Angel: Another big episode for the anime! And in more ways than one~! Wonder what's going to happen, hmmm? We were so close to this being the 200th episode but alas…
Izuka going up to Overhaul to release her anger...I feel like that'd remind her too much of what happened with Shigaraki in Jaku after he stabbed Bakugo. So that's the reason why I didn't have her do so. And plus, if she did see him, she probably would've done a lot worse...
Honestly though, Izuka's abilities correlating to Izuku's like Blackwhip and Saturn Ring was kind of unintentional. That first example was on purpose, but not Float and Meteor Shower. It's basically like Nana Shimura leaving her son and Izuku leaving his sister behind that I realized that I make a lot of similarities.
Izuku slowly looked back at his classmates and Izuka. "I don't understand. Why are you here...?" He murmured, as he hadn't seen most of them for what felt like a long time...
"Because we're worried about you," Ochaco spoke up bravely as she stared at who he was now. She knew that deep down, the real Izuku was still there.
"Izuku!" Izuka ran up to him, dressed in her own dark hero costume.
"Stay back, Izuka," He spoke louder to his sister.
She flinched in alarm, staring at him in shock for the tense tone in his voice. She never thought he'd say something like that to her... "Seriously? That's all you can say to me now? I don't even get an explanation from you...instead you ran away," She murmured, wondering just how much everything affected him if he was reduced to this...
"This isn't something you're involved in anymore. It's nice that you're concerned, but I promise I'm fine. Really," He put his mask back on while standing up. "No need for concern. So leave."
"Oh yeah?" Izuka wasn't fazed as she tossed something to the ground, which slid over to him. He blinked...as it was Toshinori's lunch box for him that he dropped. "All Might sold you out. Told me he doesn't remember the last time you ate or slept. And I started to remember that you were the one who saved me out there. You think I was just gonna let you exhaust yourself?"
"I don't need-"
"The day you got One for All," She interrupted while narrowing her eyes at him, still hurt that he just didn't tell her what he was doing. "I was there, remember? So don't you dare say that after all of that, I deserve to get shut out by people I thought I could trust. Mom, All Might, even other pro heroes I've worked with. You and all our friends are the reason I'm not even holed up in my room right about now..." She frowned deeply and he blinked, as he didn't stop to think what she was doing while he was out...well, other than the time he saved her.
Katsuki then clapped with a smile on his face, as he wasn't buying it. "Oh yeah, great speech! Just what we wanted from the famous One for All Successor!" Izuku stared at him silently, knowing that he could never fool Katsuki. "Real talk. Are you able to smile right now?" He pointed to his own smile. "Come on, go ahead and show us!"
"...In order to smile. For everyone to live in peace," Izuku slowly got onto his feet. "I have to go. I'm sorry." He then powered up One for All, his energy sparking off of him like crazy. "Everyone get out of my way!"
"You're gonna have to make us," Katsuki challenged with a big grin. "Ya busted ass All Might wannabe!"
"Mm!" Izuka gave him an annoyed look, but turned back to her brother. "I'm not kidding, Izuku. Stand down before I have to make you," She powered up her own hand while glaring.
"Midoriya..." Tenya murmured while he stared up ahead. "We had a feeling that's what you were going to say. Let's do this, class!"
"Right!" Ochaco nodded sharply in agreement...as Izuku prepared to face off against his own class and sister.
They all stood in silence, waiting for the first move. Izuka narrowed her eyes at Izuku, daring him to leave.
"Listen to me!" Tenya pleaded from the ground to Izuku in Hosu. "Stand down. Run away. I told you, this has nothing to do with you!" The last thing he needed was Izuku to get caught up in his vendetta. This was personal between him and Stain.
"If you really believe that, then why are you trying to become a hero in the first place?!" Izuku snapped back at him, clenching a fist. "All Might was right." He clenched his fists in front of his face. "Meddling when you don't need to is the essence of being a true hero!"
"I know you," Tenya spoke up to his friend. "So I know very well that you can't be stopped once you've decided you're going to do something. I guess Mido gets it from you if she was trying to track you on her own."
"Hell of a look!" Katsuki mocked Izuku as the others stared. "We heard you unlocked Quirks from users Four and Six. But not that you started dressing like a villain! You even cut off Izuka from the users too. Talk, ya damn nerd!"
"...Thank you for coming. Really," He finally spoke up, smoke coming from his feet. "Sixth!" He then activated Smokescreen, catching the others off guard.
"Smokescreen!" Eijiro grunted as they braced themselves.
"Of course," Mezo murmured knowingly that Izuku would use this to get away.
"He's acting exactly like they said he would," Ochaco pointed out to the others.
"Heads up, morons!" Katsuki bent down to the ground. "Make sure he doesn't escape," He then activated his explosions against the ground. "Land Mine Blast!" With a single large-scale attack, he was able to get rid of Smokescreen. He looked up as Izuku was flying above them. "Barely a word and you're running away? Oh, so now that you're the all-powerful chosen loner, you think the rest of us are just extras!"
Izuka bent down as she powered up, using her momentum to take to the sky, a glare on her face. Izuku saw her and was about to attack when a bunch of pigeons flocked him. "Everyone wants you back at UA!" Koji cried out to him. "Did you hear me?" He was running up to the two. "Principal Nezu said we can bring you back to campus! There's no reason for you to keep hiding!"
