Something Like a Star (B. Katsuki)

Three: Blurred

     The next thirteen minutes passed by in a blur. Nadoka couldn't decide if it was from her adrenaline or the fact that she was so sick her eyes were watering and everything was muddy, but nevertheless, the next time she tuned into what was happening, she was dancing around the top floor, barely managing to avoid Iida's quick attacks as muffled sounds of explosions echoed around right beneath her feet.

     She was worried. She couldn't get to the bomb without Iida blocking her way, and she couldn't get close to Iida without risking being captured. She was trapped, desperately tossing blunted daggers of crystal at Iida in the hopes that she could keep him at bay long enough for Midoriya to arrive and help her, but she knew that she was running out of time. If something didn't happen soon, Iida's team would win.

     Something happened, though. Something definitely happened. What happened? Well, for starters, the floor beneath Nadoka's feet fucking split in two.

     Nadoka gasped and jumped back just as a vaguely circular chunk of floor blasted into pieces and flew into the air. She and Iida were suddenly on opposite sides of a giant hole, and when Nadoka bewilderedly glanced down in the hole, she saw Bakugou and Midoriya a few floors below. Midoriya's arm looked torn apart, and Bakugou was quite obviously shocked by... well, something.

     "Takahashi!" She barely heard Deku's voice echo up to her, but it was enough to snap her from her daze. A giant bat of crystal formed in her hand, at least four feet long, and she swung it, catching bits of debris and sending them flying toward Iida. He gave a yelp of surprise and jumped around to avoid them while Nadoka made her move.

     Leaping out above the hole, Nadoka half-hopped, half-ran across air, summoning bundles of crystals beneath her feet to push off of. Bakugou and Midoriya had forgotten one another as they stared up at her in complete awe, and Iida gave another yell when he realized what she was doing. He tried to run around the hole to stop her, but an expertly thrown crystal dagger caught the sleeve of his suit and pinned him to the wall beside him, giving her the few extra seconds she needed to make a flying leap for the bomb.

     But she didn't jump far enough. She felt herself begin to fall short of the bomb, and forced her barely sentient brain to think. The world seemed to move in slow motion as she looked up, noticing a busted water pipe traveling across the ceiling above her head. She conjured a long crystal with a hooked end and just barely managed to hook it over the pipe.

     She swung like a monkey from the pipe, letting go of the crystal and soaring through the air to land on the bomb.

     "I GOT IT!" She screamed, her throat ripping with every syllable she uttered and her head feeling like it was going to explode. She didn't care. She had done it. A few seconds later, the buzzer sounded, but it didn't matter.

     She and Midoriya had won.

     She looked down, her eyes meeting Midoriya's as he pumped his uninjured hand toward her triumphantly. A big grin adorned his features, adoration and pride shimmering in his gaze as he gave Nadoka a wave.

     She attempted to wave back and promptly passed out.

—

     Nadoka woke up in Recovery Girl's office, cracking open an eye to see Bakugou speaking in a quiet voice— well, as quiet as someone like Bakugou could be— to the formerly mentioned tiny woman. He had his back to her and therefore didn't notice she had woken up.

     "Did you see what happened? What the hell was that?" Bakugou demanded firmly, glaring down at the small woman.

     "She passed out, young Bakugou. She was overcome with fatigue after using her Quirk while she was already sick," Bakugou growled softly as she spoke, "It was lucky you caught her, otherwise she would've fallen nearly four floors and be waking up in much, much worse conditions, if at all. That was quick thinking to use your explosions to propel yourself up to her."