My Hero Academia: The Story of Twin Heroes

by Guy with a fanfic acount

[MHA AU Fic] "What if Izuku had a Twin Sister?" (This story will follow the main show.) After a Villain encounter, Izuku Midoriya meets All Might and learns the truth. Meanwhile his sister, Ami Midoriya, born with a dangerous quirk, tries to overcome her insecurities to become a hero. (Season 1 Done. S2 ongoing.) Reviews are needed & appreciated. :)3YR ANNIVERSARY! Eventual Romance

33. S2 Chapter 23: Prelude to Terror!

Hosu City - During Day 2

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Her tail clacked against the concrete in her sleep. She snored loudly in a peaceful sleep, using her claws as a headrest. She was having those thoughts again. Blurred images of things that once were. Things she had a hard time imagining whenever she was awake.

It was the house dream again. A two story home painted light blue with a white trim. She saw this house a lot in her dreams. It gave her comfort. It gave her peace. It gave her warmth. She curled her lips upward, remembering those feelings. Suddenly, she was inside the house. She saw lights wrapped around a tree. She'd seen those before during her work hours in window displays. She didn't know what it was doing in her house. She could hear footsteps in the house. She wasn't alone. Usually, that would trigger alarms in her head that danger was approaching. But she didn't sense danger. She couldn't see what the source of the approaching footsteps were, but she wasn't scared of them. Oddly enough, they gave her more comfort.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Her tail hit the concrete again. Suddenly, she was staring out an open window. The second floor, presumably. The wind made the drapes flow ever so slightly. She felt warmth in this memory, despite the chill from the open window. She stared out at the Moon through the window, noticing the lunar phase. Lunar. There was something about that word that made her feel different. She couldn't explain the feeling, choosing only to focus on the image of the Moon through the window.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEP

The loud noise interfered with her dream, causing her to wake up, but not before several glimpses went by. Dark clouds covered the Moon, followed soon by the feeling of suffocation. She let out a snort, feeling her claws sink into the concrete. Suddenly, she was outside. Cars zoomed past her on the side of the road. All except for one. She heard the door open up, seeing a dark figure staring back at her. Suddenly, she was in the water. There was glass in front of her, too. She could see something looking at her through the glass with a crooked smile. She let out another snort, feeling bubbles fly above her mouth.

Her eyes opened up, quickly standing on all fours. She growled in frustration, looking down at the concrete floor. There were cracks on it from where she sank her claws. She snarled and turned her head towards a door. It was closed. She heard vehicles moving on the ground as well as the sounds of people talking. She sniffed the air and sensed no danger approaching, walking over to the ledge. She looked down and stared at the source of what woke her up. A school bell. Children were rushing out of the front doors with glee. She narrowed her eyes at them and flared her nostrils, sending air out of her nose in annoyance. Children. Something about them confused her and she didn't like it. She watched them all enter a yellow bus and activated her quirk, turning invisible before a kid could look up at the sky for no reason and spot her on the roof.

It was the afternoon, naptime was over. She let out a snarl and walked past several cracks in the concrete. She liked to sleep up here. No one ever opened the door to the roof, giving her a chance to sleep somewhere that wasn't that bar within a building. She remembered her instructions and growled, heading towards the back of the school. She looked down at the nearby building and leapt off the school roof, dropping onto the roof of the nearby building. She had seen enough of the school and the children below. She had work to do. Her instructions were clear. It wasn't time for the abduction to begin, not until she had received permission.

Ami's Internship - Day 3

"Wow." Hayato gasped with awe. Standing in front of him was Ami in what he easily identified as her hero costume, making him practically glow with excitement. He smiled wide and approached her, clenching his fists in joy.

"What do you think of my costume?" Ami asked, looking at the positivity flowing from his face. With a face like his she already knew what he was thinking.

"You look awesome!" Hayato said, confirming her thoughts. Ami nodded with pride, crossing her arms and keeping a professional stance. She grinned in satisfaction and looked at Hayato.

"Hehe. Knew you'd like it." Ami smirked satisfyingly at Hayato. He was too busy staring at everything to see her own face.

"I love it! One day, my hero costumes gonna be just as cool as yours!" Hayato stated with certainty, continuing to circle around Ami.

"Who says it isn't as good as mine right now?" Ami smirked, placing her hand on his hair and ruffling it. He appreciated the comment, giving him a boost of confidence.

"Hehe." Hayato laughed. He stared down at his wrist and looked at the time on his watch. He stopped circling Ami and finally made eye contact with her.

"Are you gonna patrol around the city again like yesterday?" Hayato asked, curiously. Ami's smile straightened up as she pondered the question, giving him a nod.

"Yeah. I think so." She said, making Hayato's smile falter ever so slightly. Ami noticed his expression change and knew he wanted more time to spend with her.

"You're gonna be here after school is over, right?" Ami asked, receiving a nod from Hayato.

"Yeah, but I'll have homework to do." He said, begrudgingly. Ami smirked and came up with an idea.

"Then, how about this? Get your homework done as soon as you get here. That way, by the time me and Backdraft get back, we can hang out and play games at the Arcade." Ami suggested, causing Hayato's smile to widen even more.

"Sound like a plan?" She asked, receiving a nod in rapid succession.

"Really?" He asked, feeling his excitement burst through the roof.

"Mhm." Ami nodded, making Hayato throw his fist into the air in joy.

"Alright! Thanks, Ami." Hayato exclaimed, quickly hugging her before she could blink. She let him do it and giggled, ruffling his hair with her hand for a second time.

"Just make sure you complete it before I come back." Ami said, receiving a quick nod from Hayato.

"I will!" He exclaimed, pulling away and putting on his backpack. He fixed his hair and quickly prepared for school. Ami smiled at his excitement and reminded him of the time.

"Wow. Look at the time." Ami said, staring at the clock on the wall, "Your butler's probably here by now. Better get to the lobby." Ami reminded him. Hayato finished tidying up his school uniform and nodded profusely at Ami.

"Uh huh. Bye, Ami." He said, bolting towards the front door. Without a second to lose, he twisted the doorknob and opened the door. He quickly stepped into the hallway with his hand waving in the air in goodbye. Ami watched in amusement and waved at him as well even though he couldn't see it.

"Bye!" She hollered, hearing his footsteps run down the hall. She dropped her hand when she heard the footsteps come to a stop, followed by a sound of impact.

"Oof." Wyvern said, gripping onto Hayato's shoulders. Hayato turned the corner and nearly ran straight into Wyvern at full speed.

"Hey, Sparky. No running in these halls, remember?" Wyvern said, receiving a nod from Hayato.

"Sorry. And it's Spark Plug!" He firmly proclaimed. Wyvern flared his nostrils in amusement and let go of Hayato.

"Awake already, huh?" Wyvern noticed, folding his arms together and staring at him with a stoic expression.

Hayato nodded in response, turning his head back at the hallway. Wyvern raised his eyebrow and followed Hayato's stare.

"Ami gets up early." He stated, causing Wyvern to smirk slightly. That was a good sign.

"Does she now?" He asked, rhetorically. Hayato simply nodded in response. He huffed and shrugged his shoulders, "Great. Less work for me then," he mumbled, staring back at Hayato stoically.

"Thane's waiting for you in the lobby. Don't keep him waiting." Wyvern said, pointing down the hall leading to the lobby. Hayato nodded and walked around Wyvern.

"Uh huh. Bye, Wyvern. Bye, Fuego." Hayato said, running down the halls.

"Later, Sparky!" Wyvern waved, hearing a disappointed grunt from down the hall. He scoffed a bit in amusement from the grunt, returning to his stoic expression.

He stared down the hallway and continued walking towards the guest room, quickly reaching the opened door. He politely knocked on the wall before peeking his head inside, making eye contact with Ami Midoriya in her hero costume.

"Morning, Ames. Sleep better this time or did you do some more late night recon?" Wyvern asked, making Ami frown slightly. She shrugged it off and sighed.

"Better than last night." She replied, getting a quick nod.

"So, you showed Sparky your hero costume?" He asked, brightening the mood.

"Mhm. He loves it! I was so happy!" Ami admitted, clasping her hands together with joy.

"Good to hear." Wyvern said, "So, you ready to head out?" He asked, leaning on the doorframe. Ami smiled and nodded, looking at him with curiosity.

"Where are we going today?" She asked, receiving a quick shrug in response.

"Beats me. You can ask him yourself down in the garage. We're going back out on the firetruck." Wyvern explained. Ami nodded at his response and exited the guest room, walking past Wyvern and letting him close the door behind her.

"We're? So, you're coming, too?" Ami asked, looking back at him with her eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. Don't worry, though, I've got no plans to mess with you. Just need the free ride." Wyvern replied. Ami looked at him with a confused glance, wondering what he meant.

"Where does he want to go?" Ami questioned herself.

Hosu City Streets

Backdraft drove through Hosu's moderately busy streets with Ami and Wyvern in the firetruck. Wyvern was reclining in the back without a care in the world, covering his eyes with his goggles. He laid down in a comfortable position and quietly ate his pretzels. Ami sat in the passenger seat, watching Wyvern with her head turned.

"What are you looking at?" Wyvern asked, lifting up his goggles and raising his eyebrow at her. Ami looked away and apologized for staring.

"I was just wondering what you were doing back there." Ami said, causing Wyvern to shrug. He put his goggles back on and resumed eating.

"If you want a pretzel, Ames, just ask." Wyvern said, throwing a pretzel into his mouth. Ami looked at him in silence and shyly spoke up.

"Can I..?" Ami asked.

"No." He stated, solemnly. Ami flared her nostrils and narrowed her eyes, looking away from him in annoyance.

"I thought you said you wouldn't mess with me?" Ami questioned, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, plan to mess with you. Doesn't mean I can't improvise." Wyvern stated, making her scoff.

"Hehe." Wyvern chuckled, eating another pretzel.

"Settle down, you two." Backdraft said, "The day's just started." He said, calming them down.

Ami sighed and relaxed into her seat, staring out the passenger window. She took in all the sights of the city as they drove by, getting a look at the citizens daily lives. People were out walking around and enjoying life, it was almost hard to believe the Hero Killer was in the city. She wondered where her friends were right now, especially Izuku. With what he told her through the phone it sounded like he was making great steps in handling One For All. She then moved onto thinking about her friends. None of them were in Hosu City, except for one. Iida. She frowned a bit and covered her face, staring out the window and wondering where Iida was in the city. As the firetruck came to a stop on a red light, Ami was deep in thought.

"Whoa, look at that! It's Backdraft's fire truck." A citizen said, standing on the sidewalk. Other citizens walking on the sidewalk stopped and stared at the firetruck, catching a glimpse of Backdraft.

Ami tensed up and snapped out of her thoughts, looking out the window and seeing everyone stare at the firetruck. Their happy expressions caused Ami to smile brightly, improving her mood then and there. She wondered why Backdraft was getting such a positive reaction from the people here. It was like this yesterday at the shopping mall as well, raising her curiosity even higher.

"You're pretty popular here." Ami said, looking at Backdraft holding the steering wheel with watery hands.

"You do know I'm not just famous in Musutafu, right?" He teased, making Ami laugh.

"I know." She giggled, watching Backdraft drive. He lightly chuckled and gave her an explanation.

"Last year, there was a big fire in one of the apartment complexes nearby. Not too different from the apartments outside the window." Backdraft stated, causing Ami to look out the window and stare up at the apartments.

"It was a rather old complex and it was supposed to be inspected the week after, however, an air conditioner caught fire in a resident's room." Backdraft explained, jogging Ami's memory.

"Oh, that's right, I remember hearing about that. Manual arrived first, right?" Ami asked, receiving a nod.

"Mhm. He was the first to arrive along with the local fire department. Unfortunately, the flames were too out of control by the time he arrived. Because of that, he asked for help from nearby fire departments. And I was the closest water hero in his vicinity." Backdraft explained.

"Yeah, then you and Manual evacuated the complex and saved everyone inside." Ami exclaimed, making Backdraft smile with pride.

"Thankfully, yes." Backdraft nodded.

"I'm not surprised you've heard of it." Backdraft noted, receiving a nod.

"Yeah, I was watching it on my TV at home." Ami said, thinking back to last year. She sat crisscross on her bed and stared at the screen, biting off her fingernails. The flames almost covered the entire building with smoke coming out of nearly every window. It was so bad she was feeling anxious.

"It was really bad. I didn't think you'd be able to get everyone out." Ami said, remembering that nervous feeling in her stomach.

