Justice Across Space and Time
Chapter 61
To Laughingman, you aren't wrong about the modular advantages. It's what makes Hiroto's gundam in Re:Rise so capable. But he still couldn't match up to properly built for or designed machines. And I based Melissa's armor ideas on Tony's for the most part. As well as some other ideas off the top of my head.
But that's not the big thing here. I will just say this, unfortunately the big scene with Eri smiling won't come into play since she's got more to be happy about. Let alone new friends who don't care about her powers or anything. Instead the focus is on some different characters. So, on with the show.
(No POV)
"Let's move La Brava. We must get to UA as quickly as possible." Gentle said after leaving their hideout. The short girl nodded and quickly followed her partner and idol. They hurried while also following Gentle's schedule. Including a place to get a very nice cup of tea before they could sneak in.
After enjoying the refreshment, they covered their heads again and made their way to make up for any lost time. "I had a feeling you'd be here. This is a very nice café after all. And the tea is quite good." The pair hear this from an alley they were passing.
And who should walk out but the same 'vagabond' that Gentle had extended kindness toward prior. "Sir?" the white-haired villain said while putting himself between the homeless person and La Brava. "I do want to thank you for kindness you showed. And I don't believe you are an evil person at your core. That said, I cannot allow you to disrupt the School Festival all of those students have been working for."
Before he could be asked what he meant, Toshinori created a large amount of light before spinning around and changing into his costume. The pair of villains were wide eyed at the startling change. Even more so when they both recognized his current state.
"The true meta lightspeed hero! Ten wasn't it? Or Hibiki?!" Gentle exclaimed while backing away from the hero. Toshinori smirks a bit before saying, "to be honest I've never really been able to come up with a name for myself. But that isn't what is important right now. At this moment, my job is to stop you."
Toshinori then dashes forward to try and knock out the villain. Though that doesn't happen as Gentle used his quirk to make even the air itself elastic. And Toshinori bounced right off of it. He quickly regained his composure though and sought to strike once more.
But the villains took this as a moment to get away. With Gentle making a trampoline beneath his feet and using that to bound himself and La Brava above the crowds. "Well that was embarrassing. Thought I could finish this fast but I underestimated him." Toshinori says before running along under the two.
"La Brava! Take cover! I'll try and get him to stop!" Gentle says after landing in a construction zone. The girl nods and hides as Toshinori arrives. Punching Gentle in the face. But the man doesn't give up too easy and just as he was impacting a steel girder, he made it elastic and bounced himself around the under-construction building.
Toshinori curses to himself before running up the side of the girders to try and intercept the villain. But just as he is about to hit, Gentle makes something else elastic and bounces away. Even bouncing back a kick aimed at the villain's midsection. 'Okay. Didn't see that coming. He's making it hard to hit him. Let alone the fact he's turned this whole area into a weapon.'
As Toshinori was focusing as hard as he could speed up his perception, to try and find a weak point to attack. He does get a few hits in, but Gentle keeps out of reach well enough to make it hard to get a finishing blow. Especially after he gets hit by another Gentle Rebound to knock him away.
"This is getting old!" Toshinori exclaims after bouncing around again. He finds a hopeful moment when he grabs onto Gentle's cape. But the villain had made it elastic as well and used that to slingshot himself with more force. Right into Toshinori.
After getting knocked back a bit, Toshinori sees a way to use that to his advantage. He grabs the cape once more and the makes the villain stretch back toward himself. "You don't learn do you!?" Gentle exclaims. But is shocked when Toshinori says, "that's what you think!" And he ducks right as the villain was hurtling towards him. Making Gentle impact on the ground that he hadn't made elastic.
"Clever. But it won't stop me!" Gentle exclaims before making the ground elastic to use Gently Trampoline and bounce Toshinori up into the air when he charged the man. 'Oh come on! Then again, I guess he has made a name for himself with his escapes.' Toshinori thinks. While also worrying about the fact he had nowhere to run on now.
