OmnipotentUIJudgeOfCharacterOV: WOW! Absolutely mind blown about this chapter. You melded the MHA and MHA: Vigilantes lores so well and connected Genki Gokiburi's Origin phenomenally well.
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Re: Bakugou doesn't care about anyone other than himself (currently), Koda is utterly terrified of Genki (read: Insectophobia), and since Aoyama wasn't "instructed" to collect information on Genki, he expressed whatever small amount of defiance he could in that instance since he only did what was ordered of him specifically. He was never told not to fight the Vanguard Action Squad when they go to the Training Camp, nor was he given any assurance he'd be left alone if they found him, so that's why he did what he did then too.
LoamyCoffee: Oh yes, I enjoy Steven Universe and I don't doubt there's a story where she does that.
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Re: It wasn't any of their intention to do so, and given Japan is the birthplace of the "Harem Anime", the fallout won't be as bad as Genki makes it out to be.
As for your next point, the internet's a big place, so maybe mine is just the first you've read where the "Declining Birthrate" is used to justify a Harem Route in My Hero Academia.
Having his "Origin" trace back to the Vigilantes spinoff really helps add continuity to it, instead of making it an all-original. That Kurogiri was revealed to be Shirakumo from Vigilantes is just more proof that it's Canon to My Hero Academia.
Tony McNucklz: Eh? "Sky Egg"? Was that meant to be something else or did I miss something?
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Re: Yes, the building that the "Bomber Noumu" attacked was called the "Tokyo Sky Egg".
As for the other thing, all the "Proto Noumu" and "Proto Hi-End" having similar explosion-type Quirks was Canon to the series. Based on what I know about the eventual Noumu refinement process (as shown in My Hero Academia), it's highly likely that at that point in the Canon, Dr. Kyudai Garaki was in the experimental stages of Cloning the Quirk Factors they had in stock. Hence why so many of the "Bomber Noumu" could be manufactured with identical Quirks.
Especially when you take the "Anonymous" into consideration, which may as well be MHA's version of the "Mannequin Soldiers" from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. They too possessed [Self-Detonation], on top of other Quirks, and were mass-produced.
NullSilver2005: Great chapter, and the big question I have is if Genki will try to stay in control while in his armored form, and if he does gain the ability to completely control himself while in that form one day, will he still need to take supresser or not?
Re: Similar to Fumikage Tokoyami and Jurota Shishida, his issue is "control". I'd think once he does enough Quirk Reinforcement in facilities that'd let him do so safely, then no, he wouldn't need Suppress anymore.
Mangahero18: I binged this story in a couple of hours and I gotta say, its the best fic with an OC main character I can think of bar none. The characterization is all great and all the canon characters are on point, and Genki feels important without feeling like a Gary Stu. Definitely one of my top ten fav MHA fics now.
Re: Thanks~ Always love to hear someone binging my work~ Even moreso when my Original Characters receive such praise. It was tricky not having Genki fall into the "Gary Stu" archetype, but having him raised by Heroes, and enduring much suffering for his strength, really helped on that front. That he was one of the powerful students that "slipped through the cracks" of a test dominated by robots also helped set him up for the Sports Festival, where he could make more of a "splash".
*MHA*
Hero Informatics 101 had a bit of added flavor that day.
For Gokiburi Genki… it was an acquired taste…
"Heya, Genki-sama!"
"Mei…" the Heteromorph groaned as the dreadlocked pinkette stood beside the day's instructors. "Why… are you even here?"
"Power Loader-sensei and I finished up some new training aids, so I'm here for any last-minute tweaking~!" she grinned enthusiastically.
"What, we're playing video games?" Mina asked as she beheld the table loaded with what looked like VR Headsets in Yuuei's colors. "Where're the hand controllers?"
"Don't need 'em! Now pump those legs! You're going runnin' today!"
"Huh?" the sum of 1-A blinked.
"She's more or less correct," Aizawa hummed, ignoring the heated look Genki was sending him, going out of his way to look in a new direction whenever the irate Heteromorph moved into his line of sight. "For a Pro, the most-important thing for you to have is speed. When someone calls out for help, it doesn't matter how-powerful your Quirk is or how-proficient you are in its usage. If everyone is already dead and/or, the Villain has already escaped by the time you arrived, there wasn't much of a point in relying on you in the first place. For the top Heroes, they have expedited transport like high-performance vehicles, helicopters, or are simply able to traverse wide swaths of land by their own power. Compared to the Heroes with established 'territories', more often than not it's the Rescue Heroes who can be called upon at a moment's notice for deployment when something goes wrong."
"With the end-of-term exams coming up, it would be prudent to go back to the fundamentals. We don't need you hurting one another in one of our more-eccentric training exercises before the big event, after all!" All Might went on to explain, Bakugou's cheeks dusting with embarrassment as the No.1 Hero shot him a pointed look. "And given how one of your number was so-easily replaced by someone with less formally-recognized training than all of you, it couldn't hurt to build up your physical conditioning. A strong body holds up a strong Quirk, after all!"
"Hold on, that isn't fair!" Mina pouted. "How were we supposed to compete with the son of a former-No.2 Hero?!"
A moment later, Mina Ashido realized, she'd fucked up.
"Hoh? You think Villains and natural disasters are going to play fair?" Aizawa questioned, raking back his bangs and staring down at them with his crimson eyes.
