Rising Tides (Izuku Midoriya x F!Reader)

Chapter 036 (Two Heroes)

CHAPTER 36: Rise Above the Steel

As you reached the top floor, breathless from the climb, you felt a strange mix of excitement and dread. Together, you, Midoriya, and Melissa crept forward, each step echoing in the tension-filled silence. You entered the vault to find David Shield and his assistant, Sam, standing near a metal locker. David was visibly shaken as he retrieved a device, but Sam's demeanor felt unsettling, something about his movements just... off. Melissa's face turned pale as she overheard her father and Sam speaking about the villains they'd hired and their plan to take back his invention.

"Father, what have you done?" she whispered, her voice barely holding back the sting of betrayal.

At her words, David turned, guilt clear in his eyes as he explained. "It was a Quirk Amplification Device, Melissa. I created it to help those who are losing their strength... for heroes who can't keep up anymore." His voice wavered as he admitted he'd done it for All Might, knowing the hero's power was fading.

You felt anger welling up, realizing that in his desperation, David had jeopardized not only All Might's life but countless others. Your fists clenched. You could feel Midoriya's struggle, knowing the truth of All Might's weakening strength, feeling the weight of his guilt.

"You put my mom, All Might, and everyone on this island in danger for this?" you snapped, the words bursting out before you could hold them back. Without thinking, you took a step forward, your voice trembling with anger. "How could you be so reckless?" You moved closer, almost tackling him against the wall.

David stammered, trying to explain. "They were supposed to be fake villains..."

But before you could say more, a slow clap resonated through the vault. Wolfram entered with a smug grin, his metal-manipulating Quirk at the ready. "Fake villains?" he sneered, tightening his hold on the metal surrounding the vault. "Did you really think we'd play by your rules?"

Midoriya leapt forward, but Wolfram quickly raised metal barriers, blocking him at every turn. He caught you off guard, knocking you aside before Midoriya could intervene. Recovering quickly, Midoriya launched himself at Wolfram, delivering a powerful Detroit Smash to disrupt his hold on the metal around you.

You pushed yourself up, nodding to Midoriya in thanks. Swordkil then charged in out of nowhere, using his Sword Hands Quirk to slash through the air toward you. Midoriya grabbed Melissa and rolled out of the way, but Swordkil kept up his assault, his movements fast and deadly. Midoriya used his Full Gauntlet to parry, but Swordkil was relentless, pushing him closer to the edge.

Just then, you darted forward, calling out to Midoriya. He glanced over, momentarily surprised, but quickly nodded as you moved to flank Swordkil. Working in tandem, you created openings for Midoriya, landing precise hits on the villain's weak spots. But in a brief moment of distraction, Swordkil slashed toward you, knocking you off balance. You hit the ground, dazed, but Midoriya took advantage of the opening, driving a powerful smash into Swordkil's side, sending him crashing into the wall.

"Are you okay?" Midoriya asked, reaching out to help you up. You nodded, shaking off the impact as you both refocused on the task at hand.

Together, you fought through Wolfram's henchmen, each one more determined than the last to stop you.

Suddenly, Wolfram reappeared, his metal manipulation Quirk wrapping around the room like a tightening fist. Sam, who had been helping David, revealed his true allegiance, delivering the device to Wolfram with a wicked grin.

"This was never about helping you, David," Sam sneered as he turned on his former mentor. The betrayal struck hard, and you could feel the collective shock ripple through the room.