Author Notes:
Yes, yes. I know. Late as usual. What can I say? I was trying to storyboard this whole story. I was trying to find a way to incorporate more of the GOH universe into this story and I think I've finally cracked it. This chapter will be the start of something beautiful... at least in my eyes. So I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm proud of it. It might just impress you.
Again still looking for pairings in this story, so if you want to see things. Just let me know. I need some drama for the class while they aren't facing life or death situations or dealing with academics. Some nice slice of life, you know?
Anyways enjoy the story,
HailToTheSnail
Chapter 7 - The God of Hero Academia
Villains. The incarnation of evil in society. The reason heroes were created. There they were, staring up at them. Searching through them. Looking for someone in particular.
To most of the class, Mori knew it was frightening for them. But to him, it was just another fight. Another fight that he had to win. Something that he'd grown used to in his long lifetime. This wasn't his first fight, and it sure as hell wouldn't be his last one either.
"Stay back!" Mr. Aizawa shouted, stopping any unaware students in their tracks. He put on his goggles and Mori focused on the villains with a little more caution. "This is real. Those are villains."
Immediately, the Monkey King could feel the fear in his fellow classmates. To be thrown into a fight with dozens of villains with no proper training. It was too much to ask from them.
Mori's attention was brought back to the gate of darkness. There were two distinct villains that'd just walked through. The first being a frail-looking light blue-haired man wearing simple black clothes with white hands all over his face and body, and the second being the far more imposing villain resembling a bodybuilder with near-black skin, an avian-like head, and a brain exposed to the open air.
"Real villains?" Kirishima said nervously. "How could so many get into a U.A. facility this secure?" he asked worriedly.
"Yes, Thirteen," Yaoyorozu added. "Why aren't the alarms going off?"
"They most likely have someone with a Quirk jamming the signal to this facility," Mori replied, already guessing the reason. They prepared well… these weren't your average villains. They were much more dangerous.
"They carefully chose this isolated facility at a time when a class was being taught," Todoroki continued. "They've thought this out. Whatever their plans, they must have a concrete object in mind. But what is it?"
Mori racked his brain for any sort of clue to what they could want with a class of rookies. Were they trying to take out a future generation of heroes? That couldn't be it. There was nearly no gain for them doing so. They were here to stand out no doubt about it. But how? A high profile target? But who here could that be?
The Monkey King looked at the people here. Mr. Aizawa and Thirteen were options, but neither was really one for the limelight. Neither would be enough to shake the world at least. And the only students that he could think of that would have any kind of value to the villains would be Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and himself. Which as famous as they were, were even less significant than the two pro heroes. So-
"W-We could really use All Might right about now," Mineta stuttered.
-that's it! How could he forget All Might was supposed to be here with them. The villains were here for All Might. That false alarm with the news reporters during lunch must have been a diversion to retrieve the class schedules.
"Mr. Aizawa," the brown-haired boy said, drawing his teacher's attention. Though their teacher didn't take his eyes off of the villains for even a second.
"What is it Mr. Usagiyama?" the eraser hero asked.
"They're here for All Might. That false alarm at lunch with the reporters, it was a diversion to retrieve the class schedule. They knew the number one hero would be here at this time, isolated from the rest of the school. We have to get out of here before they take us as hostages to lure in All Might," Mori informed, positive of his reasoning.
Mr. Aizawa stepped forward. "Thirteen, get the kids out of here. Try to get in contact with U.A. once you get out of the building. I doubt the electro wave Quirk user amongst them can jam the signal in the open," his eyes narrowed behind his goggles. "Kaminari, you try to contact U.A. as well with your Quirk. They might not be able to jam your signal."
"Mr. Aizawa, are you going to fight them alone?" Midoriya asked fearfully. "Even if you suppress all their Quirks, there are just too many of them. You won't be able to win."
Mori couldn't agree more. His Quirk while useful against many enemies didn't give him enough of an advantage. Sure, he could get rid of their Quirks. But it'd still be one on dozens of villains. He'd die if he went to fight now.
Eraserhead didn't answer. "Thirteen, I'm counting on you to get them out of here."
With that, he jumped down the staircase and down to the plaza. It was both amazing and disheartening to see him running into a losing battle. The Monkey King could tell from a glance that this wasn't one he was winning. He was buying time for Thirteen to get them out of this facility. A true hero.
