Author Notes: Hello all!
Wow. Thank you for your guys support– it really means a lot to me. I can't stick to deadline dates anymore (Like I stuck to them in the first place). We have more than tripled the amount of views since chapter 10, so maybe I'm doing this thing partially right? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I must inform you guys my schedule is only getting busier. So you're just going to have to trust me when I say I'm shooting for one chapter a month. I wish I could be more exact and say when that will be– I want you guys to be able to have something to look forward to without the threat of the unknown looming around the corner. To have something that might help you get through tough times– if only for the twenty minutes it takes to read this, then I know it was all worth it.
…
Helping people is powerful.
Compassion towards loved ones AND strangers alike IS powerful. When facing grief, we are given two paths to take; Fall down or get up. Undeniably, it takes effort to get back up on our feet. Sometimes, its a lot easier staying on the ground– to perhaps, even allow yourself to become bitter and closed off from the rest of the world…
Its OK to feel sad.
But every time you rise to your feet, you're going to be proud that you did. Despite the pain and suffering you've endured, you've made the choice to keep on being a kind and compassionate human being– to keep on doing the right thing and being a good person. Because you're a lot stronger than you realize.
Its normal to feel powerless– like nothing in your life is going your way. Everything is crumbling around you, and that safety net you once had– is being ripped from your grasp. To feel as if you have no sense of control over your own fate– your own destiny.
Except you do. We idolize heroes because they represent what our potential as people truly is. Because if you could fly, have super strength– or fire lasers from your eyes– would you make the effort to still be the same, decent person?
The hero's journey is the story of your life.
…
Without further ado! Dear readers, I present to you the ambitious, the action-packed, and the heartbreaking conclusion to the USJ Arc!
CHAPTER NINETEEN: TEN TIMES THE HERO
REDEMPTION IN DEATH PART 1
FOUR MONTHS UNTIL ARMAGGEDON
…
Engine humming, the bus loaded with Izuku and his classmates jostled as it climbed the steep incline of the road. The private land Nezu and UA co-owned was designed with the area's geography in mind. Multiple tunnels and bridges were seamlessly interwoven within the sprawling forested landscape. Gaze flicking back and forth between his best friend, Jiro, and the looming rotundness of the USJ's dome, Izuku was faced with making a hasty decision. A decision, he didn't want to have to make.
He couldn't lie to her.
Izuku understood how Jiro's quirk functioned. Her super hearing was so well fine-tuned that even the smallest of elevations in his heartbeat would unmask his deception. Whether or not she decided to take issue with that was entirely up to her own judgement– and she was a pretty good judge of character.
In the punk girls own words: 'There's a lot you can tell about a person based on how much they lie directly to your face. If it's a regular occurrence, then it likely means one of two things; They're telling a modified version of the truth to spare themselves from potential embarrassment– or it means they're aware that they contributed to something that is socially frowned upon. If I think its for that second reason, I'll call them out on their bullshit. If they're reaction is hostile, then I know I was right.'
Izuku detested lying in general, and he tried to be honest with everyone whenever possible. He imagined guilt was like a barbed wire, binding itself around his abdomen– the metaphorical metal slicing and digging into his flesh– tightening– chafing, the longer he refused to speak his mind. He had to hold onto hope that she would understand and not push him for specific details.
Whenever that familiar mocking static tore through his consciousness he froze– not from the chill that it brought– but from the fear. It was as if his emotions were being played like a fiddle at times– and this constant teetering on the edge... it was starting to get to him. He was vulnerable in these moments. But most of all…
…He was afraid of giving her an answer in a voice that wasn't his own.
"I'm OK. Really." He raised his hands to placate her, observing her reaction closely– sensing she didn't believe him by how her dark eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"It's going to take a little more than that to convince me."
Then, in a quieter voice asked: "What's wrong? You know you can talk to me."
The sideways glance he gave her implied, 'I will tell you everything– just later.'
"Fine. I won't go Sherlock Holmes on you this time..." She lightly poked the center of his chest with a jack.
She clenched her jaw in a hard line, clearly disappointed that he was dodging a conversation.
"Are you cold?" She picked up on his–
"–You're shivering? Alright, that's it: I'm giving you my jacket."
"I'M FINE! I'M NOT COLD!" He said louder than it needed to be.
Obviously, that auditory blunder turned a few heads.
Kaminari squinted accusingly in Todoroki's direction. The son of Endeavor surprisingly had enough energy to roll his eyes, offending the electric quirk user greatly– if his gobsmacked expression was anything to go by.
"I don't know what's wrong with him. So leave me out of this."
Izuku managed a polite smile.
"Sorry, Todoroki, I didn't mean to drag you into this. I apologize if I scared anyone else, but I promise, I'm totally good." He shrugged unconvincingly.
Jiro was looking at him all suspiciously again and he was cracking under the pressure.
'Improvise! Adapt! Overcome!'
"I pinky-jack promise." He presented his hand to her, flipping said digit.
She stared at him in befuddlement, though still extended her jack to loosely 'shake,' his finger. Izuku was once again transfixed by her costume– more specifically, her face paint. Black, claw-like markings decorated her eyes, adding to her daunting appearance. Upon noticing Kevin's oddly smug expression, her mood immediately soured.
"What are you looking at?" She crossed her arms defensively.
"Nothing." He leaned back in his cushioned seat, resting his head on his arms.
"It's your funeral." She huffed annoyedly, though her attention soon returned to the Omnitrix wielder.
Ashido watched the interaction from afar, compounding the analytics of what she observed on her mental checklist. She bent her neck to where she assumed Hagakure's ear was.
"They got it so bad for each other."
"I know, girl. I know. Wait, who are we talking about?"
"Midoriya and Jiro– who else?"
"Oh, them! They're so freaking adorable! That's kind of old news though? Literally everyone knows they're the type of couple that steals the blanket from each other!"
"Everyone except them." The pink teen snorted at her own remark. "We should give them a ship name." She added, while rubbing her chin, scrounging her imagination.
"Its too early to be making ship names when they haven't publicly stated they're dating yet." The invisible girl agreed with her conspiratorially.
"Ah. Ya got me there."
"I did get you there."
"You got me haha…" Ashido trailed off, laughing nervously at the frightening aura flowing from the punk rocker's direction.
Kirishima leaned his weight on the grabbing rail, oblivious to the silent staredown that was occurring.
"Hey, Midobro? I had a question for you."
"Huh? Um, sure? What is it?"
"What was it like when you manifested your quirk?"
He took Izuku's sudden apprehensive posture into account.
"You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable! For me, I didn't realize it came in until after I gave myself this scar." He prodded at the faded slash on his upper eyelid
"I was itchy." He chuckled amiably.
"I used to think I brainwashed animals into liking me– then I figured out they could understand me– and I could speak to them, too." Koda admitted softly from beside Izuku.
"Right? But it got me thinking: A transformation quirk like the one you got— it must've been pretty overwhelming."
The freckled teen paused to contemplate his explanation.
"It was. Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yeah, man! I won't judge you!"
Whether Izuku took note of it or not, the class considerably quieted down– as they were secretly curious to hear his answer.
"My quirk came in last year."
"WHAT!?" The entirety of 1-A whipped on his location, as Mr. Aizawa was forced to stamp his hands over his ears to prevent himself from going deaf.
"You've had your quirk for only a year!? And you're this powerful!?" Kirishima gawked at him, his shock further emphasized by his piranha teeth.
"That has to be a record!"
"My mom was actually a late bloomer herself, so I'd guess that's where I got it from." He shrugged, folding his arms across the green Omnitrix symbol on his chest.
"I went on a walk one night to try and clear my head…" He began to deliver his abbreviated story to his classmates.
"...I turned into Jellytronic first. I was excited, initially– who wouldn't be? Then I got scared because I didn't know how to turn back. I didn't know if I could turn back. I was worried I'd be stuck like that forever…"
Kevin busied himself by tinkering with his robotic appendage, though he was listening intently to the conversation.
"I didn't know how to float– and I didn't know what my limits were with my electricity. I could only flounder around. In a strange way… I felt even more useless than before."
A couple of his classmates shared a concerned look.
"Then I remembered something a hero once told me."
Kevin sighed inwardly, knowing who he must've been referring to.
"Life isn't going to wait for you to be ready. So you have to be willing to take that leap of faith when the opportunity presents itself. Because if you don't… that same opportunity might never come again," He smiled somberly, "and that's how I learned to fly. Also, uh, the next morning, the train I used to make my normal commute to school with was captured by villains. You know how that went."
"Bro!" Kirishima wiped a manly tear from the corner of his eye.
"That makes everything you've done even more impressive! I can't imagine life without my hardening!" He demonstrated his quirk by sharpening his fingers.
"Poor choice of words." Sero shook his head dismally.
"So, you were completely quirkless before a year ago?" Asui croaked at him thoughtfully.
"...Yes?" Was Izuku's hesitant response.
Iida opened his mouth as if to tack more onto that, but shook his head instead, thinking it may have been a personal inquiry not appropriate for group discussion.
"How does he keep getting COOLER!?" Mineta wailed forlornly.
"Wait, you think I'm cool?" He pointed at himself, turning to Jiro.
"Do you think I'm cool?"
Her exasperated expression made him regret asking. In an attempt to save face, he looked to his roommate.
"Do you think I'm cool?"
"Izuku Midoriya? Cool? Please, I don't think those words are meant to coexist in the same sentence."
"If anything– I'm the cool one around here." He boasted, and in a lower voice said: "Always was."
"That's true." Izuku agreed.
"Suck-up."
"Grease monkey!" Izuku countered.
Jiro mocked the both of them, tapping her temples as if she were accessing a latent telepathy quirk.
"Ah! The bromance! I can sense it! Its very strong with these two!"
"Yeah, and the sudden urge to give an ass-kicking is strong with this one too!" Kevin sat forward, head full of steam.
"Oh no! I'm quaking in my military grade combat boots! The big, bad Kevin Eleven is gonna beat me up guys!" Jiro acted scared.
"Fight me?" He raised a brow at her.
"That would be a mistake." She retorted.
"Yeah, for you."
"My sonic projections can shatter steel. How are you going to win when I can break through your defenses?"
"A punch to the face might inflict some damage?"
"With footwork like yours? No chance! You fight like a street thug! Your swings are too wide and too heavy. I have the advantage of range with my jacks and I'm lighter on my feet. You'd never get close enough to so much as grab me."
"You haven't seen me go all out." He squinted at her challengingly.
"Unless you're stronger than Green here, I'm not worried. Not in the slightest."
"The only person I know who's stronger than Midoriya is All Might!" Kirishima laughed awkwardly between them, scratching his spiky red hair.
"But uh hey, that reminds me: Is All Might gonna be there? He isn't on the bus as far as I can tell. Ever since what happened on Tuesday, I've been worried about him." The chivalrous boy frowned.
"I assume Recovery Girl healed him. It wouldn't make sense to worry." Yaoyorozu reassured them, resting her weight on her bo staff.
"Yeah, you're probably right. Though, I can't help but wonder. What caused that to happen? Was he sick? Was he injured? I thought nothing could hurt All Might."
"Again, coughing up blood is not a symptom of a run of the mill common cold, ribbit." Asui prodded her chin with a bulbous finger.
"Gee, I mean– what else could it be?"
"If it was an infection..." Izuku broke into a sweat as multiple heads swiveled onto him, catching him before his mutter spree started.
"Um, I was saying that he might've been coughing up blood due to a respiratory infection? I wasn't there when it happened– as you all know– but its not entirely out of the realm of possibility that he could've contracted something? Whatever it is, we shouldn't worry about him. He's been the symbol of peace for two decades for a reason. I'm sure he can fight through whatever this is." He alleviated his classmates concerns for the most part.
"Of course you're not worried, Midoriya. With a girlfriend like yours, who would be?" Sero just exposed him in front of Jiro and he was laughing.
"Midoriya, you player! You absolute dog! How'd you do it!?" Mineta leered at Izuku jealously, hands trembling.
"What!? G-girlfriend!? You g-got it all wrong!" He stammered, pressing his back into his seat.
"Look, Ochaco and I, we're just friends!"
"Balderdash!" Kaminari unexpectedly threw out there.
"Yeah, what he said! I saw you making googly eyes and flirting with that babe from general studies!"
Jiro strummed her guitar lazily.
"Guys–!?"
"–Wait, is that why you grabbed two ice cream cones from the freezer in the cafeteria today?" Kaminari pointed at him accusatorily.
"He hasn't shown up to the lunch table since Wednesday. Does that mean…?" Iida readjusted his lenses so the sun glared off of them.
"Its not whatever you think it is!" Izuku defended himself, face glowing hot from embarrassment.
