And now the serious plot begins...
"Well… this is some bad luck…" Ochako pouted. The group of heroes in training had retired to their hotel rooms. The rooms were near the top floor in a circular fashion, each room giving a great view of the surrounding districts. It was all connected via a large common-room in-between them all. "Out of them all, I get stuck with Accelerator…"
"You're telling me…" Momo sighed. "Misaka was good enough to over-power Todoroki… I can make things that resist electricity, but she has much more than just that… it's going to be an uphill battle…"
"It feels like we all have tough battles ahead…" Tenya commented.
"Kamijou has a really good combat sense, but his right arm ability only works upon contact. Working around that would be best. The biggest obstacle would be the fact that he is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat." Izuku suddenly spoke, writing things down in one of his notebooks. "Misaka's abilities all use electrical manipulation to preform her feats, finding a way to outright disrupt her control or ability to emit electricity would be an effective strategy."
"…Huh? What is he doing…?" Momo asked, leaning back in her seat.
"It would appear he is devising strategies for your opponents… he must be thinking out loud." Fumikage commented.
"Sogiita's abilities have a max range of ten meters. His attacks are explosive, but require hitting its target to work it would appear. His high durability, apparent regeneration capability and outright high pain tolerance would make the best strategy to force a ring-out situation…" Izuku continued talking as he wrote.
"What… about Accelerator?" Tenya carefully asked. Izuku paused.
"Accelerator… Accelerator…!" Izuku grunted, closing his eyes trying to think. He apparently started to strain himself as his face started to flush red as he clenched his eyes and mouth shut.
"H-hey! N-no need to strain yourself that much Deku!" Ochako rubbed Izuku's back, and he then sighed, letting his breath out.
"I only have a theory for Accelerator unfortunately…" Izuku commented, and then blushed red when he noticed Ochako was rubbing his back. Ochako then noticed that she had started rubbing his back in the first place and pulled her hand back, also blushing; it would appear she acted on reflex alone. Several people sighed.
"Still…" Tenya started. "A theory is a place to start. We will be able to collect information tomorrow on whether it will work or not."
"Well… I think it has to do with the vector values that he alters with his ability." Izuku leaned back. "A vector is simply a force magnitude and a direction combined. Twenty pounds of force downward would be a vector, for example. I think… it's not that his ability gives him the vector values for him to alter at his will; I think he actually calculates the various factors taken into account when it comes to the force it will have, the direction, possibly even the time when it will arrive within an area he can alter it."
"…He must be able to process and preform high-difficulty physics calculations then. And to do so in his head well enough to deflect a two-sided attack… he must be absurdly intelligent…" Fumikage said.
"But what does that mean? How can we use that…?" Tenya questioned.
"Well… if by some means his calculations are wrong, I think one of two will happen…" Izuku scratched his head. "One option is that possibly the vector change will erroneously alter the vector, causing unexpected outcomes when attempting to change the direction and magnitude…"
"Or…?"
"It's either that or, at least I think, his Vector Change will fail entirely, letting whatever is flying at him about to hit do so with impunity." Izuku finished.
"So… if your theory is correct, either Vector Change will erroneously alter vectors, or fail to work entirely… but how do we use that…" Tenya said.
"…I see." Ochako said simply, she stood up with a smile. "I got it! Thank you Deku!"
"N-no problem!" Izuku blushed red again, but smiled back. It would seem that Ochako had an idea on how to get around Accelerator's vector change. Only time would tell if it would work.
"Woah… holy crap… guys you might want to get a look at this!" Kirishima called out from his room. They started to gather around the window Kirishima was referring to, watching it. A short while after, Aizawa returned to the hotel floor himself and went looking for everyone.
"What's going on here?" Aizawa asked simply.
"There's some kind of massive fire in the distance." Tenya answered. Smoke rose from a faraway area, seemingly several districts away. It appeared to be spreading.
"…If I remember correctly, that's close to district ten…" Aizawa commented. "According to my information, that's where the city's prisons, nuclear energy research facilities, and the only cemetery are located… all the way on the other side of the city… I'm surprised we can see it."
"Nuclear energy… do you think the city's nuclear reserves are under threat?" Shouto asked.
"Doubtful; it would seem it's just outside the district itself…" Aizawa replied. "Though I wonder what caused it… if I had the guess it'd be right on the border of district seven and ten… or at least very close…"
Suddenly there was a large boom, and a stream of golden fire could be seen rising into the night sky. This was followed by a discharge of orange, in other words normal, fire enveloping the section, and more smoke rose into the air.
There was no mistake; this one was definitely inside district ten.
"Golden fire..! That looks just like one of that villain's attacks!" Izuku shouted.
