Chapter 14: Fighting on Empty
Throughout the various zones the different class 1A students fought. Facing off against the numerous thugs and low level villains just like the halfa had feared. But they were far from helpless or at the very least unwilling to give up.
At the far end of the fake mountain range Todoroki froze any and all villains who so much as dared to come close.
With a determined look the teen walked. Fixated on two things; getting information and getting to the central plaza. He already had some understanding of what was happening. Fenton's words repeatedly running through his head. But he needed more and he wouldn't stop till he got it.
So as yet another thug tried to lunge at him. In an instant the man was locked in place, covered in a thick layer of ice. But Todoroki didn't just stop as he let out a frosty breath. His gaze unwavering from the villains.
"You know," he said evenly, "if you stay like this, your cells will die. Frostbite, hypothermia… a slow end. But I want to be a hero, so I'd rather avoid any unnecessary cruelty."
His words were calm, but his actions betrayed the clear threat. Todoroki raised a hand, the chill radiating just inches from the man's exposed skin.
The villain's eyes went wide. Visibly quivering before rushing to answer. "I..I don't know much! Nobody told me the details, but… I heard something. Something about a living weapon."
"A living weapon?" Todoroki repeated to himself, eyes narrowing.
"Yes! They said it has the power to take down All Might. But that's all I know, I swear!"
For a long moment, Todoroki studied him, testing for any hint of deceit. Calculating, threatening to see if there was anything more.
"P..please," The thug whimpered, on the verge of tears.
So, seemingly satisfied, the teen made quick work of freeing the villain. Who fell to the ground. Not evening daring to try and attack. Even as the icy teen turned without a second glance and began once again steadily walking down the mountain.
Directly towards where he knew the main villains and this supposed 'living weapon' would be.
Line Break -
"Well isn't this just fun? Tell me. How do you like my Nomu, Eraser Head? Assuming you're still alive!" Shigaraki's laugh rasped through his throat, muffled behind the gray, wrinkled hand covering his face. But the malice in his voice was unmistakable.
Luckily the Nomu had finally stopped in its repeated and seamlessly endless torture of the now bloody, unresponsive hero beneath. A fact that silently brought some sense of false hope to Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta who watched from the pool's edge. But of course nothing could last forever. Not even a few sickening seconds of relief.
"But, just to be safe," Shigaraki said darkly, "let's make sure you can't restart this level."
At the unspoken command the Nomu raised up its arms higher than ever before, fists curled. A killing blow with no possible way of surviving.
"A true game over for a false hero."
Midoriya's body screamed at him to move. The terror that had locked his limbs in place, finally being overshadowed. As the Nomu's fists began to fall. One for All finally surging through him, sparking along his arms and legs.
'I have to save him!'
But before the green haired teen's energy could even fully build up. So he could leap forward, out of the water. To somehow try and beat every single odd, that he knew was stacked against him.
The Nomu froze. Neon green energy erupting over its massive body. Locking it in place.
"What?!" Shigaraki snapped.
Midoriya halted mid-motion. Instantly recognizing that glow. They all did. As they slowly looked to where their class rep's unconscious body had previously laid.
Only there was no longer just the small, limp body of their classmate on the broken ground. Instead he now stood. One arm raised. Hand set a blaze with green energy. Eyes burning into the Nomu.
"Thank God… he's okay," Mineta whimpered.
Relief was flooding all three of their minds. But their fear was far from washed over. Because even at a glance all of them could tell that Fenton wasn't looking so good. From his stance, to his tousled white hair, and the dirt that clung to his previously pristine costume. He almost looked like the only thing holding him up was his own willpower.
Yet strangely he somehow didn't seem hurt. At least not as much as he reasonably should be, the analytical part of Midoriya's mind thought. Even the teens' face lacked any sort of mark or bruising that definitely should've been there.
"Aah! You again!" Shigaraki yelled, hands twitching. As if they wanted to close around something. "You know, you're really starting to get on my nerves!"
"...Really?" The halfa's response was slightly delayed and strained. "Cause I could say the same exact thing." But it didn't lack its usual attitude even if it held more bite than humor.
But between the white haired teens' response and the fact that he didn't even spare a glance at the already outraged villain. Seemed to finally make the hand-covered man fully snap. Like a child throwing a temper tantrum.
