Chapter 17: Deku vs Kacchan Part 1
"Are you sure about this, Deku?" Uraraka asked as she fidgeted nervously behind me.
Keeping my gaze fixed on the five story building before us, I nodded absentmindedly.
I don't remember what floor the bomb was on, but I do remember that it was higher up and next to the windows. Probably the fourth or fifth floor. We could proceed from the ground floor up, but that would all but guarantee a one on one with Katsuki. With how we are now, that fight likely wouldn't last more than a few seconds. Our relationship is already hanging by a thread. The last thing it needs is me wiping the floor with him. No, it's better if we bypass Bakugou entirely, and overwhelm Iida with a frontal assault. Katsuki will be furious, but it will at least force him to think before he rushes off in a rage. Similar to what happened in canon, but without me breaking my arm and demolishing the building.
"Alright, let's begin the indoor combat training! Team A and Team D, your time starts now! All Might's voice boomed over the training ground.
Turning back to my partner, I gave her a questioning look. "Are you ready? I'm more agile than Iida in an enclosed space, but he's still quick. We'll need to end this before Katsuki has the opportunity to make his way back to the bomb room."
Casting one more look of apprehension at the structure looming before us, Uraraka gave me a determined nod and stepped forward. Feeling her hand press against my back, the increasingly familiar sensation of weightlessness passed over me. Adjusting to the odd imbalance caused by the non-weightless Uraraka climbing onto my back, I began to channel One for All.
Showtime.
With a whoosh of air, I launched us towards the top floor of the faux office building. Crossing the threshold of the fifth floor, my eyes widened as I came almost face to face with Katsuki through the glass window, a savage grin on his face as he pulled the pin on his right gauntlet.
Fuck.
Watching as the glow began to emanate from the barrel of his massive support item, I threw my arm out. The gust of wind pressure launched Uraraka and I to the side just as a massive explosion tore through the air in the space we had inhabited just a moment before, shattering windows down the entire block and blowing a sizable hole in the side of the building. Before the momentum of my punch could carry us down the street, I reoriented and kicked backwards to propel us through one of the now shattered window frames and into the office building, shielding Uraraka as we rolled to a stop on the stone floor.
He knew. Working my jaw to try and lessen the ringing in my ears, I pushed myself off the ground. Katsuki knows what my quirk is and the basics of what it does. He isn't underestimating me like he did in canon. Instead, he went in the opposite direction, opening the fight with the most powerful tool in his arsenal.
A cackling laugh broke me from my musings as the smoke and dust began to clear, revealing an elated Katsuki smiling giddily at his gauntlets while Iida looked on in shock behind him.
"These are awesome!" Katsuki exclaimed in delight.
Ignoring him as he continued with an explanation of how the gauntlets functioned, I kept my eyes on our opponents and addressed Uraraka. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah." She replied shakily.
Pulling my partner to her feet, I made no effort to lower my volume as I gave her instructions. "Do what you can to get past Iida and touch the bomb. I'll handle Bakugou."
Broken from his trance by the mention of his name, Iida snapped back into focus, squaring himself against Uraraka and beginning to monologue at her.
Snarling at my dismissive tone, Katsuki snapped. "Are you ignoring me? I'll get your attention."
Taking a threatening step forward, Katsuki began to raise his left gauntlet.
"Bakugou! Use that stored up power again and I'll-" All Might's voice began to sound through the room, but before he could finish his sentence, I pushed off the ground.
Eyes widening in surprise, Katsuki watched helplessly as I launched towards Iida. Channeling ten percent, I slammed my fist into his armored stomach at an upward angle. Paying little heed to the wheezing grunt that escaped his lips, I immediately pivoted towards Katsuki and pushed off the ground once more.
Surprise morphing into panic, Katsuki brought his hand across his body in a wide arc, a rippling string of explosions tearing apart what remained of the plain concrete floor around him. Sliding underneath the wild attack, I lashed out with my leg, sweeping Katsuki's own out from under him.
Hopping back to my feet, I stifled a snort as Katsuki punched the ground in frustration and stood.
"Deku." Katsuki growled, his eyes alight with barely contained rage.
Diving forward, he brought his right hand back in a painfully obvious wind-up. Don't need to have watched this kid for years to see a right hook coming.
Shifting to the side, I grabbed Katsuki's wrist, taking some satisfaction in shattering the ostentatious gauntlet and the subsequent snapping of bone beneath my super-powered grip. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Katsuki attempted to bring his left arm around for another attack, but before he could move more than a few inches, I channeled ten percent into my arms and catapulted him into the far wall.
Turning to ensure Iida was still incapacitated and to secure the bomb if Uraraka hadn't already, I was halted by a feral snarl from across the room. Returning my attention to Katsuki, I blinked in surprise as he slowly hefted himself from the small pile of rubble that had formed beneath his impact site on the wall. He made for quite the sight with blood dripping from a dozen cuts and his right arm hanging limply at his side.
Stumbling forward, Katsuki raised his left arm, and unable to utilize his right, bit down on the pin of his gauntlet.
"I WON'T LOSE TO YOU!" He screamed through clenched teeth.
Preparing to dodge away from my opponent's final desperate attack, my attention was drawn behind me to a yelp of surprise. Turning to the source, I found Uraraka in the midst of tying up an unconscious Iida, her eyes wide as saucers as she realized that they were within the blast cone of Katsuki's gauntlet.
Snapping my gaze back to Katsuki, I yelled in a desperate attempt to avert the inevitable. "Kacchan!"
But it was too late.
Time slowed to a crawl as the pin fell to the floor and a familiar glow began to emanate from the hulking gauntlet. Sobriety replaced the malevolent fury consuming Katsuki's gaze in an instant as his attention focused on Uraraka hovering over Iida's motionless form.
"Shit!" Katsuki cried as he frantically jerked his arm up and to the side.
The explosion ripped through the building, tearing a hole in the roof and shaking the structure to its foundation. Caught midair as I attempted to dive for Uraraka and Iida, I was ragdolled into the far wall by the concussive force.
Immediately pushing myself up from the ground, my eyes widened as the building began to crumble down on top of us. Taking a brief moment to thank One for All's durability enhancement for sparing me a concussion, I focused on Uraraka, who was curled protectively over a slowly awakening Iida as he struggled to regain his bearings. Uraraka had her hand raised over them, her quirk active in a desperate attempt to levitate any debris that collapsed on them.
Satisfied that they were not in immediate danger, I broke into a run across the room, pushing through the thick cloud of dust to the epicenter of the blast. There, buried under an even larger pile of rubble than before, was a bloodied and barely conscious Katsuki.
