Chapter 19
March 12, 2168
0250 Hours
This was a mistake, Keiichi thought cynically. He didn't loathe the idea of working with non-Spartans, not like some of the others did. However, if this was how every mission with them was going to end up, he'd rather stay with his brothers and sisters from now on. We never should've teamed up. If it'd just been us, we could've cleared out this whole place without anyone ever noticing. Now how many people are going to lose their lives tonight?
They weren't far now. Already, the sounds of battle could be heard, muffled as they were. The dull roar of automatic weapons was punctuated by the muted crack of what could only be high-powered rifles. Adding to the chaos periodically was a mighty boom that would shake the very ground. No doubt, those were caused by the rocket and grenade launchers the yakuza had managed to acquire.
Keiichi looked down at his newly acquired weapon - an M319 Grenade Launcher - with unease. Control had told them that it was a bad up there, though she hadn't gotten into the details. Just how serious was it? Would they find bodies littering the streets? How many were left? From the sounds of fighting, there had to be enough to push back against the Yakuza, though for how long? Would they even be able to save anyone at this point?
The thought of losing even one life to this mission - Spartan, Pro, or Officer - was all it took for Keiichi to kick it up a notch and sprint the last stretch. Behind him, his team quickly matched his pace. They'd already abandoned any effort to traverse the compound stealthily. Now, they hardly kept formation. Above all else, they were desperate to reach the Pros in their time of need. That's when a new obstacle came into view.
A solid concrete wall that certainly wasn't supposed to be there stood in their way. It looked as if the thing had been pulled right out of the very ground. Keichii grimaced. That's gotta be Overhaul's work.
They didn't so much as slow down. Keiichi pointed his grenade launcher and fired from the hip. The concussive blast from such a distance would've surely knocked them on their backs had it not been for their Mjolnir armor. It didn't entirely destroy the wall, however, so Keichii and the other Spartans tucked in their shoulders and threw themselves right through the crumbling structure. What little remained of the hastily formed structure was obliterated by the combined force of four Spartans smashing through it at top speed.
With the last obstacle dealt with, Keiichi quickly spotted the stairs leading up and leapt up them in a single great bound. They burst through the thin wall concealing the stairway then raced towards the entrance of the yakuza base. At this point, the sounds of battle were thunderous. With the large double doors in sight, Keiichi braced himself for whatever he might witness on the other side and kicked them open.
It was better than what he expected, but not for the reason he'd hoped. There were no bodies littering the pristine grounds nor were there wounded officers screaming for help. That was because the assault force hadn't made it that far. They'd yet to even breach the perimeter wall that the yakuza's forces were shooting them from. More than a dozen villains were stationed along the front gate, raining hell on anything that moved across the street.
Several bullets impacted the walls of the yakuza, spitting up clouds of dust and pieces of concrete as the officers tried returning fire, but it didn't compare to the overwhelming torrent of bullets the enemy were slinging. Just above them, Keiichi could make out the enlarged forms of Ryukyu and Rikiya locked in brutal hand to hand combat. She was wounded - bloodied. Chunks of her scales and flesh were missing, but she soldiered on. Even now, she sent the large yakuza member spinning with a backfist that could flatten a bus, only to take a burst of machine gun fire to the chest. The Dragoon Hero no doubt had the advantage both in skill and size, but that also made her an easy target. The constant stream of enemy fire meant that she was unable to go for the finishing blow.
Time to change that.
Keiichi took aim with his grenade launcher and sent a 40mm round sailing into the sturdy entrance. The flash of the explosion illuminated the darkness of the early morning with violent intensity. The other Spartans of his team took it as their invitation to join in on the action. Their rifles and squad-automatic-weapons peppered the enemy's back with laser-like accuracy.
As he reloaded the grenade launcher, Keiichi took the opportunity to key his communicator. "All personnel, this is Legacy Leader, we've made our way to the surface and have engaged the enemies at the gate. I say again, Spartans are topside; watch your fire, over."
He didn't have to wait long to get a response. "Spartans, you have our thanks. I- my apologies, this is Sir Nighteye. We're going to push through to you now, over."
"Understood, Sir. We'll meet you-" Keiichi cut himself off. Movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him in time to leap to his side as a flurry of razor-sharp blades - seemingly made out of leaves - shot right past him. His head snapped towards his assailant while his hand reached the magnum at his hip. It turned out to be unnecessary.
