Walking into the police station was, to its core, a surreal experience. Not that she'd never been in one before-obviously, she had in her line of work-but the atmosphere was so unlike anything Hina was used to, so far beyond the range of normal. The sheer number of people inside, coupled with the situation at hand was something else. Heavy-armored officers packed the room, and Hina tried not to shove or push anyone in a rude manner as she made her way to the center of the room, muttering her apologies as she went. Dotting the dark uniforms towards the front were brightly-colored suits and costumes. Heroes, several of them.
Don't panic, you can do this. This is your job.
"Excuse me..." She muttered, stepping past another officer to stand close to the other heroes. With each step, it felt more and more like she had no right to be there. As if she were out of place.
There sure are a lot of them here...She wondered to herself, eyeing the distinctive bright costume of All Might, the wooden armor of Kamui Woods, Endeavor's flaming shoulders and beard, Gran Torino's small figure, and Edgeshot's spiked hairdo. The redhead couldn't recall the last time she'd seen so many in one place like this. Such esteemed and accomplished heroes...what had she done to earn her place among them?
Aizawa wouldn't want you thinking like that! Get yourself together...
Swallowing down the intimidation palpable in the space around her, she took a breath. The small noise it caused caught All Might's attention, who stood closest to her.
"Ah, Scarlet Seer! I hadn't anticipated your participation in Bakugou's rescue, but it's good to see you here." He said, trying to keep his voice low but not really able to given his vocal capability. All Might's muscled form had a very distinct, booming voice that he really couldn't keep at a low volume. She smiled in return.
"I...actually hadn't anticipated coming, to be honest. But something in me..." Her eyes glanced down at her hands. "...just wouldn't let me stay away. You know?"
It wasn't a lie. All afternoon after hearing of the police department's plan to raid the League of Villains' hideout, she'd reasoned with herself that this probably wasn't a mission well-suited for her quirk or combat type. A full frontal assault on the villain's hideout? Hina was more of a support hero, and the League had already established themselves as something not to be underestimated. Sending anything but their A-Team wouldn't be acceptable.
And yet, here she was. A washed-up pro who'd barely patrolled in the past five years. The anger at having Bakugou kidnapped from them was beyond her control, urging her to do something about the situation rather than just sit at home and home things went well. What good reason did she have for being here? That was her student, and she'd be damned if she was going to let him be kidnapped while under her tutelage. Her fist clenched tightly, trying desperately to steel her nerves. She'd come here for a reason.
All Might's pleasant surprise faded into an...understanding expression? His smile grew fonder, and one of his hands pressed onto her shoulder in a comforting way. "I understand. There are times when the heart leads us to action we simply can't ignore, no matter how logical it would seem otherwise."
Hina nodded, glad he could relate. Having that reassurance come from All Might of all people was more fortifying than anything else. So even as the reality of things began to sink in, she had a lifeline to hold onto. Further behind All Might, Endeavor caught her eye. He looked at her with confusion, as if the fact she was there didn't make sense to him, but then he turned away. Her eyes narrowed, and All Might went to look behind him at whatever had bothered her.
"Heroes, officers, we will now begin the mission brief." One of the detectives called out.
A relatively young man stood at the front of the room, arms crossed behind his back as he faced the room. His name badge said 'Tsukauchi.' Beside him was a small tv screen. She recognized more pro heroes; Best Jeanist and Gang Orca most prevalently. "The primary objective is to retrieve Katsuki Bakugou, a student of U.A. Academy, who has been kidnapped from a training camp by the League of Villains. Our secondary goal is the capture of all members of the League and, if possible, discover the whereabouts of the mastermind behind their schemes."
Endeavor let out an unamused 'hmph,' bulky and muscular arms crossed over his chest. "Why do I have to clean up after UA? I'm a busy man. This stemmed from their own ineptitude, it would only make sense for them to fix their mistake."
Hina's eye twitched and she clenched one fist, but otherwise didn't display her irk. Endeavor could be such a cold man, even to allies. His personality sometimes didn't fit his quirk. The man had a heart of ice.
"Come on, don't be like that." Best Jeanist chastised from the tv screen, only his eyes visible from above his costume. Obviously, he didn't find the comment all that amusing. "You went to UA too, didn't you?"
Tsukauchi turned to Endeavor, remarkably calm despite the Number 2 Hero's annoyance. He could be unnerving when disgruntled, but the detective was unperturbed. "Right now, we cannot call any more heroes away from UA. It's possible that this incident will become the impetus for the destruction of hero society. We must give it our all to make sure we resolve this successfully. That is why we called so many outside heroes to assist with this operation."
Hina watched as Best Jeanist nodded from the screen. "I'm sure some of us have other reasons for being here to assist. In the past, I invited Bakugo to my agency in order to reform his behavior. There are very few men as stubborn as he is. He is probably fighting back right now. We must act quickly."
