Sirens blaring and a low rumble shocked y/n awake. She opened her eyes to see smoke filling a large room. People in white lab coats were fleeing elsewhere while figures dressed in all black led them. The freezing metal floor that came in contact with her skin gave off a burning sensation. Still in a daze, she sat up.

Nobuo was protectively curled over y/n. Unsteadily, she got on her feet. Using her Nomu for support, y/n began to head towards the center of the room. Stay away from the walls, echoed in her mind. That was one of the last bits of advice Tomura had given her. 

Himiko's main job was to get inside and lay down the explosives. Igniting them was Dabi's task. Y/n wanted to be as far away from both the bombs and Dabi's quirk as possible. Another explosion went off. Y/n pulled her hood closer to her face, covering her eyes as she got pelted with small bits of chipped metal.

Down a narrow hallway, y/n heard Himiko's voice. Taking a look around, Nobuo and Tomura were with her. No other League member seemed to be around. She assumed the rest of them went to the next room. 

Y/n began to hurry forward. "Watch where you're going!" The wind was knocked out of y/n as she felt herself once again meeting the cold metal ground. Dirty liquid sloshed onto the ground by her side as she heard the sound of Tomura dry heaving. Y/n jerked herself forward to sit up.

In front of her was a distressed Tomura. Y/n placed her hand on his shoulder and the other on his back. She lightly ran her fingers along his back as he continued to vomit up the strange liquid. Taking a closer look at him, she noticed an apparent, circular wound on his throat. Her heart jumped instantaneously. "Tomura, are you okay?" she asked, forgetting both that the blue-haired villain couldn't hear her through her mask and that the two of them were still in danger.

"Stay more alert next time," he scolded. Tomura's voice was even raspier than usual, his voice nearly cracking. "You could have been the one to take a bullet to the throat."

Y/n wrapped her arms around Tomura. Her hug on the villain tightened as she heard him cough. "Tomura?" Once again, her voice was muffled entirely by her mask. Tomura slipped through her arms as he dissolved into a puddle of muddy liquid on her lap. "Clone," y/n muttered to herself, feeling both mortified and relieved at the experience she just had. 

"Stop villain," a voice called out. Y/n froze as she heard footsteps surround her. Upon seeing the guns in their hands, y/n raised hers. Behind the men in front of her, she saw Nobuo.

Several officers were shooting at him. The guns in their hands looked much different from the handguns being pointed at her. "Get to your feet, remove your mask," a voice demanded.

Y/n knew she was in no position to argue their demands. Y/n kept her eyes on the Nomu ahead of her. The men attacking the monster had distracted him. Y/n wished she could push the button on her locket, alerting Nobuo to the danger she found herself in. It was no use, though. 

She slowly stood up, feeling herself stumble forward with unsteady legs. Cautiously, she reached for her face and began fidgetting with the clasps. Y/n tilted her head as the mask clicked.

As she began to lower her mask, y/n took a deep breath in and exhaled. An overpowering sour taste attacked her senses as a puff of black smoke spewed from her mouth, effectively obscuring her face. She spat the smoke bomb she had hidden in her mask for an occasion just as this.

Taking no time, she dropped the mask and reached into her belt. Grabbing several orbs in both hands and slammed them to the ground with all the force she could muster.

A thick cloud covered the room almost entirely. Y/n heard several officers violently coughing. Her heart was racing, and she began to feel dizzy. Y/n had been practicing navigating her way in smoke since she added them to her arsenal. She was in her element; however, she didn't feel confident at all.

Y/n couldn't see an inch in front of her. She felt the familiar sting coming from her open eyes. The pain used to be unbearable, she had grown used to it over time. Y/n rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears welling up. She had no idea how long the smoke would persist. Out in the open, the mini bombs would leave a black haze for several minutes. The bigger ones had a more extensive range and longer effect time. Y/n guessed that the room had little to no ventilation, assuming the explosives had to have broken something.

Y/n took a moment, she stopped and listened. Before she pulled her little smoke bomb stunt, she knew there were three men in front of her. Y/n remembered hearing footsteps behind her; however, she had no idea how many people there were exactly. It was hard to decide what to do next when she didn't know how many people were around. 

Heavy footsteps were cautiously wandering all around. The echoes made it challenging to pinpoint exactly where everyone was. The realization that y/n was trapped in her own fog hit her. If she stepped out, y/n risked revealing her identity. However, she couldn't put the mask back on.  It made several loud clicks whenever it locked into place, y/n couldn't risk revealing her location either.

