Justice Across Space and Time
Chapter 64
Time for a little something that some my age might recognize. Especially if you're a DCAU fan like I am. Mandla's plan will finally come to fruition and they'll have a little something special for UA. Something I intend to show off very soon. On with the show!
(No POV)
Mina looked down at her hands as she walked with her group toward Ground Gamma. She smiled a bit to herself while thinking back on a few other training exercises in the machinery and pipe filled grounds.
'That little race after the internships. Skated as fast as I could, but I couldn't out pace Ida's legs or Ojiro's tail agility. Meanwhile, Jotaro, Midori, and Saphee competed by themselves. Though Saphee had a special rule thrown on to make sure she couldn't teleport of fly quite the same. Then there was-'
"Everything okay there?" a taller third year asked her. Apparently had a size increase type of power, but even without it active he was about seven feet tall. He seemed like a rhino given the skin, but that wasn't his quirk.
Mina shook her head and said, "just thinking about some other exercises we've done here. Kinda wondering what they have in mind for us." The upperclassman nodded and wondered if it would be some kind of disaster.
"That's likely. I'm more worried that we don't know enough about each other's abilities. Or equipment like what that Kendo girl used. That had to be some kind of holo or energy weapon attack right?" a second year asked.
Monoma stepped up and berated the older student a bit for assuming that it was technology alone. "That is the product of the hard work and dedication that all of us from 1-B show! Even if she did need to learn it from the damn wall of meat" He grumbled that last part.
But the grumble turned to a yelp when Mina stomped on his foot before glaring at him slightly. "You kind of asked for that dude." Sen said with a raised eyebrow. Tokoyami chuckled and thanked Mina for doing that.
"But if you wish to know how they did that, Kendo and Ojiro have been training with Jotaro to learn an art we all believed to be nothing but a fantasy. They control ki," the bird headed boy said while walking up to the industrial ground.
The large student and a few others stopped at that before hurriedly questioning if it was true. "Yeah. Apparently, he learned the basics of ki when he was on some crazy journey. And it helped him to get control of his super strength." Koda said with a nervous smile.
"So…. Those energy beams and that huge ball Kendo used….. that was all ki?! And she just trained to be able to use it?!" a shocked female third year asked with a tilt of her head. Awase confirmed the statement and noted how much they had been training.
The big third year shook his head and chuckled before saying, "that's crazy. But then again, that Jotaro guy is all kinds of crazy alone." A few others agree before they hear sirens ringing out through the battleground. And see a few buildings look like they are sinking into the ground.
"Let's move!" the big student says before sizing up a bit to get a better view of the trouble. A few others who have agility enhancing powers or similar speed boosting powers go ahead to help some of the victims.
And they come upon a few students who were dressed up like construction or office workers. "Hey! Come on. Let's get you out of here!" a few say. They help the injured as best they can. Some using healing quirks for quick triage.
"There are more inside! I think the largest number of students were sent here!" one gen ed student says with worry. This make more of the hero students worried, but they put it aside to move into the main collapsing buildings.
The one with about 70 students inside were grumbling or panicking. One of the grumbling students was Bakugo Katsuki. "Damnit! I can get us out of here just fine! I'm more of a hero than those who are in the hero course!" he says while sparking some small explosions in his hand.
But he gets stopped by a chop atop his head from Agoyamato Tsutsutaka. "If you do that, you could set something worse off or do more damage! This isn't a fight with a villain! It's a rescue situation!"
And while Bakugo is ready to rage at him and strike back, a bigger part of him acknowledges that he was right. 'Was this some of what Deku understood more? That rescue is more important than showing off or using your power to beat the villain?' he thought before noticing that a few others had been trapped.
His first impulse to was blast away the debris, but he got chopped again and told to lift the pipes. Outside though, the recon specialists couldn't get an absolute read on all of the danger.
"There's too much interference! I can't get the best read!" Jiro exclaimed with her jacks plugged into the building. A few others who had enhanced senses said the same. "Damn. Then we'll have to move on our best guesses! Five of you go into that building! I want four more to come with me!"
The large third year's order was followed and they started in. Sen and Monoma went with a trio of upperclassmen. Monoma having copied the enlarging student's quirk for just in case. And eventually found himself needing it as there were a few places they needed to lift debris.
They eventually found about 20 students trapped throughout the complex. And it was at this time that Monoma got to be the big hero. As they were coming out of the building, a large amount of debris fell down.
