Chapter 27: The Day of Reckoning

Name: Luna Aizawa

Quirk: ?

Appearance: ?

Warning: Language and Adult Themes

Specific Warnings: Language, Violence, Gore

The early morning light flittered through the half-open blinds, the only sound coming from the kitchen. It wasn't the roomiest kitchen, nor the most up to date, but it was homey. An almost earthen smell came from it, the oven baking something that promised everyone nearby it would be delicious. At first glance, you wouldn't be able to tell, but looking closely, one could see that the room was … well used. Some parts of the floor were chipped, the wooden planks hiding a concrete base. The fridge was plastered with so many stickers there was more magnet than metal. The appliances, though recently cleaned, revealed several dents and scratches, a result of many years being lived there. The marble counters told the same story.

And in the kitchen, currently, was a woman. She wasn't the most extraordinary looking person, nor was she unique. Her fading black hair, perhaps, would have been the strangest thing so far north, considering her Scandinavian neighbors tended to have lighter hair, even with their Quirks. Her pale skin and relatively tall stature, however, made others shrug aside their guts' queasiness. Thankfully, this woman wasn't hunting. Not anymore. Retired from hero work, she worked for a dear friend as a consultant in his hero costume development studio, having her try on certain materials and clothes in exchange for feedback and a decent paycheck. And dang it, she was a sucker for new clothing.

As she leaned over the kitchen sink and opened the window, a gust of air quickly enveloped the room, making the woman smile. She absolutely adored the cooler climate up here, even if it was the beginning of spring. There was shuffling in the room connected to the kitchen, a teenage boy yawning and stretching as he made his way into the kitchen. He too didn't look too surprising; the only thing of note was the natural curliness of his strawberry blond hair.

"Morning." He mumbled sleepily, filling the electric kettle with water.

"Good morning." The woman smiled, kissing the boy's temple before drifting to the refrigerator, pulling out some waffles out of the freezer. The boy made a noise of complaint, but it was more rehearsed than anything. Obviously, he couldn't let 'the guys' at school know he liked it at all. It would ruin his reputation. "Sleep well?"

"Not really." The woman paused uncertainly, worry evident in her eyes. "Ah, don't worry, it's not one of us. Not this time. This one was much more … confusing. There was a white room, one of those from the psych hospitals. And a girl screaming, restrained by a bunch of people before she sort of … threw them all back, a weird reptile man in her place."

"That doesn't necessarily stave off my worry. You think you can fall asleep again?"

"Sorry Mom, not this time. You know how my Quirk works."

She sighed, pulling the boy into a hug. He didn't resist. Her boy's Quirk was a complicated one. Occasionally, he would have dreams of the future, usually about people close to him, whether it was in terms of proximity or bond. It was always something bad, ranging from mild to very worrying, which led to the boy being relatively isolated from his peers. They saw him as a harbinger of doom instead of the messenger. Thankfully he managed to find a group of friends who didn't care, who just cared about arguing over certain topics. She liked them, his friends. They would help him go far.

"Ah, well, let me know if you want to meet with Dr. Andersen earlier than usual."

"Naw, Mom, I'm good, really."

"If you -"

The woman was suddenly assaulted by a wave of rolling pain, causing her to drop the small plate she had been carrying and crash into the marble countertops, a gasp of pain bursting from her lips. The shattering of the plate made the boy flinch, resulting in him whirling around.

"Mom!" The boy ran over to support his mother, who whimpered at the contact. "Mom, what's wrong?! I'll call emergency services, just hold on!"

Before he could scamper away for his phone, she snatched at his sleeve. "No. Don't. They won't help."

"But Mom!"

"It'll pass!"

The boy watched helplessly as his mother writhed in pain, the grunts and clenched fists worrying him greatly. He knew she was strong. Very strong. But he worried. Within a few minutes, his mother relaxed, her pants of exertion resulting in him released a whine of worry.

"Mom?"

She didn't answer immediately, her closed eyes making the boy fret. "Jan? How do you feel about a vacation abroad?"

"Abroad? Mom, you just had that happen to you, what -"

"Jan. I am fine."

"But what was that?!"

"That … was a sign. A sign that it's finally time you meet your half-sister."

The haunted look in her eyes made Jan gulp. He knew he had a half-sister somewhere, but his mother never told him much. Merely that she'd be a year or two younger than him, and that she was somewhere in Japan now. The fact that his mother would so willingly tell him he was suddenly going to meet her was beyond worrying.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Toga watched with interest as Liam Nadeau animatedly talked with Spinner and Magne regarding some issue. It had been rather jarring when Nadeau burst out of his daughter's prison cell as a whole new man. Gone was the surly, grumpy old man, and in his place was a rather boisterous, jubilant guy. Whatever happened in that room clearly raised his spirits. Dabi and Shigaraki, who could more or less tolerate the man before, now glowered across the bar at him, though Shigaraki was probably more annoyed that he lost concentration and lost at the game he was playing.

Katsuki Bakugo, however, completely simmered down. In place of the explosive, furious boy sat a defeated, quiet shell. Nadeau had the idea to pretend he had killed Luna as an incentive for the yellow hedgehog to join them, and it looked like they were finally getting somewhere. The girl was unresponsive and barely breathing anyways, so it was a win-win situation. Speaking of …

"Nadeau-kun! Can I go get the other ear?" Toga asked cheerily, bouncing up to him.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah! Go for it kiddo, doesn't matter anyways, she's dead right?" Nadeau winked at her so Bakugo couldn't see if he looked at them, but he remained slumped in his chair.

