Central Tower,
Reception Hall
With a click, the metallic binds coiled around the Pros fell loose, releasing them from the confinement.
The Heroes pounced on the nearest Wolfram's underlings remaining here before they could panic and start firing indiscriminately.
On the platform, All Might stood up, barely able to hold himself from reverting to his weak form. Mist was rising off all over his body. The only thing that was keeping his muscle form intact was a thought — his students needed his help!
Good job, everyone! All Might praised them in his mind, rushing out of the Reception Hall and going up the tower. Now, just wait for me…
Suddenly, he received a call.
Melissa?! All Might noticed the name, worry settling over his heart. "What's wrong, Melissa?" he asked as he heard her sobbing from the other side.
"Uncle Might!" Melissa cried. "Papa has been taken by Villains, and Midoriya has gone after them. They are on the roof… There's a chopper… Please… you must…"
"It's fine!" All Might said, his face gaining a hard look. The mist rising off his body suddenly halted as he gritted his teeth and let out a smile. "I will go!"
…
Roof,
Wind blasted across their faces as Wolfram, carrying David over his shoulder and the suitcase in his other hand, walked up to the helicopter parked at the helipad.
Behind him, the fake underling, with his hands in his pockets, followed him casually, his eyes shifting between the suitcase and the bleeding doctor now and then.
"Start it up!" Wolfram shouted at the pilot. "We are leaving!!"
On Wolfram's shoulder, David let out a painful grunt. "Kill me…" he said, remembering the look of betrayal he had seen on Melissa's face.
"Now, now," the man behind Wolfram said, picking up pace to approach David. "Don't be so glum, doctor. You are one of us, now."
David gritted his teeth to look up. "I will… never be…"
Wolfram scoffed. "Did you really think you were playing the Hero?" he asked, mentioning the entire hiring of fake Villains to steal the device. "It doesn't matter what your intentions were. This is not how the world works, doctor. Now that you have stained your hands with dirty work, whether it was fake or real, you are already a criminal in the world's eyes."
"Don't worry, though," the other Villain said, holding an amusement in his voice. "Even if you can't be a Scientist or continue your research publicly, we will give you plenty of opportunities to… act like the Villain you are."
"Haha…" Wolfram laughed. "Well said. Opportunities like mass-producing these devices for us…"
"Never!" David hissed.
"That might not be up to you…" Wolfram began, but stopped, hearing steps behind him.
Midoriya had arrived at the roof, his eyes going wide as he saw Wolfram, with Melissa's dad, standing next to the chopper.
"Let him go!" Midoriya shouted before throwing himself forward.
"Came here to save a criminal?!" Wolfram laughed, putting his hand on the floor.
Learning from experience, and given the wide space on the roof, Midoriya effortlessly dodged the incoming pillars of metal.
"Stop," the Villain with the mask said, putting a gun against David's head. "Or will I blast his brains out…"
Gasping, Midoriya came to a sudden halt.
"How convenient!" Wolfram grinned. "We didn't even do much, and you have already given up…"
Two pillars of metal slammed into Midoriya from either side before another hit him from the front, sending him flying.
Tasting blood in his mouth, Midoriya lifted his gaze and, to his horror, found the chopper lifting, with Wolfram towering over David's body inside.
Gripped by a daring feeling, Midoriya blurred and jumped toward the chopper, grabbing the chopper's foothold.
Below him, on the roof, Melissa had arrived after rebooting the Security System as well.
"You really are a Hero, huh…" Wolfram said, looking down at a struggling Midoriya. Then, he aimed his gun at the kid's head. "Hate your kind…"
However, just before he could fire, David, lying next to Wolfram's feet, kicked him.
A bang resounded as the bullet hit the Full Gauntlet on Midoriya's right hand, throwing him off the chopper.
No! Midoriya fell, his eyes going blurry. From behind, Melissa's scream entered his ears, his heart thumping against his chest. What to do… What to do… I… don't want to… give up!
Then, with a loud crash, Midoriya struck the roof, the chopper becoming a dot in the sky.
"Give him back!" Midoriya cried. "Give him back! Dammit!!"
"This is the time to smile…" a voice echoed on the tower, seeping into the seams of space. "… Young Midoriya."
With a single jump, All Might crossed hundreds of floors of Central Tower from the outside, leaving behind a storm of dust in his wake.
In an instant, he crossed hundreds of meters of distance and towered above the chopper.
"It's fine now! Why?!" All Might roared, grinning against the black sky. "Because I am here!!"
…
Storage Vault,
Luke looked at Dr. Sam, who had all but died, with a bullet lodged in the side of his brain.
He didn't say, but the appearance of that fake underling was weighing him immensely now.
Luke had deactivated the drones before they could bind the students. So, they would be going to the roof as well.
He had planned to put up a show as All Might and Midoriya fought against Wolfram, hoping to fully digest Magician Potion. But, if he got late in reaching there, then this sweet opportunity would be lost… and for what?
Not to mention, there was no saying who that Villain behind Wolfram was and what he was capable of, either.
Luke remembered the students… friends… If someone he really cared about ended up getting injured, once again, or worse…
No. Luke shook his head. He couldn't afford…
Pop*Step fell, her knees striking the floor.
She looked at Dr. Blessed with a blurry eye, holding his pants.
"Please. Leader… All the promises. Saving the world… What would it matter if we let someone die right in front of our eyes?!" she begged, bawling, her nails digging into Luke's legs. "This is… This is what we fight for…"
Luke closed his eyes.
Out of nowhere, Momo's face flashed by his eyes, smiling at her.
"Sigh!" Dr. Blessed took out pieces of paper, folding them into scissors and surgical knives. "Pull him out…"
"Huh?" Pop*Step looked at him, stunned, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Come on!" Dr. Blessed said, hardening the folded papers. "We need to take out the bullet first…"
******************
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