BEN 10 DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MY HERO ACADEMIA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME THAT TRYING TO BUILD A SECRET LAIR INSIDE AN ACTIVE VOLCANO WAS A STUPID IDEA? WOULD HAVE SAVED ME AN AFTERNOON.

So, the new year has begun! Now, let's see if things have gotten any better for our heroes.

My Alien Academia

Chapter 31

Assumptions

A dozen Heroes escorted them to a hastily-emptied room in the hospital, followed by twice as many police officers. The Tennysons didn't take offense—though Ben and Ken seemed mildly amused, and Jen just tapped her foot impatiently as Eraserhead tried to grill them for information. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't getting anywhere.

"So, you're the Tennyson that Midoriya mentioned."

Ben looked down at the nametag that the police had hastily provided. "That's what it says here, yeah."

Eraserhead's eyes narrowed. "I should have you deported back to America; there's no way you're here legally."

"That's true," Ben admitted, and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table that separated them. "But ask yourself this—do you really have time to do that, when you could bend the rules long enough for us to help rescue a kidnapped kid?"

Eraserhead didn't even blink. "Can you help?"

"Actually, yes. I'd like to try the easy way first, if you don't mind." Ben waited until Eraserhead nodded at the police and other Heroes, and then turned to his family. "Kara, Ken, could you pop outside for a quick sec?"

The room briefly shuddered as Ultiman and Supergirl left in a blur; they were only gone for a few moments, and then they were back. The Heroes could barely even comprehend how fast they'd moved; not even Hawks or All Might moved that fast!

"We searched the whole country," Supergirl announced, to the shock of every non-Tennyson in the room. "Either he's been moved across the ocean, or he's being held somewhere lined with lead. The bad guys might have been prepared for someone with X-ray vision."

"We couldn't hear him either," Ultiman added. "Again, either he's not in Japan, or he's in a soundproofed room."

No one voiced the possibility that the reason they couldn't see or hear Midoriya was because he was dead. Until they found a body, that was off the table.

Speed, X-ray vision, super-hearing, Aizawa noted. Multiple Quirks, all extremely powerful. Just who did Midoriya become family with?

"Okay, easy way is a bust." Ben sighed, and took out his phone. "Let's try the other easy way."

Ultragirl glanced at what her father was doing. "Wait, you have it as an app?"

"What, did you think I'd keep the tracker on my laptop?"

Eraserhead frowned. "You put a tracker on him?"

"What? No, of course not. I put a tracker on his watch, totally different." Ben glanced up and saw the incredulous looks he was getting. "Considering what the kid wants to do with his life, I thought it would be a good idea."

Eraserhead wasn't one for hope or prayer, but he was starting to think there might be some divine providence at work, if this rather odd family helped get his student back sooner. He felt that hope die when Ben's phone made a distinctly unhopeful sound.

"Well… crap." Ben sighed. "Okay, we've got good news and bad news. The good news is that he's definitely still alive."

"How can you tell?" Eraserhead asked.

Ben waved his phone a little. "If he wasn't, the watch would have immediately shut down, but I'm getting a signal. That's where the bad news comes in; looks like the thing is damaged, and I can't get a lock on its location. More bad news, it has a catastrophic error."

Supergirl's eyes widened. "Ben, does that mean what I think it does?"

"I hope not, or worst-case scenario…" Ben looked Aizawa dead in the eye, and mimed an explosion with his hands. "Boom."

"I d-don't know what you're t-talking about."

All For One just smiled. "Come now, lying isn't a good way to start a relationship. I want us to be friends, Midoriya-san."

"It's hard t-to b-be friends when I d-don't even know y-your name."

I have to give the boy credit, he's at least trying to maintain eye-contact. I applaud his courage, though his stutter makes it less impressive.

"You may call me All For One." When Midoriya's eyes—or rather, the only eye that still opened—went wide, All For One chuckled. "I see that you've heard of me. Did All Might tell you about me?"

"N-no, a Villain from I-Island mentioned you." Midoriya shifted, and winced when he strained his injuries. All For One almost frowned; he had let Shigaraki run most of the show, but he had left explicit instructions to leave the boy as undamaged as possible.

"What did this person say?"

"He… he said that you were the criminal underworld's boogeyman, and that everyone worked for you in some way, even if they didn't know it."

All For One grinned. "A bit of an exaggeration. While I am the master of Japan's underworld, my reach is far less secure overseas."

"Th-that's still impressive."

All For One didn't miss the way Midoriya's gaze flitted around the room, and silently approved. He's trying to keep me talking, while also using mild flattery in an effort to distract me, while he searches for a way out. Not bad, though useless in this case.

"Why don't you follow me?" The man turned his wheelchair around. "I have something to show you, to prove that I know what I'm talking about."

"And if I say no?" Midoriya sighed, but then winced again when the deep breath shifted his broken ribs. "I'm guessing I won't like what happens."

"You catch on quick."

The trip through All For One's sanctum was short, but unbearably quiet for the teenager, who broke the silence after only a minute.

"Why did you think that All Might talked about you?"

"Ah, that. All Might and I are old rivals, you see; of all those in his line, only he became powerful enough to do… this." All For One tapped the arm of his wheelchair. "All of his predecessors tried, but none came close."

"Predecessors?"

All For One resisted the urge to laugh; he usually respected All Might enough to keep the man's secret, but he saw a chance to ruin his image in the eyes of an impressionable would-be Hero.

"What do you know of All Might's Quirk?"

Midoriya blinked. "Um, not much. He has super-strength, speed, durability, and reflexes, but he's never shared exactly how it works. Most people assume it's some kind of enhancement-Quirk."

"Oh, the effect it has on him would make you think so, but that isn't the truth. You see, All Might's Quirk… isn't his."

"What?"

