Chapter Twenty Nine: Scream
Viper grinned and lifted his foot from Endeavor's back, only to swing it forward and kick the Pro hero in the face, sending him rolling away several feet. Endeavor grunted in pain and clutched at his now bleeding face while Viper turned his head about to regard their surroundings.
"Well, would you look at that?" Viper snorted as he noted the conditions of the other Pros and police officers who had been hit by his Pyroclasm. He mockingly started to clap his hands. "Not bad, Endeavor! I think most of them survived this time! Well, a few of them are probably still dead, but you kept the Pros alive at least. Not that they'll be doing a lot of fighting soon."
Kamui Woods, Gang Orca, and Mt. Lady were all lying amongst the rubble, their unconscious bodies steaming from burns and the shock wave. Tora was down as well, having used his body as a shield to protect the defenseless Ragdoll. The riot police had been annihilated, and unlike the Pros, it appeared that a number of them hadn't survived the Pyroclasm. Several were buried under heavy rubble and others, who hadn't been as close to Endeavor's defense, had been caught by the edges of the shockwave and badly burned.
Endeavor wiped the blood from his face and staggered to his feet, seething with rage. "You fucking…"
Viper merely smirked at him. "Still wanna go, eh? Didn't you learn your lesson the last time? Or did I hit you so hard the trauma made you forget?"
Endeavor started stalking towards him, fists clenched and ready for a fight. "I'll show you trauma!"
"Oh, please!" Viper lunged at him and grabbed Endeavor's fist as the Pro swung at him. Endeavor made to grab Viper's neck, but the villain caught his wrist and merely held him off for a few moments. Endeavor was stronger than him physically because he still hadn't yet received his next enhancement, but that didn't matter.
"You can't hurt me with your fire, so you're gonna try and beat me in a slugfest?" Viper scoffed, amused.
"Silence!" Endeavor hissed, forcing his hand forward to grasp Viper by the throat. He squeezed with as much force as he could. "We'll see how cocky you are when I strangle you!"
Viper's body flared with heat and the next thing Endeavor knew, he was being blown away again by another Pyroclasm. He was better prepared this time and managed to retain his footing, stumbling back to a stop and straightening to face the villain. His body was shaking from the impact; this Pyroclasm hadn't been as strong as the first, but it still packed a hell of a punch.
It infuriated Endeavor. Viper was toying with him, fully aware that his Hellflame was absolutely useless against All Flare.
"Well, Endeavor," Viper sneered, rubbing his throat for a moment before lifting his hand and pointing his index finger at the hero. "I heard you went and became the number two hero while I was in prison, so let me congratulate you. You're not on All Might's level, but there aren't a lot of people who can take my Pyroclasms and keep fighting. It's a shame your Quirk is so useless against mine, otherwise this would be a pretty fun battle. But even so, let me see how much heat you can take!"
At his fingertip, a small sphere of concentrated emerald light formed, rapidly swelling until it was the size of a car tire. The air around the Sun Forge became warped and distorted as the temperature soared.
"Serpens Minor!"
The sphere shot towards Endeavor as the hero threw his hands up in defense and exploded into a corona of energy, searing the ground and air with a merciless roar.
All for One chuckled as the mismatched fight grew ever more violent. "After all these years, he still has that childish enthusiasm for fighting. Well, whatever. Let's go ahead and get this over with…"
The members of the League of Villains bristled in a mixture of fear, awe, and rage at the sight of All Might towering over them. The hero's bright eyes glared down at Tomura, his smile wide and dangerous.
Tomura's jaw clenched in fury. "It ends here?! Bullshit! I've only just gotten started! Justice, peace, this garbage heap of a society that worships heroes…I'm gonna destroy it all! And I'll start by getting rid of you, All Might! You're the one holding all this shit together! I've only just started gathering allies! 'This is the end' my ass! This is just the beginning!"
Kurogiri started to try and create a warp gate, but his body suddenly jolted and he slumped over. Magne stared in fright. "Wh-what?! Wait, what just happened?! I didn't see anything! Is he dead?! Did they kill him?!"
"I played around inside of his gas body a bit," Edgeshot suddenly popped up behind the unconscious villain and his limbs, which had become thin like paper, reverted to their normal appearance. "He's just stunned- he won't die. This guy is the most troublesome of all, so I wanted to keep him from pulling any surprises."
"I already told you lot, didn't I?" Gran Torino huffed sternly. "Behave yourselves and comply. It's for your own good. With a little bit of information and time, the police were able to ascertain your identities and backgrounds in their night work."
"Kenji Hikiishi." Magne froze in surprise.
"Atsuhiro Sako." Compress remained silent and didn't outright respond upon hearing his name.
"Shuuichi Iguchi." Spinner grit his teeth and his eyes grew wider in disbelief.
"Himiko Toga." Himiko kept her head down, but her gaze continued to flash over to Izuku, who didn't know what he was supposed to say as she grew ever more unstable.
"Jin Bubaigawara." Twice attempted to escape his restraints, only to groan when Jeanist tightened the fibers entrapping him.
"You all get it, don't you?" Torino said gravely as he approached their leader, standing beside All Might. "There's nowhere for you to run. Tomura Shigaraki…I've got a few questions for you, as well. Where's your boss? And another thing…where's Heat Viper gotten off to?"
