Chapter Ten

The Monster is Here


{}


Everyone in the café was shocked, to put things mildly. Everything from the announcement of Ingenium's death to the live airing of genocidal threats from the strangest creature any of them could have ever imagined… it was all too much. When the voice of a news anchor extolled the virtues of Ingenium and his distinguished career, a dreadful shroud of calm spread over them all. Then when it was revealed that he left a widowed wife and eight-year-old daughter behind, the calm was broken by a flood of emotion.

"Oh god this is too much… first All Might's hand… now… Ingenium… he was a dad! He had… he has a little girl!" The pink skinned woman was soon crying on the shoulder of a waitress she had only met hours ago, a woman whose name she didn't even know.

"Hush. It'll be…" Ochako stopped herself from telling the crying woman that things would be ok, or alright. They wouldn't be. The platitude felt empty, as worthless as words shouted at a television screen. Ochako still felt embarrassed about that.

The taller woman pulled a handkerchief out of her purse, because of course a rich girl had one of those, Ochako thought. Whereas most normal women might keep a small supply of disposable tissue, this princess had an actual handkerchief. She chided herself though for thinking anything ill towards someone showing obvious generosity. The offered cloth wasn't for the woman's own use, but for the pink skinned woman currently weeping on Ochako's shoulder.

Said weeping woman however could not see the offering hand nor its cotton contents. Instead Ochako reached out to take it. "Thank you… miss?" She prompted the other woman for a name.

"You're quite welcome, miss… Uraraka." She said, managing to look over the name tag on Ochako's maid uniform. "And it's good to meet you. I'm Yaoyorozu Momo."

She nodded gratefully for the introduction and the cotton tissue, normal protocol for introductions however remained interrupted by an outpouring of emotion on her blouse. Ochako nudged the crying woman so that the handkerchief could be put to actual use, and eventually got her to use it to wipe her eyes and then blow her nose. "There, feel better?"

The poor thing, Ochako thought, watching her nod that she was better when she clearly wasn't. None of them were, really. They just all were expressing things differently. It was clearly not a coincidence that the greatest display of emotion in the room was from someone who knew people living in the affected apartments. The anxiety must be wracking the rest of her emotions.

Once the crying woman extricated herself from Ochako, the waitress finally had a chance to introduce herself. "Uraraka Ochako at your service. It's good to meet you." The comment was to both of them, and out of embarrassing habit was accompanied by the same curtsy that Ochako was trained to always use when on the job.

Thankfully the curtsy elicited a giggle from the pink bombshell, restoring some life and light to her face. "Ashido Mina." She introduced herself, making an awkward giggle accompanied by a sniffle. "And thank you for the tissue."

"Oh, it's not mine. You should thank Miss Yaoyorozu here." Ochako raised her hands, not wanting to accept false credit for a good deed.

As Mina turned to offer thanks to Momo, an ominous tremoring rumbled through the restaurant. It was a low and rhythmic and was eerily like an earthquake. Plates and glasses shook on the tables as drinks rippled chaotically in the rhythm of the vibrations. It was accompanied by a faint thunderous sound from somewhere outside, a sound that was rapidly increasing in volume.

"The Monster is Here." Kaname spoke up from where she clung to her boyfriend, Sousuke. The sentiment was passably strange but tolerable earlier. Now it set everyone even further on edge.

"Everyone! Under the tables! Face away from the windows!" Ochako barked the command out with more force than she knew she could muster. Her instincts proved right, saving everyone from the worst of what came next, but not for the reason she had assumed. The building shook, and the windows shattered, but thankfully everyone kept their faces and eyes turned away long enough to avoid glass injuring their eyes. When accounting for everyone's safety, Ochako was completely correct in the order she gave them all.

As the shadow of Mount Lady passed over them all, they were all assured that this was not an earthquake. They were safe from that, at least.

That assurance felt like ash in their mouths as a rampaging horde of bestial ape-like creatures, all armed to the teeth, rushed past their position. The smell of carrion inundated the now-open-air restaurant, summarily ending any appetites that prior news had left intact. Immediately they were on an adrenaline-fueled state of alert as the horde seemed unending. There were easily dozens of the creatures, and they all shared a wordless yet growing concern that the group would have stragglers… observant ones.

Their concern was well founded.

