PHOENIX: A Pro Hero Toya Todoroki AU

CH 56: Liberation Arc: Part 4 || The Aftermath Of Melted Ice (May 29, 2124)

When Illusion releases me from the marble, I find myself in the center of some kind of theatre room; I'm absolutely covered in blood.

"Where the hell am I?" I stammer, taking in my surroundings. There's an enormous flat-screen TV that takes up an entire wall, a sound system that covers the opposite wall, and a wraparound couch that nearly dwarfs the one in our gigantic theatre at the Agency. Magne is sitting on the couch next to Lilith and The Lizard. Keigo and Twice are nowhere to be seen.

"WHERE'S KEIGO?!" I plead frantically, preparing to run as fast as my broken body will carry me to the open doorway behind Illusion. I take one step, and I immediately collapse. My entire body feels like I've been hit by a train.

"Whoa there, bud. Your bird is fine," Lilith's voice trills as my vision blurs in and out, and I struggle to lift myself off the carpet. I look up and see that Illusion holds up a marble in his hand.

"Is that-?" I stammer as my body starts shaking involuntarily. I feel like I'm gonna vomit or pass out. I'm so fucking exhausted. If I don't get rest or get to a doctor soon, I don't know what's gonna happen to me. I'm sure I have internal bleeding somewhere...though it's likely to be cauterized.

"OH MY GOD! I HEARD A CRASH! IS EVERYTHING OKAY?!"

'Wait... I'd know that voice anywhere...'

I raise my head and blink hard, trying to make out the shimmering shapes as a woman runs into the room.

'No way... Is this...Is this her house?'

"Miss Kaminari?" I slur my speech as everything goes to black.

...

When I finally regain consciousness, I'm lying down on the giant wraparound couch with several IV needles in my arm. My hands are completely bandaged with gauze, and my shirt is missing. In fact, my entire torso and left arm are also completely bandaged in gauze. I can see faint blood stains seeping through them. I didn't even realize that some of the ice pierced my midsection. I have no idea how long I've been out. I look up and see that the IV lines are connected to several bags along with a rolling machine with a display screen; I'm assuming it's showing my vitals. My head is pounding, and my body feels like it's on fire. I groan, attempting to slowly sit up, and...I realize my little brother is standing at the end of the sofa, staring at me with eyes full of concern. We're the only ones in the room.

"Shoto?" I slur; it hurts to speak. My own voice echoes louder in my brain. I can still taste blood. Shoto moves to my side of the couch and puts the back of his hand on my forehead, as if testing to see if I have a fever.

"You feel fine. Relatively," Shoto comments somberly before he puts his hands in his pockets.

"I...I was the one who told Hawks," He murmurs, and I can see tears welling up in his eyes. "I should never have left you. I should've just ignored you."

"No. No, Sho. Geten would've killed you," I insist, wincing as I lean back up against the sofa.

"I...I've been dealing with Mirko for the past several hours. She's in hysterics," Shoto mutters, and my heart drops to the depths of hell.

'How the fuck could I have forgotten about Rumi?'

"I wouldn't let her go after you two. Hawks ordered me to keep her at the Agency. Then...then, she contacted Miss Kaminari. That's why we're here," Shoto explains, and a chill runs down my spine. Suddenly, I see Miss Kaminari's son poke his head into the doorway.

"Ma! He's awaaaake!" Denki shouts, retreating back the way he came. Two pairs of footsteps come thundering down the hallway, and...

"Nurse Mei?! Why are you here?!" My speech slurs in my dry mouth as I recognize my old Medical Technologies teacher. Her bright purple hair has thin streaks of silver in it and is tied up in a messy bun. Nurse Mei and Miss Kaminari are at the sofa-side in an instant, and Mei's eyes scan the beeping screens.