Warning: cussing. What could technically be considered Stockholm syndrome.
Chapter 6: Storm the Shie Hassaikai
Nico's POV.
The rest of the day passed very uneventfully. At 8AM. The next day one of Chisaki's men opened the door.
"How's it going?" He asked.
"Well. Is there something I can help you with?" I asked, looking him up and down.
"Yes, Toga and Twice are here and requesting to see you." He answered, turning and walking away. I turned back to the little girl.
"Do you want to meet my friends?" I asked.
"Yes!" she exclaimed happily. I looked through the shadows, and grabbed Himiko and Twice pulling them to me. They landed slightly disoriented.
"Hey guys." I said, waving.
"NICO!" Toga yelled, jumping up, and running to envelope me in a hug.
"Hey! Careful Toga." I warned, placing my arms around my stomach.
"Oh, right sorry." She slowed, and gave a very gentle hug.
"Who's this cutie?" Twice asked, peering at Eri. "I don't care! She's hideous!" he then exclaimed.
"This is Eri. Eri, this is my family; Himiko Toga, and Twice." I pointed to each in their turn.
"Can I have her blood?" Toga asked. Eri looked frightened.
"No Himiko. Eri is very special." I said, giving her a small glare. Himiko sulked a bit.
"Fine." She conceded, sitting on the floor. I was just about to ask a question when my phone rang. I picked it up. Caller ID read; Katsuki Bakugo. What. I swiped right.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Nico, I need you to listen closely. There's a group of heroes on their way to attack Chisaki's hideout. I don't want to see you hurt. Get to safety if you need to." Then, he hung up. I lowered my hand.
"What was that about?" Toga asked.
"We're going to be attacked. Eri, no matter what I want you to stay by my side the whole time. Is that understood?" I looked at the blue haired little girl.
"Ok Nico." She nodded. I stood, and just then alarms went off.
"They're here." I whispered, grabbing Eri's hand, and gripping it tightly.
"Well, we'll go buy you two time to escape." Toga and Twice left.
"Come on Eri, let's play a game!" I said, picking the child up. She looked at me frightened.
"What game are we going to play?" she asked, nearly trembling.
"We're going to play tag. How it works is we're going to run from the heroes, and if they see us, we have to run to keep from being tagged. Sound like fun?" I asked, giving her a smile. She nodded a little.
"But what do we do if we get tagged?" she asked, looking frightened again.
"Well, I won't let you get tagged." I said, smiling at her.
"Alright. I'll play with you." She conceded. I nodded, and opened the door to her room. I checked to make sure the hall was clear before walking out with Eri on my hip. I set out for the rear exit.
"Are we going to run?" Eri asked.
"Only if they find us." I said, walking faster down the long halls.
Only a few halls over from her room we ran into Chisaki.
"Hey," I said, walking up to him.
"Nico, good to see you are fulfilling your duties keeping Eri safe." He stated.
"Yeah. Where to?" I asked.
"You come with us. We're heading out. My people will protect our escape." He turned, and walked down the hall. I followed, holding Eri close to my body. If I had a choice between keeping with Chisaki and keeping Eri safe id choose Eri. Even if it meant going to the heroes again.
We'd only gone maybe 4 turns when I heard Midoriya's voice somewhere behind us. I didn't alert Chisaki, instead I leaned in to Eri, and whispered in her ear.
"Listen close little one. When the fighting starts, I want you to just close your eyes, and hold on tight to me. I'll keep you safe Eri." I told the little girl. She nodded.
Our little party walked slightly further before Mirio popped out of the wall behind us.
"Hold on tight." I whispered, shifting her so that she was on my front that way I could use my wings if needed.
"Nico di Angelo?" Mirio asked, looking at me in confusion.
"Mirio Togata." I replied, showing no emotion.
"Hand over Eri, and no one gets hurt." He said, staring me right in the eyes.
"I can't do that Mirio. Eri is not leaving my arms. I promised this little girl I'd protect her, and I'm not going to break a promise to a child." I stated holding Eri tightly against my chest.
