Hello there guys, UltimateDemonBeast65 here with the latest chapter of MVA: Symbiote's Justice! We're sorry this chapter took a little bit longer than usual chapters do, but we needed to be absolutely sure on what we could do in the plot next, so thank you everyone for your feedback which we have taken into consideration upon us writing this chapter. Here are the responses to your reviews!
Trux-Killer: Well Venom was developing sensory powers, so it makes sense that Carnage would too, plus it's a reference to how in the comics Carnage had 360 degree vision. Read the chapter to find out what happens next!
Crossroads of Illusion: Who knows, dear viewer! What Sleeper is talking about, an Incursion, refers to when people or aspects of the multiverse have been interfered with or altered, which could cause a dimensional anomaly to affect things in the cosmos. Granted, Venom and Carnage being there hasn't done anything yet…but it could…
Maximum Rhapsody: If you've paid attention to the chapters, you'll see that Venom has gotten stronger and stronger as time has gone on. Him and Eddie entering this universe has basically forced him to undergo rapid evolution in order to survive in a reality that isn't theirs.
Greer123: Oh you just wait and see!
GameMax10: Yeah, I figured that the stakes could be a little higher if I axed off another character, plus it's an even trade, Venom kills Muscular and so Carnage kills Kamui Woods.
Austintristan16:Thank you for the feedback, and if you and everyone are wondering, the numbers for the Sonyverse, Earth-946, is a reference to the year the Sony company was founded, 1946.
Guest #1: Again, thank you for the feedback and I hope the pacing of this chapter is okay.
Austin: Thanks for the great review as always, mate. While they could have lied about it, Venom and Eddie aren't really the type to do that and are fine with taking responsibility for this, especially given the character development they've been through. Even though Aizawa and Vlad King would be grateful, they can't express that publicly in front of the police, not to mention again Eddie did still violate the rules of his parole.
Yes, Mt. Lady and Death Arms would be sad to see their comrade had fallen in battle like that, RIP to the man, Kamui Woods, let him grow into a mighty tree in Valhalla!
Plenty more stuff will be answered in this chapter, so stay tuned!
Azatoht2006: Translation: "I was referring to the raids and my doubt was if they would be just a mention, but this chapter made it clear to me that it would not be just a mention."
"PS: I'm quite surprised how interesting a work venom fic can be"
Thank you for the feedback and glad to hear you're enjoying the story!
RedMist86025949: I do intend to try and help develop Midoriya into a better character who does indeed have a better grasp on reality and what is both realistic and doable in his situation. I admittingly should have had more moments with him to try and build that up, but there is plenty of time to rectify those mistakes.
With that out of the way, enjoy the chapter!
"Klyntars of Earth-946, you are in violation of Trans-Dimensional Law. Your presence in this universe risks an Incursion, something that I cannot allow. By the will of the Knights of the Cosmos, I will dispose of you myself."
These were the words spoken to Venom and Carnage by the newcomer, the symbiote known as Sleeper, who had vaporized both of their best weapons with a blast of acidic liquid. Venom was surprised by Sleeper's unique ability while also dreading the fact that they had encountered a symbiote native to this universe. Carnage on the other hand was angry at the audacity this interloper had for interrupting their fight.
"I don't know who you are, Mister Knight of the Cosmos or whatever you call yourself, but this here is my kill!" Carnage roared as she pointed at Venom. "This is family matters only, so piss off!"
Sleeper then sunk into the ground, moving rapidly towards Carnage as a black and green puddle before solidifying his body and uppercutted the Blood Hunter into a nearby sign. Venom tried to land a strong right hook from behind him, but black and green tendrils bursted from Sleeper's body and ensnared his arm before they threw Venom overhead and into the road beneath with enough force to make a crater.
"What the hell? How did he turn into a puddle?!" Eddie exclaimed.
"He has no host…this guy is 100% Symbiote!" Venom clarified.
"But I thought you needed a host to survive!" Eddie argued.
Venom then quickly recovered and dodged a few tendrils from Sleeper, while Carnage got back up and angrily lunged towards the autonomous symbiote, to which he split in two and made the psychotic youth go through him. Sleeper reformed himself before trying to blast Carnage with a stream of acid, but Carnage barely dodged before forming a scythe blade on her arm and tried swinging it at the black and green symbiote, only for Sleeper to dodge each of her attacks.
"Slippery bastard, stay still!" Carnage yelled before firing off a barrage of tendrils at Sleeper, who caught each of them and bundled them together before throwing the Blood Hunter into the Lethal Protector, knocking them through a nearby building with impressive strength.
"Son of a bitch…this guy is tough…" Eddie said within the downed Venom, who Carnage was on top of.
"No shit, Sherlock…" Venom remarked as he pushed Carnage off of him and stood back up. "He's strong even without a host, which makes it trickier to fight him. And if that's not enough, he has those acid powers that can melt our weapons into nothing…"
"So our chances of winning are low?" Eddie asked.
"Non-existent." Venom replied bluntly.
"Of course it is…" Eddie said with an annoyed groan.
Carnage leaped off the ground as her body boiled and contorted with rage and bloodlust before sprouting several tendrils, blades and spikes as she roared furiously. Carnage, now enraged, then charged at Sleeper again, swinging every weapon she had made at him simultaneously while Sleeper sharpened the tips of his fingers and coated them in acid. After dodging a few attacks, Sleeper swiped at each weapon with his claws, slicing and melting each one that he hit into wet red and black chunks of melting biomass. Carnage was not only speechless, but now something was growing inside of her, something she thought she would never feel in her life: fear.
"What the hell…what the hell, why can't I hit you?! Those were the best weapons I had! And you made mince meat out of them, with your FINGERS!" Carnage exclaimed. "I've done my best to keep my sister safe, but this bastard is inching closer and closer to her! DAMN IT!"
"It's pointless to resist, Blood Hunter, your clan was made obsolete when my generation was born..." Sleeper stated as he walked towards Carnage intently. "Relinquish your host, or the both of you will perish together."
"Don't you dare touch my sister! I am her sword and shield! I WILL PROTECT HER!" Carnage screamed before forming a large red and black axe from her body.
Sleeper then formed a green and black sword from his hand and rushed towards Carnage before the two clashed, pushing against each other with their weapons.
"This Blood Hunter has more strength behind them than I initially thought, especially given their host. If they were to grow stronger, they would threaten all life on this planet…" Sleeper thought as he blocked another swing of Carnage's axe with his sword.
Venom watched the two symbiotes have what one would describe as an 'alien sword fight', with Sleeper and Carnage clashing and blocking their axe and sword respectively with each swing and attack. Blurs of red, green and black could be seen moving across the street with sparks flying off their blades' organic metal, intensely clanging together and radiating across the air. Had Venom not had augmented senses, Eddie would not be able to see the two symbiotes' movements given their subsonic speeds. Their movements ended with one last clash that was strong enough to make a shockwave that shattered most of the windows nearby, to which Sleeper then tried to impale Carnage through the chest, but to his surprise the Blood Hunter made a hole in their torso that caused the sword to go straight through, in which Carnage grinned and quickly sliced off Sleeper's arm, forcing them to drop his weapon before Carnage then struck him in the shoulder, burying the axe's blade into it.
"DIE!" Carnage roared as she used her axe to insert her tendrils inside of Sleeper's body, entangling his own biomass with her own.
"This is bad, she's trying to pull me apart from the inside with her biomass…I need to break free of her grip..." Sleeper thought as he felt Carnage's tendrils go deeper and deeper into his flesh.
Before she could reach any deeper, Carnage was grabbed by Venom who pulled her away from Sleeper, tearing out the tendrils that invaded the Knight's body and then used a strong punch to her torso to send her flying into a traffic sign. Venom roared at his villainous offspring before looking at Sleeper, who slowly started to pull his body back together and regenerated his severed arm.
"Look here, pal, we didn't come to this universe by choice, nor did we have that bitch of a daughter by choice either!" Venom explained to the green and black symbiote.
