UA Multiverse Peek
Chapter 21
Dragon Deku
I know plenty probably wanted to have this be the previous chapter but I wanted to write that other story while I was still thinking about it. So we're back to the regularly scheduled KFP2 story. This time it will be the push to the emotional point. So on with the show.
(No POV)
With the students filing back in, a few wondered how the Five would get out of the mess they were in. "It'll probably be up to me to save everyone!" Ida proclaims with a chop. At least until Tsuyu notes that he couldn't carry all of them. "You'd have to carry all of the Five or Izuku."
Others were questioning what role Tomura had in the Panda Izuku's past. "I mean we can all guess it was bad, but I wonder what pushed him to whatever it was." Momo said as she was picking up a new soda. Izuku and Bakugo were also curious on how bad it could be. Let alone what it might spell for their team.
When the rounds impact, it knocks all of the Jade Palace team back. "My wing!" Crane says while looking at its injured state. Tiger calls to Izuku for help. But right as he's running over, he starts seeing flashes of what happened to him as a child.
"Well so much for the air support." Sen notes while Ida is wincing at his injured other self. His own injured hand twitching. "I'm more worried about Panda Midori. He's completely confused!" Torru notes at seeing the panda's visions.
Right as he's about to fall into the hole made by the first weapon, Viper catches him. She first asks for help getting him up, but Tiger stops her. "Get him down. Use the ropes." Tiger says while picking up Crane.
A few teachers nod with a compliment sent to Bakugo's counterpart. "Your other self seems at least a bit sensible. Hopefully you can learn some of the same." Aizawa says with a look the explosive teen's way. Bakugo grumbles a bit but is at least a little glad for the compliment.
Izuku follows what the tiger meant and slides down the ropes holding the lanterns lighting up the tower. Back at the foundry, Tomura has a manic grin on his face. As he says, "run, run, little panda!" and more shots are fired.
The manic way Tomura is talking infuriates the teachers, with All Might feeling a twinge of sadness at the madness of his master's grandson. "Wait, I think we all forgot something important. Isn't that his….. like family's home!? He literally just demolished the home he was willing to kill get back!" Kaminari notes with wide eyes. A few others think for a second and realize that he was right. Angering the teachers more as it was an insult to Crust's counterpart.
As he was sliding down though, Izuku lost his grip. And ended up falling down on top of Monkey. Slightly crushing her on the bottom floor. Izuku rolls to the side while catching his breath. "Izuku, we need you to focus!" Tiger says while helping the panda up.
A collective "Ooooohhhh!" is let out at seeing the panda falling atop the much smaller monkey. "I'm gonna be feeling that, and I didn't even get squashed!" Mina says with a wince. Izuku ducks his head slightly and apologizes.
Right as they are making for the exit, Tomura orders his men to bring down the tower. Trapping the Jade Palace team inside. All of them look for an exit before Tiger tells them to follow him.
"Well shit, there went the main way out. Is there any other way out? Not sure it matters when the whole building is coming down! How far has that albino bird fallen that this seems like a good idea?" are some of the things the students say while watching.
Outside though the tower is swaying and ready to collapse. Tomura laughs once again and just says goodbye. To Izuku's group, the tower, and his ancestral palace.
"See!?" Kaminari says as more shots are fired. "You know, while I think I should be surprised at your insight. Frankly with all the crazy things we've seen, that doesn't seem so preposterous." Jiro chides with a poke of her jacks.
Tiger gets to one of the higher points and kicks out the wall. And the guards fire flaming arrows at them. With Tiger picking up a broken plank to stop a few before using his paws to knock away others. Before evading along the side of the balcony. Seeing a hopeful path he makes up his mind. While also catching an arrow as it was about to hit his head.
"Now who's looking like the best!?" Bakugo brags at seeing his Tiger form defending the rest of the Five as well as Izuku. Felt even more justified at the no look catching an arrow.
"The only way out is up!" Tiger says while grabbing Izuku. While the rest of the Five question what he means, Tiger tosses Izuku upwards. While still holding on to take advantage of the momentum. Lifting them up a story.
This gets cheers from the whole audience at seeing how the two were escaping. "Hey maybe you two could do some awesome combo attacks! You know, whenever Bakugo gets allowed back into the hero program." Ochaco says with her usual double fist bounce.
