You jumped down from where you were on the tall building, vanishing to stand next to a disguised Deku, Todoroki, Momo, Kirishima, and shockingly enough, Iida. You figured after the whole Hosu incident that Iida would be against all of this rebellion. Maybe he had a good reason for being here.
"Hey, guys." You spoke quietly as you walked next to the quintet in the alley they were hiding in.
"(y/n)! We are just about to make it to the warehouse we think the tracked villain is in." Deku said. You stifled a giggle while looking at your friends and their goofy appearances. You kind of liked Kirishima's though, his hair naturally down instead of gelled up.
"You guys look good. I dig the hair Kirishima, you look cute." You smiled under your half-mask. The red-headed boy blushed furiously, not used to someone giving him a compliment like that.
"Oh really? Maybe I'll do it like this more." He gave you a warm spiked grin in response. Todoroki was by your side as soon as he could get there, his breath on hold as he looked you up and down in your hero uniform. You held his fire-side arm, feeling the heat through your skin-tight gloves. He could feel the excitement radiate off of you, as you were practically glowing with it.
"You're more than ready, aren't you?" Shoto teased with a smirk.
"This is what I was hired for after all. Besides, I just can't wait to see him," You admitted. Shoto's heart stung, but this time he was genuinely happy too. He saw your eyes light up at the thought of bringing Katsuki home...so for the first time, he actually wanted you to see him. He grasped your hand with his free one, the combination of heat and cool completely balanced.
"I'll support you with whatever you need," Shoto whispered quietly to you and you alone. He was proving himself to you, proving that he was no longer the stuck up and obnoxious competitor to either you or Katsuki. He was willing to see that in order to surpass and be better than his father, he needed to act like that. Endeavor hated All Might for being his biggest rival; Shoto was not going to hate Katsuki simply because he was your number one...but he would be ready to catch you if Katsuki ever fell from that spot. Nothing could stop him from admiring you in the meantime.
"Iida I'm surprised you're here...but I'm really happy you are. Thank you. All of you. For doing this for him. I know he'll never say it, but he will be so grateful to know you cared about him enough to help. So I'll say it instead. Thank you." You bowed your head a little, your classmates were unsure how to respond.
"Of course. We are all going to be heroes one day right? Mind as well start now." Momo spoke with a gentle smile. Iida sighed, scratching the back of his head.
"I just wanted to keep everyone safe and out of trouble." He admitted. You put your fist out to the navy haired man, smiling with your eyes.
"The most important job of all." He broke his stoic expression with a smile of his own, fist-bumping you.
"Right," He confirmed. Deku turned to you with his freckled face, his wild green hair looked even more unruly than before.
"It's funny you say that he'll be happy about it. Uraraka thought he'd be upset that he would be saved instead of getting himself out of it." You narrowed your eyes at that, your brows furrowing.
"She clearly doesn't get him...Katsuki hates appearing weak, yes, but he's not an idiot. We either save him secretly where he can walk himself out, or the pro-heroes can turn it into a big televised deal. Which do you think Katsuki would prefer?" You spoke as if it were plain logic, unsure what Uraraka was getting at. Was she encouraging not to save him? Did that mean that the class knows about this and that they agreed with her? Granted, you and your ragtag group of disguised students were acting like mercenaries, but you were surprised no one else stepped forward.
You jogged with the group towards the nearby warehouse, you taking the lead since you knew how to do stealth missions. The massive building looked like a worn-down abandoned factory, the rustic cement walls were supported by steel beams and featured broken glass windows. To think Katsuki might have been stuck inside here...you felt the familiar heat of rage in your gut.
"I'm going to scout ahead, stay here."
"But (y/n)-" Deku started but Iida stopped him.
"(y/n) knows how to do this professionally. I trust her." You nodded at Iida in thanks, vanishing so you were much closer to the building. The windows were a story off the ground, so you began climbing a rusty water pipe that trailed up the side. Your friends watched in awe of you as you jumped from the top of the pipe to the ledge of the window, sticking your feet into small footholds of displaced cement.
"Whatever training she went under, I'm gonna need some of that," Kirishima said.
"She's so graceful." Momo admired with bright obsidian eyes. Todoroki ran that word through his mind...graceful...beautiful...powerful. She never ceases to amaze me.
You pulled yourself upwards enough to look through the window, seeing everything in complete shadow. What's going on here? All of a sudden a series of lights came on at once, startling you to the point you lost grip on your left hand.