"It appears that your offspring is the greater threat in this situation." Sleeper before he picked up his severed arm and sword and re-absorbed them into his body. "Maybe you are more like your counterpart than I initially assumed."
"What's that supposed to mean? There's a Venom in this universe too?!" Venom exclaimed.
"There will be time for questions later, but right now the Blood Hunter should be our primary focus." Sleeper retorted. "I believe a truce should be established for the time being, alone we struggle but together we can defeat Carnage."
"A team up? Hmph, very well. But I get to eat Carnage..." Venom said before his face opened up to reveal Eddie's. "...And Himiko Toga, the girl inside her, has to be left for the police."
"Agreed." Sleeper said with a nod before he formed another sword in his hand.
Venom nodded back as he formed tendrils around his arms that he slowly started to spin. Carnage got back up, her body was twisted and contorted from hitting the traffic sign, and soon pulled herself together before glaring at both the other symbiotes.
"So it's like that now, huh? My dear old Daddy teaming up with the new guy! Splendid, I'll just kill the both of you!" Carnage said before reforming her axe and proceeded to charge towards them.
"That's quite enough, Carnage…" A male voice said in the distance, causing the Blood Hunter to stop in her tracks. "I think you've had your fun for today, my dear, for I cannot afford to lose you, not when I have discovered another path to ultimate power…"
"Who's there? Show yourself, coward!" Carnage yelled as she looked around her to try and find the source of the voice.
"What the hell is going on? Is someone from the League here?!" Eddie exclaimed nervously.
"These readings are massive…how can they be from a human…?" Sleeper thought as he looked at his HUD, showing strange energy readings and a human heart rate.
A black oily liquid materialized into thin air and out of it emerged a tall and imposing man wearing a suit and a black skull themed mask hooked up to life support devices strapped to his body. Venom, Eddie, Carnage and Sleeper both felt an intense feeling enveloping the air, a sinister aura akin to death itself. This was All For One, the true mastermind of the League of Villains and Tomura Shigaraki's mentor.
"This voice…I recognise it now…that must be him…All For One, Shigaraki's master…" Carnage muttered, frozen in fear from the Villain's sinister aura.
"Shigaraki's master?! You mean this terrifying guy in the gas mask was the real leader of the League of Villains?" Eddie questioned, both shocked and horrified.
"The man behind the man, so to speak…" Venom remarked as he kept his guard up.
"Greetings, Symbiotes! You've come quite a long way from your world, no doubt on a mission or great importance." All For One said before looking at the Lethal Protector. "And you must be Venom, the one who killed Muscular and one of my Nomus. To achieve such feats, you must be quite powerful, and no doubt that power has been passed on to your child, Carnage."
"Oh shit, he knows about us and symbiotes!" Eddie exclaimed.
"No duh, if Toga and Carnage were working under him the whole time, then he was no doubt studying them." Venom said with a groan.
"You interfere in matters that do not concern you, human." Sleeper stated coldly.
"On the contrary, my extraterrestrial friend, Himiko Toga is a member of the League of Villains, an organization I created, and she is the host of the symbiote Carnage, making them both a valuable asset to my plans." All For One explained.
"Oh I see now, this Darth Vader rip-off wants to pull a Carlton Drake!" Venom realised, pointing at All For One.
"Wait, so this guy wants a symbiote army too?" Eddie asked.
"That is correct, Mister Brock, or should I say partially correct." All For One answered, shocking the San Franciscan.
"He can hear me?!" Eddie exclaimed.
"Of course I can, Mister Brock, I have several Quirks that specialize in enhancing my hearing and senses." All For One responded with an amused tone. "Edward Brock from San Francisco according to the police database. You have no doubt bore witness to most of what their species is capable of, where they come from and how they got here. Imagine what I could accomplish if I took yours and Toga's symbiotes and had them produce offspring that I can mold into perfect living weapons."
"If you think you can just take us and turn us into your breeding mules, then you are sorely mistaken, discount Vader!" Venom roared as he manifested more tendrils.
"I believe it is you who is sorely mistaken about many things, Venom. You see, my power is unrivalled in this world and beyond, therefore your acts and protests of rebellion are irrelevant!" All For One declared before he created several black mechanical tendrils that glowed a faint red and skewered Carnage on them, making the Blood Hunter roar in pain.
All For One lifted Carnage up before he created another black oily portal that he walked into. Venom and Sleeper tried to act fast, leaping towards the portal and attacking it but it disappeared before they could hit anything.
"DAMN IT! That bastard got away!" Venom yelled angrily.
"And he took Toga and Carnage!" Eddie retorted. "Now he'll be able to make more symbiotes!"
"There cannot be any more illicit reproduction on this planet, especially by a Blood Hunter." Sleeper stated.
"Blood Hunter? You mentioned that before, is that what Carnage is?" Eddie asked.
"The red ones, Eddie! The worst of the symbiotes!" Venom answered.
"Unstable and vicious, their clan was at war with ours, but in this universe they are now extinct." Sleeper explained. "But a Blood Hunter from your universe cannot be allowed to bear children, they would ravage this world and all of humanity along with it."
"Then we need to track down All For One, save Toga and kill Carnage!" Eddie exclaimed.
"Easier said than done, Eddie! We have no idea where he warped to!" Venom argued.
"Not necessarily…" Sleeper said as he brought up a holographic HUD that showed some energy readings. "When he created that portal, it left residual shifts in space that created an echo of where they travelled to."
"And we can follow it to his location?" Eddie asked.
"If we move now, then yes." Sleeper replied with a nod.
"Then let's stop wasting time and track down this asshole!" Venom declared as the Lethal Protector and Knight of the Cosmos headed out to find their prey.
Moments before the encounter with Sleeper…
What laid before onlookers was the debris and rubble of what once was a warehouse. Its concrete and metal was scattered across the ground, fire and smoke obscured some of the destruction while there were critically injured or unconscious Pro Heroes about. Best Jeanist, Mt. Lady, Tiger, Gang Orca and various SWAT officers were all across the destroyed warehouse, and though the Pro Heroes survived the same could not be said for the officers, who died from the explosion or shrapnel flung by it. Suspended in the air and having a black aura around his body was All For One, who looked at the chaos he had unleashed upon his adversaries.
"Tomura has finally started thinking rationally and making decisions by himself." All For One said to himself. "I do wish you hadn't gotten in his way. Now then, shall we begin?"
All For One used his sensory Quirks to see where each of the Pro Heroes were, finding the closest one that was also in front of him to be Best Jeanist, who was completely speechless at the power the Symbol of Evil displayed, and with so little effort as well. All For One began to clap mockingly at Best Jeanist and his comrades, both as if to show respect and disrespect to his adversary.
"I see why you're the Number 4 Hero, Best Jeanist." He stated. "That blast should've annihilated the lot of you. But you were able to manipulate everyone's clothing and pull them out of the way just in time. Quick thinking! Consider me…impressed."
"It's him…" Best Jeanist thought as he stared at All For One, remembering what he and the other Pro Heroes were told during their briefing with the police department, which included their objective of capturing the mastermind behind the League of Villains. "It wasn't supposed to go like this…"
The Number 4 Hero then began to slowly lean forward, using whatever strength he had left and used the threads from the back of his jacket to support himself.
"But that doesn't matter…a true Hero doesn't believe in excuses!" He continued before attempting to attack All For One with a barrage of threads from the front of his jacket, but they hardly reached his target as All For One simply pointed at him to shoot out an air blast that tore through the threads and opened a hole in Best Jeanist's gut.
The Number 4 Hero was rendered unconscious as his eyes rolled back into his head, and lay still on the ground with his blood soaked body on display.
"Now I see, your strength comes from practice and practical experience, not raw power." All For One said while floating back to the ground. "I don't need your Quirk. It wouldn't pair well with Tomura's disposition."
One of the black liquid portals then opened up in front of All For One, which then slowly dissipated while Bakugo appeared in front of him.
"Dammit!" Bakugo coughed while the black liquid was still in his mouth. "The hell?!"
