Chapter 8: Assault on the USJ
Katsuki, for only a split second, felt cold dread wash over him.
"T-that one has two Quirks..." Katsuki glanced over at Deku, who was shakily pointing down at another Villain. Two Villains with Copy Quirks? No. It's something worse. But what? Either way, Katsuki's eyes tracked to where Deku was pointing, catching sight of an absolute behemoth of a Villain. This one had a real ugly countenance- below the neck, he was relatively human, although his skin was as dark as pitch and littered with puckered red scars. But his head… the entire top of his skull was gone, exposing the Villain's grey matter. Katsuki's stomach rolled.
The one with spiked-up red hair grimaced, still holding onto Deku's shoulder. "Okay. So if these are Villains, how did they make it on campus?"
"Thirteen," the rich girl took a step forward, her face void of any fear. Her shaking hands betrayed her; Katsuki couldn't help but sneer at her fearless façade, although maybe that was a little hypocritical of him. "Why aren't the alarms going off?"
"...I don't know," the Hero whispered, "the backup generator should have kicked in already."
"It's possible," Todoroki deadpanned, "that there is a Villain amongst them that is blocking not only the lights but the alarms with their Quirk. They timed their arrival for exactly when we entered the facility, so they likely knew we would be here. They must have some objective here, one that involves us and necessitates our presence."
"All Might was supposed to be here," Deku whispered in a subdued tone. "They must be after him. The other day, when the media broke in… they must have used that as a cover to slip in and steal a schedule."
"...Damn." Mr. Aizawa grumbled into the scarf around his neck. "Thirteen, I'm going to handle this. Evacuate the students and signal the main building. Wait, no." His grip on the capture weapon tightened, and his scowl turned into a glare. "If they have something to jam the lights and alarms, then it's possible they have someone to block messages. Kaminari." The dumbass blondie jolted to attention. "Use your radio. Try to signal Principal Nedzu. If you can't get through to him, we'll have to get to the main school building and tell someone in person."
Kaminari nodded resolutely before fiddling with his earpiece. "On it!"
With nothing more than a nod, their teacher began steadily descending the stairs. Deku stepped forward as well. "Wait, Mr. Aizawa," he quickly whisper-yelled, "your fighting style is better suited against one person or a group if you catch them unawares! Against a group that large, you'll be overwhelmed!"
Mr. Aizawa spared Deku a glance, his face not offering any solace. "You can't be a Hero if you're a one-trick pony. I can take on all these lowlifes without even breaking a sweat. Thirteen, I'm counting on you." Deku looked like he wanted to argue further, and his face was still pale. Before he could push his chances, Mr. Aizawa took a running leap down the stairs, his capture weapon unfurling behind him.
Finally, after staring after their teacher for a moment longer, Izuku faced the class. "A-alright... Kaminari, you got anything?"
"Sorry, Rep," Kaminari bemoaned, "I'm getting nothing but static here. Whatever's blocking the alarm is blocking radio waves."
Deku grimaced at that, then nodded to himself. "That's fine. Keep trying. Everyone, let's get out of here! Leave this to our teacher!" With that, the class started making a collective break for the doors. Katsuki lingered behind for a moment as he watched their teacher bring the pain.
Two Villains with more than one Quirk and more than fifty regular thugs... he's bluffing. He might be fine for now, but if he doesn't get help soon, he's fuckin' dead. Katsuki grimaced, turning to follow the rest of the class. Guess we gotta bring the cavalry before it's too late. But damn, I'd love to stay behind and crack some skulls.
"Kacchan, come on!" Katsuki growled in annoyance and broke into a sprint, pumping his legs to run past Deku.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," the shadowy teleporter greeted mildly, appearing before them, form only kind of resembling a person. Katsuki ground to a halt, shocked at the Villain's sudden appearance. "I am Kurogiri, and we are the League of Villains. You might find us rude for it, but we decided to invite ourselves in. This place was as good as any for All Might's tomb." Katsuki's breath hitched in his throat, but the bastard wasn't done yet. "And yet, even though he was supposed to be here today, it looks as though he's absent. Oh, well. When plans change, one must be capable of adaptation. You students will have to do." The warper widened, taking on an amorphous shape, and Katsuki prepared to leap at him.
"Kacchan, Kirishima, don't move!" Katsuki stuttered to a halt. The bastard erased my Quirk! He wheeled around, ready to tear the fucker a new one, but his words died in his throat. Never mind the terrifying, red-eyed glare that Deku was giving him and the Villain both, Thirteen had their hand raised. They were about to use their Quirk, and Katsuki had almost leaped right in front of it.
"Interesting…" Despite being temporarily Quirkless, the Villain was still shrouded in a dark fog. Is that not a Quirk, then? "You have the same Quirk as Eraserhead. Are you related to him, by any chance? How lovely. And it looks like your Quirk works the same, too. I wonder how long you'll last before I can carry on?"
