A/N: Hi everyone, Hemza here. I run the FF side of things (we're also posting the fic on Wattpad, which Darian oversees) and I made a big mistake. So, our plan was, starting New Year's Day, to post a chapter every week on Saturdays. I had one job. I forgot to post Chapter 2 on time. So, as my way of apologizing, and also because we want to give you all a good amount of our fic to sink your teeth into, we're going to post up to Chapter 5 and post Chapter 6 on Saturday and get back to our weekly posting schedule. We're really excited for what we've got in store for Emiko and our favourite heroes-in-training and excited to share it with you! So, without further ado, here's what you came here for!
Chapter 2 - Just Like Universal Studios Japan?
The last thing Emiko expected to see while standing at the entrance of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint was a group of villains stepping out of a haze of black fog. All around her swirled fear and panic, emanating even from Aizawa and Thirteen.
If the two pro's are afraid, something is clearly wrong.
Emiko shifted slightly to the front of the cluster of students, thankful she'd decided to wear her costume to the training day. She brushed her fingers over the weapon sitting tightly against her thigh, tested the weight of her first aid supplies strapped around her waist.
"Stay back. This is real, those are villains." Aizawa growled as a few of the students stepped forward. "So you scumbags used the press as cover and snuck onto campus."
The voices swirling around her threw her off balance momentarily, the combination of fear and panic and confusion a sickly sweet concoction dancing in her veins. She could barely focus on standing up right, let alone the conversation being had around her.
"13, get them out of here- and alert the main campus."
Aizawa's voice rang through the haze in her mind, stern tone breaking through her own budding panic. She swung her blue eyed gaze up and over, watching as each of her classmates shifted uncomfortably in place.
"What are you gonna do? You can't fight them on your own!" Midoriya exclaimed in distress, "It's too many of them. Even if you can nullify their Quirks, your fighting style is not suited for this, your power works best in stealth and one-on-one fights. That's not gonna help with a group…"
"You can't be a pro if you only have one trick," Aizawa replied, eliciting a few gasps of surprise from Deku and the others. "I'll leave it to you, Thirteen."
Emiko stared wide eyed as Aizawa lept into action, his dark hair floating behind him as he flew through the air. His binding cloth flicked out, wrapping tightly around the first villain's ankles as he flung himself through the air.
She watched in awe as he took on a handful of villains at once, impressed with his fighting skills considering that his quirk was more effective in a distance battle. Her jaw dropped as he flung a four armed man effortlessly through the air, nullifying quirks with every step he took.
The fear surrounding her was tinged with awe as she and her fellow classmates watched their teacher in action. She was so focused on the battle in front of her she almost completely missed the black fog floating around her, the dark tendrils dancing around her ankles.
"Die!" Katsuki screamed, and Emiko turned just as he flew through the air, his palms alight with an explosion before he'd even reached the cause of the fog.
Fuck.
Emiko braced herself, watching as Katsuki and Kirishima disappeared in a puff of black smoke, and she winced as it surrounded her and the rest of her classmates. The smell of the fog burned the back of her throat, hot and acidic in her lungs as she breathed in. It smelt of ash and sulfur and it brought bile rising to the back of her throat.
As the fog disappeared, Emiko found herself sprawled on the ground, surrounded by crumbled rock and demolished buildings. A groan escaped her lips as she stood, crumpled stone falling off of her as she moved. She stood up quickly, unhooking the long wooden weapons from their holster on her thigh. She dusted off her thighs and back, swinging her gaze over the wide open area. She had to admit she was impressed with the USJ and it's innovation as she stared at what was clearly designed to imitate a landslide.
"Emiko." She heard a male voice call, and she turned to see Shoto Todoroki walking calmly towards her. His hand was in the one free pocket of his white pants and she smiled warmly at him as he stepped closer to her. "Are you okay?"
She nodded slightly, turning as she heard the sound of stone crumbling behind her. She flinched as a cool breeze danced across her skin, and her eyes widened as she saw a trail of ice blaze a path towards a poorly hidden villain.
"I'm fine, thanks. And, uh, you? You're okay I assume?" She asked, swinging her gaze back to the bi-haired boy in front of her. He nodded slightly, his mismatched eyes still scanning the broad landscape in front of them.
"Follow me. I have a feeling there are more of them around here. We should stick together." He said, turning quickly from his classmate.