And Gentle capitalizes on this. He makes a pair of cranes elastic to slingshot himself at Toshinori in hopes of knocking him out. The hero sees this and tries to think of a way to avoid or counter the attack coming. Then remembering something Jotaro had told him.
(Flashback, No POV)
"You are getting a better handle on what you can do now Toshi. But you need to think around what you can do now. You don't have a quirk that just makes you run faster or similar kinds of kinetic enhancements. You have more potential than you realize."
Jotaro said this after a session while the boy was an intern. Toshinori looked at Jotaro funny before asking, "how do you mean? I can just run fast right? Like running on water (as you suggested) and similar. Not that I've tried it yet." The teen shakes his head and points to the one note aspect he's still focusing on.
And he explains that speed is only one factor that's been changed. "You mentioned O'clock before and how his quirk let him perceive the world at high speed, as well as him moving at high speed. But you likely can do more with it given you don't have the same limits. And given what Mirko mentioned about your new form it could have even more applications."
"Such as?" Toshinori asked with a skeptical look. One thing Jotaro noted was that he didn't have to stop or 'cooldown' between uses. He could keep his thoughts and perception at high speed almost indefinitely. "Not to mention, there could be more drastic or impressive applications you haven't awoken to you yet. Maybe even a way to move through objects or similar."
Toshinori just looks at the teen with a flat look of incredulity. Given that even at his best, O'clock could never do that. It just wasn't physically possible; let alone being irrational. "You need to let go of what makes sense or can be described by science or similar. Forget rationality. Forget science or what you think is true. Think more on what makes you different from those with a quirk."
(Flashback end)
"If this doesn't work, I'm gonna kick your ass, Jotaro!" Toshinori thinks aloud before calming down and fully enhancing himself with his power. The world slowed down more by his perception and in that state, he could tell he couldn't dodge. 'At least not the normal way.'
He takes a measured breath before focusing on what he can do and letting it flow through his entire body. And within the span of a few seconds, Toshinori's body had basically become light itself.
While this had been happening in slow motion for him, Gentle Criminal was assured that he would impact on the hero and at least knock him away or out. Only to be shocked when he passed right through Toshinori's body. And kept flying for a few miles.
"Gentle!" La Brava exclaimed at seeing her hero missing his chance and going in the opposite direction of UA. Toshinori righted himself in mid-air and kept his perception and speed high. Now able to move in ways to counter or avoid the bouncing force the villain had put on the ground.
He then sprinted over and picked up La Brava. Running at super speed to keep track of Gentle's flight and surprising the girl. "How?! How can you move this fast with me and I don't feel pain from the air friction?!" Toshinori shrugs and holds the girl tight to himself as he finally catches up to where Gentle was landing.
"Well isn't that convenient." Toshinori says as Gentle lands in the ocean. The ocean next to Dagobah Beach. The villain sputters and swims to the shore with La Brava there to meet him. "My dear? How did? Oh. Never mind. I see," he says with a few coughs while trying to catch his breath.
Toshinori smiles as La Brava helps Gentle to stand before taking this time to stop and talk with the man. "I know a bit of why you want to attack or rather just infiltrate UA. You wish to become notable. To be recognized and capable in some way. Yes?" Gentle looks down before asking how much the true meta hero knew.
"I only know about your past at UA. And how you were expelled and what caused you to….. fall on terrible times and despair. And while part of me wants to just knock you out, I'd rather hear more from you as a whole."
The villains look at Toshinori with some confusion, but they know he basically had them beat. Gentle sighs and removes his cloak as it was sticky from the salt water. He talks about how he strove to become a notable hero. One who could be recognized almost as much as All Might was (Toshinori winced at that). But his dreams fell short or rather were shattered thanks to some of his own actions.
"When I tried to save someone's life, it ended up impeding a hero who was seeking to do the same. And it injured the person we were trying to save." He recounted how his family was held accountable and sued because of his actions. His expulsion and disownment. And living in homelessness until he could find something to stand on.
