Chapter 9: The Meaning of Plus Ultra
Noumu smelled like rancid meat and violence, tangy and metallic and sticky like blood.
It watched silently, seemingly without contemplation or concern, as Midoriya bounced once- twice- three times along the pavement before the boy slid to a halt against the stairs leading up to the central fountain. Shouta swallowed thickly, the wretched stench of death clogging the air. For a moment, the USJ was silent, even as blood pounded through the Hero's ears in a deafening din. "No..."
"Wow, that sucks!" The Villain Shigaraki laughed easily, shrugging with an air of superiority. "For a kid like him, his reaction time was pretty good, though. Too bad super strength isn't one of Noumu's Quirks! Even if he had managed to use Erasure, he would still be a corpse over there." Shigaraki turned away from the boy's crumpled form, scratching his neck almost absentmindedly as he examined the destitute faces of his audience. "The good news is that you'll see him again soon. What a waste of an All Might killer, though. Feels like cheating the final boss into the first level against such weak opponents." The other Villain, Kurogiri, suddenly appeared next to Shigaraki. The Noumu twitched at his appearance but otherwise stood still with the same vacant stare on its face.
"Shigaraki Tomura."
"Kurogiri." Shigaraki suddenly lost all interest in his prey, his form relaxing and his head tilting away from Shouta. "Did you kill Thirteen and the brats on the stairs?" Shouta's breath caught in his throat. He was not a religious man, but he prayed at that moment.
Kurogiri stiffened at the question, almost visibly uncomfortable. "Pro Hero Thirteen is currently out of commission, but a student managed to get away. I came here right away to tell you instead of trying to kill the rest." Midoriya's limp form taunted Shouta when he snuck a glance at it. He swallowed bile.
"Ah. I see." Shigaraki kept scratching his neck- and then kept scratching- until he was literally tearing his skin off with his nails. Blood trickled from the gouges in rivulets down his neck, staining his shirt. "Kurogiri, if you weren't so goddamn important, I would one-tap you on the spot...! I...!" He panted slightly, hunching over. Finally, he straightened out, expression slightly more controlled. "Prepare to leave. You just singlehandedly caused a party wipe."
Kurogiri bowed quickly, dare one say timidly, and began turning into a vortex like he had upon their entrance. "By your command, Shigaraki Tomura."
"Ah, wait up a sec." Shigaraki turned to face Shouta yet again. "I almost forgot something. Let me grab it real quick." He took exactly two slow, measured steps towards Shouta before breaking out in a sprint, bloodied hands outstretched. Shouta pulled his scarf into a defensive stance, forcing tense breaths through his teeth. I won't let it happen again. Not to anyone else. Shigaraki was almost on him. Shouta spared one last glance at the defiled body of his student.
"YOU BASTARD!"
Bakugou?!
-
Katsuki had been having an eventful week. Some of it was bad, some worse, some... alright. But this?
This was not alright. This was the furthest fucking thing from okay.
Deku was lying against the concrete fountain at the USJ's center, curled up on himself as water cascaded around him from the cracks that he had made in it. He was holding his shattered arms in front of himself; they were coated in a layer of rough-looking stuff, which Katsuki quickly realized was skin. Even as he watched in shock, more and more of the Quirked flesh peeled off, its strength null from whatever self-guiding missile of an attack had struck it. The water mixed with red as Deku bled from his various wounds.
Katsuki fell to his knees and held a hand over Deku's mouth to check his breathing, checking his pulse with the other. Both were still there. That was... good. Next to Katsuki, Kirishima whimpered. "My Quirk... he tried to..."
"...Huh."
Now, Katsuki had been angry in the past. He'd been pissed off more times than he could count. He'd even been infuriated a few times.
Katsuki's hands trembled as Explosions crackled against his palms, growing bigger and bigger as his sweat glands kicked into overdrive. He yanked his hands to his chest to keep from harming Deku any more than he already had. What was this? His anger was usually a liquid-hot burning-metal feeling that writhed and struggled and exploded from deep inside, taking form as literal Explosions. What was this cold, desolate feeling? And why was it also anger?
"You... YOU BASTARD!" Katsuki stood and whirled around to face the enemy, his voice cracking under the force of its own emotion. At his sudden outcry, everyone's heads whipped around to look at him, friend and foe alike. Good. The massacre needs witnesses. "You son of a bitch," he growled out to the ringleader, the one covered in hands. "I'm going to end your fucking life."
"This one has spunk, Eraserhead." The lanky Villain stopped in his tracks as he spoke to Mr. Aizawa like he was conversing with a work friend, casually jabbing a thumb in Katsuki's direction as though directing their teacher's attention to somehing mildly interesting. The gesture turned into a snap, and the titan Noumu leaped into action. Katsuki ground his teeth together to keep from screaming, positioning his hands to the rear. "It'll be fun to see him die with his little friend there."
