Chapter 44: SOS
"Bakugo!" Mahoro yelps as Bakugo and Deku are thrown backwards through the air by Air Wall shooting from Nine's hand.
Nine falls to his knees, holding his head in agony. Slice swoops down from the air to attend to Nine, whose sole concern is stealing Katsuma's cell activation quirk.
Despite one final push from the villains, the realize Nine's health was at risk. Slice shoots the flare gun into the air.
Chimera, who is fighting Shoto, Tenya, Kurt and Sero, and Tokoyami on the other side of a set of bushes, huffs when he sees the flare gun.
"Guess you guys get to stay alive this time." He says as he retreats.
"He's running?" Sero asks, astounded to see Chimera bounding away.
"I believe it's more accurate to say he's letting us go. Come on, we need to get back to the facility to check in with the evacuation team, get medical attention, and regroup.
As rain pours down from the night sky, everyone retreats into an office on a small connecting island. Many have mild injuries, so some of the Class 1-A members and all the X-Men begin attending to one another's ailments while others begin making food and gathering supplies to hand out to the islanders. Rouge and Ojiro are busy setting up a command base.
In the front of the office, Jean is busy assisting the medics in caring for Deku and Bakugo.
"Here are some more bandages and gauze." Jean walks back over to the doctors treating Deku and Bakugo's severe injuries.
"Thank you so much for all your help, Jean. You really know your stuff, and we're really lucky you're here. Do you mind checking around to see if there's anyone else out there that still needs medical attention?"
"Sure thing, I'll be right back,"
Jean says, turning to walk out of the temporary medical room.
.* * *.
"How are Deku and Bakugo?" Kitty asks as Jean walks into the command base.
"Still unconscious. Doctors have done all they can. Their wounds are closed but they need to go to the mainland if they can't mend their broken bones." Jean holds her arm as she looks at the others seeing the worry. It was same look she had months ago when Hawks had been severely injured.
.* * *.
Within the hour, the class slowly made their way into the back room as they finished their wound mending and various other roles. With the exception a few nervous laughs, the room was heavy with concern for the villains' return before a plan is established.
"Is Katsuma still healing them? He hasn't stopped?" Ochoko asks, astonished, as she and Asui enter the room.
"The kid has been a big help, but he shouldn't push himself at such young age." Iida says.
"We need a plan. This is crazy, there's no way someone has that many abilities…" Kurt trails off as he notices a sharp stare from Rouge.
"Okay, so with grid and communication down, we need a plan and more help. It's vital we stay prepared to keep these people safe." Iida says.
"I made a drone earlier. It will send an SOS signal once it's close to the mainland, but that will take 6 hours.Even with that, though, it will still take the heroes time to assemble and travel to us." Momo says from where she is sitting on the couch.
"6 hours, though, is not a lot of time. We're not afraid of time constraints." Jean says. "If we divide and conquer, we can be prepared for our additional help to arrive."
"She right ya'll we just clashed with the villains and three out the four are left." Rouge says.
"But they practically wiped the floor with us! We don't even know what they are after!" Kurt says
"I know. They're after me." Katsuma says stepping into the room towards the group.
"Power theft." Tokoyami says.
"If so, let's take the kid and run-" Mina says.
"No, bad idea." Shoto says, earning a nod from Jean and few others.
"Yes, they will either keep hunting him down or make threats to harm another if he's not turned over." Rouge says.
"Like, then what do we do?" Kitty ask.
"Hand me over. They just want my quirk and they won't hurt me-"
"We're not letting that happen. If we must, we will fight to protect you, Katsuma." Deku says entering the room with Bakugo at his heels.
"I take it you have a plan?" Iida says.
Jean looks at Katsuma, knowing Katsuna's, his sister's, and everyone else's safety is resting on the heroes' shoulders. Jean steps towards Deku.
"Tell us your plan Deku. We're all this island has for heroes. Tell us what we should do." she says.
.* * *.
As Hawks touches ground at the hospital entrance, his feathers shutter in reaction to the commotion inside. I guess it's true when they say the hospital never sleeps. Hawks thinks, noticing the clock about to roll around to 1:00AM. Hawks is greeted at the door by one of the nurses and she take him to Mr. Shimano's room.
Without wasting any time, Hawks cuts into questions upon his entering. So far Mr. Shimano was proving a lot helpful details.
"Cell activation?" Hawks asks.
"That's right. I can only manipulate the cells in Type A blood, so I'm very limited. It's not a power that is very helpful to most people, honestly." Mr. Shimano sitting up in the hospital bed facing the wing hero.
"Mr.Shimano , do you have any family?"
"A daughter and son. We live on Nabu Island."
"That's pretty far, but Nabu Island is still within the culprit's range." Hawks mutters. Does that mean they could fall prey to the villain? Worry sets in thinking about Jean and the others. Right now, I need to stay focused on my mission, right?
A buzzing from Hawks' pocket draws him from his thoughts. "Excuse me." He says, walking out of the room. Please let it be her. Hawks glances at his phone. Unsure if he's more disappointed that it's the Commission on the other side of the line or if it's not Jean. Not bothering to mask the irritation in his voice, I know his voice, Hawks, as he picks up he keeps a somewhat pleasant tone.
