Maigo- A BNHA OC Story

Fear

   It was supposed to be the best vacation ever.

   She's crouched under a bush, rocking back and forth, hand clamped over her mouth and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes are fixed, wide open, and her breathing is fast and high.

   Isn't that what Mina said? It was the best vacation ever?

   Dark blue smoke is pouring out from the tops of the trees. It blocks out the sky, snuffs out every single twinkling star, drowns any noise or other sign of life in the surrounding treescape.

   How did this happen? What went wrong?

   Footsteps. Fast, heavy, and frantic. They're getting louder. She tucks further into herself, praying that the bush can hide her. She doesn't know anything other than that. She doesn't want to find out.

   It all happened too fast, too sudden. One second she was happy, excitedly clinging to the green-haired boy's arm, running around him like a maypole. They were waiting for their chance to run through the trees, to prove their bravery in a gauntlet of cheap scares and spooks cooked up by the other class. The boy was lightly chewing his knuckles, muttering battle strategies to himself while his other arm got twisted this way and that.

   Then, smoke. Screams from the dark trees. Everyone started running, eyes wide and unblinking, faces pale. Two big figures stomped out of the trees. They... they...

   Maigo curls farther in on herself. The rough tree bark presses further into her spine. The dirt slips underneath her shoes. She wishes she could shut off her mind, erase her memory, like that computer program she used to learn on before she was put in the classroom. She would do anything to open her eyes and be back in the apartment, back on the couch, watching her favorite movie. The one with the bunny and the fox. She would be eating popcorn and struggling to stay awake, mesmerized by Shota's even breathing. She thought she was done with nightmares.

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   Shota grips the handrail on the bus. He watches as his students stagger back, counting their heads as they sit back on the bus.

   There's one, two, six, twelve, twenty...

   Twenty...

   Why only twenty? Who is missing?

   He quickly gives one more headcount, listing off his students' names as he goes.

   Ashido, Mineta, Asui...

   ...Where is Bakugo? Wait...

   ...Where is Maigo???

   Before he can think, Shota is pitching himself off the bus and running toward the burning tree line. His breathing is heavy, his throat burning as the acrid smoke fills his lungs.

   He needs to find his students.

   He needs to find Maigo.

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   The only things she can hear from her hiding spot is the spark and pop! of the fire around her and her own breathing. If she curls in on herself anymore she may as well implode.

   There are faint footsteps in the distance, followed by shouting. As it gets closer, Maigo can almost make out someone calling her name. She picks her head up, glances out beyond the small break in the leaves of her hiding spot. Her breathing stills.

   There it is again, louder this time.

   Someone is calling her name. Yelling it. Screaming so loud it sounds like their voice is cracking.

   The leaves around her rustle as she scrambles out of the bush. The scratches on her arms do not matter as she takes off in the direction of the screaming. Stumbling over rocks and twisted tree branches, she takes off through the woods. She can hear the shouting getting louder, louder, her throat burns with smoke and her eyes sting, but she can't stop, she's almost there, she's-

   Wham! She slams into something tall and solid, falling to the ground with the force of the impact.

   "Maigo!"

   Gruff hands grab her around the middle and hoist her high into the air. She lets out a squeal as she kicks fruitlessly at whoever has grabbed her.

   "Maigo, Maigo, it's me!"

   She opens her eyes and sees Shota, his face contorted with worry. His eyes are dry and he is heaving.

   "Where's Bakugo, is he with you?"

   Her heart crawls into her throat. What does he mean where's Bakugo? She hasn't seen anyone since all of this began. She doesn't know where anyone is. Her thoughts are racing, breaths coming fast and short. If Bakugo isn't here, what happened to him? Is he hurt? Captured? She knows he is powerful, if someone captured him then they would have to be incredibly strong.

   The world around the two of them turns dark. Shadow-like figures begin bubbling up from the ground beneath them, monsters twisting their bodies into horrid shapes. Is she imagining them? Or are they real? Is she making them?

   "Maigo!" The onslaught of fears is broken by the sound of her name. Her gaze snaps to Shota's wide eyes. His grip on her middle digs into her sides. His eyes are wide and black.

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   Whatever those things were, she made them.

   It had only taken Shota a second to stop Maigo's quirk, yet he doubted his ability in doing so. His eyes are too dry and tired to cancel out her quirk with his own. He does not know what those black shadows were, only that they were created out of her fear. 

   A crackling in his ear vies for his attention. In the back of his head he can hear another person's voice grow steadily louder.

   Eraserhead. It's Mandalay, communicating through her telepath quirk. We found Midoriya, he said Bakugo's been kidnapped. If you're out there, make your way back to the bus. We're leaving now.

   Shota's stomach drops. Kidnapped? By the villains? In the rush of adrenaline he almost forgets about the small girl in his hands until she squeals when he almost drops her. He curses under his breath, bringing Maigo closer to him. Her tiny form is trembling, and as soon as she can reach Shota's shirt she grabs on with both hands. When she buries her head in Shota's neck, he can hear her sharp, quick breathing interspersed with sniffling.

   "Come on," he murmurs, feeling like his jaw has been wired shut. "We're getting out of here."

   He turns back to where he came from and sprints toward the bus.

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........Has it actually been four years?

Please don't expect frequent updates, but I'd like to write a little more of this story if it's okay with y'all.