I stood with Midoriya and Kirishima, the hoard of heroes and police chattering around us. I silenced my phone, slipping it into the outer pocket of my leg.
"Hey, Fat Gum– come meet my friends," Kirishima waved the yellow hero over.
"You're the BMI Hero Fat Gum! It's so awesome to meet you. I'm Deku," Midoriya waved, smiling at the tall hero.
"Uhm, Polaris," I spoke, watching the hero's smile widen.
Fat Gum laughed, "you're with Night Eye's agency, eh? You're both pretty strong! Did you all eat breakfast? Need a snack?" Sir turned and hushed us. Fat Gum cringed, offering the bagged croissant to Sir. He glared at Fat Gum over the tops of his glasses. Everyone fell quiet as the police approached the intercom. A large villain burst out of the main doors, his muscles expanding. Ryukyu and her agency stayed behind, allowing everyone else to rush in. I broke my legs down, rushing in with my agency. The heroes in front of us took out any villains in our way, but they slowly dropped back to finish their arrest. Sir opened their secret entrance to the lower level – three villains immediately on us. Bubble Girl and Centipeder took out the three, allowing us to continue. We rushed down the stairs, immediately blocked by a wall. This wall was not supposed to be here.
Lemillion rushed forward, removing his helmet, and looked through the wall. "The hallway continues." Kirishima and Midoriya quickly dispatched the wall. We continued down the hall until the walls began to morph. Right – one of the villains had a quirk that could mimic their body into inanimate objects. I floated above everyone as they tried to steady themselves on the uneven, undulating floor. Lemillion ran down the hall, phasing through the wall.
"Go after Lemillion – Polaris!" Sir ordered. Follow? Despite Mimicry in the walls, I could make a clear path for all of us. I could get us to Eri now.
"But –" I started to protest. Sir narrowed his eyes, screaming at me to go. I nodded, dispersing my atoms and passed through the wall after Mirio. I kept a few meters between us as he disappeared through each dead end. I kept reforming my upper half between sections. Something hard hit me – knocking me off course. I hit the ground, focusing on dispersing my remaining atoms. The tall, thin man with spiked dull red hair slowly stood, using the walls for assistance. It was Death Wish. The league was here – then Mom or Akari could be here too. Shit. That meant that we had to withdraw from the fight. But I couldn't just leave Death Wish here to harm more people.
"You're not going past here," he coughed as he looked around the room. I could leave him here and continue after Mirio – but what if one of my classmates ran into him instead? No. I needed to arrest him. I reformed myself opposite to Death Wish. "Giving up?"
I shook my head, eyes fixed on his. Last time, I had accidentally snapped his neck with a kick before he became his overheating, burly self. Could he only transform if he had a fatal injury? He was so frail for a villain. "How's my mother and sister?"
He laughed. "Don't worry, you won't run into them here. Please take me with you! Don't leave me." He mocked me, taking a hesitant step forward before following it with two quick ones. He sneered, cocking his head. "Can't do anything on your own. Always with Akari, and now with Lemillion. You're just a sheep. Got no mind of your own. No original thoughts in your head."
"I guess not." I shrugged. I would have to find a way to take him down without causing him a fatal injury. Death Wish stopped a few inches from me.
"What – already come to terms with your death?" He scoffed. He took his head in his hands and snapped his neck. Shit. I was not expecting that. I dispersed my atoms as his joints snapped out of place and morphed into his monstrous form. He took a knee, the hall too small for him. How was I going to fight him when I couldn't touch him? Well, I could and just be burned again. "Come out, little girl."
I reformed my head beside his large, pointed ear, "gross." I broke myself down before his arm rose. His shoulder got caught, and he could not bring his arm up fully. I reformed at his feet. "Really gross." He brought his other hand down, his arm tangled in his legs. He fell forward, letting out a growl. My boots were leather – could I hit him with just my feet? If I burned myself – I would not feel it until much later. I had to take the chance. Death Wish tried to stand back up. I reformed myself above his head, my leg kicking down onto the back of his head. I dissipated myself again, reforming below him and kicked my leg up into his jaw. I kept breaking down and reforming, landing kick after kick to his head. I just needed to knock him out. Wait. All the compounds I found that had been abandoned had multiple levels. We were only one floor down.
"Let me feast on your bones!" Death Wish sneered, the walls shaking. I spun my atoms, breaking down the floors under him until he hit the basement. His eyes rolled back into his head, steam flowing off his body. His joints snapped again as his body shrank. I reformed the floor around him, encasing him in the floor. Please, please stay out. I broke myself down, returning to the floor I had lost Mirio on. I needed to find him. I rushed forward, hoping that I was not too late.
