" Guess I owe Bakugo-san for his help tonight," said Yuu as they approached their current residence.
" Bakugo, help?! Don't be ridiculous! He would never, that delinquent!"
" But he did help me during the school festival." Yuu protested.
" Are you sure it wasn't you imagining things?" Whisper quirked his brow. " Either way, there is no way he was offering to help tonight. He just wanted to prove his worth, and to make sure he won't have to clean up again because he's the only one who didn't do a damn thing!" The ghost huffed.
" I don't think so." They reached the villa which was calm and dark with no lights at its windows, a telltale that everyone inside was snoozing in their beds by now. However, as he rounded the corner and walked through the gate, he was surprised to see Midoriya crouched down and leafing through a notebook deposited on the ground, his finger tapping on his jaw as he was mattering endlessly to himself.
Yuu took a few steps closer to the boy and peeked over his shoulder. He could see notes and drawings scribbled all over the pages. " Iida-kun is focusing on the moves of his back, his engines are what give his kicks the boost and strength they need. I have to compensate for that by putting more strength into my back."
" Even at this late hour and you're still monologuing?" Midoriya's head snapped back in surprise when he heard Whisper's voice.
" Oh, Seijin-kun. Thanks for your work."
" Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak on you." Yuu immediately apologized before his eyes drifted to the worn notebook. " Midoriya-san, you're really such a hard worker. I didn't know you stayed this late training."
" Not as much as everyone else." The boy rubbed his head sheepishly. " That's right, it's the first time you come back this early after all. I usually go to bed before you're even back. This is the first time you catch me during night training."
" You're such an amazing soldier, Midoriya." Whisper commended, giving the boy's shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
" It's nothing at all. I need to work more than anyone else, to be able to catch up with everyone," Midoriya stated firmly as he clenched his fist in determination.
But you're already way ahead of us all. Yuu couldn't help but smile softly at the other boy. Ever since they entered UA, he couldn't help but admire the boy, his resolution, his resourcefulness, his daring and fortitude in times of danger. Even though Midoriya may belittle himself, for Yuu, he was someone he had been looking up to for half a year.
" Sorry, I didn't mean to hold you back. You must be tired right."
" It's all right. Do your best, Midoriya-san." With a nod, Midoriya went back to kicking the air. Yuu gave him one last smile before he went inside to bathe and get into his bed as well.
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The next day began as usual, nothing out of the ordinary except that Bakugo seemed even angrier. Yuu kept to his laptop save for when he was sent to help some elderly person caught in a landslide while driving. Sora was helping around the shopping area before she had to switch with Tokoyami for the sky patrol.
By the time the sun was setting down, gilding the tips of the trees, and the vacationers on the beach were gathering their belongings, Sora checked on her phone. " It's almost time to get back. And everything seems as peaceful as ever." The girl stretched up high as she took in the extending ocean and the ships running on its surface. " I wonder if is it bad for me to wish to stay here forever."
However, as she was about to turn around and fly towards the villa, her head reared when she glimpsed a boat speeding towards the harbor. It broke through the gate at a high speed and hit the dock before reeling to the side. " What..." Her mind screamed at her to go and check, see if there were any injured people there. But as she got closer, she halted mid-way when she spotted four people standing atop the flopped ship.
This aura. Sora felt a chill running down her spine as their intentions were revealed to her. They were upon to wreak havoc. Torn between facing them there and asking for help, she decided upon the latter. They're too much for me to handle. They must be very strong to launch such a blatant attack.
Leaving one of them wrecking all the ships in the harbor, Sora bolted towards her friends. I must warn them. She took out her phone and called the first number she could find without even checking it, only when the person on the other side answered that she realized it was Tokoyami. " Tokoyami-kun! There is a villain attack on the port!"
" Hold on, what are you-"
" As I said! Villains! On the port! We need help!"
" Roger that! Since I'm close to the beach I will-"
But the call ended abruptly. Sora clicked her tongue upon finding the signal was down. Did they take the communication tower? This fast! It seems they already planned their moves well! " I need to get back to the villa!" And she zoomed across the sky of the island.
________________
Yuu almost cursed when the WiFi shut down before he could save his work when he realized what was happening all over the office. Everyone was holding their phones, trying to get back the signal they had lost. Everyone... all at once? Although he wanted to believe it was some technical trouble, a feeling in his gut was telling him otherwise. It was only confirmed when their classmate barged through the front door.
" We're under attack!" Sora shouted in between gasps of air.
