Pantomath

Chapter 33:

   He couldn't help but stare as blue tongues of flame licked up from the fog and the forest burst into flames. He'd wondered when the League would make its next move, despite being kept busy trying to buy those final weeks he'd still been curious. Not just about the League, of course, there had been so many things that he had been excitedly waiting for the completion of, the debut of, the continuation of.

    And he had to set it all aside indefinitely.

    He couldn't get in touch with old contacts- if they would even speak with an UA student. Trapped under the watchful eye of UA during the school year and the world knew it. That made meeting some of the shadier people more than a little difficult; both considering he couldn't get away all the time and when he did he had to be careful they didn't know who he was or what he was doing lest they get suspicious. He was a hero in training now, after all. And from a well recognized, prestigious school too.

      No one could be seen as someone in the middle, he'd seen that long ago as an informant- always suspected to be playing both sides- but as a hero it was worse as he couldn't just ignore it. All the past he had as an informant was forgotten with his contacts the moment he set foot in UA as a student. Even if he tried to find them again it would be difficult, they would have fled. They wouldn't talk when he found them that was for sure.

None of that was the point right now; the point was that the League was attacking and the forest was on fire. The latter part was probably the issue he should focus on, right?
It wasn't that he cared all that much that the league was attacking as long as no one died... he sighed before charging towards the burning forest, changing direction abruptly when he heard one of the pro heroes- Mandalay- call that she couldn't find Kota. He took off to the place the kid was most likely to be. The rocky outcropping- that coincidentally would make a great look out spot. He hoped none of the League members had similar ideas as him and ran. (With their PR skills he doubted it would be for the reasons he had thought of even if it was the same result- and no he wasn't still annoyed by the wasted potential)

     The trip up took far too much time and he had never been more glad he had had to stay in shape as he reached the top seeing he was just in time. Muscular, quirk muscle augmentation, recently escaped villain (although the authorities didn't want anyone to know about that, the panic of people escaping Tartarus  was not something they would like- quite frankly neither would he.)

     He eyed up the blond haired villain as they loomed over the frightened child. He would have to make this fast.

He picked up a rock and threw it at them. It connected soundly with the other's shoulder causing them to turn their attention to him despite being completely unscathed.  He walked forward as if unconcerned and then, as he passed Kota- stupidly entering the other's fist range- shoved them off down the path.

     "Run." There was no panic or sternness in his voice, it was said with complete casualness. And both the villain and kid paused, "Now please."

     Kota took a few more uncertain steps and Izuku knew it wouldn't cut it. Sometimes, people were absolute idiots.

    "He- he killed my parents."

    Izuku glanced over at Muscular who was remaining unusually silent as he sized him up before warily returning his attention to the kid seeing the villain had no intention of attacking just yet, "Yes," he agreed, "The water hose heroes, he's about to kill you too. So, run."

     "So you do know who I am, Deku." The other laughed, "I was beginning to wonder, Shigaraki told us about you, we're supposed to take you alive, but you know what? I don't think I will."