"Long enough for me to do my job." Thirteen, unobstructed, activated her Quirk. The man's semi-corporeal form began to be sucked away, revealing a tall silver neckpiece and a closer approximation to the body of an actual person as opposed to his previously amorphous shape. Meanwhile, Explosions crackled across Katsuki's palms. He positioned his palms behind him, and just as he did, the Villain's amorphous body flared in size. Deku had blinked.
"Insolent Hero. You, a Rescue Hero, know nothingabout the art of combat. I, on the other hand, am fully capable of killing you with ease." With that, the Villain swiped an arm in front of him, opening a portal between his body and Black Hole's suction. With a mere flick of his wrist, another portal opened behind Thirteen; before they could flip up the cap on their finger and stop Black Hole, it was already too late. By the time she finally flipped up the cap, Thirteen's entire back was just… gone. Their suit was torn open, their bloodied back exposed to the air. Katsuki's stomach rolled again, and all he could see was red.
"You bastard…" He burst forward, pulling a hand back to swing at the Villain's exposed neck. "I'll fucking kill you!" Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kirishima rush forward with him, arms Hardened and ready to pummel.
Katsuki swung his fist, another Explosion dancing on his fingertips- but instead of making contact with the Villain, he just kept going, twisting around his own body uselessly as he spun in the air. His momentum sent him tumbling when he hit the ground, and he sprawled out on his stomach. Furious, he shot back up to his feet-
-and realized he was in a new location entirely, a building similar in layout to the fake ones in the Combat Trials, albeit more dilapidated. He whirled around at a crashing sound, but it was only Kirishima following after him. Katsuki, grinding his teeth together, punched the wall next to him.
"FUCK!"
-
"You bastard…" Bakugou leaped forward, and Izuku desperately tried to activate Erasure again; he clutched his eyes, pain ripping through his skull. Damn it, too soon…! He managed to look through his tears in time to see both Bakugou and Kirishima disappear in Kurogiri's fog. He dug his nails into the palms of his hands, working through the throbbing headache to formulate a new plan.
I need a way to counter his fog, but what can we do even if I have enough time to catch him with Erasure again? In a moment of desperation, Izuku's Quirklight darted forward, and he began to Copy Kurogiri's Quirks as quickly as possible. Our only advantage is that he doesn't know my Quirk. That means they only knew that one of the classes would be here, not which one. That gives me the advantage, but none of my Quirks can help me unless I get close. But to get close, I'd need to have Erasure active- unless I teleport.
Izuku grimaced as he subconsciously felt the Villain's Quirks entering One for All. A small part of his brain wondered how they worked. Maybe similar Quirks could synergize and make new Quirks, kind of like how some children had a combination of their parent's Quirks? And Quirks that didn't synergize would remain separate, like when he used Explosion and Erasure on Bakugou during the Combat Trials. He shook his head to clear his contemplations. Before he did anything else, he caught Iida's attention with a subtle gesture. "Iida, I'm entrusting this responsibility to you," he whispered. "Don't get captured. If Kaminari can't contact the school, someone must get there. That person is you, Iida."
Iida stared at Izuku, obviously conflicted. "But what about you-?"
"As your class representative, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. We need your help, Iida. Please?" Iida looked as though he wanted to argue further, but finally, he just nodded.
Plan set in place, Izuku shot a cocky grin at Kurogiri.
"Mind giving me any pointers before I do this?" Before Kurogiri could retort, Quirk Copy sprung to life, feeling like it was running on triple time as it amalgamated and activated Kurogiri's Quirks. Spreading out from the back of Izuku's neck, his skin became a heavy fog; unlike Kurogiri's purplish fog, his was grey and red like Quirk Copy's Quirklight. He felt light, weightless, and he probably wouldn't have any real form if it weren't for the patch of solid flesh and blood on his neck grounding him. That must be what his brace is for- to protect his Achilles heel.Kurogiri's eyes widened in shock, and Izuku's grin widened in excitement.
In a voice deeper than his own natural voice, Izuku laughed. "I guess I'll just figure it out as I go. Let's see... like this?" He swiped a hand in front of him, opening a portal and dashing forward to meet the black void. For a moment, he just hung there, reminded of his dream... then he swiped his hand again to open a new portal directly in front of Kurogiri. The Villain's eyes widened further in disbelief as Izuku launched himself out of the portal. He pulled on Erasure, and got ready to use One for All.
It didn't come. Kurogiri, realizing his own Quirk was still active, immediately opened a portal to block Izuku. His momentum carried him through it, and he wound up above the Shipwreck Zone, halfway across the USJ in just that brief moment. With Kurogiri's Quirks still active, his bright eyes danced across the steadily approaching artificial lake, landing on the boat sitting in the middle of it. He swiped his arm again-
-and tumbled onto the boat's deck, falling to his knees and coughing heavily from the suddenly oppressive feeling in his chest. Izuku immediately dispersed Kurogiri's Quirks, and as soon as his body was back to normal, he vomited up a thick black substance, practically spewing onto the deck of the boat. So his Quirks don't actually synergize perfectly. Is that why Erasure didn't work? He wiped the substance from his mouth, standing up on jittery legs. Maybe there's a respiratory device in his neck brace. Or maybe he doesn't need to breathe at all?He looked at his shaking hands, grimacing as he tried to make them still.
