Chapter 21: Because I Could Not Stop For Death
All Might burst through the front doors of the USJ building, a pained grimace adorning where his usual smile would be. He was still dressed in his professional clothes, likely meaning he came directly from the school. He shuffled with his tie, gripping it tightly in his massive fist.
His eyes focused on the group of students huddled by the front entrance. Uraraka had fat tears rolling down her puffy cheeks, standing next to a kneeling Ashido, who was crying profusely. Sato and Sero stood behind the two, looking utterly relieved minus the tears. And Shoji stood off to the side, his many limbs spouted around him as he monitored the building.
"The principal told me of his bad feeling about this trip, so I cut my talk with him short and came right away," he declared to anyone who was listening. He had unfortunately occupied his entire morning with hero work, and therefore only just arrived at the school. Nezu had shortly called him into his office, and explained his concern for Aizawa's class, who was at the USJ and had not contacted him since. That was enough for the hero to offer his time up to check, to which Nezu replied that he would have the rest of the staff on standby
"Then I ran into Iida along the way," the pro continued, "He told me the gist of what was going on here."
It turned out that Nezu's worry was valid, and he was very thankful that he had decided to come check. The students seemed to be in a state of great distress, and all for good reason. Having to fight for their lives against hordes of villains at just the beginning of their first year was dreadful enough, but as he turned to see his fellow comrade, he started to get a grip on how bad the situation was.
Thirteen's half disintegrated form was quivering against the ground, with Ashido leaning above him. Their costume was torn to shreds with his back completely exposed. The hero's slight shivers and pained gasps of breath were all that signified their consciousness.
"A-A-All Might!!"
He glanced in the direction of the call, to see Asui and Mineta lugging themselves up the stairs to the plaza. The rest of the students gasped and quickly rushed over to help them, shouting cries of concern for their well being. Uraraka was the first to them, and helped the two haul something off their back and onto the ground.
All Might nearly gasped in shock at the sight.
Aizawa's broken body was laid down onto the dirt, in an even worse condition than the space hero's. Both of his arms were crushed, though one much worse than the other, and his face was beaten to a pulp. Dribbles of caked blood ran down his battered skin, and only his short wheezes could confirm that he was alive.
He stepped over out of instinct to get a closer look, and Asui, her eyes slightly watery, looked up at him.
"Please, All Might…" she croaked out, her lip quivering a little, "Midori's still fighting that monster in the plaza… you have to help!"
The other students looked around in anxiousness, leaning over the edge of the railing to try and confirm. Uraraka looked even more concerned, scanning her eyes along the scene in hopes she would spot him. But alas, it was Shoji who responded first.
"I'm detecting four individuals in the center plaza," the boy announced, retracting in one of his sets of limbs, "One of them being Midoriya."
The number one hero nodded, but couldn't see for himself due to the mass mob of villains in the way. Regardless, he finally ripped off his tie and set his expression to one of simmering anger. He needed to get to the center plaza and fast, as that was likely where the masterminds behind this attack were. He wasn't sure how long the student had been fighting, but he couldn't allow him to put himself at risk any longer.
"FEAR NOT!!" he declared loudly, announcing his presence to all, "I AM HERE!!"
He gave the villains no time to react as he flipped off his overshirt and barreled down the stairs and through the plaza, incapacitating any villains that were in his way. He glanced over to the center of the plaza, and a crowd of distinct individuals met his glare, including one green haired student who was currently prone on the ground. He wasted not a second and zoomed over, picking the boy up along with his weapon and setting him down on the sidelines.
Midoriya could admit he was surprised when his worn out body was lifted off the ground and to his feet a few steps away. His legs still felt unstable, and so he dug the end of his scythe into the dirt and leaned into it, balancing out his wobbly form. Blood ran down his lips and dripped onto his gym uniform, and the injury on his wrist continued to bleed endlessly as well. The warm liquid flowed down his bare hand and stuck to his skin as his exposed muscle throbbed relentlessly.
"Midoriya, kid…" All Might couldn't stop his worries from escaping at the teen's condition. His wounds were gruesome at best, it was a miracle alone that he was still conscious. "Are you alright?"
Gami wanted to strangle the hero. Of course his successor wasn't alright. He was barely conscious and had tanked about three hits from the Nomu in the time earlier. His friend was likely on his last leg, but at least now that All Might was here, he could finally retreat and catch his breath.
Sure, the boy wasn't too fond of the number one hero, but it would just be plain stupid to carry his grudge into such a life threatening situation like this. Besides, his head was too foggy to focus on petty things like that.
"I'm fine," he confirmed, but the soft wheeze that came after pretty much disregarded his statement, "But those villains are really dangerous…"
The two, plus the ghost, all made eye contact with Shigaraki, who was adjusting the hand on his face after it was moved by All Might's great speed. The male started to scratch again, but this time, it was lighter than before, just daintily grazing his skin.
"You're fast. Too fast to keep up with, but not as fast as expected…" he declared with an audible smirk, "Could it really be true…?"
Then, the plaza was filled with a bone chilling aura, one of pure sinister intent. Midoriya couldn't help but flinch into his skin, and even the spirit was unnerved by its presence. The pro grimaced slightly, but it was nearly unnoticeable against his powerful front.
"That you're getting weaker?"
Kurogiri shifted behind the blue haired villain, his purple fog swirling around him threateningly, and the Nomu cocked its head sharply as if it were being tugged on a string. Combined with Shigaraki's guaranteed smile, it made for a terrifying scene.
The boy's analytics kicked in, despite the paralyzing fear running through his veins, and his instincts prevailed. He took a wobbly step forward, catching All Might's attention.
"The brain monster… Nomu, it's the most dangerous," he informed the hero, racking his own fuzzy brain for more details, "It's got multiple quirks, including super strength, speed, and hyper regeneration. I don't know if it has any more though…"
The air was tense, as no one made a move while Midoriya talked. Each person was uncomfortably still, except for Gami, who moved closer in fear that his successor might collapse due to exhaustion.
"Kurogiri… he's got a portal quirk. His body doesn't seem solid, but I think parts of it are." He couldn't think of anything more for the misty man, so his thoughts moved onto the final villain. "And the blue haired one is Shigaraki. He has a five fingered decay quirk."
The blond hero looked back over to the student's mangled wrist, noticing how the tips of his undershirt were missing as well. He could vaguely see the wound, but definitely could tell the beginnings of an outline of a handprint. The next thought after that made his blood boil, but he couldn't lose his cool like this. He had to keep the students safe, and that meant taking down these villains as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"I managed to damage the Nomu's hands," the teen added, beginning to ramble out of the pure desire to be useful, "And it can't regene-"
"Midoriya, you can relax now," he interrupted him with a flash of a smile and a peace sign, "Fear not!"
The hero then rushed forward, his arms crossed over his chest. He aimed his powerful attack towards Shigaraki, moving at blinding speed. Even if he wasn't a fan of the number one hero now, he sure still remembered all of his signature moves.
"Carolina…" he began to call out.
He noticed Shigaraki mumble something, and with equally blinding speed, the Nomu zoomed over to place himself in the way of the attack just as All Might finished moving.
"SMASH!!"
To both his and All Might's surprise, the attack did absolutely nothing, with the Nomu looking completely unfazed. The monster lunged to try and restrain the pro, but he quickly ducked under and delivered a strong punch to its gut, to which had no effect either.
