39

It started with that scream.

It was high pitched, filled with pure terror and came in splintered glitching spasms as Menu's entire body recoiled over and over again, each time she restarted that scream. A bloodied wound exploded on Menu's shoulder with each restart, the blood freezing as she glitched then vanished into nothingness.

Shoko wanted to help her.

She really did.

But that scream wasn't even the start of their worries.

They came from the void, from that outside space of their home that Shoko had never really paid much attention too. From the entranceway the first ones emerged. Writhing forms of blackness, their numerous tendrils whipped about, pulling them forward with surprising speed as they charged at Menu. Their bone white heads looked like bird beaks and were filled with endless rows of razor sharp teeth.

The first one to emerge charged at Menu. When Shoko intercepted it with an icecicle that pinned it to the wall, the others turned their empty gazes to her. And they were endless.

She couldn't message her friends. Those strange elements that she had been aware of had vanished, but she still had those gifts. With her elemental control she conjured monsters of flame and ice to fight the creatures, but they were overrun as the creatures advanced, moving as quickly as the shadows when the light vanished. Every bout of flame, every sheet of ice pushed them back, but not far enough.

"Menu!" Shoko shouted, sparing the girl a glance. She wasn't screaming anymore. Her eyes were static, and she was shaking.

"Gah!" Shoko exclaimed in pain as one of the creatures bit into her left shoulder, tearing her dress and leaving multiple pin sized wounds that burned.

She went to blast it with fire. But no fire came out.

Ice.

She summoned a wall of ice, destroying their home as she covered all the entrance ways. She didn't have her fire right now.

Quirk erasing drug.

She remembered about that.

So this was what it looked like from Menu's point of view. How terrifying.

Summoning more and more ice around them, Shoko encased both her and Menu in a sphere of ice, the creatures assaulting it in a frenzy, and it took all her strength to keep that ice barrier up. With her control she was able to create blades that struck the beasts, spikes that pierced them, and blows that bludgeoned them.

"Don't worry Menu." Shoko muttered, glancing down at the girl for a moment before continuing her encased assault against the creatures. "I won't let them erase you."

"U-u-u-de- 5-5-5-5-5-% 5-%^ ! 6%... Error!" Menu muttered, her lip turning into a smile as a shaky pale hand phased up to give Shoko a thumbs up. "Error. System. Sys. Corrupted. Int. Int integrity = uncorrupted code divided by total code times 100. Integrity at at at. 61%"

That.

Did not sound good.

Shoko looked at her left arm, it was numb now. And without it she couldn't regulate her heat. She was starting to feel a bit on the cold side already.

"It doesn't matter." Shoko concentrated and expanded her sphere, crushing those intruders as she shot massive spikes out of her ball to skewer them even as they poured in from the cracks. "I'm not going to let them hurt you."

XXXX

Mirai could hardly believe the scene that he saw before him. There was blood everywhere. It looked less like a fight had broken out and more like several bodies had simply exploded all at once. Clothing wet with blood was stuck to the walls like a cooked noodle tossed to see if it was ready.

He never thought that a scene would horrify him more than when he had seen the aftermath of All Might's fight with All for One.

But this surpassed that gruesome scene.

And he had just brought two amatuer heroes with him to witness it.

Mirio looked ready to puke, his body shaking.

Itsuka looked pale.

If either one of them developed an aversion to blood now, it might be their downfall later. But what could he do? He couldn't move, or even think.

Then he saw a whole body. Or at least partially whole. A large gaping hole existed where the heart and shoulder should have been, in its place was a softly glowing feather, spinning in place. And an old man stared back at him.

He was still alive.

The Old Boss of the Shie Hassaikai, the man simply known as a Rajin was still breathing.

"You the heroes?" Rajin let out a wheezing breath, his breath steady despite missing more than half a lung. And a heart.

Somehow that sobered Mirai up enough for him to take a step into the hallway, the blood was deep enough to sound like he was stepping into a puddle as he moved forward. Despite all the questions he could possibly ask, one stood out that needed to be answered first. "How are you alive?"

Rajin looked towards the feather. "Always wondered what that Phoenix would do." Then a cold glare was directed towards Mirai. "You should go help your man. Kai's after him, he has a prototype of his drug working, took most of us by surprise with it then killed most of my men."

Before Mirai could respond, Itsuka let out a swear. "Fuck!"

She charged into the room and looked around frantically, the blood splattering against her costume as she didn't even bat an eye at it. "Where's Izuku? Where is he? He's in trouble!"

Rajin pointed with a steady finger towards a potted plant. "Down there, there's a secret-"

"Thanks!" Itsuka didn't even wait. She had her direction and something as pathetic as a wall wasn't going to stop her. She slammed her fist down there opening the way and then leapt down.

