Chapter 37: Before it Begins to Tick, the Pendulum Swings Steadily and EvenlyNotes:
I am... terrible guys and I'm so sorry. It's been months and I should've updated long before now and gosh I feel really really bad. Know this though, no matter how long the breaks in between, I will NEVER abandon this work. I'm going to see it through to the end.
That being said, you don't have to forgive me, and I totally get if a number of people dropped this. Thanks to all the people who've stuck around and had faith. I appreciate it. Every kudos. Every comment. It makes me see how much this story is loved and encourages me to keep going.
So thank you. And enjoy. <3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The bus runs smoothly, surroundings blurring outside the window as they ride on. Izuku bounces in his seat when the driver goes over a bump, butterflies fluttering nervously in his stomach.
It's loud on the bus. His classmates trade excited chatter and laughter that forms a buzzing background noise. Izuku barely pays attention. He eyes the teachers up front and tries to read their lips as they talk lowly amongst themselves. Unfortunately, he can't tell what they're saying.
"Midoriya-chan, I always say what's on my mind."
Izuku jerks at the mention of his name and turns swiftly to his right where the voice came from. It's Tsuyu, who sits and stares at him with large, impassive eyes, waiting for a response.
A heavy sense of deja vu hits him, and it takes a second for Izuku to remember why. Then, he realizes. This conversation happened in his own timeline- he remembered feeling a spike of fear when Tsuyu voiced aloud the similarities she noticed between his and All Might's quirk. This time though- this time there should be no need for panic considering that Izuku never received One For All, at least here. That being said, it's obvious that someone, Tsuyu especially, would pick up on the resemblance between the two.
"Uh...yes?" He replies.
A few people nearby are tuned into the conversation, but not overly so. Tsuyu gazes at him unblinkingly, letting him stew in his thoughts while she formulates what she's about to say.
But instead of the words he expects, Tsuyu asks something else, her voice lowering just slightly between them. "Did you see the news this morning?"
Izuku blanks, brain firing and refiring synapses to find out why exactly that question is important, and why Tsuyu is asking. Did something happen on the news?
"I didn't." Izuku admits honestly, "I was busy." He glances at Yaoyorozu in her seat towards the back of the bus, who notices his gaze and smiles at him. He turns back to Tsuyu curiously. "Why do you ask?"
It can't be good, whatever she saw, if she's bringing it up now of all times. Although, it's hard to tell with the calm and collected demeanor she has.
Tsuyu hums, bringing a finger to her lips. "I think your quirk is very similar to someone's. A vigilante. They were on the news this morning- kero."
Izuku freezes and then quickly flashes a smile to hide his internal panic. They recorded him?! He was on the news?! How much did they show- enough for people to take notice of his quirk?
Who all saw it?
"Oh yeah? That's... interesting" He states with a forced chuckle.
Tsuyu nods. "Their quirk produced a similar effect to yours when they activated it."
Izuku doesn't know how to respond to that, his mouth suddenly dry. She had seen it then. Which means plenty of other people had too. Izuku can't help the way his eyes stray to Aizawa-sensei.
Satou, on Izuku's left, thankfully picks up the slack. "Now that you mention it, it was pretty similar…" He agrees, deep in thought. "But strength quirks are a dime a dozen, you know?" He shrugs, flexing his muscles with a lopsided smile, and gives Izuku a wink.
Izuku once again struggles for a way to add to the conversation other than to laugh awkwardly. He licks his lips. "Strength quirks are pretty common...yeah."
Satou accepts the response, but when he looks at Tsuyu, her expression is unchanged. She's always been so scarily observant. He wonders what exactly she's noticed about him.
Maybe she already knows.
"Are you a fan of All Might's- kero?" She wonders with her head tilted to the side, voice giving away no inflection.
Izuku maintains eye contact. "I am." He confides. "He's the number one hero. Lots of people are fans of his."
She stares, saying nothing.
It feels similar to when he spoke with Nedzu- like he's playing a game of chess and the opponent is trying to put his king in check.
Is Tsuyu asking because of the mask? But she doesn't know if Izuku owns one. And plenty of other people have them too. Hell, Izuku bought a second one easily after his first one was lost somewhere. Those things are sold everywhere around the city.
So fortunately, Tsuyu doesn't have enough pieces in position yet for a checkmate. Although he'll have to be on guard.
"All Might is a great hero." She agrees neutrally, nodding along.
Izuku returns the nod, still tense. However, it seems Tsuyu is satisfied enough to leave the conversation here. She doesn't say anything more on the subject. Izuku expected an accusation at the very least, but he supposes that Tsuyu wants to be thorough. If she's wrong about Izuku and reveals him, she could get him in massive trouble. She's not wrong though, obviously, but Izuku appreciates being given the extra time anyways while she confirms it. He'll have to think of some way to knock her off the scent. Just the thought of another thing he has to do makes Izuku grimace.
The conversation shifts again, Tsuyu's attention going along with it, and Izuku sags in his seat. His focus trails back to the window and he spots the USJ building as it comes into sight.
