Chapter 4: Drive It Home, Iron Fist!
Over at his hideout in Tokyo, Shigaraki was playing a card game by himself while Kurogiri was watching him. Kurogiri asked, "You're sure they'll be all right on their own?"
Shigaraki answered, "I'm a non-playable character this level. They'll make it work without me. Besides, this game has totally changed. I've been thinking about it as an RPG. We had some pretty good equips, but we challenged the big boss while still at level one. Really, it's more of a simulation game. I'm the player. And I'll use all my little pawns to smash through the heroes' ranks. But first, I need to make cracks in the superhuman world. That's where the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains comes in. Who cares if these guys win or lose? The heroes will be scared just because they showed up."
"They're sacrificial pawns?" Kurogiri asked.
Shigaraki chuckled, "Come on. Do you really think I'm that heartless? I'd never underestimate their strength. They may have different goals than me, but they're comrades, nonetheless." He then picked up a picture of Bakugo from the sports festival. "In a society bound by ridiculous rules, villains aren't the only ones who are being oppressed. Let's hope they can pull this off."
Kurogiri then asked, "What about that ghost child? Do you think this squad of yours will pull this off against him?"
Shigaraki answered, "I thought he was indestructible, but now I know he's not. I'm sure that the Vanguard Squad will take him down, or else make sure that he doesn't interfere with our goal. He took my win from me last time, so now it's payback."
Back at the mountain, Izuku was catching his breath and nearly fainted, but Phantom caught him, "Careful, dude, you just used way too much energy at once."
Kota got up and ran over to the two boys.
Izuku mumbled, "Everything's OK. Gimme a second, and then there's something I have to take care of."
Kota replied, "But you're all beat up! What more could you have to do now?"
Izuku mumbled, "I knew he'd be strong. That's why I had to defeat him here. I thought I'd be able to inflict a lot more damage in the end, though. Turns out, I seriously underestimated how powerful his Quirk was. If every villain attacking us tonight is on the same level, all our lives are at stake. On top of that, it sounds like they're after some of us students. I have to let Mr. Aizawa and the Pussycats know that's one of the reasons they're here. I may be injured, but I'm not defeated yet, there are more people I can save."
Phantom interrupted, "Dude, you need to save your strength. Yes, there are more villains down there. I've fought some of them. I was actually looking for Ragdoll before I saw your flare. The villains kidnapped her. If the villains are also after some of our classmates, then we have to go protect them."
Izuku said, "We'll leave this villain here for the time being. With my arms messed up, my smash was probably weaker than it could have been, but I still think our combined effort took him down and he'll hopefully stay down for a while. Even if he did wake up, he'd be too weak to fight. For right now, Kota, I need to make sure you're safe."
Kota was shocked as Izuku continued, "We're gonna need some help only you can give us. The forest has been set on fire. That means our friends could be trapped by the flames. But we have hope."
"He's right," Phantom added. "While I and Shoto have ice as part of our Quirks, you have a water Quirk. You can help put those fires out."
Izuku knelt down to Kota's level, "We need you, Kota." Kota started to tear up.
Phantom then said, "Izuku, get on my back, I know your legs aren't broken, but like I said, you need to save your strength. Kota, I'll carry you. We need to get back to camp fast."
Back at camp, Aizawa had dodged Dabi's attack. The villain smirked, "Nice move. Guess you really are a pro."
Dabi tried to attack, but Aizawa activated his Quirk, "Not so fast." He wrapped his scarf around Dabi, kneed him in the head, and held him to the ground. "What do you want, and where are your friends hiding?"
"My what?" Dabi grunted.
Aizawa was not amused, "Your right arm's next. Be logical about this. At least save your legs. It would be a real pain to have to carry you off to jail without them."
Dabi replied, "You can take your time, Eraserhead."
An explosion could be heard and Aizawa gasped, "What was that?"
Tenya came running through the forest towards the camp along with Koda and Oijiro.
Dabi kicked Aizawa off of him, "That's exactly the performance I'd expect out of a UA teacher. Tell me, hero, you worried for your students?" Aizawa tried to tighten his grip, but the scarf went right through Dabi, revealing him to be a clone. "I wonder if you can save them in the end. See you soon." The clone then disintegrated.
Aizawa told Tenya, Koda, and Oijiro, "Everyone, get inside. I'll be back."
Out in the forest, Dabi was standing nearby with the villain Twice, who was the one who created the clone. Twice said, "Come on, Dabi! You got your ass handed to you! By a magic scarf!"
Dabi sighed, "How weak. That happened fast, huh?"
Twice replied, "Huh? Don't say that. Better to frame this as a pro being too strong. It's important to mind your self-esteem, even on a perilous mission."
Dabi sighed, "Whatever, Twice. Just make another one of me. We need to keep those pros occupied."
Twice replied, "Another small fry, coming right up. Leave it to me."
Meanwhile, Phantom was flying Izuku and Kota through the forest, trying to put the fires out and find other classmates.
Kota then shouted, "Hey, look!" He pointed to Aizawa running through the forest.
"Mr. Aizawa!" Izuku shouted. Aizawa stopped as Phantom flew over to the teacher and put the two boys down.
Izuku was happy, "You're here. Thank goodness. I need to catch you up on what I've learned about the villains, but we don't have much time. Plus, I need to find Mandalay. There's something I have to tell her. Please take care of Kota while I'm gone! I'll be back soon!"
Izuku tried to run off, but Phantom put a shield in his path, "Dude, calm down for a minute. Mr. Aizawa looks like he has something to say."
"I do," Aizawa replied. "Those injuries, you went too far again, didn't you? Have you forgotten about Hosu?"
"No, I haven't," Izuku mumbled.
"Then, go," Aizawa said. "But tell Mandalay something for me, too. Phantom, I think you're going to enjoy this part." Phantom grinned.
Meanwhile, Tiger was trying to fight Magne, who kept dodging. Magne cried, "No fair, back off. Let me equip my item."
Mandalay was still fighting Spinner, who shouted, "You're not a real hero! You brought this on yourself, girl!"
He swung his sword, but Mandalay dodged, "Jeez, you're persistent."
"As are you," Spinner replied. "But it's time to knock you off your false throne."
Suddenly Izuku charged in and smashed his way right through Spinner's sword. Phantom did the same, but smashed right at Magne, knocking her far away from Tiger. Phantom smirked, "Did you miss me?"
Izuku then shouted, "Mandalay! Kota! He's safe!"
Mandalay was shocked, "You found him?"
Phantom then said, "Mr. Aizawa has a message for you. Use Telepath and tell everyone in both classes that Eraser Head has granted them permission to engage in combat with the villains."
Izuku added, "He said that he'll take the heat, but we need to protect ourselves."
Mandalay nodded and sent the telepathic message to the other students.