It wasn't the blood she was worried about it seemed. Something had happened to Izuku.

Fuck.

How was Kai this prepared?

They should have spent more time planning and getting ready to move instead of rushing into something simply because Izuku wanted to save a girl.

Dammit.

"Mirio! Follow Ituska, she might need your help." Mirai glared at his favored pupil and tried to bite his tongue. He needed to say this. "We don't need anyone else to die."

"Yes!" Mirio's horrified look grew serious and he darted down the hole Itsuka had created.

"You got quite the squad for a bunch of young bloods." Rajin coughed, a bit of blood coming from his mouth. "Shit, that's not good."

"I'm going to use my quirk on you." Mirai said coldly, staring into the man's eyes. He had seen death before. He had seen the last few moments of someone's life so many times. He always hated it. But he would endure that torment once more if only to find out what might happen.

He saw nothing but the oblivion as this man clinging to life finally succumbed to his wound, the feather crumbling to ash.

Without another word, he moved down the hole and decided to follow the path carved by Itsuka as she headed in a straight line through the walls of the labyrinth down below.

XXXX

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Itsuka slammed through another wall, crashing through it and finding that unlike the other rooms, this one had a person in it. They were wearing a mask and they weren't Izuku. Besides. That's not where the arrow was pointing.

She hooked their chin between two of her enlarged fingers and flung them at a wall as she continued on her way towards Izuku, it didn't matter how injured they were, as long as they didn't get back up for a while it didn't matter. Izuku was in trouble.

He was in so much trouble that even something was up with Menu. Why wasn't she teleported? Why did that stop? Was it because of the revival? Did Izuku get hit by the drug? Menu was still holding on. A basic red arrow appeared in the place of all of the other H.U.D. elements Itsuka had grown to love and care for since they came into her life nearly a year ago.

Ever since then it felt like her life had really started. She had fun, she was in love! She wanted to keep being in love and keep having fun. She loved Izuku, she loved Momo, she loved Nejire, she loved Menu, she loved Shoko! She wasn't going to let anything ruin that!

She plowed through another wall. More people this time.

She was about to leave when she slammed into an invisible force field face first. She felt her nose crack.

"You won't be able to break through my-" The weird monk looking guy with a mask started to talk.

But she punched the barrier using her own quirk, her enhanced to the point of it being stupid strength, and One for All. She shattered the barrier and sent him flying along with it. "I don't have time for your shit!"

"Woah!" The other guy shouted, his arms spinning around as he charged at her. "You look strong, I'll-"

"You're weak as shit!" she shouted, grabbing onto his masked head and pushing him through a wall, his arms constantly hitting her and barely even tickling her as she charged forward. When he stopped moving she tossed him to the side and continued her aggressive advance towards Izuku.

The red arrow was getting sensitive now. She had to be close. She had to be.

XXXX

Getting shot fucking hurt. Like a lot. It took everything Izuku had not to want to start screaming in agony whenever he tried to move his arm in the slightest. And he was doing a lot of that as he attempted to keep Eri behind him.

His ear was ringing and it felt like the ground was shaking as he watched the crazed Overhaul advance towards him, pistol aimed right at Izuku's chest.

"I had a dream you know. One of those strange, strange dreams that I could have sworn was real. In it. I found you. Just like this. Carrying Eri away with you. So I killed you. Then Eri used her quirk. And I woke up in bed. But here you are. Again. Walking away with Eri when I'm so close. So this time." Kai gave an insane laugh as he stumbled forward, his clothing was covered in blood and hives were spreading across his body. "This time. When I kill you. I'm going to make sure that neither of you have your quirks. Now hold still. This ammo is expensive."

"Stay behind me Eri." Izuku muttered, trying to keep up his brave face. He seriously fucked up this time.

He relied too much on catching Kai off guard. But he remembered that death too. Why? Was it because of Eri? Or was that just how Menu's respawn worked. Whenever someone killed him they would remember? Worse, Menu was currently incapacitated. Or worse. He couldn't summon help, and he couldn't be teleported out to safety.

Dammit.

"But," Eri muttered holding onto his side, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Overhaul with fear in her eyes. "You'll die."

"Doesn't matter Eri. I'm going to get you out of here. And then, uhh, we can go to an amusement park. One by the sea. And you can eat cotton candy, and."

A bullet tore through his leg.

"You heroes are all the same. You talk, talk, talk, and talk some more, it's almost like you don't know when to shut up and-"

The wall exploded and a large body slammed into Overhaul.

The body belonged to the large hulking member of Overhaul's elite group. He had a quirk that allowed him to drain the stamina of those around him, he was one of the more violent members of the group. And there was only one person that Izuku knew of that could send someone like that through a wall.