"Fortunately, we did." Backdraft said.

"That was a good day, honestly. Once we extinguished the fire, surveyed the damage, and made sure it was safe, we celebrated all night. At least until I had to return to Musutafu." Backdraft said.

"That sounds amazing."

"It was. You'll know that feeling, too. Eventually." Backdraft said, glancing at Ami with a smile.

"For a second, you really had me thinking you were gonna tell Ami about that fish in the apartment fire story." Wyvern interrupted, causing Ami to raise her eyebrow.

"Fish in the apartment fire?" Ami asked, hearing a chuckle from Backdraft.

"No, but that's also a good story. Perhaps I'll tell you some other time. Wyvern we're almost at your stop, want me to drive over there?" Backdraft said, looking down several city blocks.

"No, you can pull over here. I'll walk the rest of the way." Wyvern said.

"Sure thing." Backdraft said. He nodded and started to pull over. Ami looked at the two heroes in confusion. Ami felt the fire truck come to a stop and sat up straight, expecting to leave.

"We're staying in the truck, Ami." Backdraft said, getting her attention.

"What's going on?" Ami asked in confusion.

"I'm leaving. Told ya I wanted the free ride." Wyvern said, tapping her on the shoulder. He slowly maneuvered out of his seat and opened the side door. He jumped out of the firetruck and landed on the sidewalk, letting out a small yawn.

"Ugh." Wyvern groaned, rubbing his neck. He stretched his muscles and turned around, staring at Ami and Backdraft.

"If you see anything-" Backdraft said, before getting interrupted by Wyvern.

"Call, I know." He stated, understanding the risk. Ami looked at Wyvern in confusion and received a tiny smirk from the stoic hero.

"Later, Ames. Go put out a fire for me." Wyvern said, getting her to smile slightly.

"Will do." Ami nodded, watching Wyvern turn around and walk down the empty sidewalk. She kept her eyes on him and lowered them in confusion, wondering what he was doing.

"Where's he going by himself?" Ami asked. Backdraft watched Wyvern as well and quickly answered.

"My guess? His investigation. Recognize the block up ahead?" He questioned, pointing down the street.

"No?" Ami replied, at first. She stared down at the street ahead with a puzzled expression.

"Look closely." He ordered, getting a nod from Ami.

"Mhm." She complied, examining every detail. She looked at the street and noticed it was strangely empty. Wyvern was the only person in her sight. She looked at the direction he was heading and noticed something that made her eyes widen. She saw bouquets of flowers on the sidewalk. Above the flowers was caution tape and cinder blocks that cordoned off an alleyway. Her eyes went wide in realization at what she was looking at.

"Wait. That's where-" Ami gasped, pointing at the street and turning her head towards Backdraft.

"Mhm. That's where Ingenium was attacked. And where Rocket lost his life." Backdraft said, making Ami shiver with goosebumps.

The Alleyway

Wyvern stood in front of the bouquets of flowers in silence, listening to the city in the background. He looked around the street and saw no one in sight. All of the stores were closed for the time being. No one dared return to the street where it happened. Where Rocket and Ingenium encountered the Hero Killer. He stared down at the flowers and sighed. The cinder block in front of him had a warning sign attached to it.

Active Crime Scene Investigation. No civilians allowed beyond this point. Police and Heroes only!

He took a deep breath and grabbed hold of the caution tape, carefully raising it up and slipping under. He entered the alleyway and remained stoic. He stood at its entrance and froze, listening around for any kind of sound. He heard nothing but kept his guard up. Taking another deep breath, he stepped forward into the shadowy alley.

He walked down the dark alleyway with his hands clenched, ready to attack at a moment's notice. Killers always return to the scene of their crimes. You just never know when it might happen. He steadied his breathing and stared down at the floor, police markings and sticky notes were on the floor. The notes described the order of events.

The Hero Killer had entered the alleyway first, doing something before making a sound. Rocket heard the sound during his patrol and went in to investigate. His last message was sent to Ingenium about hearing a strange noise and going to investigate. That's what tipped Ingenium off to head towards his position.

Wyvern looked at the dried blood stain on the floor and gritted his teeth in disgust. It was Rocket's blood. Based on Rocket's autopsy report. The Hero Killer jumped down and plunged his knives into the back of Rocket's body. The sudden attack caused Rocket to careen into the wall and fall to the floor. The fight was over before it even began. Rocket didn't find the Hero Killer. The Hero Killer found him.

Tape outlined Rocket's position on the floor, giving Wyvern room to imagine how it played out. A scratch mark was on the floor in the middle of Rocket's outline. The Hero Killer plunged his sword into Rocket's body, coming out through the other end and scratching the floor. The fatal blow that ended Rocket's life. Wyvern sighed and shook his head, kneeling to the floor.

He closed his eyes and held his breath, paying his respects to the fallen hero with a moment of silence. As he knelt there, he remembered the first day of the investigation.

Musutafu Police Department

"Furthermore, our future meetings won't be at this Police Station. We will be holding our meetings at the Quirk Museum in Hosu City. The retired hero, Imiter, has invited some of you to stay there for the time being. Staying there is voluntary, but it would be easier if everyone was under one roof for this investigation." Tsukauchi stated. The heroes in the meeting glanced amongst themselves and whispered comments and opinions.

"I'll go." Backdraft said, receiving a respectful nod from Tsukauchi.

"Backdraft, are you sure? Hosu is a ways away from Musutafu." Ingenium asked.

"Oh, it's not that far. Only half a day's drive. I've done it before." Backdraft said, brushing off Ingenium's concern.

"How bout you, Birdkeeper?" Tsukauchi asked, staring at a hero dressed like a hawk.

"I'll go." He nodded.

"Cliff Jumper?" Tsukauchi called out.

"I'll stay in the investigation if you'll allow me. But, I'll be working here. Someone will have to pick up for Backdraft and Birdkeeper." Cliff Jumper said, receiving grateful nods from Backdraft and Birdkeeper. Tsukauchi accepted his answer and moved on.

"Okay, that's all the heroes in Musutafu. Are the rest of you in?" Tsukauchi questioned, receiving nods of acceptance from the Hose Heroes.

"The Quirk Museum is in our city. We'll stay at our agencies, but go there for the meetings." Ingenium said.

"Yeah." Native agreed, pointing at Ingenium with his thumb.

"Very well. This investigation will be run by me and Imiter. Before I conclude for today, I'd like to introduce all of you to the Hero working this case." Tsukauchi said, getting their attention. He stepped away from the table and made room for the arriving hero. The doors swung open slowly as the new hero entered the room. The heroes made eye contact with him and noticed his red hair and stoic expression.

"This is Wyvern." Tsukauchi introduced.

"Morning." Wyvern said, raising his hand up slightly at the heroes in the room. He stared at them all with a stoic expression. When his eyes reached Backdraft, however, they narrowed slightly. Backdraft stared back at Wyvern with a vague feeling of recognition. The other heroes in the room stared at him with confusion. They had no idea who he was.

"Who is he?" Rocket asked, looking at Native.

"I dunno?" Native shrugged in confusion.

"Lot of you have probably never heard of me, so-" Wyvern said, hearing a cough from Backdraft.

"Actually." The water hero blurted out, raising his pipe arm up.

"I believe I do." Backdraft admitted, getting looks of surprise from the other heroes. Wyvern stood stoically and raised his eyebrow, crossing his arms and waiting for it.

"Your father. He's the Flaming Dragon of Okinawa, correct?" Backdraft said, referencing a more famous name to the heroes. Wyvern leaned his head back slightly and scoffed in amusement.

"What?" Birdkeeper whispered.

"I didn't know that." Cliff Jumper admitted.

"Dragonflame has a son?" Native Whispered.

"The Dragonflame Successor: Wyvern! His quirk: Flaming Dragon! Wyvern possesses a sentient quirk made of living fire named Fuego! Try not to get on his bad side, though. His flames burn only for those he dislikes. And he's extremely temperamental." Present Mic announced.

"Heh. Well I'll be." Wyvern admitted, letting out a small chuckle as he unfolded his arms.

"Been a while since I was recognized because of my father." Wyvern admitted.

"Good job, Sprinkler." Wyvern said, congratulating the water hero. The nickname caused Backdraft to pause in bewilderment.

"Huh?" He said, feeling like a brick just fell on his head. He slumped a bit in his seat as he contemplated the nickname in silence.

"Yeah, my old man is Dragonflame. If you're wondering where the resemblance is, I get my looks from my mother's side." Wyvern explained, receiving nods.

"It's nice to meet you. I am Ingenium and this is Rocket." Ingenium said, introducing himself. He leaned over and extended his hand out. Wyvern quickly shook his hand before noticing the enthusiastic smile on Rocket's face.

"Can I just say that your father is super cool. I used to have his poster in my room!" Rocket said, feeling honored to be in Wyvern's presence. Wyvern smirked a bit and quickly shook hands with him.

"Thanks. Here's to working together, right?" Wyvern asked.

"Mhm." The heroes said in unison. The memory faded from Wyvern's memory, returning him to the present. He sighed once more and stood up straight, staring down at Rocket's outline. He clenched his fists even tighter and narrowed his eyes in repressed rage. He didn't care what the Hero Killer saw in Rocket. He didn't deserve to die.

"We'll take him down, Rocket." Wyvern muttered, finishing paying his respects. He examined the rest of the alleyway. Scrutinizing every detail pointed out by investigators before him. The scratches on the wall, the damage to the concrete floor, and the bloodstains from Ingenium's injuries. He looked up at the wall and saw more cracks on its surface, narrowing his eyes. The Nomu was watching them from the rooftops. He was likely using the rooftops to travel place-to-place without being seen. Especially with its invisibility quirk. He frowned and shook his head. Nothing was here. The Hero Killer disappeared and the Nomu could be anywhere. He took a deep breath and turned around, exiting the alleyway with a stoic face. He hid the anger growing inside of him.

Backdraft's Fire Truck

Ami sat in the passenger seat of the firetruck, feeling calm. The silence between her and Backdraft helped to relax her nerves. That sad feeling after watching Wyvern head into the alleyway had left her mind. She remained still and listened to the radio as Backdraft continued driving around the city. Sometimes voices would speak up on the radio, prompting Ami to raise her hopes up a bit at the possibility of helping. But most of the time the issue only required small police presence. Nothing too hero-worthy.

She leaned her head on her shoulder and stared out the window, trying not to get bored. The only thing stopping her from dozing off was the sunshine hitting her eyes.

"Backdraft, we have a problem. Over." A voice on the radio said. Ami raised her head up in alarm, staring at the radio. Backdraft grabbed the dispatch and pressed a button, speaking into the microphone.

"This is Backdraft. What's the problem?"

"We've got an apartment fire on our hands near downtown. We need assistance." The voice said, causing Backdraft to tense up.

"Copy that. We're coming." Backdraft stated, flicking a switch. The siren turned on atop the vehicle, signaling drivers to pull over. Ami tensed up as well and readjusted her posture.

"Where are we going?" Ami asked.

"To stop that fire before it gets worse. The coordinates are coming in now." Backdraft stated, staring at the GPS screen on the dashboard.

"Get ready, Ami. This is a real one." Backdraft instructed, causing Ami to nod in acknowledgement.

"Right." She said.

"Oh, and from here on out. You're Flame Guard." Backdraft said, acknowledging her hero name. Ami took his words to heart and smiled, nodding in understanding.

"Right." She exclaimed, ready to assist.

Downtown

A dark cloud of smoke filled the sky. Ami stared at the smoke as Backdraft made his approach. He slowed down the firetruck and slowly drove past other emergency vehicles. He turned off the sirens and stepped on the brake, reaching a screeching halt.

Ami stared out the front window and saw the smoke rising up into the sky. She gasped at the clear view and covered her mouth. The gray six-story apartment was a complete wreck. Smoke jutted out nearly every window with flames coming out of the first and second floor windows. Worst of all was the damage to the center of the apartment. There was a massive hole in the middle of the structure. She could see inside the hole and noticed several floors were caved-in. She couldn't believe the extent of the damage to the structure, making her wonder what could have caused such destruction. She looked down at the bottom floor and surveyed the damage. Small bits of smoke still rose off the charred remains of furniture and electronics, likely falling out from the cave-in. Large amounts of rubble covered the first floor making it impossible to see inside. Smoke was still rising out of the caved-in second and third floor, making visibility hard. Backdraft stared at the burning building and narrowed his eye, turning to Ami with a serious expression.

