“That the world is far crueler than you can imagine. And heroes, aren’t the ones who will change it.”
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Mina’s eyes explode open, and her body shoots to attention. Her breath is labored, and the heart hammers against her chest. Grabbing her chest, praying the pounding stops, Mina takes stock of her surroundings.
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Those eyes darted everywhere around the hospital room, looking for shadows that weren’t there. That fact was what calmed her down.
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Mina: ‘The pros must have saved us… but sensei… ’
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Before sorrow claims her, the door opens to reveal a surprising sight.
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Kendo: “Ashido! You’re… finally awake.”
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The utter relief in her voice only made Mina more worried.
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Mina: “Kendo? What… happened? What are you doing here?”
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Sighing, the girl walked to the bed, grabbed a chair, and sat down next to Mina.
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Kendo: “You’re the last one to walk up. We thought… you weren’t going to make it.”
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Panic starts to set in. She’s missing something.
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Mina: “W-What are you talking about? I was just taken by that villain, right? It shouldn’t have taken me that long to wake up!”
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Kendo sighs again. At least this is the last time she’ll have to explain.
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Kendo: “You’ve been unconscious for ten days. And… we lost more than just Aizawa.”
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Mina: “… W-What?”
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Two Days Later
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It was snowing, an unusual sight. Especially when it was only present around the ice tower. Yes, despite all the fighting, it managed to survive. Thanks to that, it could be morphed into a hauntingly beautiful reminder.
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Mina: “It… can’t be.”
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She stands alongside everyone else who was taken by the villains. They stand together, looking up at the large art memorial.
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Aizawa, Vlad King, and Best Jeanist. Despite best efforts, the last two didn’t survive their wounds. All that remains is this ice sculpture, created by a mostly recovered Izuku, to give respect to the heroes who paid the ultimate price.
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Right below the giant memorial is a statue dedicated to All Might’s last fight. His fist raised high, it was proof that the number 1 hero has retired.
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They could do nothing but stare, unable to fully grasp the events. And yet, there was still so much more that happened while they all healed from their affliction.
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Kirishima: “Mina… ”
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Turning, she sees Kirishima looking at her with pain she never thought she’d see in him. Clearly, he was affected as well. Yet still, he’s trying to comfort her.
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He says nothing more, just gives her his presence, something to ground her. Mina’s parents tried to do the same, but they didn’t experience what she did. Seeing her teacher being killed right in front of her. And now to wake up to more death and destruction.
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For goodness’ sake, they missed the funerals!
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It was too much.
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Mina: “Kirishima, are we… cut out to be heroes?”
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Kirishima: “What?”
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Mina: “We… couldn’t do anything. Because of us… ”
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The boy looks down, eyes shaking from the weight of the situation. But after swallowing that fear, he turns toward her with determination.
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Kirishima: “No, we’re not.”
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Before she can fall into despair, he continues.
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Kirishima: “Not right now. But we can’t let Aizawa down. Remember the… last thing he said.”
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“I believe… in my students… ”
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Kirishima: “I won’t let them down. I won’t let the villains that did this to us win by quitting. I will bea hero, and make sure this never happens again. What about you?”
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She couldn’t believe it, eyes widening at the sheer determination. After a moment, Mina finally breathes before looking back at the tower of ice.
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Mina: “You’re right, I won’t quit either.”
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Mina: ‘I may be weak now, and scared, but at least… ’
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Her hand edges closer to Kirishima, seeking to borrow his strength. To her surprise, he was the one to complete the action. Their fingers interlocked, causing both of their burdens to lighten.
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Mina & Kirishima: ‘I’m not alone.’
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Similar conversions happened across the icy field, all trying to find the strength to continue and survive this ordeal.
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Before long, it was time to return home. After Mina’s mental state was confirmed, she was released to her parents. If it wasn’t for Kirishima, she may have caved into her parents’ demands to leave school for good.
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But she was determined to go back when it opens again. After a filling dinner and relaxing in her room, she thought she was on the way to recovery.
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She was wrong.
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Sleep gifted her only nightmares. One in particular was a memory from the past.
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It was middle school, and her classmates were being intimidated by a giant. His hands were several feet above their heads, strong enough to crack the entire building.
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He was asking where the Springer Hero Agency was. A simple question, but if he didn’t receive an answer soon, she was sure someone was going to get hurt or worse.
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So she sprang into action, despite the fear, and gave some random direction. She didn’t know where the agency was, but it was the best thing she could think of.
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In reality, this ploy worked.
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But this was a nightmare.
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“Why?”
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Mina: “Huh?”
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“Why are you lying to me? Aren’t you a hero?”
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Before she could say anything more, the giant brushed her aside. It was a simple motion, but it nearly broke every bone in her body.
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Far away and too battered to move, she could only look as the giant picked up the screaming girls.
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Mina: “W-Wait, what are you-”
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“You can’t protect them. You aren’t a hero.”
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They scream for her to save them, but she can’t. Mina is stuck, frozen by fear and pain. The giant started to squeeze, slowly crushing the life out of her friends.
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Mina: “Stop it… ”
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The girls transform into Uraraka and Tsuyu.
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Mina: “Stop it… ”
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They start to beg for her to save them. Before long, they won’t be able to do that either.
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Mina: “STOP IT!!”
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The scarlet nightmare shatters as Mina explodes awake with a scream. Her parents rush into the bedroom, extra alert to their daughter’s mood.
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What they saw, though, was beyond their expectations. It didn’t take long for her to feel it. Her bed was gone, melted by her acid. But it was different. Before, it was a more transparent color. Now, it was various shades of thick purple.
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Worse, if she didn’t wake up in time, she was sure it would have burned through the floor. Said floor and bed were already resistant to her acid due to incidents when she was a child. So for it to happen again, and burn through that material…
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Mina: “What… is happening to me?”
ns216.73.216.38da2
and then Add to home screen.