Just as the villain was preparing to use his Quirk again, a white and red figure materialized from the ruined perimeter wall. The Shie Hassaikai member hit the floor as a devastating right hook crashed into the back of his head. "Power!" The Hero screamed.
Keiichi recognized him as one of the interns from their meeting with the Pro Heroes. He'd seemed chipper then, exuberant even. Now, his face was marred with anguish and rage. As his fellow Spartans mopped up what remained of the villains in the yard, he called out to the student. "Lemillion, correct?"
The blonde looked at him but made no attempt to meet up with the Spartans. Instead, he picked up speed and dashed for the door to the yakuza base. "Gotta go," he called out behind him, "Pros need help, Nejire-chan will explain!"
Keiichi could feel his temper flare ever so slightly. If there was still a battle raging outside the gates, then why the hell was he abandoning his post like this? "And where are you going?"
"To save Eri!"
Keiichi briefly considered stopping him and forcing him to return to the battle in front of them but decided against it. He figures it wouldn't be worth it to take the time to convince a single student when he can just go out there and finish it himself. Despite his frustrations, he can't help but hope that the hero-in-training stays safe.
"Oh! Spartans!" A voice call from above them. The Spartan looks up to see another hero-in-training hovering above them using some sort of energy Quirk. He recognized her as Nejire-chan from the meeting days ago. Her outfit was covered in ash while blood dripped from the numerous scratches along her body. Beaten and tired as she must've been, the young lady still gave them a bubbly smile. "Thanks for the help, but there's still more villains in the streets. There's also that big guy that Ryukyu's fighting. He's the energy-sucking guy we learned about, but now he doesn't need to touch people to do it, he just needs to be around them!"
The earth shook as two groups duked it out on the street, though Keiichi did not falter. He locked his grenade launcher onto the magnetic holster on his back and drew his specialized magnum. He gave a single nod to the intern, then turned to his comrades as he spoke over his comms. "Mawata, Aiko, take up overwatch on the wall. Grace, you're with me. Saving our comrades takes priority, so you put those villains down permanently if you must. Let's mop this mess up."
The team was already on the move before he'd finished speaking. Mawata and Aiko ran to the remains of the compound wall and scaled it in a single leap. Aiko started calling out the situation immediately. "Two dozen hostiles, scattered throughout the street. Two of them are directly outside the entrance."
Keiichi didn't bother slowing down. He surged past the compound wall and barreled into the villain without regard for his remorse. The man never stood a chance. It was like getting run over by a truck racing down the highway. The yakuza members body broke upon impact with the Spartans and was sent sprawling underneath him, Grace copied her leader, throwing the villain's partner into a sickening face-plant across the pavement. Behind the two, their teammates let loose with their M739 SAWs.
The Spartan leader kept his eyes up and alert, trying to ignore the bodies that lay beneath him as he sprinted past. Some were yakuza. Most weren't. The carnage didn't stop there, however. Craters lined the street from explosives and police cars had been cut in half by machine gun fire and were turned into flaming wrecks from rocket launchers. He found an excellent distraction in the form of Ryukyu and Rikiya's ongoing duel. The dragoon hero had the villain pinned to the ground and was using her superior size to keep him there. He wasn't going down without a fight, though.
Keiichi could see a translucent yellow aura begin to emit from Ryukyu and be absorbed by Rikio. He adjusted course and went for the two.
"Gaaah! Hiyaah! Raaah!" The titanic villain screamed into the face of Ryukyu. He tried to strike at her, but even with his enlarged muscles he couldn't get a good hit on her with his face pressed into the dirt. Despite the psychotic thrashing below her, Ryukyu remained rock-solid. There was a coldness in her eyes; viscous but measured.
However, she couldn't keep up this test of strength when the Shie Hassaikai was sapping that very strength for himself. Her grip on the villain was already beginning to weaken. The two of them were so preoccupied with fighting one another that they failed to notice Keiichi sprinting at them full tilt. When he was only a few steps away, the Spartan leapt into the air and angled himself to come crashing down on Rikiya's head. The sound was heart-stopping for everyone around them, but Keiichi continued.
He took aim with his magnum and fired one of the specially crafted Quirk Erasing bullets into the exposed neck of the villain, Rikiya. The effect was immediate. With his form returning to its normal size and his ability to suck the energy out of people negated, the thug was of no more concern. As his struggles died out, Keiichi realized that the rest of the area had grown quiet as well.