"That's it! You want to play hero? Fine. Nomu, kill him!"
At the command the encased Nomu who had been still trying to complete its previous order. Changed in its single minded pursuit. From still attempting to swing down its fists to instead using its whole body to try and break free. Its head now turned towards where the half ghost stood.
"Oh no," Mineta whimpered. "That things' going after him again."
"But that move. Don't you remember him using it before? He's holding that villain in place." Asui said, seemingly trying to reassure the shorter boy.
But Midoriya saw the strain etched into his friend's face, the slight tremble in his arm. "Yeah… but how long can he keep that up?"
Danny's hand shook violently, his teeth grinding together. The pressure was quickly becoming unbearable. As the Nomu pushed harder and harder. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer. Even a few more seconds felt close to impossible against the overwhelming strength. The mutated villain clearly a match for him in his current state.
Still, he held on, because that was the point. The Nomu's eyes were locked on him now, and not on Aizawa. He was now its sole target.
The image of his guardian's bloodied body still seared into the back of his mind. But he forced himself not to focus on it. Actively restraining himself from completely looking down, to look for signs of life. But even with his willpower, he couldn't fully stop himself from glancing. Even if each time only made him feel worse, but it also fueled him.
As he let his eyes instead flicker across the battlefield. To where he could see masses of lesser villains still moving around. The ones Aizawa hadn't been able to get to.
They didn't even look close to troublesome. But he couldn't risk them getting caught up in what was about to happen. Even if they were bad guys.
So, without a word, he used his free hand. And in a single swipe a wave of frost burst across the plaza, precisely racing towards the stragglers on the outskirts of the plaza. In seconds, the villains' feet were locked in place, ice spreading up their ankles.
"He… he just froze all of them," Mineta quietly squawked.
Midoriya didn't answer. His heart thudded once, hard. In a single move, Fenton had neutralized every last one of them. All while still holding the Nomu back.
But unlike the three teens the halfa didn't spare another thought to the frozen villains. His focus snapping back to the monster in front of him.
He drew in one shaking breath, brows lowering and let go.
In an instant the Nomu lunged like a living missile, the air splitting around it.
'Fenton's quirk… it's not enough!' Midoriya thought in panic.
But instead of watching the Nomu once again land a devastating hit, like he'd expected. The villain instead went right through the suddenly translucent teen. Yet it didn't go far before stopping itself. Tearing up the ground with its heels until it slowed to a dead stop.
Only this time when the beastly villain turned to no doubt launch another attack. The halfa who had followed after the Nomu, beat it to the punch. Hitting the large creature with all the strength he had, straight into the side of its jaw. Its head turning on impact.
The halfa silently thankful that his ghostly strength was not purely reliant on his core like his other powers.
So when he hit, he hit hard.
But before the Nomu could go flying. In a split second the ice harbored within the halfa shot forth. The lower half of the giant mutated body became encased, its arms frozen to its side. Successfully keeping the villain right where he wanted it. Without a way to instantly attack.
So that Danny could hit it again, and again, and again… Right into its exposed upper chest.
But he was only able to get a few punches in before the close to unbreakable ecto-infused ice shattered. As the Nomu's arms quickly flew up, wrapping around the halfa with a crushing force.
The teen let out a pained groan. Before activating his intangibility a moment after feeling the restricting squeeze.
But he didn't spare a moment's thought to his body. Already feeling the sharp ache leave his ribs. As he quickly flew a step back. To look where he had been hitting, as the Nomu opened its arms. But all he saw was slightly pinkened skin. That faded away almost as soon as he saw it.
'It heals fast too? You've got to be kidding me!' Danny exhaustingly thought, as his brows wrinkled together. He needed to find its weakness, a way of bringing it down for good. But without the luxury of time to fully think, let alone analyze. He would just have to stick to brute-forcing his way to victory.
Trusting that the energy he still had was enough. That as long as things kept going at this rate, he would come out on top.
So he joined his hands together. Energy rapidly coursing into his palms. Before he realised it.
A deafening green blast surged forwards, nearly engulfing the Nomu's torso. As the monster was sent staggering back, heels digging into the ground even more.
