Chapter 4: S stands for…?|An Unexpected Turn of Events
Coughing up whatever remnants of water remained in Mina's lungs, she eventually had enough of her voice back to ask the frog hero one question:
"Why him…!?" She asked, Tsuyu sighing in exasperation. The frog continued to put up various premade dinners and ramen noodles, before slowly making her way into the Living Room. Izuku, seeing that she was going to the couch, decided to move out of the way and sat on a nearby rocking chair. After getting herself situated on the incredibly soft confines of the white couch, stained a bit due to Izuku's blood, she finally decided to share the story of how she had met up with him, and how it all played out. Mina cringed throughout the entire thing while Izuku tried to remember for the life of him why the name 'Mineta' sounded so familiar. Of course, she left out the part about Nomus- She didn't exactly feel like extrapolating on that quite yet with her friend.
"So, after we fought off the villains, Mineta ran off to try and find the main Meenlock, and I just kind of left him to do his own thing." Tsuyu explained, as Mina shook her head. Clearly, she wasn't convinced at all by the grape colored hero's apology for the shit he pulled at U.A.
"If it were me, I would've clobbered the little bastard's head in and then dealt with it yourself, but… Then again, Izuku could be in danger if you left to look all over the city." She pondered, resting her head on both of her hands. Tsuyu nodded at Mina's logic, affirming her beliefs that those were, in fact, her thought process.
"That, and, ribbit, I needed to bring the groceries in, after all. Ribbit." She tacked on, a sort of incredulous look darkening over the pink skinned hero's face.
"Well, at least you focused on the clearly important thing here out of the two." Izuku gave a smile, his self-deprecating joke going over like a lead balloon. The two girls looked at each other awkwardly, before Tsuyu gave a sigh.
"Midoriya- Ribbit, do you mind if I call you Izuku?" The frog asked, the green haired individual curious as to what Asui had in store for him. Giving a slight nod, his curiosity was then sated when Tsuyu's tongue shot out from her mouth and slapped Izuku on the side of the head.
"O-OW! WHAT THE HELL, ASUI!?" Midoriya yelled out in shock, grabbing the side that had been struck in pain- That tongue could certainly pack a punch, Izuku noted.
"I was gonna try and wait until we're good friends, ribbit, but we gotta do something about that self-esteem issue of yours." She chided, Izuku rolling his eyes instinctually. Really? A smack on the side of his head for this? Something that Melissa and Mei had been trying to fix for him for years?
"Listen, I appreciate it, Asui, but I'm fine. I don't need someone to lean over my shoulder and tell me what to think and what not to think- Besides, the shit I've been through? I think I deserve to make some jokes at my expense." Midoriya explains, earning himself another rap on the back of the head from Tsuyu. The frog shook her head, a sentiment shared with Mina as she let out a series of 'tsks' in response to Midoriya ignoring her advice.
"Doesn't matter, ribbit. How're you supposed to be a he- Erm, go through life, ribbit, and constantly doubt anything you do?" She asks, nearly catching herself before she mentions the fact that Izuku was Kamen Rider Victory. Mina raised an eyebrow at the slip of the tongue, but didn't mention anything, instead agreeing with Tsuyu's points. Izuku looked at Tsuyu as if he were about to retort, until he slapped the side of his head himself.
"That's IT!" He yelled in realization, before he took his phone out. Tilting their heads in curiosity, Izuku finally pulled up a picture of an account belonging to Mineta.
"This guy! Grape Juice! God, I hate him!" Izuku yelled, almost spiking his phone on the ground in hatred as the two let out a sigh of relief. At least the experience with Mineta is universal. But, after that, Midoriya turned to Tsuyu, a look of confusion on his face.
"... You said you hung out with him, right, Asui…?" He asked, Tsuyu nodding hesitantly. She wasn't really sure where he was going with this, but she had a feeling she wasn't going to like it.
"Well, apparently, Mineta has been missing for a few months, with the pro hero committee issuing a formal search warrant with the police and any on duty heroes in Musutafu. Of course, after a month or two of nothing, they eventually rescinded the warrant as it was messing with workplace efficacy on both sides. I guess you just never got that alert, huh…?" Midoriya looks to Asui, who looked utterly confused- Well, at least, her eyes did. She had a poker face that any gambler'd kill for. After placing a finger on her chin, she looked to Mina.
"... That Meenlock villain- You said he had a Cloning quirk, right, Tsu-Chan?" She asked, though Tsuyu quickly thought about it.
"If he was a clone, ribbit, then he probably would've been destroyed long ago, after the damage he took from both himself and Meenlock. So, I'd have to rule that out, ribbit." Asui quickly shut down that argument, though the look on Midoriya's face seemed to be grim. Throwing on his semi-damaged All-Might vs. Toxic Chainsaw Shirt, he made sure to grab the V-Driver and the gear… Before remembering something. Out of the sight of Mina and Asui, he reached into his back pocket to take out a second gear- Same color, material and density as the first one with the 'V' emblazoned on it… But, instead of a V, a Cobalt Blue 'S' was inscribed on this gear. He had no idea what this was able to do. He wasn't able to test it during those phases of Victory's development, he only knew that Mei had made it and that it was completely different from the powers Victory held.
"Ribbit. Izuku, where are you going-"
"I'm going to look for Meenlock. Besides, I started this like an idiot, so I'm at least going to try and resolve it." He growls, before walking out the front door before Tsuyu could reprimand him for saying he's an idiot. A shocked expression worked its way across Tsuyu's face, as the two left in the apartment looked at each other. A mutual agreement was formed- Tsuyu ran out in search of Izuku, while Mina stayed behind, keeping look after the fort.
Already suited up as Kamen Rider Victory, Izuku hopped from Rooftop to Rooftop looking for Mineta. That bastard had the gall to use his disguise to trick Tsuyu into thinking that an irredeemable piece of shit like Mineta Minoru, Grape Juice, was worthy of her time? Hell, even if it had been a stranger, Midoriya would've been beyond furious. He only knew Mineta from his antics in the Heroics world- Most of them perverted in nature, he garnered a small following because people thought his harassment was either satire or funny. Even in his cynical state, the Kamen Rider had no place in his heart for people who only became heroes to sate their own personal needs. Though Mineta was on his mind, his memories eventually brought up Bakugo- Someone who was once his friend. Someone who, upon learning of his uselessness, dropped him like a back of bricks and left him to rot. Someone like him shouldn't even deserve to think about becoming a hero, and yet… He became Dynamight, a Pro Hero working his way up the ranks. Currently, he held his spot at Number 7th, beating out Kamui Woods and was looking for a way to beat the 6th one: Miruko.
Trying to keep his rage in check, Victory eventually spotted a flash of purple in an alleyway he had leapt over. With a suspicious squint, he silently walked over to the edge of the building to get a better view. Looking down, he saw the familiar sight of various bulbous, hair-like attachments upon a short man- Mineta. Without a word, Izuku hopped off and behind the shorty, thankful that his suit came with impact softening tech. He didn't even react, something Izuku noted as an ill omen for what is possibly to come.
"So, you're Meenlock, huh? Disguising yourself as that disgusting piece of trash… You really thought you were clever, huh?" The Kamen Rider couldn't help but think about how much he sounded like Kacchan, but he quickly dissuaded those thoughts. He could think about that later, after he defeated the Nomu. Mineta instantly snapped out of whatever thoughts he was in, and immediately fell onto his bottom, scrambling away wordlessly from the Masked Hero. He towered over him… Before a spray of needles peppered his back, causing a giant explosion of sparks to knock him forward. Confused, he turned back… Only to find Meenlock approaching, clicking and twitching as it let out a horrendous laughing noise. The Grape-colored hero, seeing the villain, got to his feet shakily, putting his fists.