"Clear," Aiko called out over her speakers so that everyone could hear. A cursory glance around the area confirmed it - not that he doubted his team. Not after everything they'd been through.
A dozen Pro Heroes and police officers assembled around him. They were a mess, all of them. Some more than others, though they'd all be receiving scars. Sir Nighteye himself half-jogged, half-hobbled up to Keiichi. A large gash and splotch of blood on his right leg explained that. "Spartans," he greeted them. "I can't thank you enough. Despite our best efforts, the yakuza managed to see us coming. It turns out that they have surveillance cameras set up in the streets around their compound. They ambushed us well before we even saw the gates. Many have suffered because of that oversight. I'm confident in the rest of us, however. We still have the strength to finish this."
Firm nods and quiet comments from the remains of the assault force showed just how determined they were. Keiichi didn't say anything at first. He simply studied them. Then, he asked, "Is this… all that remains?"
Sir Nighteye took a second to respond. "The wounded are being treated as best they can."
A dozen Pros and officers, Keiichi thought sourly. There were supposed to be ten times that number. There wasn't anything that could be done about that right now. He'd just have to push on with what they had. If things went south - well, any more than what they already were - then at the very least he'd still have his fellow Spartans with him. He could always rely on them.
Hell, they were the only ones he'd ever choose to rely on after this.
"What about the rest of you?" One of the heroes - Fat Gum - asks. Aside from Ryukyu, he appears to be the most beat up. His hoodie was gone and there were only a few large strips of leather that remained of his pants. Keiichi guessed that the hero had been acting as a human shield for those who weren't outfitted with bulletproof power armor. "Are they okay? I haven't heard anything from them."
"Last I heard, Mythic had retrieved the package and we're heading back towards the tunnel. Chimera was still working to complete their objective."
"The package? You mean Eri," Ryukyu rumbled aggressively. Keiichi was shocked to see her still moving around so effortlessly. There was blood flowing from her injuries, though she acted like she was no worse for wear.
I guess that's what happens when you turn into an actual dragon.
"Yes, ma'am. She's with Mythic Team - and by extent, Eraserhead."
"Good," Sir Nighteye sighed in relief. "That's very good. At least that hasn't gone wrong."
"Are you sure they're safe?" Ryukyu asked. This time, her tone was filled with anxiety rather than irritation. "That child's already been through so much. It'd be cruel to bring her so close to freedom only to have it snatched away…"
"Mythic is the best team that could've been selected for this mission, ma'am," Keiichi stated. "They'd die before they let anything happen to her."
March 12, 2168
0250 Hours
"Chimera, this is Mythic Leader, what's the status of your objective, over?"
Serin looked around the ransacked lab. Every inch had been scoured, every terminal stripped of data, every document photographed for future analysis. If it all went according to plan, the Commission would have a steady supply of Quirk Erasing bullets within the year. The only thing that remained now were the samples that Daisuke was loading into his pack. "How long?" She asked.
"Thirty seconds, TL."
She gave him a nod and relayed the information to Izuku over TEAMCOMM, but he didn't respond to it. With a slight frown, she spoke into her communicator once more. "Mythic, this is Chimera Leader, what's your status, over?"
Several moments of silence.
"Serin," Izuku's voice came over in a grunt. Her eyes narrowed in concern for her fellow Team Leader. She knew her friend wasn't one to break radio protocol like that. Something must've gone wrong. "Got ambushed on our way to the tunnel. Overhaul is here. He's changed, I don't know how. He's bigger. Need assistance… if you're free."
At the word, "ambushed", Serin and her team had shot into action. Daisuke's hands were a blur as he stuffed samples into the specialized container with the minimum amount of care required. Rei and Akari threw open the door to the hallway and were sweeping for enemies. Serin armed the explosives set up in the lab to destroy the remaining evidence as she responded. "We're on our way, Izuku. ETA, ninety seconds."
"Stay alert, there could be more."
"Understood… hang in there, Mythic."
With everything secured, the four of them barreled down the hallway full-tilt towards their comrades-in-arms. Serin pinged the location of Mythic team and found them close to the entrance to the tunnel back to the convenience store. With any luck they might be able to blow through the villains, grab their fellow Spartans, and make a run straight for the tunnel. From there, they could just detonate the explosives they'd set up and trap the enemy behind them.
The universe had other plans.
