Chapter 14
"Why did she do that?" Shigaraki Tomura complained petulantly, "I wanted to watch All Might's Game Over!"
"Secrecy," All for One's voice emerged from the old CRT TV at the end the bar, while Tomura and Kurogiri watched the flat panel on the wall, "And multiple variations therein."
"What do you mean, Sensei?" Decay asked without thinking.
"If the police and the Heroes can observe your mooks' Quirks, they can plan to counter them," Kurogiri offered, "This way, any who were not already heavily filmed can remain a mystery."
"In addition, while seeing All Might die might frighten the populace," their boss resumed, "Not knowing who killed him or how he died will make it even worse. If they watch Nomu break the Symbol of Peace and then Endeavor destroys Nomu, they will be sad and angry, but also reassured that the killer was defeated. This way, any one, any group of the attackers could be responsible. Especially if they significantly desecrate the body to hide the cause of death."
That made the younger man smirk.
"Some of the rioters may not want to be shown," the portal maker mused, "So that they and their families cannot be targeted."
"Damn cowards," Shigaraki tsked at that.
While he didn't say anything, All for One suspected that the real reason, or at least the main one, was that Demonus did not want the Shadow being seen. The alien had made All for One invest a great deal of effort into discrediting the Power Rangers. And where possible, erasing any mention of them. Having one of the Rangers' enemies show up on TV would undo their work. Particularly if said enemy was an evil Ranger.
That, or their own group would be mocked for having a Ranger cosplayer.
The broken Villain took a deep breath through his mask, and tried to shut out Tomura's ranting about leveling up and cutscenes. He almost wished he could have sent his apprentice to attack the mall with the others. But Master Demonus did not want his back-up body endangered.
"Psycho Pink?" Izuku frowned.
"The Psycho Rangers were enemies of the Space Rangers, right?" Melissa remembered.
"They were more than just the enemies of the Space Rangers," Tommy said, "They were arguably the greatest threat to them. The Psycho Rangers were specifically formulated to be a counter to the Space Rangers. Stronger, faster, resistant to the Ranger's weapons. Each Psycho Ranger had a specific fighting style to counter their matching Ranger's fighting style and weapons."
He paused, and looked directly at Melissa, "And Psycho Pink was arguably the worst of them. The most vicious. She fought the Pink Space and Pink Mirinoi Rangers together, and matched them. And she killed the Mirinoi Pink Ranger."
Both teens flinched.
"Of course, as a Shadow Psycho Pink should be much weaker than she was in the past," the AI reminded them, "And when she fought the two Pink Rangers together, she had an evil artifact known as the Savage Sword, which the Shadow might not have."
"And there were many monsters stronger individually than the Psycho Rangers," Tommy added, "An individual Psycho Ranger was not a match for a full Ranger team. But their intelligence, focus, and hatred of the Rangers made them more dangerous than opponents with great power."
"But we still have to go," Melissa said, "Uncle Might doesn't have a way to fight a Shadow. None of the Heroes we saw on the news do. Of course they don't have magic or Grid energy. But I also didn't see anyone like Endeavor, X-Less, or Elecplant... who is probably still in LA anyway. So who else can fight her?"
"Are all of the news outlets down?" Izuku asked evenly, "Or just the channel we were watching?"
"I can't find any live broadcasts," Tommy reported, "And there is a massive uptick of technical support posts on internet provider, wireless network, and camera support systems. Whatever Psycho Pink did, it appears to be a full media blackout. I also tried to call All Might, but he did not answer. Maybe he's too busy to answer or has it muted..."
"Or phones are blocked too," the Pink Ranger frowned in thought and worry.
"So if we go, there shouldn't be a record?" the green-haired boy prompted.
"We can't guarantee that," Nezu's voice emerged from the speakers, and he replaced the news report on the screen. Both teens give Tommy a betrayed look.
"Don't do that," the principal scolded them, "I called Tommy to ask if that was a Shadow, and when he said it was, I asked him to put me through to the Command Center."
"And now, I would like to ask if you two would be willing to go help All Might?" the dog-bear said humbly.