Tomura's breath was starting to get heavier as he realized that they were well and truly trapped. The riot police were started to fill the room, their weapons trained on the villains and with every one that stepped inside, the chances of escape grew ever smaller. His blood was starting to pump and he couldn't think straight. What cards was he supposed to play to get out of this? Did he even have any left?
Izuku could see Himiko's fingers, bound to her sides, straining to reach the knife hidden beneath her sleeve. She was shaking, the light in her eyes quickly becoming hazy with insanity. He wanted to do something for her, anything to just…keep her steady. Even just a little…
He reached over to her and let his fingers brush hers. There was no way he was going to get her knife for her, but maybe this would help. Himiko's hand grasped his tightly and she squeezed. He could feel her skin becoming clammy as she trembled, but he let her hold on and squeezed back in an attempt to comfort her. It wasn't much- she still looked ready to snap at any second, but it was enough to ground her just enough to keep herself from going completely psychotic.
Jeanist's eyes trailed over to Izuku to study their linked hands and his eyebrow rose. Izuku swallowed and tilted his head towards Himiko. The hero studied the girl, seemingly recognizing that she was struggling with some kind of internal battle, and decided to allow the contact. As long as she didn't try to escape or cause any problems, there wasn't anything technically wrong with it, but he kept a wary eye on her nonetheless.
"…not like this…"
Izuku and Jeanist glanced back to Tomura, who was panting with exertion. His chest heaved beneath his fibrous restraints and the look in his eyes was crazed. He glared at All Might with blatant hatred, which only grew more intense as his voice became tinged with madness. "Get the hell out of my sight…vanish…not like this…not like this…this is bullshit…"
All Might clenched his fist and demanded an answer. "Where are your superiors right now, Tomura?!"
It's okay, Tomura. I'm here.
"I HATE YOU!" Tomura screamed at All Might.
Black liquid suddenly emerged out of thin air on either side of Tomura, and from that liquid, came a pair of Noumu. Everyone in the room froze in surprise.
The Noumu screeched as they emerged from the liquid and lunged into the room. Around the other villains, more black liquid materialized and brought yet more Noumu.
Jeanist snapped his gaze to Kurogiri. "Isn't he still stunned?!"
"This isn't his doing!" Edgeshot shouted, darting around Kurogiri to attack a Noumu that emerged close to Izuku. "This isn't his Quirk! It's a different type of warping ability!"
"Jeanist! Don't let go of them!" All Might ordered as he prepared to fight. "We'll deal with the Noumu, just don't let the villains escape!"
Izuku was about to dive into the battle as well to help, but he suddenly felt his stomach heave and then he was vomiting up the same black liquid that had summoned the Noumu. "Blegh!?"
The liquid twisted around his body in an instant, enveloping and pressing in on him on all sides. He felt his heart lurch as he let out a gurgling scream. "All Might!"
"Izuku!" All Might roared and tried to grasp him, but the boy was already gone. The liquid that had taken the teenager splattered to the ground and he bellowed. "NO!"
Jeanist snapped his head over his shoulder to call to the police and other heroes waiting outside. "Tsukauchi! We need backup-?!"
It seemed the problem wasn't just confined to the bar. Outside, Noumu were emerging from the black liquid amongst the ranks of police and heroes and immediately going on the attack. It was utter chaos as the fighting broke out and turned into a frenzy of activity.
Tsukauchi grabbed his radio and spoke into it. "Endeavor! What's going on at your end?! Didn't you suppress the Noumu storehouse yet?!"
He didn't get an answer and Tsukauchi suddenly realized that something was terrible wrong. "Endeavor?!"
In the bar, each member of the League of Villains began to vomit up the same black liquid that had taken Izuku, their faces screwing up in surprise and revulsion. Jeanist tried to keep them immobilized, but whatever Quirk was warping them cut off his fibers and made his containment useless. His eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"They had two different warping Quirks?! This isn't Kurogiri's coordinate based warping…this kind only transfers the intended target!"
"Forget it!" Torino snapped, kicking away a Noumu that had targeting the police officers. "We just have to take these guys down!"
Four of the Noumu latched onto All Might, grasping and biting at his limbs in an attempt to hold him down. The Symbol of Peace was not in the mood to be dealing with these small fry- not after Izuku had been snatched away from him again. His torso twisted as One for All surged beneath his skin. "Oklahoma Smash!"
All Might spun in a burst of motion, using the momentum of his twist to hurl each of the Noumu clinging to him into the floor, walls, and ceiling. The bar was destroyed as the Noumu impacted the building, sending rubble flying all over the place.
Tsukauchi called up to the heroes. "All Might! I can't make contact with Endeavor! Their operation must have failed!"
Jeanist began to launch his fibers at the various Noumu still capable of fighting in the street below. "I'll subdue this lot! All Might, Gran Torino, Edgeshot! You three go back up Endeavor! Heat Viper must be there with the rest of the League of Villains!"
All Might nodded and crouched in preparation to fly off. "I leave it to you!"
He rocketed off with a surge of One for All as Gran Torino and Edgeshot rushed after him.
