EDIT: I posted a second opening video for this story on youtube! It's titled "Invasion Opening 2", and if you are interested in viewing, PM me and I'll message you the link.
CHAPTER 21
ILLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS
There was one city that the heroes needed to pass through before they reached their ultimate destination. By now, the alien spaceship was much closer, and thus larger in size. In fact, as Genos stared up at it, he felt as if it was actually larger than it had been when he originally laid eyes on it.
It was difficult for the heroes to rest at ease with the spaceship so close now, but they had no choice but to cope with it. In another couple of days, they would reach the final generator, and then they would be in for the fight of their lives. Therefore, it was paramount that they got plenty of rest beforehand, so that they could all fight at full strength.
While Genos and Deku set out to search the area for any potential threats, Senku and Kotoko set up some papers on the ground. They weren't actually equipped with tons of gear to work with, but Kotoko always had her yokai servants to fetch those little items. They gathered pens, markers, scissors, protractors, graphs, and more. In fact, they brought far more things than were even necessary, but Kotoko was never rude to them.
Eventually, Senku couldn't hold in his thoughts anymore. "What do these yokai receive in exchange for all their services to you?"
She turned to him and shrugged her shoulders as she smiled. "Believe it or not, the yokai are constantly asking me for favors. I receive visitors every day, even here in this alternate world. The spectral field in which they exist isn't limited to one world or galaxy; it extends beyond all of that. Therefore, I can meet with them no matter where I end up."
"But I've never seen any creatures like those before," Senku continued. "Is it because you are present that I can see them now?"
"Correct. Most humans never lay eyes on yokai or spectres. Even when they do, they rarely believe that what they're seeing is real. It's a difficult concept for people to grasp, whether they are naturally skeptical or hopelessly gullible."
For some reason, Senku sensed that he was being put on the spot somewhat. "I take it you've never dabbled much in the art of science. Acquiring a basic fundamental understanding of the facts in life is done with the scientific method. For me to grasp a concept, I would need to experiment on its proponents myself. At least, when it comes to something as farfetched as monsters and ghosts."
"I see." Kotoko looked away for a moment, suddenly appearing distant.
Senku took note of it. "No need to be offended by my resistance to your occupation. I was merely stating my own conditions in evaluating the world around me."
"No, it's not you," she explained, holding her hands together in front of her as she looked down. "It's just that… I've been thinking about Kuro-San lately."
"Ah." Senku raised both his arms behind his shoulders. "I was unaware you had a special someone back home."
Kotoko gave him a stern look for a moment, but she returned to her downcast state immediately after. "My boyfriend and I are madly in love. I'm sure he's been thinking about me ever since he was turned to stone."
"No need to get defensive," Senku commented, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Anyway if you're looking for someone to share your love stories with, I'm probably the worst person for you to be talking to. Nothing is as illogical or trouble-prone as relationships."
This time, Kotoko did more than just give him a stern look. She stomped over and growled right in front of Senku's face, causing him to grit his teeth in nervous surprise. "My relationship with Kuro-San is not illogical! It's perfectly normal for a young woman to fall in love with another man!"
"All right, already," Senku cut her off, holding both hands in front of him to encourage her to simmer down. "I had not expected someone like you to harbor such ferocious defense over a boyfriend. Anyway, I'm just focused on solving our dilemma with Teckh and his invasion. When we're finished with all that, you can talk about your boyfriend all you want."
Ultimately, Kotoko returned to her somber state once again. Getting worked up over things wasn't going to be helpful and she knew it, even if she couldn't always help it. It wasn't as if she ever planned on being away from Kuro like this, especially an entire world away. But when it came to the subject of what drove her to fight against Teckh and his army, for her personally, it was to save Kuro from his stone prison.
Kotoko took a seat back down by the papers the team had gathered to help with planning the operation. "We cannot simply defeat Teckh. He will have tactics to lash out if things don't go his way. He very well could self-destruct his ship, or even destroy the entire world with a nuclear weapon."
Now things were back to speaking analytically, and Senku was interested again. "I've reviewed the possible outcomes of our encounter with Teckh. You may not believe me, but I really don't find a blood bath to be the best way of solving the problem. Destroying a bunch of robots is one thing, but Dr. Bofoi is a living person. I'm pretty sure the other heroes will agree that killing him wouldn't really be very… heroic."
"You're right," Kotoko said in agreement. "Still, though. Teckh will take advantage of that. And even if we destroy his generators and break on board his ship, he won't simply submit to us."
Senku nodded as he thought it over. "When it's all said and done, Bofoi is a highly intelligent man. The only way we can get him to surrender is if he's sure it's the logical choice. That means removing any element of escape available to him." That left Senku looking strangely worried. "Which is the real problem that lies ahead, because I cannot be sure on what that spaceship is capable of. If he has the power to blow up the planet, he'd resort to it, if it became his only other option. We can't let something like that happen."
"Then how do we avoid that?" Kotoko inspected the papers, as if somehow the answer was written on them.
"I need more time," Senku replied. "For now, the others can go over tactics for winning the battle, while I figure out a solution to acquiring Bofoi's surrender. And I could use your help as well."
Kotoko couldn't resist smiling. "Very well. We can go through every possible scenario, and come up with thoughts on how it would play out."
"It will take us hours to brainstorm."
"Then we should get to work right away."
(A few blocks from the team)
As Deku inspected the buildings, he remembered how he felt the first day the invasion began. The shock of seeing everyone turned to stone, including All Might, had been so devastating. Seeing all of them still trapped now was incredibly disheartening.
Still, at the same time, it was motivating. Deku needed to rescue all of these people, and that was already more than enough motivation. However, there were other worlds filled with entire populations that were in peril as well. With so many counting on him, Deku couldn't let them down.
"Something's coming," Genos announced from several yards away.
Deku was quick to respond, lowering his stance and moving closer to the cyborg, hoping to spot whatever he did quickly. Sure enough, there was a machine hovering in the air down the street, scanning the people trapped in stone as it moved along. The green ray of light it channeled would slide up and down the statues, and then the bot would proceed on to the next one.
"Looks like it's studying them," Genos said in a low voice. "What do you think is the purpose, though?"
"I don't know," Deku replied. "But it could be threatening those people. We should probably destroy it."
Neither of them had any objections to that plan. They rushed over with a burst of speed, approaching the bot from two angles. The machine suddenly began to beep wildly, sensing that enemies were near. However, Genos quickly sent a laser beam through the center of the bot, disposing of it in an instant. The machine crashed in a heap to the ground, sending out sparks from its wreckage.
Somehow, Deku got the sense that their ambush had gone over way too easily, so he searched the area. Sure enough, he spotted another machine down the street, apparently performing the same task. "Genos, look," he said urgently. "Another one." Farther off, he saw even more of them. Just like that, the machines appeared to be all over the city. "What's going on?"
Genos squinted curiously at the sight, but quickly came under the impression that there was evil intent behind it. "Dr. Bofoi must be planning on experimenting on them. Perhaps to enhance his machines."
"Hey, Genos…" Deku stared at a new arrival, a silver humanoid robot, which had three red figures where its face would be, resembling two eyes and a mouth. However, the left eye had three separate red dots of its own, almost like a targeting laser sight.
This time, Genos didn't act surprised. He recognized the robot right away, and he held his palms up, prepared for battle. "It's you… Dr. Bofoi."
Deku gasped, suddenly aware of what this robot meant right now.
The silver machine remained motionless, but a voice rang out from somewhere inside it. "Genos. You've come a long way since your days as a Class S hero."
While Deku was unsure of what to even say, Genos stepped forward, eager to face this nemesis at long last. "Then it's true. It is you who is behind all of this."
"You already knew that, Genos. No need to act surprised." Metal Knight's reconnaissance robot continued to stand there motionless, while Dr. Bofoi spoke through it. Clearly, he could see and hear what was happening through his creation's own eyes. "Izuku Midoriya. I have acquired information on you as well."
"Me?" Deku was confused, and also slightly intimidated. He shook it off and replaced his confusion with anger. He didn't want to show any weakness to Bofoi.
"I have information on all of you. You have become quite a nuisance with your attempts to sabotage my invasion. But I assure you, all of your efforts will prove to be futile."
"Are you sure about that?" Genos said defiantly. "Last I checked, we've destroyed every one of your machines that you sent at us. And we've still got plenty of strength left for whoever you have still remaining."
"Your strength is impressive, considering how ultimately inferior you were back with the Hero Association. Genos… your talents are wasted in this fashion. Therefore, I have come here to contact you specifically. My offer is for you to join me. Join my army."
