I wanted to hide myself away, to return to the safety of my room and to my bed, where I could hide under the blanket like a frightened child. It would provide no safety but if was for comfort, something that I needed right now. People were staring, they were seeing the thing I didn't want anyone to ever see. Something I had managed to keep hidden from everyone, even the heroes who I cared for and trusted.
My knees grew weak, shaking and giving out. I felt all energy in my body suddenly disappear, abandoning me to die here. And to make it worse, Shigaraki was speaking to me.
"I never expected them to be real, I had only heard rumors of them. He left those on you, didn't he? Kai Chisaki?" My body continued to shake, not wanting to hear his name in relation to my scars. It was painful.
"S-shut up," I coughed out, glaring weakly over at him from my curled up position on the floor. Shigaraki turned back to Nomu and spoke.
"I'm interested in her, take her alive." The bird responded to the command and began approaching me. Midoriya moved quickly to stand in front of me, blocking the villain from getting to me.
"No, I won't let you have her!" Deku declared, throwing what I thought would be a powerful punch. It looked like it would be by the strength and determination he put into it, but oh how I was wrong. The Nomu was unfazed by the attack, pushing the green haired boy aside, sending him skidding away from us. The Nomu then tried to reach for me, my quirk activating and protecting me in its green case. It tried to break it, slamming its fist into it but it was unsuccessful. With the next punch it threw at the shield, I activated repel so it's fist flew backward with the same force it had sent towards me. The bird shrieked as it charged towards me, ready to destroy my weakening shield. But I felt a wave of relief when someone rushed in and punched the Nomu away from me.
His blonde hair stood tall in its two rabbit-ear-like tufts, his muscles visible through the material of his hero costume.
A hero I looked up to.
He was here.
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"(L/n)-chan, we have to move out of the way. All Might's fighting that Nomu," Tsu urges, tugging at my arm. I look up at her, remaining hunched over so no one can see my scars. I want them to all stop looking at me, I can feel their eyes boring into me. But before I can return to my state of panic, someone else is kneeling by my side.
I look up and see Midoriya, one of his hands reaching up to cover his eyes.
"I won't look, I promise. Just let me carry you away from the fight." Even though I was still shaken up, I accepted his offer and reached out to him. He felt around for me, sliding his free hand under my back. Midoriya then moved his hand away from his eyes, keeping them closed as he moved it down under my legs to hold me. With eyes still shut, he stood while holding me to his chest and clumsily took a step forward. By the expression his face harbored, I could tell that he was frustrated. He wanted to keep me calm by keeping his eyes closed but he also wanted to keep me safe, needing his eyes open so he could carry me away from the scene of the battle.
I felt guilty that I was causing more problem and pushed my uncertainties away, turning my face to rest my face against Midoriya's chest as he took slow steps.
"You can open your eyes," I whispered, closing my own. I remained quiet as he started to move faster, taking me away from the fight. My legs were too weak to carry myself so I was thankful he was there to do this for me. I hated feeling weak but there was nothing I could do by myself right now, I'd just have to rely on others if I wanted to get through this.
Finding a little courage, I opened my eyes a crack and looked up at the boy who carried me. His face now held a determined expression, one which I couldn't help but trust in. Noticing the movement of my eyes, his gaze moved down to me. Instead of looking to my scarred stomach, he held eye contact and smiled softly down at me. I never really took notice in others like this, but Midoriya was a very attractive boy even if he was plain. At this angle you could see the definition in his jaw which made him look like a man but his cute smile and freckled cheeks were adorable like a fluffy rabbit. As he carried me over to the others, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him.
"Thank you, Midoriya." I felt as his body tensed at my words, his arms seeming to hold me tighter and closer to him.
"I told them before that I wouldn't let them have you," he muttered under his breath but I still heard it, unable to hold back a giggle. Looking back up his face, I noticed how red it was. So to put him at ease, I raised my hand and pet his head as he carried me.
"And I believed that you would when you said it." His eyes landed on me, giving me a look I hadn't seen in a long time. Midoriya's eyes were filled with care and adoration, it was a look which few people had given me.
My mother...
Father...
Kai...
Then I knew exactly why the green bean had been so flustered around me, it was only a guess but...
Does he like me?
My cheeks heated at the thought, my mind desperately pushing that idea away. There was no way that he would, he should like someone bubbly and kind, someone like Uraraka. I turned my head away from Midoriya and noticed that we were drawing closer to the other students, a few of them having rushed over to help All Might. But now all had returned to the group, all eyes turning to me as I was carried by Midoriya with Tsu and Mineta following not too far behind.
Three stood in the front, three people who I didn't want to see me.
First there was Bakugou, he looked so angry. I knew that he'd yell at me for running off and ending up like this.
Then there was Kirishima, he looked so concerned. I knew that he didn't want me going off on my own before either but he didn't want to interject.
Finally, there was Shoto. To anyone who didn't know him, they might say that he looked like his normal self. But I could see the worry in his eyes, his concern despite our disagreement back during HC.
Midoriya brought me over the group, Ashido and Jirou rushing over while the others were slow in their steps, shocked at the weak state I was in. Midoriya lowered me to the ground, Ashido beginning to panic.
"You're not hurt, right? You're not gonna die, are you?" I couldn't help but snicker, my hands covering my stomach so they couldn't see the scars. But the dark-eyed girl noticed this, immediately tugging at my hands to make sure I fine. I understand that she was worried but did they all need to see it, why did they all see it?
Gasps came from my classmates as they eyed the abnormal texture of the skin on my stomach. It looked as if it had been taken apart and put back together incorrectly, the skin lumpy and uneven like a burn scar. But I soon got over it, my phobia of it being seen disappearing in seconds. Moving one of my arms, I lay the back of my hand over my eyes to block out the light as best as I could.
