TIME TRAVEL - I ADOPT A BUNCH OF BRATS

CHAPTER 37 - TRAINING CAMP DISASTER PART III

"What else? I came here to see blood." Without waiting for a reaction, either of fear or anger, Muscular ran at Kouta.

Izuku felt a spark ignite inside himself along with a warmth that encompassed him like a hug from his mum.

"Leave it to us, Ninth. You're not ready yet."

There was a faint buzzing feeling under his skin before Izuku was suddenly filled with power, Izuku lunged at the villain, ripping him away from Kouta.

"Your fight is with me." Somehow, it was as if multiple voices overlapped his as Izuku punched Muscular, sending the villain crashing into the mountainside.

Izuku turned to Kouta.

"Kouta, I need you to stay out of the way, ok? I need you to stay somewhere safe until the villain is gone; can you do that for me?" Izuku asked quickly, glancing between the little boy and the area that Muscular had landed.

Kouta nodded, and that was all Izuku had time to see before a blur came right at him. Izuku pushed Kouta away.

"I'VE GOT TO ADMIT KID! I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT!!" Izuku blocked a punch aimed at his face before attempting one of his own. It hit, and Muscular spat out some blood.

"DAMN! Now I really want to kill you, kid." The villain smiled, blood stained teeth menacing. It reminded Izuku of a rabid dog, and maybe in that instance, Muscular was no better than one. Izuku didn't have the time to contemplate that right now.

The villain seemed to pause for a moment before he spoke again.

"Before I forget, do you happen to know where a Bakugo or Todoroki are? They're on the capture list, you see. The Boss Lady seemed to really want them for some reason." Izuku charged.

—-------

Kouta could only watch, transfixed at the fight happening before him. Was the hero student crazy? HE WAS GOING TO DIE?! WHY DIDN'T HE RUN AWAY WHEN HE HAD THE CHANCE?! WHY DID HE COME FOR KOUTA?! Tears began to stream down his cheeks unbidden. WHY WAS HE RISKING HIS LIFE FOR KOUTA?!

A memory tugged at his mind, and Kouta remembered something his parents had told him. It was last summer, when he'd begged them to go to the beach together as a family.

"WHY WON'T YOU SPEND ANY TIME WITH ME!" Kouta cried as his mama held him in her arms.

"YOU DON'T LOVE ME! YOU'RE ABANDONING ME AGAIN!!" It was the second time that week that he'd been sent to stay with his aunt Mandalay and Kouta was missing his parents terribly. He'd grasped at their clothes, begging them to stay with him, to not leave again.

Gentle hands clasped his, cradling them softly. The soft hands of his mama held his left hand as his papa held his right. Both of his parents hugged him to them as he leaned into the affection. He...missed them...so much...

A hand stroked his hair as Kouta looked away from both mama and papa. He didn't want them to see him cry. He wasn't a baby!

"Kouta...we're sorry we've been so busy. But the world is a dangerous place. There's dangerous people who want to do harm to people who can't defend themselves. It's papa and mama's jobs to make sure those people can't do that." Papa spoke to him as if he was a glass doll, as if any loud noise would shatter him. Kouta hated it.

"BUT I HATE IT!! THERE'S SO MANY HEROES! WHY CAN'T SOMEONE ELSE DO IT FOR TODAY?!" Kouta shouted. There was no reason his parents had to work so much! If there were as many heroes as he'd seen on the news, there must be more that weren't on the news. Why can't those heroes handle it for just one day?! Why did it have to be Kouta's mama and papa?!