Chapter 48: Kota
The same recap plays, then the opening.
"Stop it with the recaps!" Bakugo and Sero yelled.
"Hush!" Kaminari shouted, whispering to himself, "This is my new favorite song!"
"I'll agree with you there." Jiro overheard.
"I'm getting kind of scared…" Hagakure muttered, hugging the stuffed animal she brought down.
"Just thinking about seeing it again gives me chills…" Ojiro agreed.
"Koda brought his rabbit down for comfort for a reason." Shoji pointed out.
Class 1-B stood outside the facility building they were staying at for the training camp, a few yawning.
"Develop our quirks?" Kendo questioned.
"Class A is doing it already. Let's go, quickly." Vlad told them before walking off, adding, "Last semester, Class A got all the attention, so next semester, it'll be Class B's turn."
"You think we wanted all the attention?" Jiro questioned.
"It was nice!" Ashido smiled.
"-be us, Class B!" Vlad finished.
"Sir…! Sorry that we are such disappointing students!" Tetsutetsu cried.
"Even if you say that we're going to develop our quirks out of the blue, all twenty of us have different quirks, so how are we supposed to know what we're developing and how?" a girl with green hair asked.
"Can you be more specific?" a guy with a beetle head sighed.
"Why is it showing these extras? What happened to us?!" Bakugo shouted.
"Hush and you'll find out." Kirishima elbowed him.
"Quirks are the same. If you keep using them, they become stronger, and if you don't, then they waste away. In other words, there's just one thing to do! Break through your limits!" Vlad explained, making the class groan.
Title screen 'Kota'
"Aw, Kota gets the spotlight too!" Uraraka beamed.
"Too bad he'll never know." Asui pointed out.
Bakugo threw his hands out of the water, making a huge explosion with his quirk.
"Katsuki Bakugo. Plunging both hands into boiling water to expand his sweat glands and creating explosions repeatedly to increase the scale of his attacks!" Present Mic narrated.
"Damn it!" Bakugo yelled as he put his hands back in the water.
"Helped I guess…" Bakugo spat, thinking, 'Felt like hell!'
"Shoto Todoroki." Present Mic continued as Todoroki shot out ice around the bucket of water he was sitting in, "Alternating between ice and fire to make the temperature of the bathwater uniform. This training is to get his body used to freezing and have him try controlling the temperature of his flames! He might be able to use both quirks at once eventually!"
Todoroki took several breaths in before slapping his right hand against the bucket, sending ice over the flames he made.
Sero stood on a cliffside, shooting his tape out from both elbows.
"Hanta Sero. By having him producing tape continuously, his training will increase his capacity and improve tape strength and shooting speed."
"I felt like my arms were gonna fall off…" Sero uttered.
"-and Mashirao Ojiro."
"Come at me!" Kirishima yelled as he re-hardened his arms.
"By having Ojiro use his Tail to hit Kirishima with his Hardening activated, they can increase the strength of each other's quirks."
Kaminari stood on a hill, with a huge battery, holding onto the wires while electricity surrounded him.
"Denki Kaminari. By running his electric current through a large capacity battery, he's training his body to be able to handle large amounts of electricity."
"Sounds shocking!" Ashido winked at Kaminari.
"I've taught you well!" Kaminari rubbed his chin.
"In order to increase the reach of his Anivoice, he's doing vocal exercises to build up his vocal cords. It's also good for helping him become less shy."
Koda continued yelling out while Aoyama repeatedly shot out his naval laser.
"Yuga Aoyama. Training to get his body used to Naval Laser so that he can keep using it even if his stomach hurts and to increase the range of his laser."
In a cave, screams echoed from the inside.
"Fumikage Tokoyami. Training to keep Dark Shadow under control even if it's going wild in the dark."
Uraraka rolled downhill in a bubble ball, squeezing her mouth shut.
"Ochaco Uraraka. By turning continuously in zero gravity, she's training the semicircular canals in her inner ear to decrease nausea and increasing the maximum weight she can use her quirk on."
"Translation?" Ashido and Kaminari asked.
"I was training to ignore the side effects of my quirk, so that I could use it more." Uraraka explained.
"Okay, thanks!" Ashido and Kaminari held a thumbs up.
"-increase leg strength and stamina."
Iida ran by Asui, who was climbing a rock wall, her tongue reaching out at the top.
"Tsuyu Asui. Training to work out all the muscles in her body and her long tongue."
"Rikido Sato. Working out while eating the sweets he needs to activate his quirk to power up."
Sato and Yaoyorozu stood at a table, eating while Yaoyorozu made russian matryoshka dolls of herself on the table.
"Momo Yaoyorozu. Also eating while using her quirk to amplify her creations and shorten the amount of time needed to make them."
'It is like poop!' Sero gasped.
Jiro plugged her earphone jacks into a rock wall while Ashido stood next to her with her hands on the wall.
"Kyoka Jiro. Increasing the quality of sound from her quirk by strengthening her earphone jack. Mina Ashido. Intermittently creating acid to increase her skin's durability."
Mineta sat next to a pile of his balls, pulling them off his head one by one.
"Minoru Mineta. Training to increase the strength of his scalp so that he won't bleed even if he keeps popping off balls."
"Toru Hagakure and Mezo Shoji. They're increasing the strength of both their quirks by having Shoji quickly create multiple Dupli-Arms to look for Hagakure as she continues to hide her presence."
"See!" Hagakure exclaimed.
"But, it didn't show Midoriya…?" Iida rubbed his chin.
"-of you who are operative types will have to raise your maximum limits. Heteromorphic types and other composite types need to train the parts of their body related to their quirks. Normally, this would occur as your bodies grow…" Vlad explained.
"...but we don't have that time." Aizawa finished, walking over to Class 1-B, adding, "Class B, you guys hurry up, too."
"But once we join, there will be forty in all. Can just six people manage the quirks of that many people?" Kendo asked a classmate.
"That's why they're here." Aizawa answered.
"That's right! The four of us are one!" a green-haired woman beamed.
"Lock on with these sparkling gazes!" Mandalay danced.
"We've come to lend a paw and help!" the green-haired spinned.
"Coming out of nowhere…" a man flexed.
"Stringling cute and catlike!" Pixie-Bob winked.
"Wild, Wild… Pussycats!" the four posed, adding, "The full version!"
Bakugo sent another huge explosion into the air, yelling, "Damn it!"
"My quirk is Search! I can know all the info about up to a hundred people by just looking at them! I can find out their location and weaknesses, too!" the green-haired explained, the words, 'Ragdoll- Quirk: Search' appearing.
"With my Earthflow, I can make the perfect places for each person to train!" Pixie-Bob explained, raising the ground up as Uraraka rolled by, almost hitting them.
"And with my Telepath, I can give advice to multiple people at once." Mandalay explained.
"And my job is assault through punching and kicking…" the man narrowed his eyes, the words, 'Tiger- Quirk: Pliabody' appearing.
"One of those is not like the other…" Sato pointed out while Midoriya wrote in his notebook.
