***Possible TW***

"P..please tell me you're okay..?!"

In any other instance, I would have been impressed that my reflexes were so fast during pregnancy. I had managed to pull Benjiro out of the way of the way of the majority of the debris, but we had still ended up pretty battered. My quirk had activated on instinct, but scorching light wasn't nearly enough to deflect anything dangerous.
"Y..you're bleeding..." Benjiro was shaking, sitting on his knees and pointing to my outer thigh, where I had been hit with some fly away glass.
"Sweetie, I'm fine...It's just a cut...I need to know that you didn't get hurt..."

I wasn't exactly fine. Between the initial shock and such abrupt movements, I knew I wasn't doing too well. Cramps were coming and going, but other than that, it really was fine. Likely just stress.
"J..just my elbow a little..." The little boy murmured, but when he looked up, through the slight transparency of my wings, his eyes grew wide with fear. "W..where's my mama..?!"

Following his gaze, my heart dropped. The entire store was in ruins, and I couldn't see a single soul through the mass of fallen beams and upturned shelving.
"J..just hold on a moment, buddy..." I straightened up as much as I could, watching out for the loose brick and plaster hanging above our heads. "IS ANYBODY CONSCIOUS?! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, PLEASE SPEAK UP!~" The vocal element to my quirk came out without me realising it, due to my panic. People would be frightened, so forcing them to answer was the only logical option I could think of.

A drawn out chorus of replies echoed back out, and it sounded promising.
"MAMA?! MAMA, YOU HEAR ME?!" Benjiro almost ran straight into the fray, and I had to grab him by the arm to stop him.
"I..I'M OKAY, HONEY! JUST A LITTLE SHOCKED..! AND MY LEG IS TRAPPED!" Mio's shaken voice responded moments later, and I sighed in relief. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

"THE PRETTY BABY LADY KEPT ME OKAY!" The youngster cried back, and whilst he continued a back and forth with his mother, I tried to think. Whatever had happened, I knew Hawks and Endeavor were taking care of it. That explained the noise coming from the outside. The problem, though, was getting these civilians to safety. Seeing as neither of the pros had come running to the rescue, the situation outside would have to have been dire.

If it was that close...then we could still be in massive danger...If that scraper comes down, we're all goners...and this building could collapse if we touch anything...Shit...I should have listened to-

Startling the poor kid hadn't been my intention, but I couldn't help but reach out and cling to his shoulder, causing him to yelp.
"B..Benjiro...You knew this was gonna happen..?" I leant down as far as I could before my stomach began to strain, not wanting to cause my little one any more stress. The boy nodded cautiously, looking to the dark, filthy floor.
"I..I just...felt it...A bad feeling...and I saw that it was like...all red and scary where the thing came from...It kept getting bigger..." He sniffled, and I pulled him close into my side.

"Honey...I think you just got your quirk..." I murmured, attempting to work out a plan in my frazzled head. "We need to get everyone out of here, and I need your help, okay? While we wait for Mr. Bird Man and Mr. Endeavor, could you be my hero partner?" Benjiro looked like I was asking him to single-handedly save the world, but I could understand. I was asking so much of him after such a scary experience.

"A..as long as you stay with me...W..what do I h..have to do..?" His hand found mine, and he squeezed it like his life depended on it. Every single doubt I had once had about becoming a hero was thrown to the wind when he looked up into my (E/C) eyes.
"I need you to keep looking all around us, and tell me if you see or feel anything scary again, okay?" My heart was pounding, knowing we would have to navigate through such a dangerous labyrinth, especially because I felt dizzy. My mouth was dry, my whole body ached, and half of my thoughts were directed to my unborn child.

Hawks...please hurry...Wherever you are...please, just kick their ass and get here...

-----------------------------------------

So far, we had found seven people, and we were already halfway towards where I prayed the exit was still accessible. One of the workers said that she thought we had mostly everybody, apart from her manager and Mio. We could hear them both, whenever we called to them, but it wasn't going to get any easier. Navigating through the wreckage was frighteningly difficult, with such narrow spaces and me, with my swollen stomach. Barely any light was coming through, seeing as this had only been a single level of the building, the one above thankfully having been for lease, and uninhabited.

My wings were useless now, having already switched from light to shadow, so I had deactivated my quirk, hoping to save energy.
"OI! THE EXIT IS CLEAR! I'M GONNA GO GET HELP!" A shrill voice called out from ahead, and I could only assume it had been the manager. It was close, which meant that Mio had to be, too.

Squeezing Benjiro's hand, I swallowed my nerves.
"Okay...The exit is just up ahead...so I need all of you to head on out, and get to safety. Apart from you..." I pointed to a man, who had a short, stout woman clinging to his bicep. "I might need some help, depending on how stuck this last woman is...If you'd be willing..." I hated asking for assistance, but I didn't have a choice. Lifting beams or mounds of bricks just wasn't something I could do in my state.