I hesitated briefly at the sight of the bones that protruded from multiple places on his left arm. He needs to hold a very specific stance when using those gauntlets due to the explosive force. When he turned it away to spare the others, it completely fucked his arm, but I don't know if the damage has extended to his neck. To say nothing of the debris that collapsed on top of him. If I move him now-
Rumbling beneath our feet and the sudden collapse of yet another section of the roof snapped me from my contemplation. Shoving the larger pieces of concrete away, I threw Katsuki's right arm over my shoulder and made my way back towards Uraraka, ignoring Katsuki's attempted growl that came out as more of a pained whimper.
I dropped to a knee beside Uraraka, who failed to react to my presence and continued staring at the collapsing ceiling in fear. Reaching out with my spare hand to shake her shoulder, Uraraka flinched at the contact, her panicked eyes snapping to meet mine.
Before I could say anything, a rumbling crack split through what remained of the roof, the edges crumbling away as the building's collapse began to accelerate rapidly.
The observation room isn't far. All Might should already be here. In canon he let Izuku and Katsuki fight to show Izuku he could win. Is he letting this continue so that I can learn I have what it takes to fight a fucking building?
Pushing away my irritation, I squeezed Uraraka's shoulder to regain her attention. "Ochaco, I need you to focus. Get these two out of the building. Levitate them and yourself if necessary. The building is going to come down no matter what All Might or I do. Get to a safe distance."
Shaking like a leaf, Uraraka hesitated before stammering out. "W-what about you?"
The roof chose that moment to give way. Sliding Katsuki to the ground, I braced myself as a particularly large slab of concrete came down, an adjacent support pillar toppling with it.
One for All, Full Cowling. Ten percent.
Using one hand to prop up the piece of roof, I used the other to grab the pillar, holding it at an angle to deflect falling debris away from the bomb.
Of course the fucking bomb has to be like ten feet tall when miniaturized nukes were perfected more than a century ago.
"Go!" I ordered through grit teeth, my body screaming in pain as I strained against the unbalanced debris.
Blinking in uncertainty for a moment, resolve filled Uraraka's eyes and she quickly grabbed our two opponents, levitating them and beginning to run towards the hole in the outer wall.
We're lucky she's so short. Gives her nearly a foot of clearance from the piece of roof I'm holding up.
Any humour at the situation was erased as the floor began to crack under me, the relentless bombardment from the collapsing roof beginning to take its toll. Growling in irritation, I prepared to surge One for All when booming laughter sounded over the cacophony of crumbling concrete.
"I am here, to relieve you of this burden, young Midoriya!" All Might declared as he rocketed in through the opening in the side of the building.
Before he could grab the slab of roof I was holding, I barked out. "Stay back!"
Flinching away as if he had been burned, All Might blinked in surprise before opening his arms placatingly. "You've already won the exercise handily, my boy. I was the one who failed to stop Bakugou from acting dangerously. I'll take things from-"
"Villains won't play by the rules, and I won't let the buzzer save me a second time. I got myself into this mess, so stay back, All Might!" I yelled.
All Might's brow furrowed before he nodded hesitantly, taking a step backward, his hand still hovering near the slab of roof as a precaution.
I took a deep breath in preparation for my next move, and nearly screamed in frustration when yet another voice interrupted before I could end the exercise.
"Deku? What are you doing!?" Uraraka cried out as she floated back through a shattered window, releasing her quirk and ducking away from All Might's attempt to halt her.
Not wasting any more time, I turned to address her. "Uraraka, get the bomb out, now!"
Uraraka briefly looked as though she would argue before nodding in resolve and sprinting past me to lay a hand on the faux bomb. Turning the weightless object sideways, she made her way to the edge of the room and jumped through the open wall with the bomb in tow.
Sighing in relief, I surged fifteen percent into my arms and threw the piece of roof I had been propping up into the corner of the room, destabilizing what little integrity the building still had in the process. Careful to watch for any more falling debris, I lept straight through the hole in the now actively collapsing building.
Landing on the concrete below with a dull thud, I watched as the 'villain stronghold' began to crumble, grinding my teeth to distract myself from the throbbing pain aching throughout my body.
"I'm sorry, young Izuku. I knew what those gauntlets did, but I had no idea young Bakugou was reckless enough to use them on a classmate, let alone twice." All Might apologized as he came to stand beside me.
"It's fine. It won't be the last time the two of us butt heads either. I had hoped that he and I could resolve our differences, but I don't think that's going to happen without outside help. At least on his part." I replied plainly.
"I'll speak to him after I've released the class for the day. I imagine he'll be in the nurse's office until late this evening." All Might agreed.
"No." At All Might's questioning look, I explained. "His issues run deep, All Might. He idolizes you for a different reason than I do, but to nearly the same extent. If you try to talk to him about this he'll shut down. He needs to talk to Hound Dog or maybe Aizawa."
All Might considered the idea for a moment before replying. "Very well. I'll speak to Aizawa about scheduling an appointment with the school counselor."
Humming my acknowledgement, we watched as Bakugou and Iida were loaded onto stretchers by the nurse robots and wheeled towards a nearby ambulance. The two had reversed states of consciousness, and Iida gave a solemn nod to us both as they passed by.
Turning to where a green faced Uraraka was attempting to assure another nurse bot that she was okay, I spoke. "I'm going to see if Uraraka needs help. We'll be alright. You can set up the next exercise."
"You should go to the nurse's office as well. Recovery Girl won't be pleased if she finds out you didn't come straight to her." All Might suggested warily.
I shook my head. "I'm okay. Everything hurts, but nothing is broken. As long as I just observe, I'll be fine. I'll see Recovery Girl after."
Sighing heavily, my mentor muttered his agreement before stalking away, grumbling about how Recovery Girl would inevitably punish him for my stubbornness.
Chapter 18: Rivals
"I suppose there isn't much point in theatre. Would anyone like to explain why young Midoriya is our MVP for the first match?" All Might asked the assembled students.
Zoning in and out of the conversation, I tried to ignore the throbbing in my head as a few students shouted the obvious, such as Kaminari's blunt 'Because he beat the shit out of them,' or Asui's enlightened realization that 'His team won the match.'
It had taken roughly half an hour for All Might to prepare another building for the next match. By the time All Might started his review of the first exercise, Iida had returned, his mild concussion and bruised ribs having been healed by Recovery Girl who, much to All Might and I's dismay, had followed Iida back to the training ground after she finished healing Katsuki. Despite my reasoning that I needed to be coherent enough to observe the following exercises, Recovery Girl insisted on healing my injuries immediately.
As expected, this had been immediately followed by an attempt to give me a concussion as looks of disbelief on the rest of the class' faces when the pint sized old women had then accosted All Might almost made the assault worth it.
Barely managing to keep myself awake through the aftereffects of Recovery Girl's quirk, I was roused from my stupor when Momo spoke up.
"Going through the other participants first; Bakugou's judgement was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. This resulted in him not only launching a foolish opening attack that threatened the stability of his own stronghold, but he then utilized that same attack a second time, under even worse circumstances. Even if Bakugou had been a real villain and held no regard for the wellbeing of his comrade, his attack still would have destroyed the weapon he was supposed to be defending.
