Some patrolling gets done! The Battle of Hosu begins! The Hero Killer...exists.
One final chapter for the year 2022! Happy new year my friends, and I hope 2023 goes great for you!
"So, what're your hero names?" Mirio asked as the trio walked down the street, waving at the various passersby with a wide, guileless smile.
"Tempest," Izuku replied, feeling a bit odd at the way the various civilians were looking at them. He glanced down at his hands, flexing the gloves and feeling the small resistance from Mei's latest invention. He'd found it in his costume case, a note addressed to him along with his gloves, now a shimmering silver rather than pure white with green stripes. Her note explained that while she hadn't been able to do much (and he really wanted to know what she considered much considering what she created), she had managed to create a specialized focusing lens in his palms.
They would appear normal, unless he chose to activate them by pulsing his energy in a specific pattern (three pulses). At which point a hole would iris open in the center of his palm, the focusing lens sliding into place somehow (he got a headache trying to follow the explanation she gave…he had a passing understanding of support equipment, but Mei was on another level). When he next would expend energy directly, it would be narrowed into a beam of pure force…the lens reduced the heat produced and kept it from sharpening, so the beam was just pure concussive force. It only held for about ten meters, after that it dispersed, but it was perfect in his opinion.
His Air Impact did force, but it was slower to charge and a much bigger blast radius. This was a direct, straight line, not unlike him just punching forward. He'd also started trying to master using finger flicks to generate wind pressure, but found his fingers getting badly bruised by it. Mei said she was working on something for that too. He couldn't help but shake his head semi-fondly at how insanely talented the support student was.
His attention was pulled back to the conversation by Momo's response to Mirio. "I'm Creati." she said, smiling back at the blonde upperclassman. He glanced over her new costume…a far cry from her original. Well…somewhat. It was still mostly skintight (but he'd been assured it was armored this time) and that made it hard for him to stare at her, but it did cover her essential parts as best as possible. The costume would allow her creations to pass through, but just in case the fabric was tearaway (not unlike Midnights) and could be removed in a pinch if she needed to. She kept her arms and lower legs bare though, as she did say it helped with smaller objects to just form them swiftly.
She also had a small, wrist-mounted device not unlike his energy meter that held various chemical compounds and such she could access with a few taps on her wrist. It responded to a voice command as well as had a virtual keyboard she could pop up when needed. Much better than that silly bookshelf, Izuku thought to himself. Lastly, he was happy she took his advice about a belt that held various high-fat snacks to help fuel her Quirk…sure, she still needed to digest it, but it could help stave off the hunger he knew she felt once she started using her Quirk heavily.
"Excellent hero names! I'm Lemillion, because I intend on saving a million people!" Mirio said, still grinning widely.
"So…why are we patrolling in Hosu?" Izuku asked. They had taken a train all the way to a different city at Nighteye's request for a late afternoon patrol, and he wasn't against it, just wondering why.
"Well, thanks to what happened with the Hero Killer, a lot of heroes have converged on Hosu. Endeavor's agency alone has dozens of sidekicks, and he's taken over lead on the case. So Sir felt that we could help assuage public fears by showing we were on patrol while the pro heroes are doing their due diligence during their search," Mirio explained, sending a wave across the street at a small child who was smiling hugely and waving at the trio.
"Endeavor, huh?" Izuku murmured. He'd had a couple quick text conversations with Shoto earlier in the day. He was glad Shoto seemed to be getting along with his estranged family well, but he couldn't help but worry…the boy had had a lot dumped on him at once. It was enough to make anyone lose their cool (he would know).
"Yep! Decided to take it from Idaten since Ingenium's injury. His…younger brother is in your class, right? How's he handling it?" Mirio asked, his habitual cheer fading slightly.
"He's…doing okay," Izuku replied distractedly. He didn't want to go into much detail, it was Tenya's business, but he knew Mirio was just asking out of concern. "He's currently interning with Chronos, so I'm hopeful some work with a good hero will keep his mind off it."
"Chronos? I met him once, nice guy! Talks a little odd sometimes though!" Mirio grinned widely.
"Yeah, he's all about the video games," Izuku replied back with his own grin. "I swear I have to look up new gaming terms every other week just to keep up with him."
"Oh, you know him personally?"
Izuku nodded. "Yeah, he…kinda encouraged me to apply to UA. Since he uh, understood um…childhood Quirk accidents…"
Mirio nodded, his expression going solemn. "Yeah…I uh…saw the articles."
"Did they bother you, Izuku?" Momo asked softly. She'd been keeping quiet, not wanting to interrupt, but she'd been curious about how Izuku was handling his past just being thrown all over the city now.
He shrugged. "I expected it. Even if I hadn't made the speech I did, winning the Sports Festival meant they'd look up any information about me. I knew it was going to happen."
"Yes, but that didn't answer my question," Momo pointed out.
Izuku let out a puff of air with a half-smile. "Well…can't say I'm happy about it. But it is what it is. I mean…it's what my life is, right? I'm going to be followed by the ghosts of my past no matter what I do. At some point I just have to accept my legacy…murderer turned hero."
"You are not a murderer!" Momo angrily said to Izuku, narrowing her eyes at him. He rolled his eyes in return, looking away from her only to have the heiress grab him by the arm and stop him midstep. "No! None of that. Don't say things like that!"