Before they could watch the fight, Thirteen herded them in the opposite direction. "We can't be standing around here. We've got to move. Eraserhead's buying us precious time to escape. Use that time and get out."
"But Thirteen, are we just going to let Mr. Aizawa die? As Midoriya said, he can't win that fight!" Sato exclaimed.
"We're going," Thirteen repeated sternly.
"But-" the sweets-eating teen started.
Mori put an arm on Sato's shoulder. "Listen to our teacher," he assured. "She knows what she's talking about."
"But what about our teacher?" Hagakure cried.
"The only reason Mr. Aizawa is holding them off is so that we can escape," Todoroki added. "The sooner we get out of here, the sooner he can pull out knowing we're safe."
"Which is why we shouldn't be wasting any more time," Thirteen continued.
"Oh but you've wasted enough time for me to prevent your escape."
Mori and the rest of the class turned around to come face to face with the darkness that brought the villains. It stood between them and the exit. A warping Quirk! Weren't those extremely rare? These weren't your average thugs. That was for sure.
"Greetings, heroes. We are the villain alliance," it said. "I apologize for our untimely arrival, but we took it upon ourselves to enter U.A. unannounced. Would you happen to know where All Might is? The Symbol of Peace? Was the schedule changed?"
Thirteen stepped in front of them. "Stand back children. I'll handle-"
She didn't get any further. For both Bakugo and Kirishima rushed forwards, throwing an explosion and hardened fist towards the wispy villain.
"How's it feel to be dealt in before you could do anything," the redhead grinned.
"What are you talking about," Bakugo countered, turning his back to the villain. "You did nothing, shitty hair. That was all me."
"What! No way. I did at least half the work there," Kirishima countered.
Before there bickering could actually go anywhere though. The smoke from Bakugo's explosion cleared to show the mass of darkness completely fine. "That was quite daunting. As expected of the future generation of U.A. heroes," it complimented. "Now let me demonstrate my power."
"Get out of there!" Thirteen tried to warn.
"Too late!" the intangible villain shouted, as his dark vapors rushed towards the two hot-headed heroes hungrily. Striking at them ferociously.
"Renewal Bo Bup."
Mori appeared behind both Bakugo and Kirishima in a flash, grabbing them both by the neck of their hero costumes and yanking them back. Just barely dodging the dark vapors that were aimed at their chests.
Before the villain got the chance to strike again, the Monkey King threw them over his shoulder and back to the rest of the class where both Shoji and Sato reacted quickly enough to catch them.
He spun to the side immediately after, dodging the first limb of darkness coming for his head before somersaulting backward to dodge the other one that slammed into the ground where he'd just been standing. He glared at the villain.
The mass of darkness paused in his attack. "Interesting. You're Mirko's son, aren't you?" he asked curiously. "You're a clear cut above the rest of your classmates. Normally that'd be enough to deal with any average pro hero. I'm glad that's not the case here."
Mori lowered himself into a fighting stance. He had an idea of what the villain's Quirk was, but there might've been more to it. He had to be cautious here. The villain seemed to be one of the ringleaders of this little breach.
Before the villain could attack again, he paused. "Yes, Shigaraki. It will be done," he said quietly through a com of some sort. He returned his focus onto the Monkey King. "Excuse me for this, but my master grows impatient. And as confident in my abilities as I am, I cannot keep track of all of you at once. I will have to scatter you now. Try not to die."
Scatter? Hold on… what did he mean by-
Mori jumped to the side as the villain exploded into a cloud of darkness, surging forwards and past him. His eyes widened in shock as he looked back at his classmates standing in the way. Shit, he'd moved on instinct.
Quick thinking told him to cut it off from the source, but his arms and legs just went through the darkness like a plane through the clouds. He had no corporeal form.
The villain laughed. "It's too late," he said simply. "I've already scattered most of you. By now, they'll be fighting for their lives against the villains in different sectors of this facility. I wonder how they'll fare?"
Mori knew damn well that the villain was goading him. It was as obvious as day. If he'd been Bakugo or some of the hot-headed members of the class, he might have sunk down to it. But as it was, all he did was bristle.
He took a cursory glance back to take count of who was still here. It looked like Iida, Shoji, and Uraraka. Plus Thirteen, who he assumed the villain wanted to deal with quickly.