"(Y/n)!" Your friends called out to you, but they didn't need to. You swung your weight upwards to grab the ledge, looking in the warehouse. Suddenly the air left your body, your muscles freezing as you gasped audibly.
"Oh my god." You whispered. Lines of Nomu that were in hibernation could be seen all the way from one side of the warehouse to the other, not to mention the several floors of the building that could possibly be harboring more. They were in some sort of stasis tanks...something you have only seen in movies. You vanished from your spot, landing near your friends who looked at your fear-driven expression.
"There's no Katsuki, but there's a fuck ton of Nomu in there. That's a Nomu warehouse. Katsuki shouldn't be far if they are storing them there." You sputtered out quickly. The sound of a broken wall and shattered glass turned everyone's attention to a giant purple leg that smashed through the building you just were on. The shockwaves forced you to stagger forward and off your feet, Deku catching you rather quickly in his toned arms.
"Thanks," you said, turning to look at Mt. Lady who made her appearance. Your gang spotted the rookie hero along with Gang Orca, Best Jeanist, and Tiger from the Wild Wild Pussy Cats. Mt. Lady gripped Nomu in her fists tightly, Best Jeanist capturing them with his own quirk. Tiger raced inside the broken-down building to retrieve a young woman you recognized from training camp, Ragdoll. It was all happening so fast as the police were surrounding the area in order to block off the exits of any Nomu that might try to escape...
...and if the heroes found this hideout...All Might must have found Katsuki.
"We need to go." You spoke to your friends. Iida's eyes were narrowed in speculation as if he was trying to judge your next course of action.
"Everyone agreed that they were not going to engage in combat. What are you going to do if something happens?" You gripped the hilt of your sword in speculation over this whole predicament. The Nomu went down without a fight...which means that the League of Villains are waiting to make a move for their own. It was only a matter of time...and you felt that for some reason there was something bigger at stake waiting to happen.
"Well, first off, I'm not just a student so I can engage in combat whenever necessary. Not to mention even if I legally wasn't allowed to fight, I would do it anyway because that's my man they took and I will burn a fucking building to the ground to get to him if I have to. Second, I won't know until we get there. I think their puppet master has to be near too...and possibly with Katsuki." Everyone was silent, as they did not really know how to respond to what you just said. Iida wanted to stop you so badly, but you were right. There was no one in this world that would stop you from saving Katsuki, not even All for One himself.
And then the world grew so much colder.
As if the thought summoned him, a shadowed figure appeared from the rubble of the building you just were standing aside.
"I'm sorry Tiger, but Ragdoll's quirk was so useful. I just had to take it, how could I not?" A voice filled with a snake-like venom slithered into your mind...a voice you knew. A voice that belonged to the man responsible for the massacre of your village...for the poisoning of Toya Todoroki...for the death of your parents.
"All for One." You whispered with the last huff of breath your lungs could hold, as if you were waking from a nightmare but just couldn't scream no matter how hard you tried. Your pupils shook as your whole body was paralyzed to your spot. Midoriya immediately recognized the name, his own green eyes widening slowly in terror.
"Stay right there!" Gang Orca's voice called out to no particular listener, the man from the shadows trudging ever forward. Best Jeanist reacted instantly by binding the villain in his threads, the only one out of the group to recognize how much of a threat was heading their way. A dark chuckle emanated from All for One...and then a bright light swallowed everything.
A massive blast of air completely leveled the rest of the building and the construction site it was located near. The heroes that came to save the day...they were knocked off their feet with faces grimacing in pain as they attempted to lift themselves off the ground. Best Jeanist was closest to the villain, his body crippled in agony with who knows how many broken bones from the blast.
The six of you ran towards a half wall just outside of the construction site where it was out of sight of the man now floating in the air. You and your group watched in silence, you sitting in between Shoto and Midoriya. All was quiet, everyone holding their breaths and trembling in fear of the man who exhibited malicious power just as strong as All Might's. Your own hands were shaking, all of you afraid that moving or even breathing would draw attention to yourself.
Why can't I move?! Why am I always unable to FUCKING move?! This was the man that was responsible for EVERYTHING and I can't FUCKING MOVE!
"Tomura had finally started thinking rationally and began making decisions for himself. I do wish you hadn't gotten in his way." The feeling of death lingered in the air with the same heavy scent of your village. Blood...and ash. You watched as All for One stalked forward towards the hero that trained Katsuki...who saw potential in him to be an amazing hero. Best Jeanist risked his life to be here, to save Katsuki, to provide him with the ability to have a future as a hero. A mocking slow clap was heard from the floating villain towards the vulnerable hero.
