I'm back!

If you're interested, I've compiled a world-building post on my tumblr that should answer any questions you may or may have about the world of Icefall. Just go to coffeedoodle and search up the tag 'icefall'.

"You said there's a city?" asks Izuku as the sky outside turns violet, streaked gold with the reflection of the sun on the undersides of the clouds.

"Yes," says Tenya, nodding his head. "The city of Yuuei. It is governed by a council of powerful people, and that's why it managed to survive."

"How big are we talking here?" asks Bakugou, a note of interest in his voice.

"Big," replies Tenya. "Maybe not as big as some of the cities in the Before, but it's many times the size of Ochako's village. Most if not all of the buildings are intact, even if none of them are taller than four stories. You should be able to disappear there. It'll be easier to hide among that many people."

"It'll be harder to get away if they find out, though," points out Ochako quietly.

They descend into silence.

It's a gamble, for sure, but the situation has forced their hand. Shouto stares at a crack in between the floorboards. If word catches up to the city that he is the Ice King, they'll be trapped. They'll be surrounded by people who want to capture or kill him, and even if he knows he could use his Kosei to fight, the overwhelming numbers of an entire city's population are not something he can reasonably defeat.

On the other hand, if they don't go to the city, where will they go? With no destination in mind, they could just be wandering forever and ever across the vastitudes of ice. The others will have to leave, eventually, and then he'll be alone, and even with his ability to regulate temperature he knows he won't survive long out there on his own.

"I think..." says Izuku softly, "I think this is really up to Shouto, isn't it."

All eyes turn towards him and he looks up from the floorboards. With a sigh, he straightens his spine and meets Izuku's gaze.

They don't really have a choice, do they.

"Let's go to the city. It's a gamble we're going to have to make."

"We'll need supplies," says Izuku, fidgeting with the strap of the backpack he'd gotten from Ochako. "We lost all of ours."

Tenya smiles. "Well, you've certainly come to the right place." The boy stands in a rush of air, going from seated position to ramrod straight in the blink of an eye. He lifts his arms, hands poised in a strange chopping shape, and motions towards the door. "Let's go! Iida Trade Center is stocked with anything you could possibly need!"

Ochako giggles. "It's true," she says. "Once I found an actual live crab behind a box of lightbulbs."

Shouto stares. "A crab?" he asks, incredulous. "Where…"

"If it still exists, Iida Trade Center has it," replies Ochako with a shrug and a grin. "There's no explaining it. It is how it is. You'll be able to find whatever you need here."

They move as a group out of Tenya's room and back through the house. As they step off of the stairs, a man who must be Tenya's father waves at them from where he's standing in the kitchen. Then they're back outside in the biting air of twilight, thick cloud cover casting the world into shadow and shielding the stars from sight. The moon shines through the fog, light dimmed but still present, and the ice looks blue in its glow.

Snow crystals crunch underfoot as they move towards the warehouse. At the entrance, Tenya pulls a key from his pocket and turns it in the lock, and the door swings open with an exhalation of warmth. They file in as a group, Tenya closing and re-locking the door behind them.

The size of the collection is overwhelming. Shelves reach to the ceiling, absolutely packed with items of all shapes and sizes. Ladders rest against the shelves here and there, so that customers can reach the things at the top. It's beyond anything Shouto's ever seen.

Well. That's not saying much, considering that all he's seen over the last decade is the inside of Castle Endeavor.

"Wow," says Izuku. "This is a lot of ground to cover."

"I can help!" says Ochako brightly. "Just give me a list!"

Tenya nods in agreement. "I can help as well. Perhaps it would be sensible for us to split up and look for the items you need."

Bakugou has already grabbed a satchel off of a nearby shelf and started walking. "Let's go, fuckers!" he snaps. "We don't have all day!"

Tenya gapes and Izuku sends him an apologetic look. Shouto lifts a hand to his mouth, trying to hide the small smile at Tenya's expression. "Sorry," says Izuku. "He's just like that."

Tenya seems to shake himself before lifting his hands again in that strange gesture of his. "Well! Best get moving! What do you need?"

Izuku starts listing things and Shouto tunes out of the conversation. Aimlessly he drifts along the line of shelves, fingers trailing along the metal as he peers at the objects stacked there. A pile of books, and pair of boots, an orange hat, a snowglobe.