"-you power-up types, come to me!" Tiger exclaimed, adding, "Tiger's Bootcamp has already begun!"
Midoriya moved his arms and legs up and down, continuously.
"Ah, there he is…" the class sighed.
"-me with everything you've got!" Tiger instructed Midoriya.
"Five percent Detroit Smash!" Midoriya shouted, aiming to punch Tiger, who dodged and sent his own punch, knocking Midoriya into a tree.
"Ouch…" the class winced.
"Let's just all agree, that no one had it tougher than anyone else. It was brutally equal." Sero sighed, the class nodding.
"-been ripped apart yet!" Tiger told Midoriya, who was trying to pick himself up.
"Yessir…" Midoriya mustered.
"I can't hear you!" Tiger exclaimed.
"Yessir!" Midoriya mustered louder.
'He's scary.' a student from Class 1-B thought.
Tiger glowed with a strange aura as he whispered, "It's 'Plus Ultra', right? Then, do it! Give me 'Ultra'!"
"Yessir!" Midoriya exclaimed.
'That guy's the only one whose gender and genre are different, huh?'
"U.A.'s busy, so it's hard to spare itself for just the first years hero course." Vlad told them.
"Based on their track record and wide range of quirks, these four are the most logical choice to train your quirks in a short amount of time." Aizawa explained.
"Don't fall behind Class A! Let's go, Class B!" Vlad exclaimed to Class 1-B.
"Yes, sir!"
Midoriya fell onto the top, gasping for air, thinking, 'All Might endowed me with a quirk that was more than I deserved.'
"Goddamnit!" Sero facepalmed himself.
"When are you gonna get it through your thick skull that you are deserving of his power!" Kaminari poked Midoriya's forehead.
"Even though your really good at making plans and strategizing, your pretty dumb when it comes to your own quirk." Asui said bluntly.
"Young Midoriya, I have told you over and over that it wasn't just others that have helped you. You also earned this power through your own hard work." All Might explained.
"So stop doubting yourself, nerd! I'm sick of hearing your bullshit!" Bakugo yelled.
"O-Okay…" Midoriya choked, thinking, 'I really don't deserve friends like them!'
Midoriya picked himself up from the ground, screaming.
"All right, stretch and rip apart your weak quirk!" Tiger encouraged.
"Yessir!" Midoriya yelled.
Kota stood behind a tree, listening to Tiger and Midoriya.
After a long day of training, the two classes slumply made it back to the facility around sunset, Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll standing at a table of food ahead.
"Now, remember what I said yesterday? 'Today's the only day we'll be doing stuff for you'!" Pixie-Bob teased, Ragdoll pointing at the food.
"At least make your own food! Curry!" Ragdoll added.
"Yessir…" the two classes sighed.
"You all look exhausted!" Ragdoll laughed.
"Gee, I wonder why…" Jiro frowned.
"-you can make any old sloppy cat food!" Ragdoll continued laughing.
"It's true that part of rescuing someone is filling the stomachs and spirits of those exhausted during a disaster." Iida muttered.
"Iida, that's Midoriya's job." Sero told him.
"Midoriya's… job?" Iida questioned.
"You know, his muttering." Ashido explained.
"Y-Yeah…" Midoriya sighed.
"-the most delicious curry in the world, everyone!" Iida encouraged them all.
"Okay…"
'Iida's so useful.' Aizawa observed.
"Thank you, Aizawa Sensei!" Iida bowed to him.
"-we get fire over here, too?" Ashido asked Todoroki as they started cooking their food.
"Bakugo, use Explosion to light this." Sero turned to Bakugo.
"Like I would, sum!" Bakugo shouted, using his quirk to light up the hand-made stove only for it to blow apart, making ash.
"You know, Sero, Bakugo's quirk isn't made for that kind of stuff." Kirishima told him.
"I realize that." Sero nodded.
"No, it's fine." Todoroki told Yaoyorozu who was saying not to rely on others' quirks as he lit up another stove.
"Wow, thanks!" Uraraka cheered.
"Burn, burn, burn it up!" Ashido chanted.
"You can't burn it all up." Uraraka pointed out. Todoroki smiled a little before getting up.
"Aw!" Ashido and Uraraka gushed.
"How did I not see that?" Ashido exclaimed.
"-got this at a restaurant, I wouldn't be very happy, but in this situation, it's delicious!" Kirishima exclaimed while eating after they finished cooking.
"Don't say that! It's rude!" Sero told Kirishima.
"Yao-momo, you eat a lot, huh?" Ashido observed.
"Yes. My quirks turns lipids into various atoms to create things, so the more I eat, the more I can make." Yaoyorouzu explained.
"It's like poo." Sero pointed out.
"Apologize!" Jiro slapped Sero.
"I'm sorry!" Sero exclaimed.
"It is though, right?" Sero exclaimed while Jiro glared at him.
"I suppose…" Yaoyorozu sighed.
Kota started walking away from the facility as Mandalay called, "Kota, it's time for dinner! Kota!"
Midoriya noticed Kota walking away, thinking, 'Kota…'
Kota sat down over a cliffside, watching the night sky as his stomach rumbled.
"You're hungry, aren't you? You can eat this curry." Midoriya called, walking to where he sat, carrying a plate of curry.
"You…! How'd you find this place?" Kota shouted angrily at Midoriya.
"Oh, sorry. I followed your footsteps… I thought maybe you'd want something to eat…" Midoriya confessed.
"I'm fine. I don't need any. I told you, didn't I? I don't intend to hang out with you. Get out of my secret hideout!" Kota scuffed.
Midoriya looked around the place, muttering, "A secret hideout, huh?"
"Getting all into trying to improve your quirks. It's gross. You want to show off your power that badly?" Kota spat.
Midoriya looked down at the ground. "Your parents… Could they be Water Hose? With the water quirks?"
Kota gasped before demanding, "Did Mandalay tell you?!"
"Oh, no, um, uh…" Midoriya uttered, before saying, "Sorry!"
"I may not have handled that well…" Midoriya rubbed his neck.
"You do have a tendency to try and help others, even if they don't ask for it." Todoroki pointed out.
"Y-Yeah…" Midoriya winced.
"But… thanks…" Todoroki muttered.
Midoriya glanced at Todoroki. 'Todoroki…'
"Shut up." Kota looked away from Midoriya, explaining, "Everyone's crazy… Calling each other stupid names like 'hero' and 'villain' and killing each other… Talking about quirks and stuff… It's because they're all showing off that it ended up like that… Stupid…"
'It's not just heroes… Kota hates quirks… and the superhuman society itself…' Midoriya thought.
"What is it? If there's nothing else, then go away!" Kota glared at Midoriya.
"Well, um… my, uh… friend…" Midoriya stuttered before saying, "My friend… couldn't inherit any quirks from his parents…"
"Huh?" Kota questioned.
"It's a hereditary thing, and apparently it's rare but does happen… But he admired heroes and wanted to become one, but you can't be one these days without a quirk… My friend couldn't accept that for a long time and practiced…" Midoriya explained.
