Third person pov

Muscular was much more terrifying in person. Harper managed to scramble her way up to the ledge they were on and was met by the horrifyingly grotesque sight that was his quirk. Harper held her breath, trying to stay as quiet as possible as she pulled herself up just behind him. Bakugo and Midoriya were posted in front of her trembling cousin, who noticed her immediately. A flash of relief flew through his eyes, and Harper nodded back, hardening her expression. She didn't want to make this any scarier for him. That meant staying calm. If she could even handle that. She felt like she'd just been thrown through a million loops and given no time to recover. But really, hadn't all of them?

Harper's luck really was ass in a can at this point. Her life had been painfully peaceful before all this. She lived a fairly normal life. Some would even call it boring! But at least she wasn't on the verge of fucking dying almost every day. The girl didn't know how yet, but this was definitely Nezu's fault somehow. What wasn't his fault these days? He was the one who'd, in a roundabout way, gotten her into this mess! Chewing him out as soon as they were out of this mess was going to be the highlight of her life. More therapeutic than talking to any professional could ever be.

"Well I'll be damned! I recognize both of you. You're both on the list. What luck!" Muscular laughed heartily. Harper stood slowly, her feet planted firm on the ground. If she made any noise and got herself noticed she was going to be punted off to god knows where. She had to do this right. But which way was that? Was there even a way to handle this that wouldn't result in her getting ripped apart? "Greenie is the one that Shigaraki fella carries a picture of around, and the blonde is the one I'm supposed to take. Too bad the little lady he wants captured isn't around. Oh well. Two is better than none, I suppose. Come to think of it, that blonde one looks a lot like Johnny..." 

Harper assessed the information. First of all, who was Johnny? This was information she could probably use. If this Johnny character was dead, that was even better. Dead people always hit sore spots. Harper would know. Next and more importantly, this was predictably an attack by the League of Villains, which she had already guessed. Whether Shigaraki was here or not remained to be seen. Harper wasn't sure if he wanted him to be here or not. On one hand, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her classmates. On the other, he could get captured. And on the other-- seeing as Shigaraki was a freak and carried around extras for some reason or another-- this could lead to them getting more information about the League and how to take them down. 

The topic of Shigaraki led them swiftly into their next issue. Why the fuck was Shigaraki carrying a picture of Izuku around with him? Did Harper want to know? Probably not. She'd look deeper into that at a later date. It seemed like more and more future issues were piling themselves onto her plate by the second. Harper breathed out slow. She just had to stay calm. She wanted coffee and a nap right now, but that wasn't accessible. Or it wouldn't be until she dealt with this. That was assuming she even made it out of this situation alive. The mere idea of relaxation and caffeine was enough was incentive enough to keep her ass in gear.

Harper wasn't sure why they wanted to take Bakugo. As far as she knew, he hadn't done much of anything to provoke... well, anyone. Unless being a fucking asshole counted. Though if she thought about it, an outsider looking in might see him as villain material. Izuku was close with All Might and didn't do a good job at hiding that fact. Wanting to take or kill him would make complete sense. Bakugo, though... yeah, no. He was far from a villain. She'd never seen anyone who wanted to be a hero so badly. And as for the "little lady"... let's just say Harper had a sinking feeling she knew exactly who that was. 

"Stay back unless you want your face blasted off, fucker!" Bakugo hissed, sounding like he was channeling a rabid cat into his voice. Harper stepped to the side slightly, placing herself further behind Muscular. Kota's eyes switched rapidly between her and the villain, fear stricken across his face. Izuku and Bakugo had noticed her, but they were careful not to look at her. Harper swallowed, eyes steely. Where did she go from here? "What the hell is Deku doing here? And who's this giant block of meat anyway? Dumbass haircut looks like the bootleg version of mine!" 

Muscular ignored the warning and began to advance. Bakugo crouched down, ready to pounce, and Izuku took his own stance as lightning began to crackle around him. Kota scooted back slightly, eyes wide and terrified. Harper forced herself to relax. She let her shoulders fall slack, cracked her neck, and took a slow breath. What she was about to do was fucking stupid. So, so fucking stupid. But the fear coming from Kota was almost tangible, and that made her mad. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt. A distraction was what Bakugo and Midoriya both needed right now. If they wanted to get in a good hit, anyway.

