I Must be Unrecognizable

I sprint out of the rock area as quickly as I can. That ice and fire guy seemed to be the only student that was sent to that that he's incapacitated, I'm not completely sure of my next course of action. Do I try to help restrain the students in other zones or just stay put? I resolve to check in with Kurogiri and Shigaraki and take it from there. When I exit the zone, I'm greeted by something surprising.

All of the villains that stayed behind to fight Eraserhead have been promptly stomped. Several of them lie unconscious on the floor and the few that are standing look like they're barely holding on. That isn't what's shocking. A bunch of street thugs that have only ever fought with their quirks would naturally lose to someone like Eraserhead. What's actually surprising is the fact that All Might isn't here. According to the schedule, he was supposed to be teaching as well but there's no trace of him. Thinking back, he wasn't part of the crowd when we entered either. Is it possible that he skipped out on his teaching duties?

There's no point in just contemplating it. I need to confirm All Might's absence with Shigaraki. Shigaraki is standing in the center of the open junction between all the zones, right next to Nomu. He's completely stationary, making no move to aid in the ongoing brawl with Eraserhead. As I get closer, I can see that he's scratching himself violently. I've seen him do it before but never like this.

It usually looks like a nervous tick, kind of similar to my stutter. Instead of a light rubbing his nails across his neck, Shigaraki is viciously scraping his own throat. With every itch, he's making a deeper mark that's starting to turn red. When I approach, I can hear him muttering to himself. "Why? Why... isn't he here? He's supposed to… be here!" His speech is jagged. He's constantly stopping and starting again. He switches from whispering to almost screaming in an instant.

Everything about his demeanor is frightening, so much so that part of me wants to run away. I have no doubt that he might lash out at the closest thing that moves. However, this plan won't work if Shigaraki falls apart so I push through my hesitation.

"Shigaraki, what's going on?" I say, slowly. He looks at me with intense loathing and starts to swing at me. But he stops himself quickly. When he responds, he does so in his usual voice without a trace of his previous madness.

"Did you finish in your area?".

"Yeah, I did," I reply. "What's going on out here?"

Shigaraki looks back to the fight before answering. "All Might isn't here. I'm not sure why but he just isn't. Even so, we're sticking to the plan."

I want to object. The whole purpose of this mission was to ambush All Might and defeat him while he was most vulnerable. With the students as a distraction and all contact cut off, victory would have been inevitable. But if he isn't here, then we've lost our greatest advantage. The best decision now would be to cut our losses and retreat. I'm fully aware of stupid Shigaraki's decision is but I also understand it. The League has dedicated all of its' effort to this attack. If we call it quits now, that's the same as giving up entirely. This is our one chance to make an impact. We have to stick to it, no matter the consequences.

"Okay then," I respond. "What do you want me to do?"

Shigaraki's gaze is completely fixed on Eraserhead while he answers. "Stay here and take command of Nomu. He's already been set to listen to you. I'm going to get out there and fight." I open my mouth to disagree but he quickly cuts me off.

"Shut up Midoriya. I am pissed. Everything has gone completely off track. If I don't work this out soon, then I'll explode." I still have my doubts but I don't protest further. Shigaraki is a very wrathful person and I'd prefer it if he released all of that rage on someone else. Still, I'm not positive about his odds in this fight. Eraserhead is an insanely strong Pro due to his quirk. Can Shigaraki stand up to that?

I don't have much time to contemplate it before Shigaraki dashes forward. He moves at an impressive speed and makes up the distance between himself and Eraserhead quickly. Shigaraki approaches him just as the last remaining fighter is knocked to the floor. As far as I can tell, Eraserhead has been fighting in a fluid state, constantly moving from foe to foe with ease. He's still in this flow when Shigaraki arrives on the field. The pro hero flawlessly transitions from the dropkick that he used on the last goon to a high kick aimed at Shigaraki's head.

But Shigaraki ducks beneath his leg, finally breaking him out of his perfect series of blows. This sudden change in opponent skill shocks him so much that Shigaraki manges to get even closer without retaliation. He reaches his hands out but instead of attacking Eraserhead directly, he grabs the scarf around his neck. It crumbles apart instantly in his pro notices and quickly steps back, outside of Shigaraki's range. Shigaraki doesn't let up, chasing him down in an effort to finish the fight with just one more blow.

Eraserhead moves to strike but he's much more aware of how dangerous his enemy is now. As Shigaraki closes the distance, his hair begins to stick up as if it was charged with some kind of power. That's the sign that he's using his quirk, Erasure. When Shigaraki plants his hand on Eraserhead's chest, nothing happens. Shigaraki is clearly shocked by this as he doesn't react until he's kicked in the side. The impact is so powerful that he slides a few feet once he hits the floor. Watching the fight play out from a distance is incredibly frustrating.

