And I'm back!
Sorry for the constant delays on this one, I have just had a very busy couple of weeks.
Like the editor said on twitter, I had an exam, settled into a new house, am currently attending the introduction week of a new university, and just a whole bunch of stuff.
The next chapter will HOPEFULLY come out in 3 weeks this time, but I can't promise it with how hectic things are right now.
But, in the worst case scenario, you can keep track of my progress, thanks to the editor, on our twitter/X: HeroForceFanfic
In either case though, let's get this show on the road. Here is Chapter 30! The first half of the first rounds!
Pulling the daggers close, Kevin threw a punch right into Stain's gut. It was time to see what this guy was made of!
As he was sent flying, Stain did a backflip mid-air and landed on his feet.
"Okay, so he's athletic…" Kevin thought, as his eye then dropped down to the injured Ingenium bleeding on the ground. "...and fast. Then–!"
Without waiting around, Stain propelled himself from off the wall.
Kevin tried to counter, but it was all moot. As his boxing style was more power-based and designed to bulldoze through, a guy who excelled at speed always had the chance to tear it apart.
All it needed, unlike Helen, was someone who could hit hard enough.
Stain switched out the blades. "He will be a tough one to get rid of."
Kevin went for a downward swing.
Stain avoided, countering with three slices from his daggers!
Thankfully, the armor made them bounce off. Kevin quickly returned to the offensive.
He went for a kick. Stain avoided once more!
By leaping over it, Stain landed a kick to his face with his spiky shoes, with one almost going into his eye.
That last hit shook Kevin, made him want to block to catch his breath. And Stain did everything in his power to capitalize.
With the strikes of metal on metal letting out an unbearable crying sound, Stain chipped away at the armor.
No matter how much one blade got dull, he seemingly always had an extra to replace it with, and Kevin… started to be able to feel every knife switch.
Every strike, which was somehow sharper than the last.
"What does this man have?" Kevin thought. "A porcupine quirk?!"
"I will correct this society!" Stain let out a battle cry!
From his shaky view, Kevin witnessed a haunting bloodlust.
He had seen real evil before in the eyes of Vilgax or… the prison that he spent his childhood in.
But this wasn't it. He didn't see a man standing over a world of flames, basking at his accomplishment in great satisfaction and peace.
This was pure chaotic and wild conviction, taken and sharpened meticulously towards only one goal.
"Where did you find this nutjob, Tensei…" He thought, as Stain grabbed his katana with both hands.
Kevin opened his guard, now ready to meet the challenge head on.
"You showed up to save your friend's life…" Stain said. "Even made a big entrance."
Kevin gritted his teeth.
"But I have a duty to kill him, and this hero society."
"Yeah?" Kevin asked. "Well, pal, you'd better take a number."
Stain scoffed, and right as Kevin struck forward, kicked his opponent's ankle.
It threw the ex-con off-balance, leaving him open… for one strike across his chest.
Gliding through, the blade let out a loud crying sound, painfully digging its mark through the metal.
His black shirt was now exposed. Kevin fell to his knees, anticipating another strike..!
But it didn't come.
Feeling the shift in the air, Kevin raised his head.
"All fakes shall die!"
Stain had lept towards Ingenium with his katana drawn!
"Fantastic..!" Kevin said, eyes darting around.
With one last bit of energy, he ripped out parts of the ground with both hands and tossed them.
One knocked the blade out of Stain's hand, and the other nailed him in the face.
"Bullseye!…" He muttered, as he got up.
Stain wiped the dirt on his face, right before dashing in the ex-con's way to continue where he left off. This time… *without* mercy.
As the blows rewarded him with a very unwanted hazy eyesight, Kevin saw a man zipping around, appearing as on his left side in one second and on his right in the next but always closer, ready with more blows.
But Kevin, in that moment, showed his bag of tricks weren't empty. He stomped the ground again.
Uprooting the concrete below them, it managed to get Stain to stop for a moment. And that moment was all he needed!
He lunged forward. Leaping at the killer, he started hitting him with more controlled rapid fire punches.
"How did the salad hair do it?.." He wondered, as he threw another fist. "Like this?.."
Kevin hit him with his right, then his left, and his right again!
Now that he had his opening, he recalled that kid's fighting style from a few days ago. Forgoing speed and putting all of his energy in every strike to do massive damage.
"Ah–!" Stain let out a yelp, as Kevin then stomped on his foot with his iron one… just to 'get even' as he'd call it.
"You know, if it makes you feel any better, I see how you handled Tensei here." Kevin remarked, rubbing his nose as he skipped around.
Stain desperately tried to pull one over with a knife, but it was Kevin's turn to predict!
With a snarky grin, he crouched under the strike, and as his blade went between his metal locks… the ex-con landed a fierce gut-punch.
Blood came flying out of Stain's mouth!
Kevin grabbed him from one shoulder, slammed him to the ground and then at the wall!
And Ingenium… watched on from the sidelines. Even though the side of the alleyway he sat at was comfortable for his body and Kevin now had the upperhand, the desire to get up and help was unbearable.
It was to the point of feeling like he had been set on fire from the inside, and was burning because of it.
As his fists were already clenched when his body was paralyzed, one of those fingers… started to twitch from their place.
"COMING THROUGH!"
As all of 1-A were focused on the first round, an aggressive roar came from behind them, which caused them to turn their heads.
Holding a number of snacks in a cradle position, Rath emerged as he kicked the door closed.
"LET ME TELL YOU… HMPH?" He saw he had arrived.
Rath extended his hands forward. "I GOT EVERYONE'S STUFF!"
Shoji nudged Jiro from next to her. "Did I miss something? Where did Tennyson come from?"
"He was going to the snack bar. So, we kind of asked for stuff." she answered.
Iida pitched in with the obvious question. "Yes, however, why are you transformed, Tennyson–?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Bakugo remarked. "His scrawny arms couldn't carry all that."
Rath leaned down to him, not dropping anything, and letting an angry huff through his nose.
"I thought you were a cat…" Bakugo snarled. "Not a bull."
With his teeth clenched and mouth twitching, Rath growled. "You wanna fight, Bakugo Katsuki–?"
"Tennyson…" Ashido interrupted them, giving them the hangriest expression possible.
"Whatever…" Rath grumbled. He broke away first and took a look at the bag. "UH… RATH FORGOT WHAT YOU ASKED FOR!"
"Fireblast. Jalapeno. Crunchies." She told with utmost importance, and Rath found them from the pile of stuff, before starting to pass all the food around.
"TOKOYAMI, YOUR FROSTY FREEZY FREEZE!"
He took the stupidly named slurpy with an unflinching grimdark attitude. "Much gratitude."
"SATO! YOUR BLAM BERRY BLITZ!"
"Thanks a ton, Tennyson."
"ITS RATH!" He looked at his arms again. "JIRO, HEX MIX!"
She took the bag of pretzels. "Thanks."
"URARAKA!" He extended the box forward. "MOCHI!"
"Yay! You're the best!"
"RATH KNOWS!" He said, and then found his seat. There were two items left in his hands.
"AND FOR YOU, YAOYOROZU MOMO!" Rath extended a small bag towards her. "CARAMELIZED ALMONDS!"
She grabbed and then opened it.
"Thank you." She tossed one in her mouth. "Honestly, I didn't expect them to be sold here…"
Rath pressed the dial on his chest, and let Tennyson emerge once more.
"Same here." he sat back down, with a bag of Cheezy Dibbles. "So, how is the battle going?"
"It's unchanged as of yet." Yaoyorozu stated.
She had been watching the battle intently as Kirishima and Midoriya had gotten back to landing blow after blow on each other, after the latter's sudden super-powered flick.
However… there has been one thing off.
Midoriya ducks down one of Kirishima's punches, spinning and repositioning himself, only to get hit with a mean left uppercut!
"Midoriya, even though he is shorter and nimbler, always seems to be one step behind." She said.
Ben watched the battle for himself a little, as Midoriya pushed back again.
"Duck. Fade left!" He mumbled. Midoriya was now facing Kirishima from the side. "Now! Left roundhouse–!"
Kirishima raised his right arm, blocking and countering right back.
"Damn it." Ben tossed another cheese puff in his mouth. Yaomomo was right, Midoriya had this slowness to him.
"Because of his quirk." Ben thought. "He's concentrating too hard on not–"
"Is it because of his quirk?" Yaoyorozu asked, catching him off guard.
"I mean, we have… 'both' seen his quirk do incredible feats of strength at the expense of his own well-being." She explained rather nervously. "His self-control eating away at his dexterity is the best guess I have."
"I…" Ben responded. "Well, I've been training with the guy long before I came to this school and yeah, that's what always held him back. Good call."