"My apologies, Bakugo." All For One said before the student in training coughed out the last of the liquid and looked up at him.
"Huh?!"
Not too long after, a few more portals opened up behind Bakugo, which had the members of the League of Villains excluding Himiko Toga and Carnage. Spinner fell to his knees as he coughed out the remaining liquid while Dabi was still unconscious and Kurogiri was on the brink of collapsing after overusing his Quirk.
"This black stuff reeks! I love it!" Twice yelled while switching demeanours.
"Master…" Shigaraki said as he bowed his head down towards All For One.
"So, you failed once more, Tomura." All For One said as he walked towards his protégé. "But you must not be discouraged. You'll try again, that's why I brought your associates back with you, minus one exception. Even this child, because you judged that he was an important piece on your game board."
All For One walked towards Shigaraki and extended out his hand.
"Start over as many times as it takes, I am here to provide you with help. All of this is for you." All For One spoke, to which Shigaraki looked at his mentor and adoptive father with awe.
"All-Might will no doubt pursue me in order to rescue Bakugo. Though I had intended to allow Tomura and the League of Villains to escape even at the cost of my own freedom, my plans have changed. I no longer am simply grooming this child into my successor, I am also building an army." All For One thought before looking up at the sky.
"Master, what do we do now? They've chased us out of our hideout and they'll most likely converge on our location once they realised where you warped us to." Shigaraki asked.
"Calm yourself, Tomura, we have a moment to prepare for when they arrive, but right now I must retrieve something that is detrimental to both the League and my plans." All For One replied as he created one of his black oily portals. "Wait for my return and maintain your position, I won't be gone for long."
All For One then disappeared through the portal, leaving Shigaraki and the others with Bakugo. Shigaraki's mind had many thoughts within, some about his near-defeat at the hands of All-Might, All For One's intervention that saved them, but one thought that stuck out was the Blood Hunter herself, Carnage. He remembered the symbiote's words and criticisms, which angered him and caused him to scratch his neck once more, a habit he was trying to curb after he gained clarity from the Hosu incident.
"Damn it all! All-Might, Venom, Carnage, the Pros! They're all pissing me off, but especially that bitch Carnage! Acting so arrogant and full of themselves and taking out Kamui Woods while the rest of us were humiliated and unable to fight back! I don't know why the Master tolerates her, I'd kill her if it weren't for the fact that Toga is a member of the League!"
"His vitals are okay, he's unconscious!" Twice said, shifting demeanours as he examined the unconscious Dabi. "He might be out for a while, I hope he never wakes up!"
"Kurogiri, how are you holding up, my friend?" Mr. Compress asked the Warp Gate Villain.
"I was able to use my Quirk to allow us to escape from the hideout, but my mind was without clarity in that brief moment and so I sent us into immediate danger. But the Master was fortunately able to warp us here before they arrived at our location." Kurogiri explained before standing back up. "I won't be able to use my Quirk again until I've recovered my strength."
"Which means we'll need to wait for All For One to return if we decide to try and flee again." Spinner said as tinkered with a bunch of knives he was concealing within his body armour.
A few minutes passed, and one of All For One's oily portals appeared and out of it came All For One himself who had Carnage skewered on black mechanical tendrils. Carnage herself was shaking and flinching, as if she was trying to break free from his grip, but her body could only struggle as the tendrils overwrote her and Toga's bodily functions.
"I have returned." All For One declared.
"Master, you mean to tell me that Toga and that crimson annoyance are what is detrimental to your plans?" Shigaraki, surprised by the Blood Hunter's presence.
"Not Himiko Toga herself, all I require is the symbiote attached to her." All For One clarified.
"But that parasite has done nothing but get in my way! She abandoned us when the Heroes showed up to save Bakugo and even dared to insult my intelligence!" Shigaraki objected.
"If Carnage had not acted, Kurogiri would not have been able to warp you and the League out of danger, allowing me to pull you to my location and out of more danger." All For One explained. "Currently, only Dabi and Toga are out of commission which should allow you another chance to get yourself and Bakugo out of here. I'm sure you realise that All-Might will no doubt be on his way here as we speak, and therefore Carnage's actions have indirectly given us more time."
Shigaraki clenched his fists and gritted his teeth behind his hand mask.
"Even so, she still refuses to take orders and does whatever she likes…but Toga has done well in controlling her behaviour…But why do you need the red and black blob for?"
"That is something you do not yet need to know, but I assure you that if this plan works, then you will have the most powerful army in the world, maybe even beyond…" All For One replied with a grin before he inserted his mechanical tendrils into the temples of Carnage's head.
"Those tentacles of yours don't like a fun time, honey." Magne remarked.
"They are quite the powerful weapon, Magne, and can be used as a conduit for my other Quirks. Right now I am using a paralysis Quirk on Carnage to prevent her from attacking me, but by connecting them to her head, I should be able to gain access to the symbiote's mind…" All For One explained. "What knowledge and memories do you possess from your parent and predecessors I wonder…"
All For One's tendrils started to glow red as he began to psychically enter the Blood Hunter's mind using one of his Quirks. All For One's head twitched and jerked around as his consciousness was heading down a metaphysical highway between their brains. When his mind finally reached its location, there was silence all around him, when suddenly All For One was bombarded all around him with thousands upon thousands of things all at once. Memories, data, colours, history, combat, languages, planets, stars, all the accumulated knowledge of billions of years across countless realities. The Symbol of Evil would have been amazed at all of this countless information rushing through his mind, had it not been for the fact that it was constantly shifting, moving, flying and screaming all around him. He grasped his head back in the real world, as pain and anguish swell up in his brain. Was All For One feeling pain? Was he actually scared of all this cosmic knowledge entering and flowing through his mind?
"Master? Master, what's wrong?!" Shigaraki exclaimed as he saw his mentor was in physical anguish.
"What the hell is all of this?!" All For One thought, as the pain and intensity of the knowledge was increasing. "I expected genetic memories from Venom and their predecessors, but this is…this is knowledge beyond them….beyond this world…beyond….this universe!"
All For One unleashed a loud and painful scream as he finally disconnected from Carnage's mind, pulling out his tendrils from her body and throwing her to the ground. All For One fell to his knees as he was hyperventilating, coughing as he tried to adjust his life support mask, while Carnage had retreated back into Toga, leaving the unconscious blood-sucker in her place.
"Master! Master, are you okay?!" Shigaraki yelled as he raced over to All For One, concerned for his adoptive father.
"I…I am alive, Tomura…" All For One replied as he finished adjusting his mask and slowly stood back up on his feet. "...I was not prepared for what lies within that symbiote's mind...had I held on for much longer, my brain would have been vaporized…ah, there you are…"
Before anyone could ask what All For One meant, they saw him turn to his left and intercepted a punch from a lunging All-Might, then lock hands with him as the two pushed against one another with great force, enough to create a vortex of intense pressure and air that caused the ground and concrete behind them to be shattered.
"I'll have you return my student, All For One!" All-Might yelled, his face being a scowl rather than his usual perpetual smile.
"Have you come to kill me a second time, All-Might?!" All For One yelled back.
The vortex from their combined power's clash then erupted into a shockwave that blew away the League of Villains, Bakugo and nearby debris and shrapnel, with the result being a large dust cloud that was slowly spinning and dissipating.
"It took you long enough to find us, it's only five kilometers from the bar to here, and yet it was at least thirty seconds after I sent the Nomu that you arrived…" All For One explained as the dust cleared, wiping it off his suit. "...you've gotten weaker, All-Might…"
"You're one to talk! It's kind of difficult to ignore that fancy life support mask you've got on! Aren't you exerting yourself?" All-Might retorted as did his best to keep his stance after being knocked back by All For One, before standing up straight and doing a few hops. "I won't repeat the mistake I made five years ago! You hear me? I will take young Bakugo back and I will make certain you're locked up for the rest of your sad life! RIGHT ALONG WITH YOUR DESPICABLE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS!"
