The city was an exact replica of the Shibuya district in Tokyo.

The entire city was built on top of the cliff perched to the side of the plateau that held the school building. Around the confines stood a steel rebar wall that imprisoned the mock city like the walls protecting a castle. Within the walls, the shining skyscrapers gleamed in the bright sunlight that battered the late summer earth. Only the gentle ocean breeze that caressed over the sea cliff up to the mountain cooled down the hot air in the entrapped simulation.

Leo could not believe just how much detail was put into this small section of Tokyo. Everything from the Japanese traffic signs to the chartreuse police cars that lined the front of the Shibuya Station where in front they stood at full attention. Across the street, an entrance to the metro subway dug into the concrete sidewalk. The columns of towers and shopping centers lined the street as it stretched blocks and blocks to the epicenter of the simulated district. Blinking signs of celebrities hung overhead on the white plastered walls of the metro station. Screens and news tickers swam over the LED screens as even sounds of honking horns and distant police sirens echoed through the streets.

Inside the lobby of the fake office building, the rest of the class stood with Bakugo. They watched through the television screens connected to the ceilings and watched the scene before them. A few screens were focused on the villain pair of the simulation. The other screen aimed at the heroes.

A couple of blocks away, James scratched at his ear at the edge of a small park. Before him was a small limousine that was parked in front. The thick earpiece dug hard into his lobes. A screech erupted from the piece, and James yelped out as Bakugo's harsh voice broke through the static.

"Alright, nerds," Bakugo said. "You have ten minutes to get the VIP out of the city. A target is on the person's chest. If either of the bad guys hit it, you lose. The villains already know the route your taking, so they can attack at any time."

With a cackle, the radio wave died.

Hero Team: James Guzman and Martel Void!

Villain Team: Lloyd Thomas and Leo Agravain!

"I know what we need to do," James faced Martel who stood at edge of the concrete. Next to him, Moxie slumped like a cat lounging around in a warm sunspot; a round target circle placed on her chest.

James pointed at the roof of the limo. "You two will get in the car. I'll stay up on the roof for the others."

"So you want to fight them on your own?" Martel asked.

James shoved his hands into his gym uniform pockets. "It's not like either of you have any quirks that could help out in this."

"In fact," Martel said. He reached into his void space and took out a thick red book. He flipped open the pages and thumbed through them. "I imagine there could be some sort of device or tracker I could find in here somewhere. This book reminds me of the things I've put in my space as well as the dimensions and description."

"Get in the limo, Einstein," James yanked the door open.

"Einstein?" Martel gasped in mock exasperation. "Are you calling me stupid?"

Moxie climbed inside as the two argued behind her. She sat down on the plush velvet seats that wrapped around the inside perimeter of the vehicle. When she sank into the cushion, she grasped the rosary and newly-draped red crystal hanging around her neck. She stared down at the gem in her hands. The center had the faintest scarlet glow that refracted off her fingers. Her head lolled around, and she found herself leaning it on the tinted window. Her eyelids fluttered like the wings of a moth, attempting to stay awake to the rest of the world.

She had been up all night interrogating the newest addition to this universe. Alistair was a charming enough person, not afraid to express his sympathies at her newfound companion. Currently, he told her that he was simply going to explore the world that surrounded her. She hardly had time to explain what kind of universe he was within, one in which people have strange super powers. Alistair shrugged and said that it was not unlike his own world and he would have no problems adjusting.

She chuckled to herself as he chin dropped to her chest. The moment he came across any mutation quirk, he would be doomed and run right back to her in fear.

Then, she succumbed to sweet sleep.

Eventually, Martel got into the limousine. He sat across from her and crossed his legs in a refined manner.

"Such an erratic creature, he is," Martel said more to himself. "He didn't even let me finish my explanation of quantitative easing!"

The limousine rocked forward. Using a pre-tracked driving route, the car was controlled by the preset directions and drove itself. With a start, the stretched car rolled off the pavement onto the main road.