When the light finally faded, smoke poured from the Nomu's chest. Its flesh blackened and split open in a wound that would've been lethal to almost anybody else.
But Danny didn't let up. No celebration. No pause. As he launched himself forward. Once again rocketing himself at the undeterred enemy with his fist raised and ready.
"Wow, he's amazing." Asui murmured.
A statement that Midoriya couldn't not agree with. His eyes desperately trying to follow his classmates' every movement. As the white-haired teen went toe to toe with the villain. Trading one blow after another, each strike creating an impact that shook the plaza.
He almost felt like a kid again, watching old videos of All Might take down the worst, most unstoppable villains. All with that strange, almost mesmerizing air of undefeatable confidence.
'I wouldn't even be able to keep up,' he thought. Shame twisting his gut. Before he swallowed it back down. He couldn't let himself get disheartened now. Not when Fenton was giving everything he had to be a hero.
Yet Midoriya and the two students weren't the only ones captivated by the intense, ongoing fight.
Shigaraki also found himself almost completely transfixed on the Nomu and that kid. 'That nobody!' his thoughts hissed, 'He's holding his own against my Nomu. How?!'
But after a moment he clicked his tongue as he watched the teen dodge yet another hit and delivered his own. "Tch… slippery little pest. Too fast to grab, too stubborn to crush." His fingers twitched, "How annoying."
"Tomura Shigaraki," Kurogiri's smooth, steady but strangely urging voice cut in. "I believe it would be best to depart now."
"No! Not yet!" Shigaraki snapped, his shoulders hunching, head lowering as he muttered, "Not until I get my hands on that brat."
'But how?'
His gaze narrowed, as the teen phased through another blow. He was quick and his little trick of somehow becoming untouchable was beyond irritating. He honestly didn't know what he hated more. The fact that most of the Nomu's punches didn't land or that the few that did barely did a thing.
But as the villain watched, he began to notice something. The boy's gaze kept flickering to the side. Darting again and again, towards the bloody heap of clothes and dark hair on the ground.
And after a moment a slow grin curled beneath the hand covering the man's face, 'Ah, so that's it. That's your weakness.'
"I understand, but you cannot forget our true objective." Kurogiri reminded calmly.
Shigaraki didn't even look at him at first. His mind was already moving. As an all too perfect plan twisted in his mind. After all, he didn't need to catch the boy outright. Not if he could make the boy come to him. And the last thing he needed was already right behind him, a warp.
His eyes slid back to Eraser Head's broken body, and the grin stretched wider. "Heh. How fitting." His voice rasped low, savoring it.
Before finally turning, to address the void with a predator's certainty. "Now, Kurogiri, here's what you're going to do. And you'd better not screw it up this time."
The orders were given quickly. Nothing phrased like a request, only demands that Kurogiri would wordlessly obey without question. So once done Shigaraki didn't even bother to wait as he began to move. His eyes going back to Eraser Head.
"It's time to finally put down that damn brat." He said to himself, self-satisfaction oozing from him as he walked.
Midoriya flinched as another one of Fenton's punches sent the Nomu crashing through the plaza stones. Scattering debris with a shockwave. That whole side of the central plaza was looking more like a demolition site than a walkway, by the second.
But in the corner of his vision something caught his attention.
He turned, but what he saw only made his eyes widen. That villain, the one who seemed almost as dangerous in his own right. As the one Fenton was currently facing off against was walking towards Mr. Aizawa.
"Guy's, look," Midoriya whispered, just enough to catch his two classmates' attention.
"What is… oh no," Mineta's voice died out before he even fully asked his question. As he too quickly noticed what Midoriya was trying to point out.
"That can't be good." Asui croaked.
"Yeah he's going for Mr. Aizawa, again. We have to do something."
"I agree, but..." Asui's eyes lowered, her tone heavy. "I don't think we should."
"What! How can you say that?" Mineta shot out. As he whipped his head to look at the girl. But the rest of his outrage evaporated. As he looked at Asui's unusually troubled expression.
"We're just too far away. We would have to fight that villain. But we don't even know what his quirk is. And If we do step in, they'll notice us. It could just make everything worse."