"Hehhhhh…? Khkhkkkhkkhkhkk… You again? I thought you'd kkhkhkhkhk run off! Why are, khkhkhkkkkhkhkhkkhkhk, you still here…!?"The Nomu asked, before being cut off by a Pop-Off straight to the face. Staggering back, Izuku watched as Mineta used the opportunity to grab the Pop-Off ball and slam the Arthropod's face into the ground, causing its shell to 'crack' with an audible crunch.
"You think this proves anything!? You probably just used your power to clone yourself-" Izuku was then cut off by another spray of spines shot out blindly by Meenlock. Holding up his arms to block his face from the onslaught, he was caught off guard when the Nomu head butted him in the chin as the Nomu's head was torn from its body. After a few seconds, the arthropod's head regenerated, as the Kamen Rider paused. Was… Was that real? Then, Mineta was…?
"Tch. Just when I thought something fun was happening here, it turns out the Circus' Freak Show was in town." A familiar voice caused Mineta to stiffen, Meenlock to look around, and for Midoriya to freeze up. Standing at the edge of one of the roofs in the alleyway, though the sun behind him was making it hard to tell who it was… Midoriya knew, and he knew that Mineta knew as well. With two explosions, the snarling, manic face of Bakugo launched towards Meenlock like a missile, smashing the Nomu's head into a fine paste. Mineta let out a screech, falling onto his ass, before crawling away. Midoriya could only watch as Bakugo kicked the incapcitated Meenlock to the side, before his attention was drawn to the Kamen Rider.
"You a hero or something? 'Cause I haven't seen one like you around. So, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and just assume you don't know the rules in these parts, but-" The Pro Hero grabbed Victory by the collar- Or as close to the collar as he could get- and dragged him right into his face. "I call the shots around here, and I get top pick on what villains I catch. Got it?" Dynamight growls. However, Midoriya was anywhere but in the alleyway of Musutafu. He was, in an instant, back to High School.
"You wanna be a hero, Deku? Then believe that you'll be born with a Quirk in the next life… And take a fuckin' swan dive off the roof!" Those words repeated in his mind. The words that stopped him from taking a hero's route. The ones that led him astray. All coming from the man in front of the Rider. Though, his silence was apparently infuriating Bakugo, as his grip tightened.
"Are you deaf or something? Or just plain stupid? I said, 'Do you get what I am say-'" Bakugo wasn't even able to finish his sentence before Deku grabbed the back of his head and drove the Hero's head into his knee. It was stupid. Too fast. Unlike the Midoriya who liked to think things through. He didn't even ponder the consequences of assaulting a Pro. The Rider just did it. Stumbling back from the surprise attack, Katsuki reached under his nose… And was greeted by the presence of blood. The bastard… He broke his nose! Dynamight's face warped and twisted more than it already had. Now? Now he looked like a demon. Something even the worst of hells wouldn't dare conjure.
"You… You fucking… You just… I'll… I'm… I'm gonna FUCKING KILL YOU." For the explosion based hero, words failed. They just stopped working. As of right now, he only saw red and felt the need to reduce this armored prick into ashes. Wiping his face off, the hero swung one hand behind him before rocketing forth to the Kamen Rider. Deku was still reeling from the fact that he not only broke a Pro's nose, but also from the sheer speed at which he was moving, making the next move all the more easier. Shoving his palm flush against Victory's chest, he grabbed onto the pin from his Bracer.
"Atomic… Full Burst." The words were enough to give Midoriya shivers were it not for the next part. Light blinded the Kamen Rider as he was quickly engulfed in a giant fireball- The force of which practically propelled him through a few offices before he landed in the middle of a busy street. Thankfully, his body managed to avoid any citizens, a majority of whom were fleeing when he made impact. Unfortunately, Bakugo was not far behind, as the Explosive Hero immediately shot towards him before slamming the sole of his foot directly on his masked face, causing the crater to deepen from the force of the attack.
"BASTARD! HOW! DARE! YOU! FUCKING! HIT! ME!" Dynamight had now straddled Victory and was delivering explosive punches with each word. Midoriya was struggling to keep the suit up. The last thing he needed was for Katsuki to see that, underneath the mask, was weak, timid Deku… Would he even remember him? Probably not. But he didn't want to take the chance. With a reservoir of strength even he didn't know he had, Victory had grabbed one of the Hero's fists, enduring the explosion that erupted over it and proceeded to headbutt Katsuki in the gut. The attack left the pro hero breathless, which Izuku used to his advantage, grabbing his other arm and swinging him to the ground.
"Don't… You care… About the civilians here…!? You're a hero, for god's sake! You're supposed… To save the people, not put them in danger for some petty reven-" Victory began to speak, stumbling to his feet. Katsuki, however, had different opinions on the matter.
"You gonna lecture me too?" The hero hissed, rising to his feet no problem. Popping his neck and rolling his shoulders, Dynamight looked at the Kamen Rider with eyes that could probably kill All-Might in his prime.
"I hear this shit all the goddamn time. 'You're too brutal for a hero!' 'You're too scary for a hero!' 'You're too this for a hero, you're too that for a hero.' You wanna know what I tell them?" He asks, turning to face Victory while picking up a sizable chunk of the Earth. Placing one palm on top of the rock, and keeping the opposite end of the rock in the other palm of his hand, he aimed the debris at Midoriya, who took a step back.
"Blow it out your fucking ass, dipshit. I'm the star here." Katsuki put on the most demonic smile Izuku had ever seen, before his hands ignited.
"FRAGMENTATION FULL BLAST!" The Hero yelled out, as the rubble quickly became a shotgun-like attack, spreading pellets of cement and rebar all over the place. Unfortunately for Midoriya, who was at point blank range, that meant that he took a brunt of the damage. Truth be told, however… He was thankful. At least his body had shielded others from getting hit with some of the shrapnel. That relief was quickly overtaken with pain as he was blasted backwards yet again from the attack, sparks flying from his body as he tumbled and rolled behind a car. Leaning back, the green haired hero tried to get a few quick breaths out, trying to stabilize himself before he heard the rev of an engine. Trying to get his vision back into focus, he soon realized that it was the VictorBike. But… He wasn't using it-
"VICTORY, FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY, GET ON!" Mei's voice screeched at him. Ah. Now it makes sense. Mei probably put in a remote control device in the bike, along with a camera and a microphone to speak. Obviously.
… What can't she do, now that Midoriya was thinking about it.
Unfortunately, he didn't get much time to ponder his friend's technological genius before he felt a wire whip out from the Bike and wrap around his leg, throwing him onto the driver's seat limply before driving off. Just in time, as well- Bakugo had finally found the Car he was hiding behind, exploding the thing into smithereens before he spotted the bike.
"I'M NOT LETTING YOU FUCKING LEAVE, YOU HEAR ME!?" The blonde haired hero yelled out, before shooting himself towards the bike. The pink haired inventor was already sweating a bit as she swerved the bike left and right to avoid the oncoming rage of the pro. What the hell had happened to just simply finding the box that he forgot to get last time!? Now they have goddamn Dynamight chasing them down like he was a bat out of hell?!
"I'm gonna kill that green haired prick when he gets back…!" Mei declared to herself, channeling all of her anger and wrath into piloting the VictorBike. The hero was getting scarily close, but, thankfully, Mei knew exactly how to deal with people who got too close to her baby. Using the same wire to grab Izuku, she quickly wrapped it around Katsuki's neck and slammed the hero into the ground. Then, she pulled a stoppie, raising the rear tire above the hero's head, before dropping into him. Revving the engine, the tire proceeded to leave a tire mark as it released its grip on the pro and promptly got the hell out of there.