All-Might leaped towards All For One while preparing to punch the Symbol of Evil, who raised his hand as his arms' muscles swelled up and took on a compressed spring shape as red and black electricity surged through it.
"Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you, this will be hard for us both!" All For One exclaimed as he released a powerful blast of air at the Symbol of Peace which not only hurled him into a building but carved up the ground and leveled a few other buildings around him.
All For One's arm went back to normal, to which he stared at it in amusement.
"Air Cannon plus Spring-like Limbs, Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhancer times three. What a delightful combination, maybe a few more enhancers next time."
"All-Might!" Bakugo yelled, seeing the giant path of destruction that All For One's blast created.
"Don't you worry, it will take more than that to kill him. Get off the battlefield, Tomura, and take that child with you. Kurogiri, are you able to warp the League away again?" All For One asked.
"I'm trying, but I still haven't fully recovered…" Kurogiri replied as he struggled to use his Quirk.
"Then allow me to lend you my strength…" All For One said, as he created mechanical tendrils from his hand and inserted them into Kurogiri's back, who flinched but remained silent.
"Why don't you just teleport us like you did before?" Magne asked, concerned for her teammate's safety.
"My warp power is still new, Magne, there is much I need to learn about it. Its distance is limited and while Kurogiri can teleport to specific coordinates, I only transport people to and from my own location or with focus, to and from someone I am very familiar with. That is all, it's easier to have Kurogiri do it." All For One explained as he sent a burst of energy through the tendrils and into Kurogiri's body.
Kurogiri felt the energy enter his body, causing the purple smoke and mist around him to increase in size and intensity as he made a large purple portal for his comrades to escape with. After that, All For One retracted his tendrils back into his hand.
"Leave this place, and ensure that Himiko Toga and Carnage are not captured or killed." All For One ordered Shigaraki and his comrades.
"What about you?" Shigaraki asked, as All-Might leaped out of the debris he was under and lunged towards the Symbol of Evil, who levitated into the air.
"You're not thinking, Tomura, there remains much room for you to grow…" All For One explained.
"You're mine!" All-Might yelled, then tried to punch All For One with a right hook, but he caught the attack which created another shockwave of intense wind.
"Master!" Shigaraki called out desperately to All For One.
"Let's go, Shigaraki!" Mr. Compress said as he used his Quirk on the still unconscious Dabi, compressing him into a marble and grabbed him. "While our masked lead is keeping All-Might entertained, claim your prize!"
The Vanguard Action Squad including Shigaraki turned to Bakugo, intending to capture him as they still believe that he can still be of use to them. However, the blond spiky-haired student made it clear that he wouldn't come quietly and got into a fighting stance.
"Heh, this is gonna be fun!" Bakugo said as a grin formed on his face.
A few blocks away from the epic battle between the Symbols of Peace and Evil, Venom and interstellar visitor Sleeper were homing in the location of their target as they leapt from rooftop and scaled the surrounding buildings, using their tendrils to swing and zip-line if need be. Venom glanced a few times at Sleeper as they moved, as the green and black symbiote moved in a much more agile and flexible manner, especially given his lack of a host.
"This guy moves pretty well!" Venom commented.
"Maybe he's more flexible and quick without a host." Eddie retorted.
"But how? How can he maintain his body's shape and size like that without one?" Venom wondered.
"Why don't you ask him?" Eddie asked.
"He doesn't seem like the chatty type…" Venom said awkwardly.
The two symbiotes then stopped in their tracks on an apartment building rooftop as Sleeper pulled up his HUD and looked for All For One's position in the city. Venom retracted into Eddie to give him control of his body again while Venom protruded out of his back so they could look at the HUD.
"The human known as All For One is only a few kilometers from our position. But they are currently fighting another human, one that appears to possess equal strength to him. The fluctuations created by their attacks are intense." Sleeper explained. "With their combined power, they could destroy the entire city, if not for their precision and experience in controlling their vast strength."
"Who's fighting him?" Eddie asked, to which Sleeper showed Venom and Eddie a visual of the warehouse, showing All-Might fighting against All For One. "All-Might is fighting him?!"
"The guy is basically the Superman of this world, of course he'd be fighting him!" Venom remarked.
"Yeah I know, but his injuries from that fight he had a while back, he can only use his Quirk for an hour at a time." Eddie said with a concerned look.
"I have noticed an irregular flux in his power and looking at his body, I do see the mutilations done to him that you spoke of." Sleeper explained. "Because of the damage to his vital organs, his body cannot properly channel and maintain the energy he uses to fight, limiting his physical capabilities. Against a foe of this caliber, there is an eighty percent chance that he could permanently lose the power he has left should the fight be prolonged."
"But that means All For One could kill him if he gives out first!" Eddie exclaimed, realizing what Sleeper's analysis meant. "We need to get over there and help!"
"We cannot charge headfirst into this conflict, their combined strength alone could prove hazardous for us and those around them. Not to mention, All For One could immobilize the Blood Hunter and no doubt possesses other abilities that could weaken or stun us."
"I think I agree with the living hazmat suit, Eddie!" Venom commented.
"My mission does not require that I assist humanity, only to ensure that an Incursion does not happen due to your presence. I need to retrieve the Blood Hunter so she can be dealt with and then we can focus our efforts on sending you back to your universe." Sleeper explained.
"Our universe? You mean you could send us home?" Eddie asked.
"Theoretically, yes, it's a work in progress." Sleeper replied.
"That's good enough for us." Eddie said with a shrug. "So how come you don't have a host? I thought symbiotes would die if they weren't bonded to one."
"In your universe that might be so, but not in this one. The Klyntar exist across all of the Multiverse, having their own unique history and progress, which includes how they evolved and adapted to their cosmos." Sleeper explained. "In this universe, we were able to learn the secret of self-sustaining our biology without a need for a host, and eventually led to Klyntar like myself who chose to be autonomous rather than rely on a host. While it's true that a symbiote with a host is stronger and can grow at a much faster rate, we possess certain advantages that we wouldn't if bonded to another life form."
"Like becoming different shapes and splitting your body up to avoid attacks." Eddie commented.
"Precisely, but the Klyntar in your universe still rely on a host for survival, meaning that you must be from a much younger generation than mine, one that hasn't learned how to self-sustain." Sleeper retorted.
"So I could learn how to do that too?" Venom asked curiously.
"Not at your current level of strength, but perhaps once you have gotten more powerful, then yes." Sleeper replied bluntly.
"Looks like you're stuck with me, pal." Eddie said with a chuckle.
"Yeah well, who else is going to save your ass if I don't?" Venom retorted.
"Look, uh…what is your name...?" Eddie asked.
"It's Sleeper." The green and black symbiote answered.
"Sleeper…I know you didn't come here to be a hero, that you're just here for me, my buddy and Carnage." Eddie said. "But there are people, friends I've made while being here, that could be in a lot of trouble if we don't help them out."
"I am not here to interfere in human conflicts, Edward Brock." Sleeper stated bluntly.
"But you're a Knight of the Cosmos, right? So tell me, what does a Knight do?" Eddie asked.
"I swore an oath to protect the cosmos and its denizens from cataclysm." Sleeper replied.
"Well this is a cataclysm, right now! So please, help me out and I will do whatever you say, we won't run and we'll let you send us back home without a fight…" Eddie pleaded.
Sleeper looked at Eddie and Venom for a second as he then looked at the smoke and debris in the distance where All-Might and All For One's fight was. He let out an audible sigh before looking at the host and symbiote again.
"If we move now, we should be able to minimize the destruction and casualties."
"Thank you..." Eddie said before Venom formed around him and took control of his body. "Let's go and kick some ass!"
While All-Might was holding off All For One, Bakugo was fortunately able to escape the League of Villains thanks to the efforts of his classmates who, without engaging in combat with the Villains, were able to take him to safety and allow the Number 1 Hero to finally get serious. On top of that, the Pro Heroes Mt. Lady and Gran Torino were able to stop the Villain's attempt to prevent Bakugo from being rescued.
"You're too slow!" All-Might remarked at Gran Torino.