"Thanks! Finally, my new headband!"

Toga grabbed one of her knives and skipped to the room. Before entering, she checked the peephole to make sure that Luna was still unconscious. She was out like a light, even in the same position that she had landed in like a sack of potatoes. Toga began to hum as she entered, closing the door behind her, but she abruptly stopped when she turned around again.

For Luna was gone, and in her place sat a hooded figure, sitting on some sort of black throne. His face and most of his upper body was obscured by shadows, looking entirely unnatural in the room with no clear light source. One thing she was able to glean, however, where the furious, violet eyes that glared at her. The throne itself looked rough and misshapen, looking as if it was made of obsidian or something similar. The lower body was clad very wealthily, as seen by the formal black shoes and grey, striped pants. His legs themselves were spread, making him seem bigger; his right arm laid across one of the armrests, hand over the edge but gripping the head of a cane, which appeared to be made of some type of red wood. The head of the cane, though obscured by the long, cruel claws, appeared to be some sort of reptile, made of a silver metal. The glint of a purple gemstone shone through one of the gaps between his fingers. His left supported his head, which was held at a diagonal tilt.

The malevolent, dangerous eyes had Toga pinned, and he knew that she knew it, based on the slightly squinted way the eyelids were held open. Toga knew that if she even twitched, he'd kill her. She didn't know how she knew, but this was one of the few situations that she was afraid.

"So, you are the one known as Himiko Toga, yes?" the rich, baritone voice made her flinch. While seemingly warm, it almost felt like she had a knife being trailed down her spine.

"Y-Yup." Toga replied, internally cringing at the stutter. Mamma and Pappa hated the stutter and tried a lot to talk her out of it. She hid it from a very young age, because it wasn't 'normal'. The thought made her want to curl her lip in disgust but doing that now would send a very fatal message to the man across from her.

"You are … not okay, are you, Himiko Toga?"

"Huh?"

"Mentally, I mean. You find it hard to fit into this society, don't you? You don't understand how to be 'normal'."

"I don't want to be normal! Being normal is a disease, but when I do something other than the norm, I'm looked at like I'm sick!" Toga mentally tried to reel herself in, unaccustomed to such a violent outburst from herself, but it was no use. It was like her own mind was against the entirety of her body. "When I would ask for their help, they would look at me like I'm insane! They abandoned me! All of them!"

"Hm." The man leaned forward, revealing his upper body, which was also expensively clad, though Toga found she could care less about his pinstriped suit and focused on the vibrant, multicolored hood that was opened at the sides of his head and neck. He seemed to sway, and Toga would copy his movements. She was hypnotized. "What if I offered you help now?"

"Y-You're lying! Why would you help me? What do you want from me?"

"To heal a broken mind. You see, originally, I could care less about you humans. I always thought of you as worms, parasites that slowly killed your planet. But … but then, they showed me the reality. That you lot are very, very complicated. And that intrigues me."

"So you want to be a hero?" Toga sneered. "You want to play doctor and fix me?"

The man bared his teeth, revealing them to be very, very sharp incisors. "The idea of playing God disgusts me, girl. I would rather send my soul into the turbulent Nile and be rejected from eternal slumber than to try to be one of those pretenders. Those phonies that only care about the fame and glory. One of your allies follows the same principle, yes? Spinner?"

"Yes."

"What I mean is that I want to be a real hero. You've heard of them, yes? Paragons of virtue who are just and kind."

"Mhm." She was growing sleepier, her eyes growing heavier. She tried to fight it off, but she backed up and slid down along the door, her head drooping forward.

"I was always regarded as a villain, Himiko Toga. I want to be a real hero." He stood up, slowly approaching Toga before crouching in front of Toga, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. "I will make you a promise. I will help you. But first, you need to help me."

There was a flash of violet light which made Toga croak. Had someone else seen this bizarre event, they would have seen Toga's golden eyes turn a vibrant purple. And they would have seen the cobra man smile.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Are you ready, Mother?"

"I will always be ready. I have been ready. Are you ready to tear him from limb to limb?"

"I won't just tear him apart. I'll destroy him!"

0-0-0-0-0-0

"I'm sure you were scared … You did good baring it. I'm sorry." All Might said softly. Bakugo's face twitched, his eyes becoming uncomfortably moist. He tsked and turned away, though his entire body now shook. "If I may ask … Where's Young Luna? Is she not here?"

"Back." Bakugo cringed at his voice and how emotional it was. "There's a room there."

All Might hesitated before quickly traversing through the doorway, only to hesitate when there were many doors. He quickly scouted a few before he opened one, only to blanch. Luna lay there, unmoving. He zipped over, checking her pulse and breathing, sighing when he felt it. But only just. She was in incredibly rough shape, and she was unresponsive. He needed to take her to the hospital. When he came back into the main room with Luna held to his chest.

"She's alive, but we need to hurry. I don't know the extent of her injuries." Bakugo stared at him in bewilderment, not believing his ears. He quickly crossed the room and grabbed her wrist, checking and indeed confirming she had a weak pulse.

"Dammit Luna, don't do that to me!" he snapped, though it was out of worry rather than anger. He was shaking, and All Might took that as a sign to nudge the boy outside, where the armed police officers and pro heroes rushed over.

