Reviews:
Sarah9730: There are two different types of Brutes. Brutes who are super strong and Brutes who have super durability. Mirko is a Brute 5 because of her super strength not super durability. And while I do think she is more durable than normal, she would have to be to withstand the force of her own strength and kicks without shattering her bones like Izuku every time she kicked something considering she doesn't have reality bending hax like the powers in Worm, she can still die to a bullet just like anyone else if she's hit in the right location. So she's a brute purely because of her super strength not super durability. Not all of the others have either super strength or super durability so they have nothing that can classify them as a Brute. Most of the less powerful hero's abilities in fights come from pure skill and training rather than above normal human capabilities. So a sufficiently skilled unpowered PRT grunt could absolutely give them a run for their money.
the DragonBard: He controls his feathers telekinetically. That makes him more of a master in that he is controlling something over a distance. That being said I can certainly see the argument for him being a shaker.
Guest: Well... You're not wrong. Or I agree with you at least. I can actually find a decent parallel in what you said to the story. My Hero Academia is the more idealized setting whereas Worm is the more gritty and realistic setting. That contrast is actually one of the reasons I wanted to write this story as I thought the disparity between the two would be interesting.
Izuku and Ryukyu got out of the PRT car that Ryukyu had borrowed from the Protectorate ENE Headquarters and walked into the building together.
Walking up to the receptionist Ryukyu said, "Excuse me. We would like to sign in, but I'm afraid I'm very new. So how would I do that?"
The receptionist looked up at her for a moment. "Oh. You're one of the new hires from Japan. Right. You really shouldn't come here out of uniform, but I understand yours must still be in the mail. Just something to keep in mind for future reference. Both of you just place your hands on that scanner there, one at a time, and it will read your fingerprints and D.N.A."
"Thank you. And sorry. I'll try to keep that in mind next time." Ryukyu said with a friendly smile, thankful for the receptionist's discretion. She then placed a hand on the scanner. A light traveled up and down the scanner before there was a beep.
"Alright, you've been signed in. Your turn, kid." The receptionist said, motioning to Izuku.
Ryukyu moved out of the way and Izuku placed his hand on the scanner. When it beeped, he removed his hand and looked at the receptionist nervously.
"Alright. You're both signed in. May I ask why you're here today before you head on back?" The receptionist inquired.
"Oh, I'd like to introduce Midoriya here to some of the Wards if that's alright. He's a big fan." Ryukyu stated, trying to keep the fact Izuku would be joining the Wards under wraps.
"Alright, you have permission so that should be fine. You can go ahead. Since this is only your second time here, would you like an escort to show you around?" The receptionist asked.
"Yes, please. If I'm going to be working here from now on, I would like to learn the layout a bit." Ryukyu said.
"Okay. Just give me a moment. I'll call someone over right now." The receptionist said before picking up a radio and walking a short distance back into his office before saying something into said radio. He then waited a moment before turning and walking back. "Someone will be with you in a moment."
"Thank you." Ryukyu said before she and Izuku stepped out of the way of the front desk.
About a minute later a PRT agent in uniform came out. Spotting the two of them immediately she said, "You two must be the ones I was called to give a tour. Follow me."
Ryukyu and Izuku did as the agent said and followed her through the building as she gave them a quick general tour. Finally they arrived at one final door. "And last but not least, this is where the Wards can rest after patrolling. It's labor day so I think most if not all of them are in there right about now if you want to meet them."
"Yes please. That's sort of why we came here." Ryukyu stated.
"Then both of you are going to need to place a hand on this scanner here. It's pretty much the same as the one at the front desk. It will read your fingerprints and D.N.A. Armsmaster has been working on upgrading it to be even more secure, for example this one knows exactly how many people are standing here at any given time and if anyone is inside it won't open until all of us have been checked to see if we're authorized to be here. It's also attached to an alarm so the Wards will be alerted anytime someone new is entering the room so they can have a few seconds to put their masks on in order to keep their identities private." The PRT agent explained.
"That's quite interesting." Ryukyu said as she approached the panel and placed her hand on it. When it was finished scanning her hand, she moved and Izuku placed his hand on the panel next. Finally the PRT agent placed her hand on the panel. The three of them then heard an alarm sound coming from behind the door. After about ten seconds the door finally opened and the three of them walked inside whereupon they were immediately greeted by the sight of seven Wards in full costume.
