Rule #37: There will always be people more powerful than you
Did—did I pass out? Toru clutched to her pounding head as her eyes blinked lazily open. I—I must've… Glancing around, she found herself still in the storage room she found that the only person still in the room with her was the slowly dying body of Sam. The vacant and glazed over look in his eyes told her that he didn't have very long—it was a wonder he'd lasted as long as he did. Heaving herself to her feet, she searched for something to cover him with. She hadn't particularly taken a liking to the man, but he was dying and some respect should be paid, no matter who he was or what he did. Eventually settling on a scrap of the villain's overcoat, she laid it over his head and disappeared through the side door on the way to the roof.
"DON'T YOU DARE LOOSE THAT SMILE, ALRIGHT YOUNG MIDORIYA!" All Might cried as he burst onto the scene. "IT IS FINE NOW, BECAUSE I AM HERE!"
"Quit monologuing Sensei!" Toru called out as she shot passed him. Bypassing All Might's need for a grand dramatic entrance and Midoriya who appeared to be screaming at the helicopter from within a crater of his own making, Toru launched herself into the sky. Enveloped in light once more, the girl shot straight for the helicopter like a shooting star.
Attacking the bird at just the right angle, she was able to slip through the open door and yank the bleeding Professor out as she shot out the other side without taking any of the villains head on. The pair came to a stop a fair ways above the helicopter, floating amongst the clouds just as dawn began to peek over the horizon. Shifting the Professor's weight in her hands so that she was holding him by the scruff of his clothes, she fired a compressed shot straight towards the rotor blades. The bird spiralled downwards where it was met with a powerful uppercut from All Might and subsequently blown to pieces.
"Is—is something burning?" Dave questioned when the smell of burnt toast started to permeate.
"Sorry, that's me" Toru apologised as she glanced down to see the fist in his clothes was smoking. Swinging him up into her arms like an oversized baby, Toru flew over to the helipad where the pair stumbled to a landing in front of the others.
"That was some nice flying, young Hagakure" All Might praised, taking his old friend from her.
"Uh…thanks, Sensei" Toru muttered as she moved aside for the blonde.
"Papa!" Melissa cried rushing over.
"M-Melissa…?" Dave breathed from where he was cradled in All Might's arms as the hero got rid of his chains.
"Everything will be okay" All Might reassured.
"We did it…" Midoriya breathed joining the group.
"I'm…so sorry" Dave apologised "It's my fault…"
And all was right with the world…until a large metal fist came flying out of nowhere and knocked All Might away like he was fly. "ALL MIGHT!" Midoriya exclaimed as a large electrical wire snaked forth and wrapped itself around the professor, dragging him backwards.
"PAPA!" Melissa wailed as she watched her father disappear once more.
"PROFESSOR!"
"I heard Sam—" The villain—now sporting Dave's device—taunted, "—All Might's Quirk is failing him! He doesn't have the same unstoppable power he once did!"
"He's using the Professor's device!" Toru noted, staring up at the monstrous metallic structure illuminated by the flames of the helicopter "He better not have used that serum!"
"What's in that serum, Toru?" Melissa questioned, "You were so upset when you saw it earlier"
"It's…bad news…it's just bad news. It took a monster to birth a nightmare" Toru breathed, not really listening to what she was saying.
"YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHEN TO GIVE UP, DO YOU?" All Might decreed from behind them as he shot forth like a bullet and fired a punch towards the villain. "TEXAS SMASH!" Unfortunately, it was met with a metallic wall that would not crumble.
"Is that all you got?" The villain laughed, waving his hand and sending out more spikes to skewer the hero. But that wasn't all. All around them, pieces of metal began to peel away from buildings, they floated up from the streets and out through shattered windows. Oh! I'm so glad I don't have braces anymore! Toru thought hysterically as a sheet of metal flew passed her face.
"Dang!" The villain's voice sounded layered as he spoke "The Professor's genius lives up to its reputation! I can tell my Quirk's growing more powerful! Haha! It feels amazing! I'm never taking this off!"
"Holy. Shit" Toru felt her jaw drop at the spectacle before them.
"Dave, what in the world have you made?" All Might muttered.
