agentark88 - Tumblr blog

agentark88 · 11 months

Text

Think: A Bittersweet Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction using characters and settings from My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not claim any ownership of characters present in this piece that are owned and created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not own My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia.

Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Warnings: This work contains blood and violence.

(Ending 8 of 8)

A Bittersweet Ending

You knew what you had to do to stop this, stop All for One. You knew what All for One wanted more than anything else. He wanted to win. He wanted power. You lifted your hand when All for One’s words left Shigaraki’s mouth.

“You’ve chosen death. I’m afraid I’ve overestimated you. It will be a shame to lose such a powerful quirk with your demise—”

“The shame is you didn’t realize how powerful it was sooner,” you bit back. You didn’t know where that courage came from, maybe it was the idea that this would be protecting your friends, that your sacrifice was bigger than you.

Shigaraki’s fingers twitched, cutting All for One off may not have been the wisest thing to do. You felt the wave of rage hit you, watched Shigaraki lift his hand in your direction.

“Insolent child.” Dark crimson and black energy shot out from Shigaraki’s fingers, coming at you from all directions.

Your mind shield was already up, protecting you from all angles. All for One’s quirk cracked against the surface. You shot out another shield, stopping the oncoming Nomus. Your quirk buzzed in approval. You weren’t sure what ancient or primitive power was at work here, but it understood your objective: Give All for One your quirk. Let your quirk thrive in a new host, rather than be destroyed in this one.

Cracks. You could practically hear your skull breaking from the strain. That was the intention. Use your quirk to its limit. Get it to the point that not even All for One could keep it under wraps, especially not in an incomplete host body. All for One spoke of consequences, but he would understand them after you were done.

Blood dripped from your nose. Wind whipped through your hair. The grasp on your quirk was the strongest it had ever been. You were giving it full power to fight.

A bloody nose is like a broken bone. The words echoed in your mind, and you held firm. You would break every bone in your body if it meant your classmates would live.

“I’m stronger than you, more powerful than you,” you said, hoping your words did not come out shakily. “If you have any hope of escaping, you will have to deal with me first. I can read every thought you have, anticipate every outcome. I can keep you here as long as it takes. I’ll keep you here until every hero in Japan is outside this forcefield if I have to.”

Breaking, your mind was breaking. You felt each strand of your quirk twist and crack under the weight of the attack from every Nomu, felt the sharp points of All for One’s quirk scrape against your shield.

“You’ve trapped yourself in here with me? Unwise indeed. You dare waste my time further?” All for One questioned. “What game are you playing at? Surely you don’t believe you could win.”

You forced a smile. “I know I can.” Break. You needed to break every facet of your quirk, let it lose control in every sense of the word. Give it to him broken; let him see the power he could have and then give it over. You let every thought in Japan flood your mind, kept your forcefields up at full strength.

Shigaraki’s struggle came into view. He was fighting, fighting for possession of his body again. All for One was using him for this body. You pulled out of his mind as to not get grabbed as you had been before.

The energy continued to scrape at your shields as soon as one spike broke through, you used your mind to shove it back out.

“My patience is wearing thin, child,” All for One snarled.

“Then, end this. If you’re so powerful, then break through.” You were absolutely terrified. No amount of confidence that you’ve perceived in your existence could have matched the words spilling recklessly from your lips.

The Nomus beat relentlessly on the larger field that you made. At this point, the bubble had started to crackle with blue energy, becoming visible. The heroes that could still move, were fighting the Nomus back as best they could as you stayed within the forcefield you’d created yourself.

The air whipped harder around you. Each coiled knot of control was beginning to unravel. The wind rushed through Shigaraki, his hair blowing back. All for One sent a different quirk at you. This one rippled and sizzled through your barrier. The radio-wave quirk had more effect on your mind than physical attacks, but you stood firm.

“You misjudged me. Now, I will show you the consequences of your assumptions,” you said boldly. You lifted your hand ahead of you, and the air seemed to suspend at your will. You caught rubble with strands of your mind, whipping it directly at All for One so fast he had little time to counteract it with his own quirks.

“Such confidence from a young hero. What would happen if I stripped you of the very thing that you hoped to defeat me with?” All for One asked. He took a step toward you, lifting his hand again.

Do it. Take my quirk. Your words did not reach past the minds and thoughts you were taking in. Break it. Burn it to the ground. Let him have what you’ve struggled with your entire life.

The wind picked up, blowing the man sideways. He had to consciously keep himself upright. Your feet left the ground. Your power fully unleashed, finally allowing you the ability of flight.

“Perhaps I have been too quick to judge you. I find your quirk much more appealing now that I know that there is so much power within it,” All for One spouted greedily. “I think I will take it for myself, for my successor.”

A wave of attacks hit your mind field all at once, beating it down. Quirk after quirk stabbed at your resistance. Piece by piece your mind was being peeled. All for One placed Shigaraki’s hand onto the outer shield. Cracks, graying brittle cracks crackled up the side of the field and then your mind. You shrieked as something ancient and powerful was being ripped apart. You fell to your knees, forcibly putting all of your energy into outputting your quirk, holding that shield up against the Nomus, giving All for One the chance to receive the gift he so desperately wanted to take from you.

You heard Shoto scream out your name, begging you to let him help. You were too pained to make out his exact words. Shinso… you heard him yelling too, felt his hand beating against the same forcefield you were using to keep the monsters out.

A cold dry palm pressed into your forehead. You looked up with tearful eyes, seeing red energy illuminate your vision, but you forced a smile. The final piece of your mind cracked like a fragile egg. The tip of your head felt like it was being chipped away, like it was decaying, and you put all of your final bits of energy into trying to protect yourself from being disintegrated.

Stop fighting! you mustered the final two words, blasting it into every single mind around you, mimicking Shigaraki’s voice. The same gravelly tone you so fearfully remembered. The Nomus would stop because they knew no different. To them, your mental words were Shigaraki’s. The Nomus would wait until your final sacrificial act was complete.

The corrupt and broken quirk left your body, filtering into Shigaraki’s. You gave it up willingly, knowing the ticking timebomb that you’d given away. You knew realization had struck the man before you, when his fingers quaked near your temple. You watched as he crumpled to the floor, a mind shattered. Not one mind, but two.

You fell back, pain replaced by darkness. You’d done it. You’d saved everyone, except yourself.

…Ten Years Later…Perspective: Shoto Todoroki…

Shoto stared at the little shop entrance, frozen in fear. It had been ten years since that day, ten years since Shigaraki and All for One had been defeated. He’d passed this shop every year for the past five years it had been open, but he never had the courage to actually go inside.

The outer trim of the small bakery and sweets shop was light blue with a glitter finish, outshining all of the gray business buildings beside it. The sign was made up of bold dark blue letters, spelling out the words “Chocolate Sharks.”

Shoto felt out of place here in his hero costume. He’d shot up the ranks, pouring himself into his hero work after the incident, after Anna Kokoro lost all of her memories. He couldn’t seem to forgive himself. He kept questioning what he could have done differently so the outcome hadn’t been the loss of such a brilliant hero. Even when Shoto reached number one, he felt empty, like something was missing. It was her. It was always her.

Shoto stared absently downward. If he stood outside the bakery any longer, he’d surely cause a scene. Perhaps, he wasn’t actually ready to go inside, to face her. The adults had told all of class 1-A to give her time, to not push her too soon. Her mind had been so fragile, so broken by the time she reached the hospital. It was a whole year before anyone was allowed to even see her, and it was mainly Mr. Aizawa and her parents that could speak with her. She remembered no one, not even Ochaco Uraraka, her best friend since she was far younger than she was during the accident. She was officially removed from U.A. shortly after, quirkless and lost to everything that she had accomplished. All of Anna’s classmates were told by U.A. faculty, doctors, and the police not to interact with her in case it could cause more damage to her mind, but that was such a long time ago, it didn’t matter anymore.

A silver bell rang ahead of Shoto. He let out a small gasp, meeting the hazel eyes of the young woman in front of him. She’d bent down to retrieve a small cup of weeds that had been left outside her door, yellow heads bobbing up and down with the over-filled cup.

“Oh, excuse me. Did you want to come in?” Anna asked. She smiled warmly in Shoto’s direction, and he suddenly remembered the comfort that she used to bring him. “There are freshly baked cookies. I’m sure hero work makes a man such as yourself hungry.” She propped the door open with her arm, and Shoto instinctually grabbed it out of courteousness.

The sweet and deep chocolate aroma hit him first, making even his mouth water. He never cared much for sweets, but the smell was so enticing he felt inclined to enter. Anna gave him another smile, her nose crinkling just a bit and her eyes twinkling like they’d always done before. She adjusted her glasses before moving back into the small bakery.

Anna moved back behind the counter, waiting for Shoto to step inside. He lingered at the door like a vampire needing an invitation. Patient as ever, Anna didn’t seem to mind his hesitancy.

"You’re welcome in. If you just want to take a seat, be my guest. You don’t need to order anything if you don’t want to. If sweets and pastries are not to your liking, would you like some tea?” she asked.

Shoto cleared his throat, taking one shaky step over the wooden floor. The place was cute, decorated with oversized food items, like strawberry chairs and cake designed tables with a cherry centerpiece. The place was clean, spotless. There was not a single finger smudge on the display glass. Shoto crossed the room slowly, his eyes surveying every item in the shop. Anna went on tiptoe to replace a set of weeds on one of her higher shelves behind the counter.

Shoto jolted back when she began to speak again, was surprised to hear her voice.

“There’s a man that leaves these outside my door every week. I think he’s a Pro Hero too. I’ve told him not to do it because I worry that I’ll forget they’re out there one day. He told me not to worry about it, and it’s more of a tradition anyway. I wonder if he knew the previous owner of this building. I’ve tried to ask him before, but… he seems like a rather private individual.” Anna tilted her head to the side, wiping absently at the front of her apron covered in sharks. “She must have been a very lucky lady for a hero to be so dedicated to dropping off flowers for her every week like that. Although I’m sure most women wouldn’t be as appreciative to receive common dandelions, I find they’re rather pretty. I take them in so that they will last longer. Besides, a little yellow never hurt a room.” Her voice twinkled like a morning windchime.

Anna leaned up over the counter, glancing between Shoto and the goods within the display case. “So, what brings you all the way out here to my little old shop?” she asks.

“Me?”

Anna giggled. “Of course, you. Sure, I have some Pro Hero regulars, but I haven’t seen you come in before.” She glanced away, stepping back from the counter and fidgeting with her hands. “I do have to admit something to you though…” she trailed off, blushing bashfully.

Shoto gulped. Admit something to him? He had no idea what that could be. Had she actually remembered him, their past together? Hope filled his chest. She tugged absently at her messy braid, some flour had managed to get on the end of it, and she quickly brushed it off.

“What is it?” he asked eagerly.

Anna’s blush deepened in color. “It’s sort of embarrassing, and I hope you won’t take offense to this.” She fixed the front of her apron. “I’m actually a huge fan. I see you on television all the time, and I know it’s silly because I’m quirkless, but I had always wanted to be a hero like you are. You’re truly an inspiration to me, especially since we both have a scar…” she trailed off again, looking away. She slowly lifted a portion of her bangs out of the way to show the scar made of partially cracked skin near her temple, where Shigaraki had tried to decay her. A streak of white was permanently fixed in her hair as well.

“Oh,” his voice dropped a little in disappointment. Shoto had forgotten about the scar on her forehead. He could barely see it when he walked in. Guilt ripped the next words out of his mouth.

“I didn’t mean to say something to make you uncomfortable.” She covered her scar back up. “I just wanted to tell you. I guess that was selfish of me.” She gave a small self-deprecating laugh that made Shoto’s heart break for her. “Believe it or not, I used to have a quirk, even went to U.A., but I don’t have any memory of it myself. You might have even seen me in the hallway because you went there too, right? It’s kind of ridiculous to think someone like you would have known someone like me though—”

“I always noticed you,” Shoto blurted.

Anna blinked at him in confusion. “What?” she asked. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Ah.” Shoto pressed his lips together. He may have said too much. Would it be bad to discuss the past with her now? Could it damage her mind even this far from the incident? He didn’t want to take that chance. “I would have always noticed you if I’d seen you,” he corrected. “Maybe we were in different classes.” He hated lying to her. He hated himself for lying to her.

Anna blushed again. “I’m sure you’re just flattering me.” She waved her hand. “It’s certainly appreciated, but you don’t have to be nice to me out of kindness.”

Shoto’s shoulders dropped. He tried to cover it up by looking over the pastries inside the display case again. Coming here was a mistake. He missed her too much. He wanted so desperately to tell her everything.

“Anything catch your eye?” Anna asked. “One pastry on the house for new customers.” She smiled again.

Shoto remembered baking with Anna. He remembered how much of a disaster he was in the kitchen too. He considered buying everything, but he didn’t want to scare her. He had the money for it, but he also didn’t want all of her hard work to go to waste either. There were only so many people at his agency that would consider eating sugar.

“The chocolate chip cookies,” he said, deciding upon the very item he had worked with her to make so many years ago. “And, a chocolate ganache cake. Make those three cakes.” He would eat them himself if no one else at the office would. He’d eat them until he couldn’t stomach it, just for her.

“Of course. How many cookies?” she asked, already packing the cakes in cardboard boxes with the shark logo on the top.

“All of the chocolate chip cookies please,” he said. That should be enough. Not too much, not too little. It wouldn’t seem like he was overdoing it.

“All of them?” she squeaked out. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m not questioning how many cookies you can eat Mr. Shoto, but—”

“Just Shoto is fine,” he corrected smoothly. Of course that wasn’t a normal amount. What was he thinking? He wished he were better at these kinds of situations, but his social interactions with the public had only gone so far. Maybe, he should have just gotten one.

“Shoto, there are over four hundred chocolate chip cookies here,” she said, scanning over the amount lined up within the case.

“Seems like a fair amount for my hero agency. I wouldn’t want to leave out any of the hardworking sidekicks after all,” Shoto said, trying to come back from what he had perceived as a blunder.

“If you’re certain, then I will pack them up neatly for you right away. If you would excuse me, there are some more boxes in the back," Anna said.

Shoto relaxed, fighting the urge to slam his palm to his forehead. This little detour was far more difficult than he had expected. His eyes floated up toward the register. Out in front of it was a purple cat with a swinging paw. A small button necklace was looped around its porcelain neck. Shoto narrowed his eyes at the object. It didn’t seem to go with the rest of the shop, and Shoto suspected who the lucky statue cat had come from. Perhaps, Shoto wasn’t the only one trying to see Anna again.

“Just enough boxes!” Anna called cheerfully as she came back up to the front. “I hope you’ll be able to carry them all by yourself,” she murmured, counting each cookie as she placed them into the open box.

The entryway bell chimed, and Shoto tensed. Anna poked her head up from what she was doing to greet the new customer.

“Welcome to Chocolate Sharks! Ah, Red Riot. It’s so nice to see you again!” Anna said. “I’ll be right with you after I serve this other patient customer.”

Shoto’s eyes widened. Kirishima came here? Shoto was beginning to feel foolish. Had he been the only one too scared to reach out after the incident? Did she know everyone else?

“No worries, Princess. I’m on break. Take your time.”

Anna looked momentarily distracted from counting. She pouted. “You shouldn’t be calling me such a familiar nickname, Red Riot. People will get the wrong idea about us. You’re my loyal customer. I don’t like spreading rumors.”

“Sorry, Princess. It’s just a force of habit,” Kirishima said.

So, she didn’t know him? Or, didn’t know the old him at least. Shoto risked a glance back toward the Pro Hero. Kirishima’s crimson gaze was already scanning him.

“First time here?” Kirishima asked knowingly.

Shoto’s muscles coiled. He nodded in shame. Kirishima patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s alright man. I get it,” he whispered. “We all missed her. It takes some people longer than others to heal.”

Shoto clenched his jaw. He wasn’t the one that needed to heal. Anna had sacrificed her dreams to become a hero for ultimate peace in Japan, and she didn’t even know she’d been a hero. She had no idea that she made the sacrifice either. She was the one who needed to heal, deserved to heal. Shoto was ashamed of himself for not trying to find her, talk to her, sooner.

“You better not be harassing my new customer,” Anna said, continuing to count the cookies.

Kirishima put his hands up in defense. “I would never! What kind of a loyal customer would I be if I scared off all of your business?” Kirishima asked.

“Uh huh,” Anna said suspiciously.

Once she finished wrapping the last box with twine, she hauled the lot of them over to the register. She slowly input all of the items, hesitating with some numbers, most likely being held back by residual damage from the decay to her head all those years ago. She read out the total, and Shoto readily handed over his card. Once the transaction was complete, Anna gave Shoto a final smile.

“Thank you for coming to Chocolate Sharks. I hope to see you again.”

“You will,” Shoto said. He wanted to tell her he should have come sooner, but he didn’t have the heart. “Thank you for such a warm welcome.”

“Any time,” Anna said almost breathlessly. “It was nice meeting you.”

Shoto paused with the boxes in hand. He wanted to blurt out all of his feelings then and there. He’d put so much work into distracting himself from her that during this small moment of peace, it was killing him to even look at her. All of the past memories he’d spent with her came flooding back all at once. He wished things had ended up differently. He wished that they could have been together. He waited far too long to come and see her. He would not make that mistake again.

“Thank you,” he repeated. The sadness was clear in his tone.

Anna’s smile faltered. Shoto turned away from her, shouldering open the door. He left, wishing that he’d visited sooner. He promised himself that he would come back every week, if only just to check up on her. He hoped their next meeting would not end with so many bittersweet memories.

2 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 11 months

Text

The final Think chapter is delayed and will not come out tonight, but expect it soon! 💙

3 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 11 months

Text

Think: A Quirkless Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language and violence.

(Ending 7 of 8)

A Quirkless Ending

“You’re shaking so badly, child. Allow me to take your worries away. It’s this quirk of yours, isn’t it? Is it too much pressure for you?” All for One said, his voice growling out from Shigaraki’s chapped lips.

“N-no,” you stuttered out, getting into a defensive stance. “You won’t take my quirk from me. Not before I stop you.”

“You can barely keep standing. What makes you think you can fight me, Anna Kokoro?” All for One pushed. “You were too afraid to do anything when I swatted your friends away like flies. What’s changed?”

He was right. You were terrified, almost too petrified to move. You went to move and a stream of energy came forth from his fingertips. Your breath caught in your throat as you had barely caught the barbs in suspended air with your quirk. Two in front and three behind. All for One chuckled out of Shigaraki’s body.

“Ah, you might be more of a challenge than I anticipated. Let’s see how long your quirk can last against me, shall we?” he asked.

All for One retracted the spears of energy, sending out a radio shockwave that rattled your mind. You hissed out in pain, staggering back. All for One took the opportunity to send a blast of yellow energy at you, and you stopped it just short of sending you clear off of Gigantomachia's back.

“Interesting.” All for One got closer and closer, as you fought off attack after attack.

You gasped as your found yourself inches from Shigaraki, his hand reaching out toward your face. Exhausted and overexerted from shielding from an onslaught of attacks, there was nothing left of your quirk to use, nothing that you could bring forth to force him away.

“Don’t be frightened. Your quirk will be used for something greater,” All for One stated. He grabbed your face, and you clawed at his fingers.

Red energy pulsed, ripped, and sucked at your mind. Your quirk was being pulled from you, taken. Seconds. It took seconds. You shivered as it was finally disconnected from you. Your eyes rolled back up into your head.

…

You jolted upright, grabbing for anything to stabilize you. The cleanly smell of antiseptic hit your nose first. The white walls made your stomach churn. Hospital. You were in the hospital.