"I'm so stupid! I figured it was only a classic case of the cinnamon roll that had a sweet tooth! I didn't want to believe that the cinnamon roll personality type is universally agreed upon as being the most attractive personality type– but I WAS WRONG! SO, WRONG! My hubris– it got the best of me! Again! With a quirk that strong he's bound to get all the ladies! DAMNIT! Its only the first of week of school and he's already bagging baddies right and left!" Mineta sobbed, punching the floor, causing Mr. Aizawa to yell at him.
"God, can you idiots shut up already?" Jiro groaned.
"Yeah, um, Ochaco and I… we came to a mutual understanding. We both agreed we preferred being friends, nothing–"
Jiro dropped her guitar. He pretended that he didn't notice.
"–Nothing more than that." He placed a hand above his heart to show how sincere he was.
"She dumped you!?" Mineta screeched impishly.
"You dropped the ball man. You dropped the ball." Kaminari shook his head dissapointedly.
"Did you two listen to anything I said?" Izuku slumped over defeatedly.
Sero slapped his armrest, howling at the interaction. Iida did everyone a favor by slapping his palm over his mouth to muffle him. Ashido inhaled deeply, preparing herself for what she was about to do.
"Hang on to my mask for a sec?"
"Sure." Hagakure accepted the white cloth, then tried it on while her back was turned.
Ashido rose from her spot and marched over to where Midoriya was sitting. With the runway clear, the acid quirk user took center stage.
"Midoriya, I owe you an apology. Its about what I said the other day. You're not a villain."
"Ashido, you don't have to apologize for that?"
She thought of Kirishima's speech on Monday, embezzling her with renewed courage.
"No- no I do." She reaffirmed, shaking her head.
She momentarily locked eyes with a scrutinizing Jiro slotted beside him.
"I have no right calling myself a hero if I can't even treat my own classmates with basic decency and respect." She bowed.
"I'm sorry… and I'm going to be better."
"That's- that's very thoughtful of you Ashido, thank you." Izuku smiled, touched by her honesty.
"If we're on the topic of respecting our classmates– Bakugou, man, that guy– that guy has some screws loose." Sero attempted to capitalize off of Ashido's success.
"He's crazy, I'm telling you!" Kaminari echoed, making cuckoo motions with his hands.
"We all saw him nearly KILL Yaoyorozu– err, not to bring up any bad memories, or anything."
"No offense taken, Kaminari. I for one, am astonished that someone with such disregard for others safety made it into UA to begin with." Yaoyorozu subconsciously rubbed at her exposed arms.
She had gone the extra mile to bolster her costume's defenses, making it a point to have flame retardant material.
"His quirk is strong, no doubt about that, but with the attitudinal equivalent of spoiled milk that was left to bake out in the sun for a week, there's no way he'll make it big like he brags!" He crossed his arms like that settled it.
"If he hasn't learned his lesson yet, I will be surprised if he graduates." Asui gave her two cents.
"If he tries a stupid stunt like that again, I won't hesitate to tackle him." Sato expressed his hardhat mentality.
"Now that, I can agree with." Kaminari leaned so he could shake hands with Sato.
"Kids." Thirteen addressed her students, rotating in her seat at the front of the bus.
"While I am aware of what occurred on Tuesday, and I do not condone Bakugou's behavior, I must stress that, under different circumstances, you too, may one day find yourselves in a similar situation. Everyone makes mistakes. We're all still human– as hard as that is to believe sometimes.
Take my quirk, blackhole, for example: It's a great rescue tool, sure, but if I don't exercise caution, if I lose focus for even a moment– I could potentially injure or kill a civilian. And for the record, I have injured civilians with my quirk before. Not on purpose, of course– but, that's why its important to think outside of the box– to best utilize your unique abilities in a way that maximizes safety. You'll never be an effective hero if you're a one trick pony."
The bus riders fell silent after the heroines wisdom imparted unto them. Mr. Aizawa seemed thankful to have some peace and quiet for once. All was fine until the least likely candidate broke the streak.
"People like him… they don't change." Todoroki maintained focus on his reflection in the window.
Kevin wanted to rebuke his statement, but then thought better of it when he noticed how the heterochromatic teen was touching his burn scar in his reflection.
He's a victim too.
"We're here!" The bus driver announced, startling him and a few others.
Izuku subconsciously traced his hand over the Omnitrix.
'Just keep calm, Izuku. And whatever you do… Don't. Let. Him. In.'
…
