towards the two villains. "When you have people like from my class, you pick up on a lot of things."
Izuka ran down the hallway after emerging from another teleporting black hole panting as she slowly came to a stop. She glanced around as she had circled the hallway more times than she needed to. "I've passed this hallway five times already. No way...don't tell me he knows I teleport. That's the only way to explain why I haven't found the others yet," She muttered as she straightened herself up, closing her eyes.
'I don't have the time to keep running around. If I keep using my teleportation like this, it's gonna tire me out like this guy wants. That's the last thing I need if I'm gonna get to Eri. So what the hell am I gonna do...? Okay, think about this logically. What would my brother do?'
Mimic peeked in from the walls to see her standing still.
'If I don't move at all, he'll use his Quirk against me so that I can be taken out. That's why he's distracting me. It might be a stretch, but...if I close off my mind and concentrate...' In particular, she focused her hearing as Mimic came out of hiding from behind. 'I can distract him long enough!' She whipped around before he could do anything and then flashed a giant shooting star in his face. He let out a shout of pain as she then summoned a teleporting black hole and ran through it. 'As I've seen from Katsuki, I have to make sure there's no openings to be used against me. Using combat sense really does pay off in the end!'
"I was only thinking of where to find more guys like the ones I faced off before if the others had come across them. Seems like I was on the right hunch," She narrowed her eyes.
"The girl. She's the one that's been talked about through Master Overhaul," Tengai recognized her immediately. She then snarled to hide her initial shock.
"I'm popular, huh? Either way, I'll send him a message through kicking your asses," Izuka then created her moon bow. Eijiro gasped a bit while looking up at her. He knew Katsuki said she was strong despite never saying it to her face...but back when they first started UA together, he never would've thought he'd see her like this now. So fearless and confident...almost like Katsuki himself actually. It was clear that the boy had changed her so much throughout their time together in school. The Izuka he knew from the beginning of the year wouldn't be standing in front of him like this.
"These guys are tough, Callista," Fat Gum warned the girl. "Especially Rappa. They're like a sword and a shield..."
"If they're just as strong as the guys I fought with Suneater...I'm not worried as long as we work together. Two shields can fight together, so I know you guys can do it. Isn't that right, Red Riot? I know that you don't hesitate when it comes to anything because you've been through too much to do that!" Eijiro looked at her wide-eyed; the two did fight together in the USJ after all, and she was one of three people to try and stop Kurogiri when he was about to attack the class. "After all, you saved me. Now I get to help you. That's what friends do for each other!"
His eyes shook as he took her words in, and it reminded him of some of his days in middle school...
At Mustafa Private Middle School, some bullies were picking on a bear-like student.
"Hey, there. We heard about you," One of them spoke up and the victim backed up towards the wall in fear. "You're the guy who can change leaves into money, right?' Both of them were holding leaves in their hands. "Nice Quirk, man."
"So make these into some bills quick, dude," The other bully waved the leaves. The victim looked uncomfortable towards them. "We're kinda short on cash."
"I can't do paper bills! And anyway, it wears off really quickly," He stammered rapidly to them.
"Then we'll just have to spend them really quickly, won't we?" One of them asked with a smirk.
"I can't! You guys, seriously!" The student pleaded with them.
Someone walked up, and it was Eijiro, only with black straight hair. "What's up?" He snarled, crossing his arms. "You bullyin' a kid for some chump change? That's not very manly, jerks!"
"Who's that?" One of them questioned in disinterest.
"Third year. Kirishima," The other one recognized him. Eijiro then came charging in like a bull, his hardening appearing. But it wasn't as strong as it could've been.
"Here he comes!"
"I got him," The one who recognized Eijiro wasn't worried as he simply threw a rock...into Eijiro's face. Eijiro was left shaking. "He's not actually that strong. His Quirk just makes his body a little bit harder," He explained while Eijiro was trying to get over the pain.
"Bastard!" Eijiro gritted his teeth up at them.
One of them wrapped their arm around the victim and they walked off, essentially ignoring Eijiro. "Now let's go."
Eijiro yelped at this, as unfortunately they weren't taking him that seriously. "Get back here!"
