The Alien Hero
Chapter Four
Entrance Exam
xXx
Meanwhile...on a Plumber Space Station...
As these events unfolded on Earth, the Plumbers couldn't possibly miss the signs.
In the depths of space, boots clicked along a long white hallway as a certain Magister made his way to his emergency meeting. What is about wasn't strictly known, but there were rumors. Rumors about his home planet, in fact.
Humans have been a part of the Plumber for as long as anyone could remember, even said to have started the intergalactic organization centuries ago. They weren't the first organization to try to bring peace and order to the galaxy, but they were the most successful so far.
That being said, the planet wasn't too interesting until a while back, before the quirk phenomenon. Some went as far as to call it "a backwater planet run by drunk simians". But that was before the incident.
Now it was a backwater planet run by drunk, superpowered, simians.
The plumbers were aware that a form of Galvanic technology was to be delivered to one Max Tennyson, one of the best Plumbers in the entire Milky Way, but weren't entirely sure what it was. The Galvan were, and still are, very conservitive when it comes to their technological advancements, so their lips were closed.
Whatever it was, that little science project blew up over the primitive planet, showering the entire populace in Codon energy. And within the energy, they discovered, was alien DNA. Of every kind it seemed.
Too late to clean up, the planet was put on lockdown for a while. A while being over 50 years. No intelligent life in or out of the system. No one was sure what it would do to the local humans or other life, so the Plumbers played it safe, despite the controversy. This lockdown was lifted years ago, when the Plumbers found the results.
Human DNA, by nature, is highly malleable. Meaning it can easily adapt to its environment over a matter of a couple generations, changing the entire race based on geographical location. Earth, after all, has a plethora of biomes due to its axis and rotation, so humans adapted to be able to live nearly anywhere on the planet.
Because of its adaptability, human DNA bonded with the codon energy almost immediately, bonding the new genomes to human genes recessively as to develop in later generations. The result was a new human subspecies: the quirked human.
As for the Human Plumbers, they remained planetside to try and make sense of the new range of powers humans possessed. Under lockdown, they eventually settled into society, putting their Plumber careers on the back-burner until they were needed again. Earth remained unaware of life on other worlds as they tried to make sense of their own evolution, while the Plumbers off world made their lives elsewhere. After the planet opened back up, the Plumbers became active on Earth again, albeit slowly.
The Magister continued into the conference room, closing the sliding door behind him as he took his seat at the table. His comrades, each more alien than the next, waited expectantly for him to arrive. He had been in command of this squad for...7 years now? He couldn't quite remember. Punching in some numbers on the holoprojector, an image of the blue and green planet flickered over the table.
"Thank you for coming, everyone," he said in common. "Today we'll be going over the nature of the abnormal energy readings found here in the Sol System most recently. This could be a matter of planetary safety." He pointed to a small linier island. "The readings are localized here in this region, locally known as Japan. While our jurisdiction on Earth is usually restricted to the opposite hemisphere, this is something we cannot ignore." He straightened up, looking to his fellow Plumbers.
"Who here is familiar with the Quirk Phenomenon of Earth?" he asked the group. A few hands went up, a few inexperienced hands stayed down.
He nodded to his newer members. "To refresh, the incident involved the crash and destruction of Galvanic technology over this hemisphere of the planet, causing long-term mutations among the populace. It is also the last known sighting of the warlord, Vilgax."
A few members gave signs of stress at the name, but stayed attentive. Though humans were considered weaker among most races, this Magister had a fierce reputation in both combat and analytics. The man had earned their respect. And their attention.
"The energy readings given then have been detected in this region over the course of the solar cycle. Leadership thought it a fluke, or just residual readings from the original incident, but reports of bounty hunters have also been cropping up, including confirmed sightings of alien on alien combat and plasma weapon discharge. This is no fluke" he said with a frown. "If someone down there is trying to recreate the original incident or recover the Galvan tech, we need to step in before it's too late. Any questions?" he asked. One member raised his hand, a Tetramand.
"Magister, this planet is a level 3 world right? Will we have to maintain a disguise if we are to recover the tech? And is it really that important that we risk being discovered?"
The man nodded, frowning grimly. "As a level three world, the local populace is unaware of outside life, though some alien life has taken residence in secret, as per the Jiraxx Immigration Treaty. What you'll find is that many humans have varying appearances due to their quirks, so most of you won't look too out of place. So yes, it's that important." He pulled out a briefcase, opening it to reveal ID masks. "Everyone grab one. A squad of three, including myself, will head planetside while the rest remain in orbit as backup. I know the area best, as I once lived there myself. Manny," he addressed the Tetramand, "and Flynn." he addressed the Necrofriggian, who just now glanced up. "You're my ground squad. I need muscle and stealth here, as well as the ability to blend in. Yes?" Flynn raised his hand.
