It's official, this is the story's 2-year Anniversary! That's right this story is officially 2 whole years old! Wow! When I first started drafting up this story, I had no idea it would last this long. But here we are. Unfortunately, I will admit that this chapter is shorter than my previous chapters but more on that at the end. Anyway, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and I hope this chapter can make it a little bit better.
*PLEASE* check out my new side story for this story called "Heroes Never Die; It's Hero Time, Anytime." You will find an assortment of one shots that take place in the canon of this main story. Most are really short little stories but there are full chapters there such as "OVA: My Zombie Academia." Which is a great change from the norm and is again canon to the main 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.*
And with one final turn of her wrench the lugnut's fully locked in place.
"There!" Mei Hatsume cheers, leaning back with a wrench in hand as she wipes her arm over her forehead, smearing the sweat and oil away. "So whatcha think?"
Hisashi Midoriya begins to tear up, his snot dripping down onto his Hawaiian shirt as a joyful smile stretches across his face. "She's beautiful."
She sure is. Within the confines of the large garage, stands the ever-famous Rustbucket. With its signature paint job, rusted underlayer, and clutter of antenna and appliances atop. Almost like it was never torn apart to begin with.
Hisashi sniffs, wiping his nose. "She's as good as new."
The rest of the peanut gallery, however, don't see it.
Izuku sighs, holding Kraab's head. "About time, seriously, it feels like we've been here for months. And it's only been a week!"
Kraab eyes the RV skeptically. "That thing has just as much rust as before…actually I think there's even more now!"
Chopper shakes his head. ^Bwop. Wa.^
Izuku nods, getting Chopper's every other word. "You said it, Chopper. How is that even possible?"
"Hahahaha!" Hatsume cackles, tossing her giant wrench onto her shoulder. "I used as many of the original parts that I could! This masterpiece is a work of art and right now I'm restoring it, not repainting it!"
Izuku pouts. "Well…you could have actually repainted it. You know, maybe get rid of that bash-barf color?"
"Hey!" Hisashi snaps, offended on his RV's behalf. "That color's rare, it's been off the line for decades!"
Kraab scoffs. "I can see why."
Meanwhile, a sniveling Hisashi takes time to admire the rust and quote-on-quote beauty of the Rustbucket, running his hand along its gratty side. "I've known some super geniuses in my day but they're nothing like you."
Hatsume breaks into a wide cocky smile. "Ha! Is that so?"
"Yeah, for one you're actually competent. And you don't blow everything up."
Izuku's taken back. "I have burn marks that beg to differ!"
Hisashi's in such a good mood that Izuku's statement flies right over his head. "This is great, seriously, you have no idea how much this means to me."
Hatsume's grin widens as she strolls over towards her work bench and picks up a large cylindrical item. "Well since you like it so much, I can't wait to see what you think about this."
"Hm?"
"Tada!" Hatsume spins around, representing the item. "Here's your new and improved support item!"
Hisashi and the others take a moment to examine the item. It's a large rod about the length of her arm. Silver-white in color with various compartments and switches for maintenance and activation. At the base ends of the rod are two holes clearly meant to allow the rod to expand and retract upon command.
Izuku frowns. "Is that the prod?" Specifically, the electrical prod Hisashi got from Jonah's crew.
"Correction, it was a prod!" Hatsume corrects. "Now it's one of my finest babies yet! Haha!"
Hisashi takes the rod, gripping it with both his hands, weighing it. "Heavier than expected but well balanced." he slides his fingers across the rod. "Good grip and I like the color. How's it work exactly?"
"Here!" From out of thin air, Hatsume waves an entire handbook in Hisashi's face. "I wrote it all down for you in this here manual!"
Hisashi takes it and scans over it, skimming over the controls, schematics, and applications. "Amazing!" he gasps, astounded by her work. "I knew you were good but not this good! And you did this in a week on top of fixing the entire Rustbucket?!"
Even Izuku's astounded. "Most impressive."
"Hahaha!" Hatsume puffs out her chest, standing tall with her chin held high. "Working on two separate projects at once is nothing! Making babies comes as easy to me as breathing! Yes, you are witnessing my incredible genius firsthand! Hahaha!"
Kraab shutters in Izuku's hands. "Is…is she okay?"
The greenette smiles sheepishly, almost accepting Hatsume's craziness full heartedly. "I'm…not exactly sure."
"This is really all incredible, Hatsume." Hisashi praises, shaking her hands wildly. "Please if there's any other way I can repay you, just say it."
Oh, boy.
An almost evil grin creeps across her face, like a devil plotting a foul scheme. "Well," Her greedy gaze locks onto Kraab and Chopper. "you could always leave me those two to tinker around with!"
Chopper jumps, frightened. ^Bwoop!^ He zips away fleeing towards the RV and jumping in, seeking shelter from the she-devil.
"Oh, heck no!" Kraab screams, unable to escape himself. "I'm no bargaining chip you know!"
"Oh, what's the problem?!" Hatsume suddenly leans over Kraab, startling Izuku in the process, as she holds up a welding torch and hammer at the ready. "Just let me have a peek! I promise to be gentle!"
Out of fright, Izuku pulls Kraab away. "You are literally holding a hammer and a welding torch!"
"Ahhh!" Kraab screams, his head flailing about but unable to flee. "Don't let her near me! She's crazy! Ahh!"
Izuku feels for the cyborg, tucking him under his arm, shielding him. "W-well, H-Hatsume it's been real nice seeing you. And thank you so much for everything but I think we need to get going, right Dad?"
"Hm?" Hisashi frowns, too busy examining the RV. "No, I don't-"
"We're leaving!" Kraab yells out in a panic wanting to hurry them along.
"Fine." Hisashi would like to stay but he can tell when he's outvoted. "I guess it works out, we've already lost a week, so we do need to make up for some lost time."
And so, with everything set to go, and after paying for the damages, Hisashi says his farewells. "This is goodbye, Hatsume. I look forward to seeing your success."
"Bye then!" She shakes his hand. "And be sure to let your fellow pro heroes know that it was I, Mei Hatsume, who gifted you a superior support item! Haha!"
"You bet I will!"
Izuku sweat drops as he makes his way into the RV. 'I don't think many other heroes would be able to handle her.'
"Well then let's get back on the road!" Hisashi cheers, hopping into the driver's seat. He takes the keys and revs the RV to life, the engine roaring for the first time in a week. "She purrs just like a kitten."
Kraab gives Hisashi a questioning look. "Yeah, like a sick elderly cat on its deathbed."
Ignoring him, Hisashi pulls the RV out from the garage.
Izuku, not wanting to be rude, sticks his head out to the side window and waves. "See ya at school, Hatsume!"
"See ya!" Hatsume shouts, waving them off. "And be sure to come and see me whenever you need to upgrade that costume if yours!"
"Will do!"
And so, with a final wave the Midoriyas drive off, finally continuing on with their Father and Son Road trip.
Hatsume watches them disappear into the distance with a satisfied smile. "I like them." She states, but it's most likely because they're good business for her. "Maybe I should try my hands at some robots. Ha!" She chuckles, shutting the garage door shut.
And so now that she's once again alone and unsupervised she is ready to dive right back into her work.
"Alrighty, then! What should I work on first? The Anti-Grab Climbers, maybe?"
*KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.*
Hatsume freezes, turning back towards the shut doors as the heavy knocks continue.
*KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.*
Wary, Hatsume hesitantly raises the doors, unsure of what she'll find.
What she finds is not a person but a lone car. Specifically, a beaten up yellow 1967 Beetle but oddly enough there's no sign of any driver in sight, almost like the car drove itself here.
Hatsume stares at the car, looking around for the driver. "Hello?"
Instead of a response from the missing driver, the car seemingly starts all on its own and its radio begins to dance from station to station almost like it's possessed. "Good…morning, Vietnam…!"
After placing Kraab down on the table, Izuku slides into shotgun. "So…where exactly are we off to next?"
Hisashi hands Izuku a folded-up map. "Well, I figured since we're on a road trip it'd be a waste if we didn't go here." He points to one of the cities labeled on the map.
Izuku lights up as he reads the map. "No way?! Are you serious?!" He cheers, excitedly.
Hisashi nods his head, almost timidly. "Y-yeah."
Izuku grins, leaning back in his seat. "This is gonna be great."
Hisashi nods, his smile somewhat forced. "I sure hope so kiddo."
Izuku frowns. "You don't sound excited?"
"No, I am excited. That city holds…a lot of memories for me."
"Memories?" Izuku frowns, curious. "What kind of memories?"
"Well…it's where I spent a lot of my rookie hero days."
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, Wildvine, and Bullfrag.
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.
Sunder raises his axe 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 Sunder soars after her. Sunder his axe 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, Tsuyu, Hatsume, Kaminari, Jiro, and a number of silhouettes!
You don't wanna show out
Close up of a smiling Hisashi.
Cut to a closeup of Chopper.
Cut to a closeup of Kraab.
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, Chopper, and Kraab posing before the setting sun, their shadows casted far off over the ground towards the camera.
(Illustrated by CreateGunner1209)
Ch.54 More Than Meets the Eye Part I
"I can't believe I'm here!" Izuku cheers, his eyes wide and sparkling with child-like wonder. "I finally get to explore TOKYO!"
Tokyo's sparkling skyline towers over the sea of cars and pedestrians. A bustling metropolis of people of all walks of life that work together to call this historic city home. The architect just projects a strong foundation for the future even as temples and historic buildings litter the city, a constant reminder of its roots. A city of the future that will always remember its past: Tokyo.
And Izuku is finally here!
"This is great! We should hit Tokyo Tower first! Or maybe Yoyogi Park! Oh, but I gotta see the Studio Ghibli Museum for sure!"
"Don't you worry, Champ." Hisashi laughs from behind, his voice a bit muffled. "We'll get to them all, even without the Rustbucket."
With the city's nightmarish traffic, Hisashi thought it best to leave the RV outside the city and catch an Uber into the city. Plus bringing Chopper, a moody droid with a temper problem, and Kraab, an ex-bounty hunter, just didn't seem like a good idea in such a crowded city.
Even so Izuku's just thrilled to be here with or without them. "Thanks for bringing me here, Dad!" Izuku turns but he freezes when he actually gets a good look at his old man. "D-Dad?
Hisashi, for some reason, looks like he's going on a ski trip in the mountains rather than an excursion through the city. With a big jacket, thick pants, and boots over his regular clothes. And covering his face he has a thick hat, a scarf, and even ski goggles. All and all he's almost unrecognizable, the only reason Izuku knew it was him was because of his general physique and stature.
"W-what a-are you wearing?"
"Clothes." Hisashi responds with no sense of irony.
"I can see that! But why so many?!"
Hisashi frowns, shyly. "I just…don't want to be recognized."
Izuku pauses. "Recognized?"
"Well…you know…I spent my early hero days here so I…kinda got a reputation around here."
Izuku gasps, eyes becoming wide with excitement. "Oh, you're famous around here then!"
"Y-yeah..." Hisashi responds, hesitantly. "Yeah, I'm incredibly…famous around here and I don't wanna draw a crowd, you know?" He smiles, swinging his arm around Izuku and pulling him into his side as they begin to walk. "I just want to spend this time with my boy. No one else. And with no incidents."
Izuku smiles back. "Where should we start first?"
Well, the first stop they make it to is the Hachiko Statue.
"Now there's a hero." Izuku awes, bowing his head in respect to the immortalized hound. "Right, Dad?"
But there's no response.
Izuku frowns, looking for him. "Dad? Dad? DAD!?" he gasps finding his Dad hiding in the nearby bushes.
Hisashi frowns, wondering why Izuku is yelling. "Why are you shouting?"
"Why are you hiding?!"
After managing to coax Hisashi out of the bushes, their next stop is the famous Shibuya Crossing.
"So iconic." Weaving his way through the river of pedestrians, Izuku awes up the bright billboards and skyscrapers, his eyes dazzling from their bright lights. "So cool."
As he gawks up at the skyline Izuku's too distracted to realize his Dad's predicament.
"Izuku. Izuku! IZUKU!" Hisashi screams as he's dragged away by the sea of people: unable to weave around them so easily in his thick winter gear. "Izuku help me!"
And finally, the Midoriya make their way up Tokyo Tower and once again Izuku's blown away by the amazing view of the city.
"Woah." It's beautiful with its bright lights, bustling people, and cool breeze brushing his hair. "This is amazing." He grins, turning towards his Dad.
But his grin soon turns into a very concerned frown. "What are you doing…?"
He's almost hesitant to ask, watching as Hisashi sneaks behind everything he can, ending behind a cardboard cutout of Noppon, the tower's personal mascot.