"He really does remind me of Johnny-boy." Muscular snorted internally, sounding almost fond as he grinned at Bakugo. "I'm glad I don't have to kill him, then. Though this fight should be fun at least." 

That's it. That's what Harper needed. She'd have to count on Bakugo and Midoriya not to let her die if this went sideways-- which it probably would. But if she did this right, it could save their bacon. Or at the very least buy them some time. And time was the thing, wasn't it? She needed to get over to Kota one way or another. Walking past Muscular was the only safe way to do that. So that's what she'd do. 

"God fucking damn!" Harper exclaimed grievously just before Muscular could throw himself at her classmates, stretching her arms as she started to walk forward as though she'd just shown up. Izuku and Katsuki's gazes snapped to her, their eyes wide and horrified. They were probably wondering what the fuck she was doing. Even Harper didn't know. She was careful not to flinch as Muscular whirled around, his brows raised. Instead, she gave him an indifferent look. "Dude, how are you not boiling in that cloak right now? I'm roasting out here."

"Who the hell are-- Where did you come from, brat?" Muscular snapped, looking over her with irritation. He seemed startled that he hadn't noticed her sooner. Clearly, he didn't like being snuck up on. Whatever. It sucks to fucking suck. He'd done the same thing to Kota just a few minutes ago, so he had literally no room to be mad. Harper just had to stay chill and pretend he was just another guy. Just some asshole on the street. Like Dabi, or something. Only uglier and with worse fashion sense. Which was saying something considering Dabi thought a black trench coat and pants with a ripped hems was a good look. "Wait a second. She's the girl Shigaraki wants! Why the fuck does she look like that? Is she crazy, just waltzing in here like that? And what's she even wearing?" 

"Wow, offensive. I think my outfit is great." Harper scoffed at him. Bakugo and Izuku were still staring at her like she was an idiot. Honestly, Harper felt like one. And probably was one. She'd always told herself she'd never drop to such levels of idiocy, yet here she was. Sad. "And why's Shigaraki want me? Did I do something to him? Is it because I stole his warp gate, because that isn't on me. He came to me first and then just decided I'd adopted him."  

Harper gave a beaming smile that must've looked out of place on her face based on the way Bakugo's expression twisted. Muscular paused, staring at her for a moment. Izuku's thoughts permeated through her quirk whilst she was being studied, panicked and coming out extremely fast. "What is she doing?! Where did she even come from?! She must be crazy! She should've ran away when she had the chance. But Kota is her cousin... no! She's going to get hurt, and Kacchan and I aren't going to be fast enough if he just lashes out. And what's she even talking about? When did Muscular say anything about Shigaraki? And why is she smiling? Is it... is she playing a mind game with him to try and throw him off?" 

"This bitch is fucking crazy. What the fuck is she doing? Fucking idiot is going to get us all killed. What the hell?" Was all Bakugo was thinking at the moment. Harper could respect that.

"...How'd you do that?" Muscular's brows furrowed. He obviously was in no rush. As malicious and blood-thirsty as he was, he was curious too. That was a good thing. Harper kept her breathing steady and her expression poised as laid back. She channeled Kaminari's dopey personality. She could hear the frantic Wii music distantly, even from here. It was oddly comforting believe it or not. "I swear she just read my fucking mind. But she has a reflex quirk, right? Then how'd she do that? Or did I say that outloud?" 

"Do what?" Harper asked cluelessly, walking right past him and over to where she'd wanted to be to begin with. Near Kota. The girl glanced back at him, brows furrowed. Muscular looked off kilter. That's what Harper had wanted. Throwing him off was the first step. Sort of like she'd done with Sero, only more high-stakes. "What're you even doing here, anyway? What would Johnny even think if he could see you right now? I don't think he'd be very proud of you, you know." 

Muscular looked like he'd just been sucker punched right in the stomach. Bakugo gave her a strange look, and Midoriya looked thoughtful. Harper slipped past them, leaning down to scoop Kota off the ground. It was a relief to lift him into her arms, and one of the stones previously sitting in the pit of her stomach vanished and made her feel lighter. She had him. She had Kota, and Muscular hadn't started trying to kill them yet. 

