Chapter 81
As we made our way back to the floating building, the echo of several thuds reverberated, vibrating across the icy expanse before us. The lackeys we had encountered earlier had now converged upon the frozen battlefield. Reacting swiftly, the boys sprang into action. Despite having faced a near-death experience moments earlier, Bakugou was the first to act. With determination etched on his face, he hurled himself into the fray.
However, even amidst his explosive manoeuvres, I noticed a wince of pain cross his face as he reached for the wound on his hip. In a heartbeat, I teleported towards him, ready to provide support.
"K-Katsuki... don't push yourself" I pleaded, glancing over him with concerned eyes.
"I'M FINE!" he bellowed, shoving me aside with more force than expected before unleashing another explosion towards a villain. He coughed, blood spattering from his lips.
"Katsuki... please," I whispered, observing him as he brought a hand to his face, attempting to conceal the alarming amount of blood.
"I said I'm fine," he insisted, his voice a deep, resolute rumble, its chilliness unwavering.
"I'm not weak," he added with bitterness, shooting me a scornful glare.
Suddenly, another villain emerged from nowhere, descending with a malicious smirk. "Crush," he whispered.
With a moment's hesitation, I teleported behind him, evading his attack within seconds. However, I watched in horror as Bakugou and Deku crashed to the ground with tremendous force, unable to rise. The villain's laughter filled the air mockingly before he clenched his fist, causing the duo to scream in agony.
"What are you doing?" The words slipped from my lips, tinged with disbelief, as I witnessed the boys writhing in pain, completely unable to move. "Hm?" The man pivoted to face me, his gaze piercing.
I sensed an invisible force hurtling towards my direction at incomprehensible speeds, but I narrowly evaded his attack once more and teleported away, leaving his smirk to falter.
"Oh? You're a fast one, aren't you?" His voice dripped with curiosity as the smile on his face disappeared.
"I can enhance the force of gravity; those two won't be rising anytime soon," the smirk beginning to form once again, "Looks like you're down two men, with only four more to go." He added smugly, unleashing the invisible force towards us once again. Todoroki swiftly erected another ice wall, offering protection, but it crumbled under the villain's intensified gravitational force.
"What the hell are we gonna do?" I exclaimed, feeling utterly lost.
I wished Ochako were here; her quirk would have been perfect to counter his. Todoroki's flames surged, licking at the villain's skin. Violet eyes darkened, his expression turning serious as he sensed Todoroki's menacing aura and scrutinised the boy closely.
"Ah, you're the prodigy, aren't you? The number one hero's favourite child," he remarked ominously, fixing his glare on the dual-quirk user.
More invisible shots were aimed our way, but I felt Todoroki grasp my wrist, pulling me close. I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist, teleporting us behind the attacker. Todoroki's flames roared once more, catching the man off guard. He leapt back, narrowly dodging Todoroki's attack, his cape immediately engulfed in flames.
Meanwhile, Phantom and Kirishima continued their battle against another villain, the one Deku had been struggling with earlier. His quirk compromised control, inducing dizziness and disorientation in those around him. I could already see its effects on Kirishima as he staggered out of sync, his movements erratic. However, the villain's quirk remained ineffective against Phantom in his spectral form.
It was evident that Phantom had undergone rigorous training since our first encounter. He maneuvered seamlessly in and out of the space around us, his body effortlessly transitioning between spectral and physical forms. I watched in awe as he anticipated the villain's moves with ease; after all, their quirk had no effect on him. It didn't take long before he incapacitated the enemy.
Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted, causing the ice beneath our feet to crack. Bakugou and Izuku rocketed into the air at full force. The explosive hero quickly regained his balance, maneuvering with controlled blasts as he soared around. It seemed he had broken free from the gravity man's hold. However, Midoriya continued to ascend into the sky, his panicked screams echoing around us. It was clear he hadn't anticipated Katsuki's actions.
