The Wraith Within (On Hold Indefinitely)

battle trials

Izumi’s instinct kicked in. She immediately used her Phantom ability, creating a decoy of herself from thin air. As the clone engaged Bakugo, Izumi warped away, moving swiftly behind another rock formation, out of his line of sight.

Bakugo, already furious, blasted the decoy into oblivion with an explosion powerful enough to knock the air out of anyone close by. However, it was all part of Izumi’s plan. The explosion created a large cloud of smoke, and while Bakugo was momentarily distracted, Izumi warped once more, positioning herself close to the bomb.

Uraraka, seeing the opportunity, activated her Zero Gravity quirk and hurled a large piece of debris toward the bomb’s location to keep Bakugo’s attention divided.

“Bakugo!” Iida shouted from behind, his mechanical legs whirring as he ran toward Izumi’s location, his feet leaving behind streaks of blue energy. “We need to stop them from getting to the bomb!”

Izumi took a deep breath and focused. She could hear Iida’s footsteps pounding toward her, and she knew time was running out. As Iida sped closer, Izumi warped forward, using her Warp Blast to close the distance with incredible speed.

Iida tried to react, his mechanical legs giving him a boost in speed, but Izumi was faster. In one swift motion, she crouched low to the ground, extending her scythe-like arms toward him. They slashed the air with precision, and Iida leaped back just in time, his mechanical legs kicking him into the air to avoid the deadly blades.

“I’m not losing to you!” Iida shouted, his voice strained as he activated his Engine quirk to propel himself higher. He launched into the air and came down toward Izumi with incredible speed, trying to land a hit on her.

But Izumi was ready.

She warped again, disappearing from Iida’s view, and reappeared right behind him. Her long, sharp limbs cut the air as she aimed a single, powerful swipe toward Iida’s back. The force was enough to force him to stumble, and he almost lost his balance mid-air, barely managing to right himself before crashing into the ground.

Iida gritted his teeth, clearly impressed but not willing to back down. “You’re fast... But not fast enough!”

Meanwhile, Bakugo had moved toward Uraraka, anger radiating off him. Uraraka, still floating among the rocks, tried to stay out of his reach, tossing more debris to keep him distracted. Her strategy was clear—use her agility to her advantage and wear him down.

Izumi could see Uraraka struggling against Bakugo’s sheer force, and for a moment, she hesitated. She knew she couldn’t leave her partner alone, but she also couldn’t let the bomb go unchecked.

In a moment of clarity, Izumi turned to face the bomb’s location, but just as she was about to warp again, she caught sight of Bakugo charging toward Uraraka. Without thinking, she launched herself forward, her body an unstoppable blur of motion.

In an instant, she warped directly between Bakugo and Uraraka, intercepting him mid-charge. Bakugo’s eyes widened as he was forced to halt, barely missing Izumi. He looked at her with a mix of annoyance and surprise.

“You really think you can stop me?!” Bakugo growled, sparks flying from his fists.

Izumi’s glowing purple eyes narrowed in response. “I think I’ve already done enough.”

She leapt forward, using her Warp Blast to close the distance in a split second. Bakugo raised his arms, preparing for the inevitable explosion, but before he could react, Izumi disappeared once again, this time reappearing behind him. Her scythe-like arms moved with surgical precision, cutting through the air toward Bakugo’s back.

Bakugo was forced to jump out of the way, his usual cocky smirk replaced with frustration. He was faster than most, but Izumi’s unpredictability was a problem he hadn’t expected.

With Bakugo momentarily distracted, Izumi warped once more—this time, straight to the bomb’s location. She was there in a heartbeat, and without hesitation, she pressed her hands against the device, using her claws to disarm it with incredible precision. The Zero Gravity rocks Uraraka had scattered around earlier were a perfect cover, keeping the bomb’s sensors confused long enough for Izumi to disable it.

With a soft click, the bomb powered down.

Aizawa’s voice echoed over the loudspeakers. “Villains, win!”

Izumi straightened, catching her breath. Her glowing eyes briefly met Uraraka’s, who had already landed beside her, a broad grin spreading across her face.

“We did it!” Uraraka cheered, her excitement infectious.

Izumi allowed herself a small, genuine smile. She hadn’t expected their first battle to be so intense, but in the end, it felt like the team had really pulled together.

As Bakugo and Iida stood a little further away, both of them seething, Izumi couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. This wasn’t just a victory for her, but a victory for them as a team.

"Good job," Izumi muttered to Uraraka.

Uraraka beamed, giving her a thumbs-up. "We make a great team, right?"

Izumi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked toward Bakugo and Iida, her purple eyes narrowing with a sense of determination.

This was only the beginning.