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Leave it to Izuku and Bakugo to go too hard during a training simulation. The simulation was supposed to be a hero vs villain situation with the class cut in half ten on ten.
Midoriya, Tenya, Shinsou, Kaminari, Ojiro, Hagakure, Jiro, Sato, Kirishima, and Todoroki were the heroes trying to capture the villains and reclaim all the weapons from the small ones to the hidden bombs.
Bakugo, Ochako, Mina, Sero, Tokoyami, Shoji, Tsu, Momo, Ayoama, and Kouda were villains. They had to bide their time to ‘blow up’ the building with weapons and were able to take hostages.
This was all happening at Ground Beta. The villains got the advantage of choosing what building they wanted, and Bakugo, being Bakugo, went for the largest building in the city. Easily fourteen stories tall for an obvious advantage of hiding the weapons. That was fine. The challenge was accepted by Midoirya, and his team got to work on a plan.
Then came the day of the simulation. The teachers, Midnight, Aizawa, and Nedzu, were watching off in the distance, along with plenty of Recovery Girl’s robots.
It started fast and flashy with everyone giving it their absolute all, none more than Midoriya and Bakugo. They were like wild animals as they fought with one another. Explosion after explosion shook the whole area. The sound was deafening to their poor ears. It was so loud that it caused some of them to stop fighting just to cover their ears. So, Tenya couldn’t fathom how Midoriya could be up in the air with Bakugo blasting off such loud and violent explosions. At least they both had the sense to stay in the air, away from everyone else. That was either good or bad. In a way, Tenya was impressed with Midoriya’s tenacity, but on the other hand, he was also concerned for his best friend.
Tenya stuck to the plan that Midoryia had worked day and night over. He, Shinsou, and Kaminari were to storm the basement of the building where Midoriya was sure Bakugo had a bomb hidden away.
“Check the utility closets along your way down. No doubt he’ll have that area guarded, so that’s why I’m sending Hitoshi and Kaminari with you, Tenya. Both are powerful in their own rights and with you leading them, I’m certain nobody can beat you!” It had taken Tenya everything in his power not to get flustered by Midoriya’s beaming smile and reassuring words that day.
Izuku was right. The area just in front of the basement door was guarded by Momo, Tsu, and Ochako. Three of the more powerful people on his team, and for a good reason. Tenya hardly had time to dodge as a flare whizzed right by him and nearly hit him head-on.
“Nice try, Tenya. We were told you might come down here.” Momo teased while Ochako stood beside Momo, her hands pressed together like she was ready to release something at a moment’s notice. They weren’t aware of Tsu’s presence until it was too late. Tsu wrapped Shinsou up in her tongue and forced him off of the ground.
“Kami-” Hitoshi growled but stopped when Tsu became visible from the nearby wall she was sticking to. He snarled at Tsu, who kept his arms pinned to his side with her tongue. He violently kicked and tried to swing his upper body out of her grip, but it did nothing.
“I got you, bro!” Kaminari raised his fingers up and pointed them at Tsu. “I hope you’re ready for a shock, Tsu-”
Tenya noticed just in the nick of time. What Ochako was holding to as it was right above their heads. Momo’s grenades. They were either flash bangs or super sticky grenades that would coat everyone in a strong sticky substance that was engineered to stick to any surface. Washing it out of their hair and clothing would be a pain later. Since they were still floating just above their heads, Tenya had time to react.
“Kaminari, No!” Tenya ran, not having to use his boosters just yet, and he tackled Kaminari to the ground. The blonde fell with an ‘oof!’ leaving his mouth just as they heard Ochako yell.
“Release!”
The grenades fell, and once they made contact with the ground, they exploded. Sure enough, it was the sticky substance that Tenya still didn’t know the compound of. There were several loud ‘Pops!’ with each little explosion. It was quickly accompanied by a more deafening and violent explosion from overhead that was so big and violent that it caused the windows on the bottom floor to shake.
“Aw, man!” Shinsou cried out. Tenya saw that he had apparently been dropped by Tsuyu to the ground and was stuck like a roach in a glue trap. “Do you have any idea how long I’m going to have to shower to get this out of my hair!?”
“All I’m hearing is: Wah, Wah, Wah!” Ochako made a talking motion with her hand as she mocked Hitoshi.
Tenya looked around for something he and Kaminari could use to their advantage against the girls.
Shinsou was three steps ahead of them as he activated his quirk, and Ochako went under. “Touch Momo with all five fingers!”
“Ochako-” Momo reached to take Ochako out of Shinsou’s grasp, but it was too late. Ochako touched Momo’s shoulder before Momo could shake her out of it. Ochako’s quirk activated the moment her fingers made contact, and Momo went up with a startled gasp. “Tsu!” Momo cried. Tsu allowed herself to be seen from another wall near Ochako.
Tenya instantly had a plan and crouched down before springing into action. “Recipro burst!” He called while his boosters roared to life. Within a moment, he managed to kick Tsu off the wall before she saw him coming. He felt horrible about throwing his friend through a wall, but it needed to happen. Tsu was stealthy and needed to be taken down.
