Wings of Awakening

Part 17

After drawing lots, Izuku knew he was in for a fierce encounter with Bakugo. Even as they stepped out of the observation booth, he could feel Bakugo's glare fixed on him, practically radiating hostility. But Izuku kept his focus; he wasn't going to let Bakugo shake his determination.

As the villain team disappeared into the building to hide their "bomb," Izuku and Uraraka quickly gathered outside the structure to plan their approach.

"I'm positive Bakugo won't stick with Iida once this starts," Izuku began. "He'll come after me the minute he gets the chance."

Uraraka frowned. "Do you have a plan to defeat him?"

Izuku nodded, wings stretching slightly in preparation. "If I make my way in from above, I can use my telekinesis and my wings to avoid him, but Bakugo's smart; he'll expect that. If we're predictable, he'll find a way to intercept me mid-air. Instead, let's go in through the third-story window instead of straight to the top."

Uraraka's eyes lit up. "You'll fly us in?"

"Yeah. I'll carry you if you make yourself weightless, and we'll go through the window instead of the roof. You'll get a head start, so you can take on Iida and leave Bakugo to me."

She gave him a thumbs-up. "Let's do it, Midoriya!"

Meanwhile, inside the building, Iida and Bakugo were supposed to be setting up defenses around the "bomb," which was stashed in a reinforced corner of the top floor. However, Bakugo seemed uninterested in any plan involving Iida.

"We need a logical layout for defense points," Iida was saying, adjusting his glasses. "It's essential we maintain our positions and protect the bomb by guarding this area."

Bakugo just scoffed, arms crossed. "You go ahead and 'guard' if you want. I know exactly how to handle this."

Iida frowned. "If you abandon the mission objective, you'll jeopardize our chances of winning."

"Winning?" Bakugo's fists crackled with explosive energy. "This isn't about 'winning.' This is about me showing that damn Deku his place. Just guard the bomb, Four-Eyes."

Without another word, Bakugo stormed off, leaving Iida standing alone by the bomb.

Ten minutes passed.

"Villains, your setup time is over. Heroes, you may begin!" All Might's voice echoed over the speakers.

With a final nod, Uraraka tapped her fingers together, activating her Zero Gravity quirk on herself, and Izuku scooped her up, wings unfurling as he lifted them toward the third-story window. They entered quietly, with Uraraka landing softly on her feet as Izuku retracted his wings.

"You ready?" he whispered.

Uraraka nodded. "I'll head toward Iida's position. Good luck, Izuku."

They separated, with Uraraka heading to confront Iida, while Izuku stayed alert for Bakugo, knowing he wouldn't waste a second to track him down.

Izuku didn't have to wait long. Bakugo charged down the hall, his footsteps echoing as he closed in on Izuku's position. Without hesitation, Bakugo threw a powerful right hook—a move Izuku knew all too well, having seen it countless times back in middle school. Easily sidestepping the attack, Izuku maintained a calm focus, knowing Bakugo would only get angrier if he kept dodging.

"Oh? Think you're clever, Deku?" Bakugo sneered, already moving to launch another assault. "It's not gonna work!"

Izuku took a step back, gauging his options. The narrow hallway limited their movement, but that was to his advantage—he didn't need to fly or rely on fancy maneuvers here. Instead, he subtly activated his telekinesis, waiting for the perfect opening.

Just as Bakugo charged forward again, Izuku gave a small, focused push with his quirk, causing Bakugo's feet to slip, throwing him off balance. In that split second, Izuku used his telekinesis to lift Bakugo off the floor and, with a forceful motion, flung him through the window. He knew Bakugo would survive the fall and could control his landing with his explosions, but the move bought him the time he needed to join Uraraka.

Elsewhere, Uraraka had managed to reach Iida's position, only to find him pacing back and forth in front of the bomb, attempting to put on his best villain face.

"Yes, heroes!" Iida announced to the empty room, gesturing dramatically. "You have no chance against the might of Ingenium's evil counterpart! Surrender or face my wrath!"

Uraraka stifled a laugh but couldn't help a quiet snicker that escaped, instantly alerting Iida. His head snapped up, spotting her just as she tried to recover her composure.

"Oh! It's you!" Iida exclaimed, regaining his stance. "You'll find this room is completely empty of anything you can manipulate! I've planned carefully to neutralize your quirk!"

Uraraka grinned. "I see that, but that doesn't mean I can't get close!"

She darted forward, aiming to touch him with her quirk, but Iida was fast and dodged her attempts with precise, efficient movements. They danced around the room, with Iida staying just out of reach while Uraraka tried to close the gap.

Just then, Izuku arrived, stepping into the room with his eyes locked on the bomb. He quickly assessed the situation, catching Uraraka's eye as they shared a nod of understanding.

"Teamwork, huh?" Iida noted, glancing between the two of them. "A wise choice, but it won't be enough!"

Without wasting another second, Izuku focused his telekinesis on the bomb, pulling it across the room toward him. Iida tried to intercept, launching forward with his engines at full speed, but Izuku sidestepped just in time, pulling the bomb into his grasp and touching it to claim victory.

The room went silent as All Might's voice boomed over the speakers. "The hero team wins!"

At that exact moment, Bakugo burst into the room, his eyes blazing with fury. Seeing Izuku holding the bomb and realizing his team had lost, his rage boiled over.

"Deku! You think you've won?!" He aimed the gauntlet at Izuku and Uraraka without a second thought. The blast erupted, filling the room with smoke and a deafening roar. Izuku reacted instantly, straining his telekinesis to create a shield, but the sheer force was too much. The explosion threw him backward, slamming him hard against the wall as the impact reverberated through the room.

As the dust and smoke cleared, Bakugo's face fell when he saw Izuku crumpled against the wall. Realizing the extent of what he'd done, his glare wavered, shock replacing his anger. Just then, All Might burst into the room, positioning himself firmly between Bakugo and the others to prevent further escalation.

"Young Bakugo! That is enough!" All Might's voice was stern, his gaze unwavering.

Bakugo's jaw tightened, a flicker of something unreadable in his expression. Without another word, he turned sharply on his heel and stomped out of the building, the echoes of his footsteps fading down the hallway.

Meanwhile, Iida helped Izuku up, supporting him as they made their way to Recovery Girl's office. Izuku winced, feeling the strain of the blast but grateful for his quick reaction, which had kept his teammates safe.

As they walked, Iida gave Izuku an approving nod. "You handled that well, Midoriya. It's impressive to see such quick thinking in the middle of a tough situation."

Izuku managed a small smile, still catching his breath. "Thanks, Iida. I just... did what I thought a hero should do."

Uraraka joined them, patting Izuku on the back. "You saved us all back there, Izuku! That was amazing!"

Izuku's cheeks flushed slightly, but he felt a warmth of pride in his chest. Despite the pain, he knew that today was a step forward—a step toward becoming the kind of hero he'd always dreamed of.