Author's Note: To those that have read this chapter before, you'll know that deals with physical torture, which is dificil to write on any day of the week. But again, to those that have read it, I've touched up on the...hard parts...to those just now reading the chapter/story for the first time, fair warning: this chapter contains depictions of physical torture and viewer discretion is advised.
17: Assault on the U.S.J. - 7: Counter Offensive
The fight with the Man-Spider creature had not been a long one.
After Izuku had taken the beasts claws for Honenuki, his Costume shredded by the monster's claws while his left shoulder and chest were laid open and bleeding, Honenuki had tried to fight back against the monster himself, but only served to anger the creature. It was by sheer luck that Honenuki had managed to escape from the beast with Izuku's help as he had been badly injured as well: his arm had been broken and he had received a bad gash across his back from its claws. Thankfully, one of Izuku's Remote Mines had been enough to distract the monster long enough for his friend to get away.
Izuku half expected to be killed right on the spot, but the beast had leered at him before going to free the Villain that he had webbed to the tree. Then it had proceeded to drag him out of the forest.
Now the man that Izuku had once known as Dr. Tsubasa was knelt in front of him with his hand grasping his mask. The article of his Costume was pulled off with the gentleness of a bull in a china shop. When he saw the boy's face, he let out a chuckle, "Well, if this isn't poetic justice, then I don't know the meaning of the words." The rotund man grinned down at the boy as his head lolled down while the arachnoid giant held him by his arms. "To think that my own creation would seek to become a Hero, only for his successors to be the ones to end those adolescent dreams of yours, eh, my boy?"
Izuku tried to raise his head, blood leaking down face. "I...I am not...y-your boy!"
The doctor chuckled, "Oh, don't be so shy, my child," the man said as he reached up and twirled his mustache, "I view all of my creations as my children," he made a gesture behind him toward the giant, "Take No.6, here for example. He was much like yourself when I got my hands on him." The giant humanoid arachnid growled next to his ear, its mandibles dripping with acidic venom, "A Quirkless little nobody that was destined for a life of misery because of geneticism." He then spread his arms wide as if unveiling a grand work of art. "But just look at him now! So big, so strong, so obedient!"
No.6 growled again with a look of extreme hunger in its misshapen eyes. The doctor snapped his fingers rapidly to get the beast's attention. "Though his manners may lack a little...finesse." He chuckled before he gestured to the other two figures, "Now my other two boys," the blue and white clad beings came forward, "They are quite a bit more refined than their big brother." He said fondly, then he looked down at the boy with a small frown adorning his face, "Yet they still pale in comparison to you."
Izuku held a small smirk on his face, "Guess I-I'm just that much b-better!" He would've laughed had the man not backhanded him across the face hard enough that he felt a tooth come loose. Shigaraki snickered next to him as the boy spat out a glob of blood along with the tooth.
The doctor made a gesture which caused the monster restraining him to raise his arms above his head, the boy giving out a pained shout. One of Tsubasa's mechanical arms rose up and grasped him by his wrists, hoisting him from No.6's grasp. Another came up and bashed in the ribs, forcing louder scream from him as the blow snapped his some of his ribs.
"Don't," Tsubasa glared at him, "Mistake your importance to me for reason enough to keep you breathing, my boy." He brought the boy close, "And do not invoke my ire any further. This entire day has been an utter waste of time. Not only did I lose a very valuable specimen, but that little brat of a girl has eluded these bumbling idiots we've brought with us!" The three remaining tentacles hovered around the boy, their claws spinning slowly. "Now, you are going to call for that little brat, and once we have her, we will retire from this fool's errand."
Izuku mustered enough strength to glare at him, "Like hell!"
The one of the appendages shot forward and pressed against the boy's wound. Pain laced through his chest before he felt electricity coursing through his body. Izuku's howls of pain were only drowned out by the laughter of Shigaraki as he took pleasure in the boy's pain.
