Puppet Master

I Am So Sorry

'EVERYONE!' Mandalay's voice echoed through the minds of all of the students and heroes. 'VILLAINS HAVE INFILTRATED THE CAMP!' It was urgent, scared, not a logical ruse. 'THOSE ABLE, GET TO THE FACILITY! IF YOU SHOULD COME IN CONTACT WITH A VILLAIN DO NOT ENGAGE IN COMBAT AND CONTINUE TO RETREAT!'

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Eijiro's head whipped up. "No way!" he gasped. Kaminari, his partner in the Test of Courage, looked around frantically. "Oh no. Oh no no no no NO!" He slapped Eijiro's shoulder. "Come on, dude! Let's head back!" Eijiro nodded and they started back down the course of the test. Amidst the cracking of flames and a few yells and hollers, a name flashes in Eijiro's mind.

"Kouta..." he whispers. "Eh?" Kaminari glances at him. "Who?" Eijiro froze, eyes widening. He grabs the yellow-haired boy's shoulders. "Kouta! Mandalay's nephew! I'm the only one who knows where he is!" Kaminari's eyes widened. "We have to go save him!" Eijiro nodded. "Follow me."

And with that, they turned off the path and further into the forest.

"Dude dude dude dude DUDE!" Kaminari whisper-yelled. Eijiro stopped and followed his eyes to where Kaminari was pointing. It was a clearing just beyond the bushes they were hiding behind as they moved. Pixie-Bob was on the ground, bleeding from her head as a villain with a giant metal... poll? had it over her head pressing it down. Eijiro bit his lip. "Shoot, man..." Kaminari bit his lip. "I'll go step in to get her. You get to Kouta." Eijiro nodded sharply. He grabbed Kaminari by the shoulder. "Stay safe, man." Kaminari nodded. "You as well." And they split.

As he ran further into the forest, there was a flash of yellow light behind him, courtesy of Kaminari, and a pained yell as the metal conducted the electricity. Eijiro shook his head. So many things were going through his mind, blistering fear being one of them but it wasn't for himself. It was for Kouta.

What if I don't make it in time? I need to hurry. He must be so scared. The forest it on fire. Is he safe?

Eijiro shook his head, powering One For All into his legs every time he stepped with a hardened foot, the pleasure from the pounding on the ground releasing and propelling him forward, a new trick he learned from the End of Term exams.

Eijiro skidded to a halt at the bottom of the cliff where Kouta's 'secret hideout' was. He stared up at it. No time to get to the path. Eijiro grit his teeth. He hardened his arms and slammed one into the side of the mountain, the other one a bit higher, and began to scale the mountain with a speed he didn't know he had.

As he breached the top, Eijiro's heart froze. It was oh so similar to when he stumbled upon Stain back in Hosu. Kouta was standing, shaking, close to the edge as a giant, bulking man towered over him.

"You know," the man chuckled, "that hats pretty cool. Why don't we trade. No? Fine. GUESS I'LL JUST TAKE IT OFF YOUR CORPSE!"

Oh no you don't!

The man lurched forward the same time Eijiro did. His arms seemed to grow in size, fibers of muscles breaking out and growing exponentially in size. Eijiro reached forward, pushing Kouta out of the way and hardening his body before the fist hit him in the child's stead. Eijiro could only gasp in pain as he crashed into the ground.

"Eh?" The beast of a man looked between the shocked form of Kouta on the ground and his fist. He lifted it and peered down. Eijiro glared at the man with all of his might. "What the? Who are-" And the pressure released.

The man was sent skidding backwards far away from both Eijiro and Kouta. Eijiro growled and got to his feet, shaking out his aching arms.

"Wh- wh- what are y- y- you doing h- here?" Kouta asked. If Eijiro hadn't had so much practice understanding a stutter with Izuku, he might not have caught that. "Well that wasn't very manly of you," he instead spoke to the big man. "Attacking a child like that, what's your problem man?" The villain got to his feet. Kouta hid behind Eijiro's leg. "H- he k- k- killed m- momma a- a- and papa!" Eijiro furrowed his eyebrows.