God, writing action is hard. Why do I do this to myself?

Anyway, flashback episode is over! Back to the issue at hand!

"Get downstairs." The order was obviously for her, though Kiko's father didn't take his eyes off the large villain in front of them. Bending his knees in preparation to fight, he added, "Ei should have kicked their asses already. Go straight to him, got that?"

Kiko didn't even have a chance to answer before he charged at Zombie, jumping to attack and shouting, "Stun Grenade!"

Just like that, a bright white light shot from the hero's hand as if a flash bomb had just gone off. It was a move he commonly used to disorient his opponent and catch them by surprise with an actual hit afterward. The intensity of the flash filled the corridor, and although Kiko wasn't on the receiving end of it, it nearly blinded her as well. Still, she quickly realized that this wasn't just a way for her papa to get an upper hand in the fight, but also a chance for her to slip away without the villain noticing. If she remembered correctly from when she'd been led up here, the stairs weren't that much further down the hallway…

She had barely begun to turn to run when she saw Zombie's humongous fist shoot out from within the wall of light and hit her father square in the chest. He flew past her with a force that nearly knocked her down, colliding with the tile floor thirty-some feet down the hallway.

"Papa!" Kiko screeched, whipping around in pure horror. She had seen some triumphant clips on TV and had watched him and Dad spar many times, but she'd never seen her father fight in real life, let alone this close up. It certainly wasn't as exciting as she thought it would be - terrifying was more the right word.

Thankfully, Ground Zero wasn't knocked unconscious, as he rolled a few times before maneuvering up to one knee. As he skid backward into a stop, he glared up with a frightening smirk on his face. Kiko wasn't quite sure if he was actually excited or really pissed. Though the wind had to be knocked out of him, he immediately blasted himself toward the villain again, exclaiming, "Not hard enough, jackass!"

Freakin' run, you moron!

The thought entered her mind a split second later when her papa was already on the villain, landing a hard right roundhouse kick straight to his bald head. While it managed to throw Zombie off his balance a bit, it didn't really seem to hurt all that much. In fact, the hit inadvertently shifted his sight directly to Kiko, who had only taken one or two steps toward the stairway. It seemed that the villain's speed wasn't affected either, because as soon as he saw her, his lump of a hand grabbed her ankle and roughly tossed her behind him, away from her exit and towards the door to the roof. She was airborne for at least two seconds before slamming into the floor, much less gracefully that her father. The shock of the landing not only knocked the wind out of her but tossled her brain, disorienting her for a few seconds. All the nerves in her back shot harsh jolts of pain through her body. She didn't think it was broken, but it was clear her spine had not liked being cracked like a whip.

"Bastard!" Her papa growled as another explosion sounded through the air, though Kiko was still too busy trying to catch her bearings to see what happened. Unlike the ones he'd created before, she could feel the heat of this one, and it actually shook the building a bit. It wasn't ginormous, but it was clear he wasn't just giving off sparks anymore. Another blast sounded an instant later. "Touch her with your scummy hands again, and I'll blast you to hell!"

As her vision cleared, Kiko saw her father jumping and maneuvering around the villain at an incredible speed, landing direct hits and explosions to various parts of his body. Like before, while they did seem to disorient the guy and slightly alter his balance, his strength didn't seem affected at all. Clearly, he was going down anytime soon with this method. What the hell was her father doing? It was clear the smaller and moderate blasts weren't working, so why couldn't he just blast him with one of his sweat grenades and be done with it?

That's when it clicked. We're inside, stupid. Not only was there the actual structure of the building to think about if her father were to cause a large explosion, but even his smaller blasts posed a threat of setting fire to the walls or any of the artwork that lined them. And, of course, there was the fact that she was there just getting in his way. If she wasn't here, he could go just a little harder, and maybe that would make all the difference. What could she do, though? Her back certainly didn't feel like running, and her route to the stairs was blocked by the battle in front of her.

Kiko grit her teeth. She felt so useless, so pathetic. The argument from last night flashed in her mind for a brief moment, only increasing her anger with herself. There had to be something she could do. She had to run. She had to help. Something. She hadn't used her quirk on him yet, but now that she thought about it...she'd never tried it on someone his size. What if someone could break her hold if they were physically strong enough? Not only that, but suppose she could freeze him, there was the issue of how the cops could contain him if he was conscious. No, there were too many ways this could go wrong...or maybe she was just afraid. Afraid she'd get in her papa's way. Afraid she'd make things worse. What else could she do? What else was there?