He can't tear his eyes away from it. His heart pounds like a drumbeat in his ears, sounding out the requiem towards his doom.
Should he stop the bus? Warn them one last time from his own mouth? Will that be enough? Or were his previous efforts good enough? Can he risk the lives of his classmates on the off chance that he wasn't as useless as he feels?
The bus eventually lurches to a stop and Izuku's stomach goes with it. He's going to be sick. He swallows thickly, his hands shaky and clammy.
Everyone steps off the bus one by one. Chatter has returned and Izuku can feel his classmates' excitement. It mixes with the tense energy charging the air from the teachers and smothers him in a blanket of unease. But, as Izuku stares at the doors leading into the USJ, he feels something happening within himself as well.
His feelings of fear, that are sharp and cold, become harder and colder. His heart, that jackrabbits in his chest, beats to a rhythm all its own. There is a sensation that floods him, that makes him clench his fists and grit his teeth. Stronger than fear.
Determination.
The USJ looms overhead and Izuku is dwarfed standing before it. David taking on the Goliath. Its name, the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, sure lived up to the experience, Izuku thinks sardonically. Villains invading is definitely "unforeseen".
Although this time, it won't be. And Izuku will face it, no matter what happens once he steps inside.
"Alright," Aizawa-sensei drawls, cutting through the chatter like a hot knife through butter. "Right now I am going to assign you all to specific chaperones." He informs, gesturing to the accompanying teachers. "You will stick by them for the duration of the exercise and heed their every order, does everyone understand?"
Aizawa-sensei glares at them seriously and the class nods collectively. He grunts.
"Good. We will also be implementing a buddy system. You will stay with your buddy at all times within the facility and you are responsible for the accountability of that person, is that clear as well?"
"Sensei!" Mina shouts with her hand waving frantically in the air. "Do we get to pick our buddy?"
Their teacher shakes his head. "No. The list has already been made up. Now pay attention, everyone."
Everything falls silent once again as Aizawa-sensei reads off the pairs and their respective chaperones.
"Uraraka and Asui. Jirou and Ashido. You'll be supervised by Midnight. Shouji and Mineta. Tokoyami and Koda. You'll be supervised by Cementoss. Kaminari and Sero. Iida and Satou. You'll be supervised by Snipe. Midoriya and Todoroki. Bakugou and Kirishima. You'll be supervised by Present Mic. Lastly, Yaoyorozu and Hagakure. Aoyama and Ojirou. You will be overseen by Ectoplasm."
The pairs group together, Izuku eyeing Todoroki nervously. He knew having the teachers as chaperones was part of the plan, but Nedzy didn't mention anything about a buddy system. Even if the principal put measures in place to keep the students safe, Izuku didn't think he, himself, would be included in that. In hindsight, he realizes that it makes the most sense, especially for keeping a low profile. Still, he wishes he would've known about this beforehand- or at least had a hand in who his partner was. Was it Nedzu who had picked the pairs? Todoroki isn't a bad choice per se, but Izuku might have a hard time separating from him if he needs to act alone.
Perhaps that's what Nedzu had in mind?
"Sensei, are you not going to be a chaperone?" Sero asks after their teacher's name was not called among the groups.
"I won't." Aizawa-sensei responds. "Thirteen and I will be leading this training, so our main focus will be elsewhere. However, we also function as chaperones to an extent. Don't hesitate to approach us if anything comes up."
Izuku's classmates shrug it off, but Izuku assumes it's so the hero can utilize his erasure quirk more freely if a battle were to break out, without having the extra worry of protecting children. Aizawa-sensei's quirk has always been extremely handy in that regard. The past proves how well it will serve him in this situation. Really, if the noumu hadn't been present, things could have gone a lot differently in Aizawa-sensei's battle with the other thugs.
"What about All Might?" Kaminari pipes up. "Is he gonna chaperone? Where's he at, anyway?"
Everyone twists their heads around trying to spot the towering number one, but they turn up empty. Izuku notices that Yagi-san is absent too. Maybe he left to pull off the transition.
"All Might will be joining us inside the facility when we meet up with hero Thirteen. He also won't be an official chaperone, however, as I've said, feel free to approach any teacher if something happens during the exercise, or if you get separated from your own chaperone." Aizawa-sensei explains. The class stares at him blankly.
"Why would we get separated from each other- kero?" Tsuyu wonders with a tilt of her head. Her question is met with silence, a few of the teachers shifting uneasily.
Aizawa-sensei sighs. "We are just preparing for every outcome, even the unpleasant ones, since this is our first field trip."
Tsuyu and the rest of his classmates accept the answer, though Izuku knows it's just a well-thought out excuse. They weren't nearly this prepared in his own time, first field trip or not, and he had personally seen how that oversight cost UA.
This time...this time had to be different. Izuku won't accept any other outcome.