"You're just too fast, hotshot!" Gran Torino countered. "So you saw the kid, right? He's turning out to be more and more like you every day! Not a compliment!"
"After his experience in Hosu, I didn't think he'd come to the battlefield! Damn teenagers!" All-Might groaned in his thoughts before looking back at All For One.
"Shimura's friend, huh?" All For One asked as he stood back up from the Number 1 Hero's attack.
"It's shameful that I needed their help, but now I don't need to pull any punches against you! You're finished!" All-Might declared as he pointed at All For One.
"One left over here, I'll handle them!" Gran Torino said, looking at Shigaraki who was the only one left conscious.
"They got us. Turn the tables of this fight with a single move." All For One stated as three of his fingers turned black and red before shooting out tendrils past All-Might and into Magne's body. "Forcible Quirk Activation! Magnetism!"
Gran Torino dashed towards Shigaraki and tried to kick him while Shigaraki attempted to attack them but his head glowed a bright blue and he was pulled back. In fact, all of the unconscious members of the League glowed blue and were pulled towards the unconscious body of Toga who was glowing pink. All For One then fired a blast of air at the unconscious Toga which knocked her into the portal, causing the other members to follow her through via the magnetic force they were tethered too, though Shigaraki was still fighting the effects of the Quirk.
"Wait…don't…Master…" Shigaraki pleaded as he was slowly being dragged towards the portal by Magne's Quirk.
"Too so fast!" Gran Torino yelled as he tried to intercept Shigaraki, only to be hit by one of All For One's mechanical tendrils and pulled back while another pair of them threw the unconscious Magne into the portal.
"Your body is too damaged!" Shigaraki exclaimed before his arm went through the portal and was slowly pulled into it while remembering when All For One found him as a kid in the streets.
"No one's come to save you, have they? You've had a hard life, Tenko Shimura…don't worry, I am here for you.."
Shigaraki's hand mask fell to the ground as he reached out to his mentor with panic and fear surrounding his face.
"No…I…won't go…"
Upon fully going through the portal, Kuorgiri's Quirk deactivated, closing it and allowing most of the League of Villains members to escape.
"You must continue to fight!" All For One stated as he used his Warping Quirk to transport Gran Torino in front of All-Might, who was lunging towards the Symbol of Evil with a punch. "Warping plus Shock Inversion!"
All-Might unintentionally threw the punch meant for All For One at Gran Torino's face, only for the force of the punch to be redirectly back at the Symbol of Peace, hurting both Pro Heroes at the same time and tearing off the left sleeve of All-Might's costume.
"I'm sorry!" All-Might exclaimed in horror at the realization that he had hit his mentor.
"KING IN BLACK…"
"What is this…is someone inside my head..?" All For One thought as he heard a distorted and eerie voice inside of his mind, uttering this phrase with a hint of dread behind it only to return his focus to the battle at hand.
"I only came to save Tomura and ensure the next phase in my plans were not jeopardized, but if you say you're going to fight then I'll face you as you wish!" All For One declared as he raised his left arm and prepared another Air Cannon, Spring-like Limbs and strength enhancers combo. "In the past, your fist crushed one after another of my comrades. Many were forced into the shadows, underground, while you were extolled as the Symbol of Peace! What a grand view you must have had atop our sacrifices, a Hero standing on the mountain of our defeats."
"DETROIT…SMASH!" All-Might yelled as he threw another punch after pulling Gran Torino out of All For One's portal, clashing with the Symbol of Evil's own charged up attack which created intense waves of pressure that clashed with one another as All-Might tried to overpower his adversary while his right sleeve was slowly torn off.
"KING IN BLACK…"
"There it is again…the same phrase…is this because of my brief connection to Carnage's mind...?" All For One thought as he too tried to overpower All-Might's own attack with his, which fortunately was strong enough to blow the Symbol of Peace and Gran Torino back a few feet and made the former draw blood from his mouth.
"You still won't fight me with your full power, huh? Because doing so would endanger all those people you've sworn to protect!" All For One taunted.
"You shut up!" All-Might yelled, making All For One titled his head curiously. "Always toying with people, probing their weaknesses! You steal, break them, manipulate and discard them! You scoff at innocent people who are just trying to lead happy lives!"
All-Might lunged at All For One, grabbing his extended arm which had its sleeve blown off.
"It cannot continue!" All-Might yelled as he prepared another attack.
"It's over!" All For One yelled back as he used his free arm to try and attempt to prepare another attack.
"I WON'T LET IT!" All-Might roared as he landed a powerful left hook directly at All For One's head, shattering his helmet and knocking him to the ground.
"Toshinori…" Gran Torino said faintly, noticing as steam was coming out of his body. "You've reached your limit…"
"What's wrong?" All For One asked mockingly despite All-Might's fist being pressed into his face. "You seem to be worked up about something, All-Might. I've heard that same exact line before you know."
All-Might's eyes widened as he listened to All For One's chuckles.
"From the person who had One For All before you…Nana Shimura."
Of all the things that Tsukauchi had expected today, fighting off Nomus alongside SWAT officers and Pro Heroes was not one of them. He carefully dodged a few attacks coming from the biological weapons before opening fire, spraying bullets in each direction despite how futile it was. The bullets didn't penetrate their skin, with some bullets ricocheting off their bodies and hitting the SWAT team back, which was alarming for the detective and his allies. It was especially more difficult as the one mowing them with such ease earlier is now missing a hand.
"Damn it, these monsters are too powerful for our SWAT team! Not to mention most of our heavy hitters are either busy or too weak to fight." Tsukauchi thought before he rolled out of the way of an incoming Nomu before shooting its eyes.
Endeavour meanwhile was in a bit of a sticky situation. Though he was repelling and blasting Nomus left and right with his fire, he had lost a hand to Carnage and though he cauterized his arm, the Number 2 Hero was at a disadvantage, and was currently mainly running on adrenaline from the pain he was in. Endeavour side-stepped a lunge from one of the Nomus before blasting them with a wave of flames, though he was hit with a powerful kick that sent him into a nearby wall. The force from the attack broke Endeavour's ribs as he started to cough up blood.
"This isn't good, that red and black monster took one of my hands, and now my ribs are broken. The adrenaline I was using to keep going is slowly fading. Even so, I have to try and take out these creatures with all I have!"
One of the Nomus, a large and bulky one with spikes, ran towards Endeavour, who braced himself so he could retaliate with a fire blast. However, the Nomu's torso was impaled by a black solid tendril with an end that was shaped like a corkscrew as blood sprayed out of their body.
"What the hell? A tentacle stabbed through that Nomu…wait, don't tell me it's-"
Before Endeavour could finish his thought, he saw the black clad Lethal Protector reel the Nomu back towards him, grab it by the neck and bit its head off, devouring its brain.
"Now that one was bitter!" Venom remarked.
"Of course it had to be you…" Endeavour said with an annoyed groan.
"Put a sock in it, Firestarter! You were losing that fight until we showed up!" Venom retorted.
"I don't need some brain-eating Vigilante's help!" Endeavour yelled angrily.
"Keep telling yourself that!" Venom roared before he leaped over to Tsukauchi's location and used his tendrils to hurl a Nomu off the detective, before opening his face up to reveal Eddie's.
"Venom, Brock, you're here!" Tsukauchi exclaimed before standing back up. "I take it your hunt was successful?"
"I wish it was, but that All For One guy took Toga and Carnage." Eddie replied.
"Shit, if he did so himself then he must know about the symbiotes and what they can do." Tsukauchi said before shooting at a Nomu that was about to attack one of the SWAT officers.
"Good news is, we brought some backup." Venom commented as his face reformed over Eddie's before he blocked a punch from an incoming Nomu, then formed a makeshift drill and used it to drill their head clean off.
"Backup?" Tsukauchi said before he turned and saw what looked like a black and green figure with four red eyes battling a group of Nomu.
