The Future Firecracker

96 | CLOCK TOWER

CHAPTER NINETY-SIX
'clock tower'

He noticed that you were slow with your movements, watched as you would glance over your shoulder whenever you were kicked or whenever you dodged.

The bullets from her gun had gone out and ricocheted against the glass of the tanks. Each turn of the barrel and each ear-splitting bang earned a low growl from the Nomus.

Katsuki never found an opening to help and it got him frustrated to leave you out there alone, your warnings of him setting off a blast that could break all the cages belonging to the artificial monsters also preventing him from jumping in. He knew you could handle it.

Then again, from reading the journal, it seems like his future self thought the same thing too.

But he remembered what you said in the sewers.

"Somewhere there's a whole case of quirks in glass containers. Wrap them and put them in a bag. I can handle it myself, I'll give you a signal when I need you."

Quick on his feet, he ran inside the room. He didn't bother to keep everything neat. He shoved all the research to the floor, opening every drawer and throwing everything that wasn't it behind him.

Then, when he looked forward, there it was.
There was, at most, twenty vials.

Twenty people and/or children. Quirkless by force.

Seeing it made him nauseous, regretting every time in his life where he walked past someone and crudely called them names when he didn't know their story.

Especially to Deku. That word just made him sick.

Shit. Why even in the worst times did life give him the lessons he had to think deeply about?

As he raided the room, you had taken your dagger from the compartment in your boots and kept your mother away from you by swinging it skilfully at her.

"What are you planning?" You yelled at her, swiping her legs and climbing above the tanks. "Six years from now! What are you planning? Answer me!"

She climbed up with you, throwing the gun right at where Shigaraki was submerged.

The whole place shook.

"Heroes." She had a crazed look, her blazer torn by your blade falling from her arms to show her burnt and scarred shoulders. "I hate every single one of them and the fact that you want to be one makes me hate them even more!"

[m/n] leaped over the tanks, pushing you to the floor with her. Her own blade was pointed at you.

"I'll rid you of that horrid life," she said, ticking your hair behind your ear. "You and your child! I help you!"

You winced, it was pointed at your stomach.

Using your quirk too much when the battle just started is the wrong move to make. The bottom of your palms pressed together with the cool metal between them, stopping them for now.

You looked for Katsuki.

He wasn't there yet.

"You think I didn't notice?"

She screamed, trying so hard to do what she thought was right. It made you sadder. What happened over the years? You never knew someone could be consumed by something they thought was right but was wrong until now.

"Even if it's just a little foetus... using too much of any quirk and enough damage to you will keep it from living this dreadful—"

"Stop it!"