Thank you all so much for your patience! Here it is, Chapter Nine. We're almost done, It feels bittersweet because I love this story but I know the end is coming up.
I had so much fun writing this part. I actually had some of the imagery written up for the last chapter but it didn't fit, I'm super glad I got to use them here.
With the ice no longer creeping up his body, Dabi busts out of its grip with a hardly controlled blast. The sound booms across the shocked silence, the air so cold they can see clouds of steam from Dabi's breath as he pants.
Leaping into action, Aizawa uses his scarf to cross the same jump Shoto almost missed. He comes to a stop on the other rooftop, only sliding a little on the ice still coating everything.
Momo looks over at Midoriya, still loosely held by Kirishima, his eyes wide and stance loose as he stares down at the other roof. Momo knows her classmate and she knows the signs of shock. She reaches out, waving a hand in front of Midoriya's eyes.
Her classmate comes back to himself slowly. His eyes widen before refocusing like an old camera, etching every detail of the scene in front of them in his mind.
She talks as clearly as she can, but her voice still waivers slightly, "Midoriya, can you get us down there?" He nods, still not looking at her, then slowly steps into action.
He takes Kirishima first, then Jirou, before coming back for Momo. Every time he crosses, his movements are more sure as he pulls himself back to the present. By the time Midoriya scoops Momo up, she can tell he's back with them.
Midoriya sets her down gently on the frost-covered roof; the air is still biting, and the sky has the muted film it gets after the darkest night, the sun still won't rise for quite a while yet but the ice still twinkles in what light there is. The entire world seems eerie and surreal. Somehow it feels fitting to hear Dabi cursing wildly as his hands steam from where they're pressed against the ice.
Aizawa hasn't stopped him, but he is watching Dabi's every move, ready to erase his quirk at the first sign of violence. It's for the best, anyway. It would be foolish to disable the one fire quirk still active when the longer Shoto and Endeavor are in the ice, the less favorable their chances are.
His classmates hang back, the distressed villain tripping their instincts, but Midoriya steps towards the ice.
It's a morbid snapshot of a scene that seems so out of place in this city, with these people, yet there's nothing they can do as it stands, held suspended in front of them like a sick snow globe. The flat sides and sharp angles fracture the figures inside, and no matter where Midoriya stands the pieces never quite fit back together.
He comes up and lays a hand against the ice, the cold nips through his gloves almost instantly. His classmates creep closer, overcoming their apprehension in favor of concern.
Midoriya doesn't know who he's asking, but he asks anyway, "Is he going to be okay?"
To everyone's surprise, it's Dabi who answers almost immediately voice cracking in distress, "I don't know he's never done this before!" A bewildered stream of letters that could have been words on a different day pace through Midoriya's thoughts, and he can almost feel the same from his classmates.
Kirishima voices the question on the tip of their tounges, "How would you know?" his voice rings not with accusation but genuine confusion.
Dabi scowls at him but doesn't get to answer as the cold bubble of distressed quiet that's settled over them is shattered by the loud pounding of people running up the stairs, and pros landing on the surrounding rooftops.
When they burst out onto the roof, the police immediately surge at Dabi, and Aizawa has to cancel his quirk so he doesn't burn any of the officers dragging him away.
Having his quirk disabled doesn't stop Dabi from lashing out, punching and clawing at the officers holding him, swearing and yelling at the top of his lungs. The rest of the officers stand staring at the two figures encased in ice. It's reasonable to assume they're just as shocked as everyone else until their hesitation lasts too long and their focus has obviously left the ice.
Present Mic steps up beside the students, getting the attention of both them and the officers. The usually upbeat hero is serious as he turns and barks at the officers, "What're you waiting for?"
One of the officers opens their mouth to speak but is cut off when Aizawa's phone screams from his pocket. Aizawa practically claws it out and barely glances at the screen before nodding at Mic and hustling off to answer in relative privacy. The look on their teacher's face makes an uncertain emotion shoot through Midoriya's stomach.
The officers gape after Aizawa for a moment, before turning back to Mic and the students. One of them cocks an eyebrow, "Which. Which one do we arrest?"
Present Mic glowers at them, and Midoriya thinks he hears Mic huff like he's about to scream, "Either way, you need to get both out before the cold kills them" his voice sharp like a knife and colder than the air "You don't want that, do you?" the false kindness of his words rips through the frost at their feet.
The head officer blanches and quickly mutters "No" before he and the others rush to work. Luckily police are equipped to deal with quirk incidents and the pros who can help have surrounded the tower of ice to slowly melt and chip away at it. A medic team rushes past them, ambulance sirens audible from below. Mic steers them out of the path, guiding the students to the side, still not his normal cheerful self. Momo takes the time to make, and hand out cordless hair dryers to everyone she passes.