"I don't know what she's talking about, but it's working." Izuku glanced at Harper, keeping silent. "She's a... a really good liar. And her acting is top-notch. If she can throw him off enough, Kacchan and I can jump in when he's not expecting it." 

"Harper, I'm scared. I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared." Kota was sobbing into her shoulder quietly, breathing fast and hard. "He killed my mom and dad, and he's going to kill us too! I don't want you to die! I can't lose you too! I want to go home!" 

"How the hell do you-- what do you know about Johnny?" Muscular bit out, looking utterly perplexed. What a meathead. Harper was glad he was sort of shallow. At least enough so that he couldn't pick up on the anger in her eyes. This was, after all, the man who'd murdered her aunt and uncle. She didn't really have a shitlist, but if she did, he'd be on it. "She talks about my brother as though she knows him. But he's been dead for years and years now! There's no way she ever would've met him, or even know he was my brother. So what the hell?" 

Now it was Harper's turn to give Muscular a perplexed look. Only hers wasn't genuine. It was completely fabricated, but completely convincing to anyone who didn't know she was acting. She backed up a bit, positioning herself between Bakugo and Midoriya. She didn't tense up though, or do anything to indicate she was nervous or acting. She just gave him a confused smile as though this were the most normal thing in the world, and she'd known him her whole life. As though he weren't a mass murderer who she wanted to gut.

"You know, your brother?" Harper cocked a brow at him, and Muscular froze, staring at her with wide eyes. "Blonde, spitfire, sort of a dick sometimes? About Bakugo's height maybe?" 

Bakugo scowled at her, looking confused. Harper resisted the urge to glare and shush him. "What the fuck is this bitch even talking about? Brother? Who even is this dickbag?" 

"H-How do you know that? He's been dead for years!" Muscular sputtered, looking less murderous now and more confused. "This... This bitch is just messing with my head. Johnny is gone. I was there! I saw it! She'd have been just a little tike when he died, right? There's no fucking way she knew him. The only... no, I can't let her get to me. Reflex quirk my ass. Shigaraki said he thought she might be lying. So... that must be it. She must actually be a mind reader." 

Harper's smile dropped, her face dropping into the grimace she'd been wearing before. 

"Now." She nodded. Bakugo and Midoriya, though full of questions, pounced on the unexpecting Muscular. The man startled slightly, stumbling backwards and the very sudden attack. He managed to buff up one arm in time to block Midoriya's punch, but Bakugo nailed him hard in the stomach with an explosion that sent him flying back. Harper didn't waste any time after that. She jumped right off the side of the ledge they were on, turning herself sideways, bending her knees, and angling her feet so she slid down the side of the small mountain rather than just straight up tumbling. Above her, Muscular let out an enraged roar.

"I'll kill you, you bitch!" He shrieked after her. Harper grimaced. "That fucking bitch! Getting into my head?! Reading my thoughts?! She thought she could just use my brother like that?! She's going to pay for this! I know you hear me, brat! I don't care if Shigaraki wants you alive! I'm going to kill you myself!" 

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Harper hissed. There was another series of explosions from above her, and Izuku shouted something at Bakugo before the blonde was sent flying off the ledge and over her head. Kota looked up, watching with terror as Harper's explosive classmate righted himself midair and sent himself flying back towards the villain with a string of curses flying from his mouth. Harper tightened her grip on Kota, hopping over a rock in their path and nearly causing herself and Kota to vault forward. She just barely managed to right herself and keep sliding the few feet left to the level ground. 

The sound of Izuku crying out above them sounded, echoing in the forest. Harper could feel his pain from here-- he was definitely breaking another bone. That was another thing that needed to be addressed. Who told him it was okay to fuck up his arms? Where did he get that idea? Those were his bones. Yet he broke them like they were disposable toothpicks! She heard Bakugo call out to Izuku with a loud 'DEKU!' that was equal parts of concerned and ferocious. Harper wished she could stay and do something-- even if it was just warn them as to where Muscular would strike next. But Kota was her top priority right now. Getting him out of here and to safety was key. 