A lone monster strayed from the pack, sniffing at the air. It moved slowly towards the broken windows of the café. The smile it made upon seeing a group of cowering humans caused Ochako's stomach to sink. That grin reminded her of the expression a fat man once made when she worked at a buffet, happy with so many choices in front of them yet pondering where to start. She knew then that to this thing, people were food. She didn't need to wait and watch it grab someone to confirm that theory, the stench of its blood-stained face was evidence enough for her.

She had to do something.

She was shocked when it was Mina, the pink woman who had flooded her blouse with tears just minutes ago, that acted first. Rushing after her, Ochako was both surprised and impressed when Mina unleashed a long spray of powerful acid directly at the creature's face, ruining its vision. It thrashed around haphazardly, swinging its arms as it searched for someone to grab and kill.

Ochako wasn't going to let this thing find anyone, not a single person to victimize. She clapped the outstretched arm that pawed after her as she activated her Quirk, nullifying the hold gravity held on the creature. It pounded the ground in frustration as she dodged away, and the force sent it hurtling uncontrollably. The thing grabbed at a ruined window frame in order to hang on and avoid floating away.

Unfortunately for the monster, that hand soon lost every finger worth speaking of when Momo sliced them off with a sword that she seemingly pulled from nowhere. Glancing at the taller woman, Ochako saw that she had a tear in her blouse that revealed a toned midsection. Right then, as she was grateful for the woman's help in the fight, Ochako decided to accept that Momo was as close to a perfect person as she would likely meet, and resolved to swallow her jealousy for the taller, richer, better looking woman.

Instead she focused on the monster, keeping her anti-gravity Quirk fully active so that it couldn't find purchase. She glanced around, hoping that no more stragglers remained. However, there were three that she could spot terrorizing other shops on the street, as well as a few corpses that proved her earlier theory correct. They clearly had died as a result of chunks of flesh being bitten from their bodies, as well as subsequent blood loss. Ochako fought hard within herself to not get sick at the gruesome sights.

Curiously though, was that the three remaining stragglers were moving sluggishly. Then Ochako saw the cause.

The pro-heroine Midnight was choking the life out of one of the brutes from behind using her whip, all the while surrounding herself with a cloud of wispy pink and purple smoke. He Quirk allowed her to produce a powerful air-based sleep-inducing toxin that worked better on men than it did women. Interestingly, the gas was proving effective against these creatures as well, suggesting that gender mattered more than species for her Quirk. Her hero costume, a breast-less leotard over a flesh colored bodysuit, seemed more for show than for practicality. Her whip however was proving extremely practical at the moment, as it cut off air and circulation from the blood red ape. Once the monster was strangled to death, it dissipated slowly into fine sand.

Almost immediately, Midnight rushed from the dissipating creature to the one floating near Ochako, grappling it with her whip before using her leverage to throw it high up into the air. With no gravity to hold the creature, it helplessly was propelled by inertia higher and higher, until of course Ochako released her hold on her Quirk. None of the ladies present said anything about it, but they all enjoyed the moment it went splat on the asphalt about fifty meters away.

Well, all the ladies except one. "That was fucking awesome!" Mina declared. Ochako simply blushed.

"You, with the gravity Quirk. Help me do the same to these two." Midnight ordered. She was too severe, too exhausted to admit how much this amused her. It did, however, amuse her. When they did it twice more the novelty still did not wear off. It turns out that launching monsters into the stratosphere by the power of your muscles and a helpful gravity-defying Quirk is quite therapeutic. This is especially true when the monsters have been killing people, providing a sense of justice to the act. The gratuitous gore when they hit the ground also proved cathartic to Midnight.

But they had wasted precious time. There were dozens more of these things, and they were chasing Mount Lady. "Alright, ladies." Midnight said, taking command of the situation. "I have a lot of ground to cover. The general order is out authorizing me to deputize volunteers. Anyone volunteering, explain your Quirk to me quickly."

The younger women understood implicitly that if heroes were deputizing civilians, then the battle across the city was not going well at all. Things had to be far worse than the news was reporting to the public. Momo specifically was concerned, recalling that the creature on the broadcast boasted that he and his fellow aliens were nigh-unkillable. Clearly, they weren't invulnerable, but rather just immortal.

