I'm back with another chapter! To be honest I really thought I could get this one out in 2 weeks, but I guess I was lying to myself again :( And I even cut things out! But in any case I hope you guys like it, nonetheless.
***Also, I'll have an Important Announcement at the end of the chapter so check it out because it does pertain to this story.
This story has a TV Tropes page so feel free to check it out.
Disclaimer I do not own the rights to Ben 10 or MHA.
Rain crashes down in buckets, drenching the entirety of the city below as the night and the dark storm clouds shroud the entire city in darkness. The visibility through the rain is near impossible as signs of city life and people have all but disappeared with people locked away in their homes or shelters leaving the streets empty and bare. Only police lights and the lights of streetlamps illuminate the city through the heavy rain and shadows with the occasional flash of lightning breaking the ominous silence and darkness.
"Does anyone have eyes on the escapee?!" An officer shouts into his radio as he marches through the empty streets, rain pouring down on him as he approaches the train station. "Does anyone read me?! Does anyone copy?! What's the status of the situation?!"
But no answers.
The officer makes it to the nearly empty station where only a few commuters are hoping to get on the last bullet train of the night. They're all lined up single file as other officers make sure they are not the escaped prisoner.
The officer rips off the hood of his poncho, revealing his penguin-like mutation. His head is rather square for that of a penguin with black and white feathers and an orange beak. He stands tall despite his rather short stature like a commander who holds himself to his authoritative position.
"Captain!"
The Penguin Captain turns spotting one of his officers in training running over to him; a trainee who like him has a penguin like mutation but unlike him he is shorter and admittedly much more adorable thanks to his mannerisms and nativity.
Behind the trainee approach two other officers and like them both are penguins too. One is taller and holding a clipboard while the other has a cowlick and has a bit of crazy in his eye.
The Penguin Trainee gasps for air when he catches up, greeting his superior officer with a salute. "Sir. We've fully implemented the curfew and we have a number of pro heroes patrolling the streets along with other officers."
"Good work, Private!"
The Penguin Trainee frowns. "Um, that's not my name sir."
"You think I don't know ?!"
"Oh, um, sorry! I meant no disrespect sir!"
"Good, Private." The Penguin Captain spins around and aims his flipper-like arm at the tallest of the Penguin Officers. "What's the analysis of the situation?"
The tall Penguin Officer stands at attention as he examines his notes. "Sir! We have heroes on every street, checkpoints at every exit, and we have patrols and squads searching every building in the area. The odds of the prisoner escaping are 78.99%"
The Penguin Captain gasps, that can't be right?! "78%?! How could that be?! It should be zero!"
The Penguin Officer shakes his head taking the captain's yelling in stride, as he gestures to the downpour just outside. "Sorry, sir but this rain is hindering our visual surveillance. And the heroes that rely on other senses like smell are finding their senses hindered by the storm."
The Penguin Captain growls, grabbing the officer by his collar and pulling him in and slapping the officer repeatedly with his flipper. "Don't give me excuses! Give me results!"
He shoves the tall Penguin Officer away before swinging his attention over to the Penguin with a crazed look in his eye. "I want all weapons at the ready. I want rockets, I want stun guns, I want everything! This No-good slimy vermin is not escaping today! I want them captured the moment they're found! Use any means necessary!"
The crazed-looking Penguin officer only grins, shaking his head a bit too delightfully.
"I want this villain found yesterday, people!"
His three subordinates all give a salute. "Aye Aye, Sir!"
And so the Penguin officers march or rather waddle away back to the downpour to help with the search.
They waddle their way through the empty streets, forced to cover their faces against the raging deluge.
They disappear into the stormy night leaving the street deserted and soulless.
A crash of a trash can is heard and then a lone figure dashes out from a nearby alley way, and they are booking it for the bullet train. Beside the lone figure, hovering in the air, gliding alongside is a strange floating entity emitting a low red light.
The humanoid figure on the floating entity slips around the station, avoiding the officers inside. The officers themselves remain unaware as they guide the last of the passengers into the train before heading out into the street to help search.
Thanks to the cover of the night and heavy rain the figure and the entity easily jump the fence leading onto the tracks before rushing over towards the back of the train just as the train begins to pull away.
Quickly and expertly the figure presses their hand to the side of the train, their hand seems to meld itself onto the train. And so with a firm grip, the figure swings themselves onto the train's side beside its exit doors. The floating entity glides along the train as it begins to pick up speed, the entity aims a small device at the door before a small thin-lined laser pierces the lock, unlocking it. With their free hand the figure slides open the door. Immediately the entity dashes inside followed by their comrade who slides the door closed.
The figure ducks down, scanning the car, relieved to find it empty of occupants as most are in other cars further up the train. At the same time, the floating entity sees to all the cameras, slicing them apart with its little laser.
And so with the coast clear, the figure is finally allowed to rest as the entity sees to the lights as well, shutting them off completely.
The escapee takes a breath as they take a seat, rubbing a hand through their soaked red hair. "Thanks for getting me out of there." The escapee's eyes narrow in on the entirety. "But what is it you want?"
The entity glows red as it approaches, revealing itself to be a familiar drone. A red high-tech drone with insectoid like limbs. "Akai Kitou."
The escapee's eyes widen. They know that voice, they'll never forget it. It's the same chilling and dangerous voice that spoke to them before, it's the same voice, the exact same one.
The drone backs away before projecting a life-sized hologram before Kitou.
They nearly jump away as a massive form towers before them, their hologram illuminating the speeding train car.
Whatever Kitou was expecting it certainly wasn't such a monster: a squid faced, hulking, tentacle monster.
"After all this time we finally meet face to face, Akai Kitou." Vilgax's holographic form looms over the escapee like that of a general towering over their subordinates. "Or should I call you by your moniker, Rojo?"
Lightning strikes, the flash illuminated Rojo's sour face. Prison life has agreed with her as she's now more muscular, anyone can tell even from the loose-fitting prison garb, although her hair is still rather short but combed back, or it would be if not drenched by the storm.
Rojo scowls up Vilgax in disgust. "What the hell are you?! Talk about a face only a mother could love."
Vilgax's eyes narrow, his gaze drilling into her and trying to silently force her to submit.
After the initial shock has passed, Rojo takes a much calmer approach as she leans back in her seat, propping her leg up beside her. "So, you're the one that was in my head last time." She glares up at Vilgax as she remembers that haunting voice screaming in her head. "The one that made me go after that kid and that watch?!"
Vilgax simply answers with a chilling. "Yes."
"Well, what do you want with me, now? I have a feeling you didn't bust me out just because you felt sorry."
Vilgax nods, he can appreciate a lackey with some intelligence. "I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself."
Rojo's face scrunches up in confusion. "Redeem myself?"
"Yes. You are to go after the Omnitrix and retrieve for me." It's not a request, it's a demand, an order from one's superior.
Too bad Rojo doesn't see it that way.
"Oh, hell no!" Rojo springs to her seat, walking away, turning her back on the hologram. "Last time I did that I got courted off to the big house." Was committed for 20 years for attempted murder and kidnapping. "Sorry, Squidface but no way am I getting involved in that again." She speaks with finality, turning away like he's not worth her time.
Vilgax's anger silently boils, but he remains eerily calm despite her response. "You misunderstand. This isn't some back alley deal."
And on que several drones crash through the bullet train, smashing the windows before circling around the escapee.
Rojo instantly freaks out, becoming rather panicked as the drones circle her, their weapons drawn and aimed for her head.
"This is a command from your general, your Master."
Rojo's fist clench, her teeth grind together, as she snarls at the hologram. "No one's my master, you calamari fuck! You got that?!"
The sudden start and hum of the charging laser guns silence her.
"I'm afraid you're the one that doesn't understand." Despite being a hologram, Vilgax stomps forward, and with every step Rojo finds herself backing away. She knows he's not there but even so his grasp, his power, it can reach her from wherever he is.
"Bring me my Omnitrix and I will reward you for your efforts. But if you dare to defy my orders." To finish his sentence the drones' blasters all glow hot red, ready to fire within seconds. "Well, then those officers are sure to find you. Or at least whatever's left."
Rojo eyes the drones, then the smashed-in windows, the door, back to the drones, and finally back to the self-proclaimed master. And with no way out and a promise to take her life, she gives a heavy sigh and accepts. "Alright, Calamari. I guess I'm in. But let's get one thing straight this time I do things my way. Got that?!"
Vilgax leans back, composing himself. "Very well." He strokes his tentacles much like someone with a beard would when intrigued. "For full disclosure I've become curious of what you humans are capable of." Their abilities are just so fascinating. So curious.
"Sheesh, god-complex, much?" That human talking stuff is weird, that's for sure. "But getting to the kid isn't gonna be easy. Last I heard he and that bitch joined U.A." The prison played the Sports Festival for them all and she got glimpses of their adventures: U.A.'s Rising Star and all that. "It's gonna be a nightmare taking him down, that's for sure."
"Defeating Izuku Midoriya is not the priority." Vilgax clarifies. "Taking the Omnitrix is."
Rojo gives him an exasperated look, placing a hand on her hip. "Just say it's my problem to figure out." Basically since it's her own way she's gotta figure out how to beat him herself. "Can you at least tell me where to find him?"
"My drone will guide you." Upon his signal a much smaller drone with a large lens floats over. "It will also monitor your progress on my behalf."
The Scout Droid glides over, hovering above Rojo's shoulder and awaiting its master's command.
Rojo eyes the drone, curiously, frowning at the lack of weapons or useful capabilities it has.
"Remember this, Akai Kitou."
Rojo backs away as Vilgax looms over her. "No one who dares to defy me ever gets to witness the light of day again."
She's got the message: don't betray him or she's dead. 'He could just say that.' She thinks as she composes herself. "Alright, Squidface. I got your message loud and clear. I'll get your watch and even though you're threatening me I still expect to be paid in the end."
"But of course."
"Good."
Upon his command center, Vilgax signals for his drones to cut the feed and thus the hologram of Rojo disappears.
Vilgax stands before his helm, his back towards the doors, as he gazes down upon the earth in his cloaked ship.
The doors creak and shift apart as light steps enter the command center.
"I have a task for you." Vilgax greets not bothering to turn and face the new arrival.
He receives an odd and alien gurgle in response. "Atwh? Uyo nawt em ot eb a teesa ofr tlrae?"
Cannon Busters Opening - Showdown
(Beginning Instrumentals)
An open road, a bright sun illuminating the beautiful summer day, and the rush of wind in one's ears as the Rustbucket cruises by moving across the road like a sports car before zooming past with grace.
We got places to go, things to do, people to see, and we got to get it done right away.
Izuku adjusts his hoodie, tugging it down over his body. All before gripping the dial of the Omnitrix and giving it a shine with his fingers.
So if you on the crew, guess we a team. Thicker than thieves and we all tryna help find a way
Hisashi buttons up his Hawaiian short, before grabbing his respirator and dawning it over his maw. He then snatches up a few loose tickets and pamphlets before tucking them away.
If you know the destination, we making conversation. Time is ticking, sun is setting, we got no time for waiting
Chopper latches his leg to his body, readjusting it. Before his arms pop out and flex about making sure they're working properly.
Might be the showdown, Looks like it's 'bout to go down
Bust through with the cannon, at the hoedown
(Instrumentals)
Izuku slams down on the Omnitrix! In a flash of green the screen scrolls down to reveal his aliens: Feedback, XLR8, Grey Matter, Four Arms, Ditto, Ripjaws, Terraspin, Water Hazard, Lodestar, Buzzshock, Diamondhead, Big Chill, Heatblast, Stinkfly, Wildmutt, Rath, and Wildvine.
Transition into title sequence: HEROES NEVER DIE; IT'S HERO TIME
So we won't fall, until gravity is gone
Izuku grins falling through the air alongside Rath, Wildvine, and several other inhuman silhouettes! As the glow of the sunrise illuminates U.A. in the background!
We've been on this road too long, so long
Hisashi and Izuku stand back to back looking away from each other as the scene rotates around them.
The scenes flips in rapid succession with characters standing back to back!
(Instrumentals)
To Thirteen and Ochaco!
To Ochaco and All Might!
To All Might and Gran Torino!
And to Gran Torino and Hisashi!
And I can't stop, we can't stop
I'm so far away from home
We've been on this road too long, too long
A legion of villains have their backs to the camera but as the camera slides through their lineup, each of them turn to acknowledge the audience.
Kraab's claw flexes and clamps nearly clipping the camera.
Rojo folds their arms together and smirks as the camera rolls past.
Silhouette (B) raises their weapon at the ready.
Silhouette (C) stands tall and proud, towering over the camera.
Nue bares a sharp tooth grin, his eyes gleaming with malice before the camera zooms away and up into to the forbidding sky, through the void of space, through the walls of the command ship, before halting before an all observing Vilgax.
Playing with fire (Fire!)
Take me higher
From up in the air Cinder releases a cloud of flames down upon Rojo below! Rojo cuts through the flames before rocketing up and clashing with the hero in midair!
We're on our way, we're on our way
Undivided (-Vided!)
All Might zooms past, his grin wide, as he slams his fist into Silhouette (C)! Silhouette (C) crashes into the ground, kicking up smoke, but it rises again, unharmed.
And ignited
We're on our way, we're on our way, yeah!
From the smoke cloud, Ochaco leaps back in a spin as Silhouette (B) soars after her. Silhouette (B) swings their weapon at her but she counters it with a Ryou Sphere!
On our way, we're going
Nue grins madly as he stares down Deku who grins back just as determined and manically.
And no mistakes while we're rolling around town
We just came back round
The Rustbucket bursts forth zooming down the highlighted highway, gracefully zooming past Bakugou, Kirishima, and a number of silhouettes!
You don't wanna show out
Close up of a smiling Hisashi.
Cut to a closeup of Chopper.
Finally a close up to a grinning Deku!
Might be a showdown
Deku's hand slams down on the Omnitrix, the alien green light swallows the screen!
Woo!
Freeze on the image of Deku, Cinder, and Chopper posing before the setting sun, their shadows casted far off over the ground towards the camera.
(Illustrated by CreateGunner1209)
Ch.51 Pitstop
The Rustbucket shakes, rattles, and screeches as it cruises down the open road with farmland to the south and tall forests to their north, with only a few homes and shops in sight. There's hardly any other cars, the sun is up, and the hilly scenery is gorgeous. All in all it's a beautiful day to be out on the open road.
And the constant up and down of the road makes it feel like a roller coaster but that would explain why this road is known as the Roller Coaster Road of Furano, Hokkaido.
Hisashi Midoriya lowers the window or at least he tries to, but it gets jammed half away. "Aw, don't you love being on the open road? It's just so nice to get off the highway and just wonder. You know?"
Meanwhile, Izuku Midoriya is busy having a hard time with the radio, since there's no aux cord. And yes this RV is that old. "It'd be better with some music." Since all he's getting is either static or the speakers blowing out.
"Oh, that. You just gotta give her some encouragement." Hisashi leans back and delivers a hard slam of his fist down onto the RV's dashboard. Instantly the radio springs to life; blasting "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC into their ears.
Hisashi smiles as the radio begins to play. "See?"
Before Izuku can answer, the RV begins to violently rattle and shake, its gears and parts clanking together in a symphony of metal hitting metal.
From the back, his head lying on the table, Kraab calls out. "It's making that noise again!"
Hisashi waves it off with a sheepish smile. "It's just the hydraulics they'll settle down soon enough."
Izuku isn't so convinced as the rattling and clanking continues. "Isn't Chopper supposed to fix this kind of stuff?"
^Wap?! Wap-wap?!^ Chopper starts, picking up on the jab that was aimed at him.
Izuku sighs in response, just as annoyed. "Yes, that was a rhetorical question."
Hisashi lights up. "Hey, you knew what he said!"
Izuku shakes his head with a shrug. "Not really, I maybe got every third word and had context clues to work with." It's still a slow process but slowly and surely Izuku will understand binary. "But for real, yesterday when the bumper fell off all you did was duct tape it!"
"Hey now." Hisashi chides, reaching over, and holding up said roll of duct tape. "I'll have you know that duct tape is one of if not THE greatest contributions humans have had across the known galaxies."
"What about fire?"
Hisashi can't help but laugh! "Hahaha!"
Not only him but so does Chopper. ^Bhbhbhbh-wa!^
And even Kraab's head is rolling around on the table in a fit of laughter. "Hahaha! Are you kidding?! News flash by the time you humans discovered fire, other species were already exploring other solar systems!"
Izuku sinks into his seat, feeling kinda down and embarrassed for the human race as a whole. "But anyway shouldn't Chopper at least weld it back." He gestures to the front of the RV, to the duct taped bumper.
Hisashi waves it off. "He will, the tape's just a temporary fix for now until we get to where we're going." Essentially they'll weld it in place later.
Izuku, however, isn't done questioning Hisashi's approach to vehicle maintenance. "Okay but what about the toilet? The plumbing still isn't working right. It still won't flush right." And just thinking about the clean up after last time still grosses him out. "And what about the freezer? We can't even keep ice in there, or it'll melt." Seriously, that thing can't even keep an ice pack cold. "Not to mention the smell."
"This old girl just has character is all." Hisashi claims as if that'll answer everything. Or in other words he hadn't bothered to deal with it yet. "Besides, we can only work with what we have. Sure Chopper can fix it but that's not always possible when you don't have the right parts."
The rattle intensifies and a strange mechanical wheeze can be heard near the rear of the RV.
Hisashi grips the wheel a little tighter as the Rustbucket jolts forward. "But I will admit it's been a while since I gave this old girl a tune up. Probably should have done that before we left for this trip, huh?"
Izuku makes sure his seatbelt is tightened. "Yeah you should have."
"But hey," Hisashi smiles, trying to look on the bright side of things. "It's a nice clear day, an open road, no traffic. I hardly doubt she'll break down anytime soon."
Even Kraab's skeptical as the rattling continues. "I highly doubt that."
*VROOM!*
The roar of powerful engines rumble across the road from behind the Rustbucket.
A look at the rear-view mirror tells Hisashi that they got three road hogs gaining on them from behind.
Izuku spins around trying to get a good look at the road hogs. "Are they racing?"
Hisashi starts to slow down the RV, redirecting it to the shoulder. "It's fine. We'll just let them pass."
As the road hogs race closer, only one of the roaring cars goes ahead and actually passes up the Rustbucket.
The roaring blue colored monster truck zooms past the RV, its wheels nearly grazing the side view mirror before it purposefully jerks itself right into the RV's path, slamming down on the brakes!
"Ah!" Hisashi quickly hits the break while swerving to the left, leaving the right side of the RV exposed.
Izuku grips his seat as the RV's jerked away from the monster truck. "What is that guy doing?"
With an opening on its right, a speeding tow truck of bash color and rust pulls up on the side.
And finally an orange American muscle car pulls up on the RV's left side, effectively corralling the Rustbucket between all three vehicles.
Hisashi's eyes the cars, worry growing in his eye as he reads the cars' movements. Hisashi grips the steering wheel with all his might as he shouts out. "Everybody hold on!"
On que the muscle cars slams into the RV's side, followed by the tow truck from the other side, knocking the RV back towards the left.
"Ahhhhh!" Hisashi and Izuku scream, holding on for dear life as the RV's rammed from both sides.
^Wawawawa!^Sliding across the back is Chopper who's screaming out in a panic! ^Wawawawa!^
Kraab's head bounces across the RV along with him! "What's happening?! Are we under attack?"
The RV's thrown and jostled to the side harshly, Izuku's nearly launched out of his seat as his side slams into the armrest! "These guys are insane!"
The RV's tousled in the other direction as the tow truck slams into its side.
Hisashi grits his teeth, as he glares at the reflection of the muscle car in his mirror.
He watches in horror as a large spike pops out from the muscle car's wheel. The car then slams into the RV before veering off leaving a nasty gash in its side.
"You wanna play rough. Fine." Hisashi quickly begins flipping switches across the dashboard. "Then let's play dirty."
The tow truck goes in for another slam, however, it never connects as electricity discharges from the Rustbucket's wheels. The electricity discharges across the tow truck, frying it outside and forcing the car off road!
"Woah!" Izuku awes, watching as the tow truck is forced to a stop. "What was that?!"
Hisashi breaks into a grin as he shifts gears. "Haha! See! I told you the old girl has some tricks! Hahaha-Woah!"
The Rustbucket jerks to the left as Hisashi yelps in surprise as his mirror is shot off by what might have been a bullet!
Hisashi spins around to see the muscle car racing up just before something very small and metallic is fired out in rapid succession!
"Shit!" He throws his head back as the possible bullets pierce and ricochet around the RV's cab! "They're armed!"
"No! They're not!" Izuku shouts as he bends down and picks up one of the metal projectiles. "They're lug nuts!"
Scattered across the RV, embedded into the siding are lug nuts.
"Huh." Hisashi almost breaks into an impressed smirk. "Unexpected. But somewhat fitting."
More high-speed lug nuts are fired out at them, forcing Hisashi to take cover while still trying to race! "No. and I mean no one, shoots at my ride!"
And so with reckless abandon Hisashi slams the Rustbucket into the much smaller car! The cars clash but the RV wins out forcing the smaller vehicles into a ditch!
"Haha! That's what you get!"
"Nice!" Izuku cheers, while holding on for dear life.
Kraab's head rolls forward, bumping into his foot. "Don't celebrate yet. There's still one more!"
Of course there's still the monster truck blocking their path.
"Don't worry." Hisashi girls as he gets ready to pull a hand lever. "This'll teach them for messing with the Rustbucket." And he gives the lever a pull.
Izuku can hear gears grinding and the hydraulics working as the front grill shifts and expands becoming armorized before glowing with a sparking forcefield.
Both Izuku's and Kraab's jaws drop. "What. Is. That?!"
Hisashi grins. "A fun toy." Furthering into recklessness, he slams down on the gas, speeding forward!
"You're gonna hit the truck!"
"That's the idea! Hahaha! God I love battering rams!"
"Ahahah!"
The Rustbucket chargers forward, headed for a collision course with the monster truck!
They quickly close the gap on the truck, speeding closer and closer until they finally slam into what feels like a wall!
The RV's rear is thrown into the air and the glass of the windshield shatters raining down on the passengers as it feels like the entire Rustbucket just slammed into the side of a mountain!
Izuku and the droids all cry out in shock as they're thrown into the air before the RV slams back onto the ground, the tires skidding and burning off the pavement! The battering ram shatters upon impact, falling apart and scattering to the ground!
Izuku groans as he's slammed back down into his seat. "Ow."
Hisashi aches too, reaching over and grabs Izuku's shoulder, checking him for any injuries. "You okay?"
"Ow. What happened?!"
"I don't know!" Hisashi peers forward only to see that the monster truck is unscathed, untouched, and moving at the same pace as before, like it never even noticed the RV ramming into it. "I might have underestimated this guy."
