Ticked Off [Boku No Hero Academia]

43: ANGEL'S GUARDIAN

Eat, drink, sleep, medicate... you know what to do. Please stay safe!! I'm proud of you (:

And OOO boy this is the first of two events I was super excited to include in this arc of TO. I had so much fun writing it, no matter how hard it was to put together!! Also I listened to Angel with a Shotgun on loop the entire time I wrote the Chisaki fight,,, and uh,,,,, y e ah it was an experience for sure. Hope you enjoy :D

Discord server, if you're ready to go absolutely batshit feral at any given moment: https://discord.gg/DSBF4dP

~

He jolted into a run, lightly grabbing his teacher's unscarred elbow and urging him into a sprint. Nighteye dashed up alongside them and the multitudes of echoing footsteps indicated the remaining police officers were tailing them. They weren't moving fast enough, and Izuku gritted his teeth and upped his Quirk, flashing ahead of the group. The hollowed chamber changed back into ordinary corridors, and it wasn't long before he saw the first signs of Togata passing through in the form of an unconscious yakuza member sprawled on the ground.

He lifted his radioactive gaze, locking onto a solid wall, dead ahead, and then promptly careened straight through it, leaping into the room just in time to-

...watch hopelessly as the bullet plunged into Togata's shoulder-blade. Togata slumped onto his hands and knees in front of where Eri sat in the ripped red cape. Even from this distance, it was clear that both were trembling.

A snarl rumbled in Izuku's throat as he whipped around to face Chisaki, wanting to tear him limb from limb but instead settling for flicking his fingers in that direction to wrench up a whirlwind of dust and force the villains back. He slammed his foot into the ground to displace the concrete into a small wall between them, then spun around and flashed to Togata's side, hesitantly placing a delicate palm over the wound. The muscle twitched under his touch and Togata let out a shaky breath, turning his dipped head to meet the boy's eyes, looking like the frightened barely-adult he was as opposed to the unfaltering hero he tried to be. Izuku's gaze softened sympathetically, then he lifted his head to look at Eri.

She sat in a nest of red fabric, hand clutched to her chest and crimson eyes wide in horror. He slowly reached out and clasped her tiny arm, offering the brightest, most reassuring smile he could muster in spite of the situation.

Just because he knew lots of people learnt important lessons from Togata's Quirklessness didn't mean Izuku was okay with being unable to change it.

"It'll be okay, Eri-chan," he promised earnestly, deliberately moving so he blocked his friend's distress from sight until he could pull himself together again. "Lemillion-san-"

"I'm fine, it's fine," Togata rushed out, hauling himself back to his feet. "Just- I just-"

"The others are on their way. Take a moment if you need it; I can cover you," Izuku assured, remaining crouched.