Just immortal, as though the phrase could be thought so casually. As grim as things were, they could still fight back. "Yaoyorozu Momo, and I can create anything by using the lipids within my body. I'm limited to items whose chemical composition I understand." She stood forward, introducing herself.

"Ashido Mina," the other said. "I can produce and spray acid from any part of me and can determine how strong the acid is." Whatever emotions wracked her before, she was dealing with them now. Her expression was calm and determined.

"Uraraka Ochako, and I can nullify gravity with a touch." She said but then added hesitantly "I have to keep my focus up to keep the effect going, but I can affect multiple objects or even people at once."

Midnight nodded at the three young women. Good, they all had Quirks that could help with combat. "You, Miss Yaoyorozu, yes?" Once she received an affirmative nod she continued. "Make three gas masks. This will protect all of you from my Quirk. Then I won't worry about having to hold back."

A short blast of energy caught their attention. Turning quickly, they saw Sousuke blast one of the ogre-like apes in the face as it struggled back to life. Apparently that one hadn't been hurt enough to completely evaporate. "You!" Midnight called out to him. "You're not volunteering?"

His combat potential was obvious. With an energy discharge Quirk he could help them on the front line. But to their disappointment he bowed apologetically. "My apologies, but there are people back here that need to be protected. Please leave them in my care."

Midnight considered his words and nodded affirmatively to him. "Please gather up non-combat civilians and bring them indoors to as secure a location as you can find." She left him to his own devices once that order had been given.

"He's staying here for Kaname, his new girlfriend," Ochako thought. She understood. She only wished she knew someone that would show her that kind of dedication. It occurred to her that if she had accepted his invitation to a date, then he might now be accompanying them to the front line. For Ochako's sake, who in that missed opportunity, that alternate path, would have been his girlfriend. She pushed the useless thought to the side as she accepted a gas mask from Momo.

Gas masks secured; the three young women followed Midnight in a mad dash towards the horde of monsters. There was a great distance to cover. Suddenly though, Momo came to an abrupt halt.

"What's wrong?" Midnight asked the younger woman.

"I just realized… I should tell my driver where I'm going!" the insufferably rich woman stated, not understanding the looks of aghast disbelief she was receiving from her three other companions.

"Your what… you have a what?" Ochako couldn't contain the words, blurting them out before thinking about it. Seriously though, Ochako thought, she not only has a car somewhere nearby but a driver?

Midnight however leapt on the situation from a far more practical angle. "How many passengers can fit in your vehicle?"

"Well… six if you count my driver, though more if you squeeze in together…" she seemed genuinely embarrassed as the situation dawned on her.

"Well lead the way, rich lady, we're gonna taxi our way to this battle!" Mina's enthusiasm helped break through both the awkwardness and the jealousy the two other young women. None of the others could tell though if "rich lady" was uttered out of forgetfulness of playfulness. It seemed likely the answer was both.


{}


It wasn't a car, at least not as Ochako thought of cars. It was a limousine, a long black limo, the kind with a privacy window between the rear passengers and the driver. The back had rear facing seats behind the driver and front facing seats farther in the back. And despite Momo's earlier estimate, it could easily fit six people in the back and two more up front.

"Nice ride! And this isn't a rental right?" Mina did not seem the least bit bothered but displayed her envy with bubbling positivity. But why would she ask if this was rented? Ochako decided not to think about that.

"Thank you for transporting us, Mr. Michaelis. It's truly appreciated." Ochako could sense Midnight's appreciation for their driver. He was a tall thin man with good looks, dark hair and was dressed in a fine butler's suit. For an older man even Ochako thought he was attractive. He just wasn't her type.

"It's no trouble at all, Madam Midnight." He said with a smile on his face. While the rest of them were still high on adrenaline, he seemed utterly calm despite the scenery he was driving through or the danger he was driving towards. "I pride myself on being the best butler or chauffer that I can be, and it would be a very sorry example I would set if I could not offer you all the service you needed. Young mistress, if you would be so kind: there is a first aid kit under the back seat. Do please take that with you. Also, be sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat a snack. I know how your Quirk tires you out." He chided her gently the way an older sibling might, and Momo appeared somewhat flustered from the attention. However, she did follow his advice.

Changing the topic, Midnight had to ask. "Do you happen to have a Quirk that can help in the current situation?"