Yaoyorozu faintly smiled.
Midoriya got another blow landing on his chin, as Kirishima followed it up with a left cross to his gut, and a right hook to his chest!
"However, he also has one hell of an analytical mind." Ben thought to himself. "If Kirishima ain't watching out, he might find himself in a checkmate."
Just as he said that, Midoriya spun around to dodge, only to get himself in a headlock from behind!
"I think we're at the end, Midoriya." Kirishima said. It was a hard-fought fifteen minutes and sweat was rolling down the foreheads of both fighters.
"I'd suggest you concede." He said, clearly being the more exhausted one. "Your hits are tough, but my hardening is tougher!"
Midoriya, even though his hands were hurting, still made them into a fist!
"One blow isn't gonna be enough!" Kirishima warned, but Midoriya didn't flinch.
"That's why it's not going to be one blow!"
He opened his fist, and sent FOUR flicks to Kirishima's gut!
Overwhelmed by power, the redhead was forced to let go as he skidded back!
Midoriya got a chance to gather his breath, however from the dust cloud that got kicked up… Kirishima emerged with a smirk and his arms crossed in a x position.
His shirt was fully gone, showing the abs underneath.
"Good one." He said, but Midoriya's eyes were focused on something else.
The bruise on his stomach…
His eyebrows went up in revelation!
"Power adds up little by little–" Ben was proud with the four flicks, up until he saw the look in his eyes. "And he just found what he needed. Engage."
Midoriya did as Ben thought.
Kirishima, as he tried to not wince about the bruise on his left side, engaged too.
"Fade back! Counter right!"
Midoriya avoided Kirishima's attack and punched him in the face!
"Right cross."
Kirishima slugged back.
"Right cross."
Midoriya landed another one.
"Right cross!" Ben said as he started to laugh. "Left hook!"
Midoriya eyed up his winded opponent.
"You've been straining to keep your body hardened this entire time, haven't you, Kirishima?" He said.
The dread-filled eyes were all that Midoriya needed for an answer.
"But quirks are like muscles and you have been overusing yours." He continued.
Tennyson smirked from his stances. "You shouldn't have let this become an endurance match."
"Kirishima should have gone for an early pin…" Yaoyorozu thought as well.
Kirishima swung his arms in desperation.
Midoriya stepped away from him, and ducked right, avoiding another hit…
"With his defenses down, Midoriya can get in close." Yaoyorozu thought, and Midoriya did just that, landing two lefts and a right to the body!
"Too much!" Kirishima pushed him back, but Midoriya didn't give it up.
He faded back, landed a right hook, slipped, landed two more uppercuts.
"Duck left!" Midoriya was in the zone. "Counter right!"
A wave of cheering rose from the crowds just for him. Ben clenched his fists, and jumped from his seat.
"Now, to end it! For real this time!" Both of them thought, as Midoriya opened his hands to the sides.
Ben's eyes grew in recognition, as Midoriya firmly planted his feet, and clapped both hands!
"SMASH!"
Kirishima's hardening came undone, as he was then flung off the arena!
Ben pumped his fist into the air, as the crowd's cheering soared, and their class also joined in!
Midnight cracked her whip. "Kirishima has been knocked out, Midoriya is the winner!"
Yaoyorozu started clapping as the greenette exhaustedly looked up, and saw the support coming from all sides.
"Nice one, Midoriya!" Tennyson yelled, and so she supported the redhead.
"You did very well too, Kirishima!"
They could see him embarrassedly smiling, as Midoriya then perked up and went to give him a hand.
Tennyson settled back down with an unwavering grin.
"That… Remember the forms I said I used to have?" He said to her, and clapped his own hands. "That was a Fourarms signature. Seismic clap!"
Yaomomo thought outloud. "Fourarms… Isn't that one of the aliens you said you fought a couple of days ago? Manny Armstrong?"
Ben's eyebrows went up. "Right! He must have seen it from him!"
"Uh… huh." She responded.
Tennyson hadn't noticed, but her mouth pursed as she looked away.
During the break, Tennyson had gotten around to explaining the incident with the two alien mercenaries.
However… in a word, it felt distressing to not have been called.
Ben 10: Hero Force
Chapter 30
Conflict Near and Far!
Back in the warehouse, Kurogiri as well as Shigaraki were greeted–
"The head honcho…" Shigaraki seethed.
A buff man rocking an orange mohawk, black and white facepaint in the form of a skull, a towel hanging around his neck, as well as a black sleeveless shirt with the same symbol to match.
"What…" a short stack then pensively entered after him with a similar get-up, and black hair with a streak of orange. "Yeah, what the heck IS going on here?!"
"Shut it, Corvo." The NPC that captured them spoke dismissively. His gaze turned back to the boss. "We caught some spies, Fistrick."
The main man tossed the towel aside, and started punching the sandbag he just hung up.
The little one looked around, as his face then shaped up to be an angry one.
"I saw 37 dead men on my way." Corvo gestured at the bubble. "How the heck does that make them spies, Hoodlum?!"
Hoodlum, the one who held the bubble with also an orange high-tech body armor, Mad Max style getup and a red mohawk, had no real answer.
"Umm… Well, how do you know it's 37? Did you count? Huh?!" He stumbled, and arrogantly said.
Corvo put his hands on his hips. "As a matter of fact, yes. I did."
Hoodlum gritted his teeth…
"Don't let him get to you, bro." The other one, with the only difference that he had a white mohawk, tried to be supportive–
"You shut it too, Hooligan." He shrugged him off.
"Hey bro, not cool."
Corvo just shook his head… before putting his hand under his chin and looking at the ground. Only 37 guards though? Really?
"There should have been more–"
Fistrick landed another punch at the sandbag, letting it violently swing around, before actually turning to look at them…
"So, we got raiders?" He said. "In my mojo dojo casa house?!"
Kurogiri tilted his head. "In his what?"
"Well, there was no sign out front." Shigaraki responded, rolling his eyes.
Fistrick narrowed his own, and got his face real close to the bubble.
"You better tell me who you are." He said. "While you still can, bro."
Shigaraki leaned forward too. "*We* are the people who will demolish everything you've built."
Fistrick didn't move, and neither did Shigaraki. The two looked into each other's eyes, before Fistrick got up.
He sighed, shaking his head, not intimidated at all.
"Seems like you didn't want others to know of your business." Kurogiri spoke up as the young master seemed irritated.
Fistrick went to stop the sandbag from swinging. "Well, this kind of tech doesn't just fall out of a truck."
Kurogiri thought about his words…
"I'm sure the ones whom you have swiped this tech from, do not appreciate it."
Fistrick laughed. "You would know, wouldn't you?"
He turned to the misty one.
"See bro, I can totally tell the bounty hunters those tinheads hire when I see them." He said. "You two are just those types of low priority guys."
Shigaraki's red eyes turned to him in fury, but Kurogiri held him back.
Midoriya arrived at his class's section to watch.
"Hey, Deku!" Of course, as he stepped forward, Uraraka called out to him first.
Iida pointed to the seat next to them in between himself and Tennyson. "We have saved a seat for you."
Midoriya's face lit up. "Thanks guys."
He then saw Tennyson looking back at him and raising his arm proudly.
He walked down and took his place.
Yaoyorozu leaned forward.
"That was a very good match." She stated, and Midoriya couldn't help but feel proud.
"Thanks…" He stated.
"Same here." Ben said, and then raised his arms. "But you gotta learn to keep light on your feet too."
"Yeah." Jiro leaned forward. "We know Kirishima wasn't no slouch, but try to NOT block with your face so much, you know."
"Fair enough." Midoriya nodded and looked into his fist. "It was… sort of the price for not breaking my bones this time."
He couldn't see it, but Bakugo looked over as soon as he heard that.
Midoriya lowered his hand. "I should improve enough to apply the brakes automatically."
The fires of the arena lit again. Another match was imminent!
"THANK YOU FOR WAITING EVERYONE!" Present Mic's voice came through. "NOW, LET'S INTRODUCE OUR NEXT COMPETITORS!"
Both walked out the gates. Two students with determined looks, but radically different locks of hair.
"Every garden needs a caretaker as they say." Present Mic said. "Here comes the princess of greenery herself, SHIOZAKI IBARA FROM HERO COURSE CLASS 1-B!"
With her hands together, Shiozaki got on the stage with direct focus on the match at hand. Her thorned hair, even though not much was known about her opponent, stood ready.
Shinso, on the other hand, was making no such preparations. He didn't have a stance like he was going to fight. The general studies student wasn't even looking at his opponent.
With just a hand, itching the back of his neck, he looked up at Present Mic.