Itsuka emerged from the rubble, and Izuku instantly felt relief wash over him.

"Izuku!" She half cried, a smile growing on her face as he saw tears streaming down her face, she stumbled on some of the rubble and ran towards him. "Oh thank fuck you're okay, well, I mean you're shot, but you're not dead which is a huge relief, but are you okay, what happened? Do you need anything?"

"Marry me?" Izuku laughed, half serious and basking in the glow of victory.

Itsuka went red. "Umm. Later. Maybe. Yes. Later!"

Huh, she really did have a low will save.

"Itsuka! Izuku!" Mirio came running up from behind, looking a bit woozy as he took a sideways step or two towards them. "I'm glad you're okay, Sir was worried about you."

"Izuku, about Menu." Itsuka asked, drawing his attention towards her once more. Blood was splattered across her costume and it was torn in several places as well. "What happened with her?"

"I got shot by a quirk erasing bullet. But, I don't think it was complete. And besides, it's like Aizawa-sensei, I think she might be a bit resistant to it. That's why all the other things are still working. Maybe. I just hope she's fighting back against it."

The large body shifted, it's bone muscle and sinew all blending and twisting around as it reformed into a horrific beast of pure muscle, riding at its head was Overhaul.

Fuck. They should have checked to make sure he was out.

"Oh, what the fuck! Why the fuck do bosses have multiple phases in real life!" Itsuka swore, her fists enlarging and she punched the ground sending a shockwave towards Overhaul. It vanished when Overhaul touched the ground, instead sending spikes towards Itsuka. Spikes that bounced off of her like they were nothing.

"Don't let him touch you." Mirio warned. "Izuku, take Eri and get out of here. Me and Itsuka should be able to handle this guy. Right?"

"It'll be nice having back up." Itsuka nodded.

"What makes you think I'm going to let you go that easily?" Overhaul shouted, his upper torso flailing as he got used to his new form. He touched the ground again with a hand and the room exploded, pushing away and around from them, the exit sealing off completely. "You're all going to pay for this."

XXXX

When she could feel pain everything hurt.

Menu tried to breathe, but her body couldn't; instead it happened with a hiccup, her chest was contracted one moment and then the next it was filled with the cold air inside of Shoko's icy fortress. Awareness came and went. It took all of her mental power just to help guide Itsuka towards Izuku.

Itsuka could save him. She was the strongest. She was the first person that Menu actually liked.

She had to save him.

Not just because Menu didn't want to die.

But because she didn't want Izuku to die.

There was nothing selfish about that desire.

She wanted Izuku to live. She wanted to watch him grow, to watch him continue on this awkward and seemingly random path that she had put him on. She wanted to find both his limits and her own.

She wanted to have fun with them. She wanted to laugh with them. She wanted to keep being with them.

Izuku. Itsuka. Momo. Nejire. Shoko. They made her feel like she wasn't just some fuck up. They made her feel like she wasn't just some evil useless voice inside of Izuku's head. She wanted to prove them right. She wanted them to know that she could do all those amazing things that they thought she could.

She wanted them to know.

She loved them.

"Sh-" she hissed looking at Shoko as the girl continued to fight, her right side nearly completely blue as the girl continued to fight. Cracks were forming in the prison, and Shoko's movements were sluggish, every attack was a desperate wide sweeping attack that was only to push them away. "Error."

Shoko looked at her. A tired, weary look on her face. She was so drained. It was only a matter of time before Shoko fell. "I'll protect you."

That was wrong.

That wasn't how it was supposed to go right?

She was the quirk. She wasn't supposed to be protected.

She was supposed to be doing the protecting.

Awareness slapped her in the face and she drew a sharp breath, her body functioning for just a moment. Itsuka. She found Izuku. That last visage of her concentration flowing back into her. "Izuku = safe."

"Good." Shoko muttered, stumbling forward and swiping her left arm to the side. The numbers outside the sphere where those creatures were attacking screamed as they fell to Shoko's desperate attack. "I want cuddles."

[Error. FAtAl CorruPtion1. Integrity at 30%

Corruption.

Error.

System.

Error.

Fatal. Fatal.

.exe. .cpp.

9%

9.5%

23

4]

Awareness began to slip from Menu.

She could feel it.

The who she was now. It was slipping. It was dying. The quirk. The larger part of herself. It was.

What would happen to it? What would happen to the rest of her.

She wanted to know.

Integrity at 5%

Integrity at 3%

Integrity at 1%

Update 100%

Update complete. Systems restored.

What the fuck?

AN: I did want to update this like the day after I hit 5k followers, but uhh, finals and stuff kind of got in the way. Anyways! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Because this. Is where the fun begins.