One for All flared to life as he watched it, growing almost frenzied as its whirling tentacles moved. He swallowed thickly. Those Villains with multiple Quirks... only one man could do that. And that hand Villain, his Quirk...
He shuddered as he visualized it; on the Villain, it had been the color of sickness, oxidized copper, and radioactive waste.
But looking at it here in the Core of One for All, it was the same color, yet it felt vibrant; the color of rebirth, like leaves growing back after winter or plants dying and making room for new growth. Intuitively, even though he didn't know how the Quirk worked, he somehow knew it was dangerous. Izuku briefly recalled Thirteen's speech and ground his teeth together. That bastard All for One must have taken the Quirks of the past holders when he killed them. If that hand Villain has one of those Quirks, he's important. That other one, too, the brain one, has this purple one. Two important lackeys of All for One, wielding the Quirks of One for All... God above, they really could kill All Might.
Splashing from over the side of the boat distracted Izuku from his encroaching panic. He crawled forward and stuck his head in between two rails; coming up the side of the boat was Asui, carrying Mineta with her tongue. After finally leaping up onto the railing, she slammed Mineta down onto the deck with a slightly peeved expression. Mineta rubbed his back as he stood up, opening his eyes and catching sight of Izuku.
"Oh! Midoriya!" Mineta's eyes began to water. "We're saved! Thank God! I won't die without seeing a real pair of-!" He was interrupted by a prompt slap to the back of the head by Asui's tongue.
"Now isn't the time, Mineta. Ugh, this is turning out to be the worst school day yet, ribbit. What a total buzzkill."
Izuku managed a shaky laugh. "I agree." After a beat of silence, Izuku continued somberly, "Was everyone else warped, too?"
Asui made a humming noise in the back of her throat. "Yeah. I think so."
"I'm sorry," he muttered, digging his fingernails into his palms. "This is my fault."
Asui tilted her head slightly at him. "Maybe. I'll forgive you if you help us get out of here. I don't exactly want to deal with that Kurogiri alone, ribbit."
"I'm not sure we can," Izuku admitted. "The Villains here might really be able to kill All Might. Our best bet is to escape."
"What?!" Mineta looked shocked, tears still streaking down his face. "No way! All Might's super strong! As soon as he gets here, these stupid Villains are toast."
Asui frowned, an odd expression on her face. "They wouldn't come here saying they wanted to kill him if they couldn't."
Izuku nodded uneasily. "Kurogiri and the brain Villain both had more than one Quirk. The one in the middle, the one covered in hands, had a particularly dangerous one. Even if they can't kill All Might, they could still do some serious damage to him." And with All Might either dead or too injured to do patrol, crime would run rampant, and the people would be without a Symbol. Society as we know it would collapse in the vacuum.
Mineta shook his head, unaware of Izuku's internal dilemma. "There's no way that's true! People can't have more than one Quirk! It's totally impossible." Izuku leveled a knowing gaze at the diminutive boy, who grew increasingly distraught until he downright sobbed. "Are we really going to die here? I never got to be popular...!"
Asui hopped down from her position on the railing, placing a gentle hand on Mineta's shoulder. "Please, calm down, ribbit. We must go about this rationally, or we're guaranteed to die."
Mineta, after a moment, finally managed to stifle his sobs. He wiped at his face, nodding meekly in agreement.
Asui smiled gently, another odd yet pleasant expression on her, and she stood straight. "Midoriya, there's something else." She walked up to the railing, gesturing over the edge. "I figure you must have teleported on deck with that Villain's Quirk, so you probably didn't notice, but there are many Villains in the water." Izuku looked over the edge to confirm; in the water, peeking above the surface, he could see half a dozen Villains and half a dozen more via their Quirklights. All of them seemed aquatic-based, which was especially dangerous.
"I see," he answered dumbly. Honestly, right now, I don't give a shit about All Might and the Symbol of Peace. This is about protecting Toshi. I can't let my bastard Villain of a father kill the only important man in my life. I can't let him kill Toshi, or that's blood on my hands. "I guess we'll just have to beat these Villains to get ashore."
"W-what?!" Mineta clutched at his cape. "No way! If these guys were gathered to kill All Might himself, what chance do we have against them? We should just wait for an actual Pro to come and save us!"
"Mineta." Izuku turned away from the railing to meet the grape boy's eye. "If we don't do something right now, we'll be dead before anyone even knows where to look. I'd rather take the option where we might not die than the option that guarantees death."
"Can't you just warp us ashore with that one Villain's Quirk?"
Izuku grimaced. Even if he wanted to, which he didn't, he somehow knew intuitively that he couldn't use it again yet. Maybe it's because it's a Mutant-type Quirk, but my Quirk treats it like an Emitter. That probably puts a pretty heavy tax on my body.He thought back to his training before he received One for All, using his neighbor's Slime Quirk in the privacy of his bedroom, and how exhausted that particular Quirk left him. How could I have forgotten something so important?
