Purpose of a Hero

by Buixy

PoaH: Part 1 - Embers. While Japan has U.A., North America has the United States Academy for Enhanced Individuals, or U.S.A.E.I, an elite school and considered by most to be second in terms of prestige and has pumped out a majority of North America's Top-Ranked Heroes. With every new school year comes a new batch of students that represents the future. (OC-Centric)

15. Chapter 14: The Message

Hey dudes and dudettes! Here is the next chapter and the climax of this arc. Just a few things first.

-Again, thanks to Hiatus for Beta-ing this chapter, without his help there would be many more grammar mistakes and lines that make little sense.

-Check out our Discord server if you haven't yet, it's pretty killer. The link is in my Profile.

-Also stay tuned at the bottom of this chapter as I introduce something I want to do any time there is a big fight scene. Battle Facts!

-And finally, I feel the need to tell you guys that submissions for Pro Heroes and Villains are still open, but now I've opened submissions for Upperclassmen at U.S.A.E.I. and also students for its accompanying Support Courses (which take place on a different campus but will start coming in to the story a few arcs from now).

-For Villains I am now asking any submissions to pick between being a member of the Black Order, a Solo Villain, or Other, which gives me freedom to put them with another possible group of Villains. Each will have a large part in this story.

That's it, hope you all enjoy. As always, if you have any questions comments or concerns feel free to let me know over whatever messaging thing you feel like.

Purpose of a Hero

Overgrown watched as his opponent broke free from yet another one of his innovative organic prisons with a frown. In his opinion, this battle should have ended long ago. His opponent was injured so severely, he had actually begun to gain a bit of grudging respect for him. While his own wounds were mostly minor burns or cuts, he hadn't felt so exhausted in a fight since his days at the Forge. This man was his antithesis. He was loud when Overgrown was stoic. The Villain wore his emotions on his sleeve, while the Hero hid behind a wall of indifference. There had never been an enemy who'd made him lose control till Spitfire had turned the lobby of Miller-Braun into a crematorium. The two-man war had dragged on over several city blocks and caused untold amounts of property damage. In order to keep his emotions locked up, Overgrown tried to ignore the no doubt hundreds of casualties. Even now, after he'd taken the brunt of the Number One Hero's full power, the Villain clambered to his feet.

"BLACK DRAGON'S RAGE!" Spitfire bellowed as a column of black flames sprang forth from his mouth and swept through the street towards his opponent. Overgrown countered by sprouting an unnaturally thick flower stem to raise him out of the attack's path while Spitfire coughed, trying to recover. His throat felt like an animal was trying to escape through his windpipe. One with extremely long and sharp claws. 'This fight's gone on too long. If I keep this up, I swear some damage's gonna be permanent. Even now I can tell my throat is gonna be sensitive for months. Dammit. At this rate-' Spitfire's words were cut off as the flower exploded and unleashed a flurry of razor-sharp flower petals, no larger than guitar picks, soaring towards him like a twister. He growled and, seeing it was too late to dodge, held his arms up in front of his face. The petals cut through his navy blue t-shirt, his leather jacket having been lost long ago, and made small incisions into his newly exposed skin. The cuts were comparable to paper cuts but with the sheer number of them, Spitfire felt as if he were being tossed into a blender. "Black Twister!"

"You must see that this is hopeless. Please give in and there will be no need for me to extinguish your flames permanently," Overgrown said nonchalantly, his tone making the statement seem more like Spitfire would be doing him a favor than the death threat it was. After the twister died down the Villain fell to his knees and sucked in air like he was suffocating. 'Bastard may have a point. I… can't keep this up. I screwed up, wasted too much energy in the battle with those weaklings/opening battle.'

"BARTY! GET THE HELL OUTTA THAT TREE AND GIVE ME A HAND OVER HERE!" Spitfire shouted at the top of his lungs, which didn't help his throat in the slightest. He coughed into his hand and when he pulled it away, his coppery skin was stained red.

"It's useless. No one has ever broken free of m-" The Villain grinned as, right on cue, there was a booming crack and one of the four fifty meter trees that imprisoned his teammate began to collapse.

