I'M BACK BABY!

I'm very sorry that this chapter took so long. The reason for this is that they gave me an extra day at my job so it's been hard to balance work with making my story.

Big thank you to those who waited patiently and a bigger thanks to those who pointed out the bodies in the subway and the info on Ibara. The Slayer will deal with that problem once he's done on I-Island and I think I know what to do with Ibara. Maybe I'll pair her up with the Darksiders Angels for obvious reasons.

I also just want to say that I am overwhelmed by the amount of support from you guys. You've helped me out through this turbulent year and it's times like these that I'm proud to be a member of this site.

Also, if any of you are feeling down, go check out GoodNewsNetwork. It uplifted my spirits and I guarantee it will do the same for you guys. Stay positive, we'll all get through this!

UPDATE NOTE 7-30-21: Updated and rewrote the scenes involving the Slayer and Miruko.

UPDATE NOTE 12-21-21: Changed the music and added more material for Slayer/Miruko.

DOOM, My Hero Academia, and Darksiders belong to their respective owners. I do not own either of them.

Chapter 8

Mad Dash

MUSUTAFU-MINA ASHIDO RESIDENCE

"HARDCORE NEWS! WE DON'T JUST BRING YOU THE LATEST NEWS, YOU BRING YOU THE MOST INTENSE NEWS ON THE PLANET!"

"Greetings, fellow viewers! Tony Pope, live with Hardcore! On the scene and in your face! It's a hostage situation that looks like it was ripped straight out of Die Hard! Cops everywhere, reporters ambling about, the lives of dozens of innocents on the line as the world's most infamous mercenaries have turned I-Island into a literal Nakatomi Plaza! Can the Heroes and authorities stop the Steel Sabers? Uh-uh! They're outmanned, outgunned, and incompetent! Prime Minister of Japan! What are you doing?! The Symbol of Peace has a gun to his head! Get off your ass and declare martial law!"

Mina pressed the mute button, turning off the reporter's tirade. After they decided who was going to I-Island via Rock Paper Scissors, the girls decided to have a sleepover to soften the blow of being unable to visit the I-Island expo with their classmates. So far the sleepover had been a blast but that's when they heard on the TV that there was an apparent terrorist attack on I-Island. They switched to a news station to get more info but were greeted by a man who acted like he had one too many cups of coffee.

"Americans…" Mina shook her head disapprovingly as she watched Tony continue with his rant. "They always exaggerate."

"How the heck did they let someone like him into this country?" Hagakure wondered.

"Try switching to MNN. That's usually a reliable source." Tsuyu suggested. Mina flipped through a couple of channels until she found the right one.

PORT OF TOKYO-JSSDF BLOCKADE

"This is correspondent Megumi Shindo of Musutafu News Network. For those of you who are just joining us, we are live on the scene at Tokyo Harbor where the JSDF, local police officers, and Pro Heroes have cordoned off the area. Behind me, you can see I-Island out in the distance where earlier this evening, an army of mercenaries known worldwide as the Steel Sabers infiltrated I-Island and have taken the island's population hostage, including several Pro Heroes from other countries and All Might himself. We have reason to believe that they have taken full control of the security system, widely believed to be on par with Tartarus Prison. Though an SOS was sent out, it did little good as the mercenaries now have a solid foothold on I-Island and has become a floating fortress. They have offered no demands but have warned all not to come anywhere near I-Island or they will execute the hostages, including the Heroes and potentially All Might. No attempts have been made to breach I-Island and the Pro Heroes cannot risk mass fatalities in what has been called by many to be, 'The most volatile hostage crisis of the century.' The Steel Sabers are a name that strikes fear into the hearts of many Heroes and with the Symbol of Peace at their mercy; it seems that his life and the lives of the other Heroes and civilians on the island are now in God's hands."

The correspondent finished her report just as the police politely requested her to move back from the barricade for her safety. The entire area, as well as the entrance to the docks, was swarming with cops and soldiers. Many were keeping the concerned bystanders at bay while setting up long-range counter-surveillance equipment to try and hack into I-Island security systems and maybe give them a chance to turn things around but it was no use. It would take months to override the systems; The Steel Sabers were able to do it in just a few hours.