James perched on top of the limo with the elegance of a falcon. He scanned the skyline for his opponents.

Lloyd sprinted down the empty street. The humid air battered at his throat with his arms swaying at his side. It was odd walking through the empty streets of the busiest shopping district in Tokyo. The empty windows of the shopping centers and office buildings ran past him, his reflection warped and skimming past the glass.

Behind him, Leo heaved into the thick air. His arms waggled like thin spaghetti strands. His feet pattered on the ground, slowing down with every gasp for air that the boy made. Sweat ran down the front of his face. His pale skin not used to the darkening rays of the sun, his exposed skin was tinged with a red not unlike the octagonal stop signs that dotted the intersection he crossed.

When he got to the center of the street, he crouched over his knees and rested his hands on them. His heart struck his chest with the speed of the zipping moth that flew above his brunette head of hair.

Lloyd turned around, spying the smaller boy blubbering for air like a beached whale. He doubled back towards the boy and grabbed his shoulder.

"Everything alright?"

"No one...told...me I'd...be doing cardio," Leo squeaked.

Lloyd, ever the team player, grabbed Leo underneath his arms and heaved him onto his back. He ran over to the main road, Leo panting with his body bouncing on Lloyd's back.

As they approached the main road, rubber scrunched over the concrete. The warm hum of an engine rumbled around a corner. Lloyd creeped up to the edge of the building at the intersection and poked his head out towards the main road. The limousine approached at a slow speed with James crouched on the roof like he was a lion prepared to feast on gazelle in the Serengheti.

"Of course he'd be so reckless," Lloyd said.

Leo regained his breath and hopped of Lloyd. The boy, a little shorter than Lloyd, stood on his tiptoes to gaze over his shoulder. The limousine was only a couple of blocks away.

"Remember the plan?" Lloyd turned to Leo.

"You distract, and I throw the ball?" Leo patted his right pocket where a tennis ball sized bulge jutted out from his hip.

Lloyd nodded. They turned back to see the approaching limousine.

Once it got to the intersection, it stopped.

"Hey, what the hell?" James shouted as he stared around. "Why's it stopping?"

Leo gazed up at the stoplight. It was flashing red.

Inside the car, Moxie was fast asleep while Martel looked around at the surroundings. They were in the thick of the Shibuya district with rows of buildings huddling around them. The car now stopped, Martel lowered the window and poked his head out of it. Sure enough, he noticed the stop light.

"This self-driving car must be programmed to obey traffic laws," Martel said with an impressed tone. "This is advanced technology."

As he pulled himself further out the window, he heard footsteps. When he panned his head towards the left, he jumped and smacked the crown of his head onto the hard sill. Yelping out, he rubbed the hurt spot and waved up at James who was spotting the right side of the limo.

"James, the left!"

Before James could turn all the way, he prepared and opened up his hands. A small ball of neon energy coalesced in his palm. Without looking, he whipped around and flung it directly to his left.

His intuition worked, for the ball sailed right at Lloyd who had made a beeline for the car.

When the shot approached him, Lloyd slid underneath the blast. Leo, who was trailing behind, cried out as he reached out both of his hands. He had never changed something like this before, but he figured it was worth a shot if it was a small, inanimate object.

Closing his eyes, he stuttered in panic as the ball zoomed over. Then, like an invisible wall protecting him, the ball stopped just inches away from his palms.

The small neon blast hovered right by Leo's hands, and it began to disintegrate before his very eyes.

After seconds in limbo, the small ball shrunk with sparks of energy flickering off it like a dying star. Then, it evaporated into tiny hairs of sparking neon.

"What the fuck!"

Before James could question further just what the hell that meek British kid just did, the limo shook with the force of somebody jumping onto the roof.

Lloyd raised himself up to full height, which was right at James's. He perked his head up, and his fists were raised in a fighting stance.

The two stood right on top of the limousine. James's green and purple eyes latched onto Lloyd's yellow scleras. The wind brushed through their hair.