Shouto stops and picks up the latter. It shines in the light of a nearby lantern and he watches in fascination as the glittery snow swirls about the picturesque town cast in the miniature. Why anyone would want this when the world outside is much the same, he doesn't know, but for him it carries a much different emotion. In this glass dome, a moment of happiness is captured, a town taking joy in the coming of a peaceful, harmless snow. It's idyllic, and impossible.

He wonders if this is how the world looked when the snow first started to fall. Everything near the epicenter had been met with the sudden, violent approach of the glaciers, but farther to the south the Great Ice must have come slowly. The people must have been excited, at first, to see snowfall, even in places where snow does not usually come, and he wonders at what point that excitement had turned to dread as the snow had not ceased, had not even slowed. He wonders how they must have lied to their children about the ominous buildup of snow at their doors and windows, must have huddled by their fireplaces when the power went out and went out for good.

"Shouto!"

Shouto startles, dropping the snowglobe. Only his reflexes keep it from shattering against the floor. Izuku trots up to him, looking sheepish. "Sorry, did I startle you?"

"No," lies Shouto. Then, at Izuku's look, "It's fine."

They fall silent, combing the rows of shelves together. After a while, it becomes apparent that there is, in fact, some sort of organizational system, as they step into a row that seems to be entirely made up of non-perishable food.

Shouto pulls a can of soup off of a shelf and inspects it. The wrapper is faded, but from what he can tell it's cream of tomato.

"Low sodium," comments Izuku over his shoulder, peering at the same can. "That means it's not gonna be as salty."

"Is that good?"

"I dunno. Depends on your preference, I guess."

Shouto hums and tucks it into the bag he'd picked up a few rows back. By his side, Izuku is placing several cups of pre-prepared ramen into his own bag.

Something's been bothering Shouto for a while now, but he's been afraid to bring it up. But here they are, side by side, without any of the others. If he's going to say it, he'd better say it now.

"Izuku," he says. His friend turns to him, absent-mindedly placing a bag of jerky back on the shelf.

"Hm?"

"I…" Shouto trails off, afraid to continue. This is important, he knows, but he's not sure if Izuku's thought about this at all. Asking him to would mean admitting that, inevitably, they're going to have to part ways.

"Shouto, what is it?"

A loud laugh drifts over from a couple shelves down, and Shouto tenses. "We need to talk. Can we...can we go outside for a moment?"

Izuku frowns, but nods. Shouto zips up his bag and swings it over his shoulder, turning away and beginning to walk towards the door. Izuku follows, boots padding softly against the concrete, and Shouto can feel the other boy's eyes burning holes into the back of his head.

Outside, the night is fully darkened and lit only by the moon behind the clouds. Shouto holds the door open for Izuku and then channels his Kosei into his foot to create a small block of ice which he uses to prop it open. That done, he takes a deep breath and turns toward his friend.

"Is everything okay?" asks Izuku, sounding concerned. It's hard to see, in the darkness, but Shouto can just make out the wrinkle in the center of his brow, and cringes at the fact that he caused it.

The cloud cover drifts away from the moon for a moment and Shouto begins.

Shouto looks nervous. No, not nervous; anxious, and almost afraid. Izuku bites his lip in worry. What is he afraid of? Now that they have some semblance of direction, why is he suddenly anxious?

"What is your plan?"

Izuku blinks, confused. Don't they have a plan? Isn't that the whole point? "What do you mean?"

"We left without a goal. We just...ran. But you have a home. A mother. I can't go back, but you have to. So when are you going to leave?"

Izuku's chest tightens. No, this isn't...this isn't right. "I'm not...I won't…Shouto, I'm not leaving."

Shouto sighs and brushes red-and-white bangs away from where they hang low over his brow. His skin is pale in the moonlight, the scar around his eye standing out in glaring contrast to the rest of his face. He's looking away, refusing to meet Izuku's eyes. "Yes, you are."

It's definitive. It brooks no argument. It wobbles at the edges but is firm at the center, and it makes Izuku feel sick.

"No, Shouto, I can't—"

Shouto's hand lands on his shoulder, warm and heavy. "Izuku. When we get to the city, you have to go home."

"No!"

"Izuku, it's okay—"

"No, it's not!" explodes Izuku, shoving Shouto's hand away. "I'm not leaving!"

Shouto's next breath is trembling, and in the moonlight his eyes are wet. "You have to."

" No." Izuku's heart pounds in his chest, wild and aggressive. He's not sure why he feels so strongly about this; Shouto is right, after all. His mother is back home waiting for him, and there's no guarantee she'll be able to make it in this cruel world with only her weak metal Kosei. Bakugou's parents will take care of her, of course, but the fact remains that she needs him.