It was quiet. It was so quiet, eerily quiet. Your fingers trembled as they reached for your head. You didn’t feel it. You didn’t feel your quirk there anymore. The distant buzz was gone, the constant need to ensure that you weren’t reading someone’s mind was gone.

You resisted the urge to rip out your IV. Instead, you stood up from your hospital cot, pulling the equipment attached to you weakly with you. You peered out into the hallway, hearing murmuring voices come from the next room over.

Your eyes widened when you saw a purple silhouette exit one of the neighboring rooms. Shinso’s violet gaze met yours. He blinked at you once or twice, disbelief clear in his expression, then he rushed to you. His arms were around you before you could speak.

“I thought he had killed you,” he choked out. “I thought I had lost you forever.”

You hugged him back, as clunky as it was to do so attached to so much equipment. You were shaking. Tears pooled in your eyes.

“What happened?” you asked, but you already knew.

Shinso’s embrace tightened. “I think you’ll need to sit down first.”

“Tell me,” you gasped out, lip quivering.

Hitoshi hesitated to answer you, but he wouldn’t outright deny your request. “Shigaraki escaped. He stole your quirk.”

…Ten Years Later…

“Pay attention students. These questions will be on Friday’s test,” you announced, etching out the equation in chalk on the board. If they understood how important this was, you were certain they wouldn’t be so distracted.

“What does it matter? It’s not like we’re going to use math like this in the real world. You’re just having us learn it because the quirkless normies have to do it in their schools. Heroes don’t need to know all this crap,” Nakaya spat. He kicked his feet up on his desk, reminding you of Bakugo as a youth. He had spiky blue hair that looked like your old classmate’s too.

You paused with the chalk still in your hand. “Perhaps you’ve forgotten the importance of planning, or how much you like using your support items in the field. What if you needed to crack a code to stop a villain’s bomb before it detonated? All of these things would not be possible to solve without equations, numbers. Not everything is thwarted with strength or dumb luck.” You let your hand fall down to your side, seeing Nakaya’s reflection in the corner of your glasses. He was off balance, putting all of his weight on the back of his chair. A little force would certainly have him reeling back. “Angles are also important,” you continued, calculating at which exact angle you would need to hit his chair to have it slip out from under him.

You started to etch the trajectory on the board, showing the class your plan before enacting it. A few of the brighter well-behaved students began to murmur as they started to put it together, weight distribution, an object, velocity, impact. It was all coming together. You circled back to your desk, grasping one of your weighted hero projectiles from a drawer. You held it in your hand as if it were an ordinary stress ball, then with little effort you whipped the support item at the back end of Nakaya’s chair. He yelped as it was just enough to tip him over, and he crashed dramatically to the floor.

You pointed back up at the board. “As you can see, planning your next move using strategy and simple mathematics can allow you to have the upper hand over any adversary that you might encounter.” You continued writing out the rest of the prep questions for the end of the week’s test. “It is also important to remember that being quirkless does not mean being incapable of doing great things. Quirkless individuals can be a hero too. Math and science are huge factors in allowing those of us without natural-born gifts to surpass those of us who refuse to pay attention in class." You continued to scroll out the rest of the formulas. “Take me for example. I lost my quirk in the early stages of being a student at this school, and I was still able to become a Pro Hero thanks to my inventive mind and support items.”

Nakaya clicked his tongue, scoffing as he collected himself off the ground. He sat properly back up in his seat, and you considered how proud Aizawa would have been to see such a feat accomplished.

The door suddenly burst open, and you turned, hand already reaching toward the drawer with your utility belt. You relaxed when you saw Midoriya standing at the door, freckled face flushed and worried.

“S-sorry, I thought I heard a loud bang, and I thought maybe you were in trouble, Miss Kokoro.”

A few of the students snickered and laughed.

“Mr. Midoriya to the rescue,” one of the girl students cooed.

Midoriya’s face got redder, and he started stuttering again. “I-I was only trying to assist if needed.” He adjusted his green tie that complimented his brown plaid suit. He had to start wearing support gloves so he wasn’t in pain constantly from the damage he had caused his arms and hands in the past. They poked out from under his sleeves, an intricate mess of silver mechanics and red wires.

“I’m fine, Midoriya. Thank you for checking in,” you responded to him warmly. “I was just teaching one of my students the importance of strategic planning.”

Midoriya glanced at the board, muttering to himself about the calculations. He turned to Nakaya, having deduced where you’d thrown the projectile. “Oh, I see.” Midoriya cleared his throat. “I suppose I should be leaving—”

The U.A. security alarm began to blare, and red lights flashed throughout the room and hallway.

“Is this a drill?” Midoriya asked.

“It’s not in the schedule,” you said firmly. “Students, orderly exit the classroom to the designated safety areas! Mr. Midoriya please help guide other students calmy through the hallways.” You scrambled through your drawers, picking out support items and hooking your hero utility belt around your evening teacher’s dress.

When you looked up again, the students were uncertain of whether or not to leave you. These were only first years after all. They hadn’t been in your classes for very long either. “This is not a drill. You need to move.” You flicked out your retractable staff.

Nakaya rolled his eyes. “Bet it’s just a damn drill.”

Some of the students started filtering out of the classroom to your relief. You counted them on the way out to make sure no one had left for the restroom or to the nurse’s office. As you counted the tenth student, an explosion rattled the building. Nakaya jolted away from the noise. You slid out in front of your retreating students as another explosion made the classroom tremble. You spun your staff out in front of you, preparing for combat. The wall burst open with the next explosion. A wave of fire hurled toward you.

You jumped back, bumping into Nakaya as you went for your belt. With split-second reflexes you found your subzero projectile and tossed it out. The ice and fire combined together in a cloud of steam. You grabbed Nakaya by the arm, urging him for the door. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched a man casually walk through the open wall. The villain was dressed in a pristine white suit, not a mark on him. His blond hair was slicked back, and his beard was well-trimmed. His blue eyes observed you with interest as he raised an eyebrow.

“Hailey, it appears you may have miscalculated that last explosion,” he said, adjusting his tie. “I don’t believe this was the correct room. This one is quirkless.” His eyes shined with purple energy. “Ah, wait. Something there is dormant. No, definitely quirkless.” He tutted sharply. “Heavens, I tell you every time to watch where you use your quirk. It defeats the element of surprise.

From the smoke, came a lightning quick villainess, propelled by explosive fire. Without you even being able to lift your staff, her hand was around your neck. Smoke came from her nostrils, and her fingers burned like hot iron. You stifled a cry.

“This is the one,” she hissed. “Two to go.”

She held all of her weight forward as if she never stopped moving. Even now, she was pushing you back toward the door. She had silver eyes and slicked back black hair. You used her momentum, twisting your body and her weight forward. She growled when you hooked a cuff to one of her wrists on the way down. She moved too fast for you to get the other on her. Her hands were on you again as she maneuvered out of the throw, catching herself and pivoting.

Before she could lay her hands back on your skin again, a flash of green crossed your vision. Then, the woman was gone. You watched in awe as the fire quirk villain had been launched back at the formally dressed man. Suddenly, you were being held securely in place by a muscular freckled arm. Midoriya’s entire suit had been ripped up the sleeve, suggesting he had just used One for All to launch the villain, Hailey, into oblivion. His support glove whirred and adjusted. Midoriya winced.

“Sorry. I circled back when I heard the explosion. Are you okay?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah,” you said, looking over incredulously at the two villains that had single-handedly just been knocked unconscious. “Thanks for the save.”

“Of course. I would never just leave you in danger.” Midoriya’s green eyes moved down to your neck, and he gasped. “Are you really okay? She burned you. Let me take you to the nurse’s office.” He lifted you up into his arms to carry you out, and you immediately started to squirm out.

“No, no, I’m fine.” Between the struggle to get out of Midoriya’s gentle grasp, you noticed U.A. security picking up the unconscious villains. The alarms almost simultaneously stopped squawking. “Really, Midoriya. This is not necessary.”

Midoriya had barely taken a step outside the classroom, and the giggles started up immediately. Several of the returning students were staring at the two of you. Your face blossomed into a blush. Midoriya froze with you still very much in his arms. Having been unable to escape, you resorted to covering your face with your hand.

“Please put me down,” you murmured.

Midoriya finally obliged, and you dusted the front of your dress off. Midoriya cleared his throat in embarrassment. The students continued to watch the two of you and gossip, some of them even pulling out their phones to take pictures.

“Return to your classes. That’s enough gawking,” you scolded the lingering students. You rubbed your temples.

“Sorry,” Midoriya apologized.

“You were only trying to help,” you replied.

Your class came sauntering back into the classroom, looking between the two of you with cheeky smiles.

One of the female students boldly started chanting, “Miss Kokoro and Mr. Midoriya sitting in a tree K—”

“Enough.” You didn’t let the student finish, already thoroughly embarrassed over the situation in itself.

“Sorry,” Midoriya apologized to you again, only making matters worse, as the students started conversing about the absurd idea of the two of you having a secret relationship once more.

You gave him a look and his muscular shoulders crowded his ears. He said a “sorry” under his breath, and you waved a hand at him in frustration. You dismissed your students, as the classroom was in ruin, letting them know there would still be a test at the end of the week. Midoriya stood by sheepishly, glancing at you and most likely waiting for all of your students to leave before trying to get you medical attention again.

To your surprise, Nakaya paused in front of you. He scuffed his nose with his knuckle, then shoved both his hands into his pockets. “That was pretty cool, Miss Kokoro,” he admitted under his breath.

You blinked at him in surprise. “What?” you asked, thinking that you must have heard him wrong.

“It was kind of alright the way you threw that villain over you like that. You used her own weight, right? That had to do with that calculating stuff you were rambling on in class about, yeah?” He turned his head away, checking that no one was listening to him compliment you.

“Yes,” you said carefully, waiting for him to flip this on you somehow.

“Think you could explain that next class?” He clicked his tongue. “I mean, I don’t know, maybe I might pay extra attention if you show me how to kick ass like that.”

You attempted but failed to hide your smile. You were proud that he actually was reaching out to you. “First of all, language. Second of all, I will be sure to center next lesson around full-body takedowns. It will highlight the angle advantages too. I appreciate the feedback, Nakaya.”

Nakaya’s eyes seemed to light up, but his face fell when he noticed Midoriya still standing there. “Yeah, whatever, Teach.” He absently kicked his shoe over the ground. “Glad you’re okay. I’m sure a substitute would have been as—”

You gave Nakaya a warning look.

“Assumingly annoying,” he said. He gave you a final wave goodbye, before disappearing with the rest of the class.

You sighed. “You know you don’t have to walk me to the nurse’s office, right?” you asked, tilting your head back toward Midoriya.

“Would you have actually gone if I didn’t wait?” he asked.

“Probably not.”

“Then, it’s a good thing I stuck around.”

You shook your head, nudging him with your elbow. “You sticking around is what keeps starting up rumors about us.”

“I know,” he said guiltily, then he walked you all the way to the nurse’s office.

#mha fanfic #MHA x OC #mha x you #bnha x you #bnha x oc #Quirkless Ending #bnha deku #izuku midoriya #bnha midoriya #mha midoriya #Anna kokoro #annakokoro #mha anna #bnha anna #mha anna kokoro

2 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: A Villainous Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language, blood, death, and violence. If you are easily triggered by violent scenarios, please do not read this chapter. This chapter could be triggering to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

(Ending 6 of 8)

A Villainous Ending

You took All for One’s words as an opportunity. You weren’t ready for this. You were just a child. What did the Pro Heroes expect you to do? He could kill you without even lifting a finger. You backed up, stumbling over yourself to get away. You wanted to be a hero, but you didn’t want to lose your life before even getting a chance to become one.

You tumbled off the back of Gigantomachia, running in the direction of Doku who had still not made the decision to leave or stay. He held a hand out toward you, ready to catch you when you were in arm’s reach.

“He’s got a knife! Watch yourselves! That’s the villain BioVirus!” Deku warned.

Kobura’s focus went to him, but Deku was still unable to stand due to his injuries. Just as you were about to meet Kobura’s hand, a strand of cables lashed out crushing him where he stood. Shinso came out of nowhere, grabbing you and pulling you away. The knife fell from Kobura’s fingertips.

“Wait! Don’t! He’s only trying to help!” you shouted toward Best Jeanist. “Let him go!”

You struggled in Shinso’s grasp, but he’d lifted you from the ground. The binds tightened around Kobura. His eyes widened in panic. You saw venom gurgle up into his mouth. Bubbles of air barely making it out his throat. He struggled, and the cables only grew tighter around him. His face twisted in pain, growing red and then purple in color.

“He can’t breathe!” you shouted. “Let him go! He’s not our enemy! He was helping!”

“Best Jeanist knows what he’s doing. Stop fighting me, Kitten. He’s a villain. He should have never showed up here,” Shinso assured you.

Doku didn’t even have enough air to respond. Watching him struggle like that was too horrifying. You elbowed Shinso in the jaw, scrambling out of his grasp to make it to Doku. They weren’t listening to you. No matter how easy or constricting Best Jeanist was being, something was wrong with Doku’s quirk. He was drowning in his own viral venom. He couldn’t even fight for his case to be released. You took hold of the cables, attempting to pull them away with assistance from your mind quirk. You pulled off some of the rope, but lost grip on others.

“You’re killing him!” you shouted. “Let him go!”

Doku’s eyes rolled up in the back of his head. Your chest constricted. In a last-ditch effort to get him free, you cut your hands on the special fabric. You snapped three binds. It took four for Doku to be dropped. You put up a mind shield so he wouldn’t be grabbed again. You reached for his face, patting his cheek in an attempt to get him to react. You put him on his side and venom emptied out of his parted lips, followed by streams of blood. There were indentations of where the cables had him, they’d gone deep into his skin, leaving behind red welts. How could a Pro Hero have done this? You begged for him to be released and yet Best Jeanist didn’t even weaken his hold on him.

“Breathe! Wake up, Doku. You’re free,” you begged.

Tears burst from your eyes. You continued to shake Kobura, hoping that he would respond to you. His skin was cold under your touch. You pressed your ear to his chest, but you couldn’t hear a heartbeat. You rolled him onto his back, beginning CPR. As you pressed the heel of your palm into his chest, wracking sobs escaped you. You pressed your lips to his, trying to breathe life back into him. You weren’t sure how long you continued on like this. It could have been minutes or hours that you were doing compressions, but he never woke up.

You fell over Doku, crying into his chest and pleading for the life to come back to him. You were screaming for someone to get help, but no one came. Your mind shield eventually dissipated from exhaustion. Shinso dragged you off of Doku’s lifeless body, clutching you to him as you cried.

“Please, someone help him,” you begged again.

Evidently, Shigaraki had escaped with the help of his Nomus. Everything appeared to be at a standstill. Silence and decayed landscape lay in the wake of the destruction. You refused to leave with the paramedics, until they finally covered Kobura’s body and took him away.

You shivered, unable to forget the lifelessness that beheld his vivid green eyes. Shinso somehow managed to get you into an ambulance. They checked you over, uttering nonsensical words at you. Nothing mattered. The heroes killed Kobura. They murdered him.

You numbly sat in your dorm room for days. Classes were on hold while everyone recovered from the aftermath. You packed a bag before you knew what you were doing. With Mr. Aizawa in the hospital, no one stopped you from leaving U.A. grounds. You’d made up your mind. You wouldn’t become a killer. You couldn’t become a Pro Hero after what you’d just witnessed. Best Jeanist had been in the top ten Pro Heroes. Hawks was number two, and he had murdered Twice. You wouldn’t go back to your parents. You wouldn’t be locked away again.

You wandered the streets of Japan, backpack weighing heavily on your shoulders. You blended too well into the crowds in your normal clothes. Day became night, night became day, and again the cycle continued. You didn’t sleep. You didn’t eat. You just walked, until you were standing in an alleyway, swaying on your numb legs. Hunger clawed at your empty stomach. Night had fallen over you.

“Anna?”

You turned, feeling the hairs stand up on your forearm. Toga tilted her head to the side in confusion. She looked you up and down, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What’s a hero student doing in this part of town at night?” she asked.

“I’m no longer a hero student,” you murmured. Your fingers dug into the straps at your shoulders. A single tear fell down your face. “They killed him. The Pro Heroes killed him, and I couldn’t save him.” You collapsed where you stood, exhaustion taking you in one fell swoop.

Toga rushed to you, keeping your head from hitting the ground. Her eyes widened at your words. She sunk down beside you. “They killed both of them,” she corrected. “I lost them both.”

You sobbed. Toga’s arms came around you in an embrace. You hugged her back.

“It hurts so bad. I can’t stop seeing it. I can’t stop having nightmares about it,” you confessed.

“I know.” She rubbed your back in an attempt to console you.

“I hate them for it. I did everything I could to stop them. I begged them to let him go.” You cried harder, shaking.

“He loved you,” she said. “He really loved you, and he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself for it. It’s not your fault. It’s the hero’s fault.”

You nodded into her shirt in agreement.

“There’s one thing you can do to make the pain go away,” Toga explained.

You wiped at your eyes, trying to look at her. “I’ll do anything. What can I do?”

“Avenge their deaths.”

…Ten Years Later…

You adjusted your hood again, watching a few Pro Heroes make an illegal deal with villains for some quirk-erasing bullets. They weren’t cops. They fully intended to use those bullets for their own gain. You saw it in their minds. Their perverse understanding of how to get ahead in this powered world was to erase the quirks of those that were standing in their way. You almost wished you had waited for Toga to come out with you. She would have enjoyed cutting them to pieces.

You tapped one of Kobura’s knives with the tip of your finger. A slit to their throats would be more than they deserved. They’d been making these kinds of deals all over the city. They’d been doing it for years. Your hand trailed up your false-leather suit, pressing into your temple once you reached your head. Kobura’s taste in clothing impressed you. He only had the finest fabrics, all of which had a tactical advantage. Toga insisted you inherited all of his assets. She said he would have wanted it that way. If he only could see you now, he’d probably be grinning from ear to ear.

Your eyes followed the Pro Heroes as they left. Perhaps, you’d let them suffer before you scrambled their minds, make them imagine their worst fears. Of course, making them braindead was a far worse punishment, alive but incoherent. They’d be remembered as the braindead puppets of a villain, rather than their former selves as dishonest Pro Heroes.

You dropped down from your perch, smirking as the three men turned around. You gripped one by the mind, taking everything he was and twisting it into nothing. He dropped, a mindless vessel.

“Please, don’t hurt us, MindVirus,” one of the more experienced Pro Heroes begged. He recognized you immediately. “We were buying those bullets to get them off the streets. You have to believe us. We didn’t know it would be a bad thing.”

But, he did know. He was lying to your face. He knew you could read his mind and yet he rambled on about having no knowledge of what he was doing. “Know that your final words were a lie,” you spat. You lifted your hand, snapping his mind in half like a twig too.

The last man trembled in fear as you approached him. You lifted your hand to wipe his mind too.

“Anna Kokoro!”

You halted, lifting your lip into a snarl. You hadn’t heard that name in a long time. It had been erased from existence long ago. You were now MindVirus in honor of Doku Kobura’s wrongful death. You glanced back, narrowing your eyes.

“You’ve got the wrong person,” you snapped.

“The hell I do.” Katsuki Bakugo charged out into the dimly lit alleyway.

You smiled, a crooked and wicked grin. “Dynamight, how nice of a Pro Hero like you to grace me with your presence this evening. Unfortunately, I cannot play with you right now. I’m rather busy.” You turned back, and the man escaped around the corner. You rolled your eyes. At least he was not the one carrying the contraband. Still…

You shot a strand of your mind out, catching the Pro Hero even without seeing him. You heard the smack of his face hitting the sidewalk pavement. Yes, that would suffice as a punishment for now. He would think twice about doing something villainous again.