"His Quirk is special, in that it can be passed on to another—not like a genetic lineage, but actually given from one person to someone completely different. It grows stronger in the body of each user, making the next person to use it even more powerful, enhancing their Quirks and their bodies far beyond what they would normally be capable of." All For One smiled at the fascination on Midoriya's face. "The Quirk's name is One For All. The original user hoped that it would become the opposite of my power, and thus defeat me."

"Why… why should I believe anything you say?"

"You don't have to; if anything, I'd be disappointed if you trusted my word right off the bat. However, as I said, I don't want our relationship to start with lies." All For One rolled to a stop in front of a sealed door. "But enough about the issues between All Might and I. Let's talk about what connects us."

Once the code to the door was punched in, All For One led the boy into his lab, and waited for his reaction. He watched as Midoriya scanned the room, eyeing every computer and box of tools, until he saw the device—the device that bore the same symbol as that on his arm.

"After living as long as I have, it's important that you keep your mind busy; I spent almost a decade doing nothing but study the stars. I even used some of my ill-gotten wealth to fund efforts to renew our space programs, though that failed." All For One sighed wistfully, then continued. "However, I found something more intriguing much closer to home—this satellite was orbiting the planet, but it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It took a great deal of effort, but I managed to bribe the crew of one of our last manned space flights and have this satellite retrieved for me.

"I spent decades studying it. At first, it was just a passing interest, but then I managed to open it up. Do you know what I found?" All For One didn't wait for an answer; he had kept this project to himself for so long, and it was exciting to finally share it with someone. "I found records. Records of genetic manipulation on a planetary scale. This machine used technology far beyond anything I've ever seen to change our species. It didn't take me long to realize what that meant—that Quirks are not some natural evolution, as most scientists would have us believe. No, this was done artificially! I tried to crack the firewalls around the computer, but I still haven't gotten far. All I've really learned is the name of the one who built this, who did this to us—Azmuth."

Midoriya was silent for a long moment, but he didn't have to say anything; All For One could see on his face that he wasn't as shocked as anyone else might have been. That alone confirmed his suspicions about the boy.

"I don't believe that Azmuth is his real name," he went on. "It's likely a codename. I have no proof as to why he would do this to the human race, but I have a theory. He was—or is, because I suspect that someone like him would be intelligent enough to find a way to transcend mortality—an incredibly intelligent man, one who saw that humanity could be so much more than it is. He launched this satellite and used it to somehow modify our DNA—not all of us, though. Twenty percent of the population is Quirkless; I believe that he used them as a control group, or as exemptions, in case his experiment killed everyone it touched, and he needed to start over.

"How close am I to the truth?"

Midoriya tore his eyes away from the satellite. "How would I know?"

All For One shook his head. "Dear boy, the proof is there on your wrist! That watch couldn't have been made by anyone else. He chose you, just like he chose me."

While Midoriya had been lying before, now he was visibly confused. "Chose you? What?"

"Why else would he grant you powers to rival mine? My Quirk is too powerful for him to control; perhaps he saw how All Might and his predecessors failed, so he created a champion of his own. He has given you a Quirk to match the versatility of mine!" All For One could see some wariness in the boy's eyes, but still mostly confusion. "I took the name for my Quirk as my own name; I can steal the Quirks of others, keep them for as long as I want, combine them, or even give them to entirely different people. I believe Azmuth selected that power for someone as a champion, but he expected that person to treat this Quirk as a great responsibility. He must have done the same for you.

"So, tell me…" All For One faced Midoriya directly. "Where is Azmuth? What is he planning?"

"I…" Midoriya nearly buckled under the aura of malice that All For One had perfected over his long life. "I… don't… know."

"Pity." All For One sighed, and then pressed a button on his wheelchair. A warp gate, courtesy of Kurogiri, appeared next to him. "We'll continue this conversation when you're feeling more cooperative. Until then, enjoy your stay with the League of Villains."

Midoriya opened his mouth, but a hand reached out from the portal and pulled him through. The warp gate closed immediately, leaving All For One alone with his project.

"I have him now," he said quietly. "The next move is yours, Azmuth."

No one was quite sure how it came about, but Class 1-A had worked out a schedule to determine who was taking watch in their shared hospital room. Keeping watch wasn't strictly necessary, what with a dozen Heroes and fifty police officers guarding the building, but after what had happened at the camp, no one was willing to take any chances.

It was during Ashido's shift that the doors swung open, and Ultiman walked in. "Hey, everyone, what's good?"

Ultiman's smile wasn't like All Might's—it was the kind of smile one gave to a friend as they were about to tell a joke. Ashido decided straight away that she liked him.

"Eh, not much," she answered for everyone. "Just recovering from a near-death experience."

"So, a typical Tuesday, then?" A few of the students chuckled, and Ultiman sat down on an empty bed. "You guys are Izuku's classmates, right? Who here is still hurt?"

Over half the students raised their hands—even Bakugo, though only after Kirishima nudged him hard enough to make him wince. Ultiman nodded and snapped his fingers; there was a flash of green light, and when it faded, the students who had still been recovering from Mustard's poison sat up, looking as if nothing had happened. Yaoyorozu frowned and peeled off the bandages on her shoulder to find only unblemished skin; even the stitches were gone!

Ashido blinked twice; her brain, still sluggish after everything that had happened, needed a moment to remember that Ultiman had been the one to save Ingenium. If he could do that, then maybe…

"Excuse me?" She bowed when Ultiman turned to her. "I know you just did a lot for my friends, but… can you help one more?"

"Absolutely." The complete lack of hesitation gave Ashido a bit of hope. "Who's hurt?"

"Her name's Uraraka Ochako." Ashido realized that Ultiman probably had no idea what Uraraka looked like, so she pulled out her phone and brought up a picture. "Here she is."

Ultiman smiled at the image; it was of Uraraka sitting close to Midoriya, with Eri between them. "Okay, that's adorable." He stepped back and looked around, as if searching for something; the sharp-eyed among the class noticed that his eyes were glowing. "There she is. I'll do what I can."