"I do not want to fight you Nico, but I will." Mirio said, before disappearing into the ground. He was moving too quickly for me to track his movements. I jumped just moments before he popped up behind where I'd just been. Shit, he moves quick. He'd already disappeared back into the floor before my feet hit the ground. Damnit. I jumped again, but this time he came out of the wall. I turned so that he plowed into me and not the child I was carrying. My side exploded in pain, but I managed to land.
"Some help would be nice." I growled at Chisaki. Before I could check to see if he was helping, I had to evade Mirio again. This damn kid never quit. Usually, I'd be able to just drop into the shadows and evade that way, but with Eri and my own child that wasn't an option. I dodged another attempt, but a second hit my side. That was too close to my stomach, and my maternal instincts came in full force.
"Do that again, and you die." I growled out, glaring at him. He seemed surprised by my sudden ferociousness.
"Hand over Eri, and I won't." He tried. A feral noise fell from my lips involuntarily.
"I'll die first." I stood up straight, and shook my wings out from my shirt. It was his fault if he got cut and died. He disappeared again, and I wrapped my wings around myself, coving Eri and my middle twice. Mirio came out of the ground again, but was surprised by my wings and got thrown into the other wall with a stroke of my right one. He recovered quick, and went into the wall again. He popped up behind me, and aimed a strike at my lower back. He got swatted away by my wings once again.
"You should be more careful Togata, one cut from my wings, and your soul will begin to drain out." I told the teen who once again had disappeared.
"I'll keep that in mind." He said, popping out and lunging for me again. I evaded by propelling myself backwards on my wings.
"Nico! Take Eri and run. I'll hold him off!" Chisaki's man said.
"If you say so." I said, jumping up, and running down the hallway. I wasn't attacked from the back so I guess he managed to deflect at least Mirio's first attempt. I continued to run down the hallway.
"You go after Nico!" I heard Aizawa yell from a hall to my left. I held on tighter to Eri, and picked up my pace. Not twenty seconds later, I heard Midoriya behind me. I skidded to a halt, and turned to look at the green haired teen. His eyes focused in on the blue haired child clinging to my chest.
"Nico, hand over Eri." He said firmly.
"Sorry Izuku, I can't do that." I replied just as firm.
"Then we fight." He took a fighting position. I readied my wings. He ran at me crackling with green lightning. I deflected him off my left wing, and recoiled in pain. He kicked me! Shaking out my now aching wing, I glared at him.
"That was mean." I whined. He just attacked again. This time I blocked with a shadow barrier.
"Please Nico, I really don't want to fight you. Just give me Eri, and you won't get hurt." Deku pleaded.
"Tell you what, Let's let Eri choose." I said, picking the child up, and setting her on the ground. She looked at me frightened. "Alright Eri, would you like to go with Izuku?" I asked, taking a few steps back. She shook her head violently and ran back to me.
"Don't leave me!" she cried, clutching onto the bottom of my shirt.
"Don't worry little one, I won't let them take you." I said, picking her up and holding her close. She clutched my shirt tightly.
"Don't do that Nico, you scared me." She trembled, a tear coming out. I wiped it away.
"Sorry Eri, I just had to prove to Izuku that you didn't want to go." I looked at said teen who was looking at me in a mixture of horror and confusion.
"What did you do to her?!" he demanded angrily.
"I was the first to show her genuine kindness, and give her loving care. Nothing else." I told my once friend, sighing sadly. The anger drained, and was replaced by a sadness I could resound with.
"Alright, well will you both come with me then? I really don't want to fight you." He said, holding out a hand. "I won't harm either of you, or try to take Eri from you if you come willingly." He offered. I considered.
Before I could make a decision, something hit my back, and I fell to the floor. I managed to fall in a way that my body was a shield against anyone hurting or taking Eri. My back was on fire. They'd managed to hit the spot right in between my wings which was rather painful.