"Hey. So who are these two?" Asked the Ward who Izuku immediately recognized as Aegis from his research into the known parahumans residing in Brockton Bay.
"This is one of the new heroes from Earth Waw who just recently joined the Protectorate. The Dragon Hero: Ryukyu. And this is the newest Ward, 'Deku' or Izuku Midoriya." The PRT agent introduced them.
Izuku was surprised at first when the PRT agent said his actual name before realizing they already saw him out of costume and would thus figure out who he was the moment he set foot in Arcadia. He was still on edge about the whole 'unwritten rules' thing he had read about as he still wasn't quite sure how strict the people of Earth Bet were about them just yet, having only recently learned about these rules to begin with.
Aegis stepped forwards and held out a hand to Izuku. "Hi, Deku. I'm Aegis. Good to finally meet you."
Izuku hesitated, momentarily confused as to why Aegis was holding out his hand before realizing he wanted him to shake it. Grabbing Aegis' hand uncertainly he shook it and said, "Um… Hello… Sorry, I'm not really used to shaking hands like this… We never really did anything like this back in Japan…"
Aegis waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine, no worries. You'll get used to it eventually. That being said, you sound a bit down."
"He's still a bit… depressed about our situation. As are most of us, honestly, but I suppose we're just a bit better at hiding it than him." Ryukyu stated in a slightly gloomy tone. She also had people she cared about back home and was just as sad as anyone else that she may never get to see any of them ever again. Her tone then brightened back up as she said, "Anyway, I'm happy to meet you all! I look forward to working with you once my costume arrives!"
"It's nice to meet you too! So 'Dragon Hero', eh? What are your powers?" Vista inquired.
"Well, the first thing you should know is that our powers don't work quite the same way as yours. We don't have Corona Pollentia nor do we have trigger events. Rather our 'quirks' as we call them are purely genetic, so we're born with them. As for me specifically, I can turn into a western style dragon. This form grants me superhuman strength and durability, powerful jaws and claws, and wings which allow me to fly." Ryukyu explained
"That's cool. You're all lucky, I wish our powers didn't need trigger events to manifest them. What about you, Izuku? What's your power?" Kid Win inquired.
"Oh… Um… I guess I'm really strong and really fast… From what I understand they gave me a rating of Mover: 5, Shaker 5, and Brute 7… I might have had a higher rating but I can only use around twenty five percent of my power before I start hurting myself. In the past I didn't know how to control it so I was always using one hundred percent of my power all concentrated into individual body parts, so I would regularly break my bones. I only recently learned how to use less power and how to spread that lowered power out over my entire body." Izuku explained.
"That's rough. Glad you finally figured it out." Gallant stated.
"Oh that wasn't even the worst of it. During the U.A. Sports Festival he used each of his fingers one by one until they were all broken and even broke one of his arms and then he continued using his already broken fingers, yet he still lost the match because he was trying to get his opponent to use both of his powers. Because of this, pretty much all seventeen of us Pro Heros from Earth Waw all agreed he had to take a specialized test before being allowed to join the Wards. And depending on how the test goes, the PRT may decide to make you all take the same test. So, please do try not to be as reckless as he was before he figured out how to control his quirk." Ryukyu explained with a friendly smile.
Izuku blushed with embarrassment and looked at the ground.
"Dude… Okay, on the one hand that's badass. On the other hand, just… what the hell?" Aegis said in a tone that sounded both impressed and horrified.
"So, I guess I shouldn't tell him to 'break a leg' before going on patrol otherwise he might actually break a leg, eh?" Clockblocker stated jokingly.
"Let's hope not." Vista stated.
"I, um… I don't plan on breaking any more of my bones like that again if I can avoid it…" Izuku muttered.
"Pity. You could do with a few broken bones." Shadow Stalker commented.
"W-what?" Izuku inquired, shocked by this statement.
"Ugh… Just ignore her. She's rude and mean spirited to just about everyone if she thinks she can get away with it." Aegis said in an annoyed tone.
Ryukyu frowned at that. "Well that's not good… You shouldn't be rude to your teammates. Especially when they're going to be the ones watching your back in potentially life threatening situations."
"Whatever." Shadow Stalker said in an uncaring tone.
Kid Win raised a hand and said, "Don't even bother. Trying to get through to her is pretty much a lost cause. Anyway, we just got back from patrol. So why not take a seat somewhere, we can talk a bit longer. I for one would like to hear a bit more about what it's like on Earth Waw. Especially considering how different your powers are from ours." He motioned to the empty cushioned seats scattered in various locations around the room.
"If you two are going to stay here a while then I should get going. I have paperwork I need to fill out before I go home tonight." The PRT agent that served as their tour guide through the PRT Headquarters stated.
"Oh, okay. I think Izuku and I will be staying here to talk for a little while. Thank you for showing us around." Ryukyu said in an appreciative tone.
"Of course. Have a good evening." The PRT agent said before turning and leaving.
Izuku sat down in one of the few empty seats and Ryukyu sat down in another.
"So, um… Clockblocker? Miss Battery mentioned that your name is a pun and told me to let you explain it… So, um… What is the pun if you don't mind me asking?" Izuku asked nervously.
Clockblocker laughed at that for a moment while several other Wards groaned in annoyance before he said. "Oh that? You're from Japan right? I guess English puns must not make too much sense to you then. Well in english another word for a guy's penis is 'cock' and being 'cock blocked' is when someone interrupts you before you can have sex. Clock and cock are only separated by a single letter and my power freezes things and people in time for a few seconds. So I thought 'Clockblocker' fit my power and it was funny. So that's what I decided to go with."
Izuku recoiled in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that answer in the least.
"What about you? What made you choose the name 'Deku'? Kinda boring, isn't it?" Clockblocker inquired.
"Um, well… Someone I used to know called me that as a sort of insult… But one of my friends who I met at U.A. High helped me see the name in a different light… So uh… I decided to use the name as my hero name. I decided not to change it even though we ended up in an entirely new world." Izuku explained.
"Fair enough. Not what I would have gone with but hey, if it works for you it works for you." Clockblocker stated.
"So you can turn into a dragon? Does that mean you have the same abilities as Lung?" Vista asked.
"No, not quite. For one thing, my dragon form is very different from his. For another thing, I can't control fire like he can. Plus he seems to transform gradually whereas I transform very quickly but my transformation is relatively limited compared to him considering the fact he can go toe to toe with full on Endbringers like Leviathan. Based on what I've read about them I can say with decent certainty that I can't do that. Also, I look nothing like Lung when transformed. I look more like a cross between myself and a typical western dragon than whatever nightmarish abomination Lung turns into. I will readily admit I believe I am significantly weaker than Lung at his full capacity. In fact, I was barely keeping up even with the help of All Might, Endeavor, and Mt. Lady. His fire made it difficult to get very close to him for very long and my quirk sort of necessitates close quarters combat." Ryukyu explained.
"Oh, yeah. I heard about the fight with Lung. Apparently you guys launched him all the way into the bay. I saw some videos of him climbing out of the water on the internet and he looked furious, even transformed as he was. It was hilarious!" Clockblocker stated.
"Yeah, it was pretty funny." Kid Win commented. "I think most of us have had to fight Lung and his goon Oni Lee in the past. Not a fun experience. But seeing him get humiliated like that was pretty satisfying."
"Yes, well… It was unfortunate the fight ended the way it did. It would have been far better had we been able to actually apprehend him properly. The fact we failed, even despite our injuries at the time, is simply unacceptable. A criminal as dangerous as him, even one with the ability to fight Endbringers simply should not be allowed to roam free." Ryukyu said in a tone that sounded a bit ashamed.
"Hey, it's not your fault. Even some of the top heroes would have trouble with him. And as you said, you had just been dropped here out of your own world and you were injured when you fought him. So don't be so hard on yourself. You did your best. That's what counts." Aegis stated.
Ryukyu smiled at him. "Thank you. I don't necessarily agree but I do appreciate the sentiment. You are a good kid."
They all continued talking for a while until the sun eventually went down and the Wards needed to start heading home. At that point Ryukyu and Izuku decided they should head back to the Protectorate Headquarters. On the drive back Ryukyu asked, "So, Midoriya, what did you think about your new team mates?"
