Denki Kaminari stood alongside Momo Yaoyorozu and Kyoka Jiro, trying to steady his breathing as the dust settled around them.
They'd been fighting for a while now, around him, unconscious villains were sprawled across the floor, some twitching from residual shocks.
The jagged rocks and uneven terrain of the Mountain Zone made it hard to find stable footing, but they had no time to adjust.
A group of villains was already rushing toward them, brandishing makeshift weapons and looking eager to crush some students.
"Stay sharp," Momo instructed, already creating a long staff from her arm.
Jiro nodded, her earphone jacks twitching as she listened for movements beyond their line of sight.
Denki swallowed, forcing himself to focus despite the pounding of his heart. "Got it... Let's fry these guys."
The first villain lunged at them—a burly man wielding a rusty pipe. Momo swung her staff with practiced grace, knocking the pipe out of his hand and jabbing him in the stomach, sending him sprawling.
Jiro followed up by thrusting her jacks into the ground, sending shockwaves that knocked a few more villains off balance.
Denki grinned and sparked his fingertips, zapping a villain who tried to flank them. "Man, these guys are everywhere!"
More villains surrounded them, forcing the trio into a tighter formation. Momo parried a knife strike and retaliated with a solid hit to the attacker's ribs, while Jiro whipped her jacks around, tripping another enemy.
Denki zapped a couple more, but he could feel the drain setting in. His electricity wasn't limitless, and he couldn't risk overloading too soon.
One of the villains—a wiry guy with clawed gloves—slashed at him, and Denki barely ducked in time, retaliating with a shock to the man's chest.
The villain staggered but didn't fall, grinning through gritted teeth as he lunged again.
"Damn it..." Denki muttered, sidestepping another swipe. "These guys aren't going down easy."
"We can't keep this up" Kyoka panted, flicking sweat from her forehead. "They're too many."
Momo spun her staff to knock back another opponent and shot Denki a determined look. "Kaminari, can you hit them all at once?"
He hesitated, glancing at the chaotic battlefield. "Maybe... but you guys will get caught up in it too."
"I'll make something to protect us," Momo said, her hand glowing as she began to create an insulated barrier. "Just give me a second."
Kyoka kept the villains at bay with quick strikes, and Denki watched Momo work, feeling the pressure build as more enemies approached.
When Momo finished crafting the insulator, she covered herself and Jiro with it, signaling Denki with a nod.
He took a deep breath, letting his electricity build up. "Alright... here goes!"
His hair crackled with energy, and he unleashed a massive surge of electricity burst out from his body, lighting up the entire area.
Villains within range convulsed and collapsed, twitching on the ground as the shock overwhelmed them.
The immediate threat of the villains was neutralized. However, the aftermath presented an unexpected complication.
Momo Yaoyorozu's hero costume had been significantly damaged during the creation of the insulator sheet.
The process had torn away substantial portions of her outfit, leaving her upper body exposed.
Kyoka Jiro quickly noticed Momo's predicament and, with a blush creeping across her cheeks, extended her earphone jacks to shield Momo from view.
"Momo, your clothes..." Jiro stammered, trying to maintain her composure.
Momo glanced down, her expression calm despite the situation. "It's alright, Jiro. I can create a new outfit."
She focused her Quirk, and within moments, a new hero costume materialized, covering her once more.
As the electricity faded, Denki stood there with a goofy grin, thumbs up, and vacant eyes. "Yay~"
Momo and Kyoka stared at him with mixed expressions of relief and exasperation.
"Great job, Sparky," Jiro muttered, nudging his shoulder to make sure he was still conscious.
Momo wiped her brow, catching her breath as she surveyed the unconscious villains scattered around. "That should buy us some time... but we need to regroup with the others."
Kyoka glanced at Denki, who was still in his dazed state. "Yeah, but we gotta drag this idiot along too."
Momo just sighed, allowing herself a small smile. "At least he did his part."
***
"What the—?!" I barely had time to curse before the darkness swallowed me whole.