"Momo-" Izuku began, but she cut him off.
"No! Don't say that about my friend!" she hissed, realizing she sounded a lot like what she'd had to say to Kyoka earlier.
"...am I missing something?" Mirio asked, looking back and forth rapidly between the two.
"It's nothing," Izuku reassured.
"He's an idiot," Momo said with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at Izuku. "Bakugo was right."
"Oh come on, what the hell did Kacchan even tell you all? You're all repeating the stuff he says now," Izuku muttered, scowling down at the ground.
"He told us what happened and how foolish you are about it. I didn't want to believe you were that bad but the fact you keep saying things like this proves it."
"I've only said that once around you!" Izuku protested.
Momo rolled her eyes. "Well, you just implied you've said it around others. And Kyoka hears a lot, you know. Just because you've only said it directly to me once doesn't mean I haven't heard about you saying these things at other times."
"Blasted hearing Quirks," Izuku muttered.
"...you cannot possibly think you were at fault for what happened, can you?" Mirio asked, astounded at the very idea.
"Don't you start too!" Izuku growled.
"Huh. Sir said you were smart but really, really infuriatingly stubborn. I can see he was right about you!"
"Wait, what? I'm not 'infuriatingly' stubborn!" Izuku protested. His protests fell on deaf ears, as both Momo and Mirio shared a commiserating glance as Izuku's face twisted, the greenette staring down at the ground.
"Oh my god are you pouting?" Momo asked, holding back giggles.
"No!" Izuku replied, definitely pouting.
"You are! That's so cute! Oh, hold still, I need a picture," she held up her phone.
Izuku waved his hands rapidly in front of him, trying to block her view. "Quit it!"
"Got it!" Momo sang out, grinning widely. She typed rapidly on her phone, smirking as she hit send.
"What'd you do with that?" Izuku demanded, glaring at her with little heat.
"Just sent it to the girls is all! I think it's cute!"
"Wait, which girls?"
"The girls, Izuku. We have a group chat, you know."
Izuku groaned, already able to feel his phone buzzing in his pocket. "Great, now 'Chako and Himi are gonna give me so much shit."
Momo smirked at him once more, and Izuku internally cursed how attractive that expression was on her normally kindly smiling face. "Oh you'll be fine."
"Ah, Creati, Tempest! It's about time we took a quick break for dinner, don't you think?" Mirio interjected, pointing forward at a small diner at the end of the street.
"Wait, we take breaks during patrol?" Izuku asked, confused.
"Normally we wouldn't, because normally we'd only patrol a couple hours at a time before heading back to change routes. But due to the circumstances, we're going to be out for most of the evening, so we'll be taking periodic breaks. Also, I really like that place's snacks!" Mirio winked at his underclassmen.
Izuku felt a twinge in his scars and glanced up at the sky, noting how much darker the day had become. He noticed the clouds slowly rolling in and nodded. "Yeah…looks like it's about to rain, too."
"Damn Shoto, you're something else," Toya remarked, hands in his pockets as he walked alongside his brother.
"I am? I thought I was me," Shoto asked, confused.
Toya snorted, hanging his head for a moment. "I mean, I'm impressed. You already figured out the basics of Flashfire Fist, that move ain't easy. Made your own move from it, right? What'd you call it again?"
"Jet Kindling," Shoto said. "I also am working on trying to master the move I used against Izuku at the festival. Flashfreeze Heatwave. It appeared effective."
"Sure seemed like it," Toya remarked, grinning. His hero costume was rather basic…a long, heavy dark-blue coat over his clothes, which appeared to be not unlike Shoto's vest, some form of heavy duty jumper that would help regulate his temperature. Toya had told Shoto the coat was lined with a special freezing agent, that reacted to bleed off excess heat he produced. His arms were left bare, save for a pair of bracers that went from his wrist to elbow, which was also lined with the same freezing compound. "But remember what I said about collateral damage. That big move is likely to hurt a lot of civilians if you use it incorrectly."
Shoto nodded. He glanced about as they walked. "Are you certain you did not want to patrol with Hawks as well? Do you not miss him?"
Toya waved Shoto's concern off. "Nah, Keigo's got his hands full teaching your classmate to fly. They're gonna be in the sky for days most likely, even if he gets him flying on day one they'll need to do a lot of practice. Flying's pretty difficult."
"Can you fly?" Shoto asked.
Toya shrugged. "Sort of. You should be able to too. Endeavor can. It's difficult though. You have to use the fire to sort of 'push' yourself around, and that can make it hard to regulate temperature. I tend to stick on the ground unless it's really necessary. It'll probably be easier for you once you figure out how to use your ice with your fire."
Shoto glanced down at his hand, clenching and unclenching his fist. "I'm not sure if I can."
"Sure you can, little brother. I'm certain of it. And when you can, you'll be an utter badass…like me," Toya winked at Shoto with a grin.
Shoto glanced up. "Hmm. It appears as though it is about to rain."
Toya looked up as well. "Yeah. Let's stop by that corner store and grab a quick bite, then we'll continue. Patrol is patrol, regardless of weather. Gotta get used to it."
"Alright."