The two rivals of class 1-A share a look and shrug as if to say, 'maybe'. For the rest though the wonder what else could happen as they are escaping from the mad peacock.
Izuku is surprised at first but he catches on quickly and helps Tiger to lift themselves up the collapsing tower. Even evading the fire arrows. Izuku gets back in the zone and can take the lead again and they all run to the top. With Crane's hat (that Monkey was carrying) getting lit on fire thanks to a cannon shot.
A few laughs are had at the almost burning Monkey, but more are happy to see that the Panda has his head on straight again. "Well he's at least out of his funk." Kamakiri says while hoping they could all get away.
Itsuka nods but notes, "I'm not so sure any of us would be that put together if we were dealing with whatever it is that is plaguing the panda Midoriya's mind." Nirengeki agrees with her while nervously questioning how many of those cannons Tomura had.
Right as the tower was finishing its collapse, the Jade Palace team leapt from the top. Aiming for the rooftops away from the palace grounds. With flaming arrows being fired around them.
Tiger and Monkey are the first to land and the former helps to adjust Izuku's momentum. To keep him from crashing through the roof. And they launch to another set of buildings far enough away from the attacks of the guards.
"YEAHHH!" the audience cheers as the Five get away. And a few laughs are had at Izuku having to be helped up over some of the obstacles. With each of the teachers having a small celebration in their heads. All except for All Might who buffed up, laughed, and told the Five and Izuku well done. Until he fell out of it and coughed up a bit of blood.
"You idiots!" Tomura shouts before kicking a gorilla guard in the face. "Call in the wolves! All of them! I want them ready to move! The year of the peacock begins now!" Jin is just confused by this though.
"Right now? Cause it's the middle of the year… so you'd only get like… a half a year of the peacock… And this is of course, the year of the peacock. Happy New Year sir!" Jin says in a panicked state while Tomura has a knife in front of his eye.
The start of the rant gets scowls on quite a few faces, even Eri's, but the conversation Tomura has with his number two gets a few laughs. "Yeah when you got a crazy eyed boss, it's probably better to go along with what he says!" Kirishima says with a chuckle.
"Oh is that why you usually went along with what Bakugo says?" Mineta jokes while snacking on some candy. Only for the rest of it to get melted by an explosion. Courtesy of the explosive hot head in question.
While the wolves swarm the streets, Izuku and the Five make their way back to Gongmen Jail. With Izuku falling a rolling down the stairs into the center of the jail. "Oh you! What did you do? It's chaos up there! What happened to stopping Tomura!?" Ox berates from his cell.
"We did a Hell of a lot more than you did!" Bakugo chides with a few of the others from the Five agreeing. Izuku though notices his other self's unease and has an idea of what could be happening next.
The Five give Izuku a look and ask him the same. And at first, Izuku tries to play it off as him letting Tomura get away. All for some bigger plan….. to learn Tomura's plan. "That makes no sense." Mantis says with a flat look.
Kamakiri agrees with his insect other form before saying, "did he really think we were gonna buy that?" Izuku shrugs before noting that they both were pretty bad liars. A statement that is concurred by Bakugo and the rest of 1-A
"Izuku! The truth. You had Tomura. What happened?" Tiger says while making Izuku back up and fall down. He tries to cover it up and play it off, but Tiger gives him a look before asking for the truth again.
But when Izuku doesn't say anything, Tiger tells him to stay put. "They'll keep you far from danger." Tiger says with a glance to the imprisoned masters. Izuku looks back in confusion and Tiger tells him what he means. "You're staying here."
Aizawa agrees with the stance Tiger is taking. "You'd just be a hinderance or a liability. If the panda stays there, they'll have a better chance of stopping Tomura's plans." Izuku doesn't disagree with his teacher and notes that the panda is too distracted. "But that's all the more reason why he'll probably do something." Izuku says glumly.
When Izuku stands and tries to say he has to back, Tiger quickly turns and a small shockwave seems to pulse as he turns. Making everyone in the prison nervous. "YOU'RE STAYING HERE!" Tiger practically shouts.
The action and statement even makes a few in the audience nervous. "Wonder if the panda had a minor accident?" Tsubarabara asks when he snaps out of it. "Sure you didn't have one?" Jurota says with an annoyed look.
