It came so suddenly, the flames and screams. First came confusion, then came the determination to help whoever is in need.
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Lily led Kiri and Momo into the fray with her three-section staff drawn.
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It was chaos.
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People were running around, and the few heroes available were struggling with the two monstrous nomus present. One of them even looked very similar to the one from before.
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Lily: “You two!”
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Kiri and Momo snapped out of it and turned to Lily.
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Lily: “This is serious, and you’re just students. S-So, we’ll hold them back while you two help civilians evacuate.”
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Momo: “What!?”
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Kiri: “No, we-”
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Lily: “Listen! You don’t have your licenses yet, so you’re not allowed to your quirks anyway. Please, get out of here.”
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The two girls look at the increasingly dire situation, conflict written on their faces. None more so than Kiri, for saving people, being a hero, is one of her main directives.
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But she did have a way to help.
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Momo: “But Lily, we-”
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Kiri: “Okay.”
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Momo: “What!?”
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Lily smiled at Kiri’s quick decision.
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Lily: “Good. Now… d-don’t worry about me. I’m one of Boss Fubuki’s strongest aids; I-I’m not falling here.”
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With that, the girl swallowed her fear and charged into the crisis. Before Momo can protest further, Kiri grabs her hand and drags her away.
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Momo: “What are you doing?!”
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Kiri: “Valkyrie.”
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Momo: “Oh… I forgot. I still can hardly believe that.”
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Kiri: “Believe it.”
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Momo: “But what about me?”
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Kiri: “Be sneaky.”
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Momo smiles at the idea and plan.
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Momo: “Alright. Let’s-”
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But the plan fell apart when their phones buzzed. Izuku’s location was shared with them. No message or sign of a reason, just his current location.
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Others may not notice, but his girls did. Izuku was in danger, and once again Kiri was conflicted.
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She wants to say, ‘fuck everyone else’, and run straight to Izuku, to protect him from whatever is plaguing him. He is all that matters.
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But what about Lily? What about the other heroes struggling against the nomu?
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Her directives are:
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One: Protect onii-chan.
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Two: Protect okaa-san and onee-chans.
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Three: Be a Hero.
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They don’t matter; they are last on the list. But… between her and Momo, she the most suited to going to help them.
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Kiri: ‘But I… can’t… I’m not… ’
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This was it, at the precipice of madness, where the choice must be made. Is she just a mental projection that follows her programming? Or is she a human with her own desires apart from Izuku’s?
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Trembling, she chooses the choice that will break her heart but save the most lives. She grabs Momo’s hand while trembling.
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Momo: “K-Kiri?”
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Kiri: “S-Save him.”
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Momo’s eyes widen at her words.
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Kiri: “I… am the only one… that can help them. You’re… the only one that can help Izu… so… please… save him…”
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She could hardly believe the girl’s words. If she was just some mental projection designed to love, then would she be able to make this choice?
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A matter for another time, Momo squeezes Kiri’s hand and reassures her.
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Momo: “Don’t worry, I will. Be safe.”
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Kiri: “… Nh.”
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Momo creates a bike and drives off to where Izuku is. Meanwhile, Kiri breathes in, accepting what she just did. Maybe she would have made a different choice if Momo wasn’t there. But it doesn’t change the fact she was willing to trust Izuku’s safety to her, despite everything.
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Why?
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Because it was the right thing to do. It’s what a hero would do. A hero Kiri wants to be.
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She shifts into her Valkyrie persona before jumping into the sky and blasting off back to the battleground.
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Within, Lily was fighting the large black nomu with the exposed brain and strength beyond most heroes present.
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Despite that, Lily held her own. With her skill with her weapon, she was able to deal blows heavy enough to bruise while dodging the attacks of the nomu.
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But that can only work so long. She looks around the battlefield and notices that there are still other injured heroes in the area.
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Lily: ‘I can’t use my quirk with others around. What do I-’
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That momentary distraction was enough for the nomu to grab the staff and punch Lily in the stomach. Ribs are broken and air is expelled out violently by the blow, sending Lily flying back. She rolls on the hard concrete and tries to get back up. But the nomu follows up too quickly. This was the-
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A pause in the chaos, a brilliant white form appears to catch the fatal fist.
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Lily: “N-No… way.”
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The heroes look to their unexpected savior and inwardly cheer. For the number one vigilante has arrived.
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Momo drove that bike like she stole it, ducking and weaving through the dark streets with reckless grace.
