Hi again.
This chapter will start with a flashback. From there we'll slowly go forwards in time to where the last chapter left off.
I'm sorry if my way of showing flashbacks can be confusing. I'll be occasionally specifying how long we're flashing back to as we do. Just remember that:
'' = speech
' = thoughts
'' 'quote' '' = one character quoting another previous line
[][][] = little transition
{}{}{}= flashback begins/ends
Now, I'll respond to some reviews:
Ringlhach:
I'm British, so I have no idea how much cheap fast food costs in the US. But over here, you can get a crap ton of McDonald's for like 50 pounds, which is what 7k yen is roughly equivalent to.
The point of specifying that they'd spent that much wasn't to suggest it was expensive; it was more like 'hey, we bought an absolute ton of food for you guys.'
Regardless, thank you for understanding the struggles of writing hahaha. And thank you for your compliments, it does wonders for both motivation and confidence. (Also, if you're still with the USAF, good work! The forces is by no means easy work!)
PasiveNox:
I really don't know what to say at this point. It really does make me smile to myself when I see you left a review. If only every writer had someone like you to keep their spirits high! Thank you very much!
This will likely be the longest chapter of anything I have ever written. We'll have plenty of fluff between Izuku and the girls after, I swear! Enjoy!
{}{}{} YESTERDAY{}{}{}
Nejire had flown home from UA in just 20 minutes. She entered her apartment and took in the lavender aroma she was so fond of. She quickly kicked off her shoes at the door and ran to the laundry room, where she stripped and placed her worn clothes in the washer.
She zoomed across the spacious studio apartment and into her bedroom. She put on new panties and a new bra before entering her walk-in closet.
Her hero costume and gear lay on a stand at the very end, flanked on either side by dresses, blouses and as many pairs of jeans and leggings as she could fit.
She slipped on her costume and secured her gauntlets. The design was both aerodynamic and stylish. However, it's most important design feature was to allow her waves to straighten or disperse when their dials were turned. She traced along her curves with a gloved hand. The new suit was tight fitting. Again, this was purely for the sake of smooth flight. 'At least it isn't as revealing and curve-hugging as my last UA costume.'
She looked at herself in the floor length mirror in the closet. She was glad she had stuck to the same colour pattern of turquoise, royal blues and white. Even her utility belt (an addition from just a few weeks ago) was the same white colour as her boots and chestpiece.
''Can I be bothered to do my 'hero hair' today?'' Nejire thought aloud as she ran a hand through her bangs.
''Nah!'' She turned on her heels and ran back to the bedroom. Her eyes scanned for her handbag. She had left it on the edge of the bed, pretty typically. She slung it over her arm and jogged into the enormous open space that made up the majority of her apartment.
The window was not just a window. It was the entirety of the wall that faced out into the streets below. The opacity of the glass could be adjusted using a small switch in the living room, but she almost always left it clear. After all, who would spy on her on the 40th floor?
The living space stretched from wall to wall; the kitchen was on the right as you entered, the small home gym was right in the centre and the couch, tv and armchair sat to the left, with small bookshelves and coffee tables dotted around.
Nejire entered her kitchen. Much like her costume, the overbearing theme was turquoise. The kettle, the microwave, the cookie and sugar jars, even the cabinet handles all shared the colour. She opened the fridge, which was plastered with pictures from her school days suspended by magnets.
'Hmm, tortellini? When did I make that?' She pulled out a cooled tupperware box full of the pasta. She held it up to eye level and searched for other contents. Boiled eggs? Had she made this while she was drunk or something?
''Meh.'' Nejire quickly shoved the box into her handbag and slammed the fridge shut. She wiggled the bag to let the tupperware hit the bottom and ran to the window. She activated her quirk and two panes slowly separated to allow her to hover outside. The panels slowly closed behind her as she edged away.
Mei had personally designed that feature. And basically the entire apartment complex. Plenty of heroes living in one building would've been avoided like the plague a year ago. But with the lack of extreme threats from All for One and his followers, there was far more safety in numbers than previously thought.
Nejire flew downtown towards Best Jeanist's agency. The Fibre hero had called a small group of powerful pros together to perform a recon and takedown mission a few cities over.
Nejire landed with a stumble at the doors to the agency, ignoring the crowds of civilians wowed by her sudden decline into the streets.
She entered, spoke to the receptionist and entered the spacious elevator.
