AHGDJSABAKDHD I'm so sorry for letting this go so long without updating! Here's a new chapter for you guys!
This is the Season 1 Finale, and then it'll be on to the next season.
Should I do the seasons as separate stories, or should I just have it as one big long story? Either way is fine by me.
Lemme reply to the reviews real quick and then I'll let y'all read the chapter. :)
JacquelineIvy: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! I'm so happy you like it! :) Ooof yeah I tried to make it realistic and gritty cus Shota absolutely could have died and Takara, too. If All Might hadn't shown up right when he did... *shudders* I can't even imagine what would've happened. Anyway, here's a new chapter after being gone for a while.
HelpfulSprite: Thank you! I find myself trying to make my characters optimistic rather than moody as that's how I myself am. Usually, my OCs basically have my personality put into the different universes lol. Glad you like them! I won't tell you who she interns with but I think you guys will like it! :D I hope you stay safe, too, my friend!
God Bless and Good Day!
~The Lupine Sojourner
"Your Class Rep has returned! And I brought reinforcements!" Tenya's voice calls out next. I smile a bit. Go, Tenya!
"Shota!" I hear Dad scream in outrage, terror, and shock. "No, no, no! Shota!" Eijiro then grits his teeth and apologizes as he rushes up the last section of stairs and I can't help screaming in pain as he finally gets to the top and collapses, panting heavily.
"She needs help!" Eijiro screams, and I finally notice that the reason his voice sounded so thick; he was fighting tears. He'd lost the fight now and held me, sobbing. Dad, teary-eyed, immediately rushes over from where he'd been surveying Mom's many injuries.
"Tik-Tak!" He sobs, and I give him a weak smile. "Not you, too…no…" I feel a painful pang in my heart at Dad's voice.
"D-don't worry." I mumble. "You should see the other guy." I joke, but he just starts crying, hands on my shoulders, hair tickling my nose as he ducks his head. "Dad…I'll be okay. Recovery Girl will fix us, don't- -Dad!" I cry, but Dad doesn't listen, standing and walking with a troubling sudden calm toward the edge of the stairs.
"Cover Takara's ears." He instructs and Eijiro moves to do so, but I shake my head, covering my own ears as Eijiro covers his.
Dad then unleashes a scream that makes the building tremble as much as it had during All Might and Nomu's fight. I can hear the pain and devastation in his voice and tears stream down my face.
Dad…this wasn't your fault. I promise!
After the villains had been subjected to Dad's scream of pain and rage, the teacher began to filter away to find the other students of 1-A. 13 asks to be helped up as Snipe fires on the two leaders to keep them from running, but it didn't appear to be working. "We need someone who can capture from a distance!" He growls. 13 slowly hobbles over.
"Leave it to me." She replies, opening her gloves and activating her Quirk.
"Is it working?" I ask no one in particular. Ochaco shakes her head moments later.
"No. It was too far a distance and the villain's warp Quirk is too quick." I grit my teeth angrily.
"Crap." I'd hoped we could capture the villains' leaders, but at least Kurogiri was smart enough to run. Tomura, though…he was something else. I didn't understand him at all.
"Our priority is making sure all our students are safe." Nezu instructs and the teachers nod, moving to round up the villains and I try to move and- -I'm not sure what I'd do, but I was through just laying around like a useless doll!
"Hey, save your strength." Dad says, suddenly by my side again, gently pressing on my shoulders to make me stay still. "Tik-Tak, we need to get you to an ambulance. It's the fastest way back to the hospital. Recovery Girl is meeting you and Shota there." I nod, dreading the vibrating and the jostling already, not to mention the actual treatment of my broken bones, but I had no other choice.
"Okay." I reply. He cups my cheek and kisses my forehead.
"I'll see you as soon as we're done here, okay?"
I nod again. "Sounds good. I love you."
He smiles sadly at me and kissing my temple. "I love you, too, Takara." He replies, then stands and puts a hand on Eijiro's shoulder. "Take care of her, okay?" He asks, voice serious. He hardly ever uses my first name…
"I will." Eijiro promises and Dad then races off. I bite my lip. He was mad at himself and the villains, I can tell, but we'd have to talk later. Eijiro gently stands up, tears still in his eyes. "Don't worry." He whimpers, trying to sound brave and confident. I smile at him.