Izuku facepalms himself in embarrassment as other families and tourists step away from the creep as security march their way towards the sneaking Hisashi.
Izuku lets out a long sigh as he and his father make their way to their next destination, making their way through the sea of people and traffic.
'What is up with him today…?' Izuku wonders. 'I know he said he didn't want to stand out but everything he does is just drawing more and more attention to himself!'
Even now Hisashi is crawling and sneaking his way behind every light pole and trash can, seemingly trying to blend in and disappear like a large, oversized ninja. All in all it's not working. The only thing his sneaking around and disguise are good for is having people give him a wide berth as he tries to sneak on by.
'Should I…say something?' Izuku thinks unsure how to go about this. 'I really want to ask why he's acting the way he is but…what if it's a touchy subject?' If it is then he doesn't really want to poke it especially if it's a sour topic. But this can't continue on, can it? Like it's totally ridiculous, he's overreacting for sure. That has to be- "Oof!"
Not paying attention, a stranger in a short trench coat and fedora hat bumps into Izuku.
Izuku blinks up to find a plain looking stranger in a short trench coat and fedora staring back at him. "Oh, sorry! I should've been paying attention to where I was going."
The stranger does a double take when he sees Izuku but instead of responding he simply nods his head before he ducks away and hurries along without a word.
Izuku frowns, watching the stranger runoff and disappear into the bustling crowd.
Hisashi slinks his way over to his son, having watched the entire interaction. "They're sure in a hurry."
"Yeah…" Izuku frowns, tucking his arms together.
He pauses as his hand presses into something cold and squishy. Izuku peers at his arm and finds a splotch of weird purplish goo stuck to his arm. He wipes it away, or at least tries to, but it just sticks and smears against his hoodie.
'Is this mud?' Izuku wonders as he's finally able to shake it off.
Hisashi frowns, not noticing the mud. "You, okay?"
"Yeah." Izuku responds, disregarding the mud. "I'm okay, it was nothing." He begins walking forward again. "Let go, we're only another block away."
"Right behind you!" Hisashi calls, resuming his best interpretation of Poe's stealth mode from Kung Fu Panda.
As the Midoriyas continue on their way, they don't bother turning back in search of the stranger. But if they, had they may have gotten a glimpse of the stranger coming to a stop not that far away.
After running past the Midoriyas, the stranger soon began to slow down and come to a stop as if realizing something. He turns around and just barely misses the tuft of green hair disappearing into the sea people. The stranger hesitates, contemplating on their next move, before ultimately, he slowly turns back around and makes his way back.
After another few minutes of walking, Izuku's finally had enough of Hisashi's antics. "Are you gonna tell me why you're really wearing all that?"
Hisashi, after rolling behind a vending machine, freezes, becoming nervous. "I just wanna keep a low profile."
Izuku scowls, annoyed. "There's keeping a low profile and then there's you literally hiding behind every sign and light pole we cross." Just as they reach a red-light crosswalk, Izuku swings around and stops Hisashi dead in his tracks. "You're hiding. Why?" Izuku then gasps before leaning in and whispering cautiously. "Do you have enemies here"
"No!" Hisashi frantically denies. "No, nothing like that. It's just…there was an incident." he admits with some trepidation.
Izuku gives his old man a very skeptical look. "What kind of incident?"
"It…it doesn't matter." Hisashi pulls down his scarf and ski goggles, so he looks Izuku in the eyes properly.
He gives his son a genuine smile, doing his best to let Izuku know that it is really nothing to be concerned about. "All you need to know is that…is that it's best if no one recognizes me. Okay? It'll be less of a hassle this way."
Izuku's still not so confident in this but he'll accept that answer for now at least, figuring it'll be best to try and grill his Dad for more of an explanation later.
Suddenly the crosswalk signals that it's okay to walk.
Hisashi smiles on, casually shrugging and showing no hint of worry at all anymore. "Don't worry about it, kay? Nothing's gonna happen as long as we remain discreet."
And with that he steps out onto the crosswalk.
The moment his foot hits the pavement a police car races from out of nowhere! Its siren blaring as it slides to a screeching stop nearly running Hisashi over in the process!
"MIDORIYA!"
Hisashi freezes as if he heard the grim reaper herself shouting his name.
But it's not the hand of death, but an officer of the law. A very angry woman in a brown coat and hat with a white shirt and grey dress pants steps out of the cop car. She has black hair that's brushed back behind her head: her head being that of a crow with dark-grey feather and a black beak.
Hisashi pales as the crow-head woman marches forward. "Oh, no…" He quickly brushes himself off and puts on the best fake smile that he can. "Ah, Officer Tezuka. Hello." he bows, hoping to sell the facade. "What are you doing in Tokyo-OW!"
With one swift motion the officer managed to grab Hisashi by his arms and throw him against the hood of her car!
"Keeping it safe from corrupt scumbags like you." She snarls, her beak so close it could clip off his ear if she wanted. "You got a lot of nerve showing your criminal loving mug around here." She twists his arm.
"AH!"
"Also, it's Inspector Tezuka now."
"Inspector? Oh, uh, congratulations. AHhhh-Ow!"
She's livid, almost like she is disgusted at the idea of Hisashi being happy for her. "I don't need thanks from you, Midoriya. I would have gotten the position sooner if it weren't for you and your fellow villains." Out of anger and maybe spite she presses his face down harder on the hood.
Despite his face being smashed in, Hisashi tries his best to talk down the situation. "We both know that I was cleared of those crimes. OW!"
Izuku, having been completely stunned and watching on the side till now, gasps. "C-crimes?"
Apparently speaking up was a mistake as Inspector Tezuka turns her steely glare onto him.
Izuku freezes, trembling under her cold angry glare as she ditches Hisashi and addresses him instead.
"You, broccoli head." She barks. "What is your affiliation with this man?"
The quivering Izuku looks between her and back at his father who's playing himself of the car's hood.
Without any hesitation Izuku replies back. "I've never met this man before in my life."
"BETRAYAL!" Hisashi cries, clutching at his heart. "Betrayed by my own son…"
For a moment Izuku swears he saw Inspector Tezuka's eyes flare red. "Son…?" She growls as if the idea of a Midoriya spawn existing is the most disgusting thing she's ever heard.
Already caught in a lie, Izuku easily gives himself up. "Y-yes…"
Inspector Tezuka grabs a pair of cuffs and begins to pull Izuku towards the car. "I need you to come with me."
Izuku gasps, his knees shaking and ready to give out from under him.
The side door of the car flings open by itself and a very familiar voice calls out to Izuku. "Midoriya?"
Izuku freezes, the voice of familiarity snapping him out of his shock and fear. Peering around Inspector Tezuka, Izuku finds his classmate stepping out of the cop car.
"Tokoyami?"
Everyone pauses as they all turn to see Fumikage Tokoyami frowning at the Inspector.
Speaking of Inspector Tezuka seems just as surprised as the Midoriyas. "Fumi, do you know this delinquent?!"
Izuku blinks in confusion. "Fumi?"
"Yes, mother." replies Tokoyami.
Izuku gasps. "Mother?!" Actually, he should have guessed.
Ignoring him, Tokoyami explains his relation to Izuku. "He's my classmate."
"Classmate?" Fumikage's mother turns her steely glare back towards Izuku. She examines his features for a moment before finally recalling where she's seen him before. "Wait a minute…" She whispers, dangerously. "Weren't you that Speed Racer Lizard that beat up my son during the SPORTS FESTIVAL!?"
Izuku gulps. "T-the very same…"
She snarls, gripping his wrists tighter.
"Mother!" Tokoyami quickly breaks them apart, stepping between them. "Midoriya's loyal and just, he isn't one to cause trouble." He briefly pauses as if reconsidering his thoughts. "Not intentionally anyway." He admits with a shrug.
Izuku, however, is a little confused by his statement. "What do you mean?"
The two birds face off in an intense glaring contest, Inspector Tezuka's eyes darting from her son to the Midoriya spawn. "If you say so." And so, she reluctantly lets the boy go.
Tokoyami smiles. "Thank you."
Inspector Tezuka's glare softens for a moment.
"Hahaha!" A bruised Hisashi laughs, approaching the three. "Seems like you're off the hook, Champ."
And like that Inspector Tezuka's rage returns. "That doesn't mean you are!"
"Ah!" Hisashi screams as she grabs him again. "No, no, no, please not the hood-OW!"
Izuku shyly presses his fingers together. "Um, Mrs….um, Tokoyami?"
Inspector Tezuka frowns and actually doesn't snap at him for once. "Please, when on the job refer to me as Inspector Tezuka."
Izuku nods before looking to his classmate for more of an explanation.
Which he is quick to reply. "After my parents married, she kept her name to help keep her professional career recognized."
Basically, legally she is in fact a Tokoyami, but she continues to use her original last name for the sake of her career.
Izuku is quick to understand. "Ah, makes sense."
Inspector Tezuka presses Hisashi harder against the hood. "Now, what should I do with you dirtbag?"
"Inspector, please." Hisashi chokes. "Not in front of the kids, eh."
For a moment she hesitates.
"Come on, I just…" Hisashi stops struggling, and breathes. "I just wanted to spend a day with my boy. You'd want that too for yourself, I'm sure."
Her grip loosens just ever so lightly.
"A day with just the two of us. Out in the city, making nothing but memories. Please…"
She's hesitating as if weighing her options.
"Mother." Tokoyami gently approaches. "I don't know what grudge you hold against this…man. But please for my sake and my friends please let him go."
And with that it's just enough to force her to begrudgingly let him go.
Hisashi's very much relieved, rubbing his aching wrists trying to sooth them. "Thank you."
"Shut it." The Inspector hisses. "I don't want to see your face for the rest of the day. If I do…well then, my hood is gonna have a Midoriya shaped dent in it. You hear me?"
Hisashi fearfully nods his head. "Y-yes, ma'am!"
"Another thing, don't you think you can walk in here and act like nothing happened. Nobody's forgotten and they never will. And also -" And so she begins a long nagging lecture much to Hisashi's dismay.
But Izuku's just glad that she's letting them go. "Thanks for the save, Tokoyami."
Tokoyami appreciates the thanks. "Please, don't mention it."
The two awkwardly wait for the Inspector to eventually free Hisashi from her chastising. But after another minute it's clear that it's not gonna end soon.
"Sooo, your mom's a cop. That's cool."
Tokoyami smiles. "Yes, I'm very proud of her and her work. And she is too. Hence why I'm here, she wanted to bring me along and shadow her for the day. A ride along if you will."
"Cool! I bet you're learning a lot."
"Indeed I am." Tokoyami pauses, hesitating before finally asking. "Sorry if this seems intrusive but may I ask why my mother wants to arrest your father?"
Izuku shrugs, he's just as lost as he is. "I have no idea." Maybe they dated and it ended on bad terms or something. But the idea that his Dad had a life before him is kinda…disturbing to think about so he really hopes that that's not the case.
Tokoyami has an idea but he's a bit too scared to ask, afraid it might be far too sensitive. "Did it…did it have to do with him leaving?"
Not expecting that question or possibility, Izuku freezes. 'Could that have, been it? Or related somehow? No, there's no way it doesn't make sense. Most likely this is something else enterally.'
Someone pats him on the shoulder.
Spinning around Izuku finds that his father's been freed of Inspector Tezuka's lecture. "Well Champ I think we should get going." He then addresses Tokoyami. "Sorry but I really don't want to give your mom another reason to hurt me." He nervously points back towards the cop car where Inspector Tezuka's decided to reside herself in.
Tokoyami nods. "I understand."
Hisashi appreciates his understanding before hurrying Izuku along.
Izuku gasps, waving goodbye. "Oh, sorry Tokoyami. I'll see you later then."
Tokoyami waves back. "Of course, take care of yourselves."
"We will!"
Inspector Tezuka vigilantly watches the Midoriyas off, as if waiting for another excuse to stop them but there is none. As the pair disappear into the crowd, she takes her radio and reports in. "Toyomitsu, it's Inspector Tezuka. Listen, I got something here you're not gonna believe…"
"Well today's been…interesting." Izuku admits with a sheepish smile before chomping down on his sweet Dango being served up by a little girl named Yomogi and her humanoid-cat assistance after they both performed a cute little song and dance.
Izuku sits back enjoying his sweet treat, gazing out towards the rest of Asakusa.
After leaving Tokyo Tower, the Midoriyas decided to stop by Nakamise Shopping Street for some food and souvenirs.
Sensoji Temple lies at the end of the strip that's just lined with colorful bright stalls. The stalls have a very Japanese-oriental flare to them with sturdy architecture and beautifully jade-colored kawara layering each roof. Hundreds of smiling tourists and vendors wash into the street, admiring not just the strip but the large glowing Chochin illuminating the way from under the gorgeous Kaminarimon Gate.
