Deku-hime six.
And this had been the start of their first week at school, which set the tone for the rest of the seven days.
Of course, after the first exercise, Hime had gotten scolded by her mother, a tall… no, massive woman with blue hair and yellow snake eyes. Around here hung the aroma of rain and wind. She had a pair of maid servants, a pair of blond twins that smelled like autumn's fallen leaves and fertile earth.
And… she may or may not be in a relationship with a young blonde, frog-like girl who is supposedly as old as the tectonic plate Japan was situated on.
The super scarred man also became a frequent visitor to the Moriya's household. Giving him a chance to properly bath and take care of his wounds… and to get some proper food in. And by the end of the week, Dabi (not his real name, but super cool and edgy nonetheless) was given a room with some instructions.
No drugs in the house, not even cigarettes, and come home sober, otherwise the snakes will bite his toes and ankles. And the frogs would keep him awake at night and would haunt him until he kicked the habit for good.
Needless to say, the punk broke the rule once… and then bitterly regretted it.
Still, he was like this weird older-brother type character with a mysterious dark past and a history with the equally mysterious neighbor in their all-too nice and manicured manor with too many security cameras and what-not.
Hime had filed Dabi's past as probable Todoroki family drama (™), why not the 'dead' elder son back to exact revenge on his Family for having been… ousted.
Or perhaps neglected? Abused?
Whatever happened, it was not of Hime's business. This Family had their Karma to burn, and unless one of those would come forward, if the conflict would come to them, Hime would let it run its course. She had other things to focus on: like her Japa, her Bhakti-Shastri course, and who could possibly be her husband… right, and the hero course.
Yes, Hime was very much aware of her birth gender. Yes, she was also very much aware that, if she did not have this accident, her outlook would be different. Yet, this was her Karma, and her karma made her attracted to men.
Not sexually, since she was missing all the glands that would secrete those funny hormones. But she still longed for companionship. And not just any companionship, but that of a Vaishnava.
Puberty was weird like that. One moment you are free from sex desire, think the opposite sex is gross, and make fun of those struck by cupid's arrow. Next, you acted like a dog in rut/heat and forgot everything about Bhagavan and the science of self realization; instead focusing all energies in the act of mating, eating, sleeping, and defending.
It was at that time, watching her schoolmates turning into hormonal fools that Hime thanked her Kacchan profusely… in her mind.
Of course, her current desire was rather… how to say, controversial for what she was. But could you blame her? Most of the powerhouses in Gensokyo where with other woman, and yet had managed to kick Cupid out of their matrimony and let the defeater of Cupid take his place.
She longed for calm evenings cuddled to a broad chest, the dishes done, the Lord worshiped and the kids (perhaps.) asleep, listening to Ancient Classes by his Divine grace, Srila-Prabhupada, conversing in hushed whispered about the latest chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam they had read and such.
This would be her perfect evening, and she had her Kacchan to thank for.
Her now greenette friend was not ready for this yet… but perhaps after the USJ? Or perhaps the day after the gladiatorial school festival - something Hime was eagerly looking forward too, curious to see how her year mate would compare to the inhabitants of Gensokyo and Bhava-Agra and the onis of old hell.
Sure, Izuku-Hime's hips were about as stable and solid as Dhurodana's after Bhima-sena was done with him. But since all of Gensokyo's lifestyle was governed by ancient Vedic rules (something that had happened well over 250-ish years ago when a Walking monk had wandered in Yamuna's realm under Krishna mischievous order) it meant that, following the Danur-Veda, any hits below the belt where prohibited… unless you were fighting outside of Danmaku.
Meaning that no Oni ever struck her weak point, respecting her too much for that. Besides, she had the magic power to command respect and the knowledge needed to control it. Meaning that, while she wasn't physically strong, she was magically potent.
Now… the Princess of Gensokyo wondered how those would stack up. She had no idea if those Demons they would fight would be as righteous as her classmates. And last week didn't count since everyone was fighting quirkless and thus had summoned Madan-Mohana-Mohini to fight, since the yōkai specialized in tae-kwon-do and judo.
Most of them had called it foul, since her quirk was registered as 'Power of Friendship". To which Hime had quipped that it wasn't really a quirk, since Eraserhead would not be able to erase it.
Ergo, having Madan-Mohana-Mohini fight in her stead was considered quirkless fighting.