"Forget about it, Kirishima," Someone spoke up to him, and his two friends popped up from the bushes.
"You were watching?!" He yelled in embarrassment towards the two of them.
"Why are you always sticking your neck out like that, man?" The second friend asked with a small sigh. At this point, he just felt bad for Eijiro since he was a third year and his Quirk wasn't the best that it could've been. Plus when he tried to use his Quirk for situations like this, it always ended in the same way...
Eijiro clenched a fist. "It doesn't matter what your Quirk is if you have an honorable heart! That's what the Chivalrous Hero Crimson Riot believes!" He declared to the two.
"No one believes stuff like that anymore," His first friend pointed out anxiously.
"Like the pros say. Your body moves before your brain can think!" Eijiro recited proudly, hands on his hips. "Which means..." He started to run up towards the bullies, when suddenly Mina came walking towards the three boys. The four noticed each other and Eijiro came to a stop. She started yelling towards the two bullies as she quickly deduced what was going on.
"It's Mina Ashido, from Class 4," One of his friends recognized her.
"She's really laying into 'em," Eijiro pointed out as they watched. Although it was a bit awkward as she started swaying around.
"And now they're...getting along?" All of them suddenly started dancing together, weirding them out even more. "Hold on, are they break dancing?" And then the bullies released their victim as Mina gave them a thumbs up. "They're leaving! And no one got hurt! What in the world just happened...?"
Two of Mina's friends approached, smiling. "Hey! There you are!"
"Mina! We're going shopping, wanna come?"
"Yeah!" Mina smiled happily towards the two. She then laughed as she ran off with them.
"I hear that Ashido is applying to UA," The first friend said to the second one and Eijiro. He flinched as he looked up in surprise. "Her Quirk's strong and her reflexes are great. People like her, and she's got a super flashy look. It's all about entertainment value and approval ratings these days. That's what people are looking for in a hero."
"Yeah, and Ashido's got that covered," The other friend let out a yawn. "She's definitely hero material."
Eijiro gave a small frown at this. What about me? My Hardening is pretty weak, and it's nothing flashy. At best, he could only get his forearms, part of his head, and part of his chest hard. Kinda boring. But if you have a chivalrous heart, it doesn't matter what your Quirk is! Train your body as hard as you can, and your spirit will make up for your Quirk's weakness! He then walked down the hall of his school with his friends. His Quirk was weak, but he felt like he had enough spirit to keep him going, especially towards being a hero. Or at least, that's what I thought.
"Hey, speaking of high school," The one on the right spoke up. "I'm kinda thinking I might go for UA, too."
"Please," The other one dismissed immediately. "Normal people like us don't grow up to be heroes, idiot. Hey, E. You wanna apply to Droid Tech together?"
"Oh," He responded a bit awkwardly. "I dunno. I haven't really thought about it that much, so...heh," He scratched his cheek.
He looked at the future course survey form they were all given. UA was the only choice on there so far... 'As lame as it sounds, seeing somebody like Ashido in action got me thinking' He thought to himself while walking home. 'What if I had a flashier Quirk? Would that give me the confidence I need to apply for the hero course at UA?'
He then came to a stop, his eyes widening as he looked to the side. Several people looked on as a tall figure, taller than anybody else, was looming over two schoolgirls. Two girls that actually went to his school.
"We're looking at another sunny day tomorrow..." The weather broadcast was tuned out as the girls looked up in fear.
'What...is that?' Eijiro wondered as no one had done anything so far.
"The Springer Hero Agency," The mysterious figure spoke in a menacing voice to the girls. "Tell me where it is." He had fanged teeth, but no pupils in his eyes. The two girls couldn't say anything, whimpering in fear as they were shaking. And the figure didn't seem to realize that his appearance was why they weren't saying anything. "What? You're not gonna answer me?" He demanded, his hand on the wall...and with just one touch, he started to break it. The two girls shielded themselves as some of the concrete fell on them.
'Crap!' Eijiro gave a nervous expression. 'Why aren't there ever any heroes patrolling at times like this?' He looked around rapidly for one, but there weren't any in the area. He then looked towards other citizens, who only stood by and watched. 'Someone...no.' He dropped his bag as he felt like he was the only one that could stop him. 'I can do it!'