0̸̡̹͕͍̮̙̦̜̟̋1̶̖͍͖̻̜̅͊̀̋̂͝0̷̱͚̟̗͔͙͔͇͉́͋̎1̸̨̓̏̐͗̅1̴̨̳̤̫̑̒͌̊̽̆̃͜0̶̣̯͈͚͉͉̥̻̀̆̊̈̐̌0̶̩̱͖̑̓̐ͅ1̶̧̠͓̲̲̣̰̥̋̇̚ ̶̧̦͕̼̫̭̗͈̒͊̑̾0̷̣̬̰̻͈̹́̈́̎̌̾͑̍ͅͅ1̶̭̭̱̰̟͖̠́́͑̐͗̽͑̔̕1̶͚͈͛̉̚0̶̡̧͍͍̼̺͈͋̌̍̀̚1̸̨̲͚̳͚͚͈̊͋͋̊́͆͊͘͜1̴̳̫̱̻̮̃̑̂͑̕̕͝1̸̪̭̘̥̗̎̀͂͌̓̀͘1̷̢̙̫̗͉̞̜͚̈́̀̽̕̕̕͝ͅ ̷͍̘̓̇̔́͑0̶̧̛̞͍̟̩̝̝͑̅̌̋̽͆̈̉ͅ1̵̝͉̦̳̼̥͕̹̫̍́1̶̖̰̖̩͉̫̻̗͍̐1̴͕̈̌̍́̏͘͘0̶͍̲͉́̈̓1̵̨̘̻̝̮̬͊̿̀͋̊͛̾̅0̴̜̤̜̪̰̀̿͂̽͌͒͘͠1̶̫̈́̀͌̍̽͗ ̶̢̟̯̈́͝0̶̩̇͆0̴̜̎̓̂1̶̛̱̥̠̒̀̉̅̽͝0̵̧̪̤̯̜̉̍̀̊̽͋̃͛̚0̵̯͎͒͋̓̔͗̿̂͝1̷̙̇̽̕1̵̢̼̫̪͔̺̑̈̇͝1̸̠̝͙͎͍͈̻̑̈́̅ ̴̰̗̆̉͝0̷̗̦̐̃̀͛̎͗͂̂̓ͅ1̶̥̮̺͆͛1̴̹͎̘͚͇̰̫̝̀̉̀1̵̗̼͇͂́͋͊̊̇0̵̨̛̠̬̰̲͙͉̠͂͆̅͊̓͒͜0̸͎̫̜̱̥̱͔̖̬̆̀͛͗͊̅͐̕͝1̷̛̠̊̀̿̈́0̸̠͚̗̼̟̝͙̀̿̈́͗ͅ ̶̠̱͎͎̮͚́͊͝0̵̨̙̮̭̻̎̒̿͒̋̀͊̐͊1̵̮̲̯̰̭̠̅ͅͅ1̷̧͈̖̳̬̓̊̂̋̎̀̌̆0̶̮̺̬̋̈́͑̊0̷̨̱͍̪̯̻͕̺͈͌͑̾̈̔̚1̶͈̟̜͈̅̌0̸̨̺̒̓̐1̷̘̘̪́̀̿̒̇̚ ̴̛̲͇̳̠̼̫̆̊͐̀͘͝0̴̣͐̉̔̄̀0̷̘̗̯̘͓̬͆̒̓̔1̵̺̮̲̹̅̋̔͗̽0̶̪͕̖̩͆̽̌̿̕ͅ0̴̢͈̟͖̰̗̜̂̐̊͛̈́̚͝0̶̲̣̤̺̪͔͕̦̓̾̽̉̒̇̏0̴̩͙̯̹̇̂͐̔͗̀̇͝0̵̙̱̤̦͎͈̈́̏͑́̔̈́͘ ̴̫̳̖̍͒̆́͌̈́̃0̸̡̰̹͇͎̲̲͎͑͆̈̏̌̈́͒̍̓1̷̦̝͕̞̩̲̻̀̃̈́́̄1̸̣͔̠̝̩̱̈̑̃1̶̨̢͎̹̰̓̈̉̊͝0̸̨̓1̶̭̑͜0̵̧̘͎̭͕̩̪̃̂̒͌̊̌̌̚̚0̸̡̛͕̰̝̥̤̈́̾͊̊̀͗ ̵̨̣̜͙̘͗0̴̯̓͆̈̋̎̄́̾̽ͅ1̸̡̡̫̰̥̣̄̆́͊̽̾̐̐͒1̸̡̜̯̼̺̞̤͌͂̏͠0̶̡̣̥͉̹̹̆̎̈́̉1̷͓̻͇͍̥̮͖̅1̵̖̠́̅̓̑̋̚̚͝1̴̤̟̈1̸̬̟̈ ̶̪̘͎̲̣̣̾͐̃̓̂̊̊͝0̵̩͂͒1̶̞̬͙̈́͂̓͐̌̓1̴̨͍̠̱̱̉̈́̆̈̐͛̚͝0̴̦̼̥́͂̂̈̋̌1̶̢̝̠͋͆̍̅̒̒͒̽1̸̡̼̟͓͈̬̣͆͑̄̊͜͝͝͝ͅ1̴̛̬̽̓̄̇̿͝1̴̛̻͓͊͂̓̊̚ ̶̢͈͕͙͍̗̱̦̚0̵̢͙̲͛͒͋͆̈́͛̕͝0̸̟̩͈̪̇́̓̋̓͆̂͘1̸̧̤̌̄̀̃̄̿̑ͅ0̴̢̺̩̆͗͑̽̊͐͊̕̕͜0̷̧̢̳͕̗͉̾̑̃́̀0̴̲̠̩̃͋̐̅͑̊̈́̉ͅ0̸̭͔̫̋0̷̛̙̩͚̰̫̟̰͆̈́̂̑̃̽̐͝ ̴̟͖͙̗̮̂̌0̸͔̔̎͌1̴̙͖̼̮̞͓̳͗͌͂̽͌̍͑̇̉͜1̵̢͔̮̜̠̯̐̋͐͒͒̑̊̀͘ͅ0̴̤̩͓͕̲̈́͜͝1̴̢͚̜̻̗͋̊̃̈́͛̿̚1̴̧̢̥̩̥͇̔͋͠0̸̤̝͍̤̩͗̒0̵̛̦̝͙̘̖̠͓̿͆͐̄͛͜͜͝ ̴̠͋̉̐́͝0̶̗̲͉̈̀̎1̶̢̘̲̺̪͔̬̲͗̈́̆͋ͅ1̸̡̯̫̣͚̝̯̿͒͠0̷̫̟͗̈́͒̊͒̽̆̈́͘0̷͖̼̳͒́̉͠ͅ0̸̧̛̣͔̹̦̭͚͉͙́̇̊̀͂͝͝͠0̶̬͓̝̰̬̥̈́̅̒̅̑͒1̸̣̯͈͇̖̞̿͆́̿̃̍ ̸̩̱̙͈͖͒̔̈͝ͅ0̴͓̌̍͋͗̆̄͠͝1̶̨̦̘̞̜͈̄̏1̷̧̥̯̓͠͝͝1̸͎͕̹͆͗0̵̭̳̙̈̇̔1̶̢͚̭̳̬͉̗̬̫͗̀̾̆͝0̷̢̮̣̠̘̹̲̮͎̆̎̆̏0̵̨̯̪͍̞͖̳̏̍̎̋̍̏͘̚ ̴̙̗̘̝͗́ͅ0̴̨̻͆̀̽̓̒̕̚1̷̗͓͕̺͖̫͛̅1̴̢̢͚̫͖̭̪̠̕͜0̶̪̙͉͗0̴̲͕̠̓̆̅̂ͅ1̸͎̥̗͛̓̅̀͌̉͒̋0̵̧͈̮̰̲̖̘̺͐̎́̆̍͘͜͝1̶̛͕̝̖̖͇̈́̒̉̆̋͝ ̴̧̧̬̞͇̥̳̻̆̄̽͠0̷̧̨̛̯̦̹͓̟͂̇̾͜͝͝0̴̟̙͎̞͕͆͛1̵̧̫̗͍͖̄̽̆͐̿0̶̺͌̑̇͐̾̄̕͜1̵̧̡̱̹̼̻̞̦͗̌͜1̵͚̠͐͌̈̆͝0̶̨̖͚̪̙̬͔̀̍̓̀̇̽̐̌͜0̸̰̼̻̔͒͆͆̔͑́̌̅ ̷̖̈̿̈̽̅́0̸̟͍͕̝͍̠̰̕ͅ0̶̰̺͈̳̻͖͚̦͆ͅ1̶̧̨̛̲͉̪̐̂̈̇͋0̸̢͈͍̥͕̍̓̓0̷̢̝̜͓̻̮̑͊͗͊͌̓̏̃̐0̸̢̧̨̡̦̯̭̞͒̄̚0̶̹̜͎͎̺͓̍̔͜͜0̸̺̟͕̮͇͒̌ ̵̼̦͓͒͐͒͌͋͂0̴͇̟̣͖̍̒̂̿̋̓͜1̸̰̻̪͈̀̔͐͊̈́̚͝1̵̲̻̮̦̗͉̭̐͒̈́̓̉̏̀̀̕0̴̨̜̦̲̤͇͆0̸̩̗̩̠͓̮̻̻͂̍̉̈́͗͘0̴̗̭̬̯͍̳̐̿̈͛͜ͅͅ1̷̦͙̠̱̘̹̀ͅͅ0̴͖̺̟͍͇̤̻̽̊͜ ̴̡̝͓̺̞͕̼̐0̷̻̣͍͇̘̳͍̟͂̑͐̀1̵̧̳͔͎̈̈̂̍1̸̡̣̼̫̠͖̼͐͊̚͜0̸̝͓̥̥̺͙͇̻͐̅̉͋͒̀̎͗̚͜0̵͇͔̟͋̉̔͘͜1̶͙̗̱̀0̶̧̡̡̹͕̰̪̀̾̀̌͂̏́͠͠1̷̜̼͍̥͐̎̂̍̍͝ ̴͇̮̝̪̈́͒̃͂̌0̷̧̤͍̱̗̩̘͆1̷̨̥̠̰̻̯̌̔̋͊̂̇͊̄1̷͎̝̥͚̩̆̋̾0̶͖̳̥̻̼̫͎̌͆̄͊̇̉͆ͅ0̴̟͖̳̺̳̤͇͚̿̍̈́̽͒̓̎0̴͖̪͔͚͇̲͑̓̋̾̆1̶̨̲͉̝͖̜̗̪͑ͅ1̸͎͇̟̚ ̶̥̦̣̣̞̣͝0̷̫̒̈́1̵̘͔̲̙̰͇̪̌̅͊͘͝ͅ1̸̟̼͔̯̞̀0̴͇͓̠̯́͆͛̉́̔͠0̸̟͕̻̈̄́̊́̈͝0̵͙̗͖̙̞͖̝̗̕0̵̡͖̙͓͔͈̠̪́́̎̇̏̋͘1̶̡̫̭͈̤̑ ̶̬̗͕̞̏̐̓̀̓͗̽̏0̸̡̡͙̺͈͖̦̀1̸̜̟̿͂̕͜͜1̸̨̹̏́͝1̸̧̻̠̣͕̫͉̳̝̏͑͆͋̊̏0̵̡̡̧̹͑͌̽͒̂͌̓͠ͅ1̴̝̤̰͚̟̒̓̿̌̓̎̚̚͝ͅ0̶̫̐̌́͠1̸̗͈͎̥̹̘͍̦̇̾̅͝ ̷̜̳̏̓̀̐͗͐̍̀͠0̷͇͑͂̈́̀̒̕1̸̡̙̫̜̜̣̔͒͝1̵̻̝̙̰͖̆̂͜1̶̛͇̩͖͍̂̇̀͗̑̈́͜0̵̨̤͎͓̬̮̼̅̂̉0̵̡̙͓̩̟͕͒̿̂͊̽̌̀͝͝1̵̢̡̨̖̖̞̤̘͐̉̉͆̎͂͗͝͠1̶̹̬̣̹̋̍͒͠͠ ̶̮̬̤̝̀͝0̴̯̽̀͘1̷̧̠̺̦̖̱̻̿̇͊͌̀̕ͅ1̵̢̞̤̥̮̳̥̩͑̀͆̆̎̓̀̽̕0̸̪͍̃̉͒̅̕͘͘0̴̡̧̹͉͔̲̜͍̣̾̈́́1̵̛͙͎̟̭̀̐͂̎͝͠͝0̴̥̙͔̅̀̈̈́͐̓͝͝1̸̠̜̣̥̪̀͛̒̿͒̾͝͠ ̸̢͉̞̟̣́0̴͎̠̗̙̪̹̞̇͌͗͆͆̌̑͑͘ͅ0̴̔̎̃̉̕ͅ1̴͇̜̠̔̍̊̓0̵͍͇̋̋͆̇̀̀͂̚͝0̸̡̳͙̃ͅ0̸̧̡̡̠̬͔̝̃0̷̡͙̬̖̹̦̤͇̇0̶͔͙͋͊̿̊̈́̀͛̎̍ ̷̖̝͚̲̂̏͝0̸̛̳̜̏̒̇̊͒̓̈͝1̷̛̛̞̫̰̙̲̽͗̑̽̕0̶̢̗̹̦̩̬̆̔̐͐͘0̸̐̋̂̊̀͛̋͝ͅ1̵̖̝̭̦̲̩̟͕͎̉̐̈̇̾0̷̤̮̱͙̟̯̭̒̏̎̎̈́͘͜ͅ0̶̫̳̣̝̱̣͎̇̐͝ͅͅ1̵̢̦̝̠̝͇̭͕̈́̓͐̉͝͝ ̸̙̘̥̱̤́̀̚0̷̡̯̞͕͇̇͒͑̀͂̀̕͘ͅ0̶̛̖͒̉͆̾̚͝1̷̨̮̣̤̻̗͇̈́̓̋̈́͗̎͒0̴̤̼̟͈̩̾ͅ0̸̛̜͍̘̜̙̗͍̽̈́̀̕1̴̢͚̯̙̅̊͛͂1̶̛͓͛͗͊̒̂̆̈1̵̤̺̰͉͖̻̲̓͐ͅ ̴̛̛̯͙̩̬̞̟̘̈́̈͝0̸͕̖͎͎̱̠̏̔1̸͚͖̙̜̗̫͙̥́1̶̡͆̅̎͌̑͘0̵͇̱̱͈̙̲̪̎̇̆͊1̵̣̀͋̋̃̐̍̚͝͝1̷̧̛͙͙̟́0̶͔̟̻̼̀̎̊̀̆͝1̸̢͈͔̹͙̰͉̝͑̅̋͑͛̈́̑͝ ̶̧̾̃̓0̵̢̧̢̺͉͓̰̙̐̋̎̎̿́͝0̶̧͍̬̜̪͈͙̮͎͑͆́1̷̣̬̹̲̲̼͉̣̚0̷̟͙̜̦̀̌͐̈́͘0̴̪̖̣͐͒̐ͅ0̶̧̘͕̖͕͎̟͆̈̾̌̃̾͝0̷̰̱̰͚̯̃̒̾̓̀̾̓̈̿0̸̻͙̈́̈́͌̂̔̂̏̒͠ ̵̫͍͕̤͛̈́̄̓̆̈́̄̒͜͠0̸̨̛͇̟͔͉̩̻͐̓̏̄̚͜͝1̸̢͚̰͉̞̄͋͊̍1̵̟̬͈̂̎̂̓̚0̶̦̩̠̗̋̍̐̎̀̈́̕̚͜0̶̮̪̰͖͓͂͑͝͠0̸̢̝͝0̶̨̨͎̙̅1̴͖̣̟͝ ̷̨̙̞͚͂̿0̸͍̗̀͛̋͐̂1̶̡̨̡̙͕͕͕̻̞̄͛̄̽̇1̸̛̺̟͖̟͇͓̤̂͗̾̍̀́̿0̴̢̦̯̌̓̏̂1̸̼̣̗̜̾̏̒͑̃̚̕ͅ1̶̣̼͙̺̺̪̿̐̓̽̑̌͛0̵͙͇̼͈̲̙̫̼̔͂̍͒0̸̤̭͔͎̬̫̇̊̐̕ ̵̗͖͋͛̊̃̅͘̚͝0̴̝̻̖̠̝̗̟̥͆̚͝͝1̴̭̬̻͎̭̟͔̃͌͆͊͗1̷̹̯͈̇́1̸̨̮̩͚̻̜̳̣̐̋̋̒̍0̴̡͚̞͍͕̱̐̔͠0̶̙͔̓̿̒̄͘1̸̡͎̼̦́̈̉ͅ0̴̪̺͛̎̒̂͌̄̈͝ ̸̡̹̩̝̥͚̭̗̩̈́0̶̺̤͙́̊̓͗́̀̎̕1̶̡̜͍͌̂̈͂͋̇1̷̠͉̭̥̲̼̾̽̚͘0̶̝̫͎̃̈́̋̊̇̐ͅ0̵̩̝̙̖̳̲̣̱͒̀̆̄ͅ1̷͉̾̊̍̅͘0̶̡̭̎̂̈̐͝1̸̛̦̺̟͋̍ ̷̡̡͉̣͍̫̻͔̹̈́̎̽͠͝0̴͎͓̔͑̀́̊̃͘͜1̵͔̱̞̋̓͐̑͝ͅ1̵͍̯̬̌̕0̴̡̟̗̲̟̝̳͎̀̈́ͅ0̵̨͉̟̰͙̥̘̝͚̏̒́͛̇͗̈́́͠0̷͉̇͒̆͂͐̒́̚͝0̶̦̱̭͖̝̙̮̜̼̉̀̇̈͋͛̾͠1̵̧̢̼̹͎̞͉̝̭̈̉͂̏̊͂̈̋̈́ ̸̱̝͌͋̽̎̑͘̚͜0̴̠͉̰͇̭̞̝͌͐̈́̅̽̀́̓1̸̤̜̄̔͌͐1̵̛͓͒̄̾̀̿̓͒0̸̮̩͕͗0̵̞̖͙̫͋͑̿̄̾̏͝1̶͇͍͛̓̀̂̕̚0̶̨̩̝̰̱̘͕̤͖̆͒̉̄͐̋̍͘0̷̲͉̟̻͒͛͌͛̕ ̵̙̳̞̞̖̦̟̀̋̌͆̓ͅ0̷͓̞͕͈̺̜̰̎̍͋͂1̴̢͉͇͍̰̿̀͛̋̓̚̕͜͝1̵̖̣͕̭͖̠̐̽͒̎̒̌̚ͅ1̶̭̝͓̟͉̯̈̀̎̌̿͊͝͝ͅ1̸̡̭̤̫̻̞͑͐̈̈͂͝͝0̸̮̮͈̮͔͋͗0̴̳̟̺̫̜͖͋1̵͚̮͎͈̝̫̟̼̙͑̀͌̾͌ ̶̛̞͕̒̈̇͊̈̕0̷̛̪̭̤̩̈̃̐̓̇0̴͉̺̰̗̥̮͌͑̅̚ͅ1̷̡̗̮̯̞̙̦̈́̈́0̸̢̠̝̹̥̊0̴͚̠͊́̏̇̈́́̒̒̍0̴̢̮͉̜͉̋͋͐̎̈́̚0̶̨̗͚̝͓̩͍̺̘́0̵̼̼͙͈̘̮́͆̄ͅ ̷̨͔̪̋͗̒́͐͝0̵̧̧̡͕͉̯̬̤̃͛̂̏͒̆͋͘̚͜1̷͚̯̓̐́͗͂͛̓̌̓1̵̧̧̔̔̑̈́͋̒͒͑0̷̧̬̗̩̖̘̙̻̈́̈́̓̓̏̒̿̕̚1̵̧̧͇͕̟͓̽́̂̃̓͊̈́͜0̸͚̺̙̞͕̤̫̘͌ͅ0̸͚̯͔̈́̌̍̂̓̓1̴͎͉̗͙͙̜̮̦̐͑̄ ̶͕̠͇͚̞̮̠̔͒͌͜0̵̫̼̹̰̘͚͉̝̀̾͐͂͛̑̿͘͘1̶̪͎͔̜͒̈́͑̎̒͊1̸̡̙̳̗͓͈̍̅̉͌̋͐̓̕̚͜0̸̢͉̗͚̌̔̈́̈́͌̾̿͝͝1̷̢̱͍̫̬͛́͋͗͝1̸̧̣̹̬͙̬̗̳̌̋͊͋̚̕1̶̡͚̓̃͑̒̽̉͗̇0̵̛̯͓͌͐̄̐̂̈́ ̸̟̟̾0̴̹̼̖̩̣̬̖̘̗͒0̶̡̐̆̾̍̓̊̊͐1̴̢͚̪͎̩̩͔̖̖̀̓͊́̀̾͋̕0̵̞̘̔͗̾̾̇̏͊̐1̶͉̞̹̯̖̭̹̈͐͐̃1̶̡̨͕̱̬̝̥̌͜1̶̨͙͌́0̸̡̭̤̗͈͔̔̎̐̀̕ͅ
…
The gargantuan steel doors of the USJ slid apart, enabling the students and teachers to filter inside. This wouldn't be Izuku's first trip here. He had used the same route that their bus had taken to get here after he ignored Mr. Aizawa on Tuesday. Nezu could lecture him for disobeying his teacher, but not for leaving UA grounds since it counted as part of his school.
The facility was divided into six different environmental settings called zones. Each were intended to simulate a specific disaster scenario and the names were pretty self explanatory; The Ruins Zone, Landslide Zone, Mountain Zone, Conflagration Zone, Flood Zone and the Downpour Zone. The lengths they went to for this to be as realistic as possible was mind-blowing.
"Don't forget why we're here kids." Thirteen reminded them, resting her hands on the hips of her puffy costume.
"Rescue training!" Kirishima pumped his arms enthusiastically.
"That is correct! Like we discussed in your classroom earlier, today we are going to be focusing on civilian extraction and recovery."
While the space hero gave his classmates a brief overview of what there assignment was, a purple blip hovered in close proximity to the fountain. The orb suddenly unraveled, congealing into a disc shaped portal comprised of mysterious black fog. Hordes of people spawned from the mist.
It reminded him of the beat 'em up style video games him and Bakugou used to play with each other when they were younger– when things weren't so bad between them. Doing a quick head count– he estimated there had to be around a hundred of these intruders. They appeared to follow and take orders from a lanky man decorated in twelve severed hands. Their scraggly, shoulder length hair was a pale blue.
"Is this also part of our training?" Kirishima wondered innocently.
"Those are villains! Stay back!" Mr. Aizawa tightened his grip on his capture tool.
"Villains!? At UA!? How!?" Mineta cowered behind Shoji's leg.
"Where is All Might!? He was supposed to be here, wasn't he!?"
"Couldn't make it." Mr. Aizawa grit his teeth, looking as pissed as Izuku had ever seen him.
"Kaminari, connect to the school!" He suddenly commanded his student, who fumbled with the technology per his teacher's request.
Kaminari tapped at his earphone frantically.
"There's no signal! It's like the line is made of static!"
"Then it must be one of their quirks that is doing this." Todoroki deducted, his right half crystalizing with ice.
Their leader stalked forward patiently, folding his arms behind his back.
"Hello, heroes…. We are the League of Villains. You may call me Shigaraki. Or Shiggy, if that's easier."
'Shiggy? Wait, this is the same guy Bakugou and I met from all those months ago! He was with Mr. Mute!' Guilt infected Izuku's conscious.
'He's no small fry. If he infiltrated UA, it means he is serious. It's probably my fault he's even here to begin with!'
"We came here to slay All Might. But from the looks of it, he's a no show." The masked villain rolled his shoulders.
"I'm sure if we kill some of his students, he'll come running." He gestured for the largest of his comrades to come forth.
They were a monster of man… no- no that was no mere man. That was a monster. Izuku was sure of it. They didn't give the impression that they had grown naturally into that form. No, it was more like they were put together. Doomed to forever live a tormented version of sentience. The two meter tall flesh golem also had an exposed brain, with eyeballs that were firmly implanted on diametrically opposed sides– staring ahead, blankly. Their beak was lined with rows of jagged, uneven teeth that resembled ceramic shards.
"Thirteen, keep the students safe!" Eraser Head snapped his goggles over his face, leaping into the fray to battle the villains utterly on his lonesome.
The space hero nodded, following her superior's order without hesitation.
'Do I run and get help? Or do I stay and ensure that everyone is safe?'
"Come on kids! This way!" Thirteen motioned his class to exit through the entrance.
Izuku was in awe of his teacher's fighting prowess– how he maneuvered and disabled his opponents by striking at their vitals and pressure points. He was practically fighting quirkless. It made him wonder if there really had been a chance for him– before the Omnitrix.
A high pitched alarm rang from every corner of the superstructure. Reinforced protective plating slid along the rails that outfitted the underside of the dome, halting the progression of direct sunlight. For five, suspenseful seconds, everyone— including the villains— was immersed in complete darkness. The generators restarted, illuminating the inner dome with a neon red hue.
'I vowed to save everyone, no matter what it took. I can't honor that if I leave them now.' Izuku unlocked the Omnitrix determinedly, slamming the dial.
His skin was layered in a dull metallic substance. Simplistic initially, it morphed and sculpted to fit his new skeleton, eventually diverging and becoming something extraordinary complex. Every individual cell vibrated as his muscle mass was bolstered to that of an Olympian god's. Black rubber stretched to accommodate his biceps and thighs. Springy wires enwrapped his forearms, waist and calves. Glossy yellow armor swelled out from his torso: Protecting the most vital portions of his body. His skull was enshrined in a knights helm of sorts, shielding the majority of his mole like facial features.
He unveiled his alien transformation by charging down the stairs, pummeling the villain fodder who were foolish enough to get in punching range.
"Problem Child!? What do you think you're doing!?" Mr. Aizawa looked like he wanted to give him the scolding of the lifetime– only he was held back due to circumstance.
"I'm not letting you fight them alone sensei!" He declared passionately in the midst of battle.
"Oh, that's sweet." Shigaraki drawled sarcastically, scratching at his irritated neck.
"Nomu," He growled, "humble him."
The hulking monstrosity blitzed him at blinding speeds, each step it took shaking the earth. Izuku was barely able to defend himself in time before it's claws scraped him, creating a shower of sparks as it made contact. In four angular slash marks, the yellow plating of his chest had been peeled back to expose the dark muscle beneath. Blood which resembled oil, spilt from these cavernous wounds. He staggered backwards, reeling in shock and from pain.
"Midoriya!" Mr. Aizawa shouts in distress.
"GREEN!" Jiro gasped in horror, running towards her best friend.
"I'm fimmh– !" He gagged as the Nomu's palm roughly smashed into his face– then proceeded to squeeze with all its might. Panic set in him like an animal as it realizes its been trapped inside a cage. His skull was bending– cracking under the ungodly pressure. Terraquake's repeated seismic strikes to the Nomu's midsection did little to stop it. He was vaguely aware of Mr. Aizawa and Jiro desperately doing everything in their power to pull the behemoth off of him.
But it was no use.
Izuku's motor functions were overridden by his survival instincts– signified by his metallic hand spinning like a drill. He plunged it deep inside the Nomu's abdomen, sinking far enough to break through its spine and explode out on the other side, treating onlookers to a gory sight. The monster wasn't phased, and just as he feared his brain was about to be squashed–
"GRAAAAAAH!" He roared torturously, and savagely ripped the Nomu in two, splitting it down the middle.
The ringing in his ears was deafening. He collapsed to his knee caps. He vaguely registered a highly distressed Jiro banging on his shoulder. She was crying, messing up her face paint.
"Kurogiri, do your job." Shigaraki crossed his arms victoriously.
"Yes, master." The henchmen with purple mist in place of his head bowed to the villain leader.
He opened a portal beneath Midoriya, swallowing the alien boy in gravity's embrace. With deft precision, Kurogiri manipulated the fog to pool and swell around the student body– given some were able to evade it. He took extra caution to disable the space hero, Thirteen, before she could obstruct his quirk's flow any further.
This meant his guard was down– and he wasn't the only one who was aware of that fact.
A diminishing glare from Eraser Head cancelled the warp gating frenzy. He would've gotten his hands on Kurogiri too, had it not been for a white boot cracking him in the ribs. Tumbling backwards and sliding, the erasure hero quickly regained his footing.
Then promptly lost it when he saw who his attacker was.
The cherry red suit with white arrows decorating the chest, boots and gloves. His face was bare to the elements, burn scars evident beneath his visor. An 'S' symbol was embroidered on his helmet.
"Nokan?" He didn't believe it.
"That can't be you?"
"You're right: Because my name is Shirai."
"You two know each other?" Shigaraki gesticulated between the bitter rivals.
Ignoring his leader, Shirai's visor glowed.
"How?" Aizawa's lower lip quivered.
"Why would you do this? You believed in what we stood for more than anyone!"
"What a mistake that was." Shirai strode to match him.
"I'll do what I must to protect my students."
"Then you're code of honor shall be your undoing."
"I'm a far superior fighter then I was at the academy."
"That is true." He parried a punch leveled for his face.
Shirai dodged and wove through the erasure hero's combative flurry of limbs, never once seeming to lose his balance. He was perfectly postured and equipped to handle anything thrown in his path. Then, as frustration and unbound fury opened Aizawa to attack, did he strike. An uppercut to the jaw snapped his head back.
Stubborn as he'd ever been, the pro Eraser Head used the momentum to loop his capture tool around his forearm. He knew what he planned to do, and with the strength boost he received from Dr. Ujiko's operation, no amount of weight distribution would change the outcome. He tugged backwards on his scarf, cracking the other man across the cheekbone, sending him to the ground once more.
"But you never could beat me, Shota." Shirai planted a heavy boot on his chest.
"Go to hell!" Aizawa spat at him through bloodied teeth, unrelenting in his struggle to slip free.
"I accepted my fate long ago. You should do the same."
…
Izuku failed to reorient himself in time before his Talpaeden form was enveloped by the cold liquid embrace of the Flood Zone. With a dull clunk, he collided against the granite-tiling floor. It took him a few seconds to hit to the bottom of the pool– as it was surprisingly deep– spanning a depth of sixty meters from surface to seabed. From his wounds, oily blood was visibly flowing in the current's sway. His eyes stung horribly as he looked blearily on through the water. Unlike a couple of his other transformations, Terraquake was an alien that required breathing air in order to survive.
For a species that spends the majority of their life underground, Talpaeden's still required ventilation in their constructed caves and subterranean societies– that is, if they wished to dwell long-term in those high-traffic areas. He had Kevin to thank for that tidbit of information.
"Mtlmnn!" Panic settled into his bones as he realized he wasn't transforming.
"MMHEMMTNNEN!" He exerted more effort– to no avail.
With the protective layering surrounding his jaw crunched into his mouth like a foil wrapper, he was prevented from coherently expressing his desired pick vocally to the Omnitrix.
'Guess I have to do this the old fashioned way.'
He clumsily palmed the badge on his chest, momentarily bathing the pool in emerald light. The pressure exerted on his weaker human body encouraged both his ear drums to pop and burst. Finding the hologram of the alien he wanted– he pressed on the dial. The hardened frame of Atlantean crouched, poised at the bottom of the Flood Zone like a frog waiting to leap onto the next lily pad.
'Finally, I can breathe again.' His shoulders drooped in alleviation.
He realized that the pain from his injuries was subsiding. Similar to Jellytronic, Orishin's such as Atlantean bleed blue. This evolutionary trait was meant to assist them in escaping predators. A last resort some would call it. That is if they were still in decent enough shape to even swim away– the cloud of obscurity from the wound might buy them a few extra, precious seconds. Whatever the truth may be, this ability appeared to be entirely new to him.
"Since when did I have a healing factor?" His voice, while normally warbled and disjointed on land– sounded brawny and suave while underwater (This was because their lungs developed to allow them to communicate amidst the vibration altering properties of water).
"Wait, is this salt water?" The texture reminded him of the waters off the coast of Dagobah beach.
'My head… the pounding… its gone?'
"Does salt water heal me?"
'Why didn't Kevin tell me Atlantean could do this!?'
He supposed he never had the opportunity to test something like that out– nor a reason to. This would explain that rejuvenating feeling he got whenever he dove into the surf… But for the ability to extend this far?
"There he is!"
Izuku wouldn't have very long to marvel at this discovery, as he sensed a disturbance in the water.
"I knew I smelt blood!" The rabid voice belonged to an incredibly buff villain with an apparent shark mutation quirk.
The light filtering through the pool's surface helped detail the additional seven silhouettes as they swam towards his location.
"We got ourselves a fine catch here boys, hehe!" The elderly fisherman cackled.
They began to predatorily circle him from above, creating a whirlpool of bubbles.
"So who wants dibs on the UA scrub?" One with amphibious facial features asked snidely.
"Uh, shouldn't we exercise more caution given that this is the same kid Shigaraki explicitly warned us about facing?" Another villain who donned a bronze diver's suit cautioned.
"Shut the fuck up! I'm gonna bash his little skull in!" The shark mutant exclaimed savagely, streaking through the water menacingly, jaws agape– presenting rows of serrated teeth.
"Why do I even bother?" Diving suit sighed.
