Dabi stood at the edge of the forest and fed the fire, letting the blue encompass the entirety of the forest edge. They spiraled into magnificent columns in the dark night sky, setting the world ablaze with light and heat. He let a small spark dance around his fingers, his eyes absorbing the brilliance of the destructive element. He could stay in this moment forever, never moving forward or going back, stuck in one place in time.
He could have been standing there minutes or hours, just watching the flames that he created. He never got to let them loose on this sort of scale, not in a long time, so just the chance to do something like this would be worth it on its own. But that wasn't all that this attack was about. This was them proving to the hero students that nowhere was safe for them... while getting a few new recruits on the way.
They were here for two students specifically: the angry blonde that had come in first place and his younger brother, Shoto. The winner of the Sports Festival had been Shigaraki's idea, the kid seemed so angry and talented that their 'glorious' leader assumed that he would be able to persuade him onto their side. Something about how 'team turns' happen all the time and you only had to do a 'recruitment sequence' for it to happen.
And Shoto had been his idea. He had gotten Shigaraki to agree to it because his younger brother was so talented, but he didn't tell them the real reason he wanted the white-and-red-haired teen on their side. The truth was, he did miss his family members. All except that piece of flaming garbage, that was. He figured if he could get his younger brother to join them then he would have a way to know how Fuyumi and Natsuo were doing. It had been a long time since he had seen any of them, and working with his little brother to destroy their father did sound fun to him.
All they had to do was take those students using Mr. Compress' quirk, then they made their quick getaway using Kurogiri. They already had plans for the teacher's, so they wouldn't stop them this time. The homeroom teachers would be back teaching the dumb kids that failed the exams, and the four kitty-cats would be so focused on protecting the students in front of them that they wouldn't focus on the kids in the forest. All they had to do was seal off the areas and nothing could stop them.
Shigaraki had made sure to highlight that fact when he dropped them all off, saying, "There's no way even you lesser party members could screw this up." He claimed there was something more important he needed to do, and he didn't have to waste his time going after a bunch of high school brats. Then he attempted to throw a table when Toga suggested he was afraid that the guy from the USJ would show up again. But because Kurogiri 'kid-proofed the tables, it didn't go anywhere. It just ended up disintegrating when their 'fearless leader' realized he couldn't throw it into the air.
But as Dabi watched the fire flicker in the dark night sky, he felt a smidge of doubt start to creep its way into his mind. This was going a little farther than he had originally thought, and he definitely didn't want to hurt his little brother. He didn't exactly care one way or another for his classmates, but it wasn't like he wanted to hurt them. All he wanted was a world where there were true heroes, not this scum that crawled from the sewers of hell.
But if he had to hurt others to get that world, he would. He had forsaken all other bonds and given up his previous life a long time ago. The little boy who wanted nothing but his father's approval was long gone, and all that was left was Dabi. The boy who was born out of anger and pain. The boy who walked through the fire with sizzling skin, who ignored the burn marks left all over him. The boy who wouldn't let anyone or anything get in his way.
Dabi pushed away his reservations and let the fire blaze higher, letting it dance playfully through the trees and feeling the wave of heat wash over him. There was no point in looking back now. He had made the decision and now he would stick with it. He would see this through.
And above all, he would see Endeavor burn.
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Shinso leaned against one of the solid oak trees, watching the rest of his classmates from a distance. At this point, a few of the pairs had ventured out into the forest and a couple of distant, echoey screams could be heard over the treetops. None had come from Todoroki and Bakugo, though, so one could assume that Bakugo had picked a fight and they were now completely ignoring whatever it was that they were supposed to be walking through a forest of terror. Bet that messed with class 1-b. Ha.
He was going to be one of the last to go, so he was really just chilling. A few of the Wild, Wild Pussycats had popcorn out and were laughing when some of the more obnoxious screams, like Aoyama's, burst through the air. Seriously, that kid had a scream that was so high pitched Shinso was shocked they could even hear it, and it wavered like he was singing opera, too. That scream should be registered as a support weapon, because it could do some serious damage.
Another pair disappeared into the forest, the small clearing getting just a tad quieter as more and more students walked away. You could now hear the crickets softly chirping, the wind lightly ruffling through the trees, smell the burning wood from all around the forest-
Wait, smell the burning wood from all around the forest?!
Shinso head darted up, nostrils flared and eyes wide as he surveyed the blue flames swirling in the distance, clearly not supposed to be there. The four Wild, Wild Pussycats tossed their popcorn to the ground, immediately at the ready for whatever disaster was about to befall them.