Sir yes sir.
Emiko knew that Shoto was no nonsense, thanks to their minor interactions in class. He seemed reserved, as if he had no interest in letting people in. Emiko knew that wasn't the case, though, as she caught him staring at the small groups that formed in their class longingly. He seemed unsure on how to reach out, how to form friendships.
"Have you seen any of our other classmates?" Emiko asked, brushing an errant lock of hair back from her face and wishing she'd had the forethought to bring a hairband with her.
Shoto only grumbled in response, his eyes swinging back and forth quickly across the crumbled landscape.
"Got it, loud and clear." Emiko whispered sarcastically, tightening her grip on the batons situated in her hands. The hefty weight helped calm her, a subtle reminder to keep herself grounded.
As the pair walked quickly across the cracked rocks and stepped carefully over wide gaps in the earth, Emiko caught herself glancing periodically over at the boy walking next to her.
"What's up with the ice?" She queried, gesturing broadly at the left side of his body that was entirely coated in ice. When he didn't answer, she sighed under her breath. "Making a statement?"
She wondered, not for the first time, how he came to have such a large scar resting over his cheek and eye. She subconsciously ran her fingers over her own scar, a deep gash sitting through her left eyebrow and ending on her near translucent lid.
"Wait." Shoto mumbled, turning his foot slightly. Emiko watched in awe as a wall of ice flew forwards, entrapping a handful of villains standing just beyond her line of site. Emiko watched in awe as the men froze in place, their eyes widening as they were entrapped in ice, their feet held tightly in place.
"Aren't you embarrassed to lose to children?" Todoroki spoke, calmness radiating from his every pore as he strode confidently through the incapacitated men. Emiko chuckled under her breath as she followed a step behind him, her eyes wide as she stared into the men's faces.
Impressive.
She let out a deep breath, stretching her quirk out to sense for any abnormalities in the area. She couldn't feel any unusual emotions surrounding the group, so she paused for a moment and gazed into one of the villain's eyes. His deep brown eyes searched hers frantically, and she almost gasped as she saw a slight trail of frost dancing across his cheek.
"For God's sake, you're adults. Put up a real fight."
Emiko let out a loud guffaw of laughter, slapping a hand over her mouth before she embarrassed herself any further.
"Something funny, Komatsu?" Todoroki deadpanned, running his lopsided gaze up Emiko's body.
"No!" She yelped, adjusting her posture slightly. She stepped closer to Shoto, grinning brightly up at him. "I just wasn't expecting to hear you bully a group of fully grown men today." She nudged his arm with her elbow, the brutal cold from the ice covering half of his body wearing through the tight sleeve making up the top half of her hero costume.
"I'm not bullying anyone, Emiko." He said, voice flat. "I'm just saying - for a group here to presumably commit some evil deed, these guys all seem remarkably unremarkable."
Emiko glanced up at Shoto, watching as he folded his arms across his chest. The look on his face showed confusion, though Emiko could feel no emotions from him.
"So. The plan was to scatter us and then kill us?" Shoto asked, sweeping his gaze out and over the men around them.
"Seems you were unprepared, hm?" Emiko chimed in, mimicking Shoto's position slightly. Her arms crossed over her chest, her weapons clattering together loudly as she shifted her weight. "In fact, it looks to me as though you've had no training."
She scoffed under her breath, looking more closely at the group of villains in front of her. A few of them had anthropomorphic quirks, some with extra limbs and bulging muscles. She couldn't see any familiarities in the group, no matching tattoos or paraphernalia that may depict them to be a part of some larger organization. The only commonality was their emotions - each and every person in front of her was consumed by equal parts fear and rage. All except one.
Shoto stood in front of her, quizzically staring at her over his shoulder. His calm and composed state irritated her, a grating feeling sinking into her stomach the more she pried into his emotions. He was incredibly well guarded, any weakness hid away in a box somewhere deep in his subconscious.
"You haven't the slightest idea how to use your quirks." Shoto spoke again, stepping quickly over his own ice as he continued his meandering path through the crowd. As he walked, a few of the villains spoke, and Emiko could hear their voices echoing across the open space.
"He's not a kid, he's a monster!"
"He froze us the moment he heard us!"
"This power…"
Hearing how the villains spoke of her classmate as if he was less than human irritated her, so as she followed behind him she manipulated each emotion she felt. She turned their rage into fear, left the men trembling in their icy prisons.