"Sir, my intangibility works, but my invisibility isn't perfect. Might I suggest Vonaq as well?" he suggested, gesturing towards a Merlinisapien, who glared back at the mothman. The Magister tapped his chin. "No, the fewer numbers we have the better. Vonraq, I'll call you down if need be." The purple lizard seemed satisfied with that. But one more raised her hand, a young Lenopan. "Magister? Was this mission assigned to you because you're from that planet?"
The others glared at Lucy for her bluntness but was something Hizashi could appreciate at times. "Settle down" he waved away the squad's indignance. "Short answer, yes and no. I volunteered for the mission due to its proximity to my home on Earth. It's been too long since I've been away. But as far as the Magistrate is concerned, it's my familiarity to the terrain that secured the mission to this squad. Any more questions?"
Their silence said no.
"Then it's time to gear up. Get going" he finished. His squad rose and saluted. "Yes, Magister Midoriya!"
After they left, Hizashi stayed back to look at the hologram again. A red dot blinked on the mainland, quite close to home.
"I hope you're safe," he muttered. "...Izuku."
xXx
Meanwhile, Tsukauchi listened intently to the boy's story, taking notes as Midoriya described the incident. Apparently, he was attacked by a guy on a hoverboard, which he used to follow the boy all the way to Iwate. He was then cornered and trapped but escaped with the help of a bystander. Inko sat with her son at their dinner table as Izuku recounted the events, while Toshinori hung back to listen.
"And then?" he prompted, scratching his pencil on a notepad.
"Well, I got sort of lost for a while, but found my way back" Midoriya explained. Tsukauchi raised an eyebrow. His quirk, Lie Detector, allowed him to sense deceptions with ease, making his work as a detective far easier than most. And somewhere in that sentence was a lie. Maybe two.
"I see, any idea where you might have been?"
"No, not really." This was kinda true, as Midoriya only partially knew where Undertown was. "Somewhere north I think." This was true.
"And how did you find your way back?" Tsukauchi asked.
"I'm not really sure...I think I just ran until I found home." This was a lie. A weird thing to lie about, Tsukauchi thought.
"Hmm, you said a bystander helped you escape, right?" Midoriya nodded. "How did they manage that?"
Midoriya figited, shifting in place. "It...it happened really fast." This was also a truth.
"Any idea who your rescuer was?" Tsukauchi asked calmly. Midoriya shook his head. "No...sorry."
Lie.
Tsukauchi seemed to think for a moment, then stood. "Alright, thank you both for accommodating us. Try to rest easy, Midoriya" he said kindly, extending a hand. Midoriya shook it, yawning slightly. As the Midoriyas said goodbye, Tsukauchi gave Toshinori a look. Let's talk. The two left, the police having already left for the night.
"So, what's the verdict old friend?" All Might asked. Tsukauchi rubbed his tired eyes.
"Strange boy you're training there, All Might" he commented. "In any case, he seems to know more than he's saying."
Toshinori cocked an eyebrow. "Pretty sure he's the victim here, Tsukauchi. What did he lie about?"
"His rescuer's identity, mainly. And how he came back. Maybe he's protecting someone from unregistered quirk usage." The tired detective pulled out his phone, which read 11:34pm. "Like you said, he's the victim here. And his use of his quirk was completely warranted given the situation, so he's not in any trouble. Still, just keep an eye on him. I'm going to bed, goodnight friend."
Toshinori waved goodbye, frowning as his friend left for the night. Could Midoriya be hiding something? And what?
Then again, he was keeping All Might's secret wasn't he? Surely the boy can have a few of his own…
xXx
Two weeks later…
Just outside Earth's atmosphere, a craft shot into existence and flew into orbit. The Plumber ship was circular, with two half-circle wings on its sides. Within, a team of 7 plumbers prepared for their mission.
First, Lucy the Lenopon. A race of purple, shapeshifting mud that used to war with the Plumbers but have since made an alliance. Carefree, Lucy peered out at the blue planet in awe as they stabilized.
Next was D'olo, one of the few Galvan members on the payroll, who was simply tinkering with a small device, which flashed green every once in a while. Due to the tech's Galvanic nature, D'olo was the only one qualified to possibly operate whatever it was. While not exactly a member of his regular squad, the Magistrate had the Galvan placed on the mission due to the payload's origin.