"Kids get behind me," Thirteen shouted, raising an arm towards the villain. "This is going to get dangerous."
Mori heeded his teacher's words and stepped back. Content to let her deal with the warp villain. She was a professional hero after all and, even though it was the least of his concerns at the moment, he didn't have a hero license. He didn't have the right to fight. It aggravated him but he understood the merits of it in society. It was what kept Quirks in check.
It didn't mean he wouldn't step in if needed. He valued his and his classmates' lives no matter how little time they've known each other. He wanted to get to know them better if he was, to be frank. It'd been a while since he had time to just make friends and have fun.
The Monkey King focused back on what was happening before him. Thirteen had raised her arm, pointing her fingers at the villain. From what he remembered of her Quirk, she was able to create minuscule black holes from the tips of her fingers, disintegrating any matter at the atomic level. Which would work extremely well against an intangible villain like this one.
The cap of one of the fingers on the professional hero's glove came off and an immediately strong suction of force tried to drag the Monkey King towards it.
Even though Thirteen wasn't faced towards him, it was taking nearly all his strength to remain rooted in place, his classmates struggling just as much. He had no doubt the warp villain was having an even harder time than he was. The effects were just that strong.
"Class Rep!" Thirteen shouted while the villain was detained for now. "I need you to get away from here! Get back to U.A. and raise the alarm! We'll provide you with the support you need in order to escape!"
"But what about all of you!" Iida countered. "I can't just leave! That'd be a disgrace to my position as-"
"Just get out of here," Mori cut him off. "We need to let the school know about this situation. If we don't get reinforcements soon, it won't matter. There will be casualties if that happens."
Iida made to argue but was interrupted.
"He's right," Shoji continued. "If we don't get help soon, simply put, we're fucked," he added crassly. "When Mr. Aizawa is done in, and I mean when those villains down there will come for us."
Mori nodded at Shoji, glad another student recognized the severity of the situation.
Thirteen also seemed to agree with them. "Your classmates aren't wrong, Class Rep. If we don't gather the rest of the teachers, Class 1-A is done for," she said bitterly. Her voice softened when he addressed him again. "Please use your Quirk to save others. You're the only one that can right now."
Iida looked conflicted, to say the least. But his eyes shone with a resolute determination.
"This is growing bothersome," the villain hissed, slowly being vacuumed towards Thirteen's miniature black holes. "I shall end this farce here."
Warning signals went off in Mori's head at the warp villain's warning. What did he mean by that? His eyes slowly widened at the one scenario that played in his head. "Thirteen, turn off your Quirk!" He shouted.
Too little, too late. One of the villain's warp gates materialized behind Thirteen as another happened from his own body. The professional hero's Quirk devouring the back of her own hero costume until it laid waste to herself. She crumpled to the floor.
"Thirteen!" Uraraka cried, watching her hero idol fall to the ground. She was right beside their teacher just as quickly.
"Uraraka, is she alive?" Mori asked, his focus not leaving the warp villain now that he was no longer impeded by their teacher's Quirk.
His female classmate checked for a pulse. "She's alive," she confirmed with a sigh.
That was a relief. His eyes shifted to Iida, who was shell shocked by what happened to their teacher. He glared at their Class Rep. "What are you doing, Iida? Thirteen told you to get out of here! I didn't nominate you for Class Rep for no reason! Go!"
Iida seemed to snap out of his shock at the Monkey King's words. He sprinted forwards.
The warp villain stood in his way. "I'm afraid if word got out to the teachers, that would cause a spot of concern for us," he admitted, opening another gate. "Your Quirk is a little bothersome for me to deal with. I'll let the other thugs we brought along deal with you."
Before the villain could so much as impede Iida's path, Mori slammed into the guy. Or more importantly, the piece of metal floating within his body. It seemed to do the trick because the darkness that made up the villain's body came tumbling with it. Seemed a piece of him needed to be tangible, explaining the armor piece.
Kurogiri growled. "You children are getting rather annoying," he stated. He glanced back at the engine hero that was getting away. "I don't have time to deal with you," he added, turning quickly to give chase to Iida.