There was a rumble above, followed by an avalanche of rocks flying down the slope towards them. Harper cursed, rushing to pull herself and Kota behind the thickest tree nearby. She wrapped herself around him as best she could, bracing her back against the trunk and trying to make herself as narrow as possible. The tree thudded and gave a threatening crack as the rocks hit it. Harper held her breath, not crying out when her upper arm got slashed hard by a sharp piece of stone that had broken off one of the small boulders.

Harper felt like she was speedrunning a really shitty video game and doing a horrible job. She'd just barely managed to get Kota and bolt, and was now leaving behind two of her classmates to fend for themselves against a serial killer. She could tell they wanted her to run, but that didn't change the fact that she was ditching them. At least it was for a good cause. She refused to let Kota be hurt or worse, killed. Harper wouldn't be able to live with herself. And she knew Katsuki and Izuku well enough to know that they wouldn't be able to either. 

"Wh...Why?" Kota squeaked out as Harper pulled away from the tree and kept running as soon as she was sure the majority of the rocks had stopped falling. She could still feel Muscular's rage directed at her, which was great. Just what she needed. But she'd done it to herself, really. How else was she supposed to keep him from punching Bakugo, Midoriya, and her cousin off a cliff? The distraction hadn't done much, but she'd freaked him out enough for Bakugo to at least get a good hit in. She could tell Muscular's torso was hurting him when he moved, and he was having trouble getting his quirk to grow over that portion. That was a good thing. "Why... why are they all trying so hard to save me? Bakugo, and Midoriya! They don't know me at all, but they're still fighting so Harper can get away with me!" 

"Because they're heroes. We're heroes." Harper corrected. If she was really doing this, she may as well own it. God, this was fucked up. She didn't tolerate therapists, but Kota could. And he would if she had anything say about it. "That's what heroes do, Kota. They risk their lives for people. I-" She dodged around a few trees, stumbling when she felt the earth shake. Muscular was coming after them. "-know you miss your parents and I know how you feel about their deaths. I miss them too. How they died was sad. But it was noble, too. They saved a lot of lives. There are people here today that wouldn't have been if not for them. They changed the world." 

"That bitch! Where did she go?! I'll kill her, and that little brat!" Muscular's thoughts shrieked. Harper blinked quick to dispel the tears she felt coming on. There was a point she'd reached where she was just so terrified that she was sort of numb. The desperation she felt clawed at her and pushed her forward. She was running purely on adrenaline, and she could tell Katsuki and Izuku were too. She could hear their thoughts. They were determined, and willing her to escape with Kota. That was their common goal right now. It felt good to know she wasn't alone being chased by a psychopathic serial killer in the woods. Instead, she was being chased with friends and family! Talk about a bonding experience. 

Bakugo set off a blast in Muscular's face. He wasn't sure where Harper had gone, and that was a good thing in his book. He wanted her and that kid to get away and to safety just as much as he wanted to grind this guy into the ground. Izuku had just been thrown and his broken arm had been dragged when it happened. Bakugo didn't like that shit very much. In fact, he'd even say he fucking hated it. Who did this asshole think he was?! Bakugo was going to set him on fire and watch him burn! 

"You're going to regret that." The blonde hissed up at Muscular, who grinned cockily. It seemed like they couldn't get a hit in no matter how much they pummeled him. Izuku had put his everything into that punch earlier. He'd risked his whole arm for it! And yet Musclemania over here had gotten right back up and brushed it off like it was nothing. How were they supposed to get to him? His stomach was a weak spot because of his earlier hit, but he was guarding it well. 

"My quirk increases my speed and strength so exponentially that my muscle fibers can't even be contained by my skin!" Muscular laughed, as though that weren't gross as fuck. Bakugo growled as Izuku struggled to push himself back up next to him. "I know I'm bragging a bit, but come on! I guess what I'm trying to say is... your little friend there is just an inferior version of me! And you? You're nothing more than a harmless little firecracker!" 