"They all seemed pretty nice. Well… Except for Shadow Stalker. She sort of reminded me of a quieter version of my former classmate Bakugo… But the rest of them were fine I suppose…" Midoriya sighed.
Ryukyu smiled slightly and said, "That's good. I think making some friends in this world will be good for you. I've certainly been trying to make friends with any members of the Protectorate I can… You know, I think most of us had friends and family back in our world that we're going to miss dearly. I personally had my parents and some Pro Hero friends… I can't say I'm not worried about them considering All for One is on the loose back in our world… What about you?"
"My best friends were the ones I met in Class 1-A. Most of them are really amazing! But… I'm mainly worried about my parents… They're probably worried sick about me… Or maybe they think I'm dead or that I've been turned into a Nomu and are devastated… Neither of them have particularly powerful quirks, so if All for One or the League of Villains attacked them… And… and my dad is usually away working so I don't even know if my mom is alone right now or not… O-or if she's even a-alive…" Izuku said, his eyes welling with tears and his voice breaking up a bit.
"Yeah… I get it… I'm in a similar boat. Like I said, most of my friends are other Pro Heroes so they at least have some ability to defend themselves and can potentially run away if they have to. But my parents… I'm scared of what could happen to them. Are they safe? What is All for One going to do to the general populace if and when he gains control? Will they be targeted because of their relation to me? After all, my identity was never really a big secret like it is for some heroes. I have asked myself these questions and more every day since we arrived. I'm still terrified about what the answers may be. So, don't think you're alone. I know exactly what you're going through since I'm going through the same thing myself." Ryukyu told him.
"I hope your parents are okay…" Izuku told her in a solemn tone, trying his best to reign in his emotions.
"I hope yours are too… You know, considering the danger my parents may be in because of their relation to me, I've actually been considering taking on a different hero name here in this world. You know, just in case. I don't want anyone I might meet in my civilian life to be in danger because they know me… I've been discussing it with the PRT but it seems most of the good names have already been taken." Ryukyu stated.
"Oh? What sort of names have you thought of so far? Maybe I could try to help?" Izuku offered.
"Hey, if you have some ideas, I would be open to hearing them!" Ryukyu said before listing off a few of the relatively terrible names the PRT had offered her.
[Protectorate ENE Headquarters]
"What do you mean their bodies are gone?!" Endeavor shouted at the PRT agent standing before him and the others from Earth Waw save for Ryukyu and Izuku.
"I mean exactly what I said. The corpses that came with you from Earth Waw have completely disappeared from the morgue. We have no idea where they went or who might have been able to take them." The PRT agent stated, unfazed by Endeavor's rage. "We're already investigating. We suspect a Thinker may have been involved since the only reason anyone would take the corpses would be for their genetics considering your powers are purely biological and that information has not been leaked to the public. And either a Master or a Stranger, so be on guard. We're going to be using key words and such to prove we aren't being mastered. You should all read up on master and stranger protocols as soon as you can."
"That, or someone working inside the PRT took them!" Endeavor growled menacingly.
The PRT agent nodded. "We most certainly have not dismissed that possibility. But what motivation would they have? There are very few biotinkers in the Protectorate and even fewer who could have stolen the bodies this quickly or this stealthily especially considering none of them are anywhere near Brockton Bay."
"What about this 'Panacea' individual who healed us while we were in the hospital? She knows our powers are genetic since she restored the quirks of those of us who had our quirks stolen from us including All Might who's quirk was degenerating naturally." Ectoplasm suggested.
"It's highly unlikely to say the least, but we are investigating her and New Wave as well just to be sure. Look, it was only just discovered that the bodies are missing about an hour ago and we're doing absolutely everything in our power to find those bodies and figure out who took them. Right now we only have a select few leads and we are investigating all of them. It's going to take time before we find anything, if we find anything to begin with. I was just sent to let you all know what's going on and why the funeral you were planning is going to have to be delayed." The PRT agent told them.
"Well, this is certainly troubling news… Our friends and comrades' corpses have gone missing and we have no idea who might have done it…" All Might stated in a frustrated tone. He was currently in his base form as he didn't want to strain One for All any more than necessary and speed up its degradation. Plus it was good for him to try to work his muscles in his base form as he still needed physical therapy after Panacea had used some of his muscle mass to repair his internal organs. "First we get stuck here, now this? It's just one thing after another… Alright. Is there anything any of us can do to help in this investigation? Anything at all?"