Of course, she could have used her Danmaku art, but those poor humans could not wrap their heads around how Magic was not a quirk. It was magic and thus infinitely more flexible and fun then mere genetic anomaly caused by leaking miasma.
Nevertheless, today was not about all that. No, today was the day where she and her classmates would have their first taste of heroic rescue, and Hime was practically vibrating in her seat!
'I wonder what our teacher will have us do?' Hime wondered to herself.
Their teacher would probably start them by having a walkabout of the facilities, maybe even maneuver in certain terrains? No, they would most likely have them do theory and teach them basic first-aid for the first week before going into a harder scenario…
Or perhaps, it would be badly planned and have the kids rescue 'victims' without testing their teamwork, or making sure their simulations were just that, simulations and totally safe to a certain point.
What was life without a bit of danger and thrill, after all.
"Hime?" Ochako addressed her friend, already in her Hero suit.
She had intimated to the Princess of Japan that she'd rather liked the whole space witch concept of her suit. Even more when she realized that her planets had the weight needed to batter anything up to All Might quite thoroughly.
And since they were attuned to her, it meant that her usual nausea would not affect her as badly. She still had to train it out of her, something doctor Ekarani had confirmed possible as long as said training was under careful supervision of Suki Devi Dasi. (Ibuki Suika.)
The crazy drunk oni's goal for Ochako was to have her manifest black holes on demand.
Honestly, no one thought it was a good idea. And there was no application for a black hole, something that distorted time and space.
"Yes, Ochako?"
"You… look deep in thought. Anything you wanna share?"
"Hmm… how about how you don't need to know how to make a black hole to be the perfect space themed hero?"
Ochako puffed her cheeks. "But I do! My favorite Hero's Thirteen, and her Quirk's Black Hole!"
"She can bend space-time and eat light?" Hime asked, manifesting her favorite notebook, absolutely decked-out in baubles and whatever she found cute.
No one would expect this super-ultra-girly, lotus fragranced abomination of a notebook to hold her Quirk Analysis. Not that anyone could read them since she wrote in Sanskrit, the most fluid language to write in, and the one with the most complicated grammar.
Ochako paused. "Ah well… not really." she admitted. "She… well… I think she's a she, they never used any pronouns, but she never denied being a girl either-"
"Focus!"
"Right, They are all about space themes, her Hero Costume is a full on spacesuit and her name is a reference to the Apollo Thirteen doomed mission."
"Huh, so she's a fan of this Drama? I had no idea they were a fan of this show."
"It is not a show, Miss Moriya!" Iida exclaimed (when did he not), doing his best impression of an automaton. "The moon landing truly did happen. It is history, not a work of fiction."
"Of course it was." Hime rebuked. "The true moon is a heavenly planet that no one of human birth can reach via a mere rocket fueled by fossil fuels. What to say about the distance. The true moon, Chandra, is 800,000 miles away from the earth. While the so-called moon the astronauts landed on was merely an illusion made by Ekarani. Not a very good one either, since the false moon really is but a big, cold rock covered in earthly petrified wood." She revealed as one talks about the weather.
Ochako stared. "Wait… Ekarani… your not talking about our Ekarani, are you?" He sentence ended in a squeak.
But before Hime could blow Ochako's mind further, the bus stopped and a… less tired Aizawa Shouta barked orders to all of them.
At least getting out of the bus had been less of an absolute debacle than last week's lunchtime.
Honestly, those students dared to consider themselves hero material when the first thing they did upon hearing of an intruder entering was complete panic, and to rush out of the perfectly safe bunker/cafeteria to God knows where.
Thankfully, Sharada had been present, and had paused all movement until Hime could slap all of the so-called future Heroes - calling them all a collective disappointment, a smear to the name of all the true Hero hopefuls walking these halls.
Once she had been satisfied with her chastisement, she humbly requested Nedzu-sama to run villain drills for the whole school at random intervals to prevent another near-disaster and complete embarrassment.
She had the feeling the stoat only agreed for the potential amount of Chaos he would cause. Incidentally, Hime had also learned that UA had no fire drills either; something that was suicidally incompetent with the support course so explosion prone.
Thankfully, Nedzu was still susceptible to Kokila's presence and powers. And thus, with the help of Kamishiwasara-san, were in the process of slowly but surely taking over UA and turning it into a High School/University combo for heroically inclined youth.