Izuku braced the unavoidable chomp using his chitinous left forearm. Like dinner plates crashing jaggedly to the floor, the villain's teeth shattered due to being unable to break through his outer carapace. While they were in state of disarray about losing his dentures, the alien boy landed a strong right hook into their electroreceptive snout. The hit sent him spiraling across the enclosure– smashing into the wall with a cacophonous thud.
'Didn't mean to punch him that hard… but it gets the message across, I think.'
The chatter in the flood zone came to a screeching halt as the group of thugs reassessed the situation they had found themselves in.
"Oh-oh! Oh shit…!" Diving suit appeared to be looking for a way out, flailing in slow motion.
"Throw everything you've got at him!" The fisherman bellowed.
He jettisoned upwards, fluidly dodging in between numerous hooks, naval mines, icicles and tentacles– as the Orisihin's grace underwater was unmatched. He knocked out three more in rapid succession. An explosive shockwave rippled through the water behind him, however not even that could throw him off balance. He performed an acrobatic butterfly stroke, drilling a devastating knee into the fisherman's big gut, causing them to spill their lunch. Atlantean roughly grappled the neckline of his wet suit and chucked him like an underwater frisbee at his ally, sidelining them both simultaneously.
…And with that, only two villains remained. Diving suit was busy swimming in the opposite direction, so Izuku marked him off as a non-threat (At least for the time being). This left behind a women with eels for hair– an aquatic version of Medusa– to battle Atlantean alone. She did not take kindly to this gesture.
"Fuck you! You fucking coward!" She screamed at the diver's suit, ignoring his wails in response.
"Fuckfuckfuck!" In her frenzied panic to devise a plan to kill the Orishin, she glimpsed at the muffled splash above her, followed by frantically kicking feet.
Izuku saw this too– gathering that it must've been Aoyama.
He didn't remember anyone else in his class who wore a cape besides him.
A feral grin snuck its way onto her face, as a vile idea burned to existence in her head.
"OK, I can't beat you!" She played it safely– swimming back slowly.
"So how about we make a truce?" She shrugged.
"You attack my classmates? My teachers? My school?" He growled, then scoffed.
"I don't believe you're on peacemaking terms. Not even for one second."
Her expression subtly shifted to that of malice.
"One second is all I need– !" She swam as fast as she could, right for the struggling Aoyama.
"–Lets see how long it takes for me to drown your friend!"
He prepared to shoot after her– until he got absolutely trucked by an anchor.
"I'M NOT A COWARD!" Diving suit proclaimed proudly, flexing the rope connecting the pirate ship to the anchor… that was currently embedded within the aquarium borders (Now featuring an Atlantean shaped crater).
'Where was this guy that entire fight sequence!?' Izuku grunted in mild irritation, snapping his limbs out from the crumbling stone– shoving the near two metric tons of weight off his chest.
The diver's suit stopped celebrating as he ignored him, once again, in favor of chasing down Medusa. Just as her gnarled hand was seizing Aoyama's ankle, Izuku shoulder-checked her up and clear out of the water. Following this he took hold of her mid-flight and body slammed her against the ship's hull. Contorting and diving back into the pool all in the same motion, he zoomed on diving suit's blundering figure, leaving a spinning bubble column in his wake.
He initiated his assault with a swinging kick. Diving suit proved to be a shockingly adept underwater fighter, as he expertly evaded and countered his attacks. He overcommitted on a flipping axe kick– the same maneuver that nearly cost him an arm during his duel with Eon– as Diving suit utilized his extended leg as leverage cast him aside similar to how a harpoon fires.
He was running vastly low on patience.
"Yup! My quirk gives me super strength! But only if I'm submerged underwater!"
'That would be an amazing quirk for a hero to have…'
He started whirling the anchor about like a cowboy does a lasso.
"I wonder what reward bonus Shigaraki will give me for murdering you!"
"No one, is getting murdered. We're done here."
"Um, for you it is because I, AM–!" Diving suit's title introduction was silenced as he was clubbed away by a submarine.
Though his grip on the seafaring vessel had slipped, so it too, was also sent rocketing out of the water. Either way, Izuku had surprised even himself there. Shaking the stupefied state he was in, he broke the surface of the pool, picking up Aoyama with a single arm. He propelled them both himself inside a geyser elevator. He dispersed them on the ship's deck.
"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Izuku checked on his quivering classmate.
Aoyama's blonde hair was strewn thickly across his face. He coughed salt water from his mouth.
"Fine!" He lacked his typical French persona, something Izuku wasn't prepared to be see.
"You should think about taking that armor off. You won't be able to swim so well if you happen to be thrown overboard again."
Aoyama gulped loudly, speaking too quiet for him to hear.
"Sorry?"
"I wasn't thrown!" He stutteringly pointed to something behind the alien boy.
A creature resembling Atlantean rose from the bow of the ship, only its primary color was a sickly kelp green instead of red like his own. Brain matter glistened on it's segmented scalp. Blood dripped from its hands, as it dropped a freshly mutilated corpse on the deck between them.
"I jumped!"
"What is that thing?" He took a defensive stance.
'The Nomu also had an exposed brain! If I were to take a wild guess, I'd say this thing is cut from the same cloth!'
The Nomufied Atlantean made a rattling noise. It scuttled forward, the action immediately causing Aoyama to scream melodiously.
"What are you waiting for!? Blast it!"
"What if I set the boat on fire!?"
"I CAN LITERALLY MAKE WATER! FIRE YOUR LASER!" Izuku yelled desperately, ducking to avoid being slugged.
A beam of sparkly blue particles slammed the Nomufied Atlantean backwards, throwing them overboard. Placing both hands on his classmate's pauldrons, Izuku leaned closer to relay his message as thoroughly as possible.
"Thank you."
A massive bang rang from beneath the ship, followed by a tsunami sized wave. The Nomufied Atlantean burst open the wooden deck in a funnel of splinters. They stabbed their claws against the the tree trunk sized mast and ripped from its post in an impressive display of strength. It swung the mast like a bludgeon. With great difficulty, Izuku caught it, sliding due to kinetic energy.
"Its as strong as I am!"
The hull of the ship groaned loudly, careening to the side, reminding everyone that it was filling up fast. Creaking could be heard. It was only a matter of time before the ship either split in half or capsized. Not liking the odds, Aoyama rid himself of his lustrous armor– and yes– even his beloved cape– and dove overboard, swimming for the safety of the shore.
Breaking the mast post down the middle, Izuku parried the Nomufied Atlantean's attack with his own. The cotton canvas sail tore violently amidst the clashing. Eventually the wood's structural integrity failed– as both their weapons were reduced to stumps.
Abandoning the useless material, they charged each other, winding up for a cataclysmic strike. The pressure waves flung them both in opposite directions across the deck where he shredded the taffrail. Arm hanging off the edge, he sat up dizzily, blinking as a shadow encompassed him.
"Oh."
The Nomufied Atlantean had summoned a tidal wave in the shape of a colossal hand to flip the ship into the sky. As the vessel's deck was parallel to the water's surface, Izuku swung from the spot he was hanging, tackling the monster before it could sink its claws onto his classmate. They continued to trade blows as they hit the water.
The Nomufied Atlantean would regain control, as it piledrived Izuku into the bottom of the pool. In the corner of his eye, he spotted the familiar glint of a drain. An idea struck him just as the nomu did. He wrestled the submariner in a tangle of limbs– kicking him away and swimming for the drain– large enough to fit a body.
With no effort, he stripped away the bolted metal and swam inside the pipeline. Aware that he was currently being chased, he navigated the twists and turns with urgency. He needed to find a better place to transform again.
…
Colliding hard with the rocky surface, Jiro tumbled towards a cliff face overlooking a broad, vertigo-inducing chasm. With a terrified gasp, she realized she wouldn't be able to find a solid handhold in time. As her legs rolled off the edge, a silent scream condensed in her throat.
Just as she thought she was going to plummet to her death in the artificial river below, a pair of strong hands clamped around her flailing wrist– putting a halt to her demise.
"Got you!" Koda declared, gradually hoisting her weight above the ledge.
"And I… got you!" Ashido said from behind him, voice strained as she helped in pulling them both up.
She had Koda's ankle situated between her arms, dissolving footholds with her acid to improve traction.
"Thank you… for saving me." Jiro spoke through large gulps of air, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.
"Don't… mention it." Ashido waved her off exhaustingly, sprawling out on the ground beside her.
Koda rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"What do we do now?"
Jiro dusted herself, and sat up, fully drinking in her surroundings.
"The Mountain Zone?"
"From the looks of it." Ashido groaned softly.
They would be given no time for respite.
"Hey! Those are the pesky kids the boss told us about!" A gruff voice echoed.
A cluster of villainous thugs emerged from around a rocky spire. Upon seeing the students, they readied there quirks for combat. The charge was led by a man with a minotaur-cycloptic fusion quirk.
"We weren't the only ones warped here!? Fuck!" Jiro cursed.
'There's too many for us to take on at once!' She counted over twenty of them.
"We need to get to higher ground!" She narrowed in on the suspension bridge.
"This way!" She pointed, running towards it.
"Aye, aye captain!" Ashido saluted, matching her pace.
With Koda taking the last to step off the bridge, Jiro adjusted her guitar, aiming it at the horde of approaching criminals, playing sonic blasts to hinder there progression.
"Ashido, melt the support beams! Quick!"
The pink girl complied without hesitation, tossing thick globules of acidic fluid at the wooden posts. With a hiss, these support beams uprooted and snapped, causing the bridge to go slack– taking over half of their pursuers along for the ride.
"OK. Now that we've bought ourselves some time, we can finally catch our breath and come up with a plan." She sat on a nearby boulder.
"I hope our classmates are OK." Koda mumbled quietly, twiddling his thumbs.
Jiro's thoughts immediately shifted to the Omnitrix wielder.
"They'll be fine– as long as Green is still alive and kicking." She reassured them.
'He's tough, Kyoka. He's gonna pull through. He always does.'
"Um, guys, what is that!?" Ashido shouted in alarm.
Across the gorge that separated the opposing groups was a brutish behemoth that resembled Green's Iron Jaw transformation. This variation emitted red energy as opposed to viridian. Like an aluminum can that had its lid agressively peeled off, its cranium– and the contents within– were visible to everyone who wished to test their gag reflexes.
'So, its like that Nomu– from the plaza.'
The Nomufied Iron Jaw beat its chest, when it hunched onto all fours and with a gait similar to a gorilla, leapt the distance. The mountainside they stood on shook when it landed, causing a miniature rockslide to occur.
Instinctively, Ashido tried to repel the beast using her acid. It had no effect. Jiro gave it her best shot as well– but her sonic projections did little to slow it down. Koda had no access to animals– go figure.
As a consequence for showboating– The Nomufied Iron Jaw was unceremoniously flattened by a semitruck-sized boulder. A cracking sound echoed across the sky of USJ's dome, followed by a flash of red light. Shielding her eyes, the monster had reduced the mineral to rubble. It was in the process of shoveling the material inside its gullet.
"We need someplace to hide so we don't get blasted!" Jiro scrounged her mind for a list of potential weaknesses.
Back when she and Green were cleaning up that dump that Dagobah beach used to be– they had gone through the rigorous process of trying to discover what potential weaknesses each of his aliens may or may not have. Some were more obvious than others– not to mention few and far in between. She did, however, know that one weakness of Iron Jaw that he had specifically pointed out to her, that she hadn't really viewed so much as a weakness at the time– was his mobility.
The best way to defeat Iron Jaw, simply put was: Get the fuck out of his way. If he is facing you– you are in danger– you are in the line of fire. So, naturally, your best chance of stopping him was to get behind him. Then hope for the best!
The aspiring heroes came upon a set of railroad tracks. By some miracle up above, these tracks had a minecart stationed on them– and it lead straight into a twinkling crystalline cave. The punk girl ushered her classmates to hop in the minecart.
"Are you sure about this!? It is super dark in there and I'm pretty sure this only works in video games!" Ashido talked very fast when she was stressed.
"No, I'm not! Now squeeze!" Jiro compressed herself in the tightly confined space.
She used her jacks to pull the lever to release the breaks. The Nomufied Iron Jaw's unblinking eyes fell onto them. Its horn blazed with potential energy. Momentum pulled the minecart downhill. The trio screamed at the ramping speed, the cart nearly rode off the tracks several times– screeching with sparks.
The howling wind of the cavern buffered as they entered a spacious room with stalactites lining the ceiling. After passing by an underground waterfall, the minecart grinded to a squealing halt. Spilling out of the minecart, Jiro stuck her jacks into the wall to listen for the distinct rumbling sounds the Nomufied Iron Jaw transmitted through the layers of earth between them. Around the corner was an electronic sign that was clearly labeled as EXIT.
"We have a two– maybe four minutes window at most before it gets here." She calculated.
