the blue blur of U.A

[UNKNOWN FACILITY]

[Shinichiro]

The sterile white halls of the facility loomed around me, their cold brightness contrasting with the tension and fear clinging to the air. The sharp sound of Hori's voice cut through the silence, filled with fiery determination.

"Robotnik!? WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD? LET ME AT YOU!" she screamed, her fists clenched tightly as veins bulged on her forehead. Her amber eyes gleamed with fury, a tempest barely contained.

Behind her, some of the older kids tried to hold her back, their faces a mix of exhaustion and fear. One of them, Ryo, whispered urgently, "Calm down, Hori. He'll hear us."

A cruel laugh echoed through the speaker system, metallic and dripping with derision. "Always so hot-headed, aren't you, Hori? Such a delightful little spitfire."

I froze. That voice. It wasn't just a character from a game or a cartoon anymore—it was real, tangible, and laced with menace. Gerald Robotnik. A genius, a madman, a phantom from my memories, and now, somehow, part of this nightmarish world.

Taking a deep breath, I called out, my voice quivering but resolute. "Doctor? Is that you? What's going on? What have you done?"

For a moment, there was only static. Then, his voice returned, unexpectedly calm, almost... nostalgic.

"Shinichiro. My dear boy. Listen carefully, I don't have much time. I've devised a way to help you escape. Your quirk will allow you to reach the exit quickly. Find one of the guards and retrieve their communicator. The codes you'll need will follow."

His instructions were precise, devoid of empathy. Yet, they carried a sliver of urgency that unsettled me. "Wait," I interrupted, clutching the communicator I'd just wrested from a fallen guard. "What about the others? The kids?"

Silence hung heavy, like the pause before a guillotine falls.

"You don't," Robotnik finally said, his tone flat and devoid of remorse.

"What?!" Hori shouted, her voice cracking with fury and disbelief. The other children stared at the speaker, their terror growing.

"Logically," Robotnik continued, "you alone have a chance of surviving. The others... are liabilities."

"No," I snapped, my voice trembling with rage. "I won't leave them behind. I can't. They're just kids!"

"You'll risk all of your lives for sentimentality? Foolishness." Robotnik sighed, as though exasperated by my defiance. "But, as always, you are stubborn. Fine. If you insist on carrying this burden, I'll guide you. But know this—your odds of success are slim."

---

---

[CONTROL ROOM]

Dr. Gyudai Giraki

The dim glow of security monitors bathed Dr. Gyudai Giraki's face in pale light, casting sharp shadows across his gaunt features. His fingers danced over the keyboard with frenzied precision, his eyes flicking between various live feeds of the facility.

On one monitor, Shinichiro's figure blurred as he dispatched a group of guards with ruthless efficiency. On another, children huddled together under Hori's protective watch, their eyes wide with fear.

"Impressive," Giraki muttered to himself, pausing the feed of Shinichiro mid-strike. His grin spread wider, revealing yellowed teeth. "Experiment 626 has far exceeded expectations. Such raw potential. And yet..."

His gaze lingered on the screen. Though Shinichiro was powerful, it was clear he hadn't unlocked his full capabilities. That made him vulnerable—a fact Giraki intended to exploit.

He reached for the intercom, barking orders to the soldiers stationed near the exit. "Deploy the prototype. Delay him. If he resists, test its combat parameters fully."

Giraki leaned back, a wicked smile twisting his lips. "And as for the rest of you..." His eyes shifted to the children on the screen. "You'll make excellent additions to Project Nomu."

But a flicker of frustration darkened his expression as the logo of Robotnik's empire appeared on one of the monitors. "Damn that old fool," he hissed. "Even in death, his creations haunt me. This AI is meddling with my systems. No matter. It's only a matter of time before I regain full control."

---

[SHINICHIRO: IN THE HALLS]

The facility seemed endless, each corridor identical to the last. The sterile scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, and the hum of fluorescent lights buzzed above. I clutched the communicator tightly, its weight grounding me amidst the chaos.

"Doctor," I whispered, my voice low. "I'm in position. What's next?"

Robotnik's voice crackled through. "The control room is 500 meters ahead. Once there, plug the device into the main system. I'll do the rest."

Nodding, I pressed forward, my feet pounding against the linoleum. The distant sound of alarms and echoing footsteps reminded me that time was running out.

When I reached the control room door, my heart sank. It was ajar.

"Too easy," I muttered under my breath, my instincts screaming at me to stay alert. Sliding the communicator into the access port, I held my breath. The Eggman Empire logo flashed across the monitors, and Robotnik's voice chimed in.

"Good. The connection is established. Now, return to the others—"

A guttural growl cut him off. The hair on my neck stood on end.

I spun around just in time to see it: a creature lunging from the shadows.

It slammed into me with the force of a freight train, knocking me to the ground. Its weight pinned me as claws tore into my shoulder, and a searing pain shot through my body. I screamed, thrashing beneath the creature's hold.

The beast was grotesque—a hybrid of man and wolf, with a birdlike mask obscuring its face and gills pulsating along its neck.

"Get off me!" I roared, summoning every ounce of strength. My body responded instinctively, a surge of energy radiating outward.

[BOOM!]

The explosion of force sent the creature flying, its body crashing into the ceiling before slumping to the ground. I staggered to my feet, clutching my bleeding shoulder.

The creature twitched but didn't rise. Its exposed brain glistened under the harsh lights, and its jagged teeth were bared in a permanent snarl.

I recognized it immediately.

"A Nomu," I whispered, dread pooling in my stomach. "This really is the My Hero Academia universe."

But I didn't have time to process the revelation. The wound on my shoulder burned, acid eating away at the flesh. I tore a strip from my shirt, fashioning a crude bandage.

I glanced at the communicator's timer. [02:14:25]

"Damn it," I cursed, forcing myself forward. The kids were waiting for me. There was no turning back now.

---

The hallways blurred as I pushed myself forward, each step heavier than the last. My shoulder throbbed, blood seeping through the makeshift bandage. I couldn't afford to slow down. Not now.

Ahead, faint voices carried through the air—Hori's sharp commands and the muffled murmurs of frightened children. Relief flooded me as I rounded the corner to find them huddled together.

"Hori," I called, staggering to a stop.

She spun around, her reflexes sharp, and for a moment, I thought she'd strike me. Her tense posture relaxed slightly when she realized it was me, but her expression quickly morphed into irritation.

"Where the hell have you been, Shinichiro?" she snapped, marching toward me. Her piercing gaze flicked to my injured shoulder, and her frown deepened. "And you're hurt? Of course you're hurt. You're always pushing yourself too far!"

I raised a hand, trying to calm her down. "I'm fine. Really. We don't have time for this. The exit's close, but we need to move now."

The kids clung to each other, their faces pale and tear-streaked. They looked so small, so fragile. My chest tightened as I met their fearful eyes.

"We'll get out of here," I promised, my voice firm. "All of us."

Hori's expression softened, and she nodded, though her lips pressed into a thin line. "What's the plan?"

I handed her the communicator. "The codes are in there. You'll need to use your quirk to shield everyone. Once the shield is up, I'll push it at top speed to get us through the blast doors."

Her eyes widened. "That's insane. You're already half-dead, and now you're planning to launch yourself like a cannonball?"

I forced a grin. "Pretty much. It'll work. Trust me."

She hesitated, her hand lingering on mine as she took the communicator. "Just... don't die, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

---

The entrance loomed ahead, its heavy steel doors towering like a monument to despair. The lights above flickered ominously, casting eerie shadows along the corridor.

Behind us, the sound of pursuing soldiers grew louder, their boots slamming against the floor.

"Everyone, stay close!" Hori shouted, her voice echoing in the confined space.

The kids clustered together as Hori stepped forward, her hands glowing faintly. With a deep breath, she activated her quirk, and a shimmering rose-colored barrier began to form around the group.

Sweat beaded on her forehead as the barrier solidified, encasing everyone in a protective dome. "It's done," she said through gritted teeth. "Now it's up to you."

I positioned myself behind the shield, crouching low. The weight of exhaustion pulled at me, but I pushed it aside. My body hummed with energy, the familiar warmth of my quirk pooling in my core.

"Alright," I muttered, flexing my fingers. "Let's do this."

With a burst of power, I launched forward, my hands pressing against the barrier. The force of my speed sent us hurtling down the corridor, the walls blurring into streaks of gray and white.

The blast doors loomed ahead, their reinforced frames designed to withstand explosions. My heart pounded as I poured every ounce of energy into the push.

"Almost there!" I yelled, the wind whipping past my face.

[BOOM!]

The shield collided with the doors, the impact reverberating like thunder. For a heart-stopping moment, nothing happened. Then, with a deafening groan, the doors buckled and gave way, revealing the night sky beyond.

Fresh air hit my face, cool and bracing. The kids gasped as they caught their first glimpse of freedom—the stars twinkling above, the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore.

But my relief was short-lived.

---

As the group tumbled out onto the open ground, I felt my body falter. The strain of maintaining my speed, combined with the blood loss and injuries, was too much.

Hori's voice was distant, muffled, as she screamed my name.

The last thing I saw was the moon, full and bright, before my vision blurred and I lost control. My trajectory shifted, sending me hurtling toward the sea.

"Shinichiro!" Hori's voice cracked with panic, but I was too far gone to respond.

The cold embrace of the ocean swallowed me whole, its icy depths pulling me under. Darkness consumed me, and for a moment, I felt at peace.

---

[ONE WEEK LATER]

The press room was packed, cameras flashing as the commissioner of police stepped up to the podium.

"We are here to address the events now known as the Jaku Incident," he began, his voice steady but somber. "Thanks to the bravery of an anonymous individual, over thirty children were rescued from a clandestine facility. However, this individual remains unaccounted for."

Hori sat in the back row, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. Her gaze was fixed on the screen, where images of the rescued children played.

But all she could think about was Shinichiro, lost to the sea.

"I'll find you," she whispered, her voice trembling with determination. "No matter what, I'll find you."

---