Momo created a grappling hook and gun, using her newfound height to her advantage. “Kaminari! Stop Yaoyorozu!” Tenya demanded while he rushed to help Hitoshi off of the ground.
More violent and loud explosions could be heard from above, making the whole building shake. ‘Those two…’ Tenya thought, almost worried for his friend. How many burns had Izuku suffered?
It almost made Tenya feel like he was in a warzone with all the violent explosions. Still, he couldn’t get distracted, he had a mission, and he couldn’t let Midoriya down.
“I’m sorry to do this-” He heard Kaminari say almost a little gleefully, but Tenya didn’t turn to look as he helped pry Shinsou off the ground and to his feet. Shinsou stumbled horribly as he tried his hardest to get his footing, but it wasn’t coming easy for him. Hell, even Tenya had issues staying steady on his feet with the viscous and sticky substance. Kaminari never got the chance to do what he wanted to because, at that moment, the ceiling above them broke .
All the other explosions above their heads masked the indication that someone was falling through the floors.
Midoriya crashed through the ceiling, but he didn’t stop as there was still one more floor below, and down Midoriya went. His outfit was wholly burnt in places.
“Midoriya!” Tenya was the first one to jump through the hole to the basement without a second thought. Honesty, Tenya should have guessed that Bakugo’s rampage wasn’t done. It was never done until Bakugo was sure Midoriya was down. Maybe it was good that Tenya had jumped down when he had.
The next explosion happened from way above, as Bakugo must have released a pin on one of his arm grenades with a scream of triumph ripping out of his mouth as he did so. As Tenya hit the ground, he managed to look up just in time to see a fireball coming his way. Tenya didn’t hesitate for a second. He didn’t even have a chance to look at Midoriya as he grabbed his unconscious friend and shielded him with his own body as the explosion came barreling down on them hard .
Tenya felt extreme heat bear down on his back and cook the metal of his costume almost to the point it burned his skin. Tenya could only grit his teeth and bear the pain as he knew the fire wouldn’t last long, and he was right. The fire of the explosion died down, and for just a second, he allowed himself to relax… for just one second. Then he was hit with the shockwave that such a massive explosion produced.
His whole world shook violently, back and forth, up and down; it was so intense that Tenya couldn’t even think properly. He even let out a cry of alarm as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ride the shockwave out. The shockwave was so loud that it drowned out any other sound.He couldn’t even protect his ears from such a loud noise as his arms were bracing Izuku.
Then… It was calm again.
Tenya’s breath shook along with his whole form as he slowly uncurled himself from around Midoriya. He couldn’t hear anything but his own scared breathing. When he opened his eyes, Tenya feared that his poor eyesight had gotten worse as he couldn’t see anything at first. Then he came to realize that the blast had not only knocked the lights out of the basement but had also blocked out the hole that Midoriya and himself had fallen through.
Tenya was relieved that he hadn’t gone deaf either, but he was fearful of the noise he was hearing. The noise was a deep and angry groan from deep in the belly of the building. The groan of structural beams that were ready to give way any second. Tenya looked up at the ceiling above. Where Izuku and himself had fallen through was completely filled with rubble that the shockwave produced. The basement hadn’t collapsed, thank goodness- but the others?!
“Hey!” He called up to the floor above as loud as he possibly could. Tenya prided himself on having strong lungs, in a voice so loud that he could be heard in an auditorium without a microphone. “Can anyone hear me?! Are you all okay!?” The simulation was now completely forgotten in his eyes. This was no longer a ‘hero vs villain.’ situation. This was him and his classmates once more, and Tenya heard nothing back, nothing but the groaning of the beams.
“...Midoriya…” Tenya looked down at his friend now having to look over Midoriya’s various injuries. Thankfully, Tenya was always prepared because he was the class representative and they needed him. He reached into his costume and pulled out a tiny flashlight. He rarely needed it, but it was always a ‘just in case.’ situation, and this was most definitely a ‘just in case.’ situation. “Midoriya?” He clicked the tiny light on. It had such a bright bulb for a tiny thing which helped as Tenya was almost in complete and utter darkness.
“Oh my god….” Tenya breathed out once he saw the damage that Bakugo had done to Midoriya during their fight.
Midoriya’s face was littered with burns, some small, some large. The largest being a perfect starburst against his cheek. All the burns peeled away at his skin and left large, angry, liquid-filled blisters in their wake. He had some minor cuts but nothing as bad as the burns- wait. Tenya spied blood running down Midoriya’s neck and it looked like it was starting from the back of his head.
Tenya’s heart nearly skipped a beat when he remembered that Izuku had not only crashed through several floors of a fourteen-story building but also undoubtedly slammed his head on the concrete on the way down. Quietly and carefully, Tenya removed one of his gloves so he could feel the back of Izuku’s head. He felt warm, wet, and sticky fluid coat his fingers. “Damn.” he whispered before shining his flashlight in his hand just to confirm what he already knew. With shaky hands, Tenya moved the flashlight from his hand and scoped out the room to see just what was around him. Well, there was the bomb he needed to get, now long forgotten. It was just a standard basement, cold, alone, with nothing of substance for him to use to help Midoriya.
