Author's Note:
Finally! It's the last arc!!!
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The four months that the heroes had for preparation had ended in a flash.
All the trusted pro heroes were now surrounding the bases of the villains all over the country. Endeavor had led the team that would storm Jaku Hospital, while Edgeshot was leading the team deployed on Gunga Mountain Villa.
Most of Class A were deployed close to Gunga Mountain Villa with the exception of Katsuki, Shoto, Izuku, Iida, Uraraka, and Tsuyu who were deployed near Jaku Hospital.
"Uhm, Burnin'?" Izuku called Endeavor's fiery sidekick. "Do you know where Asra-san is?"
Izuku's words had grabbed the attention of Shoto, Katsuki, Uraraka, and Tsuyu. Most of them had not seen a glimpse of the girl for a few months. To say they were worried was an understatement.
"Stop asking useless questions, Shitty Deku!" They all looked at Katsuki with horrific expressions. They thought that out of all of them Katsuki was going to be the most worried. "She's Asra, you dumbasses! Wherever she is, I know she's fine."
And Katsuki meant it. Although he was worried sick with the girl's sudden disappearances, he also knew that Hiraku could handle herself; she also had the habit of disappearing and appearing.
"i'm glad that you think that, bakugo." Shoto placed an arm on Katsuki's shoulder.
Katsuki shook his hand off before saying, "Tsk, of course! She's the strongest person I know!"
The rest of them smiled at Katsuki.
He was right.
They should stop worrying too much and just trust that Hiraku was fine.
"Stop talking, guys!" Burnin' called out, grabbing everyone's attention. "They're moving in! That's our cue! Move to your assigned sector and get those civilians outta there!"
Meanwhile--about 80 kilometers away in Gunga Mountain Villa--the rest of Class A with some of Class B, were grouped together as the rear guards.
"Almost time," Sero looked at Mineta, "Get up, Grape Juice."
"Why?" Mineta questioned. "The rear guard's job is just to catch any bad guys who slip past the front line. So getting all pumped up is actually kinda insulting to the pros, right?"
Sero glared at Mineta and said, "Get up."
One of the pro heroes approached the heroes-in-training, telling them, "It's starting."
"What!?"
"You said that so casually..!"
Jiro plugged her earjacks on the ground and said, "They're on the move."
"This operation has brought heroes together on an unprecedented scale, but that's no reason to relax just yet," the pro hero from before said. "What this means is that we need everyone here to face the massive threat in front of us!"
Eijiro approached Mina and said, "Hey, where do you think Asra is?"
"Oh my god, you're right!" Mina replied. "We haven't seen her in months!"
"Should we be worried?" Sero asked, overhearing the duos conversation and approaching them.
"Are you guys talking about Asra?" a pro hero approached the trio. "I think I know where she is."
"Really!? Tell us, mister!" Mina grabbed the hero frantically.
The hero named Yuri only smiled as he pointed a finger above them, saying, "I think I heard some of them say she's somewhere over there."
The trio raised their heads, only seeing trees and clouds. They looked at the pro hero with narrowed eyes.
"Are you messing with us?"
The pro hero blushed in embarrassment, raising both his arms and saying, "I-I'm n-not! That's what I heard from the others! They said the higher-ups had tasked her with staying down and being on standby. Said she was our trump card or something."
The trio exchanged looks as Eijiro asked, "And Asra was fine with that?"
Most of Class 1A almost knew the girl from the inside out. They knew how much Hiraku prioritized civilian's lives over her own. They knew how heroic Hiraku was, so they were dumbfounded at the information.
They thought that there was no way Hiraku happily agreed to that.
The pro hero scratched his head and said, "Uh, no she wasn't okay with it." They looked at the hero again. "I actually overheard her conversation with the higher-ups."
**
Yuri was on his way to the higher-up's office to deliver some files. He was a bit late so he was a bit nervous.
When he stepped into the hallway, he did not hesitate to beeline straight to the office. He was stopped a few seconds later by a loud noise coming from inside the room.