"Alright, Flame Guard. Stick with me." Backdraft said, opening his door. Ami nodded and followed orders, opening her door and exiting the firetruck. Backdraft looked around the street and stared at the many firefighters spraying water into the windows. Backdraft approached one of the firefighters and tapped them on the shoulder, getting his attention.

"Backdraft. You're here!" The firefighter said, sounding relieved to see the water hero.

"Where's your Captain?" Backdraft asked, getting down to business.

"That would be me!" An older man said, approaching Backdraft and Ami. Ami turned to look at the Captain and saw his whole firefighter outfit was covered in smoke. His hair was graying and he sported a scruffy mustache.

"I'm the man who called." The Captain said, extending his hand out. Backdraft promptly gave him a light tap on the wrist with his pipe arm.

"I recognized your voice, Captain." Backdraft nodded, turning his attention back to the building.

"Tell me what happened." He ordered, solemnly. The Captain obliged and gave a quick rundown of the situation.

"It's a total mess. A truck driver suffered a stroke behind the wheel and swerved straight into the apartment's main entrance." The Captain explained.

"And the hole?" Backdraft asked, looking at the frown on the Captain's face.

"It happened after I sent in the call. The truck exploded and shook the whole damn building. Then the floors above collapsed. No one was hurt by the initial crash. We even managed to pull the driver out in time. He's been taken to a hospital." The Captain explained.

"How many residents were evacuated before the explosion?" Ami said with concern in her voice. The Captain stared at her with an odd look, noticing how young she looked. He quickly noticed her hero costume and snapped out of it, quickly answering the question.

"60%. Everyone was evacuated on the first, second, and third floor. Some of the residents in the floors above managed to get out, too."

"And after?" Backdraft asked, hearing a sad groan from the Captain.

"That's the problem." He said, "I sent a team in to help evacuate the floors above. But when that truck exploded, it took out the stairwell on the third floor. Now the residents and my team are trapped inside and we can't reach them. To make matters worse, we lost contact. There's no telling how bad the situation is up there." The Captain explained.

"What about putting a ladder on the fourth floor windows?" Ami asked, causing the Captain to shake his head.

"We tried that but the smoke was too overwhelming. We couldn't see inside. There's no access to the roof either so we can't even do an aerial extraction." The Captain answered.

"Alright. You did your best. Captain. Continue spraying water through the windows and helping the people down here. The faster we get that fire stable, the better." Backdraft ordered. The Captain nodded along and raised his eyes in confusion.

"How are you going to get in there?" The Captain asked.

"We'll find a way." Backdraft replied, turning around and motioning his wrist towards Ami, instructing her to follow. The Captain saw this and wondered who she was.

"Wait. Who is she?" The Captain asked, making eye contact with Ami. Backdraft looked at her and quickly introduced her.

"This is Flame Guard: a Hero-In-Training. She's with me." Backdraft clarified.

"Are you sure it's safe for her?" The Captain asked, with some slight worry. He wanted to make sure the stress wouldn't get to her.

"She's fine. Trust me, you'll need her help to deal with this fire." Backdraft said, receiving a nod from Ami.

"Alright. Stay safe, Recruit." The Captain said, giving Ami a nod. She smiled at him and brought her hand up to her forehead, performing a salute.

"You too, Captain!" Ami yelled. She quickly turned around and followed Backdraft as he made his approach to the building.

"C'mon!" Backdraft commanded, waving at Ami. Ami picked up the pace and quickly ran up beside Backdraft, looking at him and awaiting orders.

"What's the plan?" Ami asked.

"I need you to help the firefighters extinguish the flames on the first three floors. Once they're out it'll be easier for us to go in-and-out." Backdraft ordered.

"Okay. What about the people trapped upstairs?" Ami questioned.

"I'll see what I can do about the stairwell. If I need help, I'll call you. Our helmets have stronger radios so we should be able to communicate." Backdraft answered. The two approached the entrance and stood in front of the destroyed door.

"You ready, Flame Guard?" Backdraft asked, looking at the worried expression on Ami's face. She looked at Backdraft and gulped, removing her frown and looking serious.

"Ready." She affirmed, wanting to go inside. Backdraft nodded in response and activated his quirk, creating a watery fist from his pipe arms.

"Let's go." Backdraft ordered, entering the building. Ami tensed up and focused, running inside with Backdraft. The outside world disappeared behind them as they entered the smoke-filled halls. They stood in the lobby and looked around the charred room. Small flames were scattered on the floor around them, prompting Ami to activate her quirk. She bent down and stood on one knee, staying below the trail of smoke on the ceiling. She opened her mouth and inhaled, sending the flames flying straight into her mouth in an instant. Within seconds, the lobby was free of loose flames.

"All clear." Ami said, nodding at Backdraft. Backdraft watched her utilize her quirk and smirked, earning his approval.

"Hmph. Check the rooms. We can't risk another fire starting up from any electronics." Backdraft ordered, impressed with her quirk. Ami nodded and looked around the lobby. She spotted two elevator entrances on the left wall and an open door to the right. She spotted a sign on the wall beside it, recognizing it instantly as the stairway.

"Backdraft, the staircase!" Ami shouted, pointing at the door. Backdraft stared at where she pointed and spotted the door.

"Well done." Backdraft complimented, nodding his head in thanks.

"I'll leave you to deal with the fires down here. Be careful. These walls don't look like they're collapsing anytime soon but you never know." Backdraft ordered.

"Got it. I'll go check those rooms." Ami said, running down the hall. She reached the first door she saw and checked inside, scanning the room for anything the firefighters missed. She swallowed the flames in the room and gulped, extinguishing them in her mouth. She entered the room and checked behind every door, extinguishing more and more flames. When the room was all clear, she exited the room and moved on to the next.

"So much fire." Ami mumbled, feeling the heat inside the room. She kept her body low to avoid swallowing smoke and impeding her ability. She couldn't afford to mess up or slow down. Going room-to-room she swallowed more and more flames off the walls and floor, clearing the entire first floor. She ran out into the lobby and panted, feeling the flames swirling around her mouth. She gulped and extinguished the flames, swiping her lips with her arm. She looked around the lobby and noticed the visibility had improved. With no flames left to produce smoke on the first floor, it was starting to clear up. She smirked victoriously and nodded to herself.

"Backdraft. The first floor is clear." Ami said, hearing Backdraft respond.

"Well done, Flame Guard! You're doing great." Backdraft praised, "Can you keep going?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Ami assured me, feeling confident.

"Good. Five floors left." Backdraft said, looking at the pile of rubble that blocked the entrance to the fourth floor and above. He walked up to the rubble and scanned the walls on each side. He placed his wrist on the wall and knocked, testing its strength. He flared his nostrils and groaned in frustration.

"Damn. It's a load bearing wall…" Backdraft said out loud. He couldn't risk clearing the debris or blasting a hole with his pressurized water cannon without risking the collapse of the entire floors above. He shrugged and shook his head, stepping as close as he could to the rubble. He leaned forward until his head was touching the rubble, listening in for any noise.

"Can anyone hear me!" Backdraft shouted.

"Hey, I hear someone on the other side! Captain, is that you?" A fireman asked. Backdraft smiled at the voice, feeling a sense of relief that people were still alive.

"I'm not the Captain, but I'm here to help." Backdraft stated.

"Backdraft?" The firefighter questioned through the wall.

"Yup. What's the situation up there?" Backdraft asked.

"We've gathered everyone up here but we can't get out. We're trying to hold on for as long as we can. Can you clear the rubble on your side?" The firefighter asked.

"No, I can't. It's load bearing. We're gonna have to find another way to get you down." Backdraft stated, hearing a couple groans through the rubble. He could hear them talking amongst themselves before speaking up to him.

"But, there is no other way, sir!" The firefighter shouted.

"I know." Backdraft frowned, closing his eyes. He gritted his teeth and clanked his wrist against the rubble out of frustration.

"Ugh. But there has to be." Backdraft grumbled, pacing around in contemplation.

Ami entered the stairway and reached the second floor, rushing inside without slowing down. There was more smoke coming out of this floor than there was below. She came to a stop at the stairway entrance and stared down the hall. The floor was tilting downward towards the middle, likely from the partial collapse. She could see the hole in the middle of the hall on the right side. Small pieces of light entered the building through the hole, improving her visibility.

"The truck must be what's keeping this entire floor stable." Ami thought, carefully stepping forward. She placed her hand on the wall and kept herself balanced as she tiptoed down the hall. She clenched her teeth anxiously as she took a step, hearing the floor creak and groan. She flared her nostrils and remained calm, slowly creeping towards the first door she saw.

She grabbed the broken charred door and kicked it open, swinging it on the wall. She made sure the door was hinged and wouldn't close on her face. After checking, she nodded to herself and grabbed a hold of the doorframe and slipped inside the room, throwing herself on the wall. She took a deep breath and caught her bearings, looking around the room. Only tiny bits of flame were inside the room, making clearing it a lot easier.

Ami activated her quirk and swallowed the flames, leaving no trace left behind. She gulped and checked the other rooms inside, clearing them all in a second. She slowly returned to the living room and threw herself onto the wall again. She placed her right hand on the doorframe and slowly tiptoed out the door. She stepped out of the room and switched hands, placing her left hand on the doorframe.

Rumble

Ami froze with fright as the floor she stood on shook slightly, tilting the floor an extra inch lower. She tightened her grip on the doorframe to hold herself so she wouldn't fall. However, unbeknownst to her, the shaking had caused the door behind her to unhinge itself.

Crack

The door slammed shut with her fingers still touching the doorframe, causing her eyes to almost jump out of her skull. She let out a loud painful gasp and slammed her foot on the floor in shock, struggling to stand.

"AH!" Ami yelped, yanking her fingers out of the door in pain. Her loud painful gasp caused the flames she had in her mouth to fly outward on accident. Her stomp also caused the floor to shake again, making her almost lose her balance. She put her back on the wall and dropped to the floor, writhing in pain.

She gripped her left hand and felt her fingers throbbing in pain, gritting her teeth as hard as she could.

"Damnit…" Ami cussed, losing her restraint.

"I heard screaming downstairs. Flame Guard, are you okay?" Backdraft asked over the mic. Ami groaned and turned on her mic, swallowing the pain in. Tears fell from her eyes but quickly evaporated.

"My hand h-hurts." Ami groaned, hearing silence over the radio.

"Do you need help?" Backdraft asked with concern in his voice. Ami scowled and loudly exhaled, resisting the pain.

"N-no… I'm-I'm okay." She assured, gritting her teeth. She leaned her head on the wall and let go of her right hand.

She winced as she flexed her fingers, making sure nothing was broken. She took a deep breath and looked at the floor in front of her. The flames she threw up were starting to burn through the floor. She quickly opened her mouth and inhaled the flames, gulping them down and extinguishing the fire. She laid on the floor and flared her nostrils, forcing herself to slowly stand up.

CRACK

She completely froze up after hearing the floor make a loud cracking sound. She didn't even blink as the floor visibly cracked in front of her. She watched as the floor formed rips and tears that crept underneath her. She stared down at her boots and saw the cracks becoming more prominent beneath her. She gulped and instantly reacted out of instinct, sensing impending danger. She gripped her axe with her injured hand and held it with both hands, swinging it into the wall as hard as she could with her adrenaline. The axe pierced through the wall and stood firmly in place just as the floor gave way. She felt the wind and smoke blowing through her costume's cape.

"Gah!" Ami panicked, looking up at her axe on the wall. The floor collapsed and disappeared in the dust, leaving her clinging onto her axe. She held on with all her strength and ignored her pain. Her heart began racing when the axe started to jiggle and move.

"No no no." Ami said, repeatedly in fear. She looked around for a place to grab onto and panicked. She was too far from reaching the other side of the floor or the entrance to the stairway. She clenched her teeth and held on tightly. She watched as the axe slowly slipped out of the wall.

"I've got you!" Iida said, grabbing onto Ami by her left wrist. He held onto her left arm with both hands. She gripped her axe with her right hand and held on to it tightly. He clenched his teeth and slowly pulled her up into the stairway entrance. Ami threw her axe onto the floor and gripped the ledge, assisting Iida with pulling herself up. She fell onto the floor and panted, limbs sprawled out. Iida caught his breath and leaned on the wall, kneeling down with hands on his knees.

"Iida?" Ami questioned, surprised to see her armored classmate.

"I figured…you'd be here!" Iida panted, regaining his breath.

"Thanks for pulling me up. I thought I was done for." Ami smiled in relief, composing herself. Iida nodded and composed himself as well.

