Izuku

I shouldn't have looked at him.

That was the mistake.

Not a big one—barely even a second—but enough.

Because while I was busy registering the fact that a pro hero had just casually inserted himself into my problem and was apparently okay with being called pigeon—

The driver moved.

Fast.

Too fast for someone who had been panicking seconds ago.

His quirk flared—sharp, sudden—slamming into my side again, not strong enough to throw me out this time but enough to break my grip.

Just enough.

"...shit—"

My hand slipped.

Not fully.

But enough.

Enough for him to twist.

Enough for him to reach.

And then—

Metal.

Cold.

Immediate.

A gun.

Pressed up between us, shaking slightly in his hand but very, very real.

"...both of you," he snapped, voice rough, breath uneven but loud enough to cut through the engine and the wind. "Out. Now."

The truck didn't slow.

Didn't even hesitate.

Still speeding.

Still swerving.

Still a disaster waiting to happen.

And now—

This.

I went still.

Not out of fear.

Out of calculation.

Because this just shifted everything.

Beside me, I could feel Hawks tense—not panicked, not even close, but sharper now, more focused.

Good.

Because we were going to need that.

"...you're really doubling down on bad decisions today," I said flatly, eyes locked on the gun instead of him.

"Shut up!" he snapped. "I said out!"

The truck jerked violently to the side, horn blaring as we barely missed another car.

His hand shook more.

Not trained.

Not stable.

Dangerous.

Not because he was confident—

But because he wasn't.

I shifted slightly, just enough to brace myself better against the seat without making it obvious.

"Think about this," Hawks cut in, tone lighter than the situation deserved, like he wasn't currently staring down a gun in a speeding vehicle. "You shoot, you crash. We all lose. Not a great ending."

"Then jump!" the driver barked. "Now!"

I didn't move.

Neither did Hawks.

Because jumping out of a moving truck at this speed?

That wasn't a solution.

That was just a different way to die.

"...no," I said simply.

Silence.

For half a second.

Then the gun jerked slightly closer.

"I'm not asking!"

"And I'm not doing it."

My voice didn't rise.

Didn't need to.

That only seemed to make him more frantic.

"Get out or I shoot!"

"You're going to shoot while driving at high speed," I said, tilting my head slightly. "Brilliant."

"Shut up!"

"You'll lose control."

"I said shut up!"

"You'll crash."

"I'LL SHOOT—"

The truck swerved again, harder this time.

Too hard.

Even he felt it.

Even he hesitated for just a fraction of a second as the wheel jerked in his hands.

That hesitation—

That tiny, critical pause—

I saw it.

And so did Hawks.

My grip shifted again.

Not back to his throat—

Not yet.

But ready.

Waiting.

Because now?

Now it wasn't just about answers.

Now it was about control.

And I wasn't losing that again.

"...last warning," I said quietly.

He froze.

Not fully.

But enough.

"...put it down."

The gun trembled.

The truck roared.

The moment stretched—

Tight.

Fragile.

One wrong move and everything would snap.

The gun was still there, shaking between us, the driver's breathing uneven, the truck barely staying on the road as it tore through the street like it had something to prove.

I was already moving through options.

Angles.

Distance.

Timing—

And then—

Something shifted.

Not inside the truck.

Outside.

My eyes flicked past the driver for half a second—and that was all it took.

"...you've got to be kidding me."

"What—" Hawks started, but he followed my gaze immediately.

A car.

Not just any car.

Fast.

Too fast.

Keeping pace with us like it belonged there.

And then—

The driver's side—

Ripped off.

Not opened.

Not unlocked.

Ripped.

Metal peeled away like it was paper, torn clean off the hinges in a single, precise motion.

Wind exploded into the cabin.

The driver screamed.

And both of us saw them.

Kai Chisaki.

And behind him—

Hari Kurono.

One at the wheel of the stolen car, expression cold, controlled.

The other—

On the roof.

Balanced.

Steady.

Watching.

Waiting.

"...you brought backup?" Hawks muttered, glancing at me.

"No."

"Because this looks like backup."

"It's not."

Because if it was—

I would've known.

Overhaul didn't say anything.

Didn't need to.

His presence alone was enough.

Calculated.

Precise.

And very, very intentional.

Hari shifted slightly on the rooftop, stance lowering just enough to make it clear—

He was about to move.

The driver noticed.

Of course he did.

And that—

That broke him.

"STAY BACK!" he shouted, gun jerking wildly now between me and Hawks, completely abandoning any sense of control. "ALL OF YOU—STAY BACK!"

The truck swerved again.

Worse this time.

Closer to losing it completely.

And then—

Another movement.

Ahead.

My eyes snapped forward.

And for a split second—

I didn't process it.

Because it didn't make sense.

Because it shouldn't have been possible.

But there he was.

Standing in the middle of the road.

Perfectly still.

Directly in our path.

Stain.

"...how the hell—"

Even Hawks sounded thrown off by that one.

Because there was no way he should've gotten there that fast.

No logical path.

No visible movement.

Just—

There.

Waiting.

Watching.

And then—

He raised his hand.

A single thumbs-up.

Like this was all going according to plan.

"...he's insane," Hawks muttered.

I didn't disagree.

Because this?

This was insane.

Overhaul at the side.

His subordinate ready to strike.

Stain in front of the truck like a human roadblock.

And somewhere behind us—

I could still hear the chaos closing in.

Dabi.

Toga.

Police.

Heroes.

Everyone.

All converging.

All focused on this.

On us.

The driver was shaking now.

Not just nervous—

Terrified.

Gun still raised.

Control completely gone.

"...move!" he screamed, eyes locked on Stain. "MOVE OR I'LL RUN YOU OVER!"

Stain didn't move.

Didn't flinch.

Didn't even blink.

Just stood there.

Waiting.

The truck kept going.

Speed unchanged.

Distance closing.

Fast.

Too fast.

I exhaled slowly, shifting my weight just slightly.

"...you're out of options."

The driver let out a broken sound.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"No," I said quietly.

"You won't."