Justice Across Space and Time: Year 2

Chapter 12

Time for Itsuka and the rest to try and figure out how to deal with or fight the syndicate that Revenant is running. Also, I'll be doing a bit more with him by going more into his backstory. I know I didn't really reveal much when I introduced him.

I wanted to see what I thought about the character first. Anyway, some of you who might have seen Criminal Minds might note the similarities for this character in his backstory. On with the show to see where this goes.

(No POV)

As Revenant gently moved Reiko's hair away from her face, the girl herself started to stir. "What? Where…. You!" she says before backing away from the villain. He took a breath before focusing on larger matters to him and his crew. "I wouldn't try anything if I were you. Your quirk won't do you much good against me or anyone…. You're not listening."

While he started to speak, Reiko reached out with her quirk to start throwing some of the books in the room at the man. Who just raised an eyebrow while the tomes flew through him. "You really should stop. Before you hurt yourself."

His prediction came true as she pulled a few books from behind him. And when they passed through his body, they hit Reiko in the face. "Ow…. Okay that was dumb. But after what…. Happened…. Wait. Romancing Horror Tales?! I loved this manhwa!" Reiko said before looking at the books in question.

"Ah. I see you like my old works. Glad to meet a fan. Even if it's from my past life." Revenant says with a slightly sad tone. Reiko looked up at the man and incredulously asked if he really was the offer. "They said…. Chen-sensei died or committed suicide. So the stories were left unfinished."

Revenant's eyes flashed and his fist tightened. He started to glare at the girl, only softening when he saw the terrified look on her face. The deadly specter let out an angry breath before saying, "that's half-truth. I didn't commit suicide. They killed me. Quirk users. But not before destroying everything I loved."

Reiko was wide eyed hearing this. And then spied the man's photo album on his makeshift desk. Seeing a brown-haired reflection of herself in the photo. "What about…. Heroes? Surely one of them would have helped."

"A hero was among those who attacked us! They had been supporting that damn gang! And….. and killed my Yuri after they were done with her." Revenant said while his eyes burned with tears. Reiko gently dropped the book she held as she started to cry as well.

Revenant took an angry breath before telling of how they had been engaged for a time, but they bumped into a quirk gang that was supported by a top hero from China. One he later found was backed by a branch of the Meta Liberation Army. And he'd been targeted just because he was quirkless.

"They made me watch as they…. after that they stabbed me before dumping my body into the river. Not realizing that all of my anger and some ambient energy would cause my body to change. Though not instantly. It took me over a year before I re-awoke."

He went on to say that he found and killed all of those behind his death and the death of his love. Ending with the slaughter of over 50 heroes in getting to the one who killed him. "After that…. I didn't have anything else for a time. I ended up drifting and found…. Doesn't matter. What matters is that I am opposed to you and the other heroes."

"So…. Why haven't you killed me? Is it just because I look like her?" Reiko nervously asked. Worried for her friends as well. Revenant sighed before saying, "that is part of it. But you don't have to worry about your classmates. They aren't as comfortable as you, but I won't kill them. I'm not killing children."

Reiko calls out to him as Chen, but the villain stops her. "Chen Senlong died a few years ago. Now. I'm just Revenant," he says before leaving his room and locking the door. Once out, he notes Null is nearby. The silent and somewhat nervous villain looks up at the man. "Keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't try to leave." Revenant signs before checking on the others.

He checks in on Amp and Chroma, who were currently keeping Monoma running on a treadmill to recharge parts of the base. "Okay let the kid off after bit. Surely you've charged up enough of the batteries and machines to where we can keep working."

"Yeah. You're right. Besides, I think the kid's pissed himself after being yellow for so long." Amp says with a slightly cruel chuckle. Chroma agrees and takes his hand off of Monoma's. It would still take ten minutes for the quirk to wear off, but coming down off of that would leave the boy exhausted. And thus unable to try and fight back.

