Chapter 21: Don't Die
As dozens of villains began to pour forth from Kurogiri's warp gate, confused murmurs began to spread through the rest of class 1-A.
"Whoa, what is that thing? Has the training started already? I thought we were rescuing people." Kirishima asked bemusedly.
"Stay back!" Aizawa barked, startling several of the students. Donning his goggles, Aizawa moved closer to the staircase. "This is real. Those are villains."
Shock and fear rippled through the students as Thirteen moved between us and the intruders below. Ignoring the discussion of how and why this attack was happening that broke out behind me, I kept my eyes fixed upon the Nomu standing alongside Shigaraki.
I can take any villain here, even this inexperienced version of Shigaraki, but I won't stand a chance against the Nomu. There has to be some way I can keep that thing from damaging Aizawa's eyes, but I don't remember exactly how the fight went down. Did Izuku do something that forced Aizawa to expose himself, or did he intervene because Aizawa was already overwhelmed?
Fear and adrenaline battled for supremacy within me as my thoughts raced. I was not completely foreign to violence in my previous life, but this was on a completely different level. Not only would every one of the villains below kill me without hesitation, but the Nomu was completely unbeatable at my current level of integration with One for All.
"Thirteen, get them out of here, and alert the main campus." Aizawa ordered, silencing the group's hypothesizing. "Actually, if they've got the ability to block our sensors, then they might be jamming our regular communications, too. Kaminari, try to use your quirk to contact the school."
Not waiting for Kaminari's reply, Aizawa turned back to Thirteen before reaching into his pocket and retrieving his hero license. A license with a red stripe bisecting it.
"Thirteen, I, the pro hero Eraserhead, grant you permission to use lethal force to defend these students, and I take on any consequences that may result from it." Aizawa declared as if he were merely reading the weather report.
Gasps of shock rang out from the class and I felt my shoulders stiffen. Aizawa was in possession of a Class A5 hero license, which effectively granted the holder the same legal authority as members of the police, including the authority to determine if lethal force was required, and if absolutely necessary, extend that permission to others.
With the exception of the top twenty, who were required to obtain one, very few heroes were allowed to even apply for an A5 license, fewer still actually wanted one and the PR nightmare that came with it. Given the unusual status brought on by his unique quirk, it was no surprise that Aizawa had gone through the bone crushingly strenuous training and mind numbingly tedious bureaucratic red tape required to be issued the highest level of hero license.
I've seen All Might's A5 license. I've even talked to him about it, but for Aizawa to not only use lethal force himself, but wade into the legal clusterfuck that is extending that permission to someone else? This world becoming my reality had always meant the stakes would be higher, but knowing that people were about to die brought everything into focus. I can't let any of my classmates or teachers be killed.
Thirteen had stiffened at Aizawa's words, but after only a moment, she hesitantly nodded her understanding.
"I'll leave it to you, Thirteen." Aizawa said as he leapt from the top of the staircase and down towards the approaching villains.
The class watched in stunned silence as Aizawa charged directly into the mass of villains, but just as the quirks of the front ranks were canceled, Thirteen commanded the class to make for the exit with more authority than I would have expected from the bubbly heroine. Staying behind a moment longer than my classmates, I realized why she was so adamant, as a moment later, Eraserhead made contact with the front ranks.
The sprays of blood were visible even from the top of the staircase as knives flashed out from hidden pockets in Eraser's costume, slashing throats as other villains fell limp to the ground, their necks snapped either by Eraser's binding cloth or his bare hands.
"This is no time to be analyzing!" Iida called out to me from the rear of the retreating class.
Watching Aizawa for a moment longer, I turned and followed behind Iida. I can't stay over here. I need to make sure I'm with the others when they teleport. Asui could probably get away by herself, but if she's slowed down by Mineta, they might be killed or captured.
As we approached the doors to the facility, the swirling mass of mist that was Kurogiri took form in our path and began to monologue. Almost all of the students quailed before the warp villain's towering form, and a sliver of doubt trickled down my spine when I noticed Thirteen's shoulders shaking as the rescue hero raised a trembling hand, one of the caps of her gauntlets flicking open.
The rescue hero hesitated a moment too long, allowing Kirishima and Bakugou to lunge forward in an attempt to strike down the villain.
Shit. I forgot about that bit of idiocy.
Before the smoke from Katsuki's blast cleared, Kurogiri's ominous voice sounded from within. "You live up to your school's reputation, but you should be careful, children. Otherwise, someone might get hurt."
Kurogiri's eyes flashed menacingly as the mist began to swirl around us. Moving closer to where Asui and Mineta stood, I prepared to be dropped into the water while Thirteen shouted for Bakugou and Kirishima to get out of the way.
Kurogiri spoke, but I couldn't hear over the sound of the mist lashing through the air to envelop us. An instant later, I was falling face first towards the water from at least one hundred feet up. Reorienting myself, I activated One for All and shot my legs out, propelling myself towards the ship situated in the center of the artificial body of water.
Landing with a hard thud against the metal deck, I only had to wait a moment before Mineta flew over the side of the ship and smashed into the deck harder than I had. Ignoring his cry of pain, I offered my hand to help Asui climb aboard as she scaled the side of the ship.
"This is turning out to be a terrible day of class." Asui said miserably.
Ignoring her statement of the obvious and the still writhing Mineta, I looked out towards the rest of the facility, where explosions and other signs of combat were already beginning to erupt across the various zones.