"I had no idea he created something so powerful" Melissa stared with eyes full of shock and awe.
"Now, I think I know the best way to raise the price of this device…I can charge whatever I want if it was used to kill the World's Number One Hero!"
Midoriya was able to snatch Melissa from the air as All Might faced the onslaught of attacks headed his way. Toru could only watch as the Pro seemed to reach his limit and still the villain continued to up his attack. Just what has that device done to him?!
"Why won't you just DIE ALREADY?!" The villain bellowed sending another wave of attacks forward. Jumping up into the air, Toru had to weave her way through the pillars as if she were dancing. Thank you Nejire!
"ALL MIGHT!" Midoriya shouted as the wave crept closer and closer to the hero. Thankfully a wave of ice intercepted the pillars before they could hit, freezing them in place.
"Todoroki…" Toru happily gasped as Bakugou also made his grand entrance; if a little louder.
"GO TO HELL!" Bakugou screeched as he fired an explosion towards the villain. "HOW CAN YOU LET YOURSELF GET BEAT BY SUCH A LAME FINAL BOSS?!" He winced as his hand cramped up from overuse of his Quirk, "HURRY AND TAKE HIM DOWN?!"
"Everyone…!" Toru alighted next to the others as they emerged from the tower. Yaoyorozu and Kaminari were propped over shoulders with expressions of exhaustion written across their features. Kirishima and Mineta were dragging their feet but seemed unharmed (save for a few bruises and scrapes). Kayano and Rio brought up the rear, both girls sporting makeshift weapons (Kayano with her taser and Rio with a lump of wood which she was holding like baseball bat).
"We'll do what we can" Todoroki called with both ice and fire emanating from his body, "We'll help you!"
"Iida, let's knock those hunks of metal out of the sky!" Kirishima called.
"Yaoyorozu, take care of things down here!" Iida instructed as the two boys shot off.
"Right" Yaoyorozu nodded.
"Toru" Kayano rushed over and pulled her friend into a hug, soon followed by Rio. "What's going on, Toru?"
"What isn't going on?" Toru retorted, "You see big bossman?"
"Yeah?" Rio and Kayano nodded.
"He's got a device that Melissa's father made for All Might, that s'posed to boost your Quirk far beyond its usual limits"
"Shit, really?" Rio gasped.
"That's not all"
"What else…?" Kayano asked hesitantly.
"He's got a vial of the Antimatter Tentacle Serum"
"WHAT?!" Kayano paled.
"HOW THE HELL DOES HE HAVE THAT?!" Rio exploded.
"Apparently the assistant—Sam—" Toru began.
"—The dead guy in the storage room?"
"Yeah, anyway, somehow he got a hold of it and it was the basis for their entire project. It's this whole thing"
"Shit"
"Yeah, pretty much"
Looking back towards All Might's fight (now joined by Midoriya, Todoroki, Iida, Bakugou and Kirishima), Toru watched as the Pro hero was basically pummelled into the ground. "…CAROLINA SMASH!" An explosion of light and debris exploded in front of their eyes, causing many to shield themselves against the onslaught. "PREPARE YOURSELF VILLAIN!" All Might called as he shot towards the center of the contraption where the villain sat, nestled. Only he never got that far, metal that moved like snakes and flowed like water sprung up from every which way, entrapping the hero like a fly in a spider's web.
"Prepare myself?" Crowed the villain as he reached out and grabbed All Might around the neck as his body burnt orange and molten, taking on a monstrous visage "Take your own advice! You've underestimated me!"
"RAAAAAAH!" All Might cried out in pain; nowhere to go and no means to fight back.
"ALL MIGHT!" Midoriya ran forth, only to drop to the ground clutching his shoulder in pain.
"DAMMIT!" Bakugou shouted as he soon became outmanoeuvred by the drones. Todoroki too, had to quickly dodge out of the way and soon enough a blanket of hopelessness seemed to descend.
"ALL MIGHT! NO!" Chorused the students as they watched blocks of metal slam together around the Pro like he was a magnet in a junkyard.
"FAREWELL SYMBOL OF PEACE!" Bellowed the villain as he skewered the clump of metal from all sides, for good measure.