"After I went through all that trouble to prepare this … Why are you coming to me, you last boss?" Shigaraki seethed before sighing. "It can't be helped. 'We're not the only ones here.' The same goes for us. Kurogiri, bring as many over as you can!"

"Nomus, I presume?" All Might practically gloated.

"Kurogiri, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Tomura Shigaraki. The Nomus that were supposed to be in a fixed location are not there!" Kurogiri apologized worriedly.

"Huh?"

"You're still green, Shigaraki!" All Might stepped forward to stand next to Bakugo, who seemed to be taking perverse delight in Shigaraki's irritation.

"Huh?!"

"League of Villains, you underestimated everything too much! The souls of these young students! The diligent investigations of the police! And our anger! That's enough with these childish pranks! This is the end, Tomura Shigaraki!"

"The end? Don't be ridiculous. I've only just begun. Justice … Peace … I'll destroy that garbage heap that you put a lid on with such vague ideas! Kurogiri!"

Before Kurogiri could even twitch, however, Edgeshot struck him with a red thread, knocking him out unconscious. He explained to a startled Magne.

"You better let us go!" snarled Nadeau. "I'll send this country into a civil war that would make all others look like a laughingstock!"

"Ah, the factory, yes?" All Might responded without any worry. "We've already taken care of it. Hawks seemed very eager to take care of that issue."

Nadeau flinched at the dismissal. "So? You think I'd be that stupid to only have a single base of operations?! Who do you take me for?!"

"Your other bases will be dealt with quickly, don't you worry." Gran Torino spoke, a smirk on his wrinkled lips. "With little information and time, the police officers worked through the night to determine your true identities and hideouts. Other countries volunteered to dig deep and destroy and international branches as well. Do you understand? There's nowhere left for you to run."

"Hey, Shigaraki, can I ask where your boss is?" The silence that ensued unnerved the heroes slightly, the single visible eye dancing wildly in the socket, an almost pitiable desperation held in the gaze.

"Shigaraki!" snapped All Might.

"I hate you!" Shigaraki screamed back but stiffened when two inky grey portals appeared on either side of him, Nomus screeching as they made their way out.

"Nomus? They came from nowhere!" Kamui Woods yelped as more and more portals appeared.

"Edgeshot, what about Kurogiri?" Gran Torino quicky asked.

"He's still unconscious! He didn't do it!" Edgeshot responded, seemingly slightly insulted by the question.

"Kamui Woods, do not let them go under any circumstance!" All Might ordered, but the man didn't even finish as the villains, along with Bakugo and Luna had the same viscous, gray liquid burst from their mouths. They were quickly enveloped, and the enraged roar from All Might was all they heard before they were gone.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Bakugo landed roughly, an automatic "Damn it!" escaping his lips before he even realized the precarity of his situation. "The hell?!" Luna had dropped next to him thankfully. Though it appeared she had just regained consciousness, based on the sluggish way she pushed herself up and blearily looked around with dazed eyes. It was a miracle that she could stand, but it wasn't enough of a miracle to help him escape with her.

"Sorry, Bakugo and Nadeau." A man stood in front of them, dressed richly in a dark suit, though his appearance was somewhat ruined by the misshaped, asymmetrical metal mask that he wore.

"Huh?!"

The villains from the bar appeared behind them, though they were all gagging from the foul liquid that had leaped out of their throats.

"What the -" Toga breathed into her sleeve.

"Something stinks! Smells good!" Twice, as usual, contradicted himself.

"Master …" Shigaraki bowed.

"You failed again, huh Tomura? But do not be discouraged. Just try again. I have brought your associates back as well. Even these children. Because you judged that they were important pieces. Do it over as many times as you need. That is why I am here. It's all for you."

Luna heaved next to him as Bakugo internally gagged at the statement. It was a perverse restatement of All Might's classic 'I am here', and the teacher-like way he spoke to Shigaraki was sickening as well. If they were students of All Might, then Shigaraki was a student of this man, and that did not sit well with either of them.

"You're here after all, aren't you …?" the man asked, and before Bakugo knew it, All Might was there, a fearsome scowl on his face as he stood arm to arm against the man, neither gaining any ground. The fact that the man could stand up to All Might's strength, however, was suddenly very, very worrying …

"I'll have you return everything, All For One!" All Might shouted.

"Will you kill me again, All Might?" the newly christened All for One asked, seemingly finally angry.

An explosion sent everyone flying back, Bakugo snatching Luna and acting as a pillow for her landing, despite her yelp of pain. Bakugo chose to ignore it, for now. Now, they couldn't be weak.

"You're pretty late. It's a little more than five kilometers from the bar to here. It was easily thirty seconds after I sent the Nous before you arrived. You've gotten weaker, All Might." All for One shook his hand as if it stung.

"What about you? What's with the industrial mask you've got on? Aren't you overexerting yourself?" All Might sneered back. Clearly, these two had history. And it worried Bakugo that if All Might couldn't help him and Luna, they'd lose. Badly. "I won't make the same mistake as I did six years ago, All For One! I will take my students back! And this time, I will throw you in prison for sure! And all of the League of Villains you control with you!"

"There's so much for us to do. It'll be tough for both of us." All for One sounded … excited. Shit, this dude really worried Bakugo. All Might leapt at All for One, but All for One countered by releasing some sort of wind Quirk that inflated his arm like a balloon. It sent the number one hero flying back through the street and plowing through a few buildings.

