Third person pov

There were no words to describe the emotions class 1-A felt went they saw Stain flip onto the screen out of one of Kurogiri's portals, coming to Harper's aid with a terrifying ferocity that made Tenya Iida shiver and bile rise up in the back of his throat. The helicopter overhead kept their camera as level as possible, zooming in on the frankly insane scene. Stain was just as terrifying as they'd all known him to be, swords coming down fast and hard towards the villain who just barely knocked him away in time. He didn't let it deter him, landing like a nimble cat before charging again with just as much speed as before. The tense form of their cornered classmate held their breath captive as they waited to see if she'd make it out okay.

Scattered throughout the hospital, they all found ways to watch the scene unfold. Stain's appearance had been shocking, yes. They knew Harper did a lot of police work and dealt vaguely with criminals, but to think they'd break Stain out of prison just so he could come help her was ludicrous. It was nearly enough to make a few laugh in disbelief, the absurd notion striking them hard as they watched with weighted anticipation. It was impossible to see Harper's face from so far, but it was undoubtedly her. She was shaking, looking bedraggled even from a distance. 

A few of them glanced to Tenya, trying to gauge his reaction to seeing the serial killer again. He looked pale and disbelieving, watching with rapt attention. He didn't seem overly distressed or angry, too struck down with horror to think too hard about his brother's almost-murderer swooping in to save one of his classmates. A classmate he surely would've killed in that alleyway had Kurogiri not trapped him in time. She must have talked to him. Made progress somehow. He didn't know how to feel about that. Clearly, the hero killer felt he owed some amount of debt to Harper if he was willing to help her like this.

But then another portal opened, and nothing could've prepared them for who came out.

A figure they hadn't seen in what felt forever swung out with reckless abandon, hair longer than before and pulled back, and feet poised to kick. Hanta Sero-- said to have left UA due to heart issues and other underlying health concerns-- whipped out of one of the portals with speed he'd never displayed during his time at UA. Kaminari and Mina let out twin shrieks, the latter of which wiping at her cheeks that were wet from crying to try and clear her vision better. The waiting room had been respectfully quiet and full of tension before, but now they couldn't help but erupt with words of absolute incredulity. A few people stood up, looking between their classmates to see if anyone had answers. One of the officers in the corner that was assigned there to keep an eye on them sent a questioning glance their way. His own phone was out as well, no doubt watching the very same broadcast they were.

Sero did not look ill, or like he was having heart issues. Blue fire sprouted up around the field, fencing the villains in somewhat as Sero and Stain twisted around each other towards the main enemy like a pair of twin torpedos. There were outcries of shock, because that was undeniably their classmate! Where had he been? He looked... he looked fine, from what they could tell. It was hard to see his face, but the way he moved with deadly amounts of grace told them he had to have been training. Why hadn't he come back to UA? Where had he been-- Harper obviously had been in contact with him somehow if he was coming to her aid. He was different. Not bedridden or hospitalized like some had theorized. What had kept him away? Why hadn't he contacted any of them?

"Look at him!" Kaminari crowed. That was one of his best friends! One had hadn't talked to in forever, sure, but still his best friend. He all but snatched Iida's phone, bringing the screen closer to his face as though it would make the image any clearer. The class-president sputtered a bit, sending a look of thanks to Ojiro when the boy offered up his own mobile device so he could continue to watch. "When did he get so good at fighting?"

Mina snatched the phone and held it so everyone could see, elbowing the electric blond for daring to make them miss even a second of the scuffle. She pulled it back just in time for the camera to zoom in on Harper getting grabbed my Shigaraki. Though there was no audio from below that could be heard over the reporter's voice and the beating of the helicopter's blades, it was obvious he'd managed to get all five fingers around him. Ochako cried out in sickening shock, she and Tsu both forced to turn away and cover their mouths. The reporter's voice shrieked in horror at the gruesome sight as Shigaraki's quirk ate into Harper's forearm, his grip tight and merciless. His decay surely would've eased through her arm entirely if not for the interruption that came soon after.

There were gasps as another portal opened. Another unexpected face appeared, Kirishima's fist flying over Harper's shoulder and nailing Shigaraki right in the nose. His other arm wrapped around her as she stumbled back. They could see his head turn towards her, panic practically reverberating off his very being as she clutched her arm to her chest. Even with how far away the camera was, they could still see the blood pouring out and dripping down off her elbow. Ochako risked a peek back at the screen. 