Revenant then checked with some grunts of his gang who were watching over Sen and Yui. While Manga was currently drugged to keep him from using his quirk. "They tried to make a move earlier, but the collars put a stop to that. Didn't feel like fighting after we put a few hundred volts into them," one said while they were observing them and Shimano from some monitors.

He then looked in on Shihai who was in a bright white room. There was nothing he could use his quirk on, and he stuck out obviously on the screen. He was pacing back and forth within his cell while being observed.

"Definitely an advantage of all the quirks and hero students being in the public domain. We can make prisons that can easily hold them," the other goon said before shocking Sen as he tried to gyrate and attack his cell. The boss nodded before saying not to go nuts on using the shock collars. Revenant hummed before walking away and considering if the hero students would make a move.

'Or will they wait for the heroes who won't be coming. Given our mole is supposed to make sure anyone outside of the region doesn't know about this. At least until we make enough of what the clients from Othean have asked for.'

While he was considering those matters, Itsuka and the rest were checking on who could recover. Setsuna and Rin were a bit better after a day. "But I wouldn't say we're up to full strength. At best we're maybe at middle school level with our quirks." Kinoko and the others who had been affected by the modified Trigger were each unsure of how long until they were back to normal.

"That was probably the point. Disable the heroes, even student ones, until they could finish what it was that they were working on. And we don't even know if its just Trigger they're making. If my hunch is right, then we need to get up there to at least try and stop them." Itsuka says while getting more of her gear together.

Her classmates look at her like she's crazy before asking if she was. "Even if you could find them, what good would it do? They've got an insanely powerful true meta on their side. Not to mention who knows how many quirk users. What are you looking to do?"

"I'm doing what a hero should do!" Itsuka said in anger and some frustration at her classmates' statements. Tetsutetsu stands and says he'll come with her. "We don't know what state anybody might be in. Or if they'll unleash them on us to keep us busy while they get away. You might need my spells."

Ibarra then steps forward to say she would go too. "I may not fully understand where this came from. But I can feel it urging me to keep going. To bring salvation to those who need it. Besides, you might need more actual healing when this is all done."

Pony gulps before saying she'd come too. Pulling Bondo and Kosei along as well. "We can at least deal with some of the grunts. You three should be able to handle the others," she said while her knees were trembling. Awase and Nirengeki stood as well. Looking to do much the same against the criminal organization.

Itsuka agreed and everyone put their hands together in solidarity. Juzo decided to be the one who brought down the room. "Yeah that sounds nice, but you have no idea where to search for this gang. How do you plan to find them?" The class president smiles before noting that they might have something of an ally.

"You want my help to find the guys who drugged me?" Kenji asked after recovering from the influences of the Trigger that had been in his system. He was bigger than when Tetsutetsu initially defeated him. But not as big as when the Trigger was running through his system.

Itsuka nodded before noting his probable tiger quirk gave him the enhanced senses of the creatures too. "Part of me is tempted to note that is somewhat insensitive to assume. But you are correct. My quirk is just Tiger. I have the strength, speed, endurance, and senses of the predator. What's in it for me though?"

Kenji is asked what he wanted, and the main thing he noted was that he wanted to live in the town itself. "And I'd like some of my record cleared. Think that could be arranged?" Itsuka hummed but a quick call to the mayor of Correya got him allowed to at least live in town. "The latter though, we'll have to look into it. Later."

The tiger man shrugged and said it was fine for a down payment. Being released from his cell and then brought back out to the hills where he and others had been living. "Give me a minute. I think I can pick up on some scents."

"Or you could use these." Itsuka said with a raise eyebrow. Before holding out the hat to Yui's hero costume. Kenji stops for a moment and then says, "yeah that works too." He took a whiff of the hat before saying he had a scent. It took over two hours to find an area that they started to suspect was the base.