"Air Cannon plus Springlike Limbs, Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhancer times three. This combination is fun." Bakugo barely heard the tin man over the rumbling of falling buildings, but it sounded like he had multiple Quirks! And he said, 'times three?' He could enhance them too?! How overpowered was this bastard?!

All for One turned to Egypt-Chan and Nadeau, who were standing a bit separated from the others. "Nadeau, take your daughter and colleague and get the vehicles ready."

Nadeau nodded and gestured to Egypt-Chan before turning and jogging into a nearby alleyway. Egypt-Chan approached Luna without any regard for the way Bakugo bristled. She paused when he popped a few small explosions from his hands.

"Young boy, I would advise you to get out of my way before something happens to you. Luna. Come." She spoke with a quirked eyebrow, a small grin making its way onto her face as Luna squeezed the boy's arm before stepping forward, her tail drooping in dismay.

"Luna?" Bakugo asked, bewildered. She placed her cracked lips near his ear.

"When the time comes, trust her." She whispered before leaving him. He barely noticed that Luna's normally amber eyes were now a brilliant shade of purple.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Nadeau was jogging forward, occasionally half-turning to check that his colleague and now crippled daughter were indeed following. They managed to, though in truth Nadeau had no idea how his daughter was keeping up. Egypt-Chan brought up the rear, prodding the girl forward when necessary, sporting a massive, unrestrained smirk on her face. He didn't know what the cause of her delight was, but it somehow unnerved him. Turning around a corner, he was shoulder checked very abruptly, hard enough to slam into the brick wall behind him. When he looked up with a snarl, he froze.

For in front of him stood two people. Well, more accurately, two deities. Egypt-Chan was the one in front, a sneer on her cruel lips making Set wary. He could sense the unrestrained divine aura flowing freely from her, the sheer quantity making him squint. The worrying thing was that he had absolutely no idea as to who it was. There were very few who were as powerful as the now evident imposter, but they should have all died. All, of course, but one. The god behind her only confirmed his theory, and he gulped.

For glaring at him from the shadows were a pair of glowing, violet eyes. If looks could kill, Set would have been dead ten times over. The god stepped out of the shadows, his size somehow dwarfing the two others present. The pinstriped suit and redwood cane gave the impression of a supervillain from the older movies. His own aura seemed so hostile it almost seemed to be eating at his own, breaking it down as if exposed to poison. Without ever having had the misfortune of meeting Apophis, Set knew. He knew that he was suddenly in a much, much worse position than he had been when he had been captured by that wooden clown.

"What is the meaning of this?!" spat Set.

"Silence!" Apophis roared back, making Set shut his mouth.

"I must say, I'm impressed, Suetekh." Egypt-Chan spoke. "To manage to pit all the gods against each other, and almost wipe them all out … That takes a respectable amount of luck and struggle. Yet you accomplished that."

"How do you know about that? Who are you?"

She looked surprised for a moment before she chuckled lowly. "Ah, yes, I suppose I don't need her anymore, do I?"

Set watched, bewildered, as Egypt-Chan glowed for a moment before she almost seemed to erupt. She collapsed to her knees as a white mist shot out of her, solidifying into -

NO! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!

"Do you not recognize me yet, grandchild?" she asked, her voice dangerously soft. Apophis shuffled closer but was stopped with a casual flick of the primordial's hand. He pouted before he shrunk back, the entire situation almost amusing had it not been for the fact that the jackal was about to be murdered or eaten. Maybe both. "Oh, you have recognized me. How quaint."

A groan interrupted her, the real Yua Nakata standing up, supporting herself against the brick wall of the alleyway. Her dazed eyes flicked uncertainly in between the three, uncomprehending.

"Where am I?" she managed to ask, though, her green face suggested she wouldn't be able to ask much more. "Who are you people?"

"That is the crux of our issue here, dear Yua." The primordial answered mysteriously. "Who does this man think he is? How about you decide for yourself, hmm? A disgraced hero who fled from his country and broken marriage alike. A man who works in the criminal underworld, supplying all sorts of unsavory types with equipment and information. A man who has recently tortured and nearly killed his only child. And the man behind me is called Apophis."

Nakata flinched, shuffling away from Nadeau, who himself looked like he was about to bolt any minute. "Then, who are you?"

"Me?" there was a disbelieving pause before she let out a dry laugh. "Oh, of course. I'm not well known around here, am I? Perhaps one day, you will learn of it. Now, however, I must leave."

Nakata and Nadeau watched in disbelief as she walked away with a slight sway in her hips before she vanished around a corner. Nadeau wasted no time in letting Set out, a sandstorm erupting out of his hands, rendering any normal person's, including Nakata's vision, moot.

"You cannot hide, coward! I am not Thoth!" Apophis snarled and demonstrated his statement by lashing out and clipping Set with his cane, his shrill yelp making him smirk. He witnessed Set raise his hands, a snarl on his lips as countless sand clones appeared, crouching before they shot at him. Apophis smashed each clone into bits with a casual ease, the sand spears and clones exploding upon contact. "This is how the mighty Set fights?"

As if an answer to the jab, one sand clone shot forward at defenseless Nakata, who had remained rooted, uncertain as to what to do. She shrieked when the clone's spear shot at her chest, though she blanched as Apophis appeared in front of her, the spear making direct contact with him, causing a ripple of purple to appear over him before disappearing. With a growl, he slammed the metal head into the sand clone's head, causing it do disperse with a poof.