Katsuki cried out in rage as he blasted himself forward. The Noumu was fast, terrifyingly so. But it was sloppy; each visible movement was jerky, almost like it was forcing itself forward with an injury. So, in spite of its speed, it was predictable. Katsuki twirled around an obviously telegraphed attack, then cried out as it clipped him out of the air like a gnat. A feint! Thankfully, the blow didn't connect well, or even fully, but even that relatively weak strike had spun Bakugou out of control. His shoulder throbbed. Dislocated? He knew how to fix that, so he did so without even landing.
He then righted himself, whirling around another sluggish blow, then another. He threw an Explosion directly at Noumu, which didn't even make it blink, let alone flinch or move or block or fucking anything.With a shout of exertion, Katsuki rocketed upward, beginning to spin as gravity took hold again and dragged him back down toward Earth. "See how you like this, then! Howitzer-!"
Katsuki was snagged out of the air by something familiar: Eraserhead's capture weapon. Mr. Aizawa had grabbed him in the middle of his attack and yanked him away from the Villain, using his own rotation against him to wrap him up in the weapon. "Let me at 'em," he growled even as he felt the capture weapon tighten aroound his torso, keeping him still and utterly helpless. "They're not getting away with this. I won't let them...!"
"No," Mr. Aizawa stated simply as he released Katsuki a few steps behind him, weapon floating back to his shoulders. "They're too strong."
"Don't call me weak, you bastard!"
"Bakugou, you can't do it," Mr. Aizawa admonished, his tone harsh. Katsuki inhaled sharply, his chest jittery. He realized that he felt light-headed. Blood dripped from his shoulder where Noumu had swiped at him. "It's not your responsibility. Get the others and make for the stairs. I'll deal with this." Or die trying, was the unspoken conclusion. Katsuki nodded shakily, frustrated beyond belief as he started sidestepping slowly towards where the frog girl and grape boy were huddled by the water of the shipwreck zone. Mr. Aizawa lowered himself into a combat stance, steady and confident.
Before the fight could continue, a thunderous boom rang out from the USJ's entrance. Katsuki looked up.
"HAVE NO FEAR, STUDENTS," came their Hero's voice, "I AM HERE."
All Might.
Katsuki bit his lip.
-
Toshinori often felt that he was in over his head when it came to teaching.
He had always been something of a meathead, as far back as he could remember, and he never excelled at school academically. Even before gaining One for All, he'd been what some people called "freakishly massive," and like all giants, he had his head high in the clouds.
But when Nana died, some part of Toshinori died with her, and he realized that he could no longer be just the muscle. And when he tried and failed to avenge Nana by killing All for One, that sentiment became even more true: he was running on empty, and he was unable to pull into the station. He had to pass on the torch sooner rather than later. Nedzu, the principal of U.A., offered the Number One Hero a job, an opportunity to find a proper student among the Hero-in-training elite. And so he prepared, trained, learned. He became a mentor.
Mentoring someone just as Nana had for him was a terrifying prospect simply because he knew, in the end, he would end up hurting someone like Nana had inadvertently hurt him. So even as he so proudly offered One for All to the Quirkless middle school boy, his heart panged.
But this boy, this amazingly strong and brave and heroic boy, made that pain more bearable. And even as the boy's past and his family became known, and even as Toshinori prayed to any God who would listen that young Izuku had not tricked him, he knew that he had made the right choice. So he was proud to bear the burden of a mentor, of a predecessor, as the one marked for death. It was a small comfort, but comfort nonetheless.
So, if he was the one who was destined to die, why was that small child lying still in a pool of his own blood?
Toshinori threw off his jacket and tore off his tie, loosening a few of the buttons on his shirt collar. The students tending to Thirteen at the top of the stairs looked up at him with tears in their eyes, shock and hope all over their faces. Toshinori could not bring himself to smile at them, and they seemed to notice. As he started to walk down the stairs, he overheard the mass of Villains begin to panic at his presence.
"It's All Might! We're done for..."
One idiot turned to the only smart one there and said, "Don't be stupid! We're here to kill him, rememb- erk!" The Villain quickly shut up as Toshinori's fist connected with his jaw. Following through with the entire motion, Toshinori slammed the Villain into the ground with enough force to splinter the concrete. Then, he stood up straight, taking in their quivering forms and frightened faces. Cowards.
"You were fools to come here," he informed them. They seemed to agree as he blasted his way through them, taking them down in single blows with strength that was usually spared for much larger, much stronger opponents. It wouldn't kill them, but... well. Toshinori was just a little angry, after all. After dispatching the several dozen thugs there, Toshinori came to a stop beside his fellow teacher, steam already beginning to rise from his skin.
Aizawa blinked, obviously not having expected Toshinori's speed. Young Bakugou, Asui, and Mineta all gaped at him in surprise. All of them were holding back tears.
"All Might," Bakugou finally said, glaring past the tears in the corners of his eyes. "Kill the fucking bastards."
"Keep them safe, Aizawa," Toshinori muttered, ultimately ignoring Bakugou for the moment. "I'm trusting you here."