“I’m talking to you, Big Brain,” Bakugo snapped.

You yawned in boredom. “Stop acting like we’re back in school, Dynamight. That nickname has very little effect on me anymore.” You looked at your nails in disinterest.

“Why are you killing Pro Heroes?” he growled out, holding up his hand, ready to blast you at a moment’s notice.

“I haven’t been killing that many,” you said. “I’ve mostly emptying their minds.” You glanced at him again. “I assure you that they deserved it, but I know you wouldn’t believe me.”

“This isn’t you, Anna. You don’t kill people,” Bakugo said. “Come with me willingly, and this won’t get ugly.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. He was far more chiseled than you remembered. Age matured him nicely. He bulked up significantly from when the two of you were teenagers. You scanned him over. It may be to your benefit to string him along. It wouldn’t hurt to have him chasing after you. Actually, it would be a welcome distraction from your monotonous day to day as a villain. Things were too easy for you. Your mind quirk thrived when you weren’t holding back.

“I’m not Anna anymore.” You shrugged. “And, don’t waste your breath, hero. I’m not coming with you. The only reason that I haven’t fried your brain yet, is because I find you rather amusing, physically and/or mentally. I haven’t really decided yet. Besides, you’re one of the ‘good’ ones, if I can call any Pro Heroes good ones. At least you’re honest.” Yes, you knew him well. He’d blasted his way up the hero ranks. His overall personality hadn’t changed. He never strayed from the hero’s path. Although many believed that he walked a fine line, you knew that he never did anything evil in the slightest.

You reached out and gripped his mind, a grape between your quirk’s grasp. Bakugo shivered. You scowled when you watched the memories of your old self flitter through his thoughts. You let go of his head, sending him back with a mind blast. He caught himself, but much farther away from you.

“Arrest me if you can, Dynamight.” You lifted your hand as a farewell. “I await your ultimate triumph. Perhaps, you may be the one to end my reign of terror, but I highly doubt that.” You placed him in a mind barrier so he couldn’t follow you. You’d release him as soon as you knew you were out of his sight. “I’d give up on what you knew about my former self if I were you. She died a long time ago, Katsuki.”

You left him with that one last sliver of hope, chuckling to yourself as you disappeared into the night. Being a villain had its perks, including having a grown-up Pro Hero Dynamight constantly seeking you out. You relished the idea of him trying to chase you down, being just out of reach. You hoped that he could stop you one day. Maybe, it would finally bring you some kind of peace.

6 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: A Venomous Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language, blood, and violence.

(Ending 5 of 8)

A Venomous Ending

A knife sailed past your ear, aimed directly at Shigaraki’s chest. All for One deflected the projectile with ease, and you caught the blade with your mind.

“Traitor,” All for One hissed out.

“I won’t let you harm Sweet Anna,” Kobura snapped back. “Shigaraki is the one I work for, not you. He doesn’t deserve to be dragged around like a puppet.”

“Tomura should have known the cost of obtaining such power. I am just allowing him to rest. You would be wise to stand aside,” All for One said.

You gave Doku back the knife. You saw the feral instincts set in his expression. Venom dripped from his bruised lips. Although his quirk had recently evolved, you weren’t sure if he was in any condition to fight All for One.

“Is that why Shigaraki’s fighting you like that?” Doku asked. “To rest?”

All for One’s posture changed. He leaned forward defensively, his hand rising. “You have no imagination, Doku Kobura. Tomura is in a weakened state. He needs me to survive. If you truly cared about Tomura, you wouldn’t waste your time trying to distract me from the girl. I am the only one my successor can truly trust.”

How did Doku see that Shigaraki was internally fighting All for One? He couldn’t read minds as far as you knew. Perhaps he could sense it, smell it on the man. Doku had said his last questions with such certainty that he had to have known.

Doku continued to adjust where he stood, ensuring that he was directly in between you and All for One. Doku wanted you out of harm’s way. He needed you to be safe. He motioned with his hand behind his back for you to run.

You glanced between Doku and All for One. If you didn’t make a choice soon, the Nomus would be upon both of you. If you left Doku, All for One might actually kill him. You hesitated, fists clenching at your sides. No, you wouldn’t leave him. You took a few steps forward in determination, but Doku had already put his hand out to stop you.

“Please. I can’t live without you. Please run,” Doku said. “I love you.” His body trembled. His knuckles went white from clenching the knife so hard in his hands.

“I can’t—” You gasped, turning your gaze down to your chest. Red and black energy had punctured through you. All for One managed to slip his quirk behind you.

“You’ve revealed your weakness, Doku Kobura. Though I must admit it had been obvious,” All for One said.

Doku’s electric-green eyes widened. The quirk energy was pulled from your chest, blood spurting out. Doku gripped your body as you fell. Rage clouded his vision. His eyes went dead as his trembling stopped. He set you down and in the next instant he was on top of All for One. The knife in his hands plunged into his chest. Doku was blasted off of Shigaraki’s body. Kobura’s hand clutched the knife as he was forced away. He skidded beside you, breathing animalistically, like a thousand snakes hissing at once.

The Nomus came careening up Gigantomachia’s back. You shot out strands of your mind, creating a barrier between them and Shigaraki. You coughed up blood as the Nomus hit the mind shield. You played Shigaraki’s voice in your mind, over and over. The nightmares created his vocal tone vividly.

Stop! Do not interfere! Freeze! you shouted into the Nomus’ minds with your memory of Shigaraki’s rasping voice. Like a zombified army, they stopped moving.

You fell back, clutching your hand to your chest. Blood dripped through your fingers. You unsteadily stood to your feet, using your mind to give you some support. You wrapped a strand around your torso to hold the wound closed as best you could.

All for One looked toward the Nomus, losing focus. Kobura took his chance to strike. He slit Shigaraki’s throat, nearly a fatal wound. Once All for One drove Doku back again, his neck healed, but not fully. All for One went to speak and found the words stuck in his throat. Kobura must have severed vocal cords, where he had expertly plunged his knife. He knew what you’d been able to do. He was ensuring that Shigaraki would be trapped here, unless he himself escaped without outside help.

All for One lifted Shigaraki’s hand again. A multitude of energy spiked tendrils took form, reaching out for Doku. Kobura easily avoided the stabs. His speed was unmatched, and it appeared he’d grown even faster with the new development from his quirk. He sliced through All for One’s arm. Doku was repelled once again by yellow energy.

Kobura skidded to a stop beside you. “Your first mistake was attacking Sweet Anna. Your second mistake will be your last. You let me live. The Pro Heroes have been going easy on you, All for One.” Doku grinned, eyes flashing menacingly. “A villain doesn’t have the same obligations as a hero. I will kill you.”

The black tendrils escaped Shigaraki’s spine, holding him afloat. All for One backed away to escape. Without the Nomus to control by his voice, he would need to escape on his own. All for One was well-aware that time was running out for a clean retreat. The heroes had been incapacitated for the most part, but more Pro Heroes would arrive. He would be outnumbered, outpowered, and too weak to escape.

You grabbed All for One with strands of your quirk, and his eyes were back on you. Tendrils of dark energy shot for you again. Doku reached you faster, grabbing you and leaping from the side of Gigantomachia. The two of you landed, and he sprinted for the buildings with you in his arms. You held fast on Shigaraki with your mind quirk, keeping him from his escape. He managed to jump down toward the crumbling street level even with you holding him.

You shrieked as All for One grabbed one of your mind strands with Shigaraki’s bare hand. It disintegrated in his touch. You clutched your head. Doku put you down, rushing for All for One again, knife clipping into his thigh. Doku easily dodged tendril attacks. Any hands going toward Doku were evaded too. Another slice was made in Shigaraki’s shoulder. All for One sent Kobura reeling this time. The energy blast sent him careening into the bottom of a building, through the glass and several rooms.

All for One bent down. His hand pressed into the ground, and the decay rippled for the building.

“No!” you shouted. You lifted a piece of debris beside you, whipping it at full force toward All for One. In his weakened state, it actually hit him.

As the decay tore through the remaining structure, Doku was already up and moving toward you again. You managed to get to your knees, clutching your wounded chest, but you could barely move other than that. Kobura took you up in his arms. Your cape tore free from your back, being snagged on a piece of metal bar. The building collapsed, pieces falling around you. Even with Kobura’s speed, it was clear that you’d both be crushed before he could manage to outrun the falling debris. You pushed through the searing pain in your mind, giving the two of you one extra burst of mind blast energy to send you flying forward. Kobura clutched you to his chest as you both sprawled out onto the ground. The skyscraper had finally fallen. Dust and rubble rumbled over the two of you, creating a cloud of cover and making it hard to breathe.

You passed out, just as Doku lifted you up in his arms again.

…

You jolted awake. Pain immediately burned in your chest. Your breathing was labored as you took in the unfamiliar surroundings.

“Easy, Sweet Anna. You’re safe,” Doku said.

You were in a room, a regular seemingly underground room with the same modern aesthetic as Doku’s apartment room that you’d been in ages ago. Monitors beeped beside you, connected together with an assortment of wires as if they’d been built from scrap.

“Where am I?” you asked. A migraine throbbed in your temple, and your fingers moved to massage your head.

“My newest hideout,” he said. He bowed his head in front of you, his white hair falling in front of his face. “I’m so glad you’re conscious. It’s been months.” Tears dripped down his face, difficult to see from his posture.

“Months?” you croaked out. “I’ve been here for months?”

He nodded, hesitating to grip your hand in his. “I was so scared. I… I wanted to bring you to the hospital, but there was a manhunt out for me. I wouldn’t have even made it close enough to ensure they’d take care of you appropriately. I… I just hoped that my medical knowledge had been enough to help you. Once I got you stabilized, I didn’t think a doctor would be able to help. It might have been selfish… It was… but…” He covered his face. “I couldn’t lose you. I couldn’t bear to lose you again, and your mind actually allowed me close enough to examine you… I read the other hospital reports, and it had never allowed that before. I thought my help was your best chance for survival in your condition. I was so unsure, and…” He was rambling, trembling and rambling uncontrollably. “I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t let you go.”

Your hand found his, and he froze. “I’m okay, Doku. I survived.” You gulped, tentatively touching the wound at your chest. It was sore, but it clearly had healed. Months? You’d been out for months? “N-no one came looking for me?” you asked, voice wavering.

Doku’s hand tensed around yours. “Your cape was found beneath the rubble of that building. They thought All for One used Shigaraki’s power and had disintegrated you.” Doku looked down guiltily. “Even if that weren’t the case, there was footage of you being stabbed. They assumed you would have bled out and died if the decay had not been the cause of your demise. It was all over the news. Because they found nothing of mine, they thought I was still at large.”

“They think that I’m dead?” you asked.

“Yes,” Doku said solemnly. “I couldn’t tell them otherwise. I would have been arrested or killed on sight. I couldn’t leave you.” Doku wiped his face with his free hand, trying to hide the new tears pouring free. “Your classmates held a funeral for you. They swore that they would capture me for your sake. It was broadcasted on the news too.” He took in a feeble breath. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I will answer anything you need me to. I… I’m just so happy you’re awake and alive.”

“I’m dead…” you trailed off in disbelief. “They just believed that I died and didn’t look for me.” You gulped. You had stood beside Kobura in that fight against All for One, Shigaraki. You stood beside a villain. Even if you went back, would they want you back? You fought against All for One, sure, but there was no explaining working in tandem with Doku. You did it willingly. You chose to trust him. There was no going back to your old world like this.

Your gaze shifted back up to Doku. “You saved me,” you said less like a question and more like realization.

“Of course I did,” he choked out. “I would have given my life for you.” He pressed his forehead to the back of your hand. “I-I can take you back. Once you’re up on your feet, I can bring you back to them. If that’s what you want, I’ll bring you back. I love you so much. I would do anything for you. I promised that if you woke up that I would do anything you asked of me. All I cared about was seeing your eyes open again. I’ll carry you to that damned school today if you so wish it.”

“No,” you said.

“No?” Doku raised his head, surprise washing through his expression.

Tears filled your eyes. You’d been fighting him with every confession. You’d been trying to ignore your feelings because it conflicted with your dreams. You hadn’t realized how much you cared about him, until you were willing to fight alongside him. “I love you too, Doku. I don’t want to go back to that school, to ignoring my feelings for you.”

Doku blinked. “Are you sure? You don’t have to decide now. I don’t want you to feel like you have to say that. You know that I wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt you. It’s whatever you want. I promise, Anna.”

“I love you,” you repeated. “This is what I want. You are what I want.”

A smile slowly formed on Doku’s face. He pressed his forehead to yours, nuzzling your nose with his. “I love you so much. You make me so happy. I can’t believe… I just love you.”

…Three Years Later…

The night air nipped at your nose. Up on this rooftop, under the night sky, this was freedom.

“Your chicken will get cold,” Doku said, pouting.

“It’s been cold, Doku.” You chuckled. “You ran all the way in town to get it up here.”

“No one else would have been able to deliver it faster,” Doku retorted, shoving some food into his own mouth. “If it’s cold, it was cold when I picked it up.” He eyed you suspiciously. “I’m not giving you mine again, Anna. You should have ordered it if you like it so much.”

“But, I wanted their specialty chicken, not the lemon steak. Just give me a taste,” you pleaded.

Doku rolled his eyes. He held out a piece of his steak toward your mouth. You took it, chewing happily as you kicked your legs. Your gaze shifted toward the street. Everyone looked like ants from how high up the two of you were sitting.

“I’m getting you both next time, and you better not complain it’s too much food.”

“Or, what?” you teased.

Doku scrunched his nose at your question. “Or, I’m cutting the Wi-Fi in the house. No more video games.”

“You wouldn’t,” you gasped out.

“It’s better than watching my girlfriend starve herself because she won’t eat her own food,” Kobura said.

You stuck your tongue out at him, stealing another piece of steak from his takeout container and popping it in your mouth. Despite his empty threats, he nudged the container of his food toward you. He leaned back on his hands, looking up at the sky.

“I’m just kidding, Anna. I’d order you every dish if that’s what you wanted,” he said. “I’m smitten. You’ve got me wrapped around your finger.”

“That sounds like a villainous thing to do to someone else. Perhaps, you’ve had an effect on me,” you said playfully.

Doku snorted out a laugh. “I gave up being a villain the day you moved in. You can’t use me as an excuse for your dastardly deeds anymore, Sweet Anna.”

“You’re right,” you said. “The past is behind us. We’re in a better place now.”

You leaned into him, glad to snuggle up against him to keep out of the night’s wind. He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer. He nuzzled his head against yours, sighing contently.

“I’ll always love you, Sweet Anna,” he murmured.

“And, I’ll always love you, Doku,” you replied.

4 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Thank you to everyone who got me to 2500 likes!

#2500 likes #tumblr milestone #thank you

1 note · View note

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: An Unbreakable Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language and violence.

(Ending 4 of 8)

An Unbreakable Ending

Your chest tightened in fear. You couldn’t do this. You weren’t strong enough to fight All for One. Shigaraki alone scared you, shook you to your very core.

��Well, what will it be, child?” All for One questioned you, tilting Shigaraki’s head to the side.

Your eyes focused on his hands, the same hands that disintegrated miles of city and innocent lives. You gulped.

Move, you begged yourself, but your feet were stuck in place. You had to move before it was too late. The Nomus were already storming up the side of Gigantomachia. Soon, it would be too late to do anything.

Then you saw it, saw the small piece of fabric peeking out between Gigantomachia’s rough textured skin. It was the bandana that you’d given Eijiro Kirishima at the carnival, the one that he wore constantly. He must have been involved in knocking the giant unconscious. Kirishima got you to where you were standing now.

Your body shifted on its own, aiming toward the small beacon of hope, the courage that you were missing in this battle. Kirishima would need that bandana back. You needed to give it back to him, and the only way you’d be able to do that would be to survive this encounter, no matter how afraid it made you to fight someone so powerful.

You charged forward, mind shield up as you rushed to the right of Shigaraki. All for One scoffed, blasting you off balance with yellow energy. You tumbled sideways, hand slipping out of your mental shield and grasping the bandana between your fingers just as you rolled. You grinned in triumph, but you barely had enough sense to reach your other hand out to grab the side of the beast you were just about to get launched off of. Your fingers dug into the side of Gigantomachia, dangling at the edge of the fallen creature.

You struggled to pull yourself up, but found strength in the gift that you held. Just as you came over the edge, you spotted All for One raising Shigaraki’s hand. Your shield came up to protect your face. The air left you when you felt the dark red and black energy stake you in the back, then two more. Your vision blurred. You watched a Nomu lift up Shigaraki for an escape. Another Nomu broke free from the pack, reacting to something that All for One instructed it to do. Your body quivered in fear as you saw the creature’s long gangly arms reach overhead, before they came down on you. Your mind shield was no match for the creature’s strength, and you felt your ribs crack. Its fists came down again, and you felt consciousness slipping from you. You clutched tightly to the bandana, silently apologizing to Eijiro for failing, for not being strong enough to finish what he’d started.

…

“You have to let me see her, please!”

“She’s in critical condition. She’s being carted to surgery as we speak. Even if we let you see her, she would most likely be unconscious.”

“Eijiro,” you said weakly, eyes barely peeking open. You could barely see him at the end of the hallway, trying to get past a doctor. He was bruised and scraped up pretty badly. “Kiri,” you called out a little louder, but your voice was barely a rasp.

Somehow, he saw you, saw you struggling to speak as you lifted your arm, showing him the bandana between your fingers. His eyes widened, and, to your surprise, he pushed past the doctor, barreling down the hallway toward you.

“Princess!” he called out. “I’m right here! It’s going to be okay! Just, fight through this, alright? Don’t let these injuries beat you. We’ve got to train together and become heroes together, okay? Stay strong, Princess. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

You struggled to breathe. Your fingers tightened around the meaningful fabric with more force. “Eijiro…” you managed. “You gave me strength.” The last sentence was broken, barely audible.

Eijiro stopped in his tracks, already being held back by an army of hospital staff. Surprise etched into his expression. He watched you disappear into the operating room. The world went black again.

You floated on a sea of nothing, wading through your own mind and feeling space and time trickle past you. No matter how hard you tried you couldn’t get out of this pond of water. You couldn’t open your physical eyes. You restlessly waited, letting the water float you along and staring at nothing.

Every once in a while, you’d hear the occasional voice, the echo of a hospital monitor, but it was faint, almost like a distant memory or thought drifting through your mind. You wanted to hear more, wanted to take on more thoughts. No one was talking to you, no one was saying anything, until…

Will she ever wake up? Kirishima asked.

It’s undetermined if she will ever recover from such physical and mental trauma to her body. Her quirk will not allow us to run further tests on her brain. Her physical body is heavily damaged. Her spinal cord was our biggest concern, and it appears to have suffered severe injury from the Nomu’s attack. Should she wake up, there’s a good chance she may not be able to walk again, the doctor explained.

We understand. Thank you for the update. Please keep us posted and notify us immediately should she show signs of waking up, Mr. Aizawa said solemnly.

You were hearing their conversation as if they were thoughts in your own mind. You flailed in the pool of water you were floating in in frustration. You wanted to shout that you were right there, that you were awake, but words would not form on your lips. You waited. All you could do was wait as your quirk mended your mind, kept you in a form of stasis for your own recovery.

Kirishima visited you every day, or it’s what you could only assume. His voice came booming through your head like clockwork. He must have gone from U.A. classes straight to the hospital. He was constantly talking to you, and your subconscious continued to relay the messages, keeping you sane, while you waded through calm water.