"My comrade, Ragdoll, was also taken." Another voice spoke, and Tiger settled himself into frame of the tv. The cat-costumed man was visibly stern. "I cannot overlook this at a personal level either."
Hina felt for Tiger. Their teammate had disappeared with no other clue than a puddle of her blood. It was only logical to determine that she'd been taken along with the UA student. She didn't know what she'd do if Aizawa or Midnight were suddenly gone, no trace of their whereabouts whatsoever. Tiger was holding together remarkably well despite the circumstances.
Endeavor didn't have anything to say to the heroes' personal cases for being there, and simply shrugged to get the show on the road. The young detective nodded, satisfied that everyone was on board with assisting.
"Based on the tracking device set by one of the students, we believe that there are multiple hideouts." Tsukauchi went on to say, leaning down to address those at the other side of the screen. "From our investigations, we know where the kidnapped victim is located. We'll send the bulk of our forces there and prioritize getting the victim back. At the same time, we will gain control of the other location we believe is their hideout, cutting off all paths of retreat to arrest all of them at once."
Hina nodded to herself, impressed by the plan established. The law enforcement had certainly put a lot of work into making this as simple and smooth a plan as possible, knowing that the life of a young boy was on the line. All in all, she couldn't see a better way of handling the situation. This was their best plan of action.
"Correct timing is imperative. A swift, coordinated strike on both locations is vital to success. Please, keep in contact with me at all times. I'm counting on all of you to bring him home safely and dismantle the League of Villains in one fell swoop. Thank you."
The heroes and officers alike nodded and muttered their understanding. Tsukauchi turned back to the tv to address the others, and Hina thought over everything so far. She assumed her team would be sent to Bakugou's location, as All Might and Endeavor were their main heavy hitters. Their strength would be necessary to keep Bakugou safe.
Beside her, Gran Torino got All Might's attention with a whisper, who turned to him expectantly. She ignored it for the most part, but because of All Might's inability to whisper with that voice of his, she couldn't help but overhear a bit of their conversation.
"With such big developments, he will definitely make a move."
"All For One." Gran Torino nodded sagely, looking quite tired at the very mention of his name.
All For One? Hina wondered who they were speaking of, as she'd never heard the name before, but Tsukauchi began speaking again and her attention was drawn away. After a final briefing and confirmation of the plan, it was time to put it into action.
Backed by dozens of ready police officers, they walked the dark streets towards Bakugou's known location. Like soldiers off to war, she thought. Maybe she was just being dramatic.
To the other heroes, perhaps this was simply an average Friday. But for the redhead, who'd never participated in an operation of this scale and importance before, it was nerve-wracking. Hina's heart pounded in her chest, and she was worried that those beside her could hear it. As it happened, she was right next to Endeavor on the sidewalk, officers to her right and behind her. She tried to keep her eyes forward, so as not to draw attention from the taller and bulkier man-
"Oi." He said out of the blue, and she closed her eyes for a moment before turning to him. As usual when he looked at her, he was frowning. "Why are you here?"
Rather than respond, she simply matched his frown, wondering what his problem with her presence there was. He was one to talk, considering he'd been complaining about needing to 'clean up UA's mess' just ten minutes earlier. Did the guy not realize how hypocritical he sounded?
"This team is for the main assault, an operation not suited to your quirk or combat ability. Perhaps it would have been better to stay back at the station or attend the public statement with your coworkers." And with that helpful bit of advice and or suggestion, he simply faced forward and kept walking as if their little exchange had never occurred to begin with.
What, was he expecting her to just turn around and walk away at his 'words of wisdom?' She couldn't deny that from an objective view, he had a point. She'd been telling herself the same damn things hours before. It was also true that the old Hina would have taken his words to heart and gotten out of the way of the action so the professionals could do their work, intimidated by his superior strength and experience. But if she were to walk away now, Hina knew she'd regret it from the deepest part of her soul.
"While I might not be as esteemed as someone like you, Endeavor," she said with surprising calm, eyes narrowing when he glanced at her response, "I still hold the title of pro hero. Which means it's my responsibility to help those in need. I admit, I've needed reminding of that recently, but now that someone's knocked some sense into me I'm not going to let you or anyone else negate me from doing my damn job. So, no. I'm right where I should be."
"..." Endeavor just stared at her, obviously not happy that he was being talked back to. Hina still took it as a win when he said nothing more, looking ahead again for the battle to come.
Simmering in her own annoyance, she used the feeling to prepare herself for what they'd soon face. The officers around her held similarly steely expressions, focusing on what they had to do.
Like soldiers off to war...
"We're just going to...knock on the door?" She whispered in confusion and some worry.