"What?" Izuku blurted out in surprise. Melissa silently regarded the screen thoughtfully.
"Based on what Tommy has told me, I did some investigating," Nezu said, "There are forty-two registered Heroes with Quirks that would let them hurt an intangible Shadow. Three of them here in Japan. X-Less is currently hospitalized, recovering from a Villain attack. Endeavor is in Kyoto fighting a murderer with a regenerating squid Quirk. Possibly related to the squid All Might fought when the three of you were in Kyoto. And Volt Grip is serving as a guard at Tartarus. Any other Hero is too far away, and we cannot ask civilians."
"And Villains are right out," Izuku quipped.
"Not necessarily," Tommy said, remembering.
"But we don't know of a Villain who both has a viable Quirk, and might be willing to help us," Nezu said, "So... are you willing to take this risk? Tommy told me this Shadow is especially dangerous, particularly for you, Melissa. I won't blame you if..."
"I'm going," Izuku said, "I would have gone anyway. I won't let All Might get killed."
"And I won't let Uncle Might or Izuku get hurt," Melissa said, "Besides, as the current Pink Ranger, this feels like my responsibility."
Tommy looked at them in concern. Then he nodded, "Just be careful. Remember your training, and your teamwork."
"Should I sneak in, Dr. O?" Izuku asked. Melissa and Nezu both looked at him in confusion.
"Presumably you should both sneak in," the mouse-dog suggested.
"No, I meant..." Izuku stammered, "Maybe... it might be faster to just show you... It's Morphin' time; Echo Ranger 1, Mode Black."
Izuku's form shimmered and transformed as expected. But then he held up his right hand, and slowly and deliberately made a fist. As he did, he faded from view. He was not completely invisible. But most of the light passed through, leaving him most transparent with a mostly translucent outline.
"You can become invisible?" Melissa demanded, "Like the Dino Thunder Black Ranger?"
"Power down," Izuku said, "Not exactly. And not as well."
"We can discuss it on the way," Nezu said, "I'm here, and we should hurry."
From above, Kashyyyk Shopping Mall looked like a Pokeball. Two semi-circular buildings, each four stories tall. Almost two hundred shops and eateries, as well as the requisite utilities. Between them there was a large courtyard, with a giant oak in the center. The roofs of the buildings extended out so most of the courtyard was covered, expect for an open strip.
The mall also had heavy shutters that when closed, transformed it into a shelter against weather or Villain attacks.
Tesla was able to interfere with the internet and the power supply, while Thousand Eyes tricked the sensors. That made the eastern building's system think that there was a major thunderstorm and blackout. And it went into lock down. That protected the Villains from the police and Heroes. More than half of the criminals pillaged and destroyed. The rest found the trapped civilians and dragged them to the courtyard. They would wait for their ransom demand to be met, and then escape.
Or at least that was what most of the crooks had been told was the plan. Only a handful knew the real scheme.
Fourteen minutes ago, they had closed off the mall. Thirteen minutes ago, they had delivered their demands to the police. Seven minutes ago, the Villains lost all communication, which they blamed on the cops.
Now... Now the entire shutter reverberated. Three times in rapid succession. Like someone was pounding on it with a hammer. Or a very heavy fist.
And then one of the panels crumpled. The metal bent inwards, creating a four-meter round hole in the shutter.
"My apologies," a new yet familiar voice boomed across the mall, "I tried knocking, but no-one answered. Regardless, I AM HERE."
The shoppers and employees felt hope well up in their chest, and many of the Villains shook in fear.
All Might strode through the hole, light streaming in from behind him.
"I will make this simple," the Symbol of Peace proclaimed, "Release the hostages and surrender. If you do so, I will put in a good word for you. Let's put an end to this..."
"Yes, let's," a sour voice proclaimed, "Get him."
A trio of the villains acted. One, wearing either a metal mask or with a face of literal steel, swung his arms together. The twisted and torn wall of the barricade returned mostly to its origin position and shape. A woman with hair like snakes of stone fired globs of grey mud at the wall. Not just at the point of All Might's entry, but a smattering of shots spreading from the floor to six meters up. The bullets began the spread and harden, merging into a second wall of stone. The third fired spikes of bronze from their shoulders and back. They pierced through the stone and steel in spite of their material. This both locked the new wall to barrier, and also presented a stabbing danger to anyone who would get close to the wall.