"It's a simple question," The figure said menacingly, gripping the wall harder. "Why won't you tell me?"
As much as Eijiro wanted to act...something in him just couldn't. He was frozen while looking up ahead. 'Move! Come on!' He pleaded with himself, his eyes shaking. There was a pit in his stomach at not doing anything.
Suddenly, Mina slid in between her friends and the figure out of nowhere. Eijiro gasped sharply at her action. "Around that corner and then make a left at the big street!" Mina instructed while pointing down the street. "The agency's two kilometers away!"
"Thank you very much," The mysterious figure replied...and then simply walked away. Mina stared after him in silence. "Everything is for my master..."
Mina slowly fell to the ground, as she felt like she had just stopped a murderer or someone like that. "You guys! That was scary!" She cried out, tears in her eyes as her friends hugged her.
"Thank you! You saved us!"
"If you hadn't stopped him, he would've squashed us for sure!" The other one shouted while some people went over to check on them. Another citizen was reporting to a police officer what just happened. Eijiro kept looking up ahead towards them.
"I lied and sent him to the police, let's hurry and get out of here!" Mina shouted in fear at her friends.
Eijiro was frustrated with himself for not stepping in. His classmate did so, and she was terrified for her life. Yet she didn't hesitate like he had... 'I froze. Why didn't I go? Why...?'
Later that day, he was sitting at his desk at home. He looked at his future course survey form again, and UA was still the only choice on there. In the spring, guy the same age as me was in the news for fighting back against a villain. Everyone was talking about him, but there were witnesses who said that just before All Might showed up, two kids—his friends maybe...rushed in to help. And those two kids...were Izuku and Izuka against the sludge villain, trying to save Katsuki. The girl even had an amazing Quirk, able to fire a shooting star... my spirit's not making up for anything. When you're really scared...when your life is really on the line, that's when your true colors show.
After hearing about the incident, it just made him feel worse than he did before for freezing up. He thought the girl was kinda like Mina in a sense...
Facing danger, and choosing to take that next step forward, that's what makes a person hero material.
He looked up at his poster of Crimson Riot, knowing that the hero wouldn't hesitate at all. Eijiro then crossed off UA from his form.
I'm not a hero. I'm not even a man.
As a kid, when he got his Quirk at four, he had actually cut himself.
My mom told me that the first time my Quirk appeared, I accidentally cut my eye. For a while after that, I whined and cried about how much I hated my power. Thinking about it now, that's probably why I admired him so much.
He picked up his hero book, frowning. His Crimson Riot poster said 'as long as you have chivalry in your heart, anyone can be a hero!'
I hated my own Quirk, but his was similar. He stood tall and risked his life to save others.
Eijiro angrily tossed his book away, knocking some stuff down in the process. He didn't even look back to see if he had broken anything. He just hated himself for today...and wondered if he should even bother taking the entrance exam to any school, let alone UA. His power wasn't strong enough, he emotionally wasn't strong enough to help anyone.
"That's not it, is it?" A voice spoke up and he gasped. A projection of an interview with Crimson Riot was playing behind Eijiro.
"No, I'm sorry!" The reporter apologized to him.
Oh. That came with a book on great heroes I got for my birthday a while ago...Guess I never got around to watching it.
He stared at the book and the device that came with the book. He didn't even know that this interview was even in the device until today...
"If you're ready, we'll start the interview," The reporter spoke up, getting his attention.
"Right, hit me!" Crimson Riot challenged, his arms crossed almost like in his poster.
"Even among heroes, you have a reputation for being a bit...reckless, often rushing headlong into danger," The reporter asked a bit hesitantly. "Tell me, are you ever afraid in those situations?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm afraid!" This caused Eijiro to gasp because he never saw Crimson Riot as being afraid of anything...any time he saw him, the hero was never showcasing that. He didn't stop to think it was something the hero would deal with every single day. "Show me somebody who's not afraid of facing death, and I'll show you an idiot!"
I never understood what he was about before. Not really, anyway. I just thought he was cool for charging full-force into everything.