"What is Kirishima doing there?" She squeaked out in shock, eyes going wide as Kirishima was forced to drop Harper and meet Shigaraki head on. The camera seemed to struggle between picking a battle, panning back to where Stain and Sero were holding their own against the supervillain who'd levelled the prefecture. It was absolutely mind boggling to see their tape-using classmate on screen. He fought more violently than they could remember-- more efficiently, like he'd been doing it all his life. Had he really improved that fast? Where had he been all this time? Did this mean... had Kirishima known the entire time, and simply never said anything? Had Harper? It had always been implied that the brunette may know of Sero's status. She always said he was doing fine when they asked. But to see this level of... just... 

"Does this mean he teamed up with Stain?" Mineta asked crudely, drawing the attention to his smaller form. "Kirishima's probably known about Sero the whole time!" 

"I think there are bigger things to worry about, Mineta." Mina snapped out, her nerves at an all time high as Kirishima wrestled brutally with Shigaraki. Dabi was there too, flames leaking out of him like water might pour from a faucet, blue and unyielding. Todoroki seemed particularly focused on the man, leaning forward as his flames tore towards Shigaraki's form. Nobody had really seen Dabi's quirk in action before. To them, he was some weird guy who sat quietly in the back of the class and snapped at anyone who tried to poke fun at him. He was there to chaperone Kurogiri. As scary as he was, that had to mean he was a good guy, right? To think he'd hold this much power...

The camera snapped abruptly back towards the main supervillain as Sero and Stain were blown away from him, flipping through the air like acrobats to right themselves as the masked men whirled towards Dabi. Shoto lurched forward dangerously, knocking shoulders hard with Kaminari as he yanked the phone away from the pink-haired girl next to him. Mina let out a small yelp of protest as the half and half boy clutched the device in his vice grip, eyes going wide as an attack shot for the man. Anyone could see that there was more to it than a general, morbid sense of curiosity. Panic shone in his mismatched irises as the villain's hand swept out towards the flame-quirk user. Ochako's hands came up to cover her mouth for the umpteenth time. Mina found herself gripping Kaminari's arm in her fear, clutching him with wide eyes.

There was no way to convey just how fast it happened. The attack tore through the air, Kirishima jumped and shoved Dabi out of the way, and then there was blood. The gasps of terror were drowned out by the sound of screaming as a portal opened right in the very waiting room they were all huddled in. Attention turned sharply, shock still radiating off the group as Harper tumbled backwards out of a portal, stumbling as Kurogiri scrambled to right the girl. It was hard to process, seeing her on the screen only for her to transition to here right away. Several of them shot up from their seats, and the nurse on duty as secretary darted to her feet so fast she practically blurred. The officer in the corner reached for his walkie-talkie, deceptively calm as his eyes darted between everyone.

Harper seemed disoriented, stumbling like she couldn't keep her balance. One of her pupils looked bigger than the other, implying there was a concussion in play. She swayed dangerously, her cheeks stained with tears and blood. She looked awful, eyes shot red and hair matted with all sorts of grime. A few members of 1-A found themselves rushing over as an alarm blared over head, signaling the need for emergency care once again. It had seemed like only moments ago that Bakugo had been taken, even if it had been longer than that. Harper's head lolled back dangerously. She let out another cry, this one weaker than the last.

"Harper!" Sato exclaimed as the teen slumped, her legs giving out beneath her.

"Holy shit!" Mina agreed. Doctors burst through the door with a gurney, a play-by-play of what had happened earlier when Bakugo showed up. Harper lifted her head, not seeming to process all of what was going on around her. She didn't seem to realize where she was or what was going on, opening and closing her mouth like she was trying to find words. It was heartbreaking to see their classmate like that, and Ochako found herself crying once again unbidden. Kaminari did too, shameless in his tears. It felt like just seconds ago they'd finally managed to stop crying for Katsuki, who they confirmed would pull through just fine. Now Harper's life was on the line, her wound bleeding profusely and leaving bone exposed.

Another portal opened, and out stepped Kirishima. He was hunched over awkwardly, but standing nonetheless. His eyes were full of pain and concern. Concern for Harper, who should've been the least of his worries considering the gaping chunk taken out of his torso. A single look made Mina and Kaminari both turn away ill, and Ojiro had to snap his head in the other direction to keep from losing what little was left in his stomach. The redheaded boy nearly tipped over as he shuffled in, pale and sweating. Tenya couldn't help but peer closer to try and figure out just how he was still standing. Closer inspection revealed that, under all that blood, Kirishima had actually managed to harden the outermost parts of the wound, successfully sealing it off to keep himself from bleeding anymore.