"How do they plan to kill All Might?" He spoke to nobody in general, continuing his path. "At first I thought they'd gathered a group of elite villains with which to overpower him-"
He was interrupted by a loud scream, as a burly man threw himself off a high embankment just overhead. Without so much as flinching, Shoto encapsulated the man in an instant. He was surrounded with a barrier of ice in the blink of an eye, and Emiko couldn't help but snicker as she took in the confusion flowing through his veins.
"But that can't possibly be their master plan!" Emiko spoke then, keeping her voice low and breathy as she closed the gap between her and her classmate. "Most of these villains are low level thugs, just pawns." Shoto nodded in response, turning his gaze onto Emiko and scanning over the deep blue fabric covering her body.
A soft blush crept up her neck as he stared, his proximity to her making her slightly uncomfortable.
"You're hurt." He said casually, gesturing down to a deep gash on her knee. "Are you alright?"
"Oh-" Emiko paused, quickly reaching into the first aid kit strapped to her waist. "Yeah, I'm fine. Didn't even realize I was bleeding." She quickly wiped a cloth over the blood, wincing at the sting from the alcohol.
"From what I can tell, there are only four or five truly dangerous people here. If that's the case, what we need right now is more information." Shoto whispered, turning his gaze back to the ice field he'd created. Emiko nodded, watching as he turned his body slightly back towards the villains.
"Listen well. If you stay frozen, your cells will slowly die as your body succumbs to frostbite and hypothermia." The villains whimpered, fear burrowing deep into their hearts. Emiko grinned wickedly, allowing her quirk to take hold. Each of their emotions were amplified, the fear they felt before turned up to 10, each man's eyes widening as they stared at the two highschool students in front of them.
"Luckily for you, I want to be a hero. So does my classmate. So we'd like to avoid any unnecessary cruelty." Shoto paused, glancing back at Emiko. "But, we can only do that if you tell me how they plan to kill All Might."
Shoto paused for a moment, stepping back towards Emiko. He stayed just a step in front of her, his shoulder blocking her from the line of sight of the villains. She glanced up at him again, taking note of the stern set of his jaw. He seemed on edge, judging by the clenched hands fisted by his sides.
"Shoto, breathe. We're gonna figure this out." Emiko whispered, slipping her hand against the inside of his arm. "Just breathe."
Shoto only nodded tightly, shifting his position to further block her gaze from the hungry looking villains.
"Alright, kid. Alright. Damn it!" One of the villains shouted, dropping his head low and to his chest. "I don't know exactly what the plan is, because they didn't tell us everything."
Shoto snarled lowly, stepping towards the villain speaking. "That isn't what I want to hear."
"Okay, okay!" The villain shouted, panic taking over his face as Shoto's hand moved closer to his face. "Fine. Okay, fine?"
Emiko stepped closer, worried as she watched Shoto's face transformed by rage. Her hand slipped into the crack of his elbow, tugging him just a half step backwards.
"Talk." Emiko spoke, glancing the man up and down. "You've got 30 seconds before I lose my patience."
"Okay, fine. Fuck. Okay." The villain stumbled over his words, anxiety inhibiting his ability to speak.
"20 seconds."
"They have some sort of monster. That's all I know!" The villain shouted, eyes widening even more. "I don't know what it is, but that's how they plan to take him down."
"Thank you. Was that so hard?" Emiko asked, feigning innocence as she stepped towards the villain and grinned brightly up from beneath her lashes at his shocked and terrified face. He shook his head quickly, glancing between Emiko and Shoto apprehensively.
"So now you'll let us go?" He whimpered, the telling hint of blue frost dancing even further across his cheek.
Emiko smirked, brushing her unruly hair over her shoulder quickly.
"I don't think so, no. What do you think, Shoto?" Emiko turned, taking in the surprised look on her classmates face. "What kind of heroes would we be if we let a group of villains go after they admitted to taking part in a plan to kill All Might?"
Emiko turned back to the man, relishing in the fear taking over his face.
"What we're going to do instead is leave you here, hands and feet frozen to the ground. And before we go, I'm going to leave you so terrified, so completely and utterly broken that you'll wish you'd never heard the name All Might." She grinned wickedly, watching as the man's face filled with dread. "That goes for every single one of you."