" Sora-chan?!"
" What happened?" Todoroki and the rest ran over to her to hear what she had to say.
" Villians broke through the port! Four of them! I'm sure they're already spreading around the island! I saw smoke coming off from both the shopping area and the beach!"
" Emergency!" A feverish cry from a resident as his bike screeched to a stop before their door caught them. " Villains appeared! They are destroying the commercial area! Heroes are fighting!"
" By heroes does he mean..." Whisper's eyes widened in realization.
" Aoyama-san and the rest must be the ones fighting!" Yuu clicked his tongue as it downed on him too.
" Iida-san!"
" We don't have time to think about it." Their class rep and vice rep were the first to react. " We will distribute ourselves in groups to face the villains!"
Yuu and Sora were to accompany Yaoyorozu and the rest of her group to safeguard the people and evacuate them. While the other groups were either to go to the shopping district or the beach.
" We're the only heroes on the island. We're the only ones who can rescue people!" Yaoyorozu stated firmly.
" We should make sure to pay the people of this island for their kindness." Interjected Whisper, earning a nod from Yuu just as his three blue fires flared by his sides.
" UA Academy hero course Class 1A! Let's go!" Iida cried.
" Yeah!" And each group ran down their own path.
" Yaoyorozu-san!" The girl turned around to face Yuu, already sitting astrid Kyubi. " We should go find Aoyama-san and the rest first. They would be helpful for the evacuation."
" Plus, knowing Aoyama-kun and Mineta-kun, they would be reaching their limit any moment now." Insisted Sora.
" Seijin and Sora got a point." Mina agreed.
" Then let's head to the shopping district along with Bakugo-san's team!" Yaoyorozu instructed while leading them down to the shopping area.
The plumes of dust and smoke were rising up before them and they could glimpse a few sparkling laser shots, Aoyama's Quirk. They're getting shorter and the delay between them is increasing. Aoyama-kun is about to reach his limit. Sora bit her lip in frustration as she felt the need to get there fast.
However, something caught her attention. A wave of energy swept through them, one that only she could see. Sora immediately realized a large-scale attack was aimed at them and she had less than a second to defend all of her friends. She twisted her body around, enlarging her wings as much as she could before she clapped them together, creating an air current strong enough to deflect the red darts that launched at them.
" What was that!?" Yaoyorozu and the rest halted just as a woman stepped atop a nearby building.
" I knew I saw something flying near the port. That was you." A red-haired woman, whom Sora recognized as the villain who destroyed all of the ships and boats by the harbor, spoke up with a lofty air. " It was a mistake letting you go. I won't let anyone thwart Nine's plans!" With a swing of her head, more red darts shot out of her hair and at them.
" Kyubi!" The fox used her fire to singe them.
" Let's take care of this!" Yaoyorozu said as she began pulling a pole of iron from her arm, but the villain was blocked out of sight by Sora's large wings.
" Leave her to me! You guys go to Aoyama-kun and the others!"
" But!" Ashido wanted to protest when Jiro held onto her arm.
" The longer we stay here, the more people are likely to get caught in the fight!"
" Then I'm staying with you, Sora!"
" You can't!" Sora shouted at her friend before pointing at the battle scene. From there, only she and Yuu could see the mummies rising in the air and attacking. Yuu's eyes widened when he got what his friend meant. " You're the only one who can help there! You need to go!"
Yuu clicked his tongue before his eyes locked with his friend. " I will take care of things there and be back! Don't you get reckless!"
" I won't!" She smirked as she allowed her feathers to cover her arms and calves.
" Let's go!" Kyubi shouted as she sprinted ahead of the rest, feeling the urge to get to the battle as soon as possible.
" Like I'll let you!" As she was preparing to launch her darts, Sora blocked the villain's view.
" Your opponent is me!" She said clawing at her but the older woman managed to dodge with a swift somersault. The ribbon she was using to tie her hair came loose and fell off.
" Damn you, you dare to aim at my hair!" The woman was enraged as her red locks solidified, turning to something akin to crystals. " You will regret that!"
She launched her crystalized hair at the girl who guarded using her hardened feathers. She can solidify her hair too! And she can extend it! Sora remarked as she focused on dodging her assaults. But I can see through your moves!
When Sora managed to push away and dodge the crystalized tuffets, she got dangerously close to the woman which prompted her to fall back and aim another wave of darts. Sora held her arms before her in defense. " You won't get me by that!"