But Izuku can't even bring himself to enjoy any of it as his mind lingers over the fact that his father was almost arrested. And he is doing a bad job of hiding how anxious he is with his fidgeting legs and nervous tapping of his fingers against the table.
Hisashi, having peeled away his winter hat and scarf to eat, decides it best to rip off the band-aid. "You want to know what that was about don't you?"
"Of course, I do!" Izuku shouts before shutting his own mouth; not meaning to raise his voice in a public space. "Sorry… But…are you a criminal?"
Hisashi calmly shakes his head. "No."
"I knew it, but then…"
"It's complicated and honestly a bit of a sore spot."
Even so, Izuku still wants to know.
His father sighs, reading him like a book. "I guess it's best if you knew what happened."
Izuku sits up ready to listen.
Hisashi takes a moment to collect his thoughts before delving into it. "When I was still stationed here on Earth I used to patrol right here in Tokyo as a pro hero. But as you're well aware that is just a means for me to conduct Plumber work."
Izuku nods, leaning in closer.
"Well one day I intercepted a pair of…"unique" characters."
Izuku assumes that means they were aliens.
"And well they were on a mission to stop a killer alien robot from destroying the planet."
Now that is something. "Like Neon Genesis Evangelion?"
"Actually, it was more like The Day the World Stood Still. It was weird… Anyway, I joined them but there was an incident, and our covert op was discovered by Offi-I mean Inspector Tezuka."
"Wait!" Izuku gasps. "Does she know about aliens?!"
"No! No, no no! No, the reason she hates me is because we ran, and I was reported in for assisting supposed villains."
"Woah."
"Yeah, woah. And so, we were on the run while also trying to find a way to stop the world's destruction."
"Sounds intense."
"It was… Long story short, obviously we managed to save the day but because I couldn't allow the police to get their hands on the aliens or their tech, I had to make sure everyone escaped the scene unnoticed. And as a result, I was labeled as a felon and collaborator of villains."
"But you're not!" Izuku defends.
Hisashi quiets him down with a simple wave. "I know that Izuku. But I took it and what's done is done. I did my job. I saved lives and that's all that matters."
That can't be all that happened. "But your reputation…y-your good standing. There's no way you kept it!"
Hisashi chuckles sheepishly at that. "Oh, yeah, that all tanked immediately. All the years of trust and hard work, flushed down the drain in one afternoon." And despite that he shrugs it off with a smile. "But that's life; one minute you're on top and the next you're falling face first into the mud."
Izuku isn't so sure he likes that metaphor; it's kinda…bleak.
"But hey don't worry about me, okay." Hisashi grins, not all bothered by the experience years later. "I learned a long time ago that sometimes it's best just to roll with it."
"Words to live by, I presume?"
"In a way. Just know that it doesn't really matter to me what people call me or how they see. What matters is how I see myself and that I am able to help those that are in need. Got it?"
Izuku…actually smiles at that. Sometimes you just need to roll with the punches, even if you get mislabeled it's best to just…move forward. "Yeah…I think I get it."
"Atta boy!" Hisashi cheers. "Now are you gonna finish your Dango or not?"
"Hey! It's mine."
"What? Can't you share?"
"You already had yours. Just go get another one."
"But the line's so long!"
As the Midoriyas bicker playfully, the same stranger from before walks their way through the bustling stalls and tourists. Weaving in and put between the chattering people before finally coming into eye view of the Midoriyas who are too distracted to notice.
The stranger takes a calming breath, pulling up their collar closer to their face in an attempt to hide it before making an attempt to get closer.
"Eeeeeek!"
The sudden scream of a passerby causes not just the stranger nor the Midoriyas to jump but the entirety of Nakamise Shopping Street jumps in surprise, startled by the scream. The surprised crowd parts like the red sea forming a massive circle around a single individual.
Everyone's taken back by the gnarly looking individual, unsure of what to make of their sudden appearance.
What stands out about this new and sudden Arrival first is their getup. It kinda looks like an anti-hero like costume; a bodysuit that's completely raven black in color with red trims around his collar and ribcage giving him a scar-littered design. But what's truly odd is his actual appearance. He's rather tall for a human with blue-gray skin, long white locks, with sunken skull-like eyes surrounding thin yellow pupils. And finally, a strange red scar that resembles an upside Y is etched onto his forehead.
The entire sea of people are astonished but also bewildered by the man's strange appearance and presence, unsure of what to make of him. And so, their speculations and hushed whispers echo throughout the street.
"Is…is he a villain?"
"I don't think so?"
"Where'd he come from?!"
"I don't know he just…appeared out of thin air!"
"Maybe he's a hero?"
"Maybe, I heard some heroes like a dark look over flashy capes and stuff."
"Well, he better be. Dude, I thought Japan's heroes were supposed to be real showstoppers!"
Despite the whispers and comments flying his way the scarred Arrival simply glowers and ignores them all. But his eyes, his piercing yellow eyes silently scans over the crowd examining, observing…searching.
Izuku leans over the table, whispering in his dad's ear. "Is…is that an alien?"
Hisashi sighs. "Look I may have been in the business for a while but it's a big universe. I don't know every species in existence, kay?"
"Fair enough…but who is he?"
Hisashi starts. "Wait, you don't recognize him?"
"No!" Izuku's skin is pale as his nerves begin to shoot up. "And I know every hero in Japan."
"But then…" Hisashi suddenly becomes very aware of how dangerous this situation may escalate to. "Oh, no."
The Arrival continues to search the crowd, his eyes peeled for something, something important.
Meanwhile, the stranger ducks down, trying to stay out of sight. They pull their hat down and tuck their collar up, holding their jacket close as they try to squeeze their way through the crowd and out of Nakamise Shopping Street.
However, with everyone packed in so tightly the stranger trips and slips right into the Arrival's view.
The Arrival's eyes widen in surprise, their stoic face quickly becoming a nasty scowl as they shoot their hands forward. "Raaaggh!" And beams of light fire out from his clawed hands!
The beams fire into the crowd, gliding over their heads! The stranger ducks down with a nanosecond to spare before the beams blast apart an innocent vending machine.
"EEEEEKKK!"
The crowd is immediately thrown into a panic as people stampede for the exit. They scream and shove running from the maniac as he continues to fire beam after beam at the fleeing stranger!
Izuku braces himself against the stampeding crowd. "Is that guy insane?!"
"Izuku!"
Izuku spins around towards his Dad.
Hisashi glares at the Arrival, his face calm and serious like that of a well-seasoned veteran. "Work crowd control while I deal with the villain, you get everyone out safely."
Understanding his role, Izuku reigns in his fears and accepts his orders. "Right!"
Hisashi begins to march forward, shedding his winter getup. "I'll hold him off until backup arrives." He allows his jacket and winter pants to fall revealing his elite-red Plumber suit underneath.
Izuku's stunned. "You were wearing that underneath this whole time?!"
"It's a lot more comfortable than it looks!" Hisashi…no, Cinder admits, shouting over the screaming crowd before running off after the Arrival who's chasing something further and further into Nakamise Shopping Street.
'Alright, now which alien is best for crowd control?' Izuku wonders, listing his options. 'Ditto maybe. No, I'll be trampled by all the people. Rath? Forget it, then everyone will be even more in a panic. I know, Wildvine!' Yeah, Wildvine will be able to barricade the place with his vines and be able to pull people to safety. 'Wildvine's perfect!'
Izuku dials up the alien. "I haven't said this in a while but… IT'S HERO TIME!" And with a flash of green Izuku vanishes and the world can say hello to… "Bullfrag…?"
Yeah, looks like the Omnitrix thought Bullfrag was a much better fit for an urban environment than Wildvine…or it was a glitch. Either way, the transformed Izuku is not happy. "Seriously? What's Bullfrag gonna do?"
"Eeeep!"
Bullfrag snaps his neck around to see a little girl and her mother being shoved to the ground by the fleeing tourists.
And without a second thought he leaps into action, literally, landing beside them he scoops them up and jumps up and over the nearby stalls and onto the street below.
"Are you two, okay?"
The mother and daughter calm down when they realize that they're safe.
Replies the mother. "We are."
The daughter wipes her tears away and smiles up at the Incursean. "Thank you, Mr. Frog-Man."
"You're very much welcome, little lady."
"Eeeeeekk!" More screams.
Bullfrag gets ready to make a jump. "Back into the fray I go!"
Bullfrag leaps up and over the entire street again, flying over it so he can get a bird's eye view. He spots a couple being shoved into a nearby wall by the stamping crowd. Acting fast Bullfrag's tongue lashes out and grabs them, reeling them and out of the crowd.
"Ahhhh!" The couple screams as they're pulled high into the air. "We're gonna die!"
"You're not gonna die!" Bullfrag shouts back as they come in for a landing.
He lands first before catching the couple in his long arms. "See you're fine."
"BLEH!" The boyfriend shoves himself away before vomiting all over the sidewalk.
Bullfrag gags. "Well…mostly."
"Ahhhhh! HELP!"
With more screams of help, Bullfrag hurries back towards the chaos. "Back into the fray I go!"
Meanwhile, the Arrival prowls through the emptying Nakamise Shopping Street continuing his hunt for the stranger. Scanning the last of the fleeing tourists the Arrival posts his target hidden within the mix.
He grins maliciously, aiming his claw towards the innocent people. "There you are."
He prepares to fire, his claw glowing brightly but then a fire whip lashes around his wrist and pulls it upwards just he fires, resulting in his beam firing up towards the sky giving the stranger the perfect chance to slip away.
The Arrival rips his arm free of the fire whip and quickly searches for his target, but they've already disappeared. And they could be anywhere from the vending machine, from the crowd, or even a trash can. But there's no sign of them, no sign of them at all.
"No!" He roars before turning his attention onto the one that interfered. "How dare you."
Cinder scoffs, giving the maniac a cocky smile. "Oh, I dare."
The Arrival scowls in annoyance, observing Cinder's uniform and posture. "That confidence. That uniform. That pestilent need to interfere with greatness. You must be a Plumber."
"Ah, so you are an alien." Cinder teases, cockily. "And here I thought you were another pretty face."
"Your tomfoolery irritates me, Plumber."
"Please call me, Cinder. And what pray tell should I call you Mr…?"
The irritated Arrival pauses but eventually decides to reveal his identity to the Plumber. "Ragnarok."
"Mr. Ragnarok then." Cinder claps, smiling on, hoping he can defuse the situation. "Now listen, I get it, Tokyo's a great vacation spot. But nobody likes a rowdy tourist so can you take it down a notch or two, huh? Do me a favor buddy, please, one spaceman to another?"
"How about you do me the favor," Ragnarok raises his claw, his fist glowing brightly like the sun. "and don't interfere with my plans?"
Cinder cups his chin pretending to consider Ragnarok's suggestion. "Hm. You make an interesting argument. But I'm afraid I can't do that, pal. You know it's the whole good guy stops bad guy routine; you know how it is."
Ragnarok's scowl hardens. "Yes. I do."
And with a snap of his wrist, he fires a powerful laser beam right at Cinder!
The Red Plumber ducks nearly avoiding having his head singed off. "Soooo, you're not gonna do me the favor then?"
Ragnarok answers by firing another laser beam.
Cinder side steps, avoiding it while he puts on his dragon-maw respirator. "I'll take that as a no. Raaagh!"
And with a snap of his head, Cinder unleashes a powerful Fire Breath!
Ragnarok throws his arms forward, taking the fire head on, and he swings his arms out, batting the flames away. In response Ragnarok fires another repair of beams which Cinder is quick to counter with his own Fire Breath!
The two intense rays clash midair but Ragnarok's beams win out, blasting through Cinder's flames!
Cinder dives out of the way as the beams burn into the road, melting the pavement.
Cinder whistles, impressed despite nearly dying. "That's some intense heat you're packing there, friend."
Ragnarok holds his chin up as he glares down at the human. "Do you understand just how foolish you were to challenge me? My solar energy beams can burn through anything, even your own flames, Plumber."
Despite the talking down, Cinder somehow manages to shrug it off with a smile. He reaches behind his back, grabbing the only support item he has on hand. "Yeah, no way I'm gonna win a shootout with my firepower." Cinder brandishes the silver rod he received from Hatsume like a sword. "But this is Japan buddy, the land of the Samurai, not the Cowboy.".
Annoyed, Ragnarok fires again!
Cinder ducks down, rushing forward, weaving his way through the incoming rays like a serpent weaving through the grass. And like a serpent he quickly gets into striking distance of his prey, Cinder swings the rod forth, his thumb pressing down on the pressure gauge while crying out the weapon's name. "Amenonuhoko!"
