Heroes of Tomorrow

Part 32~Mocking

Sir Nighteye begged to his quirk to find what he was looking for. The blood poured out from under him, dropping down the spike. Midoriya screamed, rushing forward to protect him as Uzu shouted for him not to.

The spikes shot out as Midoriya hit the ground, spotting them.

"Take her! Get Eri to safety!" Midoriya glanced back as Uzu gulped.

He took a breath before turning to Mirio. "You're going to have to take them all."

"Wait," Eagle stopped Uzu. "I need to stay. If you take me, I'll be out of range. I know I'm not doing a lot, but I am holding him back. I won't leave while I can help."

Uzu frowned; he didn't want to leave her unguarded. He sighed, placing her behind the wall. "If things look bad. Run. Don't worry about us."

Uzu turned, rushing back in as Robbin sighed. "You're both stupid." He grinned as a single robbin flew out of his shoulder, landing on Eagle's lap. "Make sure you get back. I'm not dealing with Hawks alone."

Eagle nodded softly as Uzu snuck around the spikes.

"Give up. I've already told you how this ends," Overhaul shouted at Midoriya. "You're all going to die!"

"You're wrong. I won't let that happen! Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!" Midoriya charged as the spikes shot out. He jumped from side to side, hitting against the ground.

Overhaul raised himself up, standing over Midoriya as his brace broke. Overhaul jumped, swiping at Midoriya as he jumped away. Midoriya jumped off the roof, preparing his kick. Overhaul moved to dodge when his feet wouldn't budge. He glanced down, seeing the eyes staring right back at him.

He couldn't destroy them in time to dodge. The power crashed down on his head, the groundbreaking around them. But it wasn't enough. Overhaul had gathered materials, creating a block that was destroyed instead.

"You may be fast, but compared to the last two, the lines of your movements are painfully easy to predict." Overhaul used one hand to touch his ankles, destroying the eyes again as Eagle screamed, passing out. The other hands touched the ground as the spikes shot up and blood burst out.

~~~

Mirio struggled as the blood poured from his leg. He held onto Eri and the wall, trying to keep himself up.

Robbin wasn't in a much better state when he gasped. Water trembled in his eyes as he glanced back down the corridor. "Eagle." He couldn't think about her for long when Mirio collapsed.

His body shook as he tried to move but couldn't. "Go, Eri, Robbin. Find some way out or find help. Dozens of people are doing everything they can to save you. It's all good. You're gonna be fine. Just go..."

~~~

"Being able to put myself back together again doesn't make breaking apart hurt any less." Overhaul grumbled as he rebuilt his arms.

Uzu held Midoriya, flying in the air. "I can't believe that worked," he muttered, the large wings shrinking to a more manageable size before he lowered his voice. "But I don't think I can do that again."

Midoriya nodded. Uzu had destroyed the spike, but his fighting didn't work like that.

"You're done, kids," Overhaul announced as Midoriya shook his head. It didn't matter to him that blood poured from his legs.

"No way. It's not over."

"Just like your friend. He didn't know when to give up, either. Though there's something to be said for a person who refuses to admit defeat." Overhaul raised his hand as the mouth formed on the palm. "Someone else is about to die because of you. Is that really what you want? Eri."

In a different hallway, Mirio and Robbin called for Eri, but she didn't listen, and they did not have the strength to follow her. She passed Eagle, collapsed by the exit, a bird nestled on her chest as her breath came out shallow.

"Wait." Eri stepped inside. "It's not. I don't want this."

Uzu cursed as he saw her. "No, Eri, run! You need to stay with Robbin and Lemillion."

Eri couldn't even think about going back when the Overhaul began speaking again. "Eri. Look at them, injured and alone. You don't really think they can defeat me, do you?"

Eri lowered her head. "No. I don't."

"Smart girl. So then, what do you suppose you should do?"

"I'll come back." Eri started walking through the battlefield, returning to the man who had hurt her so badly. "But if I do, I want you to make them all better again!"

"Ah, yes, it's so much easier to be hurt yourself than to watch while others are hurt for you, isn't it? The faint flicker of hope Lemillion gave her has been extinguished. Don't you see? You think you're helping her, but you're really just being cruel. She doesn't want you."

Uzu paused before he started to laugh, startling everyone still conscious in the area. "You think you're being so scary, don't you?" Uzu continued to laugh as Eri stared at him. "Oh no, the dramatic monologue villain. The emotional manipulation villain- I can't even call you a villain with a straight face. You're not even a thug." Uzu kicked his legs out beneath him as he wiped away a fake tear of joy. "I don't care who you think you are. You're a pathetic little kid hiding behind a young girl because you can't cope with the fact that somebody didn't like you."

Overhaul growled as Uzu smiled. Eagle would be proud of him.

Uzu held out an extra arm, creating a mouth on its palm and speaking. "I'm Overhaul; I'll kill you through the power of boredom and theatrics."

Midoriya frowned in confusion. He could feel Uzu's other arms taking the spikes out of his body and wrapping the ripped costume around the wounds.

"I can't believe he thinks we'll leave just because he showed us a scared girl is scared. We're heroes. That just makes us stay. Uzu increased the size of his wings as he grinned. "Ultimate move, Bone Crash."

Uzu's wings were covered in bone pieces, sticking out the skin, and as he flapped, they shot down, breaking away from Uzu and causing the wings to bleed.

"Time to go." Uzu spun, charging forward and peeling Nighteye off the spikes. He kept flying, reaching out to grab Eri when the spike pierced through his wing. Uzu screamed as he barrelled over, grabbing Eri anyway and running through the exit. He grabbed Eagle, chucking her on his shoulder and continued to run. He didn't get far before the wall was blown open as a very pissed Overhaul walked through. "Well, it was worth a try."

Uzu grinned a little, seeing the cut that Overhaul had yet to heal.

"That's the second time I've gotten you to bleed, and I don't even have a scratch on me." Don't let the attitude confuse you. Uzu was terrified and lying. He was holding four people, two unconscious- or barely conscious- one injured and one terrified. He couldn't use his wings anymore, and he couldn't fold them away. He wouldn't be able to fly with them out either, and he was fairly sure if he kept pissing off Overhaul, he would turn into a blood splatter. Yeah, he wasn't winning this fight.

"Uzu, put me down," Midoriya ordered as Uzu frowned. "Maybe you think you don't want my help, but I won't let you down, Eri."

Uzu nodded, letting Midoriya fall to the floor.

"I'm not letting anyone die. I'm going to save you!"

Eri cried when the wind burst through the air. Uzu blinked, glancing around the exit he had left through. Ryukyu and her interns, as well as the villain they were fighting, crashed through the ceiling. "Exit!"