Update 02 Jan 2023: Happy New Year everyone! As always, my updates are not as sooner as I'd like, but hey, work and other distractions.
Anyway, some big changes with this story. The last two chapters were an attempt to continue the story timewise from the first chapter. Certain comments have persuaded me to do so, and one other suggested it's better to show the how, which to me meant sticking to my initial approach in going back in time to where it diverges from cannon. I tried the former and it got me stuck. The latter is easier for me.
To those who would rather I didn't, that this style has been 'overdone' or whatever, but I made my choice, and I'm tired of not moving past this point, with editing the first few chapters and giving out more info sooner then I hoped as a result.
So here's what I did. I integrated the first three chapters into one, then I've posted my original work for chapter 2. I've edited all of it so as to be less 'info-dumpy', which I always assumed meant that I've described events more than I've should've. I hope I had some success in that.
On a side note, I have been thinking about some other story ideas I've made along the way. Don't know if or when I'll bring any of them to life, but I was thinking just maybe an idea showcase fanfic where I'd give out previews of the general ideas.
Time will tell. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy.
This is my first original fanfic for My Hero Academia. The idea came from two distinct troops that I enjoy reading in other fanfics.
One where Izuku contends with the heroes to fight against the system that never did him any favor, rather then being subservient to it and having that as a defiening characteristic, a symptom of what I like to call 'Shounen Main Character Syndrome.' This means ending up as a either a villain or a vigilante. The latter was more fitting for the plot.
The other involves the main character being unique in terms of power and abilities, to a level that's beyond mere quirk possession, or even something separate from quirks. At the same time, it is all within the possibilities of the universe of the anime, so no crossovers, but still adopting elements from other media.
The result is Izuku Midoriya as a cyborg vigilante mastermind(steering towards cyber ninja), fighting to eliminate quirk discrimination by bringing in a new kind of power.
Main pairing will be Izuku x Momo.
"Normal talk."
'Thoughts/Radio comm.'
I don't own any of the media portrayed in the content of this story.
Enjoy.
Chapter 1
Things in the Hero society of Japan has had some events of high significance, to say the least. In ways that have begun to put heroes to the test, as well the students training to become heroes themselves, from the country's highest regarded academy for heroics, UA.
The most recent incident took place in Hosu, on the night where pro heroes have finally captured the infamous hero killer, Stain, all while defending the city with their interns against an army of the bio-weapons known as nomus, produced by the recently revealed League of Villains.
Before he was last seen however, Stain had managed to reveal the extent of his conviction to the public eye, creating a shift in its opinion of heroes in general, even gave a rise in the opposing forces, much to the benefit of the League.
What followed afterwards may have had a similar impact on the society that surrounds the heroes.
A few days after that memorable night, a video had been trending through out social media. It was simply that of a teenage boy giving a speech in front a camera, in a darkened setting that provides no indications to his location or surroundings. The boy in the video was Izuku Midorya, a student of UA who had gained some popularity after coming in first place at this years sports festival, although not all of it in a positive sense.
Circumstances surrounding him have added to the interest of that topic, such as the fact that he was a student under the support course, not the hero course that many had expected to win. He was also the same non hero student who got caught in the villain attack alongside class 1-A, getting severally injuired that he ended up with a robotic arm to replace the one he had lost.
Being a support course student meant that he was allowed the use of support gears at the festival, which he used solely during the whole event, raising the question of what his quirk is. The answer came from one of the hero course students he had faced, shouting it as loud as the explosions he could produce.
He was quirkless.
A truth Midorya feared would overshadow what was known about him. Despite that, he still made it to the top, defeating that student after a hard battle against his explosions, and others with powerful quirks, including a son of the number two hero.
In the video, Midorya was giving a description of himself and the life he had, the main focus being his lifelong dream of becoming a hero, as well as the difficulties from living as a quirkless individual. Any of the viewers who had some connection to him already had a general idea of this subject, but never heard Midoriya speak about it with as much of his mind and emotions as he was putting into. Even his own mother was learning somethings for the first time, as her son spared no details to what he had been through, such as those who have willfully contributed to his hardships, with Katsuki Bakugo as one name above all.
Midoriya mentions that in his pursuit to becoming a hero, he entered the support course in the hopes that his own expertise would benefit him in his hero career, making up for his lack of a quirk. From there, he would apply for the transfer exam into the hero course, after proving himself through the sports festival, which had been his goal from the start.
On the first day back, Midoriya was called into an early meeting with the homeroom teacher of class 1-A, to discuss about the transfer exam. Given the overall mood that's been displayed, it was easy to guess how that turned out.
The teacher had denied him any chance to partake in the exam, for reasons concerning the nature of his performance. More specifically his pure reliance of support gears, something that the teacher saw as unbefitting of a hero. The rest of the meeting went on with Izuku desperately trying to defend his argument against the teacher's decision, but to no avail.
"Aizawa asked why this was so important to me. I told him everything, and he said that if I really wanted to help people, then it wouldn't have mattered how I did it. I would've accepted whatever options were available to me and focused on what was best. Going about it the way I was, trying to become a hero, even if it's just to prove a point, to change society's view on those who live their lives in discrimination for their Quirks, or lack of one, was not the best option for me. Because no matter how noble the cause, it means little if it leads to unnecessary risk, and being a hero comes with to great a risk for people like me."
He pauses for a moment.
"Then he reassured me that the other reason for this was that I was already on a my way to a much more stable future. I could be something greater than a hero. With my talents, I could become a key figure in the support industry, someone that doesn't just support and improve heroes, but build the hero world itself. I could even create my own company and live a rich and comfortable life. I thought about what he told me on my way to class, about the future that I could have. Used it to cheer myself up from being denied my last chance towards my dream, until I had the resolve to pursue that instead. It didn't take long to find out how it was all in vain."
"People don't pay as much attention, but support students also have internships following the sports festival, receiving offers to work at support companies. From my own display, everyone believed that I was guaranteed the highest number of offers. Yet somehow..."
His speech broke for a moment before he could finish what he was going to say.
"Somehow, after everything I had accomplished, I turned out to be the only one in my class who didn't get a single offer."
He averts his eyes from the camera and pauses for a few seconds.