"Are you fucking kidding me!?" the voice sounded like a young girl and he automatically assumed that it was the Number Three Hero. "What makes you think I'll just stand by while the rest of my friends are gonna be fighting for their lives!?"
Yuri could hear murmurs follow the girl's voice. Before he could try and gather himself, the door was kicked cleanly off its hinges. Asra, the No.3 Hero, had just kicked the door down in anger, her face scrunched up in frustration and fury.
Yuri flinched when he met Hiraku's gaze, the girl quickly smiled at him forcely with closed eyes before vanishing into her portal with a dark look on her face.
Yuri blinked in place, still not being able to process what just happened.
**
"Woah, I can't imagine what Asra's face looks like with a dark look," Sero muttered under his breath after hearing Yuri's story.
"I can't believe Asra got so mad like that," Eijiro stated.
"Yeah!" Mina agreed. "But I sorta understand how she feels, ya know? I mean, how'd you feel if they just let you watch your friends fight the villains without you?"
Sero and Eijiro nodded their heads in agreement. There was no way that they would let their friends fight without them. They were so proud at the girl's self-restraint at the moment.
.
"Ugh! Fuck! This is bullshit!" Hiraku cursed for the hundredth time that day. "I fuckin' hate this!"
She was currently standing on one of her portals, overseeing the damage that Cementoss had just done to the Gunga Mountain Villa. Hiraku could see the rest of the pro heroes fight all the villains below.
Hiraku was gritting her teeth in anger, still furious about her orders from the higher ups. They let her stand by and wait until Shigaraki showed up, but they also wanted her to remain far from Jaku Hospital.
They did not want the villains to sniff her out or else their plan would fail. And Hiraku knew that; she knew that if she showed up with her portals then their plan would automatically fail.
She knew all of that but she could not help feeling angry and frustrated. As much as she wanted the plan to be successful, she also wanted to help fight the villains; she wanted to help as much as she could.
Hiraku could hear everyone talking in her earpiece, but she remained quiet due to her orders. She was the trump card. She needed to preserve her strength as much as possible, so when the time comes where she needs to defeat Shigaraki, she would be succesful.
She continued to watch as the Gunga Mountain Villa was completely and utterly demolished by Cementoss. She bit her fingernails nervously, suddenly reminded by Hawks' and Dabi's whereabouts.
She just realized that since Hawks was currently undercover, there was a possibility that he had just been found out. And Hiraku truly wished that Dabi was not the one who would find out about Hawks' betrayal.
Because if it would come down to that, she still was not sure who she would choose.
Hiraku's worries were tripled when she saw a huge explosion below. And the blue flames had just confirmed her fears; Hawks was fighting Dabi and Hiraku knew that there was no way Hawks would survive.
Hiraku grabbed her head in frustration, unsure on what to do. Should she go down and save Hawks? Or should she stay there and avoid fighting Dabi?
"Fuck!" she screamed in irritation.
A few minutes passed as Hiraku continued to watch the fighting below, her decision to stay was wavering by the second. But it was completely gone when she saw Tokoyami and Dark Shadow fly over a cetain area.
Hiraku knew with every inch of her entire being.
She knew that Hawks needed her help and she needed to make a decision now.
"Goddammit, Goldie!" She did not hesitate to jump down her portal, just in time to block one of Dabi's fire from burning Tokoyami and Hawks. "Argh! Hot! Hot, hot, hot!"
Hiraku fanned the flame away, wincing in pain as the burns on her skin began to heal.
"Asra-san!" Tokoyami exclaimed, eyes wide with relief. "You're here!"
She quickly observed the burnt bodies of the two, her eyebrows knitting when she saw the damage on Hawks' wings.
Hiraku shook her head with a smile and said, "Yeah, I'm here.. Sorry I was late, Goldie."
Hawks coughed weakly, peering at the newly-arrived Hiraku with a smile. "A-azuley.."
"Ah, if it isn't Asra!" Dabi sneered, trying his best to remain calm.