As Ultiman turned to leave, Bakugo stepped forward. "Hey. What is Deku to you people? Why do you care so much?"

Ultiman raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but didn't address it. "He's family. Even if he wasn't, shouldn't heroes do everything they can to help people in need?"

With his piece said, Ultiman vanished in a blur. Before she really knew what she was doing, Ashido followed after him, as did Sero and Todoroki. Even if they had accepted that they couldn't try to rescue Midoriya themselves, Ultiman might know something. Besides, he was going to try to help Uraraka; it would do them all some good to see another of their friends recovered.

Unfortunately, they were stopped outside Uraraka's room by a police officer. Ultiman was nowhere to be found, but through the small window in the door, Ashido could see the man in Uraraka's room. Either he had convinced the officer to let him in, or had entered without being seen; somehow, Ashido suspected the latter.

Ultiman surprised them all when he walked through the door—not by opening it, but by literally walking through it, much like Togata would.

"Hey!" Ultiman grabbed the shocked officer by the arm. "You! Do you know where her arm is? No, wait, wrong person to ask. I need a doctor, or someone who was at the scene." Adding to the surprise and confusion, Ultiman glowed, and then a perfect copy stepped out of himself, which he addressed. "You, stay here and keep an eye on things. I'll be right back."

The copy saluted. "Got it, boss." He waved as Ultiman phased through the floor, and then smiled at everyone else. "He'll be back in a minute. So, anyone see any good movies lately?"

Nezu was thankful that Aizawa had contacted him as quickly as he did. He was able to smooth over some ruffled feathers, help organize the search for Midoriya, and personally check on his students, all at the same time. He managed to convince the police to let the Tennyson family help, on the condition that they would receive none of the credit, and they would leave Japan as soon as Midoriya was rescued.

Thinking of Midoriya made his heart clench; while Nezu couldn't show favoritism, he genuinely liked the boy, and dearly wanted him to become a great Hero. Instead of checking on his progress, he had to help organize his rescue, and took it upon himself to explain the situation to the boy's mother.

Midoriya Inko had sensed almost immediately that something was wrong when she was brought to the hospital. She had demanded to know if Izuku was hurt; instead, she found out that her son had been kidnapped. There had been a moment of shock, which gave the Heroes and police nearby time to brace themselves before Inko broke down in tears. There was only a few seconds of sobbing before Supergirl pushed her way through and picked up the other woman as easily as she would an infant.

"Is there a spare room I can take her?" Supergirl asked quietly. Rather than demand that she return to where other officers had been keeping an eye on her, a sympathetic Hero guided her to somewhere more private.

Two police officers and that same Hero took up guard duty outside the room, but Nezu followed Supergirl inside. He waited until the American had calmed Inko down with soft words and a strong embrace, and then bowed deeply.

"Midoriya-san, I cannot apologize enough for this tragedy," he said as formally as possible. "I promise you that we are doing everything we can to find your son. That may sound like empty platitudes, but I swear that it is the truth."

Inko sniffled. "Th-thank you, Nezu-san, but I don't think I'll feel better until I can see my baby with my own eyes."

"I've got some good news on that front," Supergirl said, obviously saying so in front of Inko to give her hope. "Ultragirl and I have scanned everywhere that isn't blocking our sight. We've eliminated most of Japan, but that still leaves about two hundred locations. We'll try to narrow it down further."

Inko grabbed Supergirl's hand. "Thank you."

Supergirl's smile was brittle. "I know what it's like to have my son taken from me. I wouldn't wish that on anyone." She paused and tilted her head, as if listening for something; Nezu's own ears twitched in response, but even his keen hearing didn't detect anything unusual. "Ken's causing a scene. He's yelling at that guy with the scarf."

Nezu sighed. "I'd better handle it."

"What do you mean, you didn't bring back her arm!?" Ken had been rather calm until now, but Eraserhead's words nearly had him decking the man.

Aizawa might not have been aware of Ken's true power, but years of being a Hero had honed his instincts to a razor's edge. He had a feeling that Ultiman had the power to completely destroy him, and very well might have, if not for Ben's hand on his son's shoulder to help rein in his temper.

"There was hardly anything left to recover," Eraserhead bit out. "It was caught in a forest fire and burned to cinders. The only reason we even know it's hers is because no one else lost an arm."

Eraserhead had seen far worse in his career, but the image of his student's charred limb was something that would haunt his nightmares for a long time.

Ultiman took a deep breath and visibly calmed himself. "Well, that sucks. If her arm had been saved, I might have been able to reattach it. She would have needed a lot of physical therapy, but she would recover. I can't regenerate a whole limb from nothing." He paused, and then looked at his father. "What about Clockwork?"

"I wish, but you know the rules." Ben sighed, and he seemed to age ten years in an instant. "No using time-powers on living beings, or we'll start a time-war. We got our one warning after Bonfire went and changed things."

Eraserhead had no idea what they were talking about, but he suspected it went way beyond what he could reasonably deal with. All he knew—all he cared about—was that they were discussing options that could help Uraraka.

However, the mention of 'time-powers' gave him an idea. "We have someone at UA—she's only a child, but her powers might be able to help."

"I would advise against that," Nezu said as he joined the conversation. "Eri-chan has had exactly one lesson on how to use her powers. She's nowhere near ready to use them on a human. Besides, her attachment to Uraraka-san could backfire if she were to see one of her guardians so injured. It could cause an emotional outburst, and that would make her powers go out of control."

"Which might kill Uraraka instead of help her," Aizawa finished glumly.

"The good news is that she's stable," Ultiman said. "I cleaned up the burns, and the doctors are already transfusing blood. Whatever happens, she's not going to die."

"While I am truly thankful for that, I'm afraid that her future as a Hero is lost." Nezu sighed. "Successful restoration from Eri-chan is possibly years away, and while a prosthetic arm will help, her Quirk relies on her real hands. Modern technology can't replicate her powers."

