"Inko, left! Watch that root!"
Ragdoll's voice was a high-pitched shriek, stripped of all its usual cheer. It was tense, almost broken.
Inko Midoriya slipped on the damp earth, grabbing a thorny bush to keep from falling flat on her face. The branches scratched the back of her hand.
"I can't...!" she gasped, her lungs burning. "I can't keep this pace, Ragdoll!"
"You have to!" Ragdoll leaped over a fallen log, her green suit barely visible in the gloom. "The gas is spreading! It's getting thicker behind us! If it reaches us, it's over!"
"How much...?" Inko coughed, a dry spasm that shook her chest. The air up here on the hill was thinner, but the sweet, chemical smell persisted, clinging to the back of her throat. "How much farther to reach him?!"
Ragdoll stopped for a second, just one. Her large, green eyes unfocused. Her Quirk was active, scanning the forest with desperate intensity.
"I see him. Shit!"
The curse made Inko freeze. The Pussycats never cursed.
"He's eight hundred meters away, to the northwest! He's in a clearing! And he's not alone!"
A dull roar echoed through the trees.
"What was that?!" Inko screamed, panic finally breaking her voice.
"It's him! He's fighting!" Ragdoll grabbed her arm, her cat-paw gauntlet pulling her with surprising force. "The one with him... it's Muscular! Inko, we have to run! Literally, run for your life!"
"Muscular?!" The name meant nothing to her, but Ragdoll's tone said it all.
"No time for introductions! He's one of the targets on the list! Murderer! Brute force! Don't stop for anything!"
They ran, stumbling in the darkness. The only sound was their feet splashing in the mud and their own ragged breaths.
Another 'CRACK-BOOM!', this time followed by the sound of a large tree falling.
"Wait!" Inko stopped, leaning against a tree. Her heart was beating so hard it hurt her chest. "The gas... you said... Izuku! He's in the clearing! He's in the gas!"
"I know." Ragdoll's face was pale under her facial markings.
"Is he... is he going to die?! He can't breathe!"
"Mandalay is trying to get everyone out! The gas...!"
Another crash. This time it was different. It wasn't a punch. It was a sharp 'THWACK!' followed by a roar of rage that didn't sound like Izuku.
"Ragdoll!" Inko shook her. "What's happening?! Tell me! Please!"
Ragdoll gritted her teeth. "Mandalay just relayed the villain's message! The gas... it's a poison! We're on a timer! Seven minutes! He said we have seven minutes before the damage is permanent! Or fatal! I don't know, Inko!"
Inko's eyes went wide. Seven minutes.
Ragdoll stared at her. "He's seven hundred meters away." She refocused. "Inko, Izuku is moving! Let's go!"
SIX MINUTES, FORTY SECONDS.
"So this is the famous Izuku Midoriya."
The voice rumbled, deep and harsh, full of cruel amusement.
Izuku tried to answer. He opened his mouth and all that came out was a choked gasp.
Every inhalation dragged in the stinging chemical, burning his lungs. His eyes were streaming from the chemical irritation.
He leaned against a tree, trying to find a single clean breath. There was none.
"The reports made you sound... bigger."
A huge man stepped out from the shadows of the forest. He was massively muscled, with arms thicker than Izuku's torso. His clothes were torn, and a lifeless glass eye stared at him, while the other, the real one, gleamed with malice.
"What a disappointment. You're Shigaraki's big prize? Seriously? You?"
Muscular laughed, a deep, unpleasant sound that vibrated in the air.
"You're just a kid. Scrawny. And look at you. You can't even handle Mustard's gas. What are you gonna do? Cough on me 'til I die?"
Izuku wiped his mouth. His reflexes were screaming. Every nerve in his body was taut, ready to jump. The gas was a problem, a huge one. It clouded his thoughts, made his limbs feel slow. But the instinct was still there.
Muscular clicked his tongue. "Well. What a waste of time. I came here expecting a real challenge. Something to get the blood... you know, flowing."
He stretched, and the muscles in his shoulders seemed to swell, ripping his shirt even more.
"I came here expecting a monster. And I find a brat who's choking."
Izuku pushed off the tree. His legs were shaking from the lack of oxygen. He needed to move. Staying still was death.
"Shigaraki said, 'Bring him to me.' But what am I supposed to bring him? This?" Muscular gestured in disgust at Izuku. "This is an insult. And I hate being insulted."
"Well, this'll be quick."
He vanished.
There was no warning. Not a shift in his stance. He was just gone.
Izuku threw himself to the side, rolling over an exposed root.
The tree where he'd been standing a second before disintegrated into a cloud of splinters and wood pulp. The impact threw Izuku through the air, and he landed on his back, his head slamming against the ground.
"HAAAAHAHAHA! NICE MOVE, BUNNY!"
Muscular was where the tree had been, his fist still smoking from the friction. He turned, a huge, disturbing smile on his face.
"There it is! The bunny knows how to jump! That was fast! I love it!"
