Everything froze.
Everything except All Might.
There was a whoosh of ripping wind, and the front line of villains stimultaneously buckled, falling to their knees. A downed Aizawa was whisked away in the next heartbeat, the enemy ranks flayed and tattered in his wake. What was left of the opposition swiftly retreated but All Might didn't pursue, choosing to stand guard before his students.
Kimi exhaled sharply, not quite daring to feel relief just yet. The villain from beside Kurogiri -presumably Shigaraki- ambled forwards, movements a little awkward from the unsettling hands that clamped down on parts of his body. "All Might," he pronounced with a curious tilt of his head. "How nice of you to join us."
His next step didn't even land; All Might disappeared, so fast there wasn't so much as a blur, but Shigaraki intoned, "Noumu." and some horrible, mutated creature sprung from the warp gate, intercepting the blow. Dust scattered like a fleeing flock of birds, and the very world shuddered from the impact.
The creature didn't even flinch.
Something horrible was dawning in Kimi's gut; cold, but cloaked in the harshness of reality.
With a grunt, All Might landed another punch -a direct hit- but the creature didn't buckle. A feral scream erupted from its mangled maw as it lashed out. All Might to ducked before springing back up into an uppercut, only to meet unyielding flesh.
He growled, "Well in that case-"
And they were gone, dust settling in their wake. Kimiko glanced around sharply to see the two half-encased in the purple warping energy. And the monster had All Might in its grip.
With dawning horror, she watched All Might thrash but to no avail; with a sickening sense of finality, the warp gate around them began to close at their waists. Its going to tear him apart, she realized. No...
The world lurched forwards- or maybe that was her. Running, once again, without any rational thought. What could she possibly do? There was nothing in her reserves, no hope in her heart- nothing but her body and the knife in her hand. The amorphous form of Kurogiri twisted to face her, a swirling hole opening to devour her whole; but still she just couldn't stop.
All Might!
"Midoriya, get out of my way!" There were rapid footsteps from behind her, the radiant rays of the sun blinking out of existence as a form leapt up to obstruct it's light. Vaulting over her, Bakugo thrust both his palms forwards, back arching, and the following explosion sent her ears ringing as pure power crashed against the enemy, and declared itself victorious.
As if to combat the wave of heat, a sharp chill flooded the air, crystal ice racing up half of the Noumu's body, halting just before it reached All Might.
Kimi turned. "Todoroki-"
His eyes flicked over to hers. "Not now."
Like some immortal deity reborn, All Might sprung from the monster's clutches and leapt triumphantly into the air.
The Noumu was devoured by the warp portal and reappeared some ways off, all writhing muscle and inhuman growls. Kimi sagged in relief as All Might approached the weakened creature and allowed the apathy and fatigue to finally devour her mind. The sense of action, of responsibility within her was roughly blown aside; this wasn't her fight anymore.
But then the creature began to regrow.
Suddenly transfixed, her eyes stared as the raw flesh that wriggled and wormed from the socket of the arm with a sense of mesmerized horror, a white, panicked terror devouring her mind and her stomach gave a revolted lurch. Raw flesh. Guts. Something warm and slippery was rising up her throat, and her hand reached up to claw at her neck as if to push it down.
By some miracle, she forced down the contents of her stomach and wrenched her eyes away from the regrowing muscles and tendons, trying desperately to think about anything else. Like a plan.
Yet the moment she tried to care, the apathy came surging up to devour her in a crashing wave. Mental collapse. Emotional exhaustion. Her mind and body had unanimously decided that they'd had enough, and drowned her being in heavy resignation.
The Noumu finished growing, and everyone collectively snapped out of their shock. Human fish rammed into beastly flesh, then the Noumu met the next blow with it's own- an equal match for the Fist of God.
Bam bam bam! Punch, swipe, jab. The unstoppable force stared down the immovable object, and an unfeeling monster stared back. Then they upped the intensity and speed, the ground getting torn up by the resulting wind and the very world being ripped to shreds by each crushing exchange.
