The Wise Child (Hiatus!!)

36. Counting

Fire. It was everywhere. It waved towards me, welcoming me home. The chaos of the scene was a grim remembrance of my youth. The way the heat licked at my skin, the way the smoke burned my lungs. I missed it. I knew I shouldn't. But there was a longing for heat, and once it returned I couldn't help but embrace it. I wanted to burn.

"Todoroki!" I flinched, looking back towards Uwabami as she glowered down at me. "I took a risk taking you out because, to be honest, we're desperate. You have to pay attention to me when I'm talking."

"Yes miss." I responded, slight guilt hitting me. The city was in shambles and I was too busy reminiscing than actually helping.

"Alright you and Yaoyorozu will guide evacuees towards the medical vans. You are not permitted to use your powers, nor can you seek out any dangerous situation. Do not leave my eyeline. Is that understood?"

"Yes miss." We both said at once. The destruction of the city had finally convinced her into allowing my aid. I was almost grateful for the wild beasts that caused it, ones reminiscent of the beast at UA several weeks earlier.

We ran next to her as we traveled down the city streets until we arrived at a large building that looked to be crumbling, a monster having climbed its walls like that strange ape from the movie Bakugou would mention often.

Uwabami was quick to sprint towards the entrance and guide the citizens towards an EMT nearby. I followed suit, gesturing towards the van.

I looked at the faces of the different victims. They were all older, this being an office building, but there was a haunted mess to their faces that had to have come from a previously innocent belief that they would be fine, only to be disproven.

I tried not to think too much about it. There were times for mourning and times for action. My empathy would help no one.

I had walked a few groups back and forth, but this time when I came back it was different. There were blood soaked limbs distorted into horrendous shapes, a hero rushing dead bodies outside.

I felt bile rise in my throat but swallowed it back.

"Oh my god," I heard Momo cry beside me. I turned to see her looking pale. I bit my lip, there wasn't time for that.

I moved, gripping her face firmly, "Listen, you can panic later. Okay. We'll get scared together when this is over."

Her eyes were scattering all over the place before she slowly nodded. "O-okay."

I nodded and turned around to quickly check for pulses. Most had none. I could barely move from one body before even more showed up. But I couldn't think like that. I couldn't be rushed and miss a living person.

Eventually there was a loud screaming noise coming from a woman as she was carried out the door, bone visible through her leg. She was gasping and breathing erratically.

I moved fast, picking her up in my arms.

"Close your eyes." I demanded, perhaps a touch too harshly.

"What? Why- I-"

"Close your eyes," I repeated. She slowly did so before groaning again. "It's okay there's an EMT right here. Try counting by twos, okay?"

"Why would I-"

"Just trust me."

She nodded and by the time I made it to the medic she was letting strangled sobs out, I couldn't tell if they were getting quieter or if I was just holding onto hope. A medic took one look at her and managed to pull a stretcher up that I could safely let her onto.

I watched her squirm before it was made clear the medic would take care of her. I moved to leave, guide more people to safety, or find more corpses, but she gripped my hand, "Please don't go."

I blinked, unsure of what to say. "I can't stay, I have to help others."

She cried a little and I felt guilt curl in my stomach.

"Okay, just-just." I spoke, searching for some sort of comfort. "Keep counting up by two to one hundred, then do fours. It helps I think. I don't feel so much when I'm counting. I think you just need to feel less."

She chuckled, before grimacing "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Oh god, and you're seeing all of this." She gulped and a few tears slid down her dirt soaked face.

"I don't mind ma'am. I'm counting."

She stared at me with a smile before waving her hand, signalling that I leave. I listened and rushed back towards the building. I went back to checking pulses, Uwabami and Momo leading the survivors able to walk over to the vehicles.

The crowd of people leaving began to lessen, which was good because the building didn't look like it would be structurally sound for very long.

Finally, after what felt like hell waiting, a pro came out, breathing haggard, "It's done. I have everyone.

We all let out a breath before we heard a crashing sound occur, as another floor collapsed, followed by a scream. We all made eye contact at the sound. It was coming from inside. Someone was left behind.

I turned my attention to the veterans for help, only to see a rush of raven hair glide past me. It took me about three seconds to realize that Momo had run into the building, and three more to attempt to go after her. I lunged into a run only to have my torso grabbed and the nauseating smell of Uwabami's perfume filtering in my nose.

"Stay here, we don't need an extra corpse," She spoke in my ear, but I ignored her attempting to get out of her vice-like grip. What would happen to Momo? She had to come out. I had to make sure she did. I didn't care about idiotic rational thought, I cared that she made it.

She was one of my first friends. She was the first person to hug me in years. I didn't have time to get used to it. What if- what if she didn't come out.

Each time my heart beat in my head I could feel my dread growing. Would she be another body with no pulse?

I couldn't help but imagine it. Her skin, already a touch pale, turned gray and blue, her face, which was normally rushed with a touch of pink, completely lost of its color. I could see it. Blood and dust and crushed limbs. I knew what fire and stone could do to a person. How it could rip them apart. I thought she was safe from that. I thought all of my friends were safe from the carnage.

What a fool I was.

I was beginning to lose hope, consciousness, anything, a cold broken resolve taking over, when there was an echoing of boots and she appeared, helping to carry a man out, half his side covered in blood as his left leg looked like a mound of torn flesh with no real shape. But they were both out. They were both alive.

Uwabami finally let me go and I grabbed the man's other arm, me and Momo carrying him to an EMT.

As soon as he was put in a stretcher and hauled off I turned towards Momo. Her hair, which was almost always neat and tidy, was sticking up in all directions, and dirt covered her face, making her skin appear gray, but there was still color. Still life. She had never looked more beautiful.

I wrapped my arms around her tight and felt tears pour from my eyes. I couldn't breathe. I Just needed to hold her tight. I needed to know she was real. I needed to know that I could feel her and that she could feel me, and that she wouldn't leave me too.

"Yae- Yae- I can't breathe."

I let go a little, even that felt wrong, but I nudged my head deeper into her neck. She didn't smell like her, the grime of the city in ruins enough to block her cherry scented perfume.

"Why would you do that? Why would you ever do something so - so reckless. I thought - I thought-"

She moved to rub my back, chuckling softly. "It's okay. I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

"Don't ever leave me." I demanded refusing to move from her grasp.

"Never."

(Y'all I don't like this chapter but I had to post smth so here u go.)