Focusing, he shook his head. "No. I'm not strong enough to use it for that long. I'd need longer than we have to use it again."
"Y'know," Asui interjected, "looking at all of these Villains, ribbit, it's pretty easy to tell that they're all aquatic."
Izuku nodded in agreement. "So, along with knowing the schedule, they must have known what was inside the USJ. But there's one thing they don't know." Izuku grinned smugly. "They don't know who we are. Earlier, before Kurogiri warped us, he thought I was Mr. Aizawa's relative because I used Erasure. He didn't know my actual Quirk! And if you're here Tsu, then they don't know yours, either." Asui blinked in surprise, croaking quietly.
"That's right. If they knew my Quirk, they wouldn't have sent me where I'm strongest. If that's a trend, they don't know any of our Quirks. In a straight fight, we have the advantage. Unfortunately," she pointed to the Villains, "this is not a straight fight."
"That's true," Izuku conceded, pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger. "It goes both ways. Their Quirks are aquatic in nature, so going down would work against us, but they don't know what we can do, so they can't come up. We're in a draw. One wrong move and either side could end up victorious. Lucky for us," he grinned, pointing a thumb at himself, "we've got a wild card."
Asui croaked some more, her face set in her placid neutral. She crouched back down into a frog crouch, lowering her voice as she spoke. "We should discuss our Quirks, ribbit. I don't know all about yours, and you don't know all about mine. If we're going to properly strategize, we should know our own collective abilities." She croaked quietly. "I'll go first. My Quirk is Frog. I can jump pretty high; if I really wanted to, I could probably jump from here to shore, though not with any speed. I can also cling to virtually any surface and climb up them with relative ease. My tongue is prehensile and can reach up to 20 meters away. I can also hold stuff with it, as long as whatever I hold weighs less than me. I can also spit out my stomach and secrete toxic mucus, but those aren't really helpful here. The most my mucus can do is cause rashes. Ribbit." She closed her mouth quietly, and it took Izuku a moment to realize she was done.
"That's an incredibly versatile Quirk, Tsu." He looked down at his right hand, taking a moment to recall all of his extensive notes on his own Quirk. "Mine is called Quirk Copy. My Quirk can mimic the entire Plus Alpha Element- that is, all of the Quirk factors- of another person's Quirk, so I'm capable of Copying and using any Quirk. I can use multiple at a time, but all of my Copies are inherently weaker than the originals. My Quirk treats all Quirks like Emitters, which makes Mutant and Transformation Quirks harder to use properly. I already said it earlier, but I'd rather not Copy any more of these Villain's Quirk. I will if I have to, though." He swallowed thickly, certain he had covered everything. Asui nodded, eyes only slightly wider than usual, and Mineta sighed dismally.
"My Quirk is Pop Off," he started, popping an orb from his head and sticking it to the wall. "Instead of hair, I have these sticky balls on my head. Their strength varies depending on how I'm feeling; they could stick for only a few minutes or for as long as a whole day. They grow back as soon as one is pulled off, but my scalp bleeds if I pull too many. Oh, and they don't stick to me or my costume. I bounce right off of them." A beat of silence followed Mineta's Quirk description- then he started bawling again. "Damn it! My Quirk is totally useless here! I'm fish food! Done for! I'm better off waiting for the Pros! I'm gonna die...!"
"Your Quirk is very useful too, Mineta. Don't count yourself out." Izuku gripped his nose, not actually all that optimistic. "And even if it was useless here, we wouldn't leave you behind. What kind of Heroes would we be if we just left you to die?" Mineta blinked away his tears again, muttering a quiet "sorry." Izuku nodded, opening his mouth to speak; before he could, the boat suddenly shook violently, throwing the three off of their balance. Steadying himself on the railing, Izuku realized the Villains had gotten bored of their stalemate. One of them, who seemed to be their ringleader, was manipulating the water into the shape of a clawed hand- Izuku thought the boat must have been cut in half with an attack of that magnitude. What an amazing Quirk! It's wasted on a Villain! He grinned as that thought crossed his mind.
"Ribbit. What an impressive Quirk. We're sinking now." Asui's bland choice of words confirmed Izuku's suspicions, but didn't deter him from his new course of action.
Mineta buried his face in Asui's shoulder, who patted the boy on the back. "This is really it, huh...?"
"Mineta," she said calmly, "are you sure the Hero course is right for you?"
He extracted himself from Asui, clutching his hair. "I'm barely a high schooler! A few months ago, my biggest worry was my next test, but a few days into U.A., and I'm facing death?! What kind of psycho wouldn't be scared?! How are you not...?" He trailed off, slumping against the wall opposite the railing.
Asui tilted her head at him in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm scared out of my mind."
"I am, too." Izuku offered Mineta a weak smile, clenching his fists so that the shaking of his hands was less obvious. "But, to quote All Might, 'it is when your enemies are most confident in their victory that you have the greatest chance to win.' If we don't stay calm, we really will be fish food. We need to think and act fast. We need your help, Mineta. Don't you want to be a Hero too?" He forced his smile wider in hopes of making it more genuine. He was pretty sure it just made him seem even more obviously scared. They don't know our Quirks... time to put our advantage to work. He propped a foot up against the railing, putting his hands behind him.