Viper didn't bring the League of Villains over there, All Might thought. He clenched his fists. This has to be All for One's doing…both of them are waiting for us! I won't let you take Izuku away again!
Endeavor's costume was in tatters, but he was still on his feet. His legs trembled in exhaustion as he glared at Viper, eyes still strong and defiant with his rage.
Viper whistled in appreciation as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat. "You're still standing after that? My, my, maybe you really do deserve the number two hero spot. I think that's the first time someone's remained on their feet after a direct hit from my Sun Forge. Props to you, Endeavor."
He eyed the hero's legs and smirked again. "Well, perhaps I'm being a bit too kind to you. You don't look like you can stand much longer."
"Fuck…you," Endeavor gasped, his throat raw and pained. The heat had been on a scale he'd never encountered, but that hadn't really hurt him. What hurt was the sheer intensity of the blast. His limbs felt like they were made of lead and just keeping his balance was a struggle.
Hiding nearby, the five U.A students could only cower behind the concrete wall and try to breathe, paralyzed by horror and desperately forcing themselves to remain silent for fear of being discovered. They were all sweating excessively, their hearts pounding and blood roaring in their ears. Even Katsuki was shaking from the sense of utter oblivion he'd just felt.
It was as though death itself was just a few feet away, playing its deadly game and mercifully unaware of the terrified insects hiding from its presence.
Katsuki tried to swallow down the lump in his throat and slowly turned his head to stare at the others. Momo had a hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide with fright. Ochako looked ready to vomit and was leaning against the wall in an attempt to keep herself steady. Shoto was rigid, every part of his body clenched tightly, and Tenya was just trying to regain his breath as he quietly slid down the wall and sat down.
What…just happened!? Katsuki thought, looking down at his shaking hands. He lifted one to fist his shirt above his heart, feeling the unbelievable pounding send tremors through his entire body. Everything got…blown away in an instant…I couldn't even blink…Can't breathe…Was he…he really was just playing…back at the camp?
He dared to glance over the concrete wall, which had been partially destroyed and thus shortened so he could see over it, and locked his eyes on Viper's figure as the villain approached Endeavor casually. The air around him was warped with heat and he looked so at ease, even with the number two hero at his mercy.
Emerald flames wreathed around Viper, tightly controlled and searing with an intensity Katsuki had never seen in Izuku whenever he used All Flare. The blazing horns atop Viper's head were longer than Izuku's as well, and what little he could see of the villain's face sent chills down his spine. He could see the edge of a wide, delighted grin as Viper closed the gap towards Endeavor, taking pleasure in how thoroughly he was destroying the hero.
For the first time, Katsuki acknowledged that he was completely fucking terrified.
He's a goddamn monster!
"Guh! Agh!"
Katsuki and the other jolted at the noise, which was followed by a coughing fit and the loud splatter of liquid. He whipped his head back to hide behind the wall, but froze as he heard a choking voice.
"Wh-what the…" Izuku gasped, trying not to retch from the taste of the black liquid that had brought him here. "I-it's n-nasty…"
Ochako's eyes went wide in shock. Deku!
Katsuki almost spun back around to launch himself over the wall, but Momo grabbed him by the collar in an instant and threw herself in front of him, shoving the teenager into the concrete behind him with her body. She slapped a hand over his mouth and shook her head frantically. If he moved now, he was going to get them all killed.
"Forgive me, Izuku," All for One apologized as he looked down at the boy. "I had to take action to keep you and the others from being captured."
Izuku coughed some more, but spun around at the sound of other people choking. Black liquid materialized out of thin air and brought with it the rest of the League of Villains. Tomura was the closest one to him, followed by Himiko and the others. Dabi and Kurogiri were still unconscious and their bodies were dumped unceremoniously on the ground.
All for One sighed sympathetically as Tomura staggered and faced his teacher. "You failed again, Tomura? But you cannot let yourself get discouraged. All you need to do is keep trying. I brought your comrades back for you, and Izuku, as well. I know he's important to you. Just try as many times as you need to. That's why I'm here."
He reached up and gently ruffled Tomura's hair in an almost parental kind of way. "Everything is for your sake."
Izuku heard a groan behind them and glanced over his shoulder, only to freeze in place. He was just realizing that Hisashi was a short distance away, and his heart lurched as he saw the villain stop close to a near-defeated Endeavor.
Viper looked back and his lips twitched slightly in amusement. "Oh, he brought them here already? That means All Might isn't far away. He'll probably arrive in a few moments…"
Endeavor was trying to muster his strength to attack Viper again, but the villain wasn't having any of that. He held his hand up at the hero and smirked teasingly. "I hate to cut our fun short, Endeavor, but I don't have time to deal with you if All Might is going to be here soon. Let's do this again some other time."
His emerald eyes gleamed menacingly. "Or not."
The Pyroclasm that erupted from his hand was as big as the first one he'd attacked the heroes with, blowing Endeavor away and annihilating the buildings behind him for an extensive distance. It was an explosion of green flames that roared along its path of destruction without mercy, destroying anything in its way. Car alarms began to blare loudly in the night, quickly followed by screams as innocents were caught up in the attack.
