Linked Paths

Arc IV - Further [Chapter 3: In Practice]

The invisible bastard's shifting focus now. Going for Appa. He doesn't seem to know about his quirk. Very good.

I take the chance to report to the others.
{We've got villain contact.} My voice comes out tenser than intended, which instantly alerts the nerd on the other end.

Deku: {Kacchan! Are you alright?!}

Amusement lets my lips twitch. He didn't even notice, huh? Cu-wait, what?! Did I just think...

I shake the thought off with a sigh. {Relax. Just one invisible bastard. Nothing we can't handle. Stay put.}

Deku: {O-okay. Roger.}

The villain seems to rely solely on strong close combat without fancy weapons. When you consider his invisibility, Appa's the better choice to handle him. Besides, I don't have time for this!

"Appa," I bark, "they're yours."

Appa: "Alright."

First, we have to get me an opening. That's clear to both of us.

Meanwhile, the invisible villain becomes more aggressive, probably because they overheard our conversation. They circle us and strike again and again, testing our defense. Each hit comes sharp, heavy, annoyingly precise from a different angle.

I keep the bastard at a distance by firing off smaller explosions almost constantly. That makes Appa the main target for their kicks and punches, but he holds his ground surprisingly well, reading the rain's movements like a damn radar. They still don't realize they're hitting something that can't break. That's right, waste your energy, idiot.

As soon as the chance opens up, Appa's doppelganger lunges forward with unnatural precision, his arm slicing through the rain. The impact forces the villain more into the open, causing the raindrops to burst outward, and for a split second, their body outline flares into view. He immediately goes after him to create a longer distraction with more direct attacks.

Now or never!

I ignite my palms and summon strong and controlled explosions for take off. The familiar recoil drives through my arms, pushing me off the ground and propelling me forward through the downpour, off in the direction Deku's supposed to be. Without turning my head back, I shout some encouraging words at him. "Appa, give him a nice beating!"

Appa: "On it!"

Rain lashes against my face. Deku better not have done anything stupid yet-

A detached sound, only just audible in the intense rain, reaches my ears. Before I can even make sense of it, something hits my cheek. Wet, but way thicker than rain. Like tar. On impact, it feels cold for a heartbeat, but then heat spreads under my skin.

Control over my body slips through my fingers. Before I hit the wet asphalt, my mind is swallowed by darkness.

Everything changes.

...

The first rays of sunshine of a new day after a much too long night of fighting warm my face.

I stretch my tired bones and inhale deeply; the adrenaline fading by the second. It smells of victory, of success. Smoke curls in the distance where the last battle just took place. All villains are down -defeated, captured, contained. We finally did it.

The city center below us has suffered a lot of damage -the cleanup work is just starting- and yet from up here everything seems so peaceful. I'm utterly exhausted but filled with content and pride. My partner and I have earned this break.