"Look, I'm not pointing any fingers here– but it looks a heck of a lot like Midoriya's Iron Jaw transformation!" Ashido was torn.
"It does." Koda softly agreed. "Same powers, too." He observed.
"I can't say why that is, but if it is anything like the Iron Jaw I know– then that nomu is damn near invincible… and its not going to stop chasing us until we're dead."
"Then how are we supposed beat it? I remember on the bus you said your sonic projections could shatter steel. I guess that means Iron Jaw is stronger than steel?" Ashido brows scrunched together fearfully at the thought.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I can't keep doing this for much longer."
"Maybe… maybe we don't have to. Look at where we are…" Jiro's voice echoed, as she encouraged her classmates to spectate their surroundings.
"Iron Jaw is strong– but he isn't strong enough to lift a mountain over his head."
…
The army of villains that Shigaraki had assembled didn't appear to be very competent. Yaoyorozu had to assume this wasn't meant to be easy– and it shouldn't have been– seeing as they were outnumbered. She was prone to overthinking, and having the calm demeanors of Shoji and Tokoyami by her side definitely helped soothe her distress.
As expected, the Ruins Zone contained numerous deadends and choke points thanks to its collapsed and eroded infrastructure, making tactical navigation rather difficult. She supposed that was the intended emphasis of this arena to begin with, so kudos to the designers. Now they were receiving a more, "hands on," experience (Only in the worst way possible).
Tokoyami's sentient quirk, appropriately named Dark Shadow, body slammed a thug into a brick wall, shattering the masonry.
"Was that the last of them?" She asked hopefully.
"I don't hear any footsteps coming in our direction." Shoji confirmed.
Fearing the worst, she created a pair of infrared goggles. The dilapidated cityscape appeared barren. The only heat signatures to be seen were the unconscious thugs littering the street corner.
"Nothing." She frowned.
"What is it, Dark Shadow?" Tokoyami sensed his quirk's unrest.
"We aren't alone."
"How can you tell?"
"It lurks in the darkness. It waits to strike."
"It?"
A lumbering monster darted out of the shrouded impasse they were passing, startling them into action. She instantly noted the similarities to Shadeshifter (One of Midoriya's ten transformations). Except this variation was an antiseptic white, almost to the degree of total translucency. It teetered unsteadily on its extra pair of limbs, and a black spike distended from its brain stem. This particular feature convinced the heiress that the otherwise friendly vestige of their freckled classmate was not present in this mindless creature. Snarling at the trio, it salivated uncontrollably. Assuming he had more in store for them– this was another one of Shigaraki's nomu.
The Nomufied Shadeshifter vanished from plain view, demonstrating its uncanny stealth ability.
Catching them all by surprise, it struck at her first, pinning her to the ground. She guarded her throat using her bo staff as it snapped at her neck with its hooked teeth, slobbering disgustingly over her face. Dark Shadow returned the favor by gnawing on the monster himself, and flinging it off her– not unlike a dog does to a chew toy.
Pressing their backs together, Dark Shadow swirled above their heads like a protective black halo.
"Whatever that thing is… it doesn't have a heat signature." She informed them.
The Nomufied Shadeshifter revealed itself by whacking Shoji against a lamppost with its tail. The masked teen remained steadfast as he grappled the appendage when the monster tried to whip him with it. Sprouting multiple pairs of arms to add to his already immense strength.
"Keep it steady!" Yaoyorozu pulled a full length bazooka from her thigh in a flare of sparkles.
Hand shimmering, she loaded the projectile weapon with a rocket. As she knelt in position to fire it, the Nomufied Shadeshifter slipped free of Shoji's grasp. It hissed, slithering towards her with its fangs bared. She pulled the trigger.
The rocket entered the monster's esophagus, where it exploded in a burst of shrapnel. Tokoyami's sentient quirk reacted swiftly, by swooping in front of her to act as buffer for the oncoming shockwave. She was momentarily concealed by his expansive black wings. Eventually, when the smoke cleared, the only evidence of the Nomufied Shadeshifter's existence was a chameleon shaped pile of ashes.
"Thank you Dark Shadow– Tokoyami." She nodded to the crow-headed boy, noticing his ruffled feathers.
"What is it?" She checked in with Shoji, who shared the same disposition as his friend.
"Remind me to never make her mad." Dark Shadow returned to his human's shoulder.
…
"Brrrgh!" Kaminari's teeth chattered.
"Could you be quiet!?" Kevin whisper yelled at the shorter teen.
"I'm c-c-cold!" He defended himself.
"You're the one who has a jacket, remember!?"
"Sh-shut up m-man! You got more m-meat on your b-bones!"
Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose, scanning the winter wonderland that Todoroki had created. Santa would be proud. The Landslide Zone was rather simple in terms of concept: A populated urban area after it had been hit by an avalanche.
"I swear I d-d-don't know anything else." The crocodilian villain bawled.
"You're withholding information." Todoroki's eyes narrowed threateningly.
"Y-y-you're sup-p-posed to be a hero, right? Kid? You aren't gonna k-kill me."
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that neither of us care too much about what happens to you." Kevin wagged a disinterested finger in their face, freaking them out further.
"If that means turning you into a popsicle, then so be it." He shrugged carelessly.
"W-what k-kind of heroes are you kids!?"
"The kind that gets shit done, so if you are unwilling to cooperate, we could just go– ?"
"–P-p-please! I'll tell you! J-just d-don't leave me l-like this!" He whimpered pathetically.
"Now you have our attention." Kevin smirked triumphantly.
"Killing All M-Might was the first phase of the bosses plan."
"The boss? Shigaraki?"
"N-no!"
"Then who?" Endeavor's son pushed.
"I don't know his name. I- I never even seen his face!"
"So a no name and no description on what he looks like. That certainly narrows it down."
"Yo! I will t-t-tase you if-f you don't give us more t-t-to work with!" Kaminari tried his hand at a bad cop impression.
"The other reason is they wanted to extract more s-s-samples from that M-Midoriya k-kid!"
"Samples?"
"L-like, science and s-stuff!"
"He wouldn't know that shit!" Another goon spoke up from behind them– also frozen in place.
"Spare him– I got the details you need."
"Carry on."
"The boss, he's got a lab– and a scientist– a doctor. He does all this freaky, Frankenstein type shit for him. You dig?"
"I forgot my shovel, sorry."
"The nomu– they're his creations."
"They? You mean there are more like the one Midoriya fought?" As Todoroki said this, the sand grains beneath their boots shuddered.
"SPREAD OUT!" Kevin booked it along slope's edge, Kaminari fighting to keep up behind him.
Todoroki reclaimed the high ground at the cost of treading slower.
The villain they were interrogating screamed for help only to obliterated into smithereens a couple seconds later as the terrain ruptured, revealing the colossus responsible.
'An Armodrillo!?' Kevin would have to be an idiot to not see the similarities yet the contrasting color palette and visible brain matter signified something far more sinister.
He recalled the altercation Midoriya had at the plaza.
'If what that villain said was true– then this has to be a nomu.'
"That guy- that guy is dead!" Kaminari was paralyzed by fear– shellshocked by what he witnessed.
"And so will we if we don't keep MOVING!" Kevin aggressively encouraged him to keep running.
The Nomufied Armodrillo, rather than chasing them on foot– decided to burrow itself underground. Talpaedens were oddly efficient hunters when they wanted to be and Kevin had experience with one while he was held as a prisoner in the Null Void– an experience he wished to not repeat here today. Armodrillo's drill hands rotated at 800 million rpm and it was the largest reason why his tunneling ability was so effective rather than a hindrance. This in tandem with the vibrations generated by his jackhammer arms softened the soil to make drilling easier and more cost effective. With the power to shake the earth, landlocked creatures would always be at their mercy. He hated just thinking about that god awful dimension.
With the terrifying aura they carried with their presence alone, he wondered why Midoriya didn't name the alien Terror-quake instead of Terraquake– that would've made a little more sense (In his honest opinion).
Further compounding his PTSD in regards to this specific alien, he recognized the vibrational patterns of sand swelling– how the pebbles shot out diagonally from the miniature fault lines due to the immense pressure exuded onto them. And it was heading straight for Todoroki– who was also presently unaware of his situation. Kevin felt it was his not only his job but his obligation to properly notify him.
"TODOROKI!" he hollered over the sound of the shaking tectonic plates beneath their wobbly legs.
"ITS GUNNING FOR YOU!"
Just as they thought their classmate was toast– Todoroki expertly lunged and rolled, narrowly evading being pulverized as the Armodrillo burst out from the hillside above him, drills spinning. Gravity carried it a brief distance away as it slid. Although, even with its speedy recovery– it was not ready for the strongest move he had in his arsenal: The Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall.
The eruption of ice crystals was followed by a rampaging blizzard. He had to snatch the back of Kaminari's collar with his prosthesis to prevent him from being caught in the high speed debris. Through dust and snow, he dove to the ground, yanking the blonde down with him. The Nomufied Armodrillo was unable to control its momentum, as it bounced directly in front of them– before continuing its downward trend of barreling into the concrete barrier of the landslide zone.
Swallowing his trauma pill for the day, he decided he needed to take charge. He picked out a solid orb of silver from his utility belt, rolling it between his burly fingers. Focusing, he absorbed and replicated its properties, layering his skin in a brilliant chrome.
"I know how we can beat it." Kevin clinked his metal knuckles together, gaze intensifying.
"What is it?" Todoroki asked now that he was in ear shot of them.
The dysfunctional trio watched as the Nomufied Armodrillo dug itself out from underneath the heap of rubble.
"I couldn't put a scratch on it. What makes you think we have a chance?"
"Because its weakness… is electricity." He clapped a hand on Kaminari's shoulder.
"You couldn't have told us that any sooner!?" Todoroki hissed.
The electric quirk user seemed to unravel what that information implied.
"Listen up, you shitheads, because I'm not repeating myself! Here's what we're going to do…" Kevin pulled them in close for a group huddle.
…
Kirishima stepped under an awning to prevent himself from being soaked further.
"Man, where did she go?" He scratched his head, a pit of worry forming in his chest.
'I really hope those villains didn't get to her while I had my back turned.'
He felt something tap his trapezius and he instinctively whirled around, in preparation for a surprise attack–
"–WOAH! Hey-ho, chilllll! Its just me!" A pair of aqua blue mitts flailed in defense.
"Hagakure?" His jagged skin reverted to its normal smooth texture.
He bowed apologetically.
"I'm so sorry! When I didn't see you, I assumed the worst!"
"Is that supposed to be a joke?"
He dumbly stared at the blank space where he assumed her face was.
"Err, no?"
"Ya know… because I'm invisible?"
"Invisible? Oh! Haha, I get it!" He laughed as he made the connection.
"Are you sure you aren't at the top of the class in academics? You've got a good head on your shoulders."
"Haha! Thanks, but I actually barely passed the written exam!"
"I would have to see it to believe it."
"Good one!"
"That wasn't a pun."
The chivalrous teen blinked awkwardly.
"My bad, I kind of turn into a sass machine when I'm in high stress situations." Her gloves weaved together apologetically.
"Oh, I mean, its no problem with me, Hagakure! Everyone vents in different ways! When I'm upset– I stop talking to people."
"You should speak up more often."
"If I choose to do that, I'll probably say something that I regret."
"With intuition like yours, they probably deserve it."
The heroes in training jumped as an orange streak sprinted past the alleyway they were navigating. Adrenaline surging through his veins, heart pounding erratically in his ribcage, Kirishima made sure to harden every surface of his body in anticipation for a fight. The seconds dripped by like the rain droplets against his skin. Waging war against the cowardly part of him that cried to run for safety, he poked his heads out at the corner– seeing nothing less than the usual empty street flooding the storm drains.
"Are they gone?"
"I think so?"
WHAM!
An inexplicably fast force rammed against his spine, flipping his body and causing him to soar through a glass pane across the street– where he collided with a row of wooden tables and chairs. His skeleton creaked from the sudden whiplash. Thanks to the spray of water from their arrival in the small shop, he was able to shock himself into getting back up into a fighting position. His attacker bore an eerie resemblance to Slipstream.
The brain slotted behind its facial tufts though, that was definitely not Midoriya related. Based on that, logically, Kirishima had to assume this was a nomu, much like the one from the central plaza. They lacked any distinguishing mannerisms. It was impersonal– how they moved– as if it wasn't thoughts they adhered to– instead, a programming meant to dictate their actions and ensure they didn't rebel against their master.
He received a lightning quick jab to the face, and for the next thirty seconds he was unable to retaliate. His hardening barely compensated for his organs being pummeled into a pulp. He was choking on more blood than he was spit.