"I shouldn't have been so surprised. About the offers, or anything else after the sports festival. It doesn't matter if I'm top of my class, or if I demonstrate my support gear against powerful quirk users and actually defeat them. Without a quirk of my own, I'm nothing more to society than a quirkless outcast, desperately trying to be anything else and causing problems for others as a result. That's exactly what the media portrays me as, when they're not targeting UA for it's hero students losing to a quirkless nobody. That's what Aizawa based his decision on without second thought, thinking that I'd just be a liability. And that's what the support industry looked towards, if I had a quirk to back up the skills I put into my inventions. Quirkless, quirkless, quirkless! Nothing more in the eyes of society, no matter what I do!"
He took a moment to calm himself from his rising emotions before going on.
"I really believed things could change. That I was on my way to finally make a difference, and put it all behind me. But nothing's changed. All that work, and I just end up back where I started, with all my effort used to belittle me even more."
Another moment of pause before continuing.
"So what now. How do I move forward from all of this. What more can I do that isn't going to produce the same outcome, that's going to give me assurance that I won't die out in poverty for society's prejudice. I asked myself those questions and I ended up with the last two options I have left. The first was that I'd force the changes that society wouldn't accept. Something nearly impossible to do without being labelled a villain, in which case I'd just earn another label of outcast. That leaves me with the...other option. The one I had especially tried to avoid, until I knew there was nothing left for me."
Izuku leans in towards the camera as he was reaching to grab something on the side. What was revealed in his robotic hand was something to put all viewers at the edge of their seats.
A handgun.
The sound of a gunshot jolts him awake. A brief look at his surrounding reveals the interior of a train cart, reminding him that he was currently riding said train, helping Aizawa to realize he had simply woken from a nightmare. He calms himself down and turns to his thoughts on the experience.
'Of course that would get to me on this exact night. And of course, I'm going have to fight it down until after the mission.'
Tonight marks exactly four years since the tragic loss of Izuku Midoryia. For Aizawa, it was the source of the greatest of guilts he's had to carry, for what he couldn't avoid seeing as a potential consequence of his own action, an action he'd never think twice on and one meant to have produce the opposite of what had transpired.
As a teacher for a class of would-be heroes, his first priority was to weed out the students that didn't measure up or were held back in some way, those that would be the most prone to an outcome he discovered much to early to be the worst that could happen to any hero on the field. Midoriya was a unique case, but no exception as far as Aizawa was concerned. He rejected the desperate dream of an emotionally scared teen too willing to put himself at fatal risk, so that he could be left with only a safe path towards greater success. That's all there was to his decision.
What he hadn't anticipated was society holding on to it's irrational tendencies, enough that he'd still end up being treated for his quirkless status over his unprecedented success in the sports festival. From the media that made a mockery of his hard work, to the support industry that looked pass someone they should've fought to have working for them.
No matter how he sees it, Aizawa is as much to blame as any of them. If not for the fact that he blindly trusted the Support Industry to pick Midoriya up from where he left him, then for the knowledge that the single thing separating him from those people, was a difference in view point to the same motivation for how to handle Midoriya. This meant to him above all else having a part in a senseless waste of a student's life, when that student was robbed of any hope of a future worth living.
Aizawa did what he could to move on from the lives that couldn't be saved, as any hero is expected to, causing an inner conflict between the effort and the guilt that he's had to live with since. There have been time when something would bring up the past, much to his remorse, and others where he has to keep it in the back of his mind for the sake of the job. Tonight is likely going to be an occasion for both.
The train makes an overhead announcement of its approaching stop in Hosu City, reminding him of the mission that was bringing him there.
'I can sulk over Midoriya tomorrow. Time to go to work.'
Aizawa exits the train at his destination. As soon as he does, he pulls out his phone and opens up an app he recently downloaded. It served as an exclusive invitation to an underground event taking place somewhere in the city tonight. Aizawa was one of the heroes selected to attend it, under the cover of civilian spectators, as part of a mission to apprehend a high-profile target that was orchestrating the event.
The app shows a timer to when the event starts, and within a few minutes, reveal the exact location. The latter eventually came in the form of a GPS to his destination. It looked to be within walking distance, so Aizawa made his way there.
His journey brought him to an abandoned factory in the cities' industrial zone. When he gets to a certain distance of the building, the app shows him where to find the entrance on a side of it that had some element of discretion. A hidden door opened itself as he unknowingly approached it, taking it as a sign to just walk right in.
In another building across from the factory, someone was peeking from a window to see Aizawa walking in.
"Eraserhead has entered the building. That's the last of them." He announces on a communication device.
Somewhere in the area was a large vehicle parked in a position that was out of sight from the factory. Inside of it was a tactical team of law enforcers.
"Copy that." The police captain amongst them responds. He then makes an announcement to the other men, and everyone listening on their communication channel.
"Everyone listen up. The initial strike team are all in place. A reminder of the plan, as soon they make a move on the enemy leader and his followers, we back them up. Team one goes in to provide support, while team two remains outside to prevent any escape attempts. The preferred timeframe is when the event ends and all civilians have vacated the building, otherwise they're forced to act prematurely and we deal with crowd control along the way. Acknowledge if you got all that."
"Manual here. Understood."
"This is Native. Read you loud and clear."
The Captain has received a response from all of the other units surrounding the area, consisting of more laws enforcers and local heroes assigned to the task. He turns to a computer screen to see the countdown for a live video feed of the event, from a public website belonging to the ones who organized the whole thing. Despite any attempts to remove it from public access, it has only proven to be both untouchable and untraceable in the digital world.
All of a sudden, a noise was emitting from his communication device, making him look back towards it with confusion. He then realizes that it wasn't the only source of the sound. It was coming from all of the devices that everyone had on them.
The first thought that came to the captain's mind was that their channel was compromised and that the enemy was aware of their presence. Before he could react to that knowledge, he felt a sensation of fading consciousness, which he'd eventually succumb to, and everyone else that was hearing it.
A feminine figure was coming out from a state of invisibility outside of the vehicle, revealing someone dressed in a white full-body outfit, with a hood over a high-tech helmet that has a red vizor. On the individual's left breast was a symbol depicted in black, in the shape of a right hand on it's backside, with the left half of it looking like it's skeletal structure was exposed, only that it appeared to be more mechanical in design.