I brought you some more chocolate and a new shark plushy. I saw it in the hospital gift shop, and I couldn’t pass it up. You would love it, Princess. It’s blue and even has sparkly gills. I’ll put it right next to you for when you wake up, Eijiro said.

Man, today sure was rough. Bakubro totally yelled at me for being distracted during training, and I failed one of Mr. Aizawa’s tests. I wish you could have tutored me. I know that I would have aced it if I had someone as studious as you being my study partner.

You will never believe what happened. Sero and Mina started dating! I’m so happy for the two of them. I really hope it works out. After everything we’ve been through, Sero didn’t want to hold his feelings back. Life’s too short, you know?

I miss talking to you, Princess. It’s been kind of hard lately. I’m trying to stay motivated and all, but…

I brought a book! I thought that I could read it aloud to you. I don’t know if my voice is all that good for storytelling, but I think you’d really like it. It’s about a sharkman meeting a human woman, and they fall in love. I hope it’s got a happy ending, but you never know with these romance stories.

I really miss you, Princess. I’d give anything to see you smile again.

I fought a really cool villain today. He was super strong, and he challenged me to a duel! Of course, I had to agree to help protect citizens, but it was really kind of weird. I never thought a villain would call me out like that. He said that I looked really strong and no one had ever defeated him before. It was a tough fight, but I came out on top. Got a new scar though.

Princess, if you can hear me, you mean the world to me. I love you so much. I hope you get better soon.

The days strung together as Eijiro continued to visit. His words never faltered in their sincerity. He tried his best to keep upbeat, but the longer that you stayed in a comatose state, the sadder it seemed that Eijiro became. If you could cry in this weird subconscious part of your mind, then you would have.

You weren’t sure when it happened, but there was a bright light that shone at the top of the wading pool. You squinted your eyes as it was painful to look at. Soon, however, you found yourself reaching for the light, wishing that you could finally see Eijiro Kirishima again. You clawed, swam, and reached upward. There was nothing to lose. You didn’t want to spend another moment stuck in your own mind.

Your eyes crept open as nausea washed over you. You were tired, so tired and fatigued that it hurt.

“So, I told Fat Gum I was coming today, and he understood. He’s starting to get worried about me, but I’m fine. You’re the one…” Kirishima looked ready to cry. He was staring down at his hands. “You’re the one everyone should be worried about. I’m doing just fine, Princess. I promise. I’ve got to keep working hard for when you finally wake up.”

“Eij—” You could barely make a sound. Your voice strained due to its disuse for so long.

Kirishima turned his gaze up. He blinked at you with those beautiful ruby-red eyes, and you smiled at him.

“Y-you’re… You’re awake!” He sprang up from his chair, reaching toward you. He hesitated to move forward, looking back toward the door. He shook his head and grabbed your hand. “I was starting to think that I’d never see those beautiful eyes open ever again,” he said, voice cracking.

“Kiri…” you croaked out.

“It’s okay, Princess. You don’t need to force it. It’s been months. Your voice may need some time to get back to where it was.” He looked worriedly back toward the door. “I should tell someone you’re awake.” He shifted, and your hand weakly tightened over his.

“Missed you,” you whispered. “Heard you.”

“Heard me?” Kirishima asked, blushing. “You heard me come here and talk to you?”

You nodded happily, giving his hand another feeble squeeze. Exhaustion hit you, but you forced yourself to stay awake, to keep holding onto him.

“Love you too,” you managed.

“Ah, you heard…” Kirishima trailed off. He rubbed the back of his neck, gaze lingering on your face. “Yes, I love you. I… I should have said it before the mission, before all of this happened. I’m so happy that I got to tell you.”

Eijiro stopped trying to leave you. Instead, he knelt beside your bed, resting his head beside your hand. His pointy hair brushed your fingertips, and you giggled. He grinned at you, gently squeezing your hand.

“There are so many things I want to tell you,” he said. “I’m so glad that I can see you smile again.”

…Ten Years Later…

“I told you that I’m fine, Eijiro. I haven’t needed help going up the stairs since you got me through that whole year of physical therapy,” you said, swatting away at your husband’s hand.

“You’re pregnant, Princess. At least let me carry your bag,” he said.

“There’s barely anything in my bag,” you said.

“All the more reason that I should just carry you.”

You sighed out, smiling toward him. He’d become a handful as soon as he heard he was becoming a father. You trusted him with your life, but sometimes you wanted him to pay attention to himself, rather than doting on you all of the time.

Eijiro tied back his lengthy red hair as he paced the stairs behind you. His hands continued to spring out with each step as if suddenly you would fall. When you reached the door, he shouted after you in a panic.

“I’ve got it,” he said. He opened the door for you, holding it open so you could go inside.

You put your hand on your hip and shook your head, but you gave him a kiss on the cheek on the way into your house. It was quiet, a little too quiet. You reached out your quirk and caught several minds all at once. Before you could warn Eijiro, your old U.A. classmates sprung up from behind your couch.

“Surprise!” they shouted together.

You were genuinely amazed to see them all together, as most of them were Pro Heroes and rarely got a day off. Eijiro was bouncing in place behind you.

“Please tell me that you like it,” he said.

You didn’t have the heart to tell him you knew about the “surprise” baby shower for weeks. It was very obvious from the decorations he had haphazardly hidden all over the house. You didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what he’d been planning. You were, however, surprised by how many of your old friends that he managed to convince to visit.

You nodded, tears filling your eyes. “It’s perfect,” you said. You glanced at Ochaco and the two of you were hugging each other, so happy to see one another after such a long time.

Eijiro’s shark-toothed grin widened as he clapped his old group of friends on their backs. Katsuki Bakugo roughly gave him a side hug, before coming back over to Ochaco. It was a wonder that Katsuki and Ochaco hadn’t been closer in high school. The two of them wound up connecting shortly after graduation and were now happily married. It turned out that they had more in common with each other than they thought they did, and the two of them were able to balance each other out very well.

You clasped Ochaco’s hands, and the two of you bounced in place giggling.

“Have you thought about names?” she asked.

“Millions,” you said. “I really like Ryu and Daichi, but Gou is such a strong manly name, you know?”

“Ooh, those are good ones to pick from.”

You pouted out your bottom lip. “I wish you were having a baby too. They could have had play dates together.”

“Don’t rush it,” Katsuki interjected. “We’ll have our own damn brats when we’re ready.”

Ochaco frowned at him, and he scowled right back at her.

“I’ll just need to spoil the baby when he comes, since I don’t have one of my own yet. Just call me Auntie Ochaco.” She stuck her tongue out at Katsuki, and he clicked his tongue.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll get the brat whatever he wants,” Katsuki said, waving the two of you on.

“I thought you would have at least helped him be a bit less grouchy,” you said under your breath.

“It’s a work in progress,” Ochaco said, winking at you.

Eijiro suddenly came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and holding you close. He pressed a kiss to your temple, surveying the large crowd of baby-shower goers.

“What’s wrong, Eijiro? Don’t you want to catch up with everyone?” you asked.

“Ah, I talk to them all the time. You only get to have one first baby shower.” He gave your shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “I just want to be in the moment with you.”

You reached up, intertwining your fingers with his. You felt so happy, so loved that you could hardly hold in your tears.

“Eijiro?”

“Hm?” he asked, nuzzling his face into your neck.

“I love you,” you murmured.

“I love you too,” he replied. “I love you so much, and I’m so happy that I got to tell you. And, I’m going to tell our baby boy how much he’s loved too, every day until he gets sick of me for saying it so much.”

You giggled. “Don’t get too carried away.”

“Alright, maybe just a few hundred times in his first year.”

6 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: An Icy Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language, alcohol, blood, and violence.

(Ending 3 of 8)

An Icy Ending

“I won’t let you hurt her!” Shoto yelled. A shell of protective ice encased you as Shoto came gliding in. He held you close to his chest, as he urged you away from Shigaraki, All for One. Ice spread out from Shoto’s palm. His whole body shook as he continued to build the shell to protect you. His chest heaved from exertion. The heat from his left side could barely even be considered warm.

“Shoto, we’re safe. I’m safe. Stop,” you said.

Shoto didn’t seem to hear you as he used the remainder of his strength to finish the ice chrysalis. His body suddenly slumped into yours, and your eyes widened. Burns, horrid burns from Dabi’s blue fire speckled his skin in patches. His fire quirk and his ice may have just barely been able to save his skin because they appeared like they could heal with time. Shoto was blue, shivering. His lips had turned purple from the cold. Ice had crept up the right side of his skin, lingering there after he’d lost consciousness.

You quivered, teeth chattering. The loud oncoming footsteps of the Nomus dissipated. Shigaraki and All for One, who’d taken control of his body, had most likely escaped. You tightened your grasp around Shoto’s chest, trying to provide him with warmth, using your body heat to no avail. You set him down in the small dome-like cave he’d made out of solid ice. Your breathing echoed off of the protective walls that now held you both captive.

You dug through your utility belt pockets, removing a small metallic blanket that would normally help civilians should they need to keep in their body heat. Unfortunately, Shoto was already covered in ice, so you weren’t sure how effective it would be for him. You wrapped him in it all the same, realizing your time was ticking. Lack of oxygen or hypothermia would likely be your undoing if you weren’t able to get out of this shell of ice.

Shoto could be your only hope in getting out, but he’d likely already pushed himself far past his own limitations. Endeavor would be another safe bet for escape, but his last attack against Gigantomachia had left him unconscious too. Bakugo may be able to blast through the dome of ice, but you were pretty sure he’d already passed out. Deku couldn’t use his arms or legs anymore because he’d broken all of his bones just to fight Shigaraki, so a Detroit Smash wasn’t likely getting you out either.

You turned your gaze down to your belt. You had explosives, but, at this range, they could kill you both. You had fire projectiles, but, again, it was a fatal and an unlikely solution. You glanced at Shoto again, rubbing your arms to bring friction and heat to your body. White condensed air was already coming out from your shivering lips. You knelt down beside Shoto, checking his pulse. It was faint, fainter than you would have liked it to be.

“S-Shoto,” you chattered out his name, hoping you could somehow get him to wake up. “P-Please, you need to wake up.” You shook his shoulder, wincing at how forceful you were being. He needed to rest. What he went through today was beyond horrible. You couldn’t imagine the emotional and physical trauma he suffered from battling his “dead” brother.

Shoto didn’t move, even as you continued to try to shake him awake. He was barely breathing. His throat must have been raw from smoke inhalation or burns because you could hear his breath rasp with every exhale. You brushed some hair out of his eyes, and the icy strands melted with your touch. As your fingers accidently skimmed his face, warmth began to spread across some of his frosted skin. You brought your palm to his cheek and again felt heat rise from his body. You grabbed his hands, holding them between your own. His left side reacted to your touch, even without him being conscious. You breathed a sigh of relief when it seemed the ice had almost completely melted from his upper body. It didn’t solve the immediate problem, but you were glad he wouldn’t succumb to frostbite.

“Shoto, I need you. I know… you’ve done more than enough today… but I really need you,” you murmured. You came closer to him, wanting desperately to huddle against him for warmth, but no action in this situation was death. The Pro Heroes available would not be able to get you out.

You blew into your hands, fingers trembling. Your attention froze. You could get out. There was a way to get out, but it was going to hurt. Deku might not be able to Detroit Smash his way in, but you could punch your way out. Heart of Hearts had trained you to punch through things, break through things, using your quirk to your advantage.

You settled into a fighting stance, carefully adjusting as to not pivot into unconscious Shoto. Your quirk swirled in your mind, reacting to your instincts. You balled up your fist, feeling wind begin to turbulently fill the space. Strands of your quirk coiled around your muscles, placing a thin layer around your knuckles. The first swing came easy, but as you hit the cement-like ice, you heard bones crack. You cried out, clutching your hand to your chest. Sweat pooled over your face, nearly freezing on sight. You let out a pitiful whimper. You didn’t dare look at the damage, afraid a finger may be out of place.

You turned your gaze up. A small fissure had begun to form in the ice. Not enough. The crack wasn’t enough to get the two of you out. You readied your stance again, switching from your dominant hand.

“Punch through it,” you said to yourself, gritting your teeth. You couldn’t afford to break both hands, but you also couldn’t hold back. You lined up your punch with the crevice. Your quirk spiraled up your muscles again. You struck, biting back another yelp. Tears came to your eyes. The ice made a hollow twang, and the crack continued to grow.

“One more,” you said. “One more, and you save us,” you assured. “You save Shoto.”

Your attention floated down to him. He was in critical condition. He needed help, your help. Shoto needed you, and… you needed him. You needed him to make it out of this alive.

You adjusted your stance again, letting out a puff of misty air from your dry lips. You pulled back. Wind roared. Your quirk connected with your body, wielded it like its own weapon. It pulsed and streamed through muscles you hadn’t realized you had.

“One more!” you shouted, driving the final punch home.

A rush of air and mental quirk energy vibrated through the gap. Ice splintered and crackled like dropped glass. The punch rippled like an explosion, shooting through the solid ice. A hole had finally been exposed. Fresh air came rushing into the small nook that Shoto and you had been trapped in. Your whole body shivered as you dropped to your knees, your arms falling lamely to your sides. The remaining ice cooled them. They were both broken, shattered. But, at least, you were free. You managed to get Shoto free.

A few Pro Heroes managed to get the two of you out. They had to have taken the injured to the hospital already. You rode with Shoto to the hospital, allowing the paramedics to attend to him, before you even said anything about your arms.

Once you’d made it to the hospital, you mentioned that you may or may not have severe injuries. A nurse rolled up your sleeve and gasped. Fretfully, she guided you into your own room. You didn’t remember much after being helped into a bed. Consciousness slipped in and out. In your delirium, you could only think about Shoto’s condition.

“Is he okay?” you murmured. “Is he going to be okay?” you asked.

You awoke to two casts on your arms, blindly swinging at nothing and wincing when you felt what punching solid ice had done to your bones. Shinso jumped back from your cot as if he’d just fallen asleep sitting up.

“It’s me! Hey, it’s okay. You’re in the hospital,” Shinso said.

“Shoto, is he okay?” you blurted out. “We… we were trapped,” you tried to explain. “He was injured.” You blinked at Shinso, and he sighed.

“He’s okay,” Shinso assured. “You got him here just when he needed to be. He can’t speak, but he’s okay, stable.”

You bit into your bottom lip, already hoisting yourself out of the hospital bed. Shinso put a hand on you for support. “I have to see him.” You paused, turning back to Shinso with tears in your eyes. “C-can you tell me where he is?” you asked.

Shinso’s eyes widened in surprised. He tried to hide his disappointment. “Room 356. It’s just down the hallway.” His hand left you as soon as you started moving again.

“Thank you,” you said, before leaving into the hallway.

You reached room 356 in no time, turning the corner in blind concern. You had to see him. You had to know for sure that he was alright. You bumped into a hard back upon entering, nearly being knocked down from the impact. You awkwardly stumbled back, unable to catch yourself with the casts on. A strong hand reached out, grabbing you before you fell.

“Oh, sorry. Are you okay?”

You looked up toward a familiar stranger. He actually looked a lot like Endeavor; his build did at least. He had white hair and gray eyes, and he appeared a bit older than you, probably out of high school.

“I-I’m sorry,” you stuttered out. “I didn’t mean to come in unannounced. I wanted to check on my classmate.” You gulped, feeling like there wasn’t a great reason to run into anybody, but you had to know that Shoto was okay. “I was told he was here, and I just… I need to know he’s okay. I’m sorry I was rushing.” Tears filled your eyes. You weren’t sure why exactly.

The young man in front of you blinked in surprise. “Uh…” He seemed uncomfortable, like he wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away but finding it difficult to not try to do something. He patted your shoulder awkwardly. “No hard feelings. I didn’t even flinch when you ran into me. You don’t need to cry or anything.”

A young woman peered her head around the taller man, immediately going into a nurturing mode upon seeing you. She rushed to your side, helping wipe your face with a tissue without smudging your glasses. “N-Natsuo! You made the poor girl upset,” she scolded him.

“She bumped into me,” Natsuo grumbled. “I don’t think I’m the reason she’s crying, Fuyumi.”

The young woman adjusted her glasses, hooking a strand of her white hair with flecks of crimson behind her ear. She fretted over you for a moment or two, stepping back in worry. “Oh, I apologize. I don’t even know your name. My name is Fuyumi.” She gestured to herself. “That’s Natsuo.” She pointed to the other man. “You said that you were here to see your classmate?” she asked.

“I…” you trailed off. Fuyumi? You knew that name. That was Shoto’s sister. “I’m sorry for the intrusion.” You attempted a deep bow but your casts wouldn’t let you get that far. “Shoto is very important to me, and—” You cut yourself short, realizing what you’d just said aloud to his sister. A deep scarlet blush brushed your cheeks. “I’m sorry. I just want to know that he’s okay. He saved me, and…” you trailed off again. You were beyond nervous to slip up and say the wrong thing. Shoto’s sister was very important to him, and he talked about her often.

“You’re Anna Kokoro then,” a soft voice spoke up from the other side of the room. “Please come in. I’m sure he’d really like to see you. I’m afraid he cannot speak right now, but he’s spoken very highly about you when he came to visit me in the past.”

“Y-yes. It’s very nice to meet you.” It had to have been Shoto’s mother speaking to you. He looked a lot like her too. You forced yourself to move into the room, despite being very nervous to meet his family. There was no turning back now. You cared too much for Shoto to just leave, even if it was so nerve wracking.

Shoto gave you a soft smile when he spotted you. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it shortly after, glancing away as if it pained him. He motioned for you to come closer, and you rushed toward him. You wanted desperately to hug him, but the casts were in the way. Natsuo quickly brought you a chair to sit down, and you didn’t hesitate to do so, just to be close to Shoto. The best that you could do was lean next to him. He patted your back gently in response.

You started crying again, despite yourself, and he wiped the tears from your cheeks, shaking his head. He pressed his palm to your face, as if to say that he was okay and that he was there, and you leaned into his touch.

…Ten Years Later…

“Are you sure they’ll be okay without us?” you asked your husband.

“Fuyumi has it handled. I trust her with my life. She can watch the twins for a night. It will be okay, Anna,” Shoto said, kissing you on the cheek.

“I feel selfish for sneaking out like this,” you said.

“You and I both know that we need to take time off now and again. The twins will be alright. I promise. We’ve been working really hard as Pro Heroes and as parents. Let’s just enjoy our free time together for one night, okay?”

You were still hesitant to leave, but when Shoto’s hand touched yours, you turned back to him. His dual-colored eyes were soft with understanding. If you asked to stay, he wouldn’t push you to go out again. He would let you stay for a family night in. But, you knew how much the two of you needed this. You were both working extremely hard to balance work and life.

“Okay,” you said. “You’re right. Fuyumi will take very good care of them. One night won’t hurt.” You gave his hand a squeeze, and he led you toward the city for an evening stroll.

Shoto made sure he was giving off enough heat to keep the cold at bay. You snuggled up close to him as you walked, glad you could spend some quality time together.

“You look beautiful,” Shoto said.

“Thank you,” you replied, blushing. You’d worn one of your favorite blue dresses on your date tonight. He bought it for you on your last birthday, but you couldn’t find an occasion to actually wear it. You were happy to know that he liked it on you. “So, where are we going?” you asked curiously.

Shoto paused. “Don’t you think that it would be better as a surprise?” he asked.

“Maybe,” you grumbled, pursing out your lips. You always liked surprises, but you were too excited to really wait to find out the surprise part.

