Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.
All Might wasn't smiling. Of all the times Ayame had seen clips of the super hero, he had always been smiling. But in this very moment, in the brief second Ayame caught of him, he was not. He was nearly sneering at the situation at hand yet she still felt relieved—so relieved and happy All Might was here.
Ayame didn't know how it happened but one second she was by the villain and the next, she was standing besides Midoriya. She blinked, staring at the crouched figure of All Might placing a gentle hand on the unconscious Aizawa and she realized he had rescued them in less than a second.
"Huh? What?" Mineta looked around and Ayame finally took notice of the short boy; he was here too?
"Everyone, go to the entrance. I'm leaving Aizawa-kun to you. He's unconscious. Hurry!" All Might commanded, not once breaking eye contact with the villains.
Tsuyu and Mineta quickly got to work. Midoriya lifted Aizawa up and Mineta took the lower half of the body. Ayame blinked, brushing away her remaining tears as Tsuyu quietly went over to her side.
"I-I can walk," Ayame reassured with a smile. She cannot let her kouhai be worried and she also cannot stay awestruck by All Might now.
"All Might, you can't. That brain villain took One Fo—" Midoriya paused as Ayame turned over to him in curiosity, "He took a punch that didn't break my arm, but he didn't even twitch. He gotta be—"
"Young Midoriya!" All Might interrupted, turning to them with his trademark smile and a peace sign, "It's fine!"
Midoriya didn't say anymore, trusting All Might with his decisions and Ayame paused. Midoriya's Quirk breaks his limbs? Was that what the students were talking about in the bus earlier? She didn't have enough time to process that as the three others began to walk away, her eyes following All Might in worry.
"B-be careful, All Might! Their goal...is you."
Ayame followed the rest of them before All Might can respond. The hero looked at the new addition to the class momentarily, unable to put a name to her face and inwardly sweated.
Did she make an introduction yesterday and I forgot? Wasn't Young Hagakure the only one with an invisibility Quirk?
All Might turned back to the villains. Well, he can contemplate that later. There were other important tasks to take care of now.
Ayame followed the three of the students back slowly yet all of them were distracted in watching All Might fight the Nomu. He was even in power against the bioengineered weapon and Ayame's worries disappeared as she watched him punch the Nomu again and again. All Might took hold of the Nomu and leaned back, another loud explosion rocking the dome after his attack to immobilize the creature made impact.
"How did he make a suplex look like an explosion?! All Might's on a whole another level!" Mineta exclaimed happily, lifting Aizawa's legs on his shoulders.
"Even though he's a rookie teacher who can't teach without looking at his notes," Tsuyu exposed.
Ayame watched with parted lips at how easy All Might was able to contain the villain while she and Aizawa nearly fought to their deaths. All Might truly was the greatest hero—one she had aspired to reach and yet...there was nothing she could have done against them.
She had frozen in fear. After being hit once—she become useless and immobile not by the pain—but by the gaping fear consuming her at the sight of Shigaraki and Nomu. She had watched Aizawa be beat down and still thought of her safety first while she cried and stumbled like an idiot! Her fists clenched together, biting down the pain and insecurities as she snuck a look at Midoriya. In the end, she was unable to save anyone—and became the one that needed saving.
The smoke surrounding All Might and the Nomu cleared, revealing a warp on the bottom with Nomu's body split in half. His giant claws dug into All Might's side, blood seeping through his white shirt as the four of them looked at the scene in horror.
"Were you trying to keep him from moving by sticking him deep in the concrete? You won't be able to stop him like that...because Nomu is as strong as you are." Shigaraki giggled, obviously pleased with the turn of events as he turned to the warp gate. "This is good, Kurogiri. It's an unexpected opportunity."
All Might released his hold on the Nomu's waist, trying to grasp onto the claws holding him in place. He cough, blood escaping the corner of his lips as the students gasped in dismay.
"I do not want blood and guts overflowing within me but I would be happy to take in someone as great as you," the gate user said. "Restraining you was Nomu's job. And then, when your body is halfway in, to close the gate..."
Ayame's eyes widen. That villain could have easily ended their lives if he wanted to as soon as he got them trapped—it was just a matter of cleaning up the remains within him. She nearly blanched at the information, fist tightening again once she realized—Kurogiri was going to do the same thing to All Might!
"...and tear you apart is my job!"
"Asui-san." Ayame looked at Midoriya, breaking out of her reverie as Tsuyu answered the boy. "Trade places with me carrying Aizawa-sensei."
"Gero?" Tsuyu blinked, "Okay...but why?"
As soon as Tsuyu took hold of Aizawa, Midoriya ran.
"Deku-kun!"
Ayame chased after him.
She knew it! She knew he was going to after All Might! Ayame knew Midoriya would try going to save him—because he threw himself into the villain's path to save her! She ignored the burning of her legs as she ran after him, ignoring Tsuyu and Mineta's cries after them as her eyes locked onto his back and All Might's figure.
