"I'm coming!" Kyouka shouted as she ran towards the central plaza of the USJ, hoping to save her hero in time.
Izuku currently had his entire head being held by Nomu as he struggled to get free while kicking around. "L-Let go of me, you monster!"
Nomu responded with a shriek before lifting up the boy and breaking all of his limbs like twigs, causing the boy to scream in pain and agony.
The purple haired girl widened her eyes to see her hero all broken now as she tried to run faster. "No, Izuku! Why can't I get closer?!
She felt like she had been running forever, but Izuku and Nomu didn't seem to be getting any closer. It felt like she had been stuck in one place the whole time, but she couldn't let that happen. She had to get to Izuku before the villains could kill him. She can't let him die like this. There was no one else to help him now and she was his only hope.
All Might was currently on the ground in his scrawny form with a growing pool of blood under the hero. "I-I'm so sorry… I've failed you both… Forgive me..."
"Ah, perfect. The Symbol of Peace and his little successor both defeated in front of my eyes." Shigaraki said with a cackle as he walked towards Izuku and began to move his hand towards the boy's face.
"N-No I can't die now… I still haven't become a hero… Don't kill me..." The green haired boy begged in a choked up voice as tears streamed down his cheeks with the villain's hand getting closer to his face. "K-Kyouka, please save me… Y-You have to save me… I don't wanna die…
"You're not going to die! I'll save you! I promise!" Kyouka shouted out to reassure the boy as she tried to extend her earphone jacks as a last ditch effort, but they wouldn't move a single inch.
"Say goodbye, hero." Shigaraki said before his hand made contact with the young boy's face.
Kyouka watched as Izuku's entire body slowly started to crumble before soon turning into dust until there was nothing left.
"N-No… No… He can't be dead…" The purple haired girl said to herself before falling onto her knees. "I didn't even get the chance to tell him… Izuku… Izuku…"
"IZUKU!" Kyouka yelled out as she sat up on her bed with her entire body covered in a cold sweat while she breathed heavily.
Soon both of her parents barged into her room with her mom gently putting her hands on the young girl's shoulders. "Kyouka, it's okay. Tell us what's wrong. We're right here for you."
The purple haired girl continued to breathe heavily, not even noticing her parents. "H-He's dead. They killed him. I couldn't save him. I failed him."
Kyoutoko walked up to his daughter before suddenly pulling her into a hug. "It's okay, sweetie. I know you're still shaken up about what happened at school, but you're safe now. We're here now. And Midoriya is safe as well."
Mika smiled as she slowly ran her hand through her daughter's hair. "That's right. Do you remember that you stayed with him at the nurse's office until nighttime? You even told us that you walked him home. Please, remember, Kyouka."
Kyouka widened her eyes as she started to slow down her breathing before looking at her parents. "M-Mom? Dad?"
The blonde haired man smiled before slowly pulling back from the hug. "That's right, Kyouka. It's us. What happened just now?"
"I... I had a dream that I was back at the USJ and I saw Izuku getting killed in front of my eyes…" The purple haired girl answered as she pulled her knees to her chest. "It was horrifying and I couldn't do anything..."
"Oh, Kyouka… I'm sorry you had to have such a terrible nightmare." The purple haired woman said in a gentle tone before smiling at her. "Do you want to talk more about it? We don't mind staying up to listen."
Kyoutoko smiled wider before gently ruffling the girl's hair. "Yeah, who cares if it's the middle of the night? We can give you a pass on staying up this late for once."
Kyouka gave a small smile back to her parents before slowly shaking her head. "Thanks, but I'm okay… I guess I'm just not completely over what happened. I'm sorry for waking you guys up."
"We completely understand. Kids your age shouldn't have to be attacked by dangerous villains. Anyone would be like this after having that kind of experience." Mika said before kissing the girl's forehead. "We don't want to pressure you into talking about it."
"Yeah, but if you really don't want to talk about it then we understand." The blonde haired man said before patting the top of his daughter's head. "But just know that we're available any day and any time."