"Nico?! Are you hurt?" Eri asked, placing her small hands on my face worried.
"It's alright Eri, I'll protect you." I whispered, sitting up and cradling her to my chest. The pro hero sir Nighteye was the one who had attacked me. He threw another stamp at me, and I just managed to deflect it off my wing.
"Why is it always me?" I asked, standing and shaking myself off.
"Hand over the Child, and you won't get hurt." He demanded. I sighed, and shook my head.
"I can't do that. Eri won't let go." I said, holding my arms out to the side to prove that Eri was the one holding me. The hero glared, and threw a stamp at me again. I blocked it, but failed to notice Deku running at my side. He plowed into me, and Eri dropped to the floor. I was thrown backwards into the wall and hit my head. When my vision cleared, I was flat on my back with Izuku holding me down, and Eri was almost Sobbing being held by Nighteye.
"Eri, don't cry." I soothed. The little girl sniffled a bit. "There you go. Be a big girl for me." I coughed a little, and saw blood on my clothes. Shit. That couldn't be good.
"Nico, why haven't you been using your shadow abilities? I know you have the power to escape right now by going through the shadows. Why don't you?" Izuku asked. I smiled softly.
"A parent will do anything to protect their child." I stated, and placed my left hand inconspicuously on my belly. Then, I flung myself up on my wings. Izuku took a few steps back.
"Deku, hold him off while I get Eri to safety." The pro told my classmate.
"Yes sir." Deku said. Eri started to flail in Nighteye's arms.
"Let go! Let me go! I want Nico!" she screamed at him, clawing and trying her best to get away.
"Eri, I'm trying to help you." Nighteye tried. Eri screamed at him.
"Let go!" she managed to get out of his arms, and ran back to me. I bent down and picked her up, placing her on my hip.
"I told you, Eri won't let go." I said, smiling softly and brushing the tears off the little girl's face. Nighteye frowned, and pulled out a radio.
"This is unit leader. Target found, one guard. We have a slight problem here, target won't comply. Quirk use probable." He relayed. The radio crackled for a moment before a distorted voice replied.
"Use any means necessary to acquire target. We can't let the Shie Hassaikai keep her." The voice stated. I held onto her tighter, and prepared to fight. Without waiting an instant, Nighteye threw more stamps at me, and Deku ran at me again. The stamp I deflected off my wings, and I dodged Deku's kick by a sidestep. His foot whizzed mere centimeters from my face. My sidestep landed me right in the path of more stamps and I was hit in the back and legs. I gritted my teeth in pain, and turned my attention back to Deku. He was my main opponent. Nighteye mostly used long range attacks.
I was bombarded over and over with attacks, managing to dodge all of Deku's, but almost none of Nighteye's. my arms and legs were no doubt covered in bruises from those damn stamps at this point. Eri was silently crying, and I was at a huge disadvantage.
"Give her to us, and you will not be harmed further." Deku tried once again, real pain was in his eyes.
"I told you once, I'll tell you every time you ask. No. Eri is not leaving my side." I told him firmly.
"Good to see you kept at your duty." The voice of Overhaul said from the hall behind me. I turned, and almost sighed in relief. He looked mildly surprised at the condition I was in. I mean, if I saw a teenager fighting a pro, and a pro in training all with a child on his hip, and he was barely scratched I might be surprised too.
"I'll take Eri, and help you out." Kai said reaching for the child. I took a step back.
"No, I've got Eri. You focus your attention on attacking." I countered. He nodded, and fell into a fighting position. I wrapped Eri and I in my wings, and covered them in shadows making an almost impenetrable barrier.
"It's alright Eri, we're safe here in my wings." I whispered to the trembling child.
"What are we going to do?" she asked, clutching my shirt tighter.
"What do you want to do? I'll go wherever you want. If you want to go with the heroes, I'll come with you and protect you there." I told her gently
"Will He be able to get me there?" she asked.
"No Eri. Chisaki will never be able to hurt you again." I stated, running a hand through her hair.