The teachers have one last hushed conversation. Cementoss pulls out a cell phone and makes a brief phone call that Izuku tries to eavesdrop on. He doesn't hear what is said at all, but he reckons it's a check-in with Nedzu about their situation. If he remembers correctly, there should be other pro heroes lying in wait nearby, in hiding, waiting for a signal. Izuku casts a discreet glance around, but the area they're in, right before the doors of the USJ, is pretty void of cover or concealment, and he doesn't find any trace of a hero. Which is probably a good thing considering they'll be hidden from the League as well.
While Izuku scans his surroundings, Aizawa-sensei starts to usher the class through the doors. His train of thought derails at the realization, and an icy dread grips him. Still, Izuku follows his friends inside the facility.
It's just as impressive as the first time he set foot within it. A large, spacious area filled with a lake, mountain, cityscape and more. Everything seems to sparkle below the domed glass ceiling.
The class oohs and aahs. A sentiment Izuku can't echo. On the contrary, he feels like he's walked right into one of his nightmares. His gaze roams over every inch of the facility, memories flashing before his eyes, before it finally lands on the center fountain. He shivers violently, but doesn't look away. He can't afford to.
All Might, in muscle form, stands beside Thirteen, ready to greet them. He smiles wide and waves at the class as they approach. Despite the atmosphere, Izuku feels just a little less afraid in the hero's presence.
"Welcome!" Thirteen announces, spreading their arms wide. "To the USJ!"
Everyone is still bunched up by the doors they just walked through. Aizawa-sensei instructs them to pair up with their 'buddies' and stand by their assigned chaperones. Izuku ends up sandwiched between Todoroki and Kacchan as they crowd around an exuberant Present Mic, who tries to strike up a conversation. Kirishima is the only one energetic enough to respond to the hero's attempts at conversation. Todoroki ignores it completely, and Kacchan seems annoyed, but Izuku only registers this all vaguely as he stares determinedly at the center fountain.
This is it. The moment has finally arrived. The clockworks are in motion and Izuku only hopes he's done enough.
Thirteen begins their speech on inherently dangerous quirks and how they can still be used to save people. It's the same as before. It appears the teachers will run the lesson like normal until they have a reason to stop it.
Looking at the fountain, a mental countdown starting in his head, Izuku prays there will be no reason to stop it.
He has a feeling he won't be that lucky.
While voices drone on in the background, Izuku shifts into a battle stance. He's tense, sweat dripping down his neck and back, muscles coiled and ready to spring. One for All buzzes just under his skin, ready to be wielded on the slimmest appearance of a portal.
He stares at the fountain for what feels like an eternity. He's formed a sort of tunnel vision where it's all he can see. He can't see or hear or feel anything outside of it and his own thunderous heartbeats.
Any.
Second.
Now.
Without warning, a hand clamps down on his shoulder.
Izuku jumps a foot in the air, One for All crackling briefly over his skin before he hurriedly clamps it down. His heart races like it's about to explode.
The hand retracts and Izuku follows it to a concerned Present Mic. The hero smiles softly at him, and only then does Izuku release a deep breath.
"Didn't mean to scare you there!" He jokes. "You didn't move when we were given our assigned area. Everything okay?"
Present Mic asks nonchalantly, but there's an undercurrent of worry there. Izuku would appreciate the concern normally, but he really needs to focus on the portal. His eyes flick to the fountain again as he responds.
"Sorry, I'm fine." Izuku replies, thoughts racing. "I was just...distracted."
"Distracted?" Present Mic parrots with a raise of his eyebrows.
Izuku nods, his eyesight flicking back and forth between the fountain and the pro. It should be any minute now…
"What's so interesting over there?" Present Mic continues to probe him, lowering himself to Izuku's eye level and trying to follow his line of sight. Izuku reluctantly tears his eyes away and faces forward properly. He's already made the mistake of revealing he knew more than he should at UA when the gate was destroyed. He shouldn't incriminate himself now, especially in such a delicate situation. His knowledge- knowing about the League's portal before it appears- could be easily misconstrued. And Izuku doubts everyone will take it as well as Nedzu.
He addresses Present Mic. "There's nothing." He murmurs begrudgingly. He doesn't want to seem suspicious, but he also hates turning his back to where the portal will appear. "...Were we supposed to go somewhere?"
It's not like the fountain isn't visible from other points around the USJ, he assures himself. The timeline has already changed significantly with the addition of a plan, extra teachers, and other pros on standby outside. It isn't far-fetched to believe that this time around they are moving from the entrance before the villains appear. In light of the teachers knowing of a possible threat, they probably cut the explanation of the exercise in half so they could organize the students better. As much as it grates on Izuku's already fraying nerves to have unknown variables, it makes sense the time the League arrives could be delayed by a few minutes simply because of the butterfly effect.
The portal should open up any second now, but…there's also the chance that it doesn't. A very slim chance. But if it doesn't, Izuku still needs to participate in the exercise. And make up a way to explain himself to Nedzu when the time comes.
He glances up at Present Mic, ready to steel his heart and hear where they've been assigned. The pro hero's eyebrows are pinched together and he looks like he has more to say, but he refrains. They stare into each other's eyes, not saying a word.