Mori wouldn't give him the chance. He surged forward, jumping at the villain to tackle him before he warped Iida somewhere further into the U.S.J.. He wasn't kidding when he said that they were screwed without the teachers. Even if he could deal with all the villains on his own given time, it wouldn't be happening without casualties. Casualties he didn't want, nor needed. He couldn't defend them all on his own.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, the warp villain turned quickly to face the Monkey King. A gate forming in his body mass. Shit. He'd wanted Mori to chase him. "I'm disappointed, son of Mirko. I didn't expect you to fall for such an obvious ploy," he said with a shake of his head. "Though it matters not. Enjoy your travels. I've left you with a rather… worthy opponent."
The brown-haired hero aspirant, knowing he was about to be warped, took one parting look at both Shoji and Uraraka. No words were passed between them, but they both nodded. A message as clear as day passed between them.
Get Iida out of here.
Darkness swallowed his sight.
"What do we do, Midoriya?" Tsu asked, watching the villains in the water carefully.
Midoriya frowned. Their situation was less than desirable. Him, Tsu, and Mineta were stuck on the boat in the middle of the Flood Zone surrounded by villains on all sides. With each of those villains having a Quirk pertaining to water.
"I-I don't know," he admitted with a stutter. And he meant it. Why was Tsu asking him what to do? He'd get them hurt, or worse, killed. He shivered at the thought.
His eyes drifted between his two classmates, both looking at him desperately. Fear evident in their eyes. Mineta's was more obvious, but Tsu tried to hide hers. It made it all the more noticeable. They needed a beacon of hope.
But what could he do? He couldn't lead. He didn't know the first thing about it. His thoughts drifted to some of the more talented people in their class. Maybe he could replicate what they'd do in this situation. Draw inspiration to save him and his classmates.
What would Bakugo do? The green-haired boy frowned. He'd probably just run headfirst into the villains, saying that there was no need for a stupid plan. But he had a mastery over his Quirk that not many people their age did. As for Todoroki? He had a little more tact than his childhood friend. But again, most of his fights revolved around his Quirk. That wasn't something that he could say that he had. Who else was there though?
One last classmate came to mind. Mori Usagiyama. A student that, not only did Midoriya find himself respecting but also admiring. Not for his Quirk, cause he wasn't quite sure what it even was, but for his fighting prowess and ingenuity. What would he do?
Before he could even think of a strategy, the boat was ripped apart. A giant hand of water submerging back down into its source, having shred through metal plates as easily as a knife to butter. "I'm starting to get bored!" the villain responsible shouted. "Let's get this show on the road already!"
Panicking, Midoriya's mind raced a mile a minute. They only had a minute or so before the boat sunk and they were tossed underwater. What should he do? What would Mori do?
His ideas brought him to his Quirk over and over again, but what if there were more fights ahead. He couldn't, very well, fight with a broken body. He'd be a burden on Tsu and Mineta. There had to be another way.
He looked around desperately for anything that could help them out of this precarious situation when his eyes landed on the massive metal ga tank at the back of the ship. Maybe…
"Midoriya, we're sinking!" Mineta called, tears streaming down his face. "I don't want to die! Save us!"
Midoriya's mind was set. He ran inside the ship and up to the bridge, ripping apart a console and grabbing what useful parts he could from it. He made his way back, having taken only half a minute or so. The water was rising though and they didn't have much time.
Making his way back to the gas tank, he removed the stoppage to it and fiddled with the scrap parts he'd grabbed from the bridge. He wasn't a genius when it came to electrical engineering, but he had a little bit of practice because of the science fair in middle school. Now he just needed to make a makeshift ignition.
A few rushed moments passed and he crammed the wiring of the device he'd made into the gas tank, putting the stoppage back in afterward. The villains approached as the boat sunk lower into the water, grouping up to attack once it fully submerged.
He looked at Tsu, who even though he hadn't explained his plan, nodded in understanding. She probably had a good idea of what suicidal idea he'd come up with.
Midoriya then placed an arm on Mineta's shoulder, stopping the shorter boy from pacing. He could see the fear in the purple-haired boy's eyes. "Mineta, I'm gonna need you to use your Quirk when you see the explosion," Midoriya explained. "Throw as many balls as you've got."
Mineta didn't answer, his eyes downcast as he shook violently.
All Might's successor's features softened and he tried for a smile, though it looked awkward and out of place. "I know you're afraid," he started, his arms shaking slightly. "I get that. I'm afraid as well," he took a deep breath and the shaking subsided. "But if we don't do anything, how can we expect to be the heroes we're meant to be?"