Hizashi had some reservations though. The Galvan were notorious for keeping all their technical knowledge secret from the rest of the world, and D'olo wasn't any different. Even if he knew anything, his Galvan code of ethics forbad him from saying anything important. Not a great basis for trust.
Flynn, a Necrofriggian, shifted out of the plumbercraft upon entry to absorb some solar energy. Their large wings extended as they fed on the yellow sun, casting a shadow on the ship.
Manny, a Human-Tetramand hybrid, assisted the Merlinisapien, Vonaq, in programming the ship's course, guiding the craft to be just over the drop zone. Other than D'olo, Manny was one of the best programmers and mechanics Hizashi had ever seen. He was also a fierce opponent in the ring, but often preferred to work on his latest project vehicle. Vonaq was also a skilled programmer and infiltrator due to his history as a hacker and thief. He had since been rehabilitated, and preferred hacking and stealing legally with the Plumbers. It paid better, he claimed.
Argu watched the planet below with interest as he cleaned his pistol. As an Opticoid, he could focus on the weapon, the planet, and keep an eye on every member on board with his countless yellow eyes that covered his body. He also kept an extra eye on Vonaq, for no particular reason or another.
Last but not least was Hizashi Midoriya, a quirked-human blessed with white-hot fire breath. Intelligent, cunning, adaptable, and a fierce believer in justice, Hizashi had made quite the name for himself in just a few short years of service. He had joined up some time after the planet became an open system, due to his family history with the Plumbers. As far as his family below was concerned, he was working overseas. Which he was...in a way.
As they settled into orbit, he pulled out his wallet to look at a small photo. It was him, Inko, and a four-year-old Izuku, who was smiling happily. He gave a rare smile at the memories, which quickly vanished as he went into Magister-mode. "Are we set?" he asked sharply.
"Yes, Magister," Vonaq answered. "We're just above the crash site of Vilgax's ship. As we feared, it is deep underwater."
"Understood. Flynn and D'olo, gear up for a high-pressure environment. We're going swimming" he joked, gearing up himself with a see-through helmet. Flynn phased back in to wait, as he didn't need any special gear. The Galvan hopped down and donned his underwater gear just as Hizashi did.
"Manny, set the teleport about 20 feet above sea-level."
"Yes, sir."
"D'olo, stay close to me when we're below. I'm not intending to lose anything down there, understood?"
"Yes, Magister."
"And Flynn," he turned to the necrofriggian. "Stay frosty."
If they could roll their eyes, they would.
"Are we set?" he asked from the center of the ship, with Flynn and D'olo next to him.
"We are a go for teleport, sir." Manny answered. Hizashi nodded, setting a timer.
"Good, beam us down Scotty!"
The ship was silent as every eye turned to him.
"You don't get it? It's...oh nevermind" the man grumbled. "Manny, start the teleport."
"Yes, sir." After only a moment, the three vanished in a blue flash.
xXx
This was it.
Today's the day.
Midoriya gulped nervously as he stepped through the security gate of UA. UA, the most prestigious hero school there was! The institution was known for producing some of the best heroes in the world, including All Might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist, and many more! All of this was but a dream only one year ago!
But now? Now he has a quirk. Well, maybe not a quirk, but power nonetheless Midoriya decided. The day he visited Undertown changed his entire perspective about his power. This wasn't a quirk at all, but something called the "Omnitrix". Not even the aliens of Undertown really knew what it was beyond legends and odd stories.
He had of course revisited Undertown a couple times, visiting Knut and Nugget's scrap shop regularly to learn more about the device. Midoriya even traded in the hoverboard he swiped from that bounty hunter, earning his weight in credits to spend. After all, he didn't really need it, and it would attract too much attention on the surface.
He also just couldn't figure out how to ride it.
He kept the secret as well, not even telling All Might when asked directly.
A few days ago, Toshinori had taken Midoriya aside to ask about the incident himself. It seemed like All Might knew he was hiding something or other. Which he was.
He didn't want to lie to his hero, and his mentor to boot. So, he compromised, telling him that the bystander, and where they lived, had to stay secret. That it wasn't his secret to tell.
All Might seemed to accept that, trusting the boy wouldn't keep a secret for no good reason. And so he dropped the subject. For now.
Now Izuku knew two key things about his power. One, it was artificial. No quirk, no natural ability, just an amazing, alien support item. And two, there was potential for even more transformations. If the watch could scan Nugget with a touch, it could scan any alien, allowing Midoriya to transform into any of the aliens he scanned. Who knows, there could be a hundred transformations in here! Maybe more!
And if that strange power could help him become a hero, then it was alright in his book.
He fiddled with his watch as he walked towards the entrance, following the signs to the auditorium. As he walked across the courtyard, an old friend followed up behind him.
