Countdown to Parallels: 3 days :)
Your eyes must've fooled you. It wouldn't be the first time. Since when had they not been so cruel as to play tricks. Make you believe along with that shrewd and anything but honest memory that something happened instead of the truth.
Deku was knocked aside- out of the deadly power's trajectory. You watched from the earth, hands shaking, your lower jaw tight, teeth close to drawing blood.
You couldn't move. Couldn't make a sound. Fear and hate crept back at the back of your skull like the parasites they were, the opportunity too good to pass up. They spread, making your muscles tremble, your breath hitch. They took Atomic's place. That's when you knew your eyes weren't lying. Not this time.
Katsuki was falling from the sky, redness spreading through his clothes, that heartbeat you held onto ever since you shared your dreams and nightmares on a night lonelier than the rest fading.
"Don't go playing hero by yourself," He gritted out. His head fell back, consciousness slipping.
Deku could barely see through the haze, but his friend's eyes rolling back, the spurts of blood coughed from his lungs, and his body falling victim to gravity were enough to realize what just happened.
"Ka-"
Thundering sounds came from Shigaraki's body, interrupting Deku as he reached hopelessly for Bakugo. He was burning, blackened from Endeavor's attacks. His hair grew back, pieces of his tissue and skin repaired slower than before. A face once beholding of passion and loss and cruelty no longer existed on Tomura Shigaraki's bones. It was only charred flesh, the voice of someone else taking the reins away.
Todoroki let out a pained groan, reaching for Bakugo, grabbing him just barely by the leg, his father, also near-unconscious, held by his wrist in his other arm.
"You're not allowed to die," He bit, using all the strength he could, hair sticking to his forehead, smoke rising from his left, ice-breaking his fall from the right. "You made a promise to me too, damnit."
The wind proved difficult to maneuver through, but Shigaraki's struggle to keep his physicality his own gave Todoroki enough leeway. He got back to the earth, but not before looking up and seeing one of his worst nightmares come to light.
Deku's rage enveloped him like back smoke as he charged forward at Shigaraki. His eyes too became a mere white surface, his power roughing through the villain's defenses as he screamed for his friend, for his mentor, for his teacher, for all the people injured and lost to Shigaraki's war.
"Midoriya!" Todoroki yelled, Shigaraki and him once again within fighting distance of one another. The endurance match resumed. Endeavor and Bakugo's efforts did nothing but stall.
Todoroki thudded to the ground, his ice failing him those final dozen feet. Dust rose around him, Endeavor coughing on impact. Bakugo remained silent.
Your footsteps sounded before you, Todoroki looking up to see you rushing to his side.
It was only a second before you fell to your knees, hands scrambling to lay Bakugo upright. Your palms cupped his head, propping it up as one of your arms wrapped around his shoulders. No sorrow overtook you. Instead, there was this manic energy, as if you were happy. Happy he was back in your arms.
After all, he was breathing, right? Just barely. His eyes were closed, he wasn't talking, but he was back with you... right?
"Hey," you breathed, pushing his hair out of his face, wiping at the blood around his mouth as if it were some food he messily forgot to use a napkin on.
