Chapter 54: Crossroads.
The world blurred around him like a damaged film reel.
High above the forest floor, Aokiji surfed along the rail of ice he had created, moving at a speed that defied gravity. The wind whipped through his hair, stinging his eyes, but he didn't blink. The pitch-black darkness of the forest was illuminated only by the sporadic, terrifying glow of blue flames spreading like a plague through the ancient trees.
Beneath him, the ground fell away. With every meter he traveled away from the camp, he felt a tether snapping—the thin thread connecting him to his "normal" life at U.A.
Traitor.
The word rang in his mind. Not spoken by Dabi or Shigaraki, but conjured by his own guilt. He imagined the look on Midoriya's face right now—the confusion, the hurt. He imagined Kirishima screaming his name, and Aizawa's eyes widening in shock. He anticipated their judgment, and it weighed heavier than any physical burden.
"I'm not betraying anyone..." Aokiji whispered to himself, his voice swallowed by the rushing wind. "I'm just... choosing the battle I can actually win."
He remembered All Might's embrace. The warmth. The word: "Son."
If he stayed, if he fought alongside them as a student, Sayuri would be dead by morning. All For One's message had been absolute. The eyes of the enemy were everywhere. The only way to protect them—to protect everyone—was to play the puppet. To walk into the lion's den willingly and wait for the chance to tear it down from the inside.
But the price was high. The price was their trust.
He leaned his body weight into a sharp turn, banking around a massive cedar tree, the ice forming just split seconds before his boots touched it. Below, the sound of rushing water grew louder.
"This looks like the place he pointed to..." Aokiji muttered, spotting the river reflecting the moonlight and the distant fires. "I'm coming."
[The Camp Plaza - Moments Earlier]
Chaos reigned supreme.
Vlad King was barking orders, his voice straining as he tried to herd the panicked students of Class 1-A and 1-B toward the safety of the main lodge.
"Everyone inside! Do not stray from the group!" Vlad shouted, veins bulging in his neck.
"But Sensei!" Kirishima yelled, fighting against the tide of students. "Aokiji just left! And look at that fire... Bakugo and Todoroki are still out there!"
"Eraser is pursuing Kuzan!" Vlad replied firmly, shoving students through the doorway. "Our mission is to protect you! Do not be reckless!"
Amidst the stampede, one person was moving against the current.
Izuku Midoriya.
His body was vibrating, not with fear, but with the crushing weight of a realization. The image of Aokiji leaving burned in his mind, but another image flashed with urgent clarity.
Kota.
The child was all alone. He hated heroes, hated this camp, and he wouldn't have the strength to protect himself if the villains found him. And his secret hideout was located directly in the area where the smoke was thickest.
"Hey! You!" Vlad King shouted, spotting the green-haired boy breaking away. "Midoriya! Get back here!"
Midoriya didn't stop. He vaulted over a wooden fence, his eyes locked on the dark silhouette of the mountain.
"Damn these kids!" Vlad cursed, unable to leave the main group to chase him.
Midoriya sprinted into the treeline, the branches whipping against his face. As he broke through the canopy, he saw it—thick, black smoke billowing from the cliffside where Kota's hideout was.
Hold on, Kuzan-kun... Aizawa-sensei will bring you back, Midoriya thought, gritting his teeth as green lightning crackled around his legs. As for me... I have to save the one who can't save himself!
[Deep Forest - Behind Aokiji]
Shota Aizawa moved with the speed of a hunting wolf.
He leaped from branch to branch, his red eyes scanning the darkness ahead. His capture scarf trailed behind him like an angry tail.
"That idiot..." Aizawa growled under his breath, watching the melting remnants of the ice trail.
He wasn't just angry that his student disobeyed an order. He was furious with himself.
How did I not see it? He asked himself bitterly. He's been acting strange for a week. The absence, the lies, the cold eyes... I saw all the signs and dismissed them as teenage rebellion. And now? He's handing himself over to villains.
Suddenly, Aizawa skidded to a halt.
A massive tree trunk, engulfed in blue flames, crashed down in front of him, blocking the path. Through the curtain of fire, a familiar silhouette emerged.
"You're persistent, Eraser..."
Dabi (or rather, another clone) stood leaning against the burning trunk, waving a hand wreathed in azure fire.
"Get out of my way," Aizawa said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"Can't do that," Dabi laughed darkly. "The Little Prince has an important appointment. We can't have the adults crashing the party."
Aizawa didn't waste a second on banter.
He lunged forward, his scarf shooting out like a viper to wrap around the villain's neck, his eyes erasing the quirk before the fire could spread.
I won't let you take my student!
[The Riverbank]
The ice rail ended abruptly at the edge of a rocky riverbank. The water churned violently, white foam visible in the gloom.