And BLAM the rod shoots outward, becoming a fully realized spear that crashes into the side of Ragnarok's skull.
"Gaaahh!" Ragnarok yelps, stumbling back, having been totally taken by surprise.
"You like it?" Cinder smirks, giving the silver spear, Amenonuhoko, a spin around his arms and shoulders. "It's brand new."
The spear is thin and silver in color with a shiny sheen. The silver rod from before remains rooted in the center, allowing Cinder a firm grip while leaving the rest of the spear free to deliver piercing attacks.
Ragnarok scowls, even more infuriated. "You'll pay for striking at me Plumber."
"Ha! We'll see about that."
"Raaagh!" Ragnarok fires another round of solar energy beams!
Like before, Cinder dodges each one, sliding in close and delivering another strike into Ragnarok's side.
"Raagh!" In response, Ragnarok takes a swing at Cinder.
The Plumber leans back as Ragnarok's claws graze the font of his suit. With a spin of his spear, Cinder swings Amenonuhoko at Ragnarok again from the side! However, Ragnarok throws his arm up, blocking the strike. Not at all deterred, Cinder swings the spear over his head and swings it around from the other end. But Ragnarok dodges by bending back, allowing the spear to fly over. He shoots back up, throwing his fist forward but Cinder spins Amenonuhoko down and presses it against his own arm, allowing him to block and properly brace himself against Ragnarok's fist. Infuriated, Ragnarok shoves Cinder back so hard he sends the Plumber flying! Cinder stabs his spear into the ground and with the spear in place he swings himself around it and slides to a stop.
Somewhat impressed by his opponent, Ragnarok pauses, allowing Cinder a moment of respite.
Cinder chuckles as he catches his breath. "You're a lot more limber for someone of your size."
Ragnarok glowers. "And you're far more infuriating than I first presumed."
"Aw, thanks." Cinder pries his spear out from the ground. "But if you thought I was irritating before, just you wait and see."
Cinder brings the spear close to his mouth where he unleashes a plume of fire onto it. But instead of the flames just passing right around the spear, the flames instead bend and flood down the spear as if attracted to it. The flames spread from one tip of the spear to the other leaving only the silver hilt untouched allowing Cinder a place to hold it.
Ragnarok's eyes widen in surprise.
"Thank you, Mei Hatsume!" Cinder laughs as he twirls the flaming spear between his hands. "Now this is really gonna burn ya."
"We shall see." Before Cinder could strike, Ragnarok fires again.
Cinder swiftly moves in to strike. "Amenonuhoko: Dual Burn!" Swinging the spear forward, Cinder delivers strike after strike, the spear spinning and gliding through the air with flames dancing behind each swing almost like Cinder was brandishing a dual-bladed lightsaber!
Ragnarok can only brace himself against the strikes, unable to fight back Cinder's shocking speed and reflexes.
"Come on!" Cinder laughs. "Aren't you gonna fight back?"
"Yes." Ragnarok's fist glows bright and then there's an explosion of bright light!
"Gaaahhh!" Cinder screams, blinded by the light.
And then POW a strike to his midsection knocks him back and down onto his knees.
"Ow…now that hurts."
Ragnarok approaches the downed opponent, his fists glowing in preparation. "Prepare to be burned to ash, Plumber."
Unable to see, rubbing at his eyes, Cinder braces himself for the worst.
Ragnarok prepares to finish him.
"Upsy-daisy!"
A blur of green swings in and scoops Cinder up just before Ragnarok could fire.
"What?!" Ragnarok gasps, peering up to glare at the green blur.
Cinder's eyesight finally returns. "Izuku?!"
Bullfrag's swinging them up, his tongue stretched out and latched onto a nearby roof as he carries Cinder under his arm.
"Hey, what's up Pops?" Bullfrag salutes as he swings them both round.
"What are you doing here?!" Cinder asks as they both slide into a landing. "You were supposed to get everybody out!"
Bullfrag pulls his tongue back on before answering. "Okay first, call me Bullfrag. Secondly, I did." He gestures towards the rest of the street.
Cinder takes a look and sure enough all of Nakamise Shopping Street's been cleared out of any civilians. "Oh, what do you know? Um, good job."
Bullfrag gives a thumbs up in response. "So, wanna catch me up on this guy's deal?"
"Oh, right. Bullfrag meet Ragnarok, he's another "tourist" who's decided to cause trouble in our little corner of the galaxy."
Picking up on this guy's "tourist" statues, Bullfrag nods in understanding. "Got it."
Ragnarok, in the meantime, is a bit surprised to see Bullfrag in a place such as this. "An Incursean? A little far from your empire, aren't you?"
Bullfrag smirks, readying himself to throw down. "Closer than you think." Hang on a minute. "Empire?!" He looks to his father for an answer.
Cinder however waves it off, instead focusing on the upcoming fight. "I'll explain later."
Ragnarok finds the frog's sudden appearance perplexing. "You're no Plumber. So, who exactly are you?"
Bullfrag shrugs, smiling cheekily. "I'm just your friendly neighborhood Frog-Man."
"Well Frog-Man." Ragnarok's fists glow bright. "Do you know what happens to an amphibian that's left out in the sun?"
"No. But I'm sure you're gonna show me."
"You presume correctly." And with that, Ragnarok fires upon the Midoriyas again!
Cinder ducks away into a nearby stall as Bullfrag hops away into the air.
With his opponent open for attack, Ragnarok turns his solar energy beams onto the Incursean.
Bullfrag however slips away by whipping out his tongue and swinging himself away from the danger.
Angered, Ragnarok continues to fire away at the amphibian but has no luck in hitting him.
With him distracted, Cinder rushes in with his Amenonuhoko: Dual Burn poised to strike.
Ragnarok spots him and swiftly dodges.
Cinder slashes again and again but Ragnarok manages to pull away and dodge everyone!
"Coming in for a landing!" Bullfrag shouts as he swings in and delivers a flying kick right into Ragnarok's gut!
"Graagh!" Ragnarok groans as the wind's knocked right out of him.
Bullfrag spins backwards in the air before landing beside his old man. "I tried to warn you."
"Enough!" Combining his beams together Ragnarok fires out a massive beam of energy upon the Midoriyas.
The Midoriyas try to dive out of the way, but they just barely make it as the blast burns through the stalls and street: the resulting blast knocks the two off their feet and crashing into a stall and the many souvenirs inside.
"Ughh…" They groan, dazed and in pain, as key chains, magnets, and burning postcards shower down on them.
Bullfrag grabs at his head, moaning in pain. "Now that's gonna leave a mark." He moans before there's a flash of red and Izuku transforms back into his original form.
Ragnarok marches forth, his arms glowing bright at his side. At first, he was stunned to witness the Incursean's sudden transformation. But he soon forgoes the questions in favor of finishing the nuisances off once and for all.
"Farewell, Plumbers." He aims his glowing claw down upon the downed duo. "I will cherish your demise till the end of my days."
The Midoriyas watch on, horrorstruck, knowing full well they won't be able to dodge in time. This may very well be the end of the Midoriyas and Ragnarok's gonna be sure to savor it.
He grins madly as he prepares to fire.
But before he does, a veil of flames erupts forth, interfering and blocking the Midoriyas from view.
"What?!" Ragnarok gasps.
The flames spread and surround him, trapping him inside a raging Hellfire.
"Ha ha ha ha ha." Someone chuckles, finding Ragnarok's surprise very much amusing. A large muscular figure veiled in flames emerges from the flames.
The Midoriyas gasp, shocked by the new arrival. "Enji?!/Endeavor?!"
"I know how you feel." Endeavor's smirk grows that much haughtier when he spots the fallen duo. "I've been waiting for that pathetic waste of space to drop dead for years."
Cinder's not sure if he should be happy that he and his son are saved or if he should be thoroughly offended by his ex-friend's statement.
Ragnarok however finds the new arrival's presence disturbing. "Another one? This planet is far more maddening than I could have ever imagined."
Endeavor's not sure what this guy's on about, but it doesn't matter after all he's a villain. "And it's about to get worse, pal."
With a maddening grin Endeavor unleashes a Hellfire upon Ragnarok.
The flames engulf him whole, trapping him inside a raging inferno.
A smirk stretches across Endeavor's face. "I think you'll find my flames far superior to the washup's."
There's movement within the flames.
"Huh?"
"Congratulations." Ragnarok emerged from the inferno, virtually unharmed as fire washes off his form. "You have my full attention now." In retaliation he fires a barrage of beams.
The Top-Ranking Hero counters the attack with a veil of powerful flames resulting in an ear shattering explosion.
"Tch!" Endeavor snarls as the heat erupts in his face.
Ragnarok halts his attack. "Surrender and I might let you live."
"Funny I was about to say the same thing."
Annoyed, Ragnarok fires upon the hero again. Endeavor, however, grins on racing forward, evading the beams, his fist glowing bright with flames. And thus, the two clash, battering against the other, vying to overpower the other as flames and beams of energy fly every which way.
One of the beams strays too far, racing right towards the downed Midoriyas.
The two gasp about to leap away when suddenly the temperature drops tenfold, and a protective ice wall springs forth and blocks the incoming laser!
Izuku and Cinder spin around to see the one responsible for saving them.
"You're here too, Todoroki?!" Izuku gasps.
Shoto, decked out in his hero costume, hurries to the Midoriyas' side helping them up. "Yeah, and honestly sad to say I'm not surprised to see you here too."
Izuku takes his hand and gets to his feet. "You know I think you're the second person to tell me that today alone already."
"I'm not surprised."
Cinder kicks up and catches his Amenonuhoko. "Thanks for the assist. Now I want you both to stay back for now."
Izuku is quick to protest. "But I can help!"
Cinder shakes his head. "Not when you're recharging you can't."
Izuku grips the red glowing Omnitrix, dejected.
Shoto, however, sees the hero's point. "He's right. It's best if we leave this to them for now."
Izuku doesn't like it, but he does not even have an argue against them.
"Oh, boy." Cinder turns back around, staring into the fray. "This is gonna get messy." And so, he reignites his Amenonuhoko and rushes back in.
Shoto leads Izuku away. "Let's leave this to them."
Izuku gives in. "Okay but we're staying close just in case."
"That's fine."
Endeavor throws his fist forward, but Ragnarok spins around to dodge before blasting Endeavor into a wall. "Ugh!"
Ragnarok prepares to fire.
"Hold it!"
WHAM!
Ragnarok's struck in the face by the blazing spear before he's thrown back by a flying kick!
Cinder snickers, brandishing the Amenonuhoko. "You didn't forget about me, did you?"
"I wish I could." Ragnarok snarls back.
Cinder looks to Endeavor, smirking. "It's just like old times! With me swooping in at the last second to save your ass."
"Don't bother concerning yourself with me, bastard." Endeavor scowls back as he pries himself out of the wall. "Besides I was the one saving your pathetic ass out of danger every other week."
"Sheesh, you still can't take a joke."
"Would you just be quiet?"
Ragnarok's irritation grows. "Why can't you both be silent!" Not waiting for an answer, he fires upon them both!
The two dodge, rushing forward through the oncoming laser fire. Both of them lashing out at the same time with Endeavor throwing his fist forward as Cinder swings his Amenonuhoko: Dual Burn! The two attacks strike at the same time, smashing into Ragnarok and knocking him back!
"Your reaction time was slow." Endeavor insults, taking note of how he most definitely struck the opponent before Cinder did. "You've gotten rusty. Perhaps your age is finally catching up to you."
Okay, now Cinder's offended. "We're the same age, asshole!"
"Grrr!"
The two heroes put their bickering in pause as a pissed off Ragnarok reemerges.
"You best step aside." Endeavor suggests as he marches past Cinder. "Wouldn't want you throwing out your back no old man."
"Ha. Ha." Cinder fake laughs. "Look who's got jokes now."
And so, the two reengage the enemy, moving swiftly and striking back with such ferocity.
As their respective sons watch on in total amazement.
"Look at them go…" Izuku gawks, tucked away inside a nearby stall, unable to look away.
Shoto nods, just as enthralled. "We should take this opportunity to observe their movements."
A thought occurs to Izuku. "Is that why you're here?"
"Huh?"
"I mean is that why you're in costume and with your…dad? Are you here to learn from him?"
Shoto pauses for a second. "Yes. but to be honest he rather insisted I not waste my summer with "trivial" matters. And so, he'd been dragging me around to watch him work."
"Oh…I'm sorry."
Shoto shakes his head. "Don't be. Besides he hasn't been that infuriating as of late." Although he still manages to get under Shoto's skin. "Either way it would be a waste not to take advantage of his knowledge and experience. He is the Number Two Hero for a reason so I might as well learn from him."