Shigaraki laughed as he watched the pro continue to try and fight his mutant, throwing punch after punch to no avail. No matter where he aimed, at the beast's brain, or face, or chest, nothing seemed to work.
"No effect. Because he's got shock absorption," he teased, standing perfectly still despite the two powerhouses trading blows in front of him, "If you really want to damage my Nomu, you'd be better off slowly ripping him apart piece by piece. Not that he'll give you that chance…"
But All Might wasn't fazed at the villain's taunting, keeping his signature smile displayed. "Thanks for the info!! Appreciate it!!"
He then moved directly behind the monster, and wrapped his two muscular arms around its midsection, almost like a gigantic bear hug. But the move certainly wasn't meant to be gentle, as the hero used his immense strength to haul the beast up and over himself, then headfirst into the ground.
The euphoria was short-lived however, as the Nomu's skull didn't crush against the dirt, but instead was sent through a familiar purple fog. Midoriya couldn't hold in his gasp as the mutant reappeared underneath the hero and dug its fingers into his sides.
One of which right into his weak spot.
All Might let out a faint exhale, blood leaking through his clenched teeth, but the Nomu wasn't unscathed either. Its hands were still fairly mangled, and having to use unprotected muscle so roughly surely wasn't beneficial to any pain receptors it had. The beast let out a small screech, though nothing compared to the damage the teen had done earlier, and whatever pain it was in wasn't stopping it from trying to hurt the pro.
The boy could only watch as All Might let go of the Nomu's waist and struggled to free himself, attempting to pry the monster's bloody fingers out of his flesh. But despite the hero's massive strength, the angle that he was positioned in was too detrimental to apply it.
He wanted to move and help, but Gami had a firm grip on his shoulder, trying to keep his jello legs rooted in place.
Shigaraki erupted into laughter once more at seeing the situation lean in his favor, and he couldn't help but run off at the mouth. "So you hoped to drive it into concrete and seal its movements? It wouldn't have worked. Nomu is just as powerful as you."
He then turned to Kurogiri, who's swirling body was writhing around All Might's restrained form. "Well done, Kurogiri. Perfect timing, really."
It was unnerving, to hear the villain compliment his partner so seamlessly in the middle of a murder attempt. They smiled like business partners just nailing a contract, their proud air suffocating for everyone else. Midoriya could feel himself choking on it, though he might have been choking on his fear as well. His brain spiraled in disbelief, hopelessly trying to understand where their pride was originating from. He felt so sick and confusing, and the cowardly wish of it all just going away if he closed his eyes popped into his head more than once.
"I can't say I much like the idea of having blood and guts inside my gate," the misty man responded, turning towards the entrapped hero, "but if they're yours, I'll happily oblige."
The Nomu began pulling downwards on All Might as Kurogiri's portal began to stretch to encompass the entire hero. Slowly but surely, his legs began to get sucked into the vortex, along with the Nomu tugging on his prone form. Midoriya didn't understand exactly what was going on, but regardless was horrified at the sight
"You see, it's Nomu's job to get around that blinding speed of yours and hold you down," Kurogiri joined in on the banter, to which the boy found a bit odd considering what he was able to pick up on his personality, "And it's my job to close the warp gate on you while your halfway through and immobilized…"
It was at that moment that the deathly duo realized just what direction this scenario was headed in.
"Thereby cutting you in two."
Midoriya felt his throat run dry at that prospect. This wasn't just some half assed attempt to kill the number one hero, this was thoroughly planned out, and on its way to completion. At their current rate, All Might wouldn't escape the trap in time, not by the way he was struggling. He needed to do something, he had to do something.
He might not have liked the man, but he surely didn't want him dead.
Gami could feel his successor's efforts to move, and his worry peaked once more. "You cannot. It is a miracle alone that those villains have left you unbothered so far."
"I can't just stand here," he whispered back hoarsely, holding back the train of coughs threatening to climb up his throat. He shook his mentor's bony grip off him and took a shaky step forward. His bones ached from inside of him and his stamina drained out like his blood loss. It was true. It was a miracle that he was still conscious right now, even despite his immortality, but that only meant he couldn't waste it. He could decay the Nomu's arms and free All Might, and if he could do that, then his morals wouldn't allow him to simply stand on the sidelines and watch the hero struggle alone.
He took another small step and watched the floor sway beneath his feet. He leaned into his scythe, now using it as a cane for his unstable form. His body was finally starting to run out of adrenaline, and was giving out on him. And though his movements were slight, they caught the attention of one person, who had been eerily fixated on him since the near start of the invasion.
Shigaraki moved his focus from the end of the number one hero to the green haired boy who had piqued his curiosity since he had entered the battlefield. His grin grew larger at watching his attempts to move. And when an opportunity presented itself, boy was he one to take it.
"Kurogiri." All he had to do was command the portal villain, who in turn turned his attention as well. The two villains were practically on the same wavelength, as the moment Midoriya looked up, all that met his vision was a rush of purple smog.
He gasped, and moved to raise his scythe defensively, but the moment it left the dirt, he felt his legs wobble. He couldn't lift it to protect himself without losing his balance, and there was no way he could force his body to move out of the way fast enough. Even if Gami could push him out of the way, he'd just be prone to another attempt.
The only thing he could think to do was raise his uninjured bare hand, hoping that maybe he could pull off that explosion from before in his other desperate time of need.
"Midoriya, kid!!" All Might exclaimed, watching the entire mess unfold before him but unable to do anything about it.
Just as the fog prepared to engulf him, a deafening explosion rang from in front of him, causing him to shield his eyes out of instinct. A bright yellow blast blinded the area around him, making Gami shrink back submissively. He knew for a fact this wasn't his work, as even if he was blind, he still didn't feel any blowback from the explosion. And though it was fairly easy to tell, a subsequent cry was all that was necessary to confirm it.
"Get… THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!"
He watched Bakugo launch himself and aim his grasp at the metal neck piece Kurogiri was wearing. With brutal force, the blond slammed him to the ground hard, unrelenting with his hand. The misty man was pressed into the dirt, with Bakugo's palm placed dangerously close to his head.
A cold chill swept over the battlefield, rushing by his feet. Sure enough, when the boy looked down, he noticed a thin trail of ice running right past him and towards the Nomu, freezing half of its body only moments later.
Kirishima then jumped from somewhere on the sidelines and took a swing at Shigaraki, to which the villain unfortunately dodged. The redhead barreled into the main crowd, which was now much more balanced than before.
Midoriya looked around in disbelief. Just a moment ago, he had been on his own, fighting an impossible battle simply to stall for time. He had been injured, worn down, and afraid, unsure of how much longer he could last.
But now, as his glance moved from person to person, he could feel the spark of hope ignite again in his chest. And though the situation hadn't gotten any less dangerous, being surrounded by the number one hero as well as his competent classmates kindled newfound adrenaline in his system.
All Might.
Bakugo.
Kirishima.
Todoroki.
If they were still up and kicking, then so should he.
The Nomu screeched in pain, which brought the teen out of his thoughts. The frost had spread further up its body, crackling against its skin. Its muscles spasmed as the beginnings of hypothermia started to set in, losing its grip into All Might's sides. The hero gave one last tug against the appendages in his flesh, and finally, he was able to pry himself free.
