Chapter 22: [22] Lightning Strikes
I gritted my teeth, looking between my classmates and the Nomu. No time for second-guessing.
"Alright, listen up," I said, keeping my voice low. "I'm going in. The rest of you, stay back and keep an eye out for other threats."
Uraraka's eyes widened. "Deku, you can't! That thing's-"
"Our best shot at saving Aizawa," I cut her off. "Trust me."
Before anyone could argue, I sprinted towards the plaza.
As I got closer, I could hear Shigaraki's raspy voice. "Oh? A little hero wants to play?"
So, he's that type huh? I ignored him, focusing on the Nomu. It turned towards me, its exposed brain pulsing grotesquely.
I ducked under its first swing, feeling the air whistle past my ear. Damn, that was fast.
"Careful, little hero," Shigaraki taunted. "Nomu here has shock absorption. And super strength. And regeneration. You can't win."
Great. Multiple quirks. But its movements were... simple. Predictable.
I dodged another punch, pushing One For All to 8% in my legs. The strain hit me immediately, my muscles screaming in protest. But I was faster now.
The Nomu's fist cratered the ground where I'd been standing. Raw power, but no finesse.
"What's wrong, Nomu?" Shigaraki called. "Squash the bug already!"
I weaved around its attacks, looking for an opening. My legs felt like they were on fire, but I couldn't slow down.
"You're pretty quick, little hero," Shigaraki said, scratching his neck. "But how long can you keep this up?"
He had a point. I couldn't dodge forever. I needed a plan.
The Nomu's fist grazed my shoulder, sending me spinning. I barely rolled away from its follow-up stomp.
Shock absorption, huh? There had to be a limit.
I scrambled to my feet, panting. "Hey, hand-face! Is this really the best you've got?"
Shigaraki's eyes narrowed behind the hand covering his face. "Nomu, crush him."
The monster charged, both arms raised for a devastating blow.
Now or never.
I pushed One For All to its limit, feeling something tear in my legs. The Nomu's arms came down like twin sledgehammers.
I moved.
The ground exploded where I'd been standing. But I was behind the Nomu now, my fist cocked back.
"SMASH!"
My punch connected with the back of its head, right where the skull met the spine.
The Nomu staggered forward, then... straightened up. Like nothing had happened.
"Shit," I muttered.
Shigaraki's laughter echoed across the plaza. "I told you, little hero. You can't win."
I backed away, my legs shaking. This wasn't working. I needed a new plan, fast.
My eyes locked on the Nomu's exposed brain. That had to be important, right? Why else leave it out like that?
A tingling sensation spread through my body, different from One For All. It felt like... static electricity? Weird.
No time to worry about it now. I had to try something new.
"Hey, big guy!" I called out. "That brain of yours looks pretty squishy. Bet it'd pop like a grape if I hit it hard enough."
The Nomu's head snapped towards me. Bingo. Brain was definitely important.
Shigaraki hissed. "Nomu, protect yourself. Don't let him near your head."
I grinned, despite the pain in my legs. "What's wrong, hand-face? Scared I found your pet's weak spot?"
"Shut up!" Shigaraki screamed. "Nomu, kill him!"
The monster charged again, but this time its arms were raised defensively around its head.
Perfect.
I pushed off, ignoring the tearing feeling in my muscles. As I neared the Nomu, that tingling sensation intensified.
Suddenly, my perception sharpened. I could see the minute twitches of the Nomu's muscles, predicting its movements before they happened.
What the hell?
I didn't have time to question it. I twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the Nomu's grab. My hand shot out, fingertips barely grazing its exposed brain.
A jolt of electricity sparked between us.
The Nomu jerked back, its movements suddenly erratic.
Did I just...?
I landed hard, stumbling as my legs nearly gave out. But I couldn't take my eyes off the Nomu.
It was twitching, its limbs spasming randomly. Shigaraki was yelling something, but I couldn't make out the words over the rush of blood in my ears.
I'd hurt it. Actually hurt it.
The tingling sensation spread through my body again. I could feel the electricity dancing across my skin.
