Chapter 11 - Chapter 10: Helpless girl

"Izuku, take some of my mana; it will speed up the process."It takes time to write and decipher runes. Quite longer if they are in a harder dialect, and even longer when the person doing it is out of mana."How?" He questioned something completely new to him."Mana is a byproduct of one's soul producing life energy for the body. It flows in manners dependent on the user," Inko explained as she took Izuku's right hand, placing it on her heart. "Witches have a closed mana circulatory system positioned to follow the blood circulation. Once you feel mana in someone's body, you can lead it through arteries without harming your target.""But the arteries are a millimeter wide. It is impossible for me to do it the first time, and to make it worse, I need to lead it to the arms.""Yes, to arms; witches manifest mana properly only through hands.""If you don't think of something else, I will continue like this." Izuku gestured to the white runic inscription on the floor as they gained the blue color with the speed of a snail's pace."By the time you are done, I will have grandchildren.""You already have them.""The point is, if you want to help me, listen to me!"Still hesitant, Izuku decided to listen to his mother. "Fine, but tell me when it starts to hurt, so I can stop.""There won't be stopping; you're inexperienced in controlling other's mana and in their body, nonetheless. I am not expecting you to succeed perfectly the first time; there will be some damage, but I'll live.""That damage you are talking about is permanent, not healable at all; if I destroy a hair too much, your left arm will become unusable for magic.""And you think I don't know that? Now hurry up.""But-""Just do it, Izuku; I'll be fine as long as we live," Inko said, lowering her voice to a gentle tone. "Sweetheart, don't misunderstand; personal well-being is important, but if you can't live to appreciate it, everything falls apart.""There is-""Don't question it."With no words, Izuku took a deep breath, focusing all his senses on Inko's mana, waiting for it to pulse in her heart. Once he caught the pulse, he led mana through the heart, arteries, left shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, and fingers. To be as careful as possible, he took a slow approach, giving impotence to precision."Right," he responded as he wrote six curly runes connected by a line passing through the center of all of them. With a wave towards them, he infused them with mana, allowing them to counter their target. He used his right arm, dipped in white paint, to write and the left surrounded by mana to execute runes."Hope Momo is doing better," Izuku muttered to himself, throwing a glance at the lower floors through a hole in the floor."Why did you get her involved in this mess? You should know the best that she is of no help, and she is only endangering herself." Inko let out a few heavy sighs. It was getting harder for her to breathe and talk without grunting a little."Yes, I know I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't budge, so I thought she could help with her quirk-""Poor girl had enough with her family, and you want for her to get badly hurt just cuz you couldn't say no?" A silence struck. Inko was laying out the truth, even if it was hard to swallow. He has made a mistake, one with promised consequences. "I will always tell you this: an untrained human using quirk is no better than an untrained wizard. Both capable of great deeds, the most fearless, second to none until reality struck them.""But what sets wizards apart from humans is that they start weaker than them, so reality strikes them earlier, so they end up greater in the end than humans." Izuku misunderstood the pause Inko made for him to continue the infamous speech. "Yeah, Agatha had it ingrained in my brain the moment I moved something with my mind.""Yes." She finally let out a cough, a deep one that brought blood to her mouth; she didn't let it leave her mouth; she drank every drop of blood, no matter how vile it was."Are you OK? Do I need to stop?""You will make it worse if you stop now," she lied, as she did not let her mouth open wide enough for her son to see pink, bloody teeth as she was doing this for him.While one Izuku was getting rid of runes on Inko, the second was fighting hotheaded CC, causing the numerous explosions to create dancing flames. All of that didn't make the situation on the lower floors any easier.The ruble fell from the ceiling, choosing its new victim randomly. In all of that dust, it was hard for Momo to disinfect the wounds of the people she found alive.It wasn't long ago before she made a first aid kit, attending to the wounded with no priorities whatsoever. Before she helped anyone, she would usually lay down a white sheet large enough for twenty people to stand on. In the middle lay eight glowing blue letter-like symbols.The sheet had more uses than just being the teleport pad for Izuku later; it was made of hydrophilic material with small channels leading fluid to flow out through edges so internal body fluids leaving bodies wouldn't cause medical complications.The last and yet favorite utility of the'sheet' for Momo was that, even if her form was hard to change. The sheet was amorphous, which made the material hard to tear apart, so one simple creation once was enough.She passed the first two floors with ease, and she was making her way down to the third one. There weren't as many people as on the first two floors, and the few she found were not severely injured, so Momo tried to instruct them to go to the floor above."Please make your way to the floor above where the others are.""Child, why would we be going towards the flames? We should escape." A middle-aged woman questions Momo's methods."Because there isn't an escape route or heroes in