'Geez, Aizawa really gets off on this, doesn't he?' All Might thought to himself as Aizawa proceeded to rip into them for one of their number using a word like "fair". "A-Anyway!" he said cutting his co-instructor off. "While it is undeniable that there are those whose Quirks are better-suited for a footrace than you, we've presented you with some viable real-world OPTIONS!" he said bombastically sweeping his arm to the side, the ludicrous strength behind the motion lifting up a large white cloth revealing a collection of motorcycles, go-karts, scooters, mopeds, segues, and also a collection of roller skates, roller blades, and skateboards of both motorized and analogue varieties.
"And the Virtual Reality Headsets?" Momo asked inquisitively while her peers awed at the high-end motorcycles out on display.
"Augmented Reality, actually~" Hatsume said with a grin. "GPS coordinates through this training area have been flag-marked with 'checkpoints' you'll have to navigate in order to advance, but the only way to see them is with these special babies~ Pass through each one the first time around, otherwise you'll have to double back; no skipping allowed!"
"WHOA! She's right!" Kaminari gawped, staring out past the Starting Line with a set of AR goggles on his head. "It's just like a racing game!"
The rest of 1-A going over and grabbing a pair of goggles for themselves, Hatume slapped Genki's hand away from the table before setting a pair of high-tech-looking sunglasses color coordinated to the rest of his costume on his face. While Genki shot the manic Support Course girl a look, the other students' eyes went wide with shock as large golden rings appeared down the street before them, vanishing when the AR goggles were lifted before appearing again; exactly like a checkpoint-based racing game.
"There is no set path to take, no invisible walls forcing you on any one route. The real world is open-world, not linear, so navigate the course however you please!" All Might proclaimed. "A 'directional bearing indicator' will tell you where the next checkpoint in the sequence is located."
"And all the cool gear?" Sero asked looking off to All Might's side.
"First-come first-served," Aizawa said flatly.
A moment later like the floodgates had been opened, a veritable tide of excitable teenagers swarmed the collection of speed-boosting equipment. Some of the more sensible students like Jirou or Koda grabbed the mopeds or segue, while the most-excitable of the lot fought over the high-end motorcycles in the rear.
"I assume you have a license to pilot that?" Aizawa asked aloud, the 25% of the class fighting over it stopping short before shouting- "KUSOOOO!"
"Er, yes, sorry to bait you like that, but it's important to know that simply having a Hero, or even a Provisional Hero License, doesn't exempt you from following any and all licensary laws you'll come across in this country. You still need a Japan standard driver's or motorcycle license to handle anything more-powerful than a moped, I'm afraid."
"Better luck next time, guys~" Jirou grinned as she wheeled her moped over to the starting line, Izuku fitting a pair of in-line skates while Ochako did the same with a more-traditional pair of roller blades.
"I see you're going at this 'bare-back'," Genki said as he set his helmet aside.
"Indeed. If there's one thing the Iida family is known for, its our speed," the Class Rep said doing much the same. "I underestimated the General Course once before. I will not repeat the same mistake now."
"I'd say 'good luck', but you seem a little straight-laced for the sentiment~"
"You have five minutes to make your choices. After that, the race will begin. You'll do three laps around the training area; first lap is a blind run, but during the second and third your HUD will give you a map you can play by. Memorizing the most-effective route to take however, will be on you," Aizawa said flatly. "If we repeat this exercise again in the future, the checkpoints will be randomized, to an extent. Whether or not we include elements of 'verticality' is still up for debate."
"Just how-long will the course be?" Sato asked as he tore his gaze away from the awesome motorcycle he'd been holding above his head, at least before being told it wasn't a freebie.
"Long enough that unless you're a health nut or a speed freak like those two," he said inclining his head Genki and Tenya's way, "you won't be able to complete it in the time allotted without some sort of vehicle," he stated, the students redoubling their efforts to find something they could actually use.
*MHA*
Cue My Hero Academia OST – Combat Training
Unsurprisingly, Tenya Iida and Genki Gokiburi had an undeniable lead as soon as the starting gun was fired, swiftly leaving everyone, even Bakugou at full blast, in the dust despite the latter's best efforts to "not lose".
The beginning of the course was a straightaway with "checkpoints" at 20-meter gaps. Once those were cleared however, the "checkpoints" to follow would be out of sight and, other than speed, it was maneuverability, dexterity, ingenuity, and instinct would come into play, giving some of the others a fighting chance.
For second place, at least~
"Sorry, Iida! Looks like this is where we part company!" Genki grinned as his "directional bearing indicator" suddenly made a hard left which Genki was quick to follow, drifting into the turn with a smidgen of oil, a flutter of his wings, and a burst of compressed air.
"Do not sound so certaINNNN!" Iida cried as he overshot his turn, looking quite ridiculous in the process.
Meanwhile back with the teachers…
"So…" Aizawa drawled out as he watched the various students navigate the non-course through the drones overhead. "Think Iida has a chance of coming out of second?"
"Well… I mean… Iida-kun does come from a prestigious bloodline… but unfortunately at-present he isn't as-suited to the task as some of his forebearers may have been…" All Might conceded. "Genki-kun, with his ability to drift and accelerate to top speed at the drop of a hat while remaining low to the ground, 'handles' like the Allmobile I used to ride in the old day!" he proclaimed bombastically, fondly recalling when he'd had the luxury of letting someone else do the travelling for him. "Iida-kun on the other hand… handles like a tonka truck driven by my grandmother, god rest her soul… Sure, once he's finished accelerating he's pretty darn fast, but his turning radius is wide and his cornering leaves much to be desired…" he said watching Iida repeatedly overshoot his turns, have to double back, and re-accelerate. The boy tried to drift a few times in imitation of his current-rival when he'd last been able to see him, but without any real practice and the means to drift with, all he did was trade paint with the street and the walls he brushed against in trails of sparks. "Wait a minute… This isn't intentional is it…?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Aizawa said turning away.