He clenched a fist, wondering if his idol was ever in the same exact situation that he was, and what he would've done if he was there. "I'm where I am now because when I was a sidekick, I failed to save someone in peril."
"I heard about that, but it wasn't your fault," The reporter tried to console him. "With the crime rate as high as it is, there's-"
"I don't think you understand," The hero interrupted her, narrowing his eyes. "That day, I hesitated, and somebody lost their life because my spirit was weak. Yes, I'm frightened when I fight a villain, knowing it could end in my death. But there's something I fear more. The look on someone's face as they die. That's far worse. It's the fear of seeing that look again that drives me."
Eijiro looked towards the ground as he had felt the opposite earlier. And that was probably why he felt so weak...because his spirit wasn't enough.
"Can you tell me what chivalry means to you?"
"Having a strong spirit. It isn't a matter of being bold, or confident, or fearless," Eijiro flinched upon hearing this, because he believed that he already had those qualities. "I'm a hero and I've sworn to protect people. It's a vow I've written on my heart and one I'll die to keep." Eijiro started to cry, his tears falling down onto his fist. Hearing this interview...he felt like he could do the same if he tried harder. "You want to know what chivalry means to me? Living a life with no regrets." He sniffed as he wanted to do that too. He didn't want to regret not helping those girls anymore...
His friend held up Eijiro's survey form the next day, who had re-written UA again over the scribbling. "You serious, E?"
"Yeah, I am," He nodded, to their bewilderment. He then looked up in determination. 'I won't freeze like that again. Ever.'
"I'm sorry!" Eijiro bowed his head to Mina's friends once he found them. "I saw that guy threatening you, but I panicked. I was too scared to move."
"Um. Who is he?" One of them asked the other in confusion.
"Pretty sure he's in Class 1..." The second girl murmured while staring at him.
"Don't worry about it!" The first one then laughed off. "Anyone would be scared."
"Mina's just special, that's all," The second one stated and Mina looked over to the three, humming a little.
Eijiro then started training harder with a punching bag, and studied hard too. Then at the entrance exam, he sat next to Mina while Present Mic was explaining everything. While taking the exam, he managed to take down enough robots to pass, as Principal Nezu informed when he got the projection. Almost all the boys in his class then congratulated him once they heard.
Cherry blossoms fell on the first day of school for UA. Mina let out a scream as she laid eyes on Eijiro. "What is up with that hair?!" She exclaimed as he now had red hair all spiky. "Get a new look for high school? You've got horns, like me!"
"Yeah!" He retorted while turning around to her. "So what if I do?" He then narrowed his eyes. "I'm not gonna regret stuff anymore. Not ever! I'll protect people, like a hero!" She rubbed her chin in thought. "I'm not the pathetic loser I used to be!" She remembered when he apologized to her friends, that he was disappointed with himself back then.
"What happened that day, with the villain," She spoke up, getting his attention. "It was really tough on you. More than it was on us."
"So?" He looked away a bit awkwardly. "What's it to you?"
"Don't be too eager to change who you are!" She hit him lightly in repeated fashion.
"That hurts!" He shouted to the pink-skinned girl. "Actually, it doesn't, but what the heck?!"
She placed a hand on her hip, grinning widely. "Once you get over yourself, let me know, okay? I'm being nice and holding back for now. But someday I'm gonna tell everyone about your little makeover. He, he, he!"
He just smiled towards her, feeling like he needed to hear that. "Thank you."
He clenched a fist, as that feeling of no regrets was tenfold now. He hesitated back then, but he wasn't going to do that now. Not when his mentor and his classmate both needed him. Mido's right. I've been in a ton of scary situations since then He gritted his teeth at having the same feeling again of feeling like a loser when he shouldn't have been feeling like that. But one thing's always frightened me more than anything else.
Fat Gum let out a groan, blood pooling from his mouth. He wasn't going to last much longer. "Fat Gum!" Izuka shouted before she fired her shooting star. Rappa punched it so hard that he sent it flying right back towards her. Her eyes widened as she ducked her head, looking back at the projectile in alarm. Rappa then ran right up to the girl and she looked back, unable to react in time as he punched her rapidly like with Fat Gum. She grunted as she was unable to move to put up a shield or retaliate. These hits are too much already! How strong is this guy? Rappa then punched her so hard that she was knocked onto the ground hard, the wind being knocked out of her. Her mouth had blood drooping from it and she was bruised up as well.
