Between the security system broadcast and the hostage situation inside the reception hall, it is made clear to them that a group of villains have taken over not only the central tower, but the entire I-Island.
While I-Island's exceptional security system has always been used to protect its inhabitants from villains, in the hands of the villains, it is used to trap all of them in. Even All Might, their best pro hero, is rendered useless and puny once bound by the restricting devices.
We're lucky we weren't caught in those.
Even though All Might has told them to run away, Deku knows by heart that they can't just stand by and wait for the crisis to pass. Many lives are involved in this invasion, and as a hero candidate, if he doesn't move now, he will never be able to see himself as a hero.
Their only chance to turn over the situation is taking back the control room at the top floor. With Melissa's knowledge and skills, they will be able to revert back the security if they manage to reach there. Correction, when they reach it.
I will definitely save everyone! Deku clenches his fist as he passes a large "60" on his right, taking a big gulp of air for his poor lungs. Crap, 60th floor and my legs are starting to have cramps...
The others also seem tired... I wonder how Melissa-san and Arata-san are faring. They aren't used to a heavy physical activity like this.
"What's the top floor again?" Kaminari asks, one hand busy wiping his own sweat.
"200th," Todoroki replies shortly without stopping and ignores Kaminari's "damn!" afterwards. His grey-cyan eyes steal a glance at the back of their pack for a second before he focuses on the emergency stairs ahead again.
Recognizing the fleeting look of worry on his face, Deku speaks up, "Do you think we should've asked Arata-san to stay behind? I mean, for her safety. She's new, after all. We have no choice but to bring Melissa-san with us for this plan to work, but actually we don't have to bring Arata-san."
Todoroki would be lying if he said he hadn't considered that option. He knows there was a moment where he thought of it. Anyhow, what Arata had said next diminished that thought completely.
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"After everything, I don't want to be locked up ever again..." Arata muttered to him, her green eyes looked a shade darker due to the dim lighting. "The villains haven't hurt anyone, but... no matter how short and how peaceful this situation will be, I'm sure people in the reception party don't want to be locked up like this as well."
"You don't have to do this, you know."
"Shoto-san, I know probably I won't be useful and all, but I think... I can try... Maybe this is selfish, but I hope you don't mind."
"Well, if that's really what you want, Ara. So, you're in?"
A glint of iron entered her expression as she met his gaze and nodded. "Yeah, let's free them, Shoto-san."
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"I don't know if this is the best choice," Todoroki answers, running past the 65th floor wall sign, "but it's her own choice. I won't say anything about it."
Like during I-Speed that evening, Arata might be able to see a number of possibilities he couldn't see. He might have taken all the fights for himself, but she was the one who showed him how to win the race. Without her making the right decision, it would have definitely ended in a loss.
Actually, it's not "right" either, seeing how it injured her arm pretty badly. That being said...
Having her in their group probably doesn't add much value for now, but it might prove to be vital later on. He just wishes it won't cost her an arm.
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However, of course, they can't use the emergency stairs to go all the way to the 200th floor. Having found the stairway to the upper stories are blocked with a shutter, they decide to pass a botanical garden on the 80th floor to cross to the other side of the building. They will probably have a better chance with that side's emergency stairs.
At any rate, it turns out that even merely passing through the botanical garden is not an easy task. The villains are onto their location, and before they know it, two villains have arrived in the middle of the garden. With no choice but to hide, all of the 1-A students and Melissa are wedged beside each other, trying to conceal themselves behind the greenery.
"Shh, quiet," Iida mutters, following the villains closely with his gaze. "They're coming."
Taking a peek behind Shoto's shoulders, Arata bites her lips when she doesn't spot a mass of curly, purple hair between the villains. Instead, a man no taller than than her is standing a few meters from them. "Daigo", that's how his partner calls him. The partner, Nobu, is beside him, towering like a very tall, biped goat.
Should I be grateful that the demonic creep isn't among these villains? Or should I be worried because it means these villains could be his accomplices?
Arata tilts her head to the left. Her gaze collides with Melissa's, who sends her a confused look, but smiles nonetheless. Arata forces a polite smile and breaks their eye contact, brooding over the events that day.
Since I knew Melissa-san is quirkless, I've been dreading meeting that demon again... What if he puts her on a sleep too? Like that janitor in the restroom and the girl customer in Kaminari-kun and Mineta-kun's work place? What should I— Huh?
A hand clasps Arata's hand softly, breaking her thoughts. Unlike Shoto's calloused hand, this one is very smooth and slender. Not a hint of physical training is engraved in it.
"Arata-chan, don't worry, the villains won't find us," Melissa quietly whispers, a reassuring smile on her face. "We're going to be all right. Don't be afraid."
