We were all gathered outside the police station, Izuku had halted any pretenses of avoiding affectionate gestures, he was too anxious to take anyone into account except for touching me, it must've relieved his worries temporarily. He had his hand wrapped around my elbow, fingers tapping lightly as Kirishima became excited for the upcoming battle we would partake in.
"So, you love birds are going to fight side by side? How manly." Eijiro commented, giving me a wide smile as I nodded, returning the gesture. Izuku sighed a soft yes, leaning his head atop mine as he began mumbling over our power moves again.
"Forgive him, Kiri. He gets like this when he's planning like the mastermind he is," I explained cheerfully, but I knew deep down I was nervous, Izuku must've noticed too from the way my heel kept tapping the floor erratically.
Uraraka was watching us two in anxiety, her and Tsu were also struggling with their own nerves, it would be their first time getting completely involved with villains that were intelligent and powerful.
We were now at the Shie Hassaikai headquarters, the entire police force ahead of us as I stiffened my body, preparing to attack at any moment. I had a feeling that this shitty organization knew we were going to invade, so we had no other choice but to directly enter.
Before the pro-hero at the front could knock on the door with a warrant in hand, Sir Nighteye tapped my shoulder, "Reyna."
"Hm?" I looked to him, one eyebrow raised in a demand for him to address whatever we needed to talk about.
"Be careful. You become irrational when you see people get hurt."
I froze, refocusing my vision on the concrete as I only nodded, the vines coiled on my wrists and ankles were ready to launch at any moment.
We heard a loud blast, and I noticed a tall man towering through, immediately Izuku and I got to work, rounding the police to safety before they could be attacked.
I flitted back to where Aizawa was at, he too had helped us in moving the officers and I gripped Izuku's arm, warning him that rushing into a fight wouldn't be beneficial because I saw the animated look in his eyes.
Ryukyu transformed into her quirk, a large dragon to began battling the man who blasted us away while she commanded, "Move forward without me, my team stays here!"
I shared a glance with Midoriya, we blinked once, moving to follow Aizawa as we entered the compound, "Stay close to me," he instructed and we obeyed silently, eyes darting around for any incoming villains.
We were inside the building, and I turned briefly to see the outside door shut, leaving us... trapped. That was what I was experiencing as we ran throughout the cold, barren halls. We were like the mice that cats had lured into their home, ready to play the game of predator and prey. I fought down the uneasy feeling that gnawed at me, only concentrating on one thing.
Finding Eri.
We reached a room that was filled with grand vases, paintings, and statues. Aizawa spoke, "Since we haven't seen Chisaki, he must be hiding Eri and putting everything important away."
"We'll probably deal with his best henchmen soon, he is going to need his strongest people to take on an entire police force and a bunch of pros, correct?" I asked, looking to see if I had at least contributed some sort of aid.
"Skillful observation, Reyna," Sir Nighteye commented, glancing around until our eyes settled on a shrine.
Izuku let his fingers graze my spine, giving me an encouraging smile as we turned to see our mentor pushing a panel of wood, the noise of a door creaking caused us to make our way towards it.
"Stop them!" I snapped my head to see men who were known as yakuza enter, Aizawa's hair lifted as he used his quirk, I knocked three down with stone while Bubble Girl and another pro urged us to move ahead. Izuku's hand found his way to mine and we ran through the hall, grip tight as we were forced to stop because of a wall.
"Duty calls." Mirio nudged my shoulder, giving me a wink while walking through the hard surface.
Amajiki stood beside me, "Did you know Lemillion's costume is made from his hair? It helps him move around through things without being... you know." His voice was so gentle and muted that I had to strain my hearing to make out the words.
Tamaki was a great person, I knew immediately when he first entered our class that he radiated an aura that reminded me of something timid but powerful. He was a perfect example of actions speaking louder than words. I remembered the one day I bumped into him on my way to the library, he apologized profusely while facing the wall, tugging on the bang that hung over his forehead. I insisted that he did nothing wrong, and we ended up talking about his quirk and mine, he explained his favorite food to eat that would produce the best extension in his body. I recommended different seafood soups I made back in America that would help amplify his powers, even promising that I would make him one to see if he preferred it. I enjoyed his quiet gratitude, and we would give small smiles whenever we saw one another.
"Yeah, I get you, Suneater. You guys are best friends, right?" I questioned, and he looked away, pale skin becoming littered with pink as I sighed, understanding that it was a bit of a personal question, even if the answer was obvious.