"Then can we go with the heroes?" she asked softly.
"If that's what you want." I told her. I pulled my wings back to see that both Mirio and Deku were fighting Overhaul, and they were losing. Sir Nighteye was dying with a spike through him. I covered Eri's eyes.
"Don't look little one." I said, holding her close. "You don't need these memories." Deku got thrown bodily through the air, and I caught him in the shadows, bring him to me.
"Izuku, do you trust me?" I asked him.
"Not really. Why?" he questioned, getting to his feet.
"I know about your quirk, and how it works. I have an idea that might just work." I said.
"What is it?" he asked.
I explained my hairbrained idea.
"I like it." He decided. I put Eri on his back, and tied her on securely with a soft rope I pulled form the shadows.
"Eri, activate your quirk." I said looking the girl in the eyes.
"But won't I hurt him?" she asked worried.
"Nope. Deku as soon as Eri activates her quirk, go one hundred percent." He nodded. Eri's horn began to glow. "Now!" I yelled. Deku began to glow slightly, and he and Eri ran after Chisaki.
I watched from the ground as Deku managed to get a one up on Overhaul. I turned my attention away from the battle to check on the injured. I ran over to Nighteye, but he shook his head.
"Help Mirio." He coughed out. I understood, and ran over to the blond teen.
"Togata!" I called out, kneeling next to him. He looked up at me, and shied away.
"Look, I'm not here to hurt you. May I heal your injuries?" I asked, holding out a hand. He looked at me.
"Where's Eri?" he asked.
"Deku has her, he's using her quirk to get an upper hand on Overhaul. That's not important right now. May I heal you?" I asked again.
"Yeah." He sighed.
"Okay, put your mental guard up." I said, and dropped my blocks. I felt around his body, and healed his broken ribs and large cuts. I pulled away, and gasped.
"Ow." I said, holding my own chest.
"Are you alright?" he asked, concern on his brow.
"Peachy." I replied sarcastically. Just then, the sky exploded in a huge thunderclap. I looked up just in time to see Overhaul go crashing down to the ground. A green streak came down, and I flew over to it. Deku as still glowing and Eri's horn was letting out more power than I'd ever seen.
Suddenly, the downed Overhaul tried to grab them, I didn't move fast enough, but it didn't matter. Eri's quirk went out of control, and turned him back to his normal form, the others he consumed turned back to normal as well.
I grabbed her in the shadows, and pulled her off. Deku collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion. I covered myself in shadows from head to foot, and grabbed the child.
"Hey there little one." I said, brushing her hair out of her face.
"Nico!" she cheered weakly. A small hand grabbed my face. "You didn't leave." She said softly, a tear falling from her eye. I brushed it away.
"Of course not. I promised you that I'd protect you no matter where you went. I'm not going anywhere." I told her, placing my hand over hers. She smiled, and fell asleep. Poor thing, must've overused her quirk. I strolled casually over to the heroes.
"Hello professor." I said, startling my homeroom teacher.
"Nico." He said turning, and then realizing I was holding a sleeping Eri. "Why do you have the child?" he asked.
"I promised to protect her, and Eri asked to go with the heroes. So, here I am. You can have us both, or neither, but I am not leaving her side." I stated.
"Very well. I will take you into custody as well. I will do my best to see that you two are not separated, but I am not a god." Aizawa looked me up and down.
"Thank you." I bowed slightly, and sat at his feet, resting against a piece of the broken building.
"Tired?" he asked, squatting down next to me.
"Just a little." I replied, closing my eyes and resting.
As I sat there, everyone moved and talked, and I didn't catch anything. My head hurt from when I'd been blasted into the wall.
After about 10 minutes, Eri and I were loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital.
We arrived, and no sooner had I stepped out of the ambulance, then 10 police officers pointed their guns at me.
"Woah! I'm holding a child!" I exclaimed, wrapping my wings around Eri, and my own middle.
"Put down the kid, and put your hands behind your head!"
End of Chapter 6.