She turned and walked back towards Shoto, gesturing him forwards. "Your turn, boss."
Shoto only nodded, making quick work of binding the villains hands and feet to the ground. He turned back towards her, watching as she folded herself onto the ground. She crossed her legs, resting her hands palm up as she breathed deeply.
"I need you to watch my back, please. I'm going to make it so that they can't even think about moving or trying to escape." Shoto nodded, stepping into place just behind Emiko.
For the first time, she was thankful he was incredibly calm. Because she was unable to sense his emotions, it was easy for her to exclude him from her manipulations.
Echo Chamber. Resonance. Amplification times 10.
As she processed her own thoughts, Emiko felt each villain's emotions turn upwards in a rapid incline. Their minor fears began to grow and change, transforming into full blown panic. She visualized each thread of emotion as she worked, her fingers deftly tugging on each loose string of emotion. She pulled them from fear to rage to desperation and back, flipping between every emotion imaginable in no more than a few minutes. Her head started to ache, pressure growing behind her eyes as she worked.
She could almost feel each of the villains' breath, each of their hearts racing a mile a minute, each of them so desperate to be free of Emiko's control. They writhed on the ground, straining against the icy shackles binding them down.
A drip of blood spilled from her nose and landed on the deep blue of her hero costume, but Emiko ignored it. She ignored the budding migraine growing behind her eyes. She focused only on controlling the emotions of the villains in front of her, on breaking their will so that they couldn't fight against her.
As she slowly let go of her quirk, she opened her eyes. Each of the villains lay wide eyed and panicked, chests heaving from tears unshed. She smirked wickedly, pressing herself up and off of the rocky ground. She brushed her hands over her thighs, wiping dust away from herself.
"Thanks. I appreciate you watching my back." Emiko grinned, turning back towards Shoto who stared at her, eyes wide. "Let's go. We've got to try and find that monster they spoke of. Toodle-oo, boys," she cooed over her shoulder at the catatonic and frozen villains.
Emiko began to walk, moving towards the edge of a high cliff to check their location in the USJ.
"We wanna go left. Come on." She stepped left, surprised to bump into the arm of Shoto.
"What was that ability you just used?" Shoto asked, slipping into place beside Emiko as they began their descent to the main plaza of the USJ. "I've never seen anything quite like it."
Emiko paused for a moment, glancing from the corner of her eye as she walked. "That was Echo Chamber. One of my special moves."
Shoto hummed in response, turning his gaze forwards again.
"You're bleeding from your nose." He mumbled, eliciting a laugh from Emiko.
She swiped a hand under her nose, annoyed as her palm came back soaked in red.
"Ah, shoot. Thanks. I didn't realize it was that bad." She rummaged through her belt of first aid equipment, coming up with a cloth to hold back the bright red stream. "Using Echo Chamber usually leaves me a little messed up, depending on what amplification level I use. This was Level 10, about the farthest I can push myself without passing out. I apologize."
"You shouldn't push yourself that hard for low-lives like these," the boy muttered.
"Come on, Todoroki, where's that Plus Ultra mentality?"
The ringing in her ears began after that, each breath she took growing increasingly painful as the migraine took shape. It was a nasty thing, the signs of her quirk being overused. Her fingers and toes began to tingle, a sure sign that she was going to lose feeling in her limbs soon.
"Hey, Shoto?" Emiko whispered, pausing to catch her breath. "I may need you to go ahead without me." She pressed the palm of her shaking left hand to her mouth as she gagged. Bile rose quickly up her throat, and she groaned as the acid burned the back of her mouth.
Fuck. Of course this happens now.
Shoto paused, turning to gaze back at Emiko as she stumbled. Blood flowed freely from her nose now, dribbling down her chin and onto the chest of her hero costume. She hit the ground on her knees, dropping the palm of her right hand to the floor as she retched.
She clenched her eyes tightly, screwing them shut painfully tight. Spots exploded behind the closed lids, the darkness lit up by a million tiny pressure points. She tried to pinch the bridge of her nose to relieve some pressure, but she couldn't force her fingers to move, couldn't force them to grip or flex or move.
"FUCK!" She screamed, rolling onto her back as soon as she'd thrown up everything but her dignity.
"Are you okay?" Shoto mumbled, squatting down to the left of Emiko, carefully avoiding the mess she'd made. "Do you need anything?"