If he could get a hold of Momo to make him some cloth or bandages-
An idea struck Tenya like one of Denki’s lightning bolts. Tenya was gentle as he put Izuku down on the ground. He then stood up and started to remove his armor chest plate by unclasping it from the bottom and then wiggling out of it once it was opened. Tenya put the armor plate and stylistic engines on the ground. Tenya then removed his undershirt. Thankfully he wore a tank top under that shirt to prevent chafing as the plate armor was rather heavy and sometimes rubs through the first shirt. This was unhygienic and he hoped Midoriya would forgive him for doing this.
Tenya put the flashlight in his mouth to keep the light steady and directly on the undershirt. Tenya grabbed the collar of the shirt and pulled one hand up and the other hand down to tear it perfectly down the middle. He knew that Hatsume was going to have a field day once she learned about why he ripped his undershirt. At least he didn’t need a speciality fabric like Kaminari. His shirt ripped easily and he made uneven but thick strips out of his shirt.
Once he had enough strips of cloth he took the flashlight out of his mouth and looked over at Midoriya with the light. Midoriya looked like he was sleeping and Tenya stared at Izuku’s chest just to make sure he was breathing. He was. ‘Thank goodness.’ Tenya thought as he felt worry gnaw at his gut. He crawled over to Midoriya and put the flashlight back into his mouth and grabbed the first strip of cloth. He was going to need both hands for this.
Tenya lifted Izuku’s head and gently started to wrap the cloth around his head. There wasn’t much Tenya could do about the burns, but as long as he could do something he was glad to help. It was when he started to wrap the second cloth around Izuku’s head that Izuku stirred awake.
Tenya halted all at once when Izuku’s eyes fluttered open. The first thing Tenya took note of was that one of Izuku’s pupils was bigger than the other. ‘Not good. That could mean he has a concussion.’
“Midoriya, thank goodness you’re awake. Try not to move,” Tenya instructed once he fully took the flashlight out of his mouth. “I’m tending to your wounds.” Midoriya’s brow furrowed as he started to sit up- Tenya put a firm hand on Midoriya’s chest to stop him. “Don’t move.” He said a little more firmly and gave him a gentle push back to keep him on the floor.
Midoriya’s brow continued to stay furrowed as he stared at Tenya with an expression that Tenya could only describe as confusion mixed with fear. He shook his head and silently brought a shaky hand up to his right ear. “I-I- T-EnYa? ” Izuku’s voice was just as shaky as his hands as it fluctuate up and down like he didn’t know how loud he needed to be. Tenya was taken aback for just a second that was the first time Izuku has ever referred to him as his first name. He must have really hit his head badly. There wasn’t a doubt in Tenya’s mind that Izuku was clearly not thinking straight. Still, Tenya didn’t have the heart to correct him.
“I’m here.” He told his friend and continued to help bandage his head. “You hit your head pretty badly. So, please try not to move while I help bandage you-”
There was another one of those godforsaken groans from deep inside of the basement they were stuck in. Tenya froze for a moment and quickly looked around the area with his flashlight. Nothing looked on the verge of collapsing but that didn’t mean it wasn’t going to happen. Tenya prayed it wasn’t going to happen as he focused back around on Midoriya. Izuku now had both hands up against his ears like he was blocking out the sound but that might not have been the case, Tenya realized. Izuku was looking worried, frazzled even, as he repeatedly opened and closed his ears, blood starting to stain his white gloves as he did this.
“Hey,” Tenya grabbed onto both of Izuku’s wrists to get him to stop. “Don’t do that, you’re still bleeding.” He instructed and then he looked at the back of Izuku’s head to see where the blood was coming from. Tenya’s eyebrows rose in surprise when he realized that the blood wasn’t coming from the back of his head. Tenya set Midoriya up right in front of him so he could look at Midoriya’s face. Then he saw that the blood he had assumed had leaked out Midoriya’s head was actually leaking out of his ears .
“Midoriya…can you hear me?” He asked his friend and then put his hands against Izuku’s face so Izuku was looking at him. “Can you hear me?” He asked again after a bit of silence. Midoriya just looked confused and then he brought his hands back up to his ears. Midoriya’s confusion continued to grow on his face before the panic set in suddenly.
“I-I-” Midoriya shuddered as he brought his hands back to his ears. “I caN’t- i CaN’t!” Izuku gasped out and his voice continued that weird fluctuation and Tenya now knew why. Izuku couldn’t hear himself speak so he didn’t know just how loud or soft he was being. Izuku put his hands to his ears and shook his head frantically from side to side. “I caN’t HeAR!” Izuku sobbed out as he clung to Tenya.
“You need to ca-” Tenya realized his voice couldn’t be heard and so trying to yell at Izuku to get him to calm down wasn’t going to work. So, he chopped his hand in front of Izuku’s face to just get his attention. It worked. Izuku quieted down and only a whimper escaped his mouth. Even though Tenya was shirtless and this was technically inappropriate he still pulled Izuku into his chest to hug him and give his friend some form of comfort. Losing one’s hearing was almost like losing a limb and there’s no doubt Izuku was feeling the same.