Then, the light turned green.

The limo began to roll again. However, it was just a roll seeing as the speed limit was only fifteen kilometers per hour.

Leo, still in shock over reverting the neon ball back to its previous state, gaped as the limo began to drive away. He completely forgot the objective of the mission.

"Hey, wait!" Leo said. He chased after the car on foot. It was a piece of bait for a slow moving fish; he ran after it as the car just kept its distance.

And so, the limousine traced down the hot concrete of the empty street. Leo racing after it with his poor cardio training, and two students standing on it's roof.

On the roof, James ignored the kid running behind him. As long as his quirk did not project far or on humans, he should be okay. After all, he doubted that guy could keep up for long with the car. If he could take down this annoying red-head freak, he would not have to worry at all about that little pipsqueak even if the car stopped again. The calm wind rushed over his face, and he licked his chapped lips while the dehydrating, but exhilarating energy warmed the vessels and muscles underneath his skin.

"Give up the VIP, James," Lloyd ordered. "We are here to do our nefarious bidding, and you won't deter us!"

"Ha! You and that whiny chicken dick running after us?" James asked with a mirthful laugh. "You couldn't be a villain if they paid you."

"You will lose this battle, James," Lloyd shouted. "First, the VIP. Then, the entire Earth will be under our rule.

Geez, this guy got into this role, James thought to himself.

Deciding he was tired of the evil monologuing, James ignited a strange magenta cloud that encompassed entire body. The heat from the neon energy rang heat waves that smothered Lloyd's face.

Smacking his foot down on the roof, James charged forward.

The boy shot himself forward and reared back a fist. A quick roar, and he thrusted it forward. A beam of energy slashed at Lloyd.

He collapsed forward. The rope of neon flew above him, and he landed with his palms down onto the roof of the traveling car. With a slam, he caught his face just inches from the surface of the black vehicle. Lloyd looked up, his sight filled with the angry student still charging him.

Along with his steel-toed boot.

Bap!

Lloyd's vision became white. His nose creaked, and tears swam at the corner of his pupils. The sting made his head throb, and his hot cheek swelled up from the impact.

"What a low blow," Megan said in the lobby. "You can't just kick somebody."

"Nothing in the rules said you couldn't," Katsu said. "Even if it's not heroic, it's still using all his options."

"Moron," Anton said as he shook his head.

Austin shook his head. Working with James yesterday, the man was nothing but a hothead. Austin thought him as somebody that cared only for himself, and he was a person that would ignore the ethics that went into being a Pro-Hero. He hoped that the guy would grow up pretty quickly. He sensed that he had very strong power in his quirk, and that needed to be used for good.

Austin turned to the side to hear the chide remark from Abel, only to realize that he was still in the hospital. His excited voice would fill that lack of commentary happening in the room right now.

Great. He had only known the guy for two days, and he already had to admit that he was missing him.

Back on the limousine, Lloyd gargled in pain while patching his hand on the tender skin of his face. Blood trickled over his nose, and he wiped away at some of the droplets. Despite his actions, the blood began to gush faster.

Before Lloyd could register anything else, he saw the dirt-encrusted bottom of James's other boot coming down towards his stomach.

Pow!

Spit sprung out of Lloyd's mouth with the impact. His stomach felt like it had caved in on itself.

While James stomped on Lloyd, Leo had used the fight to make one last charge at the limousine. He ran past the two students in a heap on the concrete and reached out for the door handle. It brushed the tips of his fingers, but he could not grab it.

With a silent prayer, Leo ground his pearly teeth together. He took one more quick sprint and and fumbled forward to the door.

His hand snagged the handle.

"I got it, Lloyd," Leo shouted. He cracked the door open and leapt inside.

James looked down and gasped. In his haste to attack, he had not anticipated that Leo would catch up to the car, let alone be inside it!