Serin grounded to halt as the very walls around them came to life with hostile intent. Solid concrete ebbed and flowed as if it were waves in an ocean. She racked her brain trying to come up with an explanation. Not once during all of their reconnaissance did they come across someone with a Quirk like this. It was like the base itself had come alive…
"Irinaka," she realized.
"Seems like he's been working out," Rei quipped.
"He must've taken a hit of Trigger when the fighting started," Daisuke explained.
"Trigger doesn't last long, not even the higher end stuff. Think we can just wait him out?" Akari asked.
Pillars of concrete sprang forth from further down the hall; each of them was as wide as Serin's armored torso. They flew towards the Spartans at breakneck speed, but the augmented heroes had more than enough time to react. Serin switched her MA5B to fully automatic and held the trigger down. Between the four of them, more than two hundred rounds of armor piercing ammunition went screaming off into their targets, reducing them to bits and pieces.
"That's a hard no," Serin answered as she released the empty magazine and slapped a fresh one in with practiced ease. She meant to continue speaking until something caught her eye. The wall just to their right had opened for a single moment. It was small and brief, though Serin knew that it'd served its purpose as a pair of objects landed between the four of them.
"Grenades!" She warned them as her body had already started moving. Even for a Spartan it seemed like her whole world had become a blur as her mind raced. From their appearance it seemed that they were the modern M9 fragmentation grenades; anti-personnel weapons that would detonate one-point-eight seconds after impact with an object… and they packed a hell of a punch. Even with their augmented bodies, Serin knew they wouldn't be able to outrun them.
Rei realized that too, apparently.
He leapt into action and kicked one of the grenades down the corridor, then pivoted on his heel to send the other one flying. The ground opened beneath them before he could reach it. As the four Spartans fell a dozen or so meters into the new room, Serin bore witness to the grenade detonating right in front of Rei. The armor around his leg - the boot, the greave, the knee-guard, and pieces of the thigh plate - buckled beneath the pressure of the explosion. Shrapnel bit at his form, leaving gashes and dents. Rei himself had been sent careening through the air, completely limp.
Serin could feel her heart leap into her throat. Rei hadn't originally been a part of her team, but he was hers now. He was her responsibility, her teammate, her brother through blood, sweat, and tears. And all she could do in this moment was watch him tumble helplessly towards the ground alongside her.
Just when she'd thought this was the worst possible outcome, a new sensation assaulted her. Gunfire. Not the smaller pistol caliber rounds either. It was heavy and constant. Serin turned around as best she could in midair and found the source of this offense: a group of Yakuza. They were armed to the teeth and using every piece of it with vicious glee.
Serin chose to forego stealth and instead hit the ground at full force. The tile beneath her shattered with an almighty boom. Her entrance was echoed by Daisuke and Akari, but Rei's landing was far less imposing as he landed on his back with a resounding wham. Her heart wrenched at the thought of her teammate acquiring any more injuries. As much as she wanted to rush to his aid, she had more immediate concerns.
With her rifle braced against her shoulder she intended to unleash hell on these villains. However, her MA5B simply vanished just as she was about to squeeze the trigger. Serin scanned the villains for an explanation and found Setsuna among them, all of her team's weapons clutched in his arms. Her rifle, her sidearm, even her combat knife were all stolen from her. All thanks to his Quirk, Larceny.
Now that the Spartans were no longer falling through the air, the villains' accuracy improved. High-caliber rounds slammed into her armor by the dozen carving into it millimeter by millimeter. Beneath the Titanium-A battle plate the gel layer was doing an admirable job of absorbing the force behind each bullet. Without Mjolnir, Serin and her team would've been cut to ribbons by the onslaught. As it was, she was simply livid.
"Ha!" One of them hollered. "These demons aren't so tou-"
Serin wouldn't give him the satisfaction of finishing that sentence. She shot off like a bullet, faster than any of the yakuza's minds could comprehend. With every step she took the ground beneath her cracked and splintered. Her first victim, Setsuna, hadn't even registered that she was right in front of him as her fist caved in his chest. The force of the punch threw him straight into the wall behind him where he hit with a meaty thud.
No guns, no knives, no grenades, nor any other fancy gadgets. No need for any of that when she could do so much worse herself.
Serin figured he was probably dead after that, but her ire wasn't yet satiated. Not even close. She turned to face the rest of the villains who just now realized that she'd already crossed the vast distance between them. Their faces were a spectrum that varied between disbelief and utter horror. It seemed they were still rational after all.
