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Holding his breath, Izuku peeks around the corner of the building he is hidden behind, his shoulders tense. He is alone for now, or at least it looks and feels like he is, but that is exactly what the villain wants him to think. There is no way in hell Izuku will let himself be caught off-guard, lulled into a sense of security by the streets’ apparent calm. There are no civilians around, no other heroes but him, and the villain is no doubt lying in wait, looking for the right moment to strike.
Izuku exhales sharply, risking stepping a little further out of cover. He quickly scans the area before returning to his previous position, back pressed against the wall and eyes roaming around him without pause. There were too many spots where the villain could be hiding if he is even out there right now, too many possibilities. He can’t predict where he might be coming from, and if he just stays here, he is like a sitting duck, waiting to be hunted down.
Sometimes, there is no other choice but to take a chance.
Not waiting another moment, lest his anxieties take hold and root him in place for far too long, he jumps out into the road, running towards the building where the hostages are being held, the doors held shut by an explosive device. He needs to find a way in that won’t trigger the bombs and put everyone inside at risk.
Deciding that the roof should be his best bet, Izuku readies to jump, One for All’s energy coursing through him as he calls upon Black Whip as well, locating a flag pole to swing off of. And just as he is about to take the leap, his field of vision covers with a cloud of steam. Skidding to a halt, Izuku curses under his breath, frantically searching around him for the source.
The steam came from my left, but the likelihood of him having stayed in place is minimal, if he wants to throw me off then he should be coming from the opposite end, but he knows I will expect that, so, since the building is up ahead, the logical outcome is—
Izuku’s train of thought crashes along with him when the villain tackles his left flank and they roll onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. Without a second to waste, Izuku knees his side, earning himself a satisfying grunt as he gathers his quirk’s strength in his arms and throws the villain off of him. Quickly jumping to his feet, he braces himself for a strong enough punch to sweep away the villains cover, knowing he still doesn’t have the raw power All Might did to completely blow it out of his line of sight. Still, a little more visibility is better than none at all.
A circle opens around him, and a flash of blue ducks into the remaining cloud before more steam starts to form, this time from his right.
“You’re not catching me twice with the same trick, and you know that.” Izuku murmurs, preparing to block his next blow.
But as he is watching his sides and back, a crackle sounds from in front of him. Izuku smirks.
He jumps back when the villain falls from the sky, hitting the ground with a thud as ice explodes around his feet and travels toward him at breakneck speed. Another curse slips from his lips when he realises a second too late that his foot lands on the slippery surface. Before he can manage to catch his balance, the ice creeps up his legs and takes hold. Izuku pulls back his arm to punch it away, but stops the moment a hand tugs at his curls and pulls his head back forcefully, exposing his neck to the sharp blade of glittering crystal that pokes at the skin of his throat ever so gently.
Shouto flashes him a sly smile. “You’re lucky I’m not actually out to kill you.”
Letting out a defeated sigh, Izuku slumps into his boyfriend. “You know me too well, it’s not fair that Aizawa-sensei keeps putting me against you.”
“Actually, that is exactly the reason he is the perfect match for you, Midoriya.” Their teacher’s voice rings through the training ground’s speakers, prompting Izuku to groan miserably as Shouto huffs out a victorious little laugh before melting his ice prison.