And yet…

"I won't leave you," says Izuku, and the words come out sounding like a plea. He notes with a distant hint of surprise that his face is wet. "Shouto, I-I can't."

"Why not?" asks Shouto. His voice is flat, emotionless, but his eyes are filled with turmoil. "Why not?"

"B-because...because…"

Because I love you.

The thought catches him by surprise and he feels heat flood through his cheeks. It's wild, and reckless, but he knows in his heart that it's true.

He can't say that, though. He doesn't know how to say it.

"I just…I can't," chokes Izuku.

Shouto sighs. "Alright," he says, but Izuku can see in his face that the argument is not over.

A wind gusts past, blowing old snow up around them. In the moonlight, each flake of snow is like a tiny, spinning star, and Izuku can't help but think that, despite everything, it really is beautiful. Even if half the world is dead, even if society is in shambles, looking out across the ice you wouldn't know it. Cast in a blanket of white, everything looks clean and endless. Even a moment can be timeless.

Izuku wants more than anything to crystallize this particular moment, and all of the moments he's spent with Shouto. If he could encase their time in ice, perhaps he could preserve it, and then they'd never have to part. He'd never lose this, never have to watch it melt away.

Izuku's hands are cold and his heart is aflame. He's shaking, though he's not sure if it's from his emotions or the frigid temperatures, and all he wants is to reach out and pull Shouto close, tuck him into his arms and never let him go. He doesn't want to lose this. He can't lose this.

"Shouto, I—"

Izuku's eyes meet only darkness where Shouto had been only moments ago. The door hangs open slightly, faint light forming a pathway on the ice.

The moment is shattered. The delicate balance they had spun around their flight had been shattered, too, shattered by Shouto and his sharp, poisonous truths.

Izuku sighs and drags a shaking hand over his face. Then, once he's composed himself sufficiently, he heads back inside.

The door closes with a bang, and the wind howls across the glaciers. Snow piles over their footsteps as a cloud moves back over the moon and everything is once again cast in darkness.

There's a roaring outside, like thunder or an engine, and then silence. Heavy footsteps pound towards the door and it opens with rattling force, slamming into the wall with a violent bang. Smoke threads through the air and shadows ripple dangerously around the twisting light formed by the flames that lick at the stranger's face.

Tensei Iida looks up from his book and hides his shock. Face carefully neutral, he sits up straighter in his chair and smiles mildly at the huge man who stands before him.

"Welcome to Iida Trade Center," he says politely. Under the desk, his hands are shaking. "How can I help you this evening?"

The figure approaches, sending off sparks and surrounded by an aura of doom. His hands fall heavy on the desktop and he leans in uncomfortably close, breath hissing angrily through barred teeth. He'd be several feet taller than Tensei even if he weren't confined to his wheelchair, and now looms over him like some sort of beast or a bad omen.

Slowly, Tensei's fingers move to the button on the underside of the desk and depress it as quietly as possible. His smile doesn't falter, even after the signal has been sent.

"Where," growls the figure, voice low and ominous, "is my son."

Tenya is enjoying this.

Even with the potential disaster of being associated with a wanted fugitive and his two very interesting companions, it's...refreshing, to have something to do other than man the desk and run deliveries. And besides that, he always loves to spend time with Ochako. She's bright and kind, an unceasing light in the darkness, and they've known each other since even before the Great Ice had come. Her friendship is warm and constant, and he always waits in anticipation for her bi-monthly visits.

So everything's good, considering the circumstances. Tenya peers down at the list in his hand, given to him by that Izuku boy (who, in Tenya's opinion, seems like someone worth trusting, even if he is a bit naive) and pulls a tube of antiseptic off of the shelf.

That's when his handheld transceiver beeps and everything goes wrong.

Frowning, Tenya places the antiseptic into his bag and pulls the transceiver out of his pocket. Dread curdles in his stomach when he sees that the small light at the top is flashing red.

Tenya turns on the transceiver but doesn't speak. If this is an emergency, speaking would only give him away.

There are voices, crackling and hard to decipher, but one is clearly Tensei's and one is clearly not. Tenya can't make out words, but he can definitely understand the tone.

It's not anything good.

Tapping comes over the line, and Tenya's back goes rigid. He scrambles for a pen and a notepad on a nearby shelf and listens intently to the message Tensei is sending.