Swiftly, I conjured a shimmering portal just behind him, intercepting his backward trajectory. Simultaneously, I created another portal by my side, extending my arm through its otherworldly glow to seize Izuku from the other side and pull him through to join us. We tumbled into an awkward heap, with Midoriya landing directly atop me. Despite the situation, a chuckle escaped my lips as I sat up, noticing his face flush a shade that rivalled Kirishima's hair. Midoriya stammered awkwardly, "Huh? Y/N? I- I'm so sorry, I, um..."
But in an instant, the explosive hero barreled toward us, violently yanking Midoriya away. "GET THE FUCK OFF HER, DEKU!" Bakugou's enraged scream reverberated, his breaths heavy, crimson hues blending into scarlet in the heat of his wrath.
"Kaachan? It was an accident! I—" Midoriya attempted to explain.
But Bakugou seized him by the collar, their faces inches apart, his heavy breaths echoing across the ice.
"Bakugou," Todoroki interjected calmly, "We have villains to worry about right now."
Bakugou paused, his expression morphing into embarrassment as he realized his aggression. Confusion flickered in his eyes, questioning his own anger. Midoriya slipped from his grasp as Bakugou's focus snapped back to the remaining villains.
With a thunderous blast, he hurtled toward the gravity-manipulating foe, his voice dripping with menace. "Don't you dare mock me," Bakugou's words reverberated as scarlet hues deepened in his eyes, unleashing another explosion towards the criminals.
In a matter of moments, the gravity villain retaliated against Bakugou's explosion. However, as the pressure dropped between their quirks, gravity suddenly asserted its dominance, causing the explosion to implode within seconds.
Yet, instead of dissipating, the collapse of the explosion seemed to amplify its power, creating a supernova effect that sent shockwaves through the ice, causing it to fully crack and ripple beneath our feet. Bakugou was forcefully propelled backward, slamming into the floating building, the sheer force of the blast overwhelming him. Reacting swiftly, Todoroki erected an ice tower beneath his own feet, propelling him up into the air to reunite with the explosive blonde. Phantom, in his spectral form, floated upward, ethereal and untethered.
Meanwhile, I urgently called out to the others, "Midoriya, Kiri!" With a sense of urgency, I conjured a portal and hurled myself through its shimmering entrance, emerging on the other side. The others quickly followed suit, entering the portal as we regrouped to confront the escalating chaos.
As we landed inside the crumbling remnants of the hotel, my gaze swept over the scene, taking in the chaotic aftermath. Bodies lay strewn in various directions, each bearing the marks of our harrowing ordeal. Bakugou appeared battered and bruised, bearing the physical toll of battle.
Todoroki's arm twisted unnaturally, contorted in all the wrong angles, whilst Midoriya's skin bore a grotesque shade of purple, evident of the injuries he endured, and amidst the heavy breathing and the collective efforts to readjust, I couldn't shake the weight of responsibility pressing down on me—it was all my fault.
As we caught our breath, a sense of urgency lingered in the air, heightened by the realization that the villains had utilized my portal to infiltrate the building once more. Among them, the elastic girl remained huddled in the corner, her eyes wide with fear, frozen in place, unwilling to move another muscle.
I couldn't help but wonder what she was so afraid of?
Why she lost the will to fight..?
As we stood there, chests heaving with exertion, a momentary respite from the relentless chaos, the tension in the air was palpable. Even the villains seemed to pause, catching their own ragged breaths, momentarily still in the aftermath of the skirmish.
Then, without warning, a deafening thud reverberated across the room, shattering the fragile calm that had settled upon us like a suffocating blanket. The sound echoed off the crumbling walls, hanging in the air, heavy, ominous, and stirring a renewed sense of apprehension within us all.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT?!"
The white-haired man materialized once more, his form fully drenched, water cascading from his saturated jeans, clinging to his slender frame. His ragged locks hung heavy with moisture, droplets trailing behind him, forming puddles on the floor.
Exasperated breaths escaped him as he stood, remote control clenched tightly in his hand. With a frustrated grunt, he squeezed the device before hurling it across the room like a child throwing a tantrum.