And it's because they've locked gazes, that Izuku observes the exact moment Present Mic's eyes slide off him to focus on something right behind him. He witnesses the exact moment the pro hero's face fills with shock- and then a mix of anger and fear.
Izuku's heart shoots into overdrive, loud and fast in his chest. He hears one of his classmates scream and Aizawa-sensei's voice rings out letting them all know to 'stay together!' and 'don't move!'. Izuku doesn't need to turn around. He doesn't need to see the fountain to know that he's a complete and total failure.
Getting rid of the small fry? Making the League reconsider? Breaking the law, becoming a vigilante- and for what?!
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Tears well up in his eyes, but Izuku pushes them back. He spins around, ready to join the fight against a hoard of villains- and then almost trips over himself in surprise.
He'd expected a large crowd of criminals equal to, if not more, than what he faced at the USJ in his own time. But what he sees in front of him are a handful, no more than a dozen.
It's a victory, no matter how small, but Izuku doesn't rejoice yet.
One, no matter how many villains there are, this is still an invasion. His classmates are still in danger. Anyone can get hurt at any time, even if the threat is less.
Two, in the past there were villains hiding in the different zones awaiting a chance to strike. Just because Izuku sees a small force right now, doesn't mean there aren't larger numbers hidden elsewhere.
And three, the handful that stepped through the portal are the biggest problem, now that he gets a better look at them.
Izuku had thought about what would happen if he took out the common thugs and criminals used as cannon fodder for the USJ attack- that maybe the League would replace them with stronger villains. It was a risk he was willing to take, especially since it ultimately removed more villains off the streets. There was the opposite chance too, that the League would simply forego the use of their pawns and give up on the attack altogether to be cautious.
Obviously, that is not the case.
Not only did the League replace their missing force with stronger villains, these new villains are also people Izuku knows quite well.
The Eight Precepts of Death.
Standing beside Shigaraki, Kurogiri, and the hero killer noumu, is Chisaki, otherwise known as Overhaul, and his Eight Bullets. This is the worst possible outcome.
Fear grips him as he tries to make sense of it. Why did Overhaul team up with Shigaraki? They couldn't even do it in his own time! And at this point they shouldn't be aware of each other! Shigaraki only made a name for himself after the USJ attack, and Overhaul has no interest in UA, so why would he attack the hero school?
The thought causes another wave of dread to wash over him. Does he- does he know Eri is being held at UA? How?! There shouldn't have been any leaks of her location, and only a select few knew about her existence to begin with! They should only know that a vigilante rescued her- and Midoriya Izuku should have no ties to that vigilante. What is going on?!
From beside him, he hears Present Mic curse. "Damn, and I really hoped the Principal was lying. Midoriya, come here." The pro shifts so that he is blocking Izuku with his body, and keeps his eyes on the threat below.
Izuku obeys his chaperone absently, thoughts still spinning. He never could've foreseen this. A team-up this early, and with someone as powerful as Overhaul and his cronies, is almost as bad as facing the League in its prime. The raid on the Eight Precepts in his past had to be carefully coordinated and planned for weeks in advance. Why did this have to happen?! The panic threatening to consume him is almost too much, but he has to stay focused. He has to fix this.
His thoughts are interrupted by a smooth, deep voice that drifts up to them loud and clear, even from so far away. "Hmmmmmm...according to the teacher's curriculum we acquired yesterday, only All Might and No. 13 are supposed to be here, and yet…" Kurogiri muses, trailing off as his floating eyes land on each UA staff member among the crowd, piercing into their souls. Izuku feels his fellow classmates shudder as one.
"Who cares?" Shigaraki grumbles, his raspy voice sending familiar shivers of fear down Izuku's spine. "All Might is here. That's all that matters." His tone is full of childish glee.
Izuku finds All Might in the crowd and sees him frown briefly before adopting his signature smile once more.
"What about the rest?" One of the Eight Bullets asks- Izuku thinks it's Rappa. The man sounds eager.
Overhaul fiddles with his gloves lazily, pulling them over his hands. He stares the heroes down with no fear.
"Kill them." He states coolly.
The teachers tense, and ripples of whispers and unease wash over the students. Aizawa-sensei stands at the front, lowering his goggles over his head to prepare for battle. "Stick to the plan and protect the students! We'll have back-up in a moment."
The villains below don't seem the slightest bit fazed by this. In fact, if Izuku had to guess, he'd say they're excited.
Present Mic grabs his hand and pulls Izuku along behind him, taking a protective stance in front of their little group. Izuku's heart pounds above the exclamations of his classmates, and he misses a lot of what is said until Kurogiri appears in front of them.
"Greetings, we are the villain alliance." The man informs them politely, as if he is exchanging small talk. "I apologize for the presumption, but we took it upon ourselves to enter UA academy, the base of heroes, in order to engage All Might, the 'symbol of peace'." His glowing eyes zero in on All Might and the hero shifts into a fighting stance.
"We were wondering if you might give us the opportunity to extinguish you, you see." Kurogiri's words still sound nonchalant, but they hold an intense pressure behind them. Izuku shivers.