The Japanese government issued a strict no-fly order anywhere near I-Island as well as forbidding any boat from approaching it. The whole situation was a powder keg waiting to explode and the slightest misstep could result in incalculable losses. All they could do for now was sit tight and hope that the mercenaries would get what they wanted and spare All Might. But even then, that was just wishful thinking.

SEWER SYSTEM-BENEATH THE PORT OF TOKYO

The waypoint on his HUD had led the Slayer behind the designated JSDF barricade and to a manhole cover above him. He was just about to climb up the ladder when VEGA contacted him.

/There are currently no forms of transportation that will get you to I-Island without alerting the Steel Sabers. But I have a solution: your Delta V Jump-Boots can be reconfigured to fire a continuous stream of propulsion rather than a short burst at the apex of your jump. These adjustments can allow you to easily traverse through the water to I-Island since your Praetor Suit lacks any form of buoyancy./

The Doomslayer looked at his arm, noting that he would probably sink like a rock if he ever jumped into a deep body of water. He leaned against the wall and popped off his Jump-Boots. He started fiddling with the knobs near the ankles of the boots until he had the right settings configured and slipped them back onto his feet.

/Be aware that multiple Pro Heroes are in the current vicinity. I hope you do not plan on fatally-/

The Slayer shook his head and held up his hand as a gesture of reassurance. True to convictions, he was not going to kill any Heroes.

/That is most comforting. I will leave how you handle them up to your discretion and will contact you again once you are in proximity to the island./

Looking back up at the manhole, the Slayer was beginning to notice something about VEGA. As time went on, the AI was starting to act more…human. Using words like 'hope' and 'comforting' were signs that the VEGA truly was evolving into something more. But the Doomslayer was not at all perturbed by this observation; he rather encouraged it. How could he ever turn his back on someone who helped him so much back on the alternate Mars?

The Slayer began to climb up the ladder, ready to show the Heroes and Villains of this world how justice was served on Argent D'Nur…

PORT OF TOKYO WAREHOUSE DISTRICT-SEVERAL MINUTES EARLIER

Standing atop one of the cranes at the harbor, Hawks and Loud Cloud gazed silently at I-Island in the distance. They couldn't muster the will to remain confident and upbeat like they usually did. And how could they? The most dangerous mercenaries on the planet had captured the Symbol of Peace and the most technologically advanced facility in the world. It was a pretty big deal for every Pro Hero and Sidekick called out here and they weren't taking it well. Hawks looked up at the starry night sky with the moon high above. Letting out a sigh, the Number 6 Pro Hero leaped off the crane and flew back down to the ground while Loud Cloud followed him atop one of his floating clouds.

The two of them glided down towards one of the three large teams of Pro Heroes patrolling the district. The one they were currently a part of consisted of Present Mic, Midnight, Eraser Head, Endeavor, Gang Orca, Selkie, Miruko, Fatgum, Gran Torino, Crust, Ryukyu, Slidin' Go, and Mr. Brave. The overall mood was extremely tense; you could feel it in the air.

"Anything?" Mr. Brave asked.

"All quiet. Just be grateful we haven't heard any gunshots yet." Hawks answered as he looked back to I-Island.

"Are you guys sure there isn't any way for you to get closer?" Ryukyu pressed worriedly.

"No can do." Loud Cloud shook his head as he waved a finger at her. "You heard what the JSDF said: no copters or flight-based Quirks. We can't risk the Sabers spotting us; they might end up executing a hostage or a Hero."

"Maybe we can try to get inside from underwater?" Selkie suggested to Gang Orca. "That way we could sneak in and rescue the hostages. We could get the drop on them-"

"It's a good idea but don't forget that these aren't the usual thugs or overconfident Villains we face on a regular basis. These are highly trained soldiers of fortune." Gang Orca lectured. "They fought Heroes like us before on numerous occasions and for all we know, they probably have scanning equipment that'll see us coming from a mile away. And even if they didn't, it's just too great of a risk."

"So basically, were blind, deaf, and dumb over here?!" Miruko impatiently threw up her arms.

"We don't have a choice." Eraser Head tiredly sighed. "We can't rush in completely half-cocked and get people killed."

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" Endeavor bellowed as his flaming beard grew in intensity. "If we let these reprobates dig in any further, we'll have to level the whole damn island to flush them out!"

"They're already dug in, Endeavor. That entire island's been turned into Fort Knox." Gran Torino rebuked the Flame Hero gruffly. "We'll just have to wait until they get what they want."

