Need You (ShinDeku)

Ch. 44 - Audience

A/N: audience for who? I wonder...

Izuku POV

     I didn't do very good on the assessment, not that it was surprising. Hizashi was very supportive and cheered me on the whole time, which gained a few looks from the other students in our class. We all knew that he loved to commentate, but for him to be cheering on a specific student that wasn't even doing good was probably strange to them.

     Shota of course did not cheer me on, but any time I looked over at him he'd give me a small nod of approval that made me happy. They're proud of me, even when I'm not doing very good.

     I got a lot of congratulations from my classmates too, which was nice. They were all already becoming great and supportive heroes, and they had all improved so much from the beginning of the year. It was amazing. I couldn't help but think that it would be so cool to analyze their new strengths and weaknesses, and write about how they've improved their quirks and fighting styles.

     Recovery girl even stopped by and let me know that I would be on track to stop using the wheelchair by the end of the week as long as I didn't overwork myself.

     We had a few more periods, and then lunch started.

     "Hey Iz- uhh, Midoriya! Nezu might have told you but I have a phone for you. Remind me after classes and I'll give it to you." Hizashi says, giving me finger guns.

     "Okay, thanks present mic." I thank him before turning my attention to my friends who are getting their lunches out to eat in the classroom. "Uhm, how do you guys feel about sitting in the cafeteria today?" I ask.

     They all turn to me, and Iida is the first to speak.

     "Are you sure, Midoriya?" He asks.

     "Yeah, it's about time anyways." I joke.

     "That sounds like a great idea!" Uraraka joins in, and Todoroki nods after her.

     "As long as you're comfortable with it, kero." Tsu supplies.

     So we head to the cafeteria.

     There are a lot of people, but no Monoma and nobody really pays us much attention. Mina spots us though, and waves us over.

     "Hey guys! You joining us today?" Kirishima asks.

     Kacchan is strangely quiet, just rolling his eyes and looking away.

     "Yeah, if that's okay!" Uraraka replies.

     "Of course!" Sero and Kaminari say in unison, then both look at eachother and start laughing.

     Shinso positions me at the head of the table and sits next to me on the end, while Uraraka takes my other side and everyone else scoots over to allow room for iida, Todoroki, and Tsuyu.

     Shinso takes out his and my lunch and opens them both while relaxed conversation picks up around the table.

     It looks like things are finally starting to get back to normal, and I smile as I jump into a conversation about quirk singularity theory with Iida and Momo.

———

     I could not have been more wrong.

     Uraraka had pulled a knife out of nowhere and now held it to my neck. All chatter stopped at the table and gasps were heard as Shinso and a few others immediately stood. She started giggling as she pushed the edge of the knife into my neck.

     "Heyyy izu-Chan~!" I felt my heart plummet at those familiar words. It was Toga.

     "The hell do ya think you're fuckin doin, roundface?!" Kacchan yelled.

     Toga ignored him, instead continuing to talk to me.

     "Nieto-Chan said you didn't want us to touch the purple haired guy," she motioned to Shinso for a moment with her knife before bringing it back to my neck, "-and I understand your love struggles. It would be really mean of us to hurt him and you, I know it would make me really mad if someone other than me hurt whoever I loved, so I'll leave him alone. Boss only really wanted you, anyway. He's really mad at you, you know?" She giggles, rocking back on her heels.

     It's difficult to think properly, and I can't find the strength to do anything, even though I've learned how to easily get out of this situation in the past. It's different when it's real. Everything locks up and you just want to cry.

     "I don't know who the hell you are but you're not Uraraka, so get away from him." Shinso threatens.

     By now most of the people in the cafeteria are silently watching. Lunch rush and one or two other pros are in the room, but they're so far away that Toga would notice right away if they did anything. None of them have long range attacks either.

     Toga only sticks her tongue out at him, she must know what his quirk is.

     "Hey Izu, stand up for me, won't you?" Shakily, I do as told, standing from my wheelchair. My legs ache from the assessment this morning and I feel like I'm about to collapse.

     She kicks the wheelchair away from me and stands behind me now. A few business students yelp and dodge as it skids towards their table. I focus in front of me to see that Kaminari has little sparks coming out of his fingers and Kirishima is starting to harden his arms.

     "I'm so happy you decided to eat in the cafeteria today, Izu! It would have been no fun to do this in the classroom, but now we have this big audience, so I'm glad I can put on a show! I'll have to tell Mr. Compress all about it, he'll be proud!" She drags me around as she spins in a circle, making me trip on my own feet. She's showing everyone in the room how vulnerable and scared I am.

     I know that, so why can't I do anything about it?

     More of the students in the room are readying their quirks now, mostly kids in our class. A few of them step closer to my shaking form and Toga's.

     "I wouldn't do that if I were you~! Try anything and I'll slit his throat!" She giggles, and her voice morphs from Uraraka's into her own. I see my classmates shocked faces and can only assume she's changing back into Toga.

     "Well, it's been fun talking but I gotta go!" She says, and a portal opens up to our left.

     "N-no, no please, no, Shinso!" I beg, reaching my hand out towards him.

     His eyes are wide and panicked as he stares back, one arm outstretched. He lunges and latches onto my arm just centimeters from the portal and I feel relief flood through me until Toga pulls the knife away from my neck and and swings it at Shinso's arm.

     My reaction is automatic as I yank my arm out of his grasp and throw my body weight backwards onto Toga so she falls through the portal, away from Shinso. She grabs the back of my shirt though, and I fall with her.

     I'm surrounded in suffocating mist and I feel like I can't breathe one moment, but the next I'm landing on the hard cement floor of a large room.

1189 words.