The figure was looking at the vehicle through a digital display produced by the helmet. It includes an outline of the people inside, almost as if they could be seen through walls, as well as a feature that showed their vital readings to determine that they were all unconscious. She looks around to see the outlines of the other law enforcers and pro heroes from greater distances, seeing that they ended up in the same state. A successful strike.
"Everyone outside has been put down boss." She states out loud, with a voice that was made to sound mechanical.
A group of people were gathered in a dark, large-spaced room. The only sources of light were from the eyes of each of their mechanical helmets, as well as from a holographic screen projected in midair, showing a camera feed of the gathered audience. One of them was standing in front of it, looking at a select few amongst the rest that the image had focused on.
"Good work Banshee. You know what to do next." He instructs her further, revealing a mechanized voice of his own.
"All ready on it." She responds over their own channel.
"They really couldn't resist coming here, huh?" Another one of them asks out loud while also looking at the feed from just behind the one in front.
"More like they couldn't afford to, considering the support we already have up to now. Things are going to become much more difficult for the heroes after our success tonight. Something these six will unfortunately be learning the hard way."
Aizawa had integrated with the audience inside the factory. There was a stage at one end of the building that everyone was facing. It had a banner on each side with the half exposed hand that's been advertised as the symbol of those that are orchestrating the whole thing. Above the stage was a holographic countdown to the start of the event.
He couldn't help overhearing the various conversations of those around him during the wait. One topic of discussion was in the relationship of Hosu City as the setting, with it's history in regards to Stain's influence. Aizawa speculates that it was a way to subliminally associate their ideals as something similar to that of the Hero Killer, using a sense of nostalgia in their gain of public support.
He doesn't give much interest on the subject, but it brings up something he was thinking he of earlier. The fact that tonight was also the anniversary of Midoriya's death, which a part of him wishes that others would realize it for themselves, if only to keep his memory alive.
This had also brought back the feelings he tried to hold down, now having to do it again, until the timer over the stage reaches zero.
'Here we go.'
Immediately the lights go off, with the exception of the ones over the stage, where a row of individuals could be seen slowly emerging from beneath. Their attires each had a unique appearances, with their owns colors and designs, but had some similarities between them, like how they covered their whole bodies, concealing their identities, while also having some pieces that looked to be mechanical. One thing that stood out for Aizawa was the height for some of them, bringing up curiosity for their age.
The middle figure was the most interesting out of all of them, the one believed to be the leader of the group. His costume is a black jumpsuit with green linings. It had some metallic components that consisted of a full facial helmet with glowing eyes, gauntlets, boots, shoulder pads and a belt that had a half cape underneath it covering the back of his legs, as well as their symbol placed on the middle point.
The audience began to cheer loudly upon their appearance. The leader moves up front, then in a stuning display, a giant holographic duplicate of his upper body comes to light above him, earning him more cheers he attempts to calm by raising his arm, his hologram mirroring his action. The cheering eventually dies down and he begins with his opening statement.
"Men are not created equally."
His mechanical voice filled the room, no doubt enhanced to match the size of his duplicate.
"In this world, there cannot be victors without the defeated. The strong without the weak. Those above that prosper without those beneath that struggle. But even while in the face of this unavoidable truth, there was a time when mankind strove for equality, in the only way it could be achieved. An equality of opportunity, where everyone is given a chance to determine their own place in the world, through own their own efforts and abilities."
The audience gave more of their cheers.
"Then came a great occurrence that changed everything. Something to big for the world to not have focused it's attention on and later revolve around. The existence of Quirks."
This prompted everyone to shout out aggressively to that reveal.
"Make no mistake. Quirks are indeed a gift to the world and should be seen as such, but it is not a gift without fault, more specifically in it's effects on the ways of society. We now live in a world where the power and uniqueness of one's quirk is the sole measure of whoever possess it, dictating one's place in it at birth by a 'genetic lottery'. A world that sees it naturally justified for one standard of people, those with strong and 'flashy' quirks, to openly look down and discriminate on everyone else that doesn't compare to them. Everyone whose quirks are deemed weak or useless. Who are considered inhuman for their mutated appearances. Who posses quirks described as villainous and are no better off. Worst yet, are those who have no value in the eyes of society for their complete lack of a quirk, emphasized by the idea of them being powerless to do anything."
The audience gave shouts of agreement with strong hints of disdain to those facts.
"All of this beyond the control of anyone, yet still a cause for prejudice, in a society that would only expect us to conform at the convenience of those in power. Anyone who steps out of line, regardless of reason or intent, easily falls under the broad term of villains, to be condemned and targeted by that same society."
More of the audience's scorn had been expressed at that revelation.
"That's where the pro heroes come in. Always there to save the day with the fall of the villains. Always preserved in an image as our noble protectors who could do no wrong, not the ideal enforcers of those that dictate their existence. The kind that the masses are blinded towards with worship for the strength of their quirks and whatever deeds that come from simply using those quirks, whether its for the ones that have truly earned the title, or the ones who use it just to abuse their quirks for fame and fortune. They may put their own lives on the line to defend all others, but that has always meant defending society's order above all else, and never questioning the legitimacy of that order in all it's negative effects, or at least refuse to act upon it. They'd simply write it off as a lesser evil they consider acceptable for the sake of stability, enabling the infliction of hardships on some more than others and leave everyone to their fates."
The audience gave another uproar to the statement of facts, much louder than any previous occasion. The leader had calm them down before he could continue. All the while, Aizawa was making note of his ability to stir up large crowds of people, an attribute he considered to be worrisome for the enemy to posses.
"I am not the first to speak out, nor am I the first to challenge it, with some offer or guarantee of a way to fix the problem. I would think however that mine is a way to even the playing field."
This gave everyone a sense that this speech was reaching a part with high significance.
"Like many who endure today's world, I looked to improve my status in whatever way I could think of. For most of my life, that meant following my childhood dream into becoming a hero myself, despite the ridicule people threw at me for pursuing that dream without a quirk that's of any use, let alone suited for heroics."
That was when Aizawa started to suspect the direction of his wording, given the familiarity of what he was hearing to something he knows quite well.