Younger Midoriya tried making a couch move to him.
"Trying to draw objects to him…"
Blowing air from his mouth.
"...and breathe fire…"
"This is so inspirational…!" Kirishima whispered, shaking his fist as he tried not to cry.
"How? He's just trying to do something he already couldn't." Bakugo wondered.
"But he never gave up!" Uraraka turned to Bakugo.
"-I don't know if this'll apply to everyone, but if you reject it that much, then it'll just make it more painful for you. Um, so…" Midoriya continued.
"Just shut up! Get out of here!" Kota yelled.
"Sorry. I'm just rambling… I'll leave the curry here." Midoriya apologized, placing down the plate and turning to walk away. Kota looked down at the plate Midoriya placed down.
"Shut up… All of you…" Kota muttered, clenching his fist.
Around the cliffside, a dent was made in the rock, a dark spot around it.
"That's…" Jiro widened her eyes.
"...water." Yaoyorozu finished.
Toga fixed a mask over her mouth and nose.
'Is it starting already?!' the class thought.
"I mean, I don't like this. It's not cute." Toga complained.
"This was orchestrated by the designer behind the scenes, right? Appearances don't matter as long as it makes sense." a kid in a gas mask explained.
"I'm not talking about that. I just don't want to wear this." Toga whined, waving her arms around.
"Hi! Sorry for the wait." someone wearing sunglasses apologized, carrying a thick pole.
"Work… work…" someone with black clothes covering everything but his mouth uttered while a lizard guy smoothed out his hair.
"That makes seven." Dabi grinned.
"I don't care, just let me at 'em. I'm getting too pumped up." the man with the black blothing and white mask groaned.
"Shut up, you crazy bastards. Not yet…" Dabi hushed them, explaining, "We'll move when all ten of us are here. Gathering a bunch of punks who are just strong will only increase the risk. It's better to have a small group of experienced elites."
In the facility building, Aizawa and Vlad talked to each other in a room while Dabi continued.
"First, we make them realize…"
In the girls room, all of them were asleep, cards spread on the floor.
"...that their peace is resting in our hands."
In the boys room, every guy asleep.
Information about Iida appears.
"Midoriya, pause for a moment." Aizawa instructed, getting in front of the class. Once the TV was paused, Aizawa began saying, "All right. I know you kids want to watch this My Hero Academia thing, but I know some of you might be traumatized by watching. So, I'm going to say this one more time: If you feel like you can't handle watching, then you can go back to your dorm rooms. Okay?"
"Yes, sir!"
"So, everyone's okay with watching?" Aizawa asked, seeing no one move.
"Aizawa Sensei, if I may, even though we know this is a scary part of our lives to see, we'll help comfort those who feel frightened. That's why Koda brought his rabbit down." Yaoyorozu explained.
"And I'll comfort Bakugo if he needs it!" Kirishima agreed, wrapping his arm around Bakugo.
"Shove off…" Bakugo shoved him away.
"Besides, being part of a hero is to overcome these experiences." Sato stated.
"All right then, continue at your own risk…" Aizawa sighed, making it back to his seat.
Information on Asui appears.
"Ribbit…" Asui smiled.
Koda screamed at the top of a hill while Sato, Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido, stood somewhere nearby, dozing off.
"Hey, extra lessons group, don't stop." Aizawa ordered, pulling up Kirishima with his scarf.
"Got it!" Kirishima mustered.
"Sorry, I'm kind of sleepy…" Ashido said hazily.
"I didn't think yesterday's extra lesson… would go until 2 a.m." Sero groaned.
"And we started at 7 a.m…." Sato added sleepily.
"I told you it'd be tough." Aizawa sighed.
"Kaminari's little drawing of Aizawa though…" Ojiro chuckled.
"-your quirks. Above all, you need to work on the weaknesses that were exposed during the final exams! Think carefully about why you're more tired than your classmates before you move.
"Y-Yes, sir…"
Turning around to see Uraraka and Aoyama, Aizawa said, "Uraraka! Aoyama! You two should, too. You didn't fail, but you were close. If 30 points was passing, you were at about 35."
"Ah, we barely made it…" Uraraka jumped.
"How unexpected." Aoyama sighed from coming out of the bathroom.
"But, since you did technically pass, I didn't include you in the extra lessons." Aizawa shrugged, adding, "But I was close…"
"Y-Yes, sir…" Uraraka and Aoyama sighed.
"-what you're doing, you should always be aware of where you came from. That's what it means to improve. Always keep in mind why you're sweating, and why you keep getting nagged." Aizawa explained.
'Where I came from…' Bakugo gritted his teeth as he stared at his reflection in the water.
'Where I came from…' Todoroki widened his eyes.
'Where I came from…!' Midoriya gasped. Walking over to Aizawa, Midoriya observed, "That reminds me, Aizawa Sensei, it's already the third day…"
"What did I just say? Don't just walk over here like that." Aizawa told him.
"Is All Might… I mean, are the other teachers coming?" Midoriya asked.
"Like I said before the training camp, in order to keep the villains from finding out where we were, we kept the number of people to the absolute minimum." Aizawa explained.
"That backfired fast…" Aizawa whispered to himself.
"-a training camp with the four of us!" Ragdoll called.
"And especially since we believe All Might is one of the villains' targets, we can't have him here. For better or for worse, that's what happens, since he stands out so much… Hmph." Aizawa sighed, walking away.
'Seems like there's a lot more of the 'for worse' part…' Midoriya thought as he watched Aizawa.
"Yeah…" All Might nodded.
Midoriya clenched his fist, thinking, 'I see. All Might isn't coming, huh?'
"That's what Aizawa Sensei just said!" Sero exclaimed.
"-everyone, tonight… we'll have a test of courage with the classes pitted against each other! After training hard, you can play hard! The carrot on the stick!" Pixie-Bob announced.
The class gulped. 'This is it…'
Hagakure hugged her stuffed animal tighter.
"Oh, I forgot." Kendo muttered.
"I hate scary things…" Jiro sighed.
"Revelry in the dark…" Tokoyami whispered.
"They're letting us do the typical training camp stuff, too, huh?" someone from Class 1-B commented while Monoma chuckled next to him.
"I like the part where were 'pitted against each other'..." Monoma sighed.
"Of course he would…" Ashido sighed.
"-right now!" Pixie-Bob encouraged them to do their best.
"Yessir!"
"Where I came from… All Might…" Midoriya muttered.
"Hey. Where's your 'Plus Ultra'?" Tiger narrowed his eyes at Midoriya.
"R-Right!" Midoriya exclaimed.
"Midoriya, watch the camera!" Kaminari exclaimed as Midoriya got close to the screen.
"Bakugo, you're really good at using a knife! It's unexpected…" Uraraka commented as Bakugo cutted up salmon.
"What do you mean, unexpected? How can you be bad at using a knife!" Bakugo yelled at her.
"There he is. We haven't seen the capable version of him in a while." Kaminari commented.
"Everyone's so energetic…" Kirishima sighed.