Izuku has an angry frustrated face as he says, "I'm going! And you can't stop me!" And Tiger proves him wrong by grabbing his arm, twisting it above his head slightly and then spinning the panda backwards for a few feet. "Okay. I wasn't ready that time." Izuku defends while walking forward again.
"Sure. Keep telling yourself that." Bakugo says with a roll of his eyes. And Izuku agrees while stating that neither side would give up easily. "Its both of your best and worst qualities." Aizawa says while sipping his drink.
Viper tries to talk both of them down, but Tiger refuses to bend and takes a ready stance. Izuku tries to get back a few times only for Tiger to toss him around, down, and back from the exit. "I have to get to him!" Izuku says while picking himself up. And Tiger again asks why.
The way Izuku gets tossed around gets a few whistles from the audience. "Why doesn't Tiger want to let Izuku out of there?" Eri asks while trying to follow the words and actions. Mirio hums a moment before saying, "you'll probably see here in a minute."
Izuku grits his teeth a bit before saying, "he was there! Okay!? The peacock was there the last time I saw my parents! He knows what happened. Where I came from. Who I am…." Izuku stands again while Tiger and the rest look at him with a bit of pity. "I have to know. The hard core can't understand." Izuku says while walking to the exit again. Tiger then rushes forward while Viper asks him to stop.
Tokoyami shakes his head before saying, "even if you found those answers, it probably wouldn't help in the grander scheme." Kuroiro nods before saying, "the panda should wait until they've put Tomura away. Then he can get some answers."
Izuku sighs before noting that his other self would be doing something stupid. "And it's probably going to cost a lot in the grand scheme." Aizawa agrees and asks that Izuku reflect the same while observing the video.
Only for all of them to be surprised by Tiger hugging Izuku. With Crane having a major jaw, or beak, drop. "The hard core do understand. But I can't watch my friend be killed." Tiger says before walking back to the rest of the Five.
Jaws are dropped at the same time as Crane's with some confused on the soft side that the other Bakugo was showing. "Was that what you meant?" Eri questioned with a tilt of her head. Mirio nods and says, "yeah it was. I had a feeling that was why he was trying to protect him."
"Hey maybe you can't watch me be killed?" Crane proposes as Tiger walks by. Tiger rolls his eyes before saying, "stop being a wimp." Monkey chuckles before saying, "and he's back." With that the Five leave, and the imprisoned masters tell him he's better waiting in the prison.
This gets a few laughs at Ida's other self trying to sneak away. "But that won't be enough to stop the Deku we know. And I likely won't stop this one," Ochaco says with a shake of her head as she munches on popcorn. Izuku himself rubbing the back of his neck and agreeing.
At the weapons factory, Tomura is gloating to the Soothsayer. "Your magic panda is clearly a fool!" And the Soothsayer just questions if he is the fool given he destroyed his ancestral home. "A trivial sacrifice. When all of China is my reward!" Tomura says after dipping his spear in the flames of a brazier. And then lighting the map of China on fire.
Hearing the way Tomura dismissed his actions angers a few in the audience. Some suspecting that was exactly how their world's version would act or react in the same situation. All Might himself wondering if that is how far gone their version is. Let alone what pushed either of them to that point.
"Then will you finally be satisfied? Will the subjugation of the whole world make you feel better?!" the Soothsayer demands while Tomura just seems more annoyed. "Eh it's a start." Tomura nonchalantly says while walking away.
That makes a few more appalled and angrier at the peacock. "He probably wouldn't stop until the whole world was burning. And even then I doubt it would be enough." Setsuna says with a snarl. While Ibarra prays for his soul and that he might finally see the light.
The Soothsayer then warns him he is walking a path of ruin and his parents might rest in peace rather than worry about their son in the afterlife. The mention of his parents makes Tomura stop. "My parents. They…. do you understand? They wronged me. And….. I will make it right!"
This gets eyes wide and others wondering what it was that killed them. And what it was that he did to be exiled. "We knew he had done something heinous. But was it…. Killing his parents alongside something else?" Momo asks nervously. With a few others uneasy about what happened to the villain's family.
"They loved you. They loved you so much that sending you away killed them." The old goat says with a pleading look. It seems to strike something in Tomura but he brushes it aside. Saying, "the dead exist in the past. And I must attend to the future."
