Dragon's Pride: Prologue (Patreon)

On top of a mountain, located in the middle of a forest, a young boy by the name of Kota Izumi stares up at the smirking form of a villain. This villain’s name is Muscular, and he is the man who murdered Kota’s parents. Kota has tears in his eyes as he stares at the villain looking around the cliff they’re standing on, seeming especially curious about some sort of stalagmite standing by the decorated entrance of a cave.

“This is one fancy rock. You do this yourself, brat?” Muscular asks curiously as he knocks on the stalagmite, and getting a surprising noise from it. “The hell? Is this thing made from gold!? Well, other than the weird green parts. Or maybe it’s colored gold or something?”

He smirks at the thought of selling such a thing, and how much money he could get for it. The design itself is basic, simply an alternation of gold and dark green swirling around it from the base to the tip. Though there is an odd pattern etched closer to the base. “Forget the League of Villains, I can just bribe some big shots to turn some town into my own personal murder resort!”

As he speaks, he lets his quirk engulf him, bulging muscle fibers spreading across nearly every inch of his body until he’s grown several sizes bigger. He wraps one hand around the top of the stalagmite while kicking at the base with his strengthened foot. The clanging from the impact resounds across the cliff. And down into the depths of the cave, where a predator’s rage grows with each reverberation.

Eventually, Muscular manages to snap the stalagmite, grunting as he lowers it to the ground. “Damn thing is heavier than I thought. Might actually have to use them to get back to the city so I can sell this. Hmm?” It’s only after he goes to wipe the sweat from his brow that he realizes that the child he’d come across has been using his quirk to coat him in water.

“The hell? Fuck off kid. I’m in a good mood, so I’ll let you live. But if you keep annoying me…” He trails off leadingly as he shows the boy a savage grin and flexes his quirk, bloodlust oozing from every fiber of his body.

Kota, blinded by rage, doesn’t back down, instead focusing his weak water blasts at the villain’s artificial eye. The villain scowls as he covers it. “Watch it brat, it’s annoying having to deal with the water that gets in there. Last warning.”

Unable to take the casual disregard the villain shows him, Kota screams, giving vent to the feelings he’s harbored for two years. “Shut up! You’re the one who killed my parents! You’re the one who made them break their promise that they’d always come back! You’re the one who deserves to die!”

Slowly, Muscular’s scowl turns into a smirk, widening as he stares at the kid. “Oh really? Well now, that’s quite the treat. They’re the ones who took my eye and gave me this scar, you know. So believe me, I’m more than happy to reunite the three of you in the afterlife!”

With each sentence, he takes a threatening step forward, while Kota takes a fearful step back. With each motion, it starts to dawn on him the situation, his overpowering emotions vanishing to nothing as the feeling of death approaches him with a grim certainty.

But they’re both brought to a stop when a voice of barely restrained fury sounds off from the cave. “Who. The. FUCK. Broke. My. Art.”

Muscular turns, surprised at seeing someone around his height shadowed just beyond the light from the forest fires. He can catch a faint glimpse of motion behind the figure, but his focus is on where a clawed and scaled finger is pointing. “That stalagmite? You made it?” He laughs. “Well it’s mine now. If you have any complaints, then I’ll kill you!”

He launches himself forward, a murderous glint in his eyes as excitement runs through him. If they made this and they live in that cave, then they probably have more of it! I’ll have enough money that I can do whatever I want for the rest of my life without any worry!

…

The shadowed figure looks at the boy as Muscular’s body drops to the ground, their claws using his eye sockets to hold his severed head. “Are you with him?”

Kota rapidly shakes his head, more terrified than he was when Muscular was threatening him. “N-n-no! He wa-was with the League of Vi-villains!”

Though he can't see them, the shadowed figure’s eyes narrow as their tail thrashes. They look at the stalagmite they’d worked themselves during a period of boredom. Though the ‘why’ of its creation does not matter, only that they now need to set it up once again.

They stride forwards and pick it up one-handed, twirling it in their hand as easily as if it were a plastic baton until the broken bottom part is facing them. Opening their mouth, a small stream of fire blows forth and rapidly turns the internal gold soft. Carefully placing it back where Muscular had broken it, they smooth the edges where the broken pieces meet, scowling as the gold continues to drip down the sides.