Izuku was shaking in Tenya’s arms. Despite his raw power, Izuku was still just so small compared to Tenya and when Tenya felt the boy shake, borderline quake, against him he was just reminded of this fact. Tenya reached up and firmly placed his hand against the back of Izuku’s hair to keep him grounded. He then kneaded his hand gently against Izuku’s hair. Tenya couldn’t ask Izuku how things felt, so he hoped his message was getting across.
Tenya didn’t wince when he felt Izuku’s nails sink into his flesh, nor did he wince when he felt Izuku pull down just enough to leave a superficial scratch. Tenya only used his other arm to pull him in a little tighter.
“It’s okay…” Tenya whispered despite knowing full well that Izuku couldn’t hear him. “It’s going to be okay.”
Maybe Tenya was glad, if only just a little in the back of his mind, that Izuku couldn’t hear. That Izuku couldn’t hear that god awful groaning that was now echoing around them. The sound was getting louder and it made Tenya bite his lip in worry. “How are-” Tenya pulled Izuku back and then stopped once he remembered. So, he only looked at Izuku’s face.
A lot of the burns were blistered now and the starburst one looked… slimy for lack of another word. It was shiny, inflamed, and the skin itself was becoming discolored. Now that Midoriya was awake; Tenya was able to see the black eye that was starting to form on Izuku’s right eye.
Izuku’s eyes drooped and Tenya shook him. “No!” He yelled despite knowing that Izuku couldn't hear him. Izuku’s eyes snapped open. His pupils hadn’t returned to normal and that was telling Tenya that the concussion was most likely here to stay. Izuku looked confused for a second.
“I doN’t-”
Tenya put a hand up stopping Izuku. He only shook his head before pointing to the back of his own head.
Izuku kept that confusion on his face and Tenya just continued to shake his own head, telling Izuku no.
Izuku leaned in. His head pressed firmly against Tenya’s pecks. Izuku’s forehead felt clammy and now that Tenya thought about it, Izuku looked pale. Too pale. A small sheen of sweat was actually starting to coat Izuku’s head while he felt cold. If Tenya had a jacket, he’d lend it to his friend, but he didn’t have one. Truthfully, Tenya himself was starting to feel cold as well. It was the basement. No sunlight, no windows, nothing just a cold and dank basement.
So, it was only logical that Tenya pull Izuku in, wrapping both of his arms firmly around Izuku and keeping him close.
“ ‘M sOrrY…” Izuku was trying to whisper but his voice was still fluctuating between high and low. “... ‘M soRry!” He said now his eyes filled with tears.
“It's okay.” Tenya spoke and it hurt him knowing that Izuku couldn’t hear him. “It’s okay.”
The walls groaned again and Tenya gasped at the loud pop! That resounded through the whole basement. It sounded like something giving way and instinctively he curled around Izuku…
Nothing happened. After a few seconds Tenya dared to look up. The ceiling, and building was still intact. ‘Where are the teachers?’ Tenya felt worried.
Midoriya’s face a pressed firmly against Tenya’s chest and Tenya looked down to see Midoriya’s eyes were closed-
“Midoriya!” He gave Midoriya another harsh shake. Midoriya’s head snapped back and his eyes opened wide and fearful. “Don’t fall asleep- DON’T-” Tenya could only do the one thing he could think of. He spoke slowly and loudly so Midoriya could read his lips. “ -FALL. ASLEEP.” God, when this was all said and done Tenya was going to kick Bakugo into next week.
Izuku focused on Tenya’s mouth. “I’m tRyInG.” Izuku said while doing his best to keep his voice low. He was getting better but there were still issues.
“I know you are.” Tenya looked away and kept Midoriya close. Tenya gently caressed Midoriya’s arm with his hand. It felt weird being so close to someone else. Tenya usually wasn’t one for physical affection. The only one to ever really hold him was Tensei when Tenya was a child. So, it felt strange being the one to give affection, yet it was clear that Izuku needed affection. Izuku was scared out of his mind as he couldn’t hear. It took a minute, but Tenya was able to get Izuku up to his feet.
Tenya then perked up suddenly at the noise that filled the air. At first he couldn’t quite place it. It was on instinct, big brother instinct that Ochako liked to call it, that he pushed Midoriya behind him. This noise wasn't the groaning, nor was it the loud popping noise he heard earlier. It was a banging… like someone was trapped in something compact-
“Tenya! Midoriya!”
“Shinsou!” Tenya gasped in his excitement at hearing Shinsou’s voice. Still, Tenya kept his hold on Izuku and he helped Izuku up to his feet while Tenya looked around. “Where are you?!”
“Over here!” There was a sudden bang and Tenya turned around. At first he couldn’t see Shinsou and felt scared that he was starting to hallucinate. Then, there was that loud banging which caused Tenya to turn towards the vent. Shinsou’s foot was banging against the vent until the cover went flying. “Oh god…” Shinsou breathed as he jumped out of the vent. “I am so glad to see you guys!”