"Tch...Deku." Katsuki grunted as he approached. Midoriya turned back to see his friend.
"Kachaan! Hi…"
Bakugo and Midoriya were, shall we say, friends. But they weren't enemies either anymore. Bakugo glared at the boy before continuing past him. "Don't think you'll out-do me or anything, Deku" he said as he passed. Midoriya smiled awkwardly as the blond made his way in.
"About time I did the same…" he muttered, taking a step forward.
Too bad he tripped on his own foot. His eyes went comically blank as he fell face-first to the ground. But before he ate the dirt…
"Woah there!" Something grabbed his shirt from behind, stopping his fall. He was pulled back up by the good samaritan. "You ok?" she asked.
"Y-yeah!" he stammered, looking down as he straightened himself up. "Thanks for the saaaeeeehhhh…" his mouth stopped working when he looked at his rescuer, his face going from pale to red.
Pink. Bubblegum pink, curly hair with little horns poking out. Black eyes with yellow irises. Warm hands dusting him off from his trip. Touching him.
Oh lord.
"Phew, that was close!" she sighed, patting the boy's shoulders. "Would want to fall on the first day you know! I'm Mina Ashido by the way, what's your name?"
Midoriya didn't seem to hear her. His eyes were wide as he stood shock-still, beat red.
"Uhh...you ok hun?" she asked, waving a hand in his face. He jerked back to reality and tried to respond.
"Ah...wh...huh?" he stammered.
"Are you alright?" she asked again, now worried.
"Y-y-yeah! Yes! I'm Midoriya! I-I-Izuku Midoriya!" he managed to make out.
'So pretty!' his mind screamed.
"Alright, if you're sure. It's nice to meetcha!" she grinned. Her smile was blinding, and Izuku could not recover. She looked down at her phone and pouted slightly.
"Oh shoot, gotta head in! See ya later, Midori!" she waved as she jogged past him. He went still again as she left.
'Midori?' he thought blankly.
xXx
Meanwhile...deep in the Pacific Ocean...
Bright lights shined through the depths of the sea floor, a great flagship in ruins just within the squad's field of vision. Using jetpacks, or wings in Flynn's case, they swam closer still to the spacecraft, scaring the small fry away as they passed.
"This is definitely the crashsite" Hizashi muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Hopefully no one's home." D'olo, due to his size, had secured a line to himself and the Magister to avoid getting separated (or eaten) and did his best to keep up. Flynn simply flew along, unaffected by the high pressure and lack of oxygen.
"Magister," D'olo radioed. "I'm getting readings deeper into the crashsite, possibly where the ship's bridge would be. The trace energy is a match."
"Then we'll head there. Flynn, see anything?" Hizashi asked.
"Negative," the necrofriggian answered, shining a flashlight through the abyss. As deep as they were, the only method of seeing was by flashlight or the occasional bioluminescence. "You live here, sir. Anything we should look out for?"
"Nothing we can't handle, just stay on your guard. And watch out for giant squids." Hizashi mentioned, causing Flynn to cock his head.
"What's a squid?"
"...I'll show you later. D'olo, we getting close?"
"Yes, Magister. Just over the bend I think."
And so they swam, passing the remains of the once great army of Vilgax. Droids of various sizes littered the area, partially destroyed or melted. Hizashi signaled for a stop.
"Look here," he pointed to a half-melted robot. "The remains are more destroyed further that way than this way." He pointed his light onwards, illuminating another bot, almost completely demolished. "I think we're looking at the remains of the initial explosion. Whatever caused this ship to crash."
D'olo floated down, pulling out a scanner. Green light analyzed the surface of the droid. The Galvan started t theorize. "...the melted portions of the mechanics aren't just melted. The metal was destroyed on an atomic level, akin to an atomic blast. This fits your theory, Magister." Hizashi nodded and looked forward.
"If we continue that way, we'll eventually find ground zero of the explosion" he reasoned. "Maybe then we'll find the cause, and maybe some remnants of the technology."
xXx
"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! ARE YOU READAAAAAAYYY!?"
The DJ Hero: Present Mic was as energetic as ever as he explained the practical exam. Both Izuku and Katsuki had passed the written test with ease and only needed to pass here to advance.
The test was simple enough. Search for and destroy the robots within a wide urban setting, with each robot varying in difficulty from 1, 2, and 3. The more you destroyed, the more points you racked up based on the level of each mock-villain. 10 minutes to dispatch as many as possible as soon as possible.