"Of course, ma'am...I'll help in any way that I can." He nodded, reassuring his partner with a nod as he parted from her. Benjiro didn't release me, his grip growing tighter.
"B..but...you need me to tell you if the bad stuff is coming..." He whimpered, feet planted firmly to the ground. "I wanna help mama, too..."

This kid...

His bravery was overwhelming, but I wasn't about to risk his safety. Grunting, I crouched to his eye level, giving him the biggest smile I could muster.
"Benjiro, sweetheart...I promise I'll get mama out of here. I'll do everything I can, but I need you to go with the others and keep them safe for me. Can you do that, partner?" Eyes welling with tears, that brave little boy gave me a strong nod, finally allowing me to pull my hands away and step back, along with the man I had recruited.

Okay...we can do this..!

"B..be careful!" Benjiro puffed out his chest, contradicting the welling tears in his eyes, as he took hold of the store clerk's hand.
"Always." I smiled back, finally turning and heading into the maze of wires, brick, concrete and plaster. My mind strayed to Hawks, thinking of just how much easier and safer it could have been if he had been there. He had to have a good reason not to be. My only guess was villains, and a lot of them.

"MA'AM, CAN YOU HEAR US?!" The man beside me; I thought he had mentioned his name was Akihisa, called out into the darkness, a step or so behind me.
"YES! YOU SOUND CLOSE NOW!" Mio responded, and I could hear the distressed pitch in her tone, which she had initially hidden from her son. She was right, we were so damn close, but I still couldn't see her.
"K..keep talking to us, Mio!" Cupping my hands around my mouth, I pushed on, trying to keep nausea at bay as it tried to surface.

I feel so sick...but...of course I do...I'm just stressed out...Bear with me, little one...

My optimism sank once Mio came into view. She was trapped, alright...A large beam was completely crushing her right leg, and that beam looked as though it was supporting that section of the ceiling.
"I..is Benjiro alright? Is he safe..?" The woman had fresh tear streaks down her cheeks, and I hurried over to her to make sure she wasn't injured any further.

"He should be out of here by now, don't worry..." I murmured, making sure nothing had hit her swollen stomach, or any visible bleeding. "Can you feel your leg?"
"Ah, yes...and it isn't pleasant..." She laughed pitifully, seeking my hand for comfort. I had to help her, no matter what. It wasn't just her that was in danger, but her unborn child, too. As a mother to be, there was no way I could let anything happen to her.

Just hang in there, bubba...Mama is gonna try to be a hero real quick...

"Alright...uh...let me think..." I ran my hand down my face, removing sweat and filth as I tried to come up with some sort of solution. "Um, Akihisa...could you please tell me your quirk?" The man rubbed his neck awkwardly, looking to the floor.
"Uh...I can automatically know the sexuality of anybody I look at..."

Well, fuck...

"Okay...that's not gonna really help..." Mumbling to myself, I studied the placement of the beam a little closer. It wasn't the only thing supporting the ceiling, but it was certainly the main reason it hadn't caved in yet. We would have to move it very carefully in order to free Mio. "Look...I'm going to need you to take the very end of this fucker. You're gonna have to lift it very slowly, and make sure the other end stays pressed where it is now...understand..?"

The three of us exchanged glances that put our fear out on full display, but we all knew we didn't have much of a choice. If Hawks had been there, then there would be no drama. His feathers could have lifted the beam, held up the roof, and gotten us all to safety with barely any effort. But he wasn't there. He wasn't going to be there.

"I'll...do my best...Just try to get her out as quickly as possible, cuz I don't think this is gonna hold much longer, beam or not..." Akihisa swallowed loudly, rolling his sleeves up and stretching his arms behind his head. Nerves rising even higher, I turned to Mio, applying a smile that could only be interpreted as fake.
"Okay...once you can slide your leg out, I'm going to try to help you up, okay? I know it's gonna hurt...but I need you to push through it, alright, Mio? We need to start moving immediately."

My voice is shaking...I've never performed a proper rescue before...Everything hurts...Hawks, where are you?!

With her hand in mine, Mio nodded, but the way she trembled told me that I would likely need to be the one to push her to move.
"A..alright...I..I'm ready when y..you are..." She gulped, cautiously watching Akihisa as he moved into position.
"Count of three...one!"

I shouldn't have come along...

"Two!"

Is Hawks okay..?

"Three!"

This hurts..!

When Akihisa began to lift the beam, the ceiling creaked loudly in complaint, and once I saw the state of Mio's leg, I felt my heart wriggle it's way into my throat.  From the looks of it, her shin bone had been cracked pretty badly, and the amount of blood was almost enough to make me forget that I had a job to do.

"C..come on..! Up we get..!" It was hopeless. Mio was in shock, and showed no signs of trying to stand.
"Quick..! I c..can't hold this much longer..!" Akihisa was struggling; veins jutting out from his forehead and neck, and I knew what I had to do. It was going to take its toll on me, but there wasn't much of an option.
"Mio, move..!" My grunt was a mix of effort and pain as I dragged her to her feet, and I could feel the tight pull on my abdomen.

