At Any Cost (Part 5)

Chris's anger was quickly replaced with disgust and horror as he looked at the Nomu. "What in God's name is that?" Kirishima hardened his arms and hands. "It looks like a Nomu!" Shoto shouted. "Be careful! It took out Endeavor!" Chris looked at her. "It did what?!" The Nomu charged forward. Fatgum tackled Chris to the ground. The Nomu flew over, but grabbed the ground in order to come to a full stop. Mina turned and shot acid. The Nomu ignored the attack, regenerating faster than Mina's acid could melt it. Fatgum and Chris quickly got back up and charged at the monster. The Nomu swung both arms. Fatgun raised his arms to block, but was easily tossed aside. Chris ducked and landed a solid hit to the Nomu's stomach. It grunted, but then grabbed Chris. He delivered a powerful kick to its arm, trying to do what Jason had done to All Might to make him let go. The attack didn't have enough power or the Nomu didn't have any pressure points, because the Nomu didn't let go until it had thrown Chris. He was thrown into another nearby building, which was also abandoned. Chris coughed as he stood back up. "...this is going to suck…"

Shoto ran to Endeavor and tore his costume off of his torso. She put her left hand on the wounds and activated her fire. Endeavor woke up and screamed in pain. However, he was tougher than that, and clenched his mouth shut as soon as he figured out what Shoto was doing. She was cauterizing his wounds so that he wouldn't bleed out. She then rolled Endeavor over to do the same to his back. Endeavor looked at the battle outside. Tamaki, Momo and Mina had run inside. Momo had run to Shoto and they were now yelling at each other over something. Mina and Tamaki were running around, trying to find Jason. Chris, Kirishima, and Fatgum were trying to fight the Nomu, but nothing was working. They simply weren't strong enough to defeat that engine of destruction.

"One for All, Full Cowling, 50%!" Chris's body was on fire as he rushed forward. He had never channeled that much power before, and he had a good feeling that he could only hold that power for a few minutes before it would destroy his bones. The Nomu turned its head towards Chris before it got slammed into the dirt. Chris released a hundred punches in the span of a few seconds. The Nomu roared in pain. Each of these punches would've been enough to shatter a building, and the Nomu was taking the full force of a hundred of these powerful hits. Chris's arm suddenly exploded in pain, resulting in a split second opening that the Nomu jumped on. It grabbed Chris and slammed him into the ground, cracking it. Chris raised his arms to protect himself as the Nomu raised its arms up. Then Kirishima tackled the Nomu. "You're going down!" The two went rolling. The Nomu grabbed Kirishima's arm and threw him back at the warehouse. Chris was back on his feet, but was forced to go back to his comfort zone of 41% of One for All, or else risk shattering his body in the middle of the fight. Fatgum and Chris nodded to each other before raising their arms up into a combat stance.

Kirishima crashed into the warehouse. He groaned as he held his head. Mina rushed over and helped him up. "How is the fight going out there?!" "Not good! Have you guys found Jason yet?!" Mina shook her head. "This all might've just been a trap!" Tamaki shouted from across the warehouse. "Check this out!" Mina and Momo ran over while Kirishima ran outside to rejoin the battle. The three of them were looking down the hole that the Nomu had come out of. There were bright lights down there, illuminating what appeared to be a lab. Mina looked at Tamaki. "Good find!"

Endeavor forced his eyes open, just in time to see Fatgum get thrown through the building at high speeds. He screamed in pain as he was impaled on some rebar. The Nomu entered the building, holding both Chris and Kirisima in each hand. Chris's arms were completely pinned. Kirishima had one arm free, and was vainly attempting to force the Nomu's grip open. The Nomu threw both students at the group. Everyone went flying. Shoto stopped helping her father and ran behind the Nomu, firing a fireball. The Nomu turned its head around 180 degrees, locking onto its new target. It used one arm to try hitting Shoto with several tendrils, trying to take her out like it had taken out Endeavor. Shoto created an ice wall that was only useful in blocking the creature's vision, since the Nomu tore through the ice. Chris was struggling to rise to his feet. His body was nearly overtaxed from the stunt he had pulled just a minute ago. Mina and Kirishima were trying to make their way to Shoto, but they were too far away. Shoto prepared her flames. She would go down fighting.

Endeavor, now on his feet, wrapped his massive arms around the Nomu and swung it around, putting his back to his daughter. Shoto's eyes widened. "Dad?! What're you-" "Shoto." The young woman fell silent as her father spoke. It was taking all of his strength to hold the Nomu in place. Endeavor didn't turn his head. "...you… you've grown so much… gotten so much stronger… all without me…" Shoto began to tear up. "...dad…?" Endeavor continued. "I… I must leave the rest to you… I know you hate me, but…" He turned his head and smiled, his tears being evaporated by his own flames. "...you made me very proud… farewell…" Shoto screamed in desperation. "Dad!" Endeavor concentrated his flames into his feet and blasted up into the sky.

The Nomu was fighting against Endeavor's grip, but the Number One Hero held on as tight as he could. He needed to get up into the sky. "...higher… higher… so high… where I don't... have to… worry about… collateral damage…" Some clouds broke apart as Endeavor blasted through them. In this final moment, Endeavor couldn't help but smile. His thoughts were on Shoto and how hard she trained. He remembered how Jason made his stand against All for One, saving All Might in the process. He remembered Chris pushing himself beyond his limits in Los Angeles, defeating one of the most powerful villains in the country. Endeavor closed his eyes. "...the future… is on their shoulders now… good luck, heroes…" Endeavor lost his smile and roared one last time, powering up his flames beyond anything he has ever done. He no longer cared what happened to his body, and there wasn't anything nearby to worry about either. Just him and the Nomu, roughly a mile up in the sky. "I… always hated that… UA motto… but… it seems appropriate… in this moment…" With a final shout, the Number One Hero released the strongest fire attack the world had ever seen. "Plus Ultra! Prominence Burn!" The fire burned so bright that it lit up the entire night sky, making some believe that the midday sun had come at midnight. The flames engulfed both Endeavor and the Nomu entirely, and it couldn't get away this time.

Shoto helplessly watched the ball of fire start falling from the sky. She was about to start running, but Momo grabbed her. Shoto turned. Momo had a determined look on her face. "Mina and I will go wherever he lands. If he's still alive, we'll get him the medical treatment he needs." Shoto was going to argue, but Momo shushed her. "You're needed here. Take Chris and Kirishima. Go into the lower levels. Save Jason." Shoto's boyfriend returned to her thoughts. Shoto nodded. Momo and Mina got in the truck and began driving towards where Endeavor was going to land.

Kirishima managed to get to his feet. He looked at Fatgum in horror. Tamaki was sawing at the rebar, but making sure not to pull the metal out. Chris stood up. "...Jesus Christ…" Fatgum coughed. "...go… find Jason…" Tamaki looked up at them. "I'll stay here with him until paramedics arrive! Then I'll join you!" Kirishima hesitantly nodded before running off with Chris.

Shoto was standing above the hole, looking down at the supposed lab. She looked up when Kirishima and Chris jogged over. She nodded to them. Kirishima just sighed. "...we lost over half the force…" Chris clenched his fist. "If you're having second thoughts, stay up here. I'm going. Alone if I have to." "That's not what I meant, dude. I'm just saying we'll be on our own down there." Shoto sighed. "Oh well." Without another word, the three friends dropped down into the hole.