The pro retreated back a few feet, now standing in front of the group of students. Kirishima had moved towards Bakugo's crouching form, squatting into a defensive position to assist the blond just in case. Todoroki continued to send waves of ice from the base of his right foot, but turned to Midoriya anyway, despite being a couple steps away.
"Are you alright, Izuku?" he asked, scanning his eyes in search of injuries.
The boy tugged the remnants of his sleeve over his gruesome wrist wound, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. He was still leaning into his scythe, with a small puddle of blood by his feet. "I'm fine… but we've got bigger problems right now."
Just as he finished, Shigaraki slowly turned towards their group, sending a chill down his likely bruised spine. Something about the blue haired man simply terrified him, filling him with instinctive fear. But having his most capable peers around him was enough to push past his anxiety, putting up just as brave a facade as they were.
"You've pinned down our way out…" the villain mumbled, "Well, this is a problem."
Bakugo's sadistic grin grew a size wider at his quiet hesitation, as his hand tensely remained on Kurogiri's neck. "You slipped up, bastard! And it's just how I thought!"
Even Gami shied away as Bakugo's expression became even more feral, his eyes growing thin and smirk stretching larger than what he thought was possible.
"The parts you can turn into that foggy warp gate are limited," he explained aloud, almost as if he was showing off, "And you're using that misty crap to hide your real body, yeah?! Am I right?!"
The ghost turned to his successor, bringing a bony finger to where his chin would be. "I thought that was determined already?"
If the situation was different, Midoriya would have probably let out a loose chuckle at the thought of Gami passively insulting Bakugo. But now definitely wasn't the time. The Nomu had remained eerily still for the time being, and even though it was entrapped in ice, he couldn't forget its hyper regenerative abilities.
He hoped All Might hadn't either.
"If your whole body was mist and physical attacks didn't work…" Goodness, was Bakugo still going on about that? As much as he could acknowledge the blond's analytical prowess, now really wasn't the time and place to group dissect a quirk. "You'd never say, 'That was a close one'!!"
Something must have provoked the misty villain, or at the very least, he must have attempted to escape, because his body shifted slightly under Bakugo's watchful gaze. Said boy picked up on this immediately, and pressed his hand further into the metal neck piece. He turned to make eye contact, his threatening smile unwavered.
"Don't move!" he growled, getting up close and personal, "If I decide you're doing anything fishy, I'll blow you straight to kingdom come!"
Kirishima, who still stood beside him, glanced cheekily at his peer. "That's not very hero-like, dude…"
But Shigaraki had witnessed enough of the banter, starting to become annoyed. He looked over to his Nomu, who was still in Kurogiri's portal and still half frozen, but otherwise fine.
"Nomu, take out the explosive brat," he commanded sharply, not caring if everyone else overheard, "We need our escape route back."
The monster reacted instantly at its master's instruction, beginning to pull itself out of the open portal. The group watched in shock as the frozen parts of its body began to crumble and break, much to Todoroki's horror. It lost more of his right side as it progressively moved to stand up, with its entire right arm and leg breaking off completely. And yet, even with the missing limbs, the beast remained unaffected.
"Get back everyone!!" Midoriya couldn't help but warn as his classmates had no idea of the mutant's multiple quirks.
Collective gasps rang about the central plaza as strings of muscle began to wrap themselves around the Nomu's stumps, reforming themselves into limbs once more.
"What the-" the pro shouted in disbelief.
"Nomu's got hyper regeneration, remember?" Shigaraki questioned cynically, a knowing smirk across his cheeks, "Or were you not paying attention when the decay brat practically spoiled it?"
The villain's hair tussled with every prideful word, moving along with his ego. The boy shuffled uneasily at the call out, with Gami moving closer protectively. Unbeknownst to him, he had unwilling picked up the eyes of his classmates, who had now begun to put the pieces together concerning his injuries.
Shigaraki scoffed as his monster finished repairing its lost limbs, regaining a new, uninjured hand. "It is pretty unfortunate that our original plan didn't quite work out, but Nomu at least got one of its hands back now, thanks to that icy brat."
Shocked, the teen turned his focus to the Nomu's new hand, and sure enough, it was uninjured. It did make sense, but it did startle him nonetheless. It was a stark contrast, to see one hand look so perfectly new, while the other still retained its grotesque wounds.
Then, the Nomu charged forward, having finished healing its injuries. The male laughed at the perplexed expressions in front of him, finding their disbelief absolutely hilarious. "Nomu is a super-powered sandbag, designed to withstand everything you've got."
Midoriya knew that first hand, and it still absolutely terrified him.
Despite the ground still being torn up from his previous battle with the Nomu, it still moved ungodly fast, now with even less injury to slow it down. It zoomed towards the group, more specifically, right at Bakugo, who could only lift his head up and stare at the beast's unnerving blank expression. Gami watched his successor step forward instinctively, trying to do something, but at his near collapse, lunged his ghostly arms back under him to provide extra support.
While being immoblile was certainly detrimental in a situation like this, it certainly made the teen more observant. He had to be, if only to make up for his hindrance in combat. So when a yellow blur moved out of the corner of his eye, he immediately switched gears towards it, watching it throw himself between the raging beast and his fiery classmate.
So when Bakugo suddenly appeared beside him as the Nomu violently launched something into the dome wall behind them, he couldn't quite say he was surprised.
After all, this was the number one hero they were fighting alongside. He would never allow a student to be blatantly attacked like so on his watch.
Though, he registered the sight much before the shock of the punch, and was unprepared for the blast that came after, knocking his unstable body back to the ground. Todoroki and Kirishima managed to stay upright, but the trees around them swayed dangerously, threatening to fall over themselves.
The impact with the earth wasn't really that severe, but combined with the fact that Midoriya's body was covered in gashes and bruises, his likely broken ribs, and his overall drained stamina, he couldn't help but cry out in pain. He couldn't maintain his concentration anymore, and his weapon finally disappeared from his hand instinctively. He was able to catch his upper body with his hands, stopping his back from hitting the ground, but the impact to his mangled wrist sent another wave of shock and pain through his blood. He clenched his teeth to prevent another yelp from escaping his lips, the pressure of his jaw unfortunately causing a thicker trickle of blood to escape instead.
"Izuku!!" He heard the spirit yell out, finally bringing him out of his fuzzy conscience, but he could only groan in response, unable to bring himself to form words just yet.
His eyes fluttered open not a moment later, remembering just what kind of situation he was still in. His vision was dazed, but regardless he attempted to lift himself back to his feet, pushing for any more last bits of stamina. The dust from the blow finally began to clear, and that's when he noticed a hand reaching out in his direction, and not the skeletal one he was familiar with.
Todoroki stood above him, which was strange considering the boy was behind him just before the Nomu's punch. But nonetheless he was above him, leaning forward slightly and offering his hand out. His brain still foggy, it took him a moment to process the image in front of him, eyes blinking sporadically to try and register the sight quicker. He switched to autopilot when his head continued to sway, and reached out to take his hand. With their combined efforts, Midoriya was able to get back up on his feet, wobbling slightly, but otherwise alright. He brought his weapon back out again and leaned into it, stabling his form for the time being.
That was when his classmate had finally deemed him stable enough to let go.
That was also when the alien feeling of direct skin contact finally registered itself to Midoriya's muddy conscience.