Aizawa blinked once more before his brow furrowed. He nodded, getting into his stance, two hands on his capture weapon. "Don't boss me around, All Might."
Scoffing, almost amused, Toshinori dashed past the three Villains gathered in the center of it all to the young man who lay before the fountain. He suddenly felt very small as he knelt before him. Izuku, while bleeding profusely, was alive. Thank God...
Before Toshinori could lift the boy and take him to safety, what felt like a truck slammed into his back and sent him through the fountain, throwing cement and porcelain and water everywhere. The Hero flipped, landed on his feet, and turned to look at his assailant. It was the biggest of the three Villains, easily towering over even Toshinori himself. There was... something wrong with this one.
The only human-looking Villain laughed as he scratched at his neck, drawing Toshinori's attention. "Nice of you to finally join us, All Might. Too bad, I was hoping to kill that kid before you got here. Guess I'll settle for killing you."
Toshinori stood up to his full height, fists clenched at his sides. "You can try."
-
Darkness. Ah, here again.
"Hello, nephew." Izuku's uncle sat cross-legged, his expression calm but melancholy. Izuku found that, yet again, he could barely move. This time, though, he was on his side instead of standing ramrod straight.
Nana stood beside him, arms crossed and expression bothered. "Hey, Ninth."
Yoichi cleared his throat. "Nephew, there is something that you missed that we heard. The Villain covered in hands is named Shigaraki Tomura." Izuku's eye widened, understanding. Even before this revelation, it was obvious that Shigaraki was on a level above the other Villains- he was one of only two out of a hundred who had a Quirk derived from One for All, after all. But the Demon of Japan wouldn't share his actual name with someone unless they were on a level even higher than that. This guy was serious, serious business.
"Another thing," Nana whispered. "I don't know about Shock Absorption, but Decay... was the Quirk of my Master, Tayutai En. It is a five-finger activation Quirk, with the ability to reduce anything to ashes. Metal rusts, wood splinters, men and women rot. My master had the advantage of a disciplined mind and many years of training, so he never hurt anyone on accident, not even once. But that boy, Shigaraki... hm. Basically, you aren't ready for this fight."
"Shock Absorption was the Quirk of the one who saved me - my Hero, and the man to whom I gave One for All. And now, nephew," said Yoichi, "you find yourself in the middle of a battle you cannot win, burdened by severe injuries. What will you do now? Will you run, or save the others? Are you even able to save yourself?"
"Yoichi," Nana said, glowering down at the shorter man. "you're being too harsh. He's just a boy."
"No, he's a Hero. He's made the obligation."
"Can he not be both?"
"You tell me."
There was a pregnant pause as Nana stood there and stared at Izuku. He would have squirmed under the scrutiny had he been able to. Finally, Nana sighed, eyes downcast. "No. Not anymore. Izuku, do you have a plan?"
Izuku shut his eyes. He didn't, but he could tell that they already knew that. Before they could say anything else, Izuku forced his hand to move. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt-
Izuku's eyes flung open. His hand was held directly in front of him, his arm locked. One for All shimmered across his bloody skin, the crackling filling his ears as blood rushed to them. Okay, okay, now get up. Izuku couldn't move his arm. Wait, a twitch. His elbow bent. He screamed.
The sounds of a conflict raged on, drowning out his cry of agony. Thunderous impact after impact resounded throughout the USJ like artillery fire. It took Izuku a moment, but he realized such powerful strikes could only come from one thing- a fight between Toshinori and the All Might killer, Noumu. He breathed a sigh of relief; that was one less Villain that he would be forced to contend with. Izuku threw his arm under himself, pushing himself up to his elbows and knees. His Quirklight thrummed like a heartbeat throughout his whole body- it felt as though it was trying to come alive, the way it was whipping around. Izuku tried to shake the fog from his brain, but all that did was make his head thrum harder. Finally, sick of the feeling, Izuku threw his arm up and grabbed a hold of the fountain's edge. Bile forced its way up Izuku's throat, but he forced it back down.
Think, think, fuck. Okay, what Quirks are around me?Izuku's whole body shuddered as his Quirk spread outward. One for All's smoldering flame was right up against the ugly stolen Quirks of Noumu. Toshi and Noumu are fighting, with Shigaraki and Kurogiri on either side of them... are they just watching?Todoroki stuck out to him; he was moving towards the fight, the invisible girl not far behind. Just on the edge of his detection, Bakugou's Quirklight hammered Izuku's senses with a firework show. Kirishima's mellow crimson sat beside it, along with Mr. Aizawa's. They were surrounded by a dozen or so unfamiliar Quirks, no doubt belonging to Villains.
Barely managing to get his feet under himself enough to stand, Izuku glared at Shigaraki. The Villain was almost obscured by the fight between Noumu and Toshinori, but Izuku could see him via his Quirklight. He could feel the same Quirk within One for All lurch forth, like it was trying to activate itself, but Izuku shook his head and tried to focus. He couldn't afford any Quirk going haywire, especially not a dangerous Quirk like Decay.