"You're lucky I was here in time. A fall like that could've caused some serious damage." Iida said, looking at Ami's narrowed eyes. She didn't need to hear that.

"You're welcome." He said, bowing his head.

"Mhm." Ami said, returning to smiling and lowering her eyes. She looked at the floor and picked up her axe using her left hand without thinking, causing her to wince slightly in pain. Iida saw her pained expression and raised his eyes with concern.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Iida asked. Ami shook her head in response, gently returning her axe back on her hip.

"My hand got crushed by the door. I'm fine." Ami admitted, causing Iida to worry.

"Are you sure?" Iida questioned in disbelief.

"Yes. I'll get it checked out later. After all this is over with." Ami said, solemnly. Iida had his hesitation in ignoring her injury but relented, nodding at her in understanding.

"Speaking of, if you're here, then-"

"Manual is here as well. He's upstairs with Backdraft as we speak." Iida answered, cutting her off. Ami nodded in understanding and stood up. She brushed some dirt off her costume and looked at the second floor. The hallway was mostly collapsed but there was enough space to inch across one foot at a time.

"We should probably head upstairs with the pro heroes." Iida said, putting one foot on the upper staircase. Ami shook her head in response and pointed at the second floor.

"Wait. I haven't finished clearing this floor!" Ami exclaimed.

CRUNCH

The building shook once again, causing the two to quickly place their hands on the closest wall nearby. The walls on the second floor started to rip, tear, and crack apart. The cracks reached all the way to the ceiling. In an instant, nearly all of the second floor collapsed to the floor below. The only walls left standing were the heavy supports, including the stairway and elevators. Ami and Iida with mouths dropped. They quickly closed them before they could inhale any smoke. They stared at the missing second floor and gulped. Ami felt her legs quake in fear at the danger.

"B-Backdraft…" Ami whispered, regaining her senses. Backdraft heard the distress in her voice and stopped what he was doing.

"A- Flame Guard. That was a really bad shake. Are you safe?" Backdraft asked, almost calling her name.

"We lost the second floor…" Ami said.

"..." Backdraft said nothing. He processed what she said and quickly turned around, heading downstairs. Manual immediately followed close behind. Backdraft reached the second floor and made eye contact with Ami and Iida. He then looked at the hall and froze.

"Oh, man…" Manual said, looking at the collapsed floor in awe.

"This is worse than the last apartment, Backdraft." He commented, receiving a nod from the water hero. Ami looked at the smoke covered ground and saw flashes of orange inside. She opened her mouth and inhaled, swallowing all the flames coming from the bottom. Backdraft scanned the surviving walls and looked at the ceiling. The heavy walls were still standing with minimal cracks. The ceiling had more cracks in it but was largely stable, making Backdraft sigh a bit in relief.

"The load-bearing walls are holding strong. We still have time to get everyone out." Backdraft said with a serious tone.

"Have you tried clearing the rubble?" Iida asked.

"It wouldn't help." Backdraft replied, shaking his head.

"Is there another staircase?" Manual questioned.

"Only this one." Backdraft sighed.

"How about the roof? Maybe we can jump across the building next door." Manual suggested.

"Even if we did, there's no access to the roof." Backdraft said, shaking his head again with a frown.

"We need some way to reach them. Somewhere open." Backdraft said, trying to think of something. The heroes continued going back-and-forth with suggestions and ideas. Ami listened to them all and could feel their hope slip away. She looked at the staircase and repeated what Backdraft said in her mind.

"Open…" Ami muttered, looking up at the staircase. It was a sizable space and the walls were still intact despite the conditions. It made her wonder what other parts of the building could still be intact. She looked back into the second floor and looked at the walls. In the back, Ami could see the walls weren't as damaged as the others. The walls supporting the elevators were still intact.

"I think I have an idea." Ami said, out loud. The heroes stopped what they were doing and looked at Ami with curiosity.

"What is it, Flame Guard?" Backdraft asked, hoping for something.

"What if we move the elevator's?" Ami suggested, getting incredulous looks from the three.

"We can't use the elevator in a fire." Iida said, looking at Ami like she was crazy.

"Tenya's right. There's no way they're working right now." Manual frowned. Ami shook her head and explained herself.

"We don't need them to work. We just need them to move." Ami said, receiving silence. Backdraft listened to her idea with skepticism. He looked at the second floor and stared at the intact walls in the back. The elevators were holding strong, making his eye widen in realization.

"She's right. If we move the elevators we'll be able to get those people out of there." Backdraft said, backing up Ami's idea. Manual looked at them both with skepticism.

"How are we gonna do that?" He asked, receiving an answer from Ami.

"Make them float." Ami said, receiving a nod from Backdraft. He had reached the same conclusion as well.

"..." Manual said nothing and looked at Backdraft for confirmation.

"Would it work?" Iida asked, looking at Backdraft incredulously.

It's a gamble. But it might." Backdraft nodded, causing the hope in everyone to return.

"Well, count me in." Manual said, clenching his fist. He brought it forward and motioned at them for a fist bump. Iida clenched his fist and bumped Manual's. Ami smiled at them and clenched her fist, joining in on the fistbump. Backdraft raised his pipe arm and joined in, clanking his pipe against their fists. They put their fists down in unison and nodded to each other, heading upstairs with determination. Manual and Iida went upstairs first while Ami and Backdraft stayed behind.

"Good thinking." Backdraft nodded, praising Ami's idea. Ami looked at her teacher with a happy smile, making her heart race with excitement. He went upstairs with Ami following from behind. The heroes entered the third floor and stood in front of the debris.

"Hey, is everyone okay?" Backdraft asked.

"We're still here." The Firefighter shouted.

"We have an idea." Backdraft explained. "Are you able to reach your elevators?" He asked. The firefighters heard the question and narrowed their eyes in confusion.

"Yeah?" One of them answered.

"Get them open. We'll talk there." Backdraft said. The firefighters heard the command and looked at each other in confusion. They walked over to the elevators and pulled them open. The elevator shaft was open and free of smoke. They looked down the shaft and made eye contact with Manual.

"How's it going?" Manual said, waving at them from the third floor.

"It's Manual." One of the firefighters said, pointing at the hero with a smile. Backdraft and Ami walked up the elevator door and looked up at the firefighters, making eye contact with their happy faces.

"And Backdraft!" Another one said.

"Hehe. Manual. Backdraft. It's damn good to see you two." The leader of the group said.

"Who are they?" One of the firefighters asked, looking at the two young heroes.

"Our Heroes-In-Training: Flame Guard and, uh-…" Backdraft introduced, pointing at them individually.

"...it's Tenya." Iida answered. The answer satisfied the firefighter, returning them to the main topic.

"So, what's the plan?" The firefighter asked.

"Here's what we're going to do: I'm going to hold the elevator up while you help get people inside so I can bring them down." Backdraft explained, receiving mixed looks of confusion and bewilderment.

"Uh…Are you serious? These elevators weigh more than a ton." The firefighter pointed out.

"Can't you just grab us individually?" One of them asked, causing Backdraft to shake his head in denial.

"It'll take too long and that's time we may not have. It's faster if I hold the elevator steady while you get as many people as possible on at once." Backdraft said, assuring them. The firefighters pondered the idea and nodded, accepting the plan.

"Alright. But how about we make sure you can hold the damn thing in the first place." The firefighter said.

"You can hold it, right?" Manual asked, looking at Backdraft questionably.

"I think so. If I just pressurize my fists just the right amount, I should be able to form a grip on the bottom of the elevator." Backdraft said.

"Well. Just tell me if it's too much." Manual said, receiving a nod. Backdraft looked up at the elevator and gulped, feeling his stomach churn.

"Flame Guard. Grab hold of my back please." Backdraft said, catching Ami off guard.

"Huh?" She asked.

"If I can't hold the elevator I'm going to need you to pull me back as hard as you can so I don't fall with it. Understand?" Backdraft asked, receiving a solemn nod.

"Right!" Ami said, grabbing hold of Backdraft with a serious face, "You've got this, Backdraft, Sir." Ami said, giving him encouragement.

"Thank you, Ami. Okay. Let's do this." Backdraft said. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting his muscles tighten. He reopened his eye and activated his quirk, glaring up at the elevator with pure focus.

"POSEIDON'S GRIP!" Backdraft announced, unleashing the power of his quirk. A massive blast of water erupted out of his pipe arms, filling up the shaft with water. The firefighters above watched as giant hands began to form in the water. Backdraft focused and pressurized his watery hands, making them stronger. He placed his hands on the bottom of the elevator and felt it jiggle slightly in his grip.

"I've got the elevator." Backdraft said, clenching his teeth.

"You ready for it?" Manual asked.

"Only one way to find out. Tell them to cut it." Backdraft ordered. Manual nodded and walked over to the second elevator shaft.

"Cut the cables!" Manual shouted, echoing through the elevator shaft. The firemen heard the shout and nodded, getting to work.

"Alright. Here we go…" The firefighter said, cutting the elevator cables.

CRRK! SSSSSKKKKKKRRREEEEEEEE!

The elevator cables snapped, dropping the elevator into Backdraft's hands. The elevator made a loud screeching sound as it scraped against the walls, creating sparks. Backdraft felt the elevator's immense weight on his watery hands and flared his nostrils, reacting fast to the change. He clenched his jaw even tighter and felt his veins bulging out of his muscles. He let out grunts and concentrated, pressurizing his hands even more. The elevator dropped at fast speeds, falling from the sixth floor to the fourth in seconds. The firefighters quickly stepped away from the elevator door and avoided the sparks. The speed caused Backdraft's boots to slide closer to the edge of the door, prompting Ami to hold him tighter. She flexed her muscles and gritted her teeth, keeping him steady.

"C'mon." Backdraft growled, trying to hold the elevator still.

SSSSSKREEEEEEeeeeee-

The elevator slowed down to a full stop on the third floor. Just barely missing the floor. Backdraft gasped for air and panted heavily.

"I'll be damned…" the firefighter said, looking down at the top of the elevator. Backdraft managed to hold onto the elevator without failure.

"You did it!" Ami exclaimed, patting Backdraft's shoulder. He smirked at his accomplishment but knew there was more that needed to be done. He focused hard and pushed more water out of his pipe arms, raising the elevator up.

"Tell me when to stop." Backdraft gritted, lifting the elevator upwards. Manual nodded and ran to the next elevator shaft.

"Is it on your floor yet?" He shouted.

"It's there. Tell him to stop!" The firefighter said, giving Manual a thumbs up.

"Stop!" Manual ordered, returning to Backdraft.

"Okay…" Backdraft panted, stopping the elevator from going higher. He mentally prepared for the added weight.

"Get them inside." Backdraft grunted.

"C'mon, everyone. Get in." The firefighters said, helping the citizens step inside the shaky elevator. Backdraft gritted his teeth even more with each weight adding up. Ami looked at him with worry, continuing to give him encouragement.

"Grrrrr. How many are inside?" Backdraft asked.

"Twelve. That's half of them!" Manual said.

"That's enough. Tell the rest to wait." Backdraft gritted.

"No more people!" Manual shouted, receiving a nod from the firemen.

"Got it!" They said in unison.

"I'm bringing it down now." Backdraft gritted, pulling the elevator down to the third floor. Slowly, Backdraft lowered his arms as gently as he could down to the third floor, making sure there was enough space for the citizens to crawl out.

"Flame Guard, Tenya, help them out." Manual ordered.

"We're on it!" Ami and Iida said, rushing towards the elevator. A hand came out of the elevator door. Ami grabbed the hand and pulled a young girl out. Then another. Then another. Then another. Iida was doing the same thing. They both took the hands of several children and older women and helped them climb out of the elevator. Their faces were covered in dust but their smiles showed they were grateful. Ami pulled the last hand out and looked inside the elevator, seeing no one left.

"Everyone's off the elevator, Sir." Ami said, looking at Backdraft.

"A-alright. G-going back up…." Backdraft grunted, feeling his arms shake heavily. The firefighters could see the elevator was shaking more and more, making them uncomfortable. Ami watched Backdraft struggle and returned to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder with a worried expression.

"You can do it, Backdraft." Ami said, trying her best to encourage him, "You have to." She pleaded. She tried to think of something that could get him hyped up and quickly acted.

"Do you remember UA's official motto?" Ami questioned, causing Backdraft to weakly nod.

"O-Of c-course." Backdraft replied. Ami narrowed her eyes and looked into his with a solemn expression.

"Then say it with me, Sir!" Ami shouted.

