"Regular speech,"
"Flashback speech,"
'Inner dialogue,'
'Phone Text Chat'
Izuku clenched and unclenched his fists, his muscles tensed, and One for All started to crackle across his skin, but then Shigaraki's finger inched closer to his neck.
"Careful there, Izuku. You try anything, and I decay that pretty little neck of yours. This doesn't have to be unpleasant; we can have a nice little chat, like old pals, or—" his finger dropped another millimeter, "it can get ugly."
Izuku's breaths came out in hard puffs, his chest rising and falling, faster and faster, "I could break your hand before you're able to actually kill me, and then a hero would show up to stop you."
Shigaraki's raspy chuckle sounded like nails on a chalkboard, "Maybe, but how many people do you think I could kill before someone stops me? I bet I could kill twenty… no thirty people before some hero showed up. Look around, there's so many of these sheep milling about bleating at each other; it sickens me. These idiots are walking around like nothing could go wrong; any single one of them could probably just start killing people, but you know why they don't?" His insane red eyes stared down into Izuku's, swirling with hate, "because they have complete faith in the arbitrary rules that this society has in place."
One for All dissipated, and Izuku glared up at him, his teeth grinding, "What's your point?"
His fingers dug into Izuku's throat, "the point is I don't understand it. Why do these little blind idiots have so much faith in something when they could just do whatever they want? It doesn't make any sense."
"You're asking why people don't just run around murdering, stealing, and hurting people? That's easy; they aren't doing it because they don't want to get hurt, or they don't want the people they care about to get hurt, either. We have laws because they protect people and, most importantly, the people we care about."
Shigaraki's free hand came up to scratch at his neck, "I guess that makes sense, even if it is a stupid reason. You make a surprising amount of sense, so maybe you could help me figure something else out."
Izuku's throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed, "why would I ever help you?"
The hand around Izuku's throat yanked him toward a bench in the center of the mall; people milled about as he was pushed down to sit, "because I saw where that girlfriend and little girl of yours went. I could always corrode your neck and go find them before anyone could stop me. Hell, maybe I would even have enough time to kill a few of those brats you call classmates."
Izuku swiveled his head to stare at the man, his gaze steady and all traces of fear gone. "If you threaten Himiko or Eri again, forget me breaking your hand. I'll crush your skull like a rotten watermelon. You might be fast, but I'm a lot faster."
He expected to see fear or maybe even anger cross the man's face, but instead, he saw satisfaction, "Ah, I knew I was right about you. You've got rage in you, that same burning hate that tells you to kill whatever you don't like." He leaned forward and grinned up at Izuku, "It's great, isn't it?"
Izuku didn't care what he was talking about. He just glared up at the man, his fists clenched in a white-knuckled fist.
"Calm down, brat. I was just making a point. I intend to recruit both of you as a pair, not just one of you— no use having one ultra-rare companion when I can get two as a set. Either way, this wasn't why I came up to you. I'm sure you've noticed, but I hate everything and everyone. Right now, what really grinds my gears is the Hero Killer." Shigaraki stared out over the crowds, his eyes roaming over people as they went about their lives.
Izuku's fingers dug into the material of his shorts, and he glared down at his feet, "I don't get it. Wasn't the Hero Killer with you?"
"I never really agreed to that, but now society seems to be under the impression that my League has the same beliefs as that bastard. It makes me sick that everyone is paying so much attention to him. Our attack on U.A. and the Nomu we released into Hosu. It's all getting overshadowed by the Hero Killer. No one's noticing me, why?"
Izuku looked up at the man, his glare unwavering. "That's what you wanted to ask me? Are you kidding me? That's the most childish thing I've ever heard. You're upset because no one is giving you any attention? Don't make me laugh."
Shigaraki's hand closed tighter around Izuku's windpipe, "Careful there. I don't want to kill you, but I won't take comments like that lying down. The Hero Killer can grandstand all he wants, but in the end, all he's doing is destroying what he hates. So, what makes him so different from me, Izuku?"