"Chisaki must've made the wall to stop us from going further down the path," Sir Nighteye explained and Mirio from the other side had confirmed it.
"Looks like we gotta get to work, baby." Izuku whispered in my ear and I hummed.
"Kiri." My call to him registered in his head as all three of us began running towards the wall, I raised two fists covered in metal as we crashed into the wall, shattering it while my eyes met blue.
I looked away from Mirio, feeling myself stumble and latch onto Izuku's arm. Why is everything moving around? Am I going through another hallucination? His left hand wrapped on mine, and we stayed locked onto each other while the walls began contorting, moving in so many different directions that it caused me to become dizzy.
"I think it's Mimic! Eraserhead, use your quirk!" Fatgum cried out, but Shota explained that he couldn't see who was causing all this movement along the walls.
I heard Tamaki panicking and Mirio attempting to reassure him.
"I'm going to continue forward alone, I need to find Eri." Mirio stated, getting ready to pass through the walls in ease. I shared a look with Deku before speaking, "Mirio." He looked at me with that signature smile he used to placate everyone, "Please take care of yourself." Something about Mirio venturing alone had worried me, who knew what he would encounter. "Don't worry, Terra Mater, I'm Lemillion!" I smiled weakly, giving him a thumbs up. He took off and we were still trying to figure out a way to stop the contortions.
Suddenly, the floor gave way and I squeaked, shooting out vines to capture everyone and stop them from hurting themselves as we fell. Izuku wrapped his arms around my waist, landing perfectly on the ground while I remained there in a bridal position. He placed me down and we were both holding each other's shoulders, assessing for any injuries. Dust was all over from the impact of the fall and I retracted my vines, "Guys." I spoke, pointing to the unrecognizable figures that were approaching us.
There were three people, all of them with some sort of garment that covered their faces. One had his entire head covered in a sack, only showing his eyes as a sown in smile was the only thing that could be seen. The other was a bald, husky man, and the final one was a blonde with long hair and a bird's beak for a mask with a sword casually hanging from his side.
Attacks were beginning to be thrown left and right, I saw crystals and hummed, shattering them just with a glance. The villain didn't recognize it was my work so his advances were unsuccessful but Amajiki surprised us all.
"You all go on without me, it's my fault that we took too long to realize we fell through so let me handle these three, I can do it." His voice was louder now, beckoning that what he needed to say was so important that we couldn't deny him.
"I'm sure you can do it, Tamaki, but this isn't some movie where we all go down one by one sacrificing ourselves to let the rest continue forward. Come on, we'll do it together." I insisted, holding out a hand in his direction. I was shocked when Fatgum grabbed it instead, lowering it down as he shook his head.
"No, Reyna, let's leave it to him. He's going to become a pro next year and I trust him."
"Everyone move forward!" Shota called out and we began running again, I whipped my head to look back at Tamaki once more.
This was the first time I saw him lack any anxiety, any worry or fear, it was only a resolve that I wish I carried. I smiled and he returned it before disappearing from my view.
I hope he defeats them easily.
We were making our ways through the path once
more, I kept looking around to see if the walls would move again somehow, but they didn't. Everything was too peaceful, too quiet, like the calm before a storm.
"I wonder if Tamaki is okay," Kirishima muttered, eyes filled with worry as he looked to his mentor. Izuku was reluctant but also spoke, "Yeah, taking on three guys like that, it must be tough."
"The mark of a real man is to believe in his comrades, we have to completely trust in Amajiki to handle those bad guys while we reach our main goal." Fatgum's words had rung true, that's why I remained silent because I placed my faith in Tamaki and his powerful quirk. Kirishima grew more relieved and I listened to Shota and Sir Nighteye talking about the villain named "Mimic" and his ability to manipulate surroundings. We were moving near an intersection of the hall when I whispered to Izuku, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just want to reach Eri. How are you, Flo?"
"Same here, but I've been thinking about it, and I need you to promise me another thing." I breathed out, lungs demanding new oxygen as we continued running.
"What is it, Flower?"
"When the time comes, if you need to choose between saving anyone else and Eri, choose Eri no matter what, okay?"
Izuku slowed down at my words, he finally met my gaze with eyes that held so many emotions: fear, anger, worry, and one that stood out from the rest.
Love.
