Keep Running! (Free Runner Part 2)

Stalling for time!

I skidded to a halt, my sneakers screeching against the cracked concrete as a wave of pure malice washed over me. My heart pounded, my chest tightening with dread. I hadn't even made it halfway back to Aizawa when he appeared.

Shigaraki.

He materialized out of thin air, the world around him shimmering briefly as if reality itself had bent to his will. My breath caught in my throat as he straightened, his unsettling grin widening. His red, bloodshot eyes locked onto mine, brimming with something twisted—glee? Rage? Both?

"You're making this a lot more annoying than it needs to be," he said, his tone eerily calm. His voice sounded like nails scraping against glass, every syllable grating against my nerves.

I froze. My brain screamed at me to move, to run, but my body refused to cooperate. Every instinct told me this man was different from the Nomu. He wasn't some brainless monster; he was calculated, unpredictable, and far more dangerous.

"Oh, what's the matter?" Shigaraki mocked, his hands flexing as if he couldn't wait to grab hold of me. "You look scared. Don't worry, kid. I won't hurt you too much... yet. I want to see how long you can keep squirming first."

I tightened my grip on Aizawa's dagger, my knuckles turning white. I knew I couldn't fight him head-on. Not with his quirk. Not with him. But I also knew I couldn't let him get to Aizawa.

"You're not getting past me," I said, trying to sound braver than I felt.

Shigaraki tilted his head, looking at me like I was some curious little insect he'd stumbled across. "You? Stop me? That's cute."

Before I could blink, he lunged. His speed was unreal—one second he was standing a few feet away, and the next, his hand was inches from my face. I ducked, rolling to the side just as his fingertips grazed the air where my head had been.

The ground cracked and crumbled beneath his touch, disintegrating into fine dust.

I scrambled to my feet, my heart racing. One touch... just one touch, and I'm dead.

Shigaraki straightened, his grin widening as he saw me backpedaling. "You're quick. I'll give you that. But how long can you keep running?"

He came at me again, faster this time. I leaped onto a piece of rubble, using it as a springboard to vault over him. My body twisted in midair, adrenaline sharpening my movements as I landed on the other side.

But he was relentless. He spun around, his hands outstretched, and I barely managed to sidestep his attack.

"You're annoying," he growled, his frustration seeping into his voice. "Stop running and DIE already!"

I didn't respond. I couldn't afford to. Every ounce of my focus was on avoiding his touch, using every trick I'd learned from parkour to keep out of his reach.

I vaulted over debris, slid under fallen beams, and used every surface available to create distance between us. My legs burned, my lungs screamed for air, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.

Shigaraki, however, seemed to be enjoying the chase.

"Is this your plan? To just keep dodging until you collapse?" he sneered, his voice mocking. "Pathetic. You're not a hero. You're just a scared little boy playing pretend."

His words stung, but I shoved the pain aside. He was trying to get under my skin, to break my focus. I couldn't let him.

I needed a plan. Fast.

My eyes darted around the area, searching for something—anything—that could give me an advantage. That's when I saw it: a broken support beam teetering on the edge of a platform above us.

If I could lure him under it...

"Hey!" I shouted, forcing as much confidence into my voice as I could muster. "Is this all you've got? You're supposed to be some big bad villain, but you can't even catch one quirkless kid?"

Shigaraki's expression darkened, his grin twisting into a scowl. "You've got a death wish, don't you?"

He charged at me, his movements erratic but terrifyingly fast. I turned and bolted, leading him toward the platform. My heart pounded in my ears as I climbed onto a stack of debris, jumping and pulling myself up just in time.

Shigaraki followed, his nails scraping against the metal as he climbed after me.

"Keep running," he snarled. "It'll make it all the sweeter when I catch you."

I reached the platform and darted toward the edge, positioning myself directly under the precarious beam. Shigaraki was right behind me, his footsteps heavy and deliberate.

This was it. My chance.

I jumped at the last second, grabbing hold of the beam and swinging my body upward. Shigaraki skidded to a stop beneath me, his eyes narrowing as he realized too late what I was doing.

I kicked the beam with all the strength I had left, sending it crashing down toward him.

For a moment, I thought it worked. The beam slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

But when the dust settled, he was still standing, his hand resting on the shattered remains of the beam.

He laughed—a low, unsettling sound that sent chills down my spine. "Did you really think that would work?"

My stomach dropped.

Before I could react, he leaped toward me, his hand outstretched. I threw myself to the side, barely avoiding his touch, but I wasn't fast enough.

His fingers brushed against the edge of my sleeve, and I felt the fabric disintegrate as I stumbled backward.

"You're running out of tricks, kid," Shigaraki said, his tone almost playful now. "What's next? Gonna throw another rock at me?"

I didn't answer. My mind raced, desperately trying to come up with something—anything—that could turn the tide.

But I was out of options.

Out of time.

And he knew it.