"I decided that if I couldn't rely on a quirk, then I would look for an alternative. The obvious answer was support gears, so I'd first study to produce my own equipment. The perspective I'd gain from that field helped me to come up with two important realizations that have given me more than what I had sought."
People in the audience waited to hear what they were. Aizawa was more focused on the backstory he just heard, and he was suspecting more of a possibility he holds with scorn.
'If I find out this guy is exploiting Midoriya's past for his own benefit, I'll make him regret it.'
"The first is a particular symptom of a quirk driven society. It was once said that if quirks never existed, people would be taking interstellar vacations by now. A testament to the fact that human progress had drastically stalled from the chaos of when quirks first emerged. Whatever advancements that came since has been monopolized by the hero industry."
People in the audience began to converse on how they've either heard something like this before, or how it sounds plausible hearing it now.
"The other was the potential in technology. A potential to become a superpower in it's own right. One that could be equal to quirks, if not greater, and everything that quirks are not: controllable, adaptable, and most important of all, accessible beyond genetics."
The audience conversed more on that idea with great interest, the existance of a power in their world other than a quirk.
"I developed the resources and the means to advance technology into that power, in a design centered on cybernetics, to be combined into me as my very own, no different than the relationship between a quirk and its user."
He raises on arm in front of him. The metal surrounding that arm appears to have turned into a liquid state that allowed it to retract itself within the limb. There was only a glove now on the hand that he removes to reveal the flesh.
A slit is made on the palm, and through it comes out more liquid metal. It's shape alternates shifts into a solid state to take the form of multiple complex devices, such as tools, accessories and weapons, while adding in metal from the other arm in the act to show a little versatility. This succeeded in raising some awe in the audience.
The last device was an advanced looking drone that was commanded to fly around in the air. It eventually drops back to the arm, turning into liquid in midair, and reforms into the gauntlet.
"The next step was to introduce and demonstrate what I had created to society, a new form of power that would coexist alongside quirks, acting as an equalizer that makes up where quirks have denied. In turn, the idea of quirks being the absolute would deteriorate, and with it, all quirk based discrimination. To that end, I set out to compare the efficiency of my cybernetics to the pro heroes as a vigilante. I found others along the way who believe in the changes I'm fighting for, and provided cybernetics to each of them so that they to may take part in that fight."
He points to the others on stage with him, his devoted followers who have also shown to have the technological abilities of their leader.
"Now I'm looking for many more who would wish to join us, expanding my team of vigilantes into an army that will spread our influence through out the country, as what the people will come to know as the Cyber Front."
Everyone reacted with more cheering at the offer to join the cause, already throwing in their passion and their willingness to do so.
"All of our actions will be portrayed as vigilantism in every attempt to suppress our movement, and the heroes will do everything they can to stop us for the mindless protection of a society that could never care for our struggles."
Their cheering had quickly turned back to disapproval upon that statement.
"None of that will matter in the end. After we outperform the heroes in their own field and win over public favor to our side, it will be so that we'd meet a specific goal to put those changes in play."
A short moment of anticipation had passed before said goal would be elaborated with a simple sentence.
"Eliminating the heroes, by taking their place."
Aizawa was shocked at that revelation. Despite all that was said thus far, he hadn't imagined such a unique and original end goal for an organization aiming to make some anti-hero movement.
''From what I can tell, he's someone who can think ahead and organize well enough to follow through with what he says. We don't catch him tonight, he'll give us hell trying catching him and followers down the road.'
"We will become everything they are and should be, only our role won't be limited in service to the public, but in its embetterment as well. Just as pro heroes represent the height of quirk usage in this quirk obssesed world, we will represent the balance between quirks and cybernetics that will free us of today's discriminations. Our technology will then help to advance the rest of society to a future it was deprived off, and we may reach for the stars yet. That is my promise to the people of Japan as the head of the Cyber Front, as the Cyber Vigilante: Augment."
His statement was meat with the audience giving its cheering at its loudest and most spirited, everyone within it filled with enthusiasm and high hopes for the promised future. He's had to settle the audience down once more before going on.
"And now for a special presentation. If you'll turn to the floor."
The ground beneath the audience disappears, revealing some space under their feet. The initial shock fades from the complete lack of falling down, indicating that there's still a floor to prevent it.
"What you're seeing is a visual of the room directly underneath this one, where in a few short moments, I will further demonstrate the power of our cybernetics with the help of some 'special guests': the six pesky heroes who believed they've snuck their way in here."
Aizawa's brain went to full alert. The enemy just stated his awareness of their presence. Before he could react to that revelation, something unexpected happened right after.
While everyone around him looked like they were standing on air, his body fell into the room below. The only thing keeping him from landing painfully was a net that broke his fall, opening at the base and retracting itself once he reached the ground. He looks up at the hole in the ceiling from where he fell, seeing it close itself like it was fluid.
He wasn't alone. There were five others in the room with him, recognizing each of them as the other pro heroes partaking in his mission, looking just as surprised and alert as he was for being brought here in the same manner. Two of them were former students of his, Denki Kaminari and Hitoshi Shinso, now pro heroes Chargebolt and Mindblank. Another one of them was the number 7 hero Kamui Wood, without his helmet as part of his cover. The remaining two were the magnet hero, Polar Force, and the tech hero Techadone.
"Crap, we've been blown!" Denki points out.
"We need to call for back up!" Polar Force states.
Aizawa goes ahead and calls for the support team on his earpiece.
"This is Eraserhead. They know we're here!"
No response.
"Do you copy? Is anyone listening?"
"That won't do you any good."
A voice gets the attention of all the heroes, mostly because of it familiarity. Walking casually towards the heroes was the vigilante leader they were here to capture, who has already proven to be a step ahead of them.
"Apologies for the drop in. It was the best way to clear the room for what's to come." Augment explains.
"And what would that be, if you don't mind my asking." Hitoshi purposely responds before anyone else.
"For one thing, a demonstration that each of your quirks, while well chosen against someone like me, won't have any of the desired effect. That I'm still talking after responding to you is evident of that fact, Mindblank." Augments answers.
Hitoshi's eyes widened from hearing something that was true. If his quirk did take effect, his target would've stopped mid-sentence as a sign that he's caught in his control.