Her words stung, as if static was buzzing in Midoriya's ears. Every step the villain took making his nerves spike, as he held his breath. But Asui was right. They couldn't just rush in. He'd have to use One for All just to reach Mr. Aizawa in time. But then what? What would he do? He had no plan and could he really rely on his quirk?
Still, he couldn't just do nothing. Someone needed to save Mr. Aizawa.
So after a moment, he clenched his fists as he forced his body to finally stop shaking. As he stood, no longer using the pool's edge to hide. As he drew in all the air his lungs could hold.
"Fenton!" Midoriya's sharp cry carried across the plaza.
Danny's head snapped toward the voice, startled. 'Midoriya!?' he wildly questioned. But to his dismay the green-haired teen wasn't the only one. Mineta and Asui were crouched on either side of the teen, looking up at Midoriya in surprise.
'No. Not them. Not now.' he thought. Dread tightening his chest, before Midoryia's hand shot out, pointing.
"Look!"
Danny wordlessly followed the finger, brows lowering in question. But what he saw only made his face fall. That villain, that hand-covered, deranged lunatic was walking towards Aizawa.
"No," he mouthed, icy dread surging with the ectoplasm that roared through his veins.
"Fenton! Look out!"
The warning snapped him back just in time. As the Nomu's shadow fell over him again. Both of its arms swiftly coming down towards him.
But Danny moved, instinct faster than his thoughts. As he caught them. His teeth grinding together, as his muscles strained against the crushing weight. The ground shuddering beneath their locked struggle.
'Damnit! I need to get to Aizawa, but this thing won't let up.'
But after a long moment of Danny and the Nomu seemingly tying each other in strength. The halfa reopened his previously closed eyes. Desperate frustration surging through him. Adrenaline allowing him to fight through his limits. As he began forcing the arms back.
"I… don't.. have time for this!" he cried, each word louder than the last. As two green beams shot out from his eyes. Blasting the Nomu in its now exposed face, sending it flying across the plaza.
The half ghost staggered, as the tremendous strain put on him vanished. But only for a fraction of a second. Before his gaze snapped back to Aizawa. To see that villain now standing over him. Hand lowering slowly, tauntingly. As if daring someone to stop him.
Danny shot off, without any second-guessing. Fear driving him forward.
Unknowingly playing right into the villain's plan. As Shigaraki's hidden, toothy smile widened as he purposely stopped moving his hand any lower, instead waiting. As a swirling void ripped open directly in the halfa's path.
Danny's breath caught, suddenly going too fast for his own good. As before he could stop himself, he flew right into the darkness.
But just as quickly as the halfa got swallowed by one. Did he get spit out by another. One perfectly placed right to Shigaraki's side. So that when he flew out he was right beneath the villain's hand.
With ease the man closed the centimeter wide gap as his hand landed on the halfa's shoulder blade.
"Got you," the halfa heard. As he flew, now like an out of control bullet. Not even truly registering the hand now touching him.
Shigaraki didn't need to move, letting the boy's own speed drag the decaying touch across his back. Fingers scraping down from shoulder blade to spine, spreading the contact before the teen was quickly out of reach in a blur.
Only then, moments before colliding with the ground did Danny's mind start to catch up with his body. As he almost completely flipped himself in the air. Feet connecting with the ground, knees bending as he slid to a harsh stop. Once again facing the villain.
But the instant he finally stopped, right as he was about to blast off again. Now even more frustrated. Did a blinding, unbearable pain shoot through him. Making his legs give out before he could even try and stop them, his body fully collapsing in on itself. As he let out a raw groan. Forehead hitting the ground.
The world around swam, blurring. Pain almost fully consuming his every sense. It felt like he was being torn apart, molecule by molecule.
He clenched his teeth, holding his breath as if sheer will could smother the sensation.
It didn't.
But with effort that made his chest quake, Danny forced his eyes open. Lifting his head just enough to glare up at the villain through his hair. His voice cracking through the haze.
"…What did you do to me?"
"Hahaha. What!? Does it hurt? Well too bad. Cause very soon you'll be nothing but dust!" Shigaraki's laugh cut short. His visible red eye gleaming with intent, through gray strands and crooked fingers. "Game over."
