Azur Heroes
Chapter 19
Time for a rescue. And you'll see where all of the prep and training pays off. Hopefully anyway. At the same time, you'll see more of Izuku growing into his new abilities and body. So to speak. So on with the show, and mission start.
(No POV)
"Standby everyone. Time to move in." Izuku said from Ayanami's bridge. A chorus of rogers were announced over the radios as the various fleets made their moves. "Let us see if I can turn what the Sirens sought to use us for against them." Mikasa said while drawing her sword. The edge gleaming in the moonlight as each ship steadily moved in the water.
From New Jersey's bridge, John Kotov let out a nervous breath. "I'd ask about cold feet, but you're already married." All Might joked while in his true form. Kotov slightly glared back at the hero. "Not really the time for bad jokes All Might." Nezu comments with a shake of his head.
The number one of Japan clears his throat and apologizes before confirming the flow of battle. Kotov though feels uneasy as he hides something special Apgar had sent him as a just in case. And just as he does, a mist forms around the ships in the night. While also extending out toward the three fleets' target. I Island.
"Well done Mikasa. If you can maintain this, then we'll be able to get much closer." Izuku compliments while looking over some gear and a battle plan. Just as he is though, he receives a message on his phone. "Please… help us. What? And wait….. schematics? Is this…. Okay this is crazy convenient, so I'm not sure if I should trust it. But I'm not opposed to getting some support."
Izuku looked at his phone and saw up to date maps of I Island and the modifications that had been made while they were preparing for the mission. "This could be a trap young Midoriya. But I agree we shouldn't discount the potential edge this gives us. Perhaps someone managed to slip away and send this out." Nezu surmised while making some adjustments to the plan.
The young commander nods and says, "if nothing else it limits the potential of getting lost and failing to evacuate everyone. Koda? You ready?" The rocky headed teen gulped before making his way down towards the area New Jersey temporarily modified for him. "Okay. I just….. need to call out to a few. For support. I hope they're willing." Koda thought aloud before ducking his head into the water.
As the sun began to rise over I Island, the Sirens and Sakura girls were yawning or trying to rouse their allies from slumber. "C'mon. We need to get the hard drive working again. We won't finish our calculations without it."
"You mean her." Kaga said while passing Tester and the other Sirens on the way to the kitchens. The Siren rolls her eyes and says, "ah what does it matter and who cares? It's just a tool after all. Now then."
Before they could start her, a tremor shook the island. "Earthquake? No this island is man made. Something wrong with the systems maintaining it? No it didn't feel right and AH!" as they were all discussing, another impact shook the island. And when the invaders tried to peer outside, all they saw was fog.
"Send out interception!" Temperance commanded with a snarl after being woken up. Siren fighters and various Tester clones were launched to disperse the fog or remove it's source. What they met though surprised them. They expected shipgirls with exceptional AA defense.
What they didn't count on were a number of heroes jumping into the fray. Nejire and Ryukyu blasted though the skies and quickly took out a number of jets. "This gear is really incredible! I never would have been able to fight like this before!" Ryukyu comments after the energy cannons on her shoulders start blasting.
She even wings a few of the Tester clones and makes them crash. "I know right?! This is incredi- Oh crap!" Nejire says then shouts as a beam from a Siren barrels toward her. Luckily, Reno's shield charges hold. And Nejire can fire back to get some payback. Though her quirk doesn't really do much damage.
The one who does though is Red Hot. Not long after the shelling began, she waited for her moment to take to the air. Upon seeing the first few fighters, she transformed and started melting whatever she could. "Let's see how you like this heat!" she shouts before launching a few fireballs at the tails of the Sirens.
She does some damage, but they are less impressed. But she has backup from other capable heroes. "Have a taste of my Slap Style!" The Skycrawler shouts as he rockets in and slaps a few of the Sirens. While also blasting them with repulsor beams.
It doesn't do much, but it does keep them off balance for Captain Celebrity to fly in. "Eat this!" he shouts with his big dopey grin. Punching a clone into another and leaving them open to get blasted by Red Hot and Skycrawler.