sight.""So we should go up to die quicker." An old man took a step forward from the small group Momo had gathered."If you want access to the medication, yes, people upstairs are exchanging it among themselves as we speak." Momo could create another marked sheet and first aid, but she had a limit of one more set she was saving for those in need for lower floors."I will go; show me the way." A mother with a two-year-old child in her arms nuzzled the old man out of the way. Her child had multiple cuts that Momo treated. It isn't much for a grown person, but to children, cuts cause major pain."The main staircase isn't blocked," she pointed to it with her right hand. While her left hand created from the palm a small red teddy bear for the child. "Here you go." The plushy was relatively small, so creation took no toll on her, and good deed cost her nothing.Some hesitantly followed the woman; their steps were heavy, slow as they doubted their own decision. While others were determined to stay and question Momo and her methods."If there aren't any heroes, then what are you doing? Pretending to be one?""I am -""Yes, who put you in charge?""Why should we listen to you?"She lost control over the crowd; other mobs weren't the easiest to handle, but most of them cooperated and let Momo help them. Maybe from their perspective, where she was leading them offered more trouble than comfort and security. Still, she couldn't just bluntly announce that they would be safely teleported later.That would raise questions about her and Izuku. Also, it could cause problems with the law. It is illegal to use quirks without the license that heroes get after finishing their respective academies.Momo used her quirk multiple times, but she attempted to use her quirk in private and justify it as a medicine found in the building. Most of the slip-ups she made happened while she was creating smoke-filtering handkerchiefs.Few saw how those small, life-saving clothes came into existence. Upon Momo noticing what they saw, she politely asked them to keep that information for themselves, and thankfully for her, all of them agreed.Momo was afraid that the mass she was trying to handle right now would cause too much rioting and inspire some to utter what she asked them to be quiet about.Yes, she had trust issues; she has always been not too eager to trust anyone, and last of all, strangers. All the shouting and all the resistance from the corporation hit her, and her veins began to tighten. Her breathing was becoming heavier as she got the tingles in her muscles."Whoever said she was pretending? Who made you think that only heroes are capable of kindness and good?" A brunette-haired woman stepped out, spreading her arms and keeping Momo behind her back. "If you ask me, all those so-called heroes you worship are all fakes."Some voices quieted, leaving others to murmur and mutter between themselves. There were only nine people left, excluding her and the girl in front of her.For a moment, Momo thought that the woman calmed down so she could speak to them civilly, only for them to prove them wrong."Don't disrespect your elders." To be fair, the woman was pretty young."Who told you that conspiracy theory that heroes are fake?"'She made it worse,' Momo thought, tapping the woman on the shoulder. But while the crowd's rage, which she now saw as tantrums and whining, kept getting worse, the whole situation somehow made her feel a little better. For the first time, someone made a mistake, and she wasn't responsible for it, and there weren't any consequences that came her way.All of June's mistakes reflected on her, with expectations such as perfection from her parents to compensate for them. And even when Izuku would do something wrong, he found a way to make it right as soon as possible. It wasn't just him, Jiro, Tooru, and Setsuna.They weren't perfect, but they were much closer to it. Her parents would be much more proud to call them their own children."If you want to die, then go ahead, but don't even think about blaming this girl for it. She is offering you help so you can survive until someone saves us.""What she knows about help.""We can't just blindly follow someone."They screamed from the bottom of their throats; some even threatened the girl. Momo wanted to help them; she really did. It broke her heart when she realized she couldn't. They aren't ready to listen."Do whatever you want." She stepped back, turning her back to them. "If they don't have someone to oppose them, maybe they would listen." Momo muttered, walking away towards the next staircase, which was not far away."No, they won't; they never do." The same woman followed her, now face-to-face with Momo. It gave her the chance to notice chocolate eyes and a scar stretching from her left eye over the nose down to the jaw."Thank you, Miss Uh?""Muramoto Marise.""Muramoto-san""Please, there is no need for honorifics; I am probably younger than you.""I think you are mistaken; I am still in middle school; I probably appear older." Momo quietly answered, trying to cover her chest."Well, then we are around the same age; middle school here also.""I am so sorry to assume," Momo was quick to correct herself."It is okay; I know I appear as a homeless middle-aged woman; no need to apologize." Marsie wawed her hand at Momo nonchalantly, like it was normal to her for someone to offend her and for her just to confirm and repeat the insult. "So, what's your name?""Yaoyorozu Momo.""Are you okay if I call you Momo?""