Wings of Awakening

Part 23

Izuku, Asui, and Mineta crouched in horror as they watched Aizawa battle wave after wave of villains. Despite his exhaustion, Aizawa took them down with precision, wielding his capture scarf and martial arts skills to dodge attacks and disarm his opponents. But they noticed some of the villains were mutation types, their quirks unaffected by Aizawa's Erasure. Still, he fought on, relentless.

Izuku's heart sank as he noticed the villain with hands covering his body counting down quietly: "25... 24... 23..."

He's timing Eraser Head's blinks, Izuku realized with a pang of dread.

The hand villain, Shigaraki, broke into a sprint toward Aizawa, and just as Aizawa's quirk deactivated, Shigaraki reached out and gripped Aizawa's elbow. Aizawa's costume began to decay instantly, his skin peeling beneath Shigaraki's grip. He barely managed to reactivate his Erasure in time to knee Shigaraki in the stomach and break free.

"You're cool, Eraser Head," Shigaraki sneered, "but I'm not the final boss in this game. Nomu!"

The massive creature that had been standing still by the fountain suddenly moved, launching forward so quickly that it was a blur. Izuku and the others watched in shock as Nomu's fist slammed Aizawa's head into the ground with brutal force, creating a crater on impact. Blood started trickling down Aizawa's forehead, his goggles cracked.

Their hearts pounded in terror as Nomu lifted Aizawa and slammed him down again, and this time, Izuku couldn't hold back. He bolted from their hiding spot, grabbing his bo staff as he sprinted toward the villain and his teacher.

He reached Nomu and swung his staff with every ounce of strength he had. It hit Nomu squarely, but the creature didn't even flinch. Realizing physical force alone wouldn't work, Izuku channeled his telekinesis and sent a powerful push into Nomu, enough to shove it away from Aizawa.

Thinking quickly, Izuku used his telekinesis to lift Aizawa's limp form, guiding him back toward Asui and Mineta, who were still hiding. "Take him to the entrance!" he yelled.

"What about you, Midoriya?" Asui asked, her voice laced with worry.

"I'll join you later," Izuku said, masking his own fear as he turned back to the villains.

Shigaraki tilted his head, regarding Izuku with twisted amusement. "Who are you, brat? Looks like Player 2 decided to join the game." He raised a hand toward Nomu. "Nomu, kill the brat."

With frightening speed, Nomu launched itself at Izuku, fist raised high. Izuku's reflexes kicked in, memories of Hawks' brutal training flashing through his mind. He activated his telekinetic shield just as Nomu's punch connected, sending him flying back into the fountain with enough force to shatter the stone and leave him gasping for air. Dizzy, he forced himself up, just in time to see Nomu charging again.

He spread his wings and shot into the air, dodging as Nomu's fist whooshed past him. Shigaraki's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Izuku's wings unfold.

"Wings? Didn't expect that. Looks like you might be a mini hidden boss."

Nomu roared and leapt toward him, but Izuku dodged, using his telekinesis to blast Nomu back to the ground. He hovered for a moment, focusing his energy to lift debris from the shattered fountain, then sent it raining down in sharp fragments toward Nomu and the nearby villains. Some shards embedded themselves in Nomu's skin, making the creature bleed, but it didn't seem to feel pain, its eerie eyes locked on Izuku.

Izuku touched down, panting as he observed the damage. Nomu was still standing, blood trickling from various wounds, but the creature seemed unfazed. Suddenly, Kurogiri appeared beside Shigaraki and announced, "All the students are separated as planned, and Thirteen has been incapacitated. However, one student escaped."

Shigaraki glared at Kurogiri. "If you weren't our way out of here, I'd disintegrate you." He turned back to Nomu. "Nomu, heal yourself."

Izuku's stomach twisted as he watched Nomu rip the debris out of its body, each wound sealing itself as if nothing had happened.

"You think you can beat my Nomu?" Shigaraki taunted. "It was bioengineered to kill All Might. It has shock absorption, regeneration, and super speed. No matter how much you try, it'll just regenerate."

Izuku cursed under his breath, the weight of the situation pressing on him. How much longer can I hold out? he wondered, gritting his teeth. He had to protect his classmates until help arrived—if it arrived.

Nomu charged him again, relentless, and Izuku barely managed to dodge, sending desperate telekinetic blasts to push it back. His vision began to blur, and his legs shook from exhaustion as he struggled to fend off Nomu's tireless attacks.

Then, the entrance doors burst open, and a gust of wind filled the plaza. Izuku looked up, barely believing his eyes as he saw a towering figure with a fierce glare stepping forward.

"All Might..." Izuku breathed, relief flooding him.

All Might, no smile on his face, gave Izuku a firm nod. "I am here, young Midoriya. Leave this to me."

The sheer power radiating from All Might sent a chill through the air, and for the first time, Shigaraki's grin faltered. Nomu roared, stepping forward to challenge this new arrival, and All Might tightened his fists, the intensity in his eyes fierce.

"Nomu," Shigaraki ordered, voice dripping with anticipation, "go all out."