Hey
Countdown to Parallels: 5 days left <3
Patreon has to chapter 29 and the Shoto x Reader which has been very fun
***
Katsuki caught you as you fell. Your consciousness slipped for a few seconds, like a lightbulb gone dim from blown circuits. The transference of Atomic left you weaker, nothing to numb the pain of faint burns and bruises or feed your body the necessary reactions it needed to go on unimpaired.
Running back to the city, being in the line of fire, the fighting, it left you with more than Atomic let you originally feel. Going on without him would be a challenge like no other.
Katsuki knew that as he wrapped a single arm now bare of a gauntlet around your body, the other tucked beneath your knees, and bringing you down safely.
"Katsuki," you breathed, trying to catch sight of something concrete, something to hold onto in the chaos. "I'm okay," you swore, pressing your hands to his chest. His grip only tightened even as he let your feet touch the ground.
"I know."
The night he carried you on his back returned, nostalgia frolicking in the mix of delirium. Your fingers curled into the material of his costume, the damaged ends held together by your touch. His heartbeat heavy and quick against yours, his mask half burnt off his face.
Eventually, the sounds of tortured screams and yelps made you tense against one another. Shigaraki's body convulsed, held up in the sky. Flurrying light spread across his skin, Atomic's energy battling it out with All for One within his mind and physicality.
Your lower lip shook. Tomura winced, grabbing at his own limbs, scratching at himself so hard he worsened his already lethal wounds. You could only imagine the pain.
Eraser was right behind you, his leg bleeding out as Rocklock held him upright, two other heroes tending to the flesh. His power was fading quickly with his ability to remain awake.
You and Katsuki stayed close to him. It was impossible to attack Shigaraki from this point. Even Deku, whose rage ran rampant, knew that coming into contact with him while two quirks fought one another within him was a mistake.
Atomic would win. You knew he would. All for One spent decades searching for that energy, trying to perfect it within Tomura and you both. He created it. Destroying it would be akin to killing one's own child.
All for One's ominous presence spread out, casting a shadow, intimidating its succeeding challenger. Atomic was just as tangible. His determination a light that out shown that very darkness. Zings of silver similar to Deku's activation of One for All took over Tomura.
He would win. You knew he would. Atomic would push All for One out. Like dogs mauling one another, Atomic's jaws grappled All for One's neck, threatening the power into submission.
Tomura's eyes shut, his muscles pulled taut, everything in him screaming to be released, to be let go.
"What did you do?" Katsuki whispered, staring, not allowing comprehension of its feasibility.
"All for One has only two equals." you said, looking back at Aizawa, rushing to tend to him too. "Atomic won't submit. Unless All for One wants to destroy something he put his life's work into, Atomic will win out. Once Shigaraki has his own consciousness back, we can detain him."
"And what if he isn't willing to give up Shigaraki?"
"What?"
"He's a man whose quirk and entire existence gets high off control. He's been trying to control Atomic since you got it right? Even before that?" Katsuki stood guard in front of Aizawa while you removed your hood, used it to wipe the sweat off your teacher's forehead and cover his bleeding eye. "What if his control over Shigaraki is more important than Atomic?"
You stilled. Shigaraki's writhing came to a halt, his agony dissipating as his heavy breaths returned to normal.
On instinct, you put your arm out in front of Aizawa, your teacher no longer conscious. You gripped his shoulder, the ground scraping beneath Katsuki's feet as he widened his stance to shield you and the heroes aiding. Endeavor and Deku stood at the ready.
Shigaraki looked back up. Only white filled his eyes, that demonic smile curving his lips. When a chuckle too deep to be his filled the air, your heart sunk, gaze swirling with terror.
Atomic. You couldn't feel him anymore. Not even a single fleeting light, the one that resembled fireflies, showed. There was only the wind. And it carried nothing but dust.
"No," you whispered, letting your teacher go.
"That's not possible." Endeavor breathed, his fire returning.
Deku grabbed at his hair.
"Did All for One just-"
"No!" You screamed, tears flooding your eyes as you started running right at the All for One's vessel. "No, he couldn't have died! You needed him! He couldn't have lost to you!"
Katsuki grabbed you, kept you from going any further. You sobbed empty cries, nothing but breaths empty of wails caught in your throat.
I'm here, Atomic. Come back to me. You cried. Come back to me.