Sinking. He was sinking. The nausea hollowing him out, as indescribable dread gnawed deeper than the pain itself. His eyes were burning, tears slipping their way free as he refused to let them shut.
Not for his own sake. But for theirs. Aizawa and his classmates still needed him. But he could barely even think clearly.
Seconds dragged, as he helplessly waited for the man's words to come true. But then, the agony, the tearing heat along his back began to almost dull.
His body was fighting, rapidly piecing itself back together. He could feel it. Every scrap of energy that he still had was being used to keep himself whole.
He wasn't dust. Not yet.
But the black spots creeping at the edges of his vision were only growing larger with each passing second, thoughts almost completely hazing over. Saved in one way, damned in another. Because it didn't take long before an all too familiar flash of light to appear, threatening to travel over his body. He was de-transforming.
He tried to fight it. To pull at some untouched shred of strength, but he had nothing. It was inevitable. He was out of energy and out of luck.
So before he knew it, the white strands falling into his eyes turned black. While the pain that had momentarily lessened, surged again. His now human body having to bear the remaining damage. He was done. All he could do now was watch.
Shigaraki stilled, taking in the impossible. His quirk hadn't worked.
"How?" he quietly seethed to himself. "You should be nothing but a pile of dust. How are you still alive?"
Sure, his hand had only grazed the teen's spine for a few seconds. But that should've been enough.
But no answer came to the villain's genuine question. And after too many seconds Shigaraki seemed to forcefully collect himself as he reeled back, "Tch, either way you're not getting up anytime soon. And you know what? Now you'll get to watch." The fraying man looked down, "Let's see if Eraser Head can survive, too."
Without waiting the villain crouched down, hand inching tauntingly towards the hero's head. As if needing to test his quirk to reassure himself.
"No. Please… no." Danny whispered, forcing himself off the ground. His limbs shaking, mind swimming as he ignored the burning pain. And his own ectoplasm dripping onto the ground from his back. The substance silently hissing and smoking against the stone.
But even as he managed to just barely get to his knees. He knew it wasn't enough. He wasn't enough.
But right as the hand was about to finally make contact, an all too familiar voice sounded out.
"You get away from him!"
In a blur, Midoriya appeared. Fist raised, energy crackling all around him. As he hurled towards Shigaraki, "Smash!"
Danny squinted, head lowering against the shockwave, as a massive gust of wind tore past him. The ground rumbling beneath him, as the smallest bit of hope blossomed.
But when the dust cleared, it wasn't the sight he'd expected, or wanted. The gray-haired villain was still untouched. And instead the mutated beast, seeming to have intercepted the punch, as it now stood in between the two. Now loomed over Midoriya. The teens fist uselessly resting against the villains abdomen.
Midoriya breathed heavily, staring down at his own arm. Silently taking in the fact that it wasn't broken. But the small victory didn't last long as his gaze slid upwards, past his fist, to the dark skin and muscles beneath. Until he met the hulking villain's unblinking eyes.
'Wait… where'd he come from?'
Shigaraki stood up, thankfully abandoning his previous actions. As he stepped to the side, to barely look at the teen, "A smash? You say? You know, I was planning to deal with you later. But it seems you just couldn't wait your turn."
Midoriya staggered back as his arm dropped to his side, eyes widening.
Danny's breath hitched as the Nomu raised its fist. The world slowing around him. Every fiber of his being screaming at him to move, to fight, to do something. And against all odds, the unimaginable began to happen. His depleted core began to claw outwards, desperate, searching for energy. Latching onto and absorbing any it could reach, even what wasn't his.
Danny gasped, clutching at his chest. The energy flooding him felt so wrong, familiar, but wrong. But there was no time to question it, and honestly he didn't have it in him to care anymore.
So he thrust out a hand, focusing with everything he had on forming an ecto-shield in the now falling fist's path.
But no shield appeared.
Instead, to his disbelief the foreign energy that his core had stolen twisted into something else entirely. A portal. A small swirling area of recognizable void. Only it wasn't a dark, ominous purple. But a burning, volatile green.
In an instant, the Nomu's fist disappeared into it.
"What?!" Shigaraki barked, stumbling back a step as his gaze snapped to the green warp gate. Before quickly turning to Kurogiri, on instinct. But when his head whipped around to his disbelief the dark, misty figure wasn't watching the portal at all.