Go beyond-" Ami shouted.

"Plus Ultra!" Backdraft shouted, feeling his determination rise up. He growled and raised his arms up high, sending the elevator up to the fourth floor.

"That's good. Tell him to hold it." The firefighter said.

"Stop!" Manual shouted, causing Backdraft to hold the position. He braced himself for the added weight, feeling his whole face turn red. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as the elevator filled up once more with the last group of people.

"Grrrrrrr!" Backdraft grunted, feeling the immense weight on his arms.

"Okay, that's everyone!" A firefighter shouted, loudly. Manual heard their shout and quickly relayed it to Backdraft.

"That's everyone!" He exclaimed.

"Okay…." Backdraft groaned.

"Yes!" Iida exclaimed, throwing his fist in the air in celebration.

"You did it, Backdraft." Ami smiled, dropping it when she noticed how much he was shaking.

"T-t-too much. C-can't hold…on." Backdraft grunted, feeling his vision turn black from over exertion. He felt light headed and relaxed, causing his grip to loosen.

SSSSKREEE

The firemen and citizens grabbed the railings inside the elevator in fear as they suddenly dropped.

"Tenya, grab me!" Manual shouted, rushing to Backdraft's side. He crouched down and activated his quirk, sending a volley of water towards the falling elevator. He splashed more water onto the bottom of the elevator and concentrated. Iida quickly grabbed hold of Manual and pulled hard. Manual gritted his teeth and pressurized his water, assisting Backdraft's grip. Backdraft felt the weight go down in his troubled state and forced himself to keep going. The elevator came to a stop on the third floor.

"Everyone out. Quick!" Ami exclaimed, reaching her hand inside the elevator. She helped pull out the remaining innocent bystanders while the remaining firefighters crawled out by themselves. Ami looked inside the elevator and saw no one left inside.

"Everyone's out!" She yelled, causing Backdraft and Manual to gasp. They deactivated their quirks and dropped to the floor in exhaustion. The elevator immediately fell to the bottom of the shaft with a loud bang.

Rumble

"Backdraft!" Ami panicked, quickly grabbing him with both hands.

"Manual, are you okay?" Iida said, looking at Manual with worry. Manual panted in exhaustion, feeling sweat fall off his forehead.

"I'm a-alright…" Manual said, raising his chest off the floor.

"Ugh." Backdraft moaned, feeling exhausted. He opened his eye and looked at Ami. His exhausted state caused him to see two Ami's. He rolled his head to the side and saw the firefighters in the hallway. He groaned and pointed at them, weakly.

"Get everyone to safety…." Backdraft mumbled loud enough for everyone to understand.

"Yes. Sir." The firefighters nodded, listening to his orders. They turned around and quickly escorted the civilians down the steps.

"Thank you, Heroes." One of the firefighters said, walking down the steps.

"I can stand." Manual said, getting back up. He looked at Backdraft laying on the floor and frowned.

"Flame Guard, help him get on his feet." Manual ordered, listening to the building shake.

"Hurry." He yelled.

"Backdraft." Ami said, looking down at Backdraft.

"Huh?" Backdraft said, squinting his eye.

"We have to go." Ami said.

"Right." Backdraft groaned, coughing in discomfort. Ami pulled Backdraft off the ground and pulled his arm over the back of her neck. Backdraft weakly stood up and balanced on Ami's neck. Ami held on to him and carefully walked down the stairs. Eventually they reached the exit, getting bombarded with sunlight. Ami squinted her eyes as she walked out, feeling blinded by the light. Paramedics quickly rushed forward and approached Ami, checking on her condition.

"Are you okay?" The medic asked, putting his hand on her forehead.

"I'm fine. Help Backdraft." Ami nodded, glancing at Backdraft's winded face. The paramedics grabbed hold of Backdraft and pulled his arm off of Ami. She let go of him and watched the paramedics walk off with Backdraft in their arms. She frowned and wiped sweat off her face, feeling tired.

RUMBLE

Ami heard the loud rumble and turned around watching the building collapse entirely. The crowd watched the building fall to the ground in silence. Everyone that lived inside the building swiped tears off their faces. The building was gone, but they were all alive. Every single person living inside survived. Ami stared at the ruins and could see flames rising out of the debris. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. She opened her mouth and inhaled, sending the flames scrambling out of the ruins. Fire slithered out of the ruins and zoomed into the air, flying into her mouth in an instant. She kept going until nothing was left to consume. She closed her mouth and gulped, extinguishing the flames. She deactivated her quirk and panted, letting the smoke fly out of her mouth.

She relaxed and let her head drop, putting her hands on her knees in exhaustion. She took deep breaths and closed her eyes, taking in everything that happened. They did it. They got everyone out just in time. She felt her lips widen further than before with exhilaration.

Footsteps approached her from behind, causing Ami to turn around. She looked up and saw Iida walking up to her in silence. His helmet blocked his facial expressions. She raised an eye at him and watched him approach. He stopped about a couple feet away and raised his hand out, holding a bottle of water in his grip. Ami looked at the bottle in silence. She didn't need to see his face to know that he was offering it to her. She smiled and nodded in appreciation, grabbing the bottle out of his hand.

She opened the cap and drank the cold refreshing water. As she did, the crowds of onlookers and escaped residents stared at the heroes with a feeling of gratitude. A person amidst the crowd started clapping their hands, causing everyone else to start clapping, too. Ami, Iida, and Manual both looked around with smiles on their faces as the crowds clapped and cheered. Backdraft heard the cheering from the back of an ambulance and smirked. That's what he wanted to hear.

Late Afternoon

"Thank you for saving us, miss." A couple said, bowing their heads at Ami in thanks. Ami smiled and nodded in appreciation. Cleanup started immediately on the remains of the apartment. Backdraft, now recovered, had spearheaded the operation with Manual while Ami and Iida received praise from the escaped residents.

"You're welcome." Ami said, accepting their thanks. She looked over at Iida and saw what he was doing, watching as another person walked up to him and shook his hand.

"Thank you for saving me." The man said, receiving a bow from Iida.

"It was my pleasure, Sir." Iida said with a solemn voice.

"Thank you so much for getting us out." A woman said, hugging Ami. Ami's eyes widened in surprise and looked at the woman with an awkward smile. She was caught off guard but accepted the gracious hug, gently pulling her off.

"You're welcome. Ma'am." Ami said.

"And Backdraft. Tell him I said thank you, too." She said, receiving a nod from Ami.

"Will do, ma'am." Ami smiled, watching the woman walk off into the crowd with a grateful smile. Ami breathed a sigh of relief and wondered how many more would come to thank her. That was when she heard children's voices approaching Iida, getting her attention.

"Ingenium! Ingenium!" The kids said, running up to Iida. Iida heard the name and went wide eyed behind his helmet. He made eye contact with the kids and watched as they ran up to him and grabbed hold of his legs, hugging him tightly. He looked down at them in surprise, noticing the happy tears coming out of their eyes. His eyes lowered sympathy, letting them hug him. He placed his hands on their shoulders and let them cry on his armor.

"It's really you! You're back." The kids cried out, looking up at Iida's helmet.

"We saw what the mean man did to you on the TV." The kid on his left said.

"We were worried. But you're here!" The kid on his right said.

"We're so happy you saved us." They exclaimed, holding onto him even tighter. Iida listened to their words and processed them fully, feeling his lips quiver and his eyes get teary. Ami heard the children's words and covered her mouth, going quiet. She looked at Iida's helmet with concern, feeling sadness. Iida took a deep breath and patted them on their shoulders. He knelt down on one knee and looked at them directly through his helmet.

"It's alright. You're safe now. That's all that matters." Iida said, looking at their smiling faces, "you have nothing to fear as long as I'm around." He said, making them happy. They hugged his chest with smiles on their faces. Iida wrapped them around his arms and made them feel safe. After a minute, they let go of Iida with happy faces.

"Run along to your parents, okay?" Iida said, receiving nods from the two kids. They quickly ran off and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Iida alone on the ground. He watched them leave and tightened his lips, feeling them quivering again. He sighed and stood back up to full height.

"You didn't tell them?" Ami questioned in surprise, getting Iida's attention. He twisted his head around and stared at Ami's sympathetic expression.

"No, I didn't." Iida responded, confusing Ami.

"Why?" She asked. Iida contemplated answering, looking up at the sky in deep thought.

"It's what he would've wanted…" Iida said, thinking of the real Ingenium in his head. Ami frowned at him in sympathy, realizing he was going through several emotions behind that helmet.

"My brother was incredible. A caring person that saved many lives. Someone those kids looked up to. His final act as a hero shouldn't have been dying out in some alleyway. It should've been this." Iida said, clenching his fists into a tight grip. He flared his nostrils and walked off, catching Ami by surprise. She watched him leave in silence, understanding his feelings. She clenched her fist and nodded, holding her tears.

"And that's exactly what you did, Iida." Ami thought.

Backdraft and Manual huddled around the firefighters and emergency responders and nodded to each other. They listened to Backdraft's plan for clean up operations and broke off, doing their jobs. Backdraft and Manual stayed behind, breathing sighs of relief. Their job was done, now it was up to the clean up crew.

"Thanks for the assist, Manual." Backdraft said, looking at Manual with appreciation. Manual smiled and nodded, giving the water hero a thumbs up.

"Hey, you know I got your back whenever you're in town." He grinned, making Backdraft chuckle.

"But I thought you were patrolling the opposite end of town. How did you get here so fast?" Backdraft asked, causing Manual to laugh awkwardly.

"Ohhhh uh hehe…Tenya kinda gave me a ride." Manual admitted, embarrassed. Iida carried Manual on his back as he skated across street-to-street, heading to the fire in 20 minutes. Backdraft visualized it in his head and cracked up, making Manual chuckle.

"Not my finest moment." He said.

Vrrr! Vrrr!

Backdraft's phone vibrated in his pocket, getting the heroes attention. He stopped laughing and pulled his phone out, looking at the name.

"Who is it?" Manual asked.

"It's Wyvern." Backdraft replied.

"Ah. I'll leave you to it." Manual said, walking off. He gave Backdraft a nod as he went his way.

"Hello?" Backdraft said, answering the phone.

"Some fire, huh?" Wyvern asked, staring at the smoke in the air. Backdraft sighed and shook his head, dropping his shoulders.

"You have no idea…" He said. Wyvern heard the exhaustion in his voice and nodded in understanding.

"How'd the kid do?" He asked, changing topic. Backdraft looked around the crowded street and saw Ami sitting down on a chair with a paramedic examining her left hand. He smiled with pride and answered the question.

"She's a natural. She really saved the day today. You should've been there to see it. Her idea was brilliant." Backdraft smiled, beaming with pride.

"I'll read the report later." Wyvern said, "So, when ya heading back?" He asked.

"I just finished discussing clean up operations with the crew. So, we'll head out soon." Backdraft said, looking at the time on his watch, "Need a ride back to the Museum?" He asked, hearing a groan from the stoic hero.

"Don't bother. I'm walking up to the entrance already." Wyvern said, walking up the hill to the Museum.

"Ah. So we'll talk later?" Backdraft questioned.

"Uh huh." Wyvern said, hanging up abruptly. Backdraft looked at his phone and realized Wyvern hung up, raising his eye at the screen. He shrugged and rolled his eye, putting his phone away. He spotted Ami still sitting alone on a chair and made his approach. Ami looked up and saw Backdraft walking up to her, making her smile widely.

"Backdraft!" Ami exclaimed, getting up out of the chair. She ran towards him and dove in, hugging him tightly.

"Woah." Backdraft said, surprised by the energetic hug.

"Hehe. Thanks for walking me out, Flame Guard." Backdraft said, praising her actions. She smiled and let go of him, looking up at him with joy.

"How's your hand?" Backdraft asked, looking at her left hand.

"Hmph? Oh, it's fine now. The paramedics gave me some medicine to help with the soreness." Ami explained, holding out her left hand.

"That's good." Backdraft nodded, happy she was safe. Ami watched as a team of firemen approached the ruins and wondered if they would help.

"Are we gonna help with the clean up?" She asked, looking at Backdraft with curiosity. He shook his head in response.

"No, that's the clean up crew's job now. We're heading out." Backdraft answered, causing Ami to raise her eye.

"Where are we going now?" Ami asked.

"Back to the Museum. I figure that's enough action for one day, wouldn't you agree?" Backdraft said, making her sigh in relief.

"Mhm." She agreed, wholeheartedly.