Izuku stared at the destruction with horror. Hisashi wasn't holding back like he had when he had sparred with Izuku. Had Endeavor survived that blast? How many people had been hurt or killed by it?
It made him want to throw up. He could hear the wails of fear, the shrieks, and somehow it felt like this event was just getting started.
Viper turned back towards the villains and stalked towards them, shaking his arm and grimacing slightly. "Ah, damn…I might've overdone that a bit."
"You probably shouldn't waste that kind of power on a half-dead hero," All for One pointed out, though his mechanical voice sounded somewhat amused. "You can't use as many large-scale Pyroclasms as you used to. Save those for All Might."
"Copy that," Viper acknowledged. He surveyed the surrounding wreckage and the other Pro heroes that were still out of commission from his first attack. "I should probably kill the rest of them before they wake up. All Might is going to be a problem without them supporting him…"
All for One suddenly tensed and looked up. "It seems we don't have time for that."
A shape hurtled out of the sky like a meteor before anyone could react and slammed into All for One, who caught the attack's hands with his own. The ground beneath him cratered and the impact sent out a shock wave which had Izuku and the other villains around All for One sprawling over the ground.
All Might gnashed his teeth as he glared at the villain below him. "I'm taking it all back, All for One!"
"You're gonna kill me again, All Might?!" All for One demanded viciously.
Their bodies flared with power and the destruction sent yet another shock wave out to throw those around them further away. All for One managed to shove All Might away from him and stepped back to steady himself. "You sure took your time getting here. The bar is only five kilometers or so away. It took you roughly thirty seconds to get here after I sent all those Noumu…you've gotten soft, my dear Symbol of Peace."
"You're one to talk," All Might retorted as he landed and stood up at his full height. "Look at that industrial mask you've got over your head! Don't you think you're trying too hard?!"
The students hiding behind the concrete couldn't believe what they'd just seen. Katsuki stared over his shoulder as the two overwhelmingly powerful men confronted each other. That bastard can fend off All Might with his bare hands! He's gotta be that villain running the League behind the scenes! He exists, after all!
"I'm not making the same mistake I did six years ago, All for One," All Might crouched and then lunged at the Symbol of Evil in a blur of speed. "I'm taking Izuku back and you're getting locked up for good!"
"That won't do," All for One replied simply. "There's so much we each have to do, you know…"
All Might spotted a flicker of movement to his left and spun his head to the side. Viper was sneering, aiming his hand at him as it glowed with heat. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"
A Pyroclasm roared out, sending All Might flying and blasting another section of the city into oblivion. The destructive force was just as intense as it had been when Viper last attacked Endeavor and Izuku felt terror jolt through him. "All Might!"
"Not to worry, Izuku," All for One chuckled. "He won't die from something like that."
Viper's face twisted into a grimace as he shook the pain from his arm and started walking to All for One. "You should probably get Tomura and the others out of here while he's out for a few moments. It'll be easier to kill him if I don't have to worry about blasting them."
"Indeed," All for One held his hand out and his fingers extended into black, claw-like instruments that stretched over to Kurogiri and plunged into the villain's gaseous body. Kurogiri's body jerked and then he was creating a warp portal despite being unconscious.
Magne was freaking out over the situation and incredibly confused, but he realized that All for One was their ally. "Wh-what did you just do? He's passed out! I don't know what's going on here, but you can warp us out yourself, can't you?! Help us out!"
"I'm sorry, Magne," All for One responded as he forcibly activated Kurogiri's Quirk. "The warping Quirk I used to transport you all here is still quite fresh, so the distance I can transfer you is limited. It's also different from Kurogiri's coordinate-based warping; I can only move objects to and from my location, and it only works if I'm sending to someone I have a close relationship with."
The Symbol of Evil turned to Tomura. "Take Izuku and leave. Remember Tomura, you can still grow so much more."
All Might was diving out of the sky again in the next instant and slammed into All for One, who once again met the blow with his bare hands. Tomura held up an arm to ward off the shock wave. "Teacher…"
Compress knelt and placed his hand against Dabi's unconscious form, collecting him into a small sphere that he pocketed quickly. "Tomura, let's get out of here while that pipe-face is keeping All Might busy! We gotta bring Izuku, too!"
Viper scowled as he approached the grappling titans. "Still gonna ignore me and go after All for One, All Might?!"
"Neither of you are getting away!" All Might bellowed as he heaved against All for One with all his strength. All for One grunted and shoved back, both of them straining to overpower the other.
"Let's get serious here," Viper snarled, his hand blazing with searing green and white fire. "You can't take us both on with your injury. One way or another, you're going to die!"
"No!"
Izuku rushed over, standing between Viper and his prey to spread his arms in a defensive gesture. "I'm not gonna let you kill him!"
Viper glared at Izuku. "Move. I don't have time to deal with you."
Izuku's body flared up and plasma began to spark off his limbs. "I won't let you!"
"Izuku, just run!" All Might roared, bringing a fist back to punch at All for One, only for the villain to catch his attack and retaliate with a vicious hook to his face. The Symbol of Peace spat red from his mouth and smashed his head into All for One's mask, causing the Symbol of Evil to recoil.
Viper clenched his fingers as though they were claws, eyeing All Might as though he were imagining tearing the hero apart. "You heard him, Izuku. Get lost so we can kill him."
