The Forest Thing

Chapter 21: The Eldritch Protector

The students watched as their beloved class mascot lunged at the flame villain without hesitation and as his dog-like appearance changed to that of a teenager.

Izuku tackled the villain to the ground, pinning him down by the shoulders just as he did to muscular. Green eyes met cyan with a glare that could have killed and a snarl that showed his mouth full of sharp fangs.

"Todoroki," Izuku accused, and with the shocked expression that immediately fell on the villain's face, there was no mistaking it. Now that he was close, the forest thing could smell it and he remembered smelling something similar at the sports festival. Could this be the same person he found sitting in the audience?

The look of shock was quickly replaced by anger as the villain tried to use his fire to get rid of the forest thing. It was hot, yes. Probably the hottest fire Izuku has ever seen.

But it's not something that can kill a forest thing.

Izuku pulled his right arm back, ready to strike him. He wasn't going to hesitate just because he's a Todoroki. Not when he tried to hurt his kids.

He was about to bring his claws down when a voice pulled his attention away from his fight.

"They have Shinso! In those blue marble things!" Izuku didn't see who had spoken but he knew it was one of the students.

The villain under him chuckled darkly and threw Izuku off while he was distracted.

the scarred villain stood quickly and approached a purple portal that began opening in the middle of the forest clearing.

The forest thing jumped to his feet and saw the villains gathering around the portal. One of them wearing a hat and a long, yellow coat. In his hand was a small, blue orb.

Izuku lunged forward again as the scarred villain produced more flames to keep the students away from the villain who had taken Hitoshi.

He swiped at the villain and tried to grab the marble, but he dodged and Izuku tumbled to the ground. Not many people can dodge Izuku, he knew that. Either he was getting slower, or this villain was very fast.

"Izuku!" Oachako called. He turned to see her press the pads of her fingers together, letting rocks rain down on the villains like a mini meteor shower.

Once again the villain dodged but the rock rain was the perfect distraction as Mezo threw a larger rock right at the villain, causing him to let go of the marble.

Izuku leapt up once again but this time he grabbed the marble out of the air before the villains could retrieve it.

He landed in a roll and growled at the villains. "Bring him back."

The villain in the yellow coat chuckled as he stepped closer to the purple portal. "As you wish."

The small orb in his hands glowed for a second and then turned into another rock.

Izuku was almost blinded by rage. How dare they come here and threaten the lives of his kids! How dare they hurt these children! How dare they try to kidnap someone Izuku loves! It will be their last mistake.

"You bastards!" Izuku yelled as he dropped the rock. "Where is he?!"

"You mean this?" The scarred villain stood in front of a dark portal as a blue orb in his hand glowed and out came Hitoshi, looking shocked and confused. The villain smirked as he gripped Hitoshi by his neck and stepped back into the portal. "You lose, heroes."

"HITOSHI!" Izuku ran forward, arms outstretched to grab his kid. He watched as his scared expression got engulfed by the dark portal and in an instant, all the villains were gone, along with Hitoshi.

The forest thing slid across the dirt on his knees as he landed and everything went silent as time seemed to stand still.

Everyone in the clearing was shocked. Their classmate and friend had just been kidnapped and they had just watched the creature they had called 'dog' for so long transform into a human who looked like he was around their age.

Izuku stared at the ground with wide eyes as he gripped the dirt with hands that were outstretched to save one of his kids, hands that only held dirt.

Despite his enhanced hearing, everything was silent. Until he heard a tired voice.

"Izuku," Shouto panted as he emerged from the forest with Katsuki unconscious and slung over his shoulder and Kendo following behind him with Tetsutetsu in a similar position.

Within a second Izuku was on his feet as running to their side, catching Katsuki as Shouto gave in to his exhaustion. Ochako and Tsu ran over to help Kendo with Tetsutetsu.

Izuku held both boys and lowered them to the ground slowly.

Shouto slumped down next to him as he pulled a gas mask off his face, most likely made by Momo, and brushed sweaty red and white hair away from his eyes.

"There was gas," Shouto spoke softly. "He's okay, just unconscious."

"Thank you, Shouto." Izuku held both of them tightly as they slumped against him, though Shouto was still awake. "You did good. All of you did so good, I'm so proud of you all."

The other students came to sit around them, everyone staying close to each other. They didn't know if the villains would come back, Izuku assumed they wouldn't, but for the first time since the sunset, everything was quiet. The fire disappeared and so did the gas, and slowly the rest of the students emerged from the trees just like Shouto and Kendo did.

They all sat together, feeling safety in each other's presence. But despite the silence in the forest around them, Izuku couldn't quiet his mind.

All he could think about relaxing now, he had to keep going. Get the hurt students to a healer or a hospital, find the teacher and regroup, find Hitoshi and save him from the villains who dared to kidnap him.

"There are the students! HEY LISTENERS!" Izuku and all the students huddled around him turned to see Present Mic, along with Aizawa, All Might, and the rest of the Pro Heroes from UA.

A little late, but Izuku was just glad they came at all. Once the students got to a safe place he could assist the Pros in saving Hitoshi, if they even let him help.

He'll make sure Hitoshi, and the rest of the kids, are safe, no matter what.