Hello there, UltimateDemonBeast65 here with the new chapter of MVA: Symbiote's Justice! I do apologize for the long wait, I did not expect this chapter to take this long to write. So I have decided that in regards to this story, I am going to take my time and not rush it or have an exact release date, so there might be periods of time where you guys might not get the next chapter as soon as you would like to, but to be honest this story has been quite mentally draining on me and I want to be able to do this for fun and not feel like it's just a job or a commitment. I am also shortening the length of the chapters to make it easier on my mentally. So do bare with me, as I will do my best to finish this story, but I will be taking my own time doing so, and if that upsets anyone, then you don't need to continue reading. Anyway, here are the responses to reviews:
Trux-Killer: We have addressed that idea a few times before, and we will keep it in mind, so wait and see what happens
Maximum Rhapsody: No offense, but the story already established that if Knull were to be freed, he could end the entire multiverse.
For'Sleep 3rd: We'll think about it, but we still mainly want Eddie/Venom and Carnage to be the focus of this story.
Austin: Indeed. And you'll have to wait and see with AFO and Knull.
XenoSlayer983: We'll just have to see what happens
Guest W: Glad that you're enjoying her being in the story
Angel lara451: We will consider your feedback, and you're not the first person to suggest this so you're not alone in feeling that way
Minhaz25: Thanks for the feedback, though if you aren't a fan of Knull then you might not like the direction this story goes.
With that out of the way, enjoy the chapter!
Hours had passed since the incident in Helsinki, and the Volcano Thieves were fortunate to not be captured or killed by their pursuers. For now, the trio was safe, hiding out in an old farmhouse in a rural part of Finland. Dusty Ash made sure to keep watch in case anyone or anything approached their new 'safehouse' while Volcano and Gust Boy tried tending to their injuries.
"Goddamn it, it's lodged in deep!" Gust Boy said as he tried to pry out the bullet in his leg with a pair of forceps. "Boss, can you give me a hand here?"
"My hand and gauntlet are too big for precise tools, moron. Dusty Ash, get in here and help this jackass!" Volcano called out.
"I'll get right on it!" Dusty Ash said before speed walking where Gust Boy was sitting, and got down on one knee to pry out the bullet as she put her hands around the forceps. "This may sting a little~"
Dusty Ash then felt that the forceps were clamping down on the bullet before pulling it out as thoroughly as possible, putting the bullet and forceps aside and then quickly grabbed bandage wraps to close up Gust Boy's wounds.
"Thanks, Haizono." Gust Boy panting a little from the pain of having the bullet removed.
"No problem, Kazetani." Dusty Ash said with a smirk, then turned to inspect the bullet that she pulled out, and her eyes widened. "Oh shit…they sent her after us…"
"Her?" Gust Boy asked confused before seeing the bullet and noticed its blue and pink colour.
"Lady Nagant." Volcano said with a growl.
"Wait, THE Lady Nagant?! Japan's best sniper?!" Gust Boy exclaimed.
"Seems like it." Dusty Ash replied with a sigh while seeing that her skin was beginning to become smooth again. "I'm almost fully recovered from using my Quirk. Anyway, did you guys find the location of the next clue yet?"
"We don't even know if there's a clue inside this thing or not." Gust Boy said, holding what looked like a small rusty box.
"We didn't break into that vintage factory for some random box, Kazetani." Volcano said with a groan.
"So what are we waiting for? Let's just open it!" Dusty Ash stated before taking the lid off the box.
Inside of the box was an old compass with Nordic runes engraved on the sides, though the most peculiar thing is that the needle, which is meant to point north, was pointing in a different direction instead.
"Woah, is that a compass?!" Gust Boy said though noticed the needle's direction. "Shouldn't that be pointing north?"
Dusty Ash looked at the compass more closely, picking up the box with both hands and turned herself to face in different directions, but also saw the direction the needle was facing towards the same location no matter what.
"Huh, well would you look at that." She said before turning back towards Gust Boy and Volcano and looked up at them. "I guess it was changed to be set to point on a fixed location, so we should move out once we've recovered."
"Fortunately, Nagant wasn't shooting to kill, whoever sent her wanted to interrogate us before she puts a bullet in our skulls." Volcano said.
"Well, we're not gonna let that happen, right boys?" Dusty Ash asked as she put the box back down on the table.
"You bet, hot stuff." Gust Boy replied with a grin.
"We also need to avoid those two alien freaks, heat and sound may be fatal to them, but that won't stop them from trying to fight us again." Volcano said before standing up.
"Why don't we just use our team attack again?" Gust Boy asked.
"Because it overtaxes our Quirks if we use it repeatedly." Volcano replied as he cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to see my entire body covered in dry skin, now would you?" Dusty Ash remarked to Gust Boy before walking back to the window and peeked her head out a little while gripping her tanto with one hand. "It seems like Venom has different attacks than what was seen on social media and the news. So we are still not sure what they are fully capable of. I hope we still have the chance to get out of here before they show up."
"Agreed, but at least we have the compass and can follow the needle to wherever it leads." Volcano said. "Question is, where does it lead based on the direction it's facing?"
"It's gotta be one of the Nordic countries." Gust Boy replied. "But how do we make sure of it?"