"You'd have thought that would have been the worst of it right? No. The part that hurt the most was when I met a former classmate. I congratulated him on becoming a well-known hero. And he didn't remember who I was at all." Gentle teared up at saying that.
Noting that this was the point he chose to become a villain. "If I couldn't become remembered for being a hero, I thought I could gain notoriety as a villain. And be remembered like The Peerless Thief or Destro." Toshinori looks down in sadness and disappointment.
The latter though was mostly for himself. 'I didn't concern myself with these things back when I was a pro. I was focused on giving people hope and something to look up to. Or something to strive for.' He also notes that much of this goes back to what Jotaro had pointed out about the problems with too many powers. And people wanting to use them at inopportune times.
"You aren't the only problem in this situation. You….. you sought what so many who go into the hero business do. To become a legend or a hero that can inspire others. It's imperfect, but it is better than others who only become heroes for money or fame. It was precisely that aspect that the Peerless Thief opposed." Toshinori says with a comforting hand on Gentle's shoulder.
He then notes that there could be another way for Gentle to do some good and be a kind of hero. And that his crimes were not the same kind of serious that would warrant arrest. "To be honest, you're more of a nuisance or a person disturbing the peace. Much less sinister compared to someone like Shigaraki or what Stain used to be." Toshinori said with an extended hand.
Gentle took it and asked what the hero intended to do. "I'm going to make a call. I've been in contact with a….. few individuals who could make use of your and other skills. It wouldn't be hero work or anything like that…. At least not right away." Hearing this stuns the two villains. They were certain the true meta hero would cart them off to prison after knocking them out.
"Are you….. are you serious?!" La Brava exclaims while looking between Toshinori and Gentle. The latter of whom gulps before asking what he had in mind. Toshinori pulled out his phone and called up someone special. "Ten-san? This is a bit surprising. What can I do for you?"
"I was hoping to talk with you about a matter principal Nezu. Something involving a few special cases." Toshinori says to the bewilderment of the two before him. And it continues as Toshinori outlines his idea and the options to the three people involved.
With Nezu approving rapidly after noting, "it could be so much fun!" And thus, Gentle Criminal and La Brava's infiltration of UA was stopped. With the creation of a special group to aid in the protection of the public and instructing of others about what it means to be a hero. But that is a story for later.
Back at UA, each of the students were finishing their preparations for the festival. "So, are you ready for that… play Monoma put together?" Jotaro said with a barely covered chuckle. But it turns to a yelp when Itsuka pinches his side. Her cheeks were puffed as she told him to worry about his own show.
"Though given how well you sing and play, I don't think you'll have much to worry about." Itsuka says with a hip bump. Jotaro chuckles before saying they should be good. "Izuku! You sure you can handle pulling Aoyama up with those tendrils of yours?" Mina questions as the teen does a few practice tosses. "All good! Let's give them a great show!"
The teams finish tuning and preparing till the time for their performance is at hand. At 10:00 am, the lights in the auditorium quickly turn on to show all of class 1-A. And then quickly cut out. "Let's get this started!" Jotaro says before tossing his drumsticks into the air. And then generating a few ki orbs to detonate in the air for some opening fireworks.
Right at the last ones detonate, he starts drumming and the rest of the band follows suit. With Jiro singing her heart out after thanking those attending and the performance is on! As the song plays, the dancers keep everyone hyped and dancing along.
And at just the right time, Izuku tosses Aoyama high into the air and the French boy uses his laser to create even more flashy light effects. He is caught by Ojiro, and then put inside of a large mirror ball Izuku quickly prepared.
Saphentite steps forward and dances in a way that excites everyone in the audience (some more than others) and uses her magic to create glittering streamers throughout the hall. Shoto with the help of Kirishima then creates a somewhat snow globe like effect through the building.
As the show keeps going on, Ochaco and others from 1-A pull others into the air to join in their dances. Including Eri, Carmen, and Ernesto who were brought by Pedro, Mirio, and Tamaki. Who float around and laugh with each other between the sparkles of magic Saphentite was creating. And Momo (not to be outdone) creates a few confetti cannons and some harmless fireworks add to it.