"I'll remember that." The purple haired girl said before laying back down. "I appreciate you coming to check on me."
Both parents started to get up and walk out the door before her mom looked at her. "Goodnight, Kyouka. Remember that we're always here for you no matter what."
Mika then walked out and closed the door behind her as Kyouka sighed before sitting back up. "Izuku…"
The young girl couldn't get the image of Izuku's entire body turning into dust out of her head as tears formed in her eyes before she grabbed the sides of her head. 'Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Just please get out of my head… I don't want this…'
Unfortunately, the image kept playing on loop before Kyouka just gave up and started to quietly sob into her hands. "I can't… I can't forget it…"
This nightmare was so much worse than the nightmares she had of Izuku being killed by the sludge villain. Something about this nightmare felt a lot more real. And the image it gave her was so much worse. For some reason, she couldn't separate the image from reality. She felt like she had seen with her very own eyes just a few hours ago.
After a few more minutes of sobbing, she finally forced herself to stop before removing her hands from her face as she finally decided on what she's going to do.
"I have to see him. I have to make sure he's okay." The purple haired girl said under her breath as she wiped away her tears before getting out of bed.
She then grabbed her jacket and opened her door before quietly walking downstairs. She was going to Izuku's apartment to make sure that he's okay.
She hadn't done this since October when she figured out that Izuku had been overworking himself while training for the entrance exam.
Soon, Kyouka managed to leave her house without her mom noticing before starting to make her way to the apartment complex. 'I'll be there soon, Izuku.'
She knew that this wasn't necessary in the slightest and that Izuku was home safe and sound with his mom. He even texted her to thank her again after he entered his apartment. But it just wasn't enough for her. After that nightmare, she just couldn't stop worrying about his safety. This seemed like the only possible solution right now and she wasn't going to think twice about it.
Maybe confirming that he's safe will make her feel better and stop the nightmares. Maybe the image will finally leave her head and she'll only have the image of him smiling stuck in her head all night. Right now, any image in her head would be better than Izuku getting killed.
The purple haired girl shivered a little as she grabbed her arms before looking up at the night sky. 'Good thing there's no school tomorrow.'
She got an email earlier saying that school was going to be canceled tomorrow so at least she didn't have to worry about having to wake up early in the morning for school.
After a while, Kyouka made it to the apartment complex and she walked up to it before plugging her earphone jack into the wall.
She could hear the sounds from many people in the apartment, hearing snoring, breathing, and even a couple of kids playing video games this late at night. But right now she only cared about one sound and that was the sound of any sign of hero.
Luckily, she knew exactly where to listen and first heard Inko's breathing before hearing a certain boy.
Kyouka sighed in relief as she heard Izuku breathing peacefully, sounding like he's fast asleep before she placed her hand on her chest. 'Oh thank god… He's okay…'
Listening to his peaceful breathing washed away all of her worries in an instant as she started to smile. She wished she could be right there beside him and spend the rest of the night with him, but that wasn't possible at this moment.
'He should always be this peaceful…' The purple haired girl thought to herself as she leaned against the wall.
She then looked up at the night sky once again and noticed a shooting star, causing the girl's smile to widen before closing her eyes.
'I wish Izuku and I will always be happy together no matter what happens.'
The Next Day
Kyouka yawned as she walked down the sidewalk, still feeling tired from yesterday since she couldn't sleep very well even after she got home.
A part of her wanted to stay up all night to avoid risking the chance of her getting another nightmare. But in the end, she managed to sleep for a couple of hours until being woken up by her parents to eat breakfast.
Her parents made sure not to turn on the news because they knew that the attack on the USJ would be covered and they didn't want Kyouka to relive those memories.
They did the same thing when the sludge villain incident happened and just made sure to avoid the news for the day.
However, they would probably have to avoid the news for a lot longer since this villain attack was way larger and much more important. The only thing special about the sludge villain incident is that middle schoolers were involved and All Might stopped the villain in one punch which was normal for his fights.
Her parents also asked her if she wanted to talk more about that nightmare yet, but she still turned down their offer, not wanting to even think about the nightmare one bit.