Suddenly, the car lurched forward. Like the top of a fizzing champagne bottle, the limousine suddenly barreled forward. James wobbled in place to keep his balance. He stuck his right foot out and shook.

Without a second thought, Lloyd realized this was their chance. He grabbed James's boot in mid-air. With a roar, Lloyd rolled himself towards his side. His hands still latched onto James's leg. Not predicting the quick move, James flapped his arms like a drunk goose while tilting over towards the side. The force of Lloyd's roll caused James to lose his balance.

A deep gasp. Lloyd roared.

James's heart smacked into his throat as the weightlessness of gravity took its toll. The limo's surface disappeared under his feet, and he fell of the edge. Lloyd, still holding onto his leg, fell with him.

Lloyd rolled on top of James, and the boy saw the blood-soaked face of the Canadian boy. His eyes were watered, but his wounded face was one that he had not expected from the wet blanket of a classmate. Not one of determination or compassion. One of anger.

The back of James's head smashed into the concrete. Lloyd's weight crashed and dug into his gut. The air thrashed out of his lungs, and James grunted out as his back skid over the road. The momentum of traveling on the car caused them both to slide a few more feet, the rough friction shredding the back of James's gym uniform. Lloyd, blood dripping on his shirt, lost his own balance and toppled to the side off James. He leaned back on his clothed forearm and slowed his own trip, kicking his legs and crossing them like a skier on a snowy mountain.

James ground to a halt right in the center of the Shibuya crossing. He lay on his back panting for air that was slammed out of his lungs. His arms were cut and rashed from the concrete. His stomach ached from the impact of Lloyd landing on him. He shifted his head back and spied the upside-down image of the VIP car.

The limousine charged away from them and rocketed closer to the finish. It skid around a corner and disappeared, the engine blending into the quiet ocean breeze funneling through the streets.

It was just the two of them in the middle of the intersection. It was a humongous concrete oasis with wide crosswalks that a pilot could land a jet on with room to spare. Vibrant LED screens flashed advertisements and fashion posters blinked on the facade of the buildings above them. The intersection split five ways with the main road cutting through it and out to the rest of the fake district.

Lloyd dusted off his pants and grunted up to his feet. James struggled to heave himself up to a seated position. His midsection groaned with pain, and he grit his teeth as he saw the red-haired boy opposite him. There was nothing between him and James save for a few metal street lamps that sat on the sidewalk ends of the pedestrian crosswalks. One of which planted itself a few feet to his right side.

While distracted, Lloyd rushed over to the lamppost. It was just a few inches taller than him, metallic and silver. He grabbed onto the lamppost and squeezed on the surface. A sliver of pain ran through his veins, and he felt his head grow cloudy with a small dearth of numbness coming over him. He had not changed something this large in a while, and he knew that it would take time.

James stumbled up to his feet like a drunk toddler. He was discombobulated more from the hurt pride of not predicting Lloyd's attack than any physical harm. Regardless, the impact on the road made his head thump with angry pain. His middle was going to be bruised for the next week, and he found balance hard to achieve as his feet shifted underneath him.

James began to bumble over towards Lloyd with the cautiousness of a person whose legs fell asleep. His hands spat out flecks of furious neon energy. With every step, the muscles in his body strengthened like elastic rubber bands stretching to their limits.

"I've only known you three days, and you've pissed me off," James said. "I've been getting headaches lately, but they've gotten worse in the past week. And I think that's because somebody out there was warning me about the people in this school. People like you."

Lloyd closed his eyes. Only a few more seconds. His hands trembled with the strain.

"But I've dealt with a lot worse than you," James shouted. And I'll do that when I become the number one Pro-Hero!"

The neon beam blasted out from James's grasp.

The lamppost disintegrated into a thick beam of dust.

Lloyd peeled off the top half of the dust and shot it forward. He dived to the left, the other half of the dust moving with him like a shield. The blast flew past, the light from the magenta beam dissipating as it arrowed forward until it crashed into a store window.