"I won't." I assure him as Eijiro lifts me and Mezo lifts Mom and we all make our way outside to the ambulance. Hounddog's gruff, unintelligible speech almost makes me laugh as he offers to carry me (Eijiro declines), then he leaves. Eijiro sits beside me after I was laid on the gurney in the ambulance.
Mom is loaded into a different ambulance with Mezo laying her on the gurney and then closing the door after her, leaving her with the paramedics.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help." Eijiro mumbles, voice thick and tears leaking out again as the ambulance begins to drive, the paramedic beginning to treat my leg and other wounds, remaining silent.
"Don't be sorry. We all had villains to deal with." I reply, voice trembling with the pain of having my leg bones set so the paramedic could splint it until we got to the hospital.
Eijiro sighs. "Still. I had you in my arms when that guy started warping us away! If I'd just held on- -"
"Eijiro, you're not to blame." I interrupt. "Seriously. The only ones to blame are the villains. They're the ones that attacked. What happened happened and we can't change it." I add thickly, swallowing. "We all did what we could." Why do I still feel so guilty, then? Why do I still feel like there was so much more I could've done? I growl inwardly, frustrated beyond belief.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I have to sit you up now, okay?" The paramedic, an African-American with dreadlocks asks, looking a little sheepish at having to interrupt our conversation. I grimace, but nod. Eijiro then helps the man sit me up as smooth and gentle as possible. I still hiss in agony, then the man pales the more he has to mess with my ribs. "Dear God! Kid, yo-your ribs…the ribcage is almost collapsed! What happened?!" I bite my lip, trying not to cry or scream as he begins setting my ribs.
"One of the villains was - - was super strong and I couldn't dodge him. He- -" I hiss as I feel my ribs being adjusted back to their proper place, "he smashed me into the ground then threw me against a fountain." My voice and breath comes in fits and bursts until the paramedic is done.
"Holy shit, kiddo. You are one tough girl." The paramedic (Rin, the nametag read) muses with a whistle as he continues treating my ribs. Only now do I realize I'd been squeezing Eijiro's hand. I blush and let go. "There. All done. I'm sorry. You did a great job." We soon arrive at the hospital, where I was carted inside and happen to see the other ambulance with Mom being taken out of it. She's covered in bandages, her arms completely encased in casts.
Eijiro came in with us, but as he had no relation to me, he was told to wait in the waiting room.
Mom and I end up in the same room, probably because she's my legal guardian. I bite my lip and try not to cry as the doctors and nurses finish Rin's work. As often as I can, I am watching Mom being treated. It's probably masochistic, but I can't help it. She looks so frail and broken, laying there…
Finally, I'm alone with Mom, the beeping of our vital sign monitors and our breathing the only sounds.
Finally, I let my tears out. It hurt to sob, it hurt to breathe, everything hurt and I couldn't keep it in any more. We'd survived, but I'd heard a doctor telling someone on the phone (Dad? Someone at the school? The police?) that Mom's arms were splintered, with facial fracturing to boot. But that wasn't the worst of it.
No, the worst part was that the orbital floors in her eyes were severely damaged.
She…she could be blind! I lay there, waiting for the painkiller in my IV to kick in, tears still leaking out. I felt horrible, and not just my body.
Dad's reaction hadn't been something I wanted to witness, but I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. He'd been so devastated. His words rang in my head on repeat and I felt guilty all over again.
"Lemme guess; I should see the other guy." A voice muses wryly from the doorway, snapping me from my thoughts. I look over and see Shinso standing there.
I give him a small smirk. "You know it."
He comes further into the room. "In all seriousness, Takara; what happened?"
"Rescue training ended up as a villain attack." I surmise, sighing. "One of the guys was this really…really strong guy - -thing- -the leader called Nomu that was supposed to be able to defeat All Might."
"I take it this Nomu thing did this to you?" I grimace, the memory of that instant playing. It all happened so fast…
I swallow and fiddle with a corner of my sheets. "…Yeah. I couldn't get Mom and I out of his range fast enough, ended up smashed against the ground." Shinso grimaces.
"Ouch."
"Yeah. Then thrown into a fountain."
He winches. "…Well, at least you're stable."
I then blink. "Wait…how are you here? Dad bring you?"
Shinso nods. "He told me you were in the hospital and that there'd been a villain attack. I agreed to ride with him. He's…not as excitable as I thought he'd be." I bite my lip.