" That's fine with me!" Sora gasped in pain when something cleaved at her side. She turned around just to see the woman smirking broadly while holding up her clawed glove.
" You want to play that way..." Sora allowed her hardened feather to seal her wound before turning to her, her nails growing longer. " So shall it be!"
They embarked on a close fight, the older woman was impressively strong and athletic, not to mention her trying to slash at the girl using her hair but Sora always defended using her wings. " I won't let anyone stop Nine! He will create the world we longed for!"
" I definitely don't long for whatever world you're trying to make!" She finally managed to land a slice on her, cutting her jaw and some of her hair. " But I won't let you touch a single hair of my friends!"
" You!"
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They caught up with Bakugo just as his team managed to take down the mummies surrounding their classmates. " They're being reckless." Yuu gritted his teeth as a small spark flared at the end of his bang. He used a fire whip to grasp Bakugo's arm before he could harm another mummy. " Yaoyorozu-san, go without me! I'll help them here!"
Yaoyorozu didn't question and decided to believe the other boy. " Alright, we're moving along!"
" Are you off your mind, baggy eyes!" Bakugo glared back at him.
" That's a person in there!" Yuu shouted and Bakugo's eyes widened at that before he jumped back when a mummy flung at him.
" Explain!"
Yuu's eyes narrowed as he took in the mummies. " Four of them are people!"
" How can you tell?" Kirishima asked, now trying not to hit them in vital points.
" Yuu can see the souls of living people, remember!" Whisper reminded them while Kyubi bunted away a mummy that made for the purple head.
" How to fight them now!" Kaminari too was hesitant. The use of his Quirk against other people would be dangerous for them.
Just at that moment, one of the villain's bonds wrapped tightly around Kirishima's arm. " Curses!"
But Bakugo Quickly snapped it at the expense of him being caught. More bonds wrung around him, turning him into a mummy.
" Everything I catch with my bandages moves according to my will. It doesn't work with living things, but it does work with what they're wearing."
" So basically he's controlling their clothing to control them." Kyubi summed.
" That's right, his protections and suit will act as I order!" Then Bkaugo launched forward at them. About eight mummies loomed over them. " I'll crush you with your own friend!"
The mummy which they knew to be Bakugo made for them again. " Stop it, Bakugo!" In their moment of confusion, the villain caught them in his bandages. " God damn!"
" Choose." The villain told them in a cocky voice. " You can become my puppets... or be defeated by your friend."
" Don't give in to him!" Whisper was trying to loosen the ones wrapping his friend. Even using Kyubi's fire they were hard to damage.
" Bakugo-san! Remember! You can still control your body!" Yuu shouted.
" Shut up! I know!" His hand rose up and enlarged before a strong explosion erupted. It cut the bandages wrapping them. " Do not underestimate me! Damn mummy!"
Yuu's eyes widened at his right arm. " He... blew his gauntlet to free himself... even though it would harm him too..."
" That soldier is crazy, but I like his guts!" Despite him, Whisper was smirking broadly at the ash blond.
" Baggy eyes! Which ones are the extras!" Bakugo shouted.
The villain squinted at them before launching his puppets all at once, attempting to befuddle them. " Sorry, but you can't trick me with that!" Yuu summoned two fire whips and used them to grasp four mummies as Kyubi jumped over them, two in each whip. " Bakugo-san!"
" Don't you order me!" Bakugo zoomed past the four Yuu had just singled, and using his explosions, he snapped the bonds tethering them to the villain. At that moment, the crimson bandages unwrapped themselves to reveal four of the island's fishermen.
Kaminari, Kirishima, and Kyubi caught them before they could hit the ground. " Time to deal with the damn mummy!" Bakugo bolted at him, now that he knew the mummies weren't living people, he didn't hold back in decimating them, cutting his way up to the villain.
Despite his attempts at running and defending himself using a blade, the man couldn't stand in front of the natural fighter of their class who blasted him with his gauntlet right through a wall with his usual 'Die'. The objects he was using fell down to the ground as his Quirk deactivated.
"Hey! Isn't that an exaggeration? You might have killed him!" Whisper protested.
" Shut up egg head! He's slightly injured!"
" But as expected of Bakugo!"
" And with minimal damage to buildings!" Kaminari and Kirishima were taken by surprise by the boy's abilities.
" Everyone!" Yaoyorozu and the rest rushed back to them. " And the villain?"
" He's taking a nap!" Bakugo retorted.
" And the inhabitants?" Kirishima questioned while helping one of the fishermen to his feet.