"Stay close, Nakata. He will try to take you out. When I tell you to run, you will turn and run backwards towards the opened doors. Continue running until you come out of the other side. Got that?"

She nodded breathlessly, wide eyes watching the reptilian twirl around her despite the constant sting of sand, fending off the clones with apparent ease, the swinging of his cane and the movement of his feet never stopping. It was breathtaking, really. She felt her throat go dry as he tossed her a cloth from … somewhere? Huh? "Over your head! Cover your eyes or you will lose your sight!"

She did as commanded, though she still observed him in awe. He struck the ground several times, his own clone appearing to take his place, though Apophis's clone was more viscous. The shifting purple liquid buffered from the constant stream of sand, but still did the job of defending from the clones.

"Come!" he barked, and she squeaked at the sudden command, running to him. A purple bubble appeared around them that offered them safety from the now raging sandstorm outside. She finally had the option to observe Apophis up close, and what she saw was … startling. His reptilian features were slightly jarring, sure, but there was a certain beauty to it. His magnificent eyes sparkled with an aura of frustration, but there was a depth to them that scared her, almost like a crystal cavern. His purple scales sparkled quietly, giving them a pretty sheen. His flared hood had splashes of red and yellow and green and blue, the pattern something one could be lost in. She wondered if he had hypnotized her, but she could have run away, if she thought it was safe. Suddenly, he straightened, his hands held together before he flung them to either side, revealing his clawed hands. More importantly, however, the bubble expanded rapidly, devouring the sand before it burst, a startled Nadeau blinking owlishly at them. "Run!"

She fled, and sure enough, the previously closed doors now were gone entirely, a dimly lit corridor letting her know where to go. She hesitated, however, when she didn't hear him follow. She crept back just enough to find Apophis towering over Nadeau, his cane shoving the other towards the ground, his own staff barely holding off before Apophis wrenched it to the side, sending the staff flying.

Set recalled it though, the weapon flying back to his outstretched hand. Apophis clearly didn't expect it, seeing it managed to actually hit him, and from there Apophis didn't have a moment to regain his advantage. A flurry of sand clones appeared out of nowhere, rapidly dashing past him, their weapons hitting the man everywhere, not giving him a break. He tried to break out of the center, his struggle yielding the destruction of several clones, but before long, a particularly nasty passing slash caused him to be thrown upward, with Set finally coming from above, an overhead strike sending Apophis plummeting downwards.

Nakata gasped quietly, eyes widening as Set quickly etched weird symbols into the air. From them erupt massive, black chains, wrapping around Apophis and holding him immobile. He visibly tried to get out, but the chains didn't budge.

"Well, it's a wonder Bast hasn't killed you yet." Set panted. "If this was all you could do."

"I could have torn you apart but levelled this city." Apophis snapped.

"Oh? Where did the sudden care for humans come from?"

Apophis merely turned his head with a growl.

"Well, this was great, but I don't want to ever repeat that. Say goodbye to whatever you like here because I'm going to seal you away! APPEAR, GATEWAYS OF DUAT!"

At each symbol, a red light burst from them, the symbols floating from them and shooting down the chain. Nakata barely managed to make out a boat, some sort of fire, a cat, and an intertwined ball of snakes before they latched onto Apophis, surrounding him in a ball of symbols.

"NOW, I COMMAND YOU, GATES OF DUAT! SEAL THIS INFERNAL BEAST AWAY!"

The red aura shrunk before it exploded, the symbols dispersing with a dry hiss. Nadeau blinked at Apophis, who began to shake, from what Nakata had no clue. It wasn't long before she realized that Apophis was laughing. Loud, maniacal laughter bounced off the walls, the two-standing caught off guard.

"That's with your Gates open?!" Apophis howled, hysterical laughter. "Bloody hell, I thought you were strong, but if it took your Gates to do that, how weak were you?!"

"Stop laughing!" Set demanded. "How are you still here?!"

"Isn't it obvious, you utter buffoon?! MY GATES HAVEN'T BEEN OPENED YET!"

Set remained frozen; his shock clearly plastered on his face while Apophis continued to laugh uproariously. Finally, it seemed the serpent deity calmed down.

"Ah, that was quite something. Quite entertaining. However, I grow bored with this engagement." Apophis sighed.

"You say that like you're able to get out of the chains." Set quipped uncertainty.

"You doubt me? Tut tut, we need to fix that. You wish to see me with my gates open? Very well, consider yourself lucky to see me with my Gates opened." Apophis took in a deep breath. "HEAR ME, O DEITIES OF THE PAST! SEE ME, O GODS AND GODDESSES! I BESEECH THEE, OPEN MY GATES!"

For a minute, nothing happened. Then, a series of violent explosions ensued, each one blasting the chains to bits. After twelve explosions, all chains were gone. In their place, their ghosts lingered, this time a vague purple in color. What ensued Nakata could not describe; Apophis began to shout words that she did not comprehend, in a language she didn't know of. With each word, a chain would detach from him. After twelve words, Apophis rose, though he seemed different. The air around him distorted as he looked himself over. Adeau, thinking he had an opening, dashed forward, his staff flying –

Only to be struck away by Apophis with apparent ease. With a roar, Apophis gave Nadeau a massive uppercut, sending him flying upwards. Though, instead of waiting for him to drop back down, Apophis bounced off the walls to Nadeau's height before slashing at him repeatedly, the head of the cane moving so fast a purple ripple followed afterwards. With a whirl of attacks, Apophis dropped down, not even giving Nadeau the chance to recuperate before smashing the cane into him horizontally.

