Wings of Awakening

Part 43

It all started with Mina's invitation to the class: "Hey everyone, let's go shopping for the camp together!" she'd suggested enthusiastically. The idea caught on quickly, with most of the class agreeing, though Bakugo and Todoroki both opted out.

"I have someone to visit at the hospital today," Todoroki had explained to Izuku.

Still excited about the idea, Izuku decided to invite Shinso. After class, he approached him.

"Why am I invited to a Class 1-A shopping trip when I'm not even going to the camp with?" Shinso replied, his usual tired voice showing a hint of curiosity.

Izuku scratched his neck awkwardly. "We haven't been able to hang out much with all the finals. I just... want to go to the mall with friends. I've never really gone shopping with friends before."

That seemed to trip Shinso up, and Izuku pressed his luck with a grin. "Plus, after shopping, we could stop by a cat café..."

Shinso gave a small smile. "Are you bribing me, Midoriya?"

"Is it working?" Izuku asked, his eyes hopeful.

"Maybe."

"I'll take that as a win!" Izuku replied cheerfully. "I can't wait to introduce you to the rest of the class."

"I can feel the headache coming already," Shinso muttered with a smirk.

At the mall, Momo took charge, directing everyone. "Since we have a lot of places to check out, let's split into groups. After an hour, we'll meet back here." Everyone agreed and divided up.

Izuku joined a group with Iida, Uraraka, and Shinso. "Which store do you guys want to visit first?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't need to buy anything," Uraraka admitted sheepishly.

"Me either," Iida added, chopping the air in a sharp gesture. "I already have camping supplies at home!"

"Midoriya dragged me here," Shinso said, looking as tired as ever.

"Well, I need a sleeping bag and some mosquito repellent," Izuku replied.

As the four headed toward the camping supply shop, Izuku felt a sudden chill, a prickle on the back of his neck. He felt his wings almost wanting to emerge.

"Is everything okay, Midoriya?" Iida asked.

"Yeah, just felt a little chill," Izuku replied, trying to shake it off. "Can you go ahead? I'll catch up."

Iida and Uraraka hesitated but eventually moved ahead, though Shinso shot him a suspicious look before going along. Izuku turned down a narrow passage between two shops and, once alone, extended his wings, feeling on edge. As he turned, he came face-to-face with a hooded figure who had followed him.

"Who are you?" Izuku asked, his stance shifting to be ready for anything.

The figure let out a raspy laugh and pulled back his hood. "Ah, you caught me," he sneered.

Izuku's eyes widened. "Shigaraki," he muttered, his hands and wings starting to glow with energy.

"I didn't come here to fight," Shigaraki said with a sly grin, glancing around. "Let's not cause a commotion in front of all these people." Izuku glanced over, realizing they were hidden from view, yet the mall crowds bustled nearby.

Shigaraki scratched his neck, the unsettling rasp of his voice growing sharper. "I have a question. Why is the Hero Killer more popular than us? During the Hosu incident, he completely upstaged us. We barely even made the news with our Nomus!"

Izuku hesitated, then decided to answer carefully. "Well, Stain has beliefs he sticks to—even if they're misguided. He has a goal. But you and your group... you just want to kill All Might and destroy hero society. What happens after that?"

Shigaraki's face twisted, his fingers clawing at his neck. "People will know heroes can't save everyone," he hissed. "Once there's chaos, there'll be no need for heroes."

Izuku took a breath. "That's the problem. Even if you kill All Might, others will rise to take his place. Your goal is only destruction—to make everyone feel what you felt when heroes didn't save you."

Shigaraki's eyes blazed, scratching his neck hard enough to draw blood. "You and the rest of them piss me off... always believing in heroes." His voice dropped, venomous. "If killing All Might won't change anything, then I'll just destroy all of hero's in this hero society."

Izuku winced. Great, I just made him even angrier, he thought, tensing as Shigaraki's fury boiled over.

"Well, I'll be there to stand in your way," Izuku replied, his resolve firm.

A dark portal appeared behind Shigaraki, and Izuku braced himself, half-expecting other villains to step through. Instead, Shigaraki simply backed away, grinning with a dark promise. "We'll meet again, Izuku Midoriya." He disappeared, and the portal closed.

Izuku took a moment to catch his breath, then folded his wings back and returned to his friends.

"Where were you? It's been ten minutes!" Uraraka asked, concern clear in her eyes.

Izuku took a steadying breath before replying. "I had an encounter with Shigaraki."

Uraraka and Iida gasped, instantly checking him over for injuries. "I already called the police and let them know he was here. They're on their way," Izuku assured them.

"Who is Shigaraki?" Shinso asked, looking intrigued.

"He's the leader of the League of Villains," Izuku replied.

The urgency faded as the police arrived, and Izuku was escorted to the station to give his account. Detective Tsukauchi asked for details of the encounter, and Izuku described what Shigaraki had said. When the questions were finally over, he was escorted home, relieved but still wary of the ominous threat Shigaraki had left behind.