He breathed in, his mind working to form an answer through the storm of anger, fear, and resentment he was feeling, "well… I don't understand why you do what you do. You go around murdering people for fun without any discrimination, but the Hero Killer… at least he had standards, at least he had conviction behind what he does. For him, and even for me, it all started with All Might. And because of his beliefs, he even saved me from one of your Nomu, so at the very least, he's destructive, but he's doing it for a reason. His methods may be wrong, but I think he's living by his ideals."
Izuku trailed off, shuddering as Shigaraki's face morphed, his mouth turned into a smile so wide he was sure it would split the man's head in two, and his eyes simmered with a hellish sort of glee, "Ahhhh~! I get it now. It feels like I just figured out why the Hero Killer and you pissed me off so much at first. It's all because of… All Might. That's right. What was I even so hung up about? Now I get it; that's why all these damn sheep around us can go about their days happy and safe, thinking nothing bad could ever happen. Because All Might is holding up this stupid system, hoisting it on his shoulders and supporting it with that fake grin of his."
The hand around Izuku's throat constricted like a vice, and Izuku's hands shot up to try to ease the pressure.
Shigaraki tugged Izuku closer and rasped into his ear, his rancid breath washing over Izuku's nose, "no squirming, or are you saying you want me to kill one of these little hero-worshipping sheep?"
"Izu?"
His eyes shot wide open, and Izuku's eyes landed on Himiko, horrified to see her standing just a few feet away, holding Eri's hand. The little girl stared up at him with an ice cream cone in her hand and her head cocked to the side.
Shigaraki grinned at Izuku, his eyes gleaming in the recesses of his hood. He turned to grin at Himiko, and the girl went rigid at his face. "Hello, Himiko Toga. I was just having the nicest conversation with your boyfriend. He's a really clever guy, and he gave me a good perspective on some things."
Eri stared between them curiously. She took a step to join Izuku, but Himiko pulled her back as a snarl broke out on her face.
Shigaraki's head tilted to the side in a playful manner, "Aww, no need for any of that. The little girl isn't in any danger… as long as you don't try to follow me, that is." He turned to look at Izuku, "I'll see both of you around… sooner rather than later."
His finger wiggled a bit over Izuku's throat, the threat of his quirk activating, sending adrenaline shooting up Izuku's spine. But suddenly, he released his hold on Izuku entirely and stood to walk out into the crowd.
Izuku gasped for air, his hands working furiously at his neck. Himiko rushed over to him, her hands roaming furiously over his body in worry. Eri stood between his legs, staring up into his eyes, just as worried as Himiko.
"Shigaraki!" Izuku coughed, his throat constricted by the volume of his voice and the sudden rush of air that had entered his lungs, "What is All for One planning?!"
The villain stalled for a moment, his black hoodie nearly disappearing in the swaths of people. "Don't know, but you shouldn't worry about that. Worry about what I have planned because I can tell you it won't be good for that bastard you call the Symbol of Peace. Before this is over, I'll have you at his throat strangling him with his own entrails, and then that'll show this society no one is above their baser natures, not even the so-called heroes they worship."
He disappeared into the crowd, and Izuku devolved into fits of coughing as Himiko and Eri worried over him.
Izuku stood at the front of the mall, Eri clutched his shirt tightly as he held her, and Detective Tsukauchi was interviewing Himiko. The mall had been in an uproar as the police evacuated people, and All Might had shown up as soon as he'd heard Shigaraki had appeared.
The first thing he'd done was ruffle Izuku and Himiko's hair to reassure them that they were safe, and then he'd tried to give Eri a smile. She'd hidden against Izuku because she didn't recognize him out of his muscle form. Thankfully, All Might hadn't taken it personally.
Izuku paced back and forth, his fingers combing through Eri's hair comfortingly. His hands trembled, and his entire body thrummed with unbridled anger. He could feel One for All tugging at the edges of his consciousness, begging to be used, but the time for its usefulness had long since passed.
'He's dead. Shigaraki is a dead man.'
"Papa?" Izuku turned his gaze down to the little girl in his arms. Her shoulders shook, and she stared up with teary eyes, "Why are all the people running around? Is something bad happening?"
His eyes softened, and Izuku pulled the girl up closer so he could rest his forehead against hers. "Everything's completely fine, Eri. We just had a… scare. That's all."