It was two forces of nature colliding; one would win, or none at all.
Kimi was snapped out of her transfixtion, forced to dig her fingers into the soft earth in order to not be blown back. Beside her was a snarling Bakgugo, clawing at the ground with equal vigour. Yet even then, they both watched the fight. Speed, power, precision- they were evenly matched, equal and opposite. Until-
It wasn't equal anymore.
Three people realized the shift in power- Kurogiri and Shigaraki realized it, as well as Kimi herself, the dormant power in her veins rearing up to sing out to its other half.
The battle could no longer be tracked by the naked eye; they became a pure, roiling mass of punches and power. Then something within her screamed and fierce cerulean light blazed in All Might's eyes. With a new, frightening intensity, he ripped into the Noumu. Blow after blow it received, its flesh giving way as it ricocheted from one final blow and was launched into the air.
For a single, breathless moment, her idol, her mentor, and the symbol of peace watched the Noumu fly.
Then he turned back to Shigaraki.
"Surrender," he said. The strength of the world was behind that word.
For a moment, the only reaction from the villains' side was the unsettled shifting of Kurogiri. Shigaraki twitched, and a gnarled hand came up to scratch at his neck.
Then he stopped, and turned his one visible eye bore balefully into All Might. "Die," he said.
He began running forwards, the speed almost laughable compared to the show they'd just witnessed. But amidst her nineteen other classmates, only Kimi was aware of All Might's condition; he couldn't fight another battle. Weakness was something she was painfully familiar with, and she knew that frustration was a given acquaintence. Rational thought was thrown aside- All Might knew he couldn't hold out much longer, but he'd fight regardless.
It's gonna tear him apart.
You have to move.
But there was a sea of lethargy in her mind, and she only really started drowning once she began to struggle. It was much easier to just sit at the bottom and...give in.
No. Look at yourself.
Care. She had to care. Just a little bit, and she'd draw out a drop of One for All's power to enhance it, damn the consequences. She glanced at Shigaraki, halfway to All Might, and imagined those cursed hands closing around his throat, the mighty Symbol of Peace's face locked in a permanent state of horror. Her teacher, her mentor was in need, and she had to help.
It was just a little bit, just a fraction of a 'what can I do?' and it was enough for One for All to blow it up into a raging torrent of desperate worry. Shigaraki was ten steps away, then six, then four, and her mind was desperately racing for some idea to cling to.
A gun. Shoot him- eliminate the enemy.
I don't...I don't want...
Kimi growled and shook her head. Weakness or compassion- whichever it was it didn't mean a fucking thing if it affected the battlefield!
Shigaraki's hand was a heartbeat away, and from the very depths of her agonized heart, Kimi wanted him to fail.
Thick long ropes lashed into existence to twine around his hands, writhing like snakes. Kimi flashed over to beside him, using her momentum to knock him off balance. With a precision she didn't know she had, she saw what she had to do, and executed it with flawless accuracy.
Shigaraki was maneuvered into an unyielding hold, six inches of stainless steel at his throat.
One more act to put on, she thought sorrowfully, and became her role.
Her voice was silky smooth and dangerously soft as she said, "Move, and you die."
"Foolish child," Shigaraki rasped. "Release me."
She dug the edge of her blade in deeper, more insistently. "Return the teachers, villain, or you all die here today."
Kurogiri recoiled sharply, glowing yellow eyes narrowing, but he said nothing. She could have sworn she heard All Might murmur, "Kimiko", and the tenderness put into her name was heartbreaking.
Don't think about that, only the act.
A false ray of sunshine- all light and no warmth; that was her confidence, but it would have to do. She smiled darkly and hoped to hell and back that her hands didn't tremble. "Well?" she called cockily. "I have no issue dispatching scum like you. What will it be?"
"Kurogiri," Shigaraki hissed.