"NO!" Izuku screamed. "I won't let you kill him! All Might…he's like a father to me!"
It was, at once, the best and worst thing he could have said to keep Viper's attention on him.
Hisashi froze and his gaze whipped down to Izuku to stare at him. Shock, disbelief, denial, and then utter fury passed over his face in a matter of seconds. Izuku glared back at him, tears of fright forming at the corners of his eyes, but he didn't relent.
"You brought this on yourself," Viper breathed, the rage in his voice barely discernible. "Tomura, you all stay back…I've got to beat some respect into my son. I don't want to kill any of you by accident."
Tomura wisely obeyed. The other villains took a few wary steps closer to Kurogiri's portal, but Himiko looked like she was going to reach for her knife. Magne grabbed the girl's shoulder and shook her head frantically. "Bad idea."
Himiko could only watched helplessly as Izuku and Viper squared off, the father towering over the son as they both blazed with emerald flames. There was something dangerous about the way Viper was glaring at the teenager, seething in his rage, and Himiko feared that he might not be able to stop himself from getting too violent.
Behind the concrete wall, Katsuki watched Izuku and Viper face one another in preparation to fight while All Might and All for One battled viciously not far away. His heart lurched as Viper stepped closer to Izuku. He thought that Viper might not use deadly force against his own son, but he didn't look like he'd be exercising much self-restraint given how angry he was. Izuku wasn't as durable as Endeavor or All Might. If he got hit by one of those overpowered blasts…
"We have to do something!" Ochako gasped frantically. She looked terrified and couldn't stop shaking, but she was more horrified by the prospect of Izuku getting killed while they watched helplessly.
"We can't!" Tenya hissed at her, grabbing the girl's arm to keep her in place. "We'll get killed in an instant! We can't fight them!"
Shoto nodded, his throat tight. "Tenya's right. Th-there's nothing we can do."
"The hell there isn't!" Katsuki snarled, struggling against Momo to join Izuku. "Let me go!"
Momo slapped his cheek and glared into his eyes while he was stunned by the sting, her gaze filled with a mixture of terror and stern anger. "Stop it! We can't just jump in! If-if we're going to do something, we need a plan! Think, Katsuki! We won't be able to save Izuku if you get yourself killed!"
Katsuki stared back at her dumbly for a few seconds. She was terrified- they all were, but she was the most level-headed of them all right now. And he knew she was right. If he just…jumped in, the villains might be surprised, but it wouldn't be long before he was killed by the two monsters currently engaging All Might and terrorizing Izuku. He swallowed and dipped his head, taking a breath to try and calm down.
Momo set her head against the boy's shoulder, trying to catch her breath and think rationally. They wouldn't have a lot of time…maybe a minute or two at the most, depending on how long Izuku could last against Viper, if that. It needed to be simple and effective, something…something that would leave the villains immobilized just long enough to get Izuku away from them…
There had to be something…there had to be…
She blinked at the sound of a helicopter flying overhead.
"This is like something out of a nightmare!" The reporter gasped, holding a mic up as the cameraman beside her filmed the battle beneath them. The helicopter turned, trying to keep its distance, but also to get a good view of All Might's clash with All for One. "In a matter of minutes, the Kamino Ward has been brought to a half-destroyed state! All Might is battling with a villain thought to be the ringleader of the group, and the villain is fighting on more than equal terms with the Symbol of Peace!"
The reporter glanced nearby, spotting a pair of individuals wreathed in dancing emerald flames. "Heat Viper is down there as well! He's suspected to be the cause of the first explosions that set this conflict in motion! It- it appears as though he's confronting a child…We're confirming that the subject in question is the missing U.A student, Izuku Midoriya! It looks like they're talking, but I can't tell if they're allies or- no, they've started fighting!"
Izuku knew he wasn't going to have a chance at keeping Hisashi at bay for long, but he was had to if he wanted to give All Might enough time to take All for One down.
There wasn't going to be any victory here if he didn't take risks.
Hisashi was furious and not thinking clearly. Izuku had that going for him, but he was also aware that the villain was a lot slower than he had been at the training camp. Even so, the longer the fight went on, the faster Viper would find victory against him- Izuku couldn't hope to match the overwhelming might of his All Flare. He was just going to have to hit him as hard and fast as he could and keep the villain guessing.
He charged up 100% in his toe and blurred at Viper, whose eyes flickered with surprise upon realizing Izuku had made the first move. His arms came up to guard as Izuku made to throw a punch at his face, only for Izuku to grab Viper's hair and flip himself over and behind the villain.
Izuku spun back around as Viper mirrored him and dove for the villain's legs, charging 100% again in his finger and shooting at his target's ankles to force him off-balance. The surge of wind pressure and plasma lifted Viper into the air as he was thrown off his feet, and he snarled as he tried to spin and land again.
Surprise and pain shot through Viper as Izuku grabbed the back of his head while he was still slightly airborne and slammed his face into his knee. Fresh blood started flowing from his nose and his eyes stung, although the blow didn't actually do much damage and only served to infuriate him further. He made to release a blast of heat and repel the teenager away, but Izuku chose that moment to deliver a full 100% uppercut to his jaw.