[B&M]
I hurtled through the wall, watching as Overhaul sent a large array of spikes at Mirio and Eri. I erected my Nebular Wall between the two – the spikes hit my wall before snapping. "What the hell is this?" I dropped my wall and reformed my body in between Overhaul and Mirio. Mirio was covered in his blood. His side was soaked. What the hell had happened?
"Don't let them hit you with their bullets – it erases your quirk!" Mirio held Eri close to himself. She clung to his ripped cape. I turned, standing with my back to them, facing Overhaul. It was my turn.
"Who are you? Another school brat?" Overhaul narrowed his eyes, the plague mask hiding the rest of his features.
"Polaris." I took a few steps towards Overhaul, giving him a court wave.
"Why don't you listen to your friend – he's already lost his quirk, permanently." Overhaul sent a row of spikes towards me. I threw my left arm forward; the spikes dispersed into atoms as they neared me. The dust swirled around my hands, ready to be solidified. Miro had been hit. He was in no shape to help. "Just what is your quirk?"
I heard a gunshot and felt the atoms in my chest expand as a small vial exploded through my chest and smashed on the half-formed spikes in front of me. The hole in my chest closed as quickly as it had formed. I had finally done it. I had a constant defence. I smirked, advancing on Overhaul. "Get Eri out of here."
He sent row after row of spikes to attack me, but each point went straight through my body as I walked through them. There was no damage. This must have been what Sir saw to lead him to sign me on as a work-study. My quirk was best suited against him – especially with this new skill. I took off running to Overhaul, letting the atoms around my hands reform into cement blocks as they hurtled towards him. He dodged the blocks and sent more spikes at me. They continued to move through me. I broke myself down – reforming in the air behind him. I landed a kick to his side. He turned, reaching for me with his ungloved hand. His hand went through my head. I ducked down and swung my legs, taking his out from under him.
"You're a permeation brat, too," Overhaul scoffed, pulling himself back onto his feet. He touched the ground, sending larger spikes at me. We were locked in the same motion; he would try to land a blow to me, but his attacks went right through me. I would land a hit on him, and he would go flying. I needed him worn down to arrest him.
"You're really obsessed with my quirk," I laughed. Why was I laughing at a villain? He screamed; curved spikes descended on me. The wall behind Overhaul broke open – Deku, Sir, and Aizawa rushed through. Midoriya cried out for me. I spun on my foot, landing a kick to Overhaul's chest. He flew back a few feet, leaning forward to touch the ground. The ground broke apart, massive spikes aimed at where Sir had entered from. "Hey! I'm over here!" Midoriya leapt forward, landing a punch to Overhaul. He flew back.
Overhaul hit the ground with his hand, letting out a distraught grunt. Aizawa had erased his quirk! He advanced on Overhaul with Midoriya while Sir went to Eri and Mirio. Mirio was in even worse shape now. We needed to stop the blood loss. He needed that side looked at. If only someone could heal. The lacky in white shot two projectiles from his head. He was alive? One hit Aizawa. He fell to the ground. Overhaul touched the ground again, and a field of spikes rose, catching everyone off guard. He grabbed onto the lacky in black that had tried to shoot me – merging their bodies. His four deformed arms were crooked to attack.
"Deku, take care of Lemillion and Eri," Sir ordered as he rushed in with his weighted seals. "Back them up, Polaris!" I nodded, breaking the spikes down so Sir had a clean shot for Overhaul. The atoms swirled around my hands. Overhaul sent another lane of spikes for Eri. I formed my Nebular Wall, the spikes halting at my wall. My heart sank. Sir Night Eye had a large spike through his abdomen while another dismembered his arm. I felt sick. I had put my wall up in the wrong spot! I let it fall. I reformed behind Overhaul, solidifying the dust around my fists into cement. I slammed my hands over his head. He stumbled forward but regained his composure. He sent more spikes toward me and behind himself. Midoriya was in that line of attack. He threw a leg down, causing the cement to buckle, creating his own shield. I reformed above Overhaul again, spinning my cement fists into his side. He went flying – having to break his spikes down before hitting them. Midoriya held his forearm – the end of a spike in him. I swallowed, lifting my hands to attack. Why did we not bring a medic?
The ceiling caved in, Ryukyu with her agency, and the villain they were fighting crashed down. I broke myself down, flattening the spikes below them. Overhaul exploded a platform from the ground; the edge knocked Midoriya back. Overhaul had Eri in his arms. I reformed my upper half, rushing after the rising platform. Midoriya used the falling debris to reach us. He called out for her – and she jumped. Overhaul destroyed the top of the platform and sent tendrils out to Midoriya. I grabbed the back of his costume and spun, throwing him to the surface. The tendrils went right through me. I turned, slamming myself into Overhaul. I dispersed my body before we hit the ground. Overhaul's arm hung limply as he sat up. He destroyed his arm, reforming it anew. He touched the lacky that Ryukyu had defeated, destroying his body. His body bubbled as he reconstructed his cells – merging with his lackeys into a monstrosity.