''Hold the elevator, please!'' A female voice called out. Nejire did as requested, and leaned around the frame to see Bubble Girl.
''Ah, Nejire-chan! So good to see you!'' The blue-skinned woman greeted.
''Hi Awata! You here for 'the secret mission?''' Nejire asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
''I am. Tsunagu said he would need a capture hero. So I volunteered through our direct line.'' Kaoruko said as she urged Nejire to let the elevator go.
''Ah, I see. How have you been since Centipeder retired? Are you seeing anyone? Oh, have you finally mastered the 'Burst' technique?'' Nejire slowly closed the gap between them.
Bubble Girl, clearly flustered at the amount of questions, simply mumbled a bunch of nothing answers and prayed they'd reach the top floor soon.
The doors slid open and Awata breathed deeply before attempting to answer her colleague's queries. ''I've been fine; I recently started my own agency. I am not seeing anyone, though I am trying to find a boyfriend. 'Burst' is finally ready to used in the field.''
Nejire nodded along as they strode down the hallways and into the conference room. Best Jeanist sat at the head of the table. Hawks, Ryukyu, Fat Gum, Midnight, Eraserhead and Lemillion sat in random seats around the table.
Nejire squeezed her eyes shut and sighed deeply. Mirio being here was going to be a very big distraction.
''Welcome, the pair of you. Please take a seat.'' Best Jeanist steepled his fingers as he turned back to one of his interns, a teen in white and blue spandex with a single-eyed helmet. The boy pressed in a dial on the side of his helmet and a hologram erupted from his visor.
''This message was pre-recorded. This is imperative to our objective. Please consider this before you react.'' Best Jeanist nodded to his intern, who slowly turned the dial.
Static and radio interference filled the holoscopic globe which allowed all viewers to get an identical eyeful of the transmission. Then a figure appeared, perfectly framed. Their spiky red hair and equally ruby stubble made him unmistakable.
''Endeavor!'' Midnight couldn't help her surprise. Many heroes were taken aback to see the fiery hero, but only realised the potential severity.
''Hello, heroes.'' Enji Todoroki began. ''Forgive me if my appearance places some of you in a position of stress. I have that effect on people.''
Nejire tilted her head and took in the Hellflame hero's appearance. He had been behind bars for about 7 months now. Were they allowed to contact him?
''Best Jeanist assures me that my advice would not be needed were the potential for danger not so high.'' Endeavor's mouth became a fine line.
''An ex-associate of mine, an intern by the name of Molten, is the objective of your mission.''
Fat Gum scoffed. Whether a turncoat case or an abduction case, an experienced pro hero being their asset was never a good sign.
''During a patrol 17 days before All for One's full-scale assault, he was attacked whilst on patrol by All for One himself.'' Enji winced. ''He was hit with an enragement quirk and melted half a block before myself and Moe Kamuji, aka Burnin, brought him down and the quirk's effects were cancelled.''
Mirio leant towards Hawks' next to him. ''He strong? This Molten guy?''
Hawks answered with a knowing grin. Mirio sweatdropped.
''It wasn't until after All Might's victory over All for One that the true purpose of his seemingly random attack was.'' Enji continued, the recording obviously unaffected by the chatter. ''Molten has been subject to a post-hypnotic suggestion. He has been tasked with assembling as many surviving and escaped followers of the Symbol of Evil as possible.''
Nejire's eyes burst open. 'Escaped?' Had this Molten broken any of the League of Villains out of Tartarus? Were the public unaware of super-criminals wandering the streets?
''He must be stopped. From my cell, the actions I can take to assist you are limited. However, my knowledge of Molten's quirk, strengths and weaknesses has been written down for you.''
On cue, Best Jeanist threw several files on the desk. The group of heroes was only distracted for a moment before returning their attention to the hologram.
''I wish you the best of luck, heroes. Perhaps when my sentence ends, I may be welcomed back amongst you.'' Enji smiled sadly before the transmission ended.
The intern stumbled on wobbly legs. Jeanist leapt to his feet to keep the boy standing. ''You did well, Seemore. Rest now.'' He gently pushed the boy into his seat and paraded around the large table.
''Moru Tenotoko. Quirk: Lava Launcher. He can… throw lava? Really?'' Bubble Girl looked through the file skeptically.
''He's no joke, Awata.'' Hawks skimmed the file, having read it several times over. ''He has the potential to level acres worth of land in minutes.''