Edgeshot nodded, leading Hina and a squad of policemen towards the entrance to the bar they'd tracked Bakugou to. "We provide the first moment of distraction, of uncertainty. After which All Might will launch the initial surprise attack." His soft said explained.
Hina nodded, going with the plan. She wasn't sure how she fit into all of this, but she'd play whatever part was required of her. Her gut told her that they were simply the back-up if things went south after All Might showed up. Out of the way while he could do his work. Tugging her boots up a little more, more of a nervous twitch than anything, she straightened up and released a slow breath. This was it.
The wooden door marked with the bar's name came into view, and Edgeshot held up a hand. They slowed their movement, creeping the last few feet as silently as possible. He took up a position just outside the door, bringing his head closer to listen. They could hear talking on the inside, of several people, both male and female.
"I was hoping we could have come to an understanding."
"Come to an understanding? No way."
They both heard in a young male's voice. Hina would recognize the aggression and arrogance in that tone anywhere. Bakugou. The two heroes caught each other's eyes, nodding in confirmation that they had the right place. The officer's with them shifted in place, uneasy now that they were right outside the room of their intended target.
Hina's eyes glowed a soft blue, turning to her hero companion. "I'll be able to read your mind this way so we don't have to speak aloud. Have you gotten the signal yet?" She projected, and Edgeshot's eyes widened for a moment at hearing her voice in his head, before shaking it. He pulled up a small paging device, which was turned completely silent. The screen was dark, blank.
"Not yet. They may still be getting into position outside." He raised his head, thinking rapidly. "Can you use your telepathy to mask us as we enter the room? Retaining the element of surprise for as long as possible would be advantageous."
Her head shook, looking down. "I need to be able to see them to use my quirk, and by that time, they'll know we're inside."
"Can't be helped, then. No matter. Our plan as it is now is solid." He decided easily, looking down at the small screen as it lit up with one word: "Ready."
They met eyes again, and nodded. Edgeshot turned to the police, silently telling them to prepare. Then, his hand lifted and knocked against the door several times. The voices inside quieted, and air felt still.
"Hello, this is Pizza-La, Camino store." Edgeshot called out clearly. How he could make himself sound so relaxed was beyond her.
Hina made a face and turned to him. "Really? A pizza delivery?"
"It will be enough." He responded confidently, staring at the door expectantly. "All we do now is-"
From the other side of the door, a loud crash sounded out. Over the sounds of destruction, brick and mortar exploding outwards of their place in the building, they could both hear All Might's resounding bellow. "Smash!"
The room burst into chaotic energy, the villains inside panicking and scrambling to devise a retreat. Most likely from the warping quirk user inside. Following All Might's roar was the sound of Kamui Woods and Gran Torino rushing in behind the assumptive hole the number one hero had created in the wall. So far so good. Just from the sound of things, everything was going according to plan. Hina readied her fists, watching as Edgeshot's body began to disappear into a fine, red-colored ribbon in midair.
"I will slip in and see the situation. Hold here until we can ensure the villains are captured." He instructed.
"I-" She bit her tongue and nodded. Now was no time to argue. "Yes, ok."
He slipped through the doorway, leaving her with the squad of officers behind the doorway. She looked down the way they'd come, playing with the thought that they'd somehow be ambushed when they least expected it. It was difficult to hear anyone talking, as the voices were frantic and overlapped by sounds of struggling and conflict inside. After a moment, the door they stood in front of opened, revealing the damage inside the small bar. All Might's entrance was, indeed, a crude circular-shaped hole in the wall. Kamui Woods dangled from just outside of it, restraining the villains with his wood quirk. The branches had wrapped themselves around the villains' bodies, keeping them in place.
Gran Torino stood to the side, watching the villains expectantly, anticipating them to fight back and try to escape the confines of their wooden bonds. For all intents and purposes, they were contained.
Hina walked inside, seeing Bakugou standing just behind All Might. Worry creasing her face, she hurried over to him and crouched, taking a hold of both of his shoulders and inspecting him head to toe. "Bakugou, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, nothing I can't handle." He snarled, scowling at her despite not pulling away from her grasp.
The others talked to the villains, about what she truly didn't care at the moment. Bakugou was their top priority, that had been the brief. He may be out of the villain's clutches, but that didn't mean he was completely ok yet. Her eyes glowed a faint blue, and she searched Bakugou's mind for any signs of trauma. Even if he wasn't physically harmed, there was no telling what the League would stoop to doing in order to try corrupting the boy.
"What are you-"
"This is for my peace of mind, I'm nearly done." She told him sternly, and he shut up after that, realizing that Hina wouldn't let up no matter how much he argued about it.
Nothing in his head was worrisome, at least from what she could see. His recent memories were just of talking to the villains. And despite his claim that he was fine, she could feel the residual panic and slight fear begin to seep from his head. He'd been scared, but too proud to admit to it. That was fine. All she needed to know was that he was safe.