Emiko laughed, tossing her arm over her eyes as angry tears formed.
"I don't suppose you have any water?"
Wordlessly, Shoto materialized a small chunk of ice, resting it in the palm of Emiko's upturned hands.
"Will ice do?" he said, slowly standing from his squat position.
Her arm lifted from her eyes and she gazed up at Shoto who was peering down at her quizzically.
"Thanks." Emiko mumbled gratefully, popping the frozen liquid into her mouth eagerly.
"Does that happen a lot? The whole nose bleed, vomiting thing?" Shoto queried, reaching his hand out to help Emiko to her feet.
She reached out and grabbed his hand, noticing with a shock how cool his skin was to the touch. As he tugged her to her feet, she smiled brightly at him and noticed the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks.
Cute.
"Well, sort of. Echo Chamber really takes it out of me. It's one of my most exhaustive special abilities." Emiko grumbled, shaking out her hands and feet as she started to walk. Still a little dizzy from the migraine and sudden nosebleed, Emiko stared down at the ground to ensure that she didn't stumble and fall.
"I see. Is there anything you can do to fix that?" Shoto asked, reaching out and grabbing hold of Emiko's forearm as he watched her stumble over a small rock. "Like training wise?"
"I mean, I'm sure there is - but I don't often have people volunteering to let me toy with their emotions for my own personal gain. Echo Chamber only works if there are multiple people around - I can bounce their emotions off of eachother which creates a cacophony of feelings. That doesn't work with one or two people." Emiko rambled, waving her hand broadly through the air.
"Plus, Echo Chamber isn't something I'd want to put my friends through. It can be… really rough."
"I see." Shoto mumbled, pausing as he stared dead ahead of them. "I think they are all up there. Are you okay?"
Emiko nodded as Shoto dropped her arm and sprinted forwards, ice flying out with every step he took. She followed quickly behind him, carefully avoiding the trailed ice as she sprinted. Her head still throbbed and she was still dizzy, but she ran as quickly as she could behind Shoto. She heard the water before she saw it crest the tip of the hill she was staring down, and her eyes focused on the battle below her.
There stood All Might, facing off against a giant beast with it's brain exposed.
I thought All Might was huge. That thing is on a whole other level.
Her mind raced as she watched All Might dart forwards, his arms spreading wide in a preemptive strike. He dove towards a smaller man with grey hair, who's face was covered with what looked to be a prop hand.
In a blink, the beast was in front of the smaller man, and he took the brunt of All Might's punch without so much as flinching. All Might continued slamming his fists into the creature, to no avail. The beast stood still, taking each blow with the grace of a professional boxer.
All Might threw all of his weight behind his next attack, the force of it creating a large dust cloud surrounding the entire area. Irritated, Emiko broke out into a full sprint again and quickly caught up to Shoto.
"What is that thing?" Emiko whispered, crouching down beside Todoroki as he watched the unfolding battle in awe.
"I don't know - but whatever it is, isn't good."
As the dust cleared and the pair was able to see again, Emiko saw something straight from a nightmare. The beast was split into two parts, each half disappearing from within a misty hole in the ground and All Might lay sprawled in between each half, supporting his weight off of the creatures body.
"Fuck. That's -" Emiko tried to finish her sentence, but Shoto was off in a flash. Emiko took off behind him, pumping her legs as quickly as she could. From her position, Emiko saw blood pooling underneath All Might's white dress shirt and she winced, watching as he gritted his teeth in pain.
Emiko watched in horror as All Might began to sink into the mist, blood soaking through the entire front of his shirt. She saw Deku running towards the scene and she picked up the pace, skidding to a halt just out of the villains line of sight. Shoto stood beside her, his chest heaving slighlty from the panicked sprint through the USJ.
"We've got to help him - Deku can't take on those villains alone." Emiko growled, tugging her weapons out from their holster. Dread settled in her gut as she stared, adrenaline flowing through her veins in an instant.
"I know. But wait, we have to strike at the right time." Shoto mumbled, and Emiko watched alongside him as Katsuki came flying through the air, an explosion lighting up Deku's surprised face.
"Get the hell out of my way, Deku!" Katsuki shouted, slamming the warp villain to the ground.
"Now." Shoto spoke, a wave of ice leaving his foot in the same breath. Emiko dove forwards, tucking her shoulder to the ground and rolling. She popped back up onto her feet and sprinted, landing again by Todoroki just as he started to speak.