"But how do we know they're not going to kill the hostages, the Heroes, and All-Might afterward? We have to do something!" Mr. Brave proclaimed.

"Cool your jets, bud. All Might's been in tougher scrapes than this. I guarantee you that he'll bust out and handle this in no time flat." Present Mic reassured him with a pat on the back. "I mean, come on. You guys think a bunch of mercs can hold him?"

"It'll certainly be a grim day for us all if he lost to such a measly foe." Endeavor huffed.

"Yeah, right. I bet that's something you're hoping for." Miruko fiercely shot back. Endeavor visibly seethed as he glared daggers at the Rabbit Heroine. It was no secret that the two Pro Heroes were not on friendly terms. Endeavor viewed Miruko as a troublesome, rebellious upstart who didn't deserve the Number 5 spot while Miruko saw Endeavor as a self-centered, uncaring blowhard who became a Hero just so he could be Number 1. Midnight quickly stepped in to extinguish the flames of rivalry between them.

"Calm down, you two. This isn't the time or place for this." Midnight scolded. Miruko and Endeavor gave each other the stink eye one last time before huffing and looking away. "If we stay focused and keep a cool head, we can get through this. It's not any different from hostage situations we've dealt with in the past."

"Uh, I don't mean to be a downer here but those are the Steel Sabers were talking about here." Fatgum reminded them.

Midnight's confidence faltered, as did everyone else's. For decades, ever since the rise of Heroes, The Steel Sabers had become something of a boogeyman-like presence amongst the Pro Heroes worldwide. They knew just how dangerous these mercenaries are and there was no limit to how skilled they were. But then there were the numerous Pro Heroes who fell to these ruthless soldiers; the body count for each one they killed seemed to rise every year. There was no way they could erase the grisly photos that showed brave men and women of heroism that were horribly butchered by the Steel Sabers from their minds. They were feared for a good reason and even All Might himself was wary of them. And now they were here in Japan…and they had hundreds of hostages, Pro Heroes from overseas, and the Symbol of Peace completely at their mercy.

"I didn't think they were real. But that's when I heard the stories about them." Crust admitted as he looked down at the ground. "The battles they participated in, the war crimes they committed, all the…" His lips quivered as he balled up a fist while tears started to leak from his eyes. "All the Heroes they killed…"

A cold silence hung over the group. 246 Heroes…taken from this world way too soon, showed so much promise at a young age or right in the middle of their prime. Gran Torino frowned sadly; many of those Heroes were his comrades and Nana Shimura's closest friends. To think that they could be felled by simple, Quirkless soldiers was unheard of but certainly not on this scale.

Eraser Head turned to look at I-Island out in the distance. His students were there. Dread filled his heart; his mind conjuring up images of their bullet-ridden bodies and him attending their funerals. He tried to get them out of his head but he couldn't, it was like he was looking at the inevitable. How could he ever call himself their teacher if he wasn't able to save them?

Loud Cloud placed a hand on Eraser Head's shoulder in reassurance. He, along with Present Mic and Midnight, knew what their closest friend was going through. Oboro couldn't think up anything that could soothe his friend's distress. For a while, nobody said anything as the gravity of the situation started to bear down upon them.

"Okay, okay, okay! That's enough sad times!" Someone said loudly followed by the sound of clapping hands. It was Slidin' Go, the Slippery Hero. "When a Villain with a magma Quirk went on a rampage in Esuha City, did we throw in the towel? When a hurricane decimated eastern Japan, did we run home crying? When a bunch of inmates broke out of Tartarus Prison, did we say uncle? Nay! We stuck to our guns, stood our ground and we charged into the fire like real Heroes! We didn't give up then and we certainly aren't going to give up now!"

The Pro Heroes present, sans Endeavor who thought Slidin' Go was being melodramatic, perked up a little after that rousing speech. A perpetual smiler he may be, he knew how to rally a crowd with his boundless optimism. This was not the time to be moping around; this was the time to be Heroes.

"This may look dire but if past experiences have proved anything, we always prevail in the end!" Slidin' Go continued bombastically. "Mark my words, we'll come up with a plan to put an end to this sticky situation and…" Slidin' Go trailed off when he noticed something in the distance. "Say, who's that?"

Everyone looked over to their left to see a figure far away from them standing in the middle of the road near some shipping containers. The Doomslayer's objective was at the end of the docks, where he could jump off the pier and swim all the way to I-Island. He was fully aware of the Pro Heroes near his position but he didn't care. So long as they stayed out of his way there wouldn't be any problems. VEGA had already analyzed them and informed him of their Quirks; it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Ryukyu squinted her eyes at the man encased in armor and recognized him as the Vigilante the Hero Public Safety Commission and the Musutafu Police Force had put out an advisory for, as well as the same one Miruko and Fatgum encountered a day ago and told the other Pro Heroes about. "That's-!"

(DOOM 2016-Break Them)

In that instant, the Doomslayer bolted like an Olympic track runner out of view!

"Where is he-?!"

"Stop him!"

"Don't let him get away!"

The Pro Heroes quickly gave chase after the Vigilante, with Slidin' Go taking the lead due to his friction Quirk. The purple costumed Hero skated around the shipping containers like he was wearing invisible rollerblades until he came into view of the armor-clad man, his heavy footsteps echoing across the port. Slidin' Go easily closed the distance and leaped up at the Vigilante, catching him in a headlock while he continued to run.

"Sir! You are interfering in an official Hero operation and endangering hostages!" Slidin' Go yelled at the Vigilante as the Pro Hero tightened his hold on him. "I am demanding that you stand down immediately or I will be forced to-huh?"

Slidin' Go looked at the Vigilante's hand and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw the grenade in his grasp; he had already pulled the pin! "AAAAAGH!" Slidin' Go shrieked as he dislodged himself from the Vigilante and ducked behind a forklift just as the grenade exploded! A large explosion enveloped the Doomslayer but he burst forth from the smoke cloud, completely unharmed! This action did not go unnoticed by Eraser Head, Loud Cloud, and Mr. Brave who raced along on the warehouse rooftops.

"Did he just?!" Mr. Brave balked.

Loud Cloud whistled as he rode his signature cloud. "Miruko wasn't kidding; this guy really is a nut."

Eraser Head silently stared at the Vigilante as he and his comrades chased him. This was the man who recklessly endangered his students and literally disarmed Tomura Shigaraki. He took note of how he pulled out a grenade out of nowhere and deduced from watching the video camera footage from the Kiyashi Ward shopping mall, that this man had some kind of storage Quirk that allowed him to carry around his vast arsenal. Eraser Head looked ahead a saw the docks leading out into the ocean. By his guess, they only had minutes to stop him before he could jump off the pier.

"This guy's going to try to swim to I-Island. He'll end up potentially jeopardizing everybody on that island so let's stop him in his tracks here and now. The other Heroes are taking alternate routes to cut him off; I'll bind him and you two trip him up." He instructed.

Mr. Brave nodded and Loud Cloud gave him a thumbs up. As the two Heroes ran ahead, Eraser Head jumped off the roof and flung out his Binding Cloth at the Vigilante which successfully wrapped around his neck, abdomen, arms, and legs-

"WOAAAAH!"

And the Erasure Hero was instantly dragged along the pavement as he held onto his cloth like a lifeline! The Doomslayer's strength easily ripped apart the Binding Cloth around his arms and legs like they were made of toilet paper, much to the surprise of Eraser Head. He gritted his teeth as he tightened his grip on the cloth that was still tied around the Vigilante's neck and abdomen, he felt like he was being dragged around by All Might. Mr. Brave and Loud Cloud landed on the ground ahead of the Slayer and rushed towards him; Mr. Brave pulled out strands of his hair to form a bat-like weapon while Loud Cloud twirled his signature bo staff. The duo charged forth with their weapons at the ready but they never got the chance to swing them at him when the Doomslayer suddenly grabbed them both by the sides of their heads and smashed them together! Normally their heads would've burst apart from the force but since the Slayer was holding back, they were immediately rendered unconscious and he chucked the both of them over his shoulder.

"OBORO!" Aizawa shouted as he watched his friend tumble out of view. He could feel his back starting to burn from the friction of being dragged across the ground. It wouldn't be long before this lunatic road hauled him until he was nothing but a pelvis wearing a belt!

"HERE I COME, ASSHOLE!" The Slayer saw Miruko coming into view, a cocky grin on her face as she sprinted towards him. The Slayer readied himself but for the first time in what seemed like eons, he faltered. This was not like him at all. He had no problem drop kicking these Heroes out of his way but why was he showing hesitation towards this woman? Why was he acting like this all of a sudden?