Looking past the enemy, she found the only thing that mattered right now. Her team was split in their actions. Daisuke had followed her lead and was sprinting over to back her up. Akari had opted for defense, using her whole body to shield Rei from the hail of bullets. Rei himself laid on the destroyed tile floor where he'd landed, still unmoving.
At that moment, Serin knew that they wouldn't be able to make it to Izuku in time. Even after they dealt with the thugs right in front of them there was still Irinaka hiding out in the walls somewhere, causing chaos. Not to mention that the bastard had dropped them off in a separate part of the compound. They had no idea how to get back to the main hallway. And Rei…
As Serin leapt forward, ready to take out her anger on those unfortunate enough to get in her way, she activated her comm. "Izuku," she solemnly said, "I'm sorry. You're on your own."
March 12, 2168
0255 Hours
Spartans were trained to suppress fear, to push it to the back of their minds to complete the mission no matter what. Izuku never seemed to need those lessons. The thought of anybody in danger was already enough to override any sense of self-preservation he might've had. However, he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't relying on that training right now. Especially at this very moment as Overhaul - or whatever the hell he was now - charged him at blistering speeds.
The villain… the monster? The abomination that was Kai Chisaki and however many poor souls he'd absorbed had become this thing: a hulking mass of thick, armored maroon flesh with two massive legs, six arms, and a disproportionately sized head compared to his huge torso. He towered over them at twice their height. When he first revealed himself to the group, Eraserhead immediately used his Quirk on him. Izuku had hoped that would reverse whatever the man had done, that everyone he'd merged with would be expelled from his body.
That wasn't the case.
As the villain drew nearer, Izuku leveled his MA5B rifle at his legs and squeezed the trigger. The strange flesh shrugged off the armor-piercing rounds, though it wasn't truly bulletproof. He could see chunks of skin fly off with each round. Still, Izuku wasn't going to waste anymore of his Quirk Erasing Bullets. He'd already used up several in hopes of them ending this damn creature to no effect. The Spartans would just rely on their primary weapons for this. They'd be able to cut through the yakuza's mass given enough time. The problem was that time wasn't on their side at the moment.
Although Chisaki's Quirks were currently erased his physical body was still enough to contend with the Spartans. It didn't help that he kept spouting insults along with his egotistical rants.
"You're diseased!" The villain shouted as he brought all six oversized arms down on the spot where Izuku had been. The Spartan swiftly evaded the attack, though Overhaul continued to advance at breakneck pace. "Why won't you see? I'm trying to rid the world of you vermin!"
Overhaul had strength, speed, and reach, but the guy was a complete amateur when it came to actually throwing a punch. Each swing of his six arms was so heavily telegraphed that Izuku could've seen them coming a week ahead of time. He bobs and weaves between haymaker after haymaker, trying to close the distance to the villain's head - seemingly the only weak spot - but to no avail. Technique or no, it was hard to dodge a flurry of six arms that each rival his Mjolnir clad self. One of those arms came dangerously close to snagging onto Izuku's shoulder pauldron. In the blink of an eye, the Spartan pulled his combat knife from its sheath and slashed outwards.
Two inhuman fingers soared past his head, cleanly cut from the man's outstretched hand by the hyperdense, monomolecular-edged blade. There was no blood or cry of agony to accompany it. Overhaul didn't even flinch. Izuku didn't know it for a fact, but he suspected that nothing they did to this new body really hurt him. Worse, Izuku's enhanced perception allowed him to see into the wound he'd inflicted. The inside was the same texture and consistency as the skin. That's how it was all the way through. Even if he was able to pierce the skin with a Quirk Erasing Bullet, the Spartan wasn't sure that it would have any effect.
With nothing to show for his efforts, Izuku decided to disengage. Unfortunately, his opponent had no intention of letting him slip away again. All six arms opened wide, ready to close around him in a great big bearhug. Gunfire sang from all around him as his fellow Spartans tried to draw the enemy's attention away from their leader. It forced the Shie Hassaikai member to raise two of his arms to defend his face. With limited vision, the villain's assault was temporarily foiled and allowed Izuku some breathing room.
Izuku gave a silent huff in frustration. Just a little longer, he thought hopefully, Serin will be here any second now. Fireteam Chimera was their best option. They couldn't go back; they didn't know who else was inside the compound. Getting caught between Overhaul and someone like Mimicry was not a good idea. They couldn't make a break for the tunnel either. The villain had predicted their escape attempt and had sealed the entrance with a truly enormous wall. So, for now, they'd persist.
"Blinking!" Eraserhead hissed.
The Spartans retreated to Eraserhead and took up their positions in an instant. Hitoshi continued to stay at Aizawa and Eri's side, ready to pick them up and dodge anything the two couldn't evade. Mei formed a second layer of protection around the two. Her M90 shotgun was raised and set to annihilate whatever danger there was with an excessive amount of eight-gauge magnum. Izuku and Will kept their distance from the others, challenging any opponent as far away from the rest of the group as they could get in these abnormally large hallways.
It was a challenge the grotesque villain accepted without hesitation. His hulking body charged Izuku head on with speed that rivaled even his augmented abilities. The young leader could pinpoint the exact moment Eraserhead's Quirk cut out. The six arms of the villain swelled with power - Rappa's Power - before they rushed towards him like supersonic missiles. Combined with Chisaki's Quirk, the monster had a hell of a move. If a single one of those hands made contact, then he'd be turned into a smear of red against the floor. He'd have to rely on his acute reflexes and superior agility for the time being.
His vision suddenly blurred, and his body turned sluggish. Shit, Izuku realized, that's Sakaki's Quirk, Sloshed! He was already the underdog in this matchup, but this took it to another level. His legs wobbled beneath him, but a Spartan didn't give up just because they got a little disoriented. It was something that Mendez-sensei put them through numerous times. He pushed them beyond their limits, then forced them to keep going. The grizzled old instructor told them that it would save their lives.
He'd been right. Izuku grit his teeth, fought past the nausea, and leapt into a roll to his right as a flurry of fists crashed down all around him. Solid concrete exploded beneath his strength, though the villain didn't continue his pursuit. Izuku's eyes narrowed as he tried to understand this change in tactics. His breath hitched as he threw himself back before a tidal wave of spikes erupted from Overhaul in every direction.
"Watch, Eri! Watch as more people die because of your choices!" The villain yelled.
The Spartan's world was spinning, and his head felt like someone was taking a sledgehammer to it. His once graceful movements had become a series of staggering steps, barely keeping himself upright. In this condition, he knew that he couldn't evade all of them. He was preparing himself to test the durability of his Mjolnir power armor when a massive hand clamped down on his shoulder and hauled him aside. The report of an M90 shotgun made itself known as swaths of makeshift skewers were reduced to rubble. Izuku smiled as a new thought entered his mind - something that Mendez-sensei had repeated to them day after day. A Spartans true strength isn't found in their arms alone. A Spartan will find their greatest strength by standing side-by-side with their teammates. And mine will always be there for me, he thought to himself, undaunted by their foe.
"Cutting it a little close there, eh Boss?" Will's voice called out through TEAMCOMM. He held onto Izuku tightly, guiding him back to the safety of numbers.
"That's our fearless leader…" Mei added. The sound of her shotgun was deafening. She was firing it so fast that he thought she might've modified it to be automatic. "Always putting his best foot forward."
Grin still plastered on his face, Izuku growled into his communicator, "Focus."
"Erasing!" Eraserhead called out to all of them. Just like that, Izuku's perfect vision returned to him. Turning his head just the tiniest bit allowed him to spot Eraserhead out of the corner of his eye. The Pro Hero was being placed back on the ground by Hitoshi who was still holding onto Eri in the other arm.
"Alright," his perpetually tired teammate sighed, "back at square one."
His attention returned to Overhaul. The villain had already used his Quirk to regenerate all the damage he'd received. All that ammo, wasted…
"Just a little longer, Mythic," Izuku assured them. "The cavalry's on their way."
Truth be told, the Spartans were making this more difficult for themselves than it had to be. Hitoshi's Quirk, Brainwash, could resolve this whole mess with a single word. Overhaul was a disturbed maniac with the ego to match it. There wasn't a doubt in Izuku's mind that the villain would immediately respond to any of his teammates' callouts. Once under his control, the heroes could get out of here, no problem. Or, at least, no immediate problem…
They knew Eraserhead was investigating them, and Hitoshi's Quirk was as unique as it was powerful. If they showed it off here in front of the UA teacher, then they'd be screwed. So Izuku was intent on avoiding that option at all costs. To do that, they needed help. They needed Ser-
"Izuku," a voice - Serin's voice - whispered over TEAMCOMM, "I'm sorry. You're on your own."