It was disorienting—like being pulled through a vortex. My body felt like it was being twisted and stretched in every direction at once. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to keep it together as the world spun around me.
Then, just as suddenly, it was over.
I stumbled out of the mist and hit solid ground, barely keeping my balance. As I looked around, I took in my surroundings—a rocky, uneven terrain with jagged boulders scattered about.
A groan caught my attention, and I turned to see Iida pushing himself up, adjusting his glasses as he steadied himself.
"Azaria!" he called out, sounding both relieved and tense. "Are you alright?"
I gave a short nod, still scanning the area. "Yeah. You good?"
He straightened up, his usual stiff posture returning. "I'm fine. But what just happened? Where are the others?"
I took the mask off as the warm light invaded my eyes. "That mist guy must've warped us. I'd say we're scattered all over the place."
As my vision adjusted, I had this question pop into my head.
Wait... Was Iida supposed to be here? Wasn't he supposed to stay with Thirteen and the others?
I glanced at him, my mind racing. Had he already sent the message to Shigaraki? I cursed under my breath. I was supposed to keep tabs on Aoyama, but I'd gotten so caught up in everything else that I forgot.
Iida's brows furrowed as he fell into thought. "Were they afraid to fight us all together, or did they separate us to instill fear?"
"Probably the latter," I replied. "To them, we're just a bunch of snotty brats who haven't seen real life yet. Makes us look like easy targets."
He adjusted his glasses again, looking conflicted. "That sounds a bit harsh... but true at the same time."
"Sorry," I muttered. "Didn't mean it like that. Just the best way to put it." I kept my eyes sharp, half-expecting a villain to jump out at us. "Staying here is risky. We need to find the others."
Iida clenched his fists, frustration clear on his face. "We must regroup as soon as possible. If our classmates are attacked while isolated..."
I glanced at him, noticing his hands trembling slightly. Despite his usual confidence, the reality of the situation was probably hitting him harder than he wanted to admit.
"Calm down," I said, trying to act natural. "Have some faith in your classmates. I doubt they'd lose. Besides, the only ones that really look like threats are the mist guy and the dude with hands."
I felt like I could hurl right now. Was I really spouting that cheesy 'power of friendship' crap? I could practically feel myself cringe.
He took a deep breath and nodded, seeming to regain a bit of his composure. "You're right. My apologies. We should proceed cautiously and remain vigilant for any enemies."
I pulled my mask back on, feeling the familiar comfort of it shielding my face. "Yeah, let's do that."
We pushed forward carefully, staying low and quiet as we navigated the rocky terrain. My mind kept racing with possibilities, trying to figure out how to handle whatever came next.
But one thought kept bugging me—Iida wasn't supposed to be here. He should be back with Thirteen and the others, dealing with Kurogiri. He's the one who runs off to get help. Without him, we're screwed.
How the hell do I get him out of here? Just telling him to go would probably be pointless—he'd just brush it off and insist on staying. Besides, even in the story, he didn't leave until Thirteen practically ordered him to. What would he care about me telling him to go?
"Azaria." His voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "I hope this doesn't sound strange, but... I'm actually glad I'm with you."
I blinked, staring blankly at him from behind my mask. The hell did he just say?
He cleared his throat, sounding almost embarrassed. "You're quick on your feet and always seem to come up with a plan that works. You're... reliable."
"Oh." I couldn't help but smile underneath my mask. The compliment came out of nowhere, and I guess it felt good to be appreciated.
"Although," he continued, "when I first saw you, I thought you were a ruffian—a good-for-nothing thug who would bully students and tarnish U.A.'s reputation."
My smile dropped instantly. What the fuck?
He must've noticed my silence, because he hurriedly added, "I mean no offense. You just gave off the impression of a delinquent—someone who breaks the rules and shirks responsibility. Your sharp eyes, the tattoo, and how you never seem to pay attention in class... It just made you stand out."
Whatever warm feeling I had from the compliment had completely evaporated. I was at a complete loss for words.