As if someone in the universe was answering her question, her eyes caught something opposite from her. Laying in the corner of the wall and the floor was the roll of paintings Zombie had taken with them. The villain must have dropped them when her father had first knocked him out. Kiko had had some pretty good ideas in her life, but this was the first time she felt she had a light bulb moment. It was clear that only one of her papa's big blasts was gonna take this guy down for good. If she could bring the fight outside, away from everyone, away from the art…

Pushing aside the pulsing pain in her spine, she rushed over on her hands and knees and swiped the roll off the floor. Making her way to her feet, she stood as confidently as possible and called out over the sound of her father's explosions and the villains grunts. "Hey, Zombie!"

Both of the men's attention immediately went to her. Zombie's undead form seemed like he was moving on pure instinct, his current focus being defeating his threat. However, it didn't seem like his interests were completely forgotten, as Kiko could have sworn she saw recognition flash in his blank eyes upon looking at her. Yeah, he remembered her. He remembered their broken deal too, at least a little.

Her father was on the other side of the villain from her, breathing heavily with his brows furrowed in frustration. His eyes widened a bit at the sight of his daughter drawing attention to herself, but before he could ask her what the hell she was doing, Kiko raised the paintings high above her head like a torch, making sure the villain could see them perfectly. "You still want these, right? Come and get them."

She'd barely finished her dare before Zombie lunged at her like a hungry animal, arms outstretched to grab his prize. His attacks had been pretty fast, but this was the first time he'd moved at the same speed. Letting out a scream of surprise, she jumped backward just in time to avoid being snatched, fumbling until she began booking it toward the back room, paintings still in hand. She could hear the villain continue to jump at her from behind, always seeming to miss by just a few feet, but she made sure not to look back. Adrenaline had completely taken control of her body, her back momentarily forgotten. She had to get outside. She had to get to the roof. Papa was the smartest man she knew - he had to know what she was thinking. It was a simple plan, but it was good enough. Once they got out there, they could finish this.

Crashing through the employee door, she was met with a concrete staircase. Quickly looking up, there were only about four flights to the door she prayed led to the roof. Kiko began to bound up the stairs, skipping two or three at a time, still not daring to look back. This fear was enough to keep her moving - she didn't need a reminder of the brainless baldy following her. The staircase shook as she heard what was presumably Zombie crashing through the doorway beneath her.

"Jeez, you must not want these hard enough!" Kiko taunted, finally looking down to see the villain struggling, but determined to make it up the stairs. He had to be at least ten feet tall at this point with the width of a kei truck, and rather than watching his footing, his blank but pointed eyes were staring daggers at the paintings in her hands. The shivers that ran down her spine didn't help her soreness much.

She finally caught sight of her father at the bottom of the staircase, and as soon as he saw her, he rocketed himself up past Zombie, landing next to her by the door. Before he could say anything, she gave him the most determined look she could muster, saying definitively, "I'll lure him as close to the edge as possible and you blast him to dust from behind."

To her surprise, Papa immediately responded with a proud and eager smirk, his normal wild look in his eyes. "That's my girl."

Crap, she suddenly felt the urge to cry again. Whatever. They didn't have time. Shooting him the best smirk she had in return, the two of them pushed through the roof access door. The sunlight of the afternoon blinded Kiko for a moment, but after her eyes adjusted, she could see the damage her father had dealt earlier. There was a large black spot in the middle of the area, presumably where Zombie's helicopter had been. Additionally, there were some black skid marks leading off of the roof, which meant that said helicopter was probably in a burnt, jumbled heap on the ground below. Leaning against the wall with the door were five very-much-unconscious men - the guards for the transport - all thrown into a pile. She definitely would have laughed at her papa's handiwork if they were in another situation.

Ground Zero jumped onto the elevated portion of the roof behind the entrance, prepping to hit the villain from behind, while his daughter jogged along the skidmarks to the edge of the roof, preparing to be bait. Turning around, she looked at her father for confirmation. His expression was much more serious than it had been a second ago. He aimed his palms behind him, lunging forward on one knee so he could immediately launch himself when it was time. "As soon as he hits the middle, you get the hell out of the way."

She nodded in understanding, hoping he couldn't see her body had begun to shake again. God, this was nuts. "I'll try to freeze him with my quirk so you have a clear shot."