“ShInSoU!” Izuku screamed with happiness as he then ran to his friend and hugged him tightly. Shinsou returned the hug before looking at Izuku.
“Why are you talking like that?” Shinsou suddenly, and bluntly, asked as he inspected Izuku’s face. “Jesus christ, Bakugo…” Shinsou cursed softly as he looked at every burn and bruise on Izuku’s face.
“I’m glad to see you, how’d you manage to get out from the wreckage?” Tenya inquired as he put both of his hands on Izuku’s shoulders and pulled the smaller boy in.
Tenya noticed that Hitoshi’s clothes were stained in various places of a sticky and white substance, the glue he was trapped in no doubt. His hair on the side of his face where he landed was encrusted…it uh…was an interesting look. Still, last Tenya saw Shinsou he was trapped on the ground in glue. Only now there were a few more nicks, cuts and bruises along Hitoshi’s face.
“It wasn’t easy.” Hitoshi admitted before he sat down on the ground. Several flakes of glue fell from Hitoshi’s pants and landed on the floor. Tenya squatted down and Izuku joined them. Izuku looked uncomfortable as he kept bringing his hands to his ears and shaking his head. His ears had finally stopped bleeding it seemed, thank goodness. “I had only just gotten out of the glue trap when the building collapsed. I think the heat from Bakugo’s blast helped unbind me. I had less than a second and I made the choice to jump into the nearest vent on the ground. I heard the building collapse… and I won’t lie-” Hitoshi dragged his hand along the back of his neck and sucked in a hiss between his teeth. “-I think I was almost crushed in the vent…but I managed to get out before such a thing happened. The vent led me here and…” he shrugged. “Here I am. Boy, am I glad to see you two. How are you two- and why are you shirtless?”
Tenya frowned a little and then shook his head. “It’s…not a good situation. Also, I lost my shirt to bandage Izuku’s head-”
Izuku slumped forward, his eyes closed, and Tenya felt bad for having to do it but he, while still talking, reached up and popped Izuku with the back of his hand. “-And he has a concussion as a result!” Tenya told Shinsou as the boy was stunned by Tenya’s sudden violence towards Midoriya. Midoriya’s eyes opened and he gasped awake. “He needs to stay awake.”
“He…” Tenya swallowed hard when Hitoshi looked at him next. “He can’t hear you. His hearing…I’m pretty sure it’s gone.”
“Wh-” Shinsou’s eyes went almost comically wide, the widest Tenya had ever seen the boy open them, then he looked to Izuku then back to Tenya. “You’re kidding? Izuku! Can you?-” Shinsou cut himself off for a moment before he finally seemed to notice the dried bloody trail coming out of Izuku’s ears. “I…Izuku?” Shinsou asked again, but Izuku’s eyes never focused on him. “Oh my god…He needs immediate medical attention. With the concussion and now this.”
“I know. Trust me, I wish we weren’t trapped down here but we are.” Tenya whispered almost fearfully as he looked at Izuku.
“He’s-”
It happened suddenly when Izuku got up, his whole body wobbled to the side, then he turned away from them. The two of them watched as Izuku tried to walk, but be it the concussion or ruptured ear drums, he constantly stumbled and nearly hit the wall as he went to the nearest corner. Once in the corner Izuku proceeded to vomit. He retched loudly and sick splattered on the floor below. His body gave a shake as he sucked in several quick breaths after he finished with his first round of vomiting. The taste must have lingered or his body just couldn’t handle it as he vomited a second time.
“Oh god… this is bad.” Shinsou whispered as they looked away from Midoriya, both of them now uncomfortable. “He could be vomiting from the concussion or because his ruptured eardrums caused him to have vertigo. Or it’s both… He’s also too calm about this situation. Way too calm.” Shinsou looked up at the ceiling before he shook his head. “I don’t know and that’s what scares me.”
Midoriya was done and he sloppily wiped his mouth while he swayed from side to side. Then he started to stumble back to them, his eyes looked unfocused and half-lidded. Still, he made it to them and he sat down- or plopped down in all honesty- next to them. His head dipped down but he quickly snapped his head up.
“I’m sure the heroes are on their way…” Hitoshi whispered and he reached over to gently run his fingers through Midoriya’s hair.
Tenya swallowed hard and then exhaled a slow breath. “I hope so. Midoriya needs help and…”
The groan from before came back loudly almost as loud as that pop from earlier and it made Hitoshi tense up as he stared above along with Tenya.
“...There’s that . God, I hate whatever that is.” Tenya whispered and he reached over to grab on to Midoriya’s hand. Midoriya, though dazed and disoriented, responded in kind and even rubbed his thumb over the back of Tenya’s hand. “It scares me…”
“Yeah, no I understand completely…” Hitoshi slowly ran his fingers through Midoriya curls.
Midoriya groaned weakly. “ ‘on’t feel good…’ Midoriya then whispered and pressed against Tenya’s side. He then rubbed his face harshly before he sucked in a breath like he was trying to wake up.
