Chapter Text
Shouta knows, as soon as the words leave Midoriya’s lips, that something is terribly wrong.
“We’re under attack,” Midoriya announces with pure confidence, like he hasn’t been surer of everyone else. He’s loud enough that everyone hears him, but he isn’t yelling. “I recommend everyone retreats.”
Despite Midoriya’s own warning, he takes a step forward--towards the mass of villains stepping through the dark portal. Shouta grabs his wrist before he can go anywhere.
“Thirteen!” Shouta barks, “Escort all of the students off the property. This is not a drill!”
At Shouta’s announcement, everyone scurries towards the exit except for Midoriya, who is still in his grasp.
Shouta looks over at him with the intention of telling him to run away, but at the look in Midoriya’s eyes, his words fail him.
Midoriya is pissed, an emotion Shouta has never seen on him before. He’s just short of seething, with his hands tight fists and his lips a thin line. His eyes are dark and cold, and they themselves speak volumes that Shouta can’t read.
But then, the next time Shouta blinks, the look is gone and Midoriya is smiling like normal. “You can’t take all of them,” he says like he’s telling Shouta that he’s drank too much coffee today again. “I’m coming with you.”
Shouta might have argued--he knows he should--but after seeing that look in Midoriya’s eyes, he doesn’t think he can.
Shouta huffs, drops Midoriya’s wrist, and grunts, “Don’t die,” before snapping on his goggles and running down the stairs.
Midoriya is at his side within the moment, keeping his pace. “Did you know there are two types of battles, Aizawa-sensei?” he asks despite the wind biting at their faces. He doesn’t give Shouta a chance to answer. “There are battles you can win by talking your way through them and those you have no choice but to fight. This battle, I think this battle is the first one.”
Before the ramification of those words sink in they reach the bottom of the stairs. The villains stand in waiting only meters away. Shouta has his capture fabric and his quirk at the ready.
And then suddenly a force pulls his momentum to a stop and he looks behind him to see Midoriya signing: sorry, but I want to try my way, first.
Shouta opens his mouth to argue--they’re supposed to be fighting villains, for god’s sake, not each other--but Midoriya stalks right past him and plants his feet firmly in front of the villains.
Shouta has just enough time to think what the fuck is my problem child getting into before Midoriya starts talking.
Midoriya claps his hands and, despite not being able to see his face, Shouta is one hundred percent positive he’s smiling. “Well!” Midoriya begins. “This is quite the surprise party you’ve all arranged. What exactly is the occasion?”
He’s answered by three dozen villains simultaneously rushing up to him like a mindless army.
The first dozen who make it within a meter of him collapse to the ground screaming.
The next two dozen stop dead in their tracks and don’t take another step closer.
Midoriya cocks his head up and to the side. “Is anyone going to answer my question? Or should I find someone who can?”
“What the fuck?” one of the braver villains asks. “You didn’t even raise a finger!”
Midoriya shrugs. “What can I say? I pulled all of their kneecaps out of place. It’s not permanent, but they won’t be able to walk until they get medical assistance.”
Shouta swallows and tries to ignore the way his heart jumps to his throat.
He knows—has always known—that Midoriya’s quirk(s) are incredibly powerful... but not to this level.
“You can just... do that?” The villain asks.
“Are you going to answer my question?” Midoriya doesn’t sound particularly cold or harsh. In fact, he sounds as cheerful as he does when he he’s talking with Uraraka or Iida, and maybe that’s why he’s so terrifying.
The villain who had spoken up pales and points towards where the portal had originally appeared. “Him, with the hands, he’s the boss.”
“Thanks! Well, I’ll be going now. It was great talking to you all!”
Midoriya smiles back at Shouta and beckons for him to follow. After a moment of catching his bearings, he does.
They walk straight through the villains.
No one attacks them.
“Heyo, bossman!”
Tomura is expecting one of the minions.
He gets a hero and a hero student.
“My name is Midoriya Izuku!” The student says with much too cheer as he extends his hand.
Tomura doesn’t let him get any further. “Nomu,” he hisses and points.
Sensei may not want them to injure the students too much, but the heroes are free range. Eraserhead doesn’t stand a chance.
One moment the Nomu is at Tomura’s side and the next its fist is in the hero’s face. Tomura ignores their confrontation, instead focusing on the Midoriya Izuku.
He hasn’t moved from his spot, which surprises Tomura, seeing as Eraserhead was just punched from right next to him.
“Are you going to introduce yourself?” The hero student asks.
“Huh?” Tomura scoffs. “No.”
Midoriya frowns and drops his arm. Behind him, the Nomu screeches and punches Eraserhead again.
“I see.”
Tomura doesn’t see anything happen, but as the words leave Midoriya’s lips, the Nomu lets out a guttural shriek and collapses to the ground. He hears a squelching sound, like something wet being squeezed, as a literal kidney rolls past Midoriya’s feet and stops between them.
Midoriya doesn’t blink.
Tomura takes a step back and whisper-yells, “What the fuck?!”
“If he gets immediate medical treatment,” Midoriya begins, still smiling, “he’ll live.”
The Nomu slowly stands up, its torso already completely healed, and looks at Tomura for its next orders.
“You—you did this?” Tomura asks, trying to process what the fuck is going on.
“I did. If we had engaged in a civil conversation, this wouldn’t have had to happen, but.” He shrugs. “There are some battles you just can’t talk through.”
“Knock him out,” Tomura tells the Nomu.
It takes one step and falls flat on its face.
Right next to the kidney, another organ Tomura doesn’t recognize rolls and stops.
“A healing quirk?” Midoriya asks. “A good one, too. I’m impressed.”
Tomura hisses. “What are you doing?”
“Not much, just attempting to slow him down.”
“It isn’t yours to fight,” Tomura whines.
“Oh? There is too much to unpack from that sentence alone, but the more pressing matter is—“
The Nomu stands up and makes eye contact with Tomura.