For his part, Iida assumed that Midoriya would be occupied with Bakugou after the former openly declared his and Uraraka's plan of attack. He began monologuing instead of attempting to neutralize Uraraka, and was completely oblivious to Midoriya's deception.
Uraraka's performance was acceptable, and improved markedly as the match went on, but she hesitated at multiple points in the opening minutes. It was also unnecessary to prioritize the restraint of an already incapacitated villain when both an active villain and the bomb were still in play. Though, as I said, her performance improved notably in the final minutes. Midoriya could have completed the mission by himself, but she made it significantly easier on him by showing immense courage to reenter the collapsing building and assist in retrieving the bomb.
For Midoriya, his plan to take advantage of Bakugou's grudge against him to split the opposing team was sound, and he adjusted well when that plan failed at first contact. He utilized deception to lull Iida into complacency and neutralized him in a single blow, then handled Bakugou's reckless final attack as well as could be expected given the circumstances. Even after the match had effectively ended, Midoriya found a way to secure the objective while prioritizing the safety of his classmates. All around, his performance was exceptional." Yaoyorozu finished.
Silence fell over the class as most of the students stared dumbly at Yaoyorozu's analysis. I stifled a chuckle at All Might's disgruntled look, but sobered when I caught Todoroki's eye. I didn't remember what Izuku and Shoto's first canonical interaction had been, but since my return from the exercise, Todoroki had been appraising me as if he had noticed my existence for the first time.
Beside me, Iida's self-reproachment had intensified at Yaoyorozu's assessment while Uraraka continued to stare ahead blankly, still battling quirk exhaustion induced nausea from the match.
The corners of All Might's mouth twitched, and he fumbled for a reply to the thorough hijacking of his role as instructor. "Yes, well, you overlooked a few things. Young Midoriya could have taken the rubble he was holding to a safer location, so as to limit the structural collapse to the uppermost level, but otherwise you nailed it!"
"Easy for you to say, Mr lifts buildings with his pinky." I grumbled under my breath, eliciting snorts of laughter from the nearby Jiro and Hagakure.
The rest of the matches varied in how interesting they were, but with how inexperienced the class was at this point in time, most tested my ability to resist the fatigue from Heal.
Watching some of my classmates was a sobering reminder that most students, even those from U.A., never rose beyond sidekicks or formed teams with other heroes who likewise could never hope to make it on their own.
I suppose it makes sense. Top heroes hold places in the double and single digits for years. There's around forty hero graduates every year from U.A. alone. The overwhelming majority of aspiring heroes end up as C or D listers that never even crack the top one thousand.
Realistically, the only ones in the class that stood a chance at breaking into the top one hundred were Todoroki, Katsuki, Yaoyorozu, and maybe Kirishima.
Releasing a sigh of exhaustion, I turned my head towards the setting sun on the horizon. My body was screaming at me to lie down and go to sleep, but I had forced myself to remain conscious as I waited on the front steps of U.A. Mercifully, All Might was waiting to drive me home himself once my business was finished, otherwise I would have hunted down one of Aizawa's spare sleeping bags and just went to sleep in the classroom.
Finally, with the courtyard bathed in the last rays of orange sunlight, Katsuki emerged from the main schoolhouse, his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him as he slowly made his way down the stairs with a hitch in his step and his right arm secured in a sling.
Pushing myself off the pillar I had been leaning against, I made my way to stand in between Bakugou and the main gate. Without raising his head, Katsuki came to a halt, the soft evening breeze washing over us as we stood in eerie silence.
"What was the verdict, detention?" I asked plainly, leaving the potential alternatives unsaid.
Regardless of the fact that he was the only real casualty, Katsuki's personal grudge could very well have gotten him and other students killed. It wasn't until after he was wheeled off to the infirmary that I realized it was a distinct possibility that Katsuki could be suspended or potentially moved to a different class. Expulsion wasn't likely, but Aizawa had almost certainly given him an earful.
Katsuki remained silent for several long seconds, but just as I began to worry that the consequences had been worse than I expected, he replied, his eyes still fixed on the concrete beneath his feet. "Detention for the next month. I've been awake for hours, but Aizawa made me watch the tape of all the matches and even the review when all of you were talking about our fight. He nearly fucking killed me with that freaky-ass scarf of his."
I was surprised when Katsuki's voice choked up and he continued through clenched teeth. "You came in first during the entrance exam and then beat me in that stupid test, but that's not enough! When Aizawa was making me watch the other fights, I realized I couldn't beat that ice guy in a head to head fight either!" Katsuki paused briefly before clamping his left hand over his face and shouting in frustration. "Fuck! I even agree with what that girl said during the review. My attack was so stupid! Damn it! DAMN IT!"
I observed Katsuki for a moment as he clenched and unclenched his left hand in frustration, miming the action he usually took to create explosions. Considering my words carefully, I decided to roll the dice.
"Yeah? Well, it serves you right." I chastised with a scoff.
Katsuki's head snapped up to cast me a withering glare through his tear filled eyes, but before he could say anything, I pressed the attack.
"That was stupid of you. You're lucky you didn't cripple yourself permanently. Who the fuck am I supposed to use to push myself if you're not here? The Prince Zuko cosplay? The princess? Fucking need for speed?" I challenged, narrowing my eyes.
My words caught Katsuki off guard, and instead of retorting he merely growled and turned away.
"I know." He snapped through grit teeth.
Feeling some of the tension in my shoulders dissipate at my gamble having paid off, I pressed home the advantage.
"I get it, shit's changed and you're pissed. Use that to make yourself better and kick the shit out of me. Don't just blow your own arms off." I said scathingly.
Keeping his eyes fixed on the treeline in the distance, Katsuki sneered but didn't reply.
Watching him for a moment longer, I turned and began to make my way towards the staff parking lot, but before I could take more than a few steps, Katsuki called out. Looking over my shoulder, I watched as he made his way towards the main gate.
"Next time, I'll kill you. You hear me?" He declared without looking back.
The corner of my mouth curved upwards at the return of Katsuki's usual arrogance.
"I'm counting on it, Kacchan." I replied tauntingly.
Halting in his tracks, Katsuki looked back at me with narrowed eyes before he huffed angrily and continued stomping off.
"Whatever, Deku." He grumbled, barely loud enough for me to hear.
My smirk lingered as he disappeared past the trees. Maybe he isn't a lost cause after all.
Chapter 19: Managed Democracy
I tensed slightly at the feeling of being lifted away from the throng of reporters that had threatened to smother me only a moment earlier. Relaxing as Aizawa's binding cloth released me from its hold, I gave my thanks to the irritated hero as he cut the media off from their attempts to pursue me through the main gate.
It didn't take long for word of my affiliation with All Might to spread like wildfire. Between the sudden announcement that All Might would be a teacher at UA and the rumor that he had taken a protege, it was no surprise that the media was willing to launch a frontal assault on UA in order to get their hands on a story.