Tense silence corrupted the scene, the purple void mulling over cost and sacrifice, and the terrible art of contemplating human worth in a way that only villains could.
One. Shigaraki's breaths quickened, a little frantic, a little mad.
Two. Steam was pooling at her feet, barely noticeable and only in the corner of her eye. She had a precious handful of moments before All Might was out of commission, and it would all be over.
Three. Her gritted jaw snapped open, something sharp and horrible prepared to lash from her throat that she'd hate forever. But Kimi was saved from having to press harder, as Kurogiri seemed to bow in resignation.
"Very well."
And Kimi could breathe again.
The purple void swooned open, roped and bound figures tumbling through a moment later. Kurogiri swirled then unfurled, clearly agitated. "Now release Shigaraki."
The moment she relaxed, the blade leaving his throat, Shigaraki gave a sudden jerk in her grip and managed to twist his hands around so the palms faced the ropes that bound them. All five fingers dug into it and it dissolved into thin strands, then nothingness.
Kimi jerked away from him sharply. I have to get away, now! But her backwards stumble was slow and awkward, the emotional urgency she summoned not quite catching up with the situation. Shigaraki leaned forwards hungrily, right hand outstretched-
A thin wall of cement shot between them that crumbled a moment later, but it was enough for Kimi to scramble out of reach, to All Might's side. He flashed her an unreadable look and she quelled under his gaze.
"We're here, everybody!" called a voice far too cheerful for the situation at hand. Principal Nezu's small form was surrounded by an entourage of pro heroes, and he tilted his head calmly. "I hope the delay didn't cause any inconveniences."
Kimiko gave a strangled laugh.
A frustrated snarl burst from Shigaraki's throat, and he swivelled sharply, rigid fury lining his posture. He hissed to Kurogiri, "We're beaten. We leave now," And glanced over his shoulder.
"But we'll be back."
With those parting words, there wasn't really anything they could do to stop the purple void of Kurogiri from devouring him whole. Kimiko turned to All Might, grasping for something to say, but a fierce blast of steam rolled off him, and it didn't really matter anymore.
/~/
"Uh, hey," said Kirishima on the bus ride back. "Where'd All Might go?"
Kaminari shrugged. "I lost track of him after that steam and all those cement walls."
Kimiko leaned back in her seat, letting the surrounding conversations envelop her, content to enjoy the feeling of normality. Something red stained her hands, and she was sure to keep her palms face down and out of sight.
I need to be stronger.
/~/
"All Might," she said, strained.
His bandaged form -his true form- turned stiffly to face her, his crudely-angled face an unreadable mask. "I'm sorry, young Midoriya."
"W-what?"
"I'm sorry," he repeated heavily. "It is my deepest regret that I am in a position to tell you that you...you did the right thing. And I'm sorry."
Her head started shaking, an almost imperceptible motion. "That couldn't have been right. There had to have been a better, nobler way."
"You did the best you could, given the situation."
No. "I thought I'd gotten strong," she said. "But strength...strength isn't taking hostages and giving 's not fighting fire with fire. It's being above it all, having the power to control the situation to win, yet still being better than the people you tore down."
"Don't put yourself down, Midoriya." All Might's expression was pained. "That kind of strength will come in time. You were very brave, and remarkably coolheaded in a bad situation. You even got the kidnapped teachers back."
"Right." Kimi took a deep breath, changing the topic. "The teachers. Why did they capture them instead of killing them off?"
"That's a story for another day."
Such a haunted look had flitted into his eyes, and Kimi was happy to agree if it meant making it go away. Tales of disaster and tragedy was not what she needed right now.
With a silent wave of farewell, Kimi took her leave.
/~/
A little dumbfounded, Kimi stared at the hordes and hordes of reporters crowding the U.A. entrance. From her side, Momo gave a groan. "I guess this is to be expected," she said.
"Expected, but not welcomed," Kimi muttered back.
Valiantly, they fought their way through the crowd, various microphones being shoved into their faces.
