The exhausted students on the top of the steps watched in awe as he walked toward them, step by powerful step. Uraraka beamed, holding her fists closed. Sero and Sato both smiled too. Even Shoji's arm-mouths seemed to relax, breaking into grins. Mina's eyes filled with relieved tears, and she swayed. Len caught and steadied her, barely believing his own eyes. They stood around Thirteen, watching the Symbol of Peace approach.
"Iida-shounen told me everything I needed to know," All Might said. "God, but does it make me angry. To think of how scared you've all been, how desperate you've all fought…"
"You could say that again," Len mumbled. Mina let out a shaky laugh through her tears, sniffling. She gently lifted herself out of his arms.
All Might tore his tie off. "And how strong Thirteen and Aizawa have been, holding out against overwhelming odds. Keep protecting them," he told the six of them, nodding to Thirteen. "I will go get Aiza—"
"I've been waiting for this!" the hand villain sang from below. "To see you in person, Symbol of Peace."
The other villains were getting up. "That's All Might?"
"Come on, what are you waiting for? Get hi—"
All Might dashed through all of them in an instant, effortlessly. Len couldn't even keep up with his eyes. He's faster than me. It's unbelievable.
In another instant, he'd saved Aizawa, and a few more people that Len couldn't make out. When All Might placed them at the bottom of the steps, he saw that it was Midoriya, Aoyama, and…
"There's Tsu!" he shouted, waving his arms. "Tsu! Hey!"
The frog girl spotted them. All Might told the students to do something, and then they began to pick up Aizawa and carry him up the steps toward the others. Midoriya seemed to protest for a moment, but All Might waved him off. Beyond, the hand villain was freaking out, trying to reattach the hand that had fallen off his face.
Mina seemed to slump next to Len. "Yep, there's Tsu all right. You seem awfully happy to see her."
Len gave her an incredulous glance. Her eyes were shining with humor.
"Seriously? You're pushing this right now? It's only because they're fellow classmates in a life or death situation! Speaking of which, we ARE in a life of death situation here!"
Mina giggled, still crying a little. "I finally managed to wind you up." Her face was messy with emotions, and Len's heart skipped another beat. She looks… beautiful. Mina sniffled again. "It's fine now, see? All Might's here. There's nothing left to worry about."
"Ah. Right." Below, he had begun to engage the monster in a brawl. Many of the punches were sending rushing wind up to their level. I should really have followed the news more. I knew All Might was number one, but… is he truly so powerful that we no longer have to worry? All the danger, gone in an instant?
Tsuyu and Midoriya and Aoyama were coming up the steps, carrying the unconscious Aizawa.
Uraraka looked up from the unconscious Thirteen, who she'd barely left the side of. "Oh? Is that Deku-kun?"
Len turned to look at her. "Uraraka, let's go help them! You can make Aizawa weightless and we'll speed up the evacuation!" Thought of that myself, too. Maybe I'm improving at this.
"Huh?" The brunette blushed. "But… All Might told us to protect Thirteen… I can't just leave them…"
"Thirteen will be fine, Uraraka-san. We'll take care of it," Shoji said stoically.
"Yeah!" Sato echoed.
Uraraka reluctantly followed Len and Mina halfway down the steps to meet up with their friends.
"He's hurt bad, ribbit," Tsuyu said when they were within range. Aizawa whimpered in their arms, one arm limp, the other with exposed flesh that made Len cringe.
"Are you guys okay, though?" Uraraka asked. "Deku?"
"Huh?" Midoriya had been looking back at the battle. "A bit scratched up, maybe, but…"
"Uraraka, mademoiselle…" Aoyama pleaded through gritted teeth, struggling to hold up their teacher by the shoulders, "if you would…"
"Oh! Right." She made Aizawa float, and Aoyama relaxed, taking in an embarrassingly deep breath, his arms hanging limp.
"Wimp," Mina mumbled.
"Anyway, let's get him back up," said Len. "Come o—"
Midoriya was watching the fight again. All Might's punches weren't directly affecting the monster, so he had picked it up instead… and suplexed it.
A huge explosion of smoke erupted from the impact, clouding their vision of the fight.
Midoriya made a whimpering sound, and suddenly turned to the others. "Handle Aizawa-Sensei from here, in my absence!" he cried. And then… he dashed off into the smoke.
"MIDORIYA!" Len shouted. "NO!"
"Is he stupid? What's the point of helping All Might? He'll just get in the way, or worse, killed." Mina scoffed, unable to believe it.
Uraraka had frozen up. "Deku-kun…"
"I don't know what Midoriya-chan is thinking, ribbit. That monster is really strong, but so is All Might. He's a perfect counter to it."
"I agree with Tsu," said Len. "Come on, let's go."
"But… Deku…"
"We've gotta get Aizawa up and out of he—"
The smoke had cleared, and Len's breath left him.
Midoriya was still running towards the battle, where All Might… was now holding the monster between two portals. Beyond, Kurogiri loomed next to the hand villain, his yellow slit eyes narrowed. He had trapped All Might in his gates.
Len's face twitched. Mina noticed it first. "Oh, no you don't," she said. "No, Lenny, n—"
He never heard her finish.
***
Izuku raced towards the battle, heart racing. All Might didn't show up initially because his time was running out! He has little to no strength left, and that thing is designed to kill him! Ahead, the three villains had trapped him in two portals, the monster still holding on. Izuku felt the memories flash through his head. All Might… there's still so much I want you to teach me…
"ALL MIIIIIIGHT!" he shouted, reaching his hand out to save his mentor… and a dark portal formed in front of him, yellow eyes angled downward in determination.
"Foolish boy," said the portal, as he grew forward to swallow Izuku up. Frantically, Izuku tried to slow down… but he had too much momentum. He was sliding right into the trap.
A flash of purple erupted next to them, and a metal-padded elbow collided into the portal villain's neck with a CLANG. The brace was obvious for a moment, and then a human hand grabbed it, slamming the villain into the floor.
Kagamine Len kneeled over Kurogiri, masked, his blue eyes glowing with fury. "What do you think you're doing to my classmate and my teacher?" he growled, and his otherworldly voice filled the dome.