Sorry, sweetheart..! I'm so sorry...but please, just hold on, and we'll be out before we know it..! Then you can listen to Daddy tell you all about whatever dumb villain caused all this..!

"I..I'm sorry...I just-"
"Don't apologise! Just move!" I cut Mio off a little more harshly than I had intended, and threw her arm over my shoulder, taking on part of her weight as we began towards the direction of the exit. Everything was going to plan, until I heard that crash.
"IT SLIPPED..! IT AIN'T GONNA HOLD..! COME ON..!" Akihisa was right behind us now, and panic was quickly overthrowing each one of my senses. Dust and chunks of plaster were already falling, and the dark cavern of the wreckage rumbled aggressively.

Shit..! I can't make it out with her..! But...

"Take her! Get her out of here!" I stopped, quickly; though as carefully as I could, pushing the heavily pregnant woman into the man, who hoisted her up rather easily.
"B..but what about you..?!" The fear in his eyes sent mine skyrocketing, as did Mio's, but as a hero, that was what the situation called for. I had a better chance than they did in a predicament like that.
"I'll be fine..! I'll use my quirk or something...just get out..!"

They certainly had me beat in speed as they rushed ahead, both looking back towards me with concerned faces. My back ached, and a round of cramps caused me to bite my lip to the point of tasting a metallic tang, but I had to keep moving. I could only think of two things as I activated my quirk, bringing my gnarled, shadowed wings to life. My child, and my husband.

I need you, Hawks..! Now more than ever..! We need you to find us..!

Crumbled chunks of brick pelted at my skin as I sprinted to the best of my ability, deflecting the larger, more dangerous rubble with the parts of my wings that could actually solidify. My breath felt like ice as it burst in and out of my throat, and without even turning around I knew that I was racing against certain death.

Streams of light were coming into view, straight ahead, but there was no way I was going to make it in time. One hand on my stomach, I hoarsely whispered the sweetest things I could think of to my child, forcing myself to beat the odds. I could see the outside, but I could feel the collapse right at my heels.

There's no other choice...

Even though I felt dizzy, and my body was well through the wringer, I managed to turn around, still running backwards, blind and daring. Sucking in a deep breath, I squeezed my eyes shut as I released a piercing scream. I could hear the debris being forced away from me as the sound tore from my throat, but I wasn't sure that it had been enough to save the two of us. That was, until, I fell backwards into somebody's arms.

"Got ya..!" A man shouted, hurrying to pull me away, and that was when I opened my eyes. The building was going down, in a mass of chalky dust and concrete, but I wasn't being brought down with it.
"F..fuck..." I wheezed, allowing my weight to be taken on by Akihisa, who had managed to pull me across the street, to where the others had gathered. There were no sounds of battle anymore; not close, but the damage was almost petrifying. The skyscraper that had held my husband and Endeavor was shattered and crumbling, and so was everything else surrounding it. Flames were licking through the wreckage, dying down with little to feed upon. Whatever had happened had been big.

"Miss...are you okay..?! God, I thought you were gonna die..! We've called an ambulance and they should be here soon!" The woman who had been clinging to Akihisa began to fluster over me, checking for any wounds or damages. My quirk had deactivated from sheer exhaustion, but other than understandable cramping, and a sore back, I was okay.

"I..I'm fine...Thank you..." I pulled away from the man and his partner, heavy on my feet, peering around at the group of people. "Was anybody else hurt..? Is Mio okay..?" I spotted the woman, lain down upon the sidewalk, with coats and jackets beneath her to form some kind of makeshift bedding. Benjiro was clinging to her with tears streaming down his face as she shakily shushed him and praised him.

Thank God...

After making sure everybody was okay, and refusing to accept any form of 'heroic praise', I found a street light that was still standing, using it to stretch my back, which was giving me grief. My hands smoothed over my stomach, that felt like it was ready to come bursting out my throat and give me a recap of everything I had eaten in the past few days.

"M..Miss Bird Lady..?" I slapped on a small smile when I heard Benjiro's voice, and turned to see the young boy approaching me, finally being able to tear himself away from his injured mother.
"Hey, partner...You doing okay?" I asked softly, trying to hide a grimace as my tailbone throbbed. "You were super brave today, you know that? I'm really proud of you..."

"Th..thank you so much...for saving my mama..." He sniffled, closing the gap between us and hugging my around the hips, his little hands clutching the back of my shirt. My fingers combed through his short hair, finally feeling more at ease, knowing that everyone was alright. That they were alive.
"Don't thank me, sweetie...I didn't do much...You should probably thank Mr. Akihisa. He was really brave, too..."

Benjiro began to nod when he stepped back, but he suddenly froze, as though he was staring straight through me.
"M..Miss..." His voice had raised several octives, and his eyes had widened to the point that they seemed to engulf his entire face.
"Wh..what's wrong, honey..?" The worry in my voice couldn't remain hidden, and my entire throat dried to the bone when he pointed...

"...Y..you're stomach...It's red...It...it feels wrong...It's...g..gone bad..!"

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