My arms are too messed up to use my other Quirks very well, and I can barely use Erasure... damn it. There's nothing for it. I hope Todoroki doesn't mind.
Todoroki's dual Quirk joined the others within One for All's Core, and Izuku drew on its power as he started limping towards Shigaraki.
Ice spread from his right foot as he stomped it, slowly at first, before suddenly shooting towards the head Villain in increasingly-larger spikes. Shigaraki's eyes widened, and he whirled towards the assault with the speed of a man possessed. "What the hell?! You're supposed to be dead! And this is-!"
Just as the ice was about to make direct contact, the air pressure from one of Toshinori's attacks shattered it entirely and sent both Izuku and Shigaraki tumbling. The Hero-in-training shivered as he forced his ice-caked leg underneath him, then the other. Fuck. He looked to Toshinori and shuddered.
The massive Hero had tried to German suplex Noumu, but Kurogiri- who Izuku had somehow lost track of up until now- had opened a portal directly underneath Noumu, making it come up from underneath Toshinori. Noumu forced its claws into his sides; in horror, Izuku realized that his mentor was bleeding from the wound All for One had given him.
"Nice, All Might!" Shigaraki turned away from Izuku, completely forgetting him as he stepped toward the mammoth duo. "You tried to bury Noumu to subdue it as quickly as possible. It's a good plan, save for the fact that we totally accounted for it. Now we have you right where we want you."
"Bold words," said All Might the Hero, putting on a brave smile. "But it'll take more than this to kill me." It wasn't a lie, necessarily, but Izuku could see the strain in his expression, and he knew that Toshinori the man was in pain. Toshinori released the suplex, gripping Noumu's hand with both of his and trying to pull it away from his weak point. Noumu's grip remained steady, and its expression remained terrifyingly blank.
Shigaraki pushed a breath through his teeth, frustrated at All Might's resistance. "Kurogiri."
"I do hate to get blood and viscera in my Warp Gates," Kurogiri dully stated as he pulled Noumu through the portal, leaving All Might half-submerged, "but I'll make an exception for the World's Greatest Hero." The portal began to close. Izuku's eyes widened. They're really gonna do it.
One for All's power flooded into his legs at 10%, and he leaped toward Kurogiri's main body before a thought could form in his head. As he approached the warper, he spun in a circle, bringing his leg around to kick the visible neck armor. He didn't even think as he pushed everything he could into the kick. It hurt. Goddamn, it hurt, but he pushed harder.
Kurogiri formed a longer, curved portal, using Izuku's momentum to make his leg pass directly from one side of the Villain to the other without making direct contact. Izuku pulled back on his power in a panic, sending the most painful pins and needles he had ever felt up his leg, making him stumble upon landing. He whirled around, somehow finding himself face-to-face with Shigaraki. Wait, how did he-?!
The Villain grinned widely as he reached to grab Izuku. "I'll kill you, you damn hacker!" Almost on instinct, the fire from Todoroki's Quirk burst to life, but Shigaraki was undeterred. Izuku felt a lump in his throat.
I'm going to die here.
The sudden thought was humbling. The flames died down, and Izuku went limp, Shigaraki's hand looming inches away from his face.
"Eat shit, fucker!"
Bakugou flew past Izuku, planting both of his feet directly into Shigaraki's diaphragm in a flying dropkick. With a pathetic wheeze, Shigaraki went flying, and Bakugou blasted more systematically as he twirled into a landing. He laughed like a madman all the while, battle-drunk and giddy. "What're you getting pushed around for, Deku, this guy's fucking...!" The blond turned to Izuku, and his grin fell. "Weak."
Bakugou probably thought Izuku looked like shit; his arms and hair were matted with blood, and tear marks no doubt ran down his face; his costume was starting to come apart in certain places, exposing pale, bloodied skin; he was shivering from the cold, but he also felt too hot. Despite all of that, he smiled lopsidedly at his childhood friend. "Thank you," he whispered hoarsely. Bakugou turned away from him, nodding ever-so-slightly.
Kurogiri made a hollow noise of disgust. "It would appear our time was more limited than anticipated. I will hurry."
"As if I'd-!" Bakugou blasted forward, leading with his upper body.
"As if we'd give you the chance!" Kirishima came up from behind Bakugou with a leap, and together they smashed Kurogiri's brace; Bakugou came down with an explosive right-handed haymaker on the left of the Villain, and Kirishima with a hardened left hook on the right. Kurogiri hit the ground and tumbled, while both boys used their momentum to catch up quickly.
Grabbing hold of the Villain, Bakugou held a heated palm up to Kurogiri's exposed nape. "Make a move, and you die. I won't miss again."
Kirishima laughed, his voice laced with uncharacteristic malice. "He'll make good on that. Don't try it."