"Be careful! This is only the beginning!" Red Hot warns as she takes off to engage other foes. This thought is mirrored by All Might as the shelling begins. He initially leaps toward I Island to get in from above. But the Sirens anticipated that and put up a barrier field. One All Might basically faceplants into. "Yeah! That figures!" he groans out before taking a shot from a Siren clone and some bullets from the ground.
The shield from Reno protected him, but he wasn't in the best position to fight back. Especially after leaning his attacks did nothing to the barrier. Even the air ones seemed to do nothing. "I'm not sure I understand. How are your shells impacting but my fists barely are?" All Might questioned over the comms.
"It's because of our natures. Shipgirls are roughly on the same "wavelength" as a Siren. And thanks to a few things, Johnny and Izzy are too." New Jersey explained while concentrating her fire on the area around All Might. Saving him from being blindsided by a number of clones and fighters.
Star and Stripe then leaps in to collect her mentor. "She's right you know. It's not our role to take that barrier down. We have a different job!" All Might lets out a minor gasps before his smile beams bright again and he thanks the heroine.
And they land right on Reno's ship. "Here. These won't do much, but you should be able to do more against the Sirens than normal," she says before passing two pairs of gauntlets similar to the ones she wore. "Glad to hear it. Now lets get them All Might!"
"I'll follow your lead Star!" he says proudly before following her leap. Star then used an order to catch a beam and be able to throw it back. Countering the Siren's preferred weapons. But that did still leave her open to attacks from the recently arrived Sakura traitors. This was where All Might stepped in. "Carolina SMASH!" he shouts before chopping and deflecting some of the bullets fired their way.
For a few hours they all continued to attack and deflect however they could. Ayanami even rushed in to unleash her torpedoes with Laffey and a few of the others. "Don't think we'll let you take our new home easily." Kaga taunted while her tails burned a bright blue. Akagi's crimson flames joined, and they cleared the air around I Island.
This left the fleet vulnerable to battleship barrages and some of the defenses of I Island. Thus limiting the number of chances Ayanami and any of the other destroyers would have to get in close. Not to say they didn't get up close and personal with the Sirens and clones.
"Laffey!" the slightly taller red eyed destroyer said while drawing her sword. "Ayanami!" Laffey called out before moving in front of Ayanami. She drew her guns and unloaded a burst of fire from them to do damage to the Sirens. Then getting up close to use some strong gun kata to smack around and put bullets into the invaders.
While she was doing that, Ayanami engaged a few of the cruiser Sirens and cut them down with her sword. Even using it new nature in a surprising way. "Keep her there!" one clone called out to a Siren that had blocked Ayanami's sword.
The clones took aim, but Ayanami revealed a trick of her sword. One that let her split the blade into two. She quickly got under the guard of the blocking Siren and stabbed her in the side. Then flipped over the alien and pushed it into the beams of the Sirens. And before the others could react, Ayanami chucked on sword into the head of a foe and blasted the other with her guns.
"I hope you've got your window Izuku dess. Because I'm not sure how long we can keep this up." Ayanami mutters before dodging a new opponent. That being her cousin, Fubuki. Who charged Ayanami with Maya. Though the latter was intercepted by her dog like sister.
What Ayanami was talking about, was the greater part of the plan Izuku and the rest had put together. "While the shipgirls and some of the more offensive heroes attack the outside, we'll move in under the water to save everyone. Isn't that right, Albacore and Dace?"
Izuku said this at a quick briefing the evening before the operation would begin. And the two sub girls were happy to participate. "You got it commander! We'll be ready to evac everyone! At least if you really do have a way to keep them from noticing us."
"That'll be our job." Mic said while pushing Jiro forward gently. The two of them would use their quirks to disorient any sonar tech used by the Sirens to make sure the island was secure. And Koda took care of the other noise needed to help the group get to I Island.
Beneath the island, at a small maintenance hatch, Izuku and a number of heroes and a few ships floated up. Kawakaze shivered and quickly jumped out of the water. "That was really uncomfortable. Never ask me to do that again," she said while drying off quickly.
Izuku pulls off his oxygen mask before apologizing. "Miss Clair Voyance. Can you see anything above us?" Izuku asked before checking over his arm again and its transformations. The hero's eyes shift to red as she stares up to get a feel for the surroundings.