She pulled out a Voicebox with one hand; in the other, y/n took her taser out. Y/n chewed on her lip as she stayed still and waited, wondering what her next move should be. A thought crossed her mind. The plan was awful, but it was the only thing she had.

Y/n pressed the little button in her locket and waited. She nearly yelped when something bumped into her. Fearing the worst, y/n looked over her shoulder. Her heart calmed down when she realized it was her Nomu. Using the bow she had tied on her Nomu years ago, y/n secured a Voicebox around his neck. She placed a hand on her Nomu's head and leaned in close to him. "Stay," she whispered as quietly as she could before turning on the little box and silently stepping away from him. 

In the blackness of the smoke, she couldn't see his figure. Y/n held her mask over her mouth as she let out a slight cough acting as if her bombs were beginning to affect her. A bang went off. She felt something sharp graze her shoulder, y/n got down as she felt her skin burn. She felt a warm goo drip between her fingers as soon as she cupped her hand over her knew wound. Y/n hugged the mask to her face out of fear that she'd accidentally give away her location.

Footsteps were coming closer. Y/n fought through the pain and tried to catch up with the noise. In the darkness, y/n could just barely make out a blackened silhouette.

Y/n got up and rushed to the figure, ramming all her weight into the mysterious silhouette. She was confident that they hadn't noticed her Nomu taking her place just yet. Y/n hoped that the surprise attack would catch them off guard. 

She took hold of the officer. Her arms squeezed around what felt like his torso. He began to struggle, nearly flinging y/n off him. Her grip tightened in response. Something blunt hit the side of her face. Compared to the pain in her shoulder, y/n could barely grasp what the officer was doing. 

Y/n reached out and pressed her taser against his skin, weakening his struggle. As soon as she saw an opening, she covered the man's mouth with her mask. The man let out a yelp as he fell to the ground. She heard the man's pained scream echo from the direction her Nomu was waiting. "She got me!" he called out. "I don't know if it's an electric-type quirk or what." Y/n glanced over towards where his voice was coming from.

Y/n pressed her stun gun against his skin again. His voice rang out in Nobuo's direction again as he called for help. In the back of her mind, y/n reminded herself that she still had her knife. The thought nagged at her as the officer stopped struggling. She pulled the taser away and pressed her fingers against his neck, nearly in a panic. He was still alive.

Footsteps echoed towards the sound. Y/n got up as she tried to mentally grasp how many more security guards were rushing to her Nomu. It sounded like five. Y/n wasn't positive, though. "It's the Nomu," a voice rang out. "Fire at will."

Y/n held her breath as she heard a barrage of bullets and saw the occasional spark of light. She covered her mouth. Y/n had nearly forgotten how to breathe. While planning their invasion of Tartarus, y/n planned on working with her Nomu. She considered them a team. In pained y/n that she had to use Nobuo as bait. The fact that she was unsure if he could get himself out of the firing squad made her feel worse.

An inhuman scream filled the room. Y/n covered her ears, knowing that noise came from her Nomu. "Man down," a voice called out. Y/n thought she'd feel relieved to know her Nomu was fighting back. She didn't. Y/n was convinced this was Nobuo's last stand. As much as she wanted to stay a team and fight along her monster's side, y/n knew she couldn't. She had a better chance of survival escaping down the hallway and meeting with the rest of The League. Y/n couldn't afford to stay here any longer.

Another low rumble went off, similar to the one that first woke y/n up. Panic was slowly overtaking her as she began to wonder if the shaking was a good or a bad thing. Y/n couldn't stop thinking about the clone. For a moment, she almost believed Tomura had taken a bullet to the throat for her. Thinking back, even after knowing that it wasn't actually Tomura, the sight of him being wounded still made her sick. Stay alert, the advice the Tomura clone had given her before his inevitable death rang in her mind.

Y/n shook off the feeling of guilt of abandoning her Nomu and the horror of watching Tomura die. For now, her goal was to make it out of this room. There was a narrow hallway on the other side. Y/n was sure that's where everyone else was. 

Y/n began to latch her mask back on as she ran for the hallway. It was so close. Ten feet away. Five feet away. Two feet away. As she approached the exit, the fog was beginning to disperse. Her survival was becoming more and more visible with each step.

Y/n was nearly thrown back as a potent force pulled on her hoodie violently. "You're a tricky one," a deepened voice said.  Before y/n register what was happening, her back came in contact with the metal wall.

It felt like her skull had cracked upon contact. Her vision darkened as the figure walked closer to her. Move, she demanded herself. Hurry up, you need to move.