"You're driving home the point that when someone else can fill a niche so-perfectly, there isn't any hope of overtaking them, is there…?"
" . . . Basically," the man shrugged. "That Genki was able to utterly dominate the Sports Festival the way he had, yet be so-thoroughly overlooked by the Entrance Exam's criterion because there weren't any people for him to 'save' since he couldn't destroy robots fast-enough, shows that Yuuei has been grossly negligent on how we select the candidates for our Hero Course. Hitoshi Shinso is another example of this failing. Any other Hero Academy and they'd be able to individually assess the tactical value of his Quirk, give him the training needed to bring the absolute most out of his Quirk, but because some guys set the bar so damn high, made Yuuei so damn famous when it should be treated like another trade school instead of 'Harry Potter with superpowers', it's basically impossible for anyone without combat-ready Quirks to get in at this school. I wonder why that is," he said poignantly shooting the older man a baleful look.
"Urk…!" All Might winced like he'd been slapped in the face with a largemouth bass. "But… You've been giving after-school lessons to-"
"What I do or don't do with my time is my business and mine alone," Aizawa said shooting the man a withering red gaze. "You focus on being the 'cudgel', while the rest of us prepare the 'scalpels' this country will need when you hang up the cape for good."
"But… well… Midoriya-"
"Isn't ready. Not yet," Aizawa said brusquely, turning his attention to one of the screens where he was using his "Full Cowling" to increase his physical attributes across the board, sometimes roller blading on walls, grabbing onto railing or lamp posts to make hairpin turns, or using a watered-down version of the "Delaware Smash" to change his trajectory in mid-air. Honestly, if it weren't for Iida's top speed being more consistently usable, Midoriya would've jumped into second place already.
Not that he'd ever tell All Might that…
"So… Hey…! Weren't we getting a new guy today…?" All Might asked hoping to change the topic.
"Ugh… Don't remind me…" Aizawa groaned rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This is gonna be a long, long year."
Back in the race…
" . . . Really?" Kyoka found herself blinking as she rode beside Momo, the heiress astride a replica of the scooter she'd used for the long-distance run in their Quirk Apprehension Test, down to the fact that she went out off the way to use her Quirk to create it.
"W-What?" Momo blinked, flushing slightly. "It's a steady, trustworthy model! A perfect balance between performance, reliability, and material cost!"
A little ways away, Kaminari was keeping pace with Sero, the prior riding an electric scooter he gave a little "boost" with his Quirk, while the latter rode a skateboard he'd taped to his feet, using his own Quirk to reel himself around.
"Hey man, you really sure that's the best idea?" Sero asked, watching little arcs of electricity leap from Kaminari's feet into the electric motor of his scooter.
"What could possibly go wrong?"
A little ways away from there, the sound of Kaminari screaming sounding through the air as his scooter's motor suddenly combusted and sent him flying through the air, Todoroki was practicing "skating" on his ice in this new race-oriented setting, something none of his training ever accounted for. In addition, he would occasionally use his fire Quirk to stave the onset of frostbite, or to use as a booster rocket, though finding it difficult to juggle the use of his diametrically opposed Quirks simultaneously.
Watching as Genki actually lapped him, the son of the current No.2 Hero couldn't help but realize how seamlessly his classmate made use of his multiple Sub-Quirks. True, he was a Heteromorph, but the conscious effort it took to secrete oil or use compressed air in a seemingly-random direction was definitely something that took a great deal of conscious thought to execute. And something else that was on his mind was, how much did the son of the former No.2 Hero know about the dark side of the current No.2? He was definitely infuriatingly cryptic-enough about it to make him think he was in the know about something.
If anything, Shoto could approach him later under the pretense of questioning him regarding "simultaneous Quirk usage" or something to that effect. And if not that… maybe do for his silently suffering peer what Midoriya had done for him, even if he himself might not be the best at that sort of thing.
A ways ahead of him, Katsuki Bakugou raged at being lapped by the guy who'd upended his day of glory at the Sports Festival. Choosing a pair of inline skates and using his Quirk like a booster rocket, it should've been a simple matter for him to crush that bug! But the reality of it was vastly different. While Genki had complete freedom of movement and a bullshit amount of Sub-Quirks to go with it, Bakugou's own [Explosion] dealt steadily-accumulating recoil onto his own body, and the spaces of time he had to wait between each powerful blast to boost himself was growing longer and longer…
"U-Uraraka-san! Are you alright!" Izuku asked worriedly as the two of them crossed paths, having taken different routes to the next checkpoint.
"Just… trying… not to…" Ochako groaned, holding her mouth.
"If you're gonna hurl fire it backwards like a booster rocket!" Mina grinned zipping by on a pair of skates.
"BLURP!"
"Wait, are you using your Quirk on yourself?" Izuku blinked.
"Was it… that obvious?" she asked jumping a curve, her body neutrally buoyant because she'd used her Quirk on herself, but not the skates she replaced her costume's booth with.