When the song ends, the students of 1-A are met with standing ovations and jubilation. Even by those who didn't attend the concert itself. When Jotaro and the others from 1-A met with Pedro and the rest to ask what they thought of the show.
"It was cooolll! They way lumen boy flew in the air and made those flashes! And all the sparkles! And music was great!" each of the children say with smiles on their faces. Waving their hands while thinking about the show. Jotaro laughs and pats Eri on the head before saying, "glad you had fun kiddo."
Izuku and the others agree and a few show them some affection as well. With Izuku having a surprise for Eri and the other two. "Me and Sato worked to make a few of these. Hope you like them!" he says before pulling out a couple of candy apples and handing them to the children. And each of the children happily dig in.
"Ah! You're going to spoil your lunch!" Tamaki says with a pitch in his voice. Mirio and Pedro laugh at Tamaki's panic and thank class 1-A for the exciting performance. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I want to explore more of the festival." Pedro says with a smile before taking the free hand of Ernesto to explore more of the exhibits.
The rest from 1-A decide to explore themselves, though a couple decide to watch the mishmash of stories 1-B was doing for their exhibit. "Well that was….. something?" Saphentite said with a confused smirk on her face. Itsuka rolled her eyes and asked Saphee if she could make her a dress for the pageant.
"No matter how many Mei or Kinoko make, they can't hold up when I get serious!" Itsuka exclaims while heading toward the contest stage. Saphee laughs and quickly makes something that could handle what the girl could do. It doesn't look to dissimilar to the other dresses she'd had made, but the genie girl showed it could take quite a lot of stress. "Okay then. Hopefully I'll be able to show my kind of beauty with this."
"I'm certain you will. Both of you." Jotaro said from a food stand the girls were passing by. He was munching on some taiyaki with a smirk as Itsuka's faced turned a bit red and she called him an idiot. Saphee though just laughed and said, "I hope you enjoy the shows. Before….. well you know." Jotaro nods and acknowledges what she means.
In the backstage of the pageant, each of the girls was changing to fit their appeals. Itsuka had a deep blue dress that hugged her body and left her shoulders exposed. Saphentite had gone for a red dress that covered much of her blue skin, but that was only one part of what she had planned. Bibimi had her usual ostentatious kimono. And Nejire had a dress that was a seafoam green color.
One of the last to arrive though was Melissa. She also had a dress on, but it appeared a bit simpler than the other girls. It was a silver color with red lines along some of the stitching and looped up over one shoulder. "Really? That is how you intended to compete? Rather simple isn't it?" Bibimi asked.
"Oh you'll see what I have in mind." Melissa says with a smirk. The support course upperclassman turned up her nose before telling the rest to show their best. "Not that it can compete with me!" she exclaims as she takes the first act of appeals. With a…. strange parade on the catwalk with a machine modeled after her face.
Jotaro and a few other boys raised their eyebrows at this. Though in his case it was in confusion. "Okay… that was weird. And that's saying something from this world," he remarked as the golden machine made it's way down the catwalk. Manga tried to talk up the student, but he was getting nowhere.
After Bibimi's and a few other girls' appeals, it was time for Itsuka to make her own showing of what it means to be beautiful. She stepped out on the catwalk and took a bit of what she learned from Uwabami to show off that way first. And then took her stance and channeling her ki to her hands.
A set of stone tablets are brought up and she starts chopping through them all. Or rather slicing clean through them in an almost elegant dance. Flashes of teal ki showing as she moved and struck. Widening the eyes of everyone watching at seeing ki for the first time.
Except for Jotaro (and a few pervs) who were more focused on her movements. The pervs watching her breasts as they bounced with her movements. Jotaro though saw her movements as a dance all her own as she copied his stance to channel large amounts of ki.
And she used that to pull large amounts of ki to her center and make it grow and grow. Until it was a massive sphere she was holding above her head. Rather than throwing it like Jotaro would do, she pushed the orb upwards before taking her next stance.
Holding her left fingers in front of her face and her other hand toward the ground. She breathed deeply as she felt the energy moving through and around her once again. Though everyone else was worried about the giant orb she made coming back towards them.
"Ruyi Jingu Bang!" Itsuka shouts before thrusting her fingers upward into the orb. Launching it up in the air and then detonating into a variety of colors above the audience. Garnering oohs and ahs from the observers. And a minor eye twitch from a certain upperclassman. Nejire compliments Itsuka and tells her that she intends to match her flash as well.
(Gonna keep this simple and just say that Nejire's is the same as canon. A rose in the sky made with her wave quirk) After Nejire finished flying through the sky and making her rose, she landed with a grace that many compared to a fairy. Saphentite smiled before adjusting her hair. She had it currently in a bun but that was part of what she would show as she walked out.
She strutted out with many eyes following the sway of her hips and the way her dress hugged her body. And were stunned as the girl let her hair down and let her midnight locks out. Almost giving her hair a shimmer as it cascaded down her back in waves.
Saphentite caught Jotaro's eye and winked at him. He smiled at that while a few of the other boys acted almost star struck. Especially as she began to dance again, floating in the air much like Nejire had done earlier.
But rather than form a shape in the sky, she created arcs and lights to show off her magic. And then to add and extra finisher for the show; as she spun and her hair seemed to hide some of her appearance, when she was shown again she was wearing a belly dancer's outfit. Making most of the boys' noses erupt in blood. And it got a bit worse as she continued to dance and draw all eyes.
Even the girls were affected. With a few who were lesbians having nosebleeds on par with the boys. "Not fair! I know what I'm looking up tonight! Hamina, hamina, hamina! Is this legal?!" a few call out while watching the girl dance. Even with the veil she had on, her beguiling eyes sent a few over.
'It's not like I haven't seen this before….. or really her with less on….. but I swear! My hormones are running hotter than ever!' Jotaro thinks with a gulp. While also planning to apologize to Itsuka later.
Unfortunately, this last part of her appeal does get red flagged by the teachers. Though Midnight herself compliments the girl (and surreptitiously asks to work with the genie on a special appeal of their own) she has to ask that Saphentite leave the stage. While Bibimi is looking like she had a seizure after seeing the effect the genie girl's performance had on the audience.
Melissa shakes her head and takes a breath before stepping up in her own dress. A few in the audience comment that they felt bad for her. "Bad enough she doesn't have a flashy quirk or whatever that was the Kendo did. But she had to go after that!? She's an engineer right? Wonder if she's going to show off a machine of some kind."
The blonde engineer taps her glasses before running toward the end of the catwalk. As she was running, her dress was rapidly transforming. Becoming another armor around her as she leapt from the stage and took to the sky. Shocking everyone. Well except her partners.
Right as she was high up in the air, her other flight capable armors joined her. Flying over the crowd and drawing all kinds of attention. Even from those outside of the pageant stage. As other ran in to watch the spectacle, Melissa started the next phase of her show.
She had her heavy arms or Overwhelming Firepower armor start shooting fireworks into the air. First in the red, white, and blue of the USA, and then shift it to shells that looked like All Might in the air. Melissa then coordinated with three different armors to skywrite, UA in the air.
"Time for the finish!" she exclaimed as she divebombed down into the center of the crowd. With the recently arrived Triple M and Starfall armors joining her. While a few panicked and screamed as the machines rocketed toward them, there were more who were amazed. Especially when she quickly pulled out of the dive to rocket above the catwalk.
Her armors did the same but didn't go as high and landed. Just in time for Melissa's armor to change back into a dress. One that had functioning jets as she landed atop the hands of her two largest armors. While Firepower slid in behind and shot more fireworks and the other armors landed in formation.
Stunned silence pervaded the area for a few seconds. Then it erupted in raucous applause after the shock had worn off a bit. Even her competitors applauded with excitement after her appeal finished. With that done, it was time to cast votes for the victor. And while Monoma tried to but in, Izuku quickly wrapped him up and pulled him away. Giving Itsuka a thumbs up.