"You're one of the students that were in the attack! What do you know about the incident?"
"Um,"
"How did the villains get in?"
An elbow shoved her out of the way before she could answer, causing her to scowl.
"How would you describe the events of the attack?"
"How were they planning to take down All Might?"
"Is it true they call themselves the League of Villains?"
Annoyed now, Kimi scoffed, "No, they were the Powerpuff Girls. Now can we actually get to class, because we're about to be late."
It still took a bit of scuffling around before they made it past the media reporters and journalists and fled upstairs. Momo gave a sigh. "Good grief."
The class of 1-A was in utter pandemonium, several heated conversations going on at the same time. Kaminari gave an excited whoop, declaring, "The news channels love us; we're practically celebrities!"
Jiro rolled her eyes. "The top hero school was attacked by villains- that's what they care about, not us."
He scowled. "Your such a downer. Be positive for once, will you?"
"I'm being realistic."
"Your being emo."
Jiro narrowed her eyes. "Did you just call me emo?"
"So what if I did?" Kaminari taunted.
Trying to divert the oncoming storm, Kimi offered, "Well we still got a lot of attention on us now regardless."
"I wonder who our new homeroom teacher will be?" Mina piped up from amidst a nearby conversation.
"Well," said Momo. "It can't be Aizawa-sensei. Judging from the extent of his injuries, he'd be in no condition to-"
A heavily bandaged form trudged through the door, instantly quieting the class.
"Well, looks like it's Aizawa-sensei," said Kimi.
"I...what...he's..."
"In good enough condition to teach?"
Momo sighed. "Apparently. I underestimated the power of modern day healing."
"Yes. Yes you did."
Uncaring of the horrified eyes on him. Aizawa took his place at the front of the room, fully revealing to the class his completely bandaged face. Looking closely, Kimi could see two slits for his eyes to peek through.
"Well class," he said, the bandages shifting slightly. "The first matter of class today will be to elect a class president. Decide amongst yourselves however you wish."
And, the class was back to being in chaos.
/~/
With the help of Iida, they organized an anonymous election. Slips of paper were handed out, written on, and tallied up.
Mr. Aizawa slowly scrawled the results onto the board, the sound of chalk on chalkboard penetrating the tense silence. Yuga Aoyama had only one vote, presumably from himself. Then was Mina with two and Asui with none, all the way down to Kimiko's name.
Three.
She blinked in surprise; two others had voted for her, along with herself. Who-? Then Mineta was revealed to have none, and Momo with four.
Aizawa scanned the board with a detached interest and pronounced, "Yaoyorozu's the President, Midoriya's Vice."
...Whoa.
A murmur of acceptance bubbled through the students, and Kimiko felt a slow smile inch across her face, a sort of disbelieving happiness sending a gentle warmth through her. Momo stood up and began to graciously express thanks, and Kimi had half a heart to do the same, but settled for just sitting in her seat with a stupid grin on her face.
"Yes, yes, congragulations," said Aizawa. "We'll discuss your roles afterschool. Now onto the second order of business; the U.A. Sports Festival."
Kimi shot upright in her chair, and Kirishima softly cheered.
"Hold on," said Jiro. "Is it really such a good idea to host the Sports Festival so soon after the villains snuck in? We're all in one place, damaging each other. It's like we're begging to be attacked."
"I told you to stop being such a downer," hissed Kaminari.
Jiro cast him an offhand glance, before staring resolutely at Aizawa.
"The administratives feel that this is crucial to maintaining the appearance of our strength," said Aizawa. "And we have taken much more precautions this year. But it's more than that. As you all know, the Sports Festival is a golden opportunity for all of our students; it's the most watched event in the entire world, pushing even the Olympics to a side. Pro heroes, companies- this is where they scout you."
Mineta's voice quavered. "B-but..."
"Once a year, thrice in a lifetime," he declared. "This event could determine the path of your future, whether you succede... or fail."
