Puppet Master

A New Chapter

Hitoshi could only watch in terror and anticipation of what his friend was doing. Praying. Hoping. Pleading. All of his classmates tried to calm him. They all knew who Dad was to him. They watched him scream and thrash. And then a scream ripped from Zuku's throat that all of them heard loud and clear even from the top of the stairs. His heart dropped. The light from the plaza died down and things were happening in rapid succession Zuku was pulled from Dad's body and was placed on a stretcher as medics rushed his body away. The heroes guided the students to the side.

"Move! Move! He needs treatment now!" Hitoshi watched in a dazed silence as Zuku passed.

"Oh goodness," Uraraka whimpered, hand over her mouth. "His arm..."

Arm? Hitoshi craned his neck to see and almost threw up as they passed right in front of him. He stumbled back, Iida being quick to catch him.

"Calm down! Your students are fine!"

"You need to sit down!"

"Eraserhead!"

All of the students who had just watched their teacher be announced dead from the shake of the medics head whipped their heads around. Dad... Dad was climbing up the stairs at a rapid pace. Dad, who he hand watched get his head smashed in twice. Dad who he had watched bleed out in his arms as All Might fought. Dad who had DIED while Hitoshi was holding him. He had Dad's blood all over his arms and torso and yet THAT Dad just crested the stairs and looked around. "Where is everyone?!" Hitoshi couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. Nothing was registering.

Their eyes met and a broken sob tore itself past Hitoshi's lips. Dad instantly ran forward and fell to his knees before Hitoshi, pulling the boy into a tight hug. Hitoshi grabbed onto his father's shirt and buried his face into the man's shoulder, legs giving out from beneath him and for once in his life he did not care who saw him have a normal, hecking emotion as he cried his lungs out against his father. Everyone had the decency to look away to some degree while still making sure that Dad wouldn't kneel over.

Hitoshi leaned back and grabbed Dad by the shoulders, looking him over. "Y- y- you were- You w- were- You had-" Blood caked Dad's face, covering a new, jagged scar that split his face diagonally. Hitoshi reached up with shaky hands to wipe it away but he froze seeing his own arms. He scrambled back with a strangled yelp. "Y- y- you- you - you- I- your-" Dad grabbed his shoulders. "Hitoshi! I'm alive!" Hitoshi shook his head. "I- I saw y- y- you die!" He held out his arms. "Th- this is yours! Y- Y- Your blood!" Dad pulled him into a hug, holding the back of Hitoshi's head.

"I know..." Dad whispered. Hitoshi's breath caught in his throat. "I know, Toshi. I'm sorry that happened but please, listen to my heart. Listen and know that I am alive. I am breathing and well. Okay?" Hitoshi sat there for who knows how long, while the students and heroes milled around and got medical attention. He pressed his ear against the raven-haired man's chest and listened.

*ba-bump* *ba-bump* *ba-bump*

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Better?" Dad asked. Hitoshi held him closer. "D- don't move." Dad chuckled. "I won't until you tell me to." Hitoshi felt tired. Tired and so, so relieved. He stayed there until a medic came over. "Eraserhead, we need to get your vitals checked. Please come with us." Dad pats his back. "Hitoshi?" The boy glanced up at his father. "C- can I come with you?" Dad looked to the medic who sighed. "Fine. Most of the students have already been taken back to the school aside from him." The medic pointed over to Kirishima. Hitoshi's heart stopped. The redhead was standing there with his head down, left arm shaking by his side, right arm was broken.

Right... Zuku. Hitoshi whipped his head around and grabbed Dad's arms. "Zuku!" Kirishima flinched, hearing his brother's name. Dad's face fell dark. He stood up. "Come on." Hitoshi followed Dad over to Kirishima.