"One of your poorly trained thugs told me you were here and that you think you can kill All Might." He deadpanned, staring blankly at the villain in front of him.
All Might took the opportunity presented to him and struggled momentarily to free himself from the beast's grip.
"Kirishima!" Emiko shouted, watching as a head of spiky red hair dove through the air.
"Damn, that was gonna be cool!" Kirishima grumbled, stumbling a little as he landed.
"Guess I found your body that time, you smokey bastard." Katsuki gloated, applying more pressure to the villain's neck as the metal brace groaned from the strain.
Emiko laughed, watching the villain to her side warily. She twirled her batons, shifting the weight across her palms as she stood, watching for the right moment to strike.
"The symbol of peace will not be defeated by delinquents like you." She shouted, glaring angrily at the blue haired man she now realized was the ringleader of the entire operation.
"Kacchan, everyone." Deku sobbed, scrubbing a hand over his now teary eyes.
A silent pause filled the air, anxiety and worry bubbling around the group. To her left stood Shoto, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. To her right was All Might, squatting low to the ground and breathing heavy. His emotions were wild and uncontrollable, and just being near him left her feeling a little woozy.
"Kurogiri." The blue haired man spoke, his voice raspy as if he'd been screaming for hours on end. "How could you let this brat get the best of you? You've gotten us in a real jam here."
Katsuki grinned wickedly, turning to glare at the man. "You got careless, you dumb villain. It wasn't that hard to figure you out. Only parts of you turn into that smoking warp gate, and you use that mist to hide your actual body."
"That's why we missed. But if you didn't have a body - you wouldn't be wearing this neck armor. You're not immune to physical attacks, so long as they're well aimed." An explosion erupted from Katsuki's hand as the villain shifted, grumbling in pain. "Don't move. Do anything funny and I'll blow your ass up right now, got it? They'll be cleaning you up for weeks."
Emiko snorted, grinning widely as she stared at Katsuki hunched over the ground like a starving gremlin. Emiko watched wide eyed as the captured beast began to move, shattering the ice barrier with ease. His destroyed arm and leg regenerated, muscle and sinew weaving together before her very eyes.
This is impossible.
Her mind whirled as she stared, watching as the creature knit itself back together.
"Stay back everybody!" All Might shouted, shifting so that he was slightly in front of Emiko's line of vision. He turned to gaze at her a moment and she grinned, shifting her weight so she was in a more optimal battle stance.
"What is this?!" All Might shouted, watching as the beast seemed to regrow a missing limb. "I thought you said this things quirk was shock absorption!"
"I didn't say that was Nomu's only quirk, though. He also has super regeneration. Nomu has been modified to take you on, even at 100% of your power." The leader proudly proclaimed, causing an uncomfortable tickle to go down Emiko's spine. "He's basically a highly efficient punching bag that hits back."
In the blink of an eye the beast was darting forwards, moving towards Katsuki and Kirishima, both of whom were standing over the warp gate villain. She froze, her knees locked as she watched the monster dart towards her friends. She tried desperately to move, to dart forwards and protect her friends, but she couldn't.
FUCK.
"Kacchan!" Deku shouted, just as Emiko felt a large hand wrap around her waist and tug her forward.
"Awesome! You dodged it!" Deku cheered, earning a groan from Emiko, who had been placed so that her knees were pressing into the concrete. She watched with wide eyes as All Might was forced backwards by the impact of the beast's attack, sliding 50 feet backwards and into a concrete wall.
"No, he didn't. None of us did, Deku. We all had help." Emiko gestured broadly, folding her legs up and under her body to watch the scene unfolding in front of her.
How often will I get to see the symbol of peace fight a head on battle like this?
"What do you mean?!" The others shouted, which frustrated Emiko even more.
"Isn't it obvious?" Shoto deadpanned, raising his arm and pointing in the direction of the Number One Hero.
As the smoke cleared, Emiko stared wide eyed at All Might. He stood tall, staring into the face of pure evil in front of him.
"These are kids, and you didn't hold back?!" All Might shouted, rage spiking in him quickly.
"I didn't have much choice. He was threatening my companion," the leader drawled, his scratchy voice leaving an uncomfortable weight sitting in Emiko's stomach. "Besides, these children are no angels."
