"It's this way guys" Yaoyorozu raises a hand and points towards an obscured building. "That warehouse there. That's where the device leads."
Shinsou, Uraraka, and Iida are in the back, they look around dreading each sound that comes from the dark night.
The area is completely silent, and the anticipation is torture. Even Bakugou is quieter than usual, Todoroki notices.
They make their way around the building slowly but quickly, and once they get there, they don't find a door, but they do find several small windows, just barely out of reach.
"Someone must go on my shoulder, we need to look inside," Shinsou speaks up, he's the tallest here.
"I'll do it" Uraraka declares as she slips off her shoes with little hesitation and climbs on the purple haired teen's shoulders.
"Here take this" Yaoyorozu calls out as she hands Uraraka some sort of camera. "It has night vision, you'll see better with it." Uraraka nods her head in gratitude and proceeds to look inside, but the dust filled windows.
"So, Uraraka, how is it?" Iida asks from below. "Do you see anything ye—"
Uraraka reels back unexpectedly with a sharp cry, almost dropping the camera. Shinsou almost loses his grip on her but shifts her feet in time to catch her balance.
"What did you see?" They watched her features contort into horror as she finally gains the courage to speak up.
"N-Nomus" She stutters out "T- there are so many of them" She whispers in terror.
"Move, let me see" Bakugou orders, impatience clear in his voice.
Uraraka looks almost relieved to get down.
Bakugou climbs on Todoroki's back instead, giving Shinsou a break.
He takes the camera, they see him squint suspiciously as he moves it around and focuses the picture. Bile rises in his throat as his gaze lands on the tanks.
"There are people here" He grits out, his teeth are locked tight in distaste and fear.
"What?" Shinsou's heart leaps to his throat at the implication.
"It's- it's not Deku. But there are people in the tanks. It's like they're draining them.
They don't even have time to let the information sink in.
The ground shakes and Bakugou scrambles off from Todoroki's shoulders.
"Get down!" Iida hollers, and that's about all the time anyone has to say anything before shockwave blasts them all back.
The roof of the warehouse is blown clear off. Rubble flies everywhere and dust fills the clearing. Ochako and the others managed to somehow not be in the direct line of the debris. They crouch behind a fallen slab of concrete. Watching as heroes fly into the warehouse.
"The heroes got here," Kirishima says, wide-eyed.
"They're taking the Nomu's out. Do you think they already have Midoriya?" Shinsou asks as he watches Mount Lady pick up the Nomus one by one.
Iida is already shaking his head. "Unlikely," he says. "He wasn't in the warehouse, correct?"
Bakugou shakes his head. "He fucking wasn't. He has to be somewhere else."
"Let's go, we'll just be in the heroes' way if we stay here," Iida says as he starts to walk away.
They move to follow him but something happens. An overwhelming sense of DANGER takes over their minds. It freezes them all in place. It feels like blaring alarms have gone off in their heads. Warnings of imminent death and danger. Everything around them, from the crushing pressure in the air to the oppressing dark aura surrounding them and the heavy atmosphere screams at them to run.
It feels like someone dumped a bucket of ice water down their backs. The whole thing feels WRONG.
They all watch thunderstruck, as a man emerges from the shadows, his stature screams control and confidence. They come to the horrible realization that he's the one responsible for this feeling.
"We need to get out of here." The blond hissed between gritted teeth as he tries to ground himself.
The urgency behind his words snaps them from the trancelike state they were plunged in.
One by one, they manage to find it in themselves to get their bodies moving.
"Wait" Kirishima raises his hand, and they all stop. "Look."
They follow his gaze and watch as a muddy substance appears out of thin air. From the liquid emerges villains. One by one, they filter into the clearing. All of them coughing and hacking up the dark material.
One of the villains stands out. It's a woman, she has familiar green hair.
"Bloody hell." Shinsou curses as his eyes land on Inko.