"Simple. We just look at our own location, then back at the compass to see which country it's pointing to." Dusty Ash replied as she took out her phone and turned it on to see where they were located, then tossed it to them. "Catch."
Volcano caught her phone and then looked at the compass on the table, before turning to face the direction its needle was pointing in.
"Are the two of you alright to move on?"
"I'm definitely ready to keep moving." Dusty Ash replied. "But which country are we heading to next, boss?"
"Whichever one this compass is pointing towards." Volcano replied.
"Which country would that be? Can't we check on our map app?" Gust Boy suggested.
Dusty Ash then walked back over to Volcano and looked over his arm to see where the compass was pointing in relation to their location on her phone. The phone's map app indicated that the compass was most likely pointing in the direction of Sweden.
"Looks like it's pointing towards Sweden." Dusty Ash said looking up to Gust Boy. "So it's not too far. Still, we're gonna have to take a bit of time in searching that area."
"Agreed, all while dodging Nagant and those aliens." Volcano said. "Once we're sure that we can move again, we bounce."
"You got it boss." Dusty Ash said with a nod.
"Gotcha, my wrists should be good to go soon." Gust Boy said as he cracked his wrists and waited alongside his comrades.
Somewhere within Tokyo, there existed a compound, one belonging to the infamous Yakuza syndicate, the Shie Hassaikai, which in Japanese means "The Eight Precepts of Death'' which in Buddhism are a set of strict moral guidelines to be followed by the most serious of adherents, lest they lose their chance at enlightenment. The compound is a large residence disguised as business office buildings with the upper floors and the outside of the hideout decorated like a traditional Japanese residence controlled by the Yakuza.
Inside of the compound within a large office was Kai Chisaki, better known as Overhaul, who was in deep thought about the alliance with All For One, the revelation of the existence of extraterrestrial life and what it meant for his syndicate.
"Life….life on other planets…it's not just science fiction and urban legends, it's real…All For One and his benefactor…they know something we don't…whatever it is, I don't think things will go back to the way they were before, and my dream of ridding humanity of Quirks feels less and less possible…"
Overhaul looked to his left, seeing the doorway which led to a room where their boss was in a coma, hooked up to life support systems. He then got out of his seat and approached the room, looking at the once great Yakuza boss in their weak and near-catatonic state.
"Before, I believed that I owed you everything for taking me in and treating me like family when no one else would. I wanted to rid the world of Quirks in order to give the Yakuza a fighting chance of reclaiming their honour and their territories across Japan and beyond." Overhaul said, looking at the unconscious boss while doing so, then clenched his fist and hardened his gaze.
"Truth is I was always seeing the incomplete picture, a piece of the puzzle but not in its entirety. I put you in this bed thinking that the only obstacle I would face was Pro Heroes and rival gangs and Villains, but I glimpsed another piece of the puzzle, I opened a doorway out of the ignorant pond I was swimming in and looked upon the vast ocean, even if it was only for a brief moment. Aliens exist and whatever plan All For One and his benefactor has for them, it makes my goals pointless. What would taking away Quirks accomplish when there are countless life forms out there with their own abilities and skills that would make our achievements as humans obsolete…"
Overhaul then took off one of his surgical gloves and slowly reached his bare hand out towards the boss, before planting it on their face and slowly activated his Quirk, which caused the unconscious boss to suddenly open his eyes, eyes that stared back at Overhaul in fear.
"You stupid bastard…had you not objected to my plans then you could have still led us, you could have still survived what comes next…all this time I thought I owed you something for taking me in, for teaching me how to be a Yakuza…but the truth is, both of us were stuck in the past, you especially, talking about honour and codes like we're in the Edo Period…what a joke…"
The now conscious boss began to panic, and his muffled screams could be heard as Overhaul slowly used his Quirk to rip apart the boss' face layer by layer.
"The one who survives is the one who is victorious, regardless of what means you must resort to in order to stay alive...I'll use Eri how I see fit, if they want a way to negate and remove Quirks, then All For One can have it, but so long as she is in my possession, then I will use her to outlast any Hero or Villain, whatever the cost…goodbye, boss, hope the Devil has a special place for you in Hell…now hurry up and die…"
Overhaul then slammed his hand down on the boss' face, shattering his skull, muscles, blood and brain matter all across the bed, to which the heart monitor he was hooked up to flat-lined upon their head being smashed into paste. Overhaul then turned away and went over to a nearby sink, then wasted the blood and brain matter off his hand before his germaphobia overwhelmed him. He then turned his head around and saw that Chronostasis had walked in and discovered their boss' remains before looking at his leader with a mix of fear and concern.
"We don't have any need for that fossil anymore, Chronostasis, not when there are greater threats than Quirks out there in the cosmos." Overhaul said with an indifferent tone.
"But you could have healed him." Chronostasis argued.
"And then what? Let him take Eri away, break our alliance with All For One and then end up as one of the casualties of that madman's war? I was already running our operations fine without him, the old ways are gone, time to embrace the future." Overhaul explained before putting his surgical glove back on. "Now, are you going to stand in my way or are you going to survive alongside me? Mimic and the Eight Bullets are onboard with this course of action, so I suggest you get onboard as well. Do I make myself clear, Chronostasis?"
"Yes, sir." Chronostasis said with a nod before he left the room to give Overhaul some time alone.
