Oboro Shirakumo's POV

"We have to start evacuating the civilians now, Oboro," Shota says tersely, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

"On it, Sarge." I give him a mock salute as I create a pair of cloud skates. I hop on, ready to leave. But then I turn back and quickly circle back around to Shota.

"Hey, Sho!"

"What is it?" he mutters, barely glancing up.

"Nothing. Just… be safe. We'll get through this, 'kay?"

He fixes me with a gaze as serious as the one I saw in his eyes when I first met him. It always seems as if he has the weight on the world on his shoulders when he thinks, because he doesn't want to lose anyone, to leave anyone he doesn't have to behind. A few seconds pass - we don't have that long - before it finally softens. But I notice the grip on his capture scarf tighten. "You too. Be safe."

I'm scared, and nervous too - we all are.

But this is what Heroes do.

Step up in the face of danger when no one else can.

I speed off on my cloud skates, racing through the streets. As I encounter scared civilian after scared civilian, I create a whole train of floating clouds. Soon, I have a heck ton of clouds floating behind me - a number I never thought I could control - and bring the civilians out of the danger zone.

The police and some sidekicks have already set up road blockages within a one-kilometer radius of the Villain's rampage. I flash the squad on duty a thumbs-up before kicking off the ground and up into the air, heading back in the direction I came. Now, to get back to Shota-

BOOM.

"Gah!"

My ears ring as if someone's held an clock to my ear and activated the alarm. I curse as I flail my arms, trying and failing to right myself as I plummet headfirst towards the hard asphalt. I raise my arms to spin a cloud out of the water vapor in the air, but I'm moving too fast to take control of enough of it.

I'm not going to make it. In seconds, I'll be squished into roadkill on the street-

The world rights itself as a black-and-gold blur slams into me, knocking all the air out of my lungs. Strong, muscled arms carry me forwards and upwards as I gasp for breath, the swift winds stinging my cheeks.

Ryota Shizen.

The Falcon Hero: Peregrine.

Ranked number twenty-five in the whole of Japan.

"Hey, kid. You one of Purple's interns?"

"I - um, yeah. Yes, sir." Tripping over my words, I finally manage to stammer out a response. I'm struck dumb by the sight of one of my favourite Heroes, one who just saved me from certain death, no less. I'm not usually like this, so if Zashi could see me now, he would be doubled over laughing. But I was plummeting to the ground with my life flashing before my eyes and then saved by Falcon Hero, freaking Peregrine.

So I think that might have something to do with it.

"Thank you so much, sir - 'm a big fan, probably - definitely - would have died if not for you-"

"It's what I do, kid. No need to thank me. For now, let's focus on staying alive and - Whoa!"

The Villain sends a flurry of razor-sharp blades flying toward us. Peregrine dodges, still holding on to me from under my arms. I create a cloud and jump down onto it, lightening his burden.

Looking down, I spot a small figure dodging the Villain's attacks down on the ground.

Dressed all in black.

"Sho!"

My shout echoes louder than I meant it to. As I watch on in horror, the Villain looks up back at me, bloodthirst muted under its dull eyes.

Sending blasts of Zashi's sonic shock waves at the buildings on Sho's left and right.

"SHO!"

I leap down from my cloud, bracing my fall along the way with smaller clouds. I hit the ground running, ignoring the burn in my muscles, unheeding of the warnings that my body sends me about having reached its limits. To my horror, a huge chunk of concrete has pinned Shota's arm to the ground. A slowly expanding pool of red liquid seeps from under the debris, soaking his left sleeve.

"Oboro, go," Shota says hoarsely.

"No. No, no, no! I will"

Time seems to stop. I can't breathe. The tsunamis of twisted metal and cracked cement close in from both sides, trapping us.

We're going to die here.

Ryota Shizen's POV

I dive down between the two rows of falling rubble. The kid with the cloud Quirk is having a panic attack - I would tell him to calm down, but there's simply no time for that right now.

With the force from my high-speed descent, I tuck my wings in, kicking the cement block with both feet. Thankfully, it cracks, but it's not the only thing that does. Pain flares in my left ankle.

"Get your friend on one of those clouds. We can make it."