"I see why you're the number four hero, Best Jeanist. Manipulating everyone's clothing to save them at the last moment...how impressive! Quick thinking. Consider me...impressed." Jeanist was clearly petrified...but unlike you and the other rookie heroes, he was able to use his quirk to prop his torso upward to stare the predator in the face. He was the only one...the only one that tried.
"It wasn't supposed to go like this...but a true hero never makes excuses!" Jeanist shot out tendrils of wire fabric towards the villain who stuck out his arm, ready to counter-attack. The world seemed to move in slow motion as your classmates could only watch as death stared Katsuki's mentor in the face, Best Jeanist, the number four pro-hero that was braver than any other hero there.
You weren't going to watch this time.
Your eyes gleamed scarlet red as you disappeared from your spot between Shoto and Izuku, both of them gasping sharply in terror as they watched as you appeared where Best Jeanist was. The blast kicked up a high cloud of dust and debris...but both you and Jeanist were gone.
"She did it! Oh my god, she did it!" Midoriya thought to himself.
"So the shinobi finally made her appearance did she? I've been looking for you for years. Thank you for coming to me...your quirk will be my most prized possession darling." All for One goaded as you brought Best Jeanist to the outskirts from the fight. You gently laid the blond man's head down onto the cracked cement ground, the rest of his body broken.
"You...you saved me." Jeanist barely was able to get out a few words as the shock of seeing his own fleeting death lingered around the corner. You smiled under your half-mask, feeling pride in yourself.
I finally was able to move. I can do this. I can conquer this fear. All Might, are you watching? I'm a hero too.
"That's what heroes do. Thank you for everything Best Jeanist, please rest now. Help is on the way." Just as you went to turn to get Tiger and Gang Orca out of the fray too, you felt a weak grip on your wrist.
"I must know your name...the rookie hero that stared All for One in the face to save me. Please." You pulled your lower mask down to reveal your full face, one that Best Jeanist recognized from a picture Katsuki showed him when the latter was asking for dating advice. Jeanist was the one after all who recommended tulips for your first date anyway. His light eyes widened in surprise to see you, a seventeen-year-old UA student, save him.
"My name is (y/n)...but you can call me Astral." With those words, you vanished and reappeared twice more to save the other heroes...finally leaving you standing while facing All for One alone.
Every bone in Shoto's body ached to run towards you. He was screaming in his mind, begging for you to run and hide...to vanish entirely and get to a safe place.
RUN (y/n) I'm begging you. RUN.
Midoriya wanted so badly to sprint towards you with green electricity lighting the power inside his blood...but he knew if you wanted to leave...you could. Iida and Momo felt the same, so crippled with fear that they were about to watch you die that they had to tear their eyes away.
You chose to walk towards All for One yourself, your hero suit glimmering brilliantly underneath the moonlight that lit the city. He could see your full face for the first time, your red eyes alight with a raging fire fed by years of dreaming of killing the man that took your family away. Then here he was...just a few feet away.
"It's been ten years. I would say it's been too long but when you live as long as I do, time is relative. How are you Miss (y/n)? I heard you were dating the young man my disciple captured. I apologize for his rudeness, but as a gentleman, I see it's fitting to reunite you two... wouldn't you say?" Despite the lack of facial features, you could just sense the smirk underneath the surface. A black water-like plasma disturbed the area surrounding you, your eyes fixated completely on All for One as if looking away would be certain death. You felt the vibrations of numerous people appearing all around the area...
...and the familiar scent of caramel right next to you suddenly sent your heart into overdrive.
"Here is my gift to you Miss (y/n), before I drain that quirk of yours of course. Think of it as a token of my appreciation...or perhaps a chance for you to say goodbye to those you love." All for One opened his arms outward as if inviting an embrace. You finally looked away to see your beloved Katsuki, safe, unharmed, and perfect.
"Kacchan...?" You whispered in disbelief, your voice wavering in surprise as you actually got to see him face to face in what felt like an eternity. He quickly reached for you in a tight hug, gripping onto you with intensity. You took in the scent of caramel and the burning heat of his body like a desert when it rains...wanting to soak up every moment you possibly could before letting go.
"What are you doing here idiot?! Get out of here!" He growled at you angrily, a part of him terrified to see the two of you surrounded by the entire League of Villains.
"Came to get you, dumbass." You snapped back at him, the villains starting to close in on the two of you.
