My Hero Academia - Twilight Twice

Chapter 1: Twice Upon A Time

Someone had to save the day.

When Izumi arrived, the street was chaos—crowded with panicked civilians, heat pouring off buildings that crackled as the flames expanded. Heroes moved between pockets of screaming people, but Izumi's gaze froze on the villain standing at the center, casting a grotesque shadow over the street.

It was him—the same monster who'd attacked her.

Why is he here? Her body recoiled with fear. Did he escape All Might? Did he... Her chest tightened, breath dry. Did he drop the bottle? Is this... my fault?

Around her, the murmurs of the crowd broke through the ringing in her ears.

"Why aren't the heroes doing anything?"

"Are they blind? That villain's got some kid trapped in there—been like that for a while now."

Izumi's trembled, the memory of suffocating inside that thing pressing in, a tightening pressure that nearly paralyzed her. She'd barely survived seconds in its grip, and someone else had been trapped like that for minutes?

The crowd continued to mumble.

"Wasn't that the villain All Might was fighting?"

"Yeah, but where is he now?"

"I saw him earlier!" someone cried, panic on their words. "So why isn't he here?"

This is my fault, she thought. If All Might hadn't wasted his time with me...

More cries filled the air, voices blending in a long chorus of fear and anger. And then she saw him—Bakugou, his face twisted in pain, struggling against the slime that was choking the life from him. The agony in his eyes...

And her legs began to move.

"Idiot, what are you doing?!"

Why am I running? Confusion and terror mixed as she pressed forward. What am I doing?

Ahead, the villain noticed her approach, lifting a monstrous arm that darkened the sky above. Behind, she could feel the heat of the fire as it clawed at her passing, attempting to bite at her clothes.

"Die!" the monster screamed.

What do I do? Her mind kept going. Page 25. Lacquered Chain Prison.

Grabbing her backpack, she threw it forward, its contents spilling out and crashing against the villain's face. It stopped him for a second—just one—and she dashed ahead, hands clawing at the sticky slime holding her classmate.

"Kacchan!"

Bakugou's eyes flew open, narrowed with anger even as he gasped for air. "Why are you here?!" he choked.

"I don't know!"

Her words fell out as her heart hammered and her whole life flashed before her in raw memories—a sad, unremarkable life tethered to the ground, never meant to take flight.

But she did not care.

She looked at Bakugou's face, twisted in pain, his eyes pleading without words. And in that moment, she knew—it didn't matter if she could do something; she had to do something.

"Pathetic..." A deep voice rumbled behind her.

The ground shook as the villain's fist crashed down, but another figure blurred forward, throwing a shadow over them both.

"I'm really pathetic..."

"All Might!" Izumi gasped.

"All that talking... And I wasn't putting my own words into practice," All Might growled, his gaze fierce. "Heroes are always risking their lives!"