That wasn't like Dad.
"…" Before I can reply, I see Dad slowly inch into the room. He refused to look up from the floor. "Hey, Dad!" I greet, hoping sounding fairly cheerful might help. He glances at me and his lips try for a smile. It doesn't work, and then I notice his eyes; teary, unfocused…listless. It was obvious he'd been crying. A lot.
"H-hey, Tik-Tak." He mumbles, lip trembling as he speaks. He glances at Mom's bed. "Shota's still out?" It was probably a rhetorical question, but I answer anyway.
"Yeah, but the doctors are hopeful she'll be awake soon. They got her on the same painkillers they have me on, so she'll feel better in no time." Dad sighs heavily, sitting in the chair in front of my bed, head bowed.
"Takara, I should have been here." It was practically a sob, and I blink several times. How could he blame himself for this?
"Dad, stop it. You're a teacher, too. You have your own class- -"
"That's just it. I was in between classes, grading damn papers when they told me what happened at the USJ. I told Shota I could stop by, but your mom said I should focus on getting the grading done. If I had stopped by, anyway…"
"Dad, please. This is pointless." I reply gently, swallowing a lump in my throat. "We're going to be okay. As soon as Recovery Girl gets here, she'll fix us right up and it'll be okay. Please don't beat yourself up." It seems that was the wrong thing to say, because next second, Dad's sobbing uncontrollably.
Absently, I note Shinso walking toward the door. I don't really blame him, so I don't bring attention to his departure.
"Sh-she could be blind, Takara!" Dad exclaims, finally looking at me. "My wife might be blind and I can't do anything and we don't know and I hate this! I hate this waiting!" He was verging on hysterical, standing and gesturing wildly as he spoke, running frenzied hands through his hair. "And to make it worse, my kid's beat to hell! Your ribcage was almost collapsed, Takara!" I'd never seen him like this.
The closest had been that one day I freaked out after breaking a glass.
I bite my lip. "Might." I emphasize. "Mom might be blind. My ribcage was almost collapsed. We know my ribs will heal, and there's no way to know the condition of Mom's eyes for sure til she wakes up, so let's not stress out, okay?" It was probably something Mom would say, and I knew what I was saying was true. There were a lot of unknowns right now. Dad looks at me mid-gesture, freezing in place. For several seconds, there was silence.
Shinso's voice breaks the silence. "She's right. Mr. Yamada. We can't know Mrs. Yamada's condition fully til she wakes up, so please. Just sit, drink this, and calm down." He had a cup of what smelled like chamomile tea.
Dad takes it and sits, sipping it gratefully.
I then notice Eijiro entering the room, as well.
I smile. "Hey. Finally let you come back here, huh?"
He nods glumly. "Yeah. How you doing?"
I sigh. "Better now I've had some painkillers, but it still hurts to move. The bones in my leg were badly damaged, the doctor said, and my ribcage almost collapsed, apparently. But as long as I get some rest and healing from Recovery Girl, I'll be okay."
Eijiro looks away. "You're so brave, Takara."
I blush and blink several times. He thought I was brave? "What?" He turns his head and I see a sheepish smile on his face.
"Well, yeah. You fought off those villains, and you fought through the pain, still trying to help. That takes a lot of guts." He puts his hand on my shoulder. "I'm just sorry I couldn't help you sooner."
"Don't be. You got me out of the way. I couldn't walk with my legs and ribs."
Dad winces, sipping the tea before speaking. "I was told you were involved in the fight Shota was in with the villains. That true?"
I nod. "Yessir. One of the villains, a guy with a warping Quirk named Kurogiri, decided to scatter all of us around the building. I think he knew I was a Yamada, and sent me to Mom as a way to unbalance her."
"Can you tell me more about that?" Comes a new female voice. I look over to see a police officer standing in the doorway. "Hate to interrupt, but I'm Officer Haragan, and I need to get this young woman's statement, and I was hoping Eraserhead would be able to give one, as well, but I see I'll have to wait."
Her eyes flick to Mom's bed, a wince almost hidden by her wild half-buzzed brown hair as she walks over.
"Okay, Officer Haragan." I reply.
Dad stands and gestures to the seat. The officer takes the seat with a grateful nod, drawing out a recording device.
"Is it okay if I record this conversation?" She asks.
"Yeah, that's okay." Officer Haragan nods, clearing her throat.