"So, Ida. Why didn't you take Ingenium as your name?" Tenko asked, casually walking down the sidewalk. His hero costume was a black jumpsuit with dark gray highlights, a pair of specialized gloves over his hands. He had a tinted visor over his eyes, that he had casually mentioned to Ida had a GPS and scanning function within it for locating injured civilians in large scale disaster zones. His hair was wild and untamed, and with his casual, almost arrogant walk, he exuded confidence and unconcern.
"It is my brother's name. Not mine," Tenya replied softly, his head on a swivel.
"Relax. Patrol's the easiest quest you get," Tenko tried to reassure Tenya (for the twelfth time).
"Should we not be keeping our eyes out for nefarious acts?" Tenya asked.
"Yeah. But if we look worried, then everyone else will be worried. You have to look relaxed and like everythings going fine. That helmet should help you a lot, no one can see your face. Just use your peripheral vision when looking for issues, and keep smiling and waving."
"Ah, I see. To keep the populace feeling safe, we must project safety."
"Sort of, yeah. It's more about keeping things calm. When raids start, you have to be able to react quickly and decisively. You need to make sure you're at max HP, got all your buffs ready, etc. So it's best to be relaxed. You can react quicker that way, and keep civilians from becoming targets or making the quest harder. Nothing worse than an escort quest after all," Tenko said, one hand tapping the side of his visor as he flicked through a few various feeds.
"I see," Tenya mused. He straightened his shoulders and marched firmly onward, trying to project his own version of confidence.
"You're a real stiff one, huh?"
"...so I've been told."
Tenko lifted his arms up and stretched them for a moment, letting out a jaw-cracking yawn before looking over at Ida. "So…we're in Hosu, while the Hero Killer's still here. You thinking of breaking some rules?"
Tenya was silent for a moment as he tried to think of how to respond. "I…perhaps before, I would have gone after it. Izuku…was very firm in his explanation as to why I shouldn't. He…may have lectured me about it. He also tried to make me deal with my feelings in a more constructive fashion…although to be honest, I'm not sure how well that went for me."
"Can't blame you. I'd be pissed and upset too. I only met your brother a handful of times, but I could tell he was a great hero…and more importantly, a good man."
Tenya clenched one of his fists and spoke softly, so as to be sure no one but the two of them could hear him. "I-how do you deal with these feelings? I don't understand. I know heroes sometimes have to just…accept bad situations. I know heroes see some terrible things…Tensei would tell me about a few, sometimes. I…witnessing Izuku and Ochako at the USJ, not knowing if they would survive, that terrified me. And seeing what became of my brother…I just don't understand how."
Tenko shrugged. "Honestly? There is no secret method or trick, Ida. No guide you can follow or cheat you can drop in. No glitch you can exploit. It's a struggle. It's always a struggle."
"Then why do it? You must have a reason," Tenya asked, almost pleadingly.
"I do. I have a few. Most of them have to do with my own childhood. But there is something else I didn't know about until I became a hero…and that is the thanks I get, for when I help. I don't even mean some reward, just…seeing the relief in peoples faces when reunited with those they lost. Seeing someone smile tiredly as we dig them out of rubble and they take their first breath of good, clean air. Seeing someone get carted off to a hospital but knowing they will make a full recovery. It's knowing deep down that what we do helps people. That's why I keep doing this job. Well…that and to spite my father."
"Spite your father?" Tenya asked, his head snapping to look over at Tenko in confusion.
"Oh yeah, he was a right bastard of a man and hated heroes. So I admit…part of me does it out of spite. Spite can be a helluva motivator, Ida. In fact, why don't you try it?"
"Me? Spite? But…what-"
"Become a hero that represents the best of us, and show the world and especially the Hero Killer that he did not stop Ingenium, that his legacy continues on and has gotten even better. Like I said…spite. You make sure that fucker knows you won't quit. You won't back down. You won't give up. Ingenium will live again, and you'll make sure of it." Tenko shot Ida a quick grin.
Tenya had to think over what Tenko was saying, musing to himself as they continued their patrol. The pro let him contemplate it silently, just gently pushing Tenya along as they walked. The idea of a less than heroic reason behind his heroism seemed…off, to him. But then again, it wasn't like Tenko said that was the only reason. He listed a few, and said there were others he didn't even speak about. Spite was just one of many reasons. And…on one level, the thought did appeal to him. Less spite and more rage, to be fair, a rage that still hadn't left his chest this entire time.
But just…taking all that anger, that rage, that fury at the sheer unfairness of it all and twisting it around into a reason, a way to fuel his own drive…he could see that. He rather thought that was part of what drove Izuku. The way he spoke at the Festival, when he called out that villain, it was…in a word, dark. Dangerous. A threat…but also, a promise. A promise that Izuku would not let Nine hurt anyone else.
Tenya kind of liked that idea for himself. A promise to the Hero Killer that he'd save people, he'd keep up his brother's work and make sure that Ingenium never dies…yeah. He could do that.
"So…how would I go about being…spiteful?" Tenya asked hesitantly.
Tenko burst into laughter. "Oh wow, you really are a stick in the mud haha! Oh my gods, that's funny. Listen, Ida, kid, you don't need an instruction manual on how to pick your own reasons to be a hero. You just do it."
"Right, of course," Tenya murmured.
Tenko clapped Tenya on the shoulder with a grin. "C'mon, weather report says rain's coming in. We'll stop and grab a warm drink before we continue on. Hopefully a nice quiet night."
"Why are we in Hosu?" Himiko asked Aizawa, as the two knelt atop a rooftop a few blocks from downtown. Night had just fallen, and with it, a gentle shower of rain had begun to follow. Himiko had ridden the train out there with him, and as soon as they had arrived the two had leapt up to a nearby building and began patrolling from above.
"Lotta heroes converged on the city to hunt the Hero Killer. The Commission is being irrational about it. So those of us with internships are taking over the major patrol routes while the big guns go after the Hero Killer."
"Oh, I see. Are all the students here?"
Aizawa shook his head. "No. Tokoyami, Ida, and Todoroki are here because Thirteen's agency is in Hosu and all their mentors for this wave are out of her agency. I believe Midoriya and Yaoyorozu have also been sent here by Nighteye for patrolling. And if I know her, Miruko will come here just to hope she finds the Hero Killer…I just hope she leaves Uraraka behind if she does."
"According to 'Chako, they've mostly done nothing but sparring."
Aizawa sighed. "I was all in favor of Uraraka getting more combat training, but if Miruko instills any of her attitude in that girl, I'm washing my hands of your class entirely."
"Why? Miruko's awesome! And hot," Himiko said, adding the last part sotto voce.
Aizawa's answering glare told Himiko he heard that last part, but was choosing not to respond to it. "Because, she's already become reckless. She's taking far too much after Midoriya. If she gets Miruko's attitude, we're all doomed."
Himiko shrugged. "I think it's cute!"
Aizawa sighed, rubbing at his temples. "Of course you do. Alright. Forget that for now. We have a patrol to get to. You know the rules?"
Himiko nodded. "Yep. Same as always, right?"
"Yes and no. Something feels off tonight. If something happens, I want you to promise me you'll stick close to me unless I tell you otherwise, alright?"
"Sure, but…what do you mean by something feels off?"
Aizawa paused for a moment. "Can't say for sure. Just…something is bothering me. Blasted rain isn't helping, it's getting stronger." He shook his head slightly, shoving the damp locks of hair out of his face.
"Yeah, it's kinda annoying. Weird that the weatherman said we'd have sunny skies for the next week. Came outta nowhere," Himiko mused.
"...that's…a very good point, Changeling," Aizawa muttered, his eyes narrowing. He glanced back at her. "Come. Let's continue."
"Alright kit, here's the deal…if we find the Hero Killer, you skedaddle and I kill it. Got it?" Miruko said, leaping over another building.
Ochako, following along using a combination of her own Quirk powered leaps and 'falling with style' as she liked to put it, pouted. "I can't help at all?"
"Listen, I'd be all for letting you take a good swing at it, but it's against the law and I am a hero, ya know. Can't go letting you get in trouble with the police. Not to mention it's dangerous. It's not something to mess around with, you know what it did to your friend's brother."
Ochako's pout vanished at Miruko's comment, looking away and worrying at her lip at the reminder of what Tenya and Himiko were going through. She didn't think Miruko knew about Himiko's situation, considering Himiko's father wasn't a hero and the news had kept his name out of the story. Not to mention since Himiko and he didn't share names, there really wasn't much connecting the two for Miruko to know.
"Yeah, I get it," Ochako replied, sighing.
Miruko paused after her last leap, landing on top of a large warehouse just on the border of Hosu's main municipal district. As Ochako landed next to her with a small jolt, she glanced over at the brunette. "I know I can be a bit much, but I don't want you getting hurt. The Hero Killer is no joke. I'm not in the top ten for nothing, you know."
"Isn't Endeavor looking for it too, though?" Ochako dared to ask.
Miruko scoffed. "If that overheated windbag manages to find it I'll be a hamster. He's too damned flashy, the Hero Killer is some sort of shadow killer. I read Ingenium's report. The fucker had some sort of illusion or shadow jumping Quirk. It's not going anywhere near someone as bright and shiny as Endeavor. Nah, Ingenium was right to look for it in the back alleys. It's not like it's about to jump out and attack in public."
As if the universe wanted to punish Miruko for her comments, the entire city shook as a massive explosion went off a good half-kilometer in the distance. Miruko, instincts primed and ready, was moving before the ground even stabilized. Ochako was barely a second behind, pushing herself to follow the pro as fast as she could without making her lose her lunch. It took them less than a minute to clear the distance, seeing what caused the explosion…only for Ochako to freeze in fear as she saw what caused the explosion.
Miruko noticed Ochako's frozen countenance, glancing back at her intern. "Kit, the fuck's wrong?"
"Nomu!" Ochako shrieked, her voice both panicked and angry as she pointed at it. Her entire body was shaking…and she wasn't sure if it was in fear or in sheer rage at the thought of another one of those things showing up. Visions of Izuku's bloody body flashed through her mind, of Himiko bleeding, of Katsuki roaring with his own rage and anguish. She could barely breathe, seeing the massive, hulking, black-skinned humanoid with the exposed brain slamming its fist into the ground, creating another shockwave that threw all the nearby heroes away and sent buildings nearby crumbling to the ground, the sound of screaming civilians filling the air.
"The fuck? You mean the thing at the USJ? Well…shit," Miruko cursed. She grabbed Ochako by the shoulders and shook her, the brunette girl's eyes managing to focus on Miruko's once more. "Kit, you help the civvies, okay? Stay away from the Nomu. I'll handle it, don't worry about it. Just get those people out of there, okay? It'll be okay."