"YOU…! FUCKING…! GAH!" Bakugo cried out in pain as the VictorBike rode off into the distance. Unfortunately for the pro, as he was disorientated with bleary eyes from the pain, the Bike gained too much distance. Even if he tried to gain more momentum, it'd be too far to even catch up.
"What's going on!? What happened?!" And here comes the cavalcade, Bakugo thought as he saw a familiar flash of a pink and black suit floating over head. Landing a few feet away from where he was groggily getting up, Uravity started to tend to the civilians that didn't quite evacuate in time. Much to the floating hero's relief, none of them seemed too particularly hurt. Before she can even wonder what had happened here, her eyes drifted to Katsuki, and, suddenly, it all made sense.
"Dynamight, what did you do now, and was it worth it for all of this?!" She exclaimed, much to Bakugo's annoyance. She really was like an annoying fly, constantly flying around his head and making irritating noise.
"Hey! I asked you a question! Are you a hero or are you just a villain in disguise-"
Bakugo shut her up by holding his palm out towards Uravity and detonating his hand, shooting smoke directly in her face while making her wince from the sharp noise and piercing light.
"I told you punks before, but I do things on my own. Dynamight doesn't follow the rules to your shitty little club, Dynamight follows his own sense of justice and his own rules. You extras just fill your part and do your little hero shtick to make people cheer and clap and smile. Like a fucking stage performance. Me? I actually do the fucking work around here- I catch the criminals and put them behind bars. And right now? I was just about to do that were it not for his shitty little bike. Next time? I'll scrap him and his bike." His speech was spoken with such conviction and malignancy that it made Uraraka's blood run solid. She supposed there wasn't much wrong with his way of thinking… If a person was a psychopath. She wanted to explain there was more to being a hero- That you must save people alongside making sure the bad guy gets caught, but… What's the point?
"It's gonna bite you in the ass, you know…" The gravity heroine muttered, earning a glare from Bakugo as he walked by her. She pursed her lips, afraid, until he was out of earshot. Almost on cue, rolling onto the scene from above, Red Riot landed- He struck a pose until he realized that he was, aside from Uraraka, the only one on the scene. Disappointed, the red head scratched the back of his neck as he looked over the scene.
"Yeah, looks like a Bakugo Job." He states casually, a phrase that made Uravity do a double take.
"B-Bakugo… J-Job…?" She asks, not sure if Kirishima was being real or not. However, his giant doofy smile said otherwise.
"Yeah! BJ's! You never call 'em that?" Red Riot asks, Uraraka staring at him incredulously. Did he… Not realize what he was saying?
"I-I-I… That's…!" Her face was starting to turn as red as his hair from the phrase, something that confused the Sturdy Hero.
"What, do you not like it?" Unfortunately, that was the incorrect thing for Kirishima to say at the time, as Uraraka proceeded to pummel him into submission. Of course, at the time, it didn't occur to Kirishima that he could've hardened to avoid the pain that was to come, but… Well, smarts wasn't exactly his strong suit, was it?
Speaking of pummelings, that was exactly the thing Izuku was receiving after he was all patched up from his fight with Bakugo. Thankfully, Melissa was there in the warehouse as well to stop Mei, but even her strength wasn't enough to stop the beast. Fists flew as Izuku's face was left looking like someone had used it like a speed bag in a gym.
"HOW DARE YOU PUT MY BABIES IN DANGER, YOU ABSOLUTE PRICK! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" Mei screeched out as the blonde inventor literally had to pry her off with a crowbar nearby. Holding Hatsume back, Midoriya let out a pained groan of relief as he was finally free from the assault.
"It's not like I willingly put them in danger-" Was the answer Midoriya managed to squeak out before Hatsume used her maternal rage from her 'children' being scratched and damaged to wrench her way out of Melissa's grasp. Had someone been outside the door of the factory, they probably would have mistaken the ensuing sounds to be a man being viciously assaulted by a cat-
"IZUKU! WHAT'S GOING ON!? WHY IS THERE A CAT-" Froppy burst in, her hero instincts kicking in at the sound of what she thought was a crime… Only to find the Kamen Rider's face battered and bruised, while Mei slowly creaks her head towards the frog-themed pro. A bead of sweat appeared on Tsuyu's forehead, she cleared her throat.
"E-Erm, Ribbit, Ribbit… Y-You seem to have everything under control, so-"
"PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" Midoriya screeches out as Asui began to close the door behind her.
Meenlock was panting by the time he got away from that explosive nut case. He was thankful that his regeneration quirk allowed him to regenerate from near fatal attacks, but he could've sworn the bastard was actually gonna kill him! What happened to taking villains in?! Sliding his back down a wall, Mineta managed to run up right next to him… Before his skin flaked and fell off, forming into another Meenlock.
"KkhkhkkKHkhkhkkhkkhk… I'm glad that… KhkhkhkkhkHKkHkHKKHkKHkhkhk… Our creator blessed us with that quirk…" Meenlock 1 muttered, before tearing his arm off unceremoniously. After a while, the arm began to move and writhe, eventually growing out another Meenlock. Clicking and chittering to itself for a sec, it seemed to catch up on the others. Before they could even discuss how to possibly make up for such a monumental failure, a black mist began to roll through their alleyway. Turning slowly, a familiar figure stood before them, their burning golden eyes staring daggers at the trio of Nomus. Pausing, they all took a second to process their doom before dropping to their hands and knees, all crying out their usual pleas and begs to be left alone. Of course, Kurogiri only had one question to ask them.
"Which one of you is the original?" He asks, the group hesitating to answer. They knew nothing good could come from this, but they had no other choice. Raising their hand, Meenlock 1 outed themselves as the original, something the High-End Nomu took quick advantage of. Grabbing the Nomu's head in their whole hand, the original was quickly swallowed up by his fog, disappearing entirely as the others fell onto their asses, slowly trying to keep away from their higher-up. With no words, Kurogiri's mist expanded out, showing the fate that had befallen the original Meenlock.
"KkhkhkKHkhkhkhkk… Wh… Where am-" The Nomu quickly skittered to their feet, looking around at the concrete room he was now held within. Unfortunately, his curiosity didn't last any longer than himself, as the sound of a bullet firing out echoed in the room. Not even reacting to the impact, the Nomu looked down to his shoulder as he now found it sporting a newly formed bullet hole. With a scoff, Meenlock reached down to extract the bullet from his body… Until a cracking noise was heard. Curious, the Nomu looked down to his hand, finding that it was beginning to shatter and crack apart. With a screech, he quickly saw that the same fault lines were beginning to emerge out of the bullet hole.
"WH-WHY!? WHY ISN'T IT REGENERATING- KHKkKHkKHkkHkkHkkkkHKkhkHKKK! IT…! IT BURNS! IT BURNS! IT BUUURNNNSSS-!" Meenlock screamed out in pain, falling onto his back as his exterior shell shattered, revealing the form of a general looking Nomu… Until that form began to melt and dissipate into a viscous liquid. The horrified reactions of the other two Meenlocks gave the answer Kurogiri looked for.
"Do you see that? That is what happens to Nomus who can't even follow a simple order-" He loomed over the two experiments, the both of them holding onto each other for comfort, "Do you know what happens when a Nomu is hit with a Quick Cancelling Bullet? I'll tell you what happens. Your body begins to break down. You corpses are only animated thanks to the quirk that your master bestowed upon you, and your forms are only because of other Quirks. When that is cancelled, you become nothing but. A. Corpse. Do I make myself clear?" The fervent nodding of the Nomus answered his question quickly.
