Chapter 21: [21] Predator Among Prey
"Midoriya," Momo said, handing me a metal staff. "Here. I thought this might suit your fighting style."
I took it, testing its weight. "Thanks. Good thinking."
As we prepared to move out, I caught Kyoka looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and admiration. "You're really good at this, you know? Taking charge, coming up with plans."
I shrugged, playing modest. "I just read a lot of hero case studies. Knowledge is power, right?"
She nodded, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. Another seed planted.
We moved through the ruins carefully, Kyoka's quirk guiding us away from potential threats. As we walked, I kept the conversation going, partly to keep morale up, partly to gather more information.
"So, what do you two think about this League of Villains?" I asked casually. "Seems like a pretty bold move, attacking U.A. directly."
Momo's brow furrowed. "It's concerning. If villains are becoming this organized, it could mean a shift in the current hero-villain dynamic."
Interesting. Momo had a good grasp of the bigger picture.
Kyoka nodded. "Yeah, and targeting All Might specifically? That's hardcore. Think they actually have a way to hurt him?"
It was a good point. What kind of weapon or quirk could they have that they thought could take down the Symbol of Peace?
"Let's hope not," I said.
I moved through the ruins, Momo and Kyoka flanking me. Every step brought a thrill of excitement. This was it - real villains, real danger. No more training exercises or hypotheticals. Time to put my skills to the test.
"Hear anything, Jiro?" I asked, tightening my grip on the staff Momo had made.
She frowned, earjacks twitching. "Yeah, up ahead. Sounds like... five, maybe six people."
I nodded, a grin threatening to break through my serious expression. "Perfect. Let's see what we're dealing with."
We crept forward, hugging the wall of a crumbling building. As we neared the corner, I held up a hand, signaling the girls to stop. Peering around the edge, I took in the scene.
Six villains lounged in a small clearing, looking bored. One, a hulking guy with rocky skin, cracked his knuckles. "When do we get to smash some heroes?"
Another, sporting what looked like octopus tentacles for arms, sighed. "Patience, Gravel. The boss said to wait here."
I pulled back, turning to Momo and Kyoka. "Six of them. Looks like they're just waiting around."
Kyoka's eyes narrowed. "So what's the plan?"
These small-timers were nothing compared to what I could do. But I had to play this smart. Couldn't reveal too much.
"Yaoyorozu, can you make some smoke grenades?" I asked, an idea forming.
She nodded, already unbuttoning her costume. "How many?"
"Three should do it. Kyoka, once we throw those, use your speakers to disorient them. I'll go in and take them out quickly."
Kyoka raised an eyebrow. "You sure? That's six against one."
I smirked. "Trust me, I can handle it."
Momo handed me the smoke grenades. "Be careful, Midoriya."
"Always am."
On my signal, we lobbed the grenades into the clearing. Smoke billowed out, followed by shouts of confusion. Kyoka plugged her jacks into her speakers, sending out a deafening blast.
I charged in, staff at the ready. The rocky guy, Gravel, stumbled into view. I swung, connecting solidly with his jaw. He went down hard.
One down, five to go.
Octopus-arms lashed out blindly. I ducked, sweeping his legs. As he fell, I brought my elbow down on his chest. He wheezed, curling into a ball.
A blast of water shot past my ear. I spun, spotting a woman with gills. Water-based quirk, probably C-rank at best. I closed the distance before she could react, landing a solid hit to her stomach.
Three down.
The smoke was starting to clear. I caught a glimpse of Momo and Kyoka at the edge of the clearing, ready to jump in if needed. But I didn't need help. This was almost too easy.
A guy with massive fists charged at me, roaring. I sidestepped, letting him crash into a pile of rubble. As he turned, dazed, I brought my staff down on the back of his head. He crumpled.
Four.
The last two came at me together. One had spikes protruding from his arms, the other seemed to have sharp nails. They might have been trouble for an average hero-in-training. But I wasn't average.
I feinted left, then spun right, catching nails-guy off guard. A quick jab to the throat left him gasping. Spike-arms hesitated, giving me the opening I needed. I surged forward, driving my knee into his gut. As he doubled over, I brought the staff down on his back.
And just like that, it was over. Six villains, neutralized in under a minute.
Momo and Kyoka rushed over, eyes wide.
"Holy shit, Midoriya," Kyoka breathed. "That was... intense."
Momo nodded, looking both impressed and a bit unsettled. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
I shrugged. "Took calligraphy."
As Momo created some restraints for the unconscious villains, I felt a tingle similar to One For All in my body.
{QUIRK EVOLUTION STATUS}
Current Adaptations:
Enhanced Strength (Lv. 5)
Accelerated Healing (Lv. 4)
Improved Stamina (Lv. 4)
Enhanced Reflexes (Lv. 4)
Heat Resistance (Lv. 3)
Heightened Senses (Lv. 3)
Mind-Body Synchronization(Lv. 2)
Cold Resistance (Lv. 2)
Kinetic Energy Absorption (Lv. 2)
One For All Sync: 4.8%
Evolution Progress: 96%
Next Potential Adaptation: Unknown
My quirk was evolving again, so close to the next adaptation. What would it be this time? Enhanced speed? Improved durability?