Overhaul let out a sigh before he then walked out of the room and headed downstairs into what looked like a secret underground bunker and facility. After a few minutes of walking, he approached a door and then opened it before entering inside of the room, which was dimly lit, had a medium sized bed in the middle and a few toys scattered on the floor. On the bed in the fetal position was a young girl with long grey hair, red eyes and a light yellow horn protruding out of the right side of her forehead and was wearing only a hospital gown and had bandages wrapped around her arms and legs.
"Eri." Overhaul said to the girl.
The girl, identified as Eri, stood up and looked at Overhaul with fear in her eyes and a sense of dread and hopelessness.
"It appears we have more work to do, Eri, I've made some new friends who want a piece of you so to speak. I know I said before that you could rest up, but the clock is ticking and I need to ensure our survival." Overhaul said, approaching Eri before touching her face, causing the girl to flinch in terror before tears started to run down her face. "I am an angel of death, and you are my scythe, Eri, my weapon, my tool in which I will cleanse and execute those who stand in my way."
"Please….please…no more today….you promised…" Eri sobbed, failing to remain composed and calm in Overhaul's presence.
"Promises change, just like people do…" Overhaul said before he grabbed Eri by the arm and pulled her out of the room, despite her best efforts to break free from his hold. "Don't bother struggling, you know that I can put you back together no matter how many times I break you…"
Eri soon became submissive, but her fear and dread remained as she walked with Overhaul out of the room and across the hallway into a room with a spotlight, operating table and various medical and surgical tools placed on a nearby desk. After Eri entered the room, Overhaul soon followed through and closed the door behind them, as the sign on the door lit up, saying "Theater in Use".
"Just this morning authorities have stumbled upon a gruesome discovery in the streets of Tokyo, where the bodies of Shiketsu High School students Camie Utsushimi and Inasa Yaorashi were found in alleyways near Shibuya Station. Utsushimi was a second year while Yaorashi was a first year, both had recently taken part in the Provisional License Exam, though upon investigation, it was revealed that Utsushimi had never taken part of the exam with belongings such as her uniform and ID being found in a dumpster outside of the train station and CCTV footage showing an unknown assailant dumping Utsushimi's remains in the spot where police found her. The assailant is currently unidentified, but the authorities are working hard to try and catch the killer before they take any more lives. In response to these two murders, both the Principals of Shiketsu and U.A. High School released these statements to the media."
"We at U.A. offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, as we are unfortunately quite familiar with our own students being targeted by Villains and criminals. Starting this week, U.A. will increase our security detail in the form of posting more staff and Pro Heroes around school grounds and installing facial recognition and DNA identification software and hardware on each of the school's entrances and staff areas as per request from the Hero Public Safety Commission." Nezu explained.
"But you have stated something along those lines a few months ago. What makes you think that this will be enough to ensure the student's safety this time?" A reporter challenged while raising his hand.
"Because U.A. will no longer be in this situation alone." The Shiketsu principal answered. "Since the attack on the USJ, U.A. has had to alter its curriculum and security protocols to ensure their students' safety and has been doing so alone this entire while facing criticism and ridicule from the media and press. Starting today, Shiketsu High School alongside Ketsubutsu High School and several other Hero Schools will be collaborating with U.A. High School in a joint operation to ensure the safety and security of their students and staff members."
"We are calling this operation the Hero School Alliance or HSA for short." Nezu added. "We are not going to tolerate half-hearted efforts anymore. The time for school rivalries and bad blood is over, we have to stand together if we want to survive what comes next."
This news report and press conference was all being shown on a large TV within the cafeteria of U.A., where many of its students could hear and watch it for themselves. Suffice to say, their reactions and opinions were varied, especially for students of Class 1-A.
"I still find it hard to believe that Principal Nezu was able to convince the other schools to collaborate with each other, given our past rivalries and how jealous they are of U.A.'s reputation." Kaminari commented before eating some of his lunch.
"With All-Might retiring and all of the League of Villains members free, it makes sense to try and keep the future generation of Heroes safe, even if it means putting aside petty grudges." Midoriya said, then took a bite out of a rice-ball.
"I can't believe that those two were murdered…not just cause we only just met them, but also the fact that apparently the Utsushimi at the exam wasn't even the real deal, she was already dead…" Uraraka said with a solemn tone.
"Then who was the chick that Midoriya faced? Were they the killer?" Mineta asked nervously as sweat poured down his face.
"Whoever that fake Utsushimi was, they transformed into Uraraka and then their disguise peeled off like wet clay or mud." Midoriya described, remembering his fight with "Utsushimi".
"Then we'll keep in mind those details, Midoriya, in case this assailant attempts to break into U.A." Iida said with a vigilant stare.
"DAMN IT! They're canceling the special courses!" Bakugo yelled. "That was my only chance to get my provisional license!"
"Hey relax, Bakugo, I'm sure they'll reschedule it to a later date once they sorted stuff out." Kirishima said, trying to keep his classmate calm before looking over to the table where Shoto Todoroki was sitting. "Besides, Todoroki won't be able to get his license right now either so you're both in the same boat."