Asui let out a rather surprised-sounding croak, and Mineta gasped, asking, "You're not seriously gonna...?!"
"DIE, SHITTY VILLAINS!" With a resounding blast from both palms, Izuku leaped from the ship with an Explosion boosted jump, grinning viciously down at the Villains.
He heard the Villains muttering amongst themselves, and his grin widened.
"Is this kid seriously trying to fight in the water with a Quirk like that?"
"He must have a serious complex. I'll enjoy killing him."
"Hey, I'm killing him! I saw him first!"
"Doesn't matter," a shark-like Villain declared. "Soon as he hits the water, he's chum."
Good, they think my Quirk is Explosion. That means they won't be expecting the real attack.
Taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, Izuku Copied the Quirk of their ringleader, the one that had formed the massive hand out of water. From what Izuku could tell, the Quirk was simply hydrokinesis, but the shape that the water took also implied that the Villain could only form water based on his limbs. The water starting at the Villain's shoulder helped further this theory. If that was the case, then Izuku needed to hit the water first.
He plunged into the icy water, the shock almost making him suck in. After a moment, he did so willingly- the Villain's Quirk had let him sprout gills, which seemed odd. Maybe his Quirk only works when submerged? Could be, which is another reason why they would prefer us in the water. Still pretty useful...
He focused on the surrounding water, trying to keep his nerves steady even as the Villains swarmed him. They were all spread out before, so they had the advantage... but now that they're coming after me, they've clustered together! With a grunt of effort, Izuku thrust out both arms, and the Villains were pushed away, all of them crying out in surprise. Izuku tightened his fists, and the Villains were squeezed together. Izuku would have laughed if any air was in his lungs.
He kicked up, swimming to the surface. He shot up and out, getting to see the effects of this Quirk unobscured. The water that formed from his shoulder down kept steadily growing until it ended in the shape of human hands- in which he still held all the Villains- and the water starting from his hips fell back into the water, supporting him. Izuku realized that he was beginning to shake with the effort. Slamming his hands together, he brought all the Villains into one compressed point and swirled the water like a vortex around them, trapping them. Improvised Special Move: Water Prison!
He vomited up water now that he was at the surface and realized that he couldn't breathe air like this. Gotta hurry! He turned his head towards the mock ship, shouting, "TSU, MINETA!" His voice sounded off, but he could still talk just fine through the burning sensation. He saw Asui bound off the ship towards him, holding Mineta in her arms. The minute boy was shouting something, but Izuku couldn't hear him over the ringing in his ears. His vision was fading fast.
Finally, at the last moment, he flung the Villains he had captured back toward the water's surface and punched that spot with all his might. The water shot up into a geyser, taking the Villains with it, then swirled around, forming a whirlpool in a natural attempt to correct the displacement. As Asui and Mineta passed over them, Mineta began throwing his Pop Off balls. Izuku dropped the water manipulation Quirk- which he would have to think of a name for later- and called on Zero Gravity, pulling off his spare glove and floating himself in midair. He gasped in air, just barely staying conscious.
"Dammit Midoriya, stop being so damn cool!" Mineta's shouting could finally be heard despite the din of the rushing whirlpool, and Izuku couldn't help but smile at the words. "I can be cool, too!" The Villains- trapped by the force of the water and the Pop Off balls Mineta was throwing- had no choice but to stick together and sink. Asui grabbed Izuku with her tongue as she hopped past, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"We rounded them all up in one fell swoop," she croaked. "Not too shabby, huh?" Izuku shot a daring grin at Asui. She returned it, although it ended up a little crooked, seeing as her tongue still wrapped around Izuku's torso. "You guys did amazing, both of you." After another few moments of sailing in the air, Asui finally landed in the water with the boys in tow. Izuku released Zero Gravity, managing to hold back his bile this time, and he began wading to shore alongside Asui. She was allowing Mineta to hold onto her arm, seeing as his feet didn't reach the bottom. Izuku rubbed his neck, the pain from drowning in air lingering.
"It's a good thing I slept so well last night," said Mineta, smirking smugly. "Those guys will be trapped for the whole day- probably longer, now that I'm thinking about it."
"I know Tsu already said it," Izuku started, "but you guys did an incredible job. That wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly if I didn't have either of you. Seriously, thank you, guys." Asui smiled, and Mineta looked away with a bashful expression.
"I would be dead if it weren't for you two. I..." He sniffled, still looking away. "I'm sorry. I totally freaked out back there. Maybe the Hero course really isn't for me..."
He was interrupted by Asui patting him on the back again. "You seemed pretty heroic to me."
"That's right," Izuku grinned, "Without your Pop Off, the Villains would only be trapped temporarily. We'd still have to fight them once they recovered. Now, we don't have to worry about them at all. Mineta, your power might be niche, but it saved us a hell of a lot of trouble."