His voice wavered, and his breath came out shakier than he'd intended. Shigaraki, being that close to Eri, had really freaked him out, and he was still coming down from the adrenaline rush that had shot through his entire body in that moment.
Eri seemed to pick up on his state. She wrapped her arms around him, her face pressed into his chest as she squeezed tightly, "It's okay."
Izuku chuckled and ran a hand through her long hair, "thanks, Eri."
Himiko stormed over against Detective Tsukauchi's protests as she did, "I'm done answering questions; you're just repeating the same ones over and over again, and I want to comfort Eri."
The detective sighed at her flippant dismissal and turned to have a conversation with All Might.
"How is she doing?" Himiko stopped Izuku's incessant pacing and put a hand on the little girl's back.
Izuku shrugged, "I think she's fine, just a little shaken up by all the noise and people."
She frowned up at Izuku, "And you?"
He had to suppress the snarl that nearly split his face. His thinly suppressed rage was at a fever pitch, and it was taking all his self-control not to run over to a wall and just punch it with full force, "angry, no, pissed off. I can't believe Shigaraki found us so easily, and that bastard treated it like we were having a friendly chat. Like we were old buddies." He sighed irritably and gave Himiko an apologetic look, "I'm sorry; it must have freaked you out too. Are you alright?"
Himiko let out a shuddering breath. Her hands clenched and unclenched, and he could see her fingers twitching toward spots he knew for a fact had hidden knives. "I was really scared, but I was really mad, too. I'm getting sick of that guy and his stupid plans that keep ruining our good moods."
Izuku sighed and walked over so that he could wrap his arm around her to ease her fidgeting. They sandwiched Eri between themselves, making the little girl giggle for the first time since they had exited the mall as she squirmed.
"Eri, Izuku, Himiko! Are you all alright?" Izuku's mom hurried over to them, slamming her car door shut and throwing her arms around them. She cried as her arms crushed all of them in a vice, "You're all going to give me a heart attack!"
Detective Tsukauchi and All Might made their way over to the four of them.
"I meant to say this the next time we met, and I wished it would've been at a better time, but our look into little Eri there finally came up with something." Detective Tsukauchi smiled at them, but it was also a bit strained, "it turns out she has a mother, but she gave Eri up after she… well, there's no easy way to say this; she made her father disappear. The mother didn't give any specifics, but apparently, it has something to do with her quirk. Because her mother gave her up, she was given to her grandfather, who turned out to be the leader of a fairly obscure gang still operating as Yakuza. They were called the Shie Hassaikai, I don't need to bog you down with the details, but because her previous guardian is affiliated with such dangerous criminals, we can't release her back to him. Her grandfather was the only family member other than the mother we could find, so you're all free and clear to officially adopt Eri if that's the route you wish to take, Mrs. Midoriya."
Izuku's mom smiled gratefully at the detective and turned to the three of them. "Let's head home for now, you three. I'm sure you're all tired."
Izuku sat on top of the roof of their apartment building. His mom had turned in with Eri a few hours ago, and Himiko had decided to sleep on the couch because she didn't want to go back to her apartment alone.
The warm summer air ruffled his hair lightly as he stared up at the pale half-moon above. Silver light washed his face in dim shadow, and he sighed heavily.
"I thought you'd be up here."
Izuku looked down at the roof's lip and saw Himiko's glowing catlike eyes staring at him worriedly. Her usually present blush was gone, and her smile was absent; her mouth was pressed into a thin, worried line.
He chuckled and patted the spot next to him, "might as well come up."
She hoisted herself up with little effort, her movements silent and fluid as she slunk toward him slowly on her hands and knees. Her shoulder pressed against his, and she jostled him lightly, "You okay?"
Izuku brought his legs closer to his chest and rubbed the back of his head, his expression sour and his gaze angry as he stared at the tile of the roof, "not really, no. I'm still pissed off, and what Shigaraki said before he left is still sticking with me."
"That thing about him saying he'd have you at All Might's throat? Izuku, you might have an issue with the guy right now, but you couldn't do something like that. There's no way you could just turn your back on All Might; he's your hero."
