Scorched ~Endeavor~

Chapter 38

2 months later

"Void no other heroes are in your area, there's nothing else we can do."

Groaning I push the concrete slab off of me, "Get me some damn help, I have injured kids here for crying out loud!"

I stumble over to the corner where I've kept the kids encircled in a wall of smoke. They scream when they see me but I quickly get down on my knees.

"Hey hey, it's me, it's okay"

They settle down but still some are crying due to them being scared. I slide off my masks and wipe my sweat away.

The building creaks again making concrete pebbles drop from the ceiling. The kids start crying louder so I stand up and place my hands on the wall they're sitting on. My smoke moves in closer and stops behind my legs.

"It'll be okay guys, I promise, I'll get you guys home safe n sound."

The building creaks again and I feel a slab of concrete land on top of my smoke. A pointed edge gets through and stabs me in the arm. My grip loosens on the wall and I lose some control of the smoke.

"Miss, you're hurt"

Groaning I regain my grip, "I'll be fine, hey, tell me about yourselves, to keep our minds off of all this."

A little boy with horns raises his hand, I nod to him letting him know he can talk. "When I drink water my horns glow!"

I smile, "Really? That's so cool!"

A little girl with gills on her neck raises her hand, "When I swim underwater I can breathe and see tiny fishies!"

"You're so lucky! I wish I could do that!"

She smiles and wipes away her tears; another girl with bright red freckles raises her hand next. "When it's really sunny outside my hair glows red"

Another slab of concrete falls and adds more weight to my back. I bite my lip before forcing a smile, "Red? You have black hair and it turns red? That's really awesome!"

"Void, we have tried everything but we can't get any heroes on sight!"

I groan and quickly tap my ear piece, "Listen here Greg, I have kids here, excuse my French but I have fucking kids trapped with me in a collapsed building. I can do nothing but hold concrete on my back hoping someone will come!" 

I look at the kids and see they're crying again, tears fill my eyes and my lips tremble. My vision blurs, I don't want these kids dying. I don't have my kids anymore but I don't want any other mother feeling the loss of there baby.

"Alina,you will push that off of you and get out, that's your only way of completing that exercise."

I groan but push again, "I can't! I'm not strong enough, this is exactly why dad is still asleep! This is why dad is asleep in the first place! I wasn't strong enough to save him!"

More weight is added to concrete making me groan and squeeze my eyes shut.

"Then that is why you will get stronger, push that off and continue going forward. That is your only option."

More weight is added and I stumble down to my knee. My body begs for me to stop, my brain begs but I can't just quit. I'm working to get stronger, to make sure other people won't end up like my dad.

More weight is added but before my body can crumple underneath it, determination fills my veins. My eyes glow brighter, my smoke returns and gets stronger. Using my legs I push up and slowly the weight gets less n less. I scream and finally push off the last piece of rubble.

I did it

My vision fills back to the real world, kids crying and me crying too.

"Void?"

"Just shut up! You aren't helpful Greg!"

I rip out my ear piece and toss is behind me, forever being lost and destroyed in the rubble.

"Okay kiddos, I need all of you to listen to me very carefully."

They nod and stare at me with doe eyes.

"I need all of you to stand up carefully and give each other one big hug."

They do what they're told and soon there's more room around us.

"Please don't move, this next part might be scary."

I close my eyes and imagine power flowing through my veins. Determination. Hope. Sadness. Anger. Confused. My eyes flutter open and the space around us glows a bright yellow. Slowly I start leaning up pushing whatever on top of me slowly off. My smoke gets thicker giving us more protection. Soon enough the concrete is off of me completely. I create a transfer tunnel to behind my smoke and see that's it's covered in flames.

Shaking my head I create another to outside, it's horrible but it's not on fire.

I look to the kids and wrap my arms around them, there wasn't that many but I'm tiny so it's difficult. Groaning I transfer us outside where I stumble and almost fall on them but I move quickly where I land on my back instead.

Suddenly the building collapses, without hesitation I hold a hand up and cover the building in smoke before anything can come flying out. I move us onto our feet and look around, it's crazy out here. The whole block had building's somewhat destroyed.

I don't even remember what I was doing before I went into the daycare. I just remember the caretakers dying in front of me. I couldn't even save them, but I could save the kids. I had hoped I got them all, I'd hate myself if I didn't.

Soon enough policeman and heroes fill the streets, I still keep the kids in my circle and watch panic rise in the streets. My hand twitches due to me still surrounding smoke around the building.

Paramedics rush over and one by one they take the kids away. I drop to my knees getting ready to drop my smoke but I feel a force on my transfer line I didn't drop.

I look into it and see a kid, my heart drops. I can't leave him, I quickly transfer in and grab the kid and hold him to my chest. My line disappears but I find another source outside, I drop out of the smoke still cradling the boy. He sobs and grips my shirt tightly, I rub his head trying to soothe him. "It's okay, I'm here, you're safe now." 

The building collapses due to me not holding it anymore, instead of containing it in one spot I wave a hand and a wall of smoke blocks the debris.

I walk to a paramedic and hand him the kid, I'm glad I got to him in time.

"Void!"

I look behind me and see Aizawa, smiling I run into his arms and hug him tight. He rubs my head soothly while I cry into his scarf.

"It's okay, you saved them"

I nod but continue crying, "I was scared, I didn't want to lose any"

He rocks us back n forth, "I know" he kisses my head, "I know"