Back with Aizawa, Kota asked, "Hey, mister, is he going to be OK? The one who got hurt because of me? I sort of punched him before. And still, he got beat to a pulp just so he could protect me. I never apologized. Or said thank you. To him or that other boy. The one who lost his parents like I did. Please tell me, are they going to get hurt more?"
Aizawa answered, "Don't worry. Midoriya sustained those injuries because he had no intention of dying. Though, as his teacher, when this is over, I'll have to scold him for acting without my permission. Along with Fenton, even though this isn't his first time doing this."
"Really?" Kota asked.
Aizawa continued, "Anyway, you'll get your chance to talk to them again. And when you do, put more emphasis on the thank you part."
Back with Izuku and Phantom, Mandalay told Izuku, "Get back to camp immediately! Those injuries aren't normal."
Izuku charged up One For All, "I'm sorry, I can't. You need to send one more thing. The villains. I know one reason why they're here. They're after Kacchan! Please, you have to let the others know!"
"Kacchan?" Mandalay asked. "Who's that?"
Phantom answered, "He means Bakugo." Phantom then started fighting Spinner one on one.
Izuku then ran towards the forest, but Magne tried to stop him, as she realized that one of the other villains must have confessed.
But then Spinner threw a dagger at Magne, "Don't, Big Sis Mag." Magne dodged and Izuku ran into the forest.
Magne shouted, "What the hell was that for, Spinner? He was on the priority kill list!"
Spinner replied, "Shigaraki's the one who wants him dead."
"Uh, yeah," Magne said. "And he's the reason we're here. Along with that ghost child." She pointed at Phantom, who charged at Magne, but Magne dodged.
Spinner replied, "But that boy is someone Stain wished to save. Which means he was deemed worthy of being called a true hero. If Stain spared him, then so will I. Along with this ghost child. Stain said that he was meant for more than this world. So he's…."
Suddenly Mandalay punched Spinner and Tiger punched Magne. Phantom grunted, "I had them."
Mandalay said, "Sorry, but it's about time I got a solid hit in."
"Fine," Phantom replied. "I'm going after Izuku. Get that message out to everyone." Phantom then flew into the forest.
Mandalay then used Telepath, "Listen, we've discovered one of the villains' targets. It's a student named Bakugo. Bakugo, you should try to avoid combat. And stick to a group. I hope you can hear me!"
Meanwhile, Bakugo was charging in at Moonfish, "I could focus if you got out of my damn head! I can take care of myself!"
Suddenly sharp blades emerged from Moonfish and Shoto created an ice wall in front of Bakugo, "Don't rush into this fight carelessly!"
Moonfish mumbled, "Have to keep going, have to work, do my job."
Shoto readjusted the student he was holding onto and said, "Weren't you listening to Mandalay? They're here because they're after you."
Bakugo replied, "Telling us not to engage and then changing their minds. I don't know how, but I get the feeling this is Deku's fault. And Fenton as well. Well, I don't care what anyone says!"
Bakugo tried to charge at Moonfish, but the villain dodged both him and Shoto's ice, escaping into the forest.
"Damn it!" Shoto shouted. "He's good at moving through this terrain with his Quirk."
Bakugo said, "This freak looks like a scrawny little sidekick to me! C'mon, you bastard!"
The boys saw Moonfish rise up using his Quirk. Shoto said, "This clearly isn't his first battle."
Moonfish grinned, even though some of his teeth were the blades that attacked the two boys, "Show me your exquisite flesh!"
Bakugo was about to attack, but Shoto said, "We can't start fires around here because the flames will spread. Everyone could die if we aren't careful. Do you understand me?"
Bakugo replied, "Yeah, I get it! I'm not stupid!"
Shoto said, "Even if we try to retreat, there's poison gas everywhere. They're obviously trying to drive us into a corner."
Meanwhile, Tetsutetsu said to Kendo, "Did you hear what she said? We've got permission to punch people!"
He ran off, but Kendo followed him, "Wait, Tetsutetsu! Do you understand how this gas works?"
Tetsutetsu replied, "Yeah, it's dangerous. Gimme some credit, Kendo."
Kendo shouted through her mask, "Listen! Mandalay didn't say anything about the gas in her message. That means it must not have spread to wherever she's broadcasting from. But that doesn't make any sense. This gas is moving really slowly. Normally it would be more spread out, right? This is staying in one place. Not acting naturally. And look. It's definitely denser here than it was in the area we just ran from."
Tetsutetsu asked, "OK, so what?"
Kendo answered, "I think it's swirling around one source. Somewhere near here. Like a typhoon. If that's true, there should be someone who's producing the gas at the center of the storm. A villain who's controlling it."
Tetsutetsu realized, "I get it now! Oh man, Kendo. You're so amazing!"
Kendo sighed, "I figured you'd miss the signs. That's why I came with you. OK. The closer we get to the center of the swirl, the thicker the poison will be. That's a problem. There's a limit to how much gas these things can filter. And the denser the gas, the shorter the functioning time. That means…"
Tetsutetsu interrupted, "Ah! We run head first into the center of the typhoon and punch whoever's there!"
Tetsutetsu ran and Kendo ran after him, "Well, technically, yes."
Tetsutetsu said, "Shiozaki and our other classmates suffered because of this villain's stupid power. Stuff like that really pisses me off. Let's teach this bad guy a lesson, Kendo!"
Mustard stood at the center of the typhoon, "Three, no, two people are headed straight for me. I guess a few of them avoided my gas and realized I'm here. I should have expected that from a prestigious school. But then, no matter how wonderful their Quirks may be, they're still only human."
"I found you!" Tetsutetsu shouted as he tried to punch Mustard, but Mustard pulled out a gun and shot Tetsutetsu in the face, shattering his mask.
Mustard chuckled, "I saw you on TV during the sports festival. You can make your skin hard. That means you're bulletproof. Eh. That doesn't really matter. Because now, it's just a matter of how long you can hold your breath in this toxic miasma."
Tetsutetsu held one hand over his mouth and charged at Mustard, who shot him again, "What, do you think you're the Terminator? Even if you can steel yourself, charging straight in is a fool's move. Shouldn't you be smarter if you go to UA? Don't be so rash. Use your head. Or you're not worth killing."
Mustard saw Kendo running toward him, so fired a shot at her, but Tetsutetsu jumped in front of her. Tetsutetsu told her, "It's no good. Retreat!"
Mustard laughed, "Two against one, and you were banking on a surprise attack. What a simple plan. I expected better. I'm producing and controlling this gas, yes. But that's not all. The gas is showing me your movements with its fluctuations. In other words, you can't hide from me. You arrogant UA students. Why didn't you figure that out, huh? You're shattering the image I had for your school. What a shame."