The figure, the Knight of the Cosmos Sleeper, swung his green and black tendrils around at the Nomus, the tips laced with acid which burnt their flesh and made quick work of the biological weapons as each lashing from his tendrils ate away at their body. One of the larger Nomu tried charging at Sleeper, but he raised his arm up and blasted them with a jet of acid, melting their upper body down to the bone as it lifelessly collapsed on the ground. A flying Nomu then spat out fireballs from its mouth at the Knight, to which Sleeper morphed his body into various shapes to avoid each projectile then formed a spear from his biomass that he threw at the flying Nomu, hitting it square in the head and sent it crashing down near his location. Sleeper then took out the spear from the Nomu and reshaped it into his sword, then quickly dashed towards more Nomus that he proceeded to slice and dice into pieces.
"Another symbiote?" Tsukauchi thought, amazed by the impressive skills and strength Sleeper was displaying. "Whoever they are, they're making quick work of the Nomus. With him and Venom, we should be able to finish them off and go and help All-Might."
"Sleeper is going to town on those Nomus!" Eddie commented.
"Oh please, these Nomus are just jobbers, they die pretty easily!" Venom scoffed before he weaved around an attack from another Nomu and then proceeded to grab and piledrive them into the ground, before biting their head off and then shot two tendrils at a flying Nomu and with a strong tug, ripped the creature in two.
Sleeper dodged and blocked attacks from the stronger Nomus with his sword before using tendrils to hold the Nomu in front of him in place and sliced them down the middle, cleaving them in half. Sleeper then dodged a kick from another Nomu and then became a green and black puddle which quickly sunk underneath them, and when the Nomu could not find its target Sleeper solidified his body and decapitated the Nomu from behind with his sword. The Knight of the Cosmos looked around him, seeing a dozen Nomu surrounding his position and so he grabbed his sword with both of his hands, which made the blade emanate a green glowing gas. As the Nomu got closer and closer, the sword then transformed into a colossal blade with green glowing edges and black vein like structures in the center, then with a mighty swing of his arms he cleaved through every Nomu coming in his direction, slicing them into pieces. This display of power and technique was not unnoticed by Eddie, Venom, Endeavour and Tsukauchi.
"He took out all of those Nomus with a single strike from his sword? Just who is this guy/symbiote?!" Both Endeavour and Tsukauchi thought, shocked and amazed by the Knight's power.
"THAT WAS SO COOL!" Both Eddie and Venom exclaimed in unison.
Sleeper checked if there were any survivors from his attack, but fortunately found nothing in its vicinity. The sword deformed back into biomass which he absorbed into his body as his stance became slightly unbalanced, as if he was fatigued from using that technique. Venom raced towards Sleeper as he formed two makeshift drills on his arms which he plunged into the back of the last Nomu in the area, knocking them a few inches near the Knight of the Cosmos before he then threw the biological weapon into the air with great force. Venom then combined his drills together into a massive one which he spun as he launched himself into the air, intercepting the last Nomu and drilling through their entire body, leaving a bloody and visceral mess that rained down towards his allies below. Venom retracted the drills back into him before landing next to Sleeper with a slouching pose with one hand on the ground and the other stretched behind his back.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Eddie asked.
"I'm doing a superhero pose!" Venom replied.
"This looks stupid, cut it out." Eddie said.
"Shut up, it looks cool!" Venom argued as he stood up and went back inside of Eddie's body.
"We have neutralized all of the biological weapons identified as "Nomu" in this area." Sleeper said before looking at his HUD. "30 human casualties and 15 of them are injured."
"How do you know that?" Tsukauchi asked, approaching the green and black symbiote.
"I have sensory capabilities that allow me to detect and observe such happenings." Sleeper replied. "I suggest you take those who are injured to a hospital as soon as possible."
"And you are…?" Tsukauchi asked.
"Sleeper, Knight of the Cosmos, a child of Klyntar." The Knight replied.
"He's a symbiote who is also a space cop." Venom remarked, protruding out of Eddie like a snake.
"Knight." Sleeper insisted.
"Same thing, kid." Venom argued.
"Just because you are chronologically older and from a previous generation does not give you permission to refer to me as a juvenile." Sleeper coldly asserted.
"Someone sounds like they need a vacation." Venom said, rolling his eyes. "By the way, what was that crazy ass sword you were packing? I haven't seen a symbiote make such a strong weapon before."
"That was my Necrosword." Sleeper replied.
"Necrosword?! You mean the god slaying blade from Klyntarian legend?!" Venom exclaimed in shock and surprise.
"You have a sword that can kill gods?!" Eddie asked anxiously.
"What? No, this isn't the Necrosword from legend, symbiotes who have gained a significant amount of power and experience can create a powerful blade that utilizes a small portion of All-Black's might in battle, whether it be to fight against a stronger opponent or make quick work of legions and armies." Sleeper explained.
"That sounds pretty rad." Eddie remarked.
"We can gawk at cool weapons and stuff later, right now we need to get to All-Might's position with backup. Edgeshot was escorting local civilians to safety the last time we saw him, so it's likely he's headed towards the battle already." Tsukauchi said as he reloaded his gun.
"But we also need to get those who are injured to a hospital." Eddie added. "The SWAT cops who are alive and Endeavour all need treatment."
"I can still fight, you annoying bastard!" Endeavour roared as he walked over to the others.
"Not with that missing hand you aren't, and the adrenaline in your system from the pain is what's keeping you from passing out. What happens when your hormones finally give out when fighting All For One?" Tsukauchi questioned.
"...I hate to admit it, but you're right…" Endeavour concluded as he stared at the stub where his hand used to be. "But then who will assist Edgeshot in backing up All-Might?"
"We'll go! Sleeper and I should be able to back him up!" Venom replied.
"I cannot engage in battle in my current condition, using my Necrosword's full power has drained me." Sleeper explained.
"Then Venom and I will go alone." Eddie stated.
"Are you forgetting that you're still engaging a Vigilante? That the Commission only agreed to keep you out of prison so long as U.A. kept a close eye on you?" Tsukauchi argued. "If you try and interfere in this fight-"
"DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW?!" Eddie roared, surprising Tsukauchi and Endeavour with how much ferocity and anger was in his voice. "All-Might is out there fighting the biggest Villain on the planet, the Villain who is going to use Carnage for whatever fucked up schemes he's planning! If All-Might's power gives out before he can finish the job, then this country will have lost its Number 1 Hero, all while we could have done something to save him! If you want to arrest or imprison me, go ahead, but I am going to save my friend and no one, especially some well-dressed assholes in an office, are going to tell me otherwise!"
Sleeper was not one to be fazed by much in his line of work, but he was intrigued, if not impressed by Eddie's resolve and willpower, confirming to him why Venom not only chose him as his host but why he was changed so much by him.
Tsukauchi was unsure how to respond as he gritted his teeth and gripped the handle of his gun. He then let out a loud groan as he put his hands to each side of his head.
"Fine, go and help All-Might! We're in no position to make you do anything, plus you did save our asses from those Nomus."
"Thank you, Tsukauchi." Eddie said as Venom formed over him. "Leave it to us!"
"Be careful you two, from what All-Might explained to me, All For One can steal people's Quirks and either use them himself or give them to other people. He has hundreds of Quirks at his disposal, and no doubt some of them involve sound and fire." Tsukauchi explained.
"Then I guess we'll just have to be smart about this and not get hit! Take care of the injured and Firestarter over there! Lethal Protector, away!" Venom yelled as he took off with a sprint, before leaping in between surrounding buildings and headed to All-Might's location.
All-Might and All For One continued their fight, with the Symbol of Evil at first attempting to psychologically catch the Symbol of Peace off guard. However Gran Torino was able to get his disciple to focus on the fight at hand despite the internal conflict and insults towards Nana Shimura, the previous holder of One For All before All-Might who lost her life fighting All For One. Upon taking another enhanced Air Cannon combo, All-Might was forced back into his true form and his secret was exposed to the world as a news helicopter broadcasted footage of their fight across Japan. All For One meanwhile kept on hearing the same phrase inside of his head.
