Can We Be Heroes?

Chapter 37• Heat, Gravity, and Restraint

The wall to the cafeteria exploded.

One second, the students of Aldera Junior High were casually eating lunch-chatting, laughing, trying to forget the weight of the real world and the he next second-

BOOM.

An ear-shattering blast ripped through the school grounds, shaking the very concrete under their feet. Smoke, heat, and splintered wood flew through the air as students screamed, flung backward into benches, tables, and walls.

Monoma slammed hard into the corner of a lunch table, a sharp cry escaping his lips as pain seared through his shoulder-the same one that had only recently begun to heal.

He groaned, coughing through the smoke. "Oh, come on, I just fixed this arm..."

From the swirling dust, two figures emerged. One hovered a few inches above the ground, gravity distorting around him like warped glass. Pebbles floated at his feet, tables lifted and dropped at random. His eyes glowed faintly, hair swept back like he lived in a wind tunnel.

The other crackled with heat-skin glowing around the arms and shoulders, steam rising from his footsteps as he walked, a trail of scorched grass in his wake.

They looked demented, expressions twisted into wild grins that screamed this is fun in the most terrifying way possible and Monoma blinked, still disoriented, then muttered under his breath-

"Okay but tell me they don't look like the deadbeat uncles who raised Bakugo in a barbecue pit."

Izuku turned and gave him a wide-eyed glare, coughing as he helped another student to their feet. "Not now, Monoma!"

"What? That was quality under-pressure commentary!" Monoma hissed back. "It's either sarcasm or a panic attack, pick one!"

The two men stopped in the middle of the hall, students were still scrambling-some injured, some hiding.

The gravity user looked around, scanning the terrified crowd like he was searching for something-or someone.

"Alright, listen up, brats," he said, his voice light and weirdly cheerful. "We're looking for someone. A little info broker. Real clever with a bow. Goes by the name..."

He paused. Tilted his head.

"Hex."

Izuku's breath caught in his throat. Shinso, who had just crawled behind a half-broken bench, narrowed his eyes and Monoma, holding his arm, blinked. His gaze snapped toward Midoriya-just for a second.

Midoriya had gone pale but neither Shinso nor Monoma said a word. None of them could react.

Not now, in front of all these students. Not with so sick headed student probably filming the whole thing despite the obvious imminent danger to all, including themselves. Not with teachers arriving.

They couldn't afford to transform. Couldn't use their quirks too boldly. Couldn't risk being found out. So they did what students were supposed to do. They stayed down and they hey watched and waited.

"Come on out, Hex," the heat user growled, small flames licking up his forearms. "We know you're here. Got a fat bounty sitting on your green little head. From Esien & Thorn, no less and we're not leaving empty-handed."

Izuku's heart hammered. He pressed himself closer to the ground, eyes scanning the area. No way out. Too many witnesses. If he moved wrong, even once, the truth would spill-about Hex, about everything.

Shinso gritted his teeth. His instinct screamed at him to take control of the situation. A single word could shut these two down-but it wasn't safe. His voice was too distinct. One mistake, and he'd be dragged into the light too.

Monoma clutched his now bleeding shoulder, his breath shaky. He could barely move it now. He wanted to snap back, distract them, draw their attention away but even that felt like a risk. He couldn't copy a quirk with a damaged arm.

They were trapped by the weight of their own secrets and before anyone could blink the air shimmered with warped gravity as the villain's glowing eyes locked on Izuku Midoriya.

The floating man's lip curled into a sneer. "Funny... green hair, skittish look..."

With a sudden jerk of his fingers, Izuku was yanked off the ground, choking as the invisible pull tightened around his throat. The crowd gasped, a few students screamed but no one moved.

"You're Hex," the man said coldly. "Aren't you?"

Izuku clawed at the air, legs kicking, mouth open but no sound coming out. His eyes widened, panic flaring-his cover, his identity, his life all unraveling with each second of oxygen slipping away.

Monoma's entire body tensed, blood roaring in his ears as he tried to rise from behind the overturned table, his injured shoulder screaming in protest.

He didn't care if anyone saw or if it exposed everything. He stood up and was about to lunge but just then-

"Hah?" A loud, snarling voice echoed across the courtyard as Bakugo Katsuki stepped through the smoke and scattered lunch debris, eyes blazing with contempt with a bleeding forehead.

He jerked his thumb at Izuku like he was trash. "You seriously think that weak punk is a vigilante?" he scoffed. "He's a quirkless freak who's scared of his own damn shadow. He can't even walk past a barking dog without crying."

The gravity villain hesitated as Izuku hung limply, wheezing now with the grip loosened slightly, eyes red and watering.

Monoma's eyes darkened. He stood fully now, shaking slightly, his lips curled in disgust.

"And what are you two idiots doing trying to bomb a middle school?" he snapped, voice cold and sharp like a blade. "Do you seriously think a vigilante would be dumb enough to hide in a place crawling with social media hungry teens.?"

The heat user turned toward him slowly, a flame sparking in his palm. "Watch your mouth, brat."

But Monoma kept going, biting through the pain. "And how do you even know Hex is a child?" he challenged, eyes narrowing. "You sound awfully sure about who you're looking for. Almost like someone gave you half a story and you were too thick to realize you're being played."

For a moment, there was silence, the students and few teachers around him holding their breath. Leave it to Monoma to be the the only person bold enough to insult danger in the face.

It seemed to have worked as the villains faltered, just a fraction of a second before sirens were heard in the distance.

Backup was coming. And the heat user snarled. "Screw this. Not worth it if the school's crawling with pros within the minute."

The gravity man gave Izuku one last calculating look, then dropped him like a ragdoll. Izuku hit the ground hard, coughing violently, hands shaking.

The two villains retreated fast, disappearing over the gates before anyone could follow as Monoma was already stumbling toward Midoriya, ignoring the pain, ignoring the crowd.

"You okay?" he muttered low, kneeling beside him.

Izuku nodded weakly, still wheezing.

Shinso rushed over too, crouching beside them silently, eyes flickering between the two but none of them said what they were thinking.

'What Bounty was now circulating?

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Word Count [1170]