"Is he, though?" Izuku winced at his own tone and pushed his head further between his legs to hide his expression from her. He didn't want her to see this side of him, the ugly doubt-filled worry that always knotted in his chest and made him hate himself, "All Might is a great hero; I can't deny that he just is, but… maybe I don't know him as a person as well as I thought I did. I just… got swept away in all of the excitement of finally being given a chance to achieve my dream based on his ideals and way of doing things, but I don't even know if I believe in that anymore. I want to save people, give them a smile, and tell them everything will be okay, but is All Might's way of doing things right? Should there be one single pillar holding up the peace in society?" Izuku shook his head and looked back up at the moon, "I don't know. Relying on one man doesn't seem like the right thing to do, and… it seems like it's done some good, but people still get harmed because they rely on the thought that a single hero can handle everything."
Himiko hummed, her head resting against his shoulder as she stared up at the sky with him, "I think you have a point, but I'm not someone who can talk. For the longest time, you have been that one person for me. That one pillar that held up my world and gave me direction when nothing else did, but… having Inko and Eri in my life has made me realize you can't put all your expectations on one person, not without putting everything on the line anyway. I still think you're the biggest support in my life, but I have other people now, and I'm better for it." She smiled cheekily up at him and kissed a bite mark on his neck, "Don't get me wrong though, you're still mine, so you better not think that means I'm gonna leave you alone anytime soon."
Izuku gave her a huff of a laugh as he put his arm around the girl's shoulder, "I love you, you know that?"
He could feel her grin without even needing to look, "I know. I love you too."
Izuku herded class 1-A toward their bus; the summer heat beat down on them as everyone crammed their bags and belongings into the compartment on the side of the bus.
The trip to the training camp hadn't been canceled, but the teachers had decided to scrap the original plan and say they would arrive in favor of a last-minute schedule that would make it difficult for the villains to figure out.
Izuku didn't really blame them, not after that threat about seeing him and Himiko soon Shigaraki had given.
A boy with blond hair and pale blue eyes slapped Izuku on the back and gave him a condescending look, "Ha! I heard you've got five people taking extra lessons. What's the matter? I thought you guys from 1-A were supposed to be better than us from class B. But we've only got one person taking the lessons! I guess you chumps aren't as great as you thou—"
A girl, Itsuka Kendo, Izuku thought her name was, chopped the boy on the back of the neck and smiled apologetically at him, "I'm sorry about our feral idiot here."
She dragged him away, making Izuku worry about class 1-B's collective mental well-being with someone like that around.
And then suddenly, Kacchan slammed his shoulder into Izuku's as he passed to enter the bus, "fuck outta my way, Deku."
Izuku took a deep breath in and then blew it out, 'Don't beat the crap out of him. Don't beat the crap out of him. Don't beat the crap out of him.'
He suddenly resolved himself to the realization that both hero course classes had their own problem people.
Izuku looked around at everyone gathered and did a quick headcount, "is everyone here? Did you all pack everything?"
"Yep!"
"Yes!"
"Indeed."
"All of my beautifully twinkling belongings are secure."
Izuku didn't know what to say about Aoyama's response, so he just nodded and marked a few things off of the checklist he'd been given as class rep. "Alright, everyone, step onto the bus and get comfortable. We'll be on the road for a while. And try to be orderly while you take your seats, please. Yaoyorozu-san, could you give the checklist to Mr. Aizawa?"
The girl smiled at him and took the clipboard from him, "Of course, Midoriya-san."
Everyone filtered onto the bus; the last person to get on was Himiko. She took his hand and tugged him toward the vehicle. Her mouth passed right by his ear as she grinned with a large blush on her face, "You're sexy when you're being orderly and authoritative and stuff."
Izuku flared bright red at that and didn't notice when he'd been pulled onto the bus and plopped down into a seat at the front with Himiko next to him. She hugged his left arm with both of hers, pressing her chest into the appendage. Her head pressed into his shoulder, and she smiled happily.
The bus ride was long and very loud. Everyone seemed excited about the trip, but a nagging suspicion in the back of Izuku's head wouldn't quite let him relax fully. One part of it was that this was U.A. they were talking about, so it couldn't be as simple as a bus ride the whole way to the camp. Another part was the worry about what Shigaraki had said.
