A Silent Kind of Strength

Chapter 56

Keep him busy. Keep him busy. Don't die. Keep the fucker busy.

His inner mantra might not actually have been helping much but it made him feel a bit better so Izuku was going to keep going with it. His kyoketsu-shoge lashed out like a viper, aiming to snag yet another blade from his opponent. There was already a small pile of knives behind him where he had tossed them out of the way as he did his best to keep Stain a safe distance away.

He had forced the man back a bit, trying to move the fight a bit farther from Iida and the downed hero he had only belatedly noticed against one wall. But tight spaces like this weren't the best for his mid to long range weapon. He had to make do by keeping a bit of cord draped down between both hands. Keeping his control as tight as possible even if the shortened range meant the blades the hero killer was swinging came way closer than he would really prefer.

He really should talk to Kurokuma sensei about more bo staff lessons.

If he made it out of this fight intact that was.

He leaned back a bit to dodge a swipe at his face that managed to get way too close. He thought he avoided it completely, but as he fended off the other fighter with a swipe of his own blade and a firm kick to the gut he felt the tell tale burn of a shallow slice along his jawline.

He reset his stance, not bothered enough by the cut to be distracted. But as his right hand, along with the beautiful green blade, came back up into defense he felt all of his muscles suddenly lock up. And then he was dropping bonelessly to the ground. From his prone position he watched as Stain lowered his bloody knife from his mouth and smirked down at him. "Valiant effort kid. Too bad it was all for nothing.

With a dark chuckle he stepped over Izuku and headed towards his original targets. Panicked, the green haired teen cried out, begging him to reconsider. Doing his best to stall for just a few more seconds. But the discordant sound of his last sword being unsheathed once more rang out like a death sentence anyways.

Izuku did his best to move, snag a throwing knife, turn his head, anything. Anything at all. But his body just wouldn't respond to his orders. His brain moved at a hundred miles an hour. Even as his limbs stayed infuriatingly still.

His quirk causes paralysis. He wasn't able to activate it until just a moment ago. What was the requirement? The wound? No, probably not. The blood then, did he have to touch it or… oh. Gross. Ok now how to counter it? Could he break the hold? Or was it a timed thing?

He prayed he could break it by sheer willpower alone, even though he knew it was unlikely. Because right at that moment. Listening out for the sound of one of his classmates getting murdered right next to him, he was sure his will would have been more than strong enough.

But he still couldn't budge. Just before the yawning portal of despair opened below him and sent him plunging he heard an unexpected sound.
Instead of steel biting into flesh, he heard the distinctive whoosh and crackle of flames.

A power that no one in the alleyway should have.

It was followed by a slightly winded and blessedly familiar voice stating, "Doryoku, in the future try and send better directions please."

The prone greenette almost sobbed with the sudden mess of emotions he felt, but managed to respond semi coherently. "S-sorry. Didn't have t-time to send Power L-loader m-my exact loc-location."

"All that gear and you don't have a distress button somewhere?" Izuku groaned. "B-believe me. After today I'm adding it to e-every cos-costume I have a s-say in."

They were interrupted from further discussions of costuming updates by an irritated growl. "Another child? How many kids are the heros letting run around freely in a burning city?!"