"Get off of him!" A floating trash can lid smacked into the speedster's exposed brain.
The Nomufied Slipstream retractable claws extended as it spun like a top, slashing the invisible girl's abdomen.
"Ah!" Hagakure felt her wound, staining her gloves.
"Hag-hagakure!" Kirishima coughed, doubling over.
Before his classmate's identity had been revealed to the public, Kirishima had viewed Slipstream as the perfect hero. A shining, glorious image of what he aspired to become one day. He knew he wasn't the fastest, the strongest, or the smartest– nor did he have a heart half the size of Midoriya's…
But if there was one thing he did better than anyone– it was taking hits. He swore to himself that if he couldn't be the sword then he would be the shield.
Even if everything hurts, never stop moving.
He tackled into the Nomufied Slipstream's back, shoulder first.
"WE'RE NOT DONE HERE!"
The speedster shifted through his punches, sweeping his legs out from under him. It snatched his ankle and zipped out into the middle of the street, gliding across the asphalt in a span of mere seconds, boosting like a freight train. All the while Kirishima was struggling to maintain his hardening so he wouldn't be converted into a skid mark.
Breaking the sound barrier, the Nomufied Slipstream hefted him about sportingly, running sideways along the structural support columns of the rain simulating environment, until they were completely upside down. Gravity couldn't punish the speedster– so it took its anger out on the Red Riot enthusiast instead. The grip on his ankle loosened as they passed by the zone's center. Weightlessness clamped around his heart in a phobia inducing vice.
During his descent he spun out of control and collided with a building. He landed on the sidewalk on the street corner below, cracking the pavement. His shoulder, neck, hip and right leg were numb. His chest wheezed gratingly. The pain was so tremendous– every movement was agony. He was cold and wet.
Through his damp, throbbing vision, he could see the Nomufied Slipstream sprinting towards him.
'This is where it ends.' He thought grimly.
Against all odds, Kirishima found the strength to rise to his feet again. No one would've known that he was crying. The only part of his body affected by his quirk was his fingertips.
'At least I know…'
The Nomufied Slipstream's claws extended, preparing to make an execution.
'...That I died without any regrets!'
He tried to slash the Nomufied Slipstream, stumbling in confusion as it zipped past him. He fell over from pure exhaustion, weakly craning his neck to see where it went. He ground his bloodied teeth in disappointment.
"Kirishima! Oh my god!" Hagakure's voice entered the picture.
She assisted in propping him up on his side, shouldering some of the weight off his bum leg.
"You're hurt, *cough*, too."
"These cuts aren't too deep. Besides, I think you had it worse than me."
He chuckled, then immediately regretted it.
"Lets go find our friends."
"I *cough* like the sound of that…"
"I thought you would."
Kirishima had yet to notice the downpour stopped.
…
The students who evaded Kurogiri's initial warping blast made sure their top priority was evacuating Thirteen to a safer location. They laid her flat on her side, presumably the most comfortable for someone with her type of injury. Sato offered to stand guard over her while occasionally kneeling down to check her pulse. He could tell the sight of their wounded teachers had sparked a resentful fire within his classmates– and Tenya Iida was no exception.
The brother of Ingenium had assessed what the issue was: Lack of coordination. Yes, he took into account they were young, not to mention inexperienced. However, nothing seemed to faze Kurogiri; Not Shiozaki's vines, Sero's strips of tape, Asui's amphibious stretchy tongue, Mineta's sticky balls, Sato's enhanced strength or his own twin engines…
Kurogiri's quirk was extremely versatile. His preferred maneuver was a counterattack: When he registers a movement as predatory, he manifests an entry portal to swallow– then deposits the threat through an exit portal– typically behind whoever the attack belonged to.
The scariest part of all this was that Kurogiri was creative enough to think outside the box. Since his warp gates can physically pass through solid objects before opening– it was only natural that he could also do the reverse– closing them. This technique instantly severed the object in two, regardless of how durable the apparent material is. Iida was certain this would be a fatal move if used on living people.
A bulb flicked to light above his head.
"Everyone!" He called upon the attention of his classmates.
"By attacking him one at a time, we give him opportunities to retaliate!" He explained the problem.
"What do you suggest we do?" Asui dodged a dismembered flag pole intended on impaling her.
"I have devised a strategy! We disperse!"
Kurogiri's yellow eyes slanted dangerously.
"From now on we will strike twice or not at all!"
"Mineta and Shiozaki!" He gestured at them rigidly.
"Work together on restraining his legs!"
"Asui and Sero! You two go for—!"
"—The arms! Got it!" Sero cut him off, shooting him a thumbs up, while the frog girl nodded to indicate she understood the assignment.
"What do you need from me!?" Sato shouted, still knelt protectively alongside their fallen instructor.
"Be ready! When I give you the signal, do not hesitate!"
Kurogiri listened to their shift in tactics, attempting to retreat to a safer position on the elevated platform by pedaling backward up the stairs. They assembled in a circle and slowly they surrounded him, Mineta and Shiozaki standing on opposite ends. They repeated this pattern with Sero and Asui and so forth.
"You young heroes are beginning to grow rather troublesome." For the next few minutes, Shigaraki's servant was committed to holding his own.
He spread his arms in an arc, creating an Olympic pool sized warp gate angled at their majority. Iida didn't expect an entire school bus– which should've been parked safely outside– to be thrown out from the portal's gaseous composition. Taking the overhanging shadow as their warning, the students rushed to avoid being flattened. The school bus nosedived, crashing on its front bumper, crumpling the metal.
Iida's throat lurched as he witnessed the driver's motionless body slam against the fragmented windshield. The vehicles weight caused it to flip on its roof and roll, decimating the lower foundational structure of the staircase. In turn, the platform they stood on creaked and swayed from the excessive collateral damage. Weblike patterns cracked and spread across the surface.
Had the bus not been so immediate, he likely would've taken note of the submarine flying out the Flood Zone as it pegged the side of the interior dome.
"Do not be dissuaded! Reassume formation!" Iida boomed militarily as he led the charge.
"Right!" Shiozaki commanded her vines to dive underground.
"AHHHH!" Mineta's little arms were rapid firing as many purple balls as he could humanly muster.
Eventually, a costly misstep by Kurogiri allowed for Shiozaki's thorny tendrils to slip from under a crack– curling around his ankle to snag his right foot, rooting it in place. Off balance, his left foot squelched grossly as he unintentionally stomped on one of Mineta's balls.
'Ahem.'
Now that the misty villain was immobile, everyone understood the direness of the situation.
"Failure is intolerable!" Kurogiri seethed as he channeled another portal to smite them down with.
The air ignited in a column. A deafening shockwave was followed the crater that appeared before them. In a white flash of heat, Iida and his fellow classmen were thrust backwards by the impact's energy. The rumbling didn't stop for another four seconds. He found the conditions within his helmet to be unbearable. In great haste, he ripped it off. His chest was heaving– his face dripping in sweat.
"Holy- holy shit." Sero breathed, shakily standing to his full height.
The meteorite pit billowed with smoke, and when Iida crept forward to observe it– he saw that the rock was a vibrant, super-heated orange.
Sero pointed at Kurogiri with his index finger, posture displaying indignation: "If you throw another meteor at us– I'm gonna lose it!"
Iida agreed.
"Same here..." Sato grunted painfully as he emerged from a pile of concrete and dirt, revealing that he had been shielding Thirteen the whole time.
"Asui are you- ASUI!?" Mineta scrambled in alarm as he discovered that his crush had fainted due to overheating.
While he was tending to his friend, Sero clicked his elbow, dispensing wads of tape.
"Iida! Tie him up! Lets go!" He cocked his head (As he would also abandon his helmet), in the misty villain's direction.
Kurogiri's normally rigid shoulders had slackened, suggesting he was drained from quirk overuse.
"Hmm!" Iida rocketed forward, a torrential path of tape streaking behind him.
'I will make you proud, brother!' He thought valiantly, shifting into third gear.
Flames crackled from the exhaust tubes in his calves, granting the boost in speed he required. He pulled the first loop tight as could be, binding the misty villain's arms to his sides like a straight jacket. A tornado of motion, the bespectacled teen introduced him to a roundhouse kick.
Momentum carried Kurogiri within a short distance of the simmering crater he was responsible for creating.
"Sato!" Iida chopped– giving him the signal.
After he confirmed Thirteen still had a pulse, Sato strode towards the misty villain's struggling form. He peeled back his mask and tore a package of pure sugar crystals from his belt, pounding it down in a single gulp. Tossing the flimsy plastic away carelessly, the visual aspects of his quirk became evident: Irises diminishing in size, leaving the pupils as mere ink dots in the center of straining, bulging eyes. The muscles of his burly stature were bolstered and pumped with a rageful energy.
"What do you want me to do to em!?" He appeared more than happy to carry out whatever wish Iida asked of him.
"Do you see the armor– around his neck?"
"Yeah, what for!?"
"Remove it!"
Sato dug a knee into the misty villain's back, and reached down to clasp the metal collar.
"No! Stop! Stop! STOP! STOP! STOP! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! STOP! NO! NO! STOP! STOP! NO! ST–!" Kurogiri repeatedly screamed, kicking madly, body quaking beneath the compressive tape that bound him.
Obviously, the idea of being stripped of his armor terrified him to no end, an advantage Iida was willing to exploit.
"Keep going!" He reassured him.
"–NO! NO! NO! N–!"
Sero had to plug his ears to muffle the incessant noise. Shiozaki assisted by constricting him further with additional vines. Sato's fingers bent the armor plating, until finally–
"–OP! STOP! ST–!"
It gave.
"..." Not another word was uttered, his struggle– abandoned.
Clenching the warped metal, Sato looked equal parts confused and mortified by what he had done– and Iida felt guilty for constitutionalizing such violence.
Viscous blood dribbled from the armor's interior lining, and dangling from it– an assortment of wires. They were frayed– popping and sparking with residual electricity.
"Do we leave him here?" Sero asked hesitantly. "He seems kind of out of it."
Iida configured back to reality.
"Yes. He is of no trouble to anyone now."
Shiozaki noticed his sidelong glance at the main entrance.
"You have to go get us some help, Iida. Run as fast as you can towards campus."
He shook his head adamantly.
"I cannot leave my classmates behind!"
"W-w-what about A-Asui?" Mineta bawled, cradling the frog girl mournfully.
"I'm not… dead… you moron…" She opened her eyes, though her throat– it sounded incredibly dry.
"YOU'RE ALIVE!?" He was elated.
"Extreme temperatures… not good for frogs… ribbit." She croaked raspingly.
"Damnit!" Shiozaki cursed unexpectedly, making Sero gasp.
"Iida, we are still outnumbered, and we have no backup if matters are to worsen! We can't depend on Midoriya to save us!" Her truth struck a harsh cord in Ingenium's brother.
He did not want to accept it.
"We have to save the people who are in front of us! Thirteen needs you now more than ever!"
'A hero is someone who can always screw their head back on when things get crazy, and keep on doing what needs to be done. So don't ever feel like your too comfortable– got that lil bro? Because that probably means you're not doing your job right.' He remembered how Tensei had ruffled his hair after telling him that.
He readjusted his slightly cracked glasses on his nose. As he carried the unconscious Thirteen in his arms, Iida felt he at last understood that the mark of a true hero…
"Someone needs to get those doors open!"
Sato raced alongside him up the staircase as it crumbled away.
…Was doing the things that scared you the most.
"Grrr!" Sato punched the metal, denting it.
The telltale signs of drowsiness were beginning to trickle in– meaning his sugar rush was wearing off. Chugging two more packets of sugar to compensate, the burly teen wedged his hands in between the slim crevice of the locked barrier. The hydraulics in the emergency doors audibly strained to keep itself closed.
"PLUS ULTRAAAAA!" Sato screamed gutturally, separating the crushing borders wide enough for Iida and Thirteen to slip through out to the other side.
"Run, Iida! RUN!" Shiozaki's shouts of support spurred him to go even faster.
The emergency doors slammed shut with a resounding bang. Sato collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. The vine haired girl turned to her friend.
"Asui, what can we do to alleviate your suffering?"
"Water. Lots of water…"
"That should be easy." Sero gestured to the lake's worth of liquid sprawling out across the USJ's interior in rampant waves.
The under carriage of the wrecked bus was flooded over.
…
From his venture in the pipes linked underneath the foundations of the USJ, Izuku discovered a 'secret room,' of sorts. While partially submerged it also contained dozens of elevated walkways which displayed pressure valves. The underground water treatment plant is what controlled and circulated the flow of liquid life everywhere throughout the facility. Taking cover behind a wide cylindrical tank, he reverted back to human.