"Koda. I'm sorry..." Before he could escape, Jupiter Wind caught his waist and he gasped to see Izuka flying in front of him. Before she could do or say anything, he flew away from the birds, causing her to yelp as she hung on tight to him. He braced himself and broke free instantly, and in turn, she lost her balance. She grunted at the fact that he refused to talk to her anymore. Some tape wrapped around Blackwhip and Izuka, Hanta pulling the boy down with him. Izuka was able to land safely on the ground.
"You sure look scary with Blackwhip hangin' out. People are getting spooked!" Hanta gave him a small smirk.
"Think of it as an extension of your body. Aim for the strike zone," Hanta explained to Izuku while helping him improve Blackwhip. Izuka smiled at him, hands behind her back.
"He's right, that's what I do with Jupiter Wind."
"I'll try," Izuku looked at his gloves and then fired straight up ahead, to his delight. "Oh, whoa! That makes it way easier!" Hanta giggled with a small grin as Izuka held his shoulders from behind, laughing happily. Izuku laughed along with her.
He clenched his fist, grabbing the tape with his other hand. "Sero," He then ripped the tape off.
"Heartbeat Wall!" Kyoka released a sonic wave while being held by Dark Shadow. Before it could reach Izuku, he used Blackwhip to escape the attack. "So fast!" She looked at him wide-eyed.
"Don't let that stop you! He's been using his time to let nothing stop him," Izuka called out while summoning her bigger, jagged bow. She powered it up with Comet Burst, watching his movements.
"Midoriya, hold on!" Kyoka cried out to him as he was moving. "I know this sounds like it wasn't much, but when we were prepping for the School Festival, and you and Mido helped me with my notes...you totally saved me!"
Izuku looked at her music notes. Izuka looked over his shoulder, hugging her own sketchbook close. "Wow, you came up with these lessons? That's awesome! This makes me so happy!"
"Yeah, I don't detail my sketches this neatly," Izuka smiled a little, looking up. "You're gonna be a great teacher!"
"I've actually gotten pretty enthusiastic," Kyoka admitted while looking happy herself. "It's possible I went a little bit overboard!"
"Not if you're really passionate!" Izuka grinned as she knew the feeling.
"That was probably nothing to you, but it was more of a relief than you can imagine!" Kyoka shouted at her friend desperately. Despite hearing this, he turned away from her. Izuka fired, and he zipped past it like it was nothing. She grunted in frustration at this.
"Twirling Tail Dance!" Mashirao spun around, catching Izuku with his tail. He then spun around to look down at the boy. "Remember when you faced Shinso at the Sports Fest?"
Mashirao looked at his fist with a small frown. "I know this sounds selfish, but I'll say it anyway," He then held out his fist to Izuku. "Beat this guy for you, me, and your sister, alright? I don't think either of us forgot that he was hinting she was the one who might get transferred out."
"I'll never forget how you fought on my account!" Mashirao cried out, as Izuku did attack when Hitoshi insulted his classmate and Izuka. "I want to return the favor! You're battered and bruised and running on empty. So let me lend you a hand!"
"If I go to UA, it's like killing you myself. And my sister's life will be in danger." Mashirao gasped sharply at that explanation. "All for One would destroy you and kill her just because of me!" He then reminded himself of Mr. Aizawa cutting off his leg and Gran Torino's leg getting pierced. "That's why...I had to leave!" He slipped out of the tail. Before he could fly away, Fumikage flew in to grab him.
"Go! Dark Shadow!" Dark Shadow grabbed onto Izuku by the waist, throwing him into a building. Izuka gasped in a bit of concern and used a star platform to head on over.
"Dang, he's gotten way too strong," Kyoka stated as Rikido was carrying her on his back. He held out his hand for Mashirao's tail to hold onto.
"And stubborn!" Mashirao pointed out as Rikido crashed onto a stoplight, looking up.
"Midoriya! Slow down a sec!" He gritted his teeth, seeing him inside the building with Dark Shadow holding him down. "You might have special powers now, but we still share the same goals! Did you listen to what Koda said about the school earlier? Hear us out! If you don't, then the next time Eri wants candy apples...you don't get to use my food coloring!"
Izuka jumped up once she was in front of the window, landing safely near Dark Shadow. She could see Izuku trapped against a stone column as she approached.
"That's fine. Anyone can make them for her," Izuku explained, knowing that it didn't have to be him. "She doesn't need me."
"You know, you've gotten pretty good at lying lately. You really think it won't have any effect on her at all?" Izuka retorted as she watched a metal harness wrap around her brother. She glanced to the side as Momo approached.
"At first, we planned to find you...and then fight alongside you in the streets. But things have changed. We have a new mission that's been approved by Endeavor and the other supervising heroes," She came to a stop, hoping that this would hold him. "Our objective is now to ensure your safety by bringing you home. And continue to monitor Izuka's mental state. We had decided to stay so we could be there for you. If I had known she was out the whole time looking for you, I would've joined her."
"A device meant to put me to sleep?" Izuku wondered as Izuka readied Uranus Orbit from her hands. He broke off the head gear, and she then froze him. "Forget it! You don't have to bother with me anymore! Just accept this, and go back to campus!" He started to break free from the ice and his restraints. Izuka flinched and then tossed Comet Burst to knock him back gently.
