Under Pressure

Chapter 6.5: the climb back

The chaos in the USJ had finally subsided, leaving behind wreckage, injured students, and the weight of the battle that had unfolded. Smoke still lingered in the air as the last traces of the League of Villains disappeared through Kurogiri's portal. The echo of their defeat hung in the eerie silence, only broken by the arrival of U.A.'s remaining teachers.

Ectoplasm, Cementoss, and Midnight rushed in, eyes scanning the devastation before them.

Snipe: "Well, my, my, my."

Midnight: "I can't believe we let them escape, after everything they have done here.

Nezu: "I must confess, they did catch us completely by surprise, but we will discuss that later. For now, we need to make sure that all the students are okay."

Cementoss: "Aizawa, Thirteen, and the students..." he muttered, his voice tinged with worry.

Ectoplasm: "They will be fine."

As they surveyed the damage, the police force arrived, led by Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. The investigation team spread out, taking in the scene of the battle.

Tsukauchi: "This was a coordinated attack," Tsukauchi said grimly, glancing at the blood on the floor and the wreckage of Thirteen's torn spacesuit. "We need to act fast."

Thirteen, Aizawa, and Ezra were immediately rushed to the hospital, their injuries severe but not life-threatening. The remaining Class 1-A students stood in stunned silence, watching as their friends were wheeled out of the USJ.

Ezra lay unconscious on the stretcher, his face pale, body covered in burns and bruises. His bioelectricity had burned him from the inside out as he pushed himself far past his limits to defend his classmates.

Izuku, clutching his injured arm, was escorted to Recovery Girl's office alongside All Might. Despite the pain, there was a lingering dread in his chest. An unresolved fear for Ezra, who had shielded him from Kurogiri's final attack.

Midnight: "Principal Nezu, how bad does it look for Ezra?"

Nezu: "Awful, in my opinion..." he sighed as he looked at Midnight. "Can you make a phone call to Elena? She has every right to know what happened to Ezra and I do not want to keep her in the dark for so long."

Midnight: "Understood, I'll go and talk with Elena, does she still use the same number?"

Nezu: "Yes, she still does. Her number hasn't changed ever since...you know?"

Midnight: "Yeah, I remember that day...poor girl, she had to raise that boy alone, I wonder what was life in Chicago."

Tsukauchi walked toward Nezu and the rest of the teachers with a report in his hand.

Tsukauchi: "Alright, just to fill you in on what conspired. 19 out of 21 of your students were uninjured throughout the entire invasion. Midoriya and All Might are off to Recovery Girl's office, while Eraserhead, Thirteen, and Ezra Thomas are immediately transferred to the hospital, all three of them had severe yet life-threatening injuries all caused by that Nomu."

Nezu: "I see."

Tsukauchi: "I won't interrogate the students for now, I will give them time to recover from this ordeal. Today has been a rollercoaster, for them, Nezu."

Nezu: "I understand, Detective. If you wish to run an investigation on every inch of the school, do not hesitate to ask me," he smiled, raising his arms. "You have full access to the campus, we need your assistance on this matter. I don't care who makes a fuss, you have my blessing."

Tsukauchi: "Understood, Principal. Teams. Proceed as planned."

(Miles away-South Side, Chicago, U.S.A.)