Shoto chuckled. “Don’t make that face, Anna. We’ll be there soon enough. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed either.”

Shoto stopped in an unfamiliar location to you. He held open the door, and you were surprised at how quiet that it seemed. You meekly entered the building. Shoto strode ahead of you, pulling you gently by the hand to an elevator. Once you both got in, he hit the top floor.

“What is this place?” you asked, not remembering seeing a sign outside.

“A secret,” Shoto said softly.

The elevator doors opened up to an empty restaurant. One table was lit up with candles, glowing in the dim room.

“I rented the whole place out just for the two of us. No other distractions. No thoughts to plague your intelligent mind. I thought it would allow you some time to relax,” he said.

“Shoto, it’s too much,” you said. Your eyes moved down toward the ground to see blue petals lining the path toward the table.

“It’s never enough for my lovely wife,” he said. He led you toward the table, helping with your chair. He poured you out a small glass of wine.

“You know I’m not keen on alcohol, Shoto. It’s normally so dry,” you said. You wrinkled your nose, looking over the glass suspiciously.

As he slid the glass toward you, he slowly nodded his head. “It’s chocolate wine. Imported from America,” he said. “I thought you would find it more palatable.” He chuckled, pouring himself a glass of something else. “As for me, I will take the ‘dry’ vintage wine.”

You tentatively took a sip of your glass and were surprised to find it actually quite nice to start out the evening. There was a delicious aroma filling the room, coming from what you would only assume was the kitchen. You looked toward your husband again. He caught your inquisitive gaze.

“I hired the chef for the night as well. You know I’m not exactly a culinary expert. I hope that’s okay. Should you want a rather cold bowl of instant ramen, I would be happy to oblige when we return home. I don’t think they would have the pre-packaged ingredients in the back.”

You set your glass down, looking out toward city from the window. The lights sparkled like stars while the two of you were so far up in the tower. You reached out your hand, grabbing for Shoto’s. His fingers easily slipped between yours, intertwining comfortably. You were surprised to find his hand was clammy. For the first time all night, you realized he might not be so calm and composed.

Shoto cleared his throat, gazing at your touching hands. “Do you like it?” he asked. “The surprise?”

Your attention shifted back to him. It was so sweet of him to ask. You wish that he wouldn’t worry so much. The two of you were married after all, even had two children together. You loved him tremendously.

“It’s very thoughtful,” you said. You exhaled, finally feeling as if you could breathe. It was nice to feel so secure with him around, and it was even better that you didn’t have to worry about your quirk acting up. “I think I love it.” You hesitated to admit it. It must have cost a fortune to clear out an entire restaurant. It was rare that you’d actually let him spoil you. Guilt seeped a little into your expression. You wished the twins could be there with you. They would get a kick out of seeing Japan like this.

Shoto brought your hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. “I’m glad,” he said. “Our alone time is precious to me, and I wish I could do something like this for you more often.” He scanned over your expression. “Perhaps, next time, we could even bring the boys, if that would allow you to relax even more.”

You smiled at him. “I’d like that,” you said. “But, I’m also glad that we took this time to spend with each other, just you and me. You bring out the calm in me. That’s why I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Anna.”

#shoto todoroki #bnha shoto #todoroki shouto #mha shoto #Anna kokoro #mha anna #annakokoro #bnha anna #mha anna kokoro #fuyumi todoroki #natsuo todoroki #rei todoroki #Think Endings #Shoto Todoroki Think Ending #MHA x OC #mha x you #bnha x you #bnha x oc

3 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

I may not be able to post this weekend, so I decided to post Hitoshi Shinso’s Ending for Think today. Happy reading!

#MHA Think #shinso hitoshi #shinso #hitoshi shinso #bnha shinsou #BNHA Think

7 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: A Mind-Bending Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language, blood, and violence.

(Ending 2 of 8)

A Mind-Bending Ending

You reacted to All for One’s words as if it had lit a fire in you. You were going to be a hero. No matter what you faced, you wanted to become a hero. Everything you had sacrificed would not end here.

You spread out your fingers, wielding your quirk with gentle control. A twinge of pain hit your temple, but you held firm on a mind shield to protect yourself. You whipped out a strand of your mind, and All for One formed reflective bubble of his own, knocking the attack away from him.

“Foolish child. You can’t defeat me,” All for One said. He lifted Shigaraki’s hand like a puppet on strings. He blasted you, and the yellow energy cracked against your mind shield.

You didn’t even flinch. You took a step forward, and another blast hit your shield, then another, then another. You sent a metal projectile in his direction, and he deflected it, nearly smacking Spinner with the ricocheting support item. You caught it back with your mind, whipping it toward All for One’s back. He blocked it again. He unleashed dark energy spikes from his fingertips, and they clipped through your mind shield like the head of an arrow. You gasped, seeing how close it had come to your chest.

“It’s unwise to tempt fate. I see you’ve chosen the wrong decision,” All for One said. “Prepare to lose your life. At least you will have the luxury of knowing when you’ll perish.”

Another blast of energy cracked against your shield. Another spike lodged into your mental shield, and a small visible blue crack started forming in the shell. You clenched your teeth, raising both your hands and lifting every color projectile in your arsenal. If Shigaraki’s body had been weakened, All for One shouldn’t be able to deflect them all at once; however, an attack like this might leave you vulnerable to taking physical damage. You weren’t certain you could keep your mind shield up, but you’d trained for this. You would try.

Two wrecking balls, filled with their weighted gunk, became solid after you triggered their internal mechanism. The strain of holding them weakened your shield. You grabbed the smaller spherical bullets with your mind, whisking them around you to pick up speed. You watched All for One’s stance change. His attention shifted to the multiple moving elements. You knew he was calculating, knew he had far more experience than you did.

Gigantomachia’s body rumbled. Multiple heavy footfalls sounded behind you. The Nomus were coming, heading to their master’s call. You didn’t have time to hesitate, to debate if this would be too much strain on your defense. It was your only chance to stop him. You struck, sending a mind blast rippling behind your multiple missile attack. With adept precision, he deflected each object in its turn, despite your best attempts to try to make each one of the projectiles hit him at all angles. As he deflected them, they seemed to completely detach from your mind’s control, disconnecting from being attached to your quirk as he sent them flying beyond your range.

The mind blast hit All for One the hardest, sending him skidding back even with the yellow shield in front of him, but that too was reflected, crashing into your mind shield like a snowplow. He held one hand out in front and one in the back to keep himself steady. You gritted your teeth, keeping your mind shield focused at the front to take on the blast you’d overzealously shot out at him. You winced as the blue fracture widened in your shield. You tried to hold it.

All for One sent a rippling radio wave at you next, and it hit your mind quirk like a sledgehammer. You held back the agonizing scream in your throat, worried that this would make you lose all focus. You needed to keep your attention on the frontal shield, or he’d knock you straight off your feet.

You screamed. A sharp stabbing pain pierced your back. You’d been so focused on protecting yourself from the front that you’d left a gap. Another red and black dagger of energy broke through your mind shield in the front, and you looked down at it in your chest, gasping. You turned your gaze down to the puncture wound, putting your hand to your chest, as he dislodged the energy. Bright red blood spurted out the wound. You fell to your knees in shock. Tears formed in your eyes.

“Why? Why would you do this?” your voice asked, but you never asked the question.

“There are consequences—” All for One’s distorted voice stopped.

Hitoshi Shinso’s voice rang out clear next. “Stop! Stop moving! You are not to leave from where you are!” he yelled in rage. “You will not let anything take you from where you stand!”

Shinso had used your voice. He used your voice to trick All for One.

Your entire body shivered. You held a hand to your frontal wound, feeling cold as you collapsed. Shinso’s hands were around you, cradling you.

“No. No. Please, stay with me. Stay with me, Kitten. You’re okay. I’m here. You’re going to be okay,” he said frantically. His violet eyes scanned you over, trying to find the best way to heal you, to keep you from bleeding out.

“H-Hitoshi,” you hiccupped out, feeling blood drip from your mouth. “It hurts…”

“Shh… It’s going to be okay. You don’t have to speak. I know… I know it hurts. Just hang on for me, okay? I’m going to get you help. You were so brave, so brave and strong, and I just need you to be stronger for a little while longer, okay?” he said. He was crying. Tears were coming down his cheeks and falling into yours. He grabbed your hand, pressing kisses to your fingertips and squeezing with all his might. He only released it to put pressure on the wound in your chest.

The Nomus came charging for Shigaraki, running blindly past the two of you. All for One evaded them in Shigaraki’s body, following Shinso’s direct instruction.

Shinso tried to shift you to pick you up, but you yelped out an agonizing cry. Your whole body shivered. “I know it hurts,” Hitoshi said, and his voice cracked. “I have to get you help. Please. I need to get you help.”

You gasped in a few hard breaths. Your chest strained. It was hard to get air. The pain was unbearable, and a whimper left you. Shinso looked as if the noise had physically hurt him, wrought him such pain that what was left of his stolidity crumbled. The tears came down harder now.

“Please, hold on, Anna. I love you. I love you so much, and I can’t live without you. Please, Kitten. Please. Stay with me. I know it hurts. Just…” He gritted his teeth, looking down at his fingers now coated in your blood.

Your eyelids felt heavy. You could barely move, but you managed to place your hand on his. His violet eyes widened, and he glanced between your hand and your face. You were so grateful to see him there, have him with you. You were terrified, terrified of the cold creeping through you. It brought you so much comfort to have him beside you. Had he always brought you so much peace?

All you could think about now was how much you cared about him, how much you wanted to tell him that you cared about him. You wanted to go see Button’s at the cat café with him. You wanted to go back to the time in each other’s minds. You wanted to see the stars, feel the grass between your fingertips. You wanted to spend hours talking about becoming Pro Heroes together. You wanted to go out on patrol with him, go out on another date with him, a real date. You needed to tell him.

“I…” you gulped. The air became even harder to breathe. “I love you too.”

…

“No, I’m fine,” Hitoshi said.

“It’s been weeks, Mindjack. You need to go back to class. You need to sleep,” Heart of Hearts said. “I know… I know it’s hard to get back to normal when she’s…”

“I can train, do my homework, and spend nights here. It’s the least that I can do,” he said.

“The least you can do? You single-handedly brought Shigaraki into custody, and you still think you have to do more?” Heart of Hearts sighed. “As soon as she opens her eyes, the hospital will contact you. You can’t waste away like this. Do you think this is what she would have wanted?”

“I said that I was fine,” Shinso snapped.

Your eyes fluttered open, and you saw Shinso and Hearts facing each other. The bright lights of the hospital burned harshly into your retinas. You stirred slightly, but the pain in your chest made you wince.

“Hitoshi,” you murmured, but your voice barely came out as a whisper.

Shinso’s eyes widened as he turned back. Relief washed through him. He could barely contain his happiness, smiling widely at you. Hearts looked genuinely surprised. She covered her mouth, and her pink eyes watered with tears. She turned away before she started crying.

“I…” Your mouth was so dry. Your whole body was sore. It hurt just to speak, but you had to say it. You had to let him know.

Shinso knelt down beside your hospital bed. He grabbed for your hand, smoothing over your knuckles with his thumb. “Take it easy, Kitten. You’ve been in a coma for over a month. Your body probably needs some time to…”

Your eyebrows knitted together as you tried to find your voice. Shinso had trailed off after seeing how determined you looked. He gave your hand a squeeze and waited.

“I love you too,” you said. You wanted to explain that you weren’t sure if he heard you, that you weren’t sure that he’d actually confessed to you like that. You weren’t even sure if you’d faced off with Shigaraki. Things felt so surreal. The only certainty that you did have, was that you loved him. You loved him more than anything. And, as you were dying in his arms, all you wanted to do was tell him how much more time you wanted to spend with him, how much time you’d wasted not spending time with him.

Shinso cracked a sly smile. “I know. You told me.” He chuckled, but you saw a tear slip down his face. “I love you.” He squeezed your hand harder this time. “I love you, so don’t you ever do that to me again.” He pressed his forehead to the back of your hand, sighing. “You really know how to keep a guy on the edge of his seat.”

…Five Years Later…

“I said no peeking,” Hitoshi said, chuckling.

The two of you were freshly married, yet he never ceased to amaze you. His slender fingers were covering your eyes, but you kept trying to peer through them, too excited for a surprise to wait.

“Well, show me already,” you huffed.

“Not yet,” he said. He continued to guide you. “We need to be at the right angle.”

“For what?!” you shouted out.

“So impatient,” Hitoshi chided playfully. Then, he stopped. “Okay. Now, it’s not completely finished, so—”

“Show me!” You bounced up and down in place, frustrated that he still wouldn’t remove his hands from your face.

Before you had to ask again, Hitoshi lifted his hands away from your eyes, gently placing your glasses back on. You blinked as your vision adjusted. You were both standing across the street from a huge building. It was still modest, despite its size. It looked like it was in the midst of renovation. Your gaze trailed up to the large sparkling blue and purple sign at the top, reading “MindThink" in large letters.

Hitoshi rubbed the back of his neck, shifting uncomfortably next to you. “I spoke to Hearts, and since her agency has been doing so well, she said a little healthy agency competition would be good for her. Of course, she said she’d miss us as sidekicks, but she’s excited to see what we can do on our own.”

Your smile dropped as you read the large sign above you over and over again. He’d put your hero name and his own together. He’d actually created a hero agency for the two of you. It was beautiful and spectacular and beyond anything you could have imagined the surprise to be.

“You hate it,” he said dejectedly. “I knew I should have put your name first. Is it the purple? I can have them change it. Don’t tell me that you’re worried we can’t handle this on our own? We’ve been shooting up the hero ranks. It’s only a matter of time before we’re in the top twenty.”

You turned toward him, and he closed his mouth. You couldn’t contain your smile any longer as you grinned from ear to ear. You ran toward him, jumping into his arms.

“It’s perfect! I love it!” you shrieked, giggling. “It’s so sparkly!”

Hitoshi sighed in relief, squeezing you back. “I’m glad you like it. Thought I was going to have to scrap the whole project based on your expression.” He chuckled.

“Are you kidding? You did this all by yourself, and I had no idea? I can’t believe you surprised me like this. It’s great,” you said.

“It’s pretty hard to surprise a mind reader, so I’ll take that as a well-deserved compliment,” he said. He twirled you around, setting you down and placing his hands on your shoulders, pointing you back toward the building. “I can’t wait to start.”

“It’s not finished yet,” you reminded him.

“That’s exactly why I brought you here. There’s still plenty of paperwork to sign and a code of conduct to construct.”

You pouted. “Paperwork?” You wrinkled your nose.

“Hey, you used to love paperwork back in U.A.,” he said.

“Yeah, that was back before I knew better.”

“I might let you lean on your partner for the more boring stuff if we get some coffee.”

“Only if I can get a hot chocolate.”

“Oh darn, and here I was hoping you’d give me your coffee after you tell me how bitter it tastes.” Hitoshi grabbed your hand. “Ready for our next adventure as crimefighters, Kitten?” he asked.

You laughed because of how corny he sounded, but you loved when he was able to relax enough to get a little silly. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

7 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: An Explosive Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language, blood, and violence.

(Ending 1 of 8)

An Explosive Ending

You couldn’t move. You stared back at a Shigaraki possessed by All for One. In this form, he was beyond your worst nightmares. With a flick of his finger, he could disintegrate you. All your fears came rushing back. You quivered in fear.

“Out of the way,” All for One said. He lifted Shigaraki’s hand, and your chest tightened.

No. Please no. It was all you could do not to collapse to the ground, holding yourself. Please stop. Stop hurting people.

Shigaraki’s outstretched hand wavered. Your hands moved to your head, clutching your mind with your fingertips. You’d used your quirk without your control again. The words in your mind were being streamlined out.

“This can easily be remedied if you just stand aside. You’re wasting my time with such ridiculous pleas,” All for One said. He lifted Shigaraki’s hand again.

You shut your eyes, unable to move out of fear and your malfunctioning quirk. You trembled, resigning yourself to your fate.

An explosion rattled Gigantomachia. A ringing penetrated your ears, and heat washed through you. Wind rushed past you.

“I won’t let you touch her!” Bakugo bellowed. It was a miracle he was still standing. He’d gone unconscious several times since he’d been stabbed in the chest, yet here he was still protecting you. His arm came around you, and he ushered you back, barely standing on his own. “Go, Big Brain. This isn’t your fight. It’s that Damn Nerds’ and my responsibility.”

Bakugo suddenly coughed out blood, and you gasped.

“What are you talking about?! Neither you nor Deku can even stand up straight. How do you expect to stop him like this?” you asked.

“I expect to keep you safe, like I promised,” Katsuki said through clenched teeth. “Now, get out of here. You’re the last person I ever want to get injured,” he murmured.

“I haven’t even…” you trailed off. You hadn’t even gotten to fight Shigaraki. You were too scared to fight him. Just the sight of him dredged up the past. All for One’s presence in his body only made it worse. With Bakugo in front of you now, you realized an even more horrifying reality ahead of you.

“Go,” Bakugo snapped, staggering.

The nightmare. All those weeks, no months, ago you saw him disintegrate in your arms. You watched him turn to ash, felt Katsuki dissipate into the wind.

“Why won’t you just die?” Shigaraki asked. That was his voice, not All for One’s. Had he fought through? He raised his hand again. The air stilled. Spikes of red and black energy raced from his fingertips.

Bakugo shoved you behind him, raising his own palm. Your quirk fired, rushing around you and Katsuki as you realized his explosion wasn’t even going to go off. Was he out of sweat? Did he intend on sacrificing himself for you? The strands of energy pierced through your mind shield but only by a crack, unable to completely break through. You gritted your teeth, fighting through the mind-splitting migraine twisting through your temple.

Bakugo doubled over, another burst of blood coming from his lips. “No, dammit. I need to protect her. Stupid body.” He clutched at his chest. His eyes were shutting on their own.

Your eyes widened as you were struck from behind. You yelped out in pain. Shigaraki had missed everything important, but he had hit your shoulder. Your mind whipped out, taking the quirk energy between two different strands and snapping it. You tried not to look at the damage to your shoulder, but your glittering hero costume was already turning crimson.

You turned your gaze back on Katsuki, and rage lit up his expression. Explosions burst to life in his palms, as he observed the wound that had been inflicted on you while beside him.

“That Bastard will die for that,” he seethed.

“Katsuki, you can’t—”

Bakugo was gone before the next word came out of your mouth. You clutched at your dripping wound, watching in awe as Katsuki unloaded an onslaught of explosions the equivalent to the impact of fifty missiles. The Nomus headed up the hill were even struck by the impressive display, delaying their objective to retrieve their master.

A fog of harsh black and gray smoke clouded the area. Katsuki landed beside you, taking a knee to keep conscious and wheezing ferally beside you. Shigaraki emerged from the smoke, unharmed. His posture had changed again. All for One had taken back control.

“I’ve had just about enough of your interferences, Katsuki Bakugo.” All for One cracked his neck. “I will finish what my successor started.”

Bakugo continued to push you back as All for One got closer. Katsuki was practically falling into you. At this point, Katsuki didn’t even have the power to speak. All for One would kill him if he got his hands on him. All for One reached Shigaraki’s hand out to place it on Bakugo, and your quirk snapped.

Your quirk launched at the villain, hitting his hand with such force that it broke Shigaraki’s wrist. You screamed as you felt the strand of your mind decay from being touched. But, your self-survivalist quirk had already detached the strand so it wouldn’t destroy your mind along with it. Another part of your mind snapped over the shattered area in your brain. Pain resurfaced again. Bakugo grabbed for you. You shivered in his arms.