"Fantastic timing as usual. Fate is still on my side," he mumbled, reaching a hand into the left pocket of his tattered jeans. While Overgrown was distracted by the falling tree cell, Spitfire got shakily to his feet and pulled out a small pill bottle, which had been cracked at some point during the battle. A memory flashed through his mind as he glared at it.

Purpose of a Hero

"You sure this works, Switch? I don't wanna end up like the last guy," Spitfire inquired, studying the small purple tablet in his hands. 'Such a small thing holds so much power, eh?' From across the pristine white laboratory, his subordinate grinned and clasped his hands together. In an instant, the tablet was replaced by a simple ballpoint pen. The golden-haired Villain scowled and tossed the utensil over his shoulder.

"You doubt my word, Master Spitfire? I'm hurt. Besides, the last specimen only experienced excruciating pain for several hours. You shall be fine," Switcheroo reassured.

"Ah yes, I do love excruciating pain." Spitfire grumbled and slid off the desk he was perched on. His gray eyes scanned the room with disgust. Hundreds of the scientist's experiments and inventions of horror littered the chemical resistant tables and shelves. The worst of the worst was the large vats lining one wall. Spitfire felt queasy just looking at the tanks. 'So this is how a new world is built? The people here are no better than the false Heroes they claim to hate.' He brushed off his faded black pants and made his way over to the door, only for a voice to stop him.

"I must warn you. While I've worked out most of the kinks, there is still one major flaw. The more power you exert the longer you shall be incapacitated after the drug wears off. You cannot allow this to happen in combat or you will undoubtedly be killed or captured." Switch had the gall to sound like this was exactly what he hoped to happen. 'Damn snake. You'd love that, wouldn't you? Go right back to serving the damned priest and get out of your babysitting assignment, asshole.'

"Okay, got it. Excruciating pain and then I get captured and thrown in the Citadel. Fantastic," he said, shuddering at the thought of the jail. As he walked over and snagged a test tube, its contents a violent green color, away from Kaboom, who had been fiddling with varying chemicals with equally as varied levels of success, a thought occurred. He poured the green liquid into the chemical sink and frowned as it sizzled and melted the metal like a hot knife through butter. Spitfire shot the irritated chemist a look of disbelief before voicing his next question. "Alright, easy fix then. When I get weak I'll just pop another, or would that end in more excruciating pain?"

"It would increase the chance of death from overdose. If you were to survive it would lengthen the recovery time by double...maybe triple. You could be out of commission for months...and yes, there would be a great deal of pain," Switch replied thoughtfully.

Purpose of a Hero

All of this flashed by in a heartbeat as Spitfire's stormy gray eyes examined the pill bottle, three small purple tablets rattling around inside it. 'This...is a bad idea. I don't have much choice in the matter, do I? Though this way I can help out Barty. He's strong as an elephant but about as dumb as a sack of rocks. Brute strength isn't enough to beat this guy. He still thinks I'm weak. I'll wait until Barty gets here and distracts him then pop the pill.' Taking a deep breath, Spitfire straightened up and cracked his neck. While the Hero's attention was focused on the area where his four tree stockade had once stood, the Villain rushed him and slammed his fist into the other man's side. "Don't ignore me, Flower-Boy! You'll get burned!"

"Ugh," Overgrown grunted before turning and pressing a glowing seed into the fabric of Spitfire's chest. Before he could react, a vine wrapped around his body. It was thin, more so than the ones he'd seen the Hero use earlier, and covered with large green leaves and small, delectable black berries. Spitfire was about to gloat that Overgrown was also getting weak if this was all he had before he felt his body begin to tingle. Then the vine grew and wrapped around the Villain's face then when he opened his mouth to breathe fire, one of its berries fell down his throat. The effect was almost instantaneous.

"W-what?" Spitfire stuttered as he stumbled, overcome with sudden dizziness. His mouth felt dry, the sun burned his eyes, and for a moment he didn't know where he was. Overgrown sighed as he watched his opponent suffer.