Did she just put on a brave face for me? Arata grimaces. This is pathetic. I should be the one who said that as a hero course student. Well, Melissa-san doesn't know about that, it never came up in our conversation. She assumed that I'm just a friend of Shoto-san who is tagging along. But, still...
"Melissa-san, I..."
Melissa gives her hand another light squeeze, then lets go. "I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"
I'm the one who should protect you, Arata wants to say, but the words crumble on her tongue. Do I really look that helpless? So helpless that the creep immediately thought of me as quirkless? So helpless that it never occurred to Melissa-san that I'm part of 1-A too?
Either of them doesn't have the time to say anything else, as a shouting match suddenly breaks out in front of them. While the first two voices belong to the villains, Arata discerns the other two as Kirishima and Bakugou's, who failed to turn up on their agreed place.
Apparently, they got lost on their way to the party and went all the way to the 80th floor? Arata surmises, watching with bated breath as Kirishima asks the villains for direction. What should we do? It doesn't seem the villains believe them.
"I know you're the kids we're looking for!" Nobu snarls, one hand transformed into a big, webbed claw, swinging it to Kirishima's direction. "Don't lie to me!"
"Kirishima-kun, look out!"
At the telltale sign of distorted air around Nobu's hands, Arata immediately springs to her feet on instinct, dashing forward. Her whole body is tingling, like something is running its course through her veins.
For a split second, everything seems clearer than ever to her. From the distorted edges of Nobu's quirk attack, to the tiniest details of Kirishima's surprised frown.
That's not all. She also feels that her own movement becomes a blur, as if she was a rollercoaster that couldn't be stopped. All she knows at that moment, is charging ahead. Without a single care other than shoving Kirishima away from the line of attack.
"Ara!"
Her movement is suddenly forced into a stop by a jerk so strong that she even staggers backwards. The temperature nosedives and a giant wall of ice surges to life in front of her and all the way to Kirishima, effectively cutting Nobu's attack.
"Think before you act! Don't be reckless." Not releasing his left hand from her wrist, Shoto glares at her, his voice more strained than usual. "What would you protect Kirishima with? Your body? And, how were you able to react so fast?"
"Sorry... My body just moved on its own..."
Arata wasn't as fast as All Might, but that reaction time was definitely unnatural. She had dashed past him when he barely registered Nobu's sign of attack. Now that Shoto thinks about it, her reflex during the race was also nothing short of exceptional.
I will ask her later, he clenches his jaw upon the sounds of his ice cracking and shattering from inside, pounded and crushed by the villains. We have to take care of them first.
"Bakugou, Kirishima, and I will stall for time here. You guys go ahead. Ara, endure the cold for a moment."
Slamming his right palm on the floor, the floor under their feet turns to an ice pillar, rising them upward on a steady pace. As soon as he unclasps her wrist, Arata almost falls flat on her butt due to the heavy shaking.
"Wait, I'm not leaving you here, Shoto-san!"
"Don't say that just because you dislike my ice. This is temporary. You can get off on the bridges up there. Yaoyorozu, hold her so she won't jump down."
"Hey, I'm not that crazy! It's not about your ice too!"
"Is that so?" Shoto lets out a rare chuckle as his ice pillar rises higher. "Then, look for a way to the top. I'm fine, just go. I'll be right behind you after we clean this up."
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There isn't a lot to do once they manage to get to the bridge. The only way to go is up, through a panel on the ceiling. For that, they have to wait for Mineta to scale the outside wall and lower the ladder. Arata leans over the railing, following the small blurs of people below with her eyes.
If only I had a long-range quirk, she sighs, examining the fight between her friends and the villains. Maybe I would be able to help from up here, like—what is it called?—oh, a sniper.
The one named Nobu sure moves fast, and there's his displacement quirk too... He has been giving Shoto-san a hard time.
Hm? What is Nobu-san doing? Arata squints harder, trying to make out his subtle gestures. It's the third time he has glanced up here. And this time, it looks like he's whispering something to a device in his pocket. Is it for communication?
It's difficult to perceive his line of sight clearly, considering how far below he is. But, Arata has a chilling guess that the one he has been looking at is Melissa.
Do they know that Melissa-san is quirkless? Or are they trying to devise a way so we won't be able to escape? Whichever it is—
Clinking sounds rattle behind her and she turns around, noticing Mineta gushing with tears from the roof panel. A long metal ladder has been lowered near the bridge. "Hello ladies, I made it! Now, where's the harem that you've promised me?"
"Great job, Mineta-kun!" Arata hears Ochaco and Deku cheering him on. Her own lips curl into a relieved smile at their new way out as she lets herself be ushered to the ladder by Iida.
Well, whichever it is won't mean anything as long as we all manage to escape from here and go under the radar again. Hopefully.