Denki ran up and wrapped an arm around him. "Nope! Not a chance. My dude, I know One for All's super important and everything. But right now, there's something crucial you gotta accept. You and me may be totally different in some ways, and I may flirt with Mido a lot, but you're my friend! So I'm doing you a solid even if you don't want it!"
"I told you-"
Something held him back, revealing to be from Mezo. "I'm wrapped in electrical tape, courtesy of Yaoyorozu!" He revealed to the boy. "Do you recall what you said when we were attacked at camp?"
"Honestly, with a group like this..." Izuku started off as they were surrounding Katsuki and Izuka.
"We could probably even go up against All Might. Your words!" Mezo reminded him, and he didn't respond.
"If you keep fighting us off like this, then I will use drastic measures on you," Izuka narrowed her eyes at her brother.
"This gloom will do nicely," Fumikage walked up to her and Mezo. "Dark Shadow! Ragnarok Womb!" Dark Shadow then wrapped around the pillar. "Observe how I've used Dark Shadow's offensive ability to protect. That move...was your idea." It was a move similar to what he used against Kyoka in the Calvary Battle on Izuku's team. "Stand down!"
"Listen to us!" Momo pleaded with Izuku, who still stayed silent.
"We're not a bunch of fragile victims who have to keep out of harm's way!" Mezo insisted to the boy.
"Wouldn't you rather relax instead?" Denki implored in a desperate way. "You could really use a bath!"
"Stop acting like you have to protect us. You don't have to do this alone!" Izuka cried out to her brother as she really didn't want to hurt him...
"Don't make me do this!" He snarled as he powered up One for All.
"Midoriya! No!" Denki shouted as Izuku burst out of the trap with a yell, flying back out into the sky.
Fumikage grunted as he looked out of the hole his classmate made. "He managed to break out of Ragnarok!"
"Insane," Mezo murmured as they stared.
"Guess that's the power of One for All!"
The short green-haired girl gritted her teeth at her brother. "That's enough!" Izuka screamed, getting his attention as she soared up to him with Comet Punch ready. "Comet Punch!" She reached out to him, but he simply moved out of the way. The girl grunted in frustration as she glanced back, firing Mercury Blast, and then spinning around to fire Saturn Ring to capture him. Izuku gasped in disbelief while trying to break free.
She used the fire from Mercury Blast as a distraction! He realized, but he suddenly disappeared, Saturn Ring falling off of him. She wasn't fazed as she glanced around, summoning a Black Hole to disappear in. As Izuku kept flying, Black Hole appeared around him, catching him off guard. Last time he remembered, she couldn't use it at the speed he was going.
Izuka appeared from the one to his left, knocking into him. "Black Hole Rush!" She flew around in the Black Holes, but he was able to predict her movements. This was thanks to having seen it before. He then looked up ahead as she appeared in front of him, and he grabbed her by the arm. She gasped as he spun her around rapidly and then threw her to the ground at high speed. "Izuku!"
"Please..." Izuku whimpered out, looking back at his sister. "For your sake and mine, forget about me!" His mask flew off. "I know you're here because you care. The Fourth's Quirk is proof of that. You're fighting me, but without any malice or evil. Danger Sense hasn't activated a single time. And that's why...you have to stop!" He gritted his teeth, hoping that they would take the hint and leave. "I'm begging! I'm okay...Really, I'm fine! Just take my sister and look after her!"
Izuka had tears flying out of her eyes because...it hurt to see him like this. To see him constantly reject her help and the others...and she didn't know what else she could do to make him see reason.
A bunch of ice appeared to catch Izuka just in time. "Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall!" A large pillar of ice appeared to capture Izuku. He grunted from the cold and hard restraints. "I can see it on your face." Izuku growled while glancing up at Shoto, Izuka kneeling next to him. "You wanna cry. But your burden won't allow you to. Don't push us away. We'll share this responsibility with you."
He couldn't say anything as Izuka furrowed her eyebrows.
"Midoriya!" Tsuyu landed on a wall nearby. "I won't let you go."
"I thought I'd stopped you. But it turns out I was worthless. A complete failure. And suddenly, I had no idea what to say." She straightened up with tears in her eyes.
"I cried a lot back then," Tsuyu revealed to the boy. "But those days are behind me now. You're dear to me. So when you're scared, I'll be by your side. When you're in pain, I'll cry with you! You're my friend, Midoriya. You seem set on becoming some sort of comic book superhero, but look around! We're with you," She narrowed her eyes up at him. "You don't have to face anything alone..."
"You need to stop this and listen to us," Izuka implored as she slowly got onto her feet. "I'm the older sister, so I should be shouldering some of this, not you! I don't care if you're doing this to protect me, but you can't force this on everybody else either!"
"Endeavor!" Toru exclaimed as he approached her, Yuga, and Eijiro.
"Bakugo, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu captured this villain," Eijiro revealed, showing the captured Dictator. "Basically, the only thing I got to do was chip him out of the ice."
"Dictator..." Endeavor recognized him as he wasn't moving. "Let's check for others. And to make certain those hero-hating civilians are safe. Their viewpoints are of no concern to me right now. Assist Hawks and the rest of them in securing the surrounding area."
"Endeavor," Hawks suddenly spoke up from a communicator. "Should we maybe call in Jeanist after all? We could settle this in no time."
"Hm," He looked away in thought.