Bakugo was an angry person in general. Rage was his main emotion and most his actions were done with some form of aggression behind them. He didn't know why. Maybe he was born that way, or maybe it had developed and gotten worse overtime. All he knew right now was that the absolute burning hot anger he felt right now was the strongest emotion he'd ever felt. His vision all but went red, his teeth clenched, and his hands began to spark unwarranted. This... this fucking asshole. This asshole! 

"You..." Bakugo hissed, glaring. He remembered this villain. It had taken him a moment to do it, but the description of his quirk had helped it settle. It was no wonder Harper's eyes had held such malice while she was bluffing him. "You know Waterhose? Those heroes you killed?" 

Muscular blinked at him, clearly not knowing where this was going. Katsuki could still remember his parents talking about it when he was a bit younger. It was all the news talked about for days.

"Well guess what?" Bakugo cracked his neck. Next to him, Izuku began to spark again, looking determined. He nodded to his blonde friend, his unbroken fist clenching. "Those were that kid's parents, you asshole! And now you think you can come here on our turf and actually win? Fucking hilarious!" 

"We're not going to let you get away." Izuku proclaimed, voice shaking. "You won't hurt anyone else!" 

Muscular cocked his head, and then grinned. Bakugo snarled back. And then, they clashed. 

Distantly, Harper found herself just narrowly avoiding a rogue Nomu marching through the woods. She also detected Shoto and Shoji nearby. Tokoyami's quirk was rampaging, and they needed help. She swore as to herself she'd circle back as soon as she could drop Kota off somewhere he'd be protected. But until then, she had to keep running. Even if it hurt passing by her terrified classmates who were begging for someone-- anyone-- to come to their aid. 

She made a beeline for where her aunt was. The woman was facing off against a villain from what she could tell. Aizawa was sprinting in the same direction as her, and she knew they'd definitely be crossing paths. That was a good thing. She could either send him towards where Shoto was or pass Kota off to him. Whichever came first. All she had to do was get there. Just a bit more running, and then they'd be semi-homefree. Homefree with a side of shitloaf surprise, maybe. 

"We're going to be okay, Kota. You're going to be fine. I've got you." Harper breathed out reassurances. He looked up at her shakily. He was clearly in some form of shock. She honestly was too. Harper was a pretty indifferent person, but this was honestly traumatizing. So much for sleep. She wouldn't be getting any of that for a while. None that was good, anyway. Her classmates would probably be in the same boat as her, though. Wonderful. More shit for Harper to pester Nezu about. Goody! Just what she'd wished for! At least she'd have more excuses to yell at him. Secret summer camp her ass.

"O...okay." Kota breathed out. His tears at stopped and he wasn't shaking anymore. Progress in Harper's book. "We made it... but are Bakugo and Midoriya going to be okay? That Muscular guy... he's really strong."

"Trust me." Harper snorted a bit, shaking her head. "They're going to be just fine." 

They broke the trees and skidded to a halt in the clearing her aunt was currently in. The woman was fighting some Stain cosplayer that looked like a lizard, and there was a woman in sunglasses facing off against Tiger and CO. Aizawa was coming up from the left, and his eyes filled with relief when he spotted her. Harper adjusted her grip on Kota, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that may unexpectedly fly at her. She was breathing hard from all this running. She'd definitely be working out after this. 

"Harper!" Aizawa breathed out in relief, capturing her in a hug as he approached. "Oh my god, oh my god, you're okay. Thank god. I was so worried when you and Bakugo vanished into the woods! I thought you'd gotten lost, or taken, or worse! Do you know where your other classmates are?" 

"Bakugo and Midoriya need help. They're facing off against a serial killer. Shoto and Shoji too. Tokoyami's quirk is off the hook and there's a cannibal after them. There's also nomu wandering around the woods." Harper said it all in one breath. She stepped to the side as the lizard Mandalay was fighting got kicked in her direction by mistake. He skidded in the dirt next to her, eyes wide. He'd lost his weird sword of swords on his trip over. Harper let out a breath of air, trying to steady herself as she stared down at the lizard man. "Stain isn't going to believe me when I tell him you exist." 

The lizard looked like he'd just been touched by god himself.

"You know Stain?"

Harper could work with that.