"Obvious? It's genius! The way you've made yourself neutrally buoyant with your Quirk taking advantage of its deeper intricacies-"
"And here we go again~" Mina chuckled as the little green cinnamon roll prattled on excitedly, Ochako's face heating up at all the praise she was receiving. "Still, hella cute though~ Heeheeheehee~"
*MHA*
"Hmmm… It looks like they're almost done," Aizawa hummed a while later watching as the last of his students approached the finish line on their final lap.
Genki of course, having grown up surrounded by Heroes and likely Reinforcing his Quirk longer than most of 1-A, had been able to complete his three laps in what would've been "record time" if there was any record on that front to keep. Iida came in second overall, though a very sloppy second, having traded paint with half the course trying in vain to keep up with Genki under some archaic notion of having to maintain the family honor.
Following them, the placement was more divisive. The event wasn't so much about placement as it was seeing what actually worked in a facet they'd never actively trained in, and on a couple occasions, students would sometimes make a "pit stop" to change vehicles altogether. Aoyama, as one example, had attempted to use roller blades combined with his [Naval Laser] to boost his speed, but repeated use had greatly upset his stomach, so as soon as he'd powered through the first lap, he grabbed himself a go-kart and got back to the track. Others whose Quirks weren't suited to helping them in this event at all were simply forced to try their best with what they had, or in some cases, didn't have to work with. An example of this was that Koda couldn't get help from the nearby pigeons to scout out routes for him because only he would be able to see where the checkpoints went.
"Alright. That was a good effort. Take a breather before we move onto the next exercise," Aizawa stated, All Might himself having slinked away into a bathroom where he could relax his "Muscle Form" a little.
Genki, being the one with the most energy left and in the best mood, handed out bottles of water and snacks to those who were dead on their feet. Busy making sure everyone was okay, he didn't actively notice the entity approaching him until their impressive bosom had pressed itself into his back, dexterous arms coiling around his midsection.
"M-MEI-CHAN?!" Genki cried out expecting her to fondle him again, only to find her somberly pressing her face into his back.
"Genki…" Mei said in a suddenly-demure voice. "Do you hate me?"
"Wh-what?" he blinked, a few of his peers taking notice while he was startled by her direction of inquiry. "N-NO! Of course not! Why would you think that?"
"Then… why were you so opposed to my idea from this morning?" she asked letting him go so he could turn to face her. "I mean… isn't it both your civic duty to fight the declining birthrate, but also your moral obligation to grant happiness to whatever girls fall for you in the future?" she asked with a completely straight face. "Don't be like those cookie-cutter harem protags who lead a half-dozen girls by the nose for three seasons and make none of them happy by the end of the series' production run. Man up, nut up, and make me happy!"
"Wait, you?"
"You heard nothing!" Hatsume suddenly about-faced.
Genki, deciding to put a pin in that topic, decided to angle for a different tack.
"You know… I'd probably take you a little more seriously if you weren't bleeding from the nose…"
"That's completely unrelated to this!"
"I…"
Genki didn't have it in him to press her further. Instead, he drew a tissue from his utility belt and handed it over, the girl dabbing her upper lip.
"Arigatou… Genki-sama~"
"Don't read too into this. I'm still pissed at you for setting up that kiosk without my consent."
"Hey, Genki-sama! Can I set up another kio-"
"NO!" he cried with a slashing motion of his hand. "The only reason I'm less-pissed about the whole thing now, is because Japan is the birthplace of the Harem Anime, so I'm sure this'll blow over… Eventually…"
"Yeah, that's the spirit, hot-pants!" Hatsume grinned slapping him on the back. "Wanna help me make some babies?" she said holding up some machine parts from her coveralls.
"Don't push your luck," he said with a neutral expression. Disentangling himself from her, Hatsume too turned on her heel and began tinkering aforementioned machine parts. As this was going on, Mina creeped up to her with a grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye.
"I heard that you knoooow~"
"Heya, Racoon-Eyes!" Hatsume greeted.
"Dangit, not you too!" Mina groaned palming her face before getting back on task. "Don't think you can change the subject. You just said you liked him, didn't you~?"
"Anything between the two of us is strictly professional!" Hatsume replied with her usual manic energy.
"What wasn't what it sounded liiiiike~" Mina grinned cheekily. "So what is it about him that you like? From what I can tell, he's the only one whose name you actually remember~"
Mina's question in of itself was innocent-enough to ask; something one high school girl could ask another over pastries at a nice bakery or something. It was completely pedestrian, and yet at the same time, the girls of Class 1-A found themselves transfixed on the Support Course girl's answer.
" . . . He's an outcast. Like me," the normally manic girl said somberly, the diametric shift jarring them. "When I approached him at the Sports Festival, he didn't flinch away from me, and his eyes didn't automatically dip below my neckline."
This caused the nearby girls' attention to flit to the girl's impressive… 'talent'. Kyoka wilted at a comparison she would deny to making, while Momo missed the point completely.
"He actually gave me the benefit of the doubt, and I think the recognized me as a fellow outcast," she continued. "Of course, unlike me who has to actively repulse people, he does it by stigma. And honestly, I think he appreciates how to me, his stigma doesn't matter one tick."
"So wait, you didn't have to beat boys back with a stick before coming to Yuuei?" Mina blinked.
"No. All it really took for me to repel boys was to open my mouth."
At this the girls winced. Some girls were soft-spoken, but guys who shied away from girls that liked to talk was a bit of a turn-off.
