A/N: There is no picture to accompany this chapter this time around, because I really just wanted to post this now instead of waiting again for who knows how long. I don't want to keep you guys waiting too long! Maybe I should make an upload schedule, that'd probably be better...

[JUNE 2021 UPDATE] This chapter now has art!

Art -

[Complete Gallery] Add /21axlkt3bolc to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

[Ch. 9] Add /01scmpcuu3qm to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

Hitomi felt herself falling as she was hit with the smell of smoke.

She opened her eyes to realize she was falling towards a fire, and she knew there wouldn't be enough time to put a force field around herself.

"Kanetsukabe-san!"

She felt a hand grab her wrist, halting her fall. Looking up, she realized her classmate Mashirao Ojiro was holding onto her, while his tail was wound around a flagpole jutting out of the building they were by.

"Ojiro-san!"

"Look, the kids are over there!" Hitomi looked down to see villains running towards them down on the ground. Without thinking, she threw a force field at them, knocking them down.

"Kanetsukabe-san, we need to get out of here..!" Ojiro's grip on Hitomi was starting to slip, before he decided to fling her onto his shoulder. He then vaulted off of the flagpole, jumping between buildings before finally finding a safe spot on the ground to land.

The two took a moment to catch their breath, and Hitomi was finally able to take in their surroundings.

Buildings were all around them, like a mini-cityscape, except for the large amount of fires spread about.

She was already starting to feel the effects of breathing in the smoke.

She coughed, squinting her eyes and turning to Ojiro. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible. The longer we breathe in the smoke, the harder it'll be to get past the villains. I'm positive there's a lot more in this area than the ones we just saw earlier."

"I agree. Kanetsukabe-san, how fast are you…?"

Hitomi grimaced. "Not very. I wouldn't be able to keep up with you, especially if I tried to run through all the fires…"

"I heard voices! I think those damn kids are over here!"

Hitomi and Ojiro snapped towards the sound of the voice, before Ojiro turned so his back was facing Hitomi.

"Get on, quickly! We have to make sure we're not caught. I can carry you on my back, but you'll have to hold on tight."

"Right...!"

Hitomi clambered onto the boy's back just as the villains caught sight of them.

"There they are!"

Ojiro used his tail to jump into the air, bypassing the villains as Hitomi gripped his gi. Turning her head to glance at the villains, she made another force field, throwing it at them. The villains staggered, Hitomi and Ojiro disappearing from their sight as the students turned a corner.

Ojiro and Hitomi continued to navigate through the Fire Zone, Ojiro vaulting over villains while Hitomi attacked them with her force fields, still riding on Ojiro's back.

A muffled, yet loud crash was heard, making Ojiro stop at the sound. "What was that?!"

"Do you think that came all the way from the entrance?"

"Maybe. It sounded far enough to know that it definitely didn't come from in here."

More crashes sounded outside the Fire Zone, and Hitomi and Ojiro heard the faint sound of rushing water.

After a few moments, another, louder crash was heard, and the force was strong enough that the heroes-in-training could feel the facility shake.

"Over there!"

Ojiro and Hitomi turned to find more villains charging at them, brandishing weapons and activating their quirks.

Ojiro clicked his tongue in frustration. "Damn, there's just no end to them! Never mind what's going on outside, we need to keep running away!"

Hitomi tried to ignore the vibrations she felt from another crash outside.

She could tell Ojiro was at his limit, the smoke from the fires and her added weight taking its toll on him.

She wasn't doing much better herself. Her eyes were watery, and she was feeling light headed from breathing in the smoke for so long.

More muffled crashes sounded outside, sounding more and more like explosions.

The ground rumbled, making Ojiro falter. "What is going on out there?!"

Hitomi coughed, wiping her eyes. "Do you think someone was able to call the teachers…?"

The crashes finally seemed to stop, before one last explosion sounded outside, the ground shaking harder than it ever had before.

Ojiro narrowly dodged a villain's assault, knocking them out with his tail. "An explosion..?"

...

A thump sounded on the ground.

Noticing the lack of weight on his back, Ojiro turned to the source of the noise.

"Kanetsukabe-san!"

Hitomi felt like her head was spinning, her throat hoarse.

"Sorry, Ojiro-san… I'm too dizzy to get up…"

Hitomi had lost consciousness.

Another explosion was heard, and Ojiro knew it definitely came from inside the Fire Zone this time.

He picked the bluenette up, jumping onto a nearby balcony for a better look at the source of the explosion.

He coughed, feeling dizzy himself before he caught sight of yellow armor.

"That's…!"

Hitomi stirred at the sound of mechanical whirring.

Opening her eyes, she realized she was finally out of the Fire Zone, being carried to the entrance of USJ on Ojiro's back.

"Oh, you're awake." The pro hero Power Loader was walking beside them.

"Ah, Kanetsukabe-san!" Ojiro glanced back at Hitomi to find her staring at the destruction in the facility.

"What happened here…?" Hitomi's voice cracked, her throat still affected from the smoke.

"All Might fought a powerful villain." Power Loader was talking through his helmet. "Apparently they had both a shock absorbing quirk and super regeneration. What you see here is all the destruction their fight left behind."

"Where did all the other villains go?"

"Most have been apprehended, but the leader and the warp gate managed to escape."

By then the three had finally reached the entrance.

Escaped… what if they try to kill All Might again…?

After a quick check-up with Recovery Girl, Hitomi was riding the train home. The events of the day left her a bit shaken, and she had been texting Kirishima for comfort.

Apparently Kirishima had been at the Central Plaza, where All Might had been fighting the villain Kirishima said was called "Nomu".

From what he told her, seeing All Might in action was overwhelming, and it turned out many of the crashes and explosions she and Ojiro had heard came from All Might alone.

All Might's power… Nothing less from the number one hero.

Her train came to a stop, prompting Hitomi to put her phone away as she stepped off.

As she exited the station, she found both Nari's family and her own waiting outside.

"HITOMI!" Nari and Toku ran towards her, tackling her in a hug. Their families approached, crowding around her.

"You're okay, right?!"

"We heard from the school…you had to go to the infirmary."

"Those villains didn't hurt you, right?!" Hitomi's mom grabbed Hitomi's face, observing it for any wounds or scars.

Hitomi gently moved her mother's hands away, taking a step back to breathe. "Guys, I'm fine. No one hurt me. I had to go to the infirmary because me and another classmate were in the Fire Zone; none of that came from a villain…"

The group let out a large sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness…"

"Besides, the teachers came and apprehended the villains, and Recovery Girl was able to heal everyone's injuries. I'd rather not think about it for now, so please, let's just go home…"

Hitomi's father patted her on the head. "Alright, sorry we're making you relive those memories… we were just worried about you.

Let's go home."

A/N: Honestly, it'd probably make more sense if Ojiro was the one who fainted, since he moved around the most and had to carry Hitomi...

This is by far the chapter I had the most trouble writing. There's not really much you can do with the concept of hit-and-run, or maybe I'm just not that creative. :/ The latter half was pretty much the only part of this chapter I was really happy with.

I'm trying to keep Hitomi away from the action, because I don't want her to be a part of every major plot point.

Sports Festival starts next chapter!