"Y-yes, Miruko," Ochako managed to stutter out, gulping. "I'll get them out, no problem!"
Miruko smiled at her, giving her shoulders a quick squeeze. "I know you will. Get out there and save people, Uravity. I'm gonna kick me a Nomu!" Without waiting for a response, Miruko leapt into the sky, flipping forward and bringing her heel down with a loud battle cry. "Luna Fall!"
The Nomu leapt backwards, dodging the strike, Miruko's foot smashing into the concrete and crushing it in an explosion of power, pieces of rubble flying up only to be kicked at the Nomu once more by Miruko as she spun in the air. Ochako shook her head. Miruko could handle the Nomu…she had people to save. She leapt off the building, letting her quirk stop her at the last second, and bolted towards the nearest broken building, searching for survivors.
"Shit," Tenko swore. He turned to look at Tenya. "Ida, search for survivors. I'm going to go after the Nomu."
"But, you're in rescue, shouldn't you-" Tenya began, before being cut off.
"I'm in rescue because my Quirk kills. But the Commission put a kill on sight order on the Nomu, as they are bio-weapons and not people. I know what one did to Izuku. I won't let it hurt any innocent people," a bitter grin crossed Tenko's face as he held up one hand. "Decay beats Regeneration, after all."
Tenya stared at the hero before him, no longer seeing Tenko Shimura, but the hero Chronos in his steely gaze and steadfast tone. Tenya nodded. "Y-yes sir. I'll bring as many to safety as I possibly can!"
Tenko tapped at his visor, his gaze going blank for a moment as he read over the feed. "There is a triage center being set up three blocks to the east. Take anyone who is badly injured there. I'm counting on you, Ida."
"...Ingenium. I'll be Ingenium tonight," Tenya whispered.
Tenko gave him an appraising gaze, before nodding back at him. "Alright. Ingenium, move out."
"Yes sir," he didn't wait for a response, his engines flaring to life as he dashed down the street. The strange, gray-skinned Nomu saw him run past, but didn't get a chance to reach out for him, a half-dozen heroes converging on it at once. Tenya paid them no mind. He'd been given an order and he was going to see it through.
Time almost blurred as he ran. Most people seemed to be fine, getting out of the way quickly enough, but there were a few who were slower who got caught in the destroyed buildings. He didn't flinch, even when the young woman with the missing leg was screaming in his arms as his engines burned, bringing him to the series of medical tents and EMS vehicles that were all clustered in a parking lot. He skid to a stop, the screeching noise one of many screams echoing throughout the night, the rainwater on the ground making it hard for him to keep balance.
He quickly handed her off, not pausing to catch his breath, running back towards the fight to find more people to bring to safety. He ignored the bloody streak painted down his front, the red slowly bleeding away under the falling water. A loud crash of lightning made him pause, glancing up at the sky, seeing the rain coming down harder and harder, sheets of wind making it hard to see. Lightning cracked in the skies above, brief flares of electricity crawling across the sky as the wind picked up, sweeping away voice and sound and fear.
But his ears managed to pick up on a sound, a brief cry of pain, down one of the alleyways to his left. He quickly turned, letting the sound guide him, sending him careening down the alleyway to find whoever was hurt. Left, right, right, left, right right right, a confusing cacophony of noise making it harder to find, but there!
He skid to a stop, seeing a hero he wasn't familiar with laying on the ground, twitching. He glanced down at the man, seeking injuries and seeing none. The hero's eyes were blank, white, staring at nothing as he twitched and shivered, like he was having a seizure. Tenya wasn't entirely sure what to do in this scenario, but moving him seemed dangerous at the moment so he took a knee next to the man.
"Sir! Sir, are you-"
"Teeeennnyyaaaaaaa," came the hissing, drawled, growling voice from further down the alleyway. A silvery mist slowly began to seep around him, as the shadows grew longer and more vivid. Tenya's head turned slowly, eyes going wide under his helmet as he saw something down the alleyway.
In the shadows, in the dark, a broken, stuttering, twitching figure rose from the piecemeal trash scattered about. As the rain fell, as the thunder crashed, the alley fell silent, still, a single lantern hanging from one stretched and broken tendril…red, glowing orbs where eyes should be, jagged and cracked wood stretched in the facsimile of a smile. Tattered cloth stretched and ruined over pieces and parts, cages and chains and shattered junk all forming into a strange conglomerate creature, a nightmare made manifest.
"If I am going to be a hero…" the voice called out once more, echoing one of Tenya's most treasured memories.
Tenya knew who this was, what it was, and the rage rose within his chest once more…but he remembered. He remembered what Izuku had told him, what Tenko had said, what Shoto had mentioned about his own family. Everything in him screamed to take his vengeance, to take all of his anger and hate and despair and throw it all at this…this thing! But no. No. He wouldn't betray his friends, his brother, the name he'd taken on for him. Ingenium was a hero, not a vigilante. Ingenium would save people!
He bit the inside of his cheek till he tasted blood, hands clenched and shaking…but he pushed it down. He stood to his feet, standing tall and proud, looking down at the hurt hero at his feet. He knew he had no way of escaping with the hero, the man was too large for him to carry easily. He'd have to hold this thing off till help came.
