Shadow in USJ

I found myself in a place where there had been a landslide. I looked around, but there was nothing and no one. I glanced up and saw the ceiling. Suddenly, I felt that something was wrong, or rather, my shadow alerted me. I looked behind me. A man with two horns on his head was reaching out for my neck.

I panicked and used my shadow on him. The man then spoke in a deep voice.

???: "What's going on? You foolish girl, let me go. Guys, go after her."

But nothing, no one rushed. That relieved me a bit, but what do I do now?

I'm a little scared, neither of us can move.

When I blinked, he turned into a icicle.

I started to look around. And I saw the half-half boy slowly approaching me.

Half-half boy: "We don't have time, hurry up."

I snapped out of it and started following him. I glanced back at the villain with horns one last time.

Nemo: "Thank you. Where are we anyway?"

Half-half boy: "Inside USJ."

Nemo: 'USJ? So that's probably the name of this rescue dome. Thirteen probably told them that when I veered off a bit.'

I looked at the half-half boy.

Nemo: "What are we going to do now?"

He didn't even turn towards me, just kept walking straight without stopping.

Half-half boy: "Just stay behind me, I'm much stronger than you. We'll get to the center, and you'll start running towards the entrance."

That sounded a lot like orders, well, they were orders.

More villains appeared in front of us. Within a second, they turned into icicles.

Half-half boy: "You're quite weak. I expected you to be stronger since you claimed to be here to kill the symbol of peace."

Nemo: "Wait, what? Are they here to kill All Might?"

The half-half boy started looking at me.

Half-half boy: "We don't have time to stand around here, come with me."

So I quickly gathered myself and ran after him.

Nemo: "At least he wouldn't have to be so cold towards me."

...

(Fifteen minutes later)

Nemo: "This is frustrating. I've done nothing, that half-half boy did everything."

Every time I tried to help him, everything was already frozen, and then he told me not to try anything like that again, that I'm weak, and that the difference between us is huge.

Nemo: "Couldn't he at least be a bit nicer?"

Then we tried to move further into the center, but we heard a huge explosion.

All Might: "DON'T WORRY, I'M HERE."

The half-half boy started running towards the center.

So I had no choice but to run after him.

Nemo: "Could he run a bit slower?"

I just blinked. And he was gone.

Nemo: "Oh, I lost him."

I started running towards the center, encountering frozen villains along the way.

Explosions could be heard throughout the complex.

I was finally in the middle.

Nemo: "Finally, that half-half boy."

Suddenly, I stopped.

I looked at All Might, in a weird position with the monster. It was as if they were in some strange portal.

Broccoli jumped and stopped a villain covered in lots of arms.

I knew I had to do something, but I couldn't, my body froze. I couldn't move. I was terrified.

Then suddenly, ice was visible, the monster holding All Might was half-rampant.

The gas monster was on the ground and Explosive guy was holding it down.

I kept trying to figure out what happened. All Might stood up.

All Might: "Go, everything is fine, get out of here. Leave it to me."

Broccoli: "But All Might, if you fight like this, then..."

Broccoli stopped talking. All Might just gave him a thumbs up.

He ran towards the monster, whom the brain could be seen.

They began exchanging blows.

All Might: "His Quirk isn't Physical Nullification but Physical Absorption, so that means he has some limit."

All Might's blows began to accelerate. In the meantime, I ran away.

Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. All Might stood there alone. The monster was no longer visible. The only thing left of the monster was just a hole in the USJ.

I got upstairs. All the teachers were standing there, including the principal.

...

The villains lost. And everyone was talking about how they defeated the villains.

I clenched my fist, lowered my head, and felt ashamed.

Nemo: 'I was afraid to intervene, again. Others did something, they were useful, and me? Nothing, I was afraid again. Why, just why do I always have to stand back? Even that creep with his sticky balls was more useful than me, even Broccoli, who is always so scared, jumped forward without hesitation into danger.'

Suddenly, some detective took us aside.

I was still lost in my thoughts. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone play any games today.

Nemo: 'Why am I such a coward?'

...

I was sitting on the bus, hugging my knees with my arms and pressing them against my chest.

I opened my phone, which I had left on the bus, and messaged that guy I played Baldur's Gate 6 with.

Nemo: "Hey, I can't play today, sorry, I'm not in the mood to play, maybe tomorrow, but I'm not sure."

I turned off my phone and waited for the bus to leave.

Mina: "Hey Nemo-chan, you seem a bit distant in front of everyone, what's going on?"

Nemo: "Nothing, nothing's happening."

Mina: "This doesn't look like nothing, you seem quite, how should I say, off."

Nemo: "Really, nothing's happening idiot."

Mina wanted to say something, but the bus started moving. The teacher warned Mina to go sit down.

...

I slammed the door behind me. The teachers gave us two days off. Normally, I would play games all the time, but I wasn't in the mood for that. And I never feel like not playing games.

I lay down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I kept repeating to myself what happened today.

Suddenly, I heard my phone ringing. I glanced at the phone. It was Mina. I just silenced it.

I decided that during these two days, I wouldn't leave my room. I have enough food to survive here for a week.

...

I started playing Dungeon Dive, but after a while, I stopped. At first, I thought my thoughts would wander elsewhere, but unfortunately, I had it fresh in my mind.

I couldn't do anything else but fall asleep.

...

During the next day, when I woke up, I made myself some coffee and breakfast. I was in a slightly better mood. I checked my phone, where I had several missed calls and messages from Mina.

I just sighed; I didn't have anything better to do than to turn on a game and start playing.

I turned on the computer and checked if that guy was online, and he was, so I messaged him.

Nemo: #BD6?#

Genocid: #15 min#

Nemo: #Kk#

I sat on the chair, waited, listened to music, and drank coffee.

In the meantime, I received an incoming call.

I confirmed it.

Nemo: "Hey, sorry I couldn't yesterday. It was a lot for me, and I just couldn't."

Genocid: "Let's play."

Nemo noticed he wasn't very enthusiastic, or rather, he seemed upset about something.

Nemo: 'Is he upset because I didn't play yesterday?'

So we started playing. My mood improved somewhat, and so did his a bit. Although he was a bit grumpy, he wasn't as upset as we began.

...

We were just having a lunch break. Someone started ringing the bell at my apartment. I went to the door, and there stood Mina and other students from the class. I decided to ignore it and started playing again.

...

For two whole days, I played games with Genocid. The second day was okay, back to his aggressive self.

Nemo: "School starts again for me today so we'll meet in the evening."

Genocid: "Okay, but you better play. If not, I'll be... very angry."

Nemo: "...Sure thing, don't worry, we'll play tomorrow."

Genocid: "Which school do you go to, anyway?"

Nemo: "Hm? Oh, UA."

Genocid: "..."

Nemo: "Well, I have to go for now."

Genocid: "..."

I ended the call and decided to get some sleep, at least a little. An hour of sleep never killed anyone.

(End of a chapter)