"I'm pleased that you lured her to me, Tomura Shigaraki. You fulfilled a ten-year-long goal, a challenging one too. Even I couldn't reach her, and yet you ripped All Might's pet right out from under him. I am impressed." You and your boyfriend looked at All for One, the two of you stuck in your spots. Your eyes remained scarlet, ready to reach over and teleport both you and Katsuki out of there, but a black and red tendril wedged itself between the two of you.
"Keep him distracted for me will you? I wouldn't want your new recruit to witness me devouring his little lover." All for One demanded of Shigaraki. You and Katsuki were now separated with the League of Villains surrounding him and All for One targeting you. You constantly activated ghost with burning scarlet eyes, dodging every tendril and blast that came your way.
"(Y/N)!" Katsuki called out to you, desperately trying to dodge the villains that were attacking him too. He knew what you were doing, and after the numerous teleportations you already did today, constantly activating ghost was going to sabotage you.
"JUST LEAVE ME AND RUN (Y/N)! I'M NOT GONNA LOSE YOU!" You couldn't even hold the air long enough in your lungs to respond to him, your ghost quirk fading in and out of use as you dodged dozens of tendrils over and over again. You tucked and rolled, sidestepped, and jumped as much as you could with burning, watery eyes. What were you going to do? You couldn't keep this up but you couldn't leave Katsuki to take on these villains by himself. You didn't want to teleport to him and have All for One target him to manipulate you once again...you had to keep him safe.
"Why won't you teleport out of here Miss (y/n)? Is having this young man here tethering you to this fight? Is he really worthy for you to die for? Don't be foolish. Save yourself...but you won't will you. You'll choose to die for nothing, just like the last pathetic woman I killed." You staggered in your step just as ghost faded from your arsenal, your blurry eyes wide in fear as the tendril pierced your shoulder. You screamed in pain before gritting your teeth and reaching for one of the swords on your back and chopping the tendril in half. The side that remained in your shoulder disintegrated into black ash that faded away with the warm Summer winds.
"You took my family from me once. I will not allow you to take everything away from me again," you spoke with seething hatred dripping from your bloodshot yet teary eyes. You were running out of time with your quirk and everyone knew it. You teleported from one side of Japan to the other, multiple times today let alone you transporting grown men like Best Jeanist, Gang Orca, and Tiger. This was the furthest you've ever pushed your quirk, and your vision was quickly suffering.
"(Y/N)! STOP WASTING YOUR TIME! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Katsuki was distracted with full panic filling his body now that you were on the ground, wounded in the shoulder. You stumbled to your feet, running as fast as you could towards Katsuki who was fighting off a blonde teen girl and the magician villain. Before All for One could attack you once again, he turned to look at the night sky where the full moon was shining brightly over the world.
"I was wondering when you would arrive. You're getting slow, All Might." Everyone froze at the name, seeing the muscular hero flying high in the sky only to launch himself towards All for One with a massive right hook.
"Give me back my students All for One!" His deep voice yelled loudly, giving you the opportunity to get to Katsuki. With All Might as the distraction, you were able to reach Katsuki finally. The two of you stepped back to back, you holding out your hands in a proper flat palm formation to fight your opponents.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Extra?" Katsuki growled with hidden relief behind those words. Now that the two of you were side by side, even without your quirk he felt much more at ease. He knew you could handle yourself here.
"It wouldn't be me if I didn't keep you on your toes," you jested. Despite your blurry vision and bloodshot eyes, you were able to see the outline of the woman that stood before you. She looked like some sort of schoolgirl, perhaps the same age as you. She gripped a knife tightly in her hand with familiar form...but she was choosing the wrong person to fight.
"You're no fun! You stopped me from cutting the angry cute boy!" The schoolgirl spoke with a flushed, cute voice that ground your gears to a staggering halt.
"You were going to try to stab my boyfriend? Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this." You grinned as you activated your cat claw blades that came attached to the gloves in your hero suit.
"Try not to kill her babe." Katsuki smiled as he launched himself towards his own fight, leaving you with the sadistic school girl.
"No promises." You and the girl went at each other, her swinging her blade towards you wildly. Despite her speed, she had zero technique. You couldn't even see her well, but you still were able to use your own claw blades to deflect hers and swing your leg into the air. The back of your heel caught the side of her face as you slammed it to the ground. She didn't get up, allowing you to head to the next villain.
You didn't even have the opportunity to fight anyone else because you heard something being launched into the air, the familiar voice of Kirishima echoing across the battleground.
"COME ON!" Kirishima yelled, causing both you and Katsuki to look towards him, Iida, and Midoriya flying through the air.