Pony grabbed Itsuka's arm as they were moving through the woods and pulled her down. The others followed suit and saw a dog like man sniffing around the area. Before he could catch their scent, Ibarra acted quickly and grabbed as many branches to try and cover the group.

The dog man sniffed a few more times before moving on. Itsuka signaled that they were clear for the moment. "And that's a decent sign we're close. But still not… wait. We might have another way to find them. Pony? You and the others still want to help?"

Her classmates look at her with some confusion before she relays her plan. The main piece being the few who could still fight would draw the others out. "Hey. I want in on some of this. I was up for just tracking them, but so long as I don't have to fight anyone on the boss's level, I'm in." Kenji said with a smirk on his face.

With that, the tiger man started attacking a few of the patrolling thugs around the base. With Pony and Nirengeki supporting him. While Bondo and Awase would restrain the thugs. After hearing Kenji's roar, the thugs would start to investigate.

"Man. I really want to back those guys up!" Tetsutetsu says while he, Ibarra, and Itsuka were sneaking through the woods. Though they weren't exactly alone. "Duck to the side. I spot two guys coming your way and…. yes! I think I can make out a cave or tunnel near the mountain."

Setsuna was observing while levitating her head above the battlefield. Most of the goons didn't look up and were only focused on getting to the source of the roars. So it gave the weakened, but still capable girl the ability to spy on them. "No way I could fight a few of them. But it looks like you should be mostly clear. Good luck."

"Thanks Set. Get clear of the area. We'll take it from here." Itsuka reported before sneaking upon the rough area the lizard girl had pointed out. There were a pair of guards, but they were no trouble as they started to run with others to intercept Kenji. "He's doing his part. Now we need to do ours." Ibarra said while retracting her vines as close as she could.

With a nod from the other two, they made for the entrance and then into a side tunnel. Itsuka stopped them for a moment to use device the support department had given her. Using some radio and sound waves, she was able to make a rough map of the caverns.

After passing a few copies to her friends she gave out assignments. "Okay. This area looks like a nerve center or similar. Ibarra, you, and your dragon hand good to take this out?" Itsuka said with a look at said appendage. "I wish you wouldn't call it that. But yes. I think I can take this out."

"What about me? Is there somewhere special I need to go?" Tetsutetsu asked. Hoping for some special action. Itsuka smirked before pointing out a blocky area. "I think this might be where they have prisoners. That's what you need to take care of. Get the others out and deal with any possible effects that they might be under."The metal man salutes before they each take off to their specified location.

Assuming that Itsuka would act akin to a mission command and advise. But that wasn't in her plan. 'Those two should be fine. Especially if Ibarra's gained something new and Tetsu has really mastered that spell. But I've got a different interest. And it's in this deeper section of the mountain.' She quickly moves to the last area of the map that seemed suspicious. Getting as many of her gadgets prepped as possible.

Tetsutetsu ran quickly through the caverns. Hoping that he wouldn't need his time turning spell again. "I don't want to think about what might happen if it goes too long. Hopefully….. yeah. I figured I wouldn't have that luck."

"Well it's lucky for me boy. Hm~. You look like a pretty impressive fighter. Let's see what you've got~!" Amp says with a lick of her lips while standing in the middle of the cells where Yui and others were being held.

The metal teen used his quirk and rushed Amp with a set of blows empowered by magic. Sending the woman flying and into a wall. "Okay…. That was way too easy." Tetsutetsu says with suspicion. And it was paid off by Amp jumping back up and then hitting him with greater force than he hit her with.

But this didn't deter the young hero. He tightened his fists before attacking once more and punching as fast as possible. Only for Amp to seemingly get stronger each time he attacked and was hitting hard enough that it was breaking his iron. Until it shattered and he was embedded into a wall.

"Not bad boy. Perhaps you'd give me more fun later. Though I wouldn't mind a different kind of fun~." Amp says while eyeing up Tetsutetsu's damaged costume and somewhat revealed body.