While his injuries had been healed by the salt water in his Orishin form, his costume had not been spared the same amenities. The fabric was drenched and ripped to shreds (Especially the area around his chest). So that was something to watch out for.
His Grant Torino mask was still intact, which confused him.
'That's not important! Think, Izuku! What beats Atlantean in his own element!? Electricity doesn't conduct very well through salt water– even if I did manage to get close enough (Given that I'm not torn to shreds first)– there's no guarantee that Jellytronic has what it takes to finish the job!'
He thought about when Eon blasted him with his Disintegration Raygun.
A loud splash followed by the clacking of feet climbing the ladder alerted him of the Nomufied Atlantean's presence in the room. Heart thumping wildly in his chest, his hand hovered over the Omnitrix trapping the light it emanated. Muscles tensing, he patiently waited for the dripping sounds to grow fainter before he risked leaning out of his hiding spot to gain a better view on his adversary.
With their back turned to him, he knew this was it. The moment he'd been waiting for. His super move. He selected an alien, pushing down on the dial. Meltdown shone into existence as he stunned the Nomufied Atlantean with a flash bang attack.
"PROXIMA…!" He announced, as they rushed him.
"….BUUUUUURRRST!" Throwing his head back, he drew from the deepest reaches of his nuclear power.
His incandescent body basked the room in blistering light. Radioactive flames stripped the nomu of it's outer carapace. The walkway melted, causing them both to fall in the water.
"AHHHHH!" He roared.
The pipelines wilted from the heat. The electronics fizzled and blew up. Systems that were in place to measure the distribution of water throughout the USJ were destroyed. Still, the submariner kept on going– arm outstretched– hand poised to choke him.
"RRRRAAAAHAHHHH!" He gave one final concerted effort.
"BLBLBLBAUBLB–!" The Nomufied Atlantean blubbered helplessly as it was fried and hollowed out into a smoking husk.
Excessive amounts of steam obscured his vision (He burnt the whole reservoir into its gaseous state). His foe had been carbonized into a statue, not unlike the gothic gargoyles which decorated buildings.
"That, was exhausting." He exhaled, allowing himself some time to catch his breath.
He acknowledged the mess he'd created. The molten ceiling slopped to the floor in thick globs of sizzling minerals. The section he was standing on was no better than a puddle of lava.
'Nezu is going to have my head for this.'
He blasted through the ceiling, concrete, rebar, pipes, rocks and soil. Meltdown's superheated visage incinerated the material before he came into direct contact with, allowing for his flight to be smooth and uninterrupted. In a plume of blackened ash and obsidian, the Pyrpiatosian-B emerged from the earth, surprised upon viewing the majority of the USJ had been flooded underneath ankle deep water.
…
The Nomufied Iron Jaw, visible as a red silhouette dampened by the emergency lighting system, trudged through the capacious cave. Jiro silently motioned the countdown to Koda– who was understandably scared beyond measure. Yet he was brave enough to use himself as the bait.
She mouthed, 'NOW!' and the sturdy boy stepped out into the open.
"O-over here!"
Hook, line, and sinker.
The beast charged. Koda made sure he lead it right along the path of Ashido's pooling acid– as it sunk knee deep in the muddy mixture. As soon as their classmate passed the crystals they were hiding behind, Jiro did a riff on her guitar, shooting a condensed shockwave that broke the stalactites from their stagnant positions. Floundering, the Nomufied Iron Jaw was unable to escape as it was buried under the mass of a collapsing cavern. The displacing of rocks and shaking of the mountainside indicated that it was effectively trapped.
The trio of students ducked out through the exit, just barely hanging onto their lives.
"YA-HOO! WE beat that monster!" Ashido did a dance.
They reached a fork in the mine tracks.
"If this were a horror movie, we'd be splitting up."
"Good thing this is real life." Jiro deadpanned.
"Thanks for reminding me!"
'The wind is coming from this direction…'
Their brisk walk turned into a hastened jog as they recognized the holy sight of ladder rungs.
"You two go before me. I'll know if there is anything else coming after us."
Koda and Ashido regarded the other for a second.
"What're you waiting for!? Mush!"
Following her companions into the contrasting luminance of the interior dome, they were greeted by a melancholic sight: The Flood Zone had, well, flooded over and submerged the USJ under ankle length water. The staircase leading to the main entrance was glowing like molten magma.
"What the hell happened?" Ashido gaped at the destruction.
"Green happened."
She dropped down into the liquid with a splash.
…
Kevin sprinted full speed downhill, kicking up clouds of dirt in his wake. Todoroki fulfilled his part of the plan, creating a frosty ramp. Ascending to the crest of the ice's edge, the Osmosian Halfling performed a flying long jump. He morphed his hand into a wrecking ball coated with spikes. Pouring all of his strength into one single, momentous blow, he swung to maim.
To its credit, the Nomufied Armodrillo ate the hit like a champ, as it hardly flinched from being smashed across the face– a testament to how durable these aliens were.
Kaminari was on standby, nervously fizzling with electrical energy.
"Do I have your attention?"
Their jackhammer arms vibrated violently in response.
"I think that's a yes!"
With his variation of super strength, Kevin was able to hold his own against the subterranean goliath in a wrestling match. Even with his silver armor shielding him, he had to be wary of the drill hands. As a rational person, he preferred to avoid being impaled.
"Kaminari! Do it!"
Kaminari hopped up from where he'd been crawling in the dirt as to not rouse suspicion, yellow arcs crackled around his body.
"INDISCRIMINATE SHOCK! 1.3 MILLION VOLTS!"
Kevin's idea had been to use himself as a sacrificial lightning rod. Since Kaminari's quirk behaved like normal electricity did– he didn't have very good control over where and what it chose to struck– such was the nature of lightning. Talpaedens were especially vulnerable to electricity by virtue of how there nervous system worked.
As the electricity consumed them both, the Nomufied Armodrillo's body began to seize up. Large, veiny protrusions throbbed along its purple armor. Suffering from internal combustion, their brain swelled to an abnormal degree. Oil leaked from its creaking joints.
"Just… a little… MORE!"
Like a balloon animal at a child's birthday party, the Nomufied Armodrillo expanded until–
KA-BOOM!
–It popped.
Todoroki jogged over to where his classmates were situated.
"It worked." He stated the obvious.
Kevin was covered head-to-toe in pasty organs and black goop.
Kaminari's lip curled weirdly as he sniffed the air.
"Dude, you seriously reek." He gagged, then plugged his nose, the heterochromatic teen mirroring him.
"Fuck you guys." Kevin grumpily rose to his feet, flicking the thick fluid from his face.
"I'll go wash off in the water."
…
Class 1-A congregated on the northern side of the central plaza, closest to the entrance. As fate would have it, most of them had fought there way back in similar proximities of time. Excluding those who evaded Kurogiri's initial warping frenzy, Yaoyorozu's group had been among the first to arrive, followed by Kevin's and Jiro's. Behind him and Aoyama, Hagakure and Kirishima were the last pair to arrive– and the latter was in bad shape.
He looked like he'd been pulled through a wood chipper and survived.
"Dude, what the hell happened to you? How are you still standing?" Kaminari asked, lacking his typical humorous inflection– he sounded truly concerned for his friend.
"I kepbt movhing…" He flashed them a proud, toothless smile.
"Yeah, he keeps saying that." Hagakure sighed.
"Can someone help me with this? Manly Man over here- he isn't light."
Izuku (As Meltdown), floated above the water lapping at his classmates heels. Vapor blew from the liquid in a helix pattern– and Izuku was certain that it would boil in mere seconds if he were to directly stand in it. He needed more practice with this alien outside his containment suit, as he had yet to learn how to lower his core temperature to a comfortable level around humans.
"Green?" A familiar voice tentatively prodded from behind him.
"Jiro?" He sat on his knees in midair as to be closer to her when she spoke.
The way she pursed her lips– how she bit the inside of her cheek– he could tell she wanted to 'light him up,' for lack of better terminology. Her jacks gradually ceased their stabby gesticulations once she recognized that the excruciating pain he'd been under earlier was absent.
"I'm glad you're OK." She decided.
His heart caught aflame.
"Same to you."
He found it difficult to tear his eyes away from her– but the time and place for being mesmerized by Jiro wasn't now.
"Where's Iida? Thirteen?"
"Iida is running them both towards campus right now!" Mineta informed him.
"What happened to–?"
"–You mean, Kurogiri, perhaps? Ribbit?" Asui jabbed her thumb over her shoulder.
"We wrapped him up in Sero's tape and strapped him to Sato. He's not going anywhere."
The burly teen had said misty villain tied to the back of his yellow costume, fixed in a makeshift harness.
"You guys- you really are amazing!"
"So, are you done catching up?" Shigaraki clapped his hands boredly.
The final villain stood between them and their teacher. Mr. Aizawa was tied to a tree, unconscious– blood trickling from a nasty wound on his temple.
"I trust we're all on the same page." Heat vision smoldered in his retinas, as he entered a staredown with Shigaraki.
"More or less."
"I see you've all managed to best your competition!" Shigaraki announced loudly.
"Competition is putting it lightly!" Yaoyorozu furiously blew a stray bang out of her face.
"We beat your thugs without breaking a sweat and every one of your… nomu, has been put out of commission! Iida and Thirteen will be arriving at UA in any moment! The best thing to do– no, the smart thing to do– would be to give Mr. Aizawa back to us, and turn yourself in! You lost."
Shigaraki gave a small huff of amusement.
"The audacity of you UA rats– it truly astonishes me sometimes. Here is the difference between you and me: I won't hesitate to kill your teacher and I know for a fact you don't have the guts to do the same to my guy. Or do you want to call my bluff?"
He picked up Mr. Aizawa's limp arm, and the class watched with bated breath as the fabric of his costume rotted and faded to dust.
"That's one layer... I wonder how long it'll take to reach the bone?"
As Izuku and his classmates went to protest, an orange speedster made its appearance.
"Goh no!" Kirishima's swollen eyes widened at the Slipstream copycat.
'Another nomufied alien!?'
Shigaraki whispered command was singled out by Jiro's hyper sensitive hearing.
"The girl– the one with the weird earlobes."
She instantly knew that he was referring to her.
"GREEN!"
Like a bullet unloading from its chamber, the Nomufied Slipstream flew past them, snatching the punk girl, and sprinted southwest towards the Conflagration Zone.
"JIRO!" He chased after them in comet form.
"Midoriya!" Yaoyorozu's plea fell on deaf ears.
"Nomu: Regenerate."
Dark sections of the water sifted together, bubbling– congealing into a mass of flexing muscle and bone– taking on shape and structure.
Kevin swore as he dropped the material he planned on absorbing in the water.
"That's– !" The heiress stumbled as a clump brushed against her foot.
"Impossible?" Shigaraki smirked cruelly.
"I can't blame you for thinking so. But I guess that's life. Full of impossibilities." He said nonchalantly.
"Nomu: Kill."
The beaked monstrosity emerged from the waves, crushing the overflowing marble fountain beside it. Without Midoriya standing in its way, there was nobody who could match Nomu's might. It bulldozed across the plaza, beady eyes latching onto the closest target.
Kevin wouldn't describe himself as someone heroic– not like his father was. Even with Gwen and Ben's constant reassurances that they forgave him for what he did– there remained a small part of him that refused to believe it. You can't rid of the past, no matter how much you'd like to– and his sins were something he would have to forever live with. But these last couple months he'd spent in this alternate universe had presented the Osmosian Halfling with an opportunity for a do-over.
Old habits die hard, and often, he found himself repeating the same mistakes. He was trying to stay true to the promise he made to his late best friend: To save whoever needed saving regardless of the time, place or universe. But Kevin wasn't thinking about any of that.
In this moment, none of those other things mattered, because…
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
…His legs moved on there own.
As Nomu prepared to kill a defenseless Kaminari, Kevin jumped between them. It struck– punching a hole in his chest, smashing through every organ and bone structure along its path. Nails scratching at the monster's arm in a final act of defiance, his eyes would glaze over when the monster ripped out his gushing heart.
"Kevin?" Kaminari knelt in the water beside his friend's limp body.
"Barbaric, yet effective!" Shigaraki approved of the UA student's demise.
Todoroki, equally as stunned by what he witnessed, summoned an ice wall to separate Nomu from his classmates.
…
The Nomufied Slipstream deposited Jiro in the middle of a flaming intersection. It zipped away with little confrontation. Izuku glided closer to ground level, before reverting back to human. As soon as he went to check on her, another figure made their presence known.
They both remembered his burnt facial features and hateful glare.
"Shirai." Izuku breathed.
"Hello, Midoriya." He stepped through a wall of fire, seemingly unaffected by the temperature.
"Welcome," He splayed his arms wide, "To my inferno."
…TO BE CONTINUED…
