The sound of gunfire shattered the brief calm. I didn't hear it, of course, but I felt it—the vibrations ripping through the air, the way people around me jolted, and then the sudden sharp pain exploding in my shoulder.

I stumbled backward, clutching the spot where something hot and searing had buried itself. Blood seeped through my fingers, warm and sticky. A bullet. Great. That was definitely supposed to hit my heart. 

Missed, suckers.

Hawks was immediately in front of me, shielding me with his wings as he scanned the chaos for the source of the attack. His usual easygoing smirk was gone, replaced by a sharp, focused intensity.

Hawks: "Stay low!" 

He may have shouted, though his words were wasted on me.

Not that it mattered. Even if I could hear him, I wasn't exactly in a position to argue. The pain in my shoulder was blinding, but I couldn't let it show. Not here. Not now.

More bullets rained down, ricocheting off the truck and the pavement around us. The cops scrambled for cover, shouting orders I couldn't make out. The air was thick with tension, and the adrenaline coursing through my veins made everything feel surreal.

And then the real chaos started.

Two figures darted out from the shadows—Idiots 4 and 5, by the looks of it. They charged straight for me, weapons drawn and expressions wild. 

Oh, come on! 

Can't you just give up already?

Before they could reach me, a wall of flames roared to life, cutting them off. I blinked, my brain taking a second to catch up. Dabi.

Dabi: "Not so fast,. 

Dabi growled, stepping into view with his trademark lazy smirk. His flames licked at the air around him, casting flickering shadows on the pavement.

Behind him, Endeavor loomed like a fiery monolith, his expression grim and unyielding. 

Endeavor: "Stand down." 

The idiots didn't listen—of course, they didn't. 

Idiots never do.

The fight broke out in full force, fire and feathers flying as Dabi and Endeavor took on the attackers. Hawks darted through the chaos like a blur, his wings slicing through the air with surgical precision.

For a split second, I caught sight of Eraserhead perched on a rooftop, his scarf trailing in the wind as he surveyed the battlefield. Our eyes met—or at least, I thought they did. He gave a slight nod before disappearing from view, his silhouette blending into the shadows.

And then there was Tsukauchi, running toward me with sheer determination etched across his face.

Tsukauchi: "Kid!" 

He called out, his voice cutting through the chaos—or maybe it was just the look in his eyes that made me pause. 

Tsukauchi: "Get down! I'm getting you out of here!"

He reached me in record time, grabbing my uninjured arm to pull me toward safety. I winced at the movement but didn't resist.

At least, not at first.

As soon as I saw the cops—the uniforms, the badges, the sheer weight of authority they represented—something in me snapped.

I froze, my feet rooted to the ground as a wave of panic washed over me. 

No. 

No, I can't.

Tsukauchi tugged at my arm, his eyes wide with urgency. 

Tsukauchi : "Come on! It's not safe here!"

I couldn't move. 

I couldn't breathe. 

My mind was racing, a thousand thoughts colliding all at once.

I'm too old for the system. 

Too old to get adopted. 

Too old to start over. 

They'll never understand my quirk. 

To them, I'm just quirkless on paper—a nobody with no future.

I bowed deeply to Tsukauchi, a gesture of gratitude that I hoped conveyed everything I couldn't say.

Then I ran.

I bolted before he could stop me, my legs moving on pure instinct as I dashed into the chaos. Pain shot through my injured shoulder with every step, but I didn't care. I had to get out of here.

I weaved through the battlefield, dodging flames and feathers, bullets and fists. My vision blurred with tears—not from pain, but from the sheer weight of everything crashing down on me.

I can't stay. 

I can't trust them. 

I'm on my own.

I didn't look back. 

Not at the heroes, not at the cops, not at Tsukauchi. 

I couldn't afford to.

All I could do was keep running, hoping against hope that I'd find a way out of this mess before it was too late.