Tsu steered the Rainy Season toward the smugglers' location. This could get tough, but she knew her colleagues. They were more than capable.
Nejire may be a bit airheaded, but she wasn't dumb, and she wasn't one of the Big Three for nothing. Beneath that bubbly demeanor was a talented and determined hero who never gave up. Ochako was newer, but Tsu had worked with her enough to know that on the job she was determined, dependable, and utterly without fear.
Them, combined with Tsu and the Oki Mariner, would be more than enough to bring these villains down.
Tsu saw the enemy ship in the distance. She gunned the engine and said into her com, "I see them. Moving in."
She heard sounds of a struggle over the com. Selkie said, "I've engaged!"
"Copy," said Tsu, gripping the wheel. She turned her head and said, "Nejire-chan, go!"
"You got it Froppy!" Nejire said, taking into the air.
Tsu maneuvered the Rainy Season a few hundred meters from the smugglers' boat and dropped anchor. Ochako ran to the harpoon gun and hopped on the end of it. Tsu ran over and took aim, firing the harpoon over the villains' bow with Ochako still on it.
Once Ochako had hopped off, Tsu reeled in the harpoon and dove into the water. She swam to their ship and hopped on. Tsu climbed to the deck like a tree frog, using her quirk to camouflage herself, then quickly analyzed the battle.
On the stern, Nejire was fighting against one of the heavy hitters, who's wrists could flip upward to reveal cannons. Nejire avoided or deflected his shots while sending back several of her own. Selkie was in the cabin, fighting several villains with his bare hands, punching them across the room without issue.
On the bow, Ochako was fighting a villain in a black body suit and mask who could vomit thick balls of slime to trap his opponents, and a female with goggles and exposed arms who, judging by the dent in a nearby wall, could punch hard enough to dent steel. Judging by their attack pattern, they were trying to trap Ochako with the slime balls so the one with the super-strength could finish her off.
Ochako didn't look worried, but then again, she never did. Tsu crept toward fight unseen. The one with the strength quirk waited at the edge of the deck, cracking her knuckles as she watched Ochako duck and weave around slime wads, waiting for her to make a mistake.
Tsu leapt in and slammed her heel into the strength villain's head. She flew through the air and hit the ground unconscious. Strength users were statistically more durable, so Tsu hadn't pulled that kick like usual. She wouldn't be getting up any time soon.
The slime-spitting villain whirled around to see what attacked his partner. Tsu went camouflaged again. His eyes swept the deck, searching. Tsu crept toward him, readying another attack.
The villain's gaze passed over her location before snapping back. His eyes narrowed. He'd seen her. The villain spat a glob of slime at Tsu. She leaped away, the glob splattering where she'd just been.
The villain fired more slime balls at Tsu. Tsu dropped her camouflage and hopped around the deck, avoiding globs of the villain's viscous vomit.
While the villain was distracted, Ochako ran in and kicked him in the back of the leg before slamming her wrist gauntlet into his temple. The villain howled with pain, but before Ochako could land another hit, he elbowed her in the chest.
Ochako staggered. The villain spun and tried to punch her, but Ochako ducked just in time. Tsu leaped in and kicked him in the back.
The villain flew into the guardrails and slumped to the ground.
Ochako walked over, reaching into her belt. She got out some capture tape to bind him, but just as she got close, the villain's eyes shot open. The villain slammed his foot into Ochako's stomach, sending her backward.
The villain spat his slime balls at Ochako. Ochako used her quirk on herself to jump away before cancelling it and falling into the water.
Tsu ran to the villain and aimed a high kick at his head. He leaned backward, barely avoiding it, and threw a punch at her face. Tsu ducked it, landed a light punch to his stomach before swinging another kick at his chest.
The villain tried catch her leg, but it wasn't enough to stop her kick from slamming him in the stomach. The villain fell to his knees, the wind knocked out of him. Tsu was about to kick him again, but the villain fired a slime ball ball at her face. She staggered back. The villain got up and punched Tsu in the face.
Tsu fell back, pain exploding from her forehead. She looked up and saw the villain arching his head back to vomit another glob at her. Tsu lashed out with her tongue, hitting him in the cheek and redirecting his blast so it landed to Tsu's left.
Tsu hopped away as the villain fired another slime ball at her at her. As she did, she noticed a familiar grappling hook on the railing.
She dodged several more hits before the villain charged at her, obviously deciding his chances were better in hand to hand.
Tsu dodged the first couple punches and hit him with one of her own, but it was only a glancing blow. Shortly after, the villain's fist sank into Tsu's stomach. Tsu gasped as the air was forced from her lungs.
Before the villain could do anything else, Ochako leapt at him from behind. The villain noticed and sidestepped her attack. He hit her with an uppercut before turning and elbowing Tsu, then hitting Ochako, then attacking Tsu, going back and forth between them.
Tsu knocked him off balance with a kick to the knee, followed by Ochako punched him in the face, followed again by Tsu kicking him across the deck.
Much as Tsu hated to admit it, this guy was good.
Tsu was about to leap at him, but he vomited a glob at Tsu's ankle, trapping it. He was about to launch another wad of slime at her, but had to duck as a rain of debris fell onto the deck from Nejire's fight.
Tsu covered her head as several pieces of wood and metal landed around her. Seeing that the villain was distracted, Ochako charged at him and fired a grappling line at his face. The villain grabbed it, but Ochako's distraction let Tsu grab his ankle with her tongue.
Ochako leaped up, grabbed the villain's head with her legs, then pulled him down using her body weight, aided by a well-timed pull from Tsu
Ochako got to her feet and slapped the villain, making him float. Before she could tie him up, the villain squirmed out of her grasp and fired several more mucus wads. Ochako sidestepped them, but Tsu saw the other villain starting to stir.
"Froppy!" Ochako said, "Remember that special move we did together?" Ochako smirked.
"I sure do Uravity! Ribbit," Tsu said. Ochako touched various pieces of debris, making them float. Tsu swung back her tongue.
Ochako got her hands ready to release. "Meteor-"
"-Fafrotskies!" said Tsu, slamming the debris at the villain. He was pelted by various chunks of wood and metal. Ochako released him in time for the villain to fall into the guardrail and hit the deck. Ochako wrapped capture tape around his wrists and gagged his mouth. He was beaten.
As Ochako walked toward Tsu, she saw movement behind Ochako.
Tsu's tongue lashed out and grabbed Ochako, pulling her forward just in time to avoid the fist aimed at her head.
The strength villain had woken up. The villain lunged at Ochako, trying to punch her with her powerful arms. Ochako hurried back, pressing her back against the cabin. Ochako ducked as the villainess punched clean through the metal wall, hurrying away as the villain pulled her arm out.
The villain continued to attack, but Ochako continued to dodge. Despite the constant threat of death, Ochako's expression never showed anything but calm focus.
One good hit and Ochako would be dead. Tsu needed to intervene, but her leg was still trapped. If her attack didn't bring the villain down, she would be completely exposed. She needed make her move count.
She glanced down at the debris. Barring a pair of goggles, the villain's face was exposed. An idea forming, Tsu rolled up her sleeve.
Moments later, the villain almost had Ochako cornered at the edge of the bow. She cracked her knuckles. "Say goodbye Hero."
Using her tongue, Tsu swung a piece of wood at the villain. The plank hit the villain in the side of the face. She turned to Tsu and grinned.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" said Tsu.
"And what?" the villain said cracking her knuckles. "Tell me frog girl, what was your plan? Hope that once I've killed you your friend can-"
Ochako tried to hit her with her palm, but the villain avoided it and threw a backhand at her. Ochako ducked and hurried away. The villain stepped toward Tsu.
"As I was saying, you were hoping that after I've killed you, your friend can…" She took one step. "Your friend can…" Then another, slower and heavier. Then one more. "Your friend…" Then she stopped moving altogether.
"What did you do to me?!" the villain gasped.
"I can do whatever a frog can!" said Tsu. "And several frogs can secrete mucus that induces paralysis! Ribbit! You can't move!"
"You…you!" said the villain. She tried to throw herself at Tsu, but all she did was fall to the deck.
Ochako picked the villain up with her quirk, drove her headfirst into the floor, then cuffed her. They'd won.
Tsu took note of the rest of the battlefield. Nejire floating to get a look at everyone else, Selkie was climbing aboard with a villain on his back, and even Sirius was rubbing her wrists next to an unconscious villain.
The Heroes had triumphed and the villains had lost. Another day on the job.
"We did it! Good job guys!" said Nejire.
Ochako pumped her fist, "Yeah!"
Sirius whooped, while Tsu let out a happy "Ribbit".
Selkie leaned over panting. "You ok Selkie?" said Ochako.
"Yeah, (pant), just not as young as I used to be…but still young at heart!" he finished in his cutsey voice and pose.
Embarassing, thought Sirius.
Adorable, thought Tsu.
Soon the villains were loaded onto the Oki Mariner, the coast guard called in. The Heroes underwent a standard health check, and were told they'd be fine, though as usual they were recommended to get checked by a real hospital once they made it back.
Minutes later, Tsu was on deck, watching the sun set. "This was a good mission," said Tsu.
"Yeah," said Sirius next to her. "We got the villains, captured the illegal weapons, and had minimal injuries. I'd say that's a win."
"How's Selkie been? You said he's taking more of a backseat role soon? Ribbit."
"He's fit enough to fight, but he's going to do it less than he used to. But don't worry, he's still strong enough to handle most villains," said Sirius.
"That's good. Ribbit."
"He also told me that if he does retire, I get to be the new captain," she said with a proud smirk.
Tsu smiled. "I'm glad. You've earned it."
"Thanks. You know, if I wanted, I probably could've probably gone independent like you. But I like the Mariner, even as first mate. Still…Captain Sirius does have a nice ring to it."
"It does. Just don't let it get to your head," Tsu said.
Sirius chuckled. "Don't worry Tsu, I won't. By the way, saw that move you did with Uravity. Neat combo."
"Thanks. We developed it when we worked together at Nejire's agency. Simple but devastating."
"Did you too work together often?"
Tsu nodded. "At first it was because she needed to be shown the ropes. She learned fast. After that, it was because we made a good team. Probably because not much could get to us."
Sirius nodded. "You mentioned that. Was she always like that? Even when she started?"
Tsu nodded. "Two weeks after she signed on, we fought a villain who could grow to fifteen meters. Ochako's exact words were: 'I've seen worse."
Sirius chuckled. "Impressive. And after the fight?"
"Like another day at the office."
"Seriously?" said Sirius. "She handled her first fights like they were nothing? I almost puked after every fight for the first four months!"
Tsu nodded. "Even I was frazzled after the USJ."
Ochako was probably one of the most unflappable people Tsu had ever met. It made her a bit of a mystery at Nejire's agency (that and her inexplicably large bank account). It even lead to a betting pool over what her job had been before becoming a Hero. Ochako kept quiet and Tsu, not being the gambling sort, didn't join in. She leaned toward secret agent.
"Froppy!" Nejire walking onto the deck with Selkie.
Given that she'd used Tsu's Hero name, it probably meant more work to do. Of course there is.
"We just got word from the coast guard of an unidentified ship sailing near here," said Nejire. "It hasn't answered hails. Me and Uravity are going to fly over and investigate. You wanna join us?"
Tsu looked to Sirius. Sirius nodded to her and said, "Go ahead."
"Take care of my boat," said Tsu.
Minutes later, Ochako made herself and Tsu weightless. They took off on Nejire's back toward the mystery ship.
The sun had just set.
Wow, action scenes can be hard! I probably should have made it shorter, but oh well!
See you next chapter! Feel free to review!
(One of the benefits of going from fighting Godzilla to fighting villains, suddenly everything is less scary! Who knew?)