No. Kurogiri's glowing eyes were locked onto something else.
Shigaraki followed the line of sight and there he was. That brat. That same damn brat! His hand outstretched, burning that same god forsaken color.
"Are you kidding me?" The villain quietly rasped to himself.
Midoriya's jaw dropped as he took in the green tear in space beside him, exactly where the Nomu's fist should have struck. His breath caught, mind scrambling to piece together what just happened.
But unlike the teen, the mindless beast didn't hesitate. As it yanked its arm free from the portal after a moment. To swing again, eyes still solely locked on its target.
"Midoriya! Move!"
Panic surged. As the massive fist blurred toward him again, and though his mind screamed to dodge, his body refused to answer, completely lagging to respond.
But before he could get hit, something familiar wrapped tightly around his torso. And a single brutal tug wrenched him backwards, air leaving his lungs as he went. As the Nomu's knuckles sliced through the space where his face had just been, missing by a hair's length.
Soon after, his body jolted to a stop.
"Asui?" he forced out, clutching at his now freed, aching stomach as he turned to the girl. Her tongue sliding back into her mouth.
But she didn't answer. Instead, another beat her to it.
"What were you thinking?!" Mineta shouted, still half-submerged and cowering behind the pool's edge. Unlike Asui, who he had gotten out.
Midoriya almost unnoticeably recoiled, "I don't know. My body… it just moved." He whispered, looking down at his hands. Just now noticing them trembling.
A heavy silence followed the teens' words. But it didn't last long.
"It's just one thing after another, with you, isn't it?" Shigaraki said, tone stripped of all amusement.
The three teens stiffened, eyes snapping back to the villain. But his words weren't directed to them. No, his attention was solely on their classmate.
Fenton.
Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta, wordlessly realized after following the man's gaze. To a sight that made the blood in their veins run cold.
Their classmate was no longer in his other form and was sitting back on his own legs. With strange green, opaque liquid pooled around him. His UA gym uniform almost completely soaked through. His hand hovered weakly in the air, but the green glow they were accustomed to seeing was long gone.
"Tell me, do you have any more tricks?"
The villain waited for a reply. While the three teens stood frozen, hearts pounding. But instead of an answer, after a moment the boy's already unfocused eyes lost what little light they had left, glazing over as his head lulled forward. And just like that his body fell. Gravity taking hold as he hit the ground with a damning thud. The sound echoing in the silence.
Consequences of the impossible finally catching up to the halfa.
Midoriya's injured hand covered his mouth. His mind was finally still, for once he couldn't think of anything. But as he swallowed the massive lump stuck in his throat. His body started to move again, every part of him once again wanting to race ahead to his friend. But a firm grip grabbed his arm, keeping him in place. He turned, startled. To see Asui holding him back. Her eyes wide, showing the horror he felt. As she slowly shook her head.
But before he could even think of something to say, a wheezy laugh cut through the air. Dry, ragged, and terrible.
Making every nerve in his body spike, the hairs on his arms standing straight.
"Hhhha… hahhahhh… hhhaa…" Shigaraki's arms wrapped around his torso. His previous childish delight returning, with each short inhale, "Look at him. For a moment, I actually thought he was something. Hell he even reminded me of All Might. But now…" He drew in a longer, steadier breath, straightening, his head tilting with lazy malice. "He's just another useless, pathetic–"
Suddenly, a loud eruption traveled through the plaza. The sound of doors blasting open drowning out the villain's final words.
They all turned towards the source of the interruption. The entrance. But all they could see was a large plume of dust just starting to rise high enough for them to see.
But to Midoriya it was like he could feel something in the air, in himself even. Something that indescribable made him feel safe. And to his disbelief after a moment he knew what that something was, or rather who it was.
"All Might," Midoriya exhaled, just barely audible even to himself.
The large blonde hero stood at the top of the staircase, hands clenched into fists, his yellow blazer being held tightly in one. While his white undershirt and tie tightly clung to his muscles, fitting perfectly against his broad frame.
But there was something off about the pro's appearance.
He wasn't smiling.
His teeth were still visible, but the usual, ever-present, blinding smile was gone. And In its place a harsh grimace. That made the lines on the hero's face look more intense. It was something Midoriya had never seen before, even in all the hundreds of hours of footage he'd watched.
