𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐞

Ch08

[WARNING: Graphic depictions of violence ahead, character death]

"Ah--how exhilarating!"
Izuku breathed, sounding quite out of breath from his fit of laughter.

"Who knew he would actually sacrifice himself for the man he loved!"

"H-Hero Deku?"
One of the evidently confused pros cautiously began to approach Izuku.

"Oh my, this is too much."
Izuku exhaled, finally coming to a stance.

Ochako gulped.
Now she remembered what was coming next...

Izuku drew a small, shiny object, and before the nearest pro could react, he lunged at them with an unbelievable speed.

Before anyone could fully process what'd just occurred, the pro hero was already writhing on the asphalt ground, clasping a gushing throat.

Izuku took a look at his now fairly stained blade, smiling at it contently.

"W-Who...Who are you?"
Another pro exclaimed, retracting his arms in preparation for the use of his quirk.

Izuku broke his infatuated gaze with his blooded pocket knife, staring at the man with a hollow, icy glare.

"Oh, me?"
His skin began to become liquidated, flesh melting from flesh like wet cement.
His face became misshapen until it dissolved completely, falling to the ground in masses of sticky goo.

"Why, I'm the one and only Himiko Toga--Not that you'd need to know, anyways. Since you're as good as dead!"
His voice gradually became a higher pitch, like that of a woman's.

"I-It's–It's a girl?"
A different hero added in light of seeing the entirely  different person before them.

One of the heroes didn't hesitate, immediately rearing back into an offensive stance.

But he was too late.
Himiko shot at him with a killer's intent, effortlessly slashing his upper abdomen.

He faced a similar fate as the first, who'd long bled out in the middle of the street.

"Hero Agency E requesting backup in the Musutafu district, we're in a state of emergenc–"
The next victim was cut off by their own choking, spluttering on the blood that had entered the back of their throat.

The blade that rest in the pit of their gut twisted and jerked against their struggle.

Nonetheless, Himiko was hellbent on making sure that her murderous gaze was the last thing they ever saw.

Ochako could only gape in terror as the last two were taken out as fast as the others, finally leaving Himiko as the last one standing.

"Boo hoo~ pros today are no fun. This was way too easy."
She stretched, twirling her knife between her fingers.

"Wow. It actually worked."
A disembodied voice came from behind Ochako.

A man in a full-body skin suit came into view as he walked past Ochako.
He approached the rather dainty girl, throwing her a change of clothes.

"To think, all we needed was some tact. This was actually boring, if you ask me, Twice."
The blonde sighed as she slipped into her shirt.

Twice chuckled.
"Well it's not over yet! I'm excited to see how far we get way with this! Ugh, this is going to be such a bother..."

"Stop right there!"
A young, but intimidating voice bellowed.
From the rooftop of a nearby building, stood the almighty number one pro hero--
Izuku Midoriya.

"Shit--Toga, I thought you said you handled him! How did you get his blood?"

"I-I did! He must've woken up on his own accor–"

THUD!

Twice and Himiko simultaneously snapped their focus back to the powerful hero that now stood only several feet before them.

Izuku was in pretty good shape, despite the hand covering the knife incision on his left arm.

He'd finally taken his surroundings into account, feeling his skin grow cold at the sight of his comrades in puddles of their own blood--still, and lifeless.

His eyes were frantically scanning now; searching for–
"Looking for Ground Zero?"
Twice bellowed, satisfied when Izuku seemed to tense at the question.

Himiko wasted no time, darting in his direction, barely missing him by an inch or so.

Izuku got ahold of her dominant hand, drawing her over his shoulder and pinning her to the ground.

His grip tightened on her wrist until the blade had fallen to the ground.
"Where is he?"
He persisted, teeth bearing.

"Long time no see, Izu-chan! I hope you're happy to see me, because I've definitely been wanting to see you.."

She took a deep breath, before letting out a satisfied, shaky exhale.

"It's hard to tell you where he is, really--seeing as our new edition is prone to error."
A rasped voice came from behind Izuku.

He released his grasp on Himiko, and spun around to establish the grounds of his new opponent.

"Y-You..."

Tomura Shigaraki stood plain as day between the two parties.
He was...Holding something.

Ochako's heart dropped when she saw it–what she'd known Izuku had seen as well.

The half-disintegrated gauntlet that remained secure within his grasp.

The air began to change again. Ochako could see flecks of red, whites and yellows, like a flashing warning sign in the sky.

So much...

So much red.
...

Chestnut eyes shot open in a cold sweat, as Ochako sat up suddenly in sheer terror.

She could make out the steady beeping noise coming from the heart rate monitor that stood next to her hospital bed.

Hospital bed.

Hospital bed?

How did she get here? The last thing she could remember was...

"You're awake!"

Ochako heard the familiar voice of her best friend, Asui, and barely had time to react to the small arms that latched around her neck in a long-overdue embrace.

"I'm so relieved! You gave us a real fright, y'know!"
Ochako couldn't see her face, but she could tell by Asui's voice that she was crying.

She stroked her friend's long, silky, cobalt hair–still drained from an event she had yet to recall.

The door suddenly opened, without anyone stepping in at first.

"...ou should go in, I don't think I can."

"Get inside the damned room already!"

Ochako almost immediately recognised the strict, snappy voice as Tenya's.

Were all of her friends here?
But that would mean...

The unmistakable figure of Izuku Midoriya made his way into the room, Tenya and Shoto following close behind.

"H-Hey."
He stammered sheepishly.