No one answers him, although the villain doesn't seem to expect anything to begin with. Everyone stays frozen, grouped together with their respective teachers. Izuku uses the lull to think back on the plan.
In his time, and what he relayed to Nedzu, was that Kurogiri would use his warp quirk to separate everyone in the facility. Nedzu's implementation of the chaperones and buddy system is a good contingency for if they get separated- since everyone is already in their groups and so will likely be teleported together. (Izuku was standing beside Tsuyu and Mineta when they ended up in the flood zone together, and this time he's standing beside his chaperone.) In the event that a group does get separated, they'd know who they needed to get back to, as well as likely having another teacher and group with them wherever they do end up.
However, that is, as he said, a contingency. Getting separated in any capacity would be a disadvantage. So, it makes sense that preventing them from being divided at the start is the best option.
Knowing this, Aizawa-sensei's quirk was decided upon to neutralize Kurogiri's, and keep everyone together. If all goes well, they can take out one of the League's major players right off the bat.
That's the key phrase though. 'If all goes well'. And unfortunately for Izuku, everything does not go well.
Kurogiri teleports to them, right over the closed entrance doors, just like before. Aizawa-sensei stands towards the back- closer to the stairs. Still, it poses no problem if the villain is within his line of sight- which he is. No, the problem comes from somewhere else.
The mist villain floats threateningly above them, monologuing about how he can't let anyone escape and how he'll need to send them off. He activates his quirk and that's the cue for Aizawa-sensei to use his erasure.
But instead of what should have happened- the villain panicking, his plan being thwarted- Izuku catches movement blur past him and his heart stutters in his chest. Present Mic jerks in horror as Kacchan and Kirishima fly towards Kurogiri, quirks aimed at the villain.
"Hey! Wait-!" Present Mic shouts, lurching towards the commotion to bring back his charges. Izuku watches dumbly, for once staying put, as the scene unfolds.
Kirishima's quirk, as he's midair, shorts out momentarily as he blocks Aizawa-sensei's sight of the villain. He gives a shout of surprise, one that draws Kacchan's attention, and then everything is engulfed in a smoky black.
Izuku feels his stomach freefall and wind rush past his face before he is unceremoniously crashing into water. His eyes are wide open, his breaths frantic, and he can't help the air that escapes his lungs, woefully unprepared for diving into water. Perhaps he should've been, considering his past.
He makes out shapes in the darkness, a quickly approaching figure, before something wraps around him and he's yanked from the depths and dropped onto a wooden surface. Izuku spits out bits of liquid as he catches his breath.
"Are you okay?" He hears Uraraka ask. (And that's different.)
Izuku lifts his head at the question and finally sees where they are.
It's the flood zone. Just like last time. Izuku pinches his eyebrows in confusion, but decides he doesn't have the liberty to question it. This is good for him anyways. At least he knows what to expect.
His eyes land on the people he's with. Uraraka and Tsuyu. The latter releases her tongue from around Izuku's waist.
And now he's even more confused.
Present Mic moved too far away in his pursuit of Kacchan and Kirishima, so Izuku expected not to see them here, but he wonders why Todoroki didn't land here. And why are Uraraka and Tsuyu somehow with him? Where were they standing?
"Where's your group?" He wonders, rising from his position.
Uraraka opens her mouth to answer him, but Tsuyu gets there first, her eyebrow raised. "Where's yours?" She returns.
They have a short staring contest, in which Izuku debates whether it's actually important at this point, before a tremor to the boat has them all losing their footing and clutching the handrail. He hears snickers and assorted threats being yelled from below. The boat lists to one side.
"Shit." Izuku curses, trying to think back to the plan. They shouldn't have been split up. And even if they were split up, they were supposed to be with the members of their group. Yet, Izuku is with zero members of his group, and the half group he is with, is without their chaperone. He doesn't know who he's supposed to rendezvous with now.
It'd be easy to act on his own, if that wasn't something Nedzu cautioned him against. They had made a plan together. A good plan. He ought to stick with it. Anything further should be saved for a worst case scenario.
He uses their high vantage point to assess the situation. At the entrance, there's still a large crowd. Izuku doesn't see Kurogiri anymore. It seems as though not everyone was teleported. Which is good. He thinks he sees the backup heroes too. Which is even better.
"There's villains in the water below us. I count three." Tsuyu informs them with a well-suppressed shiver. "We should be able to avoid them if we float to the outer bank." She looks at Uraraka.
Izuku confirms that yes, there are three villains below- less than last time. It'd be easy to get to the ground too now that Uraraka is here. They wouldn't even have to engage the thugs in the water. But the ground is also the edge of the main plaza, where the fountain is. Where the villains are. It's more dangerous than slowly sinking on a boat.
The League and Eight Precepts aren't standing around any longer either. They're rushing towards the USJ entrance and being met with force by the heroes. A large battle is quickly taking place and Izuku can hardly keep track of who's winning. There's too many people, too much rubble and smoke flying about. He has to physically shake his head to drag his focus away. That's not important right now. One thing at a time.