“I know, Izuku, but please try and stay awake.” Shinsou tried to encourage the boy and Tenya shook his head.
“He can’t hear you, Shinsou.” Tenya reminded Shinsou which made the boy’s face crumple.
“That right…”
The groan around them picked up again and it made Shinsou look around in surprise. Shinsou swallowed hard and loud before he licked his lips. “Tenya…this place is going to collapse on us if we don’t get out of here soon.”
“I know but… there’s no exit.” Tenya shook his head as his own nerves took a spike when the groaning didn’t seem to let up. Both he and Tenya kept their eyes up until finally the groaning stopped. They both relaxed for just a moment until another loud POP! Resounded through the whole area.
The building gave a violent shake that made Tenya and Shinsou nearly stand in alarm. “I think that was a support beam giving out!” Shinsou gasped out his voice quivering in fear. The rumbling that followed after the shaking did nothing to calm down their growing fear. Debris from above rained down, just pebbles nothing more, but they knew if they didn’t get out soon then it would be more than just pebbles.
Just as soon as it started the rumbling ended and it was quiet again.
“We can’t stay down here, Tenya…” Shinsou grabbed Tenya’s arm in his panic.
“I know- Midoriya!” They were so focused on the rumbling that they took their eyes off of Midoriya. Midoriya was laying on his side on the ground, his eyes shut and a bit of drool running out of the corner of his mouth. Tenya was on the ground beside him in seconds.
Tenya grabbed Midoriya and hoisted him up by his underarms to straighten him back up. “Midoriya!” Tenya almost wanted to give Midoriya a shake to try and wake him, but at this point he was sure it would be futile. Still, he gently moved Izuku’s head from side to side. “He’s unconscious.”
Tenya put his ear to Midoriya’s chest. Thump bump. Thump bump. Tenya let out a soft sigh of relief. “He’s still breathing.” He put Midoriya down on the ground gently. Midoriya didn’t stir and Tenya felt worried.
Shinsou blinked. “He’s so still…” He whispered. “I’m nervous.”
“I know-”
Both of them jumped at the groaning, it sounded louder, almost impossibly so, and made both of them cover their ears with her hands as the noise seemed to reverberate and shake the area. Dust sprinkled down and Tenya felt the dust land on his head forcing him to look up in alarm-
Tenya’s heart sank into his knees when he saw that the ceiling above them was starting to crack and web. It was only a matter of time before the ceiling would collapse on top of them. All of that rubble weighing it down-
There was a crack that sounded through the air and Hitoshi reacted quickly, no doubt thinking that they were going to get crushed. He dropped to the ground and grabbed Midoriya swiftly in his arms. Tenya dropped down the same and threw his arms out and kept his back braced, totally prepared to try and shield the both of them if it came down to it. There was no pain, no pressure from all the rubble piling on on his shoulders, why? Because the noise they heard was not coming from the ceiling. They only knew this because the sound came again.
Hitoshi and Tenya looked at each other in confusion before they looked around frantically for the source of the noise. Tenya saw the wall adjacent to them, the thick brick wall, was cracking and webbing out like the ceiling and for a moment he thought ‘Oh god, this is it. I’m never going to see Tensei again…’
The wall then thumped, yes, thumped for a second and the crack grew in size suddenly and dust from the bricks and concrete fell down like snow. They both just watched this happen with wide eyes before the wall thumped once more-
The brick crumbled away to reveal Power Loader. The teacher was using the hands on his costume to break through the brick wall. “Come on!” The teacher barked while extending his hand, his normal hand, to them. “Hurry before the building collapses!”
They didn’t need to be told twice. Tenya picked Midoriya up from Shinsou’s arms and pushed Shinsou towards Power Loader. Both boys ran out of the opening through the wall.
The outside was filled with their own classmates, teachers, and EMT’s. “Over here!” Mr. Aizawa was quick to catch up with them. “Midoriya, I’m not surprised… how bad is it?”
“Major concussion and he lost his hearing.” Tenya explained as they rushed together towards the ambulances. Mr. Aizawa let out a sharp breath between his teeth at that.
“Damn, give him to me, go and get yourselves checked..” Tenya didn’t have a choice when Mr. Aizawa took Midoriya into his own arms. Tenya almost- almost- wanted to argue, to demand to stay with Midoriya, but he remembered his place and that Mr. Aizawa was a teacher. ‘Midoriya is in good hands.’ He decided before turning and going to an available EMT.
“Tenya!” Uraraka came running to him. The left side of her head was coated in blood making that side of her hair matted and sticky.
“Uraraka!” He chopped his hand at her. “You need to get checked out, you clearly have a head wound!”
Well, she didn’t listen as she rushed to him and suddenly had her arms wrapped tightly around his torso. Tenya felt himself blush at this, he wasn’t wearing a shirt! This type of conduct was inappropriate! He raised his hand to give it a chop and to tell her to let him go, but he stopped when he realized she was crying. “I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so afraid you and Midoriya got- got- hurt.” She hiccuped softly.