He loves me, that much I'm certain of, but he couldn't let it get in the way of our job. We needed that little girl to be safe and I knew that our battle up ahead would place both of our lives in danger. He needed to know that it was okay if I got injured or worse at the expense of the girl. I had accepted it and he had to, as well.
I, on the other hand, knew that I would lay my life on the line for the sake of everyone else. I had the ability to look out for multiple people at once with my quirk, so I wouldn't let it all go to waste. I owed it myself to make sure that I completed my task as a hero, saving anyone was my biggest priority right alongside loving Izuku Midoriya.
I gave him an apologetic grin and he sighed, "You're so pretty even when I feel like you're gonna break my heart."
I blinked, fighting back the tears before I turned away. We ran for a few more minutes, Izuku and I at the same pace as I would glance to look at the green curls, the freckles, the eyes, the lips that I fell in love with so devastatingly that it could put any war or natural disaster to shame.
I heard an odd grating sound from behind Kirishima, and I moved my head to see the walls bending into a jagged structure, capturing Aizawa.
"Aizawa!" I yelled out, reaching to lunge at him but I saw Fatgum hurling Aizawa's frame in my direction. I caught him as we rolled back, but my eyes pinpointed the next event.
The wall was still bending, almost as if it was pushing Fatgum elsewhere but I noticed the figure in the pro's belly, they were both moving away from us, "Kiri!" I screamed, running towards them but they disappeared so fast that I crashed into the still wall. I fell on the floor, rubbing my head before feeling Izuku help me up. I was upset.
Damn it, those two are left alone with God knows what kind of villain.
"We need to continue forward, let's go." That was from Sir Nighteye, who was beginning to move away as Aizawa and Rock Lock waited for me.
"Remember, Fatgum himself said that we needed to trust them." Izuku was attempting to comfort me and I allowed him, giving him a single huff before we moved forward.
The walls were still twisting and bending, so we all had to stop. I grew panicky, fidgeting as I tried to get a grasp on the wall, seeing if I could manipulate it to stop closing in on us. Breathe, Florence. You've proved yourself useless so far so you need to get a grip.
They began discussing ways to get Mimic's quirk to become unaffecting as I suddenly got an idea.
The wall may not be completely made of Earth's materials, but if I can shove a vine and have it scout out, I can dissolve the walls if Mimic were to send anything our way. I tested my theory, feeling the hum of the vines as it plunged into the nearest wall.
It is mostly made out of cement. Lucky for me.
I jumped between the walls, giving sharp kicks as I watched them all move away from us. Sir Nighteye and Shota watched as the space between us and the hard surfaces were only increasing to a more movable area, "Lock Rock, do that thing." I pleaded, and I watched him place his hand on a wall, twisting it oddly as a red glow emitted from him and the movement finally stopped momentarily.
"I wish I could see that damn villain," Aizawa muttered while Sir Nighteye kept looking around. I moved back down to Izuku who had kicked away a projected portion of the wall.
All it took was one blink, the wall near Sir Nighteye, some police officers, and Rock Lock moved, separating from us as I yelped in surprise, running forward to search for them with Midoriya but Shota stopped us both, clinging to our hero costumes as he tugged us backwards.
We heard scuffling from beyond us, following with a loud and angry yell from the Rock Lock.
"Full Cowling!" "Screw this." I knew it would drain most of my energy but I touched the wall, dissolving a portion as Izuku kicked the rest away to reveal two Rock Locks, both of them looking to us. One of him was on the ground, and the other was standing, giving me the most wretched feeling as he began approaching Izuku and I. I stiffened, feeling my knuckles glaze with stone as I see the pro take out a knife, swinging it through the air as it neared the boy I love. I yelled, dissolving the blade immediately as the pro in front of us was beginning to melt. I sent multiple punches in her direction, making sure to see blood come out as I knew who the imposter pretending to be a hero was.
My body was shaking in rage, every bad memory from the kidnapping that I attempted to drown out had came rushing forward. I distinctly saw her in every time they harmed me, she was so gleeful about it, my torment was her pleasure. This girl was the reason behind the scar on my neck, the one that called attention from so many as eyes and noses would become contorted in disgust. She made me feel ugly and discarded, like trash that got molded around disturbingly to another person's content.
"Himiko Toga?" Izuku cried out in anger, as the girl blushed sickeningly and giggled, "You remember me, Izuku!"