"Well at least we can rule out patricide and matricide." Awase says with a sigh. A few others give him a look. With Eri seeming extra uneasy about the first word he said. The girl slightly glowing as she was remembering something as well. Only for it to be canceled by Aizawa.
The older man then excuses himself, Eri and Mirio for a few minutes. While everyone gives Awase another look. As if to say, "watch what you say around Eri idiot!" And said bandana boy ducks down a bit. Almost trying to suck his head into his shirt.
He sets the soothsayer free while looking out over the factory. "Goodbye Tomura. I wish you happiness." The Soothsayer says sadly. "Happiness must be taken! And I will take mine." Tomura says with a glare and a look back at his factory.
All Might looks down before saying, "I wonder how many villains think that exact same thing. That they have to take whatever happiness they can from the world around them." The students look down as well and wonder if they'll have to face a villain like that. Or one who may have a better reason to be a villain.
The Five quickly sneak into the factory and set their plans in motion to take out as many of the weapons as possible. With Viper saying, "lets bring down the building!" and Mantis taking note of what was in a few of the barrels. A large amount of gunpowder. Some of which he lights in his forceps by rubbing them together. "Ah! This'll work! I can't feel my face." Mantis says with a soot covered face.
At seeing the Five sneaking in and coming up with a plan gets a few a little more elated. Especially the happy way Itsuka's counterpart talks about stopping the weapons. "Not sure if that is the best way, but it is the most efficient given the circumstances." Itsuka comments with a chuckle. And a few laughs are had at Kamakiri's expense when he accidentally burns his face.
While they were moving the barrels and baskets to blow up the building, Izuku was sneaking in his own way. By almost failing to pole vault up to the scaffolding, and the falling on two guards. And knocking them out. He then uses the pair akin to puppets to move about relatively unseen. Even when his disguise starts to fall apart, he still manages to sneak into the building with decent stealth.
Upon seeing how Izuku handled sneaking around this time, all of the audience was stunned. "Where was that earlier in the day!?" Bakugo shout while facepalming. And accidentally setting off an explosion in his own face.
Izuku maneuvers around the scaffolding to try and find Tomura to ask what he knew about his home. Only for the peacock to know he was there and to greet him with a flair of his tailfeathers. Making Izuku flashback again. He snaps out of it quickly and demands to know what happened.
"Ah that night. Yes, I was there. Yes, I watched as your parents abandoned you. It's a terrible thing, I believe it went something like this!" Tomura says before cutting some chains with his claws. Making a cauldron of molten metal swing forward and break the scaffolding.
"Don't get distracted! He's playing you! He doesn't actually know!" each of the teacher say at seeing the panda trying to get answers. With some of the teens wondering if there was a way to save the panda and take out the factory. Izuku himself was agreeing with his teachers and could tell that the other Tomura was stringing his other self along.
As this is happening, The Five rush in with a cart full of lit fuses and gunpowder into the main entrance. "Here's your New Years gift!" Monkey jokingly says. And Mantis finishes by saying, "hope you like it! Cause you can't return it!"
"Well that thought is about to go out the window. And that was a pretty good joke!" Mina says while pouting a bit. A few of the others agree and the counterparts to the Five give the panda Izuku an annoyed glare. Izuku meanwhile just chuckles humorlessly.
They are about to leave when they hear Izuku shouting inside the factory. "RETURN IT! RETURN IT!" Monkey shouts while running to put out the burning sacks. With the rest of the Five following suit. While that is happening though, the wolves surround them as Izuku confronts Tomura again.
Bakugo lets out an annoyed sigh before saying, "you just had to find out something you couldn't wait for." Izuku looks to Bakugo with his own annoyed look before saying, "its not like the real you is much different. Remember when you wanted to know more about my quirk?" Bakugo lets out an 'erk' before clicking his teeth and looking to the side.
Tomura throws Izuku onto a conveyor belt to take the stolen metal to the massive cauldron. Smiling as the panda is taken to his fiery doom. While the Five run after him, with the gunpowder being extinguished. Tiger trying to leap ahead to save Izuku and facing a gorilla guard along the way. Izuku eventually trips and falls toward the molten vat. Grabbing a tuning fork before he falls.
Everyone freaks out at seeing Izuku rolling to a fiery pit of death. All except for Bakugo, Izuku, Juzo, Itsuka, and Shoji. The teachers though noticed what those few did. With Nezu quietly applauding the panda's quick reaction and ingenuity.