After getting over his excitement about the DJ Hero, his brain quickly went into overdrive with strategy. Upgrade was an obvious pick here and would sweep the obstacles like butter, but that would run the risk of being attacked by other examinees. Similar problem with Grey Matter. Wildmutt would work, as his detection skills were way better and was still strong enough to fight. In fact, most of his aliens were more than capable of succeeding here, some more than others.
"...and you!" someone shouted. Midoriya jerked up to see a guy pointing right at him from the stands below. The boy's sharp eyes pierced right through his square glasses.
"You've been muttering this whole time. Stop that. If you're not going to take this test seriously, then get out. You're distracting the rest of us!" he admonished.
Midoriya sunk into his seat, mumbling an apology. Bakugo gave the tall boy the stinkeye before listening again.
"OK, LISTENER 7111! THANK FOR YOUR REQUEST, LET'S SETTLE DOWN NOW!" Present Mic continued. "THE FOURTH MOCK VILLAIN YOU SEE IF WORTH ZERO POINTS! IT EXISTS SOLELY TO GET IN YOUR WAY, SO IT'S BETTER TO JUST IGNORE IT. NOT THAT IT CAN'T BE BEATEN, BUT THERE'S KINDA NO POINT!"
The speckled boy bowed stiffly and sat. "Thank you sir. I apologize for the interruption." Midoriya dropped sweat at the seriousness while Bakugo scoffed.
Half an hour later…
"They weren't kidding about the size...jeez…" Midoriya commented. The battlecenter was huge. Tall steel gates blocked him and the other examinees from entering and on either side, steel walls stretched farther than they could see. Beyond the wall, brick buildings and skyscrapers could be seen from their position.
Midoriya had hoped he would see that one girl again...Mina was it? But she was nowhere in sight. 'Probably for the best' he thought. He had to concentrate. He lifted his arm and activated the Omnitrix, cycling through his playlist. 11 choices, but what to pick…
"Hey you!"
Izuku turned to see a firm hand on his shoulder. It was that guy! The speckled boy was now wearing a blue running suit, made with mobility in mind. His eyes were narrowed suspiciously.
"Are you even taking this seriously? You're not even dressed properly!" he said loudly.
Midoriya glanced at his attire. True enough, shorts and a casual t-shirt didn't really scream physical activity, even if the Omnitrix took care of it somehow. He put his hands up to placate the examinee. "Relax, ok? I'm taking this seriously, just-"
"And what even is that on your wrist?" The boy pointed at the watch. "Is that a support item? I highly doubt it was approved…"
"No, no, it's not like that! It's my quirk, ok?" Midoriya answered nervously. The guy moved to respond but…
"ALRIGHT LISTENERS, GET GOING!" Present Mic screamed from a podium. The group stared at the hero.
"I SAID GO! THERE ARE NO DO-OVERS, SO GET A MOVE ON!"
Midoriya gasped and turned back. The rest of the group had left him behind!
"Crap crap crap crap!" he yelled, twisting the dial frantically. "C'mon, c'mon, anyone will do!" Deciding it was taking too long, he slammed the dial.
FLASH!
When his vision cleared, he was met with large, blazing fists!
"YES!" Heatblast yelled, aiming downwards. Like a rocket, he blasted up to soar right over the competition! The other examinees panicked at the sight of a literal fireball over their heads but got over it quickly enough.
"What the fuck was that?"
"Was that an examinee?"
"Language!"
Heatblast stopped flying to roll onto the ground, right in front of a pair of two pointers. In a single stream of fire, he sliced both of them in half, disabling them.
"That's four, at least! Gotta find more...woah!" He dodged as a one pointer threw a punch, aimed for his head. The pyronite grabbed the robot's head and gripped, melting the robot halfway before letting go. "Make that five." Not immediately spotting more targets, he flew off once more, sending fireballs down at easier targets while directly attacking larger ones. His arial advantage was showing as he racked up point after point.
As time passed, he even created a platform of rock to fly on, leaving his hands free to melt mock villains into puddles. He dive-bombed a 3-pointer on the ground, hopping off his meteor to send it right into the robots mid-section, destroying it.
"SIX MINUTES REMAINING!" Present Mic announced, prompting Heatblast to land atop a building. "Gotta recharge for a bit!" He slapped the dial on his chest, reverting to human with a flash. With well over 40 points under his belt, he felt good about his standings for now. And the Omnitrix only needed a minute to charge back up. Just gotta sit tight and…
"HEEELP!"
The boy whipped his head around at the noise. Someone needed help? They sound desperate…and familiar!
Without a second thought, he dashed towards the scream, making small jumps from building to building until he saw the problem.
The Zero-pointer.