"Todoroki…"
"I won't let my spite and anger hold me back, Midoriya." Shoto promises, vowing to become stronger. "Unlike him, I'll become a hero that's actually worth the top spot."
Izuku's stunned by the sudden declaration, but he can't help but find Shoto's resolve nothing short of remarkable.
Meanwhile, as the heroes clash with the villain, there is a hint of moment from the other side of the street from within one of the nearby storefronts.
Seemingly from thin air the trench coat wearing stranger from before reappears, coming out of hiding. The stranger watches the battle closely and when he's sure that Ragnarok's attention is fully taken, he scurries away, trying to slip away towards the exit.
However, their haste proves to be their Achille's heel as Ragnarok spots them escaping just out of the corner of his eye.
"Halt!" He roars, firing a massive beam of light at the stranger.
Izuku, confused by Ragnarok's outburst looks and spots the horrified stranger. "Look out!'
Thanks to Izuku's warning, the stranger is able to dodge the beam by seemingly melting and as a result the beam smashes through the nearby wall, blasting it apart and leaving behind a massive gaping hole leading into the back-alleys and streets of Tokyo.
And now present with an exit the stranger seemingly reforms himself, gives Izuku a cheeky salute in thanks, and escapes through the hole.
"No!" Ragnarok roars watching his quarry slip away.
With his attention diverted, Endeavor and Cinder rush in for a final strike.
Ragnarok's arms glow brightly as he turns his furious glare onto the heroes. "RAAAAGH!" he unleashes a massive explosion of light, almost like the sun itself has appeared in the middle of the city. The light is bright, so bright that the heroes are essentially blinded by the distraction allowing Ragnarok the moment he needs to flee the scene. Chasing the stranger out and into the nearby alleyway.
Izuku, having been ducking down during the explosion of light and thus wasn't blinded, wittiness Ragnarok fleeing the scene. "Hey, wait!" He shouts, running after him.
Shoto, having also been blinded, can only listen as Izuku sprints away. "Midoriya, wait! Come back!"
His vision soon returns and somehow, he's not surprised to see that his warning went unanswered.
"Dammit, Midoriya."
At the same time, Ragnarok crashes through the hole and immediately scans the street for his prey. And there they are, just down the road, fleeing into a nearby back alley.
"There is no escape!" And so, he sprints off after the stranger.
Izuku soon sprints out from the hole, spinning around until he spots Ragnarok chasing the stranger into the alley. He takes off after them hoping to save the innocent civilian from the alien's wrath.
Izuku pursues them through the alleyway, sprinting at full speed, crashing past trash cans, garbage, and fences. Doing all he can to keep Ragnarok in sight. Little by little with every turn and twist of Tokyo's back alleys, Izuku inches ever so closer and closer but he still has a lot of ground to cover if he wants to catch em.
The stranger peers back and gasps when they realize just how close Ragnarok is. And so, he turns back around to find himself in an intersection of alleyways. And so, he quickly dives into the left alleyway and out of sight. Ragnarok soon turns the corner, but he stops as he finds a bustling road before him. Pedestrians and heroes flood the street, going about their businesses with oblivious smiles.
However, there is no hide or tail of his prey, lost in the sea of varying faces and appearances.
Ragnarok scowls, his fists clenching and digging into his palms, knowing that his prey has escaped.
*CRASH!*
That came from the alleyway.
Not a moment later does Izuku slide into view, coming to a stop in the middle of the alleyways. He quickly spots Ragnarok looking out towards the bustling street and hurries after him. "Hang on! Wait!"
Ragnarok's surprised, having finally noticed the boy, and scowls in response.
But then another voice calls out from amongst the crowd. "Hey, you!"
Ragnarok turns only to spot one of Earth's many heroes rushing towards him.
"You can't leave!" Izuku yells as he lunges towards the alien, hoping to grab him and slow him down until his Dad could arrive.
However, as Izuku throws himself forward Ragnarok seemingly vanishes from sight in a blink of an eye.
"Nani?" And if he thought that way weird then he's really weird out by the sudden mass of yellow that's appeared right in his path!
With no way to stop Izuku smashes into the yellow mass which swallows him up whole as if he dove headfirst into a massive pillow! It's like a blob that swallowed him whole in its warm fleshy mass.
The yellow mass is stunned to find a teen stuck in its belly. "Oh, boy."
From the alley Endeavor races onto the scene with Cinder and Shoto following close behind; they all screech to a halt as they come upon the very strange scene.
Before them stands a very big, round man that towers even the likes of Cinder. Wearing an orange, zippered hood with black pants and the initials of an inverted F and regular G. Over the man's round face, he wears a black mask around his large round eyes and forehead leaving his massive grin exposed.
The man greets the heroes. "Oh, hey there!"
Cinder gasps in fright, he spins around making sure not to make eye contact.
"Hi there!" The man greets them, giving them all a friendly wave. "Is this one with you?" He points to Izuku's feet dangling out from his belly fat.
"He is." Shoto responds, almost embarrassed on his classmate's behalf.
"Oh, opps!" The man inhales and with it Izuku falls out with a pop! "Sorry about that kid! I was aiming for the other guy."
Izuku gasps for air. "It's…all…good." As he catches his breath, he finally catches a glimpse of his capturer, and his eyes mighty light up. "Oh, wait, you're Fatgum!"
"Hahaha!" Fatgum grins glad to see the boy's alright. "A fan I see! Here, have some candy as an apology!" He tosses out candy from his pocket into Izuku's hands.
"Oh! Thank you!"
Fatgum offers some candy to Shoto as well. "Here's some for you too."
Shoto, the ever stoic, tries to push the candy away. "Thanks, but I really don't-oh, you're giving it to me anyway."
Yup, Fatgum drops the candy into his hand with an oblivious grin. He drops more and more until candy is spilling out of Shoto's hands.
Fatgum eventually stops, satisfied with his work. He peers up at the adults and quickly spots Cinder. "Do I…know you from somewhere?"
Cinder freezes, becoming very nervous and doing his best to keep his face covered. "Nope! I don't think so!"
Fatgum frowns. "Strange, you look kinda familiar. Hm?"
Cinder begins to tremble, sweating buckets.
"Enough of this." Having lost his patience, Endeavor shoves his way forward. "Now, where is the villain? Did you capture him?"
Fatgum's smile drops. "Sorry, he got away. Should've seen it because I sure didn't, because he up and disappeared!"
That was certainly not what Endeavor expected to hear. "What?"
"Yeah! I rushed over here as soon as the calls started coming in about a black and red villain on the loose. And I found him but he just up and vanished. POOF!" He swings his fist in frustration. "Dang it I can't believe I let him get away. I sure wish my sidekick was here, he would have snatched the villain right up before they even knew what hit em!" But alas he's off duty, on vacation with his friends for the week.
Endeavor's scowl hardens as he begins to consider how the villain could have possibly pulled off such a maneuver. Invisibility perhaps? Or maybe-
The roar of police sirens and their flashing red and blue lights flood the street, redirecting civilians away.
"Oh, good, the police." Endeavor states throwing Cinder and Izuku distasteful looks. "Perhaps they can actually be of more use than the rest of you."
One of the police cars screeches to halt beside the group, any closer and it would have run them all over.
The car's door is kicked open and Inspector Tezuka jumps out. "MIDORIYA!"
Cinder can feel his very soul leaving his body, as if deep down he knows that he's already a deadman.
Fatgum starts, his usually cheery demeanor washing away, his smile turning into a nasty cold scowl. "Midoriya?"
Cinder trembles, trying his best to greet Fatgum. "Oh, h-hey…O-officer T-Toyomitsu. S-sorry I didn't recognize you t-thanks to the costume. Hehe, and hey congrats on finally getting your hero license."
He begins to step back, hoping to slip away only to bump into Endeavor who's very clearly blocking his escape.
Cinder pales in response. 'I'm trapped…'
Fatgum stares daggers into Cinder's skull. "I heard you were back. But I thought it was some sort of sick joke. I didn't think it was serious."
Disturbed by the news, Shoto turns to Izuku for an explanation. "What's this about?"
Izuku shrugs. "Um, there was a bit of a mix-up way back when."
"It was no mix-up." Endeavor interrupts, surprising the boys. "I can tell you that."
Izuku's heart races, his blood turning cold, worried Endeavor might know more than he previously thought. "What?"
"Believe me boy. There's more to your no-good father than meets the eye. You may not like what you find when you finally see that."
Shoto scoffs, humorously finding his father's words highly ironic. "I know the feeling."
Endeavor's glare narrows but he doesn't bite back.
At the same time, Inspector Tezuka marches right up to Cinder's face. "What did you do now, Midoriya?!"
"Nothing!" Cinder defends. "I promise, it wasn't me!"
"Excuse me if I don't believe you."
"Inspector, please." interrupts Endeavor. "I know how tempting it is to give this conman what he deserves but we have other priorities starting with a missing villain."
Inspector Tezuka pauses. "A villain that managed to disappear without a trace?" She gives Cinder an accusing look. "Why does that sound suspiciously familiar?"
Okay, now Cinder's starting to lose his patience. "Can we focus, please?!"
Inspector Tezuka backs off, her professionalism taking priority. And so, the heroes and police gather together, comparing and sharing info about the villain. Or in Cinder's case redacting and altering the more…sensitive info.
"Midoriya. Todoroki."
Shoto and Izuku turn to find Tokoyami stepping out from his mother's police cruiser.
Well, Shoto's clearly surprised. "Tokoyami? What brings you to Tokyo?"
"My mother." Tokoyami gestures towards the Inspector. "You?"
"My father."
"Hm." Tokoyami hums, spotting the Number Two Hero with the rest of the heroes and police.
And so, as they exchange pleasantries, Izuku decides to take a breather, taking a seat by a nearby bus stop.
As he rests Izuku can't help but notice how brightly the Omnitrix is glowing, having fully recharged. 'That's weird.'
Shoto and Tokoyami turn their attention to him.
Tokoyami rests a hand on the greenette's shoulder. "Sounds like you two had quite the run in."
"Yeah, it was something…"
Shoto gives Izuku a concerned yet stoic frown. "You shouldn't run off like that." He chastises.
Izuku shrinks under his gaze. "Sorry, I was just…trying to save that person."
There's no response instead Shoto pauses, confused.
Feeling the confusion, Izuku raises an eyebrow. "Hm?"
"Person?" Shoto repeats questionly. "What person?"
Izuku jolts up, realizing that he might know more than everyone else.
In the meantime, the adults continue comparing notes.
Inspector Tezuka raises an inquisitive eyebrow. "Solar Energy?"
"Yeah, he manipulates it…or generates it." Cinder's not really sure. "At least, that's what he said anyway."
Fatgum integers with a suggestion. "Perhaps that's how he was able to vanish!"
Endeavor frowns, unsure. "Maybe? But if we're gonna find this…Ragnarok then we need to know his motives. What is he after, exactly?"
"Not a what, a who."
The heroes and Inspector turn to find that it was Izuku who interrupted.
Endeavor scowls. "What now, boy?"
"Ragnarok. He was chasing after someone."
"Was he?" Fatgum questions. "I didn't see anybody else other than him and you."
"I know what I saw." Izuku insists. "Back at Nakamise Shopping Street there was…someone else. They ran and then Ragnarok chased after them."
"Someone else?" questions the Inspector. "Who?"
"I…don't know. I didn't see their face. Oh! But I think I saw them melt away!"
The Inspector's even more confused. "Melt away?"
Cinder jolts up, locking in on the explanation.
"Yeah, Ragnarok fired at them but they like melted away, dropped down and then reformed and took off into the alley!"
The adults hesitate, unsure.
Izuku sweats, knowing that this is risky. Ragnarok is definitely an alien, so he is probably chasing another alien. But with a city as large as Tokyo with so many heroes and witnesses, they're gonna need all the help they can get. For now, they need to stop Ragnarok. The coverup will have to come later.
Endeavor turns to Shoto. "What about you? Did you see anything?"
Shoto reluctantly shakes his head. "No, I didn't see anybody else."
The adults hesitate, unfortunately for Izuku one possible witness account does not make for hard evidence. But even so.
"We have no other leads as it stands." Inspector Tezuka admits. "If there is another individual involved, we need to figure out if they're a victim or another villain."
Tokoyami frowns, perplexed by her statement. "Another villain?"
"This could be a gang war of sort." She explains. "A drug deal gone wrong. Or maybe even the work of a shadowy organization. I don't know, and that's the problem. As it stands, we need to find Ragnarok and this unknown possible accomplice."