"I do hate breaking out the poisonous ones. I apologize, but this battle must end before any more lives are lost." Spitfire could barely hear him, there was a dull roar in his ears, and he had to lean against the burnt husk of a firetruck to keep himself upright.

"What di-did you d-do?" He managed to stammer out.

"What you are experiencing is an enhanced mutation of Atropa Belladonna, or as it's more widely known… deadly nightshade." Overgrown's voice was grim and slightly sad, almost like he was disappointed in his opponent. Spitfire didn't seem to care as his body was beginning to convulse. He heard a voice, one he hadn't heard in nearly half a decade and whipped around, looking for its source.

"S-Sis?" He asked the air. His vision blurred for a moment, and then a girl was standing before him. She was beautiful with her long, auburn hair, bright brown eyes and a playful smile on her face. "Annabeth. Y-You...y-you're…"

"Dead?" She said helpfully. When Spitfire nodded feebly, she rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. Her strength never seemed to surprise him, it was like she punched with the force of a full-speed train, though that could have just been his tired and broken body being dramatic. She said something else but he didn't hear her. She still had that alluring grin of hers plastered amongst her perfect complexion, just a dash of freckles across her cheeks that Spitfire had always loved to count when he thought she wasn't looking, though she always was. Then her face turned pale, a small trickle of blood flowing over her high cheekbones like a meandering creek. Memories started to assault Spitfire, each hurting him far worse than any of Piston's punches. The playground. A small silver coin. A starry sky. And a man, covered in blood.

"MISTA SPITFIRE!" A baritone voice yelled, snapping the Villain out of his memories. He was still in incredible pain all over, but his gray eyes narrowed as he saw Barty storm onto the scene and nearly take Overgrown's head off, the Hero had been too preoccupied watching Spitfire. 'Pill. Gotsa...take...pill,' he thought, raising the bottle over his mouth, his hand shaky, and dumping the remaining purple tablets out. Incredibly, one of the pills managed to land in his open mouth, the others clattered to the asphalt. He felt his mind sharpening ever so slightly, his throat stopped hurting so bad, and he was able to concentrate on the ever-present burning sensation in his chest once again, which quickly spread across his body like a wildfire in a field of dry grass.

"Redwood P-" Spitfire sprang into action just before Overgrown could trap his oversized friend again. A wreath of black flames curled around the Hero before collapsing in on him, though he dodged by jumping into the air once again. "Impressive. You somehow managed to flush out the poison with your flames I assume?"

"Piss off!" Spitfire growled, but really he was just angry the man could see his trick. The pill had revitalized him, given him the power to regain cognitive thought over the pull of the nightshade. The rest was simple, he just willed the fire to burn the poison from within his body. 'Well, at least I didn't cook myself.' He thought morosely. His limbs still felt hot, every visible vein on his body burned black against his tanned skin. It was a gambit, especially in his delirious state. Just one small fluctuation in power and his entire body would have erupted in flames...which would not be good. Despite that, Spitfire felt his power returning to him. His weariness slowly started to fade, his muscles stopped burning, and, most importantly, the poison's effect disappeared as quickly as it came. "Now we're talking! Black Inferno!"

"'Ave this!" Barty said as he slugged Overgrown in the back, as he was preoccupied with the wave of inky-black flames. The Hero flew across the street and through the front window display of a boutique, grunting at the impact. The large Villain clapped excitedly. "We got 'im good, 'uh Mister Spitfire?"

"It ain't over yet Barty. That's not gonna be enough to take him down, so stay alert." Spitfire sighed and observed the carnage his battle with Overgrown had left behind. They were now six blocks away from the Miller-Braun building and every inch between them and their starting point was covered with ash, scorch marks, and massive plants. 'Damn, they don't call him the 'Number One Hero' for no reason. He's smart, gave me the impression that I had the advantage when he was really just tiring me out. If it weren't for Switch's Supplements I'd have already been in custody and the plan would've failed.'

