The mission had spiraled out of control faster than anyone anticipated.

What was supposed to be a coordinated strike turned into chaos — explosions tearing through concrete, steel groaning under the strain, the entire structure trembling like it was alive. Smoke clogged the air, alarms screamed in protest, and the line between victory and catastrophe blurred with every passing second.

“Villains are retreating!” someone shouted through the comms. “Structure is unstable — we need to pull back!”

Izuku Midoriya barely heard them.

His Danger Sense flared violently, sharp and unrelenting, pulling his attention toward the far end of the collapsing building. Not an active threat.

A life.

“I’m going in,” he said, already moving.

“Midoriya—!” “Five seconds,” he replied, voice firm. “I won’t be long.”

He dashed through falling debris, Blackwhip anchoring him as chunks of concrete crashed around him. Dust burned his lungs as he reached what had once been a corridor — now reduced to broken walls and twisted metal.

That’s when he saw you. You were half-hidden beneath fallen rubble, small compared to the destruction around you. Your villain gear was torn, scorched at the edges, and you lay completely still — chest rising faintly, unevenly.

Too still.

Izuku dropped to his knees beside you, heart lurching painfully.

—“…You’re just a kid,” he whispered, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

He checked your pulse immediately. It was there. Weak, but steady. Blackwhip moved with controlled urgency, lifting debris without causing further harm. He was careful — painfully so — as he freed you, cradling your head when he lifted you into his arms. You were lighter than he expected. That hurt more than the injuries themselves.

Outside, the night air was cold and sharp. Medics rushed forward, but Izuku didn’t immediately hand you over. He watched your breathing, counted it, grounding himself in the fact that you were still here.