"Then what are we just hanging around here for?!" shouts Fatgum who's ready to go. "We gotta job to do people, so let's do it!"
Endeavor nods in approval. "I couldn't agree more."
"As do I." Cinder steps forward, not willing to allow the heroes nor police to have complete control over this alien case. "You have my full cooperation Inspector."
The Inspector glowers back. "Your services are not required here, Midoriya."
Cinder's stunned. "What…?"
"I said get lost, Midoriya." She growls, her frustration returning. "You may have been cleared but I'll never be able to trust you. You're a liar and a crook, and you're lucky enough as it is that I'm even tolerating you right now. If you want something to do, then leave." She turns away, turning her back towards him. "Go be with your boy…" She looks away, unable to look him in the eye. "Before he realizes what you really are…" She tucks her hat down over her face and marches away so she can call in what she's found out.
And so, Cinder is left behind, rooted to the spot and although he doesn't out worldly show it. It does hurt.
With everything already having been said, Fatgum remains quiet. Moving on to scour the perimeter in case the villain's still nearby.
Endeavor, cold and spiteful, marches past his old friend without a second glance. "Pathetic."
Cinder silently takes it, telling himself it's for the best. And it's not too bad, he expected this anyway. It's okay…
Izuku, however, doesn't like this at all. Feeling insulted and dejected on his dad's behalf.
Shoto and Tokoyami watch on; stunned, perplexed, and very much worried for their friend.
Shoto reaches for his friend. "Mid-"
"Shoto!"
He pulls back his hand.
Endeavor calls for him again. "Let's move it! How do you expect to learn anything if you're not paying attention?!" He turns away, marching onward. "Don't bother with the likes of him. He'll only disappoint you…"
Hesitantly, Shoto relents. "I'm sorry."
He bows at Izuku apologetically before turning and heading after his father knowing that his temperament will worsen if he pushes him any further. Not that he fears Endeavor's wrath anymore but seeing how he is now…he might turn his anger on the Midoriya's instead. And it's clear they don't need any more of the bastard than they already had to deal with. Even so it leaves a very bad taste in his mouth for walking away, leaving his…friend so dejected.
Tokoyami feels similarly, unsure of what to say in order to help his classmate.
But he doesn't need to say a thing as Izuku beats him to it.
"You should go too." Izuku turns, providing the best smile that he can muster. "They'll need your help. Ragnarok might control light but Dark Shadow can still help in the search."
"Midoriya…"
"Don't worry about us, okay." Izuku smiles on, or at least tries his best to. "Just stop that villain, that's all that matters."
Tokoyami can tell Izuku's faking it, forcing himself to smile. But it might just upset him more if he were to point it out, And so not wanting to offend Tokoyami accepts. "Have no doubts, Midoriya. We'll stop him."
Izuku's smile widens. "Thank you."
And so, feeling obligated to help the heroes, Tokoyami gives Izuku a farewell and leaves to join his mother with the rest of the police force.
And so, the Midoriyas are left abandoned, alone between the empty dark alley and the crowded hero filled road.
Cinder quickly recovers, straightening up, and already full of conviction like he's accepted the consequences for what's to come already. After all there is at least one maniacal alien on the loose within Tokyo. And it's his job to stop them, with or without the police's approval.
"Um, excuse me, sir."
Cinder turns to find a plain faced officer approaches both him and his son.
The officer nervously rubs his hands together as he addresses them both. "Um, I know the Inspector just told you to, um, leave. But if you, could we really need you to come down to the station so we can fill out a proper report. If that's okay with you, sir?"
Cinder's eyes narrow, examining the officer's plain face, blonde golden hair, freckled cheeks, and strikingly fuchsia eyes.
Cinder visibly relaxes before the officer. "Of course, please, lead the way."
The officer smiles brightly, appreciating the hero's cooperation.
Izuku, however, is stunned. "Wait! What about the investigation?! We can't just walk away. We have to help. Somehow…"
Cinder smiles, proud of Izuku's dedication and desire to help. "We'll help out." He turns back towards the officer almost like he's addressing him rather than Izuku. "You have my word on that."
The officer's fuchsia-colored eyes light up in appreciation before turning around and continue to lead them down the road and away from the crime scene.
Izuku, still unsure about this detour, follows behind, unable to take his eyes off the scene; fighting his urge to turn around and find some way to contribute.
Cinder however carries on, marching forward with determination, pulling down his respirator. 'You were right, Tezuka.' Hisashi thinks with an ironic smile. 'This does all seem suspiciously familiar.'
##########(Flashback)#########
"Stop lazing around you, good for nothings!" Shouts a rather diminutive villain as his unwilling cronies parade about the warehouse.
The villain is a Caucasian dwarf with pale skin, and a full set of blonde hair combed back into a curly mullet. He wears a red ringleader coat along with a white dress shirt and pants and a pair of round purple sunglasses.
The villain sits at his desk amongst the middle of the crowded warehouse that's filled to the brim with stolen goods from jewelry, money, appliances, and worst of all, weapons.
All the while his cronies hobble about as if in dazes. No, not as if, but they are in a daze. Their eyes are glossed over and blank and if one peered close enough they'd swear they see the victims' eyes swirling around. All of them are just normal civilians that have fallen under the villain's spell.
"You there!" The villain shouts pointing to one of his Hypnotized victims. "Make sure all the weapons are in order."
He points to another. "And I want you to be our lookout!" And then another. "You get some more grenades ready. If we're gonna rob the National Bank, then we can't be too light on the explosives."
"And you!" He points to yet another, taking a moment to pause to think about his next request. "Go get me a strawberry smoothie-No! Make it two."
The Hypnotized civilians give his master a nod before hobbling off towards the exit.
"Hehe!" The villain giggles gleefully, leaning back in his chair, adjusting his glasses. "I love being in charge."
Suddenly the warehouse's entrance explodes in a brilliant display of fire and smoke!
The villain gasps as a young hero adoring a red uniform appears.
A very young Cinder smirks back cockily. "Do you really have what it takes to take charge, little man?"
His smile and face are young and full of spirit unlike his older years where decades of fighting and struggle have worn him out. His face is clean shaven, and hair smoothed back all the while projecting the confidence and energy of a young man in his prime.
"Cinder." The villain growls. "Don't you ever get tired of taking the lead." The villain lowers his glasses to reveal his round white eyes, his pupils swirling in place as he activates his Quirk, Mesmerize. "Why don't you let someone else do the thinking for you?"
The smirking Cinder easily covers his eyes. "Sorry, Sublimino but I'm more of a solo act."
The villain, Sublimino, glowers. "Too bad. Kill Cinder!" He barks, ordering his slaves to attack.
The poor unwilling victims all drop what they're doing and turn their attention onto the hero. At first, they are slow to respond before one after the other they charge the lone hero.
Sublimino smiles gleefully as his minions swarm the hero but his smile washes away quickly as his goons are taken out one after the other by the spry and skilled pro hero.
Cinder grabs some nearby rope, snaking his way past a group of victims, wrapping the rope around them he pulls and ties them together before knocking them over. More victims attack but he sidesteps each one before shoving them forward and slamming into stacks of crates.
"Raagghh!" One of the victim's arms turn into serpents that lass out at the hero.
Cinder ducks and grabs the snakes, before pulling and reeling the victim in and knocking them out.
Sublimino yelps in fright. "You!" He jumps onto the shoulder of one of his Mesmerized victims. "Get me out of here!"
The victim nods before turning and running away, leaving his comrades to take on the hero alone.
As Cinder defends himself, he spots Sublimino escaping towards the back of the warehouse and shouts. "Now!"
As Sublimino and his ride make their escape a large round mass pops out from behind a stack of stolen fridges and vending machines. The mass blocks their way, their large smile shining gleefully as Sublimino's victim runs headfirst into the mass's stomach.
The victim is swallowed up by the victim's sheer mass as Sublimino is flung up and over them both!
"Ow! Sublimino groans before springing to his feet and running away.
Officer Toyomitsu gasps. "Sublimino's escaping!"
Sublimino makes it to the back exit, ripping the door open before leaping out into the cold night air. He's half-tempted to cheer out and declare his freedom when suddenly he's kicked right in the face and sent tumbling to the ground, his head hitting the pavement hard.
Upon the possible concussions the victims inside snap out from his spell. All of them confused about where they are and what they are doing.
Sublimino groans, pulling himself off the ground only to find a young Officer Tezuka, adorning a full officer's uniform, holds him at gunpoint. "Freeze dirtbag."
Sublimino, not seeing a way out anymore, raises his hands in defeat.
After his arrest it wasn't ling till police were swarming the warehouse, getting the victims' statements and treatment for any injuries. While other officers gather up evidence and confiscate the stolen goods.
Officer Tezuka hands Sublimino off to her fellow officers. "Your plan worked like a charm, Cinder!"
A young Cinder approaches Officer Tezuka and Officer Toyomitsu. "Don't give me the credit it was thanks to you officers that we were able to stop him." Cinder returns towards the round officer. "Especially you Officer Toyomitsu. You pulled off that maneuver brilliantly."
The young officer smiles back. "Aw, shucks coming from you that means a lot, sir. Honestly I never considered my Quirk to be all that."
"Don't sell yourself short." Cinder smiles, pausing. "You…ever think about doing hero work?"
"I…have." The officer admits.
"I think you should consider it."
Before he's carted away, Sublimino scowls up at the pro hero. "I thought you were a solo act?"
Cinder smirks down at him. "I am, but that doesn't mean I can't play nice with others."
Sublimino scowls even harder, cursing Hisashi's name. "You'll pay for this, Cinder."
"Yeah, maybe in twenty or something."
And with that the villain's carted away.
Cinder pauses, turning to Officers Tezuka and Toyomitsu. "He's not getting out right?"
Officer Tezuka responds. "Considering he's gonna be charged with vandalism, kidnapping, coercion, and attempted murder then no. He's gonna be locked away for a long while." Probably twenty years or so.
Cinder smiles at that, twenty years is a long time from now. "Bet you'll be an Inspector by then."
Officer Tezuka's smile widens. "Try sooner."
"Soon, how soon?"
The officer puffs her chest out. "The chief's already looking to promote me and considering how quickly we dealt with Sublimino I have no doubt I'll make my way to detective real soon."
"Congrats, Future Detective Tezuka." Cinder offers her his hand in congratulations. "I hope we can work together again in the future."
Officer Tezuka takes it with a smile.
However, Officer Toyomitsu frowns. "You're not staying?"
"Nope." Cinder apologizes as he begins to pull away. "Sorry but I'm running late for another meeting."
Officer Tezuka frowns concerned that it might be important. "Is it hero work related?"
"Sort of, I mean he is a hero, but I wouldn't call to work. I just wanna see an old friend is all." Cinder takes off, giving the officers a salute. "Take care!" And with that he runs off, hoping to make it in time.
The officers watch him off as he leaps up onto crates and up onto a nearby building where he takes off, disappearing into the night.
Officer Toyomitsu turns to his partner and smiles. "I like him."
In the meantime, Cinder enjoys the fresh night air as he leaps from rooftop to rooftop, making his way back towards the center of Tokyo. He's got a long trek since the warehouse was closer to the outskirts of the city, but his friend is worth it.
However, his Plumber Badge begins to go off in his pocket.
Cinder slides to a stop and answers the call. "Hello? How may I help you today?"
["You can stop gallivanting around for one thing".] responds the caller.
Cinder chuckles. "Aw, Magister Patelliday! How you doing you old coot?"
["Who do you think you're calling old? I'll have you know that I'm still in my prime you young whippersnapper."]
"Well, you sure sound like an old man." Cinder teases. "But what do you need, Magister?"
["I gotta a new assignment for ya."]
"Can it wait?" Cinder frowns, checking the time: it's already past 9 pm. "Can you get the newbie on it? What's their name…Thirteen, right?"
["Thirteen's still a student. And besides you're the only one in Tokyo right now."]
"Seriously, but I was gotta meet up with an old friend tonight."
["Well make a rain check. This is important."]
"How important?"
["Oh, you know the usual. World ending, important."]
Cinder rolls his eyes. "Isn't it always?" He pauses and sends a text to his friend. "But fine I'll make a rain check. Again…" He's not gonna be happy about this, but he'll understand. "So, what's the op?"
["We just received word from Plumber HQ that a rogue scientist has decided to bring quote-on-quote peace to this here planet."]
Cinder frowns, confused. "Bring peace?"
["Yeah, peace as in peace and quiet after all life's been vaporized!"]
Well, that makes sense. "Ah, so he's a mad scientist?"
["Precisely."]
"No pressure, I guess. Just gotta save the planet all by myself…again."