"What is it?"
"An SOS was just recived by the coastguard. Villians have attacked Nabu Island they're requesting help."
Hawks gasps and runs towards the exit. Fuck! "That's the person who's been stealing other people's quirks!" Hawks shouts.
"What?!"
SLAM* the door swings open as Hawks launches himself like a rocket into the air heading straight for the island. "Send a rescue team as fast as you can. And someone get in touch with UA High School!"
"UA? Why?"
"Because they have students there as part of the project the Safety Commission sponsored. Class 1-A from the hero course were sent to Nabu island, along a select number of X-Men. Which means they are facing those villains alone!"
.* * *.
CLING, *CLING*
Echoing of metal hitting Jean's barrier rings through the underground cavern. Pale light from a hole in the ceiling leaks in.
Another *CLING* echoes as red needle-like spikes of hair bounce off a force field Jean put up to protect herself from Slice's attack. Acid strikes at a few of the needle like strands as the villain dodges Dark Shadow's out stretched arms.
"Ah, so the plan was to split us up, huh?" Slice says fires more needle like strands towards Mina direction making her duck.
Slice dodges stalactites coming her way as Jean dislodges them and throws them uses telekinesis her way.
Dark Shadow lunges forward with tiger claws. He swings a fist at her. Slice counters and faces Tokoyami and Dark Shadow as the familiar cloaks Tokoyami in Black Body Abyss. "Ashido, Jean. Leave the rest to me. The darkness is my domain."
Jean's eyes narrow as Tokoyami and the villain clash. He soon switch to defense quickly. She's fast. He must have figured ure it out too. Jean notes. "Mina follow my lead we'll support him. Toko-"Jean says.
"Right." Mina says
"That's fine with me." Tokoyami says.
They went back and forth, until Tokoyami strikes disarming the villains long sharp nails cutting through, breaking them.
"Jean, Ashido now!"
"Acid Shot!" Mina fires acid hitting destroying the villain's hair, as Jean using telekinesis toss the woman backwards into a wall.
Slice's eyes widen bits of her hair fall in front of her, "how DARE you!" She rapidly firing needle like strands at them. Her hair chop short.
Jean and the others dodge the onslaught of sharpen strands. Jean winces as a strand cuts her cheek and arm but using a force field to block.
"Agh!"
"Ashido!" Tokoyami gasps as his classmate gets hit and knocked down. Jean shot towards them as Dark Shadow engulfs Tokoyami and grows. "You FIEND!" Tokoyami roars along with Dark Shadow.
Jean lands lands besides Mina, blocking more debris from hitting them as Dark Shadow eyes turned red attacking out of control at the villain. He's losing control!?!
The ceiling beings caving in on them.Jean tries to hold up as much as she can while the rampaging Dark Shadow destroys more around it along with the villain.
Jean soon couldn't hold it up anymore and collapsing down as the ceiling gives in and light enters through the hole above. Jean does what she can do to protect herself and the two students.
.* * *.
Hawks just arrive to the scene as he and Endeavor split apart to look for the students and X-Men. An thundering echo rings in his ears as he frantically scans below him before catching the slightest of movement of black, and dives down. Please be okay. Please be okay. He rummaging through debris uncovering those buried beneath.
"Still with me Tokoyami?"
Coughing sent relief through Hawks as Tokoyami sits up batter but alive. The relief and shock written on Hawks face as he sighs wings slacken a little too.
"H-Hawks? But how?"
"Heh. Couple of us flew ahead to see if you were still alive. Me and one other."
"Thank you." Tokoyami says, grateful his mentor got the SOS and came to their aid.
"Anytime, my fledgling. We're birds of a feather."
"Right." Tokoyami chuckles amuse smile at his mentor go-to catchphrase with him.
"Hawks?"
"Jean?!"
"Ashido!"
Hawks wings perk up, eyes widen watching as Jean managed to remove debris off her and Mina.
Hawks scrambles to his feet as he rushes over to help along with Tokoyami get the girls freed from the debris.
Hawks, puling Jean free, swiftly locks lips with her. Tokoyami's eyes widen as Mina squeals. Jean's face flush pink as heat rose to his own cheeks. Hawks' eyes widen pulls back from the kiss. Did I just?
"I- uh.. Are you-"
"I-I'm fine." Jean composes herself place a hand on his trembling arm gently to calm him while wings quiver. "Mina is injured and needs treatment."
"The villain is knocked out over there." Tokoyami gestures to the villain he and Dark Shadow K.O.ed
Hawks swallows and nodding as he follows his student's hand. "Okay let's get you guys out of her. More heroes and police force are arriving. Promise you guys will be taken care of and are safe now."
Feathers pick up the unconscious villain as Hawks and Jean help the others get out of the cavern to the nearly demolished small island ruins above them.
Thundering of his heart of the sheer panic he just had seeing them edging down for now repeating over and over in his head. They're all safe. They're all safe.