Tetsutetsu charged at Mustard again, but Mustard shot him, causing Tetsutetsu to fall to the ground. "Moron. Wait. You seem softer than you were earlier. Let me guess, maybe metal fatigue? Or is it because you can't breathe anymore? How many more shots can you take? Brace yourself for another." He shot Tetsutetsu again. "Don't they usually do endurance tests for people like you who have simple, one-note Quirks? And yet, you still rush in like you're indestructible." He fired another shot, hitting Tetsutetsu. "Hey. You guys wanna grow up to be heroes, right? Something about that is so strange to me. For people to fawn over someone like you, a one-trick pony, just because of where you went to school. That's what's wrong with this world!" He kicked Tetsutetsu in the stomach.
Tetsutetsu groaned, "Crap, I can't breathe. And Kendo….Strength's going…..Vision's distorted. Everything is fading."
Kendo then rushed in, "Stop!"
Mustard dodged her attack, "I told you, I can tell exactly how you're moving thanks to the flow of the gas."
Kendo then activated her Quirk, enlarging her hand and hitting Mustard. "I don't give a damn if you know where I am."
Mustard disappeared into the gas, "I can't believe you think you'll win with that pitiful Quirk."
Kendo replied, "Whether it's pitiful or not completely depends on how you use it. I can still stop you!" Kendo used her hands to swipe through the gas, slowly dispersing it.
Mustard asked, "Just how much power do those stupid hands have?"
"You're pathetic!" Kendo shouted. "Carrying a gun around in that dumb uniform is basically saying you know you can't win a fight on your own merits. This is for those at UA who have a one track mind."
Mustard suddenly realized that Tetsutetsu was charging up behind him, as the gas was thinner now so he couldn't detect him sooner.
Kendo continued, "Because when everyone else is ready to give up, they take another step and go beyond!"
Tetsutetsu held his breath and hit Mustard right in the face, knocking his mask off, and Tetsutetsu held Mustard to the ground.
Mustard was knocked out, so the gas disappeared. Tetsutetsu gasped, "If a gas user is wearing his own mask, there's only one thing to do! Break it." He then fell to the ground, "You're gonna pay for ruining our camp. And for shooting me. Stupid kid!"
Meanwhile, Izuku was running through the forest. Suddenly Phantom grabbed him before Dark Shadow could hit him. Phantom said, "I finally caught up with you. And good thing too." His ghost sense was going crazy. "Something's wrong here."
Shoji came out of a bush, one of his appendages was bleeding. "With those injuries, you should be laid up in bed recovering. But you wanna save your friend. No matter what the cost."
"He's stubborn, I know," Phantom said. "But you're injured too. What happened?"
Shoji answered, "We were ambushed by villains. I covered us. But the attack triggered Tokoyami's Quirk, even though he was desperately trying to hold it back."
Izuku realized, "No, don't tell me."
Shoji nodded, "Yeah. If we wanna get through here, we'll have to face Dark Shadow first."
Dark Shadow growled and Tokoyami said, "Stay away. You'll die!"
Phantom stepped in front of Izuku and Shoji, "I'll stop him. Defeating ghosts is something that I'm a pro at."
Chapter 5: Roaring Upheaval
Phantom charged in and started fighting Dark Shadow one on one. Dark Shadow was out of control and attacking blindly. Phantom kept dodging and firing ecto blasts at Dark Shadow, but Phantom was surprised how powerful Dark shadow had become in his rage.
Izuku was picked up by Shoji and Izuku asked, "How did he get this way?"
Shoji replied, "Keep it down. Let Dark Shadow's focus stay on Fenton. Now, after Mandalay told us what was happening and that we shouldn't engage, we were both on high alert. Still, one of the villains got a drop on us. I hid in the bushes and tried to cover Tokoyami, even though one of my arms was cut off. It looks bad. But it's not like it's lost forever. My Dupli-Arms are capable of making duplicates upon duplicates. One of those was cut off. Thing is, he couldn't stand seeing me injured like that. The Quirk he'd been suppressing began to rage and take over."
Izuku remembered, "The darker it is, the less control Tokoyami has. I had no idea his Quirk could explode like this."
Shoji said, "It's probably fueled by his righteous indignation and regret. He's tried to hold it back, but they made it wilder."
Shoji stepped on a twig, which Dark Shadow heard and tried to attack the pair, but Phantom shoved Dark Shadow out of the way, "Hey, your fight is with me, bird brain."
Tokoyami shouted, "You're just provoking him further. Get away!"
Shoji whispered to Izuku, "It started lunging at any sound or movement, a beast lashing out with indiscriminate attacks."
Tokoyami shouted, "Forget about me! Go! Find our classmates! Help them instead. Stop this. Calm down, Dark Shadow!"
Phantom put a ghost shield around Dark Shadow, but Dark Shadow started to pound on it, cracks slowly forming.
Shoji whispered, "His Quirk has a weakness to light. If we can lead them to a fire or back to camp, we can contain it. Midoriya, I know these are strange circumstances, but I can't just leave a suffering friend behind. And I get the feeling Fenton feels the same. You forced your broken body to get you here because you were worried about Bakugo. If you still wanna save him, I'll help Fenton distract Dark Shadow. And you can run."
Izuku replied, "Hold on. The fire and camp are both pretty far away. You'll be in danger…"
"I know that," Shoji interrupted. "But to save people, you have to take risks. That's what makes a hero, a hero. Will you stay with me and help Fenton with Tokoyami? Or will you rush to Bakugo's side? You have to make a choice. Right now."
Izuku replied, "I already have. Shoji. I have a plan. It's not perfect, but it might work. If Dark Shadow reacts to sound, then you and Danny can distract him to bait him. You can use your arms so that he doesn't follow your real body. We can lead Dark Shadow to Kacchan. He'll be able to weaken him with an explosion. I don't want to choose one or the other. I want to save them both!"
"Heard loud and clear," Phantom said as he tried to contain Dark Shadow. "My ecto blasts aren't bright enough for him. Bakugo is perfect for this plan. I'll help guide Dark Shadow to him. Just start running." He then turned to Tokoyami, "Tokoyami, do I have permission to do one of the things I hate doing?"
Tokoyami realized what Phantom was asking. "Do it!"
Phantom then possessed Dark Shadow, and his eyes turned from red to green. "Dark Shadow is very strong. He's trying to resist me. But I can make him go after you. Run!"
Meanwhile, Bakugo and Shoto were still up against Moonfish, who said, "Flesh. Pieces of meat! Flesh!" He sent more blades towards Bakugo and Shoto, but Shoto blocked them with his ice.
Bakugo groaned, "Teeth attacks? Seriously? It's time to blast this freak with everything I've got! If the trees burn, just cover them with ice, stupid."