“Oh…” Tenya patted her head gently. “I’m fine, a little cold, but fine. It’s Midoriya you have to worry about he was in a bit of a bad way when I handed him off to Mr. Aizawa.”
Uraraka sniffled and she shook against him. “I thought you got… squished .” She whispered the last word and an EMT came up to them seconds later. The EMT grabbed Uraraka’s arm.
“Ma’am, you need to come back. You’re still wounded.”
It took a good minute for Uraraka to separate from Tenya, but eventually they were able to get her off of him and bring her back to the ambulance. A noise cut through the area and everyone turned in surprise to see the building fully collapse in a plume of smoke. Tenya, being the class rep, realized he hadn’t done a head count. “Is everyone here?! Is everyone okay!?” Tenya, in his panic, yelled loudly and over all the noise.
“Calm down.” Momo came up to him and started to lead him towards an empty ambulance. “I already did a headcount. Everyone is accounted for now.”
The EMT came up and quietly checked Tenya over. “Outside of Midoriya, was there anybody injured?” Tenya asked while an EMT checked his eyes.
“Denki’s left leg was broken when the building collapsed the first time. Kouda was knocked unconscious and may have had a concussion, and Aoyama broke his arm, but thankfully nothing was more serious. Midoriya?” Momo asked once she finished.
“Not good. Midoriya hit the back of his head when he fell, so he has a major concussion and a head injury but he also lost his hearing.”
Momo’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
Tenya nodded and the EMT patted his arm. “You’re good.” The EMT told Tenya and Tenya bowed to the man.
“Thank you.”
He then walked away from the EMT so the man could check on someone else. “Yeah,” Tenya continued where they left off. “He was bleeding pretty bad from his ears, I’m sure his ear drums were burst and he couldn’t hear a thing.”
“...Do you think he’ll be able to get it reversed?”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Tenya knew if anything there was always Eri… But knowing Midoriya, his friend would rather die than use Eri in such a way, Even if Eri offered. “But regardless, let’s make sure when he gets back from the hospital that he knows we are all here for him.” He informed her and she nodded.
“Yeah, that’s all we can do.”
“...Bakugo.” Tenya suddenly remembered about Bakugo. “How is he? Is he okay?”
“... You’re not going to believe this…try not to stare too long lest you get the yell of a lifetime.” Then she pointed discreetly towards Bakugo.
Bakugo was by a tree away from everyone else. He was squatted down with his arms wrapped around his knees. Tears- yes- tears were silently falling down Bakugo’s open eyes. He wasn’t openly weeping, not even weeping, he was just crying silently letting angry and disappointed tears roll down his cheeks. It was a sight Tenya wasn’t sure he’d ever see.
Quickly Tenya looked away before he was caught looking. “I think he’s been feeling guilty about this whole ordeal.”
Tenya felt an anger well up inside of him. He almost said ‘Good! Let him feel bad.’ Uncharacteristically, but he regained himself and sighed. He shut his mouth before he spoke out of anger. The image of Midoriya bleeding profusely from the back of his head and ears flashed into Tenya’s mind.
Those deemed well enough to leave were sent back to their dorms.
Some were healed by Recovery Girl, Kouda woke and was able to return to the dorms, but he had noticeable circles under his eyes. Aoyama was also able to be healed, but not fully and thus had to have his arm in a sling. Kaminari was unfortunately knocked unconscious so he was sent to the hospital with Midoriya.
The dorms were quiet that night. Nobody was really in a friendly mood and most just went straight to their rooms.
Hours after it was all over, Tenya’s mind kept replaying what happened over and over and he felt… scared. It wasn’t the villains that harmed them this time but one of their own by accident. Midoriya could be permanently crippled or worse… he could have slipped into a coma…or worse he could have died .
Tenya, usually one for sleeping as still as a board, spent that night tossing and turning worrying about his friend. Midoriya had become a dear friend to him in this past year and if anything happened to him…
The next morning after the whole ordeal the class was a little more lively, a little more friendly. Thankfully, it was a Saturday and they didn’t have to return to class until Monday.
It was bright and early, almost eight AM and Tenya was going to go for his daily run. Though, a little later than when he normally would. Usually he would go on a run with Midoriya at five in the morning, but… without Midoriya there with him he almost didn’t see a point of running so early in the morning, so he put it off until eight AM. Oh, if his parents learned of this …
Tenya slipped on his running shoes and was reaching for the door when he was stopped.
“Oi, Class Rep.” Bakugo came to Tenya. Bakugo was dressed in the UA gym uniform and what looked like running shoes. “Are you going for your daily run?” Bakugo asked, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slouched almost comically low.
“Yes, would you like to join me?”
“Sure.” Bakugo grumbled and looked away from Tenya.
Tenya was reminded of Bakugo from yesterday, crouched under that tree with silent tears streaming down his face. “After you-” Tenya opened the door and Bakugo slipped out.
Once he was outside Tenya felt the weather was criminally nice while Midoriya was stored away in the hospital.