"We were excited about that 'test of courage' thing…" Yaoyorozu sighed.
"I wish I could've been there…" Kirishima bended his knees, resting his chin on them.
"-Might or something? You asked Aizawa Sensei about him, didn't you?" Todoroki asked Midoriya about needing something from All Might.
"Yeah… um… I did, about Kota…" Midoriya admitted.
"Kota? Who's that?" Todoroki questioned.
"Huh? That kid… You know, Mandalay's cousin's, um…" Midoriya said while looking around, adding, "Huh? He's gone again."
'Maybe he's at his hideout… He really hates being around us, huh?' Midoriya thought as he put some logs under a stove, explaining, "That kid hates heroes-I mean, he hates the whole quirk-based superhuman society in general, and I couldn't say anything to help him. I was just wondering what All Might would've said to him…"
"Well, since that Kota kid hates heroes, he probably wouldn't have let All Might speak." Asui thought out loud.
"Yeah, probably…" Midoriya sighed.
"-it does!" Midoriya muttered.
"To have some stranger trying to reason with you would just be annoying, right? What's important is what actions he took or is taking. If the words are going to move someone by themselves, they have to be pretty powerful. I think words have to be accompanied by action…" Todoroki explained to Midoriya.
'It was because it was none other than the timid, quirkless you at the scene that I was able to act. You can become a hero.'
"That's right. It's just as you say… I'm just a stranger. How can I say anything to him?" Midoriya smiled softly.
"I don't know what you want to do with him, but I don't think you should keep poking your nose in a delicate situation. You have no qualms about breaking through that kind of stuff, even though you don't seem like the type." Todoroki explained.
"Sorry about that…" MIdoriya said nervously.
"Come on, Todoroki, don't give him the cold shoulder." Kaminari elbowed him.
"But, Todoroki is right." Midoriya said nervously.
"Looking at his childhood, I'd agree." Tokoyami nodded.
"Would you even call that a childhood?" Ojiro asked.
"Can we just watch…" Todoroki told them.
"-the best stew and potato stew!" Iida vowed, piling potatoes.
Night time came, the classes standing in the forest as Pixie-Bob announced, "Now, we've filled our bellies and washed the dishes! Next…"
"...it's time for the test of courage!" Ashido cheered.
"We're gonna test it!" Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari and Sato cheered.
"Before that, it pains me to say this, but the extra lessons group will be having class with me now." Aizawa explained.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Ashido gasped in horror.
"Sorry. Your training during the day wasn't good enough, so I have to use this time." Aizawa said as he dragged the five away.
"Give us a break! Let us be tested!" the five protested as they got dragged away from the others while Pixie-Bob explained how Class 1-B will try and scare Class 1-A first.
"Revelry in the dark…" Tokoyami muttered.
'He said it again.' Uraraka thought.
"I'm starting to get nervous already…" Uraraka rubbed her arms.
"You can hide behind me if you want." Asui offered.
"-how scary you are with your quirks." Pixie-Bob continued.
"The class that makes the most people piss their pants with creativity and imagination wins!" Tiger added.
"D-Do the villains that attacked us count…?" Mineta asked nervously.
"They're trying to make us refine our ideas by making us compete with each other, giving us more options for our quirks in the process! As expected of U.A.!" Iida exclaimed.
"Now, you'll draw lots to determine your partners!" Pixie-Bob announced, holding slips of paper.
"If we're two to a team… Huh? Since there are twenty with five at extra lessons…" Midoriya muttered, holding a slip of paper.
'1st Team: Tokoyami and Shoji'
'2nd Team: Bakugo and Todoroki'
'3rd Team: Jiro and Hagakure'
'4th Team: Yaoyorozu and Aoyama'
'5th Team: Uraraka and Asui'
'6th Team: Ojiro and Mineta'
'7th Team: Iida and Koda'
'8th Team: Midoriya'
"A-At least you were supposed to go last…" Yaoyorozu smiled awkwardly.
"-five at extra lessons…" Midoriya muttered again, going through the teams, realizing, 'There's an extra person! There's an extra person! And it's me…'
"We drew lots… Someone had to have this fate…" Ojiro tried to comfort Midoriya before someone grabbed his shoulder.
Ojiro turned around, seeing Bakugo glare at him.
"Hey, Tail! Switch with me!" Bakugo demanded, pointing behind him at Todoroki.
"Aoyama… Please switch with me!" Mineta pleaded with him while Aoyama shook his head.
"Hey, I said switch with me!" Bakugo shouted at Ojiro.
"What'd you call me?" Ojiro asked Bakugo.
"Again, at least it's better than 'Dunce Face'." Kaminari patted Ojiro's back.
'12 minutes later'
Screams went out all over the forest.
"Okay, the fifth team! Ribbit-kitty, Uraraka-kitty, go!" Pixie-Bob announced.
"It… It's around this time…" Uraraka shivered as Koda's rabbit landed in her lap.
"There are so many screams…" Uraraka shivered next to Asui.
"Kyoka and Toru, huh?" Asui questioned. Holding her hand out, Asui suggested, "Let's hold hands. It's fine, I'm not scared. Let's go."
Uraraka took the offer, and held her hand.
A girl with black hair stood in the forest as someone laughed. Kendo and her classmate popped out from a bush.
"Kodai, you scared everyone so far!" the classmate chuckled to the black-haired girl.
"You're really pulling yourself out there, Yui!" Kendo held a thumbs up to Kodai.
"Yeah." Kodai nodded.
"Bakugo and Todoroki were so funny!" the other guy laughed again.
Going back a few minutes, Bakugo and Todoroki walked to where the three were. As they continued, Kodai's head stuck up from the ground, making Bakugo and Todoroki go, "Oh."
Ashido and Kaminari let out a small chuckle before bracing themselves.
"What was that 'Oh'?" the guy laughed, the words, 'Juzo Honenuki- Quirk: Softening' appearing.
"Hey, doesn't it smell a little like something's burning?" Kendo questioned as faint purple gas started appearing where they were.
"Huh? Now that you mention it, it suddenly got smoky… Did Bakugo and Todoroki get so scared they fired off their quirks…?" Honenuki started before fainting.
"Honenuki?!" Kendo exclaimed as he fell to the ground. Gasping, Kendo expanded her hand to cover Kodai, exclaiming, "Yui! Don't breathe in!"
Looking around, Kendo thought to herself, 'This smoke… It's poisonous!'
Pixie-Bob sniffed the air, muttering, "What's this burnt smell…?"
"That's…" Midoriya whispered.
"Black smoke…" Mineta noticed as smoke rose from a part of the forest.
"Is something burning?" Iida asked.
"Could there be a fire on the mountain?!" Ojiro widened his eyes before showing Dabi creating blue fire from his hands.
"Now… it begins…" Dabi grinned.
A pink aura surrounded Pixie-Bob as she started moving away from the others, exclaiming, "Wh-What is this?!"
"Pixie-Bob!" Mandalay called.
A gas mask villain surrounded themselves with purple gas, Dabi continuing, "Take them down."