Izuku scrambled to his feet, stumbling. The world was spinning. The gas was thicker here, near the ground.
"But how long can you jump?"
Another blur of motion. Muscular crossed the twenty meters between them in an instant. The fist came down.
Izuku leaped back. The ground under his feet exploded, sinking from the force of the impact.
He landed badly, his ankle twisting. A sharp pain shot up his leg. He ignored it.
"You're boring me!" Muscular punched a nearby tree, just out of frustration. The massive oak split in half and fell with a crash. "Hold still and die! Fight back! Hit me!"
Izuku backed up again, putting more trees between them. He was panting, but every gasp only brought in more poison.
"No... thanks." His own voice sounded strange. A choked rasp. Speaking burned his throat.
"'No thanks'?" Muscular laughed again. "How polite! I like it! I'm gonna rip that politeness right out of your throat!"
He charged again. This time Izuku didn't just dodge.
Muscular's fist came in a downward arc, designed to smash him into the ground. Izuku slid to the right, inside the punch.
The fist hit the dirt, creating a small crater.
For a fraction of a second, Muscular was exposed.
Izuku didn't waste the movement. His own, much smaller, fist shot out. He didn't aim for the chest or the arm. He aimed for the one place that looked different.
Thwack!
His knuckle struck the glass eye directly.
Muscular blinked, surprised.
"You...!"
Izuku was already backing away, leaping back twice, putting distance between them.
"You sly brat!" Muscular touched his fake eye. It wasn't broken, but the impact had startled him. "So you do have some guts! Good! This'll be more fun!"
"I'm gonna rip those jumping legs off you!"
He charged again, this time with both fists forward.
Izuku ducked. The attack passed over his head. The wind rustled his hair.
As Muscular went past, Izuku pivoted on his heel and threw a side kick. He aimed for the head again.
Muscular was faster this time. He turned, blocking the kick with his forearm. The muscle fibers swelled to meet the impact.
The kick impacted an incredibly hard surface; the muscle fibers of his forearm barely gave.
Izuku felt a sharp pain in his ankle, but Muscular grunted, the power behind the kick unbalancing him for a moment.
"Stop moving, you damn fly!"
Izuku landed and ran. He was creating space. He needed air. He needed a breath.
Panic threatened to overwhelm him. No. He couldn't. If he panicked, the gas would kill him faster. If he panicked, Muscular would crush him.
He took a breath. It was a mistake. The chemical poison flooded his lungs. He coughed, a violent spasm that drove him to his knees.
"What's wrong, bunny? Running out of air?"
Muscular was walking now. Slow. Savoring it. Every step was deliberate.
"You know... I hate people like you."
Muscular stopped and pointed at Izuku.
"People who talk about 'justice.' About 'heroes.'" He spat the word. "People who think they have the right to get in the way."
Izuku wiped his mouth, pushing himself to stand. His knees were trembling.
"You remind me of a couple of idiots. A couple of pro 'heroes.'" Muscular walked closer, his shadow falling over Izuku. "Water Hose. You know them?"
Izuku froze.
The name resonated in his hazy mind. Kouta. The kid who hated heroes. His parents. Water Hose.
"Oh, yeah." Muscular saw the recognition in Izuku's eyes. His smile turned monstrous. "That's the look. You know! What a small world! Is that brat around here? I hope so!"
Izuku straightened up. His hands, which had been shaking from the lack of oxygen, grew still.
"They were 'heroes'!" Muscular shouted, his amusement vanishing, replaced by sudden rage. "They tried to stop me! They were in my way! Talking about 'protecting' people!"
"And you know what happened?"
Izuku said nothing. He just breathed, shallowly.
"I crushed them! Tore them to pieces! Right in front of their brat! It was great!"
Muscular waited. He waited for the scream of rage. The blind attack.
It didn't come.
Izuku stared at him. The gas made his eyes water, but his gaze was cold.
"...you killed... the kid's parents..." The words came out as a harsh whisper.
Muscular frowned. "That's it? You're not going to scream? You're not going to attack me for 'revenge'?"
Izuku shook his head slowly. "Don't... have... air... to... scream."
The lack of reaction enraged Muscular more than any scream.
"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SCREAM!!! GET MAD!!! CRY!!!"
He charged, a senseless roar tearing from his throat.
Izuku moved.
Muscular's fist hit the air. Izuku slid to the left, and as Muscular tried to turn, Izuku jumped. He used Muscular's swollen shoulder to launch himself upward.
He was in the air. Above the villain's head.
Muscular looked up, his eyes wide with surprise.
Izuku descended, twisting. He threw a punch with the full weight of his body.
CRACK!
This time, his knuckle hit the glass eye with full force.
The fake eye shattered. A web of fractures appeared in the glass.
Muscular roared, this time with a mix of surprise and phantom pain. He staggered back, clutching his face.
"YOU BASTARD!!! MY EYE!!!"
Izuku landed hard, his legs almost giving out. He gasped, falling to one knee. The effort was immense. The air was poison.
FOUR MINUTES, FIFTEEN SECONDS.