Although it's not the best option to be in the vicinity of the fighting, they can't just swim aimlessly around in the flood zone either. The boat is still sinking. In fact, if they can sneak around it, the battle is a perfect distraction to keep the villain's attention off them. If all is going to plan, the arrival of reinforcements should mean the heroes are evacuating the students while they are dealing with the villains. All Izuku needs to do is get these two to the exit.
"Okay," Izuku announces to the others. "If we use Uraraka's quirk to float off this boat and to the edge of the plaza, we can skirt the battle, go around the downpour zone, and regroup with the rest of our class at the entrance." He looks them in the eyes, seeing nervousness and resolve in Uraraka and Tsuyu respectively.
"What- what about the others?" Uraraka asks. "We weren't the only ones to get dropped somewhere random in the facility."
Izuku's lips press into a thin line. He knows for sure that Kacchan, Kirishima, and Present Mic are somewhere in one of the zones, but he isn't sure how many of his other classmates were separated. Todoroki probably is, as well as the other half of Uraraka and Tsuyu's group. They should do fine. No one was harmed in his own time facing the amateur criminals while they were split up.
But...there aren't just amateur villains here anymore, are there? Despite the upper echelon of the Eight Precepts wreaking havoc in the plaza, there could still be different, stronger villains than what he remembers hidden throughout the USJ. Izuku wants to believe that everyone will be safe, but he isn't so sure anymore. Still- is there enough of a threat to his divided classmates to risk Uraraka and Tsuyu's lives? They probably won't let him leave on his own if he wishes to help the others. Hmmm.
"Let's get to the ground first." Izuku decides, if only because they're running out of time. "We'll revisit the plan then."
Uraraka and Tsuyu nod before Uraraka takes a deep breath and touches them both with her quirk. Immediately, Izuku feels gravity's grip loosen on him as he floats off the sinking ship. Tsuyu and Uraraka hover in the air alongside him.
"I'll maneuver us to land over there." Uraraka points, indicating an area to their left. It's more towards the wall of the USJ versus the center. Well away from the fighting.
At their agreement, they link arms and Uraraka steers them to the specified location. Izuku thinks he hears the flood zone villains yelling after them, but his thoughts are too loud in his head to understand anything clearly. There's too much at stake here- too many things going wrong and too many decisions he has to make.
They land, and Izuku feels so much heavier when Uraraka deactivates her quirk. She's panting slightly, but otherwise seems fine, if not shaken, and Tsuyu is impassive beside her. They're both dripping water from their landing in the flood zone, just like Izuku.
"So," Tsuyu broaches. "We need to rejoin the others- kero." Her eyes are on the entrance, and the crowd of people there. It seems she won't need any convincing to choose the safer option.
Uraraka follows her line of sight. "What about the people that got hit with the teleport quirk?" She asks nervously, eyes darting to Izuku.
He understands her hesitation. He's thinking the same thing. But he's also watching various heroes take on the Eight Bullets, Chisaki, and Shigaraki, while All Might battles the noumu. There are bodies littering the ground of the plaza and Izuku's gut twists with guilt.
He doesn't know who he should help. Or if he even can help, after all the trouble he's caused.
"Deku…?" Uraraka calls his name and Izuku snaps back to them. Uraraka observes him anxiously while Tsuyu has a frown on her face. She shakes her head at him, as if she can tell what he's thinking.
Always so perceptive.
"Aizawa-sensei wanted us to stay together and out of danger." Tsuyu reminds them, her eyes pointedly on Izuku. "If we go anywhere except the exit, we'd be disobeying his orders."
Izuku remembers being threatened with expulsion if he did anything else that was illegal. He remembers being told to grab a teacher if something happens. He knows Aizawa-sensei won't fault them for using their quirks for evasion or self defense, but that likely changes if they throw themselves into a fight. If he interferes, and if it's known he purposely moved away from the exit, he could very well get expelled.
However, the warning feels so far away now, so meaningless. There are heroes- people fighting hard for Izuku's sake, for his mistakes, and he doesn't think his position in UA is as important as someone's life.
He licks his lips, finding his mouth suddenly dry. "Aizawa-sensei also said that if we were separated, we should regroup with our 'buddy' and chaperone." He looks at their widened eyes and holds their gazes. "My group isn't at the exit."
Uraraka gasps, "Deku, wait-"
"Midoriya-chan," Tsuyu croaks, her voice firm. "Any teacher functions as a chaperone. There are plenty up there- kero."
"I am going towards a teacher." Izuku counters. "I'll find Present Mic and the others. And then I'll make my way to the exit afterwards, I promise."
Tsuyu remains unconvinced, and Uraraka looks upset. Her eyebrows knit together in concern.
"Deku, are you sure y-"
"Hey!" A masculine shout from behind draws their attention. Izuku whips around quickly, subtly positioning himself in front of his friends as a shield.
"Did you really think you could ignore us?!" The same voice continues, and Izuku tracks it to…
Kaiyō Samehada. The criminal with a shark quirk. One of the original villains in the flood zone and apparently one of the three present in the water they just vacated this time as well. Izuku stares. He thought he jailed that punk.