Kirishima looked like he couldn't focus. The look on his face was tense, like he was bordering on unconsciousness but doing everything to fight it. It made sense. If he passed out now, his quirk would deactivate, leaving him to bleed out entirely. Ochako buried her face in her hands as she began to sob. Tenya put a hand on her shoulder, unable to look away from the scene. Shoto all but dropped the phone in his hands, staring at the new arrival of their classmates. 

Those who'd come to get Harper snapped attention to Kirishima immediately, looking at him for a moment with shocked bewilderment as the warp gate closed. Kirishima didn't look like he even should've been alive, the grotesque gap in his abdomen looking impossible to survive. All 1-A could do was stare in mute horror as their classmate swayed on unsteady feet, breathing erratic and forced. He had to be missing at least part of one of his lungs. If they cleaned the blood off of him, maybe they'd even be able to see it-- the outer edges hardened crudely. The mere thought was enough to make bile rise in the throats of 1-A's horrified students.

Kirishima opened his mouth to say something. Blood poured out alongside a wet cough. Mina let out an ear-piercing shriek as it dribbled down his chin and front. The doctors snapped out of their stupor immediately.

"I'm going to need another gurney in here!" A nurse screamed. She glanced between Harper and Kirishima both, sweat beading her brow. Her eyes dropped to the massive puddle of blood sitting at the redheaded student's feet. "And get me as many bags of O- as we have left!" 

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All Might arrived on the scene almost right as Harper was sucked away, landing there with his larger-than-life grin put on full display for the world to see. He took in the scene before him, trying to keep his brows from furrowing too much as he watched what looked like Young Sero wrap tape around the legs of his worst enemy and trip him whilst the hero-killer Stain trying to bury a katana through his helmet. The scarred fellow that always seemed to follow Harper Rye around also appeared to be present, blue flames furiously spreading with uncontrollable heat that he could feel even from here. They were erratic and bordering on out of control. There were a few other villains scattered about, most of them incapacitated in some manner.

He knew Sero was the traitor of UA. He'd been informed, as had all of UA's staff. It was kept under tight wraps. He hadn't really known too much about the teen's status following his apparent arrest-- just that Young Harper had something to do with it and that they were getting to the bottom of his tragedy. Harper was determined to reform him, it seemed. It was admirable, and All Might wouldn't dare try to discount her. Seeing him now, however, he wondered what in the world she'd seen in him to make her think he'd ever be able to come back to UA. He wasn't trying to be negative or even over-dramatic. He'd just... never seen someone look so downright murderous before.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Sero shrieked with rage that blazed hotter than ten suns combined. His dark eyes were wide and crazed, like something in him had simply snapped in two. He fought with terrifying precision, aiming to kill with every move he made. The speed was quite impressive, if not terrifying. He made it seem like All For One wasn't the massive, all-powerful being he'd made himself out to be. Just what had he gone through in life to get to this point? "If she dies, I'll rip your spine out of your back and shove it down your fucking throat so far it comes out of your ass! And then I'll chop up your liver and force feed it to your little dust puppet here until he fucking chokes!"

All For One laughed, light and airy and without a hint of worry. Sero let out a frustrated scream, his tape dispensers whirring. All Might could tell the villain was toying with him. He had to put a stop to this. Traitor or not, Hanta Sero was a child. Seeing him fight alongside the hero killer was... odd, yes. It was something he would have to think about later. They'd no doubt come for Harper Rye. They both had connections to the brunette, and so did this Dabi fellow. It was no surprise they'd come for her. 

The hero killer looked like he had taken the brunt of the major attacks. Sero was agile, moving in and then moving back, and using his tape from a distance. He didn't stay too close for too long. Stain was unable to perform in such a manner. He was a close-range fighter, trying to draw even a nick of blood from the villain before him. His side was covered in blood, dripping down his side. The amount of blood loss he had to have experienced made All Might wonder just how strong of a will the villain had. All Might swore he could see his ribs, and yet he fought on against the man All Might felt sick looking at. The man who'd taken Harper and Young Bakugo. His greatest nemesis-- a man he thought to be dead. 

Wait... where was Harper Rye?

"All Might." Dabi's voice was shaky and small, but it still drew his attention. He looked down at the young man. Fire still seemed to flare from beneath his feet, melting the soles of his shoes notably. He hadn't realized the vacant look on his face before now. He felt his heart plummet. "Harper and Kirishima got away. Kurogiri got them to the hospital."

Young Kirishima had been here too? All Might's jaw clicked shut, and he smiled wider despite the way his heart seemed to tremble. Young Bakugo's blood still covered parts of his costume. The image of his nearly-dead student refused to leave his mind's eye. He was glad they'd gotten away. The look on Dabi's face concerned him to no end, but if they'd gotten to the hospital, that was all that mattered right now. It was all they could possibly do.