He hefted the gas tank over his shoulder, struggling under its weight. He jumped up onto the rail and jumped off the ship with a mighty shout, surprising the villains below. He pressed down on the button peeking out from the stopper and threw the metal capsule down and into the water with all his might.
BOOM!
The explosion was rough. The heat was overwhelming and the bits of metal shrapnel were stinging, but his body was intact. Not a single crippled limb. It almost made him laugh.
As for the villains, the water had spread out from ground zero, but it was quickly rushing back in to fill the void the explosion had created, sucking in the villains with it.
"Now, Mineta!" Midoriya cried as he felt Tsu's tongue wrap around his body.
To the short boy's credit, dozens of sticky purple balls rained down on the villains below, mixing in with them in the water as they were drawn to the center of ground zero. They quickly ran out of space and bumped into one another, sticking themselves together in a nice little present for the pro heroes when they arrived.
"It worked!" the green-haired boy shouted gratefully.
"It did," Tsu admitted, genuinely impressed with both her classmates. Especially Midoriya for his ingenuity and quick thinking. "You two are amazing."
As they flew through the air and away from the captured villains, realization dawned on Midoriya. They'd done it. He'd done it. And without the use of his Quirk. With just sheer ingenuity and quick thinking. Just like Mori. Just like a true hero.
Midoriya smiled at that thought. Although All Might would always have his utmost admiration, he also found himself looking up to his brown-haired classmate. Mori stood for everything that Midoriya wished he could have heard when he was a child after learning of his seemingly permanent medical problem.
Even if I don't have a Quirk, can I become a hero?
Mori, to him, represented everything that he'd wished for as a kid. A dream. A dream of becoming a pro hero. A quirkless hero.
He closed his eyes momentarily as they flew over the villains, panicking as they were swept into the artificial whirlpool. He smiled. Thanks, Mori, he thought.
Mori rolled as he reached the ground, lowering himself into a fighting stance. He was in the Landslide Zone from what he'd seen during his fall. He growled in frustration. He couldn't believe he fell for such an obvious trap. How could he let that happen to him? That was just plain stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He took a deep breath. Getting angry wouldn't solve any of his problems. He needed to have a clear mind to do anything. Maybe think about the situation a bit-
"Hey, that's one of the students over there!"
-Or maybe he could take out his aggression on some of the villains here.
Mori looked towards the group of villains on the ridge below. So the villains at the plaza weren't the only ones? They were all over the rescue scenarios as well it seemed? He hoped his class would be able to deal with them.
"Remember boys! Shigaraki wants him alive!" one of the villains called out to the rest.
"Yeah, yeah," another said with fake tears. "Why'd he have to go and change his orders like that. I was really looking forward to cutting up some of the children."
"Yeah, well you can't. Deal with it," the first replied gruffly.
Shigaraki? Mori frowned. The gate villain said that name before as well. He'd better remember it. Maybe the police could use the information when they escaped this mess.
His eyes narrowed. "I don't have time for you guys," he said, exuding a fraction of his full strength. They froze. "So get out of the way, or I'll break a few bones."
A few of them flinched back, but quickly realized what they'd done. They grew irritated by their own actions. "Aren't you cocky, kid. It's six on one, your odds aren't great, you know?" the first sneered. "We have the advantage here."
They did… under normal circumstances. He wasn't sure if former god fell under that normal category though. Regardless, he didn't say it. Better to let them fool themselves into thinking they had the advantage. It played into his favor.
Mori stepped back, placing weight on his back leg, ready to pounce. He didn't have time for these villains and he sure as hell wasn't going to take it easy on them.
Before he could even take a step though, a sheet of ice shot past his foot, making him jump to the side in surprise before it reached the group of villains. It immediately froze their feet in place and began to slowly climb their bodies.
Mori's impatience slowly faded at the familiar ice. A smile taking its place. "I could have handled that," he admitted easily.
"I don't doubt that," Todoroki replied just as easily, stepping up beside the Monkey King. "I just thought I'd lend a friend a hand. We have to get back to the rest of the class. Thought this would help us get there faster."
Mori quirked a brow. Did he hear that right? "Did you just say friend?" he asked.
The scarred student didn't answer for a moment, pretending to focus his attention on the captured villains. He then sighed when he realized how stupid that made him look. "Could we not do this now," he said. "We're in the middle of a situation."