"That doesn't make it any less easy to grasp, especially after those Shiketsu students were murdered…" Todoroki said in a solemn tone, remembering his interactions with Yaorashi which caused him to feel even more upset. "Yaorashi…he despised my dad for his callous and ruthless behaviour, and when I showed him the same attitude when we first met, he dropped out of U.A."
"So you remember him, Todoroki?" Midoriya asked.
"It wasn't instant when I asked him why he had a problem with me, but now that he's….now that he's gone, I remember it more clearly now...I was so focused on not becoming my dad that I pushed aside everything else, including people who just wanted to be my friend. And then in that moment when he approached me after the entrance exams, I coldly dismissed him, in the same way my dad dismissed other people…now I understand why he was so angry and bitter….and now I can't make amends or get to know him…I lost my chance to make things right…"
"But Todoroki, you didn't know how Yaorashi felt, and it's not like he was going to tell you what the problem was, he chose to go to Shiketsu rather than tolerate being at U.A. with you." Midoriya explained.
"Even so, we both jeopardized one another's chance at getting our licenses, and now…now Yaorashi will never become the Hero he wanted to be…" Todoroki said before looking at one of his hands and clenching it.
"It's true that Yaorashi is gone and that there's nothing we can do to change that, but what you can do is live for them, remember who they were in life and keep your dream alive, for both of your sakes." Midoriya said, getting Todoroki's attention. "At least, that's what I think, what about you?"
"No…you're right, Midoriya. I will become a Hero, not just for myself but also for Yaorashi too." Todoroki declared.
"That's the spirit, Todoroki!" Uraraka said cheerfully.
Midoriya smiled at his friend's newfound confidence and purpose, though his thoughts then turned towards a certain San Franciscan and his alien companion.
"Wonder if we'll ever see him again…" He said aloud.
"See who again?" Uraraka asked curiously.
"...Eddie and Venom…" Midoriya replied hesitantly, getting the other students' attention.
"Right, you said the two of them were at Hosu, they ate one of the League's Nomus and that Villain Muscular back at camp." Kirishima said, scratching his head.
"So they were criminals the whole time…" Asui said, touching her cheek with her index fingers. "And why were they at U.A…?"
"They were just trying to save their own skin." Bakugo said in a cold and dry tone. "Who cares about some foreigner and their alien parasite? Now they're someone else's problem."
"So we're just going to move on and pretend like none of that stuff happened? That Eddie and Venom helped save us back at the camp?" Midoriya argued.
"But even so, Midoriya, he still broke the law and was fighting crime illegally." Iida added.
"And with lethal results." Yaoyorozu said with a stern look.
"We broke the law too, we went out and saved Bakugo despite our teachers telling us not to!" Kirishima exclaimed, defending Midoriya's side of the argument.
"We didn't use your Quirk offensively and we didn't kill anyone." Iida argued back.
"And that makes us better? Just because we broke the law in a different way?" Kirishima countered.
"Well we sure as hell didn't commit cannibalism." Todoroki said.
"But Venom isn't human, so is it really cannibalism?" Tokoyami asked.
"What do you mean? It's Brock's body." Jiro replied.
"But it's Venom who swallows and eats them, not Brock himself." Tokoyami argued.
"Though Venom's got no stomach, he's just black goo." Kaminari added.
"We don't know that for sure, Venom's species clearly has a different anatomy to humans." Yaoyarozu challenged.
"Point is, we trusted them, we let them get close and then they lied about their criminal past. They saved us, but at what cost? Killing Villains isn't going to make the world safer, if you're going to save the world, then you should do so by the book." Asui explained.
"Being legal doesn't make it right." Midoriya said with a firm tone, making some of his classmates either surprised, angered or intrigued. "If there is a situation that requires a Hero's attention, but the law forbids them to go and help, is that really the good thing to do? To just do everything by the book while people suffer and die?!"
"Midoriya, calm down-" Iida tried to defuse his friend, only for Midoriya to cut him off.
"All-Might lost! He couldn't defeat All For One, and now half the world is up in arms about it! We could have done something to at least ensure that bastard didn't get away, but the law said no! All this power and training and yet what have we really accomplished? Nothing! Because we follow the law to the T instead of trusting our own intuition and instincts, instead of realizing the bigger picture!"
"Deku…please calm down..." Uraraka said quietly, concerned for her friend and crush's wellbeing.
Midoriya however realised what he just said, his eyes dilated and his head then sunk to the floor, feeling a sense of shame wash over him.
"I'm sorry…Uraraka….Iida….forgive me…" The ninth holder of One For All said in a solemn tone.
"It's been a hard time for all of us, you're not alone in believing that you messed up or that you could have done more…" Uraraka said softly before putting a hand on one of Midoriya's shoulders.
"...I just wish I could somehow talk to Eddie and Venom again…I know that they broke the law and that their methods aren't the most ideal, but they're not bad people, they want to protect others the same way I do…" Midoriya said with a sigh.
"I do understand that their intentions are good, Midoriya, but much like the Hero Killer, Mr. Brock and his companion's methods are still brutal and lethal in nature and we can't condone murder, not even if they're our friends." Iida said firmly but softly, to which Midoriya nodded silently.
"Two wrongs don't make a right." Uraraka said gently. "It's something my dad used to say to me, I didn't exactly understand what he meant by it…until now…"
"Even so, I still want to speak to them again, I want to know just how good their intentions truly are…" Midoriya said before he looked up at the ceiling before darting his eyes towards a nearby window and stared at the sky, wondering where Eddie and Venom were now.
