XXXIV: Hospital

Raiden's eyes darted between the creatures and Best Jeanist, realizing that the threat was greater than he had imagined. Musha tightened his grip on his katana, his expression hardening.

"This is far from over," Musha muttered "I had a very bad feeling about all of this"

"There's another one outside," complemented Musha with a sharp gaze scanning the scene. "My intern managed to beat it. From what I saw, it had the same issue as this one."

"If they keep aging at this pace, they'll die. What kind of madman created these things? And what's the objective?" exclaimed Best Jeanist, the number-five hero, his voice laced with concern. "This is a terrorist attack, but there's been no declaration, no demands—nothing."

Raiden hesitated before touching his neck, his voice steady despite the weight of his words. "I think the objective was me. The man Sir Musha fought earlier caught me off guard after I finished my fight with one of these... aging creatures. He managed to take my blood."

Both heroes turned to Raiden, their eyes widening in disbelief. Before they could respond, a police officer burst into the building, his face pale with urgency.

"Sir, we have a problem. Reinforcements won't be coming yet," the officer announced, his voice shaking slightly.

"What?" Musha's tone turned sharp, his usual composure cracked.

"This is a terrorist attack! How can they not send reinforcements?"

The officer swallowed hard.

"Another incident has come up. We've evacuated everyone we could here, but the Hero Public Safety Commission has diverted reinforcements to another location."

Everyone in the room frowned. The gravity of the situation was clear—if reinforcements had been redirected, it meant something catastrophic was happening elsewhere.

"Explain," Musha demanded, with his tone leaving no room for argument.

"A similar incident occurred on the other side of the city," the officer began. "But this time, it was just one man. Unknown quirk. He fought and defeated Fat Gum and his entire agency. He's wreaking havoc in the city."

Raiden's eyes widened in horror. Tamaki's internship was with Fat Gum.

His chest tightened as he processed the news, trembling at the thought of his friend on the losing side.

Best Jeanist was the first to break the tense silence. "Who could possibly do that? Fat Gum is incredibly strong."

The officer took a deep breath before answering. "Witnesses and cameras caught a brief glimpse. It was a man with four arms and red skin. Everyone at the agency is alive but severely injured."

Raiden's fists clenched as his eyes began to glow with a faint blue light. Objects around him trembled in response to his psychic powers. He took a deep breath and spoke telepathically to everyone nearby. "Sir, I can help. Let me go heal the most critically wounded."

Musha nodded, with a calm voice "Go."

Raiden turned to the officer. "Where is the incident?"

"To the south, near the commercial district," the officer replied.

Without another word, Raiden shot into the air, heading south at full speed. Musha turned to Best Jeanist. "Take care of everyone here. I'll follow him."

And with that, Musha leaped into action, chasing after Raiden.

Raiden flew toward the location the police had indicated. After about ten minutes of flight, the flashing red and blue lights of emergency vehicles came into view, accompanied by the wailing of sirens. "There it is," he muttered, with his heart pounding as he pushed himself faster.

As he arrived, he noticed Yoroi Musha landing gracefully on a nearby lamppost. The pro hero's posture was calm but he could sense his anger under the calm mask. "I wasn't going to let you come here alone, kid,"

Musha said. "In other circumstances, I might have held you back, but I know you're needed here—even if your reasons are personal."

"Thank you, sir," Raiden replied, with genuine gratitude. He quickly scanned the scene for the hero team, but they were nowhere in sight.

"Let's move," Musha said, leaping onto the concrete, leaving a faint trail of blue light in his wake. "We need to find out what happened. They might've already been taken to the hospital."

Raiden followed, landing beside him as they approached a nearby officer who immediately snapped to attention. "Sir, thank you for coming!" the officer exclaimed, clearly relieved to see the pro hero.

Musha nodded curtly. "What's the situation?"

"It was a villain attack. A strong one," the officer began with his voice wavering slightly. "The villain targeted Hero Fat Gum, showing no restraint. The heroes fought valiantly, but they were overwhelmed and badly injured. They've been transported to the nearby hospital for treatment."

"Health Memorial?" Musha asked.

"Yes, sir," the officer confirmed with a nod.

Musha turned to Raiden. "We need to hurry. Can you keep going?" he asked, noting the boy's labored breathing.

"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go," Raiden said, with a clear determination despite his exhaustion.

Without another word, the two took off toward the hospital.

In less than five minutes, they arrived at the medical facility, its imposing structure surrounded by police patrols and barriers. Officers standing guard quickly stepped aside upon recognizing Yoroi Musha, who presented his identification. They allowed the pair to pass without hesitation.

Inside, the atmosphere was tense, the hallways bustling with activity.

Musha and Raiden moved quickly, navigating toward the floor where the injured heroes were being treated. In this specialized hospital, medical professionals were allowed to use quirks related to healing, such as enhanced vision or tissue regeneration, as long as they aided in patient care.

The first room they reached was Fat Gum's. A red light above the door indicated surgery was in progress. Through a nearby observation window, Raiden could see the seriousness of the situation—the medical team was working frantically. Fat Gum's injuries were clearly severe.

Raiden's anxiety spiked as he thought of his friend. "Tamaki," he whispered, spinning around to find the room where his friend was being treated. When he located it, he discovered Tamaki was also on his way to surgery.

Raiden and Musha hurried to the surgery room. When they arrived, Raiden didn't wait for permission. He stepped inside, his breath hitching at the sight of Tamaki. The boy was barely recognizable. His face was swollen beyond recognition, almost like a grotesque balloon, and two of his limbs were twisted at unnatural angles. Thick bandages covered much of his body, stained with fresh blood.