His smile didn't waver. "I do wish I could offer you a better answer but…" he swerved to avoid some debris on the road, a portion of a building that had fallen not long ago. It appeared to be from fairly high up, and was a composite of masonry, glass, and wood framing. "I'm Quirkless." He said, setting the car back into the correct lane.

Ochako was quietly shocked, whereas Mina openly gasped. Quirkless individuals were becoming rarer and rarer. Momo's mouth was too full to offer any commentary, but she nodded as it was something she already knew about him.

Quirkless often lead difficult lives, unable to compete in their field of choice against job candidates with applicable Quirks. She hated to watch as it happened, but Ochako saw a moment of grief pass through Midnight's eyes. It was as though she was able to pinpoint the moment Midnight was no longer able to see the man as a worthwhile man to flirt with. Instead he would be an object of pity.

Like that poor boy in the shell.

"I just… don't understand." Ochako said, frustrated at the whole situation.

The two young women in the back regarded her with concern. Midnight looked over her shoulder, and from their brief eye contact Ochako felt prompted to continue. "It's just… I get that these things are villains from another world. What bothers me is why they decided to kidnap a Quirkless boy and… experiment on him."

Their driver, Mr. Michaelis, was the only one in the vehicle who caught on to the fact that the Quirkless youth was a boy in the eyes of Ochako and her companions, despite being the same age. He wisely chose not to engage in a philosophical discussion about the infantilizing of minorities by the powerful throughout human history. He had accepted his own limitations a long time ago and wasn't about to endanger the position and prestige he had attained, limited as they were.

Midnight however offered up a theory that ignored that nuance. "It could just be that they determined Quirks would interfere with whatever it is they're doing to the poor boy."

Mina surprised the other passengers when she offered up her own insight. "I don't think that's it. If that thing talking to his mom is believable, then they picked her son very specifically. The thing even laid out a whole education course for him like some twisted guidance counselor… like, it wants to take him to some university on another planet or something."

"He was quite explicit about that, wasn't he? A palace… and something about martial arts training. That's a lot of trouble to go through if they picked a random Quirkless… no, you're right, they picked him for a reason." Momo surmised. "And the thing was quite dismissive of Quirks, as though they just didn't matter… to him, if you can call that a him… we're all Quirkless."

Mr. Michaelis smiled at that. If some good could come from this disaster, then it would be from people like the young woman he served under. Miss Yaoyorozu, he observed, could see the irony of the situation: that the things attacking the city regarded their Quirk possessing society with extreme disdain, a disdain reminiscent of the condescension society regards the Quirkless with. That thought was interrupted though when he noticed something in his rearview mirror and brought it to Midnight's attention.

Midnight raised a hand, quieting the conversation. Lowering her window, she regarded a motorcycle that was rapidly gaining on them. She used her hands to signal the rider to her side. She seemed pleasantly surprised when the rider's helmet raised up, revealing a face that though partially burned was quite recognizable.

Aizawa Shouta remained as striking as ever and was a relief to Midnight's hidden anxieties. "Eraserhead. Glad you could join us." Midnight spoke into the comm on her earpiece. It was far more convenient than shouting on the road.

"Midnight. Traveling in style I see. Follow me. There's too much debris up ahead to get to Mt. Lady straight on. I know a shortcut." Her comm system roared to life, though with more static than she would have liked. The others in the vehicle grew quiet, listening carefully to the conversation. Other than occasionally passing instructions to their driver Midnight focused on Eraserhead's words as well.

"I'm not going to lie. The situation is worse than any we've been in before. Enemy squads have attacked several cellphone towers in the area and decimated two bridges. Another group just attacked a power substation using suicide bomber tactics. They're systematically cutting out our communications and our major access points. Thankfully we use a geo-synced satellite for our comm system." He sighed audibly into the comm.

After swerving to avoid another bit of debris he continued. "We're estimating that there's at least five hundred ground troops and just as many air support units."

"Air support?" Midnight asked, alarmed.

Eraserhead confirmed her worst fears. "They're nasty wasps just as big as people, and their sting melts organic matter. Be careful of those. The army is trying to move in but is having obvious logistical difficulty. Our job is to help Mount Lady escape the city with the Shell in tow, and rendezvous with the Japanese Self Defense Force (JSDF)… which will then compel the enemy to give chase to a location of the JSDF's choosing." He paused, then got to the worst part.

"If we fail, the JSDF's instructions are to aid in civilian evacuation efforts and to contain the threat until bomber support can arrive from Okinawa." Okinawa. Bombers. That meant they had asked the Americans for help. This was no longer deemed a domestic affair, but an international incident.

"Something in your tone tells me not to look forward to the help the United States is offering." Her statement had a visible tensing effect on the women in the back section of the car.

"The United States Air Force has been ordered to extract the shell and to drop it into the depths of the Pacific… before bombing the city as a test of the enemy's supposed immortality." He said the words as neutrally as possible, but his seething anger was poorly hidden just under the surface.

"So, they're fine killing the hostage and leftover civilians? And Japan is just going to take that lying down?" Midnight asked scathingly.

"Oh, they wouldn't target the whole city indiscriminately. They're quite good at taking out marked targets. But no one, not in our government or theirs, is concerned at all about the civilian inside that shell. Officially he's being treated as a casualty already. Our Prime Minister requested the help… rather explicitly. That's why we can't afford to fail. We must confirm if he's alive. It's been hours since Gang Orca assessed his status, and the boy's been written off. The enemy commander has been incapacitated, so this is our only chance before the cavalry arrives." He said the word cavalry with undisguised disdain.

Moving on to forming a plan, Midnight volunteered what she could about her deputized civilians. "I have an anti-gravity Quirk, an acid Quirk, and an object creation Quirk, all in the hands of capable civilian volunteers. If we can keep these ladies safe, they should be a big help in moving the shell while Mount Lady can fight her way into an organized retreat."

If Eraserhead could have glared at her at such high speeds he would have. Midnight knew his opinion of deputizing civilians. He hated it. Even now, students from UA University were being relegated to mostly non-combat roles around the city at the direction of faculty heroes such as himself. Taking volunteers who had never even taken the first year of training into a combat zone was, to him, the height of irresponsibility. "You know I don't think that's a good idea."

Midnight looked back over her shoulder at the three young women. None of them had spoken a word since her communication with Eraserhead had begun. All sat with full attention placed squarely on her. These women were putting their faith in her and wanted to justify her faith in them.

"We're out of good ideas, Eraserhead. Now all we have are bad ideas and hope." Her tone did not leave room for an argument.

There wasn't any time left for discussing the matter. They were too close. The battle was audible from their position. As they rounded another corner, what they saw was something completely unbelievable. Midnight actually laughed. It wasn't ironic or pained, but a thrilling sound of excitement and joy. The sight before them was the best thing she had seen all day.


{}


If Ochako had paid attention to where they were going instead of keeping her focus on Midnight, she might have recognized that they were now in the district her family called home. Block after block of densely packed apartments assaulted the senses with an onslaught of mundane sameness. The buildings were all repetitions of each other, an ugly but cost-efficient array of concrete structures designed to house as many people in as little space as possible. It wasn't the least desirable place in Japan to live, just the least desirable in Musutafu.

Every major city in every first world nation has such a district, the part of town that just isn't as nice as the other parts. It's usually an older part of town in desperate need of redevelopment, or a part with government subsidized housing, or both. People live there because the rent is low, and they want to get out of there because it's crowded with neighbors, most of them less than friendly. Streetlights get repaired less often, which accounted for the current low visibility of the place. The police usually arrive late to the scene when crimes are reported compared to calls from nicer neighborhoods, resulting in entire districts being generally better prepared to deal with unwanted home incursions than the remainder of the citizenry.

Illegal or not, that meant that most people in this neighborhood knew how to use their Quirk in a fight. So, when they saw a genuinely likable hero such as Mount Lady running for her life from a swarm of monsters, clutching desperately to her cargo which the creatures desperately wanted, the good but rowdy citizens of the neighborhood decided to fight. No vote was called. No rallying cry from a town leader was uttered. No such organization was needed; they all innately understood what the right thing to do was.

The right thing to do was to kick some alien ass.