He didn't bother trying to argue. If she said it was impossible, then it was. He instead replied with, "Understood, Serin. See you on the flipside."
Izuku immediately brought his team into the discussion. "Bad news, team. Chimera's not coming. We need a new plan."
Despite fighting for their lives, they voiced their suggestions calmly and orderly. Hitoshi was the first to offer something, "I can always brainwash him. Eraserhead will no doubt see it, but we're running out of options."
That option was definitely the safest. With Overhaul under his influence, they could just sit tight and wait for as long as needed until the rest of the Pro Heroes made it to them. However, as easy as it would make their current situation, it'd only cause them more trouble in the future. "Not yet," said Izuku, "But if things go any worse… I'll leave it up to your judgment."
Mei was next to speak. "We could break off and rendezvous with Serin. Two teams are better than one, no matter the enemy."
Izuku rolled the idea around in his head for a moment as he continued to fight off Overhaul - the guy wasn't going to step down simply because they wanted to have a conversation. It certainly had merit, except… "That's assuming we make it to them. There could be more enemies between us and Chimera team. We can't afford to get boxed in like that."
"What if we blow the charges in the tunnel?" Will asked between bursts of his MA5B. "Is it possible we can take down the wall and open up the tunnel again? Doesn't have to be big, just enough to get Eri and Eraserhead through."
"Not likely, Will. Those are M168 demo charges," Mei explained, "they're set to collapse the tunnel and that is exactly what they're going to do."
Thoughts of training from years past resurfaced in Izuku's mind. He remembered their mission against Hawks and how they were forced to abandon all caution to win. They'd all come together on that one, using their heads and Quirks. They lured him in close and used the environment against their instructors. A new idea was beginning to take shape. "They're powerful enough to tear down that tunnel…" he mused aloud, "how would that affect us inside here?"
"It's a damn big wall," Mei huffed, "we haven't made a hole in it despite dumping several mags into the thing. But an explosion of that magnitude? It'd turn anyone standing next to that thing into bits and pieces."
"How far back should Eraserhead and Eri go to be considered safe?"
"Not far at all, don't worry. The wall will absorb most of the blast. We can keep them close by, just gotta get 'em out of the way of shrapnel and debris."
"You think Eraserhead would know that?"
"Uh, no."
"Good."
"Izuku?" Will tentatively asked.
"Will, I want you to take Eraserhead and Eri and get as far away from here as fast as possible. I don't want either of them around when Hitoshi uses his Quirk."
"Ahh! I'm on it, boss. We should've done this ages ago."
"Nice thinking, Izuku," Hitoshi chuckled.
Izuku smiled. "Just doing what we're trained to do." He then switched channels to the one that included the Pro Hero next to them. "Our back-up hit a snag. We're switching to a new plan."
"Will they be alright?" he asked sincerely.
"They'll be fine, but we need to get the two of you out of here. Mythic Four will escort you further back into the base while we deal with Overhaul. Stay out of sight until we give you the all clear."
There was a lengthy pause as the Hero processed what he'd just said. "Do you have a death wish?" He finally growled out. "We've only made it this far because we've all been working together."
"We're losing ground, so it's time to change the game," he calmly argued. "We'll only be distracting him. Once you're far enough away, we'll detonate the explosives in the tunnel and take him out for good."
"Good god, you really do have a death wish. I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourselves over this! We can figure something out, the rest of the Pros should be on their way, we just have to hold out-"
"We'll be fine, sir," Izuku cut him off. He knew it wasn't the respectful thing to do, but he wanted the Pro out of here yesterday. Still, it was nice to know that he cared for their safety. "Trust us. We've beaten worse odds than this before."
"You don't have to do this," said the underground hero. "You can't do this. It's suicide to even try."
It was Hitoshi, surprisingly, who spoke up next. "With respect, sir, you haven't seen what a fraction of what we can accomplish. So, please, have some faith."
This time, Izuku is actually in a position where he can turn to look at Aizawa while he thinks about it. He hides his dismay well, but the Spartan can still pick up on it easily enough. He wants to trust the Spartans, he truly does, but there's something holding him back. What was it? Had he seen someone else die before? Someone he once trusted like Izuku's asking of him now?