They look at Kota, who flinches. “Keep it standing. Don’t use water to cool it.” They turn around, letting Kota have a clear view of the dark green tail protruding from behind them, the pattern of their scales matching the green parts of the stalagmite. They shout into the cave, making Kota wince at the volume. “Unicorn, stay inside. I’ll be back soon with souvenirs!”

Kota doesn’t hear a reply, but the person seemingly does, nodding their head. They turn around, staring out at the burning forest, a growl building in their throat as they bare razor sharp teeth. “No one, touches my things.”

`~`

Bakugou and Todoroki dodge another set of the villain’s sharpened teeth trying to skewer them, instead burying themselves deep into the ground before retracting. “Damnit!” Bakugou curses. “If we don’t figure something out soon, I’m blowing his ass to hell!”

“But Bakugou, you could make the fire worse-” Todoroki starts only for the explosive blonde to cut him off with a snarl.

“The forest is already on fire, Icy-Hot! How much worse could it get!?”

As if in answer, a large form burst from the trees, knocking several of them over as it pursues one of their classmates. Shoji breathes a breath of relief upon seeing the two classmates he most needs. “Bakugou! Todoroki! Light!”

Seeing his desperate situation, they act immediately, Todoroki flaring his flames for the briefest moment he can manage while Bakugou uses his special Stun Grenade move to cause a flash of light even brighter than what Todoroki manages.

Immediately, the monster shrieks and shrinks, revealing the form of another member of their class, Tokoyami, as he stumbles forward. “Thank…you.” He manages to get out before collapsing forward. Just in time for the blade that was aiming for his head to skim just above it.

“Damnit!” Bakugou yells as he blasts himself in his direction, letting loose with his quirk in order to redirect any blades that come for him. Meanwhile Shoji has picked up their weakened classmate and is doing his best to dodge the blades directed his way. Todoroki continues to try and stop the villain from moving by shooting waves of ice at him, only for the blades to destroy them before they can get close.

As they start to get desperate, an annoyed voice speaks from above them. “Which of you are with the League of Villains?”

All within the small clearing look up, the flickering flames playing across the person’s form, giving them a feeling of mystery as their wings beat a steady rhythm. When no one immediately responds, they repeat themselves.

“Which of you dumbasses are with the League of Villains?”

“The fuck you calling a dumbass you damn extra!?” Bakugou shouts, his ego incapable of letting the insult go. But when the figure turns their face to him, he has to suppress a shiver from the disdain in their eyes. The self-assured knowledge that they are above everyone.

It’s a look that he often employs on others himself, in order to make sure they know their place. Which is below him. So to experience the same feeling he causes in others is unacceptable in his mind. But before he can challenge them, the villain speaks while launching the majority of his blades upwards.

“Tasty…Your flesh smells so delicious!”

The figure makes no moves to dodge the blades, simply crossing their arms under their chest and nodding to themselves. “So. You are one of them, then. Or you have simply gotten tired of living. Either way,” they take a deep breath as the blades near, the closest mere inches away from their feet.

They let out their next words alongside a torrent of flames that proceeds to melt the blades, quickly reducing them to so much slag as the students watch in shock as the villain screams in pain. “BURN!”

It doesn’t take long for the villain to fall to the ground, his metal teeth having melted within his mouth from the powerful flames. Narrowing their eyes, the figure descends and examines the remains of one of the detached blades, reaching out a hand and snapping it into a five foot length The sudden noise snaps the students from their stupor.

“S-stop! Villain!” Todoroki shouts, his usually unflappable demeanor cracked from seeing the casual display of overwhelming power and the blase way they killed.

The figure doesn’t even give him a glance before walking towards the body, raising their other hand so they have a clear view of the severed head they’re holding. A clear view of them pushing the blade up through the neck, and sliding through the top of their skull, brain matter clinging to the metal.

Someone makes a gagging sound, which turns into retching as they tear the charred villain’s head from their body, driving the blade in the same way until it’s on top of Muscular’s. They look at the hero students as they flap their wings, rising into the air, their voice echoing in their ears.