I felt a hot flash of irritation as I grabbed her hair, twisting it into my palm to lift her body into the air and slam her into the wall, looking in revulsion while she spat out blood.
"Don't call him that." I barked out, ready to kick her where it would hurt but I saw Shota release his scarf, ready to bind her in. She jumped up, gripping the scarf as she pulled herself closer to my teacher, speaking to me all the while.
"So I was right, Flo! You are in love, and you're so lucky because he's in love with you, too! I would kill to be you, pretty girl!" Toga cried out gleefully. A knife flew out in my direction as it melted from my thoughts, falling into the floor with a loud clatter.
I ran towards her, releasing vines to pierce her but she flipped like an acrobat, landing on Aizawa as her blade dug into his skin.
"Aizawa!" Izuku and I both screamed, reaching him as I cursed in fury. Vines reached her all over, throwing her to different sides of the wall as she groaned and tried escaping from my grasp. I kept tightening the vines' hold on her, watching her skin pale as her fingers reached for the blade on her ankle. I slammed her head into the wall, sending healing properties to Aizawa as I melted the knife on her leg, hearing her shriek from the pain of the temperature.
That's the least this bitch deserves.
"Florence, attend to Rock Lock! You can't kill her!" Aizawa demanded and I released the beaten girl, rolling my eyes as Izuku spoke to Shota while I attended to Rock Lock.
I heard her disappear into the walls, retreating as I wrapped strong eucalyptus leaves around Rock Lock, stopping the blood from his wound as I closed it with my healing, giving him some chamomile to soothe the pain and restore his energy.
I walked back to Izuku and Aizawa, sending healing substances through Aizawa's body to quickly close his own injury as I felt myself growing lightheaded. Aizawa stood with Midoriya and I, our bodies began getting moved around like the frantic manner of a roller coaster ride. The walls were moving and shifting so fast that it only made the landscape rugged and odd, the hall was no longer a straight, clear path as the walls created slopes and turns that all stretched out expansively, pillars moving at a constant speed while Sir Nighteye and the others made their way to us.
I heard an unfamiliar voice in anger. "Izuku," I whispered, pointing upwards towards the ceilings and Aizawa spoke, "Mimic is in there, Midoriya." That statement was more of a command, and Izuku crouched, green lightning bouncing off him as he became determined.
He's always so pretty when he looks angry.
He jumped through the landscape, releasing a powerful kick into the ceiling as the culprit behind all this movement fell from the roof, falling down. I heard two playful voices bidding a farewell as Izuku's eyes widened in surprise, "The League of Villains?"
Wait, these idiots aren't interfering anymore? Why not? Confusion tolled through me as I frowned, summoning a thick vine to catch him as Sir Nighteye threw something in Mimic's face.
The shuffling labyrinth seized at once as I breathed out in relief, placing the villain on the ground while I stretched out my arms.
"I wonder if Mirio is doing alright." Izuku mumbled to me, and I looked at him, understanding the underlying question.
He's wondering if he reached Eri.
Sir Nighteye and Shota signaled for us to began making our way onwards once more.
"I know the room she's located in, tread carefully, we're in the final moments." Sir Nighteye's tone was passive, but something about the phasing of the words had startled me.
I felt a feeling I hadn't experienced since I got kidnapped, fear. She was growing rapidly, pleading once more that I would have guaranteed safety if I simply turned and walked away from all this. One thing kept me grounded in place, ready to move forward and end it all.
Eri. That little girl with white hair and broken eyes. She was so deserving of love and a healthy childhood, this world has done nothing but harmed her because of the environment she was raised in. They were abusing her, manipulating her into thinking that this was all okay, that she deserved this. I couldn't stand by idly and let another innocent person get trampled on by evil bastards like Chisaki. So, even if it was to my last dying breath, I would make sure Eri was no longer in their hands.
Rock Lock spoke, "You four need to go ahead, we can take this Mimic guy and round up the other villains. No one's in any shape to fight some more except for you guys."
We agreed, "Rock Lock, thanks for having our back." I told him quietly, giving him a small pat on his shoulder while he gave Izuku and I a determined smile.
"You see, it's not that I don't trust you kids to be good heroes, it's that you two are kids. I finally have one of my own, and it doesn't matter if you guys have the most powerful quirks in the world, you're still children getting involved in matters that could hurt you. I've seen you two work together though, so I know the hero society is in good hands, you even put most of us to shame. Deku, Terra, you two promised to return Eri to us so I'm counting on it. Sir, you're just as responsible."