The other drenched thugs are scowling, clearly pissed that they were ignored by a bunch of teenagers. It doesn't matter what they think though, because escaping a potentially dangerous situation is obviously more important than engaging in a battle. Plus, these guys hardly look worth the effort.
Samehada steps forward, incensed by their lack of reply. "Well?!" He goads.
Izuku feels Uraraka and Tsuyu shuffle behind him. They're probably getting ready to fight, though Izuku isn't too interested in drawing this out. He needs to go and help.
One For All bursts over his skin and Izuku charges forward at the same time, swiftly attacking Samehada with a knee to the chin. The shark-toothed man can't even scream as his mouth is forced closed and he flies into the air. He lands on his back with bulging eyes and blood dripping down his chin. Izuku probably made him bite his tongue, though he was hoping to knock the villain out, preferably.
The man chokes on air, spitting out blood from his mouth. "Wha-?"
Izuku doesn't have time to answer. The other two rush him, one emitting a powerful jet of water, and the other with another mutation type quirk. Some sort of fish, he thinks, with an underbite of jagged teeth, and gills.
He sidesteps the hydro-blast and punches the fish guy in the stomach. The person wheezes, doubling over, and Izuku kicks them away. They skid across the ground back towards the flood zone. The water quirk user fires another stream and it whizzes past Izuku's head, taking a few strands of hair with it. Izuku launches towards the girl, dodging more water spouts, and roundhouse kicks her in the face, knocking her unconscious instantly.
Samehada and the fish guy run at him again from different directions, and this time Izuku shoots out black whip, wrapping it around the body of the fish guy, and uses it to slam him into Samehada. They both go down, draped over one another in a defeated heap. The fish guy is unconscious, but Samehada, trapped under his comrade, is only beaten up.
"You…" He puffs out between labored breaths, scowling at him fiercely. "You…vigilante fucker ."
Izuku freezes, quirk fizzling out now that the fight is over. He stares and he doesn't understand because yes they fought, but how could-?
He stalks towards the villain, heart racing painfully in his chest. He's well aware of his classmates only a few meters away.
"What are you talking about?" Izuku hisses in a whisper. His hands clench into fists at his side and he doesn't understand.
Samehada seems to sense his unease and raises an eyebrow, a cocky smirk lifting his lips. "Your quirk...is unique, brat." He almost laughs, though it's a bitter sound. Izuku grits his teeth. He wasn't supposed to be revealed. Not here. Not now. Not by him.
"I wasn't sure at first." He confesses. "Cause you looked like the bastard, but I couldn't know til we fought, yeah?"
Izuku shakes his head. This doesn't make any sense. 'looked like the bastard'? How does Samehada know what he looks like?
"What do you want?" Izuku demands coldly.
Samehada grins- a sinister smile that makes cold dread creep down his spine. "These villains aren't like everyone else. They're crazy, brat. They may not know your fuckin quirk like I do, but they do know your face. They've got a picture. It's how I knew you were you, and now they're gonna find ya." He rambles, unknowingly dropping a heavy weight into Izuku's stomach.
"They're looking for ya."
It's a lie. It has to be. There's no way the League or the Eight Precepts know his face. How could they? Izuku wore a mask as a vigilante, and he never took it off. Samehada is the only one who can identify him- and only because Izuku used both aspects of his quirk on the villain before. A mistake he will never make again. It should have nothing to do with his face or the other villains present.
The shark man chuckles and Izuku turns his attention back to him with a glare.
"I can't believe you're actually some hero school brat. You won't save anyone vigilante-kun." He mocks. Izuku's getting tired of listening to him talk. He tightens his fist and grabs Samehada's collar roughly.
He punches the guy's lights out.
Ochako knows Deku is strong. She's seen him fight before, and experienced working with him in a team. She knows- he's smart, and his quirk is tremendously powerful. It's been that way from the beginning.
Still, his feats of strength are usually limited to knocking out a giant robot for an exam , or sparring in an exercise with classmates. It's never been high-stakes-serious like it is now. She's never been able to witness Izuku wreck three villains by himself that are actually trying to hurt him, that he shows no fear in facing, and Ochako is in awe. Like she said, she knew he was strong, but this just adds a new level to it.
(She feels a little inadequate- a little like she needs to catch up.)
"Deku!" She lowers her voice, but still manages to make it loud enough to get his attention. He is standing over the last of the men he took care of, and turns around to face her at her prompting. His skin is unnaturally pale.
Ochako frowns, running towards him. "Are you okay?" She doesn't like the expression on his face, and although she didn't see him get hit by any of the attacks, she isn't 100% sure he got away unscathed.
Deku scans her face, searching for something. He flits his gaze between her and Tsuyu.
"Did you…" His voice is soft, hesitant, "Did you...hear anything?" He doesn't look her in the eye as he asks.
Immediately, alarm bells are ringing in her head. Ochako wants to ask: Why does it matter if I heard? What were you talking about?
Why don't you want me to know?
But she doesn't. She bites her tongue and tells Deku the truth. Unfortunately-
"I didn't hear anything."