Only the fork saves him as it was stuck in the boards of the belts and Izuku catches a wok to keep his pants from getting too hot over the cauldron. He rides the conveyor belt back, and shouts to Tomura, "you looking for me!"
Except he said it at the wrong time, as he hadn't risen on large gear he was riding on. "Um…. I said that too soon didn't I?" Izuku questions sheepishly. He snaps out of it and leaps toward Tomura with wok in hand. Using it to deflect the knives thrown by the mad peacock.
The panda's failed delivery of an intimidating line gets quite a few laughs. And then some cheers at the way he handled deflecting the attacks of his avian enemy.
He engages Tomura once more, but the bird evades and lets his wolves overwhelm the panda. Tiger kicks a wolf into the others to help Izuku, but he refuses to listen when Tiger tells him to stay away from Tomura.
"Thanks for the save Tiger." Izuku says with a smirk. Bakugo though returns it with, "you other self could repay it by listening when I say to stay away from that maniac!" Many of the others in the audience agree and Izuku bows his head a bit as he knows they are right.
Izuku clambers up the scaffolds and in front of Tomura. And when the tyrant tries to run again, he uses the tunning fork to pin him to some boards. Hitting it with the wok to where it holds his neck.
The accuracy of the pinning attack gets a light cheer and a 'good aim' from a few of the long-range specialized students. Nejire patting him on the head to say he did good to stop the villain. "Yeah… but I'm a bit worried about that thing he has him pinned to." Tamaki notes while sipping on his drink.
"No more running Tomura!" Izuku exclaims and Tomura agrees. Izuku performs a flourish with his wok before demanding answers again. "Oh you want to know so badly! You think knowing will heal you? Huh?! Fill some crater in your soul? Well here's you answer: your parents didn't love you! But here! Let me heal you!" Tomura says this while Izuku is slightly breaking down inside.
Hearing the cruel words from Tomura, and seeing the effect it was having on the panda gets a all of 1-A in a bit up in arms. With Todoroki letting off heat and cold in his seat, Bakugo crackling explosions, Dark Shadow snarling next to Tokoyami, and Kirishima going unbreakable.
While not in the same camp, many of those from 1-B were also angered by the callous words spoken by the villain. And would want to give him a taste of some of their harsher moves.
With a leap, the peacock stands atop a massive cannon. With the barrel pointed directly at Izuku. He scrapes the area around the fuse with his claws and lights it. Unleashing a fireball that sends Izuku flying out of the building and even the capital.
"DEKU NO!" Bakugo and Ochaco shouted at seeing the panda getting blasted by the cannon. With many of the others freaking out or dumbstruck at what had happened. Tamaki himself was upset that his bad feeling turned out to be accurate. While Izuku was worried about what could be waiting for him in the river he likely landed.
Back at the Jade Palace, Aizawa can feel this and collapses from his meditation. Tearing up a bit as the storm clouds roll through, and lightning cracks across the sky.
Mic lets out a humorless laugh before saying, "that's probably how he'd react if any of you actually did get hurt. Even if he doesn't admit it." The students of 1-A look back to the voice hero and can see the sincerity. With a few questioning in their heads if he really did feel like that. Mineta and Kaminari predominantly.
Izuku is seen floating down the river, burned, bruised, and beaten. He floats for a time before coming to a dock….. and getting his belly stuck on it. With the Soothsayer standing above him. And poking his large stomach with her cane.
A snort of laughter is let out at Izuku getting stuck on a dock, but more are happy that the panda may still be alive. "Did she know this would happen? Well she is a soothsayer. How much of this do you actually think she saw coming? Not enough." A few murmur around the circle of chairs.
The scene then cuts to a bandaged and acupuncture stuck Izuku sleeping. He eventually wakes up thanks to some water dripping onto his face. He sees the Soothsayer and tries to sneak away. Even pretending he's dead at one point. Only for the woman to appear next to him with an annoyed look.
"Oh good. He is alive and he's healed." Ochaco says at first. Only to laugh a second later due to the panda's goofy actions. Even Izuku has a laugh at his other self trying to sneak away. And then getting surprised by the old goat who had saved him.