I imagine the school won't be letting me take the train anymore.
A frown spread across my features as I began walking up the staircase to the entrance. Today was the day. Shigaraki was going to breach the main gate and use the media as cover to prepare the League's infiltration of the USJ, and without knowing exactly where the league would go aside from the main gate, there was no way of stopping them. Even if I did know the precise location where they would warp, it was unlikely that the staff would be able to capture Shigaraki given the presence of Kurogiri. As anxious as it made me, I had no choice but to let the attack play out.
Brooding on what I could, should, or would do about the attack, I made my way to class on autopilot and barely noticed when the bell rang and Aizawa took his place at the head of the classroom.
"Decent work on yesterday's combat training, you guys. I saw the video feeds and went over each of your team's results." Aizawa began before turning towards Katsuki. "Bakugou,-" The blonde in question tensed up, and from my position right behind him, I could see a small shiver run through him. No doubt a result of his 'review' with Aizawa the previous day. "-you're talented, so don't sulk like a child about your loss, okay?"
Bakugou turned to look out the window and grumbled. "Yeah, whatever."
Turning his attention to me, Aizawa continued. "Midoriya, try not to destroy a building every time you do practical training."
Rolling his eyes at my two fingered salute, Aizawa addressed the entire class. "Let's get down to business. Our first task will decide your future."
Most of the class tensed immediately at the ominous statement, but I struggled to suppress a chuckle at the overdramatic opening.
I wonder how long it will be before everyone gets used to him and stops falling for the bait.
"You all need to pick a class representative." Aizawa finished.
I couldn't help the amused smile that stretched across my features as the tension bled from the class.
No more than an instant later, the room was filled with sudden proclamations and discombobulated bids for the role. I grimaced in discomfort as Mineta practically stood on his desk behind me and began screaming about how he would make the girls do indecent things while Bakugou simultaneously began shouting his superiority.
It was a strange dichotomy with American culture where class president was rarely even a position at all, and when it was it was almost entirely irrelevant. In Japan, the position was far more common and did hold a semblance of actual authority. The primary motivator at U.A. however, was that being named class representative drew interest from agencies, as it showed a student was capable of leading a team.
"Silence, everyone, please!" Iida bellowed over the din, drawing the room's attention. "The class representative's duty is to lead others. It's not something just anyone can do. You must first have the trust of everyone in the classroom. Therefore, the most logical way to fill this position is democratically. We will hold an election to choose our leader." He declared.
An immediate barrage of skepticism rang out as several students questioned the process. I rolled my eyes at the fact no one proposed the idea of disallowing self-votes, but made no comment.
I have no particular interest in being class rep, but if Izuku was voted in canonically, I imagine it will be similar, if not more one sided, now. The real question is what to do once that happens. Momo was the only person with more than one vote besides Izuku if I remember correctly, and Izuku just kind of decided to make Iida class rep in his stead.
I didn't really care about the democratic process for something so mundane, and it would probably save a great deal of time if I just dictated who would be the rep and vice rep, but that could also cause issues if my classmates disagreed with my choices. Momo made the most sense for president, but as the votes were handed in, I wavered on who should be vice representative, or if I should just hold the position myself.
After a brief exercise in democracy, Iida tallied the votes on the chalkboard. As expected, I won quite comfortably, with eight votes in my favor. Yaoyorozu was the only other student with more than a single vote, earning three, including my own. I rolled my eyes when Katsuki unsurprisingly lurched to his feet, anger radiating off of him in waves.
"Okay you dumbasses, who voted for him?" Katsuki demanded.
"What, did you honestly think anyone was going to vote for you?" Sero asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I mean, he's All Might's apprentice or whatever. Of course we're gonna vote for him." Kaminari added.
I grimaced slightly at Kaminari's words while Bakugou began yelling incoherently at both of them. I knew I would be treated differently, but I'd rather not be put on a pedestal just because All Might knows me. They should at least make me earn it myself.
Watching as Aizawa rose from behind his desk with unnatural grace given his cocooned state, I slowly stood up from my seat and made my way to the front of the class alongside Yaoyorozu.
"Alright, the class rep is Midoriya and our deputy is Yaoyorozu." Aizawa announced.
Turning to my counterpart, I returned Yaoyorozu's small smile, suppressing a chuckle at the hint of disappointment as she gave me her congratulations.
I'm about to make her day, I imagine.
The class began expressing their approval, including those who had voted for themselves, but I turned to Aizawa as the man in question prepared to lay back down on the ground.
"Mr Aizawa, what exactly does the vice representative do?" I asked, Yaoyorozu also perking in interest at what her role would entail.
Aizawa regarded me briefly before replying bluntly. "Nothing, really. Unless you ask her to do something for you, Yaoyorozu will mostly just be on standby in case you call out sick or I expel you."
Laughing at Aizawa's semi-serious threat as well as Momo's disappointed sigh, I continued with my follow-up question. "Sounds great. Do you mind if she and I swap roles? I voted for her, so I'd like to executive order my own demotion."
Momo gawked at me while Aizawa grumbled irritably at the prolonged delay to his nap. "Fine, whatever. I don't really care."
Clapping my hands together, I turned to the rest of the class with a bright smile. "Great, so my first act as class dictator is to relinquish my duties to my vastly more qualified underling." Turning back to the girl in question who could still only blink owlishly up at me, I took her hand and shook it. "Congratulations, madam president, or whatever you want to be called. I thank you for relieving me of this burden I have carried for far too long." I said cheekily.
Blinking in astonishment several more times, Momo finally composed herself.
Giving me a faux-irritated glare given away by the small smile on her lips, she addressed the class. "Right, well in that case, I will endeavor to do my best in this role!"
"It's always so crowded in here." Uraraka lamented.
"That's because students from every course share the same cafeteria." Iida replied matter of factly.
Rapping my finger on the table, I turned to Iida. "That reminds me, I need to greet the other classes, and not just 1-B. It wouldn't hurt to make friends in the other courses."
Iida nodded his head in agreement, but it was Yaoyorozu who spoke up from beside me. "That's a good idea, Midoriya. Especially as Class 1-A's representatives, it would behoove us to be on good terms with the other classes."
Iida's shoulders slumped slightly at the reminder of the electoral result, and I gave him a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, Iida. I didn't really want to be vice rep either, but I figured if I stepped down entirely, we'd probably need to have another vote. Otherwise, I would just be dictating who was in each position, which wouldn't really be fair. Not to mention, I doubt Aizawa would have been willing to sit through another vote."
Iida waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need to apologize, Midoriya. While I am of course disappointed to not have been chosen by my peers for either role, I have no complaints that either yourself or Yaoyorozu were. Your courage and quick thinking under pressure will help make you a worthy leader, not to mention the strength you demonstrated. That's why I voted for you, at least. As for Yaoyorozu, you demonstrated your aptitude for both practical and theoretical hero work during the training battles, to say nothing of our time together on the Somei Private Academy Student Council. I have the utmost confidence in both of you to lead our class."