Tetsutetsu meanwhile was trying to figure out how to stop the villain. 'That was kind of dumb that I just kept punching. She must have a quirk that works like Midoriya or Svoboda's powers. Absorbing energy directed at her to make her stronger. And it apparently gets her off a bit.'

As he was thinking this, Amp started to pull of some of Tetsu's suit to get a better look at him. Only to be surprised by a shot of magic he'd managed to make. He then directed the magic to the wall and blasted himself out of it.

'I can't win by outlasting her. That might just make her stronger if I tried to only take the hits. But…. maybe I can make her weaker!' the metal hero thinks shifting his hands and starts the Ainu chant to form the spell.

The villain looked at him funny before winding up to take out Real Steel. Only to feel pain when she punched his metal head. "What?! Why did that hurt? My quirk hardens my body with the power I absorb."

"I thought so. But what happens when that energy you absorb is taken? Or rewound?" Steel said with a smile. He changed some of the wording to where it would turn Amp backwards before she had absorbed so much energy. Leaving her vulnerable to a strong right to the face from him.

Once he was certain that his foe was unconscious, he created magic bindings to be certain she wouldn't fight back. "I hope that Kendo and Shiozaki are okay. Time to get the others out," he said before looking for the keys to the cells.

With Ibarra, she quickly made her way towards the observation and nerve center. Knocking out guards with her vines and a few quick spells. "Huh. Fire spells seem to be easier to cast with this hand," she thought aloud after casting a flame shot spell with her draconic right hand. She put it out of her mind for a moment before attacking the doors to the observation room.

And then learning her new hand was bulletproof and immune to even Trigger darts.
"Well…. That's lucky. Or perhaps a bit of divine protection? Never mind. I will not let you stop me or harm anyone else!" she proclaims after contemplating. Taking out the watchers with ease.

Just as she was getting set to shut down or check certain monitors, a beam of purple light shot from the side. Or rather a blade of purple. "Heheheh. I thought something might be coming. And I'm so glad I was right and get a good toy to play with!" Chroma says before creating a set of purple blades from his arms. His skin and hair being purple as well.

He charges Ibarra who tries to defend with her vines at first. But the villain cuts through them all. Even as the holy girl surrounds her foe in vines, Chroma spins and slices through them all. "Oh yeah! This is great! Let me cut you up even more!" he shouts before slashing at Ibarra with all he has.

'No! My quirk isn't enough! I'm feeling a bit dehydrated after losing so many.' Ibarra thinks before Chroma leaps up and tries to cut the girl in two. She raised her right hand and arm up in defense. And was glad to discover that it could even resist the purple blades the man was generating.

While Chroma was upset about his fun being stopped, Ibarra considered a different option. 'I'm so used to just thinking with my quirk. But just like Kendo and Tetsutetsu, I have to go beyond that. And not just with my quirk. Let's see what this new hand can do!' she thinks before moving her hair up into a makeshift bun and ponytail.

She keeps her dragon hand forward while Chroma charges again. Slashing wildly while Ibarra deflects with her hand. Waiting for a moment to blast back with some magic. Her shot knocking Chroma to the wall.

"Okay… that is annoying. But I'm just getting started." Chroma says as the purple fades from his body. And touches a section of his suit that is orange, turning his skin and hair the same color. His face goes from slightly bloodthirsty to more apathetic. "Let's get this over with," he says before his eyes flash and Ibarra feels his presence in her mind.

She felt Chroma trying to take control of her body and tried to resist. "Won't work that well kid. You aren't the first hero I've mind controlled. You won't be the….. last?" Chroma trailed off as he felt something odd as he was taking over Ibarra with this aspect of his quirk.

Ibarra felt it too as she tried to resist Chroma's attack. 'Who are you? The one who gave me this hand? If you are my ally, then please; aid me in stopping this man and saving those he and the others have hurt,' she thought before seeing flames and angel like wings around her.