My heart squirmed at the concern he held for us, most people only saw us for our quirks, knowing we could be good heroes so they readily placed the burdens of becoming a pro and fighting in a world full of villainy without second thought. Rock Lock praised our power but also took into account that we were still kids learning our way about even though we had already suffered through so much. He was only being human.
"I hope to work with you more in the future," I told him, giving him a genuine smile before turning and walking forward with the rest, I could hear Izuku speaking to him before departing.
We sprinted, reaching the final wall that Sir Nighteye explained was the only thing stopping us from reaching Eri.
I was side by side with Izuku, both of us lowering our grounds on the body as I gripped his arm one more time, signaling that we'll enter with our combo move.
"You ready, Deku?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, Flower."
We shattered the wall, and I flipped through the air, foot meeting Chisaki's face as Izuku through a punch to his arm, sending Overhaul flying into the cemented ground.
I took in my settings quickly. Mirio was bleeding, hovering over Eri as she looked at us in dismay. There were spikes from the ground near them and I looked back at Chisaki. He slammed his hand into the ground and I forced Izuku to stay back, the same large and threatening spikes from Mirio had developed in the nearby area, looking deadly and menacing as Overhaul gripped the body's face that was near him. A powerful explosion shook the ground and I stumbled back, raising my arm to wipe out the spikes in my vision.
Chisaki screamed on about having Eri return to him as his arms grew to a large size, looking sickly pink and purple. Overhaul was facing Mirio and speaking down on him in a condescending tone, "What a pathetic life you've had, Lemillion."
"Now, Deku." We both had large spikes from the ground in our arms and jumped to Overhaul, piercing him with it before he created spikes to reach towards us instead, and I covered my feet with vines to protect myself from getting stabbed as Izuku used his iron shoes for defense.
A beam of light poured onto Chisaki's face as Sir Nighteye insisted we move out of the way, "I will be his opponent!" He cried out as I redirected myself mid-air, grabbing Izuku as I launched a vine to plunge us into the space near Mirio and Eri.
We met them, and my arms wrapped around the small girl and Mirio as I sent my best healing to them with rare plants. Heal him, he looks badly injured. Mirio's abdomen was coated in blood as his costume was shredded up in most directions, he still kept his grip firm on the little girl.
I moved them to the wall we entered from and bent to the little girl, "Deku, make a hole through the wall. Hey, Eri?"
Her eyes widened at the fact that I knew her name.
"Sweetheart, I know you think this is all your fault, but it's not. No one here is to blame except for the bad guys and you're not a bad guy, so we'll be here to save you okay? Can you trust me? Just follow Mirio out of here." I pleaded, sending chamomile to soothe her as she gave a timid nod. I created thick plants to use as gauze and wrap it around Mirio's abdomen quickly, "Mirio, go and don't stop until you find help. I'm sorry we barely got here," I whispered, placing my hand on his cheek to use the most strength I could to relieve his pain. He groaned, "Yeah, don't even apologize." They were shuffling away as Izuku faced me, eyes moving beyond me as he gasped and looked horrified. I spun around, watching two massive spikes pierce Sir Nighteye's upper abdomen and arm, he coughed out blood.
Terror coursed through me as my limbs shook and I screamed out, "Sir!" Izuku and I launched ourselves into Chisaki at once but he began created those same death stones that could kill us if we landed on them. Izuku slammed his foot into the ground as I raised my arms, a large stone wall created to prevent ourselves from flying into the trap.
We began sprinting, and I hurled pillars of stone to all crash towards the bastard in front of us. Spikes flew again and I dodged them, eyes widening when I noticed that one flew to Izuku and shattered the gear in his arm.
"Izuku." My tone wasn't complex or powerful, it was quiet but enough to instruct what we needed to do. He threw himself towards a metal beam in the wall as I did the same opposite of him, both jumping towards Overhaul as I shattered the spikes around him and pierced his body with vines and pillars while Izuku aimed a strong kick.
"Even if this is stronger than the last two kicks, you'll still die." His palm touched the ground as spikes were created in Izuku's direction.
I felt my heart drop, my eyes were open, witnessing it all as it happened in slow motion. I stretched my hand out, dissolving some but not all on time. Spikes went through Izuku's arm and leg as he sunk to his knee, face contorting in pain and anger while I gasped, a pathetic scream from my mouth as I landed behind Chisaki.