Asui and Uraraka walked through the woods, Toga watching nearby.
"The false brilliance of the title of 'hero'..."
The black clothed villain walked sluggish through the forest.
"We, the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains, will condemn them."
Pixie-Bob laid unconscious with the thick pole on her head.
"Those pet cats are in the way." a villain sighed.
Mineta backed up slowly, uttering, "Wh-Why…? I thought they made doubly sure… Why are there villains here?!"
"Pixie-Bob!" Midoriya exclaimed, running towards her before Tiger stopped him.
"Oh, no!" Mandalay whispered beside Tiger. Midoriya looked at the others before gasping.
"Kota!" Midoriya exclaimed.
Kota overlooked the scene at his hideout, a black figure moving from the shadows toward Kota.
Ending plays.
"I-I'm not sure if I should be relieved to see the ending or scared for what might happen to Kota…!" Ashido shook her head.
"If we watch, we'll find out…" Yaoyorozu told her.
"I'm not sure if I want to watch more…" Jiro shivered.
"Then you wimps can leave, I wanna see myself looking badass." Bakugo spat.
"It's not the time for that, Bakugo." Asui turned to him.
"Like I said, if you're too traumatized, you can go." Aizawa reminded them.
"We'll be fine, because anyway, the disc won't come out until we finish." Sero sighed.
"But if you're scared, I can make you a pillow to hide behind." Yaoyorozu offered.
"Okay!"
Chapter 49: My Hero
A recap of Kota's hatred for heroes, then the opening.
"It… It's about to begin…" Uraraka shook her fists.
"Yaoyorozu…" Mineta tapped her leg, asking, "C-Can I take your offer on that pillow…?"
"Of course." Yaoyorozu nodded, a pillow coming from her leg as it landed next to Mineta before he grabbed it, squeezing.
Kota sat in his hideout place.
"But you know what, Kota? I'm sure there will be a day where you will meet someone, and then you'll understand. Someone who will risk their life to save you… Someone who will be…" Mandalay's voice echoed in Kota's head.
"There's no way anyone like that exists…" Kota gritted his teeth.
"Since Midoriya ran off to go find him…" Ojiro rubbed his chin.
A black clothed figure moved from the shadows towards Kota.
In the clearing, Mineta, Ojiro, Iida, Koda and Midoriya backed up behind Tiger and Mandalay.
"Why…? Why are there villains here?!" Mineta uttered.
"Pixie-Bob!" Midoriya exclaimed, running towards her before Tiger stopped him.
"Oh, no!" Mandalay whispered beside Tiger. Midoriya looked at the others before gasping.
"Kota!" Midoriya exclaimed.
'5 Minutes Earlier'
"Aw, we wanted our courage tested, too…" Ashido complained as she, Kaminari, Sato, Sero, and Kirishima walked with Aizawa.
"Didn't she say there was a carrot and a stick? Where's the carrot?" Kirishima whined.
"I'd even take salty licorice… give us a treat, Aizawa Sensei…" Kaminari pleaded.
"Salty licorice is delicious." Aizawa objected.
"Seriously…?" Jiro gagged a little.
"I find it tasty as well." Tokoyami told them, adding, "Though, I eat it occasionally."
"-behave during an emergency." Aizawa explained their lesson.
"Good for what's going to happen soon…" Kaminari squeezed himself.
"-behind the others, then the difference between you will grow larger. In a broad sense this is also a kind of 'treat'. Like a mint-flavored one." Aizawa explained.
"But mint tastes good…" Kirishima sighed.
The door to a classroom slid open, Monoma inside gasping.
"Oh, that's weird! Even though Class A is supposed to be better, there were five people who failed? Even though there was only one person from Class B? That's so weird!" Monoma laughed.
"Just how mentally strong are you?!" Kaminari shouted.
As Monoma continued laughing, the five of them took a seat, Kirishima muttering, "He said the same thing trying to provoke us yesterday."
"I'd like to know what his mental state is." Ashido whispered.
"Maybe I should ask Kendo tomorrow." Ashido thought out loud.
"-maneuvers this time." Aizawa told Vlad.
"I was thinking about that, too. You don't have to tell me that-" Vlad agreed before Mandalay's voice echoed, "Everyone!"
"It's Mandalay's Telepath." Kirishima pointed out.
"I like this. It makes me jump." Ashido smiled.
"I wasn't prepared for the next Telepath…" Ashido shivered.
"You can hold my hand if you want, Mina." Asui stretched her hand out to Ashido, who took the offer.
"We're being attacked by two villains! It's possible that there are more! Everyone who can move, get back to camp immediately! Even if you come across the enemy, retreat and do not engage!" Mandalay's Telepath echoed.
"Huh? Why are there villains here…?" Monoma uttered when the Telepath finished.
"Vlad, I'm leaving this place to you. I'll go protect the other students!" Aizawa told Vlad before dashing off down a hall. As he ran, Aizawa thought, 'I don't want to think about what could happen…'
When Aizawa made it outside, he stopped, looking at the blue fire and smoke before him.
"This is bad…" Aizawa gritted his teeth.
"Is your worry taking precedence, Eraser?" Dabi appeared next to Aizawa, raising his hand, blue flames appearing.
"Vla-" Aizawa called before the flames bursted out, shooting at Aizawa.
The class gasped in horror.
"Don't get in the way, pro hero. You guys aren't the ones we want." Dabi grinned.
In the clearing, one villain held Pixie-Bob down with his large pole that she brought while the lizard villain stood beside her.
"How are you this evening, U.A. High School?" the lizard villain announced.
"It's not going to show what happened to Aizawa Sensei?!" Sato exclaimed.
"I'm here, so I'm fine." Aizawa hushed him.
"-League of Villains?! Why are they here…?" Ojiro gaped.
"Shall I crush this girl's head? What d'you think? Well, what do you think?" the one with the pole teased.
"Like I'd let you, you-" Tiger was about to move before the lizard villain stopped him.
"Wait up, Big Sis Mag! Don't be hasty." the villain told the other. Glancing at Tiger, he added, "You too, Tiger. Calm down. It all depends on whether having power over life and death follows Stain's tenets or not."
"Stain…!" Midoriya narrowed his eyes.
"So you're the ones his ideology brought?" Iida gritted his teeth.
"That's right! I'm-" the lizard villain cheered, pausing, pointing at Iida saying, "Oh yeah, you, with the glasses! You were the one who brought about the end of Stain at Hosu City. I apologize for the late introduction."
Grabbing the huge sword behind his back, the villain continued, "I'm Spinner, the one who will spin his dreams into reality!"
"So… Is he just a fan of Stain, or is he doing the whole 'Kill all fakes' thing?" Kaminari asked.
"You seriously are asking that?" Jiro glared at him.
"I-I'm just curious!" Kaminari defended himself.
"-started worrying about getting married recently. She was doing her best to find happiness as a woman, despite her age. You can't damage that woman's face and then just stand there laughing thoughtlessly about it!" Tiger explained angrily, talking about Pixie-Bob.