After Momo and I had thanked him for his kind words, Iida and Uraraka delved into a conversation, first about what makes a good candidate, and then about the Iida family agency. As they spoke, my attention drifted around the cafeteria, where many of the other students were staring and pointing at me while whispering to their neighbors.
"I'm sure it will die down after a few days." Yaoyorozu whispered with a sympathetic look.
Chuckling, I raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Does it ever stop for you?"
With a wan smile, she conceded. "I suppose not."
Turning my attention back to the gawking crowd, I returned the stares impassively, with only a handful having the decency to avert their eyes when caught.
I may have to ask Shoto or Momo to give me some pointers on how to just ignore the attention.
Suddenly, an alarm began ringing over the din of the cafeteria.
"WARNING: LEVEL 3 SECURITY BREACH. All students please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion." The automated system commanded.
Many students began jumping to their feet and hurriedly making their way towards the exit as others continued to either stare at the speakers or look around the cafeteria in confusion.
Turning to a table beside us, Iida addressed the older students who were hurriedly gathering their things.
"What's a level three security breach?" Iida shouted over the ringing alarm and the commotion.
One of the students turned to Iida and replied as he stood from his seat. "It means someone managed to get past the school's barrier! This hasn't happened in my three years here! We should get going!"
Sighing in exasperation, I slowly rose from my seat as more and more students rushed past. A large pile up began to form at the entrance to the cafeteria as people attempted to force their way through the double doors.
Placing a hand on Uraraka and Iida's shoulders to stop them from rushing towards the exit as well, I casually made my way towards the wall length mirrors along the edge of the cafeteria, my three classmates bemusedly following behind me.
Confirming what I already knew, I tutted at the mob of press attempting to force their way past the motley assortment of staff that had rushed to halt their progress.
Turning to Yaoyorozu, I spoke into her ear so she could hear me over the panicked masses. "Can you make a megaphone for me, please?"
Quickly realizing my intent, Yaoyorozu nodded and hurriedly unbuttoned the bottom of her blazer and shirt before creating a megaphone out of her stomach and handing it to me as requested.
"Attention, fellow students. If you would please direct your attention to the courtyard below, you will see that while the campus has indeed been breached by parasitic organisms intent on devouring you, they are not lethal." I declared through the megaphone.
The mass of panicked students quietened and turned in my direction, but my announcement was largely met with further confusion. After an elbow jab to my side from Yaoyorozu, I sighed and lifted the megaphone back to my mouth.
"It's the press, people. The media broke in. That's why the alarm went off." I clarified with the most innocent smile I could muster.
Chuckling at the exasperated looks I received from Iida and Yaoyorozu, I made my way back to our table to finish my food.
Chapter 20: The Unforeseen Simulation Joint
"Man, these buses are super comfortable!" Kaminari proclaimed loudly as he stretched his legs out into the open midsection of the bus.
"This layout does prioritize comfort, but I must say, it leaves much to be desired in terms of safety." Iida mused aloud as he rubbed his chin in thought.
"Iida, you really need to chill." Ashido chirped.
"If we're pointing out the obvious, there's something I'd like to say." Asui declared before turning to me. "About you, actually. That power of yours, isn't it a lot like All Might's?"
"That's right, you two do have a lot in common." Kirishima agreed.
"And All Might took you on as his protege or whatever!" Kaminari added.
Noticing that the line of questioning had drawn the attention of the entire bus aside from a dozing Aizawa and a brooding Bakugou, I laughed and flashed a bright smile. "All Might saved me from a villain around ten months back, that's how we met. Fast forward a couple weeks and, well, long story short, my quirk activated for the first time and launched me off a building. Lucky for me, All Might was in the area and caught me just before I became a street pancake. He noticed how similar our quirks are and took me under his wing."
Most of the class gawked at me for a moment before Sero broke the silence. "Wait, you only got your quirk a year ago!?"
This caused a renewed wave of shock among my classmates, and I winced at the practically tangible anger radiating off Bakugou as he stared out the window grinding his teeth.
"Yeah…" I began hesitantly, rubbing the back of my head. "My quirk can cause a lot of damage to my own body if I don't keep it in check. I mentioned on our first day that I was pretty scrawny until the last year or so. My body kept my quirk locked down so that I wouldn't accidentally blow myself up." I finished with an awkward chuckle.
My answer was met with another pregnant pause before Mineta spoke up. "That shit with Bakugou and Iida was you holding back!?"
Before the shouting could begin again, Bakugou yelled out in frustration. "Will all of you shut the fuck up!"
"Keep it down." Aizawa commanded from the front of the bus, not even bothering to open his eyes.
I gave silent thanks to our teacher as most of the students seated further away grumbled in protest but returned to their whispered conversations with their neighbors.
After a moment of silence, Kirishima spoke again in an attempt to break the tension. "Still, I bet it's cool to have a simple augmenting type of quirk. You could do a lot of flashy stuff with it." Raising his arm out in front of him, Kirishima frowned as he activated his quirk. "My Hardening is super strong and can destroy bad guys in a fight, but it doesn't look all that impressive."
Shaking my head in disagreement, I made to reassure the faux-redhead. "I think your quirk is awesome. Especially as you get stronger and your quirk becomes more pronounced and easier to maintain across your body, you'll look totally badass."
Kirishima smiled as he looked at his arm from a different angle. "You really think so? Seems like it would be easier to be a popular hero if I had something flashier."
"My Navel Laser's got the perfect combination of panache and strength." Aoyama boasted.
Ashido placed a hand on Aoyama's shoulder before replying condescendingly. "But it's way lame if it gives you a stomach ache, sweetie."
A smile briefly flitted across my face at Ashido's sassy remark, but faded quickly as I focused on Aoyama.
I still wasn't sure how to handle UA's traitor. While my first instinct was to out All for One's mole, my better judgement prevented me from acting so rashly. While I had no doubt that Nedzu would catch Aoyama in the act if I expressed my suspicions to the principal, doing so would irreversibly derail the timeline. From what I remembered, it was Aoyama's intel that dictated the League of Villain's actions for the better part of the first three seasons. If I revealed his treason so soon, who knew what effect it would have. At the very least, I needed All Might to defeat All for One. Until then, maintaining the broad strokes of the timeline was the prudent course of action.
But once All for One is defeated…
"Well if any of our classmates aside from Midoriya have pro quirks, it's Todoroki and Bakugou." Kirishima declared, drawing Bakugou's attention while Todoroki continued to stare at me menacingly as he had been almost since we first stepped on the bus.
"Sure, but Bakugou is always angry, so he'll never be that popular." Asui countered.
I couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped me as Bakugou lurched to his feet, leaning over the railing in front of him.
"What did you say? I'll kick your ass!" Bakugou yelled angrily.
"You see?" Asui remarked openly, pointing her finger towards the raging blonde.