A new quirk? Now? Talk about good timing.
"What did you do?" Shigaraki shrieked. "Nomu, get up! Kill him!"
The monster slowly got to its feet, still twitching. Its movements were even clumsier now.
I grinned, electricity crackling between my fingers. "Round two, big guy. Let's dance."
The Nomu charged at me again, but its movements were off. Jerky. Uncoordinated. I ducked under its wild swing, feeling the air rush past my face.
"What's wrong?" I taunted. "Having trouble following orders?"
Shigaraki screamed in frustration. "Kurogiri! Get over here and help!"
Shit. I'd forgotten about the warp villain.
A swirling black mist appeared next to Shigaraki. "Yes, Tomura Shigaraki?"
"Trap that brat! Don't let him touch Nomu again!"
Double shit.
I backpedaled, trying to keep all three villains in sight. This just got a lot more complicated.
The Nomu lunged forward, its fist cratering the ground where I'd been standing. I rolled to the side, only to see a portal opening right in front of me.
"Shit!" I yelped, twisting mid-roll to avoid falling through.
Shigaraki's hand shot out of the portal, fingers splayed.
I pushed off the ground hard, using One For All on my legs. Thank you, accelerated healing. The burst of speed carried me just out of reach.
"Hold still, you little pest!" Shigaraki snarled.
The Nomu swung again, its movements still erratic. I ducked under its arm, feeling the wind of its passage ruffle my hair. Too close.
A portal opened behind me. I spun, barely avoiding Shigaraki's grasping hand again.
This was bad. I couldn't keep this up forever. My legs were burning, muscles torn from pushing One For All too far. And now I had to deal with portals popping up everywhere.
Think, Izuku. Think!
The Nomu charged again, but this time I stood my ground. At the last second, I sidestepped, letting its momentum carry it forward.
Right into a portal.
"Kurogiri, you idiot!" Shigaraki yelled as the Nomu vanished.
I grinned, despite the situation. One down, temporarily at least.
But my victory was short-lived. Another portal opened right in front of me, and Shigaraki's hand shot out.
I jerked back, but I was off-balance. His fingers grazed my costume, and I felt the fabric disintegrate.
If he touched my skin...
I lashed out instinctively, electricity arcing from my hand to his.
Shigaraki screamed, yanking his arm back through the portal. "You little shit! I'll kill you!"
The portal closed, but I knew I was running out of time. And space. Kurogiri's mist was spreading, cutting off my escape routes.
I was being herded, I realized. Trapped like a rat.
A massive shape burst from a portal behind me. The Nomu, back in action.
I spun, raising my arms in a defensive stance. But I knew it was hopeless. I was surrounded, outnumbered, and running on empty.
This was it. Game over.
Then I heard it. A familiar, angry roar.
"DIEEEEEE!"
An explosion rocked the plaza, and suddenly Bakugo was there, blasting Kurogiri's metal collar.
"Kacchan?" I gasped.
He glanced at me, his usual scowl in place. "Don't just stand there, you damn nerd!"
A wave of ice swept across the ground, forcing Shigaraki to jump back. Todoroki stepped into view, his right side frosted over.
"Sorry we're late," he said coolly.
I laughed. "Better late than never."
Bakugo grinned. "What, you started the party without us? Rude."
The villains regrouped, eyeing us warily. Shigaraki was scratching his neck furiously.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered. "Where's All Might? He should be here!"
I stood straighter, flanked by Bakugo and Todoroki. "Looks like you'll have to settle for us instead."
Shigaraki's eyes narrowed. "Nomu. Kill them all."
Todoroki's ice erupted from the ground, forming a massive wall. The Nomu smashed through it like it was nothing, but it bought us a precious second.
Bakugo unleashed a massive explosion, the force of it pushing the Nomu back. "Take that, you ugly bastard!"
I focused, feeling the electricity build in my body. This was our chance.
"Todoroki!" I yelled. "Ice the ground!"
He nodded, understanding immediately. A sheet of ice spread across the plaza.