Turning my attention to the water around us, I pondered our next move. Should we leave now? I can easily carry the two of them to shore. I won't be able to make it in one jump without breaking something, but I can cover the distance with three or four mid air kicks to propel us forward. Even throwing Asui and Mineta halfway would probably give Tsu enough of a headstart for them to get away. Can we just leave these villains here? They specialize in aquatic combat, but if we leave there will be nothing stopping them from joining the battle elsewhere. I'm sure some of them will be all but useless on land, but they're still grown men. If they catch someone like Jiro or Koda off guard, they could probably kill them.
Clenching my fists in frustration, I made my decision.
"Alright, we can make it to the shore without much difficulty, but we can't leave these assholes here to follow us or chase after our other classmates. We'll need to take care of them here and now." I said, turning to face Asui and Mineta, the latter already panicking from something Asui had said.
Thrown into further panic by my decision to fight, Mineta began to cry as he frantically waved his hands about. "What do you mean, fight? Are you crazy? That mist villain said they're here to kill All Might and you think we can take them? Did you hit your head when we got warped here? The best plan is for us to just wait for a real pro from UA to come and save us!"
Mineta's panic turned into outright hysteria when a colossal hand made of water slashed through the center of the ship, causing it to begin to sink rapidly.
Kneeling down, I grabbed Mineta by the shoulders, forcing him to look at me. "Mineta, start throwing your balls into the water. Aim for the villains. I'll take care of it from there."
To my surprise, Mineta remained coherent enough to understand my instruction, and began frantically throwing his balls in every direction, sobbing as he did so.
"So, Mineta, are you really sure the hero thing is right for you?" Asui asked, her expression a mixture of pity and disgust.
"Shut up! It's weirder not to be scared right now! We just got out of junior high a little while ago! I didn't think I'd be facing death a few days after starting UA!" Mineta screamed back at her.
I mean, that's fair. I conceded internally.
"I can't believe I'm gonna die without ever getting to touch Yaoyorozu's boobs!" Mineta continued.
My hand lashed out, smacking the pervert upside the head and knocking him to the deck face first.
Picking him up by the scruff of his costume, I lowered myself to one knee. "Sorry, Tsu, but I'll need at least one hand for this. You'll have to ride piggyback."
With a 'ribbit', Asui climbed onto my back, wrapping her arms and legs around my torso to make sure she was secure. With one last check to make sure I had a solid grip on the still dazed Mineta, I channeled One for All to ten percent and launched us off the deck of the sinking ship.
Looking down at the villains below, I pulled my arm back and shot a Detroit Smash directly into the center of the circle where the ship had just slipped beneath the water. Immediately, a whirlpool formed and began sucking in the surrounding villains, who were then stuck together by the balls Mineta had thrown into the water.
Right before I kicked us towards the shore, Asui's tongue darted out towards the water below and looped around the mass of villains, using the momentum of the churning water to direct them towards the nearest floating debris from the ship.
"Good call, Tsu." I praised as I propelled us in the direction of the central plaza.
"I figure they can all breathe underwater, but it's better to be safe than sorry." She replied.
After a brief flight, we arrived at the shore. Just before landing, Asui released her hold on me and dove into the water below, leaving me to make a more comfortable landing with Mineta held in one arm. Upon landing, I tossed him to the ground and turned to Asui as she made her way out of the artificial lake.
"What's our next move?" Asui asked tiredly.
Turning my gaze towards the central plaza, I considered for a brief moment before replying. "You two are going to head for the entrance and get out of here."
Asui and Mineta both recoiled at my words, but to my surprise, both quickly regained their resolve.
"You can't go alone." Asui declared bluntly.
"She's right, that's crazy! Mr Aizawa is a pro, he can handle it on his own. We'll just get in the way!" Mineta added.
"We don't have time to argue this. Aizawa is an immensely powerful hero with a unique quirk. We can't risk him being crippled or killed. There's too many of these guys. He'll need help to get out, especially if the creepy hand guy or the giant bird dude join the fray. I assume those two are the ones here to kill All Might, but he isn't here. It's only a matter of time before they decide to intervene, if they haven't already. When that happens, Aizawa will need backup." I replied.
"We still can't let you do that on your own. We'll come with you." Asui said defiantly.
Mineta had begun to quiver in fear again, but did not dispute Asui's words.
Grimacing at what I knew needed to be said, I turned away from the plaza to face the two of them.
Tsu may have saved Izuku in canon, but I'm not him. Mineta could in theory be of use, but Nomu will only be caught by the balls once, and I have no doubt he's capable of ripping off a foot to keep moving. Once that's done, he won't get hit again. He's too fast. No…
Giving my two classmates a sad smile, I spoke as kindly as I could. "Tsu, Mineta, the most you can do to help me now is get yourselves to safety. Please."
Both stood in silence for a moment before Asui lowered her head to stare despondently at the ground. Mineta opened his mouth to say something, but decided otherwise before gently taking Asui's hand and pulling her in the direction of the main staircase.
Looking over his shoulder with frustrated tears in his eyes, Mineta shouted back at me as I began to make my way towards the plaza. "Don't die, Midoriya!"
As the sounds of battle emanating from the plaza came to an abrupt halt, I broke into a sprint.
I wasn't planning on it.
Author's Note:
We aren't in Kansas anymore.