"Is that…?" Todoroki asks hesitantly. Praying that he's wrong and that's not who he thinks it is.
"That bitch is with the league." Bakugou hisses angrily. Shinsou feels like he's going to throw up.
"Who are you talking about?" Uraraka's confusion is mirrored by the rest of the group.
"That woman there…" Shinsou points towards the clearing. "Is Izuku's mother!"
Before they have time to ask their questions, another figure appears. Their hearts skip a beat as they see the green haired teen.
"Is that…" Yaoyorozu looks paler than usual.
"Izuku" Shinsou whispers, worry and horror evident in his tone.
"B-but his hair…" Uraraka's whisper goes unheard by the rest as they watch the boy crumble to his knees as soon as his feet touch the ground.
Shinsou's heart hammers against his chest. Midoriya is here. He's right there, they can get to him. If they go now, they can reach him in time-
A hand settles on his shoulders and he feels someone holding him back. It's only now that he realizes that he'd been moving forward.
"We can't go without a plan. It's suicide." Iida whispers sternly, trying not to bring attention to their position.
"But he's right there!" Shinsou hisses in retort.
"We need a strategy," Kirishima says, glancing back at the battlefield. The villains are surrounding Midoriya "And we need one soon."
They watch as the green haired lady approaches the fallen teen.
All of them stand there frozen as they watch the scene unfold.
They watch helplessly as the woman lifts her hand in the air. At first, nothing happens. However, it's only a few seconds later that they see Izuku's body being lifted in the air.
"W-what is she doing!" Kirishima asks worry and fear evident in the way his voice cracks.
"Her quirk is supposed to be a weak Telekinesis power. She's been training it." Bakugou replies, his tone seemingly devoid of any emotion. Yet, they can see the fury that's brewing in his eyes.
They watch with bated breath as Midoriya flails and struggles uselessly. His feat kicking at empty air.
"She's suffocating him!" Uraraka cries out, tears forming in her eyes as she takes in the state her friend. "We need to do something!"
"His own mother…" Yaoyorozu's whole body shakes, her hand comes up to her mouth, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"We need to stop this." They all nod simultaneously. Not daring to shift their gaze from the scene before them.
"His scars… how did- Was she the reason?!" Iida shouts suddenly, his voice strong and incredulous. His eyes burn with rage, reminiscing of the night they fought Stain.
"Yes." It's Shinsou who answers "She's been abusing him for years. It's only recently that people found out."
"We can talk about this later." Bakugou interrupts sternly. "Right now, we need to come up with a plan!"
"He's right. Now is not the time for this. Midoriya can tell us later if he wishes to." Yaoyorozu states, ever the voice of reason. "We need to focus on getting him out of here."
"But how?" Kirishima can't help but ask.
"I have an idea" Bakugou proceeds to tell them his plans.
They may have a chance of getting Midoriya out, after all.
The world spins around him, it feels as if he's trapped in a never-ending carnival carriage.
Was he teleported here? Was this one of All for One quirks?
Never mind that, there are more pressing things at hand.
He looks up through blurry lidded eyes and finds himself cornered again.
The villains are closing in on him, his mother leads the charge.
Dread fills his stomach as she raises her arm in the air. He knows what happens next, he's been through it countless times before. Yet, it doesn't feel that way. It feels like this time is different. Maybe, it's because he knows he's not getting out of this one alive.
It starts slow, his body begins to hover in the air, his feet lift off the ground. He's being suspended in the air by an invisible force. A force he's come to familiarize with his mother's quirk.
His throat begins to throb as she squeezes harder and harder his airways. She's strangling him as she slowly pulls him towards her. Black spots form in his field of vision and he thinks that maybe, this is it.
This is how it ends.
This is how he dies.
However, it's merely a second later that he's ceremonially dropped to the ground. Wheezing for breath as he's offered the sweet relief of air. He hacks and coughs but manages to look up. It's not in his mother's nature to be merciful. He finds her talking with Dabi, the latter was probably the reason behind her sudden show of restraint. He must have convinced her to stop.