...""Then Yaoyorozu it is." Marise exclaimed, "You know you can call me Marise either way.""I would rather not.""Why?""It is just more comfortable that way.""Whatever you say." Marise said she blocked Momo's way one step away from the staircase. "So tell me, where did you get that gun?""W-what are you talking a-about?""Plese, it isn't hidden as well as you think." Mirase reached for Momo's inner thing, grabbing a hidden metal object. "Good idea hiding where few would dare to look, and since you wear baggy clothes, it isn't noticeable.""T-then how did you notice it?""So you admit that is a gun, sweet?" Mirase teased as she took Momo by hand, moving a few steps away for no one to hear. "Simple, you walk like an egg is stuck between your legs.""But the real question is, how did you get your hands on it?" Mirase's eyes were glowing as she put her hand in front, palm facing up, expecting something to be placed on it. "I mean, Japan's gun control is sooooo strict, even a policeman without permission isn't allowed to carry a gun, and even when they are allowed to use them, they are limited to three bullets."I found it on the ground.""You can't lie, can't you?" Mirase reached for the jean fabric on the shin, pulling it towards her so the gun would move lower and closer to her knees. When the gun was low enough, she tore Momo's left pants leg just over her calf so the firearm would fall on her hand."TX-3 black road, only in production in America and the United Kingdom since 2189, used for police work, and while fast, it doesn't cause that much damage, perfect for it, don't you think?" Mrise faced the gun away, unloadeing the magazine in a blink of an eye."Give it back!" Momo demanded, wrestling the other girl, reaching for a weapon only with her fingertips."Don't worry, you can trust me." Mariser whispered, and when Momo blinked once again, the whole gun was disassembled in an instant. "Now I have a question for you.""Where did you pick up a gun? That is forbidden in Japan, and owning one could cause a lifelong sentence. And don't lie, Yaoyorozu-san, I know well enough that you are on the brighter side, covering your firearm in wax-like substance so there won't be any real fingertips for the proof of owning it, smart but also kinda dumb if you ask me.""Don't stick your nose in other people's business!" Momo's cry was only a distraction because, where Mirase's head was positioned moments ago, now there is a dent in the wall, one caused by a bowstaff sticking out of Momo's thigh.Breaking it off from her skin and making a few spins with it, Momo took a proper stance with her new weapon."So that's how, interesting." Marise announced she barely dodged Momo's surprise attack, her reaction was slow compared to Momo's attacking speed, so she was left with a small wound under her right ear. "Don't worry, Yaoyorozu, I won't tell your little secret, just lower your weapon, please; I don't want to cause any trouble.""Cause me any problems?" Momo questioned, she was scared and hesitant, but she considered herself in control of the situation."You see, my quirk is quite nasty, and I don't want to use it."'Bluff?' Momo strengthened her grip on the metal staff. "Why should I trust any word you say after 'that'?""Please, if I meant harm, you would be standing here with a hole in your head." Marise explained while she brought her wrist to her mouth. "And if you want me to confirm the quirk part, I can also do that." She licked the blood on her wrist."W-wh?"Small drops of blood placed all around her body rose up, forming a small ball in front of Marise, while a new cut on her palm supplied more blood to make the ball bigger."Hemokinesis?""A bit more than that." Marise hummed. She expanded the ball into a spear, hardened it. While water dripped down from it, leaving the spear completely dry.Momo didn't want to play around and waste her time fighting her. "You should know by my family name who my parents are. Just try to say a word to anyone and anything, but please do not expect to live quietly after.""Bluffing, are we?" Marise teased; she took two steps forward, but that is where she stopped, as Momo raised her hand, which glowed in faint pink light, ready to create something new."Distance, huh?" She lowered her guard; she intentionally weakened the grip on her bloody spear as she held it next to her waist. She was expecting Momo to do the same, but no such luck; she still held her ground even though she shook the whole time."Yaoyorozu, you could relax a little; you are so stiff." A sudden explosion of red smoke leaving Momo's hand blinded Marise to the point she couldn't see a finger in front of her nose."Thank you, but I feel fine." Three blunt cold hits were delivered to the Marise. One to her knee, one to her stomach, and one across her shoulder blades. Momo was a swift and precise master when it came to using a bow staff; even when she was scared, she hurt and impressed Marise."Come on, Momo, are you going to fight like a coward? Face me one-on-one! No tricks! I want to take a closer look at your skills; maybe you can teach me something.""Volits." A black silhouette ran around her in circles while heavy hits started coming her way. Mirase isn't a novice in martial arts in any way, but her skills are limited when it comes to barely visible 'enemy'. None countered attacks; she managed to block a few by luck."Fine by me, here is the first lesson: playing cowardly means playing smart; remember that," Momo shouted the moment Marise felt something snake-like touch her elbow."Rinnu." Momo shouted louder as the smoke cleared away from them, revealing a long rope sticking from Momo's palm floating in the air and circling Marise five times, completely surrounding her."Taanuum." She shouted once more, this time she cut off the rope from her hand, allowing it to spin around Marise like a vortex. Soon the circumference of the circle that the rope made lowered, and as it got closer to Marise, it started to bind itself around her, making extra twists and turns to restrain her hands and feet."I am not as fast as Izuku yet," Momo said, taking a few steps towards bound Marise. "Still, 4 seconds is a fine high score."