"I'm sure you were scared. You did a good job bearing it." All Might said, and Bakugou tore his attention away from Hina. Satisfied that he wasn't mentally or emotionally ruined by his experience here, she stood and turned to look at the blonde hero too. "It's fine now, young man."
"I wasn't scared!" The young boy cried out. "Not even close, damn it!"
Hina couldn't help but smile, relieved to see him as his normal self. She let her quirk drop, satisfied that he wasn't emotionally scarred in any way.
"After I went through all that trouble to prepare this..." The hand-faced villain muttered, drawing the room's attention. "Why are you coming to me, you last boss?"
The redhead's spine shivered at the sound of his voice. It was soft but somehow still grated on her ears. Like velvet sandpaper, if there was such a thing. She'd seen his picture from his file that the school kept after his initial attack on USJ, but seeing the young man in person was something else. The creepy hand covering his face didn't do anything to ease her nerves either.
This kid was seriously creepy. She wondered what she'd find if she went through his head. Surely some trauma or psychological issue somewhere in his past. She didn't relish the thought of doing so at all.
"We're not the only ones here, you say? The same goes for us." Shigaraki said, raising his head up in a cocky fashion. "Kurogiri, bring as many as you can over!"
Hina stiffened, placing Bakugou behind her to protect him at the villain's shouted command. All Might clenched his fists and the others took a fighting stance, ready to attack anything that came, but the air remained still, a thick silence descending over those inside. After several seconds of nothing, Shigaraki turned to his companion in confusion.
"What's the matter, Kurogiri?" His tone was desperate, but still retained that hard edge of anger.
"I'm sorry, Tomura..." The warp-user said in concern. "The Nomus that were supposed to be in a fixed location...are not there!"
"Huh?" The young villain's hands dropped in bewilderment, as if unable to process what his companion had just said.
So that was their back up plan? Hina thought to herself. Warping in Nomus to keep them occupied while they could warp away. Smart, but thankfully it seems that the police's investigation was paying off in dividends. That secondary location hit had just saved them a lot of trouble and putting Bakugou in more danger.
"You underestimated everything, villains." All Might said, placing his hand on Bakugou's shoulder and showing his ever-present smile to their captives. The soul of a young man, the diligent investigation of the police...and our anger!"
Hina found it within herself to smile, happy that the operation had gone smoothly. All Might couldn't have put it better, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the look of utter defeat on the League of Villains' faces. Shigaraki's included, though all she could currently see was his eyes wide with anger or shock at having been bested.
"Enough with the childish pranks. This is the end." The number one hero finished resolutely.
He'd touched a nerve and, still bound, Shigaraki rose from his kneeling position on the floor. "This is the end, you say? Don't be ridiculous...I've only just begun. Kurogiri-" He turned, but Edgeshot's red string was already shooting into the warp-user's body, causing him to slump within his restraints.
The foldibody hero's head appeared floating in midair, looking to the man he'd just incapacitated. "This one was always annoying. I'll have him sleep." He quietly announced, calm as always.
"Didn't I say it's be better to stay put?" Gran Torino chided, addressing Shigaraki. "There's nowhere left for you villains to run."
The hand-faced villain sat there unmoving, perhaps coming face to face with his own defeat. Hina wasn't sure, but they'd all been effectively captured, with no method of escape left to them, now that Kurogiri was knocked unconscious.
The telepath turned back to Bakugou, and smiled gently. "Let's get you out of here, yeah?"
"Scarlet Seer, before you go," Gran Torino interrupted, regarding her with that old man's expression he had nowadays, "if you wouldn't mind lending us your mind-reading abilities."
"What for?"
"We must discover where Shigaraki's boss is hidden, so we can wipe out the League and it's mastermind all at once. Is that something you could find out from him?" The older hero questioned, gaze turning on the young villain at hand. He shook with anger at the very mention.
"I can certainly try." She said, uneasily glancing at the captured youth. Leaving Bakugou to stand beside All Might, she approached Shigaraki. "Please ask him questions while I search. It will more easily bring those memories to his mind." Gran Torino nodded. "So, Shigaraki, mind telling us where you boss is?"
That was the last thing she heard before delving into Shigaraki's consciousness. Strangely enough, when she entered the center of his mind, the room was an exact replica of the bar they were both currently standing in. Atop the bar, was a pale blue-nearly white-glowing orb. Shigaraki stood in the middle of the room, staring at her with hate.
"You're a telepath..." He muttered harshly, and she winced at the sound. "What a useful and annoying quirk."
"It will not hurt if you don't resist." She advised softly, reaching over to touch the pale, glowing orb of his mind.