Deku visibly deflates, like Ochako just took a weight off his shoulder. And even though unburdening her friend should be a good thing, she doesn't like it. Deku keeps too many secrets- Iida and her have talked about it on multiple occasions, and yet neither of them feel like they're getting any answers. She wants to ask, burns with the need, but she knows now isn't a good time. They've got to get back to Aizawa-sensei.
Or...they can locate her classmates in the other areas of the USJ. Despite what little she knows about Deku truly, she's aware that he will pursue their classmates instead of joining up with the teachers. And she would rather accompany Deku in searching for them than convince him to come with her and Tsuyu to seek safety with everyone else. She knows what Sensei would want. She knows Tsuyu is right. But, she doesn't think she could forgive herself if she betrayed these feelings she has and left her friends behind.
"I need to go." Deku states suddenly. His eyes are back on the battleground, watching the heroes push against the unknown villains like waves crashing against rocky cliffs. He looks pained. Ochako hears the resolve in his voice, and something else she can't identify- that sounds a lot like desperation.
It's like he's about to run away from them and disappear.
She grabs his wrist before she can think better of it. "I'm coming too."
You don't need to do this alone. I'm your partner. I want to protect you.
Deku spins around so fast, it looks like he hurt his neck. "What?" He breathes, eyes wide. "You can't!"
He jerks his arm out of her grasp and Ochako frowns harder. So he can throw himself into danger, sacrifice himself, and she can't? They were all trying to be heroes, why did he insist on doing everything by himself?
"My group isn't up there either." Ochako argues, crossing her arms firmly. She ignores Tsuyu's protest in her ears. "I need to find them too."
She has her 'buddy' right beside her, and she doesn't actually know if Midnight-sensei, or Jirou or Ashido are not up there. They were standing behind her when everyone was teleported away, so she didn't see, but it's as good of an excuse as Deku's. He's been acting strange all day, not that Ochako's been watching him or anything, but sometimes she'll look over and he'll be staring off into space with a frown, or fidgeting endlessly in a way she's come to learn means he's anxious.
She's worried about him. For the past few days, he's been upset about something- something he won't tell anyone else about. And now today he's jumpy. She'd even go so far as to say scared. At the school, on the bus, and especially once they entered the USJ. Ochako could almost believe that Deku somehow knew about this terrible event before it happened- but that's ridiculous. He would have told someone. (He would have told her. Right?)
That's why she split off from her group earlier once the teachers finished talking about the exercise, still keeping Tsuyu with her, just to see if Deku was okay. He looked like he was in deep concentration, once again staring into the distance. As if he'd seen a ghost. And Ochako wanted answers.
Then Present Mic-sensei approached Deku first and she tried to inch closer to overhear and then the portal-
The proximity was probably why they ended up in the same area, and Ochako is glad for it. If she hadn't moved closer, Deku might've ended up in the flood zone by himself, and she can't help but think that him being alone is the worst possible outcome.
"Uraraka…" Deku trails off, clearly conflicted. "You could get hurt. And even if you don't, you could get in trouble."
Ochako shakes her head. She doesn't care about that. "And you won't?" She poses.
Deku sighs, like she's a petulant child and he's her tired caretaker. She doesn't know how she feels about that, only that she doesn't like it.
"I have to do this." He insists, pleading. He clenches his fists and looks both angry and upset. "I'll make it out of this, but I need you to be safe."
Ochako stares into his eyes and she gets the familiar sensation that he knows more than he says- like he's lived through things worse than this- that he's bearing a burden that no one else can even fathom. She doesn't understand it. He's a kid. He's her age. He's her friend.
"Logically speaking, traveling in a group of three is safer than traveling in a group of two- kero." Tsuyu interrupts. She nods slightly at Ochako, letting her know she's changed her mind, and moves her attention back to Deku. Ochako beams.
Deku frowns, not in favor of this turn of events. Perhaps he figured he could send Ochako away if Tsuyu endorsed it. "It's safer to get out. Not go deeper in." He argues.
Ochako opens her mouth to speak, but Tsuyu beats her to it.
"We'd be crossing close to the fighting, and even if we're careful and they're distracted, we might still attract unwanted attention. We can't go behind the downpour zone either. If all three of us stick together and travel further into the USJ, we'll be away from the battle and also encounter more allies to strengthen our force for when we do end up traversing to the exit. It makes more sense that we'd be safer accompanying you, Midoriya-chan."
There's a pause after her words where Deku thinks it over. He has his finger to his chin and doesn't look the least bit happy about it, but it's obvious that Tsuyu is right.
"Fine." He reluctantly agrees. His eyes dart around the area, briefly overlooking where the action is taking place once more, before returning to Ochako and Tsuyu.
"Let's go. I think the conflagration zone is next."
Notes:
I don't want to lie to anyone, but I AM going to try to get a better update schedule, since I never had one to begin with. No promises, and idk what it is yet, so just bear with me please.
Once again, my deepest apologies for the impromptu hiatus. I will try to be better, and I love you! Hydrate!