The realization was enough to shatter him out of autopilot, snatching his already limp hand back with a jolt. He unconsciously cradled it, but not in any gentle way, untrusting of his fingers to remain at a distance he felt was safe. He quickly glanced over to make sure Todoroki's hand wasn't disintegrating, to which it thankfully wasn't, and allowed himself a sigh of relief. He could feel his heart still rapid firing out beats, and he worked desperately to calm it.
"Are you sure you are alright?" The two toned teen inquired again, making direct eye contact.
He shriveled under his gaze, but nodded anyway, wiping the drops of blood from his mouth. "Y...yeah, I'm good. Thanks for the help."
His friend sent him a curt nod, and then repositioned his attention towards what had been shot into the wall behind them, to which Midoriya followed as well.
All Might stood strongly amongst the rubble, his arms shielded protectively in front of his face. The arm in front sported a decently sized abrasion, and even from his distance, he could see the hero spit out a few more drops of blood.
Bakugo, who was still on the floor, could only bring himself to watch in shock, finally piecing together what just transpired. He wasn't the only one either, as the rest of the students seemed to realize that the hero had taken the hit to protect him.
Shigaraki too, quickly picked up on the transition, his expression morphing into an unrecognizable one from underneath the hand covering it. His eyes widened from in between the mummified fingers, pupils shrinking dangerously small. His shoulders started to twitch involuntarily as the breath in his lungs heaved.
Everyone switched focus at the villain's sudden burst of laughter, and stared anxiously as he doubled over heaving. The plaza was filled with the chilling echoes of his chuckling, so unfit for the current context.
"Anything to save a comrade, right?" he questioned the hero with a sneer, cocking his head cynically. The smirk of his face was audible at this point, evident by the hint of chipperness in his tone.
The villain then turned his eyes towards the crowd, again landing on Midoriya, who was struggling to remain upright. His smile dropped, remembering how perplexing the boy was earlier, before shaking himself out of his funk and pointing towards him.
"Just like earlier, when that one… the little decay brat." Said boy looked over shakily at the beginning of the unwanted spotlight, but Shigaraki didn't care at all. Gami moved forward threateningly, wishing desperately that he could be seen so he could scare the living shit out of the villain, who was starting to annoy him. The specter could feel the eyes around them curiously land on his successor, trying to decipher just what he was going on about. The situation as a whole really pissed the ghost off, and he hoped at the very least for his sanity, he'd never encounter these individuals again.
"He fought my Nomu with everything he had," Shigaraki almost teased, considering the amount of ghastly injuries he obtained from fighting with "everything he had". But the statement still made his classmates look over in shock. They hadn't realized how badly he was hurt in the midst of the chaos, nor that he got like that from fighting the very thing that had just sent All Might crashing into the wall behind them. "But violence in the name of saving others is admirable?"
He broke out into laughter again, becoming even more unhinged with each word. His calm facade from earlier was starting to crumble, revealing his swirling mess of a character inside.
"You know what, All Might? That pisses me off!!" he cried out to the crowd, becoming more animated with each word, "Heroes and villains both thrive on violence, and yet we're still categorized. 'You're good.' 'You're evil.' That's how it is!!"
The way Shigaraki passionately spoke, as if he truly believed he was in the right, Midoriya just couldn't wrap his foggy head around it. Maybe it was because of how exhausted he was, or maybe it finally was his blood loss getting to him, but it was getting harder and harder to process what exactly the villain was saying.
"Symbol of peace? HAH!! In the end, you're just a tool for violence made to keep us down," he rambled, feeling his fervor for the topic start to die off, "And violence only breeds more violence. I'll show the world that by killing you…"
All Might huffed, having walked back up to the group of students in the time he had been talking, "What a load of nonsense. Idealistic criminals have a different sort of fire in their eyes."
But the pro's criticism didn't seem to rock the villain in the slightest, as he just sneered in his direction, "But you're just enjoying yourself, you big liar."
That particular statement rang through the boy's head especially loud, making him shuffled uncomfortably, though the movement was easy to attribute to his shaky condition. He silently promised himself that once he made it out of this situation, he'd work towards fixing his perception of the number one hero. Because, quite frankly, even sharing a small inkling of opinion with someone who was the exact opposite of everything he was working to made him sick.
But as he looked around, his classmates thankfully didn't pick up on his hesitation. They were all too busy preparing for another rush or blatant attack from one of the three villains in front of them, to which Midoriya figured he should join in on, regardless of his condition.
"It's three on five," Todoroki announced, wrangling everyone's thoughts back into place, "We have the advantage."
He nodded at his friend, even if there was a sliver of hesitation hiding behind his determined smile.
"These are some brutal dudes, but with us supporting All Might, we can beat 'em back!!" Kirishima exclaimed, pumping everyone up.
But the hero disagreed, "No!! Get out of here!!"
But Todoroki only looked over blankly. "Things wouldn't have gone well if I hadn't stepped in."
The deathly duo swiveled their heads around, stunned at the teen's choice of words, but they couldn't help but agree. Midoriya in particular remembered the conversation Aizawa and Thirteen had just before the invasion. The space hero had raised three fingers when talking about All Might's time limit being up. He hadn't thought much of it then, but when combined with what he remembered the pro telling him under the overpass all that time ago, it was fair to assume All Might's 3 hour limit had run out just before the attack. He was trying to bluff off his incoming transformation.
The boy was the only one here who knew the true peril that the number one hero was in. And by god, if he could still move even a finger, then he would keep fighting, no matter what All Might said.
This was his first step towards change, and though in the past he probably wouldn't have even considered it, now he grasped it with open arms.
"Right you are Todoroki!! So thanks for that!!" He continued to play it off like nothing was wrong. "But fear not!! Sit back and watch a pro get serious!!"
But again, Shigaraki grew annoyed with the conversation. "Nomu, Kurogiri, take him. I'll handle the kids."
Then, the decay villain rushed towards the group, more specifically, the group of students. The look in his eyes swirled with pure insanity as his light blue hair whipped around in the momentum his running created.
"Let's clear the stage and go home!"
Kirishima, who was the closest out of the four, hardened his skin as everyone else lowered closer to the ground for extra stability in anticipation. "He's coming! Get ready guys!!"
Midoriya gripped his scythe like a staff, looking much more intimidating than before when he was hobbling against it. He wasn't sure how much he could do, or if he could even lift the blade off the ground without losing his balance, but he'd figure it out when it came to that. Right now, the fogginess in his head had been momentarily cleared, filling to the brim with two repetitive thoughts that he couldn't be more ready to hear.
Protect… and save.
Then, with everyone unprepared, All Might rushed the Nomu even faster than before, slamming his fist right into its own mangled one. The blow was more powerful than any of his yet, causing Shigaraki to retreat from his own attack, with the shock tussling around the teen's unruly, green hair.
"Nomu's got shock absorption." Shigaraki restated with a bit of annoyance, "You already saw it yourself."
But the hero only smiled wider. "That's right!!"
Like a brewing hurricane, both powerhouses' punches grew stronger and stronger, the dust around them kicking up until nothing could be seen. Neither they boy nor the ghost could hear anything over the deafening slams in front of them, and that seemed to be the same for the rest of the students, until All Might's echoing voice erupted from the chaos.
