Freeze Frame: One-Shots

Saturn (Part One)

Third person pov

You taught me me the courage of stars before you left,

 "No." Aizawa whispered. It seemed horrifyingly loud in his own ears, ricocheting off the smoldering rubble around him and echoing through the barren landscape before him. His hands shook, clammy and sweaty. Despite this, he was indescribably cold. Shivers ran up and down his body, banging on his spine and at his legs. They threatened to knock him down, and force him to his knees. His adam's apple bobbed as he stumbled forward, gulping. His mouth was dry. When did it get so dry? 

Smoke permeated his lungs, but he didn't falter. It stung at his already dry eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to blink. His entire world slowed so greatly he was sure it nearly came to a complete stop. As though reality too stuttered in hesitance at the sight set out before it. Aizawa certainly did, hoping, wishing the scene laid out in front of him would shudder out of reality. 

How light carries on endlessly,

 Blood. There shouldn't be that much blood. There couldn't be that much blood. It wasn't possible. For a human body to lose that much blood- It just wasn't possible. It couldn't be. He refused to believe it as he stumbled forward. He couldn't remember the last time his heart had beat this hard. It felt like it was going to pound right out of his chest. A part of him wondered if that would really be so bad. For it to rip away from him. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so bad.

He wanted to scream. The sound caught in his throat, and he wondered if this was all some sort of cruel joke. Bile edged at the back of his throat, mingling with disbelief and the sobs he had yet to choke out. He felt like he was being strangled as he moved forward, moving as though each step he took hurt him physically. It felt like there was something weighing him down. A warning, perhaps. The universe telling him not to go.

Even after death,

"Lillian?" Aizawa's voice hadn't cracked for years, but he couldn't help it as he scooted forward. The rough ground scuffed at his knees as he lowered himself, but he ignored it, hesitantly reaching a hand forward. Dull blue eyes stared back at him, their usual spark of light missing. He hadn't realized just how bright it was until it was gone. Now they pointed a single direction, nothing in them, no signs that she was okay.

Such a look didn't belong on a child. It didn't belong on his daughter. Lillian was too good for that. She had to be. Everything had been okay, just earlier. She'd been laughing and smiling just like she did. He'd seen her flush with embarrassment and sputter with amusement. He'd seen her, and... and she'd been just fine. He never would have assumed. He never would have thought. 

He should have. Where was he? Why wasn't he there?

Why was he never there?

 With shortness of breath, 

"Lillian?" Aizawa's voice rose slightly, his hand shakily cupping her cheek. It was absolutely frigid. Too cold. Way, way too cold. Too cold. Way too cold. There was too much blood, and her body was too cold. No human body could survive at this temperature without some sort of quirk helping them. But Lillian's quirk wasn't like that, and he knew that. That was the problem. She was cold. She was cold, and she wasn't supposed to be. "Lillian, you need to wake up... you need to... there's... you have to-" 

She didn't move. She didn't wake up like he asked, and the light didn't return to her eyes. For a moment, Shota could only sit there on his knees, devastated and in shock as he gazed at her. This was his little girl. Someone had done this to his daughter, and then left her here. Where was everyone? Why was she alone? How... How had this happened? He was so sure she'd be fine. He hadn't worried at all. It was just supposed to be a normal day, and she was supposed to be fine. Why wasn't she fine?!