"No one expected him to make it this far, but he's the living proof that greatness can come from anywhere! Please welcome, SHINSO HITOSHI FROM GENERAL STUDIES!"
The crowd still cheered for them.
"What do you say this time, Tennyson?" Sero sat next to him.
Ben shrugged in response. "Dunno. I… don't think I have seen either of their quirks in action before."
Ashido dug her hand to the last bit of dust that the chip packet had inside it. "Well, she controlled vines back during the cavalry battle."
"Oh, right."Ben nodded. "She helped Midoriya with flying."
Her quirk honestly reminded him of Wildvine.
"It provided them with a reliable means of offense and defense." Yaoyorozu recalled her own observations as well. "At her rate, there is no reason to doubt Shiozaki will become a great hero in the future. "
Tennyson raised his hand. "Okay, what is she up against? What's Shinso got?"
"Uh, I think…" Uraraka's eyebrows went up. "Wait, what was it?"
"You don't know the quirk of someone who was on your team?" Sero asked surprisedly, as Uraraka continued to hum, but still had no answer.
Yaoyorozu was surprised by that expression.
Midoriya did, since he most probably recruited him as the leader, and yet Uraraka didn't…
But, in that case, what could… 'require' Midoriya for the lack of a better word, to keep a teammate's quirk a secret?
"BEGIN!" Present Mic shouted, and Shiozaki quickly set up the field.
Her vines instantly dug through the ground, with Shinso feeling the upcoming rumbling.
Without a second wasted, he got to running and seemingly avoided two strands of the vines. People noted that Shinso might be athletic, but Ben noticed he was nothing of the sorts.
Gwen had made sure to almost always note that he was relying on his alien forms too much, and this kid, whoever he was, was way worse than he was.
Shiozaki was clearly just giving him some courtesy to look good in front of the cameras.
"Deku. You were the one who wanted to recruit Shinso as a wild card." Uraraka, after enough humming, turned to her classmate. "Did you know his quirk?"
Midoriya, not lifting his head from the notebook, confirmed it.
"Yeah, uh-huh..." He said, fixated on the round. "O-Or rather, I didn't know the trigger, the extent of its capabilities–"
"But you had a gist?" Tennyson tilted his head, and Midoriya rather shamefully nodded.
"Then why did you keep it from us?" Uraraka asked. "Especially when he was the ace against Tennyson?"
Ben tilted his head. "Ace?"
Sero still wasn't done though. "How did you accept being on a team, without knowing all of your teammate's powers though?"
The pink blushes on Uraraka's cheeks reddened. "I trusted Deku! Alright?!"
Midoriya bit his lip.
Shinso had finally run to the edge of the arena, and Shiozaki had wrapped her vines around his arms and feet. It was checkmate.
Midoriya sighed. "I got a glimpse of his quirk during the obstacle course when I was breaking myself out of Todoroki's ice. After I told him about it, he… kind of asked me to keep it a secret."
"IS THAT THE END FOR SHINSO?!" Present Mic shouted. "THE COUNT FOR HIM STARTS NOW!"
Shinso tugged at the vines, however if only one was wrapped around his wrist the first time, now that number grew to be three.
"I apologize. For our one time alliance, has concluded with us on opposite sides." Shiozaki gathered her hands together.
Shinso pursed his lips.
"I suggest you concede." Shiozaki said.
And watching Midoriya obsessively keep notes, Ben… felt like he should perk up. If Midoriya actually considered this guy to be capable of turning the tables, then he had to see this.
And Yaomomo seemed to be in agreement.
She leaned forward. What kind of quirk could beat the raw force of nature which was Shiozaki's vine quirk?
"You hero course students are all the same." Shinso snarkily remarked.
He looked at the vines around his limbs. "I mean, YOU still think you won."
Shiozaki… was seemingly taken aback.
"Speaking of which, why is t–?!" Shinso felt his hand pulled back.
The bindings on his arms got tighter.
"What shall you mean?" Shiozaki asked, rather vindictively.
Shinso gritted his teeth under his breath.
"It's because you got a stronger quirk…" He said. "You think you won because of that."
The vine girl shook her head.
"No." She shook her head. "I–"
"Isn't that why you asked me to concede?"
Shiozaki pensively paused, and… Midoriya did too. His hands stopped with the note taking.
Shinso had her attention on the vine girl and now...
…he had her attention. After those words, Shiozaki had tensed.
He bit his tongue. This was it!
"You think you can tell me what to do because you think you're better." He pushed, and then looked up at the commentators.
He scoffed. "'I give up', huh?"
Shinso rolled his head rather frustratedly. "All it takes is three words to stop the fighting… Doesn't it fit their theme of one big test for both our body and spirit?"
His eyes landed on her.
"When you told me to concede, you thought my spirit wasn't an equal of yours?"
Shiozaki opened her mouth. "I did not mean it in–"
However Shiozaki… stopped short.
Midoriya's eyebrows shot up!
"And I just won." Shinso thought.
"Shiozaki?" Uraraka tilted her head from the stances, but her body just became more slouched, losing that previous dignity.
Her pupils were now vacant… and empty.
"Hey, hey, what's the matter?!" Present Mic called out–!
"Could you get this off?" Shinso asked and gestured to the vines. Shiozaki did as she was told, she released him!
Both Ben and Yaomomo got up from their seats. THAT! MIND-CONTROLLING WAS HIS QUIRK?!
Ben was amazed. Between the aliens and knights, he had almost forgotten that Japan was filled with greatness and just plain surprising stuff beyond that.
Yaoyorozu's mouth opened all the way. This… This was so highly unexpected!
"Shinso could control minds." She thought. "Giving him the ability to take anyone out of commission… on a whim."
Back at the arena, Shinso solemnly looked at the mind-controlled, stationary Shiozaki in front of him and an apologetic sigh left his mouth.
"If you know what you want your future to hold, you can't worry about what people think." He thought to himself. "Just spout some stuff, get them riled up, and…"
He gritted his teeth.
"As long as you harden your thoughts Hitoshi, you'll get by just fine."
"Would you look at that, our dear viewers!" Present Mic called out. "Shiozaki has… seemingly walked right out of bounds! The winner of round 2 is Shinso Hitoshi!"
Todoroki stomped off.
However, the voices of his teachers didn't relent through the speakers.
"I'll tell you Eraser, it has really just been one surprise after the other this year!"
"Yes. The students aren't holding anything back." Eraser Head responded.
"I'm glad you say that, because our next contestants are just those loose-cannon types!" Present Mic said, before looking down at the stage again. "Really though, can you believe it? We have someone with a brainwashing quirk!"
"In general studies." Eraser Head remarked.
Present Mic paid no mind. "Do you also think it's kind of cheati–!"
As Todoroki got inside the structure, the voices finally got muffled.
He scoffed at the idea. "Like I'd let myself be controlled–"
Like he had stepped on a minefield, the memory of the USJ rose to prove otherwise.
Todoroki gritted his teeth.
"It was one time." He shook his head. Never again… would he let that happen.
He then turned the corner, and like his mood couldn't be ruined any further…
"What do *you* want?" He called out with sarcasm.
There was standing the Flame Hero himself, Endeavor. With crossed arms, he was leaning to the wall and side-eyeing him.
"I was wondering whether you're done disgracing yourself out there, Shoto." He responded bluntly.
Shoto continued to walk past him, eyes down on the ground, and his hands made into fists.
"If you were to use that power on your left side, victory would have come easily in both of the other rounds." Endeavor kept his tone low. "You will be 16, come next year. End this childish rebellion of yours."
Shoto opened his mouth, but closed it.
"Your duty is to emerge as number 1, and surpass that imbecile, All Might."
The fire in Endeavor's mask burned hotter.
"Do you understand?"
Scowling, and a shadow falling over his face, Todoroki bit his lip.
"You're different from your siblings. You're my perfect creation. My masterpiece."
Holding himself back from lashing out, the 'masterpiece' in question spoke.
"Is that all you can say to me, you deadbeat?" He said, seething.
Endeavor, if he paid attention, would literally hear high blood pressure peak with every word.
"I will win only with mom's power."
Grinding his teeth, he continued as the light at the end got closer and closer.
"And I won't give you the pleasure of seeing me use yours."
Endeavor narrowed his side-eye, measuring if his son was really just spouting hot air. However, his dedication seemed real, regrettably hardened.
He disappointedly shook his head.
"Even if that works for you here, in this tournament…" Endeavor said. "... You'll soon find the limits of that power."
Though his supposed father couldn't see it, Shoto had an infuriated cold stare, loathing himself.
"That promise might work while we're at school, but if you REALLY want to be number 1…" He recalled. "I'm just saying that you have so much potential and holding it in reserve like this is not gonna help anyone."
That's what Tennyson had told him too.
But…
Ice crept up his skin again.
Frankly, he had enough of people telling him what to do.
On the spectator seats, Gwen's eyes were transfixed on a crimson and gold talisman…
This was supposed to be the receiver charm of the one she gave to Kevin. It was still silent and unlit.
"Kevin still didn't use it." She thought. Closing her eyes, and putting her hands on the temples of her face, she could feel something going on… but she couldn't quite place her finger on it–
"THANKS FOR WAITING!"
The blonde pro-hero's booming voice was back on the speakers. Gwen put the charm back in her purse.
"IT'S TIME FOR THE THIRD MATCH!"
From 1-A's side of the benches, instantly, Midoriya took out his burnt notebook.
"Where did…" Uraraka, who watched it happen, was still at a loss for words.
Tennyson leaned back.
"So…" And Jiro leaned forward from the above seat. "What advice did you give to taserbrain?"
Ben nervously smiled.
"Welp…" He shook his head. "Honestly, there wasn't much to say."
His eyes followed as both fighters got on the stage. The intensity emanating from Todoroki was evident.
"I told him to not wait for any showbusiness… just fire."
Tennyson's hands gathered.
"Huh…" Jiro shrugged and leaned back to her seat. "Here's to hoping he listened."
"We saw his skills earlier, but let's see if they will save him this time! Here's the one with lighting to bring down the darkest of shadows! IT'S KAMINARI DENKI FROM THE HERO COURSE!"
Kaminari kept up a relaxed attitude… though he didn't wave towards the crowds this time.
To be real, that expression was the same as someone who knew they were dead.
"Yep, I'm the first one in for another Todoroki clinic." He thought, as the match between the fire and ice teen and that girl from 1-B played back in his head.
She could fly around which delayed that battle, a little. Him? He couldn't do that.
"Taking third in the first stage, only to almost get rung out in the second. However yet, our dear viewers, he didn't get into the hero course based on recommendations for nothing! IT'S TODOROKI SHOTO FROM THE HERO COURSE!"
From the benches, Yaoyorozu gathered her hands. "We shall see how he does, Tennyson. I don't believe it was right to underestimate him… Todoroki is still very formidable."
Kaminari, in the meantime, shook his head.
"Come on man, keep that morale high." He talked to himself, closing his eyes. "You… You have something that girl didn't have."
Tennyson had very clear instructions. Kaminari opened his eyes.
"Dig deep and do exactly as I did with Tokoyami. Discharge all I got before he can get one move in..."
His opponent could do exactly that as well.
"READY?!"
Kaminari raised his arms. Todoroki just stood there… with his face covered by his hair.
"BEGIN!"
Electricity thundered from out of Kaminari, as he opened his arms!
"Sorry Todoroki, but I wanna win this as much as everyone else!"
The sky felt like it split open.
"INDISCRIMINATE SHOCK! 1.7 MIL–!"
Todoroki raised his face… and before anything happened, Kaminari's blood ran cold.
"I apologize."
Unrivaled by anything that he did before, in festival or otherwise, Todoroki grinded his crampon-style shoes to the ground, and a wave of ice washed over him.
Suddenly the ground quaked!
Even from his protected commentary booth, Eraser Head was left flabbergasted as Present Mic's orange spectacles… fell from his face.
A sudden shadow cast down upon the heroes outside, patrolling the grounds. Only when they looked up did they understand why.
"Holy…" Death Arms uttered.
Mt. Lady had fallen on her ass, as Kamui Woods, the only one who could move among them, nodded. "Yeah…"
From the tournament grounds, with half of his body also frozen over, Todoroki let out a chilling breath, as fractals of ice dropped from the giant glacial mass.
Endeavor scoffed at the performance.
"Wow." Tennyson stared at the ice that had stopped right in his face. Yaoyorozu had her hand on her mouth, stunned.
He tilted his head to the left, and managed to still see the arena… and in the misty cloud, Todoroki's eyes were still on him. Ben opened his mouth, only to wind it shut–
"W-W-Wasn't th-hat a little… overkill?!" Kaminari's body was completely frigid, as he was in the iceberg itself.
And, caught in the crossfire herself with half her body in ice, Midnight asked as she shivered. "T-Tell the truth Kaminari, c-can you move?"
"H-HELL NO!" He answered. "Oww!"
Midnight raised her unfrozen hand. "Kaminari is immobilized! Todoroki advances to the second round!"
A female hero's voice came from the benches, and the crowd started to cheer in consolation. "Don't worry about it, shock boy!"
Kaminari wanted to shake his head at them… but couldn't.
The fire and ice teen, as his sights descended from the benches, saw what he had done and stepped forward.
"Sorry." Todoroki said and put his left hand on Kaminari's chest. "I went overboard."
The all so sweet relief of warmth came through.
Todoroki averted his eyes. "I was angry."
"And what I said then… was a mistake." Ben solemnly crossed his arms, and stated under his breath. However, the only response that came was Yaoyorozu standing up.
Unnerved, she went towards the prep rooms, early.
"You have seen right through us…" Kurogiri admitted, as Fistrick towered over them.
His yellow, misty eyes went down. "Perhaps it's true that your notoriety isn't unfounded."
Fistrick raised an eyebrow curiously. "Notoriety?"
"In the underworld." Kurogiri stated.
He spoke with what he picked up from his master… Luring the enemy into a false sense of security, through compliments and praises.
"The high caliber of your tech, and your fierce opposition to the knights. It hasn't gone unnoticed, Sergeant of Fortune, Fistrick."
Fistrick, in response, laughed. "Oh really?"
He was buying into it.
He turned to his crew. "Hear that boys? Smoke boy here says The Tinkerer has gone and done, made us famous."
"The Tinkerer?.." Kurogiri thought.
"Speaking of which boss…" Hooligan walked over to him. "He's asking for new parts again."
The henchmen passed along a note, which Fistrick grumpily took a look at.
He scoffed angrily. "Always with these weird-ass asks, that frog. He's still in the back?"
Hooligan nodded.
"Corvo!" Fistrick shouted, and the pint-size in question perked up. "Go tell the luxury-suite I'll see what I can do."
Corvo didn't need to hear it twice and exited his field of view. Shigaraki shook his head.
Mad Max wannabe's working with a frog of all things…
"Right." He grumbled. "Great to see such important matters we're assigned to."
Kurogiri, however, put two and two together. Both the advanced armor on the henchmen, the electromagnetic field which prevented his teleportation…
"I see…" he said. "You steal technology for the Forever Knights and then modify them."
"One freak makes it. And another freak improves it. I mass-produce it and sell it to the highest bidder." Fistrick said, crossing his arms and shrugging all problems away. "It's just good business bro, and it ain't about to stop anytime soon."
In the room designated as "Player Waiting Room 2", Yaoyorozu was confined to her thoughts.
There was some water, towels on some tables, but other than that the tables, desks, lockers, and the foldable chairs… It was similar to the room they initially waited in.
"Perhaps the rooms were repurposed." She thought, as her eyes traveled.
Opening her locker, she found her pink backpack and her tablet… but it did little in the way of helping.
Her mind just couldn't shake it, both what happened just now with Todoroki and… what happened during the break.
"How long has it been?" She asked.
"4 days or so." Tennyson answered. "That has been… such a hectic day."
He crossed his arms. "I mean, I almost lost Midoriya, I got ambushed twice in one day, and I got to meet two others, misguided but still fighting aliens like we are."
Pulling her pom pom's closer, Yaoyorozu closed in on herself. She couldn't… dare imagine what that would be like.
"I understand how stressful that must have been." She side-eyed him. "But… Tennyson, you haven't. Midoriya's here, with us, and…"
Tennyson nodded. "I know."
He got to his feet.
"And on the topic of some good news, my cousin told me today that Ingenium has managed to store their stash off-site." He clapped his hands. "Specifically, at the Highbreed ship at the abandoned mines."
She tilted her head. "Ingeni– Oh, right. He's… Magister Labrid's contact. My mistake."
Ben nodded, and she clasped her hands, looking at the ground. Yaoyorozu needed a second to process it all, and Tennyson stuck with her.
"I'm glad." She responded.
Tennyson crossed his arms. "Yeah, the info just came in while we made it to the tournament grounds."
Yaoyorozu nodded. "Thank you for sharing this."
"Well , I did say no more secrets." Tennyson shrugged. "Sorry about the delay."
Yaomomo… sighed.
Honestly, she could understand why he waited… but it still stung so much!
"For 12 hours Midoriya, our classmate, has been MIA and I… I was busy with schoolwork of all things!"
Definitely she didn't say schoolwork wasn't important. It was, but with this information, she felt like she could have been doing so much more during that time!
"At the very least Mr. Levin's plan was sound." A hand landed over her brows.
"If Tennyson hadn't thrown his fight against Mr. Armstrong, and he couldn't check-in with Ms. Wheels, a panic would have occurred."
And a panic, for people like them, could have been disastrous. In a situation such as that, they wouldn't have hesitated to hurt them… starting with Midoriya.
"Same scenario if they had simply avoided contact as well." Yaoyorozu thought. "The pressure of being outnumbered could have resulted in them sending Midoriya to this other dimension."
Her hands gathered. Luring them to a false sense of security and following them to their hideout would have been the best option, which was exactly what Mr. Levin had done.
She should have been grateful then. Everyone managed to get out okay. A-And… Ingenium was also a part of them! A Plumber! That's who Magister Labrid was talking about… but she wasn't.
"Perhaps I could intern with him." The briefest of thoughts occurred to her. Then maybe, just *maybe* he could help her.
Maybe the older sibling of Iida could finally make her like the others…
"Remarkable."
He looked up at the television in the top corner of the room and turned it on.
Present Mic's brazen tone instantly blasted into the room.
"Please welcome the fully equipped gadget dynamo! HATSUME MEI OF THE SUPPORT COURSE!"
The cameras showed off a confident teenager with pink dreadlock hair, and equipped all over in, what seemed to be, haphazardly prepared machinery.
Instantly, the television then cut to her opponent… An overwhelmed, and shy Tsunotori.
Yaomomo squinted. She could tell Tsunotori was so timid, that she was even trying to prevent her hooves clicking upon contacting with the ground–
"HEY PONY!"
The camera's changed direction to the stances, and there was Tokage… supporting her classmate?
Being held back by Shishida, she called down. "BEAT ALL THEIR ASSES IN PLACE OF ME!"
Her eyes then scrolled to the right. Yanagi, Komori, Kodai, Kendo and Shiozaki were also in support of her from the stands.
"Yeah, don't be nervous!" Kendo shouted. "Instead, give them something to be nervous of!"
Yaoyorozu's eyebrows went up.
"Something to be nervous of…" she thought to herself.
Pony, on the other hand, couldn't find the strength to respond verbally. So, she just nodded to them, smiling faintly.
"Versus!" Midnight cracked her whip, and finished Mic's introduction in his stead. "A hero of two turbo-powered horns, and a big heart! TSUNOTORI PONY OF THE HERO COURSE CLASS 1-B!"
Hatsume didn't reach for her gadgets, and just kept up a cheshire grin. Pony just took a deep breath.
"STUDENTS, READY?!"
"I will just levitate both horns and use them as skates." Pony thought. "No biggie."
Her horns were at the ready.
"BEGIN!"
Instantly, she did as she thought and zoomed towards her opponent. Pony smirked. She could finally find her balance on those things!
"Now, time for the offensive!" She thought before pointing and putting her hands next to her horns.
Hatsume was still relaxed.
"You might have refused to wear my support equipment, Tsunotori." She adjusted her microphone. "It was a remarkably smart move on your part."
She slipped on a brown and metallic glove with blue bolts. With one wave of her hand, the blue part ejected and a rod emerged from below, turning it into something akin to a small staff.
"However, my bag of tricks isn't done there!"
Pony fired a swarm of her horns forward!
The staff then countered, as an electric field sparked right between them!
"What?!" She skated back.
"Did you see that our dear viewers?!"
Present Mic tilted his head, as that was Hatsume's voice echoing over the arena and not his.
"A mic?" Pony thought.
Aizawa deadpanned. "She's wearing speakers?"
"YOUR EYES DO NOT DECEIVE YOU! THAT WAS THE PERFECT DEFENSE SYSTEM IN ACTION!" She raised the glove. "I call it: the Tesla Spikes!"
She grabbed two more of them as they ejected from the glove.
"One spike is effective, however as they say there is safety in numbers!"
As her hoverboots levitated her, she flew around, tossing more and more of them around Pony! Instantly she was encircled!
"Electricity flows between each spike through the ionized orbs on top of them, making it ideal to establish a perimeter that even stops bullets!"
Pony was surprised. If that was the case, then her horns had no chance of breaking through… and Hatsume didn't give her a chance either.
"And here's another invention that uses a similar principle!" She yelled out, holding a two-piece black and green weapon, connected by tubes and more orbs attached to the front of it. "It's my Mag-Net Launcher!"
The orbs launched forward, weaved into an electric net, but Pony dodged back, almost hitting the electric field of the spikes.
"Sorry Hatsume…" Pony said. "But I think I'm about to make you look bad!"
The horse girl of 1-B then took the battle further into the skies, and rained horns from above!
"That's fine!" Hatsume said, as she continued to dodge around with her own hoverboots. "Especially with the evasive action from my very own hoverboots, dubbed the Torren High-tops!"
Pony gritted her teeth. She took one hand off her head and curved one of the horns!
"And should trouble ever try to strike me…" Hatsume said. "What I have here for you is the latest revolution in rocket-propelled incendiary devices! The Negotiator!"
The 1-A section of the audience gasped.
Ben got to his feet. "Wait! Hatsume!"
He remembered that black rocket launcher. Was Hatsume really crazy enough to use it on Pony?!
"With this, all your problems will be solved in 2 easy steps: Point and Shoot!"
She put her eye close to the sight and zoomed in with her quirk.
"Just aim the weapon at whoever is giving you grief and…"
A rocket launched forward!
Pony raised her hands!
But the rocket split mid-air, covering the fighter from 1-B with foam instead.
Hatsume gleefully smiled. "The explosive on the inside releases a high-density polyurethane foam to engulf and incapacitate targets."
She lowered the rocket-launcher.
"Of course, I won't build any weapons that would be un-herolike!"
As soon as she said that, she used her quirk to get a zoomed in look at the support company officials.
"Oh, they're biting!" She clenched her fist. "I got them right where I want em–!"
Pony released more of her horns, angling them, and making them stab into the hardened foam, breaking it!
She maneuvered back around, right on the collision course with her opponent.
"Hmph!" She pouted. "I'm not out of the battle yet!"
Hatsume's light grin was still there though. "I was hoping that you wouldn't! Time for the piece de resistance!"
Pony gritted her teeth. What was it now?
Hatsume had her hands assembled behind her back… only for one red dot to land on her chest.
Her blue eyes looked up, as Pony saw a small, dark-gray and green robot. It seemed to be hunched over, had no legs, a booster that allowed him to fly on his back, a laser gun for one arm, and most definingly a large menacing metal skull for a face.
"BEHOLD!" Hatsume said. "The perfect companion for spontaneous treks through hostile environments!" Hatsume said. "Mr. Zurkon!"
Feeling its blue eyes scanning her, Pony tried to be on guard, not attacking. After everything she had seen Hatsume do, she wouldn't exactly be surprised if this green bot lunged on her, wrapped its arms around and exploded itself.
"Kind of like another anime character I know." She remarked, shaking her head. "Yamcha… one day someone will treat you better–!"
"If any villains come out the woodwork, hungry for some justice, just deploy your Mr. Zurkon and he'll target any hostile entity!" Hatsume snapped her out with her voice booming out from her speakers… and just then the robot directed its blaster arm to Pony!
"Yoo hoo!" It said. "Mr. Zurkon is looking to kill you."
"Kill?!" Everyone in the audience deadpanned.
"I know!" Hatsume swooningly assembled her hands. "Ain't he eloquent?"
She cocked The Negotiator, as she wore the Tesla Glove on her other hand. "Mr. Zurkon. As with everything else, it is the invention of Hatsume Mei herself! Muahahahahahahahah!"
From the crowd, Jiro leaned forward next to Tennyson. "Didn't that sound… a little evil?"
They watched as Pony, with a frantic expression, flew past them with the mechanical psychopath in pursuit.
"Mr. Zurkon conducts a symphony of pain!"
Ben shook his head. "Pretty sure I had at least 4 villains with that laughter…" he said under his breath.
"What's that?" Jiro asked.
"N-Nothin!"
Yaoyorozu assembled her hands.
There was little doubt the ingenuity of these devices were making a mark in the zeitgeist of these people… as had the quirks of Todoroki and Shinso.
"It's up to me to be able to replicate it." She thought.
As a sick feeling grew in her stomach, a fire still flickered inside her pupil. Her gaze crossed her tablet's background.
Wistfully her eyes locked on that.
"In every hero team, each member has gotten to prove themselves one way or another…"
She put the tablet back on the table. "... This! This is where I will make my start."
"WITHOUT HELP!"
Yelling on the inside, Shigaraki furiously started itching the side of his neck. Why would Sensei let them be thrown here?!
These… pests were still smiling about, in front of him, and HE… w-was getting SICK of it! If only he could–!
One of his eyes caught a yellow spark.
Behind everyone in the building, jumping around in sparks, there was the small battery creature he freed!
*BZZ! BZZ! BZZZZZZZZZZ!*
It seethed towards the boss and his men. With a flicker, its hands lit up.
Pony flew all over the arena.
"FLEE BEFORE MR. ZURKON!" The turbo-powered robot that was chasing after her shouted. "Correction: Fleeing will not prevent the pain!"
He shot after her, and like that wasn't enough, Hatsume was still firing her foam launcher, The Negotiator!
"Come on Pony!" She taunted. "Don't you think we showed enough of the targeting system?!"
Pony gritted her teeth.
"Fine!" She steamed. The little girl had enough!
Her direction quickly turned to the skies. New horns shot from her head, and she grabbed onto them to pull herself up!
"Yoo-hoo, quirked human! Your horns are stupid!"
Of course, the terminator with the premature voice box and quips was after her. She felt one laser hit her back, making her backside completely numb.
"Woah–!" Her grip loosened for a second. "No no Pony! Hold it together!"
She took a deep breath, before looking down. The robot was still following her.
"What is she doing?" Kirishima asked as he had returned from the infirmary.
"What do you think, 1-A?!" Monoma shouted. "Of course, our Tsunotori has guts! She will not fall short of your battle's ends!"
Pony smirked, as she stopped having the horns propel her up.
Seeing her opponent falling with both horns held backwards like daggers mid-air, Hatsume zoomed in only to have her own face become overshadowed by worry!
"Improvised attack!" She shouted. "Lightning Horn!"
With falling from that distance, the horns stabbed right into Mr. Zurkon's shoulders. The robot started to instantly malfunction and trip out!
The blue eyes started to flash, as the rocket behind him wavered…
"Mr. Zurkon…" *BZZT* "does NOT…" *BZZT* "...come in peace…"
The blue eyes of the bot completely turned off. Pony launched new horns under her feet, as she skated down, with the robot exploding behind her.
Hatsume raised one hand. "My baby–!"
"Don't worry about him now!"
Pony, without slowing down, was coming right at the pink haired girl. "Because you're next!"
"Ahhhhhhhh!" Hatsume launched a rocket forward, with the foam instantly ejecting, but Pony was expecting that. She launched a bunch of horns into it, preventing it from splashing onto her.
"No!" Hatsume pulled the trigger again, but… only the noise of the trigger came through.
Hatsume looked at the side of the device. 0 out of 8.
"Out of ammo?!"
Pony's grin only became wider.
"Now!" She jumped off the horns she was skating on, and shoulder tackled the support girl right off!
"Hatsume has been knocked outside the arena!" Midnight cracked her whip. "The winner of this match, sport fans, is Tsunotori Pony!"
The flashes from cameras and the cheering instantly erupted, as Pony got to her feet from the tackle. She was, in a word, exhilarated.
"Dang, Hatsume went down hard!" Present Mic pitched in. "That was quite the nail-biter if I've ever seen one!"
"Just goes to show." Eraser Head stated. "Support items, however well-made, cannot replace diligent training with one's quirk."
Present Mic made a thumbs up. "Nice commentary!"
Pony reluctantly accepted the praises… before seeing Hatsume, who had eaten dirt thanks to her, get up.
"Here." She extended a hand and helped the melancholic mechanic girl get to her feet. "Are we cool? "
Hatsume… leaned her torso to the right like a metronome and zoomed in with her vision on the support company representatives.
And, even with her loss, they still seemed really interested! Oh man, this was still so exciting!
"Yep! " Hatsume, still beamingly responded and got to her feet. "Cool as ice!"
The two shook hands… as Yaoyorozu gathered her own.
That was it. The fourth round concluded.
She looked up to the television screen again. Round 5: Yaoyorozu Momo vs Itsuka Kendo.
She took a deep breath. "I–"
"Yaoyorozu! " Her door slammed open by Midnight. "Yaomomo dear, you're up in 5 minutes. "
She… nodded slowly, as that had startled her.
"I will be out in just a moment."
Midnight seemed to have found the answer satisfactory, as she left. Yaoyorozu took that breath again.
"I cannot afford to underestimate Kendo." Momo finished that thought. "She was someone whom Tennyson recruited for the cavalry battle."
That meant he had faith in her to get her through. On top of that…
"Kendo is the class president of our sister class, 1-B." She thought.
"During the weekend meetings, where they discussed what kind of matters should be brought before the principal, Kendo proved herself to be an active speaker there, and… especially an active speaker that was listened to.
"A lot of people have faith in her." That thought weighed. It really started sinking like a rock to her consciousness.
A hand of hers reached for her tablet, but it just as quickly pushed it away.
"No, I'm ready." Momo looked at the bracket again.
Round 1: Izuku Midoriya VS Eijiro Kirishima
Round 2: Hitoshi Shinso VS Ibara Shiozaki
Round 3: Shoto Todoroki VS Denki Kaminari
Round 4: Mei Hatsume VS Tsunotori Pony
Round 5: Momo Yaoyorozu VS Itsuka Kendo
Round 6: Tenya Iida VS Kyoka Jiro
Round 7: Mina Ashido VS Ben Tennyson
Round 8: Katsuki Bakugo VS Ochako Uraraka
"If I play my cards right… we could face off against each other in the semi-finals."
The anticipation filled up Yaomomo as she got to her feet. This battle would only be the first obstacle.
"Okay, let's move on, next up…" Present Mic read off the matchups next to him. "Ohhhhhhhhh, looks like the sixth match is also a clash of classes! And presidents at that! "
Both fighters stepped to the ring.
"All purpose creation! We've seen her blitz through the preliminaries, but who knows what kind of aces she has yet to play? HERE COMES THE CREATION QUEEN! YAOYOROZU MOMO!"
With a lot more confidence and diligence, Yaoyorozu bowed her head. "It is an honor to be fighting you, Kendo."
"Likewise." Kendo responded in kind. "I've been really looking forward to this as well actually."
"VERSUS!"
"The leader of the cavalry battle's number 1 team! HERE COMES THE HANDS-ON BATTLE REGENT, KENDO ITSUKA!"
With a hand behind her head, Kendo sheepishly responded. "I think that's a little overblown… "
However, Present Mic really couldn't care.
"Here are two shining examples of both classes!"
"Yaoyorozu calmed her nerves again. This was just the first step!
Both fighters get into their stances. Yaoyorozu instantly recognized the ninjitsu style!
"Let's see how they handle one another! BEGIN!"
Instantly, Yaomomo created a spear as Kendo rushed in.
Spinning it, it immediately clashed with Kendo's fist… as elsewhere, an electric shock fired off.
"BZZ!… BUZZ… ZAP!" The battery discharged right towards Hoodlum's repulsors!
"Hey!"
The two clashing beams disrupted the bubble, and Shigaraki and Kurogiri burst out!
"Wha–?!"
The pair of villains landed on their feet.
Shigaraki cracked his knuckles. "Now that the shoe is on the other foot…"
Fistrick clenched his fists, gesturing to Hooligan.
"What are you waiting for bro?! Box em!"
"Y-You got it, boss man!" He raised his blasters and shot forward, but Kurogiri was a little quicker on the trigger!
The beam went through a portal and went to the 'boss' instead!
Fistrick dodged out of the way.
He looked at his new enemies, playfully arrogant. "Oh, you just made a big mistake, bro."
Kurogiri wasn't phased.
"This realm is now under my supervision, Shigaraki." he stated.
"Good." he said, as he eyed both Hoodlum and Hooligan.
"Leave one to me."
"Understood!"
Without another moment of respite, a portal opened under Hooligan–!
"Bro!"
However, Hoodlum had to worry about himself, as Shigaraki was his opponent!
Fistrick on the other hand, ran back and started typing on the panel.
This would be their second mistake. Ignoring him.
"Time to make some noise."
Another hatch on the ground let out some steam and started to open. Fistrick looked up to the panel.
Kurogiri opened a portal over his own chest!
"Ow!" Hooligan's hand went through it and hit one of the devices on the shelves. "Shifty little–!"
Hooligan swung again, but Kurogiri warped himself out of the way. The mercenary ended up punching some scrap of a device so hard… that the hand of his armor broke.
"Good way to break your hand, I suppose." Kurogiri emerged from another one of his portals.
"Dude…" Hooligan looked at his hand. "That's some quirk."
Kurogiri dismissed him.
"Still!…" Hooligan rallied himself up. "TOO BAD FOR YOU BRAH! MAMA DIDN'T RAISE NO QUITTER!"
Hooligan swung again, but Kurogiri warped himself out of the way.
He then quickly emerged again and sent a bunch of portals all around Hooligan before vanishing again!
Hooligan, with his facepaint kept his eyes open–
A kick emerged connected with his face!
"Ah–!"
Then a punch emerged and socked him in the gut. Then another kick to his back. After that another right roundhouse!
Hooligan reeled back cautiously before two arms and a foot emerged from three portals, hitting him at the same time!
The crook fell on one knee.
"Come on man…" He thought. "Use that cranny a little– Got it!"
With his functioning hand, he pressed a button and all of a sudden Kurogiri was yanked right out of one portal!
"Hey–!" He found himself continuing to be pulled by the neck.
"You like it, brah?! How do you like that?!" Hooligan said.
Some of the smoke unraveled, revealing the metal neck protector.
"Yeah, b***h! Magnets! Ohh!" Hooligan was ecstatic. "We saw that when you came in!"
Hooligan sighed in pride. "Knew installing this wasn't a bad idea–"
Another portal opened… and Kurogiri let his upper torso go through.
"What the hell..?!"
When Kurogiri returned, the neck protector was no longer there. He had taken it off!
"I am Kurogiri." He fixed his tie, and several small portal's opened… on some of the chains that hung tech on the roof. "The one who protects Tomura Shigaraki."
The portals closed, severing several chains… and having the devices fall.
Hooligan tried to protect himself, but the busted tech could do very little.
He was knocked out and… Kurogiri's yellow eyes twitched.
However, just then, the most interesting thing then happened. onto Hooligan.
With electricity crackling from the suit, the yellow pod containing the small battery creature ejected, and broke in half.
As the powering down noise reached his ears, the protector's yellow eyes enlarged.
"Young Master!" Kurogiri called out, and Shigaraki who was tangoing with Hoodlum instantly noticed.
"I heard." He gestured, as Hoodlum just threw another punch.
However, right when he got ready to block, the orange high-tech fist phased through a purple portal.
"Huh?!" The man grunted, noticing Kurogiri's interference, before Shigaraki reached to his shoulder… and grabbed one canister. It decayed in a matter of seconds, and the little battery was released!
Smoke started coming out of the upper suit. Even when it seemed to waver for power, Hooligan palmed his fist.
"Oh! Now you're gonna pay for–"
Electricity shot out of the arm, and the arm deactivated!
It clunked onto the ground, and no matter how much Hoodlum tried to raise it up through pure muscle, he had no luck against the weight of alien metal.
"Hey, the battery got ou–"
Shigaraki grabbed his face. "I believe you have more pressing concerns…"
"BRO!" Fistrick cried out. Hooligan's eyes were twitching in fear.
"Or rather had."
Firmly pressing all five of his fingers on his skull, everyone watched… as the muscular guy decayed, and the high tech armor dropped to the ground.
Fistrick's heart… In that moment, an untold rage filled him.
"HA!" He punched the controls, and the hatch opened.
Shigaraki dusted off his hand and noticed the boss jump inside.
"Kurogiri." He coldly stated, wanting the boss to be warped to his feet. But no such thing happened.
Shigaraki turned and saw Kurogiri still looking down at where he dusted the guy. His head was somewhere else, his smoke twitching… when he was giving him an order!
"Kurogiri!" Shigaraki called out.
Kurogiri snapped out of it. "My apologies–!" He could say, before a giant orange mech emerged!
It was a giant orange and silver mech, double both of their sizes along with claws as hands and tank tracks as feet. With steam emerging from the joints, both villains took one step back in caution.
They saw Fistrick sitting on an exposed cockpit in the mech's stomach, both hands on the controls and seatbelt firmly worn.
"You asked why we needed the tech!" Fistrick called out. "Not the Nosedeenians!"
The hull closed, as the top part also lowered to cover him. His claws were made into fists, and electricity crackled as a ear-screeching pained squealing overtook the warehouse.
Inside, the panels showed the systems of the suit whirring up!
"Now… let's take this baby for a test drive!"
However, right when his hands grabbed the controls, a call came into his suit.
In the form of a silhouette with a T-shaped head, with bulbous eyes on the side and a lower chin, the figure spoke.
"That would be ill-advised." He said.
Fistrick dismissed him in his anger.
"Oh, yeah, The Tinkerer." Fistrick mumbled as he took the time to check the display. "What's up, man?"
The figure in question raised an eyebrow.
"What is up, 'man' is that I suggest you stop what you're doing as of this moment." The Tinkerer said. "I'm aware you're not as smart as I to see it, however the Class 12 Armored Mecha Suit you have requested as payment is not ready for deployment."
"Sorry chief, we're gonna have to skip those spinning rims." Fistrick ignored him, and kept messing with switches. "I need this now."
The Tinkerer's silhouette grew in size, approaching the camera. "Now listen to me human, my concerns are of charitable admonitions."
He assembled his hands behind himself.
"Your domicile is of great convenience, as well as our deal however… as of now in my process, not indispensable."
Fistrick stayed silent.
The Tinkerer got even more frustrated. "Heed my astute intellect, you–!"
"If you mention how smart you are again bro, I'll–! Grrrah!" Fistrick waved his hand. "I'M dealing with this! AND THAT'S FINAL, BRO!"
He turned off the call and grabbed the controls again. The display then showed the two villains.
Shigaraki tried a quick approach, but as soon as he did, the mech lit up in a yellow bubble, shocking his hand.
"Ahh–!"
Kurogiri's curious sights were on him.
"It's shielded." Shigaraki said. "Almost like–"
In that moment, two of the battery creatures landed next to the villain's feet.
*Bzzt! Buzz! Buzz!*
Shigaraki narrowed his eyes. "Almost like their shocks."
Kurogiri's smoke erupted, but just as quickly settled back down.
"I can't open a portal to the inside." He stated, as Fistrick's mecha took a step towards them!
Fistrick smirked. "Looks like I'm getting my workout after all."
Yaoyorozu was blown back with an elbow to her face!
Back in the tournament, their fight had just been entering its tenth minute. And the creation girl, had a difficult time gathering her breath.
"I expected this to be incomparable to my training sessions." she thought, as her eyes also surveyed her red, grazed and burning forearms. "However, this is even beyond that."
Meanwhile, Kendo was also bruised but nowhere near as much as her, and this president of 1-B didn't seem to be breathing as heavily.
"She's similar to Ojiro. A master of this craft as well." Yaoyorozu assessed the situation, only for an idea to spark in her head.
A very reckless plan.
Her hand clenched over the shield. "I have to try." Yaomomo amped herself up.
Thinking of Master Hamato and all her memories with him, she rushed in with the kusarigama first!
"I have to make him proud!"
Master Hamato, back at his home and next to his wife, crossed his arms.
Still watching the tournament, a hand descended over his brows. He should be excited. After all, it was his pupil out there, putting all she seemed to absorb against this trial.
However, instead of pride, he felt discontent.
Because the student that stayed after everyone else, the student that showed up to her sessions with new bruises, THE STUDENT who indulged herself in reading more scrolls in his archive out of anyone else… wasn't utilizing the endless toolkit that was her body… and was just throwing herself at her opponent.
And her opponent, was gladly meeting the challenge with confidence.
"Oh brother…" Master Hamato thought outloud–
A slim, tall and brawny man with brown hair, black eyes and donning the same gi as him, entered the room without warning!
"What do you want, Yoshi?" he asked.
"Not you, Saki!" Master Hamato shouted, still very much invested in the events.
"Yaoyorozu…"
Capturing one hand using the chain, Yaoyorozu opened her other hand, and landed several body blows!
And with her tied down, she prevented any chance of Kendo getting further away!
But Kendo's response to this, became fierce.
She shoved the creation hero first, getting the chain off, right before sweeping her leg with such ferocity that she revolved in the air!
"Heh…" Kendo smirked, as she riled back one hand for an uppercut.
However, even with her world literally spinning, Yaoyorozu wasn't helpless. She could catch a glimpse of her opponent's moves, and in response… instead of protecting her head, she protected her stomach instead!
*BAM!*
The hand enlarged and slammed right into the shield at full force like she predicted!
Yaomomo couldn't help but fall far back.
"Pretty good." Kendo rubbed her chin. "A little haphazard, but very good Yaomomo!"
Yaoyorozu was breathing heavily with the spear at hand. She brought up her shield. The steel was a little bent, but still usable.
That focus on the blows however…
"The size of your fists, and your strength… They are amplified due to your quirk, 1-B's class president Kendo–"
Kendo raised her hands. "Oh! Please don't use that full title. Just Kendo is fine."
Yaomomo nodded.
"Kendo." She said. "Like I said, your quirk allows your fists to be enlarged and your strength to amplify proportionally to your body."
The creation girl straightened up.
"However, the extreme expansion in your fists causes major drag, something which you are not able to compensate for. Though it provides an edge in power, it conversely reduces your speed and mobility, and hence you are resorting to only utilizing it in the instance in which you will land any blows."
Kendo crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. Actually, I would say that's the gist–"
"There is more there, isn't it?" Yaomomo's eyebrows crossed.
Still holding her staff, she rubbed her sore forearm.
"At base size, our strength is about even… however you've found a way to amplify that as well, haven't you? Or use it more efficiently, rather."
Kendo's eyebrows went up.
"Up until you strike, there is complete freedom in you from tension. You remain completely relaxed in both body and mind, even in the heat of battle."
Yaomomo looked up to Tennyson. "You have tried to hide it as confidence and a little aloofness, similar to what others have displayed today…"
Ben smirked. He was so intrigued now. With an unshakable grin he found himself leaning forward, just like Midoriya.
"An attack that arises with no emotional strain is both difficult to predict, immensely tricky to get around, and like it wasn't enough, conserves stamina." Yaoyorozu dropped the spear, and created a kusarigama.
"And you have managed to teach yourself to do this instinctively. Am I right?!"
Kendo tilted her head. She was never expecting to be found out like that.
"You analyzed that AND fought me?" She surprisedly asked. "Dang, then Tennyson really wasn't exaggerating you, was he?"
It was Yaomomo's turn to be surprised. "He told you about me?"
Kendo shook her head up and do–
"Oh, wait, not during the tournament stuff." She clarified. "It was during the Cavalry Battle."
Kendo felt free to give the both of them a second's respite. "He didn't tell me what you did… but I could pick it up." She snapped her fingers in her opponent's direction. "You're in his radar."
Yaoyorozu, in response, felt relief fill her inside. This… This recognition…
It felt right.
"As for what you said… Well, everyone has their teachers." The orange girl responded, before changing her stance, and speaking under her breath. "They might not all be Master Hamato Yoshi."
Yaomomo's eyebrows went up! How did SHE know that name?
She brought her shield closer.
Kendo bent her knees slightly, extending her left leg while her hands were raised and facing the ground. Her right arm raised, with the forearm even being higher than her head, and her claw-like hand facing the outside. Her left hand however was lower, extended forward but still leveling around her chest, and made into a fist.
"But I can definitely say, they come with their own pools of wisdom."
She faintly recognized the stance. It was kung fu.
But more importantly, rather than the impact from fists, it utilized more clawing, ripping… shredding and grasping attacks as well as extensive footwork.
Yaomomo then made eye-contact with Kendo, and her head cleared up of questions. She had to remember.
"Kendo's strikes were already more precise, due to years of honing her craft in martial arts. She may have willingly started the fight with ninjutsu, however it's apparent her expertise has naturally branched out." Yaomomo looked down at the chain and sickle in her right hand as her left arm still held the shield.
It was shaky, even though Yaomomo knew she had to stand firm. "I have to respond in kind."
Yaoyorozu rushed in first! "I have to be able to do the same!"
She threw the weight of the chain.
Kendo avoided.
"Bring it back around." Yaomomo thought. "Keep her focus spli–!"
A left backhanded jab landed on the shield, only to be followed up by a swipe from the side!
Yaoyorozu parried using the sickle, and spun around to land a shin kick.
Kendo reeled back. The rich girl didn't let her go.
She followed it up with a backhanded punch, a forward reaching kick, and then a jumping upside kick!
Kendo had blocked with her palms open, getting up from crouching and still being pushed back–
Yaomomo didn't retreat. Kendo then found the Kusarigama's chain swing and wrapped around her blocking stance!
"Now, for the finisher… " Yaoyorozu held the sickle with both hands and pulled with all her might.
Kendo, foregoing resistance, let go and let Yaoyorozu spin her around.
With fire in her eyes, the creation queen then loudly declared!
"Dragon thro–! "
"Big Fist!"
Kendo's fists enlarged, and it instantly threw off Yaomomo's balance.
"Like I'd let it be over that easily Yaoyorozu!"
"Let's go Kendo! " Tetsutetsu cheered for her.
The orange haired girl then grabbed the chain. In an instant the creation girl was pulled towards her!
"How?!"
Becoming untied, Kendo riled back an open palm strike.
"Yaomomo's eyes narrowed. "Not the time to ponder that."
She raised her arms, and barely blocked using the shield.
A little bit stronger though or a little later, and that… would have been a ring out.
Yaoyorozu reeled herself back up.
"Stay vigilant Momo, watch for the approach." She thought to herself, shield still at hand. Her opponent was clearly held up only for a second. Yaomomo's eyes landed on the weight of the chain.
"Let's hope she assumes I'm done…"
Kendo got back to running.
"Now!"
She pulled the chain back. But Kendo jumped over it!
"Dive kick!"
Yaomomo slid under that, dropping the shield. Flipping around, their forearms clashed!
Kendo was grinning. "In a hand to hand combat, you won't outpace me Yaoyorozu!"
"HA!"
Yaomomo stepped on the shield, letting it launch up and buckle to her arm again.
"Not going to save you!" Kendo warned.
Jumping up, Yaomomo responded with a downward punch.
Kendo retreated with a backflip, and then dashed forward with a palm strike.
Yaomomo tried to bring the sickle in front of her, ready to deflect. However, Kendo grew her hand, forcefully having it slam against the shield!
Yaomomo found herself off her feet, but Kendo wasn't done!
Combing behind the enlarged fist, was another body blow.
"Time to finish the match, here and now!"
Sweeping her legs once again, Kendo launched both of them into the air with two high kicks, one which landed on her chin.
"Gale claws!"
Spinning around mid-air, rapidly landing multiple claw strikes, Kendo pummelled Yaomomo to the ground.
From the audience, Jiro clenched her hand. "Yaomomo…"
Tennyson was in the same boat. Things were not looking up for their classmate.
Kendo took her stance again. "Sorry again."
Holding onto another spear that she just created, Yaomomo had barely gotten to her feet.
"But I can't give you more time to think!"
Kendo offensively charged forward, first going for a sliding kick. Yaomomo jumped, letting the spear in the ground block for her, and give her something to hold onto as she landed a downward angled kick!
However, Kendo wasn't deterred. And that scared Yaomomo.
She created a second shield, only to have it be battered by a brutal barrage of attacks, and knife hand jabs!
They were clawing and ripping motions, just like she thought… but also precise! The steel was wearing rapidly.
"Open up that guard!"
Grabbing the edges of the shields, Kendo landed a cross shaped swing.
"To finish it!"
With both hands gathering together, she enlarged them and landed a double palm strike!
"Ugh–!"
The first shield shattered with the strike, with pieces flying all over the arena, and the second one had also dented inwards.
However…
"I…" Yaomomo breathed heavily. "I… managed to withstand it…"
With one look, it was also apparent that the strike left Kendo's hands extremely battered… and left her with no energy.
Yaomomo tossed the second shield, and made a staff!
"Now, if I could–"
"Yaoyorozu!"
Midnight's whip cut through her focus like a knife. She turned her head.
"You're out!"
Her breath hitched, as her normally sharper eyes desperately widened, and turned to the ground.
Where she landed, BOTH of her feet were completely outside of the white line of the arena. It was a complete ring out!
"Kendo advances to the next round!"
The girl in question fell to her knees, but then looked up to her class, and raised a fist!
Tetsutetsu and the girls cheered loudly, sticking out from the usual crowd.
And Yaoyorozu looked up too. She could see her own class cheer in consolation as well, but… it was all falling on deaf ears.
There was only this high-pitched ringing sound.
"No…" She muttered. The glimmer in her eyes was wavering.
This… wasn't how it was supposed to go.
And that's it! What did you think?
The original plan was to try and cover ALL 8 of the first matches, but, even though I had different kinds of ideas for each match, it became a very busy and crowded chapter real fast, so I just cut it here.
(Especially since I hit page 50 on the drive document.)
By the way, for Fistrick's minions, one of them was named "Hoodlum" on Ben 10 wiki so i just named the other "Hooligan".
(Also, I don't endorse any of the shitposts that the editor commits to on Twitter/X)
In either case, like I said above, the next chapter will hopefully be out in 3 weeks.
Until then, have a great day and I'll see you on the next one!