"Good. Then follow my orders and kill a single. Goddamn. Wannabe. Hero." He enunciates yet again, the Meenlocks shivering in fear from their possible punishment. Yet, there they still sat, cowering in fear and not doing what he told them to do. Stomping a foot forward, Kurogiri made a reach for them- The Nomus got the message and used their Shadow Teleport quirk to disappear quickly, out of Banderhobb's sight. With a sigh, Kurogiri simply looked up to the sky. There were times he regretted being a High-End Nomu. Everyone around him seemed to… Dull. Slow. He wondered if it was even worth being in charge of everyone if they can't even follow simple orders.
With that, Kurogiri disappeared in his own mist, leaving nothing behind of the meeting that took place.
"And that's when you picked me up." Midoriya finally explained his side of the story, though Mei was still seething with rage. Melissa, on the other hand, nodded, hearing why he decided chasing after someone like Mineta was worth it, and how he came into contact with Dynamight. Tsuyu, on the other hand, was just heating up some Instant Ramen she bought from the store for the group- It was nearing the end of the day, and after everything that happened? She couldn't care enough to actually cook a meal.
With a sigh, Mei grabbed the V-Driver and began to fine tune it… Before a light bulb seemingly came up.
"Oh! Melissa, we completely forgot!" She yelled out to the American Inventor, who turned to her with a confused stare. Walking over to the work bench, Mei grabbed a flat, circular object… Before presenting it to everyone in the room. The other inventor's eyes widened, before she slapped the side of her head. How could she forget!? Of course, Midoriya was the first to say something.
"I-Is that… Another Gear!?" The Green Haired Rider yelled out, staring at a device similar to his Victory Gear, but sporting a giant cobalt blue S on it instead of a golden V. With a devious smile, she let out a chuckle as Melissa got up and walked over to Mei.
"Yes, actually- My father had multiple blueprints for 'Specialized Gears.' The Victory Gear could be considered the 'All-Rounder,' or something that doesn't excel at any sort of fighting style, strength, speed, or any sort of particular aspect. Good for general battles, but if you have an opponent who might be too powerful or durable, you may need something else to get the upper hand-" "Hence why we came up with the Shooting Gear!" The Pink Haired Inventor interrupted her blonde associate, much to Melissa's dismay.
"Ribbit, Shooting… Gear…? Does he gain a gun or something?" Tsuyu finally questions, walking up to the table with a few bowls of ramen prepared. Taking a sniff, Midoriya began to ravenously eat- Getting the shit beaten out of you all day was a surefire way to get a hell of an appetite, or so Izuku found. Asui, a bit concerned with how the Kamen Rider wasn't even chewing his food, eventually turned back to Mei, who was in the middle of a rant on how the Shooting Gear worked. Melissa, on the other hand, simply cleared her throat.
"Simply put, the Shooting Gear is more offense based than the Victory Gear. Instead of focusing on hand-to-hand combat, it employs the usage of a kicking fighting style and focuses all of its power into said legs. However, Mei modified it a bit to divert some of the power to the hands and installed… Erm, what did she call them…?" Melissa pondered, before Mei's hand grabbed the side of her face and pushed her out of the way. A manic smile and wild look in her eyes told the two that she was still ranting about her modifications she made.
"The Air Force Gloves! Oh. My. God! They are one of my proudest little babies ever! Augh! Right, so, it's simple how they work. They collect air from the surroundings, compile them, then store them thanks to the energy the V-Driver puts off, then, when the user activates it by going for a flicking motion, the air is compressed again and again until BAM! It shoots out with the power of a concussion grenade! It's a long ranged weapon with no ammo! … Ofcoursethere'sthereprecussionofpossiblybreakingyourfingersafterrepeateduseduetothepowerofcompressedairandthattheshootinggearisn'tmadeforpowertobedivertedtothearms but that's beyond the point!" After that, Mei finally took in a gigantic gulp of air. Midoriya and Tsuyu were left silent, her rant impressing them into a stupor. That was, of course, until the nerd that Midoriya was, began to analyze her rant. Placing a finger on his forehead in a physical tic that Melissa and Mei recognized, Izuku began to think. Aloud. For everyone to hear.
"That's amazing…! I mean, think about all the stuff that tech could be used for! Like, what if you could use it for the soles of my feet so that I could jettison out of the way, or what if I could be like Ingenium II! Or, or, what if I could put some of those on my back? I could rocket forward and- WAIT DID YOU SAY IT COULD BREAK MY FINGERS!?" Izuku snapped back to reality as Mei's smile turned from manic to sheepish. Melissa readjusted her glasses, knowing that the question was coming.
"Y-Yes. Your Rider Suit can protect you from all matters of injuries, but since this mechanism is integrated within it, the shock and recoil of such a powerful blast of air causes stress to be placed on your skeletal frame. So, repeated use of the Gauntlets is known to cause fractures in bones. There's… Not a known solution to this, but it's the best we can do in terms of giving you more ranged options in this form." The blonde let out a disappointed huff, as Mei simply scratched the side of her head bashfully. She didn't like to acknowledge the flaws of her inventions- After all, she was their momma. Izuku reached out and took the gear from their hands, looking at it. Again, it was nigh-identical to the Victory Gear, just with a different letter on the front. Weighing the good with the bad, he asked one final question.
"Erm… Will my legs break if I use this…?"
"Oh, good god, no. Your legs are heavily armored compared to the rest of your body." Mei responded, though the answer clearly troubled the rider more.
"So my entire body, save for my legs, is vulnerable." Izuku states, deadpan, as Hatsume devolved into multiple 'well, you see,' and 'that's not quite the case,' until Melissa stepped forward with a nod.
"Yes. The Gear is more combat focused, but that means that you are left more vulnerable to damage. Hence why it's more imperative to use it against defensive and slow enemies. Mei and I are currently trying to work on the C Gear, though that's easier said than done…" Melissa pushed her glasses up, the light reflecting off of them. Pausing, Midoriya looks to Tsuyu to see if she can provide some counsel, but finds none from the frog. She was just as conflicted as he was. After staring at it for what felt like an eternity, he pockets it, accepting the new form- Much to the relief of Mei.
"... Erm, wait. Hold on- Ribbit- I forgot that Mina was still at my apartment. I should check on her, make sure she hasn't, you know, burned the place down, ribbit." Tsuyu hastily pulled out her phone, feeling terrible she forgot her friend. Speed dialing Mina, the frog was already on edge when she didn't pick up after the first ring. She usually picks up after the first ring, but, she might be busy-
Click
"KhkhkhkhkKHkKHkhkkhkh… 'Tsu-Chan,' I'm assuming?" The familiar voice of Meenlock resounded through the phone's speakers. Tsuyu's eyes widened, as everyone grouped around the frog hero. With a pause, the nomu let out a chittering laugh.
"Well, I guess- KhkhkHKkKHkHKkhk- That it doesn't really matter… That idiot Mineta led us to your friend. We have both of them- KKKkKkHKkHKkHKhkhkkKHkkhkkhhh- held up at an abandoned lot near the Docks. Come with the Kamen Rider, and I'll let both of them go in exchange for the Rider's- KkHKkHKkKHkkhk- Life. How does that sound?" The Nomu asks, before shoving his phone in the direction of the tied up captives. Going off of how they let out muffled cries, the four assumed they were gagged and bound. Tsuyu's throat felt so dry. Her hands were shaking. She was an idiot- She should've called Mina long ago and informed her of what was happening. She should've told her. But, that can't really be changed right now. She… She has to save her!
"See you soon… KKkKHHkKHkKHkhkkHkkhkkkkhkkhk…" Meenlock let out another chittering laugh, before hanging up.
"Dammit!" Tsuyu yelled out, before hopping off of the couch and high into the air, landing near the door. Midoriya, not even registering the action until she grabbed the handle, swiped the V-Driver off of the workbench and grabbed his Victory Bike Helmet.
"Wait up! They asked for me, too!" He yelled out. Asui paused- Right, they did. It doesn't help to have a bit of firepower, as well. Besides, Izuku knows much, much more about Nomus. Though her pride was a bit hurt, she couldn't help but agree that it's probably best to let him come along. With a nod, the two burst out of the empty factory and hopped onto the VictorBike, Izuku revving it up and taking off. Mei took a second, before running out and cursing out Izuku, threatening inhumane things should her bike come to more damage.
Melissa, on the other hand, wished them a silent blessing of good luck as she watched the two of them riding out to the horizon.
The journey to the Warehouse was silent- Tense. Neither party spoke for the longest time. What could they say, really? They knew what the stakes were, they knew what they had to do. Tsuyu was actually the first to break the silence halfway there.
"Thanks for helping, Izuku. I'm… Augh, I should've just told Mina, ribbit. But, you know, Mina is known to be a bit of a chatterbox at times-"
"I get it… And though I may not be the best person to say this, I think you should probably have a bit more faith in your friends. Pinky- Mina, sorry, seems like a bit… Much from what I saw, but I think she probably would know when to keep a secret and when to not keep a secret. But, you knew her longer than me, so maybe I'm wrong." The green haired rider gave a bit of an apologetic smile. It wasn't like him to give advice that was out of his wheelhouse, but he can't just leave Tsuyu like this. Reminded the rider of himself. No one should go through that sort of self-blaming and self-doubt. Froppy looked at Midoriya, who kept staring at the road ahead- Mindful of bumps this time, with a sort of incredulous stare.
"Ribbit, a bit rude to assume I don't have faith in my friend-"
"S-Sorry-"
"But, ribbit, I do understand what you're saying. Maybe I should try to put a bit more trust in Mina, but that still doesn't help that she was kidnapped. That's still my fault there- I left her alone in my apartment, after those Nomu knew my face and probably tracked me down." The frog heroine harshly criticized. Before Izuku could try to refute the statement, though, Tsuyu spoke up again.
"Ribbit, though, I am trying to fix the mistake I made by helping her. I dunno if that, ribbit, fixes everything, but it has to account for something, right?" She asks, looking to the rider for confirmation. After a pause, Izuku gives a certain nod.
"You should always try to make up for mistakes that you made- No matter if it's minor or major. If someone got hurt, then you need to at least try to fix it. Just like what happened with my mom. Though, I dunno if I can ever really fix that-" A familiar feeling of a tongue hitting the side of his head interrupted his thoughts again. It was certainly enough to snap him out of his pessimistic viewpoint, but it also nearly caused the both of them to crash, as he swerved out of the way of some oncoming traffic. With a grumble, Tsuyu let out a chiding 'ribbit' as the two continued on their ride towards the warehouse in silence.
It was eerily still at the docks, save for the splashing of the waves against the concrete structure. Going off the fact that there was no hero presence to be seen anywhere, Midoriya either assumed the Nomus snuck past them, or took care of any pros along the way… Or, perhaps, a bit of both. Not that he needed more of a reason to be on guard, anyhow. Hand in one pocket, the rider kept fiddling around with the Shooting Gear in his pocket. Maybe he wouldn't need it. It's a possibility, but he didn't want to risk being grievously injured. He can't be a hero if he spends the rest of his days in a hospital, after all.
With a silent creep over to the door, the two looked each other in the eyes before nodding. The slow, metallic screeching of the door was sure to alert anyone inside, though the warehouse was strangely dark. Maybe they put curtains inside, because Izuku saw some windows on the sides… But, of course, the fact didn't manage to pass by Tsuyu- As soon as she saw Mina, she almost instinctively hopped forward. Unfortunately, she was stopped short by a spine being shot out from the dark, hitting her in the shoulder. Hitting the ground thanks to the cancellation of movement, she pulled the spine out, a bit of blood spurting out as a sanguine color began to discolor her shirt. The same chittering laugh echoed around the two as Meenlock reappeared from the darkness. The lights of the warehouse whirred to life, as two plastic chairs were revealed. Mineta sat in one, Mina the other, the both of them tied together with a wire cable as their mouths had a piece of leather wrapped around their head to gag them. A classic, almost trope-y way of holding ransom victims hostage, but Izuku supposed the Nomus weren't too well versed in the classics.
"KkkhkkKHkKHkhkkhkhhkk… You know what I'm here for- You. Green head. Stand down and let me deal with your friend here, and I'll let you all go." Meenlock gave his demands. Tsuyu stared at him curiously… Before chuckling a little bit. The Nomu, confused at first, quickly turned to rage seeing that he was being mocked.
"WHAT!? WHAT'S SO- KKKHKkKHkKhkKHkHKkHK- FUNNY!? I'LL KILL YOUR FRIENDS, DAMMIT! I'LL DO IT-"
"Oh, Mineta? He's not my friend, ribbit," The purple haired pro hero started to cry a bit at the stinging emotions, "But, do you really expect me to believe that you're a man of your word, ribbit? You guys are terrible liars." Froppy stated with her usual poker face, before Izuku stepped forward. Grabbing hold of his Victory Gear, he held it forward, before going to his Henshin pose… Until a silent, 'fwt!' sound was heard. Looking over, he couldn't help but notice that one of the Arthropod's spines landed terribly close to Mina's head, embedding instead in one of Mineta's Pop-Off balls. Though the tiny menace was bound and gag, the noises he made perfectly portrayed his utter fear at the scrape with death. Mina, in particular, seemed to want to get away from Mineta, though, honestly, who wouldn't?
Holding his hands up, Meenlock glared at Izuku with his bug-like, dead eyes… Before letting out another laugh.
"That's what I thought, Rider. Now, just put the thing down, and the belt… And I'll make sure that your death is at least quick. What I do with your body afterwards, though… Well, I need a snack, right? Khkhkhkhkkhkkhkhkkhkhkhk…!" Izuku's face twisted into a disgusted grimace. Looking over to Asui, he could tell they were both in the same predicament. The plan was to get close without him noticing, and then gang up on him. But now that it's clear that he has the range advantage, it was time to improvise- Something Midoriya found he wasn't good at. But, he can't exactly freeze now. Not with lives on the line. Gripping the Victory Gear, he started to slowly direct it towards the ground… Until he got into a wide legged stance.
The Nomu didn't even get a chance to think about what Izuku was going to do. All the years of training to endure the power of the Victory Driver had strengthened the green haired rider's body in ways he didn't even think of. For example, what was supposed to be a simple baseball pitch that was to knock the Nomu off guard turned into a rather useful concussive device. The heavy plastic gear collided dead on with Meenlock's face, almost denting it and making it concave. Immediately on the offensive, Izuku rushed forward and wrapped his arm around the back of the monster's neck. With a second of hesitation, Midoriya heaved the monster almost vertically up, before performing a brain buster, using its own weight to his advantage as he brought it's back into a slam against the cold concrete floor. Not wasting any seconds, Tsuyu used her tongue to grab a hold of the Victory Gear and tossed it to the Kamen Rider, who caught it. Holding it forward, he went through the motions before shoving it into the slot. Turning it right side up, he pushed the gear in.
"V! STANDS FOR! VICTORY!" The belt announced, as the armor formed around him, the V transforming into wispy, flowing antennae across his forehead. Hands on his hips, he quickly gave a peace sign towards Meenlock.
"Don't worry, for I am here- Kamen Rider Victory!" Midoriya announced, before placing one hand back on his hip again. Assuming a sassy stance, he waited for Meenlock to get back onto their feet.
"You wanna g- KkkKkKHkKHkKHkhkkhkkHkkh- go!? kHkhkkkhkKHkkhkhkk, I hate- KhkkhkkhkkhkKHKkhkhkHKKHKKHKkkh- bastards like- KkhkhkhkkKHkKHkKHkhk- youuuuuuuuuu!" The Nomu cried out, before disappearing into the darkness. Looking around, he eventually felt a strike against his back, making him stumble forward- Only to get slugged in the face by another punch from Meenlock. Stumbling backwards again, Izuku avoided becoming a pincushion by the spikes on the Arthropod's back. Dissipating again, Midoriya was now keeping a lookout everywhere. No wonder the windows were covered- He clearly has some teleportation quirk that allows him to move through darkness. The lights were dim, so unless he can find some way to brighten them, he's shit out of luck.
Wait… Those lights, they're hanging. Not integrated into the ceiling… Izuku thought… Before a gleam of light told Froppy that inspiration struck. Turning to her, Victory pointed upwards- A seemingly thoughtless gesture, but one that Tsuyu understood. Bracing herself, the rainy season hero leapt up towards the light fixture. Her added weight created a constant sway to it until she steadied it with her tongue. Scanning down towards the darkness Izuku was surrounded by, she kept her eyes peeled-
Suddenly, a flash of movement caught her attention! She swung the light fixture towards the movement, immediately making the Monster reconstitute into solid mass for a split second- Something that Izuku took advantage of. Rushing forward, he landed a devastating hook into the Nomu's gut, before throwing him into the light of the swinging fixture. He then slammed his elbow into the monster's gut… But that was only when he started to notice something wrong. Meenlock was staggering, yes, and he seemed to feel the attacks, but he wasn't getting hurt. Seeing the confused body language of Izuku as he got up, the Nomu let out his usual laugh.
"KkkKHkkhkkhkhkkKHkhkhk… Idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot! My Exoskeleton Quirk makes your stupid little attacks- KkhkKHkhkHkkkkHKkHKkkHKhk- worthless! So, go on! Keep attacking! I'll just take your attacks like they're nothing! KKkhkKHkkhkKHkhkkhkhkhk!" Meenlock cackled, before shooting spines Victory's way. Rolling out of the way, some of them managed to graze his right shoulder, his left knee, and past the top of his head. Analyzing the situation as quickly as possible, the rider felt his hand twitch for the Shooting Gear. The extra firepower would definitely be able to shatter that thing's shell, but one good hit and he may be out of the fight.
Taking too long, Izuku quickly found that he was under fire again. Jumping up to avoid the onslaught, he looked to the hostages. If he failed, they'd see him die…
Just like how he saw his mom die…
Deciding against the use of the Shooting Gear, Midoriya figured there must be some sort of way to break that shell without the use of excessive force. However, while he took his time to think, falling down, Meenlock used the opportunity to teleport above the light fixture right next to Froppy. She didn't even get a chance to register what was happening before she was smacked down from her vantage point. Thankfully, she managed to land on her feet and hide behind some boxes. Izuku finally landed after what felt like forever, looking around for Asui to make sure she wasn't hurt.
Meenlock, not paying attention to where she landed, also joined in on the search. That was when Midoriya noticed something particular about the Meenlock. He can't turn his neck. He was turning his shoulders to look left and right, and that's when another light bulb went off in the Rider's head.
His Exoskeleton may be tough, but it's not flexible at all! He determined, before he plotted out a course of action. Getting down into a sprinter's position, he charged towards Meenlock. Unfortunately, the arthropod was not about to be caught off guard- It teleported away from Victory's grasp, appearing above him. Shooting out a lance-like spine, Izuku managed to catch it- At the expense of scuffing up and hurting his hands from the barbs growing off of it. Tossing it to the side, he started to feel his hands begin to tense up. This wasn't your average sting from sliding your hand across something sharp- This was an all encompassing numbness that was growing in his hands.
"HhkhkKHKkkhkHkkHkhkkhhk… Enjoying that poison there? My special spines are coated in it- Soon enough, your hands won't be able to work! Khkhkhkhkhkhkhkhkhk! Kkkkkhkhkkhkhkkhkhkhkhkhkhkhhhkhkhhk!" He let out a cruel laugh, covering his stomach in amusement as the Meenlock's head tilted back slightly. His hands were starting to lock up. He could barely move them…
"Hah! That's perfect, actually… Because I don't intend on letting go of you! Thanks for the boost!" The Rider declared, taking the opportunity to wrap his arms around Meenlock's neck.
"WHAT!? LE-LET GO!" The Arthropod yelled out, starting to struggle as Izuku simply scoffed derisively at the Nomu.
"Your Exoskeleton's strong, but can it stand against constant stress!? Let's find out, shall we?" Victory called out, before putting the monster into a Reverse Camel Clutch. Stretching his back out, further and further, Midoriya was starting to get worried- There wasn't even any creaking noises to be heard. Nor did a crack even form. Of course, that was until-
"KHkKHkHkHKKAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHH-!" Meenlock screamed out as, all at once, the exoskeleton shattered on its back, revealing a giant spot of softer, leathery flesh.
"GOT IT!" Izuku yelled out, kicking Meenlock back. The Nomu, scared that his once impenetrable shell was broken to shards, tried to turn tail and flee to the shadows. Of course, Midoriya wasn't having any of it. With a 360 degree spin of the Gear, the suit's white streaks took on a familiar reddish-orange color to them as the green energy began to crackle off of his fist. Reeling it back, the wind churned and swirled around his fist.
"RIDERRRRRRRR…! SMASSSSSSSSSH PUNNNNNNNNNCH!" He yelled out, before he threw his fist forward. The resulting force was not only able to launch him forward like a jet engine was attached to it, but it also rocketed him right in the middle of the newly created weak point. Sinking into the flesh, the green lightning crackled through his body and transferred into the Nomu, who started to glow with a bright light.
"BUT I WAS SUPPOSED TO WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN-!" He yells out, before erupting into a giant fireball. Thankfully, though, the explosion was contained enough to damage the walls of the Warehouse- He'd rather not attract any more pros here… That, and it thankfully didn't hit the captives. Oh, wait…
"MINA-CHAN!" Tsuyu ran towards her pink skinned friend. Still tied up, Midoriya, with great hesitance, decided he should untie Mineta. He did need to apologize to him for thinking he was a Nomu, after all. Extracting the gear from the Driver, he began to work on Mineta's cables. Though, as he began to undo the bindings of the small purple devil in front of him, he couldn't help but wonder.
"... Wait, Tsuyu. Isn't Mina's power that she can secrete acid from her skin?" He asked for confirmation, Tsuyu blinking.
"Erm, ribbit, yeah…?" Though she was starting to realize something was off, she just thought it must have some kind of explanation.
"Then why didn't she escape so much sooner…?" He asked aloud- That, and something else that was bothering him right now. Why was Mineta's bindings so much looser than Minas? I mean, Asui was still toiling away at the cable tying Pinky to her chair, but Izuku was already done with Mineta's! Unless…
Before he could get in any other thoughts though, the purple haired pro hero got to his feet, stretching around, before looking at the three of them. That was when the two saw a look that let them know immediately something was wrong- She was afraid of Mineta. Mina was many things, but afraid of a punk like Minoru? She could wipe his ass across the floor if she wanted, and probably have enough to kick him out of the city. But this was genuine, screaming, 'trying-to-get-away-from-him' fear of the pint sized pervert. Getting between Tsuyu and Mina, the Kamen Rider stared down Mineta, who only let out an amused laugh.
"You think she wouldn't have escaped by now if she knew the situation she was in? KkhkHkhkKHkkkhkkHKkkhkHK." A familiar voice escaped out of Mineta's mouth. A voice that was unlike, yet not quite completely different, from his own. His skin began to dry out and flake off, before revealing a familiar arthropod humanoid living underneath. But, that wasn't all, no. Looking around, it became evident quick that the reason the windows were covered and no light could get in was because the ceiling, as well as the top parts of the walls, were covered in multiple Meenlocks. All chittering, all clicking, all clamouring over each other, waiting for the signal.
"See, KkhkHKkHKkHKkhkkkkkkHKkKHkhkhk, I have this… Funny little quirk called 'Starfish.' Not only does it allow me to- kkkHKkHKkHkhkkhk- regenerate from severed limbs, but those severed limbs? Grow into another me in the span of seconds. It's not as fast as my Duplication Quirk, so it's usually better suited for- KkKHkhKkkHKkkkkHkHKhk- Well, you can see." Meenlock pointed up, before the other clones began to drop down from the ceiling. Quickly finding themselves surrounded, Midoriya took out the Victory Gear. With a quick shot of a spine, however, the gear clacked to the ground and slid off, out of his grasp and into the darkness. A bead of sweat forming on his forehead, he quickly threw his arms up as the Meenlocks began to assault him with a flurry of claws and spines. Tsuyu hopped up to the Light Fixture to get Mina away from the chaos, but when she tried to get Izuku, she found that her tongue was grabbed onto by a clone and tugged down. Falling down into the mob, she too found herself subject to rapid kicks, punches, jabs and other sorts of damage as she curled up into a ball to try and minimize the damage.
During this, of course, Izuku fished out the Shooting Gear. Though he was still hesitant, he couldn't think of a single reason not to use it in this situation. He could only hope he wouldn't get overwhelmed quickly… While he still had the strength to do so, he shoved the Gear into the V-Driver upside down.
"GEAR INSERT! LOADING SPECIAL!" The V-Driver yelled out, confusing Midoriya. It never did this with the Victory Gear-!
"S-GEAR LOADED! TURN TO GO!" Almost as if on cue, fast paced metal began to echo out of the V-Driver. Though off put, Midoriya wasted no time. Turning the gear into place, it sunk into place much like the gear before it did.
"S! STANDS FOR! SHOOTING!" This time, however, a cobalt blue S shot out, pushing back a few Meenlocks as it did so. His body was engulfed in the same light for the Victory Gear. However, instead of the usual 'V' Shaped Antennae decorating his forehead, the S attached itself to the middle of his forehead, flipping backwards so that the line at the bottom is flush against it. It was when it connected, the top part of the S split apart. Blooming like a flower, the result was an adornment that resembled a Rhinoceros Beetle's horn. As soon as she made that assessment, the rest of the armor formed. The Undersuit, unsurprisingly, was a Light, Glossy Blue with white detailing across it. On the shoulders and the back of his hands were white circles, connected by lines. True to Mei's word, his hands were equipped with bulky-looking White Gloves. Atop the knuckles sat brass-looking vents that traced back to vents wrapping around his wrist, as well as a large band protecting the vent-like bracelet around the base of his hand. Also matching their description, the majority of the top half was almost completely unarmored, save for basic flat pauldrons on the shoulders and a light see-through chestplate. The lower half, however, was a different story. Covered in a black, padded armor with brass rivets on either side of his thigh, it carried small steels tuds on the shit and a giant spike on the knee. On either side of the sneaker-like sabatons were S's, styled to look like wings. The bottoms of the soles, as well, carried a giant 'S' on them, surrounded by various ridges and other gaps.
Popping his neck, Midoriya squatted down to stretch his legs out- Making sure they were in optimal condition. Of course, seeing such carefree actions, the Meenlocks began their assault anew, aiming to dogpile the rider. However, they were surprised to find that, as soon as they were on the cusp of making contact with the vigilante, he had disappeared from their sight. Confused, it wasn't until he landed a devastating axe kick against one of the Nomus that they realized his disappearance was due to a standing leap that sent him almost through the ceiling- If that dent in the roof was anything to go off of. With a single attack, though, the Meenlock was reduced to a mess of broken carapaces and gore, before it exploded entirely. The others stepped back in fear of the strength, as Izuku paused.
"... Holy crap, they weren't kidding about increased leg strength- That's gotta be at least twofold times stronger, if not FIVE. I could probably shatter concrete now, or total a car! But, wait, I can't do that! Well, maybe if I find an abandoned car-" His ramblings were once again interrupted by Tsuyu, who smacked him upside the head with her tongue as she finally regained her footing.
"Ack! Oh! Uh, right, sorry."
"Just keep your mind in the game, ribbit, and make sure to not let a single one get away." Asui replied with the usual poker face. The rider let out a bit of a sigh, seeing that she was none the worse for wear. Thankfully, they didn't need to worry about any sort of shadow teleportation with the windows unobscured and leaking light into the warehouse.
"I gather them up and you smash them- Ribbit, sound good?" She asked, looking to the Kamen Rider who was still sizing up the rather large group of Nomus. With a nod and thumbs up, she wasted no time. Shooting her tongue out and lassoing a decent sized group of the Meenlocks, she threw them up into the air, before using the same tongue to lash them back down to the ground. Dazed and confused, Izuku made use of his air force gloves and went into a handstand and shot out a burst of air in a clockwork motion. The resulting force was more than enough to create a self-sustaining top-like spinning motion with Victory, causing him slight liftoff as he barreled through the dazed Meenlocks. A single kick from the spinning Izuku was more than enough to destroy it on the spot, though the way Midoriya tumbled after such a move was not a good sign.
"Guhhhh… Note to self, only use that move in… Dire circumstances-!" With that, he nearly vomited in his own mask; A predicament on it's own. Swallowing back the bile, he was then met with an onslaught of Nomus trying to charge him at once now that he was downed. Unfortunately for them, he simply aimed his knuckles towards the group and let out another burst of air. The ones that weren't instantly obliterated from the short-ranged blast of compressed winds were slammed into the metal walls of the warehouse and then expired, exploding as soon as they hit the ground.
"Behind you, ribbit." Froppy called out in her usual 'poker face' voice, and used her tongue to capture the Nomu off guard. Reeling it in, she gave one front flip forward, Meenlock in tow, before releasing him towards Izuku. Like a soccer player taking a pass, he struck the Nomu square in the gut, sending him colliding into others in its path. The carnage quickly resulted in those Nomus and the one sent flying to meet their end.
KHkhkkKkhkhkhkhk…! What… What the hell!? There was at least 100 of us last I counted, and it took nearly everything he had to take down one of us! How is-
"Disappointing." A familiar voice echoed out from behind the main Meenlock. Looking behind him, the shadowy form of Kurogiri was practically a sight for sore eyes- A testament to how poorly this kidnapping was going.
"I-I'm- KhkhkhkkkKkkKHkHKhkHK- Sorry, Master Kurogiri! I didn't expect that bastard to- KhkHkHKhkhkHK- pull out those little friggin' tricks of his! Please, you gotta help us-"
"Your job here is already done," With that, he produced the Victory Gear- The same one that was knocked out of Midoriya's hand- and put it into the Nomu's hand, "And, as such, your worth to me is now nearing its end. If you, by some miracle, manage to defeat him, I'll make sure to honor you by placing your head in a lead box at the bottom of the ocean. Have to make sure our Master doesn't find out. I'm sure you understand." The High End threatened, before disappearing into his own fog. Shocked at the sudden abandonment by it's higher up, the Nomu looked down at the Gear. Why did he have this…? Was he really just a pawn in his little plan!? With a clicking growl, he turned to face the Kamen Rider. The only problem is that his 100 force strong army of himself was now reduced to one- Himself.
"Mina-san! Would you please do the honors?" Izuku called up, before the Meenlock's gaze wandered up- A terrible move on it's part, as its face was then left wide open to an acid laced kick from the Pro Heroine. Landing with a bit of grace- Though stumbling a bit thanks to the pain shooting up her leg- Mina gave a cocky smirk before looking at Tsuyu.
"Team Combo- You know which one I'm thinking of, yeah?" The nod from the Frog Girl was all she needed. Oh, wait, they're forgetting someone.
"You too, Izu- Just improvise or something." Before Izuku could even begin to think to tell Mina that he wasn't good at improvisation, the two already charged ahead. Hopping onto her frog friend's back, Mina's acid began to trail off of her, until the viscosity became almost solid. Forming a drill of ooze-like, corrosive material around her and Froppy, the frog hopped past the Nomu, confusing it… Until she performed a high powered jump on the wall behind him, the point of the acidic ooze cone they found themselves encased in stabbing it right in the back. Instantly, it's chitin armor began to corrode, as Izuku used the opportunity to coat his right leg in some of the acid. Though it sizzled upon contact with his suit, he was sure it'd be fine.
"POOOOOOISON DART FROG!" The two girls cried out in unison, before Izuku turned the gear on his belt 720 degrees.
"PLUS CORRO-RIDER SMAAAAAAAAAASH-!" With that, Izuku jumped up into the air, the jelly-like acid forming into a ball on the sole of his shoe. "KICK!" He topped off, before ramming his foot into the face of the Meenlock. Feeling its essence dissolving and fading away, the Meenlock skidded back, towards the nearest wall.
"BANDERHOBB, YOU BASATAAAAAAAAAAAAARD-!" It screamed before exploding on contact with the wall. The resulting explosion rocketed the Victory Gear forward, as Izuku caught it handily. Taking the Gear out of it's socket in his V-Driver, Izuku let out a satisfied sigh as he pocketed both. Hopping beside him, Mina got off of Tsuyu's back, the Acid sloughing off of the both of them and congealing into a pile behind them.
"E-Erm, Asui-"
"Tsu."
"Right, right, Tsu- Are you sure it's okay if you're just… Exposed to Acid? Like that? No suit or anything?" He asks, before Asui blinked, almost confused at the question.
"Ribbit, Frogs have a natural resistance to acids. I'm a bit burned, but I'm fine. Appreciate the concern though." She gave a brief smile, something that Mina picked up… But, decided not to bring up. Besides, there was much, much more pressing matters at hand. Looking to Izuku, she squinted her eyes.
"Soooooooo~, Tsu-Chan, you mind telling me what's up with your boy here before I turn him into the Police for acts of vigilantism?" Mina asked in a sing-songy voice, though the mere mention of being turned in made Izuku's hair go white. Fainting instantly, Tsuyu managed to grab him by the collar and hauled him over the shoulder.
"You can ride a bike, right, ribbit?" Froppy asks, causing Mina to quirk an eyebrow in curiosity.
"So, this is your secret base, huh? A bit… Dingy, but I guess you guys make do-" Mina was barely able to get the comment out before a harpoon whizzed by her head. Stopping in her tracks, she slowly looked to the source of such a weapon, finding Mei holding a bazooka-like weapon. A Drum Clip full of the lance-like harpoons in it, the weapon quickly loaded in another Harpoon.
"I WON'T MISS NEXT TIME! WHO ARE YOU, AND WHY DID YOU KNOCK OUT IZUKU!?" She yelled out, before Melissa walked into the room. Nearly spitting out her coffee at the scene before her, she immediately ran up to the pink haired inventor.
"MEI, WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT!?" That was the spark that got the two arguing on the lethality of 'Rubber Harpoons shot out a high-speed weapon,' with Mei of course protecting her child by saying that it was meant for mutants with tough skin… Though the blonde was not buying it at all. The pink skinned heroine looked to Tsuyu with a scared, lost look in her eyes, though Asui's poker face calmed her.
"So, uh… What are your guys' stories…?" She asks, placing Midoriya on the couch. Stopping their heated debate, the two inventors looked to Asui, before she nodded.
"Well… We usually let Izuku start the origin story, but…"
"And so, you let another one of our Nomus die… Because you were too preoccupied finding another one of the boxes." Neo One For All recited, making sure that he was correct in his interpretation of Kurogiri's story. With a nod of confirmation, Tomura hesitated. On one hand, he was blindingly angry that Kurogiri sacrificed one of his soldiers as if it wasn't a big deal… But, on the other hand, he was at least using that time doing something productive. So, thankfully for the Nomu, his master's anger was lessened.
"Do not let another one of our soldiers die." He decreed. With a bow of his head, Kurogiri walked out of the mastermind's throne room with not another word spoken. Yet again, Tomura was left with his thoughts. And how he had this nagging feeling that his master, One For All, was disappointed in him. But, that can't be right… He took his torch and created an army of super powered monsters that, up until recently, were nigh-unopposed in power. Even the best Pros couldn't handle the multiple quirks his Nomus possessed. And yet, he could practically feel the hand of his master clasp around his shoulder.
This…? This is what you've made of my empire? A farce of a criminal underground, lead by a petulant child and heralded by a bunch of corpses on strings? Pathetic. I should've left you to die on that miserable little street- Abandoned by your parents, society, and heroes. You're not worthy of being my successor-
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I DID EVERYTHING YOU ASKED! YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO LOOK DOWN ON ME ANYMORE, GODDAMMIT!" He shot to his feet, though Tomura quickly found himself alone. With a few gasps of air, he quickly calmed down and sat back onto his obsidian throne.
Heading out of the Throne Room, Banderhobb quickly found himself in the sterile white-colored halls of the Scientific Labs. Rounding the corner though, he soon came into contact with two figures- One looming over the two of them, and the other one earning his ire almost instantly.
"Nagant, Gigatomachia. To what do I owe the pleasure-"
"Where ya headin', Kuro…?" The gravelly, bass filled voice of Gigantomachia sent rumblings through his entire body- Clearly seeing him off balanced by this, Nagant let out a demeaning laugh as she crossed her arms.
"Mhm- You mind telling us why you're heading to see the doc? Your check up isn't until next month, isn't it? Or was that just a bit of a lie on your part?" She asked, her eyes clearly filled with suspicion against her fellow High-End Nomu. Eyes squinting at the two of them, Kurogiri let out a scoff, walking past them without even paying them mind.
"I don't have to explain myself to my younger siblings. Move or I'll make you." The Nomu threatens. With a roll of their eyes, they did as they were told, though that didn't stop Nagant from shooting out a rude gesture or two while they got out of his way. Walking through the space they occupied, he eventually disappeared from sight, before Nagant looked to her bulkier 'sibling.' The two shared a glance, before they seemed to share an unspoken agreement that something was up.
A/N: Thank you so much for all the follows and favorites! I know it took longer than usual to get this out, but, since it is a motherfucker of a chapter, i'm sure you'll understand. Thank you once again for reading!