"Go, go, go... what?"
The police lieutenant in charge of the site gave his order. All Might opened a path, and then made space for the rescue force to follow.
But the cop commander broke off as the barricade was resealed behind All Might.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"The Villains must have some metal bending Quirks," his second responded, her voice low.
"That implies they were ready for this," he countered, "We can't just leave All Might in there with them."
"Shaped charges?" she asked.
"It's a risk," he said, "But we don't have any other options. There aren't many Heroes that could make a hole as quickly, cleanly, and safely as All Might did."
All Might frowned. He could make another exit through the wall in seconds. Unless one or more of the Villains was some way to interfere. But taking his focus off the criminals would endanger him. And more importantly, would endanger the hostages. So he had to take the criminals down, first. Toshinori thought, hoped, that if he knocked out enough of them the rest would surrender. His eyes swept the courtyard and visible stores, taking an estimate. There were about forty costumed Villains in his line of sight. Based on the initial report from the first officers on the scene, there were others out of view, looting the shops. All Might also had to hope there were no plain clothes criminals mixed in with the hostages.
Five of the fastest and most courageous Villains charged the Symbol of Peace. All Might recognized two, but was unfamiliar with the other three.
Leading the charge was a woman in her late teens or early twenties. She had mid-length brown hair, some of which twisted into the form of a drill, and the rest becoming a katana. She wore a magenta top and shorts, and an enraged expression.
The second criminal was Grey Goro, a muscular Villain with thick grey skin and four arms. All Might had never fought Grey Goro, but knew he was an enforcer for a group of mid-level thieves. Importantly, while he was a known associate and tough, he managed to avoid being directly connected to any crime. In that respect, All Might was almost glad to see him, it would be good to finally take him off the streets.
Sharkyonara was the second Villain All Might was familiar with. He was a middle-age man with a shark's skin and fin, plus an extremely wide jaw and mouth. A mouth with multiple rows of pointed teeth. The #1 Hero had arrested him once, but after serving his time, the shark mutation Villain returned to the life of crime. The fact that he liked to take a literal bite out of his opponents contributed to Sharkyonara's local notoriety.
The other two were a slender person with no nose, eyes on stalks where their temples would have been, and curved metal blades instead of fingers. And a woman in a purple dress with oversized gorilla arms. Not just oversized for her, but oversized for a full grown mountain gorilla.
All Might caught the hair that stabbed at his chest. It was harder than normal follicles, but All Might could crush steel with his bare hands. He pulled her in, and then flicked his hands up. Carefully, so he wouldn't break her neck or splatter her against the ceiling. Just enough to send her flying into the air. Flying and spinning.
Gorilla woman passed Goro, and she and Sharkyonara reached Toshinori at roughly the same moment. She jumped, trying to hammer down on All Might. The shark Villain dove, attempting to take a bite out of All Might. The Symbol of Peace tapped gorilla-woman's wrist, forcefully deflecting her attack onto Sharkyonara's head. The shark's jaws snapped shut.
Then All Might caught the hair woman, swept her into a bear hug along with Sharkyonara and gorilla-woman. He gave them a quickly squeeze, forcing the air out of their lungs. The hair Villain's eyes were already spinning, but this knocked all three out. He threw the trio like a fastball at Grey Goro and the clawed villain. The quintet went down in a heap. And only Goro was still moving, though he was caught up in the tangle of limbs and prehensile hair.
The rest of villains paused. In a matter of second, the #1 Hero had taken down a tenth of their force, including two of their heavy hitters. And without taking so much as a scratch in return.
"Okay, big guy," Psycho Pink patted Nomu on the shoulder, "Looks like it is our turn."
The altered Villain let out a bestial snarl and bounded for All Might.
"Okay, Izuku, spill," Melissa gave her boyfriend a curious look, "Since when can you become invisible? And why didn't you tell me... err, us?"