In truth, Ayame knew there was little she could do to help. This was the most she had used her Quirk since...the sports festival last year and the dizziness had been teetering on the corner of her mind since she was attacked. It was the wisest to stay out of All Might's way—to not become a nuisance to the hero's path or become collateral damage. She knew she was useless the way she was now.
But she still ran after Midoriya.
Because that's what heroes do.
"All Might!" Midoriya leaped, rushing forward with his arm stretched out in his direction.
"Dammit!" Ayame cursed again, her own hand reaching out once she saw Kurogiri materialize in Midoriya's path. Her head continued to throb as she attempted to use her Quirk again, trying to summon her reliable kitsune to possibly blow the smoke away. Smoke arose from her as she concentrated, trying to stabilize the form.
"How foolish."
An explosion blasted into the fog as a figure of black and blonde emerged from the smog.
"Move! You're in the way, Deku!"
Ayame's concentration faltered again, nearly tripping in her sprint as Bakugo appeared out of nowhere and attacked the metal plate attached on Kurogiri. Midoriya stopped running as well, safe and unharmed as the two looked at the newcomer in shock.
"Take that!" Bakugo slammed the neck gear onto the floor, rendering Kurogiri motionless.
A sheet of ice traveled from the floor to Nomu, freezing the left half of his body from the feet to hand and Ayame turned to Todoroki in shock. That ice—his Quirk was ice manipulation?
"All I heard was that you all are here to kill All Might," Todoroki announced his arrival.
The ice had stopped right before it touched All Might, enough to loosen the Nomu's grip on the Hero and he was able to get out of the trap easily. Ayame didn't have time to admire Todoroki's Quirk control again; watching as a flash of red attacked Shigaraki but the villain was able to dodge at the last minute.
"Damn it! I didn't get to show off!" Kirishima shouted.
"Y-you guys!" Ayame blinked at them in shock—how did they get here? And most importantly—they're fine!
"Senpai!" Kirishima turned to her with a bright smile, "You're okay!"
She nodded her head and finally let out a small smile in relief. Bakugo did not bother to acknowledge her but Todoroki glanced in her direction, giving a small nod in greeting before they focused back on the villains.
"Stop acting so stuck-up, foggy nobody!" Bakugo grinned maliciously.
"The Symbol of Peace cannot be killed by the likes of you," Todoroki stated.
She felt relieved at the sight of the students, all of them facing the trapped Nomu and unmoving Shigaraki. They were definitely a capable bunch of students—ones that were able to free All Might efficiently with powerful Quirks on their side. Ayame almost felt hopeful at that, turning back to face them strongly.
"You careless bastard. You're just what I thought you'd be. Only certain parts of you can turn into a misty warp gate. The fog gate covered your actual body, right? If you were completely made of mist and physical attacks couldn't touch you, then you wouldn't have said 'that was close'."
Ayame glanced at Bakugo's explanation. Wow...for someone with such a temper...he can be quite...smart.
Kurogiri squirmed yet a small explosion was blasted from Bakugo's palms, keeping him in place. "Don't move! If I feel like you're moving suspiciously then I'll blow you up!"
Though his behavior...
"His behavior isn't very hero-like," Kirishima sweated and Ayame nodded quietly besides him.
"In addition to capturing them, they're almost all uninjured. Kids these days are amazing," Shigaraki mused quietly, "They make the League of Villains look bad." He turned back to the unmoving monster and said a command. "Nomu."
The Nomu roared, dropping from one warp gate to another as his frozen leg and arm shattered. New muscles replaced his damaged ones and dark skin covered the replacement limbs, dot-like eyes rolling forward to stare at the children. Ayame shivered again at the sheer power, wincing as she remembered the hit she had taken.
"Even though his body's broken...he's still moving?" Midoriya asked in disbelief.
"Get back!" Ayame instructed, "He's fast and can easily overpower us on strength alone. It's almost like...All...Might."
They turned to her as she slowed her speech, turning to the hero with a dazed look as she mentally made the connection. The villain had said the Nomu was created to become the 'anti-Symbol of Peace' and their goal was to kill All Might. They had almost succeeded—yet with All Might's injury; does that mean the Nomu could possible win against him? He could also super regenerate his broken limbs and match up with All Might's power...!
"Nomu has been modified to take you at 100%. He's a super efficient sand-bag!" Shigaraki grinned, "But first, we need our gate back. Go, Nomu."
That was all it took for the Nomu to disappear. They did not have time to react as Bakugo turned his head right as Nomu appeared in front of him, one fist raised to punch. It made contact with something; dust cloud surrounded them again and the students rolled back from the shockwave. Ayame gasped, coughing in pain from her tired limbs as she looked between two large dust clouds.
"Kacchan!" Midoriya shouted in shock yet Ayame blinked at the head of ash blonde to her side.
"Kac...chan?" She repeated the nickname, more stunned rather than mocking as the others turned to stare at Bakugo sitting next to them.
"Y-you dodged? That's amazing!" Midoriya exclaimed.