"So, that must have been what she meant by 'suitable age'..." Yaoyorozu uttered.
"-like the average person?!" Spinner shouted about happiness, running for Mandalay and Tiger.
"Tiger! I've broadcasted instructions. Leave the safety of the other students to Ragdoll. The two of us will hold them back here!" Mandalay explained. Looking back at Midoriya, Iida, Mineta, Koda and Ojiro, Mandalay exclaimed, "Go, everyone! Listen carefully. Do not fight. Class rep, you're in charge!"
"Understood! Let's go!" Iida nodded as he started running, Koda, Mineta and Ojiro following. Iida turned his head to see Midoriya not following, yelling, "Midoriya!"
"Go on ahead!" Midoriya told them.
"What are you saying?!" Ojiro questioned.
"Midoriya!" Iida yelled again.
"Mandalay!" Midoriya called out. Mandalay turned her head to glance at Midoriya as he explained, "I know where he is!"
Purple gas surrounded the forest, Kendo trying her hardest not to breathe it in as she carried Kodai and Honenuki with her quirk.
"Kendo!"
Kendo turned to the sound behind her, seeing Tetsutetsu carrying Shiozaki with masks on.
"Tetsutetsu! Ibara! What's with those masks?" Kendo muffled.
"Yaoyorozu from Class A was nearby and made them for us!" Tetsutetsu explained.
"Quick thinking." Aizawa nodded.
"-her the locations of Class B so they can go rescue them!" Tetsutetsu continued. Tetsutetsu showed Kendo some gas masks wrapped around his waist, offering, "Take one! We got a bunch!"
"Thanks!" Kendo thanked him, taking one for her and Kodai. Once she put the gas mask on, Kendo explained, "We need to get back to camp. It's dangerous out here since we don't know where the villains are."
"No, I'm going to fight, too." Tetsutetsu shook his head.
"So, it wasn't just Midoriya, huh?" Aizawa observed.
"What happened to Young Midoriya?" All Might asked Aizawa.
"It'll most likely show you." Aizawa sighed.
"-not to fight!" Kendo exclaimed to Tetsutetsu.
"You're always rebuking Monoma, but didn't you feel it in your heart somewhere? The difference between our class and Class A? I've been feeling it! We got into U.A. with the same exam, studying the same curriculum. What's the difference? It's obvious! What they had that we didn't… crisis! They turned their crisis into chances! It's only natural! How can a hero turn his back on wrongdoers?" Tetsutetsu explained to Kendo.
"Tetsutetsu!" Kendo gaped.
"Don't try to stop me, Kendo. Hero course Class 1-B! If we don't stand now, then when will we? I'll definitely find the villains and beat the living daylights out of them!" Tetsutetsu vowed, making his arm steel.
"That was so manly!" Kirishima exclaimed.
"He does have a point, but it's not like we're looking for trouble…!" Sero sighed.
"Kota! Can you hear my Telepath? Hurry up and come back to camp! I'm sorry I don't know where you usually go off to… I'm sorry, Kota! I can't go save you! Come back as soon as you can!" Mandalay's Telepath echoed. While it echoed, Kota was backing away from the villain with the white mask and black cloak.
"I tried searching somewhere with a nice view, and I ended up finding a face not on our list." the guy with the mask explained.
'On… On our list?!' the class panicked.
Kota trembled in fear while the villain continued.
"Hey, buy the way, you've got a nice hat there, kid. Trade with me for this lame mask. They made me wear this toy since I'm new, saying they couldn't get the shipment in time or something."
The villain started removing the white mask before Kota started running away, screaming.
"Oh, hey." the villain called, throwing the mask away before jumping in front of Kota. Muscles started appearing around his arm as he grinned, "Let me get a shot in to cheer up! Come on."
Kota gasped in horror, a memory starting of him sitting in front of a TV.
"Water Hose… They were wonderful heroes. But the couple's bright lives were cut short by a single cruel criminal. The suspect is still on the run, and police and heroes are on his trail."
"You…" Kota gasped at the villain.
"The suspect's quirk is a simple power-type, and he is very dangerous. If you see this face, contact the police or a hero immediately…"
Kota was on the verge of tears, watching at the villain as the reporter's words echoed, "In addition, the suspect is thought to have sustained an injury on his left eye from his fight with Water Hose earlier…"
"Papa…! Mama…!" Kota uttered as the villains raised his fist, about to bring it down on Kota when a flash of green got Kota out of the way, showing Midoriya.
"Yeah, Midoriya!" some of the class cheered while the others let out a sigh.
"So, that's the villain that killed his parents…" Yaoyorozu muttered.
"Wait… Midoriya, can you pause?" Kirishima exclaimed, getting everyone's attention while Kaminari stopped shaking Midoriya.
"If that villain killed two pro heroes, how the hell did you stop him?" Kirishima asked.
"You ran away, right?" Uraraka asked Midoriya.
"His arms were broken, so no." Aizawa answered.
"If you want to know, then watch!" Iida exclaimed, Midoriya pressing play.
Midoriya's phone cracked, flying in the air while Kota and Midoriya rolled on the ground. Midoriya coughed before glancing back at the villain.
"Why…?" Kota asked as Midoriya picked himself up.
"Hm? You were on the list." the villain hummed.
"Don't touch our broccoli boy!" Kaminari glared at the TV.
'-from coming into contact with a villain… I can't believe a villain ended up right here!' Midoriya narrowed his eyes. Glancing at his phone, Midoriya thought, 'Damn it, my cellphone broke from that just now. I came here without telling anyone… Which means, I can't hope for any reinforcements like last time… There's just me… just me…'
The villain started walking towards Midoriya and Kota.
'I have to do something about this villain by myself… Can I do it while protecting Kota at the same time…?' Midoriya continued thinking, glancing back at Kota, but seeing Kota's eyes filled with tears, Midoriya gritted his teeth, thinking, 'No, I can't think like that. I just have to do it. Right now, with the power I have!'
Midoriya glowed with One for All, whispering to Kota, "It's… It's going to be okay, Kota. I'll definitely save you!"
Information on Midoriya appeared.
"Not now!" Uraraka exclaimed.
Information on Todoroki appeared.
"Like she said, 'Not now'!" Ashido agreed.
Through the forest, Bakugo; covering his mouth, and Todoroki walked, Todoroki carrying Tsuburaba on his back.
"Damn it…!" Bakugo breathed.
"Damn it indeed. What happened to Midoriya and Kota?!" Kaminari exclaimed.
"-worried about the others, but we have no choice. We'll avoid the finish line and get back to camp. Let's leave this to Ragdoll, who's at the halfway point." Todoroki told Bakugo.
"Don't tell me what to d-" Bakugo groaned before they both gasped.
The villain with the black clothing around him bent over a hand laying on the ground.
"Someone there? That's… Hey, who was in front of us?" Bakugo uttered to Todoroki.
"Tokoyami and… Shoji." Todoroki answered.
"Wh-What happened…?!" Ojiro asked Tokoyami and Shoji.