"We should keep moving," I said, forcing myself to focus. "There might be more villains nearby."
We encountered three more groups of villains as we made our way through the zone. Seventeen in total, ranging from barely competent to mildly threatening. Most wouldn't even rate a D-rank in my book.
As we approached the last group of villains in this area, I held up a hand to stop Momo and Kyoka. "Let me handle this one," I said. "I want to try something."
I strolled into view, hands in my pockets, the picture of casual confidence. The villains - five of them this time - turned to face me, confusion evident on their faces.
"Well, well," I drawled. "What do we have here? The League of Villains' D-team?"
A burly man with metal skin stepped forward, growling. "Who the hell are you calling D-team, brat?"
I laughed, genuinely amused. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I overestimate you? My bad."
The villain's face contorted with rage. He charged at me, fist raised. I sidestepped easily, bringing my staff down on his back. He went down with a yelp.
"Come on," I taunted, ducking under a punch from another villain. "You guys must know something. Or are you just mindless pawns?"
A woman with scales covering her arms hissed, "Shigaraki will make you pay for this!"
Bingo. I filed the name away for later.
"Shigaraki, huh?" I said, blocking her swipe with my staff. "Never heard of him. Must not be that important."
That got a reaction. The remaining villains charged at once, anger clouding their judgment. Perfect.
I spun, staff whirling. In seconds, they were all on the ground, groaning.
"Yaoyorozu, some restraints please," I said, not even winded.
As she created zip ties, I crouched next to Scales. "So, this Shigaraki. What's his deal? He must have something big planned to attack U.A."
Scales smirked, trying to put on a brave face. "Like I'd tell a brat like you anything."
I leaned in closer, letting the mask slip just a bit. My eyes went cold, a hint of the real me peeking through. Scales' smirk faltered, her bravado crumbling.
"I... I mean..." she stammered, shrinking back.
"Come on," I said softly. "You were so chatty before. Don't clam up on me now."
Scales swallowed hard. "Shigaraki... he's our leader. He's got a plan to take down All Might. Something about a Nomu..."
I raised an eyebrow. "Nomu?"
"It's a... a weapon, I think. Engineered to kill All Might. That's all I know, I swear!"
A slow smile spread across my face. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
I stood up, slipping back into my hero-in-training persona before Momo and Kyoka could notice anything off. "We should regroup with the others," I said, all business. "This Shigaraki guy sounds like bad news."
As we headed back to the entrance, Kyoka turned to me. "Okay, seriously Midoriya. Where did you learn all this?"
I paused, considering my answer. A little truth mixed with lies always worked best. "My quirk came in late," I said, letting a hint of vulnerability show. "I was worried I'd fall behind, so I threw myself into training. Studied every fighting style I could find, analyzed pro heroes' techniques. Guess it paid off."
Momo placed a hand on my shoulder. "It certainly did. We're lucky to have you with us."
"Thanks," I said. "But we're a team. Couldn't have done it without you two."
We finally reached the entrance, finding a cluster of panicked students. Thirteen lay motionless, her suit shredded.
"What happened?" I demanded, scanning the scene.
Shoji's voice was tight. "Kurogiri, the mist villain. He turned Thirteen's quirk against her."
I crouched, checking Thirteen's pulse. Weak, but there.
"Anyone else hurt?" I asked, standing up.
Shoji shook his head. "Iida escaped. He's getting help."
A scream tore through the air. My head snapped towards the plaza.
Holy shit.
A monster, all bulging muscles and exposed brain, towered over a crumpled form. Aizawa.
"Is that... Aizawa-sensei?" Uraraka whispered, her voice shaking.
I nodded, my mind racing. This was bad. Really bad.
"We need a plan," I said, forcing calm into my voice. "Yaoyorozu, can you make some first aid supplies? Kaminari, try reaching the school again with your quirk."
They nodded, jumping into action.
I scanned the remaining students, tallying our strength. Jiro, Uraraka, Shoji, Sero, Ashido... decent quirks, but not exactly good fighters. Momo and Kaminari were already busy with their tasks.
"Damn," I muttered. No heavy hitters besides me.
I glanced back at the plaza, where that Nomu thing loomed over Aizawa. My fingers twitched, itching for action. I could take it. Maybe. Probably.
But the risk...
If I went all out, I'd give them intel about my true strength. And if I lost? Game over, for real.
Then again, if I did nothing, Aizawa would probably die. And I'd lose a valuable source of intel and potential future ally. Plus, it could derail my plans of graduating early.
I clenched my fists, weighing the options. Go in alone and risk everything, or play it safe and potentially lose a useful piece on the board?
The others were looking at me, waiting for direction. I could see the fear in their eyes, mixed with a desperate hope. They were counting on me.
I took a deep breath. Time to make a choice.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone