[Wow, some boyfriend. Didn't even say goodbye?]
'Quiet. I don't want to deal with you right now.'
[Oh, please, you're stuck with me. Besides, you don't see me jumping for joy about being stuck with you. You don't even live up to your name; what a loser.]
'Name, Ignalis? I literally have wings of fire! That's like Shoto naming himself freaking Shoto!'
[Bruh, I wasn't talking about your hero name; I was talking about your system name. Why do you think the last one is left? You were too boring!]
I banked left as I sped up; Star wasn't too far now.
'What do you mean? System name, last one?'
[Dude, do you legit not know? Didn't you read the terms and service for ts?]
'I wasn't given any of that! I just got this thing placed inside me!'
[Dang dude, bummer. Sucks to suck, then I guess. Heads up, big guy ahead.]
I slammed my fist into the Nomu's chest as another trio sped towards me. I could already see AFO and Star fighting as the jets struggled to stay in the air while getting swarmed by Nomu.
"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!" Star bellowed as I cut through the swarm towards her. We ended up back-to-back as I glanced around at the swarm. "Got a plan. You do your part?" She shook her head. "No, need to touch him first; he won't let me get close."
We broke apart as the swarm lashed out; claws and quirks raced towards us, and I ripped apart anything that got close while keeping an eye on AFO. He was back in Tomura's body, smugly sitting on the crumpled wreckage of what used to be a jet.
'Guess he had Wolfram here for a bit. Better keep my eye out for portals.'
I tore another Nomu in half and shot towards AFO as others blocked my path, giving him a chance to blast me with several quirks. They didn't do anything other than push me back towards Star as I noticed she was struggling.
"Are you All Might right now?" I asked, and she nodded. "Change into me. Name's Micah Hall; say you now have my Viltrumite body." She looked confused but did so, briefly shrinking.
AFO appeared from nowhere to try to grab her by the face, but I was waiting for him as I struck out with Rasaka's fang, which was dripping with something foul. He flinched back as Star suddenly grew in size and kicked him in the face.
AFO raised his arms in time, flying back with several fractures as I heard the bones snap back into place. "How quaint. It seems even you've seen just how weak All Might really is." AFO smirked as Star and I shot forwards.
We had him on the back foot for a moment as more Nomu appeared to try and help their master. Not wanting to let him get away, I summoned Ripley, and he started tearing into the Nomu with crazed cackles.
"What is that?!" Star yelled, but I ignored her. "Focus on him first!" We lashed out together as we slowly pushed AFO back. The air shook as we clashed; the fighter jets bringing Star here were forced to back off so they wouldn't get knocked out of the sky.
Of course, AFO couldn't help but open his mouth and monologue as we fought.
"I wonder what gave you the confidence to come out here, Micah? I admit, you bested me in Kamino, but I have grown much stronger since then." I scoffed. "Yeah, right. All you did was take control of a suppressed soul; you know he won't stay down for long. Even you can't kill the soul."
AFO looked offended at the idea that he wasn't able to kill the soul as he focused more on me. A mistake, since Star used the chance to form a massive avatar of herself out of the atmosphere as she called upon the jets circling us.
As one, they shot bright lances of light towards AFO. I summoned a dozen Gaster Blasters to block the beams of light when AFO threw them back at them, all the while Star grabbed AFO using her avatar and began to squeeze.
Seeing a chance, I summoned more Blasters, as well as the one corrupted by Lil' Nurgle, to blast him as Star landed on a jet. Seeing her idea, I summoned dozens more blasters and aimed them at her as she shrunk once again.
The beams from all the blasters gathered into her avatar's hand as it slammed into AFO, sending him down into the ocean below. I then called upon the waves to part away from AFO as hundreds of gallons of water forced their way into his lungs.
I then noticed something streak through the sky towards us as I shot towards the few remaining Nomu. Ridley and I swiftly killed them as I told him to keep Star safe. I then sent another dozen blasts down the hole Star was drilling using AFO as she grabbed the ICBM right from the air.
My heart jumped as she was nearly yanked off the jet, only for Ridley to catch her as she forced the spear of nuclear fire down towards AFO. I then floated beside them as she erected a shield around us all as the explosion engulfed us.
Ridley suddenly tensed as the blast cleared and AFO appeared before us, horribly burnt but very much alive. "Was that the best you could do?" He sneered as he blasted us apart and lunged for Star.
As I righted myself, I threw Purification around Star as strongly as I could as he wrapped his hands around her face. She grunted in pain as AFO fought viciously against the blinding light of Purification, but she still wasn't dead.
I shot forwards as the two plummeted towards the dry sea floor. I could see them kicking and clawing as Star wrapped her hands around AFO's neck.
"NEW ORDER! TENKO SHIMURA WILL COME OUT OF ANY SHACKLE OR QUIRKED PLACED ON HIM!" AFO went deathly still as they continued falling. I sped up to catch them as I noticed Decay was starting to eat at Star's face.
I kept the water at bay longer as I threw Tenko to the ground and began healing Star with my flames. "I didn't think that shit would actually work." She said breathlessly as Ridley touched down between Tenko and us.
"What's wrong, Ridley? He's out." I said as Ridley turned his head around to try and find some unseen danger. "Not safe yet; something else is here." He spat as I checked, and no, the Gacha hadn't shown that AFO was dead.
[Did you really think it was that easy?]
Tenko groaned as he suddenly sat up. "What the hell? Where am I? Master?"
I sighed, looks like Tenko was buried deeper than I thought. "You need to use the other order," I told Star, and she nodded, standing up and marching over to Tomura. I noticed a few ripples in the water around us, and even a few changes in the atmosphere as Ridley got even more agitated.
Tomura suddenly started screaming as I looked over to see Star had done what she could and was now returning to the jets above. I then felt my phone vibrate as I rose into the air alongside Ridley.
"Master, something isn't right! It's WRONG!" Ridley shrieked as I slammed the waters of the ocean back onto Tomura. Weird that the Doctor hadn't rescued him yet. Yay! Sasha was the one calling me.
"Hey Sasha! I'm almost done here; I should be home soon."
"That's great, Tiger."
"LOOK OUT!" "MASTER, NO! 'MASTER, LOOK OUT!'
"Wha-"Before I could even ask, agony erupted from my spine and burst through my chest as two red spear points stabbed through me. I'd been stabbed, shot, crushed, torn to shreds by Nomu, Beowolves, and burned by Ridley himself. Nothing could compare to the white-hot agony that wracked my body.
"YOU BITCH!" Ridley roared as he shot past me. I could do nothing but drop out of the sky like a rock as every nerve seemed to turn on its neighbor; my body was spasming so badly I couldn't even scream.
"SHOOT HER!" Star roared before jumping after. She quickly caught up and reached out to catch me, only for Tomura to burst from the water below and slam into her as they careened through the air.
[Alert! HOST LIFE IN DANGER!]
[OVERRIDING USE OF RETURNER'S CLOCK! SPEND ONE CHARGE]
[. . .]
[CHARGE FAILED]
[SPEND ONE CHARGE OF RETURNER'S CLOCK TO OVERWRITE HOST DEATH]
[. . .]
[FAILED]
[SPENDING LAST CHARGE TO RETURN HOST TO NON-CRITICAL STATE]
[. . .]
[OVERRULED]
I couldn't even see the messages flashing across my vision as I hit the water. The ocean itself surged towards me to try and save me as every single restraint level was released and several healing items and abilities kicked on thanks to Reactive Activation.
The pain only increased as my soul itself seemed to ignite. I couldn't even breathe despite the ocean funneling air towards me; it then surged towards something approaching me as I felt familiar hands wrap around me, before I was suddenly in the middle of a forest.
"Damn, didn't think she'd actually do it. Not bad, kid."
"Oh, don't say that. I know it must be hard, but love must be protected no matter what! I'm sure you love him lots!"
"We should kill him now while we have the chance; he's too dangerous to be left alive."
"I agree. To keep him here so close to the end is a risk we cannot take."
'What? Is that Toga? What the hell?!' I thought through the pain as my Viltrumite body tried its best to fight whatever was currently sticking through my back, spine, and heart.
"That wasn't part of the deal." A familiar voice said; it was Sasha!
"S-Sasha? W-w-w-ha-a-at?" I forced out through gritted teeth as another wave of agony lanced through my body. I turned my eyes to see what was left of the League of Villains, Overhaul, Stain, and Sasha.
I tried to speak again but couldn't find the strength as she glanced down at me.
"Besides, if anyone touches him, the spear will target you as well. He might also break free; I don't know at this point. He's stronger than I thought." She said as Dabi stepped closer.
"How is he even alive? It went through the spine and everything."
"He's stronger than probably All Might and Star put together at this point; even my claws struggle to leave marks," Sasha admitted as Twice cackled for some reason. I tried to reach out towards the Gacha, but it didn't respond as I tried to do something, anything.
"He's only paralyzed for now. The spear will keep him alive until I remove it, so don't touch him or the spear. Even the Doctor won't be able to save you from it." She then padded towards me and knelt before me, looking into my confused eyes.
"You know what you must do." A deep voice boomed as AFO emerged from behind the others, in his own body and seemingly in his prime. "I admit he could be useful, but the risk is too high." Sasha lowered her face to where I couldn't see, so I glared at AFO.
He seemed amused, the bastard.
"I did warn you, Micah. Did I not tell you I was closer than you think? Besides, I've known about you from the day you arrived in this world; some strange creatures told me about a gift from beyond. It seems they were right."
Sasha then looked at me again with tears streaking down her face as she spoke clearly. "Leave us, now." AFO chuckled but herded the others out before looking down at me one last time.
The second the door closed, Sasha burst into tears as I tried to figure out why; I already knew the how of all of it.
"Why?" I finally managed, as she kept sobbing, reaching out towards me but never touching as I forced my arms to move. I tried to summon the mental strength to open my inventory, but nothing worked. "I-i-i-inventory!" I finally snarled.
Sasha's sobbing hitched as she gazed upon what I'd taken out. A ring.
"I. Talked with Momo." I forced out, and nearly blacked out from the pain, but the spear made sure I didn't.
"She. Cried, but helped me. Make. This." I held up the ring. I'd done research for months while travelling, special metals, precious stones- all for something that was supposed to last the test of time. No matter what.
"Momo made the alloy, straight from another universe." I shuddered as the spear seemed to dig deeper into my spine. I kept speaking regardless.
"I made the stone. Emerald for rebirth." I spat blood and took deep breaths as my strength started to fade. "Tourmaline for hope!" Sasha stared at the ring in despair as I crushed it between my clenched fist as the spear bit even deeper.
"So why?" I demanded.
"I would have given you everything. So why?" Her answer was another round of sobbing as she curled into a ball. Through the sobs, she finally spoke.
"They, hic, said they had a way to kill you, hic, and that I only had to keep you out of the way! I didn't want this! Not in the end!"
I stared at her in shock as she revealed everything.
AFO knew about me from day fucking one. He knew that I would be a thorn in the side of his plans, so he sent her to get close to me to find a weakness. That was why she approached me; she just didn't think she'd 'fall in love' like I could believe that anymore.
I remained silent as she kept sobbing about how 'it wasn't fair!' I couldn't even muster the strength to get angry; I just felt agony as the spear seemed to vibrate with each word she spoke.
This carried on for another ten minutes before a knock sounded on the door. She'd run out of time. Sasha quickly composed herself, as if she'd never even shed a tear, and crawled back to me.
"I know what AFO has planned for your body. I won't let him turn you into one of those monsters. I promise you." She said softly before raising her voice, likely for whoever was outside.
"I didn't believe in love until I met you." She said as she stared into my eyes. She reached out, fingers so close to caressing my cheek, but never touching. "I learned at a young age that true love really doesn't exist, then you come along, and you know what I've learned?"
"What!" I spat.
"Finding true love isn't the hard part. It's letting go." She then reached forward and tore the spear through my chest as the agony faded, and the world finally went dark. Right as the darkness overtook me, the Gacha sent a message.
[Told you, dumbass. What an idiot.]