We rushed throuhg the streets, filled now with citizens running, fully aware of the explosions in the nearby area.
"Midoriya, everything ok over there?" Todoroki spoke over the phone.
"Yeah! What about you guys? Did you make it out ok?" said Midoriya's voice.
"Yeah, probably. We're running in the opposite direction from those guys. The pros are guiding everyone."
"Thank goodness! sighed Midoriya. "We're in front of the train station! Seems like it's outside of that shockwave from before. Our rescue was a success!"
I could hear Bakugou sniping about that over the phone, but with a nod to me, he shut it off, as we continued to evacuate. The crowd we were running through had been shuffled into a waiting station, and we could see the fight with All Might and the villain continuing on while the evacuation was in play.
"All Might should be able to take care of that villain,"I said to him, as he looked concerned. Though the All Might we could see on the big screen looked a little worse for wear. We did the right thing, leaving the battle to the pros. That's what we have to do as heroes in training.
"It's like a bad dream!" said the news announcer. "In a flash, the Kamino Ward has been brought to a half destroyed state! Presently, All Might is battling with the villain thought to be the ring-leader of the group! Unbelievable! A single villain destroying the street, and now he is fighting on more than equal terms with the symbol of peace!"
People around us were panicking
"All Might looks pretty beat up!"
"They got him good!"
"What are the heroes doing? Aren't' villains getting a little out of hand lately?"
"Maybe the heroes are getting played?"
On the screen, we saw the villain level a blast at All Might - who didn't dodge - it seemed someone was trapped behind him, so he had to take it. Rubble kicked up and surrounded him.
And then, as it cleared, we saw.
The entire crowd fell silent and I felt my stomach drop.
We were looking at a shriveled up skeleton of a man - an emaciated, bedraggled person in a loose fitting All Might costume.
What?
I stared at him - then at Todoroki - he at me. What is this?!
"Who is that? He's like a skeleton…" people were muttering.
On TV, the announcer said, "Um, what has happened? Everybody is able to see this, right? All Might seems to be withering away!"
ON TV, it looked like All Might was still standing strong - and then suddenly something changed. He was slumped over, his smile gone, and he was screaming.
"What…" gasped Yaoyorozu.
The people around us were panicking - more and more.
"No, it can't…"
"All Might!"
"You have to win! Who can win against that?"
"Even if he looks different, he's still All Might after all, right?"
"Time and again, he's been able to do something, one w ay or another!"
"You can do it All Might!"
"Don't lose, All might!"
"You can do it!"
Todoroki had grabbed onto my hand, and we both cried out alongside the crowd, swept away in their panic:
"You can do it, All Might sensei!"
You have to win - you have to!
And on Tv, against all odds, All Might seemed to be coming back, buffing up his arm and preparing to fight All for One.
He was joined by Endeavor and Edgeshot - Kamui Woods and the others had joined to save heroes and people trapped in the rubble.
And all of us together screaming and cheering for All Might to win…
But the villain had blasted everyone out of the way - all those pros - and buffed up his arm into something - something so unbelievably gross that I'd never seen the likes of it before.
A twisted, scary abomination of multiple arms and metal rivets…
And he was aiming that monstrosity right - at - All Might! And the punch hit - the blast from it obscured the camera. When it cleared, our Sensei was being pushed back - despite everything he was doing to fight it off - he was getting ground down into the ground like he was fighting off a semi-truck.
Please no - not our Sensei - not the symbol of peace - we can't just lose him, not like that -
Then suddenly he hit the villain from the other side.
And buffed up the other arm - to land a punch on the Villain's face! And blasted him - against all odds - into the ground!
The debris cleared.
We were all practically holding our breath.
Then All Might raised his hand - a fist - and the strongman, the powerful symbol of peace - had reappeared.
"All Might!" everyone screamed.
"It's a Victory for All Might!" said the announcer. "He is victorious! He's still standing!"
Everyone cheered - the crowd was swelling with the thrill of the moment! We cheered along with them! It was the greatest thrill - the strongest moment - that any of us had ever felt. Like everyone had gotten together - in one moment to cheer for him. To believe in one great future. I could feel Todoroki breathing slowly again, as he let my hand go, and we let the crowd sweep us away.
It was a few minutes later; we hadn't moved far.
Everyone turned around suddenly. The TV screen was showing the villain getting loaded into the maiden. And All Might had turned to the screen and pointed.
"Now…"
We were all waiting, not daring to breathe.
"Now, it's your turn."
The crowd roared in triumph. But somehow - I didn't think...
"He's so amazing!"
"That's our hero!"
The whole crowd swept us away, again, in another moment of triumph. No, that's not what this is.
I can tell. What he was saying was not a threat. This wasn't meant for other villains.
This was meant for us.