"Hey now, there's plenty of pro heroes that are known for being a bit on the temperamental side. Hell, just in the top ten you've got Endeavor and Mirko who aren't exactly known for having sunshine and rainbows following in their wake." I interjected.
"Shut up, Deku! I don't need your help dealing with these extras!" Bakugou shouted.
Throwing my hands up with a roll of my eyes, I leaned back into my seat as most of the other students squawked in outrage at being called extras.
"Who are you calling extras?" Kaminari countered angrily. "And wait, why is Midoriya, 'Deku', then?"
"Yeah, I thought Bakugou hated you. Are you two actually friends or something?" Mineta asked bemusedly.
"No!" Bakugou yelled indignantly.
"Eh. It's complicated." I replied with a so-so gesture.
Bakugou briefly resumed his verbal battle with several other members of the class before Aizawa interrupted.
"Hey! We're here. Stop messing around." He commanded, silencing the bickering and any other side conversations.
As we stepped off the bus, we were greeted by the bulky form of the rescue hero, Thirteen.
"Hello, everyone! I've been waiting for you." She greeted cheerfully.
Uraraka immediately began fangirling next to me as Thirteen gestured towards the stairs leading to the USJ. "I can't wait to show you what's inside." The Space Hero added.
The excitement from most of the class was palpable, but the knot of anxiety was growing in my stomach and I struggled to keep my breathing even as we made our way through the massive entryway.
Thirteen began her introduction to both the USJ and herself, but I couldn't focus on her words or anything else being said by Aizawa and my fellow students. My gaze remained fixed on the fountain in the central plaza down below. Adrenaline began to course through me and it felt as though my stomach was doing cartwheels.
Pushing down the urge to vomit, I barely noticed the tug on my cape. Tilting my head slightly to show Uraraka I was paying attention, she hesitantly moved closer, trying to bring herself into my field of view.
"Deku, what's wrong? I called your name a few times. You look like you've seen a ghost." She asked worriedly.
Before I could even attempt an answer, the lights ringing the upper supports of the USJ sparked and failed. Staring unblinkingly at the plaza below as my classmates began to murmur among themselves, I watched the fountain splutter and fail, before a swirling purple abyss took shape, and a pale white hand emerged from within.
Chapter 21: Don't Die
As dozens of villains began to pour forth from Kurogiri's warp gate, confused murmurs began to spread through the rest of class 1-A.
"Whoa, what is that thing? Has the training started already? I thought we were rescuing people." Kirishima asked bemusedly.
"Stay back!" Aizawa barked, startling several of the students. Donning his goggles, Aizawa moved closer to the staircase. "This is real. Those are villains."
Shock and fear rippled through the students as Thirteen moved between us and the intruders below. Ignoring the discussion of how and why this attack was happening that broke out behind me, I kept my eyes fixed upon the Nomu standing alongside Shigaraki.
I can take any villain here, even this inexperienced version of Shigaraki, but I won't stand a chance against the Nomu. There has to be some way I can keep that thing from damaging Aizawa's eyes, but I don't remember exactly how the fight went down. Did Izuku do something that forced Aizawa to expose himself, or did he intervene because Aizawa was already overwhelmed?
Fear and adrenaline battled for supremacy within me as my thoughts raced. I was not completely foreign to violence in my previous life, but this was on a completely different level. Not only would every one of the villains below kill me without hesitation, but the Nomu was completely unbeatable at my current level of integration with One for All.
"Thirteen, get them out of here, and alert the main campus." Aizawa ordered, silencing the group's hypothesizing. "Actually, if they've got the ability to block our sensors, then they might be jamming our regular communications, too. Kaminari, try to use your quirk to contact the school."
Not waiting for Kaminari's reply, Aizawa turned back to Thirteen before reaching into his pocket and retrieving his hero license. A license with a red stripe bisecting it.
"Thirteen, I, the pro hero Eraserhead, grant you permission to use lethal force to defend these students, and I take on any consequences that may result from it." Aizawa declared as if he were merely reading the weather report.
Gasps of shock rang out from the class and I felt my shoulders stiffen. Aizawa was in possession of a Class A5 hero license, which effectively granted the holder the same legal authority as members of the police, including the authority to determine if lethal force was required, and if absolutely necessary, extend that permission to others.
With the exception of the top twenty, who were required to obtain one, very few heroes were allowed to even apply for an A5 license, fewer still actually wanted one and the PR nightmare that came with it. Given the unusual status brought on by his unique quirk, it was no surprise that Aizawa had gone through the bone crushingly strenuous training and mind numbingly tedious bureaucratic red tape required to be issued the highest level of hero license.
I've seen All Might's A5 license. I've even talked to him about it, but for Aizawa to not only use lethal force himself, but wade into the legal clusterfuck that is extending that permission to someone else? This world becoming my reality had always meant the stakes would be higher, but knowing that people were about to die brought everything into focus. I can't let any of my classmates or teachers be killed.
Thirteen had stiffened at Aizawa's words, but after only a moment, she hesitantly nodded her understanding.
"I'll leave it to you, Thirteen." Aizawa said as he leapt from the top of the staircase and down towards the approaching villains.
The class watched in stunned silence as Aizawa charged directly into the mass of villains, but just as the quirks of the front ranks were canceled, Thirteen commanded the class to make for the exit with more authority than I would have expected from the bubbly heroine. Staying behind a moment longer than my classmates, I realized why she was so adamant, as a moment later, Eraserhead made contact with the front ranks.
The sprays of blood were visible even from the top of the staircase as knives flashed out from hidden pockets in Eraser's costume, slashing throats as other villains fell limp to the ground, their necks snapped either by Eraser's binding cloth or his bare hands.
"This is no time to be analyzing!" Iida called out to me from the rear of the retreating class.
Watching Aizawa for a moment longer, I turned and followed behind Iida. I can't stay over here. I need to make sure I'm with the others when they teleport. Asui could probably get away by herself, but if she's slowed down by Mineta, they might be killed or captured.
As we approached the doors to the facility, the swirling mass of mist that was Kurogiri took form in our path and began to monologue. Almost all of the students quailed before the warp villain's towering form, and a sliver of doubt trickled down my spine when I noticed Thirteen's shoulders shaking as the rescue hero raised a trembling hand, one of the caps of her gauntlets flicking open.
The rescue hero hesitated a moment too long, allowing Kirishima and Bakugou to lunge forward in an attempt to strike down the villain.
Shit. I forgot about that bit of idiocy.
Before the smoke from Katsuki's blast cleared, Kurogiri's ominous voice sounded from within. "You live up to your school's reputation, but you should be careful, children. Otherwise, someone might get hurt."
Kurogiri's eyes flashed menacingly as the mist began to swirl around us. Moving closer to where Asui and Mineta stood, I prepared to be dropped into the water while Thirteen shouted for Bakugou and Kirishima to get out of the way.