At the same time, Chopper's been thrown atop the table. As he wobbles back onto his feet he takes a moment to peer out the window where he immediately begins to panic. ^Wa! Wa-bzz!"
Hisashi's too busy trying to keep the RV stable so he didn't hear him. "I didn't catch that!"
Izuku may have gotten every third word but that's all he needs to know. "We got company!" He points at the rear-view mirror.
There they can see that the two other road hogs are catching up, they'll be upon them all in seconds if nothing's done.
Kraab's head rolls across the floor as the RV swerves from side to side. "Doesn't this hunk of junk have any weapons?!"
"We don't need weapons." Hisashi states with all seriousness as he grips the gear shift. "The only thing we need is the Midoriya Special."
Izuku frowns, confused. "Midoriya Special." And then he remembers it was that stupid stunt his Dad pulled when they were stuck in traffic. "No! No way! That can't be real, I just thought you were being a jerk!"
"Oh, I was." Hisashi admits with a grin. "But this time for sure, I got this!" And so he shifts the gear down! "Here we go! Hahaha!"
As the cars are about to catch up, the RV speeds forward, swerving from side to side, as Hisashi rapidly shifts gears moving faster and faster. The Monster truck tries to shadow him from the front, trying to block his path but the RV's moving too much even for it to keep track!
Hisashi grins as he opens the cap of the gear shift, revealing a red button hidden within. "Alright, here we go. This is the…MIDROIYA SPECIAL!"
And so with a press of a button the hydraulics scream as the rear bumper folds away and rockets shift out into view. And thus the RV rockets forward like a missile, totally zooming past the monster truck before screeching down the vast stretch of road!
Within seconds the RV's left the road hogs in the dust, disappearing from view.
With their quarry gone the three road hogs' vehicles come to a screeching halt.
Izuku leans out the window, watching as their pursuers disappear from view. "I think we lost them!" He cheers sitting back down. "And when were you going to tell me Rustbucket had booster rockets?!"
"I never had a chance to show you yet, to be honest." Hisashi grins, petting the dashboard as if the car was alive. "She's been tricked out with all sorts of toys, thanks to my Grandpa. Yeah, your great Grandpa loved working on his set of wheels. The tech might be a bit dated, I'll admit, but it still has some kick to it!"
Izuku frowns, a question looming over him. "What did he do for a living again?"
"Oh he was a Plumber."
Izuku blinks. "Which kind?" Just to be sure.
"Uh, right he was a-Woah!"
The RV's rockets give out, and so do several tires that burst and pop due to the friction! Hisashi slams on the brakes, slowing the Rustbucket until they finally skid to a slow stop.
And so with the chase over, they can finally take in the entirety of the damage. The battering ram is ruined, the sidings are dented and gouged out, lug nuts are embedded into the RV's side, the windshield is busted, tires have blown out completely, a mirror is missing, and the booster rockets are smoking.
Hisashi breathes heavily, catching his breath. "Well. I think that went well."
Izuku's knuckles are bone white from holding the arm rests so tightly. "No, it really didn't."
"Hm." Hisashi inspects the back of the RV finding it to be a total mess as well with the freezer door hanging limply, glass broken in, and dents in the walls.
^Wo-wa…^ Chopper picks himself up, holding his head as if in pain.
"Ugh…" Kraab moans, his head lodged between a suitcase and the trash. "Where the hell did you get your license?"
"Oh, boy." Hisashi frowns, examining the rest of the damage. "Think you can fix it, Chop?"
Chopper simply looks around before giving his owner an exasperated look. ^Bop-ba.^
Even Izuku knows full well what he's saying.
Hisashi nods, finally letting go of the steering wheel. "I think it might be time this old girl got a tune up."
Izuku can't take it, he finally snaps. "YOU THINK!?"
The Rustbucket limps, moving at a crawl as it finally reaches the center of the country-side town. The town is small and quiet but large enough to warrant an entire stretch of gas stations, restaurants, shops, and other services. The town is old and barren, it has clearly seen better days, and it clearly was once a racing town with old worn out billboards still up on display, showcasing the local racetrack.
And so the RV continues to limp along through the quiet town until it eventually arrives at the opposite end of town, closer to the outskirts, lies the town's local mechanic and auto shop.
Izuku sighs with relief as the RV pulls up to the shop's small parking lot. "Finally." He was sure the RV would have broken down before they even made it halfway across town.
But looking at the garage makes him doubt whether or not this is the auto shop they want to be at. The shop is small with big glass windows and a glass door with a little bell hanging up above. Broken and fixed cars are filed into the parking lot, and a large garage connected into the shop sits at the end of the parking lot. It's a two-door garage with large doors that are rusted and dented, they look so flimsy that a strong gust will tear the door down. Bits of machines and cars litter the ground around it, the windows have long been missing from their places, and even the side door looks like it'll fall off its hinges.
Hisashi raises an eyebrow but considering this was the closest garage they have no choice but to come here. "Charming." He sets the RV into park.
Izuku and his Dad hop out of the RV, leaving Chopper and Kraab behind inside. The two Midoriyas strut towards the garage, Hisashi discussing what they need. "We need new hydraulics, new tires, welding material, a new mirror, maybe some-!"
A small explosion detonates from inside the garage, the large garage door is torn open from within, its lower sides bent upward as fire, smoke, and debris rip through the aluminum.
"Get down!" Hisashi throws himself over Izuku, as a flaming tire whizzes over them.
Izuku shields his face as the fire dies down and the bellows of smoke stream out from the garage. "Are they back?!" He spins around, thinking that those road hogs were back for another go, but the street is empty.
"Quickly!" Hisashi rushes to the garage, prying open the side of the aluminum door so they can squeeze in. "Someone might need our help!"
They slip inside greeted by smoke and the scent of burning oil as they scan the hazy garage for signs of life.
Hisashi frantically looks around. "Is anyone hurt?! Is anyone in here?!"
"Look!" Izuku points towards the back, there by the workbench there's someone, possibly the mechanic, picking themselves off the floor.
Without waiting for an invitation, Izuku rushes over to the mechanic's side. "Are you okay?! What happened?!"
The mechanic somehow coughs while simultaneously laughing as they try to fan away to smoke. "Ha…haha. The servo got fried…it was too much power. And the actuator gave out. Hehe."
Izuku frowns, he tries to get a good look at the mechanic, but their face is smeared with oil and ash, but judging by their voice they sound young. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" The mechanic grins, their…her yellow eyes Zooming up at the greenette. "But my babies definitely need more work!"
Izuku blinks as the clues finally all set in place. "Hatsume?"
Mei Hatsume coughs as she dusts off her pink hair. Her grin widens when she finally actually notices that she has guests. "Oh, a customer!" She springs to her feet, her grin wide and full of egotistical pride. "Hi, yes, I'm Mei Hatsume! Future Greatest Inventor and Engineer at your service! Hahaha!" She shakes Izuku's hand so hard that he nearly loses his balance; she pulls him in close, too close for his comfort, but she doesn't care, she only cares about her own agenda and her babies. "What is it you need? A new car? A fixed tractor? Your hair's green so I assume you're a farmer. Oh, maybe you want a robot that can plow the field for you? Or maybe a specialized gadget to help harvest your crops?! Or how about"
"Uh, uh, uh, I don't need any of that, actually." Izuku shys away, feeling both awkward and a bit uncomfortable. He was so close to her that he could smell the oil in her hair. "Um, by the way do you know who I am?"
Hatsume responds with a nonapologetic grin. "Nope! Not a clue!"
"Wah?! It's me! Izuku Midoriya? We go to U.A. We fought in the Sports Festival. You were on Uraraka's team during the Cavalry Battle." He's honestly not sure if any of this is ringing a bell for her.
But it appears those do ring a bell as it finally clicks. "Oh! Now I remember you're the freak that turns into freakier freaks!" She is of course totally unapologetic as she states this, her grin brimming.
Izuku gasps, shocked as the dread of school social life creeps in. "Is that how the school sees me?!"
Hisashi chuckles, pitying his son and showing him mercy by stepping in. "Sorry, Hatsume was it? I'm Hisashi Midoriya, Izuku's father, and I was wondering if you could help us out."
Hatsume blinks up at the older Midoriya as if now just noticing that he was there. "What's up?!"
"Does your family run this shop?"
"Sure do!"
"Well then I'd like to speak to them if you don't mind. Afraid we got ourselves a damaged RV and we can really use some help and supplies."
"Haha! If it's just an RV then I can fix that myself. No sweat!"
"I'd rather talk to the actual owner though."
"Sorry, but they're not here right now anyway."
Izuku starts, feeling even more uneasy. "What was that?"
"My folks went off for a business trip, they won't be back for a few days because of it."
Izuku's dread only grows. "So you're by yourself…unsupervised?" No wonder the place looks like it's been blown up so many times already.
"Yup! But I'm not alone." Hatsume spins around just as the last of the smoke dissipates. "I have my precious babies too! Hahaha!"
She is of course referring to the mountains of gadgets, machines, robots, and trinkets piled up and scattered across the large garage. Various tools both handheld and high-tech litter the floor and workbenches and a few cars are suspended in the air by high powered lifts.
Hisashi gasps, not initially understanding her. "Babies?!" He panics, mentally checking that she's the same age as Izuku. "You're far too young!"
Izuku, meanwhile, eyes the gadgets as well as the blast marks straining the walls and floor. "It'll take a miracle for this place to still be standing by the time they get back."
Hatsume ignores each of their concerns, spinning around with her shining arrogant yet delightful grin. "So, let's see this RV of yours!"
Wheeling it inside as the entire Rustbucket creeks, shakes, and grinds against the pavement as it slides inside the garage.
"Oh wow!" Hatsume grins as she takes in the Rustbucket and all its glory. "It's trashed!"
Hisashi sheepishly smiles as she steps down from the driver seat. "It wasn't my fault if you can believe it."
Izuku shakes his head frantically. "Yeah, there were these crazy-'
"Woooo!" Hatsume's already inspecting the busted grill and battering ram.
Izuku yells, stunned. "And you're ignoring me!"
Hatsume eyes the battering ram, her goggles flipping over her eyes as she examines the busted device with an excited grin. "Nice. This is some quality tech, damaged, but still a work of art." She slides her hand across the RV's side, eyeing the massive gash, before arriving at the RV's rear. "Booster rockets?! Haha! Yes! Those should be standard for every vehicle!"
Izuku shakes his head, totally disagreeing with her ideal car designs.
"Wooo!" Hatsume gushes as she opens the hood like a treasure hunter discovering their fated treasure trove. "Amazing!"
Izuku frowns, wondering what could be so impressive about the busted up Rustbucket. "What is it?"
"This RV's an old model, like super old, but look at its engine!"
Izuku reluctantly strolls over and peers inside to find a rather large and shiny engine inside the Rustbucket, it looks powerful like an engine that could power several semi-trucks. Although Izuku himself doesn't really understand all that he's looking at.
"This is way more advanced than anything you can get off the normal market." Hatsume spins around, grinning up at the RV's owner. "You have to tell me where you got it?!"
Hisashi chuckles, admiring her passion for machinery and eye for excellent works of art, such as his ride. "A friend from out of town got it for me actually."
Hatsume whistles, impressed by the engine's design as she begins to fiddle with it. "Woo. Haha!"
Hisashi watches her work with an impressed look. Almost like he's contemplating something that's both brilliant and crazy.
Izuku nervously approaches him, whispering into his ear. "Is this a good idea? Just so you know she can go a little overboard." He warns while eyeing the blast marks worriedly. "Also what about the alien tech inside?"
"It's fine. The alien tech is old and closer to Earth's level and besides most of the modifications used are from Earth anyway."
Well that's convenient.
As Hatsume inspects the rest of the damage, the vroom of a speeding motorbike can be heard just outside the doors before screeching to a halt.
Followed by the condescending tone of a teenage girl who's clearly here to show their superiority. "Well, well, well. Looks like another one of your abominations blew up in your face, huh, Grease Monkey?"
Hatsume and the Midoriyas all spin around towards the open garage doors to find a girl a little older than they are, standing before the doors with her custom made moped. And for someone calling Hatsume a grease monkey is ironic since she's clearly one too. But unlike Hatsume she actually cares about her appearance and hygiene: judging by her well-groomed jet-black hair and red lipstick. Her attire is clearly that of a fellow mechanic with a black full sleeved shirt under a short white jacket that's tied below her chest, she's also wearing torn jean shorts, grease stained boots, and green welding glasses over her forehead.
Hatsume's demeanor instantly changes, becoming rather cold yet sadistic like a worthy foe has just appeared at her doorstep. Because it had. "What brings you here? Turbine?"
Turbine's red lips curl up into cruel smirks. "Just stopping by. Wanted to check in on the School Girl, is all. After all, you moved on to the high and mighty hero school and its posh and overexaggerated Support Course." she brushes her hair to the side with an air of superiority. "I'm surprised you came back; I would have figured you were above all this."
"Never." Hatsume grins. "I'd never abandon this place."
Izuku smiles, he can appreciate the sentiment of loving one's home.
"After all, where else can I work on my babies without anyone complaining?! Hahaha!"
Izuku face faults onto the floor; of course, she only cares about this place. She's in the middle of nowhere and the neighbors are too far to really care about her gadgets and their destructive capabilities.
Turbine scowls, clearly this was not the reaction she wanted. She glares daggers at Hatsume before she spots Hisashi, Izuku, and then…the busted Rustbucket.
For a moment her eyes widen in recognition before her cruel smirk returns. "That RV looks really beat up." She turns her attention to the Midoriyas. "Don't tell me you're gonna trust this Grease Monkey with it are you?"
Hisashi frowns, his gaze becoming defiant as he steps forward. "Well, I think Hatsume here is more than capable for the job."
"Oh, really? Are you sure? She'll probably trash it more than it already is."
Okay even Izuku's had enough of her: sure Hatsume's tinkering can be…chaotic but he will not stand by as someone's hard work and skills are insulted. "I doubt that. In fact I think she'll fix the Rustbucket as good as new."
Turbine turns her glare onto Izuku. "Oh, really?"
Izuku returns the glare. "Yeah, I do. After all, I know that everyone that goes to U.A. is willing to Go Beyond."
"And what makes you so sure of that? After all U.A.'s nothing but propaganda and a home for elitists."
Izuku's scowls, taking that personally. "Because I'm from U.A. too."
Turbine scoffs. "You? What? Are you in General Studies?"
"No. The Hero Course."
Turbine's eyes widened before turning cold and angry. "Pft. No wonder you don't make any sense. You're just as insane as she is." She struts over towards Hisashi, flashing him her business card. "My family has our own garage. Feel free to bring the…what'd you call it? Right. Feel free to bring the Rustbucket over to us instead. If you want it to actually be fixed."
And with a brush and a swish of her hair into Hatsume's and Izuku's faces she struts away. Swinging her leg over her moped's seat, throwing on her helmet and goggles, before revving it up and turning back towards the U.A. crew. "I suggest hiding behind a blast shield! Or don't! See if I care about you U.A. A-holes!"
And with that she zooms away, her hair whipping behind her, and a nasty skid mark trailing behind her as she circles around the parking lot before speeding away.
Izuku scowls, shaking his head as they watch her leave. "What's her deal? Who hurt her?"
Hatsume sighs. "U.A. did."
"Huh? How?"
"She got herself expelled from the Support Course."
Izuku starts, surprised that someone who hates on U.A. so much was in fact a student there at one point. "Why was she expelled?"
Hatsume sighs, an air of unfamiliar seriousness looms around her as she answers. "She apparently tried to sell her own gadgets and even other students' gadgets into the black market. And even to some villains. But those are only rumors I heard in passing."
Izuku's startled, his eyes widening in shock. "What? She tried to sell support items to the black market?!"
"No." Hatsume shakes her head. "She tried to sell weapons."
Izuku gulps, wishing that maybe he should have transformed into Diamondhead before talking back to someone that may have been armed.
"But I'm not like her!" Hatsume declares with a grin. "Haha! She may resort to cheating and underhanded tactics to get by! But not me! I'll achieve success through my own hard work! I'll work hard and create the best support items to ever exist!"
Hisashi smiles, admiring her drive. "Well, Greatest Inventor and Engineer, what do you say we get to work and fix up the Rustbucket."
Hatsume flashes him a toothy grin. "By the time I'm done with it you'd have never known it was ruined!"
Izuku smiles, getting in on her confidence. "And if you don't mind we can help out too!"
"Hahaha!"
"That…wasn't a joke…"
Turbine throws the door open, marching into the dank machine filled garage with steam rising from her head. "Rahh!" She's so angry that she kicks an innocent toolbox that was just lying on the ground, minding its own business.
Tools fly everywhere banging and bouncing off the floors and off the side of a car that's under repair.
One of the mechanics jumps in his seat as his head is nearly clipped by a wrench. He has light brown hair with a balding scalp and a crooked smile with gnarled teeth. He has tattoos all over his body which is in full view since he doesn't wear a shirt and instead wears blue overalls with large black gloves and large black boots.
The mechanic frowns, scratching himself as Turbine stomps into the garage "What's got yar panties all twisted up and such?"
"Can your ugly mug!" Turbine growls as she stomps by. "I don't need another bastard mouthing off to me!"
Another mechanic, one that's much larger, lies on the floor, chewing on a toothpick as he works on the underside of a muscle car. "Now, sis. Don't let Road Rage get to you." He reaches out for a nearby wrench before fixing up a loose bolt. "He didn't even use his Quirk."
"Pft." With a huff, Turbine plops down into a rolling chair that slides and slams into the workbench where she goes ahead and plops her arm down with a humph.
The garage is quiet as Road Rage and Turbine's brother work on their respective repairs, only the sounds of a welding torch and a wrench fill the large dank garage.
After a moment the mechanic drops his wrench, before reaching over for a welding torch. "So, wanna tell me what's got you so worked up?"
Turbine scowls, she kicks her legs up onto the workbench not at all caring that she kicked over some spray cans. "Grease Monkey's back in town."
"Is that all?" The mechanic dismisses it, not at all concerned.
Turbine scowls, annoyed that he's not immediately joining in on her anger. "And. That RV we tried to jack, the one armed with all those weapons, it was there too."
The garage goes silent as all welding and wrenching ceases.
The mechanic leans his head out from under the car. "Was it?" His voice is no longer dismissive but intrigued, allured by the prospect of getting some sweet revenge.
And Turbine knows this as she leans back in her chair with a satisfied smirk. "And get this, it's owned by some other schmucks from U.A."
"Hm. Now that is interesting." And so the large mechanic lifts himself off the ground, before slamming the hood of the car he was working on shut while coming into full view.
He's a large set man with light brown messy hair sticking out from his green and white trucker's hat. His horseshoe mustache is just as messy and combined with his goatee give him a real rugged and unkempt look. His white shit's stained with oil that not even his slick black vest could cover. His army pants are baggy and clearly worn after too much use.
The mechanic swishes the toothpick between his teeth as he turns to face his crew. "Well then, maybe I should pay them a visit. After all no one out rides the Road Crew. Especially not some U.A. dogs."
Devilish grins all appear on the Road Crew's faces like schoolyard bullies plotting to mess with their favorite victim.
"Ugh." A new voice groans. "You always did think small, didn't ya, Highway?"
The presence, the intense presence, hushes the Road Crew who spin around to find a red-haired figuring looming at their door.
Highway chokes, coughing out his toothpick. "Kitou?!"
The young woman scowls in response. "It's Rojo now."
Highway nods, scowling in response, as he brings a new toothpick to his lips. "Then I'll have you know that the name's Baron, Baron Highway now."
Rojo rolls her eyes as she steps into the dank garage. "Sure it is, old man." She spits before her annoyed scowl turns friendly as she spots Turbine sitting up near the back. "Nice to see ya kid."
Turbine lights up, springing to her feet so fast that she kicks the chair over. "Akai! Oops, I mean Rojo." Her voice now toned down and serious.
"Same, kid. But this isn't a social call."
Baron Highway scowls, he assumed as much. "Of course it ain't." The toothpick twirls in his mouth before he sits back on the car. "You know I do watch the news. Kudos for escaping, that couldn't have been easy." Although he sort of hoped she'd be caught.
"Yeah well I had some help." Rojo's eyes drift up over her left shoulder: where an invisible Scout drone is hovering, watching her every move.
"So, what is it you need?" Highway eyes her prison attire and lack of gear or weapons. "And what happened to the rifle we built for ya?" Or rather she strong armed them to make for her.
"A U.A. brat destroyed it." Rojo turns to Turbine and adds. "The same one that mouthed off at you earlier."
Turbine's eyes widen in surprise.
Rojo turns back towards the Road Crew's boss. "In fact he's why I'm here. I gotta job to do and he's it."
"Good for you I guess." Highway snickers, not missing an opportunity to screw with her. "A working lady and right out of prison, you are a busy one. But what's that got to do with us?"
"You owe me." Rojo responds in full seriousness. "And I'm cashing it in."
Highway clenches his fist, his scowl hardening.
Rojo can tell he wants to say no, that he wants to kick her out and be done with her, but he won't, he can't. Not after what happened.
Besides he's always been a simplistic kind of guy, he enjoys the small things in life, like beating the life out of others, especially those that humiliate him and his crew. "Hm. Fine. We're in. We'll help your ass out, but I expect a cut, got it?!"
Rojo rolls her eyes, she'd figured as much. "Yeah, don't worry, You know I'm good for it; you'll get your cut when the job's done."
"Well alrighty then!" Highway shoves himself off the car. "First thing's first. Let's get you out of those dregs. Sis, get her some new wears! And Road Rage check the arsenal, get this bitch something special, something that suits her."
"On it, bro!/Right, boss."
Turbine and Road Rage take off: Turbine disappears out the back door while Road Rage heads over to the workbench. There on the wall is a large wrench but rather than pulling on it he gives it a turn like he's unlocking a safe. The wall shifts open, and the wall splits in two to reveal a wall of stashed away weaponry and gadgets.
Highway stands by Rojo's side as they both admire the selection of weapons. "So what can you tell me about this punk?"
"Tell me." Rojo smirks. "Did you watch the Sports Festival?"
"There!" Hatsume leans away from the newly installed wheel, her grin stretching from ear to ear as she wipes away the sweat and oil on her brow only to smear it all over her face. "How's it looking in there?"
"It's a complete mess! The hydraulics are all blown! Ahh! Ew, gross." An oil covered Grey Matter squeezes out from behind the row of wheels. "This is just my luck." He whines while trying to wipe away the greasy oil.
The two have been at it for a while now with Hatsume working on the new set of wheels and tires while Grey Matter went ahead to inspect the interior and underside of the RV.
But either way they keep on working on the RV while Hisashi sees to the nasty gash on the other side of the Rustbucket.