"I must admit, you are stronger than the average Villains I face. This may have been the most stimulating battle of my long career, but I think it's time I stop fooling around. This area of the city has been already evacuated, so I needn't hold back," Overgrown said as he rose from the display and began to glow a violent green, almost as if his body had been pumped full of neon.

"FINALLY SOME REAL ACTION!" Spitfire cried, a manic grin overtaking his expression. The Villain released a cloud of night-black flames from his mouth, which then wrapped around his body like a blanket. Meanwhile, perhaps sensing the impending clash, his large companion ripped a pair of car doors from the vehicle's frame, brandishing them like shields, though he was so massive they barely covered his face and upper chest. Then all hell broke loose. "BLACK DEVIL'S BREATH!"

"FRENZIED OVERGROWTH!" All around the cluttered city streets, massive plants of all shapes and sizes rose from the dirt to meet a wave of fire that eclipsed everything Spitfire had previously shown. Right away, Overgrown noticed this fire was different. It not only burned through the weaker areas of his foliage but seemed to move with some sort of sentience. The fire twisted and turned around the stronger plants and targeted chinks in his attack's armor. 'Impressive. His Quirk continues to surprise me.' However, as quickly as it began, the clash of ultimate moves ended. The flames sputtered and then petered out, leaving Spitfire wide-eyed and his mouth agape.

"Shit." Was all he got to say before an entire forest's worth of plantlife slammed into him. He didn't know up from down as wriggling vines and sweet smelling flowers entombed him. His arms and legs were swiftly bound together, a vine wrapped around his windpipe and immediately he started having trouble breathing. 'No!' he thought as the heat began to collect in his throat. "LET ME OUT!" He roared, thrashing wildly while small black embers shot from his mouth. Luckily, it was just enough to sear through the cuff on his neck. There were sounds of battle just outside his spherical prison and he heard a muted, but unmistakable cockney accent bellowing. "Still need to work on that attack. Flames are too unruly to be fully effective… I should've known better." He observed his surroundings and frowned. He tried in vain to free his arms and legs, but the binds only tightened. "This… could be problematic. Much as I hate to say it, Fate seems to be pushing us towards 'Plan B'. Time to see if Switch's inventions are actually worth the money we spend on them. Oi, Kaboom? You hear me?"

Purpose of a Hero

The three sublevels of the Miller-Braun building, which housed its extensive Research and Development Program, are a maze to navigate. They were designed this way to confuse intruders in the unlikely event the Pro Hero security wouldn't be enough to stop them. Due to the nature of the projects being worked on, namely every costume, weapon, and gadget for many of the top Heroes in North America, there were no direction markers in the identical black marble hallways, which were dimly lit by caged bulbs. Anyone who hadn't worked in these halls for years and years would be unable to find their way out even if they managed to make off with anything. Despite all of this, Kaboom strolled through the hallways with a sense of nostalgia. Halls he'd walked for ten years before he was sacked for 'sadistic and explosive tendencies'. "Oh? Yes! I remember. This room holds costume prototypes and gadget design. Ooo~ very interesting...but NO! Kaboom has a job to do yes~, then he will be rewarded by BOOM!"

"Who's there?" A masculine voice demanded. Kaboom glanced over his shoulder, his vicious grin never leaving his face. There stood a man with a severe look on his face, dressed in a white lab coat and holding a clipboard. "Who are you?"

"I am Kaboom, yes~. Ah! I remember you as well. Miles Lee, head scientist. Ooo~ how wonderful! I am here to...now, what was it? BOOM? No, not this time, no. OH! I know, I am here to...take the information from you, yes!" The scientist, Miles, stared at the man in bemusement.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm going to have to ask you to lea-" Miles was cut off as Kaboom lurched forwards and wrapped his long, bony fingers around the man's neck. The Villain smiled wider. "Wh-What are y-you doing?"

"Ah, don't fret little birdie. I mean you no, um...harm! That's the word!...I'm just here for the information you keep in your system's servers. Yes~ that reminds me I do have a need for you. The keycode! How could I be so silly? I need this," Kaboom said, slipping his finger around the man's identification badge that hung from the scientist's neck. Miles stayed silent, his eyes narrowed in suspicion and just a small bit of fear.

"Good luck. You'll never win, Villain." To Miles' shock, Kaboom just seemed more amused, his grip tightening around the man's esophagus.

"Ohoho, I remember quite clearly now. This place brings up old memories, yes~. Many good memories~." The Villain sounded wistful, glancing at the identical walls with a sense of familiarity. "Alright, time to go! Off to the servers, we go~!" He sang, leading the scientist deeper into the base at a very leisurely pace. The slick black walls masked how long the pair actually walked. Every once and a while they would pass a heavy iron door. At each one Kaboom stopped, examined it for a second before shaking his head and muttering 'No, no, wrong' or 'I don't remember this one'. Miles stayed silent, frozen in fear for most of the trip. In his mind, it felt like hours, but in reality, it was more like five minutes, until his captor stopped at a door, no different from the first dozen they passed and exclaimed happily. "Open sesame!"

"How?" Miles mumbled under his breath. There were thousands of copies of this door every few hundred yards and this random man had managed to find perhaps the most important...and dangerous room in the entire building. The Server Room. Kaboom dragged the man inside and laughed at the view that met them. Like bookshelves in a library, towers of servers occupied the majority of the room, narrow hallways separating each row and wires dangling from the ceiling in odd places. The center opening in the technological forest was wider and led to a massive terminal, with an even larger monitor on the wall above it.

"Time to work~!" Kaboom giggled like a schoolgirl and tossed Miles to the side like a child who saw a more exciting toy than the one he was currently playing with. The scientist's head slammed into one of these towers and stars blurred his vision. He was vaguely aware of one of his colleagues trying to get into the Villain's way. It must have been his imagination, but he could have sworn he saw his coworker clawing at his chest before falling to the ground. Kaboom hummed a merry tune as he typed away at the console and inserted a small black thumb drive into an open USB port. "Ah, how wonderful. This is incredible!" Miles' constant shock just appeared to get worse as the manic tone the Villain had spoken with the entirety of their time together started to slip into something more sophisticated. "I remember it well, yes. This particular database holds critical information on the Quirks and Costumes of every current and former Pro Hero who works with Miller-Braun, including seven of the current top ten."

"Stop. Please, don't do this. That information will get people killed!" Miles pleaded, getting to his feet and running to try and halt the man. He didn't even make it halfway before he tripped over the prone body of his coworker. Although upon taking a closer look, he realized the man's true state: His now glassy eyes stared up at him as a thick, white foam seeped from his open mouth. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, immediately followed by an imminent fear of death.

"I increased the amount of water in his body. He drowned in his own watered down blood," Kaboom mentioned without turning his attention away from his work.

"Good lord..."

"America never learns. All those people...those fake Heroes you say will die, whose fault is that exactly? Miller-Braun has used underhand and deceitful tactics throughout its reign to rake in the high standing clientele and money it has today. I learned this when I was young, right out of the Forge and hungry for the opportunity to work with the best. Then I found out what was going on under the table and threatened to blow the whistle on them." Kaboom's voice darkened, any sign of his previous deranged attitude completely vanished. "You know what I found out? Miller-Braun was...playing both sides. Selling their costumes and tech to Heroes and Villains alike. They used these connections to frame me for the murder of one of my associates, who also wanted to expose them. I didn't want to be a Villain, but vengeance brings out the worst in men. Plague offered me the opportunity to claim revenge."

"Hey! Miles, you okay?" A new voice called. Just then a woman with blonde hair rushed into the room and stopped when she saw Kaboom, who must've looked like hell. His orange hair was thinner in some places, smoking in others. His wide eyes still held a hint of insanity and his clothes were covered in burn marks and soot.

"Mary, back away slowly and run," Miles cautioned under his breath, though not low enough.

"She can leave if she wants. It won't matter soon. The only exit out of here is blocked and my own method is a bit more complicated to explain. I am almost done. Once the data is transferred I will be out of your hair." Just then, the sound of another man's voice filled the room. It was distorted and emanated from the small silver earpiece lying on the console, Kaboom had removed it when he began his work.

