Fear was an emotion you should've handled more efficiently given your past.
But when the ominous mist with bright, sharp, yellow eyes blocked the path of you and your classmates running from certain danger, the panic in your veins turned your muscles frozen.
The only thing that kept you from sinking back to the ground, to escape the ringing in your ears, was the warmth of a hand still firmly grasping your elbow like a vice.
Seeing the fury in Bakugo's eyes, you just knew: he wasn't even close to being afraid.
And he wasn't even considering letting you go.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." The mass spoke, his warp gates flowing like smoke. "We are the league of villains. I know its impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice to say hello. And besides, isn't this a fitting place for All Might, the symbol of peace to meet his end?"
Your classmates murmured to one another, all ready to run or fight or scream.
The villain looked around, continuing, "I believe he was supposed to be here today and yet I see no sign of him. There must have been some change in plans we could not have foreseen. Ah, well, in the end I suppose it doesn't matter. I still have a role to pla-"
His voice ceased and his eyes stopped their seeking motions.
Your lip trembled. Their light all but certainly seemed fixed on you.
"Do my eyes deceive me?" His deep, yet shrill voice felt like a centipede crawling up your neck. "Or is that you, y/n?"
Reacting before you could, both Shoto and Bakugo made a low, growling sound.
Roughly, Bakugo tugged you behind him as Shoto took a fighting stance.
"New friends have you?" Kurogiri asked, shifting slightly, as if preparing to attack just as much as your protectors. "Well, All Might may not be here, but it will certainly bring Tomura joy... to have you back with us."
Your thoughts were louder than his words.
And all they could scream was Liar.
Kurogiri moved faster than you could've expected. The shouts and confusion among your classmates made your head perk up, and before your knew it you could feel the tickling cold of his warp gate nearing your skin.
Time slowed.
Your quirk ebbed and flowed inside of you the moment that thing got within ten feet.
And it was raging to be let out.
But it would've been useless anyway.
Warp gates aren't made of any elements you can control.
They're just holes in space.
The only option to save yourself would've been to self-combust and destroy everything around you in the process.
But in the past when you'd theorized how you could've fought someone like him- when you were trapped in that dark place and his and Shigaraki's voices became beyond memorizable-
Well. You didn't have friends back then.
Two arms that felt harder than steel wrapped around you from behind, and tugged you backwards forcefully just as ice and the sound of explosions burst towards the villain.
Falling in a thud against an equally hardened body, you looked up to see Kirishima holding you in his arms.
Bakugo and Todoroki landed back on the ground to make way for a flustered Kurogiri attempting to catch his breath and reassemble after that assault.
"Did you think we were just gonna stand around and let you take our classmate!?" Kirishima yelled as you got back on your feet.
"You live up to your school's reputation." Kurogiri said roughly. "But you should be more careful children. Otherwise, someone might get hurt."
"You don't touch them!" You yelled, finally feeling your voice return to your throat.
You weren't alone. There was no reason to be so afraid. You weren't alone.
"Stand back you idiot!" Bakugo yelled over his shoulder as you started walking albeit shakily towards Kurogiri.
Shoto couldn't get hurt. No one could get hurt. Why had you been so stupid as to let them defend you?
"Hey! I said get back!" Bakugo said again, now more aggressively.
Kurogiri stared down at you, but when he saw the light come back to your eyes the way they did when that power he knew too well began to awaken, he knew it was time.
"You four! Get out of the way right now!" Thirteen yelled and Kurogiri took his opportunity.
"I'll spread you around this facility to aid in combat and your deaths!"
With an ungodly amount of speed and power, his warp gate spread around your entire class without fail.
The darkness enveloped you all and the ringing in your ears got so bad you had to grasp them to stop from screaming.
The last thing you heard as your class was separated one by one by one was Shoto yelling your name.