"...You guys...!"
"You have the potential to be a great Hero, Mineta." Asui patted Mineta gently on the shoulder. "Although, if you don't knock off your pervy act around girls, I'll make your life hell, ribbit. Okay?"
"...Understood." Asui set Mineta down, the water reaching up to his neck. He waded forward a bit, barely keeping his head afloat.
Izuku sank lower into the water as they approached the shore. "I think if we follow the shore this way," he pointed left, "we can probably make it back to the entrance without being spotted. But..." Mr. Aizawa seemed confident in his ability to face all of those thugs, and I'm honestly sure he can handle all of the low-level ones... but the brain Villain and the one covered with hands are right there. Kurogiri could be there in a heartbeat, too. He might be able to handle them individually, but all three at once? Not likely.
"You're worried about Mr. Aizawa, huh?" Asui stuck a finger to her chin, apparently reading Izuku's mind.
Izuku nodded, not at all surprised. He was very easy to read, not even considering Asui's skill at reading people. "Exactly. I don't want him to die trying to protect us. I can't have that blood on my hands."
"Are you suggesting we go and help him? I..." Mineta sniffled, pulling at his mantle. "It's not like I don't want to help, but there are many more Villains there than there were here, and they're even more dangerous. We're just students. "
"Don't worry, we won't intervene unless it's desperate." Which it very well might be soon, he didn't admit. "I want to sneak closer and take a look. See how he's doing." His expression serious, he looked down at Mineta. "You don't have to come with me. You're free to take the safe route." He met Asui's unblinking gaze. "That applies to both of you."
"I'm going wherever you go." Asui croaked slightly, her face ever so slightly abashed. Mineta looked up at her in surprise at her tone, and Izuku pulled the same face. "Sorry, that sounded less cliché in my head. But it's true. I trust your judgment, Class Rep."
Izuku blushed a little, honestly touched at the simple admission. "Tsu..."
"Well, then, I'm going too!" Mineta waved a fist in the air, obviously attempting to look fierce and failing. "Like hell I'd let you two get all the spotlight! I'm trying to be a cool Hero too, y'know?!" He looked away, face growing bright red. "And we're... y'know, friends, right? What kind of friend would I be if I let you do this alone?" Izuku's cheeks were sore from smiling. He laughed a little to himself, wiping at the tears threatening to fall from his eyes all of a sudden.
"Yeah. Thanks." Half-wading and half-swimming, they made it to what was a good spot to safely watch the center in a short moment. They arrived just in time to see Mr. Aizawa kick away one thug, spinning around to backhand another. Looks he's fine against those small thugs.
And then it went wrong.
Mr. Aizawa's hair fell, and the Villain covered in hands dashed forward suddenly, his own hands held low as he ran faster than Izuku would expect from someone so scrawny. Mr. Aizawa reactivated Erasure, throwing one end of his capture weapon. Before he could even think to, Izuku activated One for All and leaped from the lake, only registering his actions when Mineta cried out in surprise.
He gritted his teeth, pulling his knees in slightly as he watched the Villain grab the end of the capture weapon, pulling on it with one hand as he jutted the other forward. Izuku landed, rolling a bit with One for All still pumping through his legs. He activated Erasure just in time for the Hero and the Villain to clash. Mr. Aizawa threw an elbow into the Villain's solar plexus, but the Villain caught it with his hand, holding it there with deceptive strength as Mr. Aizawa struggled to break free.
"It was hard to see with you jumping around like you were," Mr. Aizawa's hair fell as his Erasure deactivated, and the Villain's hoarse voice took on a giddy tone. "But I found your tell! It's your hair! When it drops, it means... huh?" The Villain, obviously surprised that his Quirk wasn't working, took on a rabid tone. "You cheater! Your hair fell, but your Quirk is still active!"
"Pay attention to your surroundings, dumbass!" Izuku, Erasure active, jumped into the air, bringing his foot down like a hammer on top of the Villain's skull. Mr. Aizawa followed up by pulling his elbow away and throwing his fist forward, properly catching the villain in the diaphragm. The Villain went flying, tumbling on the ground like refuse caught in the wind.
Mr. Aizawa gasped for breath, glancing at Izuku. "What the hell are you doing here? Midoriya, you should have evacuated already."
Izuku met his gaze, Erasure failing. He hissed in pain as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes, blinking some to remoisturize them. "The class got scattered by the warp villain, Kurogiri. Asui, Mineta, and I had to fight out of the shipwreck zone. I saw that you were about to be in serious trouble. The amount of time you can use Erasure is down by a lot, after all. Did he use his Quirk before I got here?"
Mr. Aizawa, still obviously exasperated with the boy, shook his head briefly. The Villain, finally standing up again, began to laugh maniacally to himself. Izuku lowered himself into a defensive stance, waiting for the bastard to show off that Quirk. It will be easier to fight him with that knowledge, and I'll also learn about One for All. I wonder whose Quirk that is...?