"After all this waiting and having to put up with a bunch of brats. The heroic piece of trash finally shows up." Shigaraki mused.
But neither the teens nor the villains had time to truly study the hero. Because in the next instant, All Might moved. Throwing down his blazer, before taking off in a blur of motion.
In a heartbeat, he was beside Aizawa, faster than Shigaraki could even turn. Lifting him with care before flashing across the plaza again. One by one, he moved both his fallen colleague and the three students, setting them near the motionless form of Fenton.
'Young Fenton… oh god,' The thought struck hard and cold, as he looked over the teen. Shame twisting beneath the grim resolve that now replaced his usual light. His jaw set as he turned, facing the villain once more.
In a dizzying blink of an eye, Midoriya found himself no longer by the water's edge but standing behind his idol. After a moment, he quickly glanced to his side and was relieved to see both Asui and Mineta. But his gaze faltered as his eyes fell to Mr. Aizawa and Fenton, now lying side by side.
"Have no fear students," All Might said quietly, voice holding an unusual heaviness. "I am here."
"Oh, All Might, I can't believe you're here. I thought we were gonna die!" Mineta cried, full dam of emotions finally falling free.
But the hero didn't respond to Mineta's outburst. As his gaze remained fixed on the hand-covered villain before him, the faint dust of his earlier movements still settling in the air.
"Oh, don't look so serious, oh great Symbol of Peace," Shigaraki sneered, voice dripping with mock sympathy. "You're supposed to smile, remember? That's what they love about you after all, that empty grin." He tilted his head, his fingers twitching against his neck. "What happened? Lose it along with your touch as a teacher?"
All Might's expression didn't waver, but the muscle in his jaw tightened.
Shigaraki continued, gesturing lazily toward the unconscious half-ghost lying a few feet away. "That one there, he's one of your students, isn't he? And look at him now. Broken and bleeding, all because he tried to do your job." His voice turned sharp. "You can't even protect a single child, yet you pretend to protect the world."
Midoriya felt something in his chest twist. He wanted to yell, to say something, anything. But no words came.
All Might finally spoke, his tone steady but cold. "You've already said enough."
The weight in his voice made even Shigaraki hesitate for a heartbeat.
All Might took one measured step forward. "Young Midoriya," he said without looking back, "take Aizawa and Fenton and get them to the entrance. That's an order."
Midoriya's breath caught. "B-but All Might, I can—"
"You must. For them."
Midoriya froze, as he took in his idol's words. It wasn't the booming call of the smiling hero, but a desperate command of a man shouldering the world.
The green-haired teen swallowed hard and nodded. "Y-yes, sir."
He turned quickly, kneeling beside Fenton while Asui and Mineta began working together to lift Aizawa.
"Careful," Asui said to Mineta, looping one of Aizawa's arms over her shoulder. "He's still bleeding."
Midoriya reached out to do the same with Fenton, but the moment his ungloved hand brushed against the boy's soaked jacket, a searing pain shot up his fingers. "Ah!" he yelped, pulling back instinctively. The skin on his palm was red, faintly smoking.
"Midoriya! What's wrong?" Mineta squeaked, struggling to keep his balance under Aizawa's weight.
"It's… ah whatever he's covered in… it burns," Midoriya hissed. The greenish liquid almost glowed faintly across Fenton's clothes.
Asui glanced over. "Then don't touch that part. Use your jacket."
Midoriya nodded quickly, stripping off his outer gym uniform and wrapped it around his hands before trying again. This time, the fabric shielded him from the sting, though he could still feel a slight cold burn but he fought through it.
'What is this stuff…?' he thought, uneasy, as he adjusted his grip under Fenton's arms. But pushed it aside after a moment, "Come on," he said, voice shaking slightly. "We have to move."
The three of them started toward the entrance, walking around the still frozen villains. Every step echoing louder than it should have. As the sound of battle rumbled behind them like a storm they were walking away from.
But as they went, Midoriya couldn't help looking back.
All Might stood alone, the air around him trembling with restrained power… and for the first time, Midoriya didn't see the world's greatest hero.
He saw a man about to break.