"Oi, Kaboom? You hear me?"

"Yeah," the Villain replied, barely paying the device any heed. The man's next order, however, brought the manic roaring back to life in his voice.

"Good. Everyone else, I'm assuming you're listening as well?" Switch's voice, oh how much Kaboom hated it, responded affirmatively and their leader continued. "Initiate Operation Messenger. Kaboom, let Switch know when you're ready and he'll get you outta there. Leech, call in the evac and then get down here to help out me and Barty. Be stealthy, got it?" Kaboom didn't need to hear the rest.

"Operation Messenger? Oh, yes~ this will be fun! Kaboom is done with these files, Switch can take them so, ah, I can begin!" The Villain ripped the flash drive out of its port and held it aloft. In a split second, the thumb drive disappeared and was now replaced by an empty teacup. Meanwhile, Kaboom couldn't stop shuddering in anticipation.

"What is Operation Messenger?" Miles demanded, surprised at how calm his voice sounded when on the inside he was horrified.

"Yes~, time to begin. For miles, under the city, these tunnels go, intersections, dead ends, and doorways galore! Perfect road to send a message, ah and a fully functional piping system. First, have to get to the chemistry lab, oh but I know the way...I know the way far too well. Come! Let us go, yes~!" Before either could react, Miles and Mary both felt one of the man's slimy pale hands grip them hard by the scruffs of their necks. He led them out of the room and down yet another corridor. The entire journey, Miles tried to whisper words of faith and encouragement to his colleague, but to no avail. Mary's eyes were wide and she wouldn't stop begging Kaboom to let them go.

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to hear them...or just didn't care. Ten minutes later they sat back to back, tied to a pair of swivel chairs, the wheels smartly held in place by heavy boxes, in a room filled to the brim with chemicals, test tubes of colorful liquids, and the bodies of other employees. The Villain stood with his back to them, working at a table and looking right at home mixing chemicals and causing small explosions in the glass vials. He spoke quietly to himself as he toiled. "Hm, more nitrogen? No, this will do. How many bodies? Thirteen, four too damaged to use. That is a shame. I would enjoy a…oh well. This will be sufficient."

"Kaboom? That's what he called you, yes? Your boss?" Miles spouted, desperation clear in his voice. "Kaboom, please! Whatever you're doing, whatever you've done it doesn't matter! Now is the time for you to do the right thing! Please, think of the lives you'll affect! Hundreds of lives will be destroyed!"

"Viktor Pavelich."

"I-I'm sorry?"

"That was my name. I worked beneath you Miles. You were one of the good ones, wary of your superiors but you kept your head down and stuck to your work. I couldn't have done that, it was just too wrong what they made us do." For a moment, the crazy man before him melted away and an image of a young man with a bright smile flashed through his mind. That boy and this man were so completely different, but Miles knew by their looks that they were one and the same.

"Y-You were a good kid! Finished top of your year at the Forge's Support Branch! I remember! Please Viktor, I know that good kid I used to know is still inside somewhere!" Kaboom scowled and turned back to his work.

"I pity you, Miles. That's why I told you my name. Don't think for even a second that I am that same naive boy. I am Kaboom, and I'm going to kill you. Spend these last moments making your final peace." Kaboom grinned evilly as he held up a large tube of sapphire liquid that seemed to sizzle in its glass container.

Purpose of a Hero

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, DIE!" Spitfire bellowed and blew another breath of midnight black flames at the Hero, who seemed to be showing exhaustion for the first time in the battle. Having to face flames capable of melting steel as well as a man with the brute strength of an elephant would have taken its toll on even the more resilient of men. 'Where's Crusader when you need him?' Overgrown thought morosely as he dodged the flames and slid through Barty's legs, something he really didn't enjoy. When he got to his feet he threw a handful of sunflower seeds at the oaf, but the large man just caught them in his mouth and wolfed them down. Spitfire saw the shock on his opponent's face and laughed. "Ain't gonna work. This big guy can eat anything. The more he eats the stronger and stupider he gets and he is always hungry."