After a few more minutes Grey Matter's natural curiosity begins to rear itself. "So, who's Turbine?"
"What?" Hatsume blinks, she was distracted while tightening the last of the lug nuts onto the wheel.
"Um, that girl, the one that came by and hated on U.A. How do you know her?"
"Ha, it doesn't matter!" Hatsume waves it off with an oblivious grin before returning to her task.
"Um, but I'd still like to know."
Hatsume goes quiet, her smile still present but a bit more subdued as she checks the wheel's stability. And after another moment of silence she eventually coughs up an answer. "Isn't it obvious? We're rivals or at least we used to be."
Grey Matter raises an eyebrow. "Used to be?"
"Yeah, we were always competing trying to do better than the other." Like the time they each made go karts to race during the local fair, or the time they each competed to make the best science fair project, or the time they both thought they could make the best ice cream maker. They always competed to outshine the other and it was always neck and neck, or at least it used to be. "But she lost."
"How?"
"She made weapons, she cheated, and she got booted out of the Support Course. So by default I won!" Hatsume cheers, but there's just a slight hint of regret laced in there; almost like that wasn't how she wanted to win.
"Right… By the way, that…nickname of hers. What's with that? Why Turbine of all things?"
"It's a nickname. It was one of the first things she built, a turbine. Plus I think it has something to do with her Quirk."
"Her Quirk?" Now she has Grey Matter's attention.
"Yeah, Velocity I think." Hatsume taps the wrench to her chin as she tries to recall what it does. "If I remember it right she's able to accelerate objects that are in motion in an instant. Like she can take a pebble and toss it, but it'll speed through the air so fast that you'd think it was shot out of a gun!"
Although Hatsume may think a Quirk like that sounds cool, Grey Matter and Hisashi certainly don't.
Hisashi actually drops the hammer he was holding, his head popping out from behind the side of the RV, his eyes filled with suspicion and worry. The Galvian has the same feelings, they both share a look, both of them thinking about the same thing: the lug nuts that shot at them like bullets.
Grey Matter gulps, recalling just how many of those lug nuts pierced the Rustbucket's cab and windshield. "Sounds…kinda dangerous."
"It is! Heck she even attacked Mr. Baggy-eyed teach with it."
"Baggy-eyed teach?" It only takes Grey Matter mere seconds to figure out who she's referring to. "Oh, you mean Mr. Aizawa!"
"Yeah! I heard he was investigating into the missing support items!"
Grey Matter nods his head, putting the pieces together himself. "Which led him to her, and she attacked him back."
"Yup! I heard he expelled her then and there!"
'Yeah that sounds like something he would do.' Grey Matter thinks as he reverts back into his human form.
Izuku goes quiet, not really feeling all that comfortable with grilling Hatsume for more answers. Not like she'd answer since she's all distracted by the next wheel that needs fixing.
While she works Hisashi goes ahead and inspects the rest of the garage, or rather the gadgets and support items littering the place. "You made all this?" He asks, clearly impressed.
"Of course, they're my babies!"
"Impressive. Most impressive." His eyes sparkle with a scheming glint as he contemplates an intriguing idea.
As Hatsume finishes up with the last wheel the clang of a metal pot falling inside the RV catches her attention. Her curiosity only grows when she thinks she hears the rhythm of beeps and the unmistakable echo of electric motors humming. Curiously she gets up, grabs the ledge of the RV's window, and pulls herself up to peer inside; her eyes widen, Zooming in on the source of the noise.
And so with a shiteating grin and without even bothering to ask for permission she goes right ahead and jumps into the RV much to the Midoriyas' surprise and dread.
Izuku gulps as he approaches the RV's side door. "Um, Hatsume?"
Izuku looks to his Dad for an answer, but he's just as confused as he is.
There is only silence but then everything turns into an uproar as Chopper practically jumps out of the Rustbucket in a panic, screaming his little head off. ^Baw! Wa Wa Wa!^
"Faster! Faster! She's gaining!" Kraab screams while tucked away in Chopper's mechanical arms.
Hatsume leaps out of the RV with a crazed look in her eye and a maniacal smile. "Haha! There's no reason to run away! I'm just gonna see how well you operate is all!" She says while gripping her wrench and hammer like they're a pair of dissection tools.
^Wooop!^
"Faster C1-10P!" Kraab screams as Hatsume pursues them through the garage! "She's gonna catch us!"
Too late, as she's already looming over them.
Chopper jumps as he circles around a busted car. ^Bop-bzz wa!^
Kraab would be turning pale if he had flesh for a face. "What do you mean it's every droid for themselves?"
And so without any remorse Chopper tosses Kraab backwards into the air, sacrificing him for his own greater good.
"Traitor!"
He doesn't even make it a foot into the air before Hatsume catches him in her greedy fingers. "Hahaha! I got you!"
Kraab's breath hitches, he can almost sense the air of unease and looming danger, almost like death himself as his paws on him.
With Hatsume thoroughly distracted, Chopper quickly seeks shelter behind his master, cowering behind his legs.
While Hisashi tries to calm his droid he fails to realize that Izuku's close to freaking out too. After all Hatsume's got her hands-on alien tech, not just that but one that could actually expose them all!
"Hahaha! Look at you!" She tosses and turns Kraab around quickly and with haste as she inspects every nook, scratch, and bolt of his metal head. "You're so advanced and well-constructed!" She grips her handy tools. "If you don't mind I'm gonna have a quick peek inside of ya! Haha!
Krab glares up at the pink-haired menace. "I am not to be messed with! I have warrants for my capture in nine systems! And another ten systems want me dead!"
Everyone goes silent: Hatsume astonished by Kraab's dialogue while the Midoriyas all go stalk pale.
"I've destroyed, captured, and maimed plenty of targets in my time and you will be next on my kill count. I will destroy you, your filthy garage, and your precious babies."
His threat is real, what he's saying is a full-blown promise.
"Amazing!"
Too bad Hatsume didn't get any of that at all.
"Such incredible programming!" Hatsume awes as she spins Kraab around. "Its programming is so advanced that it actually believes it's alive!"
Izuku sighs, glad she jumped to her own reasonable conclusion.
Kraab however couldn't be more insulted. "I am alive! Haven't you ever heard of a cyborg?! I'm a cybernetic bounty hunter, not some toy for you to mess with!"
"Hahaha!" Hatsume peers over at Izuku, assuming the bodiless bot is his. "Odd choice for a backstory but I see you're a creative type too Midoodle!"
Izuku frowns, flinching as she gets his name wrong. "Um, it's actually Midoriya."
"Amazing!" She ignores his correction so she can continue to examine the bot. "Such advanced wiring and cybernetics, those are hard to come by! Impressive." Her eyes Zoom in on the cowering Chopper. "And so are you!" She grins menacingly, her grubby hands clenching towards the terrified droid.
^Bop bop bop.^ Chopper shakes his head while he tries to swat Hatsume's grubby hands away.
Hatsume grins up at the droid's owner. "Please, you have to tell me where he was manufactured."
Izuku's breath hitches; he can't recall if Hisashi ever discussed with him a backstory for Chopper!
Hisashi, however, is as calm as can be. "I-Island actually."
Hatsume gasps. "Really?!"
"Yeah, an old acquaintance made him for me."
Hatsume seems to buy it much to Izuku's relief. 'Nice job Dad, she bought the lie.'
"Do you mind if I have a look?" Hatsume's maniacal grin grows wider as she tries to approach the trembling droid. "I wanna see how it operates. I wanna see what makes it tick!"
^Bz-bop!^ Chopper shakes his head in a panic, begging Hisashi not to let her near him.
Hisashi stands between Hatsume and her target, offering up an apologetic grin in return. "Sorry, but Chopper's a maintenance bot so he's very sensitive when others try to fix him up." That's not a lie, the one-time Hisashi tried to give him a new antenna Chopper insisted that he do it himself.
"You know. I'd rather you fixed the Rustbucket first if you don't mind."
"No way!" Hatsume brushes off his request without a care that he is technically her customer. "Innovation comes first!"
Kraab trembles in her hand as he eyes the blast marks staining the garage walls and floor. "You're insane! If you operate on us we're gonna blow up like the rest of your toys!"
"Haha! Blowing up only means there's room for improvement. So," She turns her haunting grin onto the alien cyborg. "Let's get to work shall we?!"
Kraab looks like he'd be crying streams of tears if he could produce them. He's so terrified of this girl poking around with his head and brain that he's legit terrified.
And that look, that look of fear and helplessness, it speaks to Izuku and before he can really process it, he's already snatched Kraab out from Hatsume's grasp. "No!"
Everyone's hushed into a stunned silence: Hatsume still has a wide grin on her face as she stares into her hand like her brain hasn't processed that Krab isn't there anymore.
Everyone soon turns their gaze on Izuku who's clutching the cyborg's head close to his chest.
Upon realizing what he did and all the attention on him too, Izuku becomes very self-conscious, becoming shy and nervous. "Um, sorry but um…" Shoot, okay he needs to say something, but not just anything. He needs to say something that Hatsume will believe.
But before Izuku can even think about it he's already blurting out the first lie he can think of. "He's my personal project!"
Everyone blinks, not totally sure what he's getting at. "Eh?"
"Yeah, I built him myself!" Izuku nods his head, almost like trying to coax himself to buy into his own coverup. "I designed him. I programmed him. And yeah he's still a work in progress, but you know he's mine." Izuku holds Kraab a bit closer, shielding him ."He's my project…my…my bot. And so I'd rather work on him myself, if you don't mind?" Izuku nods his head before trying to give a confident but shaky smile. "You know how it is right? Can't have someone else do all the work for me."
Everyone from Chopper to Hatsume to Hisashi just stare at him blankly like he was speaking an entirely different language. Even Kraab seems at a loss for words, sitting silently in Izuku's arm.
As they stare Izuku can do nothing but pray, pray that she bought into it.
"I understand!" Hatsume grins, not at all questioning it.
"You do?!" Honestly Izuku was sure she'd see through his facade.
"Sure do!" Hatsume nods at the bot. "This is your precious baby! And only you should have the right to improve upon it!"
Izuku sweatdrops. "Um, I'm not so sure I'd call him my baby."
"Haha! I had no idea you were an inventive type too Midoray!"
"It's Midoriya…" Izuku shakes his head both out of exasperation but also in relief and slight disbelief that she actually bought the bullcrap he was selling.
Hisashi chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief, amused by the teens' antics. "Hey, Hatsume!"
"What's up?"
Hisashi knocks his fist against the RV's side. "She's not gonna fix herself you know. Shall we?"
"Right!" Hatsume raises her tools. "Let's get back to it! I'll have this old girl up and running like she was fresh off the conveyor belt!"
And so she hops right back to it, her attention easily distracted by the prospect of improving or fixing up any machine that she can get.
Izuku let out a huge sigh of relief, glad he didn't embarrass himself as much as he did.
As Izuku breathes as he sets Kraab down on a nearby work bench. Kraab, however, just stares up at him, blinking, almost like he's really seeing Izuku for the first time. "You…don't make sense to me."
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"No…"
Izuku shrugs, figuring it wasn't important before turning back and watching as Hatsume watches in awe as Chopper welds the gash in the RV's side back together.
His stomach gives a low growl and reminds him that he had too light of a breakfast today, actually he skipped breakfast because all his Dad had to offer were chocolate covered ants.
"You know what." He claps his hands together grabbing everyone's attention. "Do you guys want anything to eat? I think I saw a few restaurants down the road, I can go get us something."
"Nope!" Hatsume shakes her head with a smile. "No thanks! I'll eat after I fix your RV!"
Hisashi frowns, noting how the teen's already neglected taking a shower and after watching how…dedicated she can be, he can only imagine how many meals she's already skipped.
"You know what, food sounds good actually."
Izuku nods. "Cool."
And so after writing down their orders, Izuku turns to leave. "I'll be back!"
Before he goes he spots Kraab on the workbench. "You wanna come along?"
Kraab frowns, hesitating, but he can sense someone watching him. He turns ever so slightly and starts when he spots Hatsume leering at him. He metaphorically starts sweating. "Yes! Please! Take me with you!"
Izuku goes ahead and scopes him up, tucking him under his arm with his hand lodged into his hoodie's pouch.
"Aw…" Hatsume sighs in defeat as they leave.
Hisashi chuckles as he works on the battering ram, and already he has oil smeared onto his Hawaiian shirt.
Izuku takes a breath of fresh air, revealing the scent of forest country air rather than the mixed odor of gas, oil, and rust. What greets him is the open stretch of road with the main strip of town lying just a mile away meaning he's in for a bit of a walk before he can even pick a restaurant to eat from.
And so with the Omnitrix still recharging, and in need of a nice calm walk Izuku sees no problem in hiking it over to town. The road has no sidewalk so instead he walks on the left side he can spot oncoming traffic, which is nonexistent at the moment but hey better to be safe than sorry.
Kraab blinks up at Izuku, watching him, studying him like he's some foreign object. "Why'd you do that?"
Izuku starts, looking down quizzically that the cyborg head tucked under his arm. "Pardon?"
"Why'd you do that?"
Izuku frowns, pulling Kraab up into his hands. "Do what?"
"You know…"
Izuku frowns, finishing the question for the cyborg. "Why'd I step in and help?"
"Yeah. You didn't have to." Kraab's eyes narrow in on Izuku, analyzing him for suspicious behavior. "Or is this all a ploy?"
Izuku's face scrunches up in confusion, having no idea what Kraab's getting at. "And what kind of ploy would that be?"
"I don't know! But I'm onto you." Kraab hisses, his eyes peeled and narrowed. "I know there was an ulterior motive, I don't know what it is, but there is one."
Izuku's expression falls, it's almost heartbreaking to hear Kraab can't fathom someone else helping him. "Well I guess I did have one."
"I knew it! What? You want information? Gain my trust and then backstab me? Do you want me to pay you? Do you want money? Sorry not happening! So what is it you want?"
"I guess…I guess I just wanted to help."
Kraab just stares at Izuku for a moment, waiting for him to admit that he's kidding, but it never comes. "Yeah, that's a load of Bantha droppings."
Izuku winces in response, he can feel his heart being stabbed.
"Seriously, kid, you don't expect me to buy that do you?"
"But-but it's true! I…I just wanted to help…" Is that so hard to believe?
"Please, that's not how the universe works. Nobody just helps someone because they feel like it." Kraab scoffs, trying to shake his head at just how absurd this kid is. "Come on, be honest with me, look me in the eye and tell me; why bother helping others? What's the point?"
Izuku stops to think. 'Was it the point?' He has to wonder. Why help others? Why risk your own life for the sake of others? What's the benefit?
A small smile graces Izuku's lips, finding the answer to be obvious. "Because…it's cool."
"Huh?"
"Or rather…I think it's cool." Izuku peers up at the clear blue sky, a cool breeze washes down the hillside, brushing his hair. "Ever since I was a kid I've always wanted to be a hero. I always loved the idea of saving people, protecting them, and helping them." Seeing people smile, free of fear and worry, it's a wonderful sight, because it means they're safe, it means they know there's someone who's there to help them when they need it. "I've always wanted to save people with a smile." Like All Might… "So I guess in a way what I want is kinda selfish. I mean I want people to save people, use my own strength and powers to save them, to help them. Does that make sense?"
Kraab gives him a blank stare. "No."
Izuku sweat drops; honestly not sure how to go from there.
Kraab just shakes his head, the entire concept having flown over his head. "Yeah, that's sweet and all, like so sweet it would give me cavities if I had any teeth, but I still don't see how helping others could possibly benefit you."
As they continue down the stretch of road, Izuku spots something in the distance. "It's not about benefiting myself. It's about what I can do for others." In that same moment the Omnitrix beeps turning green having fully recharged.
"I still don't get it. And what are you looking at?" Izuku spins Kraab's head around so he can see.
Just a little further down a jeep has broken down on the side of the road, and there standing at the hood with their back towards them is a red-haired woman. She appears to be trying to fix her engine but is clearly struggling to do so.
Kraab sighs. "Oh, you're not gonna help are you?"
"I am." Izuku responds firmly. "Besides with Grey Matter or even Feedback or Buzzshock I could probably help them out." Izuku actually breaks into a smile. "You watch, I'll show you what helping others can do."
Kraab rolls eyes. "Not like I have a choice but to watch."
And so Izuku jogs over towards the busted down jeep. "Excuse me! Do you need any help, miss?"
The red-haired woman doesn't seem all too surprised to hear him, she keeps her back to him as she continues to fiddle with the engine. "Yes, please, any help would be great."
Izuku's feeling rather proud of himself as he smirks down at the cyborg in his hand.
Said cyborg sighs. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Izuku turns his attention back towards the jeep and its driver. "What seems to be the problem?"
"I think my engine's broken." The red-haired woman waves him over. "Do you think you could take a look?"
"Sure." Izuku strolls over, the woman sliding over to make room as he sticks his head in to have a look. "Hm, I think I see the problem."
"You do?" The woman almost sounds sarcastic as she questions him.
"Yeah." Izuku, not picking up on the cold sarcasm, smiles up at the woman. "I think your batteries…shot…"
Izuku's smile fades away as he locks eyes with the smirking Rojo.
His blood turns ice cold as Rojo's smirk turns gleefully wicked. "Long time no see, Kid."
Kraab, having been watching and picking up on their social cues, sighs as he comments in on the results of Izuku's actions. "And in that moment, Midoriya knew; he gone fucked up."
Rojo smirks as she pulls her hand out from under the hood, her Quirk, Attachment, having fused the top of her hand with a large blaster that resembles a high-tech speaker.
As she swings her arm at Izuku, the Greenette leaps back and, without even thinking, slams his hand down on the Omnitrix.
Rojo fires and a high-pressure sonic blast. *VREEEEE!* The sonic blast sounds like a siren screeching through the air as high-speed air pressure slams into the flash of green light!
A hulking red mass takes the hit, his muscular arms taking the brunt of the blast, while his athletic legs dig into the ground as he's forced back across the roadside.
"Cool toy." Four Arms rips his hands away, deflecting the sonic blast away. "Too bad it's no match for Four Arms!"
Despite Four Arms durability, Rojo can't help but smirk like she's glad one hit wasn't enough to take him out. "I see you can still take a hit, Kid. Maybe they should call you U.A.'s Punching Bag rather than Rising Star?"
"Rojo!" Four Arms shouts, his fists clenching, well except for his hand that's gripping Kraab.
"Aw, you remembered me." Rojo smirks, her voice layered with sarcasm. "I'm so touched."
"How could I forget?" After all, she kidnapped his friend, Uraraka, and threatened her life. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in jail."
"I was." Rojo taunts. "Got out on good behavior."
"You know for some reason I don't believe you."
"Ha! Pity."
From within Four Arm's strong grip, Kraab can't help but feel left out. "I'm sorry, who is this?"
"Right." Four Arms holds Kraab's head up so he can see properly. "Kraab meet Rojo, Rojo, Kraab."
Rojo starts, her eyes widened as she lays eyes on the high-tech cyborg head. "Another drone? What did Squidface send you down here?"
"Squidface?" Four Arms starts before putting two and two together. "I get it now." She's working for Vilgax again, which means: "You're after the Omnitrix again."
"Yeah, well when a piece of jewelry catches a girl's fancy, she just gotta have it." She aims the sonic blaster at the Tetramand. "No matter the price."
Four Arms' arms flex, ready to throw down in a moment's notice. "Sorry, but the watch's not for sale."
"That's fine. I'm willing to haggle."
*VREEEEE!* And she fires upon the hulking brute.
Four Arms is ready, diving away in the nick of time.
*VREEEEE!*
She fires again only for Four Arms to brace himself; he holds himself low to the ground, his shoulder out in front with his arms braced. And so he shields himself, allowing the sonic blast to wash over him.
"Well, you certainly have an itchy trigger finger." Four Arms straightens up with a scowl on his face. "I'd be more cautious if I were you." He slams his top pair of fists together. "I ain't the same kid from last time, I've grown."
"Really?" Rojo chuckles. "You're saying your man now?" She teases spitefully, her eyes drifting downwards.
Four Arms' face turns even redder. "Not what I meant!" With a shake of his head he returns to his normal completion. "Just give up. You're no match for me all by yourself. You should have learned that by now."
Despite the warning Rojo's cocky smirk doesn't go anywhere. "You're right. That's why I decided to call in some friends."
Before Four Arms can even process it a massive blue monster truck crashes through the brush, its engine roaring in his ears as it crashes towards the Tetramand!
Four Arm's instincts scream for him to dodge, and so he dives away the truck just barely missing him.
As the monster truck charges past, from down the road an orange muscle car speeds right for Four Arms.
Four Arms spins backwards, dodging the car like a matador leading a charging bull. He gasps as a rusty tow truck takes a shot at him, forcing him to dive forward towards the center of the road to dodge it.
Four Arms leaps to his feet, his fists up at the ready, watching diligently as the various vehicles circle around him like a pack of sharks.
The vehicles come to a stop, corralling the Tetramand between them.
And watching from Four Arms' lower left hand, Kraab gasps when he spots the familiar looking cars. "Hey, it's those Road Hogs from before!"
"Road Hogs?" Baron Highway kicks open his door, stepping out and leaning over the hood, his sunglasses gleaming under the hot sun, and his toothpick twirls between his teeth. "You tell that there roomba to watch itself. This here's my crew. This is Baron Highway's Road Crew!"
Kraab's anger rises upon a being called a roomba.
"Huh, the Road Crew?" Four Arms frowns up at Highway. "No offense but Road Hogs' a much cooler name."
A choked cackle echoes from behind him. "Heheheha!" With a busted smile Road Rage hops out from his tow truck. "Funny guy, ain't ya?"
Four Arms smirks right back. "I like to think so."
Turbine lowers the window of her muscle car. "I heard you're in Tall-Dark-and Gloom-sum's class?" She scoffs. "I'm surprised he hasn't expelled you yet; after all." Her smirk is cold, but it's a facade to try to hide her own shame. "He doesn't know talent when he sees it." After all he said she was a waste-of-potential.
Four Arms glares at Turbine, not at all surprised to see her here. "Mr. Aizawa knows talent." Otherwise he would have been expelled by now. "And he knows trouble when he sees it." Izuku would know after all.
Turbine scowls so hard her admittedly pretty face turns ugly with anger.
"You watch your mouth boy!" Highway barks, jumping down from his truck and landing with a loud thud. "Or you're gonna be-"
"-What? Roadkill?" Four Arms finishes for him with a taunting smirk on his face.
Highways growls, his fists clenching; that was supposed to be his line!
Four Arms folds his arms as he calls out this posse's employer. "You have some interesting friends Rojo. Not the brightest bunch but hey nobody's perfect."
Highway goes ahead and responds for her. "You know, I don't appreciate your mouth, Boy." From behind his back Highway unveils a sick high-tech Rocket Hammer.
