Chapter 27
Bakugou tried to lunge forward to catch Miwako's collapsing form but was held back. He was forced to sit on a chair as straps were tied around him and large hand braces were locked onto his hands, not allowing him to use his quirk.
Dabi moved from behind him and kneeled over Miwako's prone form, moving strands of her hair out of her face to allow them to see the sweat accumulating on her forehead and her face pinched in pain. "Don't fucking touch her!" He growled, rattling his binds as he tried getting up. Dabi just ignored him as he continued to watch her. The rest of the league left for the night, leaving just the three of them there. "We'll continue this tomorrow, you must be tired so enjoy your stay. Dabi, watch over them" Shigaraki said before departing.
Dabi just waved them off as he continued to inspect Miwako, turning her head, the injection point had purple veins branching from it. He lifted her shirt and saw the same on her back. "Get away from her you burnt piece of shit!"
This made him look up as he grabbed a chair and placed it in front of Bakugou. He swung his legs over and placed his arms on the backrest, laying his chin down on his forearms. "But she's my friend. Am I still not allowed to touch her?"
"Cut the bullshit, she isn't your friend."
"Hmm, you're right, but she still wants me." Dabi said in a mocking tone, aiming to infuriate Bakugou further. Bakugou let a feral grin split his face. He leaned closer to Dabi as much as he could and said "No one wants a fucking leather-faced reject Touya."
The seat started to burn where Dabi had his hand on it. "So she told you. You must know why she keeps coming back to me then right? She needs me. I can give her things you never could. "
Dabi stood up and moved the chair back to where he found it. He got behind the bar to pour himself a drink and sat down on the couch, turning the TV on to a random channel, turning it on max to drown out the screams of Bakugou.
Periodically, he would inject Miwako with more of the poison or whatever it was keeping her out. He would keep an eye on the purple veins and if they started to fade, he knew it was time to give her another dose. From the little he saw of her powers, there was more to her than meets the eye and he knew he wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of it.
The next day they all watched as UA made their speeches of apologies to the crowd of reporters. "There have been reports that Miwako Uzumaki had multiple quirks and even a picture has surfaced of her change in appearance. Just what is she and does she have anything to do with the League? It seems highly suspicious that a girl would lie on her quirk registry and any information about her from before her adoption seems to be missing. It's as if she didn't exist before." A reporter grilled the teachers as he held up a picture. Bakugou scowled as he saw what the man was holding. The commission released the photo they took of her during the sports festival and leaked it on purpose.
"Miwako Uzumaki is a student with a tragic background." Principal Nezu said, "She was found on the streets by us teachers, and we took her in. Her family is gone and she was all alone. We watched her grow into the remarkable young lady she is today. I can say with absolute certainty, just like Earaser Head vouching for Bakugou, that she would never join the villains."
The reporter was relentless, "You didn't explain why her quirk was hidden. Did you all not know how dangerous she could be? Look at the photo, she looks feral, like she doesn't have control."
"Uzumaki's quirk was hidden for her safety. As her teachers, we of course knew the extent of her quirk." Aizawa said. Shigaraki cut the TV off, "They're all so angry, pointing the finger at the heroes so quickly, but aren't they people too? Release his binds." He got up out of his seat and approached Bakugou as Twice started uncuffing him. "That's the problem with society these days, so reliant on them that the second they have a blunder, they are shunned. Our situations are different, but we both have suffered, we both have been restricted from our potential. Rules, heroes, people, they all-" He was cut off as Bakugou let out a large explosion. The hand on his face was knocked off.
"Shut your mouth, I'm sick and tired of hearing your crusty voice." He looked around him, there was no way he could get out without Miwako, but she was still laying on the ground, right in the middle of the group of villains.
He could end up hurting her if he let out a big enough explosion to reach the backdoor, and there wasn't enough space to fight off 8 people while trying to reach her. He was in a tight position and he knew it. His eyes zeroed in on the twitch of Miwako's fingers. They ran out of syringes earlier in the day, he knew it was starting to wear off.
A knock came from the door behind him, making everyone freeze and suddenly the wall exploded and wood snaked through and captured each of the villains. Now that they were away from Miwako, he ran forward to pull her back out of the line of fire and held her in his arms. She was feverish and he could feel the sweat that accumulated from fighting off the purple substance.
All Might looked to his right and saw Bakugou with an unconscious Miwako in his arms, his smile faltering at the state of his daughter. He could see the purple veins on her neck. "What happened to Miwako?" He asked, placing a hand on Bakugou's shoulder.
"They gave her something, it was a dark purple liquid. They kept injecting her with it to keep her knocked out."
"I see…you must've been scared. You did a good job bearing it until we got here young man." All Might said as he squeezed his shoulder. "I wasn't scared! Not even close." Bakugou said as he pulled Miwako closer to him.