He really did not think that there would come a time when he would meet Hiraku on the battlefield. He was not sure whether he was ready or even wanted to fight the girl he knew all his life.
"I'll handle this," Hiraku opened a portal beside Tokoyami, "You guys go."
"But Asr–"
She smiled before saying, "I'll be fine, kay? Go and save your teacher."
Tokoyami nodded before he disappeared into the portal with Hawks.
"Wow, I really didn't think you'd come Asra!" Dabi loudly exclaimed, making sure anyone in earshot would hear him. "Are you gonna fight me?"
Hiraku glared at the ground, her ears tingling as she raised her head to see ice exploding out of the building.
"Tou..!" she quickly opened a portal to catch the man, teleporting him and her in a forest a few miles away from Jaku City. "Are you oka– What the hell!?"
Dabi stood a few meters away from her, the grass burning between the two. He had just shot a fire blast to make her stay away.
Because deep down, Dabi knew that he could never hurt her on purpose. If she came closer, he would have no choice but to cave in to her words again.
"Take me back there," he commanded.
Hiraku scrunched her eyebrows, saying, "No way! You know that there is no way I'm gonna fight you!"
"Then are you gonna fight with me then?"
"What? I can't do th–"
"Then let's go back," he interrupted. "You can either fight me or fight with me, Ku."
"No, that's no–" She slowly approached him, her eyes peering into his own. "It doesn't have to be that way.. We don't have to fight each other, Tou. You can still go back. Let's be a family agai–"
"You're being delusional," Dabi interjected. "You know that's not possible."
"It's not impossible!" Hiraku argued.
She sounded so sure, but deep down Hiraku knew that Dabi was right. It was almost impossible for him to go back; the damage had been done and there was no way to repair it.
"You know what, Ku?" Dabi sighed.
He was going to say it as a last resort to keep Hiraku by his side. He knew it would paint him as an asshole forever in Hiraku's mind, but he did not care. He wanted her to be by his side and he did not know what he would do if she left.
"I love you."
"Huh?" Hiraku's eyes widened, her brain completely coming to a halt.
"I've loved you for as long as I can remember," he continued. "And I've never stopped loving you. Not even once."
Hiraku remained wide-eyed as she stared at the man, no words coming out of her mouth. She did not know what to say or think..
She closed her eyes as she looked at her feet, muttering, "No, no, no.. You're lying.."
Dabi crossed the distance between them, grabbing the girl roughly to make her look at him.
"It's the truth and you know that."
"What do you want me to do?" Hiraku pleaded with tears in her eyes. "What do you want me to do, Tou?"
"Join me, Ku," he answered, gazing into her glossy eyes. "Join me and together let's wipe the world clean of heroes," he smiled gently, "Let's begin again."
Hiraku bit her lip, turning her head away and saying, "I can't." Dabi's smile faltered, slowly letting her go as she turned to look at him. "You know, I would never abandon the people I love!"
"But you're abandoning me now, Ku."
"I'm sorry, Tou," she said, "I'm so sorry.. But I can't choose you.. I ca–I won't.."
Dabi turned around, feeling like complete and utter shit. For a second, he truly believed that she would choose him. After everything they had been through, he truly thought she was going to choose him. After all, she gave him that.
'Fuck', he thought, closing his eyes in pain.
To think that the pain his burns gave him could not compare to the pain he was feeling at that moment. He wanted to laugh at his own stupidity. He should have known.
He should have known that no matter how much Hiraku loved him, she was not like him. She was good and kind. She could never choose him.
He exhaled before saying, "Then this is goodbye," he started walking away, "Asra."
"Tou." Dabi stopped in his tracks, hearing the desperation and anguish in Hiraku's voice. "Do you– Did you regret meeting me?"
And without missing a beat, no hesitation whatsoever, Dabi said, "Never."
...
AHHHHHH! Did any of you see that coming!? I don't know but it hurts a bit huhuhuhu I'm really really really excited for the ending lol!
Thank you for reading! <3