Please, Handle With Care: Shaky and Explosive.
Chapter Twenty-One: Nothing Like The Comics Part 3: The Metamorphosis, UA's Spectacular Training Camp! The Hot Spring Wall Patrol?!
The Force, of All For One.
A.N: Slow down there, buckaroo, we're kind of in the endgame... of the first half. Some of these chapters will get heavy because of All For One, M, and the Bakugou Brothers fighting, oh, and some gross descriptions of All For One's metamorphosis in this chapter.
All For One sat in his bed, "Doctor, is the injection ready?" he inquired as his doctor scuttled out of the shadows.
"Yes sir, it is," he said, holding out a syringe with a red and black liquid in it. All For One took it.
He smiled, injecting it with a sharp breath. It flowed through his bloodstream faster than ever, he shook as his injuries healed, his bones stopped aching, and he felt something plop down into his hands. It was flaky, dead skin. He tore at his own face, the skin breaking off as he could see again! Long, spiky, and ash-blonde hair fell out of his head, stopping at his shoulders. He felt his old body, with all of its blemishes, its wounds, and all of its DRAWBACKS. Left him, peeling off in whole swathes of the dead skin. He clenched his hands into fists, ran, jumped.
He was now young and in his prime again.
"It is time we act. I will attack their little hovel in the woods myself, you are my successor, if I am to fall you must take over, Tomura," He ordered into the comm that went up to the bar above.
"Understood, Master!" Tomura said, smiling. Finally, he'd get back at the smug bastards that beat him last time, children or no.
"HAAAAH!" Katsu yelled as we were training our quirks, the USJ was supposed to help with that, but the villains interrupted.
That's where the Training Camp came in, even 1-B was here as they had run into the same problem without Nomu. I clashed with my brother, my sparks igniting harshly.
"C' mon! Hit me with your full power!" Katsu challenged, we clashed with a flurry of blows, my armbands strained against my skin and the force of my explosions.
I gained some distance as I wreathed myself in explosive energy, "FULL BODY BOMBER!" I yelled, body slamming my brother and the explosive force pushed him far back.
I rose again, gasping for air as my sweat poured down my brow. Denki and Shoji ran forwards, with towels and water in tow.
"Here," Denki said, handing me a towel, I wiped my sweat off, taking a swig of water.
"Thanks, guys," I said.
"I know you're under a lot of stress, dude, it's okay. We're here in a far-off place, the villains won't get us here," Denki assured.
Shoji and I shook our heads, "We can't be sure, we must stay vigilant," he said.
I wandered around, looking for Shio, I wanted to hang out with her.
*Shwip* I was hung by my legs as I saw her looking up at me.
"I've got you in my trap! Do you like it?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's fine, let me go!" I retorted, as her hair came loose. I fell to the ground.
"Oof!" I huffed.
"You know... there are the hot springs, we're going there soon..." Shio crooned.
"What? Why?" I inquired.
"Everyone was exercising, and it would be so relaxing... It's going to be alright," Shio assured, while I immediately smelled a rat in the air.
"Okay, I'm gonna ask this and only once, did Denki, Mina, or even my brother put you up to this?" I inquired.
"No, no one has put me up to it, we're sneaking out to go to them," She explained as I didn't notice that she was wrapped in a towel, in fact, I saw some people from 1-A and 1-B walk past us, with towels on their shoulders, buckets, and other beach and swimming stuff.
"Hey, Ren! You comin'?" Sero asked, smiling and gesturing for me and Shio to come with him.
"I'll be right there! Just a sec!" I called back, running back to Katsu and I's cabin.
"Snrrr... snork... Murr... Der..." Katsu snored as I gently grabbed my stuff.
"Ren... snrr... leehim lone..." Katsu snarled, rolling over and grabbing me, yanking me into his arms.
"Cha... ko... leeheer... lone..." he snored.
I gently extracted my goggles from where I left them, leaving the cabin as quietly as possible.
The hot springs were natural, with a large rock wall between them that they had divided up on two sides, Girls and Guys. I wore my red and black swimming trunks, with my goggles perched around my neck, I wore a plain white tank top because I didn't want to make the other guys jealous of me. I wore my armbands, which Mei had made waterproof and heatproof.
'God bless Mei Hatsume...' I thought as I took off my shirt.