"I HAD TO WAIT FOR IT TO RECHARGEEEEE!"
His voice pierced the air like the rantings of a deluded maniac, its echoes reverberating off the walls as we all froze in our tracks, turning to face him.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," spat the explosive blonde, rising to his feet, eyes ablaze with fury as he glared at the white-haired villain, who, despite everyone's disbelief, was still very much alive.
"I fucking hate the ocean," the white-haired man growled but his following laughter bordered on the edge of madness.
Suddenly, seemingly appearing out of thin air, the man produced yet another item from his inventory. With a swift motion, he threw it towards us— a colossal great white shark, a monstrosity of a creature measuring a staggering 30 feet in length. It's massive form hurtled through the air with menacing jaws.
In a heartbeat, Deku, Kirishima, and I instinctively clung to each other in a panicked embrace, our screams echoing through the air, driven mainly by the sheer shock of the shark being hurled at us so unexpectedly. However, before fear could fully take it's hold, Bakugou leapt into action, unleashing a devastating explosion that tore the beast asunder, its fragmented remains raining upon us in a gruesome downpour.
I held my breath, immediately overcome by a wave of nausea as the pungent smell and sensation of being covered in fish guts engulfed me. Standing there, struggling not to retch, I shot a glare at the explosive blonde, who met my furious gaze with wide eyes, seemingly taken aback by my reaction. "I fucking hate you," I whispered through gritted teeth, rolling my eyes in disgust. "It stinks," I added with a whine, feeling utterly repulsed.
"Well, you wouldn't stop screaming! What else was I supposed to do!?" Bakugou yelled defensively, huffing dramatically at my less-than-grateful response.
"LOOK AT ME!" I whimpered, on the verge of tears.
Meanwhile, the white-haired man continued to cackle from the corner, relishing in our turmoil. "Don't worry, I can fix that," he smirked before brandishing his lethal water gun once more, its blast so forceful that it sent me hurtling through the weak wall and back into the ocean.
"Y/N!?" Everyone rushed to the window as I plunged into the depths below.
As I descended deeper into the ocean, the weight of the sea enveloped me, its embrace both suffocating and exhilarating. I could feel the remnants of the dismembered shark dissipating from my body, carried away by the currents swirling around me.
The darkness drew me in, an abyss so deep that the bottom was nowhere near in sight, only the endless expanse of the ocean's depths. Panic threatened to overwhelm me as I struggled to find my bearings in the murky, swirling waters.
Slowly, my eyes began to adjust to the dim, watery surroundings, shapes emerging from the darkness with blurred clarity. In the cold, black depths, I was alone, with the eerie silence of the deep sea, broken only by the distant echoes of what must of been Bakugou's explosions.
Just as I struggled to reorient myself, my senses were assaulted by a chilling sight that sent shivers down my spine: hundreds of sharks circled around me, their sleek forms slicing through the water with deadly intent. Their teeth bared and eyes gleaming with primal hunger, that mirrored the predatory menace of the villain lurking above.
In a heartbeat, fear gripped me as I realised the imminent danger closing in from all sides. With a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins, I summoned all my strength, quickly teleporting back to the safety of the building, just as the oceanic predators swam towards me. Their jaws agape and hunger-driven, poised to claim their next prey.
But luckily, I made it out just in time.
I collapsed onto the floor, my chest heaving as I gasped for precious air, the lingering remnants of shark no longer clinging to my skin.
"Did you have a nice swim?" The white haired man smiled warmly, yet the sinister intentions could be felt beneath his facade.
"Guys...There's... hundreds of sharks circling below us right now," I managed to rasp out, my eyes darting up to meet the concerned gazes of my friends.
The villain's laughter rang out even louder, a cruel symphony of mockery and malice, before he brandished an unusual-looking device. "You shouldn't have sent me there in the first place," he sneered, his voice dripping with vindictive amusement.