"You did good, Midoriya. Things could've easily gone south but you remained calm. It was your idea that saved everyone trapped upstairs. I couldn't have done it without you. Don't ever forget that." Backdraft praised, making Ami's heart race with happiness. She squealed and jumped for joy internally.

"I won't." She nodded, feeling grateful. Backdraft nodded back in response.

Quirk Museum

Ami and Backdraft returned to the Museum with smiles on their faces. They entered the lobby together and were immediately face-to-face with Hayato.

"Ami!" Hayato exclaimed, rushing up to Ami.

"Hey, Spark Plug!" Ami exclaimed, making eye contact with the young boy. The two hugged each other in seconds.

"Hey, you got your hero costume on!" Ami noticed, clasping her hands together.

"Uh huh. I'm so happy you're finally back!" Hayato exclaimed, jumping around.

"Yeah, sorry. It was a crazy day." Ami said, pulling her helmet off her head. She brushed her hand through her hair and laughed.

"Was it the fire downtown?" Hayato asked, causing Ami to stop laughing in surprise.

"Yeah, actually. How'd you know?" She smirked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"It was on the news! Everyone's talking about it! You were amazing!" Hayato explained, causing Ami's eyes to widen. She twisted her head around and looked at Backdraft with a wide smile.

"Backdraft! I was on TV and it wasn't the Sports Festival!" Ami exclaimed, receiving a chuckle from the water hero.

"Congratulations!" Backdraft said, clanking his pipes together.

"Ami. I finished all of my homework while you were gone. Does that mean we can hang out now?" Hayato asked with a hopeful smile.

"Of course it does. But first I gotta make sure it's okay." Ami said, looking back at Backdraft. The water hero rolled his eye at her in amusement and quickly replied.

"You're dismissed. Go have fun. You deserve it." He said, making Hayato's excitement go through the roof. Ami smiled at him and nodded.

"Thanks, Backdraft." Ami said, looking back at Hayato, "C'mon, let's go!" She said.

"Yes!" Hayato exclaimed, grabbing Ami's right hand. He started pulling her forward to which Ami happily allowed him to. They left the lobby in a hurry as Ami realized she was still wearing her hero costume.

"I should probably change out of my costume." Ami thought, looking down at Hayato as he excitedly pulled her along to their destination. She thought about it and looked at Hayato's hero costume, making her smirk.

"Eh, it's fine." She shrugged, putting the thought aside. Backdraft watched them leave the lobby in a heartbeat and chuckled to himself, heading off towards a different direction. He exited the lobby and opened the doors to the Food Area, stepping inside with a blank expression.

Food Area

Backdraft approached an open stool and promptly sat down, feeling the weight of everything come to a crawl. He sighed and leaned forward, placing his arms on the table in relaxation. The stools beside him were empty, except for the one on his left. He glanced at his left and saw a newspaper blocking his view of who was sitting nearby. He looked down at the person's legs and recognized the armor, making him scoff.

"Wyvern, I know it's you." Backdraft said, causing the newspaper to close.

"Damn." Wyvern said, folding up the newspaper.

"News travels fast." Wyvern said, sliding the newspaper over to Backdraft's side. He looked down at the newspaper and read the front headline.

Fire burns down apartment: 0 lives lost!

"Heh." Backdraft chuckled softly.

"Heard you held up an elevator full of people." Wyvern mentioned, making Backdraft frown.

"Ugh." Backdraft groaned, dropping his head onto the table. Wyvern raised an eyebrow and stared at him stoically.

"The first group was 3 tons. The second group was 4." Backdraft grumbled, keeping his head on the table.

"Well, damn." Wyvern blurted out, looking at the bartender. He snapped his fingers and caught her attention, pointing at Backdraft and winking.

"Almost broke my back, too." Backdraft mumbled.

"Yeah, but you managed to do it in the end, right?" Wyvern said, looking on the bright side.

"Mhm. With Manual's help. And Ami cheered me on." Backdraft mumbled, letting out a small laugh at Ami's encouragement, "Hehe, she used the school motto on me." Backdraft laughed, reminiscing about his time at UA.

"Go beyond-"

"Plus Ultra." Wyvern said, finishing his sentence. Backdraft paused and tilted his head to the left in confusion, furrowing his brow.

"That's right." He said, looking at Wyvern questionably. His stoic face did well to mask his thoughts.

"Here we go." Wyvern said, distracting Backdraft. Two glasses appeared in front of them. Backdraft looked up to see the Bartender pouring liquid into the glass, making him shake his head.

"This'll get you going." Wyvern said, grabbing his glass. Backdraft leaned up and took his head off the table, staring down at his glass. He lowered his eye and sighed.

"I shouldn't." He protested, making Wyvern shake his head.

"C'mon, we're celebrating." Wyvern exclaimed, forming a tiny grin on his face. Backdraft looked at the glass and shrugged.

"Meh. Okay." Backdraft complied, forming a watery hand with his pipe arm. He grabbed hold of the glass and looked at Wyvern's stoic expression.

"To life." Wyvern said, raising his glass up.

"To life." Backdraft repeated, raising his glass.

They both brought their glasses to their mouths and drank the liquid. Wyvern didn't hesitate and drank it all in one go, except for Backdraft. Backdraft's eye shot open and gasped, spitting out the liquid in alarm.

"Pfft. What is this?" Backdraft asked, looking at Wyvern with frustration. He sat in his chair and laughed at Backdraft's expense, annoying the water hero.

"It's root beer." Wyvern revealed, laughing stoically.

"Root beer? Who orders root beer for a celebration?" Backdraft complained, looking at the mess he made on the table.

"I'm so sorry." Backdraft apologized, looking at the bartender.

"Ehh." The bartender shrugged, grabbing a napkin. Backdraft listened to Wyvern laughing at him in silent contempt, kicking the stool he sat on with his boot. Wyvern immediately fell to the floor, making Backdraft grin in satisfaction.

"Hehe." He chuckled.

Hosu City Rooftops - An Hour Later

Stain looked upon the city with narrowed eyes. He sat in silence, perched upon a water tank. The apartment fire smoke had cleared up, leaving the view clear. He looked down at the streets and scanned the ground for a hero. Tonight, he'd strike again. However, his train of thought was once more disrupted by the sound of a portal opening up behind him. He scoffed and stared out at the sunset in annoyance, hearing a footstep on the water tank.

"Huh. Hosu City looks nicer than I expected. So, what are you gonna do?" Shigaraki asked, looking at the view.

"I will reform it. In order to do so, blood must spill." Stain said, glaring down upon the streets.

"You have a clear goal. Your dedication is admirable." Kurogiri admitted, earning a growl from the Hero Killer.

"Ah… Finally, someone who understands." Stain said, raising his head up higher.

"I get the feeling you enjoy picking on me." Shigaraki scowled, putting his hand on his own shoulder.

"Hero is a title for those who've accomplished great deeds! This city is full of false champions. All they care about is money and fame. Until this world realizes its mistakes-" Stain declared, grabbing hold of his sword, "-I will continue my work." He growled, jumping off the water tank with his sword raised. Shigaraki and Kurogiri watched him descend with narrowed eyes.

"He talks all high and mighty and stuff, but he's wasting his time focusing on a small stage. He's so noble I could cry." Shigaraki complained, prompting Kurogiri to respond.

"You shouldn't spurn his methods." He countered, raising up a point.

"The reality is, in all the cities where Stain has appeared, the crime rates have fallen." Kurogiri mentioned. Shigaraki scratched at his neck out of habit.

"Perhaps because heroes are more conscientious, or perhaps out of fear. Regardless, he does bring change." He finished. Shigaraki scratched his neck at a faster pace upon hearing that information.

"Oh, isn't that just wonderful. Heroes are working harder thanks to all those murders. I guess you could say our Hero Killer is also a Hero Breeder." Shigaraki declared, dropping his arms in disgust.

"This is getting boring. It won't work." He groaned, crossing his arms.

"We just can't agree on a basic level. And he annoys me. Kurogiri, bring out the Nomus." He ordered. Kurogiri followed his command and activated a portal, satisfying Shigaraki.

"You think you can get away with stabbing me? When I get tired of you, I'll kill you. Whenever I feel like it, just like that, Stain." Shigaraki snarled, looking down as several Nomu appeared out of the portal. A large muscular one popped out first, followed by a scrawny one with multiple eyes in its brain, and then a winged one wearing a mask.

"Heheh. But let's make it more interesting? How about I crush your honor and pride first?" Shigaraki laughed, with anticipation, "What do you say, big bad Hero Killer?" He challenged.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

"Hm?" Shigaraki grunted, raising his eyes. He turned around and stared at the source of the sound. There was nothing in front of him, at least nothing he could see visibly. He heard purring in front of him and smiled creepily, watching as the invisible Nomu decloaked herself in front of his eyes. Her purple eyes stared deeply into Shigaraki's eyes, noticing his twisted smile.

"Oh, Ravage. I almost forgot about you." Shigaraki chuckled, watching as she stepped closer towards him and sat on her hind legs.

"You want to go hunting, too, don't you?" He asked, watching the creature drop down on all fours. She dragged her tail blade across the floor in anticipation, letting it skid across the floor. Shigaraki kept his eyes on hers and remembered the words left by the doctor.

"But, you will not begin Target #2's abduction until Shigaraki gives you permission." The doctor said, appearing in Shigaraki's mind for a split second.

"That's right. You have the Doctor's orders to follow." Shigaraki recalled, keeping his creepy smile towards the grotesque cat creature.

"So, you want to go look for your target, huh?" Shigaraki said, prompting her to react with a nod. She growled with excitement, raising her tail off the ground.

"Mrrr." She meowed, getting Shigaraki to chuckle.

"Hehe. Then by all means. Be stealthy or go wild. It doesn't matter how you do it. Just have fun." Shigaraki said, giving Ravage permission. Ravage let out a happy growl, licking her grotesque lips. Be stealthy. Or go wild. Just have fun. Two choices with conflicting ways to approach the target. She didn't know which to choose.

"Have fun. Have fun. Have fun." Shigaraki said, repeating inside her head. She quickly reached a decision. Go wild. Her brain took in the new orders and flinched a bit. She felt a sharp pain sting a part of her brain. She shrugged it off and shook her body of any residue, leaping off the building and falling on top of another.

"Go wild. Have fun." Shigaraki said, echoing through her mind. She liked those words. They weren't specific. She could approach however she wanted. Do whatever she wanted, deal with threats however she wanted. She licked her lips and ran off, leaping across roof after roof. The other Nomu, her inferiors, jumped off the roofs and activated their quirks. By the time she heard explosions behind her she had already gotten a mile ahead. Her eyes glowed purple as she activated her quirk, causing the street lights and buildings around her to suddenly turn dark. Not even the cars on the streets were working.

Her target was far, but she was ready to begin the abduction. She leapt onto the side of another building and climbed up the wall with ease, sinking her claws into the wall and chipping off bits of its surface. She reached the top and stared out at the cityscape, sniffing the air.

"Mrowr." She purred, staring at her destination in the distance. It stood out compared to all the buildings thanks to its position atop a hill. She narrowed her eyes at the large observation tower in the middle of the distant building.

Imiter's Office

Imiter sat in his office, humming a peaceful tune to himself. He reclined in his chair with his shoes on the table, looking at the security cameras through his computer screen. The sun had set minutes ago, meaning that closing procedures had begun. Most of the crowds had already left for today, now there were only a few hundred visitors left inside the entire Museum.

"Hm-hm-hmmmm." Imiter hummed, watching families leave through the front doors. More accurately, he was watching over his wife on the camera feed.

BOOM

A loud and distant boom echoed through the building, causing the entire structure to rumble. The front door cameras flashed for a split second, capturing a sliver of an explosive blast in the far distance.

Imiter jumped at the loud sound, quickly bringing his shoes off the table and nearly knocking over his computer. He gripped the edge of his desk in bewilderment, holding it in place while the shaking stopped.

BOOM

Another loud sound echoed into his office, shaking the room again. He flinched at the sounds and stood up out of his seat, looking around in a frenzy. He looked out the window and gasped in total shock. Far within the city, several buildings were on fire. Smoke was flying into the air above. He approached his office window slack-jawed, staring out with slow realization. These weren't accidental like before, they were coordinated.

"Villain attack." Imiter whispered, quickly turning around. He dropped his shocked expression and stared at his computer. He clicked off the cameras and opened a new window, getting the Museum's sound system to turn on. He pressed a red button underneath his desk, triggering the alarms.