"I understand that you have the ability to absorb a certain amount of energy," Tsubasa sneered as he took the claw away for a moment, "Shall we find out just how much?!" He shocked him again. Izuku screamed so loud that he felt the veins in his neck bulge painfully. "I think I just heard a vein pop!" Tsubasa laughed heartily, "Much more, and all the blood vessels in your body may burst!"
"I would call the little girl were I you, young man," Kurogiri said, "The good doctor is not a patient man."
Shigaraki laughed, "Oh, don't stop him now, Kurogiri," the younger man said, "This is just now getting fun!"
"Fun, indeed, my boy," the doctor said as he grinned widely, "Tell me, Shigaraki, have you any idea what the most painful type of broken bone happens to be?"
Shigaraki just grinned right along with him in delight, "Is it the arms?" He asked, hoping for some payback for his broken wrist.
"Oh, that is quite painful," he agreed while the younger man pouted, "But I find that the most pain from certain broken bones comes from either the ribs," he used two of the tentacles and pressed Izuku's ribs inward, his screams echoing throughout the area. "Or," the claws dipped down, and grasped his legs, "The femur!" The claws closed and crushed down on his thighs.
Izuku's screams reached new heights then as he howled with pain.
The claws retracted, giving the boy a small respite to catch his breath. Tsubasa leaned in while the boy dangled, "Do I hear compliance?" Izuku raised his head just enough before he spat right in the man's face. Tsubasa did not look impressed as he reached inside his coat for a handkerchief to wipe away the bloody spittle. The claws opened up, sliding out the long blades from the center, "I took a blood sample from you before," he sneered at the boy, "Now, I could use bone marrow!" The blades plunged into Izuku's side.
Izuku didn't even scream this time. He couldn't. The blades had pierced straight into his lungs, causing him to vomit up blood.
Nearby, a two pairs of eyes were watching the scene unfold with growing disgust. Earlier, when Izuku's mask had detected Eri's Spider Tracer nearby, prompting him to dive into the lake and shock the Villains surrounding the ship wreck, both Tsuyu Asui and Shinso had been with him. After Izuku had neutralized the Villains, both had swam to shore in order to go for help. Instead, the pair now found themselves watching as their friend was brutalized.
"We have to do something!" Shinso hissed angrily.
"Kero," Tsuyu was lower in the water, her large eyes just barely above it. Izuku's gurgling screams only got louder and more pained as the mad doctor worked him over. Shinso rose out of the water, but was pulled back down by Tsuyu, "We can't!" She told him, "That monster would kill us before we could even get near them!"
Shinso ground his teeth, "I know, but - !" He clenched his fists. He hated not being able to do anything. "Maybe I can take control of it with my Quirk," he suggested, "It doesn't have to talk, a grunt or a snarl would work!" He closed his eyes, wishing he could block out the sound of his friend's screaming. "Or I could get the doctor!"
"Maybe, kero..." she mumbled, shivering.
Before the two of them could decide on a course, movement in the bushes caught their eyes. Shinso ducked back down as both feared that more Villains were joining in. But they then caught sight of a pink-haired girl trench-crawling through the brush. "Hatsume?" The boy said in disbelief, then noticed that she wasn't alone. Right behind the girl was Yaoyorozu, and Jiro.
Hatsume looked to be carrying a rifle of some kind, while Yaoyorozu was carrying something larger: a grenade launcher! Tsuyu peaked above the bank, "They must have a plan," she surmised, "But I don't think even a grenade will hurt that thing."
Shinso shrugged, "Dunno, but this is Hatsume we're talking about," he said, "If she's in the lead, then whatever their plan is will be a doozy." He frowned when he noticed that Jiro was carrying a pair of knuckle-dusters. "And it looks like Jiro really means business." He turned to Tsuyu, "C'mon, we'd better see if we can help."
"Do you think we can?" The girl croaked.
"Better than sitting here letting our asses get pruny," Shinso waded over to the bank that was hidden behind some bushes before pushing himself out of the water and crawling along on his belly.
Kyoka spotted him right away, "You're being way too loud, Shinso," she hissed, making him realize that she had her jacks stabbed into the ground to keep a lookout. She looked behind him as Tsuyu joined him, "Is it just the two of you?"
"Yeah," Shinso said, wincing as another scream tore through the air, "Midoriya was with us earlier, but - " Midoriya screamed again. " - that." He pointed toward the scene.
Mei looked back at them, "Well, we're gonna try to get him out of this mess," she jerked her thumb back over her shoulder, "We found Honenuki a few yards back there with some pretty bad injuries. Momo patched him up the best she could, but he could use a little help."
Shinso thought to make himself useful by going to help the injured boy, but Kyoka stopped him, "We might need your Quirk." She said, gesturing for Tsuyu to head back instead, "We left him leaning against a tree. If you could get him back toward the entrance, he'd be a lot safer."
"Easy peasy, kero," she croaked and started back toward the forested area before turning back, "Wait a second: where's Eri?"
Momo pointed up toward the mountain, "We left her up on the Mountain with Kendo and Kaminari looking after her," she said, "We were told that the Villains wanted to abduct her, so Jiro thought it best to keep her well away from the fighting."
The girl nodded, "I'll come back to get them," Tsuyu said before moving away.
Shinso crawled over to Mei, "Alright, what's the plan here?" He asked while the scene played out. "I don't know if grenades or bullets will be enough to hurt that thing." He gestured to the monster, "Then there's those other two." He looked at the other two figures standing nearby, "I haven't seen them fighting at all, yet, but something tells me that they're the ones we need to watch out for."
Hatsume nodded in agreement, "Momo and I already figured that they might be more dangerous," she said while motioning for Momo to come up beside her, "But from the look of their suits' designs, I'm willing to bet that they've got similar powers to Izuku, and the big one."
"And according to Midoriya, he has a very simple, yet crippling weakness that I've loaded into these gas grenades," Momo said as she moved up beside them with the launcher aimed at the plaza, "Once I fire, Mei will take out the two smaller Villains while I reload an explosive round for that monster."
Kyoka brandished her knuckle-dusters, "Then I move in and go after the octopus," she scowled angrily as she watched her boyfriend being tortured, glaring at the other two girls, "Can we please get a move on already!" She snapped as the doctor let up on his torture right before he used those mechanical arms to bash the boy's ribs.
Hatsume nodded and gave Shinso a look, "If you get the chance, use your Quirk on the misty one."
"Not the skinny dude?" Shinso asked, "He was acting like the boss when they got here."
She shook her head, "Juzo said he nailed that one with one of Izuku's power bands," she pointed to his right wrist where a black band could be seen with a green flashing light, "Which means that his Quirk is completely suppressed." She pulled the bolt back on her rifle, "That bastard's mine."
Momo took aim with the launcher, but was stopped by Shinso, "Hold it," he looked over at Mei, "If those things have the same weakness as Midoriya then won't the gas in those grenades affect him, too?"
"Definitely," Mei nodded, "But it's all we've got."
"That's not good enough," Shinso shook his head, "Let me go out there," he said while the girls gave him looks of confusion, "Look, they don't know that my Quirk is brainwashing, which means that I can get that mustachioed freak to respond to me so I can put him under my control long enough to drop our friend. Then you girls can launch the main attack." He explained while growing impatient, "They've really worked him over, and if whatever that stuff in your grenades works on him, too, then his powers aren't gonna help him, and that includes his healing powers!"
"We had thought of that," Hatsume frowned while looking over at Kyoka before giving him a nod, "Alright, you can go, but don't do anything stupid."
Shinso grinned, "Like insulting a Villain that could rip me to pieces?" He snarked and moved forward.
To say that Shinso was nervous would be the understatement of a century. He was relying solely on the hope that he could use his Quirk on the mad doctor so that his friend could be saved. An idea that was losing ground every second he hesitated. Healing factor or no, Izuku looked like he had been put through a meat grinder. His mask had been removed, showing off his mottled, swollen face. The upper portion of his suit was shredded, showing the boy's mottled purple ribs as well as the gash on his chest. Blood was streaming down all over his body: Shinso didn't have much time.
The gangly Villain spotted him first, "Well, it seems like we have a real Hero on our hands," he jeered as the boy neared them, "Look, No.6, your dinner's just arrived!" He said to the large monster who growled hungrily as it swung its massive head toward him with acidic venom dripping from its mandibles.
"You want the girl, right?" Shinso said loudly, hoping to divert their attention for even a moment, "I know where she is!"
The doctor looked at him, but said nothing. [Dammit, I need him to talk!] Shinso thought desperately.
"Sh-Shinso..." Izuku groaned as his looked at him through a bloodied eye.
He couldn't wait a moment longer, "Let my friend go, and I'll tell you where she's hidden!"
"Is that so?" Shigaraki sneered at him, making a gesture, "Black, White," the two costumed Villains stepped forward, "Bring him here."
Shinso was beginning to panic as the two of them stepped around the doctor...only for the man himself to stop them, "Hold it boys." He said, giving the younger man a hard look, "Don't forget, these are my children, Tomoura Shigaraki." He said with a deceptively calm voice, though from experience, Shinso could tell that the man was furious with the younger man's attempts at ordering around his subordinates.
[Okay, I've got him interested,] Shinso said as his heart thumped steadily into his ribs as he waited anxiously.
"Come forward, boy," the doctor ordered while he turned toward him, Izuku dangling from his claw. "If you want your friend to live, then you'll tell me where that child is."
"Let him go, first," Shinso said, [Take the bait, please God, let him take the bait!] Shinso silently begged.
The doctor frowned, "If you think even for a moment that - " Shinso exerted control over his Quirk, trapping the doctor inside of a mental cage made of titanium.
"Throw Midoriya to me now!" Shinso commanded.
Shigaraki looked shocked, but a moment later the doctor's mechanical arm threw the limp body of their captive toward the brainwasher. "Doctor -!" Garaki came back to himself almost instantly as Shinso braced himself to catch Izuku.
"Kill him!" The man roared to the arachnids just as the two boys made contact.
"NOW!" Shinso roared.
The sound of gunfire erupted as a grenade was launched. Shinso flung the boy over his shoulder and ran just as the grenade exploded, covering the area in the chemical. Then another was fired. And another. Momo was firing every grenade she had at the monster, hoping and praying that the ethyl chloride would have the same effect on the mutant as it would have on Izuku.
Shigaraki came barreling out of the smoke in pursuit of them, his hand outstretched to grab them. Shinso was glad that the man couldn't use his Quirk as his fingers brushed the back of his neck. Jiro suddenly burst out of the treeline, "Mei, get the big one!" He heard her shouting.
"I can't see the damned thing!" Mei snapped, "There's too much gas!"
She ran right passed Shinso and punched the pursuing Villain right in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground when the large shadow of the creature appeared over her. The six-eyed behemoth was snarling at her while greenish foam dripped from its jaws.
[She'll being fine, she'll be fine, she'll be fine!] Shinso chanted in his head as kept running, praying that the girl would be alright before catching sight of Hatsume taking aim at the beast looming over the girl. She fired, grazing his ear, the shot followed by the smack of the bullet as the beast screeched in pain. Kyoka plugged her jacks into her choker and let out a sonic scream right onto the monster's head. It was knocked away and stumbled to the ground where it struggled to rise.
Another shot rang out as Mei continued her assault, hitting the creature in the head. "Momo, time for some explosive rounds!" The girl shouted as Shinso reached them and laid Izuku down.
The girl handed the launcher off to Shinso, "Here, I need to treat his injuries," she said, the boy nodding as he took aim while Momo started making medical supplies for Izuku's injuries.
The first round exploded against the giant mutant, bringing it down for good, prompting Shinso to reload and take aim where the other two arachnoids were, and paled, "Jiro, look out!"
The girl whipped around just as the one called 'Black Spider' lunged at her with a barbed spike protruding from the back of his wrist. She just barely managed to dodge, receiving a scratch on her left arm which immediately went limp. [Paralysis?!] She grit her teeth before screaming at the Villain to get him away from her. She then turned and ran back toward her friends.
A bullet whizzed by, the sound of it impacting something behind her telling the girl that one of them was right behind her. "Move it, Kyoka!" Mei shouted as she fired another shot at the Villains. "Momo! I need more ammo!"
"There's no need for that!" Momo said, smiling as she looked up toward the area behind the plaza, "Help's already arrived!"
She breathed a sigh of relief at what she saw. "Finally!" She shouted as Bakugo came rocketing down toward the plaza with Kirishima and Tetsutetsu right on his tail. The mutant seemed to still be alive, and was trying to get up from the ground with a bullet hole oozing blood from its massive head, but the explosive teen rotated himself with his Quirk, gaining speed.
"HOWITZER," Plastique roared as he reached the wounded creature, "IMPA-A-ACT!" He thrust out his palm, and exploded with the force of a missile No.6's body fell to the ground smoldering. Its head laid open.
The two remaining arachnoids turned on Kirishima and Tetsutetsu. The Steel Quirk user tanked a blow from White Spider by criss-crossing his arms, but it was enough to send him sliding back, "Jeez, this guy's no joke!" Meaning that the gas attack hadn't affected the two of them as it should have.
Kirishima had to agree as Black Spider came at him with his bone-like blades, "Bakugo! We could use some help!" He called out as the ashen blond turned to the Mist Villain and doctor with a manic gleam in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Izuku blinked his eyes slowly as he dropped in and out of consciousness, managing to stay lucid enough to look up and saw Kyoka coming toward him holding onto her arm, "H-hey there..." he had to smile weakly while Kyoka knelt down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Did Eri...did Eri find you?"
"Yeah, she did," the girl's voice sounded close to tears, "God, what did they do to you?!"
Izuku gave one of his lopsided grins, "I-I'm tougher th-than I look." He said as Momo reached out and tore open the girl's sleeve to have a look at her wound.
On the other side of the plaza the doctor was furious. "I should've guessed this," he grumbled as he regarded the leader of their group lying flat on the ground with a massive bruise on his face while the large body of No.6 lay on the ground twitching and his brothers fought with mere children. "Of all the Quirks that I found in that file, there was one that interested me above all." His eyes landed on the boy that had tricked him. "A mind controlling Quirk: so marvelously rare!"
Kurogiri stepped up beside him, "We should take this time to flee," the misty Villain said as the ashen-haired teen stalked toward them, "With Tomura injured and No.6 destroyed, our chances of winning this battle are - "
The doctor raised his hand, "That boy is a lost cause," he sneered, "Not only did he have his Quirk suppressed, but he also went into battle knowing full well that he could not fight, and ended up injured!"
"You intend to abandon him?" Kurogiri asked, "The Master will not be pleased."
He turned to the misty figure, "Do you really think I care?" He muttered, "I've thought he was unworthy of the Master's time from the very beginning." He turned to his two remaining experiments,"Black Spider, White Spider, that's enough!" He shouted out before he noticed that Aizawa, Vlad, and Prowler were heading into the plaza. "Deal with these three first!" He gestured to the three Heroes coming toward them. "Kurogiri, open a portal."
Black and White Spider moved toward the Prowler, Vlad and Eraser Head. The Prowler was undaunted by the two foes. "You're not going anywhere." The man's mask was glowing at the seams with heat. Slowly, he raised his right hand to remove it, "Eraser, whatever you do, do not let that teleporter get away." His tone left no room for argument, "Vlad, you subdue the doctor."
"What about us?" Kirishima yelled, feeling left out of the fight after the two Villains had broken away, "We can help handle these guys!"
"You've done good, boys, but now's the time to stand down and stay out of the way," the mask came away, black smoke rising from the eraged father's mouth, "These sons of bitches belong to me!"
スパイダーマン
Author's Note: If you've read this chapter before, and see the improvements (I hope I've improved it along with my grammar), please leave comments on your thoughts of the chapter.
Adios Amigos!