His ears pick up some sort of fighting coming from behind him. He turns around and freezes. Right there, only a few meters away from him stands All for One in all his glory. He's tall and wears a black suit. Izuku shivers as he takes note of the aura surrounding the villain. Through the screen, the villain emitted an aura of authority. Yet, it was nothing compared to this oppressing sense of danger and fear he was feeling now.
The villain's features were covered by some sort of wired medical mask. His face consisted mostly of scar tissue though. All Might wasn't the only one injured in their fight, five years ago.
Speaking of, said number one hero was standing just a couple of steps in front of All for One. His mentor kept shooting him glances. His blood ran cold as he realized their predicament.
All Might is fighting All for One, but Izuku was in the way. As long as he was here, the hero couldn't give it his all. He was holding him back.
He was just so tired, he doubted his body could move too much right now. He could feel his consciousness slowly escape him. He couldn't though, he needed to get out of here, he needed to help All Might in any way he could.
Taking Inko's distraction to his advantage, he slowly climbed back on his feet. Trying his best to ignore his aching wounds. Izuku needed to block out the pain, for now, he's done it in the past, never to this extent… but at least he can ignore it for a while.
He needs to act fast, he looks around him, rubble and wreckage surround them completely and he can barely see through the thick cloud of smoke and dust. There is a building near them that looks like it's about to collapse.
His heart pounds in his chest, his breath becoming more and more uneven as he finds himself trapped. The only way out is through the group of villains and it would be a suicide mission. Especially given that All for One teleported more than just the bar's villains here. He thinks that Toga winked at him when she saw him, he shudders at the thought.
His best chance was running towards the building, using the smoke as cover. Yet, it seems too unstable to cross through.
Ah, fuck it. He needs to get out of All Might's way. Consequences be damned.
He's about to make a run for it, but a cold gust of wind makes him pause. He's sensed this before. The last time he felt this cold was... No, it can't be. He looks up and to his surprise he sees it. Todoroki, Bakugou, Iida, and Shinsou are sliding on a pillar of ice, using Bakugou's explosions to direct their path and Iida's engines to control their speed. Shinsou's carrying some kind of rope in his hands.
He can't help the myriad of emotions that assault him all at once. Worry ensnares his senses as he witnesses his friends risking their lives to rescue him. Yet, he can't but feel relieved. He's not alone in this. He never was.
"IZUKU!"
His eyes meet Shinsou's and he knows what he's supposed to do instantly. He runs, his feet pound on the concrete, the ground rattles with every step he takes. He knows he's treading on a thin line, his body can't take much more of this. However, he doesn't think about this now. All his thoughts are plagued by one thing only. Survive!
He sees the rope up ahead and stretches his arms, despair fueled his every movement as he wills his body to comply. His fingers graze the fabric, merely inches away from fully grasping it.
Yet, it's not enough. He's not enough.He feels an invisible force pulling him backward, tugging at his limbs. He tumbles to the ground, missing his chance of rescue and therefore renders his classmate's efforts useless.
He moves to get up but he can't find it in himself anymore.
"How many times does this have to happen for you to get it through that thick skull of yours." His mother snickers as she approaches him. A predator closing in on its prey. "You will never get away from me Izuku-kun" She purrs sinisterly as she crouches in front of him.
For once in his life, Izuku thinks it's okay to give up.
"Fucking Hell!" Bakugou howls as explosions erupt uncontrollably from his hands.
His anger and frustration are mirrored in each and every one of the students as they watch helplessly as Midoriya falls once again into the clutches of the villains.
"It didn't work…" Uraraka murmurs, her voice broken by the stray tears rolling down her cheeks.
"What do we do now?" Kirishima's usual cheery demeanor is nowhere to be seen. Instead, his behavior is that reminiscing of a kicked puppy.
"You let me handle this." A gruff voice resonates behind them, effectively startling them.