Mori raised his hands up in surrender, despite the dire situation they were in. "Alright, alright," he agreed before pointing at his friend. "But for the record you said it."
Ignoring the clear jab, Todoroki asked, "How were things at the main entrance when I got warped? Did Iida manage to get out to warn the teachers?"
The brown-haired boy shook his head. "No. We were in the middle of doing that when I got warped here," he replied honestly. "But it wasn't just you and I that got warped, nearly everyone in our class did. Do you think they were also separated into smaller groups before being brought into one of these rescue scenarios?"
Todoroki looked back at the Monkey King. "It's possible. We've already run into some villains in this zone," he mulled it over. "It's likely that the leaders that orchestrated this attack planned on separating us before letting the lesser villains finish us off. That way he could deal with All Might himself," he suggested.
He continued. "But with the Symbol of Peace not here, he probably wanted us captured to be used as hostages instead. That'd explain a few of the disappointed villains."
Mori hadn't thought of it like that but knew it to be true. Those villains, trying to free themselves from the ice, had wanted to kill them and seemed disappointed by it too. Which supported Todoroki's theory for why they wanted hostages.
Which meant that their classmates would be fine. It was only their teacher, Mr. Aizawa, that was in any danger now. That lifted a weight off his shoulders.
"Hey, they're over here! They caught Hitsu's group!"
Mori and Todoroki looked up the mudslide to see another cluster of villains approaching. There appeared to be thrice as many as the first group. Maybe a little under twenty? They also looked a little more capable then the group stuck in ice. Though again, they were stuck in ice. It wasn't that intimidating when a villain was bound and captured.
"I've got the ones on the left and you've got the ones on the right?" Mori asked. His expression grew serious and his eyes tracked the villains' movements. Even if the two kids were powerful for their age, those bad guys were still adults. Adults that knew how to use their Quirks and have had them for many years longer.
Todoroki nodded, also taking the villains seriously. Seemed he had a head-on his shoulders. "That's acceptable," he admitted, as ice started to encase his right side.
He also made the first move. A wall of ice shooting forwards from his foot, separating the villains down the middle when they dodged out of the way. Todoroki nodded at him before running up the right side of his ice wall.
Mori took the left. There were ten on his side and two of them broke away from the group, pelting him with bullets from afar, as the eight others rushed him.
The Monkey King took the initiative, knowing his greatest threat was the two snipers. He grabbed two rocks from the ground as he ran low, making himself a smaller target for the two in the back. He took careful aim.
THWACK! BAM!
His aim flew true and both stones hit their marks. The first piercing the right shoulder of the villain with a Quirk that turned their fingers into gun barrels, while the second rock went right for the face of the one on the right, cracking the mask they wore and knocking them unconscious, their hunting rifle falling out of their hands.
With those two villains quickly incapacitated, it gave Mori the chance to give the melee-oriented fighters his full undivided attention. He dove headfirst into the brawl.
As the first villain drew near, Mori ducked low beneath the man's fist which was turning a bright cherry red. His leg shot up though, cracking the villain's chin and rendering him unconscious. "Renewal Baek Rok," he said.
His eyes focused on the next villain, not missing a beat. She flinched back at seeing how quickly her teammate fell. Her mistake. The Monkey King took full advantage of that fact and elbowed the woman in the stomach. "Renewal Arang," Mori muttered.
The woman fell to the ground as the third stepped over him. He didn't hesitate like the second and aimed a kick at Mori's stomach. He took it with a small grunt and broke the guy's ankle with his elbow and knee. The guy went down.
The fourth seemed to be a little smarter than the first three because instead of running in, he picked up a handful of mud and tossed it at the Monkey King, blinding him momentarily.
He gritted his teeth but jumped back when he felt the still air breath against the top of his head. The sound of metal on rock resounded ahead of him and he aimed a kick around knee level. He was rewarded with a satisfying crunch as he broke the villain's wrist. He wiped the mud off his face and opened his eyes. He immediately dropped to the floor.
A knife flew through the space his head had just been and another man cackled ahead as he came at the Monkey King. A curved knife in each hand, swinging wildly. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!" the villain giggled. His red eyes wide beneath his long blonde hair. "Amen, hero!"
Mori's brows furrowed as he stepped back, narrowly avoiding choking on his own blood. This man was batshit crazy. There was no doubt about that. He sighed. He hated fighting people like this the most. They were so unpredictable.