Without a second thought—and against every protocol—Raiden strode further into the room.

"Hey! What are you doing? This is a sterilized zone!" one of the medics shouted, alarmed by his sudden intrusion.

Raiden ignored the outburst. With a wave of his hand, his telekinetic power surged, pinning everyone in the room firmly to the floor. The medics froze, unable to move as Raiden walked toward Tamaki, who lay motionless, hooked up to machines and receiving a blood transfusion.

Standing by his friend's side, Raiden clenched his fists. His glowing eyes locked onto the nearest medic. "I can heal him," he said, his voice low but charged with determination. "My quirk lets me regenerate tissue, but it's a slow process, and I can only do it piece by piece. What's the most critical injury?"

The medic hesitated, but Raiden's intensity left little room for argument. "The liver and spleen," the medic finally blurted out. "They're both hemorrhaging severely."

Raiden nodded and placed his hand above Tamaki's abdomen. His fingertips began to glow, and a soft, shimmering liquid—like droplets of living light—formed and hovered over Tamaki's body.

Life Dew. As he concentrated, the purple and red bruising around Tamaki's stomach began to fade, and the faintest hint of color returned to his skin.

But it wasn't enough. Raiden could feel the internal damage lingering.

His strength was waning, but he couldn't stop—not yet. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself further, channeling his quirk once more.

The glowing liquid took on a life of its own, moving across Tamaki's abdomen as if it were seeking the source of the damage. It flowed to specific areas, repairing torn tissue and sealing ruptures.

Tamaki's breathing began to stabilize. The shallow, irregular gasps evened out into a steady rhythm. Relief washed over Raiden, but his legs buckled beneath him. The moment his telekinetic grip faltered, a nearby nurse rushed forward and caught him before he collapsed entirely.

Musha stepped closer, his face showed a mix of concern and admiration.

"Are you okay?" he asked, steadying Raiden with a hand on his shoulder.

Raiden nodded weakly. "I can... I can keep going," he said, with his voice trembling "Just a few more times."

Without waiting for permission, Raiden activated Life Dew twice again. This time, the glowing liquid moved to Tamaki's arms and shoulders. There was a soft click as a dislocated shoulder slid back into place. Bones that had been fractured knit themselves together. While swelling still lingered on Tamaki's face and arms, the most critical injuries were repaired.

Finally, Raiden staggered back, with his breath ragged. He looked to Musha with a faint smile. "He should be okay now. The internal wounds... they're healed."

Satisfied but utterly drained, Raiden turned to the medical staff, bowing his head. "I'm sorry for breaking here," he said. Then, with Musha following close behind, he stumbled out of the surgery room.

As they walked down the hallway, Raiden glanced at Musha. "We need to check on Fat Gum next," he said, determination flickering in his eyes.

Musha, however, shook his head. "Kid, look at yourself. You've already pushed yourself too far," he said firmly. "Even making it here was a stretch. You're going to burn yourself out."

The night had been grueling, the kind of exhausting battle Raiden hadn't endured in a long time. His muscles ached, and his power felt like a dim ember barely holding on. Yet, there was no choice but to keep going.

This wasn't just a random attack—Raiden was certain it was another coordinated strike, much like the one that had hit their school. The police were already drawing connections between Tamaki's ambush and his own close call earlier.

Raiden steadied himself as they approached the room where Fat Gum was being treated. "I can do this," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I'll need to sleep for a while after. I'll be fine."

Yoroi Musha gave him a skeptical look but nodded, gently supporting him as they continued.

When they reached the room, the scene was tense. A medic was carefully manipulating Fat Gum's leg, hammering it with precision to realign the bones. Raiden didn't fully understand what he was seeing, but Musha spoke up to explain. "They're setting his bones back in place," he said.

Musha approached a nurse and explained Raiden's intent. The nurse's eyes widened briefly before she rushed off to inform the lead surgeon.

After a brief exchange, she returned, instructing Raiden and Musha to remove their armor and gear. They were handed sterilized suits and ushered to wash their hands thoroughly before entering the operating room.

"So, you've got a healing quirk?" the doctor asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and hope.

Raiden nodded, his voice steady despite his weariness. "Yes, but it works best on closed wounds. If the injury is open, my power will focus on healing the external damage first. That's why I need your work done before I can help."

The doctor nodded, understanding immediately. "A quirk like that—rare and useful. Let's make this count."

The medics resumed their work with precision and focus, explaining Fat Gum's condition as they operated. His worst injuries were in the bones, muscles, and tendons. Fortunately, his organs had been spared significant damage, likely thanks to his quirk. When the surgeons completed their work, they stepped back and gestured for Raiden to proceed.

Raiden summoned his remaining strength and activated Life Dew. A faint, glowing liquid flowed from his hands and enveloped Fat Gum's injuries. It shimmered like living water, weaving its way over the wounds. The scars began to fade, and the healing process accelerated as Raiden's power worked.

The strain was immediate. Raiden's vision blurred, and his knees buckled slightly. He knew he only had enough energy for one more attempt.

Summoning every ounce of his willpower, he used Life Dew again. The healing energy poured from him, spreading across the lingering damage.

But this time, the effort drained him completely. The long battle, the blood loss, the relentless use of his powers—it all took its toll. Raiden felt his strength leave him entirely, his legs trembling as darkness crept into his vision.

As he collapsed backward, Yoroi Musha caught him effortlessly. The older hero looked down at the boy, a rare note of admiration softening his usually stern features. "Time to rest, kid," Musha said, his voice low and steady.

Powers stones for extra chapter 16/80