"She'll probably have to wear a glove for the rest of her life," Aizawa added. "Without her other hand to cancel her Quirk's effect, she could permanently remove gravity around anything she touches."

"Ken." The older Tennyson tapped his chin in thought. "Maybe you should call in a favor from a friend."

Ultiman paused and looked at his father. "Brainiac or Cyborg?"

"Cyborg is still working on the fusion reactor problem, he can't leave." Ben gripped his son by the shoulder. "Take care of the girl. We'll handle getting Izuku back."

"I assume you have an associate who can help in this situation." Nezu decided at that moment to take a leap of faith. "If it helps, I can give you Uraraka-san's Quirk records."

"Have it ready when I get back." Ken held up one hand. "Give me a bit."

With a snap of his fingers and a flash of green light, he was gone. Nezu hoped that he would be back soon with good news. They all could use some—especially with Uraraka's parents on their way.

Midoriya wasn't sure what surprised him more—that the League of Villains hadn't tried to beat him to a pulp as soon as he returned to the bar, or that Magne handed him some painkillers and water. The pills were even still in an unopened bottle, to prove that they hadn't been tampered with.

"The boss' boss wants you alive and in one piece," Magne explained as she then bandaged him up. "And Kurogiri doesn't want you bleeding all over his floor."

"Th-thanks?" Midoriya was too bewildered by what was happening.

"You're welcome." Magne patted him on the head when she was done, and left him alone in the storeroom they were using as a makeshift cell.

Before Midoriya could even think about ripping off the rag separating him from the Ultimatrix, Spinner opened the door.

"—which is why you have to wait until the next guard comes in!" the lizard-man shouted, and then plopped down into the only other chair. "God, she's so irresponsible!"

"I'm confused," Midoriya blurted out before he could stop himself.

"We're not amateurs," Spinner said as he idly flipped a knife from one hand to the other. "We know better than to take our eyes off you."

"No, I mean…" Midoriya gestured to the bandages.

"Oh, that." Spinner grinned in a way that might have been meant to be encouraging, but his reptilian features made it intimidating. "You were declared worthy by Stain. Even if you're our enemy, you're still a Hero who should be fighting Villains."

"Thanks?" Midoriya didn't like the idea of someone like Stain approving of him, but it was keeping him alive, and that meant he had hope.

Spinner just grunted and resumed tossing his knife. "Just don't do anything to change my mind. Kurogiri will get mad if I get blood all over the bar."

"You're certainly improving your dramatic flair," Mr. Compress said as he entered the storeroom. "Pardon me, Spinner, but I thought our young guest should know that the boy he tried so nobly to save was reunited with his family."

Midoriya perked up. "Really?"

"Yes, and none the worse for wear." Compress still wore his mask, but there was fondness in his voice. "I may be a Villain, but I have a code, my young friend."

At that point, Midoriya was extremely confused. The media had always portrayed Villains as the worst kind of criminals, and his encounter with Muscular and Chimera had hardly done much to improve that image. However, Spinner and Compress had been polite, if not downright nice; even All For One had been charming, in a terrifying kind of way.

Of course, there was also Slice and Toga, so the number of Villains who fit the stereotype still outnumbered those who didn't.

"Anyway, how are your injuries?" Compress' tone sounded sincere as he leaned on his cane. "I'm afraid that we lack the facilities to properly treat you, and it's not like we can just let you go to a hospital."

Midoriya shrugged, but that just made his broken bones protest. "I'm in a lot of pain."

"Should've just surrendered," Spinner said idly.

"I doubt our former comrade Muscular would have allowed that," Compress replied.

"Good point." Spinner shrugged. "Then again, a real Hero would have fought back; if you hadn't, I'd have had to kill you."

Midoriya leaned back and tried not to look as terrified as he felt. So much for being nicer Villains. How am I going to get out of here?

Besides trying to figure out an escape, Midoriya now had time to really think about everything All For One had said and shown him. He had Azmuth's satellite, the source of Quirks on this Earth—if his Quirk really could take other powers, did that mean he could potentially access the DNA inside the machine? The idea terrified him.

But he wasn't completely accurate, Midoriya realized. He thinks that Azmuth is actually a human. He hasn't made the connection that Quirks come from alien DNA, and he thinks that Azmuth is somewhere on this planet. Can I use that somehow? Can I try to feed him false information? Would that even work? If he's been alive since before we stopped sending astronauts into space, then he's been around since Quirks first appeared, which means he's had a long time to read people.

Midoriya sighed. No, I can't lie my way out of this. The best I can do is stall and either hope I'm rescued, or find an opportunity to use the Ultimatrix.

"Alert." The Ultimatrix chose that moment to 'speak'. "Catastrophic error detected. Repair sequence initiated. Repair sequence unresponsive. Catastrophic error detected. All functions suspended."

Yeah, I think I'm going to need some help.

Nezu was good at maintaining his composure, but even he was starting to reach his limit. He had just spoken to Uraraka's parents, and the distraught couple was in their daughter's hospital room. Ochako had yet to wake up, and the only good thing she'd see when she did would be her parents ready to support her.

Now, Nezu was on the phone with the few people who could push even his buttons; normally, he could let it slide, but the frustrating part was that he had no idea why Hawks was being so unhelpful.

"And the reason why you can't assist in the search for Midoriya-san is… what?"

The sigh on the other end of the line caused a crackle that made Nezu's ear twitch. "I'm tied down with a bunch of stuff here. The chaos that attack caused triggered a bunch of small-time Villains to crawl out of their holes and cause some trouble. I've gotta keep that situation contained."

"I would have imagined that you would be more concerned about the fate of your intern." Nezu hated to play a card like that, but it was as if Hawks didn't even care.

"Hey, I'm worried sick about the kid!" Hawks protested. "One of my Sidekicks is in tears about it. Still, if I run myself ragged searching for him, I'm gonna be useless when I'm really needed. Believe me, if I see the League of Villains, I'll let everyone know, and then I'll save the kid myself, but until that happens, I've gotta do what I can here."