UNCLE MIGHT! NOOOOOOO!" Wailed Melissa.
Time seemed to stand still as everyone stared at the skewered metal in front of them. All Might, the Number One Hero, Symbol of Peace: dead. Sure, Toru had stated earlier that he was only a man, that he could die just like everyone else…but to see it actually happen? She didn't think she would. All around her, her classmates were watching on with expressions of disbelief and fear—their teacher and top hero was just swatted like a fly, what chance did they have? From Mineta's pale shock to Ochako's never-ending tears and Bakugou's disbelief.
And a small, slightly cracked glass vial fill with viscous liquid glistened in Kayano's hand. "Kayano…" Toru breathed, her eyes glistening with tears as she watched her friend pop the cap on the vial.
"Kay…what are you doing?!" Rio demanded, hand snapping out to halt her wrist, "Do you not remember what happened last time?!"
"Of course I remember!" Kayano glared at the blonde.
"So why…?" Toru asked.
"Let's kill 'im" Wicked fire blazed in her eyes. "I wanna kill 'im!"
"Rio?" Toru turned to the blonde who had been studying Kayano's face like she was mining for gold.
"…We're getting ice cream after" Rio replied childishly and yet completely serious.
"Done" Kayano agreed.
"Rio, if we get ugly, can you get the Professor?" Toru asked.
"Right, we'll follow your lead, Toru" Rio nodded as both girls backed away from the actress, taking the surrounding students with them.
"T-Toru?" Ochako sniffed as she and a slightly delirious Kaminari were herded away from Kayano, "What's going on?"
Toru didn't reply, but she watched on with a grim expression as Kayano took a deep breath and knocked back the serum in one go. Swallowing down the vile concoction, she only had to wait a moment for Kayano to bend at the waist as her body gagged and retched, trying to expel the serum. Her eyes burnt black and her skin bulged like she was about to explode from the inside out. Her lips bled from the force at which she was biting them, trying her best to keep the screams in. Soon enough, Kayano grew still; her head bowed and body stone still. Toru watched as her lips mouthed a reply to something she couldn't hear and then suddenly from the nape of her neck burst two elastic-like tentacles that propped her up into the air.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Mineta cried scrambling backwards from the nightmarish scene before them. Eyes snapped open and locked onto Toru, waiting for the command.
"Kay! Rio! With me!" Toru commanded as she shot off towards the villain with Rio's hand in hers. Flying straight towards the structure, Toru slingshotted Rio towards one of the pillars connecting to the main structure, leaving the blonde to make her own way in. Dodging out of the way, she and Kayano headed further towards the center.
As they passed over the clump of metal holding All Might (with Toru flying and Kayano using the tentacles to swing the distance), Toru noticed a flash of green lightning pierce through. Midoriya smashed through the metal like it was made of clay, landing a little further ways away with All Might who somehow seemed to be alive. How the hell is he still alive?!
"Wait! This guy's grabbing stuff from the tower, right?" Toru spitballed. Kayano simply looked at her with those blackened eyes, but she wasn't attacking her, so Toru took it as a sign. "RITSU!" She screamed at Rio, "JAM HIM!"
Though she received no reply from the blonde, the song that was soon blasted from every speaker in the structure was answer enough. Toru laughed jovially at the tune that surrounded them, recognising the song as one from the Badass Bitch playlist.
If all of the kings had their queens on the throne
We would pop champagne and raise a toast
To all of the queens who are fighting alone
Baby, you're not dancing on your own!
"There's no way you can stop me!" The villain crowed, slumped over and clutching his ears as he was "You're insignificant brats! AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN TO LIE DOWN AND BE CRUSHED!" This time Toru gripped tight to Kayano's hand as the actress zipped through the falling rubble like it was child's play.
Can't live without me, you wanna but you can't, no, no, no
Think it's funny, but honey, can't run this show on your own
I can feel my body shake, there's only so much I can take
I'll show you how a real queen behaves, oh!
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW DEFEAT!" Bakugou roared as he lit the metallic assailants up in a fiery explosion that was propelled from both fists.
"I WON'T LET YOU STOP THEM!" Todoroki added as he shot large shards of ice up towards the raging pillars.
"GO BEYOND!" All Might ran forth with Midoriya on his heels.
"PLUS ULTRA!" Midoriya ended as the two heroes punched their way through the pillars and clumps; effectively distracting the villain from the three girls who pursued him.
No damsel in distress, don't need to save me
Once I start breathin' fire, you can't tame me
And you might think I'm weak without a sword
But if I had one, it'd be bigger than yours!
"THIS IS OVER!" Roared the villain as he sent another wave of pillars towards the heroes. All around them, explosions lit the landscape like fireworks at a festival. Shockwave after shockwave melted into each other as everyone put their all into stopping the villain, pushing their bodies passed their limits.
If all of the kings had their queens on the throne
We would pop champagne and raise a toast
To all of the queens who are fighting alone
Baby, you're not dancing on your own!
Toru glanced down through the wreckage to see Rio jumping back through the metallic landscape with the Professor slung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She couldn't see how injured they were at the speed they were going, she was just glad that the blonde had been able to extract the scientist from the machine, before shit really hit the fan.
Disobey me, then baby, it's off with your head
Gonna change it and make it a world you won't forget
No damsel in distress, don't need to save me
Once I start breathin' fire, you can't tame me
And you might think I'm weak, without a sword
But I'm stronger than I ever was before!
"HNN!" Grunted the villain as he raised his hands above his head and began to form some kind of giant cube above him. One that was much larger than the previous ones, and smoother too. Whatever he was planning to do with was not going to be good.
"Kay, drop me" Toru ordered when they came within reaching distance of the villain, "I'm going 'round back" The invisible girl floated for a moment or two next to her friend
"Let's burn this bastard!" Kayano grinned manically.
"GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" Toru called over her shoulder as she flew around to the opposite of the machine.
If all of the kings had their queens on the throne
We would pop champagne and raise a toast
To all of the queens who are fighting alone
Baby, you're not dancing on your own!
Illuminated by the rising sun, Toru spread her arms outwards and began to soak up as much of the early rays as she could. Down below, she watched Kayano take on the villain.
"YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE! I'M GONNA BRING DOWN THIS ENTIRE TOWER!" He roared, sending the large cube straight towards Kayano. Dodging out of the way was child's play for the actress, but this time she met the smooth cube head on.
Flinging herself upwards at an unearthly rate, the young actress began to spin with the fiery tentacles out in front of her, effectively turning herself into a flaming torpedo.
At first the cube only seemed to bend under her attack, but soon enough it gave way. Like bursting a water balloon, Kayano shot through the cube leaving its remains to scatter amongst the other rubble decorating the landscape. The fiery explosion thereafter, would've made Bakugou proud. "GO TORU!" She shouted as she began to fall, catching herself before she went splat.
In chess the king can move one space at a time
But queens are free to go wherever they like
You get too close, you'll get a royalty high
So breathe it in to feel the love!
Up above them all, Toru seemed to have reached her limit. Light blanketed her form in such thickness that she seemed to be almost made of it. Eyes snapped open and locked onto her target beneath her. Snapping her arms above her head like a swimmer, Toru dove head first towards the metallic structure like a shooting star.
Any rubble or debris that was floating around her burnt up upon reentry and she shook off their melted pieces as she drew nearer and nearer. Taking a page from Kayano's book, she began to spin, gaining momentum as she went until the heat surrounding her wasn't just of her own making.
If all of the kings had their queens on the throne
We would pop champagne and raise a toast
To all of the queens who are fighting alone
Baby, you're not dancing on your own! Oh!
"RAAAAH!" Toru bellowed. Piercing through the many layers that tried to defend its rear like they were made of butter, she shot through the center of the structure and grabbed a fistful of fabric as she passed. There was no stopping her as she grabbed the enraged—and now burning—villain, nor was there any stopping them as she kept going, unable to stop, unable to land or pull up. Toru simply closed her eyes and tried to prepare herself for the inevitable crash landing.
BOOM! CRASH!
