21: Fight Of Our Lives

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The pair of teens burst through the tree line at top speed, trying to reach Kota before something bad happened. 

They arrived as the villain Muscular stood over the little boy, grinning widely. They had both heard about him in the article they read when researching the Pussycats and the camp as a whole. 

He was the one who killed Kota's parents. 

"Throw me." Chiharu said, turning to Izuku. The green haired teen gave him a confused look. "Come on, throw me at him! I need your strength for this.". 

Reluctantly Izuku readied his quirk. They had done this a few times before during training, but the had yet to try it in an actual battle. 

There was a moment of silence when Muscular stopped talking and Kota just stood there, too scared to move before Haru collided with the man's shoulder, slamming him into the rock wall. 

"What the-" The villain began before receiving a swift punch to the face. He hadn't reached his full potential muscle wise, so he was still short enough for the teen to reach with with a bit of effort. 

"Just try to get close to him again." Haru said, holding his arms up in a boxing pose. Muscular started laughing loudly. 

"You think you can defeat me? Two tiny children? I've killed heroes with decades more experience!" He boomed. Chiharu didn't back down though, landing a hit on the man's abdomen. 

Muscular thought it held a surprising amount of force despite the kid's small size but it was nothing compared to him. The villain ripped his cloak off revealing a disturbing amount of muscle. 

"You think you're oh so strong." He mocked, "Why don't you try this on for size?!". His fist collided with Chiharu before he could dodge, nearly sending him off the cliff. 

He grabbed onto a rock and hauled himself back on the ledge. The surface of the rock was abrasive, a bit like sandpaper, but Chiharu could barely feel it. He did file his nails with the stuff after all, it didn't really effect him. 

"Ooh look who's still standing." Muscular mocked. Chiharu glared at him as he resumed a fighting stance. In the corner of his eye he could see Izuku standing by Kota, trying to asses any injuries. No doubt he was already formulating a way to either beat the villain or get away before either of them could get really hurt. 

"I'm pretty hard to knock down." Chiharu shot back. The villain barked out a laugh. 

The villain rushed him again but this time Chiharu was prepared. He grabbed a rock and slammed it into the villain's head as Muscular's own punch collided with his shoulder. He was slammed back towards Izuku, flat on his back and breathing heavily out of shock. 

He hadn't fought someone who hit so hard before. This guy might actually have a chance of hurting him if he hit the same place twice or got Haru in the head.

The teen flashed a look to Izuku who nodded in understanding and gritted his teeth. "Protect Kota." The green haired teen said. 

"No Izu he's too strong you'll break something!" Haru said. But he ran over to Kota regardless because he was what they were protecting. 

As always Izuku threw caution to the wind and hit Muscular right in the face. The villain hurled him back, slamming the teen into the rock wall. 

"Izuku!" Chiharu shouted, his distress audible in his voice. He kept Kota behind him, shielding him. Muscular zeroed in on the pair. 

"Are you scared?" The villain mocked, "Not so strong now, are you?". Chiharu gritted his teeth and ran up to Muscular. 

The villain pulled his arm back, ready for a punch and Haru did the same. 

The hits collided, sending dust and fragments of rock that had burst free all over the place. Haru stumbled back a bit but held his ground. 

Muscular gritted his teeth, but kept the cocky smile. "You think you're oh so tough." He mused, "I think you're just the perfect play thing.". 

Shivers ran down Chiharu's spine as he failed to dodge yet another of Muscular's attacks. This time though instead of being hit he was grabbed. 

Chiharu expected to be slammed into the ground immediately but instead Muscular held him up, examining him. 

It took Chiharu a few seconds to feel the sensation of his arms being pulled further apart from each other. 

The villain was trying to rip his arms off. 

The strain was barely there, but it was there. It was definitely going to leave his shoulders sore, he could say that much. 

Izuku, who was finally back on his feet and standing between Muscular and Kota, looked at the scene and gritted his teeth. For all he was invulnerable, Chiharu's pain tolerance wasn't high. It was pretty much impossible to build up a tolerance when you can shoulder over 1000 lbs and not just get crushed. 

He could see the tears pricking in his friend's eyes. Izuku had to think fast. 

Green lightening crackled at his fingertips and he realized that if he upped All For One to 100% he could muscle through the villain. It was his only chance to get everyone to safety and incapacitate Muscular. 

The lightening grew, spreading down his arms to his shoulder. He clenched his fist, preparing to attack the villain. 

"Hey!" Izuku shouted, "Get your hands off him!". Muscular was distracted for just enough time. Izuku threw himself at the rock face, bounced off it and nailed the villain right in the head, sending him towards the cliff's edge. 

He cried out in pain as the bones in his arm all but shattered. The boy tumbled close to the edge as well, but several feet back. 

Chiharu wasn't that lucky. Muscular had fallen right off, screaming as he went down. The bigger they are the harder they fall indeed. 

But the black hair boy was clinging on to a sharp rock, dangling over the edge. His breath came in quick pants, adrenaline pumping through his system. He would have survived the fall. Probably wouldn't have even broken anything, it was only about 3 stories. 

