The Forest Thing

Chapter 21: The Eldritch Protector

"But you two are okay?" Ochako asked.

"Yes," Shoji responded as the group continued to walk through the forest. "Dark Shadow somehow knocked Tokoyami unconscious but I think he'll be fine."

Izuku felt pride full his chest as Shoji told them how he had helped to calm Dark Shadow then carried Fumikage through the villain-infested forest to keep him safe. He was so proud of his kids!

But once again he'll have to wait until everyone is safe to tell them how proud he is and how proud they should be of themselves. Right now he has to focus. No more distractions.

Izuku led the group down the forest path, headed back towards the building where Aizawa, Vlad, and hopefully the rest of the students are.

The forest thing just hoped that the students who were already there had enough common sense to stay put. He didn't want more of his kids to possibly get hurt.

As they got closer to the clearing where the Pussycats had been fighting Izuku started to hear more voices and his ears started to twitch.

Some voices were more familiar than others. He could hear some of his kids from 1A and he could hear some from 1B, but some voices were less familiar. A few he could tell were the Pussycats and another sounded like that girl he had found attacking Ochako and Tsu.

Izuku entered the forest clearing first and immediately saw students and the Pussycats. All of them fighting for their lives against the villains that had invaded their camp.

He started to count the students, listing off who was missing and who he knew was, or should be, at the building with the teachers, but was cut off when a wall of blue flames separated him from the group he had been leading through the trees.

Izuku turned to his right and met cyan eyes that held the same cyan fire within them, eyes he was sure he had seen before. Where has he seen those eyes?

It couldn't be anyone the Bakugou's knew, and it wasn't anyone he had met in his past.

He hears Ochako call out to him as the fire grows hotter and almost burns her.

The forest thing stares at the villain and the villain stares back, ready to make another attack on the students but not breaking eye contact with their eldrich protector.

The staring felt as familiar as his eyes looked and Izuku began to get frustrated for not remembering. How could he not remember? The answer felt so close and yet so far away.

The man's scarred face stretched into a wide, sadistic smile that pulled at the staples holding his flesh together. Izuku growled as the fire made by the villain separated him further from his kids.

The forest thing stared at the villain and his eyes that looked so familiar and the smile that almost dared to bring a memory to his mind. A person who Izuku knew nothing and too much about and yet he still couldn't figure out who it was who stood in front of him, threatening to burn his kids to a crisp.

His kids needed him. He couldn't be distracted by who this villain could be or who he reminds him of. He needs to protect Tsu and Ochako and Mezo. He needs to find Katsuki and Hitoshi and Shouto and-

And that was, wasn't it?

Suddenly it hit him like a brick and there was no mistaking it, and there was no more distraction.

Izuku growled low and jumped high. He went directly through the blue inferno that was separating him from his kids and the villain.

As he jumped and his body left the ground, his limbs cracked and stretched and his scruffy fur faded into pale skin covered by ragged clothes. His snout turned into a face with perfectly placed freckles and his paws turned to hands with sharp, dark claws at the tips. But his eyes held the same toxic green rage that had been fueling him all night.