"100% Manhattan Smash!"
It was a phenomenal punch that sent Viper skyrocketing into the air, stunned by the impact and in full view of the helicopter's camera as blood spewed from his mouth.
Izuku bit back a cry as the bones in his arm shattered from the attack, forcing himself to focus on Viper's airborne figure. A big hit like that would hurt him, but it wouldn't be enough to incapacitate the villain. His suspicion was confirmed as he saw Viper twist in midair after a second, glaring down at him murderously.
Viper let out a roar, unleashing a gale of Hellbreath fire from his mouth. Izuku dove behind a concrete slab to take cover as the emerald fire blasted the rubble around him. As soon as the blaze was gone, he rushed back out and tried to flank Viper as the villain landed.
Viper's hand rushed up to unleash a Pyroclasm, which Izuku countered by flicking again at 100%. The two surges of energy collided and were blown skyward in a shock wave. Emerald flames and arcing bolts of plasma roared against one another.
Izuku shot himself at Viper with another 100% from his toe, but the villain was a little further away this time and was able to react. He started to lean away to the side, but Izuku's arm rushed out to wrap around the man's throat and clothesline him. The teenager used his momentum to spin himself around so he had Viper in a headlock and heaved, trying to force the villain onto his back.
With a furious snarl, Viper's hand flashed up to grab Izuku's shirt and he threw the teenager over his shoulder and onto the ground in front of him. Izuku had the breath knocked out of him from the impact and while he was stunned, Viper's boot slammed into his chest and generated another Pyroclasm.
The blast had Izuku screaming in pain as his ribs cracked from the force of the shock wave. He reached up, scrabbling to get Viper's foot off of him, only for another Pyroclasm to pulverize him further into the ground. The second explosion had blood bubbling out of Izuku's lips as he screamed again.
"All Might is not your father," Hisashi growled at him viciously. "Don't you dare say that he is, either! He- gah!"
Viper was forced off of Izuku as a blur of motion slammed into the villain's chest with a vicious kick. The blow didn't do a lot of damage, but it was enough to distract him long enough for Edgeshot to dart in and get Izuku away from Hisashi's attacks.
Gran Torino's gaze trailed from Izuku's wounded figure back to Viper with a furious expression. "Have you fallen so far you'd hurt your own son, Hisashi?!"
"Keep your nose out of family matters, old timer!" Viper roared, expelling a surge of Hellbreath at the senior hero. Torino bolted out of the way, but he couldn't re-engage Viper now that the villain was aware of his presence and had increased the output of flames around his body.
Viper was only distracted for a moment as he tried to hit Torino's airborne figure with another blast of flame, but it was enough to catch him off-guard when a devastating impact drove itself into the villain's left side. His gut clenched and he spat up a gout of blood as the attack sent him crashing along the ground. He dug his fingers into the dirt and flipped to right himself, landing and stumbling back a few paces to regain his balance.
Izuku had rejoined the fight, but the attack had cost him his left arm, which was now just as broken as his right. He was gasping for breath and every movement seemed to cause him pain, but he couldn't let up on the pressure, even with Edgeshot and Torino here.
Viper was still a menace and All Might's battle with All for One wasn't over. The two titans had moved off a ways, but they were still causing utter devastation in their death struggle. Izuku didn't have time to see who was winning- he was busy enough trying to keep Viper from going after them.
Torino flew over to him and scowled at the damage Izuku had taken. "You need to get out of here, you're too hurt to fight!"
"I can't just run," Izuku gasped, clenching his jaw against the pain surging through his body. "If I'm not here, he'll just go after All Might! He can't fight Viper and All for One at the same time!"
The veteran hero grit his teeth as he studied the teenager. He's right…The only reason Hisashi's taken as much damage as he has is because of the kid's resistance to those flames. But even so, he's a mess! Both of his arms are broken and I'm not sure if he has any internal injuries from those blasts he took!
Torino glared back at Viper as the villain stalked towards them again, eyes sharp as Edgeshot moved to try and flank him. Viper unleashed a blast of flame at the hero, who had to dart away to avoid the attack.
We're caught in a bind! Hurry up and win, Toshinori!
Katsuki swallowed as he surveyed the battlefield. Izuku was going nuts out there trying to keep Viper from fighting All Might, but he was afraid the teenager might not last much longer, even with Edgeshot and that old geezer backing him up. Viper was just so stupidly powerful, although he didn't seem to be as fast or as strong as before for some reason.
His eyes trailed to the other villains, who were hovering around the Kurogiri's portal and avoiding the battle at all costs. Katsuki chewed on his lip thoughtfully as he studied the gate. Maybe…if he wanted to blow away even Viper, he was going to need a hell of an explosion. But there was no time to worry about safety. If he screwed up here with some underpowered blast, he was gonna get himself and the others killed.
…this was gonna hurt like a bitch, but he had no choice.
"…I have an idea," he said, getting the attention of his classmates. Katsuki grinned nervously at them. "If you guys give me a distraction for just a second, I think I can get Viper and the other villains out of the way."
"How?" Momo asked.