The moment her fingers touched it's smooth surface, her head was filled with dark images. Him as a young boy, a hand reaching out to him, and a fatherly voice. 'Everything will be alright now.'
Memories from the past, but not what she was looking for. A traveler in the moving picture show that was his mind, she continued. Hina filtered through the images, trying to find anything that could help them. 'It must've been hard.' Hina winced, feeling the building emotion the further in she went. This rising hatred. Red and hot and bubbling to suffocate her. She kept going, pushing past the influence it was beginning to have on her own mind. She felt her hands shaking with a growing rage. How dare he take her student?
More memories, 'Fail as many times as you need to,' hands and hands and hands. From every crevice of his consciousness, there seemed to be hands. Reaching out to grab her and pull her under and...'All Might.'
His rising hatred had grown to an unimaginable degree. She clenched her jaw, trying to push forward, to find what they were looking for, but it reached a breaking point where she knew she would intentionally harm him in order to succeed. Enough of her sense was still present that she recognized this as a bad decision.
Hina disengaged her quirk, and she blinked rapidly as she was brought back to the ruined bar.
"I couldn't...find anything..." She panted out, somewhat surprised by the need to catch her breath like this. With such intense emotions, it took a lot out of her. "His mind is clouded by hatred...I can't go any further without hurting him or myself."
"Shigaraki!" All Might yelled, pressing him for an answer, and the bubble that Hina had felt within the young villain exploded all at once.
"I hate you!" He cried with vehemence, eyes wide behind the hand covering the majority of his face.
Two inky portals of sludge burst into existence on either side of Shigaraki, and everyone startled at the sight. Within the center of the pools of darkness, morphing and pushing and pulling in all directions, the faces of the terrifying Nomu creatures began to emerge.
"Nomu!? They came from nowhere!" Kamui exclaimed, confused and terrified that things had suddenly taken a turn. They were losing control.
"Edgeshot, what about Kurogiri?" Gran Torino turned to the ninja hero.
"He's still unconscious! He didn't do this." He replied, and Hina grabbed on to Bakugou as more and more portals began appearing around the room. None of them knew what was going on, but she knew they needed to keep him safe.
"Stay close to me." She instructed her student, grabbing his arm with a tight grip. Normally one to bicker and argue about everything, for once he stayed quiet, doing as he was told to. For that she was thankful. At least he understood this was serious.
"Kamui Woods! Do not let them go under any circumstance!" All Might told the newer hero, and the wood-user nodded his understanding, tightening the wooden bonds around the villains. So long as they didn't let them slip away-
"Hurrgh!" Hina heard beside her. She swung around and, to her horror, the young boy was regurgitating the same inky black liquid from the portals. His eyes were wide, trying to figure out a way to stop the fluid from coming out.
"Bakugou!" She cried, holding onto him with no idea of how to stop what was happening to him. He flailed in the mass of liquid and it slowly consumed him, despite her best effort to grab onto his limbs. That helpless feeling came back to her in full swing. Unable to help. Unable to save. The room had descended into chaos in a matter of seconds, with no one quite sure what to do. Beside her, All Might cried out his rage.
Her shame was overtaken by a sensation she'd never experienced before. Suddenly unable to breathe and unable to speak, a disgusting-tasting warm liquid emerged from her own mouth, and she tried covering it to stop the endless flow. Large hands grabbed at her arms, and she looked up in time to see All Might frantically holding her in place, as if that would stop whatever this was. He was talking to her, she could see his mouth moving, but her own panic prevented any sort of recognition as to what the words were. She wasn't sure what sort of expression her own face showed, but surely it was one of terror, as she felt her body dissolving away into the growing black pool of liquid that consumed her.
All sense of sight was blocked off, sounds muffled until they finally faded away entirely, and she still couldn't breathe. The black liquid pools were all she could feel, until she could feel nothing at all.
This is it. This is the end. She thought to herself, completely losing awareness after that.
The first thing she was aware of was collapsing onto a hard surface. Her arms scrambled at her face, trying to breathe, and finally the black liquid dissipated to allow oxygen into her body. Hina gasped out several breaths, but ended up in a coughing fit when some of the liquid left over was still in her lungs. It was horrid, sludge-like and foul tasting.
Doubled over on the ground to expel the disgusting fluid from her body, Hina tried gathering her scattered thoughts and allowed time for her senses to return. She could hear others coughing, and managed to crack open her eyes and look at her surroundings.
A ruined building, debris surrounding the ground she was kneeling on. Members of the League of Villains were recovering from whatever transportation quirk they'd just experienced. Among them was Bakugou, standing near a man with a black mask, a tailored suit as his outfit.
"You failed again, huh Tomura?" He spoke, and her eyes widened, recognizing that voice from Shigaraki's mind. "But do not be discouraged. Just try again."