"It's shock absorption, not negation, so he must have a limit, no?!" he shouted over the cacophony of sounds exploding from around them, "Built to counter me, you say?! Made to withstand everything I've got?! Then I'll just have to go beyond that!!"
That's what made everything click. Midoriya was confused at first, wondering why the hero was choosing to engage in a head on assault against such a powerful adversary while tight on time. But what he revealed made perfectly logical sense. Absorption was just that, absorption, meaning it had a cap of its own. If All Might could deliver enough shock to the Nomu's body before it could distribute it evenly, in theory he could break through the absorption. He hadn't even considered that as a possibility simply due to its improbability, but this was All Might he was talking about. It had been foolish to dismiss the thought in the presence of the number one hero.
"A hero's always ready to smash through trouble!"
On the ground surrounding the two fighting, blood splattered occasionally, painting the earth with red. He couldn't be sure whose it was, or if it was a combination of both, but any of those options were plausible, as All Might was spitting up blood and the Nomu still had its injured hand. But quite honestly, the fact that he couldn't tell was arguably worse for his anxiety than just knowing in the first place.
"Tell me villain, do you know the meaning of…"
The hero paused for a split second, but it was long enough for the dust to clear partially. There, all of the observing parties could see him wind a fist behind his head, knee bent, aimed for the monster's midsection. A thick trail of blood escaped his clenched teeth as his ripped clothes fluttered in the wind, but that seemed not to faze him in the slightest.
And then, the second was over.
"PLUS ULTRA!!!"
He slammed his fist in an uppercut right into the chin of the beast, the blow so strong, it sent it flying straight upwards, crashing through the top of the glass dome. The explosion that came after was massive, with glass shards raining down from the sky. The group of students all shielded themselves from the debris, with Gami shielding his successor since the boy couldn't himself, even though the ghost's transparent body made no difference. Thankfully, the glass impaled an area a few feet away from the kids, so none of them were harmed.
Though, the tensity of the situation did nothing to deter the awe of the students watching.
"Like straight outta the comics," Kirishima could only gasp, "He just smashed his way past the absorption. The ultimate bruiser…"
"And against that power… the regeneration wasn't able to keep up with that barrage of attacks…" Todoroki added, though one could still pick up on the shock in his tone.
The smoke and dust finally started to clear, and there revealed All Might, battered and tussled, but standing confidently, a wide smile adorning his face. His clothes were completely ruined, blood and bruises covering his skin, and yet he still stood strong, an arm crossed over his chest.
"Well villain," his voice rang out so powerfully, it defied his very condition, "How about we hurry up and finish this?"
Shigaraki stared at him blankly for an awkward amount of time, before resorting back to scratching his neck even more furiously than ever before. Kurogiri swirled around him, almost in concern, trying to make him feel more reassured, but his efforts went completely unnoticed.
"Weakened? Not that I can see. We're clearly outmatched," he started rambling, switching thoughts sporadically, "How dare you do that to my Nomu. You cheated…!"
His scratching became even more heightened, swiping relentlessly at his neck like a dog with fleas. His persona seemed to be breaking down, at least, that's what Midoriya could tell. His plan had fallen apart, and he seemed to be falling apart with it. Was Shigaraki a meticulous planner, obsessive in a sense? But that wouldn't make sense compared to the childish act he had displayed before, further enforced by the constant game references.
He added analyzing Shigaraki's personality to his mental checklist of topics to turn his focus to after this mess was over.
"He's not weak at all!!" the decay villain cried out, "They… they lied to me!!"
Weak? That brought up another issue. All Might's weakening state was a secret that was heavy guarded, and it wasn't even the most sensitive information about him. As far as the boy could think in the moment, only the U.A staff and himself knew of his drained strength from his injury, maybe a few others that he was unaware of. And that wasn't even including his time limit, alternate form, and passable quirk. So how was it that these villains knew of the possibility that the number one hero might be weakened? And "they"? Did that imply that the villains had more than one informant that knew of All Might's status.
"Well?" the pro questioned, still not moving from his standstill spot, "Coming to get me?! What happened to clearing the stage…?"
He slowly moved his head lower, allowing the glint in his eyes to pierce through the new shadow on his face, the utter contrast absolutely terrifying.
"If you can take me on, then bring it on…"
The wave of intimidating aura rushed through the plaza, making Shigaraki shudder in fear. And quite honestly, Midoriya couldn't blame him. He'd be scared shitless if he found himself in that exact position, staring down the number one hero. Though, there was something bothering the teen about the dust that still hung in the air. It seemed off, consistency wise, different from the rest of the smoke, though hard to tell because of its constant movement. Bust as a small piece of the dust cloud swirled into a different spot, he could understand why it was bugging him so much. A strand of steam was coming off All Might's shoulder.
The hero was bluffing.
He was about to detransform, the steam from holding his body leaking out of his skin and mixing with the dust cloud. That explained why he wasn't moving. All Might was likely putting so much concentration into holding his hero form that even taking a single step would risk breaking it.
The teen took a shaky step forward, using his weapon to balance. Fear rushed through his veins in place of blood, as it seemed all of that had already left his body. He could feel his hand tremble against the blade's wood handle, his nails digging into the grain.
Gami seemed just as confused as the rest of the students, watching Midoriya advance even though the situation looked so defused. Kirishima tried to break through to the ghost's successor, but he seemed to be caught in a trance of his own thoughts, ignoring any cries he made.
"Well? What's keeping you?!" the hero called out again.
He was trying to stall for time. Iida was still on his way with reinforcements, and once those got here, All Might and the rest of the class would be in the clear. But now, with his form teetering in the balance, he could do nothing but stall, just as he himself had done before.
"If only we still had Nomu!! If only!!" Shigaraki continued going on about their failed plan, "He was taking those hits so well!"
But Kurogiri had other ideas, swirling around the blue haired man. "Calm yourself Shigaraki Tomura. It is apparent that the Nomu did manage to deal some real damage."
The misty man looked over towards the group of students, making uncomfortable eye contact with one green haired kid in particular, who was still debating on what exactly to do. None one was actually moving though, and that was just what Kurogiri wanted to see.
"The kids are holding back for some reason, and reinforcements from the school are bound to arrive in a few minutes," he reassured his partner, "But if the two of us double team him, we still have a chance…"
That seemed to perk up Shigaraki's mood, as he lifted his head from his hands. "Yes… yes, yes…"
He took a deep breath, the gasp of air even audible from Midoriya's distance. He slowly removed his fingers from his rubbed raw neck, looking up from his slight nod, between the spaces of the hand on his face.
"Right, right, right... We can do this. The final boss is standing right there…" he heaved.
Midoriya remained in the same spot he had been in for the past few moments, idly staring at the two parties. His legs were just as unstable as they were before, and yet, he found himself flooded with the immense urge to take another step. The staredown occurring right before his eyes remained as tense as ever, and though he couldn't make out what the villains were saying, it still filled him with an intense fear. Neither party had made a move yet, and he wasn't sure whether to intervene before or after they did, or if to intervene at all. But his morals wouldn't allow him to standby and do nothing, especially knowing that he could help in some way.
The students behind him however, didn't exactly feel the same way. The three boys began to walk off, with Bakugo first, and Kirishima following after him. He remarked something about All Might being able to handle the rest of the villains and going to help the other students, to which he would agree if the situation were different, but his knowledge plagued him like a curse.