It was then that Apophis revealed an ace that was up his sleeve: his cane was actually a cane sword! Jamming the sheath into the ground, a massive purple circle appeared overhead while Apophis sprinted past him, his attacks so rapid that the aftershocks were clearly visible as the air bubbled and hissed. It was then that the purple circle overhead activated, sending down what appeared to be purple ice shards, all as long as a standard ruler, slamming into the ground, many stabbing at Nadeau, who howled as they tore at his body, red gashes soon bleeding through his torn clothing. The previous clone of Apophis has also reappeared, and simultaneously, both original and clone mirrored each other, layering their attacks over Nadeau without any hesitation. As Apophis paused, the clone shot upwards, striking Nadeau as it went and vanished with an explosion, the liquid that was once its body slamming into the surroundings and dissolving it, Nadeau's skin no exception.

Nakata watched this unfold in equal parts of terror and awe, both keeping her rooted to the spot, every instinct in her body telling her to run. She didn't though.

Apophis jumped into the air, his strike from above sending Nadeau crashing down only to bounce upwards again. Apophis sent his sword to the side, a series of rapid kicks and punches turning Nadeau into a living pinball as the sword itself also made contact, the exact way this was possible eluding Nakata. It was like the sword moved in accordance with Apophis's thoughts, pulled along an invisible string. As Apophis dropped downwards, the purple circle from above once again activated, the icicles struck with a much stronger force, enough to shatter upon the now very broken body of Nadeau, his screaming echoing unpleasantly in the now cratered and broken alleyway. The few windows that shed light were quickly turned off, the curtains closing as the citizens inside panicked, judging by the amount of sound they were producing.

What Apophis did next completely astounded Nakata. He slid his sword back into the sheath, which was still embedded into the ground, and the purple circle finally began to dissipate, though its particles seemed to be absorbed by the cane, the purple eyes of the cobra now glowing brilliantly. Apophis, meanwhile, began to ravage his own hands. The exclamation of shock escaped her lips before Nakata could even consider being quiet, but Apophis didn't notice her, seemingly hellbent on tearing his own hands off. Nadeau barely stirred, moving agonizingly slow as his body likely screamed at him to stop doing anything. Just as he managed to pull himself up to his elbows, Apophis succeeded, though instead of his blood spurting out of his self-inflicted wounds … was that silk?! Indeed, what appeared to be silk cascaded out of his stumps, reforming into his hands from before.

And it was like someone had snapped their fingers because Nakata suddenly viewed the world differently. There was no explanation, but suddenly, everything in her vision was made of the silk. Her own body too was made of the stuff, strands attached to parts of her body disappearing somewhere out of sight. Every movement of hers made it seem like she was a puppet as the strings tensed and slackened. As she tried to brush or rip them off, her hands went through them as if they never existed in the first place. Suddenly, the world slowed considerably, and Nakata watched with disbelieving eyes as Apophis tore through the strands near Nadeau without any resistance, his cane spitting purple sparks as it cleaved through the silken threads.

"YOUR SOUL IS MINE!" Apophis suddenly bellowed, causing Nakata to flinch as the threads snapped before the area in front of Nadeau seemingly collapsed inwards, sort of like an implosion. In the area now appeared to be space itself, with what appeared to be stars twinkling quietly inside. Nakara didn't have much time to admire the beauty before a massive cobra forced itself into the opening, it's head as large as a single story of the buildings near them. She screamed, though the sound itself was lost in the roar the massive beast let out. It zeroed in on the frozen Nadeau and launched.

What happened next was a brutal murder, if a murder could occur without any tearing of the skin, appearance of blood and organs, or indeed any physical damage. The snake buried its fangs deep into Nadeau, his screaming lasting for all of two or three seconds before his voice finally broke. The snake reared back its head, and a ruby red silhouette of Nadeau appeared in its mouth, beating his fists at the snake's massive fangs in his worthless attempt to free himself. The gigantic cobra, not seemingly satisfied, threw back its head, releasing the ghostly Nadeau only to swallow him. Nakata swallowed as it turned its head to her before it retreated from whence it came, the opening now closed and the world back to normal. The physical Nadeau was seemingly out cold, finally put out of his misery, though Nakata had no idea if it was permanent or not. After all, she basically watched his soul be devoured by an enormous snake.

"Why are you still here?" a voice rasped quietly in her right ear. She shrieked as Apophis seemingly appeared at her side, though he himself flinched back at the exclamation.

"Jesus Christ woman, not so loud!" Apophis snapped at her, cradling his head in between his hands, which were also back to normal, as if they hadn't been torn off in the first place.

"Sorry."

He mumbled something under his breath before wordlessly pulling her by her forearm, herself not being able to resist. It was clear that whatever the hell Apophis did, it completely wore him out, as he dragged his feet and drooped his head.