"Damn it," Eijiro scolded himself, looking up towards the ice pillar Izuku was still trapped in. "How am I supposed to help Deku when he's flying around so fast?" He then took off his mask with a deep frown. "I hate this. There's a ton of important stuff I wanna tell him!" He ran off to go join his classmates.
"Me too!" Toru ran after him.
"Et moi!" Yuga agreed as he followed. Endeavor didn't protest as he watched them leave.
"You there?" Hawks wondered as he hadn't gotten an answer from his teammate.
"Yeah. Hang back. Let's give these students a moment alone," He knew that they were still fighting for Izuku, and he couldn't interrupt that.
The ice then started to chip away. "He's breaking free!" Tsuyu flinched in alarm to see this.
"Midoriya! Have you considered this might be exactly what All for One was hoping for?" Shoto gritted his teeth a little. "He could go after UA while we're distracted here! You've worn yourself out, and you still don't have a lead on the League! So stop this! You need a new plan," He reinforced the ice around Izuku.
"And you need proper care of your own body! If you keep going on like this, I might not even have a brother anymore!" Izuka cried out, tears in her eyes.
"If you actually wanna save our school, then instead of abandoning it, come back and fight for it! Let's stand together and protect UA!" Shoto cried out desperately to him, knowing that Izuku would've done the same for him if it was the other way around.
"You can't be near me..." He declared furiously, remembering what happened with All for One.
"Which means now...it's your turn."
"MIDORIYA!" Shoto screamed for him, hoping that he would listen.
"You could all die!" He insisted to the three. He thought about Shigaraki, and how much the man hated his own grandmother and All Might...and now Izuka herself. And he couldn't let those feelings continue to grow within the villain if he was going to hurt people... "This is a fight...that's destined to take place between One for All and All for One. The rest of you can't keep up!" He then broke free of the ice, to the shock of Izuka and Shoto.
Katsuki ran up as he gritted his teeth.
"Uraraka!" Tenya shouted as he ran over and she jumped. Izuku then broke the ice pillar, Shoto grabbing Izuka and jumping off before they could fall. Tsuyu used her tongue to move towards Izuku.
"Not so fast!" She swung her tongue, but he jumped past it. However, she was holding Minoru at the end of it.
"Mineta Beads Tenfold!" He threw a sticky rope of the balls from his head, hanging onto the end. "Honestly, I never thought your power was cool or impressive, or anything like that. And sometimes I would use you to try and admire your sister!" Izuku growled a bit towards him. "You know what made me fall for you? The times you were sweating bullets..." He started to climb up towards his classmate. "Shaking in your costume...while you figured out how we could kick some butt!" He was referring to the USJ Incident when he, Tsuyu, and Izuku were a team. "I liked you when you could barely throw a smash!" He had tears welled up in his eyes.
Izuku squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that he could never be the same again... "I can't go back to the old me!"
He then used Blackwhip to pull Minoru off, successfully doing so. Luckily, the short boy landed on a building. "MIDORIYA!"
Izuku used Blackwhip on two buildings like a catapult. "Blackwhip's elasticity..." He then moved his legs up and down. "Plus One for All 45 percent, plus Fa Jin!" His legs were surrounded by kinetic energy. "Faux 110 Per-"
"I'm not going to give up on you!" Ochaco shouted as she flew in, but he tried to tune her out. "Deku! So much has changed for us!"
A tear fell down Ochaco's cheek. "What would Bakugo want? A rescue might humiliate him. And I don't want to see Mido get hurt...I'm just afraid we'd be making things worse."
"I've changed!" Ochaco revealed to him, and before she could catch him, he took off like a rocket. She looked up to see him like a star in the sky as she looked back. "Now's our chance!"
Shoto was using his ice to create a big ramp. "Okay, Protective Coating Style, 0.1 percent," Mina ran up, covering her arm in her acid. "Acidman!" She then tossed it to Mezo.
"Punch it, Todoroki!" Mezo grunted as he, Koji, Rikido, and Fumikage pushed Acidman and then let it take off. Coated in the acid was Shoto, Izuka, and Katsuki. They were riding Dark Shadow on the ramp.
"Push! Harder, Dark Shadow!" Fumikage ordered as the Quirk pushed as hard as he could and then let the three go.
"Flashfreeze Heatwave!" Shoto shouted as Izuka moved down her hand, a fireball appearing from it.
"Comet Burst!" She screamed, both attacks propelling them into the sky at rapid speed.
There's so much I wanna tell you Ochaco narrowed her eyes while she saw them heading for her. She swung down her hand, touching them with her zero gravity to make them float. The three then sped off like a comet. Shoto moved back, using his flames to fly as he looked up.
"We're still not moving fast enough!" He stared at Izuku still flying away, who was unaware of what was going on.
Deku...please understand! Ochaco gritted her teeth as she looked up. We don't wanna be protected, so we're not going to give up on you. And we won't let you push your own sister away just so you can save her life!
Katsuki moved down his hands as they powered up. "Explosive Speed Turbo. Cluster!" He shouted as his new power appeared, exploding him and Izuka up further.
"You got this!" Minoru encouraged from the roof he was standing on.
"That's it!" Tsuyu shouted next to him.
"GO!" Everyone else shouted as they watched.
Our place...is by your side! Ochaco thought as Katsuki braced himself. Izuka held on tight to his shoulders, even though one of them was bandaged. He wasn't going to say anything about it, not when there were still more important things at hand.