"Thank you for letting me know, young man." He beamed. "You don't have to worry anymore! For I am here!" 

A shockwave sent Stain and Sero both flying. It ruffled his hair and caused Dabi to stumble notably. All Might's smile turned somewhat into a grimace. He braced himself.

His battle was just about to begin. Something seated deep in his chest told him this would be his last.

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Kirishima is a pretty chill guy.

He likes to think he takes things in stride. Since meeting Harper-- getting to know her, and adjusting to her blunt, amazing, if not grumpy personality-- he's gotten a lot better at facing things head on. Being next to her was like being next to the sun. And if she was the sun, he was certainly a plant. He flourished under her light. Fed off of it without her having to do a thing, his confidence growing the more he got to know her. She was so straight forward, but had this underlying kindness you could only see if you stared long enough. Her presence was awe-inspiring. An all consuming blanket of warmth he had quite willingly wrapped himself up in upon truly getting to know her.

He knows his infatuation is a little weird. Harper has always looked past it. She's never teased him about it, or told him he's freaky. Harper isn't the type to be made uncomfortable by things like that. She knew well and good that he was head over heels in love with her, and she was okay with it. The brunette didn't belittle his feelings or make him feel like any less. He never felt like she was leading him on or friend-zoning him, nor did he feel like she was ignoring them. She saw him, from every angle and in every way, and she accepted him. It was such a simple thing, yet one he so rarely saw done. Perhaps that's one of the reasons he'd fallen so deep. 

At first it was the air around her. He could tell something was different about her from her eyes alone, and it had drawn him in like a flame did a moth. It felt dumb to say. He got flustered if he thought about it too hard, but he was too cold now for his cheeks to heat like they usually did. Being Harper Rye's friend was an adventure. Everyday there was someone new to help-- something new to do. He learned so much, and came to understand so much more about this world and the people in it. His world expanded, his horizons stretching further than he ever thought they could in such a short amount of time. Harper had that effect. Endless paths stretched out beyond her with every step she took, offering her analytical mind more avenues than Kirishima would ever be able to come up with.

So yes, his friendship with her had opened a lot of doors for him. He was more accepting and calmer, and possibly smarter too. When it came to people, he understood more. He had more of a matter-of-fact attitude. He supposed that was a good thing considering what was happening right now. He was dying. He had kept Dabi from getting his heart blown out of his chest, so he knew it was worth it. More than worth it, honestly. He would do it again a thousand times over. He wished he were faster. Maybe he could've gotten them both out of the way. Because he didn't want to go. He had things he still wanted to do. 

That's a moot point, now. He's dying. He's going to die, and he knows they can't save him. He knew that when he forced his quirk into overdrive, hardening the gaping wound. He's still bleeding. There's a tube in his chest allowing him to breath with the one lung that actually still works, and a few IVs in his arm pumping fluids and blood through his veins. He's still losing it, coughing up massive puddles of the liquid what feels like every five minutes due to the internal bleeding. He wonders how he's lasted this long.

It's sickening to know that the moment he turns his quirk off, it's over. It's all a matter of how long he can hold the hardening over the injury. The doctors had stared helplessly, horrified as he wheezed there in the bed like a ninety-year-old smoker with severe asthma and lung cancer to boot. If he turned his quirk off, he'd bleed out immediately. If he kept it on, they couldn't do anything to fix the damage. That was okay. He understood that it was too much. The villain guy had gotten to him. He'd be sour if he'd been caught off guard, but he'd leapt in knowing exactly what he was doing.

Dabi was a great guy. A 'stray' picked up by Harper, as the brunette put it. She talked fondly of him, bantering with him and smiling with a flustered warmth that took his breath away. Dabi protected and watched over her like an older brother would, glaring at Kirishima whenever he got too close to her and giving him flat looks when he dared to blush. It was hilarious, and maybe a little terrifying. Knowing vaguely of Harper's story-- of Eric, and his death-- he knew how much Dabi meant to her. He hadn't done it just for her, though. Believe it or not, he liked the guy too! He'd like to think they were friends. Dabi would probably scoff and deny it, but come on. It was in the guy's nature! 

But again, back to the whole dying thing. Yeah, he was going to bite the bullet. He was surprisingly okay with that. It's not that he wanted to die or anything. No, there was so much he wanted to do, and see, and become. He was young, and an aspiring hero, and in love. His life had just started! But it was too late, and he had a very deep understanding of that at the moment. It was something he was willing to cope with and wrap his head around. This was happening. It just was. He could freak out later. He was going to have to take a page out of Harper's book and put that part off until later. There were a few things he had to worry about first.