"Be a dear, carry this." Apophis tossed her his cane, which she fumbled with for a moment before holding it in a vice grip. He himself slung the limp body of Nadeau over his shoulder and left without a word. She gulped before following him as he carefully navigated through the maze that were these alleyways.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Unbeknownst to the four individuals who had been there, a fifth watched from above, his golden wings held tensely as he himself watched after the retreating figures of the snake man and the singer. Letting out a pent-up breath, he let himself fall backwards, for once not really caring about his costume.

"So there's another one, huh?" Hawks asked nobody in particular, the news eating away at his thoughts. "Surely, he can't be that bad if he took down that jackal? He protected the woman, anyways …"

He shook his head, deciding to leave. He pushed his luck this night, and he wasn't keen to see if it would hold any longer.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Meanwhile

Bakugo thought he was losing his mind. One second, he was being besieged on all sides by Shigaraki's cronies, the next he watched as one screamed at the knife protruding from the back of his scaly green skin while another slumped onto the ground, very dead based on the knife that sprouted out of her skull, her massive weapon dropping to the ground next to her. The crazy chick carefully skipped over, plucking the knife from the corpse before licking it clean, a shudder passing through her.

"What the actual fuck." he breathed as Toga's now betrayed friends watched her in shock as she went to stand next to Bakugo.

"She told you to trust me, right? Well, trust me, Bakugo-kun. You look so cute when you're confused." Toga beamed.

"Shut up!" he barked, though he had absolutely no clue what to do.

"Toga, what the hell!" Spinner yelped, ripping the knife out of the back of his hand before tossing it to the side.

"Why did you betray us?! Great move, Toga-chan!" Twice shouted.

"I got a better employer." Toga shrugged without remorse. "He's also much cuter than Shigaraki-kun."

As sudden as the interlude was, the chaos appeared just as quickly, though Bakugo suddenly found his load lightened as Toga held off the mask and the contradictory idiot. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched as All Might tried to get to him, only to be held back by All for One. He wasn't an idiot; he knew All Might has limiting himself on purpose so that he wouldn't accidentally hurt him. And the freak that now fought with him, he mused, an explosion forcing back the lizard back before twisting and blasting Shigaraki away, his fingers nearly having had the opportunity to grab him.

An explosion took all their collective attention, Bakugo's eyes widening as a familiar twin toned boy shot a massive, diagonal ice spike towards them while Deku and Iida shot forward, Kirishima in the front.

"Come!" Kirishima begged.

Bakugo immediately understood their intent. Grabbing Toga by the scruff of her sweater, he blasted upwards, his searching hand caught by Kirishima. Toga squealed in what sounded suspiciously like pleasure in his grip, giggling like a maniac. Scratch that, she was a maniac.

"You stupid or something?" Bakugo shouted over the wind, his wide grin making it known he didn't mean it. Well, he did, just not fully like usual.

"Bakugo-kun, on my mark, create a blast -" Iida began.

"You watch my mark!"

"Don't fight at a time like this!" Kirishima snapped.

"Weee!" Toga added helpfully.

A sudden boom sounded behind them, revealing that the magician somehow managed to catch up to them, the 'how' not very important at the moment. Thankfully, Mount Lady sprung up out of nowhere, quite literally, and the magician had no time to maneuver before he collided smack into her nose, easily breaking it, but stopping him in the process.

"Prioritize … the rescue! Go … stupid kids …" she muttered.

A sudden blur took out the remaining members of the League of Villains, turning out to be some old man.

"Gran Torino!" yelped Midoriya. Okay, some old man may have been a tad rude, but how was Bakugo supposed to know it was Deku's teacher?

"Man, you guys aren't stupid!" Toga protested. "This was smart! Also kinda hot!"

"Shut up!" Bakugo barked, though the flushes on the other three's faces let her know her remark landed as intended.

As they approached the ground, Bakugo threw Toga to Kirishima, who caught her hand before Bakugo let off a small, continuous explosion to act as a buffer while Midoriya and Iida used their legs as brakes.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Nakata stood awkwardly at the police station, rubbing her left forearm as Apophis explained the situation, his drawling voice at contrast with the astounded police officers' faces at the recount.

"And … yeah that seems about it. Punched him, knocked him out, broke her out of some sort of hypnosis that the weird, masked freak had, and here we are." Apophis yawned. "Can I go now? My Nana has tea and crumpets waiting for me."

"Uh, yes! Of course! Thank you for your assistance! Could I have your name, though?" one of them stuttered.

"Before you pull out the 'can't use your Quirk without a license' card, my life was in direct danger. It was either use it or die, so … yeah. Also, technically I'm the Quirk, so … it's not my name you want to write down. Write down Luna Aizawa and call 09-XXX-XXXX. And the ambulance, because as soon as I'm gone, you're gonna have the body of a half dead schoolgirl."

As the cops scrambled to do as he asked, he deflated, looking back at Nakata.

"Hi." Nakata said softly before cringing. Really? That's what she came up with at the moment? Fucking 'Hi?'

"Hey." Apophis answered just as softly. "You good? I mean, obviously not, considering you were basically mind controlled, but … physically, I mean?"

"Uh, yeah. I think so. My head just kinda hurts is all."

Apophis grunted in acknowledgement. "Well, stop standing there like an idiot. Sit down. I'll get you some water. Maybe some food."

As she nodded and sat down, Apophis shuffled through the police station lobby, using their water dispenser to get her a cup of cold water while raiding a table for some food. Quite convenient, that was, though considering they interrupted one of their own's retirement party, though perhaps it was merely bad luck on the cop's part. Not exactly the best kind of retirement party, now, was it?