Nezu didn't want to admit that Hawks was right. Less-experienced Heroes would burn themselves out in a useless search when someone they cared about was in trouble. Most of the gathering task force—consisting of dozens of high-ranking Heroes—were already frustrated that they had to sit and twiddle their thumbs, but they would be needed to rescue Midoriya once he was located, and hopefully put the League down at the same time.

"Very well, but keep us informed if you find anything."

"Of course. Goodbye, Nezu-san." At least Hawks had the decency to sound completely serious before he hung up.

"Hey, Mickey!" Nezu blinked at Ultragirl as she walked up to him. "Any luck on getting more backup?"

"I've gathered everyone we could on such a short notice." Nezu tilted his head. "I'm sorry, 'Mickey'?"

"You look like Mickey Mouse." Ultragirl shrugged, and then held her hand up to one ear. "Someone just got out of a car. Five people, and I'm hearing Izuku getting mentioned. I thought you said we weren't getting anyone else?"

Nezu took a moment to be impressed by her super-hearing, then mentally ran through the list of Heroes he'd contacted; he was only expecting two more, not five. "I'd called everyone I could, but it seems that someone brought in more." He hopped onto her shoulder, and was surprised at how solid she was; it was like sitting on solid steel. "Shall we go see who it is?"

"Fine, but if you expect another free ride, I'm feeding you to my cat."

Nezu took a brief sniff. "I don't believe you have a cat."

"I'll get one just so I can feed you to it."

Nezu tried not to laugh at the banter as Ultragirl took him downstairs. Waiting in the hospital lobby was Gran Torino and Sir Nighteye, as he'd expected, but not the Big Three. As soon as Nejire-chan saw him, she practically sprinted over.

"How is everyone? I heard Ochako got hurt! Where's Izuku? Did they find him yet!?"

Ultragirl grabbed the other girl by the shoulders, picked her up like she weighed nothing at all, and planted her further away. "Please step back, you are very much in my personal space."

"I'm afraid that we're still searching for Midoriya-san," Nezu said calmly. "You'll have to be patient on that front. As for Uraraka-san, she is… stable, though we don't yet know if she will fully recover."

Gran Torino and Nighteye's only display of distress was a slight tightening around the eyes. The Big Three, on the other hand, ran through a full spectrum of visible stress; Nejire-chan's eyes were full of tears, and she hugged Suneater, while Lemillion gritted his teeth and cracked his knuckles.

"I assume you brought them here on your authority?" Nezu asked Nighteye.

The former Sidekick pushed his glasses further up on his nose. "Yes. I'm aware that I only have that authority for Lemillion, but—"

"Say no more, I'll handle the paperwork." Nezu smiled kindly at the students. "If you want something to do, I can temporarily assign you to the hospital's security. You can check in with everyone."

Ultragirl plucked the principal off her shoulder and handed him to Nighteye. "I'll show them where the kids are."

Nighteye placed Nezu on the floor, but looked at Ultragirl suspiciously as she led the Big Three away. "Who is that girl? She's not Japanese, and I don't recognize her from any foreign Hero Agencies."

"She's Midoriya-san's cousin—one of them, anyway." Nezu straightened his tie as he figured out what he could and couldn't say. "She and her family have the means to help us find Midoriya-san; in fact, they've eliminated a large number of potential hiding spots the League might be using."

"Impressive," Gran Torino admitted. "It's only been six hours."

"It's been six hours since they got here, but twelve since the boy was kidnapped." Nighteye's frown somehow deepened. "If we look at the average, we have only twelve hours left before our chances of recovering the boy drop to unacceptable levels."

"Then I would like your help in the command center we've set up," Nezu said. "You can help us narrow down the search." He paused. "When will All Might be joining us?"

Nighteye made sure no one was listening before answering quietly. "He's conserving his energy; he is convinced that All For One will be directly involved, and wants to be at his best for that confrontation. He will join us once we're sure of the boy's location."

"Just so long as he isn't wasting his time limit on his own personal search," Nezu said grimly. "We're going to need every advantage we can get. Now, we have an hour to collaborate before I have to go."

Gran Torino raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

For once, Nezu let his good cheer completely slip for a moment. "I have to talk to the press."

"So, you're Izuku's 'cousin'?" Lemillion leaned in close so that he could whisper. "Don't worry, he told us the real story."

Ultragirl sighed and started counting on her fingers. "Okay, there's his seven classmates, you three, the rodent… did he tell anyone else?"

"His mom, I think."

"For the love of—the point of keeping world-shaking secrets is not telling anyone!" Ultragirl sighed again. "It's the thing with Bonfire all over again."

"Who?"

"My girlfriend." Ultragirl smiled fondly. "She tried to change history without telling us what she was trying to prevent. It didn't work, and she ended up blabbing the whole story after about three days."

Suneater blinked several times. "You… have a lot of weird things happening on your Earth."

"Says the guy who turns into a sushi bar." Ultragirl smirked. "Izuku told us about you three when he visited."

Lemillion raised an eyebrow. "You mean after you kidnapped him?"

"We only borrowed him without permission, and it was for a good cause." Ultragirl's words were spoken with such haughtiness that it made even Suneater let out a muffled laugh. The smile on Ultragirl's face suddenly faded. "Oh, crap."

The Big Three tensed. "What is it?" Lemillion asked.

Ultragirl winced. "That Uraraka girl just woke up."

Ochako was quiet for a long, tense moment as she stared at where her right arm used to be. Yesterday, there had been a perfectly functional limb, and now… nothing. Not even a shoulder for the sleeve of her hospital gown to rest on.

Her mother, Yukiko, tentatively reached out for her daughter. "Ochako…"

A cross between a sob and a hiccup tore its way out of Ochako's throat, and tears started to fall. "What… I can't… why… aaaaAAAHHH!"

Yukiko cried along with her as she held her daughter close. Ochako's father, Tenma, looked back at them worriedly before turning back to the doctor.