''Why weren't we informed of this sooner? Someone with this 'potential,' as you call it, could have already struck by now, no?'' Aizawa scowled.
''He's been tough to track down, Eraser.'' Best Jeanist could only offer excuses. ''The hypnosis seemed to have been activated months after All for One was secured inside Tartarus.''
Nejire shot up in her seat. ''W-Wait!'' The other heroes, alarmed at the distress in her tone, turned to her. ''How many others could All for One have hypnotised?!''
Mirio's eyes widened. ''A-All those turncoat cases just weeks before the Final Showdown…'' He came to the realisation.
''Yes.'' Best Jeanist said bitterly. ''We have reason to believe that the other two heroes who had similar enragement incidents were also hypnotised. We also can safely assume that they are currently being harboured by Molten in his safehouse.''
''Which would be where?'' Midnight spoke as she noticed the missing detail from their file.
''Sapporo. He has been there for a few days now. It would seem that he is gathering his forces there.'' Hawks said. ''He isn't attacking the local populus or heroes. It would seem he fully intends to be under the radar.''
''Seemore is watching the building closely. Unfortunately, having one of his visual offshoots so far away is draining him. We act tomorrow. For now, we will take some time to coordinate ourselves.''
Hours passed. The plan was in place. Every hero knew their role. It seemed that the odds were stacked in their favour.
Nejire couldn't help but feel that they were walking into a trap. One that aimed to take every single one of them out and ease Molten's villain militias's access to the capital city.
She had studied his costume specifically during these darker thoughts. The Lava Launcher had very little in terms of armour or padding; he had clearly operated under the assumption he could make some of his own whenever he desired it. Instead, he had settled for a white t-shirt that had flames travelling up it, almost like a hot rod car. He was almost always covered in small pools of magma regardless, so the tacky shirt was seemingly a second thought.
She rocked in her bed. It was midnight already, and she had intended to sleep early. No chance of that. She had never felt this anxious before a hero operation before.
She tapped her phone against her chest. Could she tell Izuku? Could that jeopardize their plan? What if Molten's villains had a technophile among them?
She plugged in her phone and laid back. Maybe the mission would be a complete success.
''It will be.'' Nejire whispered to psych herself up. 'I promised I'd be at his graduation…'
{}{}{} NOW {}{}{}
''Ready to go, Nejire-chan?'' Best Jeanist asked.
Nejire nodded as she slowly hovered into the air. The 'safehouse' Molten had acquired was a simple apartment building. It was certainly the tallest building nearby, with most of the surroundings being small stores and restaurants that had only a single floor.
Under the cover story of a gas leak, the majority of the building had been evacuated during the day. Now the sun was beginning to set and the late rush of traffic, both vehicle and foot, had cleared up, they were free to move in.
They were to commence in a few minutes. Nejire was to help Ryukyu contain any attempted escapees as Jeanist, Eraser, Lemillion and Fat Gum moved in as a tight unit. Midnight would trail just behind with Hawks and use her pheromones to render the close-quarter villains either unconscious or close to it. To avoid friendly fire, the 7 other heroes all wore gas masks. It was lucky that Hawks had regrown his wings again, or they'd have to wait for Aizawa and Kayama to travel all the way from UA as opposed to Hawks simply carrying them.
25 minutes later and Nejire was high above them now, her waves keeping her steadily suspended. She could just about see Fat Gum entering the complex and Mirio phasing through a wall. Ryukyu was standing on top of another apartment block some ways behind, observing as she did.
There was a brief, incredibly nervous few seconds where all she could hear was her heart pounding in her chest.
Then the building burst like a balloon. Magma spewed from the enormous opening in the building and rained into the empty streets. Fat Gum had been sent reeling and landing in a restaurant across the street. Hawks exited at speed too, carrying the other 4 heroes in the protective embrace of his wings, though they had all spilled out into the street in various directions.
From her airborne position, she struggled to see who had launched them so far. Although she had an idea.
Judging by the amount of people fleeing from Molten that were catching alight and being burned to a crisp, there would be little need for herself and the Dragon hero to stay at a distance.
She held a finger to her earpiece and called out to the heroes on the ground.
"Everyone okay?! Should Tatsuma and I engage!?" She turned back to see the blonde woman transforming, obviously equally eager to join the fray.
"No! We can handle this! Try to keep some at bay and save those who are burning!" Jeanist yelled into his comms.