Why did he keep comparing her to Emily?

Regardless of the reason, he wasn't going to let her stop him now...but he couldn't harm a hair on her head either. Miruko sprang up and swung her foot downward at the Slayer but he caught her foot and flung her upwards into the air. Miruko's whole world was spinning before her eyes as she struggled to straighten herself in the air, only to have Hawks swoop in and scoop her up in his arms.

"You know, I vaguely recall having a dream like this once." Hawks cracked a smile with a light flush on his cheeks.

"It better not been a wet dream." Miruko warned. She looked downwards and was surprised to see just how high above the port they were. Just how hard did that guy throw her?! Hawks flew downwards back to the port with Miruko still in his arms.

"So what do you know about Mr. Halo Knockoff? You and Fatgum met him before, right?" Hawks inquired his longtime friend.

"I only met him once! All I know is that he's crazy and has more guns than the Expendables!" Miruko answered as she tried to get the strands of her hair out of her face thanks to the wind.

"Well, by the looks of it, he's trying to make a break for I-Island." Hawks assumed as he looked down at the port, noting that the Vigilante had a clear path to the pier.

"What?! Is he completely insane?!" Miruko gasped in confusion. "If the Sabers spot him they're gonna execute the hostages! It'll be a bloodbath!"

"Don't sweat it; we'll stop him before he tries anything stupid." Hawks assured her as he flew over the warehouses. They came upon the still running Vigilante with Eraser Head having wrapped several more strands of Binding Cloth all over the Vigilante who now looked like a mummy/robot hybrid. Slidin' Go was quickly catching up while Midnight, Present Mic, Gang Orca, and Selkie trailed behind. Eraser Head finally let go of his cloth when the friction burns became too much for him; tumbling away from the action when he did.

"You want me to swing you up front?" Hawks offered as they neared the ongoing chase. Miruko carefully thought this over. That Vigilante was insanely strong; enough to make her reconsider facing him head-on again. However, when she was thrown, she could feel him holding back all of that strength. But why? She decided to think about it later when she noticed the strands of Capture Tape still wrapped around the Vigilante.

"I got a better idea, set me down here and I'll try to slow him down." Hawks nodded and dropped Miruko who bounded off the roof of the warehouse and down to the ground. Dashing up next to Slidin' Go, she grabbed one strand of the tape while he grabbed another. Slidin' Go reversed his friction Quirk to anchor himself while Miruko slammed both of her feet into the ground as they tightened their grips on the tape.

At first, they thought it would slow the Vigilante down but it didn't. He just kept on charging along without stopping or even slowing down! He was only picking up speed! Miruko gritted her teeth as tiny pieces of concrete flew into her face and she could feel the plates around her feet starting to wear down rapidly. Slidin' Go wasn't faring any better either as his feet began to burn. Hawks swooped down at the Vigilante to the left, clutching a sword made out of his feathers while Gran Torino zoomed in from the right ready to deliver a flying kick to the back of the Vigilante's head.

Crust then came into view from up ahead and held out his fists. "CEASE!" He valiantly boomed as a massive wall made of white hexagonal patterns surged forth from his hands and formed a triple-layered, semicircle barrier to entrap the Vigilante. Miruko smirked in relief knowing that this loon now had no way out and his little stunt would end there.

Gran Torino's kick was mere seconds away from connecting with the Slayer's head when he suddenly grabbed the aging Hero's foot and threw him to the right. The force at which Gran Torino was flung sent him smashing face-first into Crust's barrier, breaking the Hero's nose and knocking him out like a light! Hawks shot towards the Vigilante and thrust his sword at him but to his subsequent horror, it snapped like a twig against his armor! The Doomslayer grabbed Hawks by his neck, nearly cutting off his air circulation in an instant, and slammed him down face-first into the pavement; breaking his goggles as he tossed him over his shoulder like a rolled-up piece of paper.

All of this was done while The Slayer was still running!