You'll pay.
I didn't need to move, all I did was blink, eyes narrowing as the same pillars I always made had formed, but the ends of each pillar were slimmed to a point that was deadlier than anything Overhaul created. They struck through Chisaki's limbs as he groaned and I let them continue to grow, manifesting a tablet to land upon his head as I sunk the ground from beneath him, capturing him in thick dirt. I forced the particles to rub together to burn his skin as he hissed in pain. I kicked him to the ground by shoving a thorn in his spine, my foot was atop of his head as I glared down at him, vines were encasing his body but all I could see was red.
You hurt him. You hurt her. You hurt so many people. You're a monster.
"Florence." Izuku breathed out, staring at me in shock while his blood continued to litter the ground. I dissolved the spikes in Izuku's body, summoning vines to wrap around his wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
Overhaul's hand stuck out from the ground, a hole was formed in his palm as I created stone to crush it but he destroyed it, using his palm to yell.
"Someone else is about to die because of you! Is that what you want?! Eri!"
You sick, gas-lighting bastard. I stretched my leg out to slam on his hand but Chisaki yelled, "The someone else is you!" The vines capturing him exploded, forcing me to fly backwards as I gasped, realizing where I landed.
I glanced down to see my white hero costume torn. A spike was lodged through my shoulder as two more were in my thigh while another sliced through the cartilage in my opposite elbow. Blood was beginning to drip everywhere as tears poured from my eyes because of the pain. I hissed, dissolving them as I sunk to the floor.
I could hear Izuku screaming with an intensity, he was losing his mind and I coughed, hearing small footsteps from the gaping hole in the wall.
No.
"Eri." I gasped out, seeing the bandaged girl step into the room once more, her eyes looking utterly
crushed and defeated.
"I don't want that." She choked out, looking fearful as I heard Overhaul scoff.
Chisaki was standing now, looking towards Izuku. "Haven't you realized? She doesn't want you." I writhed at the villain's words, meeting Eri's gaze as I whispered, "You need to run. Do not stay with him, Eri, please."
"Do you think these two can save you all by themselves?" Overhaul's mocking tone was directed towards Eri and I bit my lip harshly at the way she shook her head sadly, almost as if she accepted that version of the truth but wanted to believe otherwise.
"How can we fix this, Eri, tell me."
"Shut up, you stupid bastard." I spat out, standing upright despite the injuries I donned.
"If I go back to you, fix them all. Fix everything." Her tiny voice made me want to sob but I ignored the ache.
"Eri, that's not going to fix anything. Things will be fixed if you come with us." I pleaded, making my way towards her as I dissolved the spikes Chisaki had sent to me.
Izuku finally spoke, "Even if she doesn't, I still need to save her because she was crying! No one here will die!" I hoped to God he was right as I stood in front of Eri with my arms raised out, showing that I would shield her until I was unconscious.
She mumbled an apology, stepping aside and moving past me. I felt my heart break, watching her torn between nearing Chisaki and leaving.
Suddenly, the ceiling above us collapsed, disintegrating as Tsu, Ochaco, and Ryukyu fell near Izuku.
"What? That wasn't you?!" Uraraka squeaked out, grabbing Izuku as her and Tsu appeared to be confused and lost.
I ignored their discussions, refocusing on the girl nearby. I began making my way towards her, "Deku." He yelled for me and we initiated the plan once more, I watched as Uraraka made her way to Sir Nighteye while Izuku and I were reaching towards Eri to take her back.
Overhaul slammed his hand into the ground as I forced myself to sprint, lunging to reach for her but it was too late. She was flying through the air as Izuku and I both screamed in rage. We were already flying upwards while Overhaul had Eri in his grasp, and I summoned the most of my remaining power to target him and move her from his hold.
The one thing that stood out from this moment was Mirio's cape fluttering around, it was tattered and had blood smeared with the holes. For some reason, it caught Eri's attention as she instinctively reached out for the cape.
She was separated from him as I grew stunned at the sight. She was glowing while Overhaul returned to a somewhat normal appearance, a man splitting from his body as he collapsed to the pillar they were all on.
Finally. Eri jumped off the pillar, arms outstretched towards Izuku as he did the same, screaming for her. I smiled, knowing that when they met once more, things would change, I would see that promise through to the end.