Shoto voiced his objection, "A big explosion will impair my vision, though. I may not be able to see the fire. And how are you gonna get close to him anyway?"
Suddenly they heard a loud sound behind them. They turned to see something big coming through the forest. And they heard Izuku shout, "There. I see ice! They're fighting!"
They saw Shoji running towards them, carrying Izuku, "Bakugo! Todoroki! One of you! Give us some light! Fenton can't hold him back any longer!"
Moonfish shouted, "More flesh!" But then Phantom flew out of Dark Shadow, who pounded Moonfish into the ground.
Phantom groaned, "OK, that was mental."
Izuku shouted, "Kacchan!"
Shoto said, "Shoji, Midoriya, and Fenton. And is that Tokoyami?"
Shoji shouted, "We need some light now!"
Phantom added, "Dark Shadow is out of control. I can't hold him back forever."
Shoto realized, "He's attacking blindly. I'll use my fire."
But Bakugo stopped him, "Not so fast."
He pointed to Moonfish, who was trying to stand, "Flesh. Stabs of meat. No good. Can't allow it. I'm the one who gets to slice them open. Don't steal from me!"
He tried to attack, but Dark Shadow blocked him, "You don't matter. Insignificant bug!" He broke several of his blades.
Bakugo grinned, "Now, finish him."
Dark Shadow picked Moonfish up and threw him into a tree.
But Dark Shadow was not satisfied, "Not enough! It's not enough!"
But then Shoto and Bakugo rushed in, using their Quirks to blind Dark Shadow and calm him down.
Dark Shadow retreated back into Tokoyami's body.
Bakugo said, "Once again, I'm a terrible matchup for you, birdboy.
Moonfish tried to get up, but Phantom flew in and gave the finishing blow, knocking the villain out. "Dude, you are one creepy guy. Stay down."
Tokoyami panted, "Thanks. You saved me. And thank you to you as well, Fenton."
Shoto looked over at Moonfish, "We could barely defend against that guy, but you beat him instantly."
Shoji walked over, "My friend. Are you OK? You did what we needed you to do."
Phantom flew over, "Yeah, and I'm sorry that I had to possess Dark Shadow. Even though I did ask for permission."
Tokoyami said, "Shoji. I apologize. Same goes for you, Midoriya and Fenton. I'm still far too immature. Anger consumed me. And I let my Quirk take over. The influence of the darkness, combined with my fury, spurred Dark Shadow into a frenzy. Until it got so strong, I couldn't contain it. And I ended up hurting Shoji."
Phantom then said, "Dude, we all have darkness that we fight within ourselves. You will learn to control Dark Shadow better. You two are part of one whole. Don't be so hard on yourself."
Shoji added, "We'll deal with this later. That's what you'd say if our roles were reversed."
Tokoyami looked up and nodded.
Phantom muttered, "Maybe Johnny could give him some pointers since his shadow is similar."
Izuku then said, "OK. I don't know if you heard Mandalay, but I found out the villains are after Kacchan."
Tokoyami was confused, "Bakugo? Are they trying to kill him? Why?"
Izuku answered, "I'm not sure. But I think we should get back to camp. It's the safest place now, so long as Vlad King and Mr. Aizawa have regrouped there."
Tokoyami nodded, "I understand. So our mission is to get Bakugo back to safety by serving as his protectors."
Izuku said, "It's possible the Pussycats are still fighting in the clearing. Going that way would draw the attention of the villains. Plus, it's longer. We should cut straight across."
Tokoyami replied, "We don't know how many enemies there are. We might come across some by chance."
Izuku said, "We can use Shoji's search ability. And Todoroki's freezing power. Plus, we have Fenton, who is leagues above us. And if you're up for it, Dark Shadow. Honestly, with a group like this, we could definitely go up against All Might."
Bakugo growled, "I'd be fine by myself!"
Phantom countered, "Maybe, but we don't know who's out there. And since your their target, it's better to go as a group."
Shoto added, "We'll surround you as we walk."
Bakugo shouted, "I don't need any of your protection, dammit!"
Phantom countered, "Dude, don't fight about it. Just accept it."
Bakugo shouted, "Shut it, Fenton!"
Shoji said, "Let's go."
Shoto added, "Just make sure you keep up."
Bakugo shouted, "Don't tell me what to do."
Phantom flew ahead, "I'll lead the group. Keep everyone covered."
Five minutes earlier, Ochaco and Tsuyu were cornered by Toga, who cut Ochaco's arm, getting some of her blood.
Tsuyu noticed the cut, "Ochaco, is your arm OK?"
Ochaco replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
Meanwhile, Toga was examining her knife, "Shallow. Not much blood."
Tsuyu asked her, "What kind of person slashes people out of nowhere? Just who do you think you are?"
Toga answered, "I'm Toga. Jeez, you two are super cute. Uraraka and Asui."
Ochaco whispered, "How does she know who we are?"
Tsuyu whispered back, "Maybe from the sports fest? We know nothing about her, so we're at a disadvantage. Stay on guard."
Toga murmured, "There's not enough blood. Normally, I'd suck it directly from the cut to make it flow, but there's no time. Don't worry, girls. This machine will start pumping it out as soon as I stick it in you. I'll get my fill and move on. Who's first?"
She pulled out a syringe attached to the machine on her back and charged at the girls, but Tsuyu used her tongue to grab Ochaco and hoist her behind her, "Ochaco! You have to get back to camp! We got permission to use our Quirks to protect ourselves, not to counterattack. I'm sure that's what Mr. Aizawa meant."
Ochaco held out her hand, "Tsu, come on!"
Tsuyu shouted back. "I'll be right behind you." But Toga charged and attacked her, cutting Tsuyu's tongue.
Toga giggled, "Tsu. What a cute nickname. I think I'll call you that, too!"
Tsuyu replied, "No you won't! Don't even think about it! Only my friends get to call me that!" Tsuyu jumped away, but Toga threw a dagger the pinned Tsuyu's hair to a tree.
Toga cheered, "Yeah! That means I must be your friend, too!"
Ochaco ran back, "Hold on, Tsu!"
Toga said to Tsuyu, "Aww, you're bleeding, Tsu. You couldn't be more adorable. I just love blood. We're gonna be such good friends."
Ochaco charged in, "Get away from her!" Toga tried to stab her, but Ochaco used a close combat move she learned at her internship with Gunhead. She suddenly had toga pinned to the ground.
Tsuyu said, "Ochaco, that was amazing."
Ochaco asked, "Tsu, can you use your tongue to restrain her hands? Or is it hurt?"
Tsu answered, "It'll be fine in a second."