He was nearing the front of the barrier and the Slayer, as if to give a middle finger to all the Pro Heroes presently chasing him, threw out his fist and demolished all 3 layers of Crust's reinforced shield wall in one blow! The Shield Hero, who was behind the barrier, was so gobsmacked that he had no time to defend himself or fight back when the Vigilante snatched him by the scruff of his shirt and head-butted him square in the face; flinging him straight through the wall of a warehouse to his left afterward. The Doomslayer ripped off the rest of the Capture Tape just as he saw Fatgum charge toward him with an angry scowl. Closing the distance, Fatgum was about to engulf the Vigilante within his rubbery belly when the Slayer drove his fist right into the Hero's gut so hard that it completely bypassed all of his fat! Fatgum's eyes bugged out of his head as the wind was completely knocked out of his lungs and his world went completely black when the Vigilante threw a devastating uppercut to his chin; rendering him unconscious.

The Doomslayer continued his unrelenting charge; leaving behind the knocked-out lump of lard in the dust. He didn't think he would have to hold himself back like this. Then again, these were men and women just doing their jobs but they were not fit for this situation and it was up to him to put a stop to it before the Steel Sabers got what they wanted. If these Pro Heroes got in his way then he wouldn't hesitate to remove them from his path…non-lethally of course.

The Slayer was momentarily surprised for a brief second when he saw a silver-colored dragon wearing a dress soar downward from the sky and land on the ground, cracking the pavement. Ryukyu bared her dagger-like incisors and bounded right at him with a throaty growl. The Slayer, completely undeterred, continued to charge at her and he looked behind to see the other Pro Heroes starting to catch up to him with Miruko up at the front. Hatching an idea, he reached for his hammerspace backpack which didn't go unnoticed. Eraser Head, who had just caught up, spotted the Vigilante reaching towards his hip and knew what he was going to do. His pupils went bright red, his Erasure Quirk focusing hard to prevent the Vigilante from-

To his absolute shock, the Vigilante pulled out a bazooka even though he was using his Quirk on him! Eraser Head's jaw hung open. Not once, in his entire career as a Pro Hero, did he ever see anyone resistant to the nullifying effects of his Quirk. He was so stunned that he almost tripped over his own feet.

Instead of aiming his Rocket Launcher at Ryukyu, the Doomslayer aimed at his feet and pulled the trigger, the force of the explosion propelling him into the air and blowing back the Heroes pursuing him! Ryukyu shielded herself with her wings and spotted the Vigilante high above; the Dragon Heroine taking flight and shooting toward him like a missile. The Slayer swapped out his Rocket Launcher for his Gauss Cannon, outfitted with the Siege Mode mod. But instead of aiming at her, he turned away and charged up his weapon while aiming at the sky. Ryukyu was almost upon him, ready to swat him out of the sky-

A blast of light blue energy exploded out of the Gauss Cannon and sailed harmlessly into the night sky and beyond. But the resulting kickback of such a powerful shot launched the Slayer towards Ryukyu with the speed of a bullet and slammed into her abdomen with the force of a train! Ryukyu coughed up blood as the pain of having her whole ribcage shattered coursed throughout her large frame. Leaping off the Dragon Heroine, the Doomslayer balled up his fist and punched her across the face; sending a fang flying out of her mouth and plummeting downwards. As the dragoness crashed into a stack of shipping containers, the Slayer landed back onto the ground and continued his sprint. He was nearing the docks and his objective was in sight: a small pier that would serve as the perfect jumping point. After that, he would be well on his way to I-Island. But there was just one more obstacle in his path.

Up ahead he could see a heavily muscled man wearing a dark blue bodysuit and armored gauntlets with his feet, chest and most of his face on fire stood imposingly with a hardened glare. He had an ugly sneer on his face like he viewed the Doomslayer with contempt. VEGA provided him the info.

Subject: Enji Todoroki

Height: 6'4

Age:45

Alias: Flame Hero Endeavor

Quirk: Hellflame-allows him to produce and manipulate large amounts of extremely intense fire at will.

Current rank: Number 2 Pro Hero of Japan

"ENOUGH, VILLAIN!" Endeavor thundered as raised his fist, now glowing red hot and covered in a rapidly growing fire that was beginning to encompass his whole arm. He suddenly thrust it into the pavement and glowing cracks began to form around the area, zipping up till they were underneath the Slayer.

"HELL MINEFIELD!"

