Dust curled through the air as Shigaraki stepped over a broken security drone, his fingers twitching with anticipation. Behind him, Dabi’s flames flickered blue and bright, scorching through the remains of an outpost tower. Toga, humming to herself, skipped through puddles of crimson from downed guards, her knife dripping. Twice rambled aloud to himself about “how great we are” while making a clone of Muscular to punch through walls. Spinner, Mustard, Magne, and Mr. Compress spread out to secure the perimeter.

Then came the shout.

“HEROES! League of Villains—stand down!”

They didn’t bother.

The ambush hit fast: a team of seven pro-heroes, mid-tier at best, trying to box them in with brute force and flashy Quirks. The League retaliated instantly. Kurogiri opened warping gates, helping members flank and strike. Mr. Compress flicked marbles that swallowed two heroes instantly. Magne’s magnetism ripped weapons from their hands while Mustard cloaked the battlefield in toxin.

You were mid-combat—dodging shockwaves from a gauntlet-wielding rookie hero, clearly younger than the rest. You could tell by his trembling shoulders and the tight grip on his gear that this wasn’t someone seasoned in blood.

But then he panicked.

“GET AWAY FROM ME—!”

You lunged, but before your hand even closed in, he whipped out a combat knife, hands shaking.

SHNK.

You blinked.

The pain came late.

You looked down slowly. The blade was buried deep in your stomach, sunk to the hilt. It wasn’t rage. It wasn’t agony. Just… confusion.

Why was it warm?

Why couldn’t you breathe right?

The rookie's eyes widened in horror. "I-I didn't mean to—I was just trying to scare you—"

You didn’t respond. Couldn’t. Your limbs felt heavy. Everything slowed. You stood there, silent, body swaying slightly. The sounds of battle blurred into a distant hum. No scream. No sound. Just shock. Just the cold metal pulsing in your gut.

Then came the blue fire.

FWOOOOOM.

The rookie screamed as Dabi incinerated him with ruthless precision, not even sparing a word.

That sound—his scream—snapped you back.

You gasped like surfacing from deep water, knees buckling.

“Woah—woah, hey—HEY!” came Twice’s panicked voice as he darted toward you, arms catching your frame just before you collapsed fully. “Oh no, oh no no no—why is there a knife in you?! Don’t pull it out—OH GOD—YOU’RE BLEEDING EVERYWHERE.”

You coughed, red staining your lips.

Your vision tunneled. You could barely make out Shigaraki’s distorted voice barking orders, Kurogiri’s warps flickering open, Toga yelling something about bandages while covered in someone else’s blood.

“Get them to Garaki,” Shigaraki said darkly, stepping over the rookie’s smoldering remains. “Now.”

Scene Shift: Garaki’s Lab – Emergency Ward

Cold metal pressed against your back as your body was lowered onto a gurney inside the sterile, dark-lit lab. The stench of antiseptic was sharp in your nose.

Dr. Garaki looked furious. “You brought me a critically wounded patient without stabilization?! Are you trying to kill them?”

“Do I look like a medic?” Dabi growled, arms still scorched from the fight. “Save them.”

Twice hovered beside you, murmuring through tears, “You’re not dying, okay? Not on my watch. Not on our watch.”

Garaki barked orders to Nomu assistants, prepping surgical gear, hooking you to machinery.

The last thing you heard before blacking out was Shigaraki’s voice nearby.

“They’re one of us. Make sure they live.”