A few thousand miles away from Japan and back in Helsinki, Finland, Eddie, Venom and Sleeper had encountered and grouped up with Lady Nagant, who was sent by the Commission to interrogate and then assassinate the Volcano Thieves, despite telling Sleeper that they wanted them brought in alive. Suffice to say, the alliance between the Knights of the Cosmos and the Hero Public Safety Commission was still a complicated situation, given the Commission's prejudice and distrust towards the Klyntar. The four newly formed allies were moving between the streets of the city, trying to not draw too much attention to themselves, especially after the fight between the Volcano Thieves that destroyed part of a city street. Sleeper was using his scanner to keep track of the mercenaries' location while Eddie and Nagant followed behind.
"Hey Eddie." Venom said, his head sprouting out of Eddie's shoulder.
"What do you want? We're supposed to be keeping a low profile, which means keeping your face hidden." Eddie said with an annoyed tone.
"Why is Iceland called Iceland if it's green and Greenland is called Greenland if it's icy?" Venom asked, causing Eddie to groan and Nagant to just look at the two with a bemused expression.
"What does this have to do with anything?" Eddie asked.
"I'm not from Earth, Eddie, so therefore I don't know its history." Venom replied.
"Why would I know the answer though? I wasn't exactly at the top of my history class back in school." Eddie said, before Nagant moved closer to the two.
"The Norse back in their Viking days came to Greenland, pillaging and conquering it like everywhere they landed, and then gave it the name Greenland so that more of their Norse comrades would be inclined to settle there, even if it's an icy and cold tundra region."
"Huh, false advertisement." Eddie said with an amused tone. "Guess they wanted the others to think it was a green and flourishing landmass."
"And what about Iceland?" Venom asked Nagant.
"The full story is too much of a mouthful, but basically when the Norse first came to Iceland, it was snowing, so they assumed it was a tundra region, hence the name Iceland. But as you can probably guess, it didn't stay that way and sure enough, once spring came around it was green and grassy." Nagant explained.
"Maybe they should have stayed longer before calling it that." Eddie said.
"Dumbasses, and I thought Vikings were meant to be clever." Venom remarked.
"When has anyone said that Vikings were clever?" Eddie retorted.
"God, you two are a headache." Nagant said with a groan.
"He's a headache, I'm the voice of reason." Eddie proclaimed.
"What is a voice of reason that got you fired from your job and ruined Anne's career?" Venom asked with a smirk.
"No, but I doubt you were being reasonable when you attacked Kasady in his cell, letting him bite me and creating yet another killer symbiote." Eddie shot back at the symbiote, causing Venom to glare at his host.
"Compose yourselves, unless you want us to be discovered by the local authorities." Sleeper said with a stern tone as he kept monitoring his scanner as they crossed an alleyway filled with wet and dirty trash and garbage.
"Yes sir." Venom said sarcastically before retracting back into Eddie, who then looked at Nagant again before speaking up.
"So, Nagant…"
"I'm not telling you my name if that's what you're going to ask." Nagant said firmly.
"No, not that, I just wondered how you got caught up in the Commission's business." Eddie said, to which Nagant sighed.
"Well before that smartass Hawks became the Commission's lapdog, I was their weapon, their assassin, tasked with killing the targets they chose for me, given my reputation as Japan's best sniper." Nagant explained. "But when I wouldn't take out certain targets for them, they locked me up and branded me a Villain."
"Damn, that's rough…" Eddie said with a sympathetic tone.
"Yeah well imagine being inside of Tartarus, unable to move or tend to yourself, having the guards wheel you around and feed you and bathe you, it's fucking humiliating…" Nagant said with a hint of anger.
"You're being surprisingly open for someone who doesn't want to share personal information." Eddie remarked.
"So now you want me to be dishonest?" Nagant asked with a brow raised.
"No, I just didn't think you'd spill the beans like this…" Eddie said awkwardly.
"That's only one part of the story, the rest of it is confidential." Nagant said.
"Alright, I won't pry any further." Eddie said.
"We are getting closer to the Volcano Thieves' location. It would be best to return to the ship and re-establish a plan for dealing with them now that Lady Nagant is here." Sleeper said before typing in something on his holographic screen.
"Then we better get back before we're spotted." Eddie said before Venom formed over his body and started to sprint past Sleeper.
Sleeper then caught up soon enough, with Nagant tailing them from behind, trying her best to keep pace with the symbiotes. Venom leaped and jumped between the walls of each alleyway they went through while Sleeper did the same, albeit using his hostless nature to weave and move through the air with more finesse and agility. Nagant, though much slower than the two aliens, was able to move quick enough to keep pace and soon enough, the four newly formed allies arrived back in the forest and headed in the direction of Sleeper's ship. After a few minutes of walking through the forest, they arrived in an open field where the ship was waiting for them.
"So that's an alien spaceship…" Nagant said, surprised by its design and high-tech appearance.
"Yeah, pretty cool, huh?" Venom said with a grin before retracting back into Eddie.
"It's not like the spaceships you see in movies." Nagant remarked.