Attention! Villain Attack! Attention! Villain Attack!

The alert came on every speaker inside the Museum, leaving no place left behind.

"Attention, Guests! This is Imiter speaking. Villains are attacking Hosu. For your protection, please stay inside the Museum until it is safe! I repeat, all guests outside the Museum must return inside until it is safe!"

"Time to go to work." Imiter said, adjusting his tie. He took on a serious face and bolted towards the elevator, quicking stepping inside.

Play Area

Inside the Play Area, the remaining guests inside the Arcade scrambled around in confusion by the sudden alert. Ami and Hayato stared up at the speakers and stared at each other in alarm, watching their eyes shrink.

Attention! Villain Attack! Attention! Villain Attack!

"Villain attack? Where?" Ami questioned, narrowing her eyes at the speakers.

"All guests must seek shelter immediately. Repeat all guests must seek shelter immediately." The intercom warned. Four doors opened up along the walls of the Play Area, a light turning on inside.

"For your protection, please enter the Safe Zone." The intercom ordered. Ami heard the intercom's instructions and gulped, getting serious. She looked down at Hayato and kept him close.

"Ami, is a villain here?" Hayato asked, looking around in fear.

"Don't worry. We're safe here." Ami assured him, calming him down with her sincerity. He sniffled a bit and composed himself.

"Okay. What should we do?" Hayato asked.

"I gotta go find Backdraft." Ami replied, causing Hayato to grab her arm.

"I'll come, too." He said, causing Ami to shake her head profusely.

"No." She denied, scaring Hayato. She frowned and quickly got on her knees to his level.

"I mean, you gotta help all these guys get to safety. You know where the Safe Zones are, right?" Ami questioned.

"Uh huh." Hayato replied, nodding his head.

"That's good. Why don't you make sure everyone gets in them like a hero would, okay?" Ami ordered, trusting him to do the right thing. Hayato understood and smiled, rapidly nodding his head in response.

"Okay. I won't let you down." He exclaimed, giving her a salute.

"That's my hero." Ami exclaimed, watching Hayato run away.

"Hey, the doors are this way!" Hayato screamed, getting guests' attention. Ami watched the crowd form up and head his way and smirked. She turned around and headed out of the Play Area, scrambling towards the main entrance.

Lobby

"Backdraft!" Ami shouted, running straight towards the water hero.

"Ami!" Backdraft shouted back, turning around and making eye contact. She ran up to him and stood in front of him with concern.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Villain attack." Wyvern answered, holding the door open for guests to run in. The stoic hero looked at Backdraft and got his attention.

"Birdkeeper called. He says there's three Nomu's attacking the city. He's fighting one of them." He mentioned, causing Backdraft and Ami to look at him in shock.

"Wait. Three?" Ami questioned.

"Is it the one we're looking for?" Backdraft asked.

"Don't know. None are matching Ingenium's description." Wyvern answered.

BOOM

Another explosion in the distance caused the building to shake, making everyone flinch. Wyvern looked outside and could see a red and orange glow in the sky. There was a helicopter in the air, too, shining a light down on the city.

"We have to go out there and stop them." Backdraft said.

"Read my mind." Wyvern replied, agreeing with him.

"I'll come, too." Ami announced, getting glares from the heroes.

"No!" Backdraft and Wyvern shouted in unison, causing Ami to freeze.

"What? But, the Nomu's-" she cried, getting a quick response from Backdraft.

"We'll handle it. I need you to stay here where it's safe. You're only a Hero-In-Training, I can't make you use your quirk to defend against villains." Backdraft said, making Ami shake her head in defiance.

"But you let me eat the flames in the apartment earlier." Ami countered, receiving a shaking head.

"That was different, you weren't defending yourself." Backdraft explained, looking at the lobby kiosk behind Ami, "Help Misaki and get everyone to safety."

"Find Misaki and help her get everyone to safety." Backdraft ordered, looking into Ami's panicked eyes, "Please." Backdraft pleaded. Ami swallowed her fear and nodded in confirmation.

"Okay, I'll stay." Ami said solemnly.

"Thank you." Backdraft said, heading out the door with Wyvern. Ami watched them leave with a sad frown, wishing she could stay by his side.

"Ami. Ami." Misaki said, getting her attention. Ami turned around and snapped out of it, looking at Misaki with a frown. She looked stressed out and pale, making Ami worry.

"Misaki." Ami said, helping her stand.

"Thank you, dear. We have to get everyone inside the Safe Zone. C'mon." Misaki ordered, walking at a slow pace. Ami held on to her and walked with her.

M.C.C (Museum Command Center) - At the same time

The alarms turned on in the command center, lighting up the room in a red hue. Staff had quickly scrambled to their seats, typing away on their computers. Sweat dripped down their foreheads as they worked to secure the Museum. The news of what was going on above ground had quickly reached them, sending the room into a chaotic frenzy. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room changed when Imiter entered the room with a serious expression, causing the staff to stop moving.

"Sir!" They shouted in unison, staring at Imiter's serious face.

"At ease." He ordered, causing the staff to resume work.

"What's happening up there, people?" Imiter asked, approaching the front deck.

"Nomu, Sir! Multiple! They're attacking the city." The manager reported, causing Imiter to frown. He hid his frightened shock and stayed strong for the sake of the staff's morale.

"What should we do?" The staff asked, awaiting command.

"Activate the Safe Zones. We're locking down the perimeter!" Imiter ordered, forcing the staff to work fast.

"Yes, Sir!" They said in unison.

"Call the Safe Zone in the main lobby." Imiter added.

"Yes, Sir!" They shouted, establishing connection to the Safe Zone.

"There." A worker said.

"Honey, it's Imiter. Are you in the Safe Zone?" Imiter asked, squeezing the rails.

"Yes. Where are you?" Misaki asked.

"I'm in the command center, Sweetie. Listen, stay inside and let the others get people in." Imiter said, fearing for her safety.

"I know. They're getting it done." Misaki said, watching her three helpers direct traffic.

"Where are the heroes?" Imiter asked, receiving a fast reply.

"Wyvern and Backdraft left to go help with fighting the villains." Misaki replied, causing Imiter to frown. He didn't want her to be alone.

"And his student? What about Ami?" He asked.

"She's down here with me." Misaki answered, causing Imiter to sigh in relief.

"Good. Lock the doors as soon as everyone's inside. We're going into lockdown." Imiter explained.

"I figured. How bad is it?" Misaki asked.

"It's bad."

"Sir! We have a problem!" A staff member said, getting Imiter's attention.

"What's the matter?" Imiter asked.

"Power outage. Ten blocks out." The worker yelled, showing on screen a map of the power grid.

"No, Nine blocks out!" The worker said, updating his info.

"Track it." Imiter ordered, causing the staff to move.

"The power outage is 8 blocks out!" A staff member yelled.

"7 blocks out!" Another staff member yelled.

"Powers come back on the 10th block, Sir!" A staff member yelled.

6 blocks out!" Another one yelled.

"The outages…it's coming this way." Imiter gasped, feeling a large amount of dread. He felt a chill go down his spine and glared at the screen.

"Quick. Activate the emergency protocols. We're about to be attacked." Imiter ordered, causing the staff to work faster.

"Power outage. 5 blocks, sir!"

"Deploy all defensive countermeasures. Keep everyone in the Museum safe." Imiter ordered.

"Sir, if it knocks down power in the Museum there's no telling what will still work?" The manager warned, causing Imiter to grunt.

"Imiter, what's going on?" Misaki asked. Imiter straightened up and spoke up.

"Honey, is everyone inside the Safe Zone?" He asked.

"Over here? Yes, but I have no idea about the rest." Misaki replied.

"Power outage! 2 blocks, sir!"

"Quick! Get the countermeasures ready!" Imiter ordered, feeling his heart race.

1 block, Sir!"

"Honey, close the door now!" Imiter yelled, full of fear. Misaki heard the stress in his voice and looked at Ami standing outside the door.

"Ami, get in here now!" Misaki yelled, Ami heard her shout and looked around for anyone else. Seeing no one she ran towards the door. Her mind then drifted to Hayato, causing her eyes to widen.

"Wait, what about Hayato?" Ami shouted, coming to a full stop and turning around.

"No, Ami, wai-" Misaki's voice was interrupted.

SLAM

The door slammed shut behind Ami, causing her to jump and turn back around. The power in the building shutdown, turning off all the lights.

Play Area

"Is that everyone?" Hayato asked, standing just outside the door. He looked around the room and watched as the lights turned off on the ceiling.

SLAM

"Huh?" Hayato said, hearing the door slam shut and the power go off. He looked around the dark and ran up to the door in a panic.

"Wait. Open up! I'm still outside!" Hayato shouted, banging on the door. He stopped his banging and started hyperventilating, turning around and falling to the floor in fear. He was trapped in the Play Area with no one around but himself. He listened to the eerie silence and shivered, letting his vision adjust to the darkness.

"Hello?" Hayato called out to the dark, listening for a reply.

"Ami? Wyvern? Anyone?" He squeaked, shaking profusely. Tears were falling out of his eyes in distress. The silence was too overwhelming. He looked down at the floor and clenched his fists, trying to calm himself. There has to be a place to hide. He looked around the room and squinted his eyes upon a familiar sight.

"The rocketship!" Hayato said, staring at the playground. He slowly stood up and gulped, squeezing his gloves tight. He quickly ran towards the playground and crawled inside.

Museum Lobby

"Misaki!" Ami yelled, running up to the door. She clenched her fists and banged on the door rapidly. She gripped the door and tried desperately to lift it up, clenching her teeth but to no avail. She let go of the wall and gave up, panting with fear.

"No… No! No! Nooooo…" Ami said, gripping onto her helmet in panic. She backed up and stared at the door, contemplating her situation. She looked around the dark lobby and took deep breaths in order to calm herself down.

"My phone. I can call for help." Ami thought, pulling her phone out of her pocket. She looked at the screen and tried to turn it on. The phone wouldn't turn on, causing her to blink rapidly in confusion.

"What? C'mon. C'mon. Work." She groaned, desperately trying to turn it on. She sighed and gave up, frowning intensely in defeat.

"What am I going to do?" Ami whispered, looking around the lobby again. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she slowly backed up, feeling her legs touch the kiosk.

CRASH

The glass entrance shattered into pieces by a heavy object. Ami let out a gasp and covered her mouth, dropping to the floor in an instant. She felt her chest heaving up and down in shock and stayed quiet, unsure of what just broke through the glass. Then she heard it. A growl.

Her eyes bulged out in shock as she stopped breathing, keeping her mouth covered. All she could hear was her heart beating rapidly.

Hissss

The creature hissed, stepping on shattered glass. Ami hid behind the kiosk and focused, hearing the hissing sound on her left. She crawled slowly to the right side of the kiosk and stayed hidden, listening to the monster's growl.

The creature flared its nostrils, smelling the air and scanning the room. Her eyes adjusted instantly to the darkness, seeing no one around. It continued to growl and stepped forward. Ami listened to the creature move and leaned her head over to the left, peeking at the closed door to the Safe Zone.

She squinted her eyes in confusion when she saw nothing. That wasn't right. She kept her eyes peeled and looked at the floor, noticing a shard of glass. The monster growled again and stepped on the piece of glass, shattering it beneath her paw. Ami looked at the shattered glass in silent shock. She watched it break apart by nothing, making her realize the monster's quirk: Invisibility.

Ami leaned her head back and stayed hidden, listening to the monster growl. It approached the closed door and sniffed the ground, smelling smoke and people. It sniffed the air some more and stared at the door, letting out a disgruntled roar. It clawed at the door and swiped at it, causing the metal to screech. It shook its head and walked away in annoyance. The door was too tough.

The Nomu groaned and sniffed the air once more. She walked away and exited the lobby. Ami listened to the invisible creature's footsteps get further and further away until they were gone, allowing her to finally take a breath. She heard glass shatter and raised her head up, staring into the dark plaza. She could barely see the doors to the Play Area had shattered, causing her eyes to widen with fear.

"Hayato!" Ami thought, feeling her stomach churn.

ROAR

She heard the monster let out a loud roar and felt her heart stop. Then she heard screaming, causing her body to move without thinking. She bolted down the plaza and ran as fast as she could towards the Play Area. She stepped on glass with her boots and crunched them without any care. She entered the Play Area and heard screaming coming from the playground. She looked at the rocketship and gasped.