"It was the day you went to talk to Principal Nezu about UA's network security," Izuku said, briefly breaking eye contact to with Melissa to look at the back of the dog-mouse's head.
"While you two were talking, I did some light training," the greenette continued.
"What kind of training?" Nezu prompted, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Dodging," Izuku answered, "Dr. O programmed Stingwingers into the training room, and I practiced dodging ranged attacks from flying enemies. Of course, I was in Mode Black, since it is my slowest mode, but also my toughest. A little while into the training, I messed up and took a heavy shot to my left shoulder. And when I looked down, my arm was gone."
"But it was just invisible?" Melissa deduced, though she still sounded a little worried.
"Yeah," Izuku's voice was filled with embarrassment, "Though it took us longer than it should have to figure it out. Once we did, Dr. O talked me through how to relax my arm and my mental defenses, and call it off. But now that we knew I could turn invisible like he could, we started practicing it. At first it didn't work, but after about an hour, I was able to activate it. Sort of..."
He turned red as he remembered and trailed off.
"Why only 'sort of'?" Nezu parroted curiously.
"I made my Ranger uniform invisible," Izuku said softly, the blush spreading from his cheeks to his ears and neck
"Just your uniform?" the mouse-bear asked, trying not to sound amused. And not entirely succeeding.
"Yes," Izuku answered softly.
"Your entire uniform?" Melissa pressed. Her boyfriend didn't say anything. He just nodded, once and quickly.
"I.. see... hee..." their principal stated, his voice quivering. Then he quickly closed his muzzle with a click.
Something the two Rangers and the AI knew, but didn't discuss with Nezu and All Might, was that when they Morphed, their clothing was shunted into a pocket dimension. Which meant...
"Oh," Melissa squeaked, looking her partner up and down.
"I tried to make it stop," Izuku's complaint was nearly a whine, "But I couldn't get the hang of it..."
Nezu snorted.
"And then Dr. O reported that the two of you had arrived at the building," he said, "So I gave up and just powered down. And then I swore Dr. O to secrecy. I didn't want to tell anyone until I was sure I could fully control that power."
"But you showed it to us," Nezu said, "and implied you didn't have full control yet."
"I don't," Izuku confirmed, "But All Might is in danger. So if my invisibility could help, I would try. The same as I would for both of you, Dr. O, my mom..."
"So then let's talk about this invisibility," Nezu directed, "How does it work? And what are the limitations?"
"Well," Izuku hemmed as he collected his thoughts, "I guess the main limitation is that it only works when I am Morphed into Mode Black. Dr. O can explain it better when we have more time, but it has something to do with how the Dino Thunder Power Coins were made from the Dino Gems, and the Dino Gem was connected to Dr. O, not me. And also because of that I can't become one hundred percent transparent. There is still a bit of a translucent outline. If it is bright, and you know to look for me, you can see my general location."
Izuku paused and looked at his Morpher, "Right my time limit in Mode Black is almost six hours. But turning invisible drains me. If it used it the whole time I was Morphed, that would cut me down to roughly four and a quarter hours."
"And you still do not have total control over your new power," Nezu prompted again, hoping for a more detailed explanation.
"Not yet," Izuku confirmed, "It's been over a week since I accidentally made part of my costume invisible but not me. The biggest issue I have right now is my fingers and toes becoming visible when I move."
"Still, we might be able to use that," the principal mused, "So this is my suggestion for getting both of you inside..."
A noise between a tiger's roar and an eagle's scream tore out from the middle of the Villain pack. A being jumped out, and charged All Might. It was humanoid, with dark black skin and a pair of ragged brown pants. It had a crow-like beak instead of a mouth or nose, but said beak was lined with teeth. No visible hair, but it had a visible brain. And its eyes were sticking out of its brain. Eyes full of madness and lacking any rationality. The Symbol of Peace wasn't sure if the creature was Human, or a non-human animal with a Quirk like Nezu. Maybe a crow with a mutation type Quirk.