"Mr. Aizawa!" Their teacher looks angry. His features are twisted into a prominent scowl, his eyebrows are furrowed and his teeth are barred.
They can't help the shivers that run down their spines as they feel the furious aura that surrounds their teacher.
"Go back to the main road, we'll talk about this later. For now, do as I say." His tone leaves no room for argument.
"But how- "Uraraka's brave exclaim gets shut down immediately. Aizawa's glare is enough to send them on their way. Albeit reluctantly.
"Get up brat" Inko barks as she digs her heels into Izuku's injured shoulder. "The heroes are here, we wouldn't want them to take you away now, would we?" She presses harder until she pries a cry of pain out of him.
The heroes are here and she's running out of time. If she doesn't get him out of here it's all over. She looks around, searching their surrounding for any escape.
Anger fills her insides as she sees Dabi and the rest of the league get into a portal. She thinks Shigaraki is shouting for them to leave her. She doesn't realize the pressure she is putting on to her son's shoulder until she hears the whimpers that escape his mouth.
Now, it may be cruel but she can't help the satisfaction she feels afterward.
She knew she couldn't count on the villains forever. Her stubborn idiot of a son couldn't just give up his stupid quirk.
Looking around once more, she finds a wrecked warehouse. It's risky but she can't let the heroes find them.
Her eyes shift to the fallen form of her disgrace. He's a bloody mess and she can't help the giddiness that fills her at that particular display. With school and the constant suspicion, they were put under, she never got the opportunity to truly let loose.
Shaking her head, she focused on her upcoming task. The brat wasn't going to move anytime soon. She needed to drag him with her. At least her quirk would help.
Using as much power as she could muster, she lifted him off the ground. Her hand wrapped around his upper arm in a secure hold and she began making her way to the crumbled building.
"S-stop please." Came the pathetically broken sound of Izuku's voice.
"Shut it." She didn't have the energy to deal with his useless pleas right now. She had to get away.
He felt his body being dragged forward. His limbs painfully moving without his consent. Gazing through blurry eyes, he saw the wreck his mother was heading towards. The warehouse's structure looked highly unstable, red-blue flames engulfed the place. The smoke making his eyes sting and his chest throb. The beams looked seconds away from giving out.
The chances of making it out alive were deteriorating.
Glass and rubbles cracked from under their feet as they entered the wreckage. The air getting more and more constricted, the farther they made it into the building.
A crack came from behind them, his mother must have heard it too, if the way she swiveled around was of any indication.
His wounds ached at the sudden motion, his eyes closing on instinct as he willed the pain to go away. His mother was holding him close to her chest, her arm wrapping around him in an almost protective manner. He scoffed internally at the thought.
Finally opening his eyes, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Right in front of them, stood none other than his guardian. His heart swelled as a heap of emotions accosted him all at once.
"Let him go Midoriya. It's over." Aizawa's voice was dangerously low. His tone coming more like a bark than anything. His body unconsciously shivering at the coldness in his teacher's voice. "Izuku belongs with us"
"Over huh? Are you sure about that?" The grip on his shoulder tightened, pain spiking in his wounds. "You're Aizawa, right? You really care about my son, don't you?" The man's silence was all the confirmation she needed. "Well, if you really do then you will let me go. Or else… you won't like the outcome."
That was all the warning Aizawa had before Inko's hand shot up in the air. He watched helplessly as his ward screamed in pain, the sound shrill and broken. Despite having lasted just a few seconds before he activated his quirk, the sound would be forever engraved in his memories. Haunting him eternally, a proof of his failures.
This was a warning. The message was painfully clear. Let her go or Izuku dies.
"This won't work. It's over Inko. You don't have to do this. We can get you help!" The woman was backing up into the building, her movements reminiscing of a cornered wild animal. They were going dangerously close to the blazing fires that surrounded them. His eyes couldn't help but flicker to the beams that were threatening to crumble on top of them at any moment.