Aokiji landed lightly on the wet stones, his boots making a soft clack. Behind him, the ice track dissolved into mist, erasing his path.
It was quiet here. Eerily so, compared to the roar of the fire back at the camp.
"Ooh! He actually came!"
A manic, split-personality voice shattered the silence.
A man in a full-body black suit (Twice) stepped out from the shadows, gesturing wildly. "Welcome! I thought you wouldn't show up! / I knew you were a dirty traitor!"
Behind him, leaning casually against a large boulder, was the real Dabi. His turquoise eyes scanned Aokiji with cold appraisal.
"Took your time," Dabi rasped, pushing himself off the rock. "I expected you to be faster with that ice of yours."
Aokiji stood there, hands sliding back into his pockets, reassembling his mask of indifference.
"There was traffic," Aokiji deadpanned. "Annoying teacher, loud classmates. You know how it is."
Dabi stared at him for a long beat, searching for any crack in the facade. Then, he smirked—a small, satisfied twitch of his stapled skin.
"Good," Dabi said. " The Boss will be pleased with your obedience. But we aren't done yet."
Aokiji frowned slightly. "I thought the deal was me in exchange for the safety of the camp and my family. I'm here. Let's go."
"Not yet," Dabi jerked his thumb toward the burning forest. "We're here for two objectives. You're the easy one who came willingly... but the second target is stubborn and needs some... persuasion."
Aokiji felt a chill that had nothing to do with his quirk.
"Second target?" Aokiji asked, keeping his voice steady. "Who are you after?"
"Katsuki Bakugo," Dabi replied, looking up at the smoke-filled sky. "Our Vanguard Squad is working on 'collecting' him right now. So, you'll wait here like a good boy until the set is complete."
Aokiji remained silent, but his mind was racing.
Bakugo?
Having Bakugo involved complicates everything. If they take two students... the fallout will be catastrophic.
Dabi, meanwhile, glanced around the perimeter, his eyes narrowing.
No sign of All Might, Dabi thought. We've been making noise, burning the forest, and kidnapping students. If he were here, he would have smashed through the trees by now. Was Sensei just being paranoid? Or is his intel finally wrong?
Before anyone could make a move, a sound tore through the mountains.
BOOOM!
It was a massive impact, distant but powerful enough to shake the ground beneath their feet. A cloud of dust rose into the night sky near the cliffside.
Dabi watched the dust settle, his grin widening.
"Sounds like the hunting party has started."
[The Cliffside - Moments Earlier]
Midoriya reached the summit, his lungs burning, his legs screaming.
"Kota-kun!" he shouted, bursting into the small cave.
He found the child huddled in the corner, eyes wide with terror, staring at the entrance.
"Midoriya..." Kota whispered.
Midoriya turned, and his blood ran cold.
Blocking the only exit, standing on the edge of the cliff, was a mountain of human muscle. A massive man wearing a dark hood, his left eye covered by a crude prosthetic.
"Muscular..." Midoriya whispered, recalling the files on the villain list.
The villain smiled, revealing jagged teeth.
"I was looking for a nice quiet spot to enjoy the view," Muscular said, his voice sounding like grinding stones. "But it looks like I found two little toys instead."
His muscle fibers began to tear and swell, bursting out of his skin to wrap around his arms and torso in a grotesque organic armor.
"You know, kid?" Muscular said, taking a step forward, the rock cracking under his weight. "We have orders not to kill the Ice Boy... and orders to kidnap the Explosion Boy. But nobody said a damn thing about you two."
Midoriya's eyes widened.
The Ice Boy? Orders not to kill him?
The words confirmed his worst fears. The villains knew Aokiji. There was a connection.
But there was no time to think about conspiracies.
Muscular lunged, moving with terrifying speed for his size. A fist the size of a boulder aimed directly for Midoriya's head.
"SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!" Muscular roared.
"Kota, grab on!" Midoriya screamed.
He activated One For All: Full Cowling at 5%.
Midoriya didn't try to counter-attack yet; he grabbed the boy and leaped sideways, barely dodging the blow. Muscular's fist slammed into the cliff face behind them.
CRASH!
The impact shattered the rock wall, sending debris flying and creating the massive boom that echoed across the valley. The shockwave sent Midoriya tumbling across the dirt, shielding Kota with his body.
He scrambled to his feet, placing himself between the monster and the child.
He looked at the beast in front of him, then glanced down at the blue fires consuming the forest below. He thought of Aokiji's cold expression as he walked away.
I don't know what's happening with Kuzan-kun... Midoriya thought, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white, green sparks flaring wildly around him. I can't save him right now. I have to focus on what's in front of me!
He glared at Muscular.
I won't let them touch Kota! And I won't let them get near Kacchan either!
"I... I will protect him!" Midoriya screamed, and charged headlong into the face of death.
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