"You're kidding, right?" Rappa mocked the both of them. "How is he still standing and how is she such a weakling?"
Izuka glared at this and slowly got onto her feet. She lost her balance a bit, but managed to get up, spitting out some blood from her mouth. The girl panted hard while staring at him. The only reason she couldn't land a hit on him was because she wasn't expecting it. But now that she saw his power for herself, she had no idea how she was going to stop him despite what she said to her classmate.
You think I'm just a shield, and that mistake's gonna cost you this fight Fat Gum gritted his teeth. I've been absorbing every blow you dealt me, sinking each one into my body and storing its power. Doing that takes energy and burns the fat that protects me from taking serious damage. So my defense is getting weaker, but I'll take those punches, and forge a spear that can shatter any shield! He grinned widely while starting to power up.
Just by the looks of this guy, his Quirk allows him to be able to do all these punches Izuka slowed down her panting to catch her breath, staring at Rappa. Meaning that he must rely on close-combat in order to pull them off. And we can use that to our advantage if we do this right Izuka then made her bow disappear, glaring towards them.
"Rappa! They're up to something," Tengai warned his partner. "Finish them quickly!"
It's time to strike. But he's worn me down more than I expected. Not sure I'm ready to unleash the power I've absorbed! Fat Gum looked up while gritting his teeth.
I don't know how this will work on him, but I'm enduring this for Eri and the others! Hope this works Izuka swung back her arm as her Comet Punch appeared, covering her arm in fire.
"Show me what you've got! Don't hold anything back!" Rappa challenged the duo...when Eijiro slid in between the opponents.
Red! Fat Gum looked at him wide eyed.
"Red Riot!" Izuka shouted in alarm, but didn't stop her Comet Punch.
I won't regret anything! Now or ever again! Eijiro thought while taking the blows and still standing. I'll do it. I'll become a hero. I'll protect people! His unbreakable form was standing strong, alarming Rappa as he was still punching.
He was blown away so easily earlier!
If I crack, then I'll harden again! Stay strong! Protect others! Even if it means your life! Eijiro thought of Crimson Riot.
"Alright, kid! Let's go!" Rappa shouted and Eijiro yelled, recoiling back a fist. He tried to punch Rappa, but the barrier came up. "A shield, now?" He whipped around to Tengai in annoyance.
"Of course. Don't be a fool," He remarked while they both watched Eijiro falling backwards. His sleeves were completely torn, and his unbreakable form was severely deteriorated by now. "Nothing can overcome the strength of my defense. The boy's attack was in vain."
"It wasn't in vain!" Fat Gum spoke up, causing Tengai to gasp. Fat Gum had caught Eijiro, Izuka looking down at him while her Comet Punch had disappeared. "Thank you, Red!" The hero's arm was still powering up, as he had gone back to his regular form. "You bought us the time we needed!"
Izuka gasped and powered up her Comet Punch again. "Let's do this for Red Riot, Fat Gum!" She shouted as she made her hand into a tight fist.
"Tengai! Take this thing down!" Rappa demanded while looking up ahead.
"The two of you are gonna lose. Do you wanna know why?" Fat Gum started off to the two.
"My wall will stand!" Tengai wasn't worried as he kept up the shield.
"I'm not so sure," Rappa actually seemed afraid for once.
"You made a mistake. And so did I. We underestimated the hero named Red Riot..." Fat Gum and Izuka both recoiled back their fists. "And his chivalrous spirit!" Together, the two used their power to break through the shield, sending the two villains flying backwards. Their clothes were also on fire thanks to Izuka as they crashed into the opposite wall. Eijiro looked up ahead with a weak smile. "A spear and a shield. The victory is ours..."
Izuka's knees hit the ground as she processed what just happened. Smoke came from her right arm as it cooled down. It felt the same like with Suneater, only that Eijiro had hesitated when Tamaki didn't. But this fight in particular did take some energy out of her thanks to Rappa. She just hoped that when she faced Overhaul, that she would be able to even keep up with everyone else...