They didn't have to wait very long. Not even ten seconds later, Zombie bulldozed his way through the exit, grunting as he cracked the concrete and bent the metal door. Like Kiko, he seemed to be briefly disoriented by the brightness of the outside, but his dead stare eventually fell on her once more. He stood there looking for a moment, long enough for the girl to feel thoroughly creeped out. She couldn't help but wonder how his brain worked when he was in this state. To give him a little incentive to come forward, she held out the paintings in front of her. Come on. Take the bone…

His undead predator instincts must have told him he essentially had her cornered, because instead of lunging, he slowly made his approach toward her. His looming size was certainly intimidating, and she had to keep pushing down her anxiety with the reminder that her father was a mere fifteen feet away. Just a few more steps. Don't panic. He just has to take a few more…

FREEZE! He was in the middle. Kiko took a deep, shaky breath to calm her rapid heart rate before slowly making her way around the giant, careful to not take her eyes off him for a second. It took her a moment to cautiously back away an acceptable amount, and she finally gave her signal. She couldn't help the sudden pride she felt in her chest. "Do it, Papa!"

"I hope this hurts, Baldy!" Her father blasted himself at least thirty feet in the air above them. As he began to fall back down, he created small blasts with both of his palms, causing him to spin in his descent. Kiko was sure his voice could be heard miles away as he called out his ultimate move. "HOWITZEEEER….!"

His daughter wanted to watch on, completely enthralled by what she was seeing, but she suddenly realized that, while she would be behind him, it was probably best that she take more cover. She quickly turned to move into the staircase but was met with something that glued her feet in place and made all her blood turn to ice. That man - the one who'd first threatened her and Ainu in the exhibit - was standing in the doorway, panting in exhaustion. His jacket was gone and his clothes were disheveled, not to mention he had a bloody nose and some nasty bruises developing on his face. He must have escaped the police raid that was no doubt happening downstairs, but he did not look happy about it. If she didn't know better, she might have thought her dad had given him a punch or two. Still, it wasn't the anger in his eyes that stopped her in her tracks, but the gun he was pointing right at her.

She'd already used her quirk on him. She couldn't freeze him.

"...IMPAAAACT!"

The flash of the muzzle was perfectly visible, but the gunshot itself was masked by the booming sound of the explosion behind her. Her knees buckled simultaneously with the electric shock that seemed to wrap around her entire torso. She was on the ground before the shock wave could even knock her over, though her shooter was immediately tossed off his feet out of her line of sight. Before her brain could even figure out where she'd been wounded, her hands automatically reached for her stomach. The initial pain was now mixed with this furnace-like heat spreading from the left side of her abdomen throughout her middle section. The blood she could feel on her hands as she quickly felt around seemed to confirm where she'd been hit. Still, she was so shocked at what had just happened that she couldn't bring herself to call out or make a sound. Looking up at the sky, she could see the smoke and cinders from the Howitzer slowly dissipating, and the next ten seconds were filled with an eerie quiet.

Finally, her assailant appeared back in her vision, staggering to his feet and looking angry as ever. He pointed his gun at her face this time, growling through labored breaths, "This is all your fault, you little bitch!"

As if punctuating his sentence, a sharp beam of light appeared out of nowhere, shooting the man square in the chest and sending him flying backward. She could have sworn she heard him tumble down that first flight of stairs too.

"Kiko!" Her father's shout sounded so quiet due to her ears being muffled by the explosion. His ultimate move took so much concentration and power that he probably hadn't noticed anything was wrong until the guy had piped up. The timing couldn't have been more perfectly disastrous. She could hear him running up to her in a few quick strides before he dropped to his knees beside her. God, that expression on his face. His jaw was clenched into a furious snarl, as if he wanted to do far more than give that guy a small trip down the stairs. Meanwhile, his eyes were wide with concern as he looked her over, also in disbelief at what was happening. Her papa almost looked...scared. It was an expression she'd never seen on him before, and while she couldn't blame him, it didn't exactly help the crippling fear rising in her chest.

After quickly assessing her, his face turned more serious, hiding some of the emotions that had leaked through, though the worry was still evident on his face. He placed his hands precisely over her wound and pressed down. Her whole body seized with an electric pain at the pressure, causing her to let out an involuntarily scream. One of her hands gripped his arm tightly, as if she was subconsciously trying to push him off - not like she had the strength to.

"I know it hurts like hell, but I have to do this so you don't bleed out," he explained with a slight growl, frustration clear in his voice.