"And judging by your facial expressions, you two are realizing that for yourselves. You Polar Force, can't seem to hold me with your magnet quirk, while you Techadone, might sense the technology in me but haven't been able to control it."
The two heroes he was addressing had nothing to say when they were called out on their own inabilities to suppress the enemy with their quirks.
"Oh and Eraserhead, I'd advise you not to waste your quirk. You'll only get dry eye for nothing."
"So that's your play." Everyone turns to Aizawa before he speaks further.
"You saw us coming, heroes best suited to capture and counteract your tech, and you decided to take us on to show of more of it. An effective plan for what you're trying to achieve. I just hope your not so arrogant as to think you've already won, when we're all still capable of taking you on."
"Not to mention that one of us is in the top ten. Make this easy on yourself and surrender peacefully." Kamui Wood adds as a leverage. To confirm his statement, a layer of wood grows around his head into his signature helmet, and has allowed the wood from his arms to extend out of the sleeves that've concealed them.
Augment gives a small chuckle.
"If It wouldn't defeat the purpose of why I allowed you to make it this far, I'd return your offer of surrender. Also, one of you being in the top ten is a bonus to me, not something to be intimidated over." He retorts to the heroes.
"This is happening regardless of what is said and done, but let me make something clear first. I stand by everything I have said, in the nature of the path I'm setting out, as well as that of the opposition. My goal is for a better society in the benefit of those suffering as things are, and whatever you believe drives you to get in my way, it is nothing more than the current society desperately clinging to its existence for its own interest, using you and every other hero as the unwitting pawns you always have been." Augment explains. The heroes took it as the vigilante's refusal to back down, as well as the insult it was made out to be, prompting them to expect the incoming conflict.
"That aside, I realize that many heroes have now gained a more personal motive for my capture, after declaring the Cyber Front as your replacement. You would see it as an attack on your careers, and to some extent, an attack on the society that depends on you, which will then be used to argue against our movement. Here's another interpretation. In place of you heroes, we offer to society something that's more efficient in a number of ways. That includes being more open to anyone wanting to earn their place in it, beyond the limitations of quirks. All former heroes at that point will be welcomed to partake in what will essentially be the same role and duties. But why wait for then, when they can join now and help make it sooner. I'd ask any of you right now if you'd be interest in switching sides, but again that would defeat the purpose of why you're here."
"I have a question." Hitoshi gets the vigilantes attention.
"This isn't another trick. I just really want to know something." He assures him. Augment nods his head to let him carry on.
"You said you wanted to be a hero. What stopped you?" Hitoshi asks, then elaborates.
"I mean I can understand if it's something to do with the whole 'Heroes being part of the problem', but don't you think you could've done a better job if you'd actually become one. Make the changes from within rather than against. Would've spared a lot of trouble for everyone."
"You say that like the choice was entirely my own." Augment answers. The ones listening had something of an impression that it was personal, in the way it was expressed.
"All I will tell you is that the experience is what finally revealed to me, as you put it, 'Heroes being part of the problem', so making the changes against is the more meaningful way to go about it and well worth the effort, especially when said trouble will be more for the heroes than anyone else." He adds, getting no more word on the subject.
"Any other questions before we get to it?" The vigilante inquires. No response for a few second, until Aizawa throws in one.
"Do you believe that what you're doing is truly for the greater good?"
The other heroes got curious for an answer to that and waited to hear one.
"I would think that a man of rationality such as yourself wouldn't have ask that." Augment remarks.
"Either way, there'll be plenty of time to debt in the near future. Tonight serves as a test of ability, so I say we let the results speak for themselves." Augment responds.
Aizawa lets a few pellets slip down into his hand from within his sleeve. He quickly throws them at the feet of the vigilante and upon impact, unleash a thick blinding smoke the envelopes the vigilante.
He looks to Chargebolt, who quickly nods his head in recognition of the initiated tactic. He activates the support gears on his feet, using electricity from his quirk to generate a repelling magnetic force between the ground and the soles of his feet that allow him to move with enhanced speed.
He maneuvers around the smoke to the opposite side and then heads right into it. Sparks of electricity came flying out from within the smoke, emitting a light that outlined a shadow of the two inside. The electricity ceased and the smoke cleared, revealing Augment standing still with Chargebolt having his arms wrapped around him from behind.
"Trying to electrocute me or overload me?" He simply asks.
This gave the hero behind him immediate panic as it showed his opponent to be unaffected by that attack. He quickly activates his support gear again to move away from him. At the same time, Augment rotates his body with his left arm extended in an attempt to grab hold of the hero, successfully doing so with one of his arms. Both the hero's backward momentum and the tug from the vigilante's grip had caused his body to flare up in the air. In a split second, Augment looked at the hero with a calculated display of how to execute his next move. That came in the form of a high kick delivered across Chargebolt's head while still in the air, with enough force knock him sideways across the room and left unconscious on the floor.
'Sorry Denki.' His personal thoughts gave him a small sense of regret for harming someone he knew.
Though he wasn't facing any of the other heroes, he was fully aware when one of them took advantage of it. Kamui Wood had pulled himself towards the ceiling through the use of his quirk, from where he attempted an assault from above. In his descent, he aims both his arms to the vigilante to bind him with his extending wooden limbs.
The metal in the palm of Augment's left gauntlet morphed to create a small device he was now holding. He tossed it over his shoulder at the hero, precisely between his arms, and when it was near him it unleashed a force that pushed his arms away from each other which gave him room to continue his fall. Kamui could only stare at his foe with wide eyes as he fell closer to him, who swiftly turned to give him an open-palm uppercut under his chin at the right moment, the impact of which caused his body to flip backwards. Following this was the vigilante grabbing his leg as it got close to the hand that struck him, and then quickly turning to slam all of the hero's body to the ground.
'You I'm not sorry for.'
Again, one of the heroes thought they could catch him of guard from behind. Augment rapidly bends down and has his whole body sliding backwards, passing under a large strip of metal flying at him. He straightens up to face the magnet hero that attempted to ensnare him. Polar Force continued to shoot his strips of metal he had concealed towards Augment, who kept evading each one with ease as he closed the distance between himself and his next opponent.