She didn't even bother writing down yesterday's events in her notebook, not wanting to relive that moment even if it's on paper.
She wished she could forget everything about yesterday, but she knew it was impossible so she just has to deal with it whether she likes it or not.
She just hoped that she would be able to keep calm while she's with Izuku.
As soon as she woke up, the first thing she did was text Izuku if she could come over to his apartment, which he agreed to. She didn't waste time on anything, including breakfast, only getting herself a piece of toast and left her house immediately after finishing it. Unfortunately, she looked like a bit of a mess, but she knew Izuku wouldn't care about that too much.
Even though she just went to his apartment yesterday to make sure that he's alright, she still wanted to see him again and hopefully spend most of the day with him.
She would ask to meet him somewhere outside like the park or something, but she felt like his apartment was the safest place to be at right now.
Maybe she was being a little too paranoid right now, but U.A was supposedly the safest place they could be and they still got attacked there. Izuku's home seemed like the safest option since no villains would ever bother attacking someone's home directly since Izuku is only a student.
Kyouka soon made it to his apartment complex and walked upstairs before reaching his door as she took in a deep breath before letting it out. 'I have to remember that he's okay…'
She then calmly knocked on the door and it took only a few seconds for Izuku to open the door as he smiled at her. "Oh, Kyouka. I didn't expect you to be here so soon. N-Not that it's a bad thing, but it's just a little surprising."
Kyouka smiled back as she placed a hand on her hip. "Well, I was in the area so I thought I could come over and check on you."
"Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense." The green haired boy said before stepping to the side. "Please come in. Mom's out for groceries at the moment, but she'll be back soon. If you hadn't had breakfast already, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you joined us for breakfast today."
"Yeah, that'd be nice. I had a pretty small breakfast and I'd never turn down the chance to have some of your mom's amazing cooking." The purple haired girl said as she stepped inside before taking off her shoes, leaving them in front of the door. "I just hope that I won't be a bother."
Izuku shook his head as he laughed a little before closing the door. "No, not at all. My mom loves it whenever you come over. I'll even let you in on a little secret. Sometimes, she insists on inviting you over when we're about to eat just so she can see you."
Kyouka laughed as well before giving her hero a small smirk, narrowing her eyes at him. "Oh, yeah? Then why haven't I gotten any invites to your place on those occasions?"
The green haired boy widened his eyes before frantically waving his hands in front of his face. "W-Well it's not that I don't want you over. B-But I just don't want you thinking I'm a nuisance for asking you to come over so often. P-Plus, there's also the chance that you've already eaten." He noticed his friend continuing to laugh before giving her a blank stare. "You're messing with me aren't you?"
The purple haired girl had to force herself to stop laughing before nodding. "Maybe a little. But from now on, don't be afraid to invite me over whenever you want. Even if I've already eaten, hanging out with you is never a dull moment. Especially when you're so easy to tease."
At this moment, Kyouka had forgotten all about yesterday's events. It felt like none of them had gotten attacked by villains yesterday and Izuku hadn't had any near-death encounters. It felt everything was perfect in the world and there was absolutely no need to worry about any villains attacking them. Ignorance was truly a bliss at this moment. But unfortunately, it couldn't last forever.
She then glanced down and noticed that Izuku was wearing shorts, showing both of his legs covered in bandages. This made her remember how he broke his legs yesterday when he tried to save All Might from the two villains. She then noticed his bandaged finger and looked at the arm that got cut yesterday, reminding her of the times he saved her from being killed.
Kyouka began rubbing her arm as she looked to the side. "How about we sit down and get comfortable…? We don't want to be standing the whole time."
"Yeah, that's a good point. W-We'll hang out in the living room." Izuku said with a nod, still embarrassed for her to be in his room.
The two friends then walked to the living room couch before sitting down beside each other, sitting in silence for a few seconds before the young girl cleared her throat.
"So, Izuku…" The purple haired girl started before yawning as she put her hand over her mouth. "How are you feeling?"