Despite his panic, he steels his resolve and springs into action, desperately tugging his friend from under the debris and rolling him onto a cloud. We race off towards the end of the street where the buildings remain mostly untouched and I overtake them at the halfway mark.

That kid is fast, but not fast enough if he wants to live.

Neither am I.

My wings ache and my ankle burns as it flops around in the slipstream. I wince, swallowing my anxiety and pessimism into the pit of my stomach, as far down as it can go.

I've been in way tougher situations than this.

"Up. High as you can. You can do this."

He nods, swallowing. We begin a quick ascent as we keep moving forward. Beads of sweat roll down Cloud Boy's face. The only thing helping him to hold out now is the love he has for his friend.

"You've seen my Super Move?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm going to give you a boost. You'll make it out, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

He's composed now, focused only on getting his friend out alive. I grab his hand. "Wait for my signal."

We climb up, up, up still. Ten meters, twenty meters, thirty, forty, fifty until we just can't go any higher. The debris is closing in on us. He readies himself, fumbling to strap on his friend's goggles, and then his own.

"Now!"

I catapult him forward as he holds his friend close and begins a steep dive, the gravitational force boosting his speed.

This kid's a natural.

Folding my wings in, I dive after him. Then I feel the first blade spear me square between my shoulder blades.

Audio excerpt taken from the 7p.m. News on Hero News Network, 13 July

"Breaking news: An S-Class Villain's rampage kills top thirty Pro Hero Peregrine in downtown Musutafu. "The Villain Garvey first appeared in the city centre at 5.48 p.m. Seconds later, a massive blast destroyed one of the tallest buildings in the city, causing debris to rain down from as high as two hundred metres above ground level. "The second blast, in which the villain made use of the Quirk of a Hero intern on the scene, dealt a fatal blow to the Falcon Hero, piercing his vital organs with razor-sharp blades. It is still unknown whether his cause of death was the excessive internal bleeding or the blunt force trauma he received by the falling debris. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Thanks to his efforts, no other civilian or Hero deaths have been recorded thus far. On behalf of Hero News Network, we mourn the death of one of the greatest Heroes of our time. Sending our thoughts and prayers to the wonderful family he has left behind."

Shota Aizawa's POV

"I - I'm so s-sorry, sir. I didn't - I-"

I jerk awake, wincing from the pain in my left arm. Scrambling to my feet, I spot my best friend on the ground, doubled over in pain and more anguished than I've ever seen him.

What exactly happened while I was out?

Then I spot the body lying on the ground, beat up and bloody - and the flow of blood doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Pale blue hair, yellow eyes, silver blades and lots and lots of red.

"Oboro," I call out hoarsely.

"Shota. Shota."

An invisible fist clenches at my heart. To see tears flowing freely from his eyes, to hear the desperation and anguish in his voice is just… heartbreaking.

I never want to see him like this again.

Peregrine coughs, his body spasming as blood paints his lips crimson red. Ignoring the flaring pain in my leg, I pick myself up and stagger over to my friend and the Hero who's just barely clinging to life by a thread. Though it seems like that thread might be snapping any minute now.

"I'll - I'll go call for a combat medic -"

"There's no use."

I can only watch as the color drains from Peregrine's face, while his expression turns increasingly relaxed. He fixes us with a calm, yet piercing stare.

"Sir, I-"

"It's not your fault, kid. It was that big toad's, you hear me? Not yours. I've been in the Hero game long enough to know that dwelling on these mistakes is the worst thing you can do. You boys are going to make fine Heroes one day."

"I always wanted to go out like this. Knowing that even after I'm long gone, the world will have strong, courageous Heroes like you to depend on."

I wonder if his life is flashing before his eyes.

I wonder what kind of regrets and secrets he has.

I wonder about the people he loves and is going to leave behind, and the people he once loved and will never see again.

I wonder about every goodbye he'll never get to say, and every goodbye he'll never get to hear.

I wonder about every life he saved, and every life he didn't.

He pushes a slip of paper into my hand and looks towards the sky, where the smoke caused by the numerous small fires all around is beginning to dissipate. "Go look for my wife and children. Tell them… I'm sorry. I'll never get to retire with my wife, or watch my children grow up and get married." He reaches out a hand towards the light of the setting sun.

Then it falls to the ground with a thud.