Izuku bent his knees and charged up 100% in his toes again, propelling himself at Viper once more while the villain was trying to hit Edgeshot. Viper spotted his approach and immediately reached up to unleash a Pyroclasm, only for Edgeshot to take the opportunity to rush in and slash his arm. The villain responded by generating a surge of flames around him, the force of which blew Edgeshot away.
Izuku swung his fist at Viper again with One for All at its maximum output. Plasma bolts sparked and jolted as he struck, but Viper caught the attack in his hand this time and cancelled it with another Pyroclasm. The force of the colliding blows at such a tight range sent a burst of pain roaring through Izuku's arm and he let out a cry.
Viper grabbed the teenager by the collar and didn't hesitate to throw him onto his back again, lifting his foot to stomp the boy. Before he could, Gran Torino darted in and kicked him in the side, sending Hisashi staggering. The attack gave Izuku a chance to scramble to his feet and back off, reeling from his injuries and gasping for breath.
As Viper made to pursue the teenager, Torino drove another kick into the back of his head. Viper lost his patience, snapping his hand up to launch a blast of fire at the helicopter overhead. "Make yourself useful somewhere else, you damn geezer!"
Torino blanched as the tail of the chopper was caught by the flames and exploded. He flew up in an instant to save the crew, who could be heard screaming over the wailing engine of the reeling chopper. Viper took aim again now that he knew where Torino was going to be.
Izuku rushed at Viper and grabbed his arm, yanking the limb away from Torino and the endangered civilians. Viper growled as his body was spun to the side, but snatched Izuku's shoulder with his free hand to keep him still. He flared up yet more flames as Edgeshot attempted to get close, repelling the Pro hero.
Momo peeked over the rubble she and the other students were using as cover and felt her heart rate spike. Viper's back was turned to them and Izuku was keeping him still. Further away, All Might and All for One were still fighting, but at a safer distance. They weren't going to get another chance like this.
"Let's go!" She exclaimed to the others, who were ready and waiting for her signal to start the plan. A flash grenade started to form from Momo's hand. "Now!"
Izuku squeezed with 100% and the sound of breaking bone caused Viper to roar in fury. His hand gripping Izuku's shoulder surged with heat, generating a Pyroclasm that sent the teenager flying.
Nobody was quite prepared for what happened next.
Maybe it was bad luck. Maybe Viper hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. Maybe no one had.
A sickening wet squelch filled the air, along with a crunching that made the hairs of everyone within earshot stand on end. Viper's rage ceased in an instant as he stared ahead of him, eyes growing wide.
Izuku stared back, mirroring his shock.
Every single person froze simultaneously as their eyes trailed to the source of the horrific sound.
To the inch-wide steel pipe protruding, almost mockingly, from the left side of Izuku's stomach.
Izuku's gaze fell to the piece of metal and he could only stare, uncomprehendingly, at the crimson liquid flowing down its length and soaking into his clothes. His lips trembled as blood filled his mouth and spilled out from the corners. "…ahh…"
Hisashi's expression was one of utter shock, which twisted into pure horror as he realized what had just happened. He'd blindly launched Izuku into a mass of concrete that had the pipe sticking out of it and now his son was…
He hardly even flinched upon hearing the scream, a howl of such unfettered hatred that had he been fully coherent, he might've briefly feared for his life. As it was, he didn't react fast enough to stop Katsuki from lunging at him and slamming his right hand against Hisashi's chest.
An explosion roared out, one which made Katsuki's blast at the Sports Festival look tame by comparison. The surge of energy was enough to lift Hisashi off his feet and send not just him, but every member of the League of Villains flying away- straight into Kurogiri's warp gate. For even though Katsuki was overcome with rage unlike anything he'd ever experienced, he instinctively followed the plan and blasted Viper at such an angle that it launched him and every villain behind him into the portal.
Most of the villains barring Hisashi yelped or shouted in surprise as they were thrown into Kurogiri's gate, but Himiko's eyes were locked on Izuku's impaled body. For that moment before she passed through the gate, she didn't feel desire as she normally did upon seeing so much blood- she felt nothing but horror, and couldn't stop the cry that left her lips. "No!"
Hisashi was stunned by the devastating blast, but even in his dazed state, he couldn't stop staring at Izuku's broken form. He was unable to respond properly in his shock, even as he was thrown through portal behind the other villains and disappeared as it closed behind him.
Edgeshot locked onto Katsuki as the teenager crumpled to his knees. "Who the hell-?!"
"Edgeshot!"
The hero spun towards the voice of Best Jeanist, who had just arrived on the scene. One look at Izuku and Katsuki and he instantly judged what had to be done. "You go back up All Might! I'll handle things here!"
Edgeshot nodded and bolted towards the battle still raging a distance away. "I'm counting on you!"
Jeanist darted over to Izuku first. Momo and the other students ran out from their hiding places, but the Pro barely spared them a glance. Ochako and Tenya rushed after Jeanist as Momo and Shoto made their way to Katsuki.
Momo knelt by Katsuki's side and froze. She'd wondered why Katsuki hadn't run over to Izuku as soon as he blew the villains away, but now she knew why.
Katsuki's right arm was dislocated at the shoulder and the limb itself was in ruins. His hand was burnt from touching Viper's flame-clad body, but his arm had been horrifically damaged by the overpowered blast he'd set off in his rage. Blood was flowing out of wounds in his arm that had literally exploded from the inside. It was limp at his side and although it trembled, he didn't seem to be able to move it.
Momo felt a shock of horror rush through her. He'd told them he had an attack to blow Viper away, but this…this was too much! Was his arm even salvageable?!
Shoto was already setting his hands on the teenager's dislocated shoulder and glanced at the frozen expression on Momo's face. "Momo! Pull yourself together! Make some bandages!"
That jolted her out of her shock and she started to produce bandages from her arms in excessive amounts, which she immediately wrapped around Katsuki's ruined arm. The teenager's eyes were wide and his mouth opened and closed in shocked pain. Shoto braced himself and shoved down on Katsuki's dislocated shoulder, forcing the joint back in place.
Momo felt her eyes sting as a strangled cry left Katsuki's lips.
Ochako almost stumbled over a pile of rubble as she raced over to Izuku with Tenya. Jeanist was already there, the fibers of his costume weaving out to probe the terrible injury. Upon reaching them, Ochako felt her body go numb as the blood in her veins turned cold as ice.
Izuku's head had fallen back, his eyes rolling into the back of his head and fluttering as his fast, shallow panting sent utter agony through his body with every breath. Ochako could only stare at his paling face, at the blood trickling down his lips, dripping from his chin onto the pipe impaling his body, oh god, there was so much red…
"You two," Jeanist snapped, jolting Ochako out of her trance. "One of you help me get him off of this pipe so I can stitch what I can with my fibers. The other needs to keep him calm. He's in shock, but he's still conscious and this is going to hurt."
Tenya gulped and nodded sharply. "I'll help pull him off."
Ochako didn't respond verbally and just walked over to Izuku's right side, lifting her shaky hands to frame his face between them. His gaze was unfocused and his eyes were still rolling. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and tried to speak.
"D-D-Deku, listen, o-okay?" Her words came out in a broken sob and Ochako didn't realize until then that she was crying. "Y-you're gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. You're alright."
A strangled whimper escaped Izuku's lips as he seemingly recognized her. "O-ocha-"
He gasped, a loud, throaty sound full of pain as more blood flowed out of his mouth and made a gurgling sound. Ochako shook her head and ran her trembling fingers through his hair. "No, d-don't talk. It's okay, it's okay."
Jeanist muttered quietly to Tenya. "You have his shoulder? Now, three, two, one-"
Izuku screamed as they pulled him off the pipe, a squelching noise filling the air the steel was removed from his body and blood splattered on the ground. Tenya held him up while Jeanist's fibers moved into the wound, stitching up what he could to keep the teenager from bleeding out until they got him to a surgeon.
Ochako cupped Izuku's face in her hands again and felt her heart lurch as his breathing grew more shallow and he went limp in her grasp. He choked up more blood onto her shirt and she started crying frantically. "Izuku! Izuku, look at me! Look at me!"
Sobs wracked her entire body as she struggled to breathe. His eyes met hers, full of pain and terror as he became more aware of how close to death he was. Ochako pressed her forehead to his and lifted one of her hands once more to weave her fingers through the curly green locks atop his head, doing whatever she could to soothe him as Jeanist performed emergency treatment.
"That's it," she whimpered, her thumb tracing circles on his cheek below his eye. "That's it. You're doing good, j-just stay awake. That's it, keep looking at me. I've got you…I've got you…"
They remained like that, blind to the sounds of All Might and All for One still battling in the distance, until Jeanist was satisfied that he'd done what he could. "He needs a doctor right now. There should be a hospital a mile or so away that hasn't been destroyed…"
"I-I can take him."
Jeanist glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening as he spotted Mt. Lady slowly walking towards them. The young woman was badly burnt, but she was conscious and steady on her feet. Jeanist considered the option for a moment. "Can you use your Quirk like that?"
"Long enough to get him and the other kid to the hospital."
Jeanist's eyes trailed to Katsuki, whose right arm was wrapped up in bandages courtesy of Momo, and inclined his head. "If you're sure."
Mt. Lady nodded back and took a breath before using her Gigantification Quirk to supersize herself. She knelt and lowered her hands, palms up as Jeanist carried Izuku over to her. He called to Momo and Shoto to bring Katsuki over and then faced the uninjured students. "You four, follow Mt. Lady and I to the hospital. I'm going to ride with them to keep them stable. Time is of the essence."
"Yes, sir," Shoto replied quietly for the rest of them.
Jeanist had a lot he wanted to say to the children as Mt. Lady lifted him, Izuku, and Katsuki to carry them off to the hospital, but there was no time for that. Izuku's life hung in the balance and after seeing the state of Katsuki's arm, he wasn't sure if the limb was in a state where it would recover fully. And frankly speaking, had the students not chosen to act, he wasn't sure if Izuku would have survived.
All Might might have even died if Viper had decided to pursue him after wounding his son. As it was, the Symbol of Peace was still engaged in a life-and-death struggle in the distance, but Jeanist had to prioritize the rescue. Edgeshot and the other heroes would have to do what they could to help him.
Jeanist looked down at the two boys, his fibers moving to address what injuries they could as he sighed.
Even if they won this battle…what had it cost them?