"We're good. Looks like most of the levels above are clear." With her confirmation given, Izuku and Kotov continue with the plan. "I'll take Edgeshot, Akatsuki, and Mirio with me. We'll head to this area." Kotov says while checking the ammo in his right leg and pointing to a section noted as a prisoner area.
Izuku nods and said that he, Kawakaze, Toru, and Best Jeanist would check another prison area. "I'm not sure who this is that sent us this map, but we've got a lot of people to rescue. Miss Voyance, you stay here with Koda and keep an eye out for Sirens." The elder hero was surprised at how firm Izuku sounded in giving his orders. But she followed them with a salute.
The groups make their way up and through the maintenance corridors of I Island. Finally finding where many of the civilians and scientists had been held. But not all of them were still alive. Kotov tightened his fist at seeing some of the people who had died in their sleep from exhaustion. "As much as I want to rage….. now's not the time. We need to get them out of here."
"Agreed. But we should also take them with us." Edgeshot said before offering a prayer to the deceased. Mirio felt much the same, but he put it aside to help with removing some of those who were exhausted or injured. "Hopefully they won't notice right away," he said while picking up a few children and running quickly back through the shafts.
Izuku and his group found much the same. The young commander had some tears in his eyes upon seeing some of the younger ones who had perished thanks to the Sirens and traitors. "There will be time for tears later. Let's move," he said before rubbing his eyes with his metal arm.
Kawakaze's grip on her katana tightened and she told her commander to head down with the others. "I'll keep an eye out. Just in case." Izuku nodded before picking up a few people with the others and moving them to the escape route. Once most of them were down, one of the sub girls transformed into their ship.
"I don't know how long we'll be unseen, but we still need to make this fast!" Albacore said while opening all of her hatches to let bodies in. It took some time, but most of the evacuations and recovery was finished with little issue.
Except for one matter. "Wait! There was…. A classmate of ours. I think…. They took her. Did something to her. She's up in the upper levels. Hooked up to some tech," a girl who looked as if she hadn't eaten for days said.
Izuku's eyes grew wide at hearing that and asked if she had been attached to computers. The few who had seen it could only say maybe, but that was enough for Izuku. "Whoever that was, she's the reason we have this data. I'm not leaving her."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? We've been lucky so far, but if that girl is in the upper levels, we'll be even more in their crosshairs." Kotov said with some worry. Though part of that was also worry for the people who would be aboard the submarines. Given they couldn't keep all of those people there for long. "Sooner or later, they'll pick up on there being Gato-class subs beneath them."
Izuku refused to listen though as he started up the shaft again. "There's someone who needs my help. And she helped us. I won't leave her to die or be a slave to the Sirens." Izuku said before checking his service weapon again.
Kotov let out a sigh before giving some new orders. "Once you're loaded up, get out of here. Don't worry about coming back for us, just get these people out of here," he says before checking his own weapons.
Clair and Koda were surprised by the order but had no choice but to follow it. Back up at the cells though, things had gone slightly awry. As the last few were being escorted out and down to freedom, a few Sirens showed up. With a couple of shipgirls.
"We've been infiltrated!" Mikuma shouts before running towards the stairs to alert the others. Akatsuki catches up to her though and quickly knocks her out. But that left Edgeshot and Mirio to intercept the Sirens. "Whoa!" both shout as they each dodge the beams of their enemies.
Mirio dives into the ground before using his full speed and strength to punch a Siren. But the blow does little more than annoy the clone as she takes aim with her cannons. Forcing Mirio to phase again. Edgeshot meanwhile folded as thin as possible to interrupt the nerves of the Sirens.
But that also failed as the rigging still operated even with the Siren paralyzed. "Oh come on! How do you take them down!?" he shouted before evading again. "Two ways. You either have to be at the same level as myself or the commanders." Akatsuki says in an echoey way. Before cutting the throats of two clones and shooting another.
"Or you remember the basics of ninjutsu and martial arts," she finishes before moving one of the dead Sirens in front of her to block a beam. And the other to trigger some shots from the cannons to attack the rest.
Mirio notices this and realizes what she means. "I got it! C'mon and get me pasty faces!" Mirio shouts before slapping his butt to taunt the clones. This infuriates them and they start attacking wildly. Which Mirio uses to make them blast themselves.