"Am I interrupting?" From yet another direction, frost jetted forward and rapidly encased the Noumu, traveling from its legs up to just below its wrists, avoiding Toshinori entirely with extreme precision. Izuku followed the trail of frost with his eyes to see Todoroki standing there, his face calm except for his furrowed eyebrows. Covered in bone-chilling ice, Noumu's grip slackened just slightly- even though it was only a little give, it was enough for Toshinori to pry himself free, and the Hero flipped out of Death's grasp. Mr. Aizawa ran up to stand beside him, sweat dripping from his brow.
Shigaraki stood a bit away, frozen and shaking with uncontained rage. "...Kurogiri..."
"I'm sorry, Shigaraki Tomura." Kurogiri's robotic voice was pathetically quiet. "I slipped up."
"It's 'cause you're a buncha fuckin' amateurs!" Bakugou sneered at the Villain's leader. "This guy's pretty slick, but it was only a matter of time, especially with such a massive weak point. The thing's practically a broken hitbox!"
Shigaraki rolled his head as if to crack his neck. He sighed, shrugging slightly. "Hero brats these days. They're pretty smart! I'm almost impressed." Hands folded together to stop them from shaking, Shigaraki turned his gaze to Noumu. "Get up, you fuckingidiot." The Noumu rumbled deep in its throat in response as it began to pull itself back out of Kurogiri's still-open portal. Todoroki gasped as its leg and arm began crumbling underneath its own weight as it tried to straighten up, the ice-encased flesh sloughing off. Kirishima swore.
But even as its limbs fell off, the muscles underneath the ice began roiling manically until suddenly they shot outward, wrapping around each other in an approximation of a limb. As Noumu's skin began to stitch itself together, Izuku wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He was gonna vomit. Healing? It can heal? His Quirk drifted towards that Quirk, inherently hoping to add it to its collection, but Izuku reined it in. There's something wrong with that thing. It's not even reacting as it's putting its arm back together from scratch. Regeneration of that kind and at that caliber would be agonizing to a normal person.
"You said its Quirk was Shock Absorption," Toshinori growled, drawing Izuku's attention back to what was happening. Shigaraki just shrugged.
"I said one of its Quirks was Shock Absorption." Shigaraki gestured vaguely at Noumu, suddenly calm again. "The other one is Super Regeneration. It's just about as strong physically as you, All Might, but its durability is an S-tier upgrade." All Might's breath caught in his throat. At the very least, they could confirm what its Quirks were now. That didn't help Izuku's panic at all. "Anyway, we might as well cut our losses and make a getaway. Noumu, get Kurogiri."
Faster than Izuku could blink, Noumu started running towards Kurogiri, which in turn meant that it was making a beeline for Kirishima and Bakugou. All Might and Izuku jumped into action at the same time. All Might was much faster, and he jumped in front of the blow meant for Bakugou. The sheer force of it sent All Might skidding back on his heels. Izuku jumped on Noumu's back, twisting up and putting the beast in a leglock. He grabbed hold of Noumu's head.
Enough!
Izuku closed his eyes as he blasted Noumu's gray matter with blast after blast from Explosion. He ignored the wet feeling on his hands, on his cheeks. Todoroki's Quirk began to heat up his body as he got angrier and angrier; the explosions got increasingly intense, and flames rose higher and higher around him as his emotions spurred on the two Quirks.
How dare you hurt All Might?! You stupid fucking dumbass Villain!
Izuku was suddenly grabbed and flung from his position as if he were made of paper, breaking his concentration and grasp on the combined Quirks. He bounced once on the ground but caught himself before he could again. He hissed in pain as he gripped his forearm. His wrist was not supposed to bend that far. As he tore off the remaining fabric of his sleeve to wrap around his already swollen joint- ignore the blood, it isn't yours- he looked up to find All Might and Noumu staring each other down. His violent assault had practically melted Noumu's head, and it became increasingly apparent that it wasn't healing. I must have cauterized the wounds as I was making them...
"How disgusting." Shigaraki's voice rushed over Izuku like waves in a tide pool. "If it's in the name of justice, you Heroes will do anything you want. Does your violence know no bounds? Is this the society you're trying to protect, All Might?" Izuku almost covered his mouth to hold in his bile. At the sight of his bloodstained fingers, he ended up vomiting anyway. This feeling... this was even worse than being Quirkless. He felt like a Villain.
"I'm surprised that you think you have room to talk," All Might stated simply as he slowly approached Noumu.
"I'm not calling myself a saint, All Might. That's what really pisses me off, y'know? You act like this high and mighty Symbol of Peace, but do you represent the downtrodden? Do you still protect them if they don't put money in your paycheck? The poor, the sick, the people society shuns?" Shigaraki's shoulders tensed, and his hands tightened up as though he were really and truly upset. Perhaps he was. "You punch a couple of Villains, look good for the cameras, then leave us to rot. You're a government weapon. I'm the retaliatory weapon of the people. I'm the guillotine."
"...I know your type. You spout pretty words and put images in your followers' heads of a better tomorrow, but you don't believe any of your own crap. This isn't a crusade of liberation. This is your personal vendetta that you're trying to fulfill. Please, cut the shit."