"No, shut up, scum!" Bakugo retaliated, "And don't call me that!" He would have glared at Ayame if he was able to tear his eyes away from the collision but she did not care.
"Then how...?" Kirishima asked.
Lilac eyes spun towards the wall where Nomu had sent another figure flying, heart racing as she saw the smoke clear to reveal—
"All Might!"
He coughed, breathing heavily as blood continued to seep out through his wounds. All Might lowered his arms and they were able to see more blood dripping from his mouth. Ayame gulped; she had never seen All Might so tattered before.
"Do you not know how to hold back?"
"It was to rescue my companions. I had no choice. I mean, earlier, that plain looking one was about to punch me with everything he had, you know." Shigaraki pointed towards Midoriya. "Violence for the sake of others makes it admirable. Isn't that right, Hero?"
What kind of backwards thinking is that?! He was the one that attacked us first! Ayame bit her lips angrily, glaring at the villain who continued to ramble on.
"You know what, All Might? I'm angry. I'm angry at this world that categorizes the same violent acts as heroic of villainous, deciding what's good and what's bad. 'Symbol of Peace'? Hah! You're just a device to repress violence. Violence only breeds violence. The world will know this once we kill you!"
"That's preposterous," All Might denied. "The eyes of white-collar criminals like you burn silently. You just want to enjoy this yourself, don't you, you liar?"
"He already figured me out?" Shigaraki whispered.
Todoroki frowned, having enough of the chattering as he readied a stance. "It's three against six."
"Kacchan already exposed the fog's weakness!" Midoriya confirmed.
"These guys are crazy, but if we backup All Might, we can push them back!" Kirishima hardened his hands.
Ayame said nothing. If anything, it felt more like three against five with her current state. She was still in pain from the hit she took from the Nomu earlier and her Quirk had been over exhausted moments ago. It hurts to even stand up without trembling right now—and it wasn't just the pain stopping her. She was still too damn scared to face the Nomu—to see that thing attack Aizawa like a ragdoll and break him in front of her eyes over and over again—
"No!" All Might stepped forward, "Run away."
Run away? She was being told to run away again?
"You would've been in trouble if I hadn't done anything earlier, right?" Todoroki refused.
"That was a different story, Young Todoroki. Thanks," All Might gripped a fist, "But it's fine! Just watch as a pro gives it everything he's got!"
"But All Might you're bleeding!" Midoriya pointed out.
Ayame had heard nearly those same words before—right before Aizawa went ahead and charge forward in order to protect them. Even if she knew All Might was strong—will he really be okay going against that thing? Was there really nothing she—or they—could have done?
All Might gave them a thumbs up, turning back to face the three villains.
"Nomu, Kurogiri. Get him. I'll deal with the children."
Ayame steeled herself and stepped forward regardless, putting one arm in front of the three students. Aizawa had entrusted this task to her. All Might was going to fight them alone. She cannot allow herself to be frozen with fear as crazed red eyes bore into hers; Shigaraki charging towards them at once.
"Hey, we've gotta do this after all!" Kirishima prepared himself.
"No! Don't let him touch you!" Ayame shouted. Kirishima's Quirk would be useless against the villains if he relied on touch alone. It would be the best option to attack at range, something Todoroki's ice would have an advantage of and her own summons if she can just focus long enough to materialize one.
But they didn't have to even do anything when All Might dashed forward, surprising them all as Nomu rushed in to meet All Might's advances. Their punches met in the middle, causing a ripple to break out between them while the children were blown back by the shockwave. All Might and the Nomu continued to trade blows too fast for them to see, matching each other evenly yet the shockwave with each punch forced the students on their knees.
"A head-on fistfight?" Midoriya barely managed to analyze as he gripped his fist into the dirt, slowing his movement.
Ayame coughed again, tumbling backwards from the lack of control and collided with a body. A warm hand settled on her shoulder on one side while she leaned on a hardened body, looking up with wide eyes at Todoroki steadying her with the hand covered in ice and Kirishima being the wall for her.
"T-thanks," she said between labored breathing, one hand raised to block the wind from her face.
Kirishima managed to smile in reassurance and Todoroki focused back onto the battle yet neither left her side as All Might and Nomu continued on.
"If your Quirk isn't shock nullification but shock absorption, then there's a limit to it, right?" Nomu made a direct hit on All Might's wound, causing him to pause in pain before bracing himself again with more vigor. "Made to fight me? If you can withstand me at 100% then I'll force you to surrender from beyond that!"
All Might was forcing the Nomu back by sheer power. Despite the wounds he sustained, All Might was still able to force the monster backwards. They could only watch with wide eyes at the turn of events as All Might punched Nomu, sending him flying backwards and gave chase.
"A hero...can always break out of a tough spot!"
The five watched in shock and amazement as All Might threw the Nomu on the ground, creating a huge crater from the impact and landed right next to him.
"Hey villain, have you ever heard of these words?" All Might grinned, "Go beyond! Plus Ultra...!"