Deku! There's still crap I want—no. Crap I NEED to say to you and Izuka! He gritted his teeth while holding out his hands. But for now...I'll have to wait until this guy does his job!
Izuka moved down her hands. Even if you don't want this...even if you still won't listen...I will not let you destroy yourself! It's thanks to our classmates that they've taken good care of me, protected me, and didn't even get angry that I went to look for you! They're the best friends we could've ever had...and all because of you! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be here. And I wouldn't have changed so much!
"All these years...you never used it because of me. Well, I don't want that," Izuku gestured to himself. "If I'm gonna do this, I want you to do it with me. I wanna see your amazing Quirk more, Izuka, and for you to get better using that power. Will you do that for me on this path of ours?"
"...Alright, Izuku," She gave him a nod and smiled gently. "I'll try my best."
"Star...Gust!" Izuka shouted as she powered up one star and it exploded into multiple to give them more momentum. Katsuki looked up while catching Izuka, seeing what they shot at towards Izuku. Since he's the one built for speed! They both thought in unison, revealing Tenya's mufflers powering up. He had been hiding in front of Katsuki the entire time. It then exploded as Tenya braced himself from the amount of power he was giving off.
"Get 'im, class rep!" Katsuki shouted up at him, Tenya's gear from his arms breaking off.
Midoriya...you're always a lap ahead of me. That's why...no matter what...I won't give up! He looked towards his friend as his glasses broke off. I'll keep fighting! I'll always be ready... He reached out to grab Izuku by the hand, revealing himself. "To challenge you!" He shouted, to Izuku's shock.
"I know what he's missing," The second wielder spoke up to the others. "The thing Izuku Midoriya needs most right now...friends who share his drive who can match his pace...who will run alongside him, no matter the circumstance. And...the encouragement of his sister."
"Stop it," Izuku gritted his teeth at their persistence. "Damn it...let go."
"Not a chance!" Tenya snarled, catching the boy off guard. "I'll always race to you! Did you forget that my name is Ingenium? Meddling when you don't need to...is the essence of being a hero, right?" He replied tearfully while looking down at Izuku, whose eyes wavered. He started to cry too from the reminder...
Izuku's eyes faltered as he felt like he needed to move...before they started to get to him. I have to shake him off, fast. But...I'm...out of strength Tenya noticed this and pulled him forward, holding the boy in his arms.
"Uraraka!" He screamed as she ran up.
"Release!" She shouted, pressing her hands together. He could feel her power wearing off as the two headed for the ground fast.
"We probably should have planned for the landing!" He gritted his teeth, as Izuka was too far away to catch them.
"Down here!" Eijiro ran up to the street, waving his hands. "I gotcha!"
"Uh! It's Kirishima!"
Eijiro gritted his teeth in determination, grunting from the hard landing. But he was holding onto them while Yuga and Toru ran up.
"Ah! Are you okay?!" The invisible girl yelped towards them.
"These two won't break me!" Eijiro shouted while using Hardening to protect them. "Midoriya! I never mentioned this. But a while back, this story blew me away! Some kids my age rushed into harm's way to save their friend from danger. And a girl used this really awesome Quirk! Those kids were you and your sister, weren't they?" He meant when the two rushed to save Katsuki from the sludge villain. "It doesn't matter if you've got a special power, or fate, or whatever!" He then finally slid to a stop, holding onto Izuku. "What you did back then...is the same sorta thing we're trying to do for you now!"
Izuku slowly looked up, turning to see the others. Mina panted, Momo and Koji looking on with softened eyes. "Please stop running..." Mina panted out to him. "I don't think I can lose another person I care about! Let's stick together! It's time for you to come back to our class!"
"Yes," Tenya stared as the boy slowly got onto his feet. "We all agree."
"For sure," Eijiro emphasized while he stared.
"I...I wish I could...But...I'm too scared," Izuku admitted in a broken voice. Izuka let out a small gasp, her eyes saddening. "There are a lot of people who sought refuge at UA...and I don't wanna cause them any trouble. You guys must get it. Things can't go back to the way they were before..."
Izuka gave a deep frown, slowly stepping up in the rain. He looked up to see her approaching as it was silence...because she was the one who had the most to say arguably. And the only person Izuku felt like he couldn't even explain anything to.
She finally came to a stop in front of him, her hair a bit of a mess out of the bun. Not that she cared...
"…Izuka," Her brother looked away from the girl, knowing that she was feeling...a lot of things towards him right now. And he wouldn't blame her if she was furious at him. "I..." He faltered as...no words came out.
Izuka examined him in silence and he looked towards the ground briefly in shame. He felt like...he just couldn't speak. He couldn't justify to her what he did even if he did find the words. She reached up her hand and he flinched, but...she couldn't do it. She couldn't slap him, and she should've. After all, he didn't even bother talking to her about anything he did lately. But...instead she dropped her hand and lunged forward for a hug. He blinked as she shook, hiding her face from him.
"I should kick your ass...but honestly...I don't even have it in me at this point...I'm just...so glad you're okay!" She cried out and his eyes softened at the girl. He knew what this feeling was...Katsuki experienced the same exact thing after the Hassaikai raid.
Katsuki slowly stepped up, causing Izuka to look back at him. She slowly stepped to the side as she felt like he had something to say...he was one of the few people that didn't directly try to reach Izuku out there with words.