Todoroki however, hesitated, looking back towards Midoriya's still form. He wasn't sure whether to follow the others or stay behind with the person he felt closest with, torn on where to go. He looked towards his friend, candy cane hair whipping around his eyes.
Then, both Shigaraki and Kurogiri lunged for All Might, the pro not moving in the slightest. From outside eyes, it would simply be seen as an intimidation tactic, or a display of the hero's confidence, but the teen knew the truth. His smile may be plastered onto his face, but underneath that, there must be a hurricane of emotions hidden. The hero had come just in the nick of time for the boy, just as he was losing hope for salvation. Right as he had run out of options, on his knees, staring down the Nomu only steps away, All Might had come and whisked him back up to his feet. He had saved him, whether the petty part of his conscience wanted to come to terms with that or not.
And he wasn't aiming to become a hero for returns, not at all. He didn't want to become an inspiration solely off of returning favors. That's not what a hero represented to him.
Someone was in trouble.
He took a shaky step forward, but at the pace he was going, he'd never make it in time. His legs just couldn't match his heart.
But if someone was in trouble, then he would save them. Not out of obligation, not out of returning the favor, but because he could. That was his moral.
His veins were surged with the desire to move, adrenaline coursing through them, and yet never making it to his bones. It could have been fear or desperation as well, but whatever it was screamed at him to move.
As long as he could still move, he could help.
His deadweight body screamed at him to move.
His conscience screamed at him to move.
His soul screamed at him to move.
Move goddamnit!! MOVE!!!
"Izuku?"
Suddenly, Midoriya felt himself launch into the air, his hair flipping wildly around him. The echoes of an explosion rang about in his ears, and the tips of his fingers, of which his entire arms were stretched behind him, tingled like they'd been too close to a fire. He soared through the air at breakneck speed, rapidly closing the distance between him and the other two parties. He could barely hear his classmates call out his name behind him in shock, as well as his mentor, who he had unintentionally left in the dust, but ignored it to focus on the task at has. He moved out one of his bare hands from behind him, spreading his fingers wide. He wasn't exactly sure where Kurogiri's real body was among the mist, but he would figure it out once he got there. His hands still trembled from the dual blast of DT, but that didn't matter as he was ready to let loose another surge.
He could feel his soul burning with a new fire, something that reflected through his irises. His body may be at its last straw, but as long as he could still move, he could help.
"GET AWAY FROM ALL MIGHT!!"
The purple mist swirled in front of him, revealing the man's metal neck piece. The boy shifted his aim for that, since he had witnessed Bakugo hold Kurogiri down by that very object earlier, confirming its solidity. But of course, the villain's intention was not to give him an easier shot at his body, as soon his fog blended to open a new portal, to which Shigaraki's hand appeared from. So he switched his aim for that instead, prepared to duel the decay villain with his own disintegration.
"If you're going to keep getting in my way," he screeched, "Then I'll just target you instead!!"
So he bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes. How would this go? He had no idea. Would it be painful? Probably.
But as long as he could still move, he could help.
But just as he was close enough to note the villain's chipped fingernails, a distance so chilling yet unable to truly process through his momentary adrenaline rush, a flash of metal shot right by his eyes. It sunk into Shigaraki's skin as if it were water, blood splattering so close he could make out the glints of light reflected on it. He could make out its rounded shape, and paled at the realization.
It was a bullet.
It made his stomach queasy, thinking something like that whizzed so close to his face. And yet, it hit its mark so precisely, without a moment of hesitation. There was only one person he could think of that would be able to pull that off, one specific sharp shooting hero.
"Sorry everyone."
Multiple more shots rang about the USJ building, just as Shigaraki's eyes widened, the pain of being shot finally setting in. No longer needing to aim for the villain, Midoriya allowed his body to finish its course through the air, tumbling to a stop only a bit away from the number one hero. The rough landing made him cry out in pain again, his body finally sick of being thrown around, but it was drowned out by the heavy gun fire, only able to be heard by All Might and the two villains in proximity.
"We're a little late."
"A little" was an understatement. He wasn't sure what Aizawa was thinking, or even if the man was still conscious, but he was sure he wouldn't let the rodent principal ever live this down. Still, despite how long awaited Nezu was, he couldn't help but feel glad at hearing his uncomfortably chipper voice.
"We brought everyone we could," the principal finished.
That must have been why they were so late, busy gathering forces to be extra prepared upon arrival, but the teen couldn't even lift his head to check. His body had finally run out of power, the battery dead and basically leaking. His crumpled form lay against the hard earth, and he could feel his wet blood pool under him. He wasn't even sure where it was coming out of at this point, but he didn't bother to check, instead focusing on properly breathing.
"President of Class 1-A, Iida Tenya…" He trembled lightly at the call, convincing himself it was out of relief, and not any other reason. Iida had done it. He had saved everyone, just in time. If he had the energy, this would have been the point where his tear ducts burst.
He really was the best choice for class president.
"Reporting for duty!!"
Kurogiri looked at his partner, before beginning to morph into a portal. He swirled with anticipation, both literally and figuratively, waiting for the man to step inside, but his eyes seemed fixated forward, hands returning to his raw neck.
"The heroes are here," the misty man clarified, "We can try again another time, Tomura."
But Shigaraki didn't look at all fazed by his comrade's words, instead glancing up, accidentally making eye contact with the prone student in between him and All Might. But just seeing him filled the villain with an unnatural amount of rage. His entire plan, his Nomu, everything he had worked for, it was all undone by the kid in front of him. How… how was that even possible?
"No."
His fingernails clawed at the skin in his neck, making it more red than it already was.
"I'm not quitting the game empty handed like this," he mumbled, his fingers beginning to twitch uncontrollably, "I'm not going back to Sensei without any loot."
He settled again on the green haired brat, who still remained practically unmoving on the ground. Bullets rained down on his own form, but Kurogiri shielded most of them from hitting him using his mist, allowing him a bit more time to think. He watched him struggle to push himself up, leaning on his elbows for support, but his efforts were to no avail.
Shigaraki was a man of opportunity, and besides, he was sure Sensei would be just as interested in him as he was.
Midoriya felt he could take his focus away from the battlefield to worry about his breaking down body. His bones were giving out on him, unable to support his weight any longer. After attempting and failing to prop himself up, he raised his head, if only to see if someone could help him.
His blood ran cold at seeing Shigaraki lunging for him instead.
He couldn't move, rooted to his spot out of exhaustion and now fear. He couldn't do anything. The smoke around him from All Might's detransformation was billowing in plumes, hiding him from his classmates, the heroes, even his own mentor. Their eyes met, his piercing irises filled with the duality of burning rage and cold indifference, but he couldn't do anything but stare helplessly, not even having enough time to cry out for help.
But just as quickly as he had come, the villain was suddenly pulled back, against his will as he struggled to stay rooted to his spot. He desperately clawed at the ground to try and solidify his grip, but it wasn't enough as he was forcefully pulled backwards, away from the prone teen. Shigaraki looked around, and so did Midoriya, both unsure of what was going on, but against the thick plumes of smoke, they could see nothing.
"What's going on?!" he screeched, now being sucked into the portal Kurogiri made and furiously trying to hold out.
A cry erupted from away from the plaza, and all parties looked to find its source, to which a figure could be seen laying down at the edge of the stairs.