The Nomus finally made it up the hill, streaming past both of you with one task in mind. They grabbed Shigaraki, retreating. Katsuki moved from you to pursue him, but he didn’t make it far. He collapsed beside you. You weakly put out your hand to touch him, ensure that he was still alive. Then, you passed out.

…

When you woke up, Heart of Hearts informed you that days had passed. Still, you had been considered one of the luckier ones. Deku and Bakugo hadn’t woken up yet, both recovering from severe injuries.

You stayed by Katsuki’s side as long as they would let you. His entire chest was bandaged. There were hundreds of tiny wires and machines hooked up to him. You’d oftentimes bring him spicy food: chips, noodle cups, and chocolate. The pile was getting extensive beside his bed. You had even bought a small orange bear for him. You were holding the small stuffed animal in your lap now, watching Bakugo continue to sleep and wondering if his eyes would ever open.

“I’m sorry,” you said, clutching the bear closer to your chest. “If I wasn’t so scared to fight, maybe you’d already be awake.” You leaned forward, frowning. “You know that you don’t have to always protect me, right? I know I’m a mess, and I’m clumsy, but…” You teared up, waiting for his grouchy response, but he remained unconscious. “I don’t know what to do without you, Katsuki.” You sniffled, wiping your nose with the back of your hand.

You wondered what he’d say to you now, probably something about using a tissue, or he’d tell you to throw out all that junk food you’d bought him. You turned the orange bear around, holding it out and looking down at its unmoving content expression. Would he even like this?

You set the bear to the side, almost knocking over the other small gifts when you set him atop them. You placed your face in your hands, letting out the tears that seemed to stream endlessly these days. Inconsolable had been the best word to describe your demeanor. Without Katsuki, you felt so alone.

“Anna?”

You froze, fingers coming away from your face as if you’d heard a ghost. “Katsuki?”

Bakugo blinked at you, already shifting restlessly in his hospital bed. He winced, putting a hand to his chest when he tried to get up.

“D-Don’t move,” you stuttered out. “You’ve been in a coma. You were unconscious for weeks.”

Bakugo’s eyes widened. “Weeks?” he asked. He gritted his teeth.

You nodded your head, already blubbering again. You relentlessly wiped away the tears. “I was so scared you weren’t going to wake up,” you murmured. You leapt up from your chair, throwing your arms around him.

Katsuki grunted from the impact but managed to hold you all the same. “Don’t cry,” he grumbled, placing his hand softly on the back of your head. “I told you that I’ll always be there to protect you. I can’t really do that if I’m freaking dead, now can I?”

You shook your head no, trying to avoid pressing on any of his injuries. He stroked your hair, clicking his tongue. He pressed a kiss to your forehead, and you blushed. You didn’t dare pull away, in fear that you might lose him again.

Katsuki patiently waited until you stopped crying, then his hand paused atop your head. You felt him turn.

“What the hell is all that crap?” he asked.

You chuckled, nuzzling into him. “I might have gone a little overboard bringing you gifts.”

“A little is an understatement…” he trailed off, and you turned your gaze up to him.

“What?” you asked.

“The bear. What’s his name?”

You looked at him in confusion.

“You bought me a bear. Don’t tell me that you didn’t even give it a name.” He rolled his eyes, reaching his hand out toward it.

You took the hint and grabbed it, bringing it over to him. He took it, setting it beside him.

“Y-you like him?” you asked in surprise.

“Of course, I like him. You got him for me. Besides, at least he’s not crappy for my health. And, he’s my favorite color,” Bakugo said.

You wiggled your eyebrows mischievously, while thinking about giving the bear a name. You bounced up and down in place out of excitement. “What about Bakubear?”

“Hell no,” Katsuki snapped. “He needs a badass name.”

You put your finger to your chin. “What about Sidekick Explosion Murder Bear?”

“Now, that’s a name for a bear.” Bakugo squeezed the bear with one hand a little too hard. Its tiny body could hardly stand on its own.

You and Bakugo suddenly looked up at each other. His gaze softened.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said gently.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” you said back.

There was a long pause. Katsuki shifted again. His ears grew crimson in color. “I hope you know that I love you.”

Your eyes widened. You blushed just as hard, clearing your throat and finding it difficult to look back up at him. “I-I love you too.”

…Eight Years Later…

“Do we really have to stay the whole time?” Katsuki grumbled, loosening his bowtie for the fifth time that night. “I don’t want to sit here and lose to that Damn Nerd again.”

Your husband, Katsuki Bakugo, had been working so hard to achieve his dream of becoming the number one hero, but with Pro Heroes like Deku, it’s been sort of difficult for him to gain traction in his popularity. Overall, Katsuki had grown so much since the two of you graduated from U.A.. With a little PR training, he had started to treat his fans with a little less hostility, but you always felt like it was a part of his charm.

“I’ve got a good feeling about this one,” you said, leaning forward in your chair. You were being honest. Recently, Katsuki’s ratings had skyrocketed. The two of you had been out on patrol more often together, and you were able to keep him pretty calm around his fans. Meanwhile, he had also made some major breakthroughs with villain arrests. His entire sector had been crime free for weeks now.

Katsuki’s eyes scanned you over. You were wearing a long orange sparkly dress in support of him for the hero rankings today. His mother had graciously allowed you to wear one of her designs. Unfortunately, it was a little too suggestive for your liking. There was a rather large slit up the side and the back was exposed. You were trying to be very careful with how you sat, but your leg kept slipping out of the fold. You fixed the fabric again, and Katsuki’s hand fell onto yours.

“Anna, you look stunning. You don’t need to be so self-conscious,” he murmured under his breath.

You gulped, trying to hide your flushed cheeks from him. “Thank you. It’s a little too revealing in my opinion, but I’m thankful that I could wear something so fancy for the occasion. It was nice of your mom to let me borrow it.”

Katsuki sighed. “Can’t believe you went to her for an outfit. Makes me think you don’t like when I surprise you.” He crossed his arms, staring up at the stage. They were droning on and on about what the Pro Heroes had been able to accomplish, and some speeches were going on far longer than they should have been. Katsuki had checked out by the sixth person called.

“It’s an honor to be invited at least,” you said, shrugging and staring at his bored expression. “At least you know you made it in the top ten.” You were trying your best to stay positive. He deserved to be at the top. He shouldn’t always be so hard on himself.

Katsuki shrugged, gazing back at you. “I’d much rather spend this time off of patrol with you… alone… at the house…” He smirked at you, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

You rolled your eyes at him, blushing. “Sure, I’d rather be cuddling up and watching a movie than here too, but you have to be a little excited to find out the results.”

“What does it matter?” He put his head down on the table over his arm. He reached out and held your hand with his free one. “I’m always second anyway. Come on. We can slip out unnoticed if we go now.”

“You’re not going to go to the stage? Won’t that mess up the ceremony?”

Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Like I care if I mess up some stuffy ceremony.”

Your gaze shifted, and you caught sight of Deku making his way up to the stage. Wait, what number had they called?

“Come on. Let’s play hooky together,” Katsuki said.

“Wait…” you said, attention shifting up to the front.

“…and the number one Pro Hero this year is Katsuki Bakugo!” the announcer bellowed.

Your eyes widened, and you jumped up in excitement. Katsuki stared at you in confusion. He mustn’t have even heard the announcement. You gripped his arm, and his eyebrows furrowed.

“You did it, Katsuki.” You pulled him up from his chair, pressing a kiss to his cheek and encouraging him to go to the stage.

He was still confused even as the rest of the room was cheering him on.

“The hell?” he asked.

“You’re number one, Katsuki,” you said, grinning.

“Congratulations, Bakubro. Better get to the stage before someone else swoops in and takes your spot,” Red Riot said, clapping his old pal on the back.

“I did it?” Katsuki asked incredulously. He started to put together what had actually happened. Then, he put on a smirk. “Of course, I did it. Those damn Extras don’t have anything on me.”

Your smile wavered as your husband made his way to the stage. You hoped for his ranking’s sake that he would keep to the PR script, but you really wanted him to just be himself and enjoy the moment. Regardless, his speech would most likely have his explosive flare to it. He’d worked so hard, and you were so proud. You were sure his PR team members were already wringing their hands in worry backstage.

Katsuki took the mic with a sardonic grin. The room grew quiet as he was about to speak. “It’s about time,” he started. He cleared his throat, looking at you in the crowd. “I’d like to start out by thanking you for the support you’ve given me and my agency. I wouldn’t be standing here today without you…”

Well, at least he remembered his script, but it didn’t really feel authentically him.

“…Anna. My beautiful, thoughtful, and intelligent wife is the reason I’m standing here in front of all of you, today. Without her getting me through these boring ass functions, I would never have been standing here.” He gestured out to you in the crowd, and you swore your glasses were fogging up from heated embarrassment. Now, it was definitely more on brand for him, unpredictable and outspoken. Katsuki chuckled. “Can’t say that I didn’t know it would happen eventually. I knew I’d be number one.”

Katsuki tossed the mic behind him, and the host looked shocked and confused. Katsuki then proceeded to give Deku the middle finger, sticking his tongue out at him. Deku simply gave him an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Katsuki made a beeline for where you were standing, wading through the astonished crowd. When Katsuki reached you, he gave you a long breathtaking kiss. You blinked up at him in a daze.

“That was certainly a speech,” you said. “I’m not sure PR would approve.”

“There’s only one person I’ve got to worry about for approval, and it sure as hell aren’t those nerds. I didn’t get to be number one by doing what the PR team wanted me to do.” He stroked your cheek with his thumb. His gaze softened. “Now, let’s go home. I’ve got a whole year to celebrate my victory, and I don’t intend to spend it in this monkey suit around these Extras.”

16 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: The Beginning of the End

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language and violence.

The Beginning of the End

Shigaraki’s eye opened, staring out between those grotesquely dead fingers. A wave of energy, crackling yellow and purple, burst forth from his body. Your mind shield was faster than the attack, but fear struck you as you watched Mirio be knocked off of Gigantomachia. You stood in front of Shigaraki and a kneeling Spinner.

Shigaraki was no longer himself. A new face twisted on the man in front of you. A face with no eyes, All for One. Although you were standing ahead of him, you felt frozen. He paid you little mind.

“Crucially, I have used my radio-wave quirk to call upon the Nomus at this pivotal time in battle. Tomura is only at the beginning stages of his transformation, so he’s unable to frequently use this quirk. Fortunately, I can.”

Spinner regarded you with narrowed eyes, but as you couldn’t breathe, let alone make your body move, he spoke up to the man before you. “What are we going to do now, Shigaraki?”

“We’re retreating,” All for One replied in Shigaraki’s body.

No. You had to do something. You couldn’t let him leave. Shigaraki’s body modifications had not been completed; all of his quirks were not at full power yet. This was the best chance that any of you had to stop him. You had to do it now.

“We can’t leave!” Spinner pleaded. “Our comrades are hurt. Toga’s on her way. We can’t abandon our team!”

“Be silent, Iguchi. Shigaraki’s body has need of rest. He awoke before he was fully developed. I came to lend the poor boy the help he requires. His regeneration ability has not reached its full potential. Tomura has lost this fight to Endeavor and One for All. He is currently no match for the heroes here today. It’s time to go. Tomura has failed.” All for One tilted Shigaraki’s head to the side, taking a look at you. Shigaraki’s body crackled, as if it were healing the severe wounds stretching across his toned body. “Tomura must understand there are consequences to his failures.” You could have sworn he was smiling at you. “Isn’t that right, Anna Kokoro? For every evil decision and action, there should be a rightful consequence? Is that not what you believe as a hero fighting for what you call justice?”

You wanted to move, to speak. You almost thought All for One had used some kind of paralyzing quirk on you because your own body wouldn’t respond to you.

All for One lifted Shigaraki’s hand, stretching it past you. “A permeation quirk.” His fingers sprouted that red and black dark energy that had pierced through Bakugo’s chest, but it went around you. “I have no time for you.” Out of the corner of your eye you watched Mirio fall, stabbed from behind by that terrifying quirk.

Shoto and Iida came for Shigaraki next, but just as easily as he’d taken out Mirio, All for One repelled them with a yellow shield. You quaked where you stood. All of this training, and you were too scared to fight? No, you couldn’t let it end like this. It wouldn’t end like this.

“You have a very important decision to make, child,” All for One said to you.

You flinched, the first movement you could manage in his presence. Your small hand clenched into a fist. Spinner’s eyes moved down to it, surprise and worry crossing his features. Behind you, a stampede of Nomus headed in your direction. Their footfalls alone caused Gigantomachia to shake.

"Will you interfere with my withdrawal from this fight and suffer the consequences of your foolish actions, or will you choose to live and be what you call a hero for another day?” he asked.

7 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think Ending Winner Order

1. Katsuki Bakugo

2. Hitoshi Shinso

3. Shoto Todoroki, Eijiro Kirishima, and Doku Kobura

#Think Endings #MHA Think #BNHA Think #Katuski Bakugo #Hitoshi Shinso #Eijiro Kirishima #Shoto Todoroki #Doku Kobura #Endings will be coming out weekly

4 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: Chapter Ninety-Five: The Dead Speak

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language, blood, mentions of death, and violence.

Please be aware this piece is in second person perspective, following my original character, Think, Anna Kokoro, who is a transfer student from America.

Chapter Ninety-Five: The Dead Speak

You charged forward, fear numbing your damaged quirk. You shot out your mind to grab Katsuki as he fell from the air, but Shoto grabbed him first with Endeavor in his other hand.

Deku launched another attack toward Shigaraki, breaking through the ensuing dark energy quirk to get to him. Shigaraki grabbed Midoriya by the face. Deep red energy pulsed and entangled over Deku’s head. You fell to your knees, watching in horror as it appeared that Shigaraki was actually going to do it. He was going to take Deku’s quirk. And, all you could do was look on.

Seconds, seconds went by as you struggled to hold on to your senses, battled to keep your head together along with your emotions. All you could do was watch, watch as Deku fought alone against an unstoppable force. Your quirk. If only you could use your quirk, and it was stable enough for you to do something, anything.

A bright light burst out from Deku and Shigaraki, blinding you. You shielded your face with your arm. The radiance faded. Your quirk clicked into place again suddenly, as if your desperate calls had been heard.

“I’ve got him!” you called out.

Deku fell back from Shigaraki. You grabbed him with your mind, helping him safely to the ground. Shoto landed with Bakugo and Endeavor only feet from you.

You choked on a noise, wanting desperately to run to Katsuki. Blood dripped from his parted mouth. His chest heaved with exertion just to breathe. At the same time, you fretted over Deku. A broken mess beside you.

“Kacchan… Is he…?” Deku managed, having trouble breathing himself.

“He’s alive,” you said, biting back a sob.

“We’ll patch you up. Don’t move,” Shoto said toward Midoriya.

The earth shook. Shoto and you snapped your heads back to see Shigaraki supporting his limp body with those large black tendrils that he’d used to stab Katsuki with. Yellow energy crashed into Shigaraki as Nejire arrived on the scene, and, once again, Shigaraki was knocked down. Iida slid in between you and the fallen villain.

“A giant is crashing through the city as we speak. He’s on his way here,” Iida warned.

“Please, get the injured to safety,” Shoto said.

“Shigaraki wants my quirk. I can’t be taken away. He would just follow me,” Deku murmured. “Get Kacchan and Endeavor out of here, Iida. Please,” Midoriya begged, clutching his abdomen.

Your gaze trailed back to Shigaraki, getting back up again while supported by even more black tendrils flowing out of his spine. Gigantomachia crashed through the remaining buildings beside you, heading straight for Shigaraki. Shoto and Nejire attacked Shigaraki while they still had the chance, while it seemed as if Shigaraki wasn’t healing as fast. Through a torrent of fire and yellow energy waves, it appeared as if the two heroes may actually make some progress. Gigantomachia didn’t hesitate to break through the two of them to get to his, “Master!” which he continued to repeat, even when Shigaraki was in his open hand.

Shoto was sent flying with a single swipe of the giant’s hand. Your chest tightened, and tears burned at your eyes as you watched him bounce across the ground. Iida had a hold of Bakugo, trying to carry him out. You were still knelt down in front of Midoriya, trying your best to patch him up with the little medical supplies that you carried in your belt. Relief washed through you as you watched Shoto get back up. Gigantomachia had frozen in place now that he had Shigaraki in hand.

Your hands shook as you tended to a severely wounded Izuku Midoriya. You could barely press bandages to his skin. Then, a gloved hand met yours.

“Let me help. Anna, let me patch him up,” Kobura’s voice came out shakily. “Give me what you can.”

Shinso dropped down next to you, clenching his fist in worry. “What is going on here? Why haven’t they called in more heroes for support?” He took out his own supplies, handing it over to Kobura and pushing more space between the two of you.

“The comms are shot,” you explained, your voice wavering. You glanced between Doku and Hitoshi. “You’re trusting him?”

“No, I’m allowing him to help,” Shinso said harshly. “There’s a difference. Besides, he won’t be able to stab me in the back as long as I’m behind him.”

Kobura exhaled sharply, rolling his eyes. Kobura examined Midoriya, making quick work with what little the two of you had to close up some of his injuries and support others.

“Mr. Aizawa. I saw him,” Shinso said under his breath. He winced. “I should have been here to protect my teacher. Someone should have been here to protect him.”

Your stomach turned. He’d cut off his leg without hesitation. “They tried,” you said back. “We tried,” you corrected.

“The kid is beat to shit. That’s the best I can do without better supplies. I’d use my quirk on him to close his wounds, but my guess is he doesn’t have the same resistances you do.” Kobura tilted his head to the side. His stare moved back to Gigantomachia, and his eyes widened. Kobura reached back for you instinctually. His gaze jumped from Gigantomachia back to Shoto and Endeavor. “That burnt asshole is going to do it now?”

“What’s the matter?” you asked. Your gaze followed his, and you spotted Dabi walking to the edge of Gigantomachia’s back with his grin widening.

“We have to go now,” Kobura said. “Shit is about to hit the fan.”

You pulled your arm free from Kobura’s grasp. “I’m not leaving my friends behind. That hasn’t changed.”

Kobura gave you an exasperated look, his green eyes pleading for you to come with him. “Listen. Remember when I told you that I know everything about The League of Villains?” Kobura pointed toward Dabi, who was now holding some kind of bottle above his head. “Spoiler alert. That asshole is Enji Todoroki’s dead son, a.k.a. Endeavor’s dead son, a.k.a. a really bad thing is about to happen, and he’s about to burn everything and everyone down with him for his own selfish sadistic vengeance-motivated reasons.”

“My name is Toya Todoroki!” Dabi announced, laughing and smiling. He poured the bottle out onto his hair, revealing white hair instead of black. His body swayed, and he clapped. “I mean, you should call me by my real name since you and mom gave it to me.”

“Shoto’s dead brother?” you asked breathlessly. “How can that be…” You watched on in horror, as “Dabi” continued to explain his story, rambling on and on about his ultimate plan to ruin his father, Endeavor, for what he’d done to him and his family. You knew what Shoto had gone through as a child. You’d experienced the abuse as he relived it in that hallway ages ago. You knew how cruel Endeavor could be, but you didn’t know about this. You didn’t know about Dabi. You didn’t know the years and years that it went on for.

Kobura tugged on your arm. “He’s going to turn this place into his own burn barrel. Please. We need to go.”

Shinso shook himself out of shock, finally forcing Kobura’s hand off of you. “She said she’s not leaving.”