[Imagine the "Vindertech Rocket Hammer" from Fortnite]
Four Arms backs away, having a bad feeling about the Rocket Hammer. As he stands at the ready the rest of the Road Crew dawn their own support items. Road Rage wheels out a gun like device that's clearly supposed to fire out metallic grappling hooks. And as for Turbine she has an odd device installed around her left arm. The device is slim and metallic, meant to bend with her arm, with specialized tracks leading from the tips of her fingers to cylindrical magazines hooked behind her shoulder, each one's filled with either lug nuts or bolts.
Rojo smirks as she too prepares her weapon, the sonic blaster.
Four Arms grits his teeth, turning his glare onto the red-haired thief.
Rojo's smirk only grows wider in response. "Last chance kid, hand it over or…" The sonic blaster Attached to her arm sparks to life. "Well you know."
"Hahaha." The Road Crew all laugh out in response, their confidence high.
Kraab peers up at the transformed Izuku. "Do you have a plan?"
"Yeah." Four Arms takes a low stance as his four arms flex and clench ready to throw down. "Four of them in fact."
"That doesn't make me feel any better."
And so with his Rocket Hammer in hand Highway roars out. "Get em!"
Everyone explodes into action, Turbine slams down on the gas, her muscle car's tires screeching against the street as the car races forward.
"Heheheha!" The cackling Road Rage fires his grappling gun, the hook shouts out and wraps itself around Four Arms' upper right arm.
Four Arms pulls back his hand in response.
Road Rage nearly loses his balance as Four Arms moves his arm. "Easy there big fella'r." He presses his thumb down on the side of the handle and a surge of electricity courses through the cabling.
"Grah!" Four Arms cries out as electricity surges through the cable and into him.
Fighting through the shocking pain he grips the hook and tears it away, tossing it aside.
*VREEEEE!* Rojo fires away, the sonic wave ripping through the air before colliding with the red hulk.
Four Arms braces himself against the sonic blast, enduring the sheering shaking pressure.
From behind Rojo, Turbine drives past with a cold smirk. "Let's see you tough this out big boy." She aims her arm out of the window, and with a flick of her arm the device activates and a row of lug nuts travel down the track before reaching her hand, where with a flick of her finger the slow-moving lug nut suddenly shoots out like a bullet!
One by one lug nuts roll before her finger, the moment they touch her skin they fire out and soon she's showering Four Arms in a hail of high-speed projectiles!
The lug nuts pierce the sonic blast before smacking into Four Arms' side. "Gahh!" Four Arms cries out not even his tough skin is enough to totally null the pain.
He can do nothing but endure as the sonic wave and the hail of lug nuts continue to hound away at him.
But soon the pressure washes away and the lug nuts cease, but that's only so Rojo and Turbine could provide the opening they needed.
"Rahh!" Baron Highway attacks from behind, jumping forward with his Rocket Hammer in hand; the end of the hammer lights up, gaining speed as it's blasted forward and down towards the alien.
Four Arms barely has time to react as he throws himself to the side, putting distance between him and Highway as the hammer comes crashing down, slamming into the road, cracking it apart upon impact.
Four Arms springs to his feet only to find himself slammed against the hood of a speeding muscle car!
"Ha!" Turbine laughs, slamming her foot against the gas. "Like a bug on my windshield!" Shifting gears she forces her ride to race faster, making it harder for Four Arms to hold on! "I'll hurt you so bad you'll have to expel yourself from U.A.!"
Four Arms scowls at her through the windshield, he shoves himself back, digging his feet into the road! His feet tear at the road, the muscle car shakes against his strength, and Turbine shifts gears again to try and win out, aiming to run him right over!
"Raghh!" Four Arms roars out and in a show of strength he digs in and lifts, lifts the speeding muscle car right over his head.
"Eeeekk!" Turbine screams as she's dangled in the air, above Four Arms' head.
Four Arms hugs the car's hood with all his might, squeezing it so tight that it begins to dent. He peers up through the windshield, right at the shocked Turbine. "It's no wonder someone like you got expelled."
Turbine scowls and aims her device right at the windshield and with her Quirk, Velocity, she fires away, the lug nuts piercing through the glass like paper!
Four Arms gasps, yelping in pain as the lug nuts bounce off his hide, and without thinking he raises his lower left hand up to cover his face.
"Ow! Ow ow! Ow ow! OW!" From within his hand, Kraab cries out as the lug nuts bounce off his head. "I'm not a shield you dumb ass! Ow!" Kraab blinks away the pain as more lug nuts shower down on them. Upon opening his eyes again he lets out an audible gasp. "Behind you!"
Four Arms has just enough time to look and see Baron Highway charging right at him!
Highway's moving fast, his body low as he charges!
Four Arms braces himself, expecting to fend him off just fine, but instead it's like a semi-truck slammed into him! He's hit by such a tremendous unstoppable force that he's tossed right into the air!
Turbine's muscle car slams down on its wheels, but the recoil whiplashes her causing to hit her head on the ceiling, knocking her out.
"Woah!" Four Arms cries out as he's flung into the air, unable to stabilize himself.
Highway slams his feet down, forcing himself to a stop. "That's the set!"
Rojo aims her blaster as Four Arms descends. "And here's the spike!" She fires and the sonic blast slams into the airborne Four Arms!
The sheer power and pressure are enough to throw him backwards right into the broken-down Jeep!
"Ugh! Ugh…" Four Arms moans, his head spinning, as his back slams into the jeep, crushing it upon impact.
Kraab begins to panic as a member of the Road Crew approaches. "Hey, hey, hey! Get off your ass, Muscle Man! Now's not the time to be lying on the job!"
"The roomba's right." Highway stands before them, a cruel grin on his face as he shoulders his hammer. "You still gotta take your beating like a good little boy."
Four Arms' fist clench, his head pounding with memories; memories of poor Izuku taking way too many beatings, taking all those punches, unable to defend himself. "I ain't no one's punching bag!" He roars, leaping forward, grabbing the jeep's hood so hard that it breaks. "RAAGHH!" Four Arms roars as he swings the jeep around full intending on slamming it into Highway!
Before impact, Highway smirks. The jeep smashes into him, breaking apart in a glorious fashion, parts, wheels, and metal fly everywhere almost as if Four Arms smashed the jeep into a concrete wall!
Highway remains motionless, unmoved, and unscratched in the same exact spot as the broken smashed up jeep lies around him.
Four Arms stumbles back in shock.
Kraab blinks in shock and awe as well, his yellow eyes taking in every detail.
Four Arms breaths, shaking his head in denial. "What? How?"
"My Quirk." Highway explains with a condescending smirk. "And with it I'm more than a match for you." He marches forward, moving at a steady pace with a cool confidence.
Four Arms gets ready to throw down as Highway marches closer, shoving his hands forward to force him back. But instead it is him that's forced back, he pushes and pushes against Highway's shoulders, but the man continues to march forward unmoving, unflinching, he's not even slowing down; almost as if Four Arms isn't even there.
Four Arms can't believe his eyes "No way?! But-but how?! What?!"
Four Arms throws himself to the side.
Highway continues to march forward before he slowly comes to a stop all on his own.
Four Arms shakes his head, gasping for air. "Just what is his Quirk?!"
"Momentum." Kraab replies from within the Tetramand's grip.
"What?"
"I can see it."
"See what?"
"His speed, it remained constant the entire time; like once he built up enough momentum nothing could stop him." Kraab was able to tell because of his high-speed cyber-processors and analyzing robotic eyes.
"Momentum?" Four Arms recalls the day's events: from how the RV acted when it slammed into Highway's monster truck, how he was thrown into the air, and to the Jeep being smashed into Highway and him being unharmed. "I get it." It all comes together as he backs away from Highway. "Your Quirk allows you to hold a constant rate of momentum, essentially you're an unstoppable force and an immovable object." And one that can even stand up to Four Arms' strength as they've already seen.
"Hm, you're a lot smarter than I thought, Boy." Highway flicks his toothpick, tossing it aside. "You hit the nail on the head, my Quirk's called Momentum and it's nothing like you've seen before."
In fact how his Quirk, Momentum, works is fairly simple. He can maintain any speed from 0 to one hundred and when his Quirk is activated he becomes virtually indestructible and unmovable. So he can charge through walls like they were paper or even remain stock still and be able to take on a semi-truck unharmed. And as a bonus, thanks to his own mechanical skills, he can even extend his Quirk onto his support items, like the Rocket Hammer, and even his monster truck.
Rojo struts across the road. "Do you see now why I brought them along? With their Quirks and tech I'll be able to do what the Hero Killer couldn't." With a chilling smirk she aims her sonic blaster at her cornered foe.
Four Arms huffs as he rises to his feet. "Why do all this? What's there to gain?"
Rojo's eyes flash with hesitation, before she averts her gaze.
Highway, however, scoffs at the ridiculous question. "What's there to gain? How about respect and power?!"
"What?"
"We have the best Quirks in this here town. We make the best tech. We're the strongest here!" Highway's grin stretches from ear to ear as he grips his Rocket Hammer. "It's like you said I'm an unstoppable force and there ain't nobody who's gonna tell us otherwise."
Four Arms understands; they're power hungry. He's seen this before, individuals gifted with amazing Quirks and allowing that power to go to their heads. Heck this Road Crew have such twisted morals they make Bakugou's own inflated ego seem manageable.
Four Arms shakes his head, disappointed to hear their cliché motives. "Pft. Sorry I asked."
And he'll be sorry for getting himself distracted as Road Rage's grappling hook wraps itself around his arm once again.
"Gotta ya!" From within his tow truck, Road Rage howls as he locks the grappling gun to the truck's side.
Highway breaks into a mad grin. "Take him for a ride, Road Rage!"
"Hahehehe!" Road Rage cackles, slamming his foot down on the gas pedal!
"Rahhh!" Four Arms is thrown off his feet, before having himself towed along behind the speeding tow truck! "Rahhh!" Four Arms is pulled along on his back, his tough hide skidding across the asphalt as the truck gains speed.
"Hahehehe!"
The tow truck races towards the direction of the Hatsume garage. The truck swerves from right to left, pulling Four Arms along and swinging him from side to side.
"Ow!" Sparks fly off Kraab's head as he skids off the pavement. "Hey, watch the paint job!"
Four Arms grits his teeth. "Raagh!" He shoves himself off the ground, his hands burning as they skid against the road, before shoving himself to his feet.
He grips the cable and with all his might, slams his feet down against the pavement. His muscular legs dig and tear into the road, leaving trailing craters behind him.
"Gah!" Road Rage whips forward in his seat as his two truck is forced to a stop.
Four Arms pulls back on the cable and Road Rage slams down on the gas, the tires spin wildly burning and smoking against the road.
But it's no use as the tow truck is pulled backward.
"Raagh!" Roaring out and with a final massive tug, he swings the tow truck into the air and tosses it right back at the Road Crew!
Highway braces himself. "Get behind me!"
Rojo dives behind him while Road Rage tucks-and-rolls out of the flying tow truck!
The flying tow truck crashes right into Highway, splitting apart into pieces upon impact.
Highway scowls brushing himself off as the destroyed tow truck's parts scatter around him and Rojo.
Four Arms grins but his smile is tossed aside as high-speed lug nuts ricochet off his side.
Having woken back up, Turbine races past in her muscle car, firing away at the Tetramand as she speeds past. When she's far enough she makes a wild U-turn, her tires skidding across the road, before she races back towards the U.A. student. As she approaches she begins to use Velocity to fire out high speed iron bolts!
Four Arms acts quickly by piercing the concrete with his bare hands and ripping out chunks of the road!
Turbine fires away but Four Arms blocks the incoming projectiles with the chunks of road. The high-speed bolts pierce and embed themselves into the chunks at rapid fire.
As Turbine zooms past, Four Arms retaliates by tossing the chunks of road right at her!
But she's fast, too fast, swerving and speeding away, avoiding the flying debris.
Four Arms scowls, having missed and now finds himself without any ammo as Turbine swerves around for another pass.
"You missed?!" Kraab shouts. "How could you miss she was like two feet in front of you!"
Four Arms just stares down at him, like he's a final piece to an impossible puzzle.
"What?" Kraab begins to panic as Four Arms holds the cyborg's head up like a frisbee. "No. No no no no no! NOOO!"
Kraab wails as his head spins through the air, Four Arms having shot him forward towards the speeding muscle car!
Kraab's head skids off the pavement before ricocheting up and right into the car's front wheel! His spinning head slashes the tire making it implodes and the car comes slamming down on the pavement, and thanks to combination of her speed and reckless driving the car flips over, landing on its roof, before skidding to a stop.
Turbine moans as she's dangled upside down, her head spinning, but she is relatively unharmed since she actually wore her seatbelt.
Rojo and especially Highway seethes in anger as they watch their allies fall one after the other.
"I'm gonna smash your face in!" Highway charges, his Rocket Hammer propelling him forward, speeding up his Momentum!
The hammer rockets down but Four Arms side steps allowing the hammer to smash into the road instead.
With Highway's defense down and right in front of him, Four Arms goes in for a dual fist punch. But his fists crack against Highway's motionless form and Momentum's power.
"Ah!" Four Arms reels back, holding his aching hands.
"Hahaha! Dumb ass! I'm immovable!"
Four Arms scowls before grabbing Highway by his shoulders and waist. "Wanna bet?!"
Before Highway can even respond he finds himself lifted right into the air. "What? But my Quirk it-"
"Keeps you at the same speed." Four Arms explains as he lifts Highway up. "But not direction!" And with that he tosses Highway away!
"Rhaaa!" Highway screams as he's thrown across the air.
"Woah. He's right!" Kraab blinks while left on the hot road to watch. And he can confirm that Four Arms' theory was correct: it appears that Highway's Momentum Quirk is only able to maintain his speed and indestructibility but only when he continues in the same direction! Otherwise it's useless!
Four Arms sprints by scooping Kraab off the ground. "Sorry about that. Are you okay?"
Kraab glares up at Four Arms, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Just make sure to file out the scratches later." His gaze then falls somewhere behind the red hulkling.
Four Arms follows his gaze, turning around to find Rojo standing across the road from him like this is some old western.
"It's over Rojo. Neither your friends nor their tech can't help you now."
Rojo scowls angrily. "Don't count us out yet. We still have one more trick."
"Like what?"
Without any warning Road Rage appears from out of nowhere and leaps onto Four Arms' back. And before he knows it the cackling Road Crew member shouts right into his ear, cursing up a storm of profanities! "You motherfucking red piece of shit! I had that fucking truck my goddamn fucking whole life! I'm gonna fucking murder that shit-eating asshole you call a dad and that baby-making bitch!"
Upon being cursed at, one's first reaction would be to react back, whether that's curse back or flick the other person off. But this is different, instead Four Arms goes quiet, becoming stock still.
Kraab especially finds this reaction odd. "Why'd you stop? Don't tell me he hurt your feelings?" The fingers clutching him tighten. "Huh? Um, hey, are you okay?"
Four Arms' breathing becomes labored and heavy, his entire body's tense almost like succumbing to some unseen stress, and then he whips his head back as he roars into the air. "RAGHH!" His eyes glow a searing red as he screams into the air, a sudden rage totally overcoming him! "WHAT! DID YOU DO!?" He slams his fists into the road, smashing it apart. "RAGHH!"
*VREEEEE!*
An invisible sonic blast slams into Four Arms, effectively redirecting his fuming attention.
Rojo nervously smirks as she aims her sonic blaster down between her feet. "Come and get me!" She fires, rocketing herself backwards, towards the Hatsume's garage that lies further down the road.
"ROJO!" Like a rampaging beast, Four Arms charges headfirst without any sense or thought.
Kraab watches, helplessly, from within Four Arms' crushing grip. "Hey wait! What's the matter with you?! No! Stop!"
Meanwhile, everyone continues to tinker away at the Rustbucket in relative peace and quiet: Hatsume's busy checking the brakes while Chopper's just finishes up the repairs on the booster rockets.
Hisashi steps out of the RV with an electrical spear in hand, the same one he grabbed from Apex's crew the other day. He plays with the high-tech spear, twirling it around with a grin. He holds it up before his eyes land on Hatsume, he then eyes her support items piled in the garage, his grin widening.
Chopper pauses in his work. ^Wa wa.^
Hisashi shakes his head. "No, Chop you didn't hear a car crash." After all he would have heard it too if there was one.
The road was totally empty when they drove through town so he highly doubts if anyone could have possibly gotten into a car accident out here.
"Finished!" Hatsume cheers, her grinning face covered in grease. "Or at least somewhat. But now she can at least drive around." She pats the newly fixed up wheels.
Hisashi grins. "Perfect. Did you hear that Izuku-" He pauses, having forgotten that he isn't there. "Oh, right he went for a walk. Huh, I wonder when he'll be back?"
"RAGHH!" A red eyed Four Arms returns by smashing his way through the garage door, smashing it apart like it was a sheet of cardboard!
^Waa!^ Chopper screams, wheeling away before he could be stomped on by the red hulkling.
Hisashi gasps. "Izuku!"
"Ahhh!" Kraab cries out as Four Arms thrashes about the garage, "He's gone crazy! That busted tooth freak did something to him!"
"RAGHH!" Four Arms slams his fists down on anything and everything he can reach: he crushes wrenches and pipes, smashes toolboxes, and even stomps his feet down upon some of Hatsume's support items, smashing them to bits! "STAY AWAY FROM ME! Four Arms manages to roar out a warning even while in a furious state.
"No! My babies!" Hatsume cries, screaming out in agony. "No! Why?! What have I done to deserve this?!"
"SORRY!" The rampaging Tetramand redirects his attention towards the crying pinkette, charging right for her! "RAGHH!"
"Get down!" Hisashi runs in, grabs Hatsume, and throws them both out of the stampeding brute's way.
After making sure the teen was okay, Hisashi leaps to his feet. "Izuku! Champ! What's wrong?!"
"RAGHH!"
Hisashi nods, coming to the conclusion that Izuku is not in control, the red eyes being a dead giveaway. "That didn't answer my question."
In response Four Arms throws several punches but Hisashi uses the spear to parry and dodge each one. "Use your words, Champ! Your words! Getting violent doesn't solve anything!"
Four Arms tries to fight it, he does, his body trembles even as he thrashes about. "RUN! STAY BACK, I'M DANGEROUS!"
As Hisashi tries and fails to calm his son down, Rojo casually and coolly strolls right into the garage. She watches with a superior smirk as Hatsume and Chopper flee towards the back of the large garage, away from the rampaging monster.
At the same time Highway and Road Rage, limp away with Turbine before piling into Highway's monster truck and speeding away.
Rojo continues to watch as Hisashi runs and jumps off the side of the wall, avoiding Four Arms' crushing punches that smash into the wall.
"RAGHH!" Four Arms is so furious and out of it that he starts slamming his fists against the wall until he breaks through, charging through like a will bucking bull!
Hisashi chases after him and into the garage's backlot.
As Rojo watches her gaze eventually lands on the somewhat busted up Rustbucket. Her eyes widen as she eyes the busted battering ram up in front and the still exposed booster rockets in the back. Her curiosity is piqued, her fingers twitching like they can sense quality tech that's worth taking for themselves.
"GET DOWN!" For Four Arms it's a swing and a miss as Hisashi ducks under his fists, sliding right past, and scoping Kraab right out of the Tetramand's hand.
Hisashi runs for cover, Hatsume and Chopper are cowering behind a repaired SUV where she waves him over. He slides over to them before he could be spotted.
"RAGHH!" Four Arms now redirects his attention towards the piles of scrap metal lying towards the back of the backlot.
Hatsume grins both from fear but excitement as Four Arms rampages across the garage. "He's really lost his marbles, huh?!"
Hisashi nods as he picks up Kraab's head. "What happened?"
Kraab tries to shake his head. "I don't know! One second he was fine and the next thing I know he's losing his shit!"
"RAGHH!"
A sudden surge of anger? Resulting in the person going on a rampage? "Okay." That confirms it, Izuku isn't in control here, and it's up to him to calm him down. "Hey!"
Four Arms spins around so fast and so suddenly, with such a nasty scowl that Hisashi instantly regrets making his presence known.
Hisashi takes a breath keeping himself calm and poise, trying his best to seem at ease as he approaches the fuming alien. "Hey big guy." He speaks softly and assuringly, like one would with an upset child. "The sun's getting real low." He gently reaches for Four Arms' hand, bringing his hand in low like how one would approach an unfamiliar hound.
And it appears to be working as the red eyed Four Arms' breathing begins to temper and his fists begin to relax.
"Shhh." Hisashi hushes softly, slowly making his way closer and closer. "That's it, the sun's going down." Just a few more steps and he's sure, he's sure he'll calm Izuku right down. touch
"RAGHH!" Or not.
Four Arms pounces but a swift dodge from Hisashi has his fists slamming into the ground rather than Hisashi's skull.
"That's it!" Hisashi frowns, giving his son a stern talking to. "You better start behaving yourself this instant young man."
"RAGHH!"
"Don't you use that tone of voice with me!"
"RAGHH-..." Four Arms is about ready to pound Hisashi's face in, when his red eyes finally fade away, returning to their usual shade of green. "Ow…" Four Arms wobbles back, gripping his pounding head. After a moment he gasps, panicking about everyone else's own safety. "Are you guys okay?"
Hisashi is baffled as Four Arms crouches over, trying to catch his breath. "Are we okay? Are you okay?! What was that?!"
Four Arms shrugs, shaking his head. "I'm not sure. It was like this sudden random anger just appeared… It must have been that guy's Quirk." But either way it was him that caused all that damage and it was him that attacked his friends. "Oh, man, I am so sorry."
Hisashi squats down, resting hand on his boy's shoulder. "Izuku, what happened to you?"
"Rojo happened?"
Hisashi has literally no idea what that means. "Who?"
"She's a villain that Vilg-um," Four Arms quickly shuts his mouth when he remembers that Hatsume's nearby. "was hired to steal my watch."
Hisashi's eyes widen. "And she did this to you?"
"No, her friends did. The…Road Crew."
Hatsume gasps. "Did you say Road Crew?"
Kraab calls out after being abandoned by the SUV. "Yeah, those guys ambushed us."
Hatsume lets out an audible gasps, panicking, she rushes back inside the garage.
After sharing concerned looks Hisashi, Four Arms, and Chopper rush in after her.
"They took her!" Hatsume screams, grabbing at her hair like she's gonna go crazy.
The others let out audible gasps, quickly realizing what exactly has been taken.
Hisashi falls to his knees, devastated by the sight; the Rustbucket's been kidnapped! "They took my ride!"
"I am so sorry." Izuku apologizes for the hundredth time after catching everyone else up to speed with the situation.
Hisashi's a lot calmer now but his eyes keep darting towards the smashed in garage doors, hoping in vain that the RV would just magically appear. "It's not your fault. You were just defending yourself. You were alone."
Seated atop a bucket, Kraab shouts out. "Hey, I was there too!"
"Like I said you had to defend yourself alone."
"Tch."
Izuku grabs his pounding head. "Ah, man, just what was that Quirk?"
Hatsume frowns, answering. "It was Road Rage."
"Pardon?"
"Road Rage."
"Oh, you mean that guy with the busted teeth?"
"Yes, and no."
"What?"
"His Quirk, Road Rage's Quirk is called Road Rage; when he swears or cusses anyone that hears him will become enraged."
Hisashi nods, cupping his chin in thought. "Road Rage is right. Imagine if someone like him used his Quirk in a crowded stadium or something."
"He tried once," Hatsume explains. "got himself thrown in jail for it."
Izuku's curiosity shows itself. "How'd he get caught?"
"Actually it was his own Quirk that got him caught. He can make others angry, but he can't control them or anything, so whomever he angered can still turn on him."
Chopper, who's been silently listening, speaks up. ^Ba-bop.^
"You're right, Chop." Hisashi frowns, his concern growing as he addresses the pink-haired teen. "You seem to know an awful lot about the Road Crew."
Hatsume breaks into an apologetic grin. "Haha! That's because they hate me!"
Izuku gasps. "You seem way too happy about that."
^Wap Bzz.^
Izuku wants to say Chopper said: For sure.
"Well they hate my family!" Hatsume points towards the window that looks out towards the town in the distance. "Did you see those billboards on your way in? The ones about our local track?"
Izuku nods. "Yeah, how could we not?"
"Well back in the day my Pops was the head mechanic for the racers that came here. He was the best and they all knew it. But Baron Highway was a young upcoming rival! But he couldn't match my Pops' skills."
Hisashi's getting the picture now. "And so overtime he came to resent your Dad."
"Yup!" Hatsume turns to the greenette. "That's why I knew they did something after you mentioned the Road Crew."
More often or not they'll come by to cause trouble. Sometimes it's harmless like with Turbine earlier in the day but other times they can get pretty rough if they wanted to. But usually they'll end up driving some poor sap off the road.
Honestly even Hatsume has to find it sad, not pathetic, but as tragic especially after what happened… But that was a long time ago and that doesn't excuse how they've been acting now.
Hisashi's starting to see the picture, sad to hear that some people just can't deal with their own petty insecurities and anger. However, there's still something he doesn't quite understand. "Okay, but why'd they take the Rustbucket then? What are they gonna try to upstage you by fixing it for us?" That seems really unlikely and just plain ridiculous, So, then why? Why take it?
They all sit in thought before Izuku exhales softly, providing an answer. "Rojo."
"What was that?"
"Rojo's Quirk is called Attachment; it allows her to fuse tech to her body." Like how she fused with Vilgax's robot minion. "When I fought her the first time she had this custom arm gun, I ended up breaking it, and that's when she said that it was a custom job." At the time he assumed someone else made it but maybe she was the one who built it instead: meaning she's an engineer, just like Hatsume. "Which means either she or someone else built it."
Kraab frowns, not at all connecting the dots. "I fail to see how this connects to the garbage truck you guys call a home."
Hisashi pouts, offended that a family heirloom would be compared to a waste disposal truck.
The younger Midoriya goes ahead and explains. "The Rustbucket's filled with ali-uh, I mean advanced tech! Rojo might have found out about it and is now stripping it for parts."
Hatsume springs to her feet, horror struck, and shouting at the top of her lungs. "She's taking my repairs to build her own weapons!"
Izuku claps his hands, glad someone got his explanation. "Yeah!"
Hatsume's faces becomes dark and twisted, like a villain that's about to vow revenge. "How dare she."
Izuku gasps, stunned. "Okay, you're mad!"
"Of course I'm mad." Hatsume growls lowly, like she's about to explode and this is just the calm before the storm. "I pour my heart-n-soul into all my babies. I give them each 100% and then some to make the best support gear, machines, and tech that I can." Hatsume's fist clench, steam pouring from her head. "For them to come in and steal my hard work. It's unforgivable!"
Even though she's steaming mad, Hisashi looks somewhat impressed by her clear dedication and drive for her work.
At the same time, Izuku rises to his feet determined to set things right. "Well then let's go get her."
Both humans and both droids stare up at the greenette, waiting for him to explain with bated breaths.
Izuku addresses them all, one by one pulling them into his own ambitions. "They took your ride, they tarnished your hard work, they called you a roomba, and they attacked me. I don't know about you all, but I want to stop Rojo and the Road Crew myself."
And guess what? They want a piece of that action too.
Hisashi strolls up, wrapping an arm around his son's shoulder. "You know I'll always have your back."
Kraab would shake his head if he could. "You guys are insane."
Izuku picks up the cyborg's head. "You coming along?"
Kraab doesn't answer immediately but after a moment he recalls his earlier conversation with Izuku about helping others. He still doesn't quite understand what that really entails but perhaps if he stuck around a little longer he'll see for himself. And so for once his own curiosity wins out, but of course he can't have the Midoriyas know that. "I might as well. Beats sitting here. Besides I would rather watch you getting your ass beaten again anyway."
Izuku begs to differ. "Hey, I won that fight, technically." After all the Road Crew did run away after they distracted Four Arms, heck their busted-up cars are still lying out down the road.
In the meantime, Hisashi goes ahead to direct Hatsume to stay behind. "Hatsume I think it's best if you stay here."
"No way!" Hatsume grins, not giving a shit. "I'm coming too old man!"
Hisashi let's out a pained wheeze. "Old man…?"
Hatsume shakes her head so wildly her pink hair flails from side to side. "I have a personal investment in this rescue mission! So I'm coming along." For all she's concerned the Rustbucket is one of her babies now, or at least an adoptive baby, one that she has a personal investment in now. "Besides, I know where to find them." She adds in with such a straightforward delivery.
Izuku lights up. "You do?"
"Hm, hm!" Hatsume nods her head, a wide smile on her face. "And it's just on the other side of town."
"Great! Let's go!"
^Wo wap.^
"Chop's right." Hisashi interrupts. "How do you expect to get there without a car?" They could walk but if their hideout is on the other side of town then the Road Crew will surely get the jump on them first.
Hatsume's smile grows. "Don't worry we can take mine."
Izuku gasps, impressed. "You have a car?"
"Yup! I built her myself!"
Hisashi isn't so enthusiastic, however. "Do you have a license?"
"Nope!"
"Can you drive?"
"Nope! Hahaha!"
Hisashi sweat drops, shaking his head at how ridiculous this teen can be. "Guess I'm driving."
"Hahaha! Sorry, but it's my car." Hatsume grins wide as she spins around so she can go get the car. "So I get to control it."
Izuku frowns, finding her choice of wording odd.
Rojo tinkers away in the dark dank garage, the Rustbucket's parked before her sitting in the middle of a large spacious garage that could probably fit at least four more RVs inside of it.
Rojo is busy gutting the RV for parts, she ignores the pipes, and bolts, but then she'll come upon something…odd, something…alien.
She tinkers away as she tests each new piece of tech before cobbling it together. at her sonic blaster.
As she tinkers three engines roar past before several sets of tires screech to a halt. After which the echoes of heavy steps stomp towards the garage.
The garage door is slammed wide open! "You better explain yourself!" Baron Highway bellows, storming past the car engines, stacks of tires, and hanging chains.
Rojo doesn't even bother to turn around to address him. "Not now. I'm busy."
"No. Now! Wanna tell me why you decided to take this?!" He waves his hand at the offending RV. "This fucking bathtub on wheels?!"
"Because I wanted to." Rojo responds a-matter-of-factually.
In a fit of rage Highway shoves down a nearby tool cabinet. "That's not good enough!" He roars. "I will not stand for the fact that my crew got their asses handed to them by a boy that hasn't even learned to shave yet! We stuck our necks out for you and as your prize you take this?!"
Rojo doesn't bat an eye, looking him right in the eye and stating. "Yes."
"It was supposed to be a blitz job. Go in, beat the kid, you take what you want, we leave, you pay us, and we all go on our merry ways." Simple!
Rojo is dismissive instead focusing on the odd makeshift device she's cobbling together. "Are you worried he'll call the cops?"
"Pft. Like I care about the cops. Nah, I want payback!"
"Then you'll get it."
Highway frowns. "How you reckon?"
Rojo peers up at the gutted RV, not with disgust or disinterest but with awe. "This so-called bathtub on wheels is a gold mine of tech." She eyes the innards of the RV, something bright catching her eye, forcing her to take what's inside. "Very expensive, advanced tech." She rips out a hexagonal battery-like device covered in strange alien markings that glow a light hue of blue.
Highway gawks at the strange metallic device. "What is that?"
"That's the thing." Rojo smiles, the glow of the device reflecting off her greedy eyes. "I don't know." She goes ahead and installs the battery-like tech into her newly made gadget. "I found a few more things like this and whatever it is," Her smile grows as she attaches the newly made device to her arm. "it's powerful."
Highway's sneer turns greedy. "Imagine the coin we can get from something like this."
"I'll do you one better." Rojo smiles, flexing her right arm up so she can examine her new toy: a mechanical battle gauntlet.
[Google: "Crossbones' Battlefield Suit"]
Rojo whips around and slamming her fist against the hood of a nearby car that's been stripped for parts.
The knuckle base of the gauntlets spark with energy that discharges out as the fist slams into the hood, smashing it downward with little to no effort.
Rojo's smile grows as the car breaks apart before her. "Imagine the damage we can do."
Highway's grin grows wider, impressed, he always knew she was a topnotch engineer; too bad things didn't work out for her, but hey her misfortune is his gain.
"You wanted payback? You'll get it." Rojo promises. "With tech like this I bet they're dying to get it back."
"Which means they'll be on their way." And so the grinning Highway marches back towards the exit. "I'll get my crew. You coming?"
"Buy me sometime." Rojo grabs her welding torch and sonic blaster. "I have work to do."
Hisashi shakes his head slowly, sitting in a sullen almost annoyed silence with only the hum of the car's engine to listen to, he fiddles with the electrical spear trying to ignore a sullen fact. "I should drive."
Hatsume grins from the driver's seat. "My car, I drive."
"This isn't a car. It's a toy." Hisashi states with finality. "A really big remote-control toy."
Actually it's a normal car, just a normal looking Toyota…except for the fact that it's missing a STEERING WHEEL! Hatsume instead has a wireless joy-con in her hands.
"Haha!" Hatsume cackles, pressing down on the A-button to go faster. "Nothing says I need a license to drive a remote-control car!"
"Technically, yes, but that doesn't mean you should be driving!"
Izuku, seated in the back with Chopper and Kraab, snickers. "This is great." Like come on, what teen wouldn't find this cool?
"Haha! Thanks! I borrowed the controller from an old game console we had lying around."
Actually the joy-cons can still sync to the console, she just gave it the ability to sync to the car.
And so here they all are, cruising down the wide-open road, passing country hillsides and farm fields while on their way to bring down the Road Crew.
Izuku sits back adjusting his hoodie, making sure it's nice and secure for the impending fight. Chopper sits beside him, peering out the window, scanning for incoming threats with Kraab silent beside him. In the front Hisashi grips the electrical spear tightly before reaching into his Hawaiian shirt for his Respirator. And finally Hatsume just hums away with a cheerful, oblivious smile as she presses down on the A-button to make the car go faster.
Meanwhile, watching from atop a nearby hill a sports car followed by a muscle car roll up, finally Highway's gigantic monster truck rolls past them both, stopping at the summit of the hill.
Highway scowls down, his sunglasses reflecting the image of a speeding Toyota down below. "Let's ride."
And with that he takes off down the road, towards their target, followed by a smirking Turbine in her custom sports car and Road Rage who cackles as he races down in his muscle car.
Back down in the remote-controlled Toyota things are starting to become…annoying.
"Are we there yet?" Kraab asks without a hint of irony or humor.
Izuku sighs, having already answered the cyborg three times already. "No."
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"…Are we there yet?"
Izuku spots movement out the window that makes him panic. "No!"
"Okay, geez, no need to shout."
"No. Look!"
Everyone turns, their eyes wide with shock as they spot what they can only assume is the Road Crew crashing through the field towards them from behind.
Hisashi, or rather Cinder, tucks up his Respirator, locking it in place. "Guess we're about to hit some incoming traffic."
The Road Crew quickly catch up with Turbine taking the lead.
"Gahh!" They all shout as Turbine slams into them from behind. "Gahh!" She hits them again, trying to throw them off the road.
Cinder grips his seatbelt, shouting at Hatsume for some help. "Doesn't this thing have any weapons or gadgets?!"
"Nope! Hahaha!" Hatsume grins, laughing even as Turbine slams them again. "I didn't have enough time to add them yet! But I do have-Gahh!" She screams as they're slammed forward again.
"I got this!" Izuku kicks open his door, he leans out the door, his hair and hoodie whipping in the wind as he dials up an alien.
Kraab gasps, watching him hang out of the car. "What are you going to do?
Izuku doesn't miss a beat with his reply. "Help."
Kraab starts, unsure about Izuku's answer as the greenette leaps out, disappearing in a veil of green light. After a moment XLR8 speeds past, closing the door as he zooms by.
XLR8 circles around Hatsume's car, racing right for Turbine's sports car! He readies his sharp claws as he zooms forward, aiming to slash her car to pieces. He strikes and strikes, slashing away at its hard metal exterior but it's far more durable than he ever anticipated. It must have been modified and engineered to withstand all sorts of attacks.
Despite his efforts barely scratching the paint job, Turbine still manages to find a reason to hate him. "You're scratching my ride!"
She slips several switches before slamming her hand down on a large red button. As a result electricity dances off the sports car, frying XLR8 the instant he touches it.
"Gahh!" XLR8 yelps, zipping away before charging in for another go only to have himself repealed again by the electrical field.
"Haha! I'm untouchable!" Turbine sneers, swerving the electrified car towards XLR8.
The Kineceleran quickly zooms away, moving to the other side of the road. 'XLR8's not built for strength.' The transformed Izuku thinks. 'Speed sure but that car's armor and defense are too strong.' So what can he do? Sure he can race ahead, with ease actually, but for now he's gotta keep pace and make sure his friends are okay. But how? "Woah!" XLR8 yelps as a spinning wheel nearly clips his tail.
Highway sneers, his monster truck roaring as he steps on the gas. "When I'm done, you'll be nothing but a stain on the road!"
XLR8 zips away, avoiding the massive tires, he zips in front of Highway, holding his attention. Turbine and Road Rage soon catch up, both aiming to take down the speeding lizard too. XLR8 zips around them avoiding their speeding vehicles, making sure to keep their attention on him rather than his friends.
From up ahead, Cinder can only watch from the passenger seat as his son zooms around the Road Crew. "He needs our help!"
"I got something!" Hatsume cheers. "Here take this!" She shoves the joy-cons into a surprised Cinder's hands.
Cinder nearly drops the joy-cons, accidentally throwing them up and failing to catch it after a moment. But he's able to get a hold of it, before taking control over the car from the passenger seat.
Hatsume jumps to the back, shoving Chopper aside while pressing her knee against Kraab' head to get to the trunk; pushing the middle seat down before reaching in and feeling for something useful. "I got it!" After a moment she pulls out a strange looking gadget.
Kraab can only sit there as her knee presses down on him. "What is that?"
Hatsume grins as she holds up the gadget. Actually gadget isn't the right word, it's more of a disc, a large disc about the width of a frisbee: it's white in color like, with a few electrical devices and cerbos wired to its center.
Hatsume grins as she grabs the disc and lowers the window. "It's a very special baby!" Hatsume answers before poking her head out of the window.
She can see that Turbine's electrical field is still giving XLR8 a fair amount of trouble.
Hatsume takes aim but the car swerves and shifts constantly, making it difficult for her to aim. "Try to keep the car straight!"
Cinder grits his teeth in frustration. "I'm trying! But the joy-cons are drifting!" His thumb rapidly taps the B-Button. "Ahh!" He screams in fruition, the car still swerving uncontrollably. "How is this still a problem 200 hundred years later?!" Seriously, Nintendo it's way overdue and it shouldn't have even been a problem from the start!
Hatsume waits, waits as the car slows down enough, and she's got a better shot at Turbine's car. Turbine is too distracted with trying to run over the much faster azure raptor to notice her. Hatsume waits for the right moment before she tosses the large disc like a frisbee towards the electrified sports car.
The disc glides over the road, towards the oncoming electrical car. It glides underneath before the magnetics take over, attaching the disc to the car's bottom. The center of the disc lights up, activating; the moment it does the electrical field sparks and begins to discharge before suddenly the electrical field seems to surge not out of the car, but into it, electricity surging towards the disc!
"What's happening?!" Turbine shrieks as the electricity fries her batteries, the car's computer, and even her radio!
As the sports car sparks, being fried from the inside out, the electric field dissipates as her car screeches to a halt.
"Rahh!" Turbine shrieks, slamming her hands against the car's fried and sparking dashboard.
Hatsume's grin widens as her rival's forced to a stop: her car now virtually useless. "Hahaha! I knew that baby would come in handy eventually!"
It's a little something she was working on a ways back, it was meant to drain batteries like that of car's being used by villains. But it was far stronger than she thought, and she hasn't figured out how to redirect or store the electricity it redirects so she shelved it, but maybe it's something she should give another go at.
Kraab can't see over the seat. "Did you get 'em?!"
"You bet I did!" Hatsume cheers before shouting out to Turbine! "That's what a real support item looks like Hahaha-Gahh!"
They all cry out as they're struck from the side.
"Hahehehe! Get off our road!" Road Rage cackles as his muscle car slams into them. "Hahehehe!"
As Road Rage takes his aggression out on his friends, XLR8 is still trying to deal with Baron Highway and his truck.
He's tried slashing away at it, but its armor's too tough. He's even tried to slash the wheels but even those were built to withstand any and all types of traumas like jagged rocks, nails, and even police spike strips.
"Hahaha!" All the while Highway's bellowing laugh echoes from above.
"Your roadkill!"
XLR8 zips away zooming around the monster truck to try and attack it from its other side.
Highway smirks, deciding to take a shot at the blue lizard himself by flipping a switch that ejects large metal spikes out from his wheels. "Your ride's not the only one that's been tricked out, boy!" With the large spikes deployed Highway makes a hard swerve at the Kineceleran!
XLR8 dodges quite easily. "Woah! Those are so…cliché. Like really spikes? What is this Mad Max?"
"Grrr." Highway scowls, swerving to try and take him out again!
He misses when XLR8 zips forward putting some distance between himself and the Road Crew's boss, letting the man chase him. "This is gonna take longer than I thought."
"Hahehe!" The cackling Road Rage's muscle car charges forward.
Hatsume's ride swerves out of the way in the nick of time.
"Hold still, dang it!" With a slam of his fist a pair of grapple guns prop out from under the car's hood. "Or I'll make ya!"
A pair of harpoons are fired out, cables whipping behind them as they soar, before they pierce through the car's rear windshield and trunk.
^Waaa!^ Chopper screams, his hands flailing in the air, as he is nearly impaled!
Road Rage snickers, changing gears to reverse and slamming down on the gas. His tires screech and smoke against the road, the cable tighten up and pulls back on Hatsume's ride.
Hatsume gasps, from the passenger seat, her face palling in shock. "My baby! Why?! It should have been Turbine!"
Cinder and the rest whiplash forward as they're forced to a sudden slow down. "He's got us!" He tries to twist and turn the joystick, in an attempt to lose Road Rage.
^Wa Bzz-bop!^ Chopper hops onto the seat, his Plasma Cutter ejecting out from his base. After adjusting himself he gets to work cutting away at the first cable in seconds before reaching out for the last one.
Road Rage gasps, spotting the little droid. "Don't ya dare!"
^Wo-wop.^ Oh he dares and with a flick the cable's snapped apart.
The instant the line's cut Road Rage's muscle car whips backwards!
^Wo Wo Wo Ba^ Chopper cheers, laughing and admiring his own success. ^Wo Wo Wo-Waa!^ He screams as he's thrown forward!
Cinder scowls at the rear-view mirror, which are perfectly locked in on Road Rage's maniacal sneer. "Road Rage, huh?" He scowls from under his Respirator. "I'll show you road rage." He shoves the joy-cons into Hatsume's hands before snatching up his electrical prod. "Take the wheel!"
"Joy-con!"
"You know what I meant!" Cinder shouts back as he climbs out of the window.
He climbs up to the roof even as the rushing wind whips at his face as he impales the spear into the car's roof to hold himself in place.
Hatsume shakes her head as the electrical prod pierces her roof. "Seriously?!"
Cinder glares at the fast approaching Road Rage, his Hawaiian shirt whipping in the air at his sides.
"FLAMETHROWER: 2,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT!" Cinder unleashes a stream of hot orange flames directly into the muscle car's front! The flames swallow up the entire car, hiding it a veil of fire and heat.
After a moment, Cinder cuts the flames only to find the muscle car intact with little to no scorching, its heavy armor glowing with heat.
"Hahehehe!" Road Rage sneers up at Cinder, he grabs his radio and shouts out an array of foul language. "You frying fuck! You think that'll stop me!? Your motherfucking shrimp bastard of a kid couldn't do shit!"
Cinder stumbles about, his eyes turning red as he falls under Road Rage's spell. He grits his teeth grabbing at his head as a sudden illogical anger takes control of him.
Road Rage's ugly smile widens, his eyes beaming in excitement. "Hahehe! Go on! Burn em! Burn em real good! Hahehehe!"
However Cinder does not target Hatsume or her car, rather his glowing red eyes lock onto Road Rage.
Road Rage's sneer falls away as he realizes that he may have been playing with fire.
A furious Cinder rips his spear right out of the car's roof, he tosses it up and catches it again, breathing heavily in a furious rage. And with his adrenaline pumping he can't resist but to shout an iconic battle cry! "Witness me!"
And he takes off flinging himself off the car and onto the hood of Road Rage's muscle car!
His feet land with a clang onto the hood while his spear pierces right through the windshield, before impaling itself into the empty passenger seat!
"Ayyyy!' Road Rage panics as the spear breaks through his windshield, he scrambles to activate several switches hoping one of his modifications can repel the maniac away.
Cinder may have pierced the windshield but most of it is still intact, but that's alright. Cinder grips the impeded spear, lining his maw with it. "CONDUCTION HEAT!" From out of his respirator a steady stream of orange flames quickly heat up the spear making it glow red hot. It radiates burning intense heat that travels down the spear, past the windshield and into the car seat.
The car seat ignites instantly, bursting into flames as the spear heats up more and more.
"Ayyy! Ayyy! No! No!" Road Rage freaks out as smoke and flames begin to swallow up his ride from the inside out. "Aayyy!" With no chance of putting out the flames, Road Rage kicks his door open before diving out, tucking and rolling across the road.