Kiko lifted her head a little to look down at her wound, her face scrunched up in pain. Big mistake. She could now see the decent puddle of her own blood that soaked the cement beneath her, not to mention how the entire lower half of her shirt was seeped through and definitely ruined. Not like that mattered in the present moment. The glance was only a second, but it was enough to set off all the panic alarms in her brain. She'd already lost so much. Of course - she'd practically been shot at point blank range. It suddenly felt harder to breathe. Was that because she was scared or because she was dying? Her whole body felt heavier too. Were there paramedics nearby? There had to be - of course they would have brought an ambulance just in case. Even so, what if they couldn't get up here in time? Papa couldn't stop the bleeding entirely by himself. God, why couldn't she breathe? What if these were her last - ?

"Papa, I'm sorry…" She could barely squeeze the sound out, her diaphragm weakened by her stomach wound. Tears were now clouding her vision, and she had to blink them away to actually look at him. The more words came out, the more she descended into sobbing. "I love you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for what I said -"

"Stop apologizing, god damn it!" her father snapped, refusing to look at her face but instead glaring down at her wound. His eyes were ablaze with something - anger, fear, worry, she wasn't sure anymore. "You're gonna be fine!"

He quickly looked around the roof, probably to make sure all the villains were still down. Kiko realized in that moment that even if her father could carry her downstairs without her bleeding out, he couldn't just leave all these bad guys, especially Zombie, unattended. No, he needed some backup to come arrest them for good, and if she was going to get help before she passed out, it needed to be fast.

Thankfully, it seemed as if her luck was playing a balance game today. About twenty seconds passed before they heard a muffled, unfamiliar voice come from inside on the stairs. "Well, here's that guy who turned tail earlier."

"Zero?" Kiko could barely feel the relief of hearing her dad's voice over the heaviness in her limbs. Still, the comfort quelled her fear, even if it was just a little bit.

"Ei, get a medic!" Papa wasn't even bothering with his husband's codename at this point.

"What - ?" Red Riot's voice grew closer as she heard him bound up the stairs at his partner's obvious distress. If her heart wasn't beating so hard, it would have broken when she heard the rough gasp from him when he reached the top. "Kiko!"

Just like that, her other father was knelt beside her. His concern and shock were a lot more open and pronounced as he observed her pained face and ran a hand through her hair to console her even a little bit. She really hoped he could see how happy she was that he was there, because she was too focused on breathing right now to talk. He glanced over at her wound, gritting his teeth in a wince. "What happened?"

"Bastard shot her, and I shot him back." A simple statement, but the pure fury in Papa's voice was enough. Kiko's vision was beginning to get fuzzy. God, she felt so tired all of a sudden. Her body murmured, Sleep...Sleep. But her mind was desperately trying to fire off signals, press the panic button, anything to keep her awake.

"Dad…" She could muster only a quiet whimper now, but it was enough to get his attention. The momentary anger that had appeared on his face after hearing his husband's words melted as he turned to her with concern. He gave her a small, soft smile, one that was obviously forced but gave her so much comfort all the same. She could vaguely feel him squeezing her hand tightly as he brushed her cheek. "Hey, sweetheart. Don't worry. You're going to be fine. We're gonna get you to the hospital, okay?"

"The paramedics are coming up now," a voice informed from beside them somewhere. More officers must have come up with her dad.

"Tell them to hurry their asses up!" her papa growled.

Kiko's vision was only growing worse, and her body felt as if it were sinking into the floor. The blurred outlines of her parents almost blended in with the blue sky above them. Her wound didn't hurt anymore. She couldn't feel the wetness of her blood-soaked clothes. She was like a computer shutting down, closing all of its programs one-by-one. Her brain didn't seem to be panicking anymore either. Still, she wanted to keep talking to her dads. She didn't want to stop hearing their voices.

"Dad…" She had to be almost whispering by this point. Sleep sounded so nice. "I can't...see you…"

"You can't?" Even his voice was beginning to muffle, though she could still register its quick turn into sharp concern at her alarming statement.

"No…." Her breaths were growing more shallow with more breaks in between. "I'm sorry…"

"That's okay, honey. That's okay." The slight desperation she could hear in his words said otherwise, though she knew that already. Was he stroking her hair again? She couldn't tell. "Just keep your eyes open, okay?"

"I don't…" There's no way I can, Dad.

"Kiko."

So much work. I need a nap…

"Kiko!"

Papa sounds so far away. Look, the lights are turning off too.

"Don't close your eyes. Look at me, sweetheart. Please. Please."

It's okay.

I'll apologize for real when I wake up.

Okay, obviously this isn't gonna be the last chapter, but I've made it clear that I'm not just writing in Kiko's POV. So, the question is: will she wake up?

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I hope you're staying happy, healthy, and safe. Have a wonderful day!