Those kids would have close to a decade in hero formation, and once they hit the streets, they would be able to handle everything their Karma would drag them through.
Since it would be a Vaishnava institution, they just had to replace all the board of governors with highly elevated Vaishnavas. Bhakti Vedantists of the highest caliber.
But for now, Izuku would be learning how to save people in different disaster scenarios.
Something she could bring back to Mother Bahula, who now ran Gensokyo's emergency department for every widespread disaster.
"So, that's the USJ." Hime said as she gazed at the opaque dome surrounded by transformers and generators. "I think I'll ask Uttara-mama to offer her service to this Thirteen-san. Her dojo is clearly energetically deficient."
"It is rude to say such a thing about a Hero's training ground." Iida Teniya, their president snapped. "Thirteen-san had poured their heart, soul, and blood into this building. I will not let a blackwater princess say anymore ill of this magnificent infrastructure!"
"Oh?" Hime tilted her head dangerously. "Is this a fight you want?" She asked as she floated off the ground, her magic swirling around her little yet wiry body. " Shall I induct you into the beautiful art of danmaku fighting?"
"No." Aizawa-sama was quickto shot the Idea down.
For shame.
This caused the sense of anticipation to evaporate quickly as disappointment took its place.
"Right," she sighed. "We are the next generation of Heroes, and, unlike you.. I do not desire to lose my time and face to petty grudges and hangups. We have more important things to do; like serving the previous acharyas in their eternal service of spreading the holy name to all towns and villages. Maybe not to convert them, but to give people the option to open their hearts to God again, or their belly. We're pretty intense on food distribution."
Apparently, this was not the right thing to say.
"YOU VILLAINOUS CURS! DRUGGING THE INNOCENT AND FAMISHED-"
"
Ok, Thats enough, Iida, Thankfully, their homeroom teacher (still scruffy, but looking less drawn-out and tired) said as he wrapped his capture scarf around the bespectacled blunette's mouth and body.
"Alright. That's enough, Iida. Just know that your brother and I practically survived on their food distribution scene during our last back-pack trip across Eurasia. We even helped in the kitchens, and I can tell you - if you smell like the mildest of weeds there, they give you the stink eye.
"Oh my, that's not a very nice way to treat a guest. Do you remember who treated you poorly?" Hime asked in deep concern.
Being a Devotee meant to represent the best of humanity, after all. It was their cross to bear.
(not that Hime was an expert at that, but she tried, and that was what was important.)
Shouta kept his heavy gaze on the eunuch long enough for her to realize that his usual eyebags were noticeably smaller.
Huh… Sharada really did make a human friend then.
"Whatever." He dismissed the question. "Now listen up, hell class." He bellowed out. "I want you all to get off the bus one at a time. First row goes first. Last row goes last. Pay attention. Don't shove. Don't whine. I want you all out in less than four minutes, those who stall will have to perform a hundred push-ups!" He then blew his whistle as he dragged the fuming president off of the bus.
Yaoyorozu, the vice-president for the class, spoke up and apologized. "I'm sorry about Iida-kun, he can be…"
"Fanatical." Hime was proud that she'd managed to keep most of her disgust out of her voice.
Fanatics were the reasons why religions were seen as evil and cancelable.
All religions with God as their center were a path to Bhakti. All depending on the thirst of the practitioner and their level of… spiritual clarity.
Bhakti Yoga was simply the ultimate conclusion. But, as they said, all paths lead to Rome.
Or it this case, Vaikuntha.
But Fanatism?
Oh, there was a special hell for that.
"Nevertheless, we should follow what Sensei told us. He may look better rested, but I doubt he has any more patience for nonsense today."
"Agreed."
And thus the two noble girls ( and their witchy friend.) got off the bus last, right on cue for the roll call and the safety procedures for entering the eponymous USJ.
Hime could see why it was this… Thirteen's crowning achievement. A facility that could mimic all types of situations, from tsunamis to rockslides.
Of course, ancient rescuers did just fine with simpler and less expansive sound stages. But hey… if Thirteen wanted to waste her money on a big fancy toy and not for the construction of temples and anna-kshetra, then Hime had nothing to say about it.
They came in and, as expected, all were impressed by the facilities, while Hime got a headache.
All of those screens showing the outside weather…
Just… why?
Then they met the rescue hero Thirteen, named after the failed mission to Ekarani's illusory moon.
