The first thing Momo heard was gunshots.

Then screaming.

Crying.

Static.

.

All that she had been thinking of came to a screeching halt. For a moment, she was paralyzed. Unable to think. Unable to feel.

Then, with a start, she realized her teacher was trying to say something. She violently shook her head and forced herself to listen. She heard her teacher was shouting over the noise, telling them to go to the corner away from the door.

She whipped her head around the classroom, frantically looking for where her teacher was telling to go. She was distantly aware that she saw Bakugou and Tokoyami shoot up out of their chairs and look around, almost looking more determined than scared. She didn't have time to think about that. She could only think about was getting to safety.

When she saw the corner the teacher was talking about, she ran over to it as fast as she could. She sank to the floor with her body feeling numb. She heard people trying to stay quiet and hold back sobs. She felt her panicked breaths and her heart thumping in her chest.

Everyone jumped when the alarms started going off, and the speakers started announcing a code red, not a drill. There was a moment of silence, then the crying increased tenfold.

.

The room began spinning. Her lungs burned. The noise of her panicked classmates turned into painful static. Panic engulfed her, and all she could do was try not to cry.

Desperately, she looked around. She didn't know what she was searching for. She only knew that there had to be something.. anything...

She could only see the terror filled eyes of her classmates. Her friends.

She shook her head, quickly wiping off her tears and trying to slow her breathing. Again, she looked back and forth, eyes sweeping across the sea of fear and panic. She knew there was nothing for her to find. Still, she couldn't help but keep looking around. Wishing against all odds that there would be something.

Then, in a sea of panic, she saw a island. The face of someone not panicking, not crying or screaming.

She focused as much of her attention as possible on that island.

She dug her nails into her palms, gritted her death, and blinked away her tears.

A startling sense of clarity struck her mind. Her uneven, rapid breathing began to slow, and her thoughts stopped running in circles. Her terror faded slightly, and deadly determination took its place.

She had never felt so scared in her life, but she had never felt more certain.

She wouldn't let everything end like this.

Everything she'd done.

Everything she's worked for.

She wouldn't go out crying, huddled in fear.

She would fight. She wouldn't give up.

Her will was resolute. This wouldn't be the end.

She won't-

.

The sudden screeching of the school speakers shocked her mind back to a halt.

For a terrifying moment, there was only deafening silence.

Then, they heard the announcer speaking.

"The code red is over, I repeat, the code red is over. The threat has been contained. All people will remain in the building until further instruction."

.

Time seemed to stand still. After a few seconds, the stunned silence was replaced with a powerful wave of sound. Cheering. Laughing. Cries of relief.

People who barely knew each other were hugging each other, holding on with bone white hands and shaking arms.

She turned to the person nearest to her and hugged them as hard as she could, not caring who they were. She felt strong arms wrap around her. She didn't bother to look up, just tightened her grip.

.

Everyone is safe. It's... it's ok now. We're safe.

That's all that matters.