"You... kid... heh... saving dear old dad, are we?" The Villain's raspy voice distracted Izuku from his introspection. "How convenient, two people with Erasure as an ability. How cool! I just bet you feel pretty good, kid, jumping in like you did. No hesitation! What a good Hero brat!" A few thugs ran up to the pair, but Mr. Aizawa quickly disposed of them. "Too bad you're gonna have to die for it. So sad!" Instead of running forward again as Izuku expected, the Villain snapped his fingers, giggling unpleasantly to himself.
"Noumu, kill the kid!" Izuku blinked, confused. Noumu? That must be...! A sudden burst of air pressure was his only warning- Izuku stumbled on his heels as he whirled around. There, towering over him like an omen of death, was the brain Villain. It smiled down at him in a decidedly deranged manner. The other one with stolen Quirks! Noumu tensed, and Izuku managed to activate Hardening just in time for what felt like a bulldozer to run him over.
-
"I can't get into contact with Kurose or Aizawa…" Toshinori scratched his head idly, worry building up in his chest. "Perhaps…"
Perhaps something had gone wrong?
Toshinori buffed up into All Might, wiping away the dribble of blood that escaped his lips. Nevermind that he was completely out of time for the day, he should at least make an appearance for his own darn class! He kicked himself for his foolishness in wasting his time, even though he didn't regret it in the slightest.
However, just as he reached over to open the door, it opened by itself with a sharp clack. Toshinori blinked, then looked down at his boss. "Principal Nedzu!"
"Am I a dog, bear, or a mouse?" asked the creature that was none of those things. "You got it in one: I'm the principal! And you, dear Yagi, are going absolutely nowhere!"
Toshinori blinked, furrowing his brow in confusion and frustration. "Sir, I really-"
"Ah bup bup!" Nedzu waggled a digit, tutting. "You have already wasted away your time for today. Shame on you!"
Gulping, Toshinori just nodded, debuffing in a burst of steam. When the principal was in a playful mood, you damn well played along. At the principal's gesture, he sat down on the couch. Nedzu poured himself some tea from the brewer, taking a sip with a delighted hum.
"Sir," Toshinori tried again, "Eraserhead and Thirteen aren't-"
"Because they are busy, Yagi," Nedzu admonished, his fur bristling. "The only thing you would do by jumping in now is distract the students from their learning, and you would be able to teach a total of nothing with the time you have left. What did you estimate in your head? 10 minutes?"
Toshinori didn't give him the satisfaction of confirming that, so he poured himself a tea and drank.
"Very good," Nedzu bared his teeth in an approximation of a grin. "Now, while I have you, I think it's a good time to have a discussion regarding the importance of balancing your job as a Hero and as a teacher. Now, as the Symbol of Peace, as well as the bearer of One for All, you have a unique duty to both aspects. But which is more important?"
As the principal blabbed on, Toshinori sipped dully on his tea, nodding at appropriate times.
Then the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and the flames of One for All surged.
Toshi…
Toshinori gasped, rocketing out of his seat and buffing up immediately.
Toshi!
That was Nana. That was Nana's voice.
Oh, God.
Toshinori ran.
-
"Now, to deal with the rest of you pesky children." Kurogiri chuckled darkly to himself. Tenya swallowed bile, desperately wanting to look away from Thirteen's decimated body but finding himself unable to. Finally, he managed to tear his gaze away, panting as he stared at the floor. From the corner of his eye, Tenya saw Ashido run up to Thirteen's body, hands shaking. Uraraka came up from behind him, gripping his arm. He turned his head to look at her, expecting a distraught or scared expression; instead, he saw that she looked positively livid. There was a fire in her eyes that stoked both Tenya's own fury and his fear.
"Iida," she growled, "we need you to get to the school. Tell them what's happening here."
"That's right." Sato, hands up in a fighting pose Iida was unfamiliar with, rolled his shoulders as he chimed in. "We need someone fast to get there, and right now, you're the only man for the job. Go, now!" Tenya clenched a fist. Midoriya…
Iida, I'm entrusting this responsibility to you.
"Classmates, you can count on me! I'll get you help!" Tenya quickly set himself up in a runner's pose, knees carefully bent, and fingertips pressed to the ground. The engine blocks in his legs reacted immediately to his demand- with a roar, Tenya burst forward. In my fifth gear, I can go upwards of eighty kilometers an hour. There's no way that this Villain can catch up to me!
"Trying to escape, are we?" Despite the wind whipping past his ears, Tenya could still make out Kurogiri's inhumanly deep voice. "Well, I can't allow that. If you get out, then more Heroes will arrive, and it will be that much harder to put an end to All Might." As soon as Kurogiri finished speaking, one of his misty portals opened directly in front of Tenya. He widened his eyes in shock. Idiot! Of course, he can just put a portal in front of me! I'm going way too fast to slow down in time... think, dammit! What would Tensei do?! What would Midoriya do?! A mere moment of panic, then an idea sprung forth. Tenya, despite the tension of the situation, smirked to himself.