I rushed upward as Overhaul destroyed the street above. I followed him into the sky; Midoriya had Eri wrapped on his back – the single horn on her forehead glowing. Eri's body was being used to make quirk-deleting bullets. What exactly was her quirk? Was he safe with her on his back? Overhaul kept destroying and remaking his body – keeping himself suspended in mid-air. Midoriya leapt into the air, punching Overhaul as he passed. Overhaul moved an arm, poised to hit him. I rushed up to meet him, grabbed his hand, and threw him out of the way of the arm as it phased through me. We continued like that – Midoriya landing harsh blow after blow while I kept him airborne and out of Overhaul's reach. He hit Overhaul from above and sent him crashing to the ground. He was knocked out. Deku had taken him down with a child on his back.
Eri and Deku were surrounded by a golden glow. He cried out in pain. Overhaul howled, placing a hand over the two. Chisaki was ripped apart from the lackeys he had merged with. The glow stopped abruptly, Eri fell to the side unconscious. What had happened? I let myself breathe. All that devastation lasted only forty-five minutes. Mirio had lost his quirk, and Sir was hanging on to life after a mere forty-five minutes. How could forty-five fucking minutes cause so much destruction and death? I reformed myself near the hole, letting out a shaky breath.
"Are you hurt, Polaris," Aizawa raised a brow, pulling me from my despair. A paramedic was fussing about him. I felt fine. My lungs weren't burning. I could breathe. I quickly unlaced my boots, pulling my socks off. The thick leather had helped shield me from being burned. I nodded, putting my socks and boots back on. "You should come with us anyway, just in case." I reluctantly joined him and Midoriya in the ambulance with Uraraka and Tsu.
[B&M]
I dragged my feet, following Recovery Girl to the CT room. Sir had just passed, surrounded by everyone with a smile on his face. All Might even came after years of lost contact. I watched Recovery Girl speak, but her words did not reach me. I took the gown she pointed to with her cane and changed. I slipped into the CT machine, the machine firing away around me.
Makoto – keep smiling. You'll do astounding things.
Recovery Girl pointed with her cane to the fuzzy spots at the edge of my lungs. Unknown. Lesions. Abnormal lung tissue. Central Hospital. Two months. She led me to a private hospital room. I sat on the bed and let her hook an IV line into my arm, running a bag of blood into me. I didn't need the blood. She left me alone, and I let myself unravel. After a long while, a nurse entered my room and removed the IV. "Will I be able to leave soon?"
She shook her head. "Recovery Girl requested that you stay for observation with the others. Most of you will be discharged tomorrow. You're free to visit your friends, though." I nodded as she left. I cleaned up my face in the adjoining bathroom before leaving to find Kirishima's room. He was battered and unconscious when he was loaded into an ambulance.
I found his room and knocked. Midoriya opened the door. I entered, looking over the four boys. Midoriya had new scars on his upper arms. Fat Gum and Amajiki were covered in bandages, but able to move despite broken bones.
"Makoto!" Kirishima begged, "Can you please scratch my nose for me?" Kirishima's entire upper body and head were wrapped in bandages and splints.
I crossed the room, scratching the bridge of his nose. "What happened?"
He sighed. "My Unbreakable was broken through. Broke both of my arms, collarbone, and some ribs. Hey! Can you give Bakugo a call? He's been texting and calling like crazy, and I have no arms."
"Sure," I pulled my phone out from its pocket – a large hole through the upper half.
"What did you do to your phone?" He gawked.
I bit my lip – replaying the fight for the hundredth time. "It must've been hit when one of the spikes went through me." I checked the back of my case for my notes – they were gone.
Kirishima coughed, "went through you? Are you okay?" I nodded.
"You should have seen her, Kirishima," Midoriya pipped in. "Everything went right through Satoshi. You moved a lot like Mirko does, too!"
"What?" Kirishima shouted. "That's so cool! I can't believe I missed that. You can call him on my phone, though. Password is one, one, one, one."
"Thanks." I picked up his phone and headed into the hall. I opened his phone and called Katsuki. He picked it up on the first ring.
"About fucking time Shitty Hair. You and Makoto better be okay."
"We're okay. Kirishima broke both of his arms, but he'll be fine."
"Why didn't you answer your damn phone?"
"It got destroyed in the fight. I had it in my pocket, and a spike went through my leg."
"So, you're not fucking okay."
"Katsuki, it went through me. I finally figured out that ultimate defence."