"Kyouka, did you get enough sleep last night?" Izuku asked in concern for his friend, not answering her question just yet.
"Yeah, I swear I did…" Kyouka said with a nod before yawning again. "I guess my body would just like some more sleep."
"Alright, but you better not be losing sleep. It would be pretty hypocritical of you since you always scold me about that." The green haired boy said as he smiled. "And I'm feeling great. Recovery Girl mostly fixed up my cut and finger, but she said that they'll both heal on their own by tomorrow."
'He's acting like nothing happened yesterday. Is he already over it?' The purple haired girl thought to herself, wondering if Izuku had any nightmares himself last night.
"That's great to hear. I gotta admit, I was worried you'd still be hurt this morning." Kyouka said as she twirled around her earphone jack. "You were pretty messed up yesterday."
"Yeah, I hadn't done that much damage to my body since the entrance exam." Izuku said as he grabbed a dumbbell off of the coffee table, starting to workout. "But with Recovery Girl around, I had nothing to worry about. I'm really lucky that she's our school nurse."
The purple haired girl watched him for a bit as he worked out, wanting to tell him to take it easy, but she knew there was no point in telling him something like that. "Remember I said not to depend on her. She's not always going to be around to heal you up."
The green haired boy sighed and nodded. "Yeah… I'm sorry if it seems like I'm purposely being reckless. I swear I'm trying my best to not get hurt. It's just that certain situations leave me no choice." He then noticed that his friend looked a little troubled before he titled his head. "Something on your mind, Kyouka?"
"Um, do you think… something like that could happen again?" Kyouka asked as she looked down at her lap, avoiding eye contact. "You know, the villains attacking the USJ…"
"I don't know…" Izuku said as he looked up at the ceiling. "It's hard to tell if these villains will go into hiding for years, months, or just weeks. No one expected them to attack the USJ, considering U.A has never been attacked in all these years."
The purple haired girl sighed as she rubbed her arm. "Yeah, you're right. Just a freak accident… that's all…"
'Something like that can't happen again, right?' Kyouka thought to herself as she tried to forget the fact that the villains still want to kill All Might and could possibly attack U.A again.
The green haired boy then clenched his fist. "But if something like that does happen again then we'll all be even stronger next time and I promise that I will do my best to make sure that everyone is safe."
"But what about you?" The purple haired girl asked as tears started to form in her eyes. "You were the only student who got injured during the attack only because you risked yourself for others. Can you promise me that you won't get hurt?"
The green haired boy seemed to be taken aback by the question before slowly shaking his head, not noticing the girl starting to clench her fists. "No… I'm sorry, but I can't promise you something like that. I honestly wish I could. If it means saving someone in need, then I'll put everything on the line just to save that person."
"I see..." Kyouka said with her bangs covering her eyes and tears began to stream down her cheeks as she calmed down her fist. "But you know, I understand why you can't promise me that. I know you better than to expect a promise like that. I don't even know why I asked you such a stupid question…"
She wanted to seem understanding on the outside, but on the inside she was screaming at him, begging him to promise her that he won't get hurt ever again. If she can force him to promise her something like that then she won't have to worry as much about him getting hurt for the sake of others.
But she knew that it just wasn't possible to make him agree to that. Plus, she knew that she could never ask him to do that. After all, his heroism is one of the things she loves most about him.
Izuku then looked back at his friend before widening his eyes, seeing her tears. "K-Kyouka… I'm sorry I can't promise you that, but I don't think I have to…" He then put the dumbbell back on the table before grabbing her hand and gently squeezed it as he gave a wide smile. "When you and I are together, I know we can protect each other so we won't have to worry about the other person getting hurt."
"W-We'll protect each other…?" Kyouka asked as she looked at him while tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "B-But… I don't know if I'm strong enough to protect you from villains like that…"
The green haired boy gave a small laugh before shaking his head. "Are you kidding? We protected each other on multiple occasions yesterday. Plus, you did say that it was all a team effort."
Kyouka's tears soon came to a stop as she tried to calm herself down. "I know, but I mostly said that so you wouldn't give me all of the credit. Yesterday was horrifying and I don't even know how I managed to survive it."
"You survived it because you're strong and we protected each other. We can't change what happened yesterday…" Izuku said as he slowly let go of her hand. "But what we can do is learn from that experience and become even better heroes. If there's one thing I can promise you, it's that the two of us will be great heroes just like All Might said."
"Have I ever told you how damn optimistic you can be…?" The purple haired girl asked as she wiped her tears away before starting to smile at her hero.
"A couple of times, but I don't mind hearing it more." The green haired boy said as he gave her a thumbs up. "I'm kind of proud of my optimism."
"But I'll make sure you keep that promise of yours. And I'll promise to keep you safe." Kyouka said as her smile widened before gently poking Izuku's chest.
Izuku laughed a little as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I know you will. There's no other person I'd rather depend on."
The two friends continued to talk until Inko came home and was of course delighted to see Kyouka there, immediately offering the young girl to stay over for breakfast.
Kyouka wasn't forgetting about yesterday's events or the nightmare, but she still felt a lot better about it as she ate with Izuku and his mom. She felt like maybe she didn't have to worry about villains showing up again and hurting Izuku. Maybe the villain attack was just a one time thing and they were just unlucky. It's possible that she could just be acting naive at this moment, but it didn't matter to her. Izuku is safe and they're both happy. That's all that matters right now.
'I' will always keep you safe.'
A/N
And chapter 31 is done! Boy it feels good to write original stuff again (despite the trouble this chapter gave me) even though that won't be the case next chapter. I know I could've done a lot better to display Kyouka's fear and sadness, but I'm still not very experienced in writing emotions. But I did my best and I hope that it was kind of decent. This chapter has gone through a couple of rewrites because I was trying to be a little bit of a perfectionist.
If I'm being honest, I didn't feel too good writing the scene of Kyouka going to Izuku's apartment in the middle of the night. It felt like I was copying chapter 17 and that made me feel a little lazy. But I know I wanted to have her do that so I just went with it and moved on.
Next chapter will be mostly similar to canon, but I'll add in a couple of original scenes like when Izuku is hanging out with All Might, I'll have Kyouka spend lunch without him and probably develop her friendship with Momo a little.
Originally I was going to have a scene of Kyouka yelling at Izuku and going on a bit of a rant on how reckless he is, but I realized that it would fit better for a certain future event. I'm sure that plenty of you can guess what it is.
I was also going to extend the Izuku and Kyouka scene a lot more, but again, I'll have plenty of scenes like that in the future so I don't want to put everything into this chapter.
Now onto the reviews!
Xerzo LotCN: Yeah, there will be some callbacks to Izuku realizing he likes Kyouka in the future.
Lockheart25: Hopefully the next chapter will be as satisfying.
Ability King KK: And he won't be the only Pro Hero who faces her wrath. Only a couple of Pro Heroes will be immune to her like Aizawa for example.
AJ: Really? How come?
Naoto Koizumi: I honestly enjoy writing scenes when these two help each other whether it be in battle or in words. I'm glad to know that you're excited for those chapters. The OVA one will be a little tricky, but it'll definitely be fun to write.
Tower Knight: I'm gonna be honest with you. I feel the same way whenever I write it.
Chuck Winanaki: Bakugo and Kyouka will have a developing relationship, but in a different way. I certainly understand what you mean by the dry romance and I can't fully blame you for thinking that. This story originally had much different and spicier plans, but that was when this story was going to be very short term like less than 20 chapters. This story will 100% be 100+ chapters and I will be catching up to the current manga arc and even beyond. But I still appreciate your criticism and please continue for future chapters.
Papyrus: Ah, it is nice to hear such praise from The Great Papyrus. Thank you very much.
Curlyboy01: I'm sure you will be pleased in that manner.
Well that's it for the reviews!
Also random thought I just had. It took me 30 chapters to complete season 1. Oh boy…
That's the end of this chapter! Please feel free to leave a review!