"This sonar device is designed to mimic the sounds of a dying animal." His eyes glittered with a twisted excitement as he continued, "And a little bit of blood goes a long way too." With a sinister smile, he rolled up his sleeve to reveal deep gashes scrawled across his arm.
This guy was crazy.
"And your little dip in the sea probably didn't help your situation either," He snickered.
"Just what the hell are you planning?" I demanded, my voice tinged with urgency.
"I think it's time to introduce you to my friend," the white-haired man smirked, summoning the most unexpected entity before us—a cloaked figure standing at 10 feet tall, wielding gigantic claws and yellow eyes that gleamed with malice. As I locked eyes with the creature, a wave of recognition washed over me, fitting the pieces of a haunting puzzle together in my mind.
It was him—the beast that had nearly taken my life, the villain responsible for my coma and the loss of my memories, inflicting nothing but pain and heartache.
What was he doing here?
"Well, isn't this a sweet reunion?" the beast taunted, sending a chill down my spine as memories of past encounters flooded back.
Without hesitation, Bakugou sprang into action, his explosions propelling the beast backwards and causing the building to tremble. As chaos ensued around us, I staggered backward, my thoughts reeling from the unexpected reunion with my would-be killer. It dawned on me that he must be in league with my father's murderer, everything suddenly falling into place.
The beast's claws continued to lunge towards me with menacing intent, but Bakugou's swift counterattacks provided a temporary sense of relief. Yet, as the building swayed ominously, threatening to collapse under the strain, all action came to a halt. My focus shifted from the impending danger to the precarious stability of the structure, unaware of the dangers lurking in my immediate surroundings.
"Although," the white haired man's voice slithered across the space, drawing closer as he approached me. The last weapon he was using vanished from his grasp as he seized my wrist, pulling me forcefully against his chest. A cold blade pressed against my throat, the sharp edge threateningly close. "Maybe I'll keep you alive," he murmured, his breath hot against my skin. "There's a lot worse I could do than simply kill you," he whispered, his words dripping with malice.
I trembled as his touch sent a shiver down my spine, a nauseating feeling rising within me. Paralyzed with fear, I dared not move as his fingers trailed through my hair, a chilling caress that made my skin crawl. Behind me, his presence loomed ominously, a sinister shadow casting its dark embrace.
"I could do things that would haunt blondie's dreams for years to come" he sneered, turning his sadistic gaze towards Bakugou. I felt a shiver run down my spine as his tongue violated the delicate skin of my neck.
Bakugou stepped forward, his eyes ablaze with a violent red hue, trembling with barely-contained rage. Despite my efforts to remain composed, a solitary tear trickled down my cheek as our gazes met. In his eyes, emotions flickered with a mix of rage and sadness, torn between wanting to act, and uncertainty about what to do.
Suddenly, a blur streaked towards us, knocking the villain away from me and causing him to release his grip. "I... can't do this anymore," the elastic woman's voice broke through the tension, her words echoing with a rawness that was difficult to ignore. "I won't stand by and watch you do what you did to me, to someone else," she added, her voice barely above a whisper, each syllable cracking with emotion.
I glanced towards her and saw no malice in her eyes, only pain and determination. Though I didn't know her backstory or how she ended up among criminals like this, in that moment, all I saw was her humanity.
As tears streamed down her cheeks and pooled on the floor, Todoroki swiftly pulled me upward, positioning himself as a shield in front of me. Meanwhile, the white-haired man wiped blood from his nose, his eyes narrowing and darkening as they fixated on the elastic woman.
"You traitor," he spat, his eyes brimming with bitter resentment as he glared at his ally. Swiftly, he brandished his signature steel beam, its cold metal pressing threateningly against her neck. "You know what happens to traitors, don't you?" he growled in a menacing tone, his manic grin returning, a chilling echo of the past.