["Hold your horses there, cowboy."] responds Magister Patelliday. ["You're not going at this alone. To help defeat this quack and his creation Plumber HQ decided to send us our own little genius to help us. And they are bringing a specialized device tailored made to stopping this madman and his rampage."]
"So, when will they get here?"
["Soon."]
"Real helpful. How soon?"
Without warning a thundering boom echoes through the night sky before an aircraft that can only be called a U.F.O flies uncontrollably far above Cinder's head.
["About now."]
Cinder watches horrified as the ship spins and spins uncontrollably until it comes crashing down into the distance into the nearby mountain side.
"What happened?! Were they attacked?!"
["Communications are getting through but they're not responding."] responds Patelliday. ["Could be a malfunction with their ship."]
"Maybe. But they just crashed just outside of Tokyo! And it was kinda hard to miss."
["Don't you worry. I've already sent out a report about a pilot losing control of his helicopter and that the situation's being handled."]
"Thanks, the last thing we need is for this to be discovered." And so he quickly runs off after it, hoping the pilot is still alive.
It takes a hot minute but after parkouring his way through the city limits Cinder sprints through the thick woods until he comes across the crash site. Following the scarred mountains die he quickly comes upon the downed ship. And by some miracle it appears to be intact, just lopsided and banged up by the crash.
Cinder reports back. "Patelliday, I made it to the site. The ship appears to be intact."
["Then hopefully our reinforcements are intact too. But stay on guard sonny, we have no idea what we're dealing with."]
"Don't worry, sir. No matter who they are, I'm sure I can deal with them."
["Yeah, I bet you'll win them over with your charming personality."]
"Exactly." Cinder laughs. "Besides, how bad could they be?"
On que, the ship opens up, smoke blowing out as a pair of little forms bicker and crawl out from the rather diminutive ship.
One of the little forms tries to lighten the mood, his voice a bit on the squeaky side, giving an air of being a know-it-all. "Well as the Earthlings say a landing you can walk away from is a good landing."
A second voice chimes in this one much raspier. "They don't say that."
"Yes, they do."
"No, they don't."
"Yes. They. Do."
"No. They. Don't."
"I say they do and that's final!"
"But I'm telling you that they don't!"
Cinder frowns, finding the aliens…not exactly what he expected. They're Galvan's which is great but…they're rather odd even for their species.
One of the Galvans is rather thin and taller than most average Galvans. While the other Galvan is on the large side for a Galvan and just a bit shorter than normal. Both of them are sporting Galvan Prime's equivalent of a Plumber suit: green and silver armor. Although the taller one is also wearing a backwards alien cap and safety goggles.
The two spot Cinder staring down at them, shrinking back in surprise.
"Oh, um," The taller one waves, smiling up at Cinder. "Hello Earthling."
The shorter one nods, hiding behind his friend. "We, um, come in peace."
Cinder raises an eyebrow in response, unsure how to react.
########(End Flashback)#######
Hisashi snaps out of his thoughts, peering back up finding that they're still making their way through the city. Following the antsy police officer as they turn every which way, and double backing at times before they continue down another direction.
To an untrained eye one would think the officer was lost and trying to find his way, but to Hisashi…it almost seems intentional. "So, what brings you to Tokyo? No offense but you don't seem like you're exactly from the area."
The officer's fuchsia eyes stare back at Hisashi. "You could say I'm temporarily stationed here for the time being."
Hisashi homes in on the officer's answer, finding it very odd. "Are the higher ups aware of your situation?"
"A few of them are but most aren't aware of my…reassigning."
Hisashi's suspicions grow. "I see. And if I may, was that intentional."
"Yeah, it was."
Hisashi watches the officer's reaction critically. "Where are you from then, originally?"
"Oh, I'm from the middle of nowhere. You'd probably never even heard of it."
"Try me."
The officer hesitates but then, almost cheekily, answers. "Andromeda."
Hisashi's eyes light up as if his suspicions were indeed confirmed. "Andromeda. Oh, that's way out there. But I had a feeling. Your accent." he explains.
Izuku frowns, confused by their exchange. 'Andromeda? Where is that?' He's never heard of a city like that before. But…it does sound familiar.
The officer gaps, delighted to see that Hisashi is indeed aware. "Oh, so you are familiar with it. Ever been?"
"Loads of times actually. It's a beautiful place."
"It is. But I gotta admit, you guys have a pretty good setup over here." The officer waves a hand towards the towering skyscrapers.
"Thanks."
Izuku frowns, finding the officer's much chipper demeanor out of place and sudden. "Hey, um, how much further till we get to the station? We've been walking for a while, you know."
A cheeky grin stretches across the officer's face, their fuchsia eyes twinkling with mischief. "What's the matter? You in a hurry or something?"
Izuku averts his gaze, not really wanting to draw attention to himself. "Something like that…"
"Haha! *Snort!*" The officer snorts with laughter. "Like what? You got a hot date?"
Izuku's face turns bright red with embarrassment. "N-no!"
"Haha! *Snort!* Haha! *Snort!*"
Hisashi raises an eyebrow. "You're certainly feeling a lot better. You're way peppier now."
The officer's gaze falls, becoming reserved and soft. "To be honest, you have no idea how much of a relief it is that I ran into you."
"Well, we're here and we're ready to help."
"And I really do appreciate that, especially since…" The officer takes a shaky breath like the weight of the world just fell on their shoulders. "I'm in over my head here."
Izuku frowns, confused, wondering just what the heck these two are going on about. "Wait, I'm lost."
The officer shrugs. "Understandable. Tokyo's a big place-"
"No!" Izuku snaps trying to make sense of it. "I mean, just who are you?! I thought you were supposed to be taking us to the station?" But they've been wandering around in circles!
The officer gasps. "Oh, I thought, oops."
Hisashi smiles sheepishly. "I'm afraid he doesn't know. He's relatively new to all this."
"Aw!" The officer grins, snapping their fingers. "He's a newbie!"
"N-newbie?" Just what the heck is this cop going on about?! Just what are they talking about?!
Realizing they need a minute to truly talk, Hisashi scans for such a place to do so.
And he quickly finds the perfect place. "Why don't we stop and grab a bite?" He offers up with a smile, pointing towards a little bar and restaurant nearby.
Izuku frowns, confused. "Dad I think we-"
"I'd love to!" The officer interrupts, cutting Izuku off. "I've been needing to try the local cuisine."
"This is so good!" The officer coos, taking another piece of freshly cooked meat off the hotplate.
Izuku frowns, finding this all very odd and awkward. He thought they were going to the station, not a restaurant! And it's not even for a quick bite, they got themselves a dining room so they could enjoy a hotplate with the officer privately.
Izuku looks to his dad who doesn't seem at all bothered by the situation. Instead, he picks away at the hot plate picking out the best pieces for himself.
The officer swallows, savoring the taste. "Amazing, I thought American food was good, but Japan's food is just out of this world!"
"Hahaha!" Hisashi laughs.
Izuku can't take it anymore. "Can someone please explain what the heck is happening here?"
The officer finishes their plate. "Alright, alright." They wipe the remaining food off their face. "Let's start over, shall we?" The officer reaches over the table, offering Izuku his hand.
Finding the gesture odd and out of place, Izuku frowns but not wanting to be rude goes ahead and shakes the officer's hand which is cold and…squishy? "M-my name's Izuku, Izuku Midoriya…"
The officer smiles cheerfully. "Nice to meet you Izuku." Oddly and suddenly the officer's voice turns high-pitched as their eyes turn completely fuchsia in color. "I hope we can be good friends. Eheheh! *Snort!* Eheheh!"
Izuku frowns, finding the officer even stranger as they hysterically giggle and snort.
Izuku tries to pull his hand away, but the officer holds on, their hand seemingly sticking to his hand. Izuku gags as the officer's arm melts away, turning a purple-brown color with a mud-like texture.
Izuku peers back up at the giggling officer who gives him a cheeky wink.
And like that Izuku finally gets it. "You're an alien!"
"Yup! Eheheh! *Snort!* Eheheh!" The officer melts away, their entire body and uniform turning into the purple sludge as a girl's high pitched giggle echoes through the small private room.
The pile of sludge slithers upward, reforming into something other unworldly. A massive sludge monster rises before the Midoriyas. With a legless form like that of a slug with massive fluid arms, it's body completely made of sludge that stretches up its long neck to its slug-like face with a gaping smile; its face protruding with four long thin tendrils of sludge.
"Waah!" Izuku yelps, falling out his seat, taken back by the large monstrous form.
Hisashi cracks a smile. "I knew it."
"Eheheh! *Snort!* Eheheh!" The sludge giggles. "You're kind of a spaz aren't you, newbie?"
Izuku's mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air. "I-I…I was just surprised is all."
"Eheheh! *Snort!* Eheheh!" With a twirl the sludge monster shrinks down their body compacting on itself becoming very thin.
Soon a much more tolerable being stands before them. This time the alien has become much more humanoid, still with their sludge flesh and fuchsia eyes. But they…or she is thin and actually has legs now with a kind smile and much smaller tendrils by her face as a formation of mud flows off the back of her head resembling hair.
The sludge alien smiles, giving them a proper salute. "Lucy Mann reporting for duty Mr. Cinder, sir! "Eheheh! *Snort!* Eheheh!"
Izuku's in total shock-and-awe, completely lost for words. "Wh-wh-what? What are you?"
Hisashi answers. "She's a Sludgepuppy."
Izuku frowns. "Sludgepuppy?"
The Sludgepuppy, or rather, Lucy chimes in. "Well, that's what some people like to refer to us as."
"She's a Lenopan." Hisashi continues. "A species from the Andromeda Galaxy that have the ability to shapeshift thanks to their extremely malleable bodies."
Now that's cool. "Woah."
"You bet, woah!" Lucy laughs. "But if this" she gestures to her form. "is still a little too much for you, I can change."
Without waiting for an answer, she twirls around again, her body shifting and remodeling itself instantly. And thus, what was or is an alien now appears as nothing more than a normal teenage girl. With porcelain skin instead of sludge, gold-blonde hair instead of mud but still with fuchsia-colored eyes. She's now wearing a black polo-dress with a red collar and a red star on the chest. With white knee-high socks with black and red converse.
"So?" She adjusts her getup, taking a moment to admire her human disguise. "What do you think?"
Izuku shyly averts his gaze, hoping she doesn't notice his light blush. "You look…good."
Hisashi snaps his fingers, finally recognizing Lucy. "Now I remember you! We met a long time ago, didn't we?"
Lucy smiles, sitting back down. "I'm glad you remembered. We met during my cousin's wedding a long time ago."
"That's right. You were so little back then. How are they by the way? And you're folks?"
"Everyone's doing real well. The in-laws are still a bit salty, but they haven't caused any trouble since."
"That's good." Actually, that's a relief especially after that disaster of a wedding: he still feels bad about turning the in-laws into stone but it couldn't have been helped.
"Hang on." Izuku spins around, shocked by Hisashi's reaction. "Did you know she or the officer was a Len-Leno, um, a Sludgepuppy?"
He shakes his head. "Not at first but after she gave me so many hints it was easy to figure out." But the fuchsia eyes, being from the Andromeda Galaxy, and of course the sludge were all great clues.
However, there is still much Hisashi doesn't know. "But what I still don't understand is what you're doing here on Earth. Because you're clearly not here on vacation."
"Believe me I wish I was." Lucy's peppy demeanor dies down, somberly staring down at the table like a kicked puppy. "I'm afraid my mission's gone south and I'm in a real bind because of it."
Izuku starts. "Mission? Are you a Plumber?"
"That I am, newbie." She giggles. "You're looking at Plumber Academy's top student, Lucy Mann!"
The greenette's jaw drops. "Top student?!"
"Yup, third year. I'll be graduating later this school year."
Hisashi nods. "Impressive, I see you've already started your work studies that usually doesn't happen until the latter half of the school year."
"Thanks to my physiology I'm perfect for espionage and infiltration so I got recruited early. Like first year early."
Hisashi lets out a whistle, thoroughly impressed. "Now that's quite the feat."
"Thank you."
Izuku, not wanting to be a downer, still feels obligated to interrupt. "But…what about your mission?"
"Oh, right" She almost forgot. "My mission…is to stop Ragnarok."
Hisashi goes quiet, focusing on Lucy's every word. "We're listening."
"Ragnarok's an ex-Plumber with many ties to the underworld. He went rogue after becoming greedy and power hungry, literally. He repurposed his star cruiser into a devastating weapon, one capable of destroying your sun."
Izuku's not sure if heard her right. "Our…sun?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"By absorbing it." She speaks definitely not at all mixing her words. "His ship has the ability to drain energy from stars, destroying them in the process. Once he's drained a star and killed it, he sells the energy off to the highest bidder. With no care of how or what they'll use it for."