When they were young, they'd spent hours learning it together. Tucked up in bed, Tensei's weight on the mattress, they'd poured and poured over a book of morse code. "So we can still talk, even when I'm overseas," Tensei had promised. "I'm not supposed to use phone lines when I'm on a mission, but if you know morse code, we can communicate that way." And Tenya had beamed, even though he'd secretly thought it all a bit silly, because if Tensei wasn't supposed to send messages, then a bit of morse code wouldn't change anything. But he hadn't mentioned it, because he'd loved spending time with his brother.

Now, he's glad he'd payed attention. Communication, in any form, is invaluable in the After.

Dot. Dash dot. Dash dot dot. Dot. Dot dash. Dot dot dot dash. Dash dash dash. Dot dash dot.

E. N. D. E. A. V. O. R.

Tenya's stomach drops to his feet, but Tensei isn't done. Hastily he moves to scribble down the rest of the message.

Dot dash dot. Dot dot dash. Dash dot.

R. U. N.

The air is tense between Izuku and Shouto, and neither of them likes it but neither will acknowledge it. They resume their search through the shelves in silence.

Suddenly there's a gust of air and the pounding of footsteps. Izuku turns, and behind him Shouto does the same. Tenya skids to a stop before them, eyes wide and air still settling around him. A few loose papers flutter to the floor from a nearby shelf.

"We have to go," says Tenya, voice low and urgent. "Where are the others?"

Izuku blinks. "What's happening?"

"He's here." Tenya turns his gaze to look at Shouto, expression severe. "Endeavor."

"What?" gasps Izuku, taken aback. "How did he find us? How did he get here so quickly?"

"The snowball fight." Kacchan appears behind Tenya, arms crossed and brow low over his eyes. Ochako appears a moment later, bouncing nervously on her toes. "It must've been the damn snowball fight. We didn't cover our tracks."

"But that doesn't explain how he caught up to us," points out Ochako. "He doesn't have an air Kosei. Unless he's dual…?"

Shouto shakes his head, taking a step forward to stand beside Izuku instead of behind him. "No, his only Kosei is fire. He probably took the snowmobile."

"He has a snowmobile?" hisses Izuku at the same time that Ochako lets out a shocked gasp and says, "A snowmobile?!"

"Yes," Shouto says flatly. "He's the Lord of Endeavor. You really think he wouldn't have exactly the resources he needs to come after us? How do you think those posters made it to the village before we did? He may be a terrible person but he's smart and he's powerful. He has eyes everywhere."

"Regardless of how he found you," interjects Tenya urgently. "We need to leave. Now. My brother's distracting him, but I don't know how long that will last."

Izuku nods curtly and swings the backpack up on his shoulders. They might not have everything they need, but they have enough to get by. Hopefully between the five of them they'll have covered all bases.

With hurried footsteps they move as a group towards the back door. Izuku notes that Tenya keeps pulling out his transceiver and bringing it to his ear, and every time he does they can hear the distant and heated conversation taking place at the front of the building.

Izuku's just put his hand on the door handle when the sound on the line peaks and then fades. They all freeze.

"Shouto!" bellows Endeavor from across the warehouse, voice filling every corner of the building and echoing in the eaves.

"Tenya," comes the voice of Tenya's brother over the transceiver. "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him. He's coming, and he knows about your guests."

"Shit," swears Kacchan, already shoving the door open. He reaches a rough hand out for Izuku's shoulder and pushes him out into the night. "Move."

No one thinks twice. They just start running. The door closes softly behind them, and Izuku glances briefly over his shoulder to see that Ochako had the presence of mind to close it carefully. There's no reason for them to give Endeavor their exact location.

"Iida," snarls Kacchan as they run. "You told your brother?"

Tenya shakes his head, already pushing ahead of them in a gust of air. "No, but Tensei's smart. He must have figured it out."

"Well—"

"Does it really matter?" gasps Izuku, channeling his Kosei into his legs to give him more momentum. He skids to a stop, however, when Tenya swerves in front of him and starts heading for the house.

"What are you doing?" hisses Shouto.

Tenya doesn't answer. In front of them, a plume of snow rises through the air, kicked up by his abrupt halt at the rear of the house. When it settles, they see that he's dragging a large sled.

"Get on," he orders. "Ochako, you get the back. See if you can lighten them up at all."

"What the hell are you doing?" demands Kacchan, sparks dancing around his skin. "This isn't the time for a sledding excursion!"