The almighty sound the reverberated across the landscape pounded in her ears as the pair eventually came to a smokey stop in a large crater that tore through the earth. Toru felt her heart hammer in her chest as she wheezed in great big gulping breaths of sweet, sweet air. A trickle of blood flowed down her forehead from where she had cut it upon piercing the armour of the villain, the sounds of scrabbling, hurried footsteps sounded close and several blurry figures appeared in her sights and many of their voices slurred together in her hazy brain.
"Toru!"
"Hagakure!"
"Young Hagakure!"
"Are you alright?"
"Say something!"
"Toru!"
"Worst…Landing.…Ever" Toru wheezed as she blinked rapidly, recognising Rio and All Might next to her in the crater and her other classmates crowded along the ridge.
"That was exemplary, young Hagakure!" All Might praised as he helped her sit up and slung a blazer over her shoulders (Iida's if the blue was anything to go by).
"You idiot!" Rio softly whacked her on the shoulder, "What the hell were you thinking?"
"Don't…hit Kay?" Toru panted sheepishly as she slipped her arms through the sleeves and pulled the front closed.
"KAY!" Both girls chorused as realisation lit up in their eyes and they scrambled from the crater. Rio moved first, using a rather startled All Might as a springboard to push herself up into the air and tackle the two-toned actress from her perch. Toru was a little slower in her ascent, but eventually (and with a little help) she was able to exit the crater and rushed over to help Rio pin her friend down.
"Uh, how are we going to do this?" Toru asked kneeling on the left hand side of Kayano's back as she tried to throw them off.
"I've got this" Rio flicked open a pocket knife that she pulled from seemingly thin air.
"Where were you hiding that?"
"In my hair"
"Of course, why not?"
"Quit being sassy and help me!"
"Right, right, sorry" Switching so that she was straddling Kayano, Toru leant forth and braced her friend's head between her hands, allowing Rio to perform makeshift surgery.
"Stop! STOP! I WANT IT! THEY'RE MINE! YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM!" Kayano—or the tentacles— cried.
"Stop it!" Rio hissed, "No you don't! This is the tentacles talking!"
"G'OFF!"
"You think we should—mngh!—knock her out?" Toru asked Rio.
"Could make it worse, 'sides I'm almost…" Rio shook her head. "…Done"
Pulling out the Antimatter Tentacles made Toru squirm like she was watching her friend get a tapeworm removed—which in all essence was that far off. Turning her head away from the slithery thing in Rio's hands, she stifled a gag as the last of the tentacles was removed. "Right, hold still" Rio instructed as she then proceeded to remove the miniature sewing kit (also from her hair, for some reason) and stitched up the thin cut on Kayano's nape. Thankfully Kayano had fallen still once the tentacles were removed, allowing the girls to fix her up without too much issue.
Once the stitches were covered with a flowery band-aid, Toru removed herself from Kayano's back and sat beside her to see how she was. The last time this happened, it nearly killed her! Toru worried as she was handed the tentacle remnants and instructed to burn them, I hope this worked!
Hands snaked out to help the actress sit up when she began to stir. Rio and Toru shared a glance in anticipation as they waited to see if they had killed their friend or not; sluggish hands rose to scrub at tired eyes and a jaw-cracking yawn echoed throughout the three girls. But Kayano seemed to be alright, nonetheless.
"Stop that! You're gonna make…me…yawn!" Rio laughed, ending with a yawn at the end.
"DEKU! MELISSA!" Called Ochako, catching the girls' attention. As one they turned to see Toru's classmates waving their hands wildly and jumping up and down, trying to get their attention.
"HOW ARE THE OTHERS?!" Iida called.
"WE'RE FINE UP HERE!" Midoriya called back from the next ridge over. "ALL MIGHT & THE PROFESSOR ARE OKAY TOO!"
"WHAT ABOUT HAGAKURE?"
"I'M OKAY!" Toru called back through cupped hands, drawing attention over to them, waving back as they did so.
"WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF YOU GUYS?" Melissa shouted next.
"WE'RE GOOD!" Ochako replied.
"ALIVE ANYWAY!" Iida amended. Another round of yawns rippled through the trio of girls as Rio turned to face them, her face completely serious. "Can we get that ice cream now?"