Before it could fall though, Monoma went to the maximum he could grow to hold the ceiling in place. "GO! I'll hold this as long as I – NO!" he shouted before feeling the power start to fade a bit. Sen and the others moved around him quickly, but they could tell he was shrinking.
"No way! This is my time in the spotlight! I'm not just a side character or a stagehand! This time! I'm the one saving them all!" he shouts as he pushes past what he felt was his limit to holding a quirk and stood like a tree while holding the ceiling up.
Sen was shocked and congratulated his classmate before saying they'd be back as fast as they could. Monoma lasted long enough that all of the students they were trapped with could get out. Finally feeling the strain and starting to pass out as his quirk gave out.
But he was saved by a few others who came back or came to help. One of them being Awase. Who with Koda stabilized the ceiling while Sen helped to get Monoma out of the danger zone. And once out in the sun he saw quite a few cheering for him and congratulating him on his determination. Bringing a genuine smile to his face.
Mina meanwhile was with said enlarger, and they all quickly found that they had the unlucky state to have the largest number. "You've gotta be kidding me!? We've got that many in here?!" one second year asked.
The third year gave him a look before telling his underclassmen to get focused. "He's right. I'll look around in some other rooms to clear the way!" Mina said before skating off. And while the second and third years wanted to go with her, the lead member had one go back up to get more help.
Eventually they got five more hero students inside that could help with recovery and rescue. Mina acting as a guide to a few of the trapped students she had partially rescued. "I didn't want to dissolve away the entire wall in case it could cause more of a collapse!"
The elder students agreed with her and helped to stabilize the rest of the openings she had made. A few had started to get out but more of the rubble was coming down and they needed to get the victims out. With Bakugo grumbling at having to be rescued.
Within the building, Mandla's potions were bubbling and brewing into their final state. And it was time to show what the brew had become. All of a sudden, a mass of purple and pink clouds filled the building. And almost 80 students were caught in the wake of it.
While the hero students tried to cover or stop it or protect the 'civilians', the gas moved too quickly and all around them. Almost as though it had a will of its own. Everyone started coughing and collapsing from the fumes as they tried to move to the exit.
Upon realizing that there was an unknown factor to the exercise, the function that was causing the faux building to collapse stopped. "What's going on?!" Nezu shouted while looking at the cameras.
"I don't know sir! There's some sort of gas or vapor filling the building we had filled for the exercise!" Power Loader reported while trying to get some of the cameras up and running. He called an end to the exercise and told the students outside to get away from the building.
Thirteen and a multitude of other rescue heroes were called in, but it would still take them a few minutes to get there. Even Toshinori or Hibiki couldn't help as he was out of country. While Padre Pedro was in a different prefecture helping set up some shelters.
'Lousy timing for when I take some personal days!' Toshinori thought to himself as he got the call while in India visiting an international colleague. He was sprinting as fast as he could muster without causing damage to the area.
Back in the building, everyone was having various reactions to the gas that was filling the room. Some seemed to be melting or their bodies were becoming like clay. Others suddenly had new aspects to their quirks that was causing more damage.
Like Bakugo, who's nitroglycerin sweat was suddenly exploding without his command. And setting his head on fire. The enlarging student meanwhile started turning into what looked like an actual rhino. Others found that they couldn't use their quirks at all.
Though there was one exception. Mina was mostly unaffected other than just being off put by the smell from the gas and not being able to see. "I have *cough* get….. Everyone out!" she thinks aloud. One of the older students told her to stop and wait for more help.
"You can't do enough with your quirk! And we're on our own here! I don't think this is part of the drill so we should just wait for the pros!" Hearing all of that, Mina started to understand a bit more of Jotaro and Saphentite's frustration with the world of pro heroes.
She tightened her fist before saying, "we don't have that luxury and frankly who cares if this was originally a drill!? We're planning to be heroes! And we have to put everything out to save others! Even if it seems hopeless or we don't have the best powers to do the job!"
Before anyone could stop her, Mina took off for the entry point they came in earlier. Using everything she had to melt through the rubble. But she adjusted some of the solubility to where it could act as a glue to hold some of the rubble in place.
Between that and the constant need to dissolve and then glue the rubble together starts to take it's toll. Namely, she's no longer able to resist the corrosive effects of her own powers. What's more, she is starting to feel light headed and dazed.
"I thought the stuff didn't affect me, but I guess it's just slow absorbing. That or my acid acted as a defense. And now that I'm using up a lot, I can't keep myself safe," she says while wobbling a bit toward her next section to burn.
She stumbles a bit more before thinking back on some of the ones who've inspired her to keep going. As well as remembering where she started and what she is trying to prevent again.
"This wouldn't slow down Kiri. He'd push on with his own 'manliness' to save everyone. Midori wouldn't let the fact it was unstable stop him from going in to save people. He'd probably be helping me melt stuff to get out. While trying to figure out what this mist is. Could use Saphee's magic though. It would make getting out of here easy. But even if she couldn't use that, she'd still try to find a way. And Jotaro…."
Mina trailed off while thinking of him. She thought about the way he showed her more of the reality of being a hero. How he'd helped her and really guided her while trying to learn Capoeira. Not to mention helping Itsuka and others grow as fighters or improve their skills using their powers with Izuku.
"Even without his power…. He doesn't quit. He's not backing down just because people say he should wait or let his power recharge. He'd do anything he could to get us all out of here. *cough, hack* So…. I have to do the same."
Mina finally reaches the window to get out of the building and starts dissolving the rubble that had fallen to block the way. Not realizing that she was burning through other things as well. She coughed a few more times before she could really see daylight. Smiling as she broke through and out of the building.
And right into Saphentite's arms. "Saphee? How? Oh I'm going to take a nap now." Mina says as Jotaro and Izuku run up next. Each looking at her in worry. She smiled at all three of them before noticing their blushes.
"Why are you all staring? It's not like I'm naked or anything…." Mina says as she passes out while Saphentite moves her over to the side. Though Mina was wrong. She was indeed naked as the acid proofing of her costume had been burned away and so had the costume.
Saphentite covered her up before going with Izuku and Jotaro to assess some of the trouble. "What is this cloud?" Izuku asked while covering his mouth with his own mask. Jotaro shrugged and questioned what the should do.
"Unfortunately, I don't think we can do much now. Even with my mask I don't know what other affects or ways this stuff could infect us is." Izuku said while looking the building over.
Saphentite was considering much the same, but something else was bothering her. 'What is this feeling? I know I've felt something similar before but…. it was different,' she thought before considering changing into a fan or something to pull the cloud of gas out.
"Don't! Or rather don't just disperse it into the atmosphere!" Izuku said before questioning if she could contain the gas. Saphentite nodded and transformed into an industrial air vacuum pump and ventilation tubes that snaked through the building.
She couldn't go far but she didn't have to as Thirteen had arrived. "What are you – you know what?! I don't care! Miss Anwar, keep doing what you're doing! I'll get some of the rest!" she said before having another hero open a window for her to use her black hole.
Melissa had come as well and launched a few probes to gather details on the interior. "Okay! We should at be in a decent spot to go in after the others!" she announced after a few minutes. Turning her partial mask into a full helmet to go down and help with rescue.
And while the pros wanted her to stay back, the fact that she didn't have a quirk put her in a grey area to help without any approval. The same was said of Jotaro and Izuku. Who were each given enhanced air masks by Melissa.
"Fine! The extra help isn't a bad thing anyway!" one hero relented with a groan. They each got some special masks to help protect against whatever the gas was. And they went in to save the students from what they assumed was an exercise gone wrong.
Only to be shocked at the state quite a few of the students were in. From some looking like sentient puddles of…. Well themselves. Or others turning into mutated monsters that seemed barely able to think.
Luckily they were relatively easily dealt with. Thanks to the third year who, despite having been changed into a bit of a monster himself, was able to fight and restrain some of the others. He couldn't speak very coherently, but he was able to mime where to go.
"Kacchan." Izuku said upon finding his former friend in a room far from the others. He was badly burned and looked to have multiple broken bones. Even the fire that was normally burning in his eyes had gone out. He barely acknowledged Izuku with a "Deku" before passing out again.
Izuku hurried over and helped to get the boy out of the building. All of the heroes did the same and moved many of them into one of the gyms. Turning it into a makeshift medical plague ward. Recovery Girl herself had to call in multiple other doctors to help with treating all of the students.
"This is a disaster. How did this happen? Any idea what that gas was that caused this? No. The media will have a field day with this." The pro heroes were talking amongst themselves as they looked on. Nezu heard it all and agreed with them while trying to piece together who could have done this.
"You think this was an attack not an accident?" Present Mic said with confusion. Nezu nodded before stating that, "the effects. The choice of location. The fact it was students who were affected and probably targeted. This isn't a coincidence." And while he wanted to keep this secret, within a day it was all over the news. And made worse by a special declaration.
"I hope you all like the little gift we left you heroes! And so much for your security and promises to watch over the people in your walls. You failed and now there are others who have been caught up in a disaster. All because you believed yourselves untouchable. You were wrong."
A viral video of Shigaraki Tomura had been playing nonstop for over a day. With him, the LOV, and the Forgotten claiming responsibility. Power Loader checked later and found the source of the attack. "It seems something else got hidden in the parts we had stored there during the School Festival. We're just lucky this didn't happen during that."
Saying that makes Nezu start to ponder on how they got whatever caused this incident into the school. "I believe I might have an idea sir," a new voice said at the conference room. It was Miss Un who looked to have an unsettled look on her face.
She cleared her throat before saying, "we've been using a company for years that has….. well the packing material is very similar to what the villain Compress's quirk can make. I looked into it, and before your parts were supposed to be shipped it seems they broke into the factory."
Her assistant nods and shows a video of them sneaking into the packing plant. Both look ashamed and apologized that they had a role to play in this. Even if it was unintentional, so Nezu thanked them before they left. "Man. Talk about crappy coincidences."
"A little too coincidental. This isn't the first time one of Miss Un's businesses has been involved with us." Nezu says with suspicion. Unfortunately, he can't act on it and he has no proof.
With Un and Shido or rather with Sosaku and Tomura, they were laughing in the limo as they headed back to the penthouse. "Did you see their faces when we "volunteered" that data!? Oh it was great!" Tomura said before toasting with some champagne. A toast Natalie happily returned.
In the few days after the incident, almost none of the students were getting better. Some like the third year could at least still think straight. But barely. The only one who had been caught in the disaster and seemed fine was Mina.
Recovery Girl wondered if the pink student had something in her blood that made her immune. So she took some samples before allowing her to return to her class and dorm. Where she was greeted by hugs and congratulations from her classmates.
"You were so manly Ashido! Are you sure you're, okay? Is it true that these three got to see you naked?!" Mina was a bit overwhelmed by the questions but she was saved. Saphentite turned into a bull horn and let out a squelch to distract everyone. "How about we let her breathe?"
Her fellow members of 1-A cleared their throats and stepped away while still congratulating the girl. Saphentite was the first to go over and pat her on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're safe. And hopefully, we can put this behind us all," the genie girl said with a smile.
She hugged Mina, before asking the others to take it easy on the girl for the time being. Izuku and Jotaro came next and they both said they were impressed on how hard she pushed. "You did everything you could to get an opening for the others. You are a true hero." Izuku said with a smile and blush.
Jotaro agreed and told her that he was proud of what she did. "But don't go too overboard again. We need to all be in top shape to deal with the ones who did this," he said with a smile and slight sparkle in his green hazel eyes.
Or at least it looked like a sparkle to Mina. She had been blushing the entire time they had been talking, and for a bit when the others hugged her. While she had been feeling fine, she now noted that she felt a little warm and fuzzy inside.
And it was not helped by the hug Saphentite gave her (and the feeling of both of their breasts pushed against one another), the look and praise Izuku shot her way (with her swearing he looked like a protagonist from a shojo manga), and Jotaro saying he was proud and giving her a gentle hug (all while she thought he seemed similar to the cool characters from the same kind of manga).
"Uh….. thanks guys. Look I uh…. I. I could use some sleep. And in my own bed. So I'm gonna call it a night," she said while trying to cover up her blush. The others agreed and told her to sleep well and rest up for whatever came next.
The only problem was, she couldn't get any rest. While it was somewhat cool in her room, she felt so heated she couldn't get a decent nights sleep. "Oh come on?! Why is it so hot in here? And why do I keep seeing….. No get those thoughts out of my head!" she thought aloud.
She tensed up before curling into a ball to try and put her thoughts aside. Only to notice her sleep shorts feeling funny for some reason. She reached down her body and could feel how wet her shorts and underwear were. She bit her lip before subtly slipping them off to try and relieve some of the heat she felt. All while a number of her friends' faces ran through her head.
There you go. The payoff finally struck, and someone else is paying more than others would have believed. Also don't assume Nezu will be able to put everything together right now. Even with his High Specs, there are still limits to what one can put together with lacking data. And besides, you can't just call her out when you have no proof. Please review!