"Were you expecting a disc shaped saucer and little grey men?" Eddie asked with a snarky tone.
"Now that's just racist, Eddie." Venom said as he sprouted from Eddie's shoulder, annoying the San Franciscan.
"Let us enter and return to the onboard computer where we can formulate a new strategy." Sleeper said as he opened up the ship and entered inside, followed by Venom and Nagant entering after him.
"Well, the inside of the ship is just as futuristic and high tech." Nagant said, looking at the walls, lights and holograms within the ship.
"The space cop got it from Xandar apparently." Venom commented.
"Xandar?" Nagant asked.
"Another planet." Eddie replied.
Sleeper reached the onboard computer in his ship and brought up its holographic display, with one of the screens showing the location of the Volcano Thieves.
"The mercenaries haven't moved from their location, so we can assume they are injured from our fight." Sleeper explained.
"So what's stopping us from just going after them?" Eddie asked.
"They're not just going to surrender willingly, they may have injuries but they can still fight and will do so if they feel threatened. We need to capture and restrain them before they can recover their strength." Sleeper replied.
"Or I could just snipe them from a distance, three shots is all I need to take them out." Nagant suggested.
"We need them alive, not because the Commission told us to, but because we need the information they possess, such as how they knew where to find each piece of the search for the Grendel." Sleeper explained.
"The Grendel? The giant from the poem of Beowulf?" Nagant asked.
"It's actually an ancient symbiote, an ancestor of ours so to speak, that came to this world ages ago and somehow humanity sealed it away." Venom explained. "We're trying to stop them from finding it, because if they do then that means the Grendel could free Knull."
"Evil old god that created the symbiotes, but they turned against him when they realised that they didn't want everything being returned to nothing." Eddie explained, causing Nagant to have a confused but intrigued look.
"What the fuck have I walked into…?" Nagant said aloud.
"Not the Wizard of Oz, that's for sure." Venom remarked.
"Let us focus on the task at hand, which is ensuring the Volcano Thieves cannot escape and find the next clue to the Grendel's whereabouts." Sleeper said before observing the holographic screens again. "If we could intercept them without alerting them to our presence, it could prevent another battle, and in turn spare more collateral damage."
"Or I could just shoot them." Nagant said bluntly.
"We need them to talk." Eddie argued.
"Who said anything about killing them?" Nagant retorted with a sly grin. "My rifle arm can fire more than just bullets made of my hair, it can be loaded with other forms of ammunition, including non-lethal ones."
"So then maybe we could shoot them with tranquilizers?" Eddie asked.
"But where do we find tranq darts?" Venom added.
Sleeper heard their ideas and then began to search the city of Helsinki via his computer.
"I have multiple matches for the chemical compound found in tranquilizers in Helsinki, but the closest source is a veterinary clinic a few miles from our location."
"So now we're robbing a vet? Fantastic." Eddie said with a groan.
"Do you have a better solution for getting tranqs?" Nagant asked with a brow raised.
"Fair point…" Eddie said, scratching his head.
"We've already broken the law countless times before, I think robbing a vet is the least criminal thing we've done." Venom commented.
"We'll need to keep a low profile, so I will break in while you keep watch as a lookout." Nagant said to Eddie. "And I don't think I need to say this, but keep the black gooey alien inside."
"I have a name you know!" Venom roared.
"Not my problem." Nagant said with a dry tone. "If we're doing this, then we need to go now."
"Fine, Sleeper can stay here and keep track of their location while we go and get the tranquilizers." Eddie said. "That work for everyone?"
"It is acceptable." Sleeper replied with a nod.
"Then we'll be back as soon as possible." Nagant said as she and Eddie exited the ship as Venom retracted his head back into Eddie's body.
Sleeper watched as his comrades darted through the forest and headed back into Helsinki, while the Knight of the Cosmos looked at the holographic screens that showed the Volcano Thieves' location before he then brought up a communication line and started to speak.
"This is Sleeper, the mission is still in progress. Targets are currently injured and holding their position, therefore with the right approach should be apprehended soon. However, there has been a complication to our original plans in the form of a sniper hired by the Hero Public Safety Commission to terminate our targets in spite of their orders to bring them in alive. The Commission is undermining our alliance and not treating the possibility of Knull's return seriously. When we are done with our mission, we will discuss the terms of our alliance with the Commission again, and if they refuse to yield, then we must consider the possibility that the Hero Public Safety Commission and by extension the Pro Heroes serving under them are our enemies…"
Sleeper spent an hour and half monitoring the Volcano Thieves' location and movements, noticing them not leaving the general area but pacing or moving around it. After several more minutes, the Knight of the Cosmos could hear banter in the distance, though wasn't worried as he knew that it was his allies returning from Helsinki.
"I honestly expected more security, like a few guards and such." Eddie commented.
"It's a vet's, not the Bank of England." Nagant retorted as she held a bag containing a few vials of liquid tranquilizer.
"You sure that stuff is gonna work?" Venom asked, sprouting out of Eddie's shoulder.
"It's horse tranquilizer, which is very potent to humans." Nagant replied. "A small dose should knock them out without killing them."
"Wait, are you saying we stole ketamine?!" Eddie exclaimed.
"No, don't be ridiculous, this is xylazine, we're not barbarians." Nagant replied with a groan.