"Hero Killer! I won't let you hurt anyone else!" he proclaimed, one leg shifting back, his engines revving slowly.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…what drives…you," the voice replied, echoing another memory.
Tenya did not reply, growling as the shadowy figure took one halting, stuttering step forward…then vanished.
Danger Sense had been blaring in Izuku's mind for ages, ever since the rain began to pick up. Of course, the moment the Nomu attacked and the storm intensified, he knew what was going on…the League was there. Mirio had reported that to Nighteye, the pro immediately letting every hero on the Hero Network know that the League was the cause of both the Nomu and the unusual storm. Nine's Quirk was known at this point (well, one of them at least), and it wasn't that hard for Izuku to figure out he'd caused the storm, likely to make it more chaotic.
The whipping winds and random lightning strikes made the chaos caused by the three reported Nomu that much more dangerous. Mirio had dragged Izuku and Momo away from the main body of the fighting, but had them working on rescue efforts with the rest…until now.
Izuku had collapsed in pain, his mind blaring, Danger Sense going off but…different. Closing his eyes he focused inward, looking, seeking, and saw it…a comet, a silvery-blue comet speeding across the heavens, surrounded by shadow and red mist, its form becoming twisted and distorted.
"Tenya's in trouble!" Izuku managed to gasp out, his eyes snapping open. Momo, her arm around his shoulder supporting him, looked at him worriedly, her fear and concern a soothing balm to his mind.
"What's wrong? Is Tenya okay?" she asked.
"No! He's in danger, a lot of danger, more than any of us. W-we have to go help him!" he shouted.
"Mirio said we have to remain here," Momo murmured, glancing about as they had stopped near the triage center.
"You should. Your Quirk will be of great help for this. I'll go help Tenya and bring him back to safety," Izuku replied.
"Izuku-" Momo began before he cut her off.
"I know I'll get in trouble for this. But I can't leave Tenya. I have to go, Momo."
She bit her lip, but nodded. "Be safe, Izuku, please be safe."
He smiled reassuringly at her. "We'll be back before you know it." Fighting his own instincts, and knowing what both Ochako and Himiko would say, he decided not to ignore it. He darted forward, leaving a kiss on her cheek, before leaping to his feet and launching himself into the air, dashing over the buildings as quickly as he could, leaving a red-faced Momo touching her cheek softly in wonderment as she watched him go.
Izuku arrived just in time to bring a barrier up, as a shadowy tendril shot out of the nearby wall, nearly striking Tenya in the back. The other teen glanced back at him, his surprise visible even underneath his helmet.
"Tenya! What's going on?" Izuku asked, falling from the sky to land next to his friend.
"It's the Hero Killer," Tenya muttered, his head shifting back and forth as he looked around.
"Te-"
"I didn't go looking for him!" the bluenette reassured Izuku. "I just heard this hero cry for help and came here, but he's not moving and I don't think I can carry him quickly enough to escape from it!"
"Where the hell is it?"
"It…fell into the floor or something. I can't tell what it's Quirk is or where it is anymore."
Izuku stood back to back with Tenya, his own eyes looking around. "...Tenya…does the alley look weird to you?"
"...it does. Where…where's the street?" Tenya replied quietly.
Izuku scanned around himself, noticing the air was tinted silver. He flipped his Quirk vision on and suddenly was flooded with information, everything around him glowing in a myriad of colors. He choked in pain at the sudden influx of light, blinking rapidly, but ignored the pain and tried to focus through it. He knew what it was…he was now seeing the energy itself, not just of Quirk's, but of everything. Probably the only reason he didn't go blind is his Quirk trying to protect him somehow.
He had to filter it out, as quickly as possible. He didn't care about energy that wasn't related to what they were dealing with…so he had to ignore most kinds. He needed to focus on whatever the energy of Quirk's was, and he supposed on thermal as well since he was looking for a person. Maybe…biochemical? Yes! That was it! They were surrounded by a faint silvery mist, and even when he dropped the vision he could see it. That was some sort of illusion Quirk, which likely worked through a biochemical process to fool them.
"It's an illusion of some kind," Izuku muttered. "The alleyway's here, just like before. The mist is hiding it from us." With his left, he tapped a quick message on his phone and sent it. "I just sent our location to the group chat. Maybe we'll get help."
"We just have to move the hero out of the mist, right? Which way did you come in from?"
"From above. I can carry one of you up, but I don't think I can get you both."
Tenya clenched his fist. "Then take the hero. I can just run until I escape."
Izuku glared back at his friend. "Don't be an idiot. If this thing can just keep pumping out the mist, we'll never escape it."
"My brother did!"
"With help! From a vigilante who's been at this for years now!"
A rattling, broken, heavy breathing sounded from all around them, followed by a short, coughed cackle that filled the air. Both boys tensed up, Izuku channeling his energy into his palms, ready to try to block a strike, even as Tenya's engines purred, ready to launch him…only for a group of shadowy, broken tendrils of metal and cloth to erupt from the ground beneath them, sending the two boys flying apart.
One of them touched Tenya's left shoulder, and the armor melted and corroded away, Tenya quickly trying to rip it away before it spread. The corrosion stopped after a brief moment, but for a split second, Tenya felt it touch his flesh and it burned.
"Don't let it touch you!" he called to Izuku, looking around for his friend but now only seeing the mist.