With the vote cast, Melissa was crowned the winner of the beauty pageant. Itsuka and Nejire meanwhile had tied for second place, and they respected the outcome. "She had more than just flash and style. That was what we had." Itsuka said with a slightly bitter smile. Nejire nods and says, "she showed her own beauty. The beauty of her machines, her intelligence, and creativity."
With the biggest events out of the way, the performers and contestants could just enjoy the rest of the festival. With some competing in the obstacle course. Others enjoy the other exhibits. Or in some cases the exhibitors enjoy messing with the other classes. Like Bakugo and Shinso scaring Mineta and a few others from 1-A. A bit thanks to Bakugo using his quirk to make explosive firelights and faux will-o-the-wisps.
And while some wanted to be impressed by the Development studio's mech, many considered it a pale copy or imitation of the machines Melissa had built. Which of course drove Mei to try and quickly build a new machine to compete. Only for her to be knocked out by Power Loader using a Gadget Glove from Melissa. "Okay I like this thing! Any chance I could work with you on improving it and personalizing?" the support hero teacher said. And Melissa was happy to help.
As the day was winding down, more and more people were talking about how much they enjoyed everything about the festival this year. Though some were celebrating more. Namely Monoma as his initial poll showed that Class 1-B's play was more liked.
Until Itsuka came up later and showed that more had found 1-A's concert exciting and fun thanks to the students including the audience more. Especially the little kids who had been laughing and playing in the magical sparkles and lights Saphentite had created.
With night falling, most of the students were ready to sleep. Some like Melissa decided to celebrate a bit with Izuku and Ochaco. Who were both impressed and glad that she won over all the others. "So you made two big robots and used them for a way to show off. Can't say you aren't fitting into the hero side of things!" Ochaco said with a hip bump.
Melissa laughed and readjusted her crown while Izuku looked over her armor. "Man, that is so cool how you built this! Can it form into other shapes? Like maybe you could wear it under your clothes! Then you could be ready whenever you needed to be! Or it could, hm!"
Before Izuku could start on a mumble spree, Melissa caught his lips and asked him to calm down. And not to be outdone, Ochaco slipped in next and kissed Melissa and Izuku. "Kiss for the winner. And just because~!" she said with a blush. And the three had a laugh as they went to the 1-A dorms to relax and maybe celebrate a bit.
Jotaro meanwhile had caught Itsuka before heading home. "That really is a great color and looks on you. Though I won't deny…. The sports bra look is quite nice too."
"You perv." Itsuka says with an elbow and a playful slap. She smiles up at him before kissing him. "You apologized about your eyes being glued to Saphee during her. But frankly, I don't even blame you. I gotta be honest….. I got a bit hot and bothered watching her appeal as well," the red head said before her face matched her hair.
Jotaro laughed and said Saphentite did have fun messing with people and making the most of her sex appeal. Especially if she could take some people off guard. This got a laugh out of his girlfriend, and they parted with another kiss.
Once Jotaro was back in his room though, he took a deep breath before punching in a code to his and Saphentite's shared space. Once there he went to one of the living space areas before speaking.
"You totally did that just to get me hot and bothered. As well as maybe a bit jealous?" he said with a look toward the corner. And Saphentite stepped out with a sheer one piece on and nothing else. "Felt like the best way to get you back to me. If only for a little while~," she said before stepping up and kissing her partner. As then fell back onto the couch for the night.
So that's the pageant and the school festival. And we saw what Toshinori did to grow as his new kind of hero. And after this is when we'll get into a new stage of this arc I'm creating. All thanks to a little something most forgot about or didn't pay attention to.
Oh and Laughingman, I've got a few you might like or want to reread to make some new observations when you have the time. First, chapters 10 to 14 for the USJ and a special arc. Chapter 18 with some of the Sports Festival Matches. Chapters 25 and 26 for the introduction of the new villains. And 36, 37 and 42 to show how Itsuka stepped up in this story of mine. Oh and 43 and 44 for an interesting side fights.