Holding up his right hand, Lloyd wafted the dust like a conductor leading a symphony. The tails of grime snaked around and smacked James right in his eyes.

He grunted out and fell to one knee. Even though the remnants floated away, the impact made his vision blurred. His eyes watered, and he blinked faster than fireflies igniting the Florida summer sky at night. Blinded, he ignited himself in another neon cloud and channeled the energy into both of his outstretched arms. If the battle with Midnight was any indication, he would try to capture James into a prison of the dust. If he could knock the dust away with his energy, he may avoid such a fate.

Lloyd saw his plan worked and charged towards him. However, he saw the beam of neon forming between his hands. His plan to capture James in the dark soot would not work with the heat and energy surrounding him.

James staggered up to his feet, his eyes still adjusting to the sunlight above. Lloyd ran further. Then, as if they read the other's mind, they tightened the grip of their hands around their respective quirks.

The moment they reached each other, a smash.

James had formed his neon into a sparking lilac saber. Lloyd solidified the grime into a column that was the shape of a sword of dust.

With a shout, James stumbled forward and pushed on the neon sword. It caused Lloyd to step backwards. He held up his blade of grit and prepared for a damaging blow.

James swung down and struck the dust sword. A brilliant flash of neon erupted from the clash. The fieriness of James's makeshift weapon caused the edge of the dust sword to get scuffed. The dust would not hold together strong enough to withstand many blows.

They both swung at each other. The two weapons clashed, and they both leaned into the assault. Their faces were inches away from each other. Their arms shook from the strain, and the hot breath from each of them magnified the sweltering heat of battle that boiled them into this fight.

James had the best of Lloyd in upper body strength, and he shoved Lloyd back.

Then, James attacked.

He swung and slammed the neon right into Lloyd's weapon. His face was contorted with anger, his eyes replete with rage and saline as the flickering light from his saber danced over his face. He alternated between high attacks at the Canadian's head and low attacks towards his already bruised middle. Lloyd rushed back at the boy charging him like a ferocious rhino. They crossed through the Shibuya crossing dead center through the intersection. Every blow left an electric hum and a churn of light that popped off the spot of impact.

Swing!

Lloyd leapt back and dared to go on the offensive. He jabbed right at James's face again. This time, James knocked the strike upward. As Lloyd regained purchase, James took a quick slash at his side. Lloyd parried at his hip.

Smash!

Lloyd realize his mistake and focused on being defensive. James took the pause and slid his neon upward and swung the sword down from over his head.

Swish!

Crash!

Lloyd's grip loosened. The dust flicked away from the sword, and the solidness of the object began to melt away like dark ice.

A few more swings. Lloyd continued to block.

Then, a swipe at his hand.

Lloyd cried out as the impact shocked him. A strange electric tingle pranced up his arm and hammered at his heart. The shock was enough to make him release the dust, and it flew up into the bliss of blue above and abandoned Lloyd.

He fell onto his bottom, the harsh concrete scratching at his elbows. He propped himself up, skittering backwards as James approached the now cowering boy.

James lowered the sword and hovered it right above Lloyd's face. The furious neon speckled around the frame of the weapon. A few sparks kissed his face, and Lloyd twitched at the short zaps that pricked at his skin. The world in front of him was colored in magenta and violet, the illumination of the power obscuring his vision of anything else.

Over the loud hum and snaps of the neon, James ticked his tongue.

"You thought that shitty dust would stop me? It looks like your quirk can be stopped by heat easily. You couldn't even save a baby from a burning building. Not only are you a shitty villain, but you'll be an equally bad hero."

Lloyd coughed out spit that had creeped up in his throat.

The neon energy flickered out like a dying light bulb. It vanished just like Lloyd's dust. James felt his body return to normal temperature. His face flushed, he wiped his brow of sweat and planted himself right at Lloyd's feet. He was out of light energy, but that hardly mattered now. He had already accomplished the goal.

"And you look even more pathetic now," James said. "You can't even lose a battle with dignity."

