Chapter 65

The air in the room seemed to thicken, becoming heavy and suffocating. A sudden heat flared within me, an intense, burning sensation that spread through my veins like wildfire. My vision blurred, and my body felt like it was on fire. My breath came in ragged gasps, and I felt myself begin to tremble. Whatever her quirk was, it was more insidious, more dangerous than anything I had ever faced, even back when I was fighting galactic threats as Superman.

She was about to touch me again when a sharp, deafening BANG echoed in the room. Rosealine's body jerked backward, a strangled groan escaping her lips. My vision cleared, and I saw Akira standing in the corner, a smoking gun clutched in her trembling hands, tears streaming down her face.

"S-stay away from A-Anos!" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

Relief washed over me in a tidal wave. She had shot without hesitation. With my head clear, I seized the opportunity. I didn't want to kill, but I had to end this. Focusing my powers, I unleashed a blast of my freeze breath, creating a razor-sharp ice shard. I aimed with precision, remembering the techniques Shoto had demonstrated during our training sessions. The shard hurtled through the air, piercing Rosealine's heart. She gasped, her eyes widening in shock, before collapsing lifelessly to the floor.

I went over to Akira, gently taking the gun from her shaking hands. I pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Thank you, Akira," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "You were so brave. Let's get you out of here, okay?"

She nodded, clinging to me tightly. I picked her up, careful not to jostle her, and flew out of the facility, soaring through the night sky towards the city. Within seconds, we were at the hospital. Akira didn't want me to leave, but I reassured her that I would visit as soon as I could. With a final nod, she disappeared into the hospital with two nurses.

My heart heavy, I turned back towards the city, towards my dad's agency. As I approached, a wave of despair washed over me. The agency was in ruins, engulfed in flames. Civilians were either running in terror or huddled in fear. I landed in a nearby alley, my senses on high alert.

Hawks was there, valiantly trying to contain the chaos, his feathers creating barriers against the flames. Shoto was working alongside him, his ice extinguishing the towering infernos. Izuku, Bakugo, and Kirishima were engaged in fierce combat with a group of villains, their quirks clashing in a chaotic symphony of destruction. Kaminari and Diamond were battling an electrical surge, their powers crackling in the air. Class 1-A, my friends, everyone was fighting, doing their best to stem the tide of destruction.

This was war. What the hell had happened? I had only been gone for a few hours. Was this what my therapist, Tristain, had been trying to warn me about? Had the darkness he sensed within me somehow manifested itself in this catastrophe?