"Better that than giving them a ketamine addiction, I mean look at Yoda." Venom remarked.
"Please tell me you haven't been watching those meme compilations again…" Eddie said with an annoyed look.
"When have we had time to look at them while we're here? Plus isn't this Earth 200 years in the future or some shit?" Venom wondered.
"Future?" Nagant asked, confused.
"It's a long story, let's just get back to Sleeper so we can make these tranq darts." Eddie said as they soon arrived back at Sleeper's ship.
"Yo Sleeper, we're back with the drugs!" Venom roared.
"No one came after you, therefore I assume you weren't spotted." Sleeper said, turning his head to look at Eddie, Venom and Nagant.
"Shoplifting is easy compared to assassinating Heroes and Villains." Nagant said with a shrug before putting the bag of xylazine vials down on a nearby bench.
"Then let's get to making these darts then." Eddie said, wiping his brow.
"I assume you have materials for crafting on this vessel of yours?" Nagant asked Sleeper.
"There is an armory in the back of this ship, you can use the materials inside to make those tranquilizer darts." Sleeper replied, before Nagant then took the bag of xylazine vials and headed straight towards the back of the ship and into the armory.
"Need any help?" Eddie asked, walking towards the armory.
"No offense, but I don't think making ammunition, even non-lethal ones, is your strong suit." Nagant replied bluntly.
"Well then what can we do?" Venom wondered.
"If you would like, I could teach you how to manipulate your biomass in more complex ways, as well as assist you in truly unlocking your codex's Necrosword." Sleeper offered.
"Help us get stronger?" Eddie asked.
"Correct, though I can only teach you what is shared between symbiotes, not our unique applications." Sleeper explained.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun!" Venom said with a grin.
"Well if it helps us get stronger and gives us a better shot at stopping All For One and Knull, then let's do it." Eddie said with a nod before Venom formed over his body and headed outside of the ship.
Sleeper morphed his body into a blob of green and black before seeping through the ship, falling onto the grassy ground outside before forming back into his humanoid shape in front of Venom.
"Ready to begin? Let's start with some sparring to give your codex a spark of energy."
Venom's grin widened before cracking his knuckles. After a few seconds of staring down Sleeper, the two symbiotes then charged at one another, each throwing a punch that led to their fists colliding, unleashing a small but noticeable shockwave. Venom weaved his body to the side before trying to hit Sleeper with a kick, but Sleeper blocked it with his elbow then morphed his free arm into a tendril to try and smack Venom with it. Venom ducked out of the tendril's way before firing off a tendril of his own at Sleeper, but the Knight of the Cosmos morphed his body into a pillar like shape to avoid the tendril, then reformed his humanoid shape and swiped his hand down on Venom, cutting him across the chest with claws at the end of his fingertips. Venom growled in pain before looking at the cut marks across his chest, watching the cuts close up before lunging at Sleeper with a flurry of punches.
Sleeper swiftly dodged each punch by morphing his body parts to better weave and move around each blow, then formed his Necrosword in his right hand and swung it down on Venom. The Lethal Protector fortunately formed tendrils around his arms then hardened them to block Sleeper's Necrosword and then pushed the Knight of the Cosmos back a few feet, then transformed his hardened tendrils into arm blades.
"I see that you've gotten better with forming complex shapes and weapons with your biomass, as I recall that you could only form one blade before." Sleeper said before taking a defensive stance with his Necrosword.
"We've been getting stronger ever since we arrived in this universe, it was only a matter of time before we figured this trick out." Venom said, then leaped towards Sleeper and slammed his dual blades down, only for Sleeper to block it with his own.
Venom and Sleeper began to sword fight, swinging their blades and clashing hardened biomass and biometal together with enough intensity and force to create sparks upon their blades clashing with each other. Sleeper swung his Necrosword higher with the intent to try and hit Venom's head, but Venom ducked out of the way before coiling his arms around his body and then released him in a powerful spin, twirling his arm blades like a spinning top before hitting Sleeper with enough force to knock him into a nearby tree.
Sleeper stood back up, his torso having large cut marks in it from Venom's spin attack with his arm blades. Sleeper regenerated from them before picking up his Necrosword, which had been knocked out of his hand when he was knocked into the tree, then looked back at Venom.
"You have indeed gotten stronger. When we first fought, I was able to overwhelm you, but now you can not only damage me but also keep pace. Guess that also comes with having a host unlike me." Sleeper explained. "But awakening the Necrosword within your codex isn't as simple as forming a blade from your body."
"Yeah, I noticed." Venom said with snarl before he lunged at Sleeper again and swung his blades at the symbiote.
Sleeper blocked once more with his Necrosword, but the force of Venom's attack pushed him back a little. Their lock was broken, and they continued to clash and collide, moving across the ground with impressive speeds as they dualled with their respective blades. Inside the ship, Nagant was currently making the tranquilizer darts, though she glanced outside a few times and watched Venom and Sleeper sparring as she poured the xylazine into the empty darts she made.
"Those two are quite the beasts when throwing hands. Guess I should be lucky they're my allies, my bullets probably wouldn't have done much given they can just heal from damage. Just what the hell have I gotten myself into, Tsutsumi…?"
