Is the world really that unfair?
No. Izuku opened his eyes, looking at the starry sky beyond Hedero's looming form. Or...even if it is...it doesn't have to be! People die every day at the hands of these ghouls, but we still have heroes. Their existence is a testament to humanity's hope! They are humanity's hope. And if the world isn't fair, if the world is cruel...then a hero will fix it. He dragged in another breath, trying to calm his racing heart, as the ghoul carrying him landed heavily on a ragged rooftop. In all of his interviews, All Might calls himself the symbol of hope. And when he shows up to the scene, he always says, I AM HERE! He'll save me...he always saves people….he has to save me…
"ALL MIGHT!" Izuku shouted, forcing the words out of his throat despite the hand coiled around it. "HELP ME!" The boy stared into the sky, heart pounding. Seconds passed. Not a sound, but the faint mourning whisper of the wind. Izuku felt his heart begin to sink with awful finality.
"According to Toshinori, All Might will be out of commission for a while." Hedero snarled. Izuku turned to face him, then shrieked in agony as one pointed kagune stabbed straight through his arm. Hedero watched the scarlet blood ooze across his pale skin, practically hypnotized. "Though…" His voice sounded far away. "I'm not sure I believe him. He's got to be the weakest ghoul I've ever met. So pathetic. And yet...how else did I get away from All Might…? Ah well." He shrugged and slammed another tentacle into Izuku's thigh. "Guess it doesn't matter. Best not to question fate."
"I..will always…" Izuku gasped, shaking with the effort of not screaming. "Question fate! This.." He let out an agonized whimper as the kagune in his arm pushed deeper. "This wasn't supposed to...It's not fair!" A couple tears slid from his eyes. "It's not…" A scream burst from his chest as his another kagune impaled him through his side. "HELP! HELP ME, PLEASE…!"
Miles away, a very different sort of ghoul stood staring down at Ningen no Hinansho Hospital. His dark hair blew faintly in the wind, and he smiled slightly at the messy scent of Bunkyo City. His black, scaly kagune loosened from where they usually coiled around his lower face, letting the wind brush along his jaw.
"Aizawa Sensei?" Behind him, a nervous young ghoul with shimmering pink wing kagune stepped closer. "Um. Could you tell us why we're up here? Maybe?"
Aizawa turned back to his student with a faint sigh. Can't get a moment of peace with these kids. He thought wryly. "Yeah." He glanced over at his other student, a tall boy with half black-half white hair. "Todoroki, focus."
The boy glanced up from his phone and shoved it back in his pocket. "Sorry. My father." His classmate, Ochako Uraraka, shot him a curious glance. "He asked where I was."
Knowing full well that young Shoto Todoroki had no intention of answering his father's questions, Aizawa strolled over to the edge of the skyscraper roof they stood on. "Do you know what this building is?"
"A skyscraper?" Todoroki asked. Aizawa shot him a look, unsure if he was sassy or just clueless.
"Well, uh…" Uraraka edged closer and glanced nervously over the edge. "It's a detective agency, right?" She swallowed nervously, suddenly looking sweaty. "Isn't a little risky to be near law enforcement?"
"Yeah." Aizawa bent slightly to look her in the eye, hoping he got his point across. She has to understand. "Everything is risky, when you're a ghoul. Living is risky." Uraraka flinched, and he sighed. "You can't hide forever. Besides, it's after hours, everyone should be gone."
"But right next to a hospital, too…" She glanced over at the massive building to the left.
"Let's just get it over with." Todoroki murmured. "I have to get home soon."
"You're right." Aizawa nodded, then glanced down at Uraraka. Her parents kept her in the country, far away from human civilization. She's so scared of them, so scared of being found out. "There's no reason to be nervous, Uraraka. Even if the humans see us, we'll be fine. They're only allowed to attack us if we attack them."
"What they're allowed to do, and what they will do, are two different things." Todoroki pointed out. Uraraka whimpered anxiously, and Aizawa shot him a glare.