Kimi clenched her fists.
"So," said Aizawa. "You better not slack off on training."
There was a roaring chorus of "Yessir!", but Kimiko stayed silent, something cold and deadly building within her.
/~/
"The sports festival, hm?" Momo said, a little too casually. "A golden opportunity."
Todoroki made a noise of acknowledgement, while Kimi merely nodded. Momo blinked at their serious expressions, trying again. "So, what'd you guys think?"
"It's..." Kimi struggled to find words. Exciting? Stressful? A careful balance inbetween, precariously tilting between the two; a passionately awaited day, and a dreaded one. World changing or world shattering.
She settled for, "Important."
Really, she quipped to herself. How enlightening.
Momo seemed to think along those lines and shook her head exasperatedly. Equally simply, Todoroki stated as if it were plain as day, "I'm going to win."
"Um, no," said Momo. "That would be me."
Kimiko opened her mouth to declare, No, it'll be me, but the words never escaped her lips, feeling awkward and clumsy as they got stuck in her throat.
The thought, the need was left to foster within her mouth, turning sour and rancid. Spit it out, Kimi, she thought fiercely. Say what you mean; take what you want. You. Will. Win.
As if he could read the words burning within her, Todoroki said quietly, "I hope you heard that, Midoriya."
She smiled. "Oh, I heard you."
Momo matched her smile, equally pleasant and equally dangerous underneath. A predator's smile.
The game was on.
/~/
She became painfully aware of the gentle thumps of her footsteps that sounded much too loud as All Might silently glided up the stairs. His large, muscled form and strong declarative steps should have evoked some noise, but his steps were completely soundless as they impacted the stairs.
All Might didn't really need thumping stomps and loud declarations to announce that He Was Here. He simply was, and everyone within a hundred meters knew it- whether they wanted to or not. His presence simply demanded attention, and all eyes were naturally drawn to his aura of strength.
"So..." Kimi began awkwardly. "Lunch?"
The moment the door closed, steam rolled off his form, revealing the skinny figure of his true form. All Might was somber, a sharp contrast to the exuberance with which he'd snatched her away from her friends.
Kimi still remembered the careful way Todoroki's gaze had trailed after them.
"I called you here for a reason," said All Might. "I'm sure you're aware of the importance of the Sports Festival."
She nodded. "Very aware."
"Then I won't have to impress it into you again. Now, you know that I received heavy damage during my battle with the Noumu, going beyond my limits."
"...Yeah..."
He closed his eyes. "It was one time too many. My new time limit in my other form has been reduced to fifteen minutes."
Letting that sink in, Kimi tried to push aside the dawning horror that threatened to corrupt her and failed. A crushing sense of tragedy struck her, and she put up no struggle as it overtook everything. She took in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I should've done more, been better-"
All Might laughed.
"W-what?"
"We really are alike, Kimiko." He chuckled. "Don't apologize; it's not all bad. Although there is one thing. The villaisn are begining to notice my diminishing power; they're getting more confident, and there has to be someone to step up and take my place.
"That someone is you, Kimiko. You will be the new Symbol of Peace."
She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was all happening too fast, expectations and pressure crushing the breath from her lungs. She wasn't ready, she couldn't imagine what it would take to be ready, she didn't know if she would ever be ready-
She would be ready.
All Might turned from his spot at the window, and the force of all his intense attention caused her to do a double take. He said, "Think of the Sports Festival as your debut. You will show the world exactly what the fledgling Symbol of Peace can do. You will take the competition by storm and say, 'I am here!'"
The bright future was within grasp. All Kimi had to do was dare to reach out, wrap her fingers around it, and pull.
Steadily she said, "I will."
/~/
A/N. Phew, I hit a bit of writer's block doing the All Might vs. Noumu scene. I didn't know how much was supposed to be Kimi and how much focus should be on the fight. I chose the fight and sifted a bit of Kimi in between because holy frick All Might is awesome and deserves his chapter.