The bluenette disregarded his reply and scanned the ground below. Molten, the wind Hero Gust, the water hero Splash and the earthen villain Terror Former were all approaching them.
"Are you sure!? These guys aren't pushover!" Ryukyu said worriedly.
"We're fine! Molten's the only issue here!" Mirio said confidently.
Nejire winced. For an experienced pro, that was slightly too overconfident. Nejire tugged her sleeve up and pressed a button on the inside of her gauntlet three times.
Ryukyu, now in her dragon form, watched her former intern closely before doing the same with her bangle.
The pair glanced at each other before plummeting to join their comrades.
[][][]
Vlad King was marking his class' tests when his phone started beeping. "A distress signal!?" He pulled his phone off his desk and glared at the screen.
"Ryuko!"
He leapt to his feet and jogged to his coat rack, pulling out his mask and extra first aid from his jacket.
"Hello! Is there anyone here?!" A voice called out into the staff room.
Vlad King turned to the source.
"Midoriya? Look kid, now is not a great time to-"
"Nejire is in trouble!" The greenette said, his tone deadly serious as he held up his receiver to show that he, too, was getting a distress signal. He had clearly scrambled into his hero costume, judging by how loose it looked on him.
Vlad King grimaced. "We need to be fast. Ryuko said that they had 8 pros with them tonight. If they're in trouble-"
"Then it must be bad." Izuku finished.
Vlad King nodded. "Can you carry me?"
"To Sapporo? I can try…" He made sure to display just how unsure he was. He was still limping slightly from the Joint Training earlier today, after all.
"Yes. Can you do it, Midoriya?" Vlad King asked once more. He didn't want to force the boy, but they would certainly need to get there fast.
"I-I…"
"Perhaps I could help?" Tokoyami said as he entered.
Both Izuku and Kan raised a brow.
"Hawks has summoned me. I must rescue him. He mentored me well. I owe him this servitude."
"Then we have to move fast." The Blood hero ran out of the teacher's lounge and led the two up the roof.
Tokoyami summoned Dark Shadow; the dark construct laughing as it formed enormous wings that spread past the length of the roof.
Tokoyami motioned for his teacher and classmate to hop onto Dark Shadow's back.
When the two were sure they could avoid falling, Fumikage flapped his wings and took off in the direction of their fellow heroes.
[][][]
Nejire flew through the street swiftly, lessening the effects of her waves as she used them to extinguish a villain who writhed in agony as his body was engulfed in flames.
She found herself saving more villains than beating them up. She scanned the streets again. All the nameless goons were clearly just as important to the villains as to her hero comrades.
Of the 15 or so that were in the burning street, only one of them hadn't been hit by a villain's quirk and knocked out. And in all fairness to the one straggler, Ryukyu landing on him talon-first likely wasn't much more enjoyable.
Terror Former stood before the two of them. Being the only true villain amongst the four, he was the biggest threat. He wasn't even supposed to be here. They had no prep to fight such a foe. The Earth Manipulation user turned to the two women and thrust his hands towards the ground. Mounds of dirt and earth erupted through the concrete and both of them were forced to take evasive action.
Behind the newly formed barrier, Hawks and Gust fought a dangerous stalemate. Both had the ability to create strong winds, though the speed at which Gust could was slowly but surely pushing the Winged Hero back. Midnight was also fairly incapable at this distance and in this high wind, her pheromones would be picked up by the gusts and carried away.
Aizawa had placed Splash in his capture cloth, but struggled to keep his eyes open long enough to close the gap between them and take him down.
"HEY!" Fat Gum yelled as he burst from the restaurant he had landed in and sped towards Splash. Aizawa tightened his grip as Splash wriggled and squirmed in an attempt to break free before he was hit.
It didn't work. Fat Gum grabbed the brainwashed water hero by his hair and slammed him, face first, into the ground.
Aizawa let the capture cloth unfold and return back to him, only for Splash to rise to his feet again.
"What?!" Fat Gum exclaimed, astounded at the hydro powered man's resilience. "How is he still standing?!"
Aizawa went wide eyed. Splash was still standing, yes. But upon closer inspection, he was certainly unconscious. His body now moved as if it was puppeted.
"No way…" Fat Gum's mouth gape. "What the hell did All for One do to these guys?!"
Aizawa held a finger to his ear and yelled into his comms. "They can't be knocked unconscious! We have to either permanently stop their quirks or kill them!"
Nejire gasped in shock as she flew over Terror Former's barrier and slammed into Gust's back, sending the hooded woman sprawling.
"Thanks!" Hawks said as he launched razor sharp feathers into the wind hero's flattened form, pinning her down to the ground.
"Don't try and get up, Kawazaki!" Midnight warned Gust as she rushed to the restrained woman's side. Nemuri opened her sleeve and secreted several different forms of knockout and hallucinogenic gases.
Upon combining 3 or 4, Kaze Kawazaki's spiralling wind currents finally died down.
"She gonna be alright?" Hawks asked over the booming sounds of combat behind them.
"No." Midnight said sadly as she stood. "But she won't die. That's the worst scenario avoided, at least."
"We need assistance!" Best Jeanist called out through their earpieces.
Nejire and Hawks flew up simultaneously, getting a good view of the interior of the apartment building.
Molten had simply reduced it to a crumbly, fiery mess. Jeanist dodged and weaved as best he could, but couldn't get any leverage. Even Mirio was forced to phase through several levels and onto the street. Despite not being on the best of terms with the boy of late, she still felt a twinge of concern as he nursed a gash on his arm.
"Just keep him busy! We're almost done here!" Midnight responded.
Nejire was brought out of her thoughts as a powerful water current knocked her further into the air.
Splash swirled Fat Gum in a whirlpool to his right whilst Aizawa tried in vain to erase his quirk through a wall of water.
Hawks divebombed to the water hero, slicing his chest with a wing as he did.
As Hawks rose up again, he felt a small chill on his arms. Water began to fill his clothes, expanding and expanding until he was simply too heavy to reach his average heights. He dropped like a stone onto a rooftop and crawled to the edge.
"Give me a few minutes! I-I can fix this!" He yelled down to Midnight and Nejire as he used his feathers to slice his jacket and shirt, water spilling from the openings.
Nejire took off again and fired her waves in two directions; one at the water wall restricting Aizawa's vision and one at Splash himself.
The puppeted man reeled at the extreme force of her quirk, but was either resistant or ignorant of any pain.
On a more positive note, the liquid barrier was broken down enough for Aizawa to simply erase the water quirk.
The whirlpool ceased and Fat Gum dropped to the ground with a thud, dazed and unable to stand.
''Great. His quirk is gone but now none of us can reach him in time.'' Aizawa grumbled.
As if on cue, Splash was engulfed by an enormous turquoise bubble.
"Bubble Girl!" Nejire flew down as Awata rounded the bubble.
"S-Sorry I'm late! Traffic sucks!" The short-haired woman offered weakly as she strained to keep Splash contained.
Aizawa cancelled his quirk for a third time as Midnight pumped her concoction into a small gap Kaoruko made in the bubble.
The group waited patiently to see if Midnight's gas would even have the same effects on an unconscious person.
When Splash slumped against his clear, round prison, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Awata popped her bubble and Shio Tsuyoi briefly flipped before landing into a face plant. Nejire internally fangirled as Bubble Girl's 'Burst' technique finally happened in front of her.
They didn't have time to celebrate. The sound of eerie cracking and creaking filled their ears as they turned back to the remains of the apartment building. Mirio came flying out of the wreckage a few floors under Best Jeanist, who was still somehow on a level field with Molten.
Until the Lava Launcher raised a single boot and slammed it into the floorboards. Jeanist stumbled as the ground beneath him collapsed. The hero leapt from the top floor into the street below, where Fat Gum leapt and caught him.
Molten simply covered himself in a shroud of magma and fell through the building as it collapsed around him.
The heroes backed up to avoid some of the debris that cracked the concrete they once stood on as it landed. The entire building crumbled and fell in on itself. Molten walked through the rubbled, using his quirk to instantly melt anything that came too close.
The ground beneath them shook as Terror Former took advantage of his ally's distraction. He had surrounded himself with earth, making Ryukyu's dragon form too large and too inaccurate to grab him.
''I'm sorry, everyone. I'll circle around and try to find another angle.'' Ryukyu flew up into the sky in a loop in an attempt to make a sweep along the ground.
''What's the plan?'' Aizawa said as he readied his capture cloth in his hands, despite the knowledge that it would likely have little effect.
''Get him to the river? We can nullify his flames, potentially.'' Jeanist offered.
''Do you think we could get him in one of Awata's bubbles?'' Hawks hovered behind the pack, a dagger in hand.
''We'd need a water hero for that.'' Fat Gum wobbled on the shaking ground, and slowly crept towards Terror Former.
Molten slowly approached, clearly in no rush to begin their skirmish.
''He isn't attacking…'' Midnight said softly. ''Is he waiting for something?''
The ground beneath them suddenly stopped quaking. Fat Gum's eyes widened as he looked to the Earth Manipulation villain.
''Move!'' He exclaimed.
An enormous mound of earth several stories high burst through the ground under their feet. Rocks of varying sizes littered the roads and threw them all over the block.
Nejire had recovered in the air and caught Bubble Girl, though the same recovery had evaded her friends.
Jeanist had dodged, only to be swatted down the street by Molten. She couldn't see from here, but he would no doubt have serious burns.
Fat Gum had wrapped himself around Hawks to protect him, but had taken the full force of the attack. Most of his fat was now gone as Hawks gently placed him on a rooftop across from the fight.
Midnight and Aizawa collided mid-air and were sent spiralling down to the roofs in the next street over. As Nejire placed Bubble Girl back on the ground, she prayed that the two teachers were okay. They would definitely need Aizawa if they were to win.
Mirio simply phased and dashed towards Terror Former, who tried in vain to thwart the blonde boy's advance with dirt blockades.
Mirio grabbed the villain by his neck and leapt out of his dirt hut.
''Get off me, you damn kid! I'll bury you ali-''
His threat was both unheard and unthreatening. From their airborne position, Ryukyu had come swooping past and grabbed the villain from Mirio's waiting hands.
Nejire cheered her former mentor on as the Dragon woman zoomed off into the sky with Terror Former. Not much was known about the villain, but a lack of resources would surely nullify his quirk.
''I'm going to take him into the mesosphere and deprive him of oxygen. I'll be back when he's unconscious. Stay strong, heroes. I'll return soon.'' Tatsuma said into her comm link. It was lucky it still worked in her dragon form, though they had Mei to thank for that design.
Nejire turned to Molten. Mirio was right. He was definitely the most dangerous.
Terror Former was the spanner in the works they hadn't expected. The lack of knowledge on his quirk and strengths had forced them into this corner.
She quickly looked around her. Mirio. Awata. Takami. And her. Not ideal. Their numbers had been halved and now they faced the most dangerous villain since Shigaraki's defeat and death at the hands of Deku roughly a year ago.
''Go high, Nejire!'' Mirio slipped through the ground suddenly. Nejire briefly stumbled before leaping back into the air and firing powerful waves towards Molten.
The brainwashed hero dug his heels into the ground as he attempted to resist the power of Nejire's quirk. After a solid 10 seconds of slowly sliding along the asphalt, Mirio burst from the ground with an uppercut. Molten's chin took the brunt of the attack; he fell onto his back as Lemillion slipped back into the ground.
''Takami!'' Bubbled Girl yelled to Hawks.
''Yeah!?''
''Give me a lift! We need Eraser!''
Hawks looked between her and the two heroes engaging Molten. He sighed deeply before swooping down and grabbing her. They climbed in the air, towards the roof of a small supermarket where the two teachers had landed.
Nejire quickly peered over her shoulder to see them before launching more waves at Molten's prone form.
The Lava Launcher rolled away in time and sprayed a powerful hose of lava at her. Her eyes widened as the viscous liquid seemed to warp into a net whilst airborne. She fired waves at it in the hopes of dispersing it. The magma simply buckled into a single glob that was about to drop right on her.
Until… poof!
Nejire disappeared in a flurry of pink smoke. She reappeared a few metres away from the now landing lava puddle. She recognised the quirk that had saved her. And the head of short, pale pink hair that rested atop a large multi-purpose mask.
''Yuyu!'' She exclaimed in both relief that she had avoided almost certain death and that Yuyu had actually responded to her message.
''Up, Nejire!'' Her friend commanded as Nejire clambered to her feet and fired a single wave at Molten, who had been trying to readjust. The ex-hero staggered backwards, directly into a powerful gut punch from Mirio.
Togata had badly burned his hand doing so, but Molten was visibly winded. Mirio slipped into the ground and appeared behind the two girls.
''Hiya, sweetheart! Ready to fight?'' He quickly greeted before he focused his vision back on Molten.
''I'm fine. Where are the rest of your team?'' Yuyu rolled her shoulders. Nejire took a quick look over her hero costume.
Yuyu Haya had a teleportation quirk. She could simply disappear into thin air with a small puff of pink smoke left behind every time she did. She could teleport objects and people as long as she was touching them when she did so.
You would never think that from looking at her hero costume. For someone who loves cute things, she went for an entirely different approach for her hero life.
Black and skintight from neck to foot, with pink accents that matched her hair. Then again, the highlights changed when her hair changed. It was blue two weeks ago; did that mean the costume had changed too?
''Scattered. Hawks and Bubble Girl are trying to get Midnight and Eraserhead back over here.'' Mirio matched Yuyu's seriousness.
''Hmm. Well it's four on one until they get back then, huh?'' Haya's voice came through her gas mask well.
''Four?'' Nejire asked.
''Mhmm. Here he comes now!'' Mirio laughed as he pointed down the street. Molten turned to face the newcomer too, though he seemed disappointed by the figure in the distance.
A spiky array of onyx-coloured hair, a white clock with a purple vest. And that trademark uncomfortable smile.
''Tamaki! You came!'' Nejire exclaimed as she fired more waves at the distracted Molten. Mirio phased through the floor once more as Yuyu teleported away. Tamaki leapt into action, his entire left hand becoming an alligator's head and clamping down on Molten's forearm as he reached their target.
With his right hand becoming an oyster, he didn't fear burns as he slammed the shell into Molten's face. Mirio rose up and landed a well-placed kick to his temple. Molten toppled over and landed on his back.
Yuyu poofed into the battle about 20 feet above his face. Rather cartoonishly, the Transferral user had returned with an anvil.
For the first time during their battle, Molten emoted. His eyes widened in surprise and he tensed. Lava spewed from every pore and covered him before it suddenly imploded. Mirio phased to dodge and Tamaki's legs became frog legs before he quickly leapt back at full force to avoid the 'combo breaker' Molten had used.
The anvil was reduced to a pile of melted metal that landed and bubbled on the volcanic man's chest. Yuyu felt Nejire pluck her out of the sky before the bluenette swung her away and further into the sky. Yuyu transferred again and reappeared next to Tamaki.
The four reconvened and faced Moru Tenotoko again. Though it would be difficult to suggest he looked anything like he did mere minutes before.
He was coated in volcanic sludge. It was as if he had had a can of red paint cover him from head to toe. The layer was at least a few inches thick and yet he walked and shifted himself as if it weren't there at all. The mixture bubbled and hissed as he strode towards them.
''Well we can't touch him anymore…'' Amajiki grimaced.
Nejire fired her waves at the mass, only for said mass to shrug them off.
''Right. Guess we're dodging for now!'' Mirio advised his friends before running up the street to give the other 3 room to maneuver.
Nejire took off and Yuyu grabbed Tamaki before teleporting to the rooftop behind them.
Molten sprayed various strengths of his weaponised outfit at them, with varying degrees of accuracy. Lemillion could dodge as long as he needed. Suneater had several natural shields. Yuyu could simply disappear. Nejire was not so blessed. Her flight was slow, to be honest. It was more of a light hover. And Molten recognised this.
He launched several jets of magma into the sky where she desperately tried to dodge. Once again, Nejire found herself under a cloud of fiery death. Only to be saved once more by…
A giant wing?
''Ryukyu!'' She spun and looked up.
''I'm afraid not, Hado-senpai.'' Tokoyami said as he pulled back Dark Shadow's embrace around her, the magma simply sliding off the appendage.
''Stand down, villain!'' Vlad King called out to Molten as he leapt off Tokoyami and into the street. ''You can't hope to win!''
Molten stared at him. ''Where is the boy?'' His voice was slightly warped through the layer covering him. It was the first time he'd spoken tonight.
He lifted his head, lava dripping off his chin. ''There. Finally.''
Nejire turned to face what Molten had finally found so compelling to speak.
Izuku.
The greenette was using Float above them, Black Whip slowly trailing down his arms.
Molten wasted no time. He bent his knees, lava pooling around his feet. Vlad King recognised the danger. The Blood hero sprinted towards their volcanic assailant. Molten flew into the air with explosive force as he used his quirk to launch him like a jetpack.
Izuku released four whips, each wrapping around a limb and holding Molten in place. He kept the villain a ways away, not wanting to risk a sucker punch.
The lava layer around Moru's face receded. ''Izuku, my boy. It feels like eons since we last spoke.''
Izuku's face hardened. He recognised that voice. Moru still appeared himself. But his face warped into a strangely eager grin.
''All for One?'' He asked hesitantly.
''Ah, I see your intelligence has remained after my defeat. Yes, it is I. Though not in the flesh, unfortunately.''
''What is your plan? When this body is destroyed or your presence leaves, what have you gained!?'' Izuku snarled.
''Oh, dear boy! Such feistiness! Maybe your father's quirk returning to you has brought his temper with it?''
Izuku's eyes widened. Why was he surprised? It was All for One, for goodness' sake. The man seemed to know everything anyway.
''This small talk will not suffice, I'm afraid. I orchestrated this battle to speak with you; I had best not waste the brief moments we share.''
''Then speak.'' Izuku did not fear him. How could he after what he had seen over the last 3 years?
''I have been defeated. I shall admit that much, though it harms my pride. The portions of my brain remain dormant. For that, I can commend you, Izuku.'' The body the Symbol of Evil resided in jolted violently.
''Although I may be beyond recovery, I suggest you keep your eyes opened, Symbol of Peace.'' Moru's eyes seemed less glassed over than just a few seconds earlier. ''Your first true battle is to begin when you least expect it.''
Izuku's face hardened. ''Why are you telling me this? What do you gain!?''
All for One's laugh eerily erupted from a body that was not his own. ''If I can't destroy One for All, then I will just have to let someone else do it. And knowing that you, despite my warnings, will be powerless to stop it… hmm, yes. That will certainly make the few thoughts I can fathom much more pleasant.''
''I will not fail so easily. I have allies. Friends. Mentors. I can overcome anything thrown at me!'' Izuku yelled confidently.
''We shall see, Izuku. Give Toshinori my regards.'' Molten's body began to vibrate, limbs flailing wildly as best they could under the grip of Izuku's Black Whip.
Best Jeanist, most of his body scalded and leathery with burns, observed from his prone position as Gust's paralysed form did the same, although not to such an extent due to Hawks' feathers pinning her.
As Hawks and Bubble Girl used their quirks to safely plant Aizawa and Nemuri in the street, Splash began to convulse as the others did.
''A word of advice, if I may,'' Moru's true voice began to break through as he spoke. ''Watch those who love you closely, Izuku.''
Moru stopped his writhing and fell limp in the air. Izuku pulled the man towards him as the laza faded and gripped him tightly as he cancelled Float.
He fell briefly, only for Yuyu to appear in front of them and teleport them to a spot a few feet off the ground.
Fat Gum caught the two just before impact and slowly lowered them down. Izuku could feel his overworked muscles aching and his skin peeling and burning as he lowered Molten to the ground.
As the last of the magma dissipated, it was clear to see the All for One had forced Molten to go far beyond his limits. Despite his heightened resistance to his own quirk, he was not impervious to its effects.
Izuku felt himself being tugged away by Best Jeanist's threads as Midnight and the more experienced pros surrounded the heavily wounded man.
Ambulances and the police arrived as if they had sensed the end of the battle. The blaring sirens and flashing lights suddenly became very distant as Nejire's face filled his vision.
As she spoke, he found himself tuning out involuntarily.
'For those who love you…'
Uhhhh, hi. Thank you for reading. Apologies for the length of this chapter. I've read over it as well and as observantly as possible, but I may still have mistakes here and there. I have no beta reader, so I do the typical author thing and seemingly just subconsciously tune out mistakes. You know what? I'm reading through this again after I type this Author's note!
Terror Former, Molten, Gust and Splash are all OCs. Their names are literally just synonyms of their names in Japanese with a few extra meanings hidden here and there. I'm especially proud of Terror Former, purely for the pun name and the fact that he seems like a plausible villain.
Now, for those of you wondering about Yuyu's costume and quirk… fear not! Her quirk, as of me writing this, has not been officially confirmed. Nor has the appearance of her costume.
I decided that her having a quirk that was very similar to Nightcrawler from the X-Men would complement both her personality and her interest in 'cute things', like Nejire. Her costume being very dark is also a reference to Nightcrawler, who has very dark blue (and in some cases pitch black) skin in the comics.
In the near future I'll be explaining why Nejire is on odd terms with Mirio. Could Yuyu be partly to blame? Hmm? ;)
Alright, goodbye for now. Next chapter will be fluff. I SWEAR.
Seeya!