"That's awful!" Izuku shouts, fear begins to bubble up inside. "He'll kill everyone if he does that!"
"I know, that's why he has to be stopped. If he's not, then this planet and all its residence will be cast into a never-ending darkness." And death.
"We can't let that happen! We have to find him and stop him before it's too late." He begins to panic muttering away as all the worst-case scenarios play in his head. "Everything will freeze, even the ocean. We'll lose power and everyone will be panicking! It'll literally mean doomsday for us all! This is bad. This is really bad! But how do we find him? How do we even get to his ship? What do we do?! We're all gonna d-BLEH…!"
Lucy slaps her hand over his mouth, her hand becoming thick sludge to shut him up. "Cool your jets, will ya?"
He nods, having snapped out of his panic attack.
"You can relax." Lucy states firmly and honestly, pulling her hand away as it reforms. "Ragnarok won't be stealing your sun any time soon."
Hisashi leans forward, listening acutely. "Why?"
"As I mentioned before, I specialize in espionage and infiltration."
The Midoriyas listen intently to Lucy's story.
"My mission was to infiltrate and investigate Ragnarok's ship. Well, I did, and it was going well for me, easy in fact, but not for long. During my investigation I discovered the source of his power and the key to controlling his entire ship. And so, I stole it before he could activate it. Unfortunately, I was discovered immediately after." Literally seconds after taking it. "I managed to hijack his teleporter and beam myself down to Earth. Actually, landing in Japan was a happy accident to be honest. But either way he came after me, and he's been chasing me ever since." Well for a day but still.
"Teleporter?" Izuku frowns, dejected, wondering why the villains always get the cool stuff. "Well, that explains how he disappeared back there."
He must have the teleporter traced on him at all times in case of trouble. That's exactly how he was able to disappear so quickly when Izuku chased him and the stranger into the alley.
"Wait, so then Ragnarok was chasing you!" Izuku shouts, putting the pieces together. "You were the guy in the trench coat!"
"Yup!" Lucy smiles. "And I do appreciate you trying to save me, hero." She winks making him blush from embarrassment.
Hisashi interrupts, bringing up a valid question. "Why didn't you call Japan HQ for backup."
Lucy frowns, shaking her head. "I tried but the moment I reached out Ragnarok found me. That's actually why he ended up in the Shopping District like he did."
"That's not good." Hisashi ponders wondering how he did it. "He must have some sort of communication interception technology. No wonder you've had to remain radio silent."
"Because of that I've been stranded here. I can't call for help."
Izuku tries to lighten the mood. "Good thing we were here then."
"Yeah, talk about lucky."
"What about this key?" Hisashi questions. "You said you stole it, is that right?"
"I sure did." Lucy reaches towards her core where her body opens up, the sludge parting allowing her to reach inside and pull out a small thin piece of metal. "Here it is."
She holds up a thin silver rod that honestly is not at all impressive for something that'll bring about the end of the world. The only significant thing about the…key is the three odd hooks protruding out from the tip.
Izuku frowns, finding the key…kinda lacking that doomsday punch to it. "That's it?"
"Hey, it may not look like much but trust me if he gets his hands on it, it'll spell doom for your planet." Already nervous enough about showing it Lucy's hand swallows the key and tucks it away back in her body. "Without it he can't steal your sun or even piolet his ship and with it I have enough evidence to incarcerate him for good. I just need a way to get the key back to Plumber Academy where it can be locked up for good and put a stop to Ragnarok's crimes once and for all."
And with that, Hisashi finally understands the full scope of the situation and how dire it truly is. "That sounds like a lot to do alone."
"It is but that's the job."
'This is pretty serious.' Izuku thinks. 'Talk about high stakes.' He looks at his father. "What do we do?"
"I'll tell you what we'll do." Without any warning Hisashi gets up and leaves the room.
The teens watching him are unsure if they should follow or not.
But after a minute or two Hisashi returns this time with a map in hand. "Stop by the kiosk next door." He explains.
He sits back down and spreads the map of the city out on the table.
"Hm." He thinks, examining the map before explaining his plan. "Clearly Ragnarok's monitoring all communication coming in and out of the city and since we don't know exactly how he's doing this it's too much of a risk for us to try and contact Plumber HQ for backup." So, no chance of getting help from Nezu, Thirteen, or even Ochaco nor Mina.
"We're on our own then." Izuku states, figuring as much already.
"Afraid so, but that's okay." Hisashi points out their location on the map. "We're here and…" He drags his finger across the map, sliding it across to the literal other side of the city. "and here in the Adachi-district is where most of Tokyo's alien population reside."
Izuku's not sure why that's useful. "So? How's that help us?"
"It helps because that means that they'll have resources available for us. Like a ship."
Izuku lights up, now understanding the importance.
"It's perfect." agrees Lucy. "I can hire a ship to get me back to the Academy before Ragnarok even realizes it."
"That's right." confirms Hisashi. "Now we're just gonna have to keep a low profile as we cut our way through the city."
Izuku pauses. "What about the Rustbucket? Why don't we take that and just drive there?"
Hisashi gives Izuku a sad embarrassed smile. "I'd love to actually." he shows Izuku his keys, dangling from the chain the automatic starter blinks red, beeping.
"Are those the keys?"
"Yeah, it's a homing beacon for the RV so it can find us."
"Find us? You mean it can drive itself?!"
"Of course, but for some reason it hasn't arrived yet."
The Rustbucket sits in gridlocked traffic. Miles and miles of cars stretching across the highway and streets preventing anyone from moving. All packed together like sardines, unable to move or do anything but uselessly honk their horns at each other.
Chopper sits near the front, eyeing the nonmoving traffic.
"This is bullshit." Kraab spits, seated upon the dashboard.
"We can't wait forever." Hisashi stands up, folding the map away. "The longer we wait around the more time Ragnarok has to find us."
Lucy grins, appreciating the help. "Shake a leg newbie. We got a planet to save!"
Izuku is thrilled to help but they have another issue! "Hang on, did you both forget?!"
The two pause.
"There's a city-wide search for Ragnarok and for Lucy, technically."
Hisashi glowers. "You're right." If they run into anyone like Endeavor, Fatgum, and Inspector Tezuka it might just throw a real bad monkey wrench into their plan. If they get found out the best case would be the exposure of alien life and the worst case is worldwide panic prior of judgement day. So, no pressure.
"We'll just do our best to keep a low profile. We'll keep our distance from the heroes and police as best we can. If we have to, I'll do my best to distract them so you can get Lucy away from the scene."
Izuku doesn't like it, it would mean that his Dad would have to trash his reputation again, but if the situation turns then it's the best option they have. "I understand."
Lucy pats Izuku on the shoulder. "I'm in your hands." She looks to her superior. "Both of yours."
"We'll get you out of here, kid." Hisashi promises. "You have my word."
She smiles in appreciation.
And so, after dropping the money due at the counter the trio head to face their next greatest challenge. Striding forward, determined to face it head on as Izuku pulls his hoodie on, Lucy striding along beside him her eyes trained for any signs of trouble.
All the while they follow Hisashi…Cinder out into the open as he dawns his respirator. "Now, who's ready to paint the town red?"
To be continued…
I know, I know, this story's 2nd anniversary and I left you all on a cliffhanger! But it had to be done. Actually, this chapter was twice as long but this week really kicked my butt, and I couldn't finish the rest on time. So now this chapter will be a 3 Parter. That said, Part 2 is nearly complete, like only a day or 2 away from being done. BUT I don't think I will post it next week, rather I will post it 2 weeks from now. Why? Because I wanna finish Part 3 first. This way I can update twice within 2 weeks of each other rather than a month. At least that is the hope, but we'll see because the next chapter afterwards is sadly gonna be a long one again. I don't want it to be but I'm really bad at cutting content out soooo yeah. But to make you guys feel better we are approaching the end of this arc: I'd say (not including parts 2 and 3) we have between 4-5 chapters. I might cut one out and post it on the side story "Heroes Never Die; It's Hero Time, Anytime" at a later date.
*To be honest I thought for sure we'd be further in the story than we are. My original goal was that we'd be at the Overhaul Arc or at least at the Kamino Ward Arc but things have been busy. But progress is progress and I have no intention of quitting on this story yet!
*Also, the reason there is no preview is because this chapter was technically setting up what's to come. Therefore, it's a preview in of itself.
*Oh, real quick the Bumblebee cameo at the beginning meant nothing, Hatsume never found out she was dealing with an alien robot. She just assumed he was a normal robot ;)
*PLEASE* check out my new side story for this story called "Heroes Never Die; It's Hero Time, Anytime." You will find an assortment of one shots that take place in the canon of this main story. I update this side story weekly along with posts about how the next main chapter's progress is going and when it will come out. Most of the one shots are really short little stories but there are full chapters there such as "OVA: My Zombie Academia." Which is a great change from the norm and is again canon to the main story.
Responses for "Guest" reviewers from Ch.53:
Guest: Huh. Phineas and ferb, cool and it's really cool to see the pussycats and the archie's! I'm assuming that you read the comics which is so cool because I can never find someone who read them as well. Quick question if you see this, who is your favorite character. Mine used to be Archie but now it's jughead because I align with him more
CreateGunner1209: Sorry what comics? I know sorry to say it but do the Archie's have a comic? Also I never actually watched either show. I just know of them…I know I bet this was a disappointing response, sorry :(
Guest57: First off, I LOVE this story! You do a great job of writing out your characters and developing them, creating an original story that just feels perfect. My only complaint comes from what actually makes this story so good; your main characters.
You nailed Deku and keeping him from becoming too OP with the Omnitrix. He loses fights due to inexperience using the watch as well as the fact he's just learning to properly fight. The flip side is unfortunately coming from my favorite; Ochako. She just wins at EVERYTHING. Deku loses again and again while Uravity just… doesn't.
The dynamic just feels a little off. And I get it, Deku's going to be insane once he grows a bit and masters the Omnitrix but so should Ochako. It just feels like she's unstoppable and honestly feels like she's more the protagonist of the story vs them both being center stage.
CreateGunner1209: Thanks for the review I love hearing your opinions. And I know about the problem with Ochaco and I've been trying to fix it and I know when I wanna do it but it's taking longer to get there. Also how does Ochaco feel like more of a protagonist when we haven't seen her for a number of chapters? But I get it and my initial reason for making her good was so I could focus on Izuku more. Basically I tried taking a shortcut but I am trying to fix it but it won't be for a while.
If I could redo some things I would make sure to pay attention to her nausea a little more (I forgot about it for a time) and she would have lost the Sports Festival. But too little too late I guess
Dinosaur: Did you see the 3 new aliens that Tom Perkins created this month for Halloween? Lurk, L'Goon, and Skele-TON? Also chapter 11 of 5yl just came out, are you all caught up?
CreateGunner1209: I did see the new aliens, they're cool. And no I still need to read 5yl.
Guest: Goop is the blob
Whampire is dracula
Blitzwolfer is the werewolf
Frankentrike is Frankenstein
Ripjaws is the creature from the black lagoon
Big chill is mothman
Ghost freak is the poltergeist
Wow class 1A can make a horror movie instead of dancing at the festival can these be Ova too please
CreateGunner1209: Maybe one day when all those aliens are eventually in the story. Also did you check out the "OVA: My Zombie Academia" on my other story? You'll like it, trust me. It's canon to this story.
Guest: If Izuocha happens in the fic. I bet a good moment between would be in Heroes Rising, where they kiss both out of love and to... well transfer something;)
CreateGunner1209: Perhaps, but I have another plan for Heroes Rising
DevilishMan87: Hey dude have you ever heard of the MHA fan comic two inches too late? In the comic All Might is shown what life would have been like if he was never injured and never needed a successor which leads to Midoriya becoming a villain. All Might then tries to save his student from his life of crime while dealing with the pessimistic views of a man named Erwin who accompanies him and tells him the ways of the multiverse. I think it is a story that would real work well at this moment of the story. As All Might would probably still be mad at himself for letting Midoriya down and wondering how to make it up, but when he is thrown in the new world he feels that since he failed Midoriya once before he most do everything in this world and not fail that world's Midoriya too. I would recommend make it like a side story or something, but if you don't want to do it is cool. Just wanted to give the suggestion.
CreateGunner1209: I have and it's so good! And I get it you want me to explore the paradox side of things and time travel. I already plan to and if you read my "Special Announcements" chapter you will find out more there.
Guest: Tell me are you going to ship izuku and asui in future
CreateGunner1209: IDK. I have been hesitant to have ships in the story because of the toxic fandom.