"What's wrong, hero!" the insane priest cried, reversing his knife and sweeping up. "Are you jealous of me!? Of the fact that God chose me and not you, to host his mind!"
What the fuck was he talking about? You know what, it was probably better that Mori didn't know. In fact, he'd make an effort to not listen to the guy.
But with how wary he'd been of the crazy one, the other three villains had had enough time to join up with their comrade. His eyes drifted between the four of them carefully. They had him surrounded.
"We got you now, hero," another of the villain's said, trying to instill fear in the Monkey King. It wouldn't work if that was what they were trying to accomplish.
Instead, he just lowered his center of mass and pulled back his leg. "Renewal-" he started.
The villains panicked, seeing he was up to something, and charged him simultaneously, their weapons drawn and Quirks at the ready. They were mere feet away from him.
"-Gor Yo x4," Mori finished, throwing eight well-placed kicks into the faces of the four villains. He took a deep breath and waited for the telltale sign that the villains were dealt in.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
His eyes widened and he rolled forwards narrowly dodging the knife trying to lodge itself into the back of his throat. He turned around midroll and landed on his knee, looking up to see that the deranged villain was still standing.
The villain bit his fingers until they bled. "That was wonderful!" he cried, blood seeping from his lips. "The way you knocked out my comrades, " he shivered. "Breathtaking."
Mori's eyes narrowed. "You used your friends as bait," he said, angry at that thought. It didn't sit right with him after Mubong's betrayal in the War with the Heavens.
The villain's smile grew and his eyes grew even wider if that was possible. "You speak!" he said joyfully, cackling loudly. "Oh, how glorious! I was worried you might be mute or deaf, and all the lord's teachings were being wasted, but now to hear you speak and have you hear me," he licked his lips. "It fills me with so much joy!"
Mori's eyes narrowed. He didn't like this guy. He really didn't like this guy. He spouted holy dribble that he believed wholeheartedly. Praising god for being an infallible being. The gods weren't that. They were corrupt beings with too much power and a taste for sadism.
The Monkey King ducked and weaved between the villain's knives, trying to not get cut up into ribbons. The silver lining though was the fact that he was slowly growing accustomed to the priest's movements.
And as the fight drew on, the man's holy remarks slowly started to die out in favor of concentrating on the brawl that was steadily growing harder for him.
"Just die, damn it!" the man shouted, lunging at Mori with a curved blade.
The brown-haired student grinned. He'd overextended. He swayed to the right and grabbed ahold of the man's arm, breaking it and making him drop his knife.
The priest swung in a wide arc with his other knife to create some distance, but Mori stepped into it, the villain's wrist bouncing off the Monkey King's shoulder uselessly.
He drove an elbow into the man' stomach. "Renewal Arang," he said. He then grabbed the man by the hair before he could be knocked away by the attack. He drove a knee into his face, breaking his nose. "Renewal Baekdu."
And as the man stumbled back holding his face, Mori dug his foot into the mud. "Mori Jin Original:," he muttered, drawing his leg forwards in a powerful kick. The wind picked up around his leg, becoming hard like scales and roaring like a dragon. "Blue Dragon's Kick," he finished, throwing it forwards at the unprepared villain.
The man didn't notice, or even have time to react.
Shigaraki was scratching again. Damn it. Nothing was going right.
First All Might failed to show and now his pawns were being trashed by a single useless hero. He growled in frustration. Pathetic, the lot of them.
He glanced up at the Nomu beside him, waiting for his orders and watching the fight between the pro hero, Eraserhead, and the thugs he'd picked off the street. At least this abomination wouldn't fail him. It'd been an offering from his master when he stated his goal was to kill the Symbol of Peace. A gift.
"I won't let you down, master," Shigaraki promised.
Though from the way the fight was progressing, his promise might as well have been moot. He was being humiliated by a sole hero; the teacher tearing through his minion reserves.
His patience grew thin and he looked up at the Nomu. It was already staring at him.
He shivered slightly. Although these things unsettled him, with their crazed eyes and brains exposed, Shigaraki had been assured by his master that they were worth the discomfort.
And he wasn't one to doubt his master. He'd even seen the Nomu's combat abilities first hand. The poor arrogant thug didn't stand a chance as his existence ceased to be.