His Master. The one behind the League, supporting them from the shadows. Right here in front of her, and he had Bakugou. She shakily stood, trying to figure out how to get him away from these villains without getting them both killed.
It was then that she realized her and Bakugou were the only two transported away, no other heroes had come with. She wondered why that was. He could have simply taken Bakugou, without the hinderance of dealing with her here. None of them had acknowledged her presence as of yet. Perhaps she could slip by and grab-
"Huh? Why is she here?" Toga, the blood-user, questioned, spotting her off to the side. "Was she following us?"
"So nice of you to join us!" The masked man she knew to be Twice cooed, then followed up with an angry frown behind the costume. "Don't come any closer!"
"I brought her here." All For One stated simply, and Hina let out a shaky breath.
"Why? What is it you want with me?" Her voice came out with less confident than she would have liked, but the fear inside of her heart was betraying her. She kept glancing at Bakugou, making sure they didn't make a move for him.
"I'm a collector of quirks." He said smoothly, and her spine shivered yet again. "I admit, I can't help myself when I come across a particularly valuable or rare quirk, and yours is exceptional in both cases. I'm sure I could find a use for it to help Tomura further his goals."
His was so different from Shigaraki's voice, charming and deep, but it still sent alarm bells ringing through her head. He was dangerous, and very powerful. That much she could tell.
Hina didn't know how to respond, and simply watched him, trying with all of her might not to gag from the fluid still in her system. It stunk so badly, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the predatory mastermind before her.
He stepped forward. She stepped back. Her chest was in physical pain from the fear of what he could do to her. Another step her way, and then...he stopped, looking up towards the sky curiously.
"You're here after all, aren't you?" All For One mused aloud.
Hina frowned, but dropped to a crouch when a burst of energy where the masked man stood erupted. The ground beneath his feet cracked and shattered, and large gusts of wind sent dust and small debris flying in all directions. The force behind it sent her sliding several feet back, her boots digging into the dirt. Using a hand to block the wind from her eyes, she tried seeing what was causing this unbelievable power, and stumbled a bit when she recognized All Might's costume colors.
If he knew where they were located, this must be the secondary hideout Tsukauchi had sent Best Jeanist's team to. Her heart sank, realizing that if this man was here, with no sign of her companions, then the worst must have come to pass.
All Might jumped away from the masked man, who she now knew to be All For One, hearing him taunt the number one hero mockingly. "You've gotten weaker, All Might." The villain said, shaking his hands after such an impact. He didn't look affected in the slightest...
All Might was crouched, the signature smile wiped from his face, which was in a way more shocking and upsetting than anything up to this point. "What about you? What's with that industrial mask you've got on? Aren't you overexerting yourself?"
They spoke to each other as if they knew one another, and Hina guessed they had some sort of history. Perhaps a rival or nemesis. His next words confirmed with for her.
He rose, readying himself for another attack. "I won't make the same mistake as I did six years ago, All For One! I will take Young Bakugou back. This time I'll throw you in prison for sure. And all of the League of Villains you control with you!"
All Might launched himself at the masked man, almost faster than she could see. Hina anticipated the usual crater to appear below the villain's feet at the very force of his punch, but instead, the hero was being blasted backwards almost as fast as he'd attacked. His muscled form went straight through the nearest building, causing it critical structural damage. Behind that, she could see the destruction of several more buildings as he continued to plow through them, collapsing building after building until he stopped out of sight.
Hina's breath still in her throat, watching the utter destruction of this magnitude at such proximity. The ground rumbled as each structure collapsed. Even from this distance, she could smell the concrete and steel as it crumbed in on themselves, sending clouds of dust and smoke into the air in massive plumes. Glass broke and shattered, raining down on the sidewalks. Their evacuation radius for both locations hadn't extended that far, meaning there were sure to be many, many victims...
Trumping even that was the terror gripping her heart. She had no right being out here. The power level between her and these two was immense, far beyond her reach or capability. Her limbs shook, and she fell to her knees at the display of sheer power. Dust and smoke filled the air, and in the darkness it all looked like a ravaged war zone. She hadn't been prepared to handle all of this. What had started as a simple rescue mission had turned into a nightmare Hina didn't have the imagination to conjure up herself.
Bakugou...where is he!? She thought to herself in a moment of clarity, peering around now that the wind had stopped and most of the immediate area was now visible. The redhead spotted him keeping low to the ground dozens of feet away. The League were scattered about the area, and those still conscious were scrambling to their feet. They looked momentarily distracted by All Might's appearance to the battle, so she took the opportunity while she could to move.
She ran to the young boy and dropped into a crouch. At first he flinched away, but then recognized who she was. "They're distracted. Now's our chance to escape. Can you walk?"