"Don't let it touch you!" the voice echoed in its creaking, broken rasp.
"Tenya?!" Izuku called, his voice echoing oddly in the mist.
"I can't see you! Where are you?" Tenya replied, looking about wildly.
"Don't move, I'm coming to you! The mist is trying to confuse us, but I can see through it, hold on!" Izuku's hand landed on Tenya's shoulder, making the bluenette jolt for a second before a smile crossed his face. He turned to see the smiling visage of his friend.
"Oh, good, there you-"
"Get away from him!" Izuku's voice shouted, green energy flooding through the air between them. Tenya only now felt the burning on his other shoulder, the pain flooding through his veins as he glanced down and saw his flesh blackened and twisted, as if it had begun to rot away. Green energy covered his arm, shoving the corroding metal off of it and wrapped about the afflicted limb.
Izuku reached out and gripped Tenya by the arm, looking over his wound wide-eyed. "Shit…Tenya, you need to get out of here. It can appear as anyone!"
"How?!" He demanded.
"I-I don't know!" Izuku replied, panic creeping into his voice. He could see through the mist when he used his Vision, but it hurt, and it slowed his reaction speed because of the pain. Danger Sense wasn't much help either for the same reason.
Flame burst through the alley, the mist burning away as it flooded around the two of them without harming them. A second later, Shoto appeared, sliding on a path of ice beside them, showcasing the full alleyway once more. He held up his phone. "I got your message, but be more clear next time. I was unsure of the urgency."
"Izu wouldn't send location info with nothing else unless he needed help," Himiko's voice called out, jogging up to the two of them a moment later. As if to complete Izuku's panic, Ochako floated down between them, her confident smirk vanishing at the expression on Izuku's face and the painful black mark creeping along Tenya's shoulder.
"What's going on?" she demanded, immediately reaching up to Tenya's shoulder as if to inspect it.
"Don't touch it, it may spread!" Tenya replied, taking a step back from her.
"Izuku? What's wrong?" Himiko asked, seeing the greenette's eyes practically sparking as he bit his lip so hard it was beginning to bleed.
"Y-you're in danger. You're all in danger! We need to get out of here!" Izuku's voice rose to a near roar, his form beginning to tremble. The stellar bodies in his mind that represented them…the comet, the singularity, the star, the quasar, were surrounded by the shadow and mist he saw before, a sludge-like ichor now appearing and beginning to seep through them.
"Why? Whats-"
"Why can't you be n-n-n-normal?" the rasp sounded, creaking and cracking, a voice from Himiko's past that sent shivers up her spine.
"Mom?" she whispered, eyes wide and fearful.
"Don't listen to it! It's a lie!" Izuku shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her.
"I'm s-s-sorry Ochako…"
"Shut up you freak!" Ochako shouted, spinning about to try and find the source of the voice, the silvery mist beginning to coalesce around them once more.
"Again. Shoto, again. Do it a-a-a-a-a-gain."
Shoto's fist clenched, flames flickering upon his left side as he glared at the shadowed alleyway. "Silence…" he shook his head in negation, his jaw clenched. "Izuku is right, we must escape now."
"Help me!" the voice cried, echoing around them, filling the alley and their minds. The flapping of wings, the cawing of crows, and suddenly the mist burst up from the ground, swallowing them all within it, the group vanishing into it in a split second….and then the terror began.
Izuku felt his head fit to burst. The light was blinding, as if a thousand suns had gone off at once around him. The danger that he was in was almost miniscule compared to them. He had to protect them! With a growl, he pulsed his energy as hard as he could, trying to form a barrier that would protect, but the moment he did, a shadowy tendril reached out from the darkness and touched on his barrier…and it began to melt.
He dropped it as soon as it began, the barrier and the rot vanishing at the same time. His eyes wide, he sought out his friends, glancing around to see them through the mist, through the glaring brightness of it that surrounded him…and then he found them.
Shoto, curled against the wall whimpering, his arms raised as if fending off a blow. Ice creeping out from his right, fire flickering across his left. Tears streamed down his face, and Izuku could hear him murmuring something.
Ochako, on her knees sobbing, holding her stomach and with one arm and the other over her mouth desperately. Saliva was dripping from her mouth, eyes tearing up, the brunette gulping and choking.
Himiko, snarling, swinging her knife wildly, frantically, her eyes blank and empty. She looked feral, backing up with one hand behind her as if she was trying to protect herself from all sides.
Tenya had fallen to the ground, his legs twitching and moving but his body not, hands scrabbling against the concrete blindly.
"Guys?" Izuku asked, his gaze flicking back and forth between the group. The lack of any response had him realizing something had them…something terrifying. Something affecting their minds. He could see it, the dark, twisted, red and black energy twining about their bodies and minds. The same energy was twined about him, but for some reason it was not twisting within him, instead…he was absorbing it.
"It can't affect you, Izuku. You can use that to your advantage! Whatever nightmare it is trying to trigger won't touch you," the voice of Yoichi sounded in his mind, calm and soothing.
Izuku wanted to reply and take pride in this, but Danger Sense went off in his mind, directed at Shoto. He spun about to see a shadowy tendril reaching from a patch of deeper shadow out for the boy curled against the wall. He formed a disc and threw it as hard as he could, the tendril cleaved in twain by it. A loud, mocking cackle filled the air, his sense pinging once more as he witnessed another, and then a second, a third, a fourth, all reaching at his various friends and loved ones.