“I am above your petty designations.” Her gaze shifts to Bakugou before continuing. “I am above you. Attack me, and you will share the same fate as these two.” She flies away, in search of more members of the League of Villains. Leaving the four hero students to process what they just witnessed.

“...We need to warn everyone.” Todoroki says shakily.

“No shit, dumbass.” Bakugou retorts, hiding his own unease with his signature bravado.

`~`

As the figure flies above the forest, searching for more of her offenders, she notes how the fog that was hiding everything has begun to disperse. Which allows them to identify a gathering of people, members trickling in. Though her eyes narrow as she sees something that causes her to snarl.

They think they can use my own things against me!? They need to be punished.

They fold their wings, letting themselves drop in front of the one they saw. They tower over the blond girl, meeting her widening eyes with their own rage filled ones. They stab their trophies into the ground and cross their arms, waiting for her to explain.

“Move!” One of the ones in the clearing shouts, raising a hand.

“Wait, don’t!” The blonde yells while backing up. They don’t listen, and a wash of blue flames surround the intruder, hiding her from view.

The man, Dabi, scoffs. “What? I warned you to move.” The blaze where the person was standing burns merrily, nothing visible in the gulf of the flames.

“No you fucking idiot!” Toga shouts in rapidly rising panic, just as Mr. Compress falls into the clearing, buried under the weight of several UA students. “You don’t fucking attack her! You don’t fucking antagonize her!! And I FUCKING WARNED EVERYONE TO STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER MOUNTAIN!!!”

Spinner, Magne, Twice, and Dabi stare at the girl, taken aback by her shouting and cursing. In what time they’ve known her, she’s never been anything but a fun, blood-obsessed psycho. But now her face is filled with not only rage, but sheer terror.

Managing to get free from the students, Compress brushes himself off. “I would thank you for the help, but none was provided. So instead, let us simply-” A swirling darkness opens up next to the group of villains, and he’s cut off as Toga screams, jumping through it.

“GET THE FUCK IN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!” Twice does as she says with no hesitation, diving through like a swimmer. Magne and Spinner exchange glances before walking through, not having the same sense of urgency. Dabi, meanwhile, is just confused. He shrugs, turning to Compress who’s just as dumbfounded.

“Did you get him?”

“Um, of course I did.” He gives himself a shake as he adjusts his mask and pulls two marbles from his mouth to show him. “And an extra I feel could work as well.”

Dabi shrugs. “Whatever. Let’s g-”

He’s cut off by an ominous chuckle coming from the depths of the flames, even as a laser shoots from the bushes, knocking the marbles from Compress’ hand. “Your flames convey your pain, they’re warm enough to be comfortable. And the color is pleasant.” A clawed hand reaches out from the flames, green scales trailing blue fire. “I think I’ll take you.”

Before she can grab him, Compress, who has managed to reclaim Bakugou, throws himself backwards into Dabi, forcing both of them through the portal. She watches as it closes, nostrils flaring as she takes a deep breath to catch their scent and temper her irritation. She lets it out slowly, a growling chuckle erupting from her throat. “You can go as far as you like, but I get what I want.”

`~`

“What the fuck was that?” Dabi questions Toga, who’s restlessly pacing in the LoV’s bar, muttering to herself about how she needs to find a way to fix this.

She whirls on him, a snarl on her lips. “That is the one person you leave alone! I watched her throw All Might while in Tokyo, and the news reported that he landed in Saitama!”

“Is that when he crashed that one foreigner’s wedding?” Spinner asks in surprise. The news had spun it as All Might knowing someone there from his time in America and dropping in to make the event even more special.

She nods and Shigaraki growls as he scratches his neck. “Why wouldn’t you mention knowing someone strong enough to do that? She would have been a much better party member than those two who got caught.”

“Killed.” Toga corrects absently, to the surprise of the other League members, as she closes her eyes to recenter herself. “She had their heads with her as trophies. Gives them to her daughter, or prized possession, or whatever the kid is to her. Which means one of them majorly fucked up.” She takes a deep breath, looking at each remaining member of the League with serious eyes.

“Her name is Izumi. And she is a dragon.”

Hey all! Plan to at least get the first part of each fic for the 'variety' characters done eventually. Don't know when, but here's at least the one for Dragon Girl Midoriya!