"Do you remember what I said...when Shigaraki stabbed me through the gut?" Katsuki implored slowly, sounding...the most calm he had been in a long time.
"I don't..." Izuku murmured as that moment felt like a blur to him.
"Stop trying to win this by yourself. But there was more on my mind," Katsuki revealed to his childhood friend, the others staring quietly. "The reason I got impaled...is cause my body moved on its own." Izuka blinked rapidly as...that was what it was like when she and her brother tried to save him with the sludge villain. Katsuki then bowed his head...remembering how he grew up with the two of them. "Our whole lives, I've looked down on you and Izuka. You were Quirkless, obviously way behind me. Or so I thought with your sister. But somehow, it always felt like you were ahead of me too." It was like...he was talking to Izuku when they were kids. "I hated that. I hoped you'd disappear, and that she'd continue being the same mouse she grew herself into. I didn't wanna accept you. So I bullied you...to make sure you'd stay away." Now it felt like...they were in middle school again. "I had to reject you, so that I could feel superior. I needed to win, to beat you..." And then it was like they were starting at UA, which felt so long ago... "Then we all got into UA, where not a single thing played out the way I wanted it to. Every day, I was forced to see how strong you were...and how weak I was," He then finally looked up to face the twins. The whole time, Izuku was in disbelief, and Izuka was surprised herself. "Saying this out loud doesn't change a thing. But it's how I feel...Izuku."
The twins looked at him wide-eyed...at him not calling the boy Deku for the first time. He then bowed his head, his arms feeling limp. "I'm sorry for everything!" Izuku let out a gasp.
"Katsu..." Izuka murmured, a hand in front of her mouth. He must've not wanted to tell her about this...and even then, she was too focused on finding Izuku.
"You've made the right calls ever since you inherited One for All. Followed the best path, acted like a real symbol. But I can see that you're lost right now. You've hit a wall that you can't overcome with ideals alone. So we'll handle the things you can't take care of yourself. In order to be our best selves, we'll save you...the refuges at UA, and everyone else. Anybody out there in need of a hero..."
Izuku faltered from his declaration...as he didn't think Katsuki would ever say this to him. And he never even thought that...his childhood friend would apologize. He never even brought it up because...he thought he knew Katsuki. But...he knew now that they were all stronger than he thought, and he shouldn't have said otherwise.
Don't you get it? You...all of you...have already far surpassed me He wobbled as his exhaustion was hitting him fully now and he fell forward.
"Ah!" Izuka leaped forward and Katsuki jumped, both of them catching him in their arms.
"I'm sorry for saying...that you couldn't...keep up," His voice broke a little, trying not to fall asleep.
"Yeah, we know," Katsuki murmured as Izuka gently let go. She bent down in front of her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck to comfort him.
"It's okay, Izuku," She murmured, a hurt look still on her face...but she wasn't going to ignore her brother's state either. "...Will you please come back with us now?"
He slowly nodded into her shoulder, the others staring at the three, still in silence. Luckily, the two were able to get through to him...
"Looks as though we've cleared the first hurdle, at least," Momo specifically stared at Izuka, as did Ochaco. "That being said...things will only get tougher from here."
Ochaco gave a small nod of acknowledgement...despite that, she felt like they would be ready for it. That they would be able to overcome it...if it meant patching things between Izuku and his sister.
Izuka closed her eyes while gently rubbing the back of Izuku's head, Katsuki staying quiet...there was something else he had to address too. Not just for Izuku either. And it was something he had been impatiently trying to do ever since the war.
"Izuka...you wanna tell me why you did what you did?" He murmured, causing her to look up. Izuku glanced up at him, wondering what he was talking about.
"Huh?" She blinked and the others were confused as much as she was. "What?" Izuka got onto her feet, Mezo walking over to take Izuku.
"Things were going just fine before I found out you're giving up on me!" Katsuki shouted furiously all of a sudden, his bangs hiding his eyes.
She froze with a wide-eyed look, glancing at the others staring. "You heard what I said during evacuations…and that's why you asked me what I felt in the hospital. Oh shit," She murmured in realization, covering her face with an exasperated expression. Now his behavior before and after the war made a lot more sense to her. But right here, right now, was definitely not the right time to talk about it. "Listen, when I said that, you weren't supposed to hear it. And this conversation is over. Let's go," She turned around to head for UA. Katsuki gritted his teeth, knowing that she would do this.
"There's no room for anything else like you telling me your feelings. So you didn't wanna mess that up," He growled out, repeating what he overheard.
Katsuki stared at her wide-eyed, seeing her speak to Ochaco and Tsuyu. He clenched an angry fist and stormed off. 'Damn it! I can't believe her. Is that really what she thinks? That I just don't care? That's what she thinks about us?!'
She slowly stopped walking as she looked up, glancing over her shoulder. "Katsu—"
"I don't wanna hear it! So shut up and listen, will ya?" He interrupted sharply, because it was finally his time to confront her about it. And he wasn't going to let her change the subject or justify herself to him. Not when he still had to talk about it.
She flinched from his tone and clamped her mouth shut. Considering their history and his tone...she owed him this at least.
"You tried to run away from me recently because you finally figured it out, didn't you?" He gritted his teeth and she blinked, looking away. Granted, she didn't think she would ever admit it to his face, but the fact that he overheard…
"That's because I don't want you to choose between being number one and me!" She confessed while glaring up at him.