"It's me!!" Thirteen cried out once again, their beaten body collapsed at the top of the stairs, their quirk active and growing stronger by the second.
The space hero's black hole quirk continued to pull Shigaraki deeper and deeper into his own portal, as the villain's grip started to fail.
"I may have failed here, symbol of peace." He was desperately trying to get his last words out before he was enveloped by the fog. "But the next time we meet…"
Now, only his face, revealing a wrinkled and cracked visage, was visible in the purple mist, even the hand he was using to hold on had been sucked in. But none of that stopped his efforts, pure determination fueling his strength to hold out.
"You're dead, All Might."
And with that, the portal closed, taking Shigaraki with it.
Just like that, everything was over.
Gami rushed over, kneeling down by his successor's fallen form. The ghost was worried sick, and it didn't help that he had trouble keeping up with the boy in battle. He couldn't do much in the first place, but to the man, it was made all the worse if he couldn't even stand beside him in his times of need.
When he approached Midoriya, he paled at his condition. The poor child had really overexerted himself, and he paid dearly for it. While he had no major outward injuries that the spirit could see, a small pool of blood was stretching out from under him, coming from the gruesome wound on his arm. His back heaved unevenly from his attempts at breathing, and his limbs twitched sporadically, almost disconnected from the rest of his body. There was no way Gami could even think about moving him, not in a condition like that. It was too risky, and even with the teen's immortality, he likely only put him through more pain.
So he settled for his only option at comfort, slowly running his hand through his messy locks, now covered in dirt and dust.
The boy managed to get his head off the ground, just so he could look up at his surroundings. The smoke was finally starting to clear, and he noticed All Might's silhouette standing in the exact same spot, not having taken a single step. Steam still rushed from his body, but with his vision already hazy, he couldn't tell if the hero had transformed back yet. He squinted hard, hoping to clear up the fuzziness in his eyes
"If you hadn't given me those few seconds…" A strong voice called out amongst the chaos and smoke, once that Midoriya's foggy brain could barely place, "I'd be dead."
Then, All Might's figure walked towards him, the close in distance allowing him to see that the hero was partially detransfromed, half of his body reverting back to his skinny self. The pro was battered: his hair thrown about in a mess, his arms hanging limply at his sides, his outfit completely ruined beyond repair. And yet, he somehow found the energy to face in his direction and speak to him as if he were still in his prime.
"You saved me."
He couldn't help the small tears that followed after hearing that, the reassurance hitting his heart like a truck. Maybe he still did value the number one hero's opinion as highly as he did in the past, but either way, that wasn't what brought him to tears.
Despite the battle taking a massive physical toll on his body, that wasn't the only thing that had gotten to him. His self confidence had also taken a hit, whether his pride wanted to admit he was that easily affected or not. It was hard enough dealing with his own self doubt each day, but his poor esteem was only fueled by Shigaraki's comments, and while he would never admit that out loud, Gami already knew it was true.
So, just hearing that he managed to save someone, that he was able to do the one thing his heart longed for, it made him realize this path wasn't in vain. His attempts at heroism weren't some silly dream that could be crushed so easily. He could do this.
His pained expression morphed into a smile, his cheeks mixed with blood and the light dusting of teardrops.
He could do this.
"Midori? You alright?!" Kirishima suddenly called from the other side of the plaza.
He tried to respond back, but his voice had given up on his much like the rest of his body. He couldn't actually see his classmate, but was able to hear him running in his direction. It sounded like there were actually two sets of footsteps, but he wasn't sure in his muddied conscience.
Then, a giant cement wall rose from the earth, right behind All Might's now detransformed self, shielding both of them from view.
That's right. His classmates couldn't see the hero like this, or his secret would be exposed. All Might's secret form had slipped from his shaky mind. Honestly, he could admit that the only thing on his mind at the moment was seeing if someone could help him off the ground. His clothes were damp and heavy, and every bone in his body ached uncomfortably. But despite the pain, he was having trouble focusing on any one thing in particular.
"We need to make sure all you students are safe, so head over to the gate." That was Cementoss's voice, evident by its rough and powerful echo. Though, the realization should have been obvious as seen by the large cement wall. "Don't worry, Kirishima, Todoroki… I'll deal with the wounded."
Kirishima he understood, but Todoroki? Then that second set of footsteps wasn't just a hallucination at all. He wanted to call out to them both, and let them know he was alright, but he just couldn't find the air in his lungs to do so. He let his head collapse against the earth again, not having any more energy to hold it up.
"Makes sense! Roger that!!" his redhead classmate called out, and his footsteps faded away into the opposite direction. He also managed to catch a slight hum of confirmation from Todoroki, but he couldn't be sure if he actually heard it or if it was just his head messing with him. He was pretty sure the second set of footsteps walked away as well, but the sounds entering his ears didn't seem right.
"Thanks… that was close, Cementoss," All Might answered as he slumped over into a sitting position, but his voice sounded off. His tone was slurred and warped, and made his head feel like it was spinning. Midoriya just couldn't focus on it, or anything for that matter, as his head rested against the cool dirt. His eyelids fluttered dangerously, but he couldn't do anything to stop them. He just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.
The teen could just barely make out his mentor's concerning cries from above him, but his throat was too hoarse to reply. His senses were dotted with blank spots, fading in and out like an old radio. He just felt so tired, figuring he could afford to shut his heavy eyes for just a split second.
So he did.
And the world went black.
Students began piling out of the USJ building after the heroes and police arrived. All of the villains, besides the two that had escaped, were quickly wrangled up and restrained by both forces. Police walked in and out of the building frequently, moving past the teens corralled at the entrance. Most of the heroes were out by the entrance as well, having served their purpose of battling the villains into submission, and left their arrest to the work of police. Some remained inside, however, but that was mostly to clear up major pieces of debris and safety hazards.
Nezu stood unimpressively in front of his staff, next to police detective Tsukauchi and his partner, a police officer with a cat head and paws. The detective had his head buried in a notebook as his partner counted out the students.
"17, 18, 19…" The officer paused, moving his pointed paw back over the group of kids, "Tsukauchi, we're missing one."
Said detective looked up from his notepad, clicking his pen closed. "There's one student still inside with All Might, Sansa."
The cat man nodded. "Then with that, everyone is accounted for."
Both turned back to the group of students, all huddled together protectively, whether they realized it or not. Surviving such a traumatic deal was definitely impressive, as well as coming out unscathed, especially as first years. Even his fellow officers had a bit of difficulty restraining the numerous villains in the building, and that was even after the heroes had subdued them. To face a group of adversaries like that head on and hold your own, Sansa definitely held respect for them.
"Ojiro… looks like it was into the fire for you this time," Hagakure, the invisible girl, cheered, her gloves bobbing up and down, "And all alone…? Nice going!"
"I thought everyone was alone… I only survived through hit and run tactics…" Ojiro grimaced, thinking back to his experience, "Where were you, Hagakure?"
She pointed towards Todoroki, who was facing away from her with a blank stare. "The landslide area! That Todoroki's crazy strong!"
Sansa noted their interaction for the future, reminding himself that they still needed to sit down with all the students to record their experiences and note anything worthwhile about the villains. The officer turned to another small pod of students, listening in to their conversation as well.
"As far as my location…" Aoyama flashed, his eyelids fluttering dramatically, "Anyone have an idea?!"