Toga then said, "Ochaco, you're delightful, too. You've got the same smell as me. You've got a crush on someone, right? So do I. And I bet you also wanna be exactly like that special person, huh? I can tell. Two lovesick girls. At first you try to model yourself after the person you want. You start dressing like them. Thing is, that's not enough. You have to go further. Then, you realize you actually want to become that person. And once you get to that point, there's no going back. That's how love works, right? What kind of charmer's caught your eye, huh? I'm fond of people who've been slashed up and reek of fresh blood. That's why I always end up cutting them. Hey, Ochaco, isn't this fun? Just two girls hanging out, talking about our crushes."
Ochaco was getting freaked out by this villain when Toga stabbed her in the leg and her machine started to suck out her blood.
Suddenly Toga was blasted away by Phantom. He put himself between Ochaco and the villain. He glared at Toga, "Keep away from her. What kind of villain sucks out someone's blood? That's gross."
Toga got up and glared back at Phantom, "You. You're the one who hurt my precious Stain with that icky blood of yours. You should be ashamed."
Suddenly Shoji came running in with Izuku on his back. Toga saw Izuku and fell instantly in love with his beat up face. She was then blasted by Phantom further into the woods, knocking her out.
Phantom muttered, "Spectra would have a field day with her."
Shoto came running out, "Who is that girl?"
Tsuyu answered, "One of the villains. She was crazy."
Izuku noticed, "Uraraka, you're hurt."
Ochaco replied, "It's not bad. I can still walk on it. You're the one who looks terrible."
Shoji said, "We can't stand here and talk. Let's move."
Izuku added, "I'm just glad you didn't get injured too bad. Now come on. Join our group. We're protecting Kacchan and making our way back to camp. We could use your help."
Tsuyu noticed, "If you're protecting Bakugo, then shouldn't he be standing with you guys?"
The boys looked behind them and both Bakugo and Tokoyami were missing. Toga had regained consciousness during this time and used the distraction to run into the forest.
They heard a voice call out, "Nice trick, huh?" Everyone looked up and saw the villain, Mr. Compress, standing on a tree limb. "I took the lad you're talking about with mu magic. A talent like his would be squandered were he cast as a hero. We'll provide him with a grander stage where he can truly shine." He held a small marble in his hand, where Bakugo was trapped.
Izuku shouted, "Give him back!"
Mr. Compress chuckled, "Give him back? What an odd thing to say. Bakugo doesn't belong to anyone. He's his own person. Don't be so arrogant."
Phantom stepped forward, "We'll stop you."
Phantom charged in, but Mr. Compress jumped out of the way. "Why the aggression? We merely wish to show him that there are options besides the fanatical world of heroism he's drowning in. It's important to choose a path that aligns with your core values, after all."
Shoji realized, "It's not just Bakugo. Tokoyami's gone."
Shoto then said, "If you're monologuing because you think you've beaten us, you're mistaken."
Mr. Compress replied as he held up another marble, "A bad habit of mine. I was once an entertainer, you know. Taking Tokoyami was a bit of improv on my part. Moonfish. Our dear blade tooth. He may not look it, but he's a dastardly death row devil who's last appeal was denied. When I saw the avian take him down so easily and violently, I decided he should join our troupe."
Izuku shouted, "You bastard! You can't take them!"
Shoto handed the student he was carrying to Ochaco, then unleashed a giant ice attack.
But Mr. Compress dodged it, "Apologies. But slight of hand and escapology are my specialties, not combat. I'm not foolish enough to fight hero candidates from UA." He then radioed, "Vanguard Action Squad. I've acquired our target. Our little show has officially come to a close. Meet me at the retrieval point in the next five minutes for the final bow."
Shoto said, "They're going to take them. Our friends."
"They can't!" Izuku shouted.
Phantom growled, "They won't" He then flew after Mr. Compress, everyone else following him.
Elsewhere Twice said to Dabi, "Hey, Dabi! Did you hear the radio? I'm so pumped up! Our boy Compress totally got the job done. The man certainly took his time. I was starting to get bored."
Dabi replied, "Don't be a pain. He did a good job. His main concern along with ours was that ghost kid who got first place. He must have waited until the time was right. Now we just have to wait for everyone to regroup here."
Twice said, "You're the pain. Forgive me."
Dabi replied, "This place was supposed to be hard to find because of the walls of flame and poisonous gas. But looks like the gas is gone. Things never go according to plan, do they?"
Twice said, "For real. This is the plan."
They walked past a hiding Aoyama, who had an unconscious Toru and Jiro next to him. He poked his head out, but quickly hid again as Dabi saw him.
Dabig walked toward Aoyama's hiding spot, but then Twice said, "Hey, Dabi! Speaking of which, totally not important, but shouldn't you be calling that Nomu back? You said he would only react to your voice, correct? That sounded vital."
Dabi turned around and walked towards Twice, "That's right. You're the one who reminded me to let him loose on the students earlier."
Twice replied, "No problem. Bow before me!"
Dabi said, "Shigaraki did design the monster specifically for me. He's probably killed someone by now."
Said Nomu was chasing Class B's Awase, who was carrying a wounded Momo, "This is bad! This is really bad! What the crap is this thing doing here? Yaoyorozu, are you alive? If you are, please wake up now! It's gonna catch us!"
Momo muttered, "I'm sorry, Awase. I'm alive, but…"
The Nomu got ready to make the final attack, but then it suddenly stopped and turned around to walk away.
Awase was confused, "It's just gonna leave us here?"
Momo muttered, "Does this mean the villains have finished their mission? Don't tell me they have Bakugo. Danny, where are you? Come on, Momo, think."
She then made a small device and handed it to Awase, "Use your Quirk to attach this to that monster."
Awase quickly ran up and put the device on the Nomu using his Quirk. "No way he's getting that thing off."
Momo sighed, "Thank you so much. Good job."
Awase also sighed, "That was scary. OK, let's run."
Elsewhere, Magne said, "Damn it, Spinner, this is your fault!"
She was wrapped up in Tiger's arms, who said, "Shut up! You have only yourself to blame. This is the consequence of your villainy."
Mandalay held down Spinner, "Understand, villain? This is how it ends for you."
Spinner shouted, "You haven't won a thing. This isn't defeat. Stain endures! Do you hear me? His will is alive and well right here. I embody it! I will purge you degenerate heroes and that kid with glasses to avenge his name!"
Mandalay retorted, "Will you be quiet already? What's your Quirk, anyway? All we saw was that giant sword."
"Get off!" Spinner shouted.
Suddenly Kurogiri appeared, "Yes. Let's move the two of you some place more fitting."
Elsewhere, Mr. Compress was fast through the trees, but Phantom was catching up. "This boy is fast. But I'm faster!"
Phantom grunted, "Come on, Fenton. Ignore your tiredness. Put more energy into your speed! You need to save your friends." Phantom glowed with ecto energy.
