Freeze Frame

Chapter 98

Third person pov

"Why do we keep falling for Aizawa's little tricks?" Jiro groaned as Lillian, Izuku, and Hitoshi all rolled off of the dying Shoto. Nobody seemed hurt luckily; though, more than a few had scrapes and had landed in ways that would most definitely result in bruises. Lillian could already feel exhaustion creeping up on her, and they hadn't even started yet. Story of her life honestly. They quite literally just got yeeted off a cliff. They weren't empty... yet. They would be. After this, they all would be.

"I guess there's no use complaining. Might as well get going." Kirishima said while dusting off his shirt. Bakugo huffed slightly, eyes trailing over to where Lillian was allowing Icyhot to redo her ponytail with a glum look on her face. Turnip was staring at his hands, despondent, muttering to himself about how he should have seen it coming, and something about his will to live finally vanishing off this very plane of existence. That damned Deku just looked calculative, tilting his head at the forest as though it had some shit to hide. 

Overall, everyone seemed generally alright. Hagakure's wrist was throbbing, but seemed okay all things considered. She could still roll it just fine from what the girl could tell. Obviously, nobody else could very well view any damage that may or may not have been done. Not like they could do anything about it anyway. Their only choice now was the start the long trek to the base of the mountain, where lunch would await them. Lillian was suddenly very, very glad she and Mihoko forced food down Hitoshi's throat this morning. He'd be dead by the time they made it to camp otherwise.

"We should get going. If we want to make it to the site before-" Izuku was cut off by a low, rumbling growl that erupted just beyond the trees. An unappreciated interruption if Lillian had ever heard one. Everyone froze, all talk ceasing completely as something large took a step heavy enough to lightly shake the ground beneath them. Lillian watched her classmates go pale, jaws dropping and eyes going wide and round. Wincing, she allowed her eyes to trail over to whatever had caught their gaze. She, too, blanched. This was some Maze Runner type bullshit right here.

"I put my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is the thanks I get?" The freckled girl asked, horrified.

"We're all gonna die!" Sero and Kaminari broke the short spell that had smacked them all over the heads. Hitoshi immediately began to panic as the thing took a swipe at the person nearest to it, which happened Tokoyami. Their bird-headed peer was out of there lickety split, wasting not a second rushing away and back towards the group. People crouched down, ready for a fight. Lillian gulped, a thin sheen of sweat forming over her skin already. And they hadn't even started moving yet. Great. She could already smell herself in the future, and to be blunt, it wasn't pretty. She'd need several showers to remove the shell that would inevitably form over her skin.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit." Hitoshi cursed. "That is simultaneously the coolest yet the scariest thing I've ever seen."

"It's neither." Shoto argued quietly, honestly not seeming all that concerned. "Remember that time Chad was on the news, caught up in a gunfight between himself and that one gang he pissed off. Only his gun was a Nerf gun and he was still winning-"

"G-Guys, now really isn't the time." Lillian sputtered as Koda tried to control the creature. It didn't answer, implying that it wasn't classified as any sort of animal or insect. Fun times. Very fun times. "Oh god, Chris, is that a weed?" 

"No, it's a-" Hitoshi was cut off when the beast shot forward out of the trees like a heat-seeking missile or some shit. Several people screamed in terror, and Lillian lurched forward in a panic.

"I'm calling the police!" The freckled girl shrieked, terrified. And then she blinked. Though everyone had seen Lillian's quirk in action before, it was still awing to see the earthen beast stuck mid-lunge, claws outstretched in its pounce. The shadow that was cast over them was almost taunting, as though telling them just how hellish this was going to be. Shoto broke the silence.