A jet of flame erupted from the earth and struck the Doomslayer point blank! Then the ground started to swell and a massive eruption of fire exploded underneath him, consuming nearly half the port in flames! Endeavor removed his fist from the ground and stared at the massive wall flames before him that almost stretch from one end of the port to the other. He saw no movement of any kind and figured that the Villain had been taken care of. He folded his arms with a stoic yet satisfied demeanor. Though some would call this excessive force, he would say that it was necessary to prevent any unwanted interference in this operation. That man was a loose cannon. Vigilante, Villain; it didn't matter. They were all the same and they deserved no quarter-

The Doomslayer burst forth from the flame wall and swung a bone-crushing clothesline that caught Endeavor right in the neck! The Flame Hero let out a pained gargle as he hacked up blood; his eyes bugging open. The Slayer then clamped his hand around Endeavor's face and slammed him down into the concrete, the back of his skull nearly cracking in half! Leaving the brutalized Hero behind, the Doomslayer continued unabated. That guy's Quirk was called Hellflame?

Fucking pathetic. The flames of Hell were much hotter.

He was now nearing the pier when he heard a loud, familiar voice cut through the sound of the still burning flames."YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, YOU BASTARD!"

Snapping his head around towards the flame wall behind him, he saw Miruko leap out of the flames and give chase. The Slayer saw the burns she had on her skin as well as the singes around her hair and ears. Reckless idiot. Was she trying to get herself killed? He picked up the pace and was nearing the end of the pier but Miruko was already closing in.

"LUNA ROCKET!" Miruko launched herself at the Slayer in a flying dropkick! Seeing it coming, the Doomslayer jumped up, turned around in the air, and braced his arms in front of him. Miruko's feet slammed against the Vigilante's arms; unleashing a shockwave that knocked over several objects around them. Time seemed to slow down for Rumi. She could faintly see the Vigilante's face behind his darkened visor and saw his eyes…

The force of Miruko's attack launched the Slayer away from her like a cannonball in an arc over the pier and fell towards the water. As soon as Miruko realized her grievous error, Hawks swooped in and created a burst of wind that extinguished a large portion of Endeavor's flame wall to allow the other Pro Heroes to get through. Despite the loss of his goggles and a broken nose, the Wing Hero was still determined to stop the Vigilante and he unleashed a torrent of feathers at him so they could bind and carry him off to solid ground.

Eraser Head, who was running alongside his fellow Heroes, saw him reach towards his hip again. This time he focused all of his power into his Quirk, under the belief that the last time had to have been a fluke. It had to be. But once again, in another soul-crushing blow to Eraser Head's composure, the Slayer pulled out another of one of his many weapons. This time it was the Plasma Gun and he had just enough time to swap it out for the Heat Blast mod which still had a full charge the last time he used it. With the feathers about to engulf him, the Doomslayer pulled the trigger and a blast wave of pressurized heat emanated around him; vaporizing the feathers into ash.

He finally hit the water and could feel himself beginning to quickly sink due to the weight of his Praetor Suit. Luckily, VEGA's previous instructions on modifying the Jump Boots helped him greatly. Upon activation, the Slayer easily glided through the water with very little resistance and headed north to where I-Island was located. Back on the surface, the remaining Pro Heroes who hadn't been punched into a coma gathered near the slightly charred Miruko and Hawks who just touched down.

"Shit! We're too late!" Present Mic cursed.

"Don't worry. We got this." Gang Orca proclaimed as he took off his tie.

"The sea is our turf!" Selkie added proudly as he slipped on his swimming goggles.

The two aquatic Heroes ran towards the end of the pier and jumped into the water, their Quirks easily enabling them to torpedo themselves through the currents and give chase. On dry land, the other Heroes anxiously watched the waters while Midnight, Slidin' Go, and Eraser Head tried to help Endeavor.

"This goes without saying, you need to stop throwing yourself into the meat grinder like this." Hawks reminded Miruko out of concern for her burn wounds.

"Don't sweat it. I've felt worse." Miruko grinned, ignoring the burning pain on parts of her body. "I'm just more concerned about what we do now."

"You think Orca and Selkie can handle him?" Present Mike wondered. "I mean, he just plowed right through us and thrashed Endeavor-"

"I SAID DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!"

Present Mic bristled as Hawks and Miruko looked behind him. "Speaking of whom…"

The enraged Number Two Hero threw Midnight, Slidin' Go, and Eraser Head off of him when they attempted to help him. Enji was absolutely infuriated at his humiliation. His pure, unadulterated rage towards the Vigilante was unfathomable. He grounded his teeth as the blistering pain of his fractured skull threatened to make him pass out. His livid death glare was focused on the ocean; if Gang Orca and Selkie captured him, he was going to pay the Vigilante back for this. In blood.

Stepping away from the furious Flame Hero, Midnight glanced at Aizawa and noticed the shell-shocked, almost traumatized look he had in his eyes. "Eraser Head? Hey, what's wrong?"

"My Quirk…..it…it didn't work on him."

Everyone within an earshot heard him. Endeavor, Midnight, Present Mic, Hawks, Slidin' Go, and Miruko stared back at him with expressions of disbelief and confusion. "Uh…Could you run that by us again?" Slidin' Go requested shakily.

Two geysers of water erupted out in the distance before Eraser Head could answer. Just as everyone looked out to the sea, two objects crash landed right behind them! To their shock, it was the unconscious forms of Gang Orca and Selkie! The Whale Hero had most of his teeth knocked out while the Seal Hero had a massive fist imprint on the side of his face!

As the Pro Heroes ran over to help them, Miruko was left to herself staring at the wreckage of the port before her. In the span of a few minutes, one man completely decimated several Pro Heroes singlehandedly. It was so hard to believe that something like this happened. He didn't stay and fight, he just bulldozed through them like they were nothing. Didn't even stop, just kept on going until he finally escaped. Turning around to look at I-Island, Miruko knew that he was now on his way over there. What was he going to do? What happened if the Steel Sabers started executing hostages because of him? She didn't want to know the answers to those questions but there was one thing on her mind: his eyes.

Why did they look so reluctant? Reluctant towards her specifically?

As Slidin' Go looked over Ryukyu, who had reverted to her human form, he turned towards I-Island, and an evil-looking smile spread across his face. The undercover agent of the Meta Liberation Army stroked his chin in thought, sensing that this Vigilante could be a promising new addition to Re-Destro's ranks…

High above the scene on a crane, a figure had watched what had unfolded before her eyes. She was a tan-skinned woman with white hair, amber-colored eyes and a rune imprinted on her forehead. Her ornately detailed armor was covered by a heavy brown cloak draped across her lithe frame.

This woman was Uriel: the Archangel of Wisdom.

Although she had wanted to step in and stop the legendary Doomslayer from killing them, she was legitimately surprised to witness that he had not taken a single life. It seems that he was solely focused on heading towards I-Island to where the Steel Sabers had taken hostages. The Archangel of Wisdom felt powerless to do anything. The Prime Council was at a loss of what to do with the Slayer and the Ascendant Realm was in a state of unease and uncertainty; none of the Gods knew what to do. What should be done? Would he disrupt the Eternal Balance?

Will his actions force the Four Horsemen to intervene?

Turning her gaze towards I-Island, Uriel knew that the Unchained Predator would soon unleash his wrath upon the Steel Sabers.

But was it to fuel his bloodlust or save the innocents?

To be continued…

PHEW! I finally got it out!

I had a fantastic time showcasing the Doomslayer holding himself back. This is him not trying to kill you.

So yeah, the Slayer gets to fight some Heroes and I am planning and having him stand his ground and fight them the proper way instead of just running. The other Heroes who didn't get to fight him will get their chance, trust me and I think Endeavor is due for a rematch in the future. For those of you who thought Endevor's rivalry with Miruko is OOC, keep in mind that this takes place early in the series when he was still an asshole. Had a hard time picking out a track that went along with this sequence but I say I hit gold!

Also, Oboro Shirakumo is alive in this universe! Kurogiri is just another subservient Nomu to All for One. I loved his inspired Sun Wukong design and I have a lot of plans for him in this story. Also because he's alive, Aizawa has a much more approachable attitude. I also like adding Slidin' Go to the mix since it adds the possibility of The Doomslayer going up against the MLA!

I wanted to get around to having more interactions between the Slayer and Miruko, as well as adding in another Darksiders cameo and dropping some hints about the Ascendant Realm. It should make the reveal all the more amazing. And yes, that was a Predator 2 reference in the beginning. That douchebag reporter from the film will be a recurring character. :)

Stay tuned for the next chapter, the Doomslayer goes into stealth mode!

Don't forget to review but please don't flame.

Stay home, stay healthy, and stay safe.