The other guys let out gasps of shock.
"Whoa, dude! I didn't know you had so many... y' know..." A boy with odd eyelashes and steel-gray hair said, his name was Tetsutetsu. He was pointing at my scars.
"Yeah, just don't ask," I sighed.
"Welp! Someone has to be Wallboy!" A little guy with odd purple hair said, drooling.
"Excuse me, who're you?" I asked.
"I am 1-C's Mineta!" the boy announced.
"1-C, huh?" I wondered.
"It's the class for more... special cases of students with possible problems, Mineta here used to be such a huge perv. Remember that time I came out of the girls' locker room with that whack from Shio? I didn't go in there to peek, I went in there to stop this guy! He wasn't supposed to be there, but I couldn't really stop him because of Shio's intervention," Denki explained as Mineta ribbed me.
"So... you don't know how lucky you have it, Ren!" Mineta praised.
"Back in middle school, I heard that Shiozaki was one of the most pious and pure girls in her school! I went to the same school as her and well..." Mineta sighed, then continued.
"Around Valentine's day, I usually just gave her nice stuff... but she didn't say a word to me, she just sighed and went on with her day... until I found this!" Mineta crowed as we were on the guy's side of the wall, Mineta had an odd pink book in his hands.
"What?! That's Shio's diary!" I snarled.
"I know, read it, man!" Mineta encouraged.
"N-no, it's a breach of her privacy! I don't wanna do it!" I objected as Mineta had opened it to an entry on one Valentines Day.
I read it, blushing the whole time.
"How about I Volleyball Spike you?!" I snarled, picking Mineta up.
"H-hey! Let me go!" He snapped.
"NO! BLASTER VOLLEYBALL!" I yelled, slapping him into the guy's side as I picked the book back up, closing it and setting it aside.
"So Shio! How're you and Ren doing?" Mina asked excitedly as she watched him patrol the wall.
"We're doing well... but he's so stressed, I wish I knew what was wrong," I sighed, watching him pace back and forth.
"Well, have you tried to... ya know-" Mina said, making an odd hand gesture.
"No... I have not," I awkwardly replied.
"I have an idea, gero." Tsuyu piped up.
"Hm? What?" I asked.
"What if you just talked to him? It's easier than just staying quiet, gero." Tsuyu croaked.
I nodded, wading over to the wall and leaning against it.
"Oh, hey Shio!" Renaru said, sitting with his legs dangling downward.
"Whaddya need?" he asked, his red eyes glittering in the light like twin rubies.
"Well... I wanted to ask you... what's wrong?" I requested.
"Huh? Oh, it's just like you to worry! I just... well, today is just so peaceful, and I'm glad to spend it with you and everyone else! It's just that I'm so used to fighting that I get antsy when everything's so calm, I never thought that I would have so much responsibility when I was younger..." he sighed.
"It's just so tiring, ya know?" He huffed.
"I have an idea..." I suggested.
"If it's what I think you're gonna say, no. Just no. Not now," he said with authority.
Shio grabbed me with her hair and pulled me over to her side, the warm water splashed gently as I landed beside her. She hugged me to her chest. She rubbed my back.
"Mmm... babe, that feels good..." I groaned as she kept rubbing my back gently.
"Thank you, darling," Shio sighed calmly.
I leaned against her, closing my eyes as she kissed my shoulder blades and back.
"Mm, regardless of what happens... you'll always be my hero," she said.
I nodded, getting back up on the wall.
I knew something was going to go terribly wrong.
Later, as we were turning in, Katsuki stopped me for a moment.
"Listen, if All For One shows up... I want us to switch places," he sighed.
"What?! Are you serious?!" I gasped.
"Yes! It's you he wants! If I were to go about the planning for this, we gotta make sure you escape at least!" Katsu snapped.
That's when my senses screamed at me to go outside. The pungent odor of death and decay permeated everything. Everyone saw the woods burning in a bright orange flame. Smoke poured into the sky, I saw one man run towards us alongside All-Might, Aizawa, and Vlad.
It was Father, he was standing closest to the one man who ruined my life, the one man who threatened my peace, All For One stood in the destruction, smiling as his red eyes glowed.
"So... the symbol of peace, the dead man walking, the bloodsucker, and the modern ninja. What boring heroes... I am here for one thing," All For One said smoothly.
"And what is that?" All Might asked.
"I am here, Toshinori, for my grandchildren. I know why you all are here. All Might and Vlad, you two are here to protect the children, Aizawa and Masaru, you're here to protect my darling little Renaru and Katsuki, yes?" All For One guessed.
My father unsheathed his red blade, glaring at All For One.
"Yes! You tore apart my family! You made Renaru into the scared little boy I knew, you broke Mitsuki's heart... and scattered both my children's childhoods to the winds! That is something I won't forgive!" Father yelled, dashing forwards alongside Aizawa.
My real father, and my mentor... dashing into battle side by side. Father clashed with All For One, pushing back against him. Aizawa hung back, trying to get a grip on him.
"HAAAH!" Father screamed, bringing his sword down, only for it to be caught by All For One.
"What a gaudy weapon," All For One snarled, breaking it and stabbing father right in the stomach with the blade.
"GLAH! Ah... huah!" Father cried, getting kicked away by All For One.
Aizawa surged forwards, trying to erase All For One's quirk.
All he did was grab Aizawa and drag him in, grabbing hold of him by the head, a blinding flash pointed point blank at his eyes came out of his hand. He then tossed Aizawa down onto the ground, stomping on him.
"HAHH! GRAGH!" Aizawa screamed.
He kicked him to rest next to father. They were beaten to near death.
"NO! Stop! I- I..." I called out, not bearing to watch any more of this as all of us were frozen in shock and horror.
"The time for pleading is over, Renaru! You dug this grave!" All For One cackled as All Might turned toward us.
"Don't just stand there, young ones! Get out of here!" He growled.
Vlad had gotten most of us out, except for me, Katsu, Shio, Denki, Shoji, Sero, and Izuku.
"No! We're not running!" I snarled, I was done with running away, I was done with being a coward, all I wanted was to see him DEAD.
"Yeah! We're not runnin'!" Denki agreed.
"Yes, we're friends, aren't we?" Shoji asked, smiling under his mask.
"Uh-huh! We're gonna bring you down!" Sero cheered.
"If you're goin' down, I'm gonna go with ya!" Katsu snarled.
"You always saw me as more than quirkless, and I'm gonna be a hero alongside you!" Izuku cheered.
"Darling... I will help you smite this evil from the world! For too long he has made you suffer!" Shiozaki vowed.
We took our fighting stances as All For One smiled.
"Aw... fighting together for all of those pitiful people that populate this world? How pathetic, my grandsons shouldn't fight alongside others! They should stand at the pinnacle!" All For One said, taking off his mask and revealing what he looked like.
He had long, spiky, and ash-blond hair. Sharp angular eyes that were red in color. A mockery of my own looks and my brother's too.
All Might was all that stood in his way.
"Young Bakugo, stand back!" He warned, taking his stance.
"All Might... you cannot be serious, you're just an old man!" All For One laughed.
"As long as breath is in my lungs, as long as my power is flowing through my veins, I WILL NEVER LET YOU TOUCH MY STUDENTS!" All Might roared, a rainbow of light pulsed from his fist as he pulled it back.
"United..." He started.
All For One smirked.
"STATES... OF..." All Might thundered, the energy coalescing into his fist, the wind picked up as a storm suddenly started, lightning streaking down from the skies to assist in the gathering of his energy.
"SMASHHHHHH!" All Might roared with pure intensity! His fist connected with All For One's face, and, the world seemed to hold its breath as everything went silent and still.
There, as the steam cleared and the rain fell, stood All Might, now a bony rail of a man, gasping for air, we didn't notice the arms around him.
"Was that the best you could offer?!" All For One taunted, a sickening crack was all we heard as All Might dropped to the ground.
All For One smiled, a bruise was all he had to show for it, and soon, that faded away.
'Dad... Masaru... All Might...' I thought, tears coursing down my cheeks.
Now it was just us, alone against a monster.
I stood, holding up my fist.
"Explosive Strike Force... no," I faltered off, thinking back to the heroes of the past, who didn't need quirks, who rose to the challenge without the use of powers and just did what they wanted to do with their powers...
I knew that I had a name for our team...
"Crusaders... ASSEMBLE!" I yelled, ready to fight if need be. I was going to see this through.
No matter the cost.