Without hesitation, I sprang into action, disregarding Todoroki's protective stance and teleporting to the villain's side. With a swift and forceful twist of his arm, I elicited a cry of pain from him, causing him to drop the scythe in an instant. The elastic girl retreated, now shielded by Kirishima and Deku, as the threat against her was neutralized.
Todoroki, Bakugou and Phantom jumped at the chance to emancipate the 10ft beast, their quirks combing together into a powerful elemental spectacle of power, causing the building to sway once more. But this time, its movements was more rapid as it shook from side to side. The scythe in the white haired man's hand vanished, replaced by something far more ominous. "Your boyfriend's not the only one who can make explosions, you know?" he taunted, brandishing the new device—an unmistakable stick of dynamite.
Bakugou's eyes widened in shock, a flicker of frustration simmering beneath the surface. The white-haired man smirked sinisterly, relishing in the chaos he had unleashed. "That little stunt you pulled earlier only made things worse," he gloated, casting a cunning glance at the explosive blonde. "Thanks to you, demolishing the rest of the building will be a piece of cake. It's barely hanging by a thread," he added with a chilling certainty.
"We're all gonna die," Phantom's words hung heavy in the air as he exhaled, his strength waning and hope slipping away.
The white-haired villain spoke again, his voice dripping with malice. "I'll kill us all," he declared, his laughter reverberating through the room and sowing unease even among his supposed allies.
"You crazy son of a bitch," Bakugou spat, his frustration evident, jaw clenched with restrained fury as he curled his fists, sparks catching as he itched to unleash his quirk once more.
"Yeah, maybe I am," the villain retorted, holding the dynamite high in the air, its fuse lit, capturing everyone's attention.
"What the hell are you doing!?" the yellow-eyed beast roared, but the white-haired man merely laughed in response.
As the detonation echoed through the room, half of it crumbled into the churning sea below, fins visible amidst the murky depths. Panic gripped me as I surveyed the chaos unfolding before me.
How could I teleport everyone to safety in a matter of minutes?
There was just no way.
I'd overused my quirk, my stamina was now completely depleted, and every muscle in my body ached with a pain I'd never felt before.
I watched as more debris fell into the sea below, that's when everything truly began to feel hopeless.
My eyes darted around the room, settling on a precarious piece of flooring hanging by a fragile pillar. A gaping hole separated it from the rest of the room, offering a glimpse of the unforgiving ocean below. But amidst the chaos, I spotted it—the radio.
Despite the danger, I made a split-second decision and teleported to the unstable beam, clutching onto the radio as if our lives depended on it. As the pillar snapped beneath my feet, I nearly screamed, but a strong arm wrapped around my waist, preventing me from plummeting into the shark-infested waters below.
Meeting Bakugou's intense crimson gaze, I followed his other arm to Todoroki's grip, who hoisted both of us up with remarkable strength, while Midoriya, Kirishima and Phantom joined in to assist. Bakugou's annoyed snap cut through the tension, "The hell you doing!?" I gazed back at him, breathing heavily, unable to choke out the words.
The building shook once more, its remnants cascading into the ocean with a deafening splash. Another beam snapped beneath us as we rose to our feet, the urgency of our situation growing more intense by the second.
I clutched the radio tightly to my chest, before screaming into it with fear and panic.
"INTERSTELLARRRR"
But there was only silence.
Turning to Bakugou, I saw the seriousness in his gaze as he spoke, "Oh," he muttered, and a heavy silence settled between us.
I continued to gaze into his scarlet eyes watching the anger slowly melt away within. Against the backdrop of the building's unsettling creaks, I waited for his next words, "Well... If it's my last chance to say it..." he trailed off, struggling to find the right words, "Y/N, I..."
Before he could finish, the building began to crumble around us. As the floor gave way beneath me, I felt my leg slip beneath the cracks, only to be caught by Bakugou's strong grip. Looking up into his eyes, I found a mixed blend of every possible kind of emotion. He pulled me close, his embrace offering a fleeting sense of comfort. I clung to him instantly, closing my eyes and ignoring the world around us.
If I was going to die... Let it be like this.