You waited. Waited the feeling in your veins, the warmth, the protection, the gentle voice in your head. But it never came.
"Quit your crying." All for One spoke, rolling his eyes at the pathetic child before him. "You've always been so sentimental. I have no need for a quirk that believes it deserves any more than a leash."
"Shigaraki!" Deku yelled, still tear-stained, converting his anger into power as he rushed towards the figure.
He'd already killed too many. He'd hurt Aizawa, hurt so many civilians. He'd killed Gran Torino. And now he killed your quirk. A quirk he felt One for All cry for as he aimed right for the villain's head with his fist.
Shigaraki was blown backwards, but as he landed, he only seemed more determined to go on. He laughed again. Destruction coiled in his palms ready to be pressed to the earth with All for One's blessing.
"Now you can finally die," He said, blood pooling down his mouth, the regeneration ability enhanced by All for One's return. With Atomic out of the way? The power was unbeatable.
Shigaraki pressed his hands into the earth, but rather than a the earth breaking beneath his touch, a line straight from his heart to his shoulder cracked open, like a rift in a desert.
"Eh?" Color returned to Shigaraki's eyes. The red returned, petrified, but still there in a sea of scars and blood. A confused, pained sound escaped his throat.
Deku skid to a halt before him, staring Shigaraki down.
The villain blinked profusely, began looking around as if he'd lost something. Softer tones reached his features. His hair fell, expression just as lost as his actions.
"Atomic?" Shigaraki asked, his voice rough, yet light, as if he were about to cry. "Where are you? You were just here, I-" He turned, faced Deku, stumbling forward like any mortal man with a gaping injury stretched across their torso. "Hey..." Shigaraki blinked, reaching out to the hero. "What's today's date?"
His body. Deku thought. It can't keep up with the power.
The boy remembered how your ears used to ring, Atomic feeding on your emotions and blowing up to proportions you could never control back at the sports festival. He remembered his own body breaking, bones shattering, muscles tearing to shreds under the weight of One for All.
All for One wasn't any different. Or maybe it was. Because after only a second of being present, Shigaraki shook his head furiously. Then his eyes went white again, the smile returning.
Deku growled in the face of the one who murdered his mentor, murdered the power you cared so much for.
"One touch." All for One chuckled, watching Deku's body come straight to him, One for All practically being handed to him on a silver platter. "To finally end this."
"You're right!" Deku yelled back, both opponents taking to the air. "We're ending this. Right now!"
***
This had to be dealt with in the air. Deku's body flashed, his veins lit up, his muscles shivering under the feel of 100% of his power. Two of his fingers were already broken. That didn't even chip away at a bit of his resolve.
Punching Shigaraki again, he used Black Whip one and off, just kept Shigaraki up in the sky. The moment he touched the ground, it was over. Now that Atomic was gone, nothing would prevent him from tearing the earth apart along with everyone on it.
Picturing the ground disintegrate- Kacchann, Endeavor, you, Aizawa, everyone too- it was enough to keep him going.
"Deku, you idiot!" Rocklock called, holding Aizawa in his arms, the teacher now completely unconscious from his wounds. "You're the one who should be furthest from that guy! Erasure is already gone!"
"Who else is gonna keep him up here!? Just let me handle this!" Deku screamed, avoiding Shigaraki's attacks, his laugh not born from his own voice sending spikes of anger through Deku's body. He only saw Gran Torino under Shigaraki's hold, his body somewhere in the rubble. Tears and rage enticed his power, fed his need for revenge.
Now that Atomic no longer based himself in your nerves, it seemed Shigaraki lost interest entirely. All he wanted was destruction. But Deku swore that every now and then, his eyes drifted towards the girl still shedding tears for her quirk.
"Don't you dare hurt anyone else!" Deku screamed, delivering another blow with 100% of One for All. Tomura felt the hit in his bones, his regeneration working as quickly as he could.
But One for All had no such power. Atomic barely knew how to regenerate even fully grown and he was gone. That's all Katsuki could think about as he too caught Shigaraki's gaze landing on your figure before returning his attention to Deku.
The boy breathed quick and shallow, jaw loose as he realized he couldn't help Deku without getting in the way. Something in his gut twisted, his arms tightening around you.
Deku's arm was broken, his knee too, three fingers close to falling off. His vital organs must've not been in good shape either with the way Tomura just kept coming back stronger.