"Stop staring at it," I grumbled, my voice sounding just as emotionless and dull as ever. Realizing that I was alright, Ashido pounced on top of me, giving a tight and uncomfortable hug. I hadn't been harmed in the fight, not one bit. As far as everyone else could tell, I was fine. My only problem now was the fact that I was the center of attention, everyone was looking at me. But I was grateful when all eyes returned to the fight, All Might currently fighting the Nomu.
All Might was such a strong and amazing hero, I didn't doubt that he would win. My lips curved upward as I watched him pummel the bird, punching hundred of times before uppercutting him through the glass roof of the USJ. We were all shock but glad, relieved that it had been our victory once again.
The Shigaraki guy seemed to try and do something but was shot in the process, the bullets piercing through and leaving holes in his hand. Sitting up with a clingy Ashido still on me, I watched as a group of heroes appeared. There were some I had seen around school and I had been able to talk to, while there were others I knew but never got the chance to speak with. Watching them, I noticed Iida running out with them. I could only assume he was the one who had brought them here.
Before the heroes could catch Shigaraki, he got away with the help of the portal-user. I stared at where they had disappeared long after they had gone, wondering where they would go next. This group of villains had called themselves the League of Villains, I assumed this to be a new villain organization since I had never heard of it before. While I thought, the heroes came down to where all of us students were and began checking up on us while some split off to apprehend the villains who remained in the USJ. I watched not only the Boar man, but many others I recognized to be people who used to work under my father or with other Yakuza member's my father would come in contact with. I was glad these ones didn't know it was me because of the mask but I still didn't like seeing them. Just like with the boar guy, it reminded me of the past and I had tried my hardest to move on from that.
While I was distracted with my thoughts, I didn't notice a hero I knew approaching me. I heard footsteps behind me but before I could turn, a hand was placed on top of my head. It ruffled my hair before I heard the movement of cloth, something large and warm being draped over my shoulders. I turned and looked up at the masked man behind me, it was the hero Snipe.
During Hero care I too had stayed with him, he was a intelligent man and cared for me like I was his family when I had lived with him.
Now that I looked at my shoulders, I noticed that he had taken off his red cape and used it to cover me.
"Don't need you getting a boyfriend just yet," he joked, referring to the missing cloth around my mid rift. It was only for a laugh so I smiled gently, forgetting that I wore a mask. Snipe chuckle before kneeling, pulling the bandages off my face and pushing my hood back.
"No need to cover up that pretty face, sweetheart," he smiled behind his own mask, poking my cheek when he saw that I was blushing lightly. He chuckled and ruffled my hair again.
"Stay safe, kiddo." He then stood and left me sitting, approaching another hero who he lead to one of the zones to collect villains from. I wrapped his cape around me fully, eyes moving to the door as the police arrived and started interviewing students on what had happened. I too was interviewed by a police officer, I don't remember his name but he stood out due to having the head of a cat. He was kind to me and respected that I was still a little shaken up by everything that had happened. But I was able to distract myself from the memories by focusing on the bell he wore about his neck and the fact that it would jingle every time he moved. But throughout the interview I never once mentioned anything to do with the boar man, nothing to do with my family or the Yakuza. I wouldn't call it lying, perhaps withholding information instead.
The police knew nothing of my affiliation, it was only the hero association who knew. It was illegal of them to hide that kind of information from the authorities but that didn't stop them. The hero association had their own agenda and rules, they did what they pleased because they referred to themselves as 'saviors of our modern quirk society'. And they may organize heroes, fund the police and build high security facilities for extremely dangerous villains but they sure as hell weren't saviors. They helped control our society when it was at it's tipping point with the introduction of quirks and heroes, but sometimes they take their idea of control too far.
The interview lasted barely ten minutes before he moved onto the next student, this continuing until everyone was interviewed and those injured were taken away in ambulances.
I recall hearing the ambulance out the front, the paramedics rushing in to take Shota away. He had lost a lot of blood and had broken many bones but thankfully he was still alive. It was relieving hearing that he was okay, Shota meant a lot to me and it would break my heart if he were to die on me like that.
I remembered his bloody and beaten body as I sat outside with my classmates, no one daring to say a word. One by one their parent's would arrive to pick them up and take them home. And they kept getting picked up until I was the last one remaining.
I sat there by myself, head down as I waited. I wondered if they had contacted Hitoshi's parents, was one of them going to come and get me? But the presence of an expensive-looking black car told me exactly where I was going to go.
Present Mic approached me, nodding towards the car with a sad smile. I tried to push my anxiety away but I was genuinely scared of what they would do to me. Noticing that I was frozen, the man with the voice quirk helped me to my feet and walked with me to the car, a man in a black suit having gotten out and was now holding the back door open for me. As I got closer to the car I looked up at Present Mic with pleading eyes, not wanting to go with these people. He squeezed my hand gently before he helped me into my seat and pet my head affectionately, his smile soft and caring.
"It's gonna be okay," he assured. The man in the suit then asked him to step back before closing the door and returning to his own seat in the front.
Now I sat in the back of a car with two people I didn't know, about to be taken to a place I hated. I had been there many times while under Hero care but I hadn't been back in under two years. It was associated with so many negative memories that cringed at the thought of returning.
I never wanted to go back to the Hero Association Headquarters ever again.
There's some dodgy shit going on behind closed doors, but you'll find out more about that later. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm really enjoying writing this story, especially the cute fluffy bits. I hate to put (Y/n) in the situation of a damsel in distress but I can assure you that it is rare for her. It's relevant for character building and some good Midoriya x reader content, hope you liked that ;)