The sun had once again set on Japan, and for a certain young serial killer and her alien symbiote, it was time to head back home. Toga used Carnage's power to leap between the tree lines as she swiftly moved through the forest to reach her objective.
"Well, I'll give you this, today was quite the feast~" Carnage remarked.
"More tasty blood to drink and more targets off Shigaraki's list." Toga said before leaping between a few trees and then landed in a clearing where she could see the League's new base in the distance.
"It helps to also power up so that the next time we see my old man, we can finish the job!" Carnage snarled.
"Maybe if the doc let us out more, but I know he's going to probably have us do more tests again once we rest up." Toga said with a sigh as Carnage's biomass went back into her body as she slowly walked towards the base.
"And those Yakuza chumps? Why does All For One need them?" Carnage asked.
"You heard them, they have a way to cancel out Quirks apparently, and I guess who wouldn't want the ability to do that." Toga replied.
"Does that worry you? The idea that someone can take away your Quirk?" Carnage asked.
"A little, but I'm sure they wouldn't do that, especially now that I'm stuck with you, little miss alien baby momma." Toga said teasingly.
"Don't remind me…" Carnage said with a sour tone as they arrived back at the League's base.
"Hey guys, we're back!" Toga called out, gaining the attention of the other members of the League of Villains.
"Oh? And how did it go?" Mr. Compress asked.
"Child's play, it was easy taking out those Ketsubutsu kids, just had to transform into the right person so they would let their guard down…" Toga replied with a sinister grin, before holding up four vials of blood.
"Woah, you got more blood samples! That's impressive, I could do better!" Twice remarked, shifting between demeanours once again.
"Looks like you're on quite the win streak, Toga, though I do wonder how you've been able to accomplish all of this in spite of the schools banding together to better protect their students." Shigaraki wondered, leaning against the wall.
"That's where I come in, a little trick I picked up from my brother, he was quite the hacker." Carnage explained, sprouting out of Toga's shoulder. "I just jack into their computers if the target is inside or close to the school, then disable the cameras and motion sensors."
"And what about the Pro Heroes who are teachers at the schools? Wouldn't they have seen you or been on patrol?" Mr. Compress asked.
"What do you think I've been doing with the blood samples I've gathered? I turned into students I've taken blood from and they're none the wiser." Toga explained.
"It helps that when I eat their brains, I can see into their memories and just feed that info into Toga's head, giving her the perfect alibi." Carnage said with a grin.
"Well, colour me impressed, my dear." A sinister but calm voice said.
Toga, Shigaraki and the others looked towards the source of the voice, seeing it was All For One, who clapped slowly upon hearing the Blood Hunter duo's accomplishments.
"Master, you've returned." Shigaraki said, bowing slightly.
"Yes, my visit to the Shie Hassaikai's stronghold was a learning experience to say the least. Once the Volcano Thieves have the information we require, we will be relocating alongside the Shie Hassaikai." All For One explained.
"The League and those Yakuza, under the same roof?" Magne questioned.
"They are our allies after all, and therefore we should have their back as they work on the Quirk destroying formula." All For One replied. "Meanwhile, mine and the good doctor's work with Toga and Carnage will continue as scheduled."
Carnage visibly flinched and cringed upon hearing All For One's words while Toga just gave a look of discomfort but acceptance, realizing how futile it is to resist.
"You mentioned the Volcano Thieves before, I presume you hired them for something related to your plans?" Mr. Compress asked.
"Correct, Mr. Compress, they are searching for something that my benefactor is very interested in finding. It's just a matter of time before they complete their task…"
Shigaraki listened to his master's words subconsciously as he kept explaining and clarifying his plans to the League, but he still found himself contemplating what All For One's benefactor's true motives are. Ever since his master reappeared after his sudden disappearance during his battle with All-Might, Shigaraki felt as though that All For One wasn't the same as the one he grew up under. But after a couple of minutes, he then dismissed these thoughts and continued to listen to All For One.
Did you enjoy the chapter? If so, please favourite and follow the story and give me your feedback! I will now go over my decisions made in the chapter!
So Overhaul decided to kill his boss, compared to canon where he just left him in a coma. My intentions for Overhaul are going to be more sinister and paint him in a less sympathetic light as I have an idea for his character, but I can't talk about it now though part of it involves making him much more paranoid and delusional. All you need to currently know is that this Overhaul is more villainous and less tragic than in canon, not that people actually sympathized with him.
The scene in the cafeteria with Class 1-A is supposed to show people's opinions on the current situation, some varying from agreeing or disagreeing with either the Commission, the schools and Eddie/Venom. Now also understand that the characters are not meant to be right or wrong, and much of what they talk about is brought on by stress, anger and feelings of helplessness. Midoriya especially has conflicting feelings, he knows Eddie and Venom are good people at their core, but their methods are still too ruthless. If you have an opinion on how the situation should be handled, then feel free to say something in the reviews.
Also yes if you're wondering, Carnage in Let There Be Carnage is capable of hacking into computers with his powers, and so I decided to give Carnage II the same ability, which in turn is a reference to one of his most absurd powers in the comics, as in being able to enter computers and use the internet to essentially teleport to other computers inside of people's homes. I'm not kidding, look it up.
If that is all, then I will see you guys in the next chapter! MVA; Symbiote's Justice, Lethal Protectors away!