Ochako gushed about her personal hero, while Hime heard a warning from paramatma, the 'tiny' part of God that resided at the bottom of the universe, the heart of every single atom and neutrino, and the heart of all living entities.
He was also the source of all intuitions and instinct. Essentially the all-powerful hindbrain of every single species of the universe and Kokila's bestest friend.
She grabbed Ochako and Yaoyorozu's arms (they were already in their hero armor, thankfully).
"Something's coming." She warned ominously as she tried to get as much information from Bhagavan as she could, her left side practically vibrating as a nasty omen.
But, being still a neophyte when it came to listening to God, the only thing she got was more images of nasty omens and the dreaded realization that she'd left all offensive spell cards back home, thinking that this would be a mere rescue exercise with no need for a weapon or offensive magic.
'Well… this place's name is really on the nose… good job on teaching me to always be prepared. I'm never gonna leave any weapons at home anymore…' She thought as she began to chant the Narashima-kavacha internally.
She caught Aizawa-sensei's eyes, and, noticing how tense and scared she was (despite her mask) the underground hero tensed, and and Thirteen's soliloquy about how quirks could cause harm to others and thus they had to learn how to control them hitches as her Hero instinct also kicked in.
And then…
Purple gas-clouds filled the USJ, and human and pseudo-humans forms emerged and filled the place with screaming and jeering.
In the middle of it all was a young man covered with the severed hands of a family, and a random man.
There was one… hand slot that was empty implying to whomever this severed appendage belonged too had moved on a reincarnated (thank God).
Other then that, his red eyes and his judicious used of his angry father's hand oh his face as a mask (gotta love that upcycle, Onis would look more gruesome and hellish if they'd reused their last meals like that) and the red rings holding those appendages in place (making the sky-haired young man appear like a puppet to an entity bearing a passing resemblance to the Virat-rupa of Bhagavan), the man's costume was rather plain.
Not that it was a bad thing, but she had heard from Acyuta, her mother, and Yamuna also that a true villain never skimps on the presentation.
That poor boy needed to work on that… and perhaps give a clue as to the magic he wielded.
"Kurogiri! Scatter them!" he rasped his order, and suddenly all were engulfed in blackish purple fog.
Thankfully, living with a reality warper… and a troll meant that Hime wasn't phased at all when she and her two companions appeared above the USJ field, in an area filled with debris.
Deku-hime cackled in joy as she lowered her companions down and dispatched the dozen or so villains(?) dotting the field.
Not a spell card, just some average fairy dispelling shot. Quick, effective, and illegal to use during official Danmaku fights since they lacked any grace.
Nevertheless, she wasn't in Gensokyo, and the only law for the hero was a no-kill one…
Frustrating, but it didn't say anything about sending them to Yuthika and her dream realm.
"Moriya-san!" The Yaoyorozu heir spoke under her mask, her outrage was clear to hear. "What… Why are you laughing, those are villains! We're not supposed to face any villains until after our work studies!"
"Well guess what, heiress! We're on the fast track." Hime grinned behind her mask as delirious adrenaline filled her body.
This was different from the entrance exam, this was the real deal.
This was an incident.
"Ochako! Get your planets ready, make pretty patterns and try not to kill too many goons!" Hime snapped her order as she took to the sky again, her pretty Ko-omote mask turning demonic with a wooden snap.
Deku-hime wasn't but a pretty small face.
She was a haniya, a vengeful spirit of a scorned person. A scorned woman who had sworn revenge.
She was the second level of Haniyas, those who still had enough sanity to stop and return to being human, but not enough to be considered housebroken nor pretty.
She was feral, she was angry…
And she longed for true bloodshed.
And this was an incident, Izuku could feel it in their bones, her material body, mangled and mended, thrummed with power, demanding to be shed.
She summoned her Vimana, her mind-made-plane and generated bullet spawners and unleashed hell on those fairy-like humans.
Of course, being humans and following the archaic rules of this land (heroes could not kill, what a joke), Hime merely paralyzed their mobility and quirks. (and this was supposed to be a rescue mission, meaning that even her shots had been nerfed.)
As long as none fell in the water or in other hazards, they should be fine and … ugh, good for Tartarus.
Why bother keeping those poor unfortunate souls stuck in a place where they are forced to stew in their sins until their brain melted and where then tried for their sins by Yamaraja, having received no mercy. If they came with the desire to kill, then better kill them, for it would purify them of whatever murder they did, and thus their sentence in Hell would be lessened … not that it meant much for the Impious souls of the age of Kali…
Hime was mumbling, wasn't she?
Nevertheless, until her father would once again rule as the active emperor of Japan, not letting a mere pig dressed in silks enjoying the spoils of wars he never fought in, then Hime would have to follow… their illogical and demoniac rules.
Well, at least she didn't have to kill. For truth be told, she didn't feel like sending anyone to Yamaraja. She wasn't a Kshatriya like that.
But… if need be.
Suddenly, she felt the air shift around her, and the sounds of crushing bones met her ears.
When she turned her attention to the sound, she was met with something that would make Miss Kaku blush and titter.
It was huge and stank of death, his insides were inhabited by suffering souls begging for relief, for the Void.
Now of course, death didn't mean to become nothing. In this age of Kali Yuga, it meant being dragged out of your body by the Yamadutas and to Hell where all of your sins would be read by the man himself before the sinful soul be sent to whatever hellish planet one needed to go to to be purified of their worst offenses before having to once again take birth in a species other than human and work their way back up.
Something that could take… millennias.
They didn't have the time to do so, since this Kali-Yuga golden age only lasted a mere ten thousand years, and the rest was the slow and steady apocalypse.
So no, she would not give those souls the so-called void. Instead, she flew in, taking note of the broken body of her teacher and instead focused her energies on the liberation of those poor unfortunate souls.
"N-No… Hime… Run." Aizawa Sensei choked out, but the doll-like princess ignored him.
She had two choices, stop the nasty cobbled up Jiang-shi, or attack its master - the one with the blue hair, the hands, and the trauma.
…
Well, better cut off the head and hope the body follows.
'Wait, no! I can't do that, Principal Nedzu told me to only bring nonlethal spell cards!' The masked eunuch remembered in pure dismay. 'And I left my father's sword behind and from the look of Aizawa-san's elbow… whatever it was, that's one quirk I don't want to test.' She shuddered as she mentally went over what she could do.
She could shoot the villain down like she did with the rest. But before she could do anything, the blue haired menace noticed her.
"The fuck are you? You don't look like a mook."
'Banter! "A mook… if you mean a fairy, then no, I'm more than that. My parents would not tolerate yet another beast. I'm boss level."
Behind the gruesome hand of a wrathful father, the villain (hand-wearing griefer - Shigaraki Tomura) grinned as he cackled. "Aw hell yeah! Finally, someone who gets me. You're a Boss, are you? Hmm… nah, bet you're just the mid-boss before I get to All Might. Once I kill you, All Might's all mine!"
"Why do you want to kill All Might anyway? It's not as if he's the only Hero around. Besides, I've already surpassed him in terms of agility and magical power, and I got nerfed too."
"Nerfed? Dude, like… Gah!" The blue haired, red eyed man (a descendent of Tenshi, perhaps?) began to scratch his neck. "I don't have time for banter! Sensei warned me this was a stalling tactic."
"Not for me." Hime said resolutely as she got her cards out; and indeed, none of them had any true offensive abilities… except one. "Not that it matters much. For in the end, you will be the one facing your worst memories!" She declared as she took her first cards, skipping on her non-spell. It wasn't a legal move, but she doubted Shigaraki Tomura had any Spell cards, and she didn't want to test her Narayana-Kavacha.
Not that she didn't have any doubt in Lord Narayana's ultimate protection, only that she didn't trust her own mantra recitation. For a single mispronunciation, one syllable held for too long, or even a drop of blood or a single moment of inattention could ruin it.
"But not the Maha-mantra, and the Maha-mantra will protect me." She reaffirmed as she activated Mother Savitri's opener, the updated version and the bane of Marisha's existence.
~Terrible recollection; Unearthing of pass trauma!~
And Shigaraki's eyes grew wide, stopping his charge as Deku formed a pseudo third eye in her hand and bracing herself for the Horrors she would see, and hoping that Whatever trauma this troubled man had wasn't that bad and the dead people hands where just a show of his own depravity.
Oh, how wrong she was.
—-
Meanwhile, Nedzu was enjoying a nice warm cup of tea, trying to ignore a rather… human conscience nagging at him.
Of course having Robots at the Entrance Exam was a legitimate way to test them, the other school had too loose of a testing and let in so many subpar students… no, He wasn't delusional, just look at the ranking!
Yagi Toshinori was an Alumnus, same as Todoroki Enji, and all the best heroes sent their pups to this establishment! Meaning all was good!
Right?
Right?
"Why do I doubt it now? I am the perfect being. The one who survived all the tests and who tore my captors to shreds. And yet managed to infiltrate the ranks of heroism to mess with those humans! So why… Why do I feel guilty?' The chimera wondered, not used to scrutinizing his own actions.
It's… not normal.
And yet, he can't find it in himself to investigate… which should make him want to investigate more.
Also… why did he smell and… as odd as it sounded, kept hearing what could only be chaotic boss music?
But before he could ponder more, Cementos and Powerloader approached his office, both smelling of stress and anxiety.
It is to be expected for Powerloader since Nedzu had sent the menace to his den, but Cementoss… why would the literature professor be there? It wasn't like he was teaching any heroics.
"Yes, what seemed to be the matter?" Nedzu asked as he connected to his spy network, simultaneously checking each and every camera and microphone he'd implanted in every single nook and cranny of the school.
"Class 1-A has yet to return from the USJ ground, neither have Eraserhead nor Thirteen." Powerloader said. "And in light of All Might's missing class schedule, we are fearing the worst."
"Oh, don't be." Nedzu said. "Aizawa and Thirteen are experienced pro heroes, and as you have all noticed, Aizawa-kun had managed to get his required amount of sleep during this past week. Besides, if the villains make their first move, then we shall know what our own steps should be."
"I don't like it… those are villains. bloodthirsty and unwilling to spare even the most pure of babes. What tells you that the USJ isn't a sepulcher as we speak?" Cementoss spoke up with a sense of urgency.
"Well, then… since All Might is with them, there shouldn't be any-"
Nedzu didn't have the time to finish his sentence when the man in question crashed into Nedzu's office through the window, spraying everyone with bits of concrete and glass.
Taken by complete surprise, Nedzu reverted back to the frightened creature he was and hissed when his office door failed to open fast enough…
It managed to give his fore-brain the time to dominate his reptilian one and to once again demand perfect behavior, but not before his lapse of play humanity was caught by that woman hiding in a corner where everyone would forget her.
But of course, the two other heroes didn't notice, not with how loud All Might was sobbing.
"All Might sir, what happened?" Powerloader asked as he tried -and failed- to light the giant of a man.
"USJ…. The USJ…" he managed to say through his heaving sobs. "It's… It's all gone!"
…
'Oh no.'
—-
The time it took for all faculty members and other Heroes to arrive did nothing to reassure anyone.
Neither Aizawa Shouta nor Thirteen could be reached.
Eventually…
"It's gone…" Hawks whispered in horror as he stared at the dust filled maw of the earth.
It seemed like the earth was wailing for all those youth, now gone for good.
'... they got lucky.' Hawks thought without a small amount of jealousy.
*Hawk, any sign of survivors? Can you hear anyone?* The voice hero asks through the fierce winged slave's comm.
Hawks closed his eyes. "No… I got nothing visually, and it's as quiet as a grave." the blonde said sadly, wondering what would be his punishment for not hearing of what would happen. " Maybe the ground team will have more luck, but from what I can see and hear… everything was decayed… I think it was the same villain who got your wall."
"Thank you, Hawks-san." Came Nedzu's artificial sounding voice.
He was shaken
They all were.
Twenty-one students, Eraserhead and Thirteen… and Kal-el knows how many more villains lost their lives that day.
Hawk could not even bring back a scapegoat for Tartarus.
Suddenly… the air became charged with… power.
It was like the atmosphere before a typhoon hit, or a lightning-filled hurricane. The wind rose… and something passed by the fastest hero of Japan like a sudden gale.
"INCOMING!" he screeched as he began his pursuit, only for something the size of the ten year old weighing close to a ton hit his back, causing him to plummet to the ground.
But once he reached the unforgiving terra firma. Hawks… sank in it as if he had fallen into water, and after the most terrifying moment in his life, surrounded by sand, stones, and the claustrophobic darkness of his worst nightmare, he felt someone pull him out by his shirt collar and was unceremoniously thrown up on the ground.
"Huh, kero. I never expected to see a Tengu out of Gensokyo… an abused one at that, kero."
Hawks eyes flew open and stared at the young girl in front of him. A young girl who spoke with an ancient Chinese dialect.
She was short, blonde like a ripe wheat field, wearing a super old style of clothes and wearing tall hat with eyes that had Hawks swore were staring at him.
"You know, it's not polite to stare open-mouthed at anyone, Kero. Now close your mouth before it goes even more awkward, kero." Hawks snapped his mouth closed as he cleared his throat. He could not be caught flat-footed.
"Right. So tell me, what is a little girl like you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" The hero asked as he subtly sharpened some feathers.
Said sharpened feathers were then promptly snatched up by a rather sticky tongue and eaten by the blonde child as if those were not razor sharp.
Let it be known that having his extra ears eaten was…
Forget his usual torture… and why was he hearing the Hare Krishna Hare Rama Mantra? What the fuck was this girl? She was clearly a mutant, a frog mutant but…
Hawks was starting to doubt the humanity of this girl.
"Ah, Takami Keigo, We have heard plenty from the tengu living on our mountain." The blonde spoke, her mouth stretching wider then it should be permitted. "We are… hmm… Just call us Moriya Suwako, one of Moriya Izuku's parents, kero." She said, speaking with near antiquated japanese.
Hawk had the clear feeling she was messing with him.
Not only that but…
"How do you know…" Kei- No, Hawks tried asking, thoroughly freaked out by the… thing in front him.
He'd seen heavily mutated individuals. Hell, there was this one… person who was nothing but cursed paper!
This seemingly innocuous young girl, twelve, at most and with… a frog-like quirk clearly wasn't a twelve year old with frog-like traits.
"Sri!" Another voice resonated from the sky. Loud, deep, booming, yet still clearly female. "What have I told you about messing with the mortals?" The figure taking form from the unseasonable red leaves said.
She was… massive, wearing a blood red sari over a burgundy blouse. A thick rope girding her waist, holding another one hallowing her from the back with those… zig-zag paper fluttering in the arch. She had blue hair which… was the most mundane thing about her.
Beside her was another flying woman with an animal… excuse Hawks, he was having a moment, with the most mundane, ear-shaped platinum hair the hero had seen, wearing a purple dress, a pink top that went down to her thighs, and a pair of headphones on her ears, a shaku and a sword at her hips.
Both women were frowning. Looking at the gaping wound marring the earth.
"... What happened here." The blue haired one said, her arms crossed over her generous bosom. "Izuku-chan didn't… she didn't bring anything from Utara, did she? Sharadas, Sharada Devi Dasi, where are you and what happened to our child?"
"No, unless we would be at the cusp of a nuclear Holocaust, our child would never dare bring anything of Uttara out." The blonde, Sri-bhumi said as she ran her fingers in the dirt. "And don't you remember? Izuku-chan ordered Sharada not to interfere when she would face villains, saying how no regent would survive the shame if their servant and bodyguards would win wars for them."
"Unlike the modern ones." The Platinet spoke under her breath. "I can hear two… no, three hearts beating under us, and falling sand. Whomever is with our musume must be very young in mind, for he wants his Granny Nana… hmm, the falling sand comes from his hands… ah, Momoyo's here, and Hime only wants to get out and… oh my!" The stranger covered her mouth as she blushed. Then she turned to Hawks.
"My name is Toyosatomimi no Miko. Or prince Shotoku. I am indeed the one who named Nihon the land of the rising sun and the continent of peace. And yes, I am indeed that old and my hearing is such that all ten desires that you, you poor unfortunate soul harbor, are clearly known to me. I have heard you, and I will indeed work to free the wingless hawk. Now, I would rather you address me as Uma Devi Dasi," She bowed with folded palms. "And please, don't attack them when they appear… right about now?"
"Wha-" But before Hawks could get his usually quick brain back in order, the ground collapsed as it was broken up by a shovel and a pickaxe, and a gray head of hair covering a chitin-black body.
"Ey-yo, Momoyo here." The… thing said as she emerged.
'Must be a centipede mutation. Centipeder will be happy." Hawk thought with a sneer.
"Yo, dude… I knew I smelled a descendant of the chieftain! Dude, whatcha doing off Yokai mountain?" She addressed Hawks, her voice slightly muffled by the mask on her mouth. "Hey, wait a dang minute, where's Yamuna and alla them kids?"
"Late, I'd gather." Kamini said with a sigh. "That, or we are early."
"I doubt it, grabbing a whole class of kids and villain must be to much for this old-"
"I am younger than you." Another woman said… her voice coming from the Aether.
Did Hawks mention how freaking out he was? Cus he totally was right now!
Suddenly, the… sky tore open on a meridian, revealing a burgundy/purpuric expanse filled with eyes.
Then a pair of hands grabbed onto the edge of the gap and a blonde woman wearing a white mob cap decorated with a red ribbon hoisted herself halfway out.
She had… eyes both yellow and purple depending on the angle you looked at her. "And the entirety of class A-1 is fine, mostly. The only reason for my delay was due to Ekarani revealing her birth planet." Yamuna (her name, allegedly. Warping quirk? No, hole quirk? It was a transportation quirk but… holy moly, this chick got hit with the Quirk singularity hard… if she was…)
Yamuna's gaze suddenly snapped to the avian hero, causing the winged man to falter.
Her eyes… pierced through him.
Her eyes narrowed as her smile widened, reminding him of this… horrifying expresion his handler had sometimes. Usually preceding a reconditioning.
"Well, well, well… if this isn't a human shinigami belonging to an unworthy master." The… entity spoke, the eyes in the background tracking every movement of the avian Hero. "Please, tell your dog-like mistress that she should return to her kennel and be a good, patient girl and let the adult deal with her mess."
"This is no way of addressing the president of the HPSC." Hawks sneered.
Sure, he hated her… but she was needed, and otherwise, she was good.
"Her title means nothing to us." Uma said regally, and it took all of the Hawks's willpower not to kneel in front of her. "By the divine laws of these lands, the emperor is the one who rules all, but since you threw his authority away, then I, Toyosatomimi no Miko, protector devata of Japan, shall once again ascend and lead my people to true peace and prosperity!"
"Yes, yes. We know Uma." The older blonde said as she rolled her eyes. "But for one who says to care about your subject, you seemed unbothered by the missing children." The yōkai(?) reminded the mad girl.
"Ah." The flying woman said as she wagged her finger. "But why should I worry when I know you want to give them all a grand entrance. Am I wrong?"
Yamuna stared, then chuckled. "Spoil sport."
Suddenly, the sound of a train was heard, then an ancient bullet train emerged from the space between the sky and the land, riding on rails that hadn't been there a moment prior.
The rest of the Heroes gathered around… and a surprising amount of animals too.
"There you are, your blessed students, unharmed and whole." The wily woman declared with a snap of her finger.
At this signal, all the students walked out. Hawks was caught off guard by the massive armor lugging around a heavy hammer, and even more so when the illusion broke and the Yaoyorozu heiress walked out in a pretty night dress that covered her whole body.
Then more of the missing students walked out in line, all doing something for their wordless introduction.
Kirishima flexed (perfect quirk for heroics). The president needs to know about him, the next symbol of resilience… if he can survive the training, that is. Ashido struck a pose and Anima…
Struck fear in Hawks' heart as he swaggered out dressed as a ringmaster. A tiger, a lion, and a few elephants sedately following him; their eyes filled with intelligence.
Then, after the twenty students walked out from the illogical train, their Hero costumes were different from the files the HPSC had received and approved. Girls had to be sexy. Sex sells… except when they were plain and ugly. Same with the boys, but not as important. Boys had to be protected, had to look heroic… unlike the girls. Out walked Eraserhead, looking well-rested, his clothes clean and glasses utilitarian. He was expertly groomed and.. suave.
… why was it hot in here, all of a sudden?
Then out came Thirteen, out of her suit and into something more flattering, on her bare hands where rings on each of her fingers…
Well, Hawks assumed she was a She, neo-pronouns had always confused him but… it wasn't a topic he was supposed to speak about.
Then out came Bakugo Katsuki. (Wasted potential. Too careful, too smart for his own good, dangerous, unstable), practically running out and looking all around like a man possessed by unprecedented good fortune.
Then, the dyed greenette froze, and- "IZUKU!" Ran toward yet another unknown.
The brave winged Hero turned around to see who this Izuku was, only to freeze at the sight.
There, in the distance, but not too far was two people: one with green hair, the other with light blue hair hanging from his back…
And the horrible scarces, whole bodied Tatoos and the gruesome remains of his genitals registered.
Izuku smile.
"Hey, Kacchan." He said, his voice a forever Falceto. "I'm back."