"Ah? Even if that was the case, so what? You think you're better than me?" He narrowed his eyes a bit.
"No, it's just...I didn't want to ruin something you've been set on since we were kids!" She admitted, looking a bit upset. "You'll become number one, and be the strongest. That's what you've always wanted. So...for you to keep that future, I-"
"Don't force this shit on me!" He interrupted this time furiously, and she looked towards him wide-eyed. "Do you really think after a year and after we got closer, that I don't have any serious feelings involved?!" She faltered as she stared at him, her heart beating. "You don't get to make that choice for me! You were gonna stand there, and be selfish without telling me—"
"Shut up," She interrupted with a small hiss, trying to hold back her tears. "Just shut up," She sniffed sadly, staring at him. "You thought I'd find that easy to do? Nothing about this has been easy, and that's all because it's you!" She pointed at him, just as furious as he was prior. "Someone I couldn't stand for years and looked down at me! Like I was someone you could never acknowledge! And then when I finally realized it, I'm the one who was selfish?"
"You should've told me!" He yelled back at the girl, tears in his eyes.
"And said what? Hey Katsu, even though we're at war right now, I finally knew what I felt? I didn't know until then! And even then, YOU were focused on other things! What would've made me think you even felt the same after all that time?! And how come you never even mentioned it to me if you knew for this long?!" Izuka gestured to herself, some of them feeling awkward.
"Hey, maybe you guys should calm down and talk this out later," Eijiro tried to get them to listen as Izuku stared at the two. Knowing both of them, there were too many circumstances to talk this out until now, because they had a lot of things going on at the same time.
"Uh! Don't turn this back on me! You were dealing with a bunch of shit! Including your brother! You think I wanted to distract you?!" Katsuki snarled, clenching his fists angrily. He did want to talk to her, he just couldn't because she wouldn't have been able to focus on Izuku. Even though it was irritating for him to wait, but he did just for her sake.
"Right, because you had so little time! I mean, we've only been together for most of the time now," She responded sarcastically back to him.
"Well, it's not like there was even a good time when you had a clear head! Work-studies, that raid you were in. Even now!"
"Hey, there was that time that we saw Izuku, you could've said something then! Do you wanna continue arguing with me or do you actually have something to say for once in your life?" Izuka argued back at him, huffing.
He clamped his mouth shut as he stared at her as he could tell that she really did understand his feelings as well as her own. "Fine then. You remember when I first saved you when we were kids? There was more to it than that. My body…moved on its own, but in a different way. Ever since I knew you, I couldn't stand you. But somehow…I could never stop thinking about you. Because I saw you change from someone I could get ahead of easily…into someone who could actually keep up with me. Sometimes faster than I could imagine or understand. And I hated it just as much. And when you changed…I wasn't used to it. So I kept hiding my lingering thoughts of you, and yet…we started talking differently. And all that time, I kept trying to reject my feelings and you. So that I wouldn't have to admit…that I think you are the strongest person I could ever imagine."
Izuka teared up slowly while staring at him.
"And every day, I was forced to let my emotions get to me, especially since I kept getting jealous. And then that kiss…at that time, it was easier to forget it. But I never could, because…it made my feelings for you escalate even more."
Izuka gasped sharply, her face red as her eyes shook. Especially since the others were staring.
"I wanna be the best. There's no doubt about that. But when it came to earning your love...your affection..." Katsuki let down his arms again, his head down. "...That's something I knew I couldn't win at. That I couldn't be number one for. But I want to be. I wanna keep fighting for that. And that's why I needed to tell you this. Because I..." He looked up at Izuka again, clenching a fist. "I'm tired of losing when it comes to that! I'm still struggling to understand you so deeply. I don't know how to be...the kind of guy you deserve, because you're special. But...I wanna learn to. Even if I don't understand...I don't wanna lose when it comes to you. I don't wanna lose that smile you had to get used to giving me. Your attention, your happiness, that spark you have...it wasn't meant for me, but..." He was shaking as he gestured to himself, Izuka taking in every word. Even their class was taken aback by how...vulnerable he was being, something he never wanted to show others. And yet...he was doing it for Izuka.
"I recognize it might be too late...if there's a shred of you that still can't see past how I treated you and your brother. And I wish I could say I'm sorry for how I treated you in the beginning, but…it probably doesn't mean much to you. You probably hate my guts again, and I don't blame you. But...if you can...I don't wanna waste any more time. Will you...will you..." Katsuki gulped as his cheeks were flushed. Just say it, Katsuki, damn it! She's right there in front of you... "Be my girlfriend?"
Izuka's eyes slowly widened at his question, her mouth opening slightly. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. "Whoa, Bakugo..." Eijiro murmured in shock as Izuku opened his mouth too.
"I won't...I won't lose for your love again, Izuka Midoriya. Be my partner...so I can continue being the hero you deserve, and be by your side...and make sure you never cry again. I...I know I'm not ideal...but...all I have is...my feelings for you. If you let me...that's what I'll do for you. I'll take care of you for the rest of my life. And I promise...that I'll do my best to be the greatest hero...with you. Because I want you to be my greatest in life and to be happy," Katsuki struggled so much saying this, but...she had to hear from it. So she could understand just how much of an effect she had on him. Everyone smiled in encouragement towards him, knowing that he wouldn't say all of this for just anyone. What he meant was genuine.