My face shifted when I realized Overhaul's hand was only centimeters away from Eri's foot.
No. I won't let you hurt her anymore.
I grabbed onto Chisaki, forcing him to the pillar's surface as he shrieked in rage, his fist meeting my stomach with so much raw power that I doubled over before flying off the pillar.
The last image I saw was Izuku holding onto Eri, promising that he would never let her go before his gaze met my frame. His eyes flew wide and so did his mouth as he began screaming for me. I only had one second to shake my head, giving him a weak smile as he looked devastated.
Even like this, he's a work of art, so beautiful. Maybe I've always been meant to admire him from an observational standpoint, maybe I'm not supposed to be alongside a piece of beauty.
As long as Izuku saves Eri, I'm okay.
I braced myself for the landing, feeling myself being hung in the air by a spike poking through my stomach right where Shigaraki's scar began. I groaned, the pain being felt right onto the molecular structure of my body.
I'm probably going to die, aren't I? If I live, the universe must have a twisted sense of keeping me around the edges of death, I danced hand in hand with it so often that it was almost like a tradition.
I knew Izuku was glowing in a sheer amount of force with his quirk as they disappeared above the surface, Eri strapped to his back as he took on Overhaul.
My vision was so blurry that I knew the battle was one of the most powerful ones of this time, so much noise and wind and explosions could be heard from above ground. Tears were obstructing my line of sight so I only went off hearing. I wrapped a vine around my waist, attaching it to a pole that was above ground, meters near the fight that had taken to the air. I dissolved the spike, feeling my body swing through the air as blood poured down like a gushing waterfall.
I forced my vine to lift me to the natural day as I stumbled, wiping my hands towards my face in a measly and pathetic attempt to clear the tears of pain. I looked up, seeing Izuku battle in a way that was unseen, he looked like the epitome of One for All, glowing like radiance as he fought the shell of Overhaul.
Chisaki was now a sick-looking monster, going against a person who could defeat him within a minute. Eri was still strapped to Izuku's back and I grew confused, she was using her quirk too?
I contemplated it, putting the pieces together as I collapsed to the ground, crawling forward to where Izuku was at. Luckily, no one had noticed me yet so they wouldn't see the state my body was in. Shota would probably wring my neck for the new scars that would litter my body once more. At least I had taken to wrapping plants around me, attempting to stem the flow of blood, but it was proving to be futile.
Eri's quirk was used to destroy quirks in a way, not destroy but... revert. That explains the whispers Mirio gave to Izuku, when he stated that he was pierced with a bullet that depleted his Permeation. That was why Tamaki was temporarily unable to use his power. It was also why Izuku was using one hundred percent of One for All, he wouldn't hurt himself because of Eri, she was glowing, lending him her strength to help him in defeating Overhaul.
I finished that conclusion right when I saw Izuku clearly. His hair was standing upright, eyes were glowing with a neon green that had tints of blue. The white sparks were from Eri but he had powerful green lightning rolling off him as he delivered a final punch to Overhaul, sending him flying into the ground as I fell back from the force, too.
Not even Izuku at one hundred percent will keep me away from him.
I crawled to them weakly, observing the exchange between Izuku and Overhaul, finally the villain was defeated.
I heard the others yelling for us, Shota's loud cries of my name were what I pinpointed but I dismissed them for the sake of relieving his worry.
I used the last of my strength to stand, walking towards them as my arm wrapped around my abdomen. Izuku's eyes met mine for a brief second, confusion and horror in them as he took in my bloodied state. He winced, and I realized Eri's quirk was still activated and it was hurting him now. I knew Aizawa was using his Erasure because his green hues soon shut as him and Eri became unconscious, falling towards the ground.
I ran forward, catching the two as I landed on the cement with them atop me.
"Thank you." I whispered to the boy who was crushing my broken body with his deadweight. He still had worry lines etched into his forehead and I smoothed them out with my thumb. I always admired the expression he carried when he was asleep, we spent so many nights wrapped in each other that it let me memorize every detail of his face that rivaled the definition of perfection. I was thanking him for giving me the privilege to know him as well as I did, and thanking the universe for allowing me to encounter this boy that was never supposed to spare me one glance in my direction. He's too good for me.
I could hear Shota and Ochaco moving closer to us with each footstep increasing in volume.
I hope I wake up.
With that, I kissed his forehead, feeling my head hit the concrete.