The presence she felt pushed Chroma out so violently, the man was blasted back, and his head seemed to be burning. "Ah! Damn! Gotta go green!" Chroma said while touching the patch of said color on his suit. Once he had changed, he started rejuvenating what had been burned.

"Oh come on! Why do you get something like that? Why can't I have a power that gives me a protective boost of that type?" Chroma shouted while feeling the effects of his new color. Before it could go too far though, he changed colors again. This time to indigo.

The holy girl did not capitalize on her foe's weakness, because she was still trying to figure out what was happening with her. She could see the creature that had bonded to her. A dragon of flame with angel wings. "Seraphim. They often called us relics for our belief. But you are proof itself."

Ibarra looked to the creature with some reverence, but then shifted it to a prayer within her mind. Praising God and thanking him for the gift and partner before her. "Do not assume he is fully aligned with you. He simply acts because I said to aid the one who believed reverently. For now, use what strength he has to stop the one who has given in."

The holy girl heard this amidst her prayer and felt blessed once more. And she understood the message. "You do not fully trust me, but you are willing to support me for the time being. I ask you this: will you appear and help me to stop this foe?" Ibarra asked the creature with her own fire burning.

The seraphim let out what seemed to be a sigh before nodding slightly as a bright light filled her mind. And thus she came back to the physical world. One that looked like a strange kaleidoscope of a world. "I take it this is a different power of yours?" she asked with some unease.

"Yep, yep, yep! You won't be getting out of this easy!" Chroma said in a cheery tone. Ibarra could understand as she was struck from behind by the man. Who seemed to be laughing while he was attacking. "Luckily for me, I am not alone. And I doubt this one will be swayed by your tricks."

Before Chroma could ask what she meant, he was struck in the stomach. This done by the tail of the seraphim as it stayed close to Ibarra. It could see the man due to two reasons. The first being that it wasn't quite on the same plain of existence. The other reason was thanks to it's strong senses. Letting the creature sniff out the villain attacking her possible master.

The villain decided to try and go for broke, touching a red section of his costume. The effects making him angry, but also letting him strike with increased strength and power. He rushed Ibarra, aiming to finish the fight with a few brutal punches to her face.

Only to be stopped while she was praying. Even as she started punching faster and faster, Chroma couldn't get close enough to the holy mage to phase her. Finally realizing what was going on when his fist was caught. And he could truly see the visage of the seraphim behind Ibarra.

"Oh I'm boned. As much as I want to kill you, I'm not up for getting caught! Later bitch!" Chroma snarls before touching the color yellow and trying to sprint away. "You will not escape. For this holy barricade with not let you pass." Ibarra said as Chroma's face impacted a wall of pure light. The man sprinted around in fearful panic before deciding to try and face Ibarra once more.

Thinking that the fiery creature he could see might knock her out indirectly. He touched a blue section and made a barrier around the pair. "Now, *sniffle* you won't hurt me. But I'll hurt you." Chroma said with some minor tears. Another side effect of his quirk.

Ibarra gives a small smile before saying, "this isn't a creature that would hurt me. At least not now. And don't assume this will stop him or me!" The girl tightens her right fist and winds up for a strong punch. And the seraphim mirrors the motion. Both bursting through the barrier and then crashing into Chroma's face.

With the threat neutralized and Tetsutetsu's fight ending, Ibarra was ready to shut down the other functions in the cavern. Only to be shocked and worried at the sight of Itsuka in the same area as Revenant. Kneeling while looking out of breath. And the specter villain holding a ball of red energy in his hand to attack once more.

Once again, I thought this would be the end but instead I decided to break up this last fight into multiple parts. Not just because I want to give more to Itsuka's fight. But I felt that having Tetsu and Ibarra figure out other ways to fight with their magic would be right. Also, writing out Revenant's backstory took more than I expected. And I'll get more into that next chapter. Please review!