Zero Hero ||MHA||

32. Something To Protect

The vigilantes and I dashed down the halls while Corvade took the lead. As we neared the staircase, a group of Crimson Eclipse villains jumped from the corner. There were a lot compared to our numbers, but it didn't matter; we were grabbing that serum no matter what.

"Don't let any of them pass!"

They charged. Masterbaiter stretched his fishing line across the floor and to the other side. Following its trajectory, Strawberry Shades leaped and slammed his foot on it, tightening the string. Before they could even attack, hoards of them tripped. They tumbled like dominos, and Static used her Quirk to paralyze those on the ground.

"Me and Static will take care of these scrubs!" Masterbaiter said.

Static began to protest but stopped when more grunts approached. Their comrades realized what was happening and simply jumped over the tripwire. Meanwhile, Corvade, Strawberry Shades, and I pushed our way through the crowd with the seed shield Strawberry Shades made. It was so enormous that it blocked the three of us who ran alongside each other. As we inched closer, more villains emerged. It grew more difficult to move and evade their attacks. Corvade and I were used our Quirks to dodge, but with so many Quirks flying at once, it was chaotic.

"This isn't working. There's too many of them!" I remarked.

Turning to Strawberry Shades, Corvade asked if he could make a path for us. With a nod, he spit a seed into his hand. Within seconds, it grew as large as a bowling ball. He sent it rolling. As it rolled, it grew to the point it was as huge as a vending machine. Any villain in its path got mowed down. They began to jump away. With a clear route, the three of us hurried through. The seed continued rolling until it burst through the window, sending villains falling out after it.

"We three got this! Go find the serum!" Strawberry Shades exclaimed.

Shooting us with his iconic dazzling grin that blinded my eyes, he turned around and formed another seed. Corvade grabbed her grappling hook with one hand and placed the other around my waist. Pulling me close, she told me we were jumping. I gave her a firm nod and clutched her cloak. Our feet leaped off the ground at the same time and soon, the lake was under them. I heard the spur of her hook fly and latch onto the building. Spinning in the air and nearing the window, we crashed through. Unlike last time, I stuck my landing, though, clumsily.

"Where are we?" I asked as Corvade sprinted away. I followed after her, trying to match her pace, but she was pretty swift.

"The 1st floor. The serum's hidden in the basement," she replied.

She suddenly turned the corner, and I nearly crashed into the wall trying to make that sharp turn. I noticed we were at a dead end. I dumbly informed her about our situation. She ignored me and began running her hands on the wall. It only took me a few moments to realize what was happening, and I joined in. Of course, something so important is hidden in a secret passage. It should be basic knowledge for somebody like me who's always getting into trouble.

My hands ran along the wall when I felt something warm. Informing Corvade, she scurried over to inspect. Then pulling out her baton, it flickered with electricity and she stabbed it. Doing so caused the lights to flicker and after a moment, the wall opened to reveal an elevator. Through the radio, Mitsume talked.

"Smart thinking! Why didn't I think of doing that? Last time I busted in, I used a passcode."

We went inside, taking this time to catch our breaths before inevitably returning to battle. The groovy tunes of a piano and guitar filled the shaft as we descended. While I'm glad there's music to fill the silence, it still felt kinda awkward. I peeked at Corvade, whose purple eyes were staring ahead. My mind flashed to the night when everything was revealed. I remembered seeing her whole face and the shape of her nose and lips. The familiarity of it was like Dad's. Then, the scar on her mouth. She told me she got it from battle, I think.