Izuku spies the concoction that the old woman was working on and gives it a scathing look. "Yeah. Like you could make me drink thaaaaaa" Izuku starts to say before getting a needle stuck in his face. Making his eyes go in different directions and his tongue drooping out. And she forces the medicine down his throat.
A few more laughs are had and Bakugo comments, "you might be immune to most nerve attacks, but it looks like acupuncture is still your big weakness Deku." Izuku laughs as well and agrees. "That and giant massage balls if that earlier video is anything to go on." With everyone remembering the actions from that video, especially Aizawa saying, "pretty dingle pony bacon wanna ride the choo choo!", starts some new levels of laughter.
"If I wanted you dead, I'd have left you in that river." The Soothsayer says before returning to her fire. Izuku coughs a bit before looking around and asking the burning question. "Why save me?" The Soothsayer just tells him that it is so he can fulfill his destiny.
As the laughs let up, a few others contemplate what it was that the Soothsayer had seen about him. "Does it have something to do with Tomura's banishment? Probably. Did she know he was going to become the Dragon Warrior? I don't know but she did seem unsettled by how little the panda knew." A few of these thoughts rattle around while wondering what could come next.
Izuku pulls a few acupuncture needles out before asking what she meant. Before asking where he was. He sits up and sees the ruins of a village. "I'm surprised you remember so little. But you were so little when it happened." The old woman says sadly.
This gets attention more focused on what could come next. The reasons Izuku was an orphan, Tomura's banishment, and where this all could be leading. Even Bakugo is keeping his hands cool to listen in intently.
Izuku starts to hear screams in his head and panics upon it coming clearly. He crawls out of the house while the Soothsayer suspects he does remember. "Ah what? It's just a stupid nightmare." Izuku says dismissively.
"Nightmare? Or memory?" at that question, Izuku looks around again. He looks down into a puddle and sees…. An infant version of himself. He looks around the village and can see it before it was ruins. Pandas, living throughout the valley. Farming, playing, cooking.
At seeing the sweet and peaceful scene, quite a few students feel at ease and a touch of happiness. Especially seeing the children flying kites and people just enjoying life.
And at the extent of his vision, a pair he suspected might be his parents. The baby him tumbling down the stairs a bit. Laughing all the while. A little panda toy in his hands.
"AWWWW!" all of the girls coo at seeing the baby version of the panda again. Compounded by the little one crawling around and down to his parents. With a teddy in his hands. "The sweetness is back!" Mina says while munching on some candy.
"This was a thriving village. Young Tomura was in line to rule Gongmen City. But he wanted more. I foretold that someone would stand in his way. A panda. But I never could have foretold what came next." The Soothsayer says with sadness lacing her voice.
Hearing what the Soothsayer predicted helped to answer quite a few questions. Including what likely happened to Izuku's parents and any others he may have been related to. This gets tears flowing early, with others uneasy about what may have happened.
Izuku hears a cry again and starts to see the village once again. This time, engulfed in flames. Wolves running through the area. And a peacock letting out a war cry while pointing with his spear. The baby Izuku is shown again. Crying and gripping his toy tightly. "Get them all!" Tomura orders while standing admits the flames. The wolves charging at the infant.
A few drop their drinks and snacks. A bit of fear flowing through them at the images shown. "Genocide. He killed them all. All except… Izuku….." Momo says with a bit of bile building in her throat. Many others feel the same, especially when they hear the cries of the baby panda and the screams of the farmers.
Right as they were pouncing, his father stepped in. He bashed both of the predators back with the hammer he was carrying. Causing the scar and removal of one of Jin's eyes. "Take our son! And run away!" he commands as he and a few others take a stand.
"HELL YES! MANLY! KICK THEIR ASSES!" Kamakiri, the hard heads, and Bakugo shout. With some nodding in respect to the man who likely died trying to protect his family as best he could. Even taking the eye of one of the villains.
The infant dropping his toy as they fled. The same one he finds now, standing among the ruins of what used to be his home. The memories start to come more fluid than before and Izuku tries to push them back.
A few gulp and Itsuka notes, "he's scared. A think a big part of him….. doesn't want to know or see the rest." Many of the students agree and it's Midnight who sets down what he needs. "He can't keep running from this, and he can't ignore what probably happened. He has to come to terms with what happened. Otherwise he may never find peace or be able to stop Tomura."