"Gregory Augustine…" Iida said. His face turned from suspicion to shock. "S-sensei! The villain Gregory Augustine has the ability to generate and fire off large quantities of golden fire! It is possible that his target may be those nuclear reserves!?"
"…Orange flames are also in the area." Ochako added. "Kamijou said another hero was after him, do you think they have found each other…?"
"…Hero or not they are still fighting against each other right next to nuclear plants and testing facilities. If those get caught in the crossfire, a lot more than district ten will go up in flames." Aizawa said.
"A nuclear detonation would wipe out Academy City… and probably a large piece of Tokyo because of the proximity…" Fumikage commented. Aizawa pulled his special goggles on over his eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Getting across the city will be difficult, but I'm sure I can get there in time." Aizawa turned to leave. "Stay here, I'll alert the authorities as to what's going on." Aizawa ran out of the room, seemingly to find a quick exit so he could make his way over to district ten.
"…I just had a bad thought." Izuku said. "Aizawa's ability works on quirks for sure, but… do you think it will work on an esper ability…?"
"By his name, the villain is more than likely English in culture… but there have been rumblings about gemstones; people born with esper abilities from the start, similar to quirks…" Tenya answered. "Supposedly, Sogiita Gunha himself is one such gemstone."
"Damn it… sensei…!" Izuku looked out the window in worry. Katsuki suddenly approached the window and forced it open. It was a big drop down, but it the window itself appeared large enough for a person to get through.
"Hey… Deku." Katsuki called out. "If you were to see the guy, you'd know who he was, right? The golden fire guy?"
"Yeah… I think so…" Izuku answered. Katsuki suddenly grabbed Izuku by his collar and stepped onto the windowsill. "H-hey! Wait Kacchan!"
"Bakugou! Don't!" Tenya shouted. Katsuki jumped out the window, dragging Izuku with him against his will. Just as they were fifty feet from the ground, Katsuki triggered an explosion below them, canceling out their downward momentum and propelling themselves forward in the air. Katsuki continued this at regular intervals, when they would start to descend, he triggered another explosion to keep themselves air-borne as well as move quickly.
"Oh I get it… this is a good idea Kacchan!" Izuku called out.
"Shut up! You're just going to tell me who the guy is! The idea of showing up Aizawa and saving the city sounds like a good prospect!" Katsuki shouted back, continuing his pattern to keep in the air.
-District Ten-
He ran. Occasionally he would be confronted with the red-haired mage dressed in a black cloak, and they would fight for a moment, but the first chance he had he would flee. This is not the time to stand his ground. No, it was time to make it to his target as quickly as possible.
Prometheus' teleport was powerful indeed, but it had its limits. Firstly, it had a five second cooldown, preventing its use until it was over. Secondly, although he could teleport others with him, he could only teleport people with him one at a time. At his command, Gregory ordered Prometheus to take Pandora to the cemetery with the Necronomicon and prepare the ritual, and then to come back for him.
Sadly, the Necessarius mage Stiyl Magnus had found him first, forcing him to flee. Now all he could do was make his way there on foot. So he ran. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. After several turns, Gregory found himself in a narrow two-lane street. He stopped for a moment, leaning on a wall for support.
"Is… he gone…? Have I lost him?" Gregory asked himself. He heard no footsteps. He heard no crackle of flames. Nothing.
For a time, not a noise was made; aside that which Gregory himself had created.
"Excellent…" Gregory smiled. He started to make his way down the road. "If he is gone, then hopefully I can use this opportunity. With any luck, Prometheus will find me on his way back, but in any case, I am in the clear!"
Suddenly, an explosion was heard behind him. It was in the far distance, but he could still hear it. It was completely different from Stiyl's own magical assault. A short while later however, he heard it again, this time much closer, and still behind him. He started to run. The explosions came again, louder and louder, until suddenly, it sounded like it was over-head. Something crashed in front of him, landing with a heavy thud. Gregory slid to a stop.
It was two boys, one with blond hair, the other black with a green tint. The blond was holding the other by the collar.
"There, you fucking happy now!?" Katsuki shouted.
"I-I was just saying we needed to catch our bearings so we know where we're going!" Izuku shouted.
"What are… you doing here…!?" Gregory asked in a tense tone.
"Huh… who the hell…?" Katsuki asked, turning to face Gregory. He released Izuku's collar.
"Hey… Kacchan! That's the guy! Gregory Augustine!" Izuku shouted, getting up.
"Why… why must you interfere with my work yet again…?" Gregory asked. "You may think my intentions are villainous but I assure you they are pure! You see the corruption around you, right? Homeless in the streets, entire cities dominated by organized criminals, vandals and so many more impure souls roaming the streets in droves, doing as they wish regardless of who they harm. Surely you see what I see, right!? I have the answer to it all!" Gregory placed a hand on his chest and spoke. "My master, he will arrive very soon! With his powerful magic, we can rid the word of these atrocities once and for all! The sins of humankind purged from our very souls! Please, I beseech thee! Heed my words! This world will crumble, and only the fire of my master's soul can save it! Let me pass!"
