DEKU'S P.O.V

It feels like the fighting's never going to stop. Bakugou, Kirishima and Yukio have been doing their best to fend Rin off this entire time, all whilst the rest of us desperately scrabble to hold the demons back. Some of them escape, but, for the most part, we're keeping on top of it. I just wish there was more I could do- if things keep up the way they are, we'll all be far too exhausted to keep defending the gate. And if this many demons get out into the open, who knows what sort of catastrophe we'll have on our hands?

"Midoriya!" Todoroki suddenly barks, ripping me out of my thoughts as he grips my waist and essentially tosses me to one side so he can incinerate an approaching demon. Keep it together, Deku! You need to stay focused!

"Th-Thanks," I breathlessly murmur, frowning at the way Todoroki's fingertips twitch. They're burnt. Embers still cling to his nails, and they're sizzling the skin with every idle moment. We can't keep this going- it only takes a small glance around to see my class's state. Stiff, sluggish, and struggling to push their quirks any further. "We need a new plan. We're getting too tired."

"What else can we do?"

"We need to close the gate," I insist, brief moments before a blast of blue fire nearly engulfs Todoroki. But, just as he did for me, I pull him out of the way, our bodies colliding with one another from the force. Any harder, and I'm worried I would've dislocated his shoulder. But now we're nose against nose, staring wide-eyed at one another. Too close. Way too close to focus. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Like I said we- There has to be a way to close the gate."

"How d'you suggest we do that?"

"I'm working on it." He cracks a small, strained smile and finally inches away, though he keeps his fingers lingering around my own as he casts his glance over towards the others fighting Rin. Kacchan's shaking, probably from quirk exhaustion, and Kirishima's staring to display a few burns over his hardened skin.

Think. Satan opened the gate from the other side. Satan's blood has to be used to open the gate in the first place. But how does it close? It's clearly not automatic, but there has to be a way to do it from here. Every door has a handle on the other side after all, right? A way to open and close. Why should this demonic portal to hell be any different?

And then I see them. I really look at the entire structure, and I see them. Huge, pulsing eyeballs scattered over the arch, watching the chaos ensue with what I would call entertainment if I thought they were truly alive. "Todoroki, I think I've got it. Those eyeballs- They look like a weak spot," I whisper, pulling him closer and pointing them out.

"What makes you think that?"

"Ah... Well video games, mostly," I admit. But come on- in every video game, you always have to hit the huge eyeball! There has to be a reason, and maybe this is it. That's how people would shut a Gehenna Gate up tight whenever one appeared. I hope.

"It's better than any other plan we've got," he murmurs. He really doesn't sound too sure, but he sounds sure enough. And, honestly, that's good enough for me. Finally, we both turn towards the portal with a plan. It's a loose plan, but it's a plan. We're ready to finally get to work on executing it when-

"Icy-Hot! We need you!"

~

BAKUGOU'S P.O.V

I shoulda known that damn mind-controlling lizard would be onto us; as soon as we figured out that Okumura was being manipulated by that thing, he's been way more offensive. Every attack lands with a blast that's nearly impossible to avoid, and he's been completely relentless. I've barely managed to even get close, let alone land a hit on the fucker. And, as much as I hate to say it, I really don't think any of us have got much time left on our quirks- my arms are already burning with the strain, and I can tell Kirishima's shell is this close to cracking.

"We need a distraction!" Weird Hair yells over the commotion, narrowly avoiding another one of Okumura's attacks. Instead, the flames slash through the floor and almost hit Icy-Hot. That is, if it weren't for Deku quickly pulling him away from the blaze before it swallowed him up. Wait. Hold on. Icy-Hot. Ice and fire. He never uses both sides of his damn, overpowered quirk at once, but what if he did? What if it made blue flames? The ones that demons pretty much bow down to, regardless. What if he could control this thing too? Trick it into thinking he's part of Satan's bloodline!

"Icy-Hot! We need you!" I snap, launching out of the way of Okumura's hellfire and landing beside Deku and Todoroki, who looks way past confused. So I explain everything to him- my idea. My plan. 'Cause, honestly, we're running out of options. Even if we close the gate, we've still got Okumura to deal with. And fuck knows how that'll go down with all of us practically half dead already.

"You want me to unite both sides of my quirk? Bakugou, that's not possible." I don't know why I didn't see that coming. But I didn't, and it pisses me right off. So he's gonna spout bullshit about thinking he's gonna be the number one hero, yet he won't even try to push himself further than he's gone before?

"Make it possible," I hiss, barely looking over my shoulder in time to avoid a slash to the throat. Luckily, I push myself out of the way with a small explosion, grabbing Okumura as I'm flung back and throwing him into one of the metal crates. C'mon, Icy-Hot. I know you've got this.

For once, I actually believe in you.

~

DEKU'S P.O.V

If Todoroki was focused before, he definitely isn't now. He's staring down at his hands, trying to process Kacchan's demands, all whilst chaos buzzes around us like a bees nest about to explode. I need to get through to him- to try and take his mind away from the silly suggestion to combine both halves of his quirk but... But I can't.

I can't do it. Because the larger part of me is screaming that this could work. If we snapped Rin out of it by using blue flames as a distraction, maybe he could close the gate for us. Yukio told us he'd done it once before when he first became a demon, so what's to say he can't do it again? Chances are, he can. And we just need to get him back to do it.

"Shouto, I-I know it sounds like a lot but-"

"-There is no 'but' to this, Midoriya. I've never been able to pull it off," he half-snaps, sinking back down when I recoil a little. It's not like him to lose his temper. Which means he's definitely considering it, and the pressure is already getting to him. "I don't know if I can."

"You can. I know you can," I insist, stepping forward and taking both of his hands in my own. "Fire in one hand, ice in the other. Start with that." It's a slow process. One we probably don't have time for. But, right now, the last drips of sand are simpering through the hourglass, and we're out of options. Down to the wire. Now or never. And that's how you make a good hero: quick thinking, quick acting, and confidence.

"Alright. I'll try," he murmurs, first coating his right hand in ice. Then, with a wince and a small grunt, he manages to force fire into his fingertips, both palms shaking with the effort. "I can't- I can't hold it," he grunts, both parts of his quirk dissipating as quickly as they appeared.

"You have to try again. I know you can do this." He tries again. And again. And again. Each time, he holds it for a little longer, but he never manages to make the two meet. Which is why, when he's successful a fourth time, I suddenly grab onto his hands, gripping them tight. Both the fire and ice burn, but I don't let go despite it all.

"Midoriya, what're you-?!"

"You don't have to do it alone! I-I can help you!" I bleat. It feels as though my skin is peeling away from my knuckles, but I just grip tighter. Push his hands closer together, until I can feel the resistance. Like two ends of a magnet, they try to repel each other. But I don't let them. I push harder, gripping on tighter. "Don't fight it, Shouto!" I cry. There are tears tumbling over my freckles. The pain leaps up my arms. I want to stop- it hurts s-so much! But he needs me. Shouto needs me! If I let go now, it'll all reset!

With one last push, and a sharp cry of pain, I finally force his hands to meet. The moment they do, sparks explode from the epicentre, spitting in thousands of directions that leave smouldering blisters wherever they land. I have no choice but to release Todoroki's hands and stumble away before it gets too out of control, but I can see it. Burning in the dark- blazing like the flames I saw Rin use on the roof the first day we got here. And he stands there, surrounded by it.

Shouto Todoroki, engulfed in blue fire.