That didn't mean it wasn't scary to be thrown over the edge of a cliff. 

Haru let out a strangled noise of fear as he looked at the forest and rocks below him. He kept his eyes on the top of the cliff. He was a couple feet below where he needed to be. He couldn't move, couldn't think. Despite feeling only mild strain in his shoulders from Muscular's grip, holding on felt like too much. 

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Izuku made his way to the edge of the cliff when the adrenaline numbed the pain of his broken arms. 

"Haru!" He called out, searching the area. Kota was close behind him. "Hey!" The kid said, "Where are you?!". 

"Down here!" Chiharu shouted back. Izuku knelt by the cliffs edge and saw his best friend hanging there. The rocks looked like they would have cut a normal person's hands to pieces, but Chiharu was doing okay. 

"I can't get up." Haru admitted. Izuku looked at the rocks around him. There was a way, there had to be. 

"We'll get you up." He said, borderline ignoring Haru's statement. Kota nodded along, tears visible in the corner of his big eyes. 

Izuku moved his near limp arm over the edge, offering it to his friend. It didn't even begin to reach and the position was painful but Izuku kept it there. 

"Don't." Haru said, "Your arms are in pieces. It'll hurt too much, I'll rip your shoulder off!". 

"Just try!" "I won't. Take Kota and go back to the camp. Get help, I'll just fall. I'll be fine!" "You won't be fine! Just try!". 

Izuku's words were so resolute. "I won't let you.". The teen wasn't sure he could take the mental image of Haru letting go and falling. He knew logically that the boy wouldn't die, but that didn't mean it didn't feel wrong.  

"Climb!" Kota said suddenly, his voice hoarse but resolute. Izuku took the idea and latched onto it. 

"He's right. You can climb this." The hero student said. His eyes frantically searched the cliff for a place to start. "That grey piece there. Test it with a bit of your weight then use it like a foothold.". 

"I can't." Haru said frantically. "I can't do it I can't-". "You can." Izuku said resolutely. "Test the foothold. You can do this.". 

Chiharu was reluctant but obeyed, now in a much more stable position. "Let got of the rock you have now with your left hand and put it on that ridge above it. Hold on tight and trust the foothold." Izuku instructed. Chiharu eyed it nervously. 

"I don't think I can reach it." The teen said. "You can." Izuku said resolutely, "You can do it I promise you can.". 

With a grunt of effort Haru boosted himself up. His hand caught and suddenly he was higher up. The teen looked to his friend with wide, nervous eyes. Bambi eyes, as Izuku called them in his head. 

"Good job. See that next ridge? The one to your right?" He asked. Chiharu nodded. "Put your right hand there.". Chiharu nodded and pulled himself up. 

He was much closer now. Kota cheered under his breath, his eyes still watery and emotions high.  

They continued like that. Haru's grip faltered only once when the cliff gave way slightly, probably due to being smashed into during the battle. 

It took what had to only be minutes but felt like hours but Chiharu slowly grew closer and closer to the pair until eventually he was pulled himself up over the cliff's edge. Izuku and Kota hadn't lifted a finger yet it felt like Haru had been pulled up by both of them. Hoisted to safety. 

Once he was close enough, standing eye to eye with Izuku he felt his chest collapse. He leaned into his friend, buried his face in the crook of his neck and sobbed

Izuku responded by wrapping his shattered left arm around Chiharu. It hung near limp over the boy's waist, but it was enough. Kota stared at the two, tears of his own prickling in his eyes. Izuku beaconed him over and slowly he joined the two, careful to maneuver himself around the broken arms. 

The trio sank to the dirt ground. They were in tatters, they hadn't heard anything from Mandalay since the initial message and the forest was on fire. 

But they were alive. Izuku had a warm, breathing Chiharu in his arms. Not on the ground with some sort of psychopath that could wake up at any minute and rip him in half. Kota was next to him, wetting his shirt with his tears. Muscular hadn't touched him and he hadn't finished what he started with the boy's parents. 

The outside world didn't matter in that moment. All that mattered what Chiharu's heartbeat beating rapidly against Izuku's chest. 

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I intended for this chapter to be badass and have a cool battle in it but then I just started writing and the flow turned really sad really quickly 😭

It might seem impractical, because of course Chiharu could just fall. Muscular probably wouldn't be awake if he even survived the fall and there was a low chance he would run into another villain while making his way to the base camp. 

But psychologically that would be a lot for Izuku and Haru to process. They're just kids at the end of the day and even if you're invulnerable you still get scared. Izuku guiding Haru through the climb was the best way for both of them to make it out of there as unscathed as possible. 

I also feel like Izuku doesn't get enough credit for what he does in this fic. Because Chiharu's been protecting him for so long I think it can be easy (for me at least) to forget that Izuku is who protects Haru. Its just in a different way. 

It might get a little worse before it gets better but at least this long ass multi-chapter night is almost over! 

Stay Tuned 😁! 


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