Hayato stared at the glowing pair of purple eyes looking at him through the rocketship's window and screamed out in fear. The creature was on its hind legs and clawed through the rocketship's wall, tearing a massive hole into it. The monster roared, staring into the fearful eyes of her target: Hayato Ishida.

"Hayato, down!" Ami yelled, getting their attention. Hayato heard the voice and saw Ami through the monster's eyes. He quickly dropped to the rocketship's floor and closed his eyes. Ami activated her quirk and opened her mouth, releasing fire on her invisible target.

The creature's eyes went wide as it was instantly consumed in fire, letting go of the rocketship and flailing its arms around in a panic. It roared out in pain as the flames burned her body. Ami watched the Nomu flail around and saw its outline in the flames. The fire burned through her skin and charred her body, causing the Nomu to fall to the ground. Ami stared at the creature in fear and watched as its body ceased moving. She panted heavily and opened her mouth, returning the flames back to her.

"Ami!" Hayato said, jumping off of the rocketship. Ami quickly ran towards Hayato and pulled him into a hug, feeling relief.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Ami questioned, looking at his body for injuries.

"I'm fine." Hayato said, making Ami smile with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Hayato apologized, "I helped everyone find the doors, but then the lights turned off and the doors closed…" Hayato cried. Ami pulled him closer and placed his head on her shoulder, comforting him.

"It's okay. You're okay." Ami said with a soothing voice.

"It was after me." Hayato cried, "It looked right at me and he tried to grab me." He said. Ami processed his words and panicked. The Nomu was after him. It sniffed the air and must've found his scent.

"It's okay. He can't grab you anymore." Ami said, soothing him. Hayato opened his eyes and stared at the ground behind her, gasping in fear.

"Ami, look out!" Hayato yelled, pulling Ami to the ground.

Swoop

Ami gasped and looked at the ground where she stood and saw a blade sticking into the floor. She followed the blade to its origin and stared at the creature, growling at her with death in its eyes. Ami felt her jaw drop at the creature's wounds. Its burns were healed up in seconds.

The creature stood on all fours and resembled a cat, glaring at her with its glowing purple eyes. Ami guessed the creature was roughly the size of a lion, maybe bigger. Its exposed brain and creepy smile sent shivers down her spine as the memory of the USJ flashed through her mind. She gulped and felt her stomach drop as the creature's body changed. Its limbs doubled in size, causing the creature's height to increase. Ami couldn't believe it. Regeneration, Limb Growth, and Invisibility. This thing had more quirks than the first Nomu!

"Hayato, run!" Ami said, pushing Hayato away. The Nomu snarled and pulled its tailblade out of the ground, causing Ami to quickly react. She pulled out her axe and clashed with its tail, hearing it clang against its tailblade. Before the Nomu could react, Ami unleashed another blast of flame out of her mouth, causing the Nomu to run. She watched the creature run towards the Food Area and panted. She stood up and looked around for Hayato, hearing footsteps running towards the Water Area. Ami caught her breath and put her axe away, sprinting after Hayato.

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Author's Notes:

Hello, everyone! I'm sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter out. I think I've edited this chapter long enough and I now think it's good enough to post. That's why I'm keeping these notes short. I want the chapter posted as quickly as possible.

If you're wondering what happened, I learned an unfortunate lesson, I can't write without my ADHD meds. Secondly, I applied for a job and I'm waiting for a reply!

Since I want the chapter out now, I decided I will go over the chapter on my profile later. Once I've done that I'll probably edit into the chapter later, too.

But, in short, we finally made it to the chapter I've been wanting to write since 2021. Literally. I'm excited to write again and I feel like things are actually going my way for a change. If you see any problems or editing mistakes, please point them out to me! I feel like I'm missing something that my brain is just blanking on but I don't know. At least I haven't noticed it yet. I'm sorry for rushing these notes but I'm excited. Please leave a review and tell me what you think about the chapter and predict what's going to happen in the next chapter!

By the way, thank you to everyone who has patiently waited for this chapter's release. And thank you to all the new people that favorited and followed the story in the middle of writing this chapter. We hit 300 follows! Very cool! Thanks for reading and have a very good day!

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Additional Author's Notes: Added on 8/29/23

Hello, everyone! Sorry for making my notes on the recent chapter so short. Like I said, I wanted to get the chapter out as fast as possible. I also said I would go over the chapter in a later date and that's what I'm doing now.

Before that, though, I wanted to explain the behind the scenes a little bit more. Ever since March, I was left writing without the prescription medicine I take for my ADHD. This turned out to be a really big problem. When I'm off my medicine, focusing becomes nearly impossible. I get pockets of inspiration throughout the day and think, "hey, that's a pretty good idea!" But when it comes time to write it down, I either completely forget or I just lose the ability to type what I want to say. That happened every day and every week and every month. Every time I thought about writing I would lose focus and get distracted by everything around me. I just couldn't write anything.

That's why I realized how important my medicine was for me to get stuff done. So, I tried to get more. A doctor's visit later and I was ready to get approved for more medicine. I ordered on the app to pick up at the pharmacy but after a day passed, I would be notified that there was an issue with the order. I didn't know what it meant at the time and hoped it would sort itself out. Then my order got canceled. This all happened in July. When I found out about the cancel, I was pretty confused. So, I ordered it again. Then the next day after i placed the order, I got the same notification again. Issue with order. Then after a week of waiting, my second order was canceled. So, I ordered it again for a third time. As expected the next day, I got told there was an issue with order. A week later, and my order was canceled again. That was when I gave up. I tried to write again afterwards and as I expected, I either didn't want to write or couldn't think of anything at all.

When August came around, I tried again for a fourth time to pickup my medication. To my surprise, I didn't have an issue with order notification the next day. Two days later. I finally got my medicine at the pharmacy. The reason for all the issues with order? The medicine I take, Adderall, is going through a shortage because kids are getting their hands on it and using it for nonmedical reasons, making it harder for someone like me who needs it. Thankfully, I finally had my medicine after a month of waiting.

So, I returned to writing and finally had ideas again. I was writing and writing and writing nonstop. I was so happy, that I was finally touching my story again after months of wanting to write but never feeling like I wanted to or having no ideas. Everything just came to my head in an instant. Four days later and the chapter was finally complete. All that time, forcing myself to write and updating my profile for the progress made and feeling unable to write more than two sentences was finally worth it. I was so happy to finally complete a chapter. That's why, I rushed to get the chapter out as soon as I was finished. Unfortunately, putting me in a situation to skip most of the Author's Notes and leave you all hanging on why the chapter took so long to release.

That is why this profile update is dedicated entirely to Chapter 33: Prelude to Terror! Once this is posted on my profile. I will likely add this update to the actual chapter tomorrow. But for today, It's here. Now, without further ado, time to discuss the chapter!

This chapter starts out from the perspective of the main Nomu for this Museum Arc: Ravage. Yes, Ravage dreams has significance. And, after reading the chapter, you can probably guess that the school Ravage was sleeping on was Hayato's school. You are correct. This beginning was meant to foreshadow the end of the chapter. Its intention was for you to focus on Ravage's dreams and make you question its reason for sleeping on a school roof.

Cut to Day 3 of Ami's Internship

This whole section was the easiest part to write about in the chapter. There was nothing too bombastic and exciting in this part that had affected the writing. Overall, it was a calm before the storm type section. As everything after this point would only escalate. This section of the chapter was so that Hayato would finally see Ami in full hero costume. That way it wouldn't be so strange for Hayato to see Ami in costume later on at the end of this chapter. There was also some setup involved for the last section of the chapter. Hayato needed to complete his homework before Ami arrived so that they would be in the Play Area by the time the emergency alarms went off. Originally, I thought about adding Thane into the scene but decided that this section didn't need more characters in it. Plus it would've been a repeat of his last appearance which was Thane picking up Hayato from the Museum. We didn't really need to see that again and it wouldn't really add anything.

The next section: Hosu City Streets went through the most rewrites. At this point during development, I had no medicine and was working off what I had already written. There was a lot more dialogue in this section before I had gotten rid of it all. I realized it didn't really need to be there in the first place, so I carefully removed it and worked around it. The main purpose of this section was to get Wyvern to where I wanted him to be and keep Ami inside the fire truck. The conversation with Backdraft and Ami about a previous apartment fire was also meant to foreshadow what they would be going through later on. Once Wyvern reached his destination, that's when we temporarily focus on him as he enters the alleyway where Ingenium and Rocket encountered Stain.

Wyvern's flashback scene takes place right after Tsukauchi's flashback scene in the previous chapter. It's here that we learn more about the start of the investigation. This is also when Wyvern meets Backdraft for the first time. This scene was meant to give more context towards the investigation and give you more information about Wyvern. You'll also notice that Wyvern narrowed his eyes when he saw Backdraft. In hindsight, this probably looks negative but he actually just recognizes Backdraft. There's a reason for that that I will explain in a later chapter. In this section, we learn the name of Wyvern's father: Dragonflame. He's a hero from Okinawa. Backdraft knows this and we'll also learn how in a later chapter. Basically, Wyvern and Backdraft's interaction in this flashback will have an explanation in a later chapter. The main importance of the flashback was to show Ingenium and Rocket when they were still around. When we return to the present, Wyvern feels sad for Rocket's death and hopes to avenge him. Unfortunately, this whole section took a major hit from my lack of medication. There was more things I wanted to add at this point but I just couldn't continue. Even worse is I can't remember what most of it was.

The next section was probably the hardest thing to write for this chapter. This section was what stopped me from writing for the longest time. There was so much I had to describe and so much that was going to happen that I was just too overwhelmed to write about it. So, when I finally had my medication, this section came out of my head like a breeze. I finished this section in one day. It made me feel very proud finally getting it done. I like to think the work speaks for itself, but I realize that there's probably lots of confusing parts in it so I'll probably try and make it clearer someday. Hopefully soon. Anyways, Manual and Iida make a surprise appearance in this section. I always planned for them to appear in this chapter, but I realize now that it probably created an inconsistency with the previous chapters. Somewhere. For the most part, I mainly wrote this section under a rule of cool. I wanted it to be actionpacked and a little emotional at the end. Which is why I put that little thing in with Iida and the kids at the end of it. Hopefully, it made everyone happy and thrilled. The point of the apartment fire was to give Ami a chance to perform a real rescue operation since she lost her chance to do a practice rescue operation after the USJ attack. It was also meant to motivate Ami and give Backdraft a heroic scene.

After the apartment fire, we finally reach the last section of the chapter. This is all just setup for the chapter's conclusion. Backdraft and Wyvern leave the Museum to help assist the heroes in Hosu, leaving Ami behind at the Museum.

Ami and Hayato help get people inside the Safe Zones and succeed. Unfortunately, they both lose their chance to get in the shelter. This is when Ravage makes her return to the story, ramming through the glass doors of the Museum and turning off all the power with her quirk. Her ability to turn off electronics was foreshadowed all the way in the beginning of season 2 chapter 1. We end the chapter on the reveal that Ravage was indeed targeting Hayato this whole time. Next chapter will be all about how Ami deals with Ravage.

Now that we're finished going over the chapter I'd like to address some of your reviews. For chapter 31, I should clarify that Hayato's quirk only works through touch. It's not like Aizawa's quirk where he only needs to look at you to disable your quirk.

Hayato needs to touch the person in order for his quirk to electrocute them and forcefully activate their quirk. It's prolonged touch that causes someone's quirk to activate. If he let's go of you then the electrocution stops and so does the forced quirk activation. Hopefully that helps explain how his quirk's malfunction works.

And no, I'm sorry to say this but Bakugo is not going to jail in this story. He's too important to the overall story and I am still following the main show. He will go through changes in my story but they won't end in him going to jail. I'm sorry if this isn't the answer you wanted and I hope you continue to read despite this.

For Chapter 32's reviews, I thank you for the comments about my nightmare of a flight. It really did suck and I'm happy to not have to go through it again. Ami's stealth mode and avoidance of collateral damage will be a major part of the next chapter's events as Ami deals with Ravage inside the Museum. As for Hayato's quirk, we'll see what happens in the next chapter.

To my reviewers just now finding the story, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the story as you catch up to where it is now. Same goes for my readers on Archive of our Own. Thanks for taking a look at the story and having a good time with it! I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story as it progresses.

That's it for the Author's Notes! Like I said in the earlier version. Please write a review telling me what you thought of this chapter. I'm sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out. But, now that I'm feeling better, I'm certain things will improve. Thanks for reading and have a good day!

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Next Chapter: Genesis

Ami faces her toughest challenge yet as she protects Hayato against Ravage's attacks.