Kurogiri spoke, but I couldn't hear over the sound of the mist lashing through the air to envelop us. An instant later, I was falling face first towards the water from at least one hundred feet up. Reorienting myself, I activated One for Alland shot my legs out, propelling myself towards the ship situated in the center of the artificial body of water.
Landing with a hard thud against the metal deck, I only had to wait a moment before Mineta flew over the side of the ship and smashed into the deck harder than I had. Ignoring his cry of pain, I offered my hand to help Asui climb aboard as she scaled the side of the ship.
"This is turning out to be a terrible day of class." Asui said miserably.
Ignoring her statement of the obvious and the still writhing Mineta, I looked out towards the rest of the facility, where explosions and other signs of combat were already beginning to erupt across the various zones.
Turning my attention to the water around us, I pondered our next move. Should we leave now? I can easily carry the two of them to shore. I won't be able to make it in one jump without breaking something, but I can cover the distance with three or four mid air kicks to propel us forward. Even throwing Asui and Mineta halfway would probably give Tsu enough of a headstart for them to get away. Can we just leave these villains here? They specialize in aquatic combat, but if we leave there will be nothing stopping them from joining the battle elsewhere. I'm sure some of them will be all but useless on land, but they're still grown men. If they catch someone like Jiro or Koda off guard, they could probably kill them.
Clenching my fists in frustration, I made my decision.
"Alright, we can make it to the shore without much difficulty, but we can't leave these assholes here to follow us or chase after our other classmates. We'll need to take care of them here and now." I said, turning to face Asui and Mineta, the latter already panicking from something Asui had said.
Thrown into further panic by my decision to fight, Mineta began to cry as he frantically waved his hands about. "What do you mean, fight? Are you crazy? That mist villain said they're here to kill All Might and you think we can take them? Did you hit your head when we got warped here? The best plan is for us to just wait for a real pro from UA to come and save us!"
Mineta's panic turned into outright hysteria when a colossal hand made of water slashed through the center of the ship, causing it to begin to sink rapidly.
Kneeling down, I grabbed Mineta by the shoulders, forcing him to look at me. "Mineta, start throwing your balls into the water. Aim for the villains. I'll take care of it from there."
To my surprise, Mineta remained coherent enough to understand my instruction, and began frantically throwing his balls in every direction, sobbing as he did so.
"So, Mineta, are you really sure the hero thing is right for you?" Asui asked, her expression a mixture of pity and disgust.
"Shut up! It's weirder not to be scared right now! We just got out of junior high a little while ago! I didn't think I'd be facing death a few days after starting UA!" Mineta screamed back at her.
I mean, that's fair. I conceded internally.
"I can't believe I'm gonna die without ever getting to touch Yaoyorozu's boobs!" Mineta continued.
My hand lashed out, smacking the pervert upside the head and knocking him to the deck face first.
Picking him up by the scruff of his costume, I lowered myself to one knee. "Sorry, Tsu, but I'll need at least one hand for this. You'll have to ride piggyback."
With a 'ribbit', Asui climbed onto my back, wrapping her arms and legs around my torso to make sure she was secure. With one last check to make sure I had a solid grip on the still dazed Mineta, I channeled One for All to ten percent and launched us off the deck of the sinking ship.
Looking down at the villains below, I pulled my arm back and shot a Detroit Smash directly into the center of the circle where the ship had just slipped beneath the water. Immediately, a whirlpool formed and began sucking in the surrounding villains, who were then stuck together by the balls Mineta had thrown into the water.
Right before I kicked us towards the shore, Asui's tongue darted out towards the water below and looped around the mass of villains, using the momentum of the churning water to direct them towards the nearest floating debris from the ship.
"Good call, Tsu." I praised as I propelled us in the direction of the central plaza.
"I figure they can all breathe underwater, but it's better to be safe than sorry." She replied.
After a brief flight, we arrived at the shore. Just before landing, Asui released her hold on me and dove into the water below, leaving me to make a more comfortable landing with Mineta held in one arm. Upon landing, I tossed him to the ground and turned to Asui as she made her way out of the artificial lake.
"What's our next move?" Asui asked tiredly.
Turning my gaze towards the central plaza, I considered for a brief moment before replying. "You two are going to head for the entrance and get out of here."
Asui and Mineta both recoiled at my words, but to my surprise, both quickly regained their resolve.
"You can't go alone." Asui declared bluntly.
"She's right, that's crazy! Mr Aizawa is a pro, he can handle it on his own. We'll just get in the way!" Mineta added.
"We don't have time to argue this. Aizawa is an immensely powerful hero with a unique quirk. We can't risk him being crippled or killed. There's too many of these guys. He'll need help to get out, especially if the creepy hand guy or the giant bird dude join the fray. I assume those two are the ones here to kill All Might, but he isn't here. It's only a matter of time before they decide to intervene, if they haven't already. When that happens, Aizawa will need backup." I replied.
"We still can't let you do that on your own. We'll come with you." Asui said defiantly.
Mineta had begun to quiver in fear again, but did not dispute Asui's words.
Grimacing at what I knew needed to be said, I turned away from the plaza to face the two of them.
Tsu may have saved Izuku in canon, but I'm not him. Mineta could in theory be of use, but Nomu will only be caught by the balls once, and I have no doubt he's capable of ripping off a foot to keep moving. Once that's done, he won't get hit again. He's too fast. No…
Giving my two classmates a sad smile, I spoke as kindly as I could. "Tsu, Mineta, the most you can do to help me now is get yourselves to safety. Please."
Both stood in silence for a moment before Asui lowered her head to stare despondently at the ground. Mineta opened his mouth to say something, but decided otherwise before gently taking Asui's hand and pulling her in the direction of the main staircase.
Looking over his shoulder with frustrated tears in his eyes, Mineta shouted back at me as I began to make my way towards the plaza. "Don't die, Midoriya!"
As the sounds of battle emanating from the plaza came to an abrupt halt, I broke into a sprint.
I wasn't planning on it.
Chapter 22: Ready Player Two
Arriving at the edge of the central plaza, I crouched behind a low wall and took stock of the situation.
The scene was reminiscent of something out of a slasher flick. Corpses littered the ground and blood soaked the sandstone bricks around the tranquil fountain at the heart of the USJ. In the center of the carnage was Eraserhead, who, as I arrived, was tossing another lifeless villain to the side before squaring his body to face an oncoming Shigaraki.
Immediately, I noticed that Eraser had lost his capture tape and that he was no longer wielding any knives. The knives could be anywhere, but the scarf had almost certainly been disintegrated.
All things considered, that's a merciful way to learn about Shigaraki's quirk.
Just as the morbid thought passed through my mind, Eraser made to throw Shigaraki, only to freeze mid action as Shigaraki grabbed his arm.
Fuck! The elbow! I forgot about the fucking elbow!
Shoving down the wave of panic, I surged forward towards Shigaraki and the slowly approaching Nomu.