Whatever it may be, the Pro Hero shoves it down and glares back at Izuku. "You better make it back. I'm not the only one who's putting their faith in you." He glances down and Izuku finally notices that Eri's watching him intently. How long has that been going on for? Just now or the whole fight?
Izuku slows down a moment, confident that the others can pick up his slack for this quick action. He moves his free hand up to his faceplate and swipes two fingers across it - a Spartan's method of showing a smile. There was a twinkle in Eri's red eyes when she saw that. Then, she mimicked the motion. When Eraserhead saw that, he let out a large sigh and nodded his head towards the Spartan.
"Alright then," said Izuku, "let's do this. Two and Three, on my mark, we're going to lay down suppressive fire. Aim for the eyes. When that happens, I want the three of you gone and hidden, understand?"
Voices of affirmation sound out through his communicator from all of them. He takes a moment, loading his last magazine into his MA5B before barking out, "Mark!"
It goes off without a hitch. Izuku, Hitoshi, and Mei play a symphony of high velocity armor piercing rounds and hyper dense pellets for Chisaki. The combined fire is enough to completely tear off one of the hands protecting his face. The villain stops in place for a moment and brings the rest of his massive arms up to make sure nothing gets through. Will, on the other hand, sprints towards Aizawa and Eri - who's held tightly in the Pro's arms - and scoops them up in a single motion before booking it back into the compound.
When the last round in Izuku's rifle smashed into Overhaul's palm with little effect, the heavily transformed man finally scanned his surroundings. His eyes shot wide open as he realized that Eri had gone missing. "You vermin. You filth. You think this will stop us? The yakuza has persevered for hundreds of years, this is nothing. You're nothing. Not even trash worthy of my spite."
As Eraserhead's Quirk began to wear off, the man activated his QUirk and began to take a new shape altogether. "And yet you've earned it!"
Six arms changed back into just two, but there were now thick tendrils that were affixed to his back. Each of them moved of their own volition, seemingly ready to attack or defend at a single thought. His two arms and legs were even larger than they were before: each of them was like stacks of boulders.
"Will?" Izuku whispered.
"Almost there! We're going through the side rooms, right now. I'm trying to find us a good place where they won't hear you."
"Well lower your standards. We've got problems here."
Overhaul took a single step and then flung himself straight towards Izuku. The Spartan hardly had time to dive out of the way as the villain slammed into the wall behind him, sending chips and chunks of concrete scattering in all directions. "Why can't you see," he muttered faintly, "why can't any of you see what I'm trying to do? I'm going to rid this world of its disease."
The crack of Mei's own magnum and the staccato pulse of Hitoshi's rifle were overshadowed by the light show that Overhaul erected around himself. Of course, he's also got Tengai's Quirk, Barrier, Izuku internally groaned.
"And I'll start with you."
"Will," Izuku snapped.
"We're set!"
"Now!"
With a thought, his teammate activated the specialized acoustics on his helmet to allow his natural voice to come through. "For a guy so worried about disease, you aren't looking too good yourself!"
Chisaki's eyes narrowed as he prepared to launch himself towards Hitoshi. "Of course, you wouldn't see it my way, you disgust-"
His eyes go blank, his body stiffens, and just like that the Spartans have won. Almost. Izuku allows himself a single moment to breathe deeply and ease the tension plaguing his body.
"Good job, you guys," says Izuku. "Hitoshi, go ahead and get him over by the wall. Mei, watch our rear. Let's wrap this up."
"Right," Hitoshi agrees, eyes still trained on Overhaul. He speaks clearly so that the villain can hear him. "Go and stand by the entrance to the tunnel-"
"Wait!" Mei called him over TEAMCOMM. "There's-"
"Woah," came a voice from behind them. Izuku's heart nearly shot out of his chest when he heard it. "That was incredible! I've never seen a Quirk like that. No wonder you guys are so good, all you have to do is say a few words and the bad guys are finished!"
Izuku turned around to see one of the hero-interns from the meeting, the one with Sir Nighteye: Lemillion. The two watched each other silently for a moment, with Izuku still as stone and Lemillion who had a warm smile etched into his face. Finally, the intern looked around curiously before asking, "Hey, where's the rest of you guys?"
Author's Note: So. Three things:
First - Power scaling Spartans is weird.
Second - This chapter kicked my ass. Especially the third section.
Third - I'm still not entirely satisfied, but I just had to get this out before another three months went by. The next chapter will come a lot sooner than this one.