His parents were one of them. His mom had waited to transition just so they could have him. He was their one and only child. They loved him so deeply and fully, and he knew his death was going to hurt them beyond repair. The mere thought of the pain they would go through made him want to vomit. It made him want to scream, and throw things, and cry. He loved them so, so much. So much more than he'd ever let them know, and he wished he'd done more. He knew they'd be okay because they were strong, and because they'd understand why he did what he did. He didn't regret it. He'd never regret saving a life, and certainly not Dabi's. Certainly not Harper's. Never. He was fiercely proud no matter what anyone else said. He knew they would be proud of him too, even if they'd miss him so achingly they all but bled.

His classmates would mourn and cry, but they'd be okay in the long run. Knowing how much they'd hurt for him made his throat close up, but they had each other and were strong to. So, so strong. They were the coolest people he'd ever met. The best friends he'd ever had. So interesting and intricate, and amazing. Middle School him never would've imagined just how much of life he'd gotten to live in the span of a few months. How fully and freely he had enjoyed himself, and how many emotions he had experienced in full bloom. He was young, but he felt like he'd gotten to encounter more excitement than most people did in a full lifetime.

Dabi was going to blame himself. He was going to set things on fire in his rage and punch any mirror he looked into just so he wouldn't have to meet his own eyes. He knew the guy. He acted like he didn't care, but had the mindset of a hero who wanted to take every little burden on and carry it by themselves. He wondered if he would ever go into heroics. Kirishima knew he'd be good at it, just like he knew Harper would pull him out of his funk at the end of it all. And if not Harper, then Todoroki. They were related, after all. He could trust that Dabi was going to push through. As enraged as he'd be at himself, he was a smart dude. He was going to get it. He was manly like that. He wasn't going to belittle Kirishima's sacrifice by getting hung up on it for the rest of his life.

The main, glaring issue was Harper. His concern for her skyrocketed with each minute that ticked by. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave her or anyone else behind. He knew her-- better than anyone else, he liked to think. He knew she would shut down. She was going to close herself off and never come out. Kirishima did not want her to lose herself like that. Not over this. Not over him. He refused to be her downfall. This was going to be hard. She had been through loss before, and it had nearly destroyed her. She had been a bundle of tangled barbed wire when they first met. She was finally coming into herself, trusting and opening up. Harper Rye was becoming everything he knew she was and more, and Kirishima knew his death was going to put a dent in that. He had to make sure she knew it was okay to move on. To live.

Harper was going to blame herself. For getting kidnapped, for Bakugo's injury, for everything. Her control would slip and she'd go right back into the dark hole he and so many others had worked to hard to get her out of. There was no way to stop this completely. There was only one thing he could think of that could help. Not to toot his own horn or anything, but she trusted him. An amazing amount. She listened to and valued his opinion, and took his advice to heart every time without fail. He had to count on her willing to do it one last time. He had to. It was the only way he was going to fade out peacefully. God, that was so weird. He was about to die. He could hardly wrap his head around it. 

He wanted her to move on. Grow up, and fall in love. He knew she loved him too, as hesitant as she was about showing it. He could tell. He took pride in being her first love, decidedly. He wished he could stay around and be with her forever. He wasn't selfish enough not to want her to be okay, however. Maybe it would be nice if she cried a little, but not forever. Never forever. He was going to have a blast watching her life and the lives of his classmates unfold from wherever he ended up next. As much as he'd like to experience it too... well, he'd made his choice. He went after Harper knowing he might die, and look at what happened. He was okay. He'd lived his life with no regrets so far. He could do this, and so could everyone else. He'd see them again. 

"Kirishima." Aizawa's voice breathed, drawing his attention. He sat up slightly, vaguely aware that he was crying now too. His teacher had been holding his hand since he came in, deathly pale. Tears of his own were shamelessly tearing tracks down his cheeks. He had never seen Aizawa-sensei in such a state. It was flattering and a bit morbid, but Kirishima digressed. Should he really be this calm? It hadn't sunk in yet, he supposed. "Kirishima, you... is there a-anything... I-"

"Harper." He wheezed out, sitting up slightly. He gave his teacher a determined look. He was dying. He was dying, and it was going to happen, and he was going to just have to deal with it. There was 'shit he had to do' as Harper might put it. He could break down when he was dead. He leaned forward, forcing himself up despite the pain splintering through his side. He had this in the bag. He hated that he had to leave, but shit happens. Harper had taught him that, and he was just going to have to buck up and deal with it. "Aizawa-sensei, you have to let me talk to Harper."

Aizawa's expression turned to steel, and Kirishima knew he understood.

~

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