Shigaraki leapt back in surprise at my unexpected entrance, and I skid to a halt alongside a hissing Aizawa as he cradled his ruined arm. I winced when the anticipated chastisement for my arrival was delivered not with anger, but utter despair at my presence. "Midoriya, what are you doing here? You need to run!"
Clenching my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white, I stared down Shigaraki, who's wild eyes were studying me feverishly.
"That mist villain has a warp quirk. He scattered the students around the USJ. I don't know where Thirteen is, but I sent Asui and Mineta back towards the entrance. I wasn't just going to leave you to die while I ran away. I don't give a shit if that's what your job is." I replied quickly.
Before Aizawa could muster a reply, unstable laughter sounded across the war-torn plaza.
"So, you're All Might's little brat? I've heard so much about you." Shigaraki purred, the words oozing from his mouth like poison. "Well, the final boss may not be here, but you'll do for now. I'd like to introduce you to my max level companion, Nomu. He is meant to carry the All Might fight, but I suppose a little warm-up with you two mobs won't hurt."
Nomu made his way towards us, and my mind raced as I tried to find a way out of the current situation. We can't run, Nomu will catch us instantly. Even if Aizawa locks down Nomu's quirks, I can't defeat him with only ten to twenty percent output, not to mention Shigaraki would still be trying to kill us both and Kurogiri will get here any second. All for One is watching. I could announce that I'm All Might's successor and imply I have One for All. No, he would immediately overrule Shigaraki and order Nomu and Kurogiri to take me to him. I could use one hundred percent to get us out of the USJ entirely, but that would infuriate Shigaraki and he would almost certainly send Nomu to kill every other student in the facility. Was jumping in to spare Aizawa a mistake? THINK IZUKU, THINK!
A menacing chuckle broke me from my thoughts as Shigaraki's crazed eyes peered out at me from behind unwashed hair and his father's hand.
"Nomu, kill them."
My heart seized as Nomu rushed forward faster than I could process. Instinctively activating One for All to the highest level I could without rendering myself combat ineffective, I shielded myself just as Nomu's fist made impact, sending me skidding across the plaza before I finally lost my balance and tumbled into the far wall.
Struggling to stand through the pain of Nomu's blow as well as One for All's recoil, my mind cleared and my head snapped up.
Aizawa disabled Nomu's quirks before impact, and it still feels like I got hit by a train. Erasure is the only reason I'm still conscious, but that means-
Realization turned to horror as I found Nomu holding Aizawa aloft by the throat, Shigaraki cackling madly from his place in front of the fountain.
Shigaraki. He's completely unstable at this point in the timeline. Very easily manipulated. If Aizawa and I are going to make it out of this alive, I have to take advantage of that.
Dashing back to the center of the plaza, my stomach dropped as Nomu launched Aizawa into a nearby tree, my teacher making impact with a sickening crunch before crumpling to the ground. Unable to do anything for him in that moment, I made my play just as the massive chimera turned back towards me.
"Really, that's it? You're just going to use your NPC to clear the level for you? What kind of weak shit is that?" I sneered.
Shigaraki abruptly stopped laughing. For a moment, his body appeared to convulse before he reoriented to glare at me with bloodshot eyes.
"What did you just say to me, you little shit?" He spat.
"You heard me. All Might is one thing, I guess. He's completely broken and OP, but do you really need an overpowered companion NPC to even make it to the boss? That's just sad. I bet you're the loser who uses NPC summons to beat bosses in Soulslikes before bragging online about how easy they are." I mocked, desperately trying to maintain my cocky grin through the fear as Nomu leisurely closed to within a dozen paces of me.
Shigaraki stared at me for a moment longer before he began scratching frantically at his neck and muttering incoherently.
My heart thundered in my chest as Nomu slowly reached out to grab me, but just as I was about to pull the one-hundred percent emergency ejection, Shigaraki began chuckling again.
"Nomu, stop."
The monstrosity before me froze as if time itself had come to a halt, leaving his bulging, mindless eyes staring straight through me.
"Alright, brat. You want to see what I can do? Fine, I'll show you. It's time for some PVP." Shigaraki growled as he dropped into a combat stance.
It felt as though an elephant was lifted from my chest and I inhaled deeply in relief. Squaring myself for battle as well, I only briefly regarded the still stationary Nomu before launching myself towards the simultaneously charging Shigaraki.
Darting to the side to avoid his outstretched hand, I feigned a right hook that purposefully swiped over Shigaraki's head, leaving the villain stunned for a moment as he reevaluated our matchup.
I can't hit him, at least not with full contact. If at any point it looks like I'm about to land a serious blow, Nomu will intervene, and it'll be over. I have to let Shigaraki think he's winning, or he'll essentially rage-quit and have Nomu rip my spine out through my mouth. I just need to fight a controlled retreat against a raging lunatic that will disintegrate me if he lays so much as a single hand on me. No problem.
My thoughts were interrupted as Shigaraki lunged forward, swiping his hands at me far faster than he had previously.
Shit! He isn't holding back anymore!
"Stop running away! You cosplay as All Might but you won't even throw a single punch!" Shigaraki shrieked as he attacked with reckless abandon.
As I jumped away from yet another wild swing, Shigaraki halted his attack and hunched over, his shoulders beginning to shake. The pit of dread forming in my stomach was justified a moment later when Shigaraki cried out in frustration before turning to Nomu.
"Fine! The brat wants to just sit around and dodge? We'll see what he does when his precious teacher is in danger. Nomu, kill Eraserhead!" Shigaraki commanded.
The chimera immediately turned and dashed across the plaza to where Aizawa was still slumped unconscious against the tree he had impacted. My heart leapt into my throat and I was moving towards Aizawa before I could register what was happening. Time slowed to a crawl as I watched Nomu rapidly approach Aizawa. I had crossed much of the distance, but as soon as I had moved, Shigaraki mirrored me with speed I hadn't expected and was well on his way to intercepting.
What do I do? If I fight off Tomura, Nomu kills Aizawa. If I keep going, Shigaraki will almost certainly get a hand on me as I pass. If I punch Tomura away while in midair the force will knock me off course. There isn't enough time to readjust. Do I sacrifice an arm so that I can keep going? If he touches my left arm I can cut it off with my right before Decay spreads, but then I'm down an arm with the fight still going. Will I be able to make it to Aizawa in time regardless? If I do, can I even defend him from Nomu? Can I defend myself?
A shadow passed over my eyes as Shigaraki's outstretched hand loomed before my face, his crazed eyes and deranged smile visible from underneath his father's hand. Like a disconnected television, my mind cut out, replaced by a single thought.
Did I mess up?
A thunderous boom echoed through the complex, bringing Shigaraki, myself, and even the Nomu to a screeching halt. From what had been total chaos only a moment before, absolute silence now reigned throughout the facility. My face split into a wide smile as Shigaraki trembled with renewed rage.
Hope had arrived.