Cinder cuts the flames, ripping the spear out from the flaming car, before launching himself backwards and onto Hatsume's Toyota. "Haha!" The red eyed Cinder snickers even as his fists clench round the spear. "He calls that fireproof?"
The raging Cinder crawls his way back into the car from the passenger window.
Chopper shakes his head in disbelief as he crawls back in. ^Bzzz-op!^
Kraab, who is just as stunned, translates. "Yeah, I thought he got you? Aren't you angry?"
A fuming Cinder shakily nods his head, as he tries to calm himself down. "I am." He responds between clenched teeth. "But I've learned to deal with my anger a long time ago." He kinda had to otherwise he'd never have made it this far. It's not exactly a good idea for a fire Quirk to be in the hands of someone who can't control their own temper. "Besides, it's best to redirect one's anger. I'll be a bigger help that way."
That last line gives Kraab something to ponder over. "Help…?" Can one's own drive to help others really be that strong? Strong enough to break through one's own anger?
Cinder shakes his head as the red glow begins to dim. "Let's hurry." He points forward, in the distance, where blue blur zipping around a blue monster truck.
Hatsume grins. "You got it!" She pressed down on the A-button and the car lurches forward, speeding up quickly.
"Hold still will you?!" From inside his monster truck, Highway's been trying to run the azure raptor over but he's not even able to graze the azure raptor's aura.
"Hahaha!" XLR8 laughs, admittedly kinda enjoying himself. "Only if you ask nicely! Hahaha!"
"Grrr." Highway racing forward trying to catch up to the blue freak.
His tires are so close that they'd grab the lizard's tail and bring him down in an instant. However, XLR8 easily speeds away as if his tail was nothing but a teasing lure.
"Ragggh!" Highway roars out in frustration.
XLR8 circles back around, approaching from behind. As he passes by he slashes at the truck's sides but like before it doesn't so much leave a scratch.
Highway glares down at the sprinting Kineceleran. "Do you really think you can take me on, boy?" With a pull of a lever and a flip of a switch a large mechanical mounted launcher unfolds from the truck's rear, propping itself atop the truck's roof. "Let's see if you can outrun these." He locks in on the azure raptor and fires away.
XLR8 gasps quickly ducking his head down as a flying manhole cover soars past!
"Hahaha! Get some!" Highway howls firing away.
XLR8 snakes and weaves his way through the onslaught of heavy manhole covers are shot at him. The manhole covers fly in so hard and fast that they embed themselves into the road.
As another manhole cover is shot, XLR8 spins around and manages to grab the manhole cover like a frisbee, and without stopping he swings himself and the cover around, using its own momentum to throw it right back at Highway's truck's underside. Highway sees it coming, and adjusts his ride to a more constant speed, his Quirk, Momentum taking effect. The manhole cover doesn't even dent the truck's underside; Highway's Quirk is making it near invulnerable.
"Hahaha!" Highway howls in laughter. "Nice try, boy! But no dice!"
XLR8 furrows, eyeing the monster truck from head to toe. He already knows that the armor's too thick, same goes for the truck's suspensions and tires; everything was built to take damage. And it doesn't help that Highway's Quirk Momentum makes him and his truck invulnerable when at a constant speed.
As he dodges more incoming manhole covers, XLR8 continues examining the truck for any weaknesses. 'What I need to do is change his direction somehow.' But the road's a straight shot forward and XLR8's too small to just push it in another direction like Four Arms. 'I need to do something; I'm running out of time!' He eyes the truck's gigantic spinning wheels.
With an idea in his head XLR8 dashes around the speeding monster truck, moving like a circling blur.
"Haha! You can't beat me, boy! I'm the king of these here roads! And ain't nobody gonna change that."
The racing XLR8 smirks. "Sorry, but I don't believe in bureaucracy!" He gives his hand a twist, pulling off the last part of his plan before pulling away and sprinting forward.
"You think you can run from me, boy?!" Highway shifts gears, pulling forward, but his monster truck begins to rattle and shake. "What the hell! What's going on?!" His Quirk should still be in effect so what's causing this?
His question is answered as all four of the monster truck's wheels break away all at once, since all of their lug nuts have been removed.
XLR8 chuckles, dropping the lug nuts he screwed off the wheels, watching as the monster truck falls atop itself, its under half skidding across the pavement with sparks flying everywhere while also leaving a nasty gash in the road.
A grinning XLR8 slides to a stop as the monster truck topples over, landing on its side before coming to a full stop.
Thinking it's over, XLR8 zips over to help pull Highway out of the wreckage but instead Highway's Rocket Hammer smashes its way out from under the roof, smashing it apart for Highway to crawl his way out.
XLR8 backs away quickly. "How are you still standing?"
"I had my seatbelt on." Highway responds like it is the most obvious thing, which it is. "They say that they save lives for a reason."
The transformed Izuku has to admit it; he can respect that. But he doesn't get to air his opinion as Highway takes a go at him with his Rocket Hammer.
But of course he's far too slow for the alien speedster.
"You know I'm all about doing things fast, but are you that of a hurry for me to kick your butt?"
In response, Highway takes a swing at him with his Rocket Hammer, but it's a swing and a miss.
Highway growls in frustration, pulling back the hammer for another swing. "You really like to run your mouth don't chya?"
XLR8 can't help but smile. "I do actually, I really do."
Highway takes another swing, but it completely misses the azure raptor.
XLR8 zips behind him. "Actually I was hoping you'd be willing to run yours."
Highway swings around but misses again as the alien speedster races off again. "Say what now?"
"Exactly." XLR8 appears on his other side. "I heard about Turbine's…troubled past. And I gotta ask, how did someone like her get roped in with a crew like you guys."
"Roped in? She's family!"
"Makes sense, your Quirks are similar." Momentum and Velocity, both emitter types related to speed. Yeah he can see it. "Hatsume told me about you; how you were rivals with her dad as head mechanics in the pit lanes. I'm sorry it went wrong but why a life of crime? And why lead your own sister into a life of crime? What was the point?"
"The point?!" Highway reels back the Rocket Hammer. "Because who's gonna hire the mechanic that killed the town hero?!" He charges forward, the Rocket Hammer thrusting him forward and combined with his Momentum he crashes forward but once again misses due to XLR8's speed.
"What?"
Highway huffs, clenching his teeth. "I was a head mechanic, a good one too. But I made a mistake, one little mistake, and my boss, my friend, paid his life for it." He can still hear the ringing in his ears, the fire, the screams, the tears… "After that everyone blamed me for it, no one wanted to hire me. So me and those I could still trust pulled ourselves together and did what we had to make it by!" Using Momentum he charges forward again!
"Make it by?" XLR8 leaps back before he's smashed to bits by the hammer. "By making weapons?!"
"There's big money to be had in engineering weapons and support items for villains." Lots of money if you know the right people. "They pay good money so they can be on par with an average pro. I'm just providing them a service; it's a business opportunity."
"And what?" XLR8 scowls. "Having your sister steal from U.A. was a business strategy?"
"It was." Highway's scowl turns solemn and regrettable. "Until it wasn't."
"Well I hope it was worth it. Because your family lost out on something better."
Highway growls, not appreciating that last comment. "Ragghh!" He swings and swings, the Rocket Hammer thrusting itself forward making each one deadly, but none land a hit and Highway's frustration only grows.
XLR8 is a blue blur as he circles around Highway, clearly he isn't gonna get through Highway, his skull is too thick. But maybe he can cut through his defenses! "100 CUTS!"
XLR8 zips forward and begins to deliver swift slashes at the standing Highway. He delivers slash after slash in rapid succession, but the Road Crew's boss takes it all like a champ, using Momentum to remain in place and invulnerable.
"Hahahahaha!" Highway howls in laughter as he's continuously slashed at. "That won't work on me, boy."
XLR8 backs off after delivering the hundredth slash.
"I won't go down. I owe it to my old friend. Even now I'm still making up for what I did to him and his family!" Highway swings back his Rocket Hammer. "And that watch of yours will help me do that!" The Rocket Hammer propels him forward, and when he gains the right speed Momentum takes over and holds it as he charges forward.
XLR8 dashes away. 'There's no getting through to him is there?' He asks himself. And so with no other options he knows what he has to do.
As Highway brings his hammer down, his defenses are open and so XLR8 rushes in. He leaps up and delivers a fury of high-speed kicks into the man's gut.
He leaps away but Highway stand back up, unharmed thanks to his Quirk. "Oh, my, I think I felt a tickle."
XLR8 scowls in response.
Highway scoffs. "Is that really all you got, boy?"
"Don't call me boy." XLR8 growls before he spins around Highway like he's runaway spin cycle.
"Woah! Woah-wha-woah!" Despite his Quirk still being in effect, Highway can feel his feet lifting off the ground as XLR8's spinning begins to generate a strong enough vacuum. "What are you-WOAH!" And with a final high-speed spin Highway is launched into the air due to the thrust caused by XLR8's mini tornado.
With Highway high in the air, XLR8 takes off and runs up a nearby light post just as Highway begins to fall back towards the ground.
XLR8 rushes up the light post before jumping off, pouncing towards the falling Road Crew boss. With Highway's direction changing he can't use Momentum so as such he delivers a powerful Ultimate Move. "VELOCICRUSH!"
XLR8s legs are nothing but high-speed blurs that deliver a powerful strike after powerful strike, never ceasing as they both continue to plummet.
And then just inches from the pavement, XLR8 spins his body up and around before his tail slams into Highway's skull, smashing it into the pavement!
And with that final strike Baron Highway's lights are punched out.
XLR8 shakes his head as Highway lies unconscious at his feet.
*Beep! Beep!*
XLR8 turns around to find the Hatsume's damaged car rolling up.
A grinning Hatsume rolls to a stop propping her arm out of the window as she smirks up at him. "You need a lift, stranger?"
XLR8 grins, chuckling in response. "I'll walk, thanks."
Hisashi steps out from the passenger seat. "Nice moves, Champ."
"Thanks."
A low pained moan comes from Highway's unconscious form. "Ugh…"
XLR8 leans away, pointing a finger at him. "We might want to tie him up or something."
Chopper lowers the backseat window, popping his head out. ^Wa bop.^
Hisashi nods. "He's right. We'll take care of it." Hisashi strides over, examining the unconscious Highway. "We lost a lot of time thanks to them, go on ahead and stop Rojo before she makes another move."
"Is it really such a good idea for me to go alone? I mean it kinda sounds like I'll be giving Rojo what she wants." XLR8 taps the Omnitrix's symbol to help prove his point.
"I don't know who to send you with." Hisashi admits wishing he did. "I gotta stay with them and get him" He gestures to the Road Crew's boss. "And his crew before they run off." He gestures towards their own crew. "These guys can't do that."
XLR8 understands. "Oh, right." Neither Hatsume nor Chopper are equipped, or even capable of taking on a villain. So it's either Hisashi goes up against a villain who has access to alien tech or Izuku goes to fight the villain with a multitude of powers and the knowledge of how the villain operates? So yeah he's the best choice to go. "I guess I'm on my own then."
Listening in from inside the car, Kraab remains silent, but after a moment he speaks up although hesitantly. "I'll…I'll go."
Both Midoriyas give the cyborg-head odd looks. "You?"
"Yeah…" Kraab hesitates but after a moment he replies back a little more confidently. "Maybe…I can help."
Hisashi frowns, skeptical.
However, XLR8 is a little more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Okay." He's not completely sure why he's agreeing but maybe because…there's a chance: to give Kraab a chance.
And so he reaches in and scoops Kraab's head out from the car.
Hisashi eyes his son worriedly. "Really? Are you sure?"
The azure raptor just shrugs in response. "It's better than nothing, and I might need all the help that I can get." He should also mention this too. "Besides, it's not like he can run away."
Kraab gives the blue lizard a deadpan look. "I hate to admit it but it's true. Can't exactly backstab ya when I don't have any appendages."
Hisashi shakes his head in disbelief; he can't believe he's about to agree with this. "Fine. Take him, although I'm not sure how much he can contribute. But be careful either way."
XLR8 gives a nod in response before turning to address Hatsume. "What exactly am I looking for?"
"The only thing down there." Hatsume responds, gestures towards the miles of open road before them. "You'll know when you see it, trust me."
Kraab deadpans. "Wow… Real helpful." If you couldn't tell, that was sarcasm.
"Ha…ha…" XLR8 laughs sheepishly in response, unsure how to apologize on Kraab's behalf…so he doesn't. Instead he zips away before his time runs out.
Now that XLR8 doesn't have to keep pace with any psycho drivers he can go all out, zooming through the open road so fast you would miss him if you so much as blinked. The only signs of him being there being the gale and tossed up debris left in his wake.
And in just a minute he arrives at his destination, hidden away past miles of farmland and hillsides. XLR8 skids to a stop just before transforming back into his human self. Izuku stares up in awe at what he's found, knowing right away he found what he was looking for.
And what he's found is a massive abandoned race car track, hidden away in the countryside with acres of empty parking lots, a massive arena that should belong to a sports team, and rows of car maintenance garages lining at the opposite end of the arena.
Even Kraab is in awe of the racetrack. "She was right." He admits, impressed. "We will know it when we see it."
If there's a place a rogue mechanic would hideout at it would be here.
"This place is a ghost town." states Kraab while he's tucked away under Izuku's arm.
"No kidding." Izuku murmurs in response. "Bet it was something though at one time."
After scouting out the acres of parking lots, Izuku and Kraab made their way into the racetrack itself. Izuku made his way up the stands before climbing them down towards the track. And now both him and the cyborg are wandering through the abandoned and trashed racetrack.
The surrounding stands are empty and void of life, the box seats and announcer's booth stand empty with broken glass, and tall flagpoles stand bare and uninspiring without their waving colors. As for the racetrack it is littered with trash and rows of long forgotten race cars: the rusted race cars don't sit in any particular order all off set from each other, by how they're positioned it's like someone paused the race in real life and the racecars were forever trapped in that single moment of racing.
Izuku takes Kraab and wanders through the track, quietly passing by the frozen race cars. After a little while he arrives at the end of the immovable race, at the finish line, where he stops in his tracks. Izuku eyes what may have been a crash site as part of the fence protecting the audience has been smashed in and old almost faded scorch marks stain the racetrack and wall. There are even some nasty looking gashes lining the track like a racecar flipped and skidded across the track before it crashed and burned.
Kraab spots the crash site too but doesn't pay it any mind. "Where do you think she's hiding?"
Izuku blinks, snapping back to reality, and giving a shrug in return. "Literally, anywhere."
This place is too big and has too many hiding places.
And so Izuku moves on, leaving behind the crash site, and instead makes his way towards the pit crews. Or at least where they used to be.
As he approaches he notices the piles of broken car parts lining the barriers and rusted broken tools scattered across the pavement. And even though the open garages appear abandoned and forgotten there are in fact signs of someone being here. Dirt has been pushed away leaving behind very obvious tire tracks, very familiar tire tracks that lead right into one of the bigger garages.
Izuku frowns, squatting down so he can hide under the concrete barriers before stealthy crawling his way towards the open garage. The stadium is silent, too silent, making Izuku increasingly nervous as he makes his approach. He makes it to the garage after sneaking his way behind piles of tires and stacks of barrels. He peers inside expecting to find Rojo but instead he finds a more familiar sight: the Rustbucket.
Izuku almost sighs, glad that he found it, but he soon realizes that his worst fear came true. The Rustbucket has been stripped, although most of its frame is still intake, many of its parts having been ripped out or outright taken. The engine's been removed, and the wheels are gone, and the windows are still smashed in but what really has Izuku worried is that the rocket boosters, the hi-tech battering ram, and a lot of interior workings of the RV are straight up missing.
Kraab blinks at the gutted RV. "Well we found the bathtub on wheels."
"Yeah." Izuku frowns, worried, backing away from the open garage. "This is bad, Dad said the tech on the Rustbucket was old but it's still alien tech." He gulps. "And now she has it. And who knows what she'll do with it."
"Then let's find her."
"How?" And then an idea clicks in Izuku's head. "Hang on. Don't you have a scanner or something?"
"Oh, oh, yeah! I do, actually!" Kraab sweat drops, embarrassed in himself for forgetting his own systems.
Izuku stares down at Kraab expectantly waiting for him to tell Rojo's location.
But Kraab just stares back at him just as expectantly. "Well?"
Izuku frowns. "Well what?"
"Well I need to see the area for it to work."
"Oh, ops, my bad." Izuku sheepishly lifts Kraab's head up, turning him towards the racetrack. Izuku then rotates the cyborg head so his eyes can scan the surrounding area.
After a moment Kraab has her location. "I know where she is."
Izuku grins as he brings Kraab down to eye level. "Where?"
And Kraab responds with the most unassuming and chill answer. "Behind you."
"Huh?" The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and Izuku's instincts take over forcing him to duck and roll forward just before a mechanical battle gauntlet can do him in!
Izuku gasps for air, his heart racing a thousand beats a second as he spins around and jumps to his feet.
Rojo smirks, not at all upset that he dodged. "Cool toy you got there." She reels back her arm, showering off her admittedly cool battle gauntlet. "But mine are better."
Rojo stands before Izuku with her newly acquired suit.
The skintight suit is primarily grey with spiked shoulder pads that are red in color and a metal head guard on her forehead. Red wires are lined across the suit giving it a high tech yet rushed look as the wires connect and web around from her tricked out boots, battle gauntlet, and upgraded sonic blaster that are all attached to her body through the suit thanks to her Attachment Quirk, making them a part of her. All together the suit looks rushed like she didn't have enough time to truly stylize it and was only really able to sew on her signature skull emblem onto her chest.
Kraab glares at her from under Izuku's arm. "Who are you calling a toy? I'll have you know I'm a-hmpf!" Izuku quickly shuts him up by clamping his hand over the bot's mouth.
"Rojo." Izuku nervously greets, backing away from the garage and Rojo. "Or rather Akai Kitou."
Rojo pauses, her glare hardening in response.
As he cautiously backs away back towards the racetrack, he goes ahead and explains hoping to draw this all out. "Looked you up after your first arrest. Somehow I missed the news about you escaping prison." Can't be helped when you're constantly on the road and don't always have access to cell service. "I'm sort of impressed yet…terrified."
"Oh, you have no idea how…" Rojo pauses on how she can explain. "Impressive my escape was." She peers up towards the sky where she knows a little invisible drone is watching her every move.
The two sides begin to circle each other, squaring off like they're in some cliché made western movie.
Izuku's fingers clench, ready to grab the Omnitrix in a moment's notice. "I already took out the Road Crew, so I can take you on too!"
"The Road Crew." Rojo scowl hardens but then softens as her eyes, for a moment, show concern. "What about Turbine?"
That throws Izuku off, but he nonetheless gives her an honest answer. "She's fine… She at least didn't get hurt."
Rojo almost looks relieved but she doesn't show it; instead she draws up her battle gauntlet in response. "This is how this is gonna work. I ain't gonna kill you, I'm just gonna rough you up enough that you can't chase me, and then I'll be taking that watch back to Squidface."
Izuku frowns. 'Squidface?' And then he starts when he realizes who she's referring to. "Vilgax?" He knew she was after the Omnitrix for him, but it doesn't really make him feel any better about being right.
Rojo frowns, confused. "Vilgax? Is that his name? God, that's a terrible name? Sounds like a name you'd give a bad guy on a Saturday morning cartoon."
Izuku almost sighs aloud but it's too soon for that. "What about you? What do you know about him?"
"What's there to say?" Rojo scoffs. "He's a big scary guy with a god complex and way too much money on his hands. But hey I know he'll pay me well when I get the bastard what he wants."
'Well that confirms it, she doesn't know that Vilgax is an alien.' Izuku thinks, not all that relieved about it. 'Hopefully we can keep it that way.'
"Before I punch your teeth in, wanna tell me why the guy's after your watch?"
Izuku gives a snippy response. "Yeah, he thinks it'll look good with his eyes."
"Tch. Whatever. Not like it really makes a difference anyway, either way I'm taking that watch." She states with a furious determination the upgraded sonic blaster on her left wrist humming to lie as it begins to charge up power.
Izuku stands still and at the ready his fingers flexing.
Rojo stands just across from him and is just as on edge.
The entire stadium is silent like the entire racetrack is holding its breath as two cowboys prepare to draw their guns at each other.
And just when it seems like the tension couldn't become any worse: Rojo fires!
*VREEEEE!*
The sonic blast is different and far more powerful than it was before: instead waves of red plasma energy radiate forth demolishing and forcing away everything in its path.
Izuku leaps away before he's shot by the plasma blaster, he slides behind the closest race car while dropping Kraab and slamming down on the Omnitrix. "Give me Feedback!" And green light flashes from behind the racecar.
Rojo aims her plasma blaster and fires at the junked race car: the plasma blast obliterates the car causing it to implode under the plasma power.
"Yahhhh!" Kraab's shrilled shouts cry out from the other side of the demolished relic.
Rojo smirks, gleefully admiring her upgraded weapon. "Haha! Cool right? But you would know. After all, it came from your RV." She scans the rows of race cars but the kid's nowhere to be seen. "Where did you come across tech like that anyway?" She creeps closer, ready to blast him that moment she spots him. "Or does U.A. spoil its students that much?"
A small discharge of sparks catches her eye from behind one of the other race cars.
Rojo smirks, striding over, her battle gauntlet and plasma blaster at the ready.
The sparks continue even as she creeps closer, leaning over the side expecting to find something large and monstrous. But instead she is met with a stinging electrical shock to her midsection!
"Yaahh!" Rojo's forced back as electricity courses through her body.
"Hahaha bzz!" A little electrical being zips upward, hovering in the air. "Shocked to see me bzz?" greets a static voiced Buzzshock. "Because I am bzz!" it's been so long that Izuku kinda forgot he had this alien.
"Grr, ragh!" Furious, Rojo attacks swatting at the Megawatt with her battle gauntlet.
Buzzshock zips away, evading the swipe. "My turn bzz! My turn bzz!" Aiming his stubby arms he fires a bolt of electricity at the red-haired villain.
Rojo dives out of the way, rolling onto her knees, and firing another plasma blast up at the little gremlin.
"Hahaha bzz!" Buzzshock howls in laughter, evading the plasma blast after plasma blast with ease. "Hahaha bzz!" He zips away as a blur of electricity, snaking his way past the forgotten race cars.
Rojo immediately chases after him: firing away but missing and imploding more race cars and concrete barriers.
All the while Buzzshock laughs his little head off. "Haha! You can't catch me bzzz! I'm the Buzzshock man, hahaha bzz!"
"You little shit!" Rojo in a fit of anger swings her left arm right into the grill of a nearby race car.
Her battle gauntlet smashes into the car's front, the power propelling it up into the air and thrusting it forward!