The Nomu slipped, its momentum working against it. Perfect.
I dashed forward, pushing my quirk to its limit. Electricity crackled around my fist as I aimed for the Nomu's exposed brain.
My punch connected, enhanced by the electrical discharge. The Nomu's head snapped back, its body going rigid.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then the Nomu collapsed, twitching uncontrollably.
Shigaraki screamed in rage. "No! No no no! This isn't fair!"
Bakugo's hands sparked dangerously. "Wanna bet, asshole?"
But before we could press our advantage, a new voice boomed across the plaza.
"FEAR NOT, STUDENTS! FOR I AM HERE!"
All Might had finally arrived.
"Game over," he scowled. "Time for a restart."
Kurogiri's mist enveloped him and the twitching Nomu. When it cleared, they were gone.
All Might landed beside us, his trademark smile firmly in place. But I could see the strain around his eyes.
"Young Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki," he said. "I'm proud of you all. But please, leave the rest to me."
I wanted to argue. To tell him about the Nomu's quirks, about Shigaraki's power. But I knew it was a conversation for us to have in private.
As All Might bounded off to secure the area, I turned to Bakugo and Todoroki.
"Thanks for the save," I said. "How'd you know where to find me?"
Bakugo scoffed. "Please. We just followed the sound of your dumb ass getting into trouble."
I opened my mouth to retort, but suddenly the world tilted sideways. My legs buckled, and I hit the ground hard.
"Deku!" Bakugo's voice sounded far away.
I tried to push myself up, but my arms felt like jelly. Every muscle screamed in protest.
"Shit," I muttered, reality crashing down on me. I'd pushed too far, way too far.
Todoroki's face swam into view, his mismatched eyes wide. "Midoriya? Can you hear me?"
I managed a weak nod. "Yeah. Just... overdid it a bit."
Bakugo snorted, but I could hear the worry in his voice. "A bit? You look like shit, nerd."
I wanted to laugh, but even that seemed like too much effort. The adrenaline was fading fast, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion and pain.
"Can you stand?" Todoroki asked, already moving to help me up.
I gritted my teeth and tried to rise. Bad idea. My vision went dark around the edges, and I nearly blacked out.
"Whoa, easy there," Bakugo growled, catching me before I face-planted. "Damn it, Deku. What the hell were you thinking?"
I couldn't answer. My brain felt like mush, unable to form coherent thoughts. All I knew was that I hurt everywhere, and I was so, so tired.
"We need to get him to Recovery Girl," Todoroki said, his usual calm voice tinged with urgency.
I felt myself being lifted, one arm slung over Bakugo's shoulder, the other over Todoroki's. My feet dragged uselessly as they half-carried, half-dragged me towards the entrance.
As we moved, the full weight of what I'd done hit me. I'd fought a Nomu. Discovered a new quirk. Pushed One For All further than ever before.
And now I was paying the price.
My last thought before unconsciousness claimed me was a mix of triumph and frustration. I'd won, but at what cost? And how was I going to explain this?
Then, blissfully, everything went dark.
(A/N:
Yo! Kyo here!
I know some of you might be scratching your heads about Izuku's new zappy powers. Trust me, I didn't just pull this out of thin air!
Remember how Izuku's been getting better at controlling his body with that Mind-Body Sync thing? And how he's been soaking up kinetic energy like a sponge? Well, turns out when you mix those together, add a dash of One For All, and let it simmer for a while, you get bioelectricity!
Think about it - his nerves have been running on overdrive using tiny electrical signals, right? Now he's just cranking that up to eleven. And all that kinetic energy he's been absorbing had to go somewhere. Surprise! It's turning into electricity.
Don't worry, our boy isn't suddenly gonna be Thor or anything. He's starting small, but you know Izuku - give him an inch, and he'll go Plus Ultra with it.
I'm pretty stoked to play around with this new power. Just imagine the cool moves and strategies Izuku can come up with now! Anyway, that's the deal with the new sparky stuff. Hope that clears things up! Can't wait to show you all what Izuku does with it next.)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone