The explosion sent the four boys crashing in four different directions.
With their ears ringing and their bodies covered in dust and bloody scratches, the boys scrambled up and stared at each other… stunned.
"… Luke?" Midoriya mumbled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
"You…" Bakugo, carrying a massive bluish bruise across the left side of his face, hissed, glaring at Rikuya.
Then Midoriya looked away, his eyes falling on Rikuya, while Bakugo glared at Luke.
Meanwhile, Luke and Rikuya took full measure of Midoriya and Bakugo.
It took only a few glances for the four of them to register what was happening with the other pair — the exact same thing that had been unfolding between themselves!
"… Hey, guys…" Midoriya gulped, a bad feeling sinking into his gut. "I think we should—"
"I AM NOT DONE WITH YOU, YOU DAMN NERD!" Bakugo roared, ignoring everything else.
With a fiery explosion erupting from the soles of his unassisted boots, he shot toward Midoriya and lashed out with his right hand.
Bakugo triggering explosions directly through his feet without the aid of support gear had already spooked Midoriya moments ago.
So as it happened again, he instantly activated Full Cowling to dodge the incoming attack.
Surprisingly, someone had already moved far faster than either Bakugo or Midoriya.
Before Midoriya could duck and push himself away, and before Bakugo could detonate a blast in his face to intercept the dodge, Luke's fist shot out of nowhere and slammed into Bakugo's jaw.
Bakugo was sent flying like a rag doll, skidding across the rubble-strewn pavement.
Silence.
"Have you gone nuts?!" Rikuya roared, scrambling toward Bakugo.
"Was it him?" Luke asked, narrowing his eyes as he stepped toward the two Radiants. "Was it Bakugo who forced you to… work for Her?"
"… Umm…" Midoriya, utterly stunned, had no idea what was happening anymore. Bakugo had dragged him to Ground Beta to demand answers about his Quirk. Before he knew it, Bakugo attacked him, catching him off guard by discharging explosions through his boots. Then, mid-brawl, they had crashed into this street, where… Luke had been brawling with his own older brother!
As ridiculous as it sounded, Midoriya knew something terrible must have happened for Luke to act like this, going as far as to brutally beat his own stepbrother.
And somehow, Bakugo was involved as well.
This was bad… Midoriya knew.
Contending with a calm Luke was terrifying enough.
An enraged, blank-faced Luke was nothing short of a catastrophe.
Midoriya reached out to hold Luke back, but Bakugo reacted far faster.
Shoving Rikuya aside and glaring murderously at Luke, Bakugo propelled himself forward with roaring explosions.
In the blink of an eye, he shifted his trajectory midair and appeared at Luke's right flank — only to find a fist already cutting through the air, filling his vision.
"Got you…" Bakugo grinned.
With a BOOM, he somersaulted over Luke, catching his extended arm with one hand while detonating a point-blank blast with the other.
And before a startled Midoriya could react, Bakugo slammed Luke into him, driving an explosive fist straight into Luke's gut to finish the sequence.
The blast tore through the storefronts behind them, sending shards of glass and shattered masonry flying.
Bakugo panted, sparks crackling across his palms, the heat from his boots scorching the asphalt beneath him.
"I… hate you fucking nerds!" he hissed.
CRACK!
Midoriya's counter-kick whipped toward Bakugo's flank like a streak of green lightning.
Before it could connect, however, a heavy metal pipe wedged itself between Midoriya's shin and Bakugo.
A loud BANG resounded as the iron pipe bent upon impact.
The parry gave Bakugo just enough time to retaliate with an explosive backhand aimed straight at Midoriya's face.
Then came another sound.
Like the growl of a predator.
Charging like an enraged bull, Luke drove his shoulders straight into both Bakugo and Rikuya, lifting them off their feet and plowing forward until they smashed through a concrete wall.
Bakugo and Rikuya choked, their eyes rolling back in their heads as the entire facade collapsed on all three of them.
Meanwhile, clipped by the backdraft of Bakugo's blast, Midoriya went crashing into a lamppost.
Silence fell over the street once again.
Clutching his head, blood dripping down from his elbow, Luke shoved his way out of the settling dust.
Halfway across the street, he stopped and turned back toward the mountain of debris.
Slowly, the broken masonry shifted as Bakugo dragged himself and Rikuya free, both trembling, barely able to stand.
"Fuck…" Rikuya wheezed, unable to feel an inch of his body. "Just… you… wait…"
"I can…" Luke drew a deep breath, his left eye swollen shut. He raised his bloodied fists. "… do this all day."
From behind, Midoriya dragged himself over to Luke's side, clutching his bruised ribs with both hands.
"Let my family go…" Luke repeated, staring straight at Bakugo. "… Or else."
Midoriya looked at Bakugo, horrified. "What did you… do to Luke's family?!"
"You don't have a family, bastard!" Rikuya screamed, using the last dregs of his strength. "Bakugo didn't make me do a damn thing!"
"And…" Bakugo hissed, sparks crackling across his twitching fingers. "… what if I did? You gonna… test me, you birdshit?! Why don't you two come at me together?!"
Luke could see it even now:
The faint, barely perceptible glint of blue that flickered across Bakugo's and Rikuya's irises.
Clenching his fists tighter than ever, he stepped forward, drawing Midoriya alongside him.
Rikuya hoisted his bent iron pipe with a raspy laugh, while Bakugo rolled his neck, grinning like a demon.
Without another word, the boys lunged toward each other.
"STOP!"
Luke with raised fists, Midoriya crackling with green lightning, Bakugo cloaked in smoke and embers, and Rikuya roaring to fight off unconsciousness — all froze mid-stride, their heads snapping toward the voice.
From the shadows of the alleyway, two figures emerged into the streetlights, glaring at the four of them.
One of the figures bore heavy dark circles under his eyes, his lips set in a severe, angry scowl — Eraser Head!
The other figure was far larger, his towering frame exuding not fury, but profound disappointment.
"I hope you all have an exceptional explanation for this…" All Might said grimly. "Otherwise… you four have just bought yourselves a one-way ticket straight home."