Rolling on giant tank-like wheels, the enormous robot was tearing through the mock city! Examinees below were busy running from the obstacle, too busy to notice what Midoriya saw from his elevated position.
It was Ashido! She and another examinee were stuck below, right in front of the danger! The Zero-pointer was pushing a nearby building out of the way, making it crumble over their heads! Midoriya rushed forward, counting in his head. '31...30...29...28...27…'
He kept jumping from building to building, avoiding destabilized areas like an acrobat and getting closer to the group. '13...12...11...10...9…'
Mina kept calling for help while a blond boy with a silver belt was bent over in pain. The Zero-pointer grinded to a stop, turning it's huge head towards them. A metal hand reached for them as the rooftop crumbled towards them!
'3...2...1!'
Ding! The Omnitrix turned green! Midoriya sprinted with wild abandon, slapping the dial without selection as he jumped off the high-rise!
As he fell through the air, he became bigger, and thinner! His eyes closed as four new ones sprouted from the sides of his head on green stalks. His arms and legs grew thin as his legs divided into four, with a large, sharp stinger from his abdomen. Completing the transformation, thin, yellow wings grew from his hunched back, beating faster than an insect's the moment they grew!
FLASH!
The Zero-pointer reached down, but it's target was no longer there! Instead, they were flying through the sky, being carried by a giant bug! They were saved!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Of course, the examinees didn't see it that way.
"Wait!" Stinkfly yelled. "I'm on your side!" In one arm, he was carrying the now puking boy in one hand with Mina in the other. And both of them were freaking out.
The Zero looked skyward for the new target, easily finding the slow moving bug.
"Uh-oh...we got trouble! Hey! Can you stop that? Please!" Stinkfly yelled the girl, who was screaming and kicking at their rescuer. "Ashido! You're messing up my...NO!"
In her panic, the girl kicked herself free from his grip! She screamed in fear as she started to plummet! She was getting close to the ground!
Splaaaaaat!
Slowly, the girl opened her eyes. She was safely on the ground which was covered in...goo? Suddenly, the other guy she was with fell into the splatter as well, safe and sound. When Midoriya realized he wouldn't be able to catch her in time, he instead fired a glob of goo from his mouth directly to the ground below! With the girl's fall softened, he dropped the french boy to safety.
"That was close. Now to g-yaaaa!" He dodged quickly, now free of the extra weight. A rocket just flew his way! The Zero-pointer below just locked on its target and was firing missiles! Stinkfly took off, bobbing and weaving to avoid the rockets. Had he still been holding the others, he wouldn't have been able to dodge that! After a few close calls, he managed to evade all of them and soared skyward again.
"Gotta stop that thing! It's gonna hurt somebody!" he said to no one as he climbed. He had an idea. And it was a doozy. Another barrage of rockets started to soar after him as he flew. He had a few seconds at best before they reached him.
"Please, please, please, PLEASE work…" he reached for the badge on his forehead.
xXx
Mina looked skyward as that weird bug flew higher than ever, with the missiles blasting after him. Aoyoma had recovered enough to stand, though the smell of the goo was not helping his stomach. The bug flew into the clouds...then vanished. The missiles chased after him still as a green light dimly flashed, followed by the booms of the missiles attack!
Not long after, something started falling, careening to earth!
"It's going down!" Someone cried. They watched in horror as the object fell, closer and closer to the ground...wait no. Not the ground, they realized. Straight towards the Zero-pointer!
As the smoke dispersed from the object, they caught a glimpse of the bug! Except...it wasn't a bug! It was...round?
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The Zero-pointer crumpled like paper under the new form of Cannonbolt, its face caving in and exploding under the pressure! The cannonball bounced away from the explosion, tearing through another building before crashing to the streets, creating a crater in his wake. As for the robotic behemoth, it swayed before succumbing to gravity, crashing down into the abandoned streets of the mock city. It was beaten!
"TIME'S UUUUUUUUUPPP!"
Examinees all over campus either sighed in relief or disappointment at their performance. Except for one battle center, where every examinee rushed to see the smoking crater in the pavement. The concrete was rendered from Cannonbolt's rough landing, with the yellow alien in a heap at the center. The strict boy from before sped over quickly and peered into the crater. The Aburian Pelarota was laid on his side before he was engulfed in red light.
FLASH!
Tenya Iida couldn't believe his eyes, even taking a moment to wipe his glasses to ensure he wasn't seeing things. When the light dimmed, it was the green-haired boy from before! The one he was so hard on! He was still as a couple guys slid down to check on him.
Midoriya was terribly disheveled but was otherwise alright save for a few scratches. And completely out. A guy with a blue bandana checked his pulse. "He's ok, I think!" he called up, much to everyone's relief. Iida looked back to the wreckage of the gargantuan Zero in awe.
'He had that much power up his sleeve? Was he also that fireball from before?' he wondered. Jirou had similar questions but kept silent as the others commented on his power.
"Some sort of transformation quirk?"
"Must be, but it was way different…"
"But he was so timid before! What the heck?"
A few minutes passed, then Midoriya finally started to stir, waking as someone patted his face. 'Bandana?' he thought dimly.
"Hey man! You ok?" the guy asked. Midoriya tried to sit up but was hit with sharp chest pains. "Ow! Ah…" He gingerly felt his chest. A few rockets managed to hit him right before transforming, possibly cracking Stinkfly's exoskeleton. Which seemed to translate into…
"Broken rib, I think" he managed to grunt. "Maybe a couple…"
The boy nodded before turning to the crater's surface. "Yo, we need a nurse down here!" he called. "Hurt anywhere else, dude?" he asked, to which Midoriya shook his head no. "That's good, just take it easy. I'm Yosetsu Awase by the way."
"Midoriya." Izuku answered. He tried to shake hands but winced at the pain.
"Bro, didn't I say take it easy?" Awase said, exasperated. Midoriya smiled sheepishly as he laid back down.
"Alright dearies, what seems to be the trouble?" Before long, an old woman with a thermometer-themed cane strolled into the crater, examining the damage. "Dear boy, you got three broken ribs! Honestly, I keep telling them this exam is barbaric, but do they listen? Nope."
She continued to rant as she finished her examination. Apparently, those rockets were tuned to only bruise upon contact, but Stinkfly's species was more vulnerable to impact than a human was, causing the increased damage. 'I'll have to remember that for next time…' Midoriya made a mental note.
"Okay, this will only take second, dearie."
"Thank yo-"
Smoooooch!
"GAH!" he yelped. The old lady kissed him right on the cheek! Immediately, his ribs snapped and popped as they moved back into place, healing over in an instant! "Wait," he realized. "You're Recovery Girl! The Youthful Heroine!"
"The same" she confirmed. "Have a gummy, for your energy."
He gladly took one, as he was starting to sway from fatigue. Recovery Girl got up to check the rest of the examinees. "Anyone else?" she asked. A certain pink-skinned girl from got her attention. "Ma'am? My friend, he hasn't stopped puking...his quirk I think?"
Finally sitting up, Midoriya inspected his surroundings after Yosetsu moved on. He not only destroyed the Zero-pointer, but two multiple-story buildings and the street he was sitting in, with over 40 villain points to boot!
His eyes widened at the epiphany. Did he earn enough points to pass? He spent so much time saving the others and fighting the Zero, he forgot about the exam entirely!
Ding! The watch went online again, fully charged. He looked at it in frustration.
Did he...fail?
"Hey! Midoriya, right?" He looked up tiredly. It was her again!
"That was a-mazing!" Mina cheered. Once Aoyoma was taken care of, she immediately jogged to her rescuer. "The way you saved us and took out the Zero was incredible! What even is your quirk?"
Midoriya was at a loss for words. "I-um, well my quirk is kinda tricky…"
"Oh, ok! You'll have to tell me later…here! Can I see your phone?" she asked with her hand out.
Izuku was a bit confused but handed it over. After a few seconds, she handed it back.
"There," she grinned. "now you can tell me later. Text me, mm'k?" she called as she jogged off.
Once more, the wielder of the Omnitrix was frozen in place, with an expression of utter shock on his face. He slowly looked down at his phone. The way he was looking at it, it could have been mistaken for a bomb. Or a block of solid gold.
Maybe…just maybe…he did win after all…
xXx
"Fucking hell…" Hizashi whispered.
It took some searching given the light level, but the three Plumbers eventually found the source of the explosion. And the fate of the most feared warlord of the galaxy.
Vilgax's carcass was a sickening sight. His dark red armor held his bones and decaying flesh down at the bottom of the sea bed. His entire right arm was blackened and charred, far more than the rest of the corpse, indicating the source of the explosion.
Hizashi swam down to get a closer look. It was clear that the blast originated from Vilgax's hand. But why would he be holding such a devastating, armed weapon in the first place? Also, a Chimera Sui Generis of Vilgax's caliber would've survived with relative ease, had it been a normal blast. But as he visually analyzed the warlord's corpse…
This was no ordinary blast.
"D'olo," he started, speaking lowly. "I know you can't reveal too much about the tech we're looking for."
The Galvan narrowed his half-lidded eyes. "It seems you are going to ask anyway, Magister."
The elder Midoriya asked his next question slowly. "Was this technology a weapon?"
"...I can't say, sir."
Hizashi growled, smoke seeping from his nostrils. "Look, if the tech is destroyed it doesn't matter. But if this was a world-ending bomb, and someone's making another one, then I need to know. Was. It. A. Weapon?"
The Galvan was torn. It would be against their creed as Galvan to share the secrets of their technology with other races. And he didn't know much about it anyway. But he did know the answer..
"...no. At least, it wasn't built to be."
Hizashi cocked an eyebrow. "What's that mean?" But the Galvan waved his hands.
"I've said too much already, but we're not dealing with a bomb. Any high energy item can be overloaded, however. We may be looking at a self-destruct sequence." D'olo explained.
Flynn floated over in curiosity. "But this tech is described to be incredibly powerful. Why would it be set to self-destruct?" he asked calmly. Hizashi frowned, having worked out the answer.
"You're looking at the reason," he said grimly, gesturing to the dead warlord. "Vilgax was after this tech for a reason, and I doubt it was a good one. Whoever was delivering it must have set it to blow as soon as squid-face got it, making sure it couldn't be used. Even if he were to survive, the tech would be lost." He turned to the 5-inch-genius. "Am I right?"
"That's the most likely hypothesis, Magister."
"Then we're done here." He adjusted his comms. "Manny, time to go. Set teleport."
"Copy. Beginning return sequence."
And in a blue flash, they were gone.
xXx
Ding dong, the squid is dead! The squid is dead! The squid is dead!
Ding dong, the evil squid is deeeeaaaaad!
That's the end of Chapter Four y'all. And I was a little stuck on how to pick up from there if I'm being honest. Introducing Undertown kinda set a bar I feel like, and introducing a secondary plot felt necessary for Midoriya to eventually go on alien-related missions.
Also, his father! Hizashi Midoriya is a Plumber, and a high ranking one too! Made sense to me, given his sketchy "working overseas" alibi. Most of the Plumbers in his squad are original characters, except Manny and Lucy ofc. I've got some possibilities with them, as well as most of the squad being Canon Omnitrix-aliens. As for the father/son relationship...tbd. You'll see.
Vilgax is dead. No resurrections or last-minute twists. They found his corpse, end of story.
As for the hinted ship, there won't be too much focus on it. No major smut or mushy-ness. That said, Mina x Midoriya is cute, so I'm going with it. Plus, "Alien Queen" was just too obvious.
Undertown isn't going anywhere btw. It will still play a part in the story and won't be a one chapter thing. Pinky promise.
One-for-All...will eventually go to Midoriya. All Might has invested time and energy into the kid, so it'll happen. As for how OfA interacts with the Omnitrix, I've the basic idea now. It was hinted at the beginning a bit, but you'll see.
We all know he passed, ofc, but with how many points do y'all think? I debated him just using Cannonbolt the entire time, but figured he didn't have enough experience with him yet. And I wanted him to use Heatblast again at least once before the start of term. I also had it written that Cannonbolt rescued Mina and Aoyoma, but then I remembered that he was on top of a crumbling building and would only cause more harm than good at that moment. So I changed it.
I know Hizashi's introduction was a bit sudden, but I really like the idea that he was a Plumber the entire time. And a skilled one at that.
And now for the reviews! Thanks for reading!
To Wickerstein
Thanks for the critique, I'll be more specific in the future.
I've never read/watched "Heroes Never Die It's Hero Time", so I'm not certain what you're referencing here. Regardless, not every alien can just blend in with quirk society. Especially not with so many being the same species; someone's gonna start asking questions.
Maybe they have, maybe they haven't.
Toshinori would've been a decent Plumber, but he's got his hands full with being the Number One Hero. Again, unfamiliar with "Heroes Never Die It's Hero Time". Even if I did though, it's best t be original in my book.
I get what you're saying about the rushed-ness, and I'm working on it. It's just hard filling in those spaces in action scenes and such. Any suggestions for that are welcome. Thanks for reading!
To Ohma flame
Seriously lmao.
To Gamelover41592
Thank you, and no problem! Fell free to ask anything about the story if you feel like it.
To Maxwrite
I'm not sure what you mean, mind DMing me?
To n1ght4ury20
Mina x Izuku. No smut though.
To Hardwin Potter
Thank you!
To ProjectIceman
Thanks, friend!
To Red the Pokemon Master
Hahaha, noted! Thanks for reading.
Maybe something simple, like Howler or something. We'll see!
To q57412
I adore this idea. Maybe one day he gets a Weeping Angel transformation? The possibilities are endless.