"But I'm not bothered by any of that! I don't need a bunch of friends to be happy! . . . Just a few really good ones," she said with a peaceful smile on her face. "I won't pretend to know what this 'love' stuff is that everyone goes on about in all the songs and movies, but… when I'm with him, I feel like I don't need to pretend anymore. Like the only 'me' I need to be… is me."
"That… *sniff* That was so beautiful~" Toru cried, a tear rolling down an invisible cheek.
"But anyway, Frogger getting his engine going is a minor detail!" Hatsume said with a dismissive wave, the 180 dispelling the heartfelt mood in its entirety. "Like Genki-sa-… Genki, said, Japan is the birthplace of the Harem Anime. I'll open him up to the idea someday~"
"I'm glad Mineta isn't around to hear any of this…" Mina hummed aloud.
"How'd you even hear about that anyway?" Tsuyu asked.
"The walls have eyes and ears~!" Hatsume grinned.
" . . . Well that isn't infuriatingly-cryptic…" the [Frog Form] girl hummed. "And anyway, Genki and I haven't even been out on a date yet. What makes you think our relationship would last any longer than that?"
"Hey, gotta plan for every contingency!" Hatsume said with a grin.
"Looks like you've got some competition~" Mina grinned.
"What 'competition'? The 'game' hasn't even started yet…" Tsuyu said defensively.
"Break's over, class!" Aizawa called out.
*MHA*
"Alright, all of the results from the Checkpoint Royale have been tallied, but we still have time for one final exercise… as well as introduce a new instructor," Aizawa said aloud, albeit with a groan.
The comment itself sent a murmur through the crowd, even though the nature of it was completely pedestrian. Some of it was in excitement at getting a new teacher, others speculating if it'd be a well-known pro like All Might, or another "underground hero" like Eraserhead, and others wondering if he'd be a scruffy grump like their homeroom teacher who had a fetish for psychological torture.
That question was soon answered as movement above them caught Bakugou's eye. The other students following his line of sight, beheld a figure in the distance swinging around a far-off building on a thin metallic cable, old-school vigilante style. The figure drawing nearer, both Katsuki and Izuku caught the immediate sight of an official All Might-haired hooded jacket; it was styled after his current costume, only the dark blue was replaced with black. In addition to that, he also had protective motorcycle gear from his elbows and knees outward, a black face mask covering the bottom half of his face, and a stylized visor to shield his eyes.
The line breaking, Class 1-A let out shocked gasps, thinking the swinging figure was about to paint the asphalt a very disgusting color. To their sum shock however, bursts of smoke erupted from his feet as he proceeded to "double jump" down to the ground like a man bounding down stairs. As soon as he touched down, he struck a pose and proudly proclaimed-
"I'M HERE!"
The unsung hero of both the Tokyo Sky Egg and the Naruhata Lockdown, the man before them was Koichi Haimawari, also known as-
"OH! I know him!" Izuku gasped.
. . . Okay maybe not that unsung.
"Koichi Haimawari, Alias: The Crawler, also known as 'The Hauler', also known as 'The Cruller', also known as 'Cruller Man', also known as 'Nice Guy'," the greenette prattled off eagerly. "A former Vigilante who had operated out of the Naruhata area, following the events of the 'Naruhata Lockdown' a couple years ago, in a move that sparked a great deal of international controversy, instead of going to jail for all his vigilante activities over the years he was invited to become the sidekick to the formerly-controversial American Hero, Christopher Skyline, Alias: Captain Celebrity! But I had no idea he was back in Japan! OH!" he then gasped, clapping his hands on his cheeks. "And is that the Limited Edition All Might Dark Color Special!"
"Dude, your geek is showing~" Sero grinned.
"Ha hah! I guess you've got an eye for this sorta thing, huh?" the now-identified Koichi grinned rubbing the underside of his nose.
"Dude, what's with the cosplay?" Kyoka giggled.
"The real question is, why aren't you wearing any?" Koichi returned.
"Your costume is pretty unimaginative," Kaminari grinned, only to get the girl's [Earphone Jack] in retaliation.
"HAAAH! Who the hell is this poser?!" Katsuki growled, making his feelings on the man known. By the look of him, he was barely in his mid-20s. The fact that Koichi was a former vigilante did nothing to ingratiate him to the explosive teen either.
"This 'poser' as you call him…" Aizawa muttered, causing ice water to run down the explosive teen's spine as red eyes glared balefully at him, "has more technical skill with his Quirk in one hand than you do in your entire body. Illogical fixation on All Might aside, he's an extremely skilled crimefighter who's only further refined his abilities since his time overseas, and the reason I called him back here, with the principal's blessing, is because he's one of the few experts Japan has when it comes to fighting the Artificial Humans you all know as Noumu. Even if what he fought in Naruhata was just an early prototype at the end of the beta stage, it doesn't change the fact that it was frightfully close to what we've been dealing with now."
To say that Class 1-A was shocked by this revelation would've been a complete understatement. As a matter of fact, they were completely flabbergasted. This unassuming-looking 20-something had gone up against one of those… things, that had given so many Pro Heroes so much trouble? It was almost impossible to believe!
And yet, this assessment of Koichi's talent had come from Aizawa's own mouth. Sure, he lied about expelling the last-placer at the Quirk Apprehension Test, but he hadn't lied about anything else since then. And as much as Bakugou hated to admit it, Aizawa was always a straight-shooter, calling him out when he misbehaved, even if he did hate being talked down to.
"Aw, Aizawa-senpai, you're making me blush~" Koichi grinned behind his mask, Aizawa's scruffy eyebrow twitching before a wicked idea came to mind.
"As a matter of fact~"
The grin Aizawa was sending his way did little to make Koichi feel welcome at his new job.
"For the final part of today's exercise, how about we make our new teacher feel welcome with a good-old-fashioned game of Capture the Flag~"
"Uh… Flag?" Koichi blinked
"Of course~ You've got two of them right there on your head~" Aizawa grinned a wickedly-crooked smile, pointing to the two 'tufts' poking up from Koichi's hood, the young man squealing and pressing them down to his head. "Anyone able to rip one of those free gets a prize, with a grand prize for whoever gets two~"
"Now hold on a minute!" Koichi and Izuku protested.
"HA! That's it!"
*KABOOM!*
"THOSE HORNS ARE AS GOOD AS MIIINE!" Bakugou cackled gleefully, shooting at the All Might cosplayer with manic glee. The moment he was in front of his target, instead of going straight for the 'horns', he instead changed his trajectory before stopping mid-flight, the manic grin on his face ever-visible as he fired a full-powered blast into The Crawler's unguarded side.
Or at least, that's how it should've been…
The moment Bakugou shot at him, all idle thought vanished from Koichi's eyes and his entire body tensed for action. The moment Bakugou stopped at his side, Koichi had already raised his arm up like he were brandishing a shield, and from the trio of concentric glowing rings his Quirk manifested, dispelled Bakugou's explosion with a powerful repulsive force that knocked the teen backward, tumbling across the ground in shock.
"What… What the hell…?!" Bakugou demanded as he got to his feet, the All Might wannabee completely unhurt, the fire from his explosion splayed away from him like water on glass.
"Huh. Haven't gone up against one of those in a while," The Crawler hummed in a more-confident tone, the slimming nature of his mostly-black costume and the powerful hum from his ringed shield making him look far more heroic than he had moment's before. "So, is that the best you got?"
"PHEH! Not even close!" Bakugou raged as he shot at Koichi, The Crawler, once more.
"Whoa, did you see that!"
"He's repelling Bakugou's Quirk like it was nothing!"
"Midoriya! What was his Quirk!? It's gotta be something super powerful, right?" the students of 1-A asked in shock as their new teacher continued to neutralize Bakugou's attacks with his mighty 'shield'.
"His Quirk is called [Slide and Glide], which allows the user to project an attractive/repulsive force from their body like a forcefield," Genki spoke up, his eyes fixated on Koichi's movements. "From what my 'Uncle Fist' told me, originally it was a very weak Quirk only good for running away; one of those 'epitome of mediocrity' Quirks you see all the time in middle school where everyone thinks they have what it takes to be a Hero."
As much as Izuku hated to admit it, the majority of his peers' Quirks from Aldera Junior High immediately came to the forefront of his mind. Sure, the majority of them had Quirks, but looking at them objectively as someone who now had one, he could attest that the majority... wouldn't have made for very good Heroes and would've been better off as rescue workers.
"However, thanks to years of Quirk Reinforcement and illegal crimefighting before he went to the States, on top of an indomitable willpower, Koichi-senpai's been able to keep pace with some of America's top heroes. Maybe not the Top Ten, but for a guy without any formal Hero schooling…" he said as Bakugou's blasts were repelled once again, the explosive teen panting from exhaustion as much as he was from exertion. "Simply put, the guy's a prodigy, and if he'd been able to actually go to a Hero Academy, there's no telling how-high he could've climbed in the ranks in Japan."
"Of course, he would've had to do something about that ridiculous outfit…" Aizawa muttered, the gears turning in his head as he tried to figure out how Genki was connected to the 'Janitor of the Fist', as well as the sleepy-eyed kid that was now his junior.
"Hey now, imitation is the greatest form of flattery~!" All Might grinned bombastically. 'Still…' the No.1 Hero thought as he watched Koichi effortless repel the attacks of one of the strongest first-years. 'To think that this young man had been facing All for One's evil, without even realizing it. If he hadn't gone overseas after what happened in Naruhata, would All for One have…?'
"DAMMIT! WHY! WON'T! YOU! DIE?!" Bakugou raged furiously as he unleashed a staccato of explosions, only for them to be repelled. And it wasn't just that his explosions were being blocked. It was hard to tell, but those three rings projected from his forearm were rotating in opposing directions, actually shredding the explosive force of his Quirk to shreds like a tornado, dispelling it away from himself instead of outright repelling it.
"Sorry to say, but compared to his explosions, these might as well be raindrops!" The Crawler returned, suddenly shooting forward after Bakugou's latest recoil and placing a hand on his sternum. "Nighty night!"
A burst of smoke erupting from Koichi's palm, Bakugou was sent sailing backwards before rebounding off a wall, falling to the ground and groaning, but otherwise unable to get back up.
"K-Kacchan!" Izuku cried out in shock at seeing his rival brought low.
"Holy crap…!" Kyoka gawped.
"He-He just took down Bakubro!" Kirishima gawked.
"See what I mean?" Aizawa asked in a serious tone. "Though he hasn't gone to any formally-recognized school, nothing beats out real-world experience; and while the way he cultivated his Quirk was highly illegal, it still doesn't change the fact that he got results. Koichi Haimawari might be a pain in the neck, but he's the farthest thing from a one-trick-pony you'll ever find," he hummed, recalling all the ways that Koichi had been able to utilize his Quirk. And the last time he'd seen the kid was during the Naruhata Lockdown. 'Koichi… Crawler… Just how-strong have you become these last few years?' he wondered. 'Would us Pros even stand a chance of catching you if you were still a Vigilante…?'
"Genki? Just how-strong is The Crawler?" Todoroki asked.
"Dunno," Genki shrugged. "In America, he's always gone non-lethal, more-focussed on saving civilians than actually fighting, so I don't know how much 'stopping power' senpai has, if that's what you're angling for. And the stories from Naruhata have gotten so-distorted, there's no telling what's truth and what's embellishment. You throw Noumu into the mix, and it could go either way; for all we know, the rumors could've been downplayed."
"Hm. I see."
*FWOOOOSH!*
"H-Hey! Watch it!" Sero cried as Todoroki unleashed an ice wave at The Crawler. Though nowhere near as-grandiose as the "Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall", all that power was concentrated into the size of a freight train upon a single target.
*BOOOOOM!*
"Whoa! Did Bakugou get back up?!" Kaminari gawped.
"No way…!" Izuku gawped as the front end of Todoroki's ice wave exploded, The Crawler leaping up into the air like one of All Might's rising uppercuts, tiny rings of repulsive force glinting upon his knuckles.
The Crawler's eyes locking upon Todoroki, the moment he dropped down, instead of slipping on the ice, Koichi shot forward on all fours, four rings of repulsive force letting him zip forward like a hovercraft. Todoroki calling upon his fire, before he could let it out, The Crawler spun his body like a discus, his leg catching Todoroki's ankle and dropping him to the ground with a *THUD!*, The Crawler suddenly coming to a stop, hair-horns fluttering in the breeze.
"Hey! He's surrounded!" Kaminari cried.
"Let's get him! Everyone at once!" Mina called out.
"CHAAAARGE!" Sato cried.
"Turtle Style: Shooty-Go-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam!"
Rings of lights appearing all around Koichi's crouched body like the 'tiles' on a turtle's shell, the next moment Class 1-A cried out in shock as repulsive blasts of force the size of baseballs shot off of The Crawler's body in every direction like the shrapnel of a frag grenade. Young bodies hitting the floor, only those with the greatest defense like Kirishima, the highest agility like Genki, or the staunchest will like Izuku were able to weather the omni-directional attack.
"This is a good chance for all of you. Make sure you get the most out of this experience!" Aizawa called out.
"Um… I think it's a little late for that, Aizawa…" All Might said as a myriad of groans filled the air, the battlefield resembling a warzone there were so many bodies.
*Smack*
"AAH!" Toru recoiled where her hand had been slapped away by a 'back punch', only as a slap.
"Sorry miss, you've gotta get up pret-ty early in the morning to HOLY COW YOU'RE NAKED!"
"STOP SAYING 'NAKED'!" the Invisible Girl cried out.
"Dude..." Kirishima grunted rubbing his chest. "I know this guy's supposed to be some kinda All Might spin-off, but that was one hell of a lucky shot..."
"It was more than luck..." Izuku speculated. "Every one of those 'Shooty-Go-Blam' attacks was precisely aimed near the stomach or diaphragm to knock the wind out of us in such a way that those hit wouldn't be able to fight anymore. It might've looked random to a spectator, but in actuality it was a meticulously-planned attack done without conscious thought. That he could calculate the vectors of more than a dozen targets at once at hit us with pinpoint accuracy is just a hint at how much he's grown during his time in the States."
"So in 'nerd speak', he's a Counter-Type Hero," Genki hummed rubbing his arm where The Crawler's 'Shooty-Go-Blam' left an abrasion.
"So... What now?" Kirishima asked as Koichi continued to shield his eyes from the naked girl in front of him, while aforementioned girl attempted to shield her nudity with her glove and her also-invisible arm. "Discounting Hagakure, there's only three of us left, and Crawler-sensei already took out Bakugou and Todoroki."
"W-Well, the guy is a veteran former-vigilante. The only reason he was allowed to carry out his vigilantism for as long as he did was because the Naruhata area was ill-frequently patrolled by Heroes, so arresting him earlier in his career might've-"
"We know, we know, thrown mud in the HPSC's eye once people realized there was no-one there fighting the Villains anymore," Genki waved off. "Kirishima, I'll carry you, Midoriya, attack from the other side. While he's distracted, we'll-"
"W-W-Wait, are we really going to deface-"
"It isn't a real All Might hood-haired jacket, it's a replica made out of Hero Costume-grade materials. See? You can tell by the types of stitching," Genki hissed, Izuku squinting his eyes, but unable to see what he'd seen; at least at that distance. "Given the kinda Noumu he last fought, it's understandable the genuine article got torched, and I think the proportions on the designs are legally-distinct enough he can't get sued for it. Plus, with thousands of Heroes running around, there's bound to be some 'overlap'."
"O-Oh..." Izuku deflated. "So... when do we-"
"NOW!" Genki hissed, throwing Kirishima's right arm over his shoulder and grabbing him by the belt before shooting off, Izuku shooting off with [Full Cowling] a moment later. The four 1-A students surrounding The Crawler as they closed in, even if one of them was trying to shield her nudity, the remaining three of them reaching out for the hood-hair adorning his costume...!
"Breaker Style!" Koichi suddenly called out dropping onto his head. Strong neck muscles and a halo of light holding him up like an upside-down angel, the next moment he began to spin like a top, limbs flailing out and striking out at the surrounding students with blinding speed, the four of them thrown backwards onto the ground, Genki the only one left standing since Kirishima'd taken the hit meant for him.
"Damn, Crawler-sensei! You really are the real deal!" Genki grinned inside his helmet, his helmet's compound eyes scanning for anyone in any shape to help, only to find none as Koichi flipped back to his feet.
"Oh uh... I'm not that special... Just a guy who practiced a lot with his Quirk," Koichi said rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway..." he said lowering himself into a ready stance. "As your teacher, I can't just hand you the 'flags', you'll have to work for them!"
"Alright then... Since you and I are the last ones standing..." Genki said getting into a ready stance of his own.
An ominous wind howling between the surrounding buildings, as Koichi's feet were raised from the ground by a pair of halo-shaped forcefields, Genki's wings fluttered agitatedly. Eyes narrowing, waiting for some unseen signal, several tense moments later, three points of light like moons surrounded Koichi's [Slide and Glide] and he shot off at incredible speeds, Koichi following suit on foot.
" . . . So that's him, huh?" All Might questioned. "The one that gave all of you so much trouble."
"Ah, so Nezu briefed you then," Aizawa hummed. "I'm amazed the two of you never met. You were practically right on top of one another at the Tokyo Sky Egg."
"Er, y-yes, well..." All Might replied embarrassingly. "You know how it is."
"Let me guess. 'Scheduling conflict'?"
Which of course was the unofficial codeword between Yuuei faculty for 'All Might burned out all his 'time' fighting petty crime; again'.
"Y... Yeah..." he admitted. "Still, it was an inspired move to bring him back home! How'd you manage that with the HPSC?"
"Believe me, it wasn't easy. Had those Noumu not sacced Hosu the way they had and given all of us so much trouble, the guys upstairs wouldn't have been so-willing to prematurely end Koichi's 'probation' the way they had," Aizawa sighed tiredly. "Though contextually speaking, it was more like 'exile'. Vigilantism arises when the current Hero System is lacking, and Stain is only the most-recent example of such. He actually became much-beloved in Naruhata, which was why there was so much pushback from the citizenry when the call came down to finally arrest him."
"Oof... Politics..." All Might groaned, unable to see Koichi and Genki for any longer. "Since he's obviously such a huge fan of mine, I think I'll sign that hoodie for him when he gets back. A 'Welcome Back' gift~!"
"What's the point? It's not like that's real All Might merchandise, it's just a replica made out of Hero Costume-grade materials; you can tell by the types of stitching used," Aizawa hummed idly. " . . . You couldn't tell the difference, could you?"
"Er... Well..."
And that was the story of how Koichi Haimawari aka 'The Crawler' aka 'The Hauler' aka 'The Cruller' aka 'Cruller Man' aka 'Nice Guy' joined Yuuei's faculty.
*MHA*
AN:
Does Hatsume like Genki? Doesn't she? She's not telling, so let's find out together!
As for Koichi Haimawari aka "The Crawler" aka "The Hauler" aka "The Cruller" aka "Cruller Man" aka "Nice Guy" (geez, that's a lotta "also known as"-s) appearing in the My Hero Academia timeline (of Vigorous Vitality), that was actually a rather recent development, as I was waiting for a way to bring him in that would still follow the "rules" of the MHA world aka "make sense". Because let's not forget that he was technically an "Illegal Hero". He got some leverage because of how he helped turn the tide during the Sky Egg Incident, but when he started becoming a source of embarrassment for the Heroes, his dynamic with the official Heroes radically changed.
It also wasn't planned for him to appear this-chapter, but after catching up on Vigilantes, I got hit by a spate of inspiration and I'm really satisfied with how it turned out~
Anyway, as for him owning everyone in 1-A so-easily, if you've read the recent chapters of the Vigilantes spinoff, particularly the "Naruhata Lockdown Arc", you'd realize just how powerful he became after his timeskip; in particular, after his "Awakening", though the term was never used in Vigilantes to describe the phenomena for his Quirk breaking through its 'ceiling'. What makes it even more impressive is all his feats are built on a complete and utter lack of any formally-recognized Pro Hero schooling. I mean, Number 6 is basically a prototype "High-End Noumu", and that thing almost killed Endeavor. That Number 6 created body configurations just to defeat The Crawler makes Koichi's feat even more impressive~
Of course, the Vigilantes spin-off hasn't finished yet, so I kinda had to make up my own Headcanon ending for him in order to make him appear now in the main My Hero Academia storyline.
For some reason, I just really liked the idea of how "they" couldn't just send him to prison straight-up due to all the times he's embarrassed Pro Heroes during his times as a Vigilante; the time he escaped capture from dozens of Heroes including the No.2 Hero Endeavor, the time he escaped the combined efforts of Ingenium, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, and Eraser Head simultaneously, and the fact that he defeated the guy who caused the Naruhata Lockdown. Even if the HPSC would never formally acknowledge any of that, rumors would still get around because there were tons of witnesses, which of course would be a point of embarrassment for the establishment.
That and it's kinda amusing to imagine Koichi Haimawari (The Crawler) and Christopher Skyline (Captain Celebrity) galivanting about America in a "buddy cop" kinda way between the end of Vigilantes until the present. Especially since, if I'm interpreting it correctly, The Crawler became to Captain Celebrity, what All Might has always been to The Crawler (and also to Izuku aka 'Deku'); an inspiration and his "hero".
Anywho, tell me what you think! There really aren't enough MHA stories where Koichi appears, so I'm just doing my part to get that animated adaptation of the Vigilantes spin-off, you now?
GO BEYOND!
EXCELSIOR!