All Might sent the Nomu flying through the air, breaking the roof in his last hit and created another shockwave throughout the dome. Ayame's eyes widen, looking up in disbelief at where Nomu used to be.
"Is this a comic book? It's like he nullified the shock absorption," Kirishima said as Ayame got out of his grasp, stabilizing her enough to stand by herself.
"Yeah..." Ayame agreed, "His brute strength is crazy."
"What insane power..." Bakugo even commented. "Does this mean he rushed at him so fast he couldn't regenerate?"
Was that even possible? Ayame could not believe her eyes as she stared at All Might, straightening his body again with the same grin.
"I really have gotten weaker... In my prime, five hits would've been enough...but it took more than three hundred hits."
She blinked, mouth dropping open at All Might's carefree explanation. More than three hundred hits?! I'm still feeling the aftereffect of just one! Ayame was awestruck again, staring at the hero she had admired since childhood. This display of power and self-assurance...
Is this...what it's meant to be a Hero?
"I'm sure we'd all like to end this as soon as possible," All Might turned back to the remaining villains confidently.
Shigaraki looked absolutely frustrated, hands reaching upwards again to claw at his neck. They all turned to the villains as he mumbled to himself, irritated with All Might's ability to defeat their secret weapon. Ayame caught the words of All Might being weaker and her brows furrowed at that; based on what source was that? All Might was still alive and kicking! Sure he took on a few more hits than expected but—All Might was still the strongest!
"What's wrong?" All Might taunted, "You're not coming? You said you'd 'clear' this or something, right?"
The villain visibly jumped back at the threat and even Bakugo whispered All Might's name in surprise. This was the first time they had seen All Might so frightening—so unlike the bright smiles and grins he always displayed on camera.
"As expected, it looks like there is no need for us to fight," Todoroki said and Ayame sighed in relief. She wouldn't be able to handle another prolong battle like she had went through. Heterochromia eyes glanced at her small sigh yet Ayame took no notice of it, lifting one hand to her forehead as the dull ache in her head began to subside.
"Midoriya! We should get out of here now!" Kirishima instructed, "It'll be worse if we end up getting taken hostage instead!"
They turned to Midoriya, clearly focused on All Might's frame unmoving despite Kirishima's suggestion. Ayame paused, blinking at the boy who did not move. Midoriya was the one that ran after All Might without a second thought. He was the one that had risked his life to save hers, too. What was he seeing that they cannot?
"Deku-kun?" Ayame set a hand on his shoulder, nearly startling the boy from his thoughts as he turned to her with a blush. "You okay?"
"Y-y-yes, s-senpai!"
"We should go," she reinstated Kirishima's statement; "...the villains are starting to stir again."
As if on cue, the fallen villains began to groan and stand up. Ayame frowned at the sight of them. It had taken her and Aizawa so long to crush them—but the fight between All Might and Nomu had dragged on longer than they anticipated. She exhaled slowly. The headache was nearly gone now after her little break and her body still felt sore but it was nothing Ayame can't handle. She would be able to fight again, if necessary.
"All Might will do something about the main bad guys. Let's go help the others!" Kirishima activated his Quirk as he and Bakugo faced the villains.
Midoriya hesitated again, looking between Ayame and All Might as the smoke began to clear around them. She followed his gaze as well, noticing nothing out of the ordinary with All Might besides the ripped clothes and tussled hair.
Before they can study All Might longer, Shigaraki began to charge towards the hero in anger. "This is revenge for Nomu!"
Their eyes widen, turning towards the villains as the gate user rushed forward to join the battle. Ayame watched with wide eyes, mentally screaming at All Might to move—to fight back—to do something because he definitely had a plan, right?!
A rush of wind blew past her again, tangling her long hair backwards as the spot Midoriya used to be was vacant.
"H-huh?!" She blinked as Todoroki, Kirishima, and Bakugo looked between the empty spot and Midoriya flying through the air.
So fast—!
"Midoriya!" Kirishima gasped.
They looked closer at Midoriya's body, catching his legs to be waving around by the momentum and Ayame wondered what the price he had to pay for his Quirk was. Did he have to break his body every time he used it?! How was he able to survive up until now?!
"Get away from All Might!"
Still, she cannot ponder on it for much longer when Kurogiri shifted his gate, allowing Shigaraki to move his hand through the warp and was inches away from Midoriya's head. Ayame took a step forward involuntarily, reaching a hand out as smoke trails emerged from her arm and shot forward in Midoriya's direction, a small kitsune taking the form as it dashed towards the boy.
Make it—make it—please make it in time!
Shigaraki giggled loudly, his hand nearly centimeters apart from touching Midoriya's face and Ayame felt the same fear creep up within her again at the very same hand touching her. Between the villain's laughter and her own erratic heartbeat, a shot rang out through the dome as it hit the pale hand, interrupting Shigaraki's movement and Midoriya fell down from the air, landing right on the kitsune's back safely. The summon lowered the boy's body to the ground softly as Midoriya looked at the ghostly figure in astonishment before it disappeared.