He looked down and saw his friends were catching up as well. Ochaco had wrapped her shirt on Izuku's arms and used her Quirk to make Izuku, Shoji, and Shoto float. Tsuyu wrapped them with her tongue. She then launched them and Phantom caught them, pouring ecto energy into them and they charged right at Mr. Compress.
Meanwhile, Toga came into a clearing, "Huh? Lame. I'm the only one here."
Dabi and Twice walked out. Dabi said, "Hey, crazy. Did you get the blood? How many different kinds?"
Toga gleefully replied, "One person's."
Twice asked, "Just one? Hey, what gives? Weren't you supposed to get at least three?"
Toga replied, "That's just the way it went down. That stupid ghost boy stopped me from getting more. He and those other brats could have killed me."
Twice sighed, "Whatever. You're looking a little too happy right now. Strange. Shouldn't you be full of shame?"
Toga giggled, "Yeah, but I made some great new friends. And I found a cute boy I'm interested in."
Twice asked, "Is it me? No thanks, babe. I love you, too!"
Dabi said, "Both of you, shut it. You're too loud."
Suddenly, Mr. Compress came crashing into the ground in front of them, Phantom, Izuku, Shoji, and Shoto on top of him.
Twice asked, "Whoa, what's this? Oh, hey, wait, I know these kids. Who are they?"
Phantom glared at the villains with his glowing green eyes, "Your worst nightmare."
Chapter 6: What a Twist!
Back at camp, those in the remedial class and those who made it back to camp were arguing with Vlad King. Kirishima shouted, "Come on! You heard what she said, didn't you? I can't let them get my friend! You gotta let me go find him, please!"
Vlad King replied, "Not a chance."
Kirishima asked, "But why not?"
Mina tried to calm Kirishima down, "Come on! Cool it, Kirishima."
Tenya then said, "Excuse me! We don't know how many villains there are. Shouldn't we have as many fighters as possible?"
Kirishima added, "Iida gets it. Even Mr. Aizawa said to fight."
Vlad King retorted, "Only for self-defense. He meant the students in the woods."
They heard a noise from outside. Sado asked, "Was that the door?"
Oijiro said, "I guess Mr. Aizawa is back already."
Kirishima marched towards the door, "Finally. He'll understand."
Vlad King stopped him, "No, wait." They saw Dabi's silhouette in the window. Vlad King shouted, "Move!"
He grabbed Kirishima and Mina and pushed them away just as blue flames exploded through the door.
"Everyone!" Tenya shouted. "Get back!"
Dabi walked in and readied an attack, but Vlad rushed him, "You're too show!" He crushed Dabi into the wall and unleashed his Quirk, Blood Control, to release a huge amount of blood and hardened it to keep Dabi in place.
"Blood Control," Kirishima muttered. "It's so strong!"
Monoma commented, "Just as I'd expect from our teacher!"
Vlad King said to Dabi, "You dare walk into my classroom without so much as a plan? You underestimate us."
Dabi chuckled, "Are you sure about that? You're acting exactly like I expected. You've already been defeated, regardless of what happens to me. The two most trusted pillars of the superhuman society are linked together. UA, the pinnacle of hero education, and All Might, the Symbol of Peace. But embarrassing incidents have damaged the world's trust in you both. Sloppy management keeps allowing villains to slip in and attack. People are so shaken that they've almost lost all faith in you. Imagine how they'll react when they find out you let a student get kidnapped."
Kirishima shouted, "You shut up! That's not gonna happen."
"Not our classmate," Tenya added.
Kaminari charged his hands, "Not while we're here."
Dabi chuckled, "Don't be naive. It only took a handful of us to separate you from the pros and start picking you off."
Vlad King shouted, "That's enough!"
He threw a punch, but then Aizawa charged in and kicked Dabi, "It's no use, Vlad."
The members of Class 1-A cheered.
Aizawa pulled Dabi to the ground and started kicking him, "This guy's just trying to provoke you. He won't talk."
Kaminari noticed a puddle of goo under Aizawa's foot, revealing that Dabi was just another clone. "Ah, Mr. Aizawa, I think you got him."
Aizawa commented, "Look at him. Another fake. I fought one before."
Mina asked, "He wasn't real?"
Tenya deduced, "It must be a villain's Quirk."
Vlad then asked, "Eraser, what's it like out there?"
Aizawa answered, "Hard to say. I left to direct our defense, but I ended up taking care of Kota. Look after him while I go back to the front line. I'm counting on you to keep defending this place."
Vlad asked, "Is that wise? We hardly know anything about them."
Aizawa replied, "You'll be just fine by yourself. The other copy of him I fought earlier used the same attack. I think their strategy is to send their strongest fighters here to keep our attention since we're the pros. That's how they're trying to disguise the fact that there are so few of them out there."
Kirishima shouted, "If there aren't many, then we should be fighting, too!"
Tenya agreed, "Yes! You need strength in numbers!"
Aizawa said, "No. If they're not here for us, then they're after the students. We know about Bakugo, but they might be targeting others as well. We're still sorely lacking in information. The only way we win this is by making sure you students are protected. Besides, I'm sure Fenton is working hard out there to rescue your classmates and fight the villains. I have a feeling he's going all out."
Meanwhile, Phantom was still glaring at the villains while Izuku shouted, "Give Kacchan and Tokoyami back to us!"
Dabi held up his hand, ready to attack, "Out of the way, Compress."
"Got it," Compress muttered.
Phantom immediately put up a ghost shield as Dabi unleashed a massive fire attack at the group. Shoto unleashed some of his ice towards Twice, who dodged it. Once Dabi stopped his attack, Phantom charged in and tackled Dabi to the ground, getting a few punches in. Shoji ran in and threw his arms around Dabi. Phantom then flew off to help his friends. Dabi unleashed some fire and burned Shoji's arms.
Toga ran in and tackled Izuku to the ground, "Hi, Izuku, my name's Toga. I've been thinking since I saw you that you'd be so much cuter if you just bled a little more! I can help!"
But then Phantom flew in and punched her away, "Stay away from my friend, you creep!"
Toga landed nearby and got up, "So, that's how it is. You want to come between us? I hate you even more now. First, it was because you hurt my beloved Stain. Now, you won't let me near Izuku. To be honest, you're not my type. But I'll cut you anyway. Even if your blood is icky."
"Yep," Phantom muttered. "Definitely a creep. Add fruit loop to that, too."
Shoto was continuing to send ice towards Twice, who kept dodging, "Ha, ha! This is easy! Give me all you've got! Hey, man, cut me some slack!"
Shoto was confused, "What is with this guy?"
Meanwhile, Mr. Compress had compressed himself during the distraction and then emerged as himself again, "I can't believe you wrecked my exit. Unrehearsed amateurs."