Izuka could only process everything he just told her. He flinched after what felt like minutes and turned away. "S-Stop looking at me like that!"
Izuka continued looking at him and then closed her mouth. She then silently moved a foot forward, Izuku glancing up at her curiously. Katsuki didn't look at her still as she silently shuffled over. Once she reached him, she stopped and placed a hand on his cheek. She then jumped up to press her lips against his. Katsuki almost fell backwards, but then returned the kiss as he hugged her waist tightly. He moved his hand against her head, almost losing his mind from the kiss. Mina was silently squealing as the others looked on happily.
"It's about time," Denki hummed, crossing his arms.
She pulled away a few seconds later, staring up at Katsuki as her cheeks were flushed. "Yes, Katsu. I will be...your girlfriend," Izuka blushed while hiding her face into his shoulder. He snapped out of his daze, looking down at her with a smirk.
"Heh. You know what this means, don't you? That you're mine now. And I'm never letting you go," He hummed as he hugged her close.
"I'm...so glad for you guys..." Izuku murmured in delight that he got to see this, and then...he passed out.
"Ah!" Izuka yelped at him in alarm.
"He'll be alright, he just needs rest," Tenya reassured the short girl.
"You know though, Bakugo, if you marry Mido, wouldn't that make him your brother in law?" Denki pointed out in thought.
Both Izuka and Katsuki froze, the former's face red. Katsuki then turned to the girl. "Let's break up."
"Huh?!" She flinched while staring at him in disbelief.
"NO! They just got together, why'd you have to do that?!" Mina protested towards Denki angrily.
"Kaminari!" Kyoka glared towards her classmate.
Izuka looked like a sad puppy dog looking at Katsuki, her eyes wavering. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not leaving you…" He moved his arm around her waist, his chin on top of her head. "Not when I just got you."
"Don't do that to me..." She whined out to her new boyfriend and he kissed her head in reassurance.
Izuku didn't know how much time had passed, but when he opened his eyes, he could see Mezo looking at him.
"His eyes are open!" Hanta pointed out, but it felt quiet.
"Thirteen, he's awake," Mezo turned to their teacher.
"Good!" She smiled...while opening up her mask to reveal her smile. She had blue hair with some yellow highlights on top of it, and yellow eyes. "Hi there! Midoriya. Can you hear me?"
He was wrapped around Mezo's arms like a backpack, just like during the Kamino Incident. "Thirteen?" He murmured quietly to her. They were surrounded by his classmates. Izuka and Katsuki were standing behind, holding hands.
"I'll update you. Most civilians have been evacuated to shelters. The ones left in the streets are anti-hero vigilantes or looters taking advantage of the chaos the jail-breakers caused," She then looked up ahead. "But they won't last for long. More and more of them have asked for our protection." In front of them was a big gate and door. "Plus, since most of the rioters formed gangs, they're easy enough to deal with in one swoop. During evacuations, we had to split up our forces. We've done our best to improve the situation outside and in, though." In front of them was UA's emergency security system...which was surrounding the entire school, and all of the dorm buildings surrounding the main building. "At this point, all of the help you've been providing around the city can be taken care of by others. You can leave it to us now, okay?"
He stared at the doors, as he was unaware of the system that they never had to try out until now. "This is...UA?"
"The UA Barrier, to be exact!" Hanta revealed with a small smile. "And this big wall is just the tip of the security iceberg!"
"You're totally gonna geek out when you hear about the system!" Toru exclaimed, knowing that he would go into Peak Midoriya. "They said we can even merge with Shiketsu!"
He stared at her and then looked up.
I want to respect what everyone has done for me. But...
"I just can't...take this risk," He whispered, though no one could respond because something was heard from inside.
"Keep the boy away!"
Thirteen gasped while looking towards the doors. "Jeez. Loud, aren't they?"
"Prioritize our safety, like you promised!"
"Prioritize our safety!"
Inside were a bunch of protesters, who had been informed of Izuku's return. "Don't let that boy into UA's shelter!"
"Keep him out!"
"He's the one Shigaraki's rumored to be after! Bringing him here would kill us!"
"Hey, hey, let's calm the vibe down!" Present Mic tried to calm down the angry mob. The students and Thirteen were staring at the large amount of people up ahead.
"Didn't you hear the principal's speech? He said he'd guarantee our safety!"
"So guarantee it!"
"We won't let this happen!"
"Take the boy away!"
"If you'll just-" Present Mic once again tried to make them see reason.
"We were told if we abandoned our homes, you'd keep us safe here!" A woman stepped up furiously.
"Now you want a time bomb living with us?!"
"No way!"
As they were protesting, Izuku backed away towards the doors.
"Hide him somewhere that's not UA!"
Ochaco reached out to grab his wrist. Izuka jumped up, flying backwards and then landed in front of her brother.
"There's a whole damn country out there!"
He looked at the girls wide-eyed.
"Take the boy away!"
"It's gonna be fine," Ochaco looked at him with a reassuring smile, looking up.
"Mmhm," Izuka nodded sharply towards her brother. "We'll handle this, okay?"
Ida and the others, Bakugo, all of us. We're all in this together. We won't let you go. We can't...you don't have to do this alone. Ochaco then looked back towards the crowd. When a hero suffers...who's supposed to protect them?