"STUDENTS! STAY BEHIND US! THIS IS NOT A PART OF FEAR NIGHT!" Another student- he wasn't really looking to see who- grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over to where they were all stationed behind the teachers, as requested. A few of them were back-to-back, everyone at the defensive. They knew they couldn't do anything now, because if this was really a villain attack they couldn't attack unless given explicit orders by their instructors.
And that probably wasn't going to happen, given that they knew about what had happened with Stain. Aizawa had given him the evil eye when he came back from the hospital that day, and Shinso knew, even if he didn't directly say it, that if he ever did something like that again he would be in deep trouble. Like the kind of deep trouble that got people killed.
So, they would do what their supervisors told them to. They wouldn't be reckless and mindlessly attack whatever villain came at them. Him, Todoroki and Ida would show them that they had learned, and that they understood what the consequences of their actions would have been if Izuku-sensei hadn't shown up.
Speaking of Izuku-sensei...
Their green-headed teacher was taking a head count, gaze scanning over them quickly. There was a cold, clinical sharpness in his eyes, like he was calculating every data set, every possibility that could arise. In that moment, Shinso could barely see a trace of his teacher who had always had a twinkle in his eye, like he was his own star. Instead, all he could see was a dark, shrew shadow that enveloped him, the dark side of the moon that you never saw.
And then, just like that, it was gone. Their teacher turned away from them and made his way over to the rest of the heroes, something dangling from the tips of his fingers. It was glinting against the sparks that danced from beyond the treetops, so Shinso could only assume it was some sort of metal, maybe the knife he used when battling Stain. From the way things were right now, it was starting to look like he would need it.
Several figures began to emerge from the corners of the clearing, some carrying enormous weapons with them. There was a blade set on what seemed to be hundreds of other blades, all dangerously sharpened. They were helpless to do anything but watch as their teachers started to engage in combat, dodging blows and dealing with the villains.
Shinso could just barely make out some of the shouted words, straining to hear over the whistling wind. "You think all you have to do is stop us? We're only a small faction of the Vanguard Action Squad! There is nothing you can do to stop us now, so it's better to just give up while you still can. Don't think we'll hesitate to kill you."
Shinso could barely breathe as the villains did their best to eradicate the teachers, his hands clenched tight at his sides. Nothing I can do, he had to remind himself when a knife was thrown way too close for comfort. All he could do was be an observer, someone standing silently at the side.
...He didn't like it.
He saw Izuku-sensei running straight to Mandalay, throwing a few shouted words at her that were unable to be heard over the rushing of blood in Shinso's head. No amount of hanging upside down would be enough to stop the pounding in his head. He was starting to feel nauseous. He had no idea where his dad was, or any of the students that were in the remedial classes. And there was no chance that the students in the forest were safe. At least one of the students would have come running back to the teachers if they had been able to do so.
So that meant that there was something stopping them from exiting the forest. Or worse.
He didn't really want to think about what worse was.
Right now, he just had to focus on watching their teachers and making sure that no one jumped in, making sure to keep an eye on everything that was happening in case it became important later. Just don't let anyone out of your si- hey, where was Izuku-sensei going?
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Izuku readied his stance and focused his gaze on the attackers in front of him. This definitely wasn't on the schedule plan, but you always had to adapt to unforeseen situations. There was just no way around it, you were going to run into things like that. What marked you as capable wasn't how you did in controlled scenarios, it was how you did in the scenarios that you couldn't control. The ways in which you were outmaneuvered or outmatched. That is where you could prove how far you've come.
And these situations were coming much sooner than they could have anticipated for the students. He hadn't prepared them as much as he wished he could have, but something told him that wouldn't stop them from succeeding. They were a promising bunch, and he had high hopes for them. Just as he had high hopes for Mic's and AIzawa's class.
But he couldn't think about that right now. He had to make sure the students and everyone else there made it out okay. The remedial students were with Vlad and Aizawa, so they weren't his immediate concern, but nobody had heard from or seen the students in the forest since it caught on fire. The Wild, Wild Pussycats were able to look after everyone here, they were an accomplished hero team, after all. But that still left one person unaccounted for.
Kota.
He had wandered off earlier, assumedly to his hideout near the caves. He was lucky that he had figured out where the kid was going last night; it made this part much easier. Mandalay had told him earlier that she had no idea where he went, however. It was clear that the beads of sweat on her forehead were not just from the fight. She was worried.
The villain with the large, pointy weapon swung at him, the steel glinting in the moonlight. For its bulk it was moving quickly, swishing through the air with speed. He had no choice but to push off the ground as hard as he could, his feet barely missing one of the steel edges.