"...Heh heh. Heh, hee-hee..." Shigaraki burst out laughing, both hands on his chest, pinkies up. "HA, HAHAHAHA! Yeah, that's fair! You got me good!" The Villain immediately stopped laughing, snapping his fingers. "Noumu, kill All Might."
-
Shouto steadied his trembling hands as All Might and Noumu got back into fisticuffs, renewed by their little dialogue. Mr. Aizawa, too, jumped back into action, dashing towards Shigaraki and Kurogiri with his Quirk active.
Shouto stared off into space, not really paying attention. All he could think about was what that boy, Midoriya, had done. He had copied Shouto's Quirk. He had used Endeavor's fire on the Noumu. How could he do that? But then, there's no way for him to know... But still-!
The dual-Quirked boy watched on as Bakugou pushed his way up to Midoriya through the intense winds the fight was generating, saying a few quiet words to him that Shouto couldn't hear. Midoriya continued to stare into space as he responded equally quietly. He looked shell-shocked. Shouto wasn't surprised, considering what he had done to Noumu. Shouto was also shocked when Noumu fell apart due to his attack. He thought he had killed someone using his mother's Quirk. That felt ironic for some reason.
Shouto returned his gaze to the fight, digging his feet harder into the ground to stop the winds from tripping him up. All Might and Shigaraki were yelling at each other over the roaring of the clash between titans. "You dumbass! His Quirk is Shock Absorption, so why are you still trying to brute force him?!" He took a punch to the face from Mr. Aizawa but managed to grab hold of their teacher for a moment. Quirk reactivated, Mr. Aizawa backpedaled while clutching his chest, his shirt in tatters and blood leaking through his fingers.
"Because!" All Might's voice rang true, a voice that bespoke justice and heroism. "It's just as you say! The Quirk is 'Absorption,' not 'Nullification'! That means there's a limit to how much it can take, and I intend to find that limit!"
Shouto used his ice to keep himself steady. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kirishima struggling to stay put on all fours, fingers hardened into daggers and slammed into the ground. Behind him, Bakugou was holding Midoriya steady through sheer strength while the boy remained next to catatonic. All Might kept shouting, his voice clear even over the din of combat. "And even if this thing can withstand everything I can offer, then I'll use even more! That's what it means to be a Hero!"
"H-he's not kidding," Midoriya suddenly stated matter-of-factly through his tears. "That wasn't a figure of speech: every one of those blows exceeds 100% of his current power. When he was even younger, this would be over in a dozen hits, but..." Midoriya stared at the fight, his face contorted somewhere between terror and awe. Shouto scrutinized the boy. How odd.
All Might grabbed Noumu by the wrist, flinging it up into the air. "I do this because people need me! I can't protect everyone, but I can't die before I've decided to give up. If I gave up, then this was all pointless." All Might rocketed up, cracking the concrete around him. The Noumu, stunned and still partially blind thanks to Midoriya, couldn't react to All Might's grapple. The Hero flung the beast downwards and chased after it with a burst of air pressure.
Kirishima raised his head. "Get him, All Might!"
"Heed these words, Villain." All Might reared back a fist, a grin returning to his face. Shouto hadn't even realized that he had stopped smiling. Had he even been smiling in the first place? "Our motto is Plus Ultra for a reason! We have no choice but to give it our all in the face of Villainy! You might have limits, but us?" All Might's fist steamed and glowed brightly for just a split second before it made contact with Noumu. "We go beyond them! PLUS ULTRA!"
Noumu's skin and muscles rippled, trying to absorb the incredible kinetic energy of the blow, until it finally disappeared. Shouto couldn't figure out where it had gone, but tilting his head upwards provided the answer. Noumu's Shock Absorption had failed, and it had been launched out of the USJ, leaving behind a gaping hole in the facility's roof. The Hero had prevailed.
"He beat the Shock Absorption right out of him!" Kirishima pumped a fist enthusiastically. "But I guess that's All Might for ya!"
Bakugou took a breath. "He attacked it too quickly for it to regenerate, then overwhelmed its other Quirk with a blow too far above its threshold to handle. That was... way too intense." He shook his head.
Shouto quirked an eyebrow. "Even for you, Bakugou?"
"That so surprising? Bite me."
Midoriya remained silent. Shouto followed his gaze and found that he was staring at All Might's shoulder. Is that… steam? Shouto wondered, watching as steam-like wisps trickled from All Might's skin. Like from that last attack? Is All Might generating heat, or…?
All Might, reduced down to only his torn undershirt and his scuffed dress pants, turned to face the students. "Sorry about that, my young protégés," he boomed. "In my heyday, I could have resolved that in a mere ten punches. That tough bastard took over three hundred. Guess I'm getting old, ha! You should head on out now, while you can." All Might made direct eye contact with Midoriya, who blinked dumbly. "Go now."
Midoriya flinched at the harsh tone, and Shouto paled, uncomfortable with the familiarity. What is their connection?