"Woah bzz!" Buzzshock sparks and zips out of the way before he's crushed by the incoming flying car!
But he can't relax as Rojo smashes and flings more cars at him!
Buzzshock dodges and zips out of the way of the oncoming cars that smash and crash into the pavement or each other.
"Hahahaha bzz!" When he has his opening, Buzzshock takes off for the sky figuring he can fire down while also staying out of her reach. "What's the matter bzz? Can't you fly too bzz?"
Rojo, instead of getting upset, smirks. She taps the heels of her metal boots together which activates the rocket propelled at the base of her boots. And after a moment to charge up Rojo's thrusted up into the air by her rocket boots.
Watching his foe fly up into the air after him quickly wipes away Buzzshock's cocky smirk. "Oh, you can fly bzz…" It takes him a moment before he zips away in a panic. "Ayh bzz!"
*VREEEEE!*
Rojo fires as she flies after him.
"Woah!"
*VREEEEE!*
"Ah!"
*VREEEEE!*
"Hey! Aah!"
*VREEEEE!*
Buzzshock dives back down towards the track where he glides over the pavement as Rojo fires down at him from above. But after circling the track he arrives back at the maze of race cars. And so he dives in between the cars, snaking and zipping past them until his electrical trail disappears from sight.
Rojo soon follows, crashing down atop a racecar, using her heavy metal boots and battle gauntlet to cushion her own fall while destroying the car below her feet.
She soon hops off, scanning the race way but there's no sign of any movement, sparks, or life.
"Where are you little guy?" Rojo taunts stalking through the rows of racecars. "Don't ya wanna play with me some more?"
From behind and under a pair of cars Buzzshock zips past as silently as possible. The Megawatt quietly trots and zips his way between the cars, making sure to stay out of Rojo's line of sight the entire time.
After some more scurrying around he comes across Kraab's head that was flung back after that first implosion.
"Kraab bzz!" Buzzshock calls out in a hushed shout.
Kraab blinks up at the unfamiliar alien. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, come on bzz." Buzzshock grabs Kraab and tries his best to drag him under a nearby car and out of sight; but with Kraab's head being the same size as him it isn't exactly easy.
After making sure they weren't heard, Buzzshock goes ahead and checks on Kraab.
Kraab however is quick to interrupt. "How can I help?"
"I don't know bzz. What can you even do bzz? You're a head bzz."
"I mean…" Kraab pauses, not totally confident in what he can bring to the table, but as he ponders he eyes the rows and rows of cars which seem to remind him of a little trick of his. "I can interface."
Buzzshock gives him a very questionable look."What did you say bzz?"
"I can interface with almost anything and reprogram it." Well as long as it has some kind of computer chip inside of it then he can have a limited amount of control over machines and other technologies.
"Wait, you mean you could hack into anything this whole time bzz?!"
"Well no not really. It's not like I can just walk up and take over C1-10P, I need legs to do that. And besides hacking into more complex systems can take a while so C1-10P could prevent me from taking control anyway." Basically he's still useless without a body and droids like C1-10P are designed for interfacing so it's like a rookie boxer going against a veteran fighter, Chopper being the veteran fighter in this case.
"Oh, I get it bzz." But how can they use this to their advantage? "What about a car bzz? Can you interface with that bzz?"
In response, Kraab gives Buzzshock a very cocky look.
From nearby, Rojo continues to stalk through the frozen race like a feral cat searching for mice. "Get out here!" She roars as she smashes in the hood of a car!
A bit of static catches her ears and Rojo spins around but finds nothing there.
In the meantime, Buzzshock zips by undetected with Kraab in his stubby hands. Buzzshock tosses them into one of the racecars that looks like it might still be able to move: even if it's covered in rust, the tires are completely flat, and even all the windows have been smashed in a long time ago.
"What now bzz?"
Kraab gestures towards the center of the dashboard, towards the installed computer screen and radio. "Open it up and then place me against it."
Buzzshock rips out the computer screen, it being so old made it easy, and from inside he's greeted by an array of computer chips and wires. He grabs Kraab, flipping him so that his exposed underside is pressed against the opening.
"This better work bzz."
"It will." Wires crawl out from under Kraab's: the wires are thin and small, not strong enough to walk but they are strong enough to snake their way into the car's systems. After a moment he gains access over the racecar. "I'm all set, I just need to interface with it. But first this hunk of junk's gonna need some juice."
"I can take care of that bzz." Buzzshock zips away, weaving his way as an electrical current until he reaches the car's battery.
Meanwhile, Rojo's made her way past all the racecars and now she finds herself at the start of the abandoned track, just before the finish line. She soon comes across the crash site with its scorch marks, gashed pavement, and smashed in fence.
She seems put off by the sight, her expression becoming soft and sorrowful, before averting her gaze; refusing to even think about that nightmare again.
But then the sound of a roaring engine catches her attention.
Rojo spins around only to find a screeching, rattling racecar speed towards her!
"Hahaha bzz!" Buzzshock's staticky laughter echoes from the car as Kraab successfully guides the car right towards the red-haired villain.
Rojo has no time to react before the car slams into her, before crashing itself and her against the concrete barriers!
"Gaahh!" Rojo gasps in pain, the wind being knocked out of her.
"Hahaha bzz! Gotcha ya bzz!" Buzzshock surges his way out from inside the car!
Rojo snarls, swinging her battle gauntlet at him.
But Buzzshock is faster and thus is able to reach her first, grabbing her arm and delivering a powerful surge of electricity! "SHORT CIRCUIT!"
"Eaaaaaaahhhhh!" Rojo scratches in pain, her brain short circuits from the electricity before it all goes dark and she passes out.
Buzzshock lets go of her arm just as her head slumps down onto the hood.
At the sound of Rojo's head falling unconscious and the lack of curses, plasma blasts, or shouting Kraab calls out from within the car. "Did we get her?"
The Megawatt grins. "You bet we did bzz."
"Well, glad I could help…"
Buzzshock's smile widens, glad to hear the news.
"But just so you know I do expect to be awarded for this. I don't work for free; you know."
Buzzshock sweat drops. "Um, yeah, sure, I guess bzz. Haha…ha bzz… "
Unbeknownst to either of them, the invisible scout drone hovers just above, silently watching. The drone quickly assesses the situation as a failure before turning away and gliding up towards the abandoned announcer's booth. The drone flies up above the announcer's booth where it is greeted by another entity.
"I tgo ti rmof eehr."
The entity kneels down and picks up what appears to be a specialized alien launcher. The entity takes the launcher and aims down towards the oblivious Nosedeenian but then they adjust aiming just below the tiny alien.
From down below a grinning Buzzshock has just pried Kraab from out of the car. "Hey, so thank again for your help bzz."
Kraab rolls his eyes trying not to make a big deal out of it. "Don't mention, kid."
"Call me…Deku bzz. Alright bzz?"
"Deku?" Kraab frowns. "Why does that name annoy me?"
Buzzshock just smiles and decides that it would be best not to tell Kraab that it was him that destroyed his whole body declaring himself as Deku.
From above the entirety fires and an odd purple grenade is shot out, plummeting towards the oblivious heroes.
The grenade lands atop a nearby race car and immediately explodes in a brilliant show of fire, smoke, and debris!
"Wahhh bzz!/What in the hell?!" Both Buzzshock and Kraab cry out as the force of the explosion propels them backward!
They both land on the pavement with loud thuds as an eerie purple haze seems to radiate from out of the wreckage. Causing a smokescreen so thick that they can't see the racetrack or even Rojo.
"What's happening bzz?!"
Kraab tries to scan for the source but his eyes are going haywire. "Ahh! This haze! It's messing with my systems!"
The sound of a jetpack can be heard from nearby.
Fearing that Rojo woke up and is now trying to escape with her rocket boots, Buzzshock fires into the haze, firing bolt after bolt but coming up empty every time.
Buzzshock hovers up into the air, sparks dancing off his body as he prepares himself for another round. But the haze soon dissipates, vanishing just as quickly as it arrived.
Buzzshock frowns, finding nothing out of the ordinary. "What was that bzz?"
"Kid-um, Deku!"
Buzzshock spins around in response to Kraab's call. "What's up bzz?"
"Haven't you noticed anything missing?"
Buzzshock frowns before it eventually clicks. He spins around and his heart plummets when he discovers that Rojo's disappeared. "She escaped bzz…! Again bzz!"
"I can't believe it. Look what they did to her!" Tears drip down Hisashi's face as he embraces his gutted Rustbucket.
After dropping off the Road Crew at the local police station they were then able to use a tow truck and Four Arms to help tow the Rustbucket back to Hatsume's garage.
The local police are out searching for Rojo, having called in other officers and heroes to help in the search for the prison escapee but so far there doesn't appear to be any signs of her.
And so they could do nothing else but come back to the garage, where Hisashi's mourning over the great tragedy done to his RV.
"Hey, it's okay, we can fix her." Izuku tries to comfort him but he might as well be telling a baby to stop crying.
Kraab isn't helping in these matters. "So quiet it with the water works will ya?"
"Um, not now Kraab, he needs a minute."
"No, he's right." Hisashi takes a shaky breath, whipping his nose, bending over as he tries to compose himself by pep talking to himself. "Pull yourself together, Hisashi. It's fine just a family heirloom's only been defiled is all." He shakily nods his head as if trying to force himself to buy into his own lie. "It's fine. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good."
Izuku pockets his hands into his hoodie while giving his Dad a concerned look. "You sure?"
"Yeah." Hisashi still doesn't sound all too convinced though.
"Don't you worry!" Hatsume unapologetically inserts herself into the conversation. "I'll fix her up as good as new."
Hisashi lights up, like a child who was told he'd have his favorite stuffed toy fixed up in no time. "Really?"
"Yup!"
"Thank you!"
"Sure thing, it'll take a few days, but I can do it!" She then winks, sticking her tongue out from the side. "Of course my mechanic skills don't come cheap so be ready to pay up."
Hisashi doesn't even care, he's just happy to hear that a precious family heirloom will be fixed. "Hey, no problem, and we'll help you out too! Chop's a pro at this kinda stuff and I know my way around a duct tape roll pretty well."
"No, need! I can handle this all on my own!" Even so Hatsume's eyes light up like stars when they land on Chopper. "But I'd be more than happy to see your robot in action again!"
"Don't worry you will."
"Haha!"
^Wa wa…^ Chopper backs away nervously, Hatsume's laughter is making him a little too nervous.
Izuku sighs before stepping forward and addressing the pink-haired mechanic. "Thanks for your help by the way. You didn't have to go out of your way for us."
"But I didn't do it for you!" She responds with an unapologetic grin. "I did it out of principle! And besides I got to try out a few of my babies today too!"
Izuku beams. "Like the car!"
"Haha! You bet ya! Say do you want something like that for yourself? It'd be really cool!"
Izuku is quick to shake his head, albeit with a kind smile. "No thanks. Why do I need a car for? I mean I have a transformation who can fly and another that can get me across town in less than a minute. But thanks anyway."
"Well, if you change your mind you just let me know! Oh! And that goes for any other support items you think you'll need. Come to me first before anyone else got it?!"
Izuku chuckles. "Yeah, I got it. Besides, I might wanna give my Omni-Shield a redesign or at least a new feature."
"I'll get right on making the designs!" Hatsume rushes away snatching up piles of blueprint paper up in her arms.
"Hey wait! But it's still at school!"
"That's fine! I'll work on it when we get back to class! Hahaha!"
Izuku sweat drops but he doesn't want to bother ruining her fun.
Hisashi, listening in, has a thoughtful expression. "Hey, Hatsume."
The pink-haired teen's eyes Zoom up at Hisashi. "What's up?!"
"If you want something to work on other than the Rustbucket, how about this?" Hisashi presents the electrical spear. "I've kinda grown to like it. But the design and function's kinda lame. Think you can do something with it?"
"Can I do something?!" Hatsume shouts, ecstatic, snatching the spear right out from his hands. "This thing is a piece of crap!"
Hisashi's not sure if he should be offended or not, but then again if she's willing to work on it then he can't complain.
"Hahaha! Just you wait and see, I'll turn this shit into something so good you won't even recognize it! Hahaha!"
"Well, I'm glad you're excited."
"Hahaha! I'll get to work on it right away!" And she dashes off further into the garage in search of materials.
As Hatsume runs off it finally gives the Midoriyas and the bots a moment to catch their breaths. But Hisashi doesn't want to waste this chance, now that Hatsume's out for now, he needs to address the true matter of the day's events. "So, was Rojo working for Vilgax?"
Izuku frowns, uncertain. "I'm…not exactly sure."
"What do you mean you're not sure?"
"I mean she didn't even know who Vilgax was when I said his name. And from what I can tell she thinks Vilgax is a rich greedy maniac from another country. Or that she's actually working for someone else with a lot of influence and I'm just assuming it's Vilgax because she was targeting the Omnitrix, again."
Hisashi frowns, not finding that last idea at all plausible. "Yeah, but if Vilgax used her before-"
Izuku finishes Hisashi's thought. "-then he probably had her go after me again." The thought makes Izuku's spine shiver. "This is bad. I thought we jammed Vilgax's signal. He shouldn't be able to track me!"
"He can't. One-One and Nezu both worked on that program together, so it works." Hisashi can say that for certain.
"So how did she find me?"
It's actually Kraab who provides an answer. "Social media?"
The Midoriyas all stare at Kraab like he grew a second head.
"What?" Kraab blinks up at them, confused by their odd looks. "Hey, look I'm no expert on this kinda stuff but from what C1-10P has shown me, you're all over the news…Deku."
Hisashi spins around, his stern gaze quickly landing on the astrodroid. "Have you been showing him around Facebook?"
Chopper tries to defend himself, not at all denying the accusations. ^Wa wa bop wa.^
"I know you like memes but don't share them with a galactic bounty hunter!"
"But he does have a point." Izuku confirms with a nod. "People know me from the Sports Festival and the Hosu Incident. So maybe Vilgax or at least Rojo was tracking me via social media."
If movies have shown him anything, it can be done. All someone has to do is search for his name or type in #UAsRisingStar and all sorts of photos or shots of him will pop up; along with the location of where he was last seen. Heck it even started for Uraraka and other classmates like Yaoyorozu and even Todoroki.
"See!" Kraab cheers. "He gets it!"
And so does Hisashi. "I'll contact Nezu and see what he thinks of this. Maybe him and the others can look into it for us. And maybe they can get a lead on Rojo better than we can."
Izuku nods, but he can't help but feel a bit nervous and disappointed. "Okay. I'd hate to cut our trip short."
"Hopefully we won't have to. If anything, if Vilgax is actually tracking us through social media then that means he'll have a real hard time if we're constantly moving." So staying on this trip might actually be the best option. "Besides, he knows better to make his presence too obvious, otherwise we'll have the necessary evidence we need to persuade the Plumber command to send us help. Which would only harm his own plans." And Hisashi knows first-hand how well Vilgax handles his plans being thwarted. "And if Vilgax did hire Rojo I wouldn't doubt if he threatened to end her if she failed the first time."
Izuku gulps, his face playing with worry. "She's failed twice already so…"
He can't even bring himself to finish his question. But he doesn't have to as Kraab goes ahead and clarifies it for him.
"She might not be our problem anymore."
Rojo is dropped without a care, her suit and support items clanging against the cold metal floor. Her eyes blink open, her daze dizzy and groggy as she begins to regain consciousness.
"Ow. That's smart." She groans holding her head as she props herself up. "Where am I?"
She tries to look around, but her daze is too foggy, but she can make out a few things; she can see…people at work on what she thinks are computer screens, and there's a strange giant glue orb in the distance just past the working people. But yet none of this feels right, it feels too cold, too unforgiven, too alien to her.
"Uh!" Rojo gasps, scrambling away as her vision clears and she finds herself at the feet of the one who brought her here.
Standing over her is a strange humanoid who's dawning a full set of high-tech purple and dark armor. The entity's like nothing she's ever seen but she can tell this…thing is armed to the teeth from his sharp black claws, to the blasters mounted to his wrists, and the cold dangerous gaze of his helmet's red eyes.
Rojo scrambles away on the floor, she's not sure why but she can feel that this person isn't right, he isn't natural. "W-who are you?!"
The armored entity gestures in greeting, his voice gravelly and gurgly. "Mi' aanmtb."
Rojo frowns, even more confused by the thing's unintelligible gibberish.
"Mi' usjt knddiig. Mi' seevvnnees, iecn ot eemt ay."
Rojo shakes her head, shaking off the urge to panic. "Why'd you bring me here? Where are we?"
A cold chilling presence makes itself now, instantly emanating an air of dread and forbidding doom. "You're in my domain now, Rojo."
Rojo shakily turns around and she nearly gasps aloud when she finds a towering Vilgax looming over her pathetic human form.
Rojo gulps, remembering the Squidface's promise from before. But before she faces her doom she scans the room again and what she sees really begins to upset her: strange humanoid-drones are scurrying about at their station, behind Vilgax stands an inhuman red-eyed skeletal freak with a fin on his head, and that giant blue orb she saw before is actually…Earth! It's Earth, sitting just outside a massive window!
"What in the world?"
"No, not from your world." Vilgax leans in, his gaze drilling through her skull and to her very soul. "But from mine."
Psyphon grins creeping, cackling, finding the human's expression hilariously pathetic. "Hehehehe…"
Rojo's stunned, her mind unable to fully comprehend what is happening. "W-what kind of p-person a-are you?"
Vilgax backs away allowing her to see him at his proudest. "I'm what you humans call…an alien."
"A-alien…?" Rojo can almost laugh at how ridiculous that sounds but then…why is she freaking out? Why? Is it…is it because she knows that on some level, she knows he's telling the truth. Is he really an alien? "Y-yeah, r-right." She scoffs in denial.
Vilgax expected this and so he looks towards his newest enforcer, and with a nod of his head he signals for him to act.
The enforcer nods in response, he then reaches for his helmet and deactivates it before ripping it off his head.
"Ahh! Ahhh! Aaahhhh!" Rojo screams at the top of her lungs, backing away out of pure utter fright at the sight of the creature's mangled grotesque face with all its sharp jagged teeth, grey sickly skin, and inhuman eyes. "AAAHHH!"
Believing that to be sufficient Vilgax gestures for the enforcer to dawn his helmet once again, which the being is more than pleased to do so.
Rojo manages to calm down, but her breathing is labored and fast, her heart beating so hard it's drumming in her ears. But…she knows she knows it to be true. He is…they are…they're aliens… "W-what do you w-want with me?" She breathes, breaking into a cold terrified sweat. "Are you gonna kill me?"
Vilgax's eyes pierces right through her. "No."
Even with her life not on the line Rojo knows instantly that this…alien must have something far worse in mind for her.
"Understand this Akai Kitou; I don't appreciate failures; however, I never toss away a useful tool. You may still serve a purpose, one that you may also find…mutual."
Rojo shakily nods, letting him know that she understands. But she has to know more? Just what is he? What is he after? Where did he come from? But more importantly… "W-who are you?"
"I am Vilgax. And I welcome you to my rule, Rojo."
Psyphon breaks into a haunting cackle as do the humanoid drones furthering to disturb the poor human.
Eve Vilgax's newest enforcer find himself cackling into the void. "Kloo uto rreedas, teh ltpo si gckhtiienn."
THE PREVIEW:
Izuku: Man I sure do feel sorry for my Dad. The Rustbucket really means a lot to him.
Buzzshock: Don't worry about it, dude bzz. Hatsume's gonna fix up the old RV as good as knew just you wait and see bzz!
Izuku: I know… But I can't help but be worried. We lost the Rustbucket and now Vilgax has Rojo and a new bounty hunter on his side!
Buzzshock: Okay, yeah that's bad but hey we can take them bzz. No sweat bzz!
Izuku: I don't know, shouldn't we be more worried?
Buzzshock: Na, I wouldn't be bzz. It's summer vacation! We shouldn't be worrying about this kind of stuff bzz!
Izuku: I guess you're right… You know I wonder if anyone else's summer break is as crazy as mine is.
Buzzshock: Meh, who knows bzz? I mean you can always send a text to Uraraka if you're so curious bzz.
Izuku: Yeah, maybe I will. Wait, oh, look she just sent me a photo…
Buzzshock: Who is that bzz?
Izuku: I don't know but it can't be good. I just hope he's not after the Omnitrix either.
Buzzshock: Hang on bzz. Did you see that bzz?! Vilgax just recruited him too bzz?!
Izuku: WHAT!? No! Not him, please! This can't be happening… Can we be worried now?
Buzzshock: *gulp* Yeah, we can be worried now bzz…
Both: Next time: Ch.52 Divide and Unite!
Buzzshock: Devils making deals with other devils…that can't be good, can it bzz?
And that was Ch.51, honestly it wasn't my best work but I tried. I definitely could have cut a lot more and I did try to. But it's not all that bad besides I think it sets up quite a lot for the future. So just to be clear I will finally be delving more into the plot for future arcs and events. And yes Rojo joined Vilgax and alongside her is not SixSix but SevenSeven! And I will explain more about him next time and perhaps even delve into the true fate of SixSix. If you recall I did leave SixSix's fate open ended and I finally have an idea I like to do with him.
And also…yeah I admit it I like the idea of Kraab becoming Izuku's personal droid. I'm still figuring out the finer details, but it is coming together.
Also the next chapter is for sure gonna take a long while. I will be away from my computer for a little while (a week maybe) so the next chapter will be delayed. By how much? IDK! But who knows? If I can work on it I will but I can't make any promises. BUT it's not all bad news as you will soon see.
***Important Announcement: So after making you guys wait so long for me to update again and again. I decided that I'm gonna do something a bit different. In a week I will be posting a separate fanfic story that does connect with this main story. However, it is nothing special. This sister story will just be a collection of Omakes both old and NEW.
I already have several ideas that I want to do for an Omake, and I will use this next week to write them. My plan is that I will post at least one Omake a week whenever I am unable to update this story. Basically this way you guys get something new; I can write up something quick and easy, and this way you know for sure that I am working on the main story.
If you have suggestions please hold off on sharing them for now. I will have a set of rules for Omakes to share when I post this new side story. If you start posting suggestions now then I cannot at all guarantee that it will even be considered. Thank you and I hope you all look forward to the new Omakes.
*So to be frank only one person got that "Akai Kitou" was actually Rojo. Congrats to reader, "Anonymous Idea," for figuring it out! You knew Akai meant Red and thus you knew it was Rojo.
So in a previous author note I mentioned that I did give Japanese names to Ben Ten characters, and I based the names off the same method Horikoshi uses to name his characters.
So just to clarify this is what Rojo's name means. "Akai" means Red, "Ki" means Machine, and "Tou" means Pilfer. So Rojo's name Akai Kitou translates to Red Machine Pilferer.
I actually thought it was obvious, but I guess not.