"KING IN BLACK…"
"The same phrase again…what or who is the King in Black…I need to either defeat All-Might or escape his grasp in order to learn more…" All For One thought before addressing his adversary.
"Hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. To think that you're their greatest Hero. Now the adoring public knows your true form. Try not to be ashamed." All For One stated condescendingly. "Your move."
"Even as my body rots and grows frail, even as you expose my weakened state…" All-Might said as he clenched his left fist as One For All's radiant energy shined around it. "...in my heart, I remain the Symbol of Peace, and there's nothing you can do to take that from me!"
"Is that so? Ah well, I forgot how stubborn you are. I guess I'll just give up." All For One said with a shrug before holding up a finger. "Oh, but there is one thing you might be interested to know. Tomura Shigaraki, my apprentice, he's Nana Shimura's grandson."
All-Might was silent as the information raced through his mind and his eyes dilated in shock and horror.
"I kept wondering what would annihilate your golden heart, and so I found Tomura, groomed him to hate you and watched you smile so proudly as you beat your master's descendant." All For One explained with cold satisfaction.
"That's a lie…" All-Might denied.
"Oh come now, you know it's the truth, that is clearly something I would do. Huh, well, well that's strange, All-Might…" All For One said before he put his fingers against his cheeks to make a smiling gesture while chuckling. "...where is your smile now…?"
All-Might was shaking, trembling as both a sense of dread and guilt filled his body. The words that Nana Shimura had spoken to him about heroism flooded through his mind, making him feel even more guilty at the idea that he had hurt his master's grandson.
"You…bas..tard…" All-Might said faintly.
All For One chuckled once more, relishing in seeing his hated enemy consumed by fear and doubt.
"How very entertaining! I think I've taken a piece of you after all."
"He's my master's…grandchild…my God what would she say if she knew how he turned out?!" All-Might muttered, as his entire being was enveloped by despair and the courage and resolve he had built up left his body before unleashing a moderate but audible scream.
"Don't lose…keep going…All-Might! We need you!" A woman in the rubble behind him yelled.
"Fear not...miss…I'm not done yet." All-Might said before talking back to All For One while channeling energy into his right arm as its muscles started to grow and closed his hand into a fist. "You're right…a Hero has so much to protect in this world…which is why, I will defeat you!"
As he summoned the newfound resolve and will to fight upon hearing the encouragement and words of a nearby injured woman, All-might remembered Nana Shimura's words while envisioning the power inside of him as a bright ember surrounded by a dark and cold storm. Gran Torino meanwhile observed his former student, noticing how he was able to utilize One For All, albeit in his right arm only.
"How many times is he gonna have to counter such a large scale attack?" Gran Torino wondered. "He should have been out of power a long time ago, muscles are only forming on his right arm. This distorted form can't be good."
"KING IN BLACK…" The phrase appeared in All For One's head again, but this time he brushed it aside.
"There it is. That's the last of your strength, isn't it All-Might?" All For One asked as he then levitated high into the air. "A wounded Hero is a most frightening animal. Do you know that even now, I sometimes dream of you charging at me with your entrails strewn across the ground?"
All For One then charged up his own energy into his right arm, with its muscles growing and his hand emitting red and black lightning.
"You have what? Two or three punches left?" He asked before blocking an incoming attack from a large black tendril, in which he blasted away with his Air Cannon.
"Son of a bitch! I thought we could take him by surprise!" Venom roared.
"Looks like we made it in time." Edgeshot said, landing on a pile of debris. "I was helping civilians escape the area when Tsukauchi informed me to go and assist All-Might. He must have known this was going to happen, that his friend needed our help."
"Hmm, those Nomu weren't particularly strong, but I'm still impressed you handled them quickly." All For One said, looking at the newcomers. "As expected from Muscular's killer. Have you come back for more, Venom? To reclaim and kill that accident of a daughter?"
"Oh we intend to do so, but right now, the Lethal Protector is here to fight alongside the Symbol of Peace!" Venom exclaimed.
"Eddie….Venom…I'm sorry…you've had to come to my rescue…because of the mistakes that I made…because I couldn't finish him all those years ago…" All-Might said, guilt rushing through his mind, especially given he was now relying on the help of a man and his alien symbiote from another universe.
"Save the sad and tragic speech for later, Skeletor! We can talk once we waste this Darth Vader clone!" Venom roared.
"If the only reason you're here is to cheer him on, I prefer for you to stay silent!" All For One said as he was about to shoot at both Venom and Edgeshot by charging up his arm, however the Number 5 Hero attempted to strike him with his stretched and contorted body, looking like a thick black piece of thread.
"Think again, madman!" Edgeshot yelled as All For One dodged his attack, then soon returned to his human form before remembering his fellow Pros trapped underneath the debris. "This isn't good, most of the other Pros are injured or occupied. If Kamui Woods was still alive, he could have pulled our comrades out of the wreckage."
The sound of swift movements could be heard in the air as what looked like red fasting moving projectiles were racing towards the debris and wreckage and burrowed into them. After a few minutes, the unconscious Pro Heroes were suddenly pulled out, each of them having what looked like a red feather pinned on a part of their costumes.
"Feathers…?" Eddie and Venom said both confused.
"Wait, I recognise those feathers…" Edgeshot thought as he dodged another incoming attack from All For One.
"Well, well, well, looks like I got here in time." A carefree sounding male voice remarked, which caught everyone's attention. "Had I been a little slower, these guys might have been toast."
In the direction where the unconscious Pro Heroes were being pulled towards stood a young man with blonde messy hair, gold eyes and stubbles around his chin. He wore a black high neck shirt with a yellow pattern looking like ripples in water, a tan jacket with white fur trimming, tan cargo pants and black gloves and shoes. However, his most distinct features were his headset with a gold visor and his large red avian wings that protrude out of his back, and upon the unconscious Pro Heroes being sat on the ground the feathers that were used on them returned to the young man's wings. This was the Number 3 Hero, Hawks.
"Who the hell is this guy?!" Venom exclaimed. "He has wings like a bird!"
"I knew it…" Edgeshot said in relief.
"My, how desperate the Heroes must be to ensure the status quo lives on…" All For One said mockingly. "I didn't expect to see the Number 3 Hero here as well, but I guess I can add you to the list of people to kill…Hawks."
"All of you came…" All-Might said.
"Of course we did! We can't do much…" Tiger stated as he helped the woman out of the rubble. "...but if we can help a little, then we have fulfilled our duty!"
"Thank you…" All-Might responded as he watched as Edgeshot and Venom proceeded to continue battling All For One.
Edgeshot morphed his legs into black threads which he tried hitting All For One with, but the Symbol of Evil dodged and prepared to use his Air Cannon, only for the Lethal Protector to use a tendril to interrupt i and lunged at All For One with an attempt to punch him. However, All For One dodged this attack too and summoned his mechanical tendrils to try and skewer Venom, who countered them with his makeshift drills before landing back on the ground.
"You have to stop him, All-Might! This personification of evil!" Tiger shouted. "Pros and citizens everywhere are praying for your victory! No matter what you look like…you're still everyone's Number 1 Hero!"
"KING IN BLACK…"
The phrase repeated itself, which started to anger All For One.
"How pointless!" All For One shouted as he unleashed a devastating Air Cannon below him, hitting with enough force to make a deeper crater beneath him and hurl the Pro Heroes around him. "Let's stop dwelling on Heroism and start focusing on reality! Spring-like Limbs! Kinetic Booster times four! Strength Enhancer times three! Multiplier! Hypertrophy! Rivets! Air Walk! Spear-like Bones!"
All For One's right arm began to contort and enlarge, adding and multiplying as it became a colossal mutated arm, bloated and having metallic spikes and flesh protruding out of it. Venom was able to dig himself out of the new debris when he also saw All For One's transformed arm.
"Holy shit! That arm is huge! He must really work it out!" Venom commented, much to Eddie's annoyance.
"The shockwaves until now were simply to wear you out, I knew it would take much more than that to kill you! In order to put you down for good, I'll punch you with the ultimate combination of Quirks I have stored up within me right now! This will end you!" All For One declared as he and All-Might pulled back their arms in preparation of their punches. "I wasn't certain until we exchanged blows tonight, All-Might, but now I am. One For All no longer dwells within you, what you're attacking me with is just a lingering ghost, the embers that remain from what you've already passed on, and that fire gets weaker every time you use it! Even now, it's a feeble spark about to put itself out!"
All For One flew towards All-Might, reeling his arm back even more.
"IZUKU MIDORIYA!" All For One yelled, which made All-Might's eyes dilate in fear.
"Midoriya?" Eddie said in confusion.
"What's Broccoli boy gotta do with this?" Venom wondered.
"He's the child you passed One For All onto, isn't he? I bet he came here without your asking, you have no control over him, do you? It sounds as though you'll die full of regrets, All-Might! As a Hero and as a teacher!" All For One yelled as he extended his arm forward to which All-Might did the same as he channelled the embers of his former Quirk into his fist.
The two titans of Hero Society, the Symbol of Peace and the Symbol of Evil, then collided with each other, their punches creating a shockwave that rang out all across Kamino, the sound alone causing the Lethal Protector to feel pain as he retreated back into Eddie. The force created a feedback loop which made the ground beneath the two explode into debris and wreckage once more.
"KING IN BLACK…"
"This never-ending phrase is starting to piss me off! And this fool is still resisting my punch!" All For One thought as he focused back on their clash. "IMPACT RECOIL!"
The newly activated Quirk increased All For One's power with the intense force of the punch traveling down All-Might's arm and bursting a few blood vessels. All For One started to push All-Might back towards the newly created debris as thoughts of Midoriya rang through his head.
"You're right…as his teacher I should've reprimanded him for coming here…" All-Might admitted as he kept trying to push back against All For One's attack. "...I failed…which is why I have to make it up to him!"
"I see…the weak embers inside you are resisting. Trying to rekindle some of your former strength. A desperate attempt to rage against the inevitable and fulfil your duty." All For One stated before putting more force into his arm. "BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH!"
"When you think you can't go on anymore, remember…" Nana Shimura's words echoed in All-Might's mind and caused him to stand his ground, halting All For One's assault.
"I'll beat you…not because I'm a symbol, but because I'll do as my master did for me…until I finish training young Midoriya…until he's ready…" All-Might said as he summoned more of One For All's fleeting power.
"KING IN BLACK….KING IN BLACK…KING IN BLACK…"
All For One used his left arm to grasp his head, feeling an aching sensation around his brain.
"BASTARD! It's embarrassing how much you're resisting! GIVE UP!" All For One roared.
"I won't…" All-Might said as he transferred the energy within him from his right arm into his left one.
"Perhaps I was wrong!" All For One yelled as All-Might slid across his mutated arm to get in closer.
"I refuse to die!" All-Might yelled as he struck All For One in the side of the head.
"Using your right arm as a decoy and then transferring your power into your other arm? A clever trick, that's so like you! STILL WEAK THOUGH!" All For One roared as he activated several Quirks in his left arm to charge up another attack.
"That's because…I DIDN'T PUT MY BACK INTO IT THAT TIME!" All-Might screamed as he reeled back his right damaged arm, which enlarged itself as he passed his power into again, remembering Nana Shimura's wisdom one last time.
All For One tried firing his charged up Air Cannon at All-Might, but he quickly ducked underneath it and lunged towards the Symbol of Evil with arguably his most powerful punch of all.
"Goodbye…All For One…" All-Might thought in his mind as his right fist headed towards All For One's face.
"KING IN BLACK…KING IN BLACK….KING IN BLACK…HE HAS FOUND YOU…"
However, before All-Might's fist had collided with All For One, an explosion of black shiny ooze erupted from behind the Symbol of Evil and several tendrils ensnared him, quickly pulling him in and then disappeared with a low screech. All-Might's eyes widened as he ended up tripping, causing his super-charged arm's momentum to not just knock himself to the ground but causing an eruption of concrete, metal and debris in the direction of where he landed. The news helicopter, the Pro Heroes, the people watching the live feed at home and in the city were in shock as they saw how the Symbol of Evil got away, and their Symbol of Peace had finally lost his remaining power, and it was all for nothing. Midoriya was filled with dread and panic while Eddie and Venom were both filled with anger and helplessness.
"NOOOOOOOOO/ALL-MIIIIIIGGGGGGGHHHHHT!"
All For One fell to his knees as the surface below him felt wet, sticky and elastic in texture. He coughed a few times before looking around him for any signs of where he could be, but even with his sensory Quirks the Symbol of Evil had no idea where he was located, seeing nothing but pitch black.
"I can't use any of my sensory Quirks….what is this place…?" All For One asked himself as he slowly got back on his feet and started walking about, waving his arms around to see if he would run into anything.
Anything that he did end up touching was slimy and moist. Though for the most part he felt as if he was approaching something, and the closer All For One got to it, the more he could feel that he was not alone in this place.
"Who is there? I know I am being watched…" All For One called out as he checked to see if any of his other Quirks were working, and though he was able to activate them, he could not maintain their form due to his injuries. "SHOW YOURSELF! TURN ON THE LIGHTS!"
As soon as the word "lights" were mentioned, a pair of red demonic eyes appeared in view, and though they were the only light source in this location, All For One could immediately tell where these optical organs were.
"You dare mention the light in my domain….?" A sinister and powerful voice echoed throughout their location.
"You have interfered in an important fight of mine, and so I demand that you send me back so I can finish the job…" All For One said to the individual in front of him.
"You call out to me, seeking knowledge and power, and then you have the audacity to refuse my answer…?" The voice retorted with a hint of anger, making the Symbol of Evil realise something.
"So then you must be what I connected to when I accessed that symbiote's mind..." All For One commented. "It's true I wanted to learn more about their kind, the more I discover, the easier it will be to turn into the perfect weapon…"
"Your breach of the Hive Mind was felt radiating across the entire Multiverse! And so when it reached my domain, I was curious as to who would be foolish enough to enter the neural network of my creations…" The voice explained as more sources of red coloured light appeared, allowing All For One to use his sensory Quirks and make out a humanoid figure within the darkness.
"Apologies, but are you telling me that you were the one who created the symbiotes?" All For One asked inquisitively. "Who are you? And how did you bring me to this place?"
The humanoid figure's details became more visible, showing that he had long wavy hair that reached down to his shoulders and was quite slender yet nothing about him screamed "human" or "normal".
"I am the Living Abyss…I existed before this reality and shall exist long after…I slumbered in the colorless void until light invaded my kingdom and drove me out of my rightful place in the never-ending cosmos…I am the Forger of Darkness, the King in Black…I am….Knull…"
Did you enjoy the chapter? If so, please favourite and follow the story and give me your feedback! Now I will go over some of the decisions I made in the chapter.
So yes as you can see as per a lot of your feedback, Knull, the God of the Symbiotes and King in Black, is finally here! Thank you again for the suggestions as I wasn't sure if you would want him to appear but turns out you are for that idea! I know I might get criticism for only foreshadowing him in this chapter only, but I didn't want to really try and make it such a long build-up given how long we spent brainstorming the next arc. Do feel free to also suggest more possible ideas for the next chapter.
And also you might have noticed how Sleeper's dialogue is not bold like other symbiotes. This is because unlike the others, Sleeper has no hosts and therefore is a singular entity using his real voice, as most other symbiotes use a distorted version of their host's, which is why the dialogue is written in bold. But Sleeper needs no such distinction as he is one person.
And yep, All-Might lost! He tried his hardest but in this universe he failed! Or rather this timeline, as you could probably say that in the Sacred Timeline All-Might is the victor but in this alternate timeline he loses. I did this both because I want to deviate from canon and give All For One a larger role in this story.
If you have any other questions and suggestions, please add them to your reviews!
If that is all, then I will see you guys next chapter! MVA: Symbiote's Justice, Lethal Protectors away!