It was supposed to be an easy capture, it was supposed to be contained, until it wasn't. Nomu started to appear out of silvery black sludge, causing chaos to erupt. All Might took his sight off Bakugou for a second and he spat out the same liquid and disappeared with Miwako, to a location unknown.
Bakugou coughed as he regained his senses, appearing before a masked man, destruction all around them. "Damn it…" He couched, trying to expel what was in his lungs. "What the hell." He looked down and Miwako was luckily unharmed. Her eyelids started to twitch and she finally opened her eyes. "Kat…suki?" Her voice was rough from the lack of use and water after so long.
He couldn't say anything as they were blown back when All Might appeared, he curled his body around hers to protect her the best he could. The villain, he was the boss. Bakugou realized it as soon as he was able to take on All Might's punch.
The situation was looking grim, he knew that All Might couldn't fight with both of them here, just like how Miwako couldn't fight because of him. The burning around his throat reminded him of how weak he was. He took a survey of his situation and saw that a majority of the League members were still active and awake. It wasn't looking good for them.
He was hard-pressed to fight with her limp form on his back, but there was nothing else he could do. If he set her down, she could be used as a hostage or get caught up in the fight, unable to move out of the way. It clicked in his mind that she always carries explosive tags around with her that would cause more damage than he could do right now. He immediately let off one of his flash bangs to give him enough time to dig around her pockets for them. He fastened them to the few kunais she had on her and he thanked the gods she taught him how to throw them. He bit his thumb to draw blood and swiped it across the paper. Without chakra, he couldn't activate it himself, but he knew she altered the seal for him to use with blood. It was dangerous for him to carry them around himself in case he got injured and even a drop of blood got onto the paper it would explode, not being able to tell it wasn't intentional.
The resulting blast tossed all the villains back, giving him space as a large ice ramp appeared. A smirk formed on his face when he saw exactly who was there. He moved Miwako from his back onto his front, securing her with one arm as he tensed his other arm for a large explosion. He knew he was going to damage his muscles, not able to use both, resulting in him putting all the strain onto one and even carrying extra weight, but there was no other choice.
He gripped Kirishima's arm tight, holding back the wince from the pain throbbing in his forearm. "What's wrong with Miwako?" Kirishima asked. "They fucking drugged her." Bakugou said through gritted teeth, his grip on her tightening, probably leaving bruises in his effort not to drop her.
They landed and all crowded around Miwako who was trying to keep her eyes open. Bakugou had to hold her for her to sit up properly as she looked around. Kurama was trying his best to burn off the toxins but it was lethal, she could feel it was taxing on her body, especially because they kept repeatedly injecting her. Feeling started to come back into her limbs starting at her fingertips. It felt like a thousand needles stabbing her all over again, but she forced herself to try and move. All Might's fight with All For One was being broadcasted live and she watched as he lost more and more steam.
She could tell even through her muddled brain that AFO was just toying with him, wearing him down to deliver the final blow. She needed more of Kurama's chakra if she wanted to burn the poison in her body faster. "Katsuki, let go." He refused. "You can't even sit up by yourself."
"Please…all of you…step back." Red started to crawl out of her seal, covering her completely as it formed the silhouette of a fox around her. She could start to get feeling back as she slowly moved her feet under her to help her stand. Sweat slid down her face as she pushed his chakra farther. She didn't know what the liquid they injected her with was made of, but somehow he was able to cut her connection with Kurama partially and eat at her chakra. How AFO was able to make the perfect toxin against her was a mystery. Either it was pure luck or worse, he knew something. As she regained control over her limbs she looked back to the screen, seeing All Might in his skeletal form.
AFO said something to him, something that shocked him enough that he was frozen, unable to move out of the way from the next attack aimed right at him. She stood up fully, staggering on her feet as the red cloak flickered into a bright yellow. Her tanto popped out of the seal on her arm falling right into her open palm. She grasped it tight and disappeared.
The attack aimed at All Might was blocked, and cut away as she swung her sword down, channeling Kurama's chakra into it. "Sorry I'm late Dad." She said panting. "But I'm here now." She turned to him with a smile as she stood firm. "Rest for a little, I've got your back."
She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him some of Kurama's chakra as a red shroud surrounded him. He could feel the energy slowly seeping back into his tired form. "Miwako, you shouldn't be here!" He could see the exhaustion on her face.
She just shook her head, "You've stood alone for long enough Dad, let me be your pillar now." Her words made his throat tighten. Tears filled his eyes as he watched his bright, brave, and courageous daughter stand before the worst villain the world has ever seen. The times stopped as a 16-year-old girl stood before the symbol of peace, smiling so brightly it hurt. A child ran to save someone no one believed would ever need saving.
