Frozen Wings

Chapter 38

Shinso's POV

My lungs were screaming for oxygen. I had tried to breathe, forgetting I was underwater, only to suck in a bunch of the saltwater. I couldn't see, since my blood was creating a cloud that was obscuring my vision. I tried to kick at the shark but it kept dodging, rolling its eyes back into its head to protect itself. My Quirk was useless in a situation like this. My heart was pounding in my chest, my body shaking with fear. I couldn't think straight. Nothing was working the way it should.

This is goodbye, I guess. Damnit, I should've thanked Aizawa for all the effort and time he's put in to training me so I could be a part of the hero course! He means the world to me. He's more of a father than mine ever was. He was different from the other pros because like me, he had been told his Quirk was for a villain. I admired that he proved them all wrong. I wanted to do the same. But I guess I'll never get to now.

I wanted to cry, and maybe I was, but I couldn't tell because my tears, if they were there, were mixing in with the saltwater. I silently screamed as the shark locked its jaws around my torso, tearing into the flesh. Blood exploded into a cloud as it ripped a chunk of me off. It hurt so badly.

Why can't I just die?! I've been down here too long without oxygen!

I just wanted it to end. Suddenly, a second form swam past. I knew it was another shark. My vision began to blacken around the edges. The pressure from the shark's second bite to my torso was suddenly gone. I breathed out the last bit of oxygen I had, closing my eyes.

I'm sorry.

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Storms' POV

The mutated shark lunged for me. I smacked my ice-covered tail into its eye. The creature opened its jaws, snapping them shut, obviously in pain. I tore into its flesh with my claws, ripping through the cartilage, pulling out internal organs. The shark slowed down, dying. I shot ice from my jaws at its teeth, causing them to fall out. The ice seeped backwards into the shark's gills, making them freeze. It weakly thrashed around, quickly dying from the missing organs and frozen gills. I carefully cupped Shinso in my front paws, using my tail and wings to steer myself towards the shore. Once I was close enough I couldn't swim anymore, I changed back into my human form, standing up in the water. It covered my legs, stopping at my waist. I walked further in, carefully creating a spot of ice for me to lay the injured student on, rather than the sand. Everyone crowded around me as I laid him down. I was soaked in his blood. It was too much. I knew there wasn't anything I could do for the kid.

"Shinso! Hang in there!" Aizawa was right by his side. I felt my chest aching. Even though the effort wouldn't help, I quickly pumped the water out of Shinso's chest. He coughed up the last few bits. His eyes were already starting to glaze and cloud over. I used my ice to fill in the spots in his body where the mutated shark had taken flesh chunks out of. I also put ice bandages over the bite wounds, where there were only teeth marks.

I backed away, ears flat against my head. "Winter..." Keigo's voice was right beside me.

"I can't do anything else for him." I croaked. My boyfriend got the message. He wrapped his arms around me.

"You did the best you could, Winter. That's what matters. I know it doesn't feel like it, because he's still going to leave us, but you did everything in your power to save him." He murmured. I grit my teeth.

"He's only sixteen." I said.

"I know."

Aizawa's grief-filled scream split the semi-silence. I began to cry, burying my face against Keigo's shoulder. He stood steady, wrapping me in his wings. I could hear the other students cry as well, backing away a little.