Shigaraki screamed in outrage, and Mr. Aizawa took the opportunity to punch him in the jaw. The Villain skidded backward, looking skyward as he brought his hands up to his neck. He scratched at his neck erratically, blood spewing from the gouges. "What the hell?! He's not any weaker at all! Not only that, but they have a hacker, too! Master was wrong!"
"C'mon," All Might roared. "Are ya scared to finish the fight you started?!" Almost as if rallied to All Might's shouting, the strongest of the Villains that had been knocked unconscious were starting to get back up and surround them. Todoroki sighed, turning around to face them. Bakugou and Kirishima noticed almost right away as well.
Bakugou rolled his shoulder, disposition moody. "I'm sick of fighting weaklings..."
"I guess we'll handle these guys and leave those two to All Might." Kirishima punched Bakugou on the arm good-naturedly. "Don't hold back!"
"As if I'd ever!"
"Midoriya," Shouto said, tilting his head back to look at him. Shouto applauded himself personally for keeping a level, professional tone. He was still conflicted about what Midoriya had done earlier and more than a little caught up in his and All Might's relationship, but now wasn't the time for that. "You're still pretty badly wounded, aren't you? Let's get out of here and see to them." Midoriya didn't respond, which peeved Shouto badly for reasons he couldn't explain. "Midoriya?"
Without warning, Midoriya disappeared from in front of him, leaving a deep impression in the floor where he had just stood. Fast! He looked up as Midoriya jetted ahead, heading straight for Shigaraki, who was, in turn, dashing at All Might. Mr. Aizawa threw out his capture weapon, probably hoping to snag Shigaraki, but Kurogiri warped the scarf end somewhere else. What is he doing?! Why isn't All Might...?!
A gunshot went off, ringing out throughout the facility.
-
Izuku stood outside of the USJ as paramedics wrapped his arms in bandages. Another paramedic began cleaning up his head, and yet another person was trying to stabilize his wrist until he could see Recovery Girl. The towels and bandages bled red, fed from Izuku's own supply and from Noumu. At the very least, Izuku's legs were miraculously intact even after 100% passed through them. Bakugou, Iida, and Uraraka all stood close by, having already finished talking to the paramedics. Bakugou's palms were a little blistered, and Iida's engines were malfunctioning after having been used for so long at such a high gear, sputtering smog. Otherwise, the only one who was really badly hurt was Izuku himself.
Shigaraki and Kurogiri had both made a getaway, though not a clean one. Shigaraki had been shot several times by Pro Hero Snipe before Kurogiri finally warped them away. Izuku had tried to use Erasure, but he had apparently bumped his head hard enough to mess that up. The Quirk barely activated and did not even last long enough to work. It had been a little while since Izuku tasted such blatant defeat, but the taste was still familiar.
Mr. Aizawa scolded all students who had tried to fight against the three main Villains without permission before he took one of the ambulances back to the main campus. Kirishima seemed cowed, but Bakugou hardly seemed to give a shit. Nor did Todoroki, and truthfully, neither did Izuku.
After everything, All Might, Aizawa, and Thirteen were all sent to Recovery Girl, and Izuku would soon join them. The police were trying to locate Noumu's body, with little luck so far.
Almost absentmindedly, Izuku stared at Todoroki, who had been staring at him in turn after he had attacked Noumu. Izuku couldn't really blame him- it must be scary to see your Quirk used for something like that. They would have to talk. Maybe Izuku could retroactively ask for permission? No, that would look terrible.
For the umpteenth time, Iida suddenly bowed. "Sincerely, Class Rep, I must apologize properly. If I had only been faster, the Pro Heroes would have been here sooner, and you wouldn't have been injured."
Bakugou huffed. "Dumbass would have hurt himself regardless." Iida chopped a hand, reprimanding him, but Izuku laughed lightly.
"Thank you for saving me then, Kacchan."
Bakugou smirked, but he turned his face away to hide it. "Shut it. I was beating on the bad guys. You just ended up being right there, is all."
The last of the low-rank Villains flooded out of the USJ in handcuffs, and the man who had introduced himself as Detective Tsukauchi walked up to the four of them, the rest of the class huddling around them as he gestured to their little groups. One after another, the detective called roll until he was satisfied that everyone was present. And everyone returned to their little groups and began talking as if nothing had happened. As if the field trip had gone as planned.
Izuku smiled as he fought back the tears. Thank God. Thank God they're all okay.
Kirishima ran over to a group discussing their combat encounters. "All we got were low-level thugs!"
"I was with Todoroki in the landslide zone," Hagakure gushed. "He handled the whole thing like a dream!" Izuku noticed that Todoroki shot her an alarmed look and wondered what that was about.
Finally, the detective signaled to them all again. "Alright, you're all free to head back to the main campus. You've been through a lot today, and we don't really need many of your testimonies anyway. We'll be in contact if any extra information is needed."
Tsuyu raised a hand slightly. "Detective, is everyone alright? How are Thirteen, All Might, and Aizawa?"