"You can't fool them forever, old man." That's what Katsuki had said to All Might not so long ago as they looked out at the class training all together.
Deku was starting to show off Black Whip, float, new powers that came with One for All. You were testing Atomic's capabilities more and more now that you and him were on good terms. All Might seemed a bit worried just as Katsuki did. That at some point, Midoriya and Y/n would be known as children bearing quirks impossible to imagine.
"As much as I hate to admit it, I have complete trust in Deku," Katsuki said, sitting on the bench beside the retired pro, his UA uniform hiding his nose and mouth, tiresome circles forming beneath the eyes.
You'd been back for all of a week at that point. And already your hair was growing past your ears, the silver coming back along with your smiles.
"Those bastards." Katsuki rolled his eyes. "They don't realize how special they are."
He watched as you Deku laughed, testing one another's powers, the rest of the class joining in. "Must've been part of their upbringing."
All Might listened to the boy, saw the affection in his eyes as he gazed out at his friend and his lover.
"It used to annoy the hell out of me. I wanted to keep my distance from them." He said. "I pushed back on my own feelings of weakness that manifested within me. It's why I had so much trouble accepting my feelings for Headset." Katsuki stood up, put his hands in his pockets, sighing. "It's why I bullied Deku."
"So," All Might started, an enlightened look on his face. "You could say that by helping him practice, by training with him. Even by devoting yourself to y/n," Katsuki blinked at him, waiting for the words as his mentor smiled up at him. "Is that part of your atonement?"
Bakugo scoffed, turning back around. The love of his life fell over, laughing with her chest, her friends teasing her as she stood up, Deku and her both dizzy and stumbling about. He'd seen them both happy before. But it was different now. Their smiles were true and blessed and too enthralled to be false.
"I haven't atoned," Katsuki said, holding onto the sounds and warmth of his loved ones' joy. "Not yet."
"Y/n!" Todoroki appeared past the rubble, running through as Endeavor hugged his side, a piercing wound keeping his fire from returning to help Deku. "Father!"
"Shoto! Stay back!"
A sound like a clap of thunder sent a shockwave through the air as Deku and Shigaraki still battled it out. A clashing of fists and counter-attacks- their volume was unbearable, much less the sight.
Bakugo swallowed, his hands shaking until he let you go, set you down right behind him.
"Todoroki!" He yelled, your brother huddling to his side. "Grab ahold of me!"
"Katsuki, what are you-"
"You stay here!" He yelled, grabbing your face in his palm.
All it took was the glossy nature of his eyes and his two fingers grazing your cheekbone to know he was about to do something you knew would land him in danger.
Before you could protest, grab him, keep close and safe, Shoto grabbed onto Katsuki's shoulder, the two of them taking to the skies to support their friend.
Tomura saw their tiny shapes get closer and closer. Or rather, All for One did. But it was Tomura that saw your face. Saw a semblance of his sister and her tears, the quirk he'd come to know vanished.
A whimpering noise emerged from his body, everything tensing as his new quirk repulsed him. Clenching his fists, Shigaraki curled his back, shut his eyes tight, anything to gain back control.
"Stop it!" He screamed and Deku couldn't tell if it was directed towards him or someone within himself.
Tomura. Give me your body.
"No!" He yelled, fighting against the hold.
I already have most of your consciousness, my son. Submit. And I shall help you as I always have.
Shigaraki kept on struggling. Deku came to realize that's why he couldn't remember. That's why he couldn't control himself and his eyes retreated. All for One's quirk was an extension of himself, Shigaraki becoming nothing more than a symbol and body with a useless mind.
Little Brother.
Deku shivered at the sound. It didn't come from Shigaraki's lips. It came from someone taking his soul. The hero froze, his limbs broken, his breath fading.
A hellish wail arose Tomura's throat, black spikes emerging from All for One's quirk. It must've been the last resort of a defense mechanism. Against strength, explosions, and ice and fire. The darkness took the shape of a blade, screeching against the air like metal, piercing anything in the way.
Deku's eyes went wide. There were three heading right for him. They would surely strike his heart, kill him, One for All left for its creator's taking.
But they never did. Someone pushed Deku out of the way, the weapons meeting flesh without mercy.
At that moment. There were no thoughts. Bakugo's body just... moved on its own.