"But after the hero battle you won—though we didn't actually see much—and your quick thinking during the hallway incident... I changed my mind about you. Your actions proved I was wrong. As class representative and your classmate, I apologize." He gave a respectful bow.
"..."
He glanced up, looking a bit uneasy. "Is there a problem? Do you not accept my apology?"
"N-no, it's not that," I said, shaking off my surprise. "I just... didn't expect all that. But it's cool."
We kept moving, talking to keep our minds off the tension. Iida tried to steer the conversation toward something lighter—classes, favorite foods, even some dumb stuff that happened in class.
I found myself actually laughing at one point, and it was weirdly... nice. Guess I hadn't really taken the time to just talk with him before.
But as we kept going, the uneasy feeling in my gut wouldn't let up. I kept my senses sharp, waiting for something to happen. And then I heard it—footsteps crunching against the gravel.
I tensed, gesturing for Iida to stop. The air grew heavy, and I could feel it—someone was coming.
Three figures stepped out from behind the rocks—familiar faces. My hands clenched instinctively. Of all the lowlife scum in this place, it had to be them.
The lanky bastard with rotting teeth, the red-haired woman with that same razor-sharp smirk, and the guy who loved to run his mouth about people pissing themselves. Trash. Every one of them.
"Well, well," the redhead sneered, leaning against a boulder like she owned the place. "Looks like we got ourselves a couple of lost little heroes. Didn't your teachers warn you about wandering off?"
Her eyes glinted with malice, and I could feel the urge to rip that grin off her face. They didn't recognize me, of course—they only knew the version of me that looked beaten and broken from the bar incident. Now I was just another UA student to them.
"More kids," the lanky one croaked, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "They're just sending 'em in like meat for the grinder."
The third guy chuckled darkly, cracking his knuckles. "Bet they'll cry just easy as we want. Especially the pretty boy in glasses. What, you gonna beg for mercy?"
My jaw tightened, I felt a well of anger rise up in me. I took a slow, calming breath, keeping my voice even. "Iida," I muttered under my breath, not taking my eyes off them. "You need to get out of here."
"What? I can't just—"
"You have to," I cut in. "Look, we're all stick here and the actual heroes are facing the troublesome villains. It could get overwhelming even for them. If Thirteen and Aizawa are already taken down, we're screwed. The only one who can change this situation is you. Find the exit, run back to UA and get All Might. Bring whoever you can find."
"But leaving you alone—"
I didn't even look at him. "Listen, if you stay, we both die. You're faster than anyone else here—use that advantage. It's your duty as class rep, right? Save everyone. That's how you become a real hero."
He hesitated, his knuckles white, but I could see the determination flickering behind his eyes. Iida took a deep breath and nodded, steeling himself. "Understood. Be careful, Azaria."
He turned on his heel and shot off like a bullet, engines roaring, kicking up dust as he sped away. One of the villains lurched forward, reaching out as if to chase him.
"Where do you think you're going, four-eyes—"
Before he could take another step, I moved. My right hand pulsed with dark energy as I conjured a blade—a sleek, obsidian-black katana that hummed with raw power.
I didn't hesitate. In a single, fluid motion, I stepped past him and swung the blade with brutal precision.
The villain's eyes widened, mouth opening in a strangled gasp as his head separated from his shoulders, spinning through the air before hitting the ground with a wet thud.
Blood spurted from the open neck, his body collapsing like a marionette with its strings cut. The other two villains froze, staring at the lifeless corpse with wide, terrified eyes.
I reached up and pulled my mask off, glaring at them with a cold, unamused expression. "Where do you think you are going? You must really think I'm a joke," I muttered, flicking the blood off my blade. " Remember me? why don't you try running your mouths now?"
The redhead's confidence faltered, and for the first time, I saw fear flicker in her eyes. "What the hell...?"
"Say your prayers to whatever being you serve," I took a step forward, pointing the blade at her. "Try to fight it no matter how hard you try but one thing is sure, you're not leaving this place alive."
———
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