If I can't stop in time to avoid it, then I have to take advantage of my speed! Tenya jumped into the air, angling his legs diagonally. The heat of the fire from his exhausts made the bottoms of his thighs uncomfortably hot, but he bit his tongue and held on. He needed to bear it for only a moment longer.
And, indeed only a moment later, he had cleared the portal, coming down hard on both feet. He rolled to disperse the downward energy, pumping his engines back into high gear as he came up running. Don't worry, friends! I'll be back in a flash!
"You impertinent child!" Kurogiri practically roared, but Tenya couldn't slow down even if he wanted to. He glanced overhead at a sudden darkness, sucking in a breath at the living shadow threatening to overtake him. He can get that big?! Just as Tenya was certain Kurogiri was about to overtake him, the warper suddenly flashed a bright pink. Tenya realized that Uraraka must have found something physical on the amorphous Villain to grab on to. Thank you, Uraraka!
He ignored whatever other shouts and threats came out of the Villain; he knew he could count on his friends to stop Kurogiri, and he hoped they knew they could also count on him. As he came upon the exit, he clicked into sixth gear, jumping up and spinning around in a flying roundhouse kick. The door broke under the force of his assault, and he skidded only a moment before continuing to pump his legs forward, yelling in exertion as he made his way toward the main building.
Hold on, everyone! Help is on the way!
-
"I'll see you in hell!" Katsuki threw his knee into a Villain's nose, grinning at the satisfying crack as it broke. He grabbed the now-unconscious Villain by their shirt collar, flinging them into two other Villains with an explosion-powered pitch. He whirled around, panting with exertion, but dropped his stance when he saw that Kirishima was finishing up with the last Villain.
Kirishima, panting too, collapsed onto his ass, obviously exhausted. He threw his head back, propping himself up on his hands. "Do you... hah... think that's all of them...?" Katsuki swallowed the spit collecting in his mouth, taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart and aching lungs.
"Yeah... that's all of them... heh, buncha fuckin' weaklings."
"Alright," Kirishima stood up, shaking out his arms and cracking his neck, "If we're still inside the USJ, then I bet the others are, too. Not all of them have the same highly offensive skills that we do. Let's go and look for our classmates and check that everyone is safe. Especially after... what happened to Thirteen." Katsuki snorted to himself. Heart of gold on this one, huh? What's he getting all chummy with me for?
"You have fun with your scavenger hunt." Katsuki rolled his shoulder, missing the weight of his gauntlets on his wrists. "But as soon as I get my bearings, I'm hunting down that damn warp Villain and killing him."
"Huh? Bakugou, our physical attacks went right through that guy! C'mon, you can't tell me you aren't at least a little worried about our classmates. Not even Midoriya, bro?" Katsuki's eye twitched. Oh, he's a suck-up. No one looks at Deku and thinks he's weak. He bit into his lip, hard. Not anymore, anyway.
"Of course I'm not worried about him. I'm more worried that he's already killed that damn Villain, and I missed my chance to get some hits in."
"Are we... talking about the same Midoriya?"
"He's strong," Katsuki muttered, "and he's not the type to take this lying down." He didn't like how it felt admitting that, but he would rather die than lie to himself like that. Again. "Anyway, if Deku hasn't managed to deal with that bastard, someone has to. He's all the other guy's way in and out; without him, all of these lame thugs are stranded." A thump from the rear alerted him to the presence of another Villain. He let the bastard get comfortable for a second, then whirled around, grabbing the invisible wrist below the obvious knife. He spun on his heel, slamming the still invisible Villain into the ground. He pounced on the fucker, letting loose a concussive blast from the hand he wrapped around the diminutive bastard's face. He grinned to himself as the Villain became visible, revealing a weak-looking chameleon man.
"And, y'know..." Still smirking, Katsuki tossed the unconscious loser to the side, rolling his wrists. "If all of the Villains are this pathetic, then none of them stand a chance against our classmates. It's a waste of time to look for them like they're weak. We should focus our strength on a more... singular target."
"Bakugou, that reaction time was insane! Also, since when are you so calm and rational? Normally you're all 'die, bastards,' y'know?"
Katsuki's eye twitched again, but he couldn't help the sharp laugh that escaped him. That's a pretty good impression, isn't it? Katsuki wiped at his eye with comical exaggeration. "You're a fuckin' riot. I can be calm, and I'm always rational. Either way, I'm going after the warp bastard. Feel free to look for everyone else or tag along with me. It's no skin off my nose what you do."
"Hm." Kirishima crossed his arms, wearing an annoyingly satisfied expression. "Sounds to me like you're putting your faith in our classmates, so you don't have to worry about them. Gotta admit, Bakugou, that's kinda manly of you." Kirishima knocked his fists together, his suddenly hardened arms clanging and sparking like two pieces of flint. "I'll place my trust in them, too. Lead the way, Boom Boy!"
Katsuki sneered at Kirishima, marching away towards the stairs. He's got it all wrong, but I'll let him think whatever. I bet Deku's already found everyone else, anyway.
He wiped away the sweat forming on his brow, not liking the tightness in his chest. I'm not worried at all.