"Well, shit. Is Deku alive?"
"Yeah. He got a little beat up, too, but he's good. Do you want to speak to either of them?"
"Naw. I just wanted to make sure you were all alive after what the news was reporting. How's Nighteye?"
I let out a whimper, covering my mouth as my eyes watered.
"Makoto-"
"I gotta go."
[B&M]
Midoriya opened the door to the dorms for everyone. I entered after the others, my hands clasped behind my back. The rest of the class was impatiently waiting in the living space. They rushed us, throwing question upon question.
"You're back!"
"Oh my gosh – we saw the news."
"It's about time you showed up!"
Hagakure wrapped her arms around Tsu, Uraraka, and me. "Thank goodness you're all okay!" I glanced around the room – Katsuki sat on the sofa, his eyes trailing me over. He gripped the back of the sofa, his knuckles white.
"Baku bro must've been really worried if he's still here," Kaminari leaned over the arm of the sofa and reached for him.
"Mind your own fucking business Sparky." Katsuki stood, walking to the farther sofa.
Iida lifted his hand as he shouted for everyone to quiet down. "You all saw the news coverage. Our classmates have been through an ordeal. If you want to help, you should console them quietly and let them rest their bodies and minds. I'm sure today wasn't just taxing physically, but mentally as well."
"Thanks, Iida – but this is okay," Midoriya reached out for his friend. Iida nodded, instantly shaking Midoriya while shouting his concerns for our wellbeing. Momo ran to make tea while Sato forcibly fed Kirishima a cake he had made.
"Sorry, I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed early." I apologized, turning away from the group.
"Oh, did that new technique take a lot out of you?" Midoriya spoke once Iida stopped shaking him. A few of my classmates looked between us, confused.
"Uh – yeah." I lied, continuing into the elevator, and up to my floor. I opened my door, locked it behind me, and dropped my bag as I entered. I was physically and emotionally drained. I wanted to be alone. I closed my eyes and immediately felt hot tears roll down my face. My lips quivered as I sobbed. Sir had died. If I would have gotten to Overhaul sooner, I might have been able to prevent his death. Mirio could have kept his quirk. But I had to let Death Wish preoccupy me. I covered my face with my hands and slid down the door. It was all my fault. If only I had followed Redemption's advice and worked on using my quirk for combat more. Why couldn't I have lost my quirk instead?!
The doorknob moved. "Makoto," Katsuki spoke as he knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"
I sniffled, "I want to be alone." I pulled my knees into my chest, wrapping my arms around myself.
"Please," Katsuki begged, "just let me in." I sobbed into my knees. Why was I such a crybaby? I heard Katsuki hit the floor and felt him slightly push back against the door.
"Why?" I choked out, wiping my face with my sleeves.
"I'm not leaving you alone. I'll sleep out here if I have to." Katsuki spoke, his voice quiet. I broke again, sobbing into my knees. We were quiet for a long while; my tears slowed, and my sobs ebbed. "It's not your fault, Makoto. Nothing you – or anyone else – could change what happened. He had foresight. He knew what the outcome was going to be." That was right. Sir would have seen his death and still went through with the mission. He still came to help at that moment. I wiped my eyes again and stood on shaky legs. I leaned against the door, turned the knob, and opened it. Katsuki leaned his head back and looked up at me.
"I'm going to get changed," I whispered, turning away from the door. I grabbed a pair of shorts and an oversized top from my closet, going into the bathroom to change. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection. My eyes were bloodshot and puffy. I had rubbed my skin raw. I ran the water, splashing it over my face. I turned the tap off and shed my clothing into the hamper. I spun in the mirror, double-checking my body. Despite hundreds of spikes going through me – not even one left a mark. I brushed my hair out with my fingers before slinking into my bedroom. Katsuki sat in the dark on my bed, the sheets pulled back. I sat beside him, staring at the floor.
His hand rose, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Sure, you're not physically hurt?" I nodded, turning enough to see his eyes examining every inch of my exposed skin. "It's late, you need your sleep." I laid down, my back to Katsuki. He lay behind me, pulling the sheets over the two of us. He rested his large hand on my hip, his thumb against my skin under my shirt. He pressed his body into mine.
"The time you came to my place in the middle of the night – how were you okay with it all so fast," I asked after a long moment.
"I didn't." What? "I held it in, got in a fight with Deku, and got four days of house arrest."
I turned to face him, "But you stopped crying…"
"Just because someone stops crying doesn't mean they're not still hurting." Katsuki rubbed his thumb along my exposed skin. "Cry or bitch as much as you need to. I'll be here. Just let me in the fucking door next time." I turned fully to him, my arms wrapping around him. He pulled me into himself.
"I'd do the same for you," I spoke.