"Magic…?" Izuku questioned.
"Yes! Magic! Surely you recall my flames yes? It is proof of my magic! The magic of the millennial phoenix! My master; he is the phoenix's physical form, incarnate in the flesh of man!" Gregory continued. "The flames of the millennial phoenix can burn away all injustice, sin, and whatever misfortune befalls the human race! You must believe me!"
"This guy… is out of his mind." Katsuki cracked his knuckles.
"B-be careful Kacchan…!" Izuku warned.
"…I see… you believe me to be crazy as well…" Gregory took a step back, preparing something in his right hand while his other gripped his staff. "Then I am truly sorry, but you must burn as well! Millennial Gusto!" A large wave of golden flames erupted from his right hand and raced down the street, aiming straight for the duo.
"Don't mess with me!" Katsuki threw his hands forward when the wave of fire got close and unleashed a massive explosion, blasting the flames apart. "That better not be all you got, you bastard! I'm going to blow you to pieces you son of a bitch!"
"Such power… but I will not be deterred! You will fall before my phoenix's golden flames, regardless of whatever magic you wield!" Gregory shouted back.
"No, he won't. This is the end of the line for you, Gregory Augustine." A voice came from a tall male a fair distance behind Gregory. He wore a large black cloak that covered most of his body, had bright red but straight hair that went down to his shoulders, and was smoking a cigarette. The most notable features were several ear-piercings, and a bar-code tattooed below his right eye.
"S-Stiyl Magnus…!?" Gregory choked out.
"Stiyl…? That's… the name of the hero Kamijou mentioned… The one who was after Gregory in the first place!" Izuku stated.
"You don't say…!" Katsuki punched a fist into an open palm, triggering an explosion. "So I'll be showing up Aizawa and that Kamijou fucker, perfect!"
"How do you know Kamijou Touma…?" Stiyl asked.
"Curse it all…! At a time like this…!" Gregory looked between the two. He was stuck with no options for escape.
Suddenly a figure dropped down from the sky. He had the mood to his back and was descending down on both Izuku and Katsuki. They both stepped back but the figure attacked with a long-reaching scythe, it cut through Katsuki's shirt, drawing blood, but just narrowly missed Izuku.
"Well damn… only a little bit of taste… my friend here won't be satisfied with just that!" The figure landed and then stood, revealing it to be Prometheus. The small amount of blood he drew glistened in the moonlight.
"P-Prometheus…!" Gregory chocked out. "Your timing is impeccable!"
"Yeah well… saw you having a party over here Greg. Thought they were going to start getting rough with you… so I figured I'd step in!" Prometheus responded. Gregory was about to shout at Prometheus about his name, but the opportunity to do so would never arrive.
"Ash to ash... dust to dust..." Stiyl chanted, two flames appearing in both of his out-stretched hands. "...Squeamish Bloody Rood!" The flamed erupted with intensity as he thrusts his arms downward, unleashing an X-shaped wave of flames forward, appearing more like crossed blades than actual fire.
"Millennial Gusto!" Gregory unleashed a mass of golden flames at the attack coming at him. The two flames collided and exploded, spreading fire everywhere. "Prometheus!" Gregory signaled.
"Right… the time for talking has passed…" Prometheus' red eyes started to glow, as did the scythe blade he wielded. "Now, my friend, we must rampage!" Prometheus charged forward with surprising speed, shifting last minute to move toward Katsuki. Prometheus swung, but Katsuki thrust his hands forward, unleashing a large explosion. When it faded however, Prometheus was gone.
"The hell!? Where the fuck did you go!?" Katsuki shouted. Prometheus had appeared behind Katsuki and was aiming to swing again.
"5% Detroit Smash!" Izuku suddenly rushed with Full Cowl active and punched Prometheus across the face, sending him flying back. Prometheus grinded to a halt by stabbing his scythe into the ground.
"Not… a bad right hook there, kid." Prometheus commented, whipping some blood from his lip.
"Deku, stay the fuck out of this! I don't need your fucking help!" Katsuki shouted.
"Let's see about that!" Prometheus spun and threw his scythe towards Katsuki; it tore through the air like a saw-blade. Katsuki moved to the side to dodge it but to his surprise, Prometheus appeared in the air, catching it, and proceeding to bring it down on top of Katsuki. He lifted his right hand up and unleashed an explosion in retaliation, his hand meeting the scythe before he did so. Prometheus was launched back, doing a flip in the air and landing on his feet. Other than a cut on his hand from the scythe, Katsuki was unharmed.
"Alright alright alright, I'll give credit where it's due; you two kiddies aren't half bad." Prometheus swung his scythe blade to the side to rid it of blood. "Not as good as me, but not half bad. Guess that fancy-dancy hero program isn't too bad at churning out some skilled folks…"
'He knows about us…' Izuku thought.
"Oh yeah!? Let's dance some more, I haven't had enough!" Katsuki made small explosions in his hands in anticipation.
"You see… you, I like." Prometheus laughed. "Greg, what are the chances of us being able to waste these guys and make it back to Pandora?"
"If time were on our side, I would gladly encourage elimination, unfortunately, we don't have that." Gregory replied. "This magician is clearly is not working alone; we need to make it back to the operation area before they discover her and the book."
"You mean the cemetery, correct…?" Stiyl stated.
"How did you…!?" Gregory's face filled with both confusion and rage.
"You seem to misunderstand. It's not that I went looking for you and happened to find you; this isn't a right place at the right time situation." Stiyl explained. "I found traces of your mana, and followed it back to that location. I was there before your associates arrived… I just used some runes to hide my presence and waited to make my move. The information you provided about your plan was very valuable…"
"From the very beginning… you are indeed quiet cunning, Stiyl Magnus…" Gregory commented.
"Kacchan… I'm starting to get really confused… what's with all this stuff about magic and mana…? And what do these guys want with a cemetery…?" Izuku asked.
"No fucking clue…" Katsuki replied.
"Hey! I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but you better keep your hands off of Pandora, you fucking hear me!?" Prometheus suddenly shouted, turning towards Stiyl.
"Not possible." Stiyl held up an open cell-phone. "My associates are already on their way there."
"You son of a bitch…!" Prometheus for the first time looked angry, turning his body fully towards Stiyl, his eyes and scythe glowing brighter.
"Pay attention dip-shit! Your opponent is me!" Katsuki leaped forward open palmed, attempting to slam it down onto Prometheus. He teleported however, dodging the attack, and re-appearing right behind Gregory.
"Hey, I don't know what the plan is, but we are leaving! Pandora is in trouble!" Prometheus shouted.
"Agreed, take us there as quickly as possible." Gregory replied. Prometheus put a hand on Gregory's back.
"You won't get away!" Izuku suddenly rushed the duo with Full Cowl, charging full speed, leaping at the last minute to tackle them both. However, he was too late; they vanished and he went soaring, even passed Stiyl, before hitting the ground.
"Doesn't matter… there's only one place they are going to go." Stiyl discarded his cigarette and replaced it with a new one. He then started to type away on his cellphone, preparing to make a call.
"Damn…" Izuku rolled onto his back, and saw a face he was really hoping he wouldn't.
"…Midoriya, I recall telling everyone to stay in the hotel…" Aizawa stood above Izuku, with his hands in his pockets.
"A-Aizawa s-sensei!" Izuku stuttered out. "I-it wasn't my f-fault! Kacchan just pulled me out with him and-"
"Quiet. I saw you two flying over here." Aizawa replied.
"Y-yes sir!" Izuku stuttered out, practically praying for forgiveness. Katsuki crossed his arms and clicked his teeth.
"Now… if you want a chance for me to go easy on you both… I'd appreciate an explanation…" Aizawa said.
"Damn it all…" Stiyl spoke out loud, hanging up his phone. "Those two aren't there yet… I'll have to make it there quickly before they can perform their ritual and escape..."
"Where, exactly? And more importantly, who are you? And… what's a fourteen-year old doing smoking?" Aizawa called out to Stiyl.
'He's only 14 years old!?' Both Katsuki and Izuku thought to themselves, commenting on Stiyl's unusual stature.
"None of your business." Stiyl replied. "All three of you are butting into business that doesn't concern you. Now if you excuse me, I need to capture those two. Hopefully I can rendezvous with my two associates before they can be ambushed…"
"…You mentioned two associates." Izuku sat up. "Is one of those two people you keep referring to Kamijou Touma?"
'Kamijou…?' Aizawa thought. He remembered what he and All Might had discussed earlier about Touma's apparent involvement in World War Three.
"…You're his friend?" Stiyl asked, clicking his teeth. "Please don't tell me he called you out here to help him? A loner like that usually wouldn't bring people into conflicts like this."
"No, he didn't." Izuku stood up. "I don't know what you mean by a loner, but if he's in trouble…"
"…Fine. You want to help him then?" Stiyl asked. "You know where the cemetery is, right?"
"I studied the city lay-out. So yes I do." Aizawa replied. "How about an explanation on what's going on before I start to get irritated…?" Stiyl took out his cigarette and blew out some smoke.
"I'll explain on the way… I hope you all are prepared to step through the gates of hell."