It was fortunate the Doctor had teleported them into the first building at the edge of Deika City, even if they didn't realize it. The sunlight was bearing down on the city as they looked outside, finding that it was completely empty. The noises one would expect from a city, traffic, cars, people... it was all gone. "This is the right city, right?"
"Yes..." Shigaraki narrowed his eyes, suspicious just as Izuku was. "This is the place they specified. What is strangest is that their... NPC isn't here..."
It was then that Izuku started noticing why. The sky was starting to change from blue to a deep orange. They had been fighting a while, and then in the dark for a bit. Maybe their sense of time was off? "Perhaps they're going inside? It is late afternoon..."
Compress, someone the dual haired boy didn't really know, shook his head. "No reason to. They were going to have a show of force. It's just as much about presentation as it would have been action. This is their main city. Why hide from us?" He was right, they had numbers, made the grand call as if they were going to fight... just... where were they?
None of them had a clue, and that made them nervous. Tension cut through the air as they began to search around. Putting his hood on, Izuku stuck to the shade, using his quirk to help cool the others down. For about ten minutes, they moved, Toga skipping in the street, but Izuku started to notice a detail. Just what made his blood run colder than the ice he was forming. The sense of dread was starting to click into place, but he needed to be absolutely sure. "Toga... have you been using your quirk?"
She looked at him with an expression of blank confusion, her smile not going away. In fact, she acted like she was in a good mood, positively glowing with emotion. "Hm? No?"
Still glancing at her, Shoto asked, with horror creeping into his voice. Stepping away from her, he asked, "Then... why are you melting as if you are?"
Everyone turned to look at her, freezing in place, now knowing that she was under some kind of effect. On top of that, it was clear that she was now afraid of what was happening, now that she could actually see what was happening to her, and feeling its effects. "I don't know what's going on?!"
She reached out to the nearest person, Spinner, who tried to shrug her off. Shouting at her, with annoyance and a slight twinge of fear "What are you doing?!"
What she was asking for was the impossible. Nothing the lizard mutant could do could possibly fulfill her immediate request. "Help me!"
Looking around, senses sharpened by the sheer idea of wrongness permeating the world at this moment, he saw movement. As his eyes locked onto them, he made began to make the connection. It happened to the others. Everyone in the city was affected... and she was the only one to be under the sun's light... In the distance, there were skin colored mounds shuffling around, constantly shifting and showing people forming from it, twisted in pain and pleasure all at once. All exposed under the brightness of day. It was then that Izuku realized. Something terrible is happening. This is an XK End of the World Scenario. Oh 343...
Izuku looked back, everything analysed in less than a second, warning the others. "Something's happened. I think it has something to do with sunlight..."
It was then that the full effects of whatever was happening took hold of Toga. Instead of asking for help, she was now attempting to drag Spinner into the light. "C'mon, the sun is pretty, it's red, like blood! Come see!" Neither of them noticed as Spinner's form also began to melt.
Izuku pulled Shigaraki away from them, deeper into the shade. "Whatever's happening to her is contagious. We'll have to leave them behind."
Looking at Izuku, it shocked the both of them that he'd developed a sense of empathy. Perhaps it was because they were under his control, but still, he hesitated nonetheless. "Why?!"
Pointing to the reptile appearing mutant, Izuku hissed, panic lacing his voice, "Look at Spinner. He's melting too!"
They watched with horror as he indeed did melt like candle wax, with the lizard-quirked man starting to scream. Whether out of pain or shock, it was guttural. With wide eyes, Compress whispered the only words they could think of: "Oh god..."
Izuku urged them to move, "We have to leave them behind! I'm guessing this happened to the entire city..." It was then that he noticed that the sky was tinted an angry red. This wasn't just a local phenomenon. Not if it was because of sunlight. "No... the world."
It was then that Shigaraki actually took Izuku's advice. "What are we supposed to do about this?"
"Stay in the shadows?" Izuku advised cautious not to give bad information. "From what I've observed, It's only in direct light contact when it affects you... or if you get grabbed the... affected."
"Right." Shigaraki, Compress, Twice and Izuku ran away from the two of them... abandoning them to their fate.
As they ran into a building, Izuku advised the two of them, not that they needed the reminder. "We should remain hidden. Night time will be the best time to travel."
"I agree." Shigaraki panted from the running. Whatever he thought the confrontation here would entail, this was not it.
Compress, finally relaxed now that they were inside a building, "While we're waiting... We should make sure that the place is safe. And... see if we can seal the light away. Safely. Thank goodness my outfit covers everything."
Izuku and Shigaraki nodded, with Izuku taking this chance to get away and determine orders. Looking through his phone, he found that the news centers had all declared an emergency, warning against the anomalous effect of sunlight, before they were shut down, unable to be operated by the people who had been transformed. The final part However, the Foundation, in this XK class scenario, had decided to finally break the veil.
It's that serious... come to the closest foundation site. All survivors are welcome...
Izuku texted the number he knew belonged to his mother. Only one question, to avoid their suspicion, should they notice him on his phone. [>Should I bring Shigaraki, Twice and Compress? They are the only survivors.<]
A moment passed, before it changed to show that she was typing. After another moment, Isa's text responded: [>No. Come alone if possible. Your body is ready.<]
That meant that the mission was effectively scrubbed. While it would've panned out eventually, these circumstances meant that it was pointless to continue. The only thing was... to ensure he didn't lead them to the site near Mustafu. A simple word was all that was needed to let them know he was coming. [>Understood.<]
Izuku put the phone away, and started to search the building for anything that could cover him safely. After all, he'd have a long trek to undertake, and it would have to be soon.
Shigaraki took the chance to catch some sleep. He knew it was unlikely that Gigomanchia would follow them now. Not when he would also be affected by whatever this weird shit was. He was partially saddened by the loss of Toga and Spinner, and annoyed by Dabi's disappearance, but it was good that Shoto and Compress were still around. Compress was valuable, but if he lost Shoto, his most stalwart ally, he wouldn't know what to do. After all, he was the one to notice how it worked, and made the pragmatic choice, in the end.
As he slept, he didn't notice that very boy move past them quietly.
Izuku passed by the two sleeping forms of Compress, Twice and Shigaraki. He had managed to find gloves, and protective gear for covering his face. A large trenchcoat, gloves, mask, hoodie, long pants, fresh socks, shoes... he had everything thing. Pulling up the hood, he was ready to leave. He'd even found a wide brimmed hat, so he secured it on top of the hood. This should stop any light from the sky... moonlight is the same as sunlight, I presume, so I'll have to be very careful at all times...
Sneaking out, he knew he'd never be forgiven, but that was alright in the mind of Izuku. Whatever guilt he had was assuaged by the simple fact that... well... these were not good people. Tormented souls who would be nothing but liabilities, especially Tomura. They would kill, destroy, overwhelm and take from those more deserving. In the end, it was the pragmatic thing to do. Only Shoto's memories had any kind of resistance to the idea, but they were soon quashed as he strode out, through the shadows, into the city. Carefully, he walked, quiet as a mouse, avoiding the afflicted. Slowly, he arrived at the forest bordering the city. The trees stood tall, but their leaves were gone, melted just like the flesh of animals and creatures. It would be tough, but he'd make it, of that, Izuku was sure. The sun shone down, dappling the ground with shadows of branches, until his figure was unable to be seen, and he was sure never to see them again.