Toshinori braced himself. The new attacker was almost as tall as him, and might even have been more built than his Muscle Form. It extended its hands, and its digits were more talons than fingers. All Might waited. When it reached him, he tapped its wrists outwards with the back of his hands, a move he learned from Izuku. Then he thrust both his palms out to throw the Villain back.
Only it didn't work. His blocks only barely forced the Villain's arms away enough that its claws missed his head instead of gouging out his eyes. The force should have thrown the creature's arms all the way up and out. Made it look like the Villain was doing the 'Y' from the ancient YMCA dance. And when All Might's hands hit the Villain's chest, it stopped. But that was all. It wasn't moved back, not even a centimeter.
The creature closed its hands into fists. It spun its body wildly, trying to clock All Might upside the head. Toshinori threw his left arm up, absorbing the blow. Then he twisted into an uppercut at the underside of the Villain's beak. But since the first blow did nothing, he increased the power of his second strike. Toshinori started most fights using only eight percent of One for All's power. Now he bumped it up to fifteen percent. The creature's head and neck barely budged. It glared at All Might, wrapping him into a bear hug. It tried to dig its talons into the Hero's back, both to injure him and secure its hold. But the costume David Shield had made for the Symbol of Peace refused to be cut. So the monster's claws did not pierce it or All Might's skin.
All Might grabbed the creature's wrists. He started to pull them back. 20%. 30%. 50%. Finally, at 60%, the Villain's arms creaked and began to pull away. All Might kicked it up to 70%. Then he headbutted the creature. Cringing at the feeling of his skin against its brain. Cringing in both worry and disgust.
It's arms went limp. All Might released his opponent, and kicked the Villain in the chest. This time the crow person skidded back almost a meter. But after it stopped, it looked up. It did not seem concerned. It just glared death at All Might.
"I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt," All Might said softly, as much to himself as to his opponent, "I try to do that for everyone. And I don't know what happened to you. But all I sense from you is rage, hatred, and pure aggression."
He paused. Drew himself up to his full height. And stared down the creature.
"So be it," he declared, "It has been a while since I had the need or ability to really cut loose. And if you are going to stand between me and saving those people, the I will move you aside."
All Might attacked. Not an attack to disable a weaker foe. No, this was one of his finishing moves. And that was just to start.
"Carolina SMASH!"
Toshinori hopped forward and brought both arms down in a cross karate chop, using 85% of his power and aimed at both side's of the creature's collarbone. He also noticed that his control and aim were better than the last time he had used the move.
There were two cracks from the impact. One from the Villain's neck and one from the cement tiles as the crow person was driven into the floor almost up to its knees.
The monster didn't even flinch. It just punched unevenly at All Might. The Hero blocked, and countered with a barrage of his own. All Might's punches were faster and more accurate, and he was easily able to block his opponent's awkward strikes.
'I need to thank Tommy and Izuku when I get back,' he thought to himself.
Only at the same moment, Toshinori realized he was not making progress. If anything it was the opposite. The visible divots in his opponent's collarbone had filled back in and smoothed out. One block dislocated the creature's left elbow, but a few punches later, the limb was right as rain.
"Strength, some form of damage negation, and also regeneration?" All Might grumbled, "Just what are you?"
All Might prepared to take it up to One for All's full power
Clap... Clap... Clap...
The sarcastic applause caught the attention of both Hero and Villain. The crow-person paused. Toshinori turned his head, while making sure to keep an eye on his foe.
"Demonus was right," an acerbic feminine voice hissed, "you are stronger than before. And this Nomu creature doesn't measure up to you."
All Might tensed. The speaker was a Shadow. And an evil Pink Ranger at that. He didn't recognize her. She could be an evil clone; a few of the Ranger teams did not have much remaining in the way of clear images. That could explain why a True Believer didn't know her on site. But more likely this was Zedd's Evil Pink Ranger, or Psycho Pink.
"I was under the impression Demonus was destroyed," All Might countered.
"Not everyone stays dead," she mocked, "Case in point."
She waved down at her body, leaning into a slight bow.
"Now then Nomu, I will back you up, so hurry and finish this so-called Hero."