A familiar feeling began to creep in. A sense of overbearing helplessness. Y/n hadn't felt this way since the vigilante attacked her. At the time, y/n had an excuse as to why she couldn't defend herself. This time was different. Himiko had sunk so much time into teaching y/n the basics of fighting. Y/n couldn't help but feel like she had not only wasted the young villain's time, but y/n was also disappointing her.

As her vision switched between recovering moments before fading out, y/n continued to urge herself to move. She tried to encourage herself to find an ounce of strength to pull herself off the ground and at least try to protect herself. It was meaningless. She was utterly useless. "Help me," y/n borderline begged in a weak voice.

After all that demanding, y/n only managed to get her fingers to twitch. She closed her eyes as the man raised his gun and pointed it at y/n. Expecting the worst, y/n forced back tears. This was y/n's last chance to be stubborn. If she was going to die right here on Tartarus' floor, y/n didn't want to die sobbing over her life. 

She felt a warm hand wrap around her neck. It squeezed tightly, y/n couldn't breathe. The tears she had been forcing back began to run down her face. Her hands gripped around the man's fingers, trying to pry his hand from her throat. The cold metal of the gun's barrel touched the side of her head. A gunshot went off right in front of her, and y/n flinched.

After a moment, she realized she was still breathing. Y/n was almost in disbelief. She began to wonder if she was actually dead, and this was what the afterlife was like. Dark and filled with anxiety. 

Y/n opened her eyes cautiously. In front of y/n was a snarling Nobuo. His sickly blue skin was dyed crimson. The wounds inflicted on the monster was dripping blood. Y/n bit her lip as she choked back tears. Y/n was relieved to see her precious Nomu, but at the same time, she was incredibly guilt-ridden.

The Nomu had the man in his hands. His claws digging into his torso as the monster opened his mouth and clamped his teeth around the man's head. He let out an ear-piercing shriek as Nobuo's hold on his skull tightened. Y/n attempted to cover her face with her hands. However, y/n found herself peeking at the carnage between her fingers.

Y/n gritted her teeth as she watched Nobuo twist and pull on his head, almost akin to a dog playing with a toy. She recoiled as several loud snaps from the man's neck and spine echoed in the room. Y/n saw an eye pop out of the man's skull as Nobuo vacantly chewed on his head. The man's body went limp in Nobuo's hands. 

She remained sitting on the ground with her back pressed against the metal wall. She felt sweat drip down her face as she tried to breathe. Y/n forced herself onto her feet and fled towards the hallway. "Come," y/n called out. Her voice rang out through the box, still tied around Nobuo's neck. She spotted the monster dropping his new toy and slowly make his way towards y/n.

The hallway was long and narrow. It seemed like it could go on forever. If y/n wasn't in a rush and stopped, she could have stretched her arms out and touched both walls effortlessly. Y/n felt herself growing claustrophobic with each step forward. She began to wonder if Nobuo was okay. The monster loomed over y/n. Surely, he would be too large to squeeze through the hallway.

"This isn't working," y/n heard Dabi say. "The explosives don't have an effect." Y/n held her breath as she entered the next room. She's never been so happy to hear Dabi's voice before in her life. For a moment, she could almost put aside how much she disliked the patchwork villain and give him a hug. At the same time, she felt apprehensive, unsure if that was actually Dabi or one of Twice's clones.

"Plan B, then. Try to open them manually," a familiar raspy voice replied. Y/n was almost brought to tears hearing Tomura's voice again.

Y/n recalled Tomura's back up plan. The explosives were for trying to open as many doors as possible in one go. Everything shifted now, Kurogiri was to open warp gates inside each individual cell, and The League was to assist in freeing as many captive villains as possible.

Y/n was lost. She was given specific directions during The League's gatherings, stay near Dabi and assist where possible. However, Tomura gave her a set of conflicting instructions when the two were alone. Tomura had explicitly told her to stay close to him.

She looked to Tomura and to the warp gates. She hurried to the black mass and passed through one. The portal closed behind her, trapping her in a small room.

Y/n wasn't sure if she should feel safer in the room or not. The explosives Giran had supplied The League had no effect on the doors, but now she was trapped in a small cell with a Tartarus inmate.

Y/n's eyes locked with the villain in front of her. The villain was blindfolded and restrained by a straight jacket. Above the white cloth was a metal restraint. His mouth was covered by a mask that reminded y/n of the one she was wearing. "How am I supposed to free him?" y/n asked herself. Her eyes drifted to the sensor by the villain's side.

Taking a closer look at the villain, he was trapped in almost complete sensory isolation. It was clear he was unable to see, speak, and move. A device that wrapped around his head seemed to stop him from hearing as well.

She slowly approached the villain and looked at the small computer by his side. She pressed several buttons blindly. It was no use. Y/n had no idea what she was doing.