Kobura narrowed his eyes at Shinso, but he didn’t move to grab you again. “You have no idea what this psychopath his capable of. Trust me. I’ve slept in the room next to this serial killer, and he has no qualms going totally nuclear. He’s been building this secret since the day he was presumed dead. He’s not going to hold back. Plus, he’s not a huge fan of me or Anna. If he spots us, he will kill us.”

Dabi became louder and more theatric as he continued on with his speech. “When is it enough for you heroes? I can’t wait for the world to see who you really are, who all the Pro Heroes really are. It’s being broadcast on national television as we speak, the paternity test and the murders. Everyone will know about you, and everyone will know about what Hawks did too.” Dabi tsked, shaking his finger. “Hawks killed Best Jeanist, then he went and killed Twice. Where do you heroes draw the line? The public might not believe me, but they’ll believe video evidence of it for sure. At the very least, they’ll start questioning their dear Pro Heroes now won’t they?”

“Twice… is… dead…” Kobura staggered. “He can’t be…” Tears. You saw tears in his eyes. Doku clutched at his chest, looking off distantly. “He was killed? I-I wasn’t there to protect him…” Kobura shivered. Tears dripped down his swollen cheeks, and he clenched his teeth. “There’s a recording of his death, and that burnt bastard decided to broadcast it on TV?” Kobura shook with anger. “Was he there when it happened? Could he have saved him?”

Shock had you in an icelike grip. A Pro Hero killed a villain? Killed Twice no less? Out of the entire League he always seemed the gentlest. Why would Hawks kill him? There must have been a reason, or… You remembered how Heart of Hearts reacted whenever Hawks was around, how she never trusted him. She had said he would do anything for The Commission. He was their Pro Hero puppet.

“That bastard, Dabi, probably watched him die,” Doku said under his breath. “Jin was our friend. Twice was everyone’s friend!” Kobura shouted in outrage. “You just watched him die, didn’t you?!”

You grabbed Kobura by the back of his shirt. You didn’t want Dabi to attack him. Doku had been right; if Dabi saw the two of you, you’d be in the direct line of fire.

“Wait. You said—” you started.

“Dance with your son in hell, Endeavor!” Dabi launched himself off of Gigantomachia’s back, a blue comet of rage and fire headed straight for Endeavor and Shoto.

Endeavor was just kneeling there, doing nothing. Shoto shouted at him to help, and Endeavor was still doing nothing. Your fingers left the fabric of Kobura’s shirt. Your heart broke for Shoto. You ran toward him, gaining the fading control of your quirk back again. You’d shield him as best as you could. He didn’t have to take on this burden alone. This wasn’t Shoto’s fault. His father should be doing something.

Cables descended from the sky, ripping Dabi from the air as it entwined around his burning body. Dabi’s flames momentarily extinguished in surprise. Best Jeanist appeared out of nowhere, wrapping and restraining The League of Villains in these strange fabric cables, along with Gigantomachia. Best Jeanist was alive.

“I saw your body! You were dead!” Dabi shouted. When Best Jeanist gave him nothing in response, he only laughed, grinning again. “No matter. It doesn’t change my past nor my plans!” Dabi reignited himself. His blue flames engulfed the cables around him.

You kept moving towards Todoroki. If you were close enough, no matter how much of your quirk you could use, you’d be able to protect him. Dabi’s gaze shifted as he spotted you. His smile grew so wide a few staples snapped free.

“You,” he seethed through his teeth. He burned so hot that the cables melted away from him.

Dabi wasted no time taking out Nejire with a single blast of his quirk. He hadn’t even looked at her in the air when he did it. She shrieked, falling from the sky.

“Another bright future burned to a crisp because of your mistakes, Endeavor,” Dabi said. His eyes flashed. “Should I destroy another?”

You’d already formed the mental shield around you, standing firm. A blast of Dabi’s fire crashed into the protective wall, and the heat melted everything around you. Your stance weakened as you began to overheat. The air grew suffocating. Your quirk shuddered and rumbled, ripping thoughts from the air around you. Fear and panic blasted through your emotions. You hit Dabi’s mind, and you rattled his thoughts with Mind Break. The fire barely wavered its hold.

You kept in his head, shouting what you could to get him to stop, but it was splitting your thoughts in half. Aching, pulsing, burns covered your skin as you picked up on his thoughts. Hurt, it hurt to use your quirk. It hurt to watch your father begin to ignore you. Other thoughts, anger and rage. Hours of planning his vengeance. Hawks. You saw Hawks appear over and over again, Best Jeanist’s corpse, and you nearly burned Twice. You didn’t care that you almost killed him. You just wanted to see the traitor Hawks die by your hand too, Endeavor’s pet spy. Then, you watched Twice be cut down in front of you. You watched him be stabbed. You were smiling. You felt your lips tugging upward. You knew there were cameras. You had the evidence you needed to bury the Pro Heroes.

There was yelling outside the blue roaring fire, as your mind smacked back into your own head, but there was little you could hear beneath the attack. A wave of ice curved around the front of your mental shield, giving you a moment of reprieve as your mental shield flickered and died out.

"Why won’t you just die?!” Dabi hissed. Shoto launched at him with a blast of his own fire, and Dabi’s attention shifted yet again. “So impatient, Little Brother! I guess I’ll just have to kill you first!”

You collapsed, gasping for air. You were on a pedestal of damaged earth, the curved edges smoldering. The ice ahead of you melted fast, faster than you’d expected, shrouding you in a protective cloud of steam. You pressed your fingers into your temples. Having been inside two sadistic minds in one day was doing a number on your mental fortitude. Kobura was right. Dabi had watched what had happened. Dabi may have even helped the process along, intentionally or not.

As the smoke cleared, you got back to your feet to move again. Shoto and Dabi were locked in a battle of fire. If that wasn’t bad enough, Gigantomachia began to move, snapping the cables free around him. Best Jeanist continued to restrain him over and over again, but it was barely holding. On the horizon, Nomus appeared.

You stumbled back, falling from your perch and catching yourself into a run. Kobura was already rushing toward you. Best Jeanist must have mistaken him for an ally and hadn’t restrained him. Doku looked different in average clothes and without his piercings. It probably helped Shinso and you had been in close proximity to him at the point of Best Jeanist’s arrival too.

As you ran, you spotted the bloodied knife Aizawa used to sever the lower half of his leg. You changed direction, skidding to a stop and lifting the weapon into your trembling hands. Kobura met you there, shaking his head and checking you over fretfully.

“Anna, what were you thinking? He could have killed you. Please stop running head first into danger like that,” he begged you. He hadn’t even focused on what was in your hands. His eyes were too busy scanning you over for injury.

“I…” you clenched the handle of the knife. Was this the right thing to do? If the heroes saw Kobura with a weapon, he could be targeted. You gulped, your dry throat burning. “I’m not going to backdown from this fight. I can help.” You turned the knife’s blade away from him, shoving the hilt into his hand. “But, I need you too.”

“What?” he asked, nearly dropping the weapon. “I can’t…”

“This is my compromise. I’m not leaving. If you want to help, you can. I know you hate that I won’t leave, so I’m giving you the option to help.” You shut your eyes, releasing the knife into his hold. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“That’s my team, my comrades,” Kobura said pointedly. “The League is my family. I can’t fight them. Besides, the heroes will turn on me the moment they realize who I am.”

You pointed toward Dabi. “He watched Twice die. I saw it while I was in his twisted mind. I barely affected him, shouting in his head. He’s running on hatred and vengeance for his path,” you rasped out, putting a hand to your throat.

“I knew it. That damn bastard,” Kobura growled through his teeth. He looked down at the knife in his hand. “He has no right to call Twice his friend when he did nothing to protect him.”

A horrid monstrous cry rippled out of the throat of an approaching Nomu. Deku screamed for Best Jeanist to look out, but he was trapped in a physical struggle with the giant he was holding at bay.

“It’s your choice,” you said.

You rallied your buzzing mind, air rushing through your tender sun-burnt skin, as you pushed yourself into the air with a single mind blast. You zipped out past Best Jeanist to meet the Nomus, before they could strike. Your bravery wavered as they grew closer. You emptied your utility pockets. The assorted projectiles began to float as you grabbed hold of each one and whipped them around you. You gulped, your throat burning again. There were so many, too many to fight on your own.

Just before they came into range, another hero met a Nomu’s path. He hit the Nomu out of the air.

You gasped in surprise. “Le Million!” you called out.

“Sorry, I’m late to the party!” Mirio smiled at you, giving a wink. “It took me a bit to get here with my permeation quirk. Thanks to Eri’s training, she was able to get my quirk working again, and I’m back in action!” He turned back around with a grin still on his face. “Still, I might need some help here!” he called out nervously.

You shook off your original surprise, turning one of your projectiles into a wrecking ball while throwing the rubber bullet balls at oncoming Nomus.

“Watch it, Big Brain!” Bakugo shouted, springing over you to get a blast at a Nomu that was far too close.

“Katsuki?”

Bakugo bit down into a smile, blood still dripping from his mouth. “Don’t be too surprised to see me.”

Iida kicked past Bakugo, chopping his hands in his direction. “I told him to take it easy. Of course, he wouldn’t listen.”

Bakugo clicked his tongue, blasting another Nomu in the face. “I told you I’m fine.” He clutched at his stomach as he moved wrong. Red stained his glove as he pulled it away.

Your focus wavered, as you bit back your worried words. Katsuki shouldn’t be fighting. His organs had to have been punctured. It would only be a matter of time before he passed out. A wave of insufferable heat washed over you, and you attempted to shield yourself with your arm. A fury of blue and orange flames collided overhead. You looked back at Endeavor who still wasn’t doing anything.

You winced when you saw Midoriya using the last bits of his strength to use Blackwhip on Dabi to hold him back from Shoto. Both of Deku’s arms were broken, so he had to use Blackwhip from his mouth. What was he doing? At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to recover.

The earth rumbled. Gigantomachia roared. The cables snapped beside you, and you had to leap out of the way to avoid being hit by one. You readied your quirk, but it sputtered. You clambered back, trying to get out of way of the monster breaking free. Endeavor finally moved, leaping from the ground and giving Gigantomachia a face full of fire. Then, they both collapsed.

“What? How come the giant just fell over?” you asked.

“The sedative actually worked,” Le Million said, indicating something that no one else knew about. “The drug must have needed time to take effect.”

With one threat down, you shifted your focus back toward Shoto. Deku was falling. You helped him land with a strand of your mind. Hopefully, he wouldn’t push himself anymore. Your boots pounded against the ground as you trailed the two fighting above. You could do something to give Shoto the upper hand.

You skidded to a halt beneath them. You raised your hand, and two of your blue projectiles moved upward. You engaged the button upon impact, hitting Dabi with an extinguishing ball, normally equipped for fighting fires in rescue zones, but should be just as effective against him. Shoto gave himself some space, creating ice to cool himself down thanks to the distraction you’d made.

Dabi’s cerulean eyes shifted, his intense glare falling on you again. “Little pest,” he seethed. He used his flames to keep airborne, setting his whole arm on fire to launch back at you. “It will bring me so much joy to hear you screaming while you burn alive.” He reached back his arm to throw the flames at you.

You formed another barrier above you, knowing full well that you wouldn’t be able to run out of range in time. As his arm was on the down swing, a knife plunged into Dabi’s shoulder, saving you from withstanding a torrent of fire.

“That’s for Twice, burnt bastard,” Kobura growled out. “He deserved better than you using him for your petty family revenge.”

“Thought you were in Tartarus, you snake.” Dabi grabbed hold of the knife plunged into his shoulder. “You’re going to wish you were still locked up once I’m done with you.” He yanked the blade free, taking in a sharp breath. He dropped the blade to the ground. An error on his part because Kobura would easily be able to throw it with precise accuracy again.

Kobura weakly grinned, watching Dabi wince. The enflamed villain couldn’t lift his right arm anymore. Kobura must have cut a vital muscle or ligament in his shoulder. Shoto put pressure on Dabi again from the air, before Dabi could spout out another threat. The two collided with a nuclear fusion of flames. Somehow Dabi seemed to be burning even hotter than before.

The blue flames grew more and more intense, until eventually they overpowered Shoto’s. You cried out as Shoto was hit. His body fell backwards toward the ground. His eyes were closed. He must have been unconscious. You caught him once with your quirk, but he slipped from your grasp as your quirk wavered again. You ran toward where he was falling, putting all your focus in trying to slow his descent. You put out your arms to catch him, and he crashed into you.

You had little time to worry about what might be broken from the impact as you prepared for a second attack from Dabi. You shifted Shoto off of you carefully but quickly. As you looked to the sky again, however, Mr. Compress had already placed Dabi into a marble for what you could only assume was a grand escape. The villainous magician was covered in blood, half-naked. He must have used his quirk to cut himself free from the cable binds, even if it meant taking pieces of his own body into his marbles.

Kobura ran up beside you, helping you to your feet. Shoto remained out cold, his breathing hoarse and uneven.

“Looks like Mr. Compress has come up with an escape plan,” Kobura said.

“We can’t let them leave. If Shigaraki has time to fully develop All for One’s power, we’re all dead.”

“I know,” Doku said.

“You’re not going with them?” you asked.

“I don’t deserve to. I betrayed them. Compress might sneak me into one of his marbles to be fair, but I’m not going to call out to him.” Kobura shrugged. “Dabi already hated my guts, but Shigaraki wouldn’t stand for it if he actually found out that I attacked one of The League.” He looked down thoughtfully. “I’ll miss Toga the most.” Doku grinned bitterly. “Looks like I’m an outcast again.”

You winced. Your hand went to his shoulder, and his gaze shifted back on you. A small smile spread over his lips, and you finally noticed the newly sharp fangs that had formed in his mouth. You were surprised, worried about what pain he was in.

“They’ll take you back,” you said, biting into your bottom lip. “But, if they don’t…” you trailed off. You wanted to tell him that he would never be an outcast again. You understood him, at least in some small way. He hadn’t made the best choices in life, but you’d seen him change. “You’re not the same scared little boy anymore. You no longer have to look at yourself as an outcast. You found people that I believe finally understand you.”

“Yeah, and one of them is dead,” he stated flatly, angrily.

You clenched your jaw. Twice’s death was a hard pill to swallow, and it was even worse that Hawks had committed the crime. “Two of those people are still alive.”

Doku’s eyes widened as he realized what you were saying. You had said two. One of those people being you. Your hand left his shoulder, as you ran back toward the back of Gigantomachia. The battle wasn’t over yet, and you couldn’t stand there with Doku and watch the world burn.

Before you were out of earshot, you heard him. Kobura said his final words to you, as an unknown future lay ahead of you, knowing full-well that you wouldn’t turn back.

“I will always love you, Sweet Anna,” he said.

You didn’t know what Kobura and your future would be, but you did know this was where your paths split for now. He would most likely go underground. He wouldn’t be accepted as a villain or a hero, so hiding was probably his best option. There was a part of you that wanted to turn back. That part of you knew that this may be the last time you would ever see him again.

You shot a mind blast behind you to spring you up to Mr. Compress, who was doing one final monologue before his great escape. You’d never actually seen his face before under the mask that he usually wore, and you were surprised to see brown hair and hazel eyes. You reached him a little too late because Mirio permeated out of nowhere, hitting him right in the jaw. The punch was powerful enough to knock him unconscious. You and Mirio stood over Mr. Compress, ready to spring for Shigaraki and Spinner.

Spinner placed a grayed dismembered hand onto Shigaraki’s face. An image flashed into your mind, the same image of Shigaraki’s family. It was the same memory that he ended up enjoying. The memory of finally crushing them between his fingers, turning them to dust.

6 notes · View notes

agentark88 · 1 year

Text

Think: Chapter Ninety-Four: Decaying Knowledge

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Warnings: This work contains mild language, blood, and violence.

Please be aware this piece is in second person perspective, following my original character, Think, Anna Kokoro, who is a transfer student from America.

Chapter Ninety-Four: Decaying Knowledge

You couldn’t keep up. Deku and Bakugo had far more experience and speed than you did. Over your ragged breaths, you could barely hear Deku explaining the situation to Endeavor on an assumed private channel. From the few words you could pick up on, Deku was going to see if he could lead Shigaraki in a different direction just by moving himself.

Your mind blasts were getting weaker. You felt your consciousness slip for just a second, before catching yourself off of some more debris. Your head was swimming. Thankfully, the thoughts weren’t crowding you anymore, but you’d taken some strain from getting forced out of Shigaraki’s mind.

Suddenly, you were grabbed. You yelped. Bakugo clicked his tongue in your ear, annoyed.

“Dammit, Big Brain! What were you thinking following us?” he snapped at you. He hooked you onto his chest. “Hold on.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck, worried he might decide to drop you and leave you behind.

“Ah, Think?” Deku asked in surprise. “You followed us?”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be here?” Bakugo scolded you.

You pressed your face into his chest in order to avoid his angry glare.

“Don’t hide now! Where the hell are you going to go? I’m holding you.” Bakugo clicked his tongue again.

“W-why would you follow us? I t-told you I’d be right back,” Deku said.

“One for All. Shigaraki is after One for All, isn’t he?” you muttered into the fabric of Bakugo’s hero costume.

Bakugo’s muscles tensed. Deku let out a small gasp, seemingly left speechless by your words.

“W-What’s One for All?” Deku asked, but you could hear the shaking in his voice and the lie as blatant as the sun in the sky.

“Dammit, Deku! She figured it out. Don’t be an idiot and try to lie to her now.” Bakugo gritted his teeth. “I should have pushed you out of that room when I had the chance. All Might said too much that day.” One of his arms came around your waist, and he gave you a squeeze. “This is too dangerous. You shouldn’t have come.”

“I can hold my own,” you said. You peered up at him, and he glanced away, blushing.

“I’m not questioning your abilities, Big Brain. I’m just…” he trailed off sighing. “You better not get yourself hurt!”

“Shigaraki changed direction!” Deku called back. “It’s just like we thought. He’s after me. We can buy the Pro Heroes more time to evacuate the civilians”

Bakugo grinned viciously. “I can’t wait to kick that villain’s crusty ass. I owe him a beat down, and I intend to deliver, especially for what happened to All Might because of me being kidnapped. I’ll prove that I’m a hero.”

Bakugo sped up, and you had to clutch him tighter to hold on. Bakugo’s hand came down to check that you weren’t slipping every once in a while; however, he had no issues keeping up with Deku even with you hanging on to him. You took the chance to glance at him. His jaw was set. He still held on to what happened to All Might after he’d been kidnapped. He still continued to blame himself for it. He hadn’t been the only one there that night. It wasn’t his fault, nor was it yours.

You winced as a blast of energy shot over your skin. Your earpiece tingled and a sharp buzz sounded, before it went dead entirely.

“The comms! They’re out again!” Deku warned, fidgeting with his headpiece.

Bakugo tested his own without any luck either. You readjusted your arms again around Katsuki’s neck, and he tensed, reaching for you to ensure you were still holding firm. A flash of the moment he wasn’t able to catch you escaped his mind and floated into your own. Your eyes widened when you saw it. Did that memory still haunt him?

“Do you feel that?” Bakugo asked.

Your whole body quaked, and danger set a migraine in your temple. It felt painful to breathe. Death. It felt like death was swirling around you.

Bakugo abruptly pulled back in the air. His hands came out ready to blast what had inevitably stopped them. You dared a peek behind you. Red eyes. You saw red, horrid, bloodshot eyes. Shigaraki stared at the three of you, smirking. His fingers lifted. Your throat closed. Death. Impending death loomed at the edge of that hand. He’d be able to decay the three of you into dust. You had to do something. You couldn’t just sit there and watch it unfold like this. Fear had an icelike grip on your body.

“Give me One for All, Izuku Midoriya,” Shigaraki’s voice rasped out.