Dabi walked over to him, "You got Bakugo?"
"Of course," Mr. Compress replied. He reached into his pocket, but it was empty.
"Looking for these?" Shoji asked while holding up his hand, showing two marbles. "We're done here. He gave away his best trick. I'm not sure what your Quirk is, but it had to do with those little marbles, right? The ones you stashed in your pocket. So I'm guessing these are Bakugo and Tokoyami."
Izuku grinned, "You rescued them!"
Mr. Compress chuckled, "Color me impressed. Just as I'd expect from someone with so many hands. How splendid."
Izuku, Shoji, and Shoto immediately started to run away, but Phantom shouted, "Wait! Something's not right. He didn't sound disappointed at all. You have another trick up your sleeve, don't you?"
Mr. Compress chuckled evilly, "Well, don't you have a keen eye. Your friends were so proud of themselves for rooting through my pockets that I thought letting them gloat would distract them enough. But allow me to explain a basic tenant of magic. If I'm flaunting something shiny, it's because there's something else I don't want you to see." He removed his mask and held out his tongue, showing the real two marbles containing Bakugo and Tokoyami."
Izuku, Shoji, and Shoto gasped while Phantom growled in anger. Suddenly Phantom's ghost sense went off as Kurogiri appeared, "It's been five minutes since the signal. Let's go, Dabi."
Suddenly a Nomu appeared behind Izuku, making him terrified.
Kurogiri opened portals, Twice and the Nomu going through them. Toga said, "Bye, Izuku, we'll play next time." She went through a portal.
Mr. Compress snapped his fingers and the two marbles that Shoji held revealed themselves to be ice.
Shoto asked, "Is that my ice?"
Mr. Compress answered as a portal opened behind himself and Dabi, "That's right. During the freezing attack, I prepared dummies and slipped them into my pocket. A little bit of misdirection. Forgive me. I do love a twist ending. One last bow. And then the curtain fal…"
Suddenly he was punched by Phantom, causing his mask to fall and he spit out the two marbles in his mouth. Shoto and Shoji ran forward, Izuku tried, but his pain finally caught up with him and he fell to the ground. Shoji caught one, and as Shoto was about to catch the other, Dabi grabbed it instead, "Well, isn't that a tragedy. Poor little Shoto Todoroki." Shoto fell to the ground nearby.
Dabi turned to Mr. Compress, "Confirm it now. Release them."
Phantom was about to punch Dabi, but suddenly Toga's arm reached through the portal and stabbed Phantom right in the chest, giving Phantom no time to react and turn himself invisible to avoid the stab. He fell to the ground, coughing up ectoplasm.
Toga poked her head through, "That's for hurting my beloved Stain and keeping me from my precious Izuku."
Mr. Compress muttered, "Lousy ghost boy ruined my finale." He snapped his fingers, revealing Shoji caught Tokoyami and Dabi had Bakugo.
Dabi held Bakugo by the throat and dragged him through the portal, "Checkmate."
Phantom tried to get back up, but his injury was more severe than he realized. Izuku got up and ran towards the portal, "Kacchan!"
Bakugo muttered, "Stay back, Deku." The portal closed before Izuku could reach it.
Izuku screamed in frustration. Then he turned and saw Phantom down on the ground, bleeding ectoplasm. "Danny, you're hurt."
Phantom muttered, "That creep got me good. I'm just trying not to transform back, as that will probably lead to my death. But they got away. I couldn't save him." He then let out an eerie, painful cry, echoing through the entire forest where everyone could hear it.
Ochaco and Tsuyu had run up and saw the terrible scene in front of them, as Izuku joined Phantom in the screaming.
Vlad King managed to contact emergency services. 15 students out of 40 were unconscious due to the gas. 11 others were injured. 13 were physically unharmed. And one was missing. Pixie-Bob was in serious condition while Ragdoll was missing. Three of the villains, Muscular, Mustard, and Moonfish, were arrested. Izuku and Danny were rushed to the hospital along with everyone else who had been injured. Izuku was fighting unconsciousness and Danny was trying to stay in his Phantom form for as long as he could so that his wound could heal enough before turning back to his human form.
The next day, reporters were standing outside of UA, demanding an official statement from the school and also demanded answers. All the teachers held a meeting about what happened. Nezu said, "That training camp was meant to prepare students to handle villain attacks. The irony is shameful. We knew the League would resurface. But we lacked a fundamental understanding of their plans. They aim to destroy hero society. And they've already started their war."
Midnight commented, "Even if we had understood, could we really have avoided this attack? They're moving pieces we didn't even know they possessed. Besides, All Might put an end to most organized crime. We're all rusty."
Present Mic added, "We've definitely gotten complacent during peaceful times without realizing it. I guess deep down all of us thought that we'd be riding the sweet life for good."
All Might was wallowing in guilt, "I will never forgive myself for such cowardly ignorance. While our students were fighting desperately for their lives, I was just relaxing soak in a bath."
Snipe commented, "We shouldn't have had the sports festival right after the USJ attack. We wanted to show we were still strong. To have a student kidnapped is our greatest failure as teachers. They've taken Bakugo and society's faith in heroes away from us."
Nezu said, "I agree. Every news outlet is currently condemning UA High. If Bakugo was one of the main targets, it's likely because the villains noticed his violent tendencies during the sports festival broadcast. If he ends up joining the side of the villains, that will be the end of UA as a school."
Present Mic then said, "Since we're on the topic of trust, there's something I think has to be voiced now. At this point, we can't deny it anymore, can we? There's a traitor at this school. Only the teachers and the Pussycats knew where the training camp would be. Don't you think that's a little suspicious? I guess a kid could've used their phone to message a villain, but…."
"Stop this, Mic," Midnight interrupted.
But Present Mic continued, "What's the problem? We have to find out who the leak is!"
Snipe commented, "Could be you for all we know. You got any proof that you're 100% innocent? Can we know that everyone in this room is an ally? If we start doubting each other, we'll destroy each other from the inside. Accusing a traitor isn't something we should take lightly." Present Mic growled in annoyance, but stayed quiet.
Nezu said, "At the very least, I trust everyone sitting at this table. Though, there's also no way for me to prove to all of you that I am innocent. For the moment, what we must do as a school is concentrate on guaranteeing the safety of our student body. This is a good time to implement something I've wanted to put in place for a while. You see, I…"
Suddenly, All Might's phone started ringing. All Might stood up, "Excuse me, everyone. I have to take this."
All Might walked out while Present Mic said, "We're in a meeting. At least set it to vibrate."
Midnight shook her head, "He's his own ringtone?"
All Might muttered as he closed the door, "What Symbol of Peace can't even keep his students safe from harm? What hero can't?"
He held his phone up to his ear, "Sorry, what is it, Tsukauchi?"