If I directly interfere, Shigaraki would probably lash out at me as well. I can't even use Impel since forcing Eraserhead to deactivate Shigaraki's quirk is worthless. A brief second of inspiration hits me and I try to use Impel on Shigaraki as he gets back to his feet. He charges at Eraserhead once again as the hero moves to jab him in the face. Shigaraki reacts swiftly and grabs Eraserhead's wrist. Even with Impel activated, Shigaraki's quirk does nothing. By stopping the punch, he's put himself squarely in range of Eraserhead. Shigaraki receives a hard kick to his chin that seems to send him reeling.

Despite the attack, Shigaraki doesn't let go. Instead, he seems determined to maintain his grip on the hero's wrist. When Eraserhead attempts to strike him again with a punch from his free hand, Shigaraki manages to catch that one as well. The shock of his situation proves to be too much for the hero and he involuntarily deactivates his quirk, his hair falling from its' standing position.

"AGHHHHH!"

His scream echoes through the building as Shigaraki's quirk begins to destroy the hero's wrists. Eraserhead struggles violently to wrench himself from the villain's iron grip. He delivers a hard kick to Shigaraki's stomach, causing him to loosen his grasp for a moment. The hero takes the chance and wrests his hands away as he dashes backwards. Eraserhead manages to escape before his hands could be completely ripped from his arms. Still, the skin on his wrists is completely gone, leaving only the dark red, exposed nerves and tendons underneath. The sight is almost enough to make me vomit. Not just the gore of his injuries but the tortured look on his face. It makes my stomach overflow with pity and nausea.

Even though he's in an awful state, Eraserhead doesn't look like he's going to back down. He raises his arms in a fighting stance, as if to confirm my thoughts. I find that admirable but Shigaraki just looks annoyed. At this point, I can't imagine Eraserhead pulling out a victory. Out of habit, I begin to think of possible strategies that he could use.

BOOM!

I'm snapped out of my trance by a far off explosion. Shigaraki and Eraserhead are just as startled as I am, stopping dead in their tracks. All of our eyes are drawn to the sound's source, a zone full of abandoned buildings. One of the villains suddenly appears from inside of the zone's gate. He's covered in ash and is limping slowly towards us. He starts to open his mouth but before any sound can escape him,

BOOM!

He's swallowed by an eruption of dust and debris. Out of the thick cloud of soot, steps a boy with spiky blond hair and sharp eyes. He has a black mask covering his eyes and a grenade shaped gauntlet on each wrist. His face is torn between absolute disdain for his opponents and primal joy at the thought of letting loose. Bakugo.

Despite how extreme his costume is, everything about his appearance is so familiar. It brings back so many awful memories. Just thinking about them makes my mind panic. No matter how hard I try, I can't ignore the tightness in my chest. He moves forward slowly, walking in large strides as he analyzes the situation. I remain completely motionless until Shigaraki starts to hiss at me while keeping his eyes on Eraserhead. "Take care of him!" he says harshly, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

Despite his command, I still can't move. What's wrong with me? Why does Bakugo scare me so much? I could handle that other student just fine so why am I hesitating now? I feel like I knew the answer before I even asked myself. Everything about him just reminds me of the past. Of how weak I was. I could never stand up to him back then, so why would anything be different now? I'm still the same kid as I always have been. Beyond the nagging voice in my head, I can almost hear a small part of my mind speak up.

But you have changed.

The weak, little kid that I used to be and the person that I am now are completely different. All for One's quirk training and Shigaraki's verbal abuse have toughened me up a lot. I've learned how to defend myself and be strong. I'm finally the type of person who can overcome their fear. I grit my teeth and start walking towards Bakugo, matching his pace.

We both start off slowly, sizing each other up. His general lack of outright fury tells me that he doesn't know who I actually am. I'm just more cannon fodder to him. Without warning, Bakugo goes from a gradual saunter to quick dash. He leaps into the air, using his explosions as propulsion. There's still a significant distance between us but he's clearing it promptly. The combination of his frightening speed and vicious expression makes him look like a charging, airborne bull. I maintain my slow gait, allowing him to make the first move.

As he gets within close range, Bakugo begins to reel back his right hand. That's how he starts every fight and it's a perfect opportunity for me. Just as he's within a few feet of me, I activate Impel. I can feel all of the power in Bakugo's palms, like a river that's barely being contained behind a dam. All I have to do is imagine that water bursting through the cracks.