"Please, if there's anything that you can do, tell me."

The doctor sighed. "I'll be honest with you, Uraraka-san, there's not much we can do. A prosthetic can give her a normal life, but there's no way we can replicate her Quirk. From how I understand how her powers work, she will have to keep her hand covered from now on."

Ken's duplicate, who had been staying quiet in the corner until now, coughed into his hand to get their attention. "I hate to argue with a medical professional, but I think you'll be getting a second opinion right about… now."

A green portal opened up, and the real Ultiman stepped through, followed by a rather strange-looking man. He was tall, with silver skin on his hands and face; the rest of his body was covered in black segmented armor. His hair didn't look quite normal, and if you were to look closely, it would be because his 'hair' was actually a mass of thin black wires. On his chest were three glowing circles, arranged in a flat triangle, with two lines connecting the outer circles to the center.

Ultiman took one look at the tearstained Urarakas and winced. "I'm guessing she just woke up?"

Rather than answer, the duplicate merged with his creator, and Ultiman shuddered as he suddenly received two sets of memories.

"I hate doing that," he muttered, and then smiled kindly at the shocked family. "Sorry about that. You can call me Ultiman, and this is my friend, Brainiac. He's going to help you with your, uh… arm problem."

Brainiac gave him a dry look. "There had to be a better way to say that."

"Shut up, it's been a long day."

The doctor frowned. "Now, hold on, I can't let you just walk in here and—"

Ultiman snapped his fingers, and a green band appeared over the doctor's mouth. "Sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to shush your face. Brainy, do your thing."

Brainiac calmly approached Ochako's bed. "May I? I promise that I will not cause any harm."

When the Urarakas were too stunned to reply, Brainiac removed one of the discs on his chest and flicked it at Ochako. It hovered in midair, and then rotated to face the girl; a beam of light swept over her several times. Ultiman noticed a file with Ochako's name in the doctor's hand and snatched it up; he read through it in the blink of an eye, and then handed it to his friend.

"Take a look; I think it'll help."

Brainiac looked through the file, and then nodded. "It will. I understand how her powers work, and I will build a replacement to perform the same tasks."

Tenma's jaw dropped. "Wait… are you saying you could make an arm that could duplicate her Quirk?"

"Yes, that is what I said." Brainiac glanced back at Ultiman. "Do people here have auditory deficiencies?"

"And you wonder why Mary broke up with you for a year," Ultiman muttered.

Brainiac ignored him. "I will have the basic prosthetic functions complete in one hour. Replicating your gravitic manipulation will take approximately three more hours. Is this acceptable?"

Ochako burst into tears again, too overwhelmed to do anything other than nod shakily. Her mother, on the other hand, looked concerned.

"I appreciate your offer, but something like that… I don't think we can afford it."

Ultiman frowned. "Did I say anything about charging you for this?" He turned to Brainiac. "We're not charging them for this, right?"

"Of course not." Despite not showing any emotion, Brainiac drew himself up with as much dignity as a machine could. "This is simply the right thing to do."

Yukiko and Tenma were now almost as overwhelmed as their daughter. These people, these complete strangers, had just offered their daughter a chance to keep her dream out of the goodness of their hearts.

"Th-thank you," Tenma said, and bowed low.

"Okay, you can thank us by not doing that," Ultiman said awkwardly. "Seriously, we're American, that's weird."

"I require a portal back to my lab," Brainiac said; his disk returned to his chest, and he nodded. "I have all the data I need."

Ultiman created a portal, and wiped his hands after Brainiac was gone. "Okay! We just need to get Izuku back, and we'll have the full set fixed!"

Ochako sniffed. "Izuku? W-what happened t-to Izuku?"

"Oh… right." Ultiman winced. "You've missed a lot."

Midoriya nearly passed out from the pain several times, even with the pills the League had provided. For all their strange hospitality, none of the Villains had done more than basic first aid—the Villains actually allowed to be near Midoriya, anyway.

His guards had changed shifts several times, usually depending on how bored they got keeping watch. Toga's shift had lasted about thirty seconds, because she had tried to cut off his ear as soon as she entered the storeroom. It had taken the combined efforts of Twice and Spinner to drag her out, and she nearly stabbed them both in the process.

"Come on, I just want to make him cuter!" Toga complained. "You guys cleaned up all that yummy blood, and I want to see more!"

"Those guys have good reflexes," Shigaraki said as he sat in front of Midoriya. "I was hoping she'd cut you up a little before they stopped her."

Midoriya's heart was hammering in his chest, which turned the slow throb from his broken ribs into a rapid-fire parade of pain. "Y-you really hate me that much?"

"Well, you beat my Nomu at the USJ, almost fried me, and you beat Stain. I'd be lying if I said you didn't deserve some payback." Shigaraki chuckled. "Then again, seeing you beaten to a pulp like this is pretty satisfying."

Darkness was beginning to creep into the edges of Midoriya's vision. The pain was nearly too much to bear at that point, and he was close to passing out. He had only one card left to play that might keep him alive. He would have to hope All For One didn't see through his attempt at deception.

"I c-can't do th-this anymore," he gasped out, not needing to feign the agony he was in. "J-just t-tell y-your boss I want to t-talk."

Shigaraki smiled. "Sure thing; just let me show you something before you go."

"It's one of these two places," Supergirl said confidently to the group of Heroes. "They're both off the beaten path, both stuffed to the gills with anti-surveillance stuff, and they're both running on their own sources of power."

"They are also relatively close to each other, geographically speaking, within Kamino Ward," Nighteye added. "If one location is a dead end, the team sent to raid it can quickly reinforce the other."

"We're running out of time," All Might said, and addressed everyone in the room, including the three students who technically weren't supposed to be there. "Heroes… move out!"