"No, Kacchan, I think I get it," says Izuku, mind racing. Both Ochako and Tenya have air Kosei. If he, Kacchan, and Shouto all climb onto the sled, the two of them should be able to move them faster across the ice. From what he's seen, Tenya excels at using his Kosei as a source of propulsion, and Ochako's speciality seems to lie in making things float. It's a smart plan, especially since there's no way they'll be able to compete with Endeavor on foot, but Izuku thinks he knows how to give them even more of an edge.

"Shouto," says Izuku breathlessly as the three of them clamber onto the sled. "Can you freeze the ground behind us?"

Shouto's brow furrows, but he nods anyway. "Why?"

Ochako and Tenya have each taken a side of the sled and the air has started to swirl around them. Beneath them, a pocket of wind lifts them up to hover barely an inch above the ice, and a gust collects around Tenya's legs. The sled jerks into motion, speeding across the glaciers at incredible speed, and the three onboard have to clutch for the sides to keep from falling off.

"Kacchan! Can you give us some explosions?"

"Shut up, Deku! Who do you think I am?!" shouts Kacchan indignantly, but does it anyway. Fire and sparks shoot from the boy's hands, illuminating the path behind them and working like an engine to add another layer of propulsion.

"If you turn all the snowfall into hard ice," explains Izuku as Shouto focuses his eyes on the glacier behind them, "then Endeavor's snowmobile won't have any traction, and we won't leave any tracks. That way we'll be able to move faster and he won't be able to follow us once we're out of sight."

"Great thinking, Izuku!" shouts Ochako, beaming at him from her place behind the sled. "But I don't know how long we'll be able to keep this up for. No offense, but you guys are kinda heavy!"

Izuku frowns, considering. It is true that Ochako and Tenya are probably going to grow tired very quickly. At this point, there's only one thing left to do. After all, he's the only one who has yet to contribute.

With hurried fingers, Izuku unzips his backpack and digs around until he finds an energy bar. He almost drops it several times, but eventually manages to unwrap it and shove it in his mouth. Chewing as quickly as he can, he pulls his off his gloves and boots and lays himself flat across the sled.

"Don't freak out!" he orders around a mouthful of peanut-flavored protein. His fingers latch onto Ochako's wrist and his foot presses against Tenya's back. In the distance, there's a sound like the revving on an engine, and Izuku turns on his Kosei.

Glowing light surrounds him from head to toe, concentrated around his hands and feet. Body humming with energy, Izuku pours his Kosei into Ochako and Tenya. The wind kicks up and their speed increases.

Ochako lets out an ecstatic laugh. "Izuku, this is amazing!" she cries, eyes dancing, and Izuku smiles back even as sweat builds in the nape of his neck. He's not cold, despite the climate, and every inch of him prickles like he's surrounded by a million needles. It's not uncomfortable, per se, and if he's honest, the rush of adrenaline brings a sense of euphoria. He feels like he could continue to do this forever.

It's hours before they stop in a grove of looming evergreens. Needles litter the snow, turning the ground dark as they skid to a stop amidst the shadows of the trees. The sled drops to the ground with a soft thud and all five of them sag.

"We did it," gasps Ochako.

Izuku offers her a smile and then drops it. It takes too much energy. His breath is heavy in his lungs, rattling in and out of his ribcage like knives. The cold air burns his throat, his lips cracking from dryness. He tastes blood on his tongue when he licks them.

"Izuku."

Shouto's hand rests on his shoulder, turning him onto his back. Izuku looks up into mismatched eyes and is stunned to find that they are brimming with fear and concern.

"Oh my god," breathes Ochako. A gentle finger brushes the inside of Izuku's wrist and burning pain explodes up his arm. He gasps and tries to pull his limbs close to his body, but he doesn't have the energy to even do that.

The adrenaline fades, and suddenly everything is pain. Dark spots dance through Izuku's vision.

"Stay with us," orders Shouto, leaning close and placing a shaky hand on either side of his face. "Izuku, stay with me."

Distantly, Izuku hears shouting. Ochako searches through their packs and Tenya gives worried medical advice while Kacchan screams and screams about his stupidity. How could you do this, Deku? You know your limits, how could you exceed them you idiot?

"Sorry," exhales Izuku shakily, the word hardly even a whisper.

The dark spots expand and keeping his eyelids open any longer grows to be too much work.

The worried voices of his friends surround him and Izuku slips into unconsciousness.

ok but let's be honest. it wouldn't be izuku if he didn't go and break every bone in his body.