He had to spin about, discs forming around him and directing them towards his friends, carving through the tendrils over and over again. The pain in his head was excruciating, trying to hold as many of them with Gear Shift as possible, but he couldn't stop long enough to think! The monster wouldn't stop trying to touch them!
"Calm down, Izuku, you ca-" Nana tried to reassure him, but he couldn't let her finish.
"Calm down?! Calm down?!" he cried internally, frantically. He lost his cool, speaking aloud rather than in his mind. "How can I be calm?! They are in trouble, and I can't keep this up!"
"Muuurrrddeerrreeerrrrrrrr…" the voice whispered behind him, making him spin about wide-eyed and throwing another disc at the mist about him.
"Shut up!" he screamed at the mist.
"Just bring them all closer, you can guard them easier that way!" Daigoro urged.
"How? It can corrode my barriers!" Izuku replied, having to make one of his discs dodge another tendril as he spoke, as if the creature was mocking his internal thoughts. It was then he felt it, the pulse in his chest, the feeling of something changing in his inner world. So used to slipping within it, even as he struggled to defend the others, one part of his mind fell into it, seeking, searching for the change.
As an afterthought, he noticed Second reaching out his hand in his mind, grasping the whirlpool of energy that held Gear Shift. He barely noticed, his mind split too many ways, to notice the second wielder bringing the gear down, from the four he'd thrown it to in panic down to a one, still quick enough to slice the tendrils.
He felt, rather than saw, Second taking hold of the discs, moving them about for him. The pain in his head lessened, the lights around him dimming, as Hikage reached out to help him suppress the flood of information from Danger Sense. The soothing hands of Yoichi and Toshinori's vestige on his shoulders, helping him focus on holding Full Cowling, the reflexes, speed, and strength being set at a gentle thirty percent that he could wield safely.
He felt Daigoro grabbing him by the hand and dragging him beneath the down, within the lake, he could see it…plants. Growth. Life had sprung into existence, brilliant pink coral, orange anemone's, long strands of kelp. It was with a start he realized what this was…Daigoro's Quirk. The Fifth wielder grinned at him in his mind, winking as the two left the lake once more, sending him careening back into his body as if no time had passed.
"Blackwhip, Izuku. It won't corrode, it won't be harmed. Use it, channel it, call upon that fear and anger but control it! Use it to bring your friends to your side, to safety…and to grab onto that bastard creature the second you see it!" Daigoro urged him, pushing within.
Izuku felt it erupt from his body, from his arms, tendrils of black energy tinged with green rocketing out, wrapping about the prone forms of his friends. Gently, almost lovingly, they lifted them and pulled them to his side, allowing him to bring the discs closer. He felt Second retreat in his mind, allowing him to take full control once more, the discs taking up a defensive formation about him. He let out a deep breath, the first free moment he felt he could have, his vision now razor focused on finding the creature…or a way out of the alley.
A whimper from Ochako had him look down at her form, prone at his feet. She hadn't seemed to notice him moving her, still dry heaving as if her Quirk had yet to release her. Himiko and Tenya struggled in the grasp of Blackwhip, Himiko snarling and spitting and biting at the energy holding her in place. And Shoto…Shoto just quivered, fearful and crying silently.
He saw the energy twining about them, hurting them, holding them in its nightmarish grasp. The pain it was causing them, the agony, the despair and hurt and everything he hated to see. Energy, huh? He thought about it…the energy hadn't affected him because he could absorb it. Absorbing energy…absorbing energy…a Quirk that touches others through some sort of energy field…
"Izuku, don't, it's too-" Yoichi's voice started to warn, the concern in the vestige's voice rising. Izuku apologized silently, bringing the wall in his mind back up, quieting him and the other vestiges, knowing what they'd say to what he planned to do.
Wresting control of all his Quirk's back to his full control, he focused upon the tendrils of Blackwhip, realizing he could feel through them. He could sense what they touched, sense the energy around them, and focused. The energy was giving them nightmares, hurting them, making them see things they shouldn't. The mist was an energy too, everything about them was. The rain falling from the sky had his hair plastered upon his face, each droplet charging him more and more and more.
Once he felt his mind and body lock onto the energy that was the twining energy that was haunting his friends minds…he pulled, every ounce of his willpower forcing it away from them and into himself.
He was flooded, feeling the energy rocket into his veins like fuel through an engine. It twisted and twined and roared, being dragged into his chest, into the area he held it all, into the calm, quiet, dark lake in his mind. He was nowhere near his cap, this shouldn't be an issue.
He released the tendrils of Blackwhip on his friends with a tired smile, as he felt them come to reality once more. He looked at them, the four of them looking back up at him with wide, fearful, confused eyes.
Izuku opened his mouth to speak…but could make no sound. His eyes snapped open but could not see. His ears were perked but he could not hear. Taste, touch, vanishing into the aether, the mist, the black energy in his chest pulsing once, twice, and then…
Izuku fell into the nightmares.
Well, some of you figured out what I was basing the Hero Killer on! It's based partially on Fiddlesticks, a champion from League of Legends. If you want a good idea of how it sounds, look up his voice lines on youtube, the VA did a TERRIFYING job with it, it's AWESOME.