Midoriya bit back a scream as Shigaraki hauled him to his feet and dragged him into the bar. Twice sat him down and kept his hands on his shoulders as Kurogiri turned on the news. Midoriya recognized Nezu and Vlad King immediately, though it took him a second to realize that the man in a suit and mostly-combed hair was Aizawa.

"I want to reassure everyone that UA is utilizing every available resource to assist law enforcement in rescuing Midoriya Izuku," Aizawa said. "No matter what happens, we will bring him home."

"Excuse me?" A reporter stood up. "I have a question."

"Make it fast," Aizawa said sharply.

"While we all hope that Midoriya-san is rescued, I've heard rumors that at least one of your students is in the hospital with critical injuries. Can you confirm?"

"One of our students was brought in for surgery," Aizawa said gravely, "but the danger has passed."

Midoriya felt his heart drop into his stomach at the confirmation. When it came to Hero-related injuries, 'critical' often meant that their career was over. Who had been hurt? One of his classmates? His friends?

Oh god, he thought with mounting horror, I left Ochako with just Ragdoll against Slice. What happened to her!?

Another reporter, this one with a sneer that seemed carved into his face, stood up. "Can you explain why the League of Villains has kidnapped this boy? What reason do they have for taking a hostage?"

"You obviously haven't seen many crimes," Aizawa said. "He's a minor, he's known to the public because of the Sports Festival, and he wants a career in stopping people like them."

"Really?" Somehow, the reporter's sneer grew even larger. "My sources tell me that these criminals think that your precious student might be open to joining them."

Midoriya's jaw dropped; becoming a Villain was so far off-base that he had never even entertained the possibility. He wasn't the only incredulous one; most of the other reporters scoffed or rolled their eyes.

Aizawa stood and gave the man the hardest glare Midoriya had ever seen. "You're a reporter from a magazine well known for publishing outlandish theories that have no basis in fact. Your 'sources' are online conspiracy theorists that are too cowardly to use their real names.

"Let me tell you the truth, in no uncertain terms: Midoriya Izuku is one of the most promising students of his generation. This is not because of his Quirk, but because of the kind of person he is. He genuinely wants to help others; the only reason he wants to be the best is because it will allow him to help as many people as possible. Heroes like that are rare, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that Midoriya succeeds."

Despite his pain and worry, Midoriya felt a wave of affection for his teacher. If he made it out of this alive, he swore to live up to Aizawa's confidence in him.

The reporter's sneer never wavered. "Pretty words, but you still need to rescue the boy, and that's assuming you find him."

"Here's another truth." Aizawa leaned forward just a little, but he seemed to loom over the reporter. "We will get him back."

Shigaraki lazily waved his hand, and Kurogiri turned off the TV. "He's confident, but that reporter is right. We're so far off the grid that the only way to find this place is by accident."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door; the coincidence was so great that no one could do anything but stare.

"Hello?" a muffled voice called from outside. "Pizza delivery!"

"I didn't order anything," Twice muttered. "But I'll take it!"

"Someone get rid of them," Shigaraki ordered, and placed four fingers of one hand against Midoriya's neck, just in case.

Spinner held a short sword behind his back as he cautiously approached the door. Just as his hand touched the knob—

"SMASH!"

—the door exploded inward, along with a good chunk of the wall. The shockwave bowled over most of the Villains, and those that weren't soon joined their comrades thanks to several blurs that collided with them.

"I suggest you surrender, Villains," All Might said, fists on his hips as other Heroes charged around him.

"Oh, crap, it's All Might!" Even with the bandages around his body, Chimera drew himself up and readied for a fight. "Fight our way out!"

"Bad dog!" Midoriya's eyes went wide as Supergirl of all people flew in and punched Chimera in the face with enough force to knock him out. "Sit! Stay!"

A man who looked like his skin was made of wood swung through the hole in the wall on a branch of his own making. Kamui Woods, an up-and-coming Hero who had already made a name for himself, aimed his free hand at the Villains.

"Lacquered Chain Prison!"

Thick tendrils of wood sprouted from his arm, wrapping around most of the Villains, even those who were unconscious. Dabi's hands erupted with blue flame, but before he could do more than singe his bonds, the fire was put out by a torrent of water.

"Pretty sure the sign says 'no smoking'," Ultragirl quipped as she shook a few droplets from her hand.

Before Dabi could reply, Gran Torino flew in on the jets of air that shot from his feet and smashed him on the head. The Villain slumped in Kamui Woods' grip; even if he was still conscious, his bell was rung hard enough to remove him as a threat for the time being.

Midoriya could hardly believe what was happening—forget that All Might himself had come to save him, how were people from an entirely different universe here!?

"Hey, cousin." Midoriya stared as yet another familiar face appeared next to All Might—Ben Tennyson, who had turned into Diamondhead, smiled confidently at him. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."

"You really think that?" Shigaraki had been the only Villain not captured or knocked out, by virtue of having a hostage. "You really think I'm just going to give up, after everything I've been through!?"

"That's the sane and rational thing to do, yes," Ultragirl said.

"After what this world has done to me, 'sane and rational' doesn't fit in the picture." Shigaraki's grip on Midoriya tightened, and the Heroes tensed when they saw his pinkie finger inch closer and closer to the boy's neck. This was the worst possible scenario—a Villain with the power to kill with a touch, in control of a hostage.

"You realize there's no way for you to escape, Shigaraki Tomura," All Might boomed, his grin never leaving his face. "If you surrender peacefully, perhaps we can work something out with the authorities."

At that point, Shigaraki was nearly hyperventilating, and he stared at All Might with wide eyes. "You… you don't get to tell me what to do, All Might! I'm this way because of you! I hate you! Kurogiri!" He turned to his lieutenant. "Bring in the Nomus! All of them!"

Before Kurogiri could reply, Supergirl moved with blinding speed and punched him in the armored collar. He gasped, and then went as limp as a vapor-based being could. Shigaraki made a noise of protest, and in that moment of distraction, Midoriya made his move; he jumped as far as his broken body would allow, towards the arms of All Might as he ran to catch the student.