For a moment, he saw the battlefield clearly, how the students stood at the ready, how the villains were holding them back from going anywhere, how the four-member team was keeping the situation contained. The villains were obviously trying to distract them from something else they were doing, a larger plan at work. Staying here wouldn't do any good. They had no idea how many villains there were or what their goal of attacking was. He had to get to the root of this, and soon. If he didn't, there was no hope of stopping them.
But first he had to make sure that Kota was alright. He didn't have any training, and he was alone right now. Well, Izuku hoped he was alone.
The alternative wasn't great to think about.
As far as he knew, he was the only one that knew where Kota's hideaway was. Mandalay was worried sick right now, and it was showing. She kept glancing out to the forest or getting distracted, and that just couldn't happen right now.
He hit the ground rolling, skidding to a stop right before he hit a tree head-on. Whew. That was close. Dashing to where Mandalay was dodging the giant weapon he jumped over earlier, he shouted, "Mandalay! I know where Kota is, and I can get to him. Just keep the students safe, I'll be back as soon as I can!"
The villain caught him sprinting towards the tree line and tried to head him off before he could get away. However, Izuku was prepared for this exact scenario and slid forward, completely bypassing the attempt to stop him. The grass brushed his cheek roughly, ear almost flat against the ground. Dirt was clinging to his hair, the forest floor torn apart when the weapon hit the ground right where he was just a moment ago. And then he was off, footsteps hitting rapidly one after another, breath kept even and controlled even as his heart beat erratically in his chest.
Make it in time... gotta make it in time... you can't save everyone, but you can save him... this won't be another of those situations... just got to make it in time...
Focus. Keep a clear head. Don't panic.
The rock was rough against his fingertips when his hand slapped the cliff side. It would take too long to go around, so he would just have to climb up. Hand after hand, foot after foot. That was all there was too it.
He liked the complex simplicity in rock climbing. You had to plan out your movements carefully so you wouldn't get stuck, had to train relentlessly to be able to pull of techniques that would require more dexterity and strength than you thought anything could. But at the same time, it was just step by step. You just had to focus on the next movement, the next push, just the small progress you could make right then. It was in opposition with itself, and that is the basic layout of everything. The next small step in your marathon.
...Also, whenever he did it he got strangely introspective. Definitely not the first monologue he's done while climbing a cliff side.
His hand slid over the top of the wall, burning slightly because of how high and rough the rock of the cliff was. But it was worth it to get there quickly. If he had gone the long route that was at a low incline he would've never made it in the time he did. Speed was of the essence, and he had no time to waste.
He quickly rounded the corner, ready for whatever might be waiting for him there. The first thing he saw was Kota, with his back pressed as far as it could go against the wall, eyes filled with fear. Tears were slipping down his face, and his breath was coming in quick patches of air.
And that's when he saw the villain. His huge, bulky figure was towering over Izuku in his short height. He had a mechanical eye that was piercing, devoid from all light. It was wrapped around by a scar that covered almost half of his face, slicing up his cheek and into his forehead.
"Well, looks like I'll be having more fun tonight then I thought! Now I get to kill two kids! So why don't we just cut to the chase and you can stand still there, huh? Or you can try to fight me and lose, shorty." Wait...
What did he just call me?!
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Mandalay darted to the side and tried to rake her claws against one of the villains faces, having to jump back when they swung at her. She had already sent out a broadcast to the other teachers about what was going on, as well as telling the students not to panic, so there wasn't anything else she could do but hold them off.
And that tore something deep inside of her to stay away even though she knew there were other students out there that could be... no, probably were in danger. But she couldn't leave the others here alone. They were at a disadvantage. The villains knew their quirks but they had no idea what theirs were. They were on the defensive here, and they were playing right into the villains' hands.
And that wasn't even mentioning Kota. She had no idea where her nephew had run off to. He was gone, and it was her fault. She should've tried harder, made more of an effort to find out where he went. He could die and it would be all her fault.
She had already lost his parents. She wasn't sure she could handle losing him too.
No, she had to remind herself, I'm not going to lose him. Izuku-sensei knows where he is. Izuku-sensei can handle it. As long as Izuku-sensei is with him he's going to be okay.
...Please, be okay.
Please...
Hey! First of all, thank you to everyone who is reading this story, I really appreciate it. This is my first fanfic, and I've really enjoyed writing it and seeing your comments. I just cross-posted this on ao3, so if anyone prefers to read it there I have the same username. I also wanted to ask if anyone had any feedback for me, preferably constructive. I really want to make sure this is fun to read and I would love any comments you have.
Thank you!