"Thanks for that, Todoroki." Aizawa sighed with exasperation. "Anywho, you two need to practice evasive maneuvers. This is a good, open spot. Hard to evade in such an environment, but there's nothing wrong with a challenge." He sat down, letting his feet dangle over the edge of the building. "Get to it."
"Yes, Sensei." Todoroki grabbed his black and white mask from his pocket and strapped it on, taking care to also arrange a black eye patch over one eye. He unfurled his kagune, two massive shimmering wings. One was a dark blood-red, while the other was a deep and cold blue.
Uraraka edged closer, then took a deep breath and launched herself off the roof. She let out a faint squeal and stretched her wings as far as they would go, gliding shakily through the air. Todoroki leapt after her and calmly swooped in an arc over the building.
"Remember to flap!" Aizawa called. Uraraka yelled a vague noise of agreement, and began furiously pumping her wings up and down. She's stronger than she thinks. Aizawa noted as she powered gradually upward. The only reason Todoroki is so much better than her is his life-long training. But she'll catch up.
After a few minutes of watching them soar through the chilly night air, Aizawa got to his feet. "Ok, that's enough warm up. Todoroki, I want you to try to catch her. Uraraka, all you have to do is not get caught. Simple enough?"
"More than enough." Todoroki agreed. He leaned back, then flung himself at Uraraka. She squeaked again, and just barely managed to dodge. Todoroki spun around and landed a kick on her back. She winced and let herself fall out of range, before clumsily rocketing at him from behind. He spun around to face her, and she swung to the right, slamming him with one wing on her way.
Aizawa lay back on the roof, watching them spar, and occasionally making suggestions. "Todoroki, use your wings as shields. Uraraka, watch where you're going. Be aware of every body part, not just your kagune. Todoroki, utilize your greater speed. Don't go straight for the offensive every time." They followed suit, adjusting their movements to fit his criticism.
Watching them, seeing how talented they both were, gave Aizawa an uncomfortably familiar feeling. Hope. My old enemy. It's not the slightest bit rational. Sure, they might be strong, but anything could happen. Still...he sighed in defeat. I believe in them both.
He jumped slightly as his phone started ringing. He sighed and dug it out of the scruffy black duffle bag he brought everywhere. Turning it on, he saw it was a text from Toshinori. What does that dumbass want now?
"I need your help. Right now." And along with that extremely vague text, his location. He's not far from base. Why text me…?
He glanced back up at his students. They had switched roles, and now Todoroki was gracefully dodging Uraraka's attempts to catch him. "Uraraka, keep your eyes on his. You stand a better chance of predicting his next move that way." He turned his attention back to his phone. Why? Remember, I told you I'm not helping with any of this hero business. He wrote back.
The answer came almost immediately. "Get your ass over here now."
Aizawa blinked in surprise. He's not usually this...aggressive. Must be important. He heaved himself upright and stretched with a loud groan, the bones in his back popping loudly. Okay then. "Todoroki! Uraraka!"
The two young ghouls halted in their mid-air wrestling to look questionly down at him. "What is it?" Uraraka asked. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Is it detectives?"
"No, nothing's wrong." I think. "Just head home. We're done for tonight. Uraraka, you can get back to base by yourself, right?"
"Oh, um…" She glanced away nervously. "I don't...I mean…"
"Fine. Come with me then. You can fly me there, we'll be fastener." She nodded, looking relieved. "Todoroki...good luck." He grunted in agreement and took off, disappearing into the shadowy streets below. "Let's go."
Uraraka swooped down and awkwardly looped her arms under his own. "I've actually never carried anyone before. Not while flying."
"You'll be fine." It wasn't surprising, though Aizawa was a bit unsure of how he would fare being dropped from this height. Ah well. I'll make it work. He looped his own kagune around her waist for added safety, then whipped out his phone. "Ok. It's not too far away. Head down Anzen Road…"
Everything was a blur. Izuku could practically feel his life dripping out of him, though it was strangely painless. Though he could see the horrible wounds covering his body, he was numb.
Blood swamped the ground as his legs gave out and he collapsed. A terrified rat skittered over his ragged arm, and someone's long abandoned trash fell into his lap. A box from that burger restaurant. Happy Hana's, it was called. I used to go there with Mom. Mom...she was always right, after all.