"The plain looking one?" He gestured towards Deku who stood shaking just a step to Emiko's right. Anxiety pooled heavily in his gut, and Emiko tried desperately to bring him down from the edge of fear. "He tried to kill me with a maxed out punch. What kind of hero does that?"
Emiko couldn't help the gasp that slipped from her lips as she processed what was being said.
Deku? Tried to kill someone?
Her mind raced momentarily, the image of the soft green haired boy willing to kill splintering her perception of him.
"You think you can get away with whatever violent act you want, so long as you say it's for the benefit of others." The man continued, "Well, you know what, All Might? That pisses me off."
All Might let out a low growl as he watched the villains closely, blood still leaking through his white shirt.
"Why do people get to decide that some violent acts are heroic and others are villainous? Casting judgment as to what's "good" and what's "evil." You think you're the Symbol of Peace?" He laughed humorlessly, his hand awkwardly scratching his neck. "You're just another Government‐sponsored instrument of violence. And violence always breeds more violence. I'll make sure the world understands that once you're dead."
Panic brewed in Emiko's stomach as she realized the severity of the situation. All Might could really die here - the world could lose their symbol of peace in an instant and there was nothing she or her classmates could do to stop it. They would follow closely behind him, helpless as they were torn limb from limb.
"You're just a lunatic," All Might countered, standing tall in the face of danger. "Criminals like you; you always try and justify your actions, try and make them sound noble. But let's be honest here, you're just doing this because you like it, right?"
Almost without thinking, Emiko and her classmates moved back towards All Might, each of them ready to lay their lives on the line to keep their other classmates safe.
"Don't attack!" All Might shouted, reaching his arm back without tearing his gaze off of the villains in front of him. "Get out of here."
"You would've been in trouble earlier if it weren't for me, remember? You need our help!" Shoto retorted, taking another step closer.
"I thank you for your assistance, but this is different." All Might responded, lowering his voice slightly. "It'll be alright. Just sit back and watch a pro at work." Emiko could feel the tension in the air, thick cords of worry weaving around each of the students as All Might braced himself for an attack.
"Nomu. Kurogiri. Kill him. I'll deal with the children." The blue haired man spoke, the ice in his voice sending a chill down Emiko's spine. Though she couldn't see his gaze, she knew he was staring at the children with pure hatred in his eyes.
"Heads up. Looks like we're fighting." Kirishima whispered, as each of his respective classmates slipped into battle positions.
Emiko quickly reached out and moulded the villain's emotions, grinning widely as he stumbled thanks to the sudden change. Her hands found her weapons at her side and she unsheathed them, shaking out her clammy hands. As All Might darted forwards, he and the beast collided and sent the villain flying backwards.
It was almost impossible to see through the wind and dust flying through the air as All Might rapidly punched the brain villain. Emiko slid backwards, only stopping as Shoto grabbed onto her wrist. She shot him a grateful smile, steeling herself for further impact.
"Wow." Emiko mumbled under her breath, watching as each blast seemed to shake the brain villain more and more. The fight seemed to drag on for hours, though it was really only a few minutes.. Each of the students stood, watching as All Might slammed the villain into the ground, one final punch sending it flying out the glass roof of the USJ.
"All Might!" Emiko shouted, watching as her teacher slipped to his knees. Her classmates were muttering beside her, but she could only stare as he started to collapse into a heap. Dust swirled around him, and Emiko could feel the relief as Deku stared at the number one hero.
"You've been bested, villains. Surrender." All Might spoke, turning his gaze towards the two remaining villains in front of him. "We all want to get this over with quickly."
Emiko stood frozen in place and stared, watching in awe as the villains seemed to discuss their plans. Behind them, the other villains began to wake up, and Emiko and her classmates turned to the battle in front of them.
"Midoriya!" Kirishima shouted, as Emiko turned to see Izuku flying through the air towards the villains. A warp gate opened towards him, as the blue haired man's hand shifted through it.
In that moment, as all hope seemed to be lost, a bullet flew through the air and embedded itself in the soft flesh of his arm.
"Yes!" Emiko shouted, jumping wildly into the air. "They're here! Reinforcements are here!" She grinned, turning to gaze up as the hero's from UA flooded into the stadium.
As the words left her mouth, the warp gate opened and the dark smoke swallowed the blue haired villain whole.
"Train with me." Emiko spoke, turning towards Shoto.