She reached out for the villain. Y/n wondered if there was a way to undo his restraints. The villain recoiled and let out a loud yet muffled scream. It sounded like he was yelling profane names at her, but she wasn't exactly sure what he was saying behind his mask.

Y/n backed away from the villain. She could only guess that he had been so isolated that he was hostile towards everyone who came close to him. The thought of trying to release him made y/n's skin crawl. She turned around. Y/n looked to the large window, wishing that Kurogiri would open another portal for someone else to help her.

A low tremor caused the room to vibrate, y/n had nearly lost her balance. She turned to the massive window and peered into the battle, everything was clustered. Y/n saw the occasional glimpse of her allies. Between the security officers, League members, and the growing number of villains entering the fray, it was soon becoming too challenging to keep track of the fight.

Her attention returned to the villain behind her. She walked around him and began to pull at his straight jacket. Y/n was sure he'd be able to release himself from the metal restraints if she freed his arms for him. It made no sense to use the extra precaution.

Y/n watched the white fabric slide free, and she immediately backed away from the villain. He was showing signs of hostility when he was alerted to her presence, she hoped freeing him would show she was an ally.

The villain's hand touched the metal restraint, and it immediately began to warp and twist until it tore apart. He began to claw at his mask and blindfold until he freed himself from their grasps. 

Y/n and the villain made eye contact for a moment before he raised his hand, pointing towards y/n. She took as many steps back as she could. Y/n felt the window behind her, completely stopping her from taking any more steps back. 

The rather slender villain gave her an unsettling smile as the metal scraps of his restraints hovered by her side. The last thing y/n saw before closing her eyes was the sight of the scrap metal flying towards her direction.

She felt a hand grip onto her shoulder and being pulled back. A warm sensation surrounded her as a pair of arms wrapped around her neck. A small stinging pain grazed her skin right next to her eye. "That one works fast. He managed to get one good shot in before the warp gate closed completely. He has potential."

The comfort she was previously feeling had melted away at an instant. Dabi. Why did it have to be Dabi?

Y/n stepped away from the patchwork villain. He had a chunk of metal protruding from his chest. The tip of the metal was colored red. Dabi crossed his arms. "Well, he missed your eye. Some good news, I guess."

Y/n opened her mouth to speak, completely forgetting that he wouldn't be able to hear her. She closed her mouth as the patchwork villain began to melt into a puddle of goo. Y/n wiped her face, she felt the blood from her wound smear along her skin.

Y/n turned around towards the window. She saw the dark-haired villain banging on the window, his piercing green eyes staring directly at her. Y/n took a step back and felt a sharp pain surge up her leg. Losing her balance, y/n fell to the ground. Y/n looked for Tomura, convinced he'd know how to make the pain stop or what to do next.

"Heroes are on their way!" A voice rang out from the fray. Y/n spotted Tomura looking elsewhere. She followed his line of sight to Compress. The masked villain met his look and gave him a nod.

Compress turned to y/n's direction. She, in turn, forced herself to stand up. A surge of pain jolted from her leg every step she took. Y/n chewed on her lip and endured, trying to hide the pain. Y/n saw Compress reach out for her.

A cold breeze brushed up against y/n. Her skin felt warm as if y/n was being warmed under the sun only to feel chilled by the occasional drip of water. The smell of grass and dandelions came through her mask.

Y/n opened her eyes. She found herself under a bridge, a running creek was by her side. She looked towards the bridge's end, a black mass slowly shrinking caught her attention. Her eyes widened. Suddenly, everything came rushing to her. Heroes were coming to Tartarus. Y/n knew there was no way The League would back down from the fight because of that, especially since many villains were released. Y/n realized she was the only one who had been removed from Tartarus.

Y/n stood up. Pain shot up her leg, and she recoiled. Y/n limped her way towards the closing portal as quickly as she could. Her hands touched the metal clasps of her mask, and she allowed it to fall to the ground with a loud thud. "No!" y/n demanded as if Kurogiri could hear her on the other side. "I'm not ready yet! I can still fight!"

The portal was gone long before y/n had managed to limp to the concrete wall. Y/n dug her nails into the concrete. "No, no, no, no," she mumbled to herself as she desperately, refusing to believe she was crying to the wind. The image of the Tomura clone dying in her grasp invaded her mind. Y/n felt tears roll down her cheek.

"I can still fight," y/n repeated. She fell to her knees, her nails dragging down the bridge’s wall with her. "I can still fight. Let me back in."

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Author's Note:

Thank you to OkayItsRobine for letting me borrow her best boi OC 💙💙