"You worrying about stuff in that cute little green head of yours?" Himiko poked the side of his head and smiled fondly at him.
Izuku laughed and nodded, "there's no way they're going to give us a ride all the way to camp, right? That doesn't seem like the sort of laid-back thing U.A. would do."
Himiko hummed and looked at Mr. Aizawa appraisingly, "No way. That ex-mummy definitely has something planned; I can smell an ambush from a mile away. I bet it'll be at the next rest stop. That's where I'd set an ambush."
Izuku checked his phone and frowned, "Our stop is coming up here in a few minutes. I don't know what to expect, so stay close."
Himiko nodded and gripped his arm a bit tighter, "I intended to."
After a few minutes, the bus finally stopped at the edge of an overlook, and nothing but another solitary car was parked near it. There was no rest stop, no bathrooms, and nowhere to get food.
'Yeah, this is definitely some kind of trap.'
Everyone filtered out of the bus, stretching and groaning as they worked out the cramps in their backs and legs from sitting for so long. The heat of the tarmac beneath his feet made him sweat and tug at the collar of his shirt. Absently, he tugged his school tie off and wrapped it tightly around his right hand.
Himiko's hands twitched toward her legs, no doubt wanting to grab a few of her hidden throwing knives, but she restrained herself.
Kaminari stretched and looked around, confused, "what kind of rest stop is this?"
Uraraka glanced around nervously, "and where's class B?"
"We stopped here for a reason." Mr. Aizawa mumbled quietly to himself, but Izuku had caught what he'd said.
Hearing that put him a lot more on edge.
"Hey, Eraserhead! It's been a while!"
Izuku jerked his head to the side, ready for anything… at least until he caught sight of two women in cat-themed hero outfits striking a pose. Off to the side, there was a black-haired little boy about Eri's age wearing a hat with horns. He glared at all of the gathered 1-A students, but his stare was especially hard at Izuku and Himiko.
"Rock on with these sparkling gazes!"
"Stingingly cute and catlike!"
Both women shouted in unison, "We're the Wild, Wild Pussycats!!!"
Izuku's face lit up, and he pulled out one of the many notebooks he'd packed until he flipped through and found the page he was looking for, "Whoa! You guys really are the Wild, Wild Pussycats! They operate as a four-person hero team who all work under a single agency. They specialize in mountain rescue operations! And they've been active for twelve years no—"
The blonde pussycat, Pixie-Bob, slammed her giant cat paw mitten over Izuku's entire face, cutting him off with a dark look, "I'm eighteen at heart, you got that?"
Izuku stared at her terrifiedly from between the gloves' fingers, "Y-yes, ma'am."
She got dangerously close, her dark look still in place, "Now. How old am I?"
"E-Eighteen."
She smiled sweetly and stepped back from Izuku. "Good! Don't forget it!"
Izuku rubbed his face and muttered silently to himself, "I thought I was gonna die."
Himiko giggled and poked his cheek, "You sure know how to strike people's nerves without trying. First that exploding asshole, now a random hero."
He sighed, and his shoulders slumped slightly.
"The Pussycats are here to help with the training you'll all be doing." Mr. Aizawa stepped lightly to the side, away from the cloister of students that had gathered nearby.
The woman with brunette hair, Mandalay, pointed off at a mountain in the distance, "This whole area here is our territory. Your lodging will be at the foot of that mountain over there."
Urararaka looked around, "Uh, then why'd we stop here?"
Sato cringed, "Uh oh."
Sero turned on his heel and power-walked over to the bus. "Let's… get back on the bus!"
Mandalay smiled sweetly at all of them and cocked her head to the side with an evil look in her eye, "it's 9:30 a.m. right now. I'm thinking… it'll take until noon at the earliest."
"Ah, crap. No way," Kirishima turned and started running alongside Sero. The pair pushed each other as they fumbled to get back to the bus.
Pixie-Bob grinned and slammed her hands into the ground, "kitties who don't make it there by 12:30 won't be getting any lunch. Good luck!"
A tidal wave of dirt slammed into everyone, pushing them up and away from the bus. The force of the sudden avalanche of dirt pushed everyone off of the edge of the overlook and down into a free-fall to the forest below.