The ninja hero notices as well and tries something else. He strikes different nerves that make the Sirens flinch and then twist their bodies. Which makes their cannons fire into each other. "I'm so used to fighting thugs and villains, that I hadn't considered other options."
"Not too surprising given our training. But these girls are trained to do what they need to do." Mirio says before wondering what was happening with the other group. The situation was much the same, but instead of a cruiser Suruga had joined the Sirens to check the prisoners.
And Kawakaze was engaging her as effectively as she could. Toru meanwhile took full advantage of the Sirens dependency on beam weaponry to turn their attacks back on them. "Now I think I understand why I was part of this mission!" the invisible girl shouts after reflecting another set of attacks.
"Indeed! Well done! Unfortunately, they are barely wearing anything for me to manipulate. But there are a few things I can do!" Jeanist says while trying to take control of some of the fibers of the Sirens. What little they had on.
He had better luck with his own and manipulating Suruga's uniform to support Kawakaze as she exchanged blows with the battleship. Said ship narrowed her eyes while looking over the situation before her. And remembering the suffering of the humans that had been held there.
As Kotov and Izuku arrived, her resolve was set. Kotov powered up and punched with all he could into the Sirens and then blasted with his leg. As well as testing out his new technique. Izuku meanwhile quickly turned his arm into heavy cruiser guns and fired as fast as he could.
Once the Sirens were dealt with, the group was ready to fight the battleship in force. "You are seeking to save the humans right? Including the one the Sirens are experimenting on," she asked while maintaining a cool mask. Izuku and John were surprised but confirmed the objective.
The military uniformed shipgirl took a breath before sheathing her sword and rigging. "Go. I will not stand in your way. But I will not help you." Her response surprised the humans, but they weren't in a position to refuse her offer.
"Toru. Best Jeanist. Head back down to the escape route and get out of here. We'll find our own way out." Kotov said before taking off his commander's coat. He handed it back to Jeanist while Izuku told Kawakaze to return as well. "Like Hell I'm leaving you now. You don't even have a blade of your own."
Izuku groaned before acquiescing and the trio ran past Suruga. They made their way to the upper levels and were surprised at what they initially saw. "So this is what they have in mind." Kawakaze thought aloud while looking up at a number of Sakura trees. Not to mention various buildings that elicited thoughts of the Edo period and shrines with torii gates.
The two commanders were surprised at some of the beauty of the rebuilt island but put it aside to focus on a different area on the other side of the island. That being where alien technology ruled and the Sirens were living. "Let's hope whoever this is we're saving is worth it." Kotov said while the group moved in the shadow of the buildings. As the barrier above flashed with impacts from the battle.
Until they reached it. The buildings that housed Melissa's tube and the various servers from I Island. "Holy shit. Look at what they've done to her." Kotov comments before focusing on the console. Izuku feels much the same as he touches his right arm. Tracing lines that would match up with the prosthetics Melissa now had.
"Any idea how we get her out?" Kawakaze questioned while keeping her sword drawn and eyes on the exits. Kotov just said he was working on it while looking over the alien console. But finding little to tell him what to do.
"Perhaps I can help," a voice said. Right before a beam was shot in the commanders' direction. Both ducked quickly and returned fire with their prosthetics. Only for the shells to impact on a burning red barrier. With Temperance glowering down at them. "Welp, we're boned." Kotov said in jest before shooting back again.
The Siren rushed him, but underestimated his speed thanks to his quirk. 'I'm currently running at a 75% boost. And even then she can- whoa!' he thought before dodging another attack and upping his speed once more. "Eat this!" Izuku shouted before blasting the back of the ranked Siren.
Who actually took some real damage and refocused her efforts on Izuku. She first fires some beams in his direction before lashing out with her tentacles. Kawakaze stepped in and slashed as many of them as she could. A few made it past, but Izuku felt something odd as they were coming at him.
'Weird. It's like the attacks are moving in slow motion,' he thought as Temperance's appendages got closer. His thoughts and body caught up with him and he could dodge the attacks with relative ease. Even cutting a few off with his blade arm, before transforming it into a cannon again and blasting Temperance.
The high ranked Siren snarled before trying to attack Izuku again. But Kotov leapt in and kicked her in the head with his prosthetic. And then used his new wind blade attack to do some other types of damage.
Izuku decides to go for a bit of broke and rushes the Siren. Tensing his arm and punching hard enough that it cracks some of the Siren's metal skin. And some other parts beneath. "You little brat!" Temperance shouted before trying to vaporize them all with her cannons.
Kotov just barely gets out of the way and Kawakaze has to put up a barrier. But Izuku gets the full brunt of the attack. Or he would have if his arm hadn't put up something he wasn't expecting. "This…. Is just like the barriers some of you shipgirls make," he thought aloud before looking down at his appendage.
"Reno and Akashi's experiments. They must have infused some more shipgirl tech into it than we thought. Enough to where….. you're even more like a shipgirl than we thought." Kotov surmised before telling Izuku to drive the high ranked Siren out. "I've got something special for her," he said before pulling out a special collapsible missile shell he kept in a tightly sealed box.
Izuku nodded and engaged Temperance with all the abilities he had. Including those while wielding a katana. Kawakaze had joined him and the pair slashed and shot as many times as they could to do move the villain out of the building they were fighting in. "How long do we keep this up?" Izuku asked after a dozen attacks.
"Right NOW! GET CLEAR!" Kotov shouted before popping his prosthetic knee and lining up his shot with a targeting scope. He unleashes the missile from within and knocks Temperance even further out of the building. And consumes her in a small nuclear explosion.
Kawakaze and Izuku were stunned and a bit furious that he had or used something like that. "How long have you had an atom bomb in your pocket?!" Izuku asked in a rage. Only to notice that Kotov's leg was damaged as well. "Only a little while. I didn't want it, but Apgar didn't want to take chances. When we met up, Star passed it to me and said it was a last resort."
John took off the aiming visor and limped over to Melissa's tube and finally found the possible release. One by one a few of the cables and tube hooked into her were detached. Izuku let out a furious breath before searching for another way to free the girl.
"Here we go. This should do something." Izuku said before adjusting a slider on the console. Draining the fluid in the tube and causing Melissa to slightly stir to the living world. Kawakaze then attacked the glass to finish freeing her.
Izuku went over to Melissa and helped her out of the machine. "What….. who are you?" she groggily asked while still feeling some residual pain from the shocks and surgeries the Sirens had done on her. "We can talk about that later. We need to get out of here." John says while wincing himself.
Before they could though, beams ripped through the area behind him. "You. YOU ANIMALS!" Temperance roared while making her way towards the group. Though she was in worse shape than them. She was currently missing half of her body and 2/3rds of her rigging. But that wouldn't stop her from trying to kill them.
"We'll just make a new processor. Goodbye!" she says before trying to blast the humans and shipgirl. She never gets the chance though. As a new player enters the arena. Barreling in atop a Hellcat, Yorktown arrived and kamikazed the plane into the Siren's rigging. And then kicked Temperance in the head so hard, her neck was snapped.
Her landing though was less impressive. She crashed into the ground and rolled a bit into a faceplant. "You know, that might have been cool. If not for the ending." Izuku teased as Yorktown was getting up. She pouted at Izuku's comment, but that was second to checking in on John.
After enduring a thorough check, John stopped her by taking hold of her shoulders. "Yorkie…. I'm okay. But I won't be if we don't get out of here." John said with a small smile to his wife. Who put her head against his before agreeing. "Okay. Let's get out of…. Here. Shit." Izuku said before seeing something that would make escaping a problem.
Three more high ranked Sirens. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. You managed to take out an arbiter. But that seems to have left you drained." Tester said while glaring down at the group. Observer smiled as her tentacles writhed around her. And Omitter looked ready for revenge. 'And once again, we're boned.' Kotov thought as the beam cannons glowed in their direction.
So I'm gonna be a little evil and leave it on that for the time being. Much as I want to put everything out right away, I feel a little waiting would be good. Besides, it lets me get some more ideas in line for the final stage of the fight.
The part with Suruga was inspired by Dreadwing from Transformers Prime and Lord Tyger from Spider-Man Unlimited. They don't approve of what their leaders are doing at times. But they won't betray them out of loyalty or respect. And to show the traitor girls aren't entirely evil. Just hurt, misguided, or angry. Some are evil though. Anyway, please review!