"That villain…" Shoji whispered, raising his right hands.
"...cut off one of Shoji's hands." Tokoyami finished while the class stared at them in horror.
"-I have to work… I was captivated… Oh, no… what beautiful flesh… Oh, don't tempt me… I have a job to do…" the villain uttered, getting up and glancing back at Todoroki and Bakugo.
Bakugo removed the hand over his mouth and nose, grinning, "Don't fight?"
In the clearing, Mandalay and Tiger were with the two villains, Spinner yelling as he fought, "You fake heroes who only care about themselves are targets to be purged!"
Spinner swung his huge sword at Mandalay, who dodged out of the way, activating her Telepath, echoing, "Spinner, even though you're a villain, you're pretty cool. Your face is my type."
"Huh?" Spinner uttered.
"What the- Oh… that's dirty…" Kaminari nodded as Mandalay took Spinner's pause as an opening.
"That was a dirty trick, you harlot!" Spinner shouted as Mandalay started glowing with the same pink aura Pixie-Bob had, heading for Mag.
"Come here, pet kitty." Mag hummed before Tiger shoved Mag out of the way, the pink aura around Mandalay disappearing.
"I won't fall for the same thing twice!" Tiger vowed. Mandalay fell to the ground while Tiger dueled with Mag.
"Kenji Hikiishi. Villain name: Magne. Nine counts of aggravated robbery, three murders, and 29 attempted murders!" Tiger monologues while fighting. Tiger sent an uppercut that Magne stopped.
"Oh my, am I famous?" Magne teased.
"What did you come here for, criminal?" Tiger demanded.
"Tiger, something's off! I still haven't gotten a response from Ragdoll! Normally, she would have replied right away." Mandalay told Tiger.
Magne grinned. "Oh my…"
The place Ragdoll was, blood littered the grass.
"I wonder why that is…" Magne hummed.
"R-Ragdoll…" Midoriya gaped while the class stared in horror.
Back at Kota's hideout, the villain laughed, "You'll definitely save him? That sounds just like what someone who wants to be a hero would say. Your kind show up everywhere, talking about justice."
Midoriya took a step closer to Kota as the villain continued.
"You're the one called Midoriya, right? This is perfect. We were told to take the initiative and kill you."
"What did I say?!" Kaminari cried, hugging Midoriya.
"Is that what that list is…?" Yaoyorozu gaped.
"I wonder how many were on that…" Jiro shivered.
"-show me your blood!" the villain shouted, throwing off his cloak, his right arm covered in muscles.
'He's coming!' Midoriya thought as the villain jumped towards him. Midoriya lifted his arm up to block his face as the villain punched him, sending him flying into the wall.
"Deku!" Uraraka exclaimed.
"Whoops. I almost forgot. If you know, tell me… where's the kid called Bakugo?" the villain asked.
The class tensed, Koda's rabbit next to Bakugo.
Midoriya narrowed his eyes at the villain. 'Kacchan?!'
"I still have to do my job." the villain said before jumping to where Midoriya was. He jumped out of the way of the villain's attack, his arm twisted up.
'They're after Kacchan?! Why?' Midoriya gritted his teeth in pain.
"Can I take that as an 'I don't know'? I can, right?" the villain smirked.
"More like an 'I won't tell', 'cause you didn't, right?" Kirishima asked Midoriya.
"Why would I?!" Midoriya shouted.
Midoriya fell to the ground after the villain kicked him into the wall, blood running down his face.
"Blood! This is great! It's what I wanted! This is so fun! What'd you say earlier? That you'd definitely save him? Why are you running away? You're so weird!" the villain laughed.
'That muscle-like quirk is so fast… so strong…! I can't think about Kacchan right now…!' Midoriya thought as he struggled picking himself up.
'If I hadn't broken my arms…' Midoriya thought, gritting his teeth.
'I have to focus! Focus on the enemy in front of me!' Midoriya thought while the villain walked towards him. He powered One for All, punching the villain in the gut.
"What? That's your quirk?" the villain observed, blocking Midoriya's punch with his muscled arm as he continued.
"You're pretty fast, but not nearly strong enough!" the villain threw Midoriya away from him, explaining, "My quirk lets me power-up my muscles! I increase my speed and strength by increasing the amount of muscle fibers so much they can't be contained by my skin! What am I trying to say? I'm bragging! In other words, you are a completely inferior version of me!"
The villain jumped at Midoriya, who jumped out of the way only to get hit by a rock the villain sent up when he punched the ground.
"Do you understand how I feel? I can't help but laugh!" the villain grinned, punching Midoriya to the ground, laughing, "You'll definitely save him? How'll you do that? Don't just spout lip service you can't actually pull off!"
"Run! Run away with Kota! Please! I can't bear watching anymore!" Ashido cried while squeezing Asui's hand. Koda's rabbit snuggled next to Ashido while Mineta squeezed the pillow Yaoyorozu made.
The villain glanced behind him, looking at Kota after a rock was thrown at his neck.
"Water Hose… Papa… Mama… Did you torment them like that, too, before you killed them?" Kota demanded. Midoriya gaped, looking at Kota as the villain turned to face Kota.
"Huh? Seriously? Your parents were heroes? This must be fate! Water Hose… It's thanks to them that my left eye is an artificial eye now." the villain explained, pointing to his eye.
"It's your fault… It's because of guys like you that it always, always turns out like this!" Kota yelled.
"Kids are always shifting the blame like that. That's no good. It's not like I have a grudge about this eye or anything, you know. I just wanted to kill. And those two wanted to stop me. It was the result of all of us doing what we wanted. What's wrong is wanting to do something you are unable to do. Like your mommy and daddy!" the villain explained, jumping for Kota.
The ground dented from where Midoriya was, making the villain glance behind him.
"Which means, you're coming now aren't you, you piece of trash!" the villain yelled at Midoriya.
"You're the one who's wrong!" Midoriya yelled back, lodging his arm in between the villain's muscle and skin, adding, "I got him! Now it doesn't matter how fast he is!"
"And then what? You gonna punch me with that weak arm of yours?" the villain teased.
"It's not a matter of whether or not I can do it! A hero's job is to risk his life to make the lip service into reality!" Midoriya yelled as Kota watched.
'What…?' the villain gaped.
Part of Midoriya's shirt started ripping off as he thought, 'One for All 100%!'
'He's different from earlier…' the villain widened his eyes.
'Smash…!'
A huge blast went off, dust covering the three of them. Kota blocked the dust from his face until he was blown away, over the cliffside. He gaped, about to scream before a tug came from his shirt, Midoriya holding him by his teeth.
"Mi… Midoriya…" Iida gaped before shouting at him, "You should've told us where you were going! We might have been able to help! You…"
"Iida… Iida… I know you're worried, but please calm down." Yaoyorozu told Iida, Koda's rabbit hopping over to Iida.
"Sorry… I just worry about you all." Iida apologized, stroking the rabbit.
"But man… That was awesome…" Kirishima sighed.