Izuku sputtered and spat clumps of dirt from his mouth, "Himi…ko!"
A pair of arms wrapped around his neck tightly from behind, and then a pair of legs around his waist. He could hear her voice shout in his ear over the rush of earth around them, "I'm here, Izu!"
One for All rushed up his body, sending crackling green static along his skin. He searched for a way to land safely without hurting himself or Himiko when he caught sight of a sturdy branch below.
His arms tensed with ten percent of One for All filling him. He needed to time this just right; otherwise, he could dislocate his shoulders with the downward momentum.
His hands slammed into the rough bark of the tree, sending lances of pain through him, but his grip was firm. He kicked his legs, swung around the tree branch twice, and then let go so they could safely fall to the forest floor.
Izuku wiped his brow but winced when his bloody and raw left hand was soaked with his sweat, "ow."
Himiko grabbed his hand, bringing it to her mouth to lick away the blood, "that'll start the clotting."
He experimentally flexed his hands and nodded at her, "Thanks, Himi-chan. Thankfully, I wrapped my tie around the right one so they aren't both hurt."
"Oh, by the way!" Izuku looked up and saw Mandalay leaning over the metal guard rail up above, "This is our private property, so you can use your quirks to your heart's content. You've got three hours to make it to the foot of the mountain, so you're gonna need them if you wanna get through the Beast's Forest!"
He cocked his head to the side and frowned, "Beast's Forest?"
"Izu, jump!"
One for All activated in an instant, and his body shot straight up into the trees, where he grabbed a hold of a branch. Down below, some kind of… creature rampaged right through the spot they had been in.
It was a hulking, eyeless creature with jagged, footlong brown tusks, sandy yellowed claws, and green veins that snaked up along its arms and legs.
"C-Calm yourself, creature!" Koda rushed forward, holding his hands up placatingly. "Please, back down!"
Something was wrong. The thing lumbered forward, its eyeless head raised, and along with it, one of its jagged yellow-colored claws.
"Koda! Himiko, hold on!" Izuku pressed his feet onto the branch above him, hanging them both upside down by it. Then, he shot straight for the creature.
His foot collided solidly with its skull, but instead of feeling the resistance of flesh and bone, his foot sank in and shattered its head in one go. Dirt, rock, and tree roots burst in every direction, and Izuku realized all at once what was going on.
"Everyone! This is Pixie-Bob's quirk! She can control earth including making these creatures! Be careful. They could be anywhere!"
"Izu, throw me up!" Himiko's legs unwound from around his waist, and she dropped to her feet by his side.
"Got it!" Grabbing her by the waist, he clenched his arm muscles, tensed his legs, and flexed his back as he threw her up into the air.
Himiko's hands wrapped around a tree branch, and she used her momentum to swing around the branch hard enough for her foot to collide with the chin of another creature's flapping earthen wings that somehow propelled it through the air. The creature's head burst and showered the ground with more dirt, rocks, and tree roots.
"I'll handle them up above, Izu! You handle the ground ones!"
Izuku nodded, "right!"
He shot forward through the foliage, his body lighting up the shadowed spaces in the canopy as electricity sparked along his skin. Himiko leapt from tree to tree above, the dull flash of steel as she threw knives into the wings and skulls of flying creatures or ones in the trees, let him know her exact position.
He kicked apart the still-moving ones as they fell from above while running and somersaulting over another one, whose tail he grabbed and slammed into a tree spine, first breaking it into pieces.
It seemed like the number of earth-made monsters was never-ending because, after a solid hour of running and fighting, they just kept coming. After a while, Himiko had run out of knives, and her legs had started to ache from jumping from tree to tree. Eventually, she jumped down from the forest canopy and joined him in the ground assault he had been waging with everyone in class who was forced to stay on the ground.
The day had gone on for so long that Izuku lost track of how many monsters he kicked, punched, and slammed into things. His fists and legs ached, his breaths came out ragged and wheezing, and it was all he could do not to just let his body give out. This was, without a doubt, the longest he had continually used One for All.
At least with the Sport's Festival, he had been given breaks between fights and events, but this unceasing usage was taking its toll on him.