"Let's see... Thirteen's back injury, though expansive, was not deep. They'll make a full recovery. Aizawa suffered several wounds, most notably on his chest while he fought the ringleader. Still, he'll be fine with enough rest. And All Might... is perfectly fine. He's just getting a checkup from Recovery Girl. Is that all?" Izuku grimaced, but everyone seemed relieved, and Tsuyu nodded politely. After only a little more waiting, with the direction of Yaoyorozu, everyone filed animatedly onto a bus.
Kirishima suddenly spoke up, saying, "Oi, Bakugou." Izuku looked behind him to see that Bakugou was staring at the USJ, his fists curled up at his sides. He turned at Kirishima's beckon. "We're heading back to campus."
"I heard, dumbass!"
Izuku waited for Bakugou to file on then took the seat next to him, leaning his head against the backboard as quietly as possible to not disturb him. Bakugou spared him a glance but didn't so much as grumble. He didn't even complain for the entire ride back, even as everyone kept chatting and chatting, sometimes to a grating level. Izuku was never more thankful.
Izuku beelined it for Recovery Girl's office as soon as the bus stopped, not waiting up even when Uraraka and Iida both called his name. He opened the door to the office gently with his good hand and looked around the room. Toshinori lay in one of the beds, his wound wrapped in bandages. Aizawa and Thirteen must have already left at some point, as the rest of the beds were empty. Recovery Girl looked up from her desk as Izuku entered. "You hurt your wrist, I heard?"
Izuku nodded. "The only thing I broke this time, and it was only because I rolled on it. Isn't that funny?" He let a singular humorless laugh past his lips.
Recovery Girl's already gaunt expression turned even darker. "Come here, child." Izuku walked over to her, leaning down to let her kiss him on the cheek. He felt his head clearing up, and his wrist popped back into place. The scabs on his arms healed up, leaving only long, scraggly scars. Izuku looked over at Toshinori. The old man, his face pale and sallow, still managed to smile at his protégé.
"Hello, young Izuku."
"Hey, Toshi."
After a moment of silence, Toshinori sighed deeply, though it sounded hollow and brittle. It was more akin to a death rattle than the breath of a man who was barely fifty. "That fight shortened my time with One for All. Reinjuring myself didn't help my health any, either. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."
Izuku felt his eyes tearing up as he sat down at the edge of the bed, massaging his now-healed wrist. "I'm so sorry."
Toshinori laughed warmly. "There's no use being sorry for it." His expression fell, worry evident on his face. "But please, be more careful. No matter how much you helped, you put yourself in too much danger, you and the others. You acted valiantly, like Heroes, but you are not yet Heroes. If something like this happens again, run away."
Izuku nodded. "I will."
"Am I interrupting?"
Toshinori, Recovery Girl, and Izuku all looked up as the detective from earlier opened the door. Toshinori grinned, some actual cheer coming to his voice as he said, "Naomasa! I didn't know you were working on this case!"
"It involves our Number One, doesn't it?"
"Charming."
Izuku looked between the two in shock. "Wait, it's cool that he's...?"
Toshinori nodded. "This is Detective Tsukauchi, the associate I mentioned with the Lie Detector Quirk. He's an old friend of mine, and he's known about my injury for almost as long as I've had it. Give or take a few years, anyway." Detective Tsukauchi nodded, smirking.
"Just a friend, Toshinori?"
"And you call me corny!" Toshinori laughed, his cheeks rosy. He coughed, settling down. "Anyway, Naomasa, tell me, is everyone okay? How are Mr. Aizawa and Thirteen? And the rest of the students?"
"Your students are all fine physically, Toshinori. Eraserhead has already headed back to wherever he lives, and Thirteen has been moved so she can stay overnight, but she'll be just fine. You did good today, you old man."
"The students did all the work." Toshinori suddenly sounded very old again as he said it. "All I did was show up at the end and almost die. They were the ones who had made it that far. They could have handled that fiasco without any backup if they were third-years. They're great kids." Toshinori turned to gaze at Izuku pointedly, and the boy blushed under the praise. "All of you will make excellent Heroes one day. You proved yourselves today."
"Anyway," Recovery Girl waddled up to Izuku, her cane clacking. She took a minute to painstakingly wrap up Izuku's arms and wrist again, and she handed him a packet of gummies as she gestured at the door. "You're good to go. Us adults need to talk." Izuku took the hint and dashed out, heading downstairs and out the front door. Realizing he had forgotten his backpack, he turned back around to go back and get it.
"Oi, shithead!" Izuku twirled back around to see Bakugou standing there with Uraraka, Iida, and Kirishima. Bakugou was holding Izuku's yellow bag towards him. "Five seconds before I drop it!" Izuku ran forward, a goofy grin across his face. He caught his backpack right as Bakugou dropped it.
"Thanks for waiting up, guys."
Kirishima punched him lightly on the arm in way of greeting, and Uraraka tussled his hair affectionately. Iida patted him firmly on the back while Bakugou stomped on ahead. Izuku could feel tears threatening to leak from the corners of his eyes, but he swiped them away before they could.
I'm... so blessed.