Shigaraki's reflexes, however, were honed as well as any Pro Hero, and he moved at the same time. His fingers gripped Midoriya's left arm—specifically, he grabbed the Ultimatrix. There was a hiss and a crackle as Shigaraki's Quirk ate through the rags, and then the casing around the watch itself.

"Error. Error." Green bolts of energy spat out from the Ultimatrix, even as it turned grey and started to crumble. "Countermeasures deployed."

"Hit the deck!" Ben shouted.

Green filled everyone's vision, and the explosion knocked even All Might and Supergirl on their backs. When their sight returned, the Heroes could see Shigaraki had been blown clear through the bar and into the far wall. Midoriya had also been thrown clear, and was somehow still conscious, but the impact had reopened all of his injuries. His bloodstained clothes now looked like they'd been soaked in red paint.

And then there was the Ultimatrix; the watch had almost completely turned to dust, with only a few green fragments sticking to Midoriya's arm. Rather than the red of Shigaraki's Decay on his skin, however, there was a patch of sickly green that was slowly spreading.

"Izuku!" Ben reached for Midoriya, but he jerked back in surprise when a silvery fluid erupted from the boy's mouth. The same liquid started to pour from all the Villains as well, and as it enveloped them, the Heroes could see that it was pulling them somewhere else entirely. Ben tried to grab Midoriya again, but he was a beat too slow, and his hand touched nothing at all.

The silvery portals remained, though, and instead of following after Midoriya, Ben received a punch to the diamond-coated face by a grey-skinned Nomu. Nearly twenty more followed their comrade out of the various portals, and lunged for the closest person.

To their credit, the Heroes reacted remarkably fast. Kamui Woods trapped six of the monsters in an instant, and Supergirl and her daughter broke the bones of two more with a few well-placed punches.

"Where is he!?" Ultragirl demanded; for the first time since arriving in Japan, she sounded panicked. "Where did he go!?"

Supergirl held another Nomu back with one hand and looked to her right with glowing eyes. "He's at the second target!"

All Might stood tall, almost ignoring the handful of Nomus that dogpiled him. "I'll get him! OKLAHOMA SMASH!" After sending the monsters flying, he ran to the hole in the wall, crouched, and got ready to leap. "I'll leave these things to you!"

"Ben, go with him," Supergirl said, then briefly paused to freeze two more Nomus with her ice-breath. "We'll be right behind you."

"Got it!" Ben turned into Jetray and flew off after All Might.

Please, kid, Ben thought, please be all right!

And that's where we'll end it today! Sorry if things seemed rushed or weird in some places, but this year is already looking as bad as the last one for me. Both my dad and grandfather got covid at the start of January. My dad recovered, but my grandfather did not, and passed away a week before I posted this chapter. And my grandmother had a stroke. And my uncle died a few days before that. I've lost more family members in the last six months than I have in the last six years. Also, I'm currently sick—not with covid, but I still feel like crap. Just letting you all know why updates might be a little slow for a while.

Anyway, on to the chapter.

So many people thought that Uraraka's lost arm wouldn't be meaningful because Eri existed. She's six years old, has no idea how her Quirk works, and she's terrified of her own power. Nobody with functioning brain cells would encourage her to use her Quirk on someone she cares about who's in critical condition. They don't let doctors operate on people they know/care about IRL, they sure aren't gonna let a little girl with the power of time itself go into the OR.

And then there's Ben and Ken. Do they have the powers of Clockwork? Yes. Can they use it on people? No. Professor Paradox couldn't fix Kevin without bending some rules after he got super-aged. In my headcanon, using time-powers on living things is against the rules of some nebulous temporal treaty set up by the Chronosapiens after the timeline was altered by a time-traveling Bonfire. And Ken isn't allowed to use the powers of Alien X unless the universe is about to end—and even that's a maybe. Sorry, but Uraraka losing an arm doesn't qualify.

That's why we have Brainiac in this story (I brought him back to life on the side of good in Unlimited Justice Part 2). To say he's smart is the understatement of the decade. Creating a prosthetic limb that can replicate gravity powers? That's an evening for him, tops. So, yeah, Uraraka's not getting her arm back, but she's not out of the game. Oh, and the reason why Ben and family are just tossing out random info about themselves: they're in another universe, they can say whatever they want, because everyone who listens will have no context. Hooray! And if Ben seems a little too smart in some places, he's trying really hard to sound like the scientist Midoriya and Nezu claimed he is. And I wouldn't have been surprised if Azmuth had provided him with a tracker for the watch… which broke.

Another thing: All For One is smart, and he got some stuff right, but he never considered aliens from another universe as an option for Quirk origins. Cut him a little slack.

And you might think it's dumb that so many places are proof against Kryptonian powers, but look at the MHA universe. With so many powers out there, any Villain who hasn't X-ray/soundproofed his base deserves to get caught. It's not paranoia if four out of five people have superpowers.

Oh, and the big one: The Ultimatrix is destroyed. Yeah. That happened. I'm not apologizing.

I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, but as I said, a lot of crap has happened in a very short amount of time, and I'm a little overwhelmed by things. In the meantime, if you want something to read, please check out my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb. You can find it on my website (link in my profile), or on Amazon as an eBook or physical copy.

If you want to support me in other ways, I have a P-atreon (link in my profile). Supporters of a high enough tier there can look forward to content a day early, or even a PDF of my book!

And I'd like to thank the following Muffins who have gone beyond:

Serious Muffins: SpaceEmperorSpar, Nimrod009, Anders Lyngbye, Matthias Matanovic, ChaosSpartan575, John Collins, Red Bard, Aaron Meek, Shaolin Khalil, killroy225

Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, michaelb958, Crazyman844

Ultra Muffins: Matthew Bunting, RangersRoll

Next Chapter: All For One unleashes his power, and he's not alone. Can Ben and All Might stop the Villains before it's too late for Midoriya?

Plus Muffin!