As he handed her some food wordlessly, he collapsed into the adjacent chair, closing his eyes, and finally letting his exhaustion seep into his posture.

"Are you okay?" Nakata asked hesitantly, noting he didn't grab anything for himself.

"I feel better if that's what you're asking. Cathartic to beat the ever-living shit out of someone you hate, but considering he killed my best friend in front of me not too long ago, perhaps it's the adrenaline talking." Apophis answered before grimacing. "Sorry, not your problem."

"No, it's okay! I mean, you basically saved my life, right? I'll help in any way I can."

He looked at her through one eye, hesitating before letting out another sigh. "You know, you're kind of making it hard to keep my aloof and mysterious nature hen you're being so kind and doe-eyed."

Nakata flushed at his description of her. "Was that a compliment?"

"Sure."

0-0-0-0-0-0

The streets were absolutely chaotic. People were rushing about frantically, screaming and shouting while they surged in the direction the cops were leading them. Kirishima, Iida, Midoriya, Bakugo, and Toga made their way forward together, though there was some apprehension regarding Toga. To her credit, she didn't try t anything, merely skipping in front of the boys.

"Yeah, how about you guys? Were you able to make a clean escape?" Midoriya asked into the phone, Todoroki having called a moment before. Todoroki's response was lost amongst the commotion that everyone was making. "That's fine … probably. All Might will find her!"

"No he won't." growled Bakugo. "Her fucking dad and his minion took her."

"Aw, I wouldn't worry about her! I'm sure she's fine!" Toga chirped from up front. "Apep was pretty clear that he'd beat Nadeau-kun!"

"Who is Apep?" Iida asked, confused.

"You know, purple tuxedo cobra!"

"Apophis?" Midoriya asked.

Toga's faced twisted. "Yeah, but Apep sounds much cuter! So you should use that one, Midoriya-kun."

"Ah, okay …" he cleared his throat, looking around himself. "Looks like we're out of the range of that shockwave. Our recovery was successful."

"Listen, you didn't rescue me, okay? You all just happened to be the best escape route." Bakugo barked.

"A very fun escape route! The view was craaazy!" Toga nodded.

"Shut up! Stop talking!"

"Aww, but you're so cute when you're mad!"

"Nice decision!" Kirishima gave the two a thumbs up, though they were busy bickering amongst themselves.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Next … Next is your turn." All Might has said.

Everyone began cheering and shouting their hoorays, believing it to be a message to the criminals not yet caught. And yet … Deku was crying. Not just crying, sobbing so hard he couldn't breathe. Barely supporting himself, tears were streaming in large rivulets down his face. His loud 'uuu-huus' were not heard above the crowd, and Bakugo didn't connect the dots at first, neither did his classmates plus crazy chick. But then he did. He didn't even care when he felt the wet drops slide down his cheeks.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Soooo … long time no see? Heh … yeah. I am so sorry. So ridiculously sorry for disappearing yet again on what was basically a massive cliffhanger. A lot of stuff happened, some good, mostly not, but this isn't therapy, no need to bog down the mood anymore considering all that's happened in this previous chapter. So, let's go over a bit, shall we?

For the foreseeable future, the primordial will not be appearing, at least physically. She'll be with Osiris in Duat, observing. I have some vague plans of bringing her back, but nothing concrete quite yet. And she still isn't finished with our little universe here either, so yeah. She's basically going to remain in the shadows.

Egypt-Chan, or Yua Nakata, take your pick, will definitely go through a lot. I think that's quite obvious, considering she's basically been possessed and shoved back into the world with no prior warning.

Set is no more. He himself was devoured by a different form of Apophis if that wasn't quite clear. How was Apophis at two places at the same time in two different forms? He'll tell you. Well, not you the readers, but he'll reveal what exactly happened. As for Luna's father, he isn't dead. Most of the damage he would have taken was instead absorbed by Set, because he also didn't have any other descendants to take over. The river of divine blood is now thinned, with Osiris the only one who has anyone running around but considering he himself doesn't want to … basically all that's left for right now is Apophis.

Speaking of, Apophis will be hurting. He's formed a bond with Bast, a bond he never expected to be able to forge, and one that he never wanted to lose, especially not the way he lost it. He's going to be acting pretty differently, because the reality is that grief changes people … and gods too, since that's what's happened.

As for what exactly happens to Luna … hooh boy, it's a lot. I think you guessed that by the fact that her old info on her Quirk and appearance are gone. The aftershocks will be seen starting next chapter.

And now, to the newcomers. Luna's mom and her half-brother. Let's do Jan first. Jan is … well, he's not sure what to think. He's being shuttled around with no time to ask questions or comprehend the answers he does get, so he'll be the lost duckling for a bit. As for Luna's mom … yeah, she knew the exact moment when Bast was no more. Why? Well, she was a carrier for Bast. She was a pro hero who used her cat transformations to make it to top four, before she dipped. You can make your own conclusions as to why, but … that'll take a bit.

As for the loose ends with Nadeau, they'll get tied up. Not immediately, but they will. Don't worry.

And … yeah, that's basically it for this installment. I did base Apophis's utter annihilation of Set based on another one. I'll give you a hint: Set found out that he was not, in fact, the storm that was approaching. Regardless, I will try my darndest not to disappear without some sort of warning. Stay safe out there! – Bananaman out!