The cyborg's response was unsurprising. "I'll never join your army. You should surely know that your attempts to recruit me would only end up proving futile."
"Very well." The reconnaissance bot turned its red lights upon Deku next. "You may be a cyborg, Genos, but your friends are comprised of flesh and blood. They will die because of your selfishness. You can save all of their lives. Join me instead, and as a symbol of good faith, I shall spare their lives."
Despite his resolve, Genos couldn't resist reviewing this decision now. He had absolutely no intention of joining Bofoi's side; that much was for certain. But he had to take into account the fact that his friends' lives were at risk as well.
Before Genos had a response ready, Deku took a few steps forward. "We're not going to let that happen," he declared boldly. "You call yourself a hero? Even if it was in the past? After all you've done. You've threatened multiple worlds with your invasion. And… it's all just a game to you?" It was all coming out so fast. Deku's anger and fury with this villain was making him lose focus.
"Power in the universe comes at a cost," Bofoi explained. "No matter how you twist it, everyone is seeking it for themselves. My invasion, as you call it, could just as easily be considered a cleansing. The populations are being petrified, healed… restored. The petrification process cures them of illness and disease. It encapsulates living beings, keeping them alive and well. I am not interested in destroying them. Instead, I am taking control over them."
"My collection of machines took a lifetime to produce. It took all of my intellect and research over the years to develop the means to control things. My machines represent my crowning achievement in life. And now, they have provided me with the means to reach the next phase of my destiny. For I spent my entire life learning how to control my machines. Now… I shall control worlds as well."
It was hard for Deku to conceal his fear from hearing those dark words. Before today, the heroes had been up against robots and machines in battles. This was the first time he had directly encountered the enemy they were truly up against. And Bofoi's words revealed he was more sinister than Deku had imagined.
Genos shook his head as his palms lit up, indicating he was prepared to open fire. "We'll never permit you to do those things, Bofoi. And I shall never join your side either. The only option for you now is to cease this madness. Free these people from stone. End this."
"I refuse."
That was no surprise. Deku began to glow with red light, expecting combat now. "We'll never let you win, Teckh. These are free worlds. No one, not even you, has any right to oppress them."
"Your ideas are illogical. Like your team of heroes. Nothing is more trouble-prone than relationships like yours. The Hero Association showed me that before. Instead of running their operations effectively, they merely sought out their own interests. They left me to manage most of the work, so that they could fool around and avoid responsibility."
"Therefore, I took advantage of their failure to comprehend reality. Just like all of you shall fail as well. It is hopeless to oppose me, when I have the greatest understanding of power in this universe. I shall guide the realm of the living accordingly, from the seat of control. I shall be the master."
Deku felt his insides wrench. This was an evil he'd never encountered before. Somehow, it rose above the previous villains he'd met. This man wasn't simply threatening his world; he was threatening every world that existed. "You… can't… do this…" Deku began to get fired up, as his Quirk resonated with his soul directly. "No matter what happens, I'll fight you. No matter what world you go to, I will follow you. No matter how many people you turn to stone, I'll rescue them. Even if you think you've gotten away with it… you'll realize… I am here!"
The reconnaissance bot fired up jets from its back and took to the air. Apparently, Teckh was eager to keep his machine from being destroyed unnecessarily after his failed bid to recruit Genos.
As fired up as he was, Deku began to simmer down, and he lowered his hands. It took him several moments to return to a more normal state. He was thinking about All Might again, only this time it wasn't about glory. It was about facing true evil; looking it right in the eyes. All Might had to maintain a perfect smile even after staring into the eyes of the monsters and villains he encountered in life. There was nothing glorious about having to observe evil like that.
In the end, Deku tensed up and felt his eyes grow moist. He needed to be stronger than this. He couldn't let evil have the advantage. Now that All Might wasn't here… Deku had to be the Symbol of Peace.
Suddenly, Genos placed a hand on Deku's shoulder to comfort him. "That is how we get stronger," he pointed out, reminding him of his own advice from before. "We don't give up."
With that, Deku held a hand forward to shake with Genos. "We won't give up," he replied as a smile returned to his face. Not the same kind of smile that All Might wore proudly. This smile belonged to Deku. "We'll become stronger. Stronger until we take down Teckh."