" We've evacuated most of them to the west zone."
" Which would leave those four and the ones by the beach." Summed Yuu just as an explosion resounded. " Bakugo-san!?"
" Where are you going?"
" Take care of the rescue! I'll smash the remaining villains!" The boy shouted as he propelled himself across the sky.
" That delinquent." Whisper sighed.
But in that state... even though he was badly injured by that explosion... Yuu was reminded again just how tough and strong-willed the blond was. He's truly an unwavering mass of pride and strength. His eyes flicked back to the path they came from. " Kirishima-san, Yaoyorozu-san, take care of those four," he said before Kyubi bolted forward. " I'm going to help Sora!"
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The woman's attack grew rather vicious and lethal. If she had no intention of seriously harming Sora when they began, now it was different. As the girl was struggling to avoid her slashes and kicks, she snapped when realizing she was tangled finally in her red hair. " Now I got you, brat!"
Sora grappled to free herself, but the crystalized hair was rather unbreakable for her. All she could do was twist and wriggle to no avail. " Playing hero on your own wasn't a very smart decision. You should have laid down and played dead." The woman walked up to her, holding up her hand as though trying to intimidate her. Sora, on the other hand, smirked, which seemed to annoy her. " What's funny?!"
" You seem to forget, something..."
Just at that moment, a force hit the woman from behind, knocking the air out of her lungs. Kyubi had just rammed into her with a neck-breaking speed, sending her rolling to the next rooftop. " I'm not on my own," she said the moment she was freed from her grasp before turning to her friend. " Thanks."
" It was nothing." Yuu looked down at the villain who was recovering from Kyubi's hit. " Let's deal with her!"
" Damn brats!"
As they glared at each other, tensing and ready to dash, something caught their attention. From the corner of their eyes, they saw a green mass rising up from the fields. Yuu and Sora were able to identify it at once, it was like a great balloon of their friend. " Midoriya-san!" The fact that the balloon featured blood running down his face was disturbing.
" Whoever, please... protect Deku!"
" Something happened to him!" Sora didn't waste a moment at all as her wings stretched out and she flew there, Kyubi right behind her.
" Nine..." Realizing they were heading in the same direction as her leader, Slice made after them, though admittedly, she was no match for Kyubi or Sora's speed. So she bolted down a side alley and disappeared.
Sora and Yuu couldn't care less about her that moment for fear and worry took over them and pushed them forward, their minds were taken over by the image of their friend. Quick! We need to get to Midoriya-san fast!
Please, don't let it be late!
" Sora-chan! Seijin-kun!" They halted as soon as they heard Uraraka calling out for them. She, Koda, and Asui were running right behind them.
" Ochaco-chan!?"
" You're heading to where Midoriya-chan's balloon appeared." Asui looked up at them. " Then all five of you should go. We need to get him and whoever is with him out of there as soon as possible, then the five of you are our best choice."
" Tsuyu-chan." Sora narrowed her eyes and nodded her head at her friend.
" I will return back to the people we left behind." And she hopped back down the path she came from while Sora grabbed into Uraraka and Yuu allowed Koda to hold onto him as he mounted Kyubi.
" Let's go save Deku-kun!" Uraraka said as she rendered both her, Yuu, and Koda weightless. Both Sora and Kyubi darted forward again. By the time they reached the clearing with the smoke, they could see Midoriya and Bakugo sprawled on the ground and Slice was proceeding on the two kids. There was very little time for them to move and they weren't allowed to lose one moment of it.
" Release!" Uraraka touched her fingers together just as she and Koda touched the ground.
" Birds! We need your help!" A murder of crows flew from the nearby trees and gathered, sweeping down between Slice and the children. Sora quickly grabbed them into her arms as her wings flapped through the air.
" It's alright, you're safe now." She gave them the best smile she could put on.
While the villains were distracted by the black cloud of birds, Uraraka and Yuu rushed behind them and to the two fallen boys with the former touching their abdomens and the latter grabbing and hauling them over Kyubi's back. " Uraraka-san!" The girl touched herself and allowed Yuu to pull her up too as Kyubi sprang away.
" They're not catching up with us?" Whisper was skeptical of the villains' stillness.
" The man seemed to be hurt, apparently he couldn't move and that woman couldn't leave his side," as Yuu said that, the sound of a gunshot resounded. " Was that some kind of signal?"
" Regardless! We must put as much distance between us as possible!" Kyubi told them as she ran to catch up with Sora.