'Barty'

His Quirk: Gluttony

Barty is constantly plagued by ravaging hunger that can never be satisfied. His body takes everything he eats and converts it to energy and muscle mass as quickly as he can ingest it, however, this process greatly diminishes his cognitive capabilities.

"Can I 'ave some more, Mister 'ero?" He asked, and Overgrown now understood that incessant hungry look in the big guy's beady black eyes. The pity he felt for the Villain was brief. Who could feel bad for someone who punched a hole through the side of a tanker truck while aiming for your head? The tank exploded and threw all three combatants to the ground. Spitfire was the first to recover and he sent another wave of fire at his enemy, seemingly unphased that his partner was standing right behind the target. Overgrown moved out of the way and the flames connected with Barty's broad chest, dissipating immediately.

"Damn," the Hero muttered, holding a hand to the gash on his side that he'd received when Barty decided a stop sign would make a good weapon. Fatigue was starting to settle in his very bones. This was by far the toughest challenge he'd ever faced, but his job was nearly complete. 'The city has largely been evacuated. How are my reinforcements still not here? Something must've held them up. This isn't good, I'm tiring quicker than they are. Whenever the leader needs a break he just lets his sasquatch friend take over. If I don't get help soon, I'm done for.'

"You just don't know when to give up, do you? The tables have turned old man and Fate is now on OUR side!" Spitfire boasted, a confident grin on his face as he glared at the Hero, who stood straight up and gathered more seeds from his utility belt.

"I can do this all day," Overgrown said and threw the seeds onto the ground. The seeds quickly took root and grew three massive venus flytraps, which lurched forward and snapped at Spitfire, who was just an instant too slow. His arm was engulfed by one of the plants. He cried out in pain and shock, releasing a blast of fire that freed his limb. The arm wasn't bloody, but it bent at an odd angle halfway between the wrist and elbow.

"I… I probably had that... coming..." Spitfire growled through gritted teeth. Overgrown took advantage of that momentary hesitation as the Villain glared at his injury to strike. As he was dealing with his own two flytraps, Barty couldn't help his boss. He didn't even see Overgrown rush him. Spitfire looked up at the last moment and gray met green, hatred shining in these two pairs of eyes. Then, a fist connected with the Hero, throwing him off course and careening into a burnt out husk that was once a food truck. There stood Leech, all thirteen of his mouths baring fanged teeth.

"You gotta keep your head up, Boss. I ain't always gonah be around to save you."

"Another one?" Overgrown mumbled, studying this newcomer.

"You're looking better, have a nice snack?" Spitfire asked. Leech laughed and gave his leader a thumbs-up.

"Some wannabe with springy arms. Wasn't much auf a challenge afta Kaboom, ah...relieved him auf his spring," the man replied with a shrug. Their conversation was halted as the Number One Hero removed himself from the ruined truck and stood on shaky feet. "Ah, he still wants to g-" A low rumble cut him off. The rumble grew into a tremor, then to an earthquake and finally...the streets of Yonkers, New York descended into madness.

Purpose of a Hero

Nina fought to regain consiousness. Her head felt like someone was trying to dig their way out with an overly sharp pickaxe. Even opening her eyes was a challenge, but when she did all sense of hesitancy vanished. She shot into a sitting position and promptly squeaked in pain, falling backward but before her head could further injure itself by slamming into the ground, a soft pair of hands caught her. Her eyelids fluttered and struggled to keep her vision clear. A face appeared in her vision, smiling kindly down at her. "Hello, Nina. My name is Switch, a paramedic. You took a nasty blow to the head and it needs to be fixed immediately. It is good that you have awoken. My Quirk can heal you, but it needs permission to do so. People are much more complicated." While he said this last part under his breath, Nina heard him and frowned.

"Complicated?" She hated how her voice sounded. It was weak and hoarse like every word threatened to rip her throat apart.