"A-ah..." He acknowledged, stunned and dazed and missing his usual arrogant demeanor. He stood, and with guidance from her hand, she ushered them towards an opening in the wall behind All Might that they could slip away quietly. Staying as far away from All For One as possible, that was the goal. While he was busy-
"Agghh!" She was stopped in place by a fiery pain in her side, her grip on Bakugou slipping from the shock. She looked down, a long and thin protrusion from off in the distance piercing her side. The spot grew warm and she watched as a circle of red began seeping from inside her costume. She looked up, following the path of the spindle to All For One's own hand. He'd stabbed her with some sort of quirk, even from this distance.
"Hitagawa Sensei!" Bakugou cried from beside her, stopping in place.
"Take everyone away from here, Tomura, and bring that child and hero with you." All For One's voice instructed, and the bone-like spindle retracted from her body. A gasp left her mouth at the pain.
She wobbled in place, falling to one knee, a hand covering her wound to try to stop the bleeding. Now that the weapon was free, the blood began seeping at a much more rapid pace. There was a great risk of losing too much blood if left unchecked. "Fuck..." She muttered, gritting her teeth.
"Hitagawa Sensei..." Bakugou said again, hands raised to do something but unsure of how to proceed. She met his gaze, trying her best to keep the panic from showing through. She didn't need them both losing their cool, and she was supposed to be the adult between them.
"It's...it's fine..." Was her gruff reply, reaching to her sleeve and yanking as hard as she could. The material ripped at the shoulder, tearing the fabric clean off. Using it as a temporary bandage, she wrapped it around her torso as tight as she could manage it, then tied it off at the end. At least now she wouldn't bleed out in the immediate future.
Sucking up the pain, she stood again and grabbed onto Bakugou shirt, pulling him with her towards the street so they could escape. "Come on, we can't stop here."
They both heard the sound of more buildings collapsing further on, and All Might's figure hurtling back towards the fight. He connected fists with All For One, and another blast of force rushed around them, kicking up the dust. It nearly sent Hina tumbling, but Bakugou managed to keep her upright.
The dust cleared and the two stopped, seeing the League of Villains surrounding them a distance away. 6 in total, since two were down for the count. The remaining members all looked ready for a fight, no doubt unsatisfied with being captured the moment the heroes arrived earlier. Scarlet Seer placed herself in front of Bakugou, an arm extended to the side in a protective stance.
"Where do you think you're going?" Toga asked, a sadistic smile plastered on her face. She settled her blood mask in place, the needle weapon held loosely in her hand. The others all readied themselves, eyeing her warily, sizing them up as a challenge.
"Hey Bakugou," Scarlet Seer said softly, keeping her eyes fixed to their opponents, "do me a favor and help me take these guys on? I wanted to get you out of here without putting you in more danger, but it seems I don't have a choice now. We have to fight."
"Heh." Bakugou smirked, knuckles cracking in preparation. "Finally something we can agree upon, teach."
"Don't get carried away. This isn't ideal." Scarlet Seer instructed, brow furrowing as she tried to formulate a plan out of there. They were too spread out to be affected by her quirk all at once. She'd have to choose her target and attack, while also avoiding being hit by the others. At the same time, she'd have to focus on defending Bakugou. No small feat, considering his mobility in combat.
Take the initiative. Utilize teamwork. Aizawa's voice bounced around in her head, and she narrowed her eyes. Yes, that's definitely something he'd say. Eyes flashing blue, she prepared herself as they came at them from all sides.
"I'll temporarily incapacitate a target, and you provide the main offense. With my injury, I'm not as fast as I should be." She projected to him, then dodged out of the way of Toga's sharp knife aimed at her throat. "She will be the first target!"
Gaze switching from Bakugou to Toga, Scarlet Seer robbed her of vision, and the blood-user cried out in surprise.
"Hey! I can't see!" She swiped blindly with her knife, trying to make contact with an opponent, but only hitting air. Bakugou came up from behind and blasted her with his quirk, sending her tumbling to the ground. "Ugh!"
Scarlet Seer would have celebrated their first successful takedown, but she was busy jumping out of the way of Mr. Compress, who ran at her with both arms extended. Rushing past him and sending him crashing to the ground from her sweeping kick, though wincing when it jostled her side, she kept an eye on Bakugou as he sent himself in the air to avoid all attacks at harming him.
He landed beside her, but they both separated to avoid Twice's measuring tape projectile. She flashed her quirk, blinding him as well.
"Ahh! I'm splitting! Splitting!" He cried, falling to his knees and clutching his head. Bakugou tried going in for the attack, but the others were upon them even faster, forcing them onto the defensive.
Scarlet Seer bared her teeth, dodging and kicking and getting a hit in wherever she could, but for most of the time, they were simply forced to avoid anything sent their way. It was clear that they were losing ground.