The now named 'Nomu' started to pull its right leg free. All Might tried to interrupt it, but the evil Ranger rushed in. He turned to punch her. His fist passed through her torso. She countered with an uppercut. Toshinori tried to catch it. Her fist phased through his hand. Then her knuckles solidified. She scored a solid hit on All Might's chin, rattling him. And the protruding armor on the back of her hand tore his skin, leaving a bleeding line on his chin.
The mooks close enough to see and the ones with enhanced vision cheered.
Nomu freed itself and began a new assault. And All Might was on the defensive.
"Principal Nezu," Kamui Woods exclaimed, causing the cops and other Heroes to turn and look down.
"What are you doing here, Nezu?" the lieutenant asked harshly. Then the Heroes glared at him, and he added "-san."
"I was worried from the moment this started," the dog-mouse said, "There are too many criminals, too organized. And then communications cut off. Naturally, I wanted to see what was going on, especially since I knew one of my teachers was on site."
"We are preparing to blast the barrier," the second in command reported, "But we've been hindered by having to post someone outside the jamming zone, and then run messages back and forth to them."
"Do you not have anyone who knows Morse code or semaphore?" Izuku asked. The head cop turned to glare at him.
"We called for semaphore flags," he growled, "They'll arrive with the shaped charges. But with all communications blocked, we can't use Morse code."
"Even with mirrors or flashlights?" Izuku prompted, genuinely confused. Nezu smiled proudly, while Kamui Woods and a random police officer face palmed. The lieutenant ground his teeth, but nodded to his second. Then he glared at Nezu.
"And who is this?" he demanded.
"One of UA's most promising first years," Nezu said, unrattled, "I've been working with him outside of class to study his abilities. I thought it might be good for him to observe."
Then the bear-mouse matched the policeman's glare.
"You are watching the employee entrances in the back?" Nezu phrased it as a question, but his tone did not match.
"Of course," the officer scoffed.
"And you have made arrangements to let some of them slip past," the principal continued.
"Wha?" the lieutenant gaped, "Why would I do that?"
"This group, of this size, they must have some sort of goal," Nezu explained gently, "It can't just be money, there are better ways to do that. The only ideas that come to mind are that there is something special in the mall that they want. But I have discounted that as unlikely. More probable is they want to cause fear and chaos. Or lastly, this is all a giant distraction while another group hits bigger target."
He gestured around to the gathered police and Heroes, to the press moved back to the edge of the barricade or outside the jamming zone.
"Or maybe they just are really that stupid," Nezu said. Then he brought up his phone, showing the police and Heroes the initial reports on the incident he had compiled, "And while that fits some of the Villains who have been identified, I don't see Grey Goro, Varanus, or Oxy-man going along with it. Especially Goro and Oxy-man, they are from rival syndicates. It would take someone with power or clout, and a good plan, to get them to work together."
The police leader scowled as both the Heroes and his own people nodded in agreement.
"That's no reason to let them get away," he argued, "We can just interrogate them."
"If they know anything and are willing to talk," Nezu shrugged, "And what if they aren't? What if they were lied to?"
"What if this is the precursor to something much larger?" Izuku asked softly, worried what Psycho Pink's presence implied.
"I can't authorize that," the lieutenant changed tactics.
"That's no problem."
Nezu took out his phone. Activated the flashlight app. Directed it at the relay officers almost two kilometers away. And started tapping the button to create a series of long and short light pulses. A few minutes of tense silence later, they received a similarly encoded response. Nezu smiled angelically. The lieutenant sighed and face-palmed.
"Shall my student and I take the message to the officers guarding the back doors?" Nezu offered, politely not pointing out that Chief Tsuragamae agreed with him. The annoyed officer considered for a moment.
"Fine," he agreed, taking the chance to get rid of the thorns in his side.
"Here," he dashed off a quick written note. Folded it. And handed it to Izuku.
"Thank you, sir," Izuku bowed. Nezu inclined his head slightly, and led the teen off.
They walked quickly around the mall. They checked in with the police at the first door, and then continued to the second door. Izuku handed the note to one of the officers. And Nezu started talking. Somewhat loudly. Very verbosely. With extensive waving of his hands. He would draw the cops' attentions to Izuku. The teen would answer unsteadily, and ask the police for their opinions and about their experience with previous stakeouts.
