When the Stars Align

Chapter 23: USJ (Part 3)*

- WARNING -

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS UNSAVORY ELEMENTS SUCH AS: MENTIONS OF BLOOD/INJURIES, INSINUATIONS OF TORTURE/MURDER FOR INFORMATION, AND A BIT OF MEDICAL JARGON

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Free falling was nothing new to you, having done it so many times in the past.

It was a freeing sensation, in all senses of the word. When you fell, the harsh winds that festered with one's velocity gained a calming effect over time, fears and stresses melting away into a serene nothingness as you waited to either crash or be caught. From high up, nothing but space overwhelmed your five senses, a feeling that can be so foreign to you sometimes that you tried to savor any and all opportunities that presented themselves. Descending from the heavens was like finding hidden peace, one you wished to keep for yourself, something untethered, something pure.

Though, free falling due to being overwhelmed by a mysterious Villains mist Quirk? Now that was definitely new.

This time, falling was panic inducing, the neurons in your brain firing off to warn your body of a fast approaching demise. This time, your sense of gravity was harshly taken from you, making you twist in obscure ways in order to try and gain proper autonomy over flailing limbs. This time, you were disoriented beyond belief, unable to peel your eyes open in order to gage where you were, how far up you were, and whether or not you'd be able to land safely.

Falling, for all of its negative connotations, no longer felt safe, in a weird backwards sort of way.

Finally forcing your eyes open, you watched as the ground and the top floor of a decrepit building came roaring towards you in unadulterated speed, jagged rocks and upturned roads marking a painful end lest you got out of your stupor. Your visor, and whatever remaining water you had used, were falling a few feet away from you, thrashing wildly or drying up at the massive drop you had been forced to take. It was all happening so fast, the world flashing in a blur of grays, that you nearly didn't stop your fall in time.

Reaching towards two of your water capsules as best as you could, you pull them from your belt harshly, letting them drop in front of you so that they'd break upon impact first, letting all the hidden water out for you to reach with your Quirk.

You weren't sure if the move would work, or if the two broken capsules would be enough to support the weight of you, but you figured it was worth the effort rather than let yourself crash onto unforgiving concrete.

Slowly, the water that landed began to move, swirling into itself before suddenly expanding. It shot out towards you, and you covered what you could of your face in order to avoid the hard blasts of unfettered water. It slowed your decent, and even though you still met the top story below you with a wet 'Slap,' you couldn't help the tendrils of relief that curled around your chest at your successful attempt.

At the very least, you weren't going to become a random stain on the dusty floor any time soon.

Getting up from the cement, you let out a harsh cough, the hit you took catching up to you as the adrenaline from falling dissipated. Your chest felt like it would cave in, having caught the brunt force of the fall since your arms had been occupied with protecting your head. Your body felt sore and cold all over, and you struggled to stand fully as your knees wobbled every so often.

As you stood, you cleared the roof of any remaining water that was left, moving to pick up your missing visors soon after. They had cracked somewhat, a clear, webbing line visible across both lenses when the light hit just right. You sighed, looping the temples through your belt as you did so, opting out of wearing them due to their condition. Your eyes would sting like a bitch when you ran now or if your water got into them on accident, but you'd rather not risk more damage to the object, not wanting them to crack if and when you got into a fight.