Out of the corner of his eye, Midoriya watches Aizawa return from his phone call, shoulders tight, and strides angry. As he rejoins his students he looks at the officers, face blank but voice seething, and says, "Arrest Todoroki Enji"
None of the pros seem surprised, just solemn, but the cops pause. Shocked muttering pinballs around the rooftop, but they don't stop for long as their captain ushers them back to work.
Aizawa turns back to Mic and his students, "I need to stay here, Mic will be with you, for now," Mic nods, more to Aizawa than the students, and Aizawa heads off talking with officers and passing pro heroes. He sends a group of pros to deal with the press, then he strides over to the officers holding Dabi. He snags the still fuming man and drags him off.
Mic directs the students' attention back his way, explaining that they'll be going back to UA. There are a few arguments, but with the roof overrun and the adrenaline wearing off they're tired, and they have to acknowledge that they're better off well-rested and safe.
On their way to the stairwell, they pass Aizawa and Dabi. They're only close enough to hear for a moment, but it's enough to catch Aizawa saying, "If everything is how it seems, We'll be back for you soon"
Dabi's dejected "Yeah, sure." barely reaches their ears before they're out of range again.
As Mic leads the students down the stairs the air around them is tense, like there's so much to say but none of the words feel right. So many emotions yet all of them feel muted, almost like they're from a different world.
Outside the building, there's a car waiting. At this point seeing it is a relief after their luck with trains and other forms of public transport. Fuyumi's outside with a pair of rescue heroes, she waves tiredly at them as they clamor into the car.
Despite his best efforts, after a long night and multiple nights of restless sleep Midoriya's eyes slip closed and the drive is lost to sleep. He's not the only one.
When Jirou shakes him awake they're parked in front of the dorms. Momo rubs her eyes, and Kirishima stretches as much as he can in the cramped back seat. They stumble out of the car and into the dorms.
Despite it being so early in the morning everyone is waiting in the commons, well almost everyone MIdoriya can't find Sero in the huddle of students. As soon as they shuffle through the door their classmates swarm them and drag them towards the couches.
Mic speaks up "Your classmates are probably tired, and Recovery Girl wants to see them. Careful not to crowd them too much" the class nods and returns to their interrogation, all be more gently, "Midoriya you wanna go first?" Midoriya nods and drags himself up to his feet before trudging after his english teacher.
The hallways seem to stretch and blur together until they reach the nurse's office. Recovery Girl isn't normally in this early, but today she's here, puttering around anxiously fixing things that don't need fixing. The check-up goes quickly, and for the first time, Midoriya feels almost guilty for coming to her without injuries, for not having helped.
Apparently, Recovery Girl can tell. As she hands him some candies, she looks at him sadly and says, "This kind of fight. This kind of hurt. The best way to save someone is to be there" Midoriya nods, he's tired but determined. Not convinced, but determined. He lets Recovery Girl lead him to the door. Mic had left earlier to get the next student and give Midoriya privacy.
On his way back, Midoriya decides to take a detour to his room. He changes into comfortable, ash-free clothes, and drapes a blanket over his shoulders before walking to the elevator. He passes the supply hallway and by chance glances down the hallway, not expecting anything more than blinking lights. He jumps slightly when he sees someone down there, slumped against the wall, sitting on the floor. Quickly Midoriya recognizes the figure as his missing classmate, Sero.
Midoriya plods down the hallway and peers down at Sero, "What's wrong?" Sero drags his hands over his face and neck before looking up at Midoriya, his eyes are hazy and somber. Midoriya slides down the wall across from him and offers one of Recovery Girl's candies.
Sero takes the candy but doesn't unwrap it, spinning it between his hands "I just handed over a pink panda that's bringing down the number one hero," he unwraps the candy "I feel like I touched something evil"
He pops the candy in his mouth and looks up at Midoriya, who takes a moment to sort his words before saying, "You did. But you did something right with it"
"Right" sighs Sero, still despondent.
"Well, sitting here in the dark isn't helping," Midoriya pushes back up the wall, "Come down with me, let us be there for you."
Sero sighs around the candy, offers his hand, and lets Midoriya heave him to his feet "I got grape, how 'bout you?"
Midoriya laughs, "Strawberry."
They head to the commons where most of their classmates, Kirishima's probably headed off to Recovery Girl, are waiting. The class welcomes Sero and Midoriya back into the huddle easily, but Midoriya is a little apprehensive. He's drained, and tired of this story, he doesn't want to live it again when they inevitability ask.
To his surprise and relief, no one asks him about what happened, instead, they shove paper, markers, and a pair of scissors at him. A few of his classmates leave, only to return quickly with a mountain of blankets and pillows stolen from almost every room.
That's how they spend the rest of the night, they make get-well-soon-cards and plan visits, with cake, to their classmate. all hoping they'll have a chance. They work until one by one they pass out among their mess of blankets and art supplies.