"Stop fighting. Let it flow." The Soothsayer says while watching the warrior she predicted to save all. Izuku takes a breath before setting the toy down. He then takes the same stance to redirect water as before.
Seeing the panda's stance makes a few others excited with Itsuka curious if he'll actually pull it off. Even Bakugo is interested and invested. Izuku meanwhile was wondering if the technique would even be helpful in the battle to come.
He brings his hands to his side before lifting his right up to the sky. And catching a drop of rain. While he redirects it between his hands, Izuku remembers more of what happened. How his mother kept running with him. Dodging wolves left and right through the snow.
A few are impressed at the water redirection, but more are invested and concerned about the panda mother and her attempts to escape the wolves. "C'mon mama panda! Get away from them!" Mina says while seemingly praying. Something Ibarra was actually doing. One for those that were killed by Tomura and his men, one for the mother, and one more for the baby panda she was trying to save.
Until she came upon a cart full of vegetables. Seeing no other choice, Izuku's mother chose to place him in a radish basket. He cooed and cried a bit as his mother backed away. The woman had tears in her eyes as she smiled at the infant. Holding his hands and kissing his forehead. The young Izuku letting out a "ma" as she did that.
She cried a few more tears before backing away from the cart. And back up the slope she had stumbled before. She caught the wolves attention and ran on. With Tomura in pursuit as well. Leaving the hidden Izuku safe from the attackers.
The actions the panda's mother took and how she interacted with the baby made everyone tear up a bit. Though there was a different reaction from a person who just returned. Eri, Mirio, and Aizawa had come back and when Eri saw how the mother panda was acting with the baby, it reminded her of some of the times before her quirk was active. Making her tear up a bit remembering her parents.
The tears started flowing for everyone at seeing how the mother had to abandon her baby and draw away the wolves. Just so Izuku might live a bit longer. No eyes were dry, with the hardest crying from not just Izuku, but Bakugo as well.
With that last memory past, Izuku places the drop of water on the grass before him. The panda himself breathing deeply and on the verge of tears. As he sits and thinks back, the gates open and Izuku starts crying.
The tears keep coming as they all think about what it would be like to be in the panda's position. And everyone of them just starts crying harder at envisioning their mothers being put in that position. With All Might crying harder because he also saw his teacher Nana and what happened to her.
"Your story may not have such a happy beginning. But that doesn't make it who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be." The Soothsayer says. And with that, Izuku remembers everything after he was found by Ping. His life in the Valley of Peace. And his friends and masters at the Jade Palace. How he grew into being the Dragon Warrior. And became a master in his own right.
While sniffling, Ochaco pointed out that it was similar to Izuku's own story. "You mentioned how you were bullied and everything…. But now… Now you've got all of us. And we'll stay by you. No matter what comes."
Izuku had slightly dried his eyes but another big wave of tears came about because of that statement. Especially when he looked around and all of his classmates were giving him a look of encouragement. From Mineta's tears and thumbs up to a nod and smile from Shoto. Even Bakugo agreed in his own odd way.
The realization dawns on Izuku as the Soothsayer asks, "so. Who are you Panda?" Izuku stands and a new determination burning in his eyes. "I am Izuku. And I'm gonna need a hat." And the screen cuts to black.
"Oh come on! They leave us with that!?" Sero shouts after basically bouncing in his seat for what could come next. A few others agree, but some take this as a way to regain their composure. "I don't know about anyone else, but I could use a moment to regain myself." Momo says while standing up from her seat and drying her eyes.
A few others agree, with Kirishima commenting that they all kinda needed the good cry with that. "But I'm ready for panda Midoriya to go in hard to take down Tomura!" A few more pugilistic or excitable members agree.
For the teachers though, some of them consider what the peacock had said and wonder if it was similar to their own Tomura. "It could be that he was in a bad state after running from his parents or just losing them. And that AFO person took advantage of his fragile state of mind."
"It is something he'd do. It's just how he operates." All Might answers Aizawa's question. But they all note that it isn't a reason to hold back against the villain. Just a cause to try and keep this from happening to others. As they each relax a bit before the next video begins.
Sorry about taking so long, but I just couldn't get enough drive or inspiration to write this chapter. But I'll have this and the next out soon. As well as the next couple of chapters for some other stories and the next stage of Izio's adventures. Please review!