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She won’t let Izuku or Kiri down. Already, her mind is coming up with many plans on how to help Izuku depending on the enemy. Chief among them is getting him her latest creation. No doubt this can turn the tide of any battle.
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However, things took a turn for the strange when she drove into what seemed to be fog.
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Momo: ‘Must be the villain or nomu. Trying to create cover?'
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That won’t work on her. She creates thermal goggles and scans the area again. The sight made her gasp.
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The outline of Ida without a leg was bad enough. But then you had Izuku being stepped on by some man. Thinking fast and trusting Izuku’s strength when he gets her weapon, she throws it and calls out to him.
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Momo: “Izuku! Catch!”
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The man turns around and fires some purple beam. But thanks to the fog, his aim wasn’t perfect, and so she could drive forward while dodging it.
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Momo: “I’ll take care of Ida! Don’t give up, Izuku!”
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Trusting Izuku like Kiri trusted her, Momo drove toward Ida. It was… a terrible sight.
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Momo: “Ida!”
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Ida: “Yaoyorozu… forget about me… help, Midoriya.”
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Momo: “I will. But we have to get you out of here first. That way he can fight without worrying about you.”
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Ida: “So I’m… holding him back…”
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She helps him onto the bike, and-
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Ida: “Look out!”
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The boy pushes Momo out of the way of a thrown knife. Momo quickly turns to where the knife comes from and freezes.
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Stain: “Another… fake hero.”
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Momo: “T-The Hero Killer… ”
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Ida: “R-Run away, Yaoyorozu! He’s only after me.”
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She turns to Ida, who fell onto the bike after pushing her away, and swallows.
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Momo: “N-No, I won’t. That’s… not the hero I want to be.”
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Stain smiles.
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Stain: “Hahh… maybe you are salvageable.”
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Ida: “No! You and Midoriya have nothing to do with this! Don’t die because of my mistake!”
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Stain: “Trying to make me think you’ve learned your lesson is futile. One’s true character doesn’t change so easily! You are nothing more than a fake who prioritizes his own selfish desires! You are cancer, warping the word ‘hero’. I will correct that.”
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Stain’s bloodlust bleeds into Momo’s mind, making her knees buckle. For an instant, she thinks of running. But quickly, she steels herself. That’s not what Izuku or Kiri would do. That’s not what a hero would do.
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Momo: “I-I don’t care. Maybe Ida made a mistake, but I-I won’t let him die before having the chance to make things right. I-I won’t let y-you hurt my friends!”
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She summons her staff while charging her body with One For All.
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Stain: “Then you too will be culled.”
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The man charges forward and clashes with Momo. Using her training to her advantage, the girl held her own against the mad onslaught.
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However, a familiar feeling crept into her mind as the battle went on. The swordplay was not as refined, but it was that of a master swordsman. One skilled enough to fight in this fog. Shiho’s image overlays on top of Stain and Momo’s starts to panic.
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Will this end the same way?
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Momo: ‘No! It will not!’
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She banishes the thought and hardens herself, for too much is riding on this. So Momo creates titanium gauntlets just as Stain’s sword was about to come into contact with her hand. The sword is stopped and even chips a bit.
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Seeing an opening, Momo edits the staff to become brass knuckle dusters. The next moment, an armored fist collides with Stain’s face. He’s sent flying back, but not without throwing three daggers at Momo.
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She knocks two of them aside, but one of them manages to get her side, spilling a bit of blood. Hiding his grin, Stain recovers from the fall and dashes to the thrown dagger.
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Momo shifts the knuckle dusters into a gun with rubber bullets. Stain dodges and cuts the bullets that get close, making his way to his prize.
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The girl doesn’t know his quirk, so she’s cut off guard when Stain picks up the knife and licks the blood.
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Momo: “What are you-”
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Her body suddenly shuts down, causing her to fall to the earth, unable to move.
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Ida: “Yaoyorozu!”
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Momo: “Y-Your quirk?”
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Stain: “You were good. There is worth in keeping you alive. But not him.”
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The killer goes to Ida, but not before the fog is suddenly blown away. Stain looks up at the cause and sighs.
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Stain: “It seems my successor might not make it.”
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Momo: “Successor… ”
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Stain: “All the more reason.”
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Despite putting up some struggle, Ida just doesn’t have the strength to resist Stain from holding him down. His blade is raised above him like a fateful guillotine.
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Momo: “No! Leave him alone!”