While Nezu and Izuku were distracting the watchers, Melissa quickly crept over to the door. Using the security card Nezu had given her, she was able to override the Villain's hack and open the door. As quietly as she could, she slipped inside.
After she was inside, Izuku and Nezu moved on, delivering the message to the other two outposts, that the second group would withdraw and leave that door mostly unguarded. So that when the Villains fled, they would think they had escaped and could be followed.
Finally, they returned to the front.
"We have delivered the message to the other posts," Nezu reported.
"Fine," the lieutenant grumbled.
"Thank you," Kamui Woods said.
"I should get Midoriya-kun home," Nezu said, "And then I will be back."
"You don't need to," the police coordinator said in false sweetness, "You've done more than enough. We should be able to breech in wall within the next twenty three minutes. By the time you get back, we'll probably be done."
"Nevertheless. I will see you shortly. Midoriya-kun?"
"Thank you, sir," Izuku told the cop, "This was a learning experience."
The lieutenant sighed to let out his annoyance. Then he gave the boy a polite nod.
As soon as they were back in Nezu's car, Izuku Morphed. Transformed into Mode Black. And then went invisible. He slipped out the door on the other side, before Nezu drove off.
As quickly as he could while maintaining his focus, he returned to the employee entrance. Knocked once. Echo 2 let him in.
Toshinori Yagi was in trouble.
Nomu wasn't strong enough to defeat All Might, but the crazed Villain's regenerative powers also kept the Hero from ending the fight. All Might knew that he could win. But it would have been a long fight, or would have required him to burn through One for All's stored power. And he was strongly considering the latter option, to get Nomu out of the fight.
Because the bigger problem was the Shadow. She was faster than All Might, and far more skilled. Physically she was weaker than Nomu, but still stronger than the vast majority of the #1 Hero's past foes, including Grey Goro or anyone else here. Her intangibility let her avoid all of his attacks. Well, all but one. All Might had landed a clipping blow to her right shoulder, when the Shadow grew overconfident. He cracked her armor, but she learned from that. She peppered him with light blows, and made openings for stronger hits from Nomu. That was why he was contemplating sacrificing a portion of One for All to take out Nomu. If the evil Ranger was alone, he might be able to survive until reinforcements arrived.
Then something hit his legs. He spared a glance down. Globs of grey mud was spreading across ankles, down his feet and up his calves. He kicked at Nomu. Some of the muck dislodged. It landed on Nomu, who clawed it off. More hit him. Nomu grabbed his arm, keeping All Might from cleaning himself.
Toshinori looked to the side, and saw the woman with tubes of grey stone for hair had circled around to his side. He frowned, finally recognizing her.
"I've been waiting years for this," Stheno snarled softly, "Ever since you sent my sisters to Tartarus."
She fired again, and All Might was having trouble moving his legs. If not for Nomu holding him, if not for the Shadow attacking him, any other time he would have easily broken free. But his two melee opponent's were locking him in place. So the hardening clay was locking him down.
It was time.
"Go beyond," All Might whispered, almost as an incantation, "Plus..."
Beams of energy, from the fourth floor balcony, struck Nomu, the Shadow, and Stheno. The energy seemed to explode on impact, in a bright shower of sparks. The three Villains were all thrown back. Another burst followed, hitting the false Ranger and crow-person again. One beam also hit All Might's legs, cracking the stone. A few also were directed at the other nearby Villains.
Stheno and the other normal Villains collapsed, unconscious or struggling to move. Nomu lurched to its feet. And charged All Might again, unconcerned by the assault.
Psycho Pink kipped up. She cracked her neck. Inclined her head as if smiling darkly. She knew this energy.
"Ranger," she hissed. And then jumped towards the source of the attacks.
Author's Note: After a bit of writers block, busy times at work, and being trapped in Hyrule when I had free time, I'm back. Hopefully back to a regular cadence. Also commissioned another piece of art for this story. I'm waiting for Cherry to post it, though I might do it if she decides not to.