Distantly, like a dream from the past, he felt teeth sink into shoulder. Greasy hair brushed his face, and he felt his own blood spatter his cheek. I guess Hedero's eating me now. Interesting. I wish I didn't know his name. I wonder if Kacchan will remember me. I wonder if they'll have a funeral. I wonder if Dad'll show up for it.
I wonder if I ever even saw All Might at all...but he was flying...A faint sigh escaped his lips. Guess it doesn't matter anymore. His head lolled to the side, and he briefly met Hedero's eyes. He looked more inhuman than ever as swallowed a chunk of Izuku's shoulder. Blood rolled down his chin and spattered the ground, dripping like rain into the puddles.
It's all over…
Aizawa couldn't help but feel worried as he and Uraraka soared over the city. Her wings pounded against the air, whipping his hair crazily in the wind. Through the whirling strands of black, he could see the glittering lights of Tokyo racing by.
What could be so urgent? Coming from almost anyone else, he would have brushed off that text. But the lack of apologies, and manners, and shyness...that was so unlike him.
"Okay, uh...here?" Uraraka halted and hovered over a dingy mass of warehouses and alleyways. "Oh hey, isn't this right by base?" She landed on a rooftop with a loud grunt, dropping Aizawa gracelessly onto the rotted shingles. "Oops. Sorry."
"Yeah, it-" He stiffened as the smell of human blood suddenly flooded his senses. When was the last time I ate…? He got onto his hands and knees to peer into the shadows. There was definitely a human down there. A freshly killed one. "Interesting." No way he'd be so intense over inviting me to dinner. Does this have something to do with Endeavor? Or Aogiri?
"Stay here." He ordered Uraraka. "Or better yet, head into base for the night. It's right across the street." He pointed to the small convenience store across the road, pouring yellow light onto the asphalt. Though it looked like an average small-town store, it was in fact one of the most unusual facilities in the country. A haven for those who are foolish enough to have dreams. Me included, I guess.
He watched his student hop off the roof, hide her kagune, and hurry inside. He saw Mina Ashido, a long-time resident, greet her sleepily inside.
When he was sure she was safe, he leapt down from the roof and crep toward the deloises scent. Breathing in, he could tell it was fresh and very gory. Plus...he halted, then bristled in alarm when he detected Toshinori's scent.
"Toshinori?" He edged forward, then sighed as he rounded a bend and saw him. His friend lay on his back, splayed over a shredded human carcass. His clothes, baggy and torn as usually, were soaked in blood. "Toshinori!"
Toshinori, still clutching his cellphone in one hand, lifted his head weakly. "Aizawa...help…"
Aizawa rushed to his side and easily lifted him out of the carnage. "What in the world…" He sighed heavily. "Toshinori. Did you try to fight another ghoul?"
He grunted and pushed Aizawa away, uncharacteristically rough. "Aizawa. There was a kid. I saved him and recruited the guy, but it all went to shit. For some reason, the kid randomly showed up again, right here in the alleyway. I tried to save him….but I was too exhausted to be any good…"
Aizawa sighed and shook his head. "You can't save everyone. You have to accept that."
"I will not." The idiot leaned against the wall, glancing down at a bloom of blood spreading under his shirt. "But there isn't time to be arguing about this. This kid, a perfectly innocent child, is going to die if we don't do something…"
Both of them looked up sharply as a distant voice suddenly came howling over the wind several blocks away. "ALL MIGHT! HELP ME!" Toshinori flinched, and Aizawa bristled.
"Toshinori. If that monster shows up…" Aizawa glanced at him nervously, and Toshinori sighed.
"Don't worry." He grunted in pain as he stretched his eight spider-like kagune, and dug then into a nearby wall. Straining with the effort, the weaker ghoul pulled himself sideways up the wall, scuttling painfully across the bricks. "If we come across him, we'll run for our lives. But until then, help me save this kid." He paused in pulling himself onto the roof to glance back at Aizawa. "Please."
Aizawa sighed heavily, cursing Toshinori's ridiculous optimism. "Ok. I'm coming. Let's go save this human."