"Nomu," the lead villain said, watching Eraserhead. The abomination warbled. "Kill him."
On his orders, the Nomu ran forwards with a battle cry of its own, making Eraserhead turn to the new threat. The rest of the villains backed off at the mere sight of the Nomu.
"Cowards," he muttered, his scratching growing more irritated.
If it weren't for the fact that he needed his pawns to keep the heroes' own busy, he'd have forgone them entirely. They were useless after all. Throwaway pieces. Only serving to delay, so that his queen could take the heroes king.
He growled again. And that just reminded him of the fact that All Might wasn't here. Great. Just great. He needed to let off some steam. His eyes traveled back to the Nomu.
The Nomu, although it had a clear advantage, was struggling with the hero, not in terms of victory or defeat, but hitting the target. Eraserhead was smaller and more agile, while the Nomu was built for strength and endurance. He'd been created as a counter to All Might. Not some extra.
He watched the pointless brawl continue with no results. Shigaraki sighed. "Guess I'll deal with their bishop myself. I don't want the Nomu to exhaust itself before the final boss," he muttered, his scratching slowing. "I haven't had a good fight in a while. Let's see if this hero, Eraserhead, can distract me for a bit."
He didn't rush in right away though. The first thing he learned about games was that the one with the most information before a fight was usually the one that came out on top. Watching the fight unfold and gleaming any useful information would only help to improve his odds and secure him a better position before the final boss, All Might, showed.
Shigaraki watched Eraserhead's movements carefully. He'd spotted a bug. One he planned on exploiting as soon as he saw an opportunity to jump in.
BOOM! BOOM!
His eyes drifted from the fruitless fight between Eraserhead and the Nomu to where he thought he heard the explosion. It looked like it was the Landslide Zone. He recalled which of his pawns were there. Even if they were useless pieces, a king had to know what he had to work with. Otherwise it could be game over in an instant.
He smiled wickedly, perking up at the thought of one of his pawns there. A pawn that could promote themselves into a queen. "Now if only he would listen to me," Shigaraki said, his scratching ceasing to be. "All his holy dribble really rubs me the wrong way."
Mori sighed as the crazed priest crumpled to the floor. He got a little closer to see if the man was truly out. He gazed down at the villain, his eyes roving over the man's form like a hawk. Searching for any sign of consciousness.
He didn't know why, but the blonde locks and face looked familiar. It reminded him of someone dangerous, yet he couldn't put his finger on it. It eluded him.
The Monkey King shook his head. He didn't have time to dwell on such trivial thoughts. The priest was unconscious, that's all that mattered. He turned away from the eerie villain. He still had his class and teacher to worry about after all.
Mori's head swiveled towards the ice wall that formed a barrier between his and Todoroki's fights. There was the sound of fighting coming from above it.
His arms pulled back to his side and he drew back his fists to break the ice and help out his classmate. "Renewal Mach-"
SCHUNK!
Mori coughed up blood and he looked down. There was a blade piercing his chest.
How? How was anyone even conscious? He'd made sure they were all dead to the world. He looked back, ready to pummel the bastard that'd stabbed him. His eyes widened.
Mori realized why the blonde locks and face looked so familiar now as the not so crazed priest from before floated above him in the sky. A pink halo floated around his head and three pairs of wings unfurled from his back. He smiled arrogantly.
"It's been a while, Mori Jin," the angel greeted, his eyes opening to reveal the pure gold they were in his divine form. "I'm glad I've been given this chance to fight you again. I did so hate how are first battle turned out."
Mori clutched his wound as he stood up quickly. His eyes narrowing as he realized the severity of the situation. How was this even possible?
Michael, the Archangel, was alive.
And there's my big reveal. A god in the Hero Academia universe? What could that possibly mean? I'll let you all draw your own conclusions. It's more fun that way. You'll also get some more information next chapter too. So look forward to that.
On a side note, I incorporated and changed the Midoriya scene so I could add some character growth to him that involved Mori Jin. It might seem a little far fetched, but Midoriya hasn't really seen Mori fight with any fancy Quirks or not. Sure he as Yeoui, but he doesn't use it as often as he does his martial arts. He takes inspiration from that and benefits with ingenuity. Win, win, right?
Anyways, thanks for the read. I hope you can drop a comment, like, and follow for me. It really keeps me motivated and I appreciate the kind words. See you guys in the next chapter!