Himiko didn't look much better; she definitely lasted longer than him when it came to how fast her appearance turned ragged, but it had happened all the same. Her knife throws, and precise cuts had turned desperate and reflexive. She wasn't thinking about where she struck out when an enemy came near; she just destroyed it immediately and in any way she could. Her hair buns had long since come undone, and her blonde hair was in disarray as she panted with sweat.
"This… sucks… so much!" Himiko groaned as they broke through the tree line.
Finally, they had made it to the foot of the mountain, but they were both dead tired, and Izuku had to prop the girl up with his already weak muscles so she wouldn't collapse.
Kacchan, Todoroki, and Iida were the next to emerge from the trees, and they all looked horrible. Iida's glasses were cracked and knocked askew, his engines on his feet, puffing in futility. Todoroki was covered head to toe in dirt and sweat, and Kacchan's palms were cracked and bleeding from letting off so many explosions for so long.
"Oh, you're all here! But, needless to say, you're all late." Pixie-Bob smiled cheerfully, making Izuku want to puke his guts out with how nonchalant she was.
Sero fell down to his knees and closed his eyes as he gasped for air, "get here by 12:30 she said. How the heck were we supposed to get down here in just three hours?!"
Kirishima turned his head up to the sky in agony as he clutched his stomach, "I'm so hungry!"
Mandalay laughed, "Sorry, I was going based on how quick we would've made it."
Pixie-Bob slammed her pawed glove into Izuku's back in a friendly manner, but the contact nearly sent him tumbling to the ground with Himiko. "We actually thought it'd take you all longer, but you five," she pointed at Izuku, Himiko, Iida, Todoroki, and Kacchan, "destroyed a lot of my cute little beasts the most out of anyone. Not too shabby."
She jumped forward and groped at all of them except Himiko. "I'm going to have a lot of fun three years from now! I'm marking you all as mine!"
Himiko butted heads with the woman gripping her gloved hands with her own and glaring into her eyes, "Izu is mine! I don't give a rat's ass about the other four, but he's off limits!"
Izuku watched the display tiredly, not knowing how Himiko could possibly be lively enough to do that.
Mr. Aizawa stood next to Mandalay, his expression one of tired worry. He pointed at Pixie-Bob, "Was she always like this?"
Mandalay just cocked her head to the side and shrugged, "She's… worried about being a spinster forever."
Izuku jolted, "Spinster?! Is she really that o—"
Pixie-Bob's paw slammed around Izuku's face, and the claws at the end of them dug into his scalp, "What was that?"
He gulped, "N-nothing! Oh, I was meaning to ask, but that boy. Whose child is he?"
'Please let the diversion work. Please let the diversion work.'
Mandalay turned to point her gloved hand at the small boy, "Oh, he's actually my nephew. Kota! Come over and say hello. You'll be spending a week with these guys, after all."
The small boy walked slowly over to stand in front of Izuku, and a sudden rush of fondness washed over him as he looked down at the boy. He was around Eri's age, and while his glare was pretty intense, Izuku had started to like little kids ever since Eri had been around.
He stooped down a bit to give the boy his hand, "Hi, I'm Izuku Midoriya! It's nice to meet you. We'll be in your care for the next w—"
The little boy reeled back his fist and slammed it straight into Izuku's balls.
A quick image of two eggs in a microwave exploding made Izuku fall to his knees, clutching his family jewels.
"Midoriya!" Iida ran over, placing a tentative hand on Izuku's shaking shoulders and his head shot to give the little boy a hard look, "I say, what did Midoriya's scrotum ever do to you?! Someone, get me an ice pack!"
Kota glared at Izuku as Himiko crouched down to comfort him, his eyes watching them for a second before he grunted and walked away.
"Why?" Izuku squeaked and slumped fully onto his side, tears spilling down his cheeks as his hands clamped around his bruised testicles.
A/N: We're finally at the arc I built this whole story around!!! I'm so excited!!! So I wanna do something weird: go and listen to NateWantsToBattle's cover of Dream Alone. It's a song that really makes me think of the relationship between Izuku and Himiko in this fanfic. I feel like it fits so well.
I hope you enjoyed and I can't wait to get this arc freakin going!!!!!!!!!!