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“Run while you can,” a voice singsonged from the darkness of the alleyway. “You wouldn’t want to die just because you got in the way, would you? This is just between me and Deku.”
“They’re here for me,” Izuku hissed at his friends. “Go, quickly. This shouldn’t have to be your fight.”
“No way we’re leaving you like that Deku–” Uraraka started.
Iida’s expression hardened as well. “Midoriya, it became our fight the moment those villains decided they wanted to attack you. Don’t try to say you wouldn’t do the same for us.”
Izuku opened and closed his mouth. They were right — he’d put his life on the line for them any day — yet there was no way he would willingly put his friends in danger like that.
The villain made the decision for him. “How noble. How heartwarming. Just as expected from three young heroes. Unfortunate that I’ve changed my mind: this is your fight now, just as Ingenium said — you’ve chosen to get yourselves involved, and I think you’ve heard just a tad too much to not have to be silenced.”
Izuku’s heart dropped. “I’ll hold them back–”
From beside him, Uraraka grabbed his arm determinedly. “We’re not going anywhere. Don’t worry, we’ve got this.”
“Yes, they’re no match for us if we work together,” Iida agreed.
The villain cackled. “What lovely camaraderie. Fortunately, I, too, have friends to back me up.”
From the alleyway, semi-solid forms began to arise, grotesque masses of gravel and waste held together by a black essence that seemed to be made out of the shadows themselves. Izuku’s mind raced, halfway into overdrive already as he watched more and more rubble slam itself together into the amorphous columns.
They seemed to vibrate with a dark kind of energy — likely feeding off the shadows that they’re made out of; could it have a psychological intimidation factor of some sort… or does it just demonstrate how powerful they are…?
All at once, they moved. Before Izuku could even blink, they were converging on him, so many that he suddenly could no longer see his friends, though they were undoubtedly surrounded as well. He activated Full Cowling, green lightning arcing across his body as he kicked and punched with increasing desperation at the forms. His attacks were to no avail; every hit only seemed to be absorbed, while the backlash was a hundred times what he normally received.
His arms shook uncontrollably.
The ground shook with the impact of dozens of his landings and takeoffs.
The things shook as well, towering over him and bearing down upon him.
There’s got to be a limit to their power, right? Nothing can just take my hits forever.
If 50% isn’t enough, then I’ve got to go for more.
Plus Ultra!
He inhaled and charged again, 65% power humming beneath his skin and waiting to be released on impact. This time, when he slammed into the nearest column, bits of rubble and dust trickled down.
I wonder how Iida and Uraraka are doing. Iida’s probably having the same kind of ‘success’ as I am. And does Zero Gravity even work on these things? Probably not.
Then he heard a scream that sounded as if it came from in the distance, even though he knew that Uraraka hadn’t been more than a few meters away before they’d become separated.
No. Please.
“Uraraka?” It was Iida’s frantic voice, bearing the same kind of distant ring to it.
No! I need to get back to them! It’s my fault they’re in this situation in the first place; I can’t let them get hurt further!
I’m going to go all out!
His next hit was 80%, then 90%, then 100%, and when it wasn’t enough, he raised his level to 150%, acutely aware of the feeling that his bones were about to shatter.
After what felt like an eternity, he could start to see the top of a building, and then another mass of shadows, peeking out from beyond the newly-formed and slowly-but-surely-widening gap.
Hold on. I’m coming, I promise.
When the forms around him had been reduced to piles of rubble and junk, and Izuku finally emerged from the darkness, he was greeted with the sight of two other shadowy masses, presumably identical to the one he had just been trapped in.
It looks so different from the outside, though, he thought, regarding the writhing purple tendrils. Almost as if it’s out of control.
From the cage on his left, a glint of shining silver became visible. “Iida!” Izuku shouted, launching himself at the crack that Iida had created from within. “Iida!” he cried again, and this time the response sounded blessedly much closer than it had before.
“Midoriya?”
“You’re almost there,” Izuku called, a small flame of hope beginning to swell in his chest. If Iida’s still fighting strong, then maybe together we can save Uraraka.
In his momentary full focus on Iida, he hadn’t been paying attention to Uraraka’s cage. Suddenly, from behind him, an series of small crashes and clangs rang out in rapid succession. Izuku spun around just in time to see tiny rock fragments trickling out of the pillars that had been surrounding Uraraka.
“Meteor shower!” she cried, and then Izuku was ducking on instinct as thousands of pebbles plummeted from where they had been suspended in the night sky above.
He backed up until he was a safe distance away, watching in awe as the forms crumbled away into so much dust that his vision was briefly obscured.
My friends are amazing.
Almost in sync, Iida and Uraraka emerged from their respective shadowy enclosures, not unscathed but thankfully not gravely injured either.
“This is what happens when you try to touch our friend,” Uraraka declared. “We’re a package deal.”
“And you won’t be silencing anybody today, villain,” Iida added.
“So, Deku, what do you say– shall we show him what the three of us can do?” Uraraka asked, looking to Izuku with fierce eyes.
Izuku nodded, his heart swelling with an appreciation and love for his friends. “Yeah. Let’s take this guy down together.”