"Never you mind. Quickly now, you must say 'I grant you, Leopold Barringster, permission to use your Quirk on me'. Exactly that." While confused, Nina recited the line back, though she stumbled over her words at a few parts, and Switch grinned, placing a finger on her forehead and tracing a small cross. "Wonderful. Kaboom, you are cleared to proceed."

"W-Who is-" Nina began but stopped as Switch interlocked his fingers and suddenly, her mind slipped away. She felt...different. Her pain was gone, but something was wrong. Her body felt weird, almost like she'd entered someone else's. She looked around and saw a room full of pipes and gauges, all of which had needles pointing in the red triangle that made up the last quarter of each display, as well as around half a dozen people looking at her with wide eyes. "What?" She demanded, but her voice sounded different, deeper. She started to hyperventilate and glanced down at herself, nearly fainting at what she saw. "O-OVERGROWN!?"

Purpose of a Hero

Meanwhile, Switch chuckled as the girl's body slumped back to the roof and her question was lost. He walked back over to the side of the roof and stared at the building in the distance. Beside him, still sipping her tea, Miss Vesuvius hummed appreciatively. "Very useful Quirk you have. Though, I have a hard time imagining that you really need permission from your victims."

"Well, you would be incorrect. My Quirk is very complicated. As you know it allows me to 'Switch' any two objects within a half-mile radius. Inanimate objects are simple, as they offer no resistance. As long as the pair of objects are around the same weight and size, or roughly within a certain percentage of one another, I can easily 'Switch' them. I believe it is called the theory of Equivalent Exchange, are you familiar with it?"

"Somewhat. Enough to know what you're talking about," Vesuvius replied flippantly, signaling to Switch that she really didn't know the specifics.

"Anyway, a person is far more complex than a cup of tea or a bar of gold. Even the slightest resistance or miscalculation would be...disastrous. By tricking them into allowing me to use my Quirk on them, it largely removes that variable. So, no I don't need their permission per se. It just makes the process move along more efficiently. Now, the fireworks are about to start. Shall we?" Immediately after he said this, the rooftop beneath them began to shake, increasing in intensity as time went on. All across the city, car alarms blared to life and windows shattered, showering glass on the empty streets below. The tea in Vesuvius' cup sloshed out and she set it down with a look of disdain as it stained her dress.

Switch stood at the edge of the building as all sound in the city of Yonkers seemed to fade away. Time slowed as a wicked grin spread across his lips. The Miller-Braun building was engulfed in a massive mushroom cloud that touched the clouds. The streets leading out from the cloud followed as pipes erupted into fireballs. Switch held his hands aloft as if speaking to God himself. "Our message to the world. The Black Order is here."

Purpose of a Hero

Alright, the Black Order is finally revealed to the world, I wonder what the repercussions of such an act will be? What'd you guys think? Anyway, let's get on to the good stuff.

So Battle Facts will basically be an explanation of something that happens during a battle I feel I couldn't explain well enough without it feeling too much like a lecture, or it could be for something that might seem a bit confusing. Tell me what you guys think about this because I'd like to continue to do it when a big fight happens.

BATTLE FACTS: Ultimate Moves

Black Devil's Breath

Spitfire's ultimate move is quite interesting, but not yet perfected. Just recently he began working on the specifics of it and this is actually the first time he uses it in a battle. While I can't reveal everything about how it works, I can say that his flames in this move are semi-sentient and follow Spitfire's commands in an odd sort of way. Kinda like Lyon's Pyrokinesis, but less refined. More like trying to teach your dog a new trick.

Frenzied Overgrowth

This is actually a move I've had in mind longer than Overgrown has been a character. Basically, Overgrown can control the life and growth of different plant life. This is a finishing move as unless he preps the battlefield beforehand, it would be suicidal to pull off. During a prolonged battle, he scatters seeds all around his arena and when the time comes he forces all these left behind seeds to grow all at once. He has a fifty-meter radius in which he can do this, so staying in one general place is better. He could also use it on the hundreds of seeds he has at his waist with...uh bad results.

NEXT TIME ON THE PURPOSE OF A HERO

Chapter 15: Aftermath