"Who—?" Ayame stopped her question as they turned to the source of the gunshot. A loud voice echoed the dome, mousy and reassuring as they turned to the entrance of USJ.
"Sorry, everyone!" The principal, Nezu, announced his arrival. "Sorry we're late! I gathered all who were immediately available."
"I, Iida Tenya, Class 1-A representative, have now returned!"
Ayame could nearly feel tears of relief fill her eyes at the sight. Iida had been the one to escape safely and rounded up the Pro Heroes. Iida had been the one Kurogiri had warned before! They had held out long enough for them to arrive!
The Pro Heroes quickly got to work as they disarmed the rousing villains. Snipe shot Shigaraki again, immobilizing the villain from his position and the warp gate quickly covered his hurt body with his shadow. The villains tried to make an escape but Thirteen activated his Quirk, sucking in the fog from his distance and dragging the two upwards.
"I may have failed this time," Shigaraki glared hatefully at All Might, "But I will kill you next time...Symbol of Peace, All Might!"
They disappeared, smoke and all and leaving nothing in its wake. Ayame would have collapsed right then and there knowing that the Pro Heroes had finally arrived to rescue them.
"If this many Pro Heroes have gathered here then it looks like they did not attack the whole school," Todoroki reasoned.
Ayame did not respond as she turned to Midoriya, seeing the boy shaking on the ground and worry consumed her at the sight. Did Shigaraki manage to get him in the end? Was he hurt anywhere else?
"Deku-kun!" She pushed her body to run towards him, Kirishima following close behind.
"Are you all right?!" Kirishima yelled behind her.
Midoriya looked up from his position on the ground, dark green eyes wide at seeing them both in surprise. He opened his mouth to respond but paused, looking between All Might's hidden figure behind the smoke then back to the two running towards them.
"S-senpai! K-Kirishima-kun, w-wait!"
A large concrete wall appeared in front of them and Ayame yelped, crashing into it face first while Kirishima was lucky enough to stop right before he hit it too. He gasped as he watched Ayame fall onto the ground groaning in pain from the contact and the last strength within her body disappeared.
Did I push myself too hard? Ayame rubbed her head.
"We want to make sure that all the students are safe, so please gather in front of the gate," Cementoss instructed as he stood up from creating the wall, "We will deal with the injured here."
"Oh, that makes sense," Kirishima blinked. "Roger that! Let's go, Ayame-senpai!"
She groaned again, her arms trembled, straining to push herself upwards. Kirishima gasped, kneeling down besides her immediately at the sight of her injured state.
"Senpai!"
"I-I'm fine," she waved it off. She cannot let her kouhais see her weakness!
"You're not." Ayame blinked, lilac eyes meeting heterochromia ones of grey and blue. Since when did Todoroki arrive? "Senpai, you've been hurt since the beginning, haven't you?"
"Wha..."
Ayame could say nothing, looking down almost in embarrassment at being found out. Was it that obvious for her injury? Sure her clothes were a bit tattered and ripped and her Quirk was not as powerful as she first showed it but—how was he able to deduce that?
"Really?!" Kirishima gasped, "You should have told us, senpai! Here, I'll carry you!"
The redhead reached down to help Ayame up before she can refuse, her body tumbling forward while Todoroki steadied her on one side. Kirishima turned around as Todoroki helped her onto his back despite her protests, cheeks heating up momentarily at the bare skin and their efforts to help her.
"N-no—stop, I can walk—!"
"You ran face first into the wall," Kirishima pointed out almost cheekily and Ayame groaned again, hiding her face behind her hand.
Todoroki spared her another glance but said nothing more. He had noticed her injured state since their arrival. The cuts and bruises on her body were more than the other students and he had felt her unsteady balance during All Might's fight against the Nomu. Ayame was pushing herself to stay strong in front of them and Todoroki almost scoffed at that. He does not want others to baby him—he was fully capable of defending himself.
But she acted like it was her responsibility to protect them. Whether it was because of Aizawa's instructions before his parting—or it was just her natural hero prowess, Todoroki did not dwell on it. She was not the only one trying to be a hero.
"You know, Ayame-senpai, you're pretty cool! You always rush head first into battle to protect us—like a real hero!" Kirishima exclaimed excitedly, adjusting his hands under her thighs respectively.
She fought back the flush, looking at the ground almost in embarrassment but felt disappointment instead. Her kouhai had considered her cool but—there was nothing Ayame did to warrant the praise.
"I...didn't do anything," she whispered, a bitter smile emerging on her lips as she clutched Kirishima's arm guards tightly. "In the end, I was the collateral damage."
Ayame was not able to defend herself even with Aizawa's help. When her uncle had been in danger, she did nothing but fall and cry. When she was beaten down, Ayame could do nothing but beg—with such a disgraceful voice and face—because she was not strong enough to save Aizawa from the Nomu. Midoriya had come to rescue her from Shigaraki in the end. All Might had come to rescue them after all. Even though Ayame had run after Midoriya to help All Might, she did…nothing.