The scene that Midnight, Eraserhead, and their civilian volunteers found was one of utterly glorious chaos. Quirks of every variety were on display and being put to uses most would never consider. An entire section of the street was awash with soap and suds thanks to an elderly woman's unusual cleanliness Quirk, and the apes there found little to no purchase to stand upright. This left them vulnerable to being pelted with masonry, fireworks, and hot wax thanks to the efforts of three enterprising youths. All four of these long-range attackers acted in support of a whole gang of brute force close range fighters, whose powers ranged from a young man covered in spikes to an older gentleman with the ability to sap strength away from anyone he touched. This elderly gentleman was becoming stronger and stronger as he traded blows with one particularly angry ape.

Across the street a battle cry could be heard. "For Ingenium!" an elderly lady cried out as she lobbed something that looked to be a giant wad of chewing gum from the window of her apartment. The rallying cry was echoed from other windows as objects were thrown, shots were fired, and Quirks were activated across the neighborhood. As a full unit of the creatures was pelted from all sides, they raised their gauntlets up to shield themselves in something reminiscent to the classic turtle formation, moving forward as a slow methodical unit.

Farther along on the other side of the street the creatures were rallying to defend themselves from an onslaught of fire and wax, accompanied by occasional blasts of gunpowder and an occasional rally cry of "For Ingenium!" from the windows. What struck Ochako though was the burly man holding the front line so that his neighbors could continue their ranged assault. He was swinging an old beat up car like it was a baseball bat, careful not to lose his grip on it in case his gravity-grip Quirk would stop working on it. Even on this moonless night and at this distance, she recognized him immediately and could not be any prouder of him than she was at that moment. Any regrets she may have had about leaving work without talking to her manager first were gone the moment she saw her father fighting to keep their neighbors and their building safe.

Of course, all this violence and mayhem had a focal point. In the distance Mount Lady knelt low, significantly reducing her twenty-meter height. She way she struggled to moved and winced, Ochako could guess that the leg she kept behind her was injured. Worrisome yet almost comical, the gigantic woman was using the shell as a bludgeoning weapon to knock down and flatten any of the ape creatures that got too close. There was a crazed look in her eyes, a bloodlust reserved for these horrible creatures.

They needed to get to her quickly. Despite intervention from the neighbors, squadrons of the creatures continued to pour through, pressing toward their objective and the woman guarding it.

At Midnight's instruction, Momo made several more gas masks, one of which Eraserhead immediately put on. "The plan is simple." She said to the young women following them. "Leave the heavy fighting to the two of us. We're professionals. You're here to stay behind us and offer support. Act with discretion and to preserve your lives. Only do something risky if we order you to: otherwise you might do something we don't anticipate, and it will make protecting you more difficult. Miss Yaoyorozu: your job is to supply gas masks to front line fighters among the civilians so I can freely use my Quirk. Miss Ashido: your job is to use your acid as a tripping hazard and keep the enemy off balance but do it from a distance please. And please don't hit us with it." She made an apologetic gesture, knowing that there was not a diplomatic way to make that request.

Midnight then turned to Ochako, who fixed her gaze away from her father in the distance and on the pro hero right in front of her. "There are more heroes coming, but no one is more qualified than you for this particular mission. Miss Uraraka, I need you to use your Quirk on that shell so we can move it out of here and away from the city. Do you think you can keep it active for long term transport?" The question seemed curious on the surface, but the tone of her voice let Ochako know that the answer to this one question could mean life or death for all of them.

All of them. The heroes. Her neighbors. Her father.

"Yes. I can do it." Ochako said.

Eraserhead stepped into the conversation. "I will be on the front lines with Midnight." He indicated the long scarves he wore, clearly replacements for his previous set. "However, once you make the shell weightless, I'll be the primary transportation for it. By towing it behind me I'll use up my scarves which will lower my combat utility. Fortunately, more heroes are on the way, but time is not on our side. We must get to that thing and move it outside the city. From there we'll worry about signaling the JSDF. In the meantime, everyone: keep a look out for the giant wasps. We abandon the plan if they arrive and regroup into a building in order to come up with a new strategy." His orders were clearly meant to be obeyed.

But Ochako didn't know if she could obey those orders. If a major threat like that descended from the sky, she didn't know if she could retreat while her father was outside fighting. She considered telling the two heroes about that complication, about her father being visible from where they stood. Then she thought about how much this mission was relying on her and her Quirk….

"Yes sir." She and the other two young women said. Even as the acknowledgement of her orders left her lips, Ochako prayed silently that she was doing the right thing. Staying close behind the two professionals, she and the two other young women charged in.