"How cute, father and daughter fighting together." AFO said, "I had hoped this would happen, I needed someone to test out a high-end." That caught their attention. The silvery sludge appeared again and another Nomu came out. "I designed this one specifically after your people my dear. Chakra is so very interesting is it not?"
The words 'your people' answered her earlier questions and 'chakra' just confirmed them. He knew about her, but how? She looked at the nomu, one that was based on shinobi, and its eyes finally opened. It had a pair of Sharingan. "How?" She asked.
"How indeed. I found someone, someone very interesting a long time ago, before I became what I am today. That person was half dead already, but I could just feel something from him. I am forever grateful to meet a ghost."
There was only 1 shinobi that was referred to as a ghost. She couldn't think anymore as it suddenly appeared before her and she had to block it with her tanto. She could feel a familiar energy coming from it as she avoided its gaze. "Dad, whatever you do, do not look into its eyes."
She pushed the creature back and engaged in battle, however, it was difficult. It saw her moves and was fast enough to keep up with her, even with Kurama's cloak. In her state, she wouldn't be able to keep it up as long as she would like. The beast even knew how to fight more than just throw a few punches like the last nomu.
She didn't have more than 5 kunais in her seals. The few things she kept on here were used by Bakugou and all of her equipment was left at the camp. She had little choice, but to show off more of her abilities in front of the world as clones of herself appeared. She ordered them all to help evacuate all the civilians they could find and get them to safety. All Might has gotten back up, her cloak giving him more power to be able to fight again in his stronger form, but he could still feel it flickering inside of him, ready to be snuffed out.
Her focus kept diverting between her fight and All Mights. She saw an opening and threw one of her kunais behind AFO and flashed to All Might, placing a hand on his back and teleporting them both behind AFO, landing a hit directly on him as he plummeted back to the ground. She was starting to get dizzy. If she had been smarter, if she had waited at the training camp, this would have been over in a second. The damn poison ate at her chakra, depleting her of what she needed to fight. The only warning she received before pushing her father out of the way, was the sound of chirping before a hand ran through her chest. She spat out blood as she finally looked at the monster's face.
She gripped its arm as tight as she could, knowing that if she let it go here, her father would surely die. There was no way he could take it on both it and AFO. The last dregs of her chakra flowed into her hand, forming a large, swirling ball, the wind whipping violently around it. With a final act of defiance, she lifted her hand and obliterated the monster's body.
Her cloak flickered before disappearing entirely, and she plummeted from the sky. Her father's anguished cry echoed around them, shaking the very ground. The raw pain in his voice brought reflexic tears to everyone's eyes as he raised to catch her. However, All For One blew him away with a sadistic laugh. "Oh, the look on your face is more precious than before."
Endeavor pushed himself beyond his limits to reach her. Never had he felt more inadequate, not even when comparing himself to all Might. In that moment, he saw the true form of the man he had tried to surpass his entire life, and realized it had all been for nothing. He had gained nothing by chasing the unreachable, but had lost everything. Faces of his family flashed through his mind, haunting him. All Might's cry pierced something deep within his chest, an ache he always refused to fully acknowledge as the images of a burning hill, and a lone jawbone entered his mind.
He brought her to the paramedics as fast as he could, but deep down, he knew it was futile. Her chest was a bloody mess, indistinguishable between lung and heart—if she even had a heart left. Her blood soaked the front of his suit, clinging to his skin, a grim reminder that he wasn't fast enough, again.
The sounds of explosions rang above him, the boy they were trying to save appeared and ran toward the prone form of the girl. "Outta my fucking way!" Bakugou screamed as he pushed past everyone.
Midoriya was staring at the screen in horror. Bile built up in the back of his throat as he clamped a hand over his mouth. Kirishima fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He remembered laughing with her, joking with her, how she would run and jump on his back when she was too lazy to walk. She was just here and now…she's gone. His hands clenched into fists, as his form hunched over and he slammed his hand into the ground over and over again. Hoping the pain would wake him up from the nightmare he was stuck in.
Bakugou ignored the gaping hole in her chest, the pool of blood growing underneath her, his frantic thoughts screaming how could a person have so much blood. Ignoring how it soaked his pants, he reached out with shaking hands, cradling her face delicately as his thumbs stroked her whisker markings. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" His voice broke, choked with grief. "Open your eyes, dumbass." He looked up at the paramedics around him. "What are you standing around for? Do your fucking job and HELP HER!"
None of them could meet his gaze. Tears spilled from his eyes as he turned back to her. Her cheeks were growing cold under his touch. He heated his palm with his Quirk. "Quit messin' around!" His tears landed on her cheeks, sliding down her face as her body lay still and broken. His shoulders shook violently as he lowered his forehead to hers, squeezing his eyes shut as he whispered one last time, "Please."