"I...couldn't even...protect anyone," Ayame continued, teeth biting the bottom of her lips to contain the sob as she grew frustrated and angry at herself. "After making a big show against the gate villain—I had been the one thrown aside and unable to help anyone! Maybe if I hadn't been there—then Aizawa-sensei wouldn't be in the state he is now! Because he had been so busy protecting me—he—"
"Will you shut up?!"
The three turned to Bakugo in alarm; Kirishima gaping at the blonde in astonishment for speaking so roughly against the teary Ayame. She was too shocked to even respond, lost in her moment of pity to even realize tears were falling down her eyes. Todoroki kept silent but even he had no idea what was going on.
"B-bakugo, t-that's a bit..."
"Quiet!" Bakugo barked back at Kirishima, lips turning upwards in rage, "If you're going to whine about being useless then do it elsewhere! Nothing's going to come out of your useless bitching, you crybaby-senpai!"
No one said anything as Bakugo glared at the three of them, turning around angrily as if no one understood his point. He stalked off towards the stairs, not caring if the others were following along. Kirishima snapped out of his daze first, following Bakugo almost excitedly if not for the girl on his back.
"D-did Bakugo just...in his own way...comfort you?" Kirishima asked incredulously, red eyes wide at the blonde's back.
"I didn't do shit!" Bakugo yelled back, turning his head slightly to glare at them, "Don't make up stupid lies!"
Kirishima could only grin back, not believing him at the slightest. He had caught onto Bakugo's change in nickname regarding their upperclassman.
Ayame blinked, wiping her tears away at the not-comfort and reprimanded herself. No matter how Bakugo had worded it, the meaning still got across to her the same. There was no point in her crying now and regretting when all had been said and done. There was still a lot for her to work on—this attack on USJ had proven to her just how lacking she had been.
"Senpai," Todoroki said softly, one grey eye glancing at her from the corner of his eye as he walked besides Kirishima, "We're all in the hero course, too."
Maybe he had misjudged her for a bit. Todoroki was not expecting her little outburst; no one would know how to deal with a crying girl. Ayame tried to act all mature and strong in front of them but...it clearly shows she was unsatisfied with her inability to do anything. She was easy to read and she wasn't looking down on them. Maybe what Aizawa said had gotten to her.
Ayame was their senpai; she was also a hero-in-training with one more year of experience ahead of them. It was just...natural for her to put their safety first—just like how the senseis had done.
"We may be a year younger," Kirishima began, turning his head slightly to look at her, "But we're capable too! S-so don't cry, senpai! I wouldn't know how to explain to the others if I brought you in crying..."
Kirishima mumbled to himself in the end, sweating at the side slightly as he imagined the rowdier classmates to scold him. Ashido and Kaminari will probably make a deal out of this—maybe even Hagakure if Kirishima can ever pinpoint her location.
A small laugh had left her lips at Kirishima's flustered explanation, imagining the few students she had spoken with before to possibly be worried for her state. Right, of course, she cannot cry...again. Even though they did not know each other for long, Ayame could tell the students were genuine in their friendships and concern with each other. Whether she was part of them or not—she should at least be presentable to not cause worry for them.
"Thanks, Kiri-kun," Ayame smiled, turning to the side at the stoic boy. "And Totoro-kun. Ah—and of course, Kacchan."
Todoroki blinked at the sudden nickname while Bakugo reeled back to glare at her again, red eyes flaming in anger. "I said don't call me that, you crybaby-senpai!"
Ayame grinned, rubbing her red nose sheepishly and shook her head. "Nope!"
"At least you seem to be back to yourself," Kirishima laughed lightly to himself, "And you can call me 'Eijiro'!"
"Okay!"
Ayame smiled. Throughout this short exchange, she can already tell she will enjoy this year as Aizawa's assistant. Despite the unfortunate attack at USJ, Ayame believed this will strengthen her and the classmates instead. She cannot show such an un-cool side of her to her kouhais; she need to set an example for the future heroes!
At least, that was what she told herself in the beginning. Yet she cannot help but tear up again as she saw the sixteen other students waiting by the entrance, unharmed. Ochako took notice of them first, waving one hand in the air excitedly at the sight of the four of them.
"You guys! Are you okay?!"
Bakugo stalked off on his own, ignoring the rest of them as Kirishima gently set Ayame down after her instructions to.
('Are you sure—', 'Yes, I'm sure, Ki—Eijiro-kun!', 'Okay but if you need help again just say the word! I told you I'm strong, senpai!')
They purposely ignored Mineta groaning at the two, muttering to himself about how he should have been the one to carry Ayame (which she was thankful for that he didn't). The police had arrived then, surveying the students briefly as forces searched within the dome for the unconscious villains. The students began to talk amongst themselves as they reunited with each other, only Midoriya was missing from the class of 1-A.
"Ojiro-kun," one gloved hand tapped the boy in question, "I heard you were fired up this time. You were strong by yourself, huh?"