Tsukauchi answered, "We've finally finished taking comprehensive statements from Aizawa and Vlad King. And I think we've found something. It's possible we have a lead on where the League of Villains is hiding."
All Might gasped, "Really? Are you serious?"
Tsukauchi said, "Yep. About two weeks ago, I sent an officer around to gather information. A bystander pointed out that he'd seen a man with a patchwork face entering a building that was supposed to be vacant. The man looked to be in his early 20's, but we didn't find any plausible matches when we checked criminal records. We spoke with the owner of the building, though, and found that there's a sort of hidden bar there. My man thought this was unrelated to our kidnapping case, and didn't investigate further. But remember the description of that villain from the attack? He had a patchwork face. Given the profile of this crime, we'll move as soon as we get the green light. This is top secret. I'm only telling you because it's you. We plan to ask for cooperation from many pro heroes for this rescue and inevitable cleanup mission. All Might. We need your power. All Might, are you still there?"
All Might replied while he slowly transformed into his hero form, "Tsukauchi. You're a wonderful friend. And I know just what I'll say when I find them. I am here to make you pay for what you've done."
Principal Nezu was right that reports about the attack were going out everywhere for everyone to see.
Shigaraki had the TV on for a moment, then turned it off. He chuckled as he was surrounded by the other members of the League of Villains and Bakugo was sitting at one end of the room. "I'm so grateful to the media for all the free publicity lately. Right? Isn't it nice? Katsuki Bakugo."
Bakugo just glared at Shigaraki, but he couldn't do anything as he had metal cuffs covering his hands.
Elsewhere, all the injured students were taken to a hospital near the training camp. Izuku and Danny shared a room since they were the most injured. Izuku kept going in and out of consciousness. Danny was still in his Phantom form, trying to heal his wound, but because he used up so much energy training and fighting the villains, it was taking longer than normal.
Suddenly a ghost portal opened and Clockwork floated out. "Greetings, Young Phantom."
Danny groaned, "Clockwork. I guess you're here for a good reason."
Clockwork chuckled, "As I should. As I know everything. You've been through a lot in recent days. And you are low on ecto energy again. I brought someone with me to help your injury.
Frostbite stepped out of the ghost portal, "Greetings, Great One. I am here to help heal your wound that nasty villain gave you. Hold still." He raised a hand and Danny's wound was covered in ice, then ecto energy. The wound closed up and disappeared.
Danny was finally able to return to his human form, "Thank you, Frostbite. But I still feel it, though."
Frostbite chuckled, "You still feel it for a few days. You just need to rest."
Danny sighed, "Yeah, but I feel like I can't. I couldn't save one of my classmates. I feel like a failure."
Frostbite chuckled, "That's just your ghostly nature talking. Your need to save anyone and everyone. It'll drive you until you've done what you want to do. You can keep control of it, Great One. I have faith that you will save your friend, but you need to heal up for this next fight. It's going to be a big one."
Danny was confused, "What?"
Clockwork stepped in, "Spoilers. But be prepared for one of the biggest fights in your life in order to save your classmate. This will be a great test for you. Farewell."
Both ghosts went through the ghost portal and the portal disappeared. Danny sighed as he slipped into unconsciousness.
What he didn't know was that Izuku slipped into consciousness while Clockwork and Frostbite were there. He was still a little out of it, but he saw two mysterious figures and heard things like "Great One" and "ghostly nature". That made Izuku confused. "What was that about? Who were they? What did they mean?" Then he slipped back into unconsciousness.
A day later, Izuku woke up and saw that his mom left a gift on his bedside table. He felt terrible as he remembered his mother's words about her heart couldn't take another scare.
He then said, "What about Kota? I hope he's OK."
Danny heard him and sat up, "I'm sure he is, Izuku."
Izuku looked over, "Danny! You're healed."
Dany chuckled, "Mostly. Still recovering my energy."
Suddenly the door opened and Kaminari poked his head through, "Hey, both Midoriya and Fenton are awake." He walked in with several other students from Class 1-A. "Did you see the news? Reporters are all over the school right now."
Sato added, "It's worse than last time."
Tokoyami sighed, "I caused both of you trouble."
Izuku replied, "No, please. I did this to myself."
Danny shrugged, "I'm used to it. But where's Momo? She's not with you guys."
Tsuyu answered, "She suffered head wounds. She's in another room still recovering."
Danny tried to get up, but Tenya ran over, "No, Danny. You need to stay and rest. You can see her when you are recovered."
Tenya then added, "Jiro and Toru are still out. They were knocked unconscious from that villain's poisonous gas. So it's just us, though we obviously wish the whole class could be here."
Ochaco said, "Only 15 of us for now."
Shoto added, "Because Bakugo is gone."
Mina scolded Shoto, "They know, Todoroki."
Danny had to take a deep breath to keep himself calm and not let his ghostly nature take over.
Izuku then said, "All Might told me there'd always be people beyond our reach. That we can't protect even though we want to. Which is why we have to save the people we can reach. I was so close to being able to save him. I needed to save him. Had to. That's the entire reason I have my Quirk. It's exactly like Mr. Aizawa said to me. My body wouldn't move. I couldn't save someone who was right in front of me. And since I failed, he's gone."
Danny grunted, "You took the words right out of my mouth. Saving people is in my nature. More than you can understand. I was right there. I could have grabbed him. But that fruit loop stabbed me when my guard was down. I should have known better."
Kirishima then said, "All right, then, let's go get him." Everyone was shocked. Kirishima explained, "I was here yesterday, too. And so was Todoroki. We were on our way to visit both of you, when we saw All Might and some police officer talking to Yaoyorozu. She explained to them that with Awase from Class B's help, she attached a tracking device to one of the villains. She handed them a tracker. She also said that she wished she could do more. All Might praised her for her quick thinking and told her to leave the rest to him."
Danny muttered, "Great thinking, Momo."
Tenya said, "This means you're going to have Yaoyorozu make another receiver for you, doesn't it?"
Shoto countered, "What if it does?"
Tenya shouted back, "You should listen to what All Might said! We have to leave this to the professionals! It's not the right time for us to get involved. Idiots."
Kirishima shouted, "Maybe, but all I know is that at camp, I couldn't do anything. I heard my friend was targeted, and I just stood by. Helpless. So, if I stand by and do nothing now, how am I supposed to call myself a hero or a man?"
Kaminari shushed him, "Kirishima. Calm down. We're at a hospital. There's a better time and place for this, dude."
Tsuyu added, "Yeah, and what Iida said was true."
Kirishima replied, "All of you. Just listen to me for a minute. I know what you're saying is right. But still! Come on, Midoriya, Fenton. He's still within our reach! We can save Bakugo!"
Izuku stared at Kirishima while Danny had his eyes glow green with determination.