22: 𝙲𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏𝚏
Nova held the warpgate against the ground. He hadn't struggled much since her attack, Iida was nowhere in sight. The doors were open but...
No one left yet.
"You guys should go too." Nova said, nodding at the door. "There's no reason to stay in here, who knows if any other villains will climb up here."
"I'm certainly not leaving you, but I don't see any reason for the rest of you to stay." Thirteen said, turning to the students.
"But... What about the others?" Uraraka asked, clearly unsure.
"They'll surely die." The warpgate mumbled.
"Shut up! What's your problem anyways?!" Mina said, crossing her arms.
"I have no quarrel with you or your friends, I'm simply aiding my masters." He said, his smoke flaring. Nova flinched and tightened the metal around him. It died down again.
"What masters?" Nova asked. "The guys down there?"
"I suppose that's one of them... In a way, the man that's about to kill your teacher; Shigaraki Tomura. Yes... I am loyal to him." He said simply. "And... others."
Nova tensed, looking down to the plaza where Aizawa was fighting. There were many villains down around him but there were still two notable ones. A man standing by the fountain watching, covered in hands and tubes. Shaggy blue hair hanging behind his disembodied hands. The other was something huge, it barely even looked like a person. Standing at least as tall as All Might, Nova couldn't tell how tall he was from so far away. But she could see his exposed brain and bird-like beak.
Nova bit her lip.
But this small distraction was intentional. The warpgate changed shape and seemingly slipped out of the armor. Underneath it was what looked like a sweater vest and slacks. Nova jumped back the armor clinking to the ground as he freed himself.
"Shit!" Nova yelled, she felt a hand grab her hood and pull her away, Shoji. The mist built back to his other bigger form.
"It was a nice try Kurayami. But as you can tell... It's hard for anyone to keep me contained."
"Stay behind me." Thirteen said, a small cap over her finger moved and her quick started to suck in the mist of the gate.
As the pro started to contain and destroy the villain Nova backed up slightly, looking back down to the center of the plaza. The villain with the hands was approaching Mr Aizawa, quickly. The metal still in her hand from his armor morphed into a weapon.
"The man that's about to kill your teacher."
"Don't." Shoji said, looking down at her with wide eyes.
"He needs help." Nova whispered.
"He's doing fine, look at how many people he's defeated already." Shoji reasoned. Nova backed away again.
"He's tired."
"Nova! You don't even know what they're capable of-"
"I'm sorry, but I have to help." Nova said, then she turned and ran, jumping down the stairs just as she saw Aizawa do for them.
She was right, she did indeed have to help. Even if it wasn't because he needed it. She remembered the way her classmates looked at her earlier. Bakugou's accusation.
She was the top suspect right now. If she just sat back and did nothing then that would make them suspect her even more.
She had to fight as hard as possible, just to prove her Innocence.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
Aizawa defeated the final two thugs. Bashing their heads together and landing between them as they slipped into unconsciousness. He panted, feeling his hair drop back to his shoulders as he blinked for the first time in half a minute. His eyes felt dry and weak.
That was all of the little guys. But he hadn't missed the two unmoving men. He figured they were somehow leading, more specifically the man with the hands over his body. He seemed to be the leader. Waiting and watching, letting the lowlifes attack Aizawa while he watched.
But now they were all defeated.
The man ran at Aizawa, dressed in jeans and sneakers. He hardly seemed intimidating to Aizawa, who activated his quirk again. Taking away whatever power he might possess. "Final boss..."
Aizawa threw his scarf to capture him, but the man just gripped it and kept running. Aizawa did too, meeting him in the middle with an elbow to his gut. But... He had to blink again.
A massive mistake.
"It was hard to see when you were jumping around..." The man hissed. Aizawa's eyes remained closed, they were too dry. He didn't know if he could open them for more than a few seconds anymore. He didn't have time to apply any eye drops either. He rested them for now, struggling against the villain's grip. "But I found your tell... It's your hair."