Polar Force remained still after firing his projectiles, doing his best to not have his foe alerted from the fact that they're still controlled by him and that they've been redirected to approach him from behind. Another attempt in vain, seeing as how Augment managed to jump at an exact moment that allowed him to plant a foot on the highest strip so that it would carry him for a short distance and then jump up above the hero, landing behind him.
The hero swung around to slash attack the vigilante with one of his strips. The vigilante dodged by delivering a leg sweep that removed both of the hero's feet from the ground, followed by positioning himself to be right under him, his body upside down so that when extends upwards, his feet kicks the magnet hero higher into the air. His next move was to join the hero in the ascent by jumping towards him with an arm out.
Before he could make contact, something wrapped itself around Augment's torso and other arm that stopped him from getting any higher. It was the capture tape that was signatured to the Erasure Hero, who swings the vigilante back down. It took little effort for Augment to ensure that his free arm touches the ground first, immediately springing himself to land on his feet, then makes a move towards the eraser hero while still tied up. Just as he got right in his front to deliver a punch, Eraserhead called upon on his skills to not only evade the attack by flipping over the vigilante, but further utilized his capture tape as he caught the free arm with it during the evasion.
Eraserhead kneels down and pulls on Augment's remaining arm over his shoulder with enough force that it put him onto the hero's back, his feet removed from the ground so they too would be tied up together by another strand of capture tape coming from the other underground hero trained in its use.
"Got him!" Mindblank informs.
Eraserhead moves forwards to gain some distance and tighten the grip on the vigilante. Both heroes were now pulling on their opponent from both ends to keep him suspended in the air.
"Now!"
While they had him restrained, the tech hero took a small device and threw it to slide under the vigilante. Once in place, he used his quirk to activate it but to no response.
"One of your miniature EMP bombs Techadone?" Augment asks casually whilst he allowed himself to remain in this position.
"What are you waiting for?!" Mindblank shouts with agitation.
"I-It's not going of. I don't know why!"
"Simple. While you tried to takeover my tech, I returned the favor and succeeded." Augment provides him the answers.
The metal gauntlet of the arm that was caught has turned to liquid so that it could shift out of the hold of the capture tape. Augment swings his now freed arm which rotates his body to face floor, smacking the EMP device in the process that it ended up near the feet of the hero it belonged to. With a mental command from the vigilante, the EMP goes off and unleashes a blast of energy that the tech hero was caught in.
The two underground heroes couldn't help diverting their eyes to the bright display of the blast that their comrade helplessly flailed against in a desperate attempt to protect himself. This kind of distraction is what Augment had expected for him to exploit. From his free arm he shoots a grappling cable aimed at Eraserhead's neck and wraps itself around it without fail.
He retracts the cable to bring the hero to him in an unavoidable pull, while also using that same force to straighten himself and stand on his feet again, yet still in bondage. The hero could only stare at the vigilante as his neck founds its way to the iron grip of his hand. He did what he could to escape, including throwing some attacks that his captor simply took with no reaction, until Augment had forced him to his knees.
This provoked Mindblank to act in his former teacher's defense, rushing towards the vigilante from behind. What he didn't know was that the enemy expected something like that. Augment delivers a backwards kick to the incoming hero, after freeing his leg in the same manner as he did with his arm earlier, causing said hero to step back in pain.
The next thing Mindblank knew was seeing Eraserhead's body flying right at him, colliding with his own and being pushed back.
Augment removes all of the capture tape around him. He turns to the tech hero and slowly approaches him, gaining his attention away from seeing his colleagues handled the way they were, keeping the shocked expression on his face.
"For the record, I have a defense for everything used against technology, including EMPs. So it wouldn't have mattered if I did get caught in that."
The hero stares at him for a few short moments before his emotions got him to act rashly by throwing a desperate punch. The result was getting knocked out by a faster attack that was returned to him.
"The battle is over. You should know that best of all."
Augment turns to the one he was referring to, seeing a wounded Eraserhead having some difficulty standing up. His response was to continue the battle as he rushed at the vigilante, with both fists aimed at him, one directed at his head to draw away attention to the other as it delivers a more inconspicuous strike. It was the latter that the target grabbed hold of while swiftly maneuvering around the hero and locks his arm behind his back.
He then lifts Eraserhead in a manner where his own weight is applied on the arm lock, keeping him in that position as a way show his victory to the audience watching from above.
"There's no sense in prolonging this. I've more than proven that the six of you cannot defeat me. I've even held back by barely bringing out any gadgetry. All you can do now is to surrender, which I am now offering." Augment tries to talk the remaining hero into compliance.
"I'm not in any position to do that. Even if you are obviously stronger, I can't just let you go free to ruin the lives of those you'd turn into outlaws, just to outshine heroes with their lives on the line, noble cause or otherwise. And this isn't me being society's pawn. Say what you will about heroes, but as one myself, I'm only looking out for the innocent!" Eraserhead strongly argues while flailing in the position he was in.
"In the same way that you once did for Izuku Midoriya?"
Hearing that name had made Eraserhead stop immediately his resistance and leave him speechless. It confirmed his previous suspicion on there being a connection to him, in a way intended to use against him.
"I make it my business to know certain histories of whatever heroes they're tied to, so of course a prime example like him would be kept in my mind. What you denied him is exactly what I offer to my followers, a chance to elevate themselves from living their lives in subjugation and oppression, with protection from you heroes as an excuse to keep things as they are. And let's not forget that they'll be provided the same means that have granted me victory tonight. They won't be as weak or helpless against either heroes or villains as you must have thought Midoriya to be when you made your decision for him."
"What the hell would you know about any of that?" Eraserhead counters aggresively.
"Only the facts that support my argument. You asked me earlier about my belief in my goals. I believe that if you're a hero for the right reasons, then you'll accept that I'm what's best for society and not get in my way." Augment states.
It left Eraserhead without anything to say once again, because it took no time for him to recognize the wording of that statement as reminiscent to an important moment in his past.
'If you really wanted to help people for it's own sake, than it wouldn't have mattered how you did it. You should've realized the options available to you and accepted the best from it.'
A memory of what he had said to Midoriya on the day that would begin his tragic passing, reminded to him by identical words now directed at him.
"Till next we meet Eraserhead."
He felt his body tossed upwards and flipped to have him face the vigilante beneath him. What he saw was something metallic coming straight for his vision, faster then he could realize.
The first thing his thoughts were centered on was the throbbing pain and the sensation of a blunt force trauma to his face that he'd instinctaly try place a hand over. His eyes open to find the typical surroundings of a standard hospital room, in which he had been sleeping in. The uncovered window provides a view of a dawn lit sky, indicating an overnight stay at the hospital.
Once his current time and place were cleared up, his mind did a playback of the events prior, specifically an assessment of the capabilities of the enemy that had control over the situation and defeated a counterforce with little effort.
'He could sense each of us coming at him, and he knew exactly what to do to put us down as quick and effective as possible. He didn't just rely on skill for the most part, he made it look easy for himself, like he could calculate the whole battle on the spot for the best outcome, which he probably did thanks to his machine half.'
When he reached the end of the battle in his memory, the focus was shifted entirely on the mentioning of Midoriya, which irritated him to know that it was used to effect him in some way while on the job, and that his most personal suspicion was confirmed in a vague manner that still left him with questions. Adding to that feeling was a realization on the irony produced in the situation.
'We used quirks that could exploit the weaknesses of technology. That they were a part of him made it all the more to our advantage. That's what I believed, and he shrugged them off like it was nothing.'
He remembered using this particular topic as one of his points when he last spoke to Midoriya. To his shame, it's what gave him confidence for the plan. The way he was proven wrong was a personal insult to injury.
"Finally awake Sensei." A voice interrupts his though process. Turning his head to the door to see one of the other heroes from the mission, standing at the entrance there with coffee in hand.
"Hitoshi."
"Don't have to tell you the mission was a bust, and I figured you'd want to hear the damage right away."
The former student takes a seat next to Aizawa. He gives a debrief of what went down last night, focusing on what he wouldn't have already known, like how the support team were put out first by some knock-out sound over their communications after they've hacked into them, and how anyone calling in were thrown off by a disguised voice. They went right into the building as soon as they woke up, only to find it empty, save for the unconscious bodies of Aizawa and his team.
Hitoshi then pulled out his phone and played the uploaded video of their fight. Aizawa was more interested in the moments after he was knocked out, rather than listening to what he already knew and reliving his humiliating defeat.
In the video, the vigilante takes a few seconds to look down at his unconscious body before his head then turns up towards the audience above cheering for his victory. What happened next was something else no one had expected to see, when he began to levitate of the ground and flew upwards, passing right through the floor where the audience stood until he was left suspended in the air above them as another enticing theatric, creating a sense of awe that was followed by more of their cheering.
"Six heroes, all of them left unconcise by the hands of a single opponent they hoped to outmatch and overpower." The vigilante points to his vanquished foes beneath the still translucent floor.
"They came here thinking they had something to defend against us, when the only thing threatened by our actions is their titles as pro heroes."
The audience shouts in agreement.
"They came here thinking their quirks would put them in favor of this battle, yet my cybernetics proved otherwise, allowing one to defeat six with supposed superior quirks. Imagine an entire organization with this power matching the heroes in number. Would society not be better of under the protection of such an efficient force preserving the wellbeing and the future of the people?"
Everyone filled the room with loud responses to give their approval for this to be made real.
"And yet the heroes wasted no time getting in our way of bringing this beneficial change. For all their claims of their existence being solely for the complete good of all, they would rather cling to this role and keep it for themselves, instead of leaving it in more capable hands." This statement was meet with another session of loud shouts of disgruntled acknowledgment.
"For various reasons I'm sure, but the most important is because the Government wouldn't allow anyone else to perform such a duty than those it has control over, more specifically the heroes it has created as the instruments of their will. A system of quirk regulation it had adopted along with the rest of, creating the divide between heroes and vigilantes from the days when vigilantes were considered the first heroes, many of the former having transitioned into the latter afterwards. With all that in mind, it wouldn't be unreasonable for me to make this demand."
The image on the video changes with the camera now in front of the floating vigilante. What he's about to say, he wants it to come clear and directly from him.
"As the founder of the Cyber Front, I will not stop until we've been granted the complete integration of our organization in place of heroes as a profession. All of their official standings and entitlements, as well as the governing powers of the Hero Public Safety Commission, transferred entirely to the Cyber Front."
"What I ask should be seen only as a repeat of what has already been done before in service to society. The government has no reason to deny us this, other than to keep up appearances. I am of course willing to discuss terms once my demand is agreed to, but now that it's been made public, they'll be just as responsible from here on out for the illegal acts of our vigilantism, everyday those acts continue to be necessary with their refusal to accept the opportunity to prevent anymore crime, while also opening a path to the advancements society has been denied. If the Government truly wishes to save face, it's through their compliance, personal image be damned."
He looks back down to the audience beneath him.
"Do not forget though, we still need an army to make it all possible. Can I assume many amongst this crowd have at least considered becoming a part of that army?"
The answer to that came in everyone giving out loud joyful shouts of their apparent desire to participate.
"In that case, I welcome all of you in our battle for a better society. The only thing left to say is to await further instructions from our website."
The vigilante descents towards the stage where the rest of his team had remained through out the event. He turns to face the audience.
"That concludes tonight's event. To our future recruits, we will meet again soon. Goodnight."
A sudden flash of light and smoke covers the whole stage. When the stage was clear, so was the spaces that the vigilantes were occupying.
"This guy really thought it through Huh?"
Aizawa hears that comment from the other hero in the room, turning away from the now ended video.
"I mean with his methods and how he's planned things. The way he's been selling himself, emphasizing the fact that he's a vigilante rather than an actual villain. That's been a heavy topic of discussion, which by the looks of it has been a big help in swaying the people, seeing someone who for once isn't acting like a villain in a fight for change. Someone who's only a bad guy for doing what we do, without answering to our imperfect Government. That's what I've noticed at least in the comments." He clears up.
"You make it sound like you're one of those people."
No immediate response was given to that statement. Aizawa could see the former student's hesitation to provide one. No surprise there for such a complicated situation, so he'll spare him from that struggle.
"I get it. He's an enemy who been playing it smart the whole time, and whatever he's doing, he's clearly out to do good in his own way. But Hitoshi..."
"I know."
He was interrupted before he had to throw in the cold hard truth.
"Wasn't going that far. Just don't expect me to be enthusiastic about it, no more than you're going to be anyway, now that there's gonna a hell of a lot more of them to face." The younger hero states.
No many more words were exchanged after that out of a silent agreement.
Within the the main office of the headquarters of the Hero Public Safety Commission, the organization's President was sitting at her desk, watching the live recording of the vigilante group that's become the topic of interest as of late. What she undoubtedly believed was just another band of law breakers to eventually be apprehended and answer for their crimes, has proven to be a far greater problem that's dedicated to cause more trouble for her side of the law.
Unlike other criminals and villains in the past with clear motivations that easily justified them being the offenders, this latest group has made it a topic of debate on what should be seen as the greater good, creating an image of themselves as a more efficient structure to replace the one currently in place, which in her position is not an idea she can allow to be given life towards.
Unfortunately, these vigilantes have already turned a significant amount of public opinion in their favor, and their thoroughly planned out operation to capture their leader tonight was used to their advantage so that they may take it a step further. This vigilante even spoke out boldly against the HPSC directly on live broadcast.
It will not stand for the president. She knew now how she should've approached this from the beginning. Using the phone on her desk, she gets an immediate response to her call.
'Miss President.'
"Tell Hawks I want to see him."
The head vigilante was by himself within an underground lair. In front of him was a large computer screen that he was approaching. He reaches a console and from his hand manifests tendrils of liquid metal, each of them carrying a small metallic vial that were inserted in specialized slots. Images were brought up on the screen as a result, each a representation of the contents in those vials and what was being analyzed by the device.
One in particular had his eyes attracted to it, knowing where it came from, and more importantly, what it can do for his organization.
'It's ironic, how you of all people are about to become our biggest contributor yet.'
Interrupting his though was an incoming call seen from the heads-up display of his helmet. He answers it.
'You showing up anytime soon?'
The one sending the call had asked immediately. Augment expected this and already knew what to say.
"Be there in a second."
The call ended shortly. The vigilante leaves the computer to work on its own. He turns and suddenly a portal opens up in front of him, to which he casually walks towards. As soon as he passes through the other side, he was meet with all the current members of his organization socializing amongst themselves at one of their bases, a compound of traditional Japanese architecture within a secluded area of a vast forest. The vigilantes, still in their costumes with only the head pieces removed to leave their faces exposed, were all gathered at one end of the open field of the compound, with a drink in hand, though it seemed that they've yet to consume any.
"Hey, the boss made it!" One of them happily announces. He is a heteromorph whose quirk has given him a reptilian appearance. His costume was dark grey with some black patterns, and he had some bladed weapons carried on his back. He held a glass in both hands, offering one to the leader who accepted it.
"That only took one call that could've been avoided." Said jokingly by another of the vigilantes. He was a tall man with spiked black hair and turquoise eyes. His costume was black with a design of dark blue lines, as well as some metallic pieces covering their arms and legs that are common to each member.
"I did say not to wait for me." Their leader retorts back.
"Come on boss. You really think we could do that even if you ordered us to?" The reptilian answers.
"Besides, this is the sort of thing a leader should be present for, if he wants to be a good one. Don't need your brain hooked to the internet to know that." The black haired one adds. The response to that was an unseen smirk behind the helmet of their leader.
"Then allow me to do the honors."
Augment walks up to the nearby walkway and stands on top of it, giving everyone a better view of his presence. His helmet turns liquid and retracts into the base of his head, leaving behind the eyewear and revealing a full facial mask in the same color as the jumpsuit. A hand finds its way on top of his head, grabbing hold of the mask and removing it.
"A toast."
The leader of the vigilantes raised his glass to the air after speaking with his normal voice, an action that the rest had mirrored.
"To the beginning of real influence through out the nation. To our now rising strength in numbers. And to a society on our terms."
Everyone said something to concur with this toast before completing it with the act of drinking. Augment gave them a moment to enjoy before speaking further.
"Until tonight, we were just the next main attraction on what the heroes had to fight against. We made a name for ourselves, got as much praise as we did scrutiny for provoking the law. Now, we've shown everyone that we're only just getting started. Our message has finally been sent out. To society, it's that change is coming, and this time it wont be easy to fight it off by calling us villains when we eventually become something to good to resist. To the heroes, we've shown that we are nothing they've ever faced before. We're not a bunch of people that are out to attack or get back at them, something they rely on to justify themselves. No, we have our own way of doing things that they're not used to, which is going to make them have to justify their continued existence. Because we're not trying to destroy them. We're making them obsolete, using the very society they defend to turn it's back on them, just as it was turned on us and they allowed it."
That finishing sentence gave everyone a brief reminder of their motivations for coming to this point and moving forward. Augment made sure reinforce those thoughts with another raise of the glass.
"To the Cyber Front!"
"To the Cyber Front!"
Again, his action was returned by followers, as a sign of their conviction for what they're all a part of, and of the one who made it all possible.
The now revealed man of black hair and green eyes.
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter.
The name Augment is a take on DC's Cyborg. The scene where he tries out his power in the Snyder cut Justice League is one of the inspirations.
This version of Izuku will be an amalgamation of multiple high-tech and sci-fi medias, but to boil it down, this Izuku is a Batman/Ironman hybrid (After Red Hood took over), who turns himself into a Terminator, following a plot similar to that of Amon from Legend of Korra(If he wasn't faking it.)
The next chapter will go back to where it diverged from the canon and starts going over the origin story.
A few more points to cover:
Izuku's costume is basically his normal one, with the colours inversed. The metallic parts are like pieces of an ironman suit. The helmet can resemble either Ironman or Red Hood(Just not red.)
As you may have guessed, there two heroes in this chapter that are original characters, Polar Force and Techadone. I wasn't familiar with any characters that had those specific powers, so I made them up, the first original characters in an undetermined number to appear along the way.
The choice of names to go by might get a little messy, between using a character's first name, second name and hero name. It's likely I'll try to stick to a pattern where it's their first/second name in general, and hero names when they're in action.
Until next time.