They managed to figure out a rescue...good work guys.
"Hold onto me (Y/n)!" Katsuki called out to you as he stood so close to you that your chests were touching. You retracted your claws and wrapped your arms around Katsuki's neck and jumped to curl your legs around his waist. Without allowing a moment for the villains to stop it, Katsuki used his explosion quirk to launch the two of you like a rocket. With one hand, Katsuki gripped Kirishima's outstretched one, and with the other, he supported your body by holding onto you.
"You damned idiots." Katsuki commented with a smile of relief, his way of expressing gratitude towards his friends. As the five of you flew through the air, Katsuki burrowed his face into your hair, enjoying the sensation of just being able to hold you again.
"My God, you really are a pretty dumbass." Katsuki huffed into your hair, feeling his earlier panic subside now that you were finally in his arms.
"Your pretty dumbass. You chose me, remember." You mumbled back with closed eyes. The warm Summertime wind of the city filled your lungs for what felt like the first time since Katsuki was taken. You clung onto him just a little bit tighter, a little bit closer...wishing that he'd never have to let go.
~~
You and the boys meandered through the overcrowded city square where a giant news board broadcasted the fight between All Might and All for One as it ensued. Katsuki refused to let go of your hand, almost like holding onto the last bit of a pleasant dream when his real-world was a nightmare. The words Dabi threatened him with kept replaying in his mind over and over again.
I'll never let him touch her again. I can't let any of them get this close to her again. Not her.
"We need to dress your wound, (y/n)." Iida was the only one who seemed to remember that you were hurt, yourself included.
"I have a pocket square from the thrift store. Do you want it?" Midoriya offered to you. Katsuki took the cloth out from Midoriya's hand rather quickly then gently pressed it to the bleeding hole in your shoulder.
"Thanks, Deku." You all were in quiet shock that Katsuki said something nice to Midoriya, let alone a token of appreciation for him. No one said a word, just letting it happen.
It really proved how special you were to Katsuki.
The group stayed in place in the center of the town square after your wound was tended to, you standing out amongst the crowd in your hero uniform and three holstered swords. Everyone was too fixated on the fight to notice however, so you didn't pay it any mind either. Blow after blow was met with an equal force, All Might looking completely exhausted. Your vision was still blurred, but it was just enough that you could see what was happening...and you felt your heartbeat painfully with anxiety.
"Come on All Might...fight hard All Might!" People in the crowd were cheering for him...hoping their cries and prayers would lend him the strength he needed to win against his greatest adversary. Katsuki...Deku...Iida...Kirishima...they all were cheering for him except for you. You felt like your heart went still in your chest when you saw All Might lose control of his massive figure, shrinking down to his skeleton-like body. The crowd went silent as a broken and torn All Might was broadcasted across the screen and the entirety of Japan.
The symbol of peace...was this the end?
All for One stalked towards All Might with a power that seemed to counter everything the elder hero through at him. All Might had no smile...he looked...defeated.
Tears welled in your eyes and cascaded down your cheeks, feeling like you were about to watch your father get murdered right in front of you a second time. All for One was responsible for your parents' deaths...and here he was, so ready to take down the man who risked everything to pave your way towards a better life...a life with a future.
You did nothing when you saw your father and mother die. You did nothing when Katsuki was taken forcibly from you.
You weren't just going to stand by and watch All Might get killed.
With a squeeze of your hands, you caught Katsuki's attention along with his concerned gaze for your tears.
"(Y/n)-" You turned him towards you with streams of tears with a tinge of blood in them dripping down the sides of your cheeks. He didn't know why his blood went cold like ice, or why his stomach flipped inside of him at your facial expression...but he did seem to know exactly what you were going to do.
"I love you Katsuki Bakugo. Forever and always." With a tearful kiss, you vanished from his grasp. Leaving him cold and alone just as he was when he was captured by the villains.
"(Y/N)!" He screamed your name but it was drowned out by the cries of the crowd...his ruby eyes shrinking as your declaration was not one of relief of reconnection...but simply a goodbye.
"Who's that standing with All Might?"
"I've never seen this pro-hero before." Different murmurs within the crowd grabbed Katsuki's attention despite the panic that wrecked through his body. The news screen began to chance, eliciting gasps from your fellow students.
There you were with the world's brightest smile and a proud protective stance with two blades in hands...guarding the symbol of peace with the luminosity of a star to shine a light against the darkest of nights.
For some reason, Katsuki could feel in his heart that today was not the day All Might would die...and it was all because you were there.