"As of right now?" The PRT agent asked. He then shook his head. "No. While some of you have excellent information gathering abilities, all of you are currently unnecessary in the investigation. We will let you know if that changes."
"Please do. I would be willing to help however I can. I just want to be able to give them a proper burial." Ragdoll stated.
"If that's all, I'll be going now. Off the record though? I'm sorry this happened. I know I'd be pissed off in your situation." The PRT agent said before turning and walking away.
As soon as he was gone Endeavor growled furiously and began pacing back and forth. "Damn it! This can not be happening!"
"Unfortunately it can and it is… I don't believe that the PRT had nothing to do with this. They had to be involved to some extent considering the bodies were being kept in a PRT morgue. Even if it is just a few rogue individuals in the PRT they had to be involved." Ectoplasm stated.
"Even if that's true, what can we do about it?" Best Jeanist inquired.
Ectoplasm was silent for a moment before saying, "I don't know…" He then sighed and said, "I'm going down to the docks to think. Hawks, Ragdoll, Edgeshot, Tiger, and Midnight would you mind coming with me? I want to talk about some things with you all."
"Sure. I've been wanting to get out and stretch my wings anyway." Hawks said, standing up and stretching a bit. "I haven't had a chance to go flying since testing yesterday and I've been wanting to see the city at night from above. This would be the perfect opportunity."
Ragdoll shrugged. "I guess so. I don't really have much better to do right now. I can drive!"
"If Ragdoll is going, I guess I'll come too." Tiger stated.
"Hm. My costume is still damaged but I guess I can make do." Midnight said.
"It seems like the car will be a bit cramped. But with Hawks flying I guess there should be enough room for all of us, so why not?" Edgeshot stated.
"Great. Then put on whatever's left of your costumes, if you care about keeping your identity a secret, then meet me at the parking lot." Ectoplasm told them before turning and walking to the parking lot. He wasn't in costume and he decided not to bother changing as trying to hide his identity would be a fruitless endeavor in this world considering what his quirk made him look like. So he headed straight for the parking lot, already having the keys for a car in his pocket. Ragdoll followed him, being the only one unable to retrieve anything from the room she was staying in as the League of Villains had taken her costume when they had kidnapped her.
As the two of them were making their way through the Protectorate ENE Headquarters they passed Izuku and Ryukyu. "Hey, Ectoplasm, hey Ragdoll. We just got back from meeting the Wards. What's up?" Ryukyu asked in a friendly tone.
"The corpses that All for One sent with us are missing. Me, Hawks, Midnight, Ragdoll, Edgeshot, and Tiger are all going down to the docks, so go ask the others to fill you in on the details." Ectoplasm said before walking past them, ignoring their surprised reactions and attempts to question him. Normally he would have stopped to talk to them but after hearing the news he really wasn't in a good mood and he didn't want to sound too annoyed with them if he didn't have to.
Ragdoll, on the other hand, lagged behind a bit and said, "Ectoplasm pretty much explained the entire thing. It's exactly what it sounded like."
"So wait, the corpses of the other Pro Heroes were just stolen? How? When? What is the PRT doing about it?" Ryukyu inquired.
"I'm sorry, it would take a bit to explain it all in detail! Like Ectoplasm said, just go talk to the others. They can fill you in on everything!" Ragdoll told them before turning to go catch up with Ectoplasm.
When he finally arrived, he waited by the car for the others. It took them several minutes but they eventually arrived. Hawks arrived first not having changed into his costume since he couldn't exactly hide his identity either, but having retrieved his visor to protect his eyes while he was flying. The next to arrive was Midnight. Her costume was cut and torn in certain places but she was wearing her shirt underneath so she was by no means indecent. After that Edgeshot arrived. Finally Tiger arrived.
"Alright, we're all here. Hawks, I guess you just follow along after us. Ragdoll, you offered to drive so here are the keys." Ectoplasm said before reaching into his pocket and handing Ragdoll the keys. He then climbed into the back seat of the car and took the middle seat. Ragdoll got into the driver's seat and turned on the car and Tiger took the front passenger seat while Edgeshot and Midnight sat in the seats on either side of Ectoplasm.