The students around him gave him strange, uninviting looks, as they continued to talk amongst themselves.
Tokoyami turned towards the others he was with, his companion floating beside him, occasionally shifting around. "Guess those lowlifes were spread out, waiting for us."
Kirishima pounded his knuckles together, his face adorning a scowl. "Looking down on us cause we're kids."
Aoyama continued in his pursuit of self centered conversation, turned towards Mineta and Asui instead. "Where do you think I was?!"
Mineta gave into his inquiry, probing him for more. "Where?"
With that, the flamboyant boy spun around dramatically, hiding his head with one of his arms. "It's a secret!"
Sansa chuckled at the students' antics, surprised at how easy they were able to revert back to their personalities before the attack. They were truly a promising young batch of heroes, the balance of both seriousness and lightheartedness difficult to find in modern day. But his partner was not enjoying the situation nearly as much as he was, calming the students into silence.
"We're gonna get you kids back to the classroom for now," Tsukauchi explained, "This is no time to take your statements."
But before he could continue, the frog girl approached him hesitantly, her usual blank expression furrowed into one of anxiety.
"Detective," she asked, her voice unusually meek, "What about Aizawa-sensei?"
He frowned unconsciously at the question, knowing it was likely to come up eventually. He sighed, stuffing his notepad into one of his many jacket pockets and pulling out his cell phone instead.
"Both arms were smashed to splinters, and his face is also fractured," he relayed with a heavy heart, "Thankfully he doesn't have any brain damage."
The rest of the class keyed in as the policeman began to speak, paying close attention to his every word.
"But his eye sockets have been pulverized. There's a chance he may suffer long term vision loss," he added glumly, "Or so I hear."
A wide array of concerned shouts and gasp rang about the crowd, with Asui and Mineta looking the most overwhelmed. The boy had his hands laced together with worry, and the girl simply stood with an uncomfortably aghast look painted on her face. She croaked out a small ribbit, but it shook unevenly out of her throat.
The detective tried to lift their mood with some better news. "Thirteen has terrible lacerations across their back and upper arms, but their life isn't in danger. All Might's injuries aren't life threatening either. Recovery Girl's healing should be enough for him, so he was just sent to the nurse's office."
But that did little to ease the students' worries, as a few paced around nervously. Iida was one of those few, with very much on his mind, Uraraka stood next to him, attempting to calm him down, when she suddenly jolted towards Tsukauchi.
"What about Midori?" she cried out, alerting Iida of his same worries.
"Please, what of Midoriya?" he agreed with concern.
Asui also looked up at that, glancing over to the detective and waiting for a response. But the man's first reaction was to furrow his eyebrows, which already wasn't the best sign.
"I'm not sure, really…" he admitted to the dismay of the students asking, "I think he is still inside the building though-"
Before he could finish his thought, two other officers emerged from the USJ building, each wearing rushed expressions. Their movements were quick and with purpose, as if they had no time to waste. Both hurried towards Tsukauchi, with one of them calling out before they arrived.
"Sir!" one of the men yelled, "We need a bus!"
Most of the students had their attentions' drawn at the loud cry, but very few understood what it actually meant. The adults present, however, snapped their eyes over, knowing exactly what they were referring to. Nezu instantly pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing quicker than anyone else could.
"I'll get one to Recovery Girl here right now," he informed calmly, despite the urgency evident in the other two offficers. Tsukauchi looked over to him and nodded subtly, encouraging the rodent to continue.
Then, just as the officers reached the detective, someone else came running out of the building entrance. It was fairly easy to tell that the person was Present Mic, by his usual eye catching hair and signature hero outfit. But his face didn't display the cheeky smile it always had, instead his lips curved into a wince. His actions were snappy and sudden, which was usual of the spontaneous hero, but something was off about them, seeming more out of uncertainty than his typical randomness. He was carrying something in his arms, clutching it tightly, but at the distance he was at, no one could really make out what it was.
Of course, the pro quickly got closer, and everyone paled at the sight.
In his arms, was a limp and curled Midoriya, unmoving and drained of all his color. His eyes were skewed shut, and his chest heaved unevenly in a desperate attempt to fill with air. His clothes were torn and dirtied, a large portion of his shirt stained with the disgusting hue of blood. The boy's arms were placed in his lap, and only a piece of the grisly wound on one was visible. A small trail of caked blood was evident leaking from his mouth, painting his battered face along with the scratches.
Yamada didn't stop rushing for anyone, despite hearing the gasps and cries at the student he was holding. He knew that the teen was still alive, even without looking at his barely moving chest, as both Aizawa and Nezu had informed him about his hidden power set. But that did nothing to quell his consuming fear at seeing him so lifeless. His heart already began turning cold when he first laid eyes on his partner's broken body, he wasn't prepared to take another blow.
The boy's skin was so cold, so he clutched him closer, if only to share his own warmth.
Someone called out to him, but he didn't care at all. The ambulance had arrived as he made his way out of the USJ building, meaning he didn't have to wait for anything. He dashed over to the vehicle, as Recovery Girl herself opened the back doors and allowed the hero access to the stretcher. He hoped on without a moment of hesitation, the doors slamming behind him, and not a second later, the ambulance hit the gas, another person likely driving.
If the situation had been different, maybe one of the heroes would have commented about how that was a beautifully executed display of how to swiftly and properly escort injured civilians to medical care. Maybe someone else would have laughed and wished the building's cameras were recording it to use as an example for the students in the future. Maybe someone else would have suggested that Yamada himself reenact it for the students on the lecture hall stage.
But the situation wasn't like that, and no one could even bring themselves to move after witnessing that.
"I didn't know he was injured that bad…" Kirishima was the first one to speak, yet his words came out the same way everyone was feeling. "Yeah, he was shaky, but…"
He couldn't find it in him to even finish the thought, the words falling limp on his tongue. Uraraka and Iida looked mortified, with the class president looking especially broken. Mineta looked horrified, and Todoroki and even Bakugo's usually stone faced expressions crumbled for a second. But Asui just looked guilty, like she blamed herself for the condition of her classmate.
Tsukauchi was definitely unprepared for that sight, unaware of his condition at all until this point. He promptly shoved his phone back into his and turned to Nezu.
"Principal, I'd like to go over the school with a fine toothed comb in the future, but as of now, I'm heading to Recovery Girl's office to check up on Midoriya," he stated firmly, allowing no room for argument, "Sansa, I'll leave the rest to you."
The cat man nodded sharply and saluted, and as the detective began to leave, the principal moved along with him.
"I am coming as well, so we can talk along the way if you'd like," the rodent informed, with a bit of unusual snippiness, "I trust in my staff to handle the rest."
And with that, the two left the scene quickly, leaving the rest of the heroes and police to corral up the students and villains and send them off where they needed to be. But any semblance of a returning mood had rapidly been killed, with everyone just trying to sort out their shock and dismay. It was a solemn scene to any that looked in on it, seemingly drained of all life and movement, despite police bustling about.
Even so, no one was nearly as worried as one ghost in particular, who's presence remained unknown to all there, the only one that could see him being incapacitated. He had floated off with Present Mic and the ambulance earlier, having squeezed his transparent form into the vehicle with them. And even though he was deathly worried for his successor, a part of him was glad that he couldn't be seen by anyone.
Gami really wanted to keep his look of pure guilt at his failures to himself.