"Help?" She laughed hysterically, her demeanor shifting to borderline desperate as she found herself cornered. "I don't need your help! All of you must think I'm crazy. You don't know what I've been through! You don't know what it's like, to be abandoned like this! I never asked for this! I never wanted a worthless son!" Her gaze kept shifting around, her eyes wondering her surrounding frantically as she tried to find an escape. "Do you have any idea how it feels like? To be looked down upon! Left by the one person you thought would stand by you? And for what?! THIS! THIS WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH! AND THEN HE DARES GO OUT AND MAKE HIMSELF USEFUL! IF I CAN'T BE HAPPY I WILL MAKE DAMN SURE HE ISN'T TOO!" Her back was pressing into the battered structure, termers wracked the place as the building threatened to cave in on itself. They were running out of time.
"Miss Midoriya, you need to calm down." He tried, a last-ditch attempt at getting his kid to safety. He knew his attempt would be feeble, however, he couldn't help but try. If putting aside his anger, meant getting his kid back, he'd do it.
"CALM DOWN!" She cried out, "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN. I KNOW HOW THIS ENDS. BUT IF IM GOING DOWN, THEN HE'S GOING DOWN WITH ME." She let go of her hold on the boy, the teenager instantly swaying on his feet. His body menacing to give out on him at any second. Now, with both arms free, she raised her arms into the air.
The whole structure trembled around them as the building shook from the pressure the woman was applying to it. Rubble and stray metal spikes rose into the air, effectively trapping them. The wind picked up and soon enough, they could feel the ground rumble and crack from under their feet. Blood was trickling down from Inko's eyes and nose. Her image, one that would haunt their nightmares. Quirk overuse was finally getting to her as she pushed herself over the limit.
Aizawa curses his luck, for his quirk was useless here. The dust and smoke surrounding them make it impossible for him to maintain eye contact. He needed to stop her on his own.
He doesn't know how it happened. However, he remembered the exact moment his blood ran cold and his heart seemed to come to a halt. The precise instance in which the world appeared to have slowed to a stop. Time seemed irrelevant as he saw the metal spike rush towards the boy.
His body acted before his mind had a chance to register it. The world moved as if he was nothing but an onlooker. Watching the events unfold before him. He doesn't know how he does it. He doesn't know how it happens.
He just sees his ward, his boyand nothing else. He lungs at him at a speed he never knew himself capable of going at before. The last time he did that flares in his mind, flashes of his hand, reaching for his kid but coming up empty. Outstretched but always in vain. However, this time... This time it's different. He feels the boy's body against him as he tackles him out of the way. The wind blows by them as they tumble to the ground in a mess of limbs. Dust fills the air and the ringing in his ears subside.
He looks the boy over and can't help the indescribable, overwhelming feeling of relief that takes over him. It's at that moment that nothing else mattered.
That feeling shatters into a million pieces as he looks into his child's eyes. Izuku's face is twisted in pure horror. His eyes brows are knitted together and his eyes are blown wide open.
Following his wards gaze, he sees something, no one, let alone a sixteen-year-old should face in their entire life.
There, just a few feet away from them. Stands the hung and frozen corpse of Midoriya Inko.
The metal spike that was meant to pierce her son's body, instead, embedded itself in her own chest. Pinning her to the structural beam behind her. Blood and gore trickle down her torso as her lifeless, empty eyes stared straight at them.
"Izuku." Aizawa begins, desperately hoping that his ward is listening to him "I need you to look at me. Only me. Do you understand?" At first, the boy shows no sign of understanding. His gaze remains fixated on the still form of his mother. "Son, I need you to look at me"Those worlds seem to incite a reaction out of him as his once vibrant green eyes flicker towards Aizawa's own.
"A-Aizawa" Comes the smallest, most vulnerable whisper out of his wards mouth. He can only sit there, completely motionless as Izuku's eyes roll to the back of his head. As his body surrenders to the sweet lull of consciousness.