QUIET
Momo peeked around the bookcase. A librarian, tall, skeletal, with long bony fingers and a gaunt, pinched face, stood hunched over a desk, scrawling on parchment with a feather quill. She gestured with sharp hand signs, motioning to cut across the aisles while the librarian was distracted. Kaminari gave a clueless shrug. Momo tried again, simplifying her commands to finger pointing. Kaminari returned an equally inscrutable series of handwaves and headbobs.
Momo almost facepalmed herself, but Shoji caught it. Hand frozen an inch from her face, Momo wordlessly thanked him and anxiously looked back at the librarian. Their shadow flickered from in between a distant set of shelves.
Not bothering to signal, Momo hurried down another aisle. Momo scanned the shelves while the others kept watch for the librarian. Finding her objective, Momo almost let out a shout of triumph. Everyone glared at her, and she gave them a wordless apology.
As they hurried towards the exit, Shoji halted them. Seconds later, the librarian's shadow loomed across the doorway. While they breathlessly waited for the danger to pass, Hagakure asked, "What's the holdup?"
Everyone jumped. Momo was about to scold her, but the words died in their throat.
"What? I know you can't see me, but you're not deaf!"
Kaminari, shaking and pale-faced, pointed behind her. Hagakure turned around, and looked up. And up.
"Oh."
The librarian glared down at Hagakure. "No talking in the library." It rasped.
"Sorry, I'll be-"
The librarian's hand darted out. Hagakure struggled as the librarian lifted her by her neck. "No talking!" it shrieked.
"Guys… hrrk…"
Momo and the others, in wordless agreement, sprinted for the exit. The librarian barred their path. "Check-out before leaving."
Momo almost spoke, and instead shook her head. The librarian's expression darkened. "No checkout? No leaving."
The librarian reached for her. Momo and the others split up, but the librarian stalked after Momo alone. With a silent prayer, Momo hurled the book over the shelves. Shoji caught it, only to come face to face with the librarian.
"Give it!" it shrieked.
Shoji ran back. He saw Momo beckon him and offered prayers to whatever eldritch patron might hear him. Once he passed her, Momo put up a giant mirror.
The librarian shrieked, "Thieves!" as it saw its own reflection. It froze. To the reflection, it said, "Silence in the library." It glared. "Silence!" It reached out, and its reflection reached back. Both sets of arms started strangling.
With the librarian distracted, they all made a break for the entrance. "Phew!" Kaminari said. "That was close."
Librarian and reflection alike turned to glare at him. The reflection stepped out of the mirror. They almost made it to the door when the librarian and their glassy doppelganger snatched them. The librarian's mouth opened impossibly wide, with endless rows of jagged teeth, when a lightsaber sprouted out from their chest.
Izuku said, "We no longer need the book. Nezu found his copy."
Everyone groaned, and Shoji hurled the book away.
498
The librarian dusted itself off, returned to its ledgers, and silently cursed Nezu as it put the book on teamaking back in its place.