"Shit!" Sero exclaimed, turning everyone's attention back to the TV.
Midoriya glanced behind him in horror to see the villain awake and moving.
'No way… It can't be… I was at 100%...' Midoriya thought as he watched the villain.
"Now, it's time to run!" Hagakure jumped.
"Run Deku, run! Take Kota and run!" Uraraka shook Midoriya.
"Well… That's not exactly what happened yet…" Midoriya admitted.
"Yet?!" the class gaped.
"-too obvious. But that wasn't bad, Midoriya!" the villain commented, starting to walk over to him and Kota.
"G-Get away!" Midoriya choked out.
"Naw, I feel like attacking now, all of a sudden." the villain objected.
'It's no good! What should I do?' Midoriya gritted his teeth.
"What you should've done is ran with Kota. Because if you remember what the chief of police told you, then you would've run the first time." Aizawa explained.
"R-Right…" Midoriya sighed.
"-Villains after?" Midoriya asked the villain.
"How should I know? I just want to fight. As long as I can stretch my wings and unleash my quirk, I don't care." the villain shrugged, reaching into his pocket as he continued, "Do you remember? Up until just now, we were just playing? I said so, didn't I? 'Let's play'? Right? I said! But I'm done. Playtime's over. 'Cause you're pretty strong. Now, I'm gonna look at you seriously."
The villain put something over his left eye while Midoriya bent down to Kota, instructing, "Kota, grab on, quickly!"
The villain wrapped his upper body in muscles and jumped for Midoriya. Kota climbed onto Midoriya, who jumped out of the way as soon as the villain punched the ground where he once was, making the ground quake a little.
'It doesn't even compare to earlier! His speed and his power… He was just playing…! He was really just toying with me as he tried to kill me!' Midoriya glanced back as he flew in the air. The villain jumped for him again, punching the wall, sending Midoriya and Kota to the ground.
"Aw, damn it, I got too excited." the villain said as he tried getting his arm out of the wall. Kota fell off of Midoriya's back as they landed on the ground.
Midoriya picked himself up, planning, 'If I get back to camp, then Aizawa Sensei should be there.'
"Is he though?! What happened with him and that Dabi villain?" Hagakure exclaimed.
"Aizawa Sensei is fine. The villain was actually not even the real thing, a clone really." Ojiro explained.
"But what about Midoriya?!" Kaminari added.
'-as far as the camp without getting caught?
Impossible.
You're still tired from the training.
Don't think!
If you show your back to the enemy in this state, then you'll just become prey.
You have no choice but to fight and win right here, right now! This is the only path you can take, Izuku Midoriya! You're gonna save him, right?! Remember where you came from!' Midoriya thought, the war in his head ending.
"Stay back, Kota. And then, when it hits, you run as fast as you can back to camp." Midoriya instructed Kota.
"'When it hits'? Don't tell me you're…! It won't work! Let's run! Your attack didn't work earlier! Besides, both of your arms are broken…" Kota explained to him, worrying.
"It's okay." Midoriya told him, the villain getting his arm unstuck, eyeing them.
'One for All 100%!'
"Midoriya!" the villain yelled, jumping at him.
'Detroit…'
The villain wrapped himself with more muscle as he got closer to Midoriya.
"...Smash!" Midoriya blocked the villain with his fist, his feet digging into the ground as he held his own, gritting his teeth, 'Ow…'
"What's wrong? That was weaker than before!" the villain laughed as he made Midoriya bend on his knees.
The class watched in horror, a few on the verge of tears.
"Young Midoriya…" All Might uttered.
"It's fine…! I will not let him past me! So… run! Run…!" Midoriya yelled at Kota.
"This kid… Man, you're the best!" the villain grinned, forcing Midoriya down more.
"Shut up…!" Midoriya yelled as he continued trying to hold his ground.
As Kota watched this with tears in his eyes, he uttered, "Why…?"
The villain's pants started ripping as muscles wrapped around his skin.
"Show me… your blood!" the villain shouted as he forced Midoriya to the ground.
'A hero… can always break out of a tough spot!'
Tears ran down Midoriya's face.
'Sorry, Mom! Mom, I'm sorry! All Might! All Might! All Migh…' Midoriya gritted his teeth through the pain as the villain pushed down harder.
"I'm gonna crush you!" the villain yelled, breaking the ground where Midoriya laid. He squeezed his eyes shut, One for All powering down.
'He… He might not be here…' the class stared in shock, a few with tears in their eyes.
Water sprayed onto the villain, making him pause as he asked, "What, water?"
Kota's hands dripped with water. "St… Stop it…!"
Midoriya squinted, his eyes dull before going back to their bright green color. 'Kota!'
"Later, 'kay? 'Kay? I'll kill you later, so just wait-" the villain told Kota until he felt Midoriya pushing his muscles up, gaping, 'In the instant I was distracted…'
"As if…" Midoriya gritted his teeth, getting up off the ground.
"Wait, are you getting stronger?" the villain gasped.
"I'd let you kill him!" Midoriya yelled, forcing the villain back. Light connected to different lights as Midoriya shouted, "One for All, 1,000,000%!"
''1,000,000%'?!' All Might gaped.
"Delaware…"
Midoriya broke the muscle that was holding him down.
"...Detroit…"
He bent his arm back.
"...Smash!"
The villain's barrier of muscle broke as Midoriya punched him in the face, sending him flying into the wall. Kota stared at the villain before falling back.
'Why…?' Kota thought.
"Kota, about your mommy and daddy, Water Hose… It's true that they ended up leaving you behind. But there were definitely lives saved because of what happened to them."
Mandalay's words echoed in Kota's head, uttering, "Even though you don't know anything…"
"I'm sure someday you'll meet someone, and then you'll understand."
Midoriya spat out blood, trying to stop himself from falling.
"Even though you don't know anything, why did you do so much…?" Kota choked, his eyes filled with tears as Mandalay's words continued echoing.
"Someone who'll risk their life to save you… Someone who will be…"
Tears rolled down Kota's cheeks. 'My…'
Midoriya stomped his foot down, standing up through his pain as he screamed at the sky.
'My hero.'
The words, 'My Hero' appeared.
Ending plays.
The class was lost in words, even All Might and Aizawa.
"Midoriya!"
Midoriya was tackled by three different people, all in tears.
"Midoriya! You can't just go and try to risk your life like that!" Kaminari cried.
"We'd miss you!" Ashido shouted.
"How is your arm okay from that?!" Mineta exclaimed, hugging his leg.
"He pulled out 1,000,000%?!" All Might muttered.
"You haven't?" Aizawa asked.
"I didn't even think it was possible!" All Might turned to him.
Koda's rabbit hopped onto Midoriya's lap, Koda saying, "That might have been scary to see again, so…"
"Thank you, Koda." Midoriya smiled, stroking the rabbit.
"You should've told me where you were going!" Iida shook Midoriya.
"Iida, that's probably not the best idea right now." Todoroki told him.
'Deku…' Uraraka watched Iida and Midoriya before wiping her eyes.