"I...didn't lose."

James frowned.

"What?"

"I...didn't," Lloyd sputtered out. "I didn't lose. In fact, I think we just won."

"What are you going on about, you pointless plankton?"

In the limousine, Martel had used one of his Void Industries patented "Rope-A-Dope" mechanism to bind Leo into a trap of steel wire. Leo was now bound together by the thin ropes that had jumped out of the box Martel threw at him and snapped over his skin. He was imprisoned, and it was as simple as baiting a fish.

He lay on the floor like a larvae squirming out of a cocoon in the middle of the soft carpet. Moxie dozed by the window side seat about five feet behind him. He craned his head down as best as he could. His hands right at his pockets, he flicked out the golden pocket watch. It fell to the carpet floor and opened up to reveal the time.

Three minutes. Perfect time to be far enough away from James before he could do anything. Perfect time before traveling back in time would cause a paradox that could end the world.

Martel had taken the wheel of the limo and decided it would be better to floor the vehicle to its destination. He stomped on the gas pedal and veered through the streets.

Now was the time for him to change. Leo had the perfect opportunity.

Leo closed his eyes. He had never moved something backwards be three minutes, but now was the time to try. He felt a strange fuzz appear around him. A thick blanket of a steel wool substance scratched at his ears. The energy encircled him, and the object was glued to it like an albatross hanging around his neck. The world of manipulating time was a tough one to navigate. He lost track of himself. He lost track of where he was. All that was in his world was himself in a deep void and the object he was trying to change.

Himself. Without the ropes around him.

Himself. In this same limousine that he was not inside yet.

Himself. Five minutes prior. The earliest he could see himself.

Himself. A person that, like many, could exist once at any given time.

At least, with the exception of a few seconds.

When he opened his eyes, there he was. Inside the limousine.

Moxie had just fallen asleep. Martel and James were arguing with each other. This was right before they had even started the challenge.

"I don't care about the gold standard, you bastard!"

"But you should," Martel said. "In fact, you should focus more on those things because they will cause massive issues for everyone in the lending market."

Already, Leo felt himself slipping away. He was a ghost, hardly a person that could cause any effects on this world. A world that already happened. He spun around and saw Moxie. Yet, the image of her began to swim and crackle like a dying television that only aired static. He noticed she had been much more low-energy, and he should be glad. Otherwise, she would notice and shriek her head off. Not only that, but it lowers the chances of any current paradoxes being implanted into the time continuum. At least for now.

Knowing he only had seconds, Leo took the ball from his pocket and took three steps at Moxie. Each one making his limbs weaker than before.

The ball hit the target right as Leo collapsed forward.

Back down onto the ground.

This time, collapsed as he heard the beep that confirmed he had succeeded.

Now, he lay on the ground next to Moxie. This time, back in the moving limousine that Martel drove in the present.

In the driver's seat, Martel was oblivious to the fact that Leo was now right at Moxie's feet and he was out of the binds. He was oblivious to the fact that the challenge had ended before it even started.

That Leo had just transformed himself back in time and returned.

Just as Martel spun the car around the corner, he could see the balloons that marked the finish line.

Then, the booming voice of the announcer.

Villain Team Wins!

"Huh?" Martel asked.

In the lobby, the classroom stared around at themselves. In the blink of an eye, Leo went from being in the silver binds of Martel's invention to right by Moxie and free.

"Huh?" They asked in unison.

James stared up at the invisible voice of The Announcer. That pipsqueak got through Martel?

"What the fuck?"

An eloquent way to end this chapter, huh?

Thank you, everybody! I am so happy by what is happening, and I plan on being more engaged with you all soon. Don't worry if you have questions about quirks or characters. All will be revealed (most likely)!

Also, still open to any OC submissions or ideas. Any fan art, comments, suggestions, and questions are more than welcome.

And review! Review! Review! It makes me get these out even faster for you!

Thank you. See you soon!