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She tries to get up, but the body won’t listen. So she is forced to watch as-
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Flames erupt from above Momo, aimed right at Stain. He dodges and glares at the newcomer. She can’t see him from this position, but she knows who it is.
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Todoroki: “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but if I had to guess, you’re the hero killer, right?”
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Stain: “It’s one after another today… ”
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Momo: “Todoroki! Watch out for his quirkl; he can paralyze you by licking your blood.”
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Todoroki: “Got it. This won’t take long.”
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He jumps over Momo and lands, causing a large ice wave to rush after Stain. The hero killer narrows his eyes and dodges out of the way.
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Todoroki: “I’ll finish this before the pros deal with the nomu.”
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But that’s not all his ice did; it pushed Ida and the bike away from the fight. Next, he uses the side he once forsook, unleashing a flaming jet at the hero killer.
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But the killer simply dodges the fire and gets closer. Momo can already see the results. Todoroki is not well-versed with his flames yet to contend with a speedy fighter like Stain. He’ll be overwhelmed eventually.
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Momo: ‘Come on! Move!!’
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Due to the strain and desperation, Momo accidentally pops out a Matryoshka doll from her arm.
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Momo: ‘I-I can still create!?’
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That opens up some possibilities. Now she just needs time.
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Meanwhile, Todoroki narrowly avoids a sword swipe by creating an ice pillar to block the blade. Well, not entirely.
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Todoroki: ‘Dammit…’
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A slight cut on the cheek. But that wasn’t all; he looks up and notices another blade spinning towards him.
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Todoroki: ‘When did he-’
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There’s little time for thinking! Stain grabbed his shirt and drew his tongue to his cut. Panicking, Todoroki explodes with ice and fire, pushing Stain back and freezing the sword above. It shatters on the ground next to Todoroki.
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Todoroki: ‘That was close. But this is getting me nowhere…’
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Suddenly, the sound of gunshots echoes through the area.
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Stain: “Tch.”
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Again, the killer is pushed back from the onslaught. Todoroki looked around to see several drones flying around.
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Momo: “Keep up the pressure, Todoroki! Freeze him!”
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He nods at the still paralyzed Momo and focuses on Stain. Bullets, fire, and ice were all arrayed against the nimble foe. He cuts, dodges, and even destroys some drones with thrown daggers.
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But there were always more. Momo had no limit now when it came to the amount she could create. She’s a living armory, and Stain was not.
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It didn’t take long for him to run out of daggers to throw. But that didn’t change the fact he was too nimble to hit or freeze.
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Stain: “Haaaah… I never retreated… but maybe this time… ”
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Momo: “I don’t think so.”
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Stain’s eyes widen when he finally notices that Momo is gone. The paralysis finally wore off.
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Stain: ‘But how did she get behind-’
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Her training with Edgeshot has paid off, even Stain couldn’t sense her in time. Now for the finale.
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Placing her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, she forced the two of them down and squeezed.
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He flailed around, trying to stab the girl, but she was prepared. Titanium armor was in place to block any strikes, and so the ending of this was inevitable. Stain’s consciousness was slowly choked away by the grapple Momo learned and her OFA strength.
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It was over.
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She lets him go, but not before creating handcuffs and placing him under arrest.
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Todoroki: “Good job.”
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He offered her his hand, and she took it.
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Momo: “Thank you. Now, you help Ida while I find Izuku.”
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Todoroki: “First names?”
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Momo: “Yep. Now go.”
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He nods, while Momo goes to where Izuku was last seen. As for Ida, he felt… ashamed.
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Ida: ‘You two and Midoriya are the true heroes… I… ’
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He couldn’t say it or make it real, not right now.
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Todoroki helps him onto the bike, properly this time.
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Todoroki: “Sorry about the ice.”
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Ida: “… It’s fi-”
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Suddenly, the earth begins to shake violently.
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Todoroki: “Earthquake?”
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Ida: “N-No, this-”
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Momo: “Todoroki… Ida… ”
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The two look to Momo, without her thermal googles who’s carrying an unconscious Midoriya on her back. But that’s not what caught their attention; it’s her face of utter horror.
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They turn to what she’s looking at and their face morphs to share her terror.
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Hero Killer Stain, Nomus, and the man who fought Midoriya. They pale in comparison to the titanic sight they’re witnessing.
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Ida: “I-Impossible… ”
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Todoroki: “They… can get that big?”
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There, writhing in the flames and darkness, were two massive blue centipedes. With faces forever stuck in abject agony, they swarm and tear apart the city.
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Ida: ‘Am I… in hell?’
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