A small explosion is let loose from his right hand. It's a small one but it's strong enough to knock Bakugo off course. Instead of colliding with me, his trajectory makes an abrupt turn to the right. The shock of having his power activate prematurely is enough to prevent Bakugo from properly reacting. He barely has enough time to brace himself before he crashes into the floor. His own momentum is too much and he slides on the floor, screaming all the way.

"Goddamn bullshit, fuck!" Bakugo roars as he gets back to his feet. He's clearly shaken up by how disastrous his first attack was. Still, he wastes no time and is instantly back in the air again. His ferocious speed doesn't give me enough time to recharge Impel. Instead, I prepare myself for a hand to hand counter. He reaches his hand towards me, smoke already discharging from his palm. I dodge to the left and prepare myself for any follow up.

However, his next attack isn't aimed at me. The area where I was standing is suddenly swallowed by a cloud of ash as Bakugo unleashes another explosion. I retreat quickly, trying to understand how he could've missed me at that range.

The answer arrives in the form of a figure in the cloud of debris "What the hell, Bakugo?! Why'd you blast me?!"

The words come from another student. Both his teeth and red hair are spiky and he isn't wearing a shirt. What's surprises me more than his apparel is the fact that he just took a point blank explosion and doesn't look worse for the wear. What could his quirk be?

Bakugo yells back, "Don't get in my way, dumbass! This is my fight!" before turning back to face me. He begins to charge at me again. I start preparing myself to use Imepl but before I get the chance, Bakugo stops short. He manages to completely halt himself and holds up his palm in my direction. He must be planning to use a massive, long range blast. I activate Impel and imagine that raging river being held back, no matter how hard it crashes against the wall. But Bakugo doesn't look surprised at all that his quirk isn't working. Instead, he reaches towards his gauntlet and pulls out a small pin.

BOOM!

A tremendous blast shoots out of the gauntlet! It completely dwarfs any explosion that I've seen Bakugo produce. I react as fast as I can and try to roll out of the way of the burst. I barely dodge the center of the explosion but I can't manage to avoid all of it. The force of the eruption tosses me off my feet and sends me straight to the floor. In the midst of the debris, pain rushes through my body. The brunt power of the attack has left me sore all over and the heat of it has given me a few minor burns. I can feel bits of charred skin flake as I stagger back to my feet.

How could he have possibly launched such a powerful blast while his quirk was deactivated? It must have something to do with the gauntlets. If they work independently from his quirk, I could be at a serious disadvantage. While I'm still cloaked in dust from Bakugo's onslaught, I take a moment to analyze my current physical state. My clothes seemed to have taken the bulk of the heat from the attack. The spots where my clothing was completely blasted off are the only places where I'm burned. A sizable section of my right leg and right arm and a small portion of my cheek. I gingerly rub, trying to ascertain the damage when I realize something. My face isn't covered anymore.

My heart rate instantly doubles as recognition hits me. The bandana covering my face was completely blown off. My eyes dart across the field, praying that I can find it before my identity is revealed. But the clouds of ash that surround me are getting thinner and thinner. I can't even begin to contemplate other options before a harsh voice pierces through the dust.

"Deku."

Bakugo's figure emerges from the smoke, a hard look in his eyes. My mind surges with a million potential responses but I choose to stay silent. We stare each other down for a few moments before he takes the initiative in the conversation.

"When the hell did you start running with type of crowd?" he asks with no attempt at hiding his disdain. "Seriously, villains? I knew you were a loser but I'd never thought that you would sink to this shitty level?". A part flares of up with a response at the ready but I manage to suppress that. He's just trying to get some kind of reaction from me. I do my best to stay stoic and hide my internal reaction. Bakugo looks like he wants to be mad at this. His fist tightly clench before they go completely limp. His anger disappears and he looks lost. When he starts to talk again, he does so with a bit of hesitation, something that I've never seen from him. "I know that you're upset about your mom."

His statement catches me completely off guard. I can easily tell that my shock is showing in my expression. Bakugo stumbles a bit as he keeps talking. "My old lady told me about how hard it hit you. How different you were. I just wanted to ignore it... but then that report about you came out. I couldn't understand anything. So I just kept ignoring it. You must be angry but this… this is…". He stumbles over his words and seems to be at a loss for how to continue. The thoughts in my head rush out of my mouth before I can stop them.

"Do you really think that I'm mad, Bakugo?" He's just as stunned by my question as I am. Now that I've started talking though, I can't stop myself. "Do you look at me and see some kid lashing out? That isn't it at all."