As they drove they all made a bit of small talk until they eventually arrived at the docks. At which point they climbed out of the car. Ectoplasm insisted on walking a bit so all of them did, Hawks included.
After they were a few blocks away from the car Ectoplasm stopped and said, "Okay. This should probably be far enough. Sorry I dragged you all out here but I couldn't be sure the headquarters or the car weren't bugged."
"It's fine. So what's this really about?" Edgeshot inquired.
"Well, as I told you all when we first arrived and back in the headquarters I don't trust the PRT. I'm absolutely positive that they had to be involved in the disappearance of our comrades' corpses. So, while they do their little investigation and inevitably get nowhere, possibly destroying any evidence that could link this back to them assuming they haven't destroyed it all already, I suggest we do a bit of investigating on our own." Ectoplasm stated.
He then turned and faced the ocean, "Thus the reason I need you two, Hawks and Ragdoll, since your quirks are by far the best suited for this sort of work. Edgeshot, Midnight, and Tiger, I mainly called you all out here to have some level of plausible deniability in case they ask questions about why I chose the two individuals with the best investigative quirks to talk to out at the docks. But also, I trust all of you with my life and I do think you should all know about my plan. Plus I think it would be good to have more heads to bounce ideas between. So, what do you think?"
"I think we probably aren't going to find much… Well, maybe we might weed out a couple corrupt or crooked individuals in the PRT but I doubt we'll find our friends' bodies if the PRT really is behind their disappearance… That being said, I'm all for it. This has made me a bit… 'frustrated', shall we say, with the PRT and there's at least a small chance that we may find something. So why not?" Edgeshot stated.
Hawks chuckled a bit and looked up at the night sky. "Heh… You know, when I was younger I did actually receive training by the HPSC for undercover work and being a double agent. I'm pretty sure I can put those skills to use here as well. It may take some time, but I'll see what I can find."
Ragdoll looked at Hawks in surprise. "You did?! Well I don't have any fancy training like that but I'll do whatever I can. Those heroes deserved better than this… If there's even a small chance that we can find their bodies, or at the very least find who did this and ensure they are punished then we have to try."
"I'm worried. Don't you think we may be a bit in over our heads? I mean the PRT is a very powerful organization. If it's found out that we're investigating them, who knows what the consequences could be?" Tiger inquired.
Midnight sighed and said, "I think that's a risk we're just going to have to take. Besides if they try to arrest us for this then that is a pretty good indication that they truly are as corrupt as Ectoplasm seems to fear. At that point we are strong enough of a group that we could separate from them and operate as rogues until we can gather enough evidence to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is corrupt and expose who those corrupt individuals are. While not preferable, it certainly wouldn't be the end of the world."
Tiger hummed in disapproval. "Hm… I still don't like it… But fine. I guess I'm outnumbered here. If you need my help with anything, you have my full support. Just be careful. I don't want to have to be labeled a criminal even temporarily."
Hawks patted Tiger on the shoulder. "Don't worry big guy. It should be fine. I think I'll probably be doing the bulk of the work anyway. Oh, but Ragdoll, with your quirk I certainly think I will be able to use your assistance at some point. Don't worry I won't ask you to do anything that could put you in too serious of danger but just be ready for if and when I call on you for some help monitoring some guys."
"Of course! Odd as it may sound, I'm actually looking forward to it! This sort of spy work sounds exciting!" Ragdoll stated in a more cheery tone.
Hawks smiled at her. "Glad to hear it, just be sure not to over do it. Just act like you normally would and everything should go perfectly smoothly. Or at least as smooth as it possibly can considering the nature of the investigation."
My Notes: Hmm... I wonder who could have stolen the bodies of the Pro Heroes that All for One sent through the portal, and why? What use could anyone have for them?
In all seriousness though, I'm considering having All for one send a few villains from MHA into the Worm universe as well. Like, I'm thinking some of the villains might join the Heroes in trying to fight him and he would send some of them there. What do you guys think? Is that a good idea? If so, who should I send? Two of them I was considering were Labrava and Gentle Criminal as another duo like Uber and Leet. But that was just an idea. Maybe some could join the ABB or something? I don't know. I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter!