"I thought everyone was by themselves," Ojiro replied modestly, "I survived by using hit-and-run tactics."
Ayame turned to the blonde with a gasp. Her eyes tear up again as she thought about how scary it had been for him. After all, she had dealt with the main villains and even with Aizawa's help, Ayame barely managed to survive the attack.
"Ojiro-kun!" Ayame bounced over to him, wrapping her arms around the boy in a tight hug. "I'm sorry you had to go through that! It must have been scary, right? You did so well!"
"S-senpai!" Ojiro visibly blushed, leaning back slightly from the sudden affection as the ones surrounding him stared at him fully. "I-I'm all right! T-thank you for the concern!"
Ayame pulled back to examine him, sighing in relief as she saw no visible injuries on him. At least it seemed like the students managed to pull through in the end. The villains that were stationed by the different zones must have been common thugs or just weaklings compared to the main three she had faced. Or...well, Ayame already had her suspicions for this class to be full of potentials.
"Senpai! I was alone!" Kaminari appeared right besides her, opening his hands wide for an invitation. "I was honestly scared!"
Jirou punched him over the head before Ayame can respond, shaking her head at the playful as she turned to the upperclassman fully. "Don't listen to him. He was with me and Yaoyorozu in the mountain area."
"Ayame-senpai!" Ochako ran up to her, "Where were you? You look the worst out of all of us!"
She turned towards the brunette with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her head and messing up her long hair even more. "It's not as bad as it looks."
"Liar! You can barely walk earlier!" Mineta called out, "I should have been the one to carry senpai—ow!"
Tsuyu hit the shorter boy with her tongue again, hopping over to them with her wide eyes in concern for Ayame.
"Senpai, we saw you get hit by that 'Nomu'. It was able to match the strength with All Might. Are you sure you don't have any broken bones?"
Whispers were heard behind her at the new information but Ayame paid no mind to it. She hadn't realized Tsuyu or Mineta had been observing them. Did that mean Midoriya was there as well? After all, he did rush in to save her when Shigaraki had cornered her.
"I-I'm just tired," Ayame smiled in reassurance, "Don't worry! I'm tough!" Her eyes softened as a dozen paid of worried eyes looked onto her. They had gone through so much in such a short amount of time. If they had seen what she had... "I'm sorry you were put in difficult situations. I should have looked after you all better."
Aizawa was right. She had let her emotions control her in the beginning and caused her to attack recklessly. Anger was never the strength in her Quirk—it makes the summons more unstable and easier to disperse compared to a calm mind. But Ayame had been so distracted and blinded then that she couldn't control it until it was too late. This was another part of her that needed improvement on—another part of her that was simply insufficient.
"You weren't the cause for the attack, Sasaki-senpai," Tokoyami spoke calmly, the first time he had spoken to her.
"Yeah! We all managed just fine in the end!" Ashido reassured.
"Besides, we know that gate user's Quirk and weakness now! The next time they attack, we'll be ready!" Kirishima grinned.
Ayame looked over the students with a smile, nodding her head in agreement at their confidence. Their spirits did not dither even after the attack—a plus side in her opinion. They continued to talk amongst themselves again as Ayame settled down, watching one of the detective approach them.
"Let's have the students return to their classroom for now. We won't be questioning them right away, anyway, right?"
She pushed herself forward to meet him. "What about Aizawa-sensei? Is he okay?"
He held up a phone device and played the recorded message from it.
"Comminuted fractures in both arms and a facial fracture. Fortunately, there does not seem to be any serious brain damage. However, his orbital floor has broken into small pieces and his eyes may suffer from its aftereffects."
"That's what he said." The detective confirmed.
Her fist clenched tightly together, upset yet helpless with the information. Aizawa had pushed himself to the limit to protect them. Would he be able to recover fully from this? Her mother had damaged her eyes permanently for the overuse of her Quirk—what if that were to happen to her uncle too? What if—
"Senpai," Tsuyu's voice spoke up quietly next to her, "Aizawa-sensei will be okay."
Ayame blinked at her assurance. Did she make an odd face or something? Was she that transparent to see through?
"What about Thirteen-sensei?" Ashido asked next.
"Thirteen has been treated. The laceration from the back to upper arm was bad but Thirteen will survive." The girls sighed in relief at the information and the detective continued on, "All Might will also survive. Recovery Girl's healing is enough to treat him so he's in the nurse's office."
"And Midoriya-kun?" Iida and Ochako asked in concern.
"Oh, the treatment in the nurse's office is enough for him, too," the detective smiled.
Ayame sighed in relief again. It seemed like Aizawa and Thirteen took the most damage but—they will live through it. Midoriya's injuries were from the overuse of his Quirk, too but it will still be fine. She felt someone shift next to her and a wave of cold air as Todoroki joined the circle of students.
"Senpai is injured, too."