Bakugo is quick to respond. "Why then? What the hell are you doing here?!" His more subdued attitude is quickly being replaced by familiar rage. He steps forward with both fists clenched once again. "What the fuck happened to you?!" Bakugo is completely enraged at this point. He's treated me like this before but this time, I don't feel nearly as afraid as I did back then. That thought drives me to keep talking.

"Things have changed Bakugo. I've learned so much and worked so hard over these past few months. The fact that you can still recognize me is incredible. So you shouldn't bother trying to understand me anymore because I'm not the same as the Izuku that you could push around."

Only silence follows my statement. Bakugo starts shaking, his eyes completely glued to the ground. When he looks up again, the look on his face is callous. "As if," he murmurs before taking another step forward.

"No matter how much you preach, you're still the same shitty Deku!" he roars before leaping into the air, using explosions to rocket himself towards me. The use of that old, schoolyard insult irritates me and changes my whole mood. How can he just toss away my words so easily?! I lower my stance in preparation for his charge. As gets closer, I activate Impel and focus on all of his power. This time, I force it all out and the water smash through the dam. Bakugo unwittingly lets out another blast, one that was much stronger than the ones he was using.

It's so strong that his speed increases and the distance between us is closed in an instant. While he's still surprised by his increase acceleration, I stick out my arm for a lariat and brace for impact. Bakugo's stomach collides with the inside of my arm, the force of the impact rendering him prone in midair. His momentum is almost enough to knock me straight off my feet but I manage to maintain my balance. I push back with all of my might and successfully knock him to the floor. As Bakugo slams onto the ground, he retaliates quickly and reaches for my face with both hands.

I grab his wrists and redirect them towards the sky. Just in time because his palms are barely facing away before he launches another explosion. The dust from the attack flies into my face, blinding me. Bakugo takes advantage of this and lands a kick directly in my gut. I double over in pain, prompting him to attempt another strike on my face. The fight quickly becomes a struggle over Bakugo's hands. Even after being hit multiple times, I can still manage to keep the blasts from making direct contact. Still, I need to turn the tides in my favor somehow.

The idea hits me in an instant. I weaken up a little on the struggle and Bakugo's hands quickly fall in my direction. The shock of the sudden change in the fight is enough to cause Bakugo's arms to loosen a little as well. In that split second of limpness, I tighten my grip and slam his palms together. The beads of nitroglycerin sweat instantly combust, creating a explosion directly between us. It doesn't cause any serious damage but the force is enough to push us away from each other.

We're left right where we started, although much worse for the wear. Bakugo seems to be taking a moment to reevaluate the fight. The incidental activation of his quirk must be weighing the heaviest on his mind. He would never even consider the possibility that I was the source. I take the brief respite as an opportunity to assess the battlefield. The red haired student seems to have bended to Bakugo's will, since he's keeping his distance from our fight. However, his gaze is fixed somewhere else. I follow his eyes and see a massive, black, muscular figure in the distance.

It's Nomu but why did he move? He only orders were to fight All Might and protect Shigaraki. Just as the thought crosses my mind, I notice something beneath Nomu. He's pummeling the broken body of Eraserhead into the floor. My mind immediately focuses on the situation, wondering how it could happen. The carnage is just… brutal. I'm sharply knocked out of my trance by a harsh yell.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Bakugo yells out of nowhere. My first thought is that the red haired student is trying to interfere but he's completely stationary. My eyes sweep across the field again and I can barely make out bits of ice in my peripheral vision.

It can only be coming from the guy with the burn that I just fought. But how could he have freed himself so quickly? He looked like he was exhausted but he still has the stamina to escape and keep fighting. For a moment, I consider dodging the ice but there's no chance that I'll actually succeed. Just as it all seems hopeless, a familiar black mass appears in the air right in front of me. I leap through just as the frost nips at my foot.

I can't help but stumble as I exit from the other side of the portal into the center of the main area. I've only gained a little bit off distance from the students. As expected, Kurogiri is already there but he's different. He's usually so composed but now, there's a look of panic is his eyes. I don't even have to ask before he answers my next question for me.

"One of the students managed to escape." As soon as the words come out his mouth, I can feel a similar fear creep into my body. If a student escaped, then the Pros will surely descend upon us in no time.

"Does that mean that we should cut our losses and retreat?" I ask halfheartedly. The whole purpose of this attack was to defeat All Might. If we were to leave without so much as seeing him, neither Shigaraki or All for One would accept it. However, we don't get much of a chance to consider the issue.

With no indication, the walls that cover the entrance are blown apart. A powerful gust of wind sweeps through the entire building, completely halting all prior movement. Every eye is drawn to the source of this massive interruption. And out of the clouds of debris steps… All Might.