"Three hundred meters! Inko, we're almost there!"
"He's... he's screaming!" Inko sobbed, running blindly after the hero. "But it's not Izuku! It's the other one! I heard him!"
"I know! I know, Inko!" Ragdoll panted.
"Two hundred fifty meters! Almost...!"
Ragdoll stopped dead.
Inko slammed into her back, nearly knocking her over. "What? Why are we stopping?"
Ragdoll's voice was a terrified whisper. "He stopped. Izuku stopped. He's not moving much."
Inko's blood ran cold. "No. No, no, no, no..."
"He's not dead!" Ragdoll grabbed her by the shoulders, her eyes wild. "He's alive! The gas... I think the gas is hitting him hard!"
"Listen to me!" Ragdoll shook her. "We're going to circle around! There's a small cliff to the east! The air should be cleaner there! We have to surprise him!"
"Surprise him?"
"We don't have to beat him!" Ragdoll's voice was hard, desperate. "We have to grab Izuku and jump! Distracting him is the only chance! Now, quiet! No more screaming! No more crying! Move! Stealthily!"
THREE MINUTES, THIRTY SECONDS.
"You... little... insect!"
Muscular straightened up. The broken glass eye hung loosely in its socket. He tore it out with a growl and threw it to the ground. The empty socket was a dark hole.
"Game over! No more hitting! No more jumping!"
Izuku was still on his knees, one hand on the ground to steady himself. His head was spinning. The world was tilting. Every breath was acid, burning his throat.
Get up. Get up.
He pushed up on his arm, forcing himself. His legs were shaking violently. He managed to get to his feet.
"Ah! Still getting up!" Muscular laughed, but there was no amusement this time. It was a cold sound. "Even without air, you keep moving! Admirable! But useless!"
"I'm tired of this chase! I don't want to play hide-and-seek anymore!"
Izuku saw Muscular tense his shoulders. He saw the muscles in his legs swell.
He's coming. Another charge. Dodge. Dodge left.
But Muscular wasn't charging.
He was planting his feet.
"If you won't come to me...!" Muscular raised both arms above his head. The muscles in his back, shoulders, and arms exploded outward, ripping away the last scraps of his shirt. Red, pulsing fibers wrapped around each other, making him twice as large.
"I'll make the ground do it!"
He slammed both fists into the earth.
The earth under Izuku's feet shot upward. A blast of dirt, rocks, and sharp roots.
He was thrown violently into the air. He was blind. Dirt in his eyes, in his mouth.
Panic should have paralyzed him. But his reflexes didn't need his thoughts.
He was in the air, falling. A rock the size of his head spun toward him.
Izuku struck it with an open palm. His reflexes told him the exact angle. He deflected the rock.
He landed on a piece of torn-up root, using it to push off. He jumped again, just as a sharp piece of wood whizzed past where he'd been.
He twisted in mid-air. He saw the ground rushing up at him.
He landed hard and rolled, slamming his shoulder and hip. The impact knocked what little air he had left out of him.
He stopped in a pile of fresh dirt.
But he was whole.
Not a scratch from the debris.
Just... empty.
He lay there, trying to cough. A dry spasm shook his body. There was nothing to cough up. There was no air.
"...impossible...!"
Muscular's voice was an incredulous whisper.
"Nobody dodges that! Nobody!"
Izuku turned. He pushed himself into a sitting position. He was in the center of the new crater. Muscular was on the opposite edge, staring at him with genuine confusion.
Izuku tried to stand.
His legs didn't respond.
He tried again. He managed to get to one knee. He was shaking from head to toe. The gas. The poison had finally saturated his system. His reflexes were still firing, but his muscles... his muscles refused. There was no fuel. No oxygen.
"You're out of air."
Muscular realized. His confusion turned into a slow, triumphant smile.
"The dance is over, fly."
He started walking, down into the crater. Slow. Savoring it.
"You fought well, bunny. Much better than I expected. You pissed me off. Even broke my eye. I'll give you that."
He stood over Izuku, who was still kneeling, head bowed, fighting for every whistling breath.
"But in the end, you're still just a fly. And I'm the flyswatter."
He raised his foot, his leg muscles swelling, preparing to smash Izuku's head against the ground.
"It's a shame. You were almost fun."
TWO MINUTES, TEN SECONDS.
"IZUKU!!!"
Muscular stopped. His foot hovered in the air.
He turned. Slowly. His gaze traveled up the ridge overlooking the clearing.
He saw them.
A green cat-hero. And a woman. A normal woman.
Muscular's real eye ignored Ragdoll. It focused... on Inko.
A muscle in his cheek twitched.
Izuku lifted his head. It took a monumental amount of effort.
"...Mom...?"
His voice was barely a chemical-laced whisper.
Muscular looked from Inko to Izuku, who was kneeling and helpless.
And he smiled.
"Oh!"
His voice boomed across the shattered clearing.
"Guests! How wonderful! Did you come to see the finale?"
Muscular was about to find out why they had brought Inko.