Aizawa's dry red eye opened, but immediately closed. He couldn't keep them open anymore, even if he wanted too.
"When it drops it means you've stopped using your quirk... You're having to blink more and more often..." He whispered. Aizawa felt a strong pain sprout in the elbow that the man was holding. It was from more than just a tight grip. It felt like his arm was about to fall off. He grunted in pain, holding back a scream. He hoped no students were watching.
"Don't push yourself too hard now... You might fall apart." He said, almost sounding giddy.
"Wouldn't that be a shame?"
He heard cracking and looked at his arm, forcing his eyes open. Open.
Before he finally pried his eyes open he heard another sound.
It wasn't much like anything Aizawa had ever heard in person. It was like... A quick cut? Like someone butchering an animal. Cutting through flesh and bone.
Then he heard a thump.
Then a scream.
He opened his eyes and saw blood, the pain in his elbow had relented because the source of the pain had been... Cut off.
And a hand fell to the ground.
Aizawa jumped back, eyes open and quirk activated. "Kurayami!" He yelled. The girl also jumped back, a sword formed in her hand. Her eyes wide in shock at her own actions as the villain falls to the ground. His remaining hand clinched around his wrist as it began to bleed profusely.
"Holy shit I-"
"DIE!!! DIE DIE DIE!!!" The villain, Shigaraki screamed. Falling to his knees beside his severed hand.
Nova didn't even think. She saw what his quirk was doing to her teacher. The only way she could see to stop it before he did any irreversible harm was...
To stop the quirk at its source.
So she cut it off.
"FUCK YOU!! DIE DAMN IT!" The villain screamed. "NOMU KILL THEM!!!"
"Run Kurayami! I told you all to stay in a group and leave!!" Aizawa yelled. Standing beside her.
"I can't do that!" Nova yelled back.
"The other students-"
"They've been scattered across the facility! Iida got out and he's on his way to the main campus! All we have to do is stay alive until reinforcements come." Nova told him. "Besides, you said it yourself. I'm going to have to work twice as hard as every other student!"
"You mean..."
"Everyone thinks it's my fault! I have to do everything I can to show them they're wrong." Nova said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't know what they'll do to me otherwise." She admitted.
She was scared, Aizawa could see it plainly. It wasn't just because of the danger they were in...
Nova was scared of facing the punishment for this. From the outside it might seem illogical to assume she'd be accused of a crime with no real evidence against her. Aizawa's very first instinct was to think she was being dramatic, or foolish.
But... The look in her eye made him realize he had no idea the things this girl had been through all her life because of her name. It might not even be that outrageous to think that even professionals would arrest her for these circumstances. Just because of who she was.
"I won't let that happen." Aizawa said, his jaw clinched.
"You can't stop it if you're hurt!" Nova argued.
"Fine! Just... Stay close." He relented. Knowing she wouldn't leave him like he wished.
"Thank-"
Something ran across the pavilion, fast. Too fast. Aizawa activated his quirk on it as it ran towards Nova, attacking the one who injured its master.
But eraser didn't work on it. Nova was grabbed by a creature three times her size and shoved to the ground.
"Hold her." The villain hissed, the creature obeyed. It didn't hurt Nova any more, just pressed her against the concrete. But her ribs still ached from the initial attack.
She looked up, the villain stalked over. He touched the nub of his wrist with his remaining right hand. Nova watched as he used his quirk on himself. Cracks appeared on the wound she had given him. But then they stopped, and so did the blood.
Although he looked incredibly intimidating. Nova could see him shaking in pain.
"NOVA!" Aizawa cried out, Nova realized that was probably the first time he said her first name instead of her last name.
But he was quickly stopped, a few thugs he had taken out were getting back up. Holding him back, he tried to Erase the quirk of the monster holding Nova, but it seemed to have no effect on it.
"Meet Nomu." The villain stopped standing over Nova as she was pressed against the ground.
"The real Final boss."
A/N: Rip Shigarakis hand... Bet you didn't see that coming lmao
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