She lightly elbowed him in the side, frowning at being found out when the detective took notice. "No, I'm fine. They're just small scratches that will heal by itself." The others had a higher priority than herself to be cared for. Ayame can fix herself up at home later.
"It would be best to have a professional look over. For now, return back to your classroom."
"Yes, sir!"
It was around sunset by the time the students arrived back on campus. They were still in their hero costumes as they left the bus and had planned to change before making their way home. They spoke quietly amongst themselves again, reviewing the information they had learned about the villains that attacked as Ayame trailed behind them.
They were a capable bunch—and would become strong Heroes in the future. That was all she could see as she watched them walk confidently back into school. They were able to overcome the dangers surrounding them with a clear mind and no one was injured in the process. It wasn't just Aizawa or Thirteen or even All Might's interference to have saved them—the students had also saved themselves.
Ayame looked down upon her gloved hands, feeling the same bitterness arising as that thought. She should have done better. She had not taken her hero duties as serious. All she had done over break was catching up on the latest anime and video games without practicing her Quirk. This was the first time she was forced to use her Quirk so much—and she had still accomplished nothing in the end. She had thought being a hero was easy—all she had to do was follow her mother and sister's footsteps, enroll in a great school, and graduate to become a hero.
But she was so, so wrong.
The dangers heroes had to face every day were beyond her imagination. They had to put their life on the line to protect others—something Ayame had known but never experienced until now. She had been useless and relied on All Might to save her. She had let others save her—when all she had done was cry the moment she saw Aizawa be beaten.
And it was simply infuriating.
"Hey, who's that?"
Ayame looked up as the students stopped walking, Sero pointing towards the entrance of the school at a lone figure. Her heart sped up as she brushed past the class, standing in front of them protectively at the figure. Was this another surprise attack? Could they have missed a villain entering the school again? Who was—
Wide, violet eyes turned towards the student before it took notice of Ayame. Ayame blinked, taking a step numbly forward as the other person ran over to them, long brown hair flying behind her as she approached them.
"Isn't that—!"
"Ayame!"
Yume grabbed onto her cheeks with both hands, large violet eyes staring at her in a mixture of emotions. Relief, concern, happiness, and tears were what Ayame saw as she looked at her sister in shock. Wasn't she supposed to be on duty? She was still wearing her hero uniform! What was Yume doing here?
"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? I was so worried! Look at you! We need to go to the hospital!" Yume rambled on, oblivious to the other students looking at the two sisters in shocked.
"T-that's LullaCry!"
"What is she doing here?"
"Senpai knows her?"
Ayame ignored them as Yume continued to check her over; brushing her fingers over Ayame's messy hair and the strong facade she tried to keep up cracked. In the face of someone Ayame had trusted completely, she broke. Tears began to build up in her lilac eyes as her sister's concern and Ayame hiccupped, closing her eyes to allow herself be comforted.
"Yume-nee! S-Shouta-oji—he got hurt because of me. I-I didn't know what to do!" Ayame cried loudly and Yume brought her into a tight hug. Ayame clutched onto her sister tightly, not caring if anyone else saw her weakness as she continued to bawl into her sister's chest.
"You must have been so scared, right? You poor thing," Yume hugged her tighter and continued to rub soothing circles on Ayame's back, whispering words of comfort to her sister.
The class looked at each other, not knowing what to do until Shoji motioned for them to go on ahead without disturbing the sisters. Quietly, the class left Ayame in Yume's care, knowing that there will be another time for explanations and questions later.
Ayame continued to cry out of frustration and fear. Frustrated, with her lack of power. Fear, for she had seen the face of true evil before her eyes. She wondered if this was what her mother had dealt with before as a hero. She wondered if Yume also had to fight dangerous battles like this by herself.
If Ayame wanted to be a hero, then this was a trail she must overcome. She cannot always cry at the littlest things and yet strange enough, this was the most she had cried in a long, long time.
And Yume knew. Yume knew Ayame was not the type to cry helplessly without giving a fight. She knew her sister was strong and knew she must have fought valiantly no matter what. For Ayame to be breaking down now—it must have meant she was scarred by what she had seen.
"Dammit," Ayame hiccupped again. It felt like she had been crying the whole day with how much had went through. She dearly hoped Bakugo was not nearby to scold her again—or any other students to see her pathetic state. "I swear—I swear I'll get stronger! League of Villains or whoever—I'm not gonna let them stop me!"
"You will," Yume whispered, tightening her hold, "You will be strong, Ayame. So for now, let it out. It's okay to cry."
So Ayame did. She will cry but she promised herself this would be last time. The next time Ayame face them, she will be stronger and better. She will be a hero—that, she can guarantee.
A/N:
That concludes the USJ arc for now! Wow I didn't realize Ayame was such a crybaby but it was only this chapter. I swear she will be better and will highlight more on her past and relationship with others!
I hope you all enjoyed the story so far! It's a little disheartening at the lack of feedback sometimes but I'll try my best to improve and provide good content! Check out my Tumblr (toomuchpineapples) for art!
Reviews are much appreciated! Thank you!