Tenya took in a deep breath and then started on his run. Bakugo started running directly behind him and he was surprised that Bakugo managed to keep up with him. The silence was welcomed for Tenya as they ran along the UA track together. They were maybe thirty minutes into the run when Bakugo finally spoke.
“Was it… bad ? The damage I did to Deku, I mean. It had to be right? That’s why he was wheeled away in an ambulance…”
Tenya blinked and slowed down his stride which caused Bakugo to slow down the same. Bakugo couldn’t meet Tenya’s eyes as he looked down and then looked forward so he wouldn’t trip. Tenya didn’t know how he wanted to respond. If this were yesterday he may have responded with anger, but he has since calmed down. “Well…” Tenya whispered but it was still heard as Bakugo turned towards Tenya’s voice.
“It wasn’t good. Midoriya slammed his head on the concrete and it busted it open pretty badly. He had a concussion at the least, couldn’t stay awake for too long, vomited once and…” Tenya paused, unsure if he wanted to tell Bakugo or not about Midoriya’s hearing loss. Midoriya could be healed and maybe it could be swept under the rug…or Midoriya could not be healed and in which case it would come out that he lost his hearing.
Tenya sighed and rubbed at his tired eyes. He hadn’t even really realized how tired he still was until now. “There’s a chance that when Midoriya returns he will no longer be able to hear-” Bakugo stopped dead in his tracks, which made Tenya stop in turn and look back at him.
There was something in Bakugo’s eyes now. Guilt . As plain as day, Bakugo looked guilty as he stared at Tenya.
“His…hearing?” Bakugo whispered and looked at his palms. “He never- He’s always used to my explosions. I’m always blasting off next to him so why is this time different?”
“Maybe because you were so violent with your attacks that it shook the building from the outside? Or maybe…” Tenya started to do squats to keep his blood pumping, he didn’t like standing still or sitting still, it’s why he would talk he would chop his arms or make big movements. “You got too complacent.”
“Excuse me!?” Bakugo roared but Tenya was unaffected.
“You got complacent with just making loud explosions around Midoriya that you never really thought about when you would make your explosions bigger and louder to try and keep up with him.” Tenya explained in a tone that he would consider neutral. Not angry, nor happy, just a simple tone to show Bakugo that he wasn’t upset about what happened. Disappointed? Yes. Scared out of his wits ? Hell yes, but not angry. “Regardless, it happened-” he started to stretch his legs out now once he was done with his reps. “-The most we can do is be there for Midoriya when he comes back from the Hospital. If he’s lost his hearing… then we’ll do everything we can to accommodate. If not and they manage to reverse the damage then it’s up to him if he wants to forgive you or not.”
Bakugo looked a little pensive as he stared at his shoes. “Yeah… yeah .” He squatted down almost like how he did when he was at that tree yesterday. “I-...I didn’t want to hurt him that badly.” Bakugo whispered. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone . I just got so wrapped up in all- the fight- the need to win that… I pulled the trigger, literally, I didn’t even realize what I had done until… the building collapsed in on itself. Then came the screaming-” Bakugo actually shuddered at the memory that was undoubtedly repeating in his mind. “I managed to get a few more out but Mr. Aizawa yanked me away and told me to let the teachers handle the rest. He told me to go and sit by the tree and… well…” Bakugo huffed out another sigh and put his chin on his knees.
Tenya squatted down next to Bakugo and gently patted his shoulder. “I won’t lie to you…you…kinda owe everyone an apology.” He scratched at his face awkwardly. Bakugo turned to Tenya, his eyes white in anger and he just snorted like an angry bull.
“You don’t think I know that, four eyes!? I’ve been trying to think of a way to say it all morning! You think apologizing is something that comes easy to me?! Do I look like Deku!?”
“No, I don’t suppose you do.” Tenya huffed out a little laugh and patted Bakugo’s shoulder again. “Just…give it some thought and really mean it.”
“Whatever…”
Well, later that night Bakugo would call everyone to the main sitting room where he would apologize. Midoriya wasn’t back, but Tenya was sure Bakugo was probably saving a more private apology for Midoriya anyway. 1-A being 1-A naturally forgave Bakugo and would talk about what happened when they were all trapped under the rubble.
Shinsou would retell about how he fell down the vents and made it to the safety of the cellar. Aoyama mentioned trying to break the debris with his laser but he couldn’t keep it up and thus got his arm broken. Kouda signed about how he got the animals to help with some of the smaller rubble but nothing major and would ultimately pass out. Momo talked about how Uraraka saved her by not only pushing her out of the way, resulting in that nasty head wound that was still being healed, but by also lifting some of the debris off of Kaminari’s leg.
Speaking of Kaminari, he would return later that night with his leg in a split but otherwise smiling and well. He would immediately be tackled by his gang of friends and even given face kisses by both Mina and Sero. “Stop it!” He would shout but neither would until his face was stained with pink lipstick by Mina.
Midoriya would not return until the very next morning. He walked through the doors and everyone paused to look at him and he would look at them. Then after a few seconds Midoriya just smiled and they all simply knew, no matter what the outcome of his hearing would be, everything was going to be okay.