Her quirk wasn't of much use with them outnumbered as they were, but it provided just enough distraction and interference to keep them from getting to Bakugou. He had yet to be hit, and was delivering some nice counters back at them in some cases. For the most part they were both tiring out quickly. Scarlet Seer especially, with her bleeding as she was.
In the distance, she caught All Might trying to come their way to assist, but All For One was preventing him from doing so. Now that she thought about it, the destruction from before had lessened by a large degree, almost as if they were both holding back their full power. Neither were fighting seriously, both caught up in trying to prevent the other from getting to Scarlet and the others.
We're in the way. She figured out, knowing that All Might would avoid civilian casualties whenever possible, but that All For One probably had no qualms about it. And that meant her and Bakugou, in this scenario. They were hindering his ability to fight.
"We can't keep this up." She projected to her student, sliding out of the way of another of Toga's attacks. The knife gleamed with each blast of Bakugou's quirk.
Panting, he came to a stop beside her, nodding his understanding. "All Might can't fight when he's worrying about us. We're just a burden to him."
She didn't entirely agree with the way he phrased it, but he got the gist. "We need to try to make an opening you can escape through."
"What about you?" He turned to her in surprise, but was forced to look away as they were both attacked by Twice's tape.
Scarlet Seer pierced him with a stern stare. "Rescuing you is the primary objective, Bakugou. Everything else comes second. Do you understand?"
He scowled, both of them jumping away to avoid another of Mr. Compress's attempts at touching them, and he fired off another few blasts from his palms to push the villains back a bit. "Fine!"
Scarlet Seer could feel herself slowing down, her breaths coming out in harsh pants. Her injury was hindering her movements, and the pain was growing with each step. The League still had them surrounded, attacking from all angles, and thanks to having each other's back, they had been able to avoid most of the attempts at attack.
How am I supposed to get him out of here? Think, Hina, think! Their surroundings were nothing but rubble at this point, ground into fine dust and small chunks of debris from all the force of All Might's and All For One's attacks. Nothing she saw as a way out. Nothing at all...damn it!
Seeing Shigaraki coming up from behind Bakugou, hand outstretched, Scarlet Seer ran forwards, dragging him by his collar out of the way of his reach. They toppled to the ground, and she flashed her quirk, making it seem as though they'd both gone a different direction. Convinced, the hand-faced villain ran after them. It bought them only a moment of time, because the others were on them-
Crash! A wall nearby to them exploded outwards. It drew everyone's attention, confusion mounting as someone else apparently entered the zone of combat without any warning. Hina felt her heart drop, recognizing her own students. More of them? Why were they here? What were they doing? It was way too dangerous to be here! Before she could tell them to get away, a huge iceberg rose up to a point in the sky, and the students propelled themselves on it, sending them shooting up into the sky overhead.
"What on earth are you doing here!?" She projected to Midoriya who she could see most clearly at this distance.
"Tell Kacchan to launch himself! We're getting him out of here!" He responded back, and she followed the assumed path they would take. Yes, they would completely clear the battle zone, right over everyone's heads...
Scarlet Seer whipped around and picked Bakugou up off the ground. "Go to them!" She yelled, pointing up at his classmates. "They'll get you out of here!"
He scowled, recognizing the ones who had showed up to rescue him. She hoped his stubbornness wouldn't prevent him from leaving. He loved a good fight, and there was always the possibility that he would reject their offer of help.
Scarlet bared her teeth, gripping him by the front of his shirt. "Don't be stupid!"
"Bakugou!" They both heard from above, and Kirishima had his hand outstretched to his friend down below. "Come!"
The blonde boy watched him for a moment, before turning to his teacher with a thoughtful expression. He was difficult to read, but the next moment he had released a large blast at his feet, sending him rocketing into the air and towards the other students. She stumbled a few steps back, feeling the heat from his blast on her skin.
Yes, get out of here. She encouraged, watching with bated breath as they grew nearer each other. A smile broke out on her face as their hands connected, and Bakugou was sent out of the zone to safety. Please, take care of him now, Midoriya.
The villains attempted to stop the students from escaping, but the unexpected arrival of Mt. Lady put a quick stop to that. Things had suddenly swung back into the heroes' favor. With Bakugou out of the picture and the villains losing their leverage, they were now on the defensive.
Scarlet Seer pushed herself past the pain in her side, using the villain's desperation and disorganization to escape a good distance away so that All Might could go all out. There was nothing more she could do to help at this point, as the League began retreating through the portal further away and All For One was solely focused on his nemesis, likely forgetting all about the small-time hero with the interesting quirk.
She spotted Gran Torino watching from behind a small hill of debris. Smiling at recognizing an ally, she stumbled and lost consciousness before reaching him, her body hitting the ground with a heavy thump. Her body felt very cold.
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