"Officer Haragan, recording Takara Yamada's statement regarding the villain attack in the Unforeseen Simulation Joint today at UA High School." She begins, leaning a little toward me. "So, if you please, Ms. Yamada, can you start at the point the villains arrived?"
I nod, taking a breath before beginning. "Of course. We were just about to start the rescue training we were supposed to be doing, despite All Might not being able to be there as planned, but as soon as we did, we noticed the lights going out, then I happened to look down at the fountain in the middle of the different rescue simulation areas. I saw it flickering on and off before a swirling mass of purple smoke I later knew was a warpgate appeared. I warned Mom- -I mean, Eraserhead, who was teaching the class with 13- -" I stop, embarrassed by my fumble.
The officer smiles and motions for me to continue, "and she instructed us to stay with 13 and got ready to fight, and then after my friend, Izuku Midoriya, protested, Mom went to fight the group." I swallow, taking a breath to collect myself as I continue. This was kinda hard to describe so soon after it happened.
As I got to the moment Nomu slammed me into the ground, I had to stop and try to steady my heart rate, which had spiked as the memory flashed in my head on repeat. Dad gently grabbed my hand and I squeeze it gratefully. I continue my descriptions and keep myself relatively composed, looking squarely at my sheets, unable to watch everyone's reactions. Dad's hand grew tighter around mine, and I hear gasps and shifting as I get to the more intense parts. Once I'm done, I realize there are tears in Dad's eyes again, and that Eijiro and Shinso are staring at me, expressions unreadable. Officer Haragan blinks a few times, then clears her throat again.
"That'll be all, Ms. Yamada, unless there's something else you want to add to your statement?"
I shake my head. "No, there's nothing else I need to add. I hope my statement helps the investigation." I reply.
Officer Haragan ends the recording and stands, smiling at me as she gently pats my shoulder.
"I'm sure it will. You're a very, very brave girl, Takara. Get some rest now, okay?"
I smile back and nod. "I will. Thank you."
Once we're alone, Shinso moves closer. "I had no idea it was that bad, Takara. You could've died." He whispers shakily, and I swear there are tears in his eyes.
I sigh. I hadn't wanted to add to everyone's worry. "It was pretty scary, but all I thought about was protecting Mom…and I couldn't do that. I couldn't get us out of the way, and then I got too hurt to fight back when Mom was attacked by Nomu." I whimper, tears surfacing again. I sniffle, but then Dad's arms are around me and it's thanks to the painkillers that I don't flinch or feel much of anything in my ribs.
"Sweetheart…you did amazing! You held your own against all those villains and used your Quirk very well. There wasn't anything else at all you could have done, and don't let anyone or yourself tell you otherwise, got it?" he'd pulled back to lift my chin up so we were looking each other in the eyes and I could see how serious he was.
I sniffle and nod, tears leaking down my face. "I just…watching Mom get hurt…it hurt more than my ribs or my leg." I sob.
"I could say the same to you, Takara." Comes a very weak, muffled version of my mom's voice. Instantly, everyone turns to look at her. I can't tell if her eyes are open through the bandages, but she has her head turned to us. "Please do not beat yourself up for how you handled that battle. For your first real battle, you were great. The only ones to blame for how things turned out are Nomu and that disintegrating villain."
I squirm, picking at my sheets guiltily. I didn't deserve what everyone said about how I fought…I was useless! "But, Mom…I was trying to protect you, and I couldn't, and you got hurt and- -"
"Kara, stop. There's no point arguing with me. You couldn't have fought harder and my condition is not your fault."
I wipe my eyes. "Thanks, Mom." I mumble, hiccuping, which hurt a lot.
"Now, stop crying and call the doctor. I need to get these bandages off my eyes."
Dad stands and we exchange a worried glance. "Shota…there was a lot of damage to your orbital floors. Recovery Girl is on her way. Please, let's wait til she gets here and heals you to test your vision."
I hear Mom hum in thought. "…You're right. We should tell the doctor I'm awake, though." Her voice is a little shaky, which was understandable.
I don't draw attention to Mom's voice, continuing the conversation. "The police might want to take your statement, too. An officer stopped by and I gave my statement."
"I see. That's good. As a pro hero and teacher, they might want me to give my statement, as well."
I take a breath.
This was okay. We'd been hurt, but we were healing, we were together, and that's what matters.