*Easter Eggs woah! 1. Those penguin cops were the MHA versions of the Penguins of Madagascar, you know Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private. I rewatched that movie as I started the chapter so that's why I added them. 2. "Roller Coaster Road of Furano, Hokkaido" is actually a real place. 3. The "Midoriya Special" is a riff of the "Mitchell Special" from the movie "The Mitchells vs. the Machine." 4. XLR8's "Velocicrush" move is taken from a Kinship Move from the video game "Monster Hunter Stories 2" also you can blame that game for delaying this chapter. And no I'm not sorry for my taste in games :) 5. Rojo's Battle Gauntlet is a version of the Marvel Villain Crossbones' Battlefield Gauntlet. You know the one he used against Capt. America and later Shocker used to fight Spider-Man. 6. Baron Highway's Rocket Hammer is straight out of Fortnite. 7. Also did you cacth the MCU's Hulk Lullaby during the chapter?
*Turbine's Quirk, Velocity: with a flick of her finger she can accelerate an object's speed from zero to hundred in a mere instant, but it has to be an item she can actually flick and apply a greater amount of force to.
*Road Rage's Quirk, Road Rage, is as it sounds. When he curses and swears those that hear it become enraged but only for two minutes or so.
*Baron Highway's Quirk, Momentum, is an odd one I admit but with a catch. He can maintain a constant speed of his choosing while becoming near invisible to physical forces. Turning himself into an unstoppable force that cannot be stopped even by concrete, trees, or buildings. However, his Quirk becomes null and void the moment he changes direction in any way. So if he's moving at 25 miles per hour down a stretch of road but then if he turns his Quirk automatically cancels out.
Responses for "Guest" reviewers from Ch.50:
Guest: Great chapter, I was the guy that was talking about the plant dragon; or rather Snap Dragon as it's called. It was a creature that lived in the null void before escaping and making a nest in Seattle and spreading plant pods. You can see more about it on youtube or on the Ben 10 wiki, but I know the chances of you incorporating it into this story is silm to none.
Can't wait to see what you have planned for next chapter. Is every event this arc gping to have Izuku meeting with one of his classmates and saving the day? If you do that weather episode at that concert, I'd guess Jiro and Kaminari would be involved with that. But that's just a speculated guess.
CreateGunner1209: Thanks! And yeah that Snap Dragon is probably not gonna make an appearance. But hey you never know at some point I will be open to suggestions so just keep it around and remind me when that time comes. And for the most part Izuku will be meeting up with another MHA character. I mean as you saw in this last chapter he met with Hatsume. But next chapter will be an exception as we'll be focusing one chapter back on Uraraka and what she's up to.
Atom king: This is fun and awesome chapter with Izuku meeting Tsuyu and family like younger brother and sister and their grandpa hop Pop, I like the references of The Muppets Kermit the frog and the old video game frogger, that's fun.
I love that Tsuyu is in this chapter cause she is one of my favorite characters in the show with how blunt she can especially towards her friends now in this chapter it's seem she took Gwen role of the skeptic with the the krakens existence and her reaction of the it being real is great with her trying to find a reason on what going on, I really can't wait for Tsuyu reaction towards the existence of aliens I can imagine her brain just shutting down and than go into extreme denial about it that would be interesting.
Now about Izuku unlocking a new alien bullfrag the Incursean I'm curious on to why the Omnitrix choose that alien instead jetray was it random or was because Tsuyu own frog DNA messing with the Omnitrix?
I love the princess and the frog bit with Tsuyu little sister asking if Tsuyu kiss bullfrag will he turned back in a prince that funny and sweet at same time, it also makes wanna ship them even more.
We introduce to an new villain apex with power to turn in dinosaur like monsters I feel this is a reference to both Godzilla and the marvel hero reptile I mean the fight between the kraken and apex is awesome.
I love the teamwork that Izuku and Tsuyu show in this chapter they just seem to make a good team, I hope the two meet each other again in later summer chapters.
The secret Saturdays are in this world Thai is awesome I can't wait to see what you plan for them In the story, now the big cliffhanger at the end of the chapter of the escape prisoner I'm trying to remember is someone we already met or is it someone new I'm excited to find out.
CreateGunner1209: I'm so glad it was fun because it sure was a lot of fun to write. And Tsu is one of my favorite characters too.
Why Bullfrag? I can answer that but I won't. Not to be mean but because there was a good reason for it.
And Apex was sort of on the whim decision but he was based on the One Piece character "Page One" as mentioned in the previous Author's Note.
And yes the Secret Staturdays do exist and I hope to use them at least for one chapter later down the line.
As for the prisoner, well you have an answer now: it was Rojo. And to be clear i didn't reveal her real name until Ch.48 or 49 but it was made the same way Horikoshi names his characters. You can read up more about it in the Author's Note above.
Guest: Me pareseria genial que izuku enpesara a comer comida alien
CreateGunner1209: He might give it a shot but for now he'll stick to his uninspired human food
Jakesurfboy: This is probably one of my favorite chapters you wrote, it was fun and entertaining to read and it was just so well written. Also I can't believe I forgot Izuku had Ripjaws already but since he wasn't used since the USJ (I think) I forgot all about him having Ripjaws and now I feel like I need to keep a list just so I don't forget anymore. Introducing BullFrag was a good idea but I have a hunch it wasn't a coincidence that BullFrag was unlocked when Tsuyu saved him, if I put up my Todoroki theory board for a moment, it is possible you have planned for Tsuyu to be the next alien hybrid after Mina and she be introduced to the plumbers especially after Hisashi talked to her about being able to get along with a team near the end of the story. Coincidence, I think NOT. Then again I could just thinking things way out of proportion but you have to admit that would be a very cool idea. Can't wait for the next chapter
CreateGunner1209: Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm actually really proud of it, I mean ideas I've had for nearly a year now finally were put onto a page: Tusyu and Hop Pop interacting with Midoriyas, the Kermit and Frogger joke, the Kraaken chase scene, oh man was it great!
Also there is a reason I keep saying at the start of the chapter that this story has a TV tropes page. So if you goggle "tvtropes it's hero time heroes never die" you will find a site with everything you need to know about this story. Including a full list of what aliens Izuku has.
Guest: At the beginning of the year you said that you thought you would make it to the provisional license exam this year. Is that still true?
CreateGunner1209: No. I wish it was but that was back when some chapters took a week to write up. So if anything we will be really lucky if we make it to Kamino Ward by then. I wish it was different but that's just how it is :(
Guesto: For the life of me i can't remember if said akai kitou was introduced before on the fic, so i will assume it will appear on the next chapters. I really liked this chapter as it allowed for tsui to shine. It would be cool to see other characters like momo or shinso to get their own chapters in this arc and maybe interact with parts of the ben 10 universe, or just make an appearance in the next chapters. If people are going to appear on the next chapter my guesses in a listed fashion would be:
1. Shoto, due to that chill comment bullfrag did.
2. Kaminari, because his quirk is probably useful in a workshop.
3. Shinso, just because/
Feel free to me if i don't get any of the guesses right.
CreateGunner1209: Akai Kitou was technically introduced but Rojo's name wasn't revealed at the time or her introduction. This was a way to surprise/hint to you guys that she was returning to the story. And sorry to say but none of your guesses were correct: it was Hatsume. BUT I do plan for future chapters to have other MHA characters involved. This chapter admittedly didn't use Hatsume all too well but trust me that will be different later on.
DeadCool14: Congrats on your 50th chapter! For real this time!
Can't wait to see what you've got planned for Upgrade
Wow, I did not expect Bullfrag to show up this early but it's a welcomed surprise. Also didn't you say that Bullfrag would flirt with Tsu?
Will Incurseans be more similar to toads to differentiate them from Tsu? And in 5 Years later the Incursean's home planet is given a name: Kalilian; in case you wanna use it for the story and put in the TV Tropes page.
Love Cannon Busters! The theme fits so well
Oh my God yes! Hop Pop! XD
And since he's from Tsu's mom's side of the family is his name still Hopediah Plantar? Like that's Tsu's mom's maiden name? Also Frogger and Kermit, nice
Secret Saturdays yes! I loved that show as a kid, it's so underrated
I absolutely loved that Gravity Falls reference, I forgot to mention it last time.
Ok I understand, I just thought they were really cool characters and they could've been some good antagonists, and yeah no one knows much about them because they only showed up in a weird Japanese arcade game but that could've worked a lot for you, you could've given them any backstory or personalities you wanted
Is Feedback also Deku's favorite alien like Ben?
Aside from ML-E are the other Kineceleran kids gonna appear?
Is Side Quests part of the Road Trip Arc?
Are you gonna do Destroy All Aliens?
Speaking of Invincible, can Hisashi say the line "When in doubt, throw them into space"? As a reference and so that Deku may use it later for a special moment? You know what moment I'm talking about, right?
Are you gonna have a reason as to how Tetrax knows Deku has Chromastone when he gets unlocked? Cuz I always wandered about that in Alien Force, like seriously how did Tetrax know Ben had Chromastone?
What do you think about this special move for Heatblast?: It would basically be Kirishima's Red Gauntlet but he'd call it Heatstrike, like heatstroke, it makes sense because Deku is always taking inspiration from everyone and it would be a good way to surprise an opponent since Heatblast is usually a long-ranged fighter and him suddenly going in for a punch would be unexpected, also the fact that anyone would freak out if a walking bonfire charged at them
Are you gonna elaborate on Thirteen's physique later on, to have jokes about people hitting on her? Because according to lines on the exam arc she appears to be really hot. And if so will she be very shy about people gawking at her due to how developed she is and that's why she wears her huge costume?
I understand, I just think it would be a fun reference
CreateGunner1209: Thanks! And yes as of last chapter I officially reached 50 chapters! Woah!
And as for Incurisans…I still think of them more as frogs.
As for Hop Pop he has a different name since he's actually Japanese.
Feedback was meant to be but I haven't had Izuku use him all that much (that's on me) honestly at this point his favorite is probably Diamondhead or even Stinkfly.
Yes more Kineceleran kids will appear but like everything else I will show them in due time.
The Side Quests chapter is what I consider a transitional chapter. Like it transitions from the Exam Arc to the Road Trip arc. Also if you want to know how many more chapters there will be the answer is about 8 chapters. One chapter was going to be one whole chapter but after looking at it it will have to be a 2 parter and I am adding one last chapter for pure fun but to also introduce some fun Ben Ten characters.
The Destroy All Aliens? Perhaps I can't say for certain right now.
I get the line but I can't promise Hisashi will use it. Not because I don't like it but because of the situation I already have planned.
I'm still figuring out the Chromastone thing for Tetrax for now don't even worry about it.
Cool move but we'll see if I can use it.
No I wasn't gonna elaborate on Thirteen's physique. I mean yeah she'll be out of her usual costume more but I wasn't gonna go that explicit into it.
DeadCool 14 (again): Would Uraraka and Rath get along with Nirengeki Shoda from Class B? Because he likes boxing too
When Echo Echo shows up can you do these scenes for him? watch?viTXRpHq2Fp8 except for 1:12 I feel like that would be Ditto
To sort of justify why Kickin Hawk is such a good fighter, will Liam be a good fighter himself? Like maybe Liam's species are all naturally gifted fighters?
When you introduce Cooper will he be a hero student in another school like Kai?
Can you have Henzu or Kaminari do this at some point please? XD
watch?vJdFVacbyUrA
Did Inko and Endeavor meet before he and Hisashi stopped being friends? If so what did they think of each other at the time?
In the AO3 version of the story there's a tag for female/female pairings, does that mean that you're gonna add the fact that Nejire is a lesbian?
When Deku gets his costume upgraded can he have the visor Ben has in 5 Years Later? wiki/Ben_Tennyson it could be good replacement for his mask
Could you add this ship? Pony x Shoji as irony because in the manga she says she doesn't like him because she doesn't like octopuses also because Shoji deserves a lot more moments specially given his issues with his appearance and I think they'd be cute together
CreateGunner1209: Would they get along? Probably.
Also the link doesn't work. In the future if you want me to watch something just tell me exactly what to google or search for on youtube. Because nothing you wanted me to see worked at all.
Also that's how the Omnitrix works. It gives the user the most fittest form of the species it receives. So Kickin Hawk is already good because his species are natural fighters. That's their superpower like Heatblast is fire control, or Stinkfly can fly and spit goop.
I was gonna have Copper be part of the Plumber's Helpers in a way. But that is all being reworked to fit in better.
Again the URL doesn't work on fanfic.
Yes, Inko and Endeavor met before.
Okay I'll be real with you all of the pairing stuff on AO3 is just to help lure in readers. Not saying there won't be pairings like female/female I mean I like idea of Kirishima having 2 moms. But yeah that stuff was put there so when people search for MHA stories on AO3 and they search for pairings my story will still show up. Basically it was a calculated move.
Again the URL failed. Also I like Izuku's mask or at least the respirator part of it. And I have my own idea on how to change it.
And stop asking about that ship if I didn't answer it the first time it was probably for a reason. And the reason is no because I don't buy into it either.
Shark: Really enjoying these "laid back" chapters, but who in the world is Akai kitou?
CreateGunner1209: Akai Kitou is Rojo. And her name translates to Red Machine Pilferer.
Guest: I want to see brainstorm out smart momo it will be funny
CreateGunner1209: Yeah…I rather see them work together or heck why not a chest match between Brainstorm and Nezu?
Guest: Is he gonna meet all his classmates on this trip cause I want to get to the training camp
CreateGunner1209: No he won't meet all his classmates. This arc is only gonna be about 8 more chapters or so. One chapter is gonna have to split into 2 parts and I'm adding one extra chapter for fun and to introduce two fan-favorite Ben Ten characters.
Guest: Can he unlock master control before he goes to camp
CreateGunner1209: You'll have to wait and see. I don't want to make Izuku too Op otherwise that literally eliminates all tension from the story
Guest: I would love to see way big beat the shit out of muscular
CreateGunner1209: I have something in mind for Muscular and Way Big
Guest: You almost ship deku and tsuyu I wouldn't mind but I prefer deku x mina
CreateGunner1209: I guess we'll see, I am still hesitate to ship characters.
Dreadbot: I love this chapter the kraken episode from Ben 10 is one of my favorites I like how you included tsuyu and her family I liked how they called their grandpa Hop Pop which is a reference to amphibia which I really like and I liked how at the end chopper and crabby were playing dungeons and dragon I thought that was really funny and I love the giant monster fight you can never go wrong with one of those love your story please keep writing sorry if it's long
CreateGunner1209: It's one of my favorites too. I've had the idea for Tsuyu and Hop Pop being there for nearly a year now. And the D&D gag was one of my "editor's" idea so you can thank them. And yeah you can never go wrong with a giant monster fight.
CatterPix: Doesn't Izuku have the classic omnitrix? If so then there are buttons right?
CreateGunner1209: Yes it's the classic but even Ben said at some points it was pressure points that activates it. Basically it was one of those things that was never properly addressed. But it doesn't really matter
Paradox: A wonderful chapter. I love how you take ideas from the original Ben 10 and add the MHA traits or aliens Ben didn't have to change them. It doesn't just make a good story but a fun game if 'spot the differences'. I also like that Izuku is getting a chance to interact with some of his classmates on a more personal level over this trip. It really helps character development when you can trim the cast list for a few chapters. Also you may want to be ready for people to put on their shipping goggles after this chapter.
CreateGunner1209: Thanks for the great review! It means so much that this "What if" story is really working out. Because the question I wanted to answer was "What if Deku had the Omnitrix?" and this is my answer!
Guest: One thing why I love this story. Is even tho deku and ochako are the protagonists in this story. You still give other characters a chance to shine. Really helps with the world building
And I wouldn't worry about the whole shipping thing (tho I'm a fan of the deku and tsyua ship) for now just focus on what YOU Wanna do, it's your story, your choice.
CreateGunner1209: Thanks, I am trying. And yeah it is my story but I can't help but be a bit hesitant with things. But thank you for the kind words.
Dark Thundercat: I've always thought that what All Might thinks of the Quirkless is not just prejudice. I suppose a part of him did mean that without a Quirk, hero work would be more dangerous. But still wouldn't it be just as dangerous if I was a cop or something? Although those jobs are often looked down upon as he put it, so he didn't think about it anyway.
But the fact that he literally forgot what, and Aizawa and Nighteye were heroes whose Quirks are useless in fighting and who nevertheless had the ability to defend themselves and do their job properly ... anyway, it seemed strange to me that he didn't tell him. to Izuku at first that to try it he had to train and that, not just saying "sorry boy, but without a Quirk you can't" because to be fair, even with a Quirk there is no guarantee that nobody will accept him as a hero. Hitoshi Shinsho? A character whose power is to control the minds of others, was seen in a bad way by society and considered a villain (how convenient for the spectators of the sports festival to change their minds, eh?).
Anyway, what I'm going to is ... well, at least I think, that All Migth was ashamed of his past as Quirkless. Why? Well, because maybe the same thing happened to Izuku, maybe not in the sense of bullying, but he must have felt that he was worth nothing without a Quirk and that his dream of becoming a pillar for society was impossible without a power. And it is possible that, because of that, once he received Nana's One for All, he decided to forget about his origins so he would not have to think about the days when he was just a nobody. And seeing Izuku as a Quirkless, he thought back to the times when he was the same and it made him bitter. What do you think? Should a scene be put between him and Gran Torino in which the latter reproaches him for his behavior, claiming his former status as Quirkless and saying that his inner shame clouded his judgment?
CreateGunner1209: It's not a bad idea and I see your points, I do. Perhaps there will be a scene like this but it probably won't be during this arc.
Guest: Are you going to have Izuku training his new forms during this road trip? Like how they try to have Ben do in Tetrax's debut episode? As well as himself and learning anything on quirkless hand to hand from his dad?
In addition, what episodes from the original series are you going to have involved in this road trip arc? I imagine that a lot of then will have Izuku work alongside a specific classmate or classmates like Tsyuu and the other two.
I can see Kiminari and Jiro being involved a version of the Monster Weather. And Momo being involved with the episode of Cyber Squids and Brainstorm debuting there since the cyber squids are from Encephalonus IV.
So many possibilities. Though one main question I have is, will you have an overarching antagonist for this arc specifically? I mean not on the level of AFO or Vilgax, but like how each Omniverse season had a main antagonist at the end of the season.
Keep up the good work. Can't wait to see what's next.
CreateGunner1209: I wasn't planning to since training his aliens and powers is the whole point of going to U.A. But learning something or at least having something to defend himself without the Omnitrix is on my mind and will be addressed down the line.
As for espidoses…I'm not gonna say because that would seriously spoil a lot. I will say that more of the upcoming chapters won't so much be based off single episodes but rather a mix of elements from different episodes.
And if you can tell from the ending of this chapter the main villain will be Vilgax in a way. More or less I am going to start using this Road Trip Arc to introduce new badies that will either join Vilgax and/or help set up future conflicts and events later in the future. Because if there was another villain I would have introduced them by now.
Guest: I feel like Izuku was dumbed down too much, because he was the one questioning so many things this chapter. I mean, it feels like his analytical abilities are just gone ans you're beginning to make him too similar to Ben in some ways.
Just feel like you should be warned before you accidentally make Izuku's character go completely off the rails.
CreateGunner1209: I can get that and I do understand, thank you for your input.
Guest: Love the story. But I do think you are giving Izuku to many new transformations to fast. I would slow it down a bit.
CreateGunner1209: Well if you read the Authors Note from Ch.50 you'd know I said not every chapter would give Izuku a new alien. Besides, one of the points of this Road Trip arc is to give Izuku new transformations. Not a ton but just a few more.
My mom: Great as always man keep em coming!
CreateGunner1209: Thanks, I will surely try my best.
Magic mushroom: This story of yours is divine
CreateGunner1209: Thank you, and so are my readers.
Guest: Will you be doing different dimesions? Also if you are will there be different dimensions with Ben as the Omnitrix user?
CreateGunner1209: I suggest you read my Special Announcements chapter. But the short answer is yes, but if you want to know more info check out the "Special Announcements" chapter.
Guest: RATH: LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING AUTHOR OF THIS FANFICTION STORY WHO GIVE US SOMETHING TO READ RATH SHOULD HAVE BEEN BEEN IN THE LAST CHAPTER BECAUSE RATH GOES BEFORE EVERYONE SO LET RATH GO YO ! AS LONG YOU KEEP THAT WATER AWAY FROM RATH DOESN'T DO WET
CreateGunner1209: I think Rath has to choose his battles better :)
Guest: Canonbolt should be next his special move should be call pinball wizard like the song from the who's
CreateGunner1209: I like it but I might put my own spin on the name.
Insert name: This is one of my favourite episodes from the original series. Always loved the Krakken's design.
I like Bullfrag. He's not necessarily strong, but he's agile and a good hand to hand combatant, and like I said, I like the underdog aliens, and I barely see anyone talking about this one. Only shame is that I felt like after his first appearance, he lost that laidback attitude that made him more unique.
Wonder if we'll see more of that electric prod from Hisashi. Is it weird if I keep picturing him like Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop, only with more freckles?
With how Tsuyu seems to hate puns, I can't wait for her to meet Eye Guy. He's full of them, even if you can SEE them coming.
And speaking of her, I see a lot of DekuxTsuyu scenes in this one. Just saying, if you decide on ships for the fic, I wouldn't mind seeing this one~.
Good references with the frog elders. When I realized who Old Frogger was, I had to stop to laugh XD.
And lastly, Chopper and Kraab seem to be becoming brobots slowly. God help us all...
CreateGunner1209: Thanks and the Krakken episode was one of my favorites too. And yeah I like Bulfrag too but after his introduction he just fell away from the show.
And yeah we'll be seeing more of the electrical prod. And for the record I picture Hisashi differently BUT one of my quote on quote "editors" is constantly trying to convince me to outright say that Hisashi looks exactly like Spike Spiegel. So you are not alone in that mentality, and nothing's wrong with it, I just envision Hisashi differently. But I do know for a fact that many others agree with your version more :)
You have no idea how bad I wanna introduce Eye Guy
I loved the Frogger reference too. I had that one planned ever since the Road Trip Arc was a concept (nearly a year ago) and guess what? When I finished the chapter I realised I forgot to write it in! But then I remembered when it was right before posting so I scrambled to fit it in! And phew I did it!
Can of worms: Ever since I found this story each chapter has been nothing but banger after banger and I cannot wait to read more!
CreateGunner1209: Thanks! I hope this latest chapter was able to please.
Dwarf: Please please please tell me this is the start of a Tsu and Izuku relationship!
CreateGunner1209: It might be but I am scared of toxic fandom.
Guest: There's a another person in mind should be in vilgax team is the meta from red vs blue
CreateGunner1209: Thanks for the suggestion but I have a full roster of badies to add to the line up and you'll see why I'm limiting the number