Suddenly, Bakugo, you, and Midoriya were snatched from the air, changing your direction rapidly. The area you’d left decayed into nothing. Gran Torino had somehow managed to grab the three of you, using his quirk to air blast you into another direction, just before Shigaraki unleashed his quirk on you. His small form could barely hold on to all of you.

You heard your heartbeat in your ears, clutching Bakugo even tighter out of fear. Gran Torino was explaining something to Midoriya, something in regard to One for All and the Pro Heroes. You had never intended on fighting Shigaraki. You had only followed to help Midoriya. Your eyes widened when you realized Deku and Bakugo’s endgame was to battle him. You breathed, feeling as if you could finally catch your breath while away from that monstrosity of a villain.

“You have to let the Pro Heroes handle him,” Gran Torino said. “If any of that debris touches you, you would be turned to dust. You’ll need to trust the Pros.”

Gran Torino suddenly stopped, dropping you all into a hidden area of upturned wreckage. You fell to your knees, taking hold of your shoulders. You’d been so close to death, so close to that hand shredding every fiber of your being to nothing, to ash.

“Wait here,” Gran Torino stated flatly. “You should be safe.”

“Eraserhead just took his power, didn’t he? Why is he still so strong?” Deku asked.

“He’s only weakened,” Gran Torino explained.

“Why would we stop here? Why are we still so close to him?” Bakugo asked.

“If he’s only weakened, and he’s still that powerful, how will you be able to stop him from taking One for All from Midoriya?” you gasped.

Bakugo looked at you in surprise. His fists clenched at his sides.

“Toshinori told me that Bakugo knew your secret, but I wasn’t told about your other classmate,” Gran Torino said, eyeing you. “We can’t go farther. Communications are down. Shigaraki is moving far faster than expected. I stopped here because few will be able to follow him, and if you’re chased too far out, none of the Pro Heroes would be able to catch up. By getting him in Eraserhead’s field of vision and hiding out of sight, you three are in the best tactical position you could be.” Gran Torino’s expression hardened.

“How do you expect us to just sit here and hide?” Midoriya asked.

“Present Mic told me that All for One’s powers were transferred into Shigaraki,” Gran Torino explained. “That’s why.”

You blinked in confusion. All for One, that horrifying villain you encountered before you’d been rescued. That same man that forced All Might into retirement. His powers had transferred into Shigaraki?

“So, that means he could…” Deku trailed off.

“He could what?” you asked in exasperation.

“It means he’d be able to steal anyone’s quirk for himself, including One for All,” Bakugo cut in.

“I couldn’t imagine a worse scenario than him getting his hands on One for All. If the Pro Heroes can’t stop one person, what’s the point in having so many heroes at all?” Gran Torino set his stance, getting ready to move. “I’m going in to help. We’ll need every Pro Hero we can get. If Shigaraki gets his hands on One for All, nothing will be able to stop him,” Gran Torino said solemnly.

Bile rose in your throat as your stomach turned at the thought. You shivered, thinking of the consequences of Shigaraki getting a hold of Midoriya’s power, All Might’s power. A loud screech had you on alert again. Your breath caught. You looked up and saw a multitude of Nomus headed in the direction of battle.

“They should have been destroyed under the hospital! How are there still Nomus alive after Shigaraki’s decay wave?” Gran Torino shouted in surprise.

Horrible, grotesque monsters clawed their way through the city, making a beeline for the Pro Heroes attempting to put Shigaraki’s horrid destruction to an end. You stood up on your unsteady legs, quaking in fear at the sight of them.

“Those aren’t regular Nomus,” you murmured. “They look more powerful than even the one we fought.”

Gran Torino flew up into the air. “Stay hidden! They’re heading for Eraserhead. I need to stop them!”

Your hair rose with your quirk buzzing in the back of your skull. As afraid as you were, you couldn’t just wait around for Shigaraki to use his decay again. If they were heading for your teacher, Mr. Aizawa, you wouldn’t let them get the chance to hurt him.

Deku moved without a word. You followed, already prepped with your own mind blast. When the battle came into view, you saw him, Shigaraki, grinning from ear to ear as he reached for Mr. Aizawa. Shigaraki stood like a fallen king before him, a red torn cape flowing behind him, and his bare chest to the world as if nothing could hurt him. You choked down the fear that had paralyzed you. No matter the cost, you would not let him touch your teacher.

Your quirk enveloped Mr. Aizawa, putting an invisible wall of protection between him and Shigaraki. Whether or not Shigaraki touching a strand of your mind would decay it, didn’t matter. Mr. Aizawa needed you, as much as you needed him to stay alive. Eraserhead’s quirk should be able to nullify the decay regardless. As long as you could keep Shigaraki away from hurting your teacher. Mr. Aizawa was there for you when you needed him most. You would be there for him.

“Why?! Don’t!” Gran Torino shouted toward you, as you moved toward your teacher.

Shigaraki’s fingertips pressed into your forcefield, and you shivered, feeling your quirk slip at the strength puncturing through your mind. Swiftly, Shigaraki’s red eyes were on you, his fingers digging into the mind field with harsh contempt, nearly making you crumble from the searing pain that sliced through you from it. Midoriya collided with Shigaraki, holding him back with sheer brute force.

“Let us help! If Shigaraki can’t use his quirk, then let us fight!” Deku yelled, straining against Shigaraki’s power.

“We won’t let him hurt our teacher! I’m sorry, but we won’t stand by when we can help!” you shouted along with him. You stood out in front of Mr. Aizawa being supported by two other Pro Heroes. Tears formed in your eyes. “You’ve done everything you could to protect us, protect me! It’s our turn to protect you!”

“We wouldn’t have made it this far without you. Let us save you this time!” Midoriya chimed in.

“Midoriya…” Aizawa trailed off.

“Think of how lousy a hero I would be if I couldn’t protect my own damn teacher,” Bakugo called out, flying over Midoriya with his own blast toward Shigaraki.

You turned your head ever so slightly, looking back at your teacher. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, Mr. Aizawa. I wouldn’t be a hero. Let me thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” you said. “Let us help.”

Mr. Aizawa’s eyes widened. “Kokoro…”

“I’m sorry for always causing you trouble.” You smiled, tears streaming down your face. “Thank you.”

“Kokoro!” Mr. Aizawa shouted after you as you blasted into the fight.

Thanks to the training you’ve done together, Bakugo, Midoriya, and you could switch off while keeping Shigaraki at bay, but his strength soon became realized. Bakugo used his AP Shot hero move, and Shigaraki barely flinched, he smirked even. Midoriya grabbed Shigaraki with Blackwhip but was thrown off. You didn’t know what chance you had. Midoriya’s strength was incomparable. However, Shigaraki was now advancing toward Katsuki Bakugo, prepared to kill him like in your nightmares.

Strands of your mind flew from your head. You seized Shigaraki like Midoriya had, only you used other strands of your mind to tether you to the ground below, digging in to anchor you.

“Anna Kokoro,” Shigaraki hissed out, straining against the invisible rope. “I should have killed you at our first meeting. Now, you’re as annoying as a buzzing fly to me.” He reached back, hooking his arm around the strands of your mind.

To your surprise, instead of trying to tug, he whipped his whole arm down. You weren’t protected from that, weren’t stabilized to stand upright just for a pull. You hit the ground hard, the crack echoed. Disoriented and bleeding, you could barely hear Bakugo shouting for you. A heat wave sailed overhead. You managed to lift yourself far enough from the ground to see Endeavor standing where Shigaraki once was.

You clenched your fist, lifting yourself from the ground in embarrassment. Deku helped you up. Endeavor turned to look at you only momentarily.

“We can’t change the fact that the three of you are here, but we need to support Eraserhead. The two of you, cover Deku!” Endeavor ordered, before he rushed in.

“One for All. You’re mine. Come to your brother and give me what is rightfully mine,” Shigaraki said, but it wasn’t him. It didn’t sound like him.

Gran Torino sailed in next. You wiped the blood from your face with the back of your hand, scared and uncertain of what to do. But, Bakugo didn’t hesitate, he changed his location, finding a strategic position of attack while Shigaraki’s attention was still on Deku. Your knees buckled. Were you truly ready for this? What were you thinking? You weren’t Deku or Bakugo. You didn’t stand a chance.

You turned around, but froze as soon as you caught sight of Mr. Aizawa. You had to do this for him. He couldn’t fight. He had his own role. He needed to keep Shigaraki from disintegrating everything in his path. He always believed in you, always believed that you could be a hero. You clenched your fists at your sides, and you turned back to face the battle. The least you could do was cover your teacher.

The battle raged on between Shigaraki and the Pro Heroes. Even without his powers, Shigaraki stood his ground, perhaps even surpassed the heroes in his strength, a monster in a man’s body. Fear rumbled through you. They were losing. You could see that they were losing just by the determination in Shigaraki’s eyes, the bitter rage to keep going without fail. Endeavor was the number one hero, and he was barely making a dent. Still, you could tell Shigaraki was becoming slower, being worn down by the multitude of attacks.

Deku slid back into the fight, using Blackwhip in an attempt to restrain Shigaraki, who only had gotten more and more impatient as he was losing ground. You forced your own quirk back to your senses, feeling it strain from the damage it had taken. Ryuku, in her dragon form more greatly engaged the enraged villain. You only planned to give the heroes an edge, help them subdue the deranged power-hungry psychopath that Shigaraki had become. You didn’t know what using your quirk on him again could have had such terrible consequences to your head.

You can’t have control of my body. It’s mine, Shigaraki hissed.

Allow me to help you, Tomura. Stop fighting. This voice. You barely recognized this voice. A shiver, a memory had you quaking. All for One. All for One was inside of Shigaraki. He was not only giving him this power, but he was a part of him now.

You felt the internal struggle, the back-and-forth. Shigaraki was fighting on the outside, but he was also fighting with his Master from the inside. Flashes of memories appeared, horrible memories to you. Decay, itching and destruction and pure decay. You just wanted it to stop itching. You wanted to destroy everything. Then, you did. Your fingers pressed into flesh and away came gray ash. Joy filled your veins. Sadness, but then relief.

Vomit roiled in the back of your throat, as you couldn’t pull back out of Shigaraki’s mind. You watched as his family members turned to dust one by one. The dog, his mother, accidents. Some were accidents. Some happy and some sad. It itched. It always itched, and it still haunted you. He was thinking of them, even now, he was thinking of them as he struggled to be enough, struggled to be strong enough to end the torment.

You focused, wrestling your control back from the mind of a madman. At this point, you weren’t sure if you were in his head or if he was in yours.

Stop! You don’t have to do this! You don’t have to destroy everything because of your past! you shouted toward a deaf mind.

Shigaraki’s thoughts didn’t even flinch. The chaos continued with him tuning out All for One and thinking of how joyous the final destruction of his family had been. The hands, the blue hands of the dead, trophies of his triumph. Then, you saw it. His mind twisted. Anger ripped at his tangled thoughts as he considered a new alternative to this endless fight. His quirk was being nullified, and he had had enough. You saw the red bullet, saw the gun flash between thoughts. You took hold of the strands of your mind, but they remained entangled.

There you are. Too bad. I thought you would have been a promising candidate, especially since you made it this deep into my successor’s mind, All for One stated.

Your blood went cold. You turned around to see a disfigured face. All for One stood as he had stood in front of you to offer you a chance to be villain. His dark suit blended in with the dismal vacuum of space that was this side of Shigaraki’s mind. You were so close you could touch him. He had a hold of what you could only assume to be the strands of your mind. He dug his fingers into the invisible waves, and you cried out in pain. You fell to your knees, holding your head.

Interesting, he purred. Perhaps this quirk would be of use to us. Stolen of course. Too bad I am not the one in control of Tomura at the moment, but soon… I will consider your quirk as well.

All for One clenched harder about your mind strands. It felt as if he was squeezing your windpipe closed. You gasped for air as your head felt like it was being compressed as easily as a soda can. Breathe. You had to breathe. Had to get away from this man who had enough residual power within Shigaraki to affect you in this way.

The quirk deleter gun flashed in Shigaraki’s mind again, and All for One suddenly released you. You flew from Shigaraki’s mind, collapsing to the ground in your physical body. You reached for your neck, gasping for air. You didn’t know how long you were just standing there, but you didn’t have time to flounder. You had to stop Shigaraki from—

The gun went off. Your attention flashed forward. The gun had been forced through Ryuku’s skin, her dragon scales. Shigaraki had a hold of Deku between his teeth. No one had been able to stop him from firing. You whipped your head back and watched in horror as Mr. Aizawa took a knife clean through his leg, severing the lower half of his leg with the quirk deleting bullet in it from his body. You heard Deku screaming, or was it you screaming?

You hadn’t had time to stop it. Your weakened body could barely move. A migraine rattled all of your senses. You hissed under your breath as just a mere turn of your head had your mind spinning.

The knife fell from Mr. Aizawa’s hands, yet somehow, he kept his eyes open. Shigaraki launched a desperate attack on your wounded teacher, grinning in triumph. His fingers dug into Mr. Aizawa’s forehead, scraping through the skin, all the way down to his eyes. You reached out your hand to grapple him with your quirk, but your quirk lashed back at you with searing pain in its wake.

Deku lassoed Shigaraki with Blackwhip, pulling him away from Mr. Aizawa, but the damage had been done. Aizawa collapsed, and the pain in your head wasn’t nearly as palpable as the pain in your heart at witnessing the condition that your teacher endured now.

You got on your hands and knees, forcing your beaten body and mind to move. But no matter how loud you were yelling at yourself to do so, you felt utterly powerless. Your quirk hid from your control, in fear that you might put it in serious danger again.

“Anna. My Sweet Anna. It’s okay. I’m here.”

Your eyes widened. It couldn’t have been him. He was in jail. He shouldn’t be here. “Doku?” you asked.

Doku Kobura’s hands were on you as he shushed you. You blinked up at him in a daze as he helped you to your feet. His piercings were gone. He was wearing rather pedestrian clothes compared to the designer garb you were used to seeing him in, but it was definitely him.

“How are you…? You shouldn’t be here—” You fell into him, clutching your head as another wave of pain hit you.

Doku supported your body with his, leading you away from the ensuing battle. You shook your head, pushing at him gently.

“We can’t leave. Mr. Aizawa needs me,” you said.

“He’s out. The Pro Heroes have got him,” Doku explained. “You’re in no condition to keep fighting either. Shigaraki is about to disintegrate everything in his way, and I will not let you be collateral damage.”

“My friends…” your voice was hoarse. As you argued, Doku continued to help you back.

You barely caught sight of Shoto flying toward Endeavor. He threw up a mountain of ice that melted away in a cloud of condensed air as the Pro Hero cooled off. This was bad. This was going to be bad.

Doku followed your line of sight as it shifted back toward Shigaraki. His hand lifted, and you clenched your teeth, bracing for what was about to come. Doku tightened his grip on you protectively, almost as if he were going to shield you from the decay that would most certainly ripple out of the overpowered villain. But, the destruction never came.

The front of Shigaraki’s torso split. Blood spilled from his chest as if someone had walked up and sliced him with a sword. Shigaraki visibly staggered, confusion filling his expression.

“He’s not regenerating. He should be regenerating,” Doku said under his breath. He blinked. “H-How long has it been? How long have I been in Tartarus?” Kobura suddenly asked you.

“I… I don’t know…” you managed, faltering in his grip. Your vision was growing blurry.

“Hey. Stay with me, Anna. I’ve got you. Don’t pass out.” Kobura’s attention shifted back to you only momentarily. He hesitated to move. His gaze flickered back up to Shigaraki. “He must not have been completed. There wasn’t enough time for the quirks to fully develop within him. The quirk transplant must not have finished, which means there’s a chance to get you out of here safely.”

“You knew? You knew he was going to become this, and you didn’t warn us?” you asked through ragged breaths. You looked up to see that Midoriya had grabbed everyone nearby him with Blackwhip, lifting Shigaraki along with it so he wasn’t able to touch anything or anyone to decay it. He then put them all back down safely.

Your questions didn’t even make Kobura flinch. Doku shook his head. “I knew everything about The League of Villains, Anna. Everything. All for One’s plans were laid out on the crazy doctor’s computers. Of course, I knew. There was time before this. Time and it should have never affected you. I would have always kept you safe. I always keep you safe. If it wasn’t an immediate threat to you, then it didn’t matter.” Kobura sighed. “What would you have done if I told you, Anna? I’m a villain, remember? I’m not a trustworthy source. If anything, the information would have gotten you in trouble, simply because you would have been caught associating with me.”

The fight raged on behind you. Blow after blow thundered and cracked, echoing for miles on past your eardrums. Deku was fighting Shigaraki by himself. You worried how long he would be able to maintain so many attacks. You hoped that he wouldn’t damage himself too badly. There was a chance that he’d break his arms beyond repair.

“We need to get out of here while there’s still time,” Doku said. Kobura made a move to lift you, but you used your remaining strength to push him away.

“I’m not leaving them,” you said. You lurched forward, sucking in a gasping breath as another wave of agonizing pain struck your temples.

“Your ‘friends’ have got it under control,” Kobura stated dryly.

You knocked him in his ribs with your elbow, no matter how weak it was, for putting such sarcastic interest on the word “friends.”

Kobura continued guiding you away. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Not while I still draw breath. Not when I can do something about it.”

You reached your hand up weakly to his shirt, stretching the fabric as you tugged. He looked down at you, and you could finally see his face up close, examine it. Your eyes widened. Bruises and stretch marks lined his jaw. His eyes looked bigger, while his face appeared gaunt. His tanned skin was paler than normal, but his normally translucent golden scales appeared more opaque, noticeable, in patches around his face. Your gaze trailed down to see much harsher purple bruises and lacerations on his arms.

“You’re hurt,” you said in concern. You reached up to his face. “What happened? Who did this to you?”

Kobura flinched away from your touch. His jaw tightened, and he winced. “Not now. There isn’t time to explain now.” He turned his face away from you, hiding it. “All that matters is that I’m here. I can protect you.”

“You—”

Kobura hissed. One of his hands left you as he struggled to keep hold of you. Shinso had hooked his capture weapon around his wrist, trying to rip him off of you. Hitoshi gave a sharp tug on Doku’s arm, and you yelped.

“Let her go!” Shinso shouted.

“Let me go, idiot! You’ll hurt her! She can barely stand!”

Shinso scoffed. “If you think for one second I’m going to trust a villain like you—”

“Hitoshi, he’s not hurting me. Please stop!” You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to hold yourself together.

“Frisk me if you want to. I don’t have any weapons on me,” Kobura said. “I’m just trying to get her out of here safely.” There was a beat or two of silence. “I don’t have time for this. Release me.”

You opened your eyes and watched Hitoshi’s conflicted expression soften as he met your gaze. He slowly released the capture weapon from Kobura.

“Prominence Burn!” Endeavor bellowed. A sweltering blast of heat had the three of you looking back and shielding your eyes. The Pro Hero had tackled Shigaraki in the air, engulfing him with fire.

Shigaraki’s skin was little more than burnt leather at this point, sizzling with grotesque ferocity. Hot air rippled out. Endeavor fell away from the living corpse. How could he still have been alive? You all stared on in terror, as Shigaraki’s lip spoke someone else’s words.

“Little brother!”

Kobura’s grip loosened on you from the shock. Dark tendrils of